Middle of the road pop-R&B. There’s better about. If she wasn’t a great singer this album wouldn’t be on this list. Great voice though. Sot Fighter Infatuation 2/5
Peak post punk 4/5
Does what it says on the tin. 2/5
Crap period in music. The prog is alright
Raw, 90s, ‘I don’t even know what it is’-indie. Good groove. Nice voice. Lovefool is a pop banger. Bit more than a ‘pop’ album on a full listen. Not a brilliant end. 3.5
Who mixed ballads with disco? 3/5
Feel like I’m sat watching SMTV Saturday morning . Some well written pop songs in there though got to say. Stand out tracks: - You Oughta Know - Hand in My Pocket - Head Over Feet - Ironic 2.5/5
The theatrical-ness of it (esp. Peter Gabriel) might remind you of Iron Maiden or Kiss or some shit and put you off, but when you realise that they’re much more high-brow, v. well thought out and more tasteful, they become one of the best bands in the world. All masters of their own craft. It’s basically jazz/classical with contemporary instruments. More Led Zeppelin than Led Zeppelin. More Pink Floyd than Pink Floyd. More Beatles than Beatles. Metal before metal, shoegaze before shoegaze. You could have been listening to The Temptations in ‘73. Genesis have a vast discography going in different directions with different members but for me this is peak Genesis. Earlier/later albums might be ‘better’, but dynamically this one hits the sweet spot. One of my favourite albums of all time. Want to go We need to smoke one to this in February. And play catan to the goblin music. FIVE STARS
Synth-pop/new wave pioneer. Years before any Human League, Duran Duran etc. 80s music in the late 70s. Pop music. But too weird to be pop music. He really has a sound… Some of the more missable tracks on the album sound like the big hitters. Blends into one but not in a conceptual way, more of a lack of ideas way. Boring. Big tunes nonetheless. S.O.T: -Metal -M.E. -Cars 3.5/5
No son we’ve got The Beatles at home. Couldn’t wait for it to end. 1/5
It’s Bowie after all. Not my fav. Heroes and Sons Of The Silent Age are amazing 3.5/5
Samples coming out their arse blends well. Back when hip hop was innovative creative and respectful. While still getting their point across. When dissing was saying they needed to wash their ass or their mother has golden nipples. Takes me back to seeing them in tramlines ‘16 where me and Matt got a picture with Chuck D. Spoiler: it wasn’t Chuck D. Any cunt could have been Chuck D - the real magic is how they’ve made this music in this time period. ~10 years before the CD came out. DJ (Terminator X?) an absolute big dog Long tho. 3.5/5
Good album. Liked it Sot I’ve been waiting for tomorrow… The sinking feeling This is the day Uncertain smile Giantt
Is nu metal the worst genre ever? Maybe. Is this the worst nu-metal album ever? No. Rollin is an absolutely large tune SoT: Hot Dog Full Nelson Rollin’ (air raid vehicle) Getcha groove on intro 2/5
Kanye knew it was big. Samples KC loads. Same as Genesis, all amazing musicians. Lineup changes throughout. Also recommend Discipline from ‘81. SoT 21st Century Schizoid Man I Talk To The Wind Epitaph 4.5/5
Those tunes which are played to death are played to death for a reason - amazing! Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Sot: Time To Pretend Weekend Wars Electric Feel Kids 3.5/5
Peak post-70s psychedelic. Not the most accessible but some of the most ‘lips’ songs on this. Loves his heroin. Sot Race For The Prize A Spoonful Weighs a Ton The Spark That Bled The observer Waitin for Superman Feeling Yourself Disintergrate 4/5
Laughing all the way to the bank with that advert deal. Forget what it was advertising but know this song. Classic 90s. A mix of past genres with a bit of a wank result. Albums like this are why people thought the world was going to end on Y2K. SoT Deceptacon The the Empty Phanta 1/5
The original nutcase. Interesting jazzy listen. Sot Peaches en Regalia Son of Mr Greens Genes The Gunbo Variations 3/5
Total garbage… didn’t need a 5 hour+ reissue did it. Sot Only Happy When It Rains As Heaven Is Wide Dog New Tricks 1/5
Nice and chilled. Need to be in the right mood. Sot Song for sathima Manenberg Revisited Tuang Gang
Edgy as fuck. Cool voice. Mix of styles. Probably her best album. Sot Human Behaviour Crying Venus as a Boy Big Time Sensuality 4/5
Love Fela. Has a proper vibe about it. Good to see it translate well going to see it live. Sounds great. Love that its 5 tracks long too. Ginger Baker AND Tony Allen Drum solo?! Sot Let’s start Ye Ye De Smell Egbe Mi O (Carry Me) Ginger Baker and Tony Allen Drum Solo 4/5
If Peter Gabriel wore fingerless gloves and listened to Paramore. Sot Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of) Take The Veil Cerpin Taxt 2/5
