Well, this was a strange one. A bit folky. A bit rocky. A bit jazzy. A bit country. A bit too averagey. Nothing stood out for me, and there was nothing to get my teeth into. It flowed over me like water over a rock. And left me just as cold.

I have no objection to personal songs or emotional connections, but this is self-indulgent, overblown and interminable. ‘When did I stop loving you?’ Round about song three. Two many low points, and not much to praise except the Motown production. And Marvin Gaye does have a good voice. Really not one of his best.

My first reaction on seeing today’s pick was ‘oh God, no’. This is not my type of music, but I was willing to give it another go. I am sure they are talented musicians and have made a lot of money making a lot of people happy. However, this was just an affront to my ears. Screechy guitars and raspy voices. Just Horrible. To quote a later album - Run to the hills.

For the nostalgia it evokes For the classic Pop songs For Boy George’s silken voice For the breezy, uplifting tunes For the mournful, heartbreaking lyrics For the drama and emotion and Helen Terry‘s soulful tones For the impassioned sax and harmonica For the hours dancing round my kitchen For the ability to put this on repeat and it still packs a punch For all this and more I thank you.

i used to play the Melon Collie…. Album a lot in the 90s. I didn’t have this particular album, but I remember loving some of the songs – Today, Soma, and Disarm has a haunting quality that still touches me after all these years. It’s suitably disarming. But the rest of it is a bit samey and I don’t feel it like I used to. Am I too old or ‘clean’ for grunge now? It definitely feels ‘of an era’ that I remember and am fond of but don’t feel the need to revisit.

Rod pre-Power Ballads, thank god. These are solid songs with great melodies. I’ve never been a fan of his voice but these are pretty good and I can just about endure that gravel.

Just fantastic! I bought this album when it came out and although I don’t listen to it very often now I still absolutely love it. It ranges from the political ‘ Birmingham Six’ to the almost Shakespearean, epic treatise on mortality - ‘Worms’, the words of which I still recite at people. ‘Fairytale of New York’ is still the best Christmas song ever. The lyrics and arrangements and beautiful musicianship make this an absolute classic. Rousing!

Bill Bailey – comedian, muso and winner of the 2020 Strictly Come Dancing trophy loves Metallica. He actually did a Tango to some Metallica song - Enter Sandman. Bill Bailey is a lovely lovely man and very knowledgeable about music so because of him I listened to this as impartially as I could, even though I hate metal. So either it was a day that hell had frozen over or I was a victim of the invasion of the body snatchers but I Didn’t Hate This. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t particularly like it and I don’t think I’d ever listen to it again voluntarily. But it wasn’t the worst album I’ve listened to for this project. I actually think I might have given it a bigger score if Enter Sandman was on this album. But I could discern music rather than just NOISE. I think I must have gone through a portal into the multiverse.

Getting over my initial disappointment that I’ve mixed up Röyksopp with Sigur Rós and I’d been really looking forward to a dose of Hoppípolla. I realise that this album must’ve had an awful lot of AirPlay because I knew almost every track and I’ve never consciously sought out Röyksopp. It’s a loungey loafy kind of vibe. Nice to have on in the background.

It’s very difficult to separate the music from the history. We all do it though. Who consciously refuses to use the font Gill Sans because Eric Gill abused his children? Very few of us. I consciously don’t listen to MJ, but before the scandal I’m kind of proud that I was never a fan. I’m not proud of the fact that I do find some of his songs quite fun. They’re inane and cloying, but it is very funny to keep punctuating song lines with ‘woo hoo’ and ‘Shamu’ and ‘whee-hee’. MJ could’ve been singing about himself with ‘Smooth Criminal’ and we all know “he’s bad, he’s bad, he is very very bad”. But he gets a score for his impact on the 1980s music scene.

I was 13 when Kilimanjaro came out. My friend bought the album when it was re-released with “Reward” on the album and the mountain on the cover. I loved all the songs and found that I remembered most of the lyrics as it was playing. Julian Cope was always a bit of an oddity, and even though he was a teenage idol here in Britain, I found him a bit of a pompous ass. I think that’s because he was drug addled at the time. Doesn’t detract from those fantastically clever songs. It would be a solid 3.5 but I’m rounding it up because it was very important to a swathe of British teenagers.

I am a fan of the earlier Radiohead albums. By the time this one came out, I had lost interest. I had never listened to this album in its entirety and it IS notable. But not enjoyable. I feel like I’m wading through treacle. There were a couple of really decent songs: 2+2 = 5, There, There. Admirable work, guys. You are great at experimentation but you lost me on the ride.

A couple of the songs sounded vaguely like music. Ones that sounded like they had a tube were ‘Ny Way’ ‘Rolling’ and ‘Hold On’. They did a really lovely cover once of ’Behind Blue Eyes’. I wanted them to go back to that style. This was just fucked up. I guess at least they’re not beige!

Every song is a short blast of fizzing energy. I’m sad that I hadn’t actually heard of them before, because obviously they spawned so many offshoots. They are dynamic and fun and never outstay their welcome. Love Three Girl Rhumba.

Fabulous! Histrionics galore, production values through the roof. I still sing along with every emotional nuance. On a hot summer night, will you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses? Absolutely!!!!

I like this well enough, but I prefer ‘Ingenue ’. She has a great voice, but this just sounds like middle of the road country to me. Nothing special.

The Clash were so integral to my formative years and this album means so much. I still have the original vinyl stashed away. This may be a double album, but it never feels over long - there’s not a duff track on it. The songs are tight and powerful and this definitely deserves a place on this list. There’s a reason why The Clash is so revered and on the top of so many people’s lists. They weren’t just a bunch of guys messing about. They were phenomenal, musicians drawing from a plethora of styles and making it work. Just fantastic!

When I was at college, lots of people had posters of Miles Davis. That was a way to show you were ‘cool’. I didn’t! I just couldn’t get on with those jazz tunes. Jazz is an all encompassing term for so many things. I don’t hate all jazz, but I have never been able to get on with this kind Miles Davis and all those musicians are very talented but this is not my cup of tea. I made myself listen to this three different times on three different days at different times of the day to see if I would feel any different. I think I’ve given it a good go but I’m still not feeling it.

I have no objection to personal songs or emotional connections, but this is self-indulgent, overblown and interminable. ‘When did I stop loving you?’ Round about song three. Two many low points, and not much to praise except the Motown production. And Marvin Gaye does have a good voice. Really not one of his best.

Stupendous! I spent my college years with a housemate whose every item of clothing was a tribute to Morrissey, every record was connected to Morrissey, and said housemate even had Mozza’s quiff. Luckily, I was a fan too, although not so mega. I have a special place in my heart for Viva Hate but Mozza’s style is distinctive and emotionally wrought and never lets you down. Those lyrics are sheer poetry. I am now A central part Of your mind's landscape Whether you care Or do not Yeah, I've made up your mind Yup - indeed - my mind is made up.

Synth Pop comes of age! I loved Depeche Mode at the beginning, and I think they just got better with maturity. This album may have slightly gone on too long. However, the classic songs are just so good they win out every time. I’m still singing Personal Jesus a day later. Johnny Cash’s version is also bloody amazing.

I’ve never had an issue with music that is in a different language. Music bypasses the logical part of the brain and talks to your heart. No one questions whether they “understand “modern Art, the only important thing is whether that art piece talks to you or touches you? This is the kind of music that goes beyond language. Does it make you wanna wiggle? Can you feel the beat making you want to dance? Can you hear emotion in their voices? Without even researching any of the background to this album it sounds like a love song to Latin America. It’s a salsa masterpiece. It’s not my favourite genre of music, but I appreciate it for the superb compositions and musicianship and the obvious feeling behind it.

