1001 Albums Summary

Nina sings with a very airy, vibrato effect. Her voice is raspy, and delightful to listen to. Her songs are centered around romance and elicit some feelings of longing and affection. The music is simple and stripped back, with accompanying keys, horns, and soft drums brushing. It starts off with some tempo, but ultimately resolves to softer and less ensembles tracks that feature her unique singing style. The audio specifically is lower fidelity, but not enough to distract from the passion of the music. No songs in particular stood out to me, but if I had to name a few that I enjoyed more than the others: I love your lovin ways, Lilac Wine, Break down and let it all out.

2 track, jam album. This is the kind of stuff you want playing when you walk into a dimly lit bar for cocktails. It doesn’t command your attention, but it does make you happy that you have ears. As the first track suggests, “Shhh / Peaceful” the music is just casual trumpet blows with some spacey keys and jazzy drums, great as far as background music goes. “in a silent way” is a little more swingin than the previous track, and has a little electric guitar riff or 2, but is very much the same laid back jazziness. Overall, just a fun, simple little Jam session.

Oddly enough, I had never listened to this complete album. This is wild to imagine given that the 90s rock era is what I grew up on, and I’ve heard half of these songs more time than I care to guess on the radio. The latter perhaps being the primary reason I have not gone from start to finish. That being said, I would give this album 5 stars just because of the nostalgia bump. Thinking of the album critically and neglecting the subjective tidal wave is nearly impossible, so I’ll just give my opinion at face value. Starting with the hits: Longview, Basket Case, and When I come around have always been songs to turn up when the local radio station spins. Welcome to Paradise is less of a favorite, but still great, throw She into that category as well. The rest of the album definitely doesn’t stray from this tried and true pop-punk formula so as a generalization, the power chords and infectious choruses are what make Green Day shine. I won’t say this is a complete album that must be listened to from start to finish, but the presence of the flagship songs is enough for me to recommend this album to anyone. Sassafras Roots, and in the End are honorable mentions.

It’s wild, fun, electric, and just plain interesting music. Some songs are better than others, but this album deserves a listen in its entirety.

Very fun and electric UK punk. Many great songs and a common tempo throughout. Will listen more often!

Ahh. The original teen-angst music. As someone who went through the phase hard in the 00’s, I can hear many stylings that have probably been used countless times, by any number of soul-searching emo and pop-punk bands. I can definitely hear the influence in Blink 182s music from how Tom and Robert both sing. As to how this music speaks to me personally, I can’t deny it’s a solid album. However, it tends to drone on for more than I would care to re-spin this album. I can appreciate the lyrics dripping with sadness and melancholy and the simple guitar, keys, and drum beats that convey the emotion of the tracks. Although, this music doesn’t necessarily resonate with me as much as I would believe it would. I enjoy many Cure songs, but this album is ultimately not the poppy Cure that I’m used to. Perhaps it could grow on me.

Anyone can smell a pig from a mile away… They fucking stink! Just like the majority of this album. I remember this was a big deal when it was released and was the white trash anthem, I appreciate that it is true to its roots. The music is creative as far as country and rap go, because it is unlike the other 2 and has interesting heavy guitar rifts and other instrument parts. It is not a bland album, either. The problem I have is the tired rap lyrics that constantly talks about having sex and doing drugs, only it’s not particularly good rapping. Overall, the album is a genre definer, but it is not good music. The auto tune on Only God Knows Why is especially bad. Cowboy itself is a fun song and I do remember liking it when I was a kid. So for the minor nostalgia hit, genre influence, and of course his part in Joe Dirt being his shining moment I suppose a 2 is the least I can do. Also, fuck Kid Rocks ideology. Despicable person…. After finishing the whole album, and with the shitty last song. 1

I can understand that this would be ground breaking at the time. With the way pedals and heavy distortion guitars shreeking and groaning. The vocals are mostly conversational and commanding. This is definitely reminiscent of early Rolling Stones and you can understand why British rock reused this formula for decades. It works. For me personally it became repetitive and droned on for more time that I could engage myself in it. 1969 and I wanna be your dog were personal faves, but unless the album kept on like this I am resigned to a middle score. Perhaps if I had been born in a different time.

With his unique voice and interesting musical composition, it is not hard to get into the groove of Elvis’ music. The jostling flow and cornucopia of instrumental interjections do tend to make the music hard to vibe to. To me it is intended for intent listening and not for moving your body to. I always begin to think the songs or going to break into melodic chorus and tie everything together, but it never quite gets there for me. Intriguing and distinctive, but not my choice for spinning.

I always enjoy some Blues Bob, not quite as great as the Folk Bob, but still a solid collection of songs. His voice is vastly different than when he was younger, but I enjoy the raspy curdle. He sounds like a Dr John, and mimics the Louisiana dialect. All of the songs are your standard bluesy sorrow, and I enjoy it for what it is.

Heavy Pink Floyd vibes on the first track School which melts into a funky jazzy breakdown of interludes. Great start to an album. Then Bloody Well Right throws you right into the fun and quirky Supertramp that you’re used to. It’s wild how melodic this band can be while also still throwing the theatrical instrumentals of a Steely Dan, or the magic of a Styx rock anthem. Broad generalizations, but I can really understand how much of an inspiration these guys must have been to others exploring their sound. There are multiple Jams then the album mellows out for the middle section, which I don’t mind. Problem is that it ends with a proper saxy showdown, and that is enough for me to ask myself why have I never listened to this album before? Beauty.

As far as large orchestral jazz bands go, I really don’t mind listening to this type of music. However, it is not my go to for casual listening. Mostly, I feel as though I’m playing fallout 3 and exploring the dystopian landscape. Nothing wrong with this music, but the situation has to be just right. The music blends well together and you could listen to this whole album without really realizing that there are too many individual songs. The mastering is good for the time.

Elvis is of course a talented guy. His discography and works are of course impressive and expansive. He is also, of course, a unique voice which defined a genre. In my preference of music these songs hold a place for casual listening in the background at a dimly lit bar. Not quite something that I would put quality headphones on and get lost in. However, maybe if I were born in his time I would have jived more with this music. Hard to say, but short of a few good songs: I am only slightly interested in his grand works.

It’s The Band. THE Band. I’ve seen Last Waltz a few times, and I appreciate Levon’s voice too much to give this album a half assed listen. With the exception of the biggest hits, this album is full of excellent melodies and great instrumentals. Great Americana rock. These guys toured with the best and created some absolutely iconic tracks. The album flows so well together. Maybe not the strongest 5 I’ll give, but this album deserves it, all the same.

The flaw with this album is that it starts off with their biggest hit ever, by a mile. It’s hard to appreciate anything else on the album, even though the talent is there. The Verve throw together some interesting tracks, some slow, some poppy, some rockin, some absolutely space and time affluent. Nothing here is bad. It’s just average; and the contrast to Bittersweet and the rest of the album is just too great of a divide to appreciate anything much more than a forgettable track here and there.

They say that BB is the king of the Blues which is very much the truth. However, they also say that he is the king of phrasing, and that he can make his guitar talk. That is absolutely the truth. What could be a tired and boring, just another blues record, becomes a passionate homage to sadness. You can feel the emotion in his words, the power of his melodies, but most importantly you can hear another story just from his guitar. His playing style is magical and entrancing. It’s wonderful to absorb the joy and pain that his playing style emits. While this may not be my absolute favorite music. The man himself displays so much with such a straightforward genre and exhibits it’s complexities with incredible artistry.

Power cords, unique riffs, powerful solos, a medley of instruments, and a resonance od rebellion. All things that I enjoy in a typical record. However, this album doesn’t stick with me. I appreciate it, I just don’t love it or even particularly like it. I suppose it’s fun enough, Ana I can understand others’ enjoyment. Just not for me.

Slow and thoughtful. To say this the music bores me is not to say others shouldn’t find it enjoyable. However, I equate it most closely to Conor Oberst, and then closely beside a more composed Jose Gonzalez, or iron and wine. All of which are talented and deserving. They just never sat with me. Not a voluntary rotation for me.

Takes me back to some PS1 games where I’m driving a jet ski off of ramps and catching big air, while the high tempo drumns n bass are blasting me into a futuristic state where nothing else matters except the water and waves. Therefore, younger me would probably give this a higher rating considering it also reminds me of the original Killer Instinct soundtrack, which I absolutely loved as a 7 year. So merely for the nostalgic kick I will treat this album a little more fairly.

Just wailing guitars and off key singing. Every time I though a song was decent it failed to reach the point where I would normally say. “Hey, not bad!” Forgettable. Chapel Hill is passable.

Electronic vibe music. Kinda like Mobey. It’s better than that Goldie nonsense. Doubt I will re-listen but I wouldn’t say it’s bad.

Definite method man tide rising the ship that is this album, but GZA is great at meshing some crazy samples together to make an exceptional rap album. I am not a huge Wu Tang follower but I absolutely enjoyed some tracks on this record and will revisit it at a later date. I can comprehend the gravity of wu tang and the effect the group had on rap music. Powerful and lyrical.

Yes yes. It’s everyone’s favorite. I get it. Epitaph is the strongest, schizoid man is decent, court of the crimson king is wild but also alright. I dig the instrumental in I talk to the wind. I fully understand how this would have been groundbreaking when it debuted, it is creative and very intriguing and takes some crazy risks with the wild horns, rock licks, and jazziness. For me it lacks the overall cohesion and is not set on a coherent direction. I got lost and bored, but ultimately enjoyed some portions.

I floated between a 3 and 4 all the way through this album. It’s ambitious, it’s wild, it’s… odd. Which I usually like. I dig the ripping riffs and unique mixing of instruments, as well as the chances taken on lyrics and delivery. I can’t quite bring myself to fully embrace and enjoy the music though. The last song was enjoyable.

The music is fun, and comes with the energy. I recognized the first track immediately but kind of spaced out in the middle. The electronic mix with the drum track is a pleasing type of vibe music. Overall, it’s not something I would seek out growing up in the EDM age molded my tastes for better or worse. Where Do I Begin was a pleasant surprise near the end of the album, reminding me that I should be cautious to write these summaries until the end. Regardless, my rating never changed throughout.

I’m conflicted. It’s weird and noisy and oddly irrelevant. This does not conform to anything, and I think some could argue whether or not this is even music. Hell we have story about a dude mailing himself to a girl and getting stabbed through the box, and we a 17 minute power jazz record about sucking on a ding dong. Meanwhile, there are synths and guitars whaling all over the place. I wouldn’t say I vehemently hate this record, but I would have a hard time telling someone that I like it. I would just say this shit is loud, sloppy and strange. I just don’t know what to do with myself.

Honestly, didn’t start off with high hopes. Smooth Operator was always a fringe song in my mind that lived somewhere between a cheesy Jimmy Buffet song and Faith Hill. However, i really listened to it instead of passing it off and I was pleased with the song itself. What’s more is that as this album went on I really grew to enjoy Sade’s voice. The tracks are minimal and backed with simple drum tracks that appear to come from an electric piano, but are saved by some beautiful sax. Ultimately, her voice is what carries the album and conveys thoughtful lyrics and style. I enjoyed this album.

No one ever said that Beck didn’t take chances and make some unique music. Some of it sticks, some of it falls short. Yet I’ve never met anyone who told me that Beck is their favorite. Sad thing is that many people seem to love DMB to no end, but I can’t understand why Becks uniqueness doesn’t draw a similar cult following. Some things just don’t make sense, but what makes sense is that Beck makes very interesting music. If it were 4 songs on this album and some decent accompanying tracks I may keep this is rotation, but it just doesn’t have unanimous draw.

Buttery, silky voice. Immediately reminded me of Sam Cooke. I have never heard Solomon before and while these may just be your standard love and loneliness songs, he executes them so well. Lots of guitar licks, with some horn, keys, and backing vocals to carry this album to a wonderful place. I loved it.

It’s strange. So many elements of this music appeal, his voice is excellent and interesting, I love the fun backing vocals, guitar licks, acoustic accents, and soft rock vibes. It’s more that the music never fully hits a stride, it’s like a shadow of a good song, on repeat. So many foundations to make a hit, but they lack a certain element.

