447
Albums Rated
3.35
Average Rating
41%
Complete
642 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
2010s
Favorite Decade
Funk
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
55
5-Star Albums
10
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
OK
Talvin Singh
|
5 | 2.57 | +2.43 |
|
Honky Tonk Masquerade
Joe Ely
|
5 | 2.68 | +2.32 |
|
A Wizard, A True Star
Todd Rundgren
|
5 | 2.83 | +2.17 |
|
I Am a Bird Now
Antony and the Johnsons
|
5 | 2.84 | +2.16 |
|
Millions Now Living Will Never Die
Tortoise
|
5 | 2.87 | +2.13 |
|
Beach Samba
Astrud Gilberto
|
5 | 2.92 | +2.08 |
|
Call of the Valley
Shivkumar Sharma
|
5 | 2.95 | +2.05 |
|
Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses
|
5 | 2.98 | +2.02 |
|
Sunshine Hit Me
The Bees
|
5 | 2.99 | +2.01 |
|
Microshift
Hookworms
|
5 | 3.03 | +1.97 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Definitely Maybe
Oasis
|
1 | 3.53 | -2.53 |
|
Blonde On Blonde
Bob Dylan
|
1 | 3.5 | -2.5 |
|
Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
|
1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
|
Tonight's The Night
Neil Young
|
1 | 3.23 | -2.23 |
|
Ritual De Lo Habitual
Jane's Addiction
|
1 | 3.19 | -2.19 |
|
Nothing's Shocking
Jane's Addiction
|
1 | 3.17 | -2.17 |
|
Aha Shake Heartbreak
Kings of Leon
|
1 | 2.96 | -1.96 |
|
A Night At The Opera
Queen
|
2 | 3.96 | -1.96 |
|
A Northern Soul
The Verve
|
1 | 2.91 | -1.91 |
|
Gold
Ryan Adams
|
1 | 2.84 | -1.84 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Miles Davis | 4 | 4.75 |
| Stevie Wonder | 4 | 4.75 |
| David Bowie | 7 | 4.14 |
| Prince | 2 | 5 |
| Pink Floyd | 2 | 5 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Jane's Addiction | 2 | 1 |
| Bob Dylan | 6 | 1.83 |
| The Verve | 2 | 1.5 |
| Aerosmith | 3 | 2 |
| U2 | 3 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Neil Young | 4, 1, 3 |
5-Star Albums (55)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Tortoise
5/5
Djed alone is worth the price of admission, which it should be as roughly half the run time of this album. What a cool, eccentric, moody assortment.
7 likes
The Verve
2/5
Putting Bittersweet Symphony at the very start of this album was a mistake. They blew their load way too soon, and the only other fine track is The Drugs Don’t Work which is also not far behind Symphony on side A. It truly goes on way too long for what it is. I feel like every track could be used as credits music for early 2000’s romance movies, and I wouldn’t be able to differentiate half of them from each other, much like early 2000’s romance movies. Not atrocious, but astoundingly milquetoast.
5 likes
Astrud Gilberto
5/5
Lovely album, I feel like I should be driving through 60’s B-roll and falling in love. I should be at a lake. I should be smoking on a plane. Just a good time all around.
4 likes
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Exodus, Three Little Birds, and One Love are iconic tracks that sort of define the genre for people who have no knowledge of reggae. I don’t have much experience with reggae but I instantly recognized those tracks from appearances in other media. I really enjoyed the vibe, I hate the stereotypical perception of reggae as weed music, it has something to say.
4 likes
Jerry Lee Lewis
5/5
This is a short performance, but perhaps one of the few times I will prefer a live album to a studio album. It is a particularly electric performance heightened by the feel of the room. It’s the perfect type of music for a live album as well, very little processing and a lot of room to ham it up and wail.
2 likes
1-Star Albums (10)
All Ratings
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Highlights: Black Dog has a great bass line but I don’t generally vibe with the play music, stop, lyrics, stop, music sort of song structure. Rock and Roll may be typesetting because of its age, but it feels pretty forgettable/basic to me. Evermore goes for a bit of sword and sorcery, but doesn’t have the same weight as Dio’s tracks in that style. Stairway to Heaven improves on the fantasy sound of Battle of Evermore from earlier in the album, understandably a classic. Misty Mountain Hop has a fantastic rhythm to it that makes it feel like a wake up call after Stairway sets you down. Four Sticks has a super catchy riff. Going to California, I like the simpler vibe and the off-kilter vocal switch in the middle. Sort of a pining song about unrealistic expectations. When the Levee Breaks rocks.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
It sounds like this album was poured over itself several times to generate the layered, murky funk. You can’t exactly tell what is being said on a lot of the tracks but damn me if they aren’t funky as hell. Family Affair is definitely a stand out, and I love the artifice of doing something like the track There’s A Riot Going On, a zero second silent song whose inclusion only brings speculation on the purpose of its existence. The yodeling on Spaced Cowboy is very funny. Runnin’ Away is very catchy. Thank You for Talkin’ to Me, Africa is a great outro, incredible vibe. PS from late in the day, been listening to this artist all day, killer
Aerosmith
2/5
Oh my god it’s all just glam metal horny posting. I bet he regrets calling a song Young Lust at the moment. The “squeaks” line in F.I.N.E. needs Jesus. Love in an Elevator is somehow less subtle, but at least it takes a firm anti-DJ Khaled stance on the matter. Monkey on my Back, a non-horny song about kicking a drug habit, what I’m noticing is a pretty similar instrumental for each track and roughly the same singing from Tyler, I hope it mixes up soon as it feels samey. Praise be, right into Janie’s Got a Gun which does sound different and I dig it. Very catchy, less of a belter all the way through.
Chiming back in at What It Takes, a decent ballad, to say everything between my last note and here has been indistinguishable. I have certainly learned I have no great love for Aerosmith.
Steely Dan
3/5
I like the album generally, but I understand the note from Wikipedia indicating no particular single arose from this album. Bodhisattva and Razor Boy are probably the closest. It’s a wonderful sound, I like the organ and the weird synthy stuff, but it does lend itself to be background music.
Eagles
3/5
I like the sound, not something I anticipated saying of a project with so much banjo. Really like Take It Easy and Witchy Woman, Most of Us Are Sad is also good. I see why their producer didn’t want to make an album before hearing them harmonizing, the harmonies are certainly a highlight. Real feel good easy listening grandpa rock. Good to have on, though mainly as background.
Van Halen
3/5
Pretty rip-ass dad rock album, though unfortunately non of the singles really stuck for me. Standout of the album today was Eruption, I like the boldness of just making a whole track be a bitching guitar solo. Good album, but falls into a background music space for me.
Public Enemy
5/5
Incredible energy. The coolest sampling. The cleanest rapping. This is a good fucking album.
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
This is weird because a lot of modern alternative (and punk in the case of Don’t) sounds a lot like this, but of course this is from the 80’s so it feels like an early swing at the sounds that would run those genres going into the 90’s/00’s. For that reason it is perhaps on the tame side of those sounds but still very listenable and good.
The Verve
2/5
Putting Bittersweet Symphony at the very start of this album was a mistake. They blew their load way too soon, and the only other fine track is The Drugs Don’t Work which is also not far behind Symphony on side A. It truly goes on way too long for what it is. I feel like every track could be used as credits music for early 2000’s romance movies, and I wouldn’t be able to differentiate half of them from each other, much like early 2000’s romance movies. Not atrocious, but astoundingly milquetoast.
5/5
Oh no, a rock-opera, the album generator has become sentient and is targeting me now. I love this period of messing with stereo recording, the isolated instruments on each side makes it feel immersive. Very catchy, and I love albums that have a narrative.
Bob Dylan
2/5
He pulls me in with lyricism and a unique singing voice (and he was so young on this album, it’s wild to think this is not an older man), and then he reminds me why I haven’t generally listened to Bob Dylan every time he wails on that god forsaken harmonica. It’s fine some of the time, but other times a delightful acoustic guitar track is slaughtered at the altar of that damnable aerophone.
George Michael
4/5
This is some good easy listening. George Michael has a beautiful voice, which really works for these slower and more thoughtful songs. To be honest, he could probably say whatever he wants with a voice like that.
Frank Ocean
5/5
I have a profound love for this album. Frank’s voice is beautiful, I think Bad Religion and Pink Matter are some of his best tracks vocally and listening to them is like massage therapy for my mind. Sweet Life and Super Rich Kids, and conversely Pilot Jones and Crack Rock, are so unrelatable on the surface for opposing reasons but the evocative picture of misery in excess and having contradictory feelings to what is happening around you reflects a sentiment that I feel permeates younger generations right now. The tragedy of loving someone fruitlessly as referenced in Thinkin Bout You, Bad Religion, and Pink Matter define this album in my memory as the de facto “lonely hours” album of the 2010’s. The way the album pivots during Pyramids from the general depression and loneliness of the first half to heartsick yearning, bargaining, and acceptance through the end speaks to Frank’s skills in crafting not just individual tracks, but in curating an album as an experience. channel ORANGE doesn’t seek to advise you on how to find what you’re looking for in life, but it’s success illustrates that it doesn’t hurt to know you aren’t alone in that search.
3/5
Wonderwall, Don’t Look Back in Anger, and Champagne Supernova are definitely standouts here. The success of those songs sort of overshadows the rest of the album, as I am very familiar with those but everything else was new. The persistent thought I had was that I could see why I had only heard those tracks, as everything else on the album unfortunately just pads for time. Not great, not terrible, and the number of standout songs is pretty decent.
Joy Division
4/5
This album has a really comfortable sound, like an overcast day waiting to rain. It generates atmosphere and doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. Very enjoyable.
Butthole Surfers
3/5
Human Cannonball feels like it is far and away the most market friendly song here, and it is my favorite, but wow. This album feels like a look-book that grunge and punk would pull from all through the 90’s. Weird samples, spoken word segments, just noises, ideas thrown at a wall. Not a bad thing.
Blur
3/5
Not the biggest fan of britpop so far, but To The End is a particular favorite of mine. The other singles are also very catchy, but once again seem to be the few peaks in an otherwise mild and forgettable album that generally sits in the background.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
I like the grand orchestral sound filtered through synth pop, it has an ethereal quality that is incredibly of the time. The gentle singing also provides a somewhat inhuman feeling, like a detached observer reflecting on the past.
Kate Bush
3/5
Don’t get me wrong, Running Up That Hill is great and catchy, but I think the existence of Jig of Life is what justifies the whole album for me. Good 80’s pop with some weird tangents that I think are so neat to see.
Jane's Addiction
1/5
This feels like generic brand Zeppelin, really forgettable. None of the tracks particularly stood out or hooked me. The singer can wail, but it reads as whiny rather than powerful, and I couldn’t recall a single musical passage if you asked me to. This is not to say they are bad at what they do, they are incredibly gifted from a technical standpoint and you can tell the guitar and drums are going off, but I didn’t find it catchy or to my taste.
Terence Trent D'Arby
4/5
Wishing Well is great. What a phenomenal voice, this album is so bouncy and energetic. Really enjoyed it.
The Offspring
4/5
Really love Dexter Holland’s voice, great album with a lot of catchy guitar lines throughout.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Exodus, Three Little Birds, and One Love are iconic tracks that sort of define the genre for people who have no knowledge of reggae. I don’t have much experience with reggae but I instantly recognized those tracks from appearances in other media. I really enjoyed the vibe, I hate the stereotypical perception of reggae as weed music, it has something to say.
The Beach Boys
2/5
On one hand, I like the sound of the Beach Boys and find an environmentally conscious album from them in this time to be fascinating. There are also catchy asides like Disney Girls. On the other hand, Student Demonstration Time feels like a terrible message that head-assedly victim blames protestors for assembly. Then outside of these highs and lows, some of the tracks are just there, like Kick Your Feet Up. Overall, not my favorite.
