Still wild-out white boy blues and funk elements but trading in quirky playfulness for reckless abandonment. I like this album but it seems a little more self-aware cool than the loud and proud dorkiness that really captured me with Orange. Still a very fun record. I spent a lot of time with it.

I really want to be at this show. Really love the laughter and yelling of crowd interaction. Great incidental vocals! Counts off “ah 1 ah 2 ah put it anywhere” lol. Improvises “It ain’t that leukemia” on Somebody. Vocals are impeccable. Edits between songs are a little abrupt at times. Its almost all I could want from a live soul party record. Fun, free, on-point. can almost feel the heat from the room. A lot of insight to Sam’s sense of humor, and a more satisfying/revealing listen than album cuts in many cases. Glad to know this album. Would rank along side James Brown Live at The Apollo. Thumbs up. 👍

I think it says a lot that I’ve heard all these songs more times than I can count, even though I don’t think I’ve ever listened to this record from front to back before now. The whole record gets radio play. A fairly radical white british take on black american blues, undeniably fundamental rock record. With this played-out classic, I gotta ask: is it really necessary to hear before you die? Every rock band for half a century has emulated it. Will it even resonate as innovative theft at all if you are just now hearing it for the first time? The Lemon Song is still ridiculous to me. What part of Lord of The Rings is this? Livin, lovin… its just a walrus. Ruined by car commercial. Moby Dick and Bring It On Home might be my favs at this time, still jam. The drums are fantastic throughout the record. Some of the vocals on the record are my least fav part. Obviously a 5 star record in rock circles, highly influential, but some of the thrill is lost on me from overexposure I guess.

This album does not belong on this list. Instrumentally it does not offend me, but it does not stand out as exceptional. Of note is Eno’s involvement to help salve the festering wound of a bloated but injured industry darling, trying to recapture something fleeting in earlier days. Bono’s approach in particular make it difficult for me to listen to. I have a hard time understanding the argument that anyone would need to hear this album before leaving this life. If I ever have to listen to Bono whisper in my ear again I might leave this life before making it through this ridiculous list.

Snoop Dogg on the intro is insane!!! Lol. Can’t believe I hadn’t heard this track. The interpretation of Funkadelic into hip hop on this debut album is pretty amazing and executed flawlessly through the first 3 tracks. Goddamn track 4 on the LA riots! Never heard this, what a great bridge between 3 and 5. BDP and Jamaican vibes. Side A is hitting me way better than I expected. Deez Nutz might be a slight lull but Nate Dogg jumps on the scene in great form! Lil Ghetto Boy closes out a phenomenal side A. Again, the Jamaican influence is a nice surprise, and this is an excellent landmark of G-Funk. Side B kicks off with great samples, hilarious $20 Sack skit, slows down a bit toward the end. Only thing that really feels like filler is the P-Funk chronic Outro. Its a little corny and long-winded. The final song is another low point for me, where the overt misogyny seems to nudge out the humor and fonk as the dominant force.

Really feeling Might have been Queen! What’s Love is fantastic. Strangely downbeat for 2nd track in program. Show Some Respect is a slight stinker, but her cover of I Can’t Stand The Rain is great, and Better Be Good To Me is Iconic, leaning into dated 80’s rock production at times. A classic A-side. Her take on Let’s Stay Together kicks off side B and is an honorable mention here, though her performance is good, song falls victim to bad production trends of the era. Steel Claw was pretty rad. 1984 is fuckin weird. Private Dancer wraps up a confusing side of vinyl nicely. A killer song. I disregarded all the bonus songs that came out on later editions. This is a great record but suffers from a few tragic production trends and program feels a bit disjointed. Some really perfect marks on best songs, but hard to call it a bucket list album.

Absolutely enjoyable, glad to know the album. Both sides kick off very strong. Side A ends with a head-scratching choice with Thorn of Crowns. Side B is pleasant throughout but doesn’t quite make a huge impact other than Killing Moon.

Grungers gone folk singer/songwriter, and the result was strikingly good since day 1. Not perfect in any technical sense, but packed full of great songs and iconic renditions of each. Originals and covers alike in just a solid program. I know people for whom this album is simply too sad to ever listen to again after Cobain’s passing, but it represents more than the sum of its parts, and stands as a bitter-sweet high mark of a generation. Not a stinker in the bunch.

Great album from one of the greatest. Hard to argue with much about this, its pleasant, consistent, no skips, and possibly euphoric with time. It will take some time for me to settle into this album to really get to know it, but after two listens I’ll take the book’s word, and I plan on coming back over and over.

Solid effort, my favorite parts were the lead melodic parts throughout the record on a variety of instruments. All very solid and well done, just not really my cuppa tea.

