I really hate prog rock. I get the impression they think they're way more clever than they actually are. They're just farting about and making random noises. It's utterly tedious. There's a bit of nice violin in there which always gets my attention, and some nice piano and musical bits AT TIMES. That's where my 1 star is going. But it's like a feeble ray of light shining on a giant cloud of guff, which can't quite penetrate it and break free.

I think this is pretty rubbish. The songs don't have much form to them at all, they're just kind of loose and chaotic. I don't like the singing at all. It's so whiny and weak and nothing. It's kind of telling that the best track is the instrumental one.

I'm a filthy millennial, so I'm clearly not educated enough to understand or conceptualise this properly. Kids these days just don't understand what the jazz is all about. So now that my ignorant and stupid position is established... this is fine. You know, in a kind of reasonably nice, background, boring way. There's some nice trumpet in there. My thoughts on this may be more easily summarised with a slow head-nod and a lip sticking out, in a kind of 'not bad, but ultimately I don't really care' face. 2.5 rounded up.

It's all a bit weird and silly and shit.

Well this has happened before... kick straight off with a country twang and a prominent harmonica... "Ugh... kindly fuck off please". But wait... actually it's not too bad. In fact it's really nice and chilled and I'm enjoying it very much. I don't often go in for this kind of folk music, but these are some smooth vocals and the whole vibe is incredibly mellow. Thanks again 1001 for making me confront my various musical prejudices! It's nice, real nice. 3.5 rounded up.

Really solid album front to back, with a run of constant great songs - and then some absolute bangers sprinkled in on top.

I quite liked the vibe and attitude, but it's not really for me, or an album I'd revisit.

It's really good. I don't think it's my go-to Beatles album, but lots of great songs on there.

Quite a soft, delicate album. The songs are all quite nice, but there's very few standout tracks to me, it all kind of sits in the background a bit and feels a bit samey for the most part. No body, no crime is a good track and worth revisiting.

This can't be a coincidence getting this album to listen to today of all days. Madness. Anyway it's a really solid album with some great tunes in there, Bigmouth Strikes Again and There is a Light being particular highlights, along with The Queen is Dead itself. The main problem with this album comes outside of the album itself, as Morrissey is such a rampaging bellend these days it's hard not to be put off at least a little bit listening to it. And I know he's a massive anti-royalist, but the Queen was brilliant and an amazing public servant, so there.

Not for me. I'm not really a fan of any of this, there's just nothing grabbing me at all. Oliver's Army is pretty good, but that's about it.

I do like a bunch of Black Sabbath songs. I think I appreciate this album more than I like it though. There's some really nice rhythmic stuff going on here, some great guitar work, and so on. It's just not maaaassively my jam.

Not a country fan at all. 1/5

It's safe to say this isn't what I was expecting from this album at all. It's not my thing, and I have a major aversion to Phil Collins usually, but I do really dig parts of this album. There's some good jamming and guitars on firth of fifth in particular. Elsewhere it's pretty damn weird, which I was surprised by and kind of respect in a way, but ultimately it is still just weird and I'm not that into it.

I like it, it's nowhere near as heavy as I thought it would be at all, but it's still got some fantastic guitars in there, and it's also quite melodic. I'll certainly check out some more Alice Cooper beyond this (and the other big hitters I know).

Quite easy going, it'd make for good background music at times but that's about it.

I like it - I couldn't listen to it for too long in one sitting, especially as the songs are all quite long, but it's hard rocking, and some good riffs in there.

I like the vibe of this. Some good driving beats, and I like the violins.

I'm not a fan, it all sounds a bit one-note and not drawing me in at all. I'm not liking the vocals, lots of shrieking and it's just too much.

I'm glad this project is helping me to really expand my horizons... I'll be honest, I thought the first track was not great and really put me off... but later on it's very listenable and I had a good time with it. I'm still not a jazz man so I'm never going to rate this too highly, but maybe I appreciate it a little bit more now.

There's some great tunes on here. A really nice, chilled record, but it also has some decent driving rock n roll.

Really great - the Stones have got such a great sound, and some real tunes.

The best Led-Zep album. Stone-cold classic.

I'm struggling with this one - I don't like his voice at all, and it's all just a bit weird and floaty and weak.

It's a nice easy listen, but I'm not really invested in it. I found it a bit much after about 6-7 songs. If I were watching them play in a Havana club while sipping a rum cocktail then this would be 5/5.

I like it, some solid synth tunes.

This isn't my kind of thing in general... but it's not too bad. Some nice beats in there.

Nice melodic tunes, but it's not grabbing me.

Banger.

Quite short this one, but some really great songs on there. I love love love love love Wild is the Wind, I genuinely think it might be my favourite Bowie song ever. I know it's a cover, but he sings it with so much pain and soul and it's JUST sublime.

I like the vibe of this. I've heard other stuff from her and not got on-board, but this has got a nice energy to it, and a really interesting sound.

Not into this, it's just a bit weird and not connecting with me in any way, musically or lyrically.

I much prefer their darker, moodier stuff (like Mezzanine) but this is still a really good album. Lots of good tracks and generally very solid throughout.

Willie Nelson!? Ugh... this is going to be a chore. *2 seconds in* - Ok, damn, those are some smooooth vocals. Yeah. Ok, I really like this. I'm not convinced by the entire album, but there's some really lovely tracks in here.

It's ok - It covers quite a few styles and moods, but most of it I'm not that into beyond general background music. Some tracks I really dig and are definitely my kind of thing (like Midnight in a Perfect World) but I wouldn't revisit the album beyond that.

Not bad. I started off really into it, but it seemed to slow way down as it got into it, and my interest dropped off a bit. Some nice tracks in here though.

It's got a nice vibe to it, this. It's hardly deep, and a little bit one-note at times, but it's an easy listen.

Yeah man, love a bit of Stevie Wonder. Never heard this album before, but some great tracks on here. Really nice funky soulful grooves.

I'm not really a fan of U2... A lot of this just doesn't do anything for me. I like some of the moodier bits and some of the soundscapes on songs like 'bullet the blue sky', but the rest just doesn't hit for me.

I love the driving guitars on this. Jack White has such a distinctive tone and style.

Very middle of the road, gentle, folky rock n roll. It's very dull. It's not for me.

Ugh, I hate this. I like a guitar, but this is just grating and an assault on the ears. Production is terrible. They sound reeeeally amateur, like they're a teen band who haven't learnt how to play with each-other properly yet. Why the fuck does the lead guitar keep cutting in and warbling in a different tempo and style to the rest of it? This is the kind of thing I'd expect to see in a comedy film or parody - a lead character in a band who thinks they're good and are tearing it up, but the reality is they're shit and the audience are laughing at them. This is the first album to make me properly angry. Fuck this noise. I'm not a fan at all, and neither is my tinnitus. 1/5

I really like Arcade Fire's earlier albums, and my interest fell off a bit beyond those. However there's some good songs in here. It does feel over-long though, with a bit of sag in the middle. I really love Sprawl II. Seeing that song in particular live at Glastonbury - there was actual magic and electricity in the air and it always takes me back to that moment.

I really like this. I'd heard some of these guys before but never really invested beyond a few songs, but there's plenty of catchy songs in here and it's overall a really good listen. The whole presentation is great, I love the cover too.

I like the big sound of a lot of this, but I'm not connecting with it on a deeper level. I've never been able to 'crack' Pink Floyd beyond a few songs - I guess they're just not entirely for me.

It's not really my vibe, and it was a bit much in one listen, but I can appreciate it. It's got a gentle funky vibe, and damn has he got some smoooth vocals! I think I'd appreciate it more in smaller doses. 3

I just can't seem to get into Pink Floyd. I honestly don't get it. A lot of people approach this album with sheer reverence, but it seems to me that there's plenty of random filler and blase songs in here, along with random weirdness. I like some of the instrumental stuff. The Great Gig in the Sky is good. Please stop giving me prog rock.

I knew essentially nothing about Neil Young, so I'm glad this has enabled me to actually give him a listen. I really like the vibe of this. It's a nice gentle listen, but it's really good musically, and there's plenty of stand-out songs.

I like this, it's a really good moody mix. I guess it's just as well it's not too long, because it is a bit hard-going in one sitting, especially the bits where he's singing with a kind of mania. I love the first track in particular. What a voice.

It's fine. I do like a lot of David Bowie, but this one isn't hitting for me. I think I appreciate the fact that he did a weird musical half more than I like the weird musical half.

I only listened to the first half, as it wasn't really my thing. However, this is definitely better than I was expecting. I like the ambition of the thing, and it's way more thoughtful than I was expecting. Ultimately though, this isn't my jam and I don't connect to it.

After seeing the cover I was expecting a radical being from an alternate future to come and take me on a most triumphant voyage through hyperspace. While it didn't quite reach those dizzying highs, I did have a really good head bop and foot tap while he played an array of synthesizers at me. I spent some time in his company. We nodded knowingly at each other during particularly rad beats. We drank way too much sonic-Pepsi. We had fun together.

It's a nice listen, and musically pretty interesting. I'm glad I gave it more than one listen, because it's definitely grown on me a lot more with repeat listens. I've now upgraded this from a 3 to a 4 because I really like a lot of what they're doing here.

This is on the lower-end of Bowie for me. Not really my jam. It's alright. His cover of Across the Universe is terrible. It feels at complete odds with the content of the song. Go to Fiona Apple for a beautiful cover of it.

I love this album, but I am sympathetic to the people who really don't get on with this, particularly if they enjoyed earlier Radiohead. I think the whole 'Radiohead disappearing up their own arse' thing is valid, and there's some tracks on here that definitely come off as pretentious. On the whole though I think this is a big, bold and beautiful album. It definitely requires a few listens I think, and it deserves to be listened to as loud as possible. Some of the tracks on here and truly transportive. Songs like 'How to Disappear Completely' just wash right over you in their melancholic majesty, while other tracks like Optimistic and Idioteque really drive on with some real thrust. There's so many dark, broody, interesting tracks in here, and I think it was a really interesting direction for them to take as a band. It definitely paid off.

I didn't realise, but this is a proper old-skool sound. Some quite funky beats in here, and some properly weird bits. It sounds very dated which goes against it a lot, but I'm more on-board with this than I thought I would be. It's still way too much though, I gave up after 8 tracks. In small doses... it's alright.

It's a well put together album, and it's got a lot to it, lots of different vibes and styles, and some interesting things going on - that gives it an extra star, as I don't like it at all.

I don't like reggae, so..... a few stars to show appreciation for the musicianship. Ps: JAMMINGG

A lot of this I quite like, nice easy listening, good jams etc. Especially towards the end, they really go for it. But then there's plenty of smug, masturbatory musical interludes that are annoying and soooo long, and do absolutely nothing. Imagine seeing them in concert and a third of the gig is them just them wanking each-other off on stage.

Although it's an album I doubt I'd ever come back to in its entirety, I do quite dig this. Lots of great guitars and driving rhythms, alongside some solid bluesy rock.

I like a bunch of their songs from other albums, but this one is kind of boring.

Ugh, I really love this. It definitely helps to listen to this as an album in its entirety. Turn the sound way up and let the whole thing wash over you in its sublime majesty. The whole album is solid, with big melancholic soundscapes throughout, and flashes of searing beauty (notably with songs like Starálfur). The long tracks go by so quickly. I love everything about this. The album art, the concept, everything.

You know a band are really on top of their game when a whole bunch of live acoustic versions sound better than the originals. I'd say that's true of 'About a Girl', but definitely 'All Apologies' which to me is the definitive version. Chuck in some absolutely brilliant covers, and you have one of the best live albums ever. I love how it's a celebration of lesser-known songs, and they play so well. There's so much feeling in a lot of these songs. 'Where did you sleep last night' is utterly mesmerising and imbued with so much pain and emotion. It's like his very soul has been laid bare.

It's mostly low-key and nice and inoffensive. It doesn't get me going.

I'm not really loving it, as it's not my groove, but I am loving the passion and the energy. It sounds like it would have been a grand old time.

It's not my thing.

I like this, it's got a good atmosphere and some really interesting songs. Quite dark and broody in places. Plenty of cool synth too.

I find it weird that so many people classify this as grunge or even part of the grunge movement. I think what the Pumpkins were doing here was so much more interesting and varied than a lot of their contemporaries in that space. Sonically, it's so good. You have deep, fat, layered guitars that smack you around the face (notably on tracks like Hummer and Mayonaise). The ridiculous amount of tracks mixed in give it such a robust, unique sound, with layers and layers and layers of guitars and noise. Jimmy Chamberlain is pummelling his drums like he hates them, and Billy is laying down some mad, squealing guitar solos on top. When this rocks, it really rocks hard, with a real depth and force to it. But then you have some beautiful and tender ballads thrown in, utilising violins, bells and all sorts, and some truly iconic songs sitting in there like Disarm. Lyrically there's so much to love here too. There's a lot of raw feeling, vulnerability and honesty. Billy really chucked himself out there, and the songs benefit from it. I get that a lot of people don't get on with his voice, but personally I love weird, interesting singers and it really works for me. There's so many different levels and riffs and interesting details running through this whole album. I just don't think other bands of the era had anywhere near this level of range. This is an absolutely superb, iconic album.

Eh. It feels dated. And bland. And inoffensive. I'm not sensing any stand-out tracks throughout. Metal / Hard Rock.... eh?? Who's picking these classifications? Is this what passed for hard rock in the 80's? I feel like this is the kind of thing you put on at an American prom to get the kids to have a bit of a boogie. Mr. Strickland is roaming the floor making sure there's no inappropriate touching, and keeping an eye on the fruit punch so it's not getting spiked.

Quite nice. There's some nice melodies in there. Nice.

There's some nice smooth, soulful tunes in here, along with some real funky jams and big hits. I really like the funky psychedelic space guitars.

I like a lot of this. I'd never heard of this band before so this is a genuine little hidden gem. They have a lot of elements from similar 60's bands, like the jangly guitars, bluesy riffs and vocals... some surf in there. It's kind of the Doors meet the Rolling Stones, with a bit of Dick Dale thrown in, or sitting somewhere in that space. The jug was pretty interesting at first, but jeez do they use a lot of it! It would have been better used sparingly I think. Still.... Groovy! As a side note, the first song was SO familiar and I knew I'd heard it in a film I knew well - turns out it's the start of High Fidelity, apt!

It is the distant future. The year TWO THOUSAND. Jean Michell Jarre has invited you to a strange alien landscape. He invites you to sit awhile, while strange noises and themes come at you. They come slowly, and deliberately, allowing you to explore them at your leisure. There's probably some weird alien fauna surrounding you. It's blue, and the sky is yellow, and there's a strange alien breeze whisping about your feet and running over your toes. Somewhere you hear a distant shore. You're calm and laid back, exploring this world in no real hurry. JMJ is taking his time. He's exploring the space himself, just like you. A look of serenity is on his face. He looks over at you and nods approvingly. Am I in a dream right now? Am I dead? Why am I surrounded by purple clouds? Have we transcended into another spiritual realm? No. It's all over now. That was interesting, and I've enjoyed this moment in time.

I've always been a fan of Pulp, but rarely ventured into their albums as a whole. Clearly, I'm an idiot. This album is brilliant, and plays so well front to back, especially as so many of the songs tie into one whole, throwing up themes of class, resentment, and general depravity. I love the cover with this in mind. I also didn't realise how brilliant the lyrics were on some of these songs. Kicking off right away with Mis-shapes, it's superb, and really pointed. Jarvis Cocker is such a brilliant front-man. I really wish I were rich enough to hire him to just follow me around and read things for me in his overtly sexual perv-voice. Imagine him listing off a recipe while you cook.. "Add in two grams of... salted butter... and stir... vigorously... while you ladle over... ladle over the beef dripping, and STIR" So many big, sing-along classics here. And even if you didn't have the rest, this album has Common People on.... I mean come on... it's an absolute stone-cold classic. What a song. It's a big five from me.

There's some quite engaging and upbeat tracks in here, compared to some of this other stuff. The musical tracks feel pretentious and I'm not into them.

It's very nice.

I quite like the jams they're kicking out here.

What a character! What a presence! What funky jams! What soulful ballads!

Bit of a mixed bag. It starts off really bad. It's just a bit boring, and the lyrics are terrible. But there's some nice songs in here like Fall at Your Feet and Four Seasons in One Day, and Weather With You is a good tune too. Overall, it's just a bit mediocre / soft / middle of the road I think.

It started off ok, and it has a few songs in there that stand out a bit, but I don't really like his vocals, and plenty of the album just comes across as a bit soft and wanky.

He's got a great voice, and it's got some nice smooth songs in there. It all blends into one a bit though with some very samey songs, and it's just all so slow and sad.

I don't like country, and I'll never listen to this again, but it was easy enough to have on in the background.

I don't like country. I'm sure it's a fine example of the genre, but that genre is awful.

Some great songs on here, I'll definitely make sure this album works its way into the Christmas rotation.

I think this is probably the last great Muse album for me. From here they did some good songs still, but the band as it exists now is so far removed from the one I was really into. This album though is solid front to back. I really, really like the fact that they're unafraid of going as big as possible. Massive sounds, big riffs, interesting instrumentation and lots of fist pumping stadium bangers, highlighted best with the ridiculously epic Knights of Cydonia.

It's a great album with some real stand-out all-time songs. In My Life is possibly my favourite Beatles song. The content and lyricism is just superb. Deceptively simple, but so expressive and effective.

I don't like it, it's really annoying.

I really love the sound of Garbage. I'm sure a lot of that is down to the fact that a lot of the band are music production nerds and have carried it across to the band. The guitars are droney and interesting, and I really love the big sound they generate. Then you have a bit of trip-hop flavour seeping in there, and Shirley's vocals on top. I like the album as a whole, but there's some real stand-out tracks in here. I particularly love both Queer and Milk. Great stuff.

This album is an absolute banger. I'd only really listened to Jailbreak before, but I'm definitely checking out more Thin Lizzy albums now. So many big, big tunes in here. Massacre is fucking great! Jailbreak is a tune! Emerald is utterly badass! All the guitars are awesome. The squealing guitar solos are SO my jam. Phil Lynott's vocals are iconic. Do I want it to lose a star for not being fully live...? No, I enjoyed it way too much for that. A great discovery, this.

I'm not a fan. There's a few interesting tracks in there, and some others that sit in the 'not bad' category, but there's also a lot that are just very noisy and screechy.

I'm not really a fan of most hip hop, and that's still the same here, but there are some good tracks. I like the more upbeat tracks like 'Thought @ Work' which has some old-skool funky beats in it, 'The Seed (2.0)' and 'Rhymes and Ammo'. There's some interesting variation across the board.

I like some of their bigger, bombastic hits, but a lot of this isn't hitting for me. It's alright. I was quite surprised at some of the slower, piano-based songs, so at least there's that. 2.5 / 5

Ehh... it's ok. It doesn't move me in any way though.

I do appreciate the opportunity to go through Bowie's albums as a whole, because you get a much better understanding oh his back catalogue and get to stumble across some hidden gems beyond the greatest hits. This album has got some nice tunes in, and is way more consistent than some of his other albums. Life on Mars remains an absolute classic and is the stand-out, with Queen Bitch coming in a close second. 3.5 / 5 rounded down

I like a lot about this. It's quite a bold debut, pulling together lots of different elements. I already knew there were some good songs on here, like Human Behaviour, Big Time Sensuality, and definitely Play Dead, but there's a lot of other good songs on here too. I really like 'There Is More to Life Than This' and 'Come to Me' too.

Some good upbeat songs on here. Some nice chilled grooves otherwise and some little hidden gems. I really like Happy Man.

Two Chic albums in two days! I liked the first one, but this one is just a bit too disco for me.

I was never really into Oasis as a kid. I always said Blur were the more varied and interesting and maybe dismissed Oasis as a bit one-note, but I realise that's not really true. Maybe when you look at their career as a whole, but there's a lot of variation in here. Production is really good. I'm hearing a lot of bits I hadn't really heard before, with some really interesting harmonies and background tracks. The riffs are really good. The song-writing itself is super strong, and there's a lot of big, big tracks on here. The hit ratio across the whole album is massive, and this is undeniably a classic, magic album. So why am I not giving it five stars? I guess because despite all the above it still doesn't quite connect with me enough. I don't think I would ever choose to actively listen to this despite really appreciating it.

Quite nice this. I like his voice. It seems pretty solid all the way through. I'll have to check out their other albums, as I hadn't really heard of these guys before.

I like his voice, and some of the musical bits and melodies are nice, but it's just so sombre. There's a few standout tracks, but the whole album certainly didn't fly by, let's say that.

I mean... it's interesting... there's lots going on here. I'm not really on-board with this wild ride, but I appreciate it's out there somewhere and people are jamming with it.

Very nice. Very soft, but some lovely songs on here.

He's got some good rhymes, but I'm not big into hip hop and it's very samey the whole way through. The score came down the more I listened. 2.5 rounded down to 2.

This is a really random album. It started off as a 2/5.. it was very delicate and I was finding it hard to engage with a lot of it. But then you have Without You, which is a sudden weird burst of passion and energy, then you have that followed by the quirky and upbeat Coconut. And from there you have some genuine stand-outs. Jump Into the Fire has some jams, and I'll never leave you is really interesting and weird and quite heartfelt. Harps and everything, violins. I really like it. So there's actually loads of variation across this whole album. It's a real mishmash.

This is definitely my jam, and it really is a classic album. There's a lot of big hits in here, but the whole album is solid. Lots of interesting jams and production. Definitely one of the big trip-hop albums / touchpoints. 'Roads' takes the best song award - what an emotional punch that has.

It's alright.

I like the first song a lot. It's got a lot of manic guitar energy, and driving jams. The middle and end felt like it dragged a bit to be honest, and was just a bit too loud and brash. (It's a really clever album cover. I had no idea about the face until I saw the deluxe album cover turned the other way around)

Again, as with their last album I reviewed, it's mostly very gentle and folky. But once again, there's some really nice songs in here.

I really hate prog rock. I get the impression they think they're way more clever than they actually are. They're just farting about and making random noises. It's utterly tedious. There's a bit of nice violin in there which always gets my attention, and some nice piano and musical bits AT TIMES. That's where my 1 star is going. But it's like a feeble ray of light shining on a giant cloud of guff, which can't quite penetrate it and break free.

It's a really nice time, lovely jangly guitars, nice harmonies, some great toe-tapping beats in there. Lots of very short songs so it's over and done in no time at all - perfect to get in and out and have a perfectly enjoyable time in-between.

It seems to me like nothing much at all is happening in this album. I'm nearly at the end and I'm not sure I've really heard a single fully-fledged riff or some kind of theme. It's just... a bunch of stuff happening. Or maybe it's so boring and nothing that it's washed over me without me even realising it.

It's quite nice for the most part, but very gentle, and it didn't really grab me. I don't know why so many bands of the era felt compelled to add in random, tedious instrumental tracks with weird sounds. It's not big and it's not clever.

I like a lot of this. Nice music and grooves, good musicality, really good production. I like Paul Weller's vocals and style. The general content and attitude. "But I'm different now" is my standout, it's really upbeat with driving rhythms.

I was 17 when these guys exploded onto the scene, and I couldn't have been MORE the target audience. Those were some formative years and these guys were part of my identity almost. I played this CD so much it's permanently engraved on my brain, to the extent I could probably not listen to it for another 50 years but still somehow remember all the lyrics. I'm aware that the nostalgia factor has woven its way firmly into my rating, but I think if I heard it for the first time today... I think I'd still be on-board. I'd definitely have some heavy eyerolls at some of the overly-dramatic lyrics. I can't go on! The face inside! Paranoia! Pain! However, I think I'd still massively appreciate how many brilliant hooks and singalong choruses are in here. You can't deny how great some of these songs are. To me these guys hitting when they did, it was lightning in a bottle. Everything came together, riding the nu-metal wave, Chester's raw vocals, Mike Shinoda's rapping, the heavy riffs, the soaring choruses. I love it. What a debut.

Sorry Boss. I'm not really into it in general. It feels way too broad rock n roll and I just don't think it's for me for the most part. 'No Surrender' has got something about it and 'Dancing in the Dark' is a real air-punching tune.

