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Wed Mar 01 2023
With The Beatles
Beatles
Much stronger Side A
"All My Loving" one of their best pre-'65 songs
Has some of their best early pop stuff while also some of the worst in their catalog, a little uneven
3
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Thu Mar 02 2023
Violator
Depeche Mode
Great production, consistent vibe, catchy music
5
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Fri Mar 03 2023
Queen II
Queen
Interesting music you wouldn’t expect from Queen if you only know the big hits.
3
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Mon Mar 06 2023
Ace of Spades
Motörhead
It was good Friday music. On a Monday morning, maybe not so much
3
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Tue Mar 07 2023
Led Zeppelin II
Led Zeppelin
This is a 5-star record until the last two tracks, and I realize I need to be pickier with my 5’s.
The highs on this record are the best in LZ’s whole discography, namely the guitar work on Whole Lotta Love, Plant’s vocals on What is and What Should Never Be, and Ramble On (the best bass line written by someone not named Paul McCartney).
4
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Wed Mar 08 2023
The ArchAndroid
Janelle Monáe
Album had great energy in the first 4-5 tracks where the songs were transitioning into one another. Liked the Afrobeat/world music theme throughout, but the album lost momentum on some of the more digital/techno songs where her voice was distorted. The high points were the songs where her incredible vocal talent was uninhibited, I liked Locked Inside, Cold War, Oh, Maker, and Say You’ll Go the best.
3
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Thu Mar 09 2023
Technique
New Order
Good production, like the bass sound, but the songs overall didn’t do it for me and started to sound repetitive.
2
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Fri Mar 10 2023
Street Life
The Crusaders
Good stuff from a group I’d never heard of before. Well produced, catchy (I got a mix of R&B and Steel Dan type jazz), but I have a hunch there’s better stuff to discover in this genre.
Standouts we’re the title track (which didn’t feel like 11 min long at all) and Carnival of the Night, which I loved.
3
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Mon Mar 13 2023
The Wildest!
Louis Prima
Hard to review because I only listened back on Friday. I loved the first two tracks, thought it was pointing toward a promising direction and then The Lip sounded like Mike Filipowicz talk-singing. After that it was really hit or miss, I have a soft spot for standard 50’s pop but this left some to be desired.
2
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Tue Mar 14 2023
Eagles
Eagles
In 2016, I developed a crush on a gorgeous girl on the dorm floor above me who was a huge Eagles fan (despite not knowing who Don Henley was). Today, she is married, and I am writing a review of the Eagles debut album while procrastinating law school work.
Regarding the actual music, this is a great look behind the curtain at who the Eagles were starting out. I unabashedly will say I would listen to this album over Hotel California any day, despite it being objectively weaker music. This is early Eagles, and this is pure country rock, heavily influenced by lead guitarist Bernie Leadon, formerly of the Flying Burrito Brothers (check em out, please). If Hotel California is the Eagles on cocaine and stardom, their debut album is the Eagles on peyote and a cheap bologna sandwich trying to make it big when they aren't Linda Ronstadt's backing band. The banjo on Take It Easy is what elevates it from catchy tune to country rock classic, the harmonies and guitar solo on Peaceful Easy Feeling (maybe a top 3 Eagles tune?) are perfect. But this album pulls its weight with Nightingale, a rocker that wouldn't even be so outta place on something like Hotel California, and Train Leaves Here This Morning, a great laid-back Leadon track. No, he wasn't as good a guitarist (or drunk) as Joe Walsh, but he played a far more important role as the Eagles first guitar hero before Don Felder and Walsh join the Frey later in the decade.
Now, can we talk about the war crime that is Chug All Night into Most of Us Are Sad? Two terrible songs that when sequenced together become even worse. Tryin' and Earlybird were ok, but please respect this album the aforementioned deep cuts I defended in the previous paragraph. This is a light 4, not nearly on par with Led Zeppelin II.
P.S. Shoutout Randy Meisner, Scottsbluff Bearcat.
4
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Wed Mar 15 2023
Funeral
Arcade Fire
Amazing guitar sound, and I think all the orchestral arrangements were done in a good way to add something to the album without overdoing anything. My big hang-up here is the same with so many indie rock acts of the 21st century - why is the lead singer's voice so ... whiny. The "Neighborhood" saga is my least favorite grouping of tracks, the standouts here were Une Annee Sans Lumiere, Wake Up, Rebellion, and In the Backseat. I can easily see why this made the mark it did in 2004 and is considered a top album of the decade.
3
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Thu Mar 16 2023
We Are Family
Sister Sledge
Everyone likes disco to some extent, you’re gonna be tapping your foot to the Four on the Floor beat at some point. However, I lose my appetite for disco pretty quickly. There’s typically little creativity, the songs don’t tell a story or lead you anywhere. He’s the Greatest Dancer, for example, takes almost 5 1/2 minutes and just repeats the same few musical motifs.
I will say, if you can forget just how overplayed “We Are Family” is, you have to acknowledge it’s likely a top 3-5 disco tune of all time. Props.
2
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Fri Mar 17 2023
The Clash
The Clash
Hard to review in a vacuum. 1) knowing that outside of the Ramones and Sex Pistols this is one of the first punk acts to breakthrough, so I’m sure it was very new and interesting. 2) I know the absolute genius they put on with London Calling.
The album didn’t wow me, but I found myself enjoying it and I love the snarl of Joe Strummer’s voice.
3
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Mon Mar 20 2023
Live At Leeds
The Who
The perfect live document of the best rock and roll band to do it.
