992
Albums Rated
3.11
Average Rating
91%
Complete
97 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950s
Favorite Decade
Rock-and-roll
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
88
5-Star Albums
60
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Tarkus
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
|
5 | 2.79 | +2.21 |
|
Vincebus Eruptum
Blue Cheer
|
5 | 2.8 | +2.2 |
|
Among The Living
Anthrax
|
5 | 2.85 | +2.15 |
|
Slayed?
Slade
|
5 | 2.88 | +2.12 |
|
Eli And The Thirteenth Confession
Laura Nyro
|
5 | 2.94 | +2.06 |
|
The Coral
The Coral
|
5 | 3 | +2 |
|
Something/Anything?
Todd Rundgren
|
5 | 3.03 | +1.97 |
|
Manassas
Stephen Stills
|
5 | 3.07 | +1.93 |
|
Pump
Aerosmith
|
5 | 3.11 | +1.89 |
|
Rocks
Aerosmith
|
5 | 3.12 | +1.88 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
In Rainbows
Radiohead
|
1 | 3.84 | -2.84 |
|
Kid A
Radiohead
|
1 | 3.71 | -2.71 |
|
Illmatic
Nas
|
1 | 3.61 | -2.61 |
|
To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
|
1 | 3.61 | -2.61 |
|
Illinois
Sufjan Stevens
|
1 | 3.49 | -2.49 |
|
The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem
|
1 | 3.49 | -2.49 |
|
Five Leaves Left
Nick Drake
|
1 | 3.47 | -2.47 |
|
Parachutes
Coldplay
|
1 | 3.46 | -2.46 |
|
Hail To the Thief
Radiohead
|
1 | 3.44 | -2.44 |
|
Amnesiac
Radiohead
|
1 | 3.41 | -2.41 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 7 | 5 |
| Michael Jackson | 3 | 5 |
| The Doors | 3 | 5 |
| Deep Purple | 3 | 5 |
| The Rolling Stones | 6 | 4.33 |
| Led Zeppelin | 5 | 4.4 |
| The Kinks | 4 | 4.5 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 4.67 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 4.67 |
| Aerosmith | 3 | 4.67 |
| Amy Winehouse | 2 | 5 |
| Iron Maiden | 2 | 5 |
| Van Halen | 2 | 5 |
| The Who | 5 | 4.2 |
| Metallica | 4 | 4.25 |
| Bob Dylan | 6 | 4 |
| Creedence Clearwater Revival | 3 | 4.33 |
| Beastie Boys | 3 | 4.33 |
| Steely Dan | 3 | 4.33 |
| Queen | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Radiohead | 6 | 1.33 |
| Björk | 4 | 1.75 |
| Kanye West | 3 | 1.67 |
| Nick Drake | 3 | 1.67 |
| Common | 2 | 1.5 |
| Eminem | 2 | 1.5 |
| TV On The Radio | 2 | 1.5 |
| Coldplay | 2 | 1.5 |
| Kendrick Lamar | 2 | 1.5 |
| Bee Gees | 2 | 1.5 |
| Leonard Cohen | 5 | 2.2 |
| Kraftwerk | 3 | 2 |
| Kate Bush | 3 | 2 |
| Tim Buckley | 3 | 2 |
| The Fall | 3 | 2 |
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 4 | 2.25 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Portishead | 4, 1 |
| Sonic Youth | 1, 4, 3, 2 |
5-Star Albums (88)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Radiohead
1/5
My second Radiohead album after Kid A (1/5).
Boy, do I hate Radiohead. I'd rather listen to 57 minutes of complete silence. Or maybe just the music without the whiny ass singer. One of the songs is called "We Suck Young Blood." They should have just shortened it to "We Suck" and then given that title to all the songs and the album too. I know I'm in the minority in hating this band, but that's my opinion.
5 likes
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
1/5
Oh, boy, what a chore this was to get through. One depressing song after another. Off-key vocals don't help either. I was angry I had to endure this.
5 likes
1/5
Sounds like someone just learned some curse words and wants everyone to know.
I've never knowingly listened to Limp Bizkit before. I was 25 when this album came out, but somehow I knew I was too old for it. I'm 49 now listening to it, and I'm wayyyyy too old for this shit. Crap, juvenile lyrics, crap vocals, crap guitar, crap album title and art. Nothing on this album wasn't crap. The only people giving this more than 1 star better have some nostalgic tie to this from when they were an edgy teenager trying to rebel against society. I could not fathom someone hearing this for the first time today and think it's good. No f***ing way. I actually sat through this whole thing, by the way, even the extremely obnoxious several minute long laughing at the end. This is bottom of the barrel stuff here.
5 likes
Sufjan Stevens
1/5
Never heard of this album or artist before. I'll be blunt. I hated every track. The creepy, breathy, wimpy vocals were the worst part. The rest of the music had nothing exciting or memorable. One song that said Lincoln is known as the great emancipator sounded like something a kid would write for extra credit in his high school history class. I'd be embarrassed to listen to this in front of anyone. Did not listen to the bonus CD tracks. I can guess what they sound like.
5 likes
Radiohead
1/5
Pretentious tripe that I will never understand the hype for. Dull, annoying, repetitive, and forgettable all at the same time. 1/5
5 likes
1-Star Albums (60)
All Ratings
Funkadelic
3/5
Apple Music didn't have this. Listened on YouTube.
If it weren't for horrible (and horribly long) poop song titled Promentalshitbackwashpsychosis Enema Squad, I'd give this a higher rating, because I enjoyed the other tracks. They were nice and funky, with an original sound, but for some reason, they decided to make that one 11 minutes long and taint the entire thing.
I wouldn't mind listening to this again and skip the poop.
Kacey Musgraves
4/5
Pretty good for country. Happy & Sad best song.
Fiona Apple
2/5
OK for what it was, just not really my type of music. Favorite song - Criminal
Willie Nelson
2/5
A bunch of slow, short, sparsely produced acoustic songs. No "On the Road Again" sounding songs here. It's just very much not my thing. I'll still give it a 2 though.
Carpenters
3/5
Some good stuff (We've Only Just Begun, Close to You), some bad stuff (Crescent Noon). Didn't really like the covers of Help or Baby It's You. The last song (Another Song) was pretty cool/experimental, which bumps it up to a 3/5.
Muddy Waters
3/5
Very good Blues album; I just don't enjoy straight Blues that much. I find it gets repetitive over a full album. Favorite song: Tiger in Your Tank.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
5/5
Great early rock & roll. Probably a 4.5/5. Favorite song: Oh Boy!
3/5
Decent sounding early 80's new wave stuff. Liked some of the bass lines. Didn't love or hate any songs in particular. Favorite track probably Poison Arrow.
Michael Jackson
5/5
5/5 album without a doubt. It has everything. A duet with Paul McCartney, an Eddie Van Halen guitar solo, and a spoken word rap by Vincent Price!
The only song I really didn't care for was Lady in My Life.
Favorite song (and music video): Billie Jean
Ian Dury
3/5
I've never heard of this album, nor of Ian Dury before listening. It's weird, and a hard one to rate. I'm not a fan of the monotone, heavily English accented "singing" voice he uses on some of the songs, for example, Clever Trevor. It reminds me of the Squeeze song, Cool for Cats. On the other hand, you've got three (I think) songs where he changes it up and sounds like the Sex Pistols. (I looked it up, and this album came out a month before the Sex Pistols album.) It's not something I'd listen to often, but I'll give it a 3/5 at least for originality.
Favorite song: Sweet Gene Vincent (or maybe Blockheads?)
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
Fantastic album, could almost be a greatest hits.
Favorite track: Travelin' Band
Joy Division
2/5
I have never heard anything by Joy Division, though I've heard of them. There were a couple of good tracks, but the rest was just kind of depressing to listen to, not really to my taste, mostly because of the vocals.
Favorite track: Interzone
4/5
Did not know anything about X going in, so I wasn't expecting a female voice to come out, nor was I expecting to enjoy the album this much. Now I'm a fan.
Massive Attack
1/5
I hadn't heard of this album or Massive Attack before this, so going in fresh. Unfortunately, this is the first 1/5 I've had to give here. The whole thing is just very dull to my ears, an electronic beat with some English blokes occasionally attempting to rap on top of. I listened to every second of it, but couldn't wait for it to be over a couple of tracks in.
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
Am I crazy or is this album kind of good? I didn't care for the random weirdness near the end (I was afraid the whole album would be this sort of stuff). The album was a bit too long in general, but I did enjoy a lot of it.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
I was excited to hear this one, but I was a bit disappointed. Only a couple of songs I really liked (Immigrant Song and Out On the Tiles). Too much acoustic stuff and not enough drums for my taste.
Thundercat
1/5
So bad. Annoying singing, annoying rapping, childish lyrics about Mortal Kombat, Dragon Ball, and Captain Planet. I did like Them Changes with the 70's funk vibe and one other track that had no vocals, but not much else good here. How did Michael McDonald get roped into this?
Joan Baez
1/5
I hope you like folk ballads sung in a high-pitch warbly voice, because that's pretty much all you are getting here. There are only two songs that sound even slightly different than the rest. Wildwood Flower has a sort of bluegrass feel to it, and El Preso Numero Nueve is sung in Spanish. I didn't enjoy this at all and can't give it more than one star.
Charles Mingus
3/5
I'll be honest. I'm not someone who can tell the difference between good jazz. At least not yet. I had listened to a Miles Davis album a couple of years ago, and this album was kind of like that album. Not terrible to listen to, but not great to listen to either. I usually like my music to eventually settle into a groove, and this doesn't do that. So, average rating I guess.
N.W.A.
3/5
I first listened to this album back in 1988 when I was 14 years old. My step-brother had a copy. I already liked rap like the Fat Boys, Beastie Boys, Run DMC, and Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince. But N.W.A. was different, with content I knew my parents wouldn't want me listening to, but I listened anyway.
Now, almost 35 years later, listening to it is much different. The lyrics are pretty juvenile and silly. In one breath, dropping F-bombs all over the place, then the next rapping "I kick so much butt" and "I don't give a hoot." Complaining about being harassed by cops after bragging about being criminals and shooting people. OK. Despite that, I have to admit it's still kind of fun to listen to. The beats are nice, the rapping is pretty good for the most part. Eazy-E's stood out the most, maybe because he had the most unique voice out of the group. The tracks I like the best are the ones where they trade off verses like in the title track.
Doves
2/5
Mostly dull, forgettable slow rock. I listened to this on a Friday and am reviewing it on a Monday, and can't recall much about it except I noted which track I liked the most, "N.Y." I remember liking the drums in it.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Falls a bit shy of a 5-star album for me. You'd think being only 29 minutes long, there wouldn't be room for a useless interview at the end. I found the songs I didn't already know (pretty much all of side two) to be somewhat boring, but the rest is great. I've never heard this version of Help Me, Ronda before. It's a bit rougher than the single version, but I dig it.
New Order
3/5
Not bad, not terrible, just average I'd say. Makes me wonder if there are actually 1,001 albums I really need to hear before I die. The use of croaking frogs in one of the songs was interesting. Not a big fan of the fake sounding drums and hand claps.
Best track: Love Vigilantes
Stephen Stills
5/5
Didn't know a lot about Stephen Stills going in, just that he was in CS&N, who I only know a few songs from. I was pleasantly surprised. Great mix of a lot of genres (rock, country, blues, funk, etc.), nice harmonies and lyrics. I'm going to have to give this a 5/5 and listen to it again.
The Youngbloods
4/5
Not bad at all, not quite a 5/5. Drumming is great. I dig On Sir Francis Drake.
The Waterboys
1/5
Scottish folk music. I just didn't enjoy this at all. Bored the whole way through. Did not listen to the Collectors Edition tracks.
1/5
Hugh Masekela
4/5
Again, I don't know a lot about jazz, but this one I liked a lot. The drums and piano especially.
Favorite track: Maseru
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Overall, a great album. I love the passion in his singing. I thought the last track, Jungleland was a bit overwrought. I'm a bit tired of hearing Born to Run at this point, so my favorite track is probably Backstreets.
Sam Cooke
4/5
What a voice, and the man has a ton of energy throughout the live show. Great songs too, missing Another Saturday Night though. The only negative here for me is he changes the cadence of some of the songs from the studio versions, so it's hard to get in a groove to. When this album was over, I turned on Sam Cooke's greatest hits to hear the originals.
The Band
3/5
Critics loooooove this band. I had heard it once before and didn't get the hype at all. After listening a second time now, I think I'm coming around. But only a little. I think the Weight is a great song, and a couple of others are good, like Chest Fever and Caledonia, but then there are bad ones like Lonesome Suzie to bring it back down. The singer's voice can get really annoying when he sings high like that. So, over all an average rating for this one.
The Notorious B.I.G.
2/5
The beats and lyrical flow is good, but the lyrics are so abhorrent, I would never listen to this again.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
I was already familiar with three of the songs here (title track, Jet, and Let Me Roll It). Those are good. The rest is...OK, pleasant McCartney stuff.
Best track: Jet
The Specials
3/5
OK ska music, gets a bit repetitive. "Concrete Jungle" was the highlight for me - it rocks.
Living Colour
4/5
When I was 14, I bought this album when it came out, on the strength of "Cult of Personality", which I loved. It didn't turn out to be one of my favorites, so I didn't listen to it a lot. Listening to it now, only 2-3 of the songs even sounded familiar. But I liked it a lot. The singer has a really good voice, it's got some great guitar riffs and solos. I might go and check out their second album at some point.
Favorite track: Middle Man
5/5
Fantastic album! Much better than I expected. Before this, I only knew 4-5 of their songs. Almost every song is great. I especially loved the drum work. "Some Mother's Son" brought the album down a bit with the gruesome subject matter, but the rest more than made up for it. 5/5
Hard to choose a favorite, maybe "Shangri-La"?
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Good basic blues rock. If it was some other band, the album wouldn't be on this list, but I suppose it has historical significance since it is the first Stones album. My favorite track is probably I'm a King Bee (I'm just a fan of this song in general).
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
Second time hearing this album. It's nice music. The singer has a soulful voice (when he is singing, which is rare). For me, there is just too much repetition, noodling around, and some songs are just drawn out way too long. Or maybe I just don't like blues very much. Average 3/5 for me. Favorite track: Hot-lanta
Adele
2/5
1st listen. This could have been called "I'm Sad, But Listen to What I Can Do With My Voice." It gets boring. "Send My Love" and "Sweetest Devotion" save it from being a 1.
The Smiths
3/5
First listen. The music is pretty good. Shame the vocals are somewhat off-putting with the droning, echoey, wailing. Album ends on a real downer with the title track. Average rating 3/5. Favorite track: What She Said. That one rocks.
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
First listen. I knew the songs Wishing Well and Sign Your Name.
Not bad at all, really (except that As Yet Untitled song, what a bore). The two singles are pretty good and I really liked the upbeat James Brown inspired "Dance Little Sister." But nothing really made me want to explore his music further either.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Some great stuff here like Homeward Bound, Bright Green Pleasure Machine, Simple Desultory Philippic (whatever that means!) and then a couple of lame pretentious songs. 4/5
Fela Kuti
3/5
Pretty good. Jazzy, with an African beat. Songs can get repetitive given how long they are, and they all followed the same formula, instrumental for 7 minutes or so, some singing/chanting for 3 minutes, then instrumental again the rest of the way. So, not something I would probably seek out, but fine to listen to for this list.
David Bowie
3/5
David Bowie has a unique singing voice, but I find it very dull to listen to. Sometimes his music is enjoyable despite this and sometimes not. This is what we have here, a bit below average album for me.
Best track: The Stars (Are Out Tonight)
Serge Gainsbourg
2/5
I don't understand French. Would this be more enjoyable if I did? I thought the guy singing/talking sounded really creepy most of the time, but the drummer knew what he was doing. I was really enjoying "En Melody" until the girl (Melody, I'm guessing) starting shrieking and laughing like the Nanny.
Mott The Hoople
4/5
Wasn't familiar with Mott the Hoople beyond "All the Young Dudes" and "All the Way from Memphis." Pretty good rock album, nothing bad, nothing I *really* loved either, just solid.
Amy Winehouse
5/5
Never in a thousand years would I think I would give this album a 5/5, but I liked it that much. Even listened through a second time. Every song is good.
ZZ Top
5/5
Good old southern blues rock - no complaints here. I was familiar with four of the songs already, but there were some other great new-to-me songs like "Move Me On Down the Line" and "Precious and Grace." "Hot, Blue, and Righteous" sounded like it could have been from The Band.
Circle Jerks
4/5
Good thing this is only 15 minutes long or it would become extremely repetitive. I'm sure some people will still think it is. I like it though. It's high-energy, fun chord progressions, good drumming. Just need to be in the right mood for hardcore punk.
Fleetwood Mac
2/5
I like Rumours a lot, but Tusk is a big, dull dud. And to make matters worse, it's a double album. Why is it on this list? Some of the songs sounded like they might be going somewhere, but never did, and then some songs like "The Ledge" could have been good but the production was terrible. How could they release it sounding like that?
The Isley Brothers
5/5
Good stuff. Mr. Isley has a beautifully smooth voice, the instrumentation is on point, covers are excellent. Nothing bad here.
Ramones
5/5
Songs are repetitive, sound alike, the singer mumbles and slurs his words, silly lyrics, but I love it.
David Bowie
3/5
I feel I'm being generous giving this a 3/5 considering I really dislike Bowie's vocals. They just annoys me. I can take a song here and there, but a whole album is too much. The non-vocal parts of the album are good though. My favorite track is the Rolling Stones cover, "Let's Spend the Night Together."
Radiohead
1/5
Pretentious tripe that I will never understand the hype for. Dull, annoying, repetitive, and forgettable all at the same time. 1/5
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
1/5
Oh, boy, what a chore this was to get through. One depressing song after another. Off-key vocals don't help either. I was angry I had to endure this.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Nice, slow-tempo, funky stuff to chill to in the background.
The Stooges
2/5
If if wasn't for the bullcrap 10:18 long boring dirge called "We Will Fall," I'd probably give this a decent 3/5 rating, but it's on there, so I have to lower it by a full point. The rest is just OK, I didn't love or hate anything.
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
I had never heard of this band or album before. It's not bad, though the vocals are a little mellow and laid back for my taste. There were some decent tracks like Metal Baby. The last track "Is This Music?" was interesting, it had a different sound than the rest of the album. I kinda wish it had lyrics though. The album artwork is atrocious, which should go without saying.
Public Enemy
3/5
I owned their previous album when I was a teen. Never heard this except for "By the Time I Get to Arizona" and "Bring tha Noize." I would have liked this more back then I think, but it's not bad. Chuck D is a good rapper. Flava Flav is good when he's the hype man or comic relief, but kinda sucks as a rapper, which thankfully he doesn't do a lot of here, just two tracks I think. Public Enemy was always good about spreading around the criticism, not only against the power they were fighting, but also rapping against people in their own community bringing them down (drug users/dealers, thieves and other criminals). Favorite track is probably "Bring tha Noize" since I'm a fan of that era of Anthrax, even though Scott Ian is not the best rapper.
The Prodigy
3/5
On first listen, I thought it sounded like music from an action scene in the Matrix or a "doing science" montage in CSI (TV show). Turns out they did have a song on the Matrix soundtrack. It's not bad music at all, I'd just rather hear it in a movie rather than sitting down and listening to a full album of it. Favorite track: Breathe
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
I like a lot of what's here, but the limp, wimpy vocals bring it down.
Favorite track: I Don't Love Anyone
Pink Floyd
2/5
I'm not a Pink Floyd fan. I just don't get it. I've also never done drugs. (This may be relevant.) These songs have the most random lyrics, I just have to roll my eyes at most of it. Watching buttercups and riding you-nee-corns? It's definitely not the worst album on this list. I did like Lucifer Sam, which is the most straight forward rock song on the album.
Bad Company
5/5
Great album! I was familiar with "Can't Get Enough," "Ready for Love," and the title track, but a couple of the others sounded slightly familiar as well. "Rock Steady" was a standout - reminded me of a 70's Whitesnake song. Good old rock 'n' roll!
Tricky
1/5
I'm already not a fan of this genre, whatever it's called. Throw in the terrible and sometimes crass lyrics, the creepy whispering and attempts at "sexy" singing, and I'm out. I probably would have rated this higher if it had no lyrics at all. The music is sometimes OK, but gets repetitive. Black Steel was probably the best track, but again, the lyrics ruined it for me.
The Doors
5/5
I'll give it a low 5. I'm not really a fan of "The End," but the rest is great.
The Strokes
3/5
I only knew of their song "Reptilia" going in. Some decent stuff here. The main issue for me is the vocal distortion used on every song. It just gets old after a while and becomes abrasive. Made me want to turn on some Marvin Gaye afterwards.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Amazing album, and I'm not even a big fan of Kashmir. The drum sounds (and actual drumming) are incredible here. I usually don't like long songs, but In My Time of Dying is 11 minutes long and is the best track on the album.
Tracy Chapman
3/5
This album was nice, easy listening. She has a soulful, sincere voice. The sound doesn't deviate a whole lot throughout except for that one song with only vocals. Overall, it's not my taste, but also wasn't bad so I'll give it an average rating.
The Monkees
4/5
I've only heard the Monkees radio hits before (and maybe some songs from the TV show I watched as a kid) and love them all. I don't recall ever hearing any of the songs off this album before. I liked it for the most part, nothing amazing though. The first song, You Told Me sounds like very much like a Beatles song cut from Rubber Soul. Still, I wonder why this was the Monkees album chosen for the list.
Blondie
5/5
Love catchy pop rock! Wish there was more of it on this list. I already knew Hanging on the Telephone, One Way or Another, and Heart of Glass. The new standouts to me were Sunday Girl, which sounds like a throwback to the 60s, and I'm Gonna Love You Too, which is just silly fun.
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
The music here is OK, good actually. Some of it actually rocks pretty hard - Geek U.S.A. being a good example of this. However, I don't like the vocals very much - they are "creepy" sounding, for lack of a better word. I always had fun drumming to Cherub Rock on the game Rock Band.
Rush
4/5
Not familiar with anything on this album, but I liked it more than I thought I would. The vocals can get irritating. I liked parts of the 20 minute song, not the entire thing though. Passage to Bangkok is good, and Something for Nothing has been stuck in my head.
Bob Dylan
4/5
How could you not be entertained by lyrics like these?
Now, you see this one-eyed midget shouting the word "Now"
And you say, "For what reason?" and he says, "How"
And you say, "What does this mean?" and he screams back, "You're a cow!
Give me some milk or else go home"
I can totally understand people hating this album and writing it off as nonsense garbage with horrible, nasally vocals, but I can't help but enjoy it.
CHIC
3/5
The songs are decent for a disco album, good even. Some of them felt long though and didn't change much. Everyone knows "Le Freak," but "I Want Your Love" and "At Last I Am Free" were also good ones.
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
I had never heard of The Sabres of Paradise before. Apple Music has this listed as Alternative, so I didn't expect to hear what I heard. I just don't know what I'm supposed to feel while listening to it. I'm not much into soundscapes, which is how I'd describe this. Many of the songs are long and repeat the same beat throughout and don't change much, and the novelty of hearing some unique sounds wears off quickly, but a couple of them weren't bad. "Duke of Earlsfield" was probably the best of the bunch.
Nico
1/5
Why? Why would this album need to be on the list? I had listened to the Velvet Underground and Nico album a few years ago, and I remember liking it *despite* Nico's vocals. Now I have to listen to a album with *only* her vocals?
Anything that the music has going for it, which isn't that much, is ruined by the flat, lifeless, emotionless vocals with a speech impediment (yes, I know it's just a German accent, but still). It reminded me a bit of the vocals from The Shaggs. Oh, and that song with all the annoying feedback, horrible. The Beatles she is not, but you can tell they influenced some of what is here, like the song that sounds like an Eleanor Rigby ripoff.
I will say one good things about the album - the lyrics weren't too bad.
Miles Davis
3/5
I was told if I don't like this album, then I just don't like jazz. Well, it was nice, relaxing music for my drive home. I just wasn't blown away by it. I prefer more upbeat jazz like the Hugh Masekela I had earlier in the list.
Jurassic 5
4/5
I wasn't expecting much going in, but I was impressed. Good rapping, good beats, not as explicit lyrically as I was assuming it would be. I might listen to this again some time.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
This was a bit better than I expected. I heard one or two EC albums in the past and thought they were so-so. This one had some decent stuff. On first listen, "Accidents Will Happen" and "Goon Squad" were standouts. I really liked the basslines. However, this is not an album to throw on at a party, with some questionable lyrics if taken out of context. "white n*gger," "darkies," "final solution," and "Two Little Hitlers."
Fun Lovin' Criminals
2/5
Another rap album (sigh). Oh, but this one has harmonica. The vocals on this one seem to be pretty low effort for the most part, and there were a couple of really awful tracks ("We Have All the Time in the World" and "Methadonia." Yuck. The first song "Fun Lovin' Criminal" was OK, but the highlight of the album was the killer guitar solo on "I Can't Get With That." All in all, it wasn't terrible, but I never want to hear "La di da di, free John Gotti" ever again.
Kraftwerk
1/5
I think I had heard of Kraftwerk before, but I didn't know they were German electronic music. I was pretty sure I wouldn't like it, and...I was right. At its best, it sounded like an early 80's cheesy sci-fi soundtrack, and at its worst, a boring soundscape to listen to to help me fall asleep. Maybe they were innovative for their time, but I'm listening to this in 2023 and it doesn't hold up at all. I hope this is their only album on the list.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Listened to this on Friday afternoon, reviewing on a Monday morning. I've mostly forgotten about it except I remember enjoying the female lead vocal songs more than the others. Didn't love or hate it, so just giving it an average 3/5.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Finally a metal album! I'm not a big fan of Changes, and FX is a nothing track, but everything else rocks. After first listen, I think Supernaut is my favorite track.
Stereolab
3/5
Better than I expected. The first and last tracks were annoying and repetitive, but some of the stuff in between was pretty good and varied.
Sonic Youth
1/5
Ugh, this was awful, and disappointing considering I liked the only Sonic Youth song I previously knew (Kool Thing). Off-key vocals, out of tune instruments, a lot of just droning, trying to be artsy(?) It was just a bore. The one decent song, "Bubblegum" doesn't save it from a 1/5. I'm afraid there will be more of this band on the list.
The Young Gods
2/5
French alt circus rock? The instrumentation here isn't bad, but having the singer belch his vocals really brings down the entire album. I'm going to be generous with a 2/5 here.
The War On Drugs
2/5
This sounded to me like a really boring Dire Straits album. Nothing really to hate (except the Haunting Idle, ugh), just kind of dull.
Roxy Music
4/5
I listened to a different Roxy Music album a couple of years ago and didn't think much of it. This one I actually liked, even though the last couple of tracks were downers. The first track, Re-make/Re-model was my favorite.
Metallica
4/5
First listen. I prefer thrash Metallica to this. Beyond bored with the five singles I've heard ad nauseum the past 30 years. Still, I can't deny this is a good album. "Through the Never" was great - I'll be adding it to a playlist for sure.
Neil Young
3/5
I have listened to a couple of Neil Young albums in the past (and I'm guessing there will be more in this challenge,) and I didn't care for them. I liked this one OK, at least when he wasn't using the worst singing voice I've ever heard. Seriously, what is up with his singing on Mellow My Mind? That was god-awful. I guess for some people, that's part of his charm, but Neil's singing sounds best when covered up...I mean harmonizing with someone else. Anyway, the music is pretty good, with a couple of clunkers in there. I think my favorite track was Come On Baby Let's Go Downtown.
FKA twigs
1/5
Everything I hate about modern music. Ethereal background noise, breathy vocals, other random electronic noises, filthy lyrics ("Two Weeks"), and it never gets into a groove. Ugh, how many more British electronic albums am I going to have to endure for this challenge?
Blue Cheer
5/5
I have heard of Blue Cheer before. I had always read they were "proto" heavy metal. And yeah, that's exactly what this is, similar to Deep Purple. And I love it. It's raw and low production, but that's cool with me. There's quite a bit of jammin' too. I love it.
Nirvana
3/5
Not a huge Nirvana fan. This album had some good and some bad stuff, so 3/5.
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
Not the kind of music I would normally listen to, and I didn't understand any of the lyrics, but it was fun, upbeat, and I enjoyed it.
Fugees
4/5
I'm not the target audience for this kind of music, but I found it very entertaining nonetheless.
The Jam
4/5
I don't think I knew any songs by The Jam going in. It reminds me most of the Clash and Elvis Costello. Not amazing, but a solid album with catchy songs, none of them bad, really. Favorite track: David Watts
Raekwon
2/5
Unrelatable, boring hip hop that I'm wondering why it's on this list. The songs all have a sample that repeats on loop throughout. The beats are fine I guess, but the rappers are mediocre and the braindead banter in between songs is laughable, nomsayin? Lots of N-words and some gay slurs too.
Magazine
4/5
I had never heard of Magazine before. I thought it was above average, has a unique sound, though there were hints of other bands sprinkled throughout, like Queen and Bowie. "Shot By Both Sides" was my favorite track. I wish Apple Music labeled the album as the extended version, as I prefer to listen to just the original for these ratings, and that version had four bonus tracks.
Hawkwind
3/5
How to rate this? It's a very long and drawn out affair. Some of the songs feel like they go on and on and are never going to end. The monologues are silly and pretentious at the same time. But when it rocks, it rocks. As far as live double albums go, I'd rather listen to KISS Alive! (I hope that one is on the list.)
Neil Young
3/5
Another Neil Young album. Still don't like his vocals. The rest is decent. It has "Southern Man," so that's something.
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
It was fine background music. Did nothing else for me. When the album started over, I didn't realize, so it didn't make a huge impression.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Pretty unique theme. I got bored of the tracks without a female singer on them. Didn't really like the sometimes crass lyrics.
Green Day
3/5
Pretty average punk in my opinion. I'm not a fan of the singer's whiny, nasally vocals. There were a couple of good tracks though, I just wish they had a less annoying singer. Favorite track: Basket Case.
David Ackles
2/5
Sounded to me like Neil Diamond doing boring showtunes. Maybe I'm way off, but this wasn't for me at all.
Common
2/5
Another hip-hop album that is not relatable at all for me. Some of the samples are nice. Don't like listening to all the N-words, sorry.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Another solid Bob Dylan album. "Tangled Up in Blue" and "Idiot Wind" are great tracks.
Cream
5/5
Having "Sunshine of Your Love" on it almost makes it a 5/5 album by itself. Luckily, most of the other songs are pretty good too. Good that they put the novelty song at the very end so it doesn't throw off the tone of the album.
Public Enemy
4/5
Better than average hip-hop/rap. No glorifying gang violence, drugs, sexism, etc. Flavor Flav is kind of annoying with his yeahhhh boyyyy and cold medina (whatever than means).
Laibach
1/5
I appreciate the list expanded outside of the US and UK, but not like this. Outside of the off-putting belchy vocals, the first half or so of the album was acceptable as something a little different. The track "Trans-National" was not bad. It sounded sort of like a spy movie soundtrack. But the remainder of the album was just atrocious, a boring repetitive slog. I really hated it. Disliked the album cover art as well.
Edit: Just looked at the wikipedia page and it seems the last four tracks (probably the four worst on the album) were bonus CD tracks. With those excluded, that might put my rating closer to 1.5, but I'm leaving it 1/5.
Kanye West
2/5
First time hearing an entire Kanye West song, let alone full album, and another hip-hop album ruined by crass and sexist lyrics. There were some interesting things going on musically, but also a lot of annoying bits, mostly with the vocals, like the awful auto-tune. Chris Rock deserved to be slapped for his contribution in the song "Blame Game." I'll bet it wasn't fun trying to edit the clean version of that one. Best track: "Power". I'm guessing there will be more Kanye on this list. Sigh.
Soul II Soul
3/5
Background music. A bit boring, honestly. Doesn't belong on the list in my opinion. Nothing really bad here, though. The title, Club Classics Vol. One is a strange choice. It sounds like a various artist compilation. By the way, where is the version of "Back to Life" everyone knows from the radio? Best track: Fairplay
Burning Spear
3/5
It’s the kind of music you kind of forget is playing. I’ll put this in when I’m laying on the beach on vacation, which is unfortunately never. And no, I don’t remember the days of slavery. Please stop asking!
The Pogues
3/5
Irish folk punk, is that what this is? It was decent, better than the previous Irish one that came up, The Waterboys. I probably won't listen to it again, though.
Beastie Boys
5/5
Out of the 112 albums I've rated so far, this is by far the one I'm most familiar with. It was the perfect album 12-13 year old me could relate to. An immature, silly, rap mixed with hard rock was right up my alley at the time. Now, some of the lyrics probably haven't aged well for some people. "The girlies I like are under age" and "Girls, to do the dishes and clean up my room" come to mind. With that, all the White Castle references (I think I counted four), and all the other silliness in this thing, I still love it. My favorite rap is when the members of the group trade off verses, and the Beastie Boys do that on every track. The only song I even slightly dislike it "Slow and Low," and even that one isn't bad.
Best track: Paul Revere
The The
3/5
Looking at the album cover, I was worried this was going to be death metal or something. Thankfully it was just OK 80s pop. Not a lot to say about it. Nothing really stood out as great or bad. This list loves its UK artists.
Iron Maiden
5/5
I've listened to this album a few times before. It's a near perfect heavy metal album. No bad songs. My tiny complaint is that they use the lyric "some crazy dream" twice (in title track and Hallowed By Thy Name). Wouldn't mind seeing more Maiden in this list. Favorite track: Probably still Run to the Hills.
Blur
3/5
I only knew Song 2 from this band, but I've heard they were the 90's Beatles. So I had my hopes up a little too much. Only the first track sounded Beatle-like to me, and the sort of throwaway Song 2 was the best track. The rest was either kind of boring or heavily distorted. All in all, it was average.
Meat Loaf
4/5
It's nice to hear a good singer once in a while in this list. The two slow songs I didn't care much for, especially "For Crying Out Loud." It just went on too long. But the rest was great. Five out of seven ain't bad. Favorite track: Paradise By the Dashboard Light.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
For some reason, I thought this was going to be metal. After listening, I kinda wish it was. Whatever it was, I didn't like it. I listened to the whole album in my car and honestly could not understand a single word of the vocals. They were so...limp, lifeless, and quiet. No thank you. The instrumentation was OK I suppose. What is special here?
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
Better than the other My Bloody Valentine album (which coincidentally came up just yesterday!) I could actually understand some of the lyrics on this one, and the music seemed to be a bit punchier. Still not a big fan though.
Television
3/5
Liked it OK, didn't love it. It actually made me want to listen to the Cars. The best song is probably the title track, though it's a bit to long. The last track, Torn Curtain went a bit long too. I liked the stripped down production, but the album as a whole didn't do a lot for me.
The Black Keys
4/5
I have not consciously listened to the Black Keys before, but I feel like I've heard them. Maybe in TV commercials? I was pleasantly surprised. The drum sounds are amazing. The singing is good, just wished there was a bit more variety. I'll listen to this one again.
Elton John
5/5
Lots of classic hits on this one. Doesn't get boring despite being 76 minutes.
R.E.M.
4/5
First five songs were just average, then we get the two hits (End of the World and The One I Love), which are great. Then the rest was pretty good with the exception of the last song, which was kind of a dud. A low 4/5.