The 80's always feels like it's dated the worst out of any decade by far. A lot of this just doesn't work for me at all because it feels like it's from a different world. The music itself just feels so soulless. Maybe if I were wearing some mad, garish shellsuit or something then it would help me tap into this energy. I got about halfway through - I'm very certain it wasn't going to change direction. 2/5 because it was inoffensive enough and didn't actively irritate me. What a recommendation!!

My experience with Sonic Youth before listening to this was that I liked a bunch of their songs, but that the majority of their work was unrelenting shoegazey noise. I had some hopes after the first track 'Teen Age Riot' - It's got a real groove and energy to it. The rest of the album doesn't hold up to it though. There's a lot of general meandering and extended takes. I do like a bit of distorted guitar and shoegaze at times, but it gets more and more oppressive the longer it goes on, and this is a long album. I end up feeling completely drained by the end of it.

I wonder how many people have actually listened to the whole thing? I was fully expecting this to be quite irritating when I first turned it on, but, I don't know... it sounds quite nice. There's some nice songs on here and there's some interesting variation. It's obviously way way too long of course and there's tons of filler. I listened to the first disc before giving up. I get the idea.

I totally understand some people finding this really grating, with tons of repetitiveness throughout, but damn some of these beats are good. I've had some solid head-bopping going on here. It is really long though and there's plenty of tracks that don't cut it. Overall, generally happy with this.

This is real nice. Lovely songs, really solid instrumentation, good singing. There's not a single track that feels out of place, they're all consistently good across the board. I'll definitely listen to this again. It wouldn't be a common go-to, but it'd work wonders at a dinner party or something, but also as a good rotation option for when I'm in the mood.

I was fully expecting to dislike this based on the overview and genre, but it's remarkably listenable for the most part. It's definitely avant-garde, but doesn't feel pretentious in the same way similar albums do. At least, again, for the most part. There's clear musical melodies and themes here. I wouldn't really come back to it, but I quite liked it overall.

My first Alice Cooper album I got on here I met with a raised eyebrow - until I realised that it was actually really good, and there was a lot more going on with it than I thought there would be. So I was actually really looking forward to getting stuck into this one. This one is really varied. There's some great songs on here, and it's hard to place it in any one genre. Alma Mater as an example sounds like a Beatles song, and you wouldn't expect quite so much brass either. I'd say a few of the middle songs lag a bit, but it's still very listenable overall. I like a lot in here. I really like the songs with lots going on instrumentally, including brass, piano and violin. Bring on more Alice Cooper!

The very first note of this is a typical country-twang note... siiiiigh.... but hey wait, it's not country, and this actually sounds quite nice. The second song is nice too. In fact these are all really nice songs. He's got a nice voice, it's all quite heartfelt and there's some nice melodies and interesting ideas here. Real easy listening. It's consistently good all the way through. While it's not 100% my thing, the fact that there's 20 songs and not a single bad one is some achievement. 3.5/5 rounded up to 4

This is a really good album. Catchy songs. Lots of driving rhythms. Some iconic bangers in here. And lots of energy and oomph in general. ** this review brought to you by Country Life butter ** Mmm-hmm, taste the country with every delicious bite. Our vegetable oil blended spread is made with love and dedication, from us to you. We've carefully blended British Country Life butter with British rapeseed oil so that it's SO easy to spread straight from the fridge. Straight from the fridge! You heard that right. And it's perfect for making sandwiches, and tastes delicious melted onto crumpets too. Or scones. Or teacakes. Why not try adding it to British favourites such as mashed or jacket potatoes? Why not try rubbing it into your tits? If you stand outside naked maybe some local wildlife will flock to you and have a lick. With your warm yellowy sun-like glow, they'll feel comforted as they gather around you at dusk. Apparently you can even fry this stuff! And bake it. Stick it in a fucking cake so it's all moist. All cakes need to be moist. What kind of monster is against a moist cake? This stuff is literally suitable for everyone, meat eaters, non-meat eaters, animals, non-animals (not vegans). Use it in your DIY as a substitute for WD40. Hey! This product is totally free from palm oil, so don't go thinking we're scrimping on the quality here. Country Life Butter IS quality. In fact it's made from 100% British ingredients. 100% British ingredients for 100% British people. This is proper Brexit butter. Suitable for freezing. Suitable for sneezing. Suitable for oral and anal ingestion. Keep refrigerated below 5°C. If you do freeze it PLEASE do it prior to the best before date and defrost in the refrigerator properly. You can recycle everything here. At Country Life, we're proud of our countryside heritage. That's why we support a sustainable future for British farmers in partnership with the Prince's Countryside Fund. (not that Prince). We also have a Royal Warrant. A Royal Warrant! We mean it, man. So good it has to be in caps. God save.

It's a nice album, but it's definitely a contrast between the two big hits, and the rest of the album that meanders along.

This is a really bold album. The tracks are so strange in places, with tons of variation is music and tone. It's not a typical singer-songwriter approach at all. Overall I found it interesting.

Nothing has really stood out at all across the whole album. It all seems to have melded into one giant murky thing, with no particular standout riffs or moments, and no real changes in tone or mood. It's completely ordinary. I'm not getting a lot from it.

Solidly good all the way through. There's some killer tracks on here. Highway Star is an absolute beast of a song \m/ There's some great guitar work on here, but I also particularly love the keys too. They seemed to fall out of favour at some point.

There's some great songs on here, the first three or four in particular. It's weird, in that I don't think I'd ever properly heard this one all the way through before. There's definitely a lot more expansive stuff on here compared to other Beatle's records, but I personally think there's a lot of misses in here too. There's also some stuff I actively dislike as well. I'm not digging 'Within You Without You' at all (sorry George).

This is quite easy-ish listening. A bit of general toe tapping and head nodding going on. But this kind of 80's rock just feels a bit empty for the most part, devoid of any real depth of feeling. There are some standout tracks in here that I dig, including 'Love Bites'.

It's quite nice. It's not exactly exciting though. Very soft.

Fucking hell. I'm 30 seconds in, and I'm already wondering how the hell I'm going to endure this whole album. What the fuck is this 'singing'? Ok, two songs down, it's picked up a bit... to the point where it's not utterly grating. Let's wait and see... Track 4 checking in... this whole album is just weird, and I'm not really along for the ride. I don't find it particularly charming or interesting, just weird. I can't help but think about the recording process. What's going through their heads? Are they embarrassed when they're just spurting hysterical gibberish into a microphone? Track 7... not far off the finish line now... close, but OH so far. Who the hell voted this into a compilation of greatest albums? What are people getting out of this? Christ. Final song. Come on. Let's limp over the finish line. Please. I'm a pretty upbeat guy, but this whole album has made me wish for death's sweet embrace. Ok. I'm done. It's over. I'm going for a lie down.

It's quite easy-listening I guess, but it feels a bit anaemic. If you take away the force that is Elvis and his whole persona and fame, and just listen to it fresh on its own merits, I don't think there's that much there to really get excited about. I appreciate I'm saying this from the year 2023 of course.

When I was a kid I printed out the lyrics to 'Guilty Conscience' and learnt it with a mate of mine, taking a part each. My parents found the lyric sheet and freaked out, which I thought was a bit over the top, but looking back now I'm not fucking surprised! I think the main thing I find re-visiting this album now as an adult is just how immature the whole thing is. And needlessly 'edgy'. That said there are some good tunes in here. The production is really good, and all the samples and sound effects work well. And yes, I did rap along to Guilty Conscience with full gusto when it came on, regardless.

He's got a lovely voice. A bunch of tracks on here I really like. There's a real melancholic undercurrent with the whole album. I can see a lot of influence on later albums like like Beck's 'Sea Change'. There's also some interesting musical arrangements in here that I dig. It's mostly quite nice, but I feel like a lot of it bleeds together as one. I think this is more of a selective listen with a few individual tracks for me rather than listening to the whole thing in one go.

This album is incredibly boring. It's far too floaty, nothing, indie-wank for me. Nothing stands out at all.

It's alright. It's definitely better than the other Elvis Costello album I had. The songs in general are at least quite musical and have something about them. 'Pump it Up' is probably the stand out.

Victoooooooria! Victoooooooria! Victoria. Victoria. I love the Kinks. I've always loved their songs, but their back-catalogue was always a bit intimidating, so I never really ventured into it beyond the (admittedly still quite large selection of) greatest hits. So thank you 1001 albums generator for making me do just that! There's lots of really good songs in here, with tons of personality and charm. Everything is top class - songwriting, musicality, instrumentation, the sheer variation on display. I am loving the brass on here! I'm loving how upbeat it is! I am loving the extended instrumental moments! I'm loving the boldness, the chucking lots of different ideas at it, the range of instrumentation! The different styles! The lyrical content! They're just an all-round class act.

I got quite a long way into this before I even realised that it had been playing. It was just kind of moving along in the background. Its alright, it's in no way exciting though. It all feels a bit one-note, with very little ambition.

It's a really nice time. She has such a lovely soulful voice (I mean, obviously).

It's an interesting album. I love the storytelling in these kinds of songs. There's also some great tunes in here. Sally MacLennane, what an upbeat toe tapper that one is. I much prefer that kind of thing over the slower songs. Ps: What a great album cover. Very renaissance.

Wow what a voice! This is way better than I was expecting from the cover. I love the vibraphone throughout the album, especially on the opening track, and the general mood through the album is nice. There's lots of really interesting instrumentation throughout the whole album. Gypsy Woman is over-indulgent and a bit annoying, but it's still got some interesting instrumentation and rhythms going on in it. I'm going to go 3.5 / 5, rounded up.

I think, objectively, this is a good album. The songs all have some passion and energy to them, they're well crafted, and the melodies are nice. I'm generally not a fan of Bob Dylan, but I did have quite a nice time with this one. He needs to give his harmonica a fucking rest sometimes though.

Yes boy! Some sick beats in here. Lovely bass, really working my headphones. A lot of it IS very repetitive, but it's still a head-boppin' good time. What I appreciate about a lot of these songs is that they're a real, real happy time. Standing in the sunshine with friends, pint of cider in your hand, feeling the good vibes kind of songs.

It's a nice listen. Lots of funky, upbeat jams and cool instrumentation, and he has a nice voice to boot. It's not my usual listen, but I appreciate it.

It's alright, but it's not really for me. I thought there'd be more standout tracks, but a lot of it feels quite repetitive. Some of the longer jamming moments feel pretty tedious.

It's fine. It has some nice guitar work and is pretty competently made in general, but it's definitely not exciting and nearly all the tracks go on for way too long. You could easily lose 2-3 minutes of generic jamming off of nearly every track. It wore on me more and more as it went on - it's just all a bit generic and samey.

I was fully prepared to downvote this because 'Country', but there's some really lovely soft songs in here in places and I had a nice time with it in general.

It's perfectly nice.

This isn't even bad 80's, it's completely boring 80's. Don't You Want Me is of course the only exception.

It's a very solid album, and a really good listen. Once again, I appreciate this project giving me the opportunity to dive into back-catalogues and discover an artist's work in a more cohesive way. There's a lot of brilliant standout tracks on here. The start in particular is really strong. I love the opening with the synths and real upbeat rocking out bits. Candle in the wind is superb. Obviously Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is a real sing-along. "I've Seen that movie too" really worked for me. I'm not digging ALL of the songs, but that said even the ones I'm not massively into are still really solid.

It's not working for me, it just kind of sits in the background. There's not really any fully defined songs - it's more like different experimental soundscape phases. That's not bad in itself, it's just that those soundscapes have nothing much to them. Ps: The album name and cover are terrible. Who signed that off?

It's pretty upbeat and funky. I'm liking the beats and sampling going on. Overall I liked it.

This is my second Willie album, and he's shown me once again that Country can be genuinely great if done right. This guy just seems like such a class act. Once again, really lovely songs on here. His voice is liquid honey.

I do like the Who, but I'm not massively feeling this live album. They do have a good energy about them, but, as with seemingly everyone else on here, I am puzzled by its inclusion. I'd much rather hear the studio songs.

It's not really my thing. I don't particularly dig it, but it's nice enough.

It's pretty groovy, I quite enjoyed it.

I liked the opening song. After that a lot of it all felt quite soft, generic indie that didn't really grab me. He's got quite a weak singing style that doesn't work for me. Maybe it'd be improved with a more dynamic or interesting singing style? 2.5/5 rounded down.

I found this really boring. I fundamentally don't like the song structures or compositions on any of these tracks. She effectively sing-talks over all the tracks, and each track is SO dense with lyrics, it's just incessant. She doesn't allow any of it to just breathe, or introduce any interesting hooks or melodies. She should have just written a book of poetry or something.

It's a nice listen all the way through. I actually came to like it the more I listened. Plenty of toe-tapping tunes, nice production, nice instrumentation, backing vocals and so on. Once again, I love the brass, and I love the violins. Suspicious Minds remains an all-time classic, but I've also saved a bunch of other tracks too including Long Black Limousine, I'm Movin' On, Power of My Love and Gentle on My Mind.

This is a very oppressive album. I quite like how weird it is, with the rhythmic drums, layered synths, guitars and trumpets. It definitely has a unique atmosphere to it, it's just a real slog. Very repetitive and very hard going.

It's not the best Led Zep album, and it's definitely overlong I think. That said there's some good standout tracks, and the rest of the album is generally pretty solid. Contrary to a lot of people, I actually think I prefer the second half more. I like a lot of the chilled songs, and I think there's some real nice grooves going on. Across the whole album I found a decent amount of songs quite generic though. 3.5 rounded down.

The first two tracks were quite nice. Pretty upbeat and interesting instrumentation, but I was absolutely done after 20 minutes. It got more of a slog as it went on. The third and fourth tracks I didn't like at all.

I remember being underwhelmed with this album when I first heard it, and wrote off 'latter years Radiohead' in general, but actually it's been really nice to re-visit this. First off I think the production on this is sublime. There's so many interesting layers to the songs, lots of variation in tempo and style, and just a very consistent mood sitting underneath the whole thing. It's definitely a whole album experience, I don't think I would dip into any of these songs individually from here.

Overall this is a really well produced album. Musically I think they're really strong and sound super tight. The drums and guitars are all solid. There's some interesting rhythmic things happening throughout. I agree with another reviewer that I really like the jamming moments and wish there were more of those / they were extended. Like I said, they play well together and those bits are great (found in songs like 'Sir Psycho Sexy'). On the other side I'm not a big fan of the general rapping and musical style for most of the songs, and it's also a long album. RHCP remain a band that I really like a number of songs from, but who I'm not that interested in overall. Under the Bridge remains a stone-cold classic.

It's quite nice. Easy going but with some interesting things going on.

I was an Offspring kid around this whole era, and I never got to listening to much of Green Day or this classic album, despite the fact that Basket Case was on constant rotation on MTV2 / Kerrang TV. I really enjoyed this. It's really upbeat and toe-tappingly good all the way through. I really like Welcome to Paradise - this was one of the songs I did know, but it's nice to re-connect with it. Plenty of other good songs in here including, of course, Basket Case. Re-listening now on headphones I noticed lots of new little details like the additional harmonies that work really well. Overall a well made, fun, good-time album. Music aside, this is also an awesome album cover.

I really like the vibe of this album. Plenty of nice tracks, good song writing, nice instrumentation. Free Bird is obviously a stone-cold classic, but I really liked Tuesday's Gone as well. 3.5/5 rounded up.

There's a lot of really nice songs on here, but I realised they're all covers, so a lot of that is simply down to the power of the song writing. She's a good singer though, of course. It's a perfectly nice time overall.

Yet another album where I knew a bunch of songs, liked them quite a lot, and had never listened to the album as a whole. Kicking off with So Young, what a way to open an album! And then straight into Animal Nitrate, wowzers. This album is upbeat and rocking in a few areas, but there's also a lot of really lovely songs with floaty guitars and really nice melodies. I like his vocal, it's quite ethereal and I think it works well with the songs. I'll be re-visiting this again, but have also added a few additional songs to my liked list, including 'Breakdown'.

There's some really nice song-writing in here. A lot of the album kind of floated by, but there are some good standout tracks. I particularly liked 'Junk Bond Trader' and 'Stupidity Tries'. I really like the instrumentation and his vocals.

I'd never really listened to this album before despite hearing various songs here and there. There's some nice songs in here though. It's also a lot more chilled than I realised. There's a lot of interesting floaty guitar tracks running through it. Sparks is really nice, I really love the mood on that track. Other standouts for me are Don't Panic and Trouble. Ps: I really like the album cover. Very simple but impactful.

I'm finding it hard to tie this band and sound down. A lot of it sounds like it's straight out of the 60's. 'There She Goes' is an obvious example. 'I Can't Sleep' sounds just like the Kinks, but other tracks feel like they have lots of other touchpoints from that era. It doesn't feel 90's to me at all. It's fine in parts, but most of the album isn't really grabbing me. A lot of it really drags. It certainly doesn't feel essential.

I do like a decent amount of this. I really like the interesting layers of guitars, and the quite complex picking that serves as an undercurrent for most of this album. It's just very dense. There's lots of storytelling and lots and lots of lyrical content, and after a while it gets a bit samey. The standout for me is 'So Long, Marianne' (which I'd already had as a favourite before listening to this album). It's got a really nice driving rhythm to it, but most importantly it's just way more direct in terms of the song writing and message. It's feels more heartfelt and is just a really well written pop song.

This is the second Springsteen album I've had now, and another that I just haven't connected with on any level beyond one song. I'm reading a lot of people raving about Thunder Road. It feels like it should be an air-punching good time but it's evoking absolutely nothing in me. I don't really like his voice, or particularly the way he sings. It feels like he's tuned into a completely different energy to me. I get why people might like him, but christ, it's not for me. And just to pick out one track in particular to shit on: Backstreets is fucking terrible, my word.

This was better than I was expecting after the first track. It's still not my scene, but there's plenty to appreciate. The production is really what makes the album for me, which is pretty consistently interesting and well done across the board. Girls Girls Girls works well, as does Hola' Hovito. I'm not a fan of the lyrical content or his rapping style particularly. "U Don't Know" in particular is terrible. Ah you've got so much money and you're so great and brilliant and untouchable. Good for you.

Uh man, this album is just a drag. It wore me down into the ground. And give the harmonica a fucking rest man! It's not big and it's not clever.

I enjoyed this overall, despite it being not massively my scene. Having only heard 'London Calling' before, and knowing they were a punk band, I was really impressed by the variation on display here. There's genuinely lots of different styles and the songs all stand apart from one another. The second half is better in my opinion. I think I would enjoy it more with more listens too, so that's why I'm going to go.... 4 stars!

It's very pretty. Lovely singing, really nice delicate instrumentation, but with lots of interesting layers. Some of these songs are definitely entering the rotation on my various 'chill' mixes.

From all the negative reviews I thought this'd be terrible, but it's really pretty decent all the way through. The songs are pretty varied, there's nice instrumentation across the board, and it's sang well with plenty of character.

I let out a groan when I saw the album, because ugh... Dire Straits! I realise now that I had a bit of an irrational prejudice against them, based on very little data. They just generally blended in amongst a whole bunch of other similar bands who I couldn't possibly get on with. But hey, now I'm over that, this is a nice album! A solid 3 stars.

Heee-heeeee! My overriding memory of this album is from listening to it as a (roughly) 6-7 year old. My brother had it on cassette, and I remember us playing it while jumping up and down on our beds together. Fun times! A lot of these songs do sound dated now, but you can't deny MJ is a really talented song-writer. There's some great songs on here and the hit ratio is really high. 3.5 / 5 rounded down.

The whole album is nice. Really smooth tunes, relaxed vibe, and of course she has an incredible voice. I bet this was amazing watching live. However I found it a bit much all in one go and found it a bit samey by the end.

This album is terrible. The opening track 'Pretty Hurts' doesn't prepare you for what's to come, because that's actually not bad - but from there it just descends into boring nothingness. It only picks up slightly towards the end with the last few tracks, where they start to resemble actual songs. I know this sounds pretentious, but at least with other albums I don't like I can at least see why others might like them, or even appreciate how they're made. I don't get any of that with this. The beats are basic and stripped back, the content is completely shallow and nothing, and it's irritating to listen to. Bewildering.

It's not massively my jam but this is a really good live album, with lots of great audience interaction and lots of energy. What a character.

I'm not on-board with their weird shit.

This is a lovely album. It's real smooth and chilled. I love her voice, I love the instrumentation and melodies, and it's just a real nice time overall.

It's fine. It's ok. There's some standout tracks, but a lot of other tracks feel quite low-key and a bit boring. It's not the most exciting album in the world. White Rabbit is a hell of a track. 2.5 rounded up.

This is a big and noisy record, with plenty of punky, chaotic energy. It sounds quite rough around the edges, and in production, but I think that works in its favour. I like Karen O and the anarchic energy she brings to it. There's a lot of hits, but also a lot of weird tracks that you need to tune into to really appreciate I think. For me I tended to like the singles on the album, and found a lot of the rest a bit hard to get into. Best tracks: Date with the Night, Pin, Maps, Y Control.

Even though I would never choose to listen to this album from here, I had a pretty good time with it overall, and I appreciate having an opportunity to check out different genre's that I wouldn't have otherwise touched. There's quite a few tracks on here that I liked. I like how upbeat My Way is. Songs like Save a Prayer and The Chauffeur are really good. Rio is just a bit much for me, I've heard it too many times at various family discos and whatnot. A solid 3/5

It's alright. Kind of floaty and jangly. I like the playing on this, but not so sure about the main vocals. It sounds like he's being gently haunted by a ghost throughout. "ooOooo a ghhooOOooost"

George really did have a great career post-Beatles. This is a really good album, with a lot of standout tunes on it. My Sweet Lord is probably the main one, but there's a lot of others in there across a generally solid album overall. I like the guy's style. Some of the mixes do sound quite strange with the vocal mixed way back, but they're still carried by the songs. Musically it's very good. You might switch off before all the extended jams at the end, but they don't really detract from what went before.

There's some really good tracks on here, including some real classics. I'd never listened to this album as a whole before now, and I don't think I'm missing much at all by only hearing the singles/hits before. It has a good energy across some songs, but there's also quite a lot of weird tracks and general filler it feels like.

Public Enemy Number 1! Public Enemy Number 1! Kna what I'm sayin? Yeah Chuck! I like how aggressive their rapping style is on a lot of songs, and I like a bunch of their beats. A lot of other tracks are really upbeat and quite funky. Overall the album is solid, with no real dips in quality. Standout tracks: Nighttain, By the Time I Get To Arizona, Move! And of course... Bring Tha Noize - Tony Hawk reprazent! 3.5 rounded up

This is absolutely dreadful, I'm not a fan at all, and I love a lot of other Iggy Pop songs! But this is so subdued and grubby sounding, with a really low mix and zero energy. It's utterly depressing and a chore to get through. It sounds like he's singing it while sat half-drunk on the sofa or something. There's nothing dynamic or attention grabbing here, it's just a constant dirge.

This is what this whole 1001 greatest albums process is all about. Completely left-field choice, something I'd never even heard of before, a concept album in a different language - and it's a real, genuine hidden gem. What an atmosphere this album has. It's quite dark and dangerous and sexy and seductive. The music and production is incredible. I love the violins, the sudden explosion of drums, that deep driving bass. Very very good. I've given it about 3-4 listens now, and it'll definitely be one I go back to a fair bit. There's something really compelling about this. Album 192 and I've finally found my first 5 star album from an artist who was completely unknown to me beforehand - thank you!

It's real nice musically, even if it's not massively my thing. I find his voice a bit floaty and too nice, which sounds like a weird criticism. I guess I just prefer something with a bit more bite, and this is just very pleasant and lovely.

It's not really my jam, but it's got a good energy to it in general. The guitar and keys are nice. Too many of the songs just sound the same to me though, it's so formulaic. Also, if there's one thing this 1001 process has taught me, I find the harmonica really, really irritating.

Zero is a tune. It's a great energetic way to start the album. I knew that song well before listening, and also knew 'Heads Will Roll' which is also good. The energy and vibe changes a bit beyond this, but it's generally solid, with some standout tracks sprinkled in. 'Runaway' is great, it's got a real depth and atmosphere to it. 3.5 rounded up. And side note: It's a great album cover!