1) there will never be another Keith Moon. He basically plays fills for entire songs and yet the songs still have a perfect rhythm.
2) there will never be another John Entwistle. I usually forget what Pete Townshend is playing because I’m too focused listening to how good the bass on these songs are.
3) related to the first two points, it’s hard to believe this music is only coming from 3 musicians and a singer. It’s louder and busier than the Allman Brothers, who were something like a 7 piece band.
4) The Who are a perfect blend of edgy like the Stones and hilariously innocent like the Beatles. Their banter in between songs and some of the tongue-in-cheek lyrics are great. It’s a shame their pre-Tommy stuff is the forgotten material of the British Invasion.
Definitely was wavering about giving it the elusive fifth star, but it definitely earns it.
5
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Tue Mar 21 2023
Cloud Nine
The Temptations
The first three songs are ok. Soul mixed with a little psychedelia, I kept getting TV cop theme song vibes. However, I’ve heard half a dozen covers of Heard It Through the Grapevine better than this, they miss the emotion of the song that Marvin Gaye delivers. The rest of the album is fine, amazing voices (I’d listen to them sing the Yellow Pages), but no songs jump out as memorable.
3
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Wed Mar 22 2023
2112
Rush
A prog rock album is inevitably only as good as it’s side long song about some weird fantasy theme. This isn’t quite for me, but I can respect the hell out of the musicianship. Everyone knows Neil, but I think the guitar playing is what stuck with me from this record.
2
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Thu Mar 23 2023
All Things Must Pass
George Harrison
Let’s start with legitimate gripes about the album.
1) the opening track is meh and doesn’t give the album the opening punch it could’ve delivered. It’s a Bob Dylan co-write and George putting it first was basically the 1970 version of posting a hot new girlfriend on Instagram to make your ex jealous.
2) there is plenty of filler on this album. Apple Scruffs, I Dig Love, …why a second version of Isn’t It a Pity?
3) the “Apple Jam” of instrumentals and Johnny’s Birthday are fine, but don’t add anything of substance.
Now, onto the good.
1) some of these individual songs are not just among the best music a solo Beatle put out, but among some of the best music any of them wrote. What is Life, Wah-Wah, My Sweet Lord, and Isn’t It a Pity are up there with Lennon/McCartney songs.
2) Phil Spector is a much at producing music than trying to not kill his wife. Listening to Awaiting On You All sounds like you’re 100 ft down a tunnel listening on a maxed out PA system.
People often play the classic game of trying to cut the White Album down to a single album (don’t be friends with these people, they don’t understand the White Album). However, this record could properly be chopped into a single record and it would be considered a top 25 album in rock history? Here’s my go at it:
My Sweet Lord
Wah Wah
Isn’t It A Pity
What is Life
If Not For You
Behind That Locked Door
Let It Down
Run of the Mill
Beware of Darkness
Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp
Awaiting On You All
Art of Dying
All Things Must Pass
4
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Fri Mar 24 2023
Gorillaz
Gorillaz
Good, unique mix of lofi, rap, and rock. Definitely good music to put on on a rainy day and just have playing in the background. I enjoyed the songs with lyrics best, namely Rock the House (with the Herb Alpert-esque brass), Clint Eastwood, and Tomorrow Comes Today. Nothing super profound jumped out at me, but definitely a good debut.
3
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Mon Mar 27 2023
Disraeli Gears
Cream
Sunshine of Your Love? - Great
Imagine walking into a record store and passing over The Beatles, The Kinks, The Beach Boys, or Bob Dylan for this. I’d be upset in retrospect.
Of course Clapton is a great technical guitarist, but there’s just nothing resembling any emotion in his playing. Outside of “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs,” I think EC has been riding rock’s coattails to stardom. At least he did a cool Michelob commercial back in the day. He cannot hold a candle to Hendrix or his contemporaries.
1
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Tue Mar 28 2023
No Other
Gene Clark
A review on this album’s wiki said it “accomplished what Gram Parsons set out to do when he was breaking ground on ‘Cosmic American Music.’”
That is patently false. Parsons attempts at spacey country rock, with the Burrito Brothers, Byrds, and his solo work, all are essential and classic listening. This album was not. I did love Ben Keith’s pedal steel playing on track 7.
But shoutout to Gene Clark for being an original member of the Byrds, whom I love. And he also gets a star just for writing “I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better.”
2
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Wed Mar 29 2023
Suede
Suede
Decent BritPop, again with the whiny voice from the lead singer though. The best songs were the ones where the guitar was allowed to rock out a little bit.
2
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Thu Mar 30 2023
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
Great guitar sound, good heavy rock. Definitely loses focus from time to time but overall definitely makes a good statement. I would say this is a less pretentious “Funeral.”
Extra star for real guitar and drums, as they say.
3
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Fri Mar 31 2023
London Calling
The Clash
I’m not sure I can name another album that starts off extremely strongly, and then proceeds to throw classics in your face for an hour. Songs 1-12 are absolutely essential, Brand New Cadillac is the only “A-“ song among an A+ stretch. The rest is just good, and then Train In Vain wraps it up in such a good way.
The success with which a simple punk band turned “3 chords and the truth” into a mix of rock, reggae, and ska for this album is nothing short of a miracle.
I really think Spanish Bombs is only of the best songs ever written, definitely top 50 no question. I could write a paragraph on most of these songs, but I think it goes without saying it earns each of its 5 stars.
5
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Mon Apr 03 2023
Africa Brasil
Jorge Ben Jor
I like the world music thing more on stuff like Remain in Light. Tried to like it but couldn’t follow along. Extra star for real drums and instruments.
