Journey in Progress
Discovering music one album at a time
678
Albums Rated
3.71
Avg Rating
160
5-Star Albums
62%
Complete
411 albums remaining
Rating Speed
4.8
Per Week
999
Days Active
Reviews
677
Written
100%
Review Rate
vs Global
0.51
Avg Diff
3.71
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Ratings by Decade
Which era do you prefer?
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When do you listen?
Taste Profile
1970s
Favorite Decade
Funk
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Generous
Rater Style
7
1-Star Albums
Taste Analysis
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Ratings by genre
Origin Preferences
Ratings by country
Rating Style
You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kollaps | 5 | 1.9 | +3.1 |
| Calenture | 5 | 2.55 | +2.45 |
| Live / Dead | 5 | 2.82 | +2.18 |
| Brutal Youth | 5 | 2.82 | +2.18 |
| Quiet Life | 5 | 2.84 | +2.16 |
| Electric Music For The Mind And Body | 5 | 2.85 | +2.15 |
| Mask | 5 | 2.85 | +2.15 |
| Apple Venus Volume 1 | 5 | 2.85 | +2.15 |
| Kilimanjaro | 5 | 2.86 | +2.14 |
| Gris Gris | 5 | 2.88 | +2.12 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Risque | 1 | 3.27 | -2.27 |
| The Scream | 1 | 3.04 | -2.04 |
| Back In Black | 2 | 3.86 | -1.86 |
| Is This It | 2 | 3.82 | -1.82 |
| Hot Fuss | 2 | 3.74 | -1.74 |
| Arise | 1 | 2.73 | -1.73 |
| Jagged Little Pill | 2 | 3.72 | -1.72 |
| Boston | 2 | 3.71 | -1.71 |
| Californication | 2 | 3.71 | -1.71 |
| All Hope Is Gone | 1 | 2.7 | -1.7 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums and high weighted score
| Artist | Albums | Avg | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leonard Cohen | 5 | 5 | 4.25 |
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 5 | 5 | 4.25 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 4 | 5 | 4.14 |
| Led Zeppelin | 5 | 4.6 | 4 |
| Marvin Gaye | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| The Doors | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Peter Gabriel | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Morrissey | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| David Bowie | 5 | 4.4 | 3.88 |
| Simon & Garfunkel | 3 | 4.67 | 3.83 |
| Dexys Midnight Runners | 2 | 5 | 3.8 |
| King Crimson | 2 | 5 | 3.8 |
| Pink Floyd | 2 | 5 | 3.8 |
| Tom Waits | 2 | 5 | 3.8 |
| Isaac Hayes | 2 | 5 | 3.8 |
| Neil Young | 2 | 5 | 3.8 |
| Curtis Mayfield | 2 | 5 | 3.8 |
| Nick Drake | 2 | 5 | 3.8 |
| XTC | 2 | 5 | 3.8 |
| The Kinks | 2 | 5 | 3.8 |
| Beatles | 6 | 4.17 | 3.78 |
| Talking Heads | 4 | 4.25 | 3.71 |
| U2 | 4 | 4.25 | 3.71 |
| PJ Harvey | 4 | 4.25 | 3.71 |
| Roxy Music | 3 | 4.33 | 3.67 |
| Kate Bush | 3 | 4.33 | 3.67 |
| Prince | 3 | 4.33 | 3.67 |
| Echo And The Bunnymen | 3 | 4.33 | 3.67 |
| Miles Davis | 3 | 4.33 | 3.67 |
| The Beach Boys | 3 | 4.33 | 3.67 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums and low weighted score
| Artist | Albums | Avg | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sepultura | 2 | 1.5 | 2.4 |
5-Star Albums (160)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
The Rolling Stones
3/5
As with the first album of the Beatles, listening to this is historically interesting but nothing you need to check out. A cover of blues songs and not as interesting as their later works.
21 likes
Kate Bush
5/5
Progressive pop - can something like that even exist? Pop, by definition, is just not very innovative. It relies on the familiar. In my humble opinion, there can just be very few progress pop albums. Kate Bush's Hounds of Love is one of those very few examples. Instrumentation, lyrics, pure weirdness ('Waking the Witch'!) go hand in hand to create something very unique. This is indeed a classic that is really timeless.
12 likes
3/5
I do like the theme and approach of this LP but it feels all a bit forced. I think something more melodic here and there would be the proper contrast to the ever-droning sound. It is the same problem for all LPs of this sort: It is just too much in the same direction.
8 likes
Grateful Dead
5/5
This is a great live album with the remarkable quality that it either works as something you listen to very closely or has the power to run in the background and spurs you on to do some great creative work.
5 likes
Einstürzende Neubauten
5/5
Look, this album is not something you listen to while you dust your living room, all right? It is an early work of industrial and drone sound to create nightmarish landscapes. There are certainly better guitarists than Blixa Bargeld on a technical level but few people in music use their instrument to create proper soundscapes like that. In that respect, he is closer to Robert Fripp and his Frippertronics than Eric Claption or Jimmy Page. Compare that with Unruh's and Einheit's percussion work you have something extraordinary.
4 likes
1-Star Albums (7)
All Ratings
Mekons
4/5
Great genre mix.
Circle Jerks
3/5
Didn't like it that much, it is too pure punk for me.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Here you have everything you want from Dylan. The album might just be a wee bit too long.
Doves
4/5
Great album of Post-Britpop that has some problems here and there with keeping the vibe over time.
Dexys Midnight Runners
5/5
One of the best blue-eyed soul albums out there. You could really feel the combination of new elements and the tradition of soul. England is the best country for modern music, hands down.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
1/5
I can see why this album was important for the genre of punk. It is just not my cup of tea. Too simple in its structure.
Sonic Youth
4/5
While Sonic Youth are not my favourites they deliver a strong, surprisingly idea heavy album.
Little Richard
3/5
Little Richard wrote great songs as it is evident on this album. I just don't know if he works on this length because many things sound similar.
Van Morrison
2/5
Van Morrison is a great songwriter but I just can't really dig his style of delivering his songs. Another interpret would be great. While Astral Weeks is a gem in its own right, it is not for me.
Dolly Parton
3/5
I like Dolly Parton but I'm not sure she is for me on an album length. It's fine background music though.
Big Star
3/5
It is a wonderful album that combines many styles.
Roxy Music
3/5
Art Rock at its best. However, after the great start the later songs become a bit mediocre.
The Cure
5/5
A magical album with so much atmosphere. It definitely wants me to listen more to The Cure which I often put a bit to the side!
Van Morrison
5/5
I got 'Astral Weeks' recommended to me and I gave it just two stars because often I can't deal with Van Morrison. 'Moondance' is the wonderful exception though and his best album in my book. There is a clear style yet a lot of fun ideas that it never gets boring. One of the best albums!
The Smiths
4/5
Some people say: If you know one album by The Smiths you know basically every Smiths song. Parts of that are true but I think that's mainly because of Morrissey's voice. There is some great musicianship next to his vocal delivery and I think you can hear that on this LP. It is a great listen and maybe the one you need by this band.
Lou Reed
5/5
So many great tunes on here that really showed what rock music can do.
Brian Eno
2/5
Usually I like Eno's works but that goes more for his straight-up ambient work, especially with Robert Fripp. Also his job as a producer is tremendous. This album is not for me. Some of the later tracks have a nice experimental character to them. Besides that it's not really for me.
King Crimson
5/5
It is a masterpiece of rock music - not just prog rock - and one of the best albums of this band. I could write endless paragraphs about it. The strongest suit might be the highly versatile jump between complex and challenging parts as well as the the melodies and atmosphere. 'Books of Exile' is reminiscent of the more 'romantic' KC while something like 'Easy Money' shows how banging and jamming goes. Absolutely gorgeous!
Malcolm McLaren
1/5
It's just not for me. Experimental stuff by a dude that was mainly produced by another dude (Trevor Horn).
Deep Purple
3/5
When it comes to rock music Deep Purple is solid and so is this album. But it's nothing that will be too memorable for me.
John Prine
3/5
It's a nice country album with some depth that other albums are missing. Nothing too special though if you have the limits of the genre in mind.
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
Nice background music, certainly from it's time. I liked it but nothing of it was too memorable.
Pink Floyd
5/5
It is a classic and we all know why. PF was more psychedelic at this point but you can already see why they would become one of the big five of the prog rock genre.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Not as good as other Dylan albums but a worthwhile, a bit too bluesy listen.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
Like most people I prefer the more guitar-based Cohen. But from his 80s era this is really good. There are some very political, complex themes in this album which portrays the maestro with a banana on its cover. Cohen knows how to deal with life.
Bobby Womack
3/5
It's a fast and funky soul album that misses some highlights.
Metallica
3/5
This band produced solid music over the ages. I know many who think this is their best album. And, yeah, I can see why. From time to time you always want to shout: 'Master!' - Wrong album, I know, but it would work. I don't know if that's a good or a bad sign.
Green Day
3/5
Green Day was always this mainstream'ish punk music to me so I never invested to much time in their work. Now I got suggested this album and I can say that they are alright. Some nice work from the rhythm group here. Can't say that I care too much for it. A solid listen, nothing more, nothing less.
Talking Heads
4/5
The Talking Heads make great music. You can hear what made them great: Existenzial lyricism combined with paranoia and absurdism too - without forgetting about the humor. Musically the later albums are more interesting.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
It might be boring to say it but this is the best album of this mighty band. It shows that the Stones were also a great band in the studio itself. 'Wild Horses' and 'Moonlight Mile' are highlights for the ages.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
I nearly stopped this album after the first seconds. While I was always interested in music from middle and eastern Asia it's certainly something just for certain moments with our western ears. After a while it clicked. There is something uplifting in it that I can't put my finger to it. While this won't turn me to Islam I see the general appeal.
Common
5/5
Common's first 6 albums are milestones of the more sophisticated jazz rap of the 90s and early 2000s that was influenced by neo soul too. 'Be' doesn't waste time and puts you into all the things you would need to know as a Chicago kid. Common's lyrics are better than ever because he puts some subtle humor in the stories he tells. And then of course there is producer Kanye West. I never thought of him as a genius (albeit a great producer, of course always aided by an army of other talented people). I think 'Be' shows more than his own albums that West has talent.
Bon Jovi
2/5
Bon Jovi's music is rock music that is just too polished for me. The album is fine enough for some background music though.
Tim Buckley
3/5
Buckley is a gem in the subgenre of Psychedelic Folk. I like his approach but I think the album is a bit too meandering sometimes. I'll definitely check other works of him out!
Einstürzende Neubauten
5/5
Look, this album is not something you listen to while you dust your living room, all right? It is an early work of industrial and drone sound to create nightmarish landscapes. There are certainly better guitarists than Blixa Bargeld on a technical level but few people in music use their instrument to create proper soundscapes like that. In that respect, he is closer to Robert Fripp and his Frippertronics than Eric Claption or Jimmy Page. Compare that with Unruh's and Einheit's percussion work you have something extraordinary.
The Cars
3/5
An allright rock album.
The Stooges
4/5
This is how some freaking rock should be! You could argue that there are some highlights missing here and there but hey-ho - this is fun.
Barry Adamson
3/5
Barry Adamson has a great ear for atmospheric melodies and arrangements that are more than droning, noising or loud sounds that dominate a lot of actual soundtracks these days. The problem of the album might be the too different styles. A better track order might've helped. I prefer him as part of the Bad Seeds.
SZA
3/5
A good addition in the neo soul genre but like with the classic acts (D'Angelo) too many of the songs seem to blend into one another with the same style & lyrics. Certainly enjoyable for a chill background music and even in another particular room with a bed.
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
When you listen to their album you see that The Mamas & The Papas are often closer to a folksy sort of swing music with their interpretation of standards. 'California Dreamin' and other songs might give a different impression. This combination this album a worthwhile collection of songs.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
It's a great soul album!
N.W.A.
4/5
This is a classic album for hip hop, no doubt about that. When you listened to it often enough you feel the limits of the early hip hop though. And it is still funny to me how activists these days hail it as some sort of emancipation for black people (which is certainly true to some extent) but ignore the positive attitudes towards guns, drugs, violence and the overwhelming sexism.
Fats Domino
3/5
Fats Domino is a smooth singer and piano player and great to get the day going. Overall it misses a bit of a high mark which is not a surprise for the non-concept albums of these days.
Grateful Dead
3/5
A decent listen from a talented band that somehow wasn't as exciting to me as all the British bands at the same time. They had something outstanding that GD lacked. Hence the album flows mellow but highlights are missing.
Eric Clapton
4/5
Think of Clapton's political opinions what you will but this is a classical album with a laid-back attitude. While I personally prefer JJ Cale, this album is gorgeous with all that you need from a blues rock guitarist.
Napalm Death
1/5
This no-nonsense attitude is respectable for 5 minutes. Then the 'songs' are just annoying. I felt taken aback to one of these bad memories of my fellow puberty friends trying to be 'hard' because they listened to Napalm Death. In these days, I hope they see that this is just boring.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
For some reason I confused this band always with punk bands from the 2000s. But, no, My Bloody Valentine does excellent shoegaze and this album shows their talent. It is atmospheric, unclear, but in a good way. It gets your juices flowing. As with most of the genre, it can be a bit repetitive so usually less would be more.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
An absolute classic of rock music. You can hear that Led Zeppelin sometimes drift into proggier territories and that is right so. They have a talent of bringing the right pieces together with every band member with talent in its own right.
Guns N' Roses
4/5
I was never a fan of this band. Except some singles I couldn't care that much for them. Now I listened to my first Guns N' Roses album and I was positively surprised. There is some direct approach that is quite refreshing. It works all very well together, especially the guitars in contrast to Axl Rose's voice.
Am I going to listen to more albums? Probably not. But it was a nice detour nonethless.
The Electric Prunes
4/5
A not-so-well known gem of the psychedelic rock subgenre that comes across a bit harder than other works of British bands. And that's fine.
The Flaming Lips
4/5
The Flaming Lips have many albums under their plate and this one is definitely their master piece. It makes great transitions from faster and slower, lusher and harder, deeper and thoughtful. It certainly is their best album so far and I wish they would look out more for quality than quantity.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
A classic of the Folk Rock genre. They were a good team with those harmonies and the songwriting structure.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
I'm one of those people who, in the on-going debate of which is the best Springteen album (at least of the pre-2000 years), is the best: Born in the USA or Darkness on the Edge of Town? Whenever I lead to one, the other ones let me discover something new. Right now, while listening to this classic again, I think Darkness has a small lead. While not all the songs are as iconic as on the later follow up they do have bit more variety in style to them. Darkness shows how Springteen's Roy Bittan pianist placed the keys so central compared to other rock music at the time, especially as punk was on the rise. That really helps to stand out and makes every track a great story of their own. 'Adam Raised A Cain' and the title track might be my favourite ones on this grandiose journey through the American heartland. The 'worst' track might be 'Streets of Fire' because it is just an example of the forceful albeit by now standard, even somewhat parody-ish Springsteen style. But other than that? A great classic.
Nitin Sawhney
3/5
This album has a great thematic concept and the different blend of styles is quite cool - till the album becomes just too long and if feels like you have either some downtempo lounge sound, Indian music or a female singer piano based ballad. It's nice but not something you will listen to that often.
The Specials
4/5
A nice ska and reggae album that transfers the music of Jamaica into a proper British context. Is it as good as the stuff from the island? No. But it is so more unique than many other 'white reggae' stuff that came later.
Steely Dan
3/5
This jazz-rock album was often described as cleaner and more accessible than previous albums. To me it sounds quite poppy and I'm not sure I like that. I think jazz-rock and fusion don't need to go this way. It certainly stands out in this approach but when you have something like Soft Machine and the entire Canterbury scene - why not chose these guys?
Elis Regina
4/5
Elis Regina is a grand dame in the South American music, especially Bossa Nova and similar genres. While I prefer her softer colleagues she shows a wide rang of skills on this album that has something quite powerful to it.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
This band made better music but also the shoegaze genre has better folks out there. It is all a bit too similar for my taste.
ZZ Top
3/5
This album has the typical forward-driving sound of the band which can be quite charming but is rather repititive over a while. I liked to listen to it but rock music really has so much more to offer.
3/5
I do like the theme and approach of this LP but it feels all a bit forced. I think something more melodic here and there would be the proper contrast to the ever-droning sound. It is the same problem for all LPs of this sort: It is just too much in the same direction.
James Brown
4/5
A nice treat that shows what a great performer Brown was - especially when he had the right band with him. Overall it is a bit short though.
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
A bit too similar but a style that was copied later again and again. I respect this album for what it is in music history.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
3/5
An interesting collection of songs.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
This album shows the big talent of Buddy Holly. He has the roll in rock'n'roll.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
Cohen wrote many great albums and this is definitely one of them. While other albums might contain better and more famous songs this one here really shows why he's such a great song writer. He doesn't need cheap rhymes or a great singing voice to lure you into his musical world.
The Who
5/5
Without a doubt one of the best albums by The Who. Sometimes it feels though that Roger Daltrey holds the songs more back and that Pete Townshend should've done a lot more solo stuff a lot earlier.
Black Flag
2/5
Hardcore Punk is usually not my cup of tea but Henry Rollins knows how to lead a band behind him. Maybe they're not meant to be funny but some moments are exactly that. I can enjoy it but I will not listen to it it too much.
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
Zappa is a genius, his band is great too and the influence on the prog rock genre is crystalclear. As an album itself, I think it is simply too long and unnecessary 'artsy'. It's not something you can listen to very often. Hence three stars from me.
Big Black
3/5
It is one of the most powerful hardcore albums in the list because it can really get things going. A cheese grater torturing a guitar? Yeah, that's how it sounds. And when you're in the mood for it why not? In the end, it is all a bit too similar.
The Pogues
3/5
This folk album has a variety of many songs. It is still a bit too standard for me when it comes to folk. I need more progressive, more haunting elements. This is too much 'bar music'. Still a great listen.
Ray Charles
4/5
A great selection of classical songs. Ray's delivery is one of the best. His voice carriers so much - it's not just an instrument but half an orchestra.
I rate it four stars because while it is great it's just another selection of standards.
Beatles
3/5
I love The Beatles as the next man but their early albums are not as powerful as the proto-prog of the later days. It's a decent listen though but overall you wish for more.
5/5
It is a classic and rightfully so. You have everything you need in a concept album here, whether that concept is looser or tighter. The great thing is that you can still listen to each song on their own.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
As with the first album of the Beatles, listening to this is historically interesting but nothing you need to check out. A cover of blues songs and not as interesting as their later works.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Another nice listen by Dusty Springfield with some famous tunes and many highlights.