Kanye West
2/5
My second Kanye album, and I'm rating it the same as the first. Seems like the guy has always been a dumbass, just a musically talented dumbass. Lyrics are just embarrassing.
"The drug game bulimic, it's hard to get weight
So nigga's money is homo, it's hard to get straight"
"Ooh girl your breath is harsh!
Cover your mouth up like you got SARS"
Glorifying drug dealing, discouraging kids from going to college, and many, many other things I just can't relate to in this. The album closes with a super long story about how he got a record contract with a beat underneath. I'm sure this won't be the last Kanye West album I'll be forced to endure, unfortunately.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
2/5
I listened to the tracks of the original release, not the bonus tracks.
I'd like to give this a 3, but I can't say I enjoyed a complete song, just elements of many of them. For example, I liked the drums on the last track (Grey/Afro), but it was too long and I didn't like the vocals. Any song where he used his old man voice just sounded weird.
Beatles
5/5
Album #126 and finally a Beatles album! I love the Beatles, but in my opinion this is one that didn't really need to be on the list. All My Loving is the only important song. There are six covers of other artists' songs. However, the album cover itself is pretty iconic. If I was comparing it to other Beatles albums, it would rate lower, but overall it's still a 5/5 for me. I've heard it many times before. Like most Beatles albums, all four members get a chance to sing lead. In fact, my favorite track may be Ringo's only song, I Wanna Be Your Man. I don't dislike any song here, but "It Won't Be Long" and "Not a Second Time" are not favorites. The covers are all good, even when Paul sings "I never sar them winging."
Pearl Jam
4/5
I like the hits on this (Even Flow, Alive, Jeremy) and the rest are OK. I just get really bored hearing Eddie Vedder's voice by the end.
The White Stripes
4/5
Not really familiar with the White Stripes, but I liked this a lot. Good variety. Loved the drums and piano.
The Kinks
4/5
Another good Kinks album. Not quite as good as Arthur. Party Line, Dandy, Sunny Afternoon are favorites.
Willie Nelson
3/5
Some pretty songs, some dull songs. Better than the previous Willie album I rated.
OutKast
2/5
I only knew OutKast from that mashup of Hey Ya and a Charlie Brown Christmas video, but I liked that song and had high hopes for this. Nope, just another n-word, m-f laden, moronic skit having, sexually explicit rap album. Giving this a 2/5 like most of the others because of the decent beats and music.
And no, I don't want to know about some gangsta sh*t, so please stop asking.
Donald Fagen
3/5
I like some Steely Dan. This sounded like some of their smooth, easy listening stuff, which I don't care as much for. Upon first listen, the only song that stood out much was Ruby, and that's only because it's a cover of a song I know well. It's fine for what it is, but I must be missing something considering it's on this list.
Kate Bush
2/5
First time listening to any Kate Bush. I appreciate the uniqueness here, but it's a bit too weird for me to actually enjoy. She might be more of an acquired taste.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
I only knew of one song of theirs, Maps, which I like. This album was a tad pop and overproduced for my taste. The vocals have kind of a generic Gwen Stefani type voice. I liked the song "Dull Life."
George Michael
3/5
I was just thinking this list needed more straight up pop music, and here we go. I knew the hits, and some are better than others. I liked Faith and Monkey. Father Figure was OK. Didn't care for I Want Your Sex or One More Try (never knew the title of that one - it could have been called Teacher for all I knew. The non-hits were somewhat forgettable. In general, when George Michael uses his breathy vocals, it kind of creeps me out. I'd rather listen to Wham, actually.
Barry Adamson
3/5
Didn't care for the creepy songs. The rest were not bad. Favorite track: Miles.
Steely Dan
4/5
From this album, I had only heard "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," which happens to be my favorite Steely Dan song. As for the rest of the album, I think I liked "With A Gun" best. "Barrytown" reminded me a lot of the Beatles' "Tell Me What You See." All in all, pretty good album.
Neil Young
2/5
Third Neil Young album for this challenge. The other two I rated a 3/5. This one was quite a drudge to get through. Even the couple of relatively upbeat numbers felt weighed down. There were a couple of weirdly overproduced tracks, "A Man Needs a Maid" and can't remember the other one, that felt out of place. I'll take "Heart of Gold" and "Old Man" and you can keep the rest.
Grateful Dead
3/5
Seeing how this is a live Grateful Dead album, I expected quite a bit of jam band shenanigans. I didn't expect the album to begin with a 22 minute noodling around session (Dark Star), and end with 8 minutes of just noise (Feedback). But what's in between is really good, so just take tracks 2, 3, 4, and 5, make it a single length live album and you are good to go.
Slipknot
2/5
First time hearing Slipknot other than "Before I Forget" on Guitar Hero III. I was never much into angry, expletive screaming music like this. Much less so now that I’m almost 49. On the very rare occasion the singer tried singing clean, it didn't sound bad. As it is, it's just difficult to relate to this kind of music. Favorite song: "No Life" maybe?
The Verve
2/5
I know nothing of the Verve. <Starts album> OK, I know one song. I like the strings on that song. It goes downhill after that. The songs are just...so...dull. And too long. And the album itself is 30 minutes too long. The singer sounds like he's putting in the least amount of effort possible. Oh, and the hidden song at the end after several minutes of dead air sucks too. Was that a dying cat I heard?
Rod Stewart
4/5
Rod Stewart has a distinctive and kind of a comforting voice to listen to. This album is nothing fancy, but a solid listen. The only negative I had was the song where he was singing harmony with another guy. It just sounded off.
Joe Ely
3/5
It's OK for a country album. The outro of Boxcars rocks.
Radiohead
1/5
My second Radiohead album after Kid A (1/5).
Boy, do I hate Radiohead. I'd rather listen to 57 minutes of complete silence. Or maybe just the music without the whiny ass singer. One of the songs is called "We Suck Young Blood." They should have just shortened it to "We Suck" and then given that title to all the songs and the album too. I know I'm in the minority in hating this band, but that's my opinion.
The Byrds
3/5
Waffled between a 3 and 4 for this. I did listen twice, but the hippie sounding songs like Wild Mountain Thyme bring it down a bit for me, and the others aren't quite up to the level of Mr. Tambourine Man and Turn! Turn! Turn! A couple of songs sounded a little too similar to those though. I liked Mr. Spaceman.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Harvest 2/5
After the Gold Rush 3/5
Tonight's the Night 3/5
---------------------------------
This one is better than all the above for my taste. I liked the hard rock sound more, and Neil's voice wasn't as annoying. I didn't love it though. The songs were too long, and there were ten of them, making the album itself too long. It's almost as if he didn't realize non-fans would be listening to it 30 years later but still wanting to get through it as quickly as possible. Also didn't care for the hippie-dippie final track, Mother Earth.
Favorites: F!#in' Up and Farmer John.
Lenny Kravitz
3/5
A very average album. His biggest hits aren't on this album. Some of the lyrics are kind of lame. There's a Jesus song. Kravitz is obviously doing his best to be Prince here. I thought I even heard a little Elvis Costello in one of the songs too.
Jeff Buckley
3/5
Only knew Hallelujah before this. OK, so this guy could sing. Based on his screaming on Grace, he could have fronted a metal band. Then he turns around and sounds like Chris Isaak, then Joan Baez on Corpus Christi Carol (did NOT like this song, btw), then Lou Gramm on the last song, Forget Her (not sure if this one is officially part of the album as far as this list is concerned, but I liked it).
Stereo MC's
3/5
Not bad I guess, just sounded a bit dated. I just don't think the list needed more British hip-hop. By the end, the accent really started annoying me.
Otis Redding
4/5
This man will get emotional over anything and everything, but it translates into some pretty good music. One complaint, he changes around the lyrics a bit too much. So much "loving," the bees envy me? Favorite track: Respect.
The Who
5/5
I tip my hat to the Who here. Great stuff. Baba O'Riley, Bargain, Going Mobile, Behind Blue Eyes, Won't Get Fooled Again all classics. The others aren't bad either. Drums and bass guitar are highlights for me. 5/5 even though they stole a couple of songs from that CSI show.
Ananda Shankar
2/5
The sitar, over the course of an entire album, can get very irritating to listen to. I really only enjoyed a part of one song. I think it was Metamorphosis when the drums kicked in. The covers (Jumpin' Jack Flash and Light My Fire) sounded kind of cheesy. This album seems like more of a curiosity than anything.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
I only knew of Killing Moon from Rock Band 3. Was curious about their music, but not enough to go seek it out. The album is just OK. Nothing was very memorable. I did like the clean sound, but sometimes there was just too little going on. I think I prefer the Cure, who are similar but the songs are catchier.
The Offspring
5/5
Great, high energy punk rock. I knew three of the songs already. Only negative I can think of is the vocals are done in the same way throughout. I'm sure that will lead some reviewers to say all the songs sound the same.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Better than I expected. Very funky stuff. Not sure how many times I'd want to sit through the entire story of "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" many more times, but on the first listen, it was pretty gripping. The Hyperbolic song was probably my favorite track.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
I had heard Breakout and American Girl previously. Pretty solid album especially for a debut, no bad songs. I listened twice in a row.
LCD Soundsystem
2/5
Ugh, more electronic music. I gave it a chance, but no. Mostly repetitive, and whiny vocals.
Talking Heads
2/5
I like Once in a Lifetime. The rest was kind of meh to me. Comes off as pretentious at times. I was going to give this a 3/5, but the last two tracks, especially the Overload, were dull and brought it down to 2/5.
Hookworms
3/5
Was listenable, the singer had a decent voice, but beyond that it didn’t do a lot for me.
The Hives
4/5
I knew Main Offender and Die! All Right already. I thought listening to those abrasive vocals would be a problem over the course of an entire album. Fortunately, the album is only 28 minutes. (I actually listened to it twice, back to back.) The songs are short and fun for the most part. Not my new favourite band, but I liked it quite a bit.
Sebadoh
4/5
One of the most schizophrenic albums I’ve ever heard. Starts out normal, then all of a sudden gets weird, and then very weird, and then back to normal again, followed by more weirdness. I kind of liked it!
Elton John
3/5
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - 5/5
-------------------------------------
Besides the two hits (Tiny Dancer and Levon), I was kind of disappointed how mediocre the other tracks were.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
3/5
Not my style of music, really. Sounds a lot like Hank Williams. Production is bad, even for 1958. But it was OK. I'll be generous and give it a 3/5.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Like a less fun, more creepy Bob Dylan.
David Bowie
3/5
Aladdin Sane - 3/5
The Next Day - 3/5
----------------------
Third Bowie album for this list. This one is more funk/pop/disco sounding, and I think I liked it better than the other two, but still not something I'd normally choose to listen to.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Some smooth R&B soul to use for mood music for certain activities. But for just listening to on my way home from work, it doesn't do a whole lot for me. However the lyric about his father needing love hits hard considering he was shot and killed by his father a few years later.
Adam & The Ants
4/5
Only knew a couple of Adam Ant songs previously. Just listened to the original 12 song release, and it was better than expected. Pretty original sounding stuff, good variety of songs. Nothing super amazing here, but just barely squeaks in at 4/5. I'd listen again.
The Gun Club
3/5
Never heard of this band before. For punk, this was just a bit on the boring side. Also for punk, what are they doing with 5 and 6+ minute songs? I liked some of it though - Preaching the Blues may have been my favorite.
Gorillaz
3/5
I've heard of Gorillaz, but didn't know any of their songs. It was OK. Maybe back then it was revolutionary? Some of the songs can be quite repetitive and sound synthetic.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
A perfectly fine Latin music album.
The Cure
2/5
First the Cure album for me. I was kind of looking forward to it, but sadly it was a dreadful letdown. Just echo-heavy, depressing sounding muck. Why am I even giving it a 2/5?
Elvis Costello
4/5
Armed Forces 3/5
*******************
Either Elvis Costello is growing on me or it's just this album in particular that I like more than his other stuff I've heard. I liked the 1950's vibe; it's just fun in general. I liked the drums. No real complaints on this one.
Nirvana
3/5
In Utero - 3/5
****************
Pretty decent stuff here. It would have been nice to throw in one or two more upbeat songs into the mix. It's nice to have the banter in between songs. I felt that Cobain hit the off key, voice cracking gimmick a little too hard. Favorite track: Come As You Are
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
First time listening to Arctic Monkeys. The music was pretty decent. Not a fan of the vocals though. The combination of the English accent, the speak-sing, and distortion annoyed me at times.
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
Couldn't find this on Apple Music. There is one there with the same title and artwork, but the artist and track names are different. I found what I think is the original version on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1zzVqrCEeU) and that's what I listened to. As an American, I have no connection to this type of music, so I can't really appreciate it as much as many others can. For what it is, it's fine, peaceful, exotic sounding background music. No annoying buzzing sitar of an earlier one from this list (Ananda Shankar).
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Nice voice and an overall pleasant listening experience. Favorite track: Help Me.
Black Flag
3/5
I liked a couple of the songs, particularly Rise Above and TV Party. If I listened to this when I was younger and angrier, the album would have probably resonated more.
Kings of Leon
3/5
I thought I knew one Kings of Leon song, but I guess not. So, first time hearing this band, and I liked the music well enough. I had a hard time enjoying the vocals though. Sounded like the singer was trying way too hard to be unique, but ended up sounding like an annoying Bon Scott/Chris Robinson hybrid. Nothing stood out to me as great, but Trani was clearly the worst track.
Eminem
2/5
I was looking forward to listening to who I heard is one of the greatest rapper of all time. I only knew the radio edit of "My Name Is" when it first came out. And I thought it was kind of different and funny. Hearing the entire album now, it's much less so. A lot of the lyrics are big time YIKES! I can't relate to this much at all. Glorifying drug use, violence (especially against women), STDs, robbery, and so on, just doesn't do it for me at my age. And I'm glad I didn't grow up listening to this kind of stuff. How messed up would I be now? Holding my nose and giving it a 2/5 just for some clever lyrics and unique rapping style. Otherwise, it's rather abhorrent. So is the album cover.
Screaming Trees
4/5
I knew exactly one Screaming Trees song before this, "I Nearly Lost You," which I liked well enough. This album was not amazing, but pretty darn good. I might listen again.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
One of the best albums ever, let alone debut albums. Amazing guitar work obviously, and the drumming is insane. The vocals could be seen as the weakest part, but he sings so effortlessly and cool, it's not weak at all. Fire is probably my favorite track. Manic Depression if you want a deeper cut.
Throwing Muses
2/5
Never heard of Throwing Muses before. This wasn't on Apple Music, so I had to listen on YouTube on my laptop speakers. I don't know if that affected the review one way or the other. When I started it up, I thought hmmm, this might be decent. Then she started singing. No, I don't like this very much. Then she started doing that weird quivering with her voice, and I really did not like that. Some of the lyrics sounded pretty questionable too, not that I understood the meaning of any of it. Overall, it wasn't a very pleasant listening experience. I'd much rather listen to pop girl groups like the Bangles, the Go-Gos, Bananarama, or even 'Til Tuesday.
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
Take Me Out was the only song I knew of theirs, and it's great. The rest of the album is OK.
The Auteurs
3/5
I had never heard of this band or album going in. Nothing really notable or terrible about the music. Sounded as if they wanted to sound like the Beatles, but only the John Lennon led songs. I got tired of hearing that voice by the end.
k.d. lang
3/5
I knew only of Constant Craving before listening. It wasn't bad, just not my type of music. I liked Miss Chatelaine.
Jimmy Smith
4/5
I had never heard of this album or artist. It's nice, easy to listen to jazz. It kind of reminded me of Henry Mancini, and sounded similar to Green Onions by Booker T and the MGs. I'll have to look into why this was included on the list. Even though I enjoyed it, it didn't seem to be groundbreaking or all that special.
Metallica
5/5
As far as thrash metal goes, I always preferred Anthrax over Metallica, but it’s hard to deny this as a masterpiece. I’m sure I heard all of these songs when I was a teenager, but only the first two track were familiar. Favorite track: Battery (or as I like to sing it, Batt-er-rang).
Kraftwerk
2/5
Previously listened to:
Autobahn (1/5)
I don't remember much about the previous album of theirs, but I think I liked this one better. It must have sounded pretty futuristic for 1978, but listening today, it sounds very dated. Again, some of it sounds like a cheesy sci-fi movie soundtrack. One track, I think Metropolis reminded me of the intro of an early 1980s pro wrestling TV show. Songs are repetitive though. Repeating "We are the robots" 30+ times? Yeah, we get it.
N.E.R.D
2/5
Knew nothing about N.E.R.D going in. By the album cover, I assumed it was going to be rap. Apple Music even has Hip-Hop/Rap as the genre. It didn't sound like it to me. Funk rock maybe? Either way, I wasn't really feeling it. Cringe lyrics didn't help. I thought the drums sounded good on a couple of the tracks. Best track: Maybe (maybe?)
Daft Punk
2/5
I liked one track, Da Funk. In general, the songs are super repetitive (Around the World) and sometimes super annoying (Rock’n Roll). Too long too. Won’t be revisiting. Afraid there may be Daft Punk more on this list.
2/5
Different, not what I was expecting. Does that mean I liked it? No, not really. I thought it was pretty boring overall. Favorite track: I'd Like That
Buck Owens
3/5
Good old authentic country music. I don't love the genre, but this is 100x better than today's popular country. Favorite track: We're Gonna Let the Good Times Roll.
Joan Armatrading
3/5
This was not bad. Sounds like someone Tracy Chapman may have been influenced by. Good variety here - listed as Pop on Apple Music, but there's blues, funk, folk, country. Favorite track: Water with the Wine, but also liked Tall In the Saddle.
Cee Lo Green
3/5
I didn't know anything about Cee-Lo-Green going in except I heard he has a popular song called F*** You, so going in I was expecting to hate this. I didn't. It was too fun and catchy to hate, at least the first half. He has a weird voice that I was tired of hearing by the end. Some of the guest vocals I didn't like. Album was too long. Didn't like hearing the N-word over and over in some songs.
Yes
5/5
After listening to this, I immediately started it again. The three long tracks (Roundabout, South Side of the Sky, and Heart of the Sunrise) are all pretty epic. I'm not usually big on instrumentals, and there are three here. I didn't dislike them, but thankfully they are shorter tracks. I wouldn't mind seeing more Yes on this list.
Caetano Veloso
2/5
I'm not big into Brazilian music, so it was pretty forgettable. I did kind of like the last track (Eles) with the Indian instruments. I felt the singer needed to back away from the microphone a bit. You could hear his mouth opening and his breathing too much.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Previously listened to:
Cosmo's Factory (5/5)
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This album is what I'd call comfort music. It's familiar, relaxing, goes down easy. Not as good as Cosmo's Factory. There are no extended jam sessions as they have an other albums. Every track is under five minutes. Still, I could put this on any time and enjoy it.
Best track: Bad Moon Rising
King Crimson
2/5
Perhaps this kind of album requires multiple listens before one can properly rate it. As it is, it's a bit too challenging to enjoy, and I probably won't come back to it. But I assume that other, more popular KC album will come up eventually, so I'll give the band another chance then.
Sex Pistols
3/5
I listened to this once, years ago. I remember liking it more. It's energetic, it's noisy, it's got dumb lyrics about anarchy.
Supergrass
3/5
Have I heard of this band before? None of these songs sounded familiar. It was pretty average to me on first listen. Best track: Probably Sun Hits the Sky.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
I listened to this once years ago and remember liking it a lot. I still do. They do better country music than most country artists. And then there's Sympathy for the Devil which is an iconic song.
Nas
1/5
Wasn't this a really big deal when it came out? I remember seeing this album cover everywhere. It's really boring! I didn't like anything about it. N-word this and N-word that, gnomesayin, guns, drugs, the usual, but the rapping itself was just blah. Once again, an album not meant for me.
Queen Latifah
3/5
I heard Ladies First back in the day, but not familiar with anything else of hers. It wasn't bad. Yeah, the rapping delivery sounds outdated, and the lyrics were a bit corny, but that's just how rap was back then, so I can't fault it too much for that. There was a lot of saying her name, spelling her name, spelling other words, complaining about other rappers copying her, etc. Pretty fun stuff until it fizzled a bit in the end. I can see why she stood out among female rappers of the time.
Sufjan Stevens
1/5
Never heard of this album or artist before. I'll be blunt. I hated every track. The creepy, breathy, wimpy vocals were the worst part. The rest of the music had nothing exciting or memorable. One song that said Lincoln is known as the great emancipator sounded like something a kid would write for extra credit in his high school history class. I'd be embarrassed to listen to this in front of anyone. Did not listen to the bonus CD tracks. I can guess what they sound like.
New Order
4/5
Pretty good pop album. Didn’t dislike anything. Had some nice hooks. Favorite track: All the Way.
Foo Fighters
3/5
I always thought Foo Fighters a generic rock band, like Nickelback. I still kind of think that. I had higher hopes after the first track which I liked, but nothing else was as good. Average rock album.
Justice
2/5
I'm almost 50 years old. I don't like to be annoyed when listening to music - I like to enjoy it. Therefore, this isn't an album for me, with all the beeps, boops, buzzing, music cutting in and out, and drilling(!?) This is music that should only be played in a TV show/movie while a group of edgy computer hackers are taking out some evil corporation. However, I did enjoy D.A.N.C.E a bit, but it was an anomaly. Also, dumb album cover and doesn't match the music contained within.
Holger Czukay
2/5
Never heard of Holger Czukay before this. The first track, Cool in the Pool, was pure cringe. Second track, Oh Lord, Give Us More Money (at least the first part), must have inspired Ross Geller to write Interplanetary Courtship Ritual, with the random cat meow, dog bark, explosion, etc. sound effects thrown in. Maybe that was revolutionary back in 1979? Persian Love was the only decent track for me. Hollywood Symphony was just a long, dull track that never goes anywhere, with more random sound effects and movie dialog(?)
Stevie Wonder
4/5
I had heard this once before. Great album. Best: Too High, Living for the City, Higher Ground, Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing.
Nitin Sawhney
2/5
At first I thought hmm, this is kind of nice, but I quickly got tired of it. The rap song Pilgrim was pretty bad. The Conference is something I'd never want to hear again. The rest is somewhat forgettable.
Alice In Chains
3/5
Very grungey with not a lot of variety. I did like Them Bones (which is a bit too short) and Rooster (which is a bit long), and Would? but overall the album was on the depressing side, especially knowing what happened to the singer later in life.
The Zutons
5/5
I previously only knew one song by the Zutons, Valerie, which I love. In this album, even though no song really stood out, I thought it was great all the way through.
Sepultura
3/5
First time hearing Sepultura. I'm generally not a fan of growling vocals, so that is going to bring my rating down automatically. Otherwise, this album has its moments. The lead guitar riff in the first track, Arise, was great. As were some of the solos. I didn't understand many of the lyrics, but I'm pretty sure they would be depressing if I looked them up so I won't.
Beatles
5/5
Previously listened to for this list:
With the Beatles (5/5)
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I have listened to Rubber Soul many, many times, so I don't need to hear it again to rate it. (I still did, though.) It's one of the Beatles' best albums. I enjoy every song on it, even Ringo's country song, What Goes On. Yes, even John's lyrically disturbing Run For Your Life. George stepped up his game here from his relatively weak songs on Help! with Think for Yourself and If I Needed Someone. The Word and Wait may be filler-ish tracks, but there are way too many amazing songs (Norweigian Wood, Nowhere Man, Michelle, In My Life, I'm Looking Through You) to not give a 5/5.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Previously listened to for this list:
Innervisions (4/5)
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Just listened to Innvervisions last week. Songs in the Key of Life is a very low 4/5. Rated highly for some amazing songs, Sir Duke, Isn't She Lovely, Pastime Paradise, I Wish. Some other songs, and the album as a whole, especially sides 3 and 4, go on way too long. A couple are pretty cringeworthy and I'd definitely skip them if I listened to this again.
Todd Rundgren
4/5
I knew a couple of songs from Todd Rundgren going in, Hello It's Me and the Bang on the Drum song. I didn't expect how quirky and weird this album would be, at least the first half of it. I wasn't sure if I was liking the music or the production, but I started getting into it and rather enjoyed it by the end. So much I started it over from the beginning. Whenever that happens, I give the album at least a 4/5.
M.I.A.
1/5
Not just annoying, it's aggressively annoying! There is nothing musical about this to my ears. My poor ears. Why would anyone think this needs to be listened to before they die?
Note: It wasn't on Apple Music, so I had to listen on YouTube, which isn't ideal.
The Smiths
3/5
Previously rated:
Meat Is Murder (3/5)
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I listened to this yesterday and don't remember a lot about it beside the lyrics to Unhappy Birthday. I laughed and then was disturbed at them. The song titles are all interesting at least. Best track: Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This Before.
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
Perfectly fine background music. Listened to this a few days before Halloween, so I enjoyed the sort of spooky sounding stuff.
Deee-Lite
4/5
Good dance album, positive, fun, and upbeat. Groove Is In The Heart is the standout.
Oasis
4/5
First Oasis album for me. It was a much harder rock album than I was expecting (other than the last track). I liked it a lot. Take one star off for the wahhhhhh vocals. Favorite track: Rock and Roll Star
Manu Chao
3/5
Not really my style of music, and I don't know much Spanish or French, but there was a good variety and it wasn't boring. What was with that video game sound effect that was in several songs? Sounded like Galaga.
Eric Clapton
4/5
Starts really well with Motherless Children, then I started losing interest until I Shot the Sheriff, then it falls off again until the last couple of tracks which were good, Steady Rollin' Man and Mainline Florida. I'll give it a low 4/5. I'd definitely listen again and maybe those other tracks would grow on me more. A very specific thing to mention, I really liked the thud of the bass drum on this album.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
Previously rated:
Nico - Chelsea Girl (1/5)
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I had heard this album once before. I remember kind of liking it, but not enjoying the Nico songs. I can get into the low production, garage rock sound on tracks like "I'm Waiting for the Man," "Run Run Run," and "Heroin," though the latter song does too long as does the final track "European Son," which is just noise for the last several minutes and leaves a bad taste. This may be an iconic album, but it's not a brilliant one. Nico sucks. Low 3/5 rating.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Previously rated:
The Beach Boys Today! (4/5)
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I listened to this once before and didn't think it deserved it's "best albums of all time" status, and I still think that though I enjoyed it more this time. I forgot Sloop John B was on this album. That song is amazing, well-crafted, I love it. Bumps the whole thing over the hump from 3 to 4.
Simple Minds
3/5
Ah, the Don’t You Forget About Me Guys! We Americans didn’t know they existed before 1985. Strange title for an album. The songs were nothing special. Overall pretty average.
Best track: Promised You a Miracle.
John Coltrane
3/5
There's a part with crazy saxophone, a part that sounds like Peanuts music, a part with some nice drumming. The rest just washed over me. It's fine jazz, a genre I don't really "get" like some people do. Favorite track: I like drums, so Pt. 3: Pursuance.
The Avalanches
3/5
I've never heard of the Avalanches before this. The first track (and the fact Apple Music lists this as just "Pop") tricked me into thinking this was a Jackson 5-esque thing. The second track was just a continuation of the first one and it became obvious is wasn't. Some of the tracks were super repetitive, some seemed to just have random sounds thrown in as a quantity over quality thing. However, I will say this is the type of album that belongs on this list. Even though I didn't enjoy everything, there were certainly sections where I was getting into it, and overall, it's a very unique sounding album. Favorite track: Two Hearts in 3/4 Time. Also Frontier Psychiatrist.
Nirvana
4/5
Previously rated:
MTV Unplugged In New York (3/5)
In Utero (3/5)
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A very good album with some classic songs. It probably deserves a 5/5, but I'm honestly I'm tired of hearing many of them. Best track: Come As You Are
Baaba Maal
3/5
African music is way out of my wheelhouse, but I started getting into this a bit as it went on, especially when it had more western sounds incorporated into it. Not bad, glad I heard it, but not something I'll likely choose to listen to again.
Skepta
1/5
They're trolling, right? Only 1,001 albums and we have time for this crap? I listened to the whole thing in disbelief and ended up several IQ points dumber. The lyrics are idiotic; N-words abound. The dude had a fight over voice chat in a game of Call of Duty, and he decides it would be a good idea to throw it on the album. I was disgusted with the whole album *except* the last 30 seconds. That was actually good, and not so coincidentally had no vocals.
Soundgarden
4/5
I've heard Black Hole Sun and Spoonman many times playing the game Rock Band. I don't remember if I liked them right away or they just grew on me, but I like them. The rest was new to me. Starts strong with Let Me Down, then just OK stuff that got a bit samey grunge after a while the tuned down guitar sound. The song Half was different and kind of cool. A low 4/5.
2/5
There are various sounds and sometimes a pleasant sounding woman sings in a foreign language (I will guess Portuguese), sometimes in reverse. Also, a guy with a deep voice talks in one of the songs. I wish it would have ended a bit sooner.
Steve Earle
3/5
I knew only one song of his coming in, that being “Copperhead Road.” This album was more of a generic country sound than I was expecting. Kind of mediocre considering it’s on this list. Nothing really bad here though. Compared to country music today, it’s amazing.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Black Dog, Rock and Roll, Going to California, and of course Stairway to Heaven are all staples on the local classic rock station. Those are all great. I also liked Misty Mountain Hop (Kiss' Ugh! All Night borrows the riff from it) and When the Levee Breaks (Beatie Boys' Rhymin' and Stealin' borrows the drums from it). The only one I didn't really care for was the Battle of Evermore.
De La Soul
2/5
Very disappointed in this one. I thought it was going to be a "smarter" rap album, but the lyrics are pretty crap and amateur. I think he rapped about poo-poo in his pocket and another song had poo-poo in his hand. Screaming about soda flavors (COCA-COLAAAAAAA, SPRIIIIIIIIITE). It was all a slightly edgier Young MC or Fresh Prince. Some of the music is good, but is any of the good stuff original? I heard Schoolhouse Rock, Steely Dan, Otis Redding, Ben E. King, Funkadelic, and those are just the ones I recognized.
The Zombies
3/5
I had heard this album once before. I like the first and last tracks (Care of Cell 44 and Time of the Season). The stuff in between, though, it's a tad too psychedelic hippie-dippie for me. A Rose for Emily is OK; it's trying to be a new Eleanor Rigby. The whole album is obviously inspired by Sgt. Pepper (for better or worse). Butchers Tale straight up sounds like the guy is doing a John Lennon impression. I think I prefer their earlier stuff like Tell Her No and She's Not There.
Ash
4/5
I had never heard of Ash before this. I'm pleasantly surprised. I didn't know non-grunge heavy rock, complete with guitar solos, was still being made in the mid-90s. At least it didn't sound like grunge to me. I definitely heard a stolen riff from Black Sabbath's N.I.B. in the song I'd Give You Anything. Hope I'm not the only one who noticed it. Still enjoyed it. Favorite track: Probably Kung Fu - it's so catchy. Less fond of the lighter stuff on this album, but still 4/5 - might listen again.
Pink Floyd
3/5
Previously rated:
The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (2/5)
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I will reiterate that I've never been stoned in my life, and that I don't get Pink Floyd. This is a well thought out, well put together, cohesive album. Money is a good song that I've heard a hundred times. The rest is fine, if not a little boring. I just don't get much enjoyment out of it. I'm glad everyone else in the world loves it.
Judas Priest
4/5
I like this album a lot. Favorite tracks: Breaking the Law, Living after Midnight.
Afrika Bambaataa
3/5
I was 12 years old in 1986. I never heard of Afrika Bambaataa, but I probably would have liked this. Now, it sounds pretty dated. Still, it's fun and energetic stuff. Favorite track: Renegades of Funk
Michael Jackson
5/5
Previously rated:
Thriller (5/5)
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I think I heard this album once in its entirety when it was new. Of course, many of the songs here were singles, so it left about four songs I was unfamiliar with, although listening to the song "Bad," I realized I was much, much more familiar with Weird Al's "Fat" and didn't remember these lyrics. It may be an iconic song, but man the lyrics are pretty cringeworthy if you take them for Jackson singing about himself. (Apparently he wrote it about a kid in a newspaper story he read.) He was going for an overall edgier approach with the album. At the time, it didn't fool anyone. We all knew he was a skinny little twerp who talked like a meek little girl and hung around with children.
Anyway, back to the music. It's fantastic, what can I say? Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel, Man in the Mirror, Smooth Criminal, all huge songs! The weakest song is probably Liberian Girl, and even that's not terrible. Stevie Wonder is featured in one song, which surprised me. The album ends on a very solid three track, Dirty Diana, Smooth Criminal, and Leave Me Alone (forgot how much I liked this one). I let the album play a second time.
Not quite Thriller or Off the Wall, but it's close. Still 5/5.
Queens of the Stone Age
3/5
Going in, I was only familiar with Go With the Flow and 3's & 7's, neither of which are on this album, so this was all new to me. Maybe this band is one you have to listen to more than once to really enjoy it. The songs were interesting, sometimes experimental, but nothing really grabbed me on first listen. I wish the singer put a little more effort in, or maybe lazy, laid back vocals is what he's going for? On the plus side, it wasn't boring, had cool guitar and drum parts. Just average or slightly above to me.
Dire Straits
4/5
Nice album. I think I had heard it once before. Seems to be a little front heavy with So Far Away, Money for Nothing, and Walk of Life. Back half was a bit slow, but not bad. A little Springsteen, a little Bob Dylan, and a little...something else I can't remember now. The production is a bit dated for sure.
Prince
4/5
Some really good songs here. Let’s Go Crazy, Take Me With U, I Would Die 4 U, When Doves Cry. I always thought Purple Rain (single version) was kind of a boring song. This version is even more so at 8+ minutes long. I suppose it’s an appropriate album ended though. Didn’t like the fake sounding drums.
4/5
Previously rated:
Aladdin Sane (3/5)
The Next Day (3/5)
Young Americans (3/5)
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Not the biggest Bowie fan as you can see, but this one has some good rockin' tunes. Suffragette City and Ziggy Stardust being my favorites.
Todd Rundgren
5/5
Previously rated:
A Wizard, A True Star (4/5)
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Like the previous album, it's an eclectic collection with good variety. He's got a great singing voice. This album even has a couple of hit songs. Didn't feel too long for a double album either. My appreciation for his music is growing. Some of it sounds a bit 70s AM easy listening, but I liked that too. Liked the humor too - I caught some of the recording problems he mentioned in Intro :)
Moby Grape
4/5
Listened on YouTube. Good old late '60s psychedelic rock.
Prince
3/5
Previously rated:
Purple Rain (4/5)
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I did not know this was a double album. The first three songs here (1999, Little Red Corvette, and Delirious) are great, and I have a lot of nostalgia for them as they were popular when I first started listening to music. Then we get to the sexually explicit Let's Pretend We're Married, and this is where I started to be put off. If it was just that track, I could overlook it, but the horniness and sex noises are sprinkled throughout the rest of the album. I was glad when it was over. I wanted to take a shower, but then I just let the first three tracks play again, and they are what brings the album up to a 3/5.
CHVRCHES
3/5
If someone played this and said it was Taylor Swift, I would have believed it. Granted I know very little of her music, but I think it’s similar type of synth pop right? Anyway it’s not my genre, but it wasn’t bad. I preferred the female lead songs to the couple with the dude.
TV On The Radio
2/5
Whatever genre mix this is (ethereal + ?), I don't like it. That last track can go straight into the trash. It's also all pretty forgettable. I think there was one decent sounding song, but looking over the track listing, I can't for the life of me know which one it would have been.
