I love concept albums and while I'm not an expert on Illinois history, I know enough to appreciate and recognize many of the references and homages. The range of music fits together seamlessly using certain interludes and intermissions between certain tracks that get the listener ready for a shift in tone and style. Listening to the first track, I was worried it was going to be a basic pop/folk album. I was anticipating a 2. Not that that style would be bad for an album, I just usually expect those albums don't push the boundaries very much. By the time I got into the second track I knew I was completely wrong and was then just along for the ride, not knowing what to expect. Things never really get out of hand in this album and while there is a difference in style among several tracks, there's a consistent sound. Overall, the biggest downfall to this record is that it's too long. That's significant considering it's not actually an overwhelmingly long album when looking at the runtime. It sits on the longer side of the spectrum at 1hr and 14 mins but there are longer albums. This is an album you have to dedicate that full hour and 14 minutes for. Listening in episodes would be like stopping a movie every 15 minutes or so and then coming back to it later. It's definitely somewhere between a 4.0 and a 4.5. It's lack of replay value hurts the score just a little bit but it's definitely an ambitious and important homage to a state and country's history.

A solid album, I can only really compare it to other music I've listened to from the time period. Nothing in this album seems ground breaking to me but there's no skips on this album, each song is good even if some of them blend together a little too much. While I said nothing seemed ground breaking to me, Santana's style is unique. He was able to find a sound and stick to it without ever pushing those boundaries very much in every album since this one. Overall, it's an amazing album, considering it's the first one I've listened to from this list I have nothing to really compare it to. The fact there's no skips on the album makes it at least a 3, but there's also no songs I saved or really wanted to listen to again after I listened to the whole album. It's something I could see myself putting on in the background while I draw or paint but it's not something I will closely listen to again for a while. I'd probably give it a 3.5/5

I love concept albums and while I'm not an expert on Illinois history, I know enough to appreciate and recognize many of the references and homages. The range of music fits together seamlessly using certain interludes and intermissions between certain tracks that get the listener ready for a shift in tone and style. Listening to the first track, I was worried it was going to be a basic pop/folk album. I was anticipating a 2. Not that that style would be bad for an album, I just usually expect those albums don't push the boundaries very much. By the time I got into the second track I knew I was completely wrong and was then just along for the ride, not knowing what to expect. Things never really get out of hand in this album and while there is a difference in style among several tracks, there's a consistent sound. Overall, the biggest downfall to this record is that it's too long. That's significant considering it's not actually an overwhelmingly long album when looking at the runtime. It sits on the longer side of the spectrum at 1hr and 14 mins but there are longer albums. This is an album you have to dedicate that full hour and 14 minutes for. Listening in episodes would be like stopping a movie every 15 minutes or so and then coming back to it later. It's definitely somewhere between a 4.0 and a 4.5. It's lack of replay value hurts the score just a little bit but it's definitely an ambitious and important homage to a state and country's history.

A solid album for a genre that I usually can't get into. A lot of the songs reminded me of the Ultimate Spider-Man video game on PS2 that I played growing up. Most electronic music like this tends to blend together to me, and this album doesn't suffer from that too much but it's still enough. Chico's Groove might be my favorite track on the album. Considering how early I am in this project I'm still trying to figure out how I really want to rank these albums. Personally, I don't listen to this kind of music in my free time so I would probably give it a 2 based on replay value. As someone who can appreciate music objectively even if it's outside my wheelhouse I would give it a 4. Also considering my inexperience with the genre, especially in this time period, I don't really know what else to compare it to. I don't know if this record changed anything. I think I'll probably give it something around a weak 3, considering I want my personal taste to be a part of my rankings

Best album recommended in a while. Just a good groove.

Don’t know much about electronic music history but this album is great. I can only compare it to Daft Punk as another electronic duo but there’s some real hits in here. Dance is a good homage to Michael Jackson and overall all of these songs are easy to groove or dance to.

I love your lovin ways was a first impression that made me a little worried for the album. For 1966 I felt that kind of blues was a little outdated. The flip switched on the very next song, four women is a powerful ballad that sucked me right into the album. Nina Simone is not an artist I’m not very familiar with but I can see why she’s as popular as she is. For the rest of the album there really wasn’t any misses. While I still feel this album feels like something that sounds like it’s from a decade or two sooner, the messages behind the songs, the production, and the vocals, make it something timeless. One of my favorite albums so far

I feel modern electronic has a couple motivations behind it outside of usually being dance music. One is that it wants to feel like the sound of the future, the other is that it wants to sound like the past usually trying to feed off the sound of old synthesizer music or 90s video game sounds. I don't know much about the history of electronic music but this is the oldest electronic album I have listened to. I feel that this record that came out in 1976 manages to create a sound of something in the 90s. A lot of the songs felt like something I'd hear in a playstation one video game or something like that, it feels so ahead of its time yet it feels so vintage for me since I'm listening to it in 2023.

Good album, not really something I’d listen to often but it’s definitely on my list to listen to while I paint or read

This is a great album. It fits along with the punk/glam? rock movement that started in the late 70s through the 80s along with groups like the cure, the clash, the cure, the talking heads, the velvet underground, and the pixies.

There’s some real great highs in this album but some parts just drag the album down a bit.

Lots of classic rock n roll, some early punk vibes, and rock that fit the times. A pretty great album

I’ll listen to this album again soon. Hoping it will grow on me

Incredible talent, album is just kinda repetitive. Also this just isn’t a style of music I’m used to listening to

As a big Beatles fan I’m lower on Peppers than some. I don’t think this album is even top 3 in their discography but still, it has some great high points. Getting Better, Within You Without You, and A Day In The Life are my main highlights of the album.

An album that never gets out of first gear.