571
Albums Rated
3.29
Average Rating
52%
Complete
518 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1960s
Favorite Decade
Grunge
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
40
5-Star Albums
14
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Gasoline Alley
Rod Stewart
|
5 | 2.95 | +2.05 |
|
Permission to Land
The Darkness
|
5 | 3.15 | +1.85 |
|
Bluesbreakers
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
|
5 | 3.16 | +1.84 |
|
D
White Denim
|
5 | 3.22 | +1.78 |
|
Made In Japan
Deep Purple
|
5 | 3.29 | +1.71 |
|
Achtung Baby
U2
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
Eliminator
ZZ Top
|
5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
|
2112
Rush
|
5 | 3.39 | +1.61 |
|
Tres Hombres
ZZ Top
|
5 | 3.43 | +1.57 |
|
Tusk
Fleetwood Mac
|
5 | 3.46 | +1.54 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Hotel California
Eagles
|
1 | 3.6 | -2.6 |
|
Bat Out Of Hell
Meat Loaf
|
1 | 3.44 | -2.44 |
|
Diamond Life
Sade
|
1 | 3.42 | -2.42 |
|
Seventeen Seconds
The Cure
|
1 | 3.38 | -2.38 |
|
Tommy
The Who
|
1 | 3.34 | -2.34 |
|
Actually
Pet Shop Boys
|
1 | 3.18 | -2.18 |
|
Seventh Tree
Goldfrapp
|
1 | 3.08 | -2.08 |
|
Get Rich Or Die Tryin'
50 Cent
|
1 | 3.05 | -2.05 |
|
Very
Pet Shop Boys
|
1 | 2.93 | -1.93 |
|
Disintegration
The Cure
|
2 | 3.85 | -1.85 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Led Zeppelin | 5 | 5 |
| Beatles | 4 | 5 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 5 |
| AC/DC | 2 | 5 |
| ZZ Top | 2 | 5 |
| Nirvana | 2 | 5 |
| Fleetwood Mac | 2 | 5 |
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Pet Shop Boys | 3 | 1.33 |
| Public Image Ltd. | 2 | 1.5 |
| Björk | 4 | 2 |
| The Cure | 3 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Eagles | 1, 4 |
5-Star Albums (40)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Jamiroquai
3/5
This record is so close to a 4 for me. Def I have a lot of familiarity - people around me were listening to Jamiroquai like crazy in those days.
Ultimately this record is just missing that key ingredient of a couple of really truly amazing tracks that reel you in and force you to appreciate the deeper aspects of the rest of it.
An excellent record but not quite to the level of great.
2 likes
TLC
2/5
This record has a LOT of cool cameos, and it definitely was produced well - it sounds pretty amazing.
But this was definitely not my kind of music - I didn't really like music like this in the 90s and I feel the same about it now.
My wife tells me I can't understand this because I was never a teenage girl 😬
2 likes
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
4/5
I think this deserves a 4. There is lots of invention and experimentation happening here, both in terms of the playing and arranging, and also in the studio work. It's playful and exuberant but also I think the end result is pretty good. I think I will put this on again some time. A good record from a band I never heard of until this listen.
1 likes
Jeff Beck
4/5
This was kind of a nice surprise. For Rod Stewart's performance actually stole the show though. Def a record I would listen to again.
Jeff Beck is an incredible guitar player and his Clapton/Page/????? combo style shines the whole way through.
1 likes
Mike Oldfield
4/5
I didn't know anything about this but actually really liked it. It was excellent music to have on while I was working.
There were some weird choices and it was produced a bit strangely (differing levels, etc) but overall I thought this was great!
1 likes
1-Star Albums (14)
All Ratings
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
The post-The-Strokes shuffle beat got a little tired by the end, ditto for the vocal effect. Overall the album holds up really well though, Take Me Out and The Dark Of The Matinée esp.
Depeche Mode
3/5
It's hard for me to remember to cultural context of this record as I was too young
There are a few truly great tracks here (Enjoy The Silence, Policy Of Truth).
It's def bold and experimental, and they mostly pull it off.
Eagles
1/5
Not crazy about this record. There was some interesting lead guitar work, and obviously the title track Hotel California is a bit of a monster. But it kind of feels like they had a great single and released a whole record around it. The second half of the album is... not good.
Meat Loaf
1/5
I was not into the vibe of this record at all. Pretty sure I won't ever listen to this record front-to-back again. There were a lot of talented musicians and composers working on this music but it didn't do much for me.
As an 'imitation' it was impressive - I’m hearing SO MANY influences - It’s like Grease/Rocky Horror/Jesus Christ Superstar, but with Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street band, Queen, Boston, 1970s Elton John (the one true Elton obvs) and Bob Seger as the backing band, Alice Cooper is the producer.
Nick Drake
3/5
Excellent guitar. I actually love his voice. 2 thumbs down for the 'whimsical' flute all over everything.
Stand out tracks:
- One of these things first
- Northern Sky
- Poor Boy
David Bowie
2/5
Bowie still not clicking for me in general.
The 'avant garde' section near the end with no vocal part was actually my favourite part of the whole album - musical but experimental, and def some great individual performances, guitar esp. I think I read this album features a guitar player from King Crimson? This was a nice surprise.
Overall I wasn't really impressed actually.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Overall I really liked the aesthetic (big drum machine sound, jangly hollow-body guitars, broody vocals, bells/tambourine on everything) - it sounds like something that would have played at Central Perk! But there were really only 2 tracks worth listening to again:
- Happy When It Rains
- April Skies
The Dictators
3/5
I really liked this record actually!
I hear the influences (KISS, Dick Dale, The Beach Boys, The Chantays)
I also hear the influenced (Beastie Boys, Black Flag, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes covering pop songs in a punked-up style)
I'm still not sure this is a great album though - cool and interesting but still only getting 3 stars
The United States Of America
3/5
Avant Garde and weird. Def a lot of influencing happening here also - the singing esp is so Jefferson Airplane/Grace Slick (Surrealistic Pillow came out before this record did so....)
There was some good stuff on here and it was an enjoyable listen but I doubt I'll ever feel the need to come back to it.
System Of A Down
3/5
Def my 'kind' of music, and a very solid debut. The first half of the record is stronger than the second. This must have been an incredible live show.
"The kombucha mushroom people" is one of my favourite rock lines ever for reals.
Madness
2/5
This album was...fine? Our House is obviously a classic track, and the overall 'sound' of a swing-y version of new wave with horns was cool but not super inspiring to me.
TLC
2/5
This record has a LOT of cool cameos, and it definitely was produced well - it sounds pretty amazing.
But this was definitely not my kind of music - I didn't really like music like this in the 90s and I feel the same about it now.
My wife tells me I can't understand this because I was never a teenage girl 😬
Parliament
4/5
This is a great album. Not stellar, so still only a 4 but def great. Plenty to like, esp the instrumental-ish sections - excellent musicianship and well produced.
Spiritualized
2/5
Weird but not awful.
Rush
5/5
I know Rush's catalog decently-well and I while I wouldn't say this is 'the best' Rush record it's def very solid, and there is some great stuff on here.
Going to be hard to choose between a 4 or 5
Kanye West
3/5
Clearly a huge record and tremendous breakout for a hugely important artist... in a genre I really don't understand well haha
Kanye is obviously one of the elite hip-hop producers/writers ever.
He's also someone who has, in the intervening time since this record was released, developed some serious mental health issues that make it hard for some to consume/understand his music now.
All Falls Down continues to resonate despite the passage of time and oddities of the author.
The Strokes
4/5
Easy 4 - great record and a lot of personal nostalgia for me. The Strokes were ultimately a bit of a let down for me - I expected them to be more serious and committed I guess.
The big tracks from this one (Is This It?, Last Nite, Someday, New York City Cops) are all still great. The final track Take It Or Leave It is still a banger hands down.
Overall the aesthetic of the record is spoiled a bit by the scratchy recording of the vocal - the effect gets a bit thin.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Easy 5. Definitely one of my favourite records ever.
This time through I was really struck by how confident and bold the main guitar line is on Time. David Gilmour really was a bit of a visionary.
The Who
1/5
weird - I actually love a lot of songs by The Who but I guess not this "Rock Opera" thing.
The drumming was EXCELLENT as could have been expected, and the recording seemed quite good. It's just not very interesting music I guess.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
a solid 4
Wow could this lady belt it out. The vocals on the title track esp are tremendous.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
An easy 4, could have been a 5 prob if I 'enjoyed' the album more. It's obviously great, but just not 'my thing' enough to bring me back to it. I loved this listen, but that's prob enough for a while.
The "jazz samples over heavy/deep bass and beats" aesthetic is really awesome and was probably quite a revelation when this record was released. Def it's easy to hear this record in later stuff by The Roots.
Yes
3/5
Great musicianship! Innovative solos etc! Cool analog synths!
The cover version of America was really interesting.
Def enjoyable though not super inspiring to me.
Goldfrapp
1/5
I didn't /dislike/ this, but I found it to be overall rather uninteresting/uninspiring.
Caravan Girl was by far and away the best track, and I was hopeful it signalled a turn for the better as the record concluded.... but alas it was the single bright spot.
Lou Reed
3/5
I think this is probably quite a great record actually but it was just too sad for me today. The babies crying/calling for mom was just over the top for this middle-aged dad.
Tons of emotion but not much in the way of 'hummable' tunes.
Tortoise
3/5
I liked this actually - though I'd never heard of it before.
The 'instrumental' and 'progressive' nature kind of reminded me of Godspeed You Black Emperor but it was definitely more bite-sized haha
The album seems to have been built around the big opener Djed but Taught and Tame was a good one also.
Duke Ellington
2/5
An interesting concept, but the 'fake live' aspect really ruined it for me I think.
Def there is some great musicianship and a whole bunch of musical arrangement/structure/performance that I just don't understand haha this 40's swing band stuff just escapes me still.
There are a few moments on here that are a bit more 'blue' that seem to have aged better and are interesting.
And speaking as someone who has played a brass instrument (poorly) I know how hard it is to make them sound /good/ like this - these folks were dedicated to their craft and performing at the top of their game. Unfortunately this music just doesn't speak to me.
Dennis Wilson
2/5
not a great record IMHO
Interesting as a 'solo record by one of the Beach Boys'
he's got a nice singing voice
really nothing else special about this really though it wasn't offensive
Rush
4/5
This is a really great album. It has my favourite Rush track Red Barchetta and the also wonderful YYZ, and also 2 big radio hits Tom Sawyer and Limelight.
A solid 4
Sade
1/5
almost literally nothing interesting to me about this record. Total snoozer.
"Smooth Operator" was a recognizable track and not bad actually. The rest of the record I don't have much to say about really.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
This record is not exactly my 'jam' but it's obviously great. I think I kind of hated the title track when I was younger but wow is it growing on me as I get older (and inspect the lyrics more deeply).
I'm On Fire is a tremendous track and would be a hit if it were released today. Overall a great listen.
The synths are a bit forward in the mix and the "80's" drum sound is grating, but otherwise a pretty great record.
The White Stripes
4/5
A solid 4. I love the 'slightly more unhinged' version of Jack White on this record.
Seven Nation Army, Black Math, The Hardest Button To Button -> all totally awesome tracks I could listen to every day.
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
good but kind of... forgettable?
Def I enjoyed it and would listen again.
N.W.A.
3/5
I've been through this album a number of times in my life. Def it is striking. The lyrics are pushy and aggressive - comically at some points.
The 'production' is quite impressive actually - Something 2 Dance 2 was a surprise on this front.
Overall I tried to interpret this as a 'painting' of 'what it's like' rather than a /glorification/ of the themes/ideas. It's otherwise hard for me to listen to music with this lyrical bent.
Sonically and /politically/ a ground-breaking record, even if it isn't my thing exactly.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Kind of a strange choice for a representative record from this era and from this band - I can see though how it's kind of a bridge between the earlier and more 'underground' electronic music (Orbital, Underworld) to the late-90s 'big beat' stuff that became so mainstream (Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, Groove Armada, Prodigy).
AC/DC
5/5
I knew I liked AC/DC but this is a killer record. 5 stars.
Brian Johnson "fits right in" with this band and sounds like the natural frontman of this group.
Young and the rest of the band are phenomenal - solid, loud, rocking.
Love it.
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
A really excellent record. Not exactly 'my thing' but quite an impressive sound and musicianship, and def if I was looking for something groovy this would be a great pick.
Jeff Beck
4/5
This was kind of a nice surprise. For Rod Stewart's performance actually stole the show though. Def a record I would listen to again.
Jeff Beck is an incredible guitar player and his Clapton/Page/????? combo style shines the whole way through.
Def Leppard
4/5
The blurb from the book made me feel like this was kind of a 'come back' effort from Def Leppard following many struggles and setbacks. I think they totally nailed this. It sounds good and feels good and really captures the best of what this era offered. A pretty great record overall.
Traffic
2/5
The music was decent and enjoyable but completely unmemorable to me.
A bit like The Band except not as good.
Deerhunter
2/5
Not something I found particularly inspiring. I was tolerant of music like this when it was new and fresh and I'm less enthusiastic about this sound now. There was nothing wrong with it but it didn't strike me as particularly beautiful or well-crafted given the sea of similar music from the same time period. Perhaps I missed something?
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
This is a pretty solid 3. Nothing really spectacular but I definitely enjoyed it. A very good sound - well produced.
Cat Stevens
4/5
An easy 4 for me. Lots of really well written songs and excellent performances. The recording of the guitars on this record really impressed me on this listen, as did the vocal echo on Miles From Nowhere.
On that song in particular, I liked it on this listen much more than I remember. Def one I'll come back to.
The Isley Brothers
4/5
A pretty good record IMO. Nothing really super thrilling but it was def great music and I would def put this record on again.
Great musicianship. Great sound. Very funky. Excellent bass work throughout. Great vocal performance also.
A lot of covers on this record.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I feel like I was supposed to like this more than I did. Maybe it was just the day or something. Then again I've been through this record before and again didn't /love/ love it. Def there is lots of classic stuff in here but I think Dylan specifically has better and hopefully more consistent.
Giving a 3 but it's more like a 3.5
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
2/5
Not my favourite, though Relax is a definite classic. Prob not something I will return to.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
There's some good stuff on here but nothing really awesome. Tons of cool guitar work, and this DEFINITELY sounds like a Jane's Addiction record.
The Stooges
3/5
a good record but I think just a 3 from me. I like the 'raw'-ness of this record but also found it made things feel a bit... lazy? (production-wise)
anyway a good record overall
Jeff Buckley
4/5
I knew this album really well heading into this listen. Def this is a great record and iconic and historic even but it's not a 5 for me. Probably I'm supposed to rank it as one of the very best but the meandering in the middle of the record and the weepy vocal delivery let the rest of this record down I think.
Still fantastic, just not fantastic enough for a 5
The Stooges
4/5
rocking, raw, inventive (clearly porto-punk-y), interesting, powerful. Lots of guitars and swagger and craziness. Definitely my kind of record.
The Youngbloods
3/5
cool and probably a 'bridge' record from early psych/prog rock into the 'country rock' that was so popular in the 70s.
Boston
4/5
I was surprised by this. A bit of a banger, esp the first half. Amazing sound/production. Foreplay/Longtime was super impressive.
Rod Stewart was(/is) a total baller. What a scene they had in England in that time around 1970 eh?
This record was a bit sloppy but I actually loved it. It sounded quite 'live' and 'single-take'-ish though I'm not sure if it was or not. Ronnie Wood + Rod Stewart + Glyn Johns is a great combo, turns out.
Electric Light Orchestra
3/5
def well produced and good musicianship. The first a lot of this record sounds like 'the same song' - little variance in tempo and the drum shuffle is similar/the same. Lots going on in these recordings also, maybe a bit too much sometimes.
Mr Blue Sky is obviously a humungous hit and for good reason - it's also the best song on the record by a mile.
Jungle was a pleasant surprise also.
ZZ Top
5/5
This one gets a 5 from me. It's a weak 5 maybe haha - right on the edge. Lots of groove and feel, amazing vibe from the these guys who by this record (number 3?) appear to have really figured out who they are and what they are all about.
The ballad Hot, Blue and Righteous is not my favourite, but La Grange is just a monster of a track and would be enough to get this record a 3/4 star rating. That the rest of the tracks are also full of killer guitar and cool lyrics and tons and tons of swagger is just an awesome bonus.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
a solid 4 bordering on a 5.
I've listened to this record through a NUMBER of times and wasn't as impressed as I was this time for some reason. More intentional listening? Really enjoyed this one.
MGMT
3/5
I liked this but it didn't blow me away. Def brought back some good memories. Def will listen again. I love how mellow it is - so much 'electronic' music is either very 'dub step' or 'hip hop' and this is just chill and nice.
Peter Gabriel
2/5
Not super impressed actually. Solsbury Hill is obviously a big one, but the rest of the record is really just alright. It's produced well and everything, and the collection is quite varied and eclectic. Just mostly uninspiring.
Anthrax
3/5
Def interesting. Love the speed and aggression. I didn't love the mix - vocals were a bit too 'forward' and 'black flag' but lots of awesome guitar stuff on this one. Close to a 4 but not quite.
DJ Shadow
3/5
Impressed by the technique for sure (pre-ableton sample-heavy techno is such a wonder to me)
I don't really /remember/ any of the hooks/riffs a day later though.
Def lots of cool beats and grooves though. Very enjoyable.
Paul Simon
5/5
This is a low 5 for me but kinda just barely.
Lots of 'experimentation' and blending of South African stuff right into his more 'traditional' American style.
I have a lot of nostalgia associated with this one that helped bump it up a notch for me. A pleasure to listen to even though the shine of surprise/newness have worn off.
The Temptations
3/5
An easy 3. Fun and interesting, and the story of being the first record after their star original lead singer left is pretty compelling.
Lou Reed
2/5
Only a 2 from me. I feel a bit bad about this actually since it's so famous, and for real Wild Side and Perfect Day are both great tracks. But somehow the rest of the record feels like a bit of a joke haha a throwaway. I think this whole 'glam rock' thing doesn't hit a bullseye with me in general.
Klaxons
2/5
interesting but not impressive. Maybe another 15 years in the vault will do it some good though.
ABBA
2/5
Knowing Me Knowing You was better than I remembered but overall this was not an album I enjoyed.
Patti Smith
4/5
pretty happy about this record actually. Def heard Hole/Courtney Love/Liz Phair (even Sleater-Kinney) in here so it's neat to draw a line back to the 'origin' of that.
Would def put this back on some time.
I didn't LOVE this - it wasn't 100% my 'jam' - her vocal delivery is not super beautiful/moving to me, but I see why it would be to some.
4 stars but barely
The Kinks
2/5
I'm glad I listened to this but I didn't really like it. The sort of pseudo-medieval lute-playing bard gimmick never really landed with me and I don't really understand that vibe though it seemed pretty prevalent for a while in the 60's
Picture Book wasn't bad but I think I'd skip the rest of this record.
Miles Davis
3/5
chaotic and crazy - def a good listen but I feel like I need about 10 more to really grasp this one properly. This one almost makes it to a 4 just on the boldness of the mission alone - all those players and so much improvisation - it's a wonder it holds together at all.
The guitar player McLaughlin is out of this world - def need to know more about him.
Jamiroquai
3/5
This record is so close to a 4 for me. Def I have a lot of familiarity - people around me were listening to Jamiroquai like crazy in those days.
Ultimately this record is just missing that key ingredient of a couple of really truly amazing tracks that reel you in and force you to appreciate the deeper aspects of the rest of it.
An excellent record but not quite to the level of great.
50 Cent
1/5
This record /sounded/ good and I appreciate it sold a lot of copies - wasn't my thing at all though.
Roxy Music
3/5
a solid 3. Interesting stuff and def a good sound. The vocal performance is a bit weird and not really my thing but overall this is a good record. The opening track Do The Strand was really impressive.
The National
3/5
Def a cool record. Maybe too cool for me? Didn't grab my attention the way I'd hoped but I feel I did give it a fair shake. I appreciate the unconventional-ness of this music, esp the vocal delivery, but it does wear out a bit.
Blur
3/5
My wife loves this record and it was one of her faves as a teenager. I didn't really love it though. It's interesting and innovative and to people of my generation definitely historically important. I will give it a 3 but it barely makes it.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
An easy 3. Love the guitar sound esp. Nothing about this record really resembled a 'hook' though. If I had some nostalgia to mix in maybe this one would feel more important.
Beck
4/5
this is a GREAT album but I think barely not a 5. Some of the 'aesthetic' feels too dated (90s) to me. But it's def fantastic and an easy 4.
Oh man right from the first note though - it’s such a beautiful mash up of live/real guitars and drum machine and samples and noise… Like the beat in the chorus of Devils Haircut is the Amen Break right? Such an innovative record.