Beatles
4/5
While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Blackbird, and Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da are the standouts for me from this album. Incredibly creative album, sort of the Beatles throwing everything at the wall. I think that brought out some real highs, but as a double album of experimental tracks or things they wrote as challenges to themselves, it does end up feeling a bit bloated and unfocused particularly in the back half.
The Yardbirds
3/5
Over Under Sideways Down and He’s Always There were standouts for me. Tight album, not a lot of fat on the bone, a very fun album that moves along at a clip. Some albums want to move you and some want to make you move, and this is definitely the latter.
Jerry Lee Lewis
5/5
This is a short performance, but perhaps one of the few times I will prefer a live album to a studio album. It is a particularly electric performance heightened by the feel of the room. It’s the perfect type of music for a live album as well, very little processing and a lot of room to ham it up and wail.
Gene Clark
2/5
A bit Dylan-y, not bad but not a personal favorite. I guess I don’t have much love for the harmonica. The standout on this album was Tears of Rage for me, it just hit me right where the other tracks sort of felt so background.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
Beautiful horn line, honestly not knowledgeable enough about the genre to say much more but I found this album delightful and it has made me want to find more salsa music to listen to.
ZZ Top
3/5
Gimme All Your Lovin and Sharp Dressed Man are super catchy. I love the driving energy of all the tracks, they keep it quick and it makes you want to move. The vocals are probably what I’m most lukewarm on as they feel a bit muddy in the recording compared to the clarity of the guitar and drums, but they are still understandable.
Sinead O'Connor
4/5
Beautiful album, I particularly enjoyed the melodic poetry reading closer. She has a haunting and satisfying voice and the unconventional application of it to odd melodies really sticks with you.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Listening to this album is like finding the missing link. So many bands I love are heavily influenced by Siouxsie and the Banshees, and although they aren’t an immediate favorite they certainly have a sound I love and I imagine further listening to later albums is warranted.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Not a personal favorite, but I didn’t dislike any one element. I quite enjoyed the use of the organ and it felt like it played with distance in an interesting way, it just happens to be a sound I’m not searching for at the moment.
The Hives
3/5
These guys have a real garage sound, Sex Bob-omb but with money. Lots of yelling, a bit of screaming, a real speak-sing over melodic singing, overall I am a fan. Maybe not my new favorite band, but they can certainly see play in rotation.
Peter Frampton
3/5
The singles are definite standouts, though I would add (I’ll Give You) Money to my list of favorites for being a little taste of metal. I can’t help but feel a studio album compiling these tracks would be more to my taste than the live format, but it was still an enjoyable listen.
Christina Aguilera
4/5
Definitely too long with some interesting choices as far as song order goes, but damn she can belt. The singles (mostly) crush it and the majority of the other tracks are still really good and mix the sound up. You can definitely see how this influences the sound of artists going forward, Ariana Grande for example shares a very similar vibe.
George Michael
4/5
Yeah, I guess I just love George Michael’s angel voice. Father Figure, I Want Your Sex, and Kissing A Fool are super 80’s bops. What a strong debut.
Beck
2/5
Really laid back vibe, not the most exciting album but Where It’s At does liven it up. The production is interesting but I don’t really vibe with the vocals.
John Lennon
3/5
He has a great voice and exceptional song writing ability, but knowing anything about his personal life makes it particularly hard to take the peace and love stuff seriously. The existence of the song Jealous Guy is wild. It is hard to separate someone so famously cruel to his first wife from his art, especially when he is doing that art with/about his second wife who he cheated on the first wife with.
Patti Smith
4/5
Very haunting for a punk album particularly with Elegie closing it out. I enjoyed her voice and would like to follow up on more from her.
Supertramp
4/5
Love the use of the saxophone and that they kept the album short and tight. Great time.
Living Colour
2/5
Love the writing but not the sound, it just doesn’t capture my attention. Taking on interesting themes is certainly cool but it sounds like 90’s mall sounds to me instrumentally. The version I listened to had a remix of Funny Vibe at the end that made it sound like a Tribe song, that is way more my speed.
David Bowie
5/5
Blackstar was one of the first albums I ever listened to all the way through instead of just hearing highlights or whatever was played to me. I saw the music video for the titular track at school and was fascinated by the imagery and lyrics of the song. Bowie’s death and the idea of recording an album knowing he was dying also struck me as such an interesting choice, especially when the public didn’t know about his condition. I’ve listened to a lot of Bowie since then, but nothing compares to Blackstar for me. The combination of jazz and rock really captured my interests at the time, and much like Johnny Cash’s late work there is a wavering vocal quality age provides that is hard to mimic but adds such weight.
Air
5/5
Wow, incredibly moody and dark, I need to check out the movie. The consistency throughout with the musical themes at play while still changing enough track to track to elicit a new energy is exciting, and I particularly liked rolling into Highschool Lover to find a toned down instrumental of Playground Lover. The final track as a distorted voice retelling the plot is an interesting bow on this album. Poetic and somber reminiscence that really retroactively fills in the edges of the album.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Folk music is not a favorite of mine, it’s often sort of poetic blogging about low stakes autobiographical scenarios and feelings set to acoustic guitar, but I enjoyed this album a lot despite my predisposition. Her voice is delightful and the variety of instruments was beautiful, with horns and woodwinds backing some of the tracks and a blessed lack of harmonica ruining everything.
Richard Hawley
2/5
He has a very nice sort of jazzy voice but the music it is over is much less interesting than most jazz. This album did not really suit my tastes, I found it overlong, slow, and low key.
Cornershop
3/5
I really dig the Indian music fusion style here, it’s a unique instrumental space to tread that has sort of been done halfway by a lot of non-Indian groups since the 60’s but it comes to the forefront on this album. This isn’t simply dropping a sitar into a blues mix, it has a proper instrumental spread and language switches and songs reaching incredibly different vibes. My favorites were Brimful of Asha and We’re in Yr Corner.
Britney Spears
2/5
It’s not great, but to deride it fully ignores the appeal it had. A danceable clean album aimed at young girls was clearly an incredible move even if the writing and production is mid and the messages about romantic love are naive to the point of being harmful. The tracks are very bouncy and idealistic and if nothing else they are fun. It isn’t a great listen through for me, but I’m so far removed from the target audience that the fact that it has one track I like at all is impressive (Baby One More Time is obviously a banger). It certainly deserves a place on this list if just to offer a point to examine the grip pop music like this would hold throughout the following decade at least.
The Doors
3/5
Top songs for me today were Been Down So Long and Riders on the Storm. I love the blues heavy sound and I think this album is a fun listen. Not terribly complex or overproduced, it is a very casual listen.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
I don’t have much to say about reggae music and therefore this album but I like it. I don’t differentiate the songs very well but I find the rhythm consistently enjoyable to listen to regardless of what else is going on. It is like a chill 40 minute jam.
The Electric Prunes
3/5
I love the sound of this album, lyrically and instrumentally. Interesting phrasing, cool guitar effects, and neat switch ups on the meter make this album really fun to listen to. The lead singles are great, I also really liked Bangles.
The Icarus Line
2/5
I feel like on paper this album should be a home run for me, but I just found it very boring throughout and certainly overly long. It drones a bit and doesn’t really hook me. Meatmaker was probably the most interesting in my opinion.
Prince
5/5
Banger album, Prince has such powerful charisma that oozes through his music. One of the most electric live performers and the studio recordings don’t let up either. Obviously iconic tracks like 1999 and Little Red Corvette get most of the attention, but the whole album is great, my secondary favorites after those two are probably Automatic and Lady Cab Driver.
Q-Tip
4/5
I love Tribe so I’m not surprised that I also enjoyed Tip’s solo work as well. Great production and a fun flow to listen to.
Common
4/5
This album is produced by Kanye around my favorite Kanye albums, it sounds like Graduation trilogy DLC. I really enjoyed it. The sampling and instrumentation is incredible, the interjected singing is super catchy, it works very well with Common.
New York Dolls
4/5
Great energy, very interesting story about how the album came to be. I love this early punk sound and the lack of polish honestly helps lend authenticity and a live element that is vital to the experience they are trying to give.
Throwing Muses
5/5
Baller album, this is exactly my shit. Love the harsh vocals and early punk vibe. This is a bear to find, I assume their history with many music labels has made music rights complex, but Youtube had the album in its entirety.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
I don’t hate it but boy is this a long album that all starts to blend together way too early on. I honestly think there is a good single album in here but the double was not for me.
The Stooges
3/5
I like it, Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell was probably the stand out track to me. I liked the growling and aggressive sound. Pretty simple instrumentation, not over produced, it’s a really solid rock album.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I liked Thunder Road but that was about it. The album wasn’t very long but it felt like it was, many of the tracks ran together for me.
Talking Heads
4/5
I like this album, it is weird but entertaining all the way through. They just kind of throw it all at the wall and jam.
Jamiroquai
4/5
Really fun album, I love the mix of vocal and instrumental tracks because it really makes it feel like you are listening to a set being put on somewhere. Combine that with the funky jazz and odd instrument choices (shout out to the didgeridoo) and it really has a unique vibe.
Hookworms
5/5
This album is like the backing for a techno rom com set in the 80’s. If Tron Legacy had been about Flynn falling in love with a computer.
The Doors
4/5
Top tracks were Break on Through and Twentieth Century Fox. This is like the most 60’s rock album I’ve ever heard, very catchy tracks, I love the vocals particularly when they get echoey and layered.
Incredible Bongo Band
5/5
Great album, like the ultimate backing track. I really was put off by the name of the band and album thinking it would be something gimmicky but it really works.
John Martyn
3/5
Very noodly album, not the biggest fan of the vocal style but I did like the instrumentals
Slade
3/5
I like the harsh vocals, I definitely prefer the less shouty tracks that still keep that energy. I liked this album a lot more as it went on, the early tracks I feel give a different impression to the back end.
Robbie Williams
2/5
Boy, I sure have learned that I don’t like britpop. It sounds like what 90’s tv movies for kids look like. I didn’t hate the whole album, but every time I came close to liking a song I’d hear the dumbest imaginable rhyme and lose interest. Ego Agogo in particular sounds like a cut track from an Austin Powers soundtrack.
Adele
3/5
Hot damn, I didn’t know Adele had a cover of the Cure, how cool. Love her voice, obviously the major breakout hits are still great but I did not get too excited for the B-sides bar the Lovesong cover. Overall still a really enjoyable album, doesn’t feel overly long and has a pretty good ratio of hits.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Didn’t love it. The album spurns attention, there is nothing catchy to hold on to, it just drones on until it is done. I almost forgot I had it on.
Slipknot
4/5
I really didn’t think I’d like Slipknot, but yeah I really dug this album. The drumming in particular stood out the whole way through, but I also liked the vocals and the switches they would do between vocal styles. It’s a very catchy album.
Small Faces
3/5
This grew on me, particularly through the second half. The narrative element is pretty superfluous but I liked having it there. The music itself is fairly simple but I like this era in rock because it isn’t super overproduced.
The Cramps
4/5
Banger album, whole thing sounds like it was recorded in an echoey alleyway at night. Catchy, danceable, dark, and campy.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
This album is alright, I appreciate the instrumental diversity to liven up the sound but I didn’t find anything about the writing or performance too memorable. Possibly just a result of being a typesetter rock group, revolutionary in the moment but the ante has been upped since then and the elements that shocked audiences at the time don’t have the same impact.
Snoop Dogg
5/5
Love west coast, I was so happy when this album came to Spotify. Dre was on fire with production at this time. Snoop is someone I generally think of in terms of his features on the songs of other artists, but Doggystyle really shows that he absolutely can carry a project. Gin and Juice is obviously a classic, as is Who Am I, but Snoop is just generally funny through the whole album and his flow is fun to listen to.