The Soft Boys
5/5
An absolute classic of rock music, especially for the genre of acid punk. There are so many great songs on here that sound a bit like the Stranglers would do psychedelic rock with a little bit of Talking Heads. Definitely one of this gems everyone should listen to!
Spacemen 3
3/5
There are many shoegaze albums in this 1001 list. Why, I do wonder, because the genre can be quite limited. This album is better than others and a nice background listen but it's quite hard to make out the highlights.
New Order
4/5
New Order brought a certain special style of electronic-aided rock music into the world. This album showcases their talent best.
Laibach
2/5
This band/Art collective was an inspiration for Rammstein. I don't like either of them that much but I can at least appreciate the musical character and especially the rearrangements of pop songs of the time. I'm sure this album did lots to get music evolving. It's just not my cup of tea.
George Jones
3/5
Country with a lot of schmalz can be nice on a journey. It evokes certain emotions that Jones's voice transports over everything you need in country. It's an album you'd present to a newbie in the genre. He might not be too impressed but nothing much can go wrong too.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
Nick Cave is the best songwriter in my opinion and so it's no surprise that I will say only positive things about his albums. 'Ghosteen' is another masterpiece but I understand the scepticism of people who have not much connection to Nick Cave's work. In the grand scheme of the discography of him and his band it's certainly something. Brooding, ambient, some say dark but on other parts quite uplifting. Abstract and challenging. Sometimes I miss more of the band because most of it was made by Nick & Warren Ellis alone. I still recommend everybody to listen to this though.
The Clash
5/5
The first album of this great band is a must-listen. While I like the later releases more - because the band tried out more - you can see the genius formula for great and catchy songs with 'I'm so bored with the USA'. RIP Joe Strummer who has gone way too early.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
This dance-rock hybrid is surely something worthwhile to listen to, on a drive or a when you clean your house. But if you inspect it closer it's all a bit too similar.
Love
2/5
Another example of an album that is an important stepping stone to make rock more interesting and sophisticated. While labelled as psychedelic rock it can also be put under the subgenre proto-prog rock. I love the works with the flute. But the vocals! Argh! No, that doesn't really work. I stay with the actualy classics of the genre(s).
Motörhead
3/5
Motörhead has its place in the olymp of straightforward rock music but it's not really for me. I feel a lot of this powerchord stressing isn't a very interesting path for rock music.
Gillian Welch
4/5
Country music has a lot more to over than just cowboy stuff and this album is a wonderful example for it. This is alternative country sliding into folk with darker, brooding themes. I love it! The opener is gorgeous. After a while you'd wish for more diverse arrangements though.
Muddy Waters
5/5
Considered the comeback record of Muddy Waters in the 1970s. It's a fresh, rocky collection of blues song that make you get going in the morning.
Radiohead
4/5
For some reason I, a rock-nerd, never got much into Radiohead. The suggestion was therefore very welcome. I did enjoy this album and its many ideas with its different sounds. I listend to earlier Radiohead stuff after that. And I liked it! That Thom Yorke's vocals are often distorted helps because they often really put me off. I enjoyed the jazzy elements as well.
Kate Bush
5/5
Progressive pop - can something like that even exist? Pop, by definition, is just not very innovative. It relies on the familiar. In my humble opinion, there can just be very few progress pop albums. Kate Bush's Hounds of Love is one of those very few examples. Instrumentation, lyrics, pure weirdness ('Waking the Witch'!) go hand in hand to create something very unique. This is indeed a classic that is really timeless.
Femi Kuti
4/5
One of the classics of the Afrobeat genre. I appreciate it but over a while the album's tracks blend a bit into each other. There are no clear highlights, at least to my untrained ear in this genre. I enjoyed it though.
Prince
5/5
Without a doubt Sign o’ the Times is one of the best albums by Prince. He shows his talents as a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and performer (Camille). It’s the Prince sound, no matter what. ‘Hot Thing’ and later ‘The Cross’ are my favourite tracks with the later being a bit different than the rest of the tracks. Prince made so many other great records and was home in many genres. This albums reminds us that he want too early.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
I'm a big fan of Costello's work whether the old stuff or the new. His third album is a typical example of the brazen, smart new wave style. While the line of style is clear, the themes are wide and so this album has much for everyone. Definitely a listen that gets you going in the morning. 'Moods for Moderns' is my favourite track.
Elvis Presley
4/5
This showcase of Elvis Presley's talent combines the strength of his powers - steered by the right producers and musicians around him. It's a great start to get into Elvis who is more of a single's artist anyway.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
I just listened to this album the other day. From the perspective of the variety of styles this might be the best album of that iconic duo, especially with the highly politicised last track. An absolute classic!
Paul McCartney and Wings
5/5
Paul McCartney has a giant body of work under his belt outside of The Beatles. This might be one of the best albums he created. He is such a great songwriter with the ear for melodies. It's not clear how much influence his then-wife had but as a group effort it is great. There are so many styles tied together by clever order for those tracks.
Michael Jackson
3/5
Michael Jackson put some great effort in his albums, more than we tend to think, but he'll mostly be remembered for this powerful singles. He's a singles artist, whether he liked it or not. And so it goes for 'Bad' which might be one of his best albums. But I only really care for Bad, The Way You Make Me Feel and Smooth Criminal - three powerful singles, accompanied by more mediocre tracks. Hence I give Bad as an album an average rating.
The Temptations
4/5
A collection of great soul classics. You miss a bit the highlights and innovation from our times since there are so many versions of these songs.
3/5
Brian Eno and David Bowie produced and mixed this album. They must have seen something in this band. I say they are a decent listen but for me it felt like an uneven mixture of Talking Heads (the singing style - but not as innovative) and Television (the instrumentation - without the streamlined, focused approach). There is some humour in their absurd texts and antics but compared to those other bands I rather listen to those. For someone else, who'll find a different way into music, it might be something.
Wu-Tang Clan
5/5
I must have listen to this album a million times. It's one of the greatest hip hop albums ever made with a solid production on all levels and wordplay of great lyricists. The best Wu-Tang tracks are those were quality is over quantity (that also goes for the numbers of rappers on those tracks). Here it all comes together.
Favourite track: Hard to say but I'd go with 'Wu-Tang Clan Ain't nuthin ta fuck with'.
John Martyn
4/5
A combination of nice folk tracks with psychedelic elements and great guitar work. It really takes a while to get into Martyn's voice though I find.
Television
5/5
This is one of the best albums of rock music ever. Television is post-punk in the best way and unique in their clean, controlled style. Every track is a wonderful little journey.
10cc
3/5
A nice and wild ride of rock music that tried something. It still feels a bit unfocused and therefore I go for other psychedelic and progressive rock.
Prince
4/5
This is a big classical album by Prince and certainly one of his top 5 if not top 3 albums. Much has been said about it. I find some of the outros of some of the songs a bit irritating. Hence I give it 4 out of 5.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Not the biggest fan of Ozzy and BS but this is a great selection of songs. I love the opener that just starts directly with the action. I think I like it more than their infamous debut.
The Stooges
3/5
Indeed: This is raw power! But that means that the music could have done with some work here and there. Certainly not as good as other album by The Stooges.
The Cure
3/5
A haunting experience that for some reasons relies too much on the underproduced vocals. Why do that for every track on the album? I think 'Desintegration' is the better album because it was way better produced.
AC/DC
2/5
AC/DC is to me the parody of rock music. The people who love this band are mostly bland people.
Now, I tried this album out and with the intro and the first tracks I was positively surprised. But then the vocals kick in...
The way of singing is basically the same on every track. Not for me. I can tolerate some tracks in the back but that's about it.
David Crosby
4/5
While I prefer Crosby's work with those other big names - you know who I'm talking about - this album has really a great mix of louder and quieter tunes, all wonderfully arranged. You can also hear what great guitarist Crosby was. At a point I miss something that diverts a bit from the style though.
Screaming Trees
4/5
This album was made at the height of Grunge but it has many stylistic elements, especially in instrumentation, that reminds one of psychedelic rock. They use Indian instruments or the mellotron, popularized by prog rock. In some way you might think this album was created by time travellers. Then again often some of the typical vocals and - how should I call it? - singing styles of that time break through.
Overall a pretty cool album with a better later half I find.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Obviously one of the best album by the boss with so many great classics on it. 'I'm on Fire' might be my favourite.
Paul Weller
5/5
Paul Weller crafted an album that is indeed a nice journey to a wild wood, with ups and downs, drama, and personal struggles. I love how easily he mixes the soft and the harder tones. This albums definitely deserves its status as a classic.
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
A great jazz album that is the epitome of bar atmosphere with a wonderful host. Still can't get behind scat in vocisl jazz.
Drive-By Truckers
3/5
I do like some progressive country music here and there. This one has nice ideas and a certain groove. However, I wasn't too impressed by it. At some point it just sounds relatively standard to my ear.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
A better selection of original stones songs. Some of them are still too rooted in other people's music.
Sabu
2/5
While I do appreciate some great latin music this focus on percussion seems a bit too meandering for me. I can enjoy it in the back but that's about it.
Earth, Wind & Fire
5/5
Another great album by this soul-funk band.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
On this album, Led Zeppelin is still very much rooted in blues music - something they would transcend on later albums. It's a great collection nonetheless with many classics and the right atmosphere. Soul of a woman was created below, for sure!
The Sonics
4/5
The Sonics are one of the rockier bands of the the 60s Rock'n'Roll. It is mostly a selection of songs written by other people which they adapt in a rawer style that is quite different to e.g. The Kinks of that time. It doesn't work on all of the songs and by the time you hear track 5 you get the formula. Some songs are very good for what they want especially 'Have Love Will Travel' that was so wonderfully used in Guy Ritchie's RockNRolla.
All in all this is a great album with some songs full of energy - and others you'll skip.
Frank Zappa
2/5
Frank Zappa is without a doubt a genius in music but I can't get into most of his music. This here is one example. The tracks sound like giant jam sessions with some horn arrangements on time - which can be great. But I think I just got lots of other experience with that already by listening to many prog rock albums. Hence I can't rate it this one that high.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Joni Mitchell is a legend. She is a great lyricist. However, her vocals are a bit limited and can be quite tiresome. Hence I can't rate this album with 5 stars even though I kinda would like to because thematically this woman really delivers.
Johnny Cash
5/5
I'm a big fan of Johnny Cash's later work and the American series in general. This is one of the best entries. People talk too much about 'Hurt' but there are so many other great tracks on this album. Check them out please!
3/5
Is this an album of collection of songs - and just said? Afraid so. Country would benefit from more concepts behind their albums. Loretta Lynn's work is the bet example of this. All the songs are quite enjoyable but there is a certain similarity around that makes the whole thing not really stick in your mind.
TLC
2/5
This is certainly a classic of the later RnB. It has some great songs but I prefer the Neo Soul movement if I want to listen to the music of that time.
Scissor Sisters
4/5
This album has a wonderful groove that is carried by the drums who are not soft and energetic but not too frantic or too dominant either. I really enjoyed all of the songs - expect this cover of Pink Floyd's great 'Comfortably Numb'. While the cover surely has its own style it really is awful.
Iggy Pop
5/5
This is the most well-known album by Iggy Pop as a solo artist. For a good reason! It has drive, power but it is all about dark stuff like heroin abuse. Trainspotting used the title track for a good reason.
JAY Z
5/5
This classic is the one album by Jay Z you need to listen to. It has clever wordplay and dope production. It is another album that showed us Kanye West's production skills.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Man, this list really loves Led Zeppelin, eh? This is the 4th album of Led Zeppelin I have now in my list.
Compared to I to IV I think 'Physical Graffiti' has more ups and downs. This is due to its nature as a collection of songs for other albums. Sure, we have 'Kashmir' on this one but also some not so interesting songs like 'Custard Pie' or 'The Rover'. An issue for me is the mixing. Robert Plant's voice often sounds like he put through a tunnel which diminishes his high-pitched efforts as one of the best singer in rock music.
Hence I give this 4 instead of 5 stars (like the other albums).
Harry Nilsson
5/5
This is one of my favourite albums. Nilsson was once deemed just to be a solo Beatle (since he worked with Lennon) but his music is a lot more. It is rocky and mellow and the same time and there is always some sense of longing. It's a perfect album for many moods.
Favourite track: Too many! "Jump into the Fire" if I had to choose one.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
This is a great collection of the most well-known songs of Aretha Franklin. I like the mixing - it doesn't make any element of the music, whether voices nor instruments, overtly dominant.
Small Faces
5/5
A great album of storytelling that uses many musical elements.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
For many folks this is one of the best album by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. This goes especially for then-not-fans who see them a bit critical - but usually they are blown away by this album. And there is a good reason for that: This album has one of the richest instrumentation that backs up Nick Cave. It is Gospel Rock on a grandiose scale that highlights the talents of all the musicians involved. The double album is therefore split by who drummed: Abatoir Blues by Sclavanous and The Lyre of Orpheus by Thomas Wydler. Both have their own distinct styles, the former a gentle giant and the latter a capacious cat.
You could argue that Nick's lyrics are - while as always great - a bit repetitive here and there. He uses a lot of the same imagery, sometimes starting a song with the same setup ("Through the..."). But this would be nitpicking. He's a charismatic preacher as well as chronist of a world of love, thunder and God.
Best songs: 'Hiding all away' on the first side, 'Breathless' on the second side.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
4/5
This album is a milestone of hip hop and the perfect example of old school work. Everybody knows 'The Message'. But what few people who have not actually listened to this album know is that the old school rap is just one part of the album. The opener 'She's Fresh' is pure funk with live instruments or 'You Are' a proper soul ballad. You could say that this a funk album all in all. And that is great. It's rich and you want to groove. I don't give it 5 stars because the simple raps feel a bit outdated today.
Talking Heads
5/5
This is without a doubt one of the best albums that have ever been produced simply because of the fact that is walks the tightrope of being danceable and sophisticated at the same time ("Crosseyed and Painless", "Houses in Motion" are the best examples for this). The musicianship is just grand with the inspiration from Fela Kuti's Afrobeat to construct polyrhythms as the backbone of the great instrumentation carried by bass, keyboards and guitars (Adrian Belew, here as a guest, delivers one of his best work) and David Byrne's lyrics.
This is a masterpiece. I'd give it 6 star if I could!
Sheryl Crow
2/5
This song has some nice tunes but overall it's a bit too poppy for me.
Pretenders
4/5
This album has a bit of an awkward and slow start but it really gets going with the later tracks. I thought I wouldn't enjoy it but I really did in the end - literally!
The Darkness
4/5
On the first tracks I needed a while to get into the albums but later I could really enjoy this glam rock that doesn't shy away from anything - in a time where rock music was heavily besieged by numetal.
Maxwell
5/5
This is one of the more influential albums of Neo Soul. If you like D'Angelo you'll like that. And I do. I think Maxwell is even better because his smoothness and lyrical focus makes this a more coherent album that has also some more interesting instrumentation than the first two D'Angelo albums.
Scott Walker
4/5
Scott Walker is a good guy and does well on this album. There are stronger singers though and I think they could really do more by giving him less but more poignant instruments to sing too (even if that sounds counter-intuitive).
Jethro Tull
5/5
Jethro Tull has many great albums under their belt. 'Aqualung' is certainly one of them. It shows the wide range of styles of the band. I don't listen as often to it as my favourite 'Songs From The Wood' but I thorougly enjoy it and recommend it for everyone who want to get into this band.
The Smiths
4/5
What? Another record by The Smiths? Don't they all sound too similar anyway?
Well, yeah. That's what people say. Good thing is that this album has a hand full of more funkier elements than earlier but also later albums - despite the dark topics. You can't do anything wrong by listening to this.
5/5
This is a grand album somewhere between psychdelic rock and early progressive rock. I really enjoyed this one, especially the interplay between drums and piano.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
3/5
This is surely some great musicianship but I find it overall not as interesting as later works of other blues rockers including Eric Clapton himself.
Michael Jackson
4/5
...and while I say again that Michael Jackson is more of a singles artist I think that this album has really a lot of gems and feels better in it its consistency than Bad. The title track and 'Beat It' are obviously great but already the opener goes in full.
Tina Turner
3/5
I love Tina Turner as the next man but this one of this pop records where some singles are great but not so much the rest. The title track, "Better Be Good To Me" or "What's Love Got to Do with It" stand out, the rest is alright.
Got to say that I have my issues with ranking artists high who 'just' sing these songs but don't write or produce them.
David Bowie
5/5
Without a doubt one of the hallmarks in David Bowie's career. There are great instrumentals that work well with the sometimes dark lyrics.
The Birthday Party
4/5
Nick Cave's first band made a punk record that was basically punk when it was already dead. It's a corpse of punk. Dark stories straight out of horror films or weird fiction instead of political protest songs. "She's hit" is one of those masterpieces.
Still, I prefer the Bad Seeds. Nick evolved to be a great songwriter and lyricist with the help of those talented musicians. If he and Mick Harvey would've continued with this band they might have not become the talented chaps they were now. The music just sounds too similar in the end.
Gary Numan
4/5
Music lovers shouldn't underestimate the importance of Gary Numan. The robotic early-synth style was phenomenal back in the days while it might seem a bit 'And what's the big deal about it?' now. The music is synth-based but not completely electronic yet like it would be in the 1980s. "Conversations" is phenomenally great.
But in a way, Gary Numan is a one-trick pony. This album and the two Tubeway Army records seem interchangeable. I'm not sure if you are not better suited with the LP Replicas if you want to get into his stuff.
Shout out to Cedric Sharpely, his drummer here who shows why drum machines will always be boring. Check out his first band Druid who would've been stars of the genre if they just had stepped some two years or so earlier into the scene.
Peter Frampton
3/5
This is surely an impressive live album and I get why it is voted as one of the best out there. I just don't find Frampton's music that interesting.
The Beau Brummels
3/5
A solid entry of earlier rock and blues music. The albums gets more interesting towards the end.
Anthrax
2/5
I'm no fan of metal and I know why. It is just too forced. Don't really get the love for Anthrax here.
Gene Clark
4/5
What starts as a standard country song has some more depth as the time goes on. I really enjoyed this one!
Blondie
5/5
Blondie's third album is a real charmer. Their producer made them write proper songs and do a whole 'less is more approach'.
Skunk Anansie
3/5
A rock band with an impressive female singer (those are rare). Not enough for me to be on this list personally but I still think it's solid.