This is one I’ll have to sit in and give another listen later. I’m not super up on my Brit rap, it’s a different style, different rap scheme. I never cared for some of the other Brit rappers, but I do like this guy. The American rap influences are present with talks of gangs, bitches, drugs and arrogance. Themes I think are week and cliche, but Skepta makes up with a lot of this with nuanced skill and expertly crafted beats. I really liked Numbers. I think others would grow on me.

His voice is silky and the reverb is key. While this may be simple music, his passion shines through and creates emotional response. His story telling is captivating to absorb. I think this is excellent pre-country music and the outlaw mentality is just a fun, extinct music style. Would love to work in casual music.

MIA is excellent at creating interesting tracks. The music is fresh and includes unique accoutrements. The rap and lyrics are unfortunately boring and the flow is weak. Paper planes is a cool song but doesn’t save this album for me.

Soft vocals, talk singing. Some of the songs have more action than others, but overall Lou has a knack for composing a rhythmic compilation. He has created interesting lyrics with uncommon story telling and fun choruses. He employs some various instrumentals including keys, horns, and strings. The quality of the album is adequate.

It’s like the British blink 182. There are certainly some fun tracks on the album. The sound is well balanced but the hooks aren’t as often as I’d like them to be. Overall, the music is pop punk and I was surprised to enjoy the album more than anticipated.

It’s like the postal service made some trippy acid pop. Excellent electronic composure but the falsetto harmonization can get a little tired. Lord of half hashed ideas that sometimes stick, and sometimes don’t. That’s the beauty of music after all, they’re being creative and sometimes something fresh and wonderful can be created. However, only some of it hits for me. As the album progresses it resembles new age sea shanties where the harmonies float on waves of consistent rhythms mixed with well placed instrumentals. Nothing captured my attention, but I did enjoy a few songs. Overall, a bland record for my taste, mostly due to the vocals not taking any chances.

This will get a 5 regardless, however I want to give it an updated chance to be absorbed into my developed musical tastes. I grew up thinking this album was one of the coolest things ever. It was rap rock, but never did I feel it was corny. Chester had exceptional talent and the rapping always fit nicely. Dj + rock instrumentals were fresh and eye-opening for a genre defining sound. I relistened intently to see if I could get some sense of that rush, like chasing a drug high. Chester was unbelievable, so melodic but damn the scream can just convey so much angst and pain at one time, while still being enjoyable. With you is a passionate and powerful song, love to hear it through s refreshed lens. Crawling is a great mashup of electronic overlays on a rock track, beautifully melded. The chorus is electric and the emotion is visceral. So many great tracks in this album, so much expansion of rock into new spaces. Other tired to copy but paled in comparison. Linkin Park were supreme.

Good as background music while you work on something, but not something that I would just sit and listen to. It has some intriguing mixes and the music is fun.

Certainly, some very strong tracks here. While there are also a few fillers. I think the overall sound of the band is ambitious and well balanced. Lots of tasty guitar riffs, piano Melodies and synchronized voices. The lyric writing is fun and the singing style commands attention at its best parts. There are some songs where all the weirdness, pop, and rock come together properly, but it appears they threw a little too much quality on this record and there’s no real need to stay spinning past the flip unless you’re a true fan on the jazzy, folksy, bluesy jams. Shanghai Noodly Factory is fun though.

Highly experimental. Not fully fleshed out. Perhaps that’s why some like it. Bluesy and folksy. Poor quality. Some interesting sounds. Otherwise ehhhh. All instrumental in backhalf.

It’s a type of music that I would like, but somehow don’t. Spacey and airy vocals, interesting music styling and choices. It’s like and Indy-folk. There are a few songs I enjoy, but ultimately forgettable.

Well constructed R&B songs with some indisputable bangers. I would say this music was constructed to be the background tunes for many a saucy night, but includes some deeper consciousness tracks to explore culture. Overall fun music, and well processed and mastered tracks. The rating simply reflects my perception of this genre. Not something i seek to play regularly.

What an incredible voice, and a generational talent. I researched a few of these mega hits to see if Otis had written them or another band and it appears to be a mixed bag. The fact that he wrote respect is an accomplishment on its own, but that he also covered Sam Cooke and The Rolling Stones is wild. This album is just an exploration of the genre on its own. It’s like a best hits of soul. Otis can take you on a journey with just his voice. Truly incredible stuff. I would buy this album.

Incredible! Hooks you immediately and doesn’t let go. The album has so much fun rhythm and instrumentals that transport you into another world. The lyrics are thoughtful, the percussion is smacking, and the bangers are banging. All around a great album that I would like to own.

As a fan on the slower stuff, this put me to sleep. I’d call this spoken poetry with some pretty piano and modulation in the background. Not something you’d play at a party, or on a road trip for risk of falling asleep at the wheel, or a friendly gathering for similar reasons, or even a funeral for that matter. Perhaps I could listen to this while I take an afternoon nap, but I’m not eager to.

I didn’t expect to like this album as much as I did. I have never been into Alice, and I had heard one album prior to this one, which I don’t believe I rated very highly. But hell… this guy can sing like Paul McCartney and then scream with authority. The guitars rip and the chorus’ have excellent balance and catchiness. Overall a very solid album with some solid hits. I will re-listen.

Good ol country n western. Sad songs that make you want to drink a few cold ones and hop in a pickup.

It has the elements for a good rock record. You can tell it birthed some hair metal. It’s like the Beatles could r dubs a good hook. Too much discombobulation.

It’s as if someone told Bowie that indie music was in, and the the kids these days were mixing interesting arrangements together with simple lyrics that had emotional gravity to them. Then Bowie said, “hold my beer”. This album is so cutting age that I would think it came out early in his career. He doesn’t hold anything back; he just delivers really interesting music. I was very impressed!

Perhaps the rawest Eminem album, before her came to understand his flow. This album is still super ambitious, we learn how messed up this guys life is/was and the dark comedy that he wants us to believe is or isn’t a joke. It’s very clear from this album how talented the man is, but you can tell there is some room for growth. The content is extremely dark, which I think is absolutely fascinating. His rap game is sinister and well thought out. White trash rap certainly took of with this album, and he became the hip hop Elvis. I prefer his work that follows this, which is more balanced and mastered, but that’s not to say that this isn’t incredible.

2 huge hits and a bunch of strong pop-rock songs. Certainly not the worst thing to come out of the 70s and I can assume the influence this had on other artists was huge. It’s not something that I would casually listen to, but I won’t turn it off on the radio. That feels like a 3 to me.

It’s like the Doors took the wrong drugs, or no drugs at all. Too many instrumental interludes. Doesn’t mesh well.

Some really solid folksy-Americans. There are some truly excellent songs on this record and the powerful vocalists do a great job of sharing the singing responsibilities. I teetered on the edge of a 3 and 4. The first half has some really strong songs but it seems to lull in the muddied. However, it ends strong with some strong melancholy.

There are some hits here, but also a lot of hap-hazard Jazz. Obviously these guys are classically trained, and unafraid to take chances on some licks, but the guitar gets a little out of control at times. I respect the melding of instruments and genre bending.

This was a good prequel to Pet Sounds, seems like they’re finding their sound. Overall a little more melancholic than what I expected.

It’s similar to Sonic Youth. It’s the super yelly side of grunge that never quite clicked with me. It’s not terrible, it’s just not good either.

I liked this album more than Funeral, but I’ve determined that I’m just not drawn to this music. It has its positives: it’s got that indie soft to rocking buildup, the harmonizations are key, and it has creative inspirations. However, it just doesn’t connect for me. Perhaps the ideas are too large and just don’t land. They have a very large sound that just gets too messy. No Cars Go was a great late album addition. More songs like this please.

Runk-gugga-gunk-gugga-gunk! Headbangers ball, through and through. Not my casual listen of choice, but the presence of One on this and the overall sense of rock n roll/ metal gives it a middle of the road score for me.

Absolutely infectious music. I chose to listen to this while commuting into work and I wish that I had blared it at home and given into the rhythm to dance. Blasting horns, scratch boards, maracas, more horns, drums, acoustic boxes, and even the glockenspiel! Great music to dance to, if I knew the salsa.

Very fun and peppy music! There are some jazzy flairs and really interesting singing styles. I enjoyed it!

I love grunge, and this is grunge! However, I came to a realization while listening to a band that I always knew of, but had never heard much of. I love Grunge with an exceptional lead vocalist: Chris, Eddie, Kurt, Scott, ….fucking Layne! This has all of the elements of good grunge, minus the very important bit. Otherwise, hey… not bad!

2 many hits 4 me to not give this a 5. The guy rips on guitar and composed some extremely solid tracks that have birthed so many spin-offs and likely shaped pop into what it is today. It blends rock, soul, and pop together seamlessly, and when you add a finisher like that, you have s truly remarkable album.

Joni is an excellent story teller, and an exceptional poet. Her music is more than just music, it’s truly and art. I believe this album has songs that take time to digest though.

It’s creative, it’s unique, it sufficiently rocks, and it has Indy vibes. I think some of the music could grow on me with a few listens or so, but it doesn’t necessarily pique my interest off the bat.

Is creative She absolutely influenced a new age of pop and electric blend. I love the Celtic tones. The music is a like spacey and sometimes loses the concept. Overall I enjoyed it but did not love. One more hit and I would give it a 4.

Can’t you hear me knocking is an automatic 4, the question is whether or not the rest of the album fills in the gap. With a rocking start and passionate singing Mcjagger, Keith, Charlie, and the other guy put together a powerful message to all rock n roll wannabes. That shit better rip! But also to say don’t be afraid to throw some sax and sadness into it, it yangs out the yin. Rolling Stones have always been an enjoyable band, but have never been a favorite. That being the case, I can objectively say this album is wonderful and inclusive of some genre defining sounds. Love it! The gaps are filled in by brown Sugar, wild horses, kinda Bitch, kinda dead flowers and a strong finish with moonlight mile. Long live Brit rock!

Slow folk with a repetitive style. Not something I would relisten to. Jose Gonzalez vibes.

I’m surprised. Her voice is wonderful and I’d call this country about as soon as I’d call kid rock rap. Only difference is that this doesn’t suck as much as that fucking guy. Although I don’t have the estrogen levels to relate to the feelings in this sign, I can relate to its passion as I hop off my misogyny horse. Great music. Great writing!

Boring pop-rock. It’s not particularly bad, but one could also say that it’s not entirely ground breaking or creative, either. It’s like you take the powerful electric guitar away from Lenny Kravitz and you’re left with this.

Did I just become a Bruce fan? It’s such a crazy mix of melancholy sadness with Americana rock. Then it throws in some sax and keys. Need to give it a couple more listens to confirm, but I’m looking forward to them!

It’s ambitious, but it takes the part of Metallics that I think we all love, the metal, and washes it out with this disjointed accompaniment of strings and horns. The thought was likely that you take the grandness of an orchestra and it would somehow expand upon the large sound of Metallica, but it has the opposite effect. Nothing really stands out. It’s boring. A for effort, D for execution.

Clint Eastwood saves this from being a mediocre concept. Unique songs with no flair. Forgettable.

What an incredible blend of rock, funk, and soul blended with pop. Truly one of those albums that deserves the recognition. So many classic songs that catch your attention as soon as the music starts. Hard to believe something like this can just be created by someone with that much talent. Just thinking about the dancing that accompanied this is mind blowing, because the music stands out so much by itself. I would love to own this album.

A unique blend of prog rock, indie pop, and electronic accoutrement. The French female vocals are such a welcomed flair to the music. This record would not be a casual-listening choice, but it certainly has a place for making some food or chilling with friends and making some drinks. Pleasant vibe for this medium tempo jam. The instruments do not fight one another, and the music is very well mixed and arranged. Some songs are fuller than others, however the good ones shine!