1
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Tue Apr 04 2023
Mermaid Avenue
Billy Bragg
Good sounding alt rock/indie stuff. Admittedly was busy today so skipped around. Will definitely revisit this. Points for real guitar and drums as the kids say.
3
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Wed Apr 05 2023
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
Iron Butterfly
Meh, psychedelia mixed with church organs and a guy who can’t sing. Better than Clapton though!
2
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Thu Apr 06 2023
Legalize It
Peter Tosh
First song: terrible. I quit there
1
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Mon Apr 10 2023
Coat Of Many Colors
Dolly Parton
Very easy to like Dolly’s voice. The arrangements and ensemble on older country music like this never seems to fail. Almost gave it a full extra star for the ever-tasteful pedal steel guitar throughout. Great vocals as always from her as well.
3
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Tue Apr 11 2023
Moon Safari
Air
Interesting music and production for the time but nothing really grabbed a hold of me
2
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Wed Apr 12 2023
Second Toughest In The Infants
Underworld
Listened to 20 seconds of the first track…cmon
1
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Mon Apr 17 2023
Bad Company
Bad Company
At first was a little unsure of getting this album because when I think Bad Company, I think overplayed FM rock radio. However, this album is just about everything you could ask for from 1970’s rock music: good energy, memorable riffs and melodies, killer lead vocals from Paul Rodgers, and a concise album that’s less than 40 min. Extra point for real drums and guitar, this one honestly flirted with 5 stars for me. Enjoyed the deep cuts just as much as the hits.
4
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Tue Apr 18 2023
Eternally Yours
The Saints
Either this list or this algorithm loves punk music. I enjoyed it, horns and harmonica were a decent touch. Slightly better than The Clash’s self-titled, nowhere near London Calling. I need a break from punk.
3
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Wed Apr 19 2023
The Band
The Band
I will try not to pontificate too much about my favorite album of all time. 12 songs, none of them sound alike, but the whole album is extremely cohesive, right down to the brown cover and sepia toned photo of them on the cover. As someone I once heard said, this is the most Americana album of all time… by 4 Canadians and an Arkansan.
This band has 3 of the top 50 singers of all time, and Robbie Robertson could write a song that would perfectly fit one of them, or all 3 at once. All 5 of them are experts of their main instrument and could play each other’s instruments just as well.
Just like the Beatles, they’re such a tight band because they spent just as many years on the small-town bar circuit as they did as famous rockstars. A band deserving of the title “The Band.”
I’m a thief, and I dig it.
5
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Thu Apr 20 2023
25
Adele
Probably the best voice of 21st century pop? She gets an extra star for writing her own material instead of having a 10 man songwriting team or algorithm do the work. Too many songs with a bare piano arrangement, I started to get bored as a result.
3
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Fri Apr 21 2023
At San Quentin
Johnny Cash
I'm sure most of the crowd noise is faked/overdubbed, but it's still a fun listen as a live album. Johnny Cash is probably one of the more captivating performers of his time. Pound for pound, I would say Folsom > San Quentin in terms of his live records, but this one does have the benefit of having Wanted Man, my favorite song of his (written by Bob Dylan). It's basically a better version of "I've Been Everywhere."
4
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Mon Apr 24 2023
Nebraska
Bruce Springsteen
Fantastic album that transports you to rural, heartland America circa the 1930s-1960s. I think like 3-4 of these songs use the exact same chords and picking style, but the storytelling is interesting enough to keep you engaged. Nebraska, Atlantic City, Johnny 99, and Open All Night stand out to me. I’m really glad Bruce was able to put a hold the rocker persona to give us this treasure, just a shame he had to sell out and make the painstakingly average “Born in the USA” album 2 years later.
5
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Tue Apr 25 2023
Revolver
Beatles
In 1963, the Beatles’ first album begins on a quick count of “One, Two, Three, Four…”
Barely three years later (the span of time it takes Lorde and Dua Lipa to release ONE album), and the Beatles have turned popular music on its head from the moment George starts off Taxman with the slow, chill 1-2-3-4 count.
Backwards guitar solos, a full on sitar-laden song, a pop song that’s just a string arrangement, horn arrangements, Ringo’s drumming on She Said She Said, the vocal harmonies on Here There and Everywhere. These are all examples of things that were nearly single-handedly invented or perfected by the Beatles, and they’re all on one album. Most days, this is maybe my 4th or 5th favorite Beatles album, but I think it definitely has one of the strongest cases for their most important album.
In terms of influence, this is probably a top 2-3 most influential album on this 1,001 list. Just a shame the biggest hit from it is a kid’s tune about a submarine…
5
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Wed Apr 26 2023
Talking Heads 77
Talking Heads
Really good new wave music. Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth are great timekeepers, but I suppose it helps they’re married. Starts strong with Uh-Oh, ends really strongly with Psycho Killer and Pulled Up. Lost my focus in the middle of the album, keeps it from the elusive 5th star.
4
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Thu Apr 27 2023
Queen Of Denmark
John Grant
Didn’t finish but I enjoyed the production, the songwriting, and his voice
3
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Fri Apr 28 2023
The Chronic
Dr. Dre
5 star worthy beats with 1 star lyrical content. This is basically just the 90s version of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On. It’s clear as day the influence this album has had on the genre, but safe to say it’s not for me!
3
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Mon May 01 2023
Court And Spark
Joni Mitchell
I love Joni’s voice in the same vein of Chris’s love for Adele. She has such total command over her voice as an instrument, not just in maintaining pitch, but in volume, delivery, especially cadence. I could listen to her sing the verses of Help Me a million times and never get tired of it.