Nirvana
5/5
5 stars no question. There is nostalgia bundled up in this as well - this record came out when I was 13 and really getting into this music scene.
BUT this is still a phenomenal record and I still love every twist and turn, every shiver and shake, every haunting space, every performance by every player.
Stan Getz
4/5
I think this makes it into the 4 start category.
This is one of the easier listening jazz records I’ve heard and it’s also got some historical importance (according to the blurb).
Great stuff.
Black Sabbath
5/5
This was a surprise 5. I knew I liked early Sabbath, but listening to this front to back and giving it a critical ear, I found I was head-bobbing and foot-tapping more than I expected. It barely squeaks into 5-star territory, but overall I think it makes it. A really solid record with a lot of great tunes, plus it's historically important.
Scissor Sisters
2/5
This record is weird though not altogether terrible.
IMHO it ranges from ‘sort of comedic but still not good’ (Tits On The Radio) to awful (Laura) to reprehensible (Comfortably Numb like WTF seriously) then later kind of Bran-Van eclectic (Filthy/Gorgeous, though TBF they don’t quite pull this off) to ‘hey that’s not /bad/“ (Music Is The Victim, It Can’t Come Quickly Enough)
I’m really confused haha
Elis Regina
3/5
This one squeaks out a 3 I think. Nothing really inspiring but it was interesting and high on the musicianship scale. It was maybe hard to really grasp because it was in another language? but Portuguese is really interesting and smooth at least!
Radiohead
3/5
Ok so I know I have not been a 'radiohead' person up to this point. This is a good record, and there are some really brilliant moments on it for sure, but it didn't give me a feeling like I really can't wait to listen to it again. I was bobbing my head and feeling the groove in a few places! But not many. Not 'enough'.
I know how many people really do love this band and indeed this record and so it will definitely get a few more listens from me. It's a complex sound and is probably not something I can properly take in and appreciate with only a couple of listens.
For example just going through the first track 2 + 2 = 5 I observed:
------------------
I actually restarted it halfway through to do it over with more volume - the big ‘escalation’ didn’t land properly on regular volume haha
Cranked up it def was a cool track but I feel like they flaked out for the end of it like they didn’t know how to end the song haha - “just let Thom wail away and the producer can do some cool Beck stuff… that should be good right?”
TBH this is a great start to the record though. Dig the overall riff and groove (surprise! It has both!), dig the Pablo Honey/The Bends-esque acoustic bit, Thom isn’t being too whiney at least....
------------------------
So the mythical Radiohead 'aha moment' seems to have eluded me again but I will give it another go.
Portishead
4/5
I have a soft spot for this trip-hop style, esp this early-ish stuff. Esthero was a favourite of mine after seeing her live at a festival-style show - I def see the influence here.
Neil Young
4/5
On The Beach surprised me. I think Ambulance Blues is my new favourite Neil Young track!
There was a lot of 'heart on his sleeve' stuff in this record, the musicianship was a bit on the sloppy side but in a real and expressive way.
I think this is a really good record and a bit of a sleeper. I know a bit of Neil Young's catalog but had literally never heard of this album or any of the songs on it.
Eminem
3/5
impressive poetry, cool voice, def plusses
On the con side though, kind of weird beats, all of the ‘acting’ and ‘exposition’ in the background Is really distracting
I dig the ‘art’ aspect of this being the “horror movie flex by the imagined mischief-maker alter ego (Slim Shady) of the stage persona (Eminem) of a person (Marshal Mathers) who trying to work out the giant (mostly ethnic?) chip on his shoulder”
His voice is rad though and (speaking as someone who’s tried his hand at writing some poetry) his rhymes are so interesting. Like infectious earworm
I also dig that in this Slim Shady period when ‘reality’ poked it head out from the ‘horror’ aesthetic it’s usually in the form of 1-st person commentary on being poor, which is something I think was/is important
Leonard Cohen
3/5
LOVED the poetry. The guitar playing was a really nice surprise. Overall the foundational songwriting is pretty awesome really.
Overall this music is too glum and repetitive for me to give a really great review.
So Long, Marianne is the big outlier for me - that is a legit fantastic song and something I plan to pop into many playlists.
The rest of the music is good but not great enough to make a 4 for me. Close though.
Rod Stewart
4/5
This is an easy 4 for me, and getting close to a 5
The guitar parts are truly excellent. The vocals are really spectacular in places.
There are a couple of low-points on this one that keep it from being truly great, but there are some really fantastic highs also. At its best it is funky and folky and bluesy all at once.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
This album is just so passionate and inspired. It's kind of amazing how fantastic this still sounds. I thought maybe this would just be a 'nostalgia' pick for me - there is def some of that - but it's just a really gritty, powerful record and time hasn't changed that a bit.
Talking Heads
2/5
Just an alright record for me. I didn't actively dislike anything really but I didn't see any great reason to listen to this apart from the 2 best tracks
- Psycho Killer which is cool but played so much throughout my life it's hard to not see it as radio filler/halloween novelty
- Don't Worry About The Government which is legit an interesting song with a good hook and vibe
The Only Ones
3/5
First listen was rough.
By the 3rd listen I was really coming around. I feel like this is the british version of the Northern Pikes or something. I can def understand why this is an important record to someone with the right cultural context/nostalgia.
Also the guitar playing was excellent. 3 stars but close to a 4.
Violent Femmes
4/5
I REALLY liked this. Blister In The Sun has been on my radar for years but somehow I missed the rest of the record?
They seem to be sitting in between a bunch of stuff, straddling the edges of many genres and styles at once. The punkiness really got me actually. I was finding the 'say shocking stuff' and 'be a big brat' lyrical motives really interesting and funny, and reminded me of Gob (another band I love).
Wire
4/5
Def dig the early punk vibe - this whole record feels very authentic to me.
I dug the 'zero waste' approach to arrangement also
This blurb from the book felt perfect:
“with the band grinding to a halt once they had run out of lyrics or had become tired of repeating a riff or hook”
The last section of the record esp was really great - I think 1 2 X U might have been my favourite track on the whole record.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Easy 3. Great singer, great arrangements, even one of my fave tracks by Stevie - Boogie On Reggae Woman
Not much else to say about it though - the smooth R&B feel is not 100% my thing I guess. Still a very enjoyable record.
Metallica
4/5
Thin sound, strange arrangements, 1988 trans am and moustaches and shitty beer.
Nonetheless, it's rad guitars, amazing lead work, TIGHT playing, and even the aforementioned 'strange' arrangements and 'thin' sound kind of grew on me by the end. Def a decent record.
Magazine
2/5
Fine but not inspiring. I didn't have the history/nostalgia to go along with it so that might have made a bit of a difference.
I got big Franz Ferdinand vibes from a few of these tracks which was interesting given the amount of time in between when this record was released in the late 70s and when FF came out in mid-2000s.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
4/5
I think this deserves a 4. There is lots of invention and experimentation happening here, both in terms of the playing and arranging, and also in the studio work. It's playful and exuberant but also I think the end result is pretty good. I think I will put this on again some time. A good record from a band I never heard of until this listen.
The Cure
2/5
The beginning of the album seemed very promising - I loved how expansive the sound was and there was some good groove to it. But everything kind of started to sound the same by about halfway through and the second half of the record was a real slog for me. I wasn't a huge The Cure fan before this. I have some new appreciation now but mostly I wasn't supremely impressed.
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
I really enjoyed this!
One thing I notice when venturing outside the 'western blues-inspired' world of music is that there is often less emphasis on vocal performance and that's true here. This guy is a fine singer - on pitch, soulful, etc but for me it may as well be Raffi singing here haha there's so little emotion compared to the 'english language' greats like Robert Plant, etc. He did get going on the last track Africa Brasil thought that was a fantastic recording.
Van Halen
4/5
Amazing guitar work, amazing vocal performances, innovative synth usage, great songwriting. This doesn't quite make it to a 5 for me but it was close.
Tangerine Dream
2/5
I'm sure it's historically important but it didn't seem that compelling to me. I was really into 'ambient' music in the early 2000s - I can see some of the lineage.
2 stars because I didn't have to turn it off and I was able to listen to it multiple times.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
This record was fine but very rambling both lyrically and melodically. There was no hook in anything - no rhyme, no repetition, no interest building. Just rambling poetry and no chorus haha that's how it felt anyway. I almost gave this a 3 then remembered the very cringey "we're like America and Russia" metaphor and decided on a 2.
Radiohead
4/5
The 1-2 punch combo of Just and My Iron Lung put this over the hump from 3 stars to 4. Def there is a LOT of great stuff on here, and it's period-perfect to a fault. High And Dry and Fake Plastic Tress felt a bit dated actually - maybe just overplayed?
I feel like if Radiohead had spent their later years chasing that Just/My Iron Lung thread I may have been along for the ride a little more.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
This was just ok for me. Interesting and cool for sure but also def not mind-blowing. 3 stars only.
Miles Davis
4/5
I really liked this - easy going, hummable, excellent playing
It's not as adventurous as some of his later work - but that was kind of nice also haha it wasn't so challenging
AC/DC
5/5
Great record! Not a lot to say other than that honestly it's just a great rocker.
The "Quiet Riot" chorus on Touch Too Much was a bit distasteful to me and almost pushed this one down to a 4 but the bottom line is this is just a remarkable band with amazing feel and groove and basically every moment of this is enjoyable.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
I know this is an unpopular opinion but I absolutely love this record
The other folks in my listening group didn't love it as much and noted they esp didn't like "Not That Funny"
When I finally made it through to Not That Funny, even with their criticisms in my head I still love it - I love the way Lindsay is just SMASHING the guitar strings and you can hear them banging around all over the place, I love the pre-chorus, I love the melodic instrumental chorus part, I love the crazy noisey ‘breakdown’/fall-apart section at the end… love this tune, though I will admit the weird vocal delivery of the “…not that funny is it?” line is a bit ridiculous
I was dreading the day this one came up - this is actually my favourite FM record. The tremendous accomplishment of Rumours is impossible to ignore, and it is “better” in almost every way, but this one feels more experimental and raw to me. I feel a lot when I put this in haha.
I know though that this is a VERY minority opinion and I will try not to take offence when you guys shit all over it haha I understand its many faults.
Christine Mcvie’s writing is top tier on this one though. Honey Hi as a great example
I think what a lot of people hate about this record is that Lindsay Buckingham was kind of off the deep end and his songs are just weird. Everyone was expecting another The Chain but they got The Ledge haha which I personally love but is way off track from where he was on rumours.
Stevie has some great tracks here also - Sisters Of The Moon is one of her best ever.
I actually kind of took it hard when Christine McVie died recently. I went on a huge binge and hardly listened to anything else for a while. When I first got into FM I thought Stevie Nicks was the greatest thing in the world, and then I was in love with Lindsay’s incredible guitar work and strange but brilliant songwriting. But eventually I came around to realize actually all my favourite FM tracks were Christine’s.
Her songwriting is so incredible and her songs smack me in the face every time I hear them. As celebrated as she is I think she is vastly underrated in the pop music pantheon
I forgot this was the record that has Think About Me -> I’ve worked up an acoustic version of this one.
For reals I FUCKING LOVE this song. I know the bass line is bordering on disco but they pull it off.
The pairing of Lindsay and Christine is a theme in Rumours/Tusk/Mirage era and they tried to duplicate it with a pair-up record post-FM-breakup but it didn’t work out as well - prob they were just too old
Faust
2/5
I thought the noise-iness aspect was cool but a bit tiring by the end. Not a super 'fun' record but I didn't completely hate it.
Muddy Waters
4/5
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
Bee Gees
2/5
Some of the singing was fairly suspect. Not really my cup of tea overall. One in my listening group noted “ this is music for people who wear underwear in the shower”
The Darkness
5/5
I love this record.
Silver Jews
2/5
this tickled that early 2000s alt country nerve a bit. Reminding me of Old 97s etc though not as good.
Thinking about that ‘across the Atlantic culture ping-pong’ I wonder if this was an Americana ping that didn’t receive a proper British pong…
Like maybe this is the Britain/Europe music press’ idea of an important example of the Alt Country/Nouveau Americana movement. Whereas I would instead point to Whiskeytown, Old 97s, Jayhawks, Drive-by Truckers, Jason Isbell, ….
I dig the instrumental sections- kind of country but kind of chill stoner rock… the lyrics/vocals really let this record down hard though.
Someone in my listening group noted: “I think ppl were big on Pavement because of the popular weirdness to their music, still somewhat accessible. Then the Brits heard this shittier country version of the same thing and thought it must be more important.”
FWIW I actually truly love this Alt Country genre- those 3 Whiskeytown records are some of my fave music ever.
Still
Snoop Dogg
3/5
Supergrass
3/5
I thought this record opened strong, and I didn't hate it... but I was pretty bored of the sound by the end. It kinda felt like the same thing over and over again. There were enough twists and turns to make it worthwhile but it wasn't fantastic. I think my review is also coloured by prior knowledge of the work that came right after this, (Supergrass, Road To Rouen, Diamond Hoo Ha) which I actually know and like quite a bit, esp Road To Rouen.
Destiny's Child
2/5
not my cup of tea. I know it was worked on my 150 people or whatever, but it's lyrically kind of a confusing record, and I found a lot of the improvised vocal lines to be a bit 'first-take-y' - unsure and wandering away from 'in tune' like they rushed this record. Actually the Wikipedia article also indicates it was rushed.
The ‘group’ vocal parts sound great - almost too great like sometimes autotuned…? (Not the end of the world but maybe a bit surprising)
I guess I just feel like when the entire non-vocal part of your song is a sampled and/or mindlessly repeating bass-line and fake record scratching sounds…. The vocals had better be killer. There is a lot of good vocal performance on here but I think it never rises above merely 'good'.
Track 09 Happy Face was a bit of a surprise - pretty good track actually and the only reason this gets 2 stars instead of 1
This strikes me as a hastily created Beyonce solo record where she’s live action role playing as a member of the Destiny’s Child ‘performance group’
Fred Neil
3/5
This one gets a solid 3 stars
I love his voice actually. The ‘middle-eastern’-ish digressions in the guitar are very interesting. He’s finding a groove between Dylan, Nick Drake, similar-era country stuff like early Johnny Cash/Merle Haggard, maybe Roger Miller….. I dig it
Thin Lizzy
3/5
I really dug this recording. Live recordings are actually not always my favourite but this one had amazing power and urgency. Also since this is a live album it's worth mentioning they didn't mix 'crowd noises' in too heavily.
Cream
4/5
There is some really great stuff on this record but also some stuff that I think just hasn't 'held up' over time. Clapton is relentlessly impressive, both in technical ability and in his artistic choices. The rest of the band is also great. There are some parts of this that are needlessly silly - perhaps I just didn't always get the joke?
This one gets a 4 just because so much of this record has become such a part of the 'background' art of society - Strange Brew, Sunshine Of Your Love, Tales Of Brave Ulysses, SWLABR
PJ Harvey
3/5
I really wanted to give this a 4 and it came really close.
When I was finished listening I was a bit worn out - it was quite a ride
I dig the dark sound of this record, and the blues-ey-ness is kind of off the charts. This is like grunge music for blues people haha.
When I was done I was kind of glad it was over though - I was just about to turn if off for a bit when I realized I was on the last track. I had reached the limit of what I could handle in one sitting.
The lyrics on this record are really aggressively sexual. Rub 'Til It Bleeds being the one that sticks out in my mind, but also Hook and Rid Of Me.
The opening track Rid Of Me was a standout, as were 50ft Queenie and Man-Size, and also the closer Ecstasy just for crazy blues-ey-ness.
Serge Gainsbourg
3/5
This was quite a surprise for me actually. If I were to do this 'album a day' challenge again in 10 years I wonder if I would rank this one higher?
There was a lot to uncover here - the overall story arc that the album provides is actually quite an interesting little fantasy, though it was hidden (to me) behind a different language and behind this weird 60's-ish obsession with relationships with really young girls....
nonetheless there is some SERIOUS groove on this record. The instrumental part of the album is rocking and bluesy and /loose/ but still very awesome. I was bobbing my head a LOT.
The deep-voice whispered poetry delivery of the 'lyrics' was very Leonard Cohen-ish and I'd say LC knew all about Serge G.
He pushed the 'fantasy' a bit too far a few times - notably the 'laughing' went from cute and bubbly to completely repulsive haha he just didn't know when to quit.
The feeling of the final track really pushed this up in the ranking for me. The protagnoist's contemplation "I miss this girl terribly,.... but did I just get away with this terrible thing? do either of those things matter?" was actually quite compelling to me. I feel like I've watched a movie though he never showed me anything visual (except the evocative cover photo I guess)
Truly an interesting piece of art, though overall my listening group found the premise to be somewhat revolting.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
I didn't love this actually. It's fine but there wasn't a lot for me to hold on to. It was enjoyable to listen to and Cohen's guitar work (I think that was him?) was actually very impressive and squeaks this up to 3 stars.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
A really fantastic album. A truly incredible debut. Good Times Bad Times remains one of their best songs. I don't think this is my favourite Led Zeppelin album but it's special in its own way for sure.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
I came into this listen pretty familiar with some earlier stuff by Yeah Yeah Yeahs which maybe coloured my experience a bit. I found this record to be fine and enjoyable but not super inspiring. Their earlier work has more urgency to it - like they couldn't help but make that crazy music and it was just busting out of them all the time. This record on the other hand made me feel a bit like they made a record because they were supposed to make one haha. The result is still pretty great though.
Beatles
5/5
The great songs on here on about as great as it gets for pop-ish structured tracks. There are some weird things thrown in there - avant garden one-upmanship I guess. But the good vastly outweighs the bad and it's not hard to give this a 5 star rating.
There is some merit to the argument that this is an example of why artists shouldn't do double records.
I think the best true double album release I can think of was Mellon Collie (which BTW would def be on my list), but the thing it does really well is kind of stick to the album aesthetic even when the songs are truly incredible
The White Album doesn’t have much of an ‘aesthetic’
Personally I dig the ‘avant garde’ additions but they’re pretty annoying for full front-to-back listens when you just want to hear the ‘real’ songs
Comparing to a similar double album my listening group just had recently Tusk by Fleetwood Mac (which I realize no one really liked except me haha) I think it’s a similar process leading to a similar result. Both bands were very fragmented socially during the recording and the effects of ego and drugs were apparent. John McVie (the ‘Mac’ from Fleetwood Mac) was quoted something like Tusk “sounds like 3 records recorded by 3 solo artists” and I kind of feel the same way about The White Album
Shuggie Otis
3/5
Cool record! Definitely the story of 'finding a following in the 90s' is very interesting also.
Ultimately I think it's not the /kind/ of music that really turns my crank, but there wasn't anything objectionable about it whatsoever.
An enjoyable record I would probably be happy to listen to again, though ultimately I think I probably won't.
Steely Dan
4/5
This was a really great album and a lot of fun to listen to. Nothing in specific really stuck out, just a lot of great grooves and awesome guitar work. I think this squeaks out a 4 star rating - if the vocal performances had been better it would have been an easy call, but as it is I think it still meets that mark for me.
Elton John
4/5
This is a great record with a lot to love. There are the obvious hits (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Candle In The Wind, Benny and the Jets, Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting) but there are a couple of sleepers also, notably Gray Seal which (remade for this release) is just a great driving rock track.
Elton's piano work is stellar throughout, and Davey Johnstone's guitar is supremely iconic (if not terribly virtuoso/impressive). Bernie's lyrics have a couple of weird turns/low points but overall are pretty great also, the title track maybe being the best example.
Doesn't get up to the level of a 5 for me but def a solid listen.
Throwing Muses
3/5
This was a weird one - Sleater Kinney + Bikini Kill + early Hole vibes
I've never heard of them before but I'm going to go out on a limb and say this is an underrated/underappreciated group.
I didn't dig deep on any of the lyrics
Definitely this has piqued my interest and I would like to hear more.
All that being said, I didn't /love/ love it, though I didn't have trouble listening to the whole thing.
Hookworms
3/5
Def interesting, kind of a British take on Arcade Fire
Solomon Burke
3/5
This gets a 3 star rating but man it's so close to a 4. This guy's voice is quite spectacular, and reading the 'life story' was almost worth a 4 on its own - this guy had a crazy life.
If it had more in the way of 'hits' than Cry To Me this would prob rank a 4.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
I would say this isn’t really my ‘kind’ of music - like the snappy early 2000s boy-band drum-machine shuffle isn’t my bag, but these are some rad lyrics and really quite incredible singing
compare to the improv singing we heard on the Destiny’s Child record Survivor…
She is SO GODDAMN SURE of every move
A good listen and sad to think of where she might have taken this talent with a few more albums.
The Velvet Underground
2/5
I thought this was just an alright record.
