700
Albums Rated
3.07
Average Rating
64%
Complete
389 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
2010s
Favorite Decade
Singer-songwriter
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
61
5-Star Albums
37
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ys
Joanna Newsom
|
5 | 2.8 | +2.2 |
|
Kimono My House
Sparks
|
5 | 3.06 | +1.94 |
|
I'm Your Man
Leonard Cohen
|
5 | 3.1 | +1.9 |
|
Let England Shake
PJ Harvey
|
5 | 3.15 | +1.85 |
|
Rain Dogs
Tom Waits
|
5 | 3.2 | +1.8 |
|
GREY Area
Little Simz
|
5 | 3.24 | +1.76 |
|
Winter In America
Gil Scott-Heron
|
5 | 3.25 | +1.75 |
|
Cross
Justice
|
5 | 3.27 | +1.73 |
|
The College Dropout
Kanye West
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
|
5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
If You're Feeling Sinister
Belle & Sebastian
|
1 | 3.18 | -2.18 |
|
Slanted And Enchanted
Pavement
|
1 | 3.03 | -2.03 |
|
Emperor Tomato Ketchup
Stereolab
|
1 | 3.02 | -2.02 |
|
Peace Sells...But Who's Buying
Megadeth
|
1 | 2.98 | -1.98 |
|
Viva Hate
Morrissey
|
1 | 2.96 | -1.96 |
|
Blood And Chocolate
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
|
1 | 2.92 | -1.92 |
|
Merriweather Post Pavilion
Animal Collective
|
1 | 2.9 | -1.9 |
|
White Light / White Heat
The Velvet Underground
|
1 | 2.88 | -1.88 |
|
Greetings From L.A.
Tim Buckley
|
1 | 2.86 | -1.86 |
|
Apple Venus Volume 1
XTC
|
1 | 2.85 | -1.85 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 6 | 4.67 |
| Bob Dylan | 6 | 4.5 |
| Led Zeppelin | 4 | 4.75 |
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 5 |
| Radiohead | 5 | 4.4 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 4.67 |
| Metallica | 3 | 4.67 |
| Kanye West | 2 | 5 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 4.33 |
| Creedence Clearwater Revival | 3 | 4.33 |
| Johnny Cash | 3 | 4.33 |
| Leonard Cohen | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| My Bloody Valentine | 2 | 1 |
| Morrissey | 3 | 1.67 |
| Robert Wyatt | 2 | 1.5 |
| XTC | 2 | 1.5 |
| Pere Ubu | 2 | 1.5 |
| Elvis Costello & The Attractions | 4 | 2 |
| Yes | 3 | 2 |
| The Fall | 3 | 2 |
| Tim Buckley | 3 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| The Velvet Underground | 4, 1, 2 |
5-Star Albums (61)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Bob Dylan
5/5
The album before was "The Dark Side of the Moon" so it's a tall order to follow but I think this manages.
This is my favourite Dylan album. As i get older I feel that the older stuff Dylan wrote that previously were my favourites now seem a bit mean and childish. This album however has grown on me so much. There are not many catchy songs but the lyrics are really where this shines. Many of the songs feel like poems more than songs in a way. The songs are all scenes from a relationship and there is so much optimism and sorrow between the lines. I think it's clear that this is a more adult break-up album, there is not too much anger but just a lot of regret and reminiscence.
Favourite songs is hard to say as it's such a slow burn. I have a few favourite lyrics though from simple twist of fate:
"""
He woke up, the room was bare
He didn't see her anywhere
He told himself he didn't care
Pushed the window open wide
Felt an emptiness inside
To which he just could not relate
...
People tell me it's a sin
To know and feel too much within
I still believe she was my twin but I lost the ring
"""
Clear 5 star from me.
5 likes
The Isley Brothers
4/5
Was hooked from the get go when I recognised the intro to "That Lady" as the sampled used for "i" by Kendrick Lamar.
I really enjoyed this, it had the right balance between soul, funk and even some disco for me. A great mix of songs that never really got boring and towards the end the excellent "Summer Breeze" closed the album out. Solid 4.
5 likes
X-Ray Spex
4/5
Made me want to drink beer at a packed venue while listening to this. Cool punk album with hints of ska. The vocals are really something special.
That said did i even listen to the right album? I just took the one on Spotify but now I see it seems to have quite a few different songs.
Anyway, favorite tracks include "I Am a Poseur" and "Identity" with its cool sax. Nice album of a band I have never heard of.
2 likes
Ray Charles
3/5
Chose this specifically for morning work while jet-lagged. Was a nice chill listen. If your in for some chill big band and jazz this is a nice one. "Come Rain or Come Shine" is a very nice track that showcases Ray Charles singing.
2 likes
Haircut 100
2/5
Like a blend of the Smiths and the specials if they decided to be happy and do jazz. Was it weird and interesting, maybe? Does it deserve to be on this list? Meh. Feel harsh rating it a 2 but it's a very strong 2.
2 likes
1-Star Albums (37)
All Ratings
Deep Purple
4/5
A classic
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
Some great hits but some annoying innovations with stereo sound
The Yardbirds
3/5
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
John Martyn
3/5
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
True 5
Morrissey
2/5
Couldn't bother finish
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
John Lennon
4/5
Some real timeless songs
Elliott Smith
2/5
The Smiths
4/5
Missy Elliott
3/5
Love missy, but not the best of her work
Willie Nelson
4/5
Really enjoyed it.
Muddy Waters
4/5
Pavement
1/5
Not for me
Bob Dylan
4/5
Not one of my favorite Dylan albums but still good. Highway 61 revisited is a real good song. The Desolation Row ending was great! I've only heard it as a stand alone song before but it really came into its own as a closer to the album.
The Offspring
3/5
I think my first ever album i bought was Americana by The Offspring. This is a few albums earlier and it still have some hits. I loved the songs I've heard before while the others were so-so. Come out and play (keep 'em seperated) will forever be molten giants trash in MC for me.
The Verve
4/5
Was not in the mood for soft rock and knowing only "Bittersweet Symphony" and "The drugs don't work" I was not looking forward to it. Surprised by the heavier tracks such as "The Rolling People" and "Come On" were very good and generally enjoyed the album.
Dr. Dre
2/5
I dunno, didn't like this as much as I was expecting. The beats are really good but Dre's rhymes are meh. Skits are boring and the whole album drags a bit. As a time document on where hip hop was heading it's good but it kinda feels like an N.W.A album without the other members. Extra points for Snoop. Looking forward to 2001. 2.5 starts maybe?
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
It's insane this is just 6 years before the chronic, this sounds way older and simpler. However, this album is just fun. The rhymes are fun, full of tongue twisters and jokes. The rhymes are kind of simple but good. I just generally enjoyed the whole thing as a feel good piece. Shout out to SSX tricky for introducing me to the best track of the album at age 10!
Aerosmith
3/5
The albums breath surprised me. From "toys in the attic" which felt like classic rock, to "Big ten inch record" which was old school Rock N Roll, to "Round and Round" which has taken inspiration from heavy metal and "When the levee breaks". Most of these tracks felt like they weren't as good as some the ones they had taken inspiration from. All in all an I liked the album where Sweet emotion is a highlight.
The Kinks
3/5
It's The Kinks. I like the Kinks. Some songs stuck out and some did not. Not an album i think I'll continue listening too. Waterloo sunset is a great way to finish an album.
Harry Nilsson
4/5
Am i stuck at wedding in Palm Spring doomed to repeat the same day over and over?! After having no clue who Harry Nilsson is, I was surprised to here to the song from Palm Springs. Not only that but after wondering where I've heard "Jump into the fire" I found out it's in Goodfellas! Such a weird album, after the very good and "såsig" ballad of "Without you" comes "Coconut" with a fake Jamaican dialect?!?!
This album kept me on my toes and it was never boring it has many tracks with potential to become favorites
5/5
Starman, Moonage Daydream, Ziggy Stardus, Suffargette City, Rock'N'Roll Suicide.... It's insane how many classics is on this one album that runs below 40 min in length. Really enjoyed it and nice to listen to "the story" in order. A true classic.
Mekons
3/5
This was a bizarre album. Like a mixture of Viagra Boys, The Pouges and The Smiths, with some fiddle thrown in for good measure. Brownie Points for being different. I really liked "Last Dance" and added it to my own playlist.
Minor Threat
2/5
Was really not in the mood for punk today and didn't enjoy it particularly. Might come back to this one for a relisten later.
Fatboy Slim
5/5
What an album! I've listened to most the tracks before. It edges on being just noise sometimes but steers clear into greatness. Love the soul beats, love the scratches and the funk. My only complaint is that it might be a bit too long. The second halft drags on slightly but I would still call it a 5.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
If I wrote an album about radiation, war, protests, racial tensions and how the world seems to be ending, this would not be it. This album touches on all these subject matters and still manages to feel positive or melancholic at the very least.
Enjoyed the album thoroughly as a mood piece and I feel this could become a favorite after a few more listens.
Don McLean
3/5
Man American Pie is such a good song, found myself humming along a few minutes in. Must be one of the first songs i listened to a lot when i started to get interested in music. Many songs where beautiful like Vincent and his voice is great. I felt the album became a bit samey toward the end. Fun listened since i only knew the song "American Pie" before.
Tracy Chapman
3/5
Fast car must be one of the biggest hits in the last decades, and rightfully so, it's a great track. Talkin' bout a revolution stood out to me too as great track which I hadn't heard before. The rest kind of blended together. Listening to two albums in one day might have been a bit much as the style is a bit similar to the first album "American Pie" and i got a bit fatigued towards the end. I feel I would've liked it more if circumstances were different. A tentative 3 stars, might have to give this one a second chance.
Kid Rock
1/5
This was just... bad? I really don't like nu-metal. I like, rock, country and hip hop but not the mix.
Can we just agree that this album and genre was a mistake? I guess Kid Rock seems a bit more progressive than he is nowadays. Is that a positive? Probably not. I feel worse for after listening to this album. 0 stars. Only 1 star because i can not vote 0 and Eminem makes an ill-advised appearance to this turd.
Spiritualized
4/5
Never heard of this group but really liked this album. After initial hesitation of another 90s-oasis-type-band, I was treated to an ambient, rock album with a nice mixture of songs and tempos to keep it from getting boring. Even the 17 min Cop shoot Cop is worth it's runtime. A nice discovery!
Deep Purple
3/5
I mean it's Deep Purple live album and it's a good one at that. Still I think you will only like this if you already like Deep Purple and I'm not sure this should be on the list at it's not really an studio album but more a compilation of songs.
The long solos i think are fun if know the tracks and can appreciate the differences from the album versions but otherwise I imagine they can drag on. I would recommend listening to the studio albums (or a greatest hits) if you are not a big fan already. Since i know all these songs i enjoyed it though.
I still think smoke on the water is a bad song but it might be due to the mandatory music classes in primary school where thirty 9-year-olds on thrity out of tune guitars played smoke on the water on the E string.
Silver Jews
1/5
I just didn't like this. I found it mumbly and pretentious. Lo-fi indie with a country twist was just not for me. The highlight were some of the more blues/rock-oriented tracks like Transylvania blues. Maybe if i focused more on the lyrics it would be better? Now i just listened while i worked
Steve Winwood
4/5
Oh man the most 80 s and most cheesy of the 80 s cheese. I loved it. Groovy and even though it sometimes sounds like a parody of 80 s music with all the synthesizer solos it was still enjoyable. Hadn't heard any of the songs before but after completing the album I immediately put it on again. If that isn't a recommendation I don't know what is.
Only negative is the few tracks in the middle are not as good as the start and end of the album.
Jerry Lee Lewis
2/5
Second live album of the week. In retrospect I feel bad for giving the Deep Purple live album a three since I very much enjoyed it and I have come to terms with live albums being a part of this list.
This live album is ok but I'd rather have heard the originals by Little Richard, or just the original single versions of Lewis hits. Since the Deep Purple album got a 3 this one gets a 2. Not bad just doesn't really bring anything special or new to the table.
Little Richard
4/5
Well I wished the previous day to listen to Little Richard and I got what I wished for. This album has many classics and Little Richards vocals are amazing. Yes the guitar playing is a bit simple by today's standards but the cultural impact of these songs and Little Richard himself is undeniable. Well worth the listen.
Al Green
3/5
Smooth listening today. After an opener as "Let's stay together" nothing comes close to topping it. The rest of the album is nice and i enjoy it but nothing really stood out. Bonus points for feeling like I'm in "Pulp Fiction" when the first song starts playing.
Queen
5/5
This is one quirky album. Opens with the great and vitriolic track "Death On Two Legs" and then goes into to show-tunes, ballads, folk songs and more rock. It's great!
I still think '39 is one of Queen's most underrated tracks (a song about the twin paradox no less). This album is varied, fun and not even "I'm in love with my car" can remove a start from this one.
The Verve
3/5
Another The Verve album. I preferred Urban Hymns to this which i felt had more catchy tunes and hits (not just "Bitter Sweet Symthony"!). Nothing really stood out on this album but I generally enjoy the sound when I'm in the mood for ambient rock.
I mean it is what says on the can, if you like The Verve and shoegaze, you will like this.
Supertramp
5/5
Man i liked this album. The opening harmonica was a good intro to what to come. I enjoyed the more progressive rock songs and the piano riffs. The closing track "Crime of the Centruary" especially has a nice progression.
I thought when starting to listen i only knew "Dreamer" but I'm pretty sure I've heard "School" and "Bloody well right" as well. The album is a perfect blend of progressive rock, pianos, saxophones and pop. I think i will have to give this one a 5 which I think is the first 5 I've given to an album I haven't heard before. Time will see if my opinion stays when I get more familiar with all the songs.
New York Dolls
3/5
Generic punk rock. I get this was before the genre really existed which makes it groundbreaking but still not that interesting to me.
5/5
Another 90s britpop album. Wasn't looking forward in particular to listening to it but i found myself quickly enjoying it. Besides all the hits, "Wonderwall", "Don't Look Back in Anger" and "Champagne Supernova" the rest of the songs were good too. With the hits on one album i think this one has to be a 5. I only miss songbird.
Ananda Shankar
2/5
I doubt that the best sitar album ever is mainly covers of western 70s songs. Feels a bit like a quiz show where one should guess the song based on an instrumental version. I mean it's like saying that the best violin piece ever created is not Vivaldi but an instrumental version of Sk8terboy.
That being said instrumental cover albums can be incredible like Brad Mehldau's Beatles album.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
This was a pleasant listen. I have a feeling I can grow to like this a lot but without any big hooks it's a strong 3 from me for now.
2/5
Yes is not one of my favourite band directly. It feels sligthly navel gazing. I really wasn't a fan of the opening track but the next few ones where better. But i got really tired of it and struggled to listen to it all the way.
This type of progressive long songs takes a few listens to get into but I don't feel like I wan't to listen to it again to get to know it better. I guess that means it will have to be a 2 for now.
The Cure
3/5
I've noticed a pattern when I'm listening to this type of 90s music (yes i know this album was released in 89). I never feel like listening to it. It's always with a sigh I find it on spotify and start it preparing for some more shoegazy introspective music. Then a few tracks in I find myself enjoying it. Disintegration is no different, I thoroughly enjoyed it, I'm just seldom in the mood for listening to it. A very strong 3 starts from me and I will try to come back to it as the songs are catchy and I feel like it has the potential to grow on me.
The War On Drugs
4/5
I was hyped for this but found myself not enjoying it as much as i thought I would. At its worst it is pretentious and samey.
But then after work and a few beers I walked home in the sun, spring was here, listening to "Eyes to the wind" and I loved it. Sometimes The war on drugs hits just right with its atmospheric "wall of noise" approach. I think you can cherry pick the hits from this album as listening from the start to end was just a bit much. Still a 4 from me, albeit a weak one.
Sheryl Crow
2/5
I do not know why I dislike this as much as I do but I really do not like this. The Na-Na Song took the price for the most annoying song i heard in a while. The perfect trifecta of bad rapping, bad mixing and an annoying chorus.
Something about 90s pop country just rubs me the wrong way.
Oh and shoutout to the particularly annyoning Guiro on "All i wanna do"
John Prine
4/5
Man that was a depressing listen. I really like John Prine's song writing. He is good at finding beauty and humor in sadness.
From the opening lines of Illegal Smile: "Bowl of oatmeal tried to stare me down, and won", I was hooked.
Some of the songs were truly depressing like "Sam Stone", a song about a Vietnam Vet who gets addicted to heroin: "There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes". Jeez, i need to listen to something more upbeat, where's my Pink Floyd at.
It's not all depressing though, as mentioned before many of the songs are filled with humor as well. There are too many lines to quote but I'll leave this review with "I knew that topless lady had something up her sleeve".
Belle & Sebastian
1/5
I just couldn't get into this one. Tried so many times but got bored and ignored it or changed to another album. Just not for me. I think i listened to all of it but can't mention a single track.
Prince
2/5
Samey, meddling and all together way too long. I thought a lot about the perfect length of an album. I heard somewhere that the most difficult thing to do is to cut things out. I think they failed with this one, it's just way to long. The perfect album length for me is probably around 40 min and this album is double that.
I just don't see how this album was particularly ground braking. Maybe the problem is I never really liked Prince and this album is no exception.
James Taylor
3/5
Nice singing. All in all a very cozy album where you just want to vibe with a cup of coffee. Adding to this there are some truly great tracks such as Fire and Rain.
The whole album feels a bit safe though, I miss a unique pull such as the earlier John Prine album where the lyrics were hypnotizing.
The Modern Lovers
4/5
Thoroughly suprised by this one. It's like a The Doors if they decided to be a punk rock band instead. The lyrics are quirky and unexpected like "Someone I care about" which is a song about only wanting a serious relationship and nothing else.
It felt original, fun and catchy, I still got Roadrunner stuck in my head.
Cat Stevens
5/5
I feel this album is a strong four. Where do the children play is a great intro to the album and Cat Stevens songwriting in general. It's just one of those relaxing albums. Wild world is a classic too and I really enjoyed the other tracks such as "Sad Lisa".
Then "Father and Son" came on. I think it's a strong contender to be on any any top song of all time list. Can a single song warrent an extra star? I feel in this case it can. A five it is, a weaker one but still a five.
The White Stripes
4/5
The most early 00s album of the early 00s, from the aesthetics of the album cover, the singing style and music style. I think they really spearheaded the 00s garage rock revival.
I remember reading the The white stripes mostly wanted to play blues in the begging and I think their blues roots shine through on some of the tracks.
There are a lot of classics on here, Seven Nation army, the Hardest button to Button and Black Math to name a few. I really enjoyed the mix of fast paced Black Math compared to slower songs like the bluesy Ball and Biscuit. The ending song "It's True that we love one Another" feels more like a Moldy Peaches song and was a nice surprise and depature from the rest of the album.
All in all it might not be my favorite White Stripes album but I think it is their most significant.
R.E.M.
2/5
Way back in 2008 I managed to get access to the beta version of Spotify. I actually went back to confirm that the second song I ever added to a playlist was was "It's the end of the world as we know it" (the first being "Are we friends electric). Needless to say this song was nostalgic for me although from a time long after its first release. A time where I suddenly could listen to basically anything i wanted, the song title felt very fitting.
Other than that song I didn't feel this album that much. Maybe not in the mood or something but nothing interested my in particular except the hits. Overall an ok album but not that memorable to me.
Femi Kuti
4/5
I was not expecting anything coming into this. There is what I think is a saxophone on the cover and its running time was well over 1 hour, two clear warning signs in my mind. I put the album on and got to work. While working i found myself bopping my head along to the tracks. They hit just right with its funk, groove and jazz influences. Before i knew it I'd listened to the whole album and was never bored even though I hadn't heard a single song before.
Massive Attack
3/5
Massive Attack is one moody band and I love it. This whole album breathes a moody laid back atmosphere. This would be a 4 star if if it weren't for that I was not a fan of some of the vocal deliveries (e.g Karmacoma) and the final live track ruined what would otherwise be a great final track in "Heat Miser".
I'm impressed by how modern this sounds though it was released nearly 30 years ago. Will definitely listen to this more times.
Koffi Olomide
2/5
This was just not for me. Also from reading wikipedia he seems like a garbage person.
Queen
3/5
Man this song has a strong opening with Brighton Rock and its guitar solos. Baby driver was sure on to something. After that another classic with Killer Queen. However after the two opening songs I felt like the album just fizzled out a bit. It felt like preparation for their next album "A night at the Opera". All of the elements are there, the execution is just so much better on the next album
Blur
2/5
That's it, I'm officially tired of 90s britpop, i know this was their step away from the genre but still.
Not much to say about this one. Song 2 is good the rest was kinda meh.
The Police
2/5
This was a bit forgettable. I struggled to find interest almost immediately and nothing really changed for the whole album. It just passed by.
Excceeeeept for "Mother" which gets brownie points for being super weird. How it got included on the album I will never know but I'm glad it did although not for its musicality.
Fiona Apple
4/5
I've have become quite weary of all the older rock albums on this list so I was glad when it was a modern album today which i also have never heard of. My optimism quickly took a nosedive when i found out that Fiona Apple has been a thing since the 90s and prepared for another older sound. My optimism was also lower even more by the frankly hideous album cover.
First song gave made me think of Regina Spektor, and I wondered if the 1001 creator had missed her for over a decade and thought this was original. But the more the album went on the more i enjoyed it. The weird percussion and tempo makes me think of a jazzy Tom Waits and the delivery is closer to the Sparks later work.
I can see how people dislike it but i really liked it. It is the perfect mix of, quirky and jazzy. It is slightly pretentious but the unpolished and simple production removes the worst of it. There is also many hooks and ear worms in it so it manages to be both odd but memorable at the same time.
D'Angelo
2/5
I don't know why but I don't like 90s RnB. Or i don't like this at least. I like funk and soul and most things related but this was just boring. Lyrics was meh, singing was mostly the same. The funky instrumentals were a plus though.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Oh man what a start. Rehab, You know I'm no Good and Back to black. All great songs. This is a breath of fresh air for this collection of albums as it feels different and also suprisingly modern. I really like the style and the lyrics are great and personal.
White Denim
4/5
Hard album to rate, largely instrumental jam-albums need multiple listens imo. This is a jam album with a mix of Jethro Tull, King Gizzard and Funk. Really enjoyed it but feel i need more time with it to see if it holds up during multiple listenens.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
It lacks the tracks I know of the Pet Shop Boys but I still like it. The faster songs are better than the ballads in my opinion.
The Byrds
3/5
A pretty standard country album. If you are in the mood for some country this is decent but nothing special for me. It finishes on a high note with Lazy days and Pretty Polly. Those songs are maybe the least country songs on the record as well.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3/5
I was surprised (and kind of sad) that the album was from 1992 when the topics of the album still felt modern. As a political piece it's great, as a musical album it's ok. The rhymes are not always on points and the beats are a bit repetitive but due to the message it's still a good listen. The album is however way, way, too long. You need to be succinct when persuading people.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
Well it's no rumors. I'm going to sound like a broken record but this album is again too long. I think there is a very good album here but it's bogged down by it's long running time. Tusk and Storm are great tracks to name a few. I just can't recommend listening to the whole album instead of just cherry picking your favourites.
Black Sabbath
4/5
The creepy album cover is one cool cover. This album may seem a bit simple by today's standards but I still think it holds up. Sure it doesn't have their most well known tracks but the sound is definitely there. Many of the riffs are great, I particularly enjoy "The Wizard". Once getting used to Ozzy's singing on the first track I enjoyed the whole album. Must've been bonkers to here this in 1970.
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
Not really my cup of tea. If i understand correctly the lyrics are a big selling point but since I was working when listening to it I didn't really notice them. The music by it self didn't really leave any lasting impression. Maybe worth listening more actively to it again some time.
Michael Jackson
4/5
This is far from my favorite album but I recognize the greatness. With more hits on one album than most bands can dream of in a lifelong career it's an insane achievement. The hits are good. The songs which were not hits were surprisingly bad and felt more like filler to this Thriller album.
It's a great album but I'm just not a great fan.
Iron Maiden
4/5
Horrible album art aside I think this album still holds up. While i prefer Bruce Dickinson's vocals, Di'Anno does a good job on this record. It's fun to hear some up the earlier themes which would become Iron Maiden's bread and butter later on as well as hearing where they started with clear punk rock and prog influences.
I enjoyed the guitars even though they drag on a bit some time. It's a decent album both as a document of the times and within it's own right.
Arcade Fire
3/5
I think this albums features one of the better songs of the decade, namely Sprawl II. It was a great hit when it came out and it still holds up over a decade later (maybe being 20 when it came out gives it an extra point or two).
There are a few other very good songs on the album such as "Ready to start". None of the other songs really stuck out and as a whole album I would rather cherry pick my favourites.
I think as a whole, the next album "Reflektor" is better although it doesn't have the same number of large hits.
Elbow
4/5
I can't put my finger on it but i really like this album. There was no specific song that stood out to me while listening, just the general groove was great. It feels a bit like a mix between Radiohead, Massive Attack and Nick Cave. It hits just the right place of being experimental and different while still being catchy and nice to listen too.
When i finished it, I wanted to listen to it again which is a 4 star in my book.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
2/5
This was an interesting listen given the backstory. It was a weird mix of songs that felt very intimate and strange. Would I recommend listening to it? Not really. It still left an impression and stood out from a lot of other stuff on here. I guess if you want a piece of music history you could give it a go.
The Yardbirds
3/5
It's what you imagine a 60s album to sound like. If you enjoy 60s music this one is a decent one. I liked the breadth of the music although some songs were clearly inspired (ripped off) from earlier musicians (mostly american blues).
Looking past that though there are some really good songs on this album. "Lost Woman", "Over Under Sideways Down" and "He's always there" to name a few. They have a knack for creating catchy riffs. Also who was the Yardbirds fan who produced "When I grow up" by the Pussycat dolls? Didn't expect to find that riff in "He's always there".
Soul II Soul
2/5
Feels like background music. I heard quite a few samples used in other songs. As a part in learning where music was going it might be interesting but as an album it was kind of boring.
Snoop Dogg
3/5
Something about this album just bores me a bit. Maybe I'm not the greatest fan of 90s west coast hip hop or something. The hits like "Gin and Juice" are good but as a whole I just get a bit unfocused. Still it is groovy and when I'm in the mood it's a decent listen. Brownie points for the album art, I like the juvenile art.
Nirvana
5/5
The first part of this album is insane with hit after hit after hit. "Polly" is still deeply unsettling. The second half of the album is not as interesting as the first but still holds a high standard with "Drain you" etc.
I started thinking about why I never listen to Nirvana and came to the conclusion that I'm just not the biggest fan of their music. Still I recognize the achievement of this album and enjoyed it thoroughly. It deserves a 5 star although it might not be an album I often put on.
Common
4/5
Man do I have a soft spot for 00s hip hop. I love the samples of this album, it's really J dilla and Kanye at their best. It is so J'dilla died young, I wonder how much more beats he would have made.
I actually had never heard this album before which is suprising in hindsite because I'm a big fan of this era and style of music. And of course J'dilla in particular. It gets a very strong 4 from me, beats alone are worth a 5.
Roxy Music
2/5
I generally like Roxy Music but I listened to this album 2-3 times and the only time i found myself paying attention was during "In Every Dream Home A Heartbrake" which is one weird song. Thought it was only weird first but I have grown to like it.
Nothing else really left any impression, maybe the other songs would go the way of "In Every Dream Home A Heartbrake" but for now it gets a two. Killer album artwork though.
Paul McCartney
3/5
I've never really listened much to McCartney's solo career so this was an interesting one. I really enjoyed the silliness and the lo-fi unpolished vibe. For many other artists I think this type of album would've been a snooze but McCartney manages to keep it interesting. And just as this album starts to wander off in to demo-tape territory, comes "Maybe I'm amazed" which is such a treat and well produced to boot to cap off the album.
Jethro Tull
4/5
While I think that Aqualung and Locomotive Breath are rightfully the most famous tracks on this album, the rest were a good listen too. It manages to stay interesting and fun with lots of good riffs (and flute!!).
Brownie points for being different from a lot of other album and with a good album cover too. Well worth a listen to see if this is your cup of tea.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
I feel like I should like this album but I really don't. I mean Nick Cave has some amazing hits such as "Red Right Hand" but other than the opening "In to Your arm" the rest just comes of as pretentious and moody. Maybe it's an acquired taste but i have not acquired it yet.
Megadeth
3/5
I mean it's a decent thrash album. I wouldn't recommend it over Metallica from the same era though. Not quite a four but a very strong 3 star from me. If you enjoy thrash it is worth a shot.
Gene Clark
4/5
I wasn't expecting much when starting to listening to this, just another standard country album. I kind of felt that way until "Strength of Strings" started playing. "Hold on this is way more than a country album". It feels like Rainbows slower songs e.g "Temple of the King". I really liked the piano, riffs and choir with their harmonics and started to listen more attentively.
Moving on many of the continuing tracks were great such as the closer "Lady of the North".
Listening to it again i found a great psychedelic album, I'm glad i noticed and didn't let my first impression by my final one.
Charles Mingus
5/5
The first songs intro with the horns hit some weird frequency in my headphones that made it unbearable. Skipping forward a minute or so I found a very interesting jazz album. It sounds tight with the right amount of experimentatorn and improvisation. "Track B - Duet Solo Dancers" has a great build up and release. The classical inspired piano is great in "Track C" and just as it ends you get hit with some flamenco and then sax solos.
Every new song brought something different to the table that made me think "No this is my new favorite track of the album".
I find that often with jazz albums that they take multiple listens to get really into but this album was so good after just one listen.
Television
3/5
Lots of catchy riffs and tunes so the album never felt boring. I also didn't feel like anything really grabbed me in particular. Cool listen and you can hear that a lot of later bands took influence from this sound.
Sex Pistols
3/5
It's an iconic album, must be one of the contenders to most popular album tshirt ever. It has some great tracks but as an album it gets a bit boring. I'm not sure when I would listen to it, if i feel like some angry music there are other albums for me at least to listen to. Still, "God Save the Queen" and "Anarchy in the UK" are great tracks worthy to be on this list.
Tom Waits
5/5
I once ha a nightmare involving riding the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride at Disneyland, it sounded like this.
Honestly it's a great eclectic album. Come for the experience and stay for the amazing "Downtown Train" towards the end. Love the weirdness and the bluesy songs.
Megadeth
1/5
Maybe it's the fact the we got a Megadeth album just a week ago and two Megadeth albums in 1 week is a bit much. I didn't enjoy anything from this and found it boring. Endless riffs that never really caught on. Just wasn't in the mood for thrash to begin with.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
I don't really have much to say. It's a nice chill listen when you feel like some reggae. 400 years was my favourite of the album.
Fiona Apple
3/5
This felt way more standard than "fetch the bolt cutters" that came up a month or so ago. This was a nice listen with great singing and that typical 90s pop piano. Shadowboxer and Criminal were two songs that stood out to me.
Ultimately I think this album is a strong 3, maybe it will grow more during re-listens, I can definitely see myself coming back to this album.
Elliott Smith
2/5
I don't know why but i can just never get in to Elliot Smith. I've tried on multiple occasions and it sounds like the kind of stuff I should be into. I just found this a bit boring with some nice songs here and there.
Maybe one they I'll get it.
Suede
3/5
I really liked the first song "So Young" and was looking forward to the rest. "Animal Nitrate" was ok. Then it kind of went downhill with all the shoe gazey ballads. I thought this was the best at its higher tempo songs like "Moving".
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
The second Run-D.M.C album from the generator and I really enjoyed "Raising Hell" a lot more than this . Still a pleasant listen but nothing more. There is something just fun with Run D.M.C and it carries through in this album too. Favourite song is "It's like that' which is just a step above the rest. But if you feel like listening to Run-D.M.C, go listen to Raising Hell for instead.
Mott The Hoople
2/5
Your run-of-the-mill prog/hard-rock, sounds a bit like David Bowie. This one just passed me by without leave any impression.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
My rule of thumb that a good album should not run longer than maybe 45 minutes strikes again! There is a very good album in there but it's bogged down buy endless noodling and a way too long runtime. Still, hits like "Crosstown traffic", "All along the watchtower" and "Voodoo Child" makes it a worthy listen. There is just too much space in between those hits.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Getting today's album had me thinking that I never really listened to Led Zeppelin II that much and was curious what I've missed out on. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed. Sure "Ramble on", "Heartbreaker" and "Whole Lotta love" are great but the rest was just not as good. Maybe it's after reading about Plant's creepiness that something just doesn't sit right with me.
Still, drumming is not something that I usually pay attention to but here it's amazing how Bonham's drumming follows Page's guitar. The guitar and Drums meld beautifully together and play off one another.
Don't get me wrong, it is a very good album but it doesn't achieve the greatness of I and IV that I was hoping for.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
A breath of fresh air. Amidst all the rock and 90:s pop this felt different and fresh. I love this type of music so this was right up my alley. Having only heard the great "This cold heart" by Michael Kiwanuka this was only new tracks for me.
This was one of these albums that really benefit from being listened to as an album. It just takes some time to get into the groove and if I would have only listening to one track I would have probably forgotten about it and moved on. As a whole it was a great experience, feeling both retro and modern, reminiscent of "St Paul and the Broken Bones" in a good way but with a very different voice. A very strong 4 stars (could be a 5 in the future given more time).
CHIC
3/5
I generally like disco but found this a bit monotonous. Was never really a fan of "Good times" but some of the other tracks were ok. Personal favorite was "My forbidden lover". Hard to rate but since i found it a quite boring although it's only about half an hour in length. Maybe a 3?
Arcade Fire
3/5
This one was a real hard one to pinpoint. I tried listening to it multiple times during the duration of a few days, due to other commitments or general boredom with the album I had to stop. Arcade Fire is the band I feel I should've loved in my late teens but I never really heard of them until a few years later.
There are hooks and parts of songs I really enjoy but the lyrics are inredibly, unforgivably pretentious (something teenage me would've loved). Today I find it somewhat cringey.
So with my cringe-o-meter turned off I actually like some of it (after a few repeats) but as a whole i don't think I will be coming back to this album. Favourite song is probably "Intervention" which is catchy and builds up to a nice cresendo. Just don't focus too much on the lyrics.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Such a modern sounding album. Different, groundbreaking while still being accessible. I hadn't listened to the album as a whole before but had heard most of the songs before. The song "Heroin" was a discovery for me.