On top of her second-to-none vocal talent, the music is interesting enough. This album, IIRC, is about when she begins a pretty full dive into more jazz. Extra star for real guitar, drums, and tasteful horns, but it won’t let me add a 6th star.
5
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Tue May 02 2023
Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club
Good performances by the aforementioned great rhythm section of Talking Heads. This album reveals they would have most likely been stuck in their TH77 days if the songwriting had been more democratic. As a frontman and penman for their material, Chris and Tina needed David Byrne to take the next leap. I enjoyed this though.
3
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Thu May 04 2023
Sound Affects
The Jam
Great bass tone, good melodies for a punk album. After hearing London Calling it’s getting difficult to judge these punk projects. Bonus points for it being a concise 35 min long.
3
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Fri May 05 2023
Time Out
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
Catchy, melodic, well performed. Very accessible yet enjoyable music.
4
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Mon May 08 2023
The White Album
Beatles
Honestly when I think of an “album,” this is usually what comes to my mind. The biggest band in the world, fresh off a stretch of 3 classic, creative, and cohesive albums, find themselves without a manager and a direction. So they go to India, write a bunch of music, record it, and say f*** it and release it.
Every good album needs drama, every good album needs filler tracks to keep the pace. There are days where I get tired of hearing Sgt Pepper or Revolver, but listening to the White Album is always interesting. And yes, that means I even like “Wild Honey Pie,” “Why Don’t We Do It In the Road,” and “Revolution 9”
5
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Tue May 09 2023
Abraxas
Santana
Probably up there with Depeche Mode for my favorite album we’ve heard that I didn’t previously know. Great grooves from the percussion, fantastic guitar work.
Fun fact, Fleetwood Mac (pre-Buckingham and Nicks) wrote Black Magic Woman.
5
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Wed May 10 2023
Rum Sodomy & The Lash
The Pogues
Great music, interesting blend of rock, punk, and all the traditional Irish music. Good mix of tempo within the songs as well. The hang up with me is his voice, although it’s unique enough I can understand why some people find the charm in it.
4
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Thu May 11 2023
Power In Numbers
Jurassic 5
Decent vocal performances, didn’t keep me interested throughout though
2
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Fri May 12 2023
Can't Buy A Thrill
Steely Dan
One of only two chances to hear Steely Dan as an actual band and not just the brainchild of Becker/Fagen, and this one makes you wonder how they’d have carried on as a real unit. Not a big Do It Again fan but the rest of the album has amazing musicianship and vocal performances to back unique songwriting. Brooklyn was my top song on 2022’s Spotify Wrapped I think, and for good reason. I wish they’d have kept David Palmer to sing some of their later hits.
Steely Dan doesn’t have a bad album. Katy Lied is my favorite, but they have many worthy of a 5 star consideration.
5
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Mon May 15 2023
Close To You
Carpenters
Karen Carpenter really could sing this well *while playing the drums?!*
However, that raises the question of why they would let her brother sing on this when you have such a talent as KC. She’s up there with Joni and Adele for voices that have blown me away. Outside of the title track, though, I was unimpressed with the arrangements and instrumentation.
Bonus points for her voice and Close to You being Homer and Marge Simpson’s wedding song.
3
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Tue May 16 2023
The Stooges
The Stooges
I listened to all of We Will Fall in the shower and thought my Spotify was messed up. I’ll never get that 10 minutes back. Hard rock doesn’t have to be this dumb, Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and company at least bring more interesting instrumentation to the genre.
2
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Wed May 17 2023
Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
Powerful blend of rock and hiphop/rap. I can see why this would have a grip on angsty teens at the turn of the millennia, but it’s not the type of music I turn to when I’m pissed off. Still, objectively good music.
3
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Fri May 19 2023
Graceland
Paul Simon
One of the most famous left-turns in pop history. He’d been making music for 23 by this point? It takes a lot to make world music this accessible, this succeeds. I don’t always feel like listening to the whole thing, but it objectively earns the 5th star.
The a capella opening to Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes is the standout moment
5
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Mon May 22 2023
Hail To the Thief
Radiohead
Radiohead is rock for music theory nerds. I think there’s 3-4 more well known and well regarded RH albums so not sure why this made the list. Thom Yorke’s voice is also too whiny.
2
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Tue May 23 2023
Aja
Steely Dan
Incredible sound, inventive songwriting, catchy melodies. Perhaps the ultimate “real guitar and drums” album, the playing is just so good. Interesting how they continually had random session players lay these tracks and yet the whole album still feels rock solid as a unit. I Got The News is a B song surrounded by 6 A+ tunes.
5
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Wed May 24 2023
Paul's Boutique
Beastie Boys
They have such a recognizable sound, yet how do all their voices sound the exact same? Good rap music that doesn’t take itself all too seriously because Jewish white rappers from NYC can’t pass for Biggie Smalls. The sample list on the wiki page is nuts.
4
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Fri May 26 2023
Hypnotised
The Undertones
Didn’t wow me and I’m kind of over all the punk on this list. Good bass though.
1
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Mon May 29 2023
Arrival
ABBA
Catchy, yet a little forgettable. The dudes in abba should sing more.
3
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Tue May 30 2023
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Very inconsistent album but incredibly breathtaking songwriting from a 21 year old from Minnesota. This song has 5.5 classics and the rest are simple throwaways. Everyone knows Blowin in the Wind, but the real genius on this album is Hard Rain, Masters of War, and Don’t Think Twice.