Radiohead
3/5
I like the laid back instrumental and I feel mostly good about the sort of whispery delivery of the vocals. I can see how it succeeds Creep but I definitely don’t think any one track on this record steps to that level. My favorite track was High and Dry.
David Bowie
4/5
I love Bowie’s lyricism, my favorite track here in particular is Across the Universe. I love the use of saxophone on this album, it may not be a very long record but it never gets bogged down with any bad tracks and there is no fat on the bone.
Carole King
3/5
This album is cozy, you almost want to sing along on your first listen since a lot of the sound has been used elsewhere and a few tracks are still fairly regularly played (shout out Natural Woman and Where You Lead). It’s a very warm and soft feeling album.
Ray Charles
4/5
I love big band music, what a great album. If I had one wish for contemporary artists, it would be that they experiment more with horn lines because it adds so much power to a song.
Janelle Monáe
5/5
I love Janelle Monáe, such a beautiful voice and a unique sound. Even now there isn’t much that sounds like this and not many writers who I find as interesting lyrically. The album jumps around genres but still manages to be very cohesive and thematic.
Depeche Mode
4/5
Love these moody bastards, the music is so dramatic while remaining fun. Ending the album with Moonlight Sonata also feels over the top but it fits.
The Dictators
4/5
Wow, shout out Dick Manitoba, this is a really fun and funny punk album. I love the punk sound but I particularly thought the satirical lyrics and random joke lines raised this album up.
Silver Jews
4/5
Love Silver Jews. Clever writing, relatable depression, and fun instrumentals (Shout out Transylvania Blues, great in stereo).
Beatles
4/5
Just guys being dudes. In my opinion this album is better put together than the White Album but doesn’t have the same height of individual tracks. I will also note at this juncture that I don’t care for Yellow Submarine.
Miles Davis
5/5
Genuinely phenomenal album, incredible line up of artists on this. Even if jazz isn’t your thing, I hope this album excited you.
Tom Waits
2/5
I didn’t hate it, but it’s a bit too vaudeville and goofy for my tastes. I can definitely see that it has a time and a place but none of it stands out as something I’d regularly return to.
Joe Ely
5/5
I would generally say I hate country, but listening to something like this makes me appreciate that what I hate is modern arena country, because this rules. I loved the rockabilly cuts the most, but even the slower and twangier tracks were enjoyable.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
Great album that is all sort of a build up to Free Bird which really stands out above the rest. Some of the middle tracks are pretty forgettable, but overall the album is really fun and doesn’t feel dated the way some other albums from this time do.
Willie Nelson
5/5
I love it when Highwaymen step outside of country to drop some beautiful covers. This is a great concept for an album and I found it super enjoyable and mellow, Willie has a really calming voice so pulling ballads and love songs feels right.
MGMT
5/5
Killer singles line up and an album that backs it up. The production is so cool, and the dreamy catchy vocals stick in your mind. Kids in particular is such an earworm. Great album.
Tracy Chapman
5/5
I’ve been sleeping on this album aside from Fast Car for years. It’s so sad and ponderous, it feels so personal and stripped back.
Aerosmith
2/5
Half hour album that feels like an hour. I guess I liked it more than Pump but it suffers from all sounding the same and I guess I also just don’t like Steven Tyler’s singing much at all.
Tortoise
5/5
Djed alone is worth the price of admission, which it should be as roughly half the run time of this album. What a cool, eccentric, moody assortment.
2/5
It’s wild to me that the wiki page said this was a push for a harder hitting sound. As someone who hasn’t heard a U2 album before this, I can only imagine their previous albums were marketed as sleep aids. Everything is so soft and rounded off like the album was childproofed. Truly one of the albums of all time.
Wu-Tang Clan
5/5
Great beats and samples, some of the best voices for hip-hop, and super entertaining writing and references. So, so, so good. I generally favor the West Coast sound but Wu-Tang is special and typesetting for the East Coast that I do listen to.
The Smiths
3/5
I have a generally positive opinion of The Smiths, this isn’t my favorite and it certainly has some forgettable cuts but there aren’t any standouts I dislike.
X-Ray Spex
4/5
Loving the shape of punk that was, dig the singer’s weirdly dreamy and detached energy and the instrument choices. I heard some sax, some other general winds, really fun to hear that mixing in with the usual punk guitar.
M.I.A.
2/5
I like Paper Planes, but outside of that, this is not my bag. I find the story of the album interesting and the use of all types of instruments and rhythms from different cultures really cool, it is a fascinating and well made album, but the droning of many of the tracks made it less enjoyable for me. I think some of the other tracks could have benefited from catchier hooks and attention grabbing sounds like the gun-shot/cash register part of Paper Planes. There were a few samples from Bollywood early on but I found them to be pretty understated and I think amping that up could have helped as well.
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
Really fun psychedelic music, I remember the first time I heard White Rabbit and thinking it was such an interesting song just building the entire time. I like the variety of sounds the album captures while remaining a good fit. Somebody to Love, White Rabbit, and In the Morning all have very different vibes but they match together well.
DJ Shadow
3/5
It’s really good, and certainly interesting when you know the production of it, but I can see why the adoption was slow as it isn’t the most exciting record.
Pavement
4/5
The bored vocals sort of remind of Cake but I actually like the way it plays here where I find Cake really hard to get through outside their biggest tracks. The unpolished and messy sound makes it feel like a high end garage band, which I say as a plus.
Shivkumar Sharma
5/5
This album is great, I just wish it weren’t so relaxing as I listen to these at work and this made me want to lay down in a field somewhere.
Neil Young
4/5
I dig it, makes me wish I weren’t pot-committed to Spotify as far as playlist building goes, a lot of these make for great road trip songs but Neil Young has pulled his music from that platform. I thought I’d hate it but I didn’t find his voice annoying like I thought off the first track, and the horn on After the Gold Rush sort of won me over early.
CHIC
3/5
This album is fun, obviously Le Freak is super catchy and the energy is really upbeat and fun, but the sound is just not my bag.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
I can see the appeal to others, particularly on songs like Dancing in the Dark that run a tad poppier, but I get hung up on not liking the vocals. The songwriting is very interesting but the sound is not my bag.
Sparks
3/5
Love the instrumentals, went back and forth on the vocals. I like whatever they are doing with them, it is odd and unique, but sometimes I feel it can get a bit too stage-show for my tastes.
Sister Sledge
3/5
Easy listening, not an album I see myself coming back to with any regularity but a pleasant album to have on as you go about other things.
Todd Rundgren
5/5
I can’t imagine listening to this album in 1973. It is so cracked and uses so many sounds I would never believe existed in music, at least popular music, until the 90’s on. Some of it runs damn near hyperpop which didn’t hit until the last ten or so years. It’s like a rock opera of nascent musical ideas that would mature over the following 50 years.
Lauryn Hill
3/5
I have heard this album sampled all my life. Definitely a classic, though the more reggae lean does put it outside what I normally enjoy. Definitely classic tracks but I do find a lot of the b-sides don’t really do it for me.
Steely Dan
3/5
Deacon Blues is one of my favorite songs, that said, a lot of the rest of this album is good but not particularly stand-out to me. Steely Dan songs tend to be either catchy or very background in my eyes, and only Deacon Blues and Aja felt like real attention grabbers.
The Temptations
4/5
What a vibe, I need to listen to more r&b/Motown albums because this was super fun. Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone and Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On were my favorite tracks.
Keith Jarrett
2/5
While very impressive, this is not something I’d likely listen to again. It does seem like the kind of thing that would be more interesting live, but I don’t particularly think this live recording gives that feeling as it ends up sounding about how I’d imagine a studio recording would anyway.
Kraftwerk
4/5
I like it, its sort of odd and reminds me of a factory level in a gameboy advance game, but occasionally a German dude is singing lightly over it.
Run-D.M.C.
5/5
Kind of them to find a way to make Aerosmith enjoyable to me. This album rules, I love this era and I wish it was more commercially successful now so we’d get more.
Pink Floyd
5/5
It’s Dark Side of the Moon. If only someone could make Roger Waters realize that so he’d stop messing with it.
Björk
3/5
It is certainly interesting, and I feel it is well made and a good use of her unique sounding voice, but it is not my style of music. Still, the production is very good.
David Bowie
4/5
I wish I had the chance to see Bowie live. His music is so interesting and his voice is compelling at every age even as it changed.
Primal Scream
2/5
It’s fine, but nothing I particularly enjoy, or anything I’d seek out. It feels pretty laid back, which I didn’t see coming based on the name.
Otis Redding
4/5
Sounds so soulful, don’t you agree? Love Otis’ scratchy voice and the bright ass horns used to back it. The tracks aren’t overly complex, only a few spots even pull in backing vocals. It simply doesn’t need anything extra, it’s that good.
Blur
3/5
I definitely preferred this to Park Life and the more Britpop stuff I’ve heard from Blur. Did kind of just make me want to listen to Pavement, but Song 2 and Strange News From Another Star were quite good.
Jane Weaver
2/5
The approach with the vocals is not my favorite, I definitely prefer stronger sharper singing to the more floaty ethereal sound. That said, I do enjoy the production a lot, some of it sounds a little Postal Service at times and then a twangy guitar will come in and switch the vibe. Not really my bag but I didn’t hate it.
The United States Of America
2/5
I get why people would like this sound but I also get why there was only one album. It feels like way too many tracks and they are not terribly consistent throughout.
Emmylou Harris
4/5
Wow, real surprise, didn’t think I’d like this but it was really good. A comfort album for sure.
Adele
4/5
I’m not going to pretend this album isn’t boosted by nostalgia for me, it takes me back and it felt like a Manchurian Candidate awakening when I heard Water Under the Bridge for the first time in years. The woman has catchy tunes, no wonder she was so pervasive throughout the 2010’s.
Violent Femmes
5/5
I’ve heard Blister in the Sun before, but not any of the others. I really dig the sound, it slots into the right kind of whiney for me to enjoy.
Soundgarden
3/5
Good album, not a sound I super love, but Black Hole Sun was really cool. Generally an album I would listen to again.
Gene Clark
2/5
It’s a bit one note, and some tracks are quite similar. I didn’t love it, but it is surprising to read that it got dumped on as bad as it did. In that vein though, also surprising to hear any redux reviews hyping it as much as the write up indicates.
Talvin Singh
5/5
Hey, this rips ass. Between this and Call of the Valley, I guess I’m just learning that I like Indian/Indian inspired music. Eclipse in particular goes hard.
Beatles
3/5
This feels more cohesive than the White Album, I like it though I still feel it has a number of left field tracks that are easy to skip. I can’t believe the drama was over Maxwell’s Silver Hammer, I would have left once I heard Ringo say the words “Octopus’s Garden,” doubly so after hearing the track. Once again, George heroically puts out the best songs on the album, and once again the behind the scenes info makes Lennon sound like an asshole to work with. Still, a good send off for them as a group.
Kanye West
5/5
This album, like many of Kanye’s albums, is very important to me and the expansion of my musical taste and knowledge. I haven’t listened to any of his work recently as it is just hard to be excited and into the music when you keep seeing headlines about horrendous shit he’s saying, but I still love this album. I have always found him to be a funny and engaging rapper with some interesting things to say, and a relatable storyteller who has some demons that are a bit more relatable to me than the average artist. Loneliness, mental health, and self sabotage aren’t unique or uncommon in music, but it is nice to have these themes in songs that are otherwise pretty high energy as opposed to the more dour tracks I love that talk about them. Beyond Kanye the performer, Kanye the producer is also huge here. The beats are iconic, you have strong radio hits like All of the Lights and Power alongside more somber tracks like Lost in the World, and some incredible and varied features. This album features perhaps the best Nikki Minaj verse on Monster, Bon Iver’s intro to Lost in the World, and Rick Ross’ luxurious verse on Devil in a New Dress. It certainly has its weak points, I’m not a huge fan of Jay Z on Monster, and Blame Game and the Chris Rock cameo, it really halts the energy moving into the two part finale, but overall, I still put this album up there as one of the greats.