Iron Maiden
5/5
Previously rated:
The Number Of The Beast (5/5)
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First time listening to a pre-Bruce Dickenson Iron Maiden album, and I liked it a lot more than I thought it would. This singer's voice isn't as unique, but it's not bad. A couple of songs gave me Deep Purple vibes. I liked everything here, no duds. I will listen to this again. It rocks!
Elliott Smith
2/5
Ugh, such a low energy affair, especially after yesterday’s Iron Maiden album. This is what I expect an Art Garfunkel solo album sounds like, with a few random F-bombs thrown for a cheap bit of excitement. No thank you. I’m putting Maiden back on.
Talking Heads
4/5
Previously rated:
Remain In Light (2/5)
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Much better than the previous Talking Heads album. This one had more energy, the songs were catchier. I liked the lyrics better too. Enjoyed hearing the different instruments, steel drum, xylophone, etc.
2Pac
2/5
My first 2Pac album. Another gansta' rap album that I cannot relate to. This one is probably better than most though. Still, most of it is the standard drug dealin', n****as dyin', weed smokin' stuff. He plays lip service to kids aspiring to be a doctor or lawyer instead of a criminal in one track, but then turns around and glamorizes the thug life the rest of the time. Dear Mama was a decent heartfelt track. The very '90s singing parts were sometimes laughably cheesy.
Taylor Swift
3/5
I was looking forward to hearing my first Taylor Swift album to see what the hype is all about. I can see why young women/girls would love it. It's not really for me, but there is some catchy stuff here. I'm less impressed by the instrumentation. It was nice to hear the saxophone on one song and I could make out some acoustic guitar, but it's mostly dominated by loud I assume computer generated sounds. For a modern pop album, it's a bit above average.
The B-52's
5/5
Because this list isn't the 1,001 deepest, most thought provoking albums, I'm comfortable giving this one a 5/5. It's pure silly pop/rock with a little punk vibe as well. It's got catchy riffs, and the ladies' voices compliment each other well. The male singer has a very distinct voice too. It also has one of the great songs of all time, Rock Lobster, without which this would be 4/5. Cool album cover too. Fire this up when you're down in the dumps.
Megadeth
4/5
It took a couple of tracks in to get into this, and I'm not a big fan of the vocals, but it's pretty good. Devil's Island, Black Friday, I Ain't Superstitious, Peace Sells are all good songs. Didn't care much for the last track My Last Words. All in all, it rocks, though it made me want to listen to some Anthrax.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Previously rated:
Armed Forces (3/5)
My Aim Is True (4/5)
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There is nothing really terrible here. It's all just so dull and boring, especially compared to the last Elvis Costello album I got. His vocals just don't do it for me. Now that I've gotten three from the lesser Elvis out of the way, are there any Elvis *Presley* albums here?
Frank Zappa
4/5
Previously rated:
Freak Out! (3/5)
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Groovy, jazzy, rockin', nice guitar and drums, just a bit of weirdness, barely any vocals. I liked this a lot!
The Boo Radleys
3/5
A totally fine and adequate album. Can hear the Beatles influence. Did they have to go so heavy on the effects, especially on the vocals though?
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
1/5
Previously rated:
Murder Ballads (3/5)
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There has been some bullshit on this list, but this album takes the cake. Hated every single minute of this dull, boring, silly pseudo-deep lyrics, garbage. I shouted many expletives at Mr. Cave while listening to this.
Tears For Fears
4/5
Finally I get to hear what the other songs sound like on this album besides the big three (Shout, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, and Head Over Heels). On first listen, they were kind of forgettable. I think Mothers Talk and Broken were the best. The last track, Listen was kind of dull. I really liked the extra /Broken part of Head Over Heels which isn't present in the single. A low 4/5 over all.
Suede
3/5
Sounds like they really wanted to make an epic sounding album, and I guess they were somewhat successful. It just didn’t wow me personally. The vocals in particular were kind of annoying. The music was fine. Best song probably We Are the Pigs.
Mike Oldfield
3/5
It started out sounding kind of Christmassy with the bells, appropriate as I'm listening in mid-December. I don't remember a lot about the rest except it was mostly instrumental except when he announced a new instrument coming in and the weird phlegmy talking(?). It was fine. I don’t know what he was on about on that last track.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Previously rated:
Court and Spark (3/5)
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I thought the first two tracks were great. The first one reminded me of Schoolhouse Rock for some reason. Again, great voice. Got a bit boring near the end.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Previously rated:
Armed Forces (3/5)
My Aim Is True (4/5)
Imperial Bedroom (2/5)
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Good, catchy, lots of variety here. May be as good or better than My Aim is True. Every time I hear Pump It Up, I can't help but hear that Wild Wild West song. How did EC not sue over that?
Björk
2/5
Not quite as weird as I thought it might be. Not as bad as I expected. Still not something I would want to hear again. Is she the one who started the breathy and over enunciatiated vocal style? I don’t like it.
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
Is this what they call shoegaze? That vocal style just annoys me. Just sing! Some of the instrumentation is good. Lyrics are whatever. Overall, mediocre. Don't care if I hear it again or not.
Depeche Mode
4/5
I have heard of Depeche Mode of course, but nothing on this album sounded familiar at all, and I couldn't even think of a song of theirs I knew. In 1987 I turned 13 and was mainly listening to hard rock/glam metal over pop, so I would have probably dismissed this anyway. When I listen to it now, I like what I hear. It reminds me of Duran Duran, who I enjoy. There is a good amount of variety which I wasn't expecting. The sometimes monotone vocals didn't really bother me either. One dull song, I think. Good album, I'd listen again.
Iron Butterfly
4/5
I had no idea this album was held in any kind of high regard. I thought everyone considered them a band with one good song, so I was surprised to see it here, good surprised, though I hadn't heard it before, but I'm a sucker for psychedelic rock. The first couple of tracks were kind of hippie almost bubblegum pop/rock sounding. One of them had half of a Doors organ riff. The only song I didn't care for was "My Mirage." Too serious sounding. The rest was pretty cool, groovy stuff. And of course the iconic 17 minute title track with the memorable guitar riff and super long drum solo. Favorite track: "Are You Happy"
Billy Bragg
3/5
Some interesting lyrics, some cringe lyrics. Music is OK.
B.B. King
4/5
The music here has a very timeless sound about it. I didn't look at the date it was released before I started listening and had no idea what year or even decade it was released in. Good, fun stuff here. The audience talk back is amusing too.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Not a rap fan, but good beats, lyrics ok. Average score.
Sister Sledge
3/5
Easy listening Disco music. Not much more to say. Everyone knows the one song.
Talk Talk
2/5
Dull and dreary and did not like the vocals. Harmonica in one song was cool. Too bad the rest of the music wasn’t better.
Various Artists
4/5
Some classic Christmas songs here. Glad to have it pop up on Christmas. (I’m sure it was not an accident.)
Coldplay
2/5
I hate this band for how mediocre their music is, how commercial it sounds, like it was designed for TV shows and commercials when an emotional moment needs some punctuation. The only song to catch my ear in a good way was Green Eyes. I hope there is no more Coldplay on this list.
Bon Jovi
4/5
Ah, a big album from my youth! I wasn't sure any "hair bands" would make this list as critics usually sneer at it. I had this on cassette back in the day and thought this would be a slam dunk 5/5. Well, almost, but not quite. It's got some great, catchy tunes for sure. At least half of these were put out as singles. Maybe I've just heard them way too many times over the years for them to make much of an impact anymore. One of the singles they don't play much anymore is Never Say Goodbye, so I was glad to hear that one again. Now that Bon Jovi is out of the way, bring on Def Leppard, Poison, Whitesnake, Twisted Sister, and especially Motley Crue.
k.d. lang
4/5
Previously rated:
Ingenue (3/5)
********************
Some very pretty songs here. Sort of Patsy Cline like. I liked the medley at the end.
U2
4/5
I wouldn't say I'm a U2 fan, but I like some of their songs. This album had some good ones, Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Years Eve particularly.
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
Pretty sounding Latin music.
Ice T
2/5
Ice T wants you to know he's a hardcore n***a who ain't no sellout b*tch even though he played a cop on a TV show, thinks fighting a war in the middle east is bullshit, but his brand of violence is cool. And he is really proud of his violent lyrics. Too bad because the beats were pretty good here.
Van Halen
5/5
One of the best guitarists, drummers and vocalists of all time make an almost perfect hard rock album.
R.E.M.
3/5
Previously rated:
Document (4/5)
************************
Man on the Moon is the highlight for sure, and it's the only song I *really* like. The others are fine, they might get better with repeat listenings.
Derek & The Dominos
5/5
I never really got the Guitar God label put on Eric Clapton until hearing this album. Definitely better than the Cream and solo album I previously rated. This one will stay in rotation.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
1/5
With a name like Penguin Cafe Orchestra and song titles like Hugebaby, I thought this would be some weird avant garde stuff. It wasn't. It was just boring. Unfortunately, there was really nothing here for me to enjoy.
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
This really did nothing but provide some chill background music on my drive home from work. What’s special about this?
Pixies
4/5
In 1988, I was listening to Guns 'n' Roses, Poison, Def Leppard, Kiss, and Motley Crue. I didn't know this existed until many years later. First time hearing a full album from them. Listened twice. Good stuff, reminded me of the band X in some tracks. There's a topless woman on the cover.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
Previously rated:
Loveless (2/5)
Isn't Anything (3/5)
**********************
Bleh. This one sounded like the first one heard. Wispy, indecipherable lyrics over repetitive ambient noise. This is 2013?!
Did we really need three albums from them? Wait, I'm less than 30% through this list. There could be many more!
Best: in another way. Worst: nothing is
Garbage
3/5
I won't say it's garbage, but it's very unremarkable besides having a female singer (maybe it's on the list for more female representation?). I only knew I'm Only Happy When It Rains. I never loved that song, nor did I love any of the other songs. It's a low 3/5 for me.
Sinead O'Connor
3/5
There is some interesting stuff here, not just the one hit. Did not care for the real minimalist stuff like the first and last tracks. Otherwise I kind of liked it. I always wondered why the flippant "2 U" in Nothing Compares 2 U. Seems to lessen the impact of a serious and emotional song.
High 3/5, and RIP Ms. O'Connor.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Previously rated:
Born to Run (4/5)
***********************
Did Bruce's grandma take the cover photo when he came to visit for Thanksgiving? Anyway, the music itself is alright, if not a bit formulaic and mellow for my taste. Not as good as Born to Run.
The Electric Prunes
4/5
I only recently learned that this band existed (thanks to a random track play from Apple Music). I think it was I Had Too Much To Dream. I liked it enough to listen to the entire album, so this is the second play-through for me. I like it quite a bit. It's got a lot more variety than you'd expect. It's not all Doors-sounding psychedelic rock. There's Indian, East Asian, even ragtime in here. Just didn't care much for the more hippie sounding stuff like The King is in the Counting House.
The Stone Roses
3/5
I knew of one song by the band, She Bangs the Drum. This album sounds a bit Oasis-like to me, just a bit more bland. Gets good near the end. I Am the Resurrection is the best track I think. Most songs (except Elizabeth My Dear) could have been shorter, and made the album 45 minutes or so, and would have been a better listen.
Christine and the Queens
2/5
Listened to the 11 song English version. Crappy, depressing sounding modern pop. Only enjoyed the nostalgia from hearing some of the throwback 80s sounds. The Stranger was the best song; it has a riff that sounds like Peter Gabriel's Shock the Monkey.
Creepy album cover. Stay far away from anyone who looks at you like this.
Miles Davis
3/5
Yeah, it's pretty cool alright. It's jazz though, so I kept forgetting it was on.
Coldplay
1/5
Previously rated:
A Rush Of Blood To The Head (2/5)
**************************************
I should have written this review right after I listened to the album until waiting until the next day. Most of the anger erupting from me while listening is gone. I wanted to punch the guy in the throat whenever he went into his falsetto (which happened to be in every g-damn song!) This has to be one of the lamest, no balls whatsoever, rock album I've ever heard. I don't remember how many times I said "SHUT THE F*** UP" out loud in my car. Please let this be the last Coldplay album, I'm begging.
Lauryn Hill
3/5
The first song, Lost Ones, was annoying, and the album ran out of steam at the end; didn't like the cover of Can't Take My Eyes Off of You. The rest was pretty decent stuff especially considering I'm not an R&B/hip-hop guy, though the incessant "yo, yo, yo" did get on my nerves. I also thought the interspersing of the kids talking about what they think love is was pretty cool and interesting.
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
Weird inclusion on this list. Oh, it's from the UK? Well, that explains it. Ms. Dynamite has an annoyingly nasal voice and a foul mouth, but she did manage to pull together one really good song, which is Krazy Krush.
3/5
Apple Music did not have this, so I listened on YouTube.
Pure chaos. Not much else to say besides it belongs on this list. I haven't heard anything quite like this before. Two saxophones, two drummers, and one bass?
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Good, fun stuff. The instrumental, Sex Machine went a little long.
Scott Walker
2/5
There were a couple of interesting songs, the Seventh Seal and Get Behind Me, but overall it was a pretty boring affair.
Brian Eno
3/5
I’ve heard his name mentioned many times but I couldn’t tell you anything he has specifically been involved with before listening to this. The first half certainly had some interesting sounds and lyrics. Not the greatest voice though. Second half is slow and a bit on the boring side. I think I’d listen to it again, at least the first half.
Johnny Cash
4/5
This album is good, fun time. He certainly knew how to connect with his audience. I wish they edited out the encore of San Quinton and added another song or had a longer version of Folsom Prison Blues. Also, more June Carter! Favorite track: A Boy Named Sue.
Laura Nyro
5/5
I love Laura Nyro's greatest hits album. I've listened to it many times. This is the first time listening to one of her studio albums. I was going to give this a 4/5 as I don't like the slow, stripped down songs as much, and her voice can get a bit shrill on the high notes. But I listened to it again this morning, and I think I was just being too critical. There are plenty enough great songs here to push this up to a 5/5. Did she lift "she got the way to move me" on Emmie from Neil Diamond's Cherry, Cherry?
Favorites: Lu, Sweet Blindness, Stoned Soul Picnic, Eli's Comin'.
The Who
5/5
Previously rated:
Who's Next (5/5)
********************
There were three versions of this on Apple Music (Bonus Tracks, 40th Anniversary, and Deluxe Editions), none of which resembled the order or run time of the original listed on Wikipedia. They were all at least twice as long. I made a playlist with just the original songs and it was still 5 minutes longer than it should be. Close enough.
It simply rocks. Daltrey's voice sounds great. Drums and bass are thumpin'. Guitar wailing. 5/5
Aimee Mann
3/5
The name sounded familiar, but I didn't know this was the singer from 'Til Tuesday until after hearing the album. It didn't sound similar at all to me. This was pretty standard fare 90s pop. She has a nice voice and the songs were all pretty radio-friendly stuff. It was decent.
Cat Stevens
2/5
I don't like this wimpy type of folk rock, and I don't like this weirdo asking where the children play. 2/5 because Wild World and Miles From Nowhere are OK.
Ozomatli
3/5
I liked a lot of the instrumentation. I didn't like the rap parts, nor the nasally guy's vocals. Best track: (Who Discovered) America? Worst: Who's to Blame.
Miles Davis
3/5
Previously rated:
Birth of the Cool (3/5)
Kind of Blue (3/5)
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Some great energetic and entertaining stuff here like Pharaoh's Dance and Spanish Key, but also a lot of just meandering around like the last few minutes of the title track and the entirety of Feio. So it averages out to, well average 3/5.
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
Showtunes aren't generally my thing, but you can't deny this woman's beautiful voice, and the arrangements are great for the most part. But you gotta also really love Gershwin tunes to love listening to three plus hours of this. I don't get why the instrumental stuff was here.
"My Cousin in Milwaukee" was one of the tracks that stood out to me. I liked the wordplay.
1/5
Sounds like someone just learned some curse words and wants everyone to know.
I've never knowingly listened to Limp Bizkit before. I was 25 when this album came out, but somehow I knew I was too old for it. I'm 49 now listening to it, and I'm wayyyyy too old for this shit. Crap, juvenile lyrics, crap vocals, crap guitar, crap album title and art. Nothing on this album wasn't crap. The only people giving this more than 1 star better have some nostalgic tie to this from when they were an edgy teenager trying to rebel against society. I could not fathom someone hearing this for the first time today and think it's good. No f***ing way. I actually sat through this whole thing, by the way, even the extremely obnoxious several minute long laughing at the end. This is bottom of the barrel stuff here.
Slade
5/5
Once in a while the UK bias of this list pays off. I doubt this album would be here otherwise. Like most Americans my age, we first heard Slade on their song Run Runaway. It was only years later I found out two of Quiet Riots biggest hits were both Slade songs, so I had to look into them. I've only listened to their greatest hits and live albums, but I can say I'm a fan. This is my first time listening to a studio album. It's just good, fun, stripped down rock & roll at its finest. You can tell the band is having fun playing. I had fun listening to all 10 songs. Gudbuy T'Jane and Mama Weer All Crazee Now were the ones I knew best, so they were my favorites.
Fairport Convention
3/5
I liked the more upbeat rock songs like Cajun Woman and Million Dollar Bash over the more Joan Baez-like stuff. A mixed bag here.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
I don't get the reverence for Bob Marley, but the music here is nice enough to chill out to.
Joanna Newsom
2/5
The woman's voice ruins all the pretty music. It probably deserves a 1/5 based on how much I enjoyed it, but the last 1/5 I gave was Limp Biskit, and the passion and sincerity of this should not be anywhere near that stank.
Radiohead
1/5
Previously rated:
Kid A (1/5)
Hail to the Thief (1/5)
**************************
This initially sounded like it was going to be better than the other two I heard previously. And overall, I think it is slightly better, but only slightly. The whiny vocals are still here. The pretentious, atmospheric background music. I don't dig this band at all.
The Cure
2/5
Previously rated:
Pornography (2/5)
*********************
I called the Pornography album "echo-heavy, depressing sounding muck." This one wasn't quite that bad, but still nothing very good either. There's nothing that sounds like their hits. I immediately played Boys Don't Cry after listening to this and wondered why nothing on the album was anywhere near this good.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
Did this guy record an album every week of his life? There is so much of his stuff out there and he died at age 48! Anyway, the music was not bad to listen to, just not a genre I'd put on casually. There is so much worse music on this list.
Richard Thompson
2/5
More boring than I was expecting. A little too folky, and Richard doesn't sing nearly as well as Linda. Very forgettable.
Weather Report
3/5
Part TV show theme songs, part Kenny G, part Steely Dan, and some other random stuff. I really don't know what to give this. A 3/5 I guess?
T. Rex
3/5
I only knew Bang a Gone (Get It On) from this band, and honestly I never liked it that much. I was hoping their other stuff was better and more glam rock like Sweet or Slade, but this album was just too...mellow, and just kind of mediocre overall. Finally, on the very last track of the album (Rip Off) they wake up and start glamming it up. Why wasn't more of the album like this?
Koffi Olomide
3/5
Terrible graphic design on this album cover. The music was OK. A bit cheesy and dated sounding in parts. The boo-say boo-sah phrase was used a lot throughout. What does it mean?
George Michael
3/5
A serious pop album. Not terrible I suppose, but not much fun apart from Freedom and maybe one other.
Jack White
4/5
Previously rated:
The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan (4/5)
***************************************************
I guess I'm a Jack White fan now. I listened to this twice. Great organ/piano playing, drums, a variety of genres. The only thing holding it back for me, and just a bit, is the vocals, especially the distortion. But when he has backup singers singing too, it sounds good. I loved the final track, Take Me With You When You Go. Also enjoyed I'm Shakin' and Hip Poor Boy, but the whole album is pretty solid, maybe a 5/5 if I listen some more.
Deep Purple
5/5
I listened to this one three times in a row. Wow, what an album! Total balls to the wall hard rock. You might even say heavy metal. Speed King is an amazing opener with a kick-ass guitar riff. Child in Time, EPIC! Really, every track here is great. Ian Gillian had the best scream in rock. The inventive guitar solos with heavy whammy bar, the keyboard solos, cool basslines, killer drum fills, this has it all. Ends with the galloping awesomeness and cacophony of Hard Lovin' Man. A perfect album as far as I'm concerned. Though I'm sure some idiot is going to say "Meh, dad rock 1/5".
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Previously rated:
Led Zeppelin IV (5/5)
Physical Graffiti (5/5)
Led Zeppelin III (3/5)
**************************
Starts off hot with Good Times Bad Times, then starts to slow down. A little too slow for my taste. Dazed and Confused and Communication Breakdown are the other highlights here. I will take another listen when I get a chance.
Jacques Brel
3/5
In 1964, many people were listening to the Beatles, but then there were some listening to this guy. I have no idea what he is saying, but he sure is passionate about it.
Radiohead
2/5
Previously rated:
In Rainbows (1/5)
Hail To the Thief (1/5)
Kid A (1/5)
*************************
Since this album was five years before any Radiohead album I've listened to previously, I had hope it would be better than the others. And it is! Does that mean I like it? No. It has a few moments where it starts to rock. The singer does ruin it most of the time. But this album actually has melody, something I usually prefer to hear in music. And for that, I'll give it an extra star.
Queen
4/5
For an album with no hits songs, it's quite good. I didn't know someone besides Freddie sang lead. Whoever it was sounded good, kind of like Roger Daltrey.
Might go up to a 5/5 after I listen to it again.
Mj Cole
2/5
It's a dance album. It's more for dancing to than sitting down and listening to, so it's automatically going to get dinged for that. And it has the same annoying repetitiveness that other similar albums have. The lady singing in some tracks has a nice voice though.
Carole King
3/5
Lovely voice, some big hits. I didn't really care for her covers of Will You Love Me Tomorrow? or A Natural Woman. Best track: So Far Away
fIREHOSE
3/5
I had never heard of fIREHOSE before. With 11 of the 14 tracks flagged as [E] as Apple Music, I was expecting some obscenity filled anger or sex-rock, but it wasn't really either. Unless it was mislabeled, most of the curse words must have flown over my head. This was just some quirky, but not really weird, less catchy...Goo Goo Dolls-like rock? I don't know. Some of it was OK, some of it was a bit dull. Average rating 3/5.
KISS
4/5
Haha, I was wondering if a Kiss album would show up here. I figured if one did it would either be Alive! or this one. Let me say right off the bat, I'm a big Kiss fan, but this has never been one of my favorite albums of theirs. Let's give it a fresh listen.
- Detroit Rock City - Terrific, iconic song. The opening with the guy getting ready to go to a Kiss concert is cool too.
- King of the Night Time World - The car crash at the end of DRC goes right into this, and it's another really good one.
- God of Thunder - The perfect song for Gene Simmons' demon persona. It's dark, dirty, it rocks. The kid voices are creepy too. Perfect album so far!
- Great Expectations - The perfect album has completely gone off the rails here. One of the cringiest songs I've ever heard. The lyrics are super creepy. It's over-produced. The chorus sucks. Everything sucks about this. This one is skipped every time I hear it.
- Flaming Youth - Kinda rocks, but it's pretty cheesy. "Flaming Youth will set the world on fire!" OK, Paul.
- Sweet Pain - A typical Gene song. I like it except for the female backup singers. They make it sound super dated.
- Shout it Out Loud - An attempt to recreate the magic of Rock and Roll All Nite. Not as good, but it's fine.
- Beth - A big hit, but I've never loved it. Too over-produced with the orchestral sound. Hard Luck Woman off their next album is a much better Peter Criss sung ballad imo.
- Do You Love Me - Decent album closer. I like the thumpin' drums.
- Rock 'N' Roll Party - There's one more? Oh, this. It used to be tacked on to the end with no track title. It has a sort of reprise of Great Expectations in it, so it sucks.
Overall, this is my least favorite of the seven Kiss studio albums of the 1970's. The others I'd all give 5/5 to. My favorite it actually the next album Rock and Roll Over. Destroyer has problems. The production makes some of the tracks sound cheesy and/or dated. Five of these songs are on Alive II and they sound better live. I'll still give this 4/5, though I'll still always skip Great Expectations and usually Beth when I re-listen.
Kate Bush
2/5
Previously rated:
The Dreaming (2/5)
***********************
Sorry, Kate. I still can't get into your music. I think this one was more straight-forward then The Dreaming, but I still couldn't connect to it in any way. I started zoning out after a while. I barely remember anything about it after listening to it yesterday.
Beck
3/5
First time hearing Beck outside Loser. Well, I don't really like his laid back, disinterested singing style. Drum beats were OK. I didn't hate anything. The keyboard in this sounded exactly like the keyboard used in the music for Napoleon Dynamite. Compare Hotfix with Uncle Rico's theme.
Pulp
2/5
Creepy David Bowie want-to-be.
Culture Club
4/5
Culture Club was very popular when I started getting into music, so I have nostalgia for some of these songs. Karma Chameleon, It's a Miracle, Church of the Poison Mind, and Miss Me Blind were all hits I believe. The rest of the album is solid. I only listened to the original 10 tracks, but I'll probably hit the rest later.
Metallica
3/5
Previously rated:
Master of Puppets (5/5)
Metallica (4/5)
****************************
This seems strange to have on the list. If we needed to hear symphonic metal before we die, why not have an actual symphonic metal band? Oh well, anyway, the symphony gimmick gets old surprisingly fast. There was one track later in the album (I think it was Wherever I May Roam) that I thought sounded cool with the symphony. The vocals were very inconsistent throughout. Some were OK, some goofy sounding off-key moments, some voice cracking, some lyric slurring, and even sounding like a lounge singer (in One). Quite laughably bad in some parts. In fact, he actually is laugh singing at one point. It's a good thing the underlying music is solid (even though I'm not familiar with many of the originals) or this would have gotten a lower rating.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
I thought I only knew one song of hers going in, Genie in a Bottle. Turns out I know at least two others (Fighter and Beautiful), just thought they were Kelly Clarkson or somebody else. Well, this album started off poorly with a GIRL POWER song featuring an annoying Lil' Kim rap. Big pass. After that, there is actually some decent pop stuff here. The girl can sing for sure, though sometimes her vocal acrobatics are a bit much, but that's what was popular (is it still?). The album goes on too long with too many "inspirational" songs. Cut it off after 15 tracks and we're good.
Sparks
3/5
This is weird stuff. Well, the album cover and title, some of the song titles, the Tiny Tim-like vocals are weird. The rest of the music is fairly straightforward. It reminds me of Supertramp. Favorite track: Hasta Mañana, Monsieur.
50 Cent
2/5
Drugs, guns, death threats, boasting, N words and MF’ers galore. Not much different than the other gangsta rap albums I've already heard here. It wasn't made for me.
Public Enemy
4/5
I bought this album back when it was new. I must have listened to it a lot back then as it was very familiar and I hadn’t listened to it in at least 25 years. Despite some questionable lyrics and some tracks that are too noisy with a lot going, it’s still pretty good.
Kings of Leon
3/5
Previously rated:
Youth And Young Manhood (3/5)
************************************
Again, the music was OK, but those affected, torchered sounding vocals. It gets tiring. Best track: Sex on Fire
Van Halen
5/5
Previously rated:
1984 (5/5)
**********************
A near perfect hard rock album. Half the songs still get radio play on my local classic rock station, and it has my all time favorite Van Halen song, Ice Cream Man!
Radiohead
1/5
Previously rated:
The Bends (2/5)
In Rainbows (1/5)
Hail To the Thief (1/5)
Kid A (1/5)
*************************
This has to be trolling, right? Either by the band selling this crap as music, or by this list including it as a joke. Monotonous droning over some repetitive beat. That's all this is. How many more albums do we have to listen to from this awful, awful band?
Harry Nilsson
3/5
There's a good 1-2-3 punch with Without You, Coconut, and Let the Good Times Roll, but besides that, it's kind of middle of the road or worse. Ends on an overwrought note with I'll Never Leave You.
5/5
Previously rated:
Rubber Soul (5/5)
With the Beatles (5/5)
*********************************
I like using this fake band thing to frame this pseudo-concept album, even if it only ties into 3/13 tracks. There are two songs here I don't really care for. She's Leaving Home is too overproduced and boring sounding. And Within You Without You is just too...weird and un-Beatle like. I do like the version on the LOVE album that mixes it with Tomorrow Never Knows. If Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane were held back for this album instead of released as a single, and replaced those two tracks, I think this would unquestionably be the best Beatles album of all time, and maybe best album period.
I'm partial to Lovely Rita and Good Morning, Good Morning, and of course a Day in the Life. Oh, and Lucy in the Sky. Oh, and When I'm 64 and the reprise. Let's give this a 4.75.
Tim Buckley
3/5
This album had a couple of moments, but did not leave much of a lasting impression. I didn't really like his singing style, which sounded like a forced Van Morrison affectation.
R.E.M.
3/5
Previously rated:
Automatic for the People (3/5)
Document (4/5)
************************************
Stand is a great song, Orange Crush and Inside Out pretty good. The rest range from dull to average.
Spacemen 3
1/5
So repetitive. When a song starts, you think oh this one might be good, but it never changes. So repetitive. Same beat, same chords. So repetitive. I don't care about their revolution. So repetitive. This album barely even has a Wikipedia article. So repetitive.
Joy Division
3/5
Previously rated:
Unknown Pleasures (2/5)
******************************
Despite the vocals being what they are, there was some decent stuff going on musically. But again, those vocals are so depressing. Can’t give it any more than a 3/5. Best track: Twenty four hours.
Radiohead
2/5
Previously rated:
Amnesiac (1/5)
The Bends (2/5)
In Rainbows (1/5)
Hail To the Thief (1/5)
Kid A (1/5)
*************************
Are we done with Radiohead yet? A third of the way through the list, and six albums already. This one is right up there with The Bends as not as terrible as the others, but still not good. But it actually has a few good moments, particularly in Paranoid Android and Electioneering. Sadly, those moments don't last long enough or are ruined by the singer incessant whining. I have to say STFU out loud multiple times during every Radiohead album I listen to. I did kind of enjoy the computer theme though.
Talvin Singh
2/5
Guess I just don’t like Indian techno very much. Best track: Sutrix
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
OK, it's alright once you get used to the low, mush-mouth vocal style the singer sometimes employs. Too bad "Come On Eileen" isn't on here. Does "One of Those Things" straight-up rip off "Werewolves of London" or is it an homage or ironic sound-alike?
John Prine
3/5
You know the album is going to be a little different when the first song ends with "Hot dog bun, my sister's a nun." The whole thing is a mixed bag though. This guy is a more Country sounding Bob Dylan with the clever lyrics in some songs like Illegal Smile, Pretty Good, and Your Flag Decal, but then there's some basic boring Country stuff too.
Metallica
5/5
Previously rated:
S&M (3/5)
Master of Puppets (5/5)
Metallica (4/5)
****************************
My brother owned this album back when it was new, so I was familiar with it, though I haven't heard it in 30 years. I liked it then. Let's see what I think now.
It holds up extremely well, and for not hearing it in a long time, I remembered most of the tracks, except for the last three. This is some bad-ass metal and a good reminder why Metallica was considered the best thrash band in the world. Top notch guitar solos, and I love, love the drumming. Lars Ulrich gets a lot of crap nowadays, but damn he nails it here. Blackened is an amazing opening track and probably my favorite on the album. Other favorites: Everything except maybe To Live Is To Die, which is fine, just not as memorable as the others. Ends with a banger too - Dyer's Eve may be the heaviest track on the album.
Jeru The Damaja
2/5
This guy thinks he’s descended from Egyptian royalty and his words transcend space and time, but this is just another ‘90s rap album, probably here to have some east coast representation. Not much new, misogyny and racism, despite him specifically denying both. There are some good beats here though.
The Human League
3/5
There is some good stuff here, notably "The Sound of the Crowd" and "Don't You Want Me." Somehow I didn't get tired of the vocals. I might give this a second listen some time.
GZA
2/5
Yawn, yet another '90s explicit lyrics rap album. I couldn't understand a lot of the lyrics, but the words I did understand made it clear it's not anything I'd be interested in anyway. Had some movie dialogue interspersed. For what reason? No idea. Barely 2/5.
Janelle Monáe
3/5
After the first couple of tracks, I was ready to write this off as another generic R&B/rap album, then it started doing some interesting things and turned into quite an ambitious and impressive sounding album. It goes into some unexpected territory. Mushrooms & Roses sounds like an homage to Crimson & Clover. 57821 sounds sort of Simon and Garfunkel-ish. Lounge singing. It's got it all. I didn't like everything she tried here, but A for effort. Favorite tracks: Tightrope (except the Big Boi part), Oh, Maker, and one other I can't remember the title of.
Hüsker Dü
3/5
First time hearing any Husker Du. Maybe a 20-track double album wasn't the best place to start. Not that it was bad, just got tiring by the end. To me, it sounded a bit like Social Distortion or a punk R.E.M. The worst thing here was the '80s production, especially the drum sounds. The actual drumming was good. Best track: Standing in the Rain. Liked the bass in that one.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
Album #364. Wasn't streaming and then randomly showed up in Apple Music when I searched for the other Captain Beefheart album (#657), so I guess I'm listening to these back to back.
I had no idea what this was going to sound like, only that it was going to be weird, of course. Yeah, I get what they are doing. Purposely out of tune, out of time, random nonsensical lyrics, etc. It's a shtick that entertaining for very short while, not the length of a double album. I suppose if you're stoned, this would be highly captivating all the way through. To me, it sounds like a self-aware Shaggs featuring Wolfman Jack, but you can tell these guys could play right if they wanted to.
I didn't enjoy it, but I'm glad I finally got to hear it. Favorite track: Moonlight on Vermont, I guess.
Now I get to see how their two years earlier album compares.
3/5
A very mellow, laid back funk album. Some long songs, a nice listen though, just not that memorable. Best track: Maybe the title track?
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
3/5
Growing up hearing CSNY, I dismissed them as lame, hippie music. Now that I'm older, I can appreciate them more, but not all of it. I like Almost Cut My Hair, Woodstock, and Our House. Some of the other stuff is still kind of lame.
Cornershop
3/5
A weird mashup of styles. Indian, hip-hop, Beck? Didn’t like everything, but wasn’t bad at all.
Best track: Good to Be On the Road Back Again
Yes
4/5
Previously rated:
Fragile (5/5)
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Not quite as epic as Fragile, but there is some great stuff here. Love the bass and drums. Starship Trooper is the one track that dragged a bit too long.
Standout tracks: Yours Is No Disgrace and I've Seen All Good People.
John Martyn
2/5
Never heard of John Martyn before this. The first song, Dealer, was OK laid-back 70's funk, though it sounded like he was trying to sing with strep throat. The rest of the album was super boring and forgettable, especially that last track, what was that supposed to be? I'm looking forward to reading the 5/5 ratings to see how someone could possibly be enthusiastic about this big, dull dud.
Solange
1/5
This album has a lot to say about race - a lot of dumb things, and boring things. The music is secondary to the message, which I don't care about. They specifically say this shit isn't for me, and I agree. I'm not supposed to like it, and I don't.
Röyksopp
2/5
Perhaps a car isn't the best venue to listen to a dance music album like this, but I don't think I would like it much better in a night club. The first track samples "Blue on Blue," a song I never liked. Other tracks sounded like what AI can produce in 2024. The final track was a bore.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Weird title for an album. Great voice, really good songs. Not much more to say.
Dire Straits
3/5
Previously rated:
Brothers In Arms (4/5)
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It's got Sultans of Swing and uh...Six Blade Knife. The rest wasn't bad, just not memorable.