Early 60s folk Bob is my least favorite era of his, and Jason poorly trying to mimic his voice from this era does not affect me.
4
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Wed May 31 2023
Billion Dollar Babies
Alice Cooper
When I hear Alice Cooper, I do not think “oh, I must listen to this album of his before I die.” This is good rock music and probably isn’t in the top 73 most essential albums of 1973.
Don’t get me wrong, No More Mr. Nice Guy is one of the best FM radio rock songs, holds up well on repeat listens
2
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Thu Jun 01 2023
Actually
Pet Shop Boys
Walmart brand version of Violator by Depeche Mode. Decent stuff, pretty catchy.
3
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Fri Jun 02 2023
Melodrama
Lorde
This is the good stuff. First 5-6 songs are an all time way to start and album, and I wish Perfect Places had a 3x longer runtime. Such a well constructed album, from the production, to the moody lyrics, to the great cover art…even melodrama is such a good name for an album.
5
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Mon Jun 05 2023
Are You Experienced
Jimi Hendrix
About as good as real guitar and real drums gets. Hendrix rightly gets the spotlight as a pillar of guitar playing, but Mitch Mitchell is having an all-time moment on the drums this entire album. Very Keith Moon like in that it sounds sloppy but is filling every guitar break perfectly. Great songs front to back, 5 stars despite the pretentious 8-minute hippy track.
5
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Tue Jun 06 2023
Liquid Swords
GZA
I like the idea of mixing in dialogue from a movie into a concept album. It’s a rap album, I really can’t say much about if I liked it or not. Pretty standard stuff.
3
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Wed Jun 07 2023
(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd)
Lynyrd Skynyrd
I love listening to debuts, usually a band at their most authentic yet most raw. Follows the Allman’s debut by about 3 years but still sounds like such a fresh and new take on southern rock. Free Bird is face melting, the way RVZ phrases some of the lines in Gimme Three Steps is legitimately funny and the song has a riff that’ll be in my head for a week. I loved every song here, then went to their second record and loved every song there.
5
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Thu Jun 08 2023
There's A Riot Goin' On
Sly & The Family Stone
Cool, funky, interesting instrumentation for 1971. Definitely lays some hip-hop groundwork
3
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Fri Jun 09 2023
White Light / White Heat
The Velvet Underground
Title track - sounds messy and muddy production wise, but the melody and interplay with the backing vocals gets stuck in my head once a week at least.
The gift - the instrumental jam is good, I dig the story line, and I like John Cale’s Welsh accent.
Lady Godiva - see above comment regarding John Cale’s accent. This is one of two VU albums to include him, so it’s a rarity I enjoy every time.
Here She Comes Now - the soft spot on the record yet still a little dark, brooding and messy.
I Heard Her Call My Name - I thought this would be the reason I gave it 4 stars, but I ended up enjoying it more than I expected
Sister Ray - good groove, maybe doesn’t need 17 min but a great finishing track.
A very coarse album, impossible to digest on first listen, but I can’t turn it off once I start listening to it. Definitely a good one to try out after the Banana album.
5
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Mon Jun 12 2023
Reggatta De Blanc
The Police
Distinctive vocals from sting, really unique guitar tone from Somers, great drumming from Copeland. I can’t say I loved anything outside of Message in a Bottle, though. Very inventive and influential music, no doubt, but I’ve never gone through a Police kick.
3
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Tue Jun 13 2023
Born To Run
Bruce Springsteen
Decent album…
It’s nuts how well rounded this album is after sounding absolutely nothing like his first two tries. Incredibly clear production, I can focus on each instrument clearly and it lets each song sound fresh every listen. The Professor is absolutely killing it here, it really should be Roy Bitten and the E Street Band. I always have a soft spot for She’s the One as a forgotten deep cut and great sax solo. Perfect album outside of the slight drab and pretentiousness of Meeting Across the River.
5
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Wed Jun 14 2023
The College Dropout
Kanye West
A great start to a strong musical career. Creative, leans heavily on a good sense of R&B which not enough hip hop or rap does today. Found myself singing along which is rare for a rap record. Runs a little long, no rap album needs to be an hour.
4
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Thu Jun 15 2023
Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
Loved this on the first listen, on the second listen I realized how long it is. I tagged on rap albums for being too lengthy, this gets the same treatment. No rock album needs multiple 8 min songs and 4-5 tracks over the 6 min mark. Money for Nothing deserves the run time, however. Walk of Life is pop gold. The Man’s Too Strong is a great lesson on how volume control can turn a good song into a great song. I think the overall album length and slight filler prevent it from getting the fifth star. Love Mark Knopfler though.
4
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Fri Jun 16 2023
Parklife
Blur
Decent stuff, good instrumentation. Way too British for me.
3
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Mon Jun 19 2023
It's Blitz!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Really good album. Probably is a low 4 but I don’t remember much from Friday.
3
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Tue Jun 20 2023
Axis: Bold As Love
Jimi Hendrix
More great stuff but the album tracks on this one stifled the overall experience. Only giving this a 3 as relative to the 5 of AYE. A little more hippie and less guitar-rock focused than the debut.
3
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Wed Jun 21 2023
Kid A
Radiohead
One of those albums that still sounds a tiny bit futuristic despite being a couple decades old. Definitely a huge left turn in Radiohead’s career and rock as a whole. No 5th star due to Thom Yorke’s whiny vocals draining out the music.
4
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Fri Jun 23 2023
(What's The Story) Morning Glory
Oasis
The perfect amount of British. People can say they are just cut and pasting pastiches from the Beatles…but why aren’t more bands doing the same? Out of the three mega-classics on this, Wonderwall is by far the weakest. Don’t Look Back and Champagne Supernova are pop perfection, and I’m surprised I didn’t know Some Might Say before this. Loved it.