There is such a good mix of simple production tracks that still manage to be different and interesting. Well worth a listen although I think the last few songs are the weakest of the album.
Radiohead
4/5
Classic album. Hadn't actually listened to the whole thing but was pleasantly surprised. Sad and introspective without being too navelgazey. A lot better than "Pablo honey" but not quite as good as "Ok Computer" in my book.
Haircut 100
2/5
Like a blend of the Smiths and the specials if they decided to be happy and do jazz. Was it weird and interesting, maybe? Does it deserve to be on this list? Meh. Feel harsh rating it a 2 but it's a very strong 2.
Bob Dylan
4/5
A "newer" Bob Dylan album! I have a very personal relation to the first single of this album, "Not Dark Yet". I found this song during my exchange studies when I felt quite down and lost. Maybe I found it on some Reddit thread of “the saddest songs ever” or something like that. Anyway, I took a lot of solace in that song during that time. I had totally forgotten about it until I found it today, so thanks for the reminder of a different time. The final verse still hits hard for me.
The rest is ok with glimmers of magic. It's just a bit too much fodder.
I always feel like Dylan's work requires a few listens to really access since so much of it is the lyrics. It’s not a favourite Dylan album of mine but for "Not dark yet" and “Make you Feel My love” I think it just manages to grab a 4/5. I just wish those songs came a bit earlier on the album and some other of the tracks were removed.
The Clash
2/5
Bit disappointed by this. Was expecting something aching to "London Calling" or "Combat Rock" but instead found a quite generic punk album. Still some of it quite fun, the opening track "Janie Jones" is a real bop.
OutKast
3/5
I really wanted to give this album 4 stars. After the start with "Gasoline dreams", "So fresh, So clean" and "Ms. Jackson" but then there is so much stuff that i didn't enjoy as much. The amazing "B.O.B" comes saving some of the weaker tracks. I even liked the juvenile "I'll call B4 I Cum" But it has to be a 3 stars due to the long running length.
Nico
2/5
I was stoked for this one, I think "These days" is a great tune. I was, however quite dissapointed. Sure, some songs are nice such as "The fairest of seasons" and "Chelsea girl" but as a whole it is a bit repetitive.
It has a quite annyoing flute as well as one of my least favourite tracks so far. "It was a pleasure then" sounds like a high, untallented band tries a jamming session. Bleh.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
If you'd ask me to list my favourite albums, I don't think I'd ever think of Creedance. This album should be on there. It sounds like a "Greatest Hits" album but it is all packed into a single 42 minute album. If I'd list the hits I'd list nearly the entire track listing.
It's a fun bluesy rock album. Personal favourites are "Up around The Bend", "Lookin' Out My Back Door" and "Who'll Stop The Rain".
There are no real low points, no songs outstay their welcome and the rest is just hits on hits. 5 stars from me.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Was not looking forward to this listen as I always though Joni Mitchell as pretentious and not for me. I actually really enjoyed this album. The chords progressions are fresh and guitar sound different. The bass has some really lovely licks too. Just a really great mood album with some beautiful lyrics.
James Brown
2/5
I dunno, this was just a forgettable live album for me. Not much more to say honestly. 2 feels a bit harsh since it wasn't bad it just didn't do anything for me.
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
"White rabbit" is an amazing track. "Somebody to Love" is too. The rest isn't those two songs and i found I lost interest slightly although there are some nice typical 60s songs. Major props for the guitar playing, specially in "Embryonic Journey". I just prefer the songs when Grace Slick is singing which are too far between, as soon as she comes on my interest peaks.
Queen Latifah
2/5
I only knew Queen Latifah from her acting career and had no clue she was a rapper. I have heard her sing though in "Chicago" where she did a real good job.
Anyway, this album was ok but nothing more. I didn't find any song that really hooked me but the flow was nice and I think she is a good rapper. Maybe with some better beats this would have been more interesting.
Germs
1/5
It's hardcore punk. It isn't really my jam but some of it's fun for a track maybe. A whole punk album like this though is too much for me and it becomes a slog. I don't really get what makes this album special but it seems to be quite so maybe that is why?
Anyway i kind of enjoyed Lexicon Devil but the rest of the time I was mostly hoping for it to be over.
4/5
I only know War from their "hits", none of which are on this album. I enjoyed this one quite a lot. If find funk can sometimes be quite repetitive with endless jamming, however this continued to stay fresh with all tracks having their own style. "Cisco kid" with it's reggae influence was fun. I think my favourite was the final track "Beetles in the bog" which made me think of the band "Goat". This feels slightly too good for a 3 so it gets 4 starts from me.
Beastie Boys
4/5
3 white guys rapping to rock beats sounds like my nightmare. But from the intro drums sampled from Led Zeppelini was hooked. Beastie Boys have a humorous undertone to their songs that I really dig. I also liked how they sampled Zeppelin and then dissed Robert Plant in the next track.
Sure the rap isn't as technical as some of their peers but they make it up in clever wordplay and raw energy.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
A colleague of mine uses this album cover as his profile picture on our scrum board. Since I learnt it was an album I remember checking out a song but not more. I need to tell him that I now have listened to the whole album and really liked it! The intro of "Chameleon" with its synth has such a hook and a unique digital sound to it. Makes me think of old Sega mega drive games.
"Watermelon Man" has a very wonky intro that is instantly recognizable and just when you are getting a bit bored then the high tempo bebop jazz that is "Sly" wakes you up and keeps you hooked.
Just a unique, jazzy and funky record in all the best ways.
John Lennon
4/5
This is the second time I get this album. I still think it is a good one but I think it is uneven. "Jealous Guy" is a beautiful song as well as "Gimme some truth". "Imagine" has been played to death though.
So do I rate the whole album or it's individual songs? I think this gets a weak 4, the above mentioned songs are extremely good but I don't feel like I gain anything from listening to the whole album. Still though giving it a 3 seems a bit harsh.
1/5
This album has a fun concept and fun witch themed names like "There's always room on the broom" and "If you're a wizard then why do you wear glasses"! That's unfortunately where the fun ended. Some songs are unbearable to listen to and while some songs have brief moments of fun quirkiness ("They don't want your corn, they want your children" to name one) as a whole this has to be a 1.
Air
4/5
A breath of fresh air (hehe)! I had completely forgotten about this album. A childhoods friend's dad had this on CD and tried, unsuccessfully, to tell us how good it was when we were kids. I've returned to the album every once in a while but it must have been 10+ years since i listened to it last. I feel every time i listen to it and the older I get the better this is. It has a laid back jazzy groove, like if someone took Massive Attack or Daft Punk and told them to chill.
I actually prefer the instrumental tracks over the ones with vocals with "La femme d'argent and "Talisman" being personal favourites.
It looses the last star as I think I need to be in a special mood to enjoy it and a few of the tracks are not that interesting.
Deep Purple
3/5
Deep Purple has some amazing tracks but my god is "Smoke on the Water" not one of them. I don't know it if is because it has been played to death but it's just a weak track with a boring riff. Luckily this album starts off with "Highway Star" which is one of the better Deep Purple songs (sadly my version didn't have the extended intro).
This album is an early metal album and sadly it sounds slightly generic today but i guess that back in it's day it was groundbreaking. Still "Highway star" and "When A Blind Man Cries' are great tracks but the rest doesn't really reach the same heights. I don't feel like I want to listen to it again but just cherry pick the first and last track while the rest was ok but brings me no real excitement.
Marty Robbins
4/5
I have a soft spot for old Country, there is just something about the storytelling that makes the stories come to life with the music. This album was right up my alley and it kicks off with the very, very good "Big Iron". While none of the other songs quite live up to the same greatest multiple songs come very close ("El Paso" and "The Master's Call" to name a few).
The story telling is really the star of the show with murder ballads, stories about gunslingers and Cowboys. Some of the songs are even quite humorous like "The Strawberry Roan" (props for never rhyming buck with fuck). All in all a very good listen and something quite different from the other albums on this list. 4 bucking broncos out of 5.
Beach House
4/5
Oh Beach House, the darlings of Pitchfork where during my early twenties what they said was the truth of what good music was. I am now quite skeptical about what pitchfork deems good but they were right on this one. It's a very nice mood album that brings my mind to Tame Imapala and Fleet Foxes. It's a very early 10s album with it's sound and I guess I'm a bit biased being around 20 at the time. It sounds dreamy and makes me feel nostalgic.
It is one of the albums that i actually think works better as a full length album than as singles. The start with Zebra and then Silver Soul is as good an opener as one can hope for.
The La's
2/5
This was very close to getting a one for me. I've only heard "There she goes" before and it's not a song i particularly enjoy. I found it annoying and sounded often like budget R.E.M with forgetful lyrics.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Is there a better opening riff to an album than the opening seconds of "Good Times Bad Times"? The first half is of amazing high quality and really Zeppelin at their best. The second half is not quite as strong as the first but still very good. Just a great album and a debut album to boot
Jimmy Smith
2/5
Maybe i wasn't in the mood today for jazz but I didn't enjoy this all that much. I think it mostly comes down to I'm not a big fan of the electric organ sound.
Sam Cooke
3/5
I'm getting a bit tired of live albums. I feel that they often preach to the choir, if you like the artist then you will enjoy it and if you haven't heard of them or don't like them, then the live album won't change your mind.
It was fun to hear Sam Cooke energetic and no just some very proper ballad singer so it was worth a listen. Gets a weak 3 from me.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
1/5
I just couldn't finish this album. This album sounds like someone went backpacking around Asia, went to a few full moon parties and came back "enlightened". It's pretentious and feels like someone is just trying to hard to be deep and worldly. Relight the Flame sound like someone singing bad karaoke of a lesser known Disney tune whilst trying to imitate Leonard Cohen.
The Byrds
3/5
I really enjoyed the begging of the album, the intro to 5D was a nice start of the album with just acapella vocals and the straight into the song. The album dropped in quality and when I got to "I come and Stand at Every Door" i was kind of done. Luckily both "Eight Miles High" is good song and then I was treated to a very interesting cover of "Hey Joe". On the topic of covers the very different take on "Wild Mountain Thyme" was fun to and a long way the folky original. Both these covers were not necessarily better then the original but they were definitely a new take.
Massive Attack
4/5
Another Massive Attack album, hurray! I know I'm going against the stream a bit by preferring their sophomore album "Protection" more than this one (even though i gave it a 3 for stupid reasons). However, "Unfinished Sympathy" is one of their best tracks and better than any single track on "Protection". I still hope "Heligoland" is on this list but i doubt it.
I was listening to this album at my parents place when my dad came in during "Unfinished Sympathy" and declared that this was one of his favourite tracks. That is very high praise from someone who mostly listens to 60s music!
Radiohead
4/5
This is a Radiohead album I never really listened to but I really enjoyed it, it's something with the dissonant melodies like in "Knives Out" and guitar riffs like that one in "I might be wrong" that just sits well with me. While it lacked hits like it's predecessors Kid A, The bends and Ok Computer it still was a nice listen and sounded pretty similar.
Radiohead albums usually take a few listens for me to get into so maybe this one will get better in time.
Dolly Parton
2/5
I was so excited for this. I had no clue that Dolly Parton had made a super-group album with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. I was however quite disappointed. Country for me is all about storytelling and for some reason I just didn't really buy in to the stories. It just sounded like generic country. Maybe it was because i haven't listened to it enough? For now it gets a strong 2.
Jazmine Sullivan
4/5
Surprised to find this on here, not the typical style of music that makes it to this list. I had only heard "Pick Up Your Feelings" before which is a good track so was interested in this.
Not a big fan of the talks in between tracks but the tracks themselves were groovy. Not groundbreaking beats or rapping but still a good listen.
I think this gets a weak 4 from me since it is something different in this list which always feels nice and I enjoyed many of the tracks. Would it be on my lest of best albums? Probably not but I could understand someone putting it there.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
I have come to the conclusion after all the Elivs Costello albums on this list that I do not like Elvis Costello. I find his singing whiny and I honestly can't see the appeal. Something about it just rubs me the wrong way. This album was the worst Costello album of the lot (so far?).
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
One of my biggest concert regrets is not going to see Kendrick Lamar at a small show in Sweden just when good kid, m.A.A.d city was released. Ah well, live and learn.
Anyway, this album is surprisingly dark ("The Art of Peer Pressure" and "Sing About me, I'm dying of thirst" to name a few. I've listened to most of it at different times but never from start to finish. I'm impressed by the heavy topic while still never feeling preachy or pretentious. The lyrics are really the main draw with Kendrick's vivid storytelling about life growing up in Compton.
Interspersed between the stories are the "hits" which still deliver a punch. Doing both a heavy topical album as well as containing multiple hit singles is impressive.
Sure, the skits are ok the first listen but get old quite fast, it is also a bit too long and there are a few dud tracks. I still think it deserves a 5 though just for being such an experience. I've been listening to this all weekend which is a good indication in it self.
Kate Bush
3/5
I remember first hearing "Running up that Hill" in an interview for Pitchfork where "Big Boi" was talking about it, was immediately impressed with the song. So going into this album I had high hopes. I thought it was ok but nothing quite reached the same height of "Running up that Hill" although i thought "Hound's of love" was good too. I was also today years old when i saw that there were two dogs on the cover so TIL.
Brian Eno
3/5
Very ambient and different. It didn't really leave any big impression but it was still nice. I think i need to listen to this a bit more to have a real opinion. Could be anywhere between a 2 and a 4 so I'll give it 3 for now. "Sombre Reptiles" was quite cool.
Otis Redding
4/5
None of my favorite Redding songs on this album but it was still good. The covers are a bit hit and miss for me but it's cool to hear where he was heading in later albums. Still one of musics greatest "what if's" if he had had the time to make more albums. Think my favourite was "Down in the Valley". A weak 4 from me.
Ray Charles
3/5
Chose this specifically for morning work while jet-lagged. Was a nice chill listen. If your in for some chill big band and jazz this is a nice one. "Come Rain or Come Shine" is a very nice track that showcases Ray Charles singing.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
There are so many cool samples on this album! Loved the "Bonita Applebum" sample as well as the Stevie Wonder "Hey duke". What didn't I like? The verses are not always great and I honestly found some of the flows annoying. Still I think this would be a 4 star if it was not for the length of the album. It really didn't need to be over 1 hour.
2/5
For me country is all about the stories and for some reason this collection of songs didn't grab me. The title track was good but I soon got bored even though the length of the album is shy of 30 minutes. Maybe I wasn't in the mood for country today. A strong 2 or a weak 3 from me.
Ozomatli
3/5
I'm honestly not sure if I managed to listen to the real album or not. Found a playlist on youtube but some tracks were missing and some were not original recordings. It was very different from most music on here and I enjoyed most of it. I don't think it would end up on any of my toplists but it felt summery and fresh.
ZZ Top
3/5
Mostly generic bluesy rock. Parts of it were quite boring but it had some surprisingly progressive almost metally licks here and there. I never really enjoyed ZZ Top all that much, it is my type of music but I think there are other bands that just do what they try to do better. A weak 3.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Can an album be too short? The original release of this was 25 min which may be slightly too short to form a proper impression. Anyhow, for the duration it was playing I enjoyed it! Groovy, upbeat and different from a lot of other stuff on this list. Still, a bit more variation would be fun as well. Extra props for the cover art which is really cool!
4/5
I'm not really a fan of U2, it's just not really my jam. Going into this I wasn't too exited but I was positively surprised. Man is this album front-loaded with hits. An extremely strong start with "Where The Streets Have No Name", "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and "With Or With Out You". Although none of these song rank particularly highly for me I can't deny they are good songs and work good following each other.
The rest of the album fizzles out a bit but i still didn't think it was bad. While not an album I think I would put on all that often I still think it deserves a 4.
T. Rex
4/5
There is just something so fun and upbeat with T.Rex, it's just a joy to listen to. There are plenty of good tracks on here "Mambo Sun", "Cosmic Sun" "Jeepster" and "Get it On" to name a few. Qirky, upbeat and interesting without being pretentious. I only miss "20th Centuary Boy" on this album to make it my one stop all T.Rex album.
Missy Elliott
4/5
I do have a soft spot for Missy Elliott and think she is criminally underrated. After a surprisingly heartfelt intro you are treated to a few good intro tracks. I hadn't heard "Bring the Pain" before but man that sample is great and Method man is on it as a plus. "Gossip Folk" and "Work It" follow which are both stellar. I remember "Gossip Folk" from my brief stint getting into street dance at the age of 10. It didn't last more than a few weeks but i still remember the music (the other song we danced to was "Ice Ice Baby".
There are a few duds (looking at you "Pussycat") but as a whole it is a good album with some nice guest artists (Method Man, Jay-Z, Beyoncé,TLC..).
N.W.A.
4/5
An iconic album! The opening tracks are all hits. I feel like the album has aged quite poorly and listen to by itself it isn't that great. Still it's undeniably an album which in the context of when it was released is excellent and took rap to the main stream. Very hard to pinpoint a score for me as I have quite mixed feelings about it.
Fela Kuti
3/5
This is a good album and I think, contrary to many other live albums, the fact that it is live elevates it. However this is the second Fela Kuti album in a week and we also had one by his son within the last month so I really need a break from this style of music. Still it is very swingy and danceable with lots of nice improv parts if that is your jam. Will get a very strong 3 from me, might be a 4 if it wasn't for afrobeat-burnout (probably my favourite of the Kuti-albums).
Green Day
3/5
I have this theory that the perfect album is about 40 min in length (maximum) as well as the perfect song is below 3 min. Well Green Day certainly puts this to the test by squeezing in 15 songs under 40 min.
I first was introduced to Green Day at 14 when "American Idiot" dropped and remember being surprised to find that they were "old". Anyway, I enjoyed this album but it never quite showed the breadth and depth of "American Idiot". While enjoying the infantile lyrics and the general energy of the album, the songs kind of blend together. Still "Basket Case" and "When I come around" are for sure bangers and as a whole it is a fun album that doesn't overstay its welcome.
Here's for hoping "American Idiot" is on this list too.
Syd Barrett
1/5
Sorry Syd, I know you were instrumental to Pink Floyd and probably a great musician in your own right but I didn't like this. The album is all over the place and feels often like listening to the first demos of songs. It feels a bit anti-folk. Some songs have potential like "Golden Hair" and "Long Gone"(although just turning the volume up in the mixing instead of a crescendo is cheap)".
All in all it will get a one but a strong one as I feel it has potential just the execution is not really worthy of an album.
Sparks
5/5
Your favourite band's favourite band! Man Sparks are weird in a good way. This album is just a wild ride all the way through. Sparks really have a knack for good riffs, weird, funny lyrics and reinventing them selves (just listen to "Hello young lovers" or "Little Beethoven" to see where they would go later).
"This Town Ain' Big Enough For The Both Of Us" might be their biggest and glammiest hit. "Amateur Hour" is such a teenage song about a very teenage problem. I mean who else would write a song about a suicide pack from the perspective of the only one who went through with it in "Here In Heaven"?!
My dad introduced me to the sparks with "Little Beethoven" which is such a weird album and I fell in love with the band. "Kimono in my house" is probably my favorite until their stuff from early 2000s.
Was going to give this one a four but the more I think about it, the more I think it deserves (maybe a slightly weak) 5. I really need to watch the Edgar Wright documentary about the Sparks.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
"This album has 'As' and 'Sir duke' on it, why do i feel like i don't like this album too much?" was my thought process seeing this album and remembering listening to it on my IPod. Then i saw that it is nearly 2 hours long. Honestly, that's too much man.
Listening to it, I found I wasn't enjoying it as much as I thought I would. None of my favourite Stevie Wonder songs are on here (except for "As"). Still it was an ok listen and while I know it is a classic I don't think it was for me today.
The Flaming Lips
2/5
I never really got in to "The Falming Lips", always felt like a band i just didn't get.
I found myself enjoying some instrumental songs like "The Gash" or the instrumental parts in "Race for the Prize" but i can't really get over the vocal style which i found a bit whiny.
Ute Lemper
1/5
Ugh, this started off mediocre and quickly deteriorated to bad. I love musicals so this should be right up my alley but it is not. It sounds like a collection of musical numbers that got rejected from the good musicals. The songs are all over the place and I didn't think any of them were particularly good. "Tango Ballad" might have been the worst offender, where I needed to skip it due to the vocals.
I initially thought "The Case continous" might be an ok number until the line "If sex was an olympic sport we would've won the gold" which is so cringy it sounds like something Zapp Branningan from futurama would say.
The more I think about it the more confused I get about how this album made it on this list. Other one stars I've given have just not been my cup of tea or I could at least see they did something different. While this might not be as bad as other one star albums, and some songs are even ok, this is bland which might be worse than being bad and different.
David Bowie
3/5
Felt like a typical 80s album until i realised it was released in 1977 which is impressive. A few standout tracks "Speed of Life", "Breaking Glass" and "Sound and Vision". Other than that it wasn't really a sound I assosiated with Bowie. A nice album!
Frank Black
3/5
This is such a weird album that I can't put my finger on. I play a few tracks and like it, a few more and get so annoyed that I switch to something else. Then i come back to it and enjoy a few tracks before getting annoyed again. I really can't tell if I like it or not.
A few track that I liked multiple times were "Speedy Marie", "Headache" and "Freedom Rock". But in the end 1 hour is too long, about 15 min seems my sweetspot. Maybe give it a 3?
Linkin Park
2/5
Nu-metal is really not my thing and I never really listened to this album a lot as a kid. The highs of the album are really good, namely "Papercut" and "In The End". But the lows are really low and I am reminded why I don't really like this style of music in the first place, I just find it whiny and pretentious.
Still I owned "Meteora" as a kid so if that comes on I will probably have a different opinion to my opinion of this which I understand is generally regarded as the better album. For now a strong 2.
Funkadelic
4/5
Funk music has a weird place in my heart. At it's best it is really dance friendly and uplifting. At it's worst it is meandering, monotonic and navelgazy.
This album falls clearly in the former category, I really liked it. Favourite track was "Who Says A Funk Band Can't Play Rock" which is just such a fun and groovy track all around. The rest of the album varies just enough in style to be interesting and fun throughout.
I do however prefer the studio version of "Maggot Brain" opposed to the live version on here. Too bad this album isn't on Spotify.
Foo Fighters
2/5
Pretty generic rock, not bad per se but not particularly interesting either. Most Foo fighter albums have one or two hits but not enough to hold up for a whole album. None of my favourites are on this album.
One can hear clear grunge influences and it's like halfway between "Nirvana" and the sound that "Foo Fighters" got known for. I also enjoyed the feeling of the album not being too polished. Not a fan of the mixing though which sounded compressed.
Willie Nelson
3/5
Very classic outlaw country! Really enjoyed the peeled down production and Willie Nelsons voice! As I understand it this is a concept album with a story throughout the album so I feel i need to listen to this more actively so I can take in the lyrics.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
I feel like Stevie Wonder is always teetering on the edge of being too cheesy (looking at you "Isn't she lovely") and this album is no different. "You are the sunshine of my life" among a few others take it too far i feel. However, some other tracks are so good that my face looked like I just ate a lemon. This happened during "Superstition" with its excellent hook and also during the latter parts of "Maybe Your Baby" during the guitar hooks. An honorable mention also goes out to "Big Brother" which while not quite as good was still groovy.
This would regularly be a strong 3 but the inclusion of the two "lemon-tracks" pushes it in to a weak 4.
Paul Simon
5/5
I hadn't thought about this album for a long time. I had guessed a few Paul Simon (and Garfunkel) albums would pop up sooner or later but I wouldn't have thought of this one in specific.
Anyway it's a nice mix of songs that really showcases Paul Simon songwriting. There are plenty of great songs here "Mother and Child Reunion", "Duncan" and "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard".
I have trouble if this deserves a very strong 4 or a weak 5. The latter part of the album is not at all as good as the first part. Looking at my other 5 I still think this deserves a spot there. It's not a perfect album but I've listened to it all weekend so that should count for something.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
This was a pleasant album, Dusty's voice is really something special. "Son Of A Preacher Man" is a great track however I feel like the rest is just not as good as other (mostly black american) soul.
Nice album but there is so much better albums out there from this era with this type of music.
R.E.M.
4/5
After listening to "Document" a few weeks back I was prepared to write R.E.M off as overrated or just not for me. This album however proved that notion wrong as this album was way better. Just the right amount of ambient and moody ("Sweetness Follows") along with quite a few well known hits ("Everybody Hurts", "Man on the Moon", "Nightswimming"). There was a surprising depth in this album. Just a super melancholic album in a good way, will definitely listen to this more times. A strong 4.
Yes
2/5
Not in the mood for "Yes" today at all. Highly technical but found it mostly noisy. I did enjoy the opening track "Roundabout" (made famous by memers). The rest was quite a slog. Not much more to say except I couldn't wait for it to be over.
Fats Domino
3/5
Love the swing beats of this album! It is a nice document of the time that it was released and Blueberry Hill holds well up to this day. There is not a lot of variation to the songs but then again it's dance music from 1957. I really enjoyed it and could see myself having it on while doing something else but if it was released today it wouldn't be that interesting.
David Bowie
3/5
This was different. Say what you want about this album but Bowie kept changing and trying new things all the way to the end. A weird mix of songs that goes between jazzy, rambling vocals and electronic beats.
I enjoyed the more traditional songs like "Lazarus" and "Dollar days" where the sax in the latter reminded me of a Pink Floyd album.
The first 2 songs were my least enjoyed ones which meant the album was off to a rocky start. I do have a sneaky suspicion the "Star" will grow on me though.
Will give this 3 stars as there are some good songs and some bad but brownie points for never settling for "normal".
Michael Jackson
3/5
I've come to realize I'm just not a huge Michael Jackson fan. "Don't stop 'Til You Get Enough" is a good song and so is "Rock With You". The rest was ok but didn't really grab me in any meaningful way. It's no thriller!
The Beach Boys
4/5
This is such an iconic sound, instantly recognizable through the harmonies and singing. The hits are great with "God Only Knows" a step above the rest, such a great song. The non-hits were not at all as good and I found myself wanting to listen to any of the songs I knew again. I also had never thought about how similar some songs are to something "The Kinks" would do.
Anyway this would normally be a 3 star album with all songs taken in to account but I feel an album with "Wouldn't It Be Nice", "God Only Knows" and "Sloop John B" deserves a 4.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
This was a nice album. None of the songs were bad and at it's worst it was a bit bland with the same sound through a lot of the songs. Then there are a few great songs such as "American Girl" and "Breakdown".
This is one of the better albums of late for me but I still think it falls just short of a 4 star as I still feel I could just listen to the hits and be content.
George Harrison
4/5
I hadn't listened to this album before. Something is so calming about this collection of songs, it feels warm and relaxing. I knew the hits like "What is Life" and "My Sweet Lord" but the rest of the songs are good too.
There are too many great songs to count and I think they really excel being played as an album as you get into the right mood. "Run of the Mill" and "I Live for You" stood out during my first listen.
If there is anything bad to say about this album is that it is way too long, if it wasn't for it's length this would've been an easy 5 star. I am quite torn though as I can't really pinpoint any bad songs, it just continues for a bit too long. I'm really happy to have found this album and when listening to it more in the future I think this could easily be a 5 star.
De La Soul
3/5
The samples are really the star of the show on this album. I liked how you could hear the start of some jazzrap in these beats. The rapping while not the most advanced flows is adequate with some fun stories and jokes thrown in. I find it interesting that this was released around the same time as "Straight Outta Compton" which really shows the difference in styles and subject matter in rap at the time.
Some of my favourites samples include "Potholes in my lawn", "Jenifa Taught me" and "Eye Know" (where even Otis Redding) which I feel is the best song on the album.
Main negative is that it is slightly too long.
Fugees
4/5
I've listened to this album before and wasn't that impressed. This time I enjoyed it more. The hits are ok but I think that the more traditional rap songs are where this album really shines. Favourites include "Fu-Gee-La" and "How Many Mics". I actually listened to this quite a few times during the day but couldn't really decide how good I thought it was. Some of the songs are clearly part of the 90s "cover-mainia" (looking at you "No Woman, No Cry").
Still think this gets a weak 4 since I listened to it a lot and still enjoyed it.
The Velvet Underground
1/5
Man, how I didn't like this. Pretentious, noisy (in a bad way) and just boring. "The Gift" might have been fun if the story was actually any good. "Stephanie Says" is like a worse "Sunday Morning".
Roxy Music
3/5
Some of this was pretty bland but i particularly liked the songs that became a bit weird. "Bitter Sweet" had fun tempo changes and switched to German in the middle! Not as weird "In Every Dream A Heartache" from "For Your Pleasure" but still it was something.
Overall i thought this was ok album with a few good traditional songs in the mix. My favourite was "Out Of The Blue" but the opening track "The Thrill Of It All" was also good.
Roxy Music again manages to have a fun Album Cover. I feel this is a strong 3.
The Beach Boys
4/5
You can tell this album is a few years after "Pet Sounds", there are a lot more rock influences and even a Blues song in "Student Demonstration Time". Also the Album art looks like something Led Zeppelin would use (or any later Metal bands). Anyway while no single songs reach quite the peaks of the single tracks of "Pet Sounds" I think this is a whole is a better album. The harmonies are not as complex but instead you get a pretty decent rock album mixed with some "Pet Sounds harmonies". "Looking at Tomorrow" with its melancholic arpeggios was probably my favourite track.
Nothing groundbreaking but think it just squeezes in to getting a four star.
Lorde
3/5
I remember listening a lot to "Pure Heroine" when it came out but I haven't listened to this album as much. I did enjoyed this though, the hits are great. "Supercut" and specifically "Green Light" are really good songs.
Maybe it is that this sound has been done to death these days (Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish to name a few) that makes me feel like I'm really tired of it. This is not really fair on this album as this was ahead of the curve and a sound many copied. The tiredness makes it difficult to appreciate the songs I haven't heard before though.
I feel like a few years prior or in a few years i could come back to this and appreciate it more. For now it gets a strong 3.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
This is such a cool album which I've only heard a few singles from. It is very 00s garage rock revival which i love. There is so much confidence and swagger in these tracks, forgot how much i missed this type of rock.
Many many good rock tracks, "Rich", "Pin" and "Tick" to name a few.
The most interesting song is however "Maps" which really shows where indie rock was heading and sound like something that could be released at least 10 years later and still feel fresh.
Really enjoyed it and a very strong 4.
Incredible Bongo Band
2/5
A collection of Bongo covers?! Not overall that impressed, although the cover of Apache is actually pretty good. Especially the break beat is a hip-hop staple.
I have the same feelings about this as the "Ananda Shankar" album, there must be something better than a collection of pop/rock covers?
I did however read about one of the musicians "Bobbye Hall" who played percussion on this as well as on everything from "The Wall", "Edge of Seventeen" and "Me and Bobby Mcgee", quite impressive!
Sinead O'Connor
2/5
I just couldn't get into this. Felt like the last of that 80s sound where music already had moved on to other places. Sure Nothing Compares 2 U is great but the rest was not something I enjoyed.
Antony and the Johnsons
4/5
This was quite an experience. I'd only heard the opening track before which is a great track. The whole album feels very personal in a way that makes you experience it more than just nice music. I really enjoyed "For today I Am A Boy" also.
It reminds me in its honestness to Daniel Jonhston's "True love Will Find you in the End" but with more production.
It's hard to put a number to this album as it really depends on your mood but for today, when I felt like this type of music, it gets a weak 4.
Pink Floyd
5/5
I mean it's "Darkside of the moon" one of my (and everyone else's) favourite albums. I remember hearing it for the first time (or actually taking notice to it) when I was around 12. I was with my dad, driving to visit family and he had brought it as one of the "car CDs". Normally his selection was pretty dull but once we left the city there weren't that many good radio stations. I remember really connecting with "Time" and that existential dread as well as the "Great gig in the Sky" as I played a lot of piano.
Anyway, I haven't listened to this for a long time and decided to see if it was still as good as I remember. The answer is a clear yes. The theme is clear the whole album and just listening to it as singles doesn't do it proper justice so it really benefits of being an album.
I try to find a favourite song or part but just can't, it changes each time but all parts are great. There is no part of the album that feels dull or bad or something that could be removed. I think this is as close to a perfect album one can come really.
Bob Dylan
5/5
The album before was "The Dark Side of the Moon" so it's a tall order to follow but I think this manages.
This is my favourite Dylan album. As i get older I feel that the older stuff Dylan wrote that previously were my favourites now seem a bit mean and childish. This album however has grown on me so much. There are not many catchy songs but the lyrics are really where this shines. Many of the songs feel like poems more than songs in a way. The songs are all scenes from a relationship and there is so much optimism and sorrow between the lines. I think it's clear that this is a more adult break-up album, there is not too much anger but just a lot of regret and reminiscence.
Favourite songs is hard to say as it's such a slow burn. I have a few favourite lyrics though from simple twist of fate:
"""
He woke up, the room was bare
He didn't see her anywhere
He told himself he didn't care
Pushed the window open wide
Felt an emptiness inside
To which he just could not relate
...
People tell me it's a sin
To know and feel too much within
I still believe she was my twin but I lost the ring
"""
Clear 5 star from me.
System Of A Down
3/5
This is one of the SOAD albums i haven't listened too and was a bit skeptical since it was their first and how much other metal has aged badly from the same period.
I was pleasantly surprised, this still sounds unique and fresh. While I think they fully come in to their own in the following albums this was still a cool one. It was angry but never felt immature or too pretentious.
Pixies
3/5
Pixies are really held to high regard but I have never really got them. Album is ok and I really like "Debaser". The rest kind of passed me by.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
It struck me that I\ve never listened to a whole Rolling Stones album and I kind of see why. "Sympathy for the devil" and "Street Fighting Man" are classics. The rest I could leave. There is so much better blues music out there from the same era. Feels like brits trying to emulate american blues music.
Arcade Fire
2/5
This is the third arcade fire album in quite a short period of time and it just feels a little dated. I think it's an ok album but I think that is mostly because I was an indie teenager around when these albums were released.
I still like Rebellion (lies) but the rest was meh. I think this might be the weakest one of the 3 albums.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
It was an ok album. I only really knew of "Move on up" before. I really love "Hard Times" when sung by Baby Huey, this just didn't have the same edge. I just prefer a bit more rhythm and blues to my funk.
