Wow. This album puts you into such a specific mood. The rain on Marvin's face reflects today's weather accompanying my listen to this record. We start off this album with a political statement on "What's Going On" that is a very serious statement about police brutality hidden behind what sounds like jubilation and a very calming groovy bongo beat. Apparently when Marvin brought this to Motown they were appalled. Said it was way too political. I'm glad that Marvin stood his ground and argued that it was a very political time to be alive, pushing for the very real nature of this album. It feels visceral, like music that isn't made simply to make music. Lyrics like "Who Really Cares // Who's willing to try // To save a world that's destined to die?" are not the type of lyrics the label was expecting to hear, I'm sure. A lyric I deeply identified with. Save the damn babies. I absolutely love the way it flows, at least from the start through "God Is Love". Like I'm watching a movie. I will say that while the songs after "God Is Love" are still beautifully written and arranged, I wish that the entire album flowed together rather than dropping that concept midway through. Loved the drums on "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)". Loved all of the brass and woodwinds on "Right On". Loved the entirety of "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)". So many simple lines in this song that are just so great. "Panic is spreadin', God knows where we're headin'" As Marvin states on the final track, "this ain't livin'". We've made a lot of progress since 1971 but honestly this record could have been made yesterday and the themes Marvin's lyrics touch on would still be just as pertinent now as they were back then. The album cover makes sense to me now. It's not all sunshine and rainbows. 5/5.

Initial take after the first song: WTF? Final take after the last song: WTF? I bet you there will be a LOT of 1s thrown at this album. "Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder" is comedy. "I had my car reupholstered, I had my hair reprocessed..." comedy. This whole thing is comedy. There is so much kazoo usage, out of key singing, weird little vocal expressions but it's good somehow? It feels like parody, almost like a Weird Al-esque depiction of 60s music with a little bit of non-parody actual songwriting thrown in there ("Trouble Every Day" for example). These dudes were just having fun. Trying all sorts of wacky wild ideas out. I respect that. Especially given that it's 1966. "It Can't Happen Here" is exhibit A. We didn't even go to the moon yet and here we are riding this album out to "cream cheese" chants. This album reminds me a lot of Negativland's Escape from Noise just in how wacky it is and the balls on the artists for going to absurd levels of bonkers. I feel like there is a reason why this is on here but I didn't do any research as I was interested in approaching this wild album cover completely blindly. This isn't really music that I'm like "hell yeah let's go I want to blast this once a month" but it IS music that made me smile and laugh and wonder. So, hey, on that alone I'll give this a 3/5. (Looked it up right before submitting my review and learned that this is a Zappa album. Wild.)

This album feels like a total prelude to what would be 90s indie and alternative music. There's this grungey aspect to it but then there's still that reverb-y fingerprint of the 80s in there. I read somewhere that the Pixies opened for Throwing Muses. This album has a lot for me to unpack. Lyrically, I'm trying to follow what's going on but I feel like it's relatively cryptic stuff. Or maybe my brain is too small. Instrumentally is where I'm sold on my first listen. Basslines that bounce, basslines that feel dark and broody, Hersh's voice that switches from smooth to shriek to calm, the random percussive elements ("Rabbits Dying"), some VERY sick riffs ("Call Me", "Hate My Way" "Stand Up"), the (dare I say) beat switches ("Soul Soldier"). I get this B-52s silliness from a lot of the more upbeat tracks and a Toadies type of 90s from the slower ones. This is another album that really feels like it's in between the gradient of 80s and 90s, a connective tissue between two decades in music with very distinctive styles. I'm kind of just rambling here writing notes as I wait on my flight to board but, in essence, I feel like this is one of those times where I "get" this album and I "get" why it's on this list. For music lovers, especially those who have an interest in the intersection between post-punk and indie rock, this album feels like it has to have been an inspiration to many and the fact that this band went relatively unnoticed makes me think they deserve to be heard.

I decided to take a little drive while listening to this one as it reminds me so much of driving around with my dad as a kid. Big CCR guy. This album opens up with such a killer riff, man. The type of riff that makes you go, “oh, yeah. that’s the stuff.” It is crazy to me that Fogerty was able to just channel this character so well. Apparently out of nowhere, too. Guy just stared at a wall and thought about the bayou. True story. This album is so cool. Green Onions type cool. Cigarette jet black hair type cool. Love the twangy noodles. Love Fogerty’s silly accent. Of course, I’ve got my nostalgia glasses on and could see how someone would be bored by this journey through some guy’s lucid swamp dream but I am here for it. Not to be taken too seriously, just have some fun and keep on chooglin.

This album is like a history book of early 2000s hip hop and R&B. Back when driving Escalades was cool. Missy starts out with a heartfelt message to the listener that she wants to channel the roots of hip hop and celebrate the lives of those that we lost over the years. It really puts into perspective how many people left the world too soon, from Biggie to Aaliyah. From Big Pun to Left Eye. In a way this record is a memorial for all of these acts, these people who were at the top of their craft. This album is absolutely packed with features from all of the biggest names in the scene with references to popular media and figures who you undoubtedly would hear about at the time. It's almost like it was unintentionally a time capsule that, upon opening 20 years later, steeped me so deep in an era that I felt like I was actually there. Missy's intention for 'Under Construction" was clearly for it to be a love letter to hip hop and R&B. She samples classics to create boom bap earworms like "Play That Beat" but weaved throughout with Timbaland's modern style in a way that works perfectly. There are these classic-sounding tracks that are like a daydream to a golden fledging old school era with tracks like "Work It", "Slide", and "Hot" looking to the future. Side note, it's so cool that "Hot" sounds like it was born and raised in Virginia Beach. Timbaland, Pharrell, and Pusha T were all in the same circles growing up and it shows so much on this track. The beat could be a P track, the hook on the chorus could be delivered by Push. Missy ends the album with a final message to the listener where she again remarks on how far hip hop has come dedicating this one to the fallen soldiers as she calls them in "Hot". She remarks that she made this one for the ladies and it made me thing damn, Missy walked so Nicki could run. She ends it with the line "you may not feel like I’m a real hip hop artist but I grew up on hip hop and that's what motivated me to do music”. I respect the hell out of that. Seriously. Thank you Missy Elliott for this gem of a tribute to a classic era. TL;DR This album is a 5/5 for me because of the absolute heart put into it, the love for the craft and the genre, the features and the history they carried with them in their lyrics, the blend of old and new, and for "Work It".

Shout out to Charles for bringing this one over to spin. I really enjoyed this record. A lot of records take several spins before I start to “get” it but there is something about “Skylarking” that just speaks to me. Every single song was filled to the brim with stuff that made me just say “wow”. The drum programming, the guitar tone, the vocal harmonies, the HOOKS (“Ballet for a raaaainy daaaaay // Silent film of melting miracle plaaaaay”). Oh! Also! The transitions between songs are so seamless that when we were spinning the thing I didn’t even realize a new song started, just thought it was a long bridge! I loved every bit of this album. It is so fun to listen to even with darker tracks like “Dying” and “Dear God” (speaking of which, Partridge’s delivery of why he can’t believe in God in the final verse is an incredible performance). This is most definitely going to be an album I return to again and again and so, thusly, verily, it is a 5/5 from me. Favorite track: “Earn for Us” with “Dear God” as a very close runner up.

I listened to this album on a rainy Monday morning in Los Angeles. It was fairly short, a bite-sized vignette into the world of the ‘60s. News stories, hippies, a relationship that seems to not be working for the narrator. That Dylan track was funny. Even in the ‘60s there was beef! I enjoyed this album. It didn’t change my life but it was a nice little package of great riffs, harmonious duets, and poetic lyrics (as we would all expect from S&G). My favorite lyric from this album for one reason or another: “So I'll continue to continue to pretend My life will never end And flowers never bend With the rainfall”

I decided to take a little drive while listening to this one as it reminds me so much of driving around with my dad as a kid. Big CCR guy. This album opens up with such a killer riff, man. The type of riff that makes you go, “oh, yeah. that’s the stuff.” It is crazy to me that Fogerty was able to just channel this character so well. Apparently out of nowhere, too. Guy just stared at a wall and thought about the bayou. True story. This album is so cool. Green Onions type cool. Cigarette jet black hair type cool. Love the twangy noodles. Love Fogerty’s silly accent. Of course, I’ve got my nostalgia glasses on and could see how someone would be bored by this journey through some guy’s lucid swamp dream but I am here for it. Not to be taken too seriously, just have some fun and keep on chooglin.