Deep Purple
4/5
This a great live album by a talented band. For the perfection I would want some more surprises and diverse instrumentation.
The Adverts
4/5
Another nice addition from the early days of punk from the UK. It sounds as much punk as you want it to sound. I like it but since I prefer rother genres more I can only rank it with 4 stars.
Steve Winwood
3/5
This album is a nice, easy listen but in many ways dated. I cringe when I hear these fake pan flute synths.
The Avalanches
2/5
The sample work is rich and impressive but it really is not my kind of music. Samples of female singers, then high-pitched? Nah, not for me!
Ananda Shankar
4/5
Indian music is often reduced to some trip scenes in movies. We often don't know proper music. This album by Shankar is a good bridge into the genre with it's combination of western sounds, instruments and some covers. I prefer the last tracks though instead of some of the covers because it is more of the actual music we want to listen to.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
This pseudo live album bursts of energy. I like it!
Minor Threat
2/5
A nice punk album that feels too long even though it's super short. Not a good sign, eh?
Butthole Surfers
2/5
You know, I love some experimental rock. It can even be noisy. But the noise-expermential rock of the Butthole Surfers is something I find a bit to annyoing even though there are some good songs on this like 'Graveyard' or 'Human Cannonball'. I can see why some people might like it but it's not for me.
Roxy Music
5/5
Roxy Music's first album is pure delight. They are eclectic but not proggish but created what others would call Art Rock later. Love it!
CHIC
1/5
Kings of Leon
3/5
Another Kings of Leon album that left me positively surprised after I know most of this band just by the radio airplay. It's an all right listen. Maybe it didn't need to be on this list but it's still good.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
5/5
Blood, Sweat & Tears is one of the best bands of this productive age of music that combined so many influences. Their debut is also one of their best albums. While you don't really need the Satie variations (so many did them before and after it), the original tracks are amazing. 'Spinning Wheel' is just full of energy and 'You Make Me So Very Happy' too. These songs just want to makes the biggest loner have a big party with his family and friends on a long summer evening.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Another great experimental album that does has some lengths on its second half. It also seems to me that John Cale is the more interesting character compared to Lou Reed. I enjoy his solo works a lot more.
Sinead O'Connor
4/5
I was positively surprised by this album. Next to the famous 'Nothing Compares 2 U' there are many other styles in music here that sound quite timeless but still somewhat root it in the 1990s. In that respect, O'Connor's album is closer to the soulful tracks of Massive Attack. I enjoyed it!
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
Breakbeats, lounge, trip hop - this is a 90s album as you like it. It's the best background music. Nightmares On Wax crafted better tracks though.
Tom Waits
5/5
This might be Tom Waits's best album. His bluesy ballads are pure atmosphere and describe people and their many sufferings. It is underlaid with some music that could be great background music for a party but in this constellation forms a bond with its singer.
Sex Pistols
2/5
Without a doubt one of the most influential yet basic albums of punk music. The Sex Pistols's album is these days more renownend for the scandals of the band and the presentation than the actual musical quality I'd argue. If punk was just posturing at this time, then, yes, it has its place. But musically I don't think I find something interesting here.
Sepultura
1/5
No, thank you. While I rated another album of Sepultura a bit more favourably (because there they used latin percussion and stuff), this one here is garbage. It's annoying loud stuff that doesn't care for much structure than angry repeats. Every song sounds the same.
Joan Baez
3/5
Solid folk album with some nice covers of popular songs but over time I find Baez's voice a bit tiresome.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
A solid listen but Emmylou Harris can't keep me with her voice for the length of an album.
Happy Mondays
4/5
This is one of the great findings of this list. I had a vague idea what the Madchester scene was but didn't know much of it. This album by Happy Mondays is a great introduction for a groovy, experimental sound. Not everything works, but that's fine.
Cypress Hill
5/5
The first album is a giant classic of hip hop. Not only you have the cartoonish, near-parody of gangsta rap with B-Real's & Sen Dog's lyrics that show how you can laugh about yourself and still be gangsta at the same time. It is mostly known for the production by DJ Muggs who as a Westcoast guy uses an near all-sampled approach of classics of funk and soul music in a very sophisticated way. Their music would get darker in the subsequent records so many people consider this record as one of the bests. I say you can listen to all of those first four albums.
Best tracks: How I Could Just Kill A Man, Latin Lingo, Hand On The Pump, Stoned Is The Way Of The Walk
KISS
4/5
Never cared that much for KISS but I was pleasantly surprised by this album. Especially the latter tracks show some musical dexterity that I didn't expect.
Supergrass
2/5
I enjoyed 'I Should Coco' but this one was too annoying.
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
At the time of their release I never paid much attention to Franz Ferdinand but I can see why their discoesque, powerful but still sophisticated style has something to it.
Dead Kennedys
2/5
I require a special brand of punk music. This is not it but I appreciate the commitment, especially in songs like Chemical Warfare.
fIREHOSE
4/5
Nice little rock album that gets you into some work. Some highlights missing but another listen might change that.
Sepultura
2/5
In my younger days I was tortured by my metal friends who discovered Sepultura and made us listen to it all the time. Since those days I hate everything that involves growling and screaming. Now I can tolerate this album and see some great moments when the Latin percussion elements come in. That's when this album is really interesting to me. Everything else? Not so much.
The Triffids
5/5
A wonderful album that wraps sad and sarcastic text into lovable music. Imagine The Smiths being a bit more playful and you have this classical album of The Triffids.
TV On The Radio
2/5
This album doesn't deserve to be on the list. While it is all right and has some character on some of the songs it is still meandering. Loops are not an adequate replacement for actual drums.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
4/5
A jolly good live album of a band that I hadn't heard of before. They really combine the louder and quieter parts very well and end with a country-like song - the end of an acid dream. The only thing I wished for: More highlights, less meandering in the middle tracks.
Traffic
4/5
Another great album that could be considered proto prog with lots of psychedelic and folksy element - but without going too much over the top.
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
It was a nice listen but I can't say I was too impressed.
Dolly Parton
4/5
A nice album of trio ladies who definitely know their harmonies. What you miss are some highlights but I guess that's sweet country folk for you.
OutKast
4/5
This album was so big in my youth and relistening to it now, it really holds up the test of time. Two solo albums by the duo incorporated in a double album with rare appearances on both of them worked because it would introduce people to more genres like on The Love Below or just a better way to rap like on Speakerboxxx. And while the former is the more innovative, interesting one, I found the first half better in consistent quality.
Some of the stuff was even annoying back in the days like the skits and intros. No one needs them. Otherwise, great listen and highly recommended!
Eagles
4/5
The Eagles are a singles band to me. I have a knack for their harmonies combined with the country rock of the earlier albums. I still can't dig the opener but really enjoy 'Witchy Woman' and others. I wouldn't listen toe the album that many times again but pick out some of the best tunes.
The Damned
2/5
Ah, another of those historically interesting but then just a bit boring punk albums!
Grateful Dead
5/5
This is a great live album with the remarkable quality that it either works as something you listen to very closely or has the power to run in the background and spurs you on to do some great creative work.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
The dream pop of the late 80s and 90s knows better albums. Still this is a worthwhile listen of this great band.
Snoop Dogg
5/5
Snoop's classical album is a must listen for every golden age rap fanboy. The beats are g-funk at its best and the lyrics - while extremely sexualized - always funny because of that. Don't take it too seriously but enjoy the relaxed wild ride.
Dwight Yoakam
3/5
Nice country record that still misses something to make it kinda unique for someone who's not too much into country.
Marvin Gaye
5/5
Okay, I'm going to say it: This album is not only one of Gaye's best works but maybe even better than the well known What's Going On. The music is more interesting (the drums) and Gaye works with many harmonies. Maybe it doesn't win out thematically but it is the better bedroom music.
The Dictators
4/5
This record is fire and really doesn't let up after you started it. Funny and charming.
The Stone Roses
5/5
This album gives now, in the year 2023, an almost melancholic and nostalgic vibe. I love it! Rich but not overburdened instrumentation that creates a room to breathe for the vocals about love and desire.
Eels
4/5
A good album with more relaxing and fun tunes and experimental stuff. A great example for a helpful discovery.
Calexico
4/5
When I hope for some more progressive country music it is something like this record I have in mind. While a bit too eclectic here and there I very much enjoyed it.
Bob Dylan
4/5
This is a classical Dylan album and one of his best works. There is nothing much to say except praises. However, I personally don't find Dylan that impressive compared to other big names like Cave, Cohen or Waits. Hence I can just rate it 4 stars.
Brian Eno
4/5
Eno's works are usually a hit and miss for me and I didn't think much of this album at first. The opening tracks are not that interesting but the later works like 'Sombre Reptiles' really have a strange charm to it. Very much recommended!
Arcade Fire
4/5
To me this sounds like a happier version of Timber Timbre. I enjoy it very much even if some of the music is a bit too formulaic here and there.
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
I appreciate the effort of this project but 69 songs that are all short are just too long. This makes this album even for a background listen too annoying after a while. The theme love is also a bit, well, overdone, innit?
Supergrass
3/5
So far Supergrass didn't really impress me but I do like this album as a nice, direct approach.
Gorillaz
3/5
In my youth I was tormented by the omnipresence of the song Clint Eastwood. The video was a big misleading as well. Now, listening to the whole album, I discovered a lot more. It is a decent listen but the 2nd half feels rather dull. Ironically enough, it's also the part with more and more dub elements which is a genre of the reputation to be a bit meandering.
Jane's Addiction
4/5
Two parts make this album: The first half is solid hard rock and the second half more progressive (musically as well as lyrically). I like the second one more! Recommendation for all music fans.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
3/5
A great, more mature country/folk album that still could be darker so it deserves the subgenre 'gothic folk'. So, yeah, one could've seen even more darkness!
Kacey Musgraves
3/5
Nice listen with a health mix of styles. They should've not used drum computers on some of the songs. It really makes some parts of the music artificial.
Echo And The Bunnymen
5/5
This really is a great album that doesn't really qualify as post-punk anymore since it is not that much punk left anymore - and that is very much a good thing! I thoroughly enjoyed these dreamy (but not too dreamy) landscapes of music.
Milton Nascimento
5/5
A great album that shows how much is going on in Brazil music wise. Is this tropical rock or how it's called? Maybe even better.
The The
4/5
A nice post punk record that gets going in the 2nd half after a bit of weak start.
Guided By Voices
3/5
Short tracks that do what they need to do. But I do wonder what to make of this album. It all feels a bit like a soup and not a collection of stand out songs.
Missy Elliott
3/5
Missy Elliots music with its sex positive attitudes was certainly something and the album is better than I thought after I just vaguely remembered the singles. However, it has the problems of many other hip hop albums that just deals with, well, hip hop. It's all very self-absorbed in a way and so I didn't care so much either when Beyoncé popped up. A different time, I guess. Nothing you really need to listen to.
Peter Tosh
3/5
Peter Tosh's own solo work is these days hugely underrated. In the never-stopping output of reggae music, most people don't know the big classics except Bob Marley. And while the work Tosh's former comrade is still enjoyable, you get more from Tosh's discography.
But then I do wonder why 'Legalize It' is on the list. As his first solo effort, it's fine. But compared to the later albums I consider it to be his weakest. Sure, some of the elements that makes Tosh's music great are already there (that is to carefully enrich it with some non-reggae elements which Tosh did way better than Marley) but it is not as good as the follow-up 'Equal Rights' or 'Bush Doctor'.
Metallica
5/5
There are two albums in the discography of Metallica which will always get a lot of flak: This one here, also known as The Black Album, and the later released 'St. Anger'. Both albums are pretty good in their own right though.
This one here gets flak because people who have usually no clue of metal or even hard rock know some of Metallica's singles and think they are cool enough. It's the surface of an iceberg. But that can still be magnificent enough, can't it? 'Enter Sandman', 'Don't Tread on Me' or, yes, even 'Nothing Else Matters' are all great songs. It's certainly a worthwhile album to get more into this band.
Steely Dan
4/5
Some albums who bend genres have problems to satisfy all the needs of the genre. But on this album Steely Dan has a very attractive mix of songs that are easy accessible but more complex than you might imagine. It's wonderful blend of jazz rock and pop.
The Strokes
2/5
There was a big hype around The Strokes when they were around back in the days. As someone who grew up with older rock music I always wondered what my contemporaries found in them. Didn't they just sound like a little updated version of The Kinks and other bands?
Now, years later after I got recommended this album, I still stand by my opinion. The music is solid albeit surprise free. I'd rather listen to some old school stuff.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
Sinatra's best album will always be 'In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning' which captures the melancholy swing at best. This one here is great too with some of his most famous tunes. But these days one might deem it a bit much of a rather standard collection of songs.
Slipknot
1/5
I never liked Slipknot and I never will. Most metal like this is shit whether you call it alternative metal, groove metal or nu metal. Growling and boring shredding of guitar. Get the fuck outta here.
Cocteau Twins
5/5
You want to know what hides behind the subgenre 'dream pop'? Well, here you have it. 'Treasure' is the most well-known example of this genre that gave people of the late 80s and then 90s room to breathe in this new world why also highlighting the mysterious aspects of it. It is no wonder why songs of this album got often used in films (like 'Lorelei' in 'Mysterious Skin'). Listen to this!
Saint Etienne
2/5
I know that the 90s sample music with breakbeats has its place in music history but I can't really enjoy it that much. It's like hip hop without good lyrics but not lively enough to enjoyed as instrumental pieces. Okay for some background music.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
I can't really deal with the Arctic Monkeys because their music sounds to frantic for me. Like you would put one of the veteran Britpoppers into a time machine and let them out in a wild time - but not for the better. Their music suffers. Hence I was sceptical about this side project of their frontman. But he said he loved Bowie so...
Yeah, it sounds a bit like Bowie. And Western music. It is a great combination of these sounds. But then the singing starts and, well, yeah, I can enjoy the music but not the singing. Hence it's a solid album to me but nothing I will listen to too often.
Songhoy Blues
4/5
This is some fine African blues music. I can't really say too much to the genre other than it sounded exactly like I wanted it to sound. Not sure that is good or bad but you can't really say anything bad about the quality of these songs.
Missy Elliott
3/5
Missy Elliots music with its sex positive attitudes was certainly something and the album is better than I thought after I just vaguely remembered the singles. However, it has the problems of many other hip hop albums that just deals with, well, hip hop. It's all very self-absorbed in a way and so I didn't care so much either when Beyoncé popped up. A different time, I guess. Nothing you really need to listen to.
Rush
3/5
I'm a huge prog rock nerd and have an incredibly unpopular opinion: Rush is... not good. No, they don't suck but considering how good they are in many rankings I find them incredibly overrated. That goes for this album as well. 'Moving Pictures' is fine enough but when it comes to high nasal singers and complex musicality they are nothing compared to Jon Anderson and Yes. The album gets better later but it can't be saved from being medicore - especially considering that so many better releases came beforehand.
Ryan Adams
3/5
I never heard much by Adams. This album was fine, a nice rock'ish and popp'ish collection of songs.
Le Tigre
4/5
Wonderful post-funk. Too much feminist focused for an old macho like me (not really) but I appreciate the raw energy with the clever use of the back-and-forth vocals. Jolly good!
The Louvin Brothers
3/5
While it could be considered a somewhat conceptual album it was just too much of the same on a long line of songs. Ok to listen to, nothing special.
Finley Quaye
2/5
I found this to be a bit of an underwhelming reggae record that try to incorporate different elements but ultimately didn't bring too much to the table.
Dirty Projectors
4/5
A great find by this list. The female vocals and the baroque elements combined with electronics and the instrumentations make every song a journey. I would say that some of those songs are too similar to each other. The male vocals can't keep up either. Certainly something I'd listen to again and again.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
I'm really not the biggest fan of the Pet Shop Boys. Their music is easily accessible, it's danceable but also dated and not interesting in-depth. However, this was a better album and it's all right.
M.I.A.
4/5
Everyone knows 'Paper Planes' which is a great song - but not on this album. Instead M.I.A. gives us more of her trademark style in a combination of East Asian pop music, ragga and British hip hop. It is really unique among all the releases in the hip hop genre out there and some songs are fire. At some point you want to skip tracks though. Again, less could've been more!
Suicide
2/5
It's rather dull listen. While there are some nice playarounds with instruments and I'm sure the loops at the time were a new thing, these days I don't find the appeal. It's cocktail rock music in a way.
Manu Chao
2/5
Never liked Manu Chao's music too much. It always sounded like hipster reggae music to me for people who didn't bother to go into reggae and rather lavished the idea of being some sort of pot smoker on a Saturday evening. They would listen to this music and 'chill' - and that's about it. There is not much interesting stuff on this album but a solid, sometimes boring stream of quality. That's why it makes more of a background listen.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
I'm a big fan of Neil Young's work but till this day don't know too much about this great supergroup and their individual talents. I do like their debut a lot more but the first album with Young is still a great listen. 'Helpless' is an ageless classic that even my aunt and uncle danced as young lovers in the GDR too.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
It's a nice feel good album with a rather boring singer who would benefit from a wider range.
I'm an occasional listener of U2 and find 'The Joshua Tree' is one of the best rock albums out there. This one here? Well, it's alright. They wrote a lot of better stuff. The opening track sets the course for a straightforward, somewhat mellow but rather highlight-less album by this band which can do a lot better.
The War On Drugs
5/5
Before listening to this album I knew not much of the band except their name and some fame in the indie rock scene. After listening to 'Lost in The Dream' I'm again very happy for this project that let me find albums like this.
This is a very good album that shouldn't be classified as indie rock anymore. We don't have your usual guy v-nick shirt guys here but something that leans more into the areas of psychedlia and shoegaze without being one of these overlong, meandering albums. The musical vastness of these songs actually mean something here and gives the lyrics room to breathe. I will check out more of this band, especially these later albums!
The Killers
2/5
I remember people listening to this band and album by people who hadn't much knowledge of rock music in general. It was exhausting how many people thought this was somewhat of a pinnacle of good music when it is just the similar stuff that has happened before. Some catchy chorus (if that) and power chords. And if they didn't know what else to do they'd use the keyboards.
But I don't want to just shit on it. A song like All the things I've done is great and all in all it can be seen as a solid release. My problem is the participation in this list. No, you don't really miss anything - not even as a negative example - when you don't listen to Hot Fuss.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Certainly an enjoyable album by a talented lady that carefully updates blue-eyed soul. It was music for a certain generation which hadn't been in contact with the soul music of old. Winehouse gives a helpful introduction. Her own music was always a good gateway but nothing I'd consider it too special.