Still, some of the songs feels like being dipped in honey ("So in Love" takes the cake in this regard). A weak 3 from me.
The Sonics
2/5
I don't get it, it's just a bunch of Rock'N'Roll covers. The songs are good but why not just listen to the original artists? Is this just a case of old school racism or am I missing something? Sure "Have Love Will Travel" is a different version (I guess better) than it's rockabilly original but still...
Solomon Burke
3/5
Any motown or soul albums typically gets at least a three from me by default as I typically like the sound. Burke's singing is really great and some of the songs are killer like "Can't nobody love you" and "If you need me". However, it does manage to feel a bit monotonous even though it has a short run time. The arrangement of the tracks could really use some more variety.
Still on my third listen I really started to get in to it. Giving it a solid 3. It really did grow on me on each relisten (benefits of being a shorter album).
Buzzcocks
2/5
Ok punk but not really my thing. Had to listen a few times to get into it. Really enjoyed "What Do I Get" the rest i could leave.
The Stone Roses
4/5
Was surprised by this one. Had previously heard "I Wanna Be Adored" and "She Bangs The Drum". Both these songs are not really my type of music, I feel it is what pretentious people say they listen to (kind of like Arcade Fire for 00s).
Anyhow the other songs where really good! Enjoyed the guitar of Waterfall! Not sure why "Don't Stop" is waterfall backwards. Also really liked when the songs picked up energy and pace like the break in "I am the Resurection". Solid 4 from me!
Dusty Springfield
3/5
I have the exact same feelings about this album as I did with the previous Dusty Springfield album "Dusty in Memphis". She is a good singer but this is mostly covers of older stuff. She doesn't bring anything new to the table so I have a hard time understanding why this should be on the list.
The Avalanches
4/5
This is such a fun album. Finding all the samples must have taken an insane amount of time, since they had to manually find a sample and copy it (no good internet search). Top songs are easily "Frontier Psychiatrist" follower by "Since I Left You". Too bad they took so long to release their follow up, this genre really was going in the 00s early 10s.
The album is a bit long and feels a bit all over the place but for sheer difference and freshness it deserves a four. Many of the songs make also great hip-hop beats, the remix with MF DOOM while not on this album is stellar.
Kraftwerk
4/5
I think both hating and loving this album are perfectly valid opinions. It's monotone and kind of simple with a basic loops running throughout each track. I however really enjoyed it.
The Hall of Mirrors was the only track i disliked due to it's weird lyrics and annoying loop. "Abzug" was my clear favourite, it's such a menacing loop running throughout the song.
While it might not go down as my favourite album it is experimental, weird, groundbreaking and surprisingly good. A 4 star from me.
Ice T
3/5
Seeing the cover I was not looking forward to this. Started out thinking this could be a 1 star album. The more i listened to it the more I liked it. The skits were ok, the lyrics were fun in an old school Gangsta rap type of way. And some social critique thrown into the mix. It is a bit samey and drags a too long though.
The Doors
4/5
This brought back some memories. The first time I can remember listening to the Doors was when my regular piano teacher broke her hand and was gone for a semester. The substitute was not that interested in classical piano which was all I played and instead introduced me to all these rock organ music instead. I got to play "Child in time" by Deep Purple and "Riders of the Storm" which really opened my eyes to The Doors. (This was no School of Rock deal though and I continued to play classical piano for many years with my old teacher after).
A few years later I also got to see "The Doors" live. They were called Riders of the storm due to some legal reason but both Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger were with (this was during the 00s). It was a great show and both me, my friend and both our dads were standing at the front at this small venue in Gröna Lund. Manzarek really is a great pianist. I still love the photo of me, and my friend absolutely mesmerized by the performance.
Ok, so the actual album. There are so many great, classic The Doors songs on here. L.A Woman is great. so is Love her Madly. I really enjoyed the bluesy mix. Closing with riders of the storm is a great way to end the album. A very solid four.
Various Artists
4/5
Nice that this is "randomly" generated on Christmas day. It's a good Christmas album with "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" being my favourite. Merry Christmas!
Steely Dan
2/5
Smooth but kind of boring. "Peg" was a good track but i think I could leave the rest. Maybe it just needs a few more listens, I just didn't feel like I got it. A strong 2 or a weak 3.
Beatles
5/5
It took over 200 albums and solo albums by every Beatle except Ringo but we finally got a Beatles album! And what an album! This is probably one of my favourite early Beatles albums. It has such a collection of short but great tunes. "Any time at all", "Things we said today", "And i Love her"... the list goes on and on. I know it's a boring opinion but the they really struck gold with their sound.
While not their best album i still think it is a 5. How can you not like it? My only gripe is the use of cowbell, who put it in the front of the mix?
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
I had to listen to this quite a few times to form a proper opinion. I like this way more than "The Boatman's Call". It feverish and nightmarish with some really cool lyrics and tunes. This really feels like a concept album and something akin to Tom Waits ramblings.
Some of my favourite tunes were the more shanty-like anthemic songs "Papa Won't Leave you, Henry", John Finn's Wife and "Jack the Ripper". I think this gets a weak 4 since a 3 seems a bit low since i felt to listen to it again after completing it multiple times.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Not quite as good as "Como's factory" but still a solid album. There is some songs I hadn't listened to before which I liked and showed the versatility of this album. Firstly the sorrowful and political "Wrote a song for everyone" which really surprised me. Then the more typical bluesy Creedance blues in "The Night Time Is The Right Time".
You of course have the hits like "Lodi", "Green River" and "Bad Moon Rising" (which was the first song i learnt on guitar). Solid 4.
The Mamas & The Papas
2/5
Surprised how little I liked this record. Found it the instrumentation annoying and the whole thing just kind of bland. "Straight Shooter" sounds like someone just tried to copy "Day Tripper" by "The Beatles".
Honestly the only song i really liked is the really excellent "California Dreaming", just listen to that and skip the rest.
Talking Heads
2/5
A bit too quirky for my taste. Just didn't sit too well with me, wasn't necessarily bad just not something I feel I want to listen to again. Was certain it was going to be a 2 star but the last 2 songs pushed it to a very strong 2, if only the rest of the album had more the type of groove as "Take Me To The River".
Björk
3/5
Very experimental with some hits and misses. Personally i enjoyed "Where is The Line" probably the most with it's aggressive beat and "Who is it" for a more chill vibe.
Honestly if this was released today i wouldn't be that impressed but it is so ahead of the curve being released in 2004. Thinking of where artists such as "Arca" and "Holly Herndon" would take it further 10+ years later.
So how do you judge it? By the merits today or it's groundbreaking merits. I think I'll ignore some of the stinkers and write it of as experimentation from the time and give it a very strong 3. Worth a listen.
10cc
2/5
The opening "The Wall Street Shuffle" had a great opening riff and generally a cool song so I had high expectations going it to the rest. The rest of the album failed to deliver though. The songs are all over the place with a mix of progressive rock and soft rock, not a great fan of either genre though I dabble here and there. Wasn't too impressed.
David Bowie
3/5
When I first saw this album I was a bit cynical that a lot of the albums on this albums released in the last 10 years are by older artists. I still think this is true and it makes me slightly sad that they skipped so much new and interesting music it's not like no younger people makes good music any more.
With that said this was surprisingly good. Is it one of Bowie's best albums? No. But still decent and different enough to be interesting.
The Strokes
4/5
This was such a fun listen! Released in the beginning of the garage rock revival it really was the start of 00s rock sound. I was a bit too young yet to be swept away by it (i was 10) so it is not with too much nostalgia I listen to this.
I still think this album holds up really well. The lo-fi mixing might feel a bit dated but the riffs and catchiness of the songs are still there.
"Someday" and especially "Last Nite" are decade defining songs but I really enjoyed the rest of the album as well. It can hold it's own through all its tracks and does not outstay its welcome. A few duds (looking at you "New York City Cops") and that I held some similar records in higher regards prevents from getting this a 5.
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
Some 80s psychedelia which is a genre I'm not sure if I've listened to before. Favourite songs were probably Treason" and "Reward" where the blend between 80s groove and physch reallly worked well. It is a bit too long and samey though. Took me a few listens to get into but it's growing on me each listen.
The United States Of America
2/5
Man, the start made me think this was going to be a one star. It picked up slightly later but I still didn't really enjoy it. The mixing wasn't great and it just felt pretentious. The spot of sunshine was "The Garden Of Earthly Delights" which was a good song, if only the mixing was better and the "space-noises" were removed from the track......
Weak 2. Also the band name is pretty terrible.
The Soft Boys
3/5
Never heard of "The Soft Boys", from the band name and album art alone I would've thought it was a modern band so was surprised it was from 1980.
It felt punky and fresh. I enjoyed the mix of rock, synth and punk. Made me think of "Viagra Boys" but they are 30+ years "Soft Boys" junior. It was fun and you never really knew where the songs would go. A strong 3.
JAY Z
4/5
A really good album where the beats really stand out. Would be a five from me but I find JAY-Z's lines kind of lacking in some songs and one or two duds. Still a very solid album where there seldom is a dull moment. Favourite song is still "Heart Of The City".
The Smiths
2/5
This was an OK album but something about The Smiths just irks me. It feels to pretentious and try-hard. Like the cool kids in school listen to it because it's cool and nothing else.
Maybe it's cause Morrisey seems like a shitty human.
Paul Simon
3/5
A fun Paul Simon album which feels like it's caught in the transition between his old style and his newer "Graceland" style. It was ok but he has way better albums. Favourite song was "Hearts and Bones" which felt very old school Paul Simon.
What the fuck is "Cars are Cars"?! Weirdest car song since "I'm in love with my car"? Were cars really that interesting? I guess you get a brownie point for being odd.
a-ha
3/5
I always thought of a-ha as a one hit wonder and was surprised to find this album on the list. Honestly none of the songs reach the quality of "Take on me" but i still enjoyed it. This album really was a mood more than anything else, nothing really stood out but I could still have it on as a nice background album.
American Music Club
2/5
Feels like generic coffee house music. I would guess it was recorded a lot later than it was so that is something I guess. I found the mixing was uneven maybe due to having to rely on youtube for the songs. Anyway it was ok but nothing special. Something that I would've loved in my early twenties maybe. Now it just passed me by, there are a plethora of bands with similar sounds which I think are better.
Daft Punk
4/5
I had really high hopes for this album so was a little bit dissapointed. It was still good though but my main issue was that it was a bit long. It was however the perfect album to listen to while working from home on a Friday (homework, get it?). It has some great hits and many of the songs hit just right being above monotonic noise and actually being good.
Alive and Rock'n'Roll were my favourite songs I hadn't listened to much before. It's main negatives was that it was too long and it didn't feel coherent. A weak 4.
Paul McCartney and Wings
2/5
I don't know what it is about the Wings but something about their songs just bore me. It lacks some kind of oumph like their heart wasn't really in it or something. Maybe it's the mixing? I just can't put my finger on it.
There are a lot of decent songs on this album, my favourite being "Mrs. Vandebilt. Probably should be a weak 3 but I'm giving it a strong 2 since i don't really feel like listening to it again.
Lambchop
3/5
Nice easy listening with sometimes being a bit too smooth so that you forget about it and it becomes a bit bland. A mix of some soul, some motown, some country and some indie.
During the first listen "Up With People" stood out as being more catchy than the rest. Can see myself putting this on in the background and it could grow with some more listens.
Sly & The Family Stone
2/5
Funk has a weird place with me, I sometimes enjoy it and sometimes i find it boring, jammy and meandering. I have never quite pinpointed what makes me feel either way. This one fell to the latter, if it is due to just my mood today or not i don't know. It sounds good just wasn't feeling it today. Some good some bad songs.
Hot Chip
3/5
Surprised when the only song i knew by Hot Chip was not this album. Since i only knew "Ready For The Floor" I was expecting quirky lighthearted pop. However, some of the songs were suprisingly progressive such as "Night and Day" which sounded more like something crystal castles would have produced than my image of Hot Chip.
A good album with surprisng depth. A solid 3.
Miles Davis
4/5
Ask people to name one jazz album and I'm pretty sure you get "Kind Of Blue" most of the time. And for good reason. It's a great album with many nice movements. The mixing is great and there are countless solos that are really good.
I personally feel it leans a bit too close to milk toast music where it's just a bit too smooth for me. It is an album nobody can disagree with which just makes it a little bit boring in my mind. I prefer more bop and energy in my jazz. Still a solid 4.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
I've come to the realisation that I'm not a great fan of Stevie Wonder's albums. They are ok and he has some great hits but when listening to the whole album I feel they become a bit samey. Still a decent album to put on in the background but it lacked his catchier hits. A weak 3 from me.
The Fall
2/5
Some songs feel like a punky "Joy Division" ("Barmy", "L.A"...) which was pretty cool. Other felt like unfinished demos from your local band (Vixen). Not all that great but this is not really my style of music. It was a mixed bag but the catchier songs I enjoyed, "Barmy" for example has a great riff.
Experimental in a not too good of a way and honestly sounds like a mix between The Pixes, Joy Division and some experimental punk band. More lows the highs but the highs are pretty decent.
The Stooges
3/5
Sounds surprisingly fresh from being from 1969. Especially "I Wanna be your Dog" which has something so menacing and cool about it, it even manages the bowl cuts to nearly look cool.
The rest of the album is not quite as good but still decent given when it was made. "1969" is the second best track and then the rest kind of fall off.
Mike Oldfield
4/5
This album has a special place in my heart. I remember listening to it a lot in high school and bonding with my dad over it. The iconic intro with "The Exorcist" theme is great and I think the album holds up for the most part. It never really gets dull during the first part and has a nice ending crescendo with all the instruments layered on.
When I say i listened to it a lot I mean the first side. The second side I've always found boring and struggled to listen through. Still for nostalgia's sake I'm giving it a 4, just maybe skip the second side.
Yes
2/5
Not really a fan of yes. I find it noodley, masturbatory and quite boring. Sure there are some nice and catchy riffs here and there ("Yours is No Disgrace" and "Perpetual Change" to name two). It just feels like it lacks some kind of hook really.
The Isley Brothers
4/5
Was hooked from the get go when I recognised the intro to "That Lady" as the sampled used for "i" by Kendrick Lamar.
I really enjoyed this, it had the right balance between soul, funk and even some disco for me. A great mix of songs that never really got boring and towards the end the excellent "Summer Breeze" closed the album out. Solid 4.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Really enjoyed the vibe and the singers voice. The beginning of the album was really strong with "Spellbound" and "Into the Light" being really good. If fizzled out towards the latter half but I still thought it was a cool album (and band) I hadn't heard before.
The Crusaders
3/5
Really nice groovy and chill jazz/funk album. I don't think I've enjoyed saxophones as much as i did on this record. I wish there was more vocals like on the first track though.
Close to a 4 but going to settle on a very strong 3.
Q-Tip
4/5
I had forgotten about this album and especially I have forgotten how much I like "Won't Trade" which must be one of the best rap songs of the decade.
Great samples and nice smooth flow. He really has a good voice too. Maybe a bit too low-key in the latter half to be a 5 but a solid 4.
The Stooges
4/5
I surprised my self by really enjoying this. It was rough around the edges in the best kind of way. Wasn't a great fan of the mixing but it added something to the unpolished vibe. Short, raw and punky.
I dunno, I feel like I shouldn't really like it but I do. Forbidden fruit or maybe I was just in the mood for it.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
I could barely get through the first few songs. It just felt annoying. The crooning singing style with bland pop. It feels like listening to music used for commercials.
The latter songs saved it from being a one-star but it was really close. Just pretentious, whiny and bland. Some of the orchestral arrangements towards the end of the album was its only saving grace.
X-Ray Spex
4/5
Made me want to drink beer at a packed venue while listening to this. Cool punk album with hints of ska. The vocals are really something special.
That said did i even listen to the right album? I just took the one on Spotify but now I see it seems to have quite a few different songs.
Anyway, favorite tracks include "I Am a Poseur" and "Identity" with its cool sax. Nice album of a band I have never heard of.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Classic album which I have listen to a lot in the past. Say want you want about Bruce but so many artists have tried to copy this sound with varying results. It's hard to beat the original.
The hits are great "Born In the USA", "Dancing in the Dark", "I'm on fire" etc. But the other songs all keep a high standard and I know all of them by heart. The only dud on the album is "Darlington County" which I never really get. Other than that it holds really high standard and the band sounds great.
The storytelling in the songs is really something special too. Sure the subject matter isn't too varied and mainly stays in the "lost youth/love in a small town" category but still, I don't think many people handle that subject matter better than Bruce.
Props also for the raunchiest album cover since we had "Country Life" by Roxy Music. Solid 5 from me.
Rush
2/5
Listening to the intro the thought struck me that I don't really enjoy long guitar-solos. Then I remembered I like heavy metal so I thought "Ok I like long guitar solos as long as it's about dragons or devils". Low and behold when lyrics started it was about devils but I still didn't really enjoyed it.
Can't really put my finger what it was but it just lacked a bit of oumph. I guess I'm just not a particularly big fan of prog-rock.
Machito
3/5
Enjoyed it as a whole, I really like this type of jazz. Was however not really in the mood listening to this today so I think I didn't give it as much attention as it deserved. Because of this (maybe), none of the tracks really stood out so I'll have to settle for a very strong 3. Should probably come back to this when I'm more in the mood as I think it really has potential.
Kraftwerk
3/5
I always enjoyed Kraftwerk for doing their own thing and this album feels quite unique. Authobahn (the song) while not their most energetic song is still a fun listen and feels like it is filled with tech optimism. The rest was ok too. I just feel that Kraftwerk come into their own in their later albums with their more energetic songs (and lyrics!). Still as a hint of what is to come it was a fun listen.
John Grant
3/5
This was one oddball of the album. I was quick to pawn it off as an album filled with love songs or some pretentious songs. To be honest I wasn't that impressed in the beginning. Then "Silver Platter Club" came on and I figured it sounded more fun!
The rest of the album was an eclectic mix of tracks.
I honestly don't know what I feel, it balances on being super annoying and actually really good. Some of it feels like it hasn't aged too well and has that really 2010 edgy vibe to it ("JC hates Faggots").
It's like Bo burnham, Pink Floyd and Bright Eyes made a colab. I will give it a 3 because i honestly can't say what I think. It was definitely an experience.
Steely Dan
3/5
I mean it's nice in a milk toast kind of way. I'm just not a great fan of soft rock. Listened to it once and it didn't leave any real impression so i figured I needed to listen a second time. "Any Major Dude Will Tell You" stood out the second time around. After that song I turned the volume up and I found it quite groovy. I can finally see why people like it.
The Band
3/5
I'm getting quite tired of folk/soft rock, we've had quite a few of this music of late. This was an ok listen but nothing special.
"The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" is a great song and deserves being on this list, the rest was pretty meh, although I also liked "Look Out Cleveland" which stood out also as a better song than the others. 5 star for "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" 2 start for the rest, giving it a 3.
Radiohead
5/5
One of my favourite records is a Radiohead record but for some reason I've never really listened through their whole catalogue. Well that has been my loss! This was really great, I was super focused working the first time and just found my self really digging the music while not really singling out any songs.
Listened to it again and I still feel that all songs are strong although I haven't listened to it enough to single out favourites. Feeling generous today so going to give it the benefit of the doubt and give it a 5 just since I can't find anything really wrong with it.
Nick Drake
4/5
If cozy could be an album this would be it. Such a relaxing listen. I've listened to it a few times before and always enjoyed it although not many of the songs have that real "oumph" that make the songs stand out. The exception to this is "Man in a Shed' which I have enjoyed for a long time.
Both the voice and the guitar playing are really great.
Listening to the whole album i think the album is better than the sum of its parts and deserves a 4.
Tito Puente
3/5
A breath of fresh air as this was something very different from what you usually find here. I enjoyed it as background music but I'm not sure I enjoyed it more than that. Felt like nice music to listen to while drinking a few margaritas or dancing.
I really preferred the songs with the female vocals, as such my favourite song was "Cuando Te Vera" which stood out from the rest.
The Notorious B.I.G.
2/5
I often feel during my reviews that I end up thinking that the sum is more than the parts for an album, i.e. one gains something form listening to it as a whole. For this album it's the complete opposite. I was looking forward to this album and B.I.G is a seriously skilled rapper. While some song are clearly 5 star material (Juicy, Big Poppa), the skits are horrendous, the album too long and the hype man annoying. The subject matter also gets worn thin during the albums long running time.
This is getting a 2 because I would not put this album on. I will however pick the good songs out of the album and listen to it separatly.
Michael Jackson
5/5
Lots of really good hits and my favourite songs are on here too. I enjoyed the energetic 80:s funk. Even found a new good song I hadn't heard before in "Speed Demon".
All in all i liked this way more than Thriller. From not being the biggest fan of Michael Jackson this album won me over. I think it places with my other five star albums although it's not my favourite among them.
Astrud Gilberto
2/5
If you are in the mood for some bossa nova this was a nice album. The vocals have a nice and cozy timbre. Something is slightly off with the vocals though like thye are not exactly in key. Probably just me.
Anyway not a great fan of Bossa Nova and nothing really stood out so giving it a strong 2. Not bad just a bit bland.
Louis Prima
4/5
Listening to old jazz one sometimes feels it's a nice time portrait but nothing more. The break and solo in "I ain't Got nobody" is something else. It is frankly excellent, even today, few musical bars makes my face look live I've eaten a lemon as much as that solo.
"The lip" was a fun duet. Actually the whole album just breathes a fun energy. I think "(I'll be glad when you're dead) You rascal you" is the most upbeat version I've heard of the song (and it's complete with skitting over "When the saints come marching in"). While on the topic the solos are great, one of them even has a nod to "Hall of the Mountain king". The more I think of this album the happier I get.
The low points in the album is the slower songs but one can not have the high energy of "Jump Jive and Wail" for a whole time.
A high-energy and fun album. Like you got invited to a party with the "Alley Cats" from "Aristocats".
The Undertones
2/5
Here and there, there are moments of really good hooks. "Wednesday Week" has a really good riff. "Whizz Kids" was also fun.
The rest was bordering to annoying. Sure som of the punk songs were ok but the lows were pretty bad (the "Under the boardwalk" cover particularly sticks). Not really my jam.
Pink Floyd
5/5
I mean it's just hands down a great album. I tried to find things wrong with it and the only thing I can come up with is that maybe "Welcome to the machine" is not quite as strong as the other songs.
Other than that is pretty much as close to a perfect album I think you can come. Everything is just really good, from the solos, the lyrics, the subject matter, even the artwork is iconic.
Everybody should listen to this and see if it is their jam.
Kanye West
5/5
I want to dislike Kanye because he seems like a terrible person (at least now) but man this record is good. From the first Mike Oldfield sample I'm hooked. The samples are great, the guest rappers are also great. So many incredible songs: "Gorgeous", " All of the lights", "Monster" (with one of the best guest verses ever)... I feel like I'm just listing off the whole album.
One thing that subtracts from the album is that the songs after "Runway" aren't particularly good. An otherwise 5 star ends skidding to a screeching halt. Still I think this is an Iconic album worthy of this list.
Baaba Maal
2/5
Not bad but not great either. I thought it started off strong but got worse the longer it went on. Like with most music styles I'm not really familiar with I feel it's hard to review the album without the genre.
Still i enjoy "Bombino" which feels a bit similar to this. For now this gets a strong 2 star.
Elvis Presley
2/5
I mean it's mostly just a bunch of covers of other peoples music. I have trouble seeing how this would've been popular if the original artist weren't black and therefor not regarded as "good".
Anyway, the country songs and ballads are better. His voice is undeniably powerful. Still I think there is so much better stuff out there. Blue Suede Shoes is a classic though. Strong 2.
Jack White
3/5
Had only heard "Love Interuption" from this album before which is decent but not that special.
It is actually quite a solid blues/rock album which happens to be overshadowed by the White Stripes albums. While it's not as good as the White Stripes it is certainly worth a listen if you are in the mood for it.
"I'm shaking" was a new find which has that 00s garage rock revival feel to it. I also enjoyed "I Guess I Should Go To Sleep" which felt very Beatlesque.
While not quite a 4 I still think it is a very good 3!
The Prodigy
4/5
Great, aggressive beats. Feels fresh even though it's age. Just a classic drum-n-base album. "Breathe" is by far my favourite track on the album but nearly all of "The Prodigy's" hits make an appearance.
For the negative it gets a bit too angsty 90:s at times and the vocals are not always great. So while there are some really good songs, there are some duds in between.
All in all, a good listen and I also hadn't heard "Narayan" which was kind of cool song.
Electric Light Orchestra
3/5
I really enjoy ELO in small doses. It has lots of qualities i like: innovative, orchestral and just plain fun. So when I started listening to "Turn to stone" I was really feeling it and looking forward to the rest of the album.
It really has moments of greatness but for some reason i always get the feeling I'm done with ELO after a few songs and it instead feels bland for some reason I can't really but my finger on.
Anyway, "Turn to Stone" as previously mentioned is great and so is "Mr Blue Sky". For new songs I discovered I hadn't heard "Standin' in the Rain" which was which was great. Actually the whole movement of "Standin' in the rain", "Big Wheels" and "Mr Blue Sky" was great and made "Mr Blue Sky" even better as a part of a bigger whole.
Anyway, I feel a 3 is a bit harsh but I can't really bring myself to give it a 4 either.
Baaba Maal
3/5
Second Baaba Maal album in a week, figures! I thought this was an ok listen as background music. It's a bit long but it was nice to listen to while working. It was cool but nothing special for me personally. A weak 3.
Saint Etienne
3/5
This was a cool album. It's like a mix of pop and trip-hop.
"Only Love Can Brake Your Heart" has a really good beat from the get go. Then the following songs are a bit boring but "Girl VII" was kind of fun and reminded me of Vogue with its spoken word. The magic is from the first track is found again with "Spring" before it becomes a bit boring again.
I feel a bit disappointing since they clearly have something going but fail to stick the landing a lot of the time. Some really nice tunes in here but i can't shake of the feeling of boredom of the majority of songs.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
2/5
One of my favourite songs in the last few years has been Bonnie Prince Billy's cover of "Rubin and Cherise" so was curious about this album.
It was very different from what I was expecting. It was very lo-fi with sparse production. Not sure if I thought it was great but it had a few good tracks here and there. Enjoyed "Death to Everyone" the most.
Just listening to this album I would've expected it to be released a few years later in the "Bon Iver" era.
I feel this is an album that either grows on new or you get bored of, I'm not sure which. Going to give it a strong 2 for now.
Nick Drake
4/5
Nick Drake really is just a mood for me. Short and sweet, it's like dipping your ears in honey.
The production is great, the instrumentation with which feels sparse but never boring, leaves his voice and guitar to do the heavy lifting. Just a really relaxing chill album. I think I preferred this to "Five Leaves Left".
The Who
2/5
I'm a big "The Who" fan but this felt pretty uninspired. Except for "My Generation" none of the hits was on here. It feels like they are still trying to find their sound and doing some lackluster covers. "My Generation" is a great song though.
Blue Cheer
2/5
It's cool to hear early heavy metal but not really anything more than that. While I think early Black Sabbath still holds up, the best songs here are the two first tracks which are just covers with a heavy metal twist.
Still pretty cool to here the origin of a whole genre.
Lightning Bolt
2/5
Man, this was an odd one. After the first track and start of the second I wondered how this made it on any list. During "Assassins" I started to see the appeal. It's like monoteonus dance where there is a lot of texture and a certain type of groove that speaks to me.
It reminded me of hearing Justice's "Cross" album for the first time and hearing "Stress". There is something innehrently catchy and raw about it. That being said I felt the first tracks were better than the rest. Combined with that it got tiresome to listen to many songs in a row which led to me having to take breaks, means I can't really rate it over a 2.
I will still come back to it since I think this album has potential.
It reminded me of hearing Justice "Cross" album for the first time and hearing "Stress". There is something innehrintly catchy about it.
Buena Vista Social Club
5/5
OK this is going to be a review for "In Rainbows" Since i accidentally reviewed this album for my "In rainbows" (Luckily the number of stars are the same).
I remember when my friend first told me to listen to "In rainbows" when it was released (must've been around 16 at the time) and I just didn't get it. A few years later I heard Gnarles Barkley's cover of "Reckoner" and gave it another try. What I found was one of my absolute favourite albums of all time. I just really love this album.
"Nude" has such a good baseline and vocals, "15 steps" has a great beat to get you hooked on the album, "Reckoner" has one of my favourite guitar riffs ever, Videotape has a weird and interesting beat. It's just a really great record from start to finish. I'm sure also being in your late teens when it was released helps too but still.
I've been waiting for this album since I started this, and now 300 albums in it came up only for me to accidentally review the wrong album. Ah well.
All in all "In Rainbows" by Radiohead gets an easy 5 star and one of my favourite albums of all time.
Radiohead
5/5
Just a perfect latin jazz album. It's fun, upbeat, the solos are great and has some great vocals (whoever does the female vocals on "Veinte Anos" does a great job).
I can't find anything really wrong with it and reading through my 5 stars I think this just squeezes into the lower end of the scale. Maybe it is that the genre is quite different from what I normally listen to but all the songs are good and I've listened to it all weekend.
The Cure
2/5
It just felt really bland and pretentious. I just don't get it. Maybe sometime I will. Very different from the more upbeat "The Cure" songs i actually know and like ("Lovecats", "Boys Don't Cry" etc etc.)
Deep Purple
4/5
On the bluesier end of metal. After being disapointed with other Deep Purple albums on this list this one actually delivered. While most of my absolute favourite Deep Purple songs are not on here (except "Child In Time") it really holds a high standard.
"Child in Time" is one of my favourite tracks by Deep Purple, but there are a lot of other great tracks such as "Flight of the Rat" and "Speed King".
The solos are really something special (and I'm not usually a fan of long solos) and the vocals are amazing. How "Ian Gilligan" manages that amount of control and energy I will never know.
This strikes close to a 5 but I'm going to have to settle on a very strong 4.
Ice Cube
3/5
Pretty decent 90s rap. I enjoyed Ice Cube's flow, the rhymes and samples good. Also a minimum of skits which i appreciated after some of the other 90s rao albums. However, no songs really stood out except "Today Was A Good Day".
So even high quality but nothing that really stood out gives this a strong 3.
The Police
3/5
Such an uneven album. There are some great tracks on here such as "Message In A bottle", "Regatta De Blanc" and "Walking On The Moon". Then there are some absolute stinkers that feel unpolished, more like demo tracks, and sound like a completely different band that happened to find the same guitar tones.
The good tracks are good, the others are not.
Alanis Morissette
3/5
"Wait, the girl who did Ironic has a whole album on this list?!" was my first reaction, thinking for sure that "Ironic" was a one-hit-wonder. Listening to the first track the intro sounds like the most 90s thing you can imagine and hasn't aged well at all. So to say I was skeptical was an understatement. Imagine my surprise when I actually enjoyed it! If you can see past the 90s cheese.
There are some surprisingly explicit and raw lyrics for being radio-friendly pop/rock.
"Is she perverted like me
Would she go down on you in a theatre?"
or
"How quickly I was replaced
And are you thinking of me
When you fuck her?"
in the breakup anthem "You oughta Know".
The album is at its very best when it leans into its rockier anthemic side and at its worst when it fully embraces that 90s pop sound. Still if you can manage the sound it it decent and the rockier parts are actually good.
A very surprised strong 3 star.
Orbital
3/5
I really tried to concentrate on this album but I always forgot it was playing. It was good for background music while working. Nothing really stood out except "Halycon and On and On" which may be because I've heard it before but i thought it was a step above the rest.
Decent to have on when doing something else but I fail to see what is particularly special or groundbraking about it. Maybe it was a new sound at the time?
Faust
1/5
I dunno, this just wasn't for me. Didn't like the blend of electronica and slow rock. Whenever I felt a song was going in the right direction some synthesizer noise kind of ruined it for me. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it but found it boring and sometimes annoying.
B.B. King
3/5
I think that blues is really one of those genres that benefits from being a live performance. The energy of the band and audience really comes through during this recording.
Other than that it felt like a pretty standard blues album, a good listen but nothing too memorable. Sure it's a bit repetitive but it still a really nice groove.
The Temptations
3/5
Middle of the road between motown and funk. Tried listening to it a few time but nothing really grabbed me. A decent funk album if you are in the mood. I think I preferred the funkier songs to the more motown-sound. Weak 3?
Black Sabbath
5/5
This was a really cool album. Often listening to albums which are lauded as origins of genres etc. they can be kind of simple but you appreciate it for what it is, a beginning. This, however, I feel could be released today and still be a major achievement. Sludgy, Doomy, blues-metal. Plenty of great riffs from the get-go with "Wheels of Confusion".
I hadn't heard any of the tracks except "Changes" which is a great song but it's an odd intermission with its pianodriven melody before going back to heavy metal again.
"Supernaut" has really good riff but Snowblind really steals the show. With good, melodious riffs and cool brakes and bridges.
Honestly I think it's a very solid album and since I thought that after one listen I will give it the benefit of the doubt and give it a 5 star. Time will tell if I will agree with myself after a few listens.
Again, U2 isn't really my cup of tea and I thought the beginning with the hits really cemented that opinion.
The tail-end of the album surprised me somewhat and I enjoyed it more. "In a little While" felt like a motown track and was probably my favourite track of the album. The ending song "The ground Beneath Her Feet" was also decent.
The Byrds
2/5
This really just passed me by and failed to grab my attention. Felt a bit like Simon and Garfunkle but without the catchy hooks.
Maybe unfair since I know The Byrds were groundbreaking but since it just passed me by with nothing that really stood out it's getting a 2 star for now.
Van Halen
3/5
I have a love/hate relationship to Van Halen. I really like old school metal and this is pretty close to that. However it also feels like the fratboy version of it. Where it was watered down and made more commercial and poppy. Not in a hipster gatekeeping way, more that i prefer my metal to be nerdy with devils and dragons and less about sexy women?! I dunno.
Anyway this was closer to what i prefer as this is clearly inspired by heavy/rock metal. Running with the devil is a good track. But for every good heavy rock/ judas priest-esque (is that a word) track like "I'm the one", "Running with the devil", there is a more poppy track i do not like as much ("Feel Your Love Tonight", the "You really got me" cover etc.)
Going to settle for a 3, it just made me want to listen to some Rainbow, Dio and Judas Priest.