Certainly interesting reading about the founder, John, and of his escapades… but with that aside we are left with some classic 60s pop folk rock. There are some cataclysmic hits on this record, with some slower gap fillers. Overall, the male and female harmonization and lead singing hand offs come across with receptive enjoyment. The music is not highly mastered or having the highest fidelity. The music is reminiscent of Beatles, and beach boys, and I would generalize them by calling them fleetwood from the valley. But seriously, the founding member was a troubled human.

Stripped down country western music. Honestly this is the melancholy and sadness that I look for in the genre. Plus you’ve got Willys unique silky and raspy voice. It’s a gem!

It’s got all of the elements of a solid Kanye album. The rap is tight and the flow goes hard. The mixing is fantastic and the beats go. I just don’t enjoy the lyrics in this one. Feels like an experiment, half polished. He’s very creative, and he takes chances. The buck stops there. Bound 2 was a banger 4 sure.

Without being over-dramatic- I had a really hard time even wanting to pay attention to this. It was so slow and is not something that I personally enjoy or would ever suggest to others. I like slow music, but I like it to have something interesting in it. This is slow for the sake of being slow. Boring as hell. It has not ability for relisten and would not suggest.

It’s very apparent that it’s un-finished. I just didn’t appreciate the music like I see that others do. Too many slow sad songs, but not in a good way.

I am becoming a Bowie fan. Very creative compositions. Excellent mastering, and apparently a lot of drugs went into perfecting this album. On the listen to relisten! Stay is a great song!

Certainly a unique band. The vocals are well written and the voice is easy to listen to. The music is creative and the hooks can hook. I have never been an REM fan and frankly I can’t say why. Good casual listening, though I’m not gonna add it to my collection.

A glimpse into the streets of NY in the 90s and a portrait of a hardened rapper who has grown up in conditions that I cannot imagine. One of the primary reasons I enjoy rap is the storytelling aspect. No other genre is more-equipped to convey so much raw truth, so quickly, and so vividly as rap/hip-hop. The truly special rap can make you feel like you are a part of that life, if just for a moment, and Illmatic falls in that camp. Nas has a great flow, I can see the bridge from old school to new school, I can see the birth of a more intimate style which speaks to the struggles of life in the rougher areas, and I can see the passion flow through the words making up these stories. A genre defining album, a time capsule, a solid hip-hop album.

I have always had a soft spot for Missy, and that is partially because she is a funny rapper, and partially because she makes bangers. I would say this album has some interesting songs and the music itself is fun to listen to. It doesn’t appear that it will quite make it into my rotation, but I now know a little more of her catalog, which will make the bangers band just a little harder. Missy pushed females forward in rap and deserves the credit for her style.

She’s talented, and the music is unique. Orchestral hip-hop is a fun combination. I’m just not sure it was executed with much more than 1 or 2 songs coming away with a compete sound. The rest is kind of boring and tame considering the grand ambition of the mash-up.

It’s kind of like a three hit wonder. As if they blew the wad on the first album and sold their souls to the devil to get absolute rock ballads. The rest of the album has the same energy, and the same tired pop-metal; not quite hair metal, not quite MJ, but somewhere in the middle. Of course the 3 big boys are infectious classics that make even the most hardened rockers wail out in unison after a beer or two at the local saloon, and for those tracks alone this is a remarkable record. I just think it’s the toughest sophomore follow up ever… the put themselves in a huge hole. Other than that, I’ve heard these songs sooooo manyyyyy timesssss. Subjectively not something I want to hear again.

Funk, soul, a little pop, and some ripping blues Bobby’s got the ingredients and has a sprinkle of the passion to create what appears to be a soulful, rhythmic love record. It’s nice to listen to. If I were on an elevator and this came on, I would probably sway to the tunes, and if I were at a bar with a few beers then more of the same. With the exception of a few lackluster songs, the record is a complete groove. I think it misses the connection with me a bit, but I would give it a high 3.

Powerful voice and power-pop, it’s a combination made for the 80s. 3 absolutely massive songs really speaks to the magnitude of this record. The remaining songs aren’t necessarily forgettable drub from the 80s but they aren’t memorable either. To me this is a fun record, but not a regular rotation. However, the magnitude of the music and voice carry it past the 3.5 mark. This would be a 7/10.

Gritty guitar, with clear and precise vocals share a solid drums network, and produce really solid rock songs. I’m surprised that I’ve only ever just heard of PJ, but am happy to have finally experienced such a unique sound with this album. She definitely has unique quirks and definitely takes some risks on odd mixing of instrumentals and vocals, but she is super controlled and has a great ear for music. This is as if Hole was able to make a coherent record, just as punk, just as rock n roll, but without the trash instruments fighting one another for the limelight. Proof that you have to have a method to the madness. PJ is a true musician, and this is a true compilation of art.

Religious hip-hop. Slowish with interesting timing and instrument choices. Sometimes it hits its stride, but most of the time it’s just preach-rap. I think it works for some casual listening, and perhaps with a small group playing games to have on in the background. Otherwise, not my first choice.

The instrumental first track is off to a great start. I could imagine this as a musical score, and by the time the vocals start on the second track you are absorbed into the music and ready for action. The flute and bass really drive the funk train out of the station and by the time we get to Empty Pages, that train is chuggin’ along. I absolutely love the keys blending in with the walking accompaniment. The flute sticks around as the electric guitar is traded for acoustic and the yelling fades to lullabies, a welcomed bit of continuity. The album unfortunately putters out from here and the funk gives way to a bluesy resolution, which they do well enough, just not as quite as good as the magical funk factory presented at first. I dig the organ work, contrary to others’ opinions. I think it adds some depth to the whole thing. First 3 songs are Jamz.

First Zep record of the list. What a fucking treat! Starts off with some of the Jimmy Page dirty crunch and by the time the harmonica hits - the game is fucking on and it’s time to dive in! Following up with the Rover is another hard rocking hit and I’m noticing some audio compression on the digital track, aside from that the ripping solo puts this song in the appreciation zone. The arpeggio backing guitar kinda gives this track a punk note, unusual but not unwelcome from the Zep I’m used to. Then you’re smacked in the face with an 11 minute power house, that would have you believing you just finished a record, but no this is just the beginning! What’s this? Houses of the Holy on Physical Graffiti?! It doesn’t make sense, but be damned if this song doesn’t rip and fit right in on this record! The riff and organ-keys in trampled under foot are cosmic and the guitar flying into accent them just pumps everything up! Hitting Kashmir I’m realizing it’s not my favorite Zeppelin track, and realizing how long these songs really are. The second half of the album takes a beat and the tempo slows, by the time you arrive at bron-yr-aur you begin to think you’re at a concert and Robert is resting the vocals, hopefully for some powerful closers. Nope… down by the seaside is an interesting song for the album, and then Ten Years gone seems to be when the record begins to amp it back up. Still some slow, departures from the rock with Night Flight and we get a glimpse into how the sound is progressing into a new type of rock, perhaps they were trying to reinvent their sound and take a note from the Beatles. The Wanton Song brings back some of that wonderful Jon Bonham drum work and we are back in business, baby! Boogie with Stu and no we’re in the ragtime saloon, strange. The first half of the album is a solid 5, the second half is not bad, but it doesn’t quite fit with classic Zeppelin or this new progressive rock. Overall, the album has some serious power and is a remarkable highlight to the later years of the rock gods. One an only imagine where they would have ended up without Jon’s passing, but perhaps the second half of Physical Graffiti reminds us that the first half isn’t always followed up with an equal second.

It’s something that I can imagine people would like, but I’m not one of them. There’s too much chaos, especially in the vocals. They singing is all over the place, lots of tremelo, pre-emo. The music is well done, with some cool blends and that classic 80s drum-beat. I can tell this pushed the genre into new directions, just well past my preferences (I imagine the couple from family vacation that hate the griswalds are avid fans of this music.)

Orchestral-funk. The lyrics are political and an introspective look into Nigerian culture. The music absolutely kicks in and the largeness of the band is very present. The music makes you want to dance and move. Femi has a great singing style. I would pair this music with the other dancing international tracks like Tito Puente when I’m feeling adventurous and want the tunes to move my body. Loved the big bad sound here.

Electric and soulful. James Brown has an excellent voice when he broke on the scene, but I think I liked it more when it matured. The mastering isn’t fantastic on this and the fidelity is lacking, but the music is fun.

It’s like Diarrhea Planet wanted to cover R.E.M. some of the guitar riffs absolutely shred, and could have fooled me as something that came out in the 2010s, but I guess that’s the beauty of music. There were some songs I enjoyed, but the record is very chaotic and doesn’t necessarily flow into strong standalone songs when the sound comes at your in a messy wave of yelling and dueling instruments. Mastering likely has a part in this.

Not gonna lie, when I read “White Panthers” I assumed they we some clan boys. I’m glad I was wrong. As for the music, I can see that at the time this was punk rock heaven, I would have likely geeked out on it, but the fidelity of the live album and lack of polish on songs impacts my perception. Overall, I enjoyed the fun atmosphere of it, and the passion certainly flows through. I’d give it a high 3.

Honestly could confuse this for Beastie Boys. The flow is dead-on and even the mix sounds like something they would rap over. I like the composition of everything, but like many fathers of hip-hop the music hasn’t aged as well as you’d hope. The genre is constantly evolving, and the origins are to be revisited, if seldomly.

Very advanced indie. Slow, with very unique arrangement. The vocals are great, and the songs go down some adventurous paths. Sometimes it works out nicely, others are less so. I really likely the style and would listen again.

It’s got some of that funk. Some of that bass that’ll droop your face, some of the drum that’ll move your bum, and some of that sauce that’ll… make you wonder what it was like to be in a disco club when this was dropping. Odd genre, but the funk is why it remains relevant.

It’s Bob. He’s jammin’. It’s good easy listenin. Keep on jammin’!

Long songs, golden pipes, organ, strings. Bring on the soul. This is good casual listening, but not a regular rotation. If I owned a record store this is what I would work in.

Ahhh, the days of Fuse TV. Watching music videos for hours on end and Take Me Out always popping up in the rotation. Honestly, one of the more influential moments in my musical journey. While that song may have been ground down to a numb sensation, I still vividly remember it’s part in how I felt back them with the new age sound. I have never listened to this full album, and I’m surprised at just how different all of the songs sound. How each one is in its own space and makes its own sound. I love it. What a magical pop-punk-indie collection of songs.

I’m conflicted. Her voice is an absolute 5; Susan Tedeschi mixed with Sara Watson. It’s gritty and really becomes ethereal. The 80s synth pop is what gets me, really takes from what could be a raw soft rock singer-songwriter album. I suppose I like some songs and dislike others, but I would own this and rotate it. Truly a 3.5

Sad and slow. Nice for a song or two. Very poetic. The voice isn’t necessarily impressive. Very casual and boring. Like this paragraph structure.

The Zeitgeist of grunge. What all other west coast 90s rock aspired to manifest. The culmination of the pain and suffering couple with the inexplicable angst that we all know to be true in our late teens and early twenties. Nirvana captured powerful emotions, mostly angry-ones, and bottled them into a more powerful album. One that defined an entire genre and changed much that came after. Is it a perfect album? No. There are certainly songs that infect you with the spirit of rock n roll, but then there are others that are just kind of… noisy. The sheer volume of innovation here makes it a 5. Kurt was a maverick. His guitar skills were made for power chords, and were adequate for his vocal-tracing solos. The drums were always tight. And can you even make our Kirst through the static? Tough to say! It doesn’t matter! It fucking rocks!

Reading the other reviews you would think this album is terrible, people on this are seriously deluded so maybe I shouldn’t concern my self with their opinions and try to be as unbiased to my own tastes as possible. Christina has extreme talent. Her voice has that grit that many female vocalists wish they could imitate. She makes solid pop songs. This album is very complete, the only oddness about it is how stylistically distinct each song is. We’re talking rock, hip hop, soul, power ballad. The work that went into creating this is very evident. Personally I enjoyed it. My main critique is the length. I think if this were a 10 song album, a 4 would be likely.