This album is bleak, man! Dwight is sad, he’s lost love, he’s out to kill. Nobody understands him. He’s crying. Sad days. I’m glad he threw Send Me the Pillow on here as a little moment of positive respite from all of the damn darkness this album puts the listener through. At the end Dwight reminds us (and, possibly, himself) to hold on to God which is a fitting mantra for someone who just got done recounting some pretty traumatic events. This album really does not sound like it was a product of the late ‘80s, although country (traditional country) has a certain timeless quality to it. Big fan of the Tex Mex vibe with the accordion accompaniment on a few of these tracks. There’s something about this album that makes me think of Dwight as the underdog. Yeah sure he’s got murder on his mind but all of these stories it just sounds like he’s getting dealt a bad hand left and right. He’s a good guy, he’s just having a rough go at it!

An absolute classic. Yet another dad album. This record has been spun many a time in the Nichols household. Definitely recommend looking into the history of how this album was recorded, it's an incredible story. I am a big fan of around halfway into part 1. The harmonized guitars, the little bleeps of the synth, the piano riff, the humming. Every time I listen to this album I pick up on some new part that speaks to me in a different way. The caveman bit is just further proof of the total insanity and creative freedom that Mike was allowed to have for this project. A truly unique album that takes listeners on a journey through a range of musical styles and sounds. Oldfield's musicianship and versatility are on full display, making for a wild and unforgettable listening experience. "Grand piano Reed and pipe organ Glockenspiel Bass guitar Double-speed guitar Two slightly distorted guitars Mandolin Spanish guitar and, introducing, acoustic guitar Plus, tubular bells!"

I will admit, outside of Two Weeks I have never really given Grizzly Bear a chance. I always wrote them off as being one of those bands that was full to the brim with talent, basically rising to success from copying the ‘60s pop sound and running with it. Bands like Whitney, Fleet Foxes, Local Natives, etc. were doomed to only get my background ear because of this surface level judgment of their sound. I have always believed these bands have massive talent but I kind of wrote them all off as lacking originality, being too derivative. With this listen of Veckatimest I can safely say that Grizzly Bear has proven my judgments to be completely wrong. There is something special here. Something unique. Sure, you can certainly hear the influence from pop music of yesteryear. My dad’s records. But there is something more to this record than music destined to live in my background. There are stories to be told. Beautiful, haunting production. Moments that stick. The message of Cheerleader, that end bit of Dory with the drums just crumbling to pieces, the little story told in Hold Still, the frenetic chorus of I Live With You, the entirety of Foreground. In general I loved the lyrical simplicity while still managing to hold weight in each word, the instrumentation, both Daniel and Ed’s vocal delivery, the way each song felt like it was this story that was so purposefully paced and thought out almost as if there are accompanying storyboards somewhere. This was a great listen that I will definitely return to again.

Wow. Yet another dad album. Pre Stairway Zeppy. I have listened to this Zepp album the most out of their entire discography by far just due to the fact that LZ1 was the only Zepp album my dad had in his car. I know these songs more than the rest of their catalog so I may be a little biased but here we go. I recall being something like 6 years old when I asked my dad if Jimmy Page was the greatest guitarist of all time. No joke this record is why I picked up the guitar. Wow. Buckle up, I’m writing about every song. Good Times, Bad Times. Banger. Bonham triplets out of the gate. Technique. JP making the tele scream. Good times, bad times. You know I’ve had my share. Babe I’m Gonna Leave You. BANGER. This was one of the first songs I ever downloaded on Kazaaa back in the day. That chorus is heavy as hell. SO sick. The slide that starts every measure. Shit, man. All of Page’s noodling throughout is hot heat as well. This song ends with that cowboy shit. Hell yes, brother. You Shook Me. I remember always thinking this song is way too damn slow. I still do. Sounds like Plant is covered in tar and is melting. Didn’t learn until much later that this was a cover. JPJ on the organ, killing it. Robby P comes in hot on that harmonica. Page comes in even hotter with that eeeeeelectric power. Plant and Page close it out with some excellent back and forth. Banger. Dazed and Confused. Banger! Legendary riff. Bonham’s drumming on full display. Spooky bridge part with JPJ casually grooving in the shadows. “Tink tink tink blam” here we go down the rollercoaster weeeee! How did they just show up and do this? HOW IS THIS THEIR FIRST RECORD? Your Time Is Gonna Come. Talk about a song that takes me back to a time and place like a familiar scent. Vivid memory of me and my dad pulling out of the Chevron on the corner of Sepulveda and Rosecrans setting out on a roadtrip. Perfect roadtrip music. I will be honest this song was just a big buildup for me to get stoked for Black Mountain Side. I knew damn well what the next track was and I still do. Black Mountain Side. This right here is the song that made me want to learn guitar. I remember being hypnotized by this lick. That lick combined with the percussion offered up by JB and one Viram Jasani always teleports me to some little temple in the middle of the jungle. 2:13 that just goes by in the blink of an eye. Communication Breakdown. BANGER. Rock and roll. Shred. Communication breakdown, dude. It’s always the same. This track laid the foundation for so much rock to come. I Can’t Quit You Baby. Another blues classic that I didn’t understand as a kid. But even though I thought of this as another song that needed the tempo to be doubled, I have always loved the way that Page makes the axe cry on this track. The imperfections. The sloppy steez. Good ol’ fashioned blues with Jimmy’s talent on full display. A 25 year old playing like a 75 year old blues veteran. How Many More Times. That intro. So cool. Rob has rings, pearls, and all. This song rocks. That march bit with the harmonized guitars? You kidding me? This track goes so many places. How in the hell was this their first album? The Hendrix shit that Page gets on for a minute there gives me goosebumps. Never realized how creepy the lyrics are at the end. And now it’s over. My trip down memory lane has finished. Stellar performance from the Johns the Jimmy and the Robert. JPJ with some groovy bass licks and organ highlights, Bonham with some career defining technique, Page with the financing for this album and just virtuosic guitar playing, and Plant rounding it all out with trademark vocals. This album is a classic. This album is full to the brim with legendary music that had stood the test of time. There is no record that takes me back to being a kid in Manhattan Beach more than LZ1. 6/5

I’ve never really understood The Streets. I really don’t get it. I don’t like Mike Skinner’s delivery. It’s not my cup of tea. I couldn’t get through it. I got to Fit But You Know It. Half the time it just sounds like he isn’t trying to write lyrics. When he doesn’t rhyme, when he doesn’t even rap on beat, it sounds like he’s just saying words to me — words I don’t really seem to care about. I feel like there are way too many choruses in each song and the choruses aren’t good. The instrumentals are mediocre at best. It kind of just feels like parody. Like MC Chris or something. Lyrically there are far too many references to English slang which, sure I could look up, but I honestly don’t care enough to. Maybe the point is for me to hate this character? The production quality is meh, the beats are repetitive, the song structure is repetitive. There are very very few moments where Mike’s got an impressive rhyme scheme going but then he just goes back into yapping about some mundane story arc. If I were to sum up this album in one word it would be “annoying”. I really REALLY don’t get it. Am I taking crazy pills?

Listened to this album while making dinner. Sophisti-Pop eh? Never heard the term but I think it pairs well with dinner. Really pleasant easy to listen to smoky cruise ship lounge music up until “A Gospel”. From this point the album takes a turn. Such a strange choice to make this switch. “A Gospel” is a little bit cringey BUT I’ll give it a pass for having some pretty slick instrumentals. Then we move into “Strength of Your Nature” which is another song that seems so out of place on this record. It’s like they wanted to make this Ray Parker Jr. cheesy 80s album but decided to throw in some jazz into the mix. I will say, once again, Strength has plenty of fun shit going on to make it stand out to me. The little vocal bits, the funky guitar, the funky synths. “You’re the Best Thing” was definitely someone’s wedding song. “Headstart for Happiness” is a fun little number but yet again, I am reminded of a wedding band (a really really good wedding band) playing for drunk wedding guests. I’m stealing my friend Max’s line here, Council Meetin’ is straight up end credits music. All in all. Good album. Had fun. It took a serious turn at “A Gospel” that made it feel a little disjointed to me in terms of a “vision” but regardless of that it was a good spin.