G. Love & Special Sauce
3/5
These drums and the bass! So great. But G. Love isn't the best songwriter. Lots of the stuff sounds the same and the style gets tiresome. Sure, this is way better than other alternative hip hop that steps into country territory. But it's not good enough. Less would've been more.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
A great album that makes a lot of all the musical talents involved in this. It also shows greatly how rocky funk & soul can be. I still prefer some Curits Mayfield and others of the said genres.
Digital Underground
3/5
One of the classic albums of hip hop and on that verge of being old school and the golden age of the nineties. It is really impressive how many samples, programmed drums, synths and live instruments were combined for these beats. The lyrics and their flowery delivery is not that interesting compared to that. A fun listen but there are more interesting albums of that era.
The Replacements
4/5
This album starts being a bi of a late punk record where one's a bit inclined to stop the listen. But the 2nd half is really great, tarting with the little ballad 'Androgynous' which doesn't seem to much of a thing these days but was something in the 1980s.
So, yeah, a 'Just okay' first half and a great 2nd half.
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
As many other people I know Sufjan Stevens through the film Call Me By Your Name. His songs there have the perfect place there because they are used outside of the album context. On length I don't find Stevens's music as convincing. This album here as some little filler skits I don't really need. Also you soon notice the formula for the album. Still, the use of the horns is great. I might check out other albums by Stevens.
Bert Jansch
3/5
It's a great folk album but I prefer Jansch's work as part of Pentangle where there is a bit more musical variety. This album here should've been more about Scottish folk music I find.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
Another Nick Cave album on the list and of course I love it. One might wonder why it is Henry's Dream of all the albums because Nick and the band often talked about some dissatisfaction with the production as well as the musical direction. Originally, Nick wanted it all to sound like Brazilian raw street music, raw and estatic use of acoustic guitars etc. What came out of it was a bit different but still one can see the ideas behind it. Dark energy, American gothic landscapes and obscure characters. Never has Nick Cave more been the dark preacher character than here.
My favourite song is one of the quietest though: "Christina the Astonishing" with its medieval vibes tells the story of a saintly woman that hates sin.
But let's face it, every track is great on its own and "Straight To You" one of Nick's best love songs.
The Sugarcubes
4/5
A powerful, fun little album but I found the female singer a bit too annoying on some of the tracks. It felt like the band relied too much on her even though they had great musical ideas of their own.
The Thrills
3/5
One of these albums that make a background listen in the positive sense. It has enough character to liste closely but till then it gives you a sort of peace.
PJ Harvey
4/5
I very much adore PJ Harvey and her work but I personally like her later, more in-depth and less straightforward alternative rock more. 'Dry' is still a great album that gets all its energy from the emotional force that PJ Harvey brings across.
Beck
5/5
While I don't listen to Beck that much, this album shows this talent of a man Ed Sheeran wants to be. Beck really brings everything together here with great musical ideas and without any rap stuff but rather obscure piano chords here and there. I love it!
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Lots of people were disappointed when Springsteen ditched the band for this solo album but I think in the long run it really helped him to be a great songwriter. These stripped down stories of characters who struggle are haunting. It's not rock music, it's not folk, it's not blues but also not your singer-songwriter dreaming. 'Nebraska' contains a different spirit that you can't properly locate within the boundaries of these genres. And that makes it so great. In my top list of Springsteen albums it might not be number 1 but certainly in the top 5. As we all know, he made many great ones.
Best tracks: 'Atlantic City' & 'State Trooper'
Various Artists
3/5
Most know selected tunes. Listening to them in the length of an album they don't make much sense as a collection. Just to similar in its Spector sound. OK but not on my list of great Christmas albums.
4/5
Everyone knows this album and it is great but I personally rate Revolver or Abbey Road as the best albums by The Beatles. Shoot me.
The Who
4/5
The Who is a great band and 'Tommy' certainly shaped the subgenre of the rock opera. Not so sure that it works though because I find many tracks to similar. Great is that the band really works very well together. You don't hear it as a Pete Townsend composition but as an collective effort to tell a story.
N.E.R.D
4/5
I'm positively surprised by this album. I just remembered some singles of the past of N.E.R.D. that sounded like they tried to hard. Listening to the full album, it really has some funky rock sounds that tries to have their own soul. It might not have worked on every track but it is certainly above average.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Another classical Bob Dylan album. I appreciate the serious efforts but still can't say I'm a big fan of his music.
Beatles
5/5
This album is certainly one of my favourite albums by this great band. The first tracks with the grandiose opener Come Together in particular set the mood for a joyride that goes up and down, louder and quieter. The Beatles showed what a versatile band they were.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
5/5
The debut of the best harmonics group. Something between rock, country and folk that gives a very calming feeling. It's kind of a meditation I find. Definitely an entry that deserves to be on this list!
Beth Orton
4/5
A nice singer with some thoughtful songs. It's not as complex as PJ Harvey, not as lush as Feist but also no dream pop either - but then more than that. It's an easy listen without it being easy listening. I enjoyed this rather approachable listen.
PJ Harvey
4/5
A powerful album by this great artist who has the balls to be aggressive, bizarre or sad. While I still prefer PJ Harvey's later works, I do enjoy this raw energy.
Kings of Leon
3/5
I just know radio friendly stuff of this band so I was skeptical when this was recommended. After some rather dull openers I really liked it. It's not my favourite nor I find the album per se special - but it's a nice, uplifting mellow listening experience.
The Vines
4/5
A great garage rock, sort of grunge album. The Vines are musically more interesting than Nirvana to whom they often get compared. The album starts a bit low effort wise but gets better later.
ZZ Top
3/5
I did enjoy this album because it seemed it was bit more sophisticated than other releases by ZZ Top. Nonetheless I don't feel they need to be on this list. For me it's just a rather standard rock album.
The Coral
3/5
Bit of an odd collection that is diverse in musical styles but the individual tracks could have had more character.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
2/5
"Relax" and "The Power of Love" are two amazing songs and masterpieces of 80s pop. But this album is not. Whether Trevor Horn really dabbled with everything the band created or not (these at least are the rumours), the album feels really inconsistent. Why is the big title track on number 2? Why do they needed to make a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Born To Run"? Why is the track order so incoherent? Why do some songs need to make references to other music in that very on the nose way?
This is an example of a collection of songs that don't really feel like a proper album. I therefore can just rate it 2 out of 5 stars.
David Bowie
4/5
Another great album by David Bowie. What is there more to say? Well, maybe that 'Low' is more interesting for example. Still a great listen with the top track 'Changes'.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Most people know this classic rock album. Some say it is soft rock. Well, damn good music is what is! And that is because Fleetwood Mac have always been able to point out more the roll in Rock'n'Roll. Few bands are able to pull this off. Think about that.
Miles Davis
4/5
Miles Davis and his comrades do a lot of a interesting stuff in these songs but it makes you wonder why this list has a compilation album like this in its ranks? Like many albums of that type it is a bit disjointed and allover the place. Miles David has a lot more interesting releases in his catalogue that actually work as an album. It's still a great listen though.
Super Furry Animals
4/5
This albums shows a variety of musical skills that spans many genres but at some point you wonder why one of the songs needs a industrialesque outro. In that respect I liked this wild journey but some songs felt like they wanted to be experimental just for the sake of being different - and not to write a good song.
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
For me it's a relatively easy going background listen. Nothing too spectacular.
The Verve
5/5
This album is a masterpiece of the 1990s Britpop. Listening to it it now, it transports me back into a different time. Some people called The Verve and their frontman Ashcroft a bit of a buffoon here and there but I think that just was - if at all - true for the latter's solo albums. 'Urban Hymns' is a definitely one of the more sophistcated Britpop albums that surpasses the musically-not-that-complex works of Oasis but also Blur very easily. It surprises you how psychedelic some of the indeed longer songs are. Still, the album could've been a bit shorter, two or three tracks in the latter half maybe. But that is one of the only nitpickings I have. Definitely check this one out!
Gram Parsons
4/5
Mellow rock album with many lovers tunes. It's enjoyable
Tortoise
4/5
This is a great post rock album that has strong bonds to prog rock but without going over the top. Especially the percussion helps to keep the music a bit grounded. It has some sort of meditative element that allows you to be shaken up by the world around it.
Marilyn Manson
2/5
I don't like Marilyn Manson. A singer that was so much up his own ass with half-baked Nietzsche interpretations helming a rock band that was so obsessed with shocking and style that their music really was only mediocre.
This album is the only one listenable. Still, it's not really interesting musically or lyrically. For a big concept album approach they had in mind it would've been better to change things up a bit.
Def Leppard
3/5
If you like 80s rock music you will love that album. But if you are like me it's all just a bit 'meh'.
The Cramps
4/5
An odd but unique mixture between disco and punk. The Cramps definitely paved the way for musical blends that came after them.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
I liked that other album on this list by this band more. 'Loveless' has some nice musical ideas but it really feels all a bit messy and unclear - not surprising given the chaotic history of making that album.
The Roots
5/5
The Roots provided one of the last but best entries to the neo soul that came up since the mid 90s. Seldomly hip hop was that abstract in sound but got held together by tight lyrics. It's a masterpiece but maybe not the best album by this great band because it takes a while to find access to.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
Another all right country album that just misses a bit of that special flair that would make it stand out among this genre of often too similar sounding genre.
Tori Amos
3/5
I like experimental pop. This is all right. However, I prefer Kate Bush. Tori Amos is an artist in her own right but to me she'll just not as interesting as Bush.
Radiohead
4/5
Radiohead is certainly a great, innovative band and this album is more accessible than Kid A as their other great 'different' work. I still miss something with them. Maybe it is just Thom Yorke's singing or that certain special instrument. A great album you don't go wrong with.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
Absolutely deserved to be on this list. Brubeck as a piano player might not be as versatile as others but he definitely has a great feeling for harmonies and so gives his co-players the perfect backdrop. Everyone knows 'Take Five' but you definitely need to check out them other tunes!
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
Arguably one of the best, if not the best album bei Neil Young & Crazy Horse (a close contender would be on the beach). It has the typical Neil Young sound with the edgy guitar and the country rockish groove without replicating any cowboy clichés. Hell, there's even a song about cowgirls on here!
Every track is a banger on here. Most noteworthy is the trippy "Down by the river" and Young's guitar interplay with Danny Whitten. The two guitars in dialogue is one of the best of its kind in rock music. Another important track is "Running Dry" which sounds very folky and makes great use of the violin as the only other guest instrument.
Listen to this!
The Zutons
5/5
Some albums just have this certain ear for great song structures. That's one of them.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
It's one of these rather harmless rock rap combos. Not bad and groovier than many other albums in a similar direction but nothing I would've put on this list.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
4/5
This sounds a bit like The Smiths but less melancholic and more upbeat. Great album that could've stood out more on some of the tracks
Isaac Hayes
5/5
One of the best soundtracks ever - and certainly enjoyable as a stand alone album to give you a nice evening at home or at a party. Hayes' arrangements leave so much room to breathe which is not always working in soul music but here if really does.
John Grant
3/5
Without knowing to much of Grant or The Czars I think it's a decent listen but more for the background.
The Young Gods
3/5
A promising start ends in a rather self-absorbed show of a certain style.
Tom Waits
5/5
Amazing live performance that encompasses every bit of talent Tom Waits has. His players are amazing too.
Fugees
4/5
Hip hop has not that often bought the right people together to combine softer hip hop without losing any steam or hardness. Certain tracks stand out obviously.
Giant Sand
3/5
This is one of these albums that gets you with its unique style on the opening tracks but then it just stays the same. Howie Gelb might be a good producer and man for writing music but his voice is not enough to carry an album, especially not in that quiet style alone.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Great record but the 2nd side is not as convincing as the beginning of the record.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
One of my favourite Neil Young albums with great opener and closer and of course great trucks like "Pocahontas". It has the right energy that combines the softer and the harder sounds.
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
I'm not the biggest expert on jazz so I don't really know what makes this album stick out to be put on this list. For something that was released in 1986 I heard a lot of things that were already used in the decades prior. I don't see the innovative justification to put it on here. A decent listen, sure, but no classic to me.
The Beach Boys
5/5
It is one of the more mature albums by this great band that did so much for pop and rock music. What's there more to say?
New Order
4/5
It's alright for what it is. Too dancy tunes don't work so well with the more rock tunes.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
The Wailers weren't the same after Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer left. 'Natty Dread' then marked the sound of Bob Marley with his a bit of rock influenced stuff. It was never as important as the first two albums for the the innovation in reggae music. It's still a great album though with many tunes Bob Marley was famous for. While it lacks a bit of the magic it is still a great listen.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
CCR created amazing songs over time but I always felt that they are more of a hits and single band. Sure, they created tons of them that can fit many best of collections. And maybe rightfully so. 'Green River' is surely great but I prefer indeed one of the mentioned collections.
Jungle Brothers
4/5
A great early hip hop record.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Great album by a great duo. There are few things to complain about if at all. I did find the 'skittish' bits unnecessary. Hence why I give it only four stars.
Doves
4/5
A great album with its own style
Hawkwind
4/5
Hawkwind is great and these live performances show it. But, damn, two long discs like that? Jeez.
The Cult
3/5
I don't know if The Cult would've been a more interesting band if they'd followed their earlier approach. It's a good album but I didn't find it very impressive.
Alanis Morissette
2/5
Alanis Morissette is well known to anyone who had to endure mainstream radio stations. Is the album as good as one of the single which was - to be fair - quite all right? Nah. To me it was just background noise and more an artifact of the time it was made in than music I would listen to in my free time.
Richard Hawley
4/5
This album feels like an odd mix of Frank Sinatra's In the Wee Small Hours, a bit of Morrissey and Timber Timbre + country elements. It's a nice concept album about the lonely people of the night but it is a bit too long. As with most of concept albums like this, less would be more to keep the style over time.
Radiohead
4/5
Is Radiohead prog? Yeah, because they tried out different things with a combination of electronics and rock on that album. I don't think everything works and soon it drifts off a bit in the background which I mainly attribute to Thom Yorke who is just not to me for a long period of time. Still a good album.
Mike Oldfield
5/5
One of the most iconic albums of prog rock made by a very young man. The actor and musician Matt Berry calls it his favourite album - for a good reason. It's pure atmosphere from beginning to end. It can help you write, dream, imagine and also relax. Just one reason why it was used for the soundtrack of The Exorcist.
Marianne Faithfull
4/5
It's a great pop album by a legendary singer. In fact, I find that this electronic sounds really helps to give more of contrast to Faithfull's rather raspy voice than many other instruments she had and would sing with.
Meat Puppets
3/5
This album has its merits whenever the band strays away from the punk formula and emphasises the groove of their music which is certainly hidden there. Lots of potential but in this form not something I'd put on a list of the greatest albums ever.
Marty Robbins
4/5
Big Iron is well known and the epitome of these songs that transport the lonesome rider cowboy figure
Orange Juice
3/5
An alright record. I can't say much more to be honest.
U2
4/5
Nothing will ever beat 'The Joshua Tree' but this one is a nice effort.
Dr. John
5/5
Atmosphere is the one thing that should be used to describe Dr. John's debut album. While the voodoo stuff might all be a bit obscure and maybe cliché ridden it surely works as a proper setting for this album you should listen in summer evenings and nights with that certain aura of mysteriousness. But for all the great sounds in the percussion work there are proper relaxing tunes too - 'Mama Roux' must be one of those few songs that are sexy, cool and laid-back enough for a little bit of openmindedness (if you get my meaning).
I absolutely adore this album. Dr. John made some other great records which are certainly good - but in a different, less psychedelic and challenging way.
The Youngbloods
5/5
This is an actual great psychedelic-yet-very melodic album that sounds not too hard like other psychedelic stuff - and that is its secret strength. Love it.
Killing Joke
4/5
One of the first industrial rock records apparently - but what you hear is a harder version of Tubeway Army I find. Still, that isn't so bad. It takes a bit to get used to the style but it clicks and is certainly a unique listening experience. Singer and his synthesizer give it the certain spicy style.
Neil Young
5/5
It's another great album by Neil Young. What is more to say?
Steve Earle
3/5
Yet another country album that is alright as a background listen but misses the certain special element that makes it stick out of the many releases in country music.
Bob Dylan
2/5
Maybe it's because of that one bastard from school times who looked like him and was an arsehole, but I have a hard time with Bob Dylan. I don't want to diminish his accomplishments as a musician and lyricist. Still, there's always something incredibly annoying of how Dylan delivers his song. "Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts" is something I always have to skip when I hear it. It's all so off. He has great tracks, but this albums (the one with the tracks, you know?!) I have to skip or listen to only some songs of it.
Curtis Mayfield
5/5
Smooth as it should be. Curtis Mayfield is not only a great texter but also writer of music. You can hear it in every track but Beaton Freddie's dead.
Scott Walker
4/5
Another interesting special album with tongue-in-cheek humour that contrasts nicely with the grandiose orchestration. I liked this more than the other Walker album.
Beatles
5/5
This is the best album of the Beatles. It shows that they could've been a prog rock band if they'd continued. I don't even mean Eleanor Rigby but all those other elements hidden in the songs. The culmination is Tommorrow Never Knows that is so innovative it still beats most songs of today easily.
Kings of Leon
3/5
I was interested in earlier albums of Kings of Leon. This one is alright but it kind of laid out while they became a bit boring
Stan Getz
5/5
A classic of the Bossa Nova genre. If you just need one Bossa Nova album it is this.
Bonnie Raitt
3/5
Love and pop. You don't need it but it's fine for an evening of lovers.
T. Rex
4/5
There is a great feeling for groove in these songs. Still you can't shake the feeling that T. Rex is a bit of "dad rock". Might be unfair to say it but yeah.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
One of the best rock albums that show all of Hendrix's talent.
k.d. lang
5/5
A versatile and somehow calming listening about the evergoing topic of love.
Country Joe & The Fish
5/5
One of the best psychedelic rock record that really worked with what the genre wanted to do.
Ice T
4/5
Surely a classic but I agree with critics that the album has too many filler tracks like so many other albums too. They also have the overdone style of the time by ending a verse with the words of the title track.
Marvin Gaye
5/5
I tell you what: The very similar drum and percussion arrangements can get annoying no matter how great the rest of the album is. That why I give it 4 stars even though I want to give 5.
