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Sun Mar 27 2022
Tusk
Fleetwood Mac
4
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Mon Mar 28 2022
The Score
Fugees
Can’t believe I’ve never heard this before. This is the best of old school rap - mcs just trading high quality bars. Rivals anything tribe has put out
5
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Tue Mar 29 2022
At Mister Kelly's
Sarah Vaughan
Despite the excellent venue name, this is not my thing at all. Great voice but the music doesn’t make me feel anything. I enjoyed the ad lobbing at the end.
3
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Wed Mar 30 2022
Protection
Massive Attack
No reason for this to be on the list when Blue Lines is also on it. I guess it’s fine.
3
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Thu Mar 31 2022
Doolittle
Pixies
An absolute classic. Debased is one of my favorite album openers of all time. The sheer energy sets the tone for the rest of the album. The iconic bass line in Here Comes Your Man also deserves mention.
5
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Fri Apr 01 2022
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon & Garfunkel
An excellent album but has a few too many bland songs for a 5. The singles are phenomenal. Bridge over troubled water is one of the most beautiful songs of all time (although I kind of prefer Cash’s cover). I do think it should have been the last song instead of the first because the rest of the album can’t live up to it.
4
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Mon Apr 04 2022
Soul Mining
The The
My life got easier when I admitted that I straight up like new wave. This was fun. This is the Day was my fave.
4
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Tue Apr 05 2022
Talking Heads 77
Talking Heads
This is a 3.5 for me. I’ll round up because of their influence and a lot of it is quite good, but I’ve never been able to get into talking heads. Byrne’s voice kind of drives me crazy
4
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Wed Apr 06 2022
1989
Taylor Swift
The more I hear pop albums the more I’m reminded of the quote from the meeseeks in Rick and morty - “We’re not supposed to live this long! It feels weird!” I think it’s inherently difficult to write an exceptional pop album. The genre is more suited to the EP. The singles on this were great but I thought it was about to end like 4 times.
3
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Thu Apr 07 2022
Happy Trails
Quicksilver Messenger Service
Was not in the mood for this. You could’ve told me it was Grateful Dead and I would’ve believed it. Not sure why it needs to be in the list.
2
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Fri Apr 08 2022
Automatic For The People
R.E.M.
I think I preferred Green to this, but there’s still a lot to like here. Excellent lyrics and the melodies are engaging.
4
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Mon Apr 11 2022
The Band
The Band
4
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Tue Apr 12 2022
I'm Your Man
Leonard Cohen
3
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Wed Apr 13 2022
Tanto Tempo
Bebel Gilberto
Waiting room music
2
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Thu Apr 14 2022
Nowhere
Ride
One of those groups I’d heard of but never listened to. I was liking this but it it is too long and a little repetitive. Still, clearly an influential band. I can especially see the line from them to a group like the feelies.
3
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Fri Apr 15 2022
James Brown Live At The Apollo
James Brown
I wouldn’t be interested in listening to this as a studio album, but it’s so fun to hear the crowd going crazy in this. Hard not to enjoy it.
4
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Mon Apr 18 2022
The Message
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
Oh man. I get why this is on the list and understand rap was still in its infancy, but frankly this was preposterous.
2
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Tue Apr 19 2022
Red Dirt Girl
Emmylou Harris
3
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Wed Apr 20 2022
Bitte Orca
Dirty Projectors
Never listened to this album full through. Very much a time capsule of that late aughts early 2010s vibe. Two doves was my favorite.
4
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Thu Apr 21 2022
Grace
Jeff Buckley
3
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Fri Apr 22 2022
Let England Shake
PJ Harvey
Kind of got distracted listening but it’s not bad. A high 3.
3
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Mon Apr 25 2022
Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs
Marty Robbins
The Master’s Call is a bop
4
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Tue Apr 26 2022
Scream, Dracula, Scream
Rocket From The Crypt
Not as bad as the I thought it would be based on the name but still not at all for me. Just scrapes by with a 3.
3
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Wed Apr 27 2022
Happy Sad
Tim Buckley
Very boring. Some ok parts but definitely a slog
2
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Thu Apr 28 2022
In The Wee Small Hours
Frank Sinatra
Obviously a great set of pipes on Sinatra but the pace of this was all off and just didn’t keep my interest.
3
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Fri Apr 29 2022
Ritual De Lo Habitual
Jane's Addiction
What a dumb album. None of these songs needed to be 6 minutes and I would argue this album does not need to exist.
1
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Mon May 02 2022
Ill Communication
Beastie Boys
I’ve never understood the acclaim the beastie boys get. I’ve listened to 3 of their albums and each one is as obnoxious as the last.
2
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Tue May 03 2022
Olympia 64
Jacques Brel
Man, this guy is French af. Amsterdam had me hype, the rest was fine.
3
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Wed May 04 2022
The Chronic
Dr. Dre
Impeccable production. The misogynistic and homophobic lyrics are unfortunate but also not uncommon for rap at this time. Snoop’s energy and authority are a highlight.
4
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Thu May 05 2022
Fun House
The Stooges
Could’ve done without LA Blues but fine otherwise
3
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Fri May 06 2022
1999
Prince
Good not great. I enjoyed the first half better. The second half sort of felt like kraftwerk on an aphrodisiac and was a bit much for me.
4
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Mon May 09 2022
Hotel California
Eagles
I’m not a big fan of the song Hotel California so this didn’t have much for me. Nothing was awful and Wasted Time was pretty good but most of it just felt plastic.
3
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Tue May 10 2022
Junkyard
The Birthday Party
Hm. This was rough. Some ok sounding stuff but this is well beyond post punk if you ask me.
2
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Wed May 11 2022
3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of...
Arrested Development
Never heard of this group. Fun album. Mr. Wendal, U, and Natural we’re faves.
4
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Thu May 12 2022
Debut
Björk
Björk really just does whatever she wants. This didn’t particularly do it for me but I thought There is More to Life Than This was a fascinating song.
3
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Fri May 13 2022
(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd)
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Free bird!
4
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Mon May 16 2022
Golden Hour
Kacey Musgraves
While I don’t think this quite deserves all of the acclaim it gets, it’s a nice pop country album.
4
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Tue May 17 2022
Steve McQueen
Prefab Sprout
3
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Wed May 18 2022
Snivilisation
Orbital
3
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Thu May 19 2022
Beauty And The Beat
The Go-Go's
4
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Fri May 20 2022
Brothers
The Black Keys
Man, everybody in high school was always telling everybody to listen to the black keys. I liked this, but I do feel like it leans heavily on that specific, somewhat distorted sound. Many songs are similar. These Days was my favorite, although I was kind of hoping it would be a cover of the Jackson Browne song.
4
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Mon May 23 2022
Queen II
Queen
I’ll admit I’ve never given Queen a real try, but I’ve never heard a song of theirs and thought, “I want more of this.” So, an album was too much. No desire to hear this again.
2
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Tue May 24 2022
Bluesbreakers
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
4
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Wed May 25 2022
Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche
Koffi Olomide
Not quite a 4 for me but almost. I liked having it on in the background
4
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Thu May 26 2022
Pink Moon
Nick Drake
This gets a 4 for the beautiful and talented guitar playing. It’s not something I’m ever dying to hear but certainly not bad. I’m sure I would like it more if I could understand him half the time.
4
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Fri May 27 2022
Pretzel Logic
Steely Dan
Steely Dan doesn’t really do it for me. It just makes me think I’m back in the car as a kid listening to my dad’s music. Not bad, not something I’ll seek out.
3
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Mon May 30 2022
The Visitors
ABBA
My first real exposure to ABBA. First song was the best and the rest was fine. Just short of a 4 for me.
3
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Tue May 31 2022
Skylarking
XTC
Even though this album loses its way toward the end, I’m gonna give it a 4 because I loved how strange it was. First few songs were great and Dear God was a strong closer. Man, this was a doozy.
4
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Wed Jun 01 2022
I Against I
Bad Brains
Pretty weak. Felt like soft hardcore.
2
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Thu Jun 02 2022
Surf's Up
The Beach Boys
I think I’ve gotta go 5 here. Never listened to this before but I loved it. So much more heft than I’m used to with The Beach Boys. A Fay in the Life of a Tree was my favorite but everything was good.
5
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Fri Jun 03 2022
At Folsom Prison
Johnny Cash
“I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die” - is there a cooler line than this? Is there anything more hardcore than recording a live album in a prison? Answer to both is no. This album rocks.
5
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Mon Jun 06 2022
First Band On The Moon
The Cardigans
3
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Tue Jun 07 2022
Loveless
My Bloody Valentine
A hugely important album whose influence can’t be overstated. Shoe gaze isn’t for everyone but I do think this record is accessible. While this isn’t something I’ll always seek out I’ve gotta go 5. When You Sleep and Sometimes are phenomenal, but the real strength is it’s cohesiveness and style.
5
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Wed Jun 08 2022
For Your Pleasure
Roxy Music
An interesting album with a lot to like, some stuff to dislike. Ultimately an enjoyable listen. In Every Dream Home a Heartache was fantastic
4
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Thu Jun 09 2022
Music in Exile
Songhoy Blues
Loved reading about the backstory of this album, super cool. Of course I wish I could understand the lyrics but this was solid.
4
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Fri Jun 10 2022
Red Headed Stranger
Willie Nelson
Can’t beat this for country. I know a lot of these (most? All?) are covered standards, but this is a tremendous album.
5
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Mon Jun 13 2022
Deloused in the Comatorium
The Mars Volta
I try to be open with music but I struggle to understand why, or frankly even how, someone creates something like this. It felt like a bad trip. I’m sure these guys had some grandiose vision and it all makes sense to them but I detested this album and never want to hear it, or its stupid song titles, again.
1
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Tue Jun 14 2022
O.G. Original Gangster
Ice T
I’m torn between a 3 and a 4 here because this drags way too long but it’s got a lot to say and says it well. Mind Over Matter is some of the best rapping I’ve heard in any early 90s hip hop. Once it got to the hard rock it lost me. I’ll round up to 4 for his work on SVU.
4
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Wed Jun 15 2022
69 Love Songs
The Magnetic Fields
The magnum opus of one of my favorite songwriters. I appreciate this album more each time I listen to it.
I know the length is controversial, but if you go song by song, almost all of good, and many are outstanding. The diversity of the songs helps with listenability while maintaining a cohesive sound. There are too many favorites to list here, but on this listen I was really into Asleep and Dreaming and You’re My Only Home.
I would recommend everyone listen to this album at least twice (doesn’t have to be in one sitting!) Top 15 record for me, maybe top 10.
5
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Thu Jun 16 2022
Go Girl Crazy
The Dictators
This was pretty good, but I think it was mostly due to the covers. A high 3.
3
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Fri Jun 17 2022
Faith
George Michael
Faith is of course a classic, but the rest was too sensual for me. It’s a good sound and I can see why it would be popular but not for me.
3
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Mon Jun 20 2022
The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
This stressed me out, but it had more of an impact on me than jazz usually does so I’ve gotta give it credit.
4
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Tue Jun 21 2022
Phrenology
The Roots
Another old skool rap album that loses its way in the back half. Some excellent rapping here though.
4
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Wed Jun 22 2022
Countdown To Ecstasy
Steely Dan
3
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Thu Jun 23 2022
Sail Away
Randy Newman
God’s song was the only real highlight here for me. Dayton 1903 annoyed me.
3
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Fri Jun 24 2022
Elvis Is Back
Elvis Presley
This was some solid Elvis. That fever cover did it for me.
4
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Mon Jun 27 2022
Untitled (Black Is)
SAULT
I liked a decent chunk of this but disliked a bunch as well. It’s pretty cool sounding but I was ready for it to be over.
3
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Tue Jun 28 2022
Station To Station
David Bowie
4
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Wed Jun 29 2022
I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail
Buck Owens
It’s wild to think of what passed muster lyrics wise back in the day. I certainly didn’t mind listening to this but it’s just so dated it’s hard to take seriously. Just shy of a 4.
3
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Thu Jun 30 2022
Rubber Soul
Beatles
A high 3. I think a lot of this sounded pretty generic but it wasn’t bad. Some good hooks. Nice little song about killing a woman for not liking you to close it out.
3
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Fri Jul 01 2022
Vespertine
Björk
Björk lives in that low to mid 3 territory for me. Most of this indistinguishable from her other stuff. I did think Unison was excellent.
3
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Mon Jul 04 2022
Veckatimest
Grizzly Bear
I don’t think I knew this band wrote Two Weeks. This album does have that 2010s indie sound - fleet foxes, dirty projectors, arcade fire - but it does have some of its own personality. My favorite was While You Wait For The Others. A light 4.
4
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Tue Jul 05 2022
OK
Talvin Singh
While I didn’t have the best time listening to this album, I think as background music it would be fine so it lands on the 3 spot
3
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Wed Jul 06 2022
Manassas
Stephen Stills
Quite long but I won’t hold that against it. My biggest complaint is that the style of this album was all over the place, but the songs were actually quite solid.
4
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Thu Jul 07 2022
All Hope Is Gone
Slipknot
I have to admit, this way better and more palatable than I expected. I didn’t think there would be an alt rock vibe to it. It still has many problems that most metal poses to me - mainly anxiety and overwrought, weird kid at school lyrics. A high 2.
2
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Fri Jul 08 2022
Like A Prayer
Madonna
Title track is a certified banger but I feel like the rest just can’t live up to it. Still, some solid pop.
4
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Mon Jul 11 2022
At Newport 1960
Muddy Waters
This was cool. Pretty wild to imagine seeing muddy waters play hoochie coochie
4
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Tue Jul 12 2022
Court And Spark
Joni Mitchell
As pleasant as an album can be. Not something I’d reach for again, especially not being on Spotify, but glad I heard it. High 4.
4
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Wed Jul 13 2022
Talking Book
Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder is another one of those artists that just makes me think of being bored listening to my dad’s music in the car as a kid. His voice is too smooth for me. Still, this is a great album. Obviously Supedstition is a classic but my fave is Blame It On The Sun.
4
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Thu Jul 14 2022
BEYONCÉ
Beyoncé
I remember when this came out and the world lost its collective mind. Gotta give this album credit for its impact, but nobody can deserve as much hype as Beyoncé receives. There’s a decent amount of filler here in between the hits. Maybe I’d feel different if I watched the videos along with it. I don’t know, just didn’t do it for me. My faves were the ones everyone knows.