Great record, nice simple punk pop which’s sound reminds me of a marriage of The Clash and The Feelies. The subject matter is all very stereotypical teenage this and that. Not very moved by the lyrics. There is some debate as to whether “Teenage Kicks” is considered part of this album, which is one of the best songs. Big fan of True Confessions and Runaround as well.

This is the kind of album I was hoping to find in this book. Love The Straightener and Tomorrow’s Dream. Changes and Laguna Sunrise were quite a surprise. FX was a bit unnecessary but its a funny story. Orchestration is surprisingly good throughout. Guitar keeps going just beyond abilities on Under the Sun. This is a keeper album to me for sure. Absolutely fucking rocks.

There are always some strangely cringy lyrics in ABBA’s records, and its something I’ll chock up to overt Scandinavian sensibilities and a dorky sense of humor. One of the strangest and most interesting things about ABBA is that they are such a completely over-the-top nerd band but manage to make the leap into absolute maestro status in production and song-writing that demands study from producers the world over in multi-cultural and cross-genre circles. For example I would bet the drums in Dancing Queen absolutely demanded the attentions of Dilla at some point: they absolutely bang eternally. The piano work in some of the album would give Elton John pause. Stevie Wonder was definitely considering their synthesizer innovations. Even when borrowing heavily from black American musical traditions like they do so obviously in songs like Why Did It Have To Be Me, it is somehow so comically lacking soul, but simultaneously having *something else* that is some combination of technical musical ability, catchy hooks, cohesive presentation, and great production: You could imagine the absolutely shit-eating grin when Bjourn describes it as “just a little boogie woogie” or something weird like that. I stand firm in my belief that ABBA is a complete anomaly that doesn’t make sense on paper, has more in common with brilliant outsider art than say Donny and Marie Osmond, even though they might both frequently occupy the same record collections. It makes for a complete head-trip of a band that consistently makes great records, and Arrival is one of their best. Must-hear even if to say “not for me”.

First listen: A throwback, but very fun. Some Blur vibes. Impressive horn section. Zombies influence. Verses on 3 bug me. Song 4 is fun but the whoo hoo vocals get very annoying. All in all the production is very nice 1970’s vintage sound. The vocals tend to be the element I dislike. Sentiment is clearly ‘90s Britt Pop Rock. Gathering Moss sounds lovely, again lead vocals come across as slightly disingenuous. The budget behind the album (orchestration on 7) screams a bit loudly paired with the kinda fuck-it vibe of the lead. This guitar solo sounds like an electronic slide whistle. Mario Man also sounds like Blur. Continue to be surprised by the money thrown at this project. For Now and Ever is very Weezer-sounding. Second listen: All sound very derivative of things Blur had done on their previous 3 albums, though Super Furry Animals might have done it even more consistently, , but there aren’t any songs I latch on to here as favorites. It all just sounds like some really decent Blur B-Sides, albeit really well-produced. Don’t think I could ever classify this album as a bucket-list record, just not hearing the innovation.

Never heard of John Martyn. Is he like the Arther Russell of Eric Claptons? Or the acid casualty of Paul Simons? I like that this guy has done way more of the right drugs than Clapton. The story of being lured to Jamaica to work with Scratch to get him back into music is pretty ridiculous. Not a bad album. Still all a bit too adult contemporary white guy world music for me, even though I mildly like it. I’d like to hear a totally underproduced album of he and Scratch and no one else locked together for a month. I heard the geese and the squealing train in the outside ambience of Small Hours. Shout out Ethan AD on the title.

Sure Moondance is a classic. I like it okay. But for me, Payin’ Dues, now that’s a Van Morrison album you should listen to before you die. Is it better? No. But it is one of the best concept albums of all time: “I hate my label and I owe them this piece of shit so here it is.” To me, songs about ringworm are much more revealing of the real man Van Morrison, his sense of hard-headedness, and his sense of humor. The album circulated only as a bootleg for ages, originally saw release many years later as the surplus material of a bargain-bin double CD. I would recommend that album for your bucket list.

2nd Listen: First 2 tracks absolutely not my thing. 3 & 4 are good but kinda forgettable. Spyglass is the first one to really get my attention, Horace Andy rules. The record’s middle is enjoyable, the female vocalist is a nice compliment to the instrumental arrangements. I absolutely cannot get behind Tricky’s vocals on this effort. All-in-all not a bucket list album. Enjoyed most of the cuts.

Even though it doesn’t have any of Waylon’s biggest hits, Honky Tonk Heroes is an excellent benchmark in a long catalogue. Its the first collaboration with Billy Joe Shaver as songwriter and it marks Waylon’s first album with full creative control. Stripped down arrangements made for an iconic sound that he and his peers would come to emulate and refine later, and come to be known as outlaw country. But this stands as one of his most consistent, with his own production work, the blueprint used throughout his career laid out in 27 minutes that stands up to repeated spins. Call it 4.5 stars, I’ll round it up.