Definitive sound. Doesn’t have my favs. Always thought S+G were a greatest hits band. Been proven wrong. Need to deep dive. Could have been written in 1860. Garfunkel looks like he’s from Peckham. SoT Scarborough Fair/Canticle Cloudy Homeward Bound The Dangling Conversation The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy) For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her 4/5
THE REALEST FROM THE CLAN. Great flow. Interesting. SOT Liquid Swords Gold Cold World 4th Chamber Hell’s Wind Staff / Killah Hills 10304 3/5
Best bass riff going on roundabout. Pop Prog without that Journey nonsense. SOT Roundabout 2/5
Beats rhymes attitude. Can’t be beaten. Too big to fail. Has a certain tone to it which I feel is pretty representative of the time and the place where it comes from. Do believe it’s a bit shallow in places but is that an unnecessary Michael Jackson sample to save the day? Sot NY State of Mind One Love Represent It Ain’t Hard to Tell 4/5
That’s some expressive piano, son. Gets so much across with one instrument. Struggling to think of anything else like it. 4.5/5
This has not aged well. I don’t know much about Tom Waits but after hearing this I don’t care to. Sot Saving All My Love For You 1/5
Best one as a ‘whole thing’. They say it’s the sgt peppers of hip hop I think that fits. Mental sample list. Sot Shake your rump Johnny ryall Egg man A Year and a Day Hello Brooklyn 4/5
He’s got a voice for a pop ballad. Greatest hits probably would suffice with Georgey-Boy SoT Faith I want your sex (parts 1+2) Hand to Mouth 2/5
British Industrial version of The Doors. Guitar technique is pants compared to the majority of what came before but it held its own and influenced many. Sot Disorder Insight She’s Lost Control Shadowplay 4/5
What a voice. Sounds great for 63. Founder of soul. Why isn’t this guy more renown? Enjoyed that SoT Cry to Me Just Out of Reach Can’t nobody love you Won’t you give him one more chance You can’t love em all 4/5
Kier Starmers favourite. Can see him now… Sot Rip it up A million pleading faces I can’t help myself 3/5
Not only does this alb have all of Bobs biggest tunes, the tunes theirselves are on a different level. Almost modern folk (Jamming and Three Little Birds). Groove and mood both impeccable throughout. A classic. Sot Natural Mystic Jamming Waiting in vain Turn your lights down low Three little birds 5/5
The OG of ‘G-Funk’. Terms of style, influence and popularity not much hip hop comes close. Falls short where every hip hop album does by having a few tunes which aren’t 100%. Yet to find one that doesn’t. Sot The Chronic (intro) Fuck Wit Dre Day Nuttin but a “G” thang Little Ghetto Boy Rat-tat-tat-tat High Powered Bitches Ain’t Shit 4.5/5
Dark and dance-y. But somehow playful. A southern Joy Division. Gary Newman must have been shitting himself after hearing this. As a whole the album flows well. A good progression from the sound of their last album. Unfortunately doesn’t have enough stand out tracks to be amazing. 3/5 Sot Play For Today A Forest
Miserable. Annoying voice. Just listen to Scott walker. Sot What can I do 1/5
Collaborative albums fall funny on me as they don’t have continuity or concepts as top rated albums. John Lee shocker is a great blues man. Style is confused by the amount of guests, though they’re doing some great stuff. Sot The Healer 2/5
Driving American indie rock. Another album plastered all over tshirts. Understandably so? Sot Dirty boots Tunic Kool Thing Disappear 3/5
The man should be cancelled. But does have one of the all time iconic voices. Did not know he was recording music since the ‘39. I’d love to know more about his mob connections. Antonio Jobim is the original composer of The Girl from Ipanema. Sinatra a voice goes incredibly well with the music. I love this shit. Sot The girl from ipanema Quiet nights of Quiet Stars If you never come to me I concentrate on you Once I loved 4/5
Great voice. Reggae legend 3.5/5
The ‘difficult second album’ theory blown out of the water. Radioheads second was everything that the first was lacking. A peak of their form of alt-rock, before beginning to create their own sound entirely. One that will dominate and influence the minds of music nerds from Oxford to Osaka for the next 25 years. Following album with a similar sound would have been next to impossible. Having singles like Just, High and Dry and Street Spirit. Whilst having cult classics such as Fake Plastic Trees or Nice Dream or Blackstar. An album where when I want to listen to a song off the album, I end up listening to the whole thing. An album cover that scared me when looking through my parents records when I was a kid. Iconic. British alt-pop-rock perfection. Half a point dropped for My Iron Lung. Half a point gained for sentimental value. I don’t even think it’s their best. SoT: Planet Telex The Bends High and Dry Fake Plastic Trees Bones Nice dream Just Bullet Proof Black Star Sulk Street Spirit Fade Out ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Surprised me this. Last half pretty big. Sweet Dreams is a tune for the ages. Dave Stewart doesn’t get enough credit. Surely the most ‘club’ of their contemporaries. Sot I Could Give You A Mirror Sweet Dreams This is The House Home is Where The Heart Is Baby’s Gone Blue 3.5/5
