Mar 01 2023
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Hot Fuss
The Killers
4
Mar 02 2023
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The Predator
Ice Cube
3
Mar 03 2023
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Close To You
Carpenters
Obviously there's two big songs on here. Some of the others have decent tunes as well, and I appreciate the attempt to do something different on the last song ("Another Song"). And of course, Karen's voice is beautiful.
This album makes it clear how much production and genre matter. The easy-listening and harmony style has not aged well. Give these songs to a different producer, and you might wind up with a very different album, one that aged better and that would warrant more repeat listens.
I would love to see what Rick Rubin could do with this material.
3
Mar 06 2023
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At Fillmore East
The Allman Brothers Band
This is one of the greatest live albums ever. And I like it a lot. But I discovered that you need to be in the mood for this.
5
Mar 07 2023
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Modern Life Is Rubbish
Blur
Yes, Blur was big in BritPop, and yes, this album helped paved the way for that. But outside of the UK, no one really cared about this album or its singles. This album had one single in the top 100, and that was *only* in Britain. The album was certified Gold... again, only in Britain.
The album reviews at the time of release thought it was a good album, not great. Retrospective reviews have been better... but only some. Some reviews still think it's a good, not great, album.
It's not a bad album though. And for historical reasons I can see it being on the list of 1001 Albums You Must Hear before You Die, but their self-titled album would be a better choice in my opinion.
The songs on here are good but not great, and I found myself wanting the album to be over so that I could listen to something better.
3
Mar 08 2023
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Rock 'N Soul
Solomon Burke
Good stuff. Lesser known than some of his peers, but I liked him as much as I like Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding. Very nice voice.
4
Mar 09 2023
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Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against The Machine
5
Mar 10 2023
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Either Or
Elliott Smith
I wanted to like this. I like the genre and had heard about this album over the years. But I put it on while working, and when it was over, nothing had grabbed my attention. Nothing stood out. I listened to it two more times, with some focus on the "hits", and it still didn't click.
It's not bad, but I don't see what's special about it either.
If I could, I would give it 3 1/2 stars.
3
Mar 11 2023
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Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes
Nothing takes you back in time like music. I recall sitting in a down stairs hall at my high school listening to this on my Walkman, thinking, "Wow, this is really good!"
It's interesting how this album has grown in popularity over the years. It didn't chart until eight years after its release, but it was already certified platinum.
This was classic alt back when alternative really was alternative and very much underground (especially in a rural area like where I lived -- I bet no more than 20 kids in my graduating class knew of the band.)
Classic album. 5 stars.
5
Mar 12 2023
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This Is Fats Domino
Fats Domino
I had heard his hits, but listening to this closer, and thinking about when it came out, wow. Impressive. Although not on this album, I also checked out "The Fat Man". Hard to argue that's not a rock song, and it came out in 1949.
In general, I would call this more of a hybrid between big band and rock. Interesting to see the transition. And great music.
I'm giving this a four, however, because it's a compilation. Those are, by definition, going to be better than a typical album, so I'm offsetting that. That's not 100% fair, since when this came out, albums weren't really much of a thing, but I'm approaching this project as a review of albums, not singles, and not artists.
4
Mar 13 2023
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Black Holes and Revelations
Muse
This album and this band are good but not great.
3
Mar 14 2023
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Pink Flag
Wire
Wow. I had never heard of Wire, but this is one of the best punk albums I've ever heard. This is on par with The Clash and The Sex Pistols. I might even like it more.
5
Mar 15 2023
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Young Americans
David Bowie
Outside of the two hits, it's decent but not great.
I understand that it was an early take on R&B by a white rock and roll singer, but that doesn't make it great R&B. Early attempts at R&B by a left-handed surfer wouldn't make the music better just because no other left-handed surfers had done anything similar.
2
Mar 16 2023
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The New Tango
Astor Piazzolla
I enjoyed this, but I have no good reference point. How does this compare to other tango? I wouldn't know. How is this "neuvo"? I wouldn't know. But I need to give it a rating as part of the project, so I'm going to just give it a three. (That's not completely fair to the record, but it's not like I have zero reference points. I can't see this being a two star or five star, so that leaves me with three or four. Since I didn't love it, I'm giving it a three.)
3
Mar 17 2023
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Aladdin Sane
David Bowie
This is a good album. I liked Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars a lot. This is good, but not as good.
This is a solid album, but there's little that stands out. There's nothing that grabs you and makes you say, "This is a great song!"
I'm on the fence, and if I could give it 3 1/2 stars, I would. It has its moments, but there's not a single great song on here. I'm going to round down and give it a 3. It's better than that, but it's not a 4.
[Trivial note, but I was just recommended an album by David Bowie two days ago. It would be nice if the recommendation algorithm spaced things out better.]
3
Mar 18 2023
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Highway to Hell
AC/DC
It's a good album, but let's be honest, it's only got one great song. But wow, what a song. On that alone, it gets four stars.
If it had another great song, it could be a five. Like "Back in Black".
4
Mar 19 2023
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Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle
Bill Callahan
Wow, I had not heard of Bill Callahan (or Smog). I really like his sound. And the first song is excellent. But the rest of the album... again, I like his sound, but aside from Faith, none of the other songs much caught my attention.
Still, this is better than a lot of what's on the "1001 List", so I'll give it four stars. (It's better than the two Bowie albums I've been recommended so far, and I like Bowie.)
I will be listening to more of Bill and Smog in the future.
4
Mar 20 2023
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Killing Joke
Killing Joke
It's good. Not great. Maybe it was a big deal in the punk world; I'm not sure. I like a lot of punk rock, but this wasn't anything special.
3
Mar 21 2023
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Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)
Bob Dylan
This is the greatest live album of all time. And Spotify ruined it :( And YouTube doesn't seem to be any better.
First, a review of the album, then a review of the streaming versions.
Not only are the performances great, the history, and Dylan's "fight" with the audience are also huge. We hear closed-minded people who can't acknowledge that their "poet" is making music twice as good as before. A significant part of the audience can't handle change. This is music history, and we get to hear it taking place.
I love, how, before the last song, Dylan turns to The Band and says, "Play it fucking loud!" He's mad at the audience, and you can hear it in the music. And then, when the song is over, Dylan says "Thank you" and leaves the stage, and you can hear some patriotic anthem coming faintly through the speakers, letting the audience know that there will *not* be an encore.
Absolute classic.
------------------
So all that stuff I wrote above, about listening to Dylan argue with the audience and telling The Band to "play it fucking loud!" ... a very significant part of what makes this a classic, is not on the Spotify or YouTube version! I noticed, especially in the electric part, that there were gaps of silence after each song, and then it hit me: they cut out all but the music and very minimal clapping.
This is a travesty. It's still a great performance, and on that alone, it warrants five stars, but they key part of the album is missing from Spotify and YouTube.
(Relative to the 1001 Albums project, anyone that rated an album above this needs to rethink. This concert happened almost 60 years ago, and in the meantime, it was discussed as a legend and passed around on bootleg cassettes until finally officially released 30 years after the fact. Sixty years from now, no one is going to care much about 99% of the albums from 60 years prior...and that includes Muse :) If you don't love Bob's music, okay, but if you can't recognize its greatness, you're missing something.)
5
Mar 22 2023
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Slayed?
Slade
This is music that only white people without much rhythm would like. So, like Judas Priest.
And the music is juvenile. AC/DC's music is pretty simplistic too, but AC/DC is the best there is at such music. Slade is not.
This is music that would mostly appeal to middle school children... from the 70s, no less.
Note: I am not at all surprised that the general editor of the 1001 Albums book is British. Once again, we have an album that hit #1 in the UK, but was largely ignored anywhere else except Australia. More British bias, IMO. Just because you (and your friends) grew up really digging a band doesn't mean they're good.
2
Mar 23 2023
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Bluesbreakers
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
Wow, I'm impressed. I didn't realize this kind of music was being made as early as 1966.
NOTE: there are several versions of this album. I generally prefer to listen to the original release, which had 12 tracks, not the 14 on the re-release linked to on Spotify. In this case, however, I actually wound up listening to the 2nd half of the mono/stereo release. It's the same 12 songs on each half, but the 2nd half is a stereo mix released in 1968. The original was mono, and sometimes that's better because some of the stereo mixes from around that time were a little odd, but in this case, I believe the stereo mix is the better version.
4
Mar 24 2023
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The Clash
The Clash
It's amazing how music takes you back. I recall where I was when I first heard "Police and Thieves", about a decade after it's release. I was sitting on the edge of a motel bed, on a trip with the high school debate team, listening to a borrowed copy of this album on a Walkman. I bet I listened to that song about half a dozen times in a row. And though to myself, "I need to give this band a closer listen. They sound pretty good!" Ha!
This is as good as punk gets. I own a copy of the album now.
5
Mar 25 2023
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3 + 3
The Isley Brothers
If this album came out today, I don't think anyone would notice. While you should consider when an album came out, that still doesn't help this album. It's not groundbreaking even for its time.
Half the songs are covers, and it's rare for a cover to exceed the original. Yes, the Isley Brothers took non-R&B songs and played them as R&B, but there are hundreds of bands who could do the same. I imagine you could walk in to a random African-American church and ask the choir to come up with an R&B version of a random song, and within a week, you would have something at least close to the covers on this album.
The big hit, "Who's That Lady?" sounds like cheesy, black disco, like much of the rest of the album.
2
Mar 26 2023
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Catch A Fire
Bob Marley & The Wailers
It's very good ... but not quite great. There are better reggae albums, including some by this band (if you consider Bob Marley and The Wailers a continuation of the Wailers, which, I think, is a stretch, since you have only one of the three core, founding members.)
4
Mar 27 2023
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Steve McQueen
Prefab Sprout
I had not heard this band before. I see that they were never big in the US (which doesn't mean necessarily mean anything). But this is good pop/rock. Especially given the state of pop and rock in the mid-'80s. It was pretty abysmal, with the music either being too poppy (Paula Abdul??) or the rock was mostly big hair bands. This is good stuff. Based 100% on sound, I'd only give it 3.5, but that's just because there's now a lot more music like this, but given when it came out, it's four stars.
4
Mar 28 2023
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NEU! 75
Neu!
Another great album. I had never heard of Neu!
The Wikipedia helps explain the bi-polar quality of this album. The two sides are very different, but I like both a lot. I may actually enjoy side one more, but that's from a perspective that's almost 50 years after the album was released. Given when it came out, side two is the more amazing side. It's punk rock a couple of years before punk rock!
(For anyone that listened to this on Spotify, track down the last track, "After Eight". It's good.)
5
Mar 29 2023
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Madman Across The Water
Elton John
It's good. Not great, but still solid.
4
Mar 30 2023
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Larks' Tongues In Aspic
King Crimson
Two of my three favorite artists are prog rock musicians. But I don't much care for King Crimson. I don't get it.
I enjoy some of Pink Floyd's more experimental stuff. And some of Captain Beefheart's stuff. But not this. I don't get it.
I strongly believe that if an artist is respected by a lot of people (esp. ones that aren't middle school children), they are probably talented. This is how I feel about King Crimson. And they (he) have stood the test of time. But I don't get it. And I do believe there are cases where reviews suffer from the issue of "The Emperor's New Clothes". "This album is challenging to listen to, so it must be deep." And then someone says that, and others feel like, "Well, I don't want to be seen as shallow, so yeah, though I don't really enjoy sitting down and listening to this, it must be deep, and the musicians are really talented, so yeah, it is good after all!" No one wants to be the one to say that, sure, it's innovative, and the music is well played, but no one actually wants to listen to the damn thing.
I don't expect all of my music to be "easy" to listen to, but I don't see when I would want to sit down and listen to this.
Maybe this is "groundbreaking" or highly innovative or some such, yet, I don't think it's enjoyable for many, and that's more important, so it gets two stars. I appreciate Fripp's talent, but the songs just aren't very enjoyable. Even the critics that praise the album admit that it's not easy to listen to. But that's mostly the point of music, so this is mostly a fail.
I think all the praise is mostly people not wanting to point out that the emperor isn't wearing any clothes.
1
Mar 31 2023
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American Pie
Don McLean
Listening to this again, I realized that a lot of the lyrics really aren't that cryptic. The marching band is pretty clearly the Beatles (esp. given the reference to the sergeant). And the jester is Dylan, given the reference to his coat (and the album cover to his second album) and being on the sideline in a cast. I suppose the King is Elvis. Not sure about the Queen, but that may have just been a songwriter's embellishment.
