The techno-style and shrill singing makes you wish she used autotune. There were a few, um, listenable tunes. Like Someone in Love, One Day, and were ok. Come to Me was the most music-like track on the album.
I've never listened to the Flaming Lips before. I enjoyed this album more than I expected and would definitely listen to it again. Some of the songs were marred by too much electronic noise. Removing some of that and simplifying the songs would have given the smoothness that would have made them more listenable..
I don’t know if I can give an honest review of this album without the color of sentiment.
This the epitome of early Elton John. His bright, young, expressive voice takes center stage of every song. He sings with enthusiasm and never just recites the words.
Every song is easy on the ears with no unnecessary noise. Every instrument is brought in and faded out with purpose. Of course the piano lays the foundation. But horns, strings, and even an accordion take their place in the songs.
This album is often overshadowed by later ones. But this brings out the early talent and lays out musical elements that show up in later albums.
I found it to generally be an ok album. I would listen to it again but probably wouldn’t seek it out. It’s definitely very experimental. Sometimes it’s smooth, sometimes jarring.
It’s been a long time since I’ve listened to the whole album. You always hear the songs that were hits. But listening to it in context of where they were in their career and the time, you can hear a connection between what they used as their inspiration, the style they developed, and how they influenced others.
Many of the the songs clearly build off of rockabilly and blues sounds. But then there are the songs that begin to reveal their own style and the style of the 60’s. Songs like Much Too Much, My Generation, and The Kids Are Alright.
The big surprise was The Good’s Gone. It could have easily been a grudge era song and sounds surprisingly modern.
All in all, the album has quite a mix of Who sounds without a theme that later albums had. .
Being from an earlier time, for an earlier generation, it's not my cup of tea. But I can see how this is a standout example of the music of the day. There were a couple that were reconizable either in their own right or as the source of covers. There was one that was pretty awful, "The Lip".
This album had a nice level of energy and variety of songs. It was easy to listen to. The later tracks were more interesting than the earlier ones.
But it seemed very generic. Sometimes I felt that this could be the modern version of The Monkeys or The Partridge Family with a new sound every week to go with the episode story line. Other times it seemed as if Williams clipped his favorite sounds and riffs from other musicians and used them as the basis for his own songs.
I’d listen to it again but there is plenty of similar music that has to compete with for my time.
As I was listening to the intro, I was thinking, this isn't so bad. I was wrong. I get that it may be a prophetic look into a world that I will never experience. But that doesn't make it an album that I have to hear before I die. There has to be noteworthy rap albums better than this.
A great representation of the country western genre in the early '60s. A simple beat, simple sound, and a basic band composition provides the sound that is clear and honest. The songs are more about the story than the music, but the songs are still sung rather than yelled out.
What is interesting is that you can draw a line from this music to the folk rock and country rock through the 60's and 70's. Sounds that you would hear from Jimmy Buffett to The Eagles.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - I enjoyed listening to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
In the spectrum of grunge ranging from pop grunge to pure grunge, this is pretty much at the latter end. Not being a grunge aficionado, I can't appreciate it like others probably do.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - I enjoyed listening to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
This is a great example of the genre. Each song told a tale that was simple and understandable. The sounds evoked an era that bring back memories of my watching old-timey movies of my youth.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - I enjoyed listening to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
This was a surprise. I expected some more raw hip-hop or noisy electronica. But instead was an album full of funky beats. Even the rap songs were enjoyable. This is an album I would spool up again next time I'm in the mood for some beats.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - I enjoyed listening to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
Well this didn't stand the test of time. I've never listened to the full album before and was profoundly disappointed. There is, of course, Solsbury Hill, and a few other listenable tunes. But half the album seemed to be some kind of fever dream where he mashed up elements of ELO, Styx, and Meatloaf into an unholy sound. I never expected to give this album such a low score.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - I enjoyed listening to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
This was a very interesting album. Kind of a mix of avant-garde and electronica. I wouldn't call it prog but I could hear shades of Bowie in his voice. Some of the songs sounded like just noise. But the more I listened, the more subtle patterns started to emerge. I really had to listen to it twice to really get a handle on what I was hearing. I think this one is an acquired taste where you have to be in the right mood to enjoy it.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - I enjoyed listening to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
This album brings me back to my youth. Listening to these songs on my AM clock radio in my dark wood paneled, shag carpeted room. But aside from the sentimental, this album has a simple, smooth sound to it. With Joni's beautiful voice sing strong and clear. Most of the songs sounded pretty similar. But because of that, there were no dogs on this album.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - I enjoyed listening to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
This was an interesting album to listen to. Some types of electronica I enjoy, some types I find interesting but don't know how I feel about it, and of course, some that I don't like. This album had songs that fit into all three categories. I'd have to listen to it again to really know how I feel about it.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - I enjoyed listening to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
Every song on this album had potential. But for whatever reason, they found a way to turn each song into an unpleasant experience. Loops in the Secret Society, Valley, and The Lightning Back were the least bad. But that isn’t saying much.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - I enjoyed listening to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
The history of the music industry is full of assholes who produced great music.