I think in this record I'm hearing the difference between 'heroin music' and 'coke music' haha (this being heroin music obvs)
One in my listening group noted it is 'unsatisfying' and that maybe it was important to the hipsters in the 60s but not to me.
It's hard to believe this ranks 13th on the Rolling Stone list... actually that was the biggest let down of this experience - so much hype for what felt like such a droning and repetitive and self-indulgent record.
Robbie Williams
2/5
Trying to keep in mind things that ‘sell well’ are generally worth considering for a list like this for sure
I didn’t hate it as much as I thought I would. The music is seriously dated sonically, but I actually think he’s a good vocalist. For real he sounds good. I also dig the move away from whatever-the-fuck genre of Take That to this ‘britpop’ feel (yes it’s overproduced, yes it’s maybe a thin-ish facade over multi-writer/multi-producer/label-engineered ‘standard’ pop a la Britney Spears, but it’s coming close to fooling me haha)
Angels is a legit radio monster and almost enough to push this to 3 stars... but not quite.
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
It's crazy that this came out the same year as Daft Punk Homework and Prodigy Fat Of The Land and the Fatboy Slim and Moby records came out the next year I think... so much excellent stuff happening in dance music at that time.
Definitely this 'big beat' music can be a bit offensive if you're not in the right mindset. It's not Skrillex/dubstep wub-wub offensive but it can come close.
The big tracks Block Rockin' Beats and Setting Sun are both such killer tracks - not a bit out of place all these 25 years later.
sidebar: I wonder if there will be a ‘rediscovery’ of this music someday - like when I was a kid there was this big movement of young people embracing 60s/70s music and like hippy-inspired culture and clothing and stuff…. I always felt like it was a /reaction/ to the music that had come in between. Like for me personally I was NOT into Madonna and Michael Jackson and Simply Red and Paula Abdul and stuff like that… even Elton John had become unrecognizable… Looking back I can see that really early (12-ish?) I was really dissatisfied with the music that was on the radio/etc and what people thought was cool and I fell in love with the Beatles and (to a lesser extent) the Stones and Cat Stevens and then later Zeppelin and Hendrix and on and on…
Really that was /my dad’s/ music. There was new music that moved me for sure (Nirvana, Pearl Jam) but it wasn’t very ‘mainstream'... I guess that's why it was branded 'alternative'
I wonder if our kids’ generation will look at this big beat stuff the same way - like they’ll look around at all the mindless hip-hop oriented “pick a beat from GarageBand and mumble-rap over it” / wub-wub dubstep craziness new music and have their minds blown by the creativity and energy of the 90s music that it evolved from?
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
I didn't really love this album but I think it has promise as something that would grow on me with more listens. I'm sure the nostalgia element is strong for those that listened as teenagers.
I can hear a similarity to a 'local' band I love called Sloan. I absolutely cherish their first real release Smeared which came out in 1992 - I actually have a vinyl copy signed by the whole band which Rob helped me acquire!
To the un-initiated first-time listener would there be anything more special or ‘better’ about Smeared (or Twice Removed etc) over this Teenage Fanclub record?
That’s a hard question for me to answer personally. I’m so close to that Sloan music… it’s hard to disassociate enough to imagine a world where I listened to it for the first time as an adult.
And def Smeared is not on this list (though it might be on my personal list haha)
so 3 stars it is - maybe i'll come across this again some day and reconsider.
Kraftwerk
3/5
A siolid 3
A bit weird but definitely cool
definitely hear the influence on Daft Punk's Homewerk
Motörhead
3/5
Awesome rocking record. Really enjoyed it. We Are The Roadcrew was a highlight.
Taylor Swift
3/5
I am struggling with how to rate this one.
I know the Ryan Adams remake really well, and not this original work…
I agree this record is produced super well. It’s like listening to glitter.
2 tracks in I can already say I don’t really like her voice - like her vocal delivery is grating to me
Adding to that I HATE the Lorre-style pronoun citation of some words haha makes me want to puke
But I do understand why people like this. Def well put together.
I believe I read that she wrote these songs ‘unplugged’ haha just her and a guitar in a room - I feel like I might have liked that record better
Out Of The Woods is a legit track in every way
None of the weird Lorde pronunciation, heart-strings story, the ‘sparkles’ are even dialled back a bit from ex: Welcome To New York
The DRA version is great also, prob because the fundamentals are so solid.
All You Had To Do Was Stay is a great contrast haha - well written song but poorly executed IMHO
In that case the DRA version is better by some margin
Haha I don’t think I’ve ever heard the real version of Shake It Off haha this is a bit ridiculous
IIt’s well done for sure, but it def feels like a rip off (Miley, Pharrell, prob others) - perfect ‘period correct’ pop music though
I think I’m coming to the conclusion that the thing I dislike about this record is actually Max Martin & Shellback
If I picture that Tay Tay made this herself I feel a bit impressed actually, but I know it’s hit-maker mass market sausage
I think this has to be a 3 - I’ve been challenging myself all morning to take a stand and either go with a 2 or a 4 but I can’t - it’s much more enjoyable than a 2. Even though it’s not ‘my thing’ enough to be a 4, it is very well done and my level of enjoyment of the DRA remake shows how good the actual songs are.
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
I enjoyed this, it sounded good, but was a bit boring
Maybe more listens would help pull out the subtlety and help me see more of what's interesting here
Frank Ocean
3/5
I found myself grooving with this pretty frequently actually. It was weird that so many tracks were so short. Ex: I loved the little thing he did with John Mayer called White, but it was only 1 minute long! "leave them wanting more"? I guess
I think this record rates a solid 3 - there's plenty of inventiveness and creativity and it's well produced and sounds great. It's not my thing for the most part, and still I found it pretty enjoyable.
Kate Bush
4/5
I think this is a bit of a complex album.
I don't like the hollow/thin sound of this record - too synthetic and 80's sounding.
I do like the lyrical content and musical complexity. This one surprised me a bit in this way. It starts off a bit more accessible and the first 3 tracks are prob the best set. But as it progresses it descends into more chaos and darkness and as I mentioned already a surprising amount of complexity.
Overall this is quite an accomplished record, if not always to my personal tastes.
Elton John
4/5
This one rates a 4 for me, though I think there are a couple of tracks that are a bit weaker and would drag it down to a 3 for most people.
I really love the title track and I think it's one of those fantastic examples of Bernie and Elton really clicking on an idea. It's not a hit for sure but it's one of my favourite Elton John songs.
The same thing goes for Holiday Inn which is one of my favourites ever also.
Davey Johnstone on guitar is a really awesome part of this record also and a signature part of what makes an Elton John record really sound like one.
King Crimson
3/5
I really liked this. It's weird and wild and whacky and definitely a bit 'out there'. The only thing that drags it down to a 3 is the lack of a good 'groove'. I appreciate how instrumental this band and record are in forming the progressive rock branch and totally love it.
21st Century Schizoid Man was a real standout, definitely that track is going to be played again in my house.
John Coltrane
3/5
Definitely cool but also hard to understand. This is awesome jazz, but also so far away from the typical pop structure that it can be hard to fully get into a groove with it.
I would definitely listen again, but I doubt I'll seek it out.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Def a great record and a lot of nostalgia is in the mix for me - this was released when I was ~17 and it was just such a huge record.
We had the Chemical Brothers record recently Dig Your Own Hole and it has held up better IMHO. This one feels a bit gimmicky by times, whereas the Chemical Brothers feels more sophisticated and nuanced.
Arrested Development
2/5
I enjoyed this but it didn’t captivate me in any way. It’s definitely neat to see the lineage of that southern branch of hip hop.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
This gets a 4 because it’s a pretty good record with Judy Blue Eyes on it haha
There is great guitar work on this and super attention to the vocal harmony aspects of the songs.
If this had some more groove/feel it could be in contention for a 5. Actually of this had the canonical version of Teach Your Children it /might/ get there.
Super first record from this group.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Such an amazing record from an amazing band, possibly at their peak. Stairway has become a bit of a cliche but no less of an achievement. Truly special. Instant 5.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Easily the best Dylan I have heard and really dug the blue set backdrop
Little Richard
4/5
Great stuff, super fun, a bit repetitive/same-y but overall really great.
Heaven 17
2/5
The bass player was rad, though I didn't like how it was recorded/sounded
Did not like the drum-machine sound or the lyrical aesthetic or vocal delivery (fist-pump guy-group-sing-along) - the 'fight the power' lyrics could be pretty ok though
Sonic Youth
3/5
Interesting, inventive, def there are parts that felt rockin' but I think ultimately it wasn't particularly engaging for me.
High points: Purr, The Destroyed Room, Sugar Cane
Low Points: Nic Fit
David Crosby
3/5
No real strong memorable groove or chorus here as far as I could find. Lots of great instrumental performances, and good (though melodically ramble-y) vocal stuff.
Ultimately a bit boring though more listens may make a difference there.
ZZ Top
5/5
I think this barely makes it over the hump to a 5
Holy hell what an opening!
- Gimme all your lovin
- under pressure
- sharp dressed man
Good god!
Actually track #4 Need You Tonight is a bit of a sleeper and pretty wicked also.
Def there is some 80s cheddar here but the guitar work almost always makes up for it IMHO
Everything after Legs is kind of forgettable but still extremely enjoyable
Johnny Cash
4/5
This one gets over the hump to a 4 purely on the balls and dedication it took to do these prison shows and get them recorded. This one felt a bit more like money-grab by CBS/etc than the Folsom one, but it's recorded well and the songs are great.
Simple Minds
2/5
not an interesting record to me, and I think I am also able to say this is not an interesting 'genre' to me. There seems to be a lot of boring british new wave with no hook/chorus/groove on this list.
Pulp
3/5
not bad but not great. We've had a bit of british new-wave-y stuff lately and I was maybe a bit burnt out on it? Nonetheless there was some good stuff in here.
From a 'cultural context' perspective none of it felt as important as anything Oasis was doing in this same time period. Maybe this was the 'intellectuals' choice but IMHO it didn't hold up over time as well as Oasis did.
David Bowie
3/5
I found this to be quite avant garden but also quite interesting.
One in my listening group said "You can't say he didn't go for it" and that is 100% true - it's out there but also cool and listenable
Miles Davis
4/5
I thought this was really great. Def a 'type' of jazz that I enjoy listening to. Not really my 'genre' but I really dug this - squeaks out a 4.
Pixies
3/5
Incubus
4/5
This album is like 311 meets limp bizkit/korn with some Sugar Ray pop sensibility thrown in.
Actually it's pretty successful at mixing that cocktail overall. Really the only place this record falls down is the numetal/record-scratching/etc
There are some really great tracks on here and some were pretty decent hits. Drive, Pardon Me, I Miss You, Clean - I think I've heard all of those on the radio.
Moby Grape
3/5
Weird - Dan Francisco/grateful dead vibes. Very groovy. Enjoyable.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
very enjoyable - great singing, great songwriting, amazing instrumentation maybe esp drums. A lot of these songs were too long by half haha.
Eels
2/5
I didn't listen as closely as I should have. Seemed fine but uninspiring. Maybe more/closer listens would have helped.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
really enjoyed this a lot. Very upbeat and cool.
The xx
2/5
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
A pretty easy 4 for this one. Jet and Band On The Run are both pretty incredible tracks. The rest of the record is solid. In a way this is the McCartney 'golden years' I think.
Ultimately I think Wings is a bit of a 'greatest hits' band for me, but this is a great record.
FKA twigs
3/5
I found this record quite fascinating. I think this FKA twigs person is a very interesting artist and actually quite a good singer, although I'm not sure she really showed that off on this recording.
I found the lyrics to be a bit... disturbing? unsettling? Ditto for the overall aesthetic. It seems very druggy and also very sexual.
Also overall the music was too avant garde for me to really enjoy it, though I 100% see why people do.
Tracy Chapman
2/5
I would say this is not really my cup of tea. She is an interesting guitar player, and there is lots of cool stuff on this record. But it doesn't connect with me very well I think.
I told my listening group a story that I vividly remember hearing Fast Car for the first time and loving it - and then hearing it a 2nd time and being totally sick of it haha.
Anyway I think I understand why people like this but it's not really for me.
Yes
3/5
there is a lot to think about on this record. It's rockin' but it's very cerebral. Sounds a bit like Rush and Pink Floyd and the Grateful Dead, vocals can sometimes get CSN-ish,...
Overall pretty enjoyable. Doesn't /quite/ make it over the hump to a 4 for me, though it's close
Korn
2/5
This was really not my thing. The guitar sounds were really inventive and interesting but really nothing else about this record 'holds up'. I realize this band/record spawned an entire genre of music that is still popular and evolving today, but it's really not for me.
Although the 'hits' are listenable most of the rest of this record is not.
Talvin Singh
4/5
Super interesting record. Very impressed actually. During this time period (late 90s) I was into this band called Delerium which had a similar kind of vibe.
The last track Vikram The Vampire really hit hard.
Megadeth
3/5
I think this barely squeaks out a 4.
I found the songwriting to be actually quite good, including the lyrics which is weird to say about an 80's metal record. The guitar solos are AWESOME and the guitar work in general is really inventive and TIGHT TIGHT.
The vocal delivery is not my favourite, but I enjoyed this a bit more than I typically do Metallica releases.
I think it's possible I wouldn't like anything else from Megadeth but this one really did it for me.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Elliott Smith
3/5
I feel bad giving what is I think the only Elliot Smith record on this list a 3 because I love his other records so much. But TBH I found this one kind of boring. It does sound like Elliot Smith but just little in the way of anything fun/singalong-able. This record seems like it was chosen because it was the last thing he fully produced himself...?
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
This is a solid 4 and I would maybe even get to a 5 if I knew it better and had that familiarity/nostalgia effect.
This is really well crafted and put together. It feels simultaneously like it's 'a guy playing with instruments in his bedroom' and also 'a humungous layered orchestra'. It's intimate and also expository.
Chicago is I think the biggest track here (I've def heard it before and it has the most plays on Spotify) but the real story here is the total work all together. This was a tremendous feat.
Alice Cooper
3/5
doing the 'camp' that we didn't like from Bat Out Of Hell and Tommy but in a rockin' way that connects all the dots.
Hugh Masekela
4/5
This was fantastic. Inventive and exciting but also accessible.
Stan Getz
4/5
I thought this was really rad. I love the story about the female vocal being very last minute ad hoc and then becoming THE CANONICAL VERSION haha
Mellow and easy but very dense musically, and very accessible for 'jazz'.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Pretty solid record! It was a bit long maybe, but overall a fun listen, and I definitely feel the bluesy looseness.
Ute Lemper
1/5
I didn't really understand any of this
Pixies
4/5
This early pixies stuff gets a good grade from me.
I love the thing at the end of Oh My Golly! where there is the misunderstanding when BFrancis says “You fucking DIE!”
Holiday Song has got to be one of the best pixies tracks ever. So good.
I kind of wasn’t looking forward to this - we had Bossanova recently and it kinda pissed me off haha I felt like I was listening to a band breaking up
But Surfer has a much better vibe and it feels like Kim (my favourite part of the band) is both engaged and being given some space to shine a bit. Gigantic is def one of my top Pixies tracks and it’s on this record also.
Mike Oldfield
4/5
I didn't know anything about this but actually really liked it. It was excellent music to have on while I was working.
There were some weird choices and it was produced a bit strangely (differing levels, etc) but overall I thought this was great!
The Clash
4/5
This is a pretty great record. Lots to love and there are some sleepers to go along with the hits. The title track is obviously a classic, and Train In Vain (Stand By Me) is to my ears the best track on the record. The rest of the record is interesting and surprisingly consistent for being such a long one.
It gets a bit too 80's ska-y to me sometimes, but this is a killer record and worth anyone's time.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
enjoyable but not mind-blowing. The recording is not my favourite - feels a bit 'life show soundboard'-y to me. Joplin is obviously a talent... but also a bit grating after an entire record. Lots of great instrumentation in here - this was a cool band.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
5/5
This is a 5 for me, although probably barely.
It's got that super classic blues rock feel - this is the era and style that all that blues-based rock that we love so much is actually based on.
I bet Clapton's later work is seen as 'better' but I think this is the most fluid and loose I've ever heard from him. He's got so much 'feel' coming through in his improvisation here, and I FWIW I am beginning to wonder if the Les Paul years suit me better than the Strat years haha
Anyway great record, a lot of fun, killer guitar work.
Ananda Shankar
2/5
This was interesting but not something I'll reach for again. The stones covers were fun the first time but seemed like a novelty act already by the 2nd listen. Def there is cool stuff here and I'm glad it's on the list but it's not something I'll miss now that I'm done listening to it.
Ali Farka Touré
2/5
I couldn't seem to get into this at all. Maybe the problem was that I was geared up for some stompin' Ry Cooder and got something much more subdued.
Elvis Presley
4/5
I really did like this though it was maybe a bit inconsistent. A fantastic debut and maybe just a bit of an older-style recording than I'm used to. This was our Friday pick and I spent the whole weekend listening to it.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Def impressive, super fun to listen to, inventive and interesting and witty. Although I have to admit I'm giving this a 'barely 4' - it's really right on the fence for me. I feel a bit like I don't enjoy this as much as I prob am supposed to haha.
Gil Scott-Heron
3/5
cool vibe - a bit preachy, but mellow-er than other Gil Scott-Heron I've heard before (like The Revolution Will Not Be Televised). The artsy instrumentalism on this is really great, and I love the vocal style - a bit similar to Jimi Hendrix's accent/vocal style.
Back Home was a good one. So was Rivers Of My Father.
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
interesting. Rough. Not 'catchy' exactly. I should prob give more listens.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
schmoooooove
the vocals get a bit old by the end
Cool instrumentals though
My first introduction to Curtis Mayfield was on the Bran Van track Astounded... also a great track!
OutKast
3/5
There is some really great stuff on here but I downgraded to a 3 because I think my nostalgia/familiarity was causing me to experience more pleasure than I might have otherwise.
Bombs Over Baghdad and Humble Mumble were both better than I remembered.
Songhoy Blues
3/5
I was initially really surprised and excited - this album was really cool! It didn't ultimately have enough... variety? It did sort of feel in a couple of places like I was listening to the same song over and over. Definitely and interesting and exciting record and I would happily listen again, but it doesn't quite climb up to 4 stars for me.
Buck Owens
3/5
I listened to Buck Owens a lot round about 2004
He’s from the same place as Merle Haggard who was my dad’s fave, so I started looking into the ‘Bakersfield’ sound a bit.
It sounds a bit ‘old’ now I guess, but his influence on ‘country’ music through to the 80’s-ish Was unmistakable, especially the sound of his band.
As the book blurb mentions - this music is also famous for making the Fender Telecaster (the only guitar Fender made at the time) famous both as an instrument but also synonymous with that ‘country’/Bakersfield sound. It was a California marriage haha. The same thing happened a bit later with the Strat and Dick Dale. That ‘birth of loud’ book I mentioned before goes over this whole thing nicely.
All the ‘sliding’ vocal stuff is a bit off-putting to some (most? Haha) nowadays
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
This was a good record but just a 3 for me. Thunder Road and Jungleland and Born To Run were all pretty fantastic but the rest of the record didn't leave me with much of an impression. I think this one would grow on me with more listens and that was almost enough to give a 4.
The Beta Band
3/5
This is a really good record but I think it never quite gets me amped up enough to get over the hump to a 4. I've heard this music a bunch in the past, mostly just randomly bumping into it on playlists/shuffle... it's a good collection of tunes and enjoyable, but not exciting to me. I get that it's very laid-back music, and it's good at doing that job for sure.
Air
4/5
Great record super chill and super skill. Very nostalgic for me also - listened a lot around 2001/2002
Arcade Fire
3/5
This is a good record, and others in my listening group really did love love it.
I did really dig Keep The Car Running and (Antichrist Television Blues) but ultimately this doesn't quite make it up to a 4 for me. Good but not great.
Kendrick Lamar
2/5
There were good moments but overall not my favourite. I would listen again but I won't seek it out. A bit off-balanced maybe? More listens might help.
The Police
3/5
The weird caribbean-inspired singing actually grew on me a bit. The 2 hits Message In A Bottle and Walking On The Moon were amazing of course. I dug the 'punky' tracks Any Other Day and No Time This Time and It's Alright For You but actually the rest of the record kind of felt like a waste of tape. Not bad just not interesting. Maybe I expected more?
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I really dug this one! The swagger-y 60's feel is totally right up my alley. I really think Under My Thumb is one of the Stons' best tracks ever and both Mother's Little Helper and Paint It Black are really incredible also. The rest of the album is a bit more meandering but it was really 'in my wheelhouse' meandering! It's a 4 for me, though it probably just squeaks over that line.
R.E.M.
3/5
Great record and some serious hit singles. Really appreciated this listen.