David Ackles
4/5
Piano ballads of a harsher kind. It's not Nick Cave yet but worthwhile enough. Only over time you notice that the album would've been more with fewer tracks.
Wilco
2/5
Nah. Not for me. It wasn't really getting somewhere.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
If you make a morbid list of the albums an artist released shortly before his death this one would be one of the greatest, hands down. Cohen gives no quarter as the title track is already very dark. What follows are other songs of longing facing the end of this hard life. 'Treaty' is also another great contribution describing an interesting contractual social relationship with one's God. Maybe that's one of the few things that could give us a little bit more security considering we can't ever know the answers to the big questions.
What a masterpiece. Rest in peace, Mr Cohen. You were one of the best lyricists music ever had to offer.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
2/5
Not for me. It is yet another addition of something something rap and rock which was very popular in the 1990s. But was it actually good? Did it pass the test of time? I would disagree.
Derek & The Dominos
4/5
A great blues album that doesn't need to put its famous title track so much out front - all the other songs are great as well.
Mott The Hoople
4/5
David Bowie produced these guys and was a big fan. You can hear why. As Bowie fan, hungry for more, this is a food choice.
Thelonious Monk
3/5
Monk is one of the best pianists of jazz music. You will always here his distinct brilliant style that shows how important rhythm is.
I'm not sure though if this album is the best example of his talent. His band mates are great but they overshadow up a bit of his talent I find
Maybe it's just me but I prefer Monk with very sparse co-instrumentation.
Van Morrison
5/5
Van Morrison pushes me into so many conflicting emotions. Some of his albums are overrated wailing (Astral Weeks, 2 Stars) and others show his powers as a singer and composer. This very bluesy but powerful and uplifting albums is one of the better. In fact, it's a masterpiece and deserves its title as one of the best live albums ever recorded.
Mudhoney
2/5
Another entry that shoes a certain preference of the 1990s and grunge, alternative and similar genres. Not a bad collection of songs per se but it's certainly no album I need to listen to before I die. Everything I heard here I heard in punk before.
The Saints
3/5
They are a great punk rock band but why are the horns gone after the first track? With them all of the later songs could have a more interesting structure.
Bauhaus
5/5
A great album that is really fascinating with its... groove. Yes, that's right. Bauhaus never wanted to be labeled as 'gothic rock'. While their music is dark and the title track shows this perfectly (as 'Hollow Hills', my favourite) other songs really put the drums and bass to the forefront and let it roll nicely. If you read up on the band it's not that surprising since they loved reggae. All in all, this album is an atmospheric journey that keeps you invested in each track. One of the highlights of this list.
Queen Latifah
2/5
This album was hailed as a great masterpiece of female hip hop. It seems to me only be interesting from that regard. Production, lyrics, delivery - all that got better around the same time or later on other albums. To me, this album feels a lot more dated than other albums of the time.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
4/5
Forceful yet playful music that could even work with less glam but more prog. And that's what I find very fascinating: Each of these songs seem straightforward enough but each of them could develop into something completely different.
The Incredible String Band
4/5
It's nice folk rock album with lots of energy.
Elton John
3/5
Good album but many tracks sound the same
Elton John
4/5
This is the hallmark of Elton John's albums. But you must like his style. I find that under the exciting arrangements there's always a bit of a similiar formula.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Big fan of CCR but I found their 2nd album actually a bit boring. The title track, Proud Mary and the long simple but effective Graveyard Train are superb but the rest is a lot of filler stuff I have to say.
4/5
I always liked The Verve more but you can't deny that oasis were musically better than most gave them credit for. Don't look back in anger and the overplayed wonderwall are actually great and catchy songs. So is the rest. In the end, I'd always prefer something more versatile.
Stephen Stills
4/5
A big album by the great guitarist. It's a good listen that unfolds it magic after multiple listenings.
George Harrison
5/5
Not the first album after the breakup of the Beatles (that was Ringo with a collection of swing tunes) but surely the one that matters. The title track is best in the acoustic version and the infamous My Sweet Lord really can stand on its own feet. This record shows that Harrison could helm a project. It has these carefully used gospel elements, not too heavy, that make every rock album better.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
This is one the best albums by nick cave and the Bad Seeds. Every song a twisted or black humour story. Many people talk about Stagger Lee or Where the wild roses grow. But already The opener Song of Joy and the later Lovely Creature are amazing.
The Dandy Warhols
4/5
A bit psychedelic, a bit darker here but powerful on other tracks. I enjoyed it after all these years never really getting into these guys.
Incubus
3/5
Incubus were always a softer part of the nu metal subgenre but also a bit more complex. Maybe more alternative rock. The album shows that. While the turntables often feel pointless there is more going on with the rhythm section as you'd expect. Brandon Boyd is ok as a singer but not too interesting for such a long run time.
All in all, it's ok but nothing that should've made this list.
Neu!
4/5
Krautrock that goes surprisingly relaxing for most of the time. It has something to it.
Nick Drake
5/5
One of the best albums of rightful classics of folk. Nick Drake sings sweet and charming and melancholic but still mellow and inviting.
5/5
I really enjoyed this album. It's string heavy baroque pop album that ends with a melancholic call to adventure. Some tracks seem a bit too long and it takes a momet to get into it but it's quite something.
The xx
3/5
I was around when The xx were hyped. They certainly fitted a time that seemed to go too fast and needed some calmness. With some reminiscence of old Massive Attack songs but technically more pop (you can hear it in some ways the parts of the songs are connected to each other), it was often the simple man's version of "deep" music.
Well, is that assessment fair? The album is certainly OK to listen too. It's relaxing too. But something in me misses something. The dramatic setup of every song is very similar to the one before with the same instrumentation. It's this kind of music that gets you in the mood to listen to some different, better music.
Nick Drake
5/5
Love Nick Drake! Not sure if this is better than Pink Moon but the rich instrumentation surely does its job to assist the unique but sometimes a bit limited singing style of Drake. The lyrics are melancholic, reaching, never whimsical.
Miles Davis
4/5
It's one of the best ways to get into jazz fusion. Easier accessible than Bitches Brew.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
An amazing debut. Bullet in the head, know your enemy and Bombtrack are the best tracks. Also please appreciate this bass work.
Roxy Music
5/5
I enjoyed this wild ride a lot more than I thought I would. It has more coherence than earlier album by Roxy Music and show that Brian Ferry was a wild guy once.
Bee Gees
4/5
It's a lush, richly arranged album that embraces the big feelings without going to crazy. It's more interesting than most of the more poppier stuff the Bee Gees also released over time.
The Monks
3/5
This is some proto-punk that came even before prog-rock. Historically it is very interesting especially because of all the psychedelic elements as well. However, I don't like the music itself that much so I give this a middle rating.
Santana
5/5
This classical Santana album has everything you need including the wonderfully esoteric ambientish intro. We don't need to say anything about the hit songs.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
This album has some amazing arrangements in some nice twist on world music. But Wainwright is too much of a wailer to me.
Neil Young
5/5
One of the best album by Neil Young and the trademark sound he has.
Kid Rock
2/5
Obviously Kid Rock is a bit of a bellend. I wouldn't have listened to this album if it wasn't for this list. And that's again the main argument for me: This album doesn't deserve to be on this list. Others blended rap with other styles and did it better.
Still, I wouldn't say that this album is bad. It feels lame by today's standards but it's all right for a background listen. I was surprised to find out that Kid Rock can really play instruments and was involved in production and all that. It's an all right package. Nothing that sticks out and surely this crossover stuff runs its course very fast.
Sister Sledge
5/5
Such a great album. Everyone knows the title track that will surely make you dance. But there are so many other wonderful tunes on that album like You're a Friend to me and especially thinking of you. Both should be mandatory on every wedding playlist.
The Kinks
5/5
This is one of the best albums ever made. It came at a wrong time but it was very much needed because the times changed so fast and a view back - of course with some irony - is not so bad if it happens like here. Joyful melodies with that certain melancholy transported through folkish rock music that is not folk nor rock. And that makes it so great.
Lightning Bolt
2/5
Some food riffs and techniques but in the end I found it too meandering.
Marvin Gaye
5/5
Another great album by the master of soul music. From the opener to the later tracks its a good journey of up and down. I appreciate that the music is a bit more versatile than other albums while the lyrics are good soulful Marvin Gaye.
Depeche Mode
5/5
Depeche Mode is grand. They being their dark synth style to a new height with some interesting instrumentals in the later half of the album.
Carpenters
3/5
A nice pop record that makes you feel good
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
This album clearly cemented Nick Cave's status as one of a musical genius. It walked into a completely different direction than the weird humouresque 'Murder Ballads' released shortly before. It has sparse instrumentation (but no solo stuff, there's always at least one Bad Seed with Nick) and is focused on the confessions of a man with a broken heart. Here he was strongest in his lyrics with so much romantic imagery that made you feel everything the protagonist of these songs felt.
Much has been said about 'Into My Arms' or 'People Ain't No Good' so I like to highlight 'Lime Tree Arbour' and 'Brompton Oratory': The first one has amazing running baseline they never could produce live while the second one is a perfect combination of love and religion and why they can be so intertwined.
Crowded House
4/5
I just knew that one song. Now listening to a full album I appreciate Crowded House a lot more. I'd describe them as soft rock in a better sense. The bass player does a really good job.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
Frank Zappa and his mates are great musicians, no doubt about that. They are inventive, they are technically great. But all in all I never found their music interesting. They don't tie it all together to make great songs.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
Gets you in the mood with its first bars even though those ared deliberately irritating because they use disco sounds. The rest is salsa - really good one written with social thematic intent too. The only negative would be that on the length of an album the music is just a bit too similar.
Elliott Smith
3/5
Some interesting pop stuff. But it didn't really get me.
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
DJ Premier shows again how he's one of the best producers in hip hop. Jeru is alright. Not an album I would need to see on this list but you can't go wrong if you're in the mood for some good 90s eastcoast hop hop.
Bill Callahan
4/5
It's a soft, mellow country album. What Callahan lacks in depth of his voice (it's smooth though - just too smooth sometimes) he makes up for with great arrangements and lyrics. It's not your cowboy stuff.
Foo Fighters
3/5
Solid but that's about it. I never found the band too interesting.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
The first album by Cohen is certainly one of the best with all-time favourites like "Suzanne" and "The Sisters of Mercy". Cohen is a brilliant lyricist, a writer first and only then a musician. That makes him so great.
Beck
3/5
Beck is a talented musician but there is something about his music that makes it all very dated in a way. He is one of the few who really mastered using rapping with 'serious' music. But this album shows the barriers of this approach. What sounded great in 1996 just feels even annoying nearly 30 years later.
Erykah Badu
3/5
All right Album but I liked her later stuff more. After a while it's just unnecessary convoluted I find.
The Cure
3/5
The Cure has many great songs but the collection here starts to similar and stays this way.
T. Rex
4/5
Another good album by T-Rex with many good tunes. I just feel much of his style is very similar and not to a great interest to me.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Always heard of the band and never bothered to look into them. That might change now. In a positive way, they sound like Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and The Smiths were turned into one band. Some songs need more highlights maybe but that's by the by.
Black Sabbath
4/5
A classical album of hard rock with all the atmosphere you would need. I still think the album could've been less bluesy and more prog rock in some parts.
Herbie Hancock
5/5
One of the best jazz fusion albums that stars slowly but shows his brilliance over time. This band is in harmony and feel like a well oiled machine in the best sense. The last track is the best.
Iron Butterfly
4/5
Great rock album with a nice interplay of guitar and organ.
Kate Bush
4/5
It's not as great as Hounds of Love because the music feels to similar: Some good keyboard effects, drum machine and piano arpeggios. Still a good album.
Japan
5/5
This is a great album. The title track is even a bit misleading because the other tracks have more musical ideas and grandeur (for example "Other Side"). It showed that New Wave and Synth Pop could offer more than just a bit of funny dancing.
Ice Cube
5/5
It's one of his best albums. Great production and lyrics
Aerosmith
4/5
I wanted to hate that album since I never liked Aerosmith that much when they were used to torture my ears in the public radio. And when the first tracks started I felt I was right. However, with the following tracks this album really got it going. It's fun, it pumps.
Animal Collective
3/5
These guys have a huge talent but their mix of vocal harmonies and electronica often feels to antic. I feel like they don't allow their songs to breathe and hide behind a wall of effects and sounds which wouldn't be necessary.
Pere Ubu
4/5
If you find RIO like Univers Zero or Henry Cow to annoying you should start with these guys who bring a lot more punk attitude to the table. They influenced bands like The Birthday Party and you can hear why. What I like about this album that all the obscurities sound carefully crafted and intended for the quality of the song - and not just for the sake of being different. There are still some structures I miss here and there.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
4/5
This is a great synth pop album that sounds a bit like someone forced the Smiths to ditch any kind of connection to rock and pop music. But that might give this album not enough justice. The first track makes the album feel a harder then it will be in the end.
Deerhunter
3/5
Nice album but it all felt a bit too washy for me.
Carole King
4/5
A lovely singer and great tunes but you'd wish the mixing would've been better
Talk Talk
4/5
Talk Talk is a great band that knows how to combine the electric smooth sound with other elements and great handcrafted instrumental work. The lyrics are great too. The singing is just a bit too much of the same.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
Arguably one of his best albums and one of the best from any songwriter. That first track with first lines! But of course also the later tracks. Joan of Arc for example is another great one.
Devendra Banhart
3/5
This album feels like it should be on this list if it would've been shorter, better mixed, quality in fewer songs and those with a bit more instrumentation. It all sounds like Joker's Daughter covering Leonard Cohen. But whereas Cohen could carry his songs with guitar and help from musicians, but even more his lyrics, this is all a bit too fuzzy.
Boston
2/5
An all right album but I don't see much great stuff.
Julian Cope
3/5
I liked the guy's experimental outfit but it wasn't enough to grip my attention.
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
Great live album but I feel not one of the best as it is teased here. In my book, Evans did more and better on other albums.
James Taylor
3/5
It's a nice folk rock country blues hybrid that makes good use of some horns. It is just not something that I'd put on this list.
XTC
5/5
XTC is really a great discovery in this project. Another great album and more of their typical sound.
The Doors
5/5
Not just a classic because of the songs themselves - everyone is a banger - but also because as a debut of a band consisting of such young, hungry men AND as the dark end of the hippie movement. Everyone knows the big hits so I think that songs like The Crystal Ship or Backdoor Man deserve more recognition. The first one is a melancholic ballad with amazing piano, the 2nd one a blues rock song with obscure humour.
Yes, this is one of the best albums ever and definitely deserves a place on this list - like many other albums by The Doors.
The Temptations
4/5
Great collections of big soul songs. Nowadays it might be something you heard enough in films etc but it's still good for every party.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
It's not my type of music but I respect it. They also sound like they gave the red hot chili peppers some inspiration. The best tracks here are the slower ones.
Drive Like Jehu
3/5
Not interesting enough for me on a musical level. I appreciate some good in your face stuff though.
Fred Neil
4/5
A great collection of songs that shows a more melancholic side of folk country. No doubt about Fred Neil's talents as a singer and songwriter but my favourite track is his version of Farethewell in more of a quieter treatment. The two big tracks are obviously The Dolphins and Everybody's talkin. I like the latter more in Nilson's version. He brings a bit more emotion into it which is sometimes a weakness of Neil. His deep voice doesn't suit every song. Combine that with some of the mixing which has very conservatively guitar on your left and the bass on the right. Here they could've done more even at the time the album was recorded.
Overall a good album that you definitely should listen to.
Brian Eno
3/5
Good stuff but not as interesting as Eno's other albums which had that special experimental character without being too much. Compared to those, this album sounds just a bit too standard.
Skepta
2/5
This album is not bad per se but it is nothing that needs to be on this list. I have a hard time seeing the appeal when hip hop already had so much more to offer that didn't make it to this list.
What we have here is a British rapper who tries to imitate every fashion in US hip hop over the last 15 years or so - including skits. British hip hop was already way better with Roots Manuva for example.
So... no. Two stars is enough for an album that definitely nothing I need to listen to before I die.
Ravi Shankar
4/5
Most people don't know much of Indian music so it's good that Shankar gives an intro here how it works. What follows is accessible music and usually not the parts of a long song you hear to illustrate a weed smoking scene in a film. It's great and atmospheric yet not too much.
Burning Spear
4/5
Certainly one of the best artist (artists at this point) and one of the best albums by Burning Spear. There's a seriousness but still gentleness to the music here, helped by an incredible backing band consisting of some or the best players or instruments in reggae. I personally prefer the first album a lot more but you can't go wrong with this masterpiece.
Elvis Costello
5/5
Elvis Costello has tons of great albums under his belt. This one is one of his best and a signature sound.
The Beach Boys
3/5
It's that classic sound. But as with other bands of this era, the later works are far more interesting.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Good album. Not as good as the others but I can still enjoy it.
Alice In Chains
2/5
Sure, Alice in Chains have their own sound, but I don't like it very much. It sounds early 90s dated. It's not really bad, but forgettable to me. Don't want to be mean, but it's not even average.
Donald Fagen
3/5
This would actually be an ok jazz pop album and is I guess. But the rehashed backing vocals/chorus effects are really annoying after a while...
Elliott Smith
3/5
This is an ok album that transports emotions but the singing style and the instrumentation isn't as interesting on album length. Yet another entry on this list of an album that is good in principle but nothing I need to listen to before I die.
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
The experimental studio technique to create all these sounds is surely something I respect, but this album is unlistenable to me. It begins with a track I thought was just an intro but then turns out to be, well, an actual track that feels way too long for only two and a half minutes. The rest of the album is kakophonic as well, but all without any theme. People here shat on Einstürzende Neubauten, but this here is the actual bad and annoying album.
Shuggie Otis
4/5
This is some great soul and funk.
U2
5/5
Man I missed out a lot by not listening to the earlier albums of U2. This is a great album with Seconds or New Year's Day as my favourite tracks. The rhythm group are the heart of U2 as you can hear here pretty well. I think it's even better than The Joshua Tree at some points.
Tim Buckley
3/5
Nice psychedelic pop. Not sure what to think about it for now. It's one of these albums that might grow on you.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
I got tormented with the RHCP over the years and especially "Californication". It is a good song but overplayed. The rest of the album seems mediocre. I don't even dislike the band but if I have to listen to them I go for their earlier funk rock albums which just have a certain character. This one here? Fine but not very spectacular and one of the albums that don't need to be on the list.