One of the first CDs I ever owned. Funny enough I only listened to it all the way through a few times. I think this is because my music tastes weren’t quite mature enough for this as a child. However, blister in the sun is easily one of my favorite songs of all time. This album defined what it meant to make Cool Music. It is the hard to believe that this came out the 80s because the stuff could have been made yesterday and people would geek out over it. What a truly revolutionary album.

Relative to other EDM albums that are likely on this list, I would have to say this is likely going to be the one that’s most appealing to me. Objectively, this album is fast-paced rage-dance. It’s catchy, and it’s action packed. It’s unique and fun and it hits hard!

Certainly the better of the Elvis Costello albums. Some of the songs are catchy and fun, I’ve just realized that it’s not my cup of tea.

The prototypical jazz-alt-rock. It certainly brings an artistic touch to that 90s sound which can appear stale at times without injections of originality like this album. Fiona is a natural writer. Her moody and poetic lyrics are accented by piano and string accompaniments that bring wonderful music forward and personally to the listener. The songs don’t necessarily resonate with me to the point where I’d listen to this often, I can see a teenager from any generation after mine benefiting from the angst and frustration, but that sweet zone has passed for me.

American Pie, the song, is a classic. It is an anthem for the USA. To be required at every BBQ. It is a 5. However, I can’t recall if I have ever consciously listened to the entire song from start to finish. I always zone out and snap awake when he sings “Jack be nimble, Jack be quick”. It always happens. It’s just too damn long. Then I find out that the entire album is just different versions of American Pie… well that just has to be immediately forgotten, and I have to pretend that the song is only 3 minutes of perfection where I chat with my friends in the sunshine, to lovely smells of smoked meats, and booms of fireworks. -Speaking of 3.

The indie influence is strong. Mostly soft and melodical. I can always hear the likes of The Vines, The Strokes, etc… To me it just lacks anything that I would be keen on rehearing.

Joni Mitchell, but way more whiny. I like it for a song, but the album is very vanilla after that.

Depressing and beautiful. This helped define the genres that I love. I really appreciate this album upon the first listen. It has a few songs I know and love, but even the others had dynamic appeal. Accompanying, whiny-guitar arpeggios and soft delayed vocals. The spacey sadness cuts right though me!

Likely groundbreaking at the time. The album is powerful and dynamic. Great singing and a fun mix of instruments. I wish I could Relax and just give it a 4, but it’s not exactly something I have to listen to again.

Buffalo Stance was great. Rest of the album was 80s rap. Didn’t age well.

She has great rhythm. The rap can kind of drone on and get a bit tedious. Certainly it is well done, but not something I would listen to again.

Soft, improv jazz. The kind that yo I would expect to hear in a relaxing spot. One that I wouldn’t visit very often because I would fall asleep. I don’t dislike the drum walks, the sax accompaniment, or the subtle keys. It’s that I don’t connect to this type of music.

Mom, can we get Michael Jackson? No. we have Michael Jackson at home! *Michael Jackson at home. To be honest, he’s talented and has a great songwriting ability. His voice is interesting. I’m not a fan of the boring song structures, but everyone once in awhile it clicked. Just a little too experimental without the ability to make it really pop.

Funky and soulful. Stevie is a great singer with a nose for the catchy verse. I was surprised to enjoy so many songs on this album. Great for casual listening!

Holy Shit. It’s sloppy, it’s noisy and the balance/mixing leaves something to be desired. However, I’d be damned to not recognize the passion and genius in so many of these songs. When you think the music is going down some sloppy, noisy path then it just throws in a tasty guitar riff. Really magical blend of quirk with tame structure.

The piano medley intro was killer, and I thought with the next 2 songs that this album would be onto something. However, it descended into pop, and while not bad, it kept on going further into the weird soul, RnB borderline appropriation crap. The rap was fitting of the decade, but not fitting of the record vibe. I was really hoping for the them to fit the exposition.

It’s a little too advanced-Bowie for me. The man was very imaginative for the entirety of his career. Gotta give him that.

Beautiful singing, and the piano work at the end was lovely. I don’t mind some easy listening Spanish music!

Definitely some corny flow that people was cutting edge at the time, it’s just that rap has progressed so much (for better or worse). The mixing is exceptional, the band really put together some dope bass lines and drum beats; the scratching is very fitting of the era. I think there are certainly some standout tracks, but the album drags on. I respect the flow and influence this had on hip hop. Considering that it is a good album.

Genius of love is a pretty decent song, the rest of the album is a little less decent. Overall, that balance out to…. Decent! Cool electronic blend with the reggae sound.

Excellent voice! She’s like a mix of Joni Mitchell and Tracey Chapman, and her music is funky with that big band feel, slightly soulful, kinda like DMB, but actually good. I really want to listen to this again.

It’s nuts. What starts off as some of the most progressive Americana that you could conceive (and from a Canadian), with the prettiest guitar licks and harmonics melodies taking you to the great open planes and the simple life. Then this dude brings out the grittiest, grungiest blues imaginable and shows you why he is a maverick. He perfects 2 genres and brings you something heavenly in the middle. While his politics have always been at the forefront of his music, and the song Alabama can make him sound like a pompous Jesus-figure trying to save the backwards people from their troubles (we get it Neil, you have all of the answers) it’s clear the he is an opinionated man just trying to spread the word. I think that’s what all good musicians should aspire to, right or wrong. But damn does he get soooo much right. Incredible body of work, just in this quick album.

I imagine having a friend, one which I’ve bonded with over the course of many years. We know each others siblings. They are always extended an invite to hang out. I then image this friend telling me to check out this wicked band The Residents, telling me they are on the cutting edge of musical innovation, that they are creating revolutionary sound and that I have to listen to them! I then imagine never talking to this friend again. This stuff stinks.

Odd concept album. Decent execution. I can tell they were just being wild dudes having a little fun, but the commercial atmosphere detracts from an otherwise decent album, but only minor-ly. This album has a beach boys vibe to it, not as much of the rockin who we come to expect.

You know? It’s kind of a travesty that teenagers only experience Bob with a mixture of weed culture. It’s like lumping a trip to the beach into the same group as Panama city beach spring break. If you have a certain mindset of something before and after you experience it, it can severely alter your perception. Bob is in his own right a virtuoso musician. He brought an entire country culture to light with his island music. It transcends weed culture in the biggest way. It is an absolute master-class album in spiritual music. You would think this thing is a few test hits, no sir, it is just greatest hits of one album. Stellar.

The rock songs are perhaps mediocre Attempts considering what it felt this album should have aspired to. This recording is regarded so highly that it’s hard to approach with an open mind. I came thinking the rock would pull me in, but I was more surprised by the slower, acoustic tracks. This is where the magic lives. These guys just spread themselves too wide, re-envisioned as a folk album this thing really shines.

If institutionalized were an LP… Im just not a punk person. I can understand why some like to jam to this stuff, but it’s all kind of the same to me. I will say that this album didn’t annoy me. So that’s something.

It’s the most complete album that I can imagine. I wouldn’t say that I would list any of the songs in my top 50, with the possible exception of He Came In The Bathroom Window (god damn that’s a good one). However, the album as a whole can be viewed as one compete work and that is what makes this special. You hear common themes throughout, guitar licks, piano melodies that reoccur in various intervals, woven into the tapestry. The magic is the dynamic rise and fall of the album into the poppy Beatles, into the rocking era, and then expanding the drug renaissance. They pay homage to their anthology, in a way that pays respect to the fans, but really helps to appreciate that they made this album for themselves. It is their passion project before the upcoming departure form one another, to escape the crazy fans but to also let them know that they appreciated it as much as us. The ones who enjoyed it get a final parting gift. The greatest album ever.

I appreciate the weirdness, but it’s not my type of weird.

It’s like Tool meets R&B, but the music isn’t very good. I appreciate his elevated intelligence. However, this gets stale quick with its attempt to be a pedantic review of current world culture and a critique of America. Perhaps it spoke to some, but I didn’t groove to it.

I agree with what a lot of people say about him being the American Beatle. He has that fun, whimsical, quirkiness to his music. I believe that is a harpsichord that I hear? Also he brings a lovely voice to the mix. I suppose short of a few standout songs, this album is something I would recommend to others with a similar taste, but would only listen to it when showing them or if it happened to be on the radio. Overall, very nicely made music. Perhaps a revisit in the future, this is only a first impression. Lime and the coconut ironically hurts this song after pop culture took ahold of it for so long. Actually, on second thought (god I’m bad at judging) I’m going to err on the side of a 4. I like this guy.

I’ll admit that In The Morning is a very strange track to throw on this album considering it is southern blues on a white-washed California rock album. The guitar work on 3/5 mile is crunchy and delicious! I really like the female vocalist and even the others sound good. Talented musicians and some good hits on this.

They’ve got a beach boys sound, mixed with a little bit of clash style punk. Starts of with a few good songs then kind of falls flat.

Slow white-soul. It’s ok. Son of a Preacher Man is of course a banger, the rest is delightful.

I appreciate this album for what I imagine it did for music. It encouraged the moody boys the crank up the distortion and to tighten those drums and hit a little bit harder. It can be seen as the mutated species that decides to step onto land for the first time and into the new world outside and spawned everything after, for better or for worse. Ozzy was a maverick. This album has some wicked guitar work and his voice shines as the premier attraction. War pigs is an exceptional song.

Folky as a renaissance fair, the vocals are the saving Grace. However, the tracks tend to drag on.

Spoken verse, strange mix, tons of delay and synth-organ. Not something I like.

The nostalgia hit is real. This was on the college freshman banger list, but in reality I only truly enjoy a few songs. And nothing that I’d really miss after going awhile without listening. This album has some unique sounds and stretches genres, but the passion behind the delivery always stuck with me. I feel like it’s just fun music, but without the true showmanship of a strong vocalist. It’s always just been ok to me.

Space sonic. It’s like Smashing Pumpkins without Billy. The guitar melody begins to make more sense as you get deeper into the album, but the indistinguishable lyrics make it tough to get attached. Perhaps upon further listens I would warm up to it. The guitar work I’m sure was very impressive as a genre definer at the time. I can appreciate that.

Chaotic speed jazz. I dislike.

Angelic voice and some very interesting mix of songs. Hallelujah is obviously what makes this album standout. As far as covers go, I have no problem defending that alongside All Along The Watchtower, this is a top-tier cover. The song is brutally passionate and mesmerizing; it’s hauntingly beautiful. Lover you should come over is no less transcendent and you realize that with each listen, this album was onto something special.

The funk is strong in the first track, and the jazz certainly shines through with the hyper aggressive synth improv that hits a few too many sour notes to really hide behind the jazz guise for as long as it assumed it’s welcome. However, the clash of drums and bass hit some absolutely peak-funk grooves and the sheer stank on this album makes it a killer album to play in the background of any gathering that you’re trying to impress people with your jazz exposure. It is highly accessible entry into this genre.

Print spoken word, with some questionable falsetto gambles. Saved only by some interesting indie guitar licks. I fully intend to never listen to this again.

This is an album that you have to let grow on you. I didn’t understand it fully when I heard it as a good, but I thought it was unique and had a mystique to it. Caleb’s voice is mesmerizing to me, I think those who do not like it can consider their opinion valid, but I would credit the polarizing atmosphere of this album to the chances this album took, it’s like punk country. Small town Oklahoma boys, ripping up some guitar and laying some delicious drum fills to some expert bass lines and the vocals are not to be understood, but to be felt. It’s primal, and it’s fucking punk rock!

Absolute FUNK! Wild that this comes from the guy who made funkadelic. Love it for its tasty bass and drums, and the e-Z listenability.

Sound like Jellyfish to me, another creative band that blended multiple styles and had a spoken poetry singing style. I certainly enjoy the style here, but the music doesn’t click. The voice is kind of all over the place, the guitar riffs are pretty good. I think the 90s got a little carried away with GRAND sound and covered up the weaker parts of the song with a string orchestra.

The only reason I continued to listen to this album is because I needed to know if it was a 1 or a 2. This is just weird music for the sake of being weird, and that doesn’t make it good. I would love to hear out why others think this is groundbreaking, or revolutionary. I’d rather listen to them than this crap.