George Harrison
5/5
The 1-2-3 punch of My Sweet Lord, What Is Life, and Awaiting On You All is really killer. I think if there had been a little more editing/sequencing of the trackless this could have been a really really stellar record for /everyone/ and not just beatles nerds like me.
The Phil S 'wall of sound' production is still there, but the additions by the band and Clapton and George himself are also really stellar. Really enjoyed getting to know this record again and it gets a 5 from me though it's maybe barely over that line.
Everything But The Girl
1/5
I remember a few years ago there was a big ‘make everything sound like 80’s music’ vibe all across the whole industry and I was so disgusted with it. This record is a great example of why I felt that way. There was a lot of great experimentation and innovation in music in the 80s but goddamn so much of it was this mopey nonsense that doesn’t seem to have any other reason to exist other than “I’m a musician! I make music!”
This isn’t offensive it’s just like a braindead continuation of a line of musical thinking that went nowhere and it seems like everyone in the universe should have been able to make that determination even in 1988
Dr. Dre
4/5
Great sound/production, awesome samples - def nostalgic
It's pretty campy and very vulgar. This could be a 5 with a bit more artistic attention/more grown up
a-ha
2/5
The big hit 1st track Take On Me is such a killer song. The rest of the album varied from forgettable to awful.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
This is the slimmest margin 5 I have given thus far, but I think it makes it over the hump.
The second half of the record is a bunch of amazing singles that Bob Marley is known for all over the world and the record not only sounds great (produced super well) but also /feels/ great.
I'm a tiny bit surprised to be giving a 5 here but it's a nice surprise!
Beastie Boys
3/5
This is a pretty good record but wow what a missed opportunity including this one on the list over say Check Your Head and Hello Nasty both of which are superior to this one in every way. My entire listening group agreed that the Check Your Head thru Hello Nasty era of B-Boys is where it's at and we can't understand the love for Paul's Boutique and Licensed To Ill (both are on this list).
This feels like the single Fight For Your Right has warped the reviewer's minds on this one haha
Doves
3/5
An alright record with some good vibes and a good overall sound. Reminds me of a band that was local to me in the same time called In-Flight Safety. Also I dig the big jangly guitar backdrop, nice instrumental harmonies, Oasis vibe with that Supergrass stomp, a bit of Coldplay, that sort of 'americana' pop vocal harmony style... interesting stuff.
But not 'amazing' enough to warrant a 4 unfortunately haha.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
I was surprised - this didn't turn my crank as well as I thought it would. I remember loving Run DMC when I was a kid - they were even on Sesame Street!
But I found this to be a bit... silly? It's def got some great rhymes and some amazing production... I wonder if my taste for this was 'off' a bit because we had Licensed To Ill/Beastie Boys this week also and I found it to be a bit juvenile compared to their later work... this maybe just gave me the same feeling of that 80's hip-hop being too silly.
The cultural impact of these 3 guys is undeniable - this record didn't do it for me. Still pretty great listen though - 3 stars
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Great record - lots to love. Mick Taylor is actually pretty awesome here - I always thought I was a Ronnie Wood era stones guy but I really liked this. I love the southern sound/Gram Parsons influence, and I love all the 'jamming' on this one like on Can't You Hear Me Knocking. Moonlight Mile feels almost like an Elton John track which was nice also - adding to the variety.
Also can we just take a minute to be amazed at what a truly amazing year 1971 actually was! So much great music!
Led Zeppelin
5/5
I understand the criticisms of this record being a bit sprawling and not as tight as some of their other records. It's still one of my favourite records and much better than almost anything by anyone else ever haha
The White Stripes
2/5
I actually quite like Jack White and The White Stripes but I don't dig this record so much. It's like they're only half there, or trying to do something they can't/shouldn't. It's fine but not something I would put on for fun.
Radiohead
4/5
This is probably the best experience I've had listening to Radiohead - either i'm starting to 'understand' a bit better or this is just a really great record. Or both.
Although highlights for me were House Of Cards and Bodysnatchers and they are in the lower half for Spotify play count so even when I like Radiohead I like the songs other people don't I guess haha
Carpenters
3/5
a pretty solid 3 stars from me - def 'easy listening' but def really good. Fantastic vocals and interesting instrumentation and arrangements and production. The cover of Help could prob have been left off. Love the Burt Bacharach covers though and also the Reason To Believe cover.
Jack White
3/5
This was pretty close to a 4 but ultimately didn't quite make it. One member of my listening group did really enjoy this though and I can see what he likes about it. Definitely cool and original. It's also possible a bit more time would bring me around on this one from 'it's good' to 'I really love this'
Fleet Foxes
3/5
A nice surprise. They have that americana southern-ish stomp that Mumford And Sons made so popular but they don't belabour the point and get lost in the weeds. More listens would prob turn me on to this even more.
The Smiths
3/5
close to a 4 but not quite.
Cemetry Gates and Some Girls are both awesome classic tracks - the rest is good but not wonderful. Perhaps I'm missing the nostalgia effect and also this 'style' of music (post-punky new-wavey english-pixies vibe) is not particularly my thing.... still pretty great overall.
Pink Floyd
3/5
Some of the 'whacky psychedelia' is not to my taste. A listening group member referred to it as "funhouse/haunted house bullshit" haha
Pink Floyd is a bit weird because they have these tremendous high points in their careers (Dark Side, The Wall) and then pretty much everything else is almost hard to listen to sometimes. Stepping stones and building blocks on the way to greatness - sure. Fun? no
Still there is some cool stuff on here and it's an interesting part of history - Syd Barrett leading the band and no David Gilmore yet....
Skunk Anansie
2/5
Big Black
3/5
This is definitely not for anyone. Very screechy sound, esp with the guitars. Very punky and definitely constructed on purpose to be abrasive.
It reminded me a bit of Sonic Youth, a bit of My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult. I can also hear a thread of influence on say The Pixies, and Aphex Twin, and this is definitely leading to Nine Inch Nails and other 90's 'industrial' inspired music, even Marilyn Manson.
Standout tracks for me were Passing Complexion and Big Money and Kerosene.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Great record by the dying Johnny Cash. This is one of those Rick Rubin specials where they just capture a weird moment and turn it into history haha
Obviously the cover of NIN Hurt is kind of the big ticket here but everything else is worth listening to also. Really a great listen.
The Prodigy
4/5
This was more enjoyable than I thought it would be.
I think I knew this record pretty well as a teenager but definitely did not listen to it in the intervening years.
For me the big hits (Smack My Bitch Up, Firestarter, Breathe) were actually the lowest points of the record - the rest of it is actually pretty well put together and enjoyable.
Julian Cope
4/5
This was a very long record haha
I actually enjoyed this quite a bit. It could have done with some editing maybe but I see this as a really impressive achievement. Nothing in particular stuck out, but I didn't run into a track I didn't enjoy.
Oasis
4/5
I love this record. Definitely there is a heavy amount of nostalgia in there for me but I think it is also objectively a great record and also an interesting time capsule.
Cigarettes And Alcohol is probably my favourite track on here but every track is good.
The The
3/5
I expected to really hate this but actually it was a bit of a surprise. Def I enjoyed this and listened straight through twice with the exception of The Twilight Hour which is pretty bad haha.
Otherwise and interesting and enjoyable record.
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
Excellent singing, excellent arrangements, really stellar instrumentalist performances
Also this sounds PHENOMENAL for a live record from 1957 - whoever engineered this thing is a genius
Unfortunately it’s mixed a bit weird and the vocals are too much front-and-centre and the instrumentation is difficult to really hear everything that’s going on. If I really really loved jazz vocals this would maybe get a higher rating. Obviously this is a classic performance though and a rea achievement in love production.
Various Artists
4/5
What an interesting project!
It’s like Brian Wilson and John Hughes hired Chris Colombus and all of Motown to make a rom com musical about Christmas and they all went to Disney World with 1000 musicians and hit record.
A couple of tracks on here are absolute classics, namely The Ronettes’ Sleigh Ride and Darlene Love’s Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).
Harry Nilsson
4/5
This was a surprise - my listening group talked about it and figure if this had been released by someone more known/popular (George Harrison for example) it would prob have been a big hit actually
The Who
3/5
This was a pretty good record. Definitely Baba O'Riley and Won't Get Fooled Again are both classic The Who and great tracks, the latter being one of my favourite songs ever from anyone.
The rest of the album is less impressive though full of good grooves and. The track Behind Blue Eyes is such a great sounding song and it's such a shame the lyric is so terrible.
Butthole Surfers
2/5
I didn't /hate/ hate this but it was close a few times.
My listening group had Big Black's Atomizer a while back and that was another 'intentionally abrasive' record, but it had much more groove and soul than this one.
This one felt a bit like a 'horror' movie, which is also not my bag really.
I enjoyed a few parts of this, but ultimately I don't think I ever want to listen again.
Ice T
4/5
I really enjoyed this. It's funky as hell and I do like Ice T's voice. This whole thing is a bit 'retro' even for 1991 - maybe 'classic' is a better word, esp as compared to the contemporary stuff from Dre/etc which I would maybe call 'progressive' instead. We had a Dre record recently and I found it to be super well-produced and full of fancy sampling and it sounded great. This is more simple - cool break beat, simple sampling, and cool sounding rapping. It's possible the lyrical content isn't great - I feel like I didn't notice it.
To me this is 'old school' without being silly like BB License To Ill or Run DMC.
The Smiths
3/5
I am a Morrissey flip-flopper haha sometimes I dig it, sometimes I hate it
Having an alright time with this today.
Upbeat and enjoyable but nothing really knocking my socks off.
Jethro Tull
4/5
I liked this a lot. Cool instrumentation esp the guitar. I bet if I had listened to the lyrics more closely I'd be saying they were pretty whacky but they mostly just floated on by as I enjoyed listening to it.
I always find the pseudo-medieval thing from the 70s so curious… I wonder how that became part of pop/rock music? Also because of the 'rock flute' I (and another in my listening group) tend to confuse Jethro Tull and King Crimson.
Anyway I’m def hearing the Spinal Tap influence here - wish I was paying closer attention to the lyrics as I bet they are simultaneously super interesting and also hilarious.
Enjoying the overall vibe a lot though
Love
3/5
I really wanted to love this but ultimately it only comes in at a 3. There was some cool stuff on here for sure and I caught myself bobbing my head and really enjoying a few moments, but I think it definitely didn't live up to the description in the book blurb.
Faves:
A House Is Not A Motel
Maybe The People...
Dusty Springfield
3/5
She can really belt it out! Wow great voice!
This was a neat record also - a bunch of covers really but she chose them well and they suit her voice nicely. Plus this seems to have been recorded with excellence also - great sound. The 'bonus tracks' in the reissued version I listened to didn't quite meet the same mark so I can tell they gave up on them a bit sooner. Great job Dusty!
Eric Clapton
4/5
This felt great although not 'big hits' great. Kind of like Steely Dan Pretzel Logic which we had recently - just some awesome musician folks hanging around pumping out some cool stuff. Nothing mind-blowing but wow solid consistent groove and feel.
Willie Nelson
3/5
I thought this was a good record and in the 'style' of 70's cover records, and I love the story of Willie sort of setting the mold for these 'old guy does crooner record' that came after.
Ultimately the vocals were recorded with a lot of clipping that REALLY bothered me, and I found his vocal interpretation only 'ok' for most of these tracks. It's neat to hear Willie's very distinct voice on these, but ultimately none of them were a knock out for me. Georgia On My Mind was a nice take for sure, but I actually found Blue Skies and Unchained Melody to be a bit of a bummer.
4/5
I really enjoyed this. Nothing really stuck out as truly special except this is miles above the other 'rock operas' we've listened to on this project so far (Tommy and Bat Out Of Hell which were both pretty universally hated in our group)
The xx
2/5
This was fine but not great. I can tell the artists care very much about what they're doing here, but as one in my listening group put It, the whole record just sounds the same. Is it literally all in the same key? Had to check the music player app to see if I'd left it on single track repeat by mistake....
To me this was like She & Him (which I love!) but too serious.
This is like She & Him except with Evanescence and that one guy from MGMT.
Tim Buckley
3/5
cool record, great vocalist, didn't really juice me up though.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
This is close to a 4 from me but I think not quite. There are a few tracks that are actually pretty great (Gay Messiah, Crumb By Crumb) and Rufus is obviously a talented songwriter. I don't love his voice though.... some in my listening group compared him to Thom Yorke - and I'm not a huge fan of his singing either
A good listen though!
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
This isn't a stellar stellar record but it gets a whole extra star for just being chill and enjoyable. I actually liked both version with and without the added 'American rock guitar'. Bob Marley and his people just really knew how to find a groove.
Metallica
2/5
I enjoyed the music overall but the 'orchestral' part was more distracting and busy then anything else. There were definitely parts where the sound felt 'big and impressive' and sort of had that epic quasi-medieval feel, but overall I sort of wished for more Metallica and less orchestra....
Joe Ely
3/5
An interesting record, maybe esp because I'd never heard of this guy before.
This is a bit cheesy for sure by modern 2024 standards but overall very enjoyable and rockin'!
There is some grade A honky tonk guitar on her. Cool mix of ‘rock’ solos also. The addition of saxes and stuff gives it a bit of a Huey Lewis vibe by times.
It’s a bit…. 80’s (?) for me haha but I do see the lineage through the ‘alternative country’ I came to love so much 25 years later. I can def hear some Jayhawks and Old 97’s in here.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
I really really enjoyed this - gave me those 1990-ish vibes in spades.
I think 16 yr old me would have really loved this, and I’m channelling that energy haha
It’s kind of Sonic Youth-ish without being so grating and annoying. It has it’s down moments for sure but track 4 and 7 esp both gave me a great ride. My hot tip would be to give it some volume - this is a real bummer if you listen on quiet mode.
The comp to Jesus And Mary Chain is weird IMHO but I have only that 1 record of theirs for reference. Def hear the influence on Smashing Pumpkins and Hole. I bet Nirvana was listening to this also.
Sometime into my second listen I realized this was reminding me a lot of the first release Smeared from a 'local' hero Sloan
https://open.spotify.com/album/4wyn8yXUI03KqajP3dHjSf?si=q_IfOtdzSDqvcmbh_UcX5w
Raspberry
Median Strip
Take It In
Lemon Zinger
Marcus Said
Two Seater
All pretty close lineage here I think
Billy Joel
4/5
When I was in junior high I had a dubbed cassette of his Greatest Hits record and a bunch of these tracks were on there. Always A Woman hit pretty hard for 13 yr old me haha. Also I’ve always wanted to be able to do an acoustic version of Only The Good Die Young - such a killer song and it seems like it would be a good campfire tune if one could work out how to pull it off.
I always appreciated the varied instrumentation on Billy Joel recordings. It’s like NYC Beach Boys or something. It’s not always to my taste exactly but it does keep things interesting.
Goddamn the acoustic + doubled electric guitar parts in Only The Good Die Young is really fantastic. Cool recording technique and it sounds great. I’ve only ever listened to this through FM radio/dubbed cassette and Spotify is giving me the good today quality-wise. This stuff is very well recorded.
Doing the review the morning after I still have the chorus from Movin' Out rolling around in my head. So catchy and smooth.
This is. great record with a couple of low points but overall just a great time.
Jerry Lee Lewis
4/5
The blurb from the book tipped the hand a bit here, but the really great thing about this record is the enthusiasm and intensity. You can really feel, esp in the opening numbers, Jerry is just bursting with energy and the rest of the band is just hanging on for dear life. It would be cringey and awful if it weren't so fun and exhilarating. I daresay that piano was worse for wear by the end of this show. Also it's easy to see why/how Jerry Lee Lewis became a star, if this is what his live performances were like.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
A good record, didn't love the guy's voice, the production is neat though esp though over-saturated drums!
The first track was great! The rest of the record less memorable but still good.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
cool and fun! VERY new-wave-y, which is not /really/ my thing though I def find aspects of it enjoyable. A bit wordy/vocal-forward for my tastes also.
One of the hardest parts was actually the samey-sameness of the whole record. By the time I got to the punch-line of the last track (which is legit a great song) I was kind of burned out and was most of the way through the song before I realized "Hey I know this song and I love it!" haha can't believe I almost missed it.
New Order
4/5
I didn't love every second of this, but I found it to be overall enjoyable and I think more listens would improve the experience. Sunrise was the best track for me, with that cool 'clashing' effect between the guitar part and the synth part.
Björk
2/5
Interesting and innovative but not fun or cool in any way for me. I guess this is too avant garde for me to appreciate properly I guess. The vocal techniques showcased are impressive... but also a bit off-putting for me personally.
Radiohead
3/5
A solid 3! Enjoyable but not a mind-bender.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
This was really great. We had another Joni Mitchell album which I remember characterizing as 'ramble-y' both musically and esp lyrically. This one was very focused, great lyrics and some great guitar work by both her and her Laurel Canyon guests James Taylor and Stephen Stills. This Flight Tonight might now be my favourite Joni Mitchell track! Also Carey is such a jam! Lots of great classic songs from her here.
I love the old school production on this too. No autotune happening here haha she’s all over the place with the vocals but it’s so interesting/exciting as a result of not sounding perfect.
And 100% no ‘grid’ - I’d be surprised if there were even a click track
Stephen Stills
4/5
Cool easy-going sound. I'm not the biggest fan of Stephen Stills' voice but it's still good and there is so much awesome music on here. Just a nice chill rock album with some southern/country vibes thrown in.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
This guy's voice still bugs me a bit, but I liked this record better than the last one we listened to The Soft Bulletin.
I think this probably qualifies as a 'rock opera' and it's prob the best of those that we've had thus far - though it's no Pinkerton.
Wild Beasts
2/5
This had a lot of potential - the instrumental aspect of this music is pretty awesome actually. The singing/lyrics really let the rest of it down - to the point where I didn't really enjoy this as a result.
Wu-Tang Clan
4/5
I enjoyed this more than I expected I would. It's got that 'old school' sound and vibe but it's got a lot of modern sensibilities also. The voices and deliveries of each member of the group are varied and interesting. Definitely this is a good listen and seems like a 'classic' entry in the genre.
4/5
This has 3 really huge radio hits, which have kind of been played to death and in small part ruined. The rest of the record is pretty forgettable to my ears. With that said this one still makes it to a 4 for me - the 3 radio hits off the top are truly stellar and any band would be thankful to have three songs that great in their entire career.
Scott Walker
2/5
I wasn't a fan really. I could get the Neil Diamond vibes... but he didn't get there for me. I wonder if it's just missed me on too many fronts - not my genre really, not part of my 'upbringing' so no nostalgia, first time through so no familiarity...
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
I didn't get any enjoyment from this 'intentionally unlistenable' album.
Kelela
3/5
I enjoyed this! but not a lot haha.
One criticism I have is the recording is epic loudness-wars style - take it easy on the compressor folks haha
An artist I like called Kimbra does music in a similar vein and achieves a 'modern' sound but doesn't chase the loudness into ball-of-mud territory.
Van Morrison
4/5
This was a nice one for sure. Ultimately for me it doesn’t quite make it to a 5 - Moondance is of course special track even after being played to within an inch of its life but the rest of the record, while still good, doesn’t match up. Still I would put this on any day of the week.
Cheap Trick
4/5
I'm actually not usually a huge Cheap Trick fan but this seemed like a very solid live record. It sounded good and the vibe was 'up' the whole time. Great stuff.
Nirvana
5/5
Sonic Youth
4/5
Teen Age Riot is enough of a reason to enjoy this listen but the rest of the record was fun also. A bit screechy/noisey but overall still very interesting and overall enjoyable.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
A great record with some great hits. I didn't get as many listens as I would have liked but this has some really excellent musicianship and is recorded really well.
Soundgarden
5/5
This is such a killer record. One of my all time faves.
Kim and Chris are both just on another planet on this one.
Listening to this today I’m thinking a lot about the interplay between Jimmy Page and Robert Plant vs the Chris/Kim feel…. Obviously Page/Plant is a once-ever kind of pairing but Chris/Kim are giving that vibe here - they are just so on the same level about everything. The rest of the band is amazing also (this is famously a Matt Cameron record, for example). Too bad Kim never really seemed to find his place after Soundgarden eh?
I was always surprised Kickstand wasn’t released as a single (AFAIK) - seems like it would have been a radio banger....
The Louvin Brothers
3/5
old-timey and super interesting. Very west-coast country. Some of this music is really old and it's neat to have such high quality recordings to bring it to life 100 years later. The close vocal harmonies were pretty impressive actually.
Mercury Rev
2/5
I am feeling like I don't have a ton to say about this experience - it was fine...?
Elbow
3/5
Elbow was a surprise - never heard of this group before, but enjoyed this listen for the most part. Nothing really sticking out as I try to review 3 days later haha. I probably won't listen again but it was worth one time through at least so a good choice for this list.
