Mar 02 2023
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Machine Head
Deep Purple
A classic
4
Mar 03 2023
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Axis: Bold As Love
Jimi Hendrix
Some great hits but some annoying innovations with stereo sound
3
Mar 06 2023
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Roger the Engineer
The Yardbirds
3
Mar 07 2023
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Darkness on the Edge of Town
Bruce Springsteen
3
Mar 08 2023
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Solid Air
John Martyn
3
Mar 09 2023
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Rumours
Fleetwood Mac
True 5
5
Mar 10 2023
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Your Arsenal
Morrissey
Couldn't bother finish
2
Mar 13 2023
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This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3
Mar 14 2023
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Imagine
John Lennon
Some real timeless songs
4
Mar 15 2023
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Either Or
Elliott Smith
2
Mar 16 2023
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Strangeways, Here We Come
The Smiths
4
Mar 17 2023
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Supa Dupa Fly
Missy Elliott
Love missy, but not the best of her work
3
Mar 20 2023
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Stardust
Willie Nelson
Really enjoyed it.
4
Mar 21 2023
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Hard Again
Muddy Waters
4
Mar 23 2023
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Slanted And Enchanted
Pavement
Not for me
1
Mar 24 2023
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Highway 61 Revisited
Bob Dylan
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.
4
Mar 27 2023
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Smash
The Offspring
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.
3
Mar 28 2023
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Urban Hymns
The Verve
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.
4
Mar 29 2023
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The Chronic
Dr. Dre
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?
2
Mar 30 2023
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Raising Hell
Run-D.M.C.
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!
4
Mar 31 2023
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Toys In The Attic
Aerosmith
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.
3
Apr 03 2023
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Something Else By The Kinks
The Kinks
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.
3
Apr 04 2023
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Nilsson Schmilsson
Harry Nilsson
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
4
Apr 05 2023
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The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
David Bowie
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.
5
Apr 06 2023
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Fear and Whiskey
Mekons
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.
3
Apr 07 2023
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Out of Step
Minor Threat
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.
2
Apr 10 2023
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You've Come a Long Way Baby
Fatboy Slim
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.
5
Apr 11 2023
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What's Going On
Marvin Gaye
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.
4
Apr 12 2023
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American Pie
Don McLean
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.
3
Apr 13 2023
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Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
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.
3
Apr 14 2023
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Devil Without A Cause
Kid Rock
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.
1
Apr 17 2023
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Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
Spiritualized
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!
4
Apr 18 2023
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Made In Japan
Deep Purple
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.
3
Apr 19 2023
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Bright Flight
Silver Jews
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
1
Apr 20 2023
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Arc Of A Diver
Steve Winwood
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.
4
Apr 21 2023
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Live At The Star Club, Hamburg
Jerry Lee Lewis
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.
2
Apr 24 2023
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Here's Little Richard
Little Richard
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.
4
Apr 25 2023
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Let's Stay Together
Al Green
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.
3
Apr 26 2023
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A Night At The Opera
Queen
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.
5
Apr 27 2023
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A Northern Soul
The Verve
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.
3
Apr 28 2023
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Crime Of The Century
Supertramp
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.
5
May 01 2023
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New York Dolls
New York Dolls
Generic punk rock. I get this was before the genre really existed which makes it groundbreaking but still not that interesting to me.
3
May 02 2023
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(What's The Story) Morning Glory
Oasis
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.
5
May 03 2023
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Ananda Shankar
Ananda Shankar
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.
2
May 04 2023
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Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
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.
3
May 08 2023
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Close To The Edge
Yes
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.
2
May 09 2023
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Disintegration
The Cure
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.
3
May 10 2023
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Lost In The Dream
The War On Drugs
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.
4
May 11 2023
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Tuesday Night Music Club
Sheryl Crow
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"
2
May 12 2023
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John Prine
John Prine
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".
4
May 15 2023
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If You're Feeling Sinister
Belle & Sebastian
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.
1
May 16 2023
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Sign 'O' The Times
Prince
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.
2
May 17 2023
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Sweet Baby James
James Taylor
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.
3
May 18 2023
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The Modern Lovers
The Modern Lovers
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.