I have never heard of Billy Orbs. Had no expectations going in. There’s some pretty insane sound design on this album. LOVE all the synth stuff. This dub track is sexy. It’s time to get wiZe, baby. There are so many cool little one-off moments on this record that made me go “cool!”. Just little moments here and there where he pulls out some random synth for 5 notes, plays some slick riff on the guitar, plays some strange ethereal pad, hits some groovy thick ass bass lick. A Touch of the Night is perfectly named. It’s got just a little bit of the sinister in there. So very percussive and clicky. My favorite! And who could forget those laserbeams!? I totally just feel like I am in space. Definitely getting a Screamadelica adjacent vibe from this listen. The checkout scanner bleep in the background of A Hazy Shade of Random is wonderful. The bleeping life support that drives the buzzy synth along competing with the beautiful pads and piano riffage that comes in like I’m standing in a Great Fairy Fountain about to get my magic upgrade. You know what? I get this feeling Koji Kondo heard The Monkey King, the intro sounds so much like the music for the Forest Temple. I really enjoyed the production on this album. Lots of immersive panning, tangible percussive instruments that come in with a crispness, samples from this or that movie, sound design that really puts you in whatever scene Orbit was trying to craft which I assume is somewhere between deep space, a murky cave, and the middle of the desert (all while somehow being inside of a cop car patrolling the rainy streets of some dystopian society). Will definitely revisit this album and likely more of Orbit’s discography!

I’ve been a fan of Tribe since my Freshman year of college but I have never listened to Tip’s solo material. Glad this album was on the list because I may have never listened otherwise! The fact that Q-Tip was (and is) still able to rap with such finesse so many years after his career started is a testament to his skill. He makes it seem easy. That a capella verse of Dance On Glass is SO sick. When that beat drops holy moly. Incredible stuff. Then he goes and produces some insane boom bappy ass tracks to pair with some of the coolest flow in the game. Great features, too. Raphael Saadiq with an emotional performance on WeFight/WeLove, Norah Jones on Life Is Better, and D’Angelo on Believe stood out to me. On the Norah track, never realized how perfect Norah Fits backing a neo soul album. Makes me want a D’Angelo Norah Jones collab. Hey, speaking of D’Angelo! In the land of make-believe, time to make unbelief believable. Lovely track! Lastly just want to shout out the instrumentals on Shaka. Spooky with clicky little lead lick. The beat sounds super familiar but I am honestly not well-versed enough in samples to pick that one out of my brain. Overall, great record. Definitely will revisit. What good is an ear if a Q-Tip isn’t in it? Favorites: Gettin Up, You, Move, Dance On Glass, Life Is Better, Believe, Shaka

I’ve never listened to Madonna before outside of hearing her in malls in the 90s and on MTV in the early 2000s. Starting off I do wish the drums were a little punchier on Like A Prayer and Express Yourself they seem so timid. Nervously placed in the background. Once the slow moving hits on Love Song pop in you hear what sounds like completely different production style. Likely due to the difference between club bangers and deeper cuts. I won’t pretend I know what I’m talking about. There is some incredible instrumentation on this album. The string arrangements are beautiful. All of the funky gits and synths stood out on the tracks more than Madonna herself at some points. Personally I’ll give this a 3 but I totally understand why this is on the list. Individual song notes below: Love the gospel bit of Like A Prayer. A very epic opener to the album. Although, in a way it feels like I just walked into the middle of a conversation. Love Song is an excellent duet between some of the greatest to do it. As mentioned in my overview, I loved the production on this track. Let’s see if it is a total standout from the rest of the album. My favorite part is when madonna says kiss me in French and Prince goes “what?” Till Death Do Us Part has SO much cool shit going on. Funky clavs, wild synth, epic. Not to mention Madonna’s personal lyrics about her and Sean Penn’s seemingly very toxic relationship. Dude seems to have a serious anger problem. Really enjoyed this one from start to finish. Promise To Try sounds like a live performance. Very raw. Heavy track. Very cinematic. Beautiful cello solo. Cherish has this line “Romeo and Juliet they never felt this way I bet” and I just loved the delivery of it. Otherwise I couldn’t really get into this track. It was kind of just ok. Love the chorus-y guitars on Dear Jessie but holy moly the rest of the song is a little too musical theater-y for me. Oh Father is another very personal track. I hear where Beach House could’ve been inspired in the chorus with Madonna’s delivery of “you can’t hurt me now”. Wonderful slidy guitars on the outro. I love how Madonna turns it around lyrically with empathy towards the end. Keep It Together is for sure my favorite single out of the lot. It’s groovy, funky. Madonna has some excellent lyrical flow that is just so easy to bob your head to. Little sine-y bleeps on the final verse made me say wow. Madonna’s voice on the chorus of Pray For Spanish Eyes is so so great. I love the subtle crunchiness. Easily the best example of her voice on this album. It’s so raw, almost grungey. I don’t know what other word to use but damn she is going for it. I wish I understood Act of Contrition. It’s a little chaotic and seems unfinished. Reminds me of one of those tracks that starts way way after a CD ends but then boom hidden track. Weird.

Well here's the first Queen album I've ever listened to. Brian May can shred. Freddie Mercury can sing. My favorite part is on "Now I'm Here" when Freddie Says "now I'm here" then switches to the right channel and says "now I'm here" then switches again and says "now I'm there" then switches again and says "now I'm there". A real highlight. In all seriousness I think the reason why I never got into Queen is because it's too much like musical theater, a theme I'm likely to repeat several more times in my reviews. It just feels so dramatized. Rehearsed. Does that make sense? Additionally, I think it's a little too "fun" for my liking. It's like I'm watching clowns throw pies at each other to the tune of screaming guitar solos and epic drum hits. Again, great musicianship from everyone. Just don't really get all of the constant vocal harmonization and modulation. It was very cool hearing proto-Metallica on "Stone Cold Crazy" (which they later covered!) and I enjoyed "She Makes Me (Stormtrooper In Stilettos)" because it reminded me of some other band that I can't place at the moment but see that's just it. The only tracks I enjoyed reminded me of something else. Another one that is understandably on this list but one that I personally didn't really vibe with. I didn't NOT like it. It just isn't my go-to sound.

I listened to the original recording followed by the 2022 Mix for each of these songs. Thank heavens the 2022 Mix exists. While I do enjoy the shuffling of various percussive elements into one ear and the other ear, I think this modern mix is the way to go if you're listening on headphones. It hits so much harder and feels so much fuller. I've spent a bunch of time pulling apart each song and track in some of the reviews before this so I chose to just enjoy this album for what it is this time and not sit there noting down every key-change, harmony, drum hit, etc. Great album.

Another strange choice for one of the 1001 albums you *must* listen to before you die. I mean it's not bad music at all, don't get me wrong. I can vibe to some salsa, some pipin' hot trumpets slamming my face, some guitar. Sure. But for some reason this to me just sounds like 51 minutes of "Smooth" that Santana track with Rob Thomas. Santana better be on this list. Here's what I'll say. Cool concept to blend Latin with Hip Hop. Some good flow on here. Some good vibes on here. But "some" good flow and "some" good vibes doesn't really = an album that stands the test of time. It's fine. But in the realm of the gods here it's hard to give this anything above a 2, unfortunately.

Songs like Break On Through, Soul Kitchen, and Light My Fire were some hot hits from middle school Joey days. I have never listened to this album in its entirety, however. I will honestly say some of these tracks are not super memorable to me. They don't hit as hard as, well, the hits. Alabama Song is so very very strange (learned about what a marxophone is through this listen). Ray Manzarek absolutely makes this album what it is in my mind but Jim's vocals are punk as hell and I LOVE when he lets it all out. I will be honest, I do think a few songs drag a little bit or just weren't very memorable. I think the only songs I could really feel "something" with aside from the hits were Back Door Man and I Looked At You. I enjoyed the first couple of minutes of The End but damn this song just goes and goes and goes. And not really in a way that draws me in. I kind of just want it to end. I would put this one at a 3.75 but will round up to 4 just considering the fact that this was their debut! They came in hot, for sure!

Boy oh boy. Hot fucking Fuss. What a record. I will preface my review by saying my view of this album is certainly influenced by the set/setting of when I first heard it. In other words, there is most certainly a nostalgic factor to this album that drives the inevitable 5/5 I am giving this album. But, with that being said, this album holds up regardless of the fact that this was a staple of my youth. A CD that spent so much time in my dad's old stereo blaring Brandon's pipes at higher-than-necessary volumes to a 6th grade me playing Diablo 2 on the family PC continues to follow me into what will soon be 30 year-old Joey (still playing Diablo 2, however on the Switch this time). The Killers were at the top of their game when they made this album, and their fearless ambition and raw talent shine through in every note. In their debut album. Their DEBUT ALBUM. From the opening of "Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine" with an intro that always reminded me of a weird space helicopter landing to the final moments of the slow dance reminder that "Everything Will Be Alright" this album hits. And it hits hard. The wobbly 80s synths, the guitar riffs, the BASS riffs, Brandon's lyrics and the voice that delivers them (his performance on "Andy, You're a Star" is my highlight), the groovy drum beats. It's all a part of something big and lasting. Infectious melodies and harmonies that continue to inspire pretty much any of the alt-rock music I write. Hot Fuss is a work of pure artistry, an iconic collection of songs that will follow me to my grave. To me it's not just an album, it's a musical journey that takes me through a series of diverse soundscapes, each one more captivating than the last. A familiar sonic scent that instantly teleports me back to simpler times without fail. With its stunning production, insightful lyrics and unforgettable fucking BANGERS, it’s no wonder that this classic album still holds up as one of the greatest records of the 2000s. PS: If your streaming service (or physical copy!) doesn't have Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll on it, go check it out on Sawdust.