3
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Fri Jul 15 2022
In The Court Of The Crimson King
King Crimson
3
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Mon Jul 18 2022
Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
3
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Tue Jul 19 2022
Djam Leelii
Baaba Maal
3
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Wed Jul 20 2022
Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul
Otis Redding
Love this voice. A nice, quick listen.
4
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Thu Jul 21 2022
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
Not sure why there’s so much PJ Harvey here. I thought this was fine.
3
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Fri Jul 22 2022
If You're Feeling Sinister
Belle & Sebastian
This was a game changer for me when I first heard it (probably ‘08 or ‘09). A soft spoken album with a lot to say. me and the Major and Get Me Away are the classics but there are no bad tracks here. An ungenerous take could dismiss this as meek twee, but the execution is nearly flawless and it’s hugely influential.
5
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Mon Jul 25 2022
Endtroducing.....
DJ Shadow
Seems pretty important. Lot of good beats. I’d do a 3.5 but just can’t give it a 4.
3
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Tue Jul 26 2022
Ctrl
SZA
Nice easy listening. This wasn’t a revelation for me or anything but very good.
4
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Wed Jul 27 2022
The Rising
Bruce Springsteen
This was fun to listen too, if a bit saccharine and Budweiser-y. Kind of lost its way in the middle but picked up at the end. You’re Missing was my fave
4
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Thu Jul 28 2022
Life's Too Good
The Sugarcubes
These writers are thirsty for Björk. Not for me.
2
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Fri Jul 29 2022
Synchronicity
The Police
The second half won me over
4
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Mon Aug 01 2022
Entertainment
Gang Of Four
Never listened to this whole album before. The hits are great and the rest is solid. Maybe a little repetitive - they really leaned on that opening strummy rift - but a quality album.
4
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Tue Aug 02 2022
Yank Crime
Drive Like Jehu
2
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Wed Aug 03 2022
The Sun Rises In The East
Jeru The Damaja
3
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Thu Aug 04 2022
S&M
Metallica
Not a big heavy metal guy so this was exhausting for me. But, production is great for a live album, I like the idea of a symphony with heavy metal, and appreciated the energy.
3
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Fri Aug 05 2022
Rumours
Fleetwood Mac
4
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Mon Aug 08 2022
Femi Kuti
Femi Kuti
Very fun, a little long
3
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Tue Aug 09 2022
Timeless
Goldie
Long, boring, and repetitive with no standouts. I usually give this kind of music some leeway but this was just rude.
1
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Wed Aug 10 2022
Music for the Masses
Depeche Mode
I like the style but the execution is a little flat and disappointing. Songs by themselves are fine.
3
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Thu Aug 11 2022
Raw Like Sushi
Neneh Cherry
Buffalo stance is very very good but the rest of this was kind of ridiculous
3
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Fri Aug 12 2022
Songs From The Big Chair
Tears For Fears
The hits hit and the rest is fine. A high 3
3
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Mon Aug 15 2022
Thriller
Michael Jackson
While I do think that Thriller, Beat it, and Billie Jean is one of the best trio of consecutive pop songs in history, to me the rest of the album just isn’t consistent enough to get to a 5. Still very very good. Sorry!
4
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Tue Aug 16 2022
Rapture
Anita Baker
Only able to listen to some of the songs on this due to Spotify licensing but I got the gist. Pretty good but nothing stood out.
3
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Wed Aug 17 2022
Underwater Moonlight
The Soft Boys
I liked this but just shy of a 4. Opening track is by far the best but I also liked Insanely Jealous of You. Some interesting punk-ish elements.
3
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Thu Aug 18 2022
Illmatic
Nas
About as good as 90s NY hip hop gets. Savage and consistent.
5
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Fri Aug 19 2022
Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Wow this was so much better than The Birthday Party. Real Tom Waits energy. Had it on in the background which maybe helped. I’d like to listen to it again more closely. As of now a high 3.
3
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Mon Aug 22 2022
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Hard to get too excited about this. None of it is particularly interesting. At least there’s some variety. Scrapes by with a 3.
3
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Tue Aug 23 2022
Fuzzy Logic
Super Furry Animals
This was wild. I liked it though. Frisbee was my favorite - great riff
4
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Wed Aug 24 2022
Being There
Wilco
Such high caliber song writing. A little long but it doesn’t really let up. Red-eyed and Blue is an amazing song title. Not quite a 5 but Wilco will get one.
4
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Thu Aug 25 2022
good kid, m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar
I mean, come on.
5
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Fri Aug 26 2022
American Pie
Don McLean
I forgot that American Pie was 9 minutes. A fun song but definitely the main reason this album is on the list. I liked Everybody Loves Me Baby a lot too. Took a strange turn at the end.
3
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Mon Aug 29 2022
Time Out
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
3
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Tue Aug 30 2022
The Contino Sessions
Death In Vegas
This was cool. Had a massive attack vibe but more lively. Not sure when I’d listen to it again but glad I did.
4
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Wed Aug 31 2022
The Wall
Pink Floyd
Ugh I don’t know. Musically I liked a lot of these songs, especially the ones with some dancey elements. Mother is my favorite. But the concept of the album itself I found overwrought. The album is too long. Maybe drugs would help. Kind of at a 3.5 but I guess I’ll round up.
4
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Thu Sep 01 2022
Low-Life
New Order
Great album. Not many of their big hits on this one but just really solid and also a little different. More instrumental and darker. Definitely want to listen again. Love Vigilantes and Face Up were my faves. A high 4.
4
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Fri Sep 02 2022
Tigermilk
Belle & Sebastian
More of a feminist text than an album. It doesn’t quite compare to Sinister, but still a lot to like. Electronic Renaissance and I Don’t Love Anyone we’re the highlights.
4
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Mon Sep 05 2022
Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Very good, not quite for me so will fall short of a 5 but a lot of good songs. Why does he say Julio like that?
4
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Tue Sep 06 2022
Machine Head
Deep Purple
Not really for me. Smoke on Water is fun if course, but also it’s so overplayed maybe I should hate them for it.
3
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Wed Sep 07 2022
Moon Safari
Air
This was interesting!
4
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Thu Sep 08 2022
16 Lovers Lane
The Go-Betweens
Excellent album. Love Goes On is the obvious standout but the whole thing is chill and consistent. I’m All Right is another fave. A high high 4.
4
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Fri Sep 09 2022
The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
Eaaaasy 5. An absurd number of hits on this one. My favorite is probably I Know It’s Over. Morrissey may be an asshole but he knows how to write a lyric and I love his voice. If I had to choose I’d say the Smiths self titled slightly edges this out but they are both magnificent.
5
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Mon Sep 12 2022
In It For The Money
Supergrass
An unnecessary, aimless Oasis knockoff
2
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Tue Sep 13 2022
The Wildest!
Louis Prima
Obviously dated but pretty fun.
4
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Wed Sep 14 2022
The Köln Concert
Keith Jarrett
Can’t say I particularly enjoyed this but it sounded nice.
3
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Thu Sep 15 2022
Cee-Lo Green... Is The Soul Machine
Cee Lo Green
Bouncy as hell and pretty unique. The One was good. I think this falls just shy of a 4 but a worthwhile listen.
3
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Fri Sep 16 2022
Astral Weeks
Van Morrison
Kind of a snooze. I feel like this needs to be listened to in a meadow somewhere. Nice sounding but every song sounds the same and his vocalizing gets to be a bit much.
3
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Mon Sep 19 2022
Actually
Pet Shop Boys
Some good beats, but this was a little too disco and repetitive. I preferred Very.
3
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Tue Sep 20 2022
Leftism
Leftfield
3
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Wed Sep 21 2022
If I Should Fall From Grace With God
The Pogues
A classic. Title track, Turkish Song, Fairytale, and Lullaby of London are all phenomenal. The expanded edition is a little long, but all of the extra songs are good (especially those Dubliners collabs). Worms was weird.
As a whole, this is unique, brash, confident, energetic, and gorgeous. May not be for everyone but definitely a record everyone should listen to.
5
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Thu Sep 22 2022
Every Picture Tells A Story
Rod Stewart
Solid. I’ve never listened to Rod Stewart but this was not what I expected. A lot of heart and good musicianship. Maggie May was my favorite.
4
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Fri Sep 23 2022
Superunknown
Soundgarden
Not for me but fine.
3
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Mon Sep 26 2022
Cheap Thrills
Big Brother & The Holding Company
This is just on here for Piece of My Heart, which, fair. A lot of the other tracks had the feeling they were made up on the spot. A cool time capsule I guess. My favorite part was at the end when the guy was promoting “The Who, from England”
3
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Tue Sep 27 2022
Black Holes and Revelations
Muse
Not bad. I liked Starlight a lot. Other than that it was pretty good if a little self serious. A high 3.
3
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Wed Sep 28 2022
Bongo Rock
Incredible Bongo Band
For an instrumental album I was actually liking this a lot. Very groovy. Unfortunately it was just too long which drops it to a 3
3
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Thu Sep 29 2022
Chemtrails Over The Country Club
Lana Del Rey
This was interesting. Pretty gutsy for a huge pop star to release something so stripped down. I’ll round up to a 4.
4
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Fri Sep 30 2022
Young Americans
David Bowie
I’ve been enjoying the Bowie on the list in general but this is a bit of a dud. Not bad and has some good moments but by the end it felt a little one-note.
3
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Mon Oct 03 2022
Pyromania
Def Leppard
Fun classic rock. It really my style. High 3.
3
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Tue Oct 04 2022
A Northern Soul
The Verve
Another mediocre Brit alt rock album. At least this one was really long.
2
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Wed Oct 05 2022
Chirping Crickets
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
That’ll Be The Day gets this to a 3. I’m sure the whole thing is very influential but too dated to get really into.
3
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Thu Oct 06 2022
Life Thru A Lens
Robbie Williams
Getting real tired of this british alt rock. I guess this was fine.
3
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Fri Oct 07 2022
Live At The Star Club, Hamburg
Jerry Lee Lewis
Gotta give it up for the energy. I do think it’s funny how relieved the crowd was when he played great balls of fire. All of these are the same song but it’s a fun 20 minutes.
3
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Mon Oct 10 2022
Shake Your Money Maker
The Black Crowes
I liked the production on this a lot and thought the kind of country/hard rock fusion was interesting and pretty unique. Unfortunately the songs themselves were nothing too special and I got pretty bored in the back end.
3
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Tue Oct 11 2022
KIWANUKA
Michael Kiwanuka
This was really refreshing. Something new and different. First track was my favorite but I loved the whole thing. Soul and folk! What a combo.
4
View Album
Wed Oct 12 2022
New Wave
The Auteurs
Maybe I was just relieved after listening to pantera but I’ll be generous and go with a 4 here. Solid Brit pop.
4
View Album
Thu Oct 13 2022
Mama's Gun
Erykah Badu
I respect her voice and musical talent but this whole thing fell flat for me and I didn’t enjoy it at all. Too smooth, no real hooks, and far too long. Need more structure.
2
View Album
Fri Oct 14 2022
3 + 3
The Isley Brothers
Infectious and funky. That lady is by far the best but the whole thing is good. A high 4.
4
View Album
Mon Oct 17 2022
Your New Favourite Band
The Hives
One of the global reviews said this was a less good and more punk version of the strokes and I couldn’t get that out of my head. Obviously the hives are earlier and deserve some credit for influence but it does kind of sound like something that’s just not ready yet. Not a bad listen though.
3
View Album
Tue Oct 18 2022
Sunshine Superman
Donovan
A classic sound, but the title track and season of the witch were the only songs I really liked. The rest was too quiet for me.
3
View Album
Wed Oct 19 2022
Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
Maxwell
Soul just really isn’t my jam. This was fine but I got pretty bored by the end.
3
View Album
Thu Oct 20 2022
Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
A disappointment. I used to like Linkin Park a lot and was hoping this would be a rush of nostalgia but it was all so overwrought it was hard to enjoy.
2
View Album
Fri Oct 21 2022
Queen Of Denmark
John Grant
I went from thinking this was fine, to bad, to quite good. It grew on me once I settled into the vibe. Love the brutally honest lyrics and clean sound.
4
View Album
Mon Oct 24 2022
Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
I’ve never been fully able to understand the breathless acclaim this album and frank ocean in general got. People lost their minds over this and I think in a way it does it a disservice because it’s almost impossible to live up to that kind of hype. His voice is gorgeous and the production is unique and impeccable but a lot of the songs themselves miss the mark for me. This is a great album but falls just short of a 5. Wish I could’ve heard it before I heard about it.
4
View Album
Tue Oct 25 2022
Birth Of The Cool
Miles Davis
3
View Album
Wed Oct 26 2022
No Other
Gene Clark
Funny to read that this was so critically eviscerated when it came out. Very inoffensive and some pretty solid tracks. Nothing that made me think twice though. A high 3.
3
View Album
Thu Oct 27 2022
Gris Gris
Dr. John
Reminds me of my time down in the bayou. But for real, this is so insane that it’s good. Not something I’d reach for often but something everyone should listen to.
4
View Album
Fri Oct 28 2022
The Renaissance
Q-Tip
Never listened to Q-Tip’s solo stuff. This was good! More rap focused but still kind of funky
4
View Album
Mon Oct 31 2022
Parklife
Blur
A lot of good songs here but the album is just a bit too long and all over the place. To The End was good.
3
View Album
Tue Nov 01 2022
Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand
Another one that’s just here for a single song. Take me out is good but the rest kind of sounds generic.
3
View Album
Wed Nov 02 2022
Let It Be
The Replacements
A classic. Starts out more fun and punk and then Westerberg starts showing of his songwriting chops. Androgynous was way ahead of its time and Unsatisfied (a top 20 song for me) proves that raw emotion and simple lyrics can do wonders. The back end of this album just does not let up. Seen Your Video and Answering Machine are other highlights.
5
View Album
Thu Nov 03 2022
I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
Richard Thompson
I feel like this is really close to be something I would like but I don’t quite get it. Maybe it’s just a bit too folk. Not bad but a little repetitive. Down Where the Drunkards Roll was my favorite - preferred the quieter tracks.
