780
Albums Rated
3.46
Average Rating
72%
Complete
309 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
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1950s
Favorite Decade
Grunge
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
179
5-Star Albums
55
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Moss Side Story
Barry Adamson
|
5 | 2.53 | +2.47 |
|
Snivilisation
Orbital
|
5 | 2.71 | +2.29 |
|
Tago Mago
Can
|
5 | 2.79 | +2.21 |
|
Ys
Joanna Newsom
|
5 | 2.8 | +2.2 |
|
Goodbye And Hello
Tim Buckley
|
5 | 2.83 | +2.17 |
|
Music Has The Right To Children
Boards of Canada
|
5 | 2.91 | +2.09 |
|
Swordfishtrombones
Tom Waits
|
5 | 2.95 | +2.05 |
|
Sheet Music
10cc
|
5 | 2.96 | +2.04 |
|
Aha Shake Heartbreak
Kings of Leon
|
5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
|
For Your Pleasure
Roxy Music
|
5 | 2.98 | +2.02 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Morrison Hotel
The Doors
|
1 | 3.6 | -2.6 |
|
Ready To Die
The Notorious B.I.G.
|
1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
|
Deep Purple In Rock
Deep Purple
|
1 | 3.33 | -2.33 |
|
The Next Day
David Bowie
|
1 | 3.3 | -2.3 |
|
Made In Japan
Deep Purple
|
1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
|
The Beach Boys Today!
The Beach Boys
|
1 | 3.27 | -2.27 |
|
Bad Company
Bad Company
|
1 | 3.26 | -2.26 |
|
It's Too Late to Stop Now
Van Morrison
|
1 | 3.25 | -2.25 |
|
American Beauty
Grateful Dead
|
1 | 3.24 | -2.24 |
|
Tonight's The Night
Neil Young
|
1 | 3.23 | -2.23 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Miles Davis | 4 | 4.75 |
| Radiohead | 4 | 4.75 |
| Joni Mitchell | 3 | 5 |
| Arcade Fire | 3 | 5 |
| Pixies | 3 | 5 |
| Stevie Wonder | 3 | 4.67 |
| Yes | 3 | 4.67 |
| Tom Waits | 3 | 4.67 |
| Steely Dan | 3 | 4.67 |
| Beck | 3 | 4.67 |
| The Kinks | 3 | 4.67 |
| Roxy Music | 3 | 4.67 |
| Fiona Apple | 2 | 5 |
| Portishead | 2 | 5 |
| Kate Bush | 2 | 5 |
| Kraftwerk | 2 | 5 |
| Nirvana | 2 | 5 |
| CHIC | 2 | 5 |
| U2 | 2 | 5 |
| The Pogues | 2 | 5 |
| Genesis | 2 | 5 |
| Hole | 2 | 5 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 2 | 5 |
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 4.25 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 4 | 4.25 |
| The Smiths | 3 | 4.33 |
| Beatles | 3 | 4.33 |
| Michael Jackson | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Deep Purple | 3 | 1.33 |
| Def Leppard | 2 | 1 |
| Aerosmith | 3 | 1.67 |
| Love | 2 | 1.5 |
| Emerson, Lake & Palmer | 2 | 1.5 |
| Christina Aguilera | 2 | 1.5 |
| Elvis Costello | 2 | 1.5 |
| Leonard Cohen | 5 | 2.2 |
| Pet Shop Boys | 3 | 2 |
| The Rolling Stones | 4 | 2.25 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| LCD Soundsystem | 5, 1 |
| Sonic Youth | 5, 5, 1, 3 |
| Neil Young | 5, 1, 3 |
| XTC | 4, 1 |
| The Beach Boys | 1, 4 |
5-Star Albums (179)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Snoop Dogg
2/5
This has the makings of a 5 star hip hop album; great flow, fantastic production, very funky and great personality. However, similar to my feelings with The Chronic, the lyrics are just unapologetically disgusting, and can you really listen to rap without listening to the lyrics? They are, without a doubt, misogynistic and glorify the "gangsta" lifestyle. However, Dre and Snoop tried to spin it as a cautionary tale or whatever, which just laughable. There's no critique of that lifestyle or any sort of self consciousness whatsoever. I understand that gangsta rap was a necessary reaction to police brutality in LA, and that it was an important stepping stone for hip hop, etc. But that doesn't necessarily mean we have to endure it forever as a classic album.
19 likes
The Chemical Brothers
5/5
Where to begin with this one? Another formative album for me, so hard to judge objectively. Probably one of the first electronic records I got into as a teenager. This album, Daft Punk and Justice opened up a whole new world of music for me, even though I missed out on it the first time around (I think I was 6 when this album was released). The way the songs flow into each other is beautiful, even when they get abrasive. I especially love the last two songs, in spite of the weird lawnmower like grinding towards the end of Where Do I Begin and the possibly-too-obvious Beatles influences on The Private Psychedelic Reel.
4 likes
Tim Buckley
5/5
Ah yes, Jeff Buckley's dad! I listened to this album years ago and didn't really get it. It'll be interesting to re-listen to it now considering my tastes have changed a good bit since then.
Wow what a voice! Very impressive songwriting too. I love how different each of the songs are, enjoyed every minute of this.
3 likes
King Crimson
5/5
Hadn't listened to the one at all, I only know the screaming man album. Really enjoyed it, it sounds like the birth of math rock!
3 likes
David Crosby
5/5
I've never listened to this one before. Some of the songs are unplayable on Spotify, presumably due to the contributions of Joni Mitchell and/or Neil Young, so I'll have to find it elsewhere! I'm a big fan of Joni and Neil, but don't know much of the other CSNY members' work.
Had a listen on YouTube -wow I can't believe I haven't heard this before. So many great artists on one record, and the Grateful Dead too (having said that, this is much better than their solo album I was subjected to last week). The album flows really well together, and is very well produced for the most part. Lyrically, it maybe strays a bit to far into hippie-dippie territory, but given the political climate at the time, that's understandable. Overall a great find, I'll be listening to this again for sure.
3 likes
4-Star Albums (241)
1-Star Albums (55)
All Ratings
Paul Simon
3/5
Solid album, but apart from a couple of standout tracks, not particularly memorable. It was probably very significant at the time, but not different enough from his work with Garfunkel to be seen as a landmark in my opinion. Interesting to see Paul Simon progress as the solo artist that would eventually be putting out masterpieces in pop music a few years later.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
I remember reading a review years ago which said the Stones made a very successful career by regularly releasing mediocre albums which had 2 or 3 fantastic singles to carry them. I still feel like that's pretty accurate after giving this another go. I'm sure they had fun recording 6 mins of "Jigsaw Puzzle" but it pales in comparison to something like "Sympathy for the Devil". Remove "Sympathy" and "Street Fighting Man" and thos would be a forgettable 1/5 for me. You can't deny the genius and influence of those two songs though!
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Apart from the (somewhat cheesy at this point) title track this one is new to me. Great production! Lots of smooth ballads. I didn't enjoy this as much as "What's Going On", but would definitely come back to it.
The Modern Lovers
2/5
Apart from Roadrunner, I hadn't heard anything from this band before. It's a bit too repetitive and basic for me. I don't think I'll intentionally listen to it again, but I can see how it's an important piece of rock history and would have influenced the likes of The Replacements, Pavement, The Strokes, etc.
The Smiths
5/5
Somewhat strange to be listening to this on the day the Queen's death was announced, but there you go. I've had a love hate relationship with The Smiths; hated them as a teenager in the 00s, then started to appreciate them in my college days. When I got my first car I bought this album on CD and played it to death. Definitely my favourite of their albums. Its almost perfect, maybe not quite a 5 but close enough that I'll round it up!
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
I completely forgot how great this album is, haven't listened to in full in years. Some favourites from my teenage years and at least one of my all time fave songs (1979). As with virtually every double album, it is a bit bloated and there are a couple of forgettable tunes. Some of the lyrics are a bit cringy now that I'm a 30-something ["God is empty, just like ME! >:(" for ex]. It doesn't quite live up to "Siamese Dream", in my opinion, but it is still a fantastic album.
Thundercat
3/5
I listened to this one around the time it came out, and am pretty familiar with the singles. I tried to give it a fresh listen, but I still don't really get the hype! Thundercat is obviously a fantastic musician and I've really enjoyed most of his collaborations with other artists I've heard. But I just don't like his singing voice at all, and I find this album way too repetitive. At 50 mins, I also found that it dragged in places. I'll probably only revist the singles, if even!
Wilco
3/5
I'm a big fan of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot so have tried a few times to get into other Wilco albums, but none have clicked so far. Being a double album, there's a lot to unpack here, but some of it was great. I'll need to give it more time to get my head around it all.
4/5
I think this is the first album in this series so far that I've listened to twice, really enjoyed it! I've always been a fan of Blur but until now I've only really listened to their singles and greatest hits. Going into this album knowing it was influenced by The Kinks makes a lot of sense and gave it good context. Some really solid songwriting here and a lot of memorable songs. It's a shame this album has been somewhat overshadowed by their Parklife era which followed.
Mott The Hoople
2/5
I found this one quite mediocre apart from "Violence", that song slaps. The rest was very generic "classic rock radio" and sort of faded into the background. I might give it another go, but maybe it's one of those where you had to have been around at the time to really appreciate it!
XTC
4/5
This was a new one to me, I knew of XTC but was only familiar with a couple of their hits. I really enjoyed it, kind of like a weird cross over between Tears for Fears and the Beach Boys. Definitely think I'll be back for more of this, and will check out their other albums!
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
Not sure what I can say about this album that hasn't already been said. It's an absolute classic and has been played in my house for as long as I can remember, even the cover art sticks out in my earliest memories of music. For sure one of the best Jazz albums of all time!
Dr. Dre
2/5
I've tried to listen to this one objectively over the years but I just can't really get into it. I recognise it as a landmark in hip hop history and see its influence in the music that followed. It obviously has fantastic production and instrumentals. But I can't see past the homophobic, misogynistic, and often just plain immature lyrics all over this thing. Maybe if I had been around at the time or gotten into this when I was younger I would feel differently. Its hard to de-couple Dre and Snoop from the legions of terrible bling era wannabes who followed in their footsteps. If I want to listen to some hip hop from the early 90s, I always turn to something like TCQ, De La Soul, or Queen Latifah over something like this.
Soft Cell
4/5
I didn't expect to like this much, based on the two singles I knew (Tainted Love and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye). But it was surprisingly weird, and also very innovative for a pop record at the time. There were a few real dud tracks (Frustration and Youth) and some forgettable ones. I especially liked Seedy Films, Sex Dwarf, Chips on My Shoulder, and Bedsitter, all were every transporting to what must have been a very strange but exciting time in London. Not sure if I'll revisit this often, but so much of the music I listen to was obviously influenced by it. I don't think we would have gotten Nine Inch Nails without this album, so it gets 4 for innovation!
Tears For Fears
5/5
I was delighted to see this pop up, one of my favorite albums of the 80s! Put it on and went for a jog this morning, great start to the day. Maybe it's not completely perfect, more like a 9/10. But without a doubt one of the best pop albums ever released.
Public Enemy
4/5
This is definitely a landmark album in Hip Hop. I don't enjoy it quite as much as "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back", and its bombastic, production can be a bit too jarring at times, but it does an excellent job of getting Public Enemy's message across. I've always felt that P.E. channelled their anger much more effectively into their music than N.W.A. It's a challenging album to listen to and they are guilty of the occasional homophobic or sexist lyric, but nothing anywhere near what turned me off "The Chronic". It helps that they actually have a clear political message to convey, and don't waste time metaphorically waving their dicks around like Dre and Snoop!
Sepultura
4/5
Wow, this certainly shook the cobwebs off this morning! I've heard of Sepultura but never listened to them until now. What a great surprise! Incredible amounts of energy and anger here, but also much more melodic than I expected. I always imagined they were more in the "unintelligible-gutterally-screamed-lyrics" sort of territory. I've only listened as far as Itsári so far, this is another long album from this generator. That seemed a good place to take a break. I'd give an 8/10 so far.
Finished the rest of the album, it did not disappoint! Although the 13 minute long meditation style song at the end may have been a bit unnecessary, still a solid 8/10 for me that I will definitely come back to.
John Coltrane
5/5
I have a vinyl copy of this masterpiece, so cracked a beer and put it on. It's not one that I can just have on in the background, it demands your attention. I'm by no means a jazz connoisseur, but I think I've listened to a decent portion of the all time greats. This is by far one of the finest I've listened to. It's quite experimental and has some passages that border on "free jazz", so it's not one I'd recommend for someone new to the genre. I don't have the knowledge to fully understand the music theory, but to my ear there's nothing missing here and no fat to be trimmed at all. Other than that, I'm not sure what else I can say that hasn't already been said. 10/10.
Kanye West
5/5
Brilliant hip hop album, and probably Kanye's best in my (possibly controversial) opinion. It's Kanye back when he had a somewhat manageable ego! It's not a perfect album however. It's very long at 75 mins, I would have cut at least 20 of that. I normally don't like skits on albums but the School Spirt ones are quite funny. 9/10
Fave Tracks: We Don't Care, All Falls Down, Jesus Walks, Get Em High, School Spirit, Through the Wire
Least Fave: Workout Plan, Slow Jamz, Breathe In Breathe Out
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
HOT TAKE: I'm a bit sick of Bob Marley. I mean I appreciate his music for what it is, but his Greatest Hits album has always been enough for me. Listening to this album the whole way through twice hasn't changed my feelings on that. I still really enjoy Exodus, Jamming, Three Little Birds, and One Love, but I can easily go months or years without intentionally listening to them again. They have become so ubiquitous that they often just fade into the background.
On the other hand, I'm really, really sick of "Waiting in Vain". I don't think that song ever did anything for me, I've always found it boring AF. The rest of the songs on the album are pleasant enough but nothing special, especially the first few preceding "Exodus". A lot of them are a bit too "church-y" for me too. Overall, none of the deep cuts really resonated with me, so I think I'll stick to the Greatest Hits.
Fiona Apple
5/5
Another one of my faves, and another that I'm lucky enough to have on vinyl. I think it was only pressed once, since it was released in the vinyl dark days of the 90s. The songwriting, performance and production are all perfect on this album. It almost sounds like she's in the room with you. I don't enjoy this one as much as her two later albums with ridiculously long titles. But it's still a solid 9/10 for me.
Spiritualized
4/5
I've only really discovered this in the past few years, so I don't have a huge connection with it. There are some fantastic songs on it, particularly the first three. It is quite jam rock-y and, um, space-y in places. So it's one where I find I need to be in the right mood for it. Its a relaxing sort of chill out album, but also quite emotional in places. The last song "Cop Shoot Cop" is 17 mins long, so could be seen as a bit self indulgent. But over all the album is very well produced and put together. You can tell a huge amount of work went into it with a wide range of great musicians. 8/10
Femi Kuti
4/5
Wow what an energetic album! I'm loving the variety on this list so far. I listened to this twice and really enjoyed it, will definitely check out some of his other stuff too. The lyrics address some important themes too, although I'm not sure I agree with everything he says. I thought I caught a few homophobic lyrics in the last song but maybe I misunderstood.
Portishead
5/5
Glad to have a chance to delve into this one a bit more. I'm a bit fan of Dummy but don't know their other albums as well. I really enjoy the experimentation on this one! It is a bit jarring in places, but in a good way! Beth Gibbons is an iconic vocalist, one of the all time greats. This album really sets a mood and sticks to it.
The Undertones
3/5
I like the Undertones' hits but thought this one was just OK really. Fairly basic early punk, a bit repetitive, lyrics aren't anything special. Enjoyable enough but I don't think I'd listen again. Even though I'm Irish it felt a bit too far in the past for their specific brand of teenage angst to resonate much with me. Maybe if I had been a teenager in the early 80s I would have liked it more.
Sufjan Stevens
5/5
Another of my favourite albums, but I'll try and give it a closer listen to see if I hear anything fresh...
Wow, I'm really glad I did give it a full and fresh listen, because I just realised that I've been neglecting the second half of the album for a while now. I had forgotten how beautiful "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades" and "The Tallest Man..." are. Not to mention the last song, which was weirdly the first song I ever listened to from this album, on my sister's iPod shuffle if I remember correctly!
There are too many fantastic songs ( and their titles are too damn long) on this album for me to list them all here. But I will say that Jacksonville, Decatur, and Casmir Pulaski Day are some of my favourite songs ever. I often get snippets from these songs (and others from this album) randomly stuck in my head as I go about my day. The instrumentation, vocals and harmonies throughout the album are all delightful. The historical references in the lyrics are so specific that its often hard to get the full meaning without looking things up, but that just adds another element for me. Over all a perfect 10 album, in my opinion.
Janis Joplin
3/5
I thought this was a bit...meh on first listen. Might give it another go tomorrow. Her voice was fantastic but I'm not mad about how she used it at times, some of the screeching was a bit too intense. Me and Bobby McGee is a fantastic song though!
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
The first half of this album is a lot of fun, the second half not so much. The singles are definitely the best songs, however I don't think they are meant to be taken too seriously! Some of the later cuts (like Bear Hug) are a bit cringy. Overall though a light hearted and unusual album, I like the fusion of rap, jazz and Latin music on here.
Sheryl Crow
4/5
This was a nice surprise, I've always liked Sheryl Crow's singles but maybe have underestimated her in the past. This was a really enjoyable listen, solid album!
Pink Floyd
3/5
Not my favourite Pink Floyd album, but special in it's own way. I only really enjoy 3 or 4 of these songs but do like some of the experimentation on a couple of the others. A couple of them are borderline unlistenable though.
Travis
1/5
Wow, this is a bland album...like the definition of bland
The Youngbloods
3/5
I hadn't heard of this band before, and I can kind of see why. It's a pleasant enough album to listen to, but none of the songs were particularly memorable or standouts. It was probably lost in the sea of other folk rock albums coming out of America in the 60s.
Linkin Park
4/5
I fairly stubbornly avoided nu-metal as a teenager, but I did always have a bit of a soft spot for these guys. This is the first time I've listened to this album the whole way through, and I quite enjoyed it! I do still find some of the rapping a bit cringy and the lyrics are somewhat melodramatic in places, but it's a solid album, and there's no denying it's influence on the following decade of pop/rock, for better or worse!
Rocket From The Crypt
4/5
I didn't recognise the name of this band or album, but when "ONAROPE, ONAROPE, GOT ME HANGIN ONAROPE", kicked in I remembered it instantly! I don't think I knew any of the other songs so was excited to check the rest of the album out. I enjoyed it overall, especially the energy and the brass section, which was great throughout. At first I thought the vocals were a bit too pirate-y, but they grew on me. I do think it feels like it loses steam towards the end, so perhaps 50 mins is a bit too long for a punk album. Maybe the last few songs will grow on me too though. Overall, a nice surprise which I see myself listening to again.
It's interesting reading through some of the negative reviews on the more unusual albums on the list. It's seems like people were expecting this to be 1001 CLASSIC ROCK Albums to Hear Before You Die. Broaden your horizons, people! Albums like this are why I'm here. 8/10
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
It feels a bit strange to give an album this foundational and influential anything less than 5 stars. Some of the songs are a bit basic and boring, but the album is short and punchy enough that none of them outstay their welcome. The best songs on it are pretty fantastic on the other hand. It's also surprisingly well produced for something that came out in 1957, apart from some weird/clumsy panning on a few of the songs. Having said that, it's not something I'd listen to on purpose very often.
Elvis Presley
3/5
I don't really know how to rate this album. On the other hand, apart from Blue Suede Shoes, I found most of it boring and unrelatable. I can't decide whether I love or loathe Blue Moon, the guy sounds like he's singing from the bottom of a well. On the other hand, it's the debut of ELVIS and was undeniably influential.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
I think I listened to this years ago but never got into it. Really enjoyed it this time! I love the stripped back, intimate style of the whole album. It contrasts nicely with his more radio friendly hits I'm familiar with. This really put me in a contemplative mood and was ideal for driving to. It might not be something I'll listen too often but I will definitely come back to this when the mood is right.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
Found this just OK really. I know their hits and like them but never really got into their albums. This one didn't really grab me this time either. It is an interesting turning point from 80s rock to 90s rock and you can see how the early 90s bands were influenced by them though.
Public Enemy
5/5
Not exactly an easy album to listen to but a very important one. The production really hits you, it's overwhelming in places. Revolutionary in every sense of the word, I can't really think of any other group like PE. This is probably my favourite of theirs, and my favourite 80s hip hop album, even though there are a couple of Flava Flav duds on it. It's pretty nonsensical listening to him rant about trash TV on 'She Watch Channel Zero' considering he ended up running his own reality TV show in the 00s! Chuck D is as great as ever though, Particularly on Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos and the second side of the album.
The xx
5/5
I listened to this a LOT when it first came out (my first/second year of college) and loved it, but got a bit tired of the songs on the first half. They were quite overplayed and popped up in all sorts of films and TV shows at the time. 'Intro' in particular was very overused. Listening to it again today though, I think enough time has passed that I can appreciate it again. This is a finely crafted album. The music is fantastic and it is atmospheric and melancholic in all the right ways imo. I can see how some might say it is a bit melodramatic, too "of its time", or that the lyrics are a little basic. It is all of those things, but overall I think it's a great album, and only has a few tracks that I find a bit underwhelming (Fantasy, Basic Space and Night Time). Maybe that's my emotional connection with the time speaking though. Nice one to round off my first 40 albums! 9/10
Astrud Gilberto
2/5
18-Oct-2020
Well, this one is a bit all over the place. Some enjoyable songs, some weird ones (You Didn't Have To Be So Nice), and some pretty questionable singing in general tbh. Pleasant enough vibes overall, but not for me. Quite dated as well, this is such a 60s album. I read "August Is Wicked Month" recently, some of these songs would have soundtracked that perfectly! For some reason the Spotify link took me to a version of the album with 5 extra songs which appear to be from the album "A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness" not sure if that's a Spotify issue or an issue with this app. I prefer the shorter 12 song version!
Stevie Wonder
5/5
I normally think double and triple albums are ridiculously self-indulgent. This is one of the rare exceptions! All killer, No filler.
Billy Bragg
4/5
This was a nice surprise.! I'm familiar with both artists separately but had no idea they had collaborated before. I definitely preferred the first half of the album and found it tailed off a bit towards the end, bit then the last song was quite good. Overall an enjoyable album, I might check out the others in the series.
The Smiths
5/5
Great album. I love how the songs flow into each other, but it does mean that a couple of them get lost in the sauce. Overall, I prefer The Queen is Dead, but this is still very solid and has 4 or 5 standout tracks. Plus the cover art is 🔥
The National
3/5
I've tried to get into this album many times over the past decade or so, but apart from 'Terrible Love' and 'Bloodbuzz Ohio', I've always found it dull and melodramatic. This time around I did hear some instrumentation on 'Conversation 16'and 'England' that I really liked. But apart from that I wasn't moved. Maybe someday this will click with me the way 'Boxer' did - I love that album but I've always been fairly lukewarm on the rest of their stuff.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
4/5
Really enjoyed this. I was only familiar with "Television, the Drug of the Nation" and have been meaning to listen to the full album for a while now. The lyrics, beats and samples are all great. I'm surprised really that this album doesn't have the popularity of some of its contemporaries. It is quite lyricly dense in some places, so I feel like I'll need to listen too it a few more times to fully absorb them.
The only negatives I would have is that some of the songs are a bit over long, and some are a bit too derivative of Public Enemy. I actually thought I was listening to Chuck D rapping on the title track at first! Other than that though I enjoyed it. It's interesting to hear some of the lyrics and samples discussing cost of living crises and recessions at the time, some of them are exactly the same as sound bites you hear on the news today. I guess its true; the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Traffic
2/5
I initially quite enjoyed this, but wasn't blown away really. I've been listening to a lot of Prog this year, but haven't come across Traffic. I do know of Steve Winwood though. I might give this a second listen, since I just had it on in the background on the first spin. It is quite short!
OK, so I listened to this a second time while doing the dishes and paid more attention to the vocals this time. I'm now questioning why this album is included in the book. The singing isn't great at all and the lyrics leave a lot to be desired. This pales in comparison to Genesis, Pink Floyd, Yes and Jethro Tull albums from the era, so I wouldn't even argue that it was super influential or anything. Maybe people just love having an origin story for Steve Winwood? I'll give it 2 stars because the musicianship is good throughout, but I doubt I'll listen to this again.
Crowded House
3/5
25-Oct-2022
Listened to this while working and enjoyed it for the most part. I'm familiar with Crowded House's big hits, but I think this is the first time I've listened to this album in full. For some reason, I used to think "Weather With You" was a Housemartins song.
Anyway, I enjoyed the first half of the album more than the second, towards the end I felt like it was starting to outstay its welcome. However that might change on a second listen, if I have the time.
10cc
5/5
26-Oct-2022
Where has this album been all my life? I knew this band for Dreadlock Holiday, but always assumed they were a bit of a one hit wonder. This album is great throughout on first listen though; well written, great performances, and quite funny in places! I enjoyed hearing the origin of J Dillas "Workinonit" samples in "The Worst Band in the World". "Silly Love" and "Clockwork Creep" were also great and reminded me of Sparks, who I only discovered recently also. The second half of the album maintains the quality and weirdness with "Sacro-illiac" and "Oh Effendi", the abrupt end of the latter left me wanting more. The only songs I didn't really enjoy were "Old Wild Men" and "Baron Samedi", but I didn't dislike them either. This is one of my best discoveries so far from this app. Far from the worst band in the world! 9/10
Pet Shop Boys
1/5
27-Oct-2022
TLDR; Aged like milk, would not listen to this one again.
I went into this album knowing Pet Shop Boys' biggest singles only. I've often heard good things about them and based on the scene and era they fit into, I vaguely assumed I would like them, but never got around to listening to them.
Surprisingly, I had a fairly visceral negative reaction to this album. I thought the first song was ok, but the songs immediately after had me cringing and squirming. I thought the second half might turn it around with the passable "My October Symphony", but alas, no. I could only listen to half of "Nervously", and I'm not usually a skipper. After that, I was dying for the album to end. Its hard to put my finger on what exactly I dislike about the album (because there were so many things), but the vocals are definitely a big part of it. I like Neil Tennant's singing in small doses, but on this I found his whiny cabaret style grating. The lyrics are also quite trite in places. Musically, I found this very repetitive, with similar drum and bass beats the whole way through. It's also very dated overall, and not in a fun nostalgic way, since I have no emotional connection to any of these songs.
I like a lot of similar music from this era (New Order, Depeche Mode, Tears for Fears, etc.), but this sounds like a sort of death knell of 80s synthetic pop to me now. Its interesting to read that this was heavily influenced by "Violator". I love that album and don't find it dated at all. I see some similarities I suppose, but this is definitely "Violator-lite", if anything.
Kate Bush
5/5
28-Oct-2022
One of my favourite albums of all time, I would give it 6 stars if I could. Glad to see that Kate is finally getting the recognition in the US she has always deserved, thanks to Stranger Things. Hoping to see a few more ladies in this list soon, it has been a bit of a sausage fest so far!
Miles Davis
5/5
30-Oct-2022
Listening to this on a lazy Sunday morning, the day before Halloween feels very appropriate. I've listened to this album many times before, but I think I usually get so bowled over by the quality of the first two tracks that I don't always get the whole way through it. Pharoe's Dance and Bitches Brew could have been their own 5-star album, but there is so much more here to explore. On this listen, I noticed how much some of the other instruments shine, particularly the drums on the title track and the saxophone toward the end of Spanish Key. At times the trumpet is a little too brash, but that's important too as it whips the listener into a frenzy and takes them along for the ride through this madhouse of an album. I can only imagine what it must have been like to listen to this for the first time in 1970. It must have absolutely blown people's minds, and mortally offended some too. It's one of the most imaginative and creative albums I've ever listened to, and one of the best by far for daydreaming.
Wild Beasts
3/5
I had heard of this band bit don't think I had listened to them before. I enjoyed some of the songs on it but overall it sort of faded into the background for me. Instrumentally it sounded quite good but the singer's baby voice vocals were a bit grating in places. Not sure if I'd listen again, maybe it would grow on me a bit.
Beatles
5/5
Another album where I'm not sure what else can be said. This is probably my favorite Beatles album (either this or Revolver) and it's fantastic, but I think it's important to acknowledge that it isn't perfect. The Beatles were so highly and blindly acclaimed that they were able to get away with a couple of actual duds ("Maxwell's Silver Hammer" and "Oh! Darling") on what's considered one of the best albums of all time. "Octopus' Garden" is quite silly too, but I love that one. Obviously though, "Come Together", "Something", and the entire second side of the album are solid gold. I had also forgotten how much I love "I want You (She's So Heavy)"!
Manu Chao
3/5
01-Nov-2022
I've never even heard of this artist, so will be intersted to check this out! Good to see some other countries represented in the list.
The Young Rascals
2/5
Wow, that cover is...unsettling...After listening to this I'm not sure why it's on this list. It's alright and has a few good songs, but it doesn't seem particularly innovative or influential. Sounds like a load of other 60s bands that came before them!
Fats Domino
4/5
The album this linked to on Spotify has half of it marked as Unplayable for some reason, but I dug around a bit and found a playlist of the correct tracks someone had made. I'm glad I did, this is a great album! New to me, but I recognised a few songs and new of the artist. Not something I'd listen to often, but miles better than that Elvis shite I got a few weeks back!
Coldplay
5/5
I'll admit, I was a bit disappointed when I saw this one pop up. But I forgot how good this album actually is,I enjoyed almost all of it. The last three tracks are a bit meh, but everything up until then is great! Really well written and performed. Where did it all go wrong for Coldplay? They really did have some great albums in the 2000s.9/10
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Wow a 2019 album! Probably the most modern one I've gotten so far. I didn't realize this list had been updated so recently. I like some Nick Cave &co stuff but haven't listened to this one yet.
Had a listen to this while playing a computer game, it's very well produced and emotional, but it just didn't do much for me. I hope I never go through a point in my life where I relate to this.
Earth, Wind & Fire
5/5
Really enjoyed this apart from tracks #4 and 8, was just a bit lukewarm on those but they might be growers. Nice surprise as I only knew a couple of songs from this band. Soundtracked a chilly and wet trip to and from Galway, one listen each way. Also, top notch cover photo!
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
So apart from the obvious 2 songs, I found this very underwhelming...not sure what I'm missing here since I know this is a very well liked album.
On a closer second listen, I think I get it. I can still take or leave about a third of the album though, and I'm much more interested in the songs where Mama Cass takes the lead! This is like a 3.5 for me, but I'll round up.
Weather Report
4/5
I think I listened to this years ago but forgot all about it. Thought it was great this time around, very groovy bass!
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would tbh. I've always liked Run DMC's singles but was never interested enough to check out their albums. Their flow and beats are very old school, but it's intersting to see the evolution into hard-core hip hop starting here.
Love
2/5
Terrible stuff, even worse than The Doors! I thought "7 and 7 Is" and "The Castle" were alright. The latter half of "Revelations", after all of the whooping and masturbatory grunting was finished, was fairly passable. Other than that, it's a no from me. I'm tempted to give this a 1, but I know they probably did influence a lot of later 60s bands. I can't think of anyone else who was making music like this in the mainstream pre 1967.
The Prodigy
5/5
MY MIND IS GLOWING
I had this on fairly heavy rotation when I was a teenager, but it has been years since I listened to it in full. I expected it to have aged worse than it has though, it's still fantastic! A truly groundbreaking album in electronic music, and music in general. Some of the songs may be a bit too lengthy and repetitive for some listeners, but overall I think this is a big improvement on their first album, and still stands as one of the best albums of the 90s. The only songs on here I don't enjoy as much are "The Heat" and "One Love", I don't hate them though.
Os Mutantes
3/5
I was expecting another terrible 60s album, but I quite enjoyed this one! I'd say I will come back to it.
The Byrds
4/5
This was another new one to me, I only knew a handful of Byrds songs before. I really enjoyed it, especially the weird alien voice on the third track and "Everyone's Been Burned". That's a real standout track, and I was pleasantly surprised to see the link between it and The Charlatans' "The Only One I Know", I love spotting stuff like that throughout musical history. The only negatives I would have is that some of the songs are a bit same-y, and the vocal style has me questioning Tom Petty's originality!
The Jam
4/5
I had listened to this before, however its the only album by The Jam I've listened to in full. I enjoy it and think the songwriting is very solid, it's not one I listen to very often though.
Eels
5/5
Love this album, I used to listen to it a lot when I first got my car. I have great memories of it, but I'm drawing a blank at some of the titles on the second half. Looking forward to giving it another listen!
Listening back to this, it's about as flawless as I remember. Love "Novocaine For the Soul", the piano and hip hop influences on "Susan's House", and the weird bee-guitar solo on "My Beloved Monster". Very weird and innovative, and that's just the big singles! Of the titles I didn't recognize, I knew them all and remembered most of the lyrics even. I love the melancholy and the weird humor on these tracks. Great bassline on "Your Lucky Day in Hell" too.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
2/5
As terrifying as these dudes look on the album cover, this isn't too bad. I think I only knew "Free Bird" previously, which is obviously a great song. Not really my thing anymore though, 3 min long screechy guitar solos don't really turn my head like they used to! Apart from that song, I found most of this pretty forgettable...they're no Creedence anyway
2/5
I don't recognize this band or album cover, the songs "Poison Arrow" and "The Look of Love" ring a bell though. Should be interesting.