This asshole produced this shit.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - I enjoyed listening to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
So let's address the psychotic elephant in the room first. The history of the music industry is full of assholes who produced great music. Phil Spector had talent producing good music. Phil Spector was an asshole to say the least.
This album is full of stereotypical mid-century Christmas songs. Some have become classic performances in themselves, some mediocre or even questionable interpretations. They combine to form an album that is a snapshot of the music of its time. The whole thing is a very slick and commercial package. I wouldn't be surprised to find that there is a correlation between the release of this album and the start of complaints of over-commercialization of Christmas.
But does that make it a must hear album? There are other noteworthy Christmas albums. Bing Crosby's White Christmas is far richer in tone and tradition. It evokes images of your grandparents' youth at Christmas. There is also 'Twas the Night Before Christmas by Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians which has the absolute best rendition of Jingle Bells ever recorded.
So while A Christmas Gift for You is good, it does not have any characteristics that merit it being added to the 1001 list.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - I enjoyed listening to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
I've decided to get tested for Alzheimers. I was confused when I saw that this came out in '77. That is during my peak music discovery years and I have no recollection of the group. Even more confusing is that this is the type of music I would have really enjoyed at the time.
I generally don't look at the wiki before I start listening and didn't this time. What I picked up from their music was a New Wave vibe with influences from the Rolling Stones, Bowie, and The Talking Heads. The wiki page confirmed the Stones vibe and called them an influence on the emerging New Wave sound.
But does an experimental album from the '70s that came out before New Wave found its groove stand the test of time? In this case, most definitely. Normally, I could really like an album on my first listen, and then it could be a favorite after a number of listenings. This one could be a five star after listening to it a couple of times. But on a first listen, I can't say it's a favorite yet. But it's close.
When I signed up for this generator, I was hoping to expand my horizons on good music from this century. Who knew that it would fill in a gap from my youth?
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - I enjoyed listening to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
When I first heard this album when it came out in '79, I was not overly impressed by it. It was a complete departure for Pink Floyd from the previous three albums, Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and Animals. I liked Pink Floyd for who they were and didn't want that to change. The more I listened to it, the more I appreciated that the band had changed and grown. It didn't take long to really appreciate what the album was presenting. Today, the album sounds like what I would associate with Pink Floyd.
There's nothing I can say in a critique that hasn't been said before. Except that even though this is a great album, it may not seem like it on the first listen. It's like a movie that you have to watch several times to catch all the nuances before you can really appreciate the movie to its fullest. But once you do, you begin to appreciate its greatness.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - I enjoyed listening to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
I'm sure this album has significance in the indie folk world. It just didn't sound like relatable music to me. Just words with some instruments playing in the background.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - I enjoyed listening to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
I really enjoyed listening to this album. It had songs with a variety of energy and tempos. But all of it was pleasant to listen to and not abrasive or noisy. That sounds like damning praise of something bland, but it isn't. It is creative enough to avoid being nondescript. I would definitely listen to it again, which puts it into the 4 category.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - I enjoyed listening to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
When this album came out, I was just discovering pop music on AM stations. I'd heard the two hits, Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va but not the rest of the album. To be fair, at that age, I wouldn't have appreciated the rest of the album. But today, I have gone through so many phases of music, that I can appreciate most of them if they're good.
And this is beyond good.
The album really resonated for me because of it's Latin and jazz elements. What I noticed was how well each instrument stood out on its own yet worked in conjunction with the rest of the instruments.
This has helped me rediscover Santana since I hadn't listened to them in a while.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - I enjoyed listening to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
Everything in music has been done before.
To some extent, that an inescapable truism. Be it a general melody or just a riff, you've heard it somewhere else before. There was so much of this album that made me think of something else I had heard before in songs from different eras and genres. But there is more to music than notes on a page. The arrangement, emotion, and chemistry of a performance makes even a remake better.