Cool! Another historic album I’ve never listened to before. I was honestly so surprised. I thought the album was going to be a bunch of tracks like The Message but it was all over the place. The intros on She’s Fresh are super fun. Love the kazoos on It’s Nasty. This is so funny. Funky and funny. Like watching a cartoon. Really makes me wonder how this was received back in the day as the first example of hip hop. I assume people thought it was super weird, at least those not in the know. It’s so interesting seeing how timid they were about going full hip hop. The album is almost a funk soul album with a little bit of experimental hip hop thrown in. But then we get tracks like Dreamin’ and You Are. The fact that The Message comes after You Are is wild to me. Such an iconic track preceded by a wedding ballad about Jesus. Love the samples on The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel. Feels like I’m hearing a deejay live and direct. It’s awesome seeing the birth of a genre here. I just wish they were more confident with their foray into the new realm of rap and that they leaned a little less into the comfort of the familiar.

I admit to not really being able to get into Sufjan's style ever in my years since hearing about the guy. After years of associating "Chicago" with a pretty rough relationship back in high school it was hard for me to hear these songs without immediately dismissing them for one reason or another. Sufjan falls into the camp of music that sounds like it's made for the stage, made for a "show" so to speak. That is a camp of music that is so hard for to mesh with (as I have written about now in numerous reviews). However, this time upon listening I realized how naive I was to just write this off and never give it an honest shot. So this album review club gave me a chance to try it. And man I am glad I did. This album is a masterpiece. So many stories that go deep into the history of Illinois, so much creative musicianship, so many beautiful little moments (one of my favorite tracks is "John Wayne Gacy, Jr." talk about a beautiful moment about something so disgustingly terrible). From start to finish there are tracks that seem deliberate, tracks that contribute to the Illinois ethos. I admittedly only listened once with a few songs on in the background while cooking, but even that one single time is enough for me to realize the importance of this album. It's works like this one that most definitely belong on this list. This album can be enjoyed by damn near anyone and DESERVES to be listened to by damn near everyone given the amount of effort Sufjan clearly put into it. This dude is on a whole nother level. 5/5 from me.

I think I enjoyed this one by the end of it! It took a little bit for Wayne's voice to grow on me (I have never delved into any of the band's discography so this was a blind (deaf) listen for me). I get Kevin Parker's infatuation with this drum sound. Those snares just make you go "mmm! yeah!" with each hit. Glad to have listened to this on a sunny afternoon here in Southern California. Felt like the right music for that. I'll have to revisit and listen more closely to the lyrics, however. According to cwm they're kinda dark. Either way, this is definitely easy on the ears and provided a nice little escape for me this afternoon! I will say, while it was pleasant, it didn't necessarily blow my mind or anything so for that reason I'mma say 3/5.

You can tell the crowd was loving this shit. This was a very interesting ride full of fiddle glissandos, dinnertime vibraphone by Mr. Burton, and an awesome bandoneón performance by one Astor Piazzolla. I am not entirely sure why this is included in the list but I'm not particularly peeved about it. It so very close to being good dinner music but there is something a little too "jazzy" about it for me to put it on while, say, my girlfriend and I eat dinner. I know she would not like the little atonal spots. Anyway, where this music falls in my future listening environments is neither here nor there. I enjoyed this record. I'm far from being a jazz guy so I can't speak to much of the specifics of the who's who or why or how but I can talk about what I felt about the performance in general. The performers really feel like they're telling some sort of a story. Like the soundtrack to a movie that doesn't exist. I felt these little moments of falling in love, trepidation, exuberance. Nice vignettes. It was pleasant, there was emotion that I could feel, and the performers were clearly on top of their game. For me personally this is a 3 but I have no doubt this is a 5 for the jazzheads out there.

Might be a little biased because I have been an admirer of Martin Gore's songwriting for a few years now. I have been observer from the sidelines slightly dipping my toes into the world of Depeche Mode through albums like Violator, Playing the Angel, and Ultra. The synth + the reverbed spy-esque guitar just strike a chord for me in a way that intrigues the hell out of me. It's cool riffs like those on "Never Let Me Down Again", airy pads on "Strangelove", and vocal duets on tracks like "Behind the Wheel" that make me come back to DM trying to find that special album or era that really speaks to me. I've found a handful of tracks that really get me going but I have yet to find an album by them that is front to back captivation. In addition to the tracks I named above, other standouts for me were "Sacred" and "Little 15" for the characters the stories portrayed and "Nothing" simply because the track grooves. There is some really awesome sound design in this album that makes me feel some type of way (I don't know if y'all got tracks like "Agent Orange" in your streaming service but holy moly this one is cool!). I really really want to round up to 4 for this one but I think that I gotta stick to my guns here and give the album what I feel in my gut it should get.

Is this album Timeless? Not sure. I'm not really a DnB guy so I really can't say much about where this sits among the rest. According to the internet this thing was released in the early early stages of DnB which I think says something about the album considering the fact that I was like "oh yeah this is pretty much what I know about what the genre sounds like" vs. something like that Grandmaster Flash record "The Message" giving us a very very early look at where hip hop humbly began. I dig the jazz tracks on this album. "Adrift" was a very interesting stand-out to me but I think it stood out because most DnB kind of blends together in the background. Not that that is a bad thing at all! The breaks were sick, there were cool moments of the loungey jazzy nature, that first track was a little out of place but that kind of made me think of Christoph de Babalon's "If You're Into It, I'm Out of It" in that there are tracks scattered throughout that seem out of place but fit into the grand scheme of the record somehow. All in all, solid listen that had me focused on my work and made me feel way more productive. My only gripe is its length. Holy cow it felt like I was listening to this thing for the entire day.

This has been on my "List" for several years now. I've listened to the ST a few times but I heard this album was a departure into a new sound so I was excited to finally check it out. As a big fan of the Baltimore hardcore band Turnstile it was very cool to hear what is very likely the inspiration for the development of their sound. Blending hardcore + punk + 80s pop. There are these moments in tracks like "Secret 77" where H.R. sounds like Bowie or Billy Idol. But then there are tracks like "Let Me Help" and "Return to Heaven" that remind the listener that this is indeed still some heavy shit. I love the experimental nature of this album. There was a part in "She's Calling You" where H.R. sings about "vibrating cosmic waves // spirit electricity" and there is this phasey feedback noise they played with. That's really cool! I am a big fan of when bands get to this point in their career where they can start trying new and different things, where they can push the boundaries of their genre or their "sound" and soar to new creative heights. Giving this one a 4/5 because I feel like the Bad Brains team made something unique with this one when you consider their past material. But in addition to making something unique they also managed to make it all killer, no filler (in my opinion). Each song was interesting to me (perhaps the novelty may wear off at some point) and kept me wondering what I'd hear next!

Virgin Records commented that their theory for XTC not selling enough records was because they sounded "too British" and songs on Sound Affects like "Monday" really make me think of what the archetype was for that comment. There are tracks scattered throughout like "But I'm Different Now" and "Set the House Ablaze" that rock my socks off but then there are these other songs that are just not really new. Like if I wanted to hear that 60s sound I think I'd just turn to, well, that 60s sound. I think there is homage and then there is just sitting in a comfort zone. Expanding on the influence is what makes good go to great. Songs like "Start!" -- like come on man this is just the Beatles. In my humble opinion having any songs on an album in this 1001 list that are pretty much a carbon copy of another band on the list kinda makes it hard for me to rate above a 3/5. I feel like The Jam opened for The Clash and was forever destined to open for The Clash. I didn't _not_ like this record. In fact I enjoyed it! It's good music! I simply don't see the legacy it set (i.e. why it is in this list).