3
View Album
Fri Nov 04 2022
Exile On Main Street
The Rolling Stones
Yeah, this is really good.
5
View Album
Mon Nov 07 2022
NEU! 75
Neu!
Good to listen to in the background. I thought the first half was really beautiful and interesting and the second half was not as good.
3
View Album
Tue Nov 08 2022
Wild Wood
Paul Weller
Did not feel a single emotion listening to this.
3
View Album
Wed Nov 09 2022
Honky Tonk Heroes
Waylon Jennings
A fun, accessible album. It sounds great for being released in the 70s. Ain’t no God in Mexico was great but enjoyed the whole album.
4
View Album
Thu Nov 10 2022
Want Two
Rufus Wainwright
Did not love this. It was kind of interesting and none of it was really bad but it got tiring after a while. Low 3.
3
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Fri Nov 11 2022
At San Quentin
Johnny Cash
I get such a kick out of these. San Quentin was so good and his crowd work is admirable.
4
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Mon Nov 14 2022
Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Never been able to get into the peppers. I find their swings between quasi-rap and super mellow to be disorienting. Clearly talented musicians and capable of writing good songs, but other than the hits there’s very little in this album that I’d like to revisit. High 3.
3
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Tue Nov 15 2022
Hunting High And Low
a-ha
I was hoping there would be some deep cut in here that blew me away but I guess Take On Me is their hit for a reason. The rest was fine but bland. I did think And You Tell Me was pretty good.
3
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Wed Nov 16 2022
Made In Japan
Deep Purple
Ugh. Way too much jamming in the back half.
2
View Album
Thu Nov 17 2022
Scott 4
Scott Walker
2
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Fri Nov 18 2022
Highway to Hell
AC/DC
While I think this album pushes the intro verse chorus verse chorus solo chorus pattern to its absolute limit, it is undeniably fun. The first chords and drum beat of the title track are like candy. A lot of cringey lyrics but I had a good time.
4
View Album
Mon Nov 21 2022
The La's
The La's
I remember liking this more, but now it sounds like just one more of the many ok britpop albums on this list. There She Goes is of course good and one of my favorite songs about heroin but nothing else stood out to me.
3
View Album
Tue Nov 22 2022
The Rise & Fall
Madness
Listened on YouTube. It’s pretty silly overall. Our House is not quite enough to get this over a 3 but it’s not bad. Pretty sure there’s blackface on the album cover.
3
View Album
Wed Nov 23 2022
Supa Dupa Fly
Missy Elliott
I think I’m getting a little fatigued with the early 90s hip hop/r&b so this review might be slanted. The album is fine, nothing blew me away.
3
View Album
Thu Nov 24 2022
A Date With The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers
Hmm, a tough one. I don’t think this is something I’d revisit often but I appreciate the brevity and Love Hets is a classic and Cathy’s Clown is actually fantastic and sounds like something that could have come out recently. So based on those 2 I’ll give it a light 4.
4
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Fri Nov 25 2022
Highway 61 Revisited
Bob Dylan
One of the best offerings from one of America’s best songwriters. Like a Rolling Stone is overexposed but still great. Ballad of a Thin Man is a kafkaesque masterpiece, and Queen Jane Approximately is gorgeous. As a whole, it just works.
5
View Album
Mon Nov 28 2022
Sign 'O' The Times
Prince
I felt like there was a lack of urgency here. The first half of this is so sparse I kind of forgot it was playing. Nothing bad but just kind of long. Could Never Take the Place was very good.
3
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Tue Nov 29 2022
Either Or
Elliott Smith
I really need Elliott to stop whispering. It’s a hurdle I just can’t get over and basically ruins his music for me. Still gets a 3 for songwriting.
3
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Wed Nov 30 2022
Kimono My House
Sparks
Pretty strange, kind of heard a queen influence but I liked this more than the queen we’ve heard. Altogether pretty down the middle.
3
View Album
Thu Dec 01 2022
Surfer Rosa
Pixies
Less accessible than Doolittle - they really explored a more experimental, noisy vibe here. That didn’t stop them from making Gigantic and Where is My Mind which are some of their greatest hits. Still, other than those 2 I don’t think the rest of the album has quite enough to get to a 5.
4
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Fri Dec 02 2022
Risque
CHIC
I understand why it’s here but that doesn’t mean I’m happy about it. High 2.
2
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Mon Dec 05 2022
Hot Fuss
The Killers
Catchy as hell and gave us Mr Brightside so it fully deserves to be on the list. It’s like Nee Order for the modern age. I think the b side loses its way a tiny bit but an excellent listen. High 4.
4
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Tue Dec 06 2022
Morrison Hotel
The Doors
Didn’t get too much out of this but liked the sound. High 3.
3
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Wed Dec 07 2022
Rid Of Me
PJ Harvey
Hi PJ
3
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Thu Dec 08 2022
Brutal Youth
Elvis Costello
I feel like this album demonstrated how influential Costello is in modern music. Really enjoyed it.
4
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Fri Dec 09 2022
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John
Never got too into Elton but never had a problem with him either. This is good but I don’t have much to say about it. Social Disease was my favorite.
4
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Mon Dec 12 2022
3 Feet High and Rising
De La Soul
Kind of disappointing. Eye Know is such an amazing song but the rest was way stranger than I expected and not in a good way. It’s a fun sound when they’re rapping by altogether this didn’t do much for me.
3
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Tue Dec 13 2022
Coat Of Many Colors
Dolly Parton
This hits. Title track was great.
4
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Wed Dec 14 2022
The Cars
The Cars
Just What I Needed is such a bop but the rest of the album didn’t really captivate me at all and I was ready for it to be over.
3
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Thu Dec 15 2022
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Smashing Pumpkins
M exposure to the pumpkins has mostly been through their hits. I’ve been meaning to check this album out but have felt daunted by the length. It is quite good. They switch it up the pace and style a decent amount which is imperative for such a big record, but as a whole it has a cohesive sound. Corgan is a weirdo but his lyrics, when discernible, are powerful. I didn’t love the heavy metal aspects but appreciate the texture they added. Other than the singles, my faves were Love and Bodies.
4
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Fri Dec 16 2022
Ten
Pearl Jam
Tough. Thought a lot of the songs were pretty good but I just get so tired of his voice. Why Go had sick guitar. Not sure if ever listen to it again though. High 3.
3
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Mon Dec 19 2022
Blackstar
David Bowie
This gets that Bowie 4. Lazarus was really cool and I dug the kind of chilling quality of the whole thing.
4
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Tue Dec 20 2022
Lust For Life
Iggy Pop
I’ve sat on this and I just don’t think I can give an album that has The Passenger anything less than a 5. Not that the rest is bad, in fact it’s quite good. But man oh man is that a good song. So this gets the elusive light 5.
5
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Wed Dec 21 2022
Roger the Engineer
The Yardbirds
Interesting if confusing mix of styles here. I liked I Can’t Make Your Way but as an album it’s a bit all over the place.
3
View Album
Thu Dec 22 2022
Fishscale
Ghostface Killah
Ghostface is such a technically talented rapper that I don’t even need to like his songs that much to enjoy listening. The skits are a bit much but I think the content makes up for it. Loved the biggie feature at the end. Big Girl was my favorite.
4
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Fri Dec 23 2022
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
Kind of hard to rate this since it’s a collab of old standards but man this goes hard for a Christmas album.
4
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Mon Dec 26 2022
The Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd makes me feel weird because I feel like I’m missing something. I don’t understand why this album is such a cultural touchstone. Not that it’s bad. Time is my favorite track because stuff actually happens. Yeah, I don’t know. Light 4.
4
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Tue Dec 27 2022
My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts
Brian Eno
I want to give this a 1 but I’ll be kind because I understand what it’s trying to do. Still, I kind of disagree with this being classified an album at all. It’s two incredibly talented and creative artists exploring something new. Unfortunately the end result is more academic than enjoyable. Low, low 2.
2
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Wed Dec 28 2022
L.A. Woman
The Doors
I was really not in the mood for this, especially since there was a very similar doors album not too long ago. Not sure why both are needed and I liked Morrison Hotel more. High 2.
2
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Thu Dec 29 2022
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
This is peak Dylan right? He’s firing on all cylinders. Blowin in the Wind, Hard Rain, Don’t Twice, and one of my personal faves Talkin World War III Blues which has maybe my favorite line on the album: “I’ll let you be in my dream if I can be in yours - I said that”.
5
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Fri Dec 30 2022
This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
This was great. Kind of dragged a little bit at the end but man oh man what an A Side. Need to get more into Costello because each album I listen to I feel like I’m seeing more and more how influential he was on artists I like. High 4.
4
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Mon Jan 02 2023
Fragile
Yes
Not for me but not bad. There was a riff in Mood for a Day that I really liked.
3
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Tue Jan 03 2023
Fuzzy
Grant Lee Buffalo
Reminded me of an American Oasis. Reverb was doing a lot of heavy lifting here. Overall felt like it was taking itself too seriously. Didn’t get much out of it but sounded fine.
3
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Wed Jan 04 2023
Marquee Moon
Television
Excellent album. For me it doesn’t quite have the oomph to get to a 5 but I love the sound of it overall. High 4.
4
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Thu Jan 05 2023
High Violet
The National
Excellent album. Beautiful, Dirgey, nice production, great lyrics.
4
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Fri Jan 06 2023
The Last Broadcast
Doves
Way too long but not bad. There Goes The Fear was good. I do think there are far too many of these kinds of similar sounding albums though. High 3.
3
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Mon Jan 09 2023
We Are Family
Sister Sledge
We Are Family is a classic but this album is not good. I don’t think disco is really meant to be in album form. Light 3.
3
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Tue Jan 10 2023
Hounds Of Love
Kate Bush
This got pretty weird by the end but the first 2 tracks are good enough to secure the cuatro. The whole thing kind of felt like a musical.
4
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Wed Jan 11 2023
Shalimar
Rahul Dev Burman
lol, sure why not. Ny first extended exposure to this kind of music. Not bad but hard to get into.
3
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Thu Jan 12 2023
Bossanova
Pixies
Haven’t heard this one before. Really good! It seems more focused than their other stuff - not as much experimenting but a lot of catchy intros. The Happening was my favorite.
4
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Fri Jan 13 2023
If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears
The Mamas & The Papas
Man, California Dreamin is a great song. The rest was not bad - some was pretty catchy. I assume this was pretty influential so it gets a light 4.
4
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Mon Jan 16 2023
Here, My Dear
Marvin Gaye
This kind of music isn’t really for me. It seemed intentionally repetitive and oh so slow. Also read an article once about how horrible of a husband Marvin Gaye was so it’s hard for me to feel any sympathy for him that he had to pay alimony. High 2.
2
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Tue Jan 17 2023
Like Water For Chocolate
Common
Kind of a miss for me. The first half was disorienting and hard to get into. At least in the second half the songs were more focused. Too long. Light 3.
3
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Wed Jan 18 2023
Nighthawks At The Diner
Tom Waits
In general, I think I want to like Tom Waits more than I do. In this particular case, I get the vibe he’s going for but it falls flat. I was fine with it in the background but know I won’t be able to get through it on a focused listen.
2
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Thu Jan 19 2023
Tuesday Night Music Club
Sheryl Crow
3
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Fri Jan 20 2023
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
The Kinks
This I liked. Good 60s sound and some fun riffs. I feel like the Kinks sound different every time I hear them. Victoria, Shangri-La, and Arthur were my faves.
4
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Mon Jan 23 2023
Virgin Suicides
Air
Man that first song was dope. The rest was solid enough. I didn’t even realize this was a soundtrack while listening. Well done. Light 4.
4
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Tue Jan 24 2023
Parachutes
Coldplay
Yellow is the hit off of this for a reason. Everything else kind of blurred together.
3
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Wed Jan 25 2023
Mask
Bauhaus
A combination of Joy Division, Bowie, and Nick Cave. This was wild. A decent amount to like and dislike so I’ll call it a push. Title track was probably my favorite.
3
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Thu Jan 26 2023
Safe As Milk
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
Some ok stuff at the beginning but the second half was a muddy, masturbatory slog.
2
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Fri Jan 27 2023
Rattus Norvegicus
The Stranglers
Pretty good but way too long for a punk album. Go Buddy Go was great.
3
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Mon Jan 30 2023
Elephant
The White Stripes
Didn’t realize before how influenced the black keys were by the white stripes. Pretty crazy this came out in ‘03!
Jack White is obviously one of the greats when it comes to guitar. His songwriting I can take or leave but overall this is a really solid album with more than a few flashes of greatness. I enjoy the fuzzy sound.
4
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Tue Jan 31 2023
Greetings From L.A.
Tim Buckley
Can’t say I enjoyed this very much. Terrible voice. High 2.
2
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Wed Feb 01 2023
Teenager Of The Year
Frank Black
Wow this was fantastic. I’d heard Calistan before but there were so many bops. He managed to keep his craziness while also churning out some really catchy stuff. Lot of heft here. Secures the 5.
5
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Thu Feb 02 2023
Crazysexycool
TLC
As a whole this is not for me but it’s really well executed and there was some excellent rapping on this. The Andre appearance and Waterfalls gets it to a light 4.
4
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Fri Feb 03 2023
Mermaid Avenue
Billy Bragg
Great idea for an album and they pulled it off. It’s interesting how Billy Bragg can sound so Americana.
4
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Mon Feb 06 2023
A Girl Called Dusty
Dusty Springfield
Started out with some bangers but this got old pretty quick. Great voice tho.
3
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Tue Feb 07 2023
Oedipus Schmoedipus
Barry Adamson
Shocked this reached 51 on the UK charts. Mostly nonsense. Sweet Embrace was ok.
2
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Wed Feb 08 2023
Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs
Derek & The Dominos
My brain felt like it was melting by the end of this but the individual songs are good so I guess light 4?
4
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Thu Feb 09 2023
Street Signs
Ozomatli
Despite sounding like the soundtrack of a Fast and Furious movie, I have to say this was a fun listen. Obviously I didn’t understand it but it’s catchy as hell.
4
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Fri Feb 10 2023
Power In Numbers
Jurassic 5
This was fun and good. Excellent rapping
4
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Mon Feb 13 2023
Lady In Satin
Billie Holiday
Oof, no disrespect to the queen but this was a complete snooze. Glad to be Unhappy was good.