Very good album Four stars.
4
Apr 01 2023
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Queen Of Denmark
John Grant
I like this. It's an enjoyable album. But I'm not sure why it would be in the "1001 Albums" book. It's good, but not great. I like the sound., but it's fairly average really. I doubt that I will remember this artist.
2
Apr 04 2023
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Homework
Daft Punk
I understand it was their first album (so an "exciting debut by a new artist!"), but they've done better. To be frank, I find a lot of the songs on here kind of boring -- they just go on and on. I happen to like trance, so I don't have a problem with a song that's just "four on the floor" and repetitive (e.g., "Alive" is very repetitive, yet good). But some of these songs just aren't that catchy. Some are really good, but a lot are not. Spotify's streaming stats back that up.
Looking at Spotify streaming stats, there's only two songs off of here that make Daft Punk's top 10... and the rest of the songs aren't even really that close. (Admittedly, Spotify stats are skewed for songs that came out after Spotify became mainstream, but a Daft Punk album that came out four years after this one, still well before Spotify, has many more streams.) Daft Punk has better albums.
3
Apr 05 2023
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Illmatic
Nas
I used to love rap, but really old school. Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC, LL Cool J. This rap is more mellow and more sing-song. Of course, a lot of rap is like that nowadays. It's not really my thing. (Maybe I should smoke more weed and mellow out?? :)
Just because it doesn't click with me doesn't mean it's not good. Like red wine. I don't care for it. But it's subjective. (Yes, to some degree, all music is, but it's not 100% subjective.)
I don't feel capable of really rating this since it's not my style. I also can't rate red wine.
Since I have to give it some rating, I'll just give it a 3, middle of the road. I understand that it was influential, but that doesn't necessarily make it good or bad musically. To me, it's kind of boring. Like, the riff on "NY State of Mind": boring.
3
Apr 06 2023
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Brutal Youth
Elvis Costello
It's decent but far from great. I have bought multiple Elvis Costello albums, but once again, this album shows the British bias of the "1001 Project". This album reached #2 in the UK, #34 in the US, and elsewhere... crickets.
I like Elvis (again, I've paid money for his albums), but this doesn't deserve to be in the "1001 Albums" list. If I never heard this album before I died, I would not have missed out. On RateYourMusic.com, out of Elvis' studio albums, this is ranked by listeners as his *13th* best. It's very average. I did not enjoy having to finish the album. Nothing stands out. It's meh. I admit to being in a bad mood while listening, but this didn't help -- instead I found myself thinking "How average! And it goes on for four more minutes!" 2 1/2 stars. I'll be generous and round up simply because it was not bad, but it was mostly boring, which is almost as bad.
3
Apr 07 2023
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Kick Out The Jams (Live)
MC5
Wow. Hard to believe this was recorded in '68. If it came out today, I'd only give it 3 stars. But this was clearly ahead of its time, so I'll give it 4.
4
Apr 08 2023
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Bryter Layter
Nick Drake
I have listened to Nick Drake many times, but I'm not sure I've ever heard much with a backing band. This is very good. I will be listening more.
4
Apr 11 2023
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Nebraska
Bruce Springsteen
This was the album that turned me on to Bruce. His rock and roll stuff is good, but I prefer this. Great album. (Although like many an album, it suffers a little from first half syndrome.)
5
Apr 12 2023
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The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators
The 13th Floor Elevators
Maybe it was a little innovative, but it seemed very average to me. So much so that I'm going to give it 2 stars.
2
Apr 13 2023
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Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs
Marty Robbins
Growing up, I would hear my dad play "El Paso". I like it.
My dad loves old westerns, so I can sort of relate to the songs. And given when this album came out, old westerns were at least somewhat still in vogue. I don't love the album, and I don't plan on listening again, but a lot of that is simply that it's aged and music has moved on. (Whereas I still love Lead Belly, so it's not all about age, but this album has not aged as well.)
3 stars because, for it's time, it was pretty good.
3
Apr 14 2023
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Band On The Run
Paul McCartney and Wings
It has one very good song, one good song, and the rest is decent.
If this weren'r put out by an ex-Beatle, it wouldn't get much attention.
3
Apr 18 2023
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White Blood Cells
The White Stripes
This was fine, but nothing really grabbed me much, even their hit single. For being fairly average I'm going to give it 2.5. And round down.
And as I was writing this, a Jack White song just came on my Discover Weekly on Spotify. "A Madman from Manhattan". Good song. At least 3.5, and I might round up. But this album... nothing much stood out.
2
Apr 19 2023
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Africa Brasil
Jorge Ben Jor
It was enjoyable enough. Hard for me to rate because I don't listen to that genre a lot, but I enjoyed it, so three starts.
3
Apr 20 2023
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The Low End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest
It's smooth. It flows. It's got a good vibe. But it's not as fun as stuff like Run DMC or Public Enemy. This is more mellow. Not as fun.
4
Apr 21 2023
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Fear and Whiskey
Mekons
Not bad, but nothing special. I suppose the addition of fiddles and the like to a punk sound is slightly innovative, but that doesn't really make it more enjoyable to listen to. I wound up stopping half way through the next to last song -- I got the drift by then, and there's better things I'd like to listen to.
2.5 stars, and I'm rounding down.
2
Apr 22 2023
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So
Peter Gabriel
4
Apr 26 2023
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The Köln Concert
Keith Jarrett
After about 20 minutes, I considered skipping the rest of the album simply because I had gotten the feel of the album and because such lengthy improvisation isn't my thing. But I not only wound up listening to the whole thing, I went back and played it again!
Wow.
5
Apr 27 2023
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The ArchAndroid
Janelle Monáe
enjoyed it. It's not her best album, in my opinion, but I understand that it was her debut.
I would give it 3.5 stars, maybe pushing 4, but I don't see that this needs to be on the 1001 list, so I'm going to round down. (Part of the issue may be that 1001 is too big of a number to use for an "essentials" list.)
3
Apr 28 2023
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Hot Rats
Frank Zappa
Very much on the fence here. I'm going to give it 3.5 and round down, but... I get that the average song length is something like 6+ minutes, and that this isn't radio friendly pop.
This could grow on me with multiple listens, and I may well revisit. But for now, I'm going to round down.
3
May 02 2023
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Aftermath
The Rolling Stones
3 1/2, and I'm rounding down.
3
May 03 2023
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Vivid
Living Colour
4 stars. One GREAT song, plus a couple of other solid songs. But you need more than one great song to get to 5 stars.
4
May 04 2023
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Songs Of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
It's not bad, but the songs on this album all sound mostly the same and they have a bit of an easy-listening / adult contemporary sound. You may love Leonard, but what I just said isn't wrong.
2
May 05 2023
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Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
I like some modern R&B, but I think a lot of it is weak. I had heard of Frank Ocean but never gotten around to listening to him.
The start of my listening did not go well. The first half of the album is the weaker half, and in particular, I was not impressed with "Thinkin Bout You", the big hit from the first half. I thought, this is typical, overrated R&B. But then the second half rolled around. This is good. Quite.
(I revisited "Thinkin Bout You", thinking I might have missed something. I don't think so. It seems like a standard modern R&B song that might be a hit on pop radio but that isn't anything special, but the second half of this album saves the album.)
4
May 08 2023
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Bat Out Of Hell
Meat Loaf
I recall a friend of mine listening to this a lot back in the '90s. I didn't get it. I didn't dislike it, but I didn't think it was great either.
Reading about how hard it was to get anyone willing to produce it and the initial lackluster reaction in America, and after a re-listen, I still feel that my 1990s opinion is correct. It is better than I recalled (esp. "Bat out of Hell"), but it's still just "good but not great".
I would attribute its album sales to falling in the "least common denominator" category -- it appeals to a lot of people, yet few of them would actually give it five stars. Some will, but most won't.
I'm giving it 3.5 and rounding down for all the (over)hype.
3
May 09 2023
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New York Dolls
New York Dolls
Wow. "Punk" back in '71-'72. Impressive. And fun.
4 1/2 stars. Rounding down to 4 because it hasn't aged quite as well as some other albums from that time.
4
May 12 2023
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I Am a Bird Now
Antony and the Johnsons
As one music critic wrote, within a second or two of the album starting, you're grabbed by Antony's voice. Strong and emotive. This is very good.
4
May 13 2023
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Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
George Michael
Pretty good. I'd give it 3 1/2. Rounding down because it doesn't belong in quite the same company as most 4 star albums. But still pretty good.
3
May 15 2023
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Rust In Peace
Megadeth
It's good. Better than most thrash metal. But even the hits don't grab me. I can list 20 Metallica songs I would rather hear and at least a few Megadeth songs as well, but that's the thing with Megadeth: a lot of their stuff is good but not great. A lot of their stuff doesn't grab you. It just sounds good, not great.
4 stars.
4
May 16 2023
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Smash
The Offspring
Pop punk. Neither pop nor punk is a new genre, so I can't give a lot of credit there. As for combining the two, I'd say that The Ramones did that way back in the mid-70s. But this is still pretty good. Offspring does pop punk well. But they're not Green Day. For me, this would be like comparing Megadeth to Metallica, but in this case it's Offspring vs. Green Day. Metallica and Green Day get five stars; Megadeth and Offspring get four.
4
May 17 2023
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Vento De Maio
Elis Regina
I'm a little torn. I liked it, but at times it sounds a little too much like easy-listening lounge music. But not always. And she does have a very nice voice. 3 1/2 stars, and I'm rounding up.
4
May 18 2023
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Raw Like Sushi
Neneh Cherry
I recall when "Buffalo Stance" came out, and I liked it, but I never heard anything else from Neneh Cherry. So when this album came up on my listening list, I was curious. And then, reading the intro on Wikipedia, I saw comparisons to Prince and Madonna. Coupled with the fact that this is in the 1001 album list, I went into this interested.
After the first few songs, I realized that this is very average '80s pop. I think '80s pop is the best decade for pop music, but this is average at best. Maybe even less than average.
This is the first album I'm giving a 1. It might deserve a 2, but since it has no business being on a "1001" list, it gets a 1.
(It's interesting to read the 5 star reviews. Of the almost 60 albums I've reviewed, looking at other the average rating for each, this is actually the lowest of the 58 I've reviewed. Sooo average pop. But yet, there are a lot of 5 star ratings talking about how Neneh should have been huge. Interesting. Are people serious or trolling?)
1
May 19 2023
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The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
I liked this more than I expected. Some amazing stuff was being done in the early '60s, but I tend to prefer music from the latter half of the decade. And then on top of that, this is mostly just covers. But I enjoyed this a lot.
But it IS mostly covers, so I can't rank it too high. I could go find a local cover band that could do about as well. That's no knock on the Stones in general, but they didn't become famous by doing covers.
3 1/2 stars. Rounding down because I know there are people that are giving this slightly higher ratings because of the name of the band, not the sound of the album.
3
May 20 2023
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Coat Of Many Colors
Dolly Parton
I've always thought Dolly was a little over-rated (and I still do), but I liked this more than expected.
She's got a nice enough voice, but, for example, when she sings on Trio with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, it's the least pretty of the three.
I feel that half of Dolly's fame is her personality and her time in front of the camera, rather than her actual music. Her music is good, but generally not great.
But I liked this more than expected. I'll give it 3 1/2 stars. Rounding down because it doesn't belong with a lot of 4 star albums.
3
May 21 2023
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Like A Prayer
Madonna
One could argue that Madonna was The Artist of the '80s. But this particular album is average at best. 2 1/2 stars, and I'm rounding down. If this had the name of another artist on it, it would get little attention.
2
May 22 2023
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The Bones Of What You Believe
CHVRCHES
There is music I like better by Chvrches, but this is still good. Just not their best. I was debating between 3 1/2 stars or 4, so I'll average and round :)
4 stars.
4
May 23 2023
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Kid A
Radiohead
I liked this more than expected, but I'm not sure how to rate it. It's not an album you're going to put on in the car with your buddies (and that's okay). I wouldn't quite call it experimental rock, but it's getting there. As such, I find it hard to rate. I probably need to listen to this album more to get a good feeling for it, but for now, I'm giving it 3 1/2 stars and rounding down.
I feel like if this album had been put out by an unknown band called Stinky Farts it wouldn't get as much hype. Not that it's not good.
3
May 24 2023
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Chelsea Girl
Nico
Good, not great. 3 1/2, rounding down to 3.