This is musically fairly decent throughout, but it's not doing much for me. It's quite repetitive and the lyrics aren't great. "All of My Love" was my least favourite. Overall its a very dated album, but I can see why it would have been popular at the time amongst the likes of Spandau Ballet and late stage Roxy Music fans. Favorite tracks: Poison Arrow, Look of Love, 4 ever 2 gether
The Prodigy
4/5
Wow, two Prodigy albums in a week! I wish I had revealed this before I went out for my jog. I'm not as fond of this one as "Jilted", but its still a very significant album. I think as a whole, "Jilted" is a better album, but the singles on this one are better. "Smack My Bitch Up" is a bit weird to listen to now and hasn't aged well, no matter what way the guys try to explain it. It would have been perfect as a purely instrumental song. I did always prefer the Enya Orinogo Flow mash up anyway.
Tim Buckley
5/5
Ah yes, Jeff Buckley's dad! I listened to this album years ago and didn't really get it. It'll be interesting to re-listen to it now considering my tastes have changed a good bit since then.
Wow what a voice! Very impressive songwriting too. I love how different each of the songs are, enjoyed every minute of this.
The Cars
3/5
Most of this album is fairly standard classic rock radio fare. The first two songs are well written but I've heard them more times than I ever needed to. The second half of the album I could take or leave. But I'll bump it up to 3 stars since Just What I Needed is such a fantastic track!
Paul Simon
5/5
This is a perfect album in my opinion. I listen to it fairly often but I may as well listen again! Unfortunately, you do have to take into account the allegations of cultural appropriation and the (far more serious issue) of breaking the cultural boycott of Apartheid. I'm glad to see now that the other artists are credited on each song on Spotify, because this was much more collaborative effort than the original album credits show. However, if you take the music on its own, this is nothing less than a 5 star album, and it did also bring a new style of music to western audiences.
Bauhaus
4/5
This one took me a few days to digest, I wasn't really sure if I liked it or not at first. I've heard of Bauhaus before but I don't think I've listened to them actively. I knew this was going to be gothic rock so I expected something like The Cure, but I was surprised by just how dark and rough this is. Some of the songs were familiar to me, but the two singles(?), "The Passion of Lovers" and "Kick in the Eye" didn't appeal to me as much as the fantastic "Hollow Hills", "The Man With X-Ray Eyes", and "Mask". I think I'll be revisiting it a lot, and I'm delighted to have found it. It's a 4 for me right now because I find it a bit uneven, but I could see the punkier songs growing on me, which could eventually raise it to a 5.
Side note: I'm getting sick of the sneaky "Bonus tracks" and "Deluxe Editions" on Spotify. They should be either clearly labelled as bonus or you should be able to filter for the original version. With this album, the title track has a very definite end to it which is kind of spoiled by the 5 off cuts that follow it. Plus it makes the album like 50% longer...I have over 1000 albums to get through here!
Silver Jews
2/5
Wow, I was really sick of this guy by the end of the album. Musically and lyrically, I quite like it, but his voice and singing style ruin it for me. When the female vocal popped up on "Tenessee" it gave me such relief. At that point I just kind of accepted that this isn't my cup of tea.
Pavement
5/5
Got a Silver Jew's album yesterday and a Pavement album today, interesting...I've known and loved Pavement's singles for a long time but I don't remember listening to this album through many times. I definitely will be again, there's some great tracks on here, apart from the obvious 3. It goes to show that a band doesn't have to take themselves too seriously to produce great music.
Yes
5/5
Yesss! This must be one of my most played albums of 2022. I discovered Yes early on in the year, became obsessed with this album, and then started a really deep dive into Prog. I love the mad fusion of rock, jazz and classical. There's no bad songs on here, my favourites are Roundabout, Mood For a Day, and South Side of the Sky. Although the songs all flow together so well I find it difficult to remember specific pieces I like. The production is fantastic as well, I listened to this one on the good speakers on my lunch break.
The Cardigans
4/5
Enjoyed this more than I expected, considering I only knew "Lovefool" going into it. Really nice chilled vibes the whole way through it, but some surprising dark lyrics too. Musically it's really well put together, although very "of its time" in some ways (I'm picking up some Stereolab and Air vibes). Favorite songs were Lovefool, Loser, Your New Cuckoo, Happy Meal II, Step On It, and the weird but great cover of I-ron Man.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
I've only ever listened to CCR's greatest hits, so I'm glad to see this album holds up. This is near perfect as far as I can see, so many gems on this album. I enjoyed every song!
John Prine
4/5
I only came across John Prine this year, and I've listened to this album a couple of times over the past few months. It's hard to believe I hadn't listened to him before, although I had heard of him. I really like it, even if he does remind me a little bit of Kermit T. Frog! The song writing and guitar playing are fantastic, they range from brimming with positivity (Hello in There) to heartbreaking (Sam Stone).
Fave songs: Spanish Pipedream, Hello In There, Your Flag Decal...
Least Fav: None in particular really, but some of them (like Paradise) are a bit too country for me.
Kanye West
3/5
Hmm, "Black Skinhead" really hits different in late 2022 doesn't it?
I was listening to this album a lot in 2014/2015, but then it fell out of rotation for me. Instrumentally, there's a lot to love here. However the VERY strong Death Grips influences on the best of the songs (On Sight, Black Skinhead, New Slaves) make it seem a but unoriginal now. I wasn't really familiar with DG at the time, maybe if I was I wouldn't have been so into this album.
Lyrically, I think some of Kanye's worst are on here. There's some downright stupid bars, a lot of unnecessary sexism/misogyny, and some really terrible auto tune.
The Billie Holiday sample on Blood on the Leaves is a bit of a headscratcher too. I know he was probably trying to spark controversy, but I don't see what a song about Jim Crow era lynchings adds to a song that appears to be about a divorce. Maybe I'm missing something?
I like New Slaves as a song, but it's strange to think that we've reached a point as a culture where "I'd rather be a dick than a swallower" is considered a good hook, maybe even a deep one.
Fav songs: On Sight, Black Skinhead, New Slaves. The rest are OK but a bit forgettable.
Rush
5/5
Love this album, another find from my 2022 dive into Prog. This has the perfect balance of short punchy radio hits in Tom Sawyer and Limelight, and longer more intricate tracks. The musicianship is great throughout, fantastic drumming from Neil Pert in particular (goes without saying really). I think I first discovered Rush from watching Freaks and Geeks actually, so this brought up some nice memories of Justin Segal's drumming scenes.
Grateful Dead
1/5
I've really tried with this album, on many different occasions. I like the first two songs, but after that it just does nothing for me. I find the singing, particularly the harmonies, to be really grating in places. Musically, it's really uninteresting throughout. Overall, I just don't get the hype. Admittedly, I've never seen them live, so that's probably what I'm missing (that and a healthy dose of LSD). I understand that they have a big cultural impact, etc. But I don't think I'll bother with this one again.
The La's
2/5
Sometimes, when I hear "There She Goes" on the radio, I wonder to myself why this band didn't make it bigger. Now I guess I know why. The rest for the album is very mediocre and fairly forgettable. Some tracks are so obviously derivative of the Beatles it's a bit laughable. I guess they do get some points for influence considering they helped pave the way for artists like Oasis and their subsequent imitators. But is that really a good thing?
David Crosby
5/5
I've never listened to this one before. Some of the songs are unplayable on Spotify, presumably due to the contributions of Joni Mitchell and/or Neil Young, so I'll have to find it elsewhere! I'm a big fan of Joni and Neil, but don't know much of the other CSNY members' work.
Had a listen on YouTube -wow I can't believe I haven't heard this before. So many great artists on one record, and the Grateful Dead too (having said that, this is much better than their solo album I was subjected to last week). The album flows really well together, and is very well produced for the most part. Lyrically, it maybe strays a bit to far into hippie-dippie territory, but given the political climate at the time, that's understandable. Overall a great find, I'll be listening to this again for sure.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
I don't need to listen to this one because I have quite recently (and many times before that). One of my favourite albums of all time, it is perfect. Some of the best songwriting and musicianship ever recorded.
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
Another one of my favourite albums, and one of the best hip hop albums ever in my opinion. The instrumentals and samples throughout this album are flawless, particularly the bass and drums. Love the live jazz feel! The rapping is great also, and has a lot of variety between Q-Tip and Phife Dawg sharing tracks, and also the several guests featuring here and there. There are a few lyrics that haven't aged well, but not as many as other albums from the same era. The "gold digger" trope rears its head a bit in a few songs, and "Infamous Date Rape" starts off very well but loses its way a bit towards the end. Maybe men weren't really ready to talk about menstruation in 1991? At least they tried, I guess. On another note, "Skypager" aged poorly in an amusing way. Kids listening today probably have no idea what's going on with that track.
Overall though, there's fantastic songs all over this album, and it's both relaxing and fun to listen to. In my opinion it's the best hip hop album from this scene, and it's interesting to follow this branch of the hip hop tree as it grew throughout the 90s and 00s.
Bob Dylan
4/5
It took a while to decide whether this is a 4 or a 5 for me. I do like the majority of the songs on it and some of those are some of the best ever written. But there are quite a few I don't care for much. It also has to be seen in context, Highway 61 Revisited came out later in the same year is a better album for sure. However maybe if Dylan hadn't released that at all this would be a 5 for me. As it stands I think I'll stick with a 4.
One of my favourite things about this album is referencing it in arguments about hip hop. I'll often be like, "how can you say you don't like hip hop if you love Subterranean Homesick Blues?". The dude's definitely rapping, don't lie to yourself!
Bob Dylan
4/5
I got two Bob Dylan albums in a row, so I decided to come back to this one. I think this is a 3.5 or so for me, it has some of Dylan's best songs, but a lot of the other tracks are fairly forgettable. It also has some of his most obnoxious harmonica-ing (see the outro of The Girl From the North Country). But I'll bump it up to a 4 star for Blowing in the Wind, Masters of War, Hard Rain, and Don't Think Twice.
Arcade Fire
5/5
This one takes me back to my teenage years, I remember listening to this album on repeat when I was 17/18. I got sick of hearing "Keep The Car Running" and "Intervention", but never got tired of "No Cars Go". I think I had listened to Funeral before this came out, but Neon Bible was the album that really got me into Arcade Fire. I love the darkness and melancholy throughout it, and especially the intensity of "(Antichrist Television Blues)". "Windowsill" is great too, and "Black Mirror" is a fantastic opener.
I thought I'd feel a bit weirder about listening to this after the allegations against Win Butler, but I think I have strong enough memories of this album that I can separate it from him. I feel sorry for the rest of the band, but their new music weirds me out a bit now (it's also just not as good).
TV On The Radio
5/5
I love this album, another one that I listened to a lot in college. It took me a while to get into it fully, but when it did it took hold! Especially love Dancing Choose, Golden Age, Family Tree and DLZ.
Frank Black
2/5
I didn't think much of this really. All over the place and too long. I like the Pixies but this really drove home for me how important Kim Deal's contributions are!
Oasis
2/5
I've somehow managed to live over 32 years on this earth without listening to any of Oasis' albums in their entirety. I've always been pretty firm in my dislike of them apart from a few songs. However, I knew going into this journey that I would probably have to listen to about 3 of them at least, and I completely understand why this one is on the list. So I tried to go into this with an open mind. Unfortunately, this was close to torture for me, apart from "Live Forever", "Columbia" and "Supersonic". And even those songs aren't that good. They wrote some good melodies and obviously know how to play their instruments well, to some degree. But the lyrics...as Phife Dawg famously said, "Go get yourself some toilet paper, cuz your lyrics is butt".
The Replacements
5/5
I've loved this album for quite a few years now. It has great variety, is funny, delightfully messy, and is brimming with creativity and talent. It's influence is very obvious when you look at the rest of the 80s and 90s alternative scene - very ahead of its time! "I Will Dare" and "Unsatisfied" are obvious gems, "Androgenous" is fantastic as well and often brings a tear to my eye. I love the cover of "Black Diamond" too, but I don't think I've ever thought to look up the original. Overall a great album, possibly one of my favourites of the 80s.
David Gray
4/5
Growing up in Ireland in the early 2000s, this album was absolutely EVERYWHERE. In shops, comstantly on the radio, at dinner parties, in pubs, etc. The stat about 1 out of every 4 households having a copy is very believable. Because of that, it's very nostalgic for me and is obviously an influential album. Ireland had a run of wannabe David Grays over the following 10 years, none of whom ever came close. But is it any good, you ask? Well, yes! The first 3 songs and the last 3 are fantastic, but I do think they overshadow the more average songs in the middle. This is a pretty solid 4 star for me.
Orbital
4/5
I don't think I've listened to this album in full until now, but I have listened to some other Orbital albums, and I've seen them live once too. I think their music is best heard in a live setting, but I still really enjoyed this for the most part. The only tracks I didn't enjoy were "Remind" and "Walk Now". The intro and outro are also a bit long for what they are - quirky experiments. Orbital's sound still stands out to me as unique in the early 90s electronic scene, it's amazing to see the diversity and innovation that was going on in these years. When "Planet of the Shapes" kicked in, I felt like I had to strap in for the ride. I do prefer Snivilizaton, but that might just be because I'm more familiar with it.
Hüsker Dü
2/5
I hadn't listened to this before, but I have listened to one of their earlier albums and never really got into it. Same for this one really, the guitar tone is too sharp for me and the singing isn't great at all. I found it quite repetitive; a few songs stuck out a bit for me but nothing particularly memorable. Too long as well!
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
This was completely new to me, but I really enjoyed it and gave it two full listens. Very funky and groovy, I especially enjoyed "Ponta De Lanca Africano", "Taj Mahal" and "Xica Da Silva". I'd see myself listening to this again, it would be a good one to play at a party or just while chilling. I only wish I understood the lyrics!
The Beach Boys
1/5
I don't really get why this is on the list. I'm not a huge Beach Boys fan, and never got into their albums in a big way. I just like their most famous songs, and none of them were on here. I didn't find any of the tracks particularly memorable or innovative whatsoever. Overall a miss for me, looking forward to listening to some of their other albums though.
Alice Cooper
3/5
I enjoyed this more than I expected to. I'm familiar with Alice Cooper's hits and quite like "School's Out", but the rest of the album didn't disappoint! I especially liked the bass and piano playing, it was all much more melodic than I was expecting. I guess I was putting them in the same category as The Stooges or something similar before I listened to this. Having said that, it didn't blow me away or anything. I don't see myself re-listening to it often, but I'm glad to have given it some time.
Little Simz
5/5
I love this album and have listened to it many times before. It's one of my favorite hip hop albums of recent times and I think Little Simz is one of the best rappers working today. Great instrumentals and production throughout too, she went to to build and improve on this even further on her next album.
Alice In Chains
5/5
As a teenager in the 2000s, I was obsessed with grunge. For years, I was convinced I was "born in the wrong generation" or whatever. However through all that, I think Alice in Chains were a bit too dark for me, I was always more into Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. Then when I went to college, this album really clicked with me, as I got into darker music and films. I watched their Unplugged concert and it really moved me. Layne Staley seemed to have been struggling so much, but he distilled his essence into this album and created a timeless work of art. It's an incredibly sad thing to see an artist at work who had the skill to produce something that essentially made him immortal, yet his life was literally falling apart. It also seems a shame that his addiction was made so public, but no one was able to step to intervene enough to save him. However that is unfortunately the nature of addiction I suppose.
Musically, this album is incredible; the vocal harmonies are fantastic (once you get used to Layne's unusual voice), the guitar wails with ferocity, and the bass and drums sweep you along for the ride. It really creates a soundscape that draws you in. As soon as I finished the last track I felt like diving in again. Like an addiction I guess?
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
1/5
Never heard of this one before. I thought the 1st and 3rd tracks were alright, not mad about the rest though. Terrible singing, but some good bass and guitar playing. Another case where I'm not sure why this was included in the book!
The Stranglers
3/5
Good album but not great. Production still sounds really fresh and the bass is very driving. Listened to this twice and it was great to jog to this morn. However it is a bit repetitive and the best of the songs are much better than the rest. "Peaches" is a great earworm but has quite creepy lyrics!
Common
5/5
This one slipped through the cracks somehow, only coming back to it now. I only knew a few Common songs before so glad to give this a full listen. It's a real gem of hip hop; thoughtful lyrics, great instrumentals and production. Common does just seem like a really nice guy, even though does have some weird ideas about interracial relationships. Great features from Kanye too, back when he was a serious artist.
John Lennon
3/5
I've never really liked this album much, apart from Imagine. I'm really tired of hearing Jealous Guy, and it definitely has a different vibe now knowing how abusive Lennon was to his wife! The rest of the album is very middle of the road; a lot of throwaway songs with muddy production and several that run too long.
Various Artists
4/5
Not much to say about this one really, full of classics! Had it on in the background on Christmas Day. "Baby, Please Come Home" is one of my faves.
SAULT
3/5
I've listened to this album a few times now but I don't really get the hype. The production is fantastic and I support the overall message, but I find it lacking lyricly and vocally in places. Some of the songs are so repetitive that they are basically just chanted slogans that break up the flow of the album. Most of the songs with more traditional structures (like Wildfires) are great however.
Boards of Canada
5/5
One of my all time favourite electronica albums! This was so original when it came out and still sounds fresh to this day. Essential listening in my opinion.
Adam & The Ants
2/5
This isn't for me, but I see why it's on the list. It's repetitive and punky, and I'd say it made quite a few parents nervous back in the day. For the most part I found it a bit bland though.
Neil Young
5/5
Fantastic album, on of my favourites of Neil Young's. Some great songwriting and guitar playing. The only song on it I don't like is "A Man Needs A Maid", I find the orchestral arrangements and Neil's wailing a bit over the top. Still a 9/10 for me though.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Not quite as consistent as "Green River", but there's still several fantastic songs on here. I love "Looking out My Back Door", "Run Through the Jungle", "Grapevine", "Who'll Stop the Rain", and "Long as I can see the Light". Definitely deserves a spot on the list.
Prince
3/5
I've always enjoyed Prince's music but found it hard to get through one of his albums in full. This album was no exception, It took two sittings to get through all 1 hour and 20 mins. I liked a lot of the songs here, but these were the bigger singles that I knew already. I found a lot of the deeper cuts to be longer than necessary and a bit boring. The mixing was also questionable is some cases. I'm not sure if it was intentional, buts in some songs the vocals are ridiculously quiet. I appreciate Prince's singing and guitar playing, but maybe his music just isn't for me.
Air
3/5
This was a bit of a strange one - I'm not sure how I feel about it being on the list. On the one hand, it's a fantastic soundtrack to a fantastic film. On the other hand, it also sounds VERY like a soundtrack and not really like a standalone album. There's also a piano piece that sounds far too close to "The Great Gig in the Sky", to my ears.
Queen
4/5
I've only really listened to Queen's hits, never a full studio album. So I was surprised to see that I only recognised one song off this, Killer Queen. I enjoyed it for the most part, some of the songs were a tad boring, but the guitar and vocals (when Freddie was singing) were fantastic. I didn't know their early stuff was so Prog. This is somewhere between a 3 and a 4 for me, but I'll round it up.
Randy Newman
3/5
"Daddy, why is the Toy Story singer saying the n-word?"
I enjoyed this but it didn't really leave much impression on me. I only listened to it once though, so didn't really get to absorb the lyrics. I'll come back to it another time, given his reputation.
Yes
4/5
Hadn't listened to this one before, but I love Fragile and Close to the Edge, so was excited to check it out. Its almost as good as those, and might grow on me with further listens. Hard to believe they brought this and Fragile out in the same year - that's some impressive creative juice flow!
Tim Buckley
4/5
I enjoyed this one almost as much as "Hello, Goodbye", but found the songs on this one to be a bit less memorable. Maybe a bit too lengthy in places as well. I did really enjoy the jazz instrumentation though, along with Tim Buckley's perfect voice!
Kraftwerk
5/5
Incredible album! Music today simply wouldn't be the same without Kraftwerk, and this is probably their most accessible album, of the ones I've listened to anyway. I still prefer TEE I think, but this is still fantastic.
The Fall
4/5
I'd never listened to this album before, but have liked everythibthing I heard from The Fall in the past. I thought this was great, interesting lyrics and a lot of interesting things going on musically. More complex than I was expecting for a punk band, I can see why they're considered so influential.
Faith No More
2/5
I though this was just OK, I only knew Epic well to begin with. A couple of other tracks stood out to me, but none were particularly memorable.
PJ Harvey
5/5
This is an intriguing album, I had listened to it before but never really penetrated it until now. I'd like to look up the lyrics a bit more because they seem to have some quite specific historical references. I'm wavering between 4 and 5 stars for this one, but I'm feeling generous after getting several very mediocre albums in a row, so I'll give it a 5.
George Michael
2/5
"Faith" is a fantastic song, but the rest of the album didn't do much for me. "Father Figure" is a bit creepy, "I Want Your Sex" comes of like a bad Prince cover, but without any hint of innuendo or cleverness. "Hard Day" has a good instrumental with nice bass line, but I didn't think it was going to save the album.
It rallied a bit in the second half however; "Look at Your Hands" is a good song, "Monkey" was a bit of fun, I guess, and "Kissing a Fool" was a nice bit of schmooze to round it off.
Overall it's well produced and I see the appeal for some people, but the rest of the songs in between sound like something you'd hear in a dentist's waiting room.
The Verve
4/5
Bittersweet Symphony was one of my first "favourite songs" of my childhood that I remember clearly, I was around 7 or 8 at the time and it always takes me back. The rest of the album never really clicked with me, but listening to it again now, it is very solid.
Badly Drawn Boy
2/5
Not terrible per se, but not particularly interesting or memorable either. The first song started out well instrumentally, but the vocal melody set my teeth on edge. Overall I thought this was too long and a bit boring. It reminded me of Gomez, Grandaddy and Elbow in parts, but I'd much rather just listen to them.
Metallica
2/5
I thought this was ok, but there is a bit of a cringe factor for me with Metallica. I much prefer Master of Puppets and the Black Album. I agree with the reviews that mention the bad mixing, the band sound like they're playing inside of a tin can. The only songs that stick out to me are "One" and "Harvester of Sorrow".
I think I read somewhere that they have 4 albums in this book, too many! Master of Puppets and the Black Album would suffice. They could have included two other metal artists instead. No Tool albums in this book, really!?
Beatles
3/5
Expected to dislike this, as I've never been a big fan of the Beatles' early work. However, it wasn't too bad. I enjoyed "All My Loving", "Till There Was You" and "Please Mister Postman" especially. Not an incredible album by any means, but interesting to to see the early stages of a great band.
Tom Waits
5/5
I love this album! Tom Waits is definitely an acquired taste though, not everyone's cup of tea.
The Black Crowes
2/5
Some good songs on here, but ultimately they sound kinda like a cover band to me. I've heard waaay too many bar band covers of "Hard to Handle" to get any enjoyment out of it anymore, "She Talks to Angels" was a standout track though.
Deep Purple
1/5
15 year old me probably would have been really into this. 32 year old me just wants the 10 minute drum solos to end.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
1/5
The was a big ol' yawn for me. Elvis sounds like he had a bad headcold half the time, the other half he sounds like he was trying to swallow the mic.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
I listened to the US version, so at least it had "Paint It Black", which is obviously fantastic. Under My Thumb is a great song too, but the lyrics are downright horrible. I'd like to think that level of misogyny was unacceptable in 1966 too. Apart from those two and "Lady Jane", I thought this was mostly terrible.
The Band
4/5
Not a new one to me, very solid album. Maybe not as good as "Music From the Big Pink" though.
2/5
This was a fairly tedious listen if I'm being honest, but also a very necessary album, with the benefit of hindsight.
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
Found this quite relaxing...or at least I would have if the version on YouTube wasn't interrupted every 5 mins by ads. The versions on Spotify and Tidal seem to be a modern re-recording with different artists done in 2012. I'd like to find a better quality version and listen again. I enjoyed it, but on the other hand I don't really have much knowledge of Indian music to compare it to!
Pretenders
5/5
I really like this album. It's fun, had a bit of a hard edge, and was pretty original at the time. It also has a few timeless songs on it so doesn't feel like it's aged poorly. I never really get tired of "Brass in Pocket" for some reason.
Ray Charles
4/5
What a voice! I've never listened to Ray Charles properly, and only know the hits really. The change in style on the second side was welcome I thought, by the halfway mark I was starting to find the big band songs a bit repetitive.
2/5
Fairly pleasant to listen to but not really my thing. Quite funny too! I love the cover.
Hanoi Rocks
1/5
Never heard of this band before, but seeing THAT haircut, I had a rough idea what I was in for. This is pretty much everything I hate about 80s hair rock, not sure how it ended up on the list. Plenty of power chords and badly written lyrics. "Beating Gets Faster" is a prime example of that. Is "Lick Summer Love" written from the point of view of a rapist? Creepy AF
Nirvana
5/5
Nothing to say here, one of the best rock albums in the history of the world.
Ravi Shankar
3/5
Found this interesting, but I don't think it's something I would listen to very often.
T. Rex
5/5
I'm really surprised by how much I've enjoyed this album. I knew Jeepster and Get It On (obviously), but the latter is a bit of a cliché at this point, so I wasn't expecting much. However, listening to the whole album through I was pretty blown away. Mambo Sun, Cosmic Dancer, Jeepster, Girl, and Life's a Gas are all incredible songs. Definitely deserves all the praise it gets, and even more proof that 1971 was one of the best years for popular music.
Iggy Pop
4/5
This is a great album, but not quite a 5 star for me I think. It's very well produced, but a couple of the songs are a bit underwhelming and Iggy's voice isn't exactly pleasant to listen to at times. Its hard not to compare it to Bowie's Low and Heroes that came out in the same year. I feel a bit bad about that, but hopefully Iggy wasn't too put out by being upstaged by his friend.
Dr. John
3/5
This was a weird one, interesting in places but not all of it was too my taste. Reminded me of the Spirit of Jazz in the Mighty Boosh! Definitely unique and interesting enough to justify a spot on the list.
Paul Simon
2/5
Not a terrible album, but most of it had little to no impact on me. Actually, "When Numbers Get Serious" and "Cars Are Cars" are pretty terrible. A little too wacky in places for me as well.
The The
4/5
Enjoyed this, will definitely give it another listen. The two songs I knew already (This Is The Day and Uncertain Smile) are pretty perfect, so kind of overshadowed the rest. But I didn't hear anything I disliked. The only negative I'd have is that the overall sound is very "of the time". But it was the early 80s so I think that can be forgiven.
Gene Clark
2/5
This has some good song on it, but overall it didn't do much for me. I can see why it would appeal to some, but not sure if it's needed on the lost. Cover art is a 0/10 for me.
Violent Femmes
3/5
I've never really gotten the fuss about this album, apart from Blister in the Sun. I understand that it's an important early alternative album and would influence many bands in the years following. In retrospect though, it's a bit immature and boring in places.
Funkadelic
3/5
I've listened to this one a few times over the years, and it is definitely groundbreaking. However the second half just drags for me for some reason. The first half is just fantastic though.
Parliament
5/5
I got this album immediately after Maggot Brain by Funkedelic, interesting! I prefer this one overall, it has a more polished sound and is a more cohesive album. It also feels more like a funky party, rather than the scary acid trip of Maggot Brain. Some of the songs do run a bit too long for my taste, but that's just the nature of the genre really, jams galore. Definitely deserves its place on the list. The influence on other artists is clear, even from the hip hop samples alone. I'll even forgive the weird farty synths and key-tar on the last track.
The Charlatans
2/5
Not a fan of this at all really - it's not terrible, just very MOR. One to Another is the only really memorable song.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
5/5
I'm not that familiar with this band, apart from their major hits. However, I loved this from start to finish and will definitely be revisiting it. Love the overall aesthetic, the vocals, and the unusual guitar sounds. This seems to have been really original for the time.
Slipknot
3/5
Took a while to get through this one, it was hard to find the right moment to listen to it! I found it a bit of a mixed bag, some good songs, some cringy. A bit too long imo, but more varied than I was expecting.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
I can't bring myself to give this anything less than a 5, it's not one that I listen to often anymore, but it's a definite cornerstone of my music taste. I played this to death when I was a teenager, but much prefer III and Houses of the Holy these days. I find some of the lyrics on this one a bit cringy and immature (especially Living Loving Maid and Lemon Song), and I now now that something like half of the songs are rip offs, but the incredible musicianship and groundbreaking production more than make up for those missteps. Ramble On was and still might be my favourite Led Zeppelin song.
Supergrass
4/5
I got caught out by another deluxe edition here - thought it was a double album and listened to all 80ins or so. Then found the proper 45ish minute one, which is much better! Some very good songwriting on here, I'm surprised I haven't heard more of these songs before.
King Crimson
5/5
Hadn't listened to the one at all, I only know the screaming man album. Really enjoyed it, it sounds like the birth of math rock!
Youssou N'Dour
4/5
This was new to me, although I have heard of him. Really enjoyable, groovy beats and a nice short album.
Erykah Badu
5/5
I listened to this twice, the first time just in the background and I didn't think much of it. I only knew "Didn't Cha Know" before and did like it, so felt like I was missing something. I gave it a second listen with my "good" headphones, and was completely blown away! The production is fantastic, great drum and bass sound, and her vocals are really unique and interesting. The panning on "AD 2000" is particularly beautiful, like being wrapped in a warm blanket.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
This is the third Creedence album I've gotten out of 163 so far, that seems like a lot! Nowhere near as good as Green River, even though it does have Proud Mary. I prefer Cosmo's Factory too. Overall some decent jams on here, but a bit hit and miss, some fairly forgettable songs.
Massive Attack
4/5
Great album, Massive Attack opened me up to much other music when I got into them as a teenager. I much prefer Mezzanine, but this is nearly perfect. It looses a couple of points for the somewhat cheesy closing track and a couple of other duds, but the title track, Safe From Harm, and Unfinished Sympathy are all classics.
Sam Cooke
4/5
Not really what I would normally listen to, but as far as live albums go this is fantastic. Really warm sound, and a nice amount of crowd noise. Sam Cooke's voice is great and it sounds like he put on a brilliant show. It's quite funny that the label thought this was too "raw and gritty" for release in the 60s. Maybe it was the bit where he asks the crowd to wave around their handkerchiefs that pushed it over the line.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
2/5
I understand why this is on the list, but it just doesn't really do much for me. Relaxing vibes, but just sort of fades into the background.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
I actually don't enjoy this album as much as I used to, which is surprising because I still listen to a good bit of noise rock. There was a time when Just Like Honey was one of my favourite songs, and I still like that and quite a few of the others on here. I just find their wall of noise to be a bit oppressive and monotonous after a while. Having said that, it's undeniably a hugely influential and important record. I wouldn't be surprised if I warm to it again at some point.
The Hives
2/5
There's a bit of nostalgia here for me since I listened to this band a good bit when I was about 13. I'd pretty much forgotten about them though, and I see why, they aren't particularly interesting. It makes sense to have them on the list though, since they were a big part of that garage rock revival, particularly in the UK.
Astor Piazzolla
4/5
Never listened to anything like this before. I found it quite a dramatic listen, got me working at a much quicker rate! Would definitely listen again. I'm glad that I've had a decent variety of albums over the past couple of weeks.
Aerosmith
2/5
This album is fine, but nothing fantastic IMO. Love in an Elevator is very catchy, but in a junk food, insubstantial sort of way; Janie's Got A Gun is great, but I can take or leave the rest. Except for "What it Takes", that song is atrocious.
Van Halen
3/5
Well, it doesn't get much more 1984 than this (I mean actual 1984, not George Orwell's 1984). This is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me I guess, although I try not to use that phrase anymore! Definitely the best of the testosterone fueled "Hair Metal" of the 80s.
Since I got this the day after getting Pump by Aerosmith, it started me thinking about this 80s hair rock scene in general. It was a very strange time compared to 70s glam wasn't it? As I see it 70s glam's "gender bending" and cross dressing was somewhat more inclusive and boundary pushing, whereas these 80s bands were hypermasculine to the point that their cross dressing seems to have been more of a shock value thing exclusively. It's a bit off-putting really, considering the modern backlash against Trans rights. I can't help but wonder if this scene contributed somehow to that. Anyway that's the end of my Ted talk for today. 3 great singles on the album, the rest I can take or leave.
Neil Young
1/5
Is this a joke album? I love Neil Young for After the Goldrush and Harvest, but this is just terrible. I think it's the first time on this list I actually stopped before getting through the whole thing. Honestly, this has some of the worst singing I've ever heard on a record. Especially on World on a String, he's both out of tune and out of time!
3/5
Well well well...Once you make it past the opening onslaught, there's a lot to like here. It's certainly unusual and definitely intentionally off-putting. It's interesting though, would definitely listen to it again, not very often though. Looking forward to reading some of the other reviews for this one!
The Byrds
2/5
There certainly is a lot of MOR folk rock on this list isn't there? 5 albums from the Byrds, really?