This album is like a history book of early 2000s hip hop and R&B. Back when driving Escalades was cool. Missy starts out with a heartfelt message to the listener that she wants to channel the roots of hip hop and celebrate the lives of those that we lost over the years. It really puts into perspective how many people left the world too soon, from Biggie to Aaliyah. From Big Pun to Left Eye. In a way this record is a memorial for all of these acts, these people who were at the top of their craft. This album is absolutely packed with features from all of the biggest names in the scene with references to popular media and figures who you undoubtedly would hear about at the time. It's almost like it was unintentionally a time capsule that, upon opening 20 years later, steeped me so deep in an era that I felt like I was actually there. Missy's intention for 'Under Construction" was clearly for it to be a love letter to hip hop and R&B. She samples classics to create boom bap earworms like "Play That Beat" but weaved throughout with Timbaland's modern style in a way that works perfectly. There are these classic-sounding tracks that are like a daydream to a golden fledging old school era with tracks like "Work It", "Slide", and "Hot" looking to the future. Side note, it's so cool that "Hot" sounds like it was born and raised in Virginia Beach. Timbaland, Pharrell, and Pusha T were all in the same circles growing up and it shows so much on this track. The beat could be a P track, the hook on the chorus could be delivered by Push. Missy ends the album with a final message to the listener where she again remarks on how far hip hop has come dedicating this one to the fallen soldiers as she calls them in "Hot". She remarks that she made this one for the ladies and it made me thing damn, Missy walked so Nicki could run. She ends it with the line "you may not feel like I’m a real hip hop artist but I grew up on hip hop and that's what motivated me to do music”. I respect the hell out of that. Seriously. Thank you Missy Elliott for this gem of a tribute to a classic era. TL;DR This album is a 5/5 for me because of the absolute heart put into it, the love for the craft and the genre, the features and the history they carried with them in their lyrics, the blend of old and new, and for "Work It".

I wrote out a really long review but it got lost so the brief version: I love how we get so many sides of Ghost on this album, from “Shakey Dog” to “Momma” and topping it off with “Three Bricks” we ride through his past, his present, his daydreams. The storytelling is excellent, it makes me feel like I’m hanging with him, really getting to know him. We see production from some HUGE names. Pete Rock, DOOM, Dilla, Just Blaze (“The Champ” has one of my favorite lines “My arts is crafty darts, why y’all stuck on Laffy Taffy? // Wondering, how did y’all [neighbors] get past me? // I been doing this before Nas dropped the Nasty“) We get some skits like the opener with some very silly Tom Cruise lines about slashing a dude’s face with Vanilla Sky reference thrown in. We get the Wu (including ODB) on “9 Milli Bros” with some classic mic passing. My only gripe with this thing is that it is a little long. These tracks are insane don’t get me wrong but there were a few that I personally don’t think I’d mind living without. Giving this one a 3/5 because I do feel like the length got to me and distracted me enough to dock a point but it is so so so damn close to a 4. Still, I gotta stick to my guns with this limited review system.

I pretty much knew when I first put this album on that I was not going to enjoy it. It is just so so so unbelievably cheesy. A Dollar Store bargain bin version of Echo & The Bunnymen. The lyrics remind me of a dentist office waiting room. Lines like "We used to take turns crying all night but oh that was so long ago", "I left the door open for you and you can walk through and through and through and it will always be open for you", and "With your lips for food. and your skin for sheets // Your eyes for light, and your blood for heat // And your two white arms for an overcoat" just make me hurt inside. Musically it is really not compelling at all. Things like the "shoo-shoo-op"s in "Hometown Farewell Kiss", the weird dissonance in "Blinder by the Hour" feel so forced. I mean the name of the songs give you all you need to know about this album. It's just cliches on top of cliches. The only songs I remotely enjoyed were "Jerdacuttup Man" as it at least showed that there is _something_ there musically speaking what with this Dylan-esque lyrical delivery backed by some sort of Celtic vibe and "Love the Fever" as it kind of danced the line between '80s and '90s which is cool to hear. Honestly, I feel embarrassed listening to this. The musicians at least tried so I'll give it a 2/5.

I found this album years ago after watching Donnie Darko, in which the “The Killing Moon” is featured. Since then I have revisited it several times because there is just something special about it. A 35-piece orchestra and songs like “Nocturnal Me” and “The YoYo Man” really set this album apart from just being another post-punk album. It's like they wrote centuries-old folk songs but still somehow made them feel modern. And then they throw in hits. Also, much respect to them for making “Thorn of Crowns” what a wild ride. Lyrically the oceanic / rain theme is scattered around throughout without being too in your face. In “Silver” we walk on a tidal wave, in “Seven Seas” we swim them so well (and we kiss a tortoise shell!), in “Over The Wall” we walk in the rain. You can't not be floored by Ian's voice when he sings about "Screaming from beneath the waves". But “The Killing Moon” is most definitely the track of this album. That final sequence where we just jam out and take a ride will always stick with me. The fact that they produced it themselves is also incredible. With all that being said the mix is a little subdued in parts. When it goes loud, like with “The Killing Moon” and “My Kingdom” for instance, it ROCKS. But when it’s quiet it’s almost muted, held back from its true potential. Idk if this makes sense but it feels like there could be more in the quiet parts. A stand out album, for the Bunnymen for sure, but for the time as well. Not perfect but captivating. For that reason I'm thinking 4/5.

For years I have heard this band talked about in various circles but I have never explored them. Yet another excuse to finally jump in. A review I read about this album was pretty spot on: Beach Boys meets Velvet Underground. I think my major issue with this album is how incredibly piercing it is. It's like my ears are constantly being bombarded by a thousand tiny needles. Like "In A Hole" straight up sounds like the shower is running while someone is playing guitar. That is all I hear. A band rehearsing in the bathroom. A band playing music but the radio can't quite pick up the station so it's muddied by static. I don't really understand the appeal of this type of sound. It is relatively unpleasant in every way. For the most part the songs themselves are fine, albeit a little boring in my opinion. I liked "The Hardest Walk" and I have heard "Just Like Honey" maybe about a dozen times on algorithmic radio stations in the past but I think I may just need to listen to this album more for it to grow on my. I feel a real lay out in the sun by the beach vibe with a lot of these songs so maybe if I channel that scene I can be in the right place to enjoy this record. "Cut Dead" is for sure a sleepy nappy sun drenched afternoon track. I definitely see how this band (this album specifically?) inspired music to come. Especially the 2010s resurgence of lofi. I am sure there is some article out there that calls them the grandfathers of shoegaze (and I am sure in the comment section someone is saying "But what about [XYZ Band]'s album [Album Name]?! How could you forget about them?!") Giving this a 3/5 as I actually enjoyed some songs here and there but it just didn't click with me. Another one where I see the cultural significance and understand those who give it a 5 but it just isn't quite for me.

First off this is a great sounding record. Mixed real well. The acoustic guitar textures are almost materializing in front of me on tracks like "Just the Way You Are" and "Scenes from An Italian Restaurant". There are some great grooves on this album with "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" "Get It Right the First Time" (had me bobbing my damn head all over the place), and the aforementioned Italian restaurant song. But I think this one won't make it past a 3/5 rating for me as I just felt like I couldn't relate to it. I can't pinpoint a singular reason why that is but it's the case. Maybe because it feels like musical music? A theme I've used as a crutch to describe why I don't like an album a lot. Maybe it's *too* 80s? I just feel like if I'm stack ranking piano based classic pop music I'd put Elton at the top and Randy (I just love Randy) in second then Billy in third, possibly even further down. Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello just put out a record that I can vibe with way more than The Stranger. Anyway, there's certainly good stuff in here. "Only the Good Die Young" is objectively a classic fun track to dance around to. "Movin' Out" even more so (at least in my opinion). But these are the more upbeat tracks that harken other artists and not Mr. Joel himself which kind of signals to me that I'd rather listen to other artists. Another one that I totally get why it's someone's dad's favorite album of all time but unfortunately I'm not somebody's dad.