For some reason when it went to the YouTube version of this album, it only listed 10 tracks on the album. Once the 10 tracks had played, I was amazed and thrilled by how short it was, and how full of bangers. Then there was a blip and it continued to play. So there was more. And more. In fact, 55 minutes more. After the 10 tracks, I was willing to give it a 4.5 I was so excited. But the more sprawling, meandering and bloated it became my score dropped. I love what they were trying to do on this album and the fact that it cannot be categorised is a bonus, but the middle lost me. It rallied at the end and won me back but I’m squarely in the middle.

Just feels lacking in variety, if not energy. Bonus - it’s only 46 minutes but it is really repetitive. I was already looking at the time five minutes in.

I can take RHCP in small doses. I was quite ready for the album to end a third of the way through. Up to then I was quite invigorated and then I just got an attack of the tediums. Happy to listen to the singles if they appear on the radio. But a whole album is too much. I like the Road Trippin’ song.

When you say something is “interesting”, it’s usually damning with faint praise. However, this really is “interesting”. It’s a soundscape and an experience and a meander through space and time. I respect the experimentation and the vulnerability of this record. I wouldn’t necessarily choose to play it, but I definitely admire what he’s chosen to do and it was not a difficult experience. Kudos to the guy.

I definitely prefer later Lenny Kravitz. This felt a little bit inane to me. I think the stuff he did later with Craig Ross was a bit more dynamic. A couple of the tracks stood out - Be and Cab Driver but the rest just blended in. I do have fond and amusing memories when I think of him, though, as I watched my very first episode of Baywatch in Craig Ross’s house. I think that gets a star on its own.

I knew The Seed and I’ve heard of The Roots but never felt particularly desperate to seek out any more. They’re easy enough to listen to, but not enough to keep me hooked. I don’t know if it’s a weird subliminal message, but all I want to do now is go and listen to Finley Quaye.

First song is a blinder! Rest don’t quite live up to that. But he’s a consummate vocalist and these are great songs. I still think I’d rather listen to a Best of album.

The day, the characters in Coronation Street mentioned Oasis and buying the album was a milestone where he knew they’d made it! The classics are thumping tunes but one album at a time is enough. I wouldn’t want to listen to a lot at a time, but there are some great hooks and what they lack in humour they make up for in style. The fact that I knew most of the words and could sing along to most of it is testament to their longevity/omnipresence. I’m okay with a Manchester nasal drawl.

Really not one of my favourite DB albums. It’s got a couple of his absolute best songs on it. I love that he was always reinventing himself and this sounds like his foray into jazz/funk/soul. It’s not a success though. Between the two iconic tracks, it just wasn’t standout for me. Controversially, I liked the ‘across the universe’ cover. It could be a 3.5 but it doesn’t deserve a 4. The beginning and end tracks are off the scale and deserve five all the way but I’m not sure I ever need to listen to the album all the way through again.

This is where k.d. lang found their voice and their style. A very accomplished album with beautiful tracks and emotional depth. This has definitely earned its place on this list. It was an album. I loved back in 1992 and I still love it today. I think it ends with exactly the right track because it just leaves you wanting to play it more and more.

I actually really like his voice, although I think it was much better used on another album – a little touch of Nilsson in the night. My folks had that album and I always liked his vulnerable timbre and that little warble. If that had been the album of choice, I would’ve been a little kinder but I just found this a bit of a bore. It would have been a 2.5, slap bang in the middle, but I’m all Nilssoned out.

I don’t love every song on this album, but I remember when it first came out and being very excited by how new and different it sounded. Accidents Will happen, Oliver’s Army and What’s so funny, ‘bout peace, Love and understanding are absolute classics. No matter that the latter is a cover. It also doesn’t matter that the others don’t stand out to me as much. I would rate Blood and Chocolate and Spike above this album but it’s great listening and I still remember so many of the words. He’s also from my neck of the woods, so I feel more of a connection.

I really like the energy of this and the eclectic styles. Not sure I’d go back to them in a hurry, but I definitely like the ska and the funky elements. Change was a nice end to the album.

This is very emotive and evocative and I feel like I am on a meandering journey with her. I do however feel like I’ve ended up nowhere and the meandering was fairly aimless. I love her voice and the songs are beautiful, but what I feel at the end of the album is hollow. There are other Joni songs and albums. I’d rather journey on.

I definitely prefer this album to “modern life is rubbish”. And I’m a Blur girl rather than an Oasis fan. There is quite a bit of filler on this album, but some absolutely classic tunes. Phil Daniels gets a five just for being Phil on Parklife. I would rate this a 3.5 ordinarily, but not given that choice….

Morrissey and Marr! Magic! Not one dud moment! Can I give this eleventeen out of five? I’m just going to go and stick a daffodil in my back pocket.

Great poet, great songs. I appreciate the sheer talent on this record. For me, this is a 3.5 - it is good, but I’m not sure I’d want to listen to it on repeat or again in a hurry. It’s a classic but I’m not thrilled and I don’t hear enough variation, but I do love a harmonica. Shall I be kind?

Foo Fighters are solid, dependable and you know just what you’re going to get. I admire what’s been done here and I like FF in general is long as there isn’t too much exposure. I think if I went to a gig I would just end up being bored. I can’t listen to a whole album without just thinking it’s a bit samey. Solid, dependable samey… and totally listenable, but better in small doses. This is no detraction from Dave Grohl being the nicest man in rock.

This Definitely brings to mind film score music or a 1980s Dennis Potter series. I’m a sucker for a song with a story, and I loved these short, little vignettes. Might even have had a tear in my eye at times. This would be a solid 3.5 but because of Marty’s voice and cool delivery, I’ll be generous.

Very dreamy, cool and floaty. My cat lay next to the speaker for the whole album and looked very chilled. He definitely gives a thumbs up for the vibe. I remember when this came out, and I loved Come Together. That and Broken Heart were definitely worth listening to again. Friday afternoon chill!

I listen to this album a lot when it came out. I think I liked it better then. There’s a lot of noodling going on and at times it does wear on and on. I think I actually went to see them in concert at the time but not a lot of that is memorable. I like ’em enough but I don’t really feel I want to put the album on again for awhile.

Well, this is fun. A concept album full of silliness and great tunes as well. It benefits from a lack of earnestness, which peppers their later work. Doesn’t outstay its welcome.

It’s like a watery dreamscape. Very much a product of the previous decade. Slightly psychedelic, slightly ashram, slightly floaty. Easy background music.

So many of these songs have entered the cultural psyche. Toe-tapping and shoulder bopping. They are classic songs, but I can only do small doses of reggae and Bob Marley. This was a great dose, but I don’t really need to hear it again for a while. It definitely would be a 3.5 given the option.

Very much of a time and place. I like ‘Made it right’ but not feeling much of anything about it other than he can sing. Maybe if I was back there and back then I’d feel differently but time has moved on. Like Scott I’d rather listen to Starsailor…

Great musicianship, good tunes. And who doesn’t sing along to ‘Hi Ho Silver lining?’ You can’t handle the Truth. Actually I can.

There are some Fleetwood Mac songs that I think are fabulous and I am more than happy when I hear them. I would not say the same about their repertoire - most of it doesn’t have any effect on me at all although I appreciate how talented they all are. Here I prefer when Stevie Nicks sings - she is their powerhouse. Although Tusk (the song) I find incredibly stirring. Those drums and the brass band and the increasing urgency. Glorious! That song alone gets a 5 but overall I wasn’t that excited.

Beautiful songs. Gorgeous harmonies. It’s not perfect. For that, you’d have to have a Best of S&G album. It’s very much a period piece but elegantly, constructed, and enough hits to keep you going. Some albums revel in their bloatedness. This one is to be applauded for its brevity. Short and oh so sweet.

Some great songs, but way too long. If I could’ve just listened to half those songs, the really good ones, I would’ve been happy. But it turns out that the Key of life needs a bloody hefty liposuction.

Sometime around Kid A, Radiohead and I ‘went on a break’. I was an early devotee, buying Pablo Honey when most people were just deciphering Creep. But I loved them from the start. This being their second album, I was still enamoured. These are great songs, beautifully written and crafted. And if you revisit the videos, they were so clever. Like an old friend who was challenging but had a good heart, it’s nice to bump into them every now and then but still slightly draining.