Always really hard to place The Jams sound. Just had that laddy aggression that XTC and that didn’t. See where they have influenced a lot of Brit pop but way more soulful. Weller is a great songwriter. He was so young as well. As a whole pretty average album though. Like most of their albums. Sot All Mod Cons David Watts A Bomb in Wardour Street Down In the Tube Station 2.5/5
Sample legend. Think higher of the album after watching Yeezus. His nuts mentality been around since the beginning. Sot All Falls Down Jesus Walks Through The Wire 3.5/5
Really these guys rode up with Mumford and Sons. But these guys have obviously taken more drugs. Does give a classic sound to indie folk whilst still being modern and relevant. Really some beautiful songs on here. 4/5
Proper grungy, who gives a fuck if it sounds shit ROCK. As made famous by Unplugged with Nirvana. Some decent tracks on here. With a classic or two. Sot Plateau Lake of fire Oh me I’m a mindless idiot 3/5
Very standard. Very middle of the road. Can see the Alex Turner influence. Some melodic soulful tunes though. Sot Coles Corner The Ocean Born under a bad sign 2.5/5
Does a man from the north of England need an excuse to give this album 5 stars? SoT All 5/5
Turns out I really don’t like this stuff. Just too dated in this day and age. Plenty of energy tho. 2/5
Absolutely rippin’ an’ lickin’ an’ riffin’ as always Sot Have You Ever Been Crosstown Traffic Voodoo Chile Gypsy eyes All along the watchtower Voodoo child 3/5
Not my thing. Very 90s. Grunge-Indie? See why it didn’t catch on. Sot The Way We Act Hoover Dam If I can’t change your mind 2/5
Sot Born under punches Cross eyed and painless The great curve Once in a lifetime 4/5
Second half ain’t the one. Not their best album. Absolute head turners at the time. Nothing but respect. Especially for that one member who wears a clown mask and his job is to hit a bin with a baseball bat. Legends really. Not to be fucked with so I hear. Sot Gematria Sulfur Psychosocial Dead memories. 3/5
Better than I thought it would be. Never heard free bird in context. Brilliant. 3/5
Middle of the road pop-R&B. There’s better about. If she wasn’t a great singer this album wouldn’t be on this list. Great voice though. Sot Fighter Infatuation 2/5
Did not know Lauren Hill was from The Fugees. 90s Hip hop r&b in a nutshell. Enjoyed this more than I thought. Stand out tracks: Ready or Not Killing me Softly 2.5/5
Despite being a ‘hard rockin band’, RHCP best songs are the soft ones. Sot Parallel universe Scar tissue Otherside Californication Porcelain Road trippin 3.5/5
Peak post punk 4/5
The band John Lennon don’t want you to know about The Beatles hate them! 2.5/5
Half the songs amazing. Half the songs almost John Lennon parody. 3/5
Does what it says on the tin. 2/5
Crap 1/5
Enjoyed this
My least favourite of theirs. Wouldn’t be till their next album that they peaked, successfully blending rave, rock and pop (and by doing so, maybe killing rave). Too many nothing tracks on this but can imagine in the right setting they might be ace. Shame us sweet summer children will never be in that said setting. Better than house. Sot: Voodoo people Poison No good 3/5
Say you don’t like Boards of Canada 3 times in a mirror and Pitchfork will appear behind you and tell you you’re uncool. Loungey and dreamy. It’s alright. 3/5
4/5
Any time I listen to an album from 00’-08’ I have an overwhelming sense of gratitude that my formative musical years just avoided it. 2/5
Popularised UK Grime. Now you got suburban kids in Norwich wearing black air force. Some of the tracks are shite some are great. ‘Was a determined yute ah Dizzee. Took the scene he grew up around and added his own US influence. Even a subtle comedy to it relative to his contemporaries. Less subtle in his later stuff. Sot Sittin here Stop dat I luv u Fix up look sharp Jus a rascal Jezebel 3.5/5
I think this music is boring but I like it. Sot The concept What you do to me Star sign Is this music 3.5/5
Peak Thrash Metal had been and gone. Sounds like parody Metallica. Something about the singer. 2/5
Cult of Personility was the best song on Guitar Hero 3.