Fishbone
3/5
I kinda wanted to hate this after the opening. "Freddie's Dead" is just a classic that should lay in the hands of Curtis Mayfield and not be covered. But then the rest of the album really grew on me. Nothing I would listen to too often but nice enough.
Fugazi
2/5
It was alright but nothing that I needed to listen to.
Soft Cell
4/5
I just know that one big song. All in all, it is a good pop album that has too many tracks on it.
Sonic Youth
3/5
This is better than other albums by Sonic Youth but I don't really see much interesting stuff in it.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
I wasn't the biggest fans of other albums of LCD Soundsystem because their mixture of electro pop and rock felt too forced. This album is more coherent though and actually fun. The last track about new York doesn't really fit I find.
Jeff Buckley
3/5
You all know the big cover he got famous with. But the other songs are great too. I have more important Albums on my list though.
Public Image Ltd.
4/5
A great album that is something post-punk'ish, post-rock'ish, funky, groovy and still something you could also see Bauhaus or New Order doing if they'd a bit happier. While not everything works on the album it still really deserves to be on this list for that rhythm section alone!
Ozomatli
3/5
This band certainly has its own identity but to me the combination of salsa, other Latin fenres, rock and rap feels very dated. It's of that era I guess.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
This band is very creative in most of their endeavours but some albums just feel a bit too forced. Annoying like Jared Leto albeit talented. The is one of them.
Keith Jarrett
5/5
An amazing concert all by the power of the piano.
Jacques Brel
3/5
Nice live performance but the selection of songs isn't as interesting.
The Police
4/5
The Police did sold great stuff and this album is the best showcase for that. It also showed what Sting was able to pull off years later.
The Yardbirds
3/5
A great collection of classic blue influenced rock and roll. The Yardbirds were pioneers. Others did similar things, I knew their albums first, so I wasn't blown away by the album except one of two tracks.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
It's okay at best. I think every song sounds the same.
The Undertones
3/5
Nice Rock and roll but I couldn't see anything standing out to me.
Frank Sinatra
5/5
This is one of the first concept albums if you will: A man singing in loneliness about a broken heart. One of Sinatra's best album with lush arrangements.
Jamiroquai
4/5
This is Acid Jazz at its best - one might think since Jamiroquai is so connected with the genre. I say it is indeed cool but there could've been a bit more quality over quantity.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
After being tortured by the Pet Shop Boys over the radio for years I can't like them. I tried. But their stuff just sounds very similar without any highlights. I really don't get why there are three albums (!) so far of this band on this list. Some tracks are ok, sure, but nothing that is a highlight.
Peter Gabriel
5/5
While I prefer Gabriel's Genesis era, he really shows what a good musician he is. This poppy and funky but you also have some great prog leftovers in the mix. In this respect, he did a good and better genre transition than his old band. 'Don't give up' is a wonderful ballad.
Yes
5/5
"Fragile" is a great but unusual album in the discography of Yes. People find it sometimes disconnected because of the shorter, experimental songs that seem demos or solo works. And I understand that. 'Cans and Brahms' is really a bit pointless. But: The big songs like 'Roundabout', 'South Sie of the Sky', 'Long Distance Runaround' and especially 'Heart of the Sunrise' are some of the best works Yes ever created! In this respect, Yes newbies should listen to those songs and try to ignore the smaller bits to embrace the masterpieces of one of the defining prog rock bands.
Isaac Hayes
5/5
It's a masterpiece of soul-funk.
The White Stripes
4/5
It's a good album with some bluesy elements of a duo that works really well together. Rock music that deserved the attention it got back in the days.
Nico
3/5
Musically this is a good album with a focus on nice chamber pop arrangements with a hint of folk. The problem: The production doesn't highlight the player of instruments but Nico. As a singer, she's ok but not great. A whole album of her isn't nice enough. And I say that as a German myself: German accents in English are a bit cringy.
2/5
Wow, another punk album that's... punk. I can't deal with it.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
The first album, a classical piece of the roots reggae world, is the best of the Wailers. I love it to death. So why just 4 Stars? The original Jamaican versions are way better, more magical than the versions that got released later with the additional overdubs by Bob Marley and Chris Blackwell. You can understand why they added organ or electric guitar but it takes a certain rawness away from the songs.
The Pharcyde
5/5
A classic of the golden age of hip hop. Everything feels so smooth and easygoing. It's one of the albums that work as a nice background sound or as something to really listen closely.
R.E.M.
3/5
I was never the biggest fan of R.E.M. Their music is for me solid rock and pop stuff that can go on in the background for hours, but it doesn't move me even though the lyrics are written for big emotions. The singing style is also not the best on the delivery side I find. Still, it's solid.
Morrissey
5/5
It's an album that has Morrissey's known Smiths lyrics, but the different music, written and mainly performed by Stephen Street, is a pretty nice contrast. Morrissey did similar on later albums and it works. A great album.
Steely Dan
4/5
Another good album by Steely Dan. The harmonies could work a bit better I guess.
John Lee Hooker
4/5
A great album of a great musician! It's perfect Hooker and a good step into his work even if it's one of the later albums. I personally missed some highlights but liked it nonetheless.
Beck
3/5
I still don't know what to think about Beck and this album doesn't help. Some of the albums sound unnecessary tiresome and aged badly - especially when Beck tries to incorporate rap. This is more on the rocky side of the things which I do enjoy. It's not mind-blowing and nothing I needed to listen before I die.
Fleet Foxes
4/5
I love this kind of music. The Fleet Foxes create a haunting atmosphere with this kind of gospel that's truly out there to transcend and tell the story. The ongoing hall effect - it's just great. This kind of folk music is what I want.
Why not 5 starts? The album is great but often I wished for some more interesting instrumentation too. They could've simply done more with their already great base.
Don McLean
3/5
Solid, homely stuff. McLean has clearly more to offer than just the title track but it doesn't blow me away
Blur
5/5
They always compared Blur and Oasis but the bands were different and this album shows that Blur is a lot more interested in more complicated sounds. It is a great album.
Pere Ubu
4/5
Another great, but musically not as diverse album by this very innovative band.
Haircut 100
4/5
This is a great pop record and typical of the time.
OutKast
5/5
Great classical album that showed the style of OutKast to do a bit of weird and flamboyant stuff
Solange
3/5
Solid rnb album with a polticial touch here and there.
Dexys Midnight Runners
5/5
With their second album, Dexys showed that they can keep their blue eyed soul style but give it a radical twist by incorporating violins and more of a gypsy jazz sound combined with Americana and more folk. Don't just try to get Eileen on the dancefloor but listen to all those other tracks. I liked this one as much as the first album.
Aerosmith
4/5
Again, I'm positively surpsied by Aerosmith. This is a nice blusey record.
SAULT
3/5
Reminds me of the breakbeat stuff of the 1990s but better. Yet I'm not blown away by it.
Talking Heads
4/5
One of the best album by Talking Heads but in hindsight it feels a bit like a prelude or test space for the grandiose Remain in Light that would follow. The album starts strong and ends strong and shows their talent. Some of the tracks in the middle are just not as playful or complex. Still a great album though.
Faust
4/5
A proper example of Krautrock which is somehow akin to prog rock but different. Not so grand but more intimate, swampy but mysterious. I love it.
The Teardrop Explodes
5/5
This neo-psychedelic album is great. It reminds one of The Psychedlic Furs with a bit of XTC and The Smiths and a sprinkle of The Stranglers. If you love those bands you will also love this album. It is a nice ride. I'm happy for this list for recommendations of bands like this.
The Police
5/5
The end of this great band where they could only separately bring their parts down - but what an amazing album it is! Stewart Copeland does so many fizzly great things with his drums and percussion that it's no wonder he followed up on that in his later studio career. Andy Summers is imho underrated - his guitar is a great counterpoint to Sting's later partners on guitar. And yeah, of course Sting, who did much great solo work with nothing really reaching the great heights of what he did with the Police (Sting is an amazing artist whose solo work can be great or pretty bad - one of those artists who I'd wished they had certain things differently).
Enough has been said about the great music on the albums most of them written by Sting so I want to say that I absolutely love Mother, written and sung by Andy Summers. It sounds like a song by The Birthday Party and is a fresh different take compared to the other material. It sits perfectly as track number 4 to positively irritate the listener.
Simply Red
4/5
This album shows that Simply Red is actually a very good example of blue eyed soul. The arrangements are powerful yet tender. To get this balance right is no easy task. In the end I don't give this four stars because the competition is heavy.
Deep Purple
4/5
Well, we all know Child in Time. It is a great album. However, you do see the gap in talent between Deep Purple and actual prog rock bands. Hence 4 stars for me.
Adam & The Ants
4/5
That's a great punkish, new-waveish album!
Ride
3/5
All right album.
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
Solid punkish rockish album.
Beatles
4/5
The White Album has lots of good songs but its sheer sice of songs makes it all bit messy. Surely this Beatles album is better than so much other stuff by other artists but not as great as their masterpieces.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
One of the best albums of the Boss. Tenth Avenue Freeze-out is an underrated gem in the discography of Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band.
Brian Eno
4/5
Another great Eno album that sounds more traditional as an album if you will and not too ambient. It still makes Eno sounds like an amateur who just created something great by being interested in music for the sake of it.
Brian Wilson
3/5
I love me some good vocal harmonies in rock and pop music. Brian Wilson is a genius. However, I feel like on long time these songs sound too similar. An album that has much historical value but as a listening experience I would look for other Wilson and Beach Boys stuff.
Def Leppard
3/5
Another powerful album that gets you going but it's just not exciting for more listenings.
The Byrds
3/5
This album starts amazingly with a proper focus on the harmonies the band is known for. Sadly, it then feels a bit unfocused and the guitar shrivelling is too dominant and not in line with the rest of the music. All in all just three stars because of that.
Dennis Wilson
5/5
This one of the best album ever made and under my personal top 10! It's gospel rock in the perfect sense. Like the ocean it is mysterious, the music comes and goes and brings you to the next step. Wilson worked ages on this and it all worked out in the end.
Pixies
3/5
They have some good tunes but many Pixies albums like this one just sound they're trying to hard. Music for people who want to be cool and are more about telling us that they listen to good music than actually doing it.
Lupe Fiasco
3/5
All right album but I didn't need it. Lupe Fiasco is one of those all right 2000s rappers
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
Great band but they have better albums under their belt.
Lenny Kravitz
3/5
Kravitz has talent without a doubt. He plays most of the instruments and has a powerful voice. It's a hybrid of rock and soul and blues I should love. But there's always something about his music that left me cold. It's the same here. Good but not good enough
Love
3/5
Solid soft rock music. The Spanish oriental style here and there is pretty cool. They should've done more with it
Grizzly Bear
5/5
Some great post rock. Its dreamy yet focused - not that easily achieved.
Willie Nelson
4/5
A good album by the country legend.
Syd Barrett
4/5
Is Barrett getting chucked out of Pink Floyd a sin? Maybe. But it's hard to see that he would do experimental acid folk and acid blues like this when still in the band. So in that respect, it's good that Barrett could do his own thing. Not everything is great but lots of it is starting with the great opening track of a delirium lover declaring his love. We all know those kinds.
Bee Gees
4/5
Most people know the disco phase of the Bee Gees - I'm including myself in this group. So I was pleasantly surprised to go into this baroque pop folky early album of the band which has lots of great music and lyrics. A great feel for all of it. The opener is something for the ages. Only the later tracks fizzle out a bit.
5/5
One of my favourite albums. Jazz Latin psychedlia. What do you want more?
Morrissey
5/5
This album is really good as it combines Morrissey's brooding grandeur with surprisingly driving guitars, bass and drums. It's a great combination and definitely something else than the jangly territory of The Smiths.
Lou Reed
4/5
A solid album by Lou Reed. Not as experimental as The Velvet Underground but a good listen.
Shack
3/5
It's one of those bands that break and fall with the singer. He's ok, a bit to soft and mediocre for my taste. The music is OK too but it's seems that the moments where they could to progressive/experimental they chose to go for something radio friendly. Nothing wrong per se with that but, you know, it's not something that deserves to be on this list. One could even argue that this is something from the fringes of Britpop that aged badly.
Pearl Jam
3/5
I'm not the biggest fan of Pearl Jam because Eddie Vedder's voice sometimes tries too hard I find. It came to a positive surprise that this album is very solid. I didn't need to listen to it but it's an experience all rounded off with some songs could've stood out more. "Oceans" and "Black" might be two highlights.
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
The Afghan Wings do good stuff and have their place in music history. I didn't find this album very memorable though.
50 Cent
2/5
It's OK for the background and there are certainly worse hip hop albums out there but it's nothing you need to her. Fitty has a flow that is boring after a while. The instrumentals sound dated. He's helped by good features.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
It's a good album sure but there's nothing of the magic of those early recordings.
Django Django
2/5
When I first listened to this and read the description I thought: Oh yeah, a good update for some art rock! But then the groovy melodies turned out to be more of the same and relied too much on some drum programming which is just... bad when you want to be a rock band. Some tracks like this? Sure. But while "Firewater" is great, more of the same just sounds boring. Nah.
Joy Division
3/5
Good and dark but I found it to monothematic, lyrically as well as musically.
Stereolab
3/5
After a first listen, I'm not super impressed by this, but I do see the appeal. Somehow, I'm not too interested in all those rock pop albums that use a bit of electronica to spice things up. What was nice in the 1990s didn't stand the test of time that much.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
It's just a bit for the background.
Electric Light Orchestra
3/5
You know music that sounds all great and innovative but still feels a bit forced? That's ELO for me sometimes. This album has many interesting elements though so you should give it a try. You might like it more than me.
Donovan
5/5
One of Donovan's best albums that tells great stories in catchy tunes with the right instrumentations bordering into folk, rock and raga.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
The first album of this great band shows their talent to arrange old blues classics but do that in a great studio mixing. Read up on that, very interesting. This album has many good tunes of the band with 'Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You' and 'Dazed and Confused' as my highlights.
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
Of all of the albums that Astrud Gilbert sang on this is less impressive. The big arrangements don't suit what made her great as a Bossa Nova singer. Whenever there are those elements on this album, Gilberto is great. It's good to try something new but the bigger arrangements just don't sound very interesting.
Scritti Politti
2/5
If you ever need an album that combines all the pop styles of the 1980s for you you should listen to this album I guess. From this perspective, it's of historical value. But I couldn't finish it. The singer sounds horrible I find.
The Mars Volta
3/5
I'm a big prog rock fan of all kinds but I just can't get into two bands: Van der Graaf Generator and The Mars Volta. This album is good with lots of talented musicians but I really can't dig this singer who just sounds like an edge lord teenager let loose. I also don't care about some of these messages about exoskeletons and what not. I respect the work but I don't need it. All of this combined they're average at best.
Buzzcocks
2/5
Another punk album. Ok
Janelle Monáe
5/5
Since I listened to the album for the first time after the release I know that this would be on my list of favourite albums of all times
Lo and behold,it's also here, on this list. Monae easily jumps through all the musical styles out there but never makes it eclectic in a negative sense. Her music is rooted in some uptempo soul that meets classical music, rock, hip hop and even punk and folk. It's great simply for that.
The Streets
2/5
You can't blame Mr Skinner for creating something unique and recognizable. But is it good? I was annoyed by The Streets and the "Mockney" accent back in the days. I am still now. It's not just that though. Especially the music on the hooks sounds like bratty teenagers who can't hold a single note play around with their keyboards. And for what? A story between two lovers who don't like each other anyway?
It all feels too forced and any good idea is instantly buried by some other shit.
Curtis Mayfield
5/5
Gotta love Curtis Mayfield. He has the ear for the groove.
Super Furry Animals
5/5
I'm surprised how anyone can hate this album. It's a masterpiece that answered Britpop with a big throwback into 70s psychedlia. Every song is a new adventure and you don't know what you might get. Combine that with a great mix that does very well with the smaller elements like barely audible backing vocals that somehow do the trick and add a complete new layer to the music. Fantastic! I'll definitely will listen to more music by this band I couldn't have discovered in their heyday.
Living Colour
3/5
Solid rock album but I don't see much special in it.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
Classic rocknroll - Tom Petty was always a master for that. This album sometimes is a bit restrained by its connection to blues here and there though.
Mike Ladd
3/5
British hip hop has always Something to offer that sticks out in all the mud of borin other music. Not sure sure what to think of this one here. Ladd has a vision but why does he need high pitched samples of voices? It's not yet The Streets but I kinda stick with Roots Manuva.
The B-52's
4/5
An interesting album where this band shows their own style that sounds a bit if The Beach Boys and some female punks joined together to perform Talking Heads songs. It all sounds productively messy but still poppy enough with a funky groove. I do think that the back-and-forth between the male and the female singers is a formula they rely too much on.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
Great swing album that doesn't rely on singing but portrays the actual music behind all of it. It's just that more songs could stick out.
Traffic
5/5
That was a great folk rock album with catchy tunes.
Hookworms
4/5
Neo psychedelics rock that also has the right groove. Sometimes they step into rather dull catchy indie hooks territory, these worms. Without those I'd rate this great album even Higher.
Patti Smith
4/5
Another good album. Great version of Gloria.
Nas
5/5
An absolute classic of hip hop till this day! Production and lyrics on top. Compared to later albums Nas had some good support on the production side and not much say in it.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Yeah it's all right but just too screamy all right?
Robert Wyatt
2/5
I'm a progressive rock fan and really love it when musicians experiment. I also know that Robert Wyatt has talent - you can clearly here it in the music. But in combination with the vocals everything interesting on the instrumental side is drowned out. Deliberately or not but Wyatt's singing can't hold a note properly and to cover up for that he just puts into some notes off key. For what? It all sounds a bit messy. I'm sorry I can't give this more stars even though somewhere there's material in there that would make this album great.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Great album and everything you want from Jimi Hendrix and his band. Psychedelic rock has never been better. You do wonder though why they wouldn't take a more experimental turn here or there.
King Crimson
5/5
Another album I would give 6 stars if I could. It might be the best album of all time. A fantasy journey that is actually about the crisis of the time it was produced but it's also timeless. Lyrics, skills of the musicians, all that work so well together. Robert Fripp, who was the leader of later KC, is important here too but it's not an album that was developed under his reign but Ian Macdonald's. You hear that, I find.
Just love all of it, even the often ridiculed 'Moonchild'.
MGMT
4/5
I was pleasantly surprised by this album. Only knew the band through "Kids" which was all right but often sounded to me as an "indiewashed" dream pop update for the 2000s. This album has a lot more to offer that foes into the direction of space rock and psychedelia as well. Not every track is great but it's certainly a great mix of catchy and dreamy.