Bob Dylan
2/5
Boy, I sure don’t like listening to Bob Dylan. I think I would honestly be happier reading his songs out, the songs are slow and pretty samey in a way that I find quite boring. I also don’t love his vocals, which I would assume are a love it or hate it type thing.
Kate Bush
3/5
I love Kate Bush’s dedication to making music that sounds like I should be cooking up a big old cauldron in a mushroom forest to. It’s whimsical and it ignores a lot of conventional instruments and vocal arrangements, it stands out.
Mudhoney
3/5
It’s an alright sound, Pro Skater vibes for sure. Not a personal favorite I’ll dip into much in the future, but I thought it was good. I find grunge to generally be less exciting to me than punkier punk.
Stan Getz
4/5
SERENITY NOW! But yeah, this album is very chill, a cozy listen that just floats in the background.
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
I believe there is a good 1 hour 15 minute or less album here, but it is being held back as an album by the bulk that drags this out to 2 hours. Best tracks were Bullet with Butterfly Wings and 1979.
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
Fun and catchy, obviously California Dreamin is super famous but I really did like the rest of the album as well. Pretty harmonies, I like the group composition and I don’t feel like we see many like it anymore now that most groups have a single singer or all one gender.
Stereo MC's
4/5
It isn’t the most exciting but I’ll be damned if it didn’t keep me moving. I couldn’t tell you a single track by name without looking at it because they do feel similar, but they all just feel so dancey.
Justin Timberlake
2/5
Not a huge fan of the sound, but I do like JT’s voice. I like the jazzier sound of the 2020 Experience, but this isn’t too bad and obviously Cry Me A River is a bop.
Neil Young
1/5
Boy I sure don’t like this album, it is so boring and I really don’t care for his voice/delivery. The instrumentals are also quite empty, which forces me to contend with just his voice again.
The Cure
5/5
I have depression and I approve of this album. But yeah, Lovesong and Pictures of You are hits, the decision through the album to just ride the instrumentals and listen to bass riffs on loop is great, its so moody and full.
T. Rex
2/5
I see how this is an influential piece and it certainly sounds similar to things I like, but it feels too undercooked. It features a lot of things that I have heard done better, so I suppose being early does not benefit them in a game of comparison here.
Nick Drake
2/5
Pleasant, but not really my kind of music. I do appreciate the strings though.
Beyoncé
4/5
Beautiful voice, catchy tunes, haven’t listened to much Beyoncé before but I must admit I kind of dig it. The biggest dissonance is just reconciling that these love songs are about Jay-Z. I guess he should be congratulated for giving ugly dudes confidence that it could happen for them.
Boston
4/5
More Than a Feeling is an insane track to debut with. The album is so high energy, awesome guitar parts, rad organ inclusion, and some belting over the top of it. I may not have a kid, but when listening to Boston we are all dads.
Beatles
3/5
Pleasant, really enjoyed the covers. It is certainly a lot less unique than their later work.
Abdullah Ibrahim
4/5
Lovely album, I liked the tenderness of Song for Sathima the most. I think I would enjoy a whole album of that type of song.
4/5
Probably my favorite Beatles album so far (I’ve listened to Meet the Beatles, the White Album, and Abbey Road). It feels like the most cohesive album experience with a generally consistent sonic through line. With A Little Help From My Friends was my favorite track from this record.
Fats Domino
4/5
Not sure I hit all the tracks as I couldn’t find the exact album, but I did listen to quite a bit of Fats Domino and really enjoyed it. Truly typesetting early rock and roll.
Radiohead
3/5
I didn’t find anything particularly stand out on this album, but I didn’t hate it either. It is a pleasant soft album to listen to, but I can’t see myself looking for something to listen to and picking this.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
I like Tom Petty’s voice. This is a short album so it keeps a good pace and doesn’t overstay its welcome, very fun.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
2/5
Love a good Tom Tom Club sample. Not really what I expected, I liked the really high energy tracks but found the slower stuff like You Are harder to get through.
The The
4/5
I really liked this, sort of like a happier The Cure sound. This is the Day is a particularly catchy and joyful track.
Paul Simon
2/5
Not my cup of tea, nothing I specifically took issue with it just really isn’t a style I enjoy.
Garbage
4/5
I like this, very catchy beats and the singing is somber and intriguing. I like the sort of vaporwave sound in the background giving it this ghostly vibe.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Nice classic jamming, great to vibe to even if it is a little samey.
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
They have this cool quick bubbly sound in the back like someone quickly making a rising and falling sound while moving their tongue, but they do it on almost every track and it feels a lot less special. A lot of these tracks sound so alike because they carry over all elements of the song before them.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
I guess I’ve been sleeping on the Red Hot Chili Peppers because I haven’t listened before but I really enjoyed this. Really fun bass lines, I like the vocals and the songwriting was very catchy. Easily in particular got stuck in my head.
Dr. John
2/5
I like the unusual sound, not something widely popular or commonly done. Not really a personal favorite but I think it’s a fun listen.
David Bowie
4/5
He’s just so fun to listen to. I don’t often listen to 10 minute tracks, but both times I’ve heard Bowie do it, he’s done it great.
Elvis Presley
2/5
Classics are classics but it is a bit boring for 28 minutes. Very similar songs throughout and not as interesting as his later work.
The White Stripes
3/5
Aside from the last track, a pretty rocking album. Not that I hate the last track, I feel torn about it as a closer because it doesn’t burn down the house but it does feel like the credits at the end of a low budget movie.
M.I.A.
4/5
I really like the production on this album, I don’t really know most of what was said but the beats were great. Definitely doesn’t overstay the welcome.
The Pogues
2/5
I didn’t love it, it feels like the manic backing track to a comedy movie scene. I suppose it has its place but wherever that is I must be a stranger. It does seem like music that would be much better live than recorded.
Queen
3/5
Obviously Killer Queen rips, but I also liked In The Lap Of The Gods. Overall, not hit after hit but a great sound.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
I really like listening to their playing. Not to cast dispersions on the songwriting and singing, I do like it generally, though I liked it much more on Californication. Really fun guitar and bass parts to listen to.
Addendum: I think the album is too long and that makes it less focused. Once again, I feel they improved on that in Californication.
Lou Reed
4/5
Definitely got Bowie vibes before reading that he produced it. Really liked the album, Perfect Day, Vicious, and Satellite of Love were standouts.
50 Cent
3/5
Overall an ok album, definitely has some classics to bring out when hanging out or driving around. Not what I would pick for just casual listening.
Kings of Leon
1/5
I thought this album was whatever, then Day Old Blues disabused me of that notion and pushed me towards an active dislike of it. The playing is whatever, the singing is awful, grating, and feels super tryhard. Incredibly, every attempt at style is wrong and bad and annoying, he doesn’t even hit something good on accident.
The Who
3/5
I don’t find being live super additive here, but the music is still great.
Ice Cube
3/5
I like the variety in this album, Today Was A Good Day is definitely my favorite. Not my favorite, but still really enjoyable.
The Byrds
3/5
Wow, a version of Dylan I don’t hate. I like the early rock sound a lot better, and definitely love the harmonies.
Wilco
4/5
It isn’t crazy catchy or anything but I really dig the sound and I like the singing. It just feels nice to have on, even though it doesn’t particularly pull attention.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Short, no fat on the bone, just some good tracks with a surprisingly diverse sound despite there being so few of them. A great listen.
Public Enemy
4/5
Another ripper Public Enemy album, this time with some fun features like Ice Cube. Catchy but I don’t think I liked it as much as It Takes A Nation Of Millions.
Radiohead
3/5
I feel like this is an artist I should like a lot but they aren’t clicking with me like that. I think it’s fine, but I don’t really love anything I’ve heard from them so far.
Raekwon
4/5
Feels a lot like more Wu-Tang, can’t be mad at that. I like the movie motif.
The Cardigans
2/5
Not my favorite sound but very reminiscent of the late 90’s/early oughts. Definitely wouldn’t sound out of place on The Gilmore Girls or something, but not something I’d throw on. Also, not a purist, but the soft version of Iron Man did make me need to listen to the original to feel clean.
Bert Jansch
2/5
I didn’t hate it, but it couldn’t excite me. It sounds like many other artists of the time, nothing particular hooked me here.
Johnny Cash
4/5
HOT TAKE ALERT: I prefer the original version of Hurt and I have some qualms about the mixing of Johnny Cash’s version. Other than that, yeah, I really like this album and the sound of his voice at this age is very different. I was thinking about this while listening to the Beatles’ Now and Then, but the way a voice ages is very interesting so to hear him juxtaposed with a young voice like in Bridge Over Troubled Water gives a really compelling contrast.
Johnny Cash
5/5
Such a cool album, a cool concept, and I really dig the amount of chatter they left in. It feels so real.
The Pharcyde
3/5
I really dig the beats, I’m a bit so-so on the bars, but overall I like it.
Fiona Apple
2/5
I don’t really find the use of percussion terribly interesting beyond reading about it and noting it’s novelty. The album certainly does feel like a lot of improv and then once a phrase has caught her attention, it is repeated until it starts to lose coherence. It’s all technically very clean, the topics being discussed are important and relevant, but it is a dragging bore to listen to.
Marilyn Manson
1/5
The production is so good but the edgy bullshit is so performative and fake. All shock value disguising otherwise pretty basic takes on societal issues.
Coldplay
3/5
Not really my bag but I do see the appeal if you are in for something very chill and sort of pretty. I do like Yellow, though I am overall not huge on the singing throughout the album.
Sigur Rós
1/5
Why would they try to undo all the musical rep Björk has earned for Iceland by putting out something so devastatingly boring? Every song is the intro to a better song that never begins, drawn out to 10 minutes. You keep waiting for something engaging to happen and it never does.
Cheap Trick
5/5
One of the biggest things I’ve learned from doing an album a day is that I actually have started to really like live albums, where previously I avoided them for no particular reason. I just assumed they would be annoying to listen to compared to a studio recording, but really many of the ones I’ve done so far are high energy and I can absolutely see the appeal. Really loved these tracks, and found them to be even more exciting with an audience and that live concert sound.
Antony and the Johnsons
5/5
This rules, I’ve been listening to quite a bit of Sufjan Stevens lately and this has a similar emotional heft and haunting sound to it that I really love.
Astrud Gilberto
5/5
Lovely album, I feel like I should be driving through 60’s B-roll and falling in love. I should be at a lake. I should be smoking on a plane. Just a good time all around.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
5/5
It’s Count Basie, it’s great. Lots of fun high-energy tracks, some really sweet slowed down peaceful ones too. I wish there were more modern artists trying to pull from big band sound.
The Who
4/5
I dig it, by no means a favorite but there are some really cool tracks on here like the titular My Generation and I Can’t Explain that have a really meaty bass presence that I dig.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Love sampling, love Beastie Boy yelling, simple as.
KISS
2/5
Man, came in expecting a lot, really let down. Weirdly muddy vocal mixing on a lot of the tracks, pretty boring writing, it really feels like the aesthetic is the most engaging thing going for them here.
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
I love the 90’s for deciding it was time to bring hornlines back, and I curse the 2000’s for letting that go.
The Band
2/5
Not a sound I love, and not particularly catchy. It would be nice idle listening on a long drive, but I don’t imagine I would be seeking it out even then.
The White Stripes
4/5
I like the blown out bass lines throughout the album. Jack has fun delivery as well, on angry songs and also sappy stuff like We’re Going to be Friends.