Boooooring. I don't want to check how many Bruce Springsteen albums are in this list, because I suspect it might make me cry. Please, I implore you, no more Springsteen. I don't get on with it at all. It's just so bland and middle of the road, man. The lyrics are absolutely dreadful. And why are there 15 tracks? Why? I will however give a shout out to the track 'World's Apart' which has something about it.

It's very solid across the whole album. Nice guitar work, nice singing, nice tunes in general. There's some standouts of course - Sweet Emotion is always going to be up there. Walk This Way is a classic. I really like 'No More No More', there's some great guitar and keys on that. I'm glad I gave this a second listen, because I didn't give it enough focus first time around. It holds up well with the second play-through, and I'll listen to it more from here for sure.

I'm not getting lots out of this. I still get why people do, and I like the energy of it, but it's a middling 3 for me. My favourite track (David Watts) is a Kinks cover, although I do also like Down in the Tube Station at Midnight.

My third Pink Floyd album, and this one finally hits! Considering there's so many tracks, there's surprisingly few that are just ok. This album is also interesting, in that their more experimental bits I'm really on-board with, whereas that definitely wasn't the case on some of their other albums. I love the whole concept album approach, the way the tracks repeat and are re-worked, and how it all plays out in one big sweeping thing. It's way more expansive than I was expecting. There's a real epic feel to some of these tracks, but I also like some of the drama on this too, like 'One Of My Turns'. It's really interesting. The standout element though has to be the guitar playing. A lot of the guitar work in this album is genuinely amazing. Comfortably Numb is such a fucking tune, oh my god. His guitar tone is like liquid honey. I'm going to go 4.5 rounded.... up! I admire the ambition.

I'm not a fan - It picks up a bit once you get past the bloated, boring first track, but it's still not good. I don't really like his voice. Some of the guitars are quite nice, but still the songs aren't grabbing me at all.

It's a real nice, fun happy time. Really great instrumentation and playing. It's all top-notch and I appreciate it, it's just not massively my scene.

I thought it was going to be rubbish 80's glam based on the cover, and the first few 1 star reviews on here... but I really liked this! They've got something about them. They have a real manic energy, with tons of personality and attitude. Nice rocking guitars and rock vocals. Plenty of 'waows' in there and so on. Good stuff!

Let's Stay Together is a tune. The rest of the album is a nice time overall.

It's overall pretty good. Time to Pretend is a brilliant track, and Kids is also really good. There's a reason why they were the two main singles. The rest is kind of a nice time for the most part but I didn't find it massively exciting. Of Moons, Birds and Monsters was the other standout for me.

My only exposure to this before now, was that the track "Shutdown" was in the Tony Hark remaster, and was always an instant skip the second it came on. Blah blah blah, shutdown! Blat blat blat and shutdown! Did some tings and shutdown! Fam, I'm not a fan of grime. It's boring and repetitive, you get me fam? Also the actual content is just dreadful fam. It's dreadful fam! Some of the beats and production are good though, I'll give him that.

Well this has happened before... kick straight off with a country twang and a prominent harmonica... "Ugh... kindly fuck off please". But wait... actually it's not too bad. In fact it's really nice and chilled and I'm enjoying it very much. I don't often go in for this kind of folk music, but these are some smooth vocals and the whole vibe is incredibly mellow. Thanks again 1001 for making me confront my various musical prejudices! It's nice, real nice. 3.5 rounded up.

This is actually really good, and pretty consistent throughout. For someone who doesn't really listen to hip-hop, there's a lot to like here. The beats and production are really solid throughout. There's a lot of variation here too, with some real driving and funky beats. The Champ is siiiick, what a tune.

It's a nice album. Quite chilled and soft. I like his style, but also feel like it tailed off in the second half a bit.

It's a good album, and consistently good too. Thriller is a massive, massive tune, going straight into Beat It (wowzers!) then THAT goes straight into Billie Jean (hooo lordy!). What a 3-track run. Overall it's a solid 4 stars.

Well this is really weird. I'm not really with this. The cover definitely reflects in the music. Like he's just dropped a load of acid and is exploring this mad world via weird ditties and sounds.. But then there's some genuine songs in there in the second half that work well, particularly the more soulful ones found on the likes of 'Medley'. I kind of appreciate that he's done something interesting, and I admire the variation, but too much of it is just weird, and there's not enough to latch onto.

It's all very soft and breezy for the most part, but there's nothing really standing out, and it IS a bit weird. I'm usually a sucker for a violin undercurrent, but this was just a bit bland overall. Especially when you compare it against some of their other bigger (ballad-type) hits - these just can't hold a candle to them. I can't say I'm a fan. Marley Purt Drive was nice though.

I used to listen to Bon Jovi back in the day as a kid and thought they were awesome. Listening back now a lot of this stuff seems so bombastic and cheesy. Just his voice alone is so exaggerated, "YeeeEEAaaH, huhh!" *rock riff* They DO do the bombastic, woah woah hair metal thing effectively and well though, and there is plenty to like, with lots of great hooks, choruses and riffs. I think people can be too elitist about some of this stuff. I mean, come on, Livin' on a Prayer is superb. I don't care if people are sneering at me while I'm punching the air, I'm having a good time!

What a way to kick off the album eh? Straight into Immigrant Song - whollop! And then this follows with a bunch of great tracks all in a row. Just very good rock, interesting instrumentation, style. They're a great band. I think the second half tails off a bit, but I do like some of the more folky type songs and they're still good overall. It's a shame I really don't like the last song, because it leaves a bit of a sour note.

I came to this album thinking, "I really don't like the Police, they're shit", and I'm glad I got the opportunity to give it a listen now, because it confirmed my suspicion. I was right, they're shit.

This album is more interesting to me than it is exciting. It's not my scene, but I kind of appreciate what they're doing with it. The actual musicality and skill are there, and I admire the amount of different ideas and experimentation they've thrown at it. There's some interesting things happening with the instruments, with brass, violins, weird kind of soundscapes, synth... It's just a bit floaty and unassuming for me.

Alone Again Or is such a great song. I love the Spanish guitar, the brass, the orchestral movements in it. What a great opener. The rest of the album feels reeeeally 60's hippy / psychedelia. There's a few standout tracks with some interesting things going on, but it's mostly quite soft and floaty.

I love this guy's energy. It's a real good time, with some FAT trumpet. I'm Baloo in that moment in the Jungle Book where he can't help but be taken by the music. I'm gone man, solid gone.

I like the intro. There's some funky beats in there man. It's a shame the rest of the album doesn't hold up to that. There's still some nice things going on, but it's just not my thing and lots of it sounds generic.

This whole album is full of real nice, catchy songs, all just brilliantly crafted.

This feels like country in the classic-mould, twangy, sincere, well shucks country. It's a genre I can never identify with, I just don't get it. So much of it is so derivative, and tends to stick within extremely close parameters. This one certainly isn't pushing any boundaries, but it's competent enough. There are some songs that are actively irritating to me, but 1 star would feel harsh I think.

It's weird that some of my favourite ever bands have shoegazey elements to them, but outright shoegaze I really struggle with for the most part. It really just grinds me down and down, and I find it so dreary and depressing. This album holds mostly true to that, but also just seems really samey and goes on and on. There's nothing here that stands out.

It's very gentle, 60's hippy-folk. It all feels quite painfully sincere and nice. It's not necessarily bad, it's just quite boring in my opinion.

It's a quite nice floaty-sounding album. It wasn't what I was expecting at all. I think I had these guys confused with another band who were a bit more hard-hitting. I can't say this is particularly exciting. They kind of sound like a softer, less-interesting Roxette or something. 2.5 rounded up.

It's a nice easy listen this album. I was expecting it to drag on, but I had a pleasant time with it. A lot of reggae is so formulaic and samey, but I don't want to dismiss this on those grounds because it's pretty solid throughout.

I'm honestly not sure what to make of this - it's quite nice in places - there's a kind of performative, theatrical element to it. There's some nice instrumental bits, with sweeping violins and things. The first song is certainly something - It's very grandiose. There's plenty of other meandering songs though that are hard to latch onto, and a lot of other songs that are just really slow and drag. Overall it's just... a bit weird? Hard to digest as a pop album? I like the ambition, but it's not for me.

This is really nice. She has such a strong singing voice and sense of self for a debut at such a young age. I like the songs and style. It's very cool.

I'm not really into this genre and style of music, but it's quite a nice time.

I think the hit rate on this is pretty damn good. It's fairly consistent across the board too. Really upbeat, nice catchy songs. I always thought of Green Day as super quick, pop-punky songs, but there's plenty of longer ones on here too that still work well.

It's all a bit weird and silly and shit.

I wasn't into it that much. 'Orange Skies' is quite pleasant. The rest of the normal length tracks were just ok. I was actually dreading that last 19 minute long track. It was just sat there taunting me. "It's almost 100% likely that I'm going to be an over-indulgent wank-fest" it said. However... that was actually the track I dug the most. It changed this from a 2.5 rounded down, to a more favourable 2.5 rounded up!

It's very nice and is consistently good across the album. I like the mood of it. It's not massively engaging, just kind of soft and pleasant. 3.5 rounded down

I'm not into it. I like the kung-fu elements, but I'm not feeling the beats or rapping at all really. They don't feel particularly innovative or interesting.

This album is a bit of a mixed bag for me. I much prefer the more soulful / singing songs to the rest, which I'm not big on. I actively dislike all the backing uh, uh, uh's - yo, yo, yo stuff that are littered throughout the whole thing. I think it actually undermines some of the nicer songs. Overall, it's alright, it's easy enough to listen to.

Everyone naturally compares them to the Stones which is fair enough. They are very similar, but they do it very well. It's a good album - I like their flamin' grooves!

I'm glad that this project gives me the chance to discover these kinds of albums. I would have avoided this like the plague based on the description, but this one mostly works for me. Yes it's experimental, and it's a bit of a concept album, and it is weird and non-conforming... but he achieves a cohesive mood throughout the whole thing that I'm on-board with. There's some nice floaty songs in here... a little bit melancholic at times... and sure, there's quite a lot of meandering bits in there too, and some odd moments, but it holds true to the vision of the album and works overall for me. 3.5 rounded up.

Is it a bit too gentle and nice? Maybe. Will I revisit it again? No. Is it a perfectly lovely time in general? More or less.

On my review of Siamese Dream I said it was mad that the Pumpkins got lumped in as 'grunge', and how I thought they were way more interesting than a lot of other bands at the time. Mellon Collie only further exemplifies that point, because this album totally blows those guys out of the water. How many other bands of the time had this range and breadth of songs? This level of mad ambition? This insanely prolific level of creativity? Even their (many) B-sides from this era were so good and could have easily appeared on this album, or walked onto any other album of the time. Am I biased? ....Yes. I came to this project with Mellon Collie as my favourite album of all time. I have the t-shirt, the record mat, the original pressing vinyl that I spent an absurdly large amount of money on. This album, to me, is perfect. I love it deeply on a very personal level. It means an awful lot to me, and I think it always will. So with that said, I'll try and leave some notes with fresh ears... I think what's funny, re-listening to this critically through the 1001 lens, I totally get why people might find it a bit bloated. If I listened to it for the first time I would undoubtedly be blown away by a lot of these songs, but I think I would likely dismiss a number of them too. Overall though, I do love the way this album ebbs and flows, and has various moods working through it. I like how some of the weirder songs punctuate that too. I love how grandiose the whole thing is. And that extends to the cover and the whole package. It's beautiful. Sonically it's so good. The drums really struck me this time around, as they explode into life in Tonight, Tonight. There's so many sounds, instruments and vocals layered brilliantly throughout the whole thing. The work that Flood and Alan Moulder did can't be underestimated in that respect. This album does things to me that I struggle to explain. Listening to something like 1979 - I love it SO much. It's transcendental. It evokes something in me that makes me so happy. As a nearly 40 year old man, I find myself losing more and more individual fandoms, but it's so satisfying to know that I can put this on and still be so moved by it. I came here with the plan of hopefully beating this album and finding my new favourite. I haven't yet, and likely won't. After all, how do you top something that has so much nostalgic and sentimental value? Something that was there for me in some of my most formative years, and has stayed a constant in my life since? I will hold out hope though, because if Mellon Collie can be toppled, it'll need to be by an album that's very special indeed.

It's real nice. "Ain't No Way" wins the best track award, which is a lovely soulful ballad.

There was some decent headbanging going on during particularly gnarly moments, and some decent foot tapping too. They're really tight as a band, with some great musicianship, but it's just relentless.

I didn't discover this album via this project, but it has been a recent discovery nonetheless. I joined a vinyl subscription club during the first covid lockdown, and this was in one of my monthly bundles. I have to admit I was massively disappointed when I opened it. Queen are just so bombastic, and while I like a bunch of their songs, they're not really go-to listens. Or so I thought...! This album is fantastic, and I've listened to it a ton since then. Brighton Rock is a mental opener. It was one of those cases playing the vinyl where you immediately take it off and play it on the different speed setting because it sounds like a chipmunk singing... only to realise it was correct in the first place! So many other great songs, with lots of variation and playfulness. Big glam hits. Really catchy, great guitars and melodies. TONS of personality. I love the way the tracks merge and sit alongside each other. I particularly love the segueing of Tenement Funster into Flick of the Wrist, which then eases beautifully into Lily of the Valley. Flick of the Wrist is an absolute beast, and definite favourite on the album for me. I can't help but sing along. Killer Queen is obviously another big hit, but Now I'm Here and Misfire are other real standouts. I think this is a brilliant album. And for me it's a real left-field choice. I just think it fires on pretty much every level. As a fun aside, the actual track 'Sheer Heart Attack' didn't make it onto this album, but instead went on 'News of the World'. However, that is also a tune!

This is ok, just ok. And by that, I mean it's ok as background music only. It doesn't really have much substance. It has that kind of 'nothing' feeling to it that a lot of 80's music does. It's not offensive.

I like a lot of Creedence songs. I feel like this album doesn't reflect their best work, but it's still pretty good. Graveyard Train was the only real down note and was a real slog at over 8 minutes. The album beyond that was nice and groovy. Proud Mary is obviously pretty iconic.

I don't like it, it's just so chaotic and noisy.

I really like the intro to this - it's a really nice way into the album and sets up the tone. Sadly I don't think the rest of the album really delivers on that early promise though. I do like the atmosphere on some of these tracks, but the songs are just waaay stripped back and I'm not really digging that. I do usually really like bands where they have a girl and guy playing off each other, but less so here. The vocals are so breathy, and it feels a bit wanky indie to me. It doesn't have a ton of substance and I was a bit bored by the end. 2.5 rounded down.

There's some big hits in here. The album in general is pretty nice, but it's not setting the world alight for me.

This album has got such a sense of style and mood to it. From the cover alone the tone is set, and the album really carries that promise through the whole thing. I'd had 'Where the Wild Roses Grow' on my main playlist for years, but this was another classic case of not delving into the album as a whole. I think I did once, but maybe got unstuck after the first song, which frustratingly is a bit of a slog. It picks up a lot from there. Stagger Lee has some real bite, and that's followed by Henry Lee which is a lovely duet. Outside of those, I thought The Kindness of Strangers was also one of the better individual tracks. O'Malley's Bar threatens to derail it as it's SUCH a long samey song again, but it's then finished off with Death Is Not the End which is a great closer. As an album and overall piece of art I think it's very good.

It's pretty raw and grungy. I don't find it particularly compelling. It's alright.

This album is funky as fuck. The main thing for me here is the absolutely brilliant instrumentation. Smooooth bass, funky psychedelic space keys, violin, sexy synth, trumpet! There's tons of great songs on here, but I also I love the extended musical interludes - really nice. And big shout out to the mixing on this record - it's top notch. I find the other commentary on here around appropriation so boring, if we're talking solely about the music of course. Are you not allowed to have influences anymore? Get over yourselves. You're a white British man JK, stay in your fucking lane. You should be more like someone like George Formby, play ukulele and sing some innocuous song about cleaning windows or something. Oh wait, the ukulele was from Portuguese origin and popularised in Hawaii... but... that's appropriation too! Is it too late to cancel George Formby? He's a monster! Rant aside... great album!

There's some nice songs in here, and the album as a whole is pretty solid. I like their phat guitar tones in particular. I just think some of their other albums are a bit more exciting. 3.5 rounded down

I'm not sure what I really want to say about this other than it's just really lovely. Lots of nice songs, quite delicate in its approach, and kept nice and short. As the songs are all well crafted and presented there's no bloat at all. 3.5 rounded down

Yep, this is misogynistic as fuck, and that's obviously a mark against it. Looking beyond that there's some good tracks on here - quite an array of different sounding tracks - you can tell the influence of the 80's scene coming into the 90's. I quite like how aggressive something like 'Fuck Tha Police' is. If It Ain't Ruff is good. Express Yourself is a tune.

The first track is boooooooring. The only positive being that it got me looking up some Mighty Boosh skits on YouTube. "No-one listens to jazz. Science teachers and the mentally ill, that's all jazz is for." - "You hate jazz? You fear jazz!" I'd say it picks up from there a bit, and it's not quite as chaotic. There's some smoother stuff later on with the last track. 2.5 rounded down

The whole album is kind of lo-fi. It doesn't have a huge amount of bite to it in general. Is it just mixed a bit weird? Everything seems so far back and just a bit bleh. It's not grabbing me at all, sorry. You do get a sense of Chrissie Hynde as a personality, and she seems to have a bit of attitude which comes across. Brass in Pocket is about the only stand-out track. 'Stop Your Sobbing' was done way better by the Kinks. I'm not going to fall-out of love with the Pretenders as a result of this, as 2000 Miles remains my favourite Christmas song and I'll be singing along to that with gusto come December (probably November).

It's quite a nice time. It's pretty funky in places, pretty atmospheric in others, and well made in general. It's not really something that kept my attention though, and the reality is a lot of it just sat in the background. But it was pretty nice background music.

It started off real nice, then it started to get a bit tedious after a while. I didn't even really like it as background music. 2.5/5 rounded down

This is a good album on the whole. These guys really know how to write a song, with plenty of catchy tracks on here. I like the driving rhythm on a lot of songs. Especially towards the start of the album, I was tapping my foot a decent amount. There's some good synths in here, some nice piano and violins, and generally pretty good production. There's also a bit of atmosphere on a number of tracks. It's not my usual go-to, but it's pretty good. I felt like the quality fell off a bit from about the half-way mark, but it's still quite solid. 3.5 rounded down.

I love a bit of Stevie. This isn't his best, but it is a real nice, funky time. He obviously has great soul and presence, and a WONDERful voice. I really love the ballads most on this album, I think they're reeeal nice. 3.5 rounded down.

I'm sorry Rod, I just find this SO boring. It's way too boring, twangy, middle of the road rock n roll for me.

It's nice enough, but I'm 5 songs in and it's not really popped yet, it's just kind of floated along. Ok I'm now 8 songs in and it still hasn't - it's so stripped back and barely there. Surely this can't keep up for the whole album...? Ok I've finished it, and it kind of did. I'm not mad Fleetwood Mac, I'm just disappointed. You have some banging tunes, did you forget to put any on here? The album cover is rubbish as well. 2.5 rounded down.

This is a really good album. I like the lo-fi beats across it, the strings, the piano, the melancholy / bittersweet feeling to a lot of the tracks. There's some good variation in there too, with some good upbeat tracks. It's really consistent across the board here, just very well done and great to listen to.

There's some nice covers in here, alongside a few original songs. It's very soulful. Plenty of songs that are stripped way back, but mostly hit well. I really like the first track, that's great. Hurt is brilliant. First Time Ever I Saw Your Face is a standout, which has a real depth of feeling.

This is a real weird album, real hit and miss. The tracks are way too long and over-indulgent, and they start to get repetitive and grate after a while, especially when so much is instrumental. The 18 minute track is 9 minutes of completely uninteresting talking, 9 minutes of great track that slowly builds into something with real energy. One Woman was reeeeal nice - why couldn't they all be 5 minute tracks? I love all the instrumentation on here: keys, sweeping violins, wind instruments, chimes, backing chorus - and of course the big man's incredible voice. It's very dramatic and big and I love it. On that note, I should say I'm reviewing this album without the single edits (so the original album). The single of Walk On By works SO much better. If they'd have trimmed the rest it would have improved this immensely.

I grew up as an Offspring kid, and I am hearing SO much influence from this band, as I'm sure it influenced so many others. I do like the attitude and driving bass. There's just not really much variation and it's very samey. Thankfully it's short.

I like a lot of Beastie Boys tracks, but damn man, so much of this is just irritating and repetitive. Some of the samples and beats are good. Fight For Your Right is a classic and I love it. No Sleep Till Brooklyn is good. 2.5 rounded up.

This is my third Bob Dylan album now. My previous two reviews both resulted in me demanding for him to 'give his harmonica a fucking rest', and in this case... you know, he's used it JUST the right amount. And when he does use it, it seems to have some genuine personality and fit well within the songs. So well done, Bob Dylan, you come good. I actually really enjoyed this, and I think it's a definite step above the other albums. Some songs are over-long, yes, but they're also just really good. Again, lots of personality here, and well written, interesting songs.

I think this is pretty rubbish. The songs don't have much form to them at all, they're just kind of loose and chaotic. I don't like the singing at all. It's so whiny and weak and nothing. It's kind of telling that the best track is the instrumental one.

I like this. It's very nice, well sung, nice tales, gentle guitars. What a silky voice! I like all the "oooOOoo" backup vocals too. 3.5 rounded down

It's not bad this. More gentle than I thought it might be, but a few tracks hit a little bit harder and are more upbeat. I like Neil Tennant's voice.

This just showcases that Paul McCartney is a really accomplished and interesting songwriter. I really like this album, there's tons of great songs, and lots of moods and tones running through it. 4.5 rounded down.

I'm a filthy millennial, so I'm clearly not educated enough to understand or conceptualise this properly. Kids these days just don't understand what the jazz is all about. So now that my ignorant and stupid position is established... this is fine. You know, in a kind of reasonably nice, background, boring way. There's some nice trumpet in there. My thoughts on this may be more easily summarised with a slow head-nod and a lip sticking out, in a kind of 'not bad, but ultimately I don't really care' face. 2.5 rounded up.

It's not bad - another middling Bob Dylan for me. I kind of appreciate him, but I'm definitely not a fan outside of a number of songs. Subterranean Homesick Blues is great and the standout track. The rest are kind of just nice. He still has the habit of having waaay too many verses in a lot of his songs, but once again, at least the harmonica doesn't grate here.

It's pretty good. It's quite upbeat. They kind of sound like a more energetic and slightly rockier REM. I don't think there's tons of variation across so many songs, but I didn't really mind, and it was a real easy-listening experience in general. 3.5 rounded down.

It's a bit weird, but there's some nice vibey tunes in here. All weird samples flowing into each other. Frontier Psychiatrist is brilliant and elevates the score a bit, but overall it's a bit mad and chaotic for me to revisit or to have as a go-to background chill mix.

I love David Bowie's back-catalogue of songs and hits, but this project has taught me that a lot of his albums are wildly inconsistent. This album however is actually consistent and good throughout. The context of the album definitely elevates it I think, making a concept album out of his looming death. A true artist to the end. It's bold, and artsy, and kind of wonderful.

I like that there's a consistent mood on this. It's just that, for me, that mood is quite oppressive for most of the album. A lot of it is quite lo-fi, and there's not many stand-out songs that particularly grab me.

I don't really do reggae, but this is a super chill time.

It's real nice. Lovely song-writing. Good instrumentation. It's quite inventive and with varied songs.

I love the energy and vibe of this. A lot of it is pretty iconic. I like the vocals. I like the artiness. I love the droning violins, the weird jangly guitars, the heart-attack inducing, thumping drums. They add to this kind of weird oppressive atmosphere on it. Heroin, jeez what a stressful time, but it's so good. It's not their best album in my opinion (I prefer the more accessible Loaded) but it's still great.