I think Doves are better known in Britain. I knew most of these songs and the singles were certainly played to death for a couple of years. I think it’s pretty wistful and easy to listen to and the fact that you can hear rain in a couple of the songs makes me laugh - because they are from Manchester. It always rains in Manchester. I love thé vibe on this and if I hear any of the singles on the radio or a playlist I’m singing along.

This has a very relaxed café del mar kind of vibe. Perfect in pool bars or in the background at dinner parties whilst you’re passing the potatoes. To qualify I don’t do dinner parties so I don’t have this around as a go-to. Neither Teardrop nor Unfinished Sympathy are on this album. Therefore it’s never going to be the best Massive Attack album for me. It would be a solid 3.5.

At first, I was pleasantly surprised and liked it more than I thought. I didn’t expect it to be so funky and fun music. Then I looked down and realised I was playing a totally different album. Thanks YouTube. When I eventually went back to the correct album it was as I feared. Not enjoyable at all. I’m sure it had fantastic and far-reaching impact at the time but I cannot deal with it now. The Bottle was an interesting song.

Nick Cave is cool! Mostly I really like his music, but sometimes I vacillate and think he’s a completely pompous ass full of pretentious twaddle. Those episodes are few and far between. I also think he’s definitely mellowed as he’s matured and I like a lot of his later music even more. I also love his soundtrack music. If you ever get a chance to listen to his music for the play ‘Metamorphosis’, then you will probably be moved by its haunting beauty. There are other Nick Cave albums I love more than this but it’s pretty solid.

Never heard of these before, but they’re very interesting. Couldn’t quite decide where I stand with them. At times I thought it was really good and other times they just began to grate. But I do think they’re worth another listen.

There’s 37 minutes of my life I won’t get back. I get that they can play instruments but Lemmy’s voice just makes me want to reach for the paracetamol.

I love this album so much. It takes me back to a time where I worked in a small office and we played new albums and burned each other’s copies. A guy called Jon broadened our music tastes and we played Hot Fuss a lot. I can still sing along to almost every song…

This riot grrrls faux punk is great in two situations. A weekend night with a half dozen girls getting ready to go out, climbing over each other to claim a patch of mirror. This is playing in the background to put them in the mood for a night of dancing. Some songs however sounded just like the music in party scenes in British movies of the late 60s/early 70s where all the furnishings were brown and orange and men wore brown corduroy. I admire the energy. But it was all lack of style and too smart Aleck-y for my liking.

I tried my hardest to evaluate this properly. The beats and sampling I can get behind very easily. If I close my eyes and tune out the vocals it’s pretty okay. But listening to song after song after song with that same tedious muttering is enervating.

I have to listen to this album in short bursts. It is a truly accomplished body of work. However, after a few tracks, I feel physically heavier. Weighed down by worthiness possibly? There are three songs towards the end. I could do without but the rest are great songs. I could do with this being a 3.5 but since I can’t do that and I’m feeling quite oppressed having listened to Thom Yorke’s vocal tendrils infiltrate my cells it’s a…

This album is a fantastic cure for insomnia as I can’t listen to it without falling asleep. It could be that unchanging, steady beat or those horrible lyrics just send me off. At best the songs are silly - at worst they are misogynistic. As a substitute for Nytol 5/5. Their place in musical history is just about middling.

This reminded me of Dame Cleo Lane, who was famous for her boop-de-boop-boops, vocal range and scatting. All very well and clever but when you have to hear an hour of it is dull, monotonous and seems interminable. There were moments of wit and levity. An interesting first album, but I can’t say I enjoyed it.

An absolutely solid album. I love almost every song on here and did so when it came out but when people say Everybody Hurts is overplayed then I have to agree. I have to skip it because it has ridiculously strange connotations for me. Hospital DJs insist on playing it thinking it’s appropriate/poignant to play to people lying in the hospital beds I disagree it makes me hate hospital DJs and that song. The rest is blinding.

I’ve heard “of“ the Afghan Whigs, but I can’t recall hearing any song. The tracks feel familiar but not familiar enough. This is the kind of music that if I’d heard it when I was 18 I probably would’ve loved it. Now I feel completely ambivalent. I really liked the instrumental Closing Prayer track. I’m also stupidly intrigued by their name as it detracts from their style. All I see in my mind’s eye is a load of 19th century British politicians - not really the image for a heartfelt break-up album.

Bloody brilliant. A whopping album that still feels fresh. Am I emotionally stunted because some of these songs still resonate? Fantastic from start to finish and Good Feeling is a haunting poignancy-fest. The xylophone playing on Gone Daddy Gone is still the most fabulous use of the xylophone since the late Patrick Moore. Good Feeling - please do not go!

Very twee and a bit cloying. Yes, the harmonies are great and The Beach Boys are a classic group. They have infiltrated our entire culture. But I can only take them in small doses. This was more than enough for today and perhaps a whole year.

Absolutely solid. There is clever, songwriting and good melodies. They are a distinctive band. However, this did not make me want to revisit their back catalogue. The album definitely still stands up and is perfectly listenable. You don’t have to listen to this at home though, because somewhere you go this week there will always be an REM track playing.

Dreamy and wistful, this is a little bit Joni and a little bit Tori but is definitely a lot of poignancy. Here LDR shows off her vocal range as well as her lyrical storytelling . The songs are narratives that draw you in and sound deceptively pretty. The beginning falsetto put me slightly off balance, but once the folksy singer-songwriter vibe set in, I was happy to go along with the ride. A strong 3.5.

I don’t mind my poetry with a pulse or narration with a backing track but I like it in smaller doses. This is a one-note record which may have a very worthy aim but does itself no favours by being tedious. There was nothing to latch onto - it felt like one long diatribe with a beat.

Talent - abundance thereof Interest - lack thereof Just not my thing I played I listened I failed

Good, but not great. The kids are all right and My generation are fab but the others are dispensable. It sits squarely in the ‘OK’ vein but for the classics that still resonate nearly 60 years later.

JBJ - being married to his childhood Sweetheart for 30+ years is nice! JBJ - as a philanthropist is great JBJ as a singer is grating BJ as a band is mindnumbing I don’t even have the energy to mock them. But they have written some successful ear worms and I don’t hate them.

If I spent any time wondering why this was on the list, I would go down a rabbit hole and may never emerge again. I thought the Interludes were interesting, but the music might as well have been the soundtrack to a lifetime channel movie. Bland and meaningless. So, someone thought this was important enough to put on a list of albums that must be listened to before you die. I’ve done that now. Next!

Loved the cover of this one. It could have been a poster for a Beckett play. Wish the songs could’ve been as interesting and existential as a Beckett play. Weirdly I thought the first song sounded like they were trying to be Pink Floyd and then the rest turned out to be fairly innocuous. Ironically, my favourite song was “whole lot of BS.”

This is the kind of music my family call “ooh ooh baby” music. It’s never done anything for me. Only song I liked was ’Just my imagination’, but I prefer the original Temptations version. It’s not ugly, horrible or offensive music. It is, however, interminably uninteresting.

Pretty lovely - I didn’t even mind the covers. I actually loved the guitars on ‘Grapevine’. This is a solid record and their tunes have lasted. I’d say a decent 3.5.

As long as you’re not in it for the lyrics…. I do love a lot of these tracks, they’re great to dance to. Yes they’re repetitive but Ravel’s Bolero repeats the same melody 14 times but is still a great piece of music. Listening to the whole album straight off can be a little mind-numbing but there are enough hooks to entice you back in. Could do without the Fucking in Heaven altogether.

A landmark of musical history. This is a great example of where the music and lyrics are so well done but unless you are aware of the story it probably seems very disjointed and meaningless. Maybe just downright creepy. I do love the music and some of the tracks absolutely stand up today but it’s not something I want to listen to on its own. I’d rather watch the film, so it’s all in context.