This album sounds great to me. I know some of the band hated it, I think it really captured them in great form. An incredibly important record I am glad to get to know better. Some of the grooves and vocals lull a bit for me at times, as jams tend to do, but the wake of influence on here is huge. 4.4444444444444

Not really my flavor, but perfectly generic sounding Britt blues rock with Rod up front.

I love this record *almost* all the way through, but it is a very strange album indeed. The mix is weird as fuck, the arrangements are weird as fuck, and it is delightfully subversive dance music. Though its classified more ass synth-pop or new wave now, this record kicks off with a really strong funk bent that I just dig. its Side B slows down a bit, but mainly because side A features John Wright’s funky-ass bass playing that really makes it all work for me.

Its a great album in regards to the history of Rock & Roll, and as a recording engineer I recognize that the drive on the drums and guitar on a few of these cuts sounds amazing for mid-1960’s. However, to my ears its just not The Who’s best work. In particular I find the covers to be a bit bad. Really love some cuts (singles), but they still seem a bit buried in their pub rock mod phase, and their LP output hit higher heights years later.

I can’t stomach this record. The Birthday Party’s Hee Haw LP is not on the list and its a no-effort dunk on this snoozer. Nick Cave’s creative high mark is so far away from this album.

Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Musically rich, ebbs and flows through so many different parts and moods, sometimes folkloric, sometimes killer prog. Dare I say a nearly perfect album even with the hints of arty pretentiousness; it slays. I am completely surprised to say I like it quite a bit more than The Lamb Lies Down… My only critique would be Gabriel’s vocals occasionally are overbearing on the music to me, but I’m still very fond.

I listened to this record maybe 20 times to try and get a feel for it, which I think says a lot about how creative it is…. After getting to know the songs a bit the noise and dissonance of the arrangements Is pretty fantastic, but the low points for me are generally some cringy vocals. Definitely some allowances for huge creative marks for the use of exceptionally creative noise guitar within basically tight song structures.

Pretty solid new-wave pop album, Great singles, a meh Prince cover, reductions for some dated material and a couple cringers. 3.49 rounding down.

This melancholy material is pretty nice, but boring. Sounds boring to play and to listen to. Its not bad, just strictly vanilla missionary. I would sleep to it. Not super exciting even as chill-out music. When that lil beat machine kicks in you know they were in their bag. Lover of Mine stood out as exceptional.

4.5 rounded up. For fans of xtc, style council, Duran Duran. All groove. Only stinker is Calling Capn Autumn.

Damn near perfect. Can’t really imagine an xmas album ever topping it.

The schlock is too thick. 2 stars.

Its a great concert but slightly strange edits on original LP release. The photo here shows “Legacy Edition” but that was an expanded reissue some 40 years later so I’ll disregard in favor of the release in ‘69. The edited cursing is understandable but distracting, as is the extremely brief rendition of Folsom Prison Blues. One would assume it was for time restraints, but the 2x inclusion of San Quinton plus all the banter about guitar tuning (not to mention 34 min run time) makes me feel a little cheated. What a great concert tho. Bit of a publicity stunt but a great one, and perhaps some of the best branding the music industry had ever done. Having heard the complete concert I would say they could’ve distilled a slightly better single *or better still* double album from the material.

Down tempo album that juxtaposes death, love, spirituality and hardship as a depiction of black urban American culture. No stinkers, and 2 absolute greatest cuts of all time with So In Love and his great version of Hard Times.

I think the album sounds great, but I’m about 50/50 on the song writing. I read it is considered by some to be rock’s first concept record but I really just don’t hear it. High points for me include Too Much On My Mind, Rainy Day in June, Fancy, and I’ll Remember. 3.14159 Stars.

I really love JAMC, and this is their 2nd best album. Its great, but I don’t take away much new from this record other than a different approach to very similar songs. But still, this Scottish goth rock approach to American ‘50’s doo-wop/pop groups is an amazing formula, brain-melting feedback or not.

I was surprised at the consistency of the album, its good. The overt nods to Celtic culture is interesting bc it sounds so completely British other than a few folk phrases peppered on. Vocal stylings very unique.

Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll is one of my absolute favorite songs, but this album is pretty meh compared to that one song. I like a few other tunes but I would definitely recommend skipping the album and start with the single.

This is a pretty glorious album. I’m most fond of the slower, more orchestral B-side, even though the big band A-side is also quite nice.

I like it, its very unique and very cohesive. I guess my only gripe would be lack of dynamics, it is a pretty steady presentation without ups and downs, all very similar songs. But I like those songs, and I feel more well-rounded for knowing this music. 3.5 rounding up

I like the record as a whole. Handful of skippers and a handful of fairly undeniable rock classics. Maybe a 3.5 that’s growing on me, so we’ll go with a 4.