The Doors
4/5
oh man this is close to a 5 but just not quite - it's a bit too silly and campy.
It always feels a bit amazing to me that they were able to basically build their whole sound around that organ. It's a great feel that I don't think anyone else has been able to pull off.
My fave The Doors track (Touch Me) is on Soft Parade which is otherwise not as well-loved but I do like how this band progressed later as they gave up some of the theatrics and and put out great music that wasn't as silly.
Kanye West
3/5
This record sounds pretty awesome - I feel like this is a good showcase of what Kanye is supposed to be capable of sample-/mixing-wise.
It's not esp my kind of music overall - there were definitely some really great head-bopping parts but overall I would classify this as 'nor really my bag'.
David Bowie
3/5
This was a fun record! I would say maybe I still don't fully get David Bowie 100% but I think I enjoyed this more than I expected and more than the 'later' stuff from him.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
I found this one to be somewhat off-putting in its blandness haha I just didn't find anything special about it, but nothing objectionable either....
I definitely dug the jangly guitars and the 80's drum and bass sounds are pretty awesome also sonically. The vocals/lyrics/themes/etc were not my favourite.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Wow this is a super cool surprise! Exciting and mellow at the same time. Lots of horns and shakers and stuff to compliment the regular 'guitar' combo sound. Tons of improvisation. It's got that Caribbean/reggae feel, but also very rock/drum and bass. Never heard of this before today but really enjoyed it.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
There is so much to love about this record. The whole thing seems so relaxed, but the performances are intense and focused. Like the lightning and thunder and venom and fire are just flowing out of them freely and easily haha
Crosstown Traffic has been one of my fave Jimi tracks for forever and I always wished his more 'straight ahead' tracks would get as much attention as the outlandish acid-y ones like Foxy Lady and Purple Haze.
Either way the duo of Voodoo Chile/Voodoo Child (Slight Return) are probably enough on their own to make this record a 4 star rating. Having been seduced by the crazy guitar in Slight Return in my youth, today I found the 'original' idea even more compelling. Esp the give-and-take between Jimi's soloing and Steve Winwood's organ - really really great.
Pet Shop Boys
1/5
You should 100% listen to Shopping and imagine a spoof with Jimmy Fallon and Questlove haha that made my day. Otherwise I thought it was silly and not worth the listen.
It felt like they made this record while they were high and thought this was deep or something. It didn’t even /sound/ good because 80’s Not a fan.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Gimme Shelter is such a great opening track, and one of my favourite Stones tracks for sure. I think they could have left Country Honk off this one, and I'm not overly fond of You Can't Always Get What You Want... luckily the rest of the record is really cookin' and feels great.
White Denim
5/5
This is a really great record. Tons of variety and changes to keep things interesting, killer rhythm section work, just overall a really great feeling from listening to this.
At The Farm is crazy. It’s like the members of Led Zeppelin doing a Grateful Dead cover band
Really I couldn't have been more impressed with this record. It was a huge surprise as I'd never heard anything about this band before.
Marty Robbins
4/5
Love the storytelling, love the old time guitars, such a great voice. On the one hand it's hard to believe this is from 1959 as the recording sounds pretty great. On the other hand it is so old it seems like it's from another world entirely - stories about gunfights and showdowns and being out in the wilderness.... it's a world that only seems to exist in old movies and old songs nowadays... I was happy to visit for a while!
Queen
4/5
You're My Best Friend and Bohemian Rhapsody are both still monumental tracks and just as relevant as they were when they were released. I'm In Love With My Car was a surprise for me that I really liked. The rest of the record was a bit on the theatrical side for me by times.... Still Brian May and the Red Lady save the day so often it's hard to turn your nose up to this even when it's not my favourite stylistically.
The Pretty Things
3/5
Def I can hear the influence on Tommy, and also the influence of Sgt Peppers here. Not super amazing but overall I think this is a good listen. I understand why this is on the list. nothing really stuck out as a great track, but it does sound like an Abbey Road record recorded by the people who recorded Sgt Peppers (and it was!)
Blur
3/5
Arcade Fire
3/5
A good record! ...that doesn't move me so much haha
This is really great stuff and I would happily listen again... geez that's usually my bar for a 4 but in this case I think for me it's just not quite there. It's musical and interesting but not 'fun' for me to listen to as I would have wanted.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
The first 2 tracks were ok but the rest of the record is forgettable-bordering-on-repulsive.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
This was not really a compelling record to me. I'm happy for the one listen, and I 100% respect her body of work leading up to this and even love some of it (Grievous Angel with GP).. but I saw none of the 'complete singer-songwriter' vibe that the book blurb alluded to. It came of 'just ok' IMHO.
The Sabres Of Paradise
3/5
I found this to be enjoyable-enough electronic music - plenty of interesting stuff happening and it wasn't too abrasive/etc but it didn't have anything that really made me feel like I wanted to be sure I came back to listen again someday. I counted a LOT of influences in here, though I'm not sure which way there were going haha. Glad for the listen - will prob not return.
Beastie Boys
4/5
I always considered myself to be an `Ill Communication`/`Hello Nasty`-era Beastie Boys fan, and a recent listen of `License To Ill` actually cemented that view even more.
I enjoyed this listen of Paul's Boutique much more than I thought I would and also more than I remembered from my last listen (which would have been some time ago).
Easy 4 star rating - could edge into a 5 on the right day!
Super Furry Animals
3/5
eclectic and interesting. Lots to listen to. I didn't know about this album before this listen but I would def put it on again.
Nanci Griffith
4/5
This was totally new to me - I'd never heard of Nanci Griffith before but I have to say I really loved this. It reminded me of Tha Rankin Family which is a local-to-me group from a similar time period. Also Joni Mitchell and that hippy-folk movement of singer-songwriter stuff, but leaning harder on folky-country rather than rambley poetry and jazziness...
Anyway this was a great surprise and I will def be listening to this again!
Van Morrison
4/5
GREAT live record. Not much else to say really. More listens would probably give me a chance to pick some favourites/etc but for right now I just want to leave it at "this is a great live record"
Neil Young
4/5
Excellent record! That early 70's country rock vibe is almost perfect here. Heart Of Gold is of course the money-maker but Maid and The Needle are both pretty fantastic also. The orchestra-backed pieces like Maid are kind of interesting to me -> odd for Neil Young in a way, and maybe reaching for something a bit like Elton John's Madman from the year prior...?
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
Really excellent. musicianship and lots of cool sounds happening here. Nothing really stuck out as a great single track to me, though I did have a hard-ish time fitting good listening sessions in today... Maybe more familiarity would make this click even better. Happy to have had a chance to discover this.
Bonnie Raitt
4/5
Wow her voice is incredible. I am also just completely blown away by her guitar playing. It's a lot of slide stuff, and I think a lot of open tuning to make that easier, but holy smokes she just knows how to make everything feel so gritty and dirty and bluesy.
There are a couple of really big tracks here -> Thing Called Love, Love Letter, and the inimitable Have A Heart (which holds so much nostalgia for me personally). To me this is the epitome of 80s Dad Rock blues/country/rock-n-roll fusion with pop structure and production - and it is /SO/ fantastic.
With that said her next record Luck Of The Draw would maybe have been a better pick for this list.
If it weren't for all the cheesy 80's synth-keys this would be a 5-star rating no problem. There are some really great songs hiding behind some sounds that are a tiny bit offensive to modern listeners with high fidelity streaming and fancy headphones (as opposed to an FM broadcast or Cassette in Grampy's LTD which is what it was produced for...). I think a modern remix of this album would do it some good.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
This seemed fine. Interesting even. I was a little annoyed at the idea that this 'concept' was somehow so unique and special when it felt to me like it was clearly so derivative of the later Beatles stuff... maybe coloured my view of the record as a whole.
Overall though I think I would listen to this again if I needed to but I don't think I'll seek it out again.
Paul Simon
4/5
Lovely stuff. Acoustic guitar recording here is top shelf - some of the best I've heard. Great songwriting. 1 or 2 more hits would make this a 5. Julio isn't quite enough to lift it up there IMHO.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
good but not catchy or great. Games Without Frontiers was a legit radio hit (ish) that I remember from my childhood... but it's not a 'banger' per se haha.
A good release from the 'Art Garfunkel' of the Genesis Phil+Peter combo. Def feels like a 'finding his voice' record as the blurb suggests.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
It was hard to find this one - not on Spotify or Apple Music... I found a playlist on YouTube.
Scorpion was a neat track that kind of reminded me of mid-career Daft Punk but was WAY too long haha
I had to skip proto-Backstreet Boys 'You Are' - couldn't handle it
The rest of the record was ok. Fun and interesting for sure.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Interesting and groovy for sure but not awesome. The mix felt pretty flat and uninteresting a number of times... like everything was all 'at the front' and so nothing was...
Actually I kind of expected more from this one.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Def a great record - that backing band really did it for me. "The Swampers" knew how to do it!
Also just like what the hell with Aretha's voice man... she is incredible. I would not call this 'my kind of music' really but she had me groovin' plenty of times. She just felt every move of every line of every song - never phones it in EVER.
Dolly Parton
4/5
I don't LOVE love this but I do think it's great.
As with Willie Nelson it's a bit hard to separate the music from the legend/icon of the woman at this point. It's true not every song on here is as good as Jolene and you shouldn't expect that.
But holy hell she can sing and these songs were all written by her - there's a lot of great story telling and poetry, not to mention melody. It's got a good sonic mix of the soppy Nashville sound (strings etc) but also some of that new 70's driving-bass country.
Definitely a good listen for me.
The Incredible String Band
2/5
Not my favourite. The first half of the record I was kinda with them - the pseudo-medieval lute-poet vibe was 'a thing' for a while and I was trying to catch their drift. But they lost me on the second half of the record and overall it's about 2-3 times longer than it should be.
I don't know why this would be considered an 'essential listen' really...? but FWIW I'm glad I had the one listen. I'm sure I'll never put this on again though.
Sister Sledge
4/5
I didn't totally love all these songs but I was BLOWN AWAY by Nile Rogers guitar work. The technique and groove but also the recording (amazing compression sound for example) just really hooked me. This kind of music is not my fave but wow what a legend on guitar! The rest of the 'band' seemed pretty great also.
4/5
Ramones
4/5
Super fun and super pop-y but also with that great early punk edge. This music is also very 'iconic' - it's hard to forget the many times I've heard these tracks played along with a commercial or movie soundtrack... almost to the point of parody. Nonetheless I had my head boppin' and my toes tappin' and this mostly just felt really good.
The Sugarcubes
3/5
I was surprised I liked this as much as I did. Bjork is not usually my cup of tea really. This clangy new wave style is also not usually my favourite haha.
On today’s record, I sometimes feel like Bjork is a bit like the 2000s Janis Joplin (Joplin was undeniably ‘better’). Her singing isn’t for everyone but goddamn can she belt it, and she’s so expressive - no fucking autotune on this one haha she is /all OVER the place/ in terms of pitch and timing (no protools grid either haha) and goes from that quivery-totally-out-of-tune pure-emotion noise-delivery to rock-solid-in-tune-in-time every once in a while just for a surprise. I bet she was a riot live in those days.
This whole record’s aesthetic is sounding a bit B-52’s to me also
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
definiitely different than 'western' music but I really loved this. It's not the same as something that really grabs my attention and makes me want to move like the 'blues-based rock' we all love in the west but it was well recorded and the players were fantastic. Really a great adventure!
New York Dolls
4/5
punky yes but also really 'rock'! Kind of KISS and mildly-AC/DC, and lots of 50's/60's rock feel. Good stuff.
David Bowie
2/5
Just an OK record from my perspective. It was fine but if I'm honest I didn't find anything really inspiring or impressive here.
Beatles
5/5
I think every Beatles record on this list (are all of them on here?) are going to get a 5 from me.
This one is just John ruling the world. Dominating. Totally understanding where the pop culture is at and nailing every move. The contributions from the Paul are great and the whole band /sounds/ awesome. Not to mention George Martin's work here is great also - the double vocal tracking on here is SO GOOD.
Easy 5 - not apologizing
New Order
2/5
I think I've decided (as has most of my listening group) that we're just not into this blippy late-era new wave. There are some good tracks on here - Track 2 All The Way was pretty great! But that came after being subjected to the bizarre opener.
One in my listening group quipped: "I am very glad that grunge existed. British techno Pop should never have made it as far as it did."
Chicago
4/5
I really enjoyed this. Less sappy than the later ballad-ballad-ballad-teary-eyed-mopeyness stuff they did in the 80s and also more enjoyable. Kind of like Boston in both form and aesthetic. Definitely a great listen.
Rod Stewart
5/5
This is a great record! I'm going out on a limb and giving it a 5. I wouldn't normally feel like e record with no real memorable 'hits' would be worthy of a 5 but this is just so solid top to bottom and I love the jamming - and besides Rod Stewart is such a fantastic vocalist. I just really loved this.
Cut Across Shorty is prob my fave track but the last one You're My Girl is also really stellar.
Pink Floyd
5/5
I will admit I never really understood The Wall properly - and maybe I still don't -> but this listen was GREAT for me!
I am just in love with Gilmour's guitar work. The 'Waters'-y part of this record is a bit less appealing to me musically, though I think he definitely brought the goods in terms of thematic content.
Anyway this record is better than I ever gave it credit for before. I would still rank Dark Side much higher, and if this was a 100 point scale maybe I could express that difference, but I think it's a 5 star record.
The Zombies
2/5
Wasn't a big hit but I liked most of it ok. The harpsichord isa little over the top and frou-frou singing gets old by the middle of the album. Lots of neat sounds and experimentation but I think the 'baroque pop' idea just didn't pan out for me.
Common
3/5
This is a great record. Very easy to listen to for the non-hip-hop folk as I think I am. Really it prob /should/ be a 4 star rating but it loses a point for being so over-the-top Kanye. I feel like this is an OK Kanye record that has Common on it sometimes haha
Kanye West
3/5
Interesting stuff - a bit crazy and hectic. Not my favourite kind of hip-hop but it's definitely captivating. Pretty sure I won't listen again but I'm glad for today's listens.
I felt a bunch like the egomaniacal character of this record is maybe... less of a character than people thought it was when this was released haha
Still the 'studio' skill is impressive and it definitely /sounds/ good. I think it's easy to hear this and long for Kanye's earlier stuff sampling soul records and being a bit chill.
Fats Domino
4/5
I think this music is less 'exciting' than it probably was in the late 50's when it was released. An entire record of the same-ish 12-bar blues progressions wore a bit thin by the end. The excellent musicianship and recording was apparent the whole way through though. Esp in the vocal performance which was astounding - this would have all been essentially 'live' recordings and every performance was just NAILED.
Eminem
3/5
This is a pretty brilliant record, really. The 'horror' is still terrifying and pretty silly really - makes it hard to take some of this seriously. At the same time this definitely has that feeling of a deep and revealing piece of art that also manages to gain popular acceptance. Unfortunately I think the popular acceptance has a lot to do with the dumb horror BS... Either way I think, even speaking as someone who's not well versed in hip-hop history/lore, I think this is one of the best records by one of the genre's best ever.
I'm flip-flopping back forth from 3 to 4 stars. Settling on 3 but I could be convinced either way.
Dusty Springfield
2/5
This has THE canonical version of Son Of A Preacher Man but other than that I actually found this kind of lacking/boring. Maybe the 'lady pop vocalist' thing has lost some of the shine since the 60's?
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
I feel like there is plenty in here to like but maybe 'murder ballads' aren't really my thing? Also Nick's style is pretty distinctive - I feel like you're either going to really really 'get it' or you won't and for the most part I didn't. I do see why people like this though and I think there is a lot of creativity and depth on display.
Todd Rundgren
4/5
This was a GREAT surprise for me. I think I've never heard anything by this guy before and while this had some low points there were some really big highs also.
For real this record feels like Pink Floyd, Elton John, a bit of late-era-Beatles/Wings sprinkled in, sometimes pulls all the way back to like Chicago- or Boston-ish,… it has that Bran Van “mix everything up” kind of spirit
This guy is a pretty good vocalist actually also
The 2nd-to-last track Is It My Name? was the cake-topper for me -> truly brilliant and one in my listening group mentioned "ahead of its time".
Sadly I don't think it makes it to a 5 though as there /were/ a few points where I wanted to just skip to the next track.
This is a wild ride though and well worth it.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
This is very well recorded and the players are all great - there are some FANTASTIC songs on here but the title track is a bit soppy for my taste.
The Boxer is really remarkable, and Cecelia is still a great jam. Baby Driver, Frank Loyd Wright, Bye Bye Love, Only Living Boy in New York, all really great.
De La Soul
3/5
interesting - a bit dated - kind of the last run of 'innocence' in hip hop, feels a bit 'childish' compared to what came next (cypress hill, beastie boys, Wu Tang, NWA, etc)
VERY cool sampling techniques - bit time props to the producer
Baaba Maal
2/5
This seemed fine. Nothing really objectionable but that's a slow bar. I didn't find this inspiring but it's also not in my native language and so that's a reasonable explanation for why it didn't click.
The Monkees
2/5
Not great. There are a couple good tracks here! But there are some bad ones and the copying of the Beatles (first track is Doctor Robert) was a bit offensive to me haha
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Not my favourite Zeppelin record but still a fantastic album top to bottom. Plant especially seems really dialled in here. I also feel like there is that feeling on this record that it is a stepping stone to something even greater, like gathering themselves up before taking the next big plunge....
The Cure
1/5
Dreary - not really my thing I think.
Saint Etienne
3/5
A pretty solid 3 star record for me - the vocal performance was a bit weird -> flat and mopey and sad... actually a fair bit of dance music from this era was like this.
the ‘keys’ parts esp are very jazzy!
The blurb talks about the blending of “1960’s London” and the 1990’s dance music scene… I think this really works! It’s got all the high points that like Portishead and Groove Armada and even Moby traded on later in the decade. Neat to see where that ‘came from
I found Kiss and Make Up kind of a nice stroll through that early 90’s dance sound memory
Dolly Parton
3/5
There was some really nice stuff in here but I don't think it made up for the rubbish.
Wildflowers is of course a classic and the opening track The Pain Of Loving You is really stellar - probably this track or some similar idea was the reason they wanted to make this record. This group is definitely at their best here when doing this country-shuffle stacked-harmony Nashville-goes-west-coast take on 'mountain music'.
But the soppy attempt at capturing that 'hobo' thing from 80's country felt like posing to me.
Ultimately this 10 track record really boils down to:
1. The Pain Of Loving You
5. Wildflowers
8. Those Memories of You
10. Rosewood Casket
All good tracks!! but also sonically too similar - different lyrics over the same backing track almost haha
It creeps up to a 3 star rating based on those 4 tracks noted above and the quality of the performances and recording which are all actually quite excellent.
Ray Charles
3/5
This was fine. I wonder if maybe I didn't get a good listen in on this day? Maybe another listen (or more) would do me some good here?
3 stars for sure, maybe it has another one if I were to learn all the moves.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
I really enjoyed this. I was vaguely aware of this group previously but this was a great listen.
5/5
Tons of great stuff here. Nostalgia probably playing a big role but I don't care. This is a band just dominating the popular culture. Amazing sing-along melodies, electric (albeit simple pentatonic) guitar work, solid rhythm section, exciting personalities... prob just squeaks out a 5 for me
Happy Mondays
2/5
I think by-and-large this group has not really enjoyed this kind of 80’s synth-infused proto-U2 mumble rock. Like, it’s fine but there is literally nothing inspiring about this to me.
Billie Holiday
2/5
This was not a good listen for me. The 'legend' of Billie Holiday is huge, but at least on this recording it didn't come through for me. There were a few places were I found he voice pleasing but we're talking seconds out of this entire album. The 'bonus' material at the end was hard to listen to.
I think in general I don't love this style of 'crooner' jazz from the 40's/50's and also I think Billie's voice and body (and life) were just wrecked at this point. It's a sad and somewhat inspiring story but not enough to make the music pleasant haha.
Peter Tosh
3/5
This was fine. Groovy and chill. Not truly amazing but very nice.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
This is a really fantastic record and there's a good case to call it the best Jimi Hendrix album. Manic Depression is definitely one of my all-time favourite Hendrix tracks, and there are some other famously popular tracks here also (Purple Haze, Hey Joe, Fire, Foxey Lady. Red House)
Easy to give this one a 5. Inventive and playful but also lots of 'serious' blues stuff, cool imaginative lyrics, and of course incredible guitar playing.
The Smiths
2/5
Didn't love it. A bit more serious than I was in the mood for on this listen - maybe another day it would have felt a bit better?
10cc
3/5
This is a pretty solid 3. Inventive and interesting and progressive without feeling derivative of other stuff that does those things.