4
May 19 2023
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Tea for the Tillerman
Cat Stevens
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.
5
May 22 2023
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Elephant
The White Stripes
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.
4
May 23 2023
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Document
R.E.M.
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.
2
May 24 2023
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Femi Kuti
Femi Kuti
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.
4
May 25 2023
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Protection
Massive Attack
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.
3
May 26 2023
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Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche
Koffi Olomide
This was just not for me. Also from reading wikipedia he seems like a garbage person.
2
May 29 2023
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Sheer Heart Attack
Queen
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
3
May 30 2023
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Blur
Blur
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.
2
May 31 2023
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Synchronicity
The Police
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.
2
Jun 01 2023
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Fetch The Bolt Cutters
Fiona Apple
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.
4
Jun 02 2023
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Brown Sugar
D'Angelo
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.
2
Jun 05 2023
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Back To Black
Amy Winehouse
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.
4
Jun 06 2023
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D
White Denim
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.
4
Jun 07 2023
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Behaviour
Pet Shop Boys
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.
3
Jun 08 2023
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Sweetheart Of The Rodeo
The Byrds
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.
3
Jun 09 2023
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Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
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.
3
Jun 12 2023
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Tusk
Fleetwood Mac
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.
3
Jun 13 2023
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Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
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.
4
Jun 14 2023
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The Holy Bible
Manic Street Preachers
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.
2
Jun 15 2023
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Thriller
Michael Jackson
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.
4
Jun 16 2023
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Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
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.
4
Jun 19 2023
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The Suburbs
Arcade Fire
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.
3
Jun 20 2023
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The Seldom Seen Kid
Elbow
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.
4
Jun 21 2023
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Oar
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
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.
2
Jun 22 2023
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Roger the Engineer
The Yardbirds
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".
3
Jun 23 2023
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Club Classics Vol. One
Soul II Soul
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.
2
Jun 26 2023
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Doggystyle
Snoop Dogg
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.
3
Jun 27 2023
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Nevermind
Nirvana
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.
5
Jun 28 2023
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Be
Common
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.
4
Jun 29 2023
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For Your Pleasure
Roxy Music
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.
2
Jun 30 2023
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McCartney
Paul McCartney
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.
3
Jul 03 2023
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Aqualung
Jethro Tull
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.
4
Jul 04 2023
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The Boatman's Call
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
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.
2
Jul 05 2023
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Rust In Peace
Megadeth
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.
3
Jul 06 2023
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No Other
Gene Clark
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.
4
Jul 07 2023
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The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
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.
5
Jul 10 2023
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Marquee Moon
Television
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.
3
Jul 11 2023
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Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
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.
3
Jul 12 2023
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Rain Dogs
Tom Waits
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.
5
Jul 13 2023
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Peace Sells...But Who's Buying
Megadeth
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.
1
Jul 14 2023
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Catch A Fire
Bob Marley & The Wailers
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.
3
Jul 17 2023
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Tidal
Fiona Apple
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.
3
Jul 18 2023
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Either Or
Elliott Smith
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.
2
Jul 19 2023
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Suede
Suede
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".
3
Jul 20 2023
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Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C.
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.
2
Jul 21 2023
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Mott
Mott The Hoople
Your run-of-the-mill prog/hard-rock, sounds a bit like David Bowie. This one just passed me by without leave any impression.
2
Jul 24 2023
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Electric Ladyland
Jimi Hendrix
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.
4
Jul 25 2023
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Led Zeppelin II
Led Zeppelin
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.
4
Jul 26 2023
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KIWANUKA
Michael Kiwanuka
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).
4
Jul 27 2023
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Risque
CHIC
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?
3
Jul 28 2023
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Neon Bible
Arcade Fire
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.
3
Jul 31 2023
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The Velvet Underground & Nico
The Velvet Underground
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.
4
Aug 01 2023
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The Bends
Radiohead
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.
4
Aug 02 2023
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Pelican West
Haircut 100
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
Aug 03 2023
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Time Out Of Mind
Bob Dylan
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.
4
Aug 07 2023
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The Clash
The Clash
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.
2
Aug 08 2023
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Stankonia
OutKast
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.