2
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Wed Feb 15 2023
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
OutKast
Kind of torn. Very long and too many skits. But it gave us Hey Ya and Roses. It was also able to keep getting me back in every time I started tuning out. Interesting concept but still not sure they needed to release this as one record. Light 4.
4
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Thu Feb 16 2023
Bubble And Scrape
Sebadoh
I remember my brother listening to Sebadoh after he got into dinosaur jr in high school. I liked a few of their songs but not much else and that kind of holds true here.
I’m not a fan of noise for noise’s sake, so a lot of this album didn’t really do it for me. ‘Soul and Fire’ and ‘Homemade’ were the only real highlights
3
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Fri Feb 17 2023
Ellington at Newport
Duke Ellington
I like jazz but don’t know much about it, so it’s hard for me to tell what’s “good”.
I liked listening to this but could’ve done without the extended introduction.
3
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Mon Feb 20 2023
The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem
The lyrics and skits on this album have aged like milk, but you can’t deny the raw talent and production quality here. I have to admit I was even bopping my head to the wildly homophobic ‘Marshall Mathers’. ‘Kill You’, ‘Stan’, and ‘The Real Slim Shady’ are standouts
4
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Tue Feb 21 2023
Be
Common
Never listened to Common before but I really dug this. No particular songs stood out but the album as a whole solid mid 2000s rap. Bouncy but had heft. The vintage Kanye is an added bonus.
4
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Wed Feb 22 2023
Ananda Shankar
Ananda Shankar
Pretty neat but instrumentals can only do so much for me. Light my Fire and Raghupati were fun. I’ll keep this album in mind if I do any psychedelics.
3
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Thu Feb 23 2023
Truth And Soul
Fishbone
Very little to like about this for me. Somehow both repetitive and disjointed.
2
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Fri Feb 24 2023
Superfuzz Bigmuff
Mudhoney
I’m sure that Nirvana is on this list, so I don’t know why I would also need to listen to this before I die. As an album though it’s decent. Mudride, If I Think were good.
3
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Mon Feb 27 2023
A Love Supreme
John Coltrane
Very nice to listen to. I’m sure I’d give it a 5 if I knew more about jazz.
4
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Tue Feb 28 2023
Off The Wall
Michael Jackson
It’s strange to listen to this album alone in an apartment. From the sound of it, it set the tone for the 80s and I’m sure it’s had a huge influence on pop. On its own though it didn’t quite hit the pleasure center in my brain that great pop should. Maybe I’d enjoy it more on the dance floor.
3
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Wed Mar 01 2023
Revolver
Beatles
I’ll admit I’m cynical when it comes to the beatles, but cynicism only goes so far. This album slaps. Starts off strong with tax man, which is almost proto-punk. Eleanor rigby is eerie and beautiful. Yellow submarine, an objectively ridiculous song, somehow isn’t out of place. For no one is also a highlight. Just a great piece of work.
5
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Thu Mar 02 2023
Blue Lines
Massive Attack
I appreciate what these guys set out to do, and the originality and influence of this album. Overall though, the execution is slightly off and felt one-note. I found myself checking to see when it would end. Five Man Army was decent.
3
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Fri Mar 03 2023
The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter
The Incredible String Band
Another “influence” album. Overall too british for me. I guess I could see myself listening to it again on a walk in the woods or something. A very cellular song was my fave.
3
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Mon Mar 06 2023
Led Zeppelin IV
Led Zeppelin
Classic rock. Would probably give it a 4 if I didn’t hate Robert Plant’s voice.
3
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Tue Mar 07 2023
The Specials
The Specials
If you like ska, you have to like this album. As someone lukewarm to it at best, I found the middle of this album to be a little hard to get through. A Message to You Rudy is of course the best song by far and a bop.
Doesn’t Make it All Right and the unfortunately titled Little Bitch were also decent. Would listen to again if I was feeling like a rude boy.
3
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Wed Mar 08 2023
Very
Pet Shop Boys
Very close to giving this a 5, but just a bit top heavy and didn’t quite stick the landing. This is one of those bands I’ve heard of a bunch but never actually listened to. Great album overall. You can see the influence on bands like the magnetic fields. A Different Point of View was my fave.
4
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Thu Mar 09 2023
Bright Flight
Silver Jews
I’m a big silver jews fan, but I have to admit I was surprised (though not upset) to see this on the list. I think I’d only listened to it once before. It’s probably their 3rd or 4th best album, so does that mean the others will be here as well?
This is no American Water, but it’s a great album. Berman was one of the greatest lyricists of all time and his low voice complements the sleepy country vibe perfectly. This album gets better as it goes. I Remember Me, Tennessee, Friday Night Fever, and Death of an Heir of Sorrows are fantastic.
4
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Fri Mar 10 2023
Roxy Music
Roxy Music
I had to start listening to this album again after finishing it yesterday because I couldn’t decide if I liked it. I got about halfway. It’s certainly not bad and it’s got a cohesive vibe and is interesting. Kind of at a 3.5 but gonna round down because it just doesn’t have the it factor
3
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Mon Mar 13 2023
Pornography
The Cure
God, this was a bummer. I’m glad I listened to it because I’d never heard true goth music before, and it’s fascinating to hear how different the cure was (how did this same band put out just like heaven two albums later?), but it’s not for me. The unchanging drum beat made it difficult to distinguish between songs, which I’m sure was intentional but ultimately resulted in a wall of gloom with no real payoff. I’ll stick with joy division for my mopey tunes.
2
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Tue Mar 14 2023
Here's Little Richard
Little Richard
These are all the same song!
2
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Wed Mar 15 2023
No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live)
Motörhead
As far as live albums go this is pretty good. It’s fun but Motörhead gets repetitive to me
3
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Thu Mar 16 2023
Pacific Ocean Blue
Dennis Wilson
Even though they’re different, this reminded me of the Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter. Both are pretty and create their own little world, but the music itself didn’t move me.
Spotify only had the 2 CD deluxe version so I’m not sure how much of this was on the original release so that may cloud my score. Holy Man was by far my favorite and I also really liked the instrumental outro in Time.
3
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Fri Mar 17 2023
Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts
The Adverts
A solid, energetic Brit punk album. I don’t think of heard of these guys before and glad to have listened to it.
4
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Mon Mar 20 2023
It's Blitz!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
I guess this is indie dance pop? Whatever it is it’s well executed here. I feel like I’ve heard Heads Will Roll dozens of times and never knew it was the yeah yeah yeahs. Skeletons, Hysterics, and Little Shadow were my faves. Excellent album cover.
4
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Tue Mar 21 2023
Figure 8
Elliott Smith
I’ve never gotten into Elliot Smith, but I’ve also never really tried to (maybe because liking Elliot Smith would be too painfully on brand). His talent as a songwriter is undeniable, and you can hear his influence on artists like Alex G. There aren’t any bad songs on this album but it was still underwhelming. The first 2 tracks were my favorite and after that it was fine to listen to but nothing great. I expect to feel more emotions listening to such an emotional album.
3
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Wed Mar 22 2023
Winter In America
Gil Scott-Heron
A pretty slow start but fine, and then H2O Gate Blues gets this to a 4. It’s fun once you accept that it’s more spoken word than music.
4
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Thu Mar 23 2023
Low
David Bowie
I liked this a lot more this time around than I did when I first heard it a while back. More of a vibe than an album, but in a good way. Refreshing. Sounds and Vision was great.
4
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Fri Mar 24 2023
MTV Unplugged In New York
Nirvana
Liked this a lot. It must have been sad hearing this right after he died. There’s a decent number of covers but I don’t mind that, especially in a live album.
4
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Mon Mar 27 2023
Cross
Justice
4
View Album
Tue Mar 28 2023
Let's Stay Together
Al Green
I feel like this album was mostly just included for the title track, which is fair - it’s a great song. The rest of it didn’t really move the needle for me.
3
View Album
Wed Mar 29 2023
2112
Rush
I thought this would be a drag but pretty interesting. It’s not something I’d likely seek out again but I can see why people like it. Would give it a 3.5 but rounding down for Geddy Lee’s voice.
3
View Album
Thu Mar 30 2023
Wonderful Rainbow
Lightning Bolt
My main issue with this is I don’t know if it’s good for what it is. That said, I liked this more than I thought I would. Parts were unpleasant, but overall it felt like there was structure which I appreciated. I’m glad I heard it but unlikely I’ll listen to it again. On Fire was my favorite.
3
View Album
Fri Mar 31 2023
Disraeli Gears
Cream
Was hoping to like this more. Overall it was fine but a lot of the songs just felt like they were missing something.
3
View Album
Mon Apr 03 2023
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Glad to get some old school in the mix. I loved the beats throughout and some of the Latin influence, but the rapping was pretty lackluster even by 90s standards.
3
View Album
Tue Apr 04 2023
Melody A.M.
Röyksopp
Was liking this but it really fell off halfway through. Really a 2.5 but I’ll round up to keep my 3 streak alive.
3
View Album
Wed Apr 05 2023
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
Ray Charles
Just so boring. I can’t do 75 minutes of slow, repetitive love songs without something to break it up. Those strings are going to haunt me in my sleep. I’d be happy to listen to any of these songs on their own but I never want to hear this album again.
2
View Album
Thu Apr 06 2023
Tapestry
Carole King
Solid.
4
View Album
Fri Apr 07 2023
Tragic Songs of Life
The Louvin Brothers
A year or two ago I would’ve given this a 2, but I’ve come to really appreciate country/Americana so this worked for me. Also a pretty interesting album title for the 50s.
4
View Album
Mon Apr 10 2023
(What's The Story) Morning Glory
Oasis
It’s impossible to separate this from the cultural baggage of wonderwall but I tried. This isn’t bad at all but feels a little self important to me somehow. A little long.
3
View Album
Tue Apr 11 2023
Elephant Mountain
The Youngbloods
The first track had me really excited but then it kind of fell into that generic 60s sound. Worth a listen but nothing I’m dying to hear again.
3
View Album
Wed Apr 12 2023
Lady Soul
Aretha Franklin
I don’t find this kind of music particularly interesting, but I’ll give it a 4 on the strength of Frankin’s voice, which is astonishing. Aint no way was my favorite
4
View Album
Thu Apr 13 2023
Marcus Garvey
Burning Spear
First reggae since I’ve come aboard and it’s refreshing. This is great, but I like the sound of most reggae so it’s kind of like jazz for me where I have a hard time telling the good from the bad.
4
View Album
Fri Apr 14 2023
Live / Dead
Grateful Dead
I don’t think it’s out of line to give this a 3. I respect the musicianship and there’s a lot to like in this (dark star and the eleven were highlights), but jamming loses a lot of its charm when it’s recorded, and the dead lose a lot of their charm when you’re sober. Is an 8 minute song if feedback really necessary? I’m sure this would wonderful to see live but as an album listening experience it left a lot to be desired.
3
View Album
Mon Apr 17 2023
Stardust
Willie Nelson
A solid offering from willie. It’s hard to get to excited since it’s all covers, but nice to listen to.
4
View Album
Tue Apr 18 2023
Tommy
The Who
Let’s get this out of the way: rock operas are dumb. The story is usually so thin and vague that it becomes meaningless, and they seem to be an excuse for artists to write ranging songs with no melody.
This is my second time listening to Tommy and I still just don’t get it. If you take each song on its face, none are very good and many are asinine. Why is pinball mentioned in like 3 songs? Does Tommy play pinball? Do I care? I understand why this is on the list but it’s just not for me.
2
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Wed Apr 19 2023
From Elvis In Memphis
Elvis Presley
I’m torn between a 3 and a 4 here. Long Black Limousine is by far the best track imo, but is a cover. Kentucky rain was also good. The rest are solid. I’ll go with a 4 because I recently saw the bio pic.
4
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Thu Apr 20 2023
Eliminator
ZZ Top
Fun and ridiculous, if a bit repetitive. I can’t take ZZ Top seriously. They sound like a parody of themselves.
3
View Album
Fri Apr 21 2023
Killing Joke
Killing Joke
3
View Album
Mon Apr 24 2023
The Stooges
The Stooges
This was good. First two tracks are standouts but I was also fascinated by how dark We Will Fall was. Will listen again.
4
View Album
Tue Apr 25 2023
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Bruce Springsteen
Excellent album. Probably more of a 4.5 for me but I’ll round up in honor of all the Bruce heads in this group.
5
View Album
Wed Apr 26 2023
Jagged Little Pill
Alanis Morissette
This is similar to what’s the story morning glory in that it’s cultural reputation precedes it. On its own though, there’s a lot to like here. I enjoyed the bouncy vibe of the opening track and the brutal honesty of You Oughta Know. I feel like there’s something Dylanesque about a lot of the songs. Head Over Feet was my favorite.
4
View Album
Thu Apr 27 2023
Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle
Bill Callahan
I’ve listened to some Smog before but I don’t think I’ve heard Callahan’s self titled stuff. This is pretty pared down, almost trance-like at times. Reminded me of Willie Nelson a bit. You could argue it gets a bit dull but I think the song writing is strong and ultimately it’s a really nice album to listen to.
4
View Album
Fri Apr 28 2023
Django Django
Django Django
This felt long and I was surprised that it was only 50 minutes. That said I didn’t dislike it. Might have to give it another listen.
3
View Album
Mon May 01 2023
Miriam Makeba
Miriam Makeba
Really cool vocal work. Unlikely I’ll listen to it again but glad I heard it.
3
View Album
Tue May 02 2023
Funeral
Arcade Fire
A great album I’ve never paid much attention to. Hard to believe it came out in ‘04. Wake Up famously made the trailer for Where the Wild Things Are look good and the first track is a classic. My faves were Crown of Love and Rebellion.
4
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Wed May 03 2023
In Rainbows
Radiohead
It’s Radiohead so I feel like there’s very little I can add to the conversation. As an album it’s cohesive and eerie. It’s missing the oomph to make it a 5 for me but great nonetheless. All I Need, Reckoner, Videotape are the faves.
All I need
4
View Album
Thu May 04 2023
Microshift
Hookworms
Interesting listening to this the day after In Rainbows. I’m no Radiohead super fan but compared to yesterday this album feels completely outmatched. Other than that though there’s nothing really wrong with it. I liked The Soft Season.