Who could have guessed that a band named "The Band" would be incredibly boring and middle-of-the-road dad rock? I mean... it's alright. It's competent. It's just not exciting in any way shape or form. 2.5 rounded up

It's such a weird, bold, arty album. It has some similar DNA to something like Sheer Heart Attack, but the songs aren't anywhere near as compelling or succinct. It's all a bit chaotic.

It's got plenty of catchy songs, but also a bunch that are just quite samey. I really like the addition of rock guitars with rapping over the top. There's a lot of similarities with people like the Beastie Boys, only their voices aren't quite as grating. I wouldn't listen to the whole thing again, but there's definitely stand-outs that raise the bar overall. Walk This Way is iconic. Tricky has tons of energy. I had flashbacks to SSX Tricky on PS2. Tricky Tricky Tricky Tricky!

Take on Me is a belter of a tune! Some of the other songs are a bit generic and ehh. Others pop (like The Sun Always Shines on T.V). Overall it's quite nice, but it's only Take on Me that's worth revisiting.

I quite like some of the older hip-hop stylings from this era. This one feels a bit underwhelming in terms of the beats though, and the mix is really murky. It feels like it should be way funkier. And it's way too long. What "U" Waitin' "4"? is a good track, despite the MAD punctuation. Good Newz Comin' has something interesting going on. But it's not enough. 2.5 rounded down

It's utterly bombastic from the off, and I kind of love that. It's unapologetic, leaning heavily into the grandiose rock opera thing. Lots of foot tapping happening across a lot of these songs, but there's a lovely ballad in 'Heaven Can Wait' too.

This man has ENERGY. A lot of the songs sound very similar in the beats and delivery, but they're still great. 3.5 rounded down.

It's a nice time. Real upbeat and full of energy.

Sounds very 90's alt-singer-songwriter. I guess because it is. It's alright, but I'm not really into it that much.

I feel like I say this about a lot of albums lately, but it's generally a nice time. It's not my go-to genre or type of music, but it's gentle and easy and well made.

I'm not really a massive Elton John fan. He does have a pretty great backlog of classics, but a lot of other songs feel quite similar to me, at least in a structural sense. On this album I think that kind of holds true. Tiny Dancer is a great song. I (obviously) love the bit where it all kicks off, and you get all the strings coming in along with the piano and the rest of it. A lot of the other tracks are very well done, and are good in themselves, with plenty of decent hooks and melodies... it's just I started to lose a bit of interest after a while. There's some really good experimentation and variety of instrumentation on this album though. Holiday Inn has some cracking mandolin playing through it for example. Other than that there's violins, keys (obviously) and even some soul backing vocals. So, overall good, just not entirely my jam all in one sitting. 3.5 rounded down.

I like this. Lots of driving energy throughout. Some of the guitars in this are greeeeat, both bass and jangly lead guitar. I obviously have no idea what they're singing about, but they clearly have some serious lived experience to draw upon. I'm sure it's quite profound. The more 'world' sounding tracks I didn't enjoy as much.

Not a fan of metal albums where it's just guttural screaming. The Brazilian influence in the music is interesting, and there's a few good heavy riffs, but... ehh.

Ehh. I'm not a fan. I like some of their singles, but a lot of this just melds together as one big noise, and a bunch of tracks also annoyed me.

I love the energy on this record. Lots of driving, catchy rhythms. There's some other interesting things going on instrumentally, with some nice organ keys and so on. Take Me Out is obviously a big hit. I'm definitely going to re-visit.

There's so many great songs on here. I love the big sounds they create, with lots of layered instruments and backing vocals and so on. Intervention is such a fucking tune, real power and building to SUCH a crescendo. Been working for the church while your life falls apart - DADAA DADAA DADAA! 4.5 rounded up.

Much like the other album I had by these guys, I like it. There's good rhymes and beats and I really like the sampling. It's quite a noisy record, with lots and lots going on (which I like) but it's also 20 tracks so it's quite a lot in one sitting. 3.5 rounded down.

Beck is such a great musician. Everything he does is at least interesting. This isn't his best album, but there's plenty of great songs on here. You have real upbeat numbers like E-Pro, which is a great kick-off for the album, via weird electronic robot songs like Hell Yes, and then a gorgeous ballad like Broken Drum. The music and instrumentation is so varied and interesting throughout. Beck transcends genres even as he re-invents them, and I for one applaud that. 4.5 rounded down.

Jesus Christ, it's so minimalist. It's like literally nothing is happening. There's some interesting sounds and backing bits that sound kind of sci-fi, but it's just so empty. I don't think any single song distinguishes itself as something separate from the rest. Just high breathy vocals over some basic minimalist beats on every single song. It faded into the background easily enough for the most part, but that's hardly a winning endorsement now is it?

It's nice enough and made with enough skill, it's just not my thing at all.

Overall this is a pretty good package. There's lots of energy, and some great iconic songs. Some don't work for me, but being a punk album it's quite quick, gets in and out and does it's thing. 3.5 rounded up.

This may sound a bit cynical, but it feels a bit X-Factor-y for me. She's got a big voice, but it's like a lot of the songs are just a vehicle for her voice and not a lot more. I don't find the songs themselves that particularly interesting bar a few. It's ok overall.

Fast-paced and snappy, with a decent energy and plenty of personality. It's pretty good. I feel like it picked up the more it went on. I'd have to be in the mood for it though. 3.5 rounded up.

Well this was much better than I was expecting based on the cover and title. I like the singer... those are some real nice vocals. He doesn't sound like he should be singing in this kind of band, more like he should be in a rock/indie band or something. I like the mix of fiddles alongside the kind of upbeat rocky numbers. Some nice mandolin in there too. It turns way more traditional towards the end of the first half, which is quite a nice way to end I think. The songs are very nice. They're very tight musically and it's all solid. I was going to say it was way too long, until I realised the original album is just the effective first half of the special edition. That makes it a much more appetising package I think and means it doesn't outstay its welcome.

A bit more interesting than I thought it was going to be based on the most popular reviews. There's at least a bit of inventiveness in there, with some interesting soundscapes and changes in mood and tempo at times. That said, it's still not good. UK Garage beats are all pretty much exactly the same. Some tracks are incredibly vacuous and irritating as hell. And it's SO long. I almost gave up after 10 tracks, but then a few good tracks dropped. Incredibly frustrating that there's some good stuff in there, but that so much of it is just actively shit.

It's not really my thing, but it's put together well enough. Plenty of weird and wonderful instruments and sounds. I'm not a fan of the rapping style and content.

Lots of great songs on here, lots of experimentation with genre, lots of changes to tempo and style. Sprinkle on a ton of classic riffs, iconic vocals, big interesting guitars and you're looking pretty good! 4.5 rounded down.

I like the chilled vibes of this. There's some interesting instrumentation and soundscapes in it, and the overall atmosphere is pretty nice. 3.5 rounded down.

I'm not really a fan. Most of it is sitting solely in the background and it's not grabbing or interesting me. There's some nice synths, but it's quite pared back. It's mostly forgettable.

It's ok. It's quite murky and rough around the edges, and his vocals are definitely an acquired taste. There's enough variation on display and a few standout tracks, but I wouldn't revisit.

This is a well made enough record and I'm sure a fine example of the genre. It's just... reggae is so boring.

This is a nice record and it's well made, there's just something that's not quite taking it to the next level for me. Some bigger hooks and memorable choruses maybe. It feels a bit paint by numbers perhaps.

It's interesting having a solely instrumental album for a change, and there's some nice songs in here... but it's a bit limited.

There's some good jams in here but I'm not massively keen overall. I know people love her voice, but for me it's just way too bombastic. 2.5 rounded up.

People obviously find it hard to shake the Pixar thing, but there's some good songs in here, and some nice music. I got over it pretty quickly. I like the backing orchestral bits. Overall quite easy-going and it didn't outstay its welcome. 3.5 rounded down.

What an album! So many amazing tunes on here, my god! Debaser, Wave of Mutilation, Here Comes Your Man, Monkey Gone to Heaven, Hey.. They've got a bit of an anarchic edge to them. Lots of weird and wonderful compositions and approaches, but then just tons of catchy hooks and choruses as well. The combination of male and female vocals... It works so well as an overall album.

I'm enjoying this. Real big sound and tons of personality.

This is objectively a good album, with good standout songs, strong melodies, choruses and all the rest. It's quite soft and melancholic, and I understand that it's not everyone's cup of tea, but reading the top reviews on here it just reads like complete snobbishness. I guess it's just somehow cool to hate on it? Who knows? Fuck the haters, I like it.

I like the atmosphere on this. It's got a manic energy to it, and there's some interesting things going on musically. I like the psychedelic guitars. It's quite unique. 3.5 rounded down.

It's quite a chill time. He's got a great voice. It's just a bit slow.

I feel like The Cure are a band I should like, but I can never quite get into them. I quite like the vibe on this album. It's broody and a bit foreboding, with some interesting soundscapes to it. Once again, there's not really any standout songs, but as a whole it's quite consistent.

It feels quite samey all the way through, but it's pretty listenable.

Plenty of nice songs in here sung well. It's not something I'm massively into in general, but it's easy listening.

Oh this is nice. The music is complex and interesting, and there's lots of varied songs. Plenty of experimentation. I really like the acoustic playing, the vibraphone, the brass, the vocals. The musicality is absolutely on point. 4.5 rounded down.

I like the vibe on this for the most part. It's a bit frantic at times, but they're an interesting band and the songs have a lot of experimentation in them. Probably not one I'll re-visit, but there's some good songs on here. 3.5 rounded down.

Lots of really catchy tunes in here, and some utterly badass riffs. Loads of energy. This is great. \m/

It's quite good. There's some good riffs and plenty of energy. Nice and short. Maybe a bit superficial? I don't know if that's a massive criticism as it is what it is, and it's not trying to be anything more than that. Just a bit of good fun that you can nod your head to.

It's quite nice, but it's a bit indie-wank. It's the kind of music Zach Braff would put in one of his movies. All very floaty and quirky and inoffensive with breathy vocals on top. Crafted well enough but not exciting in the least. 2.5 rounded up.

It's a bit hit and miss for me. I like a lot of the Doors hits, but there's lots here that's quite plodding and slow. I'm not really that excited by most of the album. Love Her Madly and Riders on the Storm are the standouts for me.

It's all a bit dad-rock, gentle fist pump while sipping a cup of tea for me. Since others have pointed out the drums thing, it's really bothering me. It must be the most dull band to play in as a drummer. Even though there's plenty of layers of sound to the whole thing it still somehow feels really anaemic. And it's just so bloody boring, christ.

Overall it's a nice record. There's some interesting experimentation and some weird old sounds in here, but also some solid, well-crafted 60's tracks. Favourite tracks: Thoughts and Words and My Back Pages.

I'd never really listened to this album all the way through before for some reason, despite loving 'Music for the Jilted Generation' as a kid. There's plenty of banging tracks outside of the big singles, although they don't all hit. In terms of quality and consistency I think someone like the Chemical Brothers were way better, but this is still decent and I'm pretty there for it. 3.5 rounded up.

I didn't know anything about Kanye West before listening to this, apart from the fact that he did the 'gold digger' song, and that he's a flaming bellend in real life. So I had no idea what to expect here. I was definitely expecting it to be way more obnoxious than it is, and I was under the impression that he was quite minimalist, but that's definitely not the case. It's actually pretty impressive how varied and broad this is in scope. There's lots of different, interesting beats and samples, and the content is also more varied than I was expecting. It's incredibly well produced, and I hate to admit that this is good, but it is. 3.5 rounded down

It's a really nice album and well crafted. Very consistently good across all the songs. I really like the instrumentation and like his voice.

"You hate jazz? You fear jazz! You fear the lack of rules. The lack of boundaries." I mean, this is mostly nonsense isn't it? In my humble opinion, a lack of any kind of cohesive structure makes for a dull and un-engaging listen, especially if you spread it into a long-form piece. I didn't hate it like I have some other albums, but I have to judge it based on how well it moved and involved me, and that answer is not at all. It sat in the background well enough, and I adopted a face of mild bemusement for the most part while listening to it. Jazz isn't big, and it isn't clever.

I groaned so loudly when I saw this pop up, but actually it's nice. I like the covers on here unlike some others, particularly Jumpin' Jack Flash. I like all the weird spacey sounds. I'm not sure about the extended 13 minute track, but overall it's a really chill album.

I had a nice happy time listening to this. Straight down the middle, good vibes.

I would usually expect to go for something like this. Something with some moodiness to it, and with plenty of extravagances with the violins and brass and so on. But... it's just fine. I don't quite click with Alex Turner, either here or with the Arctic Monkeys. The songs just seem a bit superficial and lacking somehow despite all the nice instruments on top. They ultimately don't excite me at all. 2.5 rounded up.

It's pretty varied, upbeat, funky, lots of layers and grooves. Well produced. But boy is it loooong. And the second half isn't as good as the first in my opinion. I appreciate this one way more than I like it.

It's pleasant.

I'm not usually into punk, because it's just so noisy and discordant, but as an example of the genre I think this is decent. There's some good grooves and riffs running through this, and it clearly has a lot of typical punk energy. It's way groovier and more musical than other punk albums, with the addition of the sax in particular. 3.5 rounded up.

Top-tier Bowie. I love how generally dramatic and big the whole album is. Watch That Man is such a great opener. I love the elaborate twinkly keys across a lot of the album, definitely in songs like Aladdin Sane but then particularly in Lady Grinning Soul. That song is soooo good and elevates the whole thing.

The Police, to me, put out really soft, insipid, uninspired, nothing music. It's not dreadful, but it's just so, so weak. 1.5 rounded up.

I recognise all the hits, but I'm not into them. It is hilarious how you have a bunch of female empowering songs, followed immediately by a song slut shaming someone and telling them to put more clothes on. Hmm. It's a 'meh' for me overall, with one or two tracks that elevate it a bit. I can't relate to most of it and it doesn't really move or inspire me in any way. 'Happy Face' is probably the best and most interesting track for me, and that is by far the least listened to song on the album according to Spotify, go figure. I guess I'm really not the target demographic! 2.5 rounded down.

It's a good album overall. There's some really well crafted indie pop songs, and some particular standouts (basically the singles!). The longer form, meandering songs I'm not as big a fan of. 3.5 rounded up.

This is more interesting to me than it is something I actively enjoy. It starts off quite chill, with some interesting soundscapes mixed in and then it builds into this kind of relentlessly upbeat thing, which all feels a bit samey and repetitive. I think I would enjoy the songs more individually, but a whole album in one go is a bit much. 2.5 rounded up.

I quite like this, but it's not one I'll revisit. Breaking the Law is a real head-banging tune.

There's some great tracks on here, but there's also a lot of generic filler. I don't think it really recovered after the rubbish 11 minute track smack bang in the middle of the album. Who thought that was a good idea? It completely kills all the momentum. The mix is really low and strange for much of the record too. A generous 3/5

Good country or bad country? Bad country. How does a 28 minute album manage to feel like an eternity? It's so, so dull.

I didn't like this as much as the other album I had of his. It's still quite nice overall. He still has an incredible voice, and the instrumentation is still on-point for the most part. I'm not really into the whole 60's hippy folk-singing scene. To the person who mentioned it sounding like a renaissance fair.. I can't quite shake that, and yes those songs in that vein did grate a bit. Pleasant Street was real nice, that's the standout for sure. 2.5 rounded up.

I've enjoyed this, but I have to be honest that it mostly sat in the background. I looked up and it had practically finished. So it's good, but obviously not gripping enough to push the score up further.

Thanks to this 1001 albums project, I've come to learn that I really don't like 'Post Punk', so at least I could come into this album preparing for the worst. And yes, it still holds! I just think it's way too weird, and it does absolutely nothing for me for the most part. I don't like his singing style at all. He's either singing with some kind of mania, or just mumbling and farting about. I thought I would hate this more though. There's a few upbeat tracks that work well, but that's about it.

It's real nice. He's got a lovely voice. Smooooth. 3.5 rounded down.

This is bad in the classical 80's way. It just sounds so dated. The bits where she's singing definitely work better. There's some more upbeat numbers that are quite good, but overall it's just dated and feels hollow like so many other 80's mainstream pop albums.

I watched their 2023 Glasto set, and realised they're one of those bands where you know way more of their songs than you thought you did. There's plenty in here which were pleasant reminders of that. I think this is overall a good album. I love the trumpet on the opener. And then really, to be honest, when it's at its best it's with the singles and bigger hits. I thought it tailed off a bit in the last third or so. There's some great songs in here though. Great melodies, happy singalong times. I may revisit the album, but it'll mostly be putting the bigger tracks into playlist rotation.

It's alright. Jimi knows how to play, but it's not speaking to me. It's quite stop start, and the songs are quite chaotic. There's not enough flow for me, and not enough to latch onto.

Once again, I think Blur do disappoint a bit on the album front. You're kicking off with a classic in Beetlebum, and the other singles on the album are great too, but outside of those it's a bit meandering. I do admire them switching things up a bit and trying different things creatively, but there's not enough outside of the big hitters.

It started off so promising with the opening tracks, but I'm sad to say it fell off and I ended up bored by the end. There's lots to appreciate here - the big concept album approach, tons of varied instruments, lots of interesting songs, good lyrics. It's way too long for me though. The songs are all quite soft, and touching on the twee for some of them, and it's just too much. There's still some good tracks throughout, but it mostly feels like one big gentle thing.

It's very pleasant and chilled. Smooth songs, sung very nicely. I wouldn't usually go along with this level of sensual 80's sax, but you know what? It's working. 3.5 rounded down.

It's alright. It's fine, but entirely forgettable. It lacks any kind of bite. 2.5 rounded down.

I love Ash, they're genuinely one of my top 10 bands - and yet there's so many albums I haven't listened to all the way through. They're one of those bands that I've mostly only listened to on compilation albums. Maybe it's because their music is more about an overall feeling, and delivering a particular kind of hit. They're kind of specialists in that nostalgic, teenage fantasy realm, where it's always summer and there's possibility everywhere. When I want to feel good and rock out a bit I'll stick some Ash on and they'll always deliver. I don't need to go beyond the big hits and compilation songs, because they all rock and do exactly what they need to do. Anyway it's a stupid reason. This is a really good album, and I definitely enjoyed it. I'm so happy Ash made it onto this 1001 list, as I've always thought they were a bit underrated and should have been bigger. I've seen them a bunch of times live and they've always delivered big. I remember seeing them play a tent at Reading festival, and some 'cool kids' at the back were sneering at me for jumping up and down when Kung Fu came on. Come on man, it's Kung Fu, it's an absolute jam! I went straight down the front, jumped about with those lot and had the time of my life. Lots of brilliant songs on here. Some great melodies, choruses and riffs. Bits of the album fall off a little bit but overall it's another feel good treat.

Two albums in a row where I've mentioned seeing them at a festival. This one was Glastonbury festival on the pyramid stage. We were walking generally past. The weather was utterly abject. Dark clouds overhead and rain coming down. I decided to buy a pear cider. We take a look at the main stage, and who is coming on? De La Soul. At that moment, the clouds part, a ray of sunshine breaks out, and I'm standing there with a pear cider in my hand and a big grin on my face, watching some super happy fun-time music. It was magical. Anyway, I like the upbeat energy of these guys, but most of the album isn't as good as the big hits. I guess we'll always have Glastonbury.

I don't like jazz really, but this one was a real chill time. Way more accessible than most jazz albums, and there was some genuine foot tapping action going on for most of its runtime. 3.5 rounded down.

I like this kind of electronic ambient stuff. It can't exactly reach the highs of other albums in terms of impact and merit, but I really dig it.

It's competent but really boring. 2.5 rounded down.

As a broader fan of R.E.M I thought I would like this more, but the only songs really worth re-visiting for me are the ones I already know (It's The End Of The World As We Know It and The One I Love), which are obviously great.

There are some absolute bangers on here (Blank Space, Style, Shake It Off). The rest of the tracks are all very solid and catchy. She's a very gifted songwriter.

There's some really accomplished songs on here. Lots of character and depth of feeling. The production is superb. It's not the kind of thing I'd put on usually, but I can't deny it's a really good album. That's why I'm going 3.5 rounded up.

I like this. Good rhythms and beats, and it's pretty solid throughout. 3.5 rounded up.

There's a few good tracks in here which are pretty funky, with good beats and production, and lots of variation in instruments and so on. There's not many though, and the runtime is too long. Most of the album for me doesn't work and isn't my thing.

A bunch of my favourite bands have shoegaze elements to them, so I always find myself optimistically starting albums like this, before almost immediately realising that it's depressing, droney bullshit. It's so fucking miserable! Christ. Turn that frown upside down guys! Go outside for a bit, sniff the fresh air.

It started off pretty good, but the further I got into it the more it dragged, and the more samey it felt. There's not really tons of variation across these songs. There's some nice guitars in places, but it was definitely way too much in one sitting. 2.5 rounded up

It's way less obnoxious than the other album I heard from them. I don't like his voice and the manic way he sings a lot of them still, but a lot of the actual music I'm finding myself tapping my foot along to a fair bit. There's some good upbeat grooves in here that work for me, with nice guitar and drums in particular.

Some of it is pleasant. There's some chilled tracks with nice violins and guitar. Some of it is kind of boring. In fact it's mostly boring. I'm not really into it. 2.5 rounded down.

I don't mind these kind of ambient, soft electronic albums. It's a very chill time for the most part, but it's never going to dazzle me.

I've listened to this twice now, and I've come to the conclusion that it's really good. There's some great upbeat numbers, as well as some really nice ballads. It's pretty consistently quality throughout, and the instrumentation is on point. It's got a real easy listening vibe to it. I'm going a solid 4/5. But... you know, that's just, like, my opinion, man.

I know from this 1001 project that a lot of Bowie albums can be strange beasts, and be wildly inconsistent. It's great to see an album like this where he's just laying down perfectly crafted rock n roll / pop songs and nothing but. I'd never heard this album before outside of 3-4 songs, but it's great. Obviously there's some massive hits, that are still as good as ever. Listening properly now I've come to appreciate new little details like all the layered vocals, and the really great guitar on Moonage Daydream for instance. I've also been introduced to other great tunes like Five Years, It Ain't Easy and Rock 'N' Roll Suicide. It's a great overall package. Brilliant songs. Great production. This one is a HIT.

I mean, it's classic country music, so it's not going to be my thing. Dolly's a class act though. There's lots of personality in these songs, and they're nicely put together. This one is easy listening enough to work for me.

What a debut this is. There's so many big hits. Catchy hooks. Big choruses. I absolutely love all the layers of instruments, the violins in particular coming through, but also the dual vocals. It has a really big depth of sound and tons of energy to it. Parts of this album are just absolutely joyous. After this album came out I saw them at Brixton Academy London, and seeing everyone on stage at the same time really was something, but having the whole crowd sing back the melody to Rebellion Lies minutes after the song had ended was something else. A great memory, and great collective experience. This is a brilliant album.

Yee-haw.

It doesn't really sound like anything else I've ever heard, so I guess there's that? I do quite like some of the weird electronic noises throughout, but everything else that goes with it, rapping, lyrical content etc, is shit. I was going to give an extra star for production, but I realised I hated the content so much that I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Kanye West is a piece of shit, and a gay fish.

It's nice enough, and it's not too offensive. There's some quite good songs in here, more so on the first half. There's some nice variation in music, instruments and so on. I'm not excited by any of it, but it's nice. The second half all goes a bit slow and the length of the tracks start to wear on you a little bit more. Side note: It's a rubbish album cover, but I won't hold that against it. A perfectly acceptable, middle of the road 3.

This is funky as SHIT. Great production, flow and tunes. It's also misogynistic as shit.

I don't hate it, but it's hideously dated, and generally kind of rubbish.

This is a real nice, smooth, chilled album. I kind of like everything about this. The really nice guitar, the complex strumming and picking. I like his lower register vocals. I even like the harmonica, so that's saying something. Maybe because it sits nicely in the mix, and isn't brought obnoxiously up front.

It's nice and jangly, and whips along at a fair old pace. This just reminds me of Saturday mornings, my dad playing this album while cooking a bacon sandwich for everyone. Nostalgia!

I knew some hits on this already which I liked. Most of the album I thought was a bit of a let-down though. Maybe I was expecting more from its reputation, but there was plenty of 'meh' in here for me.