Anthrax
4/5
Metal but faster, what’s not to love. Not fully power metal and also not so defined by subject matter as to feel like a gimmick.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
4/5
Weird 60’s bullshit, inject it in my veins. Wacky voices, inserted speaking lines, vague stabs in the direction of a cohesive genre, the gang is all here.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
In Your Eyes and Sledgehammer good, the rest was pretty forgettable to me.
Beck
4/5
I like how heavy some of the tracks play, I generally find the writing really catchy too. It’s quite solid.
Steely Dan
3/5
Fun throughout, not really many standout hits but more consistently enjoyable to me than a lot of their albums I’ve done before.
The Adverts
3/5
Not a real breakout in my eyes, but as a fan of this era of punk I still found it a fun listen. It has the right ingredients, but none of the songs stood out as real scene stealers.
Motörhead
2/5
It’s alright. It is a tad boring and repetitive and I’m not impressed with the songwriting in any way, but it is pretty good driving music.
Wire
4/5
What a banger record, I would be into a band that put this out yesterday, so I definitely think it’s cool that this came out in 1977. I really like the track Strange, probably my favorite on the album.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
Fun album, I really liked the blues tracks and thought they were a high point. I don’t think Jimi is a particularly great vocalist, but his songs don’t require it as much as they just need his energy, which I think is really cool.
Bob Dylan
1/5
I honestly think the amount of comical takes on Dylan have ruined any chance that I would like his music. He sounds like a muppet and every time the harmonica starts in it triggers my fight or flight, I can’t stand it.
Simply Red
4/5
Hey, that’s pretty good. Love soul, definitely feel like they have some fun with it, particularly like the delivery changes in Jericho. Good times.
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
Cool album, incredible for work or workouts. My experience with electronic music is pretty much Daft Punk, so this was an interesting change of pace.
The Bees
5/5
Chill ass album. This reminded me of Tyler, the Creator’s Flower Boy to Call Me If You Get Lost run, laid back and summery, big focus on production over vocals.
Queen
2/5
Bohemian Rhapsody is worth the price of admission alone, and I also like You’re My Best Friend, but outside those two carrying the album there are not a lot of memorable tracks here. I was taken aback by how boring I found most of the tracks.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
It rules. The synth is so badass, it’s all so catchy that you start singing along halfway through each track. It’s so pleasant to listen to. Superstition is an incredible peak for the album.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
I enjoy each individual track and I like the bands sound, but as an album I do agree that it falls short. It just a grab bag of tracks, it lacks a really solid through line.
Badly Drawn Boy
2/5
It isn’t bad, but I wouldn’t seek it out. It has a nice sound, but nothing about it is particularly exciting pr engaging for me.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
It’s simple but really nice to listen to. Unlike some of their contemporaries, they also don’t blow out everything else with a ludicrous amount of harmonica, so in my eyes, that is a solid upgrade.
Duke Ellington
5/5
Love the album, live jazz rules and if you can see it live you should, but I’d love to hone in on Father Norman O’Connor. This dude should be the interlude to all albums, he is so awkward and keeps talking about the weather. I was delighted when he started talking about the due they must pay to the west coast, but then he starts talking about Newport and Boston again as if his wife caught him looking at other women. Continuously odd and I’m so glad they kept it in the recording.
Various Artists
4/5
It’s so smooth, a lot of these are so iconic too, particularly Sleigh Ride by the Ronettes. Lovely.
Megadeth
3/5
This album is kind of just noise to me, with no individual standouts, yet it is a sound I really enjoy and would choose to play again. It isn’t my favorite metal, nor the most memorable, but it is solid.
Basement Jaxx
3/5
I don’t regularly go out of my way to give Europe its flowers, but EDM is something they are right about, and I do wish it was more mainstream in the US. I don’t know, maybe its harder when there is a broader spread of people and all the festivals that do happen and have any amount of draw for talent are turbo expensive and crowded with “influencers” of dubious status.
Neil Young
3/5
I liked this more than the other Neil Young albums I’ve come across. Still had some harmonica, but tastefully sparse rather than everywhere. I like the depressed and more low-key vibes.
Buena Vista Social Club
3/5
It’s nice and laid back, maybe a bit too much for me. I would have liked some more heat, even when the trumpet is playing it feels almost distant, but perhaps that is a mixing thing. Overall very enjoyable.
Oasis
1/5
I find Oasis really boring. I don’t particularly enjoy any of these songs or find them catchy. They aren’t upsetting or bad per se, just unintelligibly samey and dull.
Depeche Mode
4/5
This album rules, it’s so moody and atmospheric, like the Cure but with an edge to it. Still sad, but more biting.
The Only Ones
2/5
I really like the playing, but I don’t particularly enjoy the singing or writing. It is whiny, which is fine, and repetitive, also fine, but to be both at the same time is obnoxious and one-note when each song feels like that.
King Crimson
5/5
Imagine debuting a group with this album, sickening. No rules just right, all the way through. It’s like the soundtrack to a coked up 80’s fantasy film that was never made.
Solomon Burke
2/5
It’s pleasant easy listening, but not terribly stand out to me. I wouldn’t turn it off, but I don’t think I would seek it out specifically.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Even without knowing about the political element of this album, it remains just solid. Super fun and bright all the way through, definitely would play again and I might send it to some friends.
Tina Turner
2/5
Not really my jam, I was feeling a disconnect between her really powerful voice and the almost cartoonish tracks. Sometimes they are fine, but then some wild synth line comes in and it felt really out of place in otherwise somber ballady songs.
Tim Buckley
4/5
God’s horniest soldier telling it like it is for 40 minutes.
Bee Gees
2/5
It all sounds really nice, but it doesn’t really capture the attention I suppose. The writing is lacking, it just doesn’t meet the level of auditory beauty.
The Cars
3/5
I liked this, some catchy tracks, nothing too incredible but still doesn’t drag throughout. Very solid, if not super impactful.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
2/5
I can see why Janis went solo. Not that anyone was bad, but she was definitely the most unique and interesting part of the line up. Without her, this would just be any given competent 60’s rock album rather than a standout.
Hüsker Dü
3/5
I like the songs, but as an album, holy cow it’s way too long. Definitely should have been cut down to a 30-40 minute single album with the top tracks.
Hole
4/5
This is a good album. Solid sound, I like this kind of sound with female vocals, it really opens them up to more women specific themes to write about while keeping an aggro edge. It keeps it short too, not much filler.
Gotan Project
3/5
The auditory experience of French indie cinema of the time. Not intended as a dunk, frankly I prefer it this way. Good to put on for a vibe, but not the most enjoyable album experience. Clocking in at 1 1/2 hours, I don’t really know that it was meant to be. Good for what it is.
Michael Jackson
5/5
It’s the pop equivalent of God dropping Bible 2. Incredible album, the instrumentals alone are so well produced they would be a great album as-is. MJ singing and exploring his range and delivery really makes this stand out from the safer sound of earlier recordings, not to mention the more consistently serious topics he’s singing about. This album is iconic for good reason.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
I’m very partial to this album as it introduced me to Leonard Cohen. It isn’t the most exciting, but I do find myself a big fan of albums written by dying men in 2016. There is a peace with how religion and love are approached here that I don’t think could be found without that context in his life, and it is fascinating to be taken along on that journey.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Beautiful soundtrack, love the inclusion of the vocal tracks but I really appreciate how sparsely used they are. Mostly just incredibly produced instrumental tracks that immediately sell you on the vibe and setting.
Brian Wilson
2/5
It’s a beautiful sound, but I find the album too long and uneventful.
Brian Eno
4/5
This is really beautiful, and as someone who likes to always have some sort of background noise so I am never alone with my thoughts, I am eternally grateful for ambient taking off as a genre. It sounds like an alien church choir, it is simple, but the layers are all interesting to focus in on and see what they are doing. Lovely.
Nirvana
4/5
I like it, it’s a bit rough in how it tries to be rough in a way that inspired other groups to build upon it, but I sure wish we could have seen what they would have developed like without Cobain’s death.
Elbow
3/5
I like it well enough, very melodramatic lyrics and delivery, and a floaty ambience. Leans almost circusy at times like it wants to be from an early 1900’s fairground.
Public Image Ltd.
4/5
Throbbing bass lines, wailing and yelling about society, actual real world controversy and bans, what’s not to love?
Goldie
3/5
Not exactly my thing, nor would I seek it out, but it was enjoyable. I thought a lot of the components were cool even though I wasn’t in love with the overall songs.
Solange
3/5
It’s a real beautiful album, I like the interludes and I was particularly interested in the bass lines and beats. This is not a genre that I particularly go for, but this still was enjoyable and she has a wonderful voice.
Thin Lizzy
4/5
As an album, too much and not focused, but as a concert proxy, very cool. Really liked how clean the audio was, I feel like the crowd noise was kept to a tasteful level where it felt additive rather than distracting.
Cream
3/5
The singles rule, the rest I could take or leave, but I enjoyed it. Very catchy writing, and the tracks are simple in a good way.
The Who
4/5
What a roller coaster, I saw it was a double and got ready to dislike it for being too long, but of course they had the answer. I guess I really dig rock operas, wow. Fun story-driven album that still manages a banger like Pinball Wizard.
The Smashing Pumpkins
2/5
I liked Rocket, but I found the album kind of boring. I have never been a huge fan of Billy Corgan’s voice outside of select tracks, so I won’t hold it against them. I liked the use of strings and varied percussive elements, I just wanted something with more hook, admittedly more like Bullet With Butterfly Wings.
Ray Price
4/5
I find the spoken intro to the album thanking people for liking the last album quite charming. It is very pleasant and catchy and I would definitely put it on while relaxing. There isn’t anything terribly groundbreaking or interesting, just very competent and peaceful.
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
“We’d appreciate if you act normally, as you would” lmao, love the MCs for the live jazz albums. They always seem awkward. I like having a vocal jazz album, I’ve been listening to a lot of instrumental jazz and having that take a backseat to some phenomenal singing is a nice change of pace.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
I don’t like his voice and I don’t like the harmonica and I’m not crazy about the writing, so at least the album was only 40 minutes. All the things that feel attributable to Crazy Horse were fine, loved the non harmonica playing, but then it’s topped off at every turn by some Neil Young to drive me away.
4/5
I love this, every instrument is fun to follow and the overall sound is so good. I love the changes throughout the album, and I think three long tracks works really well.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
4/5
What a delightful and odd album this is. Chamber music with some weird singing thrown in, tons of abnormal rhythms and yet a very clean sound.
Dr. Octagon
3/5
I’m a big fan of MF DOOM, and you can really see this as inspiration for that. The character and production style all read like DOOM predecessors, and reading about the impact of this album makes it clear that this really helped invigorate the underground scene. I don’t love it more than any of DOOM’s work, the writing isn’t on that level, but I still think it is quite listenable bar a few of the cringier, goofier segments.
Pulp
3/5
I like the sound of this album, it comes off sort of Broadway to me. I appreciate the use of strings and organ to mix up the more standard rock sound. It sort of reminds me of a less electric, early Muse.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
I’m really partial to New York I Love You. Overall, a really nice album. I don’t find it the most interesting all the way through, but I think the singles are worth it.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
This album has such incredible singles while maintaining a strong message and narrative. I do feel that TPAB is a better album, but it does that at the cost of individual hits like Swimming Pools and Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe. I think this walks the line between DAMN and TPAB in that way. Less high concept, but just as exciting to listen to. Incredible writing and delivery, with a stacked production. I still remember how shocked I was the first time I heard Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst.
The The
3/5
It sounds alright, but it was not very exciting compared to other work I’ve heard from them. I’m a tad surprised it is their biggest seller. I love post punk, but this was just ok.
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
Fun album, not the most unique thing in the world. I certainly understand the Stones comparison. Very competent, but none of the writing or playing stand out from similar albums of the time in my opinion.