I'd be very curious to hear this without the strings and flute.
3
May 25 2023
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This Is Hardcore
Pulp
At first, I thought this was pretty mediocre. Nothing grabbed me. (But sometimes that's okay.) I listened to this in two parts. The first sitting, I was ready to give it a 2 or 3. The second sitting, I guess I was in a different mood, or maybe I had been acclimated; either way, I'd give it a 3.5 or 4.
Pretty good, but not great. 3 1/2 stars, rounding down.
3
May 26 2023
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Made In Japan
Deep Purple
"Smoke on the Water" is one of the peaks of white-boy rock. It's very good, but it strikes me as music for people that don't know how to dance. (To be fair, this could be said of a fair bit of hard rock).
This is basically the hard rock version of yacht rock. I can see some boomers listening to this, sipping their gin and tonic, and saying "This rocks!"
3 1/2 stars, rounding down.
3
May 27 2023
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The Genius Of Ray Charles
Ray Charles
If this album were just big band or just ballad, I might give it 3 stars, but I enjoy having both options. Sort of trivial, but enough to make me give me 4 stars. I believe this is as good as Ray's studio albums get.
4
May 31 2023
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Faust IV
Faust
Interesting. I'm glad I heard it. It's not an incredibly appealing genre, IMO, unless maybe you're very autistic -- it's a little too mechanical, though I didn't hate it; I'd rather listen to it that most modern pop, modern "country" or modern R&B. For novelty and historic purposes, I'll give it 3 stars.
3
Jun 01 2023
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Coles Corner
Richard Hawley
3 1/2, maybe even 3 3/4 stars, so rounding up.
4
Jun 02 2023
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Faith
George Michael
Back when this came out, if a song was "on the radio", I tended to dismiss it. Especially if it came from a member of a super-poppy group like Wham!
Listening to this again, however (and with some hindsight due to George's other solo albums), this is better than I originally gave it credit.
4 stars.
4
Jun 03 2023
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Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth
I've always liked this album and appreciated it. When I put it on, I always think "Yeah, this is good!" But by the end I'm ready for something else. There's a lot to like here, yet there's something about it that keeps me from really loving it. I think it's just a little too "noisy" at times. I like the songs, but sometimes they stray too far into cacophony. But I still like it and appreciate it. So much so, that I will give it 4 1/2 stars. (But I'm rounding down.)
4
Jun 04 2023
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Come Away With Me
Norah Jones
There's a reason this is one of the best selling albums of all time. But it's also the case, as one reviewer wrote, "the mood of this record stagnates after a few songs".
4 stars
4
Jun 07 2023
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Legalize It
Peter Tosh
4
Jun 08 2023
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Meat Puppets II
Meat Puppets
Classic cowpunk.
4
Jun 09 2023
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The Village Green Preservation Society
The Kinks
I'm impressed. I only knew of The Kinks big hits. This is very good. It reminds me some of Pink Floyd's Piper at the Gates of Dawn. But this is better, in my opinion (and I'm a big Pink Floyd fan).
4
Jun 10 2023
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The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
I recall when NPR deemed this the best album of the year. I had not listened to it yet, but I was surprised by the pick given NPR's music desk at the time.
So I gave it a listen. Wow. This is one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time (though yes, it's also more soul and R&B).
Although it suffers from 2nd-half syndrome, it's still a 5 star album.
5
Jun 11 2023
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Jazz Samba
Stan Getz
I enjoyed it. I don't listen to this genre a lot, so it's hard to rate, but I will anyway :)
4
Jun 14 2023
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Real Life
Magazine
Nothing special. On its own, this would be a two star album at most, but since it has no business being on a list of essential albums, I'm giving it one star.
1
Jun 21 2023
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Welcome to the Afterfuture
Mike Ladd
While I love a lot of old, old school rap (Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC, etc), I don't like modern hip-hop as much. But this is really good. So much so that, along with the previous album recommended to me, I've paused my recommendations so that I can give these two albums more time.
- How did the 1001 project find this? At least on Spotify is has very few listens, and it's Wikipedia article is very sparse (implying it didn't make much of a splash). I'm glad they found it though. Very good.
- Interesting looking at the reviews and ratings on here. Those who write anything seem to mostly a 4 or 5. But it's overall, it's only rated as 3 stars -- it appears to be the "fly by" voters throwing out 1s and pulling it down.
4
Jun 23 2023
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The Holy Bible
Manic Street Preachers
3.5 stars
3
Jun 24 2023
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Crosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash
I was expecting to give this a 3 (having heard the hits), but after listening, giving it 3.5 and rounding up.
4
Jun 29 2023
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Oar
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
I had heard of Moby Grape but not Skip. Interesting story. A bit like Syd Barret, I suppose.
Funny how this was Columbia House's worst selling record ever, yet people are still listening 50 years later. Good stuff. 4 stars (might be more like 3.75, but who's being nitpicky :)
4
Jul 26 2023
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OK Computer
Radiohead
I've heard people say this is the greatest album of all time. It's not even the best album in the year it came out (Time Out of Mind or "Daft Punk" are both better). And it's not Radiohead's best album either (I prefer several, including Kid A).
It's not bad album though. I'd give it 7 or 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. Normally that means I would round up to 4 stars, but given the slobber fest this album garners, I'm rounding down to 3. The album has a couple of very good songs, but a lot of boring songs as well (almost all of the second half of the album.)
3
Jul 27 2023
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The Colour Of Spring
Talk Talk
I like this. It's a strong album by a band that was maturing. At that point in time (1986), this was a good step forward for Talk Talk. But in the grand scheme of modern music (c. 1950 - today), this is not a 4 star album. I would give this a 3.5, and I hate to round down -- I don't feel that this belongs with a lot of 3 star albums, but it doesn't belong with the 4 stars either. Sorry, Talk Talk. It's a very solid album, and I suspect I will listen to it again, which I can't say for most of the 3 star albums on here.
3
Jul 28 2023
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Bad
Michael Jackson
If this album had been put out by Michael Johnson, not Michael Jackson, I don't think it would have got nearly as much airplay. That's not to say that it's bad. It's not. But it's not great either. At most it's 4 stars. But I think it's really closer to 3.5, and given the "overhype", I'm rounding down.
3
Jul 29 2023
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Rio
Duran Duran
3
Jul 30 2023
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25
Adele
I'm not sure there's anyone else I would rate so much on their vocals. After all, if you have a great song, you only need adequate vocals. And if you don't have a good song, great vocals can only save it so much -- it's still not an enjoyable tune.
But wow, what a voice. And the songs are good. Combine that with the voice and the production, and this is damn good.
(One thing that I particularly appreciate is that Adele doesn't feel the need to warble, like Whitney Houston, for example. I once heard some one criticize a lot of female R&B singers for choosing to turn cart wheels to get from point A to B when walking would have been just fine.)
4
Aug 22 2023
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Teenager Of The Year
Frank Black
I like it. I'd give it 3.5 or 3.75 stars, but I'm rounding down because 1) it doesn't belong with a lot of 4 star albums, and 2) it's not an album I should listen to before I die.
3
Aug 23 2023
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The Madcap Laughs
Syd Barrett
The essence of a list suggesting albums one "should listen to before you die" goes far beyond the mere statement: "This sounds good." The richness of music isn't merely about the melody, rhythm, or lyrics. It's about the history it carries, the influences it exudes, and the legacy it leaves behind.
Take "The Velvet Underground & Nico," for instance. On a personal note, I'd rate it 4 stars. Yet, if look at its history, one could reasonably argue it's among the most influential albums ever. To genuinely appreciate music, one must embrace the journey of its creation, the roots of its inspiration, and its impact on subsequent generations. It's not just about the question, "How does this resonate with me?" but also, "How has it shaped the musical landscape?"
Even if you don't care about musical history, you can't truly rate how good an album was when it came out if you don't understand what came before it. If, say, a Model T Ford was invented in 1800, that would be amazing! If it was invented in 2000 (long after modern cars were common), it would be a poor "invention". A creation depends on what came before it.
But based solely on the sound I'd wouldn't give this more than 3 stars. But I know the role that Syd played in creating one of the greatest bands ever. No, this album didn't do that, but given that David Gilmour and Roger Waters helped complete it, it's certain that Syd continued to influence them after just the one Pink Floyd album that Syd was an active part of.
Having said all that, even with the history and influence that this album had, I'd probably only give it 3.5, maybe 3.75 stars, but given that I believe some reviewers are just listening and asking "Do I like it?" w/o asking if there's more to why an album would be on the "1001 list", I'm rounding up.
4 stars.
4
Aug 24 2023
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Club Classics Vol. One
Soul II Soul
I was ready to give this 1 star, but it's not truly terrible. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd probably give it a 5. The big hit, "Back to Life" is not as bad as I recall.
Converting to a 5-star scale gives me 2.5, and I'm rounding down.
2
Aug 25 2023
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Electric Ladyland
Jimi Hendrix
Jimi made some great songs. And Jimi had a lot of mediocre songs.
Of course, his guitar playing is impressive, but you still need to have good tunes. There's some excellent stuff on here, but there's a lot of "only decent" stuff as well.
I debated between 4 starts and 4.5. Either way, I'd round to a 4.
4
Aug 26 2023
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Graceland
Paul Simon
Paul is a treasure, as is this album.
5
Aug 27 2023
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Rattlesnakes
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
I enjoyed listening to this. But it's another "7 out of 10 album", of which there are very many.
As is so often the case, the 1001 project has a British bias. This was big there. But popularity in one small country doesn't say a lot about how good an album is.
I enjoyed this, but it's simply good, not great.
3
Aug 28 2023
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Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon & Garfunkel
When I first heard this album, I didn't like it as much as Simon and Garfunkel's other albums. I was into Dylan and liked S&G's folky tunes more. Something like "Cecilia" did not appeal to me. I wanted more "Sounds of Silence".
I have come around and accepted that Paul Simon is more of a pop musician than folk rock. And that's okay. In fact, he's very good at it (ref: Graceland). And you begin to see that more on this album.
Listening to this album without my previous bias: 5 stars.
5
Aug 29 2023
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Guero
Beck
Ugh, this one was tough to rate. I'd like to give it a 3.75. But I feel like it doesn't belong with some of the 4 stars. But I hate to round down.
Ultimately, most 4 star albums are better, so I'm very reluctantly rounding down. On a different day I might round up.
3
Aug 30 2023
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Step In The Arena
Gang Starr
On it's own, it's a good album. And then it's got its history and influence.
4
Aug 31 2023
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The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
4
Sep 01 2023
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Gorillaz
Gorillaz
Good, not great. Gorillaz has better work. I guess this is on the list because it was their first album? Also, as is often the case, it looks like there's British bias (it was big in England, so it should be on the list!)
3
Sep 02 2023
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(What's The Story) Morning Glory
Oasis
Round up from 4.5 stars to 5. (An album with a song with over 2 billion streams almost has to be at least 4 stars, even if the rest of the album was mediocre.)
5
Sep 06 2023
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Slipknot
Slipknot
It's not bad. I might even call it "solid" in that most of the songs are above average. But just barely. Like 6, on a scale of 1 to 10. Converting the scale from 10 to 5, this gets 3 stars.
3
Sep 07 2023
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John Barleycorn Must Die
Traffic
Wow, I liked this a lot more than I expected. Traffic was never that popular, this album had one "hit" (that peaked at #76), and even Spotify's writeup says "Traffic was just a holding vehicle for Steve Winwood."
But I really like this. I even listened to it twice (which is easier when it's only 34 minutes :).
On the other hand, should I hear this before I die? Not sure. But I'd give it at least 3.5 stars. I'll be generous and round up.
4
Sep 08 2023
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Roxy Music
Roxy Music
I don't get it. Roxy Music did some good stuff, but I don't get why this is hyped.
2 stars.
2
Sep 11 2023
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Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Red Hot Chili Peppers
I'm a little split on the Chili Peppers moving away (a little) from their previous sound, but it works over all. I like the funky stuff better, and there's plenty of it on this album, but the big hit is "Under the Bridge". I like it, but it's not classic Peppers. Of course, many might say to that: "Good!" It's better.
Anyway, on it's own, I'd probably give this 3.5 or even 3.75, but given its place in the early alt rock becoming mainstream (and also because of math :) , I'll round up).