It's nice enough. Chilled, inoffensive, and not too engaging.

It's not that bad, it's just a bit disjointed.

It's quite a strange record, with unusual production and song construction, as well as some quite varied tracks. It is interesting though, I'll give it that. I'm kind of digging the vibe here and there's some good jams. It's definitely unique and doing it's own thing, which I respect. 3.5 rounded up.

I really like this. I love his voice. I like the chill, spacey keys. I like the ballads and I like it when he brings the funk. It's not as good as his absolute best (IMO: Songs in the Key of Life) but then that's a very high bar!

What a reeeeal nice time.

There's some good songs on here. I like how raw some of these are, with some really biting lyrics. It's mostly 'quite good' throughout the rest of it.

It's alright. It's got a real laid back, shoe-gaze, spacey stoner kind of vibe, while channelling the likes of the Stone Roses and the Jesus and Mary Chain at times. It's nice enough for what it is, but nothing leaps out and excites me about this.

Hell yeah, lo-fi, trip-hop style beats. Good ethereal singing, good instrumentation. And now he's rapping... and now some drum n bass. I'm really on-board with this first half or so. It definitely falls off in the second half and that brings the score down unfortunately, but I'm still on board overall. I get that people are annoyed by some of these tracks, but slightly bewildered by the barrage of 1 star reviews. 3.5 rounded down

This is a bit of a mixed bag for me. There's some absolute gems in here like Pyramid Song, but then it has some absolute bullshit in there too. Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors I can't figure out if it's them being pretentious or if they're actively taking the piss. It doesn't have the cohesiveness and grandeur of Kid A, and plenty of the album is just a bit miserable and flat. 2.5 rounded down.

It's way upbeat this album. Lots of driving songs with interesting guitar and cool keys. It dies down a bit towards the end. 3.5 rounded down.

I liked the last Eagles album more. This one is a bit too Country for my liking, and some of the rock n roll numbers feel a bit more generic. That said, it's well made and I'm still pretty down with it. Good production, some nice guitars, good backup vocals, and a number of the upbeat songs I really dig.

It's perfectly nice blues. Competent, really lively at times, easy listening, not massively varied. I had a nice enough time with it.

Beck is such a unique artist. I love how he can just let loose on an album like this and do SO many things while still having a cohesiveness. This album is funky, it's weird, it's accomplished, it's zany, it's engaging. How does he manage to blend so many genres so seamlessly? Something like Hotwax is a perfect encapsulation of this, mixing up country, rap, electronica, all sorts - and making them work together. Lots of great (multi) instrumental work here, sax, drums, guitar, organ keys, harmonica and more. So much creativity on display. It's great. 4.5 rounded up Ps: Shout out to the awesome album cover Pps: Odelay IS a word. Just look it up in the Becktionary.

I love the Kinks. Their songs are so interesting and have so much personality. Most of these are all little, self-contained stories which I really like. There's a lot of great songs in here, including some all-timers. Waterloo Sunset on its own is one of the greatest songs of all time. As I said on the last review, the song-writing and compositions are really diverse, and they do lots of different things sonically here too. Overall, it's a really good album, but not a great one for me, despite some brilliant songs. There's just too many so-so songs in-between which bring the score down.

It's too wanky and floaty for me. I don't like the singing or the approach. All too comfortable and soft and harmless, and painfully earnest. It's so long man, and so utterly dull. Such a slog.

It's alright. It's quite nice and chill and lo-fi.

Really chaotic and noisy, as expected. I'm sure punks would enjoy it way more, but it's not for me.

I'm absolutely baffled by the deluge of upvoted 1 star reviews here. This is pretty nice you know. It's got a good energy to much of it and has some nice bopping tunes. Some of the songs are a bit droney and repetitive and those I like less.

I love the driving energy of this album. It has a kind of innate coolness to it. The only thing is there's not tons of variation, and a bunch of the songs sound quite similar. It's a good listen though.

I know it's cool to like Depeche Mode, but I don't get it. I do quite like the moodiness that sits underneath a lot of this, and the almost gothic, dramatic instrumentation on some of the songs, but it's an issue when everything else is kind of droney and flat and boring.

I had to re-write my thoughts on this, because I initially found a lot of it incredibly boring. However about half way through I thought it picked up a lot more and I was way more on-board with it. I went back and re-listened a bunch of times and actually it grew on me much more and I was able to appreciate it. There are some lovely songs in here as it turns out. 3.5 rounded down.

Weird and floaty and annoying and boring.

I usually shake my head when I see a lot of American reviews of classic Brit Pop albums. "Ugh, not another BRITISH band, they're so shit and overrated". While that opinion is usually stupid and wrong (!) I think this is the first time I'm actually kind of agreeing with them. While I don't think they're shit, I don't see anything in this that makes it stand out from the pack. It feels entirely generic and done better elsewhere. Other bands of the time had better riffs and better ideas. Even the annoying, whiny singing voice has been done better elsewhere. I'm going 3/5 because it's decent enough, but in no way does it stand among any of those other great break-out 90's Brit-pop bands.

This is their "most accessible album"! Maybe this review is influenced somewhat by the fact that I've been doing this whole project while I work during the week - and this music is fucking TERRIBLE for working along to - but I'd like to think that even if I had my headphones in, sitting in a quiet space and really honing in on this, I'd still think it was bloated gibberish. I like SOME of the melodic bits within it, and I like the badass sounding guitars. The genre's just not for me. I need structure! I can't handle how aggressive and frenetic this is. It's just a bunch of stupid noise.

It's a really nice album. It's pretty solidly listenable and interesting throughout, and I like a lot of the songs. It feels imbued with real emotion, particularly in his vocals. I really love Where Are We Now? It's such a sad song. 3.5 rounded up.

Unfortunately, this album is underwhelming. Some of the other reviews had this spot on, saying it's a bit of a tease and seems to promise something, but then ultimately fails to deliver. It's quite stripped back and restrained and doesn't deliver on the bigger grooves. Strawberry Letter 23 is a clear standout. 2.5 rounded up.

The first track is supposed to be the best by far, and I didn't like it. What does that mean for the next 50 minutes? Oh no... I mean... hang on... it's not that bad. I kind of prefer some of the other tracks to the opener. It's not really my thing, but it's not bad. It passed by well enough. Plenty of wanky instrument noodling, but it doesn't come across as completely obnoxious, and there are some nice instrumental bits in there. I deem that this album is "OK".

Yeah baby. This is definitely my jam. I prefer the more down-tempo tracks, but the rest are still a nice upbeat happy time. I'd never heard of this before, but I think it'll enter the rotation given how easy-listening it is. 3.5 rounded up.

There's something about this. It's very atmospheric. It exudes a lot of cool. The album cover is cool as fuck. It's quite repetitive within the rhythms and construction of the individual songs - but somehow that works in it's favour. It's really interesting and unique in that respect, maybe because it has such a consistent mood and vision. I like the driving beats on some of the songs. I want to hit up a goth club, stare at the floor and kind of generally flail about a bit while looking desolate. Outside of the goth club where I won't be judged, there's plenty of toe-tapping going on. 3.5 rounded up.

As I said with their last album, I quite like the dark moodiness that sits across this, and I like some of the dramatic instrumentation. I way preferred this one to 'Music for the Masses', but it still doesn't quite hit 100% for me, and isn't something I gravitate towards in general. It IS slow and brooding, but not in a way that works for me. Enjoy the Silence is a great song, but even so it's still not really a song I would actively seek out or bop to.

It's nice to discover a band like this that I knew literally nothing about beforehand. Nearly every single 'post punk' album on here I've actively disliked, but this one hits for sure. It's actually cohesive, and the kind of post-punk mania generally works in its favour. I definitely really like the music on here, across the whole album. I like all the different instruments. I like the weird sci-fi synths in particular. I like the energy and drive of the music itself. I'm not a fan of the singing though. Shot By Both Sides is great. Really nice driving rhythms and guitar in there. 3.5 rounded down.

This is such a hard album to properly review, because it swings so violently between dark, sombre, interesting ballads, and just utterly weird, maniacal shit. And then I need to consider how much I respect and appreciate him doing something interesting and unique, with a real particular voice, against how much I actually enjoy the album. So... I really like the ballads. They're quite affecting, and dark and brooding. I don't like his voice in general, but it does work on these tracks. The rest of the album brings it way down, because it's just nonsense and complete shit. 2.5 rounded down. I have spoken!

The opening track sounds SO dated. The drum machine in particular roots it firmly in that specific early 90's era, and to me it just makes it sound really hollow and superficial. I was fully expecting to give up about half way through this with a verdict, but to its credit it did pick up and there were some nice tracks in there. I don't know if this is a positive or not, but it drifted into the background really easily, so there's... that? 2.5 rounded up.

I thought I would like this way more. I was expecting a super happy uplifting electro time, and to be honest I found a lot of it quite weird and discordant. It's mostly a miss for me and I won't be re-visiting it. There weren't even really any standout bangers. Really disappointing. 2.5 rounded down.

It's an overall really nice album, with some great hits in there. It's strange, but when you're actively listening to an album you notice so much more. I wasn't too aware before just how much organ was on some of these songs. I also like the jangly guitars and the violins. There's some standout songs in here. Everybody Hurts has to take it though, it's such a beautiful song, my god. My favourite songs are generally the ones I already knew, but 'Find the River' is a lovely end to the album. Great stuff.

This album is great – what a brilliant find! The opening track is funky as FUCK. That trumpet! Those keys! The second track is on, “Rip This Joint, and there’s that SAX. This is the first time in this whole process I’ve ever exclaimed out loud while listening to a song, made a hand movement to indicate “Yeah boy this is sick!” and then immediately CRANKED the volume. It makes me want to jump on a dancefloor and spin a pretty dame all about the place. It was so explosive at the start, to the point that I was really, really loving it. So I was slightly disappointed when it came down in terms of that energy afterwards, but the rest of the songs are still really accomplished. They cover a lot of styles, and do them all really, really well. The actual musicality on display is so impressive, and probably the thing that stands out the most for me. I love the huge range of instruments all played perfectly, the variance in styles, the soul backing singers. The keys. The brass! When it all comes together it’s exquisite. There’s some monster tracks in here. It is strange how they’re a British band, but this is so massively inspired by American Blues and Soul. They do it so well though. They’re the real deal.

It's relatively pleasant, but the mix is muddy and a lot of the instruments sound flat. I feel like the music would be way better if it was a bit more dynamic in the mix. More guitar and drums, and take the organ back. 'Are You Happy' has got some great rocking moments. And this is the moment I realise that the title track was used famously in the Simpsons, hah! This has been said, but it's got a real Doors-y vibe at times. A way-overlong track with plenty of filler, but also some great jams.

The opening track is a slog man. I mean, it's going for a particular scene and I get that, but it's not for me. Then you have a cringey spoken work poem about religion, subsequently added to music. Some of the songs in the middle did pick up a bit and my foot DID tap at times, but so much of it is just rubbish. I had to look this up, and found out that John Lydon was still very young when he made this. Which gives him more of a pass I guess, but it still feels completely juvenile.

This is very accomplished, and musically it's very good. It suffers (in my opinion) in the same way that a lot of these long-form jazz / jam type sessions do, in that the tracks end up feeling very repetitive. I wish they were much shorter and with more structure, because the music itself is good. There's some real nice jams in there.

It's a pretty solid, upbeat and bouncy album, but it doesn't ever reach beyond that. There's some good tracks in here, but nothing particularly standout. It's just generally a good time.

Overall, I quite like this. At it's best it's theatrical and very dramatic. Lots of people are hating on this, but I'd way rather listen to something like this than some insipid, safe pop album. This one at least swings for the fences a little bit and is doing something interesting. Funnily enough, the tracks I like the least are where other artists are involved that I'm not particularly a fan of.

It's quite groovy. I like the jangly 60's bluesy / rock n roll guitars, and I like some of the weirdness and experimentation.

Opening the first track and playing the first 5 seconds... *extreme wince face*... Oh man, this is going to be an experience. Her singing voice is really bad. Like, really bad. And not just her voice, but the performance of it. It's like she's role-playing a crone from Macbeth at times, and other times as some kind of woodland nymph, caught up in a state of perpetual wonder at the natural world. The music around her is all dis-jointed and awkward. She occasionally juts in with this extreme shrill tone, and it would always make me jolt back in an alarmed manner. I might actually quite dig some of the music if it wasn't accompanied by such an awful performance. But let's be honest, most of it sounds like cringey, medieval minstrel music, with artsy-fartsy poetic lyrics that are WAY too earnest. I don't just dislike this, it makes me really annoyed. Awful.

The first track was ok, just the right side of wanky, but it leeeaped way over that line coming into track 2. Track 3 doesn't show any sign of stepping back. This guy singing is annoying me enough just listening to him, I have no idea what I'd feel if I saw them live. It's just so pretentious and pleased with itself, but the content is so bad. "Stillness is the Move" has something about it. See, this is a bit more cohesive and works for that reason. I seem to have inadvertently done a 'track by track' review again, so may as well continue. Track 5, "Two Doves", what have you got? Ehhh.. it's quite nice. I like the violins as usual. If I heard this track in isolation I might be more dismissive, but maybe on the back of the poorer tracks, something like this stands out a bit more. Track 6... Ooh I like the weird synths, but oh wait, this stupid bloke is breathing sensitively over the top again. He's starting to really wind me up. They're being all weird with the music now, seemingly just for weirds sake. Good job! I do like these mad guitars rounding out the song though. "No Intention" is a more palatable track, but nothing special. Track 8, mmmm, a delicious cup of weird indie wank, delicious. God they must be so pleased with themselves. Nearly done, track 9! Oh whoops, I completely tuned out and didn't really pay attention, I only really caught the end. Erm, let's just say that it was probably 'ok at best'. Overall grade: 2/5, "Mostly Bad"

I'm reading the novel Erasure at the moment with the main character Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison, and this is the point where I realise why he has his nickname. To the music... it's ok. It's not particularly special. It sounds kind of generic, and doesn't appear (to me) to be doing anything that interesting or different. It just kind of plods along. It's pretty harmless in itself, and easy enough to listen to, which is about all I can say for it. 2.5 rounded up.

I really love Lana Del Rey's earlier albums, so it's such a shame not to have the chance to properly review them as part of this process. Her debut album in particular is superb, including the EP that goes along with it. There's so many big songs in there, and lots of different producers bringing different vibes to the table, while still keeping it a consistent whole. I started to fall out of love a little bit after so many albums, as they veered away from what I thought was more varied, interesting music, into more one-note 'sad jazz singer' territory only. Whenever I see a new LDR track drop, I strongly suspect it to be along those lines, and it almost always is, much to my disappointment. Which brings us to this album.. Right off the bat with the first tracks it's clear that the above holds. It feels way more one-note, with her floaty, whispery vocals not really changing all that much, or the feeling of the songs really changing that much at all. I still like her vibe, and if I didn't have this comparison I'm sure I would be way more up on this. There's definitely moments where the music is quite affecting and her talent shines through. Despite what I said, I do like the sad singer vibe, it's just that I feel like so much of this has been well-trodden by her before, and too much of the album passes by without grabbing the attention as much as it should. Parts of it are very good, and there ARE some different sounding tracks in there, but overall I have to mark it down. We're talking 3.5 rounded down, so still a recommendation overall I guess. But it's not an album I'll revisit very often, if at all. The best thing about this was having the opportunity here to say that I think Born to Die and Ultraviolence are both stunning, 5 star records.

This is a really impressive album. I groaned when I saw it was a double album, and realising I rated his other album 2/5, but this flew by pretty quickly. There's a real consistency across the whole album, with no real dip in quality. There's plenty of variation too, from soft ballads, to more upbeat rocky numbers, to more soulful ones, and weirder interludes. He makes it all work together. There's an impressive amount of instruments across this, that he apparently all played himself, and does so excellently.

It's quite unusual in many ways, but has a nice vibe about it. A lot of the tracks are quite joyous and fun, and make for a good listen. Virginia Plain is a real tune. I don't really do karaoke, but that would make a great go-to karaoke hit, due to all the theatrical warbling. I've been known to tackle it in the shower on more than one occasion.

This is better than I was expecting based on the reviews and commentary. It is 80's, but it doesn't have the hollow production that a lot of other 80's albums suffer from. There's driving, funky bass, and lots of interesting instrumentation with strings and brass. The songs are dramatic. It's got plenty of catchy grooves and a lot of energy. It's still not really my thing, but I can see why it has it's place in this list.

There's seemingly lots of big fans on here. Either I don't get it, or maybe it's a cultural thing, or perhaps it plays hard into nostalgia for some? For me it's just quite easy-going, generic rock 'n' roll. Heavy emphasis on 'generic'. I mean, it's fine. The first half was better. There's some Led-Zep sounding moments, just without the Led-Zep ooomph. And there's some nice enough ballads that aren't offensive. The second half, slower acoustic stuff, again, is nice enough to listen to, but it's all a bit bland and ponderous. A generous 3 out of 5

This is definitely a whole-album experience. It's weird and wonderful in places. It's very atmospheric. There's not really any hooks or strong melodies, but it's not about that. It's all about the overall. There's definitely moments where it tested me a bit, where it was just a bit much, a bit too formless. Overall I think it works. It's layered and atmospheric, and doing its own thing, which can only be commended. 3.5 rounded up.

This is pretty solid throughout. The production and beats are excellent. It's quite a chill time, and I like the flow of it. 3.5 rounded up.

I have an unbroken record of giving Springsteen records 2/5 stars, so to say I wasn't exactly optimistic about this is an understatement. I started out tolerating this one, genuinely, but it didn't take long to start to grate. I don't like his voice. I don't like his vibe. And if we can banish the fucking harmonica to the annals of history then I'd actually be delighted. I'm sure he's a lovely bloke, but I don't want to listen to anymore of his music. I get the idea. You guessed it... 2/5

This album is a lot of fun. It's just a total bop from start to finish, and my foot was in a constant state of tapping. I like the groovy beats. I like the attitude. It's refreshing. This album will be making an appearance at some summer barbecues this year for sure.

Ehhh... it's just a bit weird innit? I don't really get on with this kind of random, post-punk style. It's all a bit haphazard, and lacking real substance. Gut Feeling makes me nostalgic for 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou' but that's about it.

It's alright. I knew quite a lot of tracks already, and some of them are a good upbeat time, but I was expecting to like this more. It's just ok. The Comfortably Numb cover surprisingly isn't all that obnoxious, and kind of works. The best thing about this album is the album cover.

It's a dark, interesting album. I'm glad this kind of stuff is out there, as it's so different. Plenty of atmosphere and mood. The music and vocals are quite effective. 3.5 rounded up.

It's all a bit generic alternative rock. I can't say there was much that jumped out and got me excited. The odd track has a bit more about it, but most of it just completely passed me by. 2.5 rounded up.

I mean, fucking hell, kicking straight off with Smells Like Teen Spirit, it can only go downhill from there... right? Wrong! Because In Bloom kicks in and veritably smacks you round the chops with that great, fat riff and those big, big drums. And it's another banger. Followed by another, and another. The flow of this album is so good. You have a lot of big hitters merging into more laid back tracks. You've got songs you can lose yourself in and belt out at the top of your lungs, like Lithium - YeeeeEEEeeeeaaaAAH! And just when you think it's taken a step back with something like Polly, Territorial Pissings comes in and smacks you about the face once again. How much fat is on this album? Very little. How many absolute bangers are lined up in a row? A lot. It's got so much energy to it. It (still) feels so vital. This truly is an album of a generation, and it's SO good.

It's a really good album, with plenty of great songs. I like how they're not afraid to go really big with it at times, with driving guitars and drums, orchestral surges, great big power vocals... they also have plenty of softer moments with sweeter vocals. Some of the music is sublime, notably on tracks like Secretly or You'll Follow Me Down. It's slightly surprising that this album of theirs would make the list as there's none of their big hits in here, but this one does play well as a whole album experience.

It's quite nice. It doesn't have a lot of bite to it, but there is some interesting and varied music, with lots of different instruments. There's some nice soundscapes and general production.

It's a real smooth, chill time, sitting nicely in the background. The sax is soft as butter, and I like the nuanced guitar in there. It is what it is. 3.5 rounded up.

It's full of quality as you'd expect and well put together, but it doesn't have a lot of stand-out tracks. A number of the tracks I wasn't particularly taken with, especially those that lean towards country. 3.5 rounded down.

It's not massively my thing, but there's some good upbeat tracks in here that I like, bringing a little bit of funk. It's not on the level of some other hip hop albums I've listened to on this project, and the beats don't deliver as those other albums do. Some of this sounds like it's still carrying over some of the influence and style of the 80's. It's ok, just ok. 2.5 rounded up.

This really isn't for me. He gets credit for some of the music, or perhaps the ambition of some of the music, but I find the whole thing really annoying. The conversational delivery of the singing winds me up, and the more dramatic moments are weird and disjointed. And I wrote the above BEFORE he laid down the overt Jesus track. Maybe this didn't find it's audience because it's simply shit.

So much of this album is really slow and laboured, and there's nowhere near enough oomph. I don't like his vocals or singing style at all. It's so high pitched and floaty. There's a few tracks with a bit more about them, including the likes of 'So in Love'. The last few tracks also pick up a bit. Mostly though, no thank you.

This feels like lower-tier REM for me. They've got the nice jangly guitars and rhythms, and the usual backing 'ooh' vocals. It's all perfectly nice, it just feels a bit bland and samey to me.

It's not really my thing, but I can appreciate it well enough. The content and lyrics are pretty weird, and it does sound quite 80's, but he's got a great voice and it's produced and put together well enough. I like 'Kissing a Fool' the most as it was nice and chilled.

I really like this. I love how soft and melancholy it is. It's stripped back, yet still has a lot of depth. It's such a shame I had to listen on YouTube with all the advert interruptions, because it's a real mood from start to finish. I love his soulful singing. The artwork just tops it off. Great find! I've uhmmed and ahhed on this all day, but the fact that I've listened to this album like 5 times already tells you all you need to know. I have to go big on the rating. They're rare, and few and far between, but this is what we all want right? Completely new musical discoveries that really take you and capture your imagination. Great stuff.

I feel like I've definitely heard of some of this before, on some kind of chill mix playlist. I love this kind of down-tempo vibe, and it's very much in my wheelhouse. In terms of the music and quality, it's consistent throughout, and I enjoyed all of it. In terms of where this sits for me in terms of music and albums in general though? I don't think I would ever specifically think of this band in particular, or remember them... I would save this and come to it occasionally when looking for a particular chill mood. And that's just fine!

It's a bit up and down really, and quite a mish-mash. The opening few tunes are funky as shit and a real good time, and then the next few definitely fall off and are a bit weird and dated. Then there's a strange ode to Stevie Wonder, a bit of a soulful ballad.. and obviously The Message, which is back to being upbeat and funky. It's a bit inconsistent, but I had a good time.

Jesus, when the first song kicks in... grimace. This is way too much. I fully expected this to be released in like 2020 something, as it feels like the kind of music I'm too old and out of touch to understand. I mean, I definitely am too old, the album cover alone is giving me a headache. But the music just doesn't make sense to me. I don't think it's clever to have random noises and time-signatures that make it feel completely disjointed. I don't understand it. I just don't understand! I want to round this up to 2 just so I don't have to look at this stupid album cover again on my user summary page, but I'm just too much of a professional dammit.

This isn't too bad you know. I like the driving rhythms, and a lot of it is quite upbeat.

The fuck is this shit? It's not making any kind of statement, so it doesn't even feel like an art piece. It's just a bunch of stupid unfunny skits and noises that they've released and called an album. It's like the secret track you find at the end of a normal album where they're just messing about with a personal in-joke or two, only, you know, doing that for the whole thing. This is utterly embarrassing and they should all be ashamed of themselves.

Straight into Blitzkrieg Bop and we're OFF, pedal to the metal! Yes, the songs are incredibly similar, they mostly share the same three chords, and are all very short and chanty. But for the most part it's a good, head bopping time. It gets in, does it's thing, and gets out. And it's kind of great for it. 3.5 rounded up.