Nirvana
4/5
It’s a lovely performance, I’m really glad they did covers and lesser known tracks, it is more exciting that way. I love hearing artists cover each other, and a more stripped back setting is ideal for that. The recording was also nice for being live, you get the vibe and a little chatter.
Miles Davis
4/5
Of course it is good, and fundamental, and infinitely listenable, but I must say it suffers hard from comparison to other works by Miles Davis that I find much more engaging. I would never pick this over Kind Of Blue, or Bitches Brew, but I suppose that is not a detriment to the quality of this record in a vacuum.
Talking Heads
3/5
True to the title in spirit, this album is not the most exciting entry in the Talking Heads’ discography, but if you’ve listened to the rest and seek an enjoyable cut of more of the same, this album is here for you.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
2/5
It’s a mood, great to put on in the background, but it didn’t terribly impress me. I don’t think it particularly stands out against their contemporaries.
Tricky
2/5
The production is cool, I’m not super sold on the writing or performance though. The bored delivery is not my cup of tea, especially in contrast to the more lively tracks.
Miles Davis
5/5
Impeccable
Aerosmith
2/5
In music, I find there are often two types of horny. Good, positive, love horny, and bad, gross, pervy horny. Unsurprisingly, this band is always putting out the latter. Genuinely middle school level, just not a fan of the vibe.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
4/5
This album is really pretty, not very in your face but it is very interesting to focus in on the different elements that make it up. Extended Souvenir was a particular favorite.
Jane's Addiction
1/5
I don’t know who this is for, genuinely sucks to listen to. Sort of the worst parts of the 90’s aesthetic and sound condensed into a group, with all the fun taken out. Annoying vocals, nonsense instrumental choices, boring writing.
Miles Davis
5/5
Two tracks, 38 minute album, that’s a good sign. Very cool recording, always interesting to listen to.
Prince
5/5
Cleanse yourself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka. Incredibly fun album, catchy as all hell and full of cool guitar parts. At least four of these tracks are definite all-timers (Let’s Go Crazy, When Doves Cry, I Would Die 4 U, Purple Rain), but the other tracks are still good listening in between those peaks.
Stan Getz
4/5
Last time I had a bossa nova album, I enjoyed it so much I looked up top albums and ended up listening to this back then. It is a lovely album, I do particularly appreciate Astrud’s vocals. Very relaxing, gentle, and danceable.
The Killers
4/5
Jenny Was A Friend of Mine through to All These Things That I’ve Done is a crazy run, especially on a debut album. Nothing else on the album stacks up to that first half, but it’s definitely worth the price of admission. Incredibly catchy and instantly something you can sing along to, no surprise hits like Mr Brightside continue to see play even 20 years on.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Leonard Cohen could read a phone book and I’d probably be entertained. Just a really cool voice. I liked the synth sound and backup singers, I’ve not listened to this side of his work before so it was odd at first but it really grew on me.
Joan Baez
3/5
Not my cup of tea genre-wise, but she does have a beautiful and strong voice that makes it a good listen anyways. I like the simplicity of the tracks using only some soft guitar, it allows her voice to really shine.
Santana
3/5
Beautiful guitar playing, the few times there is singing it feels superfluous. Real jams, I particularly like Oye Como Va.
Elliott Smith
2/5
The vocals remind me of Sufjan, but the songwriting doesn’t have the tenderness of Sufjan and leans into stronger sounds that I don’t find particularly compelling when together. It ends up feeling like I’m listening to a song that has had its lead vocal track removed and I’m just getting the backing.
Incubus
4/5
Catchy and powerful guitar, some punchy bass parts, singable for sure. Nothing incredible, but very competent and consistent through the record, makes for a good listen.
Kanye West
4/5
It’s a really impressive first album. There are certainly some reasonable cuts that could be made, particularly in the back half, and I don’t think anyone would really miss New Workout Plan or School Spirit, but there are a lot of real hitters. Through the Wire, We Don’t Care, All Falls Down, and Jesus Walks are all incredible. With the benefit of hindsight, things like chipmunk soul and the sort of benign topics he raps about are also super influential to artists that came after, and especially to those he would go on to produce for.
Bob Dylan
2/5
The title track started with a slide whistle. There was a harmonica involved throughout the album. Truly, no artist (and their surrounding acclaim) makes me feel as crazy as Bob Dylan. I don’t understand the appeal, I’ve seen parodies of the man that are more enjoyable than I find his actual music.
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
I love Take Me Out and This Fire (though I do live the This fffire version more), but the rest I find rather lackluster. It feels quite repetitive and lacks the standout interesting vocals and musical choices (like the tempo change in Take Me Out for example) that make those two standouts so strong. They genuinely make the rest of the album feel weaker because they show you that they could be doing more interesting things each time than they are. At the very least, I think it was a mistake to have them so early instead of treating them like show stopping finales.
Jimmy Smith
4/5
Really delightful, probably listened to it 3 or so times just letting it roll back to the start because it is very peaceful and fun to listen to. I like seeing the organ being used so prominently.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
I love the beautiful choices for backing, from orchestral strings to soulful backup singers and discordant guitar wails and piano. It mixes it up without making the album feel disjointed. The slow ballad vibe is great too. I don’t usually think of the album covers, but I found the art and font and spacing of this album very striking and fitting with the sound.
Cat Stevens
4/5
It is a very enjoyable album, I love the layering of his own vocals. The writing, particularly on Father and Son, is very evocative.
Simple Minds
3/5
The bass on Colours Fly and Catherine Wheel beats ass, it comes in so heavy. Honestly the bass on a lot of this is very prominent and cool, without being super complex. Real sucker for the echoey production on the voice, very New Romantics. Catchy album, nothing super crazy but a good listen throughout.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
It’s a beautiful album. I love the vocal harmonies and appreciate the generally understated instrumental and production. The writing is of course a highlight, very engaging.
Amy Winehouse
2/5
She has a nice voice, but I don’t really care for any of the songs, the writing doesn’t speak to me. I’d totally listen to her doing jazz vocal classics, but I wouldn’t run this album back.
Goldfrapp
3/5
This is the James Bond soundtrack Daniel Craig deserved, the sort of modern lounge sound is very cool and I love the continuity of the album.
Skunk Anansie
3/5
I dig it, very angry and not afraid to get into the weeds, not a regular repeat listen but definitely a good record.
Taylor Swift
2/5
I feel like I came into this with the honest intent to give it a fair shake, knowing I am not the target demographic. I did not enjoy it, but I understand why it has an audience. It is sort of the daytime tv or soap opera of music, simplistic writing and production, incredibly approachable, it lacks any real depth but that isn’t really what the audience is looking for. It is relatable, non-confrontational, and for much of her audience, nostalgic for their youth. The themes of troubled relationships or wanting for a better romantic situation than you have are universal, and obviously her personal life is incredibly public so fans who are engaged can follow her relationships just as they would the characters of a show. I don’t think her voice is anything special or unique, but it is good. The tracks, particularly the singles, are repetitive and anybody could sing along after a listen or two. For some people, that is the experience they want from their music listening, and though I want different things, I cannot fault them. I’m not going to sit here on a pedestal and pretend all my favorites are super unique or deep either, one of my top artists last year was Fall Out Boy, so, you know, glass houses and all that. With that said, my personal experience of the album was that it is rather shallow and unexciting. My closest points of comparison are Carly Rae Jepsen’s Emotion and Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS, two albums I quite enjoy, and recognize as likely being influenced by Swift’s work (particularly GUTS). Emotion has the same synthy 80’s vibe of this album, but it is pulled off much better with more complex arrangements that make the instrumentals a treat on their own. Something about the percussion on 1989 sounds like everything was straight out of an audio sample pack on a drum machine, where EMOTION adds some sweeping sax and more filtered vocals to match the period it is emulating. Rodrigo’s GUTS borrows more from punk influences and has an edge that I understand Swift does get closer to in later records, but this album is so rounded at the edges that it doesn’t hit the same. Perhaps I will feel differently about her as an artist if I get to a more mature album of hers, as this one could not get out of a saccharine place even in the most derisive or “angry” tracks like Bad Blood. GUTS covers all the same themes, but it is more raw and honest, and frankly, the explicit language is a part of that to me. Basically, as one of my only points of reference for her work, 1989 is not a particularly compelling reason for me to delve further into Swift’s catalogue, as everything this album does for those that love it has been done better for me elsewhere.
David Bowie
3/5
I love Bowie’s voice, very theatrical. It feels like you are at a stage show in a past that doesn’t exist. Overall, not the most gripping of Bowie tracks here, but still a very worthwhile listen.
Little Richard
3/5
I like how high octane some of the tracks are, really hyped up energy. I also once again am asking modern musicians to co-opt the big band/hornline sound, it’s very nice.
Suzanne Vega
4/5
I love the simple instrumentation, like a conversation between the bass, guitar, and drums. Her writing is all so poetic, and though she doesn’t have an incredibly powerful voice/delivery, it sounds so correct in the context of what she is saying and how the instruments play. An extra voice in the conversation.
The Doors
2/5
It’s just sort of fine blues rock. Nothing terribly stand out good on this album, but also nothing too bad. It’s rather middling.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
2/5
I respect the album mostly because of the impact Holly has had on popular culture, but it is not really a great listen for me. Pretty basic and boring, a far cry from where the genre would go.
Ramones
3/5
Iconic looks, iconic sound. It isn’t the greatest or most varied and impressive album in the world, but it chugs along and doesn’t run too long so it keeps from losing its edge. Really fun to listen to, and catchy to boot.
The White Stripes
2/5
It’s alright? It lacks the bite of their other work, and frankly, it all feels like B-sides. Nothing stands out as a single or feels particularly catchy, the album just isn’t very memorable. The switch to piano over guitar makes it feel like sort of a strange broadway musical tangent.
Ryan Adams
1/5
Discount Bob Dylan, oh my god I hate this. Right down to the harmonica bullshit, boring ass writing, and annoying voice. Genuinely one of the worst album covers as well. This is the worst thing to happen to the US in the year 2001.
Bobby Womack
3/5
A fun album, not my favorite in this vein but I really enjoyed his voice. I like the melodrama of spoken segments as in If You Think You’re Lonely Now.
Jack White
4/5
Really fun and varied album. Playful and theatrical, pretty different from what I know if his White Stripes discography but still very suited to his voice.
Rush
4/5
Doesn’t even need the other five tracks, what a ripper. Love that they stuck to their guns and went prog when asked to make it more commercial, really put up or shut up and they delivered.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
3/5
I do sorta like these guys more together than their solo work. I like the vocal harmonies, it makes the voices more than the sum of their parts, where in isolation I find some of their voices grating. Not terribly interesting songs on this album, but they do sound beautiful.
The Zutons
3/5
Really fun album, catchy and bright. Nothing incredibly compelling but nice to put on.
CHIC
4/5
Incredible bass playing, so fun to listen to. An album that demands you shake your ass.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
It’s really incredible, his voice and writing are so delightful whether it’s a love song or just being high. The synth work is crazy and the bass lines are very fun. Each new Stevie album I get is a treat, I can’t believe I slept on him before doing an album a day.
Frank Sinatra
2/5
It’s fine. He has a great voice, I definitely love some of his performances, but as an album it isn’t super interesting front to back. Individual hit tracks from Frank are fun, but I don’t find him compelling in this way.
Talking Heads
3/5
It is generally fun, Psycho Killer rules. Nothing else here really touches it, but it is still an alright album outside of that. Really enjoy Tina’s playing, always quite fun bass lines.
Sepultura
2/5
Technically impressive, but as someone who doesn’t like thrash metal, a challenging listen. Much prefer metal by way of Sabbath or Maiden, so there are ideas here I’m in to, but the vocal delivery and drumming are really not my bag.