The Pretty Things
3/5
Sgt Pepper inspired psychedelic rock, leaning a bit too heavy into the psychedelia for my taste. I liked the hard rock stuff like Old Man Going the best. Above average but not quite a 4 upon first listen.
Queen
5/5
Previously rated:
Queen II (4/5)
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I liked this a bit better than Queen II. Almost everything is great. Killer Queen is one of their best songs. Stone Cold Crazy rocks hard. I'll definitely listen to this one again.
Arcade Fire
2/5
Previously rated:
The Suburbs (3/5)
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Not terrible music, but it's just so generic and forgettable. What do they have against guitar solos or drum fills? All I remember from listening to it yesterday was a whistling tea kettle and a song with strings. I didn't remember anything from the other album either. Arcade Fire makes music that is just there. It doesn't really do anything, and it doesn't do anything for me. Normally I'd give an album like this a 3 like I did The Suburbs, but that generic-ness just annoys me into dropping it a star.
Big Star
3/5
I like to go into these albums fresh and not look up any information about the artist or music beforehand, so I knew absolutely zero about Big Star and #1 Record. And after listening, I am extremely baffled as to why this exceedingly average sounding early '70s rock album needs to be listened to before I die. Are there member(s) of this band that go on to create a much more famous band later on? Did this album inspire the Eagles to start making music? No clue, but after clicking the Vote button, I'm going to Wikipedia to do some research on this. Best track: "Feel" maybe? It had horns in it, which made it sound a bit different. "When My Baby's Beside Me" sounded like pure bubblegum Partridge Family stuff.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
An album full of slow, tender pop ballads is not my thing. If it were, k.d. lang is better at it. She has a nice voice though. The guy was fine too I guess. The music was just dull to me though.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Previously rated:
Siamese Dream (3/5)
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This album was long, obviously, but pretty good. If I were a few years younger, I'm sure I would have big nostalgia for it. I do remember teenagers I worked with singing that they were a rat in a cage. One or two of the songs reminded me of Coheed and Cambria.
Venom
3/5
This is the reason why, in the ‘80a, any heavy sounding music was labeled as Satan worshipping. I just wanted to listen to Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Kiss, and Poison. Anyway, yeah this sounds silly and amateurish, but weirdly entertaining at the same time. This is far from the worst thing on the list. I would actually listen to it again.
David Bowie
3/5
Previously rated:
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (4/5)
Aladdin Sane (3/5)
The Next Day (3/5)
Young Americans (3/5)
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Golden Years and some other songs. Average David Bowie stuff.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Previously rated:
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (4/5)
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I liked this one a bit more than the previous album. Better album title too. It has my favorite Aretha song, Chain of Fools as well as a new favorite, Niki Hokey (nice bassline on this one).
Pink Floyd
3/5
Previously rated:
The Dark Side of the Moon (3/5)
The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (2/5)
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Can't say this is bad. I just like my rock music with a bit more energy and excitement. Just a preference.
Randy Newman
3/5
A bit slow for my taste, but the guy has a charm and an unmistakable voice that's easy to listen to.
Fatboy Slim
2/5
Dance music not my thing. Some of this is ok, but much of it is annoying and repetitive. How many times in a row do we need to hear “Give the po’ man” or “Michael Jackson?” Sheesh. Won’t listen again.
The Kinks
5/5
Previously rated:
Face to Face (4/5)
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) (5/5)
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Another great Kinks album. I love their sound (especially the drums), the lyrics, and a bit of weirdness. One song reminded me of the Banana Splits theme song, which I love.
Dion
3/5
Listened to the eight original tracks. Sounded like standard ‘70s Neil Diamond type pop. I’d rather hear Dion’s older stuff like Runaround Sue.
Pentangle
3/5
A bit better than the typical folk music I've gotten on this list, but just a bit. A low 3/5. I liked the female led tracks better, but still a lot of this is corny, hippie-dippie stuff. The sitar was utilized well I thought.
Favorite tracks: Once I Had a Sweetheart and Sally Go Round the Roses.
Al Green
3/5
The track Let's Stay Together is great. How Can You Mend a Broken Heart stood out just because I recognized it being a Bee Gee's song. Oh, and seven other smooth soul songs that kind of sound similar to each other. The album is OK for certain situations.
Boston
5/5
I was expecting this one to eventually come up, and was looking forward to it. The most incredible debut album of all time in my opinion. How did they go a perfect 8 for 8? Every song got radio play and most still do to this day. The vocal harmonies, the guitar harmonies, the drum fills, the organ in Smokin', everything comes together into a fully cohesive album that is basically perfect. They had a couple of hits after this, but would never be able to come close to what they achieved here. 5/5
Beck
2/5
Previously rated:
Odelay (3/5)
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My brother, who is a Beck fan, was mocking me the other day for giving the Deee-Lite album a 4/5. I would listen to a fun album like that any day of the week over the dreary dreck of Sea Change. Maybe "dreck" is a bit too strong, but this album was dull, and I didn't really like any of the tracks.
The Who
3/5
Previously rated:
Who's Next (5/5)
Live at Leeds (5/5)
********************
I'm not big on the whole rock opera concept here. There are a couple of good rock tracks - Pinball Wizard, Christmas, and Tommy Can You Hear Me? has been stuck in my head. But some of the other stuff is not to my taste. Some of the singing sounds off-key to me too.
Frank Ocean
1/5
What a great album for this list! It perfectly shows how terrible modern pop music is. Give me Billy Ocean any day over this horrible sounding crap. Is it auto-tune or does he really just sound this bad? There was one half decent track, Sweet Life.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
As a child of the '80s, I had heard of this band before, but I didn't know of their music as I didn't hear them on the radio or see them on MTV, so I didn't know what they would sound like. Besides the gated reverb drum sound, which I don't like, this is not bad. I might listen to this one again.
Favorite track: April Skies
Sabu
3/5
It's fun. There's a lot of call and response. I like the drums.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
Previously rated:
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme (4/5)
*********************************************
When I was younger, I though S&G were lame and boring with a couple of exceptions, so it feels weird to enjoy this so much now. There's a good mix of slow and up-tempo and different styles. Their voices and unique and mesh well together. I like it a bit more than the previous album. Favorite track: I've always liked "Cecilia."
Herbie Hancock
3/5
When I was a kid, Rockit was my favorite music video. I can't even hear the song without seeing it. And that is all I knew of Herbie Hancock for a long time until I found out he was a very well respected jazz musician. This is the first time hearing one of his albums, which came out the year before I was born. For someone who doesn't love jazz, it's decent jazz. There were some annoying things like the (I think) slide whistle in Watermelon Man and the repetitive beat in Vein Melter. I liked the craziness of Sly. Overall, 3/5.
Beatles
5/5
Previously rated:
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (5/5)
Rubber Soul (5/5)
With the Beatles (5/5)
************************************************
My favorite of the early Beatles albums. It contains some of my all-time favorites:
I Should Have Known Better
If I Fell
Tell Me Why
I'll Be Back
I like the less than polished production here, like when the vocal harmonies come in at different times. It gives the songs an authentic feel and charm. I don't want a perfect sounding album. The only track I might consider filler here is Any Time At All, but not enough to skip it when I listen. I recommend watching "A Hard Day's Night," the film as well.
Machito
3/5
Short, fun, but not super memorable songs. It reminded me of television theme songs of the 1960s.
The Flaming Lips
4/5
I knew part one of the title track, liked it. Part 2 rocks. The loud percussion throughout is good.
Jethro Tull
4/5
Jethro Tull has a unique sound that may not be for everyone, with the flute, piano, and sometimes rough vocals, but I can get into it. When he's not growling, the singer has sort of a George Harrison sounding voice, or maybe it's a different guy singing, I don't know. The album seems to be telling a story about a creepy pervert named Aqualung? I didn't really follow it, but I liked enough of the tracks to give it a 4/5. Best tracks: Aqualung, Cross-Eyed Mary, Hymn 43, Wind-Up.
Missy Elliott
2/5
Could there be music more annoying than this? Oh wait, I forgot about Limp Bizkit. Still, this is pretty bad. How many tracks did she have to say this is a Missy Elliott exclusive? And did she say she wants to put her booty in my spaghetti? No thank you very much. Best track: Ain’t it Funny I guess? Got a little nostalgia hit with the Run DMC and Beastie Boys samples. But is this really R&R Hall of Fame caliber music. Yuck!
Small Faces
4/5
I was expecting to hear Rod Stewart's voice, but I guess he wasn't in this band. This sounded sort of like the Guess Who and the Kinks. I don't know if any one track stood out, well except for the 19 minute one of course, but that was really several tunes with narration in between, but I kinda liked the whole thing (I could take or leave the narration parts). Good, fun drumming too. I'll definitely give it another listen in the future.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
This is a perfect example of an album that should be on this list, but not a "best albums of all time" list. It was groundbreaking in its genre, innovative, and influential, but listening to it today, it's...not great.
It starts off with a pretty weak track, Hard Times. It seems like any of the next few would have been a better choice, especially Rock Box. Maybe they didn't want to immediately turn off people who didn't want to hear rock in their rap?
Too many songs here utilize that hand clap sound effect, which makes the album sound even more dated than it would already be. The rhymes are just OK, the flow doesn't change very much so it gets old. Still, the album has some fun stuff like Rock Box, Jam-Master Jay. I like the incorporation of rock and the record scratching.
I don't know if "Raising Hell" is on this list, but it's a much better Run DMC album. However, I do agree their debut deserves to be here and should be heard to hear how it all started.
Nine Inch Nails
1/5
If you listened to this as a teenager when it came out, you probably thought you were the edgiest kid on the block. I was 19 or 20, so I was over that phase, so I never listened to NIN.
This album is noisy, abrasive, annoying, but also boring and repetitive. I hate the drum machine and the whole industrial sound. I didn't like any of it - not for me.
Paul Weller
3/5
Didn't know who Paul Weller was. The dude has a nice, soulful voice - it sounds familiar. The music is good, just nothing outstanding. A high 3/5.
Edit: I found out afterwards, Paul Weller was in the band The Jam. I don't remember much about the album I heard (300 albums ago), "All Mod Cons," but I rated it a 4/5.
Gram Parsons
3/5
Country isn't my favorite genre, but this isn't bad. Emmylou Harris adds a lot to it. I don't know if his weak voice could carry it by himself. I wouldn't mind hearing it again.
Calexico
3/5
Interesting mix of styles and genres. I didn’t dig the slower numbers much. This is one of the rare occasions I prefer the instrumentals, especially the jazz track, Crumble. Also Attack El Robot! Attack!
Madness
3/5
Not on Apple Music, so I had to listen on YouTube, not ideal. Upon first listen, it's alright - nothing is as good as the one song everyone knows, Our House. I could listen to it again...or not.
Kanye West
1/5
Previously rated:
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2/5)
The College Dropout (2/5)
**********************************************
This album isn’t just annoying, it’s aggressively and abrasively annoying. Made by a moron that believes he’s a genius. Listened to and enjoyed by people of similar intelligence. Song isn’t perfect yet? Hey Kanye, have you considered adding some more filthy lyrics, auto-tune, or loud buzzing noises? Oh, you have? BRILLIANT!
Absolutely nothing worth listening to a second time.
Merle Haggard
3/5
Country is not my favorite genre, but this older stuff has its charm. Here, Merle sounds very similar to Buck Owens on the Tiger By the Tail album I rated a while back. To me, it seems pretty standard for its time, but I'm sure it's more of a standout for country music fans.
Favorite track: Someone Told My Story (but many of the songs sounded similar)
The Who
4/5
Rating the original 1965 release. Starts off kinda average. Once it gets into the fourth track or so, it starts getting good. The standouts are obviously My Generation and The Kids Are Alright. Ends with an instrumental track The Ox which was pretty cool.
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
Previously rated:
Freak Out! (3/5)
*********************
I'm glad I listened to this. It had its share of interesting moments - it got some chuckles out of me. Example: "There will come a time when you won't even be ashamed if you are fat." How prophetic! Some funny song titles too. And some words I didn't expect to hear from a 1968 album, including "kick the shit out of me" and "flower power sucks." The music, kind of all over the place. The last track was just random sounds, not very musical, and it was the longest track.
Do I ever want or need to listen to it again? Probably not.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
Previously rated:
The Velvet Underground & Nico (3/5)
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Not quite as good as the previous one, but it's OK. Some pretty songs, some boring ones.
Napalm Death
1/5
I like metal, but not like this. Not. Like. This.
Malcolm McLaren
3/5
A very eclectic album by an artist I've never heard of. Apple Music says this is hip-hop, and while a couple of tracks have hip-hop elements, I certainly wouldn't put it in that genre. Maybe "World music?" Interesting enough stuff here to warrant at least one listen. And the in between stuff with the DJ was fine I guess. Favorite track: Buffalo Gals
Van Morrison
4/5
The first two tracks are excellent, especially Moondance. The rest of the album is pretty good too. Nice use of flute, saxophone, harmonica, etc. His voice is unmistakable.
Wire
2/5
It takes some effort to make punk rock dull and boring. This album manages it. Is it the guitar tuning or tone, the singer's accent? I normally enjoy punk, and 1970s rock in general, but something big was off here. None of the tracks made any kind of impression. Blah.
JAY Z
3/5
You know, I wasn't looking forward to listening to this at all. Well, maybe a little, just to see what the famous JAY Z sounded like. I will say, I liked this better than the other bragging, crime glorifying, n-word saying rap albums I've heard on this list. I guess he's just better at putting together backing music for his mf-laden songs.
It also prompted me to look up the original version of Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City. After hearing JAY Z's, I was pretty sure there must have been one earlier than the Whitesnake version I was familiar with. Look up Bobby "Blue" Bland's original - it's great.
Still, he calls himself JAY-hova and wants everyone to know he's runnin' this rap shit. Sure thing 👌
Gotan Project
3/5
Fine background music. I got a bit tired of it by Last Tango in Paris.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Easy 5/5. I haven't gotten into the track "Thank You" yet, but everything else is gold. Whole Lotta Love and Ramble On have been played to death on classic rock stations, but there's plenty of other great stuff. Favorite track:
Heartbreaker/Living Loving Maid - I can't separate the two. Also, I think John Bonham is the best rock drummer. His groove just top notch.
Os Mutantes
4/5
Brazilian mix of the Mamas and the Papas, Beatles, Kinks. Psychadelic, late 60s sounds, backmasking, false endings, etc. I kind of liked it. Low 4/5. I will listen again.
SZA
1/5
I still have three more songs to hear, but I doubt my opinion will change. I suppose we have to have something to represent the shitty state of modern music, and this is a good one to do that. Awful auto-tuned vocals, crass lyrics, and...I don't want to waste any more time on this.
I will listen to the final three tracks tomorrow and edit the review if anything changes my mind. Edit: Nothing changed my mind. Got a second song where she mentions shaving her legs though.
Give me Janet Jackson's "Control" album any day over this.
The Vines
3/5
OK, but kind of generic rock. Kind of like the Hives to me. I only knew "Get Free" before hearing this album. Favorite track: Probably Factory. I liked the Ska feel.
Hole
3/5
Going in, I've only heard one song by Hole, Celebrity Skin. It wasn't bad. The first couple of songs on this album were pretty promising. The rest was just kind of there, it devolved into some angry potty mouth stuff for the last few tracks. Overall, just average. Best track: Violet
Morrissey
3/5
I was expecting some dour, depressing music here, and it starts out with a surf rock song. Yeah, this album is more upbeat rock than I thought it would be. It does settle down into slower stuff and even a country sounding song. I got a bit tired of hearing his voice by the end, but all in all it was OK.
Motörhead
4/5
Ace of Spades (the song) is a great, rockin' tune. Good thing too, since they repeat it several more times on this album with slight variations and different titles. The whole album rocks - it's hard to deny that. A couple of things hold it back from a 5/5, the singer's extremely limited vocal range and some of the creepy lyrics (see Jailbait). I'll probably listen again. Best track: Ace of Spades
The Byrds
3/5
Previously rated:
Fifth Dimension (3/5)
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Listened to the original 11 tracks. More hippie rock with a little country and experimental prog(?) stuff. Nothing very catchy or memorable.
Ice Cube
2/5
Early 90s gangsta rap - violent, angry, hypocritical lyrics. His misogyny is all forgiven since he gives Yo-Yo a rebuttal track. Ice Cube's rapping is not all that good. Chuck D brings some energy on one track. It's not enough.
Beatles
5/5
Previously rated:
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (5/5)
Rubber Soul (5/5)
With the Beatles (5/5)
A Hard Day's Night (5/5)
**************************************************
Every Beatles album is probably going to get 5/5 from me, but they aren't all perfect. This one is a good example.
Several songs took a few listens before they grew on me (Dear Prudence, I Will, Mother Nature's Son, Sexy Sadie). Some I loved right away (Back in the U.S.S.R., Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, Happiness is a Warm Gun, Birthday, Everybody's Got Something to Hide, Helter Skelter). But there a few I will never like (Piggies, Long, Long, Long, Revolution 9 (ugh), Good Night).
I would usually stop the album after Cry Baby Cry, but if I made my own song order, I'd put Helter Skelter at the end. It seems like the perfect exclamation point.
By the way, I love Ringo's drumming here. He undeservedly gets guff for being the least talented Beatle, but it's all good on this album. I even like the goofy, fun Don't Pass Me By that he sings. (I already mentioned I didn't like Good Night though.)
I don't know how many more Beatles albums there are on this list -- Abbey Road and Revolver will for sure be here, and I like those albums better than the White Album, but I still love it. Low 5/5.
Muddy Waters
4/5
Previously rated:
At Newport 1960 (3/5)
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Damn, does this start off hot and put you in the proper mood! All that hootin' and hollerin' in Manish Boy really does add something. In fact, all the chattering between songs shows that they had a good time making this album. It's straight up Blues and doesn't stray from that one bit, you would never know it was made in the late 70s. I'll put it on again when I'm in the mood.
Funny thing, in the song Crosseyed Cat, I thought he sang "licked his balls." I looked it up later and found out it was "licked his paws." Works either way, really.
The Damned
4/5
I had never heard The Damned before, but this was damned good! It has some great basslines and rockin' Ace Frehley-like guitar solos. I listened with earbuds, but I'd like to hear it again on proper speakers.
The National
3/5
I have never heard of this band before. It's atmospheric. The singer is kind of monotone. A bit too depressing. Good sounding drums on some of the tracks. I don't think I'd listen to it again. Maybe a low 3/5.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Previously rated:
License to Ill (5/5)
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First time hearing this one, so I don't have the same nostalgia. It has its moments - Root Down and Sabotage being my favorites. I wish the vocals didn't have that heavy distortion throughout the album though. I'd like to understand some of the lyrics. And why so many instrumentals? Honestly, I did really enjoy a couple of them.
Gene Clark
2/5
Listened to the original 9 track release.
Pretty boring Bob Dylan-inspired stuff. Not very interesting at all to me.
Best track: 1975
New York Dolls
3/5
I was looking forward to hearing this one since many bands I enjoy were influenced by this band, KISS, Motley Crue, Guns 'n' Roses, etc. It was more punk and shouty than I was expecting. I did enjoy some of it. Favorite tracks were the first and last (Personality Crisis and Jet Boy). Overall, it was a bit disappointing considering my high hopes. I might revisit it later.
Johnny Cash
3/5
Previously rated:
At San Quinton (4/5)
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I knew Hurt was a cover, and if I looked beyond that at the track list beforehand, I would have known these were all covers. I liked the first few tracks pretty well, though the somberness started to wear on me. Didn't really care for the Beatles or Eagles covers. Some of it even comes off as cheesy to me.
Somehow I recognized Nick Cave's voice on I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry. I didn't even know who he was before I started this list! Though he was the only one I noticed, not even Don Henley.
The Cult
4/5
I only knew this band from the song Fire Woman. This is a surprisingly great rocking album. There are guitar solos and everything! I think Peace Dog may have been my favorite track on first listen, though I wasn't paying much attention to the song titles. I'm definitely going to put this on again. It's right up my alley. Even the cover of Born to be Wild was pretty good, and it's hard to cover an iconic song like that and do it well.
Eagles
4/5
Two iconic songs that still play constantly on classic rock radio (Hotel California and Life in the Fast Lane), two more that still get occasional play (New Kid in Town and Victim of Love), and then some other stuff that didn't do much for me. I think I heard Joe Walsh of some of that other stuff.
Hotel California is probably the best song here. It's just that I've heard it a thousand times, so I'll go with New Kid in Town as my favorite track. I'll listen to this album again and see if the lesser known tracks grab me.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
I have heard of this band, but I didn't know they were Country. It was OK. I liked the harmonies and some of the lyrics. It was short.
Pantera
2/5
The positives here, which are mainly guitar riffs and solos are far brought down by the awful screaming vocals and angry, edgy, tough guy lyrics. I like metal, but not this kind. I somehow knew This Love, but I don't know where from. I guess the last track was my favorite because it had some clean vocals on it.
Dr. Dre
2/5
Take away "nigga," "muthafucka," and "muthafuckin" from this album and what's left? About 2/3 of an album glorifying drugs, violence, and putting "izz" in the middle of words. Funny how mainstream these guys are even after all the horribleness here.
The beats are good though.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
2/5
The album cover makes me uncomfortable. If my mom knew what the lyrics to Relax were saying, she'd never let me watch that music video, and I wouldn't blame her - they are disgusting. The album as a whole is generally annoying. They were a one-hit wonder in America, so I never heard anything but Relax. The other singles were noth0ing to write home about. The covers don't seem to fit with the rest of the album, but I kinda liked Born to Run. The album is too long too. Frankie say "no more" and frankly I have to agree with Frankie.
Roxy Music
2/5
Previously rated:
Roxy Music (4/5)
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There were bits of some songs that I liked, but not a whole one. I was put off by the weird quivering vocal style. Some tracks seemed to really drag on. I'll have to re-listen to the other album to see what the difference was. I didn't really enjoy this one. Favorite track: Editions of You.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
This is very much comfort food for my ears. Like probably many, was surprised to find out she was a white English woman given her soulful voice. Son of a Preacher Man is still my favorite, but I Don't Want to Hear it Anymore is also a standout. And The Windmills of Your Mind was a nice kind of psychadelic tune.
Fred Neil
2/5
Not very interesting or exciting folk rock by a guy I never heard of. I wondered why it was here. Then he started singing about sweet cocaine. I'm guessing this is the reason. Not good enough a reason for me to ever listen to it again.
Morrissey
2/5
Previously rated:
Your Arsenal (3/5)
*********************
This is more what I expected from Morrissey. Nothing memorable except some of the lyrics, but I his voice is a turn-off.
Tom Waits
4/5
First time hearing Tom Waits. I remember my brother talking about how he had a Cookie Monster voice, so I wasn't looking forward to this. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the album. Nice jazz, fun lyrics, good atmosphere, and his vocals reminded me of George Thorogood more than Cookie Monster.
Cyndi Lauper
5/5
A great pop album, and one that I have a lot of nostalgia for. It might sound pretty weird to someone who's never heard her before, but it's distinctive - I like that. Girls Just Want to Have Fun and Time After Time are iconic. She Bop was my favorite as a kid, but All Through the Night is my favorite now. I just learned today that it's a cover, so I went and listened to the original. It was OK, but Cyndi's version is better.
Overall, it's a very '80s sounding album, and that's fine with me.
Don McLean
3/5
I really love the song American Pie. I really do. And the track Everybody Loves Me, Baby was fun and sounded Bob Dylan inspired. The rest, though, is wimpy '70s folk I couldn't get into. So I can't give this more than an average rating overall.
Common
1/5
Dumb lyrics, n-words, gay slurs, boring music, and way too long.
Dr. Octagon
2/5
Rectal rebuilding, doo-doo pisolts, gerbils for rectums, ass cracks, burn your anus, to damage any rectum, play anally through the trunk, rat poop, doo-doo in your outer ear, burn up in your anal region, bombs in his rectal factor, green shit on your earlobes, biomedical test your rectum, sewing up buttcracks, juicy brown booty, dog doo-doo, doo-doo on flame pits, cold booty from the buttcrack, stop their anals up with pickles, spots on the hiney crack, make your rectum hurt, bees flying around your rectum, open rectums to dissect. These are all phrases rapped on this album. Do you think this guy has a fixation?
This is a different sounding rap album, at least lyrically. It even sounds like it might be smart, but if you look at the lyrics, they don't make sense at all. Otherwise, it's got the juvenile filthy lyrics you might expect, even some really creepy, gross stuff. At least it doesn't try to also be socially conscious.
Jerry Lee Lewis
4/5
For some reason, Apple Music had a 22-minute version of this album that I listened to before I realized it wasn't the full album, which I listened to on YouTube. It's a fun, high-energy rock and roll show with all the songs you'd expect. Most of these songs weren't written by him, but he performs them well, and he really likes to insert his name into them whenever possible.
Germs
3/5
Punk vocalists don’t need to be good singers, but I prefer when they don’t go out of their way to sound as repulsive as possible. It brings down what is otherwise good rockin’ stuff. The last track was the one that sounded different and interesting but why did it need to be 10 minutes long?
Beck
3/5
Previously rated:
Odelay (3/5)
Sea Change (2/5)
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There is some decent stuff here (E-Pro, Que Onda Guero, Girl, Scarecrow) and some boring stuff (Earthquake Weather, and the last few tracks). He still has that monotone quality to his voice, so I'll probably never get excited to hear this or another Beck album, but it's alright.
Lorde
1/5
I never feel older than when I listen to modern pop music. I just don't get it.
Lorde's lazy whisper-talk-singing style annoys the ever-loving bejeezus out of me. WHY CAN'T YOU PRONOUNCE YOUR 'R's???! What is "Widah in da dawk?" Why does everything have to be overly dramatic? (Yeah, I know what the title of the album is.) I'm also not a big fan of profanity in pop songs. Again, I'm probably showing my age here.
One of my personal rules is if I yell "Shut up!" multiple times while listening to an album, it's getting a 1/5. I call it the Radiohead rule. It applies here.
So, is there anything good here? The album artwork is nice. Favorite track: Supercut?
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Previously rated:
Armed Forces (3/5)
My Aim Is True (4/5)
Imperial Bedroom (2/5)
This Year's Model (4/5)
****************************
Not even halfway done with the list and five Elvis Costello albums already? How many Elvis Presley albums? 0
Elvis C. is hit-or-miss for me. This one is in between, just average. Nothing stood out too much. Favorite track: Next Time Round
The Bees
3/5
I've never heard of The Bees. It's pleasant enough, chill music. Good for 2000s pop music. Favorite track: A Minha Menina
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
African choral music. It took me until the third song to realize, hey there are no instruments, just their voices. It's nice and all, reminds me of the beginning of The Circle of Life from The Lion King. It wouldn't surprise me if these were the people who did that one. It would take a very specific time and place for me to put this on again. Favorite track: Many of the songs sounded the same, but I'll go with Yibo Labo.
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
It's time for the Rush Limbaugh sh...I mean Green Onions by Booker T. & The MG's!
Though some of this album sounds like you are at a hockey game or a circus, it's enjoyable. He must have known he had a hit with the title track as it gets a reprise with Mo' Onions. I let the album play a second time, so it has to get at least a 4/5.
Favorite track: Green Onions
Elis Regina
4/5
An enjoyable album that I probably won't listen to again since I don't like listening to music on YouTube, which is the only place I could find that had it, and even that wasn't easy.
The singer has a nice voice and the music is energetic. I don't understand the lyrics, but that's OK.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Previously rated:
E.V.O.L. (1/5)
*******************
I absolutely hated the previous Sonic Youth album. Going in to this one, I already knew I liked Kool Thing at least.
Now this is more what I expected from Sonic Youth! I don't know what happened with that other album, but this one rocks. Except for that one nonsense noise track Scooter and Jinx (it's short though), I liked everything here. Maybe some of the tracks had a similar sound to the best track, Kool Thing, but I didn't mind. I will listen to this one again.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Previously rated:
The Low End Theory (3/5)
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The music is fine, good beats, outdated rapping style. Lyrics not at smart as people seem to think, but I'm so glad they aren't rapping about guns, drugs, violence and n-words. I could play it with kids in the car, for the most part. I might skip the one about STDs. The appeal is still somewhat limited as they talk about Afrocentrism multiple times, which just isn't very engaging to me.
Cocteau Twins
2/5
Never heard of this band. Pretty boring female vocals. Not required listening at all in my opinion. Best track: Heaven or Las Vegas.
Spiritualized
2/5
Is this Shoegaze again? I should learn to be suspicious when Apple Music just labels an album as Alternative. This is, for the most part, boring and too long. It had a few moments where I wondered how it would sound if they were awake and lucid. Was "Run" a mashup of Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Velvet Underground? It was probably the best track.
I'm listening to the last track now, thank goodness. Is she just going to slowly count all the way to 200?
The Fall
2/5
I had not heard of The Fall before this. I will say that it's pretty unique sounding, especially for 1985. But everything sounds so out of tune that I felt uneasy the whole time listening to it. The songs can get pretty repetitive as well. There were one or two tracks that sounded B-52's inspired, and one of those was my favorite. I don't remember the title.
This is not something I will listen to again.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
This was a pleasant listen on my drive to work this morning. I was a little disappointed when it started over again. I wanted a little more. Better than being too long though.
Fleet Foxes
3/5
Nicely produced modern sounding folk(?) music. It was fine. The singers were good. It got a bit boring. Ultimately not really for me, but it's OK.
Saint Etienne
3/5
Dreamy pop music with pleasant vocals. Not my cup of tea really, but also not bad.
Gang Of Four
2/5
Edgy British boys playing the worst sounding guitars I've ever heard on a professionally produced album. Drumming was nothing special. The bass was actually good in spots. Vocals were very British and spoken not sung, from a discontented point of view, repeating the same lines over and over. No thanks, I'll take The Clash or even Sex Pistols over this any time.
Arrested Development
4/5
I didn't think I knew any of their songs until I heard Tennessee. That one I heard back in '92 and probably not since.
The black revolution, religious, and overthrowing the government stuff does not appeal to me at all, but the actual music does. It's upbeat and uplifting, and even some of the lyrical content has a good message, like telling kids to go play in the dirt, lol. It's smarter than 99% of the rap/hip-hop from this time.
I will listen to this one again.
The Libertines
4/5
Well, that was a surprise. I didn't expect that kind of music from the knobs on the album cover. I was prepared for some depressing, self-indulgent Radiohead sounding crap. This was upbeat and fun, with sort of a throwback sound. I heard John Lennon, The Clash, The Cure, and other likely influences here. I will listen to this again at some point.
Bert Jansch
2/5
A man, his acoustic guitar, and his depressing songs.
Abdullah Ibrahim
4/5
Not available on Apple Music for some reason. Listened on YouTube.
I was expecting some more middle eastern sounding for some reason, though I don't know what middle eastern jazz would sound like. This was nice and enjoyable. I'd put it on again.
Little Simz
2/5
My ears recoil when hearing rappers with a British accent. I'm not sure why exactly. I just don't like hearing it. Some of the other sounds on this are kind of good, and her fast rapping is impressive. On the other hand, all the n-words and other obscenities make me like this way less. Also, overloading the microphone on Boss is annoying as well. Her picture on the album cover looks like Jayden Smith's punchable face.
All in all, it probably deserves a 1, but I give it a 2, who cares?
Dwight Yoakam
3/5
Pretty decent for country music. Didn't sound too '80s except for some of the drums. I recognized Buck Owens singing on one of the songs, so doing this challenge is paying off. Still has some of the annoying country music trappings that I'm not a fan of, like letting his voice crack, and he's got a nasally voice sometimes.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Previously rated:
Innervisions (4/5)
Songs in the Key of Life (4/5)
************************************
This one takes a while to get going, starting off kind of flat until Boogie On Reggae Woman which sounds kind of like Superstition from a couple of years earlier. That one and Bird of Beauty were probably the best, but the album as a whole didn't grab me like the other two.
Nick Drake
2/5
Folk with orchestral and some jazzy stuff incorporated. I liked the piano in a couple of tracks, but I didn't like his singing style (breathy, I guess). Sadly, the instrumentals were boring, and the album overall was tedious, but thankfully short. Best track: Poor Boy
Gary Numan
3/5
Was this 1979 album the official start of '80s music?
I grew up in the '80s and I never heard of this guy. It wasn't until much, much later that I started hearing his song Cars on the radio and I wondered why I never heard it growing up. 1979 is the reason. I was 5 years old and not listening to pop music. Anyway, back on track, when I started hearing it on the radio, I didn't care for it. I still don't really. It felt like a novelty song to me, like "She Blinded Me With Science." It feels more at home within the context of the full album though because the whole thing is that synthy and weirdly sung.
The best thing about it to me, are the drums. I got used to the vocals and the synth, but I could take it or leave it as a whole. I think M.E. may have been my favorite track. I probably won't listen again to be sure.
Nick Drake
1/5
Previously rated:
Bryter Layter (2/5)
**********************
I just heard my first Nick Drake two days ago. It was not quite a 3. Let's see if he has grown on me in that time.
No, no he hasn't. This album has less of everything except his annoying singing and his admittedly good acoustic guitar playing. Less orchestration, less jazzy stuff. The only song I thought was even decent was the last track, Saturday Sun.
David Bowie
4/5
Previously rated:
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (4/5)
Aladdin Sane (3/5)
The Next Day (3/5)
Young Americans (3/5)
Station to Station (3/5)
*************************************************************************
Pretty good Bowie album. Lots of variety.
Ali Farka Touré
2/5
African music started off sounding OK, but got really repetitive and wore out its welcome. It could have used some percussion to keep me interested.
Flamin' Groovies
4/5
I have sadly never heard of this band. Besides the bad production quality, this is some pretty good rock and roll, reminiscent of the Rolling Stones and a bit of The Band or CCR. Did I hear the f-word in one of the songs? I will listen to this album again.
Best track: Teenage Head
The The
2/5
Previously rated:
Infected (3/5)
*************************
A not fun and not very catchy pop album. Some good piano in one of the tracks. The final song was almost decent. I’m Ok with not hearing this band again. Isn’t Duran Duran on this list somewhere?
The Slits
4/5
Good choice for this list. Ska/reggae sort of punk-ish stuff, girls with attitudes. The singer sounded kind of German, reminded me of Nico and a little bit of the Shaggs (lol). Interesting lyrics and a unique sound. I'll give it another go.
Norah Jones
3/5
Don't Know Why is the only song I had heard before, and it's a nice one, soothing lounge pop. And the other songs are just more of the same, not deviating much from the formula. Pretty voice, sparse instrumentation rinse and repeat. It's leagues better than the god-awful pop music I hear today, so I'll give it that, but I prefer more energy and excitement. We would get that the year after this album was released with Amy Winehouse's Frank, which I rated a 5/5.
The Saints
4/5
Another band I never heard of, and another reason I'm glad I'm doing this challenge. Good fun punk rock with some horns and harmonica. Reminded me some of Mighty Mighty Bosstones and the Strokes.
Favorite track: Orstralia
1/5
No Patrick, a dial-up modem is not a musical instrument.
Overall, this album is a giant bag of unpleasantness. Discordant, purposely out of tune instrumentation, and flat distorted vocals don't do it for me. One of the worst so far. I can't prove, but I just know Yoko Ono was involved in the making of this.
Deep Purple
5/5
Previously rated:
In Rock (5/5)
************************
Nice to hear one of the best albums after getting one of the worst yesterday (the Liars one).