4
Sep 12 2023
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Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
OutKast
I miss rap like this. It's got good flow. I feel like a lot of hip hop nowadays is just "a guy talking" (I'm looking at you Jay Z).
On top of that, side two is fresh, what with the jazz / lounge infusion. And on side one we have "The Way You Move", an awesome recreation of something Earth, Wind, and Fire might do (and which they wound up covering).
I wish there were more hip hop like this.
5
Sep 13 2023
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Head Hunters
Herbie Hancock
It's hard for me to rate this album because jazz/funk is not my main thing. Or even a top five genre for me There's some I like, but this didn't click with me. But maybe it was a big deal 50 years ago. I don't know. Based on how it resonated with me, I can only give it 3 stars.
3
Sep 14 2023
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Abbey Road
Beatles
Possibly my favorite Beatles album. It had to grow on me though. I think some of that was the blending of songs on side two.
Side anecdote: growing up, two of my three favorite Beatles songs were "Something" and "Here Comes the Sun", from this album. The other songs was "Norwegian Wood". I had no idea, at the time, that all were written by George, not John or Paul.
5
Sep 15 2023
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You're Living All Over Me
Dinosaur Jr.
This is a lot better than a lot of what was popular "rock" at the time, e.g., Poison, Whitesnake, etc. But U2, R.E.M., The Cure, The Smiths, etc. were all making better music at the same time. Dinosaur Jr. may have been better than what was played on the radio, but in terms of great rock albums there are many others that are far better. It's not bad a bad album, it's just not truly great. Out of its historical context, it's only slightly above average rock.
Three stars.
3
Sep 16 2023
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Violator
Depeche Mode
4
Sep 17 2023
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Horses
Patti Smith
I don't get it. It's not bad, and the lyrics are good, but even Bob Dylan (the master of lyrics) wrote better tunes.
I guess there's the historical aspect, which will give it an extra half star, so that would make it a 3.5. A piece of art deserves credit for its influence, but it also matters if it sounds good. It doesn't sound bad, but it doesn't sound great either.
3
Sep 19 2023
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Buffalo Springfield Again
Buffalo Springfield
I've heard Buffalo Springfield plenty of times, and I was ready to write this off as "very good at the time, but music has moved on", but no, this is better than I expected.
4.5 stars, on the fence on whether to round up or down. Probably depends on my mood.
4
Sep 20 2023
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Stripped
Christina Aguilera
What the heck? I guess it shows that I shouldn't assume lame pop artists never grow up. First I discovered that Kesha grew up, and now I see that Christina did as well.
4
Sep 21 2023
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Music Has The Right To Children
Boards of Canada
I expected to like this a lot. I like the genre and have heard and liked some of Boards of Canada's songs. And I've heard this is a classic of the genre.
I was disappointed. It's not bad, but.
3
Sep 22 2023
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Dirty
Sonic Youth
I like Sonic Youth, and this is a good album, but no where close to an album I should listen to before I die.
3
Sep 23 2023
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Let's Stay Together
Al Green
Al Green at his best is 5 stars. But this album is almost all 3 star songs.
3
Sep 24 2023
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Nowhere
Ride
3.5, rounding down because it doesn't belong with most 4s.
"Vapour Trail" is great. The other songs are good, but not great.
3
Sep 25 2023
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Highway 61 Revisited
Bob Dylan
5
Sep 26 2023
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Blonde On Blonde
Bob Dylan
Bob's best album that's not called Blood on the Tracks.
5
Sep 27 2023
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Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3
Sep 28 2023
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My Generation
The Who
Yes, The Who played a part in hard rock and punk (see their Live at Leeds performance, for example), but this album is mostly significant for historical purposes. And that matters some, but it doesn't carry this album far enough.
3 stars.
3
Sep 29 2023
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The Doors
The Doors
Based only on the sound, I'd give this 4 stars. That it was recorded in 1966 and was well ahead of its time, this becomes 5 stars.
5
Sep 30 2023
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The Wildest!
Louis Prima
4
Oct 01 2023
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Scott 4
Scott Walker
This is quality. It's a shame it was not more successful. Nonetheless, while it's very good, I wouldn't call it great. 3.5 stars, and while it's almost good enough to round up, I just don't feel like it belongs with most (all) of the other 4 star albums. Sorry, Scott. This is a very good album. Sorry it didn't garner more success.
3
Oct 02 2023
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Cut
The Slits
Based on a first, agnostic listen in 2023, this doesn't sound like it belongs on a list of 1001 albums to listen to before you die. But then you realize it came out in the late '70s, and how it differed from standard punk, and how it influenced future grrl bands, and you can see why it's on the list.
Even so, it doesn't belong with a lot of 4 star albums. I'd give it 3 1/2 stars if I could, but since I can't I'm rounding down.
3
Oct 03 2023
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Hunky Dory
David Bowie
Very good first half. Weak second half.
4
Oct 04 2023
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No Other
Gene Clark
Very boring really. Not bad, just not great. The most popular song on here, "No Other" is no better than a 3.5 star song.
Overall the album is probably 2.5 - 3, mainly just because it's boring. It has no place on a "must listen" list, so I'm rounding down.
2 stars.
2
Oct 05 2023
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Tubular Bells
Mike Oldfield
5
Oct 06 2023
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Time Out Of Mind
Bob Dylan
The best album of 1997. Yes, it's better than OK Computer.
5
Oct 10 2023
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Brilliant Corners
Thelonious Monk
I like the sound (4 stars), and obviously Monk has stood the test of time (70+ years), but I don't really know what the state of jazz was at the time, so it's a little hard for me to truly rate this. I have to go with the sound and then lean on others for the history.
To quote from a couple of reviews:
In his five-star review of the album, Allmusic's Lindsay Planer wrote that it "may well be considered the alpha and omega of post-World War II American jazz. No serious jazz collection should be without it." Awarding a maximum rating, The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings included the album in its suggested “core collection” of essential recordings.
5 stars.
5
Oct 11 2023
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Tank Battles
Dagmar Krause
Interesting. This is different enough that it's hard to judge. It's good enough for 3 stars with just one listen. Some music requires a little effort to fully appreciate, and this might be such a case. But I don't enjoy it enough to put in the work (which might just lead me to the conclusion that, yes, this really is just 3 stars).
3
Oct 12 2023
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Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters
Once again, we see the Britain-centric nature of this project. Eighty percent of this album's sales were in Britain. The rest of the world did not care.
It's not a bad album, but it's not great. I'd probably give it 3.5 stars, but I'll round down.
3
Oct 13 2023
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L.A. Woman
The Doors
Their best album.
"Been down so Long" >> "Love Her Madly", by the way. I love Jim's opening, growled / shouted lyrics on that song.
5
Oct 14 2023
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Transformer
Lou Reed
I like The VU, and I bought this album plus New York back in the day, but Lou's talking-singing bothers me more than it used to. Without "Walk on the Wild Side", this album would be 3 stars tops, maybe even 2. With that one song, it might could squeak into the 4 star vicinity, but it doesn't belong on par with a lot of other 4 star albums, so I'm keeping it at 3.
3
Oct 15 2023
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The Pleasure Principle
Gary Numan
A well done example of its genre.
4
Oct 16 2023
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White Ladder
David Gray
Some of this is good but not great, but the hits are great. You only need a few great songs to make a very good album. 4 stars.
4
Oct 17 2023
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With The Beatles
Beatles
If The Beatles had not written more albums, this would be considered 3 stars, maybe 3.5. If you didn't know the difference, and someone presented this album to you as from an obscure band called the The Crickets, you would not give this 4 or 5 stars. People are basing their ratings on the name and other works by The Beatles, not on the album itself.
If this were their first album, I might give it another star based on its historical importance. Or if it showed significant growth. Since neither is the case, it stays 3 stars.
3
Oct 18 2023
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Music From Big Pink
The Band
I love Bob Dylan, and The Band have provided great support. I respect The Band, but I just don't think they're all that as a solo act. 3.5 stars, rounding down.
3
Oct 25 2023
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Honky Tonk Heroes
Waylon Jennings
This one was tough to rate. It's a good album. For country, it's at least 4 stars, maybe 4.5. But, it's country. I like some country music, including this. But it's still country.
On the other hand, Waylon, and this album, very much deserve credit for helping create a genre, and it's a good genre. So the album deserves a slightly higher rating for that alone.
Looking at some lists of the top country albums of all time, this one is highly ranked. But being one of the best country albums of all time doesn't make it one of the best overall albums of all time.
I'm rounding down to three stars (it's better than that!) because of two things: one, I just don't feel that it's quite as good as a lot of other 4 star albums, and two, I doubt I'll ever listen to this again, which makes me reluctant to give it 4 stars -- if it were that great, I should want to revisit it.
3
Oct 26 2023
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Music in Exile
Songhoy Blues
4
Oct 27 2023
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My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts
Brian Eno
After the first few tracks, I initially brushed this off as "typical Eno", but oh no. Eno's done some very good stuff, but this might be my favorite (and of course, Byrne deserves much credit too).
Obviously this isn't your standard modern rock album, so listening might take a little getting used to, but I really like the sounds and the melodies.
Not only do I enjoy the music as it is (making it at least a 4 star album), but I appreciate how influential and ahead of its time it was, being released in 1981. As Richard Wright said, "[this album] knocked me sideways when I first heard it – full of drum loops, samples and soundscapes. Stuff that we really take for granted now, but which was unheard of in all but the most progressive musical circles at the time... The way the sounds were mixed in was so fresh, it was amazing."
5
Nov 01 2023
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Aqualung
Jethro Tull
It's good. On a scale of 1 to 10, it's a 7. So on here, that would be 3.5. I feel like if I'm going based on historical value and influence, I should round up because this was advanced for its time (1971). But I'm having trouble placing this with other 4 star albums.
Ultimately, I feel that I need to use both my head and (h)ear(t) and round this up, even though I don't like that sound alone enough for 4 stars.
Once you include the historical aspect, this does belong on the 1001 albums list.
4
Nov 02 2023
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Supa Dupa Fly
Missy Elliott
It's just not that special. It had two hits. And they're fairly average hits.
I suspect some of the hype for the record is that it is a little different. I appreciate that Missy isn't into the East/West thing or gangsta rap and the like. But that, in and of itself, does not make this amazing music.
I understand that the production was also innovative, but it's not enough to take a song or album from good to great, and it certainly doesn't take a 3 star album to 4 or 5.
It was a little different for its time, so props for that, but being different doesn't make it great. The hits are fairly average, and the rest of the album is actually kind of boring.
2
Nov 03 2023
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Like Water For Chocolate
Common
It's enjoyable, but it doesn't stand out. No idea why it's on this list.
3
Nov 04 2023
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xx
The xx
Very subdued, and as such, it didn't grab me at first. In fact, it's never going to *grab* me -- it's just not catchy like that, but once you accept that it's a very laid back album, it grows on you. I'd like to give this a 3.5, but obviously can't. I've never had such a hard time deciding whether to round up or down (and I see from the global reviews, of 3.5, that everyone else is on the fence as well).
Today, I'm going to round up to 4. On another day, I might round down to 3.
4
Nov 15 2023
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The Dreaming
Kate Bush
Not bad, not great. I've learned from this project that if you want a broad music exposure, you probably don't need 1,001 albums. Half (or less) would suffice. But I do think that being exposed to Kate Bush is worthwhile.
3
Nov 16 2023
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Let It Be
The Replacements
I recall walking into a record store in the late '80s and asking "Who's this?" about the band the clerk was playing throughout the store. The answer was The Replacements, and I wound up buying "Pleased to Meet Me" before leaving. I went on to buy their next two albums as well (not as good). So I like The Replacements. They were one of the better alternative bands back when alternative was actually alternative. But they're second tier. And that's not bad. But it's not 5 star material, like this album.
I actually prefer "Pleased to Meet Me", but this came first, establishing The Replacements change from their previous sound, so there's a small historical aspect to the rating, which would be true "Pleased to Meet Me" as well, but even so for this album.
By today's standards, when there's 10,000 alt/indie bands on Spotify, The Replacements don't stand out as much, but at the time, there were a very nice alternative.
4 stars. (Probably more like 3.5 really.)
4
Nov 17 2023
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Double Nickels On The Dime
Minutemen
I recall seeing fIREHOSE in the late '80s, not having heard much about the Minutemen. It's a shame I never got around to listening to the Minutemen more before now. This is really good. At first, it just struck me as typical, unpolished, two-minutes (or less) punk, but the more I listened, the more I realized this is much more than "typical". 4 stars.