Drive Like Jehu
3/5
Thought I’d hate this, actually really liked it. Very high energy, grating but in a way that pumps you up rather than makes you angry.
Venom
3/5
I don’t love modern thrash/black metal, so I came into this apprehensive, but I actually liked this. It is a pretty far cry sound-wise from modern thrash and that suits me just fine. Solid 80’s heavy metal, fun but not really a killer track here in my eyes.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Really fun album, love the bright guitar and I think the vocal delivery is really fun. Sounds swampy in a cartoonish way.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
2/5
I like this about as much as I enjoy them with Young included, which is to say, not terribly much. They sound lovely, but the songs are quite boring and run on and on into each other. The album ends up feeling much longer than it is. Sonically inoffensive.
Finley Quaye
4/5
I really love the singing, and the effects being used on the guitar and vocals throughout. The high energy bops and more chilled tracks coexist wonderfully, and neither feels like it drags the album down. I appreciate the presence of the horns. Overall wonderful groove.
The Undertones
3/5
Really catchy, I love their sound. A touch pop-punky but without much edge.
David Ackles
3/5
I really like his voice, but I don’t find his music very engaging. It’s a sort of one man musical, which lets him get weird with form, but I don’t find that it works for me personally.
Radiohead
5/5
Really great album, sort of glad I’ve only listened to it after getting treatment for depression because I would have been insufferable with this, just a constant rotation in my room.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
Kinda boring, a tad repetitive. I do appreciate keeping the runtime tight, and I dig what Crazy Horse is doing, certainly more lively than Young sounds without them.
4/5
This is a great listen, interesting instrument decisions and the melding with electronic sound is so good. The vocals are sort of whatever, I think the tracks would still be great without them, but they are pretty.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
Music to speed to.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
I have long felt that Do You Realize?? is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. Outside that and Yoshimi, I don’t really love a ton of the album, but I find it serviceable. I love the high whispy vocals and dreamy production of the album.
Joan Armatrading
2/5
She has an interesting voice, but I’m not particularly captivated with the writing or overall sound of the album. I was looking for more of a standout element, but couldn’t find anything I particularly loved.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Rad album, I really dig the use if samples and the production in general is not crazy intricate but very hard hitting. The vocal delivery is iconic.
Sisters Of Mercy
4/5
I may not be terribly in love with the goth aesthetic, but I am beholden to the mopey and beautiful music. Really love the sad ghost voice this guy sings with, and I enjoy the somber piano on the album. Not the most interesting writing, but it’s hitting the right notes for me.
Brian Eno
4/5
This is a really cool project, I’ve become quite fond of Brian Eno’s ambient work and I think David Byrne brings a very interesting ear to the album as well. The fun mix of odd vocal samples goes well with the energetic instrumental tracks and becomes percussive and new.
3/5
This album is technically very impressive, even if it isn’t exactly the kind of jazz I tend to listen to. I would definitely not say no to this live, though I feel as though I’d be a husk by the end as the energy would blow me away.
Frank Zappa
5/5
An album that could just keep going. Fun and catchy tracks, I’m used to Zappa tracks with more vocals but this proves they are generally not needed.
De La Soul
4/5
Really fun album, I find albums with skits can live or die by how the skits are implemented because if they are annoying it won’t feel worth it, but that is no problem here. I really enjoy the flow and writing, and the instrumentals are also fun for what they are doing.
Björk
3/5
Björk’s music makes me wish I believed in any sort of mysticism. I feel like I am witnessing a lost world when I hear her sound. I rarely understand what she is saying, but the way she is saying it is so enchanting.
Love
3/5
It has an interesting selection of instruments, but I don’t feel like the sound or writing or anything separates it enough from its contemporaries. I don’t dislike any of it, but nothing here makes me love it.
R.E.M.
2/5
I don’t like his voice, but I do like some of their songs. Unfortunately, this album is more miss than hit for me. I find it pretty samey outside End of the World and the use of saxophone on Fireplace.
U2
2/5
I was sorta into it, but then it just felt like the same song and same sound all the way through, which pushed it into boring territory pretty fast.
Muddy Waters
4/5
Wonderful vibe, kicked back with the window open and this album hit the spot. Could only be improved by a porch swing and lemonade. Not complicated or over produced, just good tunes and a mellow voice.
Lambchop
4/5
I like these upbeat depression tunes, they sound sweet but leave me feeling more sad than I was before. I am drawn to music like that.
Radiohead
4/5
I love the vocal effects and the building tracks. It goes from paper thin and fragile sounding to powerful so quickly. Beautiful album.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
4/5
I am on an incredible streak of great depression albums right now. I love the stripped back sound of this album, you could certainly get a bit much with the effects especially considering the lyrical content, but keeping it a bit more laid back gives it a much more resigned and somber energy.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
I usually dunk on double albums, but I can’t here. One if the most surprising things about listening to an album a day is how much I love artists I previously only heard the hits from, and I think Stevie Wonder is the strongest example of that for me. Beautiful voice, I love the instrumental tracks as well, and I like the range and experimentation in his discography.
Fiona Apple
2/5
It’s alright, her voice is interesting and the songs can be catchy, but it doesn’t feel consistent enough throughout to hold my attention.
Calexico
2/5
I liked the instrumental tracks more than the vocals, which were giving Radiohead-lite. Sort of boring but not overly long.
Simon & Garfunkel
2/5
A very pretty album, peaceful. They have really cool harmonies and the only thing weighing on me is the use of a god damn harmonica. Just can’t stand the thing.
Beastie Boys
4/5
I love their production. The writing is sort of whatever in my eyes, it isn’t really the point. More of a vibes group. Really fun and high energy when it wants to be, but even the slow tracks have a nice bounce to them.
Talking Heads
2/5
It’s a fun album, but honestly not the most standout in my opinion. I think it lacks a real banger. The singles are fine, but we aren’t approaching a Psycho Killer or Once in a Lifetime here.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
You could isolate either the vocals or the instrumentals and either one would be a good album on its own. So fun to listen to, very upbeat, and you just want to bounce along.
Germs
2/5
A very monochromatic album. I appreciate the sound, but nothing makes it stand out to me compared to other artists of that time, and the songs themselves have a hard time standing out from each other.
Spacemen 3
3/5
This is cool, but not in a way I particularly enjoy. I appreciate the weird vibes and muted tone of the album, but it is just not something I would return to. That said, I am impressed by the production.
Nina Simone
4/5
This album is really lovely, she has such an incredible range of tones and voices. The songwriting is also interesting, touching on mature themes at times that I find important to see in music.
Janis Joplin
2/5
Really cool album, love the band, love the singing, but for me it is a sometimes food and a full album of this sound is a bit much. Still, generally really cool sound.
Nirvana
4/5
It’s a great album. Catchy tracks, weird tracks, slow tracks that will one day make you think of Batman, it runs the gamut of things an album can do. Though it obviously bears some extra scrutiny now, the depressive edge of the album really pulls you in.
Van Morrison
2/5
I found the songs very boring. The sound is not the issue, but the writing was not very fun or engaging and there wasn’t a real hook in any aspect. You could replace Van Morrison, the instruments, the songs, any one of these with something more engaging.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
2/5
I think if these were faster they would be more interesting to me. It would feel like country dancing tunes. As it is, it feels very reserved and becomes boring.
Morrissey
2/5
Morrissey is a very confusing man, whose political views are rather oddly disjointed. I only mention this because of the National Front Disco and the fiasco it caused which made me read more about his personal life. Whether it was ironic or not, I feel this album is weaker than his work with The Smiths. His voice is beautiful, but the writing feels less engaging, the subjects discussed aren’t as interestingly broody, and the tracks are a lot more dull.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Easy listening, but nothing terribly dynamic about the album compared to some of their other works. Rather long for what it is.
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
This was a very pretty album. Unique instrumental choices have always been a strength of Beatles and adjacent projects, and this was no different. Not the most striking album, but sweet and not too long.
Joanna Newsom
2/5
I am not the target audience. I feel I would appreciate this if I was watching live, but would not choose to listen to it outside of that. The playing is very cool, but I don’t care for the writing or singing.
ABBA
3/5
Generally very fun album. Even their darker pop still feels quite light. The topics may be heavy, but the tracks overall still feel pretty light and danceable. Maybe not Slipping Through My Fingers, but you could probably still get a fairly melancholy twerk going to it.
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
I like the sound but generally don’t care for the writing or vocal delivery.
Judas Priest
5/5
When I tell people I like metal I feel like it is misconstrued due to the variety within the genre. Stuff like this, Sabbath, Dio, and Maiden is what I mean. Fair play to all the heavier and more intense things that have followed, but this is the level I vibe with the most.
Derek & The Dominos
4/5
These are exactly the kind if blown out love songs I’m in to, they are so melodramatic but sometimes that is what you need. Delightful.
The xx
3/5
Not unpleasant, I like the simple bass lines running under it, and generally dig the vibe. Not really the type of vocal delivery I enjoy.
The Stranglers
4/5
I dig this, not straight up the most punk, but the bass gives me a bit of goth vibes and singing is also super fun and a bit eccentric.
Roni Size
4/5
This is so cool, I really dig the sound. I guess maybe I need to explore more drum and bass. The vocal tracks I could take or leave, but instrumental tracks like Brown Paper Bag are so good.
Foo Fighters
3/5
It’s a good sound, and a good debut. Not my favorite and definitely not the most interesting as he differentiated more from the Nirvana sound later, but it bridges the gap.
Pixies
4/5
This is really cool, I definitely see the influence this would have on Nirvana. I sort of prefer this sound, not fully grunge so it almost ends up feeling like pop punk, just earlier.
The Vines
4/5
I really like the indie movie vibe of the album, definitely feels like it should be backing something featuring Michael Cera circa 2008
Sheryl Crow
2/5
Sort of boring for me, not really a fan of the sound, nor am I particularly enthralled by her voice. Just feels sort of average.
Pere Ubu
4/5
Really cool sound, loved the noisy, angry energy.
Tears For Fears
5/5
Beautiful soundscape from the synths, love the singing, and it felt very peaceful and nostalgic.
Metallica
4/5
Rad album, I love thrash metal that still makes room for some overblown melodic segments.
SZA
4/5
Beautiful voice, and I’m in love with the production. Very west coast hip-hop, which is to be expected with TDE, but I’ve not heard it on a non-rap album and it is still gorgeous.
Mylo
4/5
Really lush sound, simple but very catchy. Sort of reminds me of early Daft Punk.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
To me, this is the platonic ideal of a Rolling Stones album. It has a couple bangers, some forgettable b-sides that are pretty non-confrontational, and it is a tight 42 minutes.
The Strokes
4/5
I love Julian Casablancas’ voice. I know there has been some kickback on the Strokes being nepo babies, but honestly at the end of the day it does come down to if the music is good, and in my opinion it sure is. I like the vocal processing they play around with and I think there are some fun bass parts in here.
The Smiths
2/5
Love his voice, but overall found this album sort of boring and samey throughout. No particular stand out tracks to break up the flow.
The Temptations
4/5
I like the very story heavy approach, it feels like the album is a movie that combines a bunch of vignettes. It is also very catchy, so two birds one stone.
The Saints
2/5
The writing and singing is not super engaging, and the playing is good but pretty standard and generic throughout. I am not a huge fan, I was hoping for some more range.
Bill Callahan
4/5
It gives Silver Jews in the best way, very enjoyable and poetic music with an understated delivery.
Björk
3/5
I very much respect Björk’s work and sound, but I do not enjoy listening to it very much. She has such a unique sound and voice, so I am glad it is made, but it is not something I would revisit. Not to say it is bad, but it is exactly the sort of thing I would listen through and remember without ever feeling the urge to seek out more.
James Brown
4/5
Bot my kind of music typically, but being a live album does give it enough hype for me to enjoy it. I love hearing the crowd react to his vamping and I appreciate the range in energy from one song to another. It keeps things fresh.