Everything here rocks. The guitar, bass, organ, drums, vocals. Just groovy hard rock perfection. Most people know Smoke On the Water and Highway Star, and some have heard Space Truckin', but the hidden gem here is Pictures of Home. I can't get it out of my head.
Pretenders
4/5
I heard this one once before. A good pop-rock-punk record. Chrissie Hynde has a great voice with some attitude. There are a couple of boring songs, but for the most part it holds up well. I will listen again.
Ministry
2/5
I wasn't familiar with their music, but I was pretty sure I wouldn't like it, and I was right. I'm too far removed from my edgy teen years to appreciate this at all. It's Industrial metal, a genre I do not enjoy. It's angry and screamy and repetitive. I did like the track Hero minus the vocals - the only thing keeping this from being a 1/5.
Mudhoney
3/5
I think I had heard of Mudhoney before, but not familiar with anything here. Screamy noise rock that has some moments. A bit too sleazy for my taste nowadays. The closest in sound/style I can think of is Jane's Addiction, but there's probably a better comparison I'll find out when I read others' comments. Listened to the original 6 songs on the EP plus 3 more from the deluxe edition. Best track: Touch Me I'm Sick
Billie Holiday
3/5
I didn't know what Billie Holiday sounded like. I was expecting a voice like Ella Fitzgerald, so I was taken aback when she started singing. She has an odd, old lady smoker voice, which is fair enough considering she had probably been singing in smoky night clubs her entire adult life. I got used to it.
As far as the album goes, it's slow, dreamy orchestral jazz. There's not much of a difference one track to the next. It's mood music. Favorite track: You Don't Know What Love Is
Frank Black
4/5
I know nothing of Frank Black going in.
Track 1: Hmm, this sounds kind of like Primus.
Track 2: Well, this one is more like Dead Kennedys.
Track 3: Now he sounds like Neil Young.
Track 4: Is this a Dire Straits song?
And so on. What I mean to say is there is a ton of variety on this album. I enjoyed it and will listen again.
Scott Walker
3/5
Previously rated:
Scott 4 (2/5)
********************
I didn't recognize the name, but when he started singing, I recognized the voice. Turns out I rated Scott 4 192 albums ago. I liked this one a bit more, though it still had some boring, over-orchestrated stuff. The lyrics were very interesting and unique. Two songs in a row mention ass-slapping, at least one of which will upset some people. This guy seems to be a more eccentric Neil Diamond.
Kendrick Lamar
2/5
Starts off with a prayer to Jesus then immediately rapping about stripper ass and pussy. And he wishes his dick was as big as the Eiffel Tower. And drugs. And violence. And lots and lots of n-words. This music was not made for me, but it was somewhat entertaining at least. He's got sort of a unique delivery. Dr. Dre's rap sucked. He should have stayed retired.
Ryan Adams
3/5
Decent, inoffensive, country rock type music. Better and more thoughtful than most country I hear, but still kind of bland. Best track: New York, New York, but the beginning of that and Gonna Make You Love Me both sounded like Pinball Wizard to me.
Mike Ladd
3/5
I was not looking forward to yet another rap album. Well, this one is quite a bit different than most. It was certainly a ride, though not one I'll likely take again. I was wondering where this rapper got all these dated references from (Space 1999, Arsenic and Old Lace, Mr. Whipple, Monchichi), so I looked him up. To my surprise, he was born in 1970 and not black (someone must have given him an n-word pass). There is barely anything on his Wikipedia page.
Anyway, the music is...interesting. Sometimes funny, occasionally falling into the usual rap trappings of sex, drugs, violence. Sometimes different and weird. Worth one listen I guess.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
5/5
Finally another album where I know some of the songs! I figured this would be "Spinning Wheel," "And When I Die," "You've Made Me So Very Happy" and the rest filler. Nope, I'm very surprised how solid this was besides the first couple of boring minutes and the last couple. Really jazzy, I loved the drumming especially. The one song where the other guy sang wasn't as good as the rest. The main singer has a Tom Jones quality to his voice, so it might sound a bit lounge singer-like, but I like it.
The three songs I knew all made me feel all warm and nostalgic, and that's surely going to bring my rating up.
This album made me so very happy.
John Grant
3/5
This gimmick of singing in a serious, earnest tone about wild, silly things has been done before. (Jonathan Coulton comes to mind.) It's good for a chuckle and a single listen. There's also some (I think) actual serious songs and social commentary here. Favorite track: Chicken Bones
Solomon Burke
4/5
I knew "Cry to Me," but I didn't know the name Solomon Burke. This is good comfort soul music in the vein of Sam Cooke. He even mentions Sam and Ray Charles in one of the Songs. I think it was "Can't Nobody Love You." I will listen to this again one day.
Madonna
3/5
I much prefer young, fun, pop Madonna over pretentious sounding emotional mature Madonna. But I can't say this is bad. Some of it even catchy.
The Monks
3/5
Garage rock with lot of organ, almost punk sounding, that was probably pretty edgy for the time. One song sounded Doors-like. Not something I'd listen to very often, but it was OK.
Previously rated:
War (4/5)
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By 2000, U2 was a pretty generic sounding rock band with generic pretentious uplifting sounding songs - the kind you'd hear during church worship services. That's what it always reminds me of. It's well done generic music though, so 3/5. Favorite track: Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of
Les Rythmes Digitales
3/5
A dance album with some '80s inspired sounds. One song sounded a little like Sweet Dreams. Disco II Disco was one that was very annoying with the voice effect and especially that waaaaaaaah sound that was repeated ad nauseum. Otherwise, it seemed like a fine soundtrack to a dance party, not so much a soundtrack for my morning commute, but I can't fault it for that. The songs themselves were repetitive as you'd expect, but they were fairly unique from each other.
I do wonder what makes it special enough to be on this 1,001 albums list.
Favorite track: Soft Machine
Orbital
2/5
Another electronic music album. Is it a good one? Hell, I don't know - it all sounds the same to me. Maybe it was ahead of its time or influential in some way to be on this list? Sure, I tapped my foot along with the beat as you do. It's something, but I'll take off one star for the obnoxious "time becomes a loop" and "input output" crap. They could have made the same point repeating it for only 5-10 seconds.
The Mamas & The Papas
5/5
It's always a treat to hear "new" music from bands/artists you enjoy, and most of these were new to me, besides the singles and the Beatles cover. I love the vocal harmonies - Mama Cass is the standout voice here. The guys have that generic bubblegum pop voice it's hard to describe, and over-enunciate sometimes. Hey Girl was the weakest track, but I loved everything else. Favorite track: California Dreamin'
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
Decent rock album, just a bit too noisy for my taste, especially “Don’t.” Hard to hear the lyrics.
The Incredible String Band
1/5
Crappy hippie renaissance fair music with some sitar mixed in, and lots of off-key singing made for a very unpleasant 49 minutes.
The Stooges
4/5
Previously rated:
The Stooges (2/5)
**************************
This was quite a surprise, as I wasn't a fan of "The Stooges" album. Straight-forward rock with hectic guitar playing and high-energy vocals. A couple of the songs he sounds like Jim Morrison. The drums are slightly more in the background than I'd like, but this is something I'd listen to again.
Jane Weaver
3/5
I had no idea who Jane Weaver is. I would not have guessed a middle-aged woman did this album. I was turned off by that dreamy singing style, but ignoring that, some of the tracks are decent. I like the ones with real drums in them (at least they sound real). The last few tracks got pretty boring. A low 3/5. Favorite track: The Architect
Pulp
3/5
I listened to the basic 65 minute version on Apple Music.
I hear a bit of David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Nick Cave, the Cure(?) on this, but still overall kind of mediocre to me. For some reason the singer wants you to know his initials are the same as Jesus'. I looked it up and it's true - Jarvis Cocker - a name that would certainly get you a few playground beatings.
A low 3/5.
Barry Adamson
2/5
Previously rated:
Oedipus Schmoedipus (3/5)
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I'm not one to listen to instrumental movie/TV show soundtracks, so this is not up my alley. My ears perked up hearing the couple of James Bond-like tracks and the Alfred Hitchcock Presents cover, but I would opt for the real thing any time.
Nanci Griffith
3/5
I don't have a lot to say about this. It's folky country that is OK, but not much to get excited about. Favorite track: Fly By Night
4/5
Previously rated:
Highway 61 Revisited (4/5)
Blood on the Tracks (4/5)
*******************************
He's an even worse singer live than in the studio, but somehow I enjoy listening to it. Half acoustic, half electric. I liked the electric a bit better, but the acoustic was good too. Did not feel too long at 90 minutes.
The Blue Nile
3/5
Kinda dull early 80s synth pop. I will forget I heard this soon. A very low 3/5.
PJ Harvey
3/5
This reminded me a bit of The Slits album earlier on the list. I had to turn up the volume pretty high to hear the quieter parts, that made it too loud for the louder parts. Overall, not bad, she's got a good voice, it's just not quite one I'd choose to listen to again. A high 3/5.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
I've heard of this band, but I didn't know they started this early. Second album in a row I'll compare unfavorably to The Slits album, though it's perfectly OK girl punk. I listened to the 12-track version with Hong Kong Garden which gave the album a bit more variety.
Favorite track: Nicotine Stain
Madonna
3/5
Previously rated:
Ray Of Light (3/5)
***********************
After the first half, I was leaning towards a 4/5. Really solid dance music with some throwback 80s effects. Then the awful auto-tune in Nobody's Perfect and the annoying sound cutting out on the next track Don't Tell Me, I have to take a point off. I'd still rather listen to any of her first four albums.
Deep Purple
5/5
Previously rated:
Machine Head (5/5)
In Rock (5/5)
***********************
I listened to the original 76-minute release, but I am adding the 123-minute deluxe version to my playlist.
Excellent live album from an excellent band. I enjoy the noodling and jamming and the drum solo, all of it. Favorite track: Highway Star
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Previously rated:
Hot Buttered Soul (4/5)
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Maybe the main theme should be on 1,001 *songs* to hear before you die, but not necessarily the whole album. Not that the other stuff is bad, it’s just mostly blacksploitation movie background music. Do Your Thing also stands out. It’s 20 minutes long though.
Will I listen to the album again? Probably not, but I might see the actual movie one day.
Lupe Fiasco
2/5
A lot of uh...yeah...uh...nomsayin...lemme axe you. In general, just too much of everything, an overload of sounds beating you over the head. And a freakin' 12 minute outro with him shouting out every single person he's met in his entire life. On a positive note, he doesn't go for the violent thug life , disrespecting women, filthy lyrics like some of the other rap albums on this list. It's something.
The Yardbirds
4/5
Apple Music only had a deluxe version. I edited it down to what Wikipedia shows as the original UK release, and it was 3 minutes shorter. Why can't they just have the original release as an option. Anyway, I like it, and after this whole challenge is over, I'll go back and listen to the deluxe. Favorite track: He's Always There
Randy Newman
3/5
Previously rated:
Sail Away (3/5)
***********************
Standard Randy Newman sound. This one was more political than Sail Away. I won't hold it against him too much.
Jean-Michel Jarre
2/5
Boring, cheesy, ambient synth music. The first track had a bit that sounded suspiciously like Steve Miller's Fly Like an Eagle, which came out a few months earlier. This album may have been ahead of its time in 1976, I don't know. Maybe it influenced some people (John Carpenter?), but it doesn't do much for me in 2024.
Soft Cell
3/5
Early ‘80s Brit synth pop. Yep, it sure is that. Still waiting for a Duran Duran album to pop up though.
Aerosmith
5/5
Great American hard rock album. I think I had heard maybe 4 songs off this before, Back in the Saddle of course being the most popular. Last Child is also a good one, very distinctive. Some cool bass lines throughout too. The whole album kicks ass and is a refreshing change from much mediocrity on this list, which honestly might bump it from a high 4 to a 5. Will listen again.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Previously rated:
Stripped (3/5)
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I was leaning towards a 4/5 for this one. What she does, she does well. No auto-tune is a big plus. Over the course of 118 minutes though, the vocal gymnastics get old and annoying. Second half isn’t nearly as good as the first. I’m not a fan of tracks where she feels the need to address her critics.
Favorite track: Still Dirrty
Bob Dylan
4/5
Previously rated:
Highway 61 Revisited (4/5)
Blood on the Tracks (4/5)
Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert) (4/5)
**************************************************
Social commentary without being a holier-than-thou woke scolding a-hole. I like that. Some good humor as well. Would have liked to hear more than just acoustic guitar and harmonica though.
Steely Dan
5/5
Previously rated:
Pretzel Logic (4/5)
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Do It Again, Dirty Work, and Reelin' In The Years make it a 5/5. The other songs are pretty good too.
4/5
While some of this sounded like 2000s era rock that I don't like (Radiohead, Maroon 5, Coldplay), it really has some epic sounding stuff that blows that crap away, especially towards the end. I really liked City of Delusion, but Knights of Cydonia is the big standout to me and pushes the whole thing up to a 4/5. Will listen again.
Meat Puppets
2/5
Bah, this could have been interesting with the sort of punk, sort of bluegrass vibe, and some of it was. But the awful, awful vocals. Why? And then even the instrumentals seemed kind of lackluster to me. Disappointing.
T. Rex
3/5
Previously rated:
Electric Warrior (3/5)
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Another just average album from T. Rex. Some songs were OK, The Slider and Buick Mackane. Telegram Sam sounded like Bang a Gong part 2. Ends on a low note with Main Man. I don't think this album is notable enough to be here honestly. I listened to a much better Slade album (The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome) after this.
David Gray
2/5
Never heard of David Gray, but I have heard Babylon. It must have been everywhere in 1999 if someone as off the popular music radar as I was remembers it. He sounds like he was influenced by someone else who was influenced by Bob Dylan. But besides Babylon, it's mostly bland and boring. Nothing I'd want to hear again.
Bee Gees
1/5
Oh no. Such a wussified, limp, no balls, lame suckfest this was. Why is this album here? Some of it actual sounds like parody. Give me disco falsetto Bee Gees any day over this garbage.
Best song (and only tolerable one): How Can You Mend a Broken Heart
The Who
4/5
Previously rated:
Who's Next (5/5)
Live at Leeds (5/5)
My Generation (4/5)
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I had never heard anything from this album apart from "I Can See For Miles." Surely this was their answer to the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper. Is it as good? Well, no, but it's a good listen.
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
The Wikipedia article on the film says the soundtrack has 6 songs. Apple Music, YouTube, etc. has 10. I went ahead and listened to the full 10.
Some of this reminds me of a Quinn Martin production or Quentin Tarantino film, but Indian. I liked Title Music and Baby Let's Dance Together.
The Crusaders
3/5
Late ‘70s smooth Jazz with a sprinkling of disco and funk. I liked the guitar solo in one of the songs, and bits of other songs. Some of it sounds like the theme song of a sophisticated early ‘80s tv show.
Can
3/5
Didn’t care for the first track much, but the second was really cool, at least the first several minutes of it. Sounded kind of like music from an underground Super Mario level. I don’t remember much else except I didn’t like the buried unintelligible vocals. Still not sure it was English. One of many albums on this list that were ahead of their time sound-wise, but listening nowadays are just OK.
Keith Jarrett
1/5
I must be an uncultured swine. I don’t get any enjoyment out of this, just piano and occasional moaning by who I assume is the pianist. I recognize the talent it must take to play like this, but I’m never going to choose to listen to it.
William Orbit
2/5
Apple Music had Strange Cargo and Strage Cargo II, but not this one, so I listened on YouTube.
It's just...sounds and stuff. I don't know what to say. It doesn't make much of an impression, honestly. Favorite track: Gringatcho Demento
Patti Smith
3/5
I listened to this once years ago. None of it sounded familiar when I heard it today. I know critics love it, but I found it just OK. Sort of punk, but not quite energetic enough for my taste. Favorite track: Gloria
The Flaming Lips
4/5
Previously rated:
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots (4/5)
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Again, the drums are the strongest part of the album. I don’t think it’s as good as Yoshimi, but I liked it enough to want to hear it again. A low 4.
Jazmine Sullivan
1/5
Bottom of the barrel gutter trash music with insipid faux deep low IQ hypocritical conversations between songs. Is the Michael Jackson wannabe on this Jazmine herself or someone else? You know what, I don't care. Total crap. 0 stars.
Femi Kuti
3/5
I don't think I could tell the difference between Femi and Fela Kuti music. A lot of singing about Africa. They are both very good for what they are, just not the style of music I usually listen to or seek out.
Travis
2/5
Cher, Bono, Madonna, ...Travis.
I've never heard of this Travis guy before, but judging him on this album, he has not earned being able to use just his first name. Not even close. How did this whiny sad sack music make it on the list? Wait, every freaking Radiohead album is here. I understand now.
Driftwood is the only song that goes anywhere, so that's my favorite track here. Second favorite is the last one where there is a few minutes of silence before he starts angrily ranting about something or other.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Some cool drum beats here, and some annoyingly repetitive vocal parts. How many times did they say "Who is this doin' this synthetic type of alpha beta psychedelic funkin'?" The lyrics on Apple Music say 20 times in a row, though it felt like more. When it's not doing cool drums or annoying vocals, it kind of fades into the background and I forget it's on, I guess as you would if this was playing at a club. Dance music isn't my thing, so it's just mediocre to me.
Portishead
4/5
I didn't know a thing about Portishead. Apple Music has it listed as "Electronic," so I was pretty sure I wasn't going to like it, then those drum rolls in the first track grabbed me, and the singer has a nice voice. Good beats throughout, some hip-hop-ish. Sounded like female Beck. Pretty good. I'll listen to it again.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Previously rated:
Ocean Rain (3/5)
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I liked this one a bit better. It's more rock. One song sounded kind of like Billy Idol. I liked it well enough to listen again.
10cc
3/5
Pretty weird, eclectic album from the band who did "I'm Not in Love" and "Things We Do For Love." There was some decent and amusing stuff here. I liked the line in The Sacro-Iliac, "Don't want to annoy ya with my paranoia."
Linkin Park
4/5
I know this is an important album from many people's youth. I was 25-26 when it came out, so I missed that by a few years, so I can't connect a lot to the angst, but I can still hear the appeal. It feels like the right amount of anger expressed at the world without feeling too antisocial. I could listen to this again. Favorite track: One Step Closer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
4/5
I played this a second time, so I have to rate it at least a 4/5. There's some cheesy "futuristic" keyboard sounds and a bit of cringey singing, but there's also a lot of really cool stuff and really impressive technical playing. Yeah, I like this pretty well. Best track: The Old Castle
Fugazi
2/5
Hard rock is my favorite genre, but this really didn't do anything for me. I think it was mostly the vocal style I didn't like, and to a lesser degree the guitar tone. I didn't have a favorite track - it was all just blah.
Death In Vegas
3/5
The standout part of this album is the drums. I like how they sound. I like the beats. The rest I've forgotten about, except that one track with the Bob Dylan-like vocals.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Previously rated:
Here, My Dear (3/5)
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Everyone knows the first 30 seconds of this album. The problem is when we hear it now, we think of Applebee's and Swiffer mops. Anyway, what we have here is more sexy time music. It didn't really put me in the mood, but it probably works better on the ladies anyway. I suspect "You Sure Love to Ball" isn't about basketball.
Scritti Politti
3/5
All the cheesy '80s pop sounds you could possibly ask for. Any of these songs could be on the Short Circuit movie soundtrack. I knew there was one song by this band I knew, but none of the titles sounded familiar, so I listen and waited for it to reveal itself -- it was Perfect Way. I'll give this a 3/5 for '80s nostalgia if nothing else.
Miles Davis
2/5
Previously rated:
Birth of the Cool (3/5)
Kind of Blue (3/5)
Bitches Brew (3/5)
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Side A doesn't really go anywhere.
Side B is just kind of boring.
Eurythmics
3/5
This is OK. It's got the title track, which is a great tune. The rest of the stuff is a bit too artsy for me to want to go back to. Unfortunately it does not have my favorite song of theirs: Here Comes the Rain Again. Good nostalgia hit though.
Elbow
3/5
Orchestral sort of rock. Singer sounds like Peter Gabriel. Wasn't too bad, so I listened through the bonus tracks too. Some boring, some OK. Favorite track: Grounds for Divorce. A low 3/5
The Clash
5/5
An album I could put on any time, really. Energetic and passionate, a good variety of styles, doesn't get boring. Bookended with two great tracks. Has to be 5/5.
AC/DC
5/5
An all-time classic rock album. Many songs here still get played on my local rock station. Nothing too fancy, just a solid album all around. Just one track I don't care much for: What Do You Do for Money Honey. Even though I'm burned out on the overplayed stuff, I can't deny the greatness here. Shake a Leg is an underrated, underplayed song. Great guitar solo on that one.
The Shamen
3/5
For dance music, this wasn't so bad. Not as super repetitive like the genre usually is. I was going to mention liking the '80s retro sound, but I just saw it came out in 1990, so it wasn't so retro then.
Wilco
2/5
Dull and uninspiring that tries to be quirky, but wore out its welcome well before the album was over. Just pretty generic sounding.
Super Furry Animals
4/5
Listened a few days ago. I remember it was pretty good rock, not amazing. I will listen again.
OutKast
3/5
Previously rated:
#131 - Stankonia (2/5)
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Album #565
These album(s) seem to be more mature than Stankonia, though they still have their moments (Roses smell like poo-poo??). I will say the production on this is excellent. Everything sounds really good. The rapping on the first disc isn't quite my style. It's fast without much inflection or character. The second disc is more funk/R&B, sounding more like Prince or Kool & the Gang, but still having hip-hop in it. Hey Ya! is the clear standout track to me, but I also liked what they did with Rogers & Hammerstein's My Favorite Things.
The Cramps
3/5
I like the rockabilly/surf punk vibe they are going for, but the production on this thing is awful and abrasive. I got used to it by the end, but because of that, I probably won't listen again. I'll just put on B-52s, Stray Cats, or Dead Kennedys. I'm going to guess this gets a very low user rating. Favorite track: Sunglasses After Dark.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Previously rated:
The Rolling Stones (4/5)
Beggars Banquet (5/5)
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Great album start to finish. Country Honk (country version of Honky Tonk Women) was a song I didn't know existed, so that was a nice surprise.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
All the songs sound the same, but it's very easy listening because of Sinatra's smooth voice and the swingin' band. Why do James Durante's looks give him a thrill? I'm guessing that's some sort of joke.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Previously rated:
Songs Of Love And Hate (2/5)
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The guy is quite the lyricist, even though a lot of times it sounds like stream of consciousness stuff. I don't know if this is genius or just random nonsense:
An Eskimo showed me a movie
He'd recently taken of you
The poor man could hardly stop shivering
His lips and his fingers were blue
I suppose that he froze when the wind took your clothes
And I guess he just never got warm
But you stand there so nice in your blizzard of ice
Oh please, let me come into the storm
Besides that, the man can't (or just doesn't) sing and the instrumentation is sparse. It's dull and tiring for the most part. I did like one song, "So Long, Marianne." It's got backup singing, some percussion, and it's actually a bit catchy.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
It doesn't quite live up to the atomic bomb on the album cover, but it's still good old nostalgic '50s big band music that's fun to hear any time.
Morrissey
3/5
Previously rated:
Your Arsenal (3/5)
Vauxhall And I (2/5)
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Basic music accompanied by entertaining lyrics, which are sometimes comically bad. For instance, in America Is Not the World, he won't listen to anything America says until we have a black, female, or gay President, lol! So, I'll have to assume after Obama, he's totally cool with us now? The other lyrics range from bitching about how other people treat him to self-loathing wallowing. And then you have All the Lazy Dykes, which I have no idea what that was about. Was he criticizing lesbians or saying more women should try it out? Who knows? I think the best track was First of the Gang to Die, but I don't remember why.
Sheryl Crow
4/5
Not bad, not bad. She's not the greatest singer, but she does well with what she has. I wouldn't mind hearing this one again.
Madonna
3/5
Previously rated:
Ray Of Light (3/5)
Music (3/5)
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No auto-tune, so it's already better than Music. This album may be when she started to put out more mature stuff. That doesn't automatically make it better. I still like her earlier stuff more. This is just OK.
Favorite track: Til Death Do Us Part
Elvis Presley
4/5
After 5 Elvis Costello albums, I finally get an Elvis Presley one! I know a lot of Elvis songs, but I'm not familiar with any particular album. This one I didn't know a single song from, except for a different version of Fever. Well, it's very Elvis - great voice, great band, decent songs, but nothing blew me away. Would like to have had one or two familiar songs.
Tom Waits
3/5
Previously rated:
Nighthawks At The Diner (4/5)
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Holy crap, what happened to this poor man's voice between 1975 and 1992?!
I feel like there is a very good album here, and I would understand people loving it and giving it a 5/5, but yikes, those vocals, I'd also understand 1/5. I'll just split the difference with my rating. I'm just not sure I'd want to hear it again, but still there was something very unique and enjoyable about it. I'm interested in the story behind the making of this album.
Antony and the Johnsons
1/5
Weird and creepy. The dude wants to be a little girl. Tiny Tim fluttering vocals is horrendous. Just gross all around. Glad it was short.
Drive Like Jehu
2/5
The bad stuff - shrill, unpleasant sounds, guitar tone, repetitive riffs, annoying screaming vocals - override the good (drumming). Did not enjoy.
John Martyn
2/5
Previously rated:
One World (2/5)
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There were two notable things about this. One, lyrics mentioning cocaine and mary-jane. Two, one of the songs sounded kind of the the Shaft theme song. Otherwise, very unmemorable stuff.
Edit: Adding the "previously rated" header now as I had no memory of listening to someone called John Martyn. I called it super boring and forgettable, so not much has changed.
Parliament
4/5
I guess I needs and wants the funk.
Rod Stewart
4/5
Previously rated:
Gasoline Alley (4/5)
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Another good Rod Stewart album. I hadn't heard Maggie May with that intro before. Looks like it may have been intended to be a separate track called Henry? I'm not sure if I had heard this version of Reason to Believe either. (I didn't even know that was the title - assumed it was "Someone Like You.")
Favorite track not called Maggie May: Title track.
3/5
Previously rated:
Fragile (5/5)
The Yes Album (4/5)
***********************
I liked bit and pieces here and there. I wish it was broken up into more tracks so I could add a couple of them that I liked. Nothing here is as memorable as the other two albums I've heard so far.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Previously rated:
Vol. 4 (5/5)
*********************
Fantastic metal album. 54 years old and still gets a lot of play on classic rock radio (War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man). Some other great new-to-me songs like Electric Funeral. Easy 5/5 and will listen again.
Van Morrison
2/5
Previously rated:
Moondance (4/5)
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I heard this once before and didn't think much of it. Wasn't much different this time. It's just a bore. Favorite track: The Way Young Lovers Do
The Only Ones
3/5
I wanted to shut this off after the first horrible track, but I always listen all the way through. It got better, pretty good even. Fun rock with a bit of punk to it. Shame about the vocals, though - they never got any better, and ruin any chance at greatness here. They sound like George Harrison if he was intentionally trying to sabotage a recording by half-assing the singing. This is one album that I'm on the fence about listening to it again, but leaning towards no. Best track: Creature of Doom.
Suzanne Vega
3/5
I was worried this was going to sound like Bjork for some reason. But no, it was just mellow girl rock. It was OK.
The Jam
4/5
Previously rated:
All Mod Cons (4/5)
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I guess I kind of like this band. Similar to the last album, it's catchy and it sounds similar to the Clash and Elvis Costello.
Favorite track: Set the House Ablaze
Mylo
3/5
Decent electronic music, not too repetitive. I don't know the context of the spoken word part of the title track, but based on the artists/bands, I can tell you exactly what year it was - 1984.
The Police
5/5
I may have heard other tracks from this before, but I was only familiar with Message in a Bottle. Was leaning towards 4/5, being a very solid, original sounding album. The last track, No Time This Time pushed it up to a 5/5. I will listen to this one again.
Aerosmith
4/5
Previously rated:
Rocks (5/5)
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I don't like this one quite as much as Rocks, but still quite solid. Sweet Emotion is overplayed on classic rock stations, so I'm pretty bored of it, and to a lesser extent Walk This Way. I hadn't heard Big Ten Inch Record in a while, so that was nice. Round and Round was a cool, heavy track.
Mudhoney
3/5
Previously rated:
Superfuzz Bigmuff (3/5)
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Again, a decent rock album with off-key singing, but falls just short of putting it on the list to re-listen.
One amazing song (Stay With Me) and a bunch of pretty Ok songs. I guess that’s a low 4/5 for me dawg.
Def Leppard
5/5
The songs of my hard rock loving youth! A classic.
Beth Orton
2/5
Kind of like Natalie Merchant, but more boring. It would probably be easier to relate to if I was a woman.
Favorite track: Feel to Believe
Depeche Mode
2/5
Previously rated:
Music for the Masses (4/5)
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I didn’t realize I already heard one of their albums until I looked it up. It was 300 albums ago. I’m surprised I gave it a 4 because I didn’t like this one at all. I even recognized 3 of the songs, 2 of those are decent. Everything else is so blah and boring. I wouldn’t want to sit through it all again.
Favorite track: Policy of Truth
Paul Revere & The Raiders
4/5
Kicks and Not Your Steppin' Stone were cool songs. (I like the Monkees version of the latter a bit better though.) Some was cringe, like Little Girl in the 4th Row. I liked the horns in one of the tracks - can't remember which one.
Some of the sounds on this album were too shrill and I had to turn down the volume.
Iggy Pop
4/5
A unique sounding album. I was thinking one of the songs sounded David Bowie-ish, then I heard China Girl, which I didn't know another version existed, then I found out Bowie co-wrote this album. Anyway, I certainly wouldn't say that I loved the album, but it's different, somewhat catchy, and I wouldn't mind hearing it again.
Wild Beasts
2/5
Just not my thing. A bit too Tiny Tim with the vocals with a dash of pretentious U2-like sound. The production was great though. I just didn't enjoy the music very much.
George Jones
3/5
Just really standard old heartbreak country music, nothing really remarkable about it except for the last track, Our Private Life which had some amusing things to say about people obsessed and celebrities' private lives, something I wasn't expecting to hear.
Beatles
5/5
Previously rated:
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (5/5)
Rubber Soul (5/5)
With the Beatles (5/5)
A Hard Day's Night (5/5)
The White Album (5/5)
**************************************************
Another easy 5/5 Beatles album. I didn't used to be a big fan of it - Because, Sun King, I Want You (She's So Heavy) kind of bored me, but of course they all grew on me over the years. It has the best George and Ringo songs (Here Comes the Sun and Octopus's Garden), the excellent medley, cheeky Maxwell's Silver Hammer, classics Come Together and Something, Ringo's only drum solo (The End). I understand why it's the highest rated album on this list.
Youssou N'Dour
4/5
Pretty good, fun, upbeat songs. I loved the percussion.
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
With the exception of 1 or 2 decent tracks, this album is a bore and a chore to get through. That lazy, nasally whining vocal style irritates me as well. Can’t relate to the gay stuff either. A hair away from a 1/5. Favorite track: The One You Love
MC Solaar
3/5
I don't know what Pierre is saying. Maybe that's a good thing. One track stood out, the Bibbity-Bobbity-Boo song (Ragga Jam). Otherwise, just average stuff except for the French.
Little Richard
5/5
High energy boppin' going on here. Little Richard's sings with passion and the music keeps pace, though it's sometimes a bit repetitive. Best track: Long Tall Sally
Suede
2/5
The voice breaking vocal style annoyed me. Other than that, it could have been just decent, but it strays into boring territory more than I'd like. Close to 3/5, but not quite.
X-Ray Spex
4/5
Wow, pretty cool album from a band I've never heard of before. Vocally, it's kind of like a punk Cyndi Lauper with it sounding a bit Sex Pistols and Blondie. It gets a little shrill at times though. There are horns too. I'll give this one another listen. Favorite track: Warrior in Woolworths
Genesis
3/5
I was not familiar with any of the old Peter Gabriel stuff, but I knew it was prog rock and not the poppy Phil Collins 80s Genesis, so the weirdness did not surprise me much. Long album, but it was OK, interesting stuff, but not an album I'm looking to listen to again any time soon. Did Phil Collins sing lead on any of these songs, or is his singing style and sound just that similar to Peter Gabriel that it's hard to tell the difference? Favorite track: Carpet Crawlers or Anyway.
The Adverts
4/5
Another punk band I've never heard of. Another punk album I've enjoyed. The vocals have sort of a Queen-like quality to them. Several songs had a familiar sound, especially "One Chord Wonders." What does it sound like? "Wild World" by Cat Stevens? Favorite track: New Day Dawns
3/5
Previously rated:
Dry (3/5)
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I liked Dry a lot better. This was more mellow, flirting with being boring. A low 3/5.
The Associates
2/5
2/5 too much echo.
Leftfield
3/5
I'm glad this was a dance music album and not a political lecture. I still don't know what makes one of these better than another. What's this comparable to, a Prodigy album I guess? They all give me mostly the same feeling. I can bop along with the music in my car, but it never gives me any lasting feeling or want to put it on again.
CHIC
3/5
Previously rated:
C'est Chic (3/5)
***********************
More of the same from the previous CHIC album, though maybe not quite as good. Still has the long, repetitive dance songs that don't quite have the intended effect when listening in the car, but still decent stuff.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Previously rated:
There's No Place Like America Today (3/5)
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Second time hearing this album. Haven't seen the film. There's no mistaking which decade this music belongs to with the strings and the wocka-ch-wocka guitar. It's funky as heck and pretty enjoyable over all.
Love
3/5
Sort of psychedelic garage rock, Electric Prunes meets the Byrds or something. A lot of just jamming, especially in the 19 minute final track, which I enjoyed parts of, but not all. Discordant guitar, some horns peppered in here. Eh, it was OK.
The Byrds
3/5
Previously rated:
Fifth Dimension (3/5)
The Notorious Byrd Brothers (3/5)
*************************************
Another mostly mediocre one. Some good harmonies of course, and that CTA 102 alien song was kind of wild for the time - wasn't expecting it. They leaned a little too heavy on the backwards stuff, copying the Beatles, no doubt. And the super psychedelic folk sound of Mind Gardens was off-putting to me.
Animal Collective
1/5
Sounds like the Beach Boys on acid. Way, way too much acid. One halfway decent track, Summertime Clothes, but otherwise an effect-heavy mess, much of it barely music. Not much enjoyment to be found here.
David Bowie
3/5
Previously rated:
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (4/5)
Aladdin Sane (3/5)
The Next Day (3/5)
Young Americans (3/5)
Station to Station (3/5)
Hunky Dory (4/5)
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First half has good stuff; I was enjoying it. Second half instrumental movie soundtrack or whatever did nothing for me.
Fela Kuti
3/5
Previously rated:
Zombie (3/5)
*********************
The drumming is great on this. I just wish I liked the style of music more. Tracks 2 and 4 are just so repetitive with the same bass riff repeated over and over. Besides that, not bad.
Best track: Ye Ye De Smell
Roxy Music
3/5
Previously rated:
Roxy Music (4/5)
For Your Pleasure (2/5)
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Looks like this one's falling somewhere in between the first two. Nice album cover, some good music (bass especially), and a pretty good variety. Still don't love the singer's voice or style much.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Previously rated:
Dig Your Own Hole (3/5)
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I forgot I heard one of their albums already. Starts off strong, but with most electronic music, it just slowly fades into the background and it eventually ends. If I get another Chemical Brothers album in the future, I'll probably forget I've already heard two.