Beatles
4/5
If this was the only Beatles album I think I would give it a five. It definatley place with my other fives. However, compared to some of their other albums this is not my favourite.
First there are some great songs on here "Elenor Rigby", "I'm Only Sleeping", "Love you too", "For No One".... etc. etc.
But there are some tracks that I don't think are as good (looking at you "Yellow Submarine"). Honestly it's a cool album (and album art) but it misses that really killer track and has some unusual lows when the experimentation goes wrong.
That being said the ending track "Tomorrow never knows" is a cool way to finish the album.
So a 5 for any other band but a 4 because otherwise all Beatles albums would be 5s more or less.
Booker T. & The MG's
2/5
Unfair to call it a "one-trick-pony" but by the third track I was tired of the organ. Sure the title track is iconic but I wasn't too convinced by the numerous covers on this album.
It's not bad it just doesn't grab my attention. Strong 2 star.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Really enjoyed the vocals on this one. The opening song "Genesis Home" was a really nice tune and immediately peaked my interest. The french Dylan cover not so much.
I had never heard of this band before but there are some real gems here in "Autopsy" and all in all I enjoyed it. Quite a few songs (3 dylan covers?!) were not as interesting which cements it as a strong 3 star.
Nitin Sawhney
2/5
Was really enjoying it until I realised that for some reason spotify was just repeating the first few tracks which happened to be the strongest in my opinion.
Liked the drum'N'base and RnB influences but the tail end of the album moved in a different direction and to one I enjoyed a lot less.
Isaac Hayes
2/5
The music was ok but it really felt like listening to a movie soundtrack, something was just missing without the story elements and visuals. If we are going to allow movie soundtracks on here there must be really iconic ones that deserve places here too. How does one even decide?
As an album it doesn't really connect as you can here the songs belong to different scenes. The theme is cool though,
The Black Crowes
2/5
Very generic blues rock. Like a blander version of rolling stones combined with aeorosmith. The most popular tracks seems to be the "Otis Redding cover" of hard to Handle which i didn't really enjoy.
Towards the end i found that "Struttin' blues" stood out as one of the better songs. Still bland and generic rock.
GZA
4/5
Really liked this. The lyrics are dense and the rhymes and flow really stand outs. This combined with the many great samples makes it the whole package.
"4th Chamber" and "Shadow Boxin" are probably my favourite tracks and also appear back to back. Generally, I think the tracks with multiple rappers are better.
Just a classic rap album. While some other rap albums can feel immature from this era I feel this holds up.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
1/5
One one hand the album art is really cool and I like the idea with a progrock band without focus on guitars. That is where my compliments end and honestly i found it noodly, boring and annyoing at the same time.
There are short moments where I think that they are really onto something but then the moment dissapears and we are back to annoying noodling.
They seem skillfull musicians but this is just not for me.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Rick Rubin strikes again, this time with a great Johnny Cash album. The first track is a great Cash song and it makes me kind of sad that there are no more of his original songs. Still there are plenty of great covers here. "Hurt", "I hung my head", "Personal Jesus" and "In my Life" to name a few.
The sparse production is great and focuses on Cash singing and guitar playing. The feeling conveyed through the singing is really something special.
Albeit there are a few dud covers (looking at you "Bridge over trouble waters"), it is still a great album.
Santana
3/5
Surprised me as I was expecting endless noodling guitar solos. Instead i was treated to a fusion of an album where the songs still fitted to together.
"Black Magic Woman" was really the star of the show with it's smooth latin beats and reminded me of listening to it while playing "Guitar Hero".
The blend of latin beats, blues and rock worked really well. Strong 3.
The White Stripes
3/5
I always forget about this album as I think it's overshadowed by its previous album "Elephant" and its follow-up "Icky Thump". While I think the other mentioned albums are better this is still a decent album.
"Blue Orchid" is probably my favourite song with a great riff. "My doorbell" is also a decent song but the rest are kind of forgettable. Listening to the whole album I discovered the surprisingly chill "As Ugly As I Seem" which was nice. "Little Ghost" is a good song but the live version from "Under Great White Nothern Lights" is so, so much better.
Derek & The Dominos
2/5
Not necessarily bad, just kind of generic and bland blues rock. Failed completely to grab my interest. Sure "Layla" is a good song but I can't remember any of the others. Actually that is not entirely true, the cover of "Little Wing" stood out. Not a great cover as the original is better but I didn't think it was terrible either.
Madonna
3/5
This was actually pretty cool, there is quite a unique sound to this album which i enjoyed. It's 90s, some drum'N'base and while some of the effects are a bit overdone it is still very enjoyable.
The highs are quite high, I had completely forgotten about the back to back songs "Frozen" and "The Power of Good-Bye", both great songs.
I think the lows can be quite low too. I for some reason connect this sound with movies about people finding them selves in India/Nepal or that general area. I wondered why? Maybe some movie used it? Anyway the main offender of this is "Shanti/Ashtangi" which is such a terrible song.
All in all a good album with some duds thrown in. Strong 3.
Boards of Canada
2/5
A bit of a boring slog of an album. Sure it's chill to leave on in the background but nothing really stood out. The start was pretty bad but I think it found its groove towards the middle.
A few fun songs here and there (eg. "Turquoise Hexagon Sun" and "Roygbiv") but as a whole not too impressed.
Nina Simone
4/5
Nina Simone is such a talented pianist and vocalist. I really enjoyed the arrangements on this album with some classics. I do however think the Nina Simone has better albums. This one lacks the greats of for example "Pastel Blues" ("Be my husband", "Sinnerman" and "Strange Fruit") or "I Put a Spell on You".
Still this is a very good album which I enjoyed as a whole. This gets a weak 4, I just wish that the other albums were on this list too.
Nine Inch Nails
2/5
Ugh, so much cringy lyrics in this, I think Closer takes the cake. Didn't really enjoy it but something they find a cool beat and it's just ruined by cringy lyrics (using the word fuck is cool right?).
Angry but in a teenage way. I liked the industrial aspects and some riffs but that's all. At least "Hurt" got a redo with "Johnny Cash" to a much better song.
Beastie Boys
2/5
My favourite song by Beastie Boys "Sabotage" is on this record. This, combined with how much I liked "License to Ill" meant I was looking forward to listening to this record. However, I was a bit dissapointed. It often felt like i was listening to a bunch of instrumental samples. None of the samples stood out as particularly interesting.
The vocals range from rock to jazzy to hip hop and were ok but again nothing grabbed me.
When "Sabotage" came on I was as hyped as ever. It really is a great song. The rest of the album I can leave behind though.
The The
2/5
This one just failed to grab my interest. Just sounded like a standard new wave album to me and forgot I was listening to it or just felt like changing to something else.
Highlight was the piano solo of "Uncertain Smile" which was pretty good.
Bob Dylan
5/5
This was a hard album to review. In my mid teens this was one of my favourite albums and I was a big Dylan-fan. I still think this is a very good album, it is by far my favourite of Dylan's acoustic albums and "Girl from the Northcountry" if probably one of my favourite songs.
There are many other great songs on this album "Don't Think Twice It's Alright", "Master of War" to name a few more.
The second half fizzles a bit though and many of the songs are a bit forgettable.
Still for what this album has meant to me, the impact of this album, and the highs of its good songs it deserves a 5 for me. Although a 4 might be more fair to be honest.
The Zombies
3/5
The first song "Care of cell 44" was great, like a psychedelic "Beach Boys". The rest of the album was pretty decent but i struggled a bit to keep interest or singling any song in particular.
A good ending with "Time of the Season" which is a classic.
When I feel for som 60s chill psych I can see myself put this on. Much like similar artists like "The Kinks", "Beach Boys" or some "Beatles" albums.
Duke Ellington
3/5
It was hard to find the original album, on Spotify i only found the "complete edition" which runs for 2 hours. I cobbled together the original tracks of that album and listened to that. Even then the run time doesn't match exactly but i hope I managed to emulate the original
Even though I was not too impressed by this album Duke Ellington's piano playing makes it worth a listen all by itself. Was super impressed and made me wish I delved further into jazz piano when I was playing a lot myself. Worth a listen just for that. Will come back to this one and see if more sticks.
Coldplay
4/5
I was a big fan of Coldplay in my teens and as such my favourite albums by Coldplay corresponds with that time ("A rush of blood.." to "Via Va La vida"). For some reason I never really got into Parachutes and after listening to it I don't really know why.
While I've feel I've lost interest in Coldplay over the years I found this album really enjoyable. I think I came to it with the perfect amount of background, knowing some of the songs and knowing the artist.
"Yellow" is actually one of the weaker tracks and I prefer the more piano driven "Trouble" and "Don't Panic". Thinking about it again I think that is why I never really listened to this album, I never liked "Yellow".
Anyway, this was a really nice and chill album and I listened to it a second time in the evening while reading. Happy to have come back to this one.
After being in a bit of a rut with these albums with many bland albums in a row, I found this a refreshing find and gave me some motivation to listen to more.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Aretha Franklin really is one of the all time greats when it comes to Motown, soul and gospel. This collection of tracks really showcases her singing with instrumentation that really lets her voice shine. "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" is a favourite of mine. For some reason on a few tracks i think her vocals are to quiet in the mix.
Anyway the big hitter is of course "Respect" which make Redding's creation Franklin's in the first few seconds. If you are in the mood for motown this is a great place to start. It's just all in all a very good album.
Robert Wyatt
1/5
Psychadelic noodlnig. I just don't get it. I mean it's different and all, so props for trying but just not something i could get into. I feel some 1 star albums are just bad or bland this was just weird and not something i enjoyed.
Ride
3/5
Was expecting somehthing like "The Blaze" from the album cover but I was fooled, it was shoegaze!
Sounded very Smiths-like but a bit more rocky. It was ok but nothing outstanding really.
Paul Simon
4/5
A really great and chill album by Paul Simon. Just breathes of an easyness that is perfect for a warm afternoon.
The African beats mixed with more folkey pop-tunes work really well. All tracks are good tracks. "Graceland" is a classic, "Diamonds on the soles of her shoes" and "Under African Skies" are also great. Honestly one of my least liked tracks is "You Can Call Me Al" not because it's bad but I feel it doesn't really fit on the album and it has been played to death.
Debated on giving this a 5 but I'll settle for a very strong 4 since i gave Paul Simon a 5 already.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Leonard Cohen is one of my favourite lyricist and many of his songs is on my all time favourite list.
This album is a bit before Leonard Cohen really finds his stride and while the lyrics are there the melodies are not always on point and can be a monotonous at times. You can tell that he sees himself as a poet foremost maybe. Still I think the instrumentation works and that these songs are good in their own right. Maybe it's because I've listened to Cohen a lot so I'm not really neutral.
There are a few classics here, "Suzanne" is the first song to to come to mind.
While maybe not the place to start if you want to get in to Leonard Cohen I still think it is a good album.
The Only Ones
3/5
Fun rock album that sounds like it should come from the 90s. I liked "Another Girl, Another Planet" and "City of Fun". It was a good rock album but most of the songs didn't leave a lasting impression. The 2 songs mentioned were a step above the rest.
Dr. John
3/5
I mainly knew Dr. John from singing some songs in "Princess and the Frog", fun to here his own music.
It was an album of highs and lows. Some of it sounded a bit like Tom Waits in a good way. Most of it was nice to listen to. The sole exception to this was "Croker Courtbuillon" which I found pretty awful.
I re-listened to this a few times and I enjoyed it more and more each time. For now a strong 3.
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
A pretty bland album. I liked some of the noisier tracks and enjoyed the guitar riffs. I didn't like the vocals though which I found nasal and whiny sometimes.
It is very close to good but for some reason just stops shy of that and ends up being something I didn't really enjoy and hoped for it to end. I don't think the vocals are the only thing to blame but it just fails to stick the landing and becomes the 2.
Was a fan of the "Just like Heaven" cover except the chanting background vocals which were mixed way to loud.
Ramones
3/5
I always thought of "The Ramones" as the same category of punk as "Sex Pistols" and "The Clash", listening to this was quite different though. While others felt angry this felt more happy. It reminded me a lot of 50-60s rockabilly mixed with pop and distorted guitars. It was a surprisingly easy listen.
It did get a bit samey but the chants and nearly pop-like aspects of the tracks were good. Solid 3.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Honestly most reggae albums kind of sound the same to me and this one was much the same. Everything melded together in to something chill but not all that interesting.
I also see why all versions of "No Woman, No Cry" I have heard have been live versions as they are much better than this studio version. Maybe it's the same with the other tracks too? If so maybe a Bob Marley live album should be on this list.
The Who
3/5
The usual comments about live albums are still true here. They are usually for the fans and I feel while I enjoyed it since I really like The Who, it won't change peoples' minds.
It felt like a greatest hits album sometimes and the medley was cool with parts of "Tommy" in it. Not a fan of not having any audience sound in the mix, felt a bit like a studio session at times.
Solid album but as a new listener maybe find a greatest hits instead.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
I have figured out long ago that I'm not a big fan of rap metal, it really doesn't jive with me and some of the worst albums on this list have been from that genre (Kid Rock). Having said that something about this just works.
Front and center are the great riffs on this album. They are interesting, heavy and aggressive. The vocals really work to enforce the aggressiveness of the guitar riffs but they are very seldom the focus of the song.
I hadn't listened to this album before and as such I found a few new tracks that I really enjoyed, one of these was "Know your Enemy". On this track you can really tell the influence of the flows and rhythm of the lyrics from rap artist like NWA.
If I would fault the album it would be it's lack of breadth. Most of the songs follow the same formula and while it is good there is not much variation.
Torn if I should give this a strong 4 or a weak 5 but I'll think I'll settle on the latter as this is such an interesting album that I think everyone should give a shot.
Tom Waits
3/5
I feel it has the same vibe as "Rain Dogs" but not as strong hits. The combination of heartfelt ballads and more idiosyncratic tracks really works though.
I think my favourite track was "Black Wings".
I listened to the album twice and it grew on me the second time. Maybe i just need to listen to it more. Strong 3 for now.
Portishead
4/5
Another great Trip Hop album! The vocals are really something special in this album. Such a chill sexy vibe through this album.
I still remember when I first heard the live version of "Strangers" on Youtube. Such a great version and I think their live album warrants a mention on this list as well.
The tracks hold a high standard but a few really stands out as something special. For me some of those are "Strangers", "Roads" and of course "Glory Box"
Just a very strong album that everyone should listen to as it is pretty unique I think. Very strong 4.
Kraftwerk
4/5
I think this is the third Kraftwerk album we have on this list and it's the best by far. A few really good tracks "The Model" and "The robots", and the rest while not great do not overstay their welcome. It's a very unique sound. Weak 4 maybe?
Weather Report
2/5
There is a type of jazz which I do not like, I'm not sure exactly what it is called but this is it. Something about the use of saxophone and the bass and just the general sound rubs me the wrong way.
"Birdland" is a classic that even I can see the appeal of, the rest i could leave (and even "Birdland" has better versions I think). Weak 2.
Joe Ely
2/5
Pretty generic country album. A mix of blues, country and some folk. It honestly didn't make a great impression. Probably Boxcars was the best track but I can't remember much of it even though I tried. Strong 2, maybe just not in the mood for country today.
Frank Ocean
4/5
This is an album that I really should enjoy a lot. It's from the time when I was in my early twenties, I like Hip-Hop and soul and "Lost" is a great song. For some reason I have always had trouble getting in to the whole album though. I just get kind of bored after a few songs. The same happened this time but I still think it's a good album. There is something very good going on with the mix of soul and hip hop. A very chill listen but not many tracks stand out except for "Lost".
A chill album with a great single, going to be generous and give it a weak 4.
Stan Getz
3/5
I'm not really a fan of bossa-nova and was leaning on giving this album a 2 star, but Stan Getz on the saxophone is just such a pleasure to the ears that it even outweighs my dislike of bossa-nova. It's a nice, chill album with great saxophone parts. I understand the appeal of the album even though I find it slightly annoying in its laid-back rythm. Weak 3.
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
I enjoyed this album. It was a nice mix of different tempos, had nice solos (saxophone again in "Good Time Boy"), good vocals, and the songs were all well produced. The musicians are clearly good. There wasn't however much that stood out as something special. While all songs ranged from ok to good, none were great I felt and it ended up being a pretty standard album and maybe a bit forgettable. Still deserves a 3 I think.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Some pop was really a breath of fresh air! It was fun to listen to something other than rock.
I didn't expect this album on this list but looking through its very long runtime there actually are quite a few hits. You could remove maybe two thirds of this album (keeping the hits) and you would have a really good album worthy of a four star. As it stands, the album is a bit all over the place.
You can tell that there are very many songwriters as there is not really a cohesive vision or sound. The album runs long, and while Aguilera's singing is on point, I got very tired of her style by the end. The whole thing just comes off as an overproduced collection of songs where the producers took the shotgun approach and of course managed to get a few good shots in.
Still the hits are good and I think this album may be a trailblazer for future pop stars to follow.
Rush
3/5
The second Rush album on this list and this one was way better than "2112". Both "Tom Sawyer" and "Limelight" stand out as really good tracks.
The rest is ok but the endless solos are really not my jam. Still an ok listen but not really for me.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
The few songs I knew from this album "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" and "Helplessly Hoping" are such great songs. Especially "Helplessly Hoping" has been a favourite of mine for a long time. So understandably I was pretty hyped to listen to this. Sad to say I was a bit disappointed, none of the other songs ever reached even close to the hights of the songs I knew.
It felt a bit like a Simon and Garfunkel album, and while all songs were ok none did stand out to me.
Still a chill album to put on! Strong 3.
Franz Ferdinand
5/5
Man this took me back to when I i listened to this album as a teenager on an Ipod. Being 18 going to indie where they played "Franz Ferdinand", "Arctic Monkeys" and "The Strokes".
Franz Ferdinand holds a special place in my heart so I might not be neutral but this album really holds up. "Take me out" single handedly changes rock in the 00s and is such a cool song. "Dark of the Matine" is also great.
All the songs are quite different, avoiding the samey feel of many other albums. They still manage to keep it feeling like an album though. I really like the guitar driven rock which flirts with glam and sometimes even 60s rock.
I think some other contemporary rock albums from the same era might be better but honestly with the hits and me being a big fan I'm going to give it a 5. All songs are good and I was happy coming back to this album. It has been quite a while.
Bee Gees
2/5
Was expecting disco and instead got some type of progressive folk. I mean the album is ok, with good musicians and all but I have grown a bit tired of this genre after too many similar albums.
The ending changed into some nearly classical feature. I feel I've given so many similar albums a 3 but given that I don't feel like listening to it again at all i'll give it a strong 2.
Aerosmith
2/5
The most generic rock album in a long time. Their sound is good but man was it uninteresting. Thought "Toys in the attic" was a far better album. Strong 2.
Neil Young
3/5
I've lost count of how many Neil Young album we have gotten by now but it's really become too many. I have, due to them not being on Spotify since quite recently, skipped a few.
Was needless to say not expecting much of this album after all the others, I did think it was ok though. I don't really see the greatness of these songs but I think "Southern Man" stood out as the best. I'll give it a weak 3 and hope there are not that many more Neil Young albums left.
R.E.M.
3/5
This album really just passed me by. I'm not a great fan of R.E.M in general but thought this album sounded ok. "Radio Free Europe" is even a good song and the only one that stuck out as special.
The rest I tried listening to multiple times during the weekend. While good to have on in the background it didn't really leave any lasting impression.
We have had 3 R.E.M albums now and I think this is worse than "Automatic For The People" but better than "Document".
Sigur Rós
4/5
Finally something different! This album really went all in for a vibe and it payed off. It was worth listening to this as a complete album as the vibe took some time to settle in and I feel just listening to one track wouldn't have done it justice.
The lack of any catchy single was actually a good thing for me as you could just envelope your self in the music. If i had to single out one track, I think a highlight would be "Hjartað Hamast" with it's repetative, hypnotic beat.
A breath of fresh air after too much 70s rock. Since it was so different and I was in the mood for something ambient I think it deserves a 4.
The Style Council
4/5
Side 1 was a clear four star. Long time since I found something completely new (to me) that sounded so good. An interesting mix of styles and songs. "My Ever Changing Moods" was a really good song.
Side 2 was a different story. The first two tracks were really bad, with a bad rap track and an equally bad funk track ("A Gospel" and "Strength of Nature"). It recovered a bit towards the end to being decent with "Here's One That Got Away" being the best track of side 2.
Side 1 gets a clear 4 and side 2 a weak 3. Giving it a 4 still.
Air
2/5
This was honestly just boring. I really liked "Moonlight Safari" but this album just didn't click with me. Not sure why.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I really, really like "Thunder Road". It is one of my favourite songs to play on the piano, and I've liked it ever since I heard it at around 17. A highlight of my concert experiences was when me and my dad saw Bruce Springsteen and he closed with an acoustic version of "Thunder Road".
This album contains other tracks though. They hold a high standard, the backing band is great and you can tell how much time has gone i to the songwriting and production.
It does feel a bit too polished and formulatic at times. Each songs is not as big heavy hitters as can be found on for example "Born in the U.S.A.". It finishes just shy of a 5 for me. A very strong 4 star.
AC/DC
5/5
Man this is a good album. I never thought I'd give AC/DC a 5 star but here we are. "Hells Bells" works great as an intro with the church bells and all. Never thought the long intro was particularly good but listening to it as an album made the whole thing fall into place.
"Shoot to Thrill" is a great follow-up. After that it is a bit of a lull before the two real heavy hitters come back to back with "Back to Black" and maybe my favourite AC/DC song "You Shook me All Night Long". I still remember sitting in a biker bar (not my crowd, my friend was a regular) in a button up shirt feeling self-concousious with a big Hell's Angels guy and his girlfriend in a leather corset sharing our table. When "You Shook me All Night Long" came on, biker dudes girlfriend starts to dance around the table and I did my best to squarely stare at my friend.
Honestly, this is just a fun album that makes me want to ride motorbikes, drink lagers and wear leather. It's not that interesting musically but it doesn't need to be. It's just a fun listen. So what if all AC/DC songs mostly sound the same, they really caught lightning in a bottle with this one.
King Crimson
4/5
I think the first time I heard of this album was when watching "Children of Men" as this album is featured as contraband. The album art is worth a star by itself.
I've come to realise I don't really like progrock but this is an exception. The first and last track have really cool riffs. "I talk to the wind" a killer flute solo and though I've never appreciated it before, "Epitath" is pretty cool too. Only dud, and what a dud it is, is "Moonchild".
Cool album where you can see many other artists took inspiration from. I think it deserves a 4.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Not my favourite Pink Floyd album but still very, very good. Probably the most thematic of them and I think if it wasn't for its long runtime it might be one of my favourites as well.
The only part I don't think is great is the second part of the first side. From "One of my turns" to " Good bye cruel world". Still it isn't bad at all. Second side has so many good songs the whole movement from "In the flesh" to the end is good, scary and uncomfortable. It's just really good and you need to listen to them as an album to really get the whole picture.
Single tracks are harder to pinpoint but the guitar solo in "Comfortably numb" stands out, as well as "Mother" and of course "Another brick in the wall part 2"
5 stars.
Eagles
3/5
Starting off with "Take it Easy" and "Witchy woman" had me thinking that maybe I'm getting old and boring and appreciate "The Eagles" more than I used to. But the rest of the album was pretty bland, generic dad rock.
The instrumentation is really good, for example the banjo of "Earlybird" was cool. The lyrics are not good but adequate. An ok album but just take the hits and leave the rest.
Bonnie Raitt
2/5
She has a really cool voice, sounds a bit like Bonnie Tyler or Stevie Nicks. It was just a mostly bland country.
The song that stood out the most for me was "Nick of Time" and that was mainly due to the Bon Iver cover of that song and her only other song I know "I can't make you love me" (which is really beautiful song but not on this album).
Johnny Cash
4/5
I'm not sure if live albums should be on this list but this album is an exception. Such a cool album to hear, the songs are good and hearing the crowd live really brings another layer of energy to the performance. Hearing "San Quentin" for the first times to the audience it was written for is a real treat.
Only negative for me it's a bit sloppily edited together with the cuts being a bit jarring. I have listened to the extended version of the album but that drags on a bit instead so who knows.
Strong 4 stars from me!
Gorillaz
4/5
A bit disappointed with this one. I really like some of the Gorillaz singles like "Clint Eastwood" and "19-2000". There are some other tracks that I really liked the rap in which were new to me like "Rock the House" but many of the other songs I really disliked (looking at you "Punk")
My disappointment is mostly that I was expecting a 5 star album and this wasn't really it. Rather it was a mixed bag with some really good songs and some quite bad ones. Strong 3 or weak 4. Going for a weak 4 with this one.
Depeche Mode
2/5
Dug the 80s drums and the general feel of the album. None of the songs really stood out however and it all kind of just blended into a slog. Strong 2 star.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
Not a music style I have a lot of experience or interest in but it was decent. Couldn't tell what made this album special but it was very different from all the other stuff on this list so there is that.
A nice vibe to have on while doing something else.
Beatles
5/5
I mean it's the white album, there are so many great songs here. It feels experimental, interesting and fresh.
There are so many hits but also so many weird songs that is surprising to find on the album. Like how is "Ob-La-DI, Ob-La-Da", "Helter Skelter" on the same album.
I think this is not a perfect album though, the second half really drags and has not as many iconic songs as the first. I realised I never really listen to end and couldn't mention all the songs on it. Still, with "Blackbird", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" and many more on this album it must be a 5, although it could've been nearly half its running time. With so many hits and so many different styles, there are bound to be some duds, even if you ar "The Beatles".
Van Halen
3/5
The last "Van Halen" album we had was their self titled album. In that review I noted that I liked more their metal songs and less their more poppy songs. This album further goes in to the pop area and as such I'm not really a bit fan.
I mean "Jump" and "Panama" are instantly recognisable but I'm not really a fan. The only song I really like is "Hot for teacher" with its iconic drum intro. And again, that song is more heavy metal than pop.
Weak 3.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Nice little soul album, never knew there was a movie tied to this album. Best songs are "Freddie's Dead" and superfly. The rest were not that memorable. Strong 3.
Adele
4/5
Maybe one of the first newish album that isn't someone who started in the 90s on this list? Still it's a very safe choice as it's one of the best selling albums of the 21st century.
First things first, Adele has a very, very good voice and utilises it well during the whole album. Kicking of with "Rolling in the Deep" and "Rumor Has It" is a great start. A thing that I hadn't noticed before is how much this is inspired by root and gospel music.
The album takes a bit of a dip towards the middle with only "Set Fire to the Rain" being memorable. It does however finish on a high-note with "Somebody like you"
The album has many hits but becomes a bit samey, 5 star singing but will settle on a 4 star as the songs lacks some breadth and depth. Another thing I noticed is Rick Rubin had a finger in the album production, I wonder how many albums he has produced on this list.
Thin Lizzy
3/5
I really like Thin Lizzy, they just embody fun and sometimes political rock. This live album was a bit of a dud however. The mixing wasn't really there and you could never really feel the energy of the crowd or the live performance. I would've rather listened to one of their study albums.
The Thrills
1/5
Sometimes it sounds like a cheap ripoff of "The Beach Boys". Sometimes like bad country and sometimes like bland indie. I just couldn't get over the style of the lead singer. Probably a 2 but I really didn't like it so 1 it is.
Mj Cole
2/5
Not sure why this is special, hadn't heard it before and didn't really need to. Just sounded like som bland garage music. Passed me by without anything special. Only the vocals on "Crazy Love" stood out as remotely interesting.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
Was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Really interesting big band music, great solos and fun tunes. Got flashbacks from a lindy-hop course when hearing "Splanky".
Not much to say except I it was good and choosing a mushroom cloud as an image in 1958 sure is a choice.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
Leonard Cohen, one of my absolute favourite artist. His lyrics are really something else and his whole catalog shows his writing chops with poignant and often humorous lyrics. Many times I have found solace in his music.
I saw him singing live in 2012 and it was such a good experience, he refused to stop and sang encore after encore even though he was nearly 80. That was his album before this which also is great.
This being his final record released just a few weeks before his death, it is a great farewell. The title track with its ominous baseline is a great start. We then get treated to some more pretty standard Cohen music. The lyrics are as always what really shines through.
I'm not sure if any other artist are this good when they are this late in their career but Cohen released great music until the end. While I get this is not everybody's cup of tea, for me this is a masterpiece and a great farewell. While not many of my favorite Cohen songs are on this album it is still great. As a good bye album it is worth a 5 star. Thanks for the memories!
John Martyn
2/5
"Wait isn't this the guy who did "Over the hill"? Shouldn't this be folk?" Was my first reaction when I heard the intro to the album. Indeed it was but his style had changed. Wasn't really a fan of the new style. Didn't really enjoy the funk, jazz or ballads. Felt a bit all over the place.
Sade
2/5
I know this is a well regarded album but something about the very laid back smooth vibe just irks me. I just find it annoying for some reason, and makes me want to listen to some punk. 2 star.
Roxy Music
2/5
Not necessarily a bad album but it for sure has some duds like "Chance Metting". I generally like the groove of "Roxy Music" but this is our third album and I think this is the one that left the least impression.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
My only relationship to Joni Mitchell is from "Love Actually". Chill vibes. I've always heard the lyrics were the centerpiece but they didn't really stick out to me, maybe due to working will listening to it....
Anyway favourite song was "Just like This Train" and I also liked the country rock song "Raised on Robbery". 3 with potential.
Miles Davis
4/5
Nice chill jazz! Not as Iconic or catchy as "Kind of Blue" but still definitely worth a listen. Some great solos and vibes here.
Talking Heads
3/5
The vibe is fun, it feels kind of punky and new wavy,. Fun, high energy and different. It did turn in to a bit of a slog in the tail end. The main exception is "Psycho Killer" which is a great track!
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
With risk for sounding old: It's just noise. Didn't like this, tuneless, meandering fuzz.
Calexico
4/5
Really enjoyed this one. Some mariachi, county and folk influences. Indie folk was in a good place here, before it evolved into the stomp clap of 2010s.
Enjoyed the mixing, the horns are great. It hits the spot and changes itself up so it never really gets boring. Strong album through and through. Favourite song is maybe "Quattro" but many are good.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
We've had quite a few Stevie Wonder albums, and they range from cheesy to funky. I think this one was really funky, good vibes through out. "Higher ground" is a real killer but the other tracks have a nice groove too. Specially enjoyed the samba rhythm of "Don't you worry 'bout a thing". Will come back to this one again for some nice easy listening in the future. 4 star.
Ray Charles
3/5
A cool album with country standards made jazzy. I get that in a historical context this is a major album as country widely was (is) white music and blues/jazz was black. This was breaking new ground at the time (for a contemporary version i guess Lil Nas releasing "Old Town Road" is the same).
Does it hold up? Kind of. I mean if you want to listen to some jazz/blues I think there are more iconic and better albums. Same goes for country I guess. But still, it's a nice window in to another time and interesting at that.
Richard Hawley
2/5
Chill album but didn't really leave an impression. Was it nice? Sure. Will I listen to it again? Probably not. Maybe when I'm more in the mood this will stand out more. Strong 2.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Listened to it and nothing stuck out. Listened to again and started to like some parts of it. Having a very hard time reviewing it. There are cool parts like "Intruder", "I don't remember" and "Games without frontiers" and every time i listen to it I find new interesting bits (must've listened to it 4 times by now). It's different and varied which makes it a fun listen. Maybe this album is more than the sum of it parts.
Still not sure if it will stand the test of time but I keep coming back to it. Giving it a weak 4 for now.
Judas Priest
3/5
I love me some Judas Priest and some Heavy metal! Was stoked coming into this album, the album art alone makes want to listen to it.
Was a bit disappointed after listening to it though. While the singles are great, the rest you can kind of leave. I also truly believe that Judas Priest really hit their stride with "Screaming for Vengence". "Living after midnight" just sounds a bit flat in comparison (Breaking the Law still is one of their best songs though).
Strong 3 stars! Listen to the singles and other Judas Priest albums!
Bob Dylan
5/5
Oh man this takes me back to my late teens! You could often find me listening to these songs on my IPod (I'm old but not THAT old).
I got a summer job working 7 day shifts on an Island in the Stockholm archipelago (living on the island). Not always happy, I listen a lot to "Maggie's Farm" and made up my own lyrics called "I ain't going to work at Siaröfort no more" (its honestly a cool place, go visit if you get the chance and the people working there were nice).
Late nights coming back from clubs by my self "Mr. Tamburine man" encapsulated that sudden loneliness of the night being over, and your friends gone home.
I'm saying this because reviewing this album objectively will not be possible for me. If I listened to it for the first time now maybe some songs would stand the test of time but not all. You have so many great tracks though. Except the aforementioned songs there is "Subterran Homesick blues", "Love minus zero", "It's Alright Ma I'm Only Bleeding" and "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue".
I think some of the blues tracks are not great but for me this is still a 5.
Todd Rundgren
2/5
Man what a slog. First I thought it sounded ok but with someone uninteresting pop. But then it just, nerver, ever, ended. 3 star in there but due to the length 2 star.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
3/5
Uhm is this just rowdy rock blues songs? I guess props for getting songs like "Gang Bang" (it is exactly what you think) and "Swampsnake" (also exactly what you think) on this list.
The music is actually quite catchy, bit of a rocky horror vibe to it. Not bad at all.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
I just don't get it. There are loads of Elvis Costello on this list and while he has a good song here and there I find most of it kind of forgettable.
Lou Reed
4/5
A weird little album. The hits alone warrants a 4 with "Perfect Day", "Walk on the Wildside" and "Satellite of Love". The rest of the songs were quirky and different. The lyrics were quite funny as a plus.
I think if it was a longer album maybe the quirkiness would get tiresome but as it stands it was a fun album. The tracks outside the hits, however, weren't really that memorable even if they were ok. Weak 4.
CHIC
3/5
A second CHIC album!? My opinion is much like the first. "Le Freak", the main hit, I find annoying but many of the other songs are quite good. My favourite being "I Want Your Love". Funky and fun. Someone should really add some rhymes to this....
3 star.
The Waterboys
4/5
I've realised I really like som violin in my rock. The first hint of this was when we got "Mekons" and their very good track "Last Dance". I came to this conclusion since is also really dig "Fisherman's blues" which also is the only track I've heard from The Waterboys before.