5
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Mon Jun 26 2023
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
Album really picks up toward the second half. Definitely would’ve been a bolt of lightning back in 1977, but it’s just good punk to my 2023 ears.
3
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Tue Jun 27 2023
Led Zeppelin IV
Led Zeppelin
Some good rock music. Going to California is tied with Ramble On for my favorite LZ song. Stairway honestly deserves every accolade it gets. Rock and Roll, Black Dog, When the Levee Breaks are all perfect rock. A must listen to album.
5
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Wed Jun 28 2023
Bringing It All Back Home
Bob Dylan
Side 1 he goes electric, side 2 reminds you he can still do it all acoustic. Subterranean and It’s Alright Ma are two songs that sound nothing like anything else in rock. The love songs on side A are perfect. This one has Mr. Tambourine Man, Bob Dylan’s 115th dream is hilarious, oh and it ends with Baby Blue, possibly his most heart wrenching song, if not his best.
I don’t listen to this one all that often, but if this is possibly his *worst* of the upcoming trilogy of 60’s rock albums of his…I’d say he’s doing alright.
He’s also 24 when he’s writing these lyrics…
5
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Thu Jun 29 2023
Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against The Machine
Energy is just oozing out of this album. It’s a shame raging against the machine just means “Republicans bad” in 2023, but back in 1992 this album’s message must’ve been infectious. Tom Morello underrate real guitarist.
5
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Fri Jun 30 2023
Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs
Marty Robbins
The best country album I’ve ever heard to date. Sounds surprisingly crisp for 1959 too, apparently recorded in one 8-hour session.
In terms of pure songwriting, I’d have to venture to say El Paso is one of the 5 greatest songs ever written, and Big Iron definitely makes a top 25-50 spot. Such elegant storytelling in a way that I still hang on every word on the hundredth repeat listen. Every song in between is really good too.
5
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Mon Jul 03 2023
Superfly
Curtis Mayfield
Funky and catchy, good music
4
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Thu Jul 06 2023
In A Silent Way
Miles Davis
Only thing that struck me was the amount of electric guitar and piano, turns out that’s why this album is notable in the progression of jazz fusion. I enjoyed it, but liked Take Five way more and I know I’d enjoy others by Miles far better.
3
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Fri Jul 07 2023
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
Soft Cell
British synth pop and post punk are two genres I couldn’t get into no matter what. Never even liked Tainted Love. The 80s was an American dominated decade
2
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Mon Jul 10 2023
Green
R.E.M.
These guys just have a knack for catchy music and great melody. Good real guitar and drums, maybe a little mandolin too?
4
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Tue Jul 11 2023
Elephant
The White Stripes
Awesome production, I was worried every song would have the same flavor but this goes a lot of different ways. Fun to listen to. 7NA might be one of the weaker overall tracks honestly.
5
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Wed Jul 12 2023
Live At The Harlem Square Club
Sam Cooke
Good energy, fun music, killer voice.
4
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Thu Jul 13 2023
Zombie
Fela Kuti
Good overall, better as background music than something to really focus in on
3
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Tue Jul 18 2023
Transformer
Lou Reed
Not a perfect album, but the hits carry the water here. Walk on the Wild Side, Perfect Day, Vicious, Satellite of Love, just great glam and pop songwriting. Just like with Bob Dylan, I’ll fight anybody who doesn’t like Lou Reed’s voice. Fun fact: this album was produced by David Bowie.
5
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Wed Jul 19 2023
Fever To Tell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Not terrible, probably worse than the other Yeah Ye…wait…why did we have 2 of their albums on this list?!
2
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Fri Jul 21 2023
Playing With Fire
Spacemen 3
Psychedelic and spacey, not bad. Could’ve flirted with a 4 if it weren’t for the repetitive 11min instrumental.
3
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Mon Jul 24 2023
The Predator
Ice Cube
Can’t say whether or not it was better than the chronic, definitely edgier and angrier.
Also regular people just enjoy this album, psychos like me immediately recognize the Steely Dan Green Earrings sample on Dont Trust Em
3
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Tue Jul 25 2023
Metallica
Metallica
If all metal were to be like this, call me a metalhead. I have to shout out the album cover is a very cheeky wink to White Light/White Heat…
4
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Wed Jul 26 2023
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
The Flaming Lips
Great melody writing, interesting blend of acoustic folk themes with electronic and big production ideas. Didn’t pay too much attention to the overarching concept but the musical ideas carried enough of a related strand to feel cohesive.
5
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Thu Jul 27 2023
British Steel
Judas Priest
Right up there with Metallica as far as good metal goes. I don’t know what it would take for a metal album to get the 5th star but this one came close at times. Living After Midnight sounds like a KISS track almost. I listened to “Breaking the Law” before taking my criminal law final…got an A-, I’ll take it
4
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Fri Jul 28 2023
Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Extra star for the good playing from the rhythm section. Kiedis’s voice is insufferable and Frusciante is a good guitarist but the riffs overall are so meh
1
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Tue Aug 01 2023
Green Onions
Booker T. & The MG's
Pretty good for 1962. Love the electric/Wurlitzer piano throughout. Outside of the first track, not much to latch onto.
2
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Thu Aug 03 2023
Bluesbreakers
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
Good blues tunes. Nothing extraordinary but the band is right and sounds good. Blues music is repetitive and doesn’t allow much room for creativity but if you can play, you can play - and these guys can.