Sisters Of Mercy
2/5
The guy on the album cover looks like a total douche. He sings like one too. Pretentious pop is what I’d call this. Not totally awful, just not the fun type of pop I prefer.
Lightning Bolt
1/5
The parents were right. The music the kids listen to these days is just noise. I don't know if adding vocals would have improved this - probably not, just would have made it noisier, I'm sure. Too much screeching feedback, too much of everything, really, for my morning commute. There were a couple of brief moments where I didn't hate this. An Eddie Van Halen-like guitar tapping part and the intro to Longstockings, but not nearly enough to bring it up from a 1/5. Best track: Hello Morning (it's under a minute)
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Previously rated:
Stand! (4/5)
*********************
Funky, but much more low-key and subdued than Stand!
Arcade Fire
3/5
Previously rated:
The Suburbs (3/5)
Funeral (2/5)
*********************
The users of this site seem to love them some Arcade Fire. More power to them. I don't get much out of it. The only track I really remember is (Antichrist Television Blues), only because I thought it sounded like Bruce Springsteen song. The album is over-produced for my taste.
The Smiths
4/5
Previously rated:
Meat Is Murder (3/5)
Strangeways, Here We Come (3/5)
*************************************
Better than the other two. This one I might want to hear again. The vocals weren't annoying, they were actually pretty good, and the lyrics were interesting. Good melodies too.
ZZ Top
4/5
Previously rated:
Tres Hombres (5/5)
**********************
Iconic album. Three HUGE radio hits still played today. I have big nostalgia for those music videos too. Looking beyond that, Got Me Under Pressure is a really good one that should have been released as a single over TV Dinners (what were they thinking?) The other tracks are...OK. I wish there was a version of this album with real drums over the drum machine, which I think gives it a cohesive sound, but still a net negative overall.
Best track: Sharp Dressed Man
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
Previously rated:
Tigermilk (3/5)
**********************
This guy's voice and singing style piss me off. I want to grab his guitar and smash it against the wall. The music is OK, nice sometimes, but that boy needs to grow a pair. Paul Simon thinks this guy is a puss. I had to turn on some Van Halen afterwards to feel like a man again.
Best track: Me and the Major
Giant Sand
2/5
A chore, yes, I agree. Also a bore. Creepy, Leonard Cohen, hard-R pronouncing singing along with some nice music at times.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
I thought it was going to be weirder, but it was alright. I'm not all that familiar with Peter Gabriel beyond his couple of hits and one Genesis album. It was interesting. I will give it another spin (or click).
Van Morrison
4/5
Previously rated:
Moondance (4/5)
Astral Weeks (2/5)
*********************
Thankfully not much crossover with the boring (imho) Astral Weeks. Too bad no Moondance or Brown Eyed Girl. What is here is nice for the most part. The band is great, he sounds good with that distinctive voice. Some of the longer tracks dragged a little. I didn’t like the repeated “inside of me” that sounded like “sodomy” over and over.
I will add it to the list to listen to again.
The Young Rascals
4/5
Kind of basic as they say blue-eyed soul music. There's some good stuff here including the hits Groovin', How Can I Be Sure, and A Girl Like You. The cover of A Place in the Sun was unexpected, but it was alright. I immediately listened to Stevie Wonder's afterwards and yeah, his is superior. This doesn't sound like a glowing album review, but I enjoy this kind of music, and I will throw it on again at some point, so I'll give it an above average 4/5.
Buena Vista Social Club
3/5
Starts out as standard Mexican restaurant music, then some nice variety kicks in. Some jazzy stuff. One song sounded like Peanuts La Bamba. Good for a single listen.
The Specials
3/5
Previously rated:
The Specials (3/5)
*********************
More from these guys. I didn't remember the first one very well. This was British reggae/ska-ish stuff. A couple catchy tracks (Enjoy Yourself). A couple of annoying ones (Stereotype/Stereotype, Pt. 2). I'm not sure we needed a second one on this list. Not my thing.
The Louvin Brothers
4/5
Nice vocal harmonies and some disturbing lyrics. Why did he kill poor Knoxville Girl?
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
Psychedelic hippie blues. A couple of iconic songs. Production quality stinks, but still pretty good stuff.
Super Furry Animals
2/5
Previously rated:
Fuzzy Logic (4/5)
*********************
Hmmm, I may have overestimated this band based on the other album. This one didn't do anything for me, really. Lots of nonsense like auto-tune and weird sound effects. Too pop, but not fun pop, boring pop. The singer sounds familiar. Elvis Costello? Won't listen to this one again.
Mekons
4/5
Never heard of this. I might be crazy for giving this 4 stars, but it kind of grew on me as it went on. At first I was annoyed by the intentionally off-key discordant stuff. I'd call it the Cure meets Dexi's Midnight Runners.
The Beta Band
3/5
Some interesting sounds here. The singer sounds kind of like Gene Simmons singing clean. Lots of effects here that feel unnecessary, like super loud bass and echoes. Best track: Out-side. It reminded me of the Monkees Not Your Steppin’ Stone.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
5/5
Previously rated:
Pictures At An Exhibition (4/5)
*********************************
Great album! Proggy synth suite to a John Lennon-like rocker and everything in between. I was disappointed when it was over. I'd give it a 4.5, but since today is Christmas, I'll round it up.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Previously rated:
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme (4/5)
Bridge Over Troubled Water (5/5)
*********************************************
Least of the three so far. Along with the good stuff (Mrs. Robinson and Hazy Shade of Winter (I like the Bangles version better), there are some downers and stuff that doesn't belong on a music album like Voices of Old People.
Nina Simone
3/5
Not familiar with Nina Simone before this. I'll give it a 3...I guess, but just barely. A couple of tracks were good - Break Down and Let It All Out being the best. Some of the other stuff though, boring and over-orchestrated. Four Women was cringe, sorry. Oh, and she sounds like a man.
Klaxons
3/5
I've never heard of this band, and I'm not familiar with this era of music. What's a similar sound to this? Muse I guess? This isn't as good. Much of it was just overwhelming with all the noise. It just seemed mechanical, just something a good music AI could do. I liked Totems On the Timeline. A low 3/5.
a-ha
3/5
Ok 80s sort of gothy synth pop with one obviously standout song, Take On Me. The other stuff would be fine on a 1985 movie soundtrack.
Ray Price
3/5
Odd opening to this one where he thanks the listeners for buying the album. Then goes into a bluesy number, Night Life. I figured this is what the music was going to be, but not really. It settles down into some regular, but decent 1960s country music. It was alright.
Motörhead
4/5
Previously rated:
Ace of Spades (4/5)
**********************
Like the other album, it definitely rocks. Motörhead will never be one of my favorites because of how rough the vocals are, but they are OK in small doses. (I didn't listen to the extended or deluxe versions and probably won't.) Ace of Spades is a classic like it was on Ace of Spades. The Hammer sounds like Ace of Spades like it did on Ace of Spades. So the repetition is one issue I have having both albums here, but still, like I said it rocks pretty hard.
Finley Quaye
3/5
A quite OK reggae album with songs that are pretty unique from each other. The singer uses the typical reggae voice. I'm not a big fan of this genre, but not bad. Favorite track: Even After All
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
First time hearing Marianne Faithfull. Her voice sounds familiar, probably similar to someone else I can't place, like the Motels or Stevie Nicks, but not quite. The songs are unique, though a bit depressing. I hated the last track, Why d'Ya Do It? Favorite track: Broken English.
The Replacements
4/5
I only knew Alex Chilton from this band, so I was surprised how heavy and punk it was. Sounded a little like the singer from Suicidal Tendancies and of course Kurt Cobain. I’ll listen to it again. Favorite track: Black Diamond. It’s also one of my favorite KISS songs.
DJ Shadow
3/5
Ah, so hip-hop doesn't always have to include rap. That's one positive - no filthy lyrics to endure. Another positive is some of the drum work, especially The Number Song and Mutual Slump. But instrumentals only go so far with me. It was fine, but I probably won't listen to it again. Oh, and bad album art.
Jungle Brothers
2/5
Boring rap. The delivery is dull, the lyrics are pseudo-intellectual Afrocentrist nonsense. The positives are, well, there is no violence glorification, drugs, and sexually explicit content. But the absence of the abhorrent doesn't make this good, sorry.
Jeff Beck
5/5
How have I not heard this one before? Why is Rod Stewart singing? So many questions. Whatever, it all came together great. Such a groovy, bluesy album. Cream would probably be the closest comparison I can think of. Wikipedia says early heavy metal - I'm not sure about that, though some metal bands were influenced I'm sure. I recognized I Ain't Superstitious from Megadeth's cover, and I'm certain Gene Simmons copied Rod Stewart's singing style from this album. I'm adding it to my library.
Favorite track: Shapes of Things. I think it sounds a bit like Pictures of Home from Deep Purple.
Coldcut
3/5
Not an Apple Music, so I had to listen via YouTube. It was fun and upbeat, but nothing too special. First half was poppy electronica stuff, then we get hit with a Queen Latifah track and the rest was hip-hop? Anyway, there were a lot of samples of various media (Flintstones, Jetsons, Pump Up, the "journey into sound" guy, etc.) which may be why the album isn't on streaming. Yeah, it was fine, but with a dated sound.
Ghostface Killah
4/5
Normally I don't enjoy rap made after I was a teenager, and it's usually the lyrics that turn me off. You'd think an album with E for explicit on every song would immediately bias me against it, and it kind of did at first, especially that first skit (ugh), but damn if the music here isn't bombastic and entertaining as hell. It even has some tracks that are actually catchy to my ear, which is rare for rap. I liked it.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Previously rated:
The Scream (3/5)
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I remember their other album being more punk. This one is more goth rock. I enjoyed the first half pretty well, especially the first four tracks, leaning towards a 4/5, but the last few songs were long and dragged the back half down as a result. Overall, it averages out to being average.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Previously rated:
E.V.O.L. (1/5)
Goo (4/5)
********************
This is what I imagine being strung out on drugs sounds like. That's how I can best describe it. It has its moments, but it's not nearly as good as Goo. Still much better than EVOL. A couple of the early tracks and Purr are pretty good. Youth Against Fascism is laughably bad.
The Doors
5/5
Previously rated:
The Doors (5/5)
**********************
Everything is pretty great on this album, except maybe The WASP, especially the hits Love Her Madly, L.A. Woman, and Riders on the Storm.
Elvis Presley
4/5
Previously rated:
Elvis Is Back (4/5)
*********************
I felt like this album was heavily backloaded that doesn't truly get going until 10 songs in, but there is some great stuff here. Suspicious Minds is the best track. Kentucky Rain and In the Ghetto are good hits too. Hidden gem is True Love Travels On a Gravel Road, just the way that line is sung is unique and just...sounds good. Negatives: Elvis is mush-mouthed, too far away from the mic, or too echoed to understand what he is singing on certain tracks.
Interesting that I got this the day after seeing his final film as an actor, Change of Habit at our classic films theater. Same year this album came out too.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
Previously rated:
Trout Mask Replica (2/5)
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I'm listening to this the day after Trout Mask since they are both streaming now. How does this earlier album compare? Well, it's not as unique or interesting as Trout Mask, but on the other hand it's more listenable. It's still quirky twangy rock that is alright, just not super memorable.
Tori Amos
1/5
This was the second time I've heard this album. The first was about 1 1/2 years ago when someone recommended it to me. I didn't like it then. I called it "sad girl with piano" music, a genre I'm not at all into. Listening to it again, the first track (or two?) aren't that bad I guess, but then it just all starts to sound the same. I don't want to listen to this for an hour. She has a fine voice, but for me it's wasted here. Women do seem to love it though, so that's good for them, but I have to give it an honest rating for myself.
Red Snapper
2/5
What is special about this? Not much. Oh, one of the songs has sexually explicit lyrics out of the blue.
The 13th Floor Elevators
2/5
Listened to the first song and thought oh that boop-boop-beep-boop thing they are doing is kind of interesting. Let's see what else they come up with. There is nothing else. It's boop-boop-beep-boop or some variation on every damn song except for one maybe. That's their gimmick and they stuck to it. I was thinking I might stretch and give this a 3/5 as the rest was OK, nothing to shout about, then when it was over I switched on the radio and the Animals' House of the Rising Sun was playing, and I realized how big a difference there was in quality with this album, though the style of music is similar.
Rocket From The Crypt
4/5
I would have been 21 when this came out, but I've never heard of it. It's hard rock with some punk vibe. Wikipedia has "hardcore punk" as a genre. I don't know if I'd go that far. The vocalist has a screamy voice, so maybe that's it. It was fun, maybe not amazing. Could have used a couple of guitar solos in my opinion. I am putting it on this list to hear again.
U2
3/5
Previously rated:
War (4/5)
All That You Can't Leave Behind (3/5)
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A few decent songs here, One, Mysterious Ways, Wild Horses being the best. The music lacks bite though. It has The Edge, but no real edge to it.
Alice Cooper
4/5
I don't think I've heard a full Alice Cooper album before this, just a few singles here and there, so I was looking forward to it. I'd say it mostly delivered. The theatrical hard rock sound was pretty unique, though some parts were uncomfortably creepy, like the implied necrophilia. I'll listen to this again and maybe skip the last couple of tracks. Best track: No More Mr. Nice Guy.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
Previously rated:
Deja Vu (3/5) *and Young
****************************
As much as I like Judy Blue Eyes and a couple of others like Marrakesh Express and Long Time Gone, still that slow, lame, hippie stuff brings it down. Got some Simon & Garfunkel vibes on a couple of tracks.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Previously rated:
The Rolling Stones (4/5)
Beggars Banquet (5/5)
Let it Bleed (5/5)
******************************
Note: Rating the UK version.
There's some great stuff that I knew (Mother's Little Helper and Under My Thumb) and some that I didn't, like the silly but catchy Stupid Girl. Liked hearing the different instruments like the Marimba. What I didn't particularly care for was the 11 minute long Goin' Home. It drags down the first side of the record. That and a couple of other filler songs keep it from being a 5/5. One of the later tracks sounded very Beach Boys-ish with the "Bah-ba-ba-bah"s going on in the backup vocals. I didn't mind that.
The Sonics
5/5
I've never heard of this band. Why is it here? It's a very amateurish sounding production and most of the songs are covers. Why in the world would I give this a 5/5? It's just fun to listen to. That's it. No boring ballads, no failed experimental stuff, just rough around the edges straight-forward rock & roll. Like the Beatles started, they mimic Little Richard's scream and Chuck Berry's guitar playing. It all works for me, but I understand if it's too sloppy for others to enjoy.
James Taylor
3/5
I'm not a folk lover, but this honestly wasn't too bad, and he livens up the album with some good old rock and roll too. It's pretty OK.
Björk
1/5
Previously rated:
Vespertine (2/5)
********************
Artsy, pretentious, boring. Do I need to go on any further? I hope I don't have to hear Bjork and her rolling Rs ever again.
Incredible Bongo Band
4/5
I like listening to drums.
Songhoy Blues
3/5
African blues rock, kind of cool and kind of repetitive.
Lou Reed
4/5
If you accept that his singing isn't good, there is a silly charm to this, and there are a couple of good rockin' numbers next to the whimsical ones. And then there is Walk on the Wild Side, which is the deservedly iconic one on this album. I'll go back to this one day.
Beyoncé
1/5
I was hoping for some catchy pop R&B, except in my mind that would be Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, not this hot garbage. Auto-tuned horny shit. I don't want to hear or think about eating her pink Skittles ever again. We also get a lecture on feminism and Beyonce telling the bitches to bow down to her. I struggled to find a decent track. There was one near the end, Heaven. I listened to the 14 track basic version. I couldn't imagine enduring any more of this.
Brian Eno
3/5
I listened to this yesterday, and it barely made an impression (negative or positive) except I remember the "I'll tie your shoe" lyric. Lots of soundscape stuff, minimal lyrics. Yeah, I'll have no memory of this soon.
Oh, yeah I forgot the annoying saw sound in the first track "Sky Saw."
Steely Dan
4/5
Previously rated:
Pretzel Logic (4/5)
Can't Buy a Thrill (5/5)
*****************************
I'm liking this smooth adult contemporary Steely Dan sound more as I get older. Peg is the standout here. Deacon Blues is also good. The title track has some good drumming.
Duke Ellington
3/5
Big band jazz. Pretty good.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
I was never a big fan of the Pet Shop Boys growing up. Listening now, I still can't really get into it. It does have its catchy moments. I was thinking what is this dumb shopping song? They are really spelling out s-h-o-p-p-i-n-g? By the end I was singing along with them.
The Darkness
3/5
Hard to believe this came out in 2003. I thought this kind of music was deader than dead by this point. Don't get me wrong, I did like it except for when the singer goes operatic. It just sounds...silly, like a parody, like Tiny Tim, whatever. I'm even OK with the higher pitched scream (when used sparingly), but that in between, goofy sounding stuff I'm not a fan of. It brings the entire album down. I really did like the rest with the exception of the f-bombs that I felt weren't necessary.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Previously rated:
Born to Run (4/5)
Darkness on the Edge of Town (3/5)
***************************************
The title track is good, and Mary's Place had it's moments sounding like Born to Run era Springsteen. Otherwise, it's just sort of there.
Julian Cope
3/5
I've never heard of this guy. Not sure if he's trying to be Jim Morrison or that's just a coincidence. The first song is kind of bad. The rest of the music OK, it has good variety. It just falls short for me of making a lasting impression.
Funkadelic
4/5
Previously rated:
One Nation Under A Groove (3/5)
**************************************
There were a couple of 10 minute tracks, but thankfully they weren't poop-themed like on the other album. Good variety of sounds, it's funky and kind of out there. I can dig it.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
This album did not get off to a good start with the rapping. Thankfully there was not a lot of it on the rest. The highlight here is the rhythm section. Flea and Will Ferrel do a great job keeping it funky. Best track: Otherside
Sugar
3/5
A pretty standard sounding rock album from the early '90s. A bit too standard and generic for me, reminded me of Foo Fighters. Not a lot else to say about it. Best track: If I Can't Change Your Mind
Air
3/5
The first and only time I heard Air was their soundtrack for A Trip to the Moon. Pretty good and kind of weird. It fit the film.
This album probably sets a great mood for The Virgin Suicides as well, though I haven't seen it. I probably won't see it, nor will I probably listen to this again, but it wasn't bad either.
Best track: Dead Bodies
David Crosby
3/5
Really only one song I enjoyed here, Cowboy Movie. The rest...whatever, instrumental and or hippie stuff.
Paul Simon
3/5
A mellow Paul Simon album that doesn't compare to Graceland, which he put out a few years later. I liked the Late Great Johnny Ace.
The Residents
2/5
A lot of annoying stuff with a spark of something enjoyable here and there. The last track, Electrocutioner was kind of cool.
Bobby Womack
3/5
Decently entertaining Soul album. I laughed when he name dropped Kentucky Fried Chicken. Best track: If You Think You're Lonely Now
Nick Drake
2/5
Previously rated:
Bryter Layter (2/5)
Five Leaves Left (1/5)
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Why have three albums by this guy, his whole discography even, when they all sound the same? One man, one acoustic guitar, and some boring songs. I'm glad I'm done with him.
The Go-Go's
5/5
A fun girl pop/rock album. I liked all the songs. It doesn't even sound all that dated considering it's from 1981. I'm giving it a 5/5.
Liz Phair
2/5
I had listened to this once, years ago, but none it sounded familiar until the song Flower. Did it (and a couple of others) have to be so crass? Yeah, she’s trying for shock value with her nipple on the album cover too. That only gets you so far. You still have a sometimes monotone disinterested singing voice, but sometimes she sounds like Sheryl Crow. Too bad, some of the songwriting is good. I had to turn on some 1960s girl group music in to wash the nastiness out of my ears.
Best track: Never Said
Simply Red
3/5
He's good a pretty good voice, some of the songs are fun and jazzy, some are just boring, and some complain about Ronald Reagan and not being able to afford new shoes. Uh...average.
Sade
4/5
Smooth classy soul/r&b. She can sing too.
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
Listened to the 13 track original release.
As if the German language didn’t sound mean and nasty enough, they had to scream it and have annoying industrial sound effects and repetitive beats. I did not enjoy any of this. It may be the worst album I’ve heard so far.
The Dictators
4/5
Much better than I expected from a group I've never heard of. It's irreverent and silly, but it's still good rock and roll with punk elements. I'm a sucker for guitar solos. I liked the covers of I Got You Babe and California Sun. I laughed out loud when I heard that pro wrestling promo name-dropping Vern Gagne and Dick the Bruiser.
Maybe it'll be a 5/5 when I revisit.
Love
3/5
Previously rated:
Da Capo (3/5)
********************
Hippie crap with some Classical Gas type guitar work. Barely a 3.
American Music Club
3/5
A tiny bit country, a little bit goth? Hard to describe the genre of this. It wasn't all that exciting or memorable though. It wasn't on Apple Music, so I had to listen on YouTube.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
3/5
Strange mix of Cuban, middle eastern, and a heavily accented English bloke singing. Some of it was OK.
Iggy Pop
3/5
Previously rated:
The Idiot (4/5)
*********************
On first listen, I liked The Idiot a little better than this. If I listened to them again, it might be the opposite. The biggest problem I had with this one was the sound. It was muddled, especially with the vocal effects. Some songs felt like they went a bit too long. Otherwise a fun album. Again, reminded me of Bowie.
Kendrick Lamar
1/5
Previously rated:
good kid, m.A.A.d city (2/5)
*******************************
Deep Thoughts by Kendrick Lamar. Mind-numbing, intelligence insulting, racist garbage by some mile-a-minute rapper who fashions himself some enlightened prophet of his generation, almost on Kanye West's level. Even if I liked the music, I couldn't sing/rap along because of the multitude of n-words in this thing. And the album cover reinforces a bunch of negative stereotypes. I think I was too generous to his first album.
Lemme axe you dis, do I have to listen to another one of this moron's albums? Please, no.
Oh, also, his Super Bowl halftime show sucked.
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
Previously rated:
Don't Stand Me Down (3/5)
*********************************
A decent sounding album with a unique sounding singer. If I heard any of these songs on their own, I'd say "hey that's the come on eileen guy!" And bumping the rating up by one solely for the aforementioned Come On Eileen. I've always loved that song.
Beatles
5/5
Previously rated:
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (5/5)
Rubber Soul (5/5)
With the Beatles (5/5)
A Hard Day's Night (5/5)
The White Album (5/5)
Abbey Road (5/5)
**************************************************
Another Beatles album, another 5/5. This one may be the best of them all. It's melancholy, it's upbeat, it's silly, it's serious and heavy. There's something for everyone. What's to criticize? The songs are too short maybe?
Minutemen
3/5
There was some good stuff here. The production is great, super crisp and clear. It lets you hear some surprisingly good instrumentation, bass and drums especially. The songs themselves are very short - there are 43 of them (apparently the vinyl has 45) - and don't really leave a lasting impact. After it was over, I just thought what was the point of all that?
Massive Attack
3/5
Previously rated:
Blue Lines (1/5)
********************
The previous album was the first 1/5 I gave out, which was almost 2 years ago. After some of the awful garbage I've heard since, maybe it didn't deserve it. Not that I loved this one either, but it does start off with a nice song, the title track, and then goes off into soundscape stuff. I guess it was OK enough.
Cypress Hill
2/5
Cops are pigs, weed is awesome, violence is cool.
That's the album. It's repetitive and gets pretty boring by the end.
ABBA
4/5
ABBA songs are a guilty pleasure of mine, especially Dancing Queen. I didn't know any of the tracks on this album, though. It was pretty solid, all in all, though nothing really stood out in particular. It was good enough that I listened to the bonus tracks. I'll give it another listen when I'm done with the 1,001+ if I live that long.
The Cars
5/5
A perfect pop-rock album. 5 out of the 9 nine songs still get radio play (Good Times Roll, My Best Friend's Girl, Just What I Needed, You're All I've Got Tonight, and Moving In Stereo). The other 4 tracks are pretty good. I'm In Touch With Your World is so goofy with all the sounds effects - I love it!
John Lennon
3/5
I've heard this album once before, I think. Of course we all know the title track which people love or hate. Personally, the lyrics never appealed to me, but it was a nice, pretty melody. All that was ruined when the out of touch celebrities sang it at us during COVID...bleh...now I'm fine never hearing it again. Not Lennon's fault, of course. My favorite track here is Crippled Inside, just because it's upbeat and fun (maybe not the lyrics so much). The other stuff I could take or leave. Implying that the only thing Paul McCartney ever did was Yesterday is laughable.
Incubus
3/5
Standard rock from that time with added hip-hop elements and an early emo sound. I had only heard Drive before. (I think it was probably a cover of it on the game Donkey Konga 2.) I didn't get into it too much, but a couple of standout tracks were Battlestar Scralatchtica - which doesn't sound like anything else on the album - and Pardon Me.
Rush
5/5
Previously rated:
2112 (4/5)
**********************
It's got several radio hits and some good deep cuts. It's hard not to like unless you hate Geddy Lee's voice (understandable) or the Libertarian-ish lyrics.
Stephen Stills
3/5
Previously rated:
Manassas (5/5)
*******************
Manassas may be my lowest 5/5 on here so far, but it's still pretty great. This one is a big step down, not that it's terrible, it's just rather average. Starts out hot and energetic with the one song I knew, Love the One You're With and doesn't reach that level again. There's some boring choral stuff in here too. Just meh level music to me. I couldn't be bothered to put it on again.
Queen
4/5
Previously rated:
Queen II (4/5)
Sheer Heart Attack (5/5)
***************************
There are some great songs here, though I've heard Bohemian Rhapsody to death - I'm bored with it. There is also a boring lull in the second half or else I'd consider giving this a 5.
The Band
3/5
Previously rated:
Music From Big Pink (3/5)
*****************************
Reminded me of Randy Newman. This one didn't have the hits like Big Pink, so I would rate it slightly lower.
Eminem
1/5
Previously rated:
The Slim Shady LP (2/5)
*****************************
The opening skit gives you a great idea what you're going to get. A load of disgusting garbage from a depraved mind. Some of it was creative, yeah, so? It doesn't make up for the awfulness. I felt ill after listening to this. Hopefully no more on this list.
Django Django
3/5
Django Django by Django Django. Sounds like it could be a lost experimental album by the Beach Boys. Also similar to Flaming Lips I guess. It was OK to hear once. Favorite track: Wor
Country Joe & The Fish
2/5
The first couple of tracks were pretty decent, then it devolved into a psychedelic, hippie, nonsense trip I didn't care to go on.
PJ Harvey
2/5
Previously rated:
Dry (3/5)
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea (3/5)
****************************************************
I wasn't digging this one at all. It's a big, noisy, grungy, non-musical mess. This is her last album on the list, right? I can be rid of her?
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Previously listened to:
Cosmo's Factory (5/5)
Green River (4/5)
************************
I listened to this a few days ago, and I don't remember if I was going to give it 4 or 5. I'll just go with 4. I knew Born On the Bayou and Proud Mary of course. Not sure if I had heard Good Golly Miss Molly before. It was OK. Keep on Chooglin' (whatever that means) was the best one I didn't already know. It's a basic CCR album. You know what you're going to get.
Can
2/5
Never heard of this. Starts out as ok experimental funk rock with unintelligible lyrics, then goes into spooky Halloween sounds, and just gets weirder and weirder. Supposedly there are English lyrics here, but I could barely understand a word. I didn't like it. Favorite track: I don't know. Probably one of the first three.
Moby
3/5
I listened to the first 18 tracks of the 2 1/2 hour long version on Apple Music which appears to correspond to the original release. You know, this was better than I expected. Some songs get a bit repetitive which is par for the course for this kind of music. It also got boring and kind of pretentious and creepy at the end. Best track: Run On
I think I heard this guy was cancelled for something or other. I don't know exactly what for, so it's not affecting my rating.
Big Black
2/5
I hate it when the first track of an album is as off-putting as the one here, with the moaning and repeated "suck daddy." Eww. Whatever good there is here, which isn't a lot, has to overcome that. There's a lot of screaming about I don't know what, some shrill guitar sounds, loud bass, and 80s sounding drums. Is this what punk was in the mid-80s? It wasn't good. Favorite track: Fists of Love, it had a decent guitar riff.
The White Stripes
4/5
Previously rated:
Get Behind Me Satan (4/5)
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Solidly entertaining album. I knew We're Going to be Friends well from multiple viewings of Napoleon Dynamite. A couple others sounded familiar like they were in a commercial or something. Big drums sounds, distorted guitar and vocals which were a bit annoying at points.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Previously rated:
Born to Run (4/5)
Darkness on the Edge of Town (3/5)
The Rising (3/5)
***************************************
I guess this is my favorite Springsteen album. Nostalgia probably plays a part in that. The title track is so damn anthemic, you really can't blame people all that much for thinking it was a patriotic song. Seven out of the twelve songs on this thing were released as singles which is why it sounds so familiar despite me only hearing it once before. Darlington County is probably my favorite non-single.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
I enjoyed her contribution to Gram Parsons' Grievous Angel album earlier on this list. I enjoyed her on her own album too. She's got a lovely voice that sounds good solo or harmonizing. The heartbreak country genre isn't my favorite though I teared up listening to her cover of Coat of Many Colors. The cover of the Beatles' For No One was interesting, but I didn't like as much - too slow. All in all, a pretty decent album.
Dolly Parton
3/5
Got two Emmylou Harris albums in a row. These ladies sound so good together. I wish it was a genre I enjoyed more. They look so happy and smiley on the album cover, I was hoping for a few fun, upbeat numbers, but it's almost all heartbreak country here. Didn't love or hate, right in the middle.
Boards of Canada
2/5
Nothing. That's what I felt when listening to this. I'll give it a +1 for it's pro-free speech message.
Guided By Voices
2/5
No excuse for an album in 1995 sounding this terrible except if it's on purpose, and I generally don't enjoy being trolled when listening to music. The two that come to mind are the (I think) snoring sounds on Ex-Supermodel and whatever the vocal effect on Chicken Blows was. It was all very irritating and tried my patience. There were a couple of decent tracks in there sounding Kinks influenced, but hell if I can remember which of the 28 tracks they were. I won't listen again to find out.
White Denim
3/5
I knew nothing of this band going in. The sound is interesting, like a modern CS&N or Grateful Dead, but more prog. At some points, I just wanted them to calm down and get into a relaxed rhythm. I liked some of the harmonies, but didn't love the singer's voice on its own. He sounds like someone else, but I can't put my finger on it. I think I actually like the instrumental "Back at the Farm" the best.
Anita Baker
3/5
I knew Sweet Love was a popular song at the time, but I didn't know the album was in any way notable outside of that. Maybe it's here to give the list a bit more diversity? It's a fine sounding album though. It's got the 80s soul sound down and it doesn't stray much at all from that. Good for what it is. Favorite track: Sweet Love.
The Undertones
4/5
It's a bit Clash-like, and the vocals are a watered down Dead Kennedys. I kinda liked it though. The lyrics are interesting stories. I don't know if there is a deeper meaning with them or not. I liked the cover of Under the Boardwalk.
Peter Tosh
3/5
Thankfully the entire album wasn't weed themed. Once that first song was out of the way, I don't think he mentions it again, which was surprising given the album title and cover. Anyway, it's somewhat standard reggae. There was one song that stood out to me that had country sounding verses and switched back to reggae for the chorus. Overall, it was decent.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Previously rated:
License to Ill (5/5)
Ill Communication (4/5)
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I don't have the nostalgia for this one like I do License to Ill, but this is probably a superior album, though I still prefer License. I'm not a fan of the added profanity in this one. I liked the throwback hip-hop sounds on a couple of the later tracks.
Paul McCartney
3/5
Previously rated:
Band on the Run (4/5)
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I'm a big Beatles fan, but I've never heard this album. I wasn't impressed. It sounded like a bunch of unfinished demos and instrumentals. Maybe I'm Amazed is a good song. Just average, and probably doesn't belong on the list.
Japan
3/5
All the Duran Duran without any of the nostalgia (for me). This album starts off strong with the first couple of tracks and then gets kinda boring honestly. Not knowing anything about this band, I was surprised this came out in 1979, so it predates DD and they were no doubt influenced by this, but they did the new wave thing better with catchier and hookier songs. Where is the Duran Duran on this list?
Neil Young
3/5
Previously rated:
Harvest (2/5)
After the Gold Rush (3/5)
Tonight's the Night (3/5)
Ragged Glory (3/5)
******************************
First half was decent, second half boring. Lyrically interesting as usual, but as a whole, he doesn't do it for me. Best track: Walk On
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
Previously rated:
Bug (3/5)
**********************
This one started out promising with some good guitar and drums. The vocals were passable. But there's too much stuff that's just non-musical noise, and the disinterested vocals started to get on my nerves. The bonus track, a cover of Just Like Heaven wasn't great. Another take it or leave it album from these guys.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Previously rated:
Peter Gabriel 3 (4/5)
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Like the previous one, this one is just varied enough, just eclectic enough, and just interesting enough for me to want to hear it again. Some it it sounds like Genesis/Phil Collins, I heard a Randy Newman-esque tune in there, and something else I can't remember a day later. One song sounded familiar, and that was Solsbury Hill, but I'm not sure where I heard it.
Bad Brains
3/5
My first thought about this was that it sounded a bit like the Offspring, or rather the Offspring sounds kind of like this. It's just not quite as dynamic or memorable. It didn't sound like the hard-core punk I was expecting, barely even punk at all really. But it was OK.
Elastica
3/5
Decent girl rock, hard to understand much of the lyrics. It was missing something, maybe better production?
Ravi Shankar
3/5
He's the Eddie Van Halen of sitar and he's very polite too.
Brian Eno
4/5
Previously rated:
Before And After Science (3/5)
Another Green World (3/5)
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I liked this one a bit more than the other two. Didn't care for Driving Me Backwards. Some of Them Are Old sounded like a John Lennon Beatles song.
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
Better than expected. Nice, catchy hard pop-rock. Best track: Australia
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Previously rated:
Savane (2/5)
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Chill, but repetitive African music with some blues infused in it. Better than his last one.
Thelonious Monk
3/5
I have heard of Thelonious Monk before, but I could not have told you who or what that was before. Good to know now. It is average (to my ears) jazz music, OK for my morning commute to work.
David Bowie
3/5
Previously rated:
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (4/5)
Aladdin Sane (3/5)
The Next Day (3/5)
Young Americans (3/5)
Station to Station (3/5)
Hunky Dory (4/5)
Low (3/5)
************************************************************************
Eighth Bowie album. Another half-good one. The mostly ambient soundscape of side two did nothing for me.
Eagles
4/5
Previously rated:
Hotel California (4/5)
*************************
Country rock with some well known songs and also a couple of lame ones like Most of Us Are Sad. Favorite track: Witchy Woman
The Soft Boys
4/5
Way better than expected. At first I was going to say it's a punk rock Beatles. The singer sounds like George Harrison and there is sitar in one of the songs. But they actually are not all that punk. I like it though. Queen of Eyes and Positive Vibrations are good ones.
The Kinks
4/5
Previously rated:
Face to Face (4/5)
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) (5/5)
The Village Green Preservation Society (5/5)
**************************************************************
Starts off with the best track of the album, David Watts. So catchy, and I know I've heard it earlier on the list. I thought the Kinks may have re-recorded it, but no, The Jam covered it, and I thought it was the best song on that album too. Situation Vacant is another standout for me. Overall, not their best, but it's the Kinks. I will listen to it again down the road.