After the great "Fisherman's blues" we are treated to some nice rock and folk mix. I think they are at their best with their more uptempo songs like "Sweet Thing" and "And a Bang on the Ear".
I don't get why they feel the need to do country standard like the "This land Is Your Land" and missing the political verses makes even less sense.
All in all I enjoyed the album and it's a music style I really enjoyed. Weak 4.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Hard one to review for me. It has a cool sounds and "Block Rockin' Beats" is a really cool track. The rest is also fun but I have trouble knowing when I'd want to listen to it. Maybe at a rave? I think I'm missing some melody or vocals to get it to reach the same height as "Fatboy Slim" or "Massive Attack".
Going to settle for a strong 3.
Incubus
2/5
Whiny metal, really not something I enjoy. "Drive" was by far the best song. Nu-metal is really not my jam. Adding rap does not make it better.
David Bowie
4/5
I'm not sure how many Bowie albums we've had at this point, maybe 5? Anyway, this was definitely one of the better ones. You have the hits with "Changes" and "Life on Mars". "Life on Mars" is a really cool song, I remember listening to it when I saw the BBC tv series with the same name. Actually I found a lot of music from that show, wonder if it still is any good.
Anyway the rest of the songs are ok but it's no Ziggy Stardust. Some are actually really good that I hadn't heard before like "Queen Bitch". Bang in the middle 4 for me.
5/5
Man this screams Ipod age for me. Being around 16 and seeing this on top of the charts in all record stores.
I actually got into muse slightly later but this was on repeat in i Ipod later. You have many songs that still hold up like "Starlight", "Super Massive Black Hole" and of course "Knights of Cydonia" (famous from guitar hero?).
I really enjoy the style with some classical elements and heavy rock. The songs are quite different and interesting. Form many Queen-esque songs to "Assasins" which sounds like the riff comes from SOAD.
Not as big of the vocals and their noisy breathing at time but since I grew up with it I can forgive it.
Hard pressed if this should be a 5 or not, Muse are not really my favourite band but I think this deserves a weak 5. Yes it's slightly radio-friendly and safe rock but still it is very good at what it does.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Man what a pretentious album. The riffs are actually quite good but the lyrics are so pretentious it hurts (especially the spoken word). The tail end of the album nearly warranted a 1 star, but going to give it a weak 2.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
Just a nice, cozy album with some good vocals. Nothing really stood out when listening except maybe the first track. A lot of albums get 3s since they just pass me by without leaving an impression. This did leave an impression, but again, no song really stood out. I can see me putting this on again for some relaxing music. Solid 3.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
I mean there are 5s, and then there are 5s! This is a near perfect album. All songs are hits. From the get go "Black Dog" has you hooked. It could've been a boring song but the syncopation and Bonham's drumming which following the guitar makes for such an enjoyable track.
There is such a breadth of songs in this album, from great solos (and just one of the greatest songs ever maybe, even though how overplayed it is) in "Stairway to Heaven" to slower acoustic songs with "Going to California" to the just the intro of drums and harmonica in "When the Levee Breaks. I mean all these songs are just feats in their own right and could top lists of my favourite songs. To find them all on one album is insane. The weakest song I think is "Four sticks" and even that is good.
It's an iconic album for a reason. Does it live up to the hype? Hell yes! Everyone should listen to it.
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
Sarah Vaughan clearly has a nice voice and this was quite a nice Jazz album. I didn't think it being a live album brought anything to the table. None of the songs stood out in particular. In other words a decent album but nothing too memorable for me.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
I have a love hate relationship to LCD Soundsystem. At times I find his music great, at others I find it pretentious and formulaic.
This album is probably the LCD Soundsystem album with the least songs i know (of the hit albums). I found it quite good. Something with the style hasn't aged particularly well to me and the sound that sounded so fresh around the late 00s now sounds a bit boring instead.
Still there is a certain groove to many of the songs that are fun in their scaled back way. Special shout out to "North American Scum" and "All my Friends". It is at its best a cool blend of indie electronic and a good window to what the indies listened to around the late 00s early 10s. Strong 3.
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
I really enjoyed the general vibe of the album. It is grungy, fuzzy and it still felt fresh today. My favourite track was probably "Cherub rock". During its runtime it did get quite samey and I had trouble differentiating the songs from each other. Mid 3.
Depeche Mode
4/5
Really enjoyed this one. They have such a dark, cool and menacing sound! Together with "The Human League" they really had a good electronic sound going.
There are quite a few hit songs that I really like. "Personal Jesus", "Enjoy the Silence" and "Policy of Truth" really are a step above the rest. Honestly those songs by them selves warrants a 4 star. The rest is also good too and it is well worth listening to the whole album.
Whole album just breathes 80s cool!
Shivkumar Sharma
4/5
Had to relisten to this album on youtube as the spotify album was a rerecording.
I think this is the first album we've had with non-western music where the music stands for it self. It was very different and it didn't need western covers unlike some other albums on this list.
It felt foreign in a good way and a bit jazzy. Instrumental albums is a hard sell but even during the first listen I enjoyed it. Going to give it a weak 4, it's hard to judge on just one listen.
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
Endless noodling is not my thing so a band know for their jam-sessions is going to be a hard sell.
Even though the tracks bordered in length to episodes in TV-shows, any one part of the track I enjoyed. Then again, I would've enjoyed it more if the songs had some structure and edited down. Saying things like that I think kind of misses the point of a live album of a jam band.
Going to settle on a weak 3 since the album was very groovy. Feeling quite neutral about the whole deal, good as some background music I guess when you want some funk.
Thelonious Monk
3/5
Pretty good jazz album. Nothing really stood out to me but there were some pretty slick piano licks. Would listen to it again.
The Band
4/5
I have really only heard "The Weight" by The Band before this (also contender for worst band name ever). Tears of rage was a really good opening for the album. Really dug the harmonies and general feel of the album. "The Weight" is as always a very good song.
The rest of the album was a nice listen. I also only knew "This wheel is on fire" by Bob Dylan and didn't have a clue that a member of The Band helped write it.
Settling on a weak 4 star. While not the whole album is great I think there is enough good songs that a 3 seems a bit harsh.
Dion
2/5
It was ok, but I listened to it and 2 days later I couldn't remember anything about it. Going to give it a strong 2 based on that.
The Doors
5/5
When people talk about The Doors it is always Jim Morrison that is mentioned. I think however that both Ray Manzerick and Robby Krieger were equally as important. Their guitar/keyboard playing really pulls the whole thing together and I had the luck of seeing them playin The Door's songs as "Riders of the Storm" since they didn't have the right to use the name "The Doors". It was really great.
Anyway, this album is like a greatest hits put into one album. Many good riffs and songs where 7 of the 11 tracks are great hits. I think Morrisons spoken word is cringey at times but as a whole this is a 5 star.
Arctic Monkeys
5/5
If there was one album that defined my teens maybe it would be this. I lived and breathed this album and it was definitely one of my favourite albums. I listened to it all the time on my iPod and I think I maybe had one of the songs as a ringtone?
The subject matter was great, all about being a teenager, going to clubs, not getting into clubs, meeting girls etc etc. While they may not be as relevant to me today I still think they do a great job of catching the experience.
Listening to it today I'm struck by how much it was inspired by the Strokes and how the simple production really lends itself to the garage rock feel of the album.
The riffs and lyrics/melodies are really what sets it apart from the rest. I know all the songs by heart, It is catchy and energetic and I still love it. Can't be anything else than a 5 for me. It stands the test of time.
Dire Straits
4/5
When Dire Straits are good they are really great. The intro to "Money for Nothing" is a prime contender for top riffs of all time. There is also "Walk of Life" that is very different than the other songs but something about it is just fun!
The rest of the album is a bit of a lull but it finishes of with "Brothers in Arms" which is another very good song. 3 hits and leave the rest. I think a weak 4 is warranted.
fIREHOSE
3/5
Never heard of fIREHOSE before. Would've guessed this came out later than it did, it sounded surprisingly modern. Hard to place the style but it sounds a bit indie, a bit punk rock. Can see myself listening to this again and not just when I'm working to see if it grows on me.
"Time with you" and "In my Mind" stood out the first time around. As it stands an strong 3.
Milton Nascimento
4/5
This was a pleasant surprise. Even though a long runtime is generally a bad thing in my opinion this album managed to keep me entertained all the way through.
It should surprising depth from sounding anything like a Brazilian Supertramp to something like Maggot Brain with it's guitar solos.
Favourite song was "Um Girassol Da Cor Do Seu Cabelo" with its piano and cool riff. Impressed 4 star.
Eels
3/5
What a horrible album cover! Had really low expectaitions but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Sure the lyrics are pretty self-idulgent and dramatic, really not a fan of the spoken word, but the general feel of it was quite nice.
Somerwhere between a 2 and 3. Giving it a (very weak) 3.
Small Faces
2/5
Started good then gradually got worse. Some nice tunes at the start but then it became just plain weird. Was not a fan of having stories intertwined with my music. Like a mix of "Pink floyd", "Jimmi Hendrix" and "The Bonzo Dog Band".
Still it was interesting but not great. Giving it a strong 2.
Can
3/5
Sounded very modern! Thought it for sure was released a lot later then it was. While nothing stood out I thought it had a nice vibe to it. Weak 3.
Röyksopp
3/5
I've never really gotten Röyksopp. To me they just sound like a more chill "The Knife" (which I love). Still this is a nice album with a few recognizable hits like "Eple". Solid album but not really my taste.
Black Sabbath
5/5
As always with the Black Sabbath albums I am struck by how early they created this sound. It sounds so heavy and modern without the need to play fast or loud. It just feels heavy.
Starting with "War Pigs" is such a good opening to the album. It's insane they manage to put "War Pigs", "Paranoid" and "Iron Man" on the same album.
Besides the hits I actually think the tracks from "Vol. 4" are stronger.
Still the hits make it a 5 star.
Sepultura
3/5
Cool album! Really enjoyable riffs and really liked the latter half of the album with the mix of metal and tribal music. Felt fresh and experimental.
I still have a problem with growling vocals but I think it worked ok here. Also I know this was the foundation of what later became nu-metal and I really hate nu-metal. As such, some of it was a bit to close to it for my taste.
It was a good listen albeit slightly long. Strong 3 stars!
Beck
2/5
Something about Beck just bores me. I can't put my finger on it but it just feels kind of all over the place without leaving any lasting impact.
Flamin' Groovies
2/5
Reading wikipedia I found out the covers at the end were not a part of the original album (which is a good thing) and it was released the same year as "Sticky Fingers" by "The Rolling Stones" which puts this album in to the context that maybe this was quite a newish sound when it came out.
To modern ears it sounds quite generic blues rock. I really liked "Whiskey Woman" but the rest just felt your standard rock and blue band playing at their local pub.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
Didn't really leave any big impressions. Had an ok sound but some of the experimental parts were hit and miss. I actually enjoyed "You're Probably Wondering Why I Am Here" the most.
Was feeling generous and was going to give the album a weak 3. But the last track going on for 15 minutes pushes it down to a 2 star, it was just plain annoying.
Miriam Makeba
4/5
Everytime I hear Miriam Makeba I am struck just how much energy she puts into her performances. You just can't help but bop along. Her voice is also really something special.
Just a fun and upbeat album, it's like a ray of sunshine. Her later album are more political but she still managed to throw in a rightful jibe at the intro to "The click song".
The album has a good mixture of ballads, traditional songs and western folk songs. I enjoyed how, in the more traditional songs, you can hear how much it influenced gospel music.
Strong 4!
Sonic Youth
3/5
Honestly not much to say. The intro to Teenage Riot is so good but the rest didn't really make an impression. I liked the general vibe of it though. Weak 3.
Adam & The Ants
3/5
Very new wave! I found it was quite good. Some good hits and some very strange (and fun) songs. It didn't hold my attention the whole way through but e.g "Antmusic" is a bop!
"Jolly roger" was a real fun song too but I think I'm weak to anything pirate themed.
It feels that this could grow on you with multiple listens but for now a smack bang in the middle 3.
Ravi Shankar
2/5
I mean he's clearly very skilled and The Beatles clearly utilized this style a lot. I am however not really big on citar and don't have much knowledge in this type of music.
It was ok I guess but I was quite bored by the end. Strong 2 star (feels a bit harsh though).
Elton John
5/5
Man what an album! This is hands down my favourite Elton John album. It shows great breadth with great ballads such as "Candle in the Wind" and "Good bye yellow brick road" to energetic party songs like "Saturday Night's Alright (for fighting)".
This album has really grown on me throughout the years and what really stands out is Elton's lyricism, piano playing and singing. It just breathes a playfulness.
My one gripe is that I really like "This song has no Title" during the verses but I think the chorus is terrible, it's such a missed opportunity.
Through it's long playtime it really only has a few lulls with some songs that are "just ok" but other than that is is hits more or less all the way. Easy 5 star!
The Darkness
4/5
Fun album. A mix between AC/DC, Queen and Twisted Sister. Felt fresh and surprisingly quite different form most albums here. "I find that I believe in a thing called love" above the rest. Still the other songs hold a high quality.
The vocals are really where it is at, and the falsetto is really cool. There are plenty of good riffs too.
Think this gets a weak 4 as it holds a high quality throughout with a really good single.
The Pogues
3/5
Was looking forward to this as I love "Dirty old town" and "Parting Glass" but was a bit disappointed. It's mostly just standards of folk tunes. While good it is nothing that marks this as anything special compared to any other Irish folk band really. Maybe they were the first to become popular?
Maybe my jetlag makes me not in the mood for jigs but a 3 star is all this gets today.
The Beta Band
2/5
Nothing really stuck out and while the general vibe was ok, I wasn't that impressed. The album art wasn't doing it any favours either.
Janet Jackson
2/5
I really do not like 90s smooth RnB. This is edging way too close to it. I also am not a fan of Janet Jackson for maybe the same reason.
The more upbeat 80 s pop songs were ok but the ballads was not my thing. Also way too long runtime.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I think liking this album comes down if you like Bruce or not. I am a fan of his singing style and lyrics so I thought this was quite good. Atlantic City is my favourite track on this album.
It is very different from his other early work which I think is kind of cool. While not as catchy as his other albums I still think it holds a certain charm. No big hooks but it feels cozy and the stories told pull you in.
Weak 4.
Joanna Newsom
5/5
The album cover made me worried that I was in for a bad time but this album surprised me! Once I was got over the slightly odd singing style, I really enjoyed it! The orchestration with the harp made it sound interesting and fresh. A bit of Regina Spector but with harp instead of piano.
I was really hooked from the start with the beautiful melody of "Emelie", and it kept my interest the whole way through. The lyrics are interesting and they paint very vivid stories.
It was a long time since I liked an album this much the first listen. Too bad that it isn't on Spotify which shouldn't be as much of a problem as it is.
5 surprised stars!
Maxwell
2/5
RnB is not my thing and this was no exception. "Till the cops come knocking" felt like a scit with its bordering to awful lyrics. Other than that it just passed me by.
Cream
4/5
I think it is what it says on the can! Some 70s sych rock but released already in 1967. "Sunshine of Your Love" clearly the best song on the album by far but the rest was cool too.
It managed to feel both fun and experimental while keeping to its psych rock core. It coming out in 1967
Not the most interesting album on the list but a 3 feels too harsh, especially since it was so early. Weak 4 from me.
The Beta Band
3/5
The second "The Beta Band" album in a week. At least this was way better than "Hot Shots II", still don't see what is special about this band to warrant it being on this list.
It started off with "Assesments" which had a good guitar intro and the whole album managed to feel quite groovy. Even the album art while not good was better than "Hot Shots II".
An ok album but nothing to write home about. Mid 3.
Pentangle
4/5
Surprisingly fun! Liked the more upbeat songs like "Train Song" and "Hunting Song". A bit of medival Fleetfoxes over the whole thing. Both the guitar playing and singing were on point.
Brownie points for being quite short and not overstaying its welcome. Weak 4.
Grateful Dead
2/5
I'm really not a fan of jam bands and jam albums, this was no exception. Any one part of the album is quite good but the endless jamming is just not for me. I see why people like it though.
Supergrass
4/5
I always confuse Supergrass with Supertramp and was surprised when the first dark chords started playing on "In it for the money". This wasn't at all what I was expecting.
My only Supergrass connection is with "Alright" which is way more poppy than this album. This was grungy and guitar driven rock. I really liked it. Many catchy songs like "Sun hits the sky", "In it for the money" and "Richard III".
The whole album held a very high quality and I am definitely a fan!
Nick Drake
4/5
As always, a cozy and nice album from Nick Drake. I've said before and will say it again: Its really just a mood for me.
This is however the most memorable Nick Drake album for me. There are more songs that stand out than other albums. For me some of the stand out songs were "Hazey Jane II" and "Nothern Sky".
Just another really good album.
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
Finally the worst rated album on this site but is it deserving of that position? Can it be worse than Kid Rock's "Devil with a cause"?
First things first, the first track is really jarring and dissonant. Abrasive is the word I would use and I nearly turned it off right there and then.
The rest of the album is a mixture of industrial noises and other effects. Sometimes i thought the rhythm patterns were quite good in tracks like "Kollaps" and "Rohrbombe". Maybe as a sample it would be good?
All in all it is still a 1 star album but an interesting one. I'm guessing it was influential in some way and I always give brownie points for trying something different.
Still better than Kid Rock!
SAULT
4/5
SAULT is one of the most interesting bands in the last years and Wildfires is one of my favourite song of 2020s. I also hold a grudge against SAULT after they took down their "Nine" album as I thought it was great!
Anyway, this album was really good. Moody, menacing and political. I remember when i first heard Wildfires I was surprised of the subject matter as the song felt more like a ballad. This album really puts the song in to the correct context.
While the album has a very high quality over all, as I said Wildfires is one of the greats, I think it just misses a 5 star as I can't really single out any other song I like quite as much on this album.
Radiohead
4/5
I think we've had quite a few Radiohead albums by now (only OK Computer missing?) and this felt like it slotted in with the rest. It holds a high quality and my favourite is probably "Everything In Its Right Place".
Moody, experimental and thematic. The songs blend a bit together but it works well without there being any songs to single out as great.
Still not close to my favourite album "In Rainbows" but I think it takes second place for now.
Genesis
3/5
The first minutes of "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight" was really, really good and I was really having high hopes for the album. Then I remembered this is progrock and the progrock began, it quickly went down hill. I just wish the first minutes kept going, felt a bit like "Rainbow" and it had some great riffs.
Firth of Fifth is on this record and I think it is one of the better progrock tracks. Their complete commitment to the fantasy theme makes it quite fun.
I you like progrock this is probably a great album. For me it's not really my style but still decent.
Malcolm McLaren
3/5
Really hard to define this one. Latin beats, African beats, 80s hip hop and some scratching. The album was really all over the place but at least it was a fun listen. It reminded me quite a bit of the soundtrack to the game "Jet Set Radio".
The album didn't really leave me with any lasting impression though. 3 star.
Slipknot
3/5
Not really a Slipknot fan but I like some of their songs like "Before I forget", none of the songs I like is on this album though. "Psychosocial" was probably my favourite song and the only one that really stood out.
Nice to find a new song I like but the rest didn't really stick. Again, I like my metal with dragons more than with angst. Still it was ok.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
As with previous albums by "The stones" i find their albums kind of lacking. They have some really good songs, on this one "Wild Horses" is a clear 5 star song. But you can always cherry pick a few songs and leave the rest. Most songs are just very standard rhythm and blues rock.
I realized I've never really listened to the lyrics of "Brown Sugar" but um yeah that first verse is way, way, worse than I could imagine. Yikes. The riffs is still really good though.
Towards the tail-end the ballads were actually quite decent and a nice change of pace.
More 3 stars for rolling stones, if only they could merge 2 albums in to one it would warrant a 4 or even 5 star album.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Two "Rolling Stones" albums back to back! The British version has the good "Mothers little helper" but the US release has "Paint it black", what a dilemma of which release is the best. I think "Paint it Black" is probably the best song but "Mother's little helper is probably the best track on the British release.
There are quite a few other decent songs. "Under my thumb" and "Out of time" to name a few. It was cool coming from "Sticky Fingers" to hear this album which felt slightly older and more close to something like "The Kinks"
I've listened to two stones albums in two days and have enjoyed them quite a lot. I still think you can pick the best songs of the albums and not miss much but as a whole I think they deserve a 4 star.
M.I.A.
4/5
M.I.A was really on to something. Really like how much you hear of future acts like "Shygirl" and "CORBAH" in this.
Still feels incredibly fresh and playful. Just a bunch of good loops and beats. My favourite was probably the incredibly stupid "U.R.A.Q.T.", just fun lyrics all around.
I recommend M.I.A's album Matangi to see the ideas of this album carry on into the 2010s.
4 star!
Dagmar Krause
1/5
This sounded like something from a musical. A disjointed collections of songs that were like off-brand Sondheim, Cabaret or the three penny opera. Maybe I would have like it more if there was some sort of red thread running through but it really just felt like a disjointed mess.
The singer is clearly talented and the orchestra too but I just found it annoying. I was thinking it wasn't to bad after I thought I finished only to come to the dreaded realisation that there was another half to go.
That amount off disinterest of having to listen more to it firmly places it in the one star category,
Bob Dylan
4/5
I like Dylan, some of his albums are among my favourite albums. Listening to him always feels comforting and safe.
Blonde on Blonde while not one of my favourite albums, is still very decent. You have the hits where I think the quite happy "I Want You" is my favourite with its simple chorus.
"Rainy Day Women" is just a fun romp, "Visions of Johanna" is a vibe.
The tail-end lacks the same punch as the first part but still a 4 for me. I just like my Old school Dylan!
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
Last time we had a "Crosby, Stills & Nash" album I thought it was going to be a 4 or 5 star for sure, but I ended up a bit disappointed. This album however really delivered.
Of the bat you get a chill songs with harmonies in "Carry on". A few tracks later a surprisingly heavy blues song "Almost cut my hair", the latter part of the song made me think of heavy rock and was probably my favourite part of my whole album.
"Our House" was probably the only song I'd heard before and it is a good song although a bit odd. I still don't know why it works but it really does.
With its runtime shy of 40 min it is the perfect length for an album for me. Clear 4 stars.
Little Simz
5/5
Little Simz is one of my favourite artist of the 2020s and definitely my favourite rapper. I saw her in concert a few years back and it was probably one of the best concerts I've been to.
My favourite album by her is "Sometimes I Might Be Introvert" which is way more laid-back and jazzy than this. I think that album is too new for this list, being released in 2021.
Anyway, on to this album. I really like the beats and vibes of this album. The beats are aggressive and Simz rhymes flows are just great. Coming out swinging from the get go with "Offence".
The most famous track is "Venom" and it might be the first Simz track I heard. Her raps are not the strongest on that track but man the drum beat after the word "Venom" is really great.
"101 FM" is also one of my favourite tracks on the album as well as "Selfish" and "Sherbet Sunset" which is more like the later album.
All in all as always high quality from "Simz" and while it's not my favourite album by her it still deserves a 5.
Stephen Stills
3/5
Took me way too long to realise that Stephen Stills is the "Stills" of "Crosby Stills and Nash".
I thought this was quite upbeat and a nice listen. Not the most memorable album but still enjoyable. Good mix of blues and folk rock. Not sure if listening to Stills solo compared as a part of "Crosby Stills and Nash" has any benefits though.
Favourite song probably "Go Back Home" and "Love the One You're With".
Spiritualized
2/5
I read my review of the previous Spiritulized album we had nearly 2 years back. There is was pleasantly surprised fearing another "90s-oasis-type-band". My fears were answered with this album. I found it was introspective and quite boring. Not sure if I liked the previous Spritiulized album better due to me being in a different headspace (or younger?) but this really wasn't my jam.
"Angel sigh" was the only track that stuck out. It had a quite nice melodic part that made me think of "Explosions in the Sky".
Guided By Voices
1/5
This just sounded like a demo tape and embodies everything i do not like with 90s music. Just felt like an unfinished mess of 28 songs in nearly as many minutes.
The sound sometimes isn't bad but I just wish it was more polished. I feel like I'm missing the point somehow.
Motörhead
2/5
Ace of spades is great. Then the rest of the live album felt like "Ace of Spades" knock-offs. Even some of the solos were reused. It being live gave the album some energy but it felt quite samey. Strong 2.
The xx
3/5
I never listened to this "The XX" album to all that much. I felt that when it came out that the times had moved away from the sound a bit. Listening to it now it just feels like a worse "In Colour" with Jamie XX. You can really tell he was a big part of The XX.
Still it has the iconic "XX sound" which is laid-back groove. I just feel it is basically the same structure as the other albums but with more poppy samples.
The clear best song for me is the opening "Dangerous". Those horns really breath life in the track. I hope we get one the earlier XX albums on this list.
Living Colour
2/5
This album was a bit all over the place. Sometimes you have a heavy metal, hard rock tracks like "Cult of Personality" which could've been a Van Halen song. At other points cheery pop songs like "Glamour Boys" which sounded like Phil Collins with distorted guitars.
I was honestly not a big fan. 80s drums, generic rock songs and some odd pop-songs just failed to interest me.
Madonna
2/5
Holy auto-tune batman, what a mess! There is some compression effect on all vocals which sounds horrible. That in combine with overuse of bad auto-tune ("Nobody's perfect") made this a pretty bad album.
Even the hits like "Music" were quite dissapointing. Also why was the cover of "American Pie" popular? It is pretty bad.
It gets a star for trying something different and for the best song on the album "Don't tell me" with its country riff which is pretty decent.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Very new wave! Enjoyed the mix of some ska and some folk. The opening track "The Celtic Soul Brothers" was probably my favourite track. Just upbeat and fun.
Ending with "Come on Eileen" is quite a song to finish on. It's a good track but it has been played to absolute death.
The songs in between just passed me by. Listened to the album twice but nothing really stuck. It still had a nice sound and starts and ends with a bang.
Elton John
4/5
Tiny dancer is such a good song and a great way to start off the album. The rest you are treated to Elton's typical piano driven songs. This album lacks a bit of variety compared to his later albums and many of the song blend together. I still think this is Elton's best sound so it's not only a negative but it doesn't quite reach the height of his later albums.
Still there are a bunch of good songs like "Madman Across to the Water" and "Indian Sunset" which I didn't know was the origin for 2Pacs "Ghetto Gospel" which now when I listen to it is quite obvious.
I think this lands on a weak 4 as a whole.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
2/5
It gets off to a good start with the Cover of "Who Do You Love", its actually really good which I wasn't expecting from an instrumental cover. Second track was ok too but it just starts getting boring the more tracks are played. It delves further and further into noodling on the guitar. They are clearly talented but I'm just not a big fan of long guitar solos.
By the time "Who do you love part 2" comes on I was pretty much done with the album.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
5/5
Was expecting generic blues rock with Janis Joplin making an appearance for "Another Piece Of My Heart". A lot of the blues albums on here are covers of black blues artists who's versions are often better but not mentioned.
I was quite wrong about this album though. Sure there are some covers but the covers are really good. Janis vocals really is the star of the show and leaves her own mark on many classics. "Summertime" is a cool cover, so is "Ball and Chain".
"Piece of my heart" is the song I recognize from this album and it is good but I never thought it was amazing. Put in the context of this album i think elevates it quite a lot.
Honestly I've listened to this album on repeat, its the perfect length of around 40 minutes and I enjoy the whole thing. There is not 1 single amazing song but I still think it deserves a 5 star.
Norah Jones
3/5
I sighed when I saw this album on the list, remembering when new Jazz pop was all the rage. Reading things like "WhY DoN't ThEy MaKe ReAl MuSiC LiKe ThIs AnYmOrE". This, Melody Gardot and the likes where really the bees knees for a while.
Listening to it now, it is actually quite good. Maybe I've just gotten old and boring. "Don't know why" is a chill and good song. Otherwise I found "Come away with me" still a bit annoying, maybe teenage me is still hates it enough to filter through.
There are good songs here and there but I wish for more variety. "I've Got to See you Again" is different from the rest and it is really good. I also wish there was more blues and edginess to the rest of the songs. This really shines through if you listen to the bonus CD (not taken in to account in the review) where her cover of "Hallelujah, I Love Him So" is really good. The whole bonus CD is good, leaning more to jazz with an unpolished, raw mixing, with session recordings and demos. The unpolishedness really elevates it, so does the solos.
A very strong 3, probably a weak 4 but I would betray my old self. I think you should listen to the bonus CD and some of the singles. Honestly, this is one of the times where polish makes it worse.
Doves
2/5
Only heard of "Doves" 10 years after this album was released and then the sound had kind of gotten a bit stale. I feel the same today, it felt a bit bland and uninspired.
When this was all the rage it might have been new but now I'm just a bit tired of the sound. Sounds a bit like early Coldplay and many other bands. I'm guessing this was quite fresh when it was released.
Strong 2. In another world maybe Doves would've been Coldplay.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did. "Walk On By" is really just a great song. Good riffs, good vibe, just a great song. The rest is surprisingly groovy with good riffs and solos. Not even the long run lengths of songs could ruin it.
This was way better than the previous Isaac Hayes album "Shaft - soundtrack". The only bad part was the start of "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" with all the talking. It made me nearly miss out on some really good horns.
Clear 4.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Enjoyed parts of this. The first tracks were good but then it took a real nose dive. From the middle of "Love from Room 109 at Islanders" it just became a slow, boring mess. "Dream letter" continued this downward trend.
When I got to "Gypsy Woman" the tempo increased but my mind was set. A 3 star without the slog in the middle but now a 2 star.
Can
2/5
Not much to say on this one, it just passed me by. The only times I noticed it was during some of the noisy chaotic segments.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
Wasn't really expecting much considering I'm not really a progrock fan. This was actually ok. The acoustic parts i even liked. Favourite track was "The Sage".
After reading about it and seeing it's a cover of 19th century classical piece it was actually kind of fun.
Still, i'm not a fan of the endless solos, or some of the organ sounds. Weak 3.
The Fall
1/5
Punk with a hint of new wave. There were some nice songs, "Rebellious Jukebox" has a really good guitar riff.
For every good song there are plenty of really bad ones. Was going to give it a 2 star but by "No Xmas for John Quays" I just wanted it to end.
Nirvana
4/5
This was good but I don't think it warrants a 5 star. I've come to realize I'm not really a great fan of Nirvana. Their music is ok but I never find myself listening to them by my own volition.
Anyhow, the best song for me on this album is clearly "The Man Who Sold The World" which is just a great cover. Generally, whenever I found a song I liked, it turned out to be a cover. Either by Bowie, Meat Puppets or Lead belly. The times I was bored was during the middle when it was only Nirvana songs. The sound is great, but it does get a bit samey with the vocals and chords progression. It all is just a bit too similar with mumble singing and a few minor chords. "Polly" is still as disturbing as ever, and I'm never sure if it's just exploitative or good.
All in all, it is actually a good album. The covers a great and some of the originals are good too. I just don't think it warrants a 5 star.
Van Morrison
5/5
Really enjoyed this one. A mellow and just cozy album. From the start with "And it Stoned me" I was hooked. Honestly, this album is so front-loaded and the whole first side of the album is just filled with great songs like "Moondance" and "Into the Mystic".
It drops the ball a bit on the second half which is clearly not as good as the first. If it was only the first side this would be a clear 5 but the second side is just not as good.
After some contemplation I still I think this warrants a weak 5 since the first half is so strong and the album is kind of short. The second half is not bad just not at the same level as the first.
Burning Spear
2/5
It's reggae and I'm not really a fan of reggae. This didn't do anything to change my opinion of it. It's fine, the first track was even good. But the longer the album went on the more I thought it dragged.
I think this is more an effect that I'm not too big of a fan of the genre than anything else. Still "Marcus Garvey" was a bop. Strong 2.
Blondie
4/5
I've fallen a bit behind in these reviews and have because of this seen that this album was coming up for the last week. I had really been looking forward to it as I love quite a few Blondie songs. It starts of great with two classic songs. Both "Hanging On The Telephone" and "One Way Or Another" are really great songs, elevated by "Debbie Harry's" great vocals.
After that the album just fell off. A mark down in quality with no more songs that I really enjoyed (except of course "Heart Of Glass" which is another classic).
I left the whole thing feeling a bit disappointed. Was going in to this thinking this would be a strong 4 or even a 5 judging by the hits on this record. But the hits were the only really good parts. Take the hits leave the rest. Going to settle on a weak 4 because a 3 just feels too harsh an album with such classics.
Kanye West
5/5
I wasn't really in to rap-music in my teens. I had a Jimmie Hendrick's t-shirt and long hair. Still, the one rap-album I did own was "The College Dropout". I listened to this album a lot! I even remember having a PE-class where we had lead the warmup and me and my friend chose "The new Workout Plan" to do our warm-up class to!
After listening to this, I still think this is a good album. There are a few iconic hits like "The new workout plan", "Jesus Walks" and "Through the Wire".
The lyrics run from poignant e.g "All Falls Down" which may be my favourite song on the album (together with "Never let me down") to just stupid ("Get em High").
As always the samples are great and the guest raps are great to. I think this is a classic album and really defined a lot of the 00s hip-hop. Although i may be biased as this was all the rap i knew for quite a few years. I think this deserves a 5.
Method Man
3/5
Sounded like Wu-Tang without the major hits. Favourite track was Bring the Pain but the rest didn't leave any lasting memory. Not bad just nothing that stood out. Weak 3.
The 13th Floor Elevators
2/5
First 2 tracks "You're Gonna Miss Me" and "Roller Coaster" were really good. Especially "Roller Coaster" sounded very modern and had a very cool riff.
The rest felt kind of weak though. Wasn't a fan of the mixing and nothing else grabbed my attention. Strong 2 / weak 3.
Heaven 17
3/5
This was a fun album. Felt a bit like a more disco version of Human League. A few tracks stood out, Penthouse and Pavement was a good track but the winner goes to "The Height of The Fighting". The rest weren't all that interesting. I like the general sound but found myself a bit bored. Strong 2 or weak 3. Listening again while writing this to "The height of the fighting" pushes it to a 3.
TV On The Radio
3/5
Awful album cover but good music. Enjoyed the a cappella parts and the more grungy songs. I had trouble finishing this for some reason but I think it was mostly due to external factors more than the album itself.