My dad found this album through The Economist of all places back in 2001. He showed them to me on a car ride to the Anza Borrego desert where it rained most of the way. The album quickly became one that I revisited over and over and over again. It is now one of my top 5 favorite albums of all time. Before I even knew what post-rock was, before I ventured far outside of my dad's CD collection I have held this album close to my heart. Since then my dad and I have listened to this album together countless times, we've seen them live at the Hollywood Bowl, and we've even listened to it on a drive at dawn through the wilds of Iceland (I will never hear "Starálfur" without remembering that incredible morning of sunlight peaking over the waterfall-laden peaks of green and troughs of black). It's a classic through and through. Jonsi has an absolutely hypnotizing voice that is accompanied by his so-crazy-it-actually-works method of bowing his guitar. There are beats and samples, there is mystery between the songs, there is emotion that flows (insert poetic Icelandic waterfall reference). This is another one of those albums that I know will be a part of my life until the day that I die. It offers me nothing but comfort and memories. Unique, beautiful, interesting. 5/5

Initial take after the first song: WTF? Final take after the last song: WTF? I bet you there will be a LOT of 1s thrown at this album. "Go Cry On Somebody Else's Shoulder" is comedy. "I had my car reupholstered, I had my hair reprocessed..." comedy. This whole thing is comedy. There is so much kazoo usage, out of key singing, weird little vocal expressions but it's good somehow? It feels like parody, almost like a Weird Al-esque depiction of 60s music with a little bit of non-parody actual songwriting thrown in there ("Trouble Every Day" for example). These dudes were just having fun. Trying all sorts of wacky wild ideas out. I respect that. Especially given that it's 1966. "It Can't Happen Here" is exhibit A. We didn't even go to the moon yet and here we are riding this album out to "cream cheese" chants. This album reminds me a lot of Negativland's Escape from Noise just in how wacky it is and the balls on the artists for going to absurd levels of bonkers. I feel like there is a reason why this is on here but I didn't do any research as I was interested in approaching this wild album cover completely blindly. This isn't really music that I'm like "hell yeah let's go I want to blast this once a month" but it IS music that made me smile and laugh and wonder. So, hey, on that alone I'll give this a 3/5. (Looked it up right before submitting my review and learned that this is a Zappa album. Wild.)

I listened to this on a rainy Friday afternoon in LA. It felt right. I have always wondered about Fiona. What's her deal? Why are people so stoked on her? For some reason I lumped her together with the Regina Spektors of the world but I think that was an incorrect surface level categorization. At least with this album. Doing some background reading on it, she seemed to be quite the punk. She had an edge to her -- calling MTV bullshit, standing up to Howard Stern on his show, a femme fatale that wasn't going to be told what to do. Respect. I was immediately captured by "Sleep to Dream". Fiona's delivery was just "cool" to say the least. "Shadowboxer" really drew me in closer to her songwriting. She's got this swagger with her singing. Just a teenager but she sounds like she's been in the game for a hot minute at this point. In some ways she makes me think of Snail Mail (to make a modern day reference). Mature sound coming from someone so young. "Criminal" carries this almost trip-hop beat and mixes it in with a Joe Cocker piano riff while Fiona sings about how she knows she's a bad girl. "The First Taste" has this Sade-esque delivery by Apple of a romance that hasn't yet been realized. All of these tracks have something special to them. Not necessarily an album of hits but an album of Fiona giving it all she's got. It's impressive that this was her debut. The instrumentation, musicianship, lyricism, vocal prowess is all at a point where I could guess that this was her 3rd or 4th album. I mean damn, her performance on "Never Is a Promise". Wow. Always impressive to hear an artist hit so hard on their first go at it. 4/5

Wow. This album puts you into such a specific mood. The rain on Marvin's face reflects today's weather accompanying my listen to this record. We start off this album with a political statement on "What's Going On" that is a very serious statement about police brutality hidden behind what sounds like jubilation and a very calming groovy bongo beat. Apparently when Marvin brought this to Motown they were appalled. Said it was way too political. I'm glad that Marvin stood his ground and argued that it was a very political time to be alive, pushing for the very real nature of this album. It feels visceral, like music that isn't made simply to make music. Lyrics like "Who Really Cares // Who's willing to try // To save a world that's destined to die?" are not the type of lyrics the label was expecting to hear, I'm sure. A lyric I deeply identified with. Save the damn babies. I absolutely love the way it flows, at least from the start through "God Is Love". Like I'm watching a movie. I will say that while the songs after "God Is Love" are still beautifully written and arranged, I wish that the entire album flowed together rather than dropping that concept midway through. Loved the drums on "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)". Loved all of the brass and woodwinds on "Right On". Loved the entirety of "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)". So many simple lines in this song that are just so great. "Panic is spreadin', God knows where we're headin'" As Marvin states on the final track, "this ain't livin'". We've made a lot of progress since 1971 but honestly this record could have been made yesterday and the themes Marvin's lyrics touch on would still be just as pertinent now as they were back then. The album cover makes sense to me now. It's not all sunshine and rainbows. 5/5.

My only experience with Mr. Cohen is my dad's Songs of Leonard Cohen CD that has been riding with me in basically every car I've ever driven. So you can only imagine my surprise when "First We Take Manhattan" started. At first I was thinking, ehhhh I don't know about this one. I thought I missed something. I read all of these snippets of praise and I was thinking to myself "how?" And then it clicked. I don't know when it happened exactly but I realized that this flavor of Leonard was friendly and approachable. A little tongue-in-cheek. Not too serious but still sees the glass half empty. A guy who I can wholeheartedly identify with. Someone somewhere said that this album was one of the first Cohen albums you could listen to "during the day" but, see, I listened to this at night and really felt it was the perfect accompaniment to the after-hours. This was such a weird experience for me but I ended up feeling so comfortable basking in the strange backdrop Cohen's voice sang along with. Will definitely listen again. 4/5

I admittedly don't have a lot of notes for this one as I was driving for most of the time I was listening. You can call me a sideline fan of cumbia and cuban rumba music. I've got a compilation record at my house of a bunch of big name artists that were making noise back in NYC around the 70s and 80s. I can most certainly hear the influences here. A couple of songs stood out to me, namely "Simba" and "Rhapsodia del Maravilloso". The former stood out to me as it was such an insane ride through a percussive jungle. Felt like I was absolutely swimming in drums. Not a good one to listen to when you've got a headache. Some of it even sounded like city noise with this rhythmic percussive "PANG" resembling a hammer hitting a nail. I was back and forth between whether or not I liked it but I will say that seeing this live is probably the move. I am sure my mouth would be on the floor seeing hands fly around and just feeling the drums reverberate through my body. "Rhapsodia del Maravilloso" stood out to me just because of the insane guitar work that was on display. I swear I heard some tapping at one point which evoked an audible "whaaaaaaaaat!" as I dealt with traffic on the 10 freeway. This one was great. Atypical for sure, polarizing likely due to the sometimes overwhelming cacophony. This is one of those records that I would randomly pull from a bin at a record store and I would probably get a "Man, you pulled a great one. [Insert story about record here]" from the owner ringing me up. It wasn't exactly mindblowing but it was a fun one to listen to so, sticking to my rating system guns, I'm thinkin 3/5!

I've really only listened to Bjork once on an airplane. I remember hearing greatness but I didn't go further down the rabbit hole for one reason or another. In "Debut" I heard an extremely innovative use of instrumentation that created unique sonic atmospheres, blending genres and styles to craft a truly unique listening experience. To start, I loved all of the gibberish singing. Just go nuts. Improvise. Let it all out. Have fun. Be violently happy. That aspect alone, to me, summarizes her vibe. Aside from Bjork herself, my ears tended to focus a lot on the impressive percussion arrangements that seemed to remain engaging without being overwhelming. Example tracks to me were "Human Behavior," "Crying," and "Venus as a Boy" which all boast STRONG percussion, along with other elements like synths and strings contributing to their distinct soundscapes. Bjork's creative recording concepts are evident in tracks like "There's More To Life Than This," which was partially recorded in a damn nightclub bathroom and "The Anchor Song," which has a minimalistic, almost poetic quality accompanied by a nice little ensemble of brass and woodwinds. Other songs like "Big Time Sensuality" and "Come To Me" demonstrate her ability to convey messages of courage, enjoyment, and love, while maintaining a quirky sound with elements like trumpets, loungey organs, and a diverse range of synths. So many silly noises that blend wonderfully with arranged string parts. In tracks like "Aeroplane" she somehow manages to combine a jazzy, nightclub vibe with elements reminiscent of a tropical jungle (the juxtaposition evoking a story in my mind of her being in that nightclub while thinking of her lover in a humid tropical locale that is only an Aeroplane ride away). I have so much to say about this album. Bjork exudes positivity and her music just feels like an old friend. It was really a pleasure to listen to this one. "Debut" serves as a showcase of Bjork's immense talent that fully 100% cemented in my mind her otherworldly level of creativity. 5/5