Franz Ferdinand's songs all sounded familiar yet different. What made them different also made them stand on their own as strong recordings that came together as an album that was more than just covers and samplings of other songs.
I enjoyed listening to it. But would I give it a three or four star rating? If I was in the mood for listing to this type of music, would I go to familiar, tried and true albums that I know I enjoy listening to? Or would I spend my listening time playing this again? An album that carries no personal connect by a group I know nothing about? Would I add any of it to a playlist?
After listening to it twice, I think I would choose to spin it up again or add it to a playlist.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - I enjoyed listening to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
My album of the day gets refreshed just before 11:30 pm. So, it's New Years Eve and I'm excited about what I'll get for my first album of the year. And I get this.
What a mixed bag. Plus, in iTunes, there were several versions of some songs or were mislabeled. Quite a bit of this was trash. But there were a couple of respectable songs in there (Free My Mind). But a lot of it was nondescript.
Ok for what it is, background music at a metro bar or if they're lucky, part of the soundtrack for some streaming series. But the album is definitely not worthy of a 1001 list.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - I enjoyed listening to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
This is another album that is colored with sentiment. It is the epitome of the mid-80s bubblegum MTV pop album. Back then, even though I didn't want to admit it, I though she was pretty good. Today, her sounds bring back warm memories of simple college days when more of my live was ahead of me than behind me.
I had never listened to the album before, just heard her songs on the radio or MTV. When I think of Cindy Lauper, I think of her bouncing around in the "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" video. Sure it's cute, but it was played to death.
So when I listened to the album and it starts off with Money Changes Everything with her shrill voice, I was bracing myself for an album full of pulp. But I had forgotten that she did Time After Time. Even though it isn't as iconic Lauper as Want to Have Fun is, it is a much better song and has held up over the 40 years since it was released. The same could be said to a lesser extent about All Through the Night.
The album turned out to be better than I thought it would be. It actually was pretty good. But aside from the two better hits, I've listened to it once and that's enough.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - I enjoyed listening to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
I've always been a big Bowie fan. But this isn't one of his better albums.
Aside from Heroes, the side one songs sound very disjointed and amateurish. The side two experimental ambient songs were more enjoyable. But that's not what I want to hear from Bowie. If I want ambient, there is an unlimited supply of better quality songs on iTunes.
Sometimes great artists get a pass for their misses. But not today, David.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - I enjoyed listening to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
Live at the Harlem Square Club is an authentic piece of music history. Old classics performed in their heyday often don't sound as good to the modern ear. So listening to is has to be done as a historical activity. In that context, this is 1001 list worthy.
This is described as post-punk. All I can think of is that all the good ideas in punk were already done and Public Image tried this. Then the punk community decided they needed to distance themselves from the album so everyone relabeled it as it post-punk.
I had to check. Yes this is in the bottom 20 rated albums. I dread the days I have to hear the ones worse than this.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - I enjoyed listening to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I enjoyed both the album and demo versions of the songs. As far a grunge goes, this was more towards the pop end of the spectrum. But that's probably why I liked it vs. if it was hardcore grunge.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - I enjoyed listening to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
I never really followed Elvis Costello when I was younger. I have no idea why. This album featured a lot of different types of songs from very high energy upbeat tempos to soft slow songs. But they were all well written and performed.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
I had already listened to Björk’s first album. It was interesting to hear how much she’d progressed from then to this fifth album.
I can confidently say that she grew from that first awful album to this mediocre album. The growth really showed in that several of the tracks sounded like an attempt at a song was made. I would go so far as to say that several tracks could count as songs.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
The early 60’s was an interesting time in rock music. It was the ending of music driven by the Silent Generation throughout the ’50s and the beginning of music driven by the Baby Boomers.
The release of the album is the capstone of the previous era just as the Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, and others were forging the sounds of the next generation.
As the capstone, this represents the best of the soul sounds from the’50s. While soul would continue on. It would also be forged by new artists.
I’m deviating from my scale. This isn’t an absolute favorite, but due to the quality and significance, it earns a 5.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
When the Wikipedia snapshot said it was English Gothic Rock, I was prepared for the worst. Then I started listening to it and realized that it was released in ‘87. It had such a familiar ’80 sound that it brought back memories of my clubbing days.
As far as gothic goes, it seems more a caricature of the genre than any hardcore goth sound. I would not have been surprised if any of these songs were part of the Highlander movies since they were kind of goth fantasy movies.