The Slits
2/5
Historically maybe an interesting album due to its female power (backed by talented men by the way) and the blend of punk and reggae that certainly sounds more interesting that lots of half-arsed ska-punk we all got tortured with. It's not a very interesting album overall with all the songs sounding very similar and feel like they are mashed up outtakes of a giant jam session.
Tito Puente
3/5
Good album for the usual nice atmospheric latin music. I'm afraid I can't say much more.
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
This is one of those albums I'd give 3,5 stars if I could. It has great tracks like "On A Rope" and the punkish sound with a use of horns is not as annoying as later music that would turn into Ska-Punk. I do think that the album loses steam here and there.
The Doors
5/5
The last album with Jim Morrison (if we don't count 'American Prayer') is one of my favourites by the band even though it was seen a bit controversial by some. Infamous is the label of 'cocktail jazz'. Seems a bit over the top though. The album clearly has a blues DNA and is less psychedelic than the predecessors. You need to like that. Next to obviously 'Riders on the storm' 'Cars Hiss by My Window' is my favourite track.
Norah Jones
5/5
I really have and had a soft spot for Norah Jones. This album is great and mellow with all the right ups and downs.
The Monkees
4/5
It's a great album that incorporates many different styles and approaches that's somewhere between power-pop and little hints of psychedelia.
George Michael
5/5
I admit it: George Michael was mainly just dance music for me. Yes, they were catchy tunes with some insightful knowledge in RnB that he adapted. Now I listened to this album of which I only knew 'Freedom' and I'm blown away by this soulful, brooding and serious music. It all comes together greatly and shows what a proper composer Michael was.
5/5
This early concept album is great and shows the satirical approach The Kinks often had. It's not as great as Village Green but great enough and maybe a good start if you'd want to get kinky.
Genesis
4/5
While it is not my favourite album by Genesis - too many tracks, a story that I personally don't find engaging but more annoying - it grows on me. All of the tracks show a band that works way better together than you'd think after reading about the history of the creation of this LP. "Lilywhite Lilith" is a gem that people don't talk too much about but should
David Bowie
4/5
Another great Bowie album though I find that the album has less consistency than other releases.
Beatles
4/5
'Norwegian Wood' and 'In My Life' must be one of the best Beatles songs. This album marked their turn to becoming proto-progressive and those compositions show this perfectly. Some of the rest of the album is not so great though I find especially the last track.
Faith No More
4/5
An energetic blast with that loving mix of metal and funk though it's more metal as the later tracks make clear. Stuff like 'From Out of Nowhere' and 'Epic' will always be classic, highly danceable too. After you listened to this album you don't need to follow up immediately with the next Faith No More album because it's relatively similar stuff.
Hanoi Rocks
4/5
Great rock album with a nice bass. It already breathes in some space of the typical 1980s sound but is also somewhat tied to decent prog elements of the 1970s.
Talking Heads
4/5
The first album by this great band fits into the category of promises for the future. They hadn't found their sound yet. The unusual elements like the percussion feel a bit random. But you can see that Remain in Light is hidden here somewhere. Psycho Killer is a great song. I so find myself drifting off when listening to the other songs though
Gang Starr
4/5
One of the great albums by one of the most iconic duos of hip hop! Still, I prefer later works like 'Moment of Truth'. This album has too many songs that sound too similar.
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
It's a nice soulful pop album but sometimes I feel the album was made by someone who know they are too talented. I miss friction and the not-so-perfect moments.
Frank Black
3/5
This album stats relatively standard, then unfolds a certain charm with great hidden musical ideas under relatively standardized rock... only then to go back to sounding all a big standard... Yeah. Well. I might rate this album higher at some point but right now, I don't see it being better than average.
Sigur Rós
5/5
When I listened to Sigur Rós first I had my issues with them. It's high wailing and ambient stuff. Only later I appreciated them more at real artists in what they do. They didn't know where the Cocteau Twins were, the pioneers of dream pop. After relistening to this album here, I sincerely believe that these Iceland Iads mastered dream pop better than any other. Headphones open up this wide space for you that's actually hidden in the deep soundscapes. It's slow music that works with repetition but still complex enough to get these full notes right. Geniuses!
Anita Baker
3/5
A solid soul album but compared to other albums on that list I don't see it standing out.
Frank Ocean
4/5
I always heard positive things about Frank Ocean but never listened to his stuff apart from some collaborations. Now, this album didn't disappoint. I like that he is versatile enough to go through all the different styles even though he sometimes tends to fall into a mumble trap if you will. Also Ocean gets a lot of support by great instrumentation and production. My favourite track might be Pink Matter that features André 3000.
Kanye West
3/5
Looking back at this historically, there's no doubt that it had a big impact on hip hop, lyrically as well from the production side which was always something West got lots of praise for (albeit being aided by tons of talented people - also other producers). Impact shouldn't also have only a positive connotation - there is something like a negative impact we often forget when we talk about music. West's debut album has both: Great, deeper lyrics and wonderful sample productions but also annoying high-pitched soul samples and hooks sang by guys who can't sing as well as odd mixing here and there.
The album has too many unnecessary skits but also some tracks that are not very interesting ("Through The Wire"). "Breathe In, Breathe Out", "Get Em High" or "Jesus Walks" are bangers though.
All in all, I'd rather give this 3.5 but I tend to 3 now that I'm in doubt. There's just too much forgettable stuff and, as I wrote, trends that shouldn't have happend.
The Band
4/5
Solid folksy rock album by this great band called The Band. Lots of people praise it but I need to listen to it a bit more to embrace its quality. It's certainly there.
The Go-Go's
4/5
Great poppy new wave
D'Angelo
4/5
It's a great album that did so much for RnB and neo soul. D'Angelo is a true musician when you look at how involved he was. That's something a Kanye West never achieved since he was always aided by tons of folks around him, more creative than him. So D'Angelo deserves the 'genius' label. I won't rate it 5 stars since here and there you'd would want so more variety.
The National
3/5
It was of the era. A solid album of melancholic rock sound that misses the certain something.
Paul Simon
4/5
This album is way better than Graceland which I found too much all over the place. It has those nice excursions in other genres but it doesn't try to hard and focuses on Simon as a singer, songwriter and player.
Caetano Veloso
4/5
A great and influential, foundational album of the Tropicalia genre. The genre could do more on later albums with other artists I find. The eclecticism is too strong on this one.
The Zombies
5/5
By the time of the release of this album, nobody really cared for it. That's unfair. The Zombies deserved better. When it comes to melody, harmony and that certain longing feeling they are on par with the Beatles and the Beach Boys. This album is certainly one of the best examples of chamber pop or baroque pop and maybe more so than many other songs and albums that are categorized as such. It sounds really like something a baroque artist time-travelled to the 1960s could've created.
Morrissey
5/5
One of Morrissey's best albums and one knows why. It is his lyricism on a peak level. It's all there and like an instrument of its own that sucks you in. While Viva Hate might have been more interesting musically, this one would be my recommendation if you'd wanted to get into his work.
Wilco
3/5
Good album but more for the background. I need to listen to it multiple times to actually find out how great it is.
Duran Duran
3/5
As a synth-pop album it sounds too messy to me. I do want to like it but it's somewhat convulted this way.
Paul McCartney
2/5
Why is this on the list? Half of the album sounds like experimental b-sides. That's not bad per se but doesn't need to be on the list. In fact, I was even a bit disappointed. Hence my low rating. Paul McCartney did so much better whether with the Beatles, the wings or some other musicians.
Prince
4/5
Dope Prince album that showed the great funky talent of the man to come. On 1999, it sril relied a bit too much on the same rhythms.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
If it were for the first and the last track alone, this album deserves the highest rating of 5 stars PLUS 5 stars on top. Both songs are amazing.
The middle section? Well, you know that Paul McCartney poked a bit of fun at the Stones by calling them a "blues cover band". This wouldn't leave my head when I listened to the whole album again. These tracks in the middle are not bad, don't get me wrong. "Honkey Tonk Woman" is a banger especially. But it really is a bit too deep in the blues and not enough in originality. Hence I can only give 4 stars.
Billy Bragg
3/5
It's a good album by a singer-songwriter. Billy Bragg has his heart in the right place. But the ballad style doesn't hold up over an album. He named The Clash as an influence and you can hear that. But this album sounds like you'd just Joe Strummer playing acoustic sets of Clash songs: Good, but not great.
B.B. King
4/5
This is indeed a great live album albeit a bit short!
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
The opener is timeless classic. The other songs are also fine. My issue lies with their similar sound, not helped by a very similar arrangement and mixing. This band did better on other albums.
Prefab Sprout
4/5
It's a good album that sometimes sound way too 80s and on others you couldn't tell when it was made - in a positive sense. I do also like the acoustic versions (for example of 'Desire As').
This is something I will listen to again!
Black Sabbath
4/5
This is a great album that still stands the test of time. It wasn't quite metal yet but hard rock but somehow close to psychedelic and a bit of prog. I wish there would be more albums like this today because it has a truly special place in that style.
That all being said, I feel there could be some more special stuff in the middle of the album.
Peter Gabriel
5/5
Peter Gabriel's solo stuff is something I didn't appreciate enough. Like the others albums it walks a finer line between prog, art rock, pop and some world influences like his old band Genesis did. All songs are great in their own right. Compared to the first solo album, it's also a more cohesive effort. Love it!
The Pretty Things
4/5
This is a great album with a lot of melodic sounds that edges on what Pink Floyd would do on their first two albums. It also inspired Tommy. Is it as good as both? I'm not sure. I need to listen to this album some more. For now, call me impressed.
The Beach Boys
5/5
Proto-Prog album of the most important kind. This showed Brian Wilson as an amazing composer with a clear vision what he wanted to bring into the world of music he didn't seem to fit in. Paul McCartney is right that "God only knows" is one of the best songs ever written.
2Pac
2/5
I'll say it: 2Pac was always overrated and still is. The way he delivers is annoying after a while. He didn't bring much interesting stuff to the table of the rap game even in the mid-90s. While this album is not bad, it is nothing on the list of albums that stand out.
Arcade Fire
3/5
A solid album with many interesting musical ideas. I need to listen to it more because so far it only ended up as a nice background stuff.
4/5
A great album that shows the passion and the talent of PJ Harvey and her songs. As I wrote in another review, I think her later albums like "White Chalk" or "Let England Shake" are more impressive. This album is still great though.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
4/5
This is the best of psychedelic rock without the need of Zappa. And actually psychedelic rock. Think about it.
I think they could've trimmed some songs a bit with some ending after two minutes only to repeat themselves. Feels sometimes dragged out unnecessarily.
The The
4/5
This album is great but also not great at the same time. Tracks like "Uncertain Smile", "Soul Mining" and "Giant" are gems, others not so much and often the same song could turn out great or not so great. It's really hard to give a rating for this album. But I did enjoy it and it is certainly vibing right. It's all 80s but not at the same time. Oh, don't make it so hard for me to rate this!
Weather Report
4/5
Jazz Fusion bought us some odd albums. This one sometimes seems to make fun of the genre by being not too weird but relies on well crafted "When does my fellow musician comes in?" moments. It's good but nothing you put on too often I find.
4/5
Hot Take: This is one of the most interesting entries on this list precisely because Limp Bizkit is such a clownish, divisive band - but one with a giant impact and surprisingly hidden genius.
Indeed, no one can dispute that Limp Bizkit was part of the musical inventory of the late 90's and early 2000s. They are one of the best examples of nu-metal, a divisive genre in its own right, and embodied a feeling of a special time full of change. The internet was just out there, not in its infant days but already a toddler with a knack for doing weird stuff. Nobody embodied that better than the band.
But setting aside this cultural impact, is the music any good? Well. As someone who listened to this album up and down in my early days, I'm really surprised that it holds up pretty well as I rediscovered it now after only listening to some selected songs over the years. You can't deny the immense banger qualities of "Hot Dog", "My Generation", "My Way" or of course "Rollin" with its hook, riff and that mixing. Fred Durst is a vocalist with an interesting delivery and voice. Only problem is that his lyrics are just monothematically pissed-off mode stuff. Wes Borland is the secret talent as someone who produced great stuff in his own right. Look into how he plays the guitar, he carries those songs.
The other songs - darker, quieter stuff like "Boiler" but also "Hold On" have their own qualities. Here you could see that Limp Bizkit could've also been a serious band if they'd wanted to.
If I had to choose an album by the band, it would've been "Significant Other" which feels less predictable. I'd still like this one here even if it's only out there to make me chuckle and nod my head. This album deserves to be on the list and a good rating because it's THE example of nu-metal (whether you like that genre or not).
The Modern Lovers
4/5
Starts like an album by British punk rockers but they are actually American and bring something unique to the table that reconnects to the 1950s. Saying that they're Proto-Punk diminishes this tradition a bit.
Jack White
4/5
Jack White walks through the styles and identifies with them and also lets them identify with him. It's energizing, it's rock and it is roll too. I just think that Jack White sometimes feel to extrovert in its style. It is the equivalent to an actor who practices overacting. Less would be more. I still enjoyed it though!
Lambchop
4/5
That's a great album, really driving it, sounding like Willie Nelson being laser-focused and supported by different bands all moulded into one. Little nitpicks would be that some parts are a bit off with the voice and singing.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Solid Rock music with some nice sprinkles of innovation. It gets you going. For me, it was more background music though.
Raekwon
4/5
Without a doubt one of the best releases by a solo Wu-Tang Clan member. Raekwon and Ghostface Killah have this wonderful interplay and have the right stories for the streets that go into deeper territories than most other rappers before and after them went into.
Listening to it after many years I do think it's still solid and deserves to be on this list, but it also reminds me again why I don't listen to too much hip hop anymore.
Duke Ellington
3/5
There are many great performances by Duke Ellington so it's hard to rate this album. It's a great concert with lots of information by the presenter and places for the instrumentalists to shine. However, I missed some highlights.
Sade
4/5
Everyone knows the first track. If you like it you'll also like the rest of the album which is somewhere between smooth jazz and an early idea of neo-soul.
Ghostface Killah
4/5
A classic. Few rappers can conjure up images like Tony Starkks and put them in nicely street style rhymes. However, it's too much of the same, broadly separated into street tunes and love tunes with some sprinkles of social critique that's not that deep. Also ghost really couldn't sing so we have no proper hooks by him (this would Indeed change later with Ghostsdini and shit). The production is in top and it helped for the sake of mixing it up a bit to hand not only RZA handle the production.
Soul II Soul
4/5
From the title I expected some house stuff. I would've not enjoyed that at all. Listening to the thing now and I'm pleasantly surprised by the groovy, organically sampled sound. It's nice for the background - and that's a positive assessment here.
Ryan Adams
4/5
Positively surprised: Ryan Adams is a man of many talents and styles. I love the songs with a gospel influence. The ballads sound a bit corny. But I will listen to this again.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
The music on this record is wonderful and technically brilliant, but I do find myself having it as mainly as background stuff. That's not bad per se, but this way, highlights are missing.
Spiritualized
4/5
The second and better entry of this band. A great art rock album that has the blues. On some tracks you wished it would've been proggier but I can live with the end result.
New York Dolls
3/5
A solid rock album, but nothing to spectacular. The early 70s have some of the most amazing prog so I don't see why I should waste time with the New York Dolls.
k.d. lang
3/5
Didn't want to like it because it's cover songs over and over but lang and her team made good music here. It's only for the background and nothing special.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
It's hard to rate this one. It has a certain beat, it's experimental and the band has an identity. Somehow it felt a bit off, not gonna lie. In some songs at the end of the first half you just zone out. And I have to say: The acoustic versions are a lot better.
All in all, I think it's an ok album, but nothing that needs to be on this list.
Peter Gabriel
5/5
Gabriel left Genesis mainly for private reasons, not musical reasons. Listening to his solo debut, you can hear a man who's free to do his own stuff. So maybe there was more on a musical level. On his debut, he mixes so many style and while they seem a bit random and not so well connected, they are all great sounds in their own right. "Solsbury Hill" or "Here Comes The Flood" are classics but "Excuse Me" or the opener are noteworthy.
This is really great and also more accessible to Genesis's records. And it's still prog.
The Crusaders
3/5
The Crusaders always made decent music, but it was always very close smooth jazz (and sometimes plainly it). That's not bad, but as a genre that is basically only background stuff by definition nothing you need to listen to.
Everyone on this album knows "Street Life". It's a great song. The other stuff is less memorable. If I had to choose an album, I would've used their comeback work "Rural Renewal". But even that is not something you really need to know to be honest.
Bebel Gilberto
4/5
An interesting update for the often-overdone Bossa Nova genre with some nice elements. Not everything works especially regarding the electronic element, but I think every fan of the genre should at least check it out.
Bad Brains
3/5
Bad Brains are a fascinating band because of the combination of styles and, yes, also because they are four rastas making punk and metal where everyone would have them do reggae (clichés, eh?). I do like some of their songs but on the length of an album they never got me. "Re-Ignition" is a great song and I think the album is better on the second half. Still, I couldn't say I was blown away by it. So it's a solid 3 stars.
Kate Bush
4/5
Kate Bush delivers progressive pop and does the occasional emotional shouting. It's not as good as the Hounds of Love though where more eccentric elements bought out some cool stuff.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Mitchell is better when a big piano plays such a prominent role. I like that album!
The Fall
3/5
It's yet another punk-album on this list. It's solid, but nothing special and I think with the post-punk approach where you usually find The Fall categorized in I'd find more interesting stuff.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
I really like Neil Young & The Crazy Horse, but this album is definitely on this list because it has some historical value because of its praise of garage rock and grunge. The actual music isn't that interesting though. Very samey vocals (with oddly off-place backing vocals), a good guitar without adding anything new to the known Young sound, and the same driving beat that sounds still very 1980s.
This is not per se a bad album but really not something that needs to be on the list of 1001 albums I need to listen before I die. Neil Young created better albums before and after this release.
The Human League
4/5
Driving pop stuff. This is 1980s sound right at the beginning of the 1980s. And it's good, more deep layered than other albums of the time. Only after a while you want a bit of different stuff.
Eagles
3/5
The Eagles have some lovers and some haters. You can't deny the power of the title track. There's other good stuff on that album too though. All in all, a solid listen.
Al Green
5/5
Al Green is an amazing soul singer and here we have a perfect example. It's such a soft and smooth delivery over fast but not too crazy arrangements. This is great party, background and even dreamy-looking-out-of-the-train-window music.