Steely Dan
5/5
This is a great album. I've only really come to appreciate Steely Dan in recent years. Before, I would have enjoyed their singles but had them consigned as some sort of Dad Rock trope. However, now that I've delved into a few of their albums I really appreciate their musicianship, songwriting, and above all, production skills. This album is definitely one of their best, and the production here is fantastic. Even the few songs that don't resonate with me lyrically sound amazing. I'm not sure why they often get lumped in with Prog, to me they seem quite unique and stand somewhat alone in the early 70s rock scene.
My Bloody Valentine
5/5
Absolutely fantastic album, one of my favourites. Started listening to this when I was in college and it has been a constant in my life ever since. I think it did take me a while to get into it properly, "Only Shallow" hooked me though and from there I knew the rest of the album was for me. I really think this is a near perfect album; it's unique, hugely influential, and is a pinnacle of alternative music in general. Best Irish album ever released, in my humble opinion.
Blue Cheer
3/5
Never heard of this band or album, but I'm always up for some early heavy metal. Should be interesting!
Overall I enjoyed this and see the influence of it, but I found some of the songs outstayed their welcome. Probably not one I would re-listen to often.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
I've become a bit of a Prog head over the past couple of years, but this is a bit too "proggy", even for me. This must be what Yes sounds like to people who don't like Yes.
David Bowie
5/5
Incredible album, and not just because he died! Although it is impossible to separate the release if this album from Bowie's death. It's like he turned his death into an art piece, or like the album was a funeral that the whole world could attend. I'll never forget listening to this album in work that Monday morning completely oblivious, thinking "wow this is really dark", but loving it. Then going out to the canteen and a co-worker broke the news to me that he had died. I think it's the only time I've really been truly saddened by a aging celebrity's death.
Björk
4/5
I couldn't remember how much I liked as a whole, it's been years since I listened to it through, but I love the singles from it. On review it is great for a "Debut", but not a patch on her next 3 albums. It's undeniably important though, and has had massive influence on many other artists since. Some of the songs on here are a bit dated, but I really enjoyed hearong some of the deeper cuts again, especially "Anchor Song".
George Jones
2/5
Not really my thing, but he does seem to have a great voice. Like 95% of country music sounds exactly the same to me, it's never interested me enough to get more familiar with it. "Who Will I Be Loving" was the only song that stuck out to me here, I like the melody.
Hot Chip
2/5
I like some of Hot Chip's earlier songs (from The Warning and Made in the Dark), but after two listens of the album, it doesn't really do much for me. The production is quite good, but I don't think the songwriting measures up. The only memorable song to me is Night & Day, which is memorable in the most annoying way! The singer's voice really grates after a while.
Christina Aguilera
1/5
Fighter and Beautiful are good songs, and some what nostalgic of my teenage years, but as for the rest of the album, it's too long and a bit boring. I had to quit about halfway through - I just can't with the weird honking singing and endless vocal runs.
Fishbone
2/5
Never heard of this band before. It's a very interesting and eclectic mix of genres...maybe a bit too eclectic! Some of the songs on the second half stuck out to me more than the first half. I might give it another listen and see if there are any growers.
Yeah after a second listen, I can confirm that the first half is utter chaos! They switch genres so quickly its hard to keep up. The second half has some bops though, especially Bonin' in the Backyard. Some of it reminds me a lot of early RHCP.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Been a long time since I listened to this, I forgot how good it is! Obviously, it's best enjoyed in a nite club or something similar, vs on headphones in my home office. But it brought back some nice memories. There are are couple of songs that run a bit too long, and tbh "Soul Surfing" and "You're Not From Brighton" don't do much for me. Other than that though, great album. Weirdly enough, I had Acid 8000 stuck in my head a few days before this popped up, despite not having heard it for years. Maybe I'm psychic!
The Libertines
2/5
Well, this is a blast from the past. What ever did become of the likely lads?
Heaven 17
2/5
Interesting as a historical footnote in the evolution of electronic music, but not interesting for much else.
Digital Underground
4/5
I hadn't heard this before, so I didn't really know what I was in for. The cover art and concept are mad but it really works. I love the growly bass on The Humpty Dance and a few other songs. It's a really groovy and funny album throughout, really creative too. The concept makes me think of the Fifth Element, Sex Packets (and this album) sound like something that could exist in that universe.
Metallica
4/5
I enjoy this album, but don't think it's quite as good as Master of Puppets. There's a couple of songs on here (like Unforgiven) that I just find really uninteresting. But for the most part, it's great!
Ray Price
3/5
Never heard of this guy before. I love the title track! This album has a real mood, and I like the production a lot. The music really does evoke the nightlife setting described in the lyrics. Price has a fantastic voice too. This might be the best (non-Johnny Cash) country album I've ever listened to. Having said that, I do find a lot of the songs quite similar, and the lyrics are a bit preachy in places. Some people just like to go to clubs and drink alcohol, Ray.
Joy Division
5/5
I don't have much to say about this one, it's an incredible album but obviously quite dark! I have to be in the right mood to listen to it the whole way through.
Julian Cope
2/5
I really tried with this album, gave it about 3 full listens. I like some elements of it, but overall I think it's a bit of a mess. Way too long, annoying vocals, and I find it very hard to decipher what each song is about. It's a shame because it seems like it would be up my alley, but something just isn't clicking!
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
One of my favourite albums from when I was a teenager, but one I hadn't listened to in a long time. It still holds up, pretty flawless album! One of the best albums of the grunge era and the 90s in general, in my opinion. It's a shame that Billy Corgan went off the rails and the band kind of self destructed after the first three albums. I would have preferred that he just start an average solo career rather than continuing on with the SP name.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
It feels a bit blasphemous only giving this a 4, but it is what it is. Obviously very influential in many ways, but a several of these songs just aren't great. Nico's singing is way off, and Lou Reed's isn't much better. although this is probably his best.
ABBA
3/5
Enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. I appreciate Abba's hits for what they are, but never really thought of them as album artists. However there are some great moments on this album, particularly the first few tracks. I found it dragged a bit in the second half, but rallied on the last song. The cover art is beautiful also.
Deep Purple
1/5
This is very "Spinal Tap", particularly "Child in Time". There was a brief time, when I was about 14, where I enjoyed Deep Purple's greatest hits. I realize now how wrong I was. They are best forgotten about I think apart from their few good hits.
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
I like this, but apart from the iconic title track, I don't love it. Still though, it's a very pleasant one to listen to!
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Really enjoyable album, I found that there weren't too many standout moments though.
Cocteau Twins
5/5
I have been really hoping this would come up on the list. Over the past few years, it has become one of my favourite albums, and over the Covid lockdowns became important to me in a way I find hard to put into words.
The production is fantastic, both warm and icy in equal measures (if that even makes sense). The songwriting is amazing; even though the lyrics are mostly unintelligible, the melodies speak for themselves. Overall I wouldn't change a thing about this album. 6/5.
Frank Zappa
5/5
Love this album, another relatively recent find for me. I've been aware of Frank Zappa for a long time, but mainly only knew him for Bobby Brown and thought he was a bit of a novelty act. However, just before Halloween of last year, while driving out to a haunted house type experience, my partner randomly put this on in the car, because we had both heard it was a great album. It was suitably horrific for the night that was in it, and has been on fairly regular rotation for me ever since. Peaches En Regalia is a great opening, then Willie the Pimp follows it up in a fairly unsettling, but enjoyable, way. One of the best album covers I've seen in relation to the music also; what appears to me to be a clown who's taken too many drugs, attempting to hide in an empty swimming pool. Not sure how accurate that is, it's just what I see. Fits the music perfectly.
Sade
4/5
Great album! I could only listen to it once though, because I can only get so aroused, even while working from home.
The Specials
5/5
I always thought that The Specials were a bit overrated, but having listened to the through twice, I get it! There's so much raw talent here, and also some really thoughtful political songwriting for such a young group at the time. It makes sense that they were such a phenomenon, definitely worth the praise!
Super Furry Animals
3/5
I quite enjoyed this, even though it is very of the time. It's a bit too long, and the last 3 songs didn't do much for me. Up until that point though, I thought it was pretty solid, and even fairly funny in places.
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
Very good album, makes me feel like I'm on holiday!
The Flaming Lips
2/5
I've never really understood why this album is considered a masterpiece. I guess musically it is quite good, and is a significant departure from their earlier music. But I really can't stand Wayne Coyne's screechy singing for very long. The lyrics are also way too simplistic for it to be considered "one of the best albums of the 90s". I'd take Yoshimi over this any day.
Lupe Fiasco
2/5
Some good songs on here, and good production, but it's not something I'd listen to again. Which is surprising, because I thought it would fall into the bucket of hip hop I usually like.
Fiona Apple
5/5
This is a fantastic album, but it's surprising to see something so recent on a list like this. I've listened to it several times since it came out, but still feel like I'm digesting it! Fiona Apple must be one of the most consistently great singer/songwriters working today.
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
This is a great album, another one that I've only come across within the last year or so. "Burn it Down" and "Gino" always end up stuck in my head for hours after I listen to them. It's great to see that this band were much more than just the very overplayed "Come On Eileen". This album does waver a bit towards the end I find, but maybe those songs will grow one eventually. 8/10
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Listening to the first few songs here I was wondering why I hadn't listened to this album in so long. The first disc is solid gold, especially the incredible "Kashmir". But then I got to the second disc, and that's a completely different story. Apart from the excellent "Ten Years Gone", the second disc is mostly forgettable. No wonder I couldn't remember it! Bit of a mixed bag overall really, and way too long. A 3 seems harsh, but this doesn't really hold up to III, IV, or Houses of the Holy to me.
Prince
3/5
I still feel like I don't really "get" Prince. I appreciate that it was a different time and that he pushed boundaries that needed to be pushed, etc. He was also obviously a fantastic musician. But I find a full album of his hard to get through. There several songs on here that are way too long and probably a bit too self indulgent. I also find the production and mixing is bad in places, sometime the vocals are somewhat buried and the bass is way too loud ( or treble way too high?). Having said that though, the first 3 songs are absolute classics, and the album definitely deserves a spot in this list. Just maybe not in my heart!
Fred Neil
3/5
Had nevet heard I'd this guy before, but enjoyed a lot of this. Its an interesting mix of genres and he has a great voice, remeniscent of Scott Walker. I also really like a lot of the guitar playing. Only downside I have is that after two listens, several of the songs aren't particularly memorable. I think the raga at the end was a bit of a strange choice too, but it's not terrible.
Burning Spear
3/5
Had a listen to this twice, some good storytelling and a couple of really well written tunes. Overall I found it a bit repetitive, but that is a recurring problem for me with Reggae!
Machito
3/5
Enjoyed this in a general way, but nothing really stood out that much. Kind of reminded me a bit of a James Bond soundtrack.
Dire Straits
4/5
Haven't listened to this one before, although obviously I'm well aware of Dire Sraits. This is a really solid and well produced album. Sultans of Swing does tower over everything here, but there are some other bops too. Not a bad track here really.
Kate Bush
5/5
One of my favourite Kate Bush albums, there are really some fantastic songs on here. "Deeper Understanding" is weirdly both nostalgic now and also quite prescient. "This Woman's Work" always gets an emotional reaction from me.
AC/DC
3/5
This is another album I listened to a LOT as a teenager, mainly because so many of their songs are easy to play well on the guitar. The immaturity of the lyrics probably appealed to me at some point too. These days, it doesn't do that much for me, but there are a handful of great tracks on here; Highway to Hell, Touch Too Much, Shot Down in Flames, If You Want Blood. They are mostly variations of the same 3 or 4 chords though at the end of the day!
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Hadn't listened to this before at all, so it was a nice surprise! I didn't care much for "One Woman", but apart from that, it was great. Voice smooth like butter.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
2/5
This is right down the middle for me really, some interesting sounds that were probably very new at the time but do sound a bit dated now. The vocals didn't do much for me either, but most of the songs were pleasant enough to listen to. Having said that, I listened to it fully through twice and can't remember any of the songs now!
Sarah Vaughan
5/5
This is a fantastic recording, it sounds like she's here in the room with us! Her voice is incredible, even though the lyrics don't have much substance. It sounds like she put on a great show too, with some funny ad-libs. Glad to finally put a familiar name in context, I've heard of Sarah Vaughan all my life but never really listened to her.
Hawkwind
1/5
I tried to listen to this twice and couldn't make it half way. A double live album by a mediocre band has no business on this list. Have Hawkwind no decent studio albums they could have included instead?
Q-Tip
4/5
Hadn't listened to this one before, but I knew the singles and am a fan of TCQ. This is a good album with some memorable songs and thoughtful lyrics. Q-Tip maybe isn't the best rapper out there, but he's likeable and is a good lyricist. I thought that the production and instrumentals on here were decent, but sound a bit dated in places. I'd say about a 7/10.
Michael Jackson
5/5
I'm somewhat ashamed to say that I don't think I've ever listened to this the whole way through. It's a masterpiece, but still not perfect I'd say. The Paul McCartney duet and the last song were a bit cringy I thought. Other than those though, it's a solid 9/10.
Air
5/5
This is a fantastic album, been listening to this since I was a teenager. There are no bad songs on it, and the first half has several perfect ones. The bassline on "La Femme D'Argent" is heavenly.
David Bowie
5/5
One of my favourite Bowie albums, this one is great start to finish. It's more of a cohesive album unit, with only "Golden Years" really standing out as a single, so I can see why maybe it doesn't get as much praise as his other 70s albums. It's a solid 5 for me though, great production and songwriting. I have an 80s vinyl of it, so gave it a spin to refresh my memory!
Beck
5/5
This is another one that takes me back to my teenage years, I was a big Beck fan back then. I've cooled on him a bit since then, but this album was always one of my favourites of his. I had "E-Pro" set as my ringtone for a few months at one point, so it always has me looking for my phone if it comes on unexpectedly. Overall there's some great songs on here, especially "Girl", "Missing", "Earthquake Weather", "Scarecrow" and "Go It Alone". It's nor a perfect album, but I'd give it a solid 9/10, possibly due to a heathly dose of nostalgia.
Pixies
5/5
On a bit of a roll here, five 5s in a row! This is another of my favourites from my teenage years, such raw energy and great songwriting on here. Quite unhinged and funny in places too. I really don't think music today would be the same without this album and Doolittle. Favourite songs: Bone Machine, Gigantic, River Euphrates, Where is My Mind.
Robert Wyatt
2/5
This was an interesting listen, but only memorable in a very unsettling way. Still glad to have listened to it though.
Mercury Rev
4/5
I've listened to this before, years ago, but kind of forgot about it. I still hear Holes or Godess on a Hiway on the radio every now and then though. I think I consigned them to the same bin I put The Flaming Lips into at some point. Listening to it through again though, I'm pleasantly surprised! It's a very relaxing blend of genres with clever use of a few classic melodies here and there. Some of the deep cuts are great too, like Hudson Line. Still probably not something I'd listen to very often, but I was glad to spend a bit of time with it today.
Sisters Of Mercy
4/5
This was a bit of a surprise, I had heard the name of this band but never knew who they were. I really enjoyed a lot of this, will come back to it for sure. Definitely sounds like a precursor to a lot of 80s and 90s rock and metal.
Steely Dan
5/5
I've been listening to this a lot recently, another recent discovery, via Róisín. This album just gets better and better every time I listen to it, I'm always hearing new things. Truly a masterpiece of music production.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
I don't think I had listened to this one fully before, I only knew the singles. This isn't nearly as good as The Low End Theory, but it's very enjoyable. We'll written and often funny lyrics, and some well picked (but maybe a bit too obvious) samples.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
I'd like to preface this by stating that I am a HUGE fan of Loveless. It's one of my favourite albums and I consider it to be perfect. However, I've tried to get into Isn't Anything several times over the years and I just can't. Too abrasive, too meandering, too noisy. I understand why it's on the list, and it's interesting to see it as a precursor to Loveless. But I just find it difficult to listen to. Listening to Loveless is like listening to a dream; listening to Isn't Anything is like listening to a nightmare.
Cat Stevens
3/5
We're certainly in Dad Rock Heaven now! I'm conflicted about whether to give this a 3 or a 4. On the one hand, it has three genuinely brilliant songs, and his melodies are great throughout the album. But on the other hand, several of the songs have terrible lyrics and made me physically cringe (particularly Long Boats). I don't see myself returning to this anytime soon, but I won't be too upset if it comes on the radio. I'm feeling rebellious so I'm going to go with a 3. 6/10
Al Green
4/5
Fully expected this to be a bit cheesy, but it was surprisingly smooth and enjoyable the whole way through. The title track towers over everything else here, but some of the lesser known tracks were quite good too. Incredible singing, but the production was a bit too raw perhaps, made it sound like a much older album than it is.
Talvin Singh
2/5
This one was quite interesting in places, had never heard of the artist or album before. I enjoyed the first few songs, but after a while it just faded to the background a bit. A lot of the sounds are a bit dated however. I can see why it's on the list, but not one I'd come back to again.
The White Stripes
2/5
I don't know what it is exactly about the White Stripes, but I just find them so boring. They have some undeniably great singles, but a whole album of theirs is a chore for me to get through. This one was no exception.
Motörhead
2/5
Pretty much what I expected really. Ace of Spades is great, but the rest of the album is just mindless monotony. Also Jailbait and the Chase are creepy AF
Big Star
2/5
I listened to this about three times and can't remember a thing about it now. Not for me, but I can see how it might be considered influential.
Queens of the Stone Age
5/5
Another one that I've never listened to at all before. I've always enjoyed QOTSA singles but never really understood why they got so much attention. However, I do now! Listening to this at full blast in the car on a hot sticky summer's day made me feel like I was driving across the deserts of New Mexico instead of semi rural Leinster. It's such a unique sound, I'm going to have to go and listen to their other albums now and see how they hold up. If I can stop listening to this one that is, just finished my 4th listen!
AC/DC
3/5
Hell's Bells, Back in Black, You Shook Me, and Rock n Roll are 4 great songs, but I'm not convinced that they're worth the effort of sitting through the other 6 somewhat embarassing and boring songs about how horny they were.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
Really enjoyed this, definitely one of Neil's best. Some great songwriting and melodies, and I like the transition from acoustic to electric in the middle. Hard to believe it was recorded live; the quality is great! You can really see the influence on grunge music on the second half. 9/10
Television
5/5
This a fantastic album, one I always forget about about for some reason. The title track is especially great. The singing is a bit patchy in places, but hey, it's proto punk I guess? 9/10
White Denim
3/5
Enjoyed this in a general way, but nothing in particular stood out to me. It's not really original enough to get me excited either; you could have told me that a few of these songs were by My Morning Jacket, The War On Drugs, or Grizzly Bear and I would have believed you.
Underworld
4/5
Hadn't listened to this one before, really enjoyed it though. More so on the second listen; on the first everything melded together a bit. I think Dubnobasswithmyheadman is a better album, and probably a better introduction to Underworld. That's on the list though, so I'll get that eventually, right?...RIGHT???
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
This is a great album, but not quite as great as Bookends. There's a few real classics ("Scarborough Fair" and "Homeward Bound" in particular are fantastic), a few enjoyable but MOR songs, and a couple of goofy duds. However the singing and playing is fantastic throughout all of them. Overall I'd say it's a 7 or 8/10.
Sister Sledge
4/5
This is perfect disco really, even if it probably was one of the last gasps of the dying genre. The 4 singles are fantastic; smooth, funky and groovy. Just makes you want to dance. Thinking of You is my favourite of them, it's a real earworm! The other album tracks don't live up to the rest, but they're pleasant enough to listen to.
David Bowie
4/5
I enjoy this album a lot, but not nearly as much as Low. The first two songs and the last one don't do much for me, but the title track and the ambient pieces on the second side are fantastic.
David Bowie
3/5
Not my favourite Bowie album by any means, but it does have some of his best songs in the singles. It does drag a bit in places, particularly towards the end. I was actually looking forward to the end, which leads me to think of this as a 3 star instead of a 4.
Coldplay
4/5
With all the hate that Coldplay now (quite rightly) get, it's easy to forgot that they used to write some great songs. I don't think this album is as good as Parachutes (and my opinion is probably biased by some preteen nostalgia), but it's still a decent 4 out of 5 in my book.
Joan Baez
2/5
This wasn't the first time I listened to this album. I thought it was just fine, but it never really really clicked with me that much. I guess I prefer folk from the 60s on mostly, and in general find originals more interesting. I do find her voice a bit grating I places, but she is very talented at the same time, and I recognize the cultural importance of the album.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
I've been stuck on this one a while, time to finally bite the bullet and review it so I can un-pause! I understand why people like Leonard Coen, but this album does very little for me. The first song is a strong start, but after that it just becomes a dull slog; so many repetitive and dreary melodies. "So Long, Marianne" has to be one of my least favourite, the halting melody in the chorus makes me grimace, even though it is quite catchy. His singing really leaves a lot to be desired too. Although there are some nice guitar parts in places.
I know he is supposed to be renowned for his lyrics primarily, but I find it hard to sit down and unwrap them from such a boring package. I'd much rather read them in a poetry book than listen to this album again. I do like Bob Dylan, which makes me feel a bit hypocritical, but at least Dylan has a bit of variation throughout his albums, and is a quite good songwriter musically to boot. In addition to being a great lyricist!
CHIC
5/5
Some of the best (and funkiest) pop music ever made.
Taylor Swift
3/5
I really don't get the hate for Taylor Swift. Her songs are well written and she's a great performer. I didn't enjoy all of these songs, but the high points (Style, Out of The Woods, Shake It Off) really are great. Towards the end I found it all starting to sound a bit repetitive, but I did enjoy the last song with Imogen Heap.
Rod Stewart
3/5
Enjoyed this much more than I expected to. I always had Rod Stewart pegged as a sort of cringy, poor imitation of Robert Plant. After listening to the full thing though, I can appreciate it for the straightforward rock it is. I was marvelling at how good the guitar playing is, then checked the credits to find that Ron Wood played on every song. Makes sense!
Cocteau Twins
4/5
I enjoy this album, but it's not on the same level as Heaven or Las Vegas for me. It has a great overall sound and mood, but some of the songs aren't particularly memorable. Elizabeth Fraser's voice is as fantastic as ever though. HOWEVER, that album cover is hideous.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
Never heard of this before. At first glance, assumed it was a metal album! Enjoyed it nonetheless. I don't listen to a lot of this big band sort of thing, but it got me dancing a bit in my seat and kept me engaged throughout.
Khaled
3/5
Thought this was interesting, but a bit hit and miss. The first few songs were misses, but after the Imagine cover it really finds its feet. C'est la Nuit was my least favourite.
The Go-Go's
4/5
Very enjoyable album! I only knew the two singles going into it, but there are several other brilliant tracks on here. I especially like the drumming throughout. Can really see the influence this would have had on other acts later on in the 80s.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
I didn't make it all the way through this, but enjoyed more of what I heard than I expected, given its reputation. Giving a neutral review because I don't want to fall too far behind, but definitely want to come back to this someday and give it another whirl.
Sex Pistols
2/5
This is another one where context is everything really. This was a very necessary reactionary movement in music, and a couple of the songs still hold up "God Save" and "Pretty Vacant", but the rest doesn't do much for me. Minus one star for the homophobia on New York (also a pretty cringe dis track).
Simple Minds
3/5
Enjoyed this overall, especially the first song (which I already knew). It has a really unique sound for the time, and I can see how it would have influenced other 80s acts like U2. I really like the bass sound in particular. However, after two full listens none of the other songs really stick out to me. Also, the vocals are really buried. I know it's a stylistic choice, but I don't understand it. So many 80s albums seem to have the same issue, so it kind of dates the album somewhat.
Love
1/5
Apart from the first song, I didn't like this at all. How did this terrible band end up with two albums on this list?
Pulp
4/5
Enjoyed this, but apart from the hits, some of the songs are a bit same-y and over long. I think I would have had to be in my teens/early 20s to truly appreciate Pulp.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
Enjoyed this much more than the Byrds albums. I do think Crosby is overrepresented on this list, but this album (and If I Could Only Remember My Name) definitely deserve a place on the list.
Snoop Dogg
2/5
This has the makings of a 5 star hip hop album; great flow, fantastic production, very funky and great personality. However, similar to my feelings with The Chronic, the lyrics are just unapologetically disgusting, and can you really listen to rap without listening to the lyrics? They are, without a doubt, misogynistic and glorify the "gangsta" lifestyle. However, Dre and Snoop tried to spin it as a cautionary tale or whatever, which just laughable. There's no critique of that lifestyle or any sort of self consciousness whatsoever. I understand that gangsta rap was a necessary reaction to police brutality in LA, and that it was an important stepping stone for hip hop, etc. But that doesn't necessarily mean we have to endure it forever as a classic album.
Madonna
2/5
This was just fine, the title track was great, but not many others were particularly memorable. Production is a bit dated at this point.
B.B. King
3/5
Enjoyed this, but again nothing mind-blowing. I can appreciate his talent and how influential King must have been, but I just find this era or blues to be so same-y. I know that's kind of the point, but it's just not for me I guess!
Animal Collective
3/5
I've tried to get into this album many times, but its still a bit of a head scratcher. I think My Girls is a fantastic song, and there are a few other great ones, but for the most part it doesn't really move me.
The Fall
4/5
Thought this was just as good as Live At the Witch Trials, but I question whether this list needs two albums by the Fall.
Jimmy Smith
4/5
Enjoyed this, but wasn't completely blown away. Just very pleasantly funky throughout.
Nina Simone
5/5
Enjoyed this a lot, Nina really shows a lot of versatility throughout the album. Sometimes her voice strays a bit, but that sort of adds to the appeal for me. 9/10
Fairport Convention
5/5
Loved this, had never listened to it before. I only knew a few Fairport Convention songs from Spotify, but will definitely be listening to more of theirs now. Interesting to see what was going on across the Irish sea around the same time that Planxty, Rory Gallagher and Thin Lizzy were doing similar experiments with trad/rock fusion.
k.d. lang
2/5
Great voice, but honestly this wasn't for me at all. Almost put me to sleep.
Judas Priest
2/5
Not as bad as I thought, but still quite cringe! Definitely seems to have been a big influence on Iron Maiden and Metallica, but also seems to have been the direct inspiration for Spinal Tap. Wouldn't listen again.
Jazmine Sullivan
3/5
I enjoyed parts of this and found a lot of the spoken word pieces thought provoking, but overall I think I have a bit too much ex-catholic guilt left in me to enjoy music so sexually explicit to the full. I have similar problems with Prince and some gangsta rap groups.
Derek & The Dominos
2/5
I understand why this is on the list, but apart from 3 or 4 of the Assorted Love Songs, I found this so meandering and uninteresting. Obviously Clapton is a very talented guitarist, but he plays with so little emotion; it's like someone taught a robot to play the guitar. A really xenophobic, anti-vax robot.
Don McLean
4/5
I'm glad I finally listened to this the whole way through, since I've always considered the title track to be a 10/10, but never bothered with the rest of the album. Vincent is especially moving, it's unusual to hear a man of that generation write a sort of platonic love song to another man. The last 3 songs were a bit too "Sunday School" for me though.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
Good album, it never really blew me away like Full Moon Fever did though. Pretty standard radio-friendly dad rock, Some good songs on here though.
The Last Shadow Puppets
2/5
This is fine I guess, but I'm a bit puzzled why it made it into this list. It didn't exactly make a huge splash at the time, and doesn't interest me any more in 2023 than it did in 2008. It's not terrible, but does wear its 60s influences on its sleeve. I just don't find the songwriting particularly interesting.
Circle Jerks
3/5
Never heard of this, but it was an interesting one! I'm much more into the bands that emerged later in this scene (Blag Flag, Minor Threat, and especially Fugazi). But this was a quick one so I had time to listen to it twice, glad I did.
Beck
4/5
I used to be a bigger Beck fan when I was younger, and Golden Age and Lost Cause were always amongst my favourites. I think this album is a bit too dreary in places, and the last few songs are quite dull. But overall it still holds up!
The Yardbirds
2/5
This is just OK really, obviously great guitar playing, but nothing much else of interest. If this is considered psychedelic rock, it's the absolute safest version possible. Also, there are like 3 versions if this album on Tidal, and they all have 20-30 songs on. Ain't nobody got time for that!
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
This has some excellent singles on it, and starts off really strong with "Welcome to the Pleasuredome". Great bass and production. However, I could have done without about 30 mins of it. Why are there so many mediocre cover versions on here?
Green Day
4/5
Not sure how to rate this really, when I was a teenager I would have given it an easy 5, but I've mellowed on Green Day a lot since then, and I find a lot of these songs fairly cringe inducing now. Some of the deeper cuts (Give Me Novacaine, Extraordinary Girl, Letterbomb) though still hold up, maybe because they weren't played to death! A 3 seems appropriate,but maybe I'll round it up to 4 for the sake of nostalgia and cultural pact (which can't really be denied).
Alanis Morissette
4/5
I haven't listened to this the whole way through in about a decade, so I was shocked by how many hits are on here. Like 75% must have been a radio hit! Some of the lyrics are a bit cringey now (particularly the ironically-not ironic "Ironic"), but there are some great songs on here. Although I can't listen to "You Oughta Know" anymoee without smiling at the memory of Kevin from the US Office performing it at karaoke.
Talking Heads
5/5
Enjoyed this a lot, one of my favourite Talking Heads albums. You can hear clear influences here on late bands. Particularly on Warning Sign, there's a part in that song that I swear I regognize from some Radiohead song, but can't remember which one. The Big Country is one of my favourite Talking Heads songs by far!
The Everly Brothers
2/5
Maybe the most boring album I've come across on this list so far. I'll give it a two, because the singing is great, but nothing else of interest here. Not to mention the lyrics, which are almost entirely about outdated gender roles. Buddy Holly is a much more interesting artist from the same time period.
Amy Winehouse
5/5
Great album. This one I have a lot of nostalgia for, having been a teenager at the time. The band is fantastic, the lyrics clever and witty, and the vocals are of course amazing. I have a great memory of seeing her live at a festival. Unfortunately, Amy herself was barely holding it together, but still put on a great performance. Her band and backing singers/dancers were incredible that day.
John Martyn
2/5
Not mad about this, but it isn't terrible. Just a few experiments that didn't pan out. However, not sure why it's on the list here, assuming Solid Air and Bless the Weather are on the list. Those would be plenty.
Dead Kennedys
5/5
One of my favourite punk albums of all time. Love the energy and humor throughout this, makes some excellent political points too. There are very intense live performances of most of this album on youtube - check them out!
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
1/5
Didn't like this one at all really. Poor singing, melodramatic, and fairly boring. Felt a lot longer than half an hour, even though I listened to it twice.
James Brown
4/5
I don't normally agree with live albums being on here, but this one is an exception. There's such energy on here, and the recording is great. James Brown sounds like he has the crowd eating out of his hands. I'm not very familiar with his work, so this serves as a good "Greatest Hits" of his early period as far as I can see.
Blondie
5/5
Amazing album! I guess I've always taken Blondie for granted a bit due to the massive popularity of some of their songs. There's so many great ones on here though, and not a bad song to be seen. More than half of the tracks on here are 5 stars, so it's more than deserving of its classic status.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
I think I had listened to this before, but probably a long time ago. I recognised Stagger Lee, the PJ Harvey song and the Kylie Minogue song. Overall a very interesting and well written album. Not one I would be in the mood to dive into often, but I would listen again.
The Human League
4/5
Enjoyed this much more than I expected, would listen again. Slightly dated sound wise, but some really great songwriting. Possibly the best I've heard from this New Romantics period.
Janelle Monáe
5/5
Fantastic album, from start to finish. Although I do slightly prefer Suite II. I recon Janelle Monae is her generation's answer to Prince.
ABBA
4/5
This is a fantastic pop album, hard to believe there are so many hits on it. There are a few weird ones; When I Kissed the Teacher (for obvious reasons) and Arrival (sounds like something you'd hear playing in a tacky Scottish souvenir shop), and a couple boring ones (My Love, My Life and That's Me). But other than those it's great. People who take issues with Abba and other pop artists need to get down off their high horse. Not everything needs to be comparable to the Beatles or whatever...
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Great album, not quite as good as You're Living All Over Me though. I love the wall of distortion running through the whole album.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
Some great songs on here (mainly Candy Says and Pale Blue Eyes), but they definitely weren't pushing the boundaries as much as their first two albums. Even with the weird Murder Mystery track, which is a bit difficult to listen to.
Miles Davis
5/5
This really blew me away. I've only listened to Miles Davis' most well known albums; Birth of the Cool, So What, Bitches Brew, etc. But hadn't gotten around to this one yet. The playing and the grooves are fantastic on this, I can see why it's so well regarded. It's a very obvious precursor to the very improvisational Bitches Brew too. Really makes me want to check out more of Dave Holland and Chick Corea's solo work as well.
Gang Starr
4/5
Had only heard of this group before, glad to finally get to check them out. This is a great hip hop record, very smooth and thoughtful lyrics. There are a couple instances of the "gold digger" trope, but I'll forgive them since they are kept to a minimum and are not particularly offensive. Overall, this album kinda feels like a more chilled out Public Enemy.