Very smooth jazz. Excellent musicianship with very thoughtful arrangements; no instrument is aggressively stealing the light but when they do their own thing the music shines. Each song is wonderful, with the initial tracks having a faster beat, subsiding to swinging percussion lead tracks that have wonderful key accompaniment and that sax is saxin. Enjoy with a glass of wine on high fidelity headset!

Not sure what I’d call this, it’s synth-jazz with pop structure. It holds a few catchy hits hostage with boring poetry interlaced with the same drum kit and a spattering of strange instruments. Tainted love is magic, that’s it.

Can’t deny that this is about as fun as rock gets, there are some cheesy bits here and there, but why shouldn’t there be. The hits speak for themselves, and the b-sides ain’t bad either. As I move through the Springsteen records (this is the second) I think I prefer the dark and moody sight just a bit more. Dancing in the dark is a timeless anthem.

Arguably their most authentic stab at hip-hop. The boys show their talent for fast, mayhem-ic flows and well-produced tracks. While the tape-effect for the vocals may be slightly overused the music still exposes their raw talent. They were not just a novelist rap group, they effected real change in the scene and brought NYC flows to a new level!

With the presence of some absolutely genre-expanding ballads, this album was as magical as it could have been with where Cobain was heading. The other tracks are hard rock pincers, the singles were selected for a reason. This is a special band, with an excellent album, just not their best. Heart shaped and all apologies are premier.

Fun and groovy. Love the quirkiness.

It’s unrefined and that’s its niche. I’ve been a distant listener for a while, and it’s safe to say that while I enjoy the guitar work and composition of the tunes, that I’m still not going to be anymore than a moderate fan.

I can think of no scenarios where I would play this music. It’s talented, it’s unique, it’s also free form and hard to absorb. The singing style is controlled chaos, lots yelling and and chorus chants, a bit tribal. The music mixes 90s flair and r&B, a bit like a Casio keyboards backing tracks.

This album flirts a fine line between boring poppy-southern rock and a true piece of Americana magic. The harmonizations are fantastic and the guitar work can be absolutely stellar. The quirkiness fades to corny song composition when it’s not clicking, but the hits are hits for a reason. Truly a exhibition of some classic songs, and some truly forgettable b-sides.

Slows way down in the backhalf of the album, but started off very well. I think Ryan has the elements of a revolutionary singer/songwriter and he puts together some exceptional songs. However, this is quickly balanced out with passionless blueprints that span genres and lack the conceptual integrity of a good song. Coupled with his troubling background, Ryan will only ever be a mildly successful act. He tried way too hard to fit a mold, instead of being authentic. I’ll keep the classics for the occasional folk-exposure, but the rest can fade to obscurity with him when he’s gone.

Putting aside his shitty personal qualities- the dude is an absolute maniac on the keys. This stuff hits hard and it’s from the 60s. I understand from others that he claimed to have created rock n roll, and while that is highly debatable, this doesn’t sound like anything else from that era… the drummer is a fucking magician. This stuff is fast, chaotic, and we’ll arranged. Loved it!

Consistent 80s synth pop. Pretty much a proto-typical example of it. The hits are great. The rest ain’t bad.

Another one of those albums where it would have been a different story had I been an angsty teenager upon its release. It’s mastered all for the noise level, and the thrash can be fun at times. Every so often it clicks and gets the head bangin, but mostly it’s just noisy. I would have to dissect this one further to grasp its impact to the scene.

Ebb and flow rock. Tons of grand ideas, and plenty of instruments, lacks any real motive. Just kind of dull background rock. There are songs with that spacey backing voice, reminiscent of Pink Floyd, which then fades to soft piano mono-audio singing.

I don’t enjoy REM. Boring background rock. This album has a couple of decent singles which saves it from being a 2. The one I love is possibly the best REM song, and that about the only good thing I can say.

Beautiful voice. Excellent story teller. Great guitarist. Truly a talent.

Nasty heavy metal. Great gym music. I really enjoyed a majority of the breakdowns. The guys have some disgusting drops, the kind that give me a lemon face and cause my head to start nodding. Would absolutely listen again.

3.5 - Maybe I need a relisten down the line. I feel like I gave it my attention though. I think this was absolutely transformative in its time, however it doesn’t quite stick with me. Good. The first half of the album is what shines. It’s explorative and creative, the soul shines through in places, but the keyboard jams can get a bit repetitive, maybe that’s just the extended version? The female backing vocalist is superb.

I guess I don’t really feel the apeal that so many others do, or why this is a must own album. Its vibe is that of a casual dinner party, or perhaps making some drinks and dancing along to the soft Jazz. His Trumpet playing is of course a high magnitude of musicianship and the sax, drum accompaniment are on par with his execution. The whole this is wonderful to listen to, but not my consistent cup of tea. Certainly that once in awhile treat.

Very interesting French rap. He has an incredible flow, one that hits regardless if you understand it or not. Lots of exquisite sound mixing as well. This some rap that was ahead of its time, from an unlikely place. Great stuff!

I really enjoy Milton’s songs! So melodic and angelic. I appreciate the exploration with instruments and the audacity of blending so many styles. Magic!

Soaring solos, righteous riffs, voracious vocals. This is certainly better than hair metal, unfortunately it kind of influenced it. I probably would have enjoyed the hell out of this if I were 14 when it was released. Honestly, I don’t mind it now. 3.4

Even if I were drunk in a pub with my mates after a bar brawl, I would still be angry that this was playing.

The Thrills is the antithesis of this band. They are, in fact, the sads. The elements are here for something I’d enjoy, quirky licks, bluesy twangs, drumfills… however the singer irks me.

This album has no right to lay down this much funk and rock. It’s a combination that should have spurned more of a revolution than it did. These guys absolutely lay down the stank and then Eddie Shreddie plunged them into righteous-ville. Incredible! The last 2 songs songs are a little experimental and wild, but not bad. The album just blasted us with experimental lovin, you’ll see when the farts kick in.

Is she a good singer? Yes Did I also fall asle

Funky 80s-pop. There are elements which are enjoyable: basslines, catchy chorus, and solid drum beats. However, there are also elements which I do not gravitate towards, the generic 80s reverb and washed out vocals, synth pop. Overall, this is reminiscent of 80s RHCP, funny enough, and I can’t say it’s terrible. Just had its moment in the sun.

Tired rap-rock. About as memorable as an interstate mile-marker.

Saucy jazz! Both creative and chaotic. It goes off of the rails just enough to capture your stress hormones and then releases the dopamine with some sultry wind instruments. It’s expertly composed with just enough variety to please even the most adverse jazzers.

This is the Eminem that shocked everyone; the dark lyrics and aired-out-laundry that are so depressing that you don’t quite know what’s true and what isn’t, and if it isn’t then why would someone bare this? The complexity of emotional depth is what drew me into him as a kid, I came for the comedy rap and stayed for the heavy themes, ones I would not understand until I was an adult, or ever for that reason. Eminem had such a realization of his place in rap, he knew how different he was from a typical rapper, not just skin-color, but raw style with trailer park description and crippling family issues. This album had peak Eminem techniques - outrageous lyrics, sadistic themes, funny lines, depth of story telling, and incredible flows. Verse 3 of Who Knew is a good example of the outrageousness as I write this. Then by the time The Way I Am comes on, it’s just unreal how raw and commanding his rap is. It’s infectious. When The Real Slim Shady arrives, I find where I discovered Eminem as a kid. A song full of ludicrous and taboo rap with a tight beat. I was stunned by it and it definitely introduced me to a new genre of music. I loved it and the couldn’t get enough of Slim. The second half of the album certainly continues on the themes of calling out his critics and enemies, and gets over-the-top at times with the felatio Insane Clown Possee skit. The songs explore his darker side sometimes in a depth that is hard to follow, and I would say this is the albums biggest detractor.

Classic Dylan, spoken verse, jangly guitar, shifty lyrics, folk explosion, harmonica explosions. The guy wrote good music, plain and simple. It can be argued that he didn’t arrange and perform it to its fullest intent, but I’d argue that Bob is as imperfect as perfect should conceive of being. He is passion and influence, intrigue and creativity. Great casual background music, great critical listening.

Great, gritty, not-so-southern rock! These guys shaped Americana forever and gave power back to the rockers!

Way more rocking than I would have thought. I think I had a hard time vibing with some of the songs, but I certainly was feeling others. Overall, it has great tracks like killer queen!

The only Chore here is listening to this. Soft spoken vocals, and a tempo a turtle could vibe to. I don’t mind the medley or instruments and quirkiness, however it’s not enough to save the lackluster delivery.

The 10 years of Van Halen peace have unfortunately ended, and there is no longer peace in the Middle East. It appears we need them now more than ever! RIP Eddie. Auspiciously-timed South Park reference aside - this band is made up of supremely talented musicians, possessing a revolutionary guitarist, and an undeniably present vocalist in David. Along with the rest of the band these guys rewrote rock and merged fast placing and power chords back into the glam rock of the era. This album has some absolute jams on it, of which ain’t talkin bout love steals the show as it expands upon Eddie and David’s ability to create a massive anthem. The rest of the album is filled with iconic rock songs and just a tad bit of filler. It’s definitely a regular oration in my catalogue.

It’s the John we know and love, minus some powerful elements. It’s not bad. I like the creative mixture of jazz, folk, and pop. The screaming is neat I guess? Some strong tunes, just not fully finished.

Man, people don’t really care for live albums here, do they? This shit rocks!

Disco-pop with some DnB. Fun to listen to, but a bit long and repetitive to play outside of a 90s club.

Listened to this in the car with my wife who is an avid Gilmore Girl fan, I myself quite like the show as well. Carole sang us through a drive from Michigan as we appreciated the fall colors, and the juxtaposition could not have been more magical! An eclectic mix of folk rock, with singer-songwriting that could rival Dylan. The creativity is inspirational and the music lovely. Tons of hits, and tons of good tunes!

1001 Beatles albums to listen to before you die. The guttural yells from John and Paul is enough for even a grown man to feel something. Good luck to any teenage girl hearing this in the 60s, no wonder their live albums are just high-pitched scream tracks. This album is pop perfection. They write and belted love song after love song, and quite well!

It’s live Neil, baby! Dudes rockin, and the jams ain’t stoppin. Great sounds and great songs.

I can see why when this was released it was received warmly; it has well executed guitar licks and dreamy chorus’. However, the pop quickly subsides and it’s clear that this is just a poor imitation of their Liverpudlian predecessors.

God Damn! That is some dirty, crunchy metal. These guys were just pushing it harder than anyone else and Ozzy has most ethereal voice to carry this monolithic ecstasy into another dimension. Truly incredible. Supernaut and under the sun are magnificent.

It’s lovely, she can sing, good rapping, exciting song composure. The length drags a bit and the strong songs are up front.

Interesting is the word I would use. For a westerner trying to grasp this isn’t difficult with its blues roots, but it also isn’t easy with its complex mixing of African cultural music. This is certainly great for a casual shindig, but I don’t see myself reaching out to play any of these songs on a regular basis. The blend is beautiful and the instrumentation follows suit! I love the rhythmic chanting-type of singing, as well.

These guys certainly have a cult following and I’m not really in it. Some of it is ok, but mostly it’s just noise.

Lopsided. Starts off with some absolute rhythmic magic and then fades into some haphazardly spliced songs. The guitar work is mesmerizing and the percussion and organ work is a great compliment. Really creative stuff, just needed some better artistic direction.

Half-assed love songs carried by a generational voice.

Great voice. Corny country. She’s like the original Brandi Carlisle, and only slightly because of you know what. I’d say the music feels like a Christmas album without the sleigh bells. It’s like that classic big band music, with some pedal steel. She has a knack for the slow stuff and this an enjoyable venture.

I realize that I’m not cool if I don’t like this, but that isn’t enough for me to lie to myself and say that I connect with this. It’s just not that exciting.

Brit punk rock heaven. These guys lay down some exquisite fast-paced jams with fine-tuned fuzz pedals and accompanied by a unique vocalist. I was amazed to find out how much I loved this!