Frank Black
3/5
I thought this was just ok. I'd listen again but it didn't make me feel like I couldn't wait for another listen. I tend to feel like Kim Deal was kind of the Heart and Soul of The Pixies and this record did nothing to dissuade me of that notion.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
This is a 4 for me but there were a couple of times I almost reconsidered - a couple of tracks (Dear Doctor) should probably have been left off completely. But Sympathy..., Jigsaw..., Street Fighting Man, wow just really fantastic tracks. Really hearing The Stones experimenting and 'coming into their own' here I think.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
This probably isn't my favourite Led Zeppelin record but I don't think any of them would get less than a 5 from me.
Amongst many other fantastic moments is the truly special rejoin in Whole Lotta Love where Jimmy comes in with that super iconic solo and Bonham is playing call-and-response with him.
Easy 5 from me.
Don McLean
3/5
This is a great record and almost makes a 4 from me. The opening is especially good - Vincent, Crossroads, Winterwood is quite a triple-punch.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
There were a couple of redeeming tracks on here (Annalisa) but there was some real trash that I would like to never listen to again (Religion I & II, Fodderstompf). It gets up into 2 stars territory because some of it was reasonable listening and I appreciate the experimentation, and I recognize that I LOVED this kind of thing when it was coming from Nirvana and Soundgarden, so maybe there are folks out there who appreciated the post-punk post-Pistols version of that also.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Definitely an awesome record though my whole group found it a bit strange that this was apparently voted the best record of all time by Rolling Stone in 2020? That doesn't compute for me at all but this is still an awesome record with tons of soul. It's smooth and sexy and also lyrically a bit political/brash.
The Doors
5/5
I love this album and it barely makes it to a 5. There are some tracks that haven’t aged quite as well but most are really fantastic and overall I think this is probably the best The Doors album and one of the best of these ‘trippy’ rock records. I agree with the book blurb that this is the best, coolest version of Jim Morrison and actually of the band. And sonically this album also sounds great, recorded with great care and subtlety, and with outstanding performances.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
I actually enjoyed this quite a bit. I sometimes feel like I “don’t really love Lou Reed/TVU overall but I know they have some tracks I really like”…. This strikes a good balance of what I like with the weird mopey-gothic-opiate-art that I don’t love.
It’s the same tricks we’ve heard in other LR/TVU albums but just nicely executed
Perhaps this one has a better producer? Anyway I’m feeling it today. Good 1st day of vacation vibes maybe haha
Jacques Brel
2/5
I only got through this once and I’m pretty sure I won’t listen again. Probably mostly stylistically this wasn’t all that interesting to me.
As with so many records from the ‘pre-rock’ era that are on this list I am very happy for the one listen.
Iron Maiden
4/5
I admit I always found Iron Maiden’s wailing singing a bit off putting but overall enjoying this today… maybe the vocals got weird in later years?
Instrumentation-wise I think this rocks. Metallica but more sabbath-y, and by times a bit KISS-y (Running Free)
The guitar soloing on this one is SOOOO 80’s metal is almost hilarious- like a gen Z parody metal band would probably sound just like this. It’s also very awesome and apart from the production being a bit weird it sounds great.
Some of the slow guitar soloing (Strange Wolrd) feels like it would have been a big influence for Ritchie Sambora/Bon Jovi
Overall I really enjoyed this
Jane Weaver
3/5
I was so hopeful with the first track, which I legit really liked. Otherwise it’s just one endless pill-vibe groove after another.
It’s a bit heavy haha it’s a very art-y record and I don’t love the synth/electronic elements as much as the rest of the instrumentation. The singers voice is cool, I’m mostly not noticing the lyrics. I have a feeling this is really spectacular live (lights performers dancing, crowd dancing, etc), but it’s not an impressive record to me. Actually it’s getting less impressive as we move from the first track… like they recorded the first one and thought “hey we’re pretty good! We should make a record!” And then had not-much in the tank.
The Allman Brothers Band
4/5
This is an impressive concert for sure and I loved listening, but the prolonged guitar solos do tend to get a bit repetitive. It’s a concert and recorded fully live so I do find the improvisation quite impressive and loved being along for the ride. I was listening with my family though, and did sometimes feel I was ‘subjecting them to the record’ rather than ‘listening to it’…. Not quite a 5 from me but very close.
Pixies
4/5
I still see this record as a bit of a landmark for modern rock music and so it’s hard for me to be as objective as I probably should be about the actual content - the music itself. Being a sonic inspiration to Nirvana’s In Uero and (I think) an important part of cementing Steve Albini’s recording method/process/philosophy…. This is a monumental record with huge importance for the whole industry/art or popular music.
As to the specific artistic contents I find the aspects of the Pixies work I like best are those contributions from Kim Deal and not the famous lead Black Francis … I still think this is a great record. It had a couple of low points for sure but the highs are so high and keep coming consistently.
One thing I do love about Francis is I find him to be so brave with his guitar work - just belting out these screeching parts that don’t really make a ton of sense but just sound great. Again speaking to inspiration it sure seems like some of the noisier Kurt Cobain stuff borrowed from his swagger if not his substance.
Otis Redding
3/5
This one didn’t impress me as much as I’d hoped but the strength of a couple of tracks (Change Is Gonna Come esp) really bouy the weaker entries (Satisfaction cover)
Minutemen
4/5
It’s a bit crude by times but def enjoyable. Very punky lyrically “fuck advertising“ and all that
The guitar playing reminds me a bit of Primus.
The whole thing is very raw and punky. Feels a bit more like a 90s sound than 80s.
Soft Machine
3/5
I enjoyed this a LOT more than I expected. I didn’t make it through a complete listen just due to time constraints but I think I got the general gist and and also got some opinions from my listening group.
It’s whacky and experimental for sure…. But it kind of makes some of the other experimental artists we’ve listened to feel a bit like poseurs to me haha the MFers were COMMITTED
The ‘sound effects’ were not always so enjoyable but when they actually played music it was pretty good!
Fugees
3/5
I enjoyed this but I feel like it didn't all age super well. Lauryn Hill is unmistakably cool even when doing outdated stuff haha.
The Mars Volta
4/5
I only made it through one listen of this, but I think I liked it a lot! The vocal performance was not my favourite part of this recording, but the guitar work especially was really fantastic and I would definitely put this band on again. I'm excited to check out some more of their work.
The Young Rascals
4/5
Good listen. Def had that 60's vibe. Not really at all cartoonish/silly as the cover art might suggest.
David Bowie
2/5
not great. I'm not sure how this made it on to the list. I think this is a "Another record by David Bowie?!!" addition haha
Not being a huge Bowie fan in general I didn't find much to love here. I didn't hate it but I think if it wasn't made by old David Bowie no one would have noticed... thus prob not a great addition to a list like this IMHO
Paul Weller
3/5
This was alright. Kind of 'Eric Clapton Lite'. Interesting though not mind-blowing guitar work.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
not good. only made it half-way through. Will not listen again.
Garbage
3/5
Vocals didn’t age wel, nor did the synth drums but overall enjoyed it. The last 4 tracks could have just been cut.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
I think this album was a bit too deep for me today - maybe another listen in the right mood would have hooked me a little deeper.
Sledgehammer and Big Time were pretty great tracks, just as I remembered them from 80's radio. In Your Eyes was a legit track for sure, I think the rest of this record is pretty uninteresting to me. it's produced well and sounds good enough.
Big Star
2/5
I see the connection to later music (R.E.M., maybe 'emo' like Sunny Day Real Estate) but I think my appreciation of this stops at 'influential'. This felt like listening to a hangover.
3/5
A good country record with a great lady lead and a fantastic guitar player. Grady Martin is my new hero! The songs didn't quite make it to 4 star quality for me but it was close. I understand why some people find this kind of music hard to listen to - it's from a forgotten era in many ways and the subject matter seems kind of foreign sometimes, let alone the sonic aesthetic which is so far removed from the 'country' vibe of the last few decades. Still I agree with the book blurb this is a brave and courageous record from a brave and courageous woman.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
5/5
I think this record is fantastic. Freebird is obviously both a cliché and the crown jewel at the same time, and makes this one worthy of a listen just on it's own (try as I might the solo sections really do draw you in and I can't help bopping my head and enjoying myself despite whatever level of objectivity I'm trying to bring to the listen -> it must simply be a great recording!) but there is plenty to love on this album.
Tuesday's Gone always feels a tiny bit out of place to me -> I think of it as 'belonging to' the Dazed And Confused soundtrack, like it was made for that movie only or something. But it is a truly special track and I love every listen.
Simple Man is a weird one for me -> some listening I feel like "oh don't give me this 'persecuted southern man' crap again" and then the next minute I'm welling up and I'm totally sucked into the song. Again I think I've come to the conclusion it's just a great track.
Morrissey
2/5
This was fine but I think I expected more from Morrissey. His voice and esp the lyrics kind of rubbed me the wrong way on this listen.
John Prine
4/5
Just a nice country record with a bit of a political slant haha. Not amazing but far from terrible. A second listen really gave me the space and time to hear more and appreciate more.
Django Django
4/5
An interesting listen for sure. Lots of cool sonic experimentation. Rockin' but I didn't love the singing as much as the rest of the recording. Would def listen again.
Orange Juice
4/5
As far as this kind of early 80s synth-based pop-y fakey-crooner ska-ish new-wave a la Madness/Midnight Runners/The Cure/etc I think this is actually pretty ok!
It’s def not my genre per se but I’m enjoying this one! I think some of the other music we’ve heard from this era could have taken a lesson from these guys.
It’s funny to me to enjoy a band called Orange Juice and to have not enjoyed a properly famous band like The Cure haha
Tom Waits
3/5
I never really figured Tom Waits out before. It takes a few listens but there is some pretty great songwriting hidden in there under the ridiculousness and strange singing.
Brian Wilson
3/5
FWIW I’m enjoying this listen a lot. I put it on a bunch in 2004/2005 when it was new and haven’t thought about it since but these melodies/etc actually did stick in my subconscious and I’m having that ‘familiar and good’ feeling
I guess it’s notable for its notoriety and the fact that it was finally ‘completed’ after decades of waiting. I think this can’t be what Brian had in mind when it was conceived though -> my initial impressions were that it didn’t live up to the hype.
This is also SUPER happy - it’s kind of like Brian is writing songs about what he thinks it must be like for people to be happy (having been incapable of it himself for 50 years)
Laura Nyro
3/5
I wanted to like this more than I did, but it was still pretty ok.
The blurb references Tori Amos and I can definitely see the connection there. Someone in my listening group also referenced Carole King which I thought was spot on, except Carole has a much better control of her voice and a much better tone. There were times when I felt Laura was singing 'as hard and loud as she could' just because it felt good to belt it out, even when the song called for a more subtle approach.
A decent vibe the whole way through but no real peak/hit.
SAULT
3/5
This was a good surprise. It felt like it was made by real musicians and real artists. A bit 'Kanye-derivative' sometimes I guess. Monsters was probably my favourite track but it was also kind of out of place with the rest of the record. Overall very good though.
The Beau Brummels
3/5
I was turned off by the idea of a 'British-invasion aping' band as described by the book blurb. This wasn't awful but it wasn't awesome either. Nine Pound Hammer was a bit Lou Reed-ish.
Thundercat
4/5
This was pretty weird but also so awesome.
I wouldn't say it was 'moving' in any way but it was a great listen. One in my listening group said this was kind of like 'black Zappa'
Dr. John
4/5
I enjoyed this quite a bit. It's got that weird late sixties radio DJ feel. Nothing much to say except it was a cool sounding record.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
I have really come around on Tom Petty in recent years. Sadly my epiphany about his music came after his death.
This record has a number of my favourite tracks from him: Breakdown, Hometown Blues, American Girl.
There are a few tracks that let the album down a bit songwriting-wise but they all still feel great and I think they definitely achieved the loose 'off the floor' feeling they were going for.
Genesis
2/5
I am enjoying this well enough, and I’m glad a project like this exists… I guess I’m finding it hard to stay focused and engaged for 23 tracks though haha
This level of ‘progressive’-ness is approaching Rock Opera territory. I’m finding a lot of it to be sonically appealing but it’s hard for me to connect with a ‘groove’ here.
too much progressive messing around for me and not enough groove.
2 stars instead of 3 because I know Genesis is capable of 'progressive and catchy' and this isn't really it.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
I thought this was just ok. I don't think I will seek this out again. There were a couple of point where I enjoyed myself but for the most part I just found it to be too silly. Having trouble choosing a 2 or 3 star review - choosing 3 because it was enjoyable overall.
ABBA
2/5
This was definitely not my thing but it wasn't as terrible as it could have been haha.
I don't have much to say about this really - it's a kind of bland pop record that has some emotional lyrics (good!) that delve into super sappy/mopey (not as good!). The record sounds like it was recorded and produced by pros (good!) but they lean a bit too hard on what worked in the 70's and now feels a bit dated (prob did in the 80's also)
Terence Trent D'Arby
2/5
I didn't really dig this. The rest of my listening group liked it more than I did. I found it kind of insufferable actually - I was just bored and tuning out immediately and a few times cringing.... not my thing.
Beatles
5/5
Easy 5, prob the best record from prob the best band ever, just stellar.
hot take: Polythene Pam/She Came In Through The Bathroom Window is maybe my fave Beatles track(s) - that section of the record is just John and Paul at their best songwriting-wise and the whole band just nails the execution. Totally fantastic. George Martin must have felt like he had lightning in a bottle there. So surprised that combo doesn’t seem to get a lot of love in the press/radio/etc.
Jean-Michel Jarre
3/5
The rest of my listening group didn't like this much but I put it on while I was working and it was awesome 'background' noise. It is spacey and fluid but also still musical and not just droning noise.
Gary Numan
2/5
a whole lotta synth
I think if it weren't for the connection from this album's M.E. and Basement Jaxx's Where's Your Head At I'm not sure I would have really enjoyed anything besides Cars which or course was a pretty big hit
Fiona Apple
3/5
I knew a bit about this record when I was a kid, and I wasn't sure this was going to age well... but it's pretty good actually. Criminal is especially a total jam and helps put the rest of the album in context, and couple more tracks that had the same kind of mass appeal would make this a really great record rather than 'just ok'
The KLF
2/5
This was just kinda ‘meh’ right? Like the ‘big beats’ were prob a cool thing in the late 80’s/early 90’s but most of this doesn’t tickle my electro-dance nerve maybe that’s just me…..
The opening and closing “Justified and Ancient” bookends were f-ing terrible but the rest of the record was pretty good actually
I bet this felt like the world was changing at an illegal outdoor ‘rave’ event in the early 90s though. Like that Aphex Twin guy prob heard plenty of this before he took over the world. One in my listening group said It’s hard to put these records that we’ve largely (or entirely) not heard into the context of their musical contemporaries. Like you said, probably was a bombshell at the time, but music evolving from it was just so much better. Like Run-DMCs first album.
I spent the rest of the day listening to Basement Jaxx
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
That 80’s bass sound is so distinctive it’s almost funny. It’s very U2 but also reminds me of like the Friends theme song.
I appreciate where this line of thinking lead us but it’s not an enjoyable time for me. I don’t hate it BooH-style but I’m pretty sick of the same tempo/key/sound by the end of the record
The stuff that sounds like Arcade Fire is still decently vibrant. The stuff that sounds like single-mic U2 demos is laughably uninteresting to me.
Barry Adamson
3/5
This was super interesting to me. Not all-together loveable but very unique and quite a ride.
I doubt I will put this on again but I definitely enjoyed the artistry of this album, and could actually feel the 'movie soundtrack' vibes. It also made me think of listening to My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult.
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
As a kid I loved the Country Joe track on the Woodstock soundtrack - I Feel Like I'm Fixin To Die Rag
Having left that track off this record (oh no!) the rest was just fine. Cool bluesy guitar, though there was little in the way of 'excellence' on display. Just sounded like some guys having fun.
Slight side-note:
You can tell this is a record from the 60’ - the lead guitar is panned hard left -> there’s almost zero of it in the right channel. The other guitar is the opposite - panned hard right. Everything is panned one way or the other except drums which are like 70/30 in the right and vocals are dead centre. 60’s idea of how to create a stereo mix
The Pharcyde
2/5
I thought this was just fine. I don't have much to say about this actually - it was ok but not really my thing I guess.
Culture Club
2/5
Karma Chameleon is a legit hit! The rest of this record was borderline off-putting for me.
Manu Chao
2/5
Paul Simon
3/5
it's Paul Simon! Beautiful voice and guitar and instrumentation as always - but I didn't find anything really special about this album. A solid 3 from me. As the blurb notes the follow-up to this is Graceland and that record is monumental - in comparison this one is pretty weak but as albums go I think it's fine.
Gene Clark
4/5
I really like this. It’s ‘Byrds’-y, but also Fleetwood Mac-y (as noted by the blurb) and also CSN-y, Eagles-y and I hear some Gram Parsons and other west-coast country influence… even some Pink Floyd/David Gilmour sounds... it’s a neat mixing of styles and the songs are interesting to me.
No standout tracks really and it's kind of a shame because I feel like he's right on the edge of a really great album.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
This one was a weird mishmash of things. It felt a bit like a ripoff of a bunch of other popular 60's sounds.... but it was actually a pretty good ripoff? haha
The SS 396 song felt a little /too close/ to the Beach Boys 409 for me, but otherwise this record was enjoyable.
Talking Heads
3/5
This was better than I expected. This 'era' of rock is not my favourite in a lot of ways. This one was pretty good though!
U2
5/5
This is very close to a 5 for me - I decided I have too much nostalgia about this one to be properly objective and rated it a 4 to be more realistic.
I spent a LOT of time with this record when I was a kid. It was the first CD I ever bought and for a while it was the only CD I had! I know this record inside-and-out and there's so much I love about it.
I love the diverging guitar/bass parts in some of these tracks. The Fly is doing it for me right now but it’s a thing they were into in this era. The Edge has som really really rad guitar stuff on this record. I would love a remaster that pulls the vocals back and lets the guitar through a bit better. Of course that’s part of The Edge’s charm also that he’s ‘way back there’ in the mix so much
I forgot the fantastic guitar solo in the last track Love Is Blindness. It’s a good perf from Bono but that is like an Edge/Lanois opus - really fantastic guitar stuff
I always kind of wish One wasn’t on this record - it’s got a different rep from being mega overplayed on every radio station and early-2000s TV drama
I was a huge fan of Wild Horses when I was a kid and it lived up to my memory. I think that might actually be my favourite track.
Mysterious Ways is obviously the big kicker on this one and I feel like it's aged really well. It sounds like it's from 1990-ish but it doesn't feel old.
Oh screw it 5 stars.
Kraftwerk
3/5
I enjoyed this ok on the first listen, and kinda just found it a bit boring on the second listen. As we talked about in my listening group it's pretty 'simplistic' compared to the electronic music that came after it. Undeniably this band and this record were monuments achievements in electronic music.
Kraftwerk
3/5
I really dug this one. We had Kraftwerk on back-to-back days so it was a lot of bleeps and boops and stuff but overall this is a nice chill listen - simple and quirky and weird, but interesting and a bit fun and there is plenty to get from just the historical perspective of where electronic music came from.
Dire Straits
4/5
A nice sound, truly excellent guitar work, fairly engaging songwriting. Overall a great record.
Mark Knopfler really nails so many fantastic guitar sounds! I already knew Sultans Of Swing of course, but the rest of this was new to me and there were some nice tracks in there. Setting Me Up is a great blend of Knopfler's 'signature' style/sound from this era but with a strong country influence. In The Gallery is a great showcase of how smooth and melodic Knopfler's writing and playing can get, though it could use a 'better' singer probably.
Simply Red
2/5
not a great record in my opinion. I think this Mick guy is a great vocalist actually, but the songs are 80's-trendy synth-suck sonic vortex that makes it hard to pick that out. I bet this guy is really talented but this record was just not my thing.
David Holmes
4/5
I am really enjoying this. It’s got that ‘darkness’ that a lot of early electronic music had a la Orbital/The Orb/Underworld but it sounds more modern and put together a la Aphex Twin/Squarepusher. I think you would consider this pre-‘bit beat’ but I guess right on the cusp of that movement (Moby, Fatboy Slim, Chemical Brothers, Prodigy, Daft Punk)
Killing Joke
3/5
Cool and punky. Not fantastic but pretty fun for a once-through.
The Killers
2/5
Didn't dig it. Coldplay imitating The Strokes. Synth and gospel choir were not good additions. Listenable but barely.
Ian Dury
4/5
This was a pretty solid listen for me. It’s got that 70’s Zappa irreverence vibe, though def not as fantastically musical/virtuso. Love the humour and raunch - prob won't put it on again soon but it was a fun listen and a bit of history I didn't know about prior.