4
Nov 19 2023
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Sheet Music
10cc
Yet another "British bias" album. This had practically no success outside of England and does not belong on this list. 10cc had some good songs, but the "hits" (only in England) on this album are nothing special.
2
Nov 20 2023
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Bummed
Happy Mondays
Another one that had to grow on me, but it's still not going to get over the "7 out of 10" hump, and I'm rounding down. I might revisit one or two songs on occasion. Maybe.
3
Nov 21 2023
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Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers
John Frusciante's return definitely marked a change in the Chili Peppers' sound. But songs such as "Scar Tissue", "Otherside", "Road Trippin'" and even the big hit, "Californication" all sound very similar. It reminds me of the Aerosmith record that had "Crazy", "Amazing", and "Crying" -- they basically sounded like the same song; SNL even spoofed it. The Peppers aren't quite so bad, but the songs are still slow and too similar (not that there's anything wrong with the slower sound, but when the songs sound a lot a like, the slowness just makes them even more boring).
I think it makes sense to have RHCP in the 1001 project, and I realize this was their biggest selling album, but I think Blood Sugar Sex Magick would have sufficed. I might give this 3.5 stars, but definitely no more, and maybe even less, so I'm rounding down. I don't think many people who didn't grow up with this would love it.
3
Nov 27 2023
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Pelican West
Haircut 100
This one's a little tricky. It's "just" fun pop, but there's nothing wrong with that. There's a lot of "just fun pop" from the '80s that I would give 4 stars. What makes this a little tricky is that, not being from the UK, I didn't grow up with this, so it's "just" typical 80s pop. But it's really pretty good, and it was a little ahead of its time (being recorded in 1981). I'll round up to 4 stars. Good solid 80s pop.
4
Nov 28 2023
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This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Good punk + good new wave = very good.
4 stars.
4
Nov 29 2023
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O.G. Original Gangster
Ice T
Better than most rap, but still rap. There are some rap albums I would give 5 stars to, but very few.
If I were judging this vs. other rap albums, it would get 4 stars. But against all music genres, 3.5 stars, rounding down to 3.
3
Nov 30 2023
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Screamadelica
Primal Scream
This one was sort of tough -- it's so different and hard to classify. It's not a genre your brain can easily latch on to. You can't quickly compare it to, say, other blues albums, because it's not a blues album. Nor a rock album. Nor jazz. Nor pop. And so on.
But it's good. Very. I think that's a little hard to get at first because it's quite different, but if you sit back, relax, and let it pull you in to a warm groove, it will.
I like this a lot.
4
Dec 08 2023
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Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
The Flaming Lips
Quirky, but excellent.
If I could, I would give this 4.5 stars.
5
Dec 09 2023
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Remain In Light
Talking Heads
The Talking Heads are great. At least a four star band. But I'm not sure any of their albums, individually, are four stars.
I'd put this at 7 out of 10, and I'm rounding down (and converting to a 5 point scale).
3
Jan 04 2024
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Suede
Suede
As is common, more British bias. This album was big in England. No where else.
But it's not bad. Pretty good even. If I had not heard any Brit Pop before, I might like it even more, but it's hard to know, and as is, I'd give this 3.5 stars, and I'm rounding down.
3
Jan 09 2024
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The Rising
Bruce Springsteen
I listened to Bruce a fair bit back in the day but have never gotten to around to anything he released in the 2000s. I see that I have missed out.
This is a very solid Bruce album, so that automatically makes it 4 stars. But it's not quite 5. I'm very glad to have been introduced to it, however.
4
Jan 10 2024
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S&M
Metallica
It's just Metallica songs that we already know with a symphony behind it. Yes, back in 1983, when Kill 'Em All was released, no one would have imagine Metallica playing with the San Francisco Symphony, but the novelty doesn't really add anything. The sum is less than the parts.
I would consider giving it 3 stars, but it doesn't belong on this list, so I'm going with 2. It's not bad, but it's far from great and is not an album I needed to listen to before I die.
2
Jan 11 2024
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Djam Leelii
Baaba Maal
I like this. It's very enjoyable. But it doesn't stand out as an album I need to hear before I die. 3.25 stars.
3
Jan 12 2024
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Timeless
Goldie
This a great drum and bass album. But being a drum and bass album limits it a little. It could be the greatest drum and bass album ever (and it's probably at least top 10), and it would still struggle to get 5 stars.
4 stars.
Also, as good as the title track is, 21 minutes is too long. I'm not looking for a short track, but it would be better at 12-15 minutes. It drags a little 2/3rds of the way in.
4
Jan 14 2024
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No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live)
Motörhead
I've never listened to much Motorhead outside of "The Ace of Spades", and yes it all sounds similar, but it never occurred to me that Motorhead was making this music in the mid-70s. This is arguably the birth of thrash metal, almost a decade before Metallica's first album. Good live version of Motorhead's material.
4
Jan 15 2024
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Floodland
Sisters Of Mercy
Too much of this sounds like someone in the '80s wanted to modernize Russian military music and make it appeal to the masses, so they threw in a synthesizer and a drum machine.
2
Jan 19 2024
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Stand!
Sly & The Family Stone
Soul/funk doesn't get much better, but I think I'm going to give this 4 stars. I might could go as high as 4.5, and I admit I might have some bias since this isn't in my top five genres. It might be the best soul/funk record ever, and I still might struggle to give it more than 4.5. (So rounding down to 4.)
4
Jan 20 2024
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Dirt
Alice In Chains
When this was new, I preferred Pearl Jam and Soundgarden and Nirvana. I wouldn't say Alice in Chains was an after thought, but I didn't find their songs quite as "catchy".
Thirty years later, "catchy" is overrated. Of the big four grunge bands, I would now list Alice in Chains first, and this, in my opinion, is their best album other than "Jar of Flies".
Also, great opening.
If I could rate this on a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it a 9 (so 4.5 stars). I'm rounding up. 5 stars.
5
Jan 21 2024
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3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of...
Arrested Development
Mr. Wendell and Tennessee are great. And there are other good songs. But not enough to get this past the 3.5 star hump that is dividing line between good and great. I hate to round down, but I don't feel like this quite belongs with the 4 stars on here. (If I could, I'd give it a 3.75, lol).
3
Jan 22 2024
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Brown Sugar
D'Angelo
This is not my genre, but I can recognize the quality.
I like some neosoul to listen to it repeatedly. This isn't quite there -- it's got a little too much melisma for me, but it's still good. (Why turn cartwheels to get from point A to B, when walking would have been just fine?)
4 stars.
4
Jan 23 2024
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Different Class
Pulp
I am tired of the British bias of this project. Wow, this album was a big hit in England. And Scotland. And no where else. If it's so great, why didn't it catch on else where?
In the future, it's tempting to check the charts before listening, and if I see that the album was only big in England, I should just go ahead and give an automatic 3 stars. Max!
This one gets 2 for being so mediocre. In the real world, on a scale of 1-10, I might give this 6. Maybe. But I also might just do 5. It's fine, but it's just nothing special, and it irks me that it's on this list, so I'm going with 5 (out of 10), converting to a 5 star scale, and rounding down.
2
Jan 24 2024
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Antichrist Superstar
Marilyn Manson
I'm on the fence. It's a very good industrial metal album. But then again, it's industrial. That's not as bad as saying "This is the best polka album ever made", but it's a knock. The genre doesn't lend itself to making truly classic albums. There's a lot of quality here, and I briefly considered 4 stars, but... it's industrial.
(I try to judge albums based on their quality and historical context, not just whether *I* liked it, but I stand by my comment that "industrial" is a knock on the album.)
3 stars.
3
Jan 25 2024
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Electric Prunes
The Electric Prunes
It's nice music. I'd be happy if I could make music like this. But it doesn't belong on the 1001 list.
2 stars. (Really more like 2.5 -- very average, but it doesn't belong on this list...or maybe the list needs to be shorter.)
2
Jan 26 2024
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The Joshua Tree
U2
I'm not sure why U2 hasn't aged quite as well as some other bands (not that they have aged poorly, just not as well -- the mandatory, free album on Apple devices probably didn't help), but for a long time after this album came out, I considered it the greatest album released since 1987.
Too much time has passed, and U2's music has aged a little, but this is still one of the greatest albums ever released, and the opening three songs are as strong as any "three song run" on any album. (If there's any knock on the album, it's that those three songs are hands down the best, and the rest of the album is only decent, though the next three songs are still pretty good, so there's that.)
I also love Daniel Lanois's production. He does a top notch job for several other artists as well (Dylan's Oh Mercy & Out of Time, Peter Gabriel's So, and others).
Easy 5 stars.
5
Jan 27 2024
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Rumours
Fleetwood Mac
Actually not my favorite Fleetwood Mac album (that goes to the previous, self-titled album), but still an easy 5 stars.
5
Jan 28 2024
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Unknown Pleasures
Joy Division
I like it, but I'm not sure why it gets so much love. I believe the emperor has new clothes.
3
Jan 30 2024
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Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
One classic song, two that are very good, and overall very solid. 4 stars.
4
Jan 31 2024
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Get Rich Or Die Tryin'
50 Cent
It's a good rap album. I'd give it a 7 out of 10 (so 3.5), and I'm rounding down.
(I get that this was very popular, but so was Ace of Bass. Plus, it's in a genre where the typical listener isn't going to be listening to much from other genres, so you get a lot of "clustering" when an album that's above average comes out.)
3
Feb 01 2024
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Here Come The Warm Jets
Brian Eno
I suppose it's worth listening to the debut album by someone as influential as Brian Eno, though it's not like he hadn't released music before (as part of Roxy Music.)
As an album, independent of any historical value, it's good but not great. I would give it 5 out of 10, so 2.5 stars, and I'm going to round down. Sorry, Brian.
2 stars
2
Feb 02 2024
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Sincere
Mj Cole
Oh, it was popular on a small island state. Great! Once again, there is much British bias in this project.
It's an average dance record. Dance records tend to be subpar to begin with, so 2 stars.
2
Feb 03 2024
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Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
I read album reviews and see people talk about being "blown away", and I tend to dismiss it as exaggeration, but I recall putting this album on in my room, as a teenager, and being blown away. Wow.
5
Feb 10 2024
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Hard Again
Muddy Waters
Excellent. Classic blues.
4
Feb 11 2024
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Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus
Spirit
There are some bands that don't appeal to a lot of people because they are ahead of their time (The Velvet Underground), and there are some that probably just didn't manage to get enough exposure (maybe Echo and the Bunnymen) and others that just aren't polished enough to appeal to the masses (Wire). And then there are those that just address a niche and that's that. This band strikes me as the latter. Talented group, and what they're trying to do is interesting, but ultimately I don't think it's good enough.
2 stars.
2
Feb 12 2024
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Something Else By The Kinks
The Kinks
It's a bit cutesy, but I really dig it. I heard it referred to as baroque pop, and I can definitely see that (the use of a harpsichord just reinforces that.)
On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd probably give it 7 1/2. I'll round up and convert to 4 stars. That's a little generous -- I don't think it's quite as good as most 4 star albums, but it's definitely better than most of the 3 star albums on here.
Fun album.
4
Feb 13 2024
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Pretzel Logic
Steely Dan
I love some prog rock (Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree are top 10 bands for me), but there's a lot I don't love either (Rush, King Crimson, Yes, and many more). I don't get the love for Steely Dan. Their music isn't bad, but it reminds me a little too much of a cross between prog rock and lounge music if it were done by a rock band. It's got a vibe I can enjoy, but there's no song that I'm going to listen to and say "This is great!" Too "lounge music" for me.
2
Feb 15 2024
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L'Eau Rouge
The Young Gods
Not bad. When I saw that it was industrial rock, I wasn't expecting a lot, and the first song didn't grab me. But the second song is very likeable and got me primed for the rest of the album. I enjoyed it. I don't expect to ever listen again though. Not that it's bad; just not great.
3 stars.
3
Feb 16 2024
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Back to Mystery City
Hanoi Rocks
Decent for a "big hair" band. But that entire genre is mediocre at best. While bands like Bon Jovi and Whitesnake were on the radio, you had bands like R.E.M., U2 (for a while), and The Cure relegated to college radio stations. This genre is lame. It produced a few fun songs, but a lot of the time that was when it strayed from the genre (for example, Motley Crue's first album is much more just pure hard rock, and it's their best).
2 stars.