Back when Jack White used to be the edgiest fucker in music. Are they married? Are they siblings? That’s all part of the alt-rock mystery. Probably added to their edge. Peak White Stripes. Find someone who doesn’t know Seven Nation Army. Some of the most iconic music videos of the 00’s lay in this track list. White Stripes probably get a 4/5 overall. Across their albums they’re more iconic than you think. Poses the question: are The White Stripes lame because they were the peak of 00s rock and that’s just dated now? Or are they lame because they were fucking shite really? Sot Dirty Red and White Bastards Black Math Hardest Button to Button Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine 3.5/5
Very alright 2/5
Not only is he riding his uncles coat tails, he’s covering other peoples songs. Didn’t even do well when it came out, not sure why this is on this list. Interesting enough listen if you’re sat in 1970, but this is not what peak western/Indian music is in 2023. 1.5/5
Some good tunes on here. Groovy. Soulful. Nice sounds. Great voice. Sot Smooth operator Hang on to your love I will be your friend Why can’t we live together 4/5
No
Wrote a review but it deleted. 3.5/5
Dire Straits Init. Thought the “I want my mtv” line in Money for Nothing sounded like The Police. Turns out it’s actually Sting. They did it together at Live Aid. Sot Money for nothing Walk of life Your latest trick 3/5
Solid 1. Not for me. 1/5
Metal heads get bored of metal. Interesting enough, can see why people think it’s great, but not entirely for me. 2.5/5
Feel like I’m on drugs. Or should be. 3.5/5
Smoooooooke on the waaaaaater. Sex drugs rock n roll 2.5/5
Could have been one of the best British songwriters of all time. Shame about the heroin. Very Kinks-y. Sot Son of a Gun I Can’t Sleep Timeless Melody Liberty Ship There She Goes 4/5
Its Bitches Brew by Miles Davis. If you don’t give it a 5, listen to it until you do. 5/5
3.5/5
My fav. It all just fits. Beautiful sounds, the cover sums it up exactly. Big at the peaks, soft when it needs to be. Conceptually sound. Favourite type of album done right. Big influence on my taste. SOT: All of them 5/5
Orchestra was a good touch to being a certain feeling to Metallica. Think was an interesting mix and was really good in places but some of the time it feels forced. A lot of the time gelt unnecessary. Sot The Call of Ktulu
Oh it’s tranquil oh it’s sexy oh it’s stevie. Truely soulful 4/5
Love to hate. Hate to love. But this is their album. Can’t deny it. Pop rock wasn’t doing very well in the early 00s. Lacked direction while lacking balls. Coldplay might have spearheaded that movement, probably meaning they inevitably get tarred with the same brush. But some of these pop tunes are timeless… as much as anyone hates to admit it. Sot In my place God put a smile on my face The scientist Clocks 3.5/5
My favourite metal album. Was honestly my favourite album when I was getting into music. Out of all the CDs my mum and dad had. This one for a time had a special place. I now look at my favourite, favourite types of music and albums, and themes and similar aspects are in this one. It’s like a metal genesis album. This is their best. Unfortunately the production isn’t the best. Apparently Plampin tells me they haven’t got the master tapes anymore so they can’t even remaster it. And that all adds to the concept in that almost other-worldly way. Metallica are a cheesy metal band. Metalheads hate them. Your nans heard Enter Sandman and she hates it. But if you ever want to prove where this band were at their peak (album before their bestseller, usually a telltale sign), listen to this album. Sot: Blackened And justice for all One 4.5/5
UH! Best Doors album. This is where the Doors became the Doors we know and love. The Doors people emulated for decades to come. Coolest mother fucking vibes. Recommend looking for a video of Ray Manzerek on how they wrote Riders on the Storm. A lot of weed smoked. Sot The Changeling Love her madly Down so long LA Woman L’America Riders on the Storm 4.5/5
For me, start of a new wave of indie bands. Post indie-wave. Everyone grew up. Holds the emotion which just goes that bit further. Not quite folk. But you can listen to the sad songs on a sunny day. Brings that influence from Shoegaze. And Kendrick sampled them. Beam me up softboi! <3 SOT Zebra Silver Soul Walk in the Park 10 mile stereo 4/5
Not an instant favourite of Bowies. Punk. Funky. It is actually quite like Talking Heads first albums. Less garage though. But he had the whole Thin White Duke thing and a body of work which allowed him to do what Talking Heads couldn’t. Sot: Station to station TVC15 Stay Wild is the Wind 4/5