This album feels like a mixture between Springsteen brass and 60s soul. I'm here for it. Van Morrison has a unique voice that is both powerful and soothing at the same time. I have no idea how he does it but he did it. Loved the brass showcased throughout. Added dimension to the music. Lyrically it's hard not to smile while listening to this album, lots of positive vibes throughout. It feels like a sunny day. The jazzy title track stands out with its excellent instrumentation, including gently tickled piano, bass, and sax. "Crazy Love" showcases a softer side of Morrison's vocals. Someone definitely danced to this song at their wedding. On the other hand we have "Caravan" which highlights his wildly impressive pipes during the bridge. "Brand New Day" is a soulful, gospel-like track with lyrics about finding hope and revitalization in the sunshine and "Glad Tidings" is a cohesive package of harmonious sax, groovy bass, and treble-y guitar plucks. Speaking of sax -- can't talk about sax without mentioning the solo on "These Dreams of You". This Collin Tillton guy absolutely killed it. I felt like I was reliving a happy memory with this one. In some ways I was living VM's happy memories. Hard for me to pick out anything I did not like with this one. It didn't necessarily feel like an all-timer to me or an album that changed the game but it certainly was a great album that everyone should hear before they die. "I've been used, abused and so confused And I didn't have nowhere to run But I stood and looked And my eyes got hooked On that beautiful morning sun" :( --> :)

Listening to 'Good Old Boys' by Randy Newman was a truly unique experience for me. I remember the first time I heard this album as someone who wasn't familiar with Newman's work beyond his contributions to the Toy Story soundtracks. It completely blew me away, from that point forward I thought so so so much higher of Randy as a songwriter (not that I didn't already regard him as a good one!) Tracks like 'Rednecks' and 'Mr. President (Have Pity On the Working Man)' stood out to me with their stirring social commentary and great piano playing. The album's centerpiece (in my mind) is 'Marie'. Yes, I know 'Rednecks' establishes the whole concept of this album and really turns heads with it lyrics. 'Marie' is just a beautifully sad piano ballad that will always stick with me. That realization the narrator has at the end about how he failed his lover is just so heartbreaking. 'Naked Man' and 'Rollin'' were also memorable tracks that told great stories stories. The former a recounting of the wild and crazy Naked Man who reminds me of a typical "bad" homeless encounter. The latter being, in my mind, a great closer to the album showing that the narrator is content with just sitting on his easy chair drinking some whisky. 'Good Old Boys' is a fantastic album. Randy's storytelling and piano-playing is just on point. He isn't afraid to touch on social problems that are deep-rooted while also adding a little bit of tongue-in-cheek fun to the mix. He's not making fun OF these topics, he's making fun WITH these topics. That's not easy. The music itself is also outstanding, with great brass backing and other musical elements that really elevate each track. This one's a high 4 rounded up to a 5 for me.

It's interesting hearing this album after many many years of not hearing it and focusing my attention mostly on later QotSA stuff. For context, I used to have every album up to Era Vulgaris on my Zune although I couldn't give you the name of any other desert rock band. Why are they in the desert? Anyway, I explored these guys for a while. It was more of a fascination, a study, rather than an infatuation. There was just something about the "cool"ness of Josh Homme's voice that paired so nicely with the grooves and the absolute rawk n roll. The riffs just spoke to me, the exact type of dark edge crunch that my ears have craved for the last 17 or so years since I first started digging into this band. This album feels like ambient to me in a lot of ways. Getting lost in the repetition. There are some tracks where you can feel that this album is a product of the 90s alt/grunge and there are some tracks where you could tell me this was written last week and I wouldn't question you. Tracks like "Regular John" and "Avon" showcase the band's signature melty guitar tone, while "If Only" has a great chorus and a rawkin' guitar solo. "You Can't Quit Me, Baby" (a play on "I Can't Quit You, Baby"?) features an infectious outro riff that devolves into this frenetic speed up into an implosion. "Spiders and Vinegaroons" off of the reissue is definitely an underrated track with these wild psychedelic reversed guitars and a Travis Barker-level drumline punchy drum highlight. The album, to me, also shows where the band is set to evolve to, with "I Was A Teenage Hand Model" featuring a "cute" indie rock sing-along vibe (and an ending that made my room shake good god just oscillate my street why don't ya). All in all, "Queens of the Stone Age" is an awesome album whose riffs still move me 17 years later. It's definitely going to be hard to listen to for some (dad) but if you're into the whole slo-mo stoner rock/metal sound then I am sure you hold this album in high regard. I'm going to give it a 3 as I don't think it lives in the realm of 4+ but it's a damn good one that had me bobbing my head for pretty much its entirety.

Another artist I've never really explored due to being initially turned off by one quality or another. In my case it was Cave's lyrical delivery. It wasn't really my thing. I am for some reason reminded of Tom Waits whom I also never really understood the appeal of. I think I get Nick Cave a little more after giving "Ghosteen" a listen. Songs like "Waiting for You" made me feel a lump in my throat for the guy. I can't imagine what he went through but I can imagine that this album was very therapeutic for him to write and record. The lyrics throughout, to me, felt almost like a Walt Whitman poem in the very lush descriptions of nature and life. An interesting dichotomy to the darkness of loss and grief. The blackness of a funeral. Some very vivid depiction and great storytelling. I enjoyed the very low-key synth and soundscapes that were presented throughout as well, the end of "Hollywood" being a prime example of some very creative dark ambience. This one's tough because I don't know if it's an album I will return to on my own accord but I really see the allure, in many ways as I did with our listening of Sufjan's "Illinois" (though that one was a little more inviting, I suppose). I think I'm going to go outside of my usual "personal feel" rating system and consider the album in general from a more objective point of view. A man writes about an extremely personal event of loss in the form of profound poetry about life, death, and the beyond and pairs those words with some excellent instrumentation and musicianship. It may not necessarily be for me but this is a prime example of "I get it". 4/5

After a long long day I was exhausted and not really feeling like thrashing. Decided to go for a run and used this album as a soundtrack. I realized pretty much right away that I had to know what it sounded like in all its glory. Ended up finishing my run early to listen in HiFi on the speakers. In a single sentence: this album is like if Rush made a heavy metal album. I think my only issue with the album is that I could take or leave Dave's vocals in some songs. Sometimes he sounds a little like Layne Staley, other times it's a little TOO "Rock God"-y. But then again, if I just think about it from a more tongue-in-cheek perspective I can just kinda laugh with him. By the time we got past "Five Magics" to "Dawn Patrol" I realized this dude is kinda silly. Anyway I'm going to just paste the listening notes I jotted down. 4/5 btw. "Holy Wars...The Punishment Due" this track is epic. I have no idea how to otherwise describe it. Political. The SHRED. "Hangar 18" 2.5 minutes of soloing and instrumentals. I have nothing more to say other than aliens are real and shredding is aliens. "Take No Prisoners" I got goosebumps from this intro riff. THE BASS SOLO AT AROUND 1:45 COME ON YES. Take no prisoners, take no shit. Hell yes, brother. "Five Magics" mysterious Dungeons & Dragons bass solo. Pretty sure they start playing in 5/4 at one point. 5 magics / 4 shreds. Nothing but devil's horns on this outro guitar solo holy COW. "Poison Was the Cure" quick and dirty. "Lucretia" has a sick nasty intro. Rhythmically jazzy. I love that the chorus is just a banger of a riff. Holy cow another WILD solo. Dude HOW!? "Tornado of Souls" heavy metal breakup song. This solo wow. WOW. WOW!!! THE FRETBOARD IS ON FIRE. I AM ON FIRE. MY HOUSE IS ON FIRE. "Dawn Patrol" oh yeah here we go. This bass intro reminds me of DOOM. "Rust in Peace...Polaris" drum solo intro was perfect. The second half of this song. God damn. POLARISSSSSSSS. My hair is burning off, my face is melting, I am riding a nuclear bomb into the ground and laughing all the way.

I went into this listen with a lot of hype. I admit to "peeking" at the global reviews prior and seeing nothing but high praise, a lot of "zero misses", and "inspiring". My friends were also praising the album with similar words. I pressed play and I waited and waited for that moment to hit me but it never really did. I listened to the album 3 times in a row yesterday hoping to "get" it. To feel what the internet felt. To feel what my friends felt. But I never really did. Now, don't get me wrong, it wasn't an album that made me think "golly I wish this was over" (I listened to it for several hours!). I just felt like none of the songs really grabbed me, some of them were a little obnoxious lyrically speaking, and some of them were just kind of...boring. It's a bummer that I'm writing all of this because I really really wanted to _love_ this album but I just didn't. I liked it. It was good. I would put it on while driving down PCH on a sunny day but did it blow my mind? Nope. I will say that one thing I found to be super interesting about this album was just hearing where many modern artists found inspiration for their own sound. That's always a cool moment to me. Hearing your favorite artist's favorite artist. Although, to me, even those artists aren't really my _favorite_ artists. Agh I really wish I enjoyed this album more than I did. I feel like I am missing out on something (much like Jacob felt in his review of Cohen's "I'm Your Man"). I am excited to give Bolan another shot with Electric Warrior which I believe is also on this list? Anyway, I felt a very very strong 3.0/5 with this one. Maybe I'm not as big of a glam rock fan as I thought I was. I'm sorry BolStans, I just didn't get it!