It's got a bit of attitude to it, this. I like how this embraces the weird, and how it doesn't really sound like anything else. Some nice grooves and a lot of fun. 3.5 rounded up.

This is definitely pushing for one of the worst album covers on here. Thankfully the music is better, and it's an upbeat, pop-punk good time.

It's not too bad. It's quite murky and a lot of it is just too noisy. But there's some driving rhythms in there and I'm down with some of it. It's not one I'll return to by any stretch.

This is really good. There's tons of great songs with catchy hooks. It's also really rocking in places, which I hadn't necessarily always attributed to Oasis. I think I'm overcoming my Oasis prejudice and coming to realise that they really did deserve to be as big as they were. They're still not a go-to band for me, but I do really appreciate the quality here. 4.5 rounded down.

It's 'powerful vocals' pop ballads, but powerful vocals alone don't make for interesting music. And powerful vocals doesn't even mean that they're more impactful or emotional. If you compared Adele to someone like Aimee Mann, her music and singing style conveys so much more emotion and depth of feeling. There's a sheen to this that detracts way more than it adds in my opinion. It feels like a perfectly polished piece of commercial pop property, designed to appeal to the masses. I just found it all a bit boring.

This feels better than the previous albums of theirs I've had. It's pretty easy-going and well put-together. It started out better and slowly got more boring, but... it's nice enough I guess.

I thought I would like this more than I did. I like the music and the vibe for the most part, but I wasn't as tuned into it as I thought I might be. It feels somewhat repetitive at times. Overall though I had a pretty good time. 3.5 rounded down.

This is so profoundly boring and nothing. I wish my musical tastes knew no boundaries, but they do, and this isn't for me at all.

This is an overall groovy time, and legitimately sexy, I'm impressed. It's not really the kind of thing I would listen to, but I enjoyed this, and Waterfalls is SUCH a tune. 3.5 rounded down.

Overall good. I like the rawness of this record, and I'm always down for some Jack White guitar. There's some big hitting songs in here, and I like some of the softer songs too like "We're going to be friends". There's a bit of bloat in there, and it doesn't all hit for me.

It's a bit of a mixed bag for me. I like the weird fuzzy spacey guitars, and I like the rawness of it. Some songs are excellent. Others are a bit murky and more meandering. It's a pretty good album overall. I mean, cam' ahwn!

I quite like a good, sad album. You can really descend into a quiet, contemplative mood and let the music take you. This sad-sack approach on the other hand is really boring and irritating. His voice is so droney and half-arsed. It sounds like he's chronically depressed, and singing all the songs while sunk deep into the sofa (presumably the one on the cover). He's dragged me down to his level and left me feeling a lot worse for it. Thanks for that mate.

It's not good. It's so dated, and there's not really anything to it at all. Every song is so samey, with incredibly basic beats and rhymes over the top. I found the whole thing really boring. 1.5 rounded up.

A loud audible groan when I saw this pop up, but this is WAY better than I was expecting. This is some FUNKY shit. I am way digging these bongos (just as well really) and some of these covers (like Apache) are BAD ASS. I thought I would finally answer the question of "how many bongos is too many bongos?", but you know what? I haven't. We need more bongos if anything. More. Bongos.

It's weird, and oppressive, and murky, and very noisy. I'm not really sure what they're going for here. There's not really that many succinct, actual songs. It all kind of bleeds into one loud mess. Weird.

This isn't really my thing, but I do respect it. It's interesting at least. I really like the moodier elements, and some of the more grandiose moments. So much is forgettable for me though, and it mostly wafts along in the background, with a lot of songs blending into each other.

It's really good man. I have no idea why I hadn't properly dug into Faith No More before beyond a very surface level. I like Mike Patton's voice, I like the heavy driving riffs, and I like their style. It sounds super fresh given it came out at the tail end of the 80's. Rock \m/

I appreciate the skill, but I don't like it at all. I wish there was an option to have gifs in your reviews, because this could so much more easily be summed up by a single funny gif of a bored and frustrated looking dog or something. Maybe a dramatic eye-roll from a small child, wise beyond their years. Or maybe I could just include a static image of me lying down flat on the pavement, looking utterly defeated.

I found a lot of this to be real nice. My kind of jazz. Super chilled and laid back, down-tempo, lo-fi. A bit moody, with some real atmosphere to it. Nice elegant keys and gentle backing bass. I'm not as much of a fan when it introduces more of a chaotic element in some songs, maybe more 'traditional jazz'? Drums in weird time signatures and the like. Overall, it was an enjoyable relaxing time while working. 3.5 rounded down.

I've had a lot of Bob Dylan albums now, but I'm pleased to say this is on the higher-end of the scale. I don't really like his warbly voice, and I'd still rather he wasn't always defaulting to his harmonica all the time, but the song-writing is undoubtedly good and there's some jams in here. It's got a real nice vibey upbeat feel to it for the most part. 3.5 rounded up.

For FUCKS sake, I've only just had these guys and it was one of the worst albums I'd ever heard in my life. And now you're subjecting me to another whole hour of them? Why on earth have they got two albums on here? Once again they seem to think they're really funny, but they're just annoying. There's clearly some skill there, so it'd be nice to hear an actual serious album from them to see what they really have. Some songs have some promise to them, before they're inevitably ruined by some stupid interjection or undercurrent. Overall this is definitely better than the other album I had, but it's still SHIT. I hate them and everything about them. 1.5 rounded up.

I mean, his voice is nice enough, but dear lordy... yaaaawn.

I like how big and bold and varied this is. There's lots of layers of instruments, different styles being thrown around, theatrical elements, lots of pomp and sass. I like that something like this exists. It's quite confidently out there without being obnoxious, which (after listening to a lot of other albums in this list) I know can be a tricky thing to pull off. 3.5 rounded down.

The absolute best thing about this for me is the consistency and flow of it. One of those albums that drops little notes and flavours that follow-through to the rest of the album and make it work well as an individual piece of work, with a consistent mood. On paper this isn't for me, but actually I'm down with it. There's some great tracks in here, solid instrumentation, some good covers, and he has a great voice to boot. And it has actual atmosphere that carries through like I said, with layers of sound. Quite the surprise as I was expecting this to be not for me at all. 3.5 rounded up.

I really don't like this at all. It's way too twee, earnest and, frankly, boring.

This is a perfectly nice, jangly 60's record. Lots of nice upbeat songs, with some good variation in music and instruments. 3.5 rounded down.

They way this album mixes so many genres together while keeping a consistent whole is genuinely impressive. There’s rock, ska, punk, funk, soul and reggae all working together, but it also has a lingering sense of the 80’s about it. I don’t think there’s any real dips in form across the whole album. It’s really accomplished.

I was way more up on this at the start of the album, but over time it started to drag a lot more and began to feel more repetitive and samey. It’s nowhere near as noisy and discordant as people are saying. I thought I was in for an ear-splitting time, but it’s just quite competent grungey / garage rock. It’s ok. There’s enough here that works.

I’m not quite sure what to make of this. It’s a pretty nice listen overall. A little strange. Much like their other album I had I guess. It’s not going to be a re-visit, but I’m glad I spent the time with it, and got to get a better feel for the band.

It's very pleasant for the most part, with some nice technical guitar.

This is kind of middling for me. It’s easy-listening enough but I’m not excited by it.

I like a bit of ambient / chill background when I’m working, but this was barely there. I may as well have been listening to rainfall. It’s a bad album to judge because the music is literally designed to be ignored. However, when I actually did focus on it, I found it boring. If you stick this on while giving me a massage, then fine, but other than that I won’t be listening again.

I’m not a fan of this one. Firstly, it can’t escape all the 80’s trappings, which make it sound incredibly dated. I really don’t like the idea of ‘vocals above all else’ either, which probably applies to a number of tracks here. Her cover of Let’s Stay Together is probably the perfect example of the fusion of these two things. The original is this incredibly soulful ballad, and here it’s turned into some kind of grotesque parody. She belts the whole thing out and in doing so strips out all depth of feeling from it, and it’s so abundantly worse for it. This may be sacrilegious to some, but I don’t even particularly like her vocals. I much preferred the upbeat campy tracks, that had a bit of flavour of Meatloaf. I had way more fun with those.

It's a lovely, chilled time. I like the vocals, I like the instruments, it's just all very pleasant and smooth. Is it a bit limited? Possibly. But it is what it is, and it's very nice. 3.5 rounded down.

When I hear the jams on this, I just instinctively picture a whole crowd of white middle-aged dudes, watching on and nodding slowly while stroking their massive beards. I guess this was the 60’s, so I need to slightly re-calibrate and make the crowd a bit more hippy-ish, but it’s the same thing. There’s an enormous amount of noodling here though. Is this what this band is all about? The first track is 23 minutes of gratuitous, over-indulgent wanking on guitars. I can’t imagine how boring that would have been to watch live, and with the first track! Christ. When the band do kick in and sing, it’s really muddy sounding. And boring. And repetitive. ‘Turn on Your Love Light’ was a slog and a half. I do actually like some of the music, and some of the jams. I think they have some skill, despite what a bunch of other prominent reviews here say. When they kick in with that nice solo guitar and electric organ I’m all for it. But you’re talking a few sprinkles in amongst a massive bloated whole. Not that impressed with this one.

The Velvet Underground are properly arty and weird, particularly on this album, but I do dig it. I’m tuned into the energy of it, even when it's chucking out frenetic drums at you and weird screeching guitars. Or a whole short story set to a grungy jam track. I know songs like “I Heard Her Call My Name” are obnoxious and noisy, but something about it works for me still. I'm still tapping my foot a good deal. The last track is a jam, until it does actually get a bit much. I like this, and I like their style, man. 3.5 rounded up.

I’ve been aware of this record for most of my life, but I’m only just realising now that I’ve never actually heard any of it before. I assumed it was straight down the middle house music, but this has a lot of interesting layers and moods within it, and a real ebb and flow between the tracks. This is exactly my kind of jam as it turns out. I like the overall mood of the thing, but more importantly it still kicks some arse when the beat kicks in.

It's quite quirky in the composition and delivery, with a lot more experimentation compared to her earlier stuff. It's not bad.. a good number of songs are really nicely put together musically and have something about them. There ARE some good songs in here, but I'm not feeling the overall vibe, or I'm just not tuned into the energy of it enough. I did find myself liking it more and more as it went on though, so maybe it's a grower. 3.5 rounded down.

This isn't really my thing, but it's not too bad. I like the production in general, and there's some good flowing, vibey songs in here. It's more chill than I thought it might be, and more singing than rapping which I didn't expect. It was quite listenable.

I thought I might like this more. I was quite aware of 'Mechanical Animals' which has got a lot of great tracks on, but this one is messier and noisier, with an emphasis on messier. There's still elements that I like here. I like how some of the tracks flow together. I like the big fat guitars which crop up in places, and I like the clear Trent Reznor influence with the industrial background vibes. The problem is that there's nowhere near enough standout tracks, particularly as there's 17 to choose from. It's a big messy mix that all bleeds together. And for something so noisy, you wouldn't expect it to be this boring. Really disappointing.

I may seem to have a bit of a beef with King Crimson. At time of writing, my review for Larks' Tongues in Aspic is the top rated one, where I essentially rip into prog, call the whole thing shit and accuse them of just mucking about. I was CORRECT. However, I'm delighted to say that this album is much better! Not the first track, which is all a bit weird and frantic, but the rest demonstrates some actual musical skill and even nuance, which was crucially missing from that other album. Parts of it are very listenable, varying from softer ballad tracks, and balancing those with bigger, more vibrant moments. Over the course of this project I've come to soften on prog as a whole, understanding that it's only certain parts of it that really grate with me. There's still elements of them pissing about and making random noises here, and I'd point to that as evidence that they still think they're more clever than they are (hello most of 'Moonchild'). But you can hear the more expansive bits coming in, and clearly laying some kind of template and influence for bands to come. A mixed bag. I actually enjoyed bits of this, and King Crimson can now come (a little way) out of musical jail.

I'd never even heard of these guys before, which is strange because this is good. It's new wave, but way funkier and way more more upbeat, with some great driving basslines, percussion and sax. I had a nice time with this. 3.5 rounded up.

Am I done with him yet? Am I done? What is this now, like 5 albums...? They're all shit. All of them. I do understand why people like him. I'm sure they can tune into his dad-rock, gentle fist-pump slice of Americana. For me, it makes my whole body slump in boredom. I seriously don't like his voice. It sounds like he's smoked way, waaaay too much weed and he's trying to drag himself off the floor and sing at the same time. The music, everything, it's just mediocre across the board. The most consistently 2/5 artist of all time.

This is an overall good album. A lot of the songs are quite catchy and approachable. A number of tracks do tend to descend into generic Morrissey warblings, but thankfully it's not too many. First of the Gang to Die is a tune! 3.5 rounded up.

It's quite an interesting and moody record. I like a lot of these tracks, and I like the whole of it. It doesn't sound dated at all and has plenty of depth and feeling to it. I think a lot of that is conveyed via her singing which I'm really impressed with. Nothing Compares 2 U is obviously brilliant, but that song more than any other highlights just how incredible her voice is. So raw and full of emotion, but also incredibly powerful. 3.5 rounded up.

This album hasn't made an impression on me at all. It's overall "fine", but the songs aren't very dynamic, and there's not really much that's making them stand apart from each other. It feels quite basic, and it's really murky. 2.5 rounded up.

It's a really solid debut album with a sprinkling of really great tunes in there. The opening trio of This is a Call, I'll Stick Around and Big Me is just great. There's proper riffs and melodies in here, and good variation. I quite like the grungy, raw production, as it adds to the overall vibe. It's pretty accomplished overall.

This is one I appreciate more than I actually connect with. It's quite floaty and quirky and unusual. They have some interesting instrumentation and chorusey swells and saxophone and all sorts. I really do like the moments when it goes grand and operatic, and that's when it's at its best for me. It's well put together and I appreciate the skill and how they stand out in the scene. I get it, it's just a bit too indie quirk for me in general.

I've had to recalibrate a bit for this, because I always thought "The The" were some kind of 70's noodly guitar group or something. Apparently I was way off! I kind of admire what they're doing here. It's got an interesting mood to it, and the songs are varied with different instruments and synths coming through. I even like the harmonica for crying out loud! Overall I quite like this, it's a nice vibe. 3.5 rounded down.

I mean, it's classic country, so it's not going to get me going, but this is pretty nice across the board. He's got a nice voice, full of emotion. This is unapologetic, heart on the sleeve kind of stuff. Some of the earlier tracks I found quite effective, especially with the big swells in music. 2.5 rounded up.

I like a lot of John Lennon's solo career. He has some great stand-out tracks, but there's not really many in here. Working Class Hero is a particular standout, but there's also plenty of average, nothing tracks. It's not bad as an overall album.

This is pretty nice. It's not obnoxious in a way I thought it might have been. Good instrumentation, nice singing, nice melodies. I had a pretty good time with it.

I thought I would have heard about this, but it apparently completely passed me by. It's quite subdued in general, and there's no real hooky elements to it, but it has a nice enough vibe. I quite like some of the quirkier elements of the production. It's not bad. It's ok. I won't be revisiting any of the songs or the album as a whole though.

She's got a nice voice, and I like a bunch of the arrangements and instruments. There's some gentle vibraphone running through some tracks that's really nice, along with various strings. The more upbeat numbers also tend to hit a bit better. I'm sad to say that the nicer elements of this get overshadowed by the overall slog though. The songs are long, and it really lags a lot. I thought I was coming up to the end, before realising I was only half-way through. At its worst, it's boring, and it feels like a chore. 2.5 rounded up.

I'm not sure I'd ever listened to the whole of this album before. It's obviously very good. Plenty of big hits, but it's also nice to see that even the lesser known tracks are very good, and doing all sorts of interesting things musically. I really liked the softer delicate tracks in here that I hadn't heard before. The songwriting, structure and musicality is really solid across the board, and they do plenty of interesting things. I really like the vocal harmonies in there. And of course some of these tracks are immense, particularly Go Your Own Way and The Chain. Good going, Fleetwood Mac. 4.5 rounded up

"Nondescript", the album. This is so generic and low stakes, honestly. It's listenable enough, just, you know, in a boring way. 2.5 rounded up.

I'm quite impressed by this. Musically it's very interesting, and it has a great mood running throughout it. Some of it is quite unusual, but always accomplished. The melodies are still really nice. It just stands out as something quite unique to my mind. I like how it tails off towards the end, going more lo-fi and chill, with those cool sci-fi synths. Surprised and quite delighted with this one.

It's not for me, but it's a bit better than I was expecting. The songs are pleasant enough for the most part and they don't actively irritate me. That said, the bullshit tracks of them screeching can do one. I started to enjoy it way more towards the end, until I realised Spotify had segued into an altogether different album!

I do like doing some deep dives on the back of these things. Through this I realised that both "Squares" by the Beta Band, and "Daydream in Blue" by I Monster are actually both covers of "Daydream" by Wallace Collection. And now I've just checked out that original, and it's also good. VERY 60's hippy vibe. Back to the album as a whole, I'm generally up on it. I like the overall vibe, the musicality of it, the production, the mood. I'm starting to realise that I describe far too many of these albums as 'nice', but you know... it is. 3.5 rounded down.

Obligatory "never listened to this whole album before outside of a few tracks", and I don't know why I didn't. Maybe I actually did and forgot. Either way I'm usually very down for these kind of down tempo, trip-hop, electronic type affairs. I can see how people will find this incredibly repetitive, but I really like the slow build that they employ on a lot of the tracks. The soundscapes and musical themes all develop over time into something more, and a whole big mood.

It's a bit of a mixed bag this one. A lot of the record is really murky and a bit weird, but there's also a bunch of really good tracks in there too. I much prefer the more upbeat tracks. There's some genuinely funky tracks in here with some good riffs, nice keys and so on. The skill and musicality is there, but I wish it were more consistent. I enjoyed this the more it went on, so I think this one might be more of a grower over time. I went from a 2.5 rounded down to a 2.5 rounded up, to a 3.5 rounded down.

I didn't realise this is what Rush sounded like. I always thought they were some kind of thrash metal type affair. I know I've already listened to one of their albums so far, but I'd clean forgotten what that sounded like, such was the impression it left on me. This to me has all the annoying trappings of prog, but maybe with more conventional song structures? There's some nice bits in here. I like the synths, and some of the musicianship is good... but as with other prog albums, a lot of this feels way too earnest. It seems to take itself very seriously, yet it's kind of silly and lacks substance. 2.5 rounded up.

I got way more into this the further it went on. You see a bunch of highly upvoted 1 star reviews calling it cringe, and then you hear those kind of drawling vocals coming in, and you do start to wonder. I thought I'd be more annoyed by them, but actually I'm not that much. After a while I kind of got into the vibe of what he was doing. I like the laid back, casual flow of this album with those nice bass lines running through it. I feel like it'd be cool to hate on this kind of thing, but if you actually just go with it then you can have a pretty decent time. 3.5 rounded down.

I'd love to know how I'd rate this album if I wasn't already quite familiar with it. I've got a feeling that I might rate it a bit lower, and that part of this rating comes from familiarity, and being a fan of the Pixies work in general. The fact is, I do really like their style in general. I like their anarchic edge, their humour, the guitars, the dual vocals. This may not be as consistent as something like Doolittle, or have as many stand-out tracks, but the album still really works as a whole. They kind of hit the scene fully formed as a band, with a completely unique identity, and that's kind of cool. 4.5 rounded up.

Top tip people - the Spotify linked album includes a whole other album. You just want disc 2, so you can cut the time of this in half. It's something I'm glad I knew ahead of time, because I tend to listen to these things all the way through, and this one isn't really for me. It's made with skill and there's some nice enough rhythms in there. I like some of the compositions and the back and forth vocals, when it's not being super repetitive. I don't vibe with world music at all in general, so I guess 2/5 is actually somewhat of an endorsement in that respect...? I'll actually go a 2.5 rounded down, because it was easy enough to listen to in the background.

This is way more varied and interesting than I was expecting. There's some funky tunes in here, some laid back grooves, and a great array of instruments. The album as a whole is generally pretty cool, and it's well put together.

I've not really got a lot to say about this one. It didn't really leave much of an impression on me at all. It all felt pretty samey and one-note, but was accomplished enough for what it is I guess..?

I'm not down with this at all. A lot of indie from this era was just terrible, floppy haired, happy-go-lucky music with no oomph to it. And of course, this is no exception. Maybe they're a bit more varied than some of their contemporaries in what they're doing musically, but it still has no bite to it at all.

I like elements of this album, but as with Disintegration it is quite oppressive overall and does wear on you over time. I do really like the oppressive, droney opening on this. It really sets the mood. Some of the guitars feel like they're actually dripping in sorrow, and the atmospheric drums and moody vocal echoes work really well also. But then it does just become a drag over time. His singing in particular is quite one-note. This is the kind of album that you should probably listen to as a whole, but then so much in one go is also quite hard work. By the end you realise you've hunched all the way over as this album has been weighing on you for the past 43 minutes.

I liked this one! In general I really liked the guitars and backing music, with their upbeat musical jams. Lots of tracks on here are a total bop. I'd never heard of these guys before (outside of one track), so it was a nice surprise.

Back in the day this wasn't really my particular scene, but of course I was aware of the band. I'm impressed that the whole album is genuinely quality, with loads of great songs, tons of energy and loads of great hooks. It's still not something I'd naturally flock to but I have to admit it's really good. It's a really accomplished debut.

I like some of the driving guitar riffs and more melodic bits that they sprinkle in there, but it's not really my bag in general. If the vocals weren't so harsh I would probably like it more. 2.5 rounded down.

This definitely sounds like the theme music to some old-school knockabout police show, and as such it's kind of hard to take seriously. How on earth this made it onto the list I have no idea at all.

It's mostly ok. Even though it's pretty accomplished, a lot of it isn't that exciting. There's a few good tracks in here though.

Even though I don't like this, and it's really noisy and abrasive, and chaotic, and his voice is manic and weird... it somehow works. There's just enough form, and at least in amongst the madness they're consistent in their vision and what they're doing. I still don't like it, but I understand what they're doing.

I actually really liked the vibe of this. I like the layered noisy guitars and I even like his singing. They've got a good sound here and a real identity which I admire. 3.5 rounded down.

This was a real jam, with solid tracks throughout, good grooves, melodies and solid production. 3.5 rounded up.

This is a reeeal smooth, enjoyable time. Lovely orchestral compositions with the silkiest of silky smooth vocals across the top. I guess I don't have to wait until Christmas to get that feel-good, warming feel.

This was a lot of fun, and a great bop pretty much all the way through. It's hard not to like something that has so much infectious energy. It also doesn't overstay its welcome. 'Hate To Say I Told You So' is an absolute tune and is the standout. Side recommendation: If you ever get the chance to see these guys live, do it. They're very, very good. Complete showmen.

'Solid Air' was a really nice surprise for me, so I was optimistic about this one. Thankfully I think this one also works really well for the most part. More than anything I think the music in this is just seriously on-point. There's so much variety and scope across the whole album. I love the ambient moments, the interesting soundscapes, but also just the variety of instruments and styles as well. It's good overall, but there's some standout tracks here that will definitely make it worth a revisit.

It’s an interesting one this, as parts of the album work for me and others don’t. I was hoping I might like this more than I did to be honest, as it seemed from the write up that it was well up my street. I really like the bigger soundscape moments the most, with the violins and brass and more, that stuff is great (eg. Broken Heart). And then in general I like those tracks that sound quite big, with lots going on in them. But then there’s plenty in here that feels self-indulgent, and much of it is overlong. In general it feels pretty accomplished, but… I don’t know… lots of it also feels kind of sanitised somehow. I don’t know how to describe it. Maybe a bit surface. There’s something that’s preventing me from connecting with it on a deeper level – which feels like something an album like this would be really striving to do. There’s moments and soundscapes here that remind me of someone like Sigur Ros – but they don’t connect and resonate in the same way.

This is a decent enough listen. I’m not 100% on her voice, but the songs themselves are good enough. I like the dark synths that crop up on some tracks, along with the more upbeat numbers in general.