2
Feb 17 2024
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Brothers
The Black Keys
Some times a band can jam on a groove that isn't all that catchy, yet it works. Other times, it's just a "not catchy" groove, and it very much doesn't pull you in. It's a thin line between the two, and The Black Keys walk on that line very well, rarely straying to either side. And while that's not bad, it's not all that good either. I reminds me of the letter to the seventh church in the Book of Revelation. God wound up spitting the church out because it was lukewarm, neither hot nor cold. This album is like that. It's not bad, but it's just not great either. I like the sound fine, but there are so, so many better albums.
3
Feb 20 2024
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Rapture
Anita Baker
Anita is talented, but the production of this album doesn't help. For example, "Caught Up in the Rapture" has too much cheesy synth and drum machine. I understand that Anita's voice is the main instrument, but her supporting cast sounds like the weak part of '80s pop/R&B. Plus, this is just too much modern R&B, where the desire to wow with loud vocals and melisma (which I like to call warbling).
The reviews at the time were so-so, and I think some of the retrospective reviews rely too much on the popularity of the album vs. it's actual merit. I think this probably deserves 2 stars but given it's history in R&B and Anita's talent, I'll bump it up to a 3.
3
Feb 23 2024
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Superfuzz Bigmuff
Mudhoney
Not only is this very good, it came out in 1988? I'm impressed. I had heard of Mudhoney but never listened to them or looked at their timeline and history. Very cutting edge for the time.
4
Feb 24 2024
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The White Album
Beatles
Upon hearing Sgt. Pepper's for the first time, Bob Dylan is reported to have said, "Oh, I get it. You don’t want to be cute anymore." That transition started with Sgt. Pepper's (and maybe even a little before that), but it really takes force on this album.
5
Feb 25 2024
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Calenture
The Triffids
Upon hearing Sgt. Pepper's for the first time, Bob Dylan is reported to have said, "Oh, I get it. You don’t want to be cute anymore." That transition started with Sgt. Pepper's (and maybe even a little before that), but it really takes force on this album.
5
Feb 26 2024
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A Wizard, A True Star
Todd Rundgren
I like the Spotify description of Todd. It says something to the effect that he straddles the line between pop sensibility and introspective rock (probably not really close to what Spotify said, but I think it's accurate). This is enjoyable, yet not mainstream, yet not that far from mainstream pop/rock of the time. It's different, but enjoyable. Slightly above a 7 out of 10, so I'm rounding up.
4
Feb 27 2024
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Ten
Pearl Jam
It's not my favorite Pearl Jam album, but it's their most consistent and the one with the broadest appeal. A classic.
5
Feb 28 2024
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Hot Shots II
The Beta Band
It's one of the many "7 out of 10" albums on here. Good. Better than average, but not great. So it winds up at 3 stars.
3
Feb 29 2024
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Veckatimest
Grizzly Bear
I like it, but it doesn't grab me. At best it's a 7 out of 10, maybe even just a 6, so 3 stars.
3
Mar 01 2024
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Ocean Rain
Echo And The Bunnymen
This band should have been much bigger. The year this came out, "Footloose" was the #4 song on the Billboard Year-End top 100 list. "Let's Hear It for the Boy" wasn't too far behind, along with "Self Control" (Laura Branigan) and "I Just Called to Say I Love You" (Stevie Wonder is awesome, but that song is not).
Alternative rock was still very alternative and not easy to find. R.E.M. was still on IRS records, U2 was just beginning to get attention, and The Cure had yet to release Head on the Door. Juxtaposed against additional albums that followed in its footsteps, this may not stand out, but at the time, Echo and the Bunnymen were one of the best alternative bands in existence, and this album should be listened to in the context of its time.
This is an excellent, overlooked (at the time) album and band.
4 stars
4
Mar 02 2024
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Electric Warrior
T. Rex
I went in really only knowing "Get It On", which strikes me as a classic "white guy" rock song. Not bad, but I wasn't expecting much. This was better than I expected... yet it's still just one of those "7 out of 10" albums, of which there are many, so I'm rounding down to 3 stars. I liked it more than expected though, so at least there's that. But I will never go out of my way to listen to it again.
3
Mar 03 2024
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Guitar Town
Steve Earle
I'm a little fence on this one. I don't think it quite ranks with some of the other 4 stars, but it's a better than most of the 3 stars. Given the genre that it's in and that it's far more genuine than most of the country music of the time, I'll round up.
4
Mar 04 2024
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Dance Mania
Tito Puente
I have little idea how to rate this. It's not bad, so I'll give it 3 stars, but I have no idea how it compared to the music of the time that was available to the target audience. I enjoy the sound, but the songs largely sound the same, and I suspect I could find a number of other songs like them. Good, but unless it was far ahead of its time, not great. 3 stars.
3
Mar 05 2024
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Reggatta De Blanc
The Police
Good but not great. The hits are great, but there's really only two. There's too much filler to be grouped with a lot of the 4 star albums. (Though to be fair, it's better than a lot of the 3 star albums.) Some of The Police's later material would be 4 stars, but not this particular album.
3
Mar 06 2024
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Paul's Boutique
Beastie Boys
I would probably give this 4 1/2 if I could. Rounding up.
5
Mar 07 2024
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Bone Machine
Tom Waits
No, Tom's voice isn't pretty, but it works okay, and he's a good singer. If his voice was what people considered traditionally pretty, some (most? all?) of these songs wouldn't work as well.
I feel like this is one of many 3.5 star albums, but Tom is a 4 star artist, and this is one of his best albums, so I'll round up.
4
Mar 10 2024
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Konnichiwa
Skepta
It's better than a lot of hip-hop out there. But I still can't put it at a 4. I see that as is often the case, this project has a British bias -- not that it includes a lot of British artists (that's deserved), but that artists that were big in Britain and nowhere else show up on this list a lot. This is one of those. Skepta had some success outside of Britain, but it was mostly there. Good, but not great.
3
Mar 11 2024
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Teen Dream
Beach House
I like Beach House, but I don't get how they have put out anything I need to hear before I die.
3
Mar 12 2024
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Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
Possibly the best post-rock album ever made. (Don't knock the album just because you don't care for the genre.)
5 stars.
[Note: if you haven't seen the video for Svefn-g-englar, check it out. One of my favorite videos.]
5
Mar 13 2024
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Tigermilk
Belle & Sebastian
Like many albums here, this doesn't get across the "7 out of 10" hump. It's got fun, catchy songs, and once upon a time, I actually sat down and listened to this album from beginning to end just because I enjoyed it, but even so, it's just good, not great.
(This album also suffers some from "first half syndrome" -- the first three songs are the best. I wouldn't quite call the rest of the album filler, but it's weaker.)
3
Mar 16 2024
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Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
Damn good album, arguably deserving 5 stars, but I'm going to give it 4.5 and round down to 4. Here's why. Call it petty and lame if you will :)
This is the pinnacle of redneck rock. The people that loved this album the most are the same ones that thought Poison was great hard rock (it was not). These people drove big trucks, thought wrestling was the pinnacle of sport, that camouflage print was the pinnacle of fashion, and that mullets were the pinnacle of hair styles. All while ignoring that a band like The Cult had already put out multiple albums far better than what any big hair band had done.
(Side note: when Nirvana came along and shut the door on big hair music, Nirvana was offered the chance to tour with GnR and said, "No, thanks; not interested.")
This album, out of context, is very good and arguably deserves 5 stars, but given some of the baggage, I'm giving it 4.5 stars and rounding down.
4
Mar 17 2024
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I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
Sinead O'Connor
This is an album that's on the border between 3 and 4 stars, like so many other "7 out of 10" albums. I usually round those down -- 4 star albums should not be common -- but there's something about this one. Some of the non-hits ("Black Boys on Mopeds", "Three Babies") are just a little better than what's on some of the other "7 out of 10" albums. And the voice certainly helps. Powerful.
4 stars.
4
Mar 20 2024
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Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
QotSA are good, guitar oriented hard rock, and I feel like the music landscape is missing that. But this isn't going to be in my top 25 albums in that genre. When I've looking for good hard rock, QotSA aren't going to come to mind first, second, third, etc.
Another "7 out of 10" album, and I'm rounding down. It's quite enjoyable, but it doesn't belong with the typical 4 star album.
3
Mar 21 2024
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A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse
Faces
Meh. It's got two good songs, and they're not even all that.
2
Mar 28 2024
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Parachutes
Coldplay
I like Coldplay. I think they get some grief because they are popular, and it's not hip to like the same music as the masses. So what? Elvis, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, and Prince were popular too.
Even though I like Coldplay, I had never listened to this album and went in expecting it to be yet another "7 out of 10" album, of which there are so many. In particular, I was expecting to be slightly annoyed at how whiny "Yellow" is. But I enjoyed "Yellow" and the entire album more than I expected.
4 stars.
4
Mar 29 2024
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Arise
Sepultura
This is very good for quasi-death metal. But the key part of that sentence is "death metal". I have gone to see Opeth live, so I can appreciate the quality and talent regardless of the genre, but at the same time, genre does matter. Comparing the best kids album of all time to the best rock album of all time is not a fair contest. One genre is simply better than the other.
So yes, this is good, and it expands on the genre by using Latin influences and such. But that's sort of like saying, "Look, I painted this Ford Pinto with a gorgeous cherry metallic paint, added pin stripes, and a spoiler!" Sure, but it's still a Pinto. This is still death metal.
3
Apr 02 2024
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Beggars Banquet
The Rolling Stones
I've been listening to The Rolling Stones for 40 years. I liked them, but never loved them... until this year. Go figure. Somehow, this is the album that did it for me. I recall reading a review written by a Vietnam MD, and then I listened, and it clicked. good album. But not epic.
5
Apr 03 2024
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Suicide
Suicide
Meh. So what if this influenced a lot of mediocre synth pop bands?
2
Apr 04 2024
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From Elvis In Memphis
Elvis Presley
I was going to give this three stars -- it's nothing special, but it has some hits. But this is just so mostly boring. Elvis has some great slow songs, but if that's all he had, he wouldn't be even a quarter as popular or influential. And that's mostly what this album is. 2 stars.
2
Apr 05 2024
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Live At Leeds
The Who
Once upon a time I would have said this is one of the greatest live album ever. But I haven't listened in a few years. Listening again, I'm giving this four stars. It's still very good, but ultimately, The Who are a very good, but not truly great band. I've bought some of their albums. I've even been to a concert. Who's Next is amazing, but this is before that, and the rest of their albums are simply good, not great. The energy and raw power of this performance is very good, however, and the songs are still good, so 4 stars.
4
Apr 06 2024
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Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
Ray Charles
It's very good for it's genre. I debated giving this 4 stars, but ultimately, too many of the songs have the same sound. This is very close to 4 stars though.
3
Apr 10 2024
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Fire Of Love
The Gun Club
Musically, I would give this three stars. But then I ask myself, why is this album on a list of albums I should listen to? I think part of that is the history and the influence. On first, listen, I was not impressed, but then I read about how it influenced punk blues, and it clicked a little. This is like Jon Spencer, but a decade earlier. So... I'll bump it up a little to 3 1/2 stars. But then I have to round, and I'm going to round down, so ultimately I'm back where I started. But this is "better" than a lot of the other 3 stars on here given its influence.
3
Apr 11 2024
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Hounds Of Love
Kate Bush
More British bias. This album was #1 in Britain but barely cracked the top 40 in the US.
I recall when this came out, it was "alternative" (in that it didn't really get airplay in the US because it wasn't the current sound). I didn't really like much of what was on the radio, and I knew a friend who was listening to this, so I was interested. After listening, I thought, "It's good, but not great", and that's still what I think.
3 stars.
3
Apr 12 2024
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Go Girl Crazy
The Dictators
Looking at some of the other reviews, I see one talking about how dumb the album cover is and others talking about how the songs are dumb.
That's the point! As another reviewer said, it's just good dumb fun. Don't take it so serious. When the Ramones sing "Beat on the brat with a baseball bat", do you take that literally? Lighten up and just enjoy the stupidity. You don't actually think the guy on the cover is trying to be taken seriously, do you?! It's the same with the songs -- they're just fun. Relax and enjoy.
(Another reviewer said this was a poor version of Kiss. I actually think it's the other way around.)
Musically, I would probably just give this 3 stars, but given its influence and how many people seem to misunderstand the music, I'm actually rounding up to 4.