Wholly unimpressive but not terrible. This sounds like much of the drab pop-indie of today, so I guess there always has to be the forefather… the vocals are smothered in reverb and mixed to be quieter than the melody. The lyrics, from what I cared to pay attention to sang of cliche subjects and are forgettable.

Noisy and cluttered David Bowie. Some songs create a nice chaotic mixture. Nice enough voice. Back half of album settles into a nice dream-pop explosion.

I try to like them. I just don’t. I can mesh with a few of these songs, but their style is just choppy and lacks the rhythm.

I began listening to this on my AirPods, but after a minute or so I knew that the fidelity and emotion of this required my nicer cans. Boy was I glad with that decision- This album was simply a masterpiece of raw emotion channeled into a piano with expertise and passion. I could listen to a man pour his heart out with this type of skill all day. The songs appear to have no real gap between them so the 4 part breakage only appears to be a way for this guy to rest before again blowing everyone away. The songs go from peaceful and melodic to laying down some jazzy funk and everything in between. Truly beautiful.

Noise-rock. You have the constant drone of mono-tone vocals, where inflection is absent. The litany of instruments fly in from all directions and instead off taking a que to diminish upon another’s arrival, they take it as a challenge to play more aggressively and loud, like jazz but with one simultaneous power chord. It’s not bad music, but I don’t particularly care to listen to it.

It has the grunge elements that make an othwerwise exceptional band. However, it does not have a Layne, Kurt, or Eddie. And that, my friend, it what separates the monsters from the men.

Excellent! Sad songs with incredible guitar craftsmanship. Neil is a lot of things, and an excellent musician is one of them. Some of the songs are a little slower, by my god when he rips he rips. DOWN BY THE RIVERRR, I SHOT MY BAYBAYYY

Wow. This was unexpected and way better than I could hoped for. Gospel country with excellent harmonies and ripping guitar. The chorus and verse across all of the songs were fresh and slightly unusual for the genre. Pleasantly serendipity.

Cosmic Country is a lovely genre that I wish didn’t become the stomp n holler genre it is today for California slow rock. The Flying Burritos have a little more adventurous tendencies with their guitar solos, but as a stand alone project this is also great! I love Grams style, and I love the matchup with Emmylou. You could tell me this is outlaw country and I would believe it. Exceptional songwriting and exceptional attention to the detail.

Coming out of the gates swinging with some of the most eclectic and powerful ballad-rock known to man. Convincing people everywhere that this is the most British non-British band known to man. We are hit with exceptional levels of lyricism, accompanied by guitar, keyboard, and drum-filled builds. Followed by choirs of rejoice and queen-like chants. The highs and lows are as apparent as with any great album and it’s clear why this band catapulted to the top of pop-power-rock, and then cemented it with a single-version of a song that would power become this generations Don’t Stop Believing. Inexplicably heavy with power-tracks in the first half of the album, and followed up by an adequate finish. Great music!

Sounds like a dive bar, on a Sunday morning. I’m talking 2am Sunday, with a glass of scotch and a cigar. With conversation flirting with confrontation and exposure of deep feelings. You can image Tom singing to you in the corner. It is then when you recognize his presence.

Ambitious power rock. I love the jam sessions and the exploration into funky realms. This is a great album to throw on in the background of friend gathering.

Great head banging classic rock. Interlaced with some interesting screams, cries, and keys, but the guitar progressions are exceptional and the culmination of some very powerful rock. The vocals tend to be drowned out by the action, but the music is led by its exquisite power chords and grinding guitar shreds. YeaaaaahhhhHHHHH!

Boop beep bop boop beep. I crave ze boop bop beep.

Kinda like Rob Zombie, minus the good parts. I enjoyed some of the guitar work, but failed to understand where others see the magic. Industrial metal is absolutely an acquired taste, and one the comes with panted black nails and those pants that open towards the bottom, have too many zippers, and are black. Oh yeah, chain wallets.

Sloppy, boring poetry losely sung over funky basslines and interesting keyboard medleys. Ultimately it’s the uninspiretional vocals that let me down. Not my cup of tea.

Honestly, the rock is supreme in this. They have excellent chord progressions and solos are very tasty. I enjoy the music, but I think the singing is what turns me off. He has this monotone vibrato that is ok, but just doesn’t click for me. I appreciate many things about this and see myself listening to it again.

Everyone knows the first one and that always creates an expectation for the rest of the album. Of which mine were exceeded with this dream-pop debut. The synth style mixed with a little new age phase beat is a nice mix. I like several songs and wouldn’t mind listening them again.

Does it have a group of freakishly good musicians? Yes. Does it have eccentric blends of folk, blues and nerd-rock? Yes. Does it make me feel like a warlock? Yes. Does it absolutely rip? YES

Shoegaze noise. Not unbridled noise, but still enough to be upset by the lack of dynamics. I gotta hand it to these guys, though. They do know how to write some catchy riffs and chorus. The soft songs fall flat and the dull droning doesn’t click, let alone the 4 or 5 times identical songs are show-casing it. I’d say the better songs hit well and if the album were shorter and without the slows. It would be a solid 4

Can’t see the hips shakin, but at least you can hear the voice breakin. Too bad it’s about 15 songs about loving women enough to not let them escape, but the good news is that the guy is a talented singing and would go on to have a very eventful career. This is just ok, but nice to have as a background music.

Of course everyone loves Mr. Blue Sky, which is a song that would lead you to believe that the album, like the song, would be a grand exhibition. And while the opposite is not the case, it definitely is somewhere in the middle. This album is like the trippy Beatles sound a few more instruments and delay effects then kicked up the weird another notch. The talent is there, and the songwriting is good, but it’s not monumental. It’s good.

Overall I really like it. There are some groovy beats and the drum machine work is exceptional. I’ll say that the music gets a bit ambitious and not all of the concepts land. As a whole this is very genre defining for the time and holds up today as a period piece of electronic house/trance.

If you don’t have a smile as big as Stevie’s after listening to this, then there’s no hope. It would appear to me that Stevie understands the true gravity of music, its full potential, and what’s more, he can harness and handle it. He understands agony, and pain. He understands love, and passion. He can carry the sole to the highest splendor, and then he can drop the stankiest of funk. A true magician. A treasure.

Great voice. Very 80s. Pop-soul with those synth keys. The choir is a nice touch, but could have been perfected a bit more.

If you manage to stay awake through the majority of this album you’ll be saddened to learn that there is not an accompanying film to go along with this score-like 4-parter. It’s really just repetitive noise and pulsating crescendos. Nothing remarkable, at all. Dreamy background tunes.

80s soft pop. Bold instrument choices and catchy vocals. Some of the songs have a nice ethereal quality to them and this is reminiscent of some later indie-pop.

I was surprised by this one. Really impressive, if just slightly unpolished. They have a knack for bringing the melody back into the music while also deviating into the punk world for a bit. A solid mix of aggression, blues, and even some complex social battles. The power chords and raspy singing creates a lovely mix. Similar to J Roddy Walston stuff!

Sounds like these prisoners were having the time of their lives. Johnny really knows how to identify and speak to a crowd. He treats them like he’s one of them, and whether or not that is true is moot. He is an excellent entertainer and the music and comedy act put that on full display. Really unique and interesting performance.

Walter Fucking Becker… If you can listen to Boston Rag or My Old School and not have a gigantic smile on your face after Walter absolutely shreds your brain in half with that tonal wave of sound, then I’m not sure I could ever be your friend. This album is absolute jazz-rock heaven, I think they’re most true to the genre. With keys and drums accompanying the backing singers and supporting Walter and Donald. It’s just something you grow into and appreciate more as you age. I’m sure someone could explain it to me, but in the meantime I’ll just continue appreciating it more and more.

It’s like Nirvana, only sloppier, slower, less rhythm, and surpassingly worse at guitar. Let alone the signing, and all of its droning.

A blend of showy dance music and some thought provoking lyricism. Dave Byrne’s quirky style may precede the band, but it doesn’t quite define it. The melodic chorus and sporadic guitar licks accompanying the chanting hooks are what serve the creation of an interesting and eclectic rock-blend. This is the type of music that you can’t not pay attention to, it’s too strange, and ultimately too intriguing to not give a chance, for better or worse. It’s definitely a better for me.

Good singing, strong song composition, albeit a thin sound. This just lacks true substance and falls flat. Nothing about it is bad, yes it’s a little boring, more so that nothing stands out as must listen again.

Obviously talented and an exceptional vocal talent. I like her style and her embrace of counter-pop, if I can call it that. She has a knack for unique mixing and instrumentation. I think I get lost a bit in the exploration and less than passionate delivery. More or less it’s just not in my camp.

Common explored and found a great flow that roles well with his style and voice. The music doesn’t really stand out to me, and as others have said I also noticed that the homophobia is strong here and it’s unlikely is listen to this again.

Exceptional funk plus ripping rock. I think the poop jokes get a little tired, but these guys really have the music thing figured out. Great to have on in a hangout situation or BBQ

Just because our ancestors eventually discovered fire and then roasted the first squirrel, unseasoned guts and all, does not mean that we can’t all agree that literally any cut of steak spoils that initial delight and massive advancement in human ingenuity. We can still appreciate them for taking that giant leap for mankind and embrace all that has come since.

Decent story-bluegrass. Darker themes are prevalent, but for those of us that don’t necessarily focus on music for the lyrics, but more so for the melodies and emotions that they generate. To that effect this music is interesting and delightful. Great harmonies, and decent fidelity.

I have to imagine at the time this was ground breaking. However, now it is a bit under whelming; to no fault of the album, just a product of the times. Regardless, there is some excellent guitar with here and some lovely vocal arrangements.

Thin punk-blues. Low fidelity and half-composed guitar riffs. The vocals don’t necessarily annoy me, I’d say they are reminiscent of talking heads or violent femmes. However, the totality of the song falls short.

I went back and forth between a 3 and 4. It started off wonderfully with some great Brit Trance-dance pop. The vocals compliment nicely and the mixing is excellent with great rhythm. Honestly, the music itself is nice, but ultimately it’s let down by inconsistency and needless experimentation without a true root to meaningful song for many of these tracks. Overall, the good tracks are good but surrounded by lack-luster.

It’s hard to set aside the lore and legend that comes with an album that changed the game. However, it’s easy to just be critical of a gangster-rap album for being a collection of contrived, mediocre rap about killing and fucking bitches. I understand it’s a reflection of culture and an incredibly important portrayal of LA life. Some of the beats are pretty tight, tho.

I’ve had a few Elvis albums before this one, and I have to say that this is a nice departure from his early achy-heart rock. This is soulful and swinging, and it has some more complex constructions, which spark intrigue. All while containing that classic Elvis quiver and shake. The songs are unique and thoughtful.

Lovely, soulful, energetic blue. Great composure and execution.

Can’t say that this isn’t well conceived art. However, as with all art it is subject to subjectivity. And subjectively this gives me “let’s try the Oasis route and miss the mark, let’s also borrow from Bowie and then recreate that really crappy 90s Brit-pop composition.” I don’t hate this music, I just know that I’ll never be in my feels and think this is a good medicine. Good voice, good production, unique songs.

Like a fine whiskey, this album has a bitter burst and aromatic quality that is followed by a smooth finish. I’ll ad that it also probably gets better every sip or listen if I continue this Analogy. This is very Bob Dylan-esque and it’s hard to say who inspired whom, maybe if flows both way. The harmonies are lovely and the song composition is excellent. Lovely stuff.

Big sounds, great instrumentation, powerful lyrics, incredible voice, and excellent production. This is a stellar album from a legendary frontman. It’s got that 80s sound which can easily be overdone, and sometimes it gets close, but the artistry shines through in this excellent composed LP.

Slow house jazz. Not really my thing. Not terrible. Not remarkable.