I think this, for the most part, is absolutely excellent. It doesn’t feel like some of the other heavier metal stuff I’ve listened to, in that it’s way more interesting and melodic. It’s not incomprehensible noise. Although there is screaming, there’s plenty of proper singing too, and he has a genuinely great voice. A lot of the tracks have real drive to them, and there’s plenty of shifts in tempo which keep things fresh. The drums hit really hard, and the more technical squealing guitars when they kick in are massively my jam. For much of this album I was scrunching up my face and nodding along in a ‘this is badass’ kind of way. I’m generally on-board with most of the album, but there are some truly stand-out tracks. Sulfur is a great tune. Psychosocial is badass. All Hope Is Gone. Snuff, while the least ‘Slipknot’ song on here is superb. I loooove the guitars in that song when they kick off. Vermillion (it’s a bonus track I think) goes even further with all kinds of interesting instruments and orchestral bits thrown in. Really quite impressive. 4.5 rounded down.

It’s a generally nice time without wowing me. Uncertain Smile is my pick of the bunch. I like the synths.

It's just a perfect slice of happy-go-lucky pop songs. Under 30 minutes. Right off the bat it gets straight into it. Nice and upbeat and pleasant with lots of really nice harmonies. It's just an enjoyable time. 3.5 rounded up.

I really like his voice and style, how East-End it is in the delivery and content. I understand that won’t translate so well to other markets, but I dig it. Right from the off this is upbeat and a bit quirky and interesting. I love how mad and overblown some tracks are, like Blockheads, with the shouting and mad synths. 3.5 rounded down.

Ah, a mixed bag overall. Initially I was really on-board with it. I love the musicality. I’m a real sucker for orchestral bits, strings, brass and so on, so that side of things was always going to win me over. I like how optimistic and unabashed it is, and particularly love any grandiose moments of musicality. I fucking love a big soar, me. And then initially I thought it was super funny about comparing a lover to a horse. For Father Ted fans, he’s someone who’s famously written a song about a lovely horse, but crucially not about being IN love with it – so it’s nice to hear the other side I guess! And then in the next song he keeps going on about grazing on grass… peculiar. I’ll be honest, I like the silly elements less. Some of the songs are quite affecting, and as the musical bits are done so well it feels like he could achieve something more consistently earnest. The later songs started to slow down a bit and weren’t as appealing as the earlier ones. 3.5 rounded down.

So disappointed with this, it's rubbish. Pinball Wizard is good, and there's a smattering of reasonable tracks elsewhere, but the rest of the songs don't have enough form or oomph to them. It mostly just kind of exists and meanders along for the whole thing - which is very long.

I've been aware of Goldie as an artist and personality for ages, but never actually known what his actual music was like. I didn't realise he was so influential in the DnB scene. I guess this is what it is. It's not something I'll ever celebrate or go back to. I'm not bothered by the super long tracks as so many are. I vibe with it well enough, and it works well enough in the background while cracking on with work.

I hate that wispy, floaty voice so much. And oh dear god... it gets worse with the insane, falsetto shrieking. It actually makes me shiver and cringe at the same time. "Shringe". No... 'Criver'. Some of the music is fine enough in terms of ability, and there's a bit of a groove on some tracks, but it's of that awful noughties period where it's all so safe and delicate and inoffensive. And BORING. I'm getting literally nothing out of this other than great regret at having pressed play in the first place. 1.5 rounded down.

I've acquired quite a nice collection of pleasing, down-tempo chill albums over time, of which Moon Safari is one. It's massively my jam, and I revisit it a good amount of times throughout any given year. I just really love what these guys are doing. There's so many interesting soundscapes and textures running through this, with solid melodies and production. The flow of the whole thing is incredible. Overall, it's just a really mellow and satisfying time.

Sorry, African music isn't my thing. She's got a nice voice, and some of the more soulful songs are lovely. Several tracks in here are incredibly irritating though, and it took all of my will power not to bomb this entire review as a protest against them.

This is great. Smooth. Classy. Jazzy. It's that kind of old-timey vibe that feels like Christmas. I think I will revisit, but perhaps just half of it, as it does feel over-long and I checked out more in the second half.

I like this, it's a really chilled and soulful time. I like the backing violins and sax bringing some extra oomph, and he's got such a great voice, sugar.

The write-up says that these are effectively glorified demos, and that definitely feels like it's the case. There's some good songs in here with interesting melodies and guitar-work, but there's also a lot of meandering and mumbling as well. Some songs on here are so weak and not formed at all, and perhaps if this was a more traditional process those songs would either be scrapped or punched up a bit. There's enough promise to warrant a halfway decent score, but it's a shame we didn't get to hear a proper fleshed out album with full production.

There's a bit to like in here. Overall it's a good debut. I like the riffs and the guitars in general, and the kind of down and dirty production. There's some propulsive energy to the songs. It has that QOTSA feel to it, with a lot of minor keys. The main criticism I guess is that not enough really stands out. It's all kind of similar.

Well this is great. There's some big big heavy hitting riffs in here, but I also love how melodic the guitar work is as well. They're not just smacking you round the face, it's also really musical.

I am so impressed by this, what a find. The ambition of it, the breadth of skill and the variety. I love the commitment to such a cool concept. The musicality and production across the whole thing is superb. It's really upbeat for the majority of the album, but there's so many little hidden moments and gems sprinkled throughout, with lots of different moods and themes. I love the variety of instruments, with the cool guitars, the brass, bells, the cinematic sweeps.. I haven't even properly dug into the lyrics yet, but the snippets I've looked at are really interesting. This definitely isn't in my usual wheelhouse, but I'm honestly so impressed by this. She's seriously talented, and I love the huge ambition and skill on display here. That's why I'm going big. What an eye-opener.

Some nice songs, with nice melodies, singing and guitar work.

As with his other album I reviewed, looking back on this it comes across as so juvenile, edgy, and embarrassing. I didn't realise he could mine so much content from being violent towards women, raping people, and slagging off gay people. Were people in the studio down with it, or were they cringing while he laid the tracks down? I guess the sales speak for themselves, but jeez. Stan is arguably the most accomplished song on here, but after the Dido bit came in, I kind of wanted that to continue and sing along with that song instead. That kind of shows where I'm at these days, compared with listening to this as a kid, where it had more appeal. It gets some points because the beats and lyrical skill are there.

If he didn't have the association with Pink Floyd then he'd be nowhere near this list. These sounds like demos. They're quite flat and tedious, and the timing and delivery is really strange and disconcerting.

This is seriously dull for the most part and doesn’t really work for me. Some of the sounds are interesting, but can also come across as a bit twee. Some songs are a bit upbeat and inoffensive enough. But that's just it, it's all so soft and inoffensive. There’s no excitement to be found anywhere in here.

In terms of song-writing, this album is spectacular. Really lovely songs, with great melodies and stories. The lyrics are beautiful. I love the little musical flavours they add in, just chiming in with little accents and notes. The Boxer is a great example, as it has that kind of ambient drum popping up, various woodwind instruments, and then the swelling violins. I enjoyed this.

It's relatively pleasant, but also just a bit slow and boring. The Way Young Lovers Do is the standout track, but the rest don't hold up to it. 2.5 rounded up.

Fuck sake, it's the first listening day in December, can't I have some Nat King Cole or something? Instead I get a 'challenging listen', joy! The tracks with music in are either rubbish discordant noise, or mumbling nothingness, and the talking tracks you can't even hear what they're saying. This is absolute bollocks. I'm off to boot up some 'Christmas with Nat & Dean'.

Slightly disappointed if I'm being honest, because I do really like Madness. I love their style and what they're about, and they have some great hits. This album is a bit hit and miss for me. It is interesting, and has a variety of different styles, but not all the tracks are landing for me. Our House is SUCH a tune and is definitely the stand out. Spotify actually randomly skipped it on the playthrough, so I was really confused about how I could have worked through it and not noticed. The rest of the album doesn't hold up to that track unfortunately.

A lot of people slamming this for not being as good as some of their earlier albums, but this feels more accessible to me. I'm not the biggest U2 fan, but I'm actually appreciating the craft of the songs and his voice. I much prefer this to the upbeat jangly nonsense they became famous for. 3.5 rounded down.

It's very similar to Darklands, in that a lot of the songs feel quite similar. There were at least 2 occasions where the drums kicked in and I went, "oh, it's 'Just Like Honey' again", only it's wasn't. That's not necessarily to it's detriment and I did quite enjoy this overall, just not as much as their other albums. I like the fuzz for the most part, but it does get a bit much at times. In their later albums the songs had a bit more drive to them, and they eased up on the distortion a little bit, which I think works better. I know this is proto-shoegaze, but it's more upbeat than a lot of those bands that went on to define that genre. There's actual melodies and grooves in here under all the fuzz and distortion.

It's nowhere near as bad as so many are making out. That said I do struggle to see how something like this made it onto the list. I guess it's filling some kind of quota. Overall, it's perfectly nice, mellow background music. Some tracks are a bit repetitive and weird and offer nothing, but mostly it's a perfectly reasonable time.

I love the write-up discussing the prestige of this title. No. 24 on the Swedish Albums Chart! No. 25 on the New Zealand Albums Chart! Appearing on the Belgium Albums Chart Top 60! This must be essential! The reality is it's not great, but it's also not bad. It's a perfectly nice, inoffensive meander through gentle 80's pop-rock. It is, obviously, far from essential.

Ah man, this is such a disappointing one in some ways. The music here is SO good. It's a real party atmosphere throughout, with real passion, personality and skill, and I completely applaud it. The problem is that the tracks are way too long. It's such a shame, because even the best tracks become repetitive and samey. If this were a much tighter album, with shorter tracks and a shorter runtime, then I'd be way more up on it. By the end it just dragged way too much. 3.5 rounded down.

This is quite a mood-shift from some of their earlier stuff. Pulp were nothing if not interesting. The Fear is such a great opener. It's got so much atmosphere to it, with so many interesting bits thrown in, from the ominous strings, to the backing vocals. I like how melodramatic parts of this album are, and I like some of the darker textures and soundscapes in there. Help the Aged is excellent, and I love it when that goes big. Plenty of other great tracks in here, but the overall quality isn't as good as something like 'Different Class'.

I'm on-board with this! I really like the style of beats and rapping. It's quite funky in places, but it also veers off into weird asides, with sci-fi and spooky synths. I like the trip-hop beats and scratching. Some of it is really funny. The album as a whole is definitely quite unique, and one I'll revisit. Favourite tracks: Blue Flowers, I'm destructive.

How mad that I get this today of all days, as I literally fly out to Hamburg. There's plenty to like in here. There's SO much energy. Great twinkly, frantic keys. If you're in the mood then it's great fun. I'm sure if you're in the room then it's incredible. It's obviously live though, and the recording isn't brilliant. This has got to be one of the shortest albums on here right? Just as well, because I don't think I could do much more of this in one sitting even though I enjoyed it. 3.5 rounded down.

This feels like a bit of a strange one. It's competent enough, but I didn't really find it that engaging. It just kind of floated along. From a production point of view it sounds really wishy-washy and kind of far away which doesn't help. I'm not massively on-board with the comedy and twee elements. That's always a turn-off. And then side note: I realise I knew Lazy Sunday already, so that's always nice to connect the dots with something from my past. 2.5 rounded up.

I was quite hopeful coming into this, as I do like a bit of soul and funk. I knew the name 'Sly & The Family Stone', but didn't really know much of their stuff, so I was excited to finally learn more. On listening though, it's way slower and more stripped back than I was expecting. It's not really bringing much oomph. Some tracks are kind of not even there. It's just ok. However I did leave it running after the fact, and Spotify served up an awesome selection of funk and soul for the next few hours, and that worked spectacularly for the rest of my work afternoon - so this album was a good gateway! 2.5 rounded up.

It's pleasant enough. I like the brass, and I like the little whistle / woodwind thing they're peppering in there. However, all reggae is the fucking same! It's the exact same beat on every song. It is so, so limited as a genre that I can't get excited about it. 2.5 rounded down.

I like the quirky start to this on the intro, but jeez... going into Hot Dog makes me feel so embarrassed for them, it's absolutely terrible. I had this album back in the day as an angsty teenager, and even then I was cringing and making fun of that track. That said, even though this album is completely juvenile, with utterly dreadful lyrics, there's still plenty that I like about it. A lot of the riffs go really hard and you best believe I'm head banging and rollin' along with Fred when that beat drops. Nostalgia plays a part of course, but I think there's still a bunch of songs on here I would enjoy fresh today. Some of these tracks I would rock out to back in the day down the rock club. 'Take A Look Around' was just about the most aggressive mosh pit I ever saw, even more so than Slipknot. I do like those heavy guitars when they kick in across this album, it's just that there's a lot of juvenile, awful aspects to this too.

I can appreciate that people would like this, but it's not for me at all. It's not terrible, it's just kind of bland and uninspiring. At it's worst it's a bit annoying. I don't like her style at all, the construction of the songs, the delivery... Nothing works for me personally.

I'd seen this album cover crop up a lot, so I'm glad to have finally given it a listen. I think this is broadly pretty good. It's quite funky, with some driving beats and uplifting moments. 3.5 rounded down.

It’s very raw and rough around the edges but has plenty of energy to it. Touch Me I’m Sick is great. The rest if fine and a reasonable listen.

I was expecting this to be quite irritating, but it’s actually pretty pleasant throughout. It is what it is.. it’s not something I’d ever listen to again, but it’s quite nice pop-country-blues. She’s got a nice voice and it’s easy listening.

I like this. It’s really strong throughout, with great songwriting and musicianship. He sings well, there’s nice melodies and the guitar work is on-point. I thought it might all be front and centre and showing off, but it’s not really. There is a reasonable amount of noodling, but it’s done well, and it’s mostly complimentary. Layla is obviously a monster of a tune. What a riff that is, honestly.

I’m pretty impressed with this. It’s such a varied record with so much going for it, and lots of styles and genres. It says it’s psychedelic on here, but that’s only really one track among many. The rest has swells of brass, flutes and even an accordion. He has a great singing voice and it’s just generally solid throughout the whole thing.

I much prefer their later stuff, but I still enjoyed this album generally. This one is more rave-y and repetitive I’d say, where they developed songs with more substance and structure in their later albums. I thought this would be a nailed on 4, but sadly not.

Once again, I’m generally up on this. His voice is pleasant and quite floaty, but I like it. The whole album is stripped back, but it has interesting guitar work and it’s quite evocative. It’s really nice. 3.5 rounded down.

The thing that strikes me the most about this album is how floaty and soft the vocals are. She has an incredible voice, but she’s not belting it out at a hundred decibels – it’s all kind of soft and breathy. Also, that she bloody loves a trill! Half of this album is “Oooo…oooOH…ooOOOooOOooOH!” It’s quite pleasant as a general background listen for about half an hour. As a piece of art it feels boring and empty. I don’t feel like I’m getting anything at all out of this. It’s not doing anything exciting or saying anything interesting. There’s a time and place for it, sure, and no doubt many people love this kind of thing, but it’s not for me.

This kind of Americana rock ‘n’ roll isn’t for me. It’s accomplished enough, it just feels so painfully generic. 2.5 rounded down.

A slow, moody, sombre album. I like bits in here, but it's a bit much for me overall. I prefer more conventional compositions. I don't mind the spoken lyrics so much, as that definitely goes with the vibe and what they're doing. But it's quite draining, and discordant at times, and it just wore me down a bit. 2.5 rounded up.

It's very dramatic - leaning quite a long way into the melodramatic. There's lots of musical swells and exaggerated crooning going on, which I do like sometimes, it's just that it's not always very exciting here. Some of the songs kind of merged into another and passed me by, but there were some nice ones in here too. 2.5 rounded up.

I'm quite impressed with this. It's a really varied, eclectic record, with lots of interesting approaches and bits of detail. I like the vocal harmonies, the variance in instruments and just the general mood. It's quite floaty in places, but dramatic and bombastic in others.

Now on my third White Stripes album, I realise I'm just a fan of the singles... or most of the singles. This is put together well enough, in their kind of ramshackle, rough around the edges way. It also has enough skill. It's just that there's lots of filler and there's not nearly enough that stands out, or differentiates itself from the rest. And, sadly, a lot of this is actually boring. Disappointing. I thought the last track was WAY better than the rest of the album, until I realised Spotify had segued into another album of theirs. 2.5 rounded up.

I kind of half-heartedly tried to get into this album a few times in the past, but it never stuck beyond a few choice tracks. I was looking forward to the opportunity to re-appraise it through this project, and give it a proper run-out and fair go... and the results are good! One of the issues before might have been that it starts off quite slow and isn't immediately accessible. It feels murky, dark, off-beat and dangerous. But then it opens up a bit and you find yourself tuned into the energy of the album a bit more. What I really like about this album is that it doesn't really feel like anything else. It's its own beast. You're not quite sure what you're going to get from one track to the next, but at the least you know it's going to be interesting. There's good use of keys, synths, guitars, percussion, and it varies between slow and deliberate, and more upbeat. Overall I really like the production. I found that the longer it went on, the more I got into it. The samples are really interesting. You can tell that he's taken inspiration from lots of different areas across quite a broad spectrum. Big shout out to him sampling the Pumpkins and their track 'Suffer'. Some real standout tracks here. Black Steel, Hell is Round The Corner, Suffocated Love.. I like this, and I think I'll be revisiting it a reasonable amount. The whole thing is just such a mood. 4.5 rounded up.

I was quite surprised with the level of drum n bass in this, or definitely the more upbeat dancey tracks, only with mellow vocals put on top. It does work and it's quite nice. I never really checked these guys out back in the day beyond knowing the singles. It's the kind of thing I might be into, I just found it wasn't particularly engaging. The album seemed to pass me by somewhat, but it was a nice background listen.

It's two for two for the Super Furries, and both within a week of each other. Again, it's a really eclectic album. They chuck so much at this and go all out, which I really appreciate. It has a kind of 'fuck it let's do this' attitude. There's brass, whistles, synths, weird soundscapes and all sorts. It sounds so genuinely unusual at times (like on Frisbee and Bad Behaviour) but it's really fun and upbeat overall. The whole approach could have been fraught, but in my opinion it avoids the quirky or twee label.

I mean it's a classic isn't it? What an album. The guitar playing is so unique, and iconic. His vocals are really pointed and angry. It's a perfect match. There's a few tracks on here that I'm not really into that much, but the best ones are SO good as to massively elevate the whole. There's tons of great riffs and grooves across the album. Really deep and driving guitars. And there's some absolute monster tunes on here. That trio of Bullet in the Head, Know Your Enemy and Wake Up - my god!

My overall thoughts on this is that it's a bit weird, but nice enough. There's some skill there, but it's unusual, and not something I really vibe with that much.

It's kind of alright, but for someone who's not massively into it, it is long. If you like synthy, new-wavey, dreamy pop then knock yourself out I guess.

I'm going to give him some credit for the PS1 loading sound right at the start. After that there's not really that much to go on. It feels like such a minimalist, safe, non-offensive time. It's really quite mellow.. but not in a particularly interesting way. The music and production is nice enough I guess...? I don't hate it, it passed the time nicely enough, but it's not exciting.

I appreciate the experimentation and the fact that it's doing something a bit different at least, but I wouldn't say it's a great listen. It's quite repetitive throughout, as a bunch of the songs slowly, slowly build into something, although without much pay-off. There's not huge amounts of form here. It's not bad... it's ok. The last track is nice and ambly and I like that more.

As shallow as a muddle puddle. Shitty autotune applied throughout. The lyrics and content are utterly, utterly dreadful. No artistic merit at all. It gets one feeble extra half-star because some of the production is quite good, and the song 'Prom' isn't bad. However I'm still rounding that 1.5 down.

I was looking forward to getting this one. I'd heard, and enjoyed, Pale Green Ghosts, and was deliberately holding back on this as I knew it was on here. I'd only heard Marz and Sigourney Weaver before which I liked. So.... it's really good! I really like the mood across the album. I love all the minor keys, matched with his voice. He has a kind of melancholic air to him, and when that's matched with further backing vocals and swells in the music it can be absolutely sumptuous. Notably on tracks like 'Where The Dreams Go To Die'. Apart from a slight lull in the middle of the album (where it feels a bit samey for a number of tracks), it has tons of great songs, with plenty of surprises thrown in. There's plenty of variance too, not least with the instruments. Piano, violins, brass, woodwind, spacey synths.. I'm on-board, and I'll definitely be re-visiting. 4.5 rounded up.

This is kind of similar to the most recent Chemical Brothers' album I reviewed, in that I'm a fan of the artist, but the earlier stuff isn't as fully formed, and is more repetitive. But in this case it's still really good. Yes, it is more repetitive, but as with his later work, it's just a real upbeat-happy time and it's a great listen.

At it's best, this album is perfectly cromulent. But let's be honest, it's so bland. It's like plain white bread. Bran flakes with no milk. Tepid tap water. You don't even need words to describe it. A single, large, languid yawn would do the trick. 2.5 rounded down.

The write-up on this is wild. Having listened to a lot of albums on here now, why this would be a critical failure I have no idea, and the record company deleting it completely from their catalogue is mad. It's really nice. Well made, and well put together. He's got a nice voice, and some of the tracks are really lush. 3.5 rounded down.

This is such a strange and quirky album, as I guess as a lot of their stuff is. You have all the Queen hallmarks, with the theatrical singing, vocal harmonies and powerful riffs. There's lots of variation and fun to be had. It is maybe a bit TOO quirky at times, but it's made up for with the number of big songs in there. Not least Bohemian Rhapsody, which as we all know, is a MONSTER track.

This is the kind of album I'm really glad to receive on this project, because there's just no way I would ever listen to it otherwise, let alone even be aware of its existence. It's not the kind of thing I gravitate towards, but I do really admire the ambition, and the amount of stuff they chuck at it. The musicianship is really on-point. I like the down and dirty guitar (except when it goes on in extended periods, and definitely not in 'free form guitar'). There's tons of brass in here which I really like, and it's so unapologetically upbeat for most of it. I'm also quite impressed at how varied this album is, and the amount of different things they try, successful or not. It definitely doesn't feel like 'one thing'. 3.5 rounded up.

Musically, the songs are accomplished enough, I'm just not really into it that much, and it seemed to drag a bit at times.

It's very dramatic. And it's definitely an 'interesting' listen. It's like a soundtrack to a theatrical wartime production rather than a standalone album. I'm definitely not revisiting, but I kind of like that this is in the list. 2.5 rounded up.

This feels like a bit of an album of two halves really. While it's still listenable enough, it really falls off in quality from about the halfway mark. The first half is much more successful I think. I've never really liked his voice or singing style, but I still enjoy a bunch of the tracks on here. There's some down and dirty beats in the opening tracks, particularly on 'Crawl' which I really like. Sex on Fire is a big track whether you like it or not, and whether it's been played to death or not. That will always bring back memories of me dancing on a table in an après ski bar in Austria, drunk on schnapps and drunk on life. Good times.

Lots of manic, punky, relentless up-beat energy to this. Like the B52's, but a bit darker and more kitsch. It's good to get an album like this, if only to learn more about the deeper, niche layers of particular genres. I now have an understanding of 'psychobilly' and 'garage-trash'. It's good. It's FUN. It's so specific though, I don't think you could easily return to it with any great regularity.

Why are hip hop albums always so long? I'm not sure he's got THAT much to say that it needs over an hour. It's competent enough I guess, and there are a few good tracks in there (best one: Old School). I preferred the tracks with additional vocals on in general. 2.5 rounded up.

Ah man, this was really great, I loved it. It's just such a shame that it wasn't that accessible all in one place. It was really difficult to piece together the different tracks on YouTube, which upset the rhythm of it a bit. And because there is quite some variance between some of the tracks, you wonder if you've even lined up the correct one. Either way, it's just really accomplished. The music itself is really great. Lovely melodies and singing. I like the fusion of all the different elements. I like the pervasive violins throughout, the trumpet, the mixing. It's such a great time. I would definitely revisit more if I could actually track it down. I might have to buy it on vinyl. 4.5 rounded down.

I've never been big on Pearl Jam. I always found them a bit dull, and I don't like his singing delivery. There are some good tracks on here though, I can't deny. Alive is probably the stand out, but Even Flow and Jeremy also registered. Listening to this made me realise that I may have been a bit harsh on them before, because it really is quite good in places.