I can only imagine that this album was added to the list because it is a good representation of a heavy late ‘80s sound. It’s not bad. But it’s not exceptional either. I did enjoy listening to it for the nostalgia value and would listen to it again.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
You don't have to be an Elvis fanatic to appreciate this groundbreaking album. It has classic 50's uptempo songs and slow ballads. All of them were simple and clean sounding. Even if they were originally recorded by other artists, he made them his own.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
In an era where every punk or new wave band tried to create an identity with spiked haircuts, wearing leather, chains, and combat boots, the Talking Heads look normal if not nerdy. But they stood out musically.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
Good old authentic music.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
This has the sound of a beginner garage band trying to show their chops by mimicking their favorite songs across the genres. Unfortunately, the performance quality is what you'd expect from a beginner garage band.
Maybe with some lessons and a good producer, they will be good someday.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to it but wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
This got better as I listened to it. It fits very well into the punk sounds of the late '70s. Back in the 70’s and 80’s I would liked this more than I do now. But today they’re just ok.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
I haven't listened to this album in very long time. Unfortunately, it hasn't passed the test of time. There are of course the big hits and minor hits that are classic S&G.
It was common for artists to experiment with artsy stuff . Sometimes it works and sometimes it falls flat. For this album, all of the artsy stuff fell flat. In the end, I enjoyed listening to the classic songs. But as a whole (and I can't believe I'm saying this) the album was just OK.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
What a period piece! It has all the trappings of a late '60s. Strong trumpets, high pitched shrill violins (which I love for the nostalgia value), and some Motown rhythms.
There are some really great songs with a huge variety of sounds. This is reflected by the number of different writers of the songs on the album. A number of them are covers but I can't really tell if the originals were hits or not.
As an aside, two of the covers were written by Randy Newman and first recorded in the early '60s. I knew that Randy's first album was in the late '60s but was surprised to read that he was writing songs nearly a decade earlier.
If you want to relax to the vibes of a more simple time by today's standards, this will take you there and leave you feeling wholesome afterwards.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
A-ha: The classic '80s techno-pop band. We can just skip past that first song that everyone knows and has seen the video of. After that, the album mostly transitions into prefab '80s pop. Good quality, but prefabbed from the overused '80s sounds. These are the songs that remind you of clubbing or some stylized restaurant in gray with pink accents.
There are a few additional exceptions where there was real original though songwriting. Hunting High and Low is the main other one. But it can't escape the '80s time capsule.
As an album, it's just ok. Peel off Take on Me, add it to a playlist, and call it a day.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
This album started slowly for me. In fact, I wasn't sure about it at all. But as I was kind of listening to it in the background, I realized that it had picked up groove that stayed throughout the album.
As I was listening to this and really beginning to enjoy it, I pondered the fact that this was 50 years old. Considering where music and music technology was 50 years ago, it's amazing that it sound this good today.
Of course, 50 years ago I would have never listened to it because I would have been discovering pop AM radio and singing to Top of the World by the Carpenters which definitely hasn't keep its groove over these 50 years.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
It's late so I'll be quick. This is one of the albums from my youth that does stand the test of time.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
I'm not a fan of hip hop and expected to absolutely not like this. But I dutifuly hit play to get it over with. As I listened to it, I started to hear what sounded like music. Then I heard a beat. "Not too bad," I thought. Next thing I realized was that my old bones were moving to the music. Suddenly I realized that I liked this music. Why is that?
That's when I looked and saw that it was from '92 which apparently was at the tail end of the golden age of hip hop. Arrested Development was considered on the mainstream spectrum of the genre. So that explained why I found it at least interesting.
It was interesting, but did I like it? Well, I liked some of it, some of it didn't have that mainstream vibe and didn't connect with me. So, the album as a whole was ok, but not something that I would load into my play list.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
This is why I signed up for 1001 albums. I had hoped to discover new music to enjoy.
Big Star confused me at first. I couldn't figure out why I had never heard of them since this came out during a time when I was all about album rock and assorted other related vices. There were one or two misses, but on the whole, they were great songs that were well played.
I ended up pulling up their other two albums to listen to.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
This is a tour de force in early '70s funk and soul. Everything about the sound and production of this album are top notch.