3
View Album
Fri May 05 2023
Celebrity Skin
Hole
I don’t really believe in “guilty pleasure” music, but if I have any this is it. The second Hole album I’ve heard and the second one I’ve really enjoyed. No one’s doing anything particularly innovative here and it is painfully 90s, but I’m a sucker for raw lyrics.
4
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Mon May 08 2023
Reggatta De Blanc
The Police
Message in a Bottle gets this to a 4. Rest of the album is good enough.
4
View Album
Tue May 09 2023
The Beach Boys Today!
The Beach Boys
I don’t see why this needs to be on the list when we know Pet Sounds will be making an appearance. Do You Wanna Dance and Help Me Rhonda are classics and rightfully so, but the other songs seem stuck in the 50s, even though this came out in 65. Songs about how your sister’s boyfriend better be nice to her and how you’re too young to get married (??) feel like they belong on a kidz bop album
3
View Album
Wed May 10 2023
Group Sex
Circle Jerks
This album’s brevity is it’s strong point. I don’t necessarily mean that as an insult - I think it encapsulates the essence of hardcore punk. It wouldn’t make sense for this to be 40 minutes. Music wise this was fine, though I’d rather be listening to some early replacements.
3
View Album
Thu May 11 2023
Bryter Layter
Nick Drake
There’s just something about Nick Drake’s voice that drives me crazy. I don’t think this album is bad but I didn’t really get anything out of it.
3
View Album
Fri May 12 2023
Duck Rock
Malcolm McLaren
I did not really enjoy listening to this. I appreciate the ambition, but music is hard enough without trying to cover all these genres. Feeling 2.5 but I’ll round up Buffalo Gals.
3
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Mon May 15 2023
Street Life
The Crusaders
Good background music
3
View Album
Tue May 16 2023
Hunky Dory
David Bowie
The highs are so high but the b sides just don’t cut it to get it to a 5. Great listen overall though. Excellent production. I’m sure others will have more to say as I’m relatively unfamiliar with Bowie
4
View Album
Wed May 17 2023
With The Beatles
Beatles
Another album where the b sides take away from it. Hard to grade this since half the songs are covers and I feel like out of the originals and covers, it was 50/50 in terms of what I enjoyed. Would this be on the list if the artist had a different name? Hard to say. Ultimately though a worthwhile and mostly enjoyable listen.
4
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Thu May 18 2023
The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
Let’s take a moment to appreciate the audacity it requires to write a song about telling your child that you murdered their mother. It’s insane. This album is high energy, crass, violent, infectious, and could not be made today. Like the MM LP, from a rapping and production standpoint it’s impeccable. He just seems to be having so much fun and is so self aware that I don’t see how you can’t like it. My favorite is I’m Shady, where he breaks down some of the braggadocio from earlier in the album. I don’t think this beats out MM LP (which I regret not giving a 5), so this gets a 4.
4
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Fri May 19 2023
The Downward Spiral
Nine Inch Nails
I don’t know who the audience is for this but it sure ain’t me. Hurt is of course a classic but doesn’t make up for the aimless cacophony of the first hour.
2
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Mon May 22 2023
The Bones Of What You Believe
CHVRCHES
I think it’s saying something that I’ve heard most of these songs out in the wild before. Maybe a bit repetitive but overall a strong album of quality pop
4
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Tue May 23 2023
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Better than I expected. A lot of the guitar was impressive. Definitely not my thing but certainly understand its presence on the list.
3
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Wed May 24 2023
Damaged
Black Flag
The list is in a mood this week. Can you imagine seeing these guys live? I have a soft spot for punk but this is a bit too angry for me. TV Party is an iconic song but this falls just short of a 4.
3
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Thu May 25 2023
Face to Face
The Kinks
This was good. Even though it’s long it kept up the pace and didn’t really have any lulls. Had that nice 60s sound. I do wish the production was more consistent - the mix of mono and stereo tracks was a bit jarring. Party Line, Queen of Darkness, Sunny Afternoon, and Mr Reporter were the faves.
4
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Fri May 26 2023
Clube Da Esquina
Milton Nascimento
Foreign music can be tough for me since I’m very much a lyric guy, but I was really digging this. Unfortunately it was way too long and really dragged at the end.
3
View Album
Mon May 29 2023
Green
R.E.M.
Really good. This is the best REM record I’ve heard but I feel like it’s not as talked about as Murmur or Automatic.
4
View Album
Tue May 30 2023
Bayou Country
Creedence Clearwater Revival
That voice will always do it for me. CCR stayed in their comfort zone for this one but that’s good enough.
4
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Wed May 31 2023
Playing With Fire
Spacemen 3
This was cool. Never heard of this group but a few of these songs sounded familiar. A more intense Spiritualized. Side note: I really wish artists/Spotify would publish original track listings for all albums. Lord Can You Hear Me was my fave.
4
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Thu Jun 01 2023
Locust Abortion Technician
Butthole Surfers
Ignoring the terrible name, I don’t like music that seems to come from a place of pure derision, which this does. Sounds like a bunch of smart asses trying to be edgy. I’d much rather listen to Minutemen.
2
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Fri Jun 02 2023
Blood On The Tracks
Bob Dylan
Maybe not my favorite Dylan album but excellent. Idiot Wind, You’re Gonna Make Me Lonely, and Rosemary are my favorites - just classic Dylan spitting bars.
4
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Mon Jun 05 2023
Are You Experienced
Jimi Hendrix
4
View Album
Tue Jun 06 2023
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
What a classic. God Save the Queen, Seventeen, and Anarchy in the UK is such a devastating 1 2 3 combo.
5
View Album
Wed Jun 07 2023
Nilsson Schmilsson
Harry Nilsson
This was fine. I don’t think I’d ever heard Coconut in its entirety before and it is fun, if maybe a bit appropriative.
3
View Album
Thu Jun 08 2023
Since I Left You
The Avalanches
Ehh, this is the kind of electronic that does nothing for me. It’s scattered and feels like an MF Doom album without the rapping. Frontier Psychiatrist was ok.
2
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Fri Jun 09 2023
A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Coldplay
So much baggage with Coldplay. This is not bad, but it does kind of feel like they hit on a formula for a song and have been riding it ever since. The Scientist is better than Clocks. This would be a good 3.5.
4
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Mon Jun 12 2023
Neon Bible
Arcade Fire
I question the need for this album in addition to Funeral because I don’t think there’s much of a difference in tone, but that’s a well documented comment on this list. Still, it’s a good album.
4
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Tue Jun 13 2023
Catch A Fire
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Can’t beat the vibes on this one.
5
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Wed Jun 14 2023
Trio
Dolly Parton
This was fun. I imagine this collab turned heads when it came out. Wildflowers was my favorite.
4
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Thu Jun 15 2023
Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes
Never listened to this full album before. You can hear a lot of influence in it today. Sort of proto folk punk? Besides the obvious blister in the sun, I really enjoyed Prove My Love and Good Feeling.
4
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Fri Jun 16 2023
Oar
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
This was insane. I was going to say that a lot of this sounded like he forgot he was recording, but after reading the Wikipedia article it seems like that was actually the case. There were a handful of decent songs (Weighted Down was the highlight) but overall this is not good. Apparently he thought they would edit and flesh this out. Not sure why they would choose to release it as is.
2
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Mon Jun 19 2023
The College Dropout
Kanye West
Listening to this, you can’t help but sigh and wonder where it all went wrong. This is a fantastic album and it’s not even his best work. The sampling is out of this world, the rapping is clean, smart, and funny. Jesus Walks is a classic, but imo it does kind of foreshadow his later Christianity overload. Still, a triumph.
5
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Tue Jun 20 2023
More Songs About Buildings And Food
Talking Heads
This falls just shy of a 4 for me. I’m just never really in the mood for talking heads. The Big Country was my favorite.
3
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Wed Jun 21 2023
Floodland
Sisters Of Mercy
I liked this much more than Pornography. Still gothic but had that new wave vibe. Pretty cool. 1959 was my favorite.
4
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Thu Jun 22 2023
Fifth Dimension
The Byrds
This was good, but as an album it felt all over the place.
3
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Fri Jun 23 2023
Tellin’ Stories
The Charlatans
Fine? A worse oasis but whatever.
3
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Mon Jun 26 2023
Pearl
Janis Joplin
Solid album. Mercedes Benz is such a dry, clever song. Get it While You Can was my favorite.
4
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Tue Jun 27 2023
Unknown Pleasures
Joy Division
What an album. Disorder is one of the strongest debut songs of all time. Those drums, the live wire bass line, the lyrics - outstanding. New Dawn Fades, She’s Lost Control, and Shadowplay is a killer sequence. The only thing you can ding this album for is its bleakness - it’s not something you want to listen to on a sunny day. But that’s part of the fun. Essential listening, easy 5.
5
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Wed Jun 28 2023
Rhythm Nation 1814
Janet Jackson
It’s crazy how much she sounds like Michael Jackson here. I enjoyed the first third of this album, got a little tired of it the middle third, and thought the last third was unnecessary and boring and kind of weird.
3
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Thu Jun 29 2023
São Paulo Confessions
Suba
3
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Fri Jun 30 2023
Home Is Where The Music Is
Hugh Masekela
Good, but runs up against my jazz 3 star wall.
3
View Album
Mon Jul 03 2023
Surrealistic Pillow
Jefferson Airplane
Other than the famous singles, I found this pretty dull. I do really like those singles though so I’ll give it a 4.
4
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Tue Jul 04 2023
Metallica
Metallica
As a yankee fan I will always have fond memories of Mariano Rivera walking to the mound with Enter Sandman playing. Plus it’s a great song. The rest of this album, especially the second half, does not live up to it. So many of the songs sounded identical and the lyrics were trying too hard imo. Not much interest in hearing this again front to back.
3
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Wed Jul 05 2023
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
I liked this better than the black album, but it still suffers from some of the same problems (mainly repetitiveness). Good guitar playing. Self titled track was my favorite.
3
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Thu Jul 06 2023
Definitely Maybe
Oasis
Liked this better than what’s the story, although it’s similar enough to not really be necessary on this list. Supersonic and Married with Children were the faves.
4
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Fri Jul 07 2023
The Man Who
Travis
It’s UK week I guess. This was fine, but Slide Show was the only track that really caught my attention.
3
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Mon Jul 10 2023
Melodrama
Lorde
When it comes to pop I don’t think it gets much better than this and that’s why it gets a 5. Exceedingly listenable, excellent production, lyrics on point, and it doesn’t feel too long or repetitive which is my gripe with most pop albums. One note is that Green Light is an odd choice for an opening song - it’s so big it feels like a closer. But other than that this is a strong album that elevates the genre.
5
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Tue Jul 11 2023
White Blood Cells
The White Stripes
Never heard this one before. I liked the production. Songs were pretty uniform with the exception of We’re Gonna Be Friends. Would do 3.5 but I’ll round up.
4
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Wed Jul 12 2023
Mott
Mott The Hoople
Based on the album cover I was worried this was going to be another prog rock album, so I was pleasantly surprised when it started. A really nice, pretty low key sound. To me this felt like a 65/35 bob dylan/kinks fusion, and I may be crazy but some of it reminded me of parquet courts. Overall a good listen if maybe a bit derivative. Whizz Kid, I’m a Cadillac, and I Wish I Was Your Mother were my favorites.
4
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Thu Jul 13 2023
Sunday At The Village Vanguard
Bill Evans Trio
3
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Fri Jul 14 2023
Diamond Life
Sade
I can see why this is popular but not for me. A high 3.
3
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Mon Jul 17 2023
Stand!
Sly & The Family Stone
This was more serious than I thought it would be. I sometimes get a little exhausted by funk but I think this had a good balance and wasn’t too long. Everyday People and Sex Machine were my faves.
4
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Tue Jul 18 2023
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
The Flaming Lips
I enjoyed the ambitious yet stripped down nature of this. Kind of surprised it came out in ‘02. Seems more modern. Not sure if they were influenced by Grandaddy but I heard a lot of them in this. Do You Realize was my favorite.
4
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Wed Jul 19 2023
We're Only In It For The Money
The Mothers Of Invention
If you wanna spoof the Beatles I’m all for it, but you’ve got to have some actual music to back it up. About half of this album was sped up spoken word and it got tiresome.
2
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Thu Jul 20 2023
Remain In Light
Talking Heads
While I do think Once In A Lifetime is overplayed, this album is pretty solid. My complaints about Byrne’s voice and delivery still hold but this was fun enough to warrant a 4.
4
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Fri Jul 21 2023
Dance Mania
Tito Puente
3
View Album
Mon Jul 24 2023
Five Leaves Left
Nick Drake
I think this has been my favorite Nick Drake so far. A solid listen for a walk.
4
View Album
Tue Jul 25 2023
Head Hunters
Herbie Hancock
I liked this a lot. According to the track listing it was not remastered, which would make the production that much more impressive. Opening track was my favorite. Just a good, funky jazzy time. A high 4.
4
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Wed Jul 26 2023
Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
This was fine but didn’t do anything for me. I do think it must have influenced Tracy Chapman since Fast Car came out 3 years later. An interesting 80s acoustic sound.
3
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Thu Jul 27 2023
Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
The Radiohead influence is big in this one. I think I need to listen to this again in a different setting than a commute. For now it’s a high 3 but could be a 4.
3
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Fri Jul 28 2023
Screamadelica
Primal Scream
This was pretty good. I zoned out a bit listening to it because I was working but it got my attention a few times. Gonna go with a light 4.
4
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Mon Jul 31 2023
Murmur
R.E.M.
Overall an impressive debut. I’m never dying to hear R.E.M but I never mind it either. Not my favorite of theirs that I’ve heard but really solid.
4
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Tue Aug 01 2023
My Aim Is True
Elvis Costello
One of the funniest opening lines there is. This is a very good album that falls just shy of a 5 for me.
4
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Wed Aug 02 2023
In A Silent Way
Miles Davis
Didn’t really have an effect on me but no complaints.
3
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Thu Aug 03 2023
Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge
Mudhoney
Does Mudhoney need two albums on this list? No. But I found this album much better and more accessible than their previous entry here. The solo in Broken hands was sick. A lot of gave me Dinosaur Jr vibes. Seems like they were contemporaries. A solid rock album.