Lauryn Hill
4/5
I enjoy this album, but there's something I can't really put my finger on that stop it from being a 5 star for me. Maybe it's just too long. I also feel like Lauren comes off as quite preachy in a few songs, which makes a lot more sense when you learn a bit more about her. Still though, some fantastic songs and great performances on here.
The Avalanches
5/5
I've listened to this album numerous times, but it's one I'm definitely guilty of putting on "in the background" and not really listening properly. So it was nice to give this a couple of closer listens. It's an incredibly unique album, and definitely one I would recommend to people looking to get into electronic music. There's so much to delve into here, and many of the layers will only peel back with repeat listens. It occupies that interesting niche of music (along with Boards of Canada and Cocteau Twins) which makes me feel nostalgia for things that I may or may not have experienced in the past. I do think it is a little long, and there are a couple of tracks in the middle that I wouldn't miss if they were left off. However, it's still a solid 9/10.
The Cure
4/5
Enjoyed the overall sound of this album, but apart from A Forest none of the songs particularly stood out to me. You can see the beginnings of their darker sound here, but they hadn't reached the highs of the later albums yet.
Incubus
1/5
Not sure why this was included in the book at all. Drive is a fantastic song, but the rest are very ordinary and had little cultural impact that I remember. I've mentioned it before in other reviews, but the amount of crappy 90s albums that are on this list is astonishing, given NOT SINGLE TOOL ALBUM WAS INCLUDED
Bebel Gilberto
2/5
This was relatively pleasant to listen to, but almost instantly forgettable. Very hard to find the full version of the album too. It doesn't seem to be on Tidal at all, and Spotify has several songs as "unavailable".
Gorillaz
4/5
After the first third of this album, I was marvelling at how overlooked it is. However, then there is a real lull of mediocre songs between Clint Eastwood and 19-2000. Overall its a very inventive project, especially due to the genre fusion and "virtual band" idea. It's somewhere between an 3 and a 4 for me, overshadowed by Demon Days (rightly so). I'll say a 4 based on the strength and impact of the singles.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
I made a few starts at listening to this while on holiday in the UK, but it seemed like a bit too much of a downer, so I abandoned it. The excellent title track kept coming back to me though, and I decided to listen to it again on the plane home. Listening to Coen declaring "I'm ready, my Lord" as the plane lifted off was a surprisingly calming experience.
However, I found the following tracks to be a bit weaker, and was resigning myself to giving this a 3 and moving on, when "Travelling Light" started and moved me. The following song, "It Seemed a Better Way" also gave me pause. I'll definitely give it another listen now.
It's hard not to compare this to Blackstar, given the subject matter and the year it was released. I definitely prefer Blackstar as an overall artistic statement, but this album is making me want to re-appraise Leonard Coen's earlier work too.
Todd Rundgren
5/5
This was a nice surprise, an artist I've heard of but never actually listened to. I recognized the first song when I heard it, but everything else was new to me. There is great variety on here, and a good bit of experimentation with different styles. I like that he doesn't seem to take himself too seriously as well, given the funny voice note about a quarter of the way in. I actually recognised that from "Shake A Fist" by Hot Chip, but never knew it was a sample until now.
It's quite a long album, and I maybe could have done without the rock opera bit at the end, bit given I only listened to it once, I could see it growing on me. Everything else on here though was near perfect. This is exactly the type of album I was hoping to find by doing this challenge, unfortunately they are rare! 9/10
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Enjoyed most of this, but not as much as Juju, which I got last year. Some great songs, others forgettable. The cover of Helter Skelter is weird, I'm not sure how I feel about it yet.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Some great songs on here, I enjoyed this one much more than Catch a Fire. I still somewhat stand by my opinion that the "Legend" compilation is all the BM one needs, but this album is deserving enough of this list.
Ananda Shankar
4/5
Enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to. Its a really interesting fusion of genres and cultures that I suppose would make some cringe, but I think it worked. I much prefer the Rolling Stones cover to the Doors cover, but I don't really care much for the original Doors song to begin with. Found myself getting fairly meditative during "Sagar". Not sure how often I'll revist this, but I would gladly give it another listen.
Van Halen
4/5
I'm not really sure where this lands with me. On the one hand, it's mostly ridiculous testosterone fueled crap. But on the other, it has some of the most interesting and revolutionary guitar playing of it's time. Ain't Talking About Love in particular has to be one of the best riffs I've ever heard. But many of the songs on the second half are quite forgettable. Not something I would listen to often, but I think it is marginally better than 1984, so I'll bump it up to a 7/10.
The Cure
5/5
This album is an absolute masterpiece, and in my opinion the high point of The Cure's discography by far. The production is fantastic, wonderfully blending warm bass tones with icy synths and melancholy guitars. The sound throughout gives a really accurate representation of how depression can weirdly feel comfortable and warm at times, but also isolating. A feeling I don't often see depicted in media. Lyricly, Robert Smith touches on a lot of similar themes, particularly the growth and catharsis that comes after letting go and coming to terms with loss. However the real genius of this album is that you don't even have to have experienced these things yourself to relate to the songs, because they are so well written and performed.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
This is a really solid album, and the two singles are especially great. I'm not a huge fan of Costello and think he is over represented in this book, but this is definitely the best I've heard from him so far. His band sounds fantastic and the production is great too. Nice album cover as well, overall a very good project. 8/10
Meat Loaf
3/5
This is definitely worth a listen, but ultimately not really my type of music. The songs are very well written and Meatloaf's singing is great, but the whole thing is just too theatrical and melodramatic for me.
Emmylou Harris
2/5
Not really my cup of tea. I found her voice a bit grating and many of the songs too similar. But I can appreciate why this is on the list.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
Fantastic album. I thought I had listened to this in full before, but a few of the songs sounded new to me. I found the strange bass/synth(?) instrumentation on "Save the Life of My Child" very interesting. Seems like it would have been very ahead of its time in 1968.
Guns N' Roses
2/5
I see the appeal obviously, but GnR have never really done much for me. Apart from a couple of songs (Welcome to the Jungle and Patience) they mostly bore me. There is some good guitar playing on here and they certainly have energy, but nothing on this album changed my mind.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
3/5
Not a bad album, I didn't find it too engaging though. However, the influence he would have had on acts like Bob Dylan is very clear.
The Clash
4/5
I never really got into this album much, although I love London Calling. This one isn't nearly as good as that, but it is great. Obviously a very important one too, in the evolution of punk, and much more interesting than the Sex Pistols album that came out in the same year.
Tina Turner
3/5
There are a few great songs on here, and some incredible singing. The first half is pretty flawless IMO. But there are a couple of duds on the second half (Steel Claw and 1984), and the production overall is way too polished for my taste.
Deep Purple
2/5
How many more Deep Purple albums must we endure?
This is my 3rd after just over 300 albums, so they make up around 1% of the list so far, which doesn't bode well. This one gets a marginally better rating due to the significance of Smoke on the Water, but overall its as cringe as Deep Purple in Rock.
Funkadelic
4/5
Great album, obviously incredibly funky. Overall I thought this was a better album than Maggot Brain, although not as good as Parliament's Mothership Connection. Huge pact on popular music, particularly via hip hop sampling. I think some of the songs do run a bit long, but its still a solid 8/10 for me.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
There were some really intriguing songs on here, and some very standard and boring blues rock. The good songs though seem to have been ahead of their time. Would listen again for sure!
Todd Rundgren
4/5
This is my second Todd Rundgren album this month, having previously never listened to him. Seems like I've been missing out big time. On first listen, I found it a difficult one - particularly the more psychedelic snippets in the first half. I often find with psych rock that I have to be in the right mood for it, and the first time was a bit grating.
However, second listen was much better, and there are some real gems on the second half in particular. Although not as listener friendly
as Something/Anything, I think this will be a grower for me. Love the weirdness and fairly wild experimentation for the time. Even though not all of the experiments work out I respect the effort. That's kind of the point! Will definitely be revisiting this.
Bobby Womack
3/5
Generally enjoyed this, Womack is a fantastic singer and the production is great too. Not many of the songs stand out for me though after a first listen. Some of the lyrics are a bit cheesy/old fashioned too.
The Who
5/5
This album is even better than I remembered. At first I was thinking of it as being Baba O'Reilly and Won't Get Fooled Again with a load of filler in the middle. But I forgot how great My Wife and The Song is Over are. The only negative I would have about it is that sometimes Pete Townsend's lyrics are a bit uninspiring. Especially on Getting in Tune and Behind Blue Eyes. I've salaams found the lyrics of the later pretty cringe, but musically it's a great song. Overall its a 9/10 for me.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Pretty much a perfect album, start to finish. Encapsulates the feeling of being young and wanting to escape your surroundings for where ever the grass seems greener. Great songwriting, great singer, great band. I admit though that I haven't listened to this the whole way through many times. Looking forward to getting more into it and absorbing the lyrics better.
Elvis Costello
1/5
Was this book sponsored by Elvis Costello or something? I can understand including his first 2 or 3 albums, but the average music listener absolutely does not have to sit through his late career albums before they die.
Napalm Death
3/5
I've been looking forward to getting this one, based on the reviews on the site. It really isn't as bad as people say! Obviously the lyrics are impossible to comprehend - even when reading along with them it's hard to hear individual words. But musically it is very well put together. I did prefer the first half though, the second half was a bit rougher and apparently performed by basically a different band. It was definitely groundbreaking and influential too.
Honestly, I'd say this was more interesting and engaging than about 10-15% of the 300+ albums I've gotten so far.
Brian Eno
4/5
I've listened to this a few times over the years, and have always found it very intriguing. I imagine it was very ahead of its time with the number of samples involved, and I think a lot of the experiments turned out well. However, it's not quite a 5 star for me, because I don't find myself returning to it that often. Definitely worth a few listens though.
Beastie Boys
2/5
I know this is considered a classic, and majorly influential, etc. But to me, it really hasn't aged well. Several of the songs come off like bad jokes that run way too long (for ex Paul Revere) and many have cringe inducing immature lyrics. There are a couple of greats on here though, like Fight For Your Right, No Sleep til Brooklyn and Brass Monkey. I'm deducting a full star here for "Girls", for reasons which I hope are obvious.
MGMT
5/5
This is another one I find hard to view objectively, because I was 17 when it came out, and listened to it obsessively that summer. That summer was incidentally one of the best of my life so far, and listening to this album through again took me back to those carefree days.
One thing that always sticks out was going to my first music festival with friends, and being very hyped to see MGMT. I wasn't the only one; they had been booked to a relatively small stage and the tent was overflowing with people like myself. About halfway through the set, during a slower song I looked up and saw a (presumably intoxicated) person climbing up one of the support towers of the tent, which I was standing quite close to. Maybe like 80-100 metres up. I found it funny at first, but the higher they got the more worried I was that they would fall, probably on top of me. Pretty soon half of the crowd had turned away from the stage and more people started climbing. The band had to stop playing and plead with people to get down, eventually leaving the stage. I think the crowd started to boo the climbers then, and they finally came down. MGMT then returned to the stage and played all the hits off the album in quick succession to get the crowd back onside.
Personal anecdotes aside, I do think this is a very important album generally. It is peak 2000s era electro-pop - check out the Justice remix of Electric Feel if you want more evidence of this - and led yo quite a few imitators. The weirder psych rock songs on here make a lot more sense now, having heard MGMT's later work. Overall, well worth a listen, as some of the deeper cuts on here hold up.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Didn't have time to listen to this one, probably didn't miss much, right?
Just kidding, obviously one of the best albums of all time.
Metallica
5/5
Delighted to see this pop up, I've been listening to it a lot this year. This is Metallica's only perfect album IMO. A big improvement on ...AJFA, and better than the self titled. I'm still not sure why so many Metallica albums are included, this one and The Black Album would be enough.
Sebadoh
2/5
Listened to this a few times and nothing really stuck, just found it very middle if the road. Surprising, because I really like Dinosaur Jr and a lot of 90s slacker rock.
Talking Heads
3/5
I love the Talking Heads, but I've never been able to get into this album for some reason. I really like some of the songs and the overall sound, and I definitely recognize it's influence. But as an album, I don't think it holds up to More Songs..., Remain in Light, or Speaking in Tongues. Maybe one day it will click with me. I do love 'Don't Worry About The Gov" and 'Psycho Killer' though.
CHIC
5/5
Truly a great album from start to finish. Fantastic production, bass and guitar - possibly the quintessential disco album. If this doesn't get your body movin', you might need to see a doctor...
The Chemical Brothers
5/5
Where to begin with this one? Another formative album for me, so hard to judge objectively. Probably one of the first electronic records I got into as a teenager. This album, Daft Punk and Justice opened up a whole new world of music for me, even though I missed out on it the first time around (I think I was 6 when this album was released). The way the songs flow into each other is beautiful, even when they get abrasive. I especially love the last two songs, in spite of the weird lawnmower like grinding towards the end of Where Do I Begin and the possibly-too-obvious Beatles influences on The Private Psychedelic Reel.
Bad Brains
4/5
Really enjoyed this, as I've been meaning to check Bad Brains out. I only knew them for "Banned in DC". I also had no idea they were black guys, which gives a fresh angle on the 80s hardcore scene for sure. I also like that they are more melodic than some of their contemporaries and don't just try to play everything heavy and fast. Will definitely be returning to this.
OutKast
3/5
I've been meaning to come back to write this review for a while now, as this album is so long that I had to listen to it over several days and then it kinda slipped down the list. Like most double albums, it's a bit of mixed bag. I was surprised to find though that I preferred Big Boi's album - André's horny ramblings are a bit too cringe in places. Some great songs on here, but not the first Outkast album I would recommend to someone - ATLiens or Stankonia would probably be a better intro.
Sigur Rós
5/5
This is an absolute masterpiece. Sigur Rós really started something that was so unique and took the mainstream by storm. I know see that this album was the start of a wave of post-rock that changed Alternative music for the better, washing away the post grunge hangover from bands like Radiohead.
De La Soul
4/5
This is definitely a great album, and a significant watermark in Hip hop. Great sampling, lyrics and flows. It's definitely very influential also. However, it looses points for me due to the skits, particularly the orgy one. They don't add much of anything to the album experience, and the ones that are a bit funny don't stay funny after the first few listens.
4/5
There's some great songs on here (particularly #1-4 and Knights of Cydonia). But there are a couple of duds too (Soldier's Poem, Invincible, Glorious). I enjoy it overall, and the good songs are brilliant, but the lyrics can be a bit too juvenile or basic in places. 7/10.
Lenny Kravitz
2/5
Very well performed and produced, a few really good songs (Let Love Rule, Fear, Mr. Cab Driver). But the lyrics are a bit too Jesus-y and on the nose for me in places. Like half of the songs on here are basically Christian Rock.
Spacemen 3
3/5
Tidal only has the deluxe 2-disc, 2-hour version, but I'm only going to listen to the first 9 songs. Ain't nobody got time for all these extra demos and b-sides.
I had actually listened to this a couple of times before, it's mostly enjoyable but I'm not crazy about it. The longer psych songs like Suicide go on a bit too long for my liking. I prefer the floater ones like Honey. I can see how this influenced later acts though, particularly shoelace.
FKA twigs
3/5
I remember when I first heard of FKA twigs being completely blown away by the tracks "Water Me" and "Two Weeks". I was going through a big exploration of new music at the time, after going through a period of a few years where I was only listening to stuff I already knew.
The rest of this album never clicked as much with me, but it wasn't really like anything I had heard before at the time. Listening to it again now, I can hear clear influences on some acts that came later, so I would consider her a bit of a trailblazer in that regard. However, it's not an album I'd re-listen to often. I find the breathy vocals and repetitive lyrics a bit stale after a while. Musically though, it is very interesting throughout.
5/5
I had what some might consider to be an unhealthy obsession with U2 in my early teens, so this was a formative album for me and so is hard to judge objectively. I think U2 get a bit more hate than they deserve, particularly from Irish people. The Joshua Tree is undeniably a highpoint in 80s rock, even aside from the 3 major singles. I had forgotten how great some of the deep cuts like 'Running to Stand Still', 'Red Hill Mining Town', and 'One Tree Hill' are. I think the production is very fitting as well, accurately capturing the emptiness of a desert. One of Brian Eno's best for sure.
Anyway enough rambling. It's worth noting that I soon moved on to more "socially acceptable" obsessions with bands like Led Zeppelin, Pearl Jam and Radiohead.
Black Sabbath
4/5
I really enjoyed this, but found that it doesn't flow very well as an album. They quite cringe "Changes" was never going to fit in anywhere on this album to be fair. Some absolutely iconic riffs on here, not quite as good as Paranoid though obviously.
Neu!
4/5
Enjoyed this, but more so the first half than the second punkier half. I had heard of this band before, but had never listened to them, so this was new to me (pun intended). This one gets bonus points from me for the clear influence I can hear in subsequent bands; early U2, New Order and Mogwai on the first side, then countless UK punk bands on the second side. Sealand is my favorite, that song is beautiful!
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
5/5
This is exactly the type of weird experimental shit I signed up for. I've never heard of this group or any of the musicians involved, but this album really clicked with me. I love the fusion of genres and styles, some of it sounds quite folky, other parts more prog rock or classical. I can see how this might have influenced quite a few modern indie and art rock bands too (particularly thinking of Neutral Milk Hotel, Arcade Fire and BCNR). I'll definitely be on the lookout for this on vinyl, and will be giving their other albums a listen too.
The Adverts
2/5
Never heard of this band, after one listen I can see why. They aren't terrible, but their immaturity and inexperience does show. I assume they are on here due to them being an early UK punk band, not sure how influential they actually were though. It's not like they were the first. Most of the lyrical references are very of the time, so it hasn't exactly aged well. I had to look up Gary Gilmore to see why he was so controversial, that is quite funny actually!
Beatles
5/5
Fantastic album, not quite their best IMO, but close. Elanor Rigby still gives me chills every time I listen to it. Love Me To and Good Day Sunshine are a bit weak, and Yellow Submarine is obviously very silly. But other than those, it's very very good. Tomorrow Never Knows was decades ahead of its time, as the Chemical Brothers showed.
Duran Duran
2/5
Never really knew what the hype was around this band. Although, I wasn't born at the time, so that probably explains it. I like Rio and Hungry Like the Wolf, but the other tracks all sound very similar to me. Slightly annoying vocal style too. Significant enough album, but not for me.
Les Rythmes Digitales
4/5
Hadn't heard of this one, but recognized a couple of songs on it when they came on. Surprised by how much I enjoyed this - about two thirds of the songs got me moving in my seat a bit, only a couple of duds. It seems to have been pretty influential as well, as the guy went on to produce for some big names. 7/10
Calexico
3/5
This didn't do much for me on the first listen, but on the second I kinda warmed to it. Some of the songs are reminiscent of good western soundtracks, others just fade into the background. And there was one that sounded like a Bond song (Black Heart). Overall, an interesting mix of styles, but I wouldn't be rushing to listen to it again.
Britney Spears
2/5
I get why this is on the list, but apart from a couple songs there's not much here for me. Something about pop music from this era (Christina A, J Lo, etc.) makes me feel like I'm stuck in a stuffy doctor's waiting room on a hot day. "Born to Make You Happy" is such a problematic song, I can't even start. Given what we know now about how Britney was abused over the years, I really find it hard to enjoy this album at all
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
This was a bit better than I expected, more than just a standard dad rock album. Quite a few catchy tunes on here. Paul McCartney really has a gift with melodies.
The Kinks
5/5
This is a fantastic album, and really deserves to be remembered better along with the other great 60s rock albums. Very solid songwriting, interesting storytelling and lyrics and some great riffs too (especially "Wicked Anabella"). The only song on here I don't really like is "All of My Friends Were There". "People Take Pictures of Each Other" was basically decades ahead of its time, more or less predicting modern social media. The only thing that surprised me was reading that the lyrics of the title track weren't meant to all be satirical, I always assumed they were! Listening it again with fresh ears I guess there are some things worth saving in that list. Maybe the point is finding common ground between the old and new and taking the best of both forward?
Carole King
5/5
Fantastic album. Not one I'm very familiar with, or so I thought. Turns out I know a load of the songs on here, all solid gold!
The Stooges
3/5
This stands out a bit from some of the early punk albums, in terms of sound. They really took what the Velvet Underground were doing and went even grungier. Apart from that, it's not super interesting though. Really basic lyrics and kinda creepy in places, given what we know now about Iggy's fondness for underage girls. That slow jam song is really boring too.
The Roots
3/5
Hadn't come across this one before, I only know Things Fall Apart. This is a bit of a mad album, so many different styles and experiments. I like about half of the songs after 2 listens, but I could see it growing on me over time.
Duke Ellington
4/5
There's great playing on this album, it sounds like an incredible show! The sound quality lets it down a bit though. Still a pretty great introduction to Duke Ellington for me though. I'll definitely be checking out more of his recordings.
Saint Etienne
3/5
Enjoyed this album in general, nice chill out vibes. But aside from the two songs I already knew I didn't find it that memorable. I can see why it's considered influential though, it fits in well with the likes of Stereolab, Happy Mondays, Primal Scream, etc.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
This album is a masterpiece, and I feel sorry for the people who mentioned that they gave up after 2 or 3 songs. The lyrics of Backstreet Freestyle are not meant to be taken seriously, they are there to set up the main character arc of the immature teenager who grows by the end of the album. I don't understand how some people will happily delve into complex layers of lyrics written by rock and folk musicians, but then they completely shut off that part of their brain when they hear a rap. The storytelling and flows on this album are some of the best I've heard from a hip hop artist. The run from Good Kid to Sing About Me is flawless. It improves on everything that the original gangsta rappers like NWA, Snoop, etc failed with, by offering a critique of the gangsta lifestyle, and describing the context behind it. Don't get me wrong, there are still some sexist lyrics here. But the difference is the narrative around them, IMO anyway. The only songs I ever skip are Poetic Justice and Real, apart from those I think this is close to a perfect album.
Louis Prima
4/5
Enjoyed this a lot, it was a great one to have on while cooking dinner. Not something I would listen to often, but it is an interesting mix of a few different genres. I found some of the songs to be quite transportative - felt like I was back in New Orleans for a bit!
Eagles
2/5
This was about as boring as I expected it to be. Not bad, just boring. I almost forgot I was listing to it by the end. Take it Easy is objectively a great song though, so I can't justify a 1 star here.
Moby Grape
1/5
Doesn't really do much for me. Very reminiscent of Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead, both of whom I find pretty mediocre. Not sure what I'm missing here. There certainly is a lot of bad blues rock on this list.
The Monks
4/5
This is another hidden gem that I was hoping to find via this generator. Never heard of these guys before. Hard to believe this was 1966, before the Velvet Underground even! Not all of the songs on here are super memorable, and a couple are a tad formulaic, but they get major bonus points for originality and experimentation.
Black Sabbath
3/5
Obviously a very important album, birthing heavy metal and all. But they massively improved on everything here on "Paranoid", which is a much better album. The first half of this is great though;
Thelonious Monk
5/5
Haven't listened to anything by Thelonious Monk before as far as I know, but I love this! Will definitely be listening to more of his stuff.
1/5
I found this very hit and miss. It's also kitbon Tidal or Spotify, so was annoyingly interrupted by ads between each song. Although there were elements of it I liked, I'm giving this a 1 star, because it's not "essential" in any way. Skylarking, on the other hand, does very much belong on this list. It's one of the best discoveries I've had from the generator so far. I just don't think XTC are significant enough to have multiple albums on this list.
The Dandy Warhols
4/5
Wow, really enjoyed this! I remember having a few of their singles downloaded on my iPod when I was a teenager, but never listened to any of their albums. I got tired of hearing Bohemian Like You absolutely everywhere, so I think I kinda wrote them off. Was fully expecting this to be a 3 star max. But I've really been missing out! Sure they wear their influences on their sleeves and it runs a bit too long. But there's very little on here I disliked. It's almost like they picked up where the Pixies left off (I like to pretend that they quit after Kim Deal Left), with a healthy dose of shoegaze and Stereolab. I feel like Zach Braff is probably obsessed with this band. That album cover though - hideous. The 2nd half drags a bit, but I could see myself bumping this up to 5 stars with repeated listens.
Can
5/5
I only knew Vitamin C from Can before, but always heard how influential they were. So I kind of expected this to be overrated. But it really isn't! I was blown away by how innovative and interesting this was, for the time. There wasn't much else this wildly experimental in 1971. I didn't find the longer songs to drag at all surprisingly, in fact the album didn't feel as long as it is. I listened to this on decent headphones (Cans, if you will), which really helped me appreciate the weird layering of effects and strange sound effects. I think a lot of the modern music I listen to today has strong roots in this album.
Adele
2/5
I'll admit, I groaned when this popped up. But I'll try to give it a fair listen. Now that the hype has died down somewhat I'm not too opposed to a bit of Adele!
Ok, this album was pretty much what I expected unfortunately. I get why it appeals to so many people, but it's just not for me. Most of the songs follow a very set quiet verse/loud chorus, then emotional key change, formula that just makes me cringe. The instrumental intro in "Water Under the Bridge" sounds so like the generic copyright free music you hear in YouTube ads, it actually made me laugh out loud. I did enjoy "Hello", "Remedy" and "Million Years Ago", but as a whole this album is a no from me, dawg.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Enjoyed the dancier tracks on this, but found the ballads quite cheesy. "Don't Stop" is a fantastic song, but overall not as good as Thriller.
Dolly Parton
5/5
This was a bit surprise for me, as normally I'm not into country at all. But after two listens, I find the stories told via these lyrics so interesting, and Dolly delivers them with such personality, it was a great listen. Especially love the title track and Early Morning Breeze (gorgeous instrumentation on that one). I may be overdue a deep dive into Dolly's discography!
The Cure
3/5
I enjoy the sound of this album overall, and the atmosphere it creates, but it doesn't have the magic that Disintegration has. Apart from One Hundred Years and The Hanging Gardens, no real standout tracks for me.
Malcolm McLaren
2/5
I understand why this is on the list, introducing the UK to hip hop, etc. but it had really worn out it's welcome by about the half way point. Double Dutch is a good song, and there are a few other interesting ideas. But overall its just bland. The interludes are annoying also. The last song should be considered a crime against humanity
Jefferson Airplane
2/5
I get why this is on here, but apart from White Rabbit and Somebody to Love, I've always found the rest of it boring. I guess you just had to be there (and probably on acid)!
Elliott Smith
3/5
I like about half of this album, but find the other half too whiny for my taste. That has been my experience with Elliott Smith's music in general, sadly. I want to like him, but I just don't get the hype.
Nick Drake
4/5
I think this is a fine album, but not quite on the same level as his other two albums. Some great songwriting on here though, even if it is a little dreary.
Scritti Politti
1/5
Genuinely some of the least interesting music I've heard in a long time. Bland, soulless and overproduced. Can't be bothered to say much more.
Finley Quaye
3/5
Didn't recognize the name, but found I knew a couple of these songs. Thought the first half was nice and chill, but the second half nearly put me to sleep in the middle of the day. Not sure if that was the intention!
Blur
3/5
The first two songs on here are great, but after two listens I find the rest pretty hit and miss. Some of the more experimental tracks are cool, but feel unfinished. I'm a fan of Blur's hits, but I've yet to hear an album of theirs that really blows me away. Modern Life Is Rubbish and 13 gone close though.
Jerry Lee Lewis
2/5
I get why this is on the list, but it doesn't really do much for me. Obviously a very explosive and energetic performance, and is quite significant historically. Don't think I'll ever listen to it again though.
Flamin' Groovies
1/5
Never heard of this band, after listening I can see why. They seem to have been a more "rough around the edges" take on the same music the Rolling Stones were producing around the same time. I found it quite boring to be honest, nothing memorable at all about these songs. Having said that, I've always found Sticky Fingers quite boring too. Musically this isn't terrible, but I don't see why it would be considered "Essential".
Iron Maiden
2/5
It's easy to see why this is on the list; it was ground breaking at the time with it's dual guitar assault and spooky artwork. It's definitely aged better than the Judas Priest album I got earlier on the list. The prog influences help to set it apart too. But the only truly memorable song on here is Running Free, and the overall production is terrible. I feel sorry for the bassist in particular - he can barely be heard for most of the album. The lyrics let it down a good bit too, they are the most teenage boy to ever teenage boy. Doesn't really hold a candle to Number of the Beast!
LCD Soundsystem
5/5
This album was the soundtrack to a lot of my college days (and nights). LCD Soundsystem were one of the ultimate "cool person" band's of the 2000s, and with good reason. Great blend of genres, some catchy danceable songs, and a few slower, more contemplative ones. "Someone Great" always makes me think of a friend of mine who suffered far too much and died far too young. "All My Friends" is a complex one for me; it's incredibly anthemic, but it also often brings me close to tears, thinking back on my misspent youth and wondering about old friends that I've since lost touch with. On the brighter side, Get Innocuous is a great song to get you pumped up for a night out, I used to listen to it on the bus on the way into town to meet my friends. This album really has it all.
The Doors
4/5
Probablyy favourite of the Doors' albums, although in general I am not a huge fan. I appreciate the phenomenon of them though. The title track and Riders on the Storm are top their tracks, and there are a few other good ones here (Love Her Madly and L'America), but a lot of the others are pretty forgettable. Great driving album though, extra star for that!
The Pogues
5/5
I never really got the Pogues until now, even though as an Irish man they seem like a no-brainer. I think I found Shane McGowan a bit embarrassing, or I did that thing many Irish people do, and belittle other Irish folks who go on to be famous or do great things. We're terrible begrudgers. But, at least he didn't get it as bad as Bono I guess.
Anyway, this album was a great listen, a bit of a whirlwind in fact. I was really not expecting such variety from it, the eastern European/Middle Eastern flavours were great in particular. Really interesting to hear how well folk music from different countries can meld together. It almost loses a star for containing a Christmas song, but it is arguably one of the best Christmas songs ever recorded, so I'll let it slide. 9/10
Nanci Griffith
4/5
This was a nice surprise, as I only knew Nanci Griffith for "From A Distance", which I find quite cheesy. There's some really solid songwriting on here though, lovely voice and great banjo playing too from Béla Fleck (of Jingle All the Way fame). I found some of the songs a bit dull, but the standout tracks (Title Track, Love at the Five and Dime, Banks of the Pontchartrain, One of these Days, and Fly by Night) made it worth my while. The production is nice and warm, as a whole the album feels ideal for a road trip or something similar. I like an album that doesnt outstay it's welcome too!
Bad Company
1/5
This is some of the blandest, uninteresting, and generic dad rock I've gotten so far. I rank them even lower than Deep Purple, because at least they had some genuinely influential and innovative songs. This is just boring shite - hard rock for people who find Led Zeppelin too "artistic".
David Bowie
5/5
One of my all time favourite albums, but I think I discovered it in a sort of roundabout way. I was already into Bowie, but hadn't branched out much beyond Ziggy Stardust and the Greatest Hits. Then at the tender age of 17, I got into Nine Into Nine Inch Nails in a big way. I read somewhere, probably on Wikipedia, that this was Trent Reznor's favourite Bowie album and, if I remember correctly, that he played it constantly during recording of the Downward Spiral. This led me on a mind-opening journey into Berlin-era Bowie, as well as Brian Eno's back catalogue. Thanks, Wikipedia! Maybe I should actually donate someday.
David Bowie
1/5
As a huge Bowie fan, I feel very strange giving this a 1 star review. This is a very solid 3 star album, but there's absolutely no need for it to be on the list, and that's what I reserve my 1 star reviews for. That's just how it is, sorry Mr. Jones. There are many other fantastic Bowie albums to check out - I would hate for this to be someone's introduction to him!
Fugees
5/5
This is an almost perfect album, great to give this a listen on a lovely warm afternoon. It is a bit long, and I could do without the somewhat racist Chinese restaurant skit (and basically every skit ever), but this album is too important to quibble over a few imperfections. It was a great antidote to the gangsta and bling rap that was dominating at the time, and has aged pretty well. Great to see a female MC on the list too!
Genesis
5/5
Errogenous Zones, I love you!
I've listened to this album many times before, and still have no clear idea what the narrative is about. The lyrics are very poetic, however, full of striking images and interesting turns of phrase. Musically as well, this album is great; I love the frantic keys and fantastical melodies that turn up throughout the first half. The second album is a bit more meandering and nightmarish, but still enjoyable and very atmospheric. I think this is the band at their creative peak, as things just weren't the same after Gabriel (and later Hackett) left. In fact, I think their second phase was so starkly different to the first that they should have changed the band's name. Overall, this is a brilliant album and one of the few double albums on the list that earns it's place. A real high point in prog rock.
Daft Punk
4/5
This is an absolutely iconic album, but it's one I rarely listen to due to it's repetitive and lengthy nature. I remember when I was a teenager, not long after I started listening to Daft Punk (and having my mind opened to electronic music in general - after years of classic rock only), one of my friends loaned me "Alive 2007". He told me that once I'd heard Daft Punk live, I'd never want to listen to their studio albums again. It was very true - almost everything here sounds better on Alive 1997 and 2007. It's incredible to hear these songs woven together and remixed in inventive new ways, but it has the unintended effect of making the studio albums feel a bit...stripped back? Tame? Boring?