Metallica
4/5
I am tempted to rank this 5 stars but I think it doesn't quite make it. This is nonetheless a fantastic achievement for both Metallica as a band and for hard rock/metal overall. This is THE SOUND of hard rock from this point forward (actually I might argue things have gotten a bit out of hand with the compression and layering in recent years... but still). I wasn't overly impressed with the drum sound on this record but it is effective and consistent.
The guitars though! BIG Marshall + Mesa Boogie energy there, hot hot pickups, tight palm muting and tons of chugging. This is definitely a less-thrashy version of Metallica - a bit more 'rock' sounding - but I think it was. a good experiment.
This is a great listen.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
This is a great record with great songs, but I have to admit it's not the kind of thing I'm going to reach for often. I deeply appreciate the 'folk' roots of the writing here, but it doesn't get my juices flowing the way I think it's 'supposed to'. I would say overall I still maybe don't 'get' Springsteen the way true fans do.
There was a duo of songs in the middle of the record Highway Patrolman and State Trooper that I found esp captivating on this listen.
Arcade Fire
4/5
This is a great record. I think not entirely a 'favourite', and I think I maybe still struggle to totally understand Arcade Fire like the 'real' fans do... still I think this is a really interesting listen and something I would be happy to put on again any time.
Incidentally, being from Canada and knowing a bit about 'the scene' at the time, it's also made me a bit angry that Arcade Fire gets so much credit when a contemporary Broken Social Scene seems to largely be missed. At roughly the same time that Funeral was released, Broken Social Scene did an eponymous release that IMHO is actually substantially better though drawing on the same energy and spirit.
Ride
4/5
Halfway through I’m already pretty sick of the vocal delivery (just very monotonous, little range) but I love the overall vibe and the noisey-screetchy moments are pretty awesome. It’s reminding me a bit of the early Sloan stuff, which I LOVE - except this is a bit less 'pop', less jangly, less... interesting?
Overall a good listen for me. I'm stretching this up to a 4 though I'm maybe rounding up from a high 3
Missy Elliott
2/5
I’ve never really been a fan of this stuff, either Missy /or/ Timbaland.
It’s prob not surprising I don’t love ME but I’ve had a harder time with my feelings about Timbaland as I’ve really /wanted/ to like some of the stuff he’s been involved in, notably some Justin Timberlake’s stuff. At this point it seems like JT won’t make music without Timbaland and I think that’s a shame…
Besides that though I find his ‘producing’ to be really bland. It /sounds/ good, as in he knows how to use his gear to produce a high-fidelity output… I just hate that his voice is in the background of every track, and all the ‘radio effect’ (which I guess is just like a “late 90’s” artifact) really makes this sound dated.
I appreciate ME’s crazy style, but this album is doing nothing for me
Stephen Stills
4/5
Something about the ‘sound’ of this record bugs me a bit - like it’s tape artifacts or something. Maybe this is an Andy Johns signature sound or something haha
It’s not always unpleasant but it’s not awesome either...
Nonetheless there is some really excellent writing and truly phenomenal playing on this one. Clapton and Hendrix and Ringo Starr and Booker T and Rita Coolidge and Case Elliot and then Halverson/Johns doing the recording - this is a supergroup-style record!
Highly enjoyable and if there was one more song with as much oomph as the opener Love The One You're With this would probably rate a 5.
MC Solaar
3/5
Pretty easy 3 for me - it was fun and funky, if not particularly modern.
Hip hop is not really my groove but this was a neat experience for me and definitely the historical aspect here is very interesting and important in terms of culturally exchanging music across the world.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
4/5
It's a bit rough but super fun and weird. Very 60's. Definitely I would put it on again.
If I had one big knock I would criticize the recording/production.
Maybe another complaint would be it's a bit on the silly side (druggy side?).
Duran Duran
4/5
I was surprised how much I liked this, esp the first half.
The second half was a bit less inspiring and a bit whiney and synth-y.
For real though Rio and Hungry Like The Wolf are both killer singles and pushed this up to a 4 for me.
Aimee Mann
3/5
A good record in Fiona Apple vein but with a pop-focus.
A fun listen though not super compelling to me personally.
I LOVE her voice and some of her songwriting is great. So great to have this era of female-vocals over guitar-driven rock.
Ella Fitzgerald
2/5
GREAT voice! but good gracious what a crazy compilation this is - it's just humungous and too much to take in. I'm happy to have heard these excellent recordings of a truly special vocalist, but narrowing this down to a handful of greats would have been much better than 3 hours of musical theatre tunes which devolve into a feeling of listening to the same Christmas-song-that's-not-about-Christmas over and over again.
Drive Like Jehu
4/5
rough and a bit frenetic but def cool and had my head bobbing numerous times. If it were a bit more 'stoner' and a bit less 'punk' this might have gotten a 5 from me. Immediately added to my collection and I will listen again.
That middle section with Luau and Super Unison was killer
Björk
1/5
Not a good listen for me. Maybe it was the day or something but I just didn't hear anything musical about this. I understand there is art in the world that I won't love and others will, and that's fine with me.
This was so unmusical to me I found myself in utter disbelief that she is even able to remember these words and what to sing and everything - like the structure of these seems completely random like it's generated by a computer program that is deliberately trying to be obtuse.
The lyrics were also ungainly and immaturely 'goth'/emo.
Tom Waits
3/5
There were a few good moments (16 Shells From A 30.6, Gin Soaked Boy, Down Down Down) but there were some pretty strange stuff also (Trouble's Braids, Frank's Wild Years, Just Another Sucker)
Not completely off-putting but not something I'm likely to return to.
Grizzly Bear
2/5
This sounded ok but I deducted a point because this just seemed to be 'about nothing'. I kept waiting for the climax that never came. I think Zeppelin's Rain Song nailed this kind of music decades ago except WITH a climax and a point.
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
I feel like I could listen to this over and over again. There's nothing really truly special about it, and it can be a bit repetitive... but overall it's just a cool vibe and some fun improvising and I will definitely listen to this again.
I will also add this to the big Christmas party playlist - it's just fun music to have on in the background!
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Love the fuzz and static - but got pretty bored by the end of it. The opener Just Like Honey is truly a great song, but it's definitely the highlight of the album - Spotify playcounts support this as well. Ultimately I think that's the only track I would care to hear again. It's kind of Velvet Underground-y and gives a sneak peek at some of the noise-y rock that was coming in the early 90s.
Deep Purple
5/5
FWIW I am really enjoying this. It feels a /bit/ Spinal Tap-ish haha but def it’s fun and exciting. ROCKIN’ actually.
Lazy is a serious jam and there is plenty of good stuff all through this record, not the least of which are the 3 opening tracks (Highway Star, Child in Time, Smoke on the Water) - all recognizable hits and all are exciting performances.
T. Rex
4/5
I really liked this but I felt a bit tricked by the opening track - I was expecting proto-Fu Manchu but instead got a lot of Alice Cooper/Bowie. Not terrible but just not the easy chill stoner rock I was hoping for.
Bang A Gong is a legit jam and the opener Mambo Sun again really gets a good mark from me. The rest of the record is probably more on the 'just OK' side of things, but it's definitely still style/genre-wise still in my wheelhouse and something I really enjoyed.
Pretenders
4/5
the first half of the record was enough to earn a 4 from me. Fantastic energy and spunk and punky-grittiness. Super fun and a great listen that I will 100% be putting on again. The song The Wait was a huge discovery for me - a new favourite track!
The second half wasn't as great and except for Brass In Pocket which is undeniably a killer jam and a big hit,... I could take or leave most of it.
Gorillaz
3/5
enjoyable but not great. It fits my personal musical timeframe, coming out when I was in university, but ultimately I think it's a bit 2k trendy for me.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
not a great record. Just kind of 'nothing' from my perspective. The biggest takeaway for me from this record is how much I actually dislike that poppy keyboard-demo radio crap that seemed to be everywhere in the late 80s. As usual for PSB the vocals really turned me off more than the synth-wave/pop which had it's nice moments actually.
Hole
4/5
The opening 5 tracks are really pretty impressive, especially Celebrity Skin and Malibu. The rest of the record is just OK but it's an OK that's in my wheelhouse I guess - rock with guitars and big drums... I really want to dislike this because I dislike some of these people (or their public image/knowledge of them) but this is just a really good record IMHO. Probably a result of Billy Corgan and Courtney Love both at the height of their powers - but the rest of the band sounds great and the production is top notch.
Deee-Lite
2/5
The big single Groove Is In The Heart was pretty cool - the rest wasn’t as cool. Interesting and funky but not my thing I think.
3/5
A cool record that didn't really inspire me but it's got that 70's rock feel and tons of groove. Def a good listen.
Slipknot
4/5
The slower/ballady songs did not hit me the right way - could have probably left those off.
With that said the rest of the record was pretty awesome actually. Metal but still pretty melodic -> hard rock is a better description for most of this. I feel like this is more like what I expected 'alternative rock' to turn in to rather than Nickelback and the like...
Sulfur was a great track. Gematria was pretty awesome also. Psychosocial was a bit "90's nu-metal" for me but still pretty ok.
Overall a good listen. Maybe a weak 4 but I think it makes the 4-star mark for me.
Queen
4/5
Great but not exceptional.
To me this is a 'whole band' effort and it came out really well. Also a bit of a Brian May showcase which is awesome - underrated guitar player for sure.
I was actually kind of happy this one didn't have any of the big hits, which we all know well (almost too well).
Richard Thompson
4/5
The rest of my listening group did not dig this so much but I thought it was pretty cool. It was a bit hippy-dippy for sure, but the guitar is AWESOME - understated but highly skilled and very 'tuned in' to what each song needed. The overall vibe was very 'small town pub' and the singing was excellent. The track that grabbed me the most was 'Has He Got A Friend For Me' - excellent lyric.
The Thrills
3/5
I mostly enjoyed this and it’s definitely not terrible but roughly half way through this I started to feel pretty bored. It’s just the same thing over and over to me. It’s good but same-y same all the way through.
Michael Jackson
4/5
no matter how hard I try I just can't seem to wrap my head around MJ the way others seem to. This is a great record for sure, but also maybe a bit too sparkly and clean. Although it has some 'rough edges' like the subject matter of Billie Jean and the undeniable 'edgy-ness' of Beat It... it's all been so chopped up and heavily produced it is perfect.... but IMHO that makes it a bit less than it might have been if it were more real.
I remember being a kid in the 80's/90's when people would say "oh those electronic acts don't make real music they're not performing anything it's just all playback by some machine" and I think you could make a similar criticism here. Surely they found a way to tour this music and I bet it was awesome but there is literally no way to perform most of this the way it appears on the record.
Nonetheless it is an impressive piece of art and worth anyone's time for at least 1 listen.
FYI the last track The Lady In My Life is legit just bad.
Kings of Leon
3/5
This is good but the first couple of listens didn't inspire me. I would listen again but I'm not excited about another listen.
The mix was a bit weird - very vocal-forward.
Bill Callahan
3/5
John Martyn
4/5
a total surprise but a solid 4! It was definitely a bit weird. I loved the ambiance and hearing the geese/etc in the background. This had the feeling of a very lovingly crafted collection of music, and to boot there was some great playing. I would happily put this on again.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
Just ok. My friends tell me this is from 'the guy from Arctic Monkeys' and also that their stuff is better... I would listen again but not be excited and prob not recognize much
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
SUPER interesting though I couldn't find it on the streaming services. This artist seems to have produced a TON of music and it's pretty neat - definitely 'western' movie-soundtrack influenced but also exotic/miiddle-eastern/Indian.
The Cramps
4/5
Rockabilly punk, dark atmosphere, songs about werewolves and zombies, a bit 'goth'... definitely neat. I put a couple tracks in my halloween playlist.
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
a lot of interesting stuff here that I enjoyed! Just not enough to justify 3 hours long haha It's too bad this wasn't edited a bit more.
Def Leppard
3/5
This is pretty great and very listenable but really there's only 1 great song on this record (Photograph). and 1 other really good song (Foolin'), and the rest would be fine to lose to history really. It was a fun listen but I won't miss it if I never put it on again.
Sidenote: I've always wondered how those 80's hair-metal vocals were recorded. Such an interesting sound!
4/5
Interesting and exotic - very jazzy and ‘late night lounge’. A bit much for my Monday morning maybe but I definitely liked it and would listen again.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Not exactly my thing really but I did really enjoy this. Definitely this is an impressive record sonically and no doubt an achievement in recording.
Carole King
5/5
This is a great record with some really incredible singing. We’ve had a few lady singers that seemed to be trying to create this kind of a record and who all fell a bit short (KT Tunstall, Dusty Baker) - this is the real deal.
This also happens to be a favourite of my mother’s and it’s hard not to cherish my childhood memories when I hear it.
Weather Report
3/5
The Beach Boys
5/5
This is a 5 from me for sure. There was some discussion in my listening group -> I can see why this isn't everyone's favourite and we decided some folks in my group sort of "don't get the hype" about this record, and indeed the Beach Boys in general, much the same way I don't personally understand the love of Radiohead.
I went through this a few times and I've listened many times in the past - I was looking for shortcomings and I'm aware of a few (ex: 'I just wasn't made for these times' does sort of fit the mood and theme of the record but is kind of a standout low point IMHO) but overall I love the sound and construction and performances here.
Barry Adamson
2/5
This was ok I guess - seemed like an amalgam of every stereotype of 90's sounds imaginable. I don't think I'll put this on again.
Tears For Fears
4/5
A pretty good record! Everybody Wants To Rule The World is probably the biggest hit, but there are some other great tracks here: Shout, Mothers Talk, Head Over Heels - all fantastic.
FWIW I could prob take-or-leave most of the rest of it, but even the other tracks are on brand/theme/feel. Quite cohesive.
There is a bit too much synthetic sound on here for me - sucky synth drums and such.
The Beta Band
4/5
Pretty good - not earth shattering but very nice and very listenable. This has really good variety while still staying on theme. It's got an Air + 311-ish? Sometimes Lou Reed vibes like Wonderful. Easy is a bit Franz Ferdinand-ish. Outside is a killer track. Lots of good stuff here.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Lots of bite and noise. Very creative for sure. Not exactly a pleasant listen but I don't think that's what they were going for.
Definitely had me feeling their influence on Nirvana and the early Sloan that I love so much.
4/5
A very cool-sounding and very funky record - no big hits though... nothing that really grabbed me. Still I would be happy to put this on for background music almost any time!
2/5
I get why people like this but it wasn't for me. It was basically a 3 but it pissed me off a bit that this seems to get so much praise for being a solid 3 in every way haha so demoted to 2 stars.
It was fun in parts but the weirdo 80's singing with all that weird articulation and whooping and stuff just isn't for me. Also it's like they were kind of making fun of surf guitar rock a bit? not cool.
Santana
4/5
Wow this is a fantastic record!
The classic hits (Black Magic Woman, Oye Como Va) are of course fantastic - but good gracious Mother's Daughter is a real winner and a bit of a sleeper.
Lovely guitar work (tone, technique, phrasing, melodic creativity) goes without saying but wow it's quite amazing.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Seems like a pretty solid 3 - definitely the sound and groove are 'up my alley' but the execution isn't amazing. The Stones hadn't really become "The Stones" yet. Really no individual track stands out for me.
The Modern Lovers
3/5
As the book blurb says - very Lou Reed inspired. It was Just ok.
The Undertones
4/5
I enjoyed this and would put it on again. I think if you brought some nostalgia into this listen it would probably bring things up another notch... but I have no memories or connection with any of this music. I dug the singer's Jello Biafra warble and I loved the 'underground' feel and sound on this one.
Madonna
2/5
Great sounding album production-wise but otherwise this is not for me. The faux-cowboy stuff was painful. The Bjork-ripoff was even worse. The mighty beats in the first half saves this from a 1-star.
Black Flag
4/5
Pretty great Black Flag record. Maybe kind of a low bar? Anyway I dig this.
I was in a band when I was a kid and could totally picture how TV Party got written haha
Marvin Gaye
4/5
A nicely cohesive album with a KILLER lead track - all time classic. The man can sing.
It's a bit sexy and moody for everyday listening I think - but when the moon hits your eye....
Iron Maiden
4/5
Some of the guitar stuff on here is really great. 22 Acacia and Hallowed Be Thy Name were really blowing me away - just fantastic. The vocal delivery is not my favourite but it works most of the time. I think this record is pretty awesome.
PJ Harvey
3/5
I like this 'in principle' more than I do in practice I think. It's definitely weird and cooky, which is kind of cool but also a bit off-putting. She has done some fantastic stuff in her career and has definitely earned the right to experiment and be a bit off the wall, but this doesn't get me going like some of those 90's singles.
Black Sabbath
4/5
a bit rough around the edges but very very enjoyable. As the book blurb mentions the lyrics are a tiny bit comical now... but the overall aesthetic and vibe and groove are really great. Not hard for me to see how/why this is seen as a somewhat revolutionary moment in rock music history.
Robert Wyatt
2/5
Appreciate the effort but even though I was primed to love this by the book
Blurb is just totally didn’t. Weird weird stuff, kinda actually bad singing… I just couldn’t get into this.
Bee Gees
2/5
Not my fave really. The warbley singing put me off a bit. I have a feeling if someone were to redo some of these songs with singing more to my taste and less
Violins and stuff this has some promise.
Ghostface Killah
3/5
A solid 3 from me. I was listening to Brother Ali a bit at this time and I got a similar vibe from this. My hip-hop friend called this 'New York' and I can see that distinction. This didn't really impress me in any way but I would be happy to hear it again if someone put it on and might recognize some of it also.
Lupe Fiasco
4/5
Feel good hip-hop grooves. Didn’t follow the themes of the lyrics well but it sounded pretty great regardless.
Adam & The Ants
3/5
A bit whacky but otherwise not much to say on this one for me. Punky and silly and crazy but not super exciting or interesting esp considering It’s so new. It kinda sounds like a record form the 70s.
Marilyn Manson
2/5
Beautiful People was like an ANTHEM when I was a kid, but I didn't really get it then and didn't really get it now either. I expected to feel like this was a really well-produced album and that it would just sound fantastic but I didn't really get that feeling either. It's possible I had a bad day haha but the mix of the industrial Reznor production and the silly-dramatic themes and cringey lyrics had me kind of wishing it was over for most of the listen.
The Waterboys
4/5
This was kinda cool for me, and a bit of a surprise. Not a 5-star surprise but I would put this on again for sure. There was some Springsteen in there and probably this is an influence for Mumford & Sons. Def caught some Gordon Lightfoot sound as well. Folky and rock-y and melodic and interesting.
Eagles
4/5
We had The Eagles' later album Hotel California early in our journey, and I kind thought it wasn't great - a couple of obvious hits and then a bunch of junk. This was much better. It /was/ a few obvious hits (Take It Easy, Witchy Woman, Peaceful Easy Feeling) and a bunch of 'junk'.... but the 'junk' was jamm-y and enjoyable rather than boring and self-indulgent. My pet theory would be that Glyn Johns pointed them more at the country-rock stuff (Allman Brothers, Skynyrd, even sometimes Steve Miller and Aerosmith).
Gang Of Four
4/5
fun and punky, though not entirely in my personal wheelhouse. I would probably put this on for a listen again so I will give it a soft 4.
Van Halen
4/5
This is pretty impressive and a really well-done record. I would go so far as to say 'inventive' as well - my knowledge of the rock landscape in 1978 is limited but it seems like this record and their next one were probably like a bomb of new rock energy and likely felt totally unexpected and new. This also has the feel of a record where the guys in the band just got along and had fun - no idea if that's true haha but def feels that way. Easy 4 approaching a 5.
James Brown
4/5
I gave this a 4 just because it's amazing to hear someone sing live like that. He was really a singular talent. The band was good, the recording itself was also good. I probably won't put this on again soon but I will definitely come back to this when in the mood for a live record.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Rumours is a masterpiece and an easy 5 from me. 3 of the best-ever songwriters at the top of their game and egging each other on. Lindsay is a top tier guitarist, Mick and John are one of the best 'rhythm section's ever, Christine's alto-ish voice and groovy keys stick everything together sonically, and Stevie Nicks is a star from the inside out and top to bottom - voice, writing, image, persona, mystery... this band had EVERYTHING in 1977 and this is the record of that event. Tremendous record.
The Temptations
3/5
Very soulful and very cool. Really enjoyed the listen. Nothing really super special sticks out for me though. This is a 3 from me but bordering on a 4.
Pet Shop Boys
1/5
Not a good listen for me. The wispy whiney voices and the 90's bombastic faux-big-beat pop drums/samples/etc really turned me off. It's funny that I remember Go West as being a 'kind of cool' pop track... possibly because it was at the end of the album, but I disliked even that track on this listen.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Nice and bluesy, cool background music. Dylan's voice sounds awful and he should stop singing. Some interesting lyrics and melodies in there, hard to see/feel them.