This is a nice, well-made album. The production is strong, the variation in instruments is impressive, and her singing is reeal nice. There's some really nice little flavours sprinkled in there, even if it's some tiny detail like a small bell or something. The layered backing vocals also work really well. It started off stronger, and while it remains accomplished, it gets a little bit less interesting and more samey as it goes on. I'm a big fan of hers, having been obsessed with the Magnolia soundtrack when I was younger. It's been nice to go back and explore her other stuff. I've only recently listened to 'Bachelor No. 2' which was excellent, and this makes me want to continue and check out some of her other stuff. 3.5 rounded down.

This is pretty good! I like his voice. The songs are well put together and deliver for the most part. 3.5 rounded down.

I really like the variation on show with this album, and I’m generally impressed with the quality over the two halves. Musically it’s very good, and at the least it's always interesting. He’s feels like a true artist forging his own path and I admire that.

I like some of the beats, and it's a chill enough time, but I don't think much of this as a whole to be honest. It's so one-note, and I don't think they're even saying anything particularly meaningful or profound. And it's really long. 2.5 rounded down.

I'm not really into folk. This at least, is kind of lah-de-dah and a bit boring.

I'm surprised by how modern this sounds. I'd previously liked 'Gone Daddy Gone', and looked this band up, thinking they were like late nineties or something. It's mad that this was early 80's as it doesn't sound like it at all. It's got some good songs, however a lot of songs really drag, especially the slower ones where he's doing his manic, Lou Reed kind of thing. The upbeat tracks are way better.

This isn't necessarily bad, but it's really samey. It's the exact same style and energy throughout the entire album. I couldn't differentiate any of the tracks. 2.5 rounded down.

This is such a strange album, but I can't help but admire it rather than be put off by it. It's kind of ramshackle and down and dirty, but there's a real artistry to it. It's not really my thing, but it's bold and I like that.

I was thoroughly expecting to hate this, but it's good! I actually really like the music. It's quite murky, the guitar sounds quite dirty and distorted at times, but it also has a real driving beat to a lot of the songs. I don't mind his vocal delivery at all, it works. 'A Past Gone Mad' might be my favourite track. It has drum n' bass elements along with synths - very cool! 3.5 rounded up.

I think these guys have been pretty consistent across all the albums I've heard. Once again, this is an album full of energy and I'm pretty on-board with it. I really like the mad squealing on all the tracks. Kna' what I'm sayin'? YeeeeeAAAH booOOOiiii. Side note: I've noticed a bunch of references from other artists. 'I'm the epitome of public enemy' is lifted by Weezer, and I've only just had the Tricky album that lifts the words from 'Black Steel In The Hour of Chaos'. 3.5 rounded up.

Now that your kids are all grown up and off at university, it's just you and the wife at home. Things are comfortable, but dare you admit... uninspired? You're so entwined as a couple that you feel like you've lost some of your own personality. A little bit of your own spark. Time to challenge that! The wife has just taken up a new pilates class, so here's your chance to stay home and have some proper 'me' time. Pull on that sensible cardigan, break out the comfy slippers, and treat yourself to some alone time with Donald Fagen. Cup of tea to match, or pint of bitter if you're feeling a bit saucy. Go on, nod along and let that foot tap in time, be a bit extravagant. You still have a fire burning deep within you.

I like the upbeat, funky nature of the beats and I like their vibe. It's pretty good fun.

It's kind of rock n' roll country, which really isn't my jam. It's just a bit boring. I don't want to go too hard in on it though, as it's not too offensive. It's nice enough in places. I like the track with the mandolin, that's nice. But the rest.. mostly forgettable. 2.5 rounded down.

I've been annoyed by a few reviews of various albums here where they mention white people misappropriating blues music, and rate it extremely harshly almost out of spite. In those cases I've seen the skill in the album and enjoyed them in their own right. I thought that might be the case here too, but actually.. I think they might have a point. This is still accomplished enough, but it does sound like a much tamer sound, like they've taken something way more raw and powerful and just 'blanded' over the top of it. They play their instruments well enough, but this is incredibly dull for the most part. I enjoyed some of the tracks. 2.5 rounded down.

I'm sure if you go into an obscure record shop somewhere, all the bearded men behind the counter would be nodding along sagely while this plays over the speakers. You have to have a 'musical ear' to get this. Simpletons don't understand. Prog rock is music in its FINAL form. The truest music in existence. Actually, this got better as it went on, so ignore some of the snark above. It's still definitely a bit wanky, but some of the music and themes are good, and parts of it sound properly epic - particularly as they bring in those cool synths.

It's not for me. There wasn't really enough to grab a hold of. No solid enough melodies or rhythms. A fair few reviews mentioning the grittiness and energy - I don't know, it feels pretty tame to me. And it's way too long, or felt it. 2.5 rounded down.

The production is good, but it's just a bit boring innit? It's all very twee and lovely and lah-de-dah. Let's all drink a pint of mead and stroke our luscious beards while swapping our favourite vegan recipes.

This is way better than their last album that I got. This one is way more engaging, even if it is pretty repetitive by its nature. The beats and production are stronger and it's a good easy listen.

The great con in muso circles is that Coldplay are shit. You can't be part of the club if you like Coldplay. How embarrassing! But of course, they're actually pretty good. The songs are solid, well put together, and quite effective. There is an actual reason they're so popular amongst the great mass of musical plebs. I'm glad some people on this project are coming to the same conclusion - as am I! Before this I mostly wrote them off, but now I'm middle-aged and I don't care and I like what I like, with no pretence. Overall this is pretty solid, with some nice tunes in there. 3.5 rounded up.

Aw gee shucks, more good ol' country. He's got a nice voice at least, I'll give him that.

I'm way more up on this than I thought I would be when I read about it, but then of course I did have super, super low expectations. Just the fact that it wasn't ear-splitting noise was a nice enough surprise. I would say it's more 'experimental music' than outright noise, but I didn't find it particularly challenging to listen to, and it's at least interesting. 2.5 rounded down.

It's another one of my nostalgic 5's, but this one is pretty special to me, and it still KICKS ASS. I was about 14 or 15 when I first heard this album. I remember it incredibly vividly. I know the exact spot I was standing in at school when a friend handed me his headphones one lunchtime and I listened to 'Gotta Get Away' for the first time. The Offspring for me weren't just a gateway band into alternative music, it was a whole moment in our lives. I became part of the 'alternative' crowd and embraced that as part of my identity. I wasn't a trendy asshole and I liked good music! I was obsessed with the Offspring from there. They were the first band I saw live (side note: The 'Million Miles Away' video is from that very gig!), and I listened to them all the time. I'm SO happy that they've actually aged well, and that the albums still have heaps of energy and punch to them. I even saw them live again last year for the first time since 2000, and they were excellent! Putting my music critic hat on.. some of this can sound quite samey, or have the same kind of energy throughout. The drum beats and drive is so similar across the album. But I love how relentless it is, and how it barely stops for air. There are some great tunes on here, full of energy and bite and get up and go, and I love it.

This isn't really punk is it? It's more like a stripped-back, reggae-infused kind of thing. I'll be generous, and say some of the tracks are quite interesting in the setup (like Newtown) but it's mostly just boring and slow and weird. The groove on 'I Heard it Through the Grapevine' is really good, but then that's not officially on the album anyway.

There's plenty to like in here. Many of the tracks have real energy to them, a sense of fun, and great beats. There's a few dips, but overall it's pretty solid, and there's also a good amount of variation too I think. The singles are still the stand-outs, and the most upbeat, fun ones of the lot. However there were a number of tracks I'd never heard before that were real jams (like Yo Yo). I remember dancing around like a loon as a kid to Red Alert, blasting it on my TAPE cassette walkman with crappy cloth headphones. One time we had a power-cut for about an hour, and I listened to it on loop about 10 times in a row. Meeemories. Rendez-Vu is where it's at though, what a tune! 3.5 rounded up.

This kind of electronica is pretty shit. It's really minimalist. It's not something you can dance to or even nod your head along to, it's just kind of there. The only good bit in the whole thing was the rip off of Melody Nelson, but then all they really did there was put a rubbish drum beat on top of it.

It's pretty chill and a nice enough time in general. There's some quite complex arrangements here that are very well done, it's just it doesn't massively stir anything in me. It all weaves together nicely and is an easy enough listen.

It's not my thing. There's some good rhymes in there in places, but it's really grimy and lo-fi. When you compare it to the Ghostface Killah album I got, that had real energy and smacked you about the chops. This is just a bit limp. At least it's not full of shitty skits.

On paper, a mix of post-punk and 80's pop should be my anathema. But you know what, I'm actually kind of digging it. It's really weird, but quite daring and different. Some of the tracks are moody, others are kind of awkward and unsettling, with harsh synths pushing through, and weird drum beats. There's an overall manic energy to this, again, something I've historically not got on with, but it works here. I really like the synths and soundscapes in general. They make for such an interesting backdrop. A bit of a weird outlier this one, but I respect it and I'm very positively surprised by it. 3.5 rounded up.

It's a really great pop album without any real dips in quality. There's so many big hits on here, but even the ones I didn't know are good. It's just a very tight, consistently good album. Good hooks and melodies, and plenty of hits.

It's quite jaunty and assured. It's very long, but it played nicely enough in the background.

It's a bit of a weird album, completely hit and miss. At its best, the music is pretty interesting and quite varied. I even like the weird Klingon bit. But at its worse it's meandering, and it doesn't really stand out. It's a strange beast, I kind of admire the weirdness, but it's not something I'd return to. 2.5 rounded up.

I haven't liked some of their other albums, but this one is actually pretty good. It's got a lot of propulsive energy to it. 3.5 rounded up.

It feels quite sedate. It's just kind of ambling along in the background, and it doesn't stir any real passion in me. I don't really understand the appeal. 2.5 rounded down.

There's some artists on here who have SO many albums represented, and that can feel like an absolute chore because you hear one, you've heard them all right? However, this album is further proof that that absolutely isn't the case with Bob Dylan. The preconceptions I brought into this album were proven wrong, and this feels like a real change of pace from what I've heard before. I really like how slow and deliberate and soulful this is. It's got a great mood to it. Interesting, well written songs throughout. It's put together really well, and the musicality is absolutely on point. Great job BD!

I'm struggling to form a cohesive opinion on this one. It's kind of generally dancey and upbeat, but it's not something I'm particularly vibing with. It's ok.

This album is deeply, deeply weird, but I kind of like it...? That is, I obviously don't like it, it's terrible... but it IS funny... and I enjoyed finding out what would come next, and was met many times with more weird, mad shit... which is obviously bad and not something you would want to listen to... but it's also kind of great and I kind of love them and want to hang out with them. It's either a complete, ridiculous joke or a masterpiece, I'm not sure. Either way I'm actually glad I listened to this one. 2.5 rounded up.

This is quite similar to the last review I gave for their debut, in that I like it, but I prefer their later stuff. There is some further expansion in their sound in this album, but it is still quite repetitive in a lot of the tracks. Whether that matters or not is the question I guess, as I do still dig a bunch of those ones. There are some seriously dirty beats going on at times, and then songs like Setting Sun are excellent. 3.5 rounded down.

This is one of those albums that it's kind of mad I'd never listened to before now. It's such a well-known, iconic album. It's actually way more sedate than I thought it would be, based on other songs of theirs. In general, I preferred the more well-known songs like God Only Knows and Wouldn't It Be Nice. I liked the variance in instruments though, and the more orchestral bits. Overall, it's a nice time. Elsewhere, I had the realisation that Frank Black covered 'Hold On To Your Ego'. The write-up on this is fascinating, and I hadn't had any of that context before now. I feel like I've grown as a music appreciator, even if this one didn't completely hit for me. 3.5 rounded down.

Quadruple platinum, what the hell!? I guess this one really isn't for me. They seem accomplished enough at playing, and I like some of the musical bits (notably the brass explosions), but mostly it's just naff. I'm not drawn into any of this. It's incredibly boring. Edit: I wrote the above before I'd gotten onto the fucking awful, drawn-out drum solo. That's got to be half a star off right there.

This is exactly what I thought it would be, and I had a pleasant enough time with it for the most part. 45 minutes of incredibly similar, softly softly music is a bit much though I admit.

It's a really good album. The best tracks to me are those that are full of energy, and have a bit of anarchic spirit to them (Vicious, Walk On the Wild Side). There's a bunch of weirder, meandering tracks that I'm less enthused with (New York Telephone Conversation), but overall it's very solid. I like his style and what he's about. Perfect Day is an absolute all-timer of a song, my god. So good, I love it.

This is a perfectly nice 3/5 album. It’s competent, with some nice melodies and grooves. I’m not massively into this era or genre(s), but it has some personality to it and that works in its favour. I like the bass-lines and touches of keys in there. I felt there was a bit more filler as it went on, but overall it’s not bad.

I like this. Musically, it's really on-point. It has a really cracking opening, with real energy and grooves, and it's just a lot of fun. There's some really funky bass-lines, and I love the squealing guitars. I did find myself getting less interested in the longer tracks that became quite repetitive, otherwise I would have rated this higher. However, when it's good it's really good. 3.5 rounded up.

This actually grew on me the more it went on. I didn’t like all the talking at first, but actually it worked at times. Some of the tracks are pretty pleasant, and I like the musicality of it generally. There’s a bunch of bits in here which sound like they’re ‘creatively borrowing’ from other artists. ‘Knowledge of Beauty’ has that ‘bom bom bom’ bit from Lou Reed’s Satellite of Love, and One of Those Things’ main groove sounds suspiciously like Sweet Home Alabama. Still, straight down the middle, it’s not too bad.

I’m not a fan, it’s just weird, and boring. I don’t understand why a lot of people seem to have such an affinity for these guys. I know they were influential, but it’s still shit.

It's a great album. An impressive selection of songs in here in terms of variation, with a really unique sound. I really like their style, and his singing voice. It conveys a lot of emotion somehow despite sounding quite strained. Novocaine for the Soul and My Beloved Monster are my personal highlights, but I like a lot of the others. 4.5 rounded down.

This is so much better than the Idiot, it has some actual energy to it. Although I gave that album 1 star, and I'm starting to suspect that I may have received that at a time when I was in a severely bad mood or something and was overly-harsh. I might actually give it another listen.. Either way, this is still immensely better. There's some big hits on here like Lust For Life and The Passenger, but I also really dug some of the other tracks I hadn’t heard before, like ‘Some Weird Sin’. It's really solid overall.

Man, this one was all over the fucking place, what a weird journey. At first I was kind of bemused, not-really into it, but fine. A bit too disjointed and artsy for me, but better than I thought it was going to be. Then some of the tracks I was kind of on-board with. Despite it being over 18 minutes I was down with that first jam track… but then it’s followed by an equally long one that’s shit, and yet ANOTHER really long one that’s mostly mad, raving gibberish. And then we’re back to a track that actually has some kind of musical basis, where even if you’re not into it, it’s still interesting, with layered instruments and great drums. So… up and down? But mostly bad. I’m glad people can enjoy this, but jeeez man.

It's not as good as the other album I had by him. This one feels way more earnest and twee, "root-de-doo, I'm Andy Newman" than his other one. That said there's a few nice tracks in here. 2.5 rounded up.

This is such a great album, and it deserves the acclaim. Listening now with fresh, critical ears the main thing that's struck me is just how exceptional the production on this album is. All the tracks have something interesting going on, be it interesting drum arrangements, layered atmospheric instruments, or unique sounds cutting in. The soundscapes in this are so fucking good, be it the lush kind of orchestration of Subterranean Homesick Alien, or the more manic moments in 'Climbing Up the Walls' - both songs I'd never really considered as highlights before, but they're both so rich and atmospheric in different ways. You want to play it loud with headphones and just lose yourself in it. I would point to particular song highlights, but this is a great example of something working so well as an album. It's all good and all one experience.

My dad used to play this all the time, so it's well known. It's solid throughout, with some standout big hits. Overall there's some good melodies, good harmonies, and really nice backing instrumentation. 3.5 rounded up.

I'm struggling to say much about this one. It's quite good? I kind of took it all in and had a reasonably nice time, without really having many critical thoughts about it. It's perfectly serviceable and well-done 80's pop music.

It's quite nice, this. I like the production and general mood on it. There's some really atmospheric synths and soundscapes going on. This is a typical, 'not really my bag, but I quite enjoyed it' album.

Man, this is boring as shit. Someone said how they love how her guitar is used to enhance her voice, but I have issue with that because I don't particularly like her voice. It's way too soft and floaty. But mostly, the album is just so earnest and twee, and it rubs me the wrong way.

It's quite good, but it's not wowing me. You can hear plenty of influence on later bands. It's got a good amount of energy, but the mix is just a bit murky. At time of writing this album sits on a perfect 3/5 and I'm not going to rock that boat.

It's alright. The songs are pleasant, and it's put together well enough, with nice instrumentation and some nice backing vocals and so on. I guess it just feels a bit inoffensive, and not particularly ambitious. Is that unfair? Their other album 'Odessa' I rated lower. I think this is a step above, but I have the same complaint as on that album. When you have soaring violins and surges of instruments, you'd expect it to be more rousing, but it somehow isn't. Again, knowing that they have some really amazing songs in their ballad-backlog, I was maybe hoping for a little bit more.

It's not too bad. Old-skool kind of beats and rapping style. It feels long and samey though, so it wears thin. 2.5 rounded up.

It's very easy going and breezy and I had a perfectly nice enough time with it.

Broadly I think this is a really good album. There's a number of fair-to-middling tracks, but there's also plenty of really big songs on here that really hit. A lot of those ARE the singles, but still. I think the instrumentation is really good. I'm not sure I'd ever credited these guys with that before, but there's some great grooves in here, and other songs are really quite melodic. 3.5 rounded up.

This is actually quite a varied and interesting album. After an unsure start, I got kind of on-board with it. It's quite lo-fi, and even ambient at times. Other times it veers into quite dark, discordant soundscapes. Overall the production is generally interesting and I admire the ambition, even if it's inconsistent at times.

It's not bad. I don't find it particularly challenging like others have. It's really well put together for what it is. But it's also not THAT exciting. Bjork's output, if nothing else, always remains interesting.

I'd never even heard of these guys before, but they're pretty good. The melodies are nice, and it was pretty consistent for the whole thing. Maybe it started to feel a bit more generic as it went on? Maybe. I think there's enough variation in here to make it worth a listen. I like the backing vocals and the additional violins for a bit of heightened delivery. 3.5 rounded down.

Best review section ever. Reading this right at the top... "Expect to find music that is written for the sake of music, that breaks boundaries, that forces the listener to think and experience concepts outside of the easy boundaries of culture and social norms that are forced on us by the media." Saying "fuck off" out loud as I scroll down to the next review, which simply says "Fuck off". Just absolute... *chef's kiss*. Ok I'm going to actually listen to it now... and you know what, it's good! It did, and does stand out from the pack. It's super frenetic. It's doing its own thing. Musically it's really quite accomplished. I'm way more up on this than I thought I would be. There are some genuinely great tracks on here and it's a cohesive whole. Something I would genuinely return to. I've actually seen the Mars Volta live before. I reckon maybe 98% of the audience were middle-aged men. Then maybe 80% of those middle-aged men had middling to impressive beardery going on. Then I'm going to say at least 60% of those impressively bearded middle-aged men spent the whole gig stroking them rhythmically. I make that about 47% of the total audience, which you have to say is pretty impressive. I couldn't get into these guys before, but as a now middle-aged man, I guess I finally fit the mould. I'm not yet ready to fully join their ranks and go full-beard wanker, but I'll salute them from slightly afar with my generic stubble.

I come into this as a casual Suede fan, having only really dug into their singles before. There's things about this I really like - the expansive sound and the variance in instruments and approach. There's a few tracks that sit in the 'meh' category for me, but others grew on me with a repeat listen. It's a really strong ending to the album. The Asphalt World is real nice. It develops into a really lush, drawn-out proggy affair. 'Still Life' is an absolute banger to end on. I love the bombast there with all the violins and brass. We Are The Pigs is also top notch, what a tune. I originally went 3.5 rounded down, but it's grown on me and I've re-assessed.

I'm not a Joni fan, and this isn't helping to win me over. She still has a tendency to shove way too many lyrics into each song, and for the most part it's just really boring. The music is at least a little weird and interesting on one or two songs, but the overall impression is just a bit meh.

It's absolutely dreadful, but also kind of funny with it. They at least seem self-aware. If this were more earnest then it'd be intolerable. 1.5 rounded up.

I can't really complain about all the people who hate this. It's so quintessentially working-class British that the Americans on here must be fuming. But even within the UK, it's still quite an acquired taste, particularly as so much is quite monotone and delivered in such a specific way. I'm somewhere in the middle. The Streets were very much part of the cultural zeitgeist back in the day, but I was never really into the scene or particularly up on it. In fact we'd take the mick out of the delivery and content, being alternative kids and all that - "I'm going down to the chippy to grab some tea - I'm 'avin a can or two and knockin out some mad bantz with Gaz and the boys - and we're off our 'eads and we're giving it large'. Etc etc. But you know what, over time I came to appreciate them / Mike Skinner more. It's got a lot of personality, and personality goes a long way. And I'm absolutely bopping my head to Fit but You Know It - it's a genuine tune!

It's not really for me. It's not bad, but it's very murky, and it's kind of silly. 2.5 rounded up.

I'm quite on-board with the garage-rock sound. There's a kind of blasé, casual quality to it. I like his vocal delivery as well pretty much. There's some good tracks in here that stand out, but also plenty of middling ones that kind of merge into one. 3.5 rounded down.

This was actually pretty good. It's got some genuinely interesting beats in there. I thought I would struggle to work while listening, but it's on the more chill side of DnB. Some of the songs are very long, but they didn't feel like they dragged particularly. I like the bassy jazzy beats in particular. 3.5 rounded down.

I thought this would be more interesting, given I'd heard (and liked) a bunch of their songs before. The sad reality is it's just a bit boring. I'd feel harsh going 2.5, but this is a low 3.

I had such a good time with this. There's a real drive and propulsion to it, and it's packed with tons of personality. The musicality is absolutely on-point. I was maybe expecting it to be a bit one-note, and for that to drag over a long runtime, but there's tons of variation here and it whizzed by. It's kind of weird listening to Fairytale of New York in May, but whatever. I enjoyed it so much, I'm going to have to revisit 'Rum Sodomy & The Lash' which I only gave a 3 before. It's funny how these albums can completely change dependent on the mood they find you in - maybe it was one of those. 4.5 rounded down.

You know this was a perfectly nice album. I preferred the first half, which was a bit more upbeat and had me tapping along with it a lot more. The second half felt more sombre, and was less engaging, but still fine enough. Overall it was quite easy going. 3.5 rounded down.

The Beatles are a very good band, and they're iconic, and a lot of their songs are completely timeless. However, I initially had this scored lower and it was only repeat listens that helped me to appreciate the approach and execution a lot more. You still have the kind of classic Beatles sound with jangly guitars and nice harmonies. They really know how to beautifully craft a song, and the song writing in general is seriously on-point. I like how bold it is, with lots of approaches and instruments, and its left-field decisions. A song like Eleanor Rigby is brilliant, and it has an entirely string backing. It's maybe a bit less successful with something like Yellow Submarine, but hey, you still have to admire the ambition and personality of it. I don’t know why I was holding off from giving this a 5 before. It’s excellent and pretty much the whole album holds up to serious scrutiny. Very well made, and a very good listen. And yes, it is timeless and iconic.

I like how theatrical and idiosyncratic this is. I can only commend them for doing something so artsy and out there, and to really own it. For the most part I enjoyed this and had a nice time, but it did seem to bleed into one a little bit, especially the longer it went on.

Christ this is so fucking boring. And it's just so bad.

This is a nice time, but in a quite unassuming way. My main criticism, if it even is one, is that it doesn’t feel immediate and engaging. It plays more like pleasant, soulful background music, with just a touch of jazz and funk. But you know, everything has its place, and in circumstances where you just want to play something casual, which will sit nicely in the background, this is perfect. 3.5 rounded down.