3
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Fri Aug 04 2023
Fuzzy
Grant Lee Buffalo
This was good. Not much else to comment on.
3
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Mon Aug 07 2023
Sign 'O' The Times
Prince
Hadn’t listened to this, very different than the Prince I do know. Since it’s Prince, you can assume it will be captivating. I liked it overall, but this might’ve been the beginning of a small decline.
4
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Tue Aug 08 2023
Hot Fuss
The Killers
Good guitar and drums, and incredible energy throughout. With the hits on side A, I was worried it would lack side B but I enjoyed throughout. Let’s pretend the second to last track just doesn’t exist though.
5
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Wed Aug 09 2023
Innervisions
Stevie Wonder
Smack dab in the middle of an impeccable run, a lot going on but not a note out of place. Pretty sure he plays every instrument on these albums too. Insane amount of talent, plenty groovy. Easy “put it on and listen” 5 star record.
5
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Thu Aug 10 2023
Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
I was too distressed by Robbie Robertson dying to listen to this. Also, was not super excited to listen when I tried to pronounce it. Got through tracks 1-2
2
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Fri Aug 11 2023
Lust For Life
Iggy Pop
Much more melodic and listenable than the Stooges debut. Good improvement, Iggy. The Passenger and title track are legitimately strong pop.
3
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Mon Aug 14 2023
Physical Graffiti
Led Zeppelin
This really does feel like Led Zeppelin’s “White Album.” Double album in which every idea was tossed onto the final track list - rock epics alongside joking-style filler. Interesting listen but doesn’t quite rise to their best work. I gave LZ2 a 4 (probably deserved a 5) and LZ4 a 5 so this has to be a 4.
Kashmir, Ten Years Gone, Houses of the Holy are all LZ canon, great stuff. Trampled Under Foot is an F- song.
4
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Tue Aug 15 2023
Only By The Night
Kings of Leon
The album tracks for the most part were as good as the smash hits. Enjoyable listen.
4
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Wed Aug 16 2023
Little Earthquakes
Tori Amos
Sounds like a 90s Kate Bush. Good stuff objectively but not my go-to kind of music.
3
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Thu Aug 17 2023
Let's Stay Together
Al Green
If I could sing like this, I’d probably never shut up. Voice like butter, the songs themselves are just ok. Good grooves.
3
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Fri Aug 18 2023
Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
Spiritualized
Not my thing but kept my attention enough to avoid 1 star treatment.
2
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Mon Aug 21 2023
Bayou Country
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Ridiculous amounts of “choogle” from the boys who invented the thing. Swampy, catchy, overflowing with energy. Album dips in the middle from Graveyard Train to Penthouse Pauper but it’s still got the choogle. I will never shut up about how their “classic era” consisted of five 5-star albums in 24 months. Insane productivity.
I think arguments could be made for The Beach Boys and Velvet Underground, but my personal vote goes to the boys from the Bay Area as the greatest American rock band.
5
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Tue Aug 22 2023
Tres Hombres
ZZ Top
Raw, bluesy, swampy in its own non-CCR way. ZZ Top had many more albums than I would have guessed.
3
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Wed Aug 23 2023
Black Metal
Venom
I listened to 20 seconds of the first track, then 20 seconds of the second, and got the gist. C’mon…
1
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Thu Aug 24 2023
I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
Sinead O'Connor
Just fine all around, don’t think her voice suits some of the acapella and bare arrangement moments on this.
I’ve also noticed we get a lot of albums with an artist’s one smash hit on it - weird way to create a “1,001 albums you must hear list.”
3
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Fri Aug 25 2023
The Gilded Palace Of Sin
The Flying Burrito Brothers
4 stars for the music and I felt compelled to throw on the 5th for the influence Gram and company had on cosmic country and the country-rock blend. I’m a sucker for pedal steel and 3/4 time, and this album had it in bunches. If you like Gram Parsons, it’s also worth checking out:
Sweetheart of the Rodeo
GP
Grievous Angel
5
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Mon Aug 28 2023
Remain In Light
Talking Heads
This is not my beautiful house.
This is not my beautiful wife.
This is just a really good album.
5
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Tue Aug 29 2023
There's No Place Like America Today
Curtis Mayfield
Didn’t finish it, was fine.
3
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Wed Aug 30 2023
Aftermath
The Rolling Stones
Probably really good at face value, but it’s hard not to compare this to Revolver in 1966. The Brian Jones-era Stones were definitely talented, and this is a step forward, but their post-1968 put stuff like this to shame. Glad Paint It Black made the American version of the record.
Fun tidbit, when looking for a title to Revolver, Ringo suggested they tease the Stones by naming their new album “After-Geography.”
3
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Thu Aug 31 2023
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
Ray Charles
A good spin on these songs. Getting big band and R&B vibes infused with the country skeleton. Almost feels like an African-American twist on Sinatra.
4
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Fri Sep 01 2023
Van Halen
Van Halen
Not often a debut has such a legitimate claim to being the top album of the decade, let alone the year. VH has many good songs, but the consistency of the run of classics gathered here is hard to grasp. Definitely an album that changed music forever.
5
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Mon Sep 04 2023
The Yes Album
Yes
Good prog. Love Seen All Good People.
3
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Wed Sep 06 2023
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Beatles
Imagine review: 5 stars, John had a crazy good start to his solo career with Plastic Ono Band followed by this. Has hits, has sentimentality, he knew how to write an honest song that could tug at the heart strings.