Ex-minutemen. Enough fun with enough seriousness. I like it. Sot Riddle of the eighties In my mind What gets heard 3/5
I mean it’s Beck. Cool music if you’re a mum or dad. Otherwise not cool. Stand out tracks: Devils Haircut *probably one or two more but meh* 2.5/5
Live albums can be hit or miss. I really enjoyed this. Probably more than any of their albums in full. Nice that it’s not all from the same gig, doesn’t detract. 4/5
Now then. I can’t explain why this is a 5 while doing it justice. The last ‘proper’ Beatles album. This album was my musical awakening. Smoked a joint at 17 and listened to the whole thing with Darwent. Didn’t speak. Never forget it. Suddenly, my adolescent music didn’t do it for me anymore. Went through a Beatles phase, completely obsessed. Even to this day, whilst being into prog bands, nothing comes close to the emotion and depth to this whole thing. This is 50 years later. Some of the sounds and effects are mind blowing for the time. Imagine it at the time. If Sgt. Pepper gave Brian Wilson depression, this surely gave him a haemorrhage. Sot: All of them. Yes, even Maxwells Silver Hammer 5/5
Bill Drummond put Fondness on his exhibition’s playlist. But not to fuck the scoring I’ll give it 4.
Love it what a colab.
A voice which makes me feel emasculated.
Why not to go solo. The Smiths were brilliant because of the contrasting feeling between the music and vocals. His nihilistic emotion seems less tongue in cheek without Marrs melodies. More serious, like he means it, truly. Regardless of how good and clever they are, the words just don't hit the same. Ends up middle of the road more times than not. 2.5/5
Theyve just got their own sound. Chilled. Nice. Nothing special. 3/5
Hacienda
Jazz to drink coffee to
God dammit a prog masterpiece. Buckle up. 4.5/5
When Queen were like... prog-metal? Glam? Honestly think this has some of the best Queen features of tunes without being 'over popified'. Of course Queen were the band they are for those tunes, but its easy to understand their strangely broad fanbase. Especially people of a certain age. Brilliant musicians, great songwriting. Great band. Though this album doesnt have those big pop hits. This is Queen. 4/5
Europe's answer to YMO. First electronic music a lot of people will have heard, no? Giving quite the northern European grim feeling. Influenced so many. 4/5
Never liked Supergrass. Never liked their childish, playful mood. Damn them! Hate Alright. Coming off the back of the Britpop wave, rock music was always going to take a turn. Plenty of well written songs, and really, a style that at the time, was probably quite unique. Picked up by 00's indie bands worldwide. SOT: I'd Like to Know Caught By The Fuzz Alright 3/5
Its Stevie. Smooth. Sexy. R. And. B. Funky. Listening to this i completely forgot it was a Friday and I was at work. 4/5
Recently found out AC/DC was a slang term for bisexuality. Dont tell Angus Young. First album after their original lead singer died. You dont really get many bands who still carry on after a death, especially under the same name, especially when they had so much credibility already. Bon Scott died of alcohol overdose in London, hence the Big Ben chimes. Actually a bit of a nutcase. Worth a google. Though Bon Scott was almost the personification of ACDC, Brian Johnson delivers and give ACDC their most famous album. Probably because its hit after hit. Defiantly their mainstream effort. Would never be topped. Total Cock Rock. SOT: Hells Bells Shoot to Thrill Back In Black You Shook Me All Night Long Shake a Leg Rock and Roll Aint Noise Pollution 3.5/5
Remember this being massive when it came out. God bless the NME. Like an English Bjork. Honestly, bored me a little at the time. Just never really in the mood for it. 3.5/5
Seems it took Dave Grohl around 12 months from the death of Kurt Cobain to get from behind the drum kit to fronting a full length album. That's that quick it almost seems insensitive. Saying that there must have been some pre planning. Never been an "album band" but has a few tracks that would stand the test of time. There's definitely some Nirvana influence in places but, I mean, who else? Influences go about everywhere second half. Listening to it all objectively though, it's very much okay. Nothing on Nirvana, but it wasn't going to be. As a lot of Cobains demons were inspired somewhat by overcomercialism, Foo Fighters, especially this first album, are almost a cynical "I told you so" from beyond the grave. It slips nicely right between early Blink records and other US pop-punk from the mid 90s. People love it. But right there is the line between creating for art and expression, or for product. Who knows for sure? 2/5 Sot: This Is a Call I'll stick around Big Me Good grief