3
Aug 09 2023
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Chelsea Girl
Nico
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.
2
Aug 10 2023
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Cosmo's Factory
Creedence Clearwater Revival
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.
5
Aug 11 2023
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Hejira
Joni Mitchell
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.
4
Aug 14 2023
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James Brown Live At The Apollo
James Brown
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.
2
Aug 15 2023
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Surrealistic Pillow
Jefferson Airplane
"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.
3
Aug 16 2023
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All Hail the Queen
Queen Latifah
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.
2
Aug 17 2023
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GI
Germs
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.
1
Aug 18 2023
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The World is a Ghetto
War
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.
4
Aug 21 2023
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Licensed To Ill
Beastie Boys
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.
4
Aug 22 2023
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Head Hunters
Herbie Hancock
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.
4
Aug 23 2023
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Imagine
John Lennon
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.
4
Aug 24 2023
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They Were Wrong, So We Drowned
Liars
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.
1
Aug 28 2023
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Moon Safari
Air
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.
4
Aug 29 2023
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Machine Head
Deep Purple
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.
3
Aug 30 2023
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Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs
Marty Robbins
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.
4
Aug 31 2023
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Teen Dream
Beach House
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.
4
Sep 01 2023
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The La's
The La's
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.
2
Sep 04 2023
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Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
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
5
Sep 05 2023
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Back At The Chicken Shack
Jimmy Smith
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.
2
Sep 06 2023
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Live At The Harlem Square Club
Sam Cooke
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.
3
Sep 07 2023
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Rising Above Bedlam
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
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.
1
Sep 08 2023
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Fifth Dimension
The Byrds
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.
3
Sep 11 2023
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Blue Lines
Massive Attack
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!
4
Sep 12 2023
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Amnesiac
Radiohead
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.
4
Sep 13 2023
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Trio
Dolly Parton
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.
2
Sep 14 2023
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Heaux Tales
Jazmine Sullivan
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.
4
Sep 15 2023
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Armed Forces
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
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?).
2
Sep 18 2023
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good kid, m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar
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.
5
Sep 19 2023
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Hounds Of Love
Kate Bush
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.
3
Sep 20 2023
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Another Green World
Brian Eno
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.
3
Sep 21 2023
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Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul
Otis Redding
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.
4
Oct 02 2023
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The Genius Of Ray Charles
Ray Charles
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.
3
Oct 04 2023
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People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
A Tribe Called Quest
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.
3
Oct 05 2023
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Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)
Loretta Lynn
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.
2
Oct 06 2023
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Street Signs
Ozomatli
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.
3
Oct 09 2023
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Tres Hombres
ZZ Top
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.
3
Oct 10 2023
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Zombie
Fela Kuti
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
Oct 11 2023
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The Joshua Tree
U2
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.
4
Oct 12 2023
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Electric Warrior
T. Rex
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.
4
Oct 13 2023
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Under Construction
Missy Elliott
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..).
4
Oct 16 2023
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Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A.
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.
4
Oct 17 2023
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Live!
Fela Kuti
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).
3
Oct 18 2023
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Dookie
Green Day
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.
3
Oct 19 2023
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The Madcap Laughs
Syd Barrett
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.
1
Oct 20 2023
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Kimono My House
Sparks
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.
5
Oct 23 2023
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Songs In The Key Of Life
Stevie Wonder
"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.
3
Oct 24 2023
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The Soft Bulletin
The Flaming Lips
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.
2
Oct 25 2023
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Punishing Kiss
Ute Lemper
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.
1
Oct 26 2023
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Low
David Bowie
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!
3
Oct 27 2023
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Teenager Of The Year
Frank Black
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?
3
Oct 30 2023
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Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
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.
2
Oct 31 2023
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One Nation Under A Groove
Funkadelic
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.
4
Nov 01 2023
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Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
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.
2
Nov 02 2023
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Red Headed Stranger
Willie Nelson
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.
3
Nov 03 2023
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Talking Book
Stevie Wonder
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.
4
Nov 06 2023
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Paul Simon
Paul Simon
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.
5
Nov 07 2023
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Dusty In Memphis
Dusty Springfield
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.
3
Nov 08 2023
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Automatic For The People
R.E.M.