Maybe part of the problem is that I'm sitting alone at a desk in my home office, listening via headphones, not on a house party or niteclub sound system. Not exactly what Daft Punk had in mind, I'd say.
There are of course a few songs that do stand well alone (Revolution 909, Da Funk, Around The World, Rollin and Scratchin, Burnin, Indo Silver Club, Alive), and there's no denying how influential and groundbreaking the duo were. But the majority of these songs just sound like fragments to me now, parts of a greater whole to be assembled. It makes me sad that I missed out on seeing them live, and will probably never have a chance to again. Still though, I'll always have the Alive albums. I'm assuming they aren't in this book though, so in their stead I'll be giving this a 4, and most likely a 5 to Discovery.
The Offspring
3/5
This was surprisingly good! I've never listened to much of the Offspring, just a few song here and there. I always took them as a bit of a joke or a novelty act, due to their "wackier" songs later in the 90s. But this was a lot of fun, and musically it hits hard! The lyrics are surprisingly insightful in places as well, especially on "Self Esteem" and "What Happened to You". It is obviously pretty immature and teenage in places too. Seems like the type of album a kid like Reese from Malcolm in the Middle would be obsessed with.
Portishead
5/5
This is an all time classic for me. I was introduced to trip hop by a school friend when I was 16 or 17, but don't think Portishead really blocked with me until a few years later. I was too distracted by Massive Attack. But this album holds up just as well as Mezzanine, and is definitely one of the best of the 90s. I still marvel at how deep the bass sounds on here. One to listen to late at night, in a melancholy or meditative state.
Stereolab
5/5
I really love this album. When I first came across Stereolab (on the High Fidelity soundtrack I think), I really hadn't heard anything like them before. They somehow managed to make weird, experimental, and noisy music that also sounds beautiful. After several years of owning this album, I still feel like I'm getting to know it. But it's very transporting, and I keep coming back to it.
Pixies
5/5
Not the best Pixies album by any means, but still a great listen. There are a couple of lesser quality tracks towards the end, but they don't ruin it. When I first heard this album years ago, I remember reading a review that dubbed it "the best album to listen to while driving across a desert", and I always wanted to test that theory. I finally got the chance a couple of years ago, driving from Las Vegas to Flagstaff along Route 66 in a rented Ford Mustang. Have to say, it was pretty fantastic!
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
I kind of wanted to hate this, given how overrepresented these guys are in this book, but after two listens, it's undeniably great. The only criticisms I have is that it doesn't really have a cohesive feel to it, and some of the songs are a little cold (or too perfect) sounding. The former makes total sense, given there were 4 brilliant songwriters competing for space, and apparently not getting on very well with eachother. I do prefer this album over their first though - the addition of Neil Young is a significant one. There's some lovely guitar playing on here, and a few truly great songs, especially Helpless, Woodstock, and Our House. I actually had no idea that the latter was CSNY, so that was a nice surprise. Really enjoyed 4+20 and Country Girl too. I don't think their version of Woodstock is better than the original, but really enjoyed their take on it. Don't like the last song at all, and found Teach Your Children a bit bland. Overall, this album feels like CSNY trying to put a cap on the hippie era and move on in 4 different directions. 8/10
ZZ Top
2/5
The two big hits off here are great for what they are: songs for tearing down a highway on a hot day. ZZ Top bring the riffs and the beards, but not much else. All style and no substance to me, and I was pretty bored by the halfway mark. They kinda strike me as the band that Van Halen would have been, had they been Truckers.
The Boo Radleys
3/5
Thought this one was just ok. I only know these guys for "Wake Up, Boo!", which is a bit cheesy, but not too bad. There were some interesting sounds on here, but I found it faded into the background after a while. It also runs a bit too long. I did like the opener, "Rodney King", and " If You Want it Take it", but apart from those, nothing stood out much. Some nice fusion of shoegaze and indie pop, but not the best example of this I've heard. Stereolab for instance (who I got last week), did that much better around the same time.
The Pharcyde
3/5
Based on the two singles I already know from this group (Passin' Me By and Runnin'), I expected to like this a lot more than I did. But the production really lets it down. I'm not sure exactly what the issue is - poor mixing maybe? There are a few great songs on here, but (as always), the skits are unnecessary. I'm glad those have fallen out of fashion for the most part. Soul Flower, Ya Mama (which I found much funnier than I expected), and Passin' Me By are the only songs that really stood out for me. Overall, worth a listen, but hasn't aged that well. Good to hear some alternative hip hop from the west coast in the early 90s though - glad it wasn't all gangsta.
Iron Maiden
4/5
Now this is a proper Iron Maiden album, don't know why they bothered including the debut on the list. Fantastic guitar playing, and the rest of the band is on point. Bruce Dickinson's singing is like nothing I've ever heard, but the lyrics are a bit cringe in a lot of places (I'm looking at you, Acacia Avenue). There are a couple of songs I wouldn't miss if they were dropped. But it's definitely a very important album, and the second side is almost perfect. Hallowed Be Thy Name is incredible.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Contrary to the title, this album is quite good! Pretty much on par with Thriller, it has several real standout tracks and a couple of lacluster ballads too. Glad I finally listened to this one the whole way through. Did we ever find out if Annie was ok? It sounds pretty serious.
KISS
1/5
I listened to the first 4 or 5 songs off this on my way home after a couple of pints, and it was even worse than I expected. If the first half was that bad then, no way am I listening to the second half sober!
David Holmes
1/5
Yeah, I'm not really sure what I'm missing here. I like a lot of electronic music, but this just faded into the background for me. I can't remember a thing about it, and have no interest in listening to it again. Oh well
Buzzcocks
3/5
Similar to my feelings on the Sex Pistols, I think this is one where you had to be there at the time to appreciate it fully. It's fine as punk goes, probably a bit more interesting than the Sex Pistols even, bit overall a bit too repetitive for me. I can definitely see it's importance though.
Killing Joke
4/5
Hadn't listened to this before, but really enjoyed it. Seems to have laid the groundwork for a lot of hard rock, industrial, and metal that came after it.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Don't think I've ever listened to an Aretha album in full before, just a greatest hits compilation. Glad I have now, this is a great one. Her voice is incredible and the songs are very well written, although a lot of them are covers I think. The production quality is a bit disappointing, makes it sound a bit tinny. But it does give the album a nice vintage sound! 9/10
Peter Tosh
2/5
This was just fine, nice background music for a sunny day, but nothing particularly memorable apart from the title track.
Ice T
1/5
This one filled my "bad hip-hop" bingo card pretty quickly; cringe braggidoccio, mysogeny, annoying skits, 20 mins too long and dated production. Don't see this one as essential at all. How did this make the list, but no MF Doom?
Prince
5/5
Now this is the one Prince album that I really can appreciate fully. Consise, consistent and several truly incredible songs. When Doves Cry in particular is top tier. I still think the production is way too light on the bass and dates the album, but I can see past that in this case. 9/10
Electric Light Orchestra
2/5
Wow, this was not for me at all. I was really expecting better! It's hard to put my finger on what exactly I hated about this, maybe it's too commercial sounding, a bit souless? The best song on the album is undoubtedly Mr. Blue Sky, but it has become ubiquitous through its use in every advert imaginable - most recently the ads for the Irish National Lottery that make me want to throw the radio out the window.
It's very well performed, but either there's just not enough humanity in there, or what is there is too clean cut. If I contrast it with the two Todd Rundgren albums I got earlier in this challenge (and loved), I think the difference is that Todd seems to take himself less seriously, and wasn't afraid to experiment. Whereas ELO seem to be taking the ultimate safe bet in trying to plot out a course based on the Beatles' abandoned trajectory.
Def Leppard
1/5
Do I really have to listen to a whole HOUR of this? I'm not even halfway through the first song and I'm cringing hard. "WOMEN - mEn CAnT LiVe wITouT eM!" Good God.
I actually have to switch to headphones, because I'm worried my neighbours will hear me listening to this utter shite.
Rocket sounds like exactly the same song as the first, but over SIX minutes long. Do I sense a formula here?
Animal isn't actually a bad song, if you ignore how gross and creepy the lyrics are. Is there some sort of deeper meaning here, or are Def Leppard advocating for a return to wanton barbarity? Maybe we'll never know.
'Love Bites' is about 5 mins and 47 seconds too long. That's all I've got for this one.
'Pour Some Sugar on Me' sounds like some sort of horrific love-child of Kiss and AC/DC attempting to record a cover of Led Zeppelin's Black Dog, purely based on a memory of someone describing it to them several years previously.
Almost at the halfway point here, and oh God, the next song is a pun involving sex and the end of the world somehow...I think I'm going to have to pack it in. I think this will only be the second album I wasn't able to finish, the first being the Christina Aguilera one.
This is the type of album where I feel like I have to listen to something incredible right afterwards, because, what if I died suddenly and THAT was the last album I listened to? In this case I thought for a few mins about what might be the antithesis of Hysteria by Def Leppard. I'm still not sure, but I've settled on Sufjan Stevens' "Javelin" for now.
Nirvana
5/5
This is one I've listened to many, many times. An almost perfect album, and a fitting swan song for Kurt Cobain. Normally I give out about live albums on this list, but I think this is an exception, since they had so few studio albums. There's also some truly iconic covers on here, particularly the Meat Puppets ones. The cello adds a lot here too, and many of the songs on here are better than their studio versions.
Beastie Boys
4/5
I've never really gotten into this one, but have always been intrigued by the critical acclaim. Listening to it again now, I can see why it's considered so influential. It has great production and samples, but the lyrics are still painfully immature in places. It's a big improvement on Licenced to Ill though. Shake Your Rump, Egg Man Shadrach and A Year And A Day are definitely the highlights for me. Hey Ladies is definitely a lowlight.
I had a second listen on my good headphones, and the quality of the production and sampling is incredible for the time, considering it would been all analogue (I think). It's amazing that they were able to secure some of these samples..."Sounds of Science" for example, contains multiple Beatles samples. The production bumps this up to a 4 for me - would be a 5 if the lyrics were less sexist and cringe.
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
This definitely was a definitive album of the 2000s. I feel like Franz Ferdinand, along with The Stokes before them and the Arctic Monkeys, were a real driving force of the garage rock revival that determined a lot of the musical trends of the decade.
I did get a bit sick of some of the singles at the time, but only due to them being overplayed. Revisiting this album now, I can appreciate it for what it was, and I forgot how many great songs are on here! Take Me Out, Matinée, This Fire, and Michael were all brilliant singles, and the rest of the album holds up well too. Fair play to them for including a big of homoeroticism in there as well - that was fairly unusual in 2004. The only negative I have about this album is that it has a sort of detached coldness/aloofness that puts me off a bit. Apart from that though, it's great! Just not something I click with that much on an emotional level.
Brian Wilson
3/5
I still don't really get the Beach Boys. Apart from 5 or 6 songs that are legitimately genius, they just don't click with me, and I'm starting to think they never will. They were fantastic singers, wrote great melodies and harmonies. But the rest is just like animal noises and weird sound effects. A lot of this sounds like a soundtrack to a children's cartoon.
Not that I'm opposed to that in small doses - I don't think all music needs to be taken super seriously. But it just leaves me scratching my head to think that they were pitted head to head with The Beatles at the time. It just makes me feel sorry for them; it was a contest they were never going to win. They were just fine in their own way though.
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
Found this to be pretty mediocre in general. There was a lot of similar music coming out of the UK around this time, so I'm not sure what is supposed to make this stand out. A few pretty danceable songs, but the vocals are pretty annoying. The best song on the album is "Reward", but to my ears, it sounds like a rip off of "No More Heroes" by the Stranglers. Definitely won't be revisiting this one.
Baaba Maal
2/5
Thought this was fairly average as background music, not much really stuck out to me. Musically it sounds a bit dated, and I don't really have any reference points for the lyrics. Not really much to draw me back for another listen!
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
I see why this is on the list, but it doesn't really do much for me. I've never really gotten the hype for these guys, and listening to a full album hasn't changed my mind. There's 2 or 3 songs that stand out, but the rest are very MOR, with exactly the same shouts vocal delivery in each one. Not much unique about this to my ears, probably another one where you had to be there at the time.
Liz Phair
5/5
I think I first heard of this album via the Pitchfork 'Best albums of the 90s' list a couple years ago. If I remember right, it was in the top 10, and one of two albums in the top 10 I had never listened to. Lucinda Williams was the other one, which I listened to, but never got around to Liz Phair until now. I have to say, I'm very surprised, as I was expecting it to be overrated. It's not at all, I'm very impressed! I love the guitar tone all the way through, and the songwriting is top notch. I get that it is probably a bit too vulgar for some people, but I think to some degree songs like Flower are attempts at trolling, or something similar. Like Courtney Love was doing around the same time, Liz has put out a very "unladylike" album that was definitely on par with the best male artists of tge time.
After listening to this a third time, I was surprised to read on the wiki that most of the songs aren't about Liz herself. Most of them are so direct and confessional in nature that I assumed they were at least semi-autobiographical. That really shows how great the songwriting is on here IMO. Not to mention that there's 18 songs on here and none of them are duds!
The Kinks
4/5
Enjoyed this album a lot, it really cements the Kinks as great songwriters. There are a couple duds though (wtf is a Harry Rag?) and only a few of the songs are real standouts. Some really cool sounds on here though for the time - I thought Lazy Old Sun even had shades of Black Sabbath.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
This is another easy 5, not much that can be said about it that hasn't been said thousands of times over. I do sometimes prefer the self titled album before this one, but both are top tier. Some of the best pop/rock songwriting ever, and the drama between the group members really adds to the entertainment value. Some really incredible guitar playing too, Lyndsey Buckingham is an incredible musician.
One thing I would recommend is to give the deluxe version a listen, because they corrected their error in leaving Silver Springs off the original release. It's one of the best songs on the album, and really ties the whole thing together nicely. It should have been the closing track, hands down. If the run time was a concern, they should have dropped Oh Daddy instead, that song adds nothing!
Elastica
3/5
There are some great hits on here, and it is very stylish. Some great personality to the lead singer too. But some of the songs are a bit forgettable, and they lose some points for ripping off old punk songs. However, they did some pretty cool things with the ripped off ones.
The Damned
4/5
This is the first time I had ever listened to the Damned, and I see now why they were such a big deal. There's such a great mix of styles on here, it's like this album signposted the next directions punk would take in the early 80s. Some really memorable songs on here, a few forgettable ones. Overall a great listen, but not quite as good as London Calling, which I think came out in the same year.
Haircut 100
2/5
Thought this was a fine listen really, but struggling to see why it's considered essential. Sounds very like the Human League (or dozens of others), but with some nice jazz instrumentation added. Pretty good musically, just not super memorable.
Eminem
2/5
I found this a tough listen. On the one hand, I respect Eminem's talent. But on the other, his immaturity makes him very difficult to like. This felt like listening to the class clown completely spin out in front of everyone. Sometimes he strikes gold, sometimes it's just cringe/edgelord stuff trying to offend as many people as possible. Then you have what sounds like a very serious and alarming song, Kim. Too much for me.
Missy Elliott
3/5
Some really good songs on here, but I found the quality dipped a bit in the second half, and it's way too long. It's dated in strange ways as well, like some of the slang makes no sense anymore. In general I prefer Missy's hip hop stuff to her R&B. Love I can't stand the rain though!
D'Angelo
4/5
Not really my usual type of music, but enjoyable all the same. Particularly the smooth bass lines and production throughout. It's impressive how many instruments D'Angelo played himself on here! On the negative side, I did find it a bit repetitive, and the lyrics are often so to-the-point horny that they are borderline creepy. Title track is great though, as well as a few others. I prefer his later album, Black Messiah, as it has more political lyrics and is a bit more varied and jazzy. This one is mainly just about boning, which is fine too I guess. 7/10
Roxy Music
5/5
This is a fantastic album. I can't believe I wrote it off when I first listened to it 10-15 years ago. I think I was put off by the first 2 songs. I still find those two a little dull, but from "Strictly Confidential" on, this album is almost perfect. Some really interesting sounds and melodies on here, inventive use of the synth and horns as well.
I can see now why they were so influential; several of these songs sound almost 10 years before their time. From what I know of Roxy Music's singles, they did get a bit less interesting after Brian Eno left, but I'll definitely be giving their earlier stuff a second chance now.
Barry Adamson
5/5
Never heard of this album or artist, so I'm going in blind. I don't even want to read the wiki for a change. Very unusual/atmospheric intro track, almost like a film soundtrack. I think I recognise the second track though, "Under Wraps", not sure where from.
I'm enjoying this overall, however it does fade into the background a bit. It feels a bit disjointed, like a collection of tracks from different film soundtracks. Very interesting in places though.
Ok, so after a second closer listen, I think this is actually quite cohesive. It would work very well as a soundtrack to a lot of films. I love the blend of old and new styles here; this could easily soundtrack something like Casablanca, or something like Se7en. I can hear the influence of this album on music from throughout the 90s as well - particularly David Bowie's "Outside", some elements of NIN, the Prodigy, and (especially) the jazzy drum and bass that Amon Tobin released towards the end of the 90s. Overall, this is a very interesting, unique, and experimental album. Probably one of the most interesting I've discovered from this generator so far.
Mylo
3/5
Never listened to this before, but I have heard of Mylo. Pretty good so far, nice chilled out electronica, á la Air, Lemon Jelly, or the Orb.
Once I got to "Drop the Pressure", I realised why I recognized this; some of these songs were ubiquitous back in the day. I enjoy a good mash-up every now and then, and had a minor obsession with Girl Talk when I was in college. Some of this is really inventive. Sunworshiper and Musclecar have good instrumentals, while Drop the Pressure and In My Arms are real earworms. But overall it kind of feels like the musical equivalent of junk food - style over substance.
Mudhoney
3/5
I get why this one is on the list, but honestly Mudhoney have never done much for me. I'd say they would have been great to see live at the time, but I don't feel like that energy translated too well to their records. However, they definitely deserve credit for paving the way for grunge in Seattle, even if they weren't technically the first. There are some good songs on here, but most are pretty forgettable.
Marty Robbins
4/5
I've never really been much of a Westerns (apart from Red Dead Redemption) guy, so I don't have a lot of context for the lyrics on here. Nothing to complain about here though really, some of the songs were a bit samey, but all very pleasant to listen to. Production is good, it sounded really clear coming through my Pip-Boy...anyone got any spare Rad-ex?
Miriam Makeba
3/5
I know of this artist for the song Pata Pata, but never listened to any of her other work. Overall this was an interesting listen with a few standout tracks, but I don't think I'll find myself returning to it. Glad to have listened to it though, it is definitely unique on this list.
Roxy Music
5/5
I definitely gave this album a try at some point several years ago. If I'm being completely honest, the cover was probably what piqued my interest back then. But the music didn't click with me at that time. Listening to it again now, I can appreciate it much more, maybe because I'm familiar with a lot more of the music that came after which was heavily influenced by Roxy. There are some fantastic songs on here, and no real bad ones. I think Brian Ferry's voice is a bit of an acquired taste, so maybe that is what put me off before. He has some great melodies though. I think I prefer their earlier album For Your Pleasure (which I only got via this generator last week, interestingly enough), but this is pretty much on par with that. 9/10
Throwing Muses
4/5
This is another band that I've heard of, but never listened to until now. It's easy to see why they were so influential, they have a sound that is both of the time, and years ahead of their time, if that makes sense. They sound like some sort of missing link between Patti Smith and Sleater Kinney, but also very like R.E.M.'s early albums. I can hear similarities to bands that came much later as well, like Sunny Day Real Estate, American Football, and even BCNR. I haven't gotten my head around the lyrics yet, but I'll definitely be listening to this again. Borderline 5 star for me, 8/10
The Electric Prunes
1/5
A couple of interesting tracks on here, but mostly forgettable. In fact, I listened to this over a week ago (before going on holiday) and the only song I remember is the horrific closing track. Never again. One of my main takeaways from this challenge is that I have surprisingly low tolerance for psychedelic music. I think you had to be there!
Sinead O'Connor
5/5
I've never been a huge Sinéad O'Connor fan, but always respected her as a person. She stood up for her opinions (which were ultimately found to be 100% correct) against the Catholic church to enormous backlash, and then really leaned into them. When she died, I watched the video of her being booed at the Bob Dylan tribute concert. It's hard to believe that THAT crowd, of all crowds, would have done that.
Anyway, I think this is the first time I've listened to this album in full. It's a bit dated, and Nothing Compares was really played to death when I was a child, but it is undeniably a brilliant album. Fantastic singing, great production, and very emotional. Three Babies, Emporers New Clothes, and Nothing Compares are all highlights, and there aren't any bad songs on here. Definitely one of the best pop albums of the 90s. 9/10
Iron Butterfly
2/5
This is mostly terrible, but obviously notable for the ridiculous title track. Never want to listen to this again, but not angry that I did.
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
Really enjoyed this, some of the best male singing I've heard in a good while. Kind of like Thom Yorke singing cabaret. Great melodies too! I've listened to his debut a couple of times, but nothing really stuck. This is much more consistent, so I'll definitely check out Want Two.
The Doors
4/5
I've often though that Jim Morrison was a great example of how far a person can go on good looks and an air of mystique, regardless of talent. His terrible singing aside, there are some undeniably great songs on here, and the album is a window to late 60s in the US. There are some pretty terrible songs on here as well though; Twentieth Century Fox, Alabama Song, I Looked at You, and Take it As it Comes. A bit of a mixed bag overall, but I'll round up to a 4 star, given the cultural impact.
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
I'm surprised this album was picked over their debut, given the significance of "For What It's Worth". But I haven't listened to either album in the past, so maybe this is the better of the two. I thought this was a good listen, but not particularly unique for the time. It is a signpost on the way to late 60s/early 70s folk rock though. The only really memorable part for me was the 4 track run from Everydays to Hung Upside Down. I could take or leave the rest. I think Deja Vu by CSNY was a big improvement on this.
Mj Cole
2/5
I get why this is on the list, due to its evolution into Grime and Dubstep, but it is honestly mostly a snooze fest. There are a few songs that stand out and break the mold: Crazy Love and Sincere (possibly because I already knew them), also Rough Out Here, Slum King, and Free My Mind. But apart from those this album is largely forgettable and weirdly empty sounding. Not in a good, liminal space kinda way. In a bad way, like a dentist's waiting room.
They can feck off with the deluxe edition, I'm not listening to volume 2!
Billy Joel
5/5
I don't remember listening to this one through before, so I was surprised to find that I recognized almost all of the songs. This is a neat perfect album, full of hits and fantastic melodies. The lyrics of "She's Always a Woman" haven't aged particularly well I guess, and the last 2 songs are slightly forgettable. Overall though, this is a solid 9/10
Kings of Leon
4/5
This was a nice coincidence, since I just saw this band live in Dublin a few nights ago. I was a big fan of their first 3 albums as a teenager, so this was quite a nostalgic listen for me. In their early phase, their records captured a very youthful and debaucherous energy, which I understandably identified with strongly at the time.
From their 4th album on, however they started writing very hook-driven songs with football chant style choruses. Sex On Fire was particularly offensive - it almost sounds like a different band from the one that recorded this album. Apart from an occasional song on the 4th and 5th album, I pretty much lost interest from then on. They still put on a surprisingly good live show though.
But this first album still really holds up, it's a fantastic debut. I guess it could be considered a bit derivative, since it is so rooted in 70s rock, but it was all new to me at the time! Some of the songwriting is a bit immature, which is to be expected, given the album title. But they improved on that massively on the 2nd album. I think people will be listening to the likes of Red Morning Light, California Waiting, Molly's Chambers and Holly Roller Novocaine for decades to come. Even if the only one they played live on Saturday was Molly's Chambers.
The Shamen
2/5
I see why this is on the list, given the context, but it's horrificly dated now, and waaay too long. The last few songs are pretty much just reworkings of Move Any Mountain (which is a good song), with different titles. After an hour or so it started to wear a bit thin. Some interesting tracks here and there, but overall just interesting as a footnote in the evolution of electronic and house music.
Hole
5/5
I'm a little ashamed to say that I only came around to this album about a year ago. I guess I (perhaps subconsciously) bought into the media narrative that Courtney Love is a terrible human and her music is just rip off Nirvana, etc. However, after hearing a few of the singles again I decided to give the album a try, and it is surprisingly brilliant. I've had it on heavy rotation since then.
Obviously, it's hard not to compare them to Nirvana, given the similarities in their singing voices and style. But I don't consider that to be unoriginal. When two people live together, they're obviously going to take on eachother's mannerisms and bounce off eachother artistically. I'm not going to pretend this is the best album of the 90s or anything (as seems to be the trend of late with some in the music press), but it is significantly better than say, Bleach, in my opinion. Courtney Love was an important part of 90s grunge/rock, but she was unfairly sidelined.
There is a great podcast called "You're Wrong About" that did a very interesting Courtney Love episode. I would really recommend it for any others who have a similar "block".
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
4/5
"Nusrat, he's my Elvis!"
I first heard of this guy on a Jeff Buckley live album - apparently he was obsessed with the guy. Buckley even did a couple of live covers if I remember correctly, I'll have to dig that album out again. I listened to him a big at the time, but then kinda forgot about him.
This is a bit of a hard one to find, he has a ton of albums on Spotify and Tidal. I couldn't find this one initially, so started listening to a YouTube playlist of the songs. But that kept stopping, so I had another look and found the album "Love and Devotion", which seems to have the same songs and the same album artwork shown in the 1001 entry above. So, not completely sure I'm listening to the right album.
Regardless, what I'm listening to is surprisingly great! I don't speak the language, so have no real context for the lyrics, but they are apparently religious. Being an atheist, I suspect the translation might make me cringe, but they are delivered with such passion and musical talent that I can appreciate it. Some of the songs are very danceable as well. What more could you want? "Allah Hoo" indeed.
Primal Scream
1/5
Apart from the first song, I wasn't into this at all. The first few tracks made for good background music on a train journey, but not great for much else. Just druggy nonsense, not essential listening in any way. Screamadelica is a fantastic album, but I really don't think Primal Scream deserve more than that one on this list.
Santana
4/5
Really enjoyed this. Having only heard Black Magic Woman before I was expecting it to be a full album of blues rock (which usually bores me). However it's much more varied than I expected, very eclectic mix of genres and styles. Also, it almost goes without saying, incredible guitar playing by the man himself!
The Byrds
2/5
This didn't do much for me at all; very bland country rock, almost unspeakably boring. The Byrds are very over represented on this list. Reading into the context a bit, it seems like this was one of the first country rock albums, so I guess I can see why it was included.
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
I really enjoy Ella Fitzgerald's voice, but no way am I going to listen to 3+ hours of this. I listed to a 45 min "Very Best Of..." compilation twice instead. It's great and sets a mood well enough, but as with a lot of 50s music, I don't have a lot of patience for it personally. It's very obviously from a different time, and us enjoyable under the right conditions.
Van Morrison
1/5
I'm a bit torn with this one. I really don't think live albums should have been included on this list at all, especially when the artist has studio albums included. Having said that, this is incredible well performed and recorded. However, it is way too long. I could have done without all the covers. Overall a 3 in normal terms, but shouldn't be in the book.
Talk Talk
4/5
I have a very crackly vinyl copy of this in a somewhat water damaged case. It was a joy to get it out this morning for a spin. The production on here is fantastic, and there are some great songs on Side A. However I think the second side lets it down a bit. Great album, but not quite as good as their final 2.
Pavement
4/5
This is one album that I've come back to many times over the years, "trying" to like it. I get why it's highly regarded and is very influential, but for whatever reason it's never fully clicked with me. I think it might be because I find it hard to tell what all of the songs are actually about. The lyrics seem a bit too random or nonsensical to me. I find the second half a bit dull too. But there are some great ones in the first half. It's probably around a 3.5 for me, so I'll round up.
Sonic Youth
5/5
Funnily enough, I was just listening to this a few days ago. It's always been my favourite Sonic Youth album, maybe because it is more direct and less psychedelic than some of their earlier ones. The only songs on here I'm not really into are Drunken Butterfly, Shoot, and Nic Fit. The rest are pretty great; especially Theresa's, Sugar Cane, Youth Against Racism, and JC. 9/10
The Saints
4/5
Never heard of this band, but this is a pretty solid album. Obviously didn't have the cultural impact of the Sex Pistols, but overall I enjoyed this one more as an album experience. A few good standout tracks, especially Know Your Product, Run Down and Orstralia.
The Stooges
4/5
This is such a big improvement on their first album, very unique sounding for the time. I feel like I never really gave athe Stooges a fair shot, this really proves me wrong. This honestly sounds like a grunge album in places. Gimme Danger gives me chills. Not a perfect album though by any means, very messy and a couple of the songs don't hold up. I listened to the Iggy mix and the Bowie mix, both could be better!
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this, given that I absolutely hated their "Behaviour" album. The songwriting is much better on this one though, even if the singing is grating occasionally. Catchy dance pop with serious, thoughtful and/or political lyrics usually does the job for me. The only real misses on here for me were "It Couldn't Happen Here" and "I Want to Wake Up". "Rent" and "It's a Sin" are definitely two of the best pop tunes of the 80s.
Ute Lemper
3/5
This was a new one to me, never heard of Ute Lemper before (or Kurt Weill for that matter). I found it very interesting, not something I would be in a rush to listen to again though. I didn't like the duet songs at all, but found the second track and the last pretty fantastic. Reminded me of latter period David Bowie and Scott Walker in places.
Radiohead
5/5
This may be the easiest 5 star I've had so far, as this is probably in my top 3 albums of all time. If that makes me a stereotypical music nerd, so be it.
Randy Newman
4/5
I really enjoyed a lot of this, particularly Sail Away, Lonely at the Top and Political Science. Sharp satire, great songwriting, but very average singing. You know you're doing satire right when people completely misunderstand you!
Echo And The Bunnymen
1/5
This isn't a 1-star album, it's a 3-star by my usual standards. However, as with so many artists in this book, there is no way that Echo & The Bunny men are deserving of 3 albums on here. Ocean Rain is a fantastic album, and deserves it's place. Porcupine and Crocodiles do not, so they get 1-star from me.
Great album cover though!
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
3/5
This was a really interesting one, never heard of it before, but enjoyed it way more than I expected to given how bland I found Moby Grape. Some really dark and experimental songs on here, a few are quite forgettable though. Not something I'd listen to often, but glad to have given it a couple goes.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
This is just fine, a few really catchy songs but overall a bit generic as 80s pop/rock goes. It does get points though for seemingly being in the vanguard of this genre's explosion, I suppose.
The Residents
3/5
This is a weird one, had never heard of them before but after a few songs it really reminded me of the type of music your hear at really confrontational and provocative modern art installations. So, I was unsurprised to read that the band were a multimedia art collective. Not really something I'd listen to again, but interesting enough listen. I like to listen to really off the wall stuff like this every now and then, it kind of makes you question everything you think you know about how music is meant to sound.
Cheap Trick
2/5
I get why this is on the list, but it's not really my thing at all. Marginally better than Kiss and Deep Purple, but not as memorable as 3-star AC/DC. The recording isn't particularly good, so I was wondering why they didn't include a studio album instead. But after reading the context around this, I get it. Overall, just straightforward Dad-rock IMO. I want You to Love Me and Surrender are good songs though, very reminiscent of that 70s show.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Reading the context around this album, I see why it was included - 9/11 and so on. But that gives the album a very dated feeling now I think, over 20 years on. Apart from Waiting On a Sunny Day, this really didn't do much for me. I'm not a huge Springsteen fan but I like his earlier stuff, pre Tunnel of Love. I think they coul have left this one off the list personally, because his early period is well represented.
John Lee Hooker
4/5
I'm not a big blues fan in general, but really enjoyed this. Don't recall ever listening to John Lee Hooker before, but I know his legend status. The first two songs here are very good, but I found those in the middle a bit dull. However, he then comes back with a trio of great solo songs to close the record. This gets bonus points for its production value as well, really sets it apart. Sounds fantastic on headphones.
Ryan Adams
2/5
This was a difficult one to review. I listened to Glory a few times back in the day (pre allegations), and it didn't do much for me then either, do I don't feel too bad about this one. There's a few good songs on here, and the backing band are really solid, but honestly a lot of the songs in the second half are quite dull.
I believe in separation of art and artist in theory, for example I'm completely fine with listening to Michael Jackson's early albums. But it's difficult when the art in question is meant to make you sympathise with the artist. This is an album mainly concerned with Ryan Adams' own heartbreak, and I find it hard to feel sorry for him, now that we all know how horrible a person he is.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
I still don't really get the hype about this guy. I think Next Year's Model was a bit better, but Oliver's Army is such a great song that I'll numb this up 1 star.
Marvin Gaye
1/5
This one was a bit of a chore tbh. Interesting concept and very solid musically, but the lyrics are so un poetic and on the nose that the whole album is cringe worthy. I feel like there must have been a better way to express these feelings, Mr. Gaye. In no way is this essential listening.
The Afghan Whigs
2/5
I'd heard of this band before, but never listened to them until now. Musically I really like this, and the lyrics do very well at representing the point of view of a very unsavoury character. But the vocal delivery is pretty grating. I appreciate what they were trying to do, and get the significance of the album. But don't think I'll be listening to this one again.