Pretty disappointingly inconsistent. Some very strong moments in the very middle of the record that were enjoyable, ‘60’s garage Brit psych inspired, but sadly bookended with lesser material and occasional flat-out rubbish.

Say what you will, hard to fuck with this as anything other than a nearly perfect disco/pop album.

I liked it okay. Some of these songs made more of an impact on a live concert on a video I borrowed many moons ago.

The influence of this is not lost on me, its just not my thing.

I put this LP in very high regard, and would rate it as nearly perfect in some ways. However in context I would disagree with this selection among those in Beastie Boys’ cannon in favor of Check Your Head. To me, that was a far more revolutionary release and radical departure for the band, and Ill Communication was really, as fantastic as it is, more of a continuation of those same ideas.

All the various bullshit about Elvis aside, pretty great record. Not completely solid, but the damn wake of it is huge. Most surprising are Elvis’ rare and rough attempts at falsetto here, which I believe he promptly quit doing afterward.

A great campfire country album.

Half of these songs I love, the other half are timeless in nature and are beyond convention. Its strangely positive, its simplicity is spiritual, but takes a strange downward turn to melancholic darkness on the B-side. An amazing record. 4.5 rounded up.

A little ridiculous but I grew to like it. Still has some pretty great moments.

Spent a lot of time with this record in my teens. It hasn’t aged very well to my ears. 2.49

I like this record but it doesn’t leave a very memorable impression on me. I’ve listened to it prob 10 times and I like it, but it fails to jump out at me. Its influence on a lot of music I love is important, but its just not my favorite.

Lovely album. Damn-near divine.

Wasn’t too familiar with these tunes exactly, but I’m bery familiar with the combination of Merle’s stories and Roy Ernest Nichols‘ guitar playing. There could be 5000 Merle Haggard albums that sound just like this, I’m really not sure, but it hits like this classic form at its peak, and it brings me joy.

Funking solid!

An exceptionally great album with end-to-end hits. Niki Hoakey was a favorite discovery.

This is like a boomers favorite millennial record. Its not bad at all, just sounds like a thing I’m not trying to find. But he does it well.

A really cool find because Jungle Book was my favorite as a kid. I love a handful of these songs and am glad to have found them!

I liked it, just not my jam but definitely a solid effort. Highlights probably Graham Greene and Antarctica Starts here.

As long as we are leaving bonus tracks (Jimi covers) out of the considerations here this is to me the stand-out album of their career, still retains the remarkably unusual qualities of the early days, but marries it with the refined production later on. Its a surprisingly concise effort that all stands as very unique. I really dig and respect it even though some of it is not for me.

An excellent night time record, soft but gruff, tender but worn. Her control of vocal expression is sublime.

I hate to give this such a low rating as a fan of George, but unfortunately I just don’t like it. Its a snoozer. I really like the first 2 tracks and that’s about it. Surprised me bc Freedom is one of my favs. Goes downhill after a pretty bad Stevie cover. Not much reason to recommend this album other than the single.

Ah, another U2. Instrumentally does not offend. Vocally pretty bad.

Some awesome highlights, and “That’s Entertainment” is a stone-cold smash. The album generally feels a bit incomplete to me, and some of the filler transitions throughout kinda break it up in a way I don’t like, but its pretty swell over all.

Even though there are moments on this record I still enjoy, I find a large portion of it unlistenable. I think it was the first album I ever bought, and I loved it until I found grittier stuff, but good golly that harmonica playing is some of the worst I’ve ever heard. Its a tough listen for me now.

Its okay! The sound hasn’t aged very well to my ears but not a bad album.

I enjoyed it more than I thought I would! God of Thunder, Great Expectations, and Beth were favorites.

Might be residual gripes from when it was everywhere and overhyped, but I still have a hard time listening to this.

Not so much my flavor, but I tip my hat to a very impressive effort.

Great!

A complete home-run for adult contemporary jazz pop, its hard to deny the appeal of it. Not necessarily my cuppa tea, but it seems to hold some near-universal quality that is good. Seems like its been burned to my memory for its 20 years of existence. It seems like beauty beyond my personal preference.

Surprisingly enjoyable. Solid record as long as we are not counting bonus tracks or reissues.

Really dug it!

Still wild-out white boy blues and funk elements but trading in quirky playfulness for reckless abandonment. I like this album but it seems a little more self-aware cool than the loud and proud dorkiness that really captured me with Orange. Still a very fun record. I spent a lot of time with it.

Nearly flawless.

Simple, deceptively easy. Great record.

Love it. A formative album for me.

Wow, having been sour on Madonna for a while this was a really enjoyable surprise. I had no idea that Prince was involved (in at least 4 songs by my count) with this one, and no idea he played guitar on the title track! Generally a very solid album with some stellar moments. Great find.

Very consistent cohesive album. I liked it.