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.
4
Nov 09 2023
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Fragile
Yes
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.
2
Nov 10 2023
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This Is Fats Domino
Fats Domino
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.
3
Nov 13 2023
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Blackstar
David Bowie
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".
3
Nov 14 2023
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Off The Wall
Michael Jackson
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!
3
Nov 15 2023
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Pet Sounds
The Beach Boys
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.
4
Nov 16 2023
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Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
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.
3
Nov 17 2023
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All Things Must Pass
George Harrison
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.
4
Nov 20 2023
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3 Feet High and Rising
De La Soul
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.
3
Nov 21 2023
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The Score
Fugees
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.
4
Nov 22 2023
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White Light / White Heat
The Velvet Underground
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".
1
Nov 23 2023
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Country Life
Roxy Music
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.
3
Nov 24 2023
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Surf's Up
The Beach Boys
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.
4
Nov 27 2023
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Melodrama
Lorde
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.
3
Nov 28 2023
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Fever To Tell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
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.
4
Nov 29 2023
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Bongo Rock
Incredible Bongo Band
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!
2
Nov 30 2023
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I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
Sinead O'Connor
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.
2
Dec 01 2023
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I Am a Bird Now
Antony and the Johnsons
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.
4
Dec 04 2023
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The Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd
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.
5
Dec 05 2023
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Blood On The Tracks
Bob Dylan
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
Dec 06 2023
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System Of A Down
System Of A Down
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.
3
Dec 07 2023
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Doolittle
Pixies
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.
3
Dec 08 2023
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Beggars Banquet
The Rolling Stones
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.
3
Dec 11 2023
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Funeral
Arcade Fire
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.
2
Dec 12 2023
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There's No Place Like America Today
Curtis Mayfield
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.
3
Dec 13 2023
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Here Are the Sonics
The Sonics
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...
2
Dec 14 2023
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Rock 'N Soul
Solomon Burke
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).
3
Dec 15 2023
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Another Music In A Different Kitchen
Buzzcocks
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.
2
Dec 18 2023
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The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
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!
4
Dec 19 2023
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A Girl Called Dusty
Dusty Springfield
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.
3
Dec 20 2023
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Since I Left You
The Avalanches
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.
4
Dec 21 2023
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Trans Europe Express
Kraftwerk
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.
4
Dec 22 2023
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O.G. Original Gangster
Ice T
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.
3
Dec 25 2023
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L.A. Woman
The Doors
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.
4
Dec 26 2023
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A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
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!
4
Dec 27 2023
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Aja
Steely Dan
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.
2
Dec 28 2023
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A Hard Day's Night
Beatles
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?
5
Dec 29 2023
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Henry's Dream
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
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.
4
Jan 01 2024
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Green River
Creedence Clearwater Revival
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.
4
Jan 02 2024
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If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears
The Mamas & The Papas
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.
2
Jan 03 2024
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More Songs About Buildings And Food
Talking Heads
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".
2
Jan 04 2024
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Medúlla
Björk
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.
3
Jan 05 2024
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Sheet Music
10cc
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.
2
Jan 08 2024
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The Next Day
David Bowie
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.
3
Jan 09 2024
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Is This It
The Strokes
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.
4
Jan 10 2024
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Kilimanjaro
The Teardrop Explodes
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.
3
Jan 11 2024
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The United States Of America
The United States Of America
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.
2
Jan 12 2024
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Underwater Moonlight
The Soft Boys
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.
3
Jan 15 2024
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The Blueprint
JAY Z
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".
4
Jan 16 2024
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The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
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.
2
Jan 17 2024
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Hearts And Bones
Paul Simon
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.
3
Jan 18 2024
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Hunting High And Low
a-ha
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.
3
Jan 19 2024
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California
American Music Club
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.
2
Jan 22 2024
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Homework
Daft Punk
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.
4
Jan 23 2024
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Band On The Run
Paul McCartney and Wings
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.
2
Jan 24 2024
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Nixon
Lambchop
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.
3
Jan 25 2024
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Stand!
Sly & The Family Stone
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.
2
Jan 26 2024
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In Our Heads
Hot Chip
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.