I was wondering how this was a seminal, groundbreaking band. But then I realised I was listening to bands like this: King Kurt and The Cramps a couple of years after this came out. I can also hear that they want to be The Velvet Underground and a little bit Patti Smith. I would’ve loved this in the 80s, and I still have a fondness for this type of music. But it does feel repetitive after awhile. Great in small doses.

I will confess, I was one of those people who really liked early Jesus and Mary chain. I fell out with them when my friends went to a gig that lasted 15 minutes and the band had their backs turned to them. I thought that was just insulting and didn’t really listen to them for a lot of years afterwards. When I hear them now, I still actually enjoy the music. They are a second rate Velvet Underground, a faux Television but just because a handbag is a knock off. It doesn’t mean that you don’t necessarily like it. There are some good catchy songs behind all the noise. It’s taken me a long time but I think I’ve forgiven them.

I chose to listen to this as an antidote to some awful heavy metal that had hurt my ears. My folks used to have the album in the 70s and Vincent was my auntie’s favourite song. It really evoked the Age of Aquarius with women floating about in long white dresses, adorned with Daisy crowns. It’s very much a period piece. I couldn’t listen to it again for a while as it feels like I have a piece of fudge now stuck to the roof of my mouth. Cloying and sickly. But I did enjoy The Grave and Babylon as ways to wallow in an era now lost to us all.

I’ve put this on hoping it would incentivise me and I want to inject a little impetus. What it did was make me hunker down and not wanna move. The lyrics still have pertinence, but I found this very repetitive. I hankered for other public enemy songs. Bring the noize – no thank you.

All I can see when I hear this music is a load of moustachioed men, bobbing their heads and grinning earnestly at each other. Birdland used to be the background music to every incidental sports medley on British television. Rumba mama doesn’t even sound like it belongs on this album, but was the best of a bad bunch. This has reinforced my view of how much I hate jazz fusion. It only brings one word to mind – SMUG!!!

I had never heard of this band before and was really happy to hear something new. For the first 9 songs (barring Sorry ain’t enough) I thought I’d found a new favourite to stick on repeat. But this is an album of two halves. The second half just sounded like dull, ‘ooh ooh baby’ music - uninspirational R&B which I could frankly do without. But 8/20 songs that grabbed me by the throat is quite good odds. I would definitely listen to those again.

Hurt, as done by Johnny Cash, makes me wanna cry. The arrangement and voice know how to evoke emotion. It is beautiful. The original also makes me wanna cry. But for the reason that it just does not have that same impact. The only song that I can say I liked on here was A warm place. There was no singing on it which perhaps says it all. I still love the song Hurt but as sometimes happens, the cover surpasses the original and makes you never want to revisit the progenitors. There were some nice background tunes but they lost me when Trent Reznor started singing. But for the fact that Hurt exists at all I give it a 2.

They can all play their instruments and there are some classic songs in there, but they’re way too long and way too many solos. I do like smoke on the water, but not enough to seek it out again in a hurry. Decidedly average.

I remember listening to this when it first came out and I thought it was the most overblown histrionic hyperbolic music. Ask me now and no question that there are some absolute classics on this album but there are also some filler tracks which don’t feel as complete or dramatic. I do love most of this album now. It has grown in stature for me over the years and no doubt it’s an absolute blinder. However there are a couple of tracks I could absolutely gloss over and I don’t need to hear them again. But that doesn’t detract from Prince’s extraordinary talent.

ENO is the aficionado of ambient music and has produced some great albums. This one, however, does not make me want to do anything: sing or dance, laugh or cry or ever listen to it again. It is the soundtrack to inertia. Like an innocuous film score, this is perfect background music, especially if you’re doing homework, writing code or changing your cat’s litter tray. I really don’t need more elevator Muzak in my life. I want music to incite emotion or make me want to do anything other than catch flies with my open mouth.

Almost everything has already been said about this album. It’s a classic melding of musical influences. You can hear the jazz, the hillbilly, the folk, the glam-rock but it feels cohesive not a muddled hotch-potch. It is seminal and inclusive and the poetic lyrics are an aural joy. It also never dates. How topical is ‘Five Years’ now? I’m not giving it 5 stars though because I would, on further listening, always skip a couple of tracks to get to the meatier ones, scoop the filling out of the pie crust if you like. There also other Bowie albums that for me are just a bit better. But a great way to start your day! Or just inject a bit of dynamic to a Wet Wednesday.

No-one can deny this is the sound of the 60s. At first I felt that I was being assaulted by ‘pleasant’. I longed for ‘Turn. Turn Turn’ my favourite Byrds song which is both familiar and great and reduces me to tears every time I hear it. Then the classic three minute summer of love pop songs, although they continued, began to be speckled with melancholy and ruefulness. Yes there is the familiar sound of trippy psychedelia, but the songs with messages and story and underlying protest are the ones that stay with me and give the album its gravitas. Although I’m going off to play Turn Turn Turn now…

So I could just say: I don’t mind. I listened to this a few hours ago, and I remember almost nothing. It made such little impact on me that I just don’t care and I don’t mind. I didn’t love it, I didn’t hate it. I was just indifferent. I know the big James Brown hits which I’m happy to sing along to and dance to. But I’m just as happy to live without them. I’m also very happy to live without this album. Mercifully it was short. It’s probably worth a 2.5 - but that ain’t an option so this is probably meaner than I intended.

I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I expected it to be full of whiny guitars and shouty vocals. The anthem on every child’s lips as they run out of the school gates every summer still has resonance and potency. What I was surprised by was that the rest of the album was full of whimsy and humour and musicality. I actually laughed out loud at Street Fight and marvelled that I could hear skiffle and jazz influences. A much more pleasant and fun experience than I imagined.

My first reaction on seeing today’s pick was ‘oh God, no’. This is not my type of music, but I was willing to give it another go. I am sure they are talented musicians and have made a lot of money making a lot of people happy. However, this was just an affront to my ears. Screechy guitars and raspy voices. Just Horrible. To quote a later album - Run to the hills.

This music evokes a certain time and place: Friday night in a remote field, Saturday night on a beach in the Balearics, Sunday morning in an abandoned warehouse in Kings Cross. You get the picture. I was never the bucket hat and glow sticks kind of person, but I can dance to a beat. It also reminded me of the best clubbing scene from a TV show. Check out Ep 6 of Spaced if you want a hearty laugh. The songs that stood out for me were Life is Sweet. Loving the Tim Burgess vocals. Also a very fun video. And who can mistake those haunting Beth Orton vocals on Alive Alone? I wouldn’t necessarily revisit this album but it was pleasantly evocative.

This album begins with an absolutely beautiful tune. Even if you did not know who this song was by, it will have infiltrated your subconscious over the years somehow and will resonate with everyone at some point. My initial reaction was that the rest of the album could not live up to this standard. What it became was a hazy, psychedelic trip through melancholia. It was poignant, morbid, miserable poetry set to music. An early Smiths if you like. It also struck me that they sounded incredibly English. I was surprised that they were an American band because it sounded like a depressed, self-deprecating version of the Summer of Love. This is not a criticism. I’m English - I live in the grey shadows of sorrow and like my music peppered with pain. I wish I could give this a 3.5 but I’m far too mournful :)

What Elastica does well is brevity. There are some absolutely banging tunes on this album. But just when you’ve got your teeth into one it ends abruptly. I found myself yearning for at least one more chorus. I don’t know if it’s irony or commentary when Connection finishes after two and a bit minutes. Is it a treatise on the brief life we have or the need to make instant connections? I’m not convinced they’re that deep. But that song has now become iconic and features in at least one advertising campaign every year. So that ‘connection’ has endured, although the lifespan of the band was short. They made two albums and Justine remarked that it was one album too long. Paraphrasing obviously! But you can’t deny the energy and bounce of this album. It’s Joyous Britpop for Tigger - Winnie the Pooh’s springy friend - but it does make me crave a song with a couple more minutes to bop along.