I feel like I need to come back to this album at some point since it really has something going for it. From the first listen I enjoyed "Don't Love You" the most.
The Gun Club
2/5
Sounded like typical punk music to me, was pleasant but nothing stood out at all. The bluesiness of "Cool Drink of Water Blues" was what stood out the most (which wasn't much). Strong 2.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
I mean there are some good riffs and baselines here like in "Poptones" and "Swan lake" but the vocals are just too jarring for me. I guess that is the point?
For me this was just a slog to get through anytime there were any vocals. 1 star.
Korn
2/5
I'm really not a fan of nu-metal. Around the 00s was probably the worst time for mainstream metal. Korn's sound is a bit better than many other bands though from the same era. Still I really can't get over the infantile lyrics. It feels like an angsty 14-year old wrote it.
The worst offender is "All in the Family" with my least favourite rapper, Fred Durst.
There are a few good songs though. "Freak on a leash" is a actually a good song and "Got the life" is decent.
It plays too long and I can't get over the lyrics. 2 stars.
The Go-Go's
4/5
Really enjoyed this, was different than a lot of other stuff here. Felt like new wave and punk with the all girl band really managed to make it feel fresh.
Listened to this quite a few times to figure out which part i really liked. Favourite song was probably "Our Lips are Sealed". Weak 4 stars.
The Zutons
3/5
A pleasant surprise! Never heard of the Zutons before. Realised that they were the original creators to "Valerie" which I of course know.
Anyway the album starts really strong with "Zuton Fever" which was probably my favourite track of the album. Such a good and catchy riff!
The first few tracks were all good but I lost interested a bit towards the middle-end. I can't put my finger on what is. When I'm listening to tracks while writing this it all sounds quite good. The main parts I didn't like were the acoustic tracks which just didn't do it for me.
I think I need to come back to this one and see if the whole thing grows on me. It is possible i just lost interest for no reason of the album but external circumstances. Going for a very strong 3 for now.
Neil Young
4/5
I've skipped quite a few Neil Young albums as they weren't on Spotify but now they are back! I need to go through my back log.
This felt like quite generic Neil Young with "Heart of Gold", "Young Man" and "The needle and the Damage Done" standing out as a step above the rest.
Without the hits it would be a mid-3 but with the hits it move over to the 4 territory.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
2/5
Yuck. The late 90s gave us nu-metal and Rock Rap, my least favourite genres! Rock Rap takes the cake though.
Didn't like the vocals, he just used the same pitch through out. Did I mention the rock samples? They were bad. The rapping is passable at best.
At least it's better than Limp Buiscuit.
A watered down, edgy teen rap album. Feels like something a frat-boy would listen to.
"Scooby snack" was actually kind of groovy though which saves it from a 1 star. Weak 2.
Ryan Adams
2/5
A bit too smooth for my taste. Feels just a bit uninspired, like the most middle-of-the-road soft rock you can think of.
No songs really stood out. Not bad per se, just bland.
Finley Quaye
3/5
Was expecting reggae after the intro to the first track but was treated to a mix of styles. Really enjoyed the funkier tracks like "Sunday Shining" and the spoken word "Ride On and Turn the People On". Felt very 90s, nearly like "Fatboy slim" but without the many samples if that makes sense.
Would've been a 4 star but the length of the album is to its detriment. Will settle for a very strong 3. Can see myself listening to this some more.
1/5
What the hell was that? It was annoying, boring, pretentious all at the same time. I can't even really explain the genre.
I have really nothing nice to say about this album. Felt like a bunch of demos with an orchestra.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
Is this the blandest album on this list? The sound wasn't bad just incredibly bland. Not much more to say than that nothing really stood out to me.
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
Really enjoyed the general sound of this album. Felt new-wavy, a bit like "The Cure". With that being said I didn't find any particular hook of this album. It just seemed to noodle a long with a mixing that wasn't too favorable. Favourite track was "Into You Like A Train" but it still sounds like something I've heard before. Weak 3.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
I frequently forget that RHCP is a thing. Not sure why, they were big in the early 00s when I started listening to a lot of music. This album is a bit too early for me (since I was born the same year) but after hearing Californication, I remember raiding my fathers CD-collection to find this RHCP-albums, with this being one them. While this never got too much play-time (I listened to “Greatest Hits”-album instead), I know quite a few of the songs.
They really have a good sound going right of the bat with the high energy “The Power of Equality”. There are also plenty of very good hits, “Breaking the Girl”, “Suck My Kiss” and of course “Under the Bridge”. All those tracks are very good and shows a breadth of the album.
The breadth of the album is not only to the albums benefit though. For every hit there is also a dud. One such is the standard “They’re Red Hot” which might be one of the worst versions of the song I’ve heard. The album also drags with a massive runtime above 1 hour.
Halving this album would put it in to the 5 star territory but as it stands I think it is a well deserved 4 star.
Pere Ubu
2/5
First the positives, the album art is very cool, the general vibe is post-punky and works quite well, some songs are quite catchy with the saxophone playing.
Second the negatives, the songs were quite boring, some were annoying and straight up bad. The intro was horrible and nearly made me turn off the album.
All in all a pretty bad album. Weak 2 star.
Ash
2/5
I feel like we have had a lot of bland albums lately and this was one of them. The start of "Lose Control" had a really good intro but it fizzled out during the rest of the song. All of it sounded very 90s, like a mix of Neutral Milk Hotel, Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins.
No songs really stood out to me. 2 stars.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
A thought hit me while listening to this, "This really sounds a lot like "Maps", who did that? Oh it's the same band".
We have had "Fever to tell" before and while that was at the start of the rock revival movement, this is more towards its end. You can tell as it's leaving the more rock centered songs for more electronic. To preface this review, I am a sucker for rock revival 00s music.
The start of the album is really good. Zero is high energy, before the star of the album "Heads will roll". Heads will roll (espacially the remix) was a staple of any indie-club around the time of release. It is still a very good song.
The rest of the album slows it down a bit borrowing more from “LCD Soundsystem” than anything else (the exception is the rock-oriented “It’s a dull life”).
While I think I am more of a fan of the rock YYY than the electronic version I think this is a good album. The vocals are on point, there are enough good songs to keep you interested and the album art is really cool. It goes a bit to slow at points but still I think this album lands firmly as a 4 star.
Morrissey
2/5
I find Morrissey pretentious and boring. This album is really no different. The lyrics are cringe-on-the-nose at times. His style of singing is really not for me.
I have to admit that "First of The Gang to Die" is a catchy song that nearly makes me forget how much I don't like Morrissey.
Napalm Death
1/5
Was pretty sure this was going to be a 1 star and it is. For brief moments like in "Instinct of Survival" it feels like there is a good riff and feels like some old school thrash metal. Then the "singing" starts.
Not only is the vocals abrasive but so are the drums. The mixing sounds horrible and compressed.
28 songs in 33 minutes is a feat. I'm glad it wasn't longer.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Fun and upbeat! We had "Too Rye Ay" not too long ago. Both are quite similar in style and fun. "Too Rye Ay" had more memorable songs with "Come on Eileen" and "The Celtic Soul Brothers" while this album only really had "Geno" that I think stood out.
Still a fun album but not something I really feel like listening to again. "Geno" pushes it to a weak 3.
Miles Davis
3/5
Smooth jazz is a genre I think benefits a lot from being played live. I don't mean as a live album but as physically going to a concert. Without that, smooth jazz never really reaches the heights of other jazz for me. I never get that "bite-a-lemon-feeling" that i get from more energetic jazz.
Still this is perfectly good, maybe even great if this is your groove.
David Holmes
3/5
Perfect music to code to! Was a great soundtrack to my bughunt. Enjoyed the bond-sampled song "Radio 7". Mostly worked as background music for me, had a nice 90s feel to it with the drumbeats and samples. Nothing really special stood out but will keep it on my "focus" rotation.
King Crimson
2/5
Always get a bit worried when progressive rock is on the menu but this was ok to me. I always like King Crimson more when there are vocals. Not at all as good as "Court of the Crimson King" but it was ok.
"Easy Money" was by far my favourite while i found most of the other tracks meandering.
More noodling that stand out songs on this one, it made it's 40 min runtime seem way too long.
U2
3/5
Not a particularly fan of U2. Tried listening to it multiple times but frequently lost interest. Quite a few songs feel like the sound Coldplay would have later on. While Coldplay has some teen nostalgia for me, U2 does not. “Mysterious ways” and “One” stand out as the most interesting tracks but I also enjoyed the wall of sound tracks like “Ultra Violet”.
Mid 3.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
1/5
How many Elvis Costello albums is on this list?!?! I was tired of him before, but this is a new low point. I struggled listening the whole way through, his vocals sounds like an angsty teen, with the breathy singing and whining. The mixing sounds like something coming from a demo.
Lowest points I remembered was “Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head” which sounded like some kid recording a demo trying to sound like Bob Dylan. The next track I wondered if it was a Dylan Cover. If only it was. I found “I want you” incredibly cringe and downright bad. Edging close to spoken word, in the words of Elenor from The Good place: “Nobodys idea of heaven is a 3 hour spoke word poem”.
I don’t want to here more Costello now. Please generator make it stop.
Van Morrison
3/5
We've had "Moondance" before and I was really impressed by it, I wasn't at all as impressed by this. Maybe it was the Elvis Costello album the day before which made me incredibly tired of singer songwriters (and Elvis Costello in particular).
The vibe is still nice and I really like "The Way Young Lovers Do". There are some memorable songs like "Sweet thing" too but they are not the same calibre as what is found on "Moondance". "Sweet thing" makes me think of Nick Drake and "Pink Moon" in particular.
Strong 3.
Chicago
3/5
Was expecting soft rock but got prog instead. Not a big fan of prog rock in general. Maybe i should'e expected Chicago to have a proggier side since "25 or 6 to 4" is a bit more progressive rock and my favourite Chicago tune. Sadly not on this record.
This album had some pretty low lows (looking at you 7 min guitar noise track). The highs weren't all that great but there were good riffs here and there. "Listen" comes to mind as a good track (also one of the shorter ones).
As in general with prog rock i just which they were cut down a lot, this one included. Weak 3.
Giant Sand
2/5
Very hard to pinpoint when this was recorded without looking at the release date. Felt a bit like Bright Eyes but with a lower voice.
It started of ok but the longer I listened the more it started to bore me. I guess it could be a weak 3 but I don't want to listen to it again and no songs really caught my attention. It just felt a bit whiny. Still there it was different from what usually is on here.
The Magnetic Fields
1/5
I'm done! I'm finally fucking done with this album. I read the wikipedia
"I decided I'd write one hundred love songs as a way of introducing myself to the world. Then I realized how long that would be. So I settled on sixty-nine"
That's all you need to know. It sounds like someone came up with as many songs as he could and just published all of them, stream of consiousness style.
Maybe there is a 2-3 star album in here but for not valuing the listeners time one iota this is a 1 star. I regret listening to all of it.
Pixies
3/5
Thought Doolittle was the stronger Pixie album. Never really got in to them which I'm not sure why since it should be up my alley. "Where is my mind" is a very good track and I enjoyed the energy throughout. I think I maybe just need to listen to it a bit more "get it". Mid 3 for now.
Metallica
4/5
During the 00s I feel like every metal band ever did a live album with a full orchestra. Maybe it was driven by making classical music "cool" or metal more "high brow". Maybe this was one of the albums that started the trend?
As mentioned, I've heard my share of live-full-orchestra-metal-albums so I wasn't expecting much which was maybe a good thing. I was super impressed by the orchestral arrangement, clearly somebody pulled in a lot of time to the arrangement and it totally shows. The strings add nice melodic lines and their on twist on the songs instead of just playing the same lines and riffs as the guitars.
The selection of songs for the the album is also good while slightly on the long side (did it really need to be 2 hours?).
As a Metallica-fan I enjoyed it, the vocals are not always on points and I could do without the obligatory "Hey, Hey, Hey" chants. The mixing is great though which really lets the orchestra shine.
Will this convert any fans to Metallica? Probably not. Are the original versions better? I would argue so. Is it a fun album? Absolutely. If nothing else it's worth a listen to hear what an orchestra can actually bring if done correctly.
Weak 4.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
We've had a lot of Nick Cave. Sometime I think his stuff is ok, sometimes I think it's quite bad. I just can't shake the feeling of him being a "I'm 50 and this is deep" type of artist.
I can't really really review this though. I read that he recorded it after his son died. The heavy subject matter doesn't really get made justice when I'm listening to it while working after taking a sleeper train.
Giving it a 2 star for now, maybe I'll come back to it some day.
Neu!
3/5
Listened to this twice and it really grew on me the second time. The first track sounds very modern and sounded like and intro to something like a "War On Drugs" song.
I can't help feeling something is missing, like this is the start before vocals are added.
Was a cool album mainly since it was made already 1975. Not my favourite but I'm impressed by how modern it still sounds.
Joan Armatrading
3/5
The opening track "Down To Zero" is a very powerful track with great vocals. It's reminiscent of Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car". After the first song I was excited for the rest.
The rest didn't grab me as much as the first track though. The whole thing felt a bit too chill, like there was no agency in the songs.
"Love and Affection" was the only other exception which made me remember why I was excited for the album to begin with.
Too bad, was hoping for something great but I still found a few new songs and an artist I hadn't heard before!
Dead Kennedys
3/5
An album that succeeds in being a fun punk album! Just enough variation that stops it from getting repetitive and boring. Just a lot of attitude of the album.
Besides the classics like "Holiday in Cambodia", I really enjoyed "California Uber Alles".
Political and fun, an album that makes you want to drink cheap lager at a basement concert. I mean how can't you not like an album with tracks like "I Kill Children" and "When Ya Get Drafted". I even like the Elvis Cover!
My only gripe is the mixing which sounds a bit flat (i know it's the style but still). Strong 3!
Shack
1/5
Ugh, was really not in the mood for this. I find the vocals incredibly annoying for some reason. It felt bland and so easygoing i get angry. It's like a watered down "Oasis", or "Fleet Foxes".
Generic, bland and uninspired. 1 star.
Eminem
4/5
What a mixed bag. Part infantile shock rap, part introspective and part joke rap.
The infantile shock rap feels very dated. I guess around 2000 it could be edgy to hear this stuff on the radio/CD but now when one can just read whatever on the internet the titillation of hearing about someone wanting to have sex with their parents just sounds lame. It’s just the internet.
The introspective rap really shines, “The way I am” is a great and poignant song, so is “Stan”. Stan goes to a quite dark place and shines a dark light on what fandom can do.
While “Stan” is an uncomfortable and dark listen, “Kim” just crosses the line. Maybe it is that it names Eminem’s ex wife specifically but I mean come on. An explicit murder fantasy about your ex is just unsettling and shocking. I think it’s the most uncomfortable I’ve been listening to a song since “Polly” by Nirvana.
Lastly the jokes are hit and miss. The beats are really great and Eminem’s raps are incredible. One of my favourite lines is from “The real slim Shady”: “Will Smith don't gotta cuss in his raps to sell records. Well, I do, so fuck him and fuck you too”. It’s just a great and childish line.
The highs are really high on this album but the lows are pretty damn low. Also the second half just falls off a cliff, it’s an incredibly front loaded album. The guest raps are also pretty bad and really just showcases how much better Eminem is.
While an argument can be made that this is both homophobic and sexist, I always feel like the shock-value is the most important and I’m prepared to give this a pass.
Going to settle for a 4 star on this. It could’ve been a 5 but without the hits it could also been a 1.
Elastica
2/5
Like when i find a book I don't want to finish, this one took a long time to get through. It just feels so generic. Not sure why it bores me, the sound is ok, has attitude and the type of music i generally like. But there still is no hook in the album. Tried listening to it on multiple occasions and it just blended in to the background.
Beyoncé
2/5
Was actually looking forward to this. Beyonce seems to have a knack to choose good songs to sing. I also really like her live album which really showcases her live performance skills.
This album lacked the energy I think her live performances have. I felt the whole thing was the lowest common denominator bland pop.
Quite disappointed, none of my favourite songs are on this record and the whole thing just fell a bit flat. Beyonce is maybe more a performer than album creator. Highlight was "Flawless" with its excellent beat.
Listen to "Homecoming: The Live Album" for what I was hoping for.
Gary Numan
4/5
Enjoyed this! One of my first memories of Spotify back in 2008 was using it to listening to "Are friends Electric" by Gary Numan. This brought back those memories.
I think this album manages to fell modern, retro and cool all at the same time. It really has a unique sound . And no guitars!
Cars is a great song and M.E really stood out too, maybe in part that i recognized the sample that Basement jaxx took.
Fun album, not too many bangers but enough to keep me interested throughout, and a good album to listen to while working. 4 Stars!
The Monks
4/5
Wait there was punk in the 60s?! This was such a fun album, feels far ahead of its time. Just high energy, silly, punk. I doesn't overstay it's welcome feels part troll part political.
Weak 4 star, mainly for being so ahead of its time.
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
"The Shining Hour" was an ok start. Then "Jupiter and Teardrop" sounded like it wanted to be David Bowie's "Moonage Daydream" but with a title very clore to "Teardrops of Jupiter".
I thought there were quite nice songs here and there like "Wish you Well" but overall it was a very 90s experience (where else would you find the lyrics "I got you on my handycam" repeated over and over again).
I can't shake the feeling that this album often tries to be older artist like David Bowie and Velvet Underground.
Ups and downs, mid 3.
Girls Against Boys
3/5
Liked this more than i thought and I am super tired of 90s rock. The overall feel is nice, dark and heavy. The guitar riffs are center stage and I enjoyed the distorted vocals. Bit of "System of a Down" and "The Bronx" in there.
All in all not many tracks that really stood out but i thought "Let Me Come Back", "Bullet Proof Cupid" and "In Like Flynn" was a step above the rest.
Atrocious album name.
Nightmares On Wax
2/5
All instrumental beats. The beats were good but I missed some vocals or something to keep me interested.
The beats would be a good start for some killer rap songs. Nearly felt like a soundtrack for a video game. Way, way too long but the overall feeling was decent. Jut not particularly memorable
Strong 2 stars.
John Lennon
3/5
Comparing to the other John Lennon album we've had on this list, Imagine, I thought this wasn't as good. While the general level is a bout the same I think none of the tracks come close to "Jealous Guy" or "Gimme Some Truth" (though "Mother" gets close).
It's a decent album, good even. Just shy a a 4 star for me. Maybe I hold the members of the Beatles to a higher standard than other artist on this list.
Sisters Of Mercy
4/5
Enjoyed this! Dark, and very, very 80s. Just listen to those reverb drums! A bit of Depeche mode and a bit of the Human League if they decided to get really in to BDSM.
I like this dark type of electro so this was my jam. “Dominion/Mother Russia” is a great start. “Flood I” has slightly worse vocals and hook, but that menacing beat is really intoxicating.
There are a few downers like “1959” and some of the songs are too long. Overall this is a good find, I even enjoyed the flimsy “This Corrosion” whose synths sound to come straight from an old video game. The choir hooks were a real gem in that song!
I’ve listened to the album a few times and it has grown on me each time.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
I found this to be a slog. Nothing really stood out and I feel like I've heard this album many times before.
CHVRCHES
3/5
This takes me back to being a student in the 2010s. I think this is the most indie pop electornic sound of the 2010s. “The Mother We share” is the main hit of this album and the one I recognize. I wondered why I haven’t heard anymore of Chvrches but after listening to the album I kind of get why. I found most of the album quite boring. I missed som sort of edge or agency in this album.
Still a good album if you wonder what the cool indie-pop-kids listened to in this era. Weak 3.
Jeru The Damaja
2/5
I don't think I was in the mood for this album today. The flows were good when I focused but it didn't really stick. Maybe I should've listened to this when I was at the gym. The beats themselves were not interesting enough to grab my attention. When I focused on the music the flows were good but I was doing other things at the same time. All in all it just felt generic.
Strong 2. Should maybe give it another go next workout.
Gang Of Four
4/5
The album's art seemed boring. Didn't read the band name or the description just started it up on Spotify. The first notes of "Ether" made me pay some more attention. It was not the sound I was expecting at all. By "Natural's Not in It" I was bopping a long. Great riffs, great tones on the guitars and just a great abrasive sound.
I had completely forgotten about "Damaged Goods" until the opening bars. I have listened to this before! Such a good song. Great riff, great lyrics!
The rest of the album kept high quality. Really enjoyed it. Just breathes with personality and punky attitude. 4 stars.
Rahul Dev Burman
4/5
What a ride! You could tell it was a movie soundtrack with a great mix of styles and songs. From the psychedelic intro to the western movie inspired parts of "Countess' Caper". I feel like other movie sound tracks we have had, the music was not as good without knowing the film but here I think this is not the case. I really enjoyed the mix of styles and felt i wanted to see the movie to understand more.
It may be a bit front loaded but it was still fun. Very refreshing compared to all the other stuff on this list. 4 star.
The Saints
3/5
A fun punk album with some new wave influences. Listened to it while I was at the gym which was a good fit. The horns were a nice addition.
"Know your Product" was the best track but I also enjoyed the slower "A minor Aversion" stood out.
The album breathes of a band having fun and I think it would be great to have seen these guys at a concert.
Strong 3!
Public Enemy
4/5
There has been quite a few 80s rap albums and I can never really work out why I like some and not some others. Maybe it’s just my mood for the day? Anyway I liked this.
It starts off with two heavyweight classics in “Bring the Noise” and “Don’t believe the hype”. Both has great rhymes, lyrics and beats. It really is Public Enemy at its best.
The mid part of the album goes into a bit of a slump. The beats takes a back seat for sample loops which just drag. And then I find my number one rap enemy. Rap metal. It’s not egregious but “Shy Watch Channel Zero?!” is too close to rap metal for me.
Luckily the tail end saves the album. Some really good songs at the end though I can’t decide if the tea-kettle-sample (is it a tea-kettle?) in “Rebel Without A Pause” is genius or annoying.
Would be an easy 4 star if it was shorter and cut some things in the middle. Still think it deserves a 4 but a weak one.
4/5
Didn’t know what to expect with that album cover but was pleasantly surprised when “Uncontrollable Urge” started playing. Really sets the mood of punky, silly, high energy music.
The album is just fun and I enjoyed it. Pretty short which is always a good sign in my book. 4 star.
The Replacements
2/5
First it was punk, then it was pop and more like the Smith's with some very punk tracks thrown in (what other style would "Gary's Got a Boner" be in?).
The punk was ok and the slower songs not really my thing. Just a bit incoherent. Strong 2 star.
The Specials
4/5
I really shouldn’t like “The specials”. I don’t particularly like reggae, and I don’t like ska. Something about them just works though. It’s fun, has an attitude and just is a good album. My favourite song “Ghost Town” is not on here but “Too Much Too Young” is. Seeing an old clip of “Too Much, Too Young” live on youtube was what got me in to The Specials in the first place. Worth looking it up.
Animal Collective
1/5
Hard to pay attention to and when I did I was annoyed. Pretentious. The loops were boring, just some synth sounds. No hooks or even melody to the vocals. Felt like a pisstake of MGMT.
It felt like they were trying way to hard and forgot they were making music along the way.
George Michael
3/5
This is not really my thing. I love some 80s music, but the pop soul 80s is not really my thing. To me this sounded ok but I think Michael Jackson did it better.
A decent listen and "Faith" is a really groovy track. The rest is just a bit to meandering and it doesn't really grab me. Not sure what it is, this style just doesn't make my head bop.
Jeff Buckley
4/5
Was not expecting much from this album, just some guy playing guitar as i only know the "Halleluljah" cover. Was surprised that there was more to it than that.
"Grace" had a trippy sort of sound aching to Radiohead which I liked. "Last Goodbye" had a good riff too.
Honestly up to Hallelujah ("which is a great cover") I was enjoying it. Sure there were one or few duds where the tracks was exactly what I was expecting ("Lilac Wine").
The tail end was not as good as the start with some more crooning songs like "Corpus Christi Carol" but when it's leaning more to rock I really enjoyed it.
Weak 4.
Def Leppard
4/5
It is very formulaic, some guitar riffs, boom clap drums and chant whatever the the chorus is. But it works. There is something fun and sexy about the music.
Not as good as AC/DC but very similar sound. I think this deserves a four, it has everything needed there except some hit songs. I think "Rock of Ages" is the strongest song but it is not that great.
It just squeezes in a weak 4, too bad "Pour Some sugar on me" is not on this record.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
Ah Cohen, he might be my favourite songwriter. His lyrics are always great and that’s where this album really shines.
This album kicks off with a real banger. “First we take Manhattan” is where both Cohen’s great lyrics work in conjunction with the music to be just a killer of a track.
The rest of the album has a such a weird sound. Some simple presets from a synthesiser and some very good backing singers. It really shouldn’t work as it sounds more like a karaoke than anything else. I think it really does work for some reason. Sure, it helps that Cohen’s songwriting and voice is just great.
“Ain’t no Cure for Love” is a little cheesy but also something about it is so raw. “Everybody knows” is ominous track that also just works. Honestly I could list all the tracks as great ones (maybe not Jazz Police and I Can’t Forget). Even the Tower of Song’s “solo” which sounds like some kids first attempt at jazz, works for some reason.
I understand if you don’t like this but I really do. 5 star.
The Adverts
2/5
The sound was good but it was really just one sound all through out. Had trouble differentiating between any songs. Not a fan of the mixing either, hard to hear the vocals and it just sounded a bit flat.
Simply Red
2/5
Look, soul is not really my thing and much less soul pop. This felt like it lacked identity. It is the offend-none, lowest-common-denominator type of pop with some smooth soul added to it. Makes me just want to listen to some abrasive punk instead.
The Bees
3/5
Very chill but also lacked some identity. Some reggae influences in "No Trohpy". "Punchbag" felt like some 2010s hipster music a la Vampire Weekend. It is a bit all over the place which makes it hard to judge. Mostly it was just very chill.
The more rock-oriented "A Minha Menina" is actually quite catchy and the only song that really stood out to me.
As an album to have on in the background on a chill day I think it works quite well. I have hard time giving it more praise than that. Weak 3.
Gang Starr
3/5
1991 seems surprisingly early for this album so it seems to be very influential east coast rap. It is however quite basic compared to modern rap. The flows were good but not that interesting, the samples were ok but nothing special. The sole exception is "Check the Technique" with it's very good sample of "California soul".
All in all, I was not that impressed but since it is so early I'm giving it a weak 3.
The Kinks
4/5
This album goes way harder than one would expect from the sound. Especially “Picture Book” has so much energy in a way you would expect from the lack of distortion. All through this album has many catchy pop songs. It feels a lot like a Beatles album if they took a slightly different sound.
The album is very front loaded with “Do you remember Walter”, “Picture Book” and “Big Sky”, the whole album is worth a listen though.
The Kinks really have a knack for writing interesting songs. 4 star.
Lou Reed
3/5
Hard to review this one. I thought it was quite good but to really give a proper review I think this requires more active listening than i did since the lyrics are important in a rock opera (duh).
Whenever I did listen to the lyrics it seemed super depressing. Rock operas generally have some very catchy hits (pinball wizard, Another brick in the wall) but this one lacked it I think.
Still, would like to come back to this one when I have more time.
3/5
A live album that really benefited from being a live album. The energy and the audience are what this album is having going for it. The musicianship takes a backseat, and the lyrics are not the greatest to say the least.
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
A while back we had "Simple Red" and I noted I really disliked pop soul. This is the real deal though. Funky, soulful and a fun listen. I've spent most of my weekend listening to this. Perfect for parties, perfect for background music, just a fan overall.
Best track is the opening "Shining Star" but I think but the whole album is good. My only gripe is there are no particular singles that really stand out.
PJ Harvey
4/5
I mostly know PJ Harvey from the "Let England Shake" album and singles like "We Float". The sound of that album is more eclectical and one might say more pretentious. This was more straight forward rock which was a pleasant surprise.
Enjoyed the guitar tones, the riffs and the singing. It brought a lot of energy to the mix. Felt a lot like Nirvana for parts of it.
Many highlights like "Dress" and "Sheela-na-gig".
Giving this one a weak 4, surprised that I liked this as I was dreading listening to it beforehand.
Scott Walker
2/5
First thought was that "Scott 4" sounds like a pretentious album unless it's jazz. Then I saw the first track was called "The Seventh Sail" which might take the prize for most pretentious title of the month.
Anyway, it wasn't jazz but a bunch of ballads. Learning it wasn't from the 80s like I thought made it a bit better, but it still just felt kind of bland. The ballads are nice and all, but nothing really hooked me.
He obviously has a nice voice but other than "Duchess" not much stuck with me.
k.d. lang
3/5
Country really is hit or miss for me. This one falls closer to the miss category. It is just slightly too polished and too nice. Something you could put on in a hotel lobby with its jazz influences.
It also lacked a bit of breadth, with it feeling like all of the songs were just ballads. Some of the ballads were really good like "I Wish I Didn't Love You" and "Black Coffee". She clearly has a good voice for smokey jazz music.
Writing this i realised is this actually just jazz with slide guitars? Maybe.
The Young Gods
2/5
Remember seeing this on the "Worst Rated albums" list so knew I was in for a ride. The first track was what I was expecting with an annoying circus organ loop.
After that I thought it picked up a bit. Still it had annoying experimentation like moving the sound from left to right. But there are some good thrash metal riffs in there (Lounge route). I was also kind of a fan of the vocals, sounded like if Tom Waits was french and decided to be a metal singer.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not a big fan but I think there are a lot of worse and blander music on this list. Weak 2.
Bee Gees
2/5
Was expecting some upbeat disco but man was this a slog. The singer sounds like Paul McCartney quite often. Some songs really try to sound like "The Beatles".
Honestly not much to say about this except I was bored. Blandest album for quite some time.
Nirvana
4/5
Some real gems in here. “Heart shape box” is probably one of the best Nirvana songs imo, “Dumb” is another great one.
Compared to “Nevermind” this feels like it has some more breadth with experimentation with string instruments and different sounds.
The sound is very Nirvana, if you enjoy grunge you will like this. I really enjoyed it, maybe a better album than “Nevermind” even? It is at least as good.
I’ll settle for a very strong 4 since after listening to it I still can’t remember that many of the songs. See it as evening out giving “Nevermind” a 5 star, they are quite equal in my opinion.
The Stranglers
4/5
First thought when listening to The Strangles was “man they sound cool”. Thinking more about it, maybe they are the coolest bad I know. It’s such a perfect blend of new wave and punk. I remember my father listening to “The Stranglers” when I was a kid. At that time only “Peaches” stuck with me. Now though, I think the whole album is great!
It succeeds at both being punk and taking the piss out of punk.
The lead vocals are really raw and good, so is the choice of featuring keyboards and organs in the mix.
Favourite songs is of course “Peaches” but also “Sometimes”, “Hanging around” and “Get a grip on your self”.
Very strong 4 in my book, close to a 5.
Scritti Politti
2/5
I like some 80s music and the vibe but man what a bland 80s record. Nothing to write home about and I'm mostly glad it's over. Weak 2.
Tom Waits
4/5
I like Tom Waits, his albums are always interesting and even his early work is just plain good. This is one of the earlier ones where he more is a jazz singer that anything else.
I've listened to quite a few of these songs like "Eggs and Sausages" and "Better off without a Wife", both great songs. The band is great, special shout-out to the bass and piano player (maybe Waits?).
So listening to it I was wondering if this was going to be a 5 star. As the album when on many songs felt very formulaic. Waits talks a bit with rhymes and about staying out late, being horny etc, then the songs kind of all sounds the same.
Still the sound is great "Better off without a wife" has some great talk and lyrics, but it is slightly watered down by the other songs having similar tones.
A good album just a little bit disappointed, weak 4 star.
Faith No More
2/5
Way to close to the whiny 90s metal trend for my taste. I know of Faith No More but I couldn't name a single song or really what type of music it was before this album. After listening to it I only knew "Epic" from this album. I of course also know "War Pigs" but their cover was pretty bad in my opinion.
Won't come back to and didn't really enjoy it.
The White Stripes
4/5
We’ve had quite a few The White Stripes records by now. You can tell this is the earliest of the ones we’ve had. If you listen to their first records, they are very blues inspired while here we still have some blues elements but they are more and more heading towards their own style.
The main attraction as always is Jack White’s guitar playing, just the tone of the guitar makes you want to listen to it. If the tone isn’t enough there are plenty of good riff like in “Offend in Every way”
There is surprising breadth of this album with good songs in all directions. From the folksy “Hotel Yorba” to the punk rock “Fell in love with a girl” to the children's song “We’re going to be friends”. All good songs in their own right and impressive they are on the same record.
The 40 min runtime feels like a bit longer. It is however a good record, not as good as Elephant though.
Weak 4.
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
This album ranged from passable to downright horrible. Not the biggest fan of shoe-gaze but it's usually ok as background music.
This album had a few chill tracks like "If I Am" but i just can't get over they use of effects on the guitar. "Who sees you" is the worst offender of this, with the jarring effects like a "Wah Wah" on the guitar making it impossible to focus on anything else.
Was thinking of giving it a weak 2 around "in another way" but the last 2 tracks cemented it as a 1 star.
Kelela
2/5
I usually critique this list that all music from the 2010s is just artist that were active in the 90s. I'm going to add to the statement that it's either that, or something you would see on pitchfork. This album is the latter.
I fail to see what is particularly great with this album (except that pitchfork loves RnB), it sounds like a very good album from the 00s or sometimes like a very generic album from the mid 2010s (sounding like Halsey, which “LMK” is the worst offender).
That being said it is not all bad. I initially struggled to focus on the album but after multiple attempts I managed to focus. Some songs were even catchy like “Blue Light”. It’s not necessarily a bad album just quite bland.
Eric Clapton
2/5
Generic dad-rock. The most memorable song is "I shot the Sherrif" which is just a subpar cover.
Very inspired by rhythm and blues but instead a white guy singing. Not sure why this was popular (actually, i know why, racism).
Probably a weak 3 but going for a 2.
The Libertines
2/5
Never really got in to The Libertines, something about it just feels a bit dull.
I did enjoy the punkier songs like "Arbeit Macht Frei" but other than that it just felt like a worse version of the Strokes or Arctic Monkeys.
Brian Eno
3/5
I’ve lost track of how many albums featuring Brian Eno we’ve had by now. I just know that one he comes up, you are in for a ride. This one wasn’t as weird as I was expecting.