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
This didn't really do it for me today but it might have been an off day or something... just not in the mood? It seemed well recorded and a lot of cool sounds/instrumentation happening. Giving it an optimistic 3.
Muddy Waters
4/5
I thought this was a cool record. Like really and truly cool. Not my favourite music of all time, not my favourite performances or performers, not something I want every day, but very very cool. Got My Mojo Workin' is one hell of a track.
Gang Starr
3/5
old-school hip-hop that flows nicely and has some great grooves. I would say this isn't totally 'my thing' and I maybe didn't bring the right toolset into the listen to fully appreciate this, but I did like it.
The Monks
2/5
campy and cheesy - not that great for me. Have to admit I was definitely not in the mood for this one and another listen might leave a better impression. Although this isn't really my thing anyway so maybe not.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Not a great listen for me. The heavy production and big gospel-ish background singer sound and the slow plodding melodies and clunky lyrics really turned me off. I would like to give points for being a Bruce Springsteen record. The book blurb says this was 'intensely moving stuff' but it didn't come across to me in this listen. Maybe I'm just a dummy.
Hawkwind
4/5
This was mega-weird but a lot of fun for me and I definitely loved the proto-"stoner rock" sound. When they would lock into a groove and just rock out it was pretty magical actually.
The Fall
4/5
This one fell right up the middle for me. There is a LOT of British (or British-sounding) 'post-punk' on this list and honestly I'm a bit tired of it - but this was more fun and interesting than most of it. Definitely above average for the genre from my perspective. It was a bit punky and a bit garage/indie/shoegaze... a good listen.
The Cars
3/5
The singles were great! Love the guitar work on this - really interesting and probably innovative for the time, and really helps this to stand out from the other synth-rock of the era. The rest of the album was kind of underwhelming to me songwriting-wise though.
Michael Jackson
3/5
I've never been a bit 'Michael' guy actually. This definitely had me grooving in my chair a bit. I also found there was a lot of 'hanging on' to a riff forever and ever - maybe that's fun if you're dancing but it didn't make me like the record more haha. Overall this was good, and maybe my favourite era of his in a lot of ways. Just not a stellar experience for me overall.
Sex Pistols
4/5
hard hitting and punky but still accessible and fun. A great listen. Anarchy in the UK and Pretty Vacant were highlights for me.
Lightning Bolt
3/5
This could possibly have gotten a 4 from me if it was a bit easier to listen to. I think the overall sound is really fantastic - energetic and powerful, sometimes aggressive and sometimes more fun. Def it's a wild indie sound. I bet they were super fun live.
Deep Purple
3/5
The guitar and groove were cool for me, the singing and overall sonic aesthetic didn't really do it for me.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Cool ethereal vibe. Flowing easy but the big beats and hifi recording really pump up the intensity of the listen. Not exactly my thing but I really did enjoy it.
Ray Charles
4/5
GREAT listen. Seems like a real work of love. Awesome story that he had to work against the label to get this released also.
Judas Priest
3/5
Almost a 4 - just a bit cheesy and off the rails a couple of times. A few tracks had me really boppin' along for sure.
Björk
3/5
We've had some other Bjork records that were a serious chore to listen to. This one had some grooves and a bit of fun. It had hints of the weirdo stuff that she did later, but it was wrapped in a more pop-oriented exterior and it was easier for me to consume. She's a talented artist for sure.
2/5
This is WILD. Not entirely unpleasant but not particularly listenable either. I was trying to work and this was just far too distracting. Otherwise it's kind of 'neat' I guess - like everyone seemed to know what they were doing and moved together and made it sound a bit cohesive, though I couldn't really make out what they were up to.
Living Colour
4/5
This was a bit “80’s” for me, but it was saved by being a bit Guitar Hero also. I dug the overall vibe and would put this on again. Cult Of Personality was def the hit.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Really enjoyed this live record, lots of energy and creativity.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
4/5
Cool old-school (very) vibes and sound. Some of this has a gospel-influenced feel as well. Kind of a fun picture of what the world of popular music looked like 70 years ago. The recording quality is really fantastic given the time period it's from.
Joanna Newsom
4/5
I initially found this pretty off-putting the way that some Bjork and also some Joni Mitchell turns me off - rambly half-sensical poetry over rambly go-nowhere melodies, among some other hang ups... but this intrigued me in a weird way and I wanted to listen again. I felt sort of like "I didn't like that exactly, but I couldn't explain why so let me listen again" and by the end of the second listen I was kinda hooked. This is totally weird and whacky and quite unique, wonderful in its own weird whacky unique way. I would absolutely listen to this one again. This record was a big surprise for me both because I had never heard of it before and also because I was surprised at myself for liking it. .
Slayer
4/5
One in my listening group said "It’s a kind of album you need if you’re trying to set a personal record in dead lifting or sacrificing goats."
Didn't know much about Slayer heading into this listen but I really liked this. A bit over the top and sometimes silly lyrically, but I think it came from a genuine artistic place. They were trying to capture a 'new thing'. I feel like this must have been a real kick in the teeth for fans when this came out, esp those not from the LA scene this came out of.
I was thinking this came out about the same time as GnR Appetite For Destruction and that made me feel like that record was so silly - like they were often going for the same feel/aesthetic/shock but came way short. It's more accessible but less real. Another from my listening group commented "Do you know where you are? You’re in the Jungle baby! No, fuck you, you’re getting your fuckin eyes gouged out in Auschwitz, bitch"
Pantera
4/5
The first couple of tracks really blew me away. The guitar sound was just STELLAR. Like almost literally unbelievable. I don't know how I missed this band as a kid... maybe I wouldn't have been ready for it, I don't know. Regardless I was very impressed - They seemed to ditch some of the silly trope-y stuff of 80's metal and stick to the essence of what makes metal great. This record was very impressive on all fronts musically - great vocals, great bass, great drum parts, AMAZING guitar work (seriously just killer).
The second half of the record was not as awesome for me - a bit too 'nu metal' I guess? The guitar work stayed phenomenal though.
3 tracks in I was ready to give this a 5 but I was back down to earth by the end of the record.
Finley Quaye
3/5
Solid record, reggae feel, cool voice, well-recorded. Nothing really stood out - it seemed fine.
Basement Jaxx
4/5
There is some nostalgia here for me for sure but I legit think this is an ‘all-time’ type record. Their next one ‘Rooty’ might be better probably, but this one is definitely the one that ‘broke’ them and their ‘sound’ and made them stars. I like to think of them as like the British counterpart to Bran Van (who you know I also love to death) - they are just ready to pull in elements and sounds from ANYWHERE and float them over a big beat and somehow make it work.
Like this opening track is a 2-chord acoustic guitar riff… that’s actually pretty much the base of the song. Add a big beat, swing the EQ faders around a bunch, layer on all the electronic elements, cool melody/vocal effects… simple but great.
There are a couple of tracks that are a bit 'meh' - like not bad but just a bit uninteresting... close to a 5 but not quite.
Tom Waits
2/5
This is artistic but man the absence of any groove/melody really bummed me out and the gravely singing just wore my mind down like a grinding stone. Tom Waits is like running my brain through a skate sharpening machine. I appreciate the artistry but don't get much joy out of it.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
This was a pretty solid 3 for me. The 'theme' is pretty iconic and I'm sure it was groundbreaking at the time. In the intervening years this 'format' has been watered down a bit, though this OG release is still pretty solid. Not exactly my cup of tea all the way through but interesting and fun, well-recorded, good players and singers etc.
Steve Winwood
4/5
The Stranglers
4/5
This seemed fine. Nothing really fantastic but it was a good rocking album and fun to listen to.
John Lennon
3/5
Beck
4/5
Only a quick listen really, but I was surprised how much of this didn’t land with me. This is definitely a great introspective record, just a bit slow and wandering. I have a better relationship with his other slow and wandering record Mutations. Still giving 4 stars as this is a good listen and I think it would grow on me with more listens.
Beatles
5/5
A fantastic effort by the boys. There were times in my life when I would have considered this 'peak Beatles'. John's Run For Your Life is a bit dark but otherwise a great little tune. Not much to complain about here.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
This was definitely interesting but not really my thing. I'm overall glad for the one listen I guess. Impressive vocals for sure, even if I couldn't follow along with the language.
The Cure
3/5
This was listenable but not inspiring to me. The 'industrial' sound of the 80s was not my fave in general, and the dramatic singing voice was another aspect of 80s pop that doesn't translate to modern times very well. Glad for the listen but skipped through the last couple tracks and will prob not put this on again.
Randy Newman
3/5
Kind of a fun listen. Unfortunately for Randy when I hear his voice all I can think about is Pixar soundtracks haha it's hard to take this as seriously as it was intended. Still he has a great voice and a fun bouncy songwriting style. There's a lot to like here.
Al Green
4/5
Amazing vocal work and killer songwriting.
Brian Eno
3/5
Intricately produced but not super fun to listen to.
Daft Punk
4/5
This is a great album that played a big part in my teenage life. I am trying to not let the nostalgia cloud my vision here - I enjoy this one a lot but it’s probably not a full-on 5 for me. It’s very close though.
Ryan Adams
4/5
I do have a lot of nostalgia wrapped up in this one, but I also happen to think it is a killer record. I understand it's probably not a 5 for everyone but I think it is very close for me - giving a 4 though. To Be Young is one of my favourite tracks of all time, and there is so much feeling and 'real'-ness in this record. It really connects with me.
The Byrds
4/5
I didn't really find the groove with this as much as I'd hoped I would but it was still pretty great. It's a bit twangy, even for which is saying something, but overall the songwriting is good and the performances are good and I enjoyed it.
It's pretty clear this was built around You Ain't Going Nowhere which is the clear 'single'
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Pretty great record. A Rick Rubin special. Def very cool stuff even many years later.
Turbonegro
4/5
Cool listen! I never heard of this band before. Definitely fun. Very punky. Lyrics were not impressive, but the music was great.
Ozomatli
4/5
I kinda didn't want to like this - it's a bit cheesy and silly. But man is it easy to listen to. I feel like I could put this on most days, most times of the day, for most people, and we would all feel like we had a good time.
The Undertones
3/5
The Band
4/5
Love this stuff. Not a 5 from me but I think it would be from many people.
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
I have a physical copy of this that I got from a jazz-knowledgeable friend when I was young. This is a great recording of a great jazz pianist and a great backing band. I love how this is just totally live and you can hear the murmurs and glasses clinking in the audience. This really captures that feel of a small jazz club in New York and I'm so happy this is on the list.
The Icarus Line
3/5
Death In Vegas
3/5
Seems like good trip hop, found it interesting. Def felt a bit dated though, as most trip hop does now...
CHIC
4/5
Amazing guitar! The violins and disco feel don’t hold up as well. Cool vibe though.
The Cardigans
3/5
A good listen! Lovefool is an undeniable hit, but most of the rest of this is on the level of good but not great. The singers voice is fantastic and this is produced ‘around’ her sound, but the energy in most of this is just too low and slow. Still a great time and a great time capsule. Their next record is better I think.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Enjoyable. Track 2 was really good. Prob will never put this on again though. Kind of a precursor to that soft MGMT thing from the mid 2010s.
Queens of the Stone Age
4/5
Great record - totally up my alley and well executed.
Gene Clark
3/5
Interesting Byrds-y not bad - but probably won’t get another dedicated listen.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
I'm not the world's biggest NY fan but good gracious the man is consistent. Just tons of great sounding stuff one track after another. I didn't really LOVE any of this, though Cinnamon Girl is pretty great, but as a collection this is just really solid.
Bad Brains
3/5
This was weird but I liked it. Definitely not easy to listen to though. There's some pixies and almost grunge-ish sound in there, maybe a bit like RATM, and then also the guitars often venture into Metallica or Megadeth and sometimes sound like EVH! Wild stuff.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
So many classic rock and roll songs here. Just the bedrock of so much modern music. Also listening with good headphones I could tell he was a better singer than I realized.
Moby
4/5
This is very solid but a bit dated. Bodyrock is still a solid jam, the rest is just cool and interesting, but nonetheless listenable and enjoyable.
The Who
3/5
This is produced really well and has some decent tracks including the quite stupendous I Can See For Miles. But overall I think this is a bit lacklustre as a collection. Now that a few The Who records have come up on this list I have the feeling they made a lot of great singles and didn't really create a really fantastic album.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
I bumped this up to a 5. There are a couple of tracks that I completely adore and really enjoy everything else. Kiki and his band are falling out a bit at this time I think, but they still have ‘it’.
808 State
3/5
Definitely weird but I thought it was pretty fun.
George Jones
4/5
What a voice! This is a bit ‘too country’ for some moments of the day and definitely the understand it would t be everyone’s cup of tea (tons of swoops slide guitar and sliding vocals), but there is a lot of fantastic recording on here. The one where he’s listing all the great country singers and how they will never be replaced was a bit cringey for me, but otherwise I really liked this.
The Who
4/5
Surprisingly good sounding recording! They are really excellent musicians. I think I didn’t enjoy the content enough to make this a 5 but it was def a good listen. Keith Moon is a true talent and Townsend’s guitar seems just about record-perfect.
Coldplay
3/5
A good debut from a cool-ish band. Nicely recorded. Not my thing I think.
Boards of Canada
3/5
This is really good but didn’t leave me feeling really inspired or anything. The downtempo feel is really wel executed but it’s kind of so downtempo it never jazzed me up enough to remember much of it either. A good record but not a great one IMHO.
Hole
4/5
I think this is a pretty great record. Not 5 stars great but really very good. I think it helps that this actually kind of is my thing this grungy sound and raw expression. It also still has a bit of that pop sensibility that the best ‘grunge’ always brought tot he table. I think their next record Celebrity Skin had bigger hits and was better in that sense but this is the real deal - broken people making heartfelt music that expresses their life experience.
2/5
I didn’t really enjoy this. It was listenable I guess but I didn’t enjoy it. The vocals are unmistakably’like Paul McCartney’ but it just didn’t have anything that grabbed me as a fun melody or memorable part.
The Bees
4/5
This seems like a really solid release. It was kind of complicated music and I think I would need more listens to really love it, but I think that's a possibility.
Nas
4/5
I’m not a huge hip-hop guy but this seems pretty dang good
Morrissey
3/5
I found this one to be kind of a bummer. I know this guy is some kind of legend but I personally find these records to be tough to listen to beyond the hits - in this case that would be Everyday is Like Sunday and maybe Suedehead. I think we've had 4 Morrissey records in total now including Smiths records... seems excessive for this list.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
2/5
this was a weird one. The wikipedia blurb says this was recorded 'as a demo' and it really felt like it. It was a high-quality demo I guess. I am kind of finding it hard to understand why this was chosen for this list. It's a curiosity but doesn't seem important to me.
The Residents
2/5
This was pretty annoying and mostly unlistenable, but also I felt a bit like this 'is what it is' and it's just noisy art-rock. It's not my thing I guess.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
I dug the fuzzy dreariness and even the mopey vibe. I think I would listen to this again, it just barely reaches the level of a 4 for me. I would be interested on another listen to dig deeper on lyrics, of which I only caught a small portion the first time through.
Steely Dan
4/5
Love the guitar work on these Steely Dan records. Such a fantastic display of mastery and expression. They are so smooth and fluid. As a (poor) guitar player this music kind of astounds me. None of it had me really feeling totally 'in the groove' so this stays at a 4 for me, but I can see why it would be a 5 for many.
Joan Armatrading
3/5
A solid 3. Instrumentally talented players and interesting songwriting, though maybe a bit bland by halfway through. The first track was maybe most compelling to me, though the ramble-y lyrics and structure didn't do it for me. One in my group said this had him thinking "is this Tracy Chapman's mother?"
I had never heard of this artist before and I'm glad I had this listen.
Janet Jackson
2/5
this was not a fun experience for me really.
There was one track - Escapade. 48 million plays on Spotify, seems like they spent their entire production budget on making this one track sound good. Also her voice... HER VOICE! If this didn't pre-date the technology I would have sworn this was auto-tuned. Her voice sounds perfect. It's kind of unreal.
The rest of the record was not fun though. One in my listening group said that listening to this record felt like chewing aluminum haha. That heavy synth-oriented soundscape feels noisy and crazy but also thin and weak at the same time.
Dire Straits
4/5
Knopfler is one of the greatest guitar players in history for sure. I always /liked/ him and Dire Straights but it sort of felt a bit like classic rock radio filler sometimes - it's just played so much it's easy to miss the nuance etc. Justin Hawkins' youtube really challenged me to listen more deeply and I can't get enough of the subtlety of his guitar playing now.
There are also some humongous songs on here too. Money for Nothing is an obvious classic, but Brothers In Arms is sneaky-fantastic.
The Replacements
4/5
I thought this was pretty good! It hits that critical 'I would play this again' bar for a 4-star rating. Answering Machine was a pretty great lyric and Unsatisfied felt very raw and powerful. The opening tracks happy bouncy feeling wasn't my favourite part of this record for sure, but there was lots to like.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
I get that this maybe isn't the greatest version of Neil Young (maybe a bit whine-y here?) but I really did dig the 'groove' of this record. It's not world-changing songwriting like Needle or Ohio but it just felt good to me. Even the sloppy guitar solos felt good to me. This is the kind of rock and roll that I enjoy just for the sake of it.
LTJ Bukem
4/5
This is a cool mostly ambient/down-tempo electronic record, drum-and-bass-y. Reminded me of the famous internet radio station Groove Salad, so maybe this was even played there.
I'm not sure why this record was picked over any other thing that fits into this same category - it's not clear to me what makes music like this 'good' I guess. But I did enjoy this and found it was good music to have on while I was working on something - the driving beat and lack of 'distracting' elements made this good focus music. I will probably put this on again for that purpose actually!
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
This seemed pretty good to me. One in my listening group really loved it. Best track was From The Ritz To The Rubble IMHO. I thought the clean guitar sound didn't age super well - it's a bit Strokes-ripoff also. Anyway overall this was pretty fun and sounds great and was actually a bit of a surprise to me - I knew of this band and never dug in before.
The La's
4/5
A solid 3, but I will give it a 4 just for the one single (it's that good). There She Goes is a truly fantastic sing-along anthem - it is a once-in-a-lifetime gem. The rest of the album doesn't really come close. Still this jangly raspy sound is an important milestone in pop music and is kind of the template so many other bands tried to follow in the 90's. Glad for the listen.
Solange
3/5
Good vibes and good beats but a lot of racial content made it hard to penetrate the themes.
Björk
2/5
I was quite frustrated with this. It was decent ‘sounding’ but it never really felt like music to me. I felt like I listened to that whole record and never felt like I heard a ‘chorus’ or anything I would describe as a ‘groove’ or ‘theme’ as the classical music terminology would say.
It’s prob there but the scramble-lyric and anti-melody method did not do it for me here. It’s possible I’m too much of a dummy to understand music like this.
Wilco
4/5
This one has a lot to like. Far, Far Away got a lot of play on my ipod around the time of its release. By the end of the record though I was feeling a bit worn out like this was a long long story that never seemed to end. There is a lot of musicianship on this one, and a few great songs, which is awesome... but it's not a truly great record I think. It meets the bar for a 4 from me (I would play it again) but only just.
Badly Drawn Boy
4/5
This was pretty great! I was already familiar with his next record, the About A Boy soundtrack, but this has some really fantastic songs that definitely got a lot of plays on my iTunes library haha. Everybody's Stalking and Once Around The Block are really killer tunes and the whole thing is pretty listenable with a some really fun moments. I was a little worn out by the end but overall a great listen.
Buzzcocks
4/5
I thought this was pretty cool. This band actually played in my city recently and I'm kinda bummed I missed them. It's pretty british punk standard but not the grating, whiny, annoying style as much as some others. Would listen again.
Beach House
3/5
This was fine. I didn't feel like this absolutely had to be part of a 'must-listen' list... but it was a perfectly fine listen for me. A pretty solid 3 rating. I wanted to like this more actually - 'Teen Dream' is a fantastic name for a record! Cool picture on the cover too. Overall I was just kind of happy to be through with it when it was over.
Guns N' Roses
4/5
Pretty great record. That mid-high marshal Slash sound had my ears buzzing pretty hard by the end haha and while I'm pretty sure he was the coolest thing in the universe at the time Axl Rose seems pretty insufferable to me now... anyway this is a great debut record despite the extreme overplayed-overhyped Jungle and Sweet Child singles.
Justice
4/5
I would say I didn't really LOVE this but it was a good listen, esp the big tracks Genesis and D.A.N.C.E.
It's a bit of a bummer what a rip off of the early Daft Punk sound this is. BUT on the other hand it is really rocking and a great execution so ultimately I think it's worthwhile.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3/5
I thought this was ok. The whispy singing didn't improve it, and I think my whole group is a bit burnt out on 80's synth pop. Otherwise... I didn't hate it?