Simple! Stripped back! And very bittersweet. Just a narrative with consummate musicianship. There are no flashy twiddles or over-production to hide behind. Raw instruments and a distinctive voice. Here Nelson tells a story in a direct, intimate and beautiful way. This is country done pure.

I do not like Ozzy Osbourne’s voice I do not like his voice by choice. I do not like Ozzy Osbourne’s voice. To me it is discordant noise. I do not like it here or there. I do not like it anywhere I do not like Ozzy Osbourne’s voice I do not like his voice by choice. I do not like any Sabbath song They make my head just feel all wrong I do not like any Sabbath tune I would rather be on the moon. I do not like them here or there. I do not like them anywhere. I do not like any Sabbath song They make my head just feel all wrong. I will not listen in the rain. Listening causes too much pain. Not in the dark! Not in a tree! Not in a car! You let me be! I will not listen in our house. I will not listen to them in Laos. I do not like them here or there. I do not like them anywhere. I do not think they’re misunderstood. I just don’t think they’re any good. Apologies to Dr Seuss!

An interesting foray into a folk singer I had never heard of. I did not know his reach and influence and back catalogue was so immense. I could hear how it influenced people like Donovan and the Thompsons and Neil Young. Sad to say though I’d still rather listen to them. Jansch is a very accomplished musician and storyteller. The quality of this record is undeniable to say he recorded it in his bedroom on one mic. In 1965, that was a feat in itself. Until now, Bert and this record have completely passed me by. I’m glad to have added to my musical education - I knew of no song about taking heroin before The Velvet Underground so Needle of Death was a plaintive revelation. On the whole this was very easy to listen to and an album I was glad to be introduced to.

I was pretty sure I knew every song on this album – well, there are only five. I hadn’t ever listened to it start to finish though. I knew it was a concept album - partly un homage to Syd Barrett and was fully on board with it. I hadn’t ever realised ‘Shine on you crazy Diamond’ had 900 parts to it but I was fully committed and very into it until the last ‘song’ or the last 712 parts of Crazy Diamond. That’s when my interest began to wane, and even though I appreciate what a clever and well-crafted album it is, my concentration dipped. I could’ve done with track number five being a completely different song. I do think it was very poignant and clever without being smug. A solid experience and much as I might have tuned out towards the end I do appreciate PF a lot but in smaller doses.

Smooth, mellow, I appreciated the beats. And thought it was quite hypnotic. I did find his voice very monotonous, and after a while a bit tiresome. I did really like Official and We fight/We love, but he would’ve benefited from more collaborators singing. I did find myself bouncing along to some of the funkier beats which is an endorsement of sorts. But I’m not sure he could ever top ‘Can I kick it?’ Others might disagree and reply though: “Yes he can!”

This sounds So English! It’s a comment on postwar Britain, the class system, the yearning for a different life. A portrayal of working-class aspiration or lack thereof. Couldn’t help comparing the Pogues singing ‘South Australia’ about convicts being transported and the idyllic ‘Australia’ here which is a symbol of attainment. A punishment becomes an ideal. The songs are well-crafted and witty. Ray Davies’ voice is very distinctive and adds to the eccentricity of this concept album. This album and its peculiar slant fills my heart with a strange mixture of pride and relish.

I do love the piano. I do love a talented and accomplished musician. Given that, why do I just not care about this album? It sounded like a soundscape or film score of a documentary on mountains. I actually kept forgetting I was supposed to be listening and walking off to do something else. It made so little impression on me. I’m sure he is a brilliant talent. What did make me laugh was at the very end I listened to the applause since it was a live concert. Even that live audience sounded very nonplussed with their lacklustre response. To describe it as a smattering of applause would be more than kind. Perhaps they too had - metaphorically - wandered off.

For the nostalgia it evokes For the classic Pop songs For Boy George’s silken voice For the breezy, uplifting tunes For the mournful, heartbreaking lyrics For the drama and emotion and Helen Terry‘s soulful tones For the impassioned sax and harmonica For the hours dancing round my kitchen For the ability to put this on repeat and it still packs a punch For all this and more I thank you.

The words Collective improvisation and Free jazz fill me with horror and frustration simultaneously. I once had a friend who was in an improvisational jazz band. They used to play every week in a room above a pub. Out of loyalty, I used to go and support said friend. After the first week, I realised that if I did not have something to occupy my hands and brain I would go mad. So I gathered all my clothes that needed mending or buttons that needed sewing and I used to sit in the crowd repairing clothing. Otherwise I would’ve found being there unbearable. I feel like we’ve had overkill on the jazz lately but that’s because it doesn’t speak to me. Every time I think that I can be swayed to like the music and maybe get into a tune, it turns into a syncopated discordant mess. I understand that Mingus is a revered genius, and I may be an unsophisticated heathen but I just want to scream and bang my head against a wall. Another jazz-loving friend used to tell me that jazz opens the soul and encourages you to share your deepest, emotional experiences with others. I find alcohol does that just as well.

Well, this was a strange one. A bit folky. A bit rocky. A bit jazzy. A bit country. A bit too averagey. Nothing stood out for me, and there was nothing to get my teeth into. It flowed over me like water over a rock. And left me just as cold.

I was never particularly into Disco in its heyday. Subsequently, the floor-fillers have permeated into my bloodstream and I appreciate them for what they are. I understand how songs like ’Good Times’ are ubiquitous at birthdays and weddings because they are infectious and get people up dancing. That’s why they’re also six or eight minutes long to keep those people dancing to a beat and not have to change the record as often. Nile Rogers is an institution. He has improved with age and is revered almost everywhere. However it doesn’t make this album less boring. The first and last tracks do have a funky beat and are fun and encourage you to boogie. But the others just seemed to go on and on. Solid - but I stand by my ambivalence to most ‘Disco’ albums. It would be 2.5 but I’ll give it a 3 for the longevity of Good Times.

Those drums still have the power to stir my heart. They strike a very primal connection. The hits take me back to my pre-teen days when my best friend had the album on vinyl and named her dog Ant. We both thought Stuart (Adam Ant) was very pretty and different and bucked the trend. So I still get a warm and fuzzy feeling when I listen to these fun, uptempo tracks and can sing along to all the hits. I’d probably be just as happy listening to a ‘Best of’ Album so I could sing along to all of them. But it’s hard not to feel slightly removed from those days when Adam and his Ants felt fresh. And ant-marched to the beat of a Burundi drum. The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.

Late night Warm bath Beer on the porch This is music for the mellow moments To wring out the rage This is the poignant twang of yearning To wrestle you into the moment Listen and lounge! Listen and lounge!

Over and over, I keep asking myself the question - why did I think that I loved The Pixies so much. I had their albums years ago, but I probably haven’t listened to one start to finish for a long, long time. I would have sworn blind that I really liked them. However, nothing really stood out for me here. There were a couple of decent enough tracks but nothing that I could say I loved. I recognised ‘Velouria’ and ‘All over the world’ from way back but I’m left feeling very nonplussed. Perhaps they slotted into a particular time of my life. But that time is not now.

Acknowledging the elephant in the room. Spector’s personal life was dubious to say the least. Abhorrent! Grotesque! All that and more. Putting aside the private man and the fact that the message at the end is infused with creepy overtones, he was undoubtedly a genius producer and these are superb songs. If you can’t appreciate a fabulous Christmas tune on Christmas Eve Eve, then you might as well go and clank chains with Jacob Marley.

What a beautiful confluence of style and talent. I love Billy Bragg so my heart leant more into the songs he sang but it’s such a well-rounded album. This passed me by the time but I’m delighted that this BB and Wilco collaboration unearthed some gorgeous songs with those doleful, gut-wrenching Guthrie lyrics.