4
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Fri Aug 04 2023
Lam Toro
Baaba Maal
Not bad, listened in the background which I think was a good call.
3
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Mon Aug 07 2023
Sea Change
Beck
At times felt a little boring, but ultimately I liked this. Beck’s lyrics were actually relatable. Lost Cause was by far the fave.
4
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Tue Aug 08 2023
Illinois
Sufjan Stevens
Long, but a lot of slaps on this. Listening to this today it sounds like so much else out there, but coming out in 2005 this must’ve influenced a lot of 2010s indie folk.
4
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Wed Aug 09 2023
Step In The Arena
Gang Starr
This was dope. Solid bars all around. Check the Technique was the highlight. Doesn’t quite have the oomph for a 5 but close.
4
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Thu Aug 10 2023
Back In Black
AC/DC
Some great tracks here. Not everything works but Back in Black followed by You Shook is killer. Hell’s Bells is a strong opener. Other than that a lot of the songs kind of blend together. Nothing is bad but it all follows such a formula. Angus Young is fantastic; Brian Johnson’s shrill voice gets to be a bit much. In the 5th grade I would’ve given this an easy 5. Listening to it now it’s close, but not quite there.
4
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Fri Aug 11 2023
Scott 2
Scott Walker
Im realizing that albums have an entirely different rating system when I listen to them on a walk vs in the background while working. This was on in the background which saved it. Pretty strange. I can hear notes of influence on Stephin Merritt. Black Sheep Boy was good. Just gets to a 3.
3
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Mon Aug 14 2023
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Beatles
I’ll give this a 4 so Marty doesn’t get mad at me, but this didn’t do much for me. First 3 tracks are great. Rest of the album isn’t bad at all but I don’t see the big deal. I’ll give it credit for being interesting.
4
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Tue Aug 15 2023
Exodus
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Can’t beat the vibes. Marley learned how to churn out the hits here.
5
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Wed Aug 16 2023
Drunk
Thundercat
I don’t deny the talent here, but I was bored by the end of it. I wished it was a Kendrick album.
3
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Thu Aug 17 2023
On The Beach
Neil Young
Really liked this. Chill but heartfelt and an excellent album cover. High 4 right now but could get to a 5. A shame he isn’t on Spotify.
4
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Fri Aug 18 2023
Yeezus
Kanye West
I unironically love Bound 2. This album is such a departure from dark twisted fantasy but it’s refreshing. It’s both sparse and claustrophobic. Blood on the Leaves goes so hard. I can’t quite get to a 5 on it but high high 4.
4
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Mon Aug 21 2023
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Really nice listen. Judy Blue Eyes was my favorite but no real bad tracks. A good one to let wash over you.
4
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Tue Aug 22 2023
Aftermath
The Rolling Stones
Kind of mid tbh. I question if this would be in the list we’re it not a RS album. Not bad though. Under My Thumb is great.
3
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Wed Aug 23 2023
Modern Kosmology
Jane Weaver
This found its footing as it went on. I really loved the transition into Lightning Back. Also appreciated the concept of electronic folk. 3.5 but I’ll round up.
4
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Thu Aug 24 2023
Out of Step
Minor Threat
Gets the punk 3.
3
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Fri Aug 25 2023
Ace of Spades
Motörhead
Title track is fun and the rest gets a little exhausting. I’ve never really understood the huge appeal.
3
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Mon Aug 28 2023
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
Not quite a 5 but close. Candy Says, Pale Blue Eyes, Beginning to See the Light, After Hours - a lot to love here. VU eased back on the throttle but still put out a fantastic record with some of their biggest hits.
4
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Tue Aug 29 2023
You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen
Second time listening to this and I liked it a lot more. It’s a sad album but sure-footed. Love his voice. Treaty was my favorite I think but this is better as an album than any track.
4
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Wed Aug 30 2023
Hearts And Bones
Paul Simon
Not bad but didn’t do much for me. The song writing is good but his soft voice gets tiresome. Kind of felt like he was phoning it in with the song about cars.
3
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Thu Aug 31 2023
Different Class
Pulp
I’m enjoying this kind of music more and more lately. Disco 2000, Feeling Called Love, and Underwear were standouts. Torn between 3 and 4 but I’ll round up
4
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Fri Sep 01 2023
Palo Congo
Sabu
Pretty sparse. Fine listening in the background. Might be a 2 if I was listening to it on a walk
3
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Mon Sep 04 2023
Toys In The Attic
Aerosmith
Walk This Way and Sweet Emotion saved this one. Not a big Aerosmith fan.
3
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Tue Sep 05 2023
Van Halen
Van Halen
You Really Got Me is fun, the rest is whatever.
3
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Wed Sep 06 2023
Heartbreaker
Ryan Adams
Opening track was my favorite. This kind of toed the line between good country and the overly sweet stuff I don’t like as much. I think it lost its way in the middle a bit.
3
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Thu Sep 07 2023
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
John Lennon
Not bad. An interesting mix of styles. Still, very little stood out to me. God was the only song I really liked (and I liked it a lot). Fun fact: John and Yoko sat in the same row as my mom in a movie theater once.
3
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Fri Sep 08 2023
Whatever
Aimee Mann
Big Alanis vibes here, but I would say higher quality song writing. Just a real solid album with clever lyrics throughout. I think Mr Harris was my fave but a lot of good ones.
4
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Mon Sep 11 2023
Bat Out Of Hell
Meat Loaf
Liked this a lot more than I expected. Still a bit cheesy but a lot of really catchy songs and some grit too.
4
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Tue Sep 12 2023
Juju
Siouxsie And The Banshees
Pretty cool. I liked the eerie vibes. A soft 4.
4
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Wed Sep 13 2023
Tubular Bells
Mike Oldfield
It is what it is. Last song was pretty strange.
3
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Thu Sep 14 2023
Kings Of The Wild Frontier
Adam & The Ants
What was going on in the UK in 1981 that this was the best selling record? This had like 2 ok songs and the rest were completely forgettable or actively bad. Just seemed kind of aimless.
2
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Fri Sep 15 2023
Sister
Sonic Youth
I’ve never spent much time with Sonic Youth but enjoyed this a lot. Good mix of rock, punk, and experimental stuff.
4
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Mon Sep 18 2023
Aladdin Sane
David Bowie
Never heard this one but seemed like solid Bowie. He kind of lives in that 4 range for me. Time was very good.
4
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Tue Sep 19 2023
The Low End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest
I’ve got a lot of respect for this album, but musically it’s never stuck with me as One of the Greats. Maybe it’s just because of how hip hop has evolved over time, maybe it’s because of the song Infamous Date Rape (which, why?), but it doesn’t get me going enough to be a 5.
That said, it’s still an excellent, wildly influential album. Excursions is a phenomenal opener and the record doesn’t feel too long which I feel was a big issue in the 90s. I might like Midnight Marauders better.
4
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Wed Sep 20 2023
...Baby One More Time
Britney Spears
It’s Britney Bitch.
This was fine. Other than the first 2 tracks (both bangers) the rest is kind of generic and sounds like scrapped Madonna tracks. Autumn Goodbye was decent. I am also of course not the target audience for this. As a kid there was nothing worse than being accused of liking Britney Spears.
I strongly believe we are the first group of people to listen to Baby One More Time the day after listening to Low End Theory. If my Spotify algorithm wasn’t in shambles before it sure is now.
3
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Thu Sep 21 2023
Dry
PJ Harvey
God, I would love to know what kind of dirt PJ has on these list writers because this is getting out of hand. This was my favorite of her albums we’ve listened to so far - a bit more grungy and velvet underground-y. Plants and Rags was good. Still though, not much different from the other stuff. A high 3.
3
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Fri Sep 22 2023
Orbital 2
Orbital
Idk.
3
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Mon Sep 25 2023
Sheer Heart Attack
Queen
Another odd Queen album. I feel like you really have to be in the mood for this. I did enjoy She Makes Me so I’ll go with a 3.
3
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Tue Sep 26 2023
Hard Again
Muddy Waters
The swag on this is off the charts. Great album title too. Not something I’d likely come back to much but a great listen.
4
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Wed Sep 27 2023
Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches
Happy Mondays
Ah, the kitschy kitschy ya ya song. This did nothing for me. Not sure why we need it here when we’ve also had primal scream.
3
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Thu Sep 28 2023
Among The Living
Anthrax
Wow so cool and deep.
2
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Fri Sep 29 2023
Rum Sodomy & The Lash
The Pogues
I just recently listened to IISFFGWG in the backlog, and after listening to that I immediately listened to this. Happy to listen to it again. I adore this album and play it every St Pats.
The firepower here is insane. You’ve energetic, almost claustrophobic songs like Sick Bed and Sally, and then gorgeous, spacious songs that take their time - Pair of Brown Eyes, Old Main Drag, Man You Don’t Meet, Dirty Old Town, and of course Waltzing Matilda which is an absolute triumph.
5
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Mon Oct 02 2023
London Calling
The Clash
I believe this is the first consecutive 5! This album showed the world that the clash was not just another punk band. Sandinista is really where they get experimental but you can already see them broadening their horizons here. So many hits.
5
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Tue Oct 03 2023
Raw Power
The Stooges
Very cool and good. I listened to both the Iggy and Bowie mixes and both had something to offer. Search and Destroy is sick. I think it loses its way a bit at the end but still a quality listen.
4
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Wed Oct 04 2023
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
Soft Cell
Hm yeah idk about this one chief. Tainted Love is an interesting song because I’m not even sure if I like it or if it’s just so familiar that it feels like a warm blanket.
The album is comically long but there are some decent tracks. Would’ve been better as background music. Say Hello Wave Goodbye, Fun City, and Insecure Me we’re pretty solid. A light, light 3.
3
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Thu Oct 05 2023
Horses
Patti Smith
My second time hearing this and I should probably listen again. As of now I think this is really solid but I don’t quite understand all of the acclaim. I guess it was pretty different at the time and the style has been copied which is why it doesn’t sound like anything that special now. Still, I liked it. The Gloria rendition and Kimberly were my favorites but I think the album is strongest in its entirety
4
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Fri Oct 06 2023
The Healer
John Lee Hooker
Good blues but nothing spectacular. I liked his voice.
3
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Mon Oct 09 2023
White Light / White Heat
The Velvet Underground
I may rethink this but right now can’t go above a 3. I love the title track but the gift is just not musically interesting and sister ray is fine to listen to in the background but so so long. May have been a 4 if I wasn’t listening on an airplane.
3
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Tue Oct 10 2023
Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Kind of all over the place and definitely not my thing but overall fine. Solsbury Hill and Here Comes The Flood we’re my faves.
3
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Wed Oct 11 2023
Vulgar Display Of Power
Pantera
2
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Thu Oct 12 2023
Under Construction
Missy Elliott
Strange how much talk about death there was on such an upbeat album. This was fun. Loved all the features.
4
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Fri Oct 13 2023
Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
Lucinda Williams
This kind of blew me away. The production was phenomenal - really transported me to a sunny, dry afternoon in the country. Top notch songwriting. Can’t think of any reason to go below a 5.
5
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Mon Oct 16 2023
Youth And Young Manhood
Kings of Leon
I need to listen to this again but for now it gets a light 4 mostly based on how strange it was. Not at all what I expected. Pretty cool though.
4
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Tue Oct 17 2023
Dear Science
TV On The Radio
Really solid. It’s got that turn of the decade indie sound but kind of has a dancey feel too it. Interesting lyrics and hooks. I’d heard of tv on the radio before but never listened to them previously. Might check out more of their stuff. Dancing Choose and DLZ were my faves.
4
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Wed Oct 18 2023
Foxbase Alpha
Saint Etienne
This was not at all what I expected based on the cover art. There was a kind of trip hop vibe to it. Pretty unremarkable overall. The lightest of 3s.
3
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Thu Oct 19 2023
Apocalypse Dudes
Turbonegro
Some pretty good tracks but a lot of filler too. Good guitar. I liked the parts where the Norwegian accents were really apparent. Overall fine.
3
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Fri Oct 20 2023
Africa Brasil
Jorge Ben Jor
Not bad, kind of zoned out a bit but good background music.
3
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Mon Oct 23 2023
Superfly
Curtis Mayfield
Incredibly fly. I liked the instrumentals a lot and it’s always good to have a reminder not to deal cocaine. A high 4.
4
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Tue Oct 24 2023
Dr. Octagonecologyst
Dr. Octagon
This felt like a bunch of people trying and failing to imitate mf doom. There was some decent stuff in the beginning but it completely fell apart and was way too long. By the end the bars felt like bad freestyle. High 2.
2
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Wed Oct 25 2023
The Fat Of The Land
The Prodigy
These hour long electronic albums are killers. Would love to know why there are multiple on the list. Still, I think I’m more upset at the list makers than the artist here. This is ok.
3
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Thu Oct 26 2023
Lost Souls
Doves
Not what I expected. A lot of instrumental, almost psychedelic stuff at the beginning, then some oasis copying, and then I thought the back third was not bad. The Man Who Told Everything and The Cedar Room were my faves. Still, would not be on here if they weren’t british.
3
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Fri Oct 27 2023
AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
Ice Cube
I fully understand why this is in the list but on its own this is just not very good. The rapping is juvenile and the beats are lame. Doesn’t help that ice cube is like, pro police now
2
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Mon Oct 30 2023
Billion Dollar Babies
Alice Cooper
Can’t deny that No More Mr Nice Guy is a banger. The rest is pretty fun but not exactly for me. A high 3.
3
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Tue Oct 31 2023
Want One
Rufus Wainwright
Liked this better than the most recent Rufus I listened to. Still not entirely for me but this one felt a little more structured with better lyrics. I liked 14th Street. High 3.
3
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Wed Nov 01 2023
Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes
A pleasant, well constructed album that’s a breath of fresh air after the string of recent picks we’ve had. These guys were huge at the turn of the decade but never really listened to them. Now they’ve been completely overshadowed by their drummer. Some of it is a bit too whimsical and soft for my taste but it’s a solid and thoughtful. Your Protector was my favorite.
4
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Thu Nov 02 2023
All Hail the Queen
Queen Latifah
I forgot Queen Latifah did this. But it was good! Obviously dated but a lot of the rapping was pretty strong and it covered a lot of ground. Cool beats too.