Herbie Hancock
5/5
Absolutely love this album. I think I first stumbled upon it 6 or 7 years ago when I started my first office job and used to listen to full albums on YouTube. I had so many great discoveries from that algorithm, before they decided to start forcing Shorts upon me.
I've since got it on vinyl though, which allows for full appreciation of that fantastic album cover. The band look like they are absolutely trippin balls. I can only imagine how incredible it must have been to have heard this for the first time back in the early 70s.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Great album, this was quite a healing experience after I got his abysmal "Here, My Dear" just a few days ago. I've always appreciated this one for what it is, and really enjoy the title track, Mercy Mercy Me, Right On, and Inner City Blues. But I think maybe you had to be around at the time to fully appreciate the significance of this album (I was not). Elements of it are very dated, particularly the 3 really overtly religious songs. Those just don't do much for me - probably why I'm not really into the more gospel side of R&B. Really solid 8/10 for me though.
Scott Walker
4/5
Great album! I don't normally enjoy this type of singing, but Scott Walker is an exception. I think I slightly prefer Scott 3 to this, but both are excellent. I don't really connect with all of the songs on here, but the high points (Seventh Seal, On Your Own Again, World's Strongest Man, The Old Man's Back Again) are very high. Love the Ennio Morricone style arrangements as well.
U2
5/5
It's hard for me to judge U2 objectively, because they were such a huge part of my youth. But, it has been a long time since I listened to this album the whole way through, so it sounds quite fresh. This really was a big departure from U2's earlier work, and their experiments really paid off. It's arguably their last great album - and definitely their creative peak.
There are some really interesting sounds on this; right from the start with the industrial intro to Zoo Station, the jagged electronic sounding guitar on Mysterious Ways, and the growling bass and vocals on The Fly. I thought I would have found One hard to listen to, since it was so overplayed, but I was actually quite moved listening to it again yesterday. The production is fantastic as well, Brian Eno doing his usual excellent work. I forgot just how dark the lyrics on this are, and I think I most of the allusions to the German reunification and the Bible went over my head listening to this as a young teenager. So I enjoyed having a read of the meanings of the lyrics on the deeper cuts like Until the End of The World, Acrobat, and Love is Blindness.
The Who
3/5
Never listened to this one before, only really listened to their greatest hits, Live at Leeds and Who's Next. This album is good but they went on to do much better later in their career. The raw power and energy on here is palpable though, and obviously the title track is one of the best ever written. Some other solid tracks on here, but apart from the Kids are Alright and A Legal Matter, nothing very memorable. Great musically though, and I imagine would have been seen as a very promising debut.
The Blue Nile
4/5
I've heard of this band but never listened them. As soon as I saw that Linn were the label I assumed it would sound great. And it really does, great production and separation of the instruments. Very life like sound! The songs are well put together as well, a couple stood out but I can see why there weren't any major hits. The singer's voice reminds me a lot of David Sylvain's. The songs are quite subtle and down-tempo, nice one to listen to on a rainy day.
The War On Drugs
2/5
I've always found this band to be very MOR. It's like they were specifically designed for boomers who are in the "why dont they make REAL music anymore" camp. Being influenced by Bob Dylan, Springsteen, Tom Petty, etc is fine and all, but I'd question whether this is original enough to be included in this book. "Burning", for ex, is way too reminiscent of Dancing in the Dark. The first two songs are quite good though, and the production is great. Just unoriginal and very repetitive.
Milton Nascimento
4/5
Enjoyed this more than I expected, having never heard of them before. Some really great songs on here, and even though I don't have the language I still found most of them enjoyable. It is a bit long however, so it seems like one that would take a few listens to really get my head around it. It feels like a 3.5 right now, but I'll round up because I think it's a grower.
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
Only knew the song Pretty in Pink before. I don't have any strong feelings about this either way. It's an interesting mix of post punk and jangle pop, and sounds slightly ahead of the curve in that aspect. I like the splashes of saxophone as well. Sounds more like a mid 80s record than an early 80s one. Like the first two songs, Mr. Jones and the last one more than the rest. The singer's voice is slightly annoying but the album isn't long enough for it to really grate.
Hookworms
4/5
Quite enjoyed this one, nice to listen to a modern album on the list that has a fresh sound. The singer's voice really reminds me of someone else though, and I can't figure out who. The album has some very interesting electronic instrumentation, and while it is a bit repetitive, it's a soundscape that I enjoy. It was a nice album to let wash over me, as different layers are added and removed. Seems like a pretty natural progression from stuff like Animal Collective and LCD Soundsystem in the 2000s.
Skunk Anansie
4/5
I've listened to Skunk Anansie before, but only their first two albums I think. This one holds up well though, and is maybe a little more interesting due to the genre mixing going on throughout it. I love the intensity of Skins vocals and direct lyrics. The music keeps up as well - a lot of the sounds on here seem to have influenced many bands to follow in the early 2000s. Well deserving of it's place on the list, and a lot more interesting than many of the 90s picks on here (looking at you, Incubus)
Queen
3/5
Good album, but I didn't quite enjoy it as much as Sheer Heart Attack. Sometimes I forget just how heavy and proggy early Queen is, I love it. But I found that very little of this stuck with me.
Suzanne Vega
4/5
Really enjoyed this, more than I expected! I was confused initially as to why this was picked over her second album, but it makes sense after listening to it through. I only knew Marlene on the Wall before, but there are so many other instant standouts; Small Blue Thing, Straight Lines, Undertow, Knight Moves. I love the cadence of her singing and the near spoken word parts especially. Reminds me of Bob Dylan or Lou Reed, except Suzanne Vega can actually sing too! Guitar sound is really great throughout as well. Only negative I would have is that it has that very "cold" 80s production that I find really dated now.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Have made several attempts to get into this one properly over the years. I've always enjoyed a lot of the songs, but usually made the mistake of trying to listen to both volumes in the same sitting, which is too much. Consequently, I'm much more familiar with Abbatoir Blues. I still feel like that's the stronger of the 2, but I might give Orpheus another listen to say for sure.
I think the variation on this double album definitely makes it worth it's while, but there are a handful of songs that are a bit forgettable. Great instrumentation and production, and the lyrics are usually great, but occasionally a bit repetitive and/or too melodramatic for me.
Venom
2/5
Never heard of this band before, but I can see why this was included, as it's seems this band were one of the trail blazers where UK heavy metal was concerned. There are a couple of decent songs, and a few laughably terrible ones, but apart from the sheer heaviness and volume, I don't think Venom really pushed the envelope that much, considering other bands that were their contemporaries. Most of these songs really just sound like jokes, intended to get a rise out of the conservative parents of the 80s. I guess it's not really meant to be taken that seriously!
The xx
4/5
I hadn't listened to this one before, but am a big fan of their debut, and Jamie xx's solo work. I went into this expecting to have a grumble about them not deserving a second spot in the book, but was very wrong. Although this isn't quite the breath of fresh air that their first album was at the time, it's such a significant departure from their past albums and really shows a lot of growth. It's also a good representative snapshot of pop and electronic music in the late 2010s. I think it will age well. There are some great songs on here; Dangerous, Say Something Loving, Replica, On Hold, I Dare You. Equally danceable and intimate, with some fantastic instrumentation and sampling alike.
Dizzee Rascal
3/5
I was never a big Dizzee Rascal fan back in the day, but he did undoubtedly have some great songs. This is my first time listening to a whole album of his, and while it is almost an hour long, I didn't find it dragging. The sound of it was very revolutionary for the time, a new fusion golf UK garage, jungle and hip hop, which makes it very unique and distinct from US hip hop. It also kick started the whole grime genre, for better or worse (some would say it ended up becoming very monotious by the end of the decade). I haven't come across anything from this generator that sounds like it yet.
Having said all that, there's still some immature shit on here, a bit of sexism and violent bragidoccio. He was a teenager when he wrote this though, so I guess that explains some of it. Not something I'd be in a rush to listen to again, but very deserving of a place in the book.
Orbital
5/5
There's a special place in my heart for this album, even though I haven't listened to it in a long time. I discovered Orbital around the time I started my first year of college (2009), which was a time of great musical exploration for me, going to club nights and gigs in the city for the first time, and of course music festivals. I actually got free tickets to see Orbital that year (or maybe it was the year after) and went with a friend, had a brilliant time. This album was always my favourite of theirs, so takes me back to those days.
Theirs some really interesting blending of styles on here, and the few vocals there are offer interesting critique of technology's impact of society, advertising, and also the crackdown on electronic music in the 90s. I'm not sure if I picked up on all that before, but after a couple of closer listens it all makes sense. The standout tracks for me are Forever, Kein Trink Wasser, and Are We Here, but there's not really any weak tracks imo.
5/5
One of the greatest albums of all time. Not a bad song on here, and it's short and punchy - wham bam, thank you ma'am! Some fantastic riffs, really interesting and unique sci-fi concept, and Bowie himself is of course gives a transcendent performance throughout. I enjoyed giving this a listen on vinyl, haven't dug it out in a while. My copy is the 40th anniversary edition, which I just noticed is pressed from the original analogue tapes. Pretty cool. Still sounds fantastic, even now, well past the 50th anniversary.
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
Pretty fun listen, and an interesting fusion of different genres. On the one hand I'd question whether there are other Indian pop (non-soundtrack) albums that maybe could have taken this spot. On the other, I think it's good that at least some effort was made to include non-Western music. Could be way more though obviously!
Sonic Youth
5/5
Haven't listened to this one in a while, looking forward to it. I always preferred Dirty overall, and found the second half of this one to be lacking. Dirty Boots is a top tier opening track though. Tunic and Kool Thing are fantastic too. One of the best album covers of all time as well.
Actually having listened to this through again, it's on par with Dirty. The 2nd half is just more experimental and noisy. Love Disappearer and Mote as well.
Carpenters
4/5
Well that's a funny coincidence. I just rated Sonic Youth's Goo, which contains the fantastic "Tunic (Song for Karen)", and now I get this. What's next, "Synchronicity" by The Police?
That aside, this is a really good pop album. Sure it's a bit cheesy, they look like evangelist homeschoolers, and they definitely weren't pushing the envelope. But there's nothing wrong with a bit of pure pop music every now and then. Karen's voice was fantastic here, and I love her drumming on the last track. The Burt Bacharach songs are definitely the strong points on here.
Method Man
3/5
Never listened to this one before, but I do know Method Man from Wu-Tang (and The Wire), so I had an idea of what to expect. Technically this is a really good rap album, he has a great flow and some really interesting rhymes. The production from RZA is great too. It also doesn't suffer from the bloat that other hip hop albums of the time were starting to have, clocking in at just over 40 mins and no skits or interludes to be seen.
I'm not normally into this really braggadocious style of rap, but the inventive production and just plain weird lyrics alwere enough to keep me interested. The misogyny is kept to a minimum too, thankfully. A song like All I Need was kind of a breath of fresh air for the mainstream at this time, even though he's not perfect in that respect. Having said all that, there's something about this album (and Wu-Tang Clan for that matter) that stops me from engaging fully with it. I'm nots sure what it is exactly, but I find a lot of these songs to be a bit dull or forgettable. Decent album overall though.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Great album, this one has my 2 favourite BB songs, Sure Shot and Sabotage (arguably 2 of the best ever hip hop songs). As an album, it's not quite as good as Paul's Boutique, but has some great standout tracks and instrumentals. The lyrics show a good bit of growth from the group as well, much more mature than their first album. Love the jazzy elements too. It is a bit too long though, and I could do without the last 5 songs in general.
Sonic Youth
1/5
I like Sonic Youth and all, but no way do they deserve a whopping 5 spots on this list. Daydream Nation, Goo and Dirty are more than enough to get the picture of them.
Hadn't listened to this one before though, so I'm not too mad. Really enjoyed "Shadow of a Doubt" and the experimental guitar sounds.
1/5
Fred Durst was 30 years old when this album was released. Let that sink in for a bit. I managed to avoid listening to this album for my whole life up to this point, despite being 10 when it came out and surrounded with Limp Bizkit superfans in my school, just at the cusp of the target demographic.
There's a few almost passable songs on here (My Way, The One, Hold On), but even those are tainted (pun intended) in some way; terrible singing, too long, derivative, or a mixture of all 3.
To the 5-star reviewers: it's not that we "don't get it", it's just fucking terrible.
Supergrass
4/5
Great album, nothing groundbreaking but very solid. I only knew Supergrass' hits previously, now I'm realizing that maybe I had under rated them before. This also reminded me how good Gaz Coombes' Matador is, gave that another listen too!
The Smiths
3/5
I never really warmed to this one before, despite being a fan of The Queen is Dead and Meat is Murder. I'm surprised that this one was chosen over their first to be honest. I'd say 2 albums would have been sufficient really, but this isn't too bad.
There are some good songs on here, but a lot of them feel a bit like throwaways, which makes sense given the band were pretty much at the end of their rope. I enjoyed A Rush and a Push, Death of a Disco Dancer, Stop Me, and Last Night. Never got the appeal of Girlfriend in a Coma, but maybe it's popularity was due to the timing of it's release with the news of the band splitting. Paint a Vulgar Picture could be quite cutting if it wasn't immediately invalidated by the countless reissues and compilations of The Smiths' own work subsequently released. Would be a very fitting takedown of the industry today, with the padded deluxe albums on streaming sites and never ending vinyl variants.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
4/5
Haven't listened to this in quite a while. It's a bit dated, but holds up pretty well and has obviously had a major influence on hip hop since it was released. Fantastic sampling and instrumentals. "Dreamin'" and "You Are" are pretty terrible though.
Paul Weller
5/5
Forgot how good this album is, haven't listened to it in years. I think I used to see it as an aging artist clinging desperately to relevance, but its just a very very good late stage album. Great songwriting, singing and guitar playing. Can see how this would have had a big influence on Oasis, Ocean Colour Scene, Gomez, etc. 9/10
Björk
4/5
I'm a Bjork fan, and this she is definitely deserving of her multiple spots in the book, but this one (along with here more recent albums) hasn't really clicked with me yet. Until now anyway. This one is very dark, so took a while to get into. After a closer listen on headphones though, I found it very moving in places; especially the 4 song run of Black Lake, Family, Notget and Atom Dance. There's some very emotional string parts that echo the best of her Homogenic album, and some really interesting production too. I haven't fully grasped the lyrics yet, but there are some great and very direct ones in there. Overall, I'd prefer Vespertine and Homogenic over this, but it may grow on me even more.
The Mothers Of Invention
4/5
I'm glad I finally listened to this one. I'm not super familiar with Zappa's discography, but I do love Hot Rats. This isn't exactly similar to that one, but it was very ahead of it's time - I actually had to double check the date. Kind of mind blowing that something like this came out in 1966, pre Sgt Peppers even! I appreciate what they were going for with the satirical songs in the first half, but I find them a bit boring. Probably because I find the musical styles that most of them imitate a bit hackneyed. It starts to get really interesting from around "Trouble Every Day" though, from then on I loved it. So, bit of a mixed bag, but I'll give an extra star for the sheer creativity and innovation.
Deerhunter
4/5
I've really liked this album for years, but it's one I rarely listen too. It just doesn't stay with me for some reason. But then every so often, I'll hear Desire Lines or Helicopter on the radio and think, "Hey, that was a really good album". So while it's not perfect, it is very interesting and imo, one of the best "Indie" records of that time period. It kind of scratches the itch that I always wanted Animal Collective to scratch for me (they never did though). I do like this sort of dreamy, shoegazy stuff in general though - can see how it might not be everyone's cup of tea.
Sly & The Family Stone
5/5
Very enjoyable album, the only one I wasn't really into was the title track for some reason. Can see how influential this was as well, classic album. At the same time, it's not one I'd be dying to put on again. Solid 9/10
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
4/5
I wouldn't normally seek out a capella music, but I knew them from Graceland so had some frame of reference. Despite the lack of instruments, I found this really engaging. Some of the vocals they make are so unusual and inventive, it actually often sounds like instruments. The recording quality is fantastic as well. Quite a soothing listen overall.
Kacey Musgraves
3/5
Liked this more than I expected to, considering I didn't think much of her new Deeper Well album. Interesting genre fusion, good production and some solid melodies Really enjoyed Space Cowboy, Butterflies, High Horse and Rainbow. Some of it is less memorable though, and the auto tune gets on my nerves after a while. Definitely worth a couple listens, but I won't be rushing back to it.
Jamiroquai
2/5
I expected to like this more, given how much I like Jamiroquoi's more popular singles. But I found the vocals way too derivative of Stevie Wonder; it almost sounds like a cover band. I think the band is quite talented musically (I was actually a bit surprised that this is a band, not just 1 guy with session musicians), and it's pretty telling that my favourite song was the instrumental "Music of the Mind". "Blow Your Mind" is pretty good too, but about halfway through the 10 min "Revolution 1993", I completely lost interest.
Tom Tom Club
4/5
Never listened to this one the whole way through, but I was pretty familiar with the first 2 songs. Songwriting wise, it doesn't really compare to the best Talking Heads albums, but its better than their later ones for sure. It's also super funky, lots of fun and has been sampled so many times, it's influence is clear and it was way ahead of it's time. 7/10
Donald Fagen
2/5
I like Steely Dan a lot, and I'm into the whole vibe of this record. But it's a bit too schmoozy in places. Don't get me wrong, it sounds great on a car stereo at night, and the production is fantastic. I see why it's on the list for sure, being a very early digital recording it was significant. But is it Steely Dan good? I don't think so, but maybe it will grow on me more. Not sure of it adds much to the list that the SD albums don't already.
Magazine
3/5
Found this a little mediocre for the most part, but there are a few interesting songs (Burst, Motorcade, and The Light Pours out of Me) that signal a big shift from early punk to Post-Punk.
Gillian Welch
5/5
I first heard this album about a year ago, when my guitar teacher recommended it to me. I've listened to it several times since then, and I'm now on my third listen for this project. I don't listen to a lot of Americana or Country, but I absolutely love this. Fantastic voice, songwriting, guitar playing and banjo playing. Will be in my regular rotation for a long time I think. 9/10
Leonard Cohen
1/5
I promised to re-evaluate Coen's earlier work after I enjoyed You Want it Darker so much, but it honestly does nothing for me. I know his lyrics might be very poetic, but I can't grasp them properly when they are packaged within such terrible music. His singing is almost offensively bad, and the music is uninteresting and uninspired. I feel a bit hypocritical now because I do enjoy Bob Dylan's 60s output, but the difference there is that Dylan knew how to write an interesting melody and was a decent guitarist too. This album is significantly worse than Coen's debut, and doesn't belong on this list IMO.
Elvis Presley
2/5
I'm not a big fan of Elvis in general, although I do enjoy most of his big hits. This seems like one that was included for cultural significance though rather than musical quality. The only songs I really enjoyed were the first two, It Feels So Right, and Reconsider Baby.
System Of A Down
5/5
Hadn't listened to this one before, but I love their Toxicity album. Actually only got into it recently enough, as I enjoyed the singles at the time but never really dived into their albums. This was great though, not quite as good as Toxicity, but that doesn't seem to be in the book for some reason. Love the fusion of metal and middle eastern music, and Serj's many different singing styles are brilliant too.
Meat Puppets
4/5
Pretty great and influential album. I wonder how well known it would have been had they not been highlighted by Nirvana's unplugged concert however. That's how I heard of them, along with most people I would imagine. They were definitely ahead of their time either way, hard to believe this was released in 1984! Sure the singing is a bit rough in places, but the guitar playing and songwriting are brilliant.
The Beau Brummels
1/5
Terrible stuff. Not offensively bad, just so boring and nondescript that it completely faded into the background. I couldn't tell you anything about it now. There's a reason so much of this psychedelic and folk music has been memory-holed.
The Mars Volta
4/5
I used to this of this band as one that people just claimed to like in a pretentious way, but now I'm starting to come around. I still haven't really fully warmed to them, but I think the instrumental side is incredible. Absolutely wild performances all over this. The singer's voice is a bit grating at first, but I think it's an acquired taste. Going with an 8/10, but could definitely see this growing on me even more.
Steely Dan
4/5
Funnily enough, I think this was the first Steely Dan I listened to in full, maybe like 13 or 14 years ago. I didn't really take to it at the time, and haven't listened again since. Now that I've listened and loved Aja for a long time though, I appreciate this one much more. It's a clear step in the evolution from their first album of radio friendly guitar rock to Aja's smooth jazz rock.
G. Love & Special Sauce
1/5
Never heard of this band before, but trying to give them a fair shot. I can see why they were popular on college radio at the time, and they have a couple decent songs (Blues Music and Cold Beverage), but overall they are a bit cringe. Less interesting than what Beck was doing around the same time, and not as fun as the Fun Lovin' Criminals. Musically, the rhythm section is quite good, but the singer just sounds like a stoned guy at a house party trying to imitate the Beastie Boys. They actually remind me a bit of Gomez, who did a much better take on this style later in the 90s. Hope their debut is in this list somewhere.
Django Django
3/5
Pretty good album, but after the first few songs it kinda bleeds together and eventually runs out of steam. The opening track, Default, and Hail Bob are great though.
Devendra Banhart
4/5
I've listened to this album a few times in the past, but never completely warmed to it. Looking back on it now after discovering Joanna Newsom a few years ago, I appreciate it for being a big part of that freak folk movement which really shaped a lot of popular "indie" music for the rest of the decade or so. Some of these songs still hold up and are great, others not so much. Some just sound like failed experiments, which is completely reasonable on a 42 minute record with 16 tracks. Great guitar playing and songwriting, vocal style is a bit of an acquired taste I think. I'm kind of surprised that M. Ward wasn't included in the list as well, since I think Post-War is a better album from this genre.
Dr. Octagon
2/5
I really appreciate the production and instrumentals on here, being a big fan of DJ Shadow, Unkle and MF Doom. But the lyrics and vocals don't do much for me, and I really could have done without the porn samples. It's a somewhat interesting concept, and I don't think it's meant to be taken too seriously. He's playing a character, like Doom and other rappers often do. However I think a lot of the jokes and bars are pretty immature and cringe inducing. It's also way too long. The title track, Bear Witness, Real Raw and Blue Flowers are pretty good though. It should be mentioned as well, I think there are more proctology references on here than gynaecology ones. Maybe Dr. Octagon is multi-disciplined?
Joanna Newsom
5/5
Absolutely love this album, although I admit it did take me quite a few listens to come around to it. Her voice is definitely an acquired taste, but her harp playing is fantastic and the lyrics are so detailed and meaningful. I think I first heard it around 2014/2015, then got really into it when her new album Divers came out, which I also love. If I could make every boomer who thinks all modern music is terrible listen to this 3 times, I would. Honestly much better than at least 50% of the folk rock in this book so far.
The Strokes
5/5
Pretty much a perfect album, even if I know know it to be a bit derivative of Television. I didn't know who Television were when I was a teenager though, so these guys were pretty much the epitome of cool in my book at the time. I think they do put enough of an original spin on their sound to be considered unique as well. Not a bad song on here, one of the best albums of the millennium so far.
Beach House
4/5
I've always enjoyed the general vibe of this album a lot, but having listened to a few other Beach House albums, I think they're guilty of just repeating the same formula over and over. Some great songs on here though, very relaxing and reminiscent of my college years and my first car - this CD was in the stereo very often.
Pet Shop Boys
1/5
Didn't really like this one much, although it is a bit better than "Behaviour". Very little memorable about it other than the cover of Go West, which I have very negative feelings about due to its use in an annoying as for rice pudding about 15 years ago. Don't think these guys deserve multiple albums in the book.
Serge Gainsbourg
2/5
I'm not sure how I feel about this one. Musically it sounds great, apart from Serge eating the mic. His voice does occasionally border on ASMR territory, but most of the time it just sounds creepy. Maybe that is the intent? I've never read or watched Lolita, but as far as I'm aware it is meant to be a critique of male obsession, albeit a very extreme and controversial one. I haven't had a look at the translated lyrics for this album, but given the various controversies on Serge Gainsborough's wiki (esp. Lemon Incest), and his taste for younger women, I'm veering towards this being more of a creepy album than a provocative critical piece.
Lou Reed
3/5
I've tried many times to "get" this album, because I like a lot of Lou Reed's stuff, and had a friend when I was younger who was obsessed with this one. He had parents with addiction problems though, so he probably got a lot more out of it emotionally than me. A lot of this does resonate with me, but in places it meanders too much and is a bit too self indigent in its melancholy. Seems like it would have worked better as a film than an album to me, some of these don't work very well as songs (Men of Good Fortune, The Kids, The Bed).
Public Enemy
3/5
Bit of a mixed bag, big nearly as good as their first 3 albums. But the production is good, and quite inventive as I read they tried to avoid using any well know samples to save money. Some good highlights in "Yo Niga", "Arizona" and "Shut Em Down". But the re-released track with Anthrax just feels like a cash grab.
New Order
4/5
Enjoyed dancing along to this while making dinner, but I expected to like it more, given how much I enjoy a lot of New Order singles. The singing and vocals really let them down, and some of the songs were a bit forgettable. The Perfect Kiss and Sub-Culture are real standout tracks. This is about a 3.5 for me I think, rounding up to 4 because of cultural impact.
Kings of Leon
2/5
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Basement Jaxx
2/5
A couple of catchy songs on here, but overall I found it bloated and repetitive. I see why it's on the list, and didn't hate it, but it's not as good as their contemporaries like Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk, etc.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
I generally perfer Neil Young's folkier stuff, but this is a pretty decent album. I can see it's influence on later rock artists as well. Why did he shoot a baby though? Seems harsh
The Undertones
4/5
Pretty solid punk album. I knew the two big hits well, as they still get a lot of radio play in Ireland. Glad to listen to this through, much preferred it to their second one.
Abdullah Ibrahim
4/5
Pixies
5/5
Eric Clapton
2/5
Clapton is obviously a great guitarist and I get why he's on here. But honestly his songwriting does nothing for me. Cold, soulless repackaging of blues music, polished to a radio-friendly sheen. The first and last songs are pretty good, but everything in the middle is pretty dull. The 'I Shot The Sheriff' cover is very unoriginal. Covers that don't put an original sprin on the song should be banned IMO.
Also, he's a horrible person.
Jack White
3/5
I don't know what it is about Jack White. I enjoy his music when I listen to it, but don't find it particularly memorable. I never find myself wanting to put it on again. I felt the same about the White Stripes, not sure what it is.
Syd Barrett
2/5
Terrible stuff. I'm not really a huge fan of Piper at the Gates of Dawn, but surely that is enough of a legacy for Syd Barrett. I feel like this album tarnishes his name, even if the circumstances are interesting from a music history point of view. Don't think I'll ever listen to this again due to the terrible singing and lyrics, but I guess I see why it's in the book.
Charles Mingus
5/5
I had listened to this a couple of times before and enjoyed it, but never really absorbed it until now. It's not really like any other jazz I've heard before, and is an interesting blend of styles. It is a bit Avant-garde, but not in an off putting way. Very refreshing in general, and I can see how it might work as a ballet. Very emotional and dramatic, with a nice bit of resolution in the end.
Drive-By Truckers
3/5
Enjoyed this more than I expected, but it is a bit too long. Found the first disc more engaging than the second, especially the 3 song run from "Birmingham" to "Three Great Alabama Icons". They have me wondering if I should give Skynyrd another chance. I definitely prefer a modern take on this type of southern rock though (like Wednesday, Waxahatchee, MJ Lenderman, etc.)
The Waterboys
3/5
Fatboy Slim
1/5
I almost wrote this one off completely, but then I really enjoyed Santa Cruz and a few others. I still don't think he deserves more than one album in the book though. You've Come A Long Way, Baby is great and representative enough of his work.
Elton John
4/5
Never listened to this one before, obviously I did know Tiny Dancer well though. Really enjoyed it, although not as much as Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. The title track and Indian Sunset were real highlights, with the later being a pleasantly nostalgic reminder of Getto Gospel being absolutely everywhere when I was like 14.
Simply Red
2/5
Pretty much as dull and bland as I was expecting. Mick Hucknall has a great voice, but what he does with it just isn't for me. "Money's Too Tight to Mention" is pretty good though.
Nas
5/5
I recognise the greatness of this album, and it's immaculately produced and performed. There's something about it though that never really clicked fully with me, maybe the immaturity of some of the lyrics. That said, the lyrics aren't overly misogynistic or homophobic (apart from a couple of slurs here and there) and the story of the album is very transporting in a way that feels genuine. Listening to it feels like listening to a snippet of a day in early 90s Brooklyn or Queens. Bumping it up to a 9/10 because it's so influential, and to counter some of the rap haters in the reviews.
Aerosmith
1/5
Terrible stuff. Imagine this being the last album you heard before you died! Some decent guitar riffs, but apart from that it was just so unimaginative and dull. I do like some Aerosmith songs, but they are in no way deserving of multiple entries in this book.
Madonna
3/5
Pretty good album for what it is, not really my cup of tea though. The first two tracks are great, as is Cherish. As with a lot of 80s pop though, it's very dated. It actually sounds older than it is - I had to double check the release date. Some of the songs in the second half make me feel like I'm trapped in a shopping mall. She definitely mixed a lot of different styles together very effectively though.
Spiritualized
2/5
Found this one even more boring than "...floating in space". Peasant background noise, but nothing very memorable except for Shine a Light.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Singing is still as bad as the first two albums, but I enjoyed this one much more. It's a big step up songwriting wise - especially on Avalanche, Diamonds, Famous Blue Raincoat, and Joan of Arc. Really liked a lot of the guitar work and his use of strings.
Amy Winehouse
2/5
I love Amy's voice, and can see why this is on the list (or was, apparently). However, Back up Black is MUCH better. This one hasn't aged very well in terms of lyrical content, particularly the first track. I get that she was going for a modern rage on vintage music, but it's best for everyone that we leave the 50s gender roles in the 50s. A few good songs though, particularly In My Bed.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Isaac Hayes
2/5
I'm a bit conflicted with this one. I enjoyed a lot of it and see why it's included (the cultural significance of the main theme). But I'm on the fence about whether soundtracks should be included here at all. A lot of these tracks don't really stand alone without the context of the film (which I haven't seen). Much preferred Hot Buttered Soul.
Keith Jarrett
5/5
Never heard of this album or artist before - another rare gem from this generator. Absolutely loved this, even though I normally disapprove of live albums being included. The difference here is that the entire piece was apparently improvised, and there is true intimacy in the recording. The piano playing is great, and I love hearing the moans and grunts of Jarrett as he plays. He really seemed to be in a state of pure flow.
The Coral
2/5
Haven't listened to this one in quite a while, interesting to see how aged it is now. Dreaming of You is still a great song, and there are a few other good ones in the first half. But the quality dips dramatically in the second half. And it gets way too pirate-y!
Big Star
4/5
Good album, not great. Gets some bonus points for their clear influence on the likes of R.E.M. and Tom Petty. I don't think they're super original, and can see why they didn't do so well at the time. People were probably sick of this type of sound. 7/10
Billie Holiday
2/5
I recognise Billie Holiday's talent, and think Strange Fruit is a fantastic song. However I found it hard to connect with this album for some reason. The only songs that stood out for me were I'm a Fool To Want You, You Don't Know What Love Is, and You've Changed. I often find it hard to connect with music pre-1965 or so (except for instrumentals), so it could be another case of that. She had an amazing voice, but I found that the songs were too similar or something.
Brian Eno
4/5
I'm a fan of a lot of Eno's work, but for some reason I've never listened to this one until recently. It's great but still growing on me. I don't like it quite as much as Taking Tiger Mountain or Another Green World, but it covers a lot of ground, and is a clear precursor to his later ambient work. It also really sounds like it had a big influence on Talking Heads! It's an 8/10 now but could see it becoming a 9 in future.
Paul McCartney
3/5
I can see why the critics were divided on this one. It is very uneven and lo-fi, but I guess that is the point. Definitely influential on later lo-fi artists, but I can't help but wonder if this would be as lauded if it was anyone other than McCartney. Some really solid songs on here, but a lot of them sound unfinished. I let the album play until I was a few tracks into the demo/outtakes disc of the deluxe version and barely noticed.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Near-perfect album. Incredible singing and songwriting, and lovely piano, bass and drums throughout. I think it has a bit of a lull during Jesus Children and All in Love is Fair, but they're still good songs.
Cypress Hill
3/5
I'd only known of Cypress Hill's singles before, so I knew sort of what to expect. I enjoyed this more than I expected, it's aged better than a lot of other gangsta rap. It is a bit homophobic in places, but not to the degree that rap of the time often was. In general, they seem mainly concerned with opposing police brutality, and getting high and having a laugh. All of which I support. It is a bit boring in places, but the funky samples, Latin flavor and nasal vocals do set it apart from a lot of their peers.
Fever Ray
4/5
I love this album, it's one I come back to a lot since first getting into it. Their music (along with The Knife's) is so unique and refreshing. Love the variation of vocal styles and chilly but immersive production. I don't think this is quite as good as Silent Shout, but still a 8/10.
David Bowie
2/5
This gets an extra star because the title track and Fame are fantastic, but the rest of it is exceptionally mediocre. I would have preferred an actual authentic soul album to be included here instead (even though it's not my favourite genre personally). Never really got the appeal of this one, even though Bowie is one of my favourite artists.