I’ve never really got the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I’m fine if they are playing somewhere, on the radio or in the background. But for me the sum of their parts adds up to less than the whole. I wouldn’t go out of my way to play them and I never particularly believed the hype. I find them tedious and self-serving so this a no-no!

Black Hole Sun is a classic (and an ear worm) and once I’ve heard it, I cannot stop hearing it in my head for the rest of the day. Soundgarden as a whole is a right time, right place kind of band for me. Yesterday was neither. I did try – morning, afternoon and evening. I appreciate that Chris Cornell was a towering talent and Soundgarden was the definitive voice of grunge for a generation. But once Black Hole Sun had played everything else paled by comparison. It is a great song though!

Much as I like Peter Gabriel’s voice, this is all a bit too worthy and pompous. I kept wishing the Prog Rock had progressed already. I recognised ‘I know what I like’ which I don’t mind but the rest was all a bit too self-important.

Heart-achingly bittersweet! This album is just fabulously atmospheric evoking images of smoky clubs late at night, displaced lonely people with an undercurrent of relentless yearning. It could be the soundtrack to a film noir set on Christmas Eve. His haunting voice makes me want to cry and sing simultaneously. It’s a solid 4.5 - it’s not quite perfect but I think this is very much a marmite record. If it doesn’t make you want to weep or lull you into his shattered world, it probably makes you want to throw something at a wall.

I almost didn’t need to play this album. It’s part of the musical wallpaper of my childhood. Ever-present! I’m pretty sure I have my fathers vinyl copy tucked away in a cupboard. I will often quote ‘After Hours’ as my favourite song ever. Depends on the day. But I do remember even as a little girl discussing the meaning of it with my father. I quite often sing it just off-the-cuff trying to mimic Moe Tucker tones. The album is a catalyst of memories for me and the songs are ingrained in my soul. It may be the Velvets without John Cale but still essentially Them. It’s poetic and introspective and melodic and pervaded by a feeling of painful loss. Glorious!

Boppy Bouncy Upbeat Lovefool is a great tune and seemingly timeless - the rest of the album coasts along pleasantly. I really liked the Iron Man cover too. I wouldn’t say it’s a classic album. I’m really not sure why it’s on this list, but The Cardigans are cute enough to keep you warm on a grim and grisly Tuesday.

I’ve loved The The since forever. Not one dud song! I cannot actually sit still when this plays, because the music inhabits my whole body. I just want to sing and move to every tune. Matt Johnson manages to mix high octane danceable songs with searing political comment and the frailty of the human condition. Sadly, and maddeningly, the themes of despair still resonate nearly 40 years later. The brass arrangements add excitement and drama. Neneh Cherry’s voice on Slow Train to Dawn is just beautiful. Magnificent! I saw them on tour back when Johnny Marr was the guitarist. Great days! I just want go back and put it all on repeat now!

A truly seminal band. I always liked their singles but never pursued any further. They definitely made hip-hop accessible to everyone and that hip-hop/rock fusion hooks in a much larger audience. For me they are a solid 3.5 but for the amazing legacy and the fact that their songs still stand up, I’m raising that.

This started off for me as the musical equivalent of beige. Innocuous. It added nothing to the musical spectrum and nothing to my pallette or experience. There is the ubiquitous “there she goes” which I hope Lee Mavers made a ton of money off. I don’t know if it’s the history of this record that gives it its gravitas. The story of a tortured genius for whom nothing was perfect. After the first five songs it did begin to grow on me. That Guitar on Doledrum was extremely atmospheric and redolent of the banjos in Deliverance. And then Freedom song really caught my attention and suckered me in. The songs are so short that if you’re not particularly enamoured of one, don’t worry, the next starts in two minutes. I know this album is important because it’s a precursor to Britpop and a one-off album that was the beginning of a whole new wave. But the influences are there for everyone to hear, and it would also deny the existence of bands like the Stone Roses or the Charlatans who were also foundations for the British 90s sound. Better than I thought it was going to be, but if Lee Mavers ain’t completely happy with it, then I might have to follow his lead.

Not really feeling it. I thought I liked the Faces, but maybe today is not the day. Rod Stewart’s voice is really grating on me. I liked the tracks sung by Ronnie, but nothing really felt exciting to me, or unique or compelling. On the paint palette, a magnolia band.

I cannot tell you how happy it made me to see this was the choice today. Again, it’s been kicking around the house since its release 40-odd years ago. Her voice is amazing and every song is painfully raw and emotional. The Ballad of Lucy Jordan - I used it as a learning tool when I was young - that I would never be in a position to feel stifled and helpless and ‘unable to ride through Paris’. Then I grew up. But it still has an amazing visceral power with the ability to reduce me to tears, every time. (Side note - Michelle Shocked’s Anchorage has the same theme and same effect on me. Playing these two songs back to back is a killer.) Back to MF - this is one of those albums that makes you feel exposed. Every song is incredible, for me there are no weak points. And the cover of Working Class Hero, I would wager, is better than the original. She adds another layer of pathos. I feel like I’ve had the stuffing knocked out of me and need time to recover. But I guess that’s indicative of music that can bypass reason and inhabit your soul. Outstanding!

The sun does rise in the East. And it sets in the west. This music was unexceptional So not really the best. Jeru who? I hate when songs refer to women as Da Bichez. The cause was pretty much lost there.

I really like the mashing and meshing of styles. I was more into thé music and instrumentals behind the vocals. The vocals all kind of merged into one for me and I had no idea what was being conveyed and didn’t really have the impetus to find out. Sabotage was a great song. Also liked Sabrosa, The Document and Eugene’s Lament. Love the cover.

Nobody could ever mistake Joy Division for another band. They have a very unique, distinctive sound. There is a pulsating, hypnotic quality to the music so it almost feels like you’re being pulled into a whirlpool. This album is infused with a poetic pain and musical melancholy, a harbinger of imminent demise. It is full of smokey sweaty clubs, and grey English streets. I can hear each instrument so distinctly from the other, and yet it combines in a kind of witches’ cauldron to produce melodic magic. Ian Curtis’s lyrics drip with suffering and the repetition just enhances that anguish. Weirdly enough, I just found this quote from Bernard Sumner: “While we were working on Closer, Ian said to me that doing this album felt very strange, because he felt that all his words were writing themselves. He also said that he had this terrible claustrophobic feeling that he was in a whirlpool and being pulled down, drowning." So obviously I am really tuning in to what Ian Curtis was feeling. Never mind the fact that this came out when I was almost a teenager and the nostalgia is overwhelming. This is a perfect storm of emotion, memory, poetry and damn fine tunes. Sen-bloody-sational.

Apart from the title of the album, which is a little bit self-aggrandising I really like this. I loved the big band arrangements and the production. I suppose Ray Charles’s voice got a little lost under the production, but the songs were all really easy to swing along to. It helps that they are all very well-known songs, not only for that time but they have endured and permeated the collective consciousness. I preferred the first half of the album, what was originally the first side. The ballads lost me a little bit. But it was a very pleasant ride.

I do really like Talking Heads, don’t I? This was my mantra as I was listening to this album. I usually love them and remember being blown away by Psycho Killer back in 1977. Plus I could name a lot of songs that if you played them for me I would relish. The guitars and drums on this were fantastic, but I kept finding David Byrne’s voice really tiresome. I would’ve been happy with a ‘Best of’ album, but I didn’t like the whole package. Which is a shame because: I do really like Talking Heads, don’t I?

Fun and Dancey! I knew their earlier stuff, but this album had passed me by. I found a lot of it quite derivative, but that did not detract from how easy it was to jiggle along to. It surprised me how much I found this a rollicking fun ride. It actually made me want to go back to the earlier albums again. Definitely an easy and enjoyable listen! Not quite a 4 but 3 doesn’t quite do it justice. Pretend it’s a 3.5.