4
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Fri Nov 03 2023
Get Rich Or Die Tryin'
50 Cent
These are all songs I would be hype to hear at a party. They’re dirty and fun. As an album though I think this leaves a lot to be desired. It’s more a collection of singles. Not that everything has to be a concept album, but this felt very long and repetitive by the end. Would be better as an ep. Also, the beat in Back Down made me think something was wrong with my speakers.
3
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Mon Nov 06 2023
Repeater
Fugazi
Need to listen to this again but solid post punk. I always get them and Gang of Four mixed up.
4
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Tue Nov 07 2023
Bandwagonesque
Teenage Fanclub
Excellent album cover and title. These guys sound like a more chill sonic youth and it works. Enjoyed the dreamy vibe. The Concept, Alcoholiday, and Is This Music were my favorites. Light 4.
4
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Wed Nov 08 2023
Freak Out!
The Mothers Of Invention
Ugh. Who is this for? I guess it was slightly better than the last MOI album we had but still unnecessary. If you’re going to make fun of music make better music. Also according to my research Zappa is not at all Latino which makes that voice he puts on kind of messed up. Idk, this whole thing rubbed me the wrong way. Low 2 because I thought 2 songs were ok.
2
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Thu Nov 09 2023
Dig Me Out
Sleater-Kinney
I feel like I would normally give something with this sound a 4 but it’s just missing something. There’s talent and emotion but the energy kind of stays at the same level and desensitized me a bit. My favorite part was when they slowed it down for Not What You Want. Love Portlandia though.
3
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Fri Nov 10 2023
Sweetheart Of The Rodeo
The Byrds
Good stuff. These guys just were all over the place huh? Good thing I’m in a country mood lately. I liked the slower ones a lot.
4
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Mon Nov 13 2023
Da Capo
Love
Is this what Zappa was making fun of? Not my favorite but not horrible.
3
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Tue Nov 14 2023
McCartney
Paul McCartney
Kind of cool that he was trying something new and a little experimental, but I didn’t find this too compelling. Maybe I’m Amazed was the only song that got my attention.
3
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Wed Nov 15 2023
Transformer
Lou Reed
I think I might prefer New York to this one but it’s still great. The sound is influential, the lyrics are taboo-breaking. Walk on the Wild Side is so popular there’s not much new to say about it, but damn that song is good. So cozy. Vicious, Perfect Day, and Satellite are other standouts but this is an excellent record to listen to front to back. High 4.
4
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Thu Nov 16 2023
Alien Lanes
Guided By Voices
We’re heating up this week. The club is open.
This is lo-fi perfection. Pollard has written more albums than many artists have songs, but a lot of them have a good track or two and the rest is filler. Not true here. Salty Salute gets me hype whenever I hear it. Game of Pricks is their most popular song for good reason (in my top 20). There are too many other good ones to list. Yes, there are some throwaways, but I’ve never minded them as they’re short and spaced in between bangers.
As a whole, alien lanes is GBV at or near their best. You’ve got catchy hooks and deliciously strange lyrics and nonstop fun. One of my faves and an easy 5.
5
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Fri Nov 17 2023
1977
Ash
Liked this more than some other britpop we’ve had, although maybe that’s because they’re not actually British and the style is more varied than britpop really enjoyed Girl From Mars. Let It Flow sounded exactly like Weezer. Light 4.
4
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Mon Nov 20 2023
Rock 'N Soul
Solomon Burke
Pleasant if a bit dull at times. I liked You Can’t Love Em All. Overall a decent mix of soul and doo whop. High 3.
3
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Tue Nov 21 2023
Paris 1919
John Cale
Never really got into Cale but I liked what I heard here. Child’s Christmas was a strong opener. The title track sounded familiar and it was good. Half Past France was my favorite - loved the far away, eery sound of it. I imagine this at the more accessible end of his discography. Good listen.
4
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Wed Nov 22 2023
Gentlemen
The Afghan Whigs
I’ve never heard of this group and was skeptical at first but this won me over by the end. Good lyrics and not too soft. When We Two Parted was the first track to make me perk up. Dug the strings in Fountain and Fairfax. My Curse was my favorite - excellent song.
There is something almost post-emo about this even though it came out in the 90s and that makes no sense.
4
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Thu Nov 23 2023
Songs Of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
LC is growing on me a bit. As the title suggests this isn’t really an album - every song ends pretty abruptly before going onto something new. But The Stranger Song; So Long, Marianne; and One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong were all really strong and the rest was good enough if a bit, as Josh would say, samey. Cohen’s talent is clearly as a lyricist and when that coincides with good music I love the result.
4
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Fri Nov 24 2023
Good Old Boys
Randy Newman
Unfortunately my favorite song was also the one where he keeps repeating the n word. I’m kind of torn on Newman. I like his lyrical style at times but can’t really help but tune out as his albums progress. Kind of reminds me of Cohen that way actually. This was not as strong as yesterday though.
3
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Mon Nov 27 2023
A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse
Faces
Good listen but nothing stood out to me. Liked the bluesy rocky vibe. Light 4.
4
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Tue Nov 28 2023
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
A heater to start off the week. This feels so 70s it’s strange to think of it coming out in 89. Love the psychedelic, chill vibe and how off the rails I Am The Resurrection gets.
5
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Wed Nov 29 2023
american dream
LCD Soundsystem
Excellent. Definitely more mellow in their later years but still powerful. Heard Kraftwerk but also some Joy Division. The title track is an earworm, call the police and how do you sleep were my other faves but this is one to listen to straight through. Drags a tiny bit at the end but a heavy 4.
4
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Thu Nov 30 2023
Pet Sounds
The Beach Boys
Well, it’s Pet Sounds. Changed the game. Opener is off the wall, and Sloop John B - God Only Knows - I Know There’s An Answer is an absolutely insane sequence. I do think it’s hilarious how obsessed this group is with getting married.
5
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Fri Dec 01 2023
Smash
The Offspring
Even at the time of my life when I would have been most likely to like the offspring they were never one of my favorites. I feel like they had a handful of songs I liked but didn’t recognize any on this. Self Esteem was pretty good. With a different singer I would like this more as an energetic not quite punk album, but his incessant half yell got very grating to me by the end. Light 3.
3
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Mon Dec 04 2023
Remedy
Basement Jaxx
I don’t know what genre of electronic this is but we’ve heard it a few times and I don’t really like it. The moaning song annoyed me.
2
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Tue Dec 05 2023
Third
Soft Machine
An odyssey. I’m still getting over the audacity it takes to start off an album like that. It straightened out a bit but why wouldn’t I just listen to other jazz?
2
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Wed Dec 06 2023
Inspiration Information
Shuggie Otis
Been mostly disappointed with my listening lately. This was fine. Sweet Thang was good. Probably won’t listen again.
3
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Thu Dec 07 2023
Arrival
ABBA
It’s got Dancing Queen, so there’s that. I don’t doubt the influence of this album but I didn’t get too into this. It’s just so corny! But it’s not bad. High 3.
3
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Fri Dec 08 2023
Dire Straits
Dire Straits
I liked this but no songs stood out to me. Chill though. High 3.
3
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Mon Dec 11 2023
Trans Europe Express
Kraftwerk
Think I’ve gotta go 5 here. It’s just so well executed and influential. Not something I’d reach for every day but I’ve heard this a couple times now and I think it keeps getting better. Europe Endless and the title track are bomb.
5
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Tue Dec 12 2023
Fear and Whiskey
Mekons
Dug this. It reminded me of that song Bug Country and the singer reminded me of the guy from the Pastels. I was lukewarm at first but thought the second half was really strong and had a pretty unique sound. Last Dance was my fave.
4
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Wed Dec 13 2023
The Idiot
Iggy Pop
If this list has taught me one thing it’s that Iggy and Bowie were tight. I liked this. Pretty rough around the edges but it’s interesting to hear something between Fun House and Lust For Life. But I guess this is more of a Bowie record than Iggy record. China Girl was great and Dum Dum Boys.
4
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Thu Dec 14 2023
What's Going On
Marvin Gaye
Second time hearing “the greatest album of all time” and I still don’t get it. Obviously it’s not bad and I guess it must have been influential but it’s so slow and repetitive. Soul just isn’t for me.
3
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Fri Dec 15 2023
Tea for the Tillerman
Cat Stevens
I think Wild World and Father and Son get this a lot a light 4. It’s kind of a soft album but good for a particular vibe. Probably worth a closer listen.
4
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Mon Dec 18 2023
Zombie
Fela Kuti
Good in the background, a little long.
3
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Tue Dec 19 2023
Blur
Blur
This was pretty good and it has the woohoo song. Still, there’s something about it that kept me from fully getting into it. Maybe I’m just exhausted from all the Brit pop so I’m not going to hold that against it too much. Also really liked You’re So Great. Torn but I’ll go with a light 4.
4
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Wed Dec 20 2023
The ArchAndroid
Janelle Monáe
This is a debut album? That’s wild. I enjoyed this but didn’t really attempt to follow the story - maybe on a subsequent listen. I like this more than the first time I heard it. It flows along nicely, gets a little long at the end. Oh, Maker was excellent. And loved the Big Boi appearance on Tightrope. Cool blend of genres. Good stuff.
4
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Thu Dec 21 2023
Odelay
Beck
If I were rating solely on importance and influence this would get a 5. On its own merits it gets a 4 for me. Some of the noise is just a bit too much. But this is something everyone should listen to and the hits are excellent. Really like Lord Only Knows. Where It’s At is a classic.
4
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Fri Dec 22 2023
Solid Air
John Martyn
Could not stand his mumbling voice and this was a little soft for me - put some guts in it! But musically it was interesting. The guitar was impressive.
3
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Mon Dec 25 2023
Machine Gun Etiquette
The Damned
Really liked Just Can’t Be Happy Today but got a little bored by the end. Overall decent.
3
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Tue Dec 26 2023
Come Away With Me
Norah Jones
This would be nice to have on at a party or something but it gets dull pretty quick. Fine
3
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Wed Dec 27 2023
Phaedra
Tangerine Dream
I’m sure this is good for fans of the genre but not for me.
2
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Thu Dec 28 2023
Blue
Joni Mitchell
Interesting that we’ve had the top 3 of the RS list in the past month. This is gorgeous. The way she moves her voice is wild.
5
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Fri Dec 29 2023
Metal Box
Public Image Ltd.
Interesting that this came out the same year as Unknown Pleasures. This reminds me of my least favorite parts of that album though. Fine post punk but a lot of it sounds like he’s singing from the other room.
3
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Mon Jan 01 2024
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Arctic Monkeys
Even though this came out in 06 it brings me back to high school, I guess since that’s when everyone started listening to them. A slightly more rambunctious Black Keys. It’s a really solid album but not as good as AM so I question its place here. A Certain Romance is the standout.
4
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Tue Jan 02 2024
Suicide
Suicide
Getting real sick of sex noises in albums. Cheree was ok but altogether this was pretty bad and borderline upsetting.
2
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Wed Jan 03 2024
Before And After Science
Brian Eno
Not bad but it’s not my thing. Spider and I was the only track I found compelling. Eno is good to have on in the background but the sound gets old to me after a bit.
3
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Thu Jan 04 2024
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
Genesis
Normally I’d give something like this a 3 because overall I thought it was weird but fine, but this is too long to be mediocre. Would love to be there when they decided that they were bursting with so much material that they had to make a 90 minute record. Strange mix of prog sand straight experimental.
2
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Fri Jan 05 2024
Roots
Sepultura
No thanks. There were a handful of somewhat interesting moments but this never stood a chance.
2
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Mon Jan 08 2024
Rocks
Aerosmith
Just can’t get into Aerosmith. It feels like hard rock that’s just going through the motions. But fine.
3
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Tue Jan 09 2024
Boy In Da Corner
Dizzee Rascal
Ah, grime. Britain’s questionable contribution to hip hop. Can’t say I enjoyed this much - hard to understand and whack beats. Kind of funny.
2
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Wed Jan 10 2024
World Clique
Deee-Lite
Props for the most 90s album cover of all time. But let’s be real - this is basically disco with some rapping at the very end. Appreciated that, but I hold to my belief that this kind of music is not meant for the album form. Light 3.
3
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Thu Jan 11 2024
Konnichiwa
Skepta
Like everyone, I was dismayed at the second grime album in two days. But I liked this much better even if I can’t say why. And I was liking it even before the drake knockoffs in the middle of the album. The grime itself was better. Better beats, more understandable. Still nothing in super into though. High 3.
3
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Fri Jan 12 2024
At Fillmore East
The Allman Brothers Band
Better than what we’ve had lately, but I can only hear so many 5+ minute solos before it gets repetitive. Add in the production quality of a live album and this just doesn’t quite make the cut as a great record for me. High 3.
3
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Mon Jan 15 2024
School's Out
Alice Cooper
Not sure what to make of this exactly. Seems like he had an idea for one song and decided to try to make an album of it. Kind of all over the place but nothing terrible. Light 3.
3
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Tue Jan 16 2024
Walking Wounded
Everything But The Girl
Perfectly pleasant to listen to but nothing that made me perk up. Sort of electronic with a hint of trip hop.
3
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Wed Jan 17 2024
Murder Ballads
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
What a strange, strange man. Some beauty mixed with unease. I wish I knew which ballads were original and which were older. At least it was interesting. Death is Not the End was the only song I really liked. Also, this counts as a PJ Harvey album.
3
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Thu Jan 18 2024
The Who Sell Out
The Who
The first 4 of 2024. This is way better than Tommy but I don’t get the huge deal. Maybe because I listened to the mono version and the production is pretty flat. Overall it’s pretty solid and I Can See For Miles is great.
4
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Fri Jan 19 2024
Hail To the Thief
Radiohead
Gonna go with a high 3. It got pretty weird and long by the end and I don’t see why this Radiohead album needs to be included.
3
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Mon Jan 22 2024
Bitches Brew
Miles Davis
On Fridays I usually have the album on in the background while working and was unable to do that with this one at first - there was so much going on that I couldn’t concentrate. It’s not bad and the creativity and talent involved is evident. But like most jazz, it doesn’t do it for me on a deep level. I fully admit I don’t know enough to appreciate this is any real context.