3
Jan 29 2024
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Kind Of Blue
Miles Davis
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.
4
Jan 30 2024
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Fulfillingness' First Finale
Stevie Wonder
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.
3
Jan 31 2024
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This Nation’s Saving Grace
The Fall
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.
2
Feb 01 2024
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The Stooges
The Stooges
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.
3
Feb 02 2024
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Tubular Bells
Mike Oldfield
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.
4
Feb 05 2024
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The Yes Album
Yes
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.
2
Feb 06 2024
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3 + 3
The Isley Brothers
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.
4
Feb 07 2024
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Juju
Siouxsie And The Banshees
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.
3
Feb 08 2024
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Street Life
The Crusaders
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.
3
Feb 09 2024
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The Renaissance
Q-Tip
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.
4
Feb 13 2024
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Raw Power
The Stooges
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.
4
Feb 14 2024
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A Short Album About Love
The Divine Comedy
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.
2
Feb 15 2024
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Germfree Adolescents
X-Ray Spex
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.
4
Feb 16 2024
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Born In The U.S.A.
Bruce Springsteen
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.
5
Feb 20 2024
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2112
Rush
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.
2
Feb 21 2024
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Kenya
Machito
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.
3
Feb 22 2024
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Autobahn
Kraftwerk
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.
3
Feb 23 2024
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Queen Of Denmark
John Grant
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.
3
Feb 26 2024
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Pretzel Logic
Steely Dan
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.
3
Feb 27 2024
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The Band
The Band
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.
3
Feb 28 2024
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Hail To the Thief
Radiohead
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.
5
Feb 29 2024
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Five Leaves Left
Nick Drake
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.
4
Mar 01 2024
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Dance Mania
Tito Puente
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.
3
Mar 04 2024
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Ready To Die
The Notorious B.I.G.
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.
2
Mar 05 2024
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Bad
Michael Jackson
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.
5
Mar 06 2024
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Beach Samba
Astrud Gilberto
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.
2
Mar 07 2024
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The Wildest!
Louis Prima
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".
4
Mar 08 2024
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Hypnotised
The Undertones
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.
2
Mar 11 2024
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Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
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.
5
Mar 12 2024
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My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
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.
5
Mar 13 2024
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Lam Toro
Baaba Maal
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.
2
Mar 14 2024
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Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
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.
2
Mar 15 2024
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Blunderbuss
Jack White
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!
3
Mar 18 2024
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The Fat Of The Land
The Prodigy
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.
4
Mar 19 2024
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Out Of The Blue
Electric Light Orchestra
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.
3
Mar 20 2024
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Djam Leelii
Baaba Maal
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.
3
Mar 21 2024
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Foxbase Alpha
Saint Etienne
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.
3
Mar 22 2024
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I See A Darkness
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
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.
2
Mar 25 2024
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Pink Moon
Nick Drake
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".
4
Mar 26 2024
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My Generation
The Who
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.
2
Mar 27 2024
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Vincebus Eruptum
Blue Cheer
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.
2
Mar 29 2024
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Wonderful Rainbow
Lightning Bolt
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.
2
Apr 01 2024
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Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club
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.
5
Apr 02 2024
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In Rainbows
Radiohead
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.
5
Apr 03 2024
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Pornography
The Cure
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.)
2
Apr 04 2024
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Deep Purple In Rock
Deep Purple
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.
4
Apr 05 2024
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The Predator
Ice Cube
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.
3
Apr 08 2024
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Reggatta De Blanc
The Police
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.
3
Apr 09 2024
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Jagged Little Pill
Alanis Morissette
"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.
3
Apr 10 2024
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Orbital 2
Orbital
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?
3
Apr 11 2024
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Faust IV
Faust
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.
1
Apr 12 2024
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Live At The Regal
B.B. King
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.
3
Apr 15 2024
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Cloud Nine
The Temptations
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?
3
Apr 16 2024
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Vol. 4
Black Sabbath
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.
5
Apr 17 2024
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All That You Can't Leave Behind
U2
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.
3
Apr 18 2024
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The Notorious Byrd Brothers
The Byrds
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.
2
Apr 19 2024
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Van Halen
Van Halen
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.