Michael Jackson
3/5
Like other Michael Jackson album this one has great tracks but some that are bit duller. I enjoyed it very much, but I also can't say too much about it that's memorable.
The Lemonheads
2/5
This is yet another record that seems somehow indie rock. It might be ok for some, but after too many of these records I find it quite boring and only for the background.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
2/5
I'm sure this is a good collection of bluegrass classics by great musicians. As someone who doesn't have much contact with said genre, I don't really know. I can only say that I'm not impressed enough to listen more to all of it. It just sounds to similar and I hear many of these songs in better version by other artists. 'Tennessee Stud' interpreted by Johnny Cash is way cooler!
The Waterboys
4/5
I don't know much about The Waterboys and their apparent genre shift with this album. What I hear sounds very nice and is a solid, approachable folk sound with slight rock elements.
Pink Floyd
5/5
For two members of the band this is their favourite album. And they are right. It's my favourite too. Every track is not a personal story or about industry and fame. It's also a bit the emptiness of modern life and lost chances. Musically, this prog rock record is a lot simpler than other prog records with it's 4/4 and blues riffs. However, it all works so well together that we can stop this "Is PF prog or not?" discussion. Yes, they are.
Gang Of Four
3/5
It's a solid punkish rock record. Can't say much more.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
A nice rock album, but I don't see anything fancy beyond other stuff of the time.
Pulp
5/5
Britpop has a lot to offer and shouldn't be reduced down to Blur vs Oasis. This album by Pulp is a funny, melodramatic observation of the complex (class) society that the UK is. There is a lot more talent here than in other bands with catchy melodies. It's a lot more essentially Britpop than so many other works of the genre.
Sebadoh
2/5
While this is an album that could grow on me because of some good songs like "Emma Get Wild", there are lot of other songs that don't catch me emotionally. Especially the first tracks are rather annoying. I nearly turned the album off. I heard better stuff. This album is ok, but I don't need to have it on this list.
The Go-Betweens
5/5
People compare this band to U2 or The Smiths but I think the clear sounds of The Go-Betweens stand on their own feet. It's a summery, happy yet melancholic album that dives to many topics. You know these bands who work so well together that their music creates a rich composition in the best sense? That's one of them. Definitely a classic of Australian pop and rock. It's a shame that they already disbanded shortly after the release of this album.
The Doors
5/5
All the Doors album are pretty good and I'm also surprised how well-beloved the 4th one is. "Morrison Hotel" lets them go in a more bluesy direction with songs that are more upbeat than the dark psychedelic rock albums before. Some might not find that very exciting, but it is definitely a new path from what they did before. "The Spy", "Indian Summer" and "Peace Frog" could be considered as some of the best songs they've ever written. It's just such a great poetic way to juggle the material.
Funkadelic
5/5
This album deserves 5 stars alone because of the title track with Eddie Hazel providing one of the best guitar solos of all time. Little known is the contribution of George Clinton to this who apparently messed with the effects simulationously from the studio while Eddie was playing.
The other songs? Also great and the crazy P-Funk stuff you need. So let's say that without "Maggot Brain" the album would be 4 stars but with it I give it 5!
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
It's a solid rock album, nothing more, nothing less.
Nanci Griffith
3/5
Solid country album that, like so many others of the genre, misses a bit n highlights.
Slade
3/5
This is some sort of early Glam Rock. It's all right. I just don't think it was necessary to be on this list. The singer and his players did stuff that was prototypical for the genre, but was done better too. So...
Stevie Wonder
4/5
A great Stevie Wonder album that has this light approach to funk and soul. Some songs could've done more with vocals - it's then too smooth if you will.
The Allman Brothers Band
4/5
Great live album by a band who loved to jam. I don't know much about them, but I was impressed.
Queen
4/5
It is one of the big Queen albums with great songs you know and love. Good are also those who are not radio-friendly or the best of playlist stuff. Here the song structure feels more diverse than people expect of Queen with the typical May solo after 2:59.
All in all, it's great, but I can't give it 5 stars for some reason because for me there's some special, all-encompassing effect I'd need for that.
The Cardigans
3/5
It's a solid pop record that has more to offer than the radio-known hit "Lovefool". There are dreamier songs on there and also rockier stuff. It's nice, but nothing that gets me going too much.
Willie Nelson
4/5
Great rendition of American standards. Especially the first two tracks are great examples of the more relaxing, melancholic country out there. In the end it's a collection of known songs and therefore not really that standing out stuff you'd want from that list.
Silver Jews
3/5
It wasn't bad, but the singer really wasn't noteworthy. Alas, background music.
Joan Armatrading
3/5
Solid pop music with a bit of country.
Shivkumar Sharma
4/5
This is a decent poppish Indian/world music album that will give people what they want. One could argue that this here is all bit too soft and playing too much into what us westerners want. Someone like Ravi Shankar, also known here in the west, might be more challenging, true, but it gives you more.
Why do I rate it 4 stars though? Because it IS good for what it is. For all the stuff that's nice atmospheric background stuff on this list, this one here ranks really high.
Elastica
3/5
I find it a bit odd that some people classify this as Britpop. While nice, it's more punk and misses the certain light way of dealing with things. There are some bangers on this that are good fun, but overall it's not my cup of tea.
Little Simz
2/5
I did want to hate this after some of the verses, but the album is quite all right. 2 stars, yes, but only because I rate it with the idea that I apparently need to listen to this before I die. Well, I don't. It's still quite all right. There are some great beats on there and Little Simz is a better doubletimer than many other rappers. Yet I don't see much innovation here.
Miles Davis
5/5
There are edgelords out there who need to hate against Kind of Blue. Yes, yes, you might not agree that this is THE best jazz album of all times, but you can't deny the greatness with it's modal approach that lets every player on this album shine. 'All Blues' is especially great as it turns so much on his head which was typical for jazz music of the time.
UB40
3/5
We all know UB40 because of their radio hits. This first album was better and more socially and politically consciousness and a surprisingly good listen. In the light of other reggae artists, I'd still say it's just "better standard stuff".
The Black Keys
4/5
The Black Keys are a fine band and have many great albums under their belt. Listening to Brothers again, made me appreciate the album once again even though I don't think it's their best album. It certainly is one of the grooviest though since both of them started recording the rhythm section first. You can hear that approach and it works.
Metallica
4/5
Great live album that is emblematic for the crossover of classical music and metal/rock. It has a great arrangement that gives the metal of Metallica something more bombastic. It works greatly. But if you don't like Metallica that much you will of course not like it. I personally think they have earned their place. I don't listen to them regularly and would've personally some other songs here and there.
The Undertones
3/5
Some great tunes, and as often: When they left the basic punk formula behind to do something more with it, it was even great!
Neneh Cherry
3/5
I kinda wanted to hate it when I saw the name, the cover, the year of the release (1989). I expected the same "bratty female rapper stuff" as it was usual for the time.
Well, it was an Ok listen. Nothing you need to listen before you die, but worthwhile. That was not because of the main artist here. Ms Cherry was standard. She had a great team of producers who created great, genre-bending sounds. One of them was Robert Del Naja of Massive Attack. So in this respect you could call the sound a "Massive Attack spinoff".
Lucinda Williams
3/5
This is one of these solid country rock albums that lift up your spirits and are straightforward enjoyment, but nothing I'd consider something I would've ever listened to if it weren't for this list. I'd also say they would be nothing one needs to listen before they die.
LL Cool J
4/5
This classic by LL Cool J still holds up today. You notice the signs of the time here and there but lots of songs are incredibly funky. The highlight is "6 Minutes of Pleasure". Other songs were always a bit dumb like "Milky Cereal".
I rate this one 4 stars because while it is a great hip hop album I don't consider it an essential masterpiece.
Judas Priest
2/5
This kind of power metal is just not my cup of tea. What should get me going, is for me rather boring and repetitive. The attitudes are the audio equivalent of clumsiness. "Breaking the law" and "Grinder" are ok songs, but that's about it for me.
Suede
3/5
The Wikipedia page describes this album being influenced by the works of The Smiths and David Bowie. That rings true. But the album is not as great as either of them and it's hard to point to exactly why that is. Maybe it lacks a bit of a distinctive character like those role models.
Nina Simone
5/5
An amazing album that transports so much soul of the singer and the player Nina Simone and the musicians that accompany her. It's romantic, but also dark and brooding with a deep political undertone about politics and power that even govern all the way into the private lives of people. The only fault I can find with the album is the short excursion into latin music (track 6 "Why Keep on Breaking My Heart") that feels displaced on this album. Still, I rank it 5 stars!
Simple Minds
4/5
Yet another band I rediscovered through this list. I know what the Simple Minds play - vaguely - but now I listened to what some consider their best album and I really, really like it. It's fresh 80s rock music with some great ideas.
Public Enemy
4/5
This classic of political hip hop hasn't lost some of his powerful message, but some instrumentals and their interplay with the lyrics feel dated.
Tears For Fears
5/5
Certainly one of the quintessential 80s albums. Everybody knows the first track, but the rest is great as well. No track wasted and a proper classic.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Not sure if this or the predecessor "Mother's Milk" is the best album of the RHCP. This one here is great, funky, switching to all the melodic stuff that the band would focus on later. If I had to choose, the funk stuff is way cooler. "Funky Monks" is without a doubt the big highlight of the album. "Under the Bridge" is a song lots of folks might know and you wouldn't expect it after the rather played by the book "The Power of Equality". What I'm saying is: RHCP is there for good, over the top funk-rock. And the album achieves that in its best moment but surely could lose some of the softer tracks.
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
A classic album with these cool riffs and melodies so many people know. The only downside would be that the setup with the organ, guitar and drums sounds very similar.
Thundercat
3/5
A smooth album full of musical talent and a nice walk through the styles with nods to Parliament, D'Angelo and many others. As with many other albums of the hip hop adjacent genres there are too many tracks and highlights. Over 23 tracks, but most of them are short: That's a recipe for not recognizing the music properly. Everything blends into each other. Therefore, I can only rank this with three stars even though some part in me wants to give it more.
The Isley Brothers
5/5
The Isley Brothers are well-known just by the fact that they created great melodies and grooves that were influential as hip hop samples. You can hear those on this album too. Their own material holds up well as does the covers, for example "Summer Breeze" that has never been better (except the version from reggae keyboard legend Jackie Mittoo).
Definitely a great soul album that needs to be on this list and should be enjoyed by everyone!
Arcade Fire
2/5
While I rate this a decent enough album that doesn't hurt one and can run in the background, there's something mildly annoying about it that's typical for indie rock.
Supertramp
3/5
Supertramp is an interesting case. They are close to the often overlooked Gentle Giant by making prog poppier and accessible. But where the latter almost always deliver, Supertramp is an on and off affair. This album has so many great tracks, but Dreamer is fuckin annoying. And so all in all it's a balanced out affair I'd say.
Solomon Burke
4/5
Someone who wanted to take soul more seriously than just have it as lover's tunes which it often got reduced to. It's a great album with many different interpretations and some of Burke's own writings. For the time it might've been superb, now it's "only good" with the selection of songs.
The Blue Nile
4/5
Another beautiful find thanks to this list! This young Scottish band was very perfectionist to create melancholic progressive pop record that is full of restraint and almost meditative. It's 1980s and yet not 1980s at all. The instrumentation with its loops and rhythms, the longing in the vocals - what a wonderful and special album! Can't give it 5 stars though because the songs are a bit too similar and Paul Buchanan while a great writer is a bit to samey in his delivery singing wise.
Ian Dury
4/5
Yet another punk artist who discovered fast that punk isn't so attractive over time. So he comes up with groovy funk, disco and the musical hall/varieté style. It's not as eclectic as it sounds but follows are great formula. The musicians definitely save the album because while Dury is a great wordsmith his singing is rather limited. Some limited singers might have not a wide register, but character. Gotta say that Dury lacks both in my opinion. Nevertheless, it's great and fun enough that I rate this above average. It would be a typical 3,5 of 5 though if I could. But when in doubt I'm full of mercy...
The Byrds
4/5
A great release by The Byrds that sounds a bit more coherent than other albums. That's for the price of some standout tracks.
Hole
2/5
An album that sounds of the time with a bit of an annoying female singer (especially clear in "Northern Star"). I found it all very underwhelming. It's not an album that needs to be on this list.
Robert Wyatt
2/5
Robert Wyatt is without a doubt a talented man and did tremendous things as part of Soft Machine. This solo album (as well as the Shleep which is also on this list) leaves me cold. It has some nice instrumentation and interesting lyrics, but it all sounds like an incoherent mess, experimental for the experimental sake. I'm sorry.
5/5
The best album of U2 is still this masterpiece that has a great way of doing good stuff with little things. For example, "I still haven't found what I'm looking for" has this really great rhythm section. People go on about whether The Edge is a good guitarist or not, but it's the rhythm section that does great services to the music.
Eminem
4/5
I was never the biggest fan of Eminem, but I don't really know why. He is a great lyricist, flows nicely and the production is good (albeit not great). Maybe I just had other hip hop artists to go to. Hence, I rate this album highly, but it's no masterpiece for me personally.
The Residents
3/5
This stuff is great for some nightmarish background music when you are doing some pen and paper and have the party venture into a haunted theme park. I mean this positively. This is experimental rock that tries things out.
But is it worthwhile over time? Is it semi-coherent by its own conceptual idea? I'm not so sure. At some point you just shrug.
Culture Club
4/5
Want to capture the spirit of the 1980s? Listen to this album. It has ballads, soul, a bit of reggae and lots of pop. It's not one of those 1980s albums that holds up because we adore two perfect singles (looking at you, Frankie Goes to Hollywood), but which also work as an album.
Why not 5 stars? In the end, I missed something that would bring them into the heights of these classics.
Os Mutantes
4/5
I have a soft spot for Tropicana/Tropical music. Brazil has so much to offer in the 1960s and 1970s in terms of progressive music and surely this album is one of them. Lots of the tunes are known by that excellent complication from Soul Jazz records which gives an excellent album that is coherent in its approach yet surprise you all the time. It's close to a masterpiece. I don't rank it 5 stars because is that certain something missing that makes it stick out so it doesn't fade in the background.
Can
4/5
Can is a great Krautrock band and this album shows that Krautrock can be very experimental. This is more ambient than anything else. I love the usage of the bass in Bel Air. I don't know about all of it, some bits seem than a bit meandering.
The Stranglers
5/5
You want to hear one of the best albums of British rock music? You are annoyed by punk that is just people who are not talented but have big mouths? Well, look no further and listen to this wonderful Stranglers album that has it all! Lots of humour, fun, absurdism and great instrumental talent. They don't care for anyone or anything and were punk in the best way with that. Famously, Hugh Cornwell explained that apparently keyboards weren't "allowed" in punk - so the thing they did is to hire a keyboard player. This guy, Dave Greenfield, was always essential to what they did. Here you can hear why.
Yes, the best track is obviously "Peaches". Machos who can laugh about machoism will always work better than preachy stuff.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
This album shouldn't be on the list because it's simply a bad mix. Sinatra and Jobim are both great singers in their own rights. Both work great with the music, Bossa Nova just rocks. But combined here, especially when they are singing, doesn't do anybody a favour. Sinatra sings his slower, quieter grand style while Jobim is also quiet but then needs to get louder to do a bit of scatting. It just sounds off.
Taylor Swift
2/5
I tried and some songs are good like the opener. But something like "long story short" shows everything that's wrong with Taylor Swift with heir annoying up an down singing and rhyming.
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
It's good world music
Otis Redding
4/5
One of the best soul singers went way too early. We have to work with what he recorded. I think this collection of songs is very good, but since it features so many songs we heard often enough over the last nearly 60 years (!), they don't have the biggest effect no more.
The Byrds
4/5
Another great classic of the birds that is more experimental and yet still rooted in their usual style. "Mind Gardens" is a great song. I still need to find more in those songs.
PJ Harvey
5/5
I don't like every album by PJ Harvey. Her earlier works are all right, but I don't find them mindblowing. However, "Let England Shake" is a masterpiece and I loved what Ms Harvey has done since. It's an almost haunting description of a country torn apart that would later be even worse with Brexit, the right-wing surge and so on.
Many of the tracks evolve around war, but there's actually so much to transfer the lyrics. Musically, I like how Harvey became almost fragile here, away from the rockier hard side and aided by multiinstrumentalists John Parish and Mick Harvey. They do a lot of a stuff that isn't even that complex to play but hits the right tone through the right mixing and production. The basic cadences and chord progressions are a gem.
If there's one album in the PJ Harvey discography one needs to listen to, it's this one.
Method Man
3/5
Homie once described this album as pure bass. And it's a bit true. Solid rap stuff from Method Man, but yet another example why the Wu-Tang Clan best works when they are all on the same album (not necessarily on the same track, mind you).
Linkin Park
4/5
I really, really listened to this album a lot when it was released in my younger days. It still holds up as a wonderful mix of angry rap-rock stuff that gets melodic and in the right moments. Also, all the talk about mental health like here was kinda groundbreaking for a the early 2000s when you had to work and just function in our neoliberal world.
Would I now revisit Linkin Park again? No. I already had my issues with the follow-up Meteora back in the days. I think Hybrid Theory has a lots of great tracks, but some filler stuff that all sounds musicially very similar. Highlights are definitely "Papercut", "One Step Closer", obviously "Crawling" and "In the End" but also "A Place for My Head" and "Forgotten". That's all of them. The rest is not so important, I guess.
Stephen Stills
5/5
I wasn't such a big fan of "Manassas" which was too much, too frantic in some regards and tried to show off. This album here seems way more thought out and down to earth, just coming over and chills with you. I really like it!
Charles Mingus
3/5
It's an experimental interesting album, but I found it very hard to deal with
David Bowie
4/5
Bowie's venture into soul and calling it "plastic soul" shows that he was very well aware of how hard it was to navigate this genre with all its forms. I think he did a good job by giving it the right edge. "Win" is my favourite track. I do enjoy other albums by him more, but you can't go wrong here. It's easily one of his most danceable albums.
Genesis
5/5
The best album by Genesis, hands down. It has the musical depth and shows the talent in songwriting by making the Englishness theme not too overt. And then there's the talent to write really complex, but also catchy songs. "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" or "The Battle of Epping Forest" are classic prog rock at its best yet highly sing-a-long-y. Not an easy accomplishment!
Elvis Presley
4/5
Classic Elvis tunes. You heard them all. It's a return of the older Elvis to younger form.