Really it comes down to a great mix of tunes, kind of like listening to “Ronald Jenkees” in early youtube days or Marc Rebillet. In that light, this sounds very modern.
Favourite track probably Jezebel Spirit, great music to have on while programming.
Johnny Cash
5/5
A classic! Few live albums deserve a place on this list but I think this one does. The smalltalk between performances and the audience bring something special to this record.
There are plenty of great tracks on here, “Folsom Prison Blues”, “Cocaine Blues”, “25 Minutes to Go” and ballads like “The Long Black Veil” (complete with inappropriate laughs).
If I have any criticism is that the songs are very similar in structure. However the story-telling is on point and really the main thing. Though more variety in stories would help a bit too. The album drags a bit in the second half but then you get hit with “Jackson” (great addition with June Carter”), “Give My Love to Rose” and “I got Stripes” and it feels ok again.
Probably a strong 4 but because the setting, audience and just the story behind it a 5.
Fairport Convention
4/5
I enjoyed this! First thing first, the vocals are great. The singers voice is just something else. Good control and it really fits the tales sung. It feels like listing to stories with music added to it.
"Matty Groves" is great, so is "Come All ye" and "Tam Lin". I'm very impressed! It feels a bit like the more folksy version of "Rainbow" but with a female Dio instead. Or maybe something that would fit in the game "Braid".
What i'm not as impressed with is the instrumental tracks and jamming which can be quite tiresome at times.
All in all I enjoyed it and found some new songs. Weak 4.
Suede
4/5
We’ve had another Suede album, “Suede”, before. I really liked a few songs from that album (“So young” and “Animal Nitrate”) so was interested in this album. Last time I felt Suede was best with their more uptempo and energetic songs, I feel the same this time around. The album starts of strong with “Introducing The Band” and “We Are The Pigs”.
Honestly, the general sound is just good. I feel like this is what “The Smith’s” should’ve been. It reminds me slightly in sound of the Swedish band “Kent”.
For the hits of the previous album and this I think Suede is deserving of a weak 4 even though maybe it should be a strong 3 star by just judging this album by itself.
Steve Earle
2/5
This sounded like the Key and Peele "Racist Country music" sketch (not the lyrics just the sound).
The lyrics felt like a pisstake of country. Maybe it is? Weak 2.
Pere Ubu
1/5
Last time I gave Pere Ubu the benefit of the doubt, that was ill advised.
Honestly, it's so over the place an nothing was particularly good. Like what is with the reggae pastiche in "Blow Daddy-O"? Feels like I'm missing something.
Magazine
3/5
Hit and miss album. Enjoyed the new wave more than the punk. Some real duds were the circus themed “The Great Beautician In The Sky” and “Recoil”. A hit was “Shot By Both Sides” which made me actually stop working to check which song it was. It had a really good riff.
When the album is at its best if feels quite like “Blondie”. The album art is atrocious though.
They got something, I just wish they leaned more in to the new-wave sound. They are also very early with their sound, surprised me it was released in 1978.
Tim Buckley
1/5
Like if someone copied “The Doors” without the organ and instead just sang about his organ.
Honestly, the lyrics were terrible, just songs about sex without any finesse. The songs were bland, felt like some kid tried to copy other famous acts (Rolling stones, The Doors etc.) and just took the worst parts of blues, rock and funk mixed together.
The Fall
3/5
During the first few songs I really dug the bands playing but had a hard time getting used to the singers voice. It was like listening to a karaoke rendition of a good song. After a few songs I got used to it and even, dare I say, enjoy it. The singing worked with the more punk sound songs like “It’s a Curse” or “The league of Bald-Headed Men” (great song title).
Honestly, I like this way more than I was expecting at the start. Sure the last few songs were quite bad but if did have som highlights in there. Punky, spoken-word with a great band. Weak 3.
Ryan Adams
3/5
I like this type of music, it sounds like Ryan Bingham which I like. Something about it is just too cheesy to take seriously. Everything just feels premeditated and phony. Maybe its that Ryan Adams is a terrible person.
There are nice, chill songs here though. My favourite being “Oh My Sweet Carolina”.
I had trouble finishing this since I just got bored. Weak 3.
Slipknot
1/5
Look, I like metal as much as the next person, but I really do not like nu-metal. It's the rap and the record scratching that just does not work.
Slipknot have some melodic hits like “Before I Forget” which actually are really good but none of those songs are on this album. Instead I was “treated” to shitty nu-metal. Just a bunch of angsty lyrics, shitty scratching and subpar lyrics. The drums were quite cool though and the only good thing I have to say about this record.
This did nothing to change my mind about nu-metal and only worsened my image of Slipknot. No best songs, just waited for it to end. 1 star.
Cypress Hill
4/5
Early 90s rap is hit or miss for me; this one falls on the hit side. I’m not sure if its just the mood I’m in when listening to it that decides but I enjoyed it.
Like most rap from this era, the samples are quite similar to each other but still good. Makes me think of sampling from the game “jet set radio”.
Lyrically, just the start with “Pigs” and “How I Could Just Kill A Man” have some very in your face lyrics that flows well with the beats. I don’t think the rest of the songs stick out as much as the first few tracks but all of them keep a nice flow.
With a run time of 45 min I think it’s just short enough to not overstay its welcome. Weak 4 from me.
Hüsker Dü
2/5
Ugh, “We got R.E.M type at home” type of music. First things first, the mixing is horrendous. I can’t pick out any instruments, all of it sounds samey, the drums sound flat the vocals are off.
This was one boring slog, at the best of times it sounds like a mediocre R.E.M song. The only time I perked up was during “Ice Cold Ice” but the mixing made it hard to distinguish if the guitar riff was actually any good.
We’ve had so much rock, especially from the late 80s and early 90s. This one makes nothing to leave a mark. If you like this type of music maybe cherry-pick “Ice Cold Ice” and “Could You Be The One” and go and listen to R.E.M instead.
Weak 2 star.
Gil Scott-Heron
5/5
Things were not looking bright. The album cover looked boring and the album was not on any streaming services. That is 2 warning signs. The third came with the first electrical piano chord where the sound was vibrating from left to right headphone. I needn’t had worried, after my initial trepidation I was treated to a very good album.
It’s just a perfect blend of blues and jazz and funk. Nice piano melodies, even the spoken word worked great. I’m a bit saddened the the political stuff is just a relevant today as back then.
There is just enough production to make it nice but still feels very personal. “Song for Bobby Smith” is probably the best example of this. You also just have great funk pieces like “The Bottle” that makes you want to bop your head.
This was such a good find and the type of thing I listen to this list for. Now I’m saddened this isn’t on any streaming service. Come to think of it, I gave Joanna Newson a 5 star after hearing her album for the first time on youtube. I will give this album the same treatment.
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
I just don't get Dinosaur Jr. To me it's just atonal singing which i know is kind of the point of them but still, it's just not for me.
The guitar riffs are the best part, with "Yeah we know" being my favourite.
Still the singing just locks it to 2 stars for me.
Ian Dury
4/5
You know the feeling when you are out and your friends convince you to go karaoke. You go there but the only people singing are choir people and theater kids that just sing ballads to show off their talents to each other. So you sign up, you are going to take karaoke back to the people who can’t sing but have the energy, and balls, to do it anyway. This is the type of album you would put on. A big “fuck you” to anybody trying to sound “good”.
Honestly, this album shouldn’t work. Heavy cockney accent and limited singing ability, but man does it work. For whatever this album lacks, it makes up in raw energy and stage presence. I was hooked from the start with “Wake up and make love to me” which is such an oddball song that you can’t help but smile. Funk and cockney accent just creates something truly memorable.
There are other, just legitimately good songs, on this album like “Blockheads” which is just raw energy. I am really impressed with Ian Dury and how many times he can scream “Blockheads” and make it sound good.
I was struck that this sounds like something my dad should like, as he really likes the Stranglers, then “Sex and Drugs and Rock’n’roll” came on, and you know what, he played that song a lot when I was a kid (together with The Strangler’s “Peaches”, no sure if that was too smart honestly, but I’m glad I got to listen to them as a kid).
This album put a smile to my face, and is different enough from the rest of this list to be worth a listen. 4 star.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Love me some Simon & Garfunkle! There are some true classics on here like "Scarborough Fair", "Patterns", "Homeward Bound" and "A Poem on the Underground Wall".
Other than the classics I was a little bit bored towards the end. This is quite surprising given the short runtime of the album and how much I enjoy S&G in general. It just ended up feeling slightly samey and "7 O'clock News/ silent night" just comes off as pretentious.
This is just me nitpicking why I'm not giving it a 5 star. It's still a very good album.
Beth Orton
3/5
“Stolen Car” was a pretty decent song if you can look past the very 90s production. Like a more folksy and chill Alanis Morissette. The rest felt more chill and kind of bland. Her singing is nice, the songs are nice but I can’t say much more about it. It’s music is very hard to dislike. My favorite chill song was “Pass in Time”, felt a bit like a female “Fleet Foxes” and the backing vocals was a nice addition.
I can see my self putting this on as dinner music or reading music. It’s chill and nice.
A very standard 3, not bad, just nothing to set it very much apart and make it memorable.
Green Day
5/5
I was 13 when this was released, and I hadn’t really heard of Green Day before. American Idiot was everywhere, though, so I got the album, listened to the hits, and then moved on to other types of music.
To prove a point: around 2009, my father wanted to see Green Day live, but none of his friends were interested. I got to tag along out of pity, and I remember thinking that going to a Green Day concert was pretty uncool. To make it even worse, one of my dad’s friends told me how nice it was of him to take me—assuming I was the one who wanted to go (the audacity!).
Anyway, I ended up really enjoying the concert. They were great live, and that experience helped me rekindle an appreciation for the band. Being a few years older, I could better appreciate the album as the rock opera it is. It’s a very solid piece of work.
Behind the anthems like “American Idiot,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” and “Holiday,” there’s a much more somber coming-of-age story. While the political angle of the album is perhaps a bit too simplistic to truly resonate, the themes of first love, drug abuse, and growing up are surprisingly poignant.
And it’s not just the story, the songs themselves are strong. “Jesus of Suburbia” used to bore 13-year-old me, but now it’s one of my favorite tracks. It’s an epic journey told through early-2000s pop-punk. Of course, the big anthems are still great (although I do think “Wake Me Up When September Ends” is one of the weaker tracks).
I think this album is both legitimately good and a great reflection of the political and cultural landscape of its time. Just look at the cover art, that visual style dominated pop-punk and 2000s aesthetics for quite a while.
A true 5-star album.
Donovan
3/5
This starts really great with Sunshine Superman which I really enjoyed. The general feel is really good on this album although it’s still a bit hit and miss for me. The “hit” is when it goes in to more rock or blues influence like “Sunshine Superman” or my abosolute favourite track of the album “Season of the Witch”. The “miss” part is the many lofty songs and songs which overuse indian instruments.
Just falls short of a 4 for me. A very strong 3.
4/5
Hm… a band I never heard of, from the 70s, that plays psychedelic rock and it was actually good! My god, that doesn’t happen often. There were plenty of songs with different feel, like the rocky “Mr Skin” or the ballad “Nature’s Way”. Felt a bit like listening to a mix of Rainbow and Led zeppelin at times. Especially during the track “When I touch you”.
The general feel of the album is great and the vocals are really good.
I thought I had my fill of 70s psychedelia but I need to listen more to Spirit apparently.
A really good find!
Christina Aguilera
2/5
Sometimes an album is greater than the sum of its parts. This album is the opposite. There are a few decent songs here, but man—is it way too long and way too samey. It feels like someone pitched the concept, and then 100 people wrote songs around the theme. There was no real process of refinement or cohesion. They just threw everything at the wall and saw what stuck. The result feels plastic and insincere.
Aguilera has a great voice, but after an hour of her oohs and aahs, I’m officially done.
None of the songs seem genuinely invested in the album’s theme; they just slap a shallow layer of horns or some other “old school” element on top. It’s like someone watched "Moulin Rouge" and said, “I want that.”
Probably a 3-star album, but for the sheer effort it took to finish it, 2 stars.
Motörhead
3/5
Lyrics are obviously not Motörhead's strong suit. Their music and Lemmy's voice really works though.
Plenty of good guitar riffs to go around.
The highlight was "Ace of Spades", the low point was "Jailbait" which made me quite uncomfortable.
It started to get a bit samey after a while, luckily the runtime is quite short so it doesn't overstay its welcome. Strong 3 stars.
Shuggie Otis
3/5
Highs and lows on this album. Off to an ok start if you are into some soul music. The album then took a nosedive with the more keyboard heavy tracks and instrumental tracks like” XL-30” and “Pling!”.
After rain there is sunshine and after nearly giving up on the record, in comes the excellent “Strawberry letter 23”. Not a clue where I’ve heard that track before but, man, is it a good song.
Strawberry letter really saved this album, settling for a 3 star.
The Monkees
2/5
The Opening "You Told Me" sounds exactly like The Beatles. From the vocals to the guitars. The closest i found to narrow it down to a track was "If I Needed Someone" by the Beatles.
Other than that, not much stayed with me. Some blues rock pastiches. Strong 2. It's not bad, just nothing really stuck with me.
Brian Eno
3/5
Another Brian Eno project?! I’ve lost count of how many albums we’ve had by him. I mostly only remember the album art to the Roxy Music albums. This album was not really different and I wonder if I will remember anything from it again.
The opening “Needles in The Camel’s Eye” felt very pop-rock and not what I was expecting. The rest was more of just a weird mix of styles. Middle passed me by and then I came back to it for the tail end starting with “Dead Finks Don’t Talk” to the end. It sounded like some twisted version of Pink Floyd.
I have a really hard time saying anything meaningful about this record. It was quite forgettable and odd at the same time. Maybe something is there if you listen to it multiple times. Weak 3 for now.
Robert Wyatt
2/5
“Heaps Of Sheeps” started off as an upbeat poppy song which immediately put me in a good mood and hopeful for this album. That hopefulness was short lived when “The Duchess” came on with its off key instruments and singing. What am I missing, why is this good?
The rest was must the same, I really couldn’t get over the vocals. It felt pretentious and quite boring.
The instrumentals could be quite good and floaty at times though. Come to think about it, it matches the album name and art quite well. Towards the end I found “Blues In Bob Minor” quite catchy.
Not as bad as I was fearing after the first few songs but not something I want to listen to again really. 2 stars from me.
k.d. lang
3/5
Enjoyed this more than the last K.D Lang album we had. The country tones were turned down a bit which felt less like a wannabe country record and more like a record with some country influences.
Otherwise, I have the same criticism as last time, everything just feels a bit too nice and too safe. You will not offend anyone by putting this on, which means it also can’t reach the highest heights.
A collection of “nice” songs and at the end “Constant Craving” is really a step above the rest and the first truly memorable song on the record. She sure can sing.
Sepultura
3/5
It’s pretty clear that metal wasn’t the author’s favorite genre when compiling this list. A lot of great metal albums were left out, and some odd choices made it in. This is one of those odd choices.
While the other Sepultura album on the list, Roots, was very good and interesting, this one felt like a fairly generic thrash metal album. I understand that Sepultura is highly regarded, but I don’t think it’s because of this album.
As a thrash metal album, it’s good, but nothing particularly special. There aren’t many memorable songs or riffs. Personally, I enjoyed Roots a lot more.
Metallica
5/5
I’m slightly disappointed that this made the list instead of, say, The Black Album or Ride the Lightning (which is my favorite Metallica album).
I remember being about 13 on a family road trip listening to this. My mom and I were in a rental car while my dad and his friend were in another. My mom struck a deal: I could control the music as long as I didn’t complain about her driving. I still feel a bit sorry for the amount of Metallica she had to endure, but she kept her end of the bargain, and I kept mine.
Anyway, this is a really solid thrash metal album. “Master of Puppets” probably has one of the best and most recognizable metal riffs ever. There are plenty of other great songs too, “Battery,” “Disposable Heroes,” and “Orion,” to name a few.
Still, aside from “Master of Puppets,” Ride the Lightning is the better album, with tracks like “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” And if you like long instrumentals, swap “Orion” for “The Call of Cthulu.”
It’s not an album where I think every song is great, but it’s still a classic and a clear five-star.
Brian Wilson
4/5
Sound like Beach boys. Not much to say except R.I.P Brian Wilson. It's a good album with a lot of interesting songs and well worth a listen.
Nice that it finally got released though I get why the other Beach Boys were pissed.
Very much a nice vibe album. Weak 4.
John Cale
3/5
This album grew on me. From being bored the first time and forgetting about it I tried listening to it again and found it had something. That something might turn in to something memorable but after 2 listens I can’t remember how any of the songs actually went. The only song I recognized was “Paris 1919” but I have no clue from where.
I feel like this could grow on me as it had a fun and whimsical sound but I have spent enough time with it for now. Mid 3.
The Jam
4/5
I think I have a week spot for British punk/new wave. I just like the energy and sound of it. Felt like a mix Talking heads and The Who or The Kinks. I mean, “David Watts” could easily been written by The Kinks.
Favourite songs were “David Watts” and “Mr Clean” with it’s cool riff.
There are not too many hits but I still thought it’s a good album. Going to give it a weak 4.
Morrissey
1/5
I'm so sick and tired of Morrissey. Probably a 2 star, but its getting an aggregated 1 star. Good riddance!
Christine and the Queens
3/5
Felt like a basic art pop album from 2018. It has some catchy songs like “Comme-si”, “Girlfriend” and “The Stranger”. Everything is fine but nothing is really great.
My main gripe with this is the number of similar albums that also were released in 2018. Robyn’s “Honey” is a great album in the same vein. So is Mitski’s “Be the Cowboy”. Both these albums were also released in 2018, have similar direction, and are clearly better albums in my opinion.
Still, a newish album that is not somebody who got famous in the 90s is rare for this list. Mid 3.
Pearl Jam
4/5
Grunge is not my favourite genre really. I thought I only knew Alive before the start, but I realized i knew quite a few songs. To my defense I think the hits "Alive", "Jeremy" and "Even Flow" sound quite similar.
The hits are actually good and even a grunge-skeptic like myself enjoy them! The vocals and guitar really give a cool feel to the album.
It felt fresh, fun and good. Solid 4.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
I was looking forward to this, but I left feeling a little disappointed. I think this album has a few too many love ballads. I prefer my RnB with some social commentary.
Overall, there just aren’t as many earworms as there are in "What’s Going On", which is another album we've previously had on this list.
I've never really liked “Let’s Get It On” (the song), as I find it a bit too cheesy. That said, a few of the other tracks stood out, “If I Should Die Tonight” and “Distant Lover” were both quite nice.
A solid 3 stars.
The Prodigy
4/5
Hooray, something slightly different! This album actually surprised me. I like The Prodigy, but the only song I knew going in was Voodoo People. That, combined with the fact that the album is as long as a movie, made me a bit hesitant at first. I needn't have worried, though. I found the whole album fun and great to have on in the background while working or working out.
While it doesn't have as many hits as The Fat of the Land, I still found plenty of interesting songs. My favorite, of course, is Voodoo People. I think I’d only ever heard the radio edit before. Hearing the full version definitely brought a new depth to the song. I also enjoyed several other tracks, like Full Throttle. I'm pretty sure it uses the same "hey" sample as "Smack my Bitch Up".
The album feels unapologetic, experimental, and raw in what it sets out to do. Sure, The Fat of the Land is more polished, but this was fun in a different kind of way
Billy Bragg
3/5
This was an ok light country album. I have a few Wilco songs saved from before but I’m not a big fan, I mostly like their covers.
I thought the lyrics in this was quite good and it had some fun songs. Maybe the lyrics were good since Woodie Guthrie wrote some (all?) of it. My absolute favourite was “Way over Yonder in the Minor Key” with the great female vocals, too bad she didn’t return more. I also liked “Chirst for President” and “Ingrid Bergman”. I think Billy Braggs vocals in those 2 tracks shine and it feels like Guthrie wrote the lyrics in his typical style.
It felt pretty generic late 90s indie country but had some good songs in it. It grew on me the more I listened to it. 3 stars.
Stereolab
1/5
I struggled so much with this album that it took me days to complete. The number of times I started playing it makes Spotify now think I'm a big fan of it. I am not.
Just boring and slightly pretentious.
Barry Adamson
2/5
We've had movie scores before with "Shaft", that was an actual movie and it has an actually good theme song. This had neither. I guess some soundscapes were ok and the jazz worked as background music. I still felt like I should've seen the non-existent movie first.
I guess it succeeded it what it set out to do, I just don't get it. Who is this for? Very weak 2 star, was ok as background music when reading.
Meat Puppets
2/5
Thoughts on this album: “Man, this really sounds a lot like Nirvana.” Then I realized Nirvana covered several songs from this album on their MTV Unplugged performance. Honestly, I think Nirvana’s versions are better.
Overall, the songs were generally okay. “Lake of Fire” and “Plateau” stood out, probably because of their recognition through Nirvana. However, I just couldn’t get past the vocals enough to fully enjoy the album.
A somewhat strong 2 stars.
Kings of Leon
2/5
This just felt uninspired. Generic southern rock vibes combined with the strokes. If this was released in the 70s I think this could be considered good but for a 00s album I just don't see it.
Also a brave choice to use as much cowbell as they do, makes me think of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper".
Strong 2.
Elliott Smith
3/5
I’ve noted before that I never really got Elliot Smith. This was especially true with the last album we had which was “Either or”. I found that kind of boring. This album was a whole lot better. I enjoyed the fuller arrangement and the soft rock vibes.
I get the feeling that if I found this album as a teen I would’ve loved it. A few songs I know from that time, and I still think “Everything Reminds Me of Her” is a good track. “Son of Sam” was a new one and memorable too. I genuinely enjoyed most of this album. It might be a bit on the soft side, and the vocal style is not for everyone.
It feels like a good album to put on when driving. Strong 3 for now, maybe potential for more after some more listens.
Kate Bush
4/5
Man, the tail-end of this album was really, really good. It starts with “Never Be Mine,” which is a cool track. Then comes “Rocket’s Tail,” which reminded me of the experimental vocal samples in Holly Herndon’s “Frontier.” After that is the great track “This Woman’s Work.” It might not be quite as good as “Running Up That Hill,” but it’s still a fantastic Kate Bush song.
I mean, it’s Kate Bush, it sounds like Kate Bush. If you like her, then you’ll like this.
Looking back, I feel a bit guilty for only giving Hounds of Love 3 stars. I mean, it has both “Running Up That Hill” and “Hounds of Love”! Let me remedy that by giving this a solid 4 stars. Really enjoyed it.
Gram Parsons
3/5
This album really grew on me. At first, it passed me by like a generic country album, but I gave it another shot and I’ve listened to it quite a few times since.
The opening track is probably my favorite on the record. The backing vocals by Emmylou Harris are one of the album's highlights.
Other than that, it’s a short and sweet country album. Too bad Gram Parsons died before he could make more music.
I'm torn between a weak 4 or a strong 3, but I’m going with a strong 3. After a few re-listens, there aren’t that many tracks that stand out, but it’s still a nice country album. I'll probably listen to it again.
The KLF
2/5
There is a guy at my gym that always puts on some electronica station which sounds like this. The music is ok but it feels like something that should be played at rave more than something released on a CD. There wasn’t any specific single or hook that got me interested.
I wasn’t really a fan of the reggae inspired song either. Not sure when or why I would listen to this, as rave music sure, but as an album probably not.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
I mean, Creedence always maintain a pretty high standard. I don't think this album has as many hits as, say, Cosmo's Factory, but it's still a good record. Fogerty's vocals are as strong as ever, and the guitars sound great. I really enjoy the general bluesy Creedence sound.
My main gripe is the Little Richard cover, "Good Golly Miss Molly," which is subpar compared to the original. Also, I think "Graveyard Train" drags a bit.
Still, you get treated to "Proud Mary" and "Born on the Bayou," among other hits. The album deserves a 4. I just think there are some better Creedence albums out there.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
Like a more '60s-inspired version of Arctic Monkeys. I remember not being a huge fan of The Last Shadow Puppets (even though I am a fan of Arctic Monkeys). Some of my skepticism was probably undeserved. The music is quite good, and there are some strong tracks here.
For some reason, the arrangements remind me of James Bond soundtracks. There are also a few standout tracks, with my favorite being “My Mistakes Were Made for You.” It might be the most Arctic Monkeys-esque song on the album, too.
It’s hard not to compare this to Arctic Monkeys. It’s less abrasive, but in the process, it loses some of its edge. I think if Alex Turner had never played in Arctic Monkeys, this project would be more widely remembered. As it stands, it feels more like a side project. Strong 3.
Sonic Youth
3/5
This is maybe the third Sonic Youth album on this list, and I think it’s the best of the lot. Sonic Youth is somewhat of a coin flip for me. I never know if I’m going to like it or not. The last album struck me as incredibly pretentious and boring; I nearly gave it one star. This time, I enjoyed it a whole lot more.
There’s plenty of noisy rock guitars that comes out swinging. The general feel of the album is really cool. It does, however, sometimes veer into noisy pretentiousness, like in “Nic Fit.”
There are quite a few good riffs, “Purr” is a great example.
Punky, cool, just slightly pretentious. Three stars from me. Never thought I’d like this as much as I did.
The Birthday Party
1/5
Ugh. I don't have anything good to say about this album. Album art was awful and the music also. Forced myself to listen through it but it never really got any better.
"Hamlet (pow pow pow)" was by far the worst track. At least it tried to do something different and I get that some people like it. Not for me though.
Erykah Badu
2/5
Funk that really failed to grab me. I was mostly bored throughout. It felt like she was trying to mimic Funkadelic. The instrumentals were there, but the vocals just didn’t sit well with me. I'm not sure if it was the mixing or the singing, but it just didn’t work. I also missed some catchy riffs or hooks to pique my interest.
The National
3/5
During my gap year and start of college I got into The National and this reminds me of those times. This may be one of the last CDs I bought before going to Spotify full time. I think “Bloodbuzz Ohio” is a great track but the rest of the album doesn’t really carry the same impact. It becomes a quite introspective and samey.
I remember “Terrible Love” but I think it’s mostly due to it being the first track. Their followup album “Trouble will find me” is stronger in my opinion.
Still, Bloodbuzz Ohio is a good track and saves this album. The National have some good tracks but on this album they are not many.
David Bowie
3/5
Surprisingly good funk album by David Bowie. Both “Young Americans” and “Fame” are decent songs, and well know. The other songs funk songs like “Fascination” hold their own. I’m impressed how much Bowie’s style changes between albums while steel remaining good.
To the bad. I think the cover of “Across the universe” is subpar. I think “Fame” is also quite overrated. This is not Bowie’s best work but it still is an enjoyable listen.
Strong 3.
The Cramps
3/5
Vibe-record. Nothing stood out but I dig the feel of it. Perfect to have on in the background while drinking some beers or something like that. Or just a good live music album.
I've also found the genre "Psychobilly" which i really apparently dig. Mid 3 for being vibey.
Hawkwind
2/5
Kind of cool album cover and the sound of the first few tracks was decent. That is all the good I have to say. The spoken-word parts were terrible, the album is way, way, WAY too long.
As a short instrumental progressive rock album, I guess it would’ve worked. As it stands now it was a slog to get through.
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
Recognized this from the "Global lowest rated albums", unsurprisingly it's an industrial music record. This really isn't for me. I get that it pushed the boundaries of what music actually is and sampling done in the 70s is very different from what it is today. But it just isn’t an interesting or pleasant listen.
All of it was not bad though. AB/7A and E-coli had a pretty cool electronic synth vibe.
Groundbreaking it probably was but not something I would want to listen to. Doesn’t make me question how it can be rated highly, which for many 1 star albums I often do. It must be a 1 star from me still.
The Black Keys
4/5
I haven’t listened to The Black Keys in ages. I was late to discovering them, but I think I listened a lot to the songs from this album around 2012–2015. Because of that, it will always be a “university album” for me.
The first four tracks deliver some solid hits — real bluesy rock. “Next Girl” and “Howlin’ for You” are among the best on the album. But even early on, I started to feel it sounded a bit too polished, too radio-friendly. This continued throughout the rather long album. There wasn’t much variation, and I missed the raw edge that some older blues records have.
There are still a surprising number of catchy tracks, but overall, it feels a bit bland. They’re both clearly talented — Dan Auerbach’s solo album is good, and Patrick Carney composed the excellent theme to BoJack Horseman.
I’ll land on a weak 4 star.
3/5
Fun, funky, and very unapologetically ’80s. The only song I knew beforehand was The Look of Love, Pt. 1. I think my favourite track was “Poison Arrow” or perhaps the same song, but slower, in "Theme from Claptrap". It was very catchy and I enjoyed the big synth and the vocal style.
I’ve been on a bit of an ’80s binge lately, and this fits right in. Strong 3.
Jungle Brothers
2/5
Enjoyed the samples and the swaggy ’80s rap. Quite different from the gangster rap that took hold soon thereafter.
The samples were really good, incorporating many different styles. It was also fun to hear similar beats to early N.W.A., but with completely different subject matter.
Nothing really stood out to me, though, so I’m going to settle for a strong 2 stars.
Aphex Twin
4/5
Never thought I would give an ambient record a high score but here we are. Perfect album to have in the background. It just had enough ear worms to keep it interesting and fresh. It never became to monotonous or boring. I am a fan!
It was something different and felt fresh. 4 star.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
2/5
2 hours?! And it's not even some deluxe version of the album but the original? That is one long album. Honestly, I would've liked this more if it was a lot shorter. Perfect length for an album according to me is around 40 min. This is way too long.
There are some nice bluegrass and country music in here but there are also some very long and tedious jamming sessions.
It's not bad it's just way too long and overstays its welcome.
R.E.M.
3/5
I think this is our third R.E.M. album. It's pretty much what you expect. If you like R.E.M. you will like this.
My main takeaway is that "Orange Crush" is a really great song. The rest is ok too, I think "Stand" was my second favourite.
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
Okish electronic 90s album. I just miss any of the stand-out Chemical Brothers hits. Good to listen to while working and the final track "Alive Alone" was my favourite. That track felt more like trip-hop e.g Massive attack or Portishead.
David Bowie
3/5
I know this is an iconic album, but I barely knew any tracks from it. I was curious to see if it lived up to the hype, but honestly, I didn’t think it did.
After the first listen I thought, “Was that it?” So I gave it another spin, but even after the second listen I still wasn’t too impressed. Sure, “Cracked Actor” was an okay track, and “The Jean Genie” is decent. But the rest? To my ears, it’s mostly uninspired glam rock.
I’m surprised this came only a year after the brilliant The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust. Weak 3/5.
New Order
3/5
I prefer New Order when they’re a bit more energetic. This one felt a little too pop-oriented for my taste.
Very 80s with the drum machine and synths, but overall it just felt kind of mid to me. Reminded me a bit of The Cure. Weak 3.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
Got this back to back with Technique by "New Order". I feel like I've already had my fill of New wave. Worth noting is that this album is very early for the sound it has which is pretty cool. That being said, I found it quite boring. Strong 2 star.
Khaled
3/5
Hard to judge a style of music you are very unfamiliar with. I enjoyed this though! Felt funky and fun. The electronic influences on "Derwiche Tourneur" stood out at something special, a bit rave-like.
Strong 3.
Todd Rundgren
2/5
Endless solos and odd instrumentals. I didn't like the last Rundgren album we had and I did not like this either.
Contemplated a 1 star first but it felt a bit too harsh. Settling for a weak 2.
Caetano Veloso
3/5
Psychedelia with a twist! In this case, the twist comes from samba influences. I honestly enjoyed it, the samba touch set it apart from many of the other similar albums we've come across on this list.
The most memorable track was Superbacana. The very nasal singing of the course made it an earworm, though I still can’t decide if it’s good or just plain annoying.
The closer, Eles, was also a strong track.
I could easily imagine this album being featured in a highbrow film. 3 star.
Beatles
5/5
Classic album! There are so many great singles packed into this record that it’s hard to know where to start. You’re treated to 14 songs in under 40 minutes, and while all of them are good, most are genuinely great.
Best songs? Honestly, about half the album. If I had to pick just one, I’d go with "In My Life". The song is more contemplative than much of the rest, and it really stands out compared to the faster paced songs.
If there’s one small critique, it’s that Rubber Soul can feel more like a collection of singles than a cohesive thematic album. That fuller sense of unity would come in the Beatles’ later work. This record, though, sits right on the precipice of that transformation.
The vocals are excellent, the melodies are full of earworms, and nearly every track leaves a lasting impression.
5 stars.
Supergrass
4/5
I was reminded again of how much I’ve been sleeping on Supergrass, since I’ve really only listened to Alive. We’ve covered In It for the Money before, and I was surprised by how different it sounded compared to what I was expecting. I had the same experience this time. Instead of a bland pop album, I got a punk-driven record full of energy and cool riffs.
Just the right balance of abrasive and cool.
4 stars.
Genesis
3/5
A 90 minute prog album sound like hell to me. This wasn't too bad though. I also know this is highly regarded.
There is obviously a story to this Wikipedia confirmed it) but 90 minutes of concentration is not time I have right now.
Going to give it a 3 star and have to come back to it. There is just not time enough to review it properly. Coming from me I think that is a good review for a once-over of 90 min progressive rock album.
Side note: How many albums on this list is Peter Gabriel in?!
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
I normally like my jazz with a bit more energy, leaning closer to bebop. This was ok however. Not bad but I fail to see what makes this so special. I mean it was released in the mid 80s, so it's not like this was groundbreaking or anything like that.
I enjoyed "Manenberg Revisted" and "The Mountain" in particular.
Mid 3.
The Jam
3/5
Not too long ago we had another "The Jam" album and I noted that I really have a soft spot for them and punky new wave in general. I have the same feeling about this album as I did about the last.
I really enjoy the energy and vibe of the album. "That's entertainment" is clearly the stand-out single on the album.
On the same good level as "Madness" and "The Shadow” and “DEVO”. Not too many banger hits but still deserves a strong 3
Iron Maiden
5/5
Sometime you just feel like some old school heavy metal, then this is the perfect album. I remember discovering Iron Maiden when I was about 14 (which seems like the perfect age). I used to listen to it while going church for my confirmation lectures, quite a juxtaposition.