Basement Jaxx
3/5
Put this on for your Y2K party, jam out, and forget about it.
3/5
Previously rated:
War (4/5)
All That You Can't Leave Behind (3/5)
Achtung Baby (3/5)
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Frontloaded with the hits, and they were big ones. The rest is forgettable and generic. I think I've had enough from them, but I'm pretty sure more is coming.
Kraftwerk
3/5
Previously listened to:
Autobahn (1/5)
The Man Machine (2/5)
**************************
I guess Kraftwerk is growing on me...a bit? Still, listening to this album once was enough.
Alanis Morissette
4/5
Interesting start with the weird vocal techniques on All I Really Want. The *Five* big singles are nicely sprinkled throughout, and they are still good. One that I liked I didn't know before was Not the Doctor. This album still holds up.
Syd Barrett
3/5
A mix of fun, jaunty tunes like Here I Go and No Good Trying, hippie psychadelic stuff, and boring like Terrapin. No, I didn't listen to the extra outtakes.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Previously rated:
Songs Of Love And Hate (2/5)
Songs Of Leonard Cohen (2/5)
**********************************
Better than the other two. Interesting dichotomy between that voice and the cheesy 80s sounds in some of it. Still has the creepiness. Best track: Everybody Knows
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Previously rated:
Murder Ballads (3/5)
Ghosteen (1/5)
*************************
Very slow and plodding with religious references. The first few songs were OK, interesting lyrics, miles better than Ghosteen (gag), but the last several tracks were pretty bad, and the last one with the line about his twinkling you-know-what. What the hell was that about.
Goldfrapp
3/5
I have never heard of Goldfrapp before this. It's chill. It's dreamy. It has nice singing (doesn't have that annoying "cursive" singing). But it's also a bit slow for me, only one upbeat track.
Gang Starr
3/5
The group's name is Gang Starr and they are an early '90s rap group and they aren't gangsta' rap?! Nope, just one of those sort of bland "intellectual" rappers that like to drop knowledge on us ignorant folk. I liked some of the funky beats, but the rest is as average as you can possibly get, definitely not something you have to hear before you die. But it is clean (though Apple Music shows 5 tracks as "E", but I didn't hear anything Explicit) so you can put it on with your kids in the car.
The KLF
3/5
This didn't even have the one song I had heard of. The one that goes "KLF uh-huh, uh-huh uh-huh." It's British. It's Electronica. It's whatever.
Happy Mondays
3/5
I had never heard of this band. I got sort of a Cars/Todd Rungren vibe from it. I couldn't understand many of the lyrics. The rest of the music was just OK. I noticed one song (Lazyitis) had Lennon/McCartney as co-song writers. I'm guessing it was because one bit sounded like Ticket to Ride.
Talking Heads
4/5
Previously rated:
Remain In Light (2/5)
Talking Heads 77 (4/5)
************************
Thankfully this one was more in line with 77. I didn't care for the opening track, I Zimbra, but enjoyed the rest. Favorite track: Cities
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Previously rated:
Are You Experienced (5/5)
********************************
Some great stuff here, definitely. Crosstown Traffic, All Along the Watchtower, but those long self-indulgent tracks bring it down a little.
Alice Cooper
4/5
Previously rated:
Billion Dollar Babies (4/5)
*****************************
A very enjoyable theatrical rock album. I liked it better than BDB. No bad songs, but not quite 5/5 material on first listen.
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
This is why I usually rate obscene and offensive rap albums 2/5, to make room for nonsense like this. At least those are somewhat entertaining, have good beats and samples. What's here? Computer noise, people talking in the background, industrial noise, more talking, other noise. I know this list doesn't specifically say it's for music only, but it's implied or else there would be stand-up comedy and other types of albums. This album barely qualifies as music.
Yuck.
Chicago
5/5
A pretty epic album overall, though a bit too show-offy in some places. I'll likely skip Free Form Guitar entirely when I listen again.
Megadeth
4/5
Previously rated:
Peace Sells...But Who's Buying (4/5)
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Trash metal that never really lets up. The vocals are still a weakness for Megadeth, who I put a step below (old) Metallica and Anthrax.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Previously rated:
Vol. 4 (5/5)
Paranoid (5/5)
*********************
There's some killer stuff here that I already knew like The Wizard and N.I.B. in particular. But the last group of songs at the end don't really go anywhere. But I will gladly give it another listen in the future.
Pavement
3/5
First time hearing Pavement, which is a boring band name. The music just doesn't seem interesting enough to be on this list. I remember one song had some screaming obscenities, but other than that, the singer sounded uninterested, and the music was ok.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
2/5
The one good song everyone knows, If You Leave, isn't here. This is just a bore.
Tangerine Dream
2/5
This sort of thing really needs sights to go along with the sounds, or maybe listen with eyes closed to imagine the sights, but I listen to these albums on my commute to and from work, so I can't do that. The sounds alone have to do, and they don't do much for me in that context. It's just spacey background music that doesn't change much at all.
Minor Threat
3/5
Loud, fast, and angry, but not all that interesting to want to hear again.
John Cale
3/5
I'm not entirely sure what to make of this album. I guess it's pleasant enough. The meaning of the lyrics are beyond me. It's average I guess.
Best track: Macbeth.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Previously rated:
Too Rye Ay (4/5)
*********************
In small doses. That's how I like listening to the singer of this band. The music is pretty cool and jazzy. Kind of like the album album from what I remember, but this one doesn't have Come on Eileen. I liked Seven Days Too Long and There There My Dear.
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
There is some minorly interesting music. The singer sounded sounded familiar, like a glam rock band Faster Pussycat or L.A. Guns maybe, raspy and sleazy like that. I get a creepy vibe - I can never love music that sounds like that.
Girls Against Boys
3/5
Starts off pretty cool - the rough vocals didn't even bother me at first, but then it starts getting dirgy and plodding and kind of unpleasant. Any lyrics I could understand, I don't know what they mean. A low 3/5.
Bee Gees
2/5
Previously rated:
Trafalgar (1/5)
*********************
I had forgotten how much I hated the previous Bee Gees album. This is one two years earlier and a double album. Oh boy.
You know how some people have punchable faces. One of these guys has a very punchable voice, whichever is Mr. Vibrato. The songs he sings lead on are very lame. There were a couple of decent tracks when they try to sing like the Beatles, so I didn't hate this one nearly as much.
Roni Size
3/5
It's OK/good for what it is, but 2 hours of 20 minutes of slight variations of the same drum beat and bass line means this is a one and done listen. It can get you pumped up though.
Wilco
3/5
Previously rated:
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2/5)
*******************************
Better than YTF. Starts slow, has some country sounding tunes. Still kind of generic. They saved their best until the last track which sounds like an old Rod Stewart song.
Big Star
2/5
Previously rated:
#1 Record (3/5)
********************
Another album from these guys? The lyrics were good, I guess, but they were delivered in a very boring way. Best track: Til the End of the Day
Astrud Gilberto
4/5
So very chill and so very 1960s. I don't know her name, but I have heard her voice before. It sounds like the soundtrack of a '60s psychadelic movie. I like the mood, I like her voice, the Lovin' Spoonful cover with her kid was sweet. I dig this.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Previously rated:
Natty Dread (3/5)
***********************
I'm not sure if I really liked this one more or I was just in a more receptive mood to reggae today, but I had a nice time listening to this one today. I recognized one song, Stir It Up, but I think it was a different version.
Tortoise
3/5
A soundscape sort of thing. I zoned out and forgot it was even playing for a while. Sort of enjoyable when I was paying attention. Whatever, a 3 I guess.
Dagmar Krause
1/5
I got no enjoyment out of this. All I could really get was the WW2 theme. Maybe if they were playing this in musical theater as part of a larger performance, but this with no context, songs ending abruptly, going from hard to understand English to another language, and it's too long. No thank you.
G. Love & Special Sauce
3/5
A jazzy, bluesy rap album with good drums and other stuff. The vocalist sounds like a dickhead though.
Skunk Anansie
3/5
I didn't know anything about the band going in. Starts off not great, noisy and annoying, n-words, and other expletives, then the tone calms down into some decent catchy tunes. Average it out to a 3 I suppose.
Tina Turner
4/5
Dated sounding for sure with the Casio and the '80s drum sound, but also nostalgic for me, though I had only heard 4 of these before. The Al Green and Beatles covers were just OK, Steel Claw was an interesting one going for the hard rock sound, like a Beat It vibe? I enjoyed it, and wouldn't mind hearing it again, so a low 4/5.
Shuggie Otis
2/5
I had never heard of this guy before. His music is so adult contemporary, so light it just floats away into nothingness as if it had never even been there. What it's doing on this list, I'll never know.
Santana
4/5
I really liked the songs with lyrics. The instrumentals were OK. I'm finally going to take the time to look up who Santana's lead singer is...Gregg Rolie. I'm not familiar with the name, but I like his vocals here. The guitar playing is great of course. I will play this one again.
Pink Floyd
3/5
Previously rated:
The Dark Side of the Moon (3/5)
The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (2/5)
Wish You Were Here (3/5)
*****************************************
There was a lot of "oh yeah, I know this song" while listening to this, but not a lot of "oh yeah, I like this song, but it might be the best PF album for me, though I'm not a big fan.
Snoop Dogg
3/5
I thought for sure I reviewed a Snoop Dogg album already. Must have been something he was featured on, I guess. Anyway, as entertaining as this album can be sometimes, it can also be incredibly cringe. I'm thinking Lodi Dodi and Ain't No Fun. I do appreciate that this doesn't take itself too seriously attempting to be intellectual/political, but I won't be listening to it again. Best track: Who Am I (What's My Name)?
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Previously rated:
Are You Experienced (5/5)
Electric Ladyland (4/5)
******************************
Easy 5/5 here. Even filler tracks like She's So Fine go pretty hard. If that intro to Little Miss Lover doesn't pump you up, you are dead inside.
Happy Mondays
3/5
A hybrid rock/dance thing, sort of Clash-like. Probably an album that wouldn't appear in a list like this that wasn't British-centered. Kinky Afro sounded familiar, but it may be just because the "yipee yipee" part sounds just like the "gitchy gitchy" part of Lady Marmalade. Rip off or homage?
Anyway, the singer has this tendency to elongate the last word of a phrase, and that can get annoying. Otherwise, it's a just OK album.
The Lemonheads
4/5
An above average rock album. I don't usually listen to bonus tracks, but I was curious about Mrs. Robinson, and it turned out to be maybe the best track. I might have even heard it before, not sure. I'll give this album another listen in the future. A low 4/5.
Maxwell
3/5
If you are need of some funky R&B sexy time music, this one should get the job done. It peters out near the end, but you’ll probably be asleep by then.
Orange Juice
3/5
Why does he have to sing like that? It kind of messes up the cool, Police-like vibe they have going. Also, the second half drags. Best track: A Million Pleading Faces (different singer I assume).
Lou Reed
3/5
Previously rated:
Transformer (4/5)
********************
I'll begrudgingly give this a 3. I didn't enjoy it all that much, but some of the instrumentation and lyrics are admittedly interesting. I don't really like listening to songs about drug use and wrist cutting though. I probably won't revisit this.
Robert Wyatt
2/5
I did not like this. It was a few days ago, and I don't remember much about it beyond that.
The Sugarcubes
3/5
I've never heard of the Sugarcubes. I was thinking this sounded like a goth B-52's with Bjork on vocals, and what do you know, it is her on vocals! And as much as I liked her singing on this (most of the time), I did not like the male singer. One of the later songs reminded me of Rammstein. Favorite track: Delicious Demon
Tim Buckley
2/5
Previously rated:
Greetings From L.A. (3/5)
*******************************
Sorry, Tim, you're music is a bore. Gypsy Woman could have helped if it was 50% shorter.
Elliott Smith
3/5
Previously rated:
Either Or (2/5)
*******************************
I didn't remember listening to this guy a year and a half ago, but looks like I did. At least I liked this album better. It had a couple of pretty decent songs (Son of Sam and L.A.) and a lot of samey Simon & Garfunkel sounding tunes.
Peter Frampton
4/5
The only Frampton I've ever heard were the three songs from this album they play on classic rock stations. Those are good enough to push the rest of the somewhat average stuff up to a 4/5. I was curious and listened to the studio version of Show Me the Way, and it was definitely lacking compared to what's here.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Previously rated:
At San Quinton (4/5)
American IV: The Man Comes Around (3/5)
**********************************************
Either he repeated some of his shtick on the San Quinton album or I've heard this before. Either way, it's pretty much more of the same. This one I like more because of Jackson and I Got Stripes.
3/5
Listened to the original release 12 songs. Kinda standard hippie rock -- didn't seem all that noteworthy, but still OK. Best track: Street Worm
Fever Ray
2/5
Boring and annoying. I didn't like this much.
Primal Scream
1/5
I thought this was going to be a bad Rolling Stones wanna-be, but then it switched to extremely repetitive spacey party music and back. The first song was half decent, but that’s it. Not the worst 1/5 I’ve given, but still bored me to tears.
The Beta Band
3/5
Spacy computer rock that's kinda just mediocre. The first track Squares was OK and I liked the drum fills in Quiet.
Grant Lee Buffalo
2/5
The best thing I can say about this is that it's competent. Not engaging or exciting. Also did not like the anti-American stuff.
Pavement
2/5
Previously rated:
Slanted And Enchanted (3/5)
*******************************
This band needed TWO entries on this list?! I honestly felt a little queasy by the end of this. Everything being out of tune for 42 minutes can do that, I guess. Best track: 5-4=Unity because it's a little jazzy and doesn't feature the "quirky" off-key singer.
The Teardrop Explodes
4/5
Another day, another BritPop band I've never heard of. Throw enough of them at me and I'm bound to like some, right? Well, yeah, in this case I did kind of like it. This one seems to have pre-dated the Smiths, but that's what it reminded me of. Not amazing, but I'll give it another go one day and include the bonus tracks.
Brian Wilson
3/5
Reviewing this the day after Brian Wilson's death. I didn't know anything about this album, really, except that it took a long time for him to finish it. It's very experimental, with random sounds, some goofy like slide whistles and birds chirping. And laudable attempts at doing harmonies and the old bop-bop Beach Boys-like stuff with his more limited and kind of flat vocals. The remake of Good Vibrations was pretty good and saves this album from a 2/5.
Aphex Twin
3/5
Yeah, that was sure some electronic ambient music. Am I supposed to feel anything but indifference to it?
Butthole Surfers
4/5
I listened to this whole thing thinking I had heard one of their albums earlier on the list, just now finding out it was Circle Jerks! OK, then this is my first time hearing this band. I was mistaken expecting this to be hardcore punk. I wish I didn't wait two days to write the review because I've forgotten most of it, but at least I remember I decided on a 4/5, and I will listen again.
Soft Machine
3/5
Jazz rock. Some cool stuff here, but also a lot of nonsense. Super long intros, repetition, and then an extra several minutes of stuff after you think the song is over. This could have been edited down to a pretty cool single 42 minute album that I would have added to my playlist. Best track: Moon in June (the one that had some lyrics).
Pixies
4/5
Previously rated:
Surfer Rosa (4/5)
*******************
Surfer Rosa was over 500 albums ago, so I'm not sure which I liked more. This one has Wave of Mutilation and Here Comes Your Man, some good catchy numbers, but also some overly noisy stuff.
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
One of the most unique sounding rock bands in history. Three big hits are on this album (Turn to Stone, Sweet Talkin' Woman, Mr. Blue Sky), all good ones, and some not very memorable filler on a long album. Best track I hadn't heard before: Steppin' Out (I think that was the one). I might explore some of their other stuff later.
The Coral
5/5
Yes! It's not often I give out a 5/5 to a band I've never heard of. This one starts off sounding like Aerosmith, then goes off into several different musical directions including surf rock, Sublime-sounding stuff, weirdness on Skeleton Key. I love the variety. I only listened to the original release, so I have a whole other disc 2 on the remaster to look forward to. Oh, and it turns out I did know one of their songs (Dreaming of You), it was in the game Lego Rock Band.
Slayer
3/5
This is the first time listening to a Slayer album. The whole Satanic image they had was always a turn off, and the way the vocalist delivers the lyrics does not improve that. The music itself is good stuff, especially Raining Blood with its hooks. The other songs pale in comparison in my opinion.
Miriam Makeba
3/5
At least she has a nice singing voice. The music didn't do a whole lot for me. There must be a story behind the laughing man in One More Dance. It seems kind of dark.
Robert Wyatt
2/5
Previously rated:
Shleep (2/5)
***********************
More nonsense from this guy.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
Reminded me of Neil Diamond and Leonard Cohen. It's theatrical and sometimes silly (If you were a horse I'd clean the crap out of your stable.) Not really my style of music, but it's OK.
Björk
1/5
Previously rated:
Vespertine (2/5)
Vulnicura (1/5)
********************
I liked her singing in The Sugarcubes, but I wasn't a fan of her solo work before hearing this. And my opinion hasn't changed after hearing it. What a load of crap from one of the biggest enemies of good music. So many unpleasant mouth sounds, spitting into the microphone, moaning, groaning (see Ancestors). Sod off, Björk.
Doves
2/5
Previously rated:
The Last Broadcast (2/5)
****************************
I completely forgot I had heard this band before, 800 albums ago. They both ended up with the same rating, though, so my opinion hasn't changed.
This is some boring-ass rock music. When Catch the Sun started playing, I thought it was an ad at first because of how different it sounded from the rest of the album. It sounds like a generic Foo Fighters song, but it’s still the standout track. The rest of the album is almost Radiohead level bad.
Hanoi Rocks
4/5
I always wondered what these guys sounded like. I expected more of a glam metal sound, like Motley Crue, but it's closer to Mott the Hoople or the Clash. Has horns and harmonica. Title track sounds has the Mony Mony...riff (is that would you'd call it?) I liked the album OK, but it's no Shout at the Devil, which came out the same year.
I don't know if Shout at the Devil or Metal Health are on this list, but they should be, especially considering this one is here.
Eels
2/5
Grungy and depressing. In Flower, the guy complains about people trying to bum him out. Well, he is bumming *me* out with his singing style. So monotone and laid back, you'd think he just didn't care about the vocals. It weighs the album down heavily.
Air
3/5
Previously rated:
Virgin Suicides (3/5)
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The music on this album was…it just was. Best: You Make it Easy. Worst: Sexy Boy
Guns N' Roses
5/5
I've listened to this album many times, and have heard the singles (and even tracks that weren't released as singles) many more times on the radio. So it was easy to listen to as everything was so familiar. Because of that, it doesn't quite hit the same as it used to, but that's no fault of the music. It's still an amazing album. Favorite track nowadays: Mr. Brownstone. The last couple of minutes of Paradise City still rocks pretty hard too.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Previously rated:
Unhalfbricking (3/5)
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More folk rock with a Grace Slick sounding vocalist. It's nice sounding for a while, but it does get tiring with all the "the sky it did spin" and "her lover's heart it did pound" stuff.
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
The Boy's singing is boring. At best, he's a watered down George Harrison. The music is interesting and varied at least, but nothing too exciting here.
James Brown
3/5
I will say one thing about James Brown. He put 100% into his performances, so he gets some points just for effort. The music is not really my style. I prefer the Otis Redding style soul, but it's decent enough. He likes to repeat phrases over and over again. And in this live performance, he too often is hard to hear from being far away from the microphone. The audience is definitely into it though.
Elvis Costello
4/5
Previously rated:
Armed Forces (3/5)
My Aim Is True (4/5)
Imperial Bedroom (2/5)
This Year's Model (4/5)
Blood And Chocolate (3/5)
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My sixth Elvis Costello so far. This is one of the better ones. Best: 13 Steps Lead Down. Worst: Favourite Hour.
The La's
3/5
At different times sounding like REM, Smashmouth, and the Kinks. Not amazing, but There She Goes is the standout track, though I’m familiar with a different version.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
5/5
What a debut album! Not only does it have the amazing 1-2-3 punch of Tuesday's Gone, Gimme Three Steps, and Simple Man, it ends with one of the most iconic rock songs of all time, Free Bird. And the rest of the album is in no way bad either. How could this not get 5/5?
Buzzcocks
4/5
I was hoping this would have one of the two songs of theirs I really like, Ever Fallen in Love or What Do I Get. Not that the songs here are bad, I quite like this type of music. Even the singer's annoying voice doesn't annoy me too much. It's just missing that one big punch. I will listen to it again though. I can see it growing on me more.
Cowboy Junkies
3/5
Nice sounding, woman-led, alt-country(?). Vocals like Sarah McLachlan or K.D. Lang maybe? Nothing really wrong with this, it's just too much of the same thing -- slow soulful heartbreak stuff. I wish it could have been broken up with a few upbeat tunes.
4/5
I knew only Uncontrollable Urge going in. Kind of punk, a little funk, and weirdness. I'm guessing they were influenced by The Talking Heads? I kinda dig it, but it's good that it is short because I could see it wearing out its welcome with more songs. I won't mention that one song that isn't on the album.
Thin Lizzy
5/5
I knew three Thin Lizzy songs going in (Jailbreak, Boys Are Back, and Cowboy Song), and I was pretty sure I'd like the album, and I did! Love the guitar harmonies especially. This one is up there with Deep Purple and Kiss as far as live albums go. On first listen, I think Emerald and Don't Believe a Word were the standout new-to-me tracks.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Previously rated:
Highway 61 Revisited (4/5)
Blood on the Tracks (4/5)
Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert) (4/5)
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (4/5)
****************************************************
Another day, another 4/5 Bob Dylan album. It kind of peters out at the end, and he really overdoes it with his elongated word shtick. I might have given it a 3 if it weren't for the strong tracks Rainy Day Women, Visions of Johanna, Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat, and Just Like a Woman.
The Byrds
3/5
Previously rated:
Fifth Dimension (3/5)
The Notorious Byrd Brothers (3/5)
Younger Than Yesterday (3/5)
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Second time hearing this hippie country album. I think I liked it more the second time, and might be the best Byrds album so far, but still falls a bit short from wanting to listen again.
Violent Femmes
3/5
Well, there is Blister in the Sun which is pretty good and catchy, but the rest is mediocre until Ugly (bonus track, so it doesn't really count). At least now I know this isn't a girl group.
Prince
3/5
Previously rated:
Purple Rain (4/5)
1999 (3/5)
*********************
I've heard the album once before, plus Apple Music likes to push tracks from it. It's usually hailed as a masterpiece, but I don't get it. It sounds mediocre and very dated to me. It's less horny and more religious than the other two I've rated, but still kind of uncomfortable to listen to. The repetitive beats and his vocal fry get on my nerves. U Got The Look is admittedly good thanks to the ladies. I'm not sure I want to know what Starfish And Coffee is about. All in all, I'm giving this barely a 3/5 and the lesser of the three Prince albums I've gotten.
Lambchop
2/5
Sounded kind of like Disney orchestral music with a deep voiced Jiminy Cricket singing, and also had the worst falsetto I've ever heard. I did not enjoy.
LTJ Bukem
2/5
Album #840 and to my knowledge it's the first one I did not listen to in its entirety. The version on Apple Music had the same album cover, but totally different tracks than what Wikipedia says. YouTube had bits and pieces, but copyrights prevented me from finding all the songs. Just a major pain in the ass to cobble together the original album, not to mention the different versions and mixes there were out there.
Anyway, I listened to about 90 minutes of something resembling this album and I wasn't impressed at all. Most of the tracks were obnoxiously long and repetitive. How many times can you do the Funky Drummer drum break as your entire song?!
If they were going to cheat and put a compilation album with different artists on here, you'd think it would be better than this. Let me make a suggestion on what to replace it with. How about "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D?
The White Stripes
4/5
Previously rated:
Get Behind Me Satan (4/5)
White Blood Cells (4/5)
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Another solid one here. Even the lesser songs are interesting in some way. Strong guitar and drum work. Best track: Black Math
Drive-By Truckers
3/5
There are some decent rockin' tunes here as well as some unnecessary history lessons on Alabama, lots of mentions of Ronnie Van Zandt and Lynyrd Skynyrd, and they definitely want you to know they are not racist like the other Southerners.
It sounded like they had at least two different guys doing lead vocals. One of them sounded like he was doing an exaggerated raspy Bruce Springsteen or Bryan Adams impression. Really rough at times.
With not nearly enough content to fill the 90 minutes, I can't give it more than 3/5.
Bauhaus
2/5
I just had Devo 10 albums ago. That was the first comparison that popped into my head listening to this, but this is gloomier. It's worse in most every way, but I know they need to squeeze every English band ever into this list.
I was going to be generous and give it a mediocre 3/5, but the last track Mask was dreadful. (I didn't listen to any of the bonus tracks, just the original release.)
Genesis
3/5
Previously rated:
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (3/5)
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The previous Genesis was 237 albums ago, so I don't remember it well enough to directly compare.
There is some good stuff here and there, but also a lot of prog nonsense like flutes, falsetto, and rolling Rs. Best track: I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Previously rated:
Harvest (2/5)
After the Gold Rush (3/5)
Tonight's the Night (3/5)
Ragged Glory (3/5)
On The Beach (3/5)
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I’d say this one is a bit above average. I guess his voice was still in its tolerable stage. Starts off with a couple of short but enjoyable songs before it gets into murdering his girl. Not everything is great, it gets boring at times, but I’ll add this to the “listen again” list.
Tito Puente
3/5
Fun music, but I don't need more of it.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Previously rated:
Innervisions (4/5)
Songs in the Key of Life (4/5)
Fulfillingness' First Finale (3/5)
************************************
You Are The Sunshine of My Life and Superstition are enough to recommend this album, but there is some other good stuff here. Did Michael Jackson steal the "Hee-hee" stuff from Maybe Your Baby?
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
Previously rated:
Harvest (2/5)
After the Gold Rush (3/5)
Tonight's the Night (3/5)
Ragged Glory (3/5)
On The Beach (3/5)
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (4/5)
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I just had Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere three albums ago. I didn't really want another Neil Young so soon, but random is random.
At some point between that album and this one, Neil developed that awful whiny, nasally singing voice that I can't stand. That ruins anything good that might be here, like the last track Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) which almost sounds metal.
I think this is one they could have definitely left off the list. That's seven albums from this guy (not counting any CSNY). We are done with him now, right?
Ray Charles
4/5
Lovely songs, and Ray Charles has a beautiful, soulful voice, but I wouldn't in any way categorize this music as country and western. I guess he modernized it by removing the twang, fiddle, steel guitar, banjo, etc. and replaced it with lush orchestral sounds and angelic backup singers?
I wasn't sure if this entry was supposed to be for both volumes or just the first, but I liked it enough to listen to both. Those cheesy backup vocals are a bit much sometimes, especially on the second volume, maybe because "I Can't Stop Loving You" was so popular? Speaking of that song, it always reminds me of the climactic scene in the Metropolis anime (2001) (which I highly recommend).
The Prodigy
3/5
Previously rated:
The Fat Of The Land (3/5)
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More music to MORTAL KOMBAT to. There's a song called Break & Enter where the crash cymbal is replaced by glass breaking, and it gets repetitive, as does some other stuff here. And it's long.
Best track: Probably 3 Kilos, it has kind of a retro sound to it.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
Previously rated:
A Short Album About Love (3/5)
************************************
I got the previous album about a month ago. It wasn't really my style of music. Let's see how it compares to this one.
I liked it better than A Short Album About Love, but this is theater kid music, and it’s hard to get into outside of that setting, sometimes even in that setting.
Best track: Frog Princess. I don’t know why.
Method Man
3/5
It’s been a while since I had a rap album, so I guess I was due. Eh, it could have been worse. If I was a teen when this came out, I might have been into it, but I don’t really relate to it as a middle-aged man. Best track: Methodman (remix), though I don’t see credit given to Hall & Oates.
Dolly Parton
4/5
Previously rated:
Trio (3/5)
*********************
First her momma makes her wear a crappy coat, then she immediately turns around and steals her boyfriend!? Poor Dolly. At least she made a pretty good record out of it. Best track: Traveling Man
ABBA
4/5
Previously rated:
The Visitors (4/5)
*********************
Super 70s cheese here. Just look at some of the song titles (When I Kissed the Teacher, Dum Dum Diddle). But the songs are so catchy and it includes probably my favorite guilty pleasure song of all time, Dancing Queen. This could even be a 5/5 when I listen again.
Favorite track (besides DQ): Tiger
The Fall
2/5
Previously rated:
This Nation’s Saving Grace (2/5)
************************************
I didn't remember listening to their other album on this list, but this one is going to end up with the same score. It is simply just unpleasant to listen to, especially the British I-don't-give-a-shit vocals. The best track, Industrial Estate, was unfortunately also the shortest. I don't recommend the album or the band.
Hot Chip
3/5
Pretty OK music here. I liked the retro feel of some of the songs, and the singer has a Paul McCartney quality to his voice. Best track: Now There is Nothing
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Previously rated:
Ocean Rain (3/5)
Crocodiles (4/5)
*********************
This album would be better in smaller doses. I liked the first couple of tracks, but the singer's echoey droning got tiresome and the songs started sounding the same. Best track: The Cutter
Suicide
1/5
Load of crap. Sh-sh-sh beat on every single song. Horribly depressing lyrics. Just an all out abomination. On the plus side, it’s only 32 minutes. Of pure Hell.
Bonnie Raitt
3/5
A nice enough sounding album, full of love songs mostly. It has its share of cheesy late 80s pop sounds. Average album.
The Go-Betweens
3/5
Sort of a low-key, melancholy U2. I wouldn't call it bad, but there isn't much here to get excited about. Best track: The one where the girl is singing.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Previously rated:
Actually (3/5)
**********************
You're inviting the jokes when you start your album with a song with "Boring" in the title and the actual music is boring too. It picks up a little with "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" and "So Hard" was OK. It's a pop album that is trying to sound sophisticated, but that doesn't make it good. Just slightly above a 2/5.
3/5
Old school country about drinkin', cheatin', love, and heartbreak. All the songs are about two minutes long, so they don't feel very substantial. Just a collection of songs, and they chose the best one to make the title of the album. Great voice, but standard stuff otherwise.
John Lennon
3/5
Previously rated:
Imagine (3/5)
********************
Some deeply personal stuff here from Lennon. I didn't really connect with it that much. His vocals here really lack something without Paul and George's harmony, and I didn't care for his phlegmy screaming. I thought he said "I don't believe in cinnamon" on the song God, but he actually said Zimmerman, which probably made sense at the time, but 55 years later, I have no idea who he's talking about. Did someone say "cookie" during Hold On?
Emmylou Harris
2/5
Previously rated:
Trio (w/Dolly Parton & Linda Ronstadt) (3/5)
Pieces Of The Sky (3/5)
***********************************************
In the past few days I have gotten Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, and Bonnie Raitt, so the RNG gods are favoring female country singers at the moment. These albums always seem to fall into the take-it-or-leave-it 3/5 category for me. How about this one?
Well...this is pretty far removed from any of these other albums. If it was just a random female singer, would you even call this Country? I wouldn't. I also wouldn't call it good. Very boring sad "chick music."
The Roots
3/5
Before listening, looking at album cover: Black face, black panther, Rosa Parks, a lynching, KKK, raised fists, etc. Oh boy, a socially conscious rap album. Can't wait.
Well, the music didn’t match the cover art very much at all. That was a relief. There was quite a decent variety here — not all of it was good, but I actually enjoyed some of it.
The Byrds
4/5
Fifth Dimension (3/5)
Younger Than Yesterday (3/5)
The Notorious Byrd Brothers (3/5)
Sweetheart of the Rodeo (3/5)
**************************************
Their first and most Beatles-sounding album, and that's probably why I liked it more than the others. The title track is a classic, and the best one here. Not much else to say about it.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
I wonder who they love more, their mothers, Stevie Wonder, or Jesus?
I'm giving this a 3/5, but it's bad. It extremely dated sounding and has the cringiest of lyrics (that Stevie Wonder song (shudder)). But it's also kind of entertaining with the R&B/Disco/early rap combo that didn't last very long. It's a time capsule that's worth opening every twenty years or so.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
I listened to "Second Edition," which is what was available on Apple Music. It appears to be basically the same thing but different song order. I was not familiar with this band at all.
I just have no patience for this shit. Awful, unpleasant vocals, out of tune guitars, the inane repetition. It's all too much for me to take. There was one decent track, Socialist, which had no vocals or guitar. Bleck!
Donovan
2/5
A couple of decent songs (title track and Season of the Witch) and a whole bunch of hippie-dippy nonsense. I figured this was the result of visiting India with the Beatles, but nope it was before all that.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Previously rated:
Better Living Through Chemistry (2/5)
*******************************************
Because we really needed another album from this guy. I suppose we had to squeeze the funk soul brother in here somewhere. I could certainly have done without "In Heaven," which I'd certainly skip if I heard this album again. The repetition is here definitely, but wasn't as annoying as the other album, so I liked this one a bit better. +1 star
Ryan Adams
2/5
Previously rated:
Gold (3/5)
*********************
Edit: I didn't remember listening to his other album.
I feel like I was a victim of bait and switch with this one. The first couple of tracks were promising even though it's country, then the wheels fall off and it becomes minimalist and boring as shit.
The Undertones
4/5
Basic and somewhat simplistic punk rock, but fun. A low 4, but I’ll listen to this again.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
2/5
There were four songs from this missing from Apple Music, so I had to listen to those on YouTube.
I don't know what’s worse, rap with filthy, explicit lyrics or this kind of pretentious lefty political lecture rap? In the song Music and Politics, he actually says he suffers from the *worst* type of loneliness, the loneliness of being misunderstood. Jesus, that’s some uber-douche Kanye West shit. You can just tell from his lyrics that he grew up in a well-to-do family and feels guilty about it. But then in the same song he said he pooped in a dog dish. His style is a clear Public Enemy rip-off, but missing the bombast, the hype man, and the realism. His singing sucks, so those songs that have a sung chorus in them are really awkward, like California Uber Alles.
I wonder if this album really had a lasting impact, considering how tiny the Wikipedia page for it is. It came out when I was a senior in high school and still listening to rap music, but I never heard of it.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Previously rated:
Dusty In Memphis (4/5)
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I didn't expect a second Dusty Springfield here, but I'm OK with it. The songs here are good, though many are covers. It sounded like she wasn't 100% comfortable with her voice yet, with some of the soulful affectation sounding a bit forced and awkward. Next time I I hear this album I will listen to all the bonus tracks. Best song: Wishin' and Hopin'
Michael Jackson
5/5
Previously rated:
Thriller (5/5)
Bad (5/5)
******************
This album rivals Thriller, but I think it falls just short of its greatness, mainly because of a couple of filler songs on side 2, but it also has my favorite MJ song of all time, Off the Wall. I didn't know Paul McCartney wrote Girlfriend!
Björk
3/5
Previously rated:
Vespertine (2/5)
Vulnicura (1/5)
Medúlla (1/5)
*********************
OK, she looks cute on this album cover, but oh do I dread listening to yet another of her albums. Here we go...
Despite her weird vocal style, this is actually not half bad. Good beats and unique sounding instrumental sounds. This is her best by far. She just got weirder and less listenable as she went on I guess.