So I gotta say, I much much much preferred this record to 1984. In fact, without even looking at the date this came out I was thinking this came AFTER that record just considering how much more "refined" it sounds. It really sounds like they were much more original here. I mean 1984 had "Jump" which I would say is a daring step out of the classic sound of 80s rock but the rest of that album seemed a little too safe to me. "Van Halen" on the other hand just has so many tracks that I truly felt were hits. In addition to the obvious ones ("Runnin' With the Devil", "Eruption", "You Really Got Me", "Jamie's Cryin'") we also have tracks like "I'm the One" where we get some very percussive bass highlights and some adventurous shoobie doo wops. Toward the end we have "Ice Cream Man" which blends David Lee Roth playing a little blues with a little shred (had a lot of fun with this one). I honestly really liked this album! I like David Lee Roth's voice. I always laugh a little inside whenever he does his "AahhhHHhHH!" shrieks. EVH was obviously in a league of his own with the shred. "Eruption" is just an epic showcasing of his raw talent. The dude just understood how to rock. Like Gretzky with the puck, it seemed like Eddie always knew where the riff was going next. Absolutely virtuosic performances throughout "Van Halen" and for that, I'm thinking I'll (surprisingly to me) throw a 4 at this one.

If there was a musical color gradient with The Doors/Led Zep on the left in white and AC/DC / Motörhead on the right in black I would put Deep Purple's "Deep Purple In Rock" somewhere in the gray zone. So wild hearing this kind of sound come out of a band that recorded this back in 1970 (perhaps even a year earlier in 1969). Even crazier, still, is that this album came out a year after LZ1 and only 3 years after The Doors self-titled. I am honestly surprised by how listenable and interesting this album was. I always thought of Deep Purple as somewhat of a one-hit wonder churning out one of Guitar Center's greatest hits (and many a guitar player's first song, myself included). The combination of organ and silky smooth vocals with shred and mayhem makes for an extremely intriguing listen. Songs like "Into the Fire" just have this simple back and forth, waddling rhythm with some Hendrix chords thrown in there. It's in your face. It's heavy. But it's not obnoxious and it isn't boring. It hits. Dare I say this is proto-metal? Possibly. Had a great time with this record. Glad to have been introduced to another side of Deep Purple via this list! Feeling a 3/5 for this one. It was great but not something that really made me feel something deeper.

I feel like I have heard these songs before. Songs like "Novocaine for the Soul" and "My Beloved Monster" sound so familiar yet I really can't place where I've heard them. In any case, I thought this was a perfect example of what a 3/5 album is in my ears. While the album was full of songs that were easy to listen to and enjoy, I didn't really connect with any of them on an emotional level. I enjoyed E's Rod Stewart-esque raspiness backed up by some trip-hop esque drumming and indie rock subtle fuzz. Very '90s. I really enjoyed the experimentation on the album (the chaos at the end of "Mental" for instance). There are heartfelt performances on here ("Manchild") that make me feel like there should be something more here but for some reason I kind of just feel like this is Wheatus's cool older brother.

Love the way this album opens on such a crazy note with "EXP". Kind of BOLD if you ask me (ha ha) to start off an album with almost 2 minutes of a silly skit. So, being a big JM blues guy, it was very cool hearing what a huge Jimi is in John's big salad of a guitar style (dare I say he and the Trio did "Wait Until Tomorrow" better on "Try!"? Maybe.) To me this record feels like, to make a videogame reference, the Super Mario Bros. of the rock realm. It was complicated behind the scenes but Jimi made it seem easy. Sure, there are new games out today that are more "exciting" than Super Mario Bros. but you gotta give credit where credit is due. From Page to Frusciante, SRV to JM, Hendrix can be found in their tone. In their melodies. In their licks. This album gave the world a lot. This is all not even mentioning Jimi's lyrics. He was a poet for sure.

This album feels like a total prelude to what would be 90s indie and alternative music. There's this grungey aspect to it but then there's still that reverb-y fingerprint of the 80s in there. I read somewhere that the Pixies opened for Throwing Muses. This album has a lot for me to unpack. Lyrically, I'm trying to follow what's going on but I feel like it's relatively cryptic stuff. Or maybe my brain is too small. Instrumentally is where I'm sold on my first listen. Basslines that bounce, basslines that feel dark and broody, Hersh's voice that switches from smooth to shriek to calm, the random percussive elements ("Rabbits Dying"), some VERY sick riffs ("Call Me", "Hate My Way" "Stand Up"), the (dare I say) beat switches ("Soul Soldier"). I get this B-52s silliness from a lot of the more upbeat tracks and a Toadies type of 90s from the slower ones. This is another album that really feels like it's in between the gradient of 80s and 90s, a connective tissue between two decades in music with very distinctive styles. I'm kind of just rambling here writing notes as I wait on my flight to board but, in essence, I feel like this is one of those times where I "get" this album and I "get" why it's on this list. For music lovers, especially those who have an interest in the intersection between post-punk and indie rock, this album feels like it has to have been an inspiration to many and the fact that this band went relatively unnoticed makes me think they deserve to be heard.

"Debaser" is heat "Tame" anything but tame (Kurt quoted them as being the direct inspiration for Nevermind and I hear it here) "Wave of Mutilation" classic guitar hero Anharmonic vocal backing in "I Bleed" that makes more sense with the ending "Here Comes Your Man" classic 500 days of summer. So much range with this band. "Dead" such a change from the last song. Casual punk rock biblical allusion. "This Monkey's Gone to Heaven" is an environmental song. Never noticed that before (but I'm not the lyric guy). Some really rocking parts on this track. "Then GOOOOOD IS SEVEN" "Mr. Grieves" has some super catchy stuff. I felt some sort of comfort in this track. "Crackity Jones" just solidifies the idea that to me this band was/is a huge ball of creativity. How do you have so many genres in one album but make it work? "La La Love You" see above comment. How does this come after the previous track? How? And how am I okay with this? Fascinating. They just asked drummer Dave to sing on this one because why not? "No. 13 Baby" I truly love the ending instrumental of this song. It's so cool. I am seeing where bands like Brian Jonestown Massacre and Dandy Warhols got their style. "There Goes My Gun" surfing punk rock cowboy abstract story about gun go boom. "Hey" feels Stonesy. I'm so surprised that I love Black Francis's super frenetic silly delivery. But maybe I shouldn't be surprised. "Silver" another cowboy. Honestly this one kinda feels like a B-side track but I ain't complaining. "Gouge Away" is another biblical reference through a punk rock lens. I dig it. That little palm muted guitar lick is very very sick. Cathartic, explosive, creative bite-sized vignettes of crazy. Silly, satirical, but cool. Truly a unique record and band.

I can dig Cyndi. She seems kinda crazy but a fun kind of crazy. Maybe this is a hot take but I prefer this over Madonna (the comparison was bound to happen). There's something kinda punk rock about these tracks that I just identify more with. I never noticed how sick all of the keys were in "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" which basically perked my ears up for the rest of the album (and prepared me for the NASTY solo in "All Through the Night"). The chorus of "When You Were Mine" has a simple little two note riff that kept me interested, sitting, waiting for the next chorus. But in addition to those two notes being repeated there is so much other stuff going on in this track. In every track really. A lot without feeling like too much. Little glints of textures that make you go "cool!" Great guitar riffs throughout as well. "Time After Time" is a great example of the chorus-y shimmering guitar that really defined a lot of music in the era. Listening to it today feels like watching a an old VHS tape. "She Bop"'s chorus reminds me of that song Kel sings in Good Burger. "I'm a dude, she's a dude, he's a dude. We're all dudes, hey!". I was NOT expecting the dub-adjacent sound of "Witness". In short, this album surprised me in pretty much every song. Weird, crazy, kooky. Cyndi led with vocals but to me the focus was on everyone behind her. Fun listen that accompanied me on a rough drive down the 10.

Simply put, it's hard not to dig this album. A ton of these songs have been sampled, many are immediately recognizable as singles, just good feelings and good music. Not much else to say!