3
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Tue Jan 23 2024
Call of the Valley
Shivkumar Sharma
Perfectly pleasant and excellent production for the time. I do take issue with saying that an instrumental album is “about” anything. To the artist maybe, but how would I ever know this was about a shepherd’s day? Not compelling enough to get to a 4 but a high 3.
3
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Wed Jan 24 2024
Music From Big Pink
The Band
Without The Weight, this would not get a 4. Kind of surprised by how flat it felt. It’s solid, but pretty repetitive and mostly just didn’t do much for me. But man oh man is that a good song.
4
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Thu Jan 25 2024
One Nation Under A Groove
Funkadelic
Not my thing but not bad. That ending was insane. High 3.
3
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Fri Jan 26 2024
Graceland
Paul Simon
This is one of those light 5s. It’s not something that’s got me obsessed but I also can’t fault it for a sigg by le thing and it is excellent. Great blend of styles with a cohesive sound. Wish he clicked for me just a bit more.
5
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Mon Jan 29 2024
25
Adele
Starts of with the best song of the album but the rest is still good. Her voice is just insane and is basically a default 4.
4
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Tue Jan 30 2024
The Atomic Mr Basie
Count Basie & His Orchestra
Some easy Monday morning listening. Old af. The jazz 3.
3
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Wed Jan 31 2024
The Real Thing
Faith No More
Damn this sucked. Low 2.
2
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Thu Feb 01 2024
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
This is another one of those hip hop albums I respect more than I deeply love. It is great - you’ve got a squad of superb rappers going at it - but maybe the production is just a bit too raw for my modern ears. Still, an essential listen. Protect Ya Neck goes so hard. High 4.
4
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Fri Feb 02 2024
1984
Van Halen
Not gonna pretend that Panama and Jump aren’t bangers. The rest does not come close. Still a decent listen though.
4
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Mon Feb 05 2024
Electric Prunes
The Electric Prunes
Ok, but soft an unnecessary on this list. I feel like we’ve heard enough mediocre, vaguely British psychedelic rock.
3
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Tue Feb 06 2024
Infected
The The
I really enjoyed the first The The album on this list, but this not so much. It was dark and sticky, which if executed better could be very interesting but just felt a little out of place for me here. Heartland was pretty good. Low 3.
3
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Wed Feb 07 2024
Rip It Up
Orange Juice
Fun, but ultimately a little frustrating because there were some hints of really good stuff that they couldn’t keep up. Loved the title track and Louise Louise. An interesting listen.
3
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Thu Feb 08 2024
Nevermind
Nirvana
The back third of this album kind of falls off but the beginning is good enough to get the 5. First three tracks are a killer sequence. Can’t get enough of that Come As You Are baseline. I kind of prefer when Kurt stops yelling so much - Polly is a great reprieve to have in the middle. Overall this album doesn’t mean to much for me but it deserves its status as an icon.
5
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Fri Feb 09 2024
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Aretha Franklin
Can’t beat that opener. The rest is also very good but just not my thing. High 4.
4
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Mon Feb 12 2024
A Little Deeper
Ms. Dynamite
Not bad but got pretty repetitive the second half. Interesting how little it seems the US and UK have diverged in this genre.
3
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Tue Feb 13 2024
Fred Neil
Fred Neil
Falls just short of a 4 for me. I appreciate the influence and it’s far from bad but none of the songs really spoke to me, even the big hit. Worth a listen. High high 3.
3
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Wed Feb 14 2024
Hot Shots II
The Beta Band
Pretty interesting. I liked the sparse electronic vibe and the fun accents but felt it went kind of downhill in the second half. It’s possible further listens could get this to a 4 but high 3 for now.
3
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Thu Feb 15 2024
Suede
Suede
Was dreading another britpop album but the first few tracks were killer. The second half seemed aggressively British and got a little boring but it wasn’t bad. Good enough for a light 4.
4
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Fri Feb 16 2024
Electric Music For The Mind And Body
Country Joe & The Fish
Better than I expected but there’s been so much like this on the list and it’s not really my thing. Loved the guitar though. Sad and Lonely Times was really good. High 3.
3
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Mon Feb 19 2024
Your Arsenal
Morrissey
Morrissey is generally going to start out at a 4 for me and imo this album maintained that. Nothing blew me away but I love his voice and he can turn a clever phrase like it’s no one’s business. We’ll Let You Know and the unfortunately titled You’re the One For Me, Fatty were my faves.
4
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Tue Feb 20 2024
Meat Puppets II
Meat Puppets
Pretty sold. I enjoyed the variety of styles but especially the more country tracks. Nothing was really bad I’d say. Light 4.
4
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Wed Feb 21 2024
Heroes to Zeros
The Beta Band
Is this the shortest gap between two albums of the same artist we’ve had? In this case I think it was a disservice because it didn’t have the novelty of the first album for me. It’s not bad but not good enough.
3
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Thu Feb 22 2024
Vento De Maio
Elis Regina
Dug this, wish I could understand it but there was a lot to like regardless. O Trem Azul stood out to me.
4
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Fri Feb 23 2024
S.F. Sorrow
The Pretty Things
If this is one of the first rock operas then I guess I understand its place hear but also they really opened Pandora’s box. Did not try following the story. Overall it was too 60s for me. I did like Loneliest Person.
3
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Mon Feb 26 2024
The Modern Dance
Pere Ubu
This entire album sounded like some weird filler interlude that I would be happy to slog through as part of a better album - maybe velvet underground or pixies. But for that to be the whole thing is just kind of unacceptable.
2
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Tue Feb 27 2024
Copper Blue
Sugar
A quality if somewhat unexciting record. I never really got into husker du but I know they were more hardcore than this. It kind of sounds like Bob Mould was aiming for a more mainstream sound (and maybe even a hit). Got big REM and Long Winters vibes. Hoover Dam was really good. I’ll be listening again.
4
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Wed Feb 28 2024
Live Through This
Hole
This is an excellent record. Not quite a 5 but it probably would be if I was a woman and listened to this in high school. Great commentary and quality riffs. High 4.
4
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Thu Feb 29 2024
Beach Samba
Astrud Gilberto
This was inoffensive enough at first but got really boring and by the end I wanted to claw my eyes out.
2
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Fri Mar 01 2024
Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde
The Pharcyde
Great hip hop album. I’m feeling stingy with the 5s lately but this is close. Sometimes they just play around too much for me. But overall I loved it. Bouncy as hell, quality rapping, and a lot of fun. Soul Flower was my fave. High 4.
4
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Mon Mar 04 2024
Madman Across The Water
Elton John
Elton’s attempt at a country album? First two tracks are classics and the rest is good enough. Got kind of weird with the Indian song. Overall a quality album.
4
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Tue Mar 05 2024
Psychocandy
The Jesus And Mary Chain
First time hearing this full through but I think I’ve gotta go 5. Just Like Honey is a killer debut opener. Love the high pitch noise in several of the songs. The Hardest Walk and Taste of Cindy were other faves. Kind of proto shoegaze. Need to soend more time with it but a great way to start the week.
5
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Wed Mar 06 2024
Moving Pictures
Rush
Not a big fan of Rush but I’m not gonna sit here and pretend Limelight isn’t a great song. Overall though this isn’t for me and I don’t have much to say about it. High 3.
3
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Thu Mar 07 2024
Picture Book
Simply Red
Pretty bad. He seemed to curate the worst parts of 80s music into a mind numbing 45 minutes.
2
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Fri Mar 08 2024
Led Zeppelin II
Led Zeppelin
Never been a big fan of Led Zep and this did nothing to change my mind. Not bad but nothing that made me perk up. High 3.
3
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Mon Mar 11 2024
The Last Of The True Believers
Nanci Griffith
This was fine; doesn’t seem particularly necessary alongside some of the better country we’ve already met with on the list.
3
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Tue Mar 12 2024
American IV: The Man Comes Around
Johnny Cash
It must be tough to let Cash cover one of your songs knowing it can easily eclipse the original. If Cash wrote all these songs it would be a 5, but as it is it’s an excellent album of mostly covers. Hurt is more famous the Trent’s version and I think I like Cash’s version of Bridge Over Troubled Water more than S&G’s. Those two are the highlights for me but it’s all really good.
4
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Wed Mar 13 2024
Is This It
The Strokes
Man, that bass line in the title track gets me every time. Is this a Great Album? It is if you ask everyone I went to high school with. While there’s definitely some filler, I can’t deny that this is an excellent listen. Last Night, Someday, Hard to Explain are the singles for good reason. The album has great pacing and lasts as long as it should. Was torn between a 4 and a 5 but add on that this influenced a whole new wave of bands and it gets to the cinco.
5
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Thu Mar 14 2024
After The Gold Rush
Neil Young
This was strange and I liked it. I’m excited to spend more time with Mr. Young when he comes back to Spotify. Title track was the standout but this seems like one to listen to in full. Liked the pared down sound.
4
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Fri Mar 15 2024
Fly Or Die
N.E.R.D
Awful from the jump. This had no business being an ep, let alone 55 minutes. If you want to jam aimlessly with your buds be my guest but don’t subject me to it. God I hated this.
1
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Mon Mar 18 2024
Bad
Michael Jackson
I think I like this more than thriller. Just all so catchy. Dirty Diana? Get outta here. Liberian girl was the only song that gave me pause but I was into it by the end.
5
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Tue Mar 19 2024
Tidal
Fiona Apple
Ah Fiona. This is much more conventional than her later stuff but still has that out there vibe. By the second half I kind of forgot I was listening to music. Shadowboxing is good. The whole thing is good but it definitely takes its time in a way I don’t completely appreciate. Very high 3.
3
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Wed Mar 20 2024
Beyond Skin
Nitin Sawhney
Well, it’s certainly ambitious. But perhaps the album is not the best format one could choose to expound on nuclear proliferation. There’s some pretty nice sounding stuff in here but it was buried in what almost felt like college reading. The Conference was interesting.
3
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Thu Mar 21 2024
The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden
3
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Fri Mar 22 2024
Dare!
The Human League
Obviously can’t go lower than a 4 for the album with Don’t You Want Me. Also really liked seconds. Is it dated? Absolutely. But it’s also very fun.
4
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Mon Mar 25 2024
21
Adele
To start an album with Rolling in the Deep, end it with Someone Like You, and not have it wane much in between is insane. A pop masterpiece.
5
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Tue Mar 26 2024
Hms Fable
Shack
Aggressively mediocre and would not be on the list if they were not British. Bland lyrics, fine enough music I guess. Light 3.
3
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Wed Mar 27 2024
Mr. Tambourine Man
The Byrds
I respect the byrds and I’m sure a lot of the music I like was influenced by them, but I’ve never fully gotten on board. The jangles start to sound too similar to me after a while. Still, it’s a good listen with some great tracks and covers. Light 4.
4
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Thu Mar 28 2024
Third/Sister Lovers
Big Star
I’ll admit I have a soft spot for Big Star almost entirely because of the song Alex Chilton by the Replacements. This doesn’t have any of the big hits but it is solid. Femme Fatale was really good. Light 4.
4
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Fri Mar 29 2024
evermore
Taylor Swift
Taylor’s lyrical talent is mostly on display here (although multiple tracks referencing someone’s dirty tires is maybe unnecessary) but I feel like the music just wasn’t there. It sounded nice but it was just background. This was almost spoken word poetry. And she’s clearly capable of both so fell a little flat for me. High 3.
3
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Mon Apr 01 2024
Truth
Jeff Beck
Not bad, nothing I’m interested in coming back to though. Also feel a little weird about Rod Stewart singing Old Man River like that.
3
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Tue Apr 02 2024
Younger Than Yesterday
The Byrds
Too much too soon from the bird men if you ask me. This was not as good Tambourine Man but was fine.
3
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Wed Apr 03 2024
Devil Without A Cause
Kid Rock
Fuck this guy and his useless music.
1
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Thu Apr 04 2024
Hot Buttered Soul
Isaac Hayes
It’s good but not for me. Not sure what was going on with that final track.
3
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Fri Apr 05 2024
White Ladder
David Gray
Oh man, opening track was such a dad car song so that brings me back. But also makes it hard to take this seriously. It’s decent, kind of Elton John mixed with Tracy Chapman. High 3.
3
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Mon Apr 08 2024
Closer
Joy Division
Probably doesn’t need to be on the list when we already have Unknown Pleasures, but it’s solid post punk and I enjoyed it. A little more stripped down than their debut.
4
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Tue Apr 09 2024
Warehouse: Songs And Stories
Hüsker Dü
I thought this was pretty good but absolutely did not need to be a double album. Even with 2 songwriters it all started to blend together. But it sounded nice. High 3.
3
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Wed Apr 10 2024
Live At The Regal
B.B. King
Not the biggest fan of blues or live albums but the showmanship here is great. Only could’ve listened to an album of just his patter. Songs were good if repetitive.
4
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Thu Apr 11 2024
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
A Tribe Called Quest
Can I Kick It is a bop but overall I wasn’t feeling this and it didn’t seem necessary after already having Low End Theory. Got kind of bored by the end.
3
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Fri Apr 12 2024
Ghosteen
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
This benefitted greatly from being on in the background but I don’t know man. It sounded nice but was so long. Also what’s with all the Nick Cave on here? Low 3.
3
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Mon Apr 15 2024
Licensed To Ill
Beastie Boys
I mostly despise the beastie boys. I find them boring and obnoxious. Some of the hits are ok and save this from a 1 but man I did not enjoy this and I don’t get the hype.
2
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Tue Apr 16 2024
Lazer Guided Melodies
Spiritualized
I’m a fan. This is not something to listen to whenever but for the right occasion the vibes are immaculate. I prefer Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space but mostly just for that one song. Light 4.
4
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Wed Apr 17 2024
The Undertones
The Undertones
Pretty fun! Kind of Clash meets Specials with some catchy stuff. Here Comes The Summer was great. Light 4.
4
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Thu Apr 18 2024
Brown Sugar
D'Angelo
It’s groovy but my problem with D’Angelo is that I always like the first song or two and the. It just gets too similar. A lot of space in this album. But it sounds great. Kind of torn but think I have to go high high 3.
3
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Fri Apr 19 2024
...The Dandy Warhols Come Down
The Dandy Warhols
Big Oasis vibes I thought. This wasn’t bad. Kind of experimental at times but nothing made me perk up.
3