3
Apr 22 2024
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Revolver
Beatles
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.
4
Apr 23 2024
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Green Onions
Booker T. & The MG's
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.
2
Apr 24 2024
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Unhalfbricking
Fairport Convention
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.
3
Apr 25 2024
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Beyond Skin
Nitin Sawhney
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.
2
Apr 26 2024
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Shaft
Isaac Hayes
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,
2
Apr 29 2024
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Shake Your Money Maker
The Black Crowes
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.
2
Apr 30 2024
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Liquid Swords
GZA
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.
4
May 01 2024
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Tarkus
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
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.
1
May 02 2024
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American IV: The Man Comes Around
Johnny Cash
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.
4
May 03 2024
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Abraxas
Santana
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.
3
May 06 2024
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Get Behind Me Satan
The White Stripes
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.
3
May 07 2024
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Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs
Derek & The Dominos
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.
2
May 08 2024
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Ray Of Light
Madonna
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.
3
May 09 2024
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Music Has The Right To Children
Boards of Canada
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.
2
May 10 2024
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Wild Is The Wind
Nina Simone
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.
4
May 13 2024
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The Downward Spiral
Nine Inch Nails
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.
2
May 14 2024
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Ill Communication
Beastie Boys
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.
2
May 15 2024
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Soul Mining
The The
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.
2
May 16 2024
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The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
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.
5
May 17 2024
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Odessey And Oracle
The Zombies
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.
3
May 20 2024
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Ellington at Newport
Duke Ellington
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.
3
May 21 2024
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Parachutes
Coldplay
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.
4
May 22 2024
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I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Aretha Franklin
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.
4
May 23 2024
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Rock Bottom
Robert Wyatt
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.
1
May 24 2024
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Nowhere
Ride
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.
3
May 27 2024
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Graceland
Paul Simon
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.
4
May 28 2024
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Songs Of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
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.
3
May 29 2024
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The Only Ones
The Only Ones
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.
3
May 30 2024
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Gris Gris
Dr. John
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.
3
May 31 2024
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You're Living All Over Me
Dinosaur Jr.
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.
2
Jun 03 2024
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Ramones
Ramones
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.
3
Jun 04 2024
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Natty Dread
Bob Marley & The Wailers
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.
3
Jun 05 2024
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Live At Leeds
The Who
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.
3
Jun 06 2024
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Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against The Machine
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.
5
Jun 07 2024
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Bone Machine
Tom Waits
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.
3
Jun 11 2024
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Dummy
Portishead
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.
4
Jun 12 2024
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The Man Machine
Kraftwerk
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?
4
Jun 13 2024
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Heavy Weather
Weather Report
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.
2
Jun 14 2024
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Honky Tonk Masquerade
Joe Ely
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.
2
Jun 17 2024
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Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
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.
4
Jun 18 2024
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Getz/Gilberto
Stan Getz
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.
3
Jun 19 2024
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Buffalo Springfield Again
Buffalo Springfield
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.
3
Jun 20 2024
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Stripped
Christina Aguilera
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.
3
Jun 21 2024
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Moving Pictures
Rush
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.
3
Jun 24 2024
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Crosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash
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.
3
Jun 25 2024
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Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand
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.
5
Jun 26 2024
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Odessa
Bee Gees
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.
2
Jun 27 2024
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Rocks
Aerosmith
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.
2
Jun 28 2024
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After The Gold Rush
Neil Young
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.
3
Jul 01 2024
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Murmur
R.E.M.
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".
3
Jul 02 2024
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Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
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.
4
Jul 03 2024
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Cafe Bleu
The Style Council
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.
4
Jul 04 2024
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Virgin Suicides
Air
This was honestly just boring. I really liked "Moonlight Safari" but this album just didn't click with me. Not sure why.
2
Jul 05 2024
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Born To Run
Bruce Springsteen
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.
4
Jul 08 2024
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Back In Black
AC/DC
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.
5
Jul 12 2024
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In The Court Of The Crimson King
King Crimson
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.
4
Jul 15 2024
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The Wall
Pink Floyd
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.
5
Jul 16 2024
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Eagles
Eagles
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.