Some odd things about Jack White that shine through in this album: he was known for favoring guitar technique over the quality of the instrument and is known for making his own guitars out of the bare minimum components. This comes through to the music with harsh highs and muddy power chords. Another oddity is the low production value of these first few albums, it’s really not until Get Behind Me Satan that you hear the production rival the technique. Then there’s the obvious bare-bones song composition. You have ragtag piano sing alongs and absolute filthy guitar blues. Here’s the thing, this album may have what appears to be a nonchalant production value, and the fact that Meg White only serves to accompany the madness and not take any sort of lead doesn’t harm the value of the finished product in any way. That’s the beauty of art and music. Jack white knew he was magic and he was able to concoct a potion to redefine Indy/blues rock. This album combines passion and rock rhythm into something in excess of its parts. It’s remarkable musicianship from a guy who is not only arrogant, but can live up to his hype.

It’s mindless EDM, not too harsh or deviating in any particular direction so as to be an annoying, contrived mess. It actually blends some solid rhythm with interesting instrumentation and the bass and drums assemble some adequate hip swaying beats. This really isn’t anything more than background music to accompany a hangout sesh with the boys or the girls, similarly it is not a casual listening experience for anyone that has left this phase behind them. Perhaps a revisit one day.

Not my pinnacle RS, but you can’t deny this album rocks. Blues and southern US sound are of course not their brand, but the homage absolutely stuck a chord with US fans. This stuff has great composition and some catchy tunes. Gimme Shelter is obviously top 3 RS all time.

People enjoy listening to this? It’s boring Brit pop, over-synthesized, and hard to decipher. The poppy bits are similar to Weezer, and I’m talking recent Weezer, the bad kind. The slow chorus parts are like John frusciante solo work, however when I think I’m beginning to enjoy it, I realize it still stinks so it’s hard for me to make that comparison and is only a reflection of the dystopian rhythm assembly and reverbed vocals, not in anyway comparable to His majesty.

Hey! Look! It’s Blitzkrieg Bop and 13 other variations of Blitzkrieg Bop.

Solid country and western. The lyrics are solid along with the accompanying instruments and overall musical quality. I can imagine this shaped the genre for generations, and I hear many influential styles. Some of the songs hit, others were slow love songs. I think I would rate this as a relisten 3

Plain Jane. Or Yoko.

Really impressive stuff. The guitar licks rip, and the lyrics are sharp. The music has very strong composition with many layers strewn about. I’m really into the almost funky like breaks with the bass lines and drum beats, and every time I think it’s going to be a boring song, the best kicks in and I’m bobbing along.

Ridiculous concoction of simple melodies and then a cataclysm of instrumental oddities. I don’t even like this ironically. It’s boring and superficial.

Not a lot to go on here. Certainly important to remember the decade this came out, so as to get an idea of how ground breaking it was. However, now it is just this post-punk showgaze that while not bad is also not much to digest. I think it stands up as a casual listen, but lacks any lasting relevancy.

Excellent raw flow. The many headed beast brings many rap styles and flows to the track on this album, however they are blended well. While this is not the most technical, well produced, or mixed album. The powerful rap and genuine story telling carry it far. There is pure talent, and a desire to thrive here. The anime themed beats coupled with detailed street violence paint the picture of the daily life for these guys and you can nearly feel like you understand them, for a moment that is.

Bit of a one trick pony with the reverb slow chords and harmony of vocals. It holds a good casual listen, with its beatlesque dream-pop and quirky guitar rhythms.

Flutes and harmonicas and mediocre singing. If those are your thing. Have a go.

Definitely rocks. It has the punk vibes and the careless screams along with rocking guitar and a steady drumbeat. I think it’s not quite as refined as I’d like, but still good to listen to.

Solid blues rock. Great background jams with some real bangers. Obviously it can be a little tedious at times, but not bad.

Cookie cutter cliche of Brit pop rock. The delivery is mundane and can only partially be made up for with decent production. Wholly unforgettable.

Bored. Uninterested at any point. It’s not bad music, just not anything I would ever listen to again.

Look… Rumours is out of the way. One of the best albums of all time. A huge commercial success and on the backs the tumultuous relationships from the band that created it. The decision can be to attempt to top it, or realize that there is no need and the next can be whatever you want it to be. The latter is what I feel the band chose. They had all of the pain and magic of the previous album and they had the ability to capture the magic again. Any of these songs could have been on Rumours; they are all as strong as the hits. If anything hindered this album, it was the unbelievable success, the accompanied expectations, and the general darker tone of these songs. As If the message is still the same but the minor chords and reverb where increased to more express the pain. That resonates with me. The band knew they had freedom, and they didn’t squander it. They produced something beautiful, something that stands on its own.

Raw passion and aggression, along with complex progressive ideals, disguised by such instrumentation and conviction as to fool an entire generation of right-wings that this music is made for their conservative ideals. When, to the contrary, these boys could be no less differently oriented. That plus the scream and Tom Morello magic makes this a killer album. MUTHA FUCKA! Oooohhhhaaa!

The production value is high, and so is the quirkiness. Obviously heavily Beatles-inspired. I thing it hits the mark in several cases with strong songs, but also gets muddy in other areas. Great arrangements and you can’t knock em for trying some new things.

It’s hard not to smile when finished with this album. I think this is something to be enjoyed in its entirety. Tom is gravely and an entrancing story teller. The music is simple but delightful for a whiskey drinking hang out. The music sounds like a dive bar.

This music elicited an emotional response. That’s something powerful. The production value is incredible. Such an impressive melding of instruments and vocals that weave in and out exceptionally, peaking and dipping in a jazz formation where they do not battle each, but instead allow the other to flourish. The singing can be soft at times, but it’s never boring, always beautiful. The concept aspect is fun, the titles are silly, and the filler songs are unique flows that have their own cosmic flair. Truly a beautiful album on the first listen.

Solid mixing and production. Poor final product of surface level cultural exploitation. Boring. Weird. Not enjoyable to listen to.

Good bops. Great production. Groovy stuff and a strong 3

Certainly an exceptional poet with incredible song writing talent. The music is presented at face value, which is not a bad thing, it just means that some songs shine through with their beauty and the others are just thin singer-songwriter experiences.

I get the ambition. I feel the talent. I appreciate some of the vocal achievements. I do not intend to listen to this again, by choice.

We get it. You’re upset. Stop screaming.

Certainly well-executed 80s pop. Complete with catchy hooks and dance beats. The hits are timeless, and the rest is filler.

Excellent eclectic rock. Plenty of melancholy to go around, accompanied by some truly ethereal singing and music composition. This contains a strong passion and ability to cut to the emotions.

I like the ambition to mix so many instrumentals and flavors together. However, short of Strawberry Letter this sounds like Hobby Lobby background Jazz, a step up from elevator jazz.

Noise. Melody. Noise. Talk. Noise.

It’s got that one song!

Talented and ground breaking. When the drops hit and the guitar is chugging that’s the peak. The vocals are screamy and just ok. A little repetitive. Good but not my type.

Post-punk drudge and sadness are apparent in the beginning, but eventually the record strikes a chord and hits that reinvention of rock stride. I think the ambition is phenomenal and the execution is acceptable. I still don’t understand why every 50 year old with a gray beard has to where the shirt, but perhaps if this has been released while I was in my formative years, I may have a softer spot for it? Idk… it’s just missing passion. It weaves some wicked guitar chords and SFX in, but doesn’t keep the pace.

Some good songs. Mostly background music.

Excellent music and song composure. A bit on the dry side, but nevertheless strong song composition. I don’t really vibe with his singing style, and the music does not elicit an emotional response.

Very 80s. Very dull.

I thought this was unique and an experimental success. The singing is strange enough, but never annoying. It’s got that boundary pushing pop that we are used to from the post-Beatles pop bands, but it adds a sort of funkiness to the mix, which serves to make some real strong vibe music. I enjoyed it.

Neil explores blues, rock, and even some country tones here. He always delivers a complex and motivated story, but this time it becomes something more. It’s as if an entire album was inspired by Old Man, the sadness shines through and the music excellently fills in the details.

Heavy characteristics and similarities can be drawn to that other British, weird-pop band. However, these guys make their own flavor which is refreshing and delightful in some aspects, albeit sometimes mundane. The hits are certainly magical.

U2 makes hits. They don’t make not hits.

2 U2 albums in a row and I’m tired of it already. Bono is an excellent singer and the edge is a creative player. But this stuff is boring.

I really like the uptempo tracks. This is some absolutely stanky jazz and when it hits its stride it just infects you with the groove. I love the improv work, primarily because them are some talented musicians. There is an amble mixture of tones and instruments, and the composition of the songs is so widely varied that it creates some excellent area for exploration. Exciting, groovy, tasty jazz.

They write whacky songs about sex, cars, and tv dinners. Then they proceed to absolutely tear up a guitar with southern rock blues licks. It’s great. They are extremely strong tracks and a couple fillers.

Taking the Wah-wah to the limit! Funky music, with excellent production and structure. Lovely blend of soul and complex story telling. For me it just doesn’t have any lasting power, not to say it’s bad.

If you’re looking to grab your old lady by the waist and swing away around the fireplace on a cozy winter night, this is your stuff. If, on the other hand, you’re looking to do virtually any thing else, this is not your stuff.

Really feels like that turn-of-the-decade mix. It’s has the 80s elements of synthesized drum beats and big sounds, but you can start to hear the industrial dark-rock mix into it. Like a drug hangover. The music is complex enough, with thoughtful sound and mix. However, I couldn’t get into it to any meaningful amount.

This is garbage drug-rap. Pretty much everything wrong with the world.

Aggressive gangsta rap. Raekwons flow is an acquired taste. He has an excellent ability to change up his rhythm and emphasizes his lyrics. The content of the raps is the usual: drugs, women, violence, and self-promotion. I think the picture into the the life is painted well, and this album is a period piece that led to modern rap.

This suburban dad in socks and sandals absolutely wants to discuss grass-layering techniques and then segue into the delicate nuances of Steely Dans’ jazz rock. From funky rhythms to ripping guitar medley. The horns are blaring and the keyboards are squealing. This is musical magic, ladies and gentleman.

As always, I appreciate his ability to write a well-structured verse. However, I find it hard to appreciate the execution. This is singer-songwriter meets 80s revolution.

Boring. Shitty. It’s like daytime crime-drama background music.

They just kinda have that one sound, ya know? It’s ok sometimes, fits nicely with a few songs, gets the head banging a bit. Even the acoustic guitar can shine here and there, but people come for the yelling “yeah-hah” and the wailing guitar. I like it enough, just not craving it.

Electric blues and folk. Bobs foray into the combo was a successful one, albeit not quite as powerful as the blues fathers, but no less a good shake. Some real hits, and some quality fillers. Great as a whole or split into parts. The classic Bobby singing style as well!

As a bluegrass fan I appreciate this album for its ambition and talent. The music is lovely and delightful, albeit a bit simple and repetitive. Simply based on how much the songs resonate with me, guides my rating. Good, not great.

80s hair metal, with the yelling and chugging guitars. Not bad, has the flavor. Just not my music.

With the presence of some real excellence also comes a bit of polarizing execution. The production vosuexis high, and the structure of the songs is well done. The use of instruments and the singing are also something to be appreciated. I get lost in the experimental abyss, but I also get caught by the beauty. Overall, a strong album that deserves its recognition. I should appreciate this more for influencing the better side of “Sad boy rock” but here we are…

For those that like elements of both sides of the Beatles, this album is a treat. You absolutely sense the classic, love song, pop-group that we all know and love. Then, you get the sense of changes to come. Things are slower, more thoughtful. The songs about relationships and minor themes are still there, but the writing appears to be more explorative and the instruments featured begin to expand. We feel the onset of something exciting. We get the excellent joy from Paul, and then the oddity of John. I wouldn’t say this is the peak of the mix, but the middle road brings some excitement. It’s wild that the 60s can very nearly be split in 2, right to when this came out in 65 because it really feels like Help is the end of the pop era, and revolver is the start of the trip era, with the nestled square in the middle.

I’m not cool enough to enjoy this. It’s spoken word indie, the guitar licks are good and the fidelity is nice. I just can’t connect to the vibe of not singing, and having the absolute most whimsical lyrics ever.