Slint
5/5
One of my favourites; although it's dark and twisted and a little depressing, so I don't listen to it often. It's also noisy and experimental and shouty, so I'd say it's not everyone's cup of tea. However I'd argue that it's one of the most important albums of the 90s, considering it's credited with the birth of the Post-Rock genre.
I discovered it in a backwards sort of way, after getting into bands like Godspeed You! Black Emporer, Mogwai, and Sigur Rós in college. It also eventually opened the door to hardcore and post-hardcore punk for me, which I came very late to (almost in my 30s, in the late 2010s).
Once I listened to it a few times I could see how influential it was. In fact it's still influencing bands today, like "the world's second-best Slint tribute act", Black Country New Road. I hope the lead singers of both Slint and BCNR got the help they needed.
Arrested Development
4/5
I didn't recognize this one at all at first, but I was surprised when Mr. Wendal came on and it sounded very familiar. Maybe I just recognised the Sly & The Family Stone sample, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I'd say this was a breath of fresh air in the early 90s, contrasting nicely to the likes of NWA and Snoop Dogg. Sonicly, it hasn't aged particularly well and sounds very of its time. TCQ's Low End Theory, for ex, has definitely aged better. But I still found this very enjoyable, even if it is a bit saccharine in places. Great sample choices and production, and very positive lyrical themes.
Arctic Monkeys
5/5
Listening to this transports me right back to being like 15 or 16. Listening to songs from this album on a friend's MP3 player, downloaded illegally from god knows where, tinny quality, at lunchtime in school. How time flies! Easy 5 for me - they perfectly captured their (and our) youthful energy in a bottle. In my opinion, they never came close to equalling this album, unfortunately.
Slade
2/5
Kinda like AC/DC and T.Rex, but way worse. I know of Slade for two reasons; their very average (but remarkably enduring) Christmas song, and a certain BBC6 DJ (my favourite one) from northern England who loves to play them occasionally. I'm fine with both of those, but I now know that I really don't need any more Slade in my life, no matter how it's spelled. On that subject, minus a star for the atrocious spelling on this album.
Christina Aguilera
2/5
Actually enjoyed this more than I expected, and was able to finish it, which puts it above Stripped in my ranking. Her voice is amazing, but the very frequent vocal runs do my head in. It's way too long and the Thank You song is very cringe worthy, but there are some quite good songs here and there. I also enjoyed some of the production. Overall, not something I would listen to again though
Le Tigre
4/5
Love this album for its energy and really great songwriting. So many catchy songs and interesting lyrics on here. I definitely prefer Sleater-Kinny where Riotgrrl is concerned, but Kathleen Hanna is a real legend. I had a bit of an obsession with Deceptacon for a while over the COVID years, and it was a constant on my early jogging playlists. Hadn't really done a deep dive into the album until now though, glad I did!
Christine and the Queens
3/5
Really enjoyed the production on this one, reminds me of Chic and Prince in places. The vocals are good, but I found some of the lyrics overly repetitive. For that reason, I preferred the French version, it allows me to focus more on the music. Overall enjoyable, but didn't really stick with me apart from the Girlfriend, Doesn't Matter and Goya Soda.
Jethro Tull
5/5
Love this one, although I'm only starting to get into it lately. Have loved the title track for a long time. It's got some great other tracks as well, like Mother Goose, My God, and Locomotive Breath. Wind-Up ties it all together nicely as well. I think this is a bit unique as prog goes, with some more traditional rock songs, and obviously the very prominent flute!
Queen
5/5
For some reason, I've never really had much urge to listen to Queen albums - the Greatest Hits was alway enough for me. Having said that, I've enjoyed all 3 I've got so far. This is the best of them though, some great non-single tracks in addition to the fantastic singles.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
I'm a bit of a swinger myself!
fIREHOSE
4/5
Wow, I'm surprised this was never on my radar, because it's kind of right up my alley. Kinda finds the middle ground between something like Minutemen and REM. Looking them up after, I see why they remind me of Minutemen! Enjoyed this in general, but it's not exactly sticking with me. 7/10
Ozomatli
3/5
I enjoyed elements of this (particularly the Charli 2na bars), but ultimately it didn't make a huge impact on me. Interesting mix of genres though, and was definitely a break from the norm in this list.
The Triffids
1/5
Ugh, I think this is maybe the worst album so far, and I'm approaching 600. And I've already had Scum. This sounds like a desperately untalented person trying to imitate Simple Minds, but it's like they've only ever had Simple Minds described to them and never hear them first hand.
Kraftwerk
5/5
Love this one! My favourite Kraftwerk album, and the first one I heard from them. Not only a groundbreaking electronic album, but a nice love letter to Europe as well. Reminds me of some great times I had interrailing in my youth - Europe really did feel endless.
Elvis Presley
4/5
Have to say, I enjoyed this one a lot more than the other two Elvis albums I've got so far, despite only knowing one song previously. It's really well produced and there were a few songs that I really enjoyed. Not sure if I'd go back to it again though. I'd say at this point Elvis was probably seen to be "past it", but this shows he still had some fuel in the tank!
Anthrax
3/5
I had never listened to Anthrax before at all, but enjoyed this much more than I expected. They kinda sound like a love child of Metallica and Iron Maiden. The riffs and drumming are great, really intense and catchy. The only negatives I would have really are that the vocals are a bit hard to understand in places, and the lyrics I did catch are lacking a bit of depth. They sound a bit immature compared to say Metallica on Master of Puppets, which tackled a lot of similar themes in a more nuaced way. Still an enjoyable listen, but I wouldn't be rushing to check more of their albums out, considering this is meant to be their peak.
Taylor Swift
3/5
I hadn't listened to this one in full before, but my daughter is a Swiftie so I knew a lot of the songs via osmosis. It's not bad, bit of a mixed bag. Yes some songs are a bit too melodramatic and some melodies are a bit repetitive, but her songwriting in general has definitely improved. I prefer the songs more obviously written about other characters (like the one with Haim). It's way too long though - they could have trimmed like 10-15 mins easily.
LCD Soundsystem
1/5
No idea why this is on the list. It's the worst LCD album by miles, and was arguably not required at all by humanity. Tonite is a pretty good song though I guess
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
4/5
Quite enjoyed a lot of this, and can see myself returning to it if I ever want to listen to some bluegrass. I found it especially interesting how some of these sound like Irish trad music. But it took two sittings to get through...lawd that is a lot of bluegrass! 7/10
Pere Ubu
4/5
Really like this one - another band I've heard of but never listened to. It's pretty put there for punk at the time, I can see why they managed to avoid being pigeon-holed. I can hear their influence on both REM and Fugazi pretty clearly, but also more modern bands like black midi. Will definitely be getting a copy of this one for myself, can see it growing on me even more. The only criticism I'd have is that the lyrics are a bit impenetrable - I don't really have much of an idea what these songs are about after 2 listens.
Alice Cooper
2/5
Don't really get Alice Cooper. I think you had to be there at the time, because this is very boring for something that is supposed to be "shocking". Maybe his live shows were great or something. Also I'm not really sure what the point of Raped & Freezing is...was there a joke in there or something? Who was the victim?
Neil Young
3/5
There's a few good songs on here, especially Vampire Blues, Revolution Blues, and For the Turnstiles. Overall though, I don't think it compares to After the Gold Rush or Harvest, or even Rust Never Sleeps. It's interesting that he thought this was his escape from the "middle of the road". I think this album is way more MOR than the other two!
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
I've been listening to this one since it came out, glad to see so many people are enjoying discovering it through this generator! I think Kiwanuka is super talented, and the songwriting and playing on this are great. However there's something about the production (I think maybe the mixing) that has always bothered me. I find it a bit cold or something, which makes it harder for me to connect emotionally to it. It does sound a lot better on vihyl though I think - maybe that's what they were going for.
New Order
4/5
I never really clicked with this album fully before, but I see the significance of it now. It was very forward thinking, and you can hear the transition of 80s electronic sounds to 90s dance sounds. I like a lot of New Order songs, but don't really connect with them fully. I blame Bernard Sumner's very average singing! 7/10
Goldfrapp
3/5
This is a good album overall, and I like Alison Goldfrapp's voice. However after two listens, the only songdms which stuck with me we're Happiness and A&E, both of which I knew already.
Depeche Mode
4/5
This is a great album, I do find the quality dips a bit in the second half though. The first three songs are absolute bangers. Overall, not as good as Violator, which is near perfect in my opinion.
Willie Nelson
4/5
Enjoyed this one more than I expected, having only known Willie Nelson for his political songs and the "Roll me up and smoke me" one. Had no idea he is actually a serious musician too, and a good one at that! Will definitely be coming back to this.
The The
1/5
Some interesting sounds, but overall a bit boring, and nowhere near as good as Soul Mining. I think we could have done with just one The The album in the book!
Aphex Twin
5/5
Absolutely love this album, although it took me a while to come around to as a teenager. Now I listen to it often when working, it's great for both focusing and daydreaming. Looking at it in context, there was really nothing else like this at the time, and it had a huge influence on all electronic music that came after it. Add to that all the weird and interesting lore around Apex Twin building his own synths and other equipment, and you have a truly legendary and essential album.
I find some people struggle with electronic music in general, so expect the reviews for this to be pretty polarised. If you find it sounds repetitive, I recommend taking your focus away from the repeating elements (usually the drums/beats) and focus instead on the elements that are added and subtracted throughout the songs. Then just let your mind drift :)
Radiohead
5/5
Basically a perfect album in my opinion - one of my all time favourites. I probably listen to this at least once a month. I talk a lot in these reviews about albums that haven't aged well, but this one truly has. It could have come out yesterday. I always thought that this album and Kid A sounded like music from the future, and I still feel like that.
Kings of Leon
5/5
This is another formative album for me, impossible to rate subjectively! These guys were the height of coolness when I was a teenager, and this is them at their best. Not a bad song on here, and there's even one about Whiskey Dick. Don't think I've ever heard another band address that phenomenon, so it's got that going for it.
John Cale
2/5
I don't really get the appeal of this one. From what I know of John Cale I thought this would be way more experimental. But this was just mid the whole way through, apart from Analucia, which I found to be offensively bad. Maybe I'm missing something here, context-wise.
The Zutons
1/5
This is about as mid as I remember them being at the time. Not terrible, but also not essential listening in any way. I think it was Amy Winehouse who killed the Zutons, when she did a much better version of their best song!
Big Black
4/5
Really intense album. I've known it for a while, mainly for the excellent "Kerosene", but hadn't really got into the full album til now. It starts off with arguably it's most challenging song, "Jordan, Minnesota" and doesn't really let up from there. Not for everyone I think, but there's some really inventive sounds and production all over this. I can see a big influence on grunge and industrial in the 90s. Not one I'd listen to a lot, but glad to have dived into it.
Roxy Music
4/5
Enjoyed this album a lot, ever though For Your Pleasure is much better. Contrary to what seems to be popular opinion, I like the spacey Eno songs!
Ride
5/5
I've liked this one for a long time, enough to buy the special edition on vinyl a couple of years ago. I wasn't around for the first wave of shoegaze's popularity in the 90s, but was firmly on board the second wave in the early 2010s. It's a great album, definitely one of the best from the shoegaze years. I love the drive of the music, very strong in some places and nice and floaty in others. The vocals do get a bit annoying after a while though, and some of the lyrics are a bit immature. I can forgive it though, because it all ties together so brilliantly with Vapour Trail. Solid 9/10 for me.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
I've never intentionally listened to Frank Sinatra, but have read the story behind this a few times. It tends to catch my eye because it's the first album in the book. It's another one that's hard to judge by today's standards, as it sounds so very of it's time. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I found it pretty hard to relate to in general. It's pleasant enough to listen to, but a bit too long and fairly repetitive. Great voice though, and very well recorded for the time!
The Crusaders
4/5
I don't care that this sounds a bit like hold music, it's smooth AF. If I'm being honest, I preferred it to the Stan Getz album I just got. Maybe some would consider that blasphemy, but I would love to listen to this while driving around a city late at night! 8/10
Stan Getz
4/5
Very enjoyable album, although I think it might be more suitable on a balmy summer evening, rather than a chilly spring morning! Not as good as Getz/Gilbreto, but still very impressive musicianship.
Tangerine Dream
4/5
I like this - another group I've heard mentioned a lot but never listened to. Very space-age. It doesn't sound particularly dated to me either, which is kinda wild. Parts of this sound like they could have been recorded last year. It's not the most engaging listen though, I did find it faded into the background at times. I'd say a lot of the electronic artists I listen to would consider this a big influence. It also made me think about the many parallels between Electronic and Classical music. A lot of this sounds very symphonic.
Steve Earle
4/5
I previously only knew Steve Earle for "Galway Girl", which I grew to hate with a passion after 5 years living in Galway. So I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed this - kind of like a country Bruce Springsteen. I think it straddles (pun intended) the border between country and rock really well. Alt-Country is a genre that I've only recently come around to, but I'm liking what I've heard of it so far. The run from Hillbilly Highway to Someday is particularly great. It does get a bit too "Yee-Haw" for me in places though.
Fairport Convention
4/5
Wasn't in the right mood for this yesterday, but after a second try today it's going down real nicely. The genre fusion is very interesting in some places, but a bit jarring in others. I could have done without Cajun Woman and Million Dollar Bash. Enjoyed the rest of it though, especially Genesis Hall, A Sailor's Life, and Who Knows...the latter of which I already knew, thanks to the Spotify algorithm! Sometimes it gets it right.
Elton John
5/5
This album is pretty incredible, with one of the best opening 4 track runs I've ever heard. I've only recently gotten into Elton John; having never really listened to his 70s albums I thought he was a bit of a hack. I see now the error of my ways though. The songwriting and piano are fantastic, and there's only 2 or 3 duds (Jamaica Jerk-off, Dirty Little Girl and Roy Rodgers). That's to be expected with a double album though, especially when multiple genres are experimented with. None of them are bad enough to knock this though, 9/10.
Lana Del Rey
2/5
I don't think I've listened to this one before, but have no strong feelings about LDR either way. I'm surprised this one was included over NFR though - maybe a bit of recency bias at work here? There are some good songs on here particularly around the middle of the album. But I find the vocals just ok for the most part and the lyrics don't really interest me. Some some of the songs sound quite similar as well, but maybe it's one I'd get into more over time.
Mike Oldfield
5/5
Funnily enough, I thought I got this album already, I do listen to it quite often though. I've never seen The Exorcist, so it never really had that association for me. It makes me think of a lovely spring day or a walk on the beach (á la the iconic album cover), so I'm not sure why it was picked for that film! The album is a masterpiece in my opinion, it's incredible how many instruments he played on it, and how many great melodies appear throughout the two sides.
Little Richard
4/5
Enjoyed this in the same way I enjoyed Buddy Holly. It's pretty repetitive and a little boring, but so obviously influential on all the rock and pop music that came after it. He has a great voice, would have been amazing to see home live I'd say. He does sound like a bit of a creep though, some of the lyrics haven't aged well!
ZZ Top
3/5
I enjoyed this much more than Eliminator, some great songs on here. None of them come close to La Grange though, that one is perfection. I found it a bit repetitive after a while though, not one I'd come back to.
Morrissey
3/5
Some good songs on here, but it's not up to the level of the Smiths' best albums. You can tell from the lyrics that he was already starting to become insufferable, but they were probably considered funny or tongue in cheek at the time. It's hard to judge a song like the National Front Disco now, for example. At the time, it was probably intended as a critique, but Morrissey's views seem to be lining up with the conservatives and UKIP a lot these days, so it's hard to know what he meant at the time. I was all set to point out how derivative some of the guitar riff are of Bowie's glam days, but then I saw who the guitarist was!
Harry Nilsson
4/5
I've heard a lot about this album, bit don't think I've listened to it the whole way through. I see why it's so widely acclaimed, with great songwriting and singing. I knew more of these songs than I thought (going into it I only recognised Coconut from the tracklist), and some are fantastic. There's some pretty goofy ones too - I found "Without You" hard to take seriously given how often it's been in ads/movies and melodramaticly been covered. Some of the songs owe a bit too much to the Beatles too. And as much as I love "Coconut", if some white dude in a bathrobe wrote that song today, he would probably (quite rightly) be cancelled. Top tier album cover though!
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
2/5
Feeling a bit attacked after this. I don't normally like un-exploded blues that much, so this was a bit of a slog in places. There are a few interesting songs on it, but at it's worst it sounds like a band being deliberately obtuse. Still though, at least they made me feel something, which is more than can be said for a lot of these albums.
Goldie
3/5
Actually enjoyed this much more than I expected. It was great as background music for working, and I often found myself vibing to the very deep bass and jungle drums. I only knew the radio edit of Inner City Life going into this, but there are a couple of good songs on it. It's obscenely long though, and quite repetitive in places. Also a bit dated, so the album title is unfortunate!
The Police
3/5
This one has a lot of nostalgia for me, since The Police are one of my Dad's favourite bands, but it's not their best. There's a run of great songs starting with Synchronicity II, but up until then it's not great. Walking in Your Footsteps may have been considered profound at the time, but now it just seems trite and childish. Mother is something else altogether!
Bon Jovi
3/5
I've always been a bit of a Bon Jovi hater, but this wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. The first 3 songs are great, and there's a few others across the rest of the album. Still a bit cringe though in general
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Fantastic album, and one I've only gotten into properly recently, even though I've been a Hendrix fan for a long time. For some reason I always connected more with the first 2 albums. But I get this one now, it's experimental in all the right ways and has some of his best playing (Voodoo Child, Burning of the Midnight Lamp, All Along The Watchtower). Maybe a bit too long, but I'll forgive him!
Ministry
4/5
Enjoyed this a lot, had never listened to Ministry, but knew the Just One Fix riff from Justice's live album. That riff is incredible - it gets stuck in my head for hours after I hear it. Some other really interesting sounds on here as well, especially the effect where the singer sounds underwater. I'd really like to know how they did that!
Muddy Waters
4/5
This one took me a while to come around to, as I don't normally find Blues very interesting. The first couple of times it just sounded like the same song over and over again. Had another listen today though with the "good" headphones, and it sounds great. The production is impeccable, especially the guitar and drums. His singing is great too. Main standouts for me were Mannish Boy, I Can't Be Satisfied, The Blues Had A Baby..., and Deep Down in Florida.
Stephen Stills
2/5
Pretty middle of the road in general. I was expecting more based on the strength of his songs on the CSNY albums, but I found these very forgettable. Some good guitar playing, but the vocals are really unoriginal.
Ash
4/5
This one has a lot of sentimental value for me, as when I was about 7 or 8 my aunt and uncle gave me a mix CD with a load of their favourite songs to bring back to the US with me. Lose Control was on it, and I thought the Tie Fighter sample at the start was the hight of coolness. It still kinda is tbh, and a lot of these songs still hold up. It kind of loses its way towards the end, but the singles are still great.
Radiohead
4/5
This was my favourite Radiohead album for a while, and it still has some of my favourite Radiohead songs - Pyramid Song, You and Whose Army, Dollars & Cents, Life in a Glasshouse. Some of the experiments are really interesting as well. It dragges a bit in the middle though; I've grown tired of I Might Be Wrong and Knives Out over the years. Still a great album, but not quite on the level of Kid A, Ok Computer, or In Rainbows for me.
Doves
3/5
I never really got that into Doves, but really like a few of their songs. I think this album is fine, but a little too long and not that original. I never really thought this about them before, but I guess they are a bit derivative of Oasis. A lot of the songs are much longer than they need to be. I get that they're going for a late night/druggy comedown, but think it's a bit overdone.
The Pretty Things
2/5
Some pretty interesting production ideas on here, even though the overall products quality is really rough. Couple of good songs, but very often sounds derivative of the Beatles. Didn't hate it as much as some of the other early psychedelia on this list.
Baaba Maal
4/5
Never heard of this before, but I think it's great! Absolutely lovely guitar playing, and some very interesting percussion. It's a great recording as well, sounds very lively. Obviously I don't have a clue what any of the songs are about, but the singing is very emotive. Will definitely be listening to this again.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
This is definitely one of my favourite Joni albums - it's up there with Blue for me. I love the airy guitar and jazzy bass thought it. The first three songs in particular have a perfect soundscape, like a huge, but cold, open blue sky. Like being on top of a mountain, or looking out the window of a plane. Sounds exactly like the album cover looks in a lot of ways too. Really interesting images and stories in the lyrics. Just a beautiful album overall!
Edit: after reading some other reviews, I had to come back and add this. It's not a penis on the cover, it's the wrist of her left hand coming out of her pocket. She's wearing a thin bracelet and has a prominent vein. Y'all need Jesus
Janet Jackson
4/5
This is my first time listening to a Janet Jackson album, so I didn't really know what to expect. It's a very solid pop album that's very of it's time. The crispy production in particular dates it - it reminds me a lot of Prince and Madonna in places. There are some great songs on here though, especially the title track, State of the World, Miss You Much, Alright, and Black Cat. I also surprisingly enjoyed Someday is Tonight, even though I usually hate those kind of sensual ballads. At times the lyrics are a bit cheesy, even though I do agree broadly with her views. But if you see it as a product of it's time it makes more sense. I think today's world is so cynical that this album wouldn't be too well received if it was released now. I can see why it was so influential at the time though, and also how it influenced Kendrick Lamar a bit on TPAB.
Skepta
4/5
Surprised how much I enjoyed this, given that I don't listen to Grime, or much UK hip hop in general (apart from Little Sims). I was aware of Skepta, but I think That's Not Me was the only song I recognized. Some other good songs on here too: Shutdown, Detox, It Ain't Safe. I liked Corn on the Curb and Crime Riddim too, but found the skits a bit annoying. Great beats too, sounded really good on some bassy headphones.
James Taylor
2/5
Some good guitar playing, but overall too sickly sweet for me. And I really think he should keep his "sement-mixer" to himself!
Gotan Project
3/5
Enjoyed this, but it kinda faded into the background after a while. A lot of songs that wouldn't sound out of place in a cafe on the continent, circa 2005. I like the fusion of genres, some of the songs are a bit dated though. I remember hearing a lot of music like this around the turn of the millennium. Kind reminds me of the Ministry of Sound chill mixes too.
Richard Hawley
3/5
Found this a bit dull in places, but it does have a few good songs on it - particularly The Ocean, Born Under a Bad Sign, Tonight, and the title track. I think the problem with having a style so obviously retro is that it feels a bit unoriginal, even though he does seem to nail the style. Its quite a cinematic album, and reminds me of shows like Sex Education and The End of the F'ing World, with their anachronistic styles.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Hadn't listened to this one in a while, as I overplayed a lot of the songs when I was a teenager. Forgot how great this album is! Not a bad song on it and many of Zeppelin's best. John Bonham's ferocious drumming is the highlight, especially on When the Levie Breaks.
The Fall
4/5
This is a great one, hadn't listened to it before but I did know the excellent Lost in Music cover. I love the contrast between the really tight band and the absolutely unhinged vocals. Some cool krautrock influences on here too. It gets a bit too meandering towards the end, but still enjoyable.
Megadeth
3/5
Musically, this is pretty great. Really solid riffs, but nothing particularly memorable. Dave Mustaine's vocals and lyrics are absolutely cringe though.
M.I.A.
3/5
Some good songs on here, but overall not as good as Galang I think. Paper Planes is obviously iconic, but I find a lot of this pretty forgettable.
Jacques Brel
3/5
Glad I listened to this, it is a great vocal performance. I do feel like I would have enjoyed it more though if I was better at French. I recognized the Tango song, but everything else was new to me.
M.I.A.
4/5
Great debut, with some really inventive sounds throughout. I hadn't really heard anything like M.I.A. when she first got big, although I think she only got on my radar with Paper Planes. Looking back though, she was really on to something here. Great fusion of genres, but a couple of the experiments don't fully pay off.
Incredible Bongo Band
4/5
Have to say, I was concerned when I saw the length of this album, but it's actually pretty great. Who knew the bongo could carry a whole album?
The Byrds
3/5
I've come to appreciate the Byrds and David Crosby over the course of this challenge, but apart from the first 2 songs, this doesn't do much for me. Granted, I was already quite familiar with both of those, but still. I recognized the importance of this one, but still think the Byrds' legacy is over represented in this book.
Tito Puente
4/5
This was a lot of fun, not my usual type of music at all, but got me moving a bit. Makes me want to take a salsa class or something! A few of the songs faded into background for me, but I can definitely see myself listening to this again.
The Stone Roses
5/5
Brilliant album, another from my youth. They always seemed kind of like dickheads, but they were really on form here. The only song I would consider dropping is Don't Stop, the rest are great! 9/10
Holger Czukay
4/5
Though this was great, maybe not as good as Tago Mago, but I appreciate the experimentation! I thought that Brian Eno and David Byrne were the first to do this sort of thing, interesting to see how this would have influenced them.
Shack
1/5
Don't think this one would have a place in 10,001 albums to hear before you die
Tom Waits
5/5
Wonderfully weird album. I don't know it as well as Rain Dogs, but I want to know it better. The second half is especially good, from Frank's Wild Years On. Very interesting storytelling in the lyrics and the production and instrumentation are excellent.
Jean-Michel Jarre
4/5
This was really good, can see how it would have been very influential at the time. Great soundtrack to work to. Enjoyed it about as much as the Tangerine Dream album I got from this a few weeks ago. Going to add it into my instrumental rotation.
The Beach Boys
4/5
RIP Brian Wilson. I'm sad to say I've tried to get this album over many years, but it never clicked. I understand what it is historically significant though, and this time around I have it a fresh listen on good headphones (stereo mix). I really appreciated the production this time around, but still find like half of the songs on here forgettable. Overall an interesting experience though, and great singles.
Antony and the Johnsons
3/5
I've listened to Anohni's solo album Hopelessness, so kind of knew what to expect here. Her voice is very unique and definitely takes some getting used to, and the songwriting is very solid. Quite melancholy and personal themes in the lyrics. Not something I see myself going back to, but glad to have listened to it.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
I don't like Rolling Stones albums, and I'm not sorry! They have many incredible songs, but they just didn't do albums well. Every one I've listened to has like 2-4 great songs and the rest is either trash or completely mid. I don't get people rating this album so highly. The 40 Licks compilation is enough for me.
Supertramp
4/5
Quite liked this, kinda like a proggy 10cc. Will definitely be coming back to this!
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Great album, but not quite as great as DLD or AB/LO. Thankfully I've been in a stable relationship for over a decade, but I feel like this would be a perfect break up album for someone else.
Sabu
3/5
Not really my thing at all, but it was an interesting enough listen. Probably would be better to see live, not really an "at home" album.
Björk
3/5
Some very interesting vocal experiments on here, but it's not something I'd listen to often. It's also not one I'd recommend to someone who doesn't already like Bjork. Not sure why this was picked over Vespertine and Homogenic. But I guess it does get some extra points for being unique.
Deee-Lite
3/5
This album is really not as bad as the reviews would have you think. Sure it is a bit dated, but far from a one hit wonder! Some other good songs on here are A Good Beat, What Is Love, and E.S.P. There are a few mid ones, but the only one I really disliked was The Power of Love.
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
Enjoyed this more than Want One, even though it is a bit long. I don't always enjoy Wainwright's cabaret style singing, but when it's good it's great - Especially on The Art Teacher, Gay Messiah, and Waiting For a Dream. Also really liked the duet with Antony Hegarty (AHNONI?)
Merle Haggard
3/5
This isn't my usual style of music, but I did enjoy parts of it - mainly the title track and the last two. A lot of the in between was a bit too repetitive for me lyrics-wise. Too many of the same clichés about being screwed over by some woman or another. Also a bit too much talk of women like they were property, but I guess it was the 60s after all. Bumping this from a 2 star to a 3 to help counter the Neanderthals who just give an automatic 1 to all country albums.
One thing I did to amuse myself while listening was to re-imagine the lyrics as gangsta rap songs. It's funny how similar a lot of the themes are - worked particularly well for the title track and Skid Row!
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Hadn't listened to this one in a while, but it was always my favourite Hendrix album. Forgot just how great it was! So many groundbreaking riffs, and an improvement over their first album, which had some fat to trim, IMO.
The Incredible String Band
3/5
I'll preface this by saying that this is much better than most of the lesser known 60s psychedelia that I've gotten in this generator. However, I don't think I really in the right state of mind to judge it properly, if you know what I mean. It's not really a "Monday morning in the home office" kind of album. I did enjoy a lot of the instrumentation though, and especially liked "The Minotaur's Song" and "Walz of the New Moon". Maybe I'll come back to it again some night after a few jars.
Coldcut
4/5
Slightly dated, but found myself enjoying a lot of this. Some incentive sampling and production. Unfortunately I haven't found a good download of this yet, so had to listen on YouTube.
Lambchop
1/5
Bad singing, good instrumentation, uninteresting lyrics. Only song that stood out in any way was Up With People. Everything else just washed over me. No idea why this is on the list.
Pink Floyd
4/5
It's a bit difficult to make an argument for giving this album anything less than 5 stars, unless you're a very dedicated Pink Floyd hater. Or maybe if you were born in this millennium I suppose.
At the same time, it feels wrong to give my 5th favourite Floyd album 5 stars. It's a fantastic production and has masterful production and storytelling. Very cinematic and ambitious. But it really demands the listener to be in the right mood to get through the whole thing, and is hard to listen to casually, apart from the big hitters. And if I'm in such a depressed and nihilistic mood, I'd usually rather put on Animals or Wish You Were Here. If I want the concept-heavy, meaning-of-life Pink Floyd, I'd rather Dark Side. If I want something fun and spacey, it's Meddle.
I'd also argue that you could probably just listen to In The Flesh?, Another Brick in the Wall 1-3, Hey You, Comfortably Numb, In the Flesh, and Run Like Hell, and still get a pretty complete picture of what the concept is. So I kind of agree with those who say it's bloated and indulgent. But that's also kind of the point!
I also have to deduct points for the ironicly poor grammar on Another Brick pt.2, so I'm landing on 4 stars.
4/5
How have I lived this long without giving Devo a listen? A few of these sounded familiar, but the only song I knew for sure was the Satisfaction cover, which I love. It's much better than the original! So many other great songs on here, I can see as well how they would be considered very influential. Quite like Talking Heads, but with even more energy. I'm giving it a 4 for now, but could see this becoming a 5 for me over time.
Joan Armatrading
5/5
This is a great album, glad I finally listened to it! I knew Love and Affection already, just had no idea how talented she is. Great songwriting, production, and singing. Not really a bad song on here, and sounds quite ahead of it's time as well.
The Louvin Brothers
2/5
Not really my style at all. Some good singing and mandolin playing but I found most of the songs kind of blurred into one. The only ones that stood out were In the Pines, Alabama, and the harrowing Kentucky Girl.
Elvis Costello
2/5
I think this means I'm finally coming to the end of the Elvis Costello tunnel. I'm honestly so sick of this man. There's 3 good songs on here IMO: Alison, Less Than Zero, and Watching the Detectives. The rest is painfully mid.
The Divine Comedy
4/5
Think was a bit of a surprise, I've heard good things about the Divine Comedy, but only ever knew the National Express and Songs of Love (from Father Ted of course). It's not really my preferred style of singing, but it really works well with the orchestral instrumentation. Some very clever, funny and downright weird lyrics as well. Best songs: Something for the Weekend, Alfie, Charge, Songs of Love, The Frog Princess, Sleepless Night.
Gang Of Four
5/5
Absolutely love this, glad to finally have gotten around to it. Another band I have heard of a lot over the years, but the only song I knew going in was Damaged Goods (mainly from the Idles cover). I thought that Natural's Not In It and At Home He's A Tourist sounded very familiar, but I think I've just heard other more modern bands imitating their sounds. I can hear a lot of influence on US post hardcore bands like Fugazi, the Riot Grrl movement, as well as the modern post-punk revival of course. I enjoyed pretty much every other song on here too, especially Ether, Guns Before Butter, and 5.45. The band is really tight, and good political content in the lyrics. Opening an album in 1979 with a critique of the treatment of IRA prisoners in the H Blocks was very punk indeed!
Gil Scott-Heron
5/5
Beautiful album. I'm surprised this isn't more well known - I had only heard The Bottle until now. You can see the roots of hip hop in this and Pieces of a Man. Lovely jazz piano and flute too. Had to listen to it on YouTube unfortunately, but I will look into getting a copy of this asap.
Slipknot
3/5
I only ever listened to Duality over the years, which I always had a soft spot for. I enjoyed this and All Hope Is Gone much more than I expected, and probably wouldn't have listened to them at all if not for this challenge. Neither are an easy listen though, and I would argue that one Slipknot album would have been sufficient.
There's some great songs on here, particularly (sic), Eyeless, and Only One. I found a lot of the middle tracks a bit repetitive though, and the lyrics (and the band in general) will always remind me of those "edgelord" type teenagers I knew when I was young. Great drumming overall though, lots of cool experiments with different styles.
Madness
4/5
I don't think I've ever listened to a Madness album before, but always liked most of their singles. This was much more varied and artistic than I was expecting. I enjoyed most of these songs, even though it was a bit long. No complaints really!