Marilyn Manson
2/5
The only song I knew by Marilyn Manson going in was Beautiful People. I didn't care for it, and I didn't care for his whole creepy aesthetic. I also don't care for nu-metal or industrial metal, whatever genre this is. All the noises, effects, screaming - it's just too much. There were a couple of good guitar riffs and some good drumming in the album, but not nearly good enough to overcome over and hour of the things I don't like about this kind of music. I'm not rating based on his personal life like I'm sure many people like to do.
Best track: Wormboy, just because it sounded the most Alice Cooper-like to me.
Q-Tip
3/5
2008 rap album that was better than I was expecting. It was fine. I didn't know half the people he was name-dropping on Life Is Better, so even though I'm 80%+ through this list, I still don't know a lot about hip-hop (even though there's plenty on this list).
The Last Shadow Puppets
4/5
A 1,001 albums surprise! This sounds like a mix of 1960s and modern. I liked it, and I will listen again one day.
Dizzee Rascal
1/5
One of the most obnoxious things I’ve ever heard. British rap is already annoying, but this guy takes it to a whole new level.
Best track: "Fix Up, Look Sharp" because I liked the Billy Squier sampling.
Morrissey
3/5
Previously rated:
Your Arsenal (3/5)
Vauxhall And I (2/5)
You Are The Quarry (3/5)
*****************************
Boring, but pleasant. Or pleasantly boring. Look, that's the fourth album from this guy and three from The Smiths. I'm good on this guy now.
Best track: I Don't Mind If You Forget Me
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
2/5
Another British band I've never heard of. Another British vocalist who sounds like he couldn't be bothered to put in any effort. Many sounds made by a computer. They save all their energy for the final, title track, but it's too little, too late for me. Summary: Radiohead level boring.
Slint
2/5
Some instrumental noodling around with occasional spoken word poetry or some kind of story I didn't understand nor care about. Eventually they get off their asses and a cacophony of sound hits in one of the last two tracks. "Utica Quarry, Nighttime" was listed as a digital bonus track. I wasn't about to waste another 15+ minutes on an optional assignment I wasn't enjoying.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Previously rated:
Peter Gabriel 3 (4/5)
Peter Gabriel (4/5)
************************
Looks like I found his previous two albums interesting enough to earn a future re-listen. What about this one?
This one has the big hits, but outside of those, I didn't like a lot here. It was very slow and forgettable. Except for that one with Kate Bush, Don't Give Up. That was just bad. I feel 1986 was when pop music just started going south, and over-produced stuff like this was part of the reason.
Best track: Sledgehammer - The music video for this is still very enjoyable.
Paul Simon
4/5
Previously rated:
Hearts And Bones (3/5)
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A very average album to my ears, but a couple of songs bump it up to 4/5. Mother and Child Reunion and especially Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard give it a big boost.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Previously rated:
Murder Ballads (3/5)
Ghosteen (1/5)
The Boatman's Call (2/5)
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The first disc wasn’t too bad, maybe I’d even rate it 4/5 on its own. Then we had to have another 40 minutes, and that was just too much. It was well produced but reminded me of Neil Diamond music.
Fiona Apple
3/5
Previously rated:
Tidal (2/5)
***********************
An album from 2020? That makes it the 2nd newest one on here (that I've gotten) after the horrendous Heaux Tales of 2021. Thankfully, this is much better than that crap. I even prefer it to Tidal. What I didn't like were the dolphin noises and when her voice sounds like a rough Stevie Nicks, or when she tries to be Lorde. The best thing about it is the production.
Best track: Fetch The Bolt Cutters
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
4/5
Well that was quite unique, wasn’t it? Just the thing for a list like this. Hard rock, blues, theater, doo-wop all on the same record. At different times, the singer sounds like Robert Plant, Bon Scott, Billy Squier, and Noddy Holder. It’s a shame one song had to be called “Gang Bang.”
The Velvet Underground
2/5
Previously rated:
The Velvet Underground & Nico (3/5)
The Velvet Underground (3/5)
*******************************************
Utter nonsense. Terrible and amateurish production all around. The Gift was a long talky story over instrumental noodling. I couldn't decipher most of the words, so it a waste of time. And of course the final track, Sister Ray. 17 and a half minutes of stupid crap and boredom.
Lou Reed can go suck on a Ding-Dong.
Kate Bush
2/5
Previously rated:
The Dreaming (2/5)
The Sensual World (2/5)
***************************
I was going to say sorry to Ms. Bush here, but it seems I already did that in the previous review, so I'll just say this may be the best of the three I've heard, but overall I didn't care for it. It starts off decent enough with some poppy mid-80s sounds. Then it gets weird, artsy, and experimental, which I generally don't care for in music.
The Cardigans
4/5
I didn't immediately recognize the band name, but after a couple of tracks, I recognized the singer as the "love me, love me" singer (didn't know the song was called Lovefool). You know, this is a pretty solid pop album. Maybe Lovefool got overplayed back in the day, but it's a well-constructed and very catchy song. The stuff afterwards wasn't as good, though the cover of Iron Man was certainly interesting. And the last track, Choke, had a riff that to my ears sounded like it was taken from Iron Man as well.
Best track: Yeah, probably Lovefool
The Charlatans
3/5
I was immediately turned off by the whiny, nasally, Oasis-like vocals, but I got used to them. I listened to this yesterday, and I remember a Bob Dylan sounding song with harmonica and organ, and there were a couple of instruments, but not that memorable otherwise.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
Pleasant enough pop album. Nothing amazing.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Previously rated:
The Beach Boys Today! (4/5)
Pet Sounds (4/5)
*********************************
I don't think I've heard a single track on this album before. Some of the lyrics here are a bit too on the nose for me, and associating the Kent State shootings with what was originally a comedy song ("Riot in Cell Block No. 9") was kind of strange. However, I think it deserves another listen because there are some interesting things going on here. It doesn't have the standout tracks that Pet Sounds has, but a lot of what's here beats the filler tracks on that album.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
4/5
Mostly instrumental rock, but pretty good instrumental rock. Why didn't they do "What Do You Love" or "Why Do You Love?"
The Thrills
3/5
I really wanted to like this more. The music is fine, but the lead singer sounded like a breathy, wimpy Neil Young. Not a fan of that. Actually by the end, I realized he sounded like The Flaming Lips’ singer more. I like The Flaming Lips more.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Previously rated:
Songs Of Love And Hate (2/5)
Songs Of Leonard Cohen (2/5)
I'm Your Man (3/5)
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I groaned when I saw Cohen come up today. Wow, this guy sure can recite poetry in a deep voice again and again.
Best track: You Want it Darker
Scissor Sisters
3/5
Silly me for thinking Scissor Sisters was going to be a lesbian rock band. The music is kind of polished retro. There's a song that sounds a lot like Elton John, and then they do a Bee Gee's style cover of Comfortably Numb. It was OK. Best track: Take Your Mama
Wu-Tang Clan
2/5
Today was not the day to listen to violence glorifying music. There was some really sick stuff in here, the torture descriptions in "Method Man" come to mind. The music was really nothing special either, but they found their gimmick.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
Authentic country/bluegrass. It's quite OK.
Gillian Welch
3/5
I've never heard of Gillian Welch. She has a pretty voice, and the whole album is pleasant. Almost all slow songs though, so I don't plan on listening again. Best song: Revelator
Tim Buckley
1/5
Previously rated:
Greetings From L.A. (3/5)
Happy Sad (2/5)
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The first half is lame hippie folk rock, and I was leaning towards a 2/5, then the second half was just lamer hippie folk with no rock.
Haircut 100
4/5
I have heard of this band only because of a random reference in MST3K: Mitchell. Yet another early British 80s band that reminds me of Duran Duran. Fun, upbeat with horns gives the music a ska feel. It's good, I'll give it another listen someday.
Anthrax
5/5
My favorite thrash metal album from my favorite thrash metal band! I hadn't listened to this in years, but it was all still fresh in my head from the many times I played the cassette when I was a teenager.
It's difficult to be objective here. I just think the whole album is amazing. If I were going to nitpick, some of the lyrics are a bit cheesy and over-earnest, especially when they are dealing with social issues. I prefer the fictional story driven lyrics like the title track, I Am the Law, and a Skeleton in the Closet, but really the music is top-notch throughout the entire thing. It's the perfect blend of clean vocals with some shouty choruses, and melodic instrumentation. I love it, and after I'm finished with this challenge, I plan on revisiting all the Anthrax albums I've heard before, and some that I haven't.
Tom Tom Club
3/5
I've never heard of Tom Tom Club, but I Genius of Love sure did sound familiar. I'm not sure how to describe the album as a whole. There's a bit of not great rap, some Bananarama-type pop, and a bad cover of Under the Boardwalk. Why did she have to change "my baby" to "my boyfriend" anyway? I liked the song Lorelei, though. All in all, an average 3/5.
Fats Domino
4/5
Simple rhythm and blues comfort music. It's got Blueberry Hill.
Talking Heads
4/5
Previously rated:
Remain In Light (2/5)
Talking Heads 77 (4/5)
Fear Of Music (4/5)
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I've never heard of this album. I groaned when it came up. Ugh, did we need another Talking Heads album? Then I looked at my previous ratings. I guess I liked them more than I remembered (well, two of the three albums at least).
I zoned out a bit listening to this, but what I heard was enjoyable enough, just interesting enough to want to hear it again.
Sepultura
1/5
Previously rated:
Arise (3/5)
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Anything good on this one was ruined by the edgy, angry, vomit vocals. So uncomfortable to listen to. We finally get a reprieve from that on the last 13:17 long track, and it's just gunshots and scrubbing pots and pans. At least that's what it sounded like. Just unpleasant sounds all around on this thing.
I'm rather surprised to see I gave their other album a 3/5. I guess the vocals didn't bother me as much on that one.
Killing Joke
3/5
Ah, an English rock band, just what we needed more of on this list. And a fairly mediocre one. I listened to it yesterday and now I don't remember much except that most of the songs were very repetitive. They found a riff and played it ad nauseum throughout the entire song.
George Harrison
3/5
George Harrison's Beatles stuff was hit-and-miss for me. Some great (Here Comes the Sun and While My Guitar Gently Weeps) and some pretty bad (You Like Me Too Much and The Inner Light). Here, he gets to show off what he can do outside of the Beatles' restraints, and maybe he shows off a bit too much, turning what could have been a very solid single or even double album and turns out three discs with a lot of bloat.
I figured he'd still be doing some Indian-inspired stuff on this, but I don't remember hearing any. There's a lot of rock 'n' roll, slide guitar, and country-ish stuff. Good: Wah-Wah, What Is Life, All Things Must Pass, Art of Dying. The Apple Jam stuff was fine I guess; it just seemed unnecessary.
The Stooges
3/5
Previously rated:
The Stooges (2/5)
Raw Power (4/5)
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I didn't care for their first album, especially that "We Will Fall" track. Bleck. But I did like their third album quite a bit. This one is their second album. Which will it be more like?
Better than the first, but still has that one track that drags it down, L.A. Blues. It's just a noise-fest. The rest is decent stuff, just not as good as Raw Power. The list did not need three Stooges albums.
Korn
1/5
My first child was still a baby when this was released. I was past the angsty teen stage of my life. I did not like the way nu-metal sounded, so I never bothered listening to any Korn music. This was all new to me. It started off decent enough before it descended into edgy, angry, juvenile, explicit, screamy, growling, garbage. And it was over an hour long.
Also they diss Winger. I will not stand for that.
Brian Eno
3/5
Previously rated (Brian Eno):
Before And After Science (3/5)
Another Green World (3/5)
Here Come The Warm Jets (4/5)
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What am I to feel when listening to this? There were sounds made, some were interesting, but not *that* interesting that I needed to hear it before I die. What did David Byrne contribute?
Not bad, but very forgettable.
Dennis Wilson
3/5
A very 70s sounding album with a bit of experimentation. I don't think this would be terribly notable if it wasn't a Beach Boy or if he hadn't died young. But it was OK.
Waylon Jennings
3/5
Good ol' classic country. About what you'd expect. I don't love or hate country, so average score from me.
Grateful Dead
4/5
Previously rated:
Live / Dead (3/5)
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I don't recall if I've heard the full album before, but I'm very familiar with Sugar Magnolia and Truckin' from playing them to death on the game Rock Band. And some other songs sounded familiar because of the final episode of Freaks and Geeks. It was slow and boring in places, like Attics of My Life, but above average as a whole. My favorite track is still Sugar Magnolia, but I liked Box of Rain and Ripple. I will put this on the "to play again" list.
Richard Hawley
3/5
Kind of strange I couldn't pin down the genre of this. Apple Music just says "Pop." It was definitely a throwback sounding album, almost Elvis or Everly Brothers sounding with a big production. Country elements too. It was decent. The last two tracks bogged it down though.
Billy Joel
5/5
I was expecting some Billy Joel on this list, and after 917 albums, I finally get one. I think this is the one Billy Joel album I've heard before, and it's pretty great. He's an underrated singer, and this is a pleasant listen-to-anytime album. Best track: Movin' Out
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
4/5
All new to me. Very bluesy. Cool drum so in What'd I say. Pretty good.
Deerhunter
3/5
I wasn't enjoying the first half much at all. Too dreamy and echoey. Some songs sounded like demos or early takes. Then a couple of the songs near the end were OK and different, and bump it up to a mediocre rating, a low 3/5.
Stan Getz
3/5
Sounds like playing Animal Crossing with some horns laid on top. Pleasant.
3/5
Previously rated:
Blur (3/5)
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About as average a British rock album as you can get.
Faust
2/5
That first 12 minute track was mind-numbing, then there were some other experimental tracks, then the one good song, Giggy Smile that might get stuck in my head, then one with a long silent stretch, then another one and it ended.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Previously rated:
E.V.O.L. (1/5)
Goo (4/5)
Dirty (3/5)
********************
I have to admit, before listening, I was already not looking forward to this, a fourth freaking album from this band when several other deserving bands/artists haven't had a single album yet (924 albums in), and that may be reflected in the rating. It's art rock, something I just don't connect with very well. I just don't have much more to say than that. Better than E.V.O.L., worse than Goo. I recognized Paul Stanley's "I know" repeated in the last track, "Master Dik." If I knew it was a bonus track, I wouldn't have bothered. I'd rather listen to any Kiss album.
Underworld
3/5
I feel like I've heard all these sounds before, just in slightly different configurations. I zoned out at certain points, but I guess it was OK.
Erykah Badu
4/5
Pleasantly surprised with this one. I was afraid it was going to be infused with crappy hip-hop, and it really wasn't. Sounded influenced by 60s and 70s R&B. Reminded me of the Amy Winehouse album Frank on this list, though it was three years after this. She's got a great voice and the production was excellent. There were a couple of tracks I really didn't like (Booty being one, ugh those lyrics) and it went on too long
Turbonegro
4/5
I'm really torn on this. On one hand, it's a style of music I really like, sort of a punk hair metal band, but on the other hand, a lot of the lyrics are stupid and juvenile. But Prince of the Rodeo kicks ass, so I'll bump it up to a very low 4.
Tom Waits
4/5
Previously rated:
Nighthawks At The Diner (4/5)
Bone Machine (3/5)
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There's some really unique sounding stuff here. You get used to his super-raspy singing. I didn't know he wrote Downtown Train. It's quite a bit different than Rod Stewart's version. I like it.
Michael Kiwanuka
2/5
Started off great. You Ain’t the Problem sounded unique and the production had an interesting sound. But after that, it started to become really, really dull and boring — a chore to finish.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Previously rated:
The Rolling Stones (4/5)
Beggars Banquet (5/5)
Let it Bleed (5/5)
Aftermath (4/5)
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Not their best, but has some great tunes. Wild Horses, Brown Sugar, Can’t You Hear Me Knocking, and Dead Flowers. Other tracks kind of slow the album down too much.
The Doors
5/5
Previously rated:
The Doors (5/5)
L.A. Woman (5/5)
**********************
An album with no bad tracks. Favorite track: Peace Frog
Taylor Swift
3/5
Previously rated:
#256 - 1989 (3/5)
********************
Album #932
I figured 1989 was on here as sort of an obligation because of how massively popular Taylor Swift is. But here is another one, and it’s fairly recent (5 years ago).
This one is more lowkey, subdued pop than 1989. Eh, it's totally fine, OK stuff. Not annoying like more recent stuff I've heard of hers.
PJ Harvey
2/5
Previously rated:
#517 - Dry (3/5)
#608 - Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea (3/5)
#716 - Rid Of Me (2/5)
***************************
Album #933
This one may be a bit better than Rid of Me, but I'm still not a fan of her style. Four albums on this list is more than she deserves.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Previously rated:
#36 - The Rolling Stones (4/5)
#201 - Beggars Banquet (5/5)
#567 - Let it Bleed (5/5)
#665 - Aftermath (4/5)
#930 - Sticky Fingers (4/5)
**********************************
Album #934
I just heard Sticky Fingers a few days ago. I think I liked this one about equally. They are masters of the blues/country rock.
Favorite track: Tumbling Dice
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
I was annoyed having to sit through a whopping 2h 53m of music just so they could achieve the joke of having 69 songs on the album, so I was waffling between giving this either a 2 or a 3. I certainly won't be listening to this one again, but as a one-off listen, there was some interesting stuff here. They cover a wide range of music styles, some hits, some misses. They probably had to force in some mediocre songs just to hit 69. Was it worth it?
Blur
3/5
Previously rated:
#116 - Blur (3/5)
#922 - Modern Life Is Rubbish (3/5)
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Album #936
Another Blur album. Fine. It's just so annoyingly Bri'ish innit? Best track: End of a Century (?)
Mercury Rev
3/5
I've never heard of this band before. It's hard music to categorize. Sort of ethereal with strings, and ... I don't know really. One song reminded me of the Beatles' Golden Slumbers. The singer is higher pitched though, like Supertramp. A couple of tracks stood out to me. Goddess on a Hiway and The Funny Bird.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
Previously rated:
#176 - Court And Spark (3/5)
#266 - The Hissing Of Summer Lawns (3/5)
***********************************************
Album #938
It's been a while since I last heard Joni Mitchell on this list. This is one I have heard before. I know this is supposedly her best, but I still don't care for it. Slow, high pitched folk music is not my thing. I liked the track Carey OK.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Previously rated:
#316 - Natty Dread (3/5)
#779 - Catch A Fire (4/5)
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Album #939
Well done reggae is still repetitive and not really my bag. I don't have a lot to say, but it was OK.
Janis Joplin
5/5
Album #940
With a face like that, you know the music is going to be good.
Me and Bobby McGee is one of my favorite songs of all time. The way she sings it, you'd think this was a real person and story she lived through, but she didn't even write the song. Kris Kristofferson did.
Everything else is solid soulful blues rock. I can't think of a good reason not to give this one a 5/5.
Traffic
4/5
Album #941
Steve Winwood's pop stuff in the 80s didn't do anything for me. It felt generic. The stuff we have here isn't. It's jazz-influenced rock with a little bit flute and a singer that sounds like Peter Gabriel, which I never noticed before. I didn't really care for the title track. It felt a little too hippie folk and dated to me.
Best track: Freedom Rider.
Shack
3/5
Album #942
Decent Indie rock with some dull bits, but just average overall.
Silver Jews
3/5
Album #943
The music was ok, but I wasn’t a fan of his flat voice. It helped when the lady joined in on Tennessee. Was this song the first time the line “you’re the only ten I see” was used?!
The Fall
2/5
Previously rated:
#466 - This Nation’s Saving Grace (2/5)
#855 - Live At The Witch Trials (2/5)
***********************************************
Album #944
Again, like the previous album of theirs I listened to, the vocals ruin anything positive going on here. It's like they think it's super uncool to put any effort into them. Well, some of us would appreciate it very much. The music can be decent in spots, but they run it into the ground with repitition, and the songs don't seem to progress or go anywhere. I can pretty confidently say now that I'm not a fan of The Fall at all.
Supergrass
4/5
Previously rated:
#200 - In It For The Money (3/5)
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Album #945
I don't remember what their previous album sounded like, but I gave it a 3, so this one was better. A little punk, a little pop, it sounded older than 1995 for sure. I did recognize the song Alright, probably from a TV commercial. This was a pretty good album. The slightly grating vocals could have become an issue if the album was longer.
King Crimson
3/5
Previously rated:
#198 - Larks' Tongues In Aspic (2/5)
****************************************
Album #946
After listening to the other one, I knew this one was coming, then I forgot it was coming, so I was surprised seeing it come up.
I had heard this once before, and wasn't enthralled with it. It quickly grabs you with 21st Century Schizoid Man, which admittedly is a really cool song (and the reason I rate this a 3/5). After that, there's a lot of hippie ren fair sounding stuff, several minutes of jazz noodling (in Moonchild), and more ren fair fare. It reminded me of that first Pink Floyd album we had to listen to here for some reason.
I'd willingly listen to an album full of Schizoid Man type material.
The Clash
4/5
Previously rated:
#560 - London Calling
*****************************
Album #947
Their first album sounds a bit basic and no-frills compared to what they would do later, but this was a pretty good start to their punk careers.
The Temptations
4/5
Album #948
This should have been one of those albums pushed on a certain date (September 3, of course). Papa Was a Rolling Stone is the strongest track here, and the one everyone knows. (The probably know the much shorter version.) That and Eddie Kendricks' voice alone push this up to a 4/5. Very '70s wacka-chu-wacka sounding album.
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
Album #949
I love Shining Star. The other stuff just isn’t as good. It doesn’t help I listened to The Temptations album yesterday. Similar music, but that one was superior.
Fishbone
4/5
Album #950
I was not previously aware of Fishbone. I figured they were another obscure British band.
The album starts out with Freddie's Dead, a song that sounded somewhat familiar, but I didn't know why until I looked it up later. Pretty good, sounded kinda glam rock. Then they get into ska and funk territory. What kind of band is this? I was digging the music, but the political messaging, I couldn't care less about.
It was surprisingly good overall. I liked the mixing of genres, which kept the music fresh. I'll give it another listen in the future.
Britney Spears
3/5
Album #951
Looking through the song list, I only recognized the title track. I was 24 when this album released. I wasn't listening to or exposed to much pop music at this time. But when hearing it today, I definitely remember the first three tracks. And they are pretty darn good pop songs. The album does get worse the further down the track list you go, ending with a cover of Sonny & Cher's The Beat Goes On. Spears' voice just isn't as powerful as Cher's, so it's weak in comparison. And they added static to make it sound older for some reason. E-mail My Heart wins the award for dumbest song title in recent memory.
All in all, it's a decent pop album. If I played it again, I'd cut it off after 3-4 songs.
Grizzly Bear
1/5
Album #952
So dreamy and soothing it will put you to sleep. Aggressively boring.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
Previously rated:
#176 - Court And Spark (3/5)
#266 - The Hissing Of Summer Lawns (3/5)
#938 - Blue (2/5)
*************************************************
Album #953
I recently had her most famous album, Blue, and I just didn't care for it. This one is about the same. Dull folk singer songwriter storytelling for 52 long minutes.
Best track: Coyote
Hole
4/5
Previously rated:
#425 - Live Through This (3/5)
************************************
Album #954
I liked this one a bit better. Only knew the title track going in. Pretty solid, catchy grunge-pop all the way through.
David Holmes
3/5
Album #955
Mostly instrumental beats and whatnot, with added and unnecessary profanity for some reason. The James Bond song was probably the highlight.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Previously rated:
#72 - Highway 61 Revisited (4/5)
#105 - Blood on the Tracks (4/5)
#515 - Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert) (4/5)
#529 - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (4/5)
#835 - Blonde On Blonde (4/5)
****************************************************
Album #956
I listened to this several days ago, so it's not fresh in my mind. Solid, but not my favorite album of his. Subterranean Homesick Blues, Maggie's Farm, and Mr. Tambourine Man are highlights.
Amy Winehouse
5/5
Previously rated:
#46 - Frank (5/5)
************************
Album #957
Frank was my first big surprise 5/5 on this list. This one is not as big of a surprise, but it's just as fantastic. The one song I wasn't crazy about was Addicted; it was just too on the nose about drugs, no subtlety. That, and it sounded like one of her songs on Frank. Can't remember which. Otherwise, it's great fun, catchy, jazzy, girl group stuff.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3/5
This should be right up my alley - Heavy blues/punk rock - but something kept me from liking it more. Maybe a bit too much distortion and/or punk attitude. Kind of like how Elvis singing for the Stooges might sound. It does have good moments too, like Get Over Here. Sticky was stupid though. Average rating I suppose.
The xx
3/5
Album #959
First time hearing of The xx. The male and female voices sounded good together, but there wasn't a lot to get excited about. I liked that it was clean. Favorite track: I Dare You
Cocteau Twins
2/5
Effect heavy vocals create a dreamy atmosphere. Doesn’t sound like it came from 1984. Would have given it a better rating if it ended two songs sooner. Those last couple were a drag.
Elvis Presley
4/5
Previously rated:
#574 - Elvis is Back (4/5)
#656 - From Elvis In Memphis (4/5)
***************************************
Album #961
This is very basic country rock & roll with some schmaltzy ballads. I'm not sure which are covers (maybe they all are?), but most are good, though he can't touch Little Richard's Tutti Frutti. This is a comfort album for sure.
Best tracks: Blue Suede Shoes, I Got a Woman, and I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You).
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Previously rated:
#164 - Songs Of Love And Hate (2/5)
#569 - Songs Of Leonard Cohen (2/5)
#753 - I'm Your Man (3/5)
#818 - A Short Album About Love (3/5)
#897 - You Want It Darker (2/5)
*******************************************
Album #962
Sixth album from an artist I don't much care for. He couldn’t sing worth a crap, and nothing stuck with me. Last album from him please?
Slipknot
2/5
Previously rated:
#140 - Slipknot (2/5)
************************
Album #963
On the positive side, there are some good guitar riffs, and when I’m not being screamed at, which is rare, the other vocals are Ok. But I can’t get over how bad I feel when listening to this. I don’t need these guys yelling at me for an hour about how awful the world is (or was 17 years ago). I’m 51 years old. I’m way over that.
Let me put on some Little Richard to cleanse the palate now.
Kid Rock
2/5
Album #964
This dude’s attitude far outweighs his talent. He’s really proud of his badassery, drug doing, and sex having. But we also get a glimpse of his embarrassing softer side, complete with horrific auto-tuned vocals. Surprised to hear Eminem on this. I never got into the grungy rap rock nu-metal whatever you call this.
I did enjoy the Fat Boys reference.
Destiny's Child
3/5
Album #965
Not my type of music, but it's good for what it is. I'm glad that it isn't raunchy like later R&B would become, including Beyonce's solo music.
I heard some lifting of Push It, Tarzan Boy, and Edge of Seventeen. The outro was sweet with all the girls gushing over one another. If only The Beatles did something like that, then maybe they would have stayed together forever like Destiny's Child did.
Kings of Leon
3/5
Previously rated:
#178 - Youth And Young Manhood (3/5)
#345 - Only By The Night (3/5)
********************************************
Album #966
In the song Day Old Blues, I could have sworn he said "Boys are gonna hate the way I sing." I would have agreed, but I guess he said "the way I seem." Well, maybe one day he'll read my reviews. I do hate the way you sing, but your music is pretty cool -- just not cool enough to deserve three albums on this list.
Def Leppard
4/5
Previously rated:
#592 - Pyromania (5/5)
****************************
Album #967
I had this one on cassette in my early teens. I listened to it a fair amount back then, and I still hear some of these songs on the radio today. Some others, I can't remember, so it's been a while.
They packed a lot into this single-length album, including some longer versions of the many singles they released from it. It is pop-metal, much lighter stuff than their previous albums. The guitar solo in Armageddon It exemplifies this pretty well. Still, I found myself bopping and singing along to a lot of the album. After the album was over, I played a few of their earlier, better songs like Bringing on the Heartache, Too Late for Love, and Comin' Under Fire.
Gods of War is probably the standout deep-cut here, a poppy catchy chorus anti-war song.
Louis Prima
5/5
Album #968
Ah! This is what pure joy sounds like, especially Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody and Jump, Jive, An' Wail. And I do like David Lee Roth and Brian Setzer's versions of these songs. I even listened to the bonus tracks and I will revisit this album in the future.
One slight negative: I don't think you should wish death on someone, even a dog, just for your ravioli and meatballs.
The Psychedelic Furs
4/5
Album #969
I only knew one song from this band, Pretty in Pink. Album is more rock and less new wave than I expected. Not bad. Singer is kind of flat though.
Devendra Banhart
2/5
Album #970
Mostly vocals and an acoustic guitar. That is strike one for me - boring. Strike two is how he pronounces some of his words - annoying. Only two strikes, so I suppose it's a 2/5. On a positive note, some of lyrics are interesting, and it's clean.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Album #971
Highly acclaimed blues guy, but just sounds average to me.
Stan Getz
3/5
Album #972
Oh, so this is the original The Girl from Ipanema, and not the one on the Beach Samba album. Well, this is a very chill, relaxing album of similar sounding songs. I don't feel I need to listen again though.
The Police
4/5
Previously rated:
#588 - Reggatta De Blanc (5/5)
************************************
Album #973
Maybe not quite as strong as Reggatta, but still very solid. Mother is quite wild isn't it? Still, I kinda liked it. I'm tired of Every Breath You Take by now. I think my favorite track is King of Pain.
I'm nearly done with the list, but I wouldn't be surprised to see another Police album pop up before it's over. (I don't know the full list.)
The Stranglers
4/5
Pretty good, like a punk The Doors. Nice guitar and organ riffs.
Aerosmith
5/5
Previously rated:
#527 - Rocks (5/5)
#589 - Toys In The Attic (4/5)
*******************************
Album #975
I had this album when I was a teenager, but I haven't heard it in a long time (except for the singles they still play on the radio).
It's still really good. I don't think there are any bad songs here. For the non-singles, I really like Hoodoo/Voodoo Medicine Man.
SAULT
2/5
Some of the music here is OK. I really like the drum sounds. The lyrics are infantilizing. Black people are God-like magical creatures who built the world. Yeah.
Steve Winwood
3/5
Album #977
Pleasant adult contemporary synth pop-rock with a good singer. For me, I enjoyed it enough, but it wasn't anything special. Maybe a high 3/5. Best track: While You See a Chance, Take It.
Jamiroquai
4/5
I couldn't think of any Jamiroquai songs I knew before listening, but I had the feeling I wouldn't like this. When he started singing in the first track, it clicked. Oh, right! This is the Napoleon Dynamite dance song guy! Sadly, that song isn't here, but this is a really good funk, dance album. It harkens back to 70s Stevie Wonder, and I will revisit it in the future.
The Streets
2/5
British rap so laughably bad it’s good?
Green Day
3/5
Previously rated:
#102 - Dookie (3/5)
***********************************
Album #980
A decent sounding album when that whiny, nasally bitch isn't singing. Did they really need two nine-minute epics on this album? Jesus of Suburbia was good, Homecoming was not. Favorite track: St. Jimmy
TV On The Radio
1/5
Previously rated:
#251 - Dear Science (2/5)
***************************
Album #981
None of this was enjoyable to listen to. The worst was the high singing asshat. I was just going to rate this a 2 and move on, but then the last track, You Could Be Love, started. My GOD! An infinite number of monkeys with an infinite number of musical instruments could never, ever create something this horrible. It's the worst song I've heard in my 51 years on this planet. I'm not kidding. Just to make sure I wasn't forgetting something, I did a ctrl+f on my history page, and I've never used the phrase "worst song" before now. Evil itself created this, I'm sure of it.
Spiritualized
2/5
Previously rated:
#465 - Lazer Guided Melodies (2/5)
**********************************
Album #982
Damn, given all the impactful artists/bands with no albums on this list, we get a SECOND one from this band???
I don't get it, and I don't get enjoyment out of this. All that ethereal noise and the repetitiveness of it all just gets on my nerves. There was some cool sounding drumming in No God Only Religion, but it was drowned out by all that superfluous noise. Best track: Electricity. They probably wrote it as a parody, but I kind of liked it. It sounded like a Velvet Underground inspired track. All in all, it seems that this kind of music is made for critics, not for me. The last track, a 17-minute long overindulgent extravaganza, exemplifies this well. It makes me long for basic, straight-forward rock like Kiss.
Ice Cube
2/5
Previously rated:
#429 - AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (2/5)
*********************************************
Album #983
I like the rapping style; it's fun. Too bad about the violent and hate-filled lyrics and skits. How can you take him seriously when he criticizes people for being scared of black men and then next track turns around threatening to wet peoples' shirts with his guns. Funny how he turns out to do goofy family comedy movies after this.
Portishead
1/5
Previously rated:
#548 - Dummy (4/5)
*************************
Album #984
I thought oh no when this popped up, but then I checked my rating and saw I enjoyed their other album.
Well...I should have trusted my first instinct. This sucked. I don't remember exactly what Dummy sounded like, but it couldn't have been as slow and dreary as this. Way too experimental and avant garde for my taste. I didn't enjoy anything on this album.
System Of A Down
4/5
Album #985
I've heard a few of their songs before, but nothing from this album. It's heavier metal than I was expecting, with the eccentricities of the singer going from weird goofy voice to screaming to growling. Entertaining, but I think maybe overdone in some places. One song had a cool guitar solo (maybe it was Suggestions?) that I wish they did a bit more of that, but solos were kind of out of style by the late 90s. The lyrics probably have a political slant, but I couldn't really understand them anyway, so that's whatever. I did hear a bunch of swear words they wanted to make clear, which felt like forced edginess. All in all, it was a nice, heavy alt-prog metal album. I'll give it another go in the future.
Brian Eno
2/5
Previously rated:
#304 - Before And After Science (3/5)
#673 - Another Green World (3/5)
#740 - Here Come The Warm Jets (4/5)
#913 - My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts (3/5)
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Album #986
There was just nothing to this. It doesn't lie though. It is what it says it is, ambient music. It's just that's it's nothing special whatsoever. No melody, no build up, no crescendo, just some "ahhs" some occasional piano notes, synth, horns I think. It's arguably a 1/5, but I usually save those for albums that really piss me off how bad they are. This was just barely anything.
The fact is, this guy just has too many albums on this list.
Lucinda Williams
4/5
Album #987
This is country rock, good country rock. She does this thing where she intentionally sings off-key sometimes, but it's more quirky than annoying. I didn't really dislike anything here. Favorite tracks: Title track and Jackson
Supertramp
3/5
Album #988
Sort of theatrical, piano driven rock. No super big hits on this one. I've heard Bloody Well Right before. It sounds Pink Floyd-ish, and maybe Dreamer. Interesting, but still not really that engaging to me. Favorite track: Bloody Well Right
Dr. John
3/5
Psychedelic rock mixed with some African jungle beats. It was ok.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Previously rated:
#394 - Darklands (3/5)
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Album #989
This was quite the assault on my ears -- very noisy. My Little Underground is the epitome of that with all the feedback. It's effect heavy on everything, including the vocals, which made it almost impossible to decipher any of the lyrics. Too bad, because there are some good melodic and catchy songs here. I wouldn't mind hearing them with less noise.
Whereas Darklands got a high 3, this one would be a low 3, so they are further apart in enjoyment than the equal rating would indicate.
The Cure
3/5
Previously rated:
#171 - Pornography (2/5)
#319 - Seventeen Seconds (2/5)
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Album #991
Big and grandiose sounding. Lots of just instrumental stuff. I definitely liked it more than the other two. Lovesong is great.
Goldfrapp
2/5
Previously rated:
#755 - Seventh Tree (3/5)
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Album #992
Sort of psychedelic, a little weird, and got pretty boring. Wasn’t feeling it.