This is probably one of the best Iron Maiden albums. You have “Children of the damned”, “Number of the Beast”, “Run to the Hills” and my favourite “Hallowed be thy name”. It’s quite an achievement to get all these hits on one album. Iron Maiden is on top form on this album. Melodic guitars, good vocals and pulpy lyrics. It has that fun, cartoonish feel.
My only gripe is “Gangland” which is a pretty terrible track. Other than that I don’t have many notes. It’s just a plain good album. Sure, there maybe isn’t much depth to the lyrics but every album doesn’t have to be an introspective poem. It’s not the most technical or heavy album, but it doesn’t need to be!
5 out 5 for pure energy and the memories.
3/5
I’ll take band names that wouldn’t work today due to search engines please! Despite the name and the quite horrible album cover the music was ok. Felt like pretty generic pop punk in the style of the Ramones. It was a nice short listen but not much grabbed me. The mixing was sometimes not the best but other than that it didn’t really leave a lasting impression.
The Young Rascals
2/5
Felt like a copy of The Beatles and/or The Kinks. Quite uninspired though the harmonic playing on "Groovy" was quite nice.
I have difficulty motivating why you would listen to this compared to many other good 60s records on this list.
Duran Duran
4/5
Iconic album cover! This album should be right up my alley as I’m a fan of new wave and 80s in general. And it was good but maybe slightly too pop-focused for my taste. Before starting I only really knew “Hungry like a Wolf” which is a good track but not one I often find my self wanting to listen to.
The start felt slightly weak. Rio was an ok track but the following left me slightly bored. It wasn’t until “Hungry like a Wolf” that I was grooving along.
My other favourite tracks was “Save a Prayer” and the darker spacious arrangement of “The Chaffuer” which was really cool.
I was going to give this album a 3 but when listening to the songs again I actually really enjoy it. I feel the songs I dismissed at first actually have something and there were enough stand-out tracks the first time to warrant a 4.
Garbage
4/5
Never heard of Garbage but with a name like that I was worried it was going to be another Junkyard kind of deal. It was luckily not! 90S rock is a bit of hit and miss for me. This was quite 90s with that fade out jump in the riff of the opening track “Supervixen” being a prime example. The groungy sound made me think of later rockbands like Alvvays. The sound also had quite some breadth with songs like “A stroke of Luck” sounding more like something from Massive Attack. There were also somestandout tracks beside “A stroke of Luck”, I liked “Only Happy when it Rains” although it is slightly too poppy. Maybe this should be a strong 3 star but it feels a bit harsh as most of my 3 stars are just bland and this album was quite memorable. I feel like I found a new artist to listen to so I’m going to settle on a weak 4 star.
The Youngbloods
3/5
Pretty bland album. An ok mix of country, jazz and physchadelic. Nothing really stood out but it was an ok album to have on in the background while working.
Fred Neil
3/5
I don't know how I feel about the vocals on this one. On one hand Fred Neil is clearly very talented but his over the top vibrato really felt like a pisstake.
Was prepared to give it a 2 star but then we get "Everybody's talking" which I thought Harry Nilsson wrote. It is a very good track. I also enjoyed "Sweet Cocaine".
I think those 2 tracks make it just squeak in to a 3 star review.
Destiny's Child
3/5
Man, the first 3 tracks are iconic and I have them in multiple workout playlist, true peak 00s pop. Bootylious (just the name is so corny) has a great sample from "Edge of seventeen". Survivor is a great bop and so is "Independant Women Part 1" (even though the abundance of movie references makes it age worse than the other tracks.
After those tracks the record falls of a cliff edge. It was just a cringe slog for the rest of the run time.
First 3 tracks makes it a 5 star but the rest makes it loose quite a few. I can't recommend the album, just listen to a Destiny's Child top 10 tracks (or greatest hits if you are old school). 3 stars maybe?
Manu Chao
4/5
Something different from the rest! This may be the westernized version of Latin music but I really enjoyed it. I only knew “bongo song” before but I really liked the title track “Clandestino”.
I listened to this album while working late and it really gave off a good evening cozy vibe. Makes me want to sit outside in a bodega in the evening sipping cocktails. 4 star.
Bad Company
3/5
Meat and Potatoes blues rock. I think “Can’t get enough of Your Love” was on my “Greatest rock songs compilation album” which was my first endeavor to my own music journey that wasn’t songs on the radio or music my parents listen to (although it was my dad’s CD).
Bad Company feels like a slightly forgotten band which is too bad because they are quite skilled. They don’t have too many hits but it is just nice easy-going rock. It is a good length, and I enjoyed listening to it. Strongish 3.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Some classic soul, and what a good one too.
There are a few stand out tracks on this album. Of course, you have classics like “Chain of Fools” and “(You make me feel) Like a Natural Woman”. I would also like to point out “People Get Ready” as a gem on this album.
Single tracks might not be the point though, the vocals are. I feel like if you don’t appreciate Aretha Franklin, do you even like music? It’s very hard not to groove along with this album.
Soul albums are a bit weird since they are not always original compositions and the same artist might have released multiple albums each year. I think this deserves a 5 for the vocals alone. Sure all the songs aren’t great but if you ever want to try soul music this is a good starting point.
Spacemen 3
1/5
Was bored at the start and then it just got worse. It felt meandering and I was glad when it was finished honestly. Strong 1 star.
Frank Zappa
2/5
As only knowing "Bobby Brown" by Frank Zappa I wasn't sure what to expect, but it sure wasn't this. This was some weird jazz-type elements with Arabic-sounding tunes here and there. It just wasn't for me but it wasn't necessarily bad. I just still don't get Zappa.
Strong 2.
Wire
3/5
Really enjoyed the tone of the guitars and general feel of the album. I am a sucker for British punk though.
Strong vibe throughout, 35 min is a good length and I'm impressed they managed to fit 35 tracks in that time.
Strong 3!
Love
4/5
An album of highs and lows. I really dug any song with horns in it. The guitar arrangements are also great. Favourite stand out song is, “Alone Again Or” which is a classic. But also “A House Is Not a Motel” and “Maybe People Would Be the Times Between Clark and Hilldale”.
There are some lows too when it drags, like the spoken word in “The Red Telephone” or the weird lyrics “Snot caked my pants?!”.
All in all, I still really enjoyed it and wanted to give it another spin after listening to it. I think that warrants a weak 4 star.
Bill Evans Trio
2/5
Jazz that just past me by. I found no specific hooks or anything to peak my attention. It had that nice smooth jazz feel but I failed to find anything special with it.
The Electric Prunes
2/5
Sounded like a mix between The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Kinks. I'm not sure why I would listen to this instead of the first 3.
Nothing really unique with this album but it wasn't bad either, just bland. Strong 2 star.
5/5
Look, this is a great album, there’s no denying that. I know all the songs by heart. But every time I listen to it, I don’t feel the need to play it again. I don’t think there are any truly killer tracks on this album, except for one of my absolute favorite Beatles songs, “A Day in the Life.” The rest are fine, even good. I enjoy the whimsical “When I’m Sixty-Four” and “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!”
I think my main gripe is that this album is often hailed as one of the greatest of all time, yet I don’t believe it’s the Beatles’ best work. To me, it’s slightly overrated.
It’s an iconic album, one where a 4 feels too harsh but a 5 implies I believe it’s the greatest album ever. I guess it’s still a 5-star but a weak one.
Janelle Monáe
3/5
Any album from the 2010s seem to either be older muscisians who became famous earlier or RnB/Soul. This is of course the latter. I think I was just really tired yesterday and this wasn’t the music I was in the mood for so take my review with a grain of salt.
This album has quite a mix of music styles but focused on RnB. The RnB is fine and somewhat catchy but it feels very 2010s (although this maybe one of the albums that led the charge?). I wasn’t a big fan of the classical music interlude, it felt somewhat cheap to put in “Clair the lune” (great piece) to give the album gravitas.
The album felt a bit long but it was an ok listen. It never made me pause to listen more carefully though. Giving it a 3 for now.
DJ Shadow
4/5
I have such respect for people who worked with sampling pre-digital sampling. Just the amount of work that they had to put in is insane. Because of this I’m really impressed with this album. Still, even without the technical feat, I think the music is good on it’s own.
There are plenty of good, dark, menacing trip-hop beats on this album and even though it ran for an hour it didn’t get boring. Favourite songs was probably “Building steam from a grain of salt” and “Stem/long stem”.
Previously I only knew DJ Shadow from their very good colab with Run The Jewels “Nody Speak”, I’m glad to have found out he has more to him.
All in all, a very good trip-hop album that I will come back to more times, it just lacks some more killer tracks to push it past a 4 star rating.
Rocket From The Crypt
2/5
Generic 90s skate punk. Not bad but nothing to write home about. I feel like I've heard this sound multiple times before.
No real edge but made me think of bands like "Good Charlotte" and "Millencollin", Sure these were a bit earlier but I feel there were other bands with this sound and catchier hits. Strong 2.
Circle Jerks
2/5
You gotta admire that they don’t give a fuck for being commercially viable - just the band name and album will tell you that. Furthermore, I often complain that albums are too long but here it’s only 15 min, which might be the shortest album on the list.
You get unapologetic punk music. Not the greatest listen but I don’t think that was the point either. A real oddball of an album.
Portishead
4/5
Dark and menacing is something I enjoy in my music and this has plenty of it. I don’t know, just the combinations of the vocals blending in to electronic beats just works so well. “The Rip” works best in this regard and is a track I really enjoyed.
Back to dark and menacing electro which in my head canon call BDSM-electronica. There are plenty of good tracks like “Plastic” and “Machine Gun”.
Was not expecting to like this as much as “Dummy” but I really did. Strong 4!
Holger Czukay
2/5
Quirky but not all that fun to listen to. After the first track I at least thought I was in for an odd listen but then it just started to drag with really long instrumental sections that I often found annoying.
Strong 2/weak 3.
The Go-Betweens
3/5
Sounded like The Smiths. Kind of uninspired but I do not like The Smiths either so can't tell if this is better or worse.
Didn't hate it but not really my jam. Weak 3.
Coldplay
5/5
Ah, the music of my teens and early twenties. Coldplay get a lot of hate nowadays, and maybe they did back then too. While I think the haters have a point these days, this is actually a very solid album. I’m quite biased, though, since I was (and am?) a big fan of it during my formative years.
The hits alone are instantly recognizable and somewhat era-defining. Both “The Scientist” and “Clocks” have those unmistakable piano intros. “In My Place” is another big hit — and a total bop. Some of the lesser-known tracks deserve a mention too: I think “Green Eyes” is one of the better “simple love songs” out there, while “A Rush of Blood to the Head” and “Amsterdam” both helped me through some heartache.
Honestly, the only duds I found on this record are “Warning Sign” and “A Whisper,” and neither are egregious.
It’s simple, piano-driven pop, but it doesn’t feel fake. I get that some people find it subpar, but maybe they should remember what being in your teens and early twenties is all about.
Probably Coldplay’s strongest album.
Drive Like Jehu
2/5
Some hits and misses, but i really couldn't get over the vocals. The misses outweighed the hits too.
Honestly a punk album over 1 hour is way to long. Keep it short and sweet.
Public Enemy
3/5
Not at all as impressed by this as their previous album we had on this list "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back". This album lacked the same interesting samples and freshness.
It still was ok but this type of rap feels a bit dated. Without catchy samples this became even more evident.
Weak 3.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
Really enjoyed the start with the Muddy-Waters Blues. It had standout vocals and a really good groove. The longer the album played to the further it moved from blues in to psychadelia, and the less I liked it. The vocals were still very good but the physcadelic/progressive elements were quite tiresome.
The vocals were worth a listen of this album.
Willie Nelson
4/5
I was skeptical when I saw the track list and noticed it was mostly covers (then realized they were all covers). I needn’t have worried, though. Nelson’s covers are very tasteful, and his tender vocals really lend themselves to giving new depth to each song. My favourites were “Unchained Melody” (a truly beautiful rendition) and, surprisingly, “Blue Skies,” which I thought was going to be weak but turned out great.
Should a cover album be on this list? I think it can be. Johnny Cash’s American recordings, which are mostly covers, deserve a place here—so why can’t this? Still, a covers album can only take you so far. In this case, it’s a solid four stars.
Gene Clark
3/5
I really liked the other Gene Clark album we had, that one had some real standout tracks and good vocals.
The vocals were good on this too but the songs weren't as good. There is nothing wrong with the album but it just felt quite bland.
Felt a bit like wanna-be Dylan and having his track "Tears of Rage" there kind of cemented it.
Might come back to this some other time but for now a weak 3.
Beck
2/5
I just don't get Beck. It's oddly 90s without any of the good parts. Had to stop listening to Novacane due to all distortion. It's like a weird mix of 808 hip hop beats and noise. Not my jam.
M.I.A.
4/5
M.I.A. really brought something fresh to the mid-2000s. I really enjoyed the aggressiveness and attitude in the songs and samples—they hit hard and go heavy. The rapping isn’t great, but I feel the vocals are used more like an instrument than anything else here.
Much like with Justice’s album Cross, the hit single “Paper Planes” is quite a departure from the rest of the record. It’s got a great hook, built around The Clash sample and those iconic gunshot effects. That song was absolutely everywhere at the time.
Fresh, fun, and clearly something different. It gets a weak 4 from me.
The Temptations
3/5
Papa was a rolling stone was clearly the most iconic song of this record. I also think it was the best. Run Charlie run, was the second song that made an impression on me. The rest not so much.
Clearly a very talented group and the album was short and sweet. Not much that stuck except the main hit. Strong 3.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Led Zeppelin really tried to make an album I should dislike. The album name isn’t great, the cover art is subpar, and worst of all, it’s a double album with a runtime that rivals some movies. So I was skeptical—until the first song started. Everything just sounds so good: the vocals, the guitar, and maybe most importantly, the drumming. Bonham’s playing is really what sets this apart from the many copycats. The way he follows and complements the guitar licks is just incredible.
Sure, it might still be a bit too long. The first vinyl is better than the second (though it's hard to compete with a record that contains Kashmir).
There are many bands that try to emulate this sound, but it’s really hard to beat this album. It’s not my favorite Zeppelin record, and one I haven’t listened to as much as others, but it’s still a solid 5-star album. If I have anything negative to say, it’s that the lyrics can be a bit cringey at times.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Not the greatest fan of reggae but even I can see the greatness of this. It’s just a great chill album. Three little birds is my favourite track and the only one I knew before this. It’s such a great tune. This album is by far my favourite raggae album I’ve listened to.
The whole album is strong and well worth a listen. For me, it falls just shy of a 5 star. Mainly due to not being a musical style I enjoy too much. Very strong 4 though.
David Crosby
3/5
Forgettable but pleasant folksy music. The element that made Crosby, Stills & Nash great - their really cool layering of guitars - is absent here.
I can’t remember a single song from this album, but it wasn’t unpleasant. A weak 3.
Talk Talk
3/5
Had to wonder where I’d heard about this band before, until a quick search on Spotify made me realize they did the original It’s My Life. Honestly, I thought they were a one-hit band, but they actually have quite a few popular songs (none of which I’d heard before).
This album features some pretty generic ’80s pop songs. After the first listen, I thought it was fairly bland. I did go back and listen to the hits again, and they’re actually quite good. “Life’s What You Make It” has a very cool and groovy bass hook. “Living in Another World” is another strong track where the vocals really work. Props for the harmonica, too.
Going to give it a 3. Cherry-pick the hits and skip the rest.
Serge Gainsbourg
1/5
“Hey, it’s that French guy who made that song that sounded like French people having sex, which subsequently got banned by the BBC. Wonder if he’s done anything else?”
The answer: the worst, most French-sounding concept album ever. According to Wikipedia, it’s about a guy who has a relationship with a 14-year-old. Yep, 14. I even tried giving it the benefit of the doubt — maybe it was some Lolita-type deal where you’re meant to be disgusted by the protagonist. Nope. Just French people being French.
The music wasn’t any good either. Glad it was under 30 minutes.
Patti Smith
3/5
I actually did see Patti Smith at a music festival back in 2010. I think I convinced a friend to go see her with me since she was “a legend.” The concert wasn’t particularly good, and I realized I didn’t actually know any of her songs.
My knowledge of Patti Smith hasn’t really increased since then. I mostly know her as the original writer of “Because the Night.” I do recognize this album cover, though.
So, how was it? I think it has a lot of confidence and vision, she clearly set out to do something different. The opening line of the album, “Jesus died for somebody’s sins but not mine,” immediately gets you hooked. The whole first track is by far the best one; the way it builds up, paired with her great vocals, makes it a very memorable listen.
The rest of the album doesn’t really keep up, though. I wasn’t particularly a fan of the spoken-word parts, nor of the covers.
I’m going to settle on a 3. I get why this album became famous, it certainly isn’t bland, and there are some good tracks here and there.
Oh, and the CD version includes a great live cover of “My Generation.”
Justice
5/5
Imagine this, you are 16, and after hearing the pop songs D.A.N.C.E and DVNO you decide to buy the Justice CD (you are way to nice to download an album), you upload it to your IPOD and on the way to school you are met with “Genesis” and then “Let there be light”. This isn’t at all what you signed up to, but man, it’s som good electronic music of a type you hadn’t heard before.
This was my first experience with this album. The hits really don’t prepare you for the glitchy, electronica on this album. It still holds up very well and looking back DVNO is one of the weaker tracks. Actually, all the worst tracks are the one with lyrics (maybe not D.A.N.C.E). The other are great! I think the album holds up really well.
I enjoyed the more aggressive songs like “Stress” and “Let there be Light”. It’s just a really good album. There are plenty of hooks that avoid making this album feel samey.
Maybe since I hadn’t heard anything similar to this when I first heard it, I hold it in higher esteem then it should be held. I do really like it though.
5 stars.
Marilyn Manson
2/5
Teenage angst without any real substance, only shock value. Got tired of the lyrics after about 2 minutes. The music isn’t great but if feels better than Slipknot which is the closest I can compare it too.
“The beautiful people” is a bop with it’s catchy drum beat and guitar riff. The rest I don’t have much respect for. I guess it could be worse. It has no business being as long as it is either.
Weak 2.
Moby Grape
2/5
Just passed me by. Not good or bad, just felt like so many other albums on this list. Very bland and nothing really stood out to me. Strong 2.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Funk is not normally a genre I’m a huge fan of but this was groovy. Felt like a nice album to have on in the background but not too many standout songs.
My favourite was the closing “Thank You for Talkin’ To Me, Africa”. Strong 3.
Tim Buckley
3/5
There is there, THREE, Tim Buckley albums on this list. What the hell, two was bad enough.
On a serious note, this was the best of the three (I gave the others a 1 and a 2). It’s more folksy and laid-back. It’s chill in that classic ’60s folk kind of way. That said, the “folksy chill” sound is way too prevelant on this list. There are just so many better alternatives; Fairport Convention is the closest comparison I can think of which is so much better.
I didn’t hate this, though. Mid 3.
Grateful Dead
2/5
I just don’t get the Grateful Dead. They should be right up my alley as the cover of “Rubin and Cherise” by Bonnie Prince Billy is one of my favorite songs. Whenever I listen to the Grateful Dead I just get bored though.
The only track that broke my boredom was the final one, “Truckin’,” and that was too little, too late.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
Only knew “Maria Lionza” and that was only due to a sample used in the Major Lazer song “Watch out for this”. On I side note I think it’s really cool how a throwaway trumpet line on that song can become a big hit 40 years later.
This was a breath of fresh air from the generator who has been giving me 60s folk rock lately. I enjoyed the all the songs, and it felt both relaxing and energetic. No particular song stood out that much but enjoyed it as a whole.
Weak 4.
Sonic Youth
2/5
This is the fourth album by Sonic Youth we've had and I'm pretty fed up with them.
Sometimes the noisy rock is pretty decent - i particularly liked the intro track "Schizophrenia". The rest was just boring and pretentious.
Here's to hoping this was the last Sonic Youth album on the list.
Beatles
4/5
I have a soft spot for early Beatles albums. While they are pretty generic, I think you can still tell that they are very talented and the songs they’ve written them selves are pretty good (with a few exceptions).
This album starts of very strong with 3 short original songs. They are by far the best on the album and I think in particular “All I’ve Got To Do” is an underrated song. The album drops of a bit after that with a mix of covers and not as strong songs. While the covers are good they don’t bring anything new to the table (looking at you “You’ve really got a hold on me”).
I think this could be a 5 star album, maybe mostly due to nostalgia (I wasn’t born in the 60s but I listened to this a lot as a kid), but I’ll settle on a strong 4. I didn’t want to listen to the whole album again but the first few songs only.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Dark and brooding, with a hint of pretentiousness. Nick Cave’s voice really lends itself well to Murder Ballads. It feels akin to Tom Waits, whom I’m a big fan of. The tracks can feel quite samey in melody and structure, but that’s okay since the main draw of this album is the stories being told. The lyrics work very well and are interesting enough to revisit multiple times.
My favourite tracks are “Where the Wild Roses Grow,” “The Curse of Millhaven,” and “Henry Lee.” With those three recommendations, I think I’ve used up my “la-la-la” quota for a while.
A great album for spooky season. Weak 4.
PJ Harvey
5/5
This was an album I hadn’t thought about in a long time. When it was released, a friend of mine recommended it. I remember thinking it sounded more “adult” than most of the music I was listening to at the time, and it took many listens before I actually started enjoying it (and not just pretending to).
I never got too into the album, though, and always gave up around the middle. Fast-forward to today — listening to it again, I really liked it. The album manages to blend folk and pop in a unique way. It feels raw, yet musically interesting. It does sound a bit like Kate Bush, but not in a way that feels imitative.
The lyrics are quite thematic, I feel like they are lifted from folklore somehow. There’s also a timeless quality to the music; it’s hard to pinpoint when it was released without already knowing.
Maybe this hit the sweet spot of revisiting an album with fresh ears while still remembering the melodies, but I think this one deserves a 5-star rating. Can’t believe I’m giving P.J. Harvey a 5-star, have I become a music snob?
Adele
5/5
We had “21” by Adele earlier, and my main gripe with it was the lacked breadth. I think this album remedied that issue. This album feels more mature, both in topics but also musically. Gone is the overt gospel influences and instead we are treated to something more unique.
Adele really managed to dominate the music landscape for a while, with the 3 of 4 first tracks on this album being major hits. Not only were they major, but they also are lasting. I hadn’t realized how many of these tracks I’d heard before – and still hear today.
I think the latter parts of the album loses some steam with the gospel fillers. It’s hard to live up to the first few tracks or maybe I’m also just tired of sad piano ballads at that point
I think this deserves a 5 star. Not an album I’d normally put on but it is very good.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
The most memorable part of this album was that first few drum hits in the intro of “Can You Forgive Her?”, it peaked my interest and the whole song got my hopes up for at least a 4 star record.
I didn’t think the rest of the album delivered though. I felt that most songs sounded like worse versions of the hits from other albums.
“Go West” saved the album at the end. Save the first and last song, maybe give the rest a skip.
Weak 3.
Grizzly Bear
2/5
So hipster it hurts my ears! It has an aggressive band name but mellow music, check. Meandering guitars, check. It’s too early for stomp-clap-hipster, bearly, but it’s really not far off. Made me think of the Fleet Foxes without the folksy undertones.
I found this meandering and above all quite boring. Seems like songs you would hear everywhere in coffee shops around 2010. I just missed any type of energy or feeling in this music.
2 star.
Eagles
3/5
There is “Hotel California” and then there is the rest of Hotel California the album. None of the other songs can shake of the feeling of that this is the most inoffensive dad rock album ever. Everything is fine, they are technically good, but there is never anything risque, never does my face look like I’ve taken a bite out of a lemon.
“Hotel California” is a good track and “Life in the fast lane” is decent. The rest was meh.
3 star
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
Maybe this was scathing criticism of the pop culture of the ’60s, but I don’t really get it. They seemed to set out to create an album that couldn’t be commercially successful, and they don’t seem to have succeeded.
It’s like a mishmash of The Beatles and the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. The satirical lyrics are hit or miss, but some of the songs are quite fun. A particular favourite was “What’s the Ugliest Part of Your Body?”
Not really an album I want to come back to, but not one you should judge by its music only. Weak 2.
Solange
3/5
Sometimes I wonder if the person who made this list knows there’s music beyond R&B from the last 10 years that’s worthy of praise. This isn’t from an artist who was famous in the ’90s (the other “genre” of new music on this list), but instead more R&B.
I’m honestly not the biggest fan of R&B—I often find it pretentious and meandering. This one was no exception. While the subject matter seemed important, it failed to really grab me. The best parts were when it reminded me of SAULT, whom I’m a big fan of. The guest rapping was also a highlight. Lil Wayne did a surprisingly good job on “Mad,” although it sounded like he was trying to emulate Chance the Rapper a bit.
3 stars.
Def Leppard
3/5
Man, this felt so formulaic—over-polished, overproduced, and very repetitive. The lyrics are questionable (maybe not metal’s strong suit), with all the chanting, etc. It also felt quite samey.
I read somewhere that this album produced a lot of singles, which doesn’t surprise me, but all the singles sound the same.
I put this on at the gym because I thought it would be a good fit. I wouldn’t recommend listening to Love Bites while lifting— the cringe of “When you make love, do you look in your mirror? Who do you think of? Does he look like me?” was just too much.
It wasn’t all bad; their formula does work at times. “Pour Some Sugar on Me” is a good song, and “Hysteria” stood out to me too.
Middle-of-the-road 3. I can see why thrash took over soon after this.
Teenage Fanclub
2/5
Sounded sometimes like oasis, sometimes like a coverband of the Beatles with distorted guitars. The mixing was off to me and I attempeted to listen to it multiple times without getting in to it. If anything it sounded a lot more modern than from when it was released.
Can’t decide if I like or hate the album cover. Strong 2.
Rod Stewart
3/5
Rod Stewart feels a bit like a meme, hard to take seriously but everyone knows a few of his songs. This album proves that he is quite competent.
His raspy vocals worked really well on this album. The mandolin driven rock sounds surprisingly fresh and modern. The peak of this of course being “Maggie May” which is just a great song which I think most teenagers can connect with (not in real life but fantasy at least). Mandolin Wind is also a good song which I hadn’t heard before.
There are a few covers. “Tomorrow Is a Long Time” is a cover that has ended up on this list before. Rod doesn’t bring anything new to the table with his interpretation, but I think it was ok. His cover of “amazing grace” is tactless and outright bad.
I think this falls just shy of a 4 star and ends up being a strong 3.
Wilco
2/5
Felt like a weak 3 type of album. Just another in album in the giant catalog of soft rock indie on this list. Nothing really to differentiate it from anything else. I know Wilco is quite popular but they honestly feel like middle-of-the-road, safe rock to me.
Favourite song was Kingpin which felt like it had some funk compared to the rest (I’ve noticed I’m a real big fan of syncopation).
Main drawback is it’s length which pushes it down to a strong 2.
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
Bland brit pop. Not bad but nothing stuck during my two listens. I think part of the problem is that there are too many albums of this sort on this list.
Giving it a strong 2 for now.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3/5
I was expecting new wave but got synth-pop instead. It really reminded me of the Swedish synth-pop band Kite. I guess what I’m trying to say is that it sounds quite modern (even though Kite leans a bit retro).
There’s a good mix of synth-pop here, and I thought many of the songs would fit well as movie soundtracks. A favourite of mine was “Souvenir.”
It doesn’t quite reach four stars for me after just one listen, but it was fun. A strong 3.
New Order
4/5
The only song I really know by New Order is Blue monday. This sounded a lot more like 80s pop than I was expecting. My favourite songs were the ones furthest form this sound. “Sunrise” was by far my favourite song with it’s guitar driven riffs. My other favourite was “Elegia” which just sounded dark and ambient.
The weakest part of this album may be it’s vocals. They really work for some tracks but for many they are a dud. I mean, the vocals sound like bad kareoke on “Sub-Culture”.
I have trouble settling between a strong 3 or a weak 4. I started listening a second time and the album started to grow on me. Weak 4 it is.
Primal Scream
2/5
I only know of Primal Scream from “Movin’ on up”, although I can never remember their band name for some reason. The album starts of with the hit song and all is fine and dandy. After that it quickly changes to some sort of club beats, flirting with techno. I wasn’t really a fan.
It became obvious why I’ve only ever heard of one track from this album, the rest aren’t really that good, or even in the same style. “Loaded” was ok with it’s breezy beats.
Not bad, but just felt mediocre. Strong 2.
Iggy Pop
4/5
Good production, rock-driven and cool. I enjoyed this album, and once I learned that Bowie had something to do with, everything clicked in to place. It could honestly be a Bowie record instead.
Not even the questionable lyrics in Sixteen could make me sour of this album. I can’t really put my finger on why this is good, there is nothing particular about it, it’s just a bop all the way through.
Giving this a solid 4.
Richard Thompson
3/5
A big discovery for me on this list has been Fairport Convention. Seeing Richard Thompson was a part of that band, this should be up my alley.
I enjoyed this, it felt lite a nice mix of folk and country. "I want to see the bright lights tonight" was a stand out song leaning more to country. Another one which had a more folksy touch was "The little Beggar Girl".
This album lacks something that The Fairport Convetion has, it's partly the vocals but Linda Thompson does a stellar job too. Maybe it's the arrangments.
Lastly, when i saw the album cover I was expecting punk or something metal/horror-rock. Was surprised when it was country.
This gets a sold three from me.
Soundgarden
2/5
What did rock music ever do to you 90s? 90s mainstream rock is not to my liking and this is no real difference. I just find it quite boring. The vocals are good though. Just your run of the mill 90s grunge. The album length was way too long.
Strong 2.
The Mars Volta
4/5
I couldn’t decide if I liked this or not. It’s like a weird mix of emo and progressive rock. Cool guitar riffs and the vocals that work quite well. The only thing I took away from my first listen was that the lyrics in the first track has way too much effects on it. After a few more listens it really grew on me.
It felt quite different from many other things on this list, and actually felt quite unique in general.
I really enjoyed Eriatarka in particular.
I think I’ve listened to this album 4 times by now and I like it more and more. Going to give it a 4 star.
XTC
2/5
I really tried with this one, but it never stuck. If felt like a whimsical mix of 80s and 60s pop, a bit like the band “Love” with an 80s twist.
Maybe someday I’ll get back to it but for now a 2.
Stan Getz
3/5
I often think that smooth jazz is kind of boring. Like an inoffensive meek accountant you meet at a dinner party. This however was good. Just the tone of the saxophone sold me.
Maybe it was due to listening to it early in the morning but the chill music was perfect for me.
Nice background music, solid 3.
The B-52's
4/5
Someone here said that this felt like Rocky Horror, and I agree. I’m a big fan of Rocky Horror and I’m a big fan of this. This album is silly, groovy, punky and just plain good.
The vocals on “52 girls” makes me think of “Goat”. The female vocals really are a highpoint of the album as well as many of the cool riffs.
If this album wasn’t a 4 star already then “Rock Lobster” is worth a 4 star by itself.
It feels really punky and new wave is my guilty pleasure. 4 star.
The Velvet Underground
2/5
A snooze of an album. Only "Pale Blue Eye" is worth a listen and it's a really good song at that. Strong 2.
The Beach Boys
3/5
It's a Beach Boys album before they really got their sound down. All components of a great Beach Boys album is there, from the harmonics to the vocals, but the last catchy hits are missing.
We have had two later Beach Boys albums on this list and both of the have catchy hooks that make you impressed. The most impressive song on this album is “Do You Wanna Dance” which is an ok but standard 60s pop song. Maybe it works as an historical document where they were heading in later albums.
Weak 3.
The xx
5/5
It’s hard to describe what a turning point The xx, and similar bands, were for pop music around 2010. Just a few years earlier, festival headliners were almost exclusively big and loud acts. Then, seemingly overnight, bands like The xx could top festival bills instead. It was a significant shift in pop culture.
I find it hard to be neutral about this album. I was about 20 when I discovered it, and I met my first girlfriend at a music festival where The xx were playing.
Anyway, I think this sound really works—airy, minimalistic, and indie. “Intro” is a great way to start the album, and you can already tell that Jamie xx has a future in electronic music.
The vocals work well too, and many songs are memorable, such as “VCR,” “Crystalised,” and “Islands.”
My one main gripe with the album is that many of the songs sound very similar. Of the three hits I mentioned above, I sometimes have a hard time telling them apart. The album is barely over 30 minutes long, yet it still manages to feel a bit samey.
Probably a four-star album, but for the memories, time, and place, it’s a five-star for me. It will always hold a special place in my heart.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
LCD Soundsystem is probably peak 10s indie hipster. If you ever wondered what real music hipsters listened to, then this is it.
This is quite late on the LCD Soundsystem timeline, it has gotten more clear dreamie vibes than their earlier stuff. I think it works quite well, some I disco, some electronia som indie-pop.
I can’t really say much about it, it’s a sound that was popular at the time, if you like this type of music I guess you will like this.
I think it’s ok but it’s not that memorable, it’s a bit to hipster for me somehow. Mid 3.
Metallica
5/5
Such a strong start of a record with “Enter Sandman” and “Sad But True”. I remember learning guitar and trying to play multiple riffs from this album. I found the tabs and video lessons on someones personal homepage which filmed the riffs from 4 different angles. Here that kids?! There were other places than youtube before!
Anyway, as mentioned, strong start, classic Metallica. It continues with the ok “Holier than thou” before another strong hit in “The Unforgiven”. Somewhere during the next few tracks I realized that the songs are getting samey and not quite as good as I remember. Is it the 90s that are back and ruining rock music?! Who knows. Luckily “Nothing Else Matters” comes on and cements its five star rating.
Not Metallica’s strongest album but one of their best still.
Missy Elliott
2/5
Love Miss Elliott but this was a pretty weak record. She really stepped up her game on later records. The only memorable sample and song was "The Rain".
2 star.
The Smiths
2/5
Once upon a time, I found this page called 1001albumsgenerator and decided to give it a whirl. After about 10 albums I decided to invite a friend and start over from the beginning. One of those first 10 albums was “Strangeways, Here We Come”, so I’ve already had this album once. Apparently I gave it a 4 that time.
Now I’ve listened to over 700 more generated album and a substantial part of them have been Morrissey-related. I’m just so tired of him. It’s bland, pretentious and I feel like I’ve heard this album a million times already. Please make it stop. There can’t be that many more of Morrissey-related albums left right…….? Right?