Hasn’t everything been said about Bob Dylan? What disappointed me about this is, if you’re going to have an iconic bootleg album, then why are you editing out the audience reaction? Surely the whole point is to hear how his change of direction affected the audience on that moment. I would rather have heard the original bootleg with all the heckling rather than a remastered, sanitised bootleg. Wasn’t the point to capture that moment in time? Bob Dylan has emotional resonance because my father had a picture of Bob Dylan on his piano as a young man which was the definition of rebellion in his household. My mother remembers it vividly. I’ve never been a fan of his vocals, but he is a superb poet. I love all the melodies. There are two camps I think for harmonica playing – love it or hate it. I am in the former camp and I actually wish I could play. So I am with him all the way for the first half. And I stay with him for the electric part too. My favourite on here is ‘The Ballad of the Thin Man’ - outstanding. But just imagine if he could actually sing?

This takes me back to the days when I used to go out dancing every weekend. There was a part of the evening where the B-52’s, along with King Kurt and The Cramps were always played in succession. The dancefloor was so packed you had to dance with your shoulders, and maybe a bit of elbow. These are floor fillers for a certain audience. I love the energy and whimsy. I’d happily get on the dancefloor now if Rock Lobster or Planet Claire were on the turntable. I don’t really need to hear a whole album but I loved that it flashed by very quickly without straining my patience. Always a bonus.

I like Blur well enough. This isn’t my favourite. I much prefer Parklife. This is a bit meh for my liking. For Tomorrow is the only takeaway from this album from me. And I do love a picture of a steam train. Which is about all I have to say on the matter. Pretend this is a 2.5.

Neil Young! Man, that guy could sing “Happy Talk “and his voice would cut me to the quick. I love everything about this, the voice, the guitars, the harmonica, the songwriting. Beautiful! My, My, Hey,Hey! Yeah Yeah!!

Nina Simone is a stupendous singer. There are some amazingly beautiful songs on here. A masterclass in musical minimalism. However, it’s not something I want to listen to with any regularity. Life is already hard enough and as much as I don’t mind ordinarily being sucked into a vortex of misery, this is not my bubbling tar pit of choice.

In 1994, I was in a very heightened phase of album-buying. I would hear one song and if I loved it I would go out to buy the album. This was the case with ‘Live Through This’. I heard ‘Doll Parts’ and immediately fell in love with it. I am very well aware that Courtney Love does not have a huge range. I also know that usually I hate shouty singing. But for whatever reason this touched a part of me and I am happily shouting along with most of it. There are a couple of songs in the middle that don’t quite make the grade. But most of it is clever and fervent and passionate, and I can still sing along to almost everything. I also once stayed in the same hotel where Courtney Love and Steve Coogan had their fling so every time I hear her sing it makes me chortle. Back of the net!!!

The production and harmonies and instrumentals are splendid. Not quite the transformative experience that many people have when listening to this album but it’s perfectly lovely background music.

This is the musical equivalent of Kelly Hoppen design. It’s all magnolia with a hint of buttermilk. It’s innocuous and easy to listen to. I must confess I’d never listened to a Taylor Swift album in its entirety until now. I quite like the singles, but I think I got bored of every song being an exposé of a past boyfriend. I like the fact that these are little vignettes and poetic stories that are not always about her. But every one seems to blend into the last. A couple stood out: Marjorie and Tis the Damn Season, also Tolerate It. These are clever ditties but I’m not sure how soon I’ll ever want to return to them. I know her songwriting is celebrated, but I just tolerate it.

Side one: who do I NOT love? Side two: Moaner Overall: Unhappy trails This is what I would describe as ‘noodling’ but not sure if that’s the correct application of the word. I mean - it’s inoffensive but just so boring! Not horrible but tedious listening to all those flipping guitar solos!

This is Tosh! But not tosh, which is a British word for nonsense. So this isn’t nonsense but it’s not highly interesting either. Bless him for the prescient sentiments but society is still not quite there….I liked the beats and the melodies well enough but this is mostly background vibe.

Maybe if I was in a club on the beach in Ibiza. But I’m not! Maybe if I was on hold to IT services. But I’m not! Maybe if I was in an elevator in a shopping mall. But I’m not! This does not have the chops to destroy rock ‘n’ roll. I’m not even sure it could fight its way out of a paper bag.

I like Frank singing. How about you? I like Nelson Riddle arrangements. How about you? I like short sweet songs that keep you coming for more. A classic album that keeps you smiling, of that I’m sure. How about you? How about you?

Unfortunately, this was not the morning for Def Leppard. I already had a headache and knew this would make it worse. I tried my best, I took the tablets, put the volume down to one and tried to listen to the melodies and guitar rather than listen to that horrible voice. But frankly, the end couldn’t come soon enough. And the headache hasn’t shifted.

Wow! Another band that I wasn’t aware of. I do love a punk band with a driving guitar. I also love that these are a bunch of black guys pushing the punk boundaries. It’s not just three chords and shouting – it’s a fusion of styles with great tunes and fantastic energy. I couldn’t always understand the words but loving the feel of it. ‘Sacred Love’ and ‘Return to Heaven’ were standouts for me.

I do love a bit of The Verve and Richard Ashcroft. This isn’t my favourite Verve album, I prefer Urban Hymns but this was very welcome. Not sure if I could spin it twice on the trot because it tends to stay on a morose note and the songs all merge after a while. But not only does it have Northern Soul, it definitely has the soul of the North. it’s full of brooding and loss and loneliness. When you’re lying alone in bed, listening to Richard Ashcroft wailing ‘I’m gonna die alone in bed’ the prospect of ending up as food for your cats becomes almost palpable. Frankly, if this was a perfume, the base note would be self-flagellation and the top note would be incessant rain.

I really needed some “kind” music today. And I got it. Nothing that was too discordant or going to tax my brain or make me feel overwrought. This is music that allows you to just drift along on the tunes, like flotsam. I knew every one of these songs without ever having played a Travis album. I’ve never felt the need to buy one or put it on a playlist, but every time I hear one of their tracks, it feels reassuring. Even when there’s a maudlin undercurrent as in ‘Why does it always rain on me?’ That’s just what happens in Britain - rain. They famously played that song at Glasto in driving rain. Cemented their reputation and legacy. Just lovely!

Intro is such a great start. I’d forgotten how much I loved the XX. I listened to this record and put it straight on repeat. Then I put on their second album and put that on repeat. I just read another review that said this was for lonely, middle-class girls in the late 2000s. That made me laugh a lot. Call me lonely and middle class if you like (although I think that’s a little judgey). But this is simultaneously simple and awkward and touching and emotionally layered. If there’s one thing this project is proving to me (as if I didn’t know) is just give me a dollop of quintessentially English melancholia and I’m with you all the way. It must be because I am just another lonely middle class girl. 🤣

This was almost like magical realism – floating on a storm cloud. It was ethereal and unusual and gloomy and uplifting at the same time. The first two tracks were just brilliant. The rest of the album didn’t quite live up to those and the singing and melodies didn’t particularly change that much. But I liked the whole ambience so didn’t mind that there wasn’t too much deviation. Interesting note, I found out that David Jolicoeur from De La Soul died and started playing ‘Me Myself and I’ at the same time as ‘Spunky’. In a wacky alternative universe, they make a really good mashup. Danger Mouse, you’re welcome!!!

Sorry Dave – much as I love you, this just felt long! I can see that this has been shoehorned into a genre called Art Rock.. And it does feel very artsy-fartsy. I presume it was picked today for the song entitled ‘Valentines Day’ but there was nothing lovey-dovey about this record. It seemed lachrymose and rueful. Not necessarily a hard, listen, but the songs did seem to go on and on. I know this must’ve been a lot of hard work for him coming back after being ill and a nine year hiatus but it didn’t grab me. Poor love - as I was singing along to ‘Where are we now?’ the answer was a mine of pathos.

So Very Kate! Experimental, groundbreaking, unapologetic. Not always successful, but never uninteresting. Not my favourite Kate Bush album, but she is nevertheless a tour de force.