4
Apr 13 2024
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Grace
Jeff Buckley
I recall the first time I heard about this album and being excited to listen, and when I did... eh, I would have given it 3 stars maybe. As time has passed though, the album grew on me. Prior to this appearing on the 1001 Album list, I would have given this 4 stars, which is what I expected when I pulled it up for a listen. But wow, this is 5 star material. As Brad Pitt said about the album, "It just... it's under my skin."
Interesting side note for those who didn't read the full Wikipedia article. Bob Dylan named Buckley "one of the great songwriters of the decade", and David Bowie considered Grace to be the best album ever made. Those two guys know a thing or two about music :)
5 stars.
5
Apr 17 2024
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Signing Off
UB40
It's good, but it's not great. I can't put this in the same category of most 4 star albums.
3 stars
3
Apr 23 2024
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Rocks
Aerosmith
I'm on the fence with this one. It's very much "white boy rock", but it's very good "white boy rock".
Aerosmith has put out some garbage, but this is good stuff.
I'd give this about 7 1/2 on a scale of 1 to 10, just barely about the bottleneck of so many "7 out of 10" albums that are good but not great. So, converting to a 1 to 5 scale, it gets 3.75 stars, and I round up.
4
Apr 24 2024
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S.F. Sorrow
The Pretty Things
This album has a lot going for it. It's a little ahead of its time and as such I'll round up from 3.5 to 4. Musically, though I would only give it 3 stars, but given that it's musically ahead of its time and that it was one of (if not *the*) first rock opera, I would give this 3.5 stars. Since I can't give 1/2 stars, I have to choose how to round. I feel like part of the 1001 project is to not only present great albums but also to present influential albums or albums that have some historical interest. This fits that, so I'm rounding up from 3.5 to 4 stars, even though in a vacuum, I would give this 3 stars.
4
Apr 25 2024
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Live And Dangerous
Thin Lizzy
This is the epitome of white boy rock. It's not bad, and for the record, I'm a "white boy", but it's not great.
3 stars
3
Apr 26 2024
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#1 Record
Big Star
On first listen, I didn't think much. 6 out of 10 tops. Maybe 4 or 5. But on second listen, well, it's still not going to make it past the "7 out of 10" hump where so many good, but not great albums wind up, but "The Ballad of El Goodo" and "Thirteen", in particular, are quite good.
It's good, not great, and given the awful initial sales (10,000 copies), it clearly wasn't terribly influential (though I suppose there are some exceptions to cases like that, e.g., the infamous Velvet Underground -- not popular, but very influential. Big Star is no VU.)
I know it's random, but I got this recommendation right after a Thin Lizzy recommendation. These both have too much "white boy rock" (e.g., "Dont Lie to Me") for my tastes (and I'm a "white boy".)
3 stars
3
May 01 2024
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Fifth Dimension
The Byrds
I expected more. They've got some good stuff, but most of it isn't here. And to be fair, most of their good stuff is just covers of Bob Dylan. Without the Bob Dylan covers, I doubt many people (in 2024) would have heard much of this band.
This is so average, I'm giving it 2 stars. On a scale of 1 to 10, it might warrant a 5, but after conversion to a 5 point scale, I'm rounding down because this is just not remotely significant.
2
May 02 2024
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Station To Station
David Bowie
I don't get it. I like Ziggy a lot, but in general, I just don't get Bowie. Obviously, much of music is subjective, so all I can say is that I find this album boring. I wish I could see the genius that others do, but I don't. I'm not saying it's not there, but I just don't hear it.
2
May 08 2024
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Lam Toro
Baaba Maal
It's good. I like Baaba Maal, and with this being his first solo work, it's more significant in his discography. But even so, it's still just 3 stars. I won't feel the need to revisit this. It was good to hear once, but I'm content with once.
3
May 13 2024
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Odessa
Bee Gees
Wow. I knew the Bee Gees had "another side", but this was even more different than I expected. And there's some quality stuff on here. Especially the stuff that isn't trying too hard to be artsy, rock opera / ballads.
I'm glad I listened to this. But even so, it's not an "8 out of 10", which is largely would it would take to give this 4 stars. But it's good enough for 3.
3
May 14 2024
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Moondance
Van Morrison
From Wikipedia: "Among the most acclaimed records in history, Moondance frequently ranks in professional listings of the greatest albums [of all time]."
Yes. Very much yes. This is one of the greatest albums ever made. If I were to limit myself to just 10 albums to take to a desert island where I could never listen to anything else, this would probably make the list.
5
May 15 2024
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Off The Wall
Michael Jackson
Excellent move by Michael, switching from Motown to Epic and working with Quincy Jones. This is a fun album to listen to. But outside of the hits, while the songs are still good, and better than a lot of "filler songs" on other albums, I still can't put this at 5 stars. But great album, even so.
4
May 17 2024
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Back In Black
AC/DC
While this album drops off a lot after the top two songs, "Back in Black" might just be the greatest rock song of all time. It's got 1.5 billion streams on Spotify. And the rest of the album is still good.
5 stars.
5
Jun 26 2024
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Live At The Harlem Square Club
Sam Cooke
Amazing live album, amazing soul.
But this music has aged a little. So how do I judge this? Based on music today or music at the time? Comparing this to music 50 years later is like looking at Newton's accomplishments and saying, "Meh, that's old school." Newton was one of the most revolutionary figures ever. So I will judge this by the standard of the time.
5 stars.
5
Jun 29 2024
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Diamond Life
Sade
Sooooo sultry. Sade's voice is so warm and enticing. This is great. But not perfect. After the first two songs, the rest mostly blur together. But there's not much out there like this. It's sultry without being cheesy lite jazz (fine line).
4 stars. (And Sade has better albums. Great debut though.)
4
Jun 30 2024
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Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
I wouldn't put this in my top three Black Sabbath albums, and on it's own, I'd give it 3 and 1/2 stars and round down. But given it's historical significance and place in time, I'll round up.
4
Jul 02 2024
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2112
Rush
Two of my favorite bands of all time are prog rock bands (Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree). There is almost no one I have listened to more than those two, but if I never heard Rush again, I wouldn't be disappointed. Most prog rock is meh. I don't know how to express it, but it feels too white -- and I'm a white guy. Most prog rock is lacking something, and Rush is no different.
It's like if you gave Barry Manilow a hard edge and then told him to write ten minute songs with great drumming and bass. Too white.
Another good example would be Steve Vai or Yngwie Malmsteen. Both have amazing technical skills, on par with Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield, but Steve and Yngwie are lacking something. Rush is like that too. It doesn't matter that Geddy Lee and Neil Peart are great musicians if the music is lacking.
One of my friends who is a big Rush fan also thinks Creed is great rock. That proves my point. White boy music that is ultimately lacking.
3 stars.
3
Jul 03 2024
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Blood On The Tracks
Bob Dylan
The best album by the best artist in the last 60 years.
I especially like "Shelter from the Storm". Dylan was feeling very overwhelmed around the time he met Sara, his first wife, and she was not part of the hectic music world. She was his refuge. "Try imagining a place where it's always safe and warm / 'Come in', she said, 'I'll give you shelter from the storm.'" That was part of what Sara provided to Bob.
My favorite line from that song is: "Well, the deputy rides on hard nails / And the preacher rides a mount / Nothing really matters much / It's doom alone that counts / And the one-eyed undertaker, he blows a futile horn / 'Come in', she said, 'I'll give you shelter from the storm.'"
It's not the meaning of the line so much as the imagery. I picture a bleak landscape with an overcast sky and a storm on the way with worn out men riding gray mounts. And then, there's a one-eyed undertaker. It paints a picture. And Sara was there to give shelter. Awesome lyrics. But of course, you would expect no less from Mr. Dylan.
5
Jul 04 2024
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More Specials
The Specials
The British bias of the book continues.
This was popular in the UK. Not much elsewhere.
The music isn't bad, but I wouldn't give it about 3.5, and as is often the case, I don't believe it belongs with the typical 4 star album, so I'm rounding down.
3
Jul 05 2024
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Since I Left You
The Avalanches
Wow. I had never heard of The Avalanches, but this is really good. Of course, you have to appreciate EDM, and I used to look down on "dance music", but just because it's got a good beat and is fun to dance to doesn't mean it can't be good music (the problem is that most dance music is pretty lame, so it's easy to stereotype it all.)
I expect to revisit some of these songs. 4 stars.
4
Jul 06 2024
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Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
When I saw this recommended, I thought, "Yeah, okay, sure, classic album with historical significance, I guess I'll re-listen."
But wow! I haven't listened to this album in probably a decade or more, but wow! When I first listened (late '80s), I thought, yeah, it's pretty good, and I understood the historical significance. And I would listen to it from time to time over the years. But wow... this is better than I recalled. The energy is awesome. But... energy isn't enough -- a lot of bands can do that. These are just great tunes as well! And *then*, after all that, you throw in the historical significance, and this is an easy 5 star album.
5
Jul 07 2024
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Who's Next
The Who
Although I have bought multiple albums by The Who and used to have a giant poster for "My Generation" in my dorm room, I'm really not a huge fan of The Who. (I mostly just thought the poster was cool.)
But wow this is a great album. Absolute magnum opus.
This is maybe the only album where I find myself listening to a song and find myself thinking, "Damn, that's some great drumming!" And then, I say the same for the bass! How often do you really notice either of those? Keith Moon and John Entwistle were elite.
Epic album from a band that's "merely very good". Hands down their best.
5
Jul 08 2024
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Lost In The Dream
The War On Drugs
After the first two songs, there's a big drop off. But: the first two songs are 5 star material, and the rest is still 3-4 star material.
I like the general vibe, sort of an ethereal rock and roll.
4
Jul 24 2024
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Vol. 4
Black Sabbath
I had listened to a little Black Sabbath other than their Paranoid album, so I knew they weren't a one-trick pony (like Guns 'n' Roses). Yet, this still surprised me -- I don't think anyone would put this in their top three Sabbath albums. Nonetheless, it's very good. It doesn't have a hard rock anthem on par with some of their best, but "Supernaut" and "Cornucopia" are very good. And it's the slower songs that actually make the album.
4 stars.
4
Aug 21 2024
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Southern Rock Opera
Drive-By Truckers
Very good Southern rock. But they have better.
4
Aug 22 2024
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Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
It's the "easy listening" version of hard rock (yes, that sounds like an oxymoron). It rocks fine, but it's also the type of thing that appeals to the least common denominator, thus the large sales. It appeals to a wide range of people. But it's not great. Not awful, but not great.
3
Aug 23 2024
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Let Love Rule
Lenny Kravitz
Good album, but not great.
Lenny reminds me a little of Earth, Wind, and Fire (but better) in that he's the type of artist that you might see in concert and have an awesome time, but then you put on an individual album and realize that most of the music is just good, not great.
I can see the inclusion in 1001 albums though -- Lenny has an enjoyable, distinct sound, fusing soul and rock. He's a nice addition to the landscape. But the particular album is simply good, not great. There are a couple of very good songs, but the album as a whole is just "7 out of 10", so rounding down to 3 stars.
3
Aug 24 2024
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Nevermind
Nirvana
I'm not sure a single song has represented a decade more than "Smells Like Teen Spirit" does for the '90s.
(For the '80s, I think you'd have to split between "Beat It", "Like a Virgin" and either "Purple Rain" or "1999").
5
Aug 25 2024
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Fear Of Music
Talking Heads
I don't get it. I like plenty of stuff that the Talking Heads perform, but after 30 years of listening to this album, I don't get it. The style is a bit unique, and the songs aren't bad, yet I don't consider it anything special. In fact, I find it so middle of the road, I'd give it 5 out of 10, and I'm going to round down to 2 stars.
2
Aug 26 2024
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Will The Circle Be Unbroken
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
I grew up in the south and my dad played in a local bluegrass band, but nonetheless, I'm never going to love old timey country music. I try to keep my musical tastes out of my ratings, but I just don't like this enough to give it 5 stars. Good songs, great musicians, and musical influence, but I can't do it. 4 stars.
4
Aug 27 2024
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Live!
Fela Kuti
Fun album.
4
Aug 28 2024
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Paul Simon
Paul Simon
I think Paul Simon is a treasure, and this is a very good album, but I'm not sure how to rate it. As much as I love Paul, I want to give it 4 stars, but it's really only got a couple of great songs. I wouldn't call the rest filler -- it's still solid, but is it enough?
Since I love Paul, I'll give it 4 stars, but I think it's borderline.