Almost every song hits it out of the park. The long version of Papa Was a Rollin' Stone stretches out the parts that make this song so good without making it boring and repetitious. I Ain't Got Nuthin' and The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face are just dripping in romance.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
This has a number of classic hits. They are definitely period pieces that only work if your in the mood for nostalgia. It has a few losers in there as well.
While the songs are good, the album is mediocre. I'd rather hear the songs in a '60s mix than listen to the whole album again.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
What a colossal letdown. It sounds like they tried to make songs in a bunch of musical styles. But almost every time, they missed the mark.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
This genre of music is not for me. I can tell that as far as hip hop albums go, this is probably as good a specimen as you'll get. But as far as listenability goes, that's a low bar.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
Another great disappointment. I grew up on fuzzy reverb psychedelic rock. Some of my earliest memories are of the '60s listening to this on the radio or TV variety shows. But this album proves that you can have all the elements for great music at the time and still come up with a disappointing record. "I had too much to dream last night" is the only song that I remember. The rest is truly forgettable music.
Coming into 1001 reviews, I expected to be a fanboy of all things '60s, '70s, and '80s. But albums like this have shown me that while it was truly an exceptional time in music, many examples just either weren't that good or don't stand the test of time.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
This is one of those truly must listen to albums. It absolutely drips in raw, emotional, blues. It is a prime example of what you'd expect when you hear boomers talk about how great the old music was. It has all the prerequisite ingredients of blues influenced rock of that era, organ, buzzy electric guitar, storytelling lyrics, and classic blues riffs.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
Most of this was good Neil Young but most of it was not exceptional.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
I started off thinking this might be a 4 because it had the vibes of Chicago and the Jackson 5. Then it started to be too much and I was thinking it could be a 3. By the time I stopped listening to it, it was clearly a 2.
There was clearly some talent and good bones to the songs. But it all became too cluttered. It's like they had a quote of having to overlay 12 tracks over each song and were having a hard time coming up with ideas. Good artists know when they are done with their work. Unfortunately, the Avalanches never figured that out.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
This is something that I would have really enjoyed 40 years ago but can't stand today. It does have quite a lot that I can appreciate as good music but in a genre that I'm not big on.
So I'll split the difference and give it a three.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
I expect good albums to be a nicely arranged set of songs. This was just 45 minutes of monotony. I could walk away, come back, and have no clue if the song changed while I was gone or if it was the same song.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
Everything that is said about Joplin's talented career can be summed up in one word. Pearl. This album hits the sweet spot in raw R&B/Soul that you feel in your chest every time you listen to it.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
There's a fine line between smooth and enjoyable and smooth and bland. For this album it was 75/25 being more bland than enjoyable. There were a few tracks that I enjoyed. But most of the time I was waiting for the song to end hoping that the next song would be better.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
Sometimes an album is close to being good but is just a miss. This was to frenetic with no real hook to grab my attention.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
This is just classic jamin jazz. Every bit of it fits perfectly together and just works. Great for listening or just background music.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
When I saw saw Apple Music describe it as one of the very first trip-hop albums, I knew I was in for 40 minutes of shit. But what came out was not what I expected. I found it very listenable and overall pretty decent. Per my scale, I'm giving it a 3 but it's very close to being a 4.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
I got halfway through it which is better than I thought I would do. I can't say it's absolute shit because it is clearly well done for the genre. But there's no setting where I would choose to hear this.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
It took me a while to understand this album. But they were clearly channeling the avant garde music from the '60s. I could hear shades of early Pink Floyd and Napoleon XIV. But you have to want to hear this type of music or it becomes very trying.
In the end, I was waiting to see which ended first, the album, or me cleaning the bathroom. Unfortunately, I finished cleaning the bathroom and still had to hear the rest of the album.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
Even after all this time, this album holds up. The songs were as polished as you'd expect MJ's music to be. Each song could stand on its own and worked together to make this an album that has stood the test of time.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
This best can be described as adequate performances of off-Broadway songs that never will be sung again. But considering the notable collaborators, I can only assume that each artist offered up songs that everyone else had rejected first.
It's not that the songs are bad, its just that they are pretty nondescript. And the arrangements weigh too heavy on a calliope of sounds that you would expect from an off-Broadway play.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
With the exception of Waitin for the Bus and La Grange, most of their music is formulaic Southern and boogie rock. The difference is that they weren't just following the formula, they were creating the formula that so many used it became a staple. They somehow aways found that Goldilocks zone with their music that you could both listen to or keep in the background.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
Thin Lizzy was a stereotypical 70s hard rock band. This covers a good portion of their body of work. It has the high energy classic guitar riff based songs and the real original songs that were their big hits. It's easy to listen to even if they're a little generic. I think of them as Led Zeppelin lite. Competent, good on stage, but not as creative or original.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
I've never heard of Incubus before. The album came out during a period where I thought all new music was shit. That's the great thing about this website is that I'm discovering a lot of good music I would have never played.