Such a great album and a stonking start! This was very much my era and area. When he talks about the 18 bus going to Euston in his love song to his father, I lived on that bus route in 1977 and I live on it now. These character studies are full of wit and sardonic humour but also a love letter to a place and time. Ian Dury himself was such an affable character and much as he hasn’t got the greatest voice, there is something energetic and fun and endearing about these songs. For those who haven’t already, watch ‘Sex and Drugs and Rock n Roll’ with Andy Serkis (not doing stop motion) but portraying Ian Dury.

Love the Bruegel cover but the music did absolutely nothing for me. Wasn’t completely horrible though.

I liked really early U2 - the Boy era, when they were a bit more raw and hard. They still know how to write a catchy tune though. Happy to sing along to Mysterious Ways and my favourite on this album, – ‘Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses’. Apparently they’ve never been able to play that song live because they can’t recapture that emotion. I guess that’s why I like it then.

I’ve heard of Elliott Smith though never explored any of the music. I’m sure I know some of the tunes from Good Will Hunting.. Not exactly galvanising music. Pleasant enough to have in the background. It reminds me of candy floss, though – very sweet and then disappears to nothing. One hour later and I remember nothing… but it strikes me that this may be the kind of music that grows on you if you hear it a lot.

Hey you, what’s that sound? Complete bollocks is what that sound is. I can hear nothing original on this album, it’s just generic dance music. Fine if you’re in a club. It kind of got better as it went along but I’m fairly nonplussed and ending on ‘We’re all damaged people’ was a downer. Wouldn’t want to dance to that in a club! But it reminded me a bit of Adamski - I think I’d rather listen to ’Killer’ tbh. And that came a good decade before this. Why do I need to hear this before I die?

Beautiful! Every song a classic! I never grow tired of these songs.

I have this album and it was always my preferred Verve album. I love all these songs and videos for the singles too. I don’t care that people hear Richard Ashcroft as a whiny northerner. I love his voice and it works as an instrument on its own.

Ginormous in talent, if not in stature. I was fully on board for the first half hour and then my interest dropped like a stone. The singles are great, the musical treatises bored me senseless. Sorry, Prince. I’m obviously having a bad day. Something definitely did not compute. But for 1999 alone you’re a star.

I feel like we have been listening to a lot of repeats of artists lately. I know many bands and musicians have a huge body of work which can evolve and diversify through time. But sometimes I need more time and distance between listens. I don’t want to write a repeat critique and say exactly what I said about Talking Heads last time although I feel exactly the same. When I have nothing to say, my lips are sealed Say something once, why say it again? I love the singles, I would have been very happy with a best of album. But I just found this wearisome, and was only energised when it got to psycho killer. Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh-oh-oh!

Another band I wasn’t familiar with. Glad to have been introduced to them. Great name Great year Wasn’t completely bowled over by the tunes, but some of them felt really familiar. Maybe because they are so redolent of the era. The album is so short though - you can’t find anything tiresome when it is over in the blink of an eye. I think Lazy Me was my favourite.

Fun Fast Fabulous Couldn’t stop bouncing to this. That little punk kid is still in there. It takes me back to the time when the magazine Smash Hits was still extant. I am standing at the bus stop after school reading the mag and memorising the lyrics to Holiday in Cambodia which were printed in there. I don’t think the album had even come out at that time, but I knew I loved the Dead Kennedys just from that song. And it still doesn’t disappoint. All the songs have a fierce energy and a blistering political stance - so full of social comment but laced with humour. I love that bite and edginess. But also tuneful with it. Who knew satire could be so catchy? I am all over this. Love love love!

Would listen to this over Exodus. Enjoyed the vibe but small doses work better for me. Still great songs and felt a bit more raw and emotional than later mixes. I definitely preferred this version of No Woman, No Cry.

This is the Rolling Stones at their prime. Before they became parodies of themselves. Before they became drug-addled, age-ravaged puppets on spitting image. This may be their most downbeat album, but it works for me. Sister Morphine and Wild. Horses are still beautiful pieces of music.

The first time I ever heard a Bruce song was on the radio in 1980 - later than this album came out. The song I heard was The River which just resonated somewhere in my gut. In the days when you could tape off the radio, I had just won a tape deck in a raffle and The River was one of the first tracks on my mix. I know it’s not on this album but because of that Bruce always has a bit of a special place in my nostalgic heart. The songs on this album have seeped into my subconscious in the subsequent years, and I still feel very warm when I listen to them. I love the melancholy and vibe and underlying desperation sprinkled with love and hope and of course the voice.

Well, this was revelatory to me. I thought I’d heard of the band. I thought I knew a couple of tracks. And I think I recognised that a couple of songs have been used for adverts. But on the whole, this was completely new to me. Sometimes when this list has offered me up something that I have very little or no previous knowledge of, it has turned out to be stupefyingly mediocre or something that I never want to listen to again. However, this to me felt like a timeless classic. If you’d asked me to pinpoint an era, I would never have gone with 2010. It feels earlier. Or somehow out of time. But my instinct has been to have the album on hand to play, whenever I could today. I think I’m on my third listen and it’s just getting better. I absolutely love Sinister Kid and Howlin for You and Too Afraid to Love You and Tighten Up. This has been a great new find. I’m just trying to wonder what happened in 2010 for me to miss this?

Nothing about this album, made me care about Aerosmith any more than I already did, which was not a lot. Just reminded me that I really liked the version of Walk This Way by Run DMC.

Listening to this reminded me of the movie ‘Love and Mercy’ which shows Brian Wilson struggling with his mental issues. Apparently those struggles started with Pet Sounds but seem audibly obvious here. But it’s actually the confluence of styles and people that contribute to this auditory mess. Each song felt like it was 15 minutes long, but that was probably because I was just desperate for it to end. Not even the prescient ecological messages could save this. And the cover just seems to epitomise how downtrodden and beaten this record is. A day in the life of a tree was ill-judged at best. I would’ve forgiven it if it was a song on Sesame Street, maybe a duet between Big Bird and Elmo but here it was just irritating. Akin to going to a hair salon two weeks after lockdown and the hairdresser asking if you’ve been anywhere nice on holiday. Harrumph I say!

Niche but beloved on their home shores, Depeche Mode have always been uncompromising and distinctive. This album title was meant to be a joke because they never had any intention to change their synthpop broody style to please anyone. And yet ironically this dark and moody album, which deals with far from ‘vanilla’ subjects brought them international renown. In its original 10 track form, it is a welcome cocoon - throbbing, hypnotic and unwilling to release you. A Stockholm syndrome inducing album if you like. The extra tracks on the rereleases seem to fill up space and add nothing to it for me. But as an OG, I am a willing slave to this mesmerising, pulsating cave of dark delights.

I feel like I had to be there, i.e. in 1969, to really feel this record. The fact that he is so experimental is admirable. The way he uses his voice is interesting. However, the way I feel about it is: Not happy Not sad And definitely not bothered!

Was this really a collection of different songs? Supposedly the two sides had very different band members and feel. It sounded to me like one long audition for Monsters, Inc. After Multinational Corporations the Instinct of Survival kicked in and I went in for The Kill. I felt like Scum - Caught in a dream with Polluted Minds. I Sacrificed myself to the Siege of Power, relinquishing Control. Born on your knees you and I and we are all Human Garbage. You Suffer, I suffer, we all suffer this travesty of noise. If you find the music in this auditory assault then I salute you. Each to their own!

Which person, who spent any school year in the late 70s/ early 80s didn’t have their own version of Another Brick in the Wall? Hey [own teacher’s name here] leave us kids alone. And who doesn’t have it stuck in their head now for days to come? I love the album I love the film I owned the vinyl, the CD and I saw the movie in my local cinema as a teenager and was blown away. Thank the algorithm for this, I needed something iconic after the hellmouth of Napalm Death.

The boys play good The man sings great The songs are fine (if overlong and samey) But this ain’t no Harvest