The Black Keys
3/5
I've never really clicked with the Black Keys, similar to the White Stripes (although I do marginally prefer them). On paper I should like them, and they have some great songs. But there's something a bit hollow about their music. It just doesn't stick with me. This album is also a bit too long, and fairly front-loaded.
Scott Walker
2/5
I like Scott's voice a lot, but this album is just kind of boring in comparison to #3 and #4. Sounds very dated, whereas the others had a bit of experimentation, and better, more original songwriting.
Lucinda Williams
4/5
I really like a lot of this album, having only discovered it about a year ago. I do find it a bit repetitive, and that it dips in quality a bit in the middle, but her songwriting is excellent. I just wish the music was a bit more interesting. The best songs are the ones with better instrumentation and melodies, like the title track, 2 Kool, and Joy. Also really enjoy Lake Charles.
Fleet Foxes
5/5
One of my favourite albums of all time. It came out around the time I turned 18, so I was the perfect age to hop on the indie folk hype train. Nothing in that scene came close to this though - it's a world away from the likes of Mumford & Sons, The Lumineers, etc. There's songs on this album that genuinely sound like music from centuries ago, updated and adapted to modern times.
Now that I'm older and wiser, I see that Fleet Foxes owe quite a debt to Simon & Garfunkel (among others), but the songwriting and musicianship is so good that it does still stand as a masterpiece in its own right. They did somehow manage to top this with their second album imo, but I'm not sure if that's on this list.
Pink Floyd
5/5
A perfect album, not quite as good as DSotM in my opinion, but it's very close. Parts of Shine On was played at my friend's funeral, so I don't listen to this album as often as I used to. That's a shame though, because it was nice to think of him today. He died far too young, but squeezed a lot of living out of his 18 years. Some of my favourite guitar playing ever on this album as well. I'm starting to wonder if Gilmour is actually my favourite guitarist.
The Temptations
3/5
I expected a bit more from this one, given how much I love Papa Was A Rolling Stone. The only other songs that I found memorable were Run Charlie Run, and I Ain't Got Nothing. Overall pretty pleasant to listen to though.
LTJ Bukem
3/5
Took me a few listens to get through this one, but I actually quite enjoyed a lot of it. It is far too long though - 2 hours of DnB is a lot of DnB! I enjoyed the first disc much more, would have been happier with just that.
The Dictators
2/5
I get that this is supposed to be satirical, and can see how it might have been somewhat funny at the time. But the humour hasn't really aged well, and a lot of it is really dumb. Some decent guitar playing, but I would much rather just listen to New York Dolls or The Ramones.
Soul II Soul
3/5
This is a bit dated but still quite enjoyable, particularly the tracks with female vocalists.
The Monkees
3/5
Even though this band is essentially a second rate Beatles impersonation, I did enjoy bits of this, particularly the weird goofy parts like Zilch. Probably won't bother listening to it again though.
The Flaming Lips
5/5
Not quite a perfect album, but this is the Flaming Lips at their best, imo. Wayne's singing could still be better, but the songs are so well written and polished that I can forgive it. Love the futuristic robot lyrics and existential themes. Ego Tripping has one of my favourite basslines ever, it's one of my headphone/speaker reference tracks. 9/10
Bert Jansch
4/5
Hadn't listened to this before, but I have heard of the artist. His guitar playing is incredible, and I quite like his singing too! Some of the shorter sketch type songs seem a bit unfinished, but apart from that I have no complaints. Can see myself listening to this a good bit in future. 8/10
Culture Club
3/5
Pretty inoffensive as 80s pop music goes, with some pretty good songs (Karma, Black Money, Church, Miss Me), but the deeper cuts are a bit dull. Have to give respect to Boy George as a trailblazer though as well.
Def Leppard
1/5
These poor guys just came here to rock! Are you all ready to rock?! Has anyone here ever heard of something called rock music?!
I absolutely despise music like this. It's overly sanitized, completely lacking in depth, and the lyrics are ridiculous. I hate this narrative that "rock" is always close to death - it wasn't in 1983 and it isn't now either. Bands like this just pushed rock into the underground in the late 80s/90s, probably for the better.
It's probably marginally better than the other Def Leopard on this list, but I'm so offended that they have 2 albums in the book that it gets 1 star.
Butthole Surfers
3/5
As nightmarish and gross as this is in places, you do have to give them props for doing something so completely different from the vast majority of music. Band name is a 10/10 as well.
Megadeth
2/5
Liked parts of this, and the guitar playing is great. Cringe lyrics though, and not as good overall as Rust in Peace. Not really sure if we needed 2 Megadeath albums on this list.
Arcade Fire
5/5
Maybe not the best Arcade Fire album "objectively" speaking (if that's even possible with music), but my favourite of theirs. I was listening to this a lot when it came out, and was going through a very rough time in my life, so a lot of the songs have taken on very personal meanings for me.
There's a slight lull in the middle of it, and its maybe a bit too long, but other than that I think it's close to perfect. I think the themes of lost childhood and coming of age in a dangerous world are probably even more relevant today as well.
Aerosmith
2/5
Sweet Emotion is pretty much a perfect song IMO, and some others are decent, but the rest of this is pretty middle of the road. Some great guitar playing, and if you pay no attention to lyrics, I can see why you'd rate it highly. But the lyrics are so creepy in places, especially knowing that Tyler was grooming a teenager just a few years prior to this. It's hard to argue for separation of art from the artist when you have a dude in his late 20s writing a song like Walk This Way, which features a sexy "young bleeder" high school cheerleader.
The Young Gods
4/5
I expected to hate this, but after the second listen was quite enjoying it. I've loved NIN for a long time, and always wanted to find some other Industrial Rock to listen to, but never came across this band. I'd say this had some sort of influence on Trent Reznor and various other hard rock acts of the 90s.
Small Faces
3/5
This was surprisingly good, I expected it to be of the same calibre of a lot of the other 60s psyche slop that this generator likes to serve up every so often. There's some great songs here though, mainly in the first half, and it's well produced. The second side gets a bit weird though. I found the nonsensical voiceover funny at first, but was sick of it by the end.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Some great singing on here, and great songwriting too. But at the end of the day, it's a covers album. Not really sure if it's innovative enough to be on here.
Metallica
3/5
I've given out about live albums being in this book before, but I think I can give this one a pass since it's a unique concept. What I can't give a pass though, is the number of terrible songs on here. Metallica really did take a nose dive in quality after the Black Album. I wish it was mixed a bit better as well, sometimes you can barely hear the orchestra over the band.
Some of the older songs are great, maybe even improved by the orchestra. Master of Puppets gave me chills when the crowd started singing along. The last 4 songs on the second disc are great too. Overall a mixed bag, but interesting enough in places.
Johnny Cash
5/5
I'm not a big fan of country, but Johnny Cash is something else. Like a lot of people of my generation, I was introduced to his music via the Walk the Line film. Since then, I haven't delved too deeply into his catalogue, but usually enjoy listening to whatever songs of his I come across.
This is one of the best live albums I've ever heard, and a great compilation of his best songs. I enjoyed the short version so much that I went and listened to the 90+ minute Legacy version, which flows better and has more songs from the other artists. Some of the songs are a bit ordinary, and the recording is a bit rough in places, but Cash's rapport with the crowd is incredible. He had them in the palm of his hand. It's very transportative as well, a great window into that time and place. Really glad to have finally listened to this, and looking forward to getting the Folsom prison album.
The Cramps
3/5
I kind of hated this on first listen, but the second time around it grew on me. It's still kinda terrible, but in a fun way, like the Evil Dead or something. It's very cinematic and groovy, like a spookier Dick Dale.
The Only Ones
2/5
I feel like giving this a 1 star, but Another Girl, Another Planet is such a good song that I think I have to bump it to 2. The rest of it is nothing worth remembering though: bad singing, uninteresting lyrics, ordinary music.
Buck Owens
2/5
Some decent songs on here, and I can see how it could have been influential. But overall it's "Wham bam, thank you mam, not for me"
Billy Bragg
4/5
Loved this, I've been meaning to get into Billy Bragg for years now. I prefer his political songs to his love songs, but some of those are great too. Some of the points he raises should be dated, but are unfortunately more relevant than ever. 8/10, but could see this rising to a 9 over time.
Incidentally, it occurred to me that this is what Elvis Costello's music could have been, if he was a bit more political. Maybe that's why his music rubs me the wrong way a lot of the time, it just feels lacking in some way.
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
Some good songs on here, and I can see the influence they had on other British bands later on in the 90s. But overall, I find them pretty mediocre. Definitely remind me a lot of Big Star, who I also find pretty mediocre!
The Thrills
1/5
This one is somewhat nostalgic for me, as it was played to death on Irish radio at the time, when I was about 12 or 13. Apart from the big hits though, it's fairly dull. The singer's fake American accent gets old pretty quickly too. It's a pleasant enough sounding album, but is so derivative of the influences they wear proudly on their sleeves, that I don't think it's really deserving of this list.
a-ha
3/5
This album is just fine, Take on Me is obviously incredible but none of the other songs are of the same quality. Some are pretty good though, like The Sun Always Shines on TV, and the closer. Overall though it is a bit too melodramatic and "80s sounding" for me though.
Ms. Dynamite
3/5
"Dy-Na-Mi-Tee" will always remind me of the menu screens of Fifa 2003, surprised no one's mentioned that yet! This is a pretty good album, but a bit dated now, and hasn't really stood its ground in the zeitgeist in the same way Lauryn Hill has. I feel like that's maybe an unfair comparison to make, but can see why people make it.
I think a lot of the US reviewers on here are misunderstanding how big a deal winning the Mercury Prize is in the UK and Ireland, it's almost like being Grammy nominated, and tends to correlate with critical acclaim and popularity. It's also been a curse for more than one artist who couldn't produce a decent follow up, as might be the case here. Looking back now, The Streets probably should have won that year.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Haven't listened to this one in a while, apart from hearing the singles every so often on the radio. Looking back now, this album was probably part of the end of the era that was the 2000s indie rock revival, or whatever you call it yourself. It was something of an end of an era for me too, coming out the year I finished secondary school. I was never a huge YYYs fan, but had great respect for them, and thought they seemed like basically the coolest people in the world at the time.
Listening back to this now, I forgot just how many fantastic songs are on it. The first 2 are incredible, and the next 3 are pretty great too. Then there is a bit of a lull in the middle before coming back to form with Dragon Queen. Then the last 2 songs tie it all together nicely.
Beth Orton
3/5
I've had this CD for years, and always kind of enjoyed it but never really connected with it fully. I was introduced to Beth Orton, like many people I imagine, through her features on Chemical Brothers tracks. I think she has a great voice, and really appreciate the blend of genres, but there's something missing for me. Some great standout tracks though, particularly Stolen Car, Pass in Time, and the title track.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Great album, but not as great as Innervisions or Songs in the Key of Life. I didn't really care for You and I or Tuesday Heartbreak, but the rest is very solid.
Orange Juice
1/5
Title track is really good, but I knew that already. The rest of the album is painfully mid though. The only interesting thing about them is that they're Scottish
The Doors
1/5
The first couple of songs are great, but after that it's just variations of tired old blues riffs with some psychedelic flair added. I'd argue that only two Doors albums were needed in this book, the debut and LA Woman.
Robbie Williams
3/5
I was expecting much worse from this tbh. Going into it, I only knew Angels and Let Me Entertain You. I think the latter is great, but the former was on a Christmas compilation we had when I was a kid, so in my head it's purely a Christmas song. There are a few other good songs on here though, particularly the last 3. The rest is a bit bland and full of silly lyrics, which is fine I guess. Also owes way too much to Oasis. I never really connected Robbie Williams to the Britpop scene before, but I guess he was part of it.
Arcade Fire
5/5
Two Arcade Fire albums in a month, quite a treat! This is another album I know well from my teenage years. I know they probably have their haters, but I think they're well deserving of their three places on here. Great lyrics and instrumentation, and covered a lot of similar themes as the Emo revival that was going on in tandem, in a different way. I've heard the more popular songs like Laika, Wake Up, and Rebellion so many times that I almost don't hear them anymore, but they are still great. Une Anneé Sans Lumière and Crown of Thorns are incredible songs. Not a bad song on here really, and it was very influential on the wave of indie music that came after.
UB40
4/5
Wow, this wasn't what I expected at all - I thought this band just did pop reggae covers! Really enjoyed this, it slots in well with the other dub reggae coming out of Britain in the 70s and 80s. It feels very British, while also being true to its Caribbean roots.
Some of the songs do run a bit too long, but it's forgiveable since they are quite danceable!
Miles Davis
5/5
I think a lot of ink has been spilled on this album already, so I haven't got much to add. It's definitely a classic, and was one of the first jazz albums I listened to and grew to appreciate. I kind of forgot about it for a few years though, when I got into more modern and avant garde jazz. But then I came back to it sometime over covid, got it on vinyl, and discovered it all over again. I don't see it ever leaving my collection.
Koffi Olomide
3/5
I don't really know enough about Congolese music to judge this properly, but I found parts of it pretty danceable and uplifting. I don't think I'd listen to it again, but glad to get something different from the generator for a change!
Beck
5/5
This one takes me back to my teens. I was a big fan of Beck back then, although I have mellowed (yes, pun intended) a bit on him in recent years. This was always my favourite album of his. So many different genres, experiments, and wacky lyrics it's even hard for me to pick out highlights. I can see why it might not be for everyone, but it certainly opened my mind at the time.
Everything But The Girl
4/5
Apart from hearing Missing on the radio a lot when I was a kid, I only really listened to EBTG when Fuse came out. Can't believe I missed out so much, they are great! This album is pretty front-loaded, but overall it is very good, nice mix of genres and very chilled out. I love Tracy Thorn's voice as well.
The Temptations
3/5
I like a lot of this, particularly the funkier first half. But quite a few of the songs are pretty forgettable. I wasn't really into the Motown style ballads as much.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
I'm surprised to read that this is her most commercially successful album. I would have thought Blue had sold more. I don't love this one as much as Blue or Heijira, but it is still great. Full of fantastic songwriting and hinting towards her upcoming jazzier experimental stuff. 9/10
Ramones
3/5
This is a good album, but not great enough to bring me back for repeated listens. It's incredibly repetitive, but I guess that's kind of the point. It was super influential, so many bands and artists that came after were obviously inspired by them. For me though, they're more of a Greatest Hits band than an Album band.
Jane's Addiction
4/5
I've been aware of Jane's Addiction for a long time, and even saw them live at a festival back in 2011 or something like that (and thought they were great). But I don't think I've ever listened to this the whole way through. I really enjoyed it though, especially the longer tracks in the second half, which I wasn't familiar with.
Mike Ladd
4/5
Never heard of this artist before, really interesting stuff though. Reminds me a bit of MF DOOM in places, and in other places Flying Lotus. Some of the tracks don't really pan out fully, and it is a bit too long. I'm glad to have found it though - will definitely be revisiting it!
Dagmar Krause
2/5
This was unexpected, but kind of interesting. Reminds me a lot of the Cabaret film. I really enjoyed some of the songs and arrangements, but after a while the clunky lyrics and musical theatre style started to grate on me. Wouldn't listen again.
Tracy Chapman
5/5
This is a pretty perfect album. Apart from the two big hits that open up the set, there's some great melodies, lyrics and songwriting. Lots of variation in styles as well, and very relatable stories in the lyrics. Definitely deserves its place, and I think it will stand as an all time classic.
2Pac
4/5
I love a lot of hip hop, but mostly not gangsta rap, so I went into this one pretty cautiously. I'm a big Kendrick Lamar fan though, so I was curious to hear more about the guy who was such a big inspiration to him.
This honestly surprised me, with its introspective and vulnerable lyrics. There is a lot of the gansta/thug type lyrics, but also a lot of context provided for how he fell into that lifestyle (similar to Kendrick). This is exactly what I feel is missing from the Dre and Snoop albums on this list, so it's very welcome. The beats and production are also great as well, g-funk at it's best.
The downsides though, it is a bit repetitive and too long. After a while it starts to feel like 2Pac has a bit of a Saviour complex. There are also some misogynistic and creepy lyrics here and there, but not nearly as much as some of his contemporaries. I don't really want to comment on his crimes - it sounds like he was guilty, but also did his time from what I understand.
Overall, I enjoyed finally listening to some 2Pac and can see what the hype is. Not sure I would listen again though, and some of the songs I would drop. I think Kendrick did it better. Realistically this is a 3 star for me, but I'm bumping it to 4 to counter some of the "all-rap-sucks" cretins.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
I don't know how many times I've listened to this album, and for the life of me, I don't get the hype. There are some really good songs (Tumbling Dice, Shake Your Hips, Ventilator Blues, Let it Loose, Shine A Light, Soul Survivor), but no really great or timeless ones. The rest of it just sounds messy and in need of editing, to my ears. Not as bad as some of their earlier albums though, I guess.
SZA
3/5
I listened to this a couple of times when it came out, didn't really get it then. I kind of get it now, but feel like it's just not really for me. Particularly the first few songs - I find women rapping/singing about dicks and pussy just as cringe as when men do it, apparently! The middle and end of the album are much better though. By then I've warmed up a bit to her vocal style, and like the introspective and vulnerable lyrics. Might give her newer albums a go now.
The Sonics
3/5
Not a bad album, even if most of the songs are covers, a few of them slap. They do seem to have been quite influential, so they get some extra points there. But I did get a bit tired of the repetitive sounds and screaming from the singer.
Tricky
4/5
I've known this album for a long time, and like a lot about it, but don't think it hits the highs of his trip hop contemporaries like Massive Attack and Portishead. Some great songs though and inventive production - it sounds very unique.
Tori Amos
5/5
Fantastic album, I have listened to it off and on over the years, but never as closely as I have now. I love her piano playing, melodies and lyrics. Not a bad song on here really, and even after many listens, several of these songs still give me chills.
Happy Mondays
4/5
This album is pretty iconic, and much more solid than I expected it to be. The three best songs are the singles of course (Kinky Afro, Step On, Loose Fit), but the general vibe is great, and it's an important point in the evolution and popularisation of dance music.
Leonard Cohen
1/5
This guy confuses me so much. Sometimes he's brilliant, but other times he's (seemingly) intentionally bad. There's a couple of decent songs on here (Manhattan and Everybody), but apart from that, terrible. Also creepy
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
I think of RHCP as a sort of "crowd pleaser" band for people born in the 80s and 90s. Put them on at a party and most people won't complain, but most likely they'll just fade into the background. That's at least true for their greatest hits, but doesn't really apply to this album. The hits on here are indeed great, but the rest of the songs are mostly terrible. Stupid lyrics, recorded way too loud, and too long as well. It's a shame really, because Flea and Frusciante have huge talent that are kind of wasted. Scar Tissue, Otherside, and Road Trippin are great songs though.
Soundgarden
5/5
One of my all time faves, and arguably the best grunge album (fight me). I was always a bigger Pearl Jam fan, but these days I always find myself revisiting Superunknown more than any PJ or Nirvana album. I just love the heavy, sludgy, psychedelic guitar sound, mingled with Chris Cornell's incredible voice. He was one of the best ever, such a sad loss for humanity.
I can see the argument that it's maybe a bit too long, but that's just the way with 90s albums isn't it? There's only 2 or 3 tracks I could see dropping...maybe Limo Wreck, Kickstand and Half. Everything thing else on here is essential though IMO.
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
Quite liked this, although it was a bit repetitive and sometimes faded into the background. I really enjoyed the overall vibe though. The guitar playing was excellent, like American blues played with a distinctly West African flavor. I didn't like the fiddle centred songs as much, but didn't hate them either.
The Beta Band
4/5
Really enjoyed this one. I've known of them for a while, since watching High Fidelty like 15 years ago, but have only really listened to the 3 EPs (and Squares). Lots of interesting styles on here, combined in a very listenable, laid back way.
Miles Davis
4/5
I don't have the historical knowledge to fully appreciate what this style was such a departure from. But I really enjoy it - it has a very classy sound.
Queen Latifah
4/5
This was a pretty trailblazing album for women in hip hop (and the genre in general I guess), but it's not perfect, and the beats and production are a bit dated. Lots of really great songs though (Dance for Me, Come into my House, Latifah's Law, Ladies First, Evil That Men Do), and she is a very skilled rapper. The house beats are very danceable, even though they are quite "of the time" and a bit repetitive.
The baby voice on "Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children" is unforgivable though, she loses a full star for that.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
I was something of a Led Zeppelin super fan as a teenager, so it feels weird to rate this so low. There are some great songs on here, but overall it's not them at their best. A very promising debut in retrospect, but wonder how well I would have reviewed it if I was around in 1969. The production is also rough AF. The best songs imo are Good Times Bad Times, Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, Dazed and Confused, and Communication Breakdown. The rest I can kinda take or leave. I always thought that Your Time is Gonna Come sounds like a completely different band - it sticks out like a sore thumb.
Frank Sinatra
2/5
I kind of wanted to like this more, and did really enjoy the opening song and a lot of the instrumentation on other tracks. But overall it feels a bit inauthentic, given that Bossa Nova was by no means a "new sound" at the time. Maybe it was new to Sinatra's fans at the time I guess. Pretty creepy lyrics on "Change Partners" and "I Concentrate On You" as well there, Frank.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Enjoyed this a lot more than her debut album. Has some really great standout tracks; the first three and last two are brilliant, and also Breakfast in Bed, Windmills of Your Mind in the middle.
I thought it reminded me a lot of Carole King in places, then Checked the credits to find that she's all over them! I don't think it's as good as Tapestry, but not far off. 8/10
Hole
5/5
Really like this, and I can't believe I slept on Hole for so long. I prefer the more raw sound of Live Through This, but there are still many great songs on here. 9/10
5/5
Went into this not knowing anything about it other than Victoria, so I was pretty surprised that it lives up to Village Green. So many great songs on here, and good exploration of different styles. I never really appreciated how heavy their music was, for the time. Will definitely be revisiting this. 9/10
Ice Cube
1/5
I feel like I need to preface this by saying I love a lot of hip hop, because I see a lot of unnecessary hate laid on the actually good hip hop albums on this list.
However, for me to actually enjoy hip hop (no matter how good the flow or the production), the lyrics have to be clever and insightful, or at least funny in a tasteful way. I mostly prefer political hip hop, and I can tolerate a good bit of bragidoccio. But I draw the line at the sort of horrible misogyny on display all over this album, not just You Can't Fade Me. There's just no excuse for it, and we don't have to perpetuate it by immortalising albums like this.
Elements of this are noteworthy, and I did enjoy the Chuck D feature. But overall, it doesn't bring anything to the table that N.W.A. hadn't already brought with Straight Outta Compton, and it has aged even worse than that album.
The Lemonheads
4/5
For some reason, I never got around to listening to this one, despite my borderline obsession with 90s alt rock and grunge. I only knew the Mrs. Robinson cover. The whole album is great though - short and snappy, and very catchybin places. Especially liked the title track, Confetti, My Drugs Friend and Alison's Starting to Happen.
Pentangle
4/5
The first time I listened to this one I wasn't in the right mood for it at all, second time I really enjoyed it! Genuinely sounds like medieval music in places, but tastefully updated for the times. At times I felt like I was meant to be dancing around a May pole. Some excellent guitar playing all over this, and nice flourishes of othe instruments. I thought the sitar was maybe a bit too much, but I can forgive that given the year it was released. The singing gets a bit too warbly in places, but overall I enjoyed it. 8/10
The White Stripes
3/5
Enjoyed this one more than White Blood Cells, but I still find that their music just doesn't stay with me, apart from the singles I already know. My Doorbell, Blue Orchid, Denial Twist and Take Take Take are all great, but the rest of it I can take or leave. I think Meg White gets too much hate as a drummer, she's great and gives them a very recognizable sound.
5/5
Absolute masterpiece. I don't listen to this one as much as Fragile, but I will take it out more often now after listening to it more closely. It's so moving to hear a group of musicians performing in sync at the peak of their ability.
Tom Waits
4/5
I hadn't listened to this one before, only Closing Time, Swordfish, and Rain Dogs. This isn't quite on the level of the latter 2 but I really enjoyed it all the same. He really pushes the limits of his voice. Can see how some people (most people?) would absolutely hate this.
Dolly Parton
3/5
Enjoyed a lot of this, and they are all fantastic singers. It's a bit too dreary and lacking energy in places for me though. Don't think I'd listen again but glad I did!
Radiohead
5/5
There was a time when this was my favourite Radiohead album, but it's since been overtaken by In Rainbows, Kid A and OK Computer. It still has some great songs on it, even though I think High & Dry and Fake Plastic Trees were chronically overplayed, to the point where I don't even hear them anymore. Enjoyed listening to the deep cuts again though, like Black Star and Bulletproof. Street Spirit is probably one of my favourite songs of all time - still always gives me chills. Its not perfect, and a little dated, but I still love it. 9/10
The Notorious B.I.G.
1/5
I had never listened to this before, and I think the only song I knew going in was Juicy. This gets constantly referenced as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time though, so I guess it's finally time to see what the fuss is about.
Overall, if I could just rate this on production and rapping skills, this would probably be a 5. I really like some of the songs, mainly Juicy and some of the storytelling ones near the beginning, but wow so many of these lyrics are just gross. Casual homophobia, misogyny, and passing references to domestic abuse being presented as ok. Don't even get me started on the porn sketches (the blow job one at the end of Respect completely ruins an otherwise great song). I couldn't listen to this album on anything other than headphones without being horrifically embarrassed, and I proudly listen to a lot of weird stuff on my stereo and in the car.
I much prefer Illmatic, which came out around the same time, and deals with a lot of similar themes, without being absolutely disgusting in the delivery.
The Sugarcubes
4/5
I thought I had this album, but it turns out I've been listening to the greatest hits compilation all these years. This is a great debut, with a lot of unique songwriting and great energy from Bjork. I love drumming on it as well. The downsides for me are the somewhat annoying male vocalist who talk-sings from time to time, and the too-bright 80s style production. Both of those date the album somewhat, but there's still enough great songs on here to make up a memorable album. 8/10
Guided By Voices
2/5
I've heard of this band a good few times, but never listened to them. I can see why this was included on the list, because it shows how successful a band can be with a lo-fi approach.
But I find the sheer number of song snippets on here a bit overwhelming. So many of them sound like demos, and there's no real flow to the album. I would have liked to hear like 12-15 of these songs at a proper length. The best ones, like Game of Pricks and Blimps Go 90, feel like they're only getting started and then they end.
A lot of the songs are just obnoxious experimentation with effects and static as well, like Chicken Blows. Why is that one over 2 mins long, and the best songs on the album are barely 90 seconds? Come to think of it, I would have cut everything after "Blimps Go 90", apart from "Alright".
Björk
5/5
Love this one, although it took me a while to come around to. I think Homogenic is a better album overall though, surprised that isn't on here. The style of this is very intimate and cosy, in a wintery sort of way. I never knew until now that Matmos are collaborators on this album, I recognize them now though! Their style is really evident on Aurora and Unison especially. 9/10
Sugar
4/5
Hadn't heard of this one, so I initially assumed it was some throwaway 90s alt rock band. Surprisingly though, this is right up my alley! I'm a sucker for these sort of melancholy lyrics paired with optimistic melodies. Love the guitar sound too. Only negatives are that it is slightly repetitive melody wise, and the lyrics are sometimes hard to catch. Will definitely be revisiting this though.
X-Ray Spex
4/5
Really fun album. I only knew Germfree Adolescents and Oh Bondage going in, but there some other great songs on here as well. It's nice to hear a classic punk album that hasn't been played to death, it sounds pretty fresh and ahead of its time. Singer sounds quite like Johnny Rotten, but over all I think these songs are much better than the Sex Pistols. It is a but repetitive, and maybe there are a few songs too many. But I think some of the ones toward the end were bonus tracks. No other notes really.
Peter Gabriel
5/5
I've mainly been listening to Gabriel's earlier solo albums and his Genesis ones over the past few years, so completely forgot how many great songs are on here. I especially like the collaborative ones. Elements of it are slightly dated, but it's pretty perfect, as far as 80s pop goes. 9/10
The Associates
1/5
I can't work out if this is genius or terrible. Some great energy in the music, very danceable in places. I recognised one song, Party Fears Two, but nothing else here seems that different from other new wave bands at the time. The vocals are quite annoying at times, and very derivative of David Bowie too. The drumming is absolutely frantic on some of the songs, and I think slightly out of time, which made me uneasy. So I think I've landed on terrible.
Marianne Faithfull
4/5
I quite enjoyed this album, despite knowing very little about the artist going into it. I knew her name and some vague association with Mick Jagger, bit not much beyond that. These songs are mostly really compelling, punky, and seemingly quite ahead of their time. I feel like this sound was something like Leonard Cohen was aiming for with I'm Your Man (missing the mark wildly). Especially liked the title track, Brain Drain, Working Class Hero, and Why D'ya Do It.
I don't really understand the negativity in the comments - surely the context of an album should always be taken into account when doing a list challenge like this? It's quite relevant here too, as it explains the raspy nature of her voice and direct, explicit lyrics.
Genesis
5/5
Absolutely love this album. It was my gateway into Peter Gabriel's Genesis, and this sort of Prog in general. It is very theatrical and the lyrics quite dense, but that's part of the charm! The musical performances are excellent as well - particularly Collins' drumming and Hackett's guitar.
Joy Division
3/5
I've listened to this a good few times, but it never really stuck with me the way Unknown Pleasures did. I think it's one where credit has to be given for influence on other bands. I can hear a lot of inspiration for the likes of U2 for ex. I really like the drumming and some of the melodies, but find the lyrics a bit inscrutable.
Nick Drake
5/5
Easy 5 star for me, not a bad song on here. It's a big improvement over Five Leaves Left, and I love the addition of orchestral instruments and varied styles. Great guitar playing and singing as well of course.
The Bees
1/5
This made no impact on me at all, apart from the Os Mutantes cover. I'd rather just listen to the original. No need for this in the book
Black Flag
4/5
This is a messy and noisy album, but definitely worthy of a listen if you have any interest in punk music. Yes, some of the lyrics are a bit immature, but I think it's notable that very few people in "macho" type bands of this era were singing so candidly about mental health issues. There's only a few songs on here that I'd return to, but glad to have given it a full listen, as I only really knew Rise Above before this.
R.E.M.
5/5
I've always been a big R.E.M. fan, despite not being around for their heyday. They were actually the first gig I ever went to (the Around the Sun tour). This is definitely one of their best, and possibly my favourite of the IRS years. I'm also partial to Reckoning and Murmur. This one just has really solid songs from start to finish, not a bad one among them. And the hits are some of their best singles too. Love the weird and extremely specific lyrics - I've been listening to this album for decades and still have only vague ideas what some of these are about.
Minutemen
4/5
I've been listening to this for a few years, and I still feel like I'm unpacking it. There's so much material, and a lot of different styles, but it mostly works really well. The only negatives I would have are that there aren't many standout tracks for me, so it's one I just listen to through. But it's quite long, so I rarely get to the end!
Sonic Youth
3/5
I like Sonic Youth, but never really got into this one. There are some good songs on the first half (especially Schizophrenia), but I find it dips a bit in the second half though. Appreciate it for what it is however, very experimental and obviously influential on grunge.
Massive Attack
3/5
This is a really solid album, but not as good as Blue Lines or Mezzanine. Some great songs on it though, particularly the Tracy Thorn and Tricky ones. It's baffling that Mezzanine isn't in the book - it's their best by far!
Brian Eno
4/5
I approached Eno's discography in a somewhat backwards way. I heard about him as a renowned producer first, then checked out his Ambient 1 album and loved it. I think I listened to this around the same time and didn't get it at all. Much later on, when I had a better understanding of Art Rock in general, I went back and listened to Another Green World and Taking Tiger Mountain, and loved them too. I think I still dismissed this one as too glam or too messy or something though.
Coming back to it again now though, I appreciate the wild experimentation and can see where he was going with a lot of it. The first and last tracks are fantastic, and the ones with Robert Fripp on guitar too. 8/10
The Pogues
5/5
Not quite as good as If I Should Fall From Grace (lacks the variation in genres), but I really enjoyed this today.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
1/5
Did these lads just discover synthesisers that day, or...? Obviously very talented musicians, but the incessant noodling felt like a bit of an assault on my brain. Definitely worse than their Tarkus album that I had already. Hopefully that's all I have to endure from ELP now.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Enjoyed this one more than I expected for a late career Dylan album. First time around I didn't think much of it, but second time I listened in the car at dusk, and it went down very nicely
Elliott Smith
4/5
I've tried to get into this guy many times before, but he never clicked with me. I really like a lot of these songs now though (after about 3 listens). Maybe I just needed to give him some more time. He writes great melodies, but I think it takes a while to get used to his somewhat whiny voice.
Mariah Carey
2/5
I enjoyed this more than I expected, not knowing any of the songs going in. She's a very talented singer, but this just isn't really my thing - particularly the more soppy ballads. I generally hate excessive vocal runs, Christina Aguilera is always at that too. Some decent songs, particularly Honey, The Roof, Breakdown, and the Prince cover. The rest would nearly put me to sleep!
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
No strong feelings about this really. Some good songs, but like a lot of the other 60s SF albums, I think you had to be there. I appreciate Janis Joplin's vocal talents, but don't really enjoy them that much.