Anyway, I thought this was going to be non-stop grunge where each song sounded like the last. But I was surprised to hear the depth and variety of the songs. All of them were real songs and not just yelling to a beat. I'm not always up for the kind of energy most of the songs put out, but I did like it. It gets an unexpected 4.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
Rage Against the Machine uses the BRY (beat, riff, yell) musical style. Occasionally you can tell that someone in the band starts getting pissed and insists on playing their instrument like a musician just to prove that they have talent. But for the most part it's petty mechanical and not very good.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
My rating says it all.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
If you made a playlist of New Wave songs from the 80's, Don't You Want Me would be on that list. The rest of the album may not have the recognition of that one song, but in general it is about as '80s New Wave as you can get. From a listenability perspective, it has held up over time. It's not awsome but it's not cringe either. If it came up on the radio, I wouldn't change the station. But I don't think this is what I would pull up if I was in the mood for New Wave.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
I'd heard the name before but hadn't heard the music. After three low quality albums in three days, I was wary of another mystery artist. But I found it to be very easy to listen to and enjoy.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
I am about as far from their target audience as you can get. I don't like this genre and think most of it is shit. I dreaded listening to 55 minutes of this (well, ten minutes and then skip through the rest of the songs). But beats were solid and easy to get in to. Lyrics were at least cohesive and coherent.
So what would have been a one turned out to be a three. I can't say I liked, but I enjoyed listening to it. When it comes to this genre, that's hitting it out of the park.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
This started off a little questionable but got better as it went along. I enjoyed it and could possibly bring it up to listen to again.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
I've heard of this album for a long time but never bothered to seek it out. I don't think it was an earth shattering legendary album. I can see where it would be on some peoples best list.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
This album caught my ear from the very start. The opening beats were straight from the Ronettes' Be My Baby. But then it transition into what almost sounded like a '60 psychedelic song. The whole album had a '60s fuzz sound to it. It almost seemed like they were emulating their favorite bands from the era on different songs with a little punk mixed in. But they executed well.
I almost want to give it a 5 because of my unexpected enjoyment of it. But I can't put it on my list of absolute favorites. So it gets a 4.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
I find very little enjoyable about rap in general. So it comes down to if it has a nice groove to it or if is just children banging on instruments. This one didn't sound half bad. I'm giving it a 3 which, for rap, is like a 6 for normal music.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
For this album, The Offspring's goal was to convince everyone that they are a one trick pony. In this case, every song sounds nearly identical to the next. Each one was basically guitar banging and yelling. You only need to listen to one song, any song, to check the box for this album.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
This is a difficult one to rate. James Brown and this album is significant in rock history and has influenced countless other artists over time. Based on that and the quality of the performance, I would give it five stars.
To be consistent with how I've been rating other albums, I have to look at how I personally enjoy listening to the album. I did like it but don't see myself pulling this down to listen to. That leaves me between a 3 and a 4. So I'll give it a 4 because I did like it and it was more than just ok to listen to.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
This is the perfect background music when you are working in a very noisy industrial environment.
If soft core porn were an album. This would be it.
The male voice trying to be sultry gave me a bit of cringe thinking that he was talking to the 15 year old girl on the album cover. It's the kind of album you listen to at night after your wife has gone to bed.
All that aside, the music had nice get high and relax feel to it. It seemed almost timeless considering it's from 1971. It could easily have fit into any decade.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
This is another album where the merits of the album, historical, influential, performance would be higher than my personal rating. While I enjoyed listening to it and would do so again if it came up on the radio, it's not something I would choose to listen to.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
A decent album. Very easy to listen to.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
This album wasn't bad. But it left me with a "meh" feeling. There was nothing that really inspired me to listen to it again. I can't imagine why this got a Grammy.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
If you love jazz, this is a powerful example of John Coltrane's work. Even if you don't love jazz, this makes for good background music at a social event.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
This album was a mix of stereotypical late 80s sounds and some creative music. As an album, I'd rate it a 3 because I wouldn't seek out listening to it. But there are several tracks that I would add to my library.
Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