Faust
3/5
I sort of expected polka rock or something when I heard krautrock, but no this was actually pretty cool and I don’t mean to say that as a slight to polka rock.
3/5
Some fun early punk, love that they have male and female singers, and I dig the sound but wish it was a tad harder.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
It’s so pretty, I love the sound. Soft and gentle.
David Bowie
4/5
Sort of worldwide blade runner vibes, I love Bowie and this is no different.
The Black Keys
2/5
It’s just sort of alright. I think it feels pretty samey and tame, I wish it either just rocked harder or lightened up and did something more airy. Where it sits just feels boring.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
It’s a great god damn album. Hard to beat around the bush. Super fun guitar parts, interesting writing and delivery while being catchy. The layers of guitar are really the star in my eyes, wailing guitar over a steady picked line, with some spanish influenced guitar off to the side. It is so beautiful.
The Fall
3/5
Really cool and catchy album, I definitely see what they mean about riding a line between niche and marketable on this one. For every cool guitar riff, there is some off putting (though cool) vocal effect.
Jeff Buckley
4/5
I called his dad’s album horny, and this is sort of the somber evolution of that powerful horniness. I am surprised to learn this album was ever not big, you’d think Lover, You Should Have Come Over would have carried it anywhere. Even past that though, a lot of sweet songs with very atmospheric production, and just a very impressive voice. Beautiful.
Pixies
3/5
It’s fun but not a favorite. A tad repetitive.
Ella Fitzgerald
5/5
It is a beautiful and exhaustive demonstration of Ella’s voice. Truly wonderful.
AC/DC
3/5
Not huge on hard rock, obviously there are hits that defy type like the titular track, but overall not my cup of tea.
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
Delicious new wave, wonderful. A lot of people say British singers sound like they lose their accent when singing, which I see in some cases, but it makes me appreciate bands that continue to sound violently British when singing. New wave is great for this. Pretty in Pink is an obvious standout, the rest is just alright to vibe with.
LTJ Bukem
4/5
Rad album, ludicrously ass to piece together across music platforms but that is not its fault, just an annoying aspect of the industry. Cool production though, feels very 90’s in a good way.
Linkin Park
4/5
I know rap rock is polarizing, and I definitely don’t love it, but Linkin Park is the exception for me. That conclusion is fully aided and abetted by a healthy dose of nostalgia. This album in particular reminds me of taking my mom’s ipod on road trips, as well as going on LP binges after seeing the Transformers movies. Those movies may be dogshit, but like Twilight, they still managed some decent spots on their soundtracks.
Rush
3/5
Tom Sawyer rules, the prog stuff is also cool, I was just hoping for more Tom Sawyer tier stuff and didn’t get there.
Bob Dylan
2/5
Probably the least annoying Dylan album I’ve listened to, but that was not exactly a tough competition.
Bonnie Raitt
4/5
Can’t let gang know I fw this, wonderful 80’s soft pop w/ just a hint of twang, super cool.
Jorge Ben Jor
5/5
Nobody knows what it means (sorry Brazil) but it’s provocative, it gets the people going.
The Police
2/5
Message in a Bottle slaps, the rest doesn’t do too much for me, but it is fun background tunes.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
His voice does nothing for me, just don’t enjoy his works. They feel like a slog to get through.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Most people shouldn’t make hour and a half albums, but that is because most people are not prime Pink Floyd. It justifies the runtime easily, incredible diversity of sounds and effects while still being cohesive to the album itself. Wonderful.
Louis Prima
4/5
Really fun album, so bombastic. Has a live energy that is cool.
Ash
3/5
It’s fine to good, Girl From Mars is really nice but the sound is pretty flat throughout and it’s not super worth listening to it as an album vs select singles.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
This album is fun. I enjoy the sound and some of the tracks that are more unique, though I do find it a bit long for what it is.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
Genuine banger album that may actually suffer from too many hits outshining the filler on it. Great album. Musicians should work with their toxic exes more often.
Arcade Fire
2/5
I just find them boring, not much else to say. Mopey but not in a fun way.
10cc
4/5
What a fun album, it’s like Steely Dan and the Electric Mayhem doing a joint concert.
The Prodigy
4/5
Really cool ambient music. I guess dance, but I don’t really dance, so it’s just spicy ambient to me. Either way, bops hard.
Bon Jovi
2/5
Definitely has some hits (3), but the tracks outside of that are so blah whatever that I just don’t care to revisit this. Real boring and samey.
Parliament
4/5
Love it, cool funk, weird alien roleplay, what a vibe.
The Mothers Of Invention
4/5
My dumb ass almost wrote some shit about how this reminded me of Zappa, completely unaware until looking it up that of course it does he is literally there. That’s what I get for having only listened to Joe’s Garage. Anyway, great album, much like Joe’s Garage.
2/5
I just can’t stand Bob Dylan. And fuck harmonicas for real. Not poorly performed or written, but poison to me.
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
I dig the vibes and instrumentals, not too hot on the writing, I could take it or leave it. Overall very fine.
Laura Nyro
4/5
Beautiful singing, definitely feeling the horns on this album as well. Love some good belting.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
I like that a bunch of talented individuals can come together and decide they want to make Halloween their identity. Spooky little riffs, drum fall down stairs noises, general dark aesthetic, it’s just cute. I really enjoy it.
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
A cool concept, and I like the sound, but it does run together as you love through it. Still, generally enjoyable.
Jean-Michel Jarre
4/5
Beautiful range of sounds, I feel like it is a beautiful test of all functions of headphones. Feels like a massage for the brain.
The Birthday Party
2/5
I don’t fully hate the vibe, but it is really one note as an album. Not my favorite. Does seem like a “better live” type sound.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
5/5
Gorgeous vocal album. Really cool and not something I think I would have otherwise listened to. The kind of album that makes the stinkers in this list worth it.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Weird, narrative, and the dude singing looks like a cartoon villain. Overall, cool experience. Really catchy tracks, too.
G. Love & Special Sauce
3/5
I enjoy the sound, but something about the vocal effect makes this all feel like music for a commercial to me.
Robert Wyatt
2/5
I don’t think it is bad, but I don’t like it. All feels like a British children’s show theme.
The Clash
4/5
Simple, fun, and punky. Good music to yell along to.
Gang Of Four
4/5
Fun, I like the simple and punchy bass lines. They feel really good in the mix.
Killing Joke
4/5
Fun fact, this band has two self-titled albums, so it is important to actually read the full page before tracking down the album of the day. I enjoyed both. Specifically talking about the correct album, I like that they play with a ton of effects on both vocals and instruments, it really shows how they go from the first album to the kind of sounds I heard from their other album decades later. It was kind of nice to see the evolution.
The Beta Band
2/5
I did not enjoy it, the album was pretty low impact and samey throughout, didn’t notice when it rolled into other music afterwards.
Slint
3/5
Sick album, oppressive soundscape. Really moody highs and lows that know when to rock and when to get really quiet and angsty.
Green Day
4/5
It is not often an album can ride the line between fun/catchy and politically coherent this well. Most would eschew one element or the other, but I think this is a pretty good mix without needing to be so focused on the politics that they can’t also flex out for things like Wake Me Up When September Ends which is not quite so relevant to the rest of the album but fits the tone and stands alone as a great track.
Mariah Carey
3/5
Smooth and sexy album. Really like the Prince cover and of course Mariah taking any opportunity to pop off on some vocal runs. Not a repeat listener for me, but I’d put it on every once in a while.
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
Really fun pop album, plenty of variance in style to keep it fresh. Not a super cohesive thing, but a nice collection of bops.
King Crimson
3/5
It’s a prog album baby, break out every instrument ever made and set aside a half hour per track because it’s time to get nuts. Not my favorite prog album, but still very fun. It lacks some of the catchy highs of things like In the Court of the Crimson King but remains a fun romp.
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
Really catchy riffs, and from the delightful vein of self-hatred that was so cool in the 90’s but now just sort of gets you therapist recommendations.
I think I am perhaps poisoned by my age to be so set against U2’s music. Some catchy tunes for sure, but so corny, so sappy, I can’t bring myself to rate it highly. It all sounds like the music in the credits of a feel-good movie about a dad learning to give a shit about his kids instead of working 24/7. Were I introduced to it in its own time, perhaps I wouldn’t be so cynical.
John Prine
3/5
Pretty aggressively fine. Country by way of Dylan, so removed from modern country that I did a double take when I heard his voice because it was almost cartoonish, but it grows on you. Nice vibes.
5/5
Hell yeah, alter ego spaceman sent to save Earth but gets distracted by being famous and playing guitar. Does it make sense? Not really. Do the songs rule? Yeah, definitely. Bowie just did whatever he wanted and kept it catchy the whole way, I love that about him. Nothing was too weird to predicate a song on.
Sugar
4/5
Not to keep framing my thoughts on albums exclusively through the lens of film, but this sound is the platonic ideal of a 90’s soundtrack. Fun catchy rock, low stakes and feels like a hangout.
The Residents
2/5
I see the direction, and I see several tracks that remind me of other works from later years and other artists. I think it is fascinating and perhaps influential, but not something I find particularly compelling on its own. It may be a victim of its own success here and later development on these themes makes this feel undercooked despite inspiring those works, but I didn’t find it terribly interesting.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
This is fun, definitely a nice vibey 80’s album, it just doesn’t particularly hook me beyond that. Good, but not exceptional enough to listen on repeat.
Common
4/5
Really smooth, love the production on this album. The flow between songs is something I really appreciate, it all feels so cohesive. Delightful vibe, very chill.
The Shamen
3/5
Sick music to just have in the background while you work on stuff. Great for getting lost during repetitive tasks. I like it, though I don’t feel terribly strongly about it.
Tom Waits
3/5
I can’t really imagine casually throwing on this album or any track from it, but I’m glad it exists. I guess someone had to make music by and for carnival barkers from Guillermo Del Toro movies.
Dolly Parton
4/5
You spend so much time hating on modern country that you blind yourself to the entire genre, then Dolly comes in over a slide guitar and all your convictions melt away.
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
Fun east coast vibes, not my typical cup of tea but really enjoyable.
Buffalo Springfield
4/5
Sick album, always interesting to see how much crossover and movement there was for artists in the 60’s and 70’s. I straight up didn’t know this group existed, but did know about several of their solo work and other groups they were in. I feel like music now has moved so much to solo artists that you wouldn’t really have such powerhouse bands, and if you did, you’d still probably only hear about the frontman.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Another beautiful Stevie Wonder album, how sick to dig into an artist you’ve previously not listened to much of and enjoy the crazy huge back catalogue they have. This album was a bit less hit focused but still delivered a great sound and vibe.
Astor Piazzolla
4/5
Sick album to throw on, moody, mysterious, and energetic. Exceptional atmosphere.
Steely Dan
4/5
A really catchy album, Steely Dan have so many earworms and even their less famous songs will be fun interludes to another banger.
Primal Scream
3/5
Not typically huge on psychedelic tracks but this album is fun and vibey. I usually prefer a more focused and catchy hits-focused type album but that is sort of antithetical to the genre I guess, I need to lean into the haze.
Al Green
4/5
Beautiful album, feels like listening to a summer afternoon. Very peaceful.
The Verve
1/5
Damn I do not like britpop, certainly hoping I’ve run down the amount that could even be in this list. I’ve realized that when I mock british accents, it’s not really speaking voices I’m mimicking but the way britpop singers sound.
Daft Punk
5/5
Banger album made of banger tracks, constantly some new catchy thing coming up so you never get bored. Da Funk may be my favorite Daft Punk song of all time.
David Gray
3/5
This album is solidly alright to me, not what I’d seek out myself but I don’t regret listening to it. Probably not saving any tracks, but not mad at it.