4
Aug 29 2024
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Post Orgasmic Chill
Skunk Anansie
I'm not sure how this album made it on the list. I'm guessing the author of 1001 is a big fan. Plus it looks like yet another album showing the author's British bias -- even in England, this didn't make much of a splash, and outside of England, it made even less.
The album isn't bad, but it doesn't belong here.
2
Aug 31 2024
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In Rainbows
Radiohead
I appreciate that Radiohead is different and pushes boundaries. And I like this. But I don't love it. Good, but not great.
7 out of 10, rounding down to 3.
I love "House of Cards" though.
3
Sep 02 2024
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Sound Affects
The Jam
Another instance of British bias (they were far more popular in the UK than anywhere else), but for once, I don't mind. I think this is an overlooked band. It happens.
Fun album that fits with a lot of the "fun '80s pop" that was soon to follow. Not sure it's quite 4 stars, but given how it would have sounded in 1980, when it came out, I'll round up.
4
Sep 04 2024
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Permission to Land
The Darkness
A little cheesy, and I dislike the singer's falsetto, but it's still a fun album if you don't take it too seriously.
3
Sep 06 2024
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Heroes
David Bowie
I wish I got Bowie. I know he is adored by many, and I like his hits. And all of Ziggy Stardust. But in general, I find him mediocre. Here were are with his 12th studio album, and he hasn't had a lot of hits by this point. This album has one. That's all. I get that it's not all about popularity, but typically high quality work (of the type that Bowie fans think he produces) receives more commercial acclaim than what Bowie has gotten.
For the record, I think I actually like the second, more experimental, half.
If I were rating this solely on my opinion, it would probably get 2 stars, but people whose music taste I like adore Bowie, so I reckon I'm missing something, and I'll rate it based partially on how much I think it needs to be on the 1001 list. Given that, it moves up to 3 stars.
3
Sep 10 2024
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More Songs About Buildings And Food
Talking Heads
I like this album a good bit more than their next album, Fear of Music. I've listened to Fear of Music on and off for 30 years now, and I don't get it. But even though this is better, it's not going to get over the "7 out of 10" hump, and as usual, I'm rounding down.
Talking Heads are an artist (like many others) who have a lot of great songs, but I don't know that they have a truly great album.(Maybe I'm overlooking one.)
3
Sep 11 2024
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Little Earthquakes
Tori Amos
Excellent music. I recall my introduction to Tori: I was still a teenager, and I had a local music station on, very, very faint, and Tori's version of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was playing, and it was so strange -- I kept thinking "Wait, what? Am I imagining things? Sounds like Nirvana", but the volume was so faint it was almost like I was being haunted. I finally figured it out, turned up the volume, and enjoyed the song very much.
A very similar, but actually more intense experience happened with Tori's cover of Led Zeppelin's "Thank You", but that's more personal and another story.
Anyway, Tori is very good, and I like her, but... (I'm going to give this album 4 stars, easy) but her music tends to be emotionally intense. This is not pop music. This isn't something you put on to relax or feel peppy. I like her, and appreciate her, but it's also a bit of a knock. It's like saying "No one captures my mood better when I'm down." That's impressive, yet I am hoping to not be down a lot.
4
Sep 12 2024
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OK
Talvin Singh
Pretty average EDM, in my opinion. It's got an international flavor, but so what?
3
Sep 14 2024
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Fulfillingness' First Finale
Stevie Wonder
Excellent album. I'm not sure it's aged well though. The cheesy keyboards were probably amazing in 1974, but not so much now. If I were reviewing this in the '70s or even '80s, I might give it 5 stars, but... I hate to hold a trend or "fashion" against an album, but if yodeling was really popular for a few years, it's simply not going to age well, and I can't ignore it.
A decent example is the last song, "Please Don't Go". It's a good song, but the "bass keyboard" hasn't aged well. Ever since the '70s, that line would have just been played on a bass guitar. It doesn't change that it's a good song, but production and implementation does matter.
Still, 4 stars.
4
Sep 15 2024
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Surrealistic Pillow
Jefferson Airplane
Good album. Not just the two big hits. And it was a bit ahead of its time.
4
Sep 16 2024
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The La's
The La's
Another good, but not great album. Mostly forgettable.
3
Sep 17 2024
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If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears
The Mamas & The Papas
One great song, one very good song, and the rest... simply good with a lot of covers. 7 out of 10, rounding down.
3
Sep 18 2024
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Tellin’ Stories
The Charlatans
Not bad, but not great. Decent pop rock. NOT an album I needed to hear before I die.
3 stars.
3
Sep 19 2024
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Da Capo
Love
It's good, but no, it's not Forever Changes (the band's classic album). And it's not just the lack of a Side 2 with multiple songs. Side 1 just isn't as good as Forever Changes.
I enjoyed this, yet I don't know that I'll ever listen to it again, so hard to give it above a 3.
3
Sep 20 2024
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Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
Wow. 5 stars. I heard the singles on the radio back in the '80s, and while I liked the songs, I also thought of them as "just more hits" and lumped them in with the likes of Janet Jackson and The Human League.
Listening to this more closely 40 years later: Wow! This is an excellent album.
5
Sep 21 2024
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Pretenders
Pretenders
If you're going to make a list of 1001 albums, I think it's okay to put this on the list. The problem is that 1001 is too much. This is a good but not great album. It, like so many other "good but not great" albums, can't get over the 7 out of 10 hump. The main reason this would make the list of 1001 and not some of the oh-so-many other "7 out of 10s" is that 1) it's a debut album from 2) a band that had decent success in its time.
Still, 7 out of 10, rounding down.
3
Sep 23 2024
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Sister
Sonic Youth
Not their best or even 2nd best. It's decent. Interesting to look at the number of plays on Spotify -- almost every song has fewer plays than the previous. It's a decent album, but not good enough to stop people from starting it and then slowly dropping out while listening.
3
Sep 26 2024
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The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden
For some reason, I never liked the vocal on this. Listening to it again, I have no idea why. This is very good hard rock.
4
Sep 27 2024
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Goo
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth make some great music... and then, they get too noisy in some of their songs. The song will be going great, and then (I exaggerate a little, but not tons), there will be one minute of reverb. So as good as the music is, I found myself on the fence between 3 and 4 stars.
At their best, they're really good though, so I'll round up.
4 stars.
4
Sep 28 2024
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The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
David Bowie
A non-trivial number of people think David Bowie is a genius. I do not. But this album is.
5 stars.
5
Sep 29 2024
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Funeral
Arcade Fire
I like Arcade Fire a lot. Might be in my top 10 bands of the 2000s, but while this album is very good (4 stars), it's not great. Two very good songs, and the rest are simply good, but "the rest are simply good" doesn't typically make a 5 star album (though there are exceptions, e.g., Back in Black).
4
Sep 30 2024
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Make Yourself
Incubus
What to say other than "Meh".
2
Oct 01 2024
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Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs
Derek & The Dominos
Epic album. I had never actually listened, but very glad I did.
Note: "Layla" is not Eric Clapton's greatest accomplishment. Not really his accomplishment at all. Duane Allman wrote the riff, and the riff makes the song.
Duane >> Eric, but still, this album is 5 stars... maybe because Duane played on all but two tracks??
5
Oct 03 2024
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The Modern Dance
Pere Ubu
It's okay. But mostly just two good (not great) songs. I suspect that this being a debut album has impacted it's rating on "Best of" lists. It's not bad, but it's not great either. 3 stars.
3
Oct 04 2024
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A Seat at the Table
Solange
I'm impressed. I don't like a lot of modern R&B (too much melisma -- singers turn cart wheels to get from point A to B, when walking would have worked just as well if not better.)
But this is very good.
4
Oct 05 2024
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Blue
Joni Mitchell
A very overrated album. I like some of Joni's work, and yes, this is an intimate album, but that doesn't make the music inherently good. As another reviewer said, this album shows too much of the side of Joni where she's not worrying about song structure or whether the lyrics fit the music. Sometimes the rhythm and flow feel disjointed, like she’s prioritizing raw emotion over cohesion.
Joni often forces syllables into rhythms that feel unnatural and forced. Tracks like "This Flight Tonight" or "California" are examples where the flow seems uneven, as if the lyrics and melody are at odds with one another, creating a jarring experience instead of something organically emotive.
Sure, Joni's great, and her lyrics are undeniably deep and personal, but the unconventional phrasing and odd choices in melody can come off as awkward rather than artful.
For me, Blue lacks the atmospheric cohesion and the finely tuned arrangements of The Hissing of Summer Lawns or the flowing narratives of Hejira. Those albums show Joni’s artistry at its most balanced—complex yet accessible, innovative without sacrificing listenability. On Blue, the oddities are more of a distraction than a triumph.
2
Oct 08 2024
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Power In Numbers
Jurassic 5
I remember when Jurassic 5's previous album, Quality Control, came out. I was very impressed. And pleased -- this is more like the rap I like. More like old school (Run DMC, LL Cool J) and not so much like the stuff Jay Z and most modern rappers do. I would give that album 4 stars. This one isn't as good, in my opinion. Still good, but not as good. But still, 3.5 stars, though I'm rounding down since 4 stars should be uncommon.
3
Oct 09 2024
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Phrenology
The Roots
Not sure what to say other than 1) I like it, 2) I like that it's more like '80s rap than '20s rap. But still, 7 out of 10, and I'm rounding down.
3 stars
3
Oct 12 2024
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1989
Taylor Swift
Name a better pop artist in the last 15-20 years. You can't.
Yes, her fans can be annoying. And the instrumentation on this album could be better (less drum machines and synths please), but the tunes themselves are great. They're catchy, and they're fun -- just what great pop music should be!
On a scale of 1-10, I would give this a 9, so converting to a 5-star scale, I have to choose to round up or down. I don't think this belongs with the likes of Thriller (though both albums are very good pop), so I'm rounding down.
(For the record, some of my favorite artists are Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, and The Cure, so I'm no Swiftie.)
4
Oct 13 2024
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Debut
Björk
There's a fine line when you stray from what's come before. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. Same with music that is a little "quirky". Bjork pulls it off (whereas, in my opinion, Joni Mitchell does not.)
The quirkiness works. The distinctive voice works, along with the growls. Yet, I can also see how this wouldn't click with a lot of people. Yet it clicks with me, and I appreciate the quirks and the novelty.
4
Oct 14 2024
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Ritual De Lo Habitual
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction isn't bad, and they were better than most of what was in the radio in the '80s, but that's not necessarily saying a lot.
3
Oct 15 2024
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Chirping Crickets
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
This one's hard. Not being around in 1957, it's hard to judge how significant this was. The music is very, but it's aged (not a knock). And I know it was better than most rock and roll at the time, but it's not like there wasn't Elvis, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Haley, etc.
I would give this 9 out of 10. Converting to a 5-star scale, I'm rounding down.
4
Oct 22 2024
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Group Sex
Circle Jerks
It's as good as hardcore punk gets. 4 stars.
4
Oct 23 2024
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Moss Side Story
Barry Adamson
It's a good soundtrack, but as far as soundtracks go, it doesn't stand out to me. I'd like to give it 5 out of 10, but I have to round up or down for a 5-star scale. I'm rounding down.
2
Oct 24 2024
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Close To The Edge
Yes
I'm of the opinion that people listened to Yes and King Crimson because there wasn't a lot of better prog rock at the time. Give me Pink Floyd or Porcupine Tree or Explosions in the Sky any day. (And yes, Floyd was around when this came out, but it wasn't really until '73 that they hit their full stride.)
2 stars
2
Oct 28 2024
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Smile
Brian Wilson
It's a fun album. I listened to it several times when it came out and enjoyed it, but it's not something I have come back to. So that says something.
I'd probably give it a 6 or 7 out of 10 (thus 3 stars), but imagining how good this would have been if it had come out in 1968, when it was originally planned (albeit, with some debate about how authentic this is to the original recordings), I'm going to give it an extra star.
4
Oct 29 2024
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The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
"Dylan was a revolutionary – the way that Elvis freed your body, Bob freed your mind." -- Bruce Springsteen
And this is really where it began.
In 2002, Freewheelin' was one of the first 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry...so of course, there will be plenty of 1 star reviews on here telling us how bad Bob sings (which isn't even close to true -- his voice may not be pretty, but that's not the same things as being a bad singer; the fact that some people don't realize that tells you a lot about their opinion.)
5