The voice is unmatched. The man makes you feel like you’re living the story he’s telling, and my god the harmonica solos are invigorating! Muddy had the freedom to create some magic here and that shines through with some passionate licks and yells. I know the BB has the best phrasing, but you can really hear that slide guitar talk on I Can’t Be Satisfied.

One of those rare albums where the songs continue to get better as you listen. You begin to absorb the music, understand and feel the passion. This is some of the realest and well executed punk there is. Beautiful vocals and thrashing guitar. Absolute fun!

Absolute anarchy. The wildest lyrics and angriest delivery. But the music bops, there’s so much depth here, from the power chords, to the keys in the background, synthesized noises, it just infects you and gets the head bobbing. The material is absolutely wild, but it clicks. I don’t even particularly like the singing, but I don’t hate the final product. Wired rating for me.

Obviously a polarizing album. i just don’t think some people understand the appeal of sad-boy Midwest Indy. This is far from boring; the music is complex and the lyricism is provocative. Each song is a new world and the accenting instrumentation is a delight. I think the bias gets to people.

A Beautiful voice and some powerfully written pop songs are what catapulted these guys to success, and long before they found that special sauce of putting out hit after hit, they identified that they could zone in on a sound and jam on it and create this gigantic sound. And it works for them. Overtime I feel as though the music became less creative and more about the impact. However, that was not the case with Parachutes, and not quite fully true with this album. While propelled by the massive songs, it still has powerful presence as a whole. I’ve never been fully engrossed, but I could appreciate their first few albums for the talent collected and refined in them.

It’s like an Oasis meets Radiohead, with way more emphasis on the indie rock vibes. Very spacey and ethereal. The singing is good, but I always feel like the British versions of this genre get a little cheesy. Just my opinion. Some songs hit their stride and become power pop ballads, but for the most part it’s passable and not worth a relisten.

Really unique and cool psychedelic folk. The production value lacks at times, but they hit some serious grooves throughout.

As a person who does consider themselves a punk aficionado, I can say that I never quite get into the gibberish yelling and harsh guitars. I understand the value of this, but I cannot fully appreciate it. I will have to revisit one day

Beautiful when it’s right, understated when it’s not. The music is of course deserving of it praise with the melodic harmony and janglet guitars. The hooks are a delight and the music really speaks to the sole. I love the hits and a few others, but could do without some of the fillers.

She can sing about absolutely nothing and make it beautiful. Hence the hatred from others. However, I happen to think that while her songs happen to be simple, they also contain a magic more often than not. Emotion flows through amid the chord progressions and choir accompaniment. It puts you into her world, and that’s powerful stuff. Her cataclysmic voice is obviously the show, but the supporting characters of composition and prose twisting into poetry is what completes the strong exectuiton.

Very much a Cure inspired Brit pop band. Maybe I’m just disenchanted by this stuff, or I just don’t have the ability to appreciate it. The music is creative enough and I like the spacey elements, along with the guitar noodling. I am not so tuned into the shakey vocals or the break from cohesive consistency. Overall some good songs.

It’s wild that music about killing, bitches, and drugs can eventually turn into corny mixes and versus, but that is understand with how far hip hop has come in the decades since. It’s apparent how well mixed and produced this is, but it is most certainly a period piece with some classics, and some songs that have served their purpose.

Girl power rock, borderline punk. I think the power chords and yells hit some strides here and there. Like most punk, the screaming can get old and takes an acquired taste, the vibrato can get old. The music is well thought out and produced and mixed.

Great voice, but this really is some otherworldly flavor. Abstract is an under statement, during the absence of structured chorus or verse. Where the voice is simply on a journey to explore the empty space. It’s just too much to enjoy as a typical listener. It takes an effort to reach the appreciation. Random instruments, some thoughtfully executed, electronic beats sporadically hitting, and the ever present ahhhhhhhyyyyaaaaaheeeeaaaaa

Slower than the later Cure. Has some of the magic, and the sadness shines through magnificently. Just not my pace.

It reminds me of those old WB commercials, the ones with the dancing frog with a cane. In fact, I think Going Out Of My Mind may have been the song… Anyway, great production, fun beats, and dance-inducing songs. It is only slightly dated, but this music, EDM, has evolved so much that this is now a relic.

Really solid English folk. Great harmonization and hauntingly beautiful songs. It has elements of grass roots as well as a Celtic lullaby. The music is peaceful and melodic. Has rocking vibes at first and then fades to beauty.

Department store mellow electro pop. Really about as exciting as waiting at the DMV.

Really just freakishly talented musicians who have a knack for portraying raw emotion and combining it with musical phrasing that really cuts to the heart. I could always use more Levon, but the availability of multiple talented singers presents that dilemma. Lovely lovely music.

Dream pop with a lovely voice. The music hits its stride in many ways, however it doesn’t always ride the wave for long, due to the constant state of change. I don’t have a problem with anything in particular I just don’t see myself adding this to the rotation. There is a presence of beauty and strong song composure, regardless.

Mellancamp, Springsteen. It’s as if a karaoke version of common 80s rock hits existed and a moderately talented singer gave his rendition. Just doesn’t hit me as anything necessary to play again. I respect the ambitious song structure and composition. Just kinda meh.

I love the mellow punk vibes that could be mistaken for modern indie, and then you add in some righteous guitar riffs and fills and I can see how these guys might have been onto something. I think the singing may have hindered my in the beginning of the album with the shakey vibrato and mild whiny-ness. However, as the album progressed I can appreciate the style in a similar to the violent Femmes or David Byrne. Really explorative sound in this album with a rock foundation and an intrepid spirit.

Really cool, smooth jazz with excellent dynamics. To be listened to as a whole.

Very cool sound, great experimentation with the electric guitar as well as electronic sound. Likely well ahead of their time. The music tends to feel like a background accoutrement, perhaps that of a movie score. You get hints of a punk band, but it focuses on the wall of sound rather than the yelling anger. It has that attraction, but lacks the revisit-ability.

Always magical. Always lovely. This time a little slow.

The story of Tommy. A little over my head and perhaps I’m too naive to grasp the grandeur. Overall the guitar work is lovely, with some strong songs and some noise.

As heavy on the N word as he is on the distortion, also the rape. Some of the songs get the head bangin. Otherwise very passable.

Refreshingly ambitious, while a little unpolished. Regardless, he punk-style belting is a fun mix with the light accompaniment of instruments. Stripped to bear essentials, this is a powerful expression. Worth a revisit.

Hey that’s not bad! Hey that’s also not good!

A collection of well-engineered, artistic, 80s electro-beats. However, the title track is just something so much more grand. They put together a masterpiece and had trouble replicating the magic. The rest is filler, solid filler, the contrast is just insurmountable.

Sweet Jesus! Wrap me in your death metal embrace and take me to the promised land.

Feeling kinda tired.

Very polarizing guy. Personally, I find times where I enjoy his gnarled crackle of a voice. Other times, I tolerate it. This music has a very specific purpose of either intent listening or background ignorance, both while consuming hard liquor. A wide range of instruments, creative, dark and whimsical.

I was surprised to learn that these guys hail from California. One of the first CDs that I ever owned. I blew this thing out in elementary school. Over and over and over again from start to finish. It shaped me in so many ways. I can understand the hate for these guys, but it has never swayed the esteem that I hold them in. Their music is magical. The first 6 songs are just a nonstop cataclysm of expression. Pure energy and musicianship. Then they fit fucking Otherside into it… one the breakdown hits at 3 minutes you get peak RHCP, a steamy baseline, a powerful drum, rapping lyrics, and just the most absolutely mesmerizing Frusciante experience with soaring guitars and angelic harmonization. It’s the pinnacle of rock in my opinion. This Velvet Glove might just be my favorite Chili pepper song of all time. The only gripe I have with this album is that it does not end on a banger, otherwise it still remains my favorite album of all time, by my favorite band of all time. This album is far from perfect, the mix alone leaves a lot to be desired. However, this music is intended not for critical listening, it is intended to accompany your drive, your party, your hangout. It catches your ear and it makes you groove, and when you finally dive into the complexity of the layering you are faced with a cosmos of creativity. The album is a delight from start to finish and has shaped my music tastes ever since I first dived in.

Although it lacks some cohesion, see Mother, I would still recommend this album to many for its ability to capture and explore the looser side of music. The ability to take regae and mix it with soft rock. Truly beautiful music. Sting is a strange cat but also writes a mean hook. The 4 song stretch is a thing of beauty and really hits the climax of an otherwise lovely album.

Ive decided that I don’t care much for punk. I tend to take music at face value, because why the hell would I choose to look past untamed yelling and battling instruments towards the influential aspect of the album. It’s not enough for me sometimes, especially not this time.

It lacks a certain cohesion that is hard to pinpoint. The music is lovely and the guitar riffs are impressive, however the venturing into jazz, soul, melancholic rock, and other genres really stretches this record thin. Its ambition outweighed its prowess. Regardless, there are some strong appearances and perhaps if this omitted more of the weaker tracks, it have been an excellent EP.

They defined an entire generation of indie punk rock. This album has some truly catchy riffs and the ambition is monumental. I think the hits really hit and some of the rest is just filler, but groundbreaking nonetheless.

A little long, a little contrived, a little bit country, and a little bit rock n roll. I personally wouldn’t agree that this is The Stones best, instead I would say it is their most controlled and chart-oriented. The presence of blues makes it very American, and the jazz horns add a delightful depth to it. Great casual listening, solid hits, classic Stones.

Bunch of self-righteous pricks who hate on Coldplay because it’s cool to do. Honestly the opposite of what you think this project would bring out in people. Coldplay may have altered their sound exceptionally in the albums to come after this, but that does not change the fact that this was a breakthrough in indie pop-rock. The vocals are exceptional and the guitar melodies are fantastic. It can slow down into the most beautiful music ever and people shit on it? This is their peak! They had to change after. How can you follow this up? Bunch of phonies.

Very smooth and lovely music. Horn jazz with some pleasant vocals and great balance of power within the instruments. I find it hard to connect to the music, and it doesn’t really capture me. Objectively it is very beautiful.

On the service I enjoy the quirkiness and unique instrument blending. The songs have a fun quality to them, but I get lost in the monotony and casual exploration.

Strictly based on the presence of absolute bangers, this album is an Auto 4. Speakerboxxx itself is a ghetto-rap masterpiece. Big Boi lays down some solid bars and the exceptional mixing propels the music forward. As always Andre exhibits his creative side on The Love Below, and we get some good and not so good. The length of the double Lp leaves some questionable gaps in otherwise brilliant songs, but they let the magic consume them and put out a crowd pleaser with tracks that will define a generations rap exposure.

Bored to tears. Dull Brit-pop, every song is the fucking same. The vocals are so reverbed and washed out that I just get lost, like the reading a boring book lost, where you read 5 pages and remember nothing.

As always, a lovely and wonderful voice. The big band is blastin them trumpets and pairing the essential accoutrements. However, the length here does not present a tidy and digestible foray into the music. We are left with some well written and sung classics, but with too much to offer.

Ambient and psychedelic. A little too experimental for my taste even if it is Bowie.

This one is perplexing. In the one hand the guitar absolutely rips throughout the album, the production value is remarkable with an assemble of instrumentation, but on the other hand I don’t feel any of the songs click. They have most of the elements for great rock albums, they even have some decent hooks. However, it’s just not there for me. It’s like a girlfriend that has all of the great qualities, and is a lovely person, but you don’t feel the connection. Even though she does a great Bob Dylan impression, especially on I wish I was your mother, but she’s just too vanilla and doesn’t posses her own spark. Idk.

Raw and powerful guitar work, although a bit sloppy. I got it adds to the mystique. The songs are catchy enough and the yelling style is certainly punk rock. A little rough around the edges, and I think I agree that the Iggy cut is more pure. Not quite my listening preference but still enjoyable.

She can wright catchy hooks and the music is interesting enough. Her rap is basic and borderline adolescent at times, but this album is better than her paper planes follow up.