Sgt. Pepper: maybe not a true concept album, but helped lay the foundation for the album as an art form. No longer did records have to be 14 three-minute songs. With a Little Help from My Friends is second only to Hey Jude in the Beatles’ singalong catalog. And Day in the Life…? Nuff said. Stands the test of time.
5
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Thu Sep 07 2023
Vol. 4
Black Sabbath
If my favorite song on a Sabbath record is a ballad, something is up. A good softer shift away from the first few albums, despite those being great. Good guitar work.
4
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Fri Sep 08 2023
Fred Neil
Fred Neil
Love a good “forgotten artist with a classic album.” Cool guitar tone for a 1966 folk album. A quick wiki search tells me this guy REALLY loved dolphins. Much credit to him for giving us “Everybody’s Talkin’,” an absolute classic from Harry Nilsson.
3
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Mon Sep 11 2023
Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
Great voice. Interesting at times with a good flow between tracks. Jason tells me it gets better with Blonde.
3
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Tue Sep 12 2023
Stankonia
OutKast
I saw it was over an hour and already feel like I have to dismiss it for that fact. Despite that it was great pop infused RB and rap. I skipped around a bit but the hits are unimpeachable
3
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Wed Sep 13 2023
BEYONCÉ
Beyoncé
Undeniably catchy and killer crisp production. Not sure where the album ended since the platinum edition was all Spotify had for me. I was gonna complain about how every song is just unending sexual euphemisms but that would make me seem like “old man yells at cloud.”
4
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Thu Sep 14 2023
Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
It’s fine. Voice is definitely the predecessor to Dolores O’Riordan and the Cranberries.
2
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Fri Sep 15 2023
Cafe Bleu
The Style Council
I’ve listened to each of these albums with as much of an open mind as possible. This was bad. What genre are we focusing on? What’s the theme? Very weird.
1
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Mon Sep 18 2023
Beauty And The Beat
The Go-Go's
Not quite an album act, but the singles here are a perfect sample of female-driven 80’s pop. The drumming is very propulsive. Our Lips are Sealed is so good.
3
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Tue Sep 19 2023
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash
CSN is the soundtrack of camping in Kearney and car rides with my dad, very nostalgic music and Suite: Judy Blue Eyes has a special place with me for that. I even know all the Spanish.
Objectively, this should be a “Stills & Company” album. They formed a supergroup out of a LA jam session once they recognized how special their 3 part harmonies were. However, a lot of the talent begins and ends there. Graham Nash is just a smooth British voice and Crosby was like the 3rd or 4th most talented Byrd. Stills, fresh off his split with Buffalo Springfield and Neil Young, could both write and play a guitar. You get a sense of that on Judy Blue Eyes and Long Time Gone.
Deja Vu and the inclusion of Neil is a 5 star record, this one suffers from some “mashed baby food”-esque filler.
4
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Wed Sep 20 2023
Pretenders
Pretenders
Hit me while listening that this is just the yang to Blondie’s yin: female led punk-adjacent new wave group where the male backing band has incredible groove. Great drumming, awesome guitar tone. I know Learning to Crawl a little better. If my memory serves me right this band faced a lot of tragedy and possibly left a lot of great work on the table.
4
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Thu Sep 21 2023
Clube Da Esquina
Milton Nascimento
First song was 5 star worthy. The hour long runtime mixed with me not understanding a single lyric makes it a brutal trek otherwise. I’ll assume it was fine
3
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Fri Sep 22 2023
Among The Living
Anthrax
Of the so-called “Big Four” of thrash metal, I’d say these guys rank 5th.
1
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Mon Sep 25 2023
Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin
No reason this should be loved any less then LZ 1/2/4. Love how it begins with maybe their most well-known hard rocker and then just dumps it for an acoustic driven album. Where most albums put the hits up front, this album hits its stride at the end. Gallows Pole through to BronYAur Stomp is as good as a four song stretch gets.
4
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Tue Sep 26 2023
xx
The xx
Fine elevator music, not super captivating
2
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Wed Sep 27 2023
Sister
Sonic Youth
Pretty good noise rock. I know Daydream Nation is supposed to be their opus but am not familiar with much of their work. Good stuff but nothing reached out and grabbed me.
3
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Fri Sep 29 2023
Deloused in the Comatorium
The Mars Volta
Started hot, really enjoyed the beginning. Almost like a hybrid of pop punk vocals with a heavy metal backing band. They lost me around the 12 minute tune down the stretch.
3
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Mon Oct 02 2023
Let It Bleed
The Rolling Stones
One of the very best. Brian Jones was mostly absent from this album but Mick Taylor had not really entered the fray completely. This is a Jagger/Richards masterpiece through and through. Bookended by 2 of rock’s greatest songs, with perfect country rock and rock n’ roll in the middle. Takes a lot to execute a cover of a song from the 1930s too. The run of Midnight Rambler to the end of the album is too good.
I’d rather listen to Exile, but this is their best album.
5
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Tue Oct 03 2023
Hot Buttered Soul
Isaac Hayes
Wanted so badly to give it a 4. Love the music, don’t need the 8 min spoken word intro before Phoenix. Glen Campbell’s version is a perfect rendition and this is good too. Walk on By was a good cover and I liked the rest. This is good music to have on in a chill, background music type of way.
3
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Wed Oct 04 2023
American Gothic
David Ackles
The bones of a great album are back there somewhere. These are well-written, mature songs. He doesn’t have the voice to transform them and the arrangement choices are puzzling. Some odd almost word stuff, odd horns and sounds pop up randomly. This is an album I’d want to hear early 70s pop acts cover, as I see Elton John’s lyricist produced it - it was obviously available to them.
3