3
Jul 17 2024
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Nick Of Time
Bonnie Raitt
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).
2
Jul 18 2024
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At San Quentin
Johnny Cash
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!
4
Jul 22 2024
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Gorillaz
Gorillaz
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.
4
Jul 23 2024
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Music for the Masses
Depeche Mode
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.
2
Jul 24 2024
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Devotional Songs
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
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.
3
Jul 25 2024
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The White Album
Beatles
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".
5
Jul 26 2024
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1984
Van Halen
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.
3
Jul 29 2024
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Superfly
Curtis Mayfield
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.
3
Jul 30 2024
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21
Adele
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.
4
Jul 31 2024
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Live And Dangerous
Thin Lizzy
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.
3
Aug 01 2024
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So Much For The City
The Thrills
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.
1
Aug 02 2024
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Sincere
Mj Cole
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.
2
Aug 05 2024
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The Atomic Mr Basie
Count Basie & His Orchestra
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.
4
Aug 06 2024
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You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen
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!
5
Aug 07 2024
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One World
John Martyn
"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.
2
Aug 08 2024
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Diamond Life
Sade
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.
2
Aug 09 2024
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Roxy Music
Roxy Music
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.
2
Aug 12 2024
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Court And Spark
Joni Mitchell
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.
3
Aug 13 2024
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In A Silent Way
Miles Davis
Nice chill jazz! Not as Iconic or catchy as "Kind of Blue" but still definitely worth a listen. Some great solos and vibes here.
4
Aug 14 2024
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Talking Heads 77
Talking Heads
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!
3
Aug 15 2024
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Isn't Anything
My Bloody Valentine
With risk for sounding old: It's just noise. Didn't like this, tuneless, meandering fuzz.
1
Aug 16 2024
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Feast of Wire
Calexico
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.
4
Aug 19 2024
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Innervisions
Stevie Wonder
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.
4
Aug 20 2024
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Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
Ray Charles
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.
3
Aug 21 2024
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Coles Corner
Richard Hawley
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.
2
Aug 22 2024
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Peter Gabriel 3
Peter Gabriel
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.
4
Aug 26 2024
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British Steel
Judas Priest
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!
3
Aug 27 2024
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Bringing It All Back Home
Bob Dylan
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.
5
Aug 28 2024
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Something/Anything?
Todd Rundgren
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.
2
Aug 30 2024
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Imperial Bedroom
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
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.
2
Sep 02 2024
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Transformer
Lou Reed
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.
4
Sep 03 2024
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C'est Chic
CHIC
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.
3
Sep 04 2024
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Fisherman's Blues
The Waterboys
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.
4
Sep 05 2024
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Dig Your Own Hole
The Chemical Brothers
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.
3
Sep 06 2024
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Make Yourself
Incubus
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.
2
Sep 09 2024
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Hunky Dory
David Bowie
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.
4
Sep 10 2024
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Black Holes and Revelations
Muse
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.
5
Sep 11 2024
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Goo
Sonic Youth
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.
2
Sep 12 2024
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Idlewild
Everything But The Girl
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.
3
Sep 13 2024
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Led Zeppelin IV
Led Zeppelin
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.
5
Sep 16 2024
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At Mister Kelly's
Sarah Vaughan
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.
3
Sep 17 2024
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Sound of Silver
LCD Soundsystem
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.
3
Sep 18 2024
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Siamese Dream
The Smashing Pumpkins
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.
3
Sep 19 2024
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Violator
Depeche Mode
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!
4
Sep 20 2024
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Call of the Valley
Shivkumar Sharma
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.
4
Sep 23 2024
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At Fillmore East
The Allman Brothers Band
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.
3
Sep 24 2024
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Brilliant Corners
Thelonious Monk
Pretty good jazz album. Nothing really stood out to me but there were some pretty slick piano licks. Would listen to it again.
3
Sep 25 2024
View Album
Music From Big Pink
The Band
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.
4
Sep 26 2024
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Born To Be With You
Dion
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.
2
Sep 27 2024
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The Doors
The Doors
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.
5
Sep 30 2024
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Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Arctic Monkeys
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.
5
Oct 01 2024
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Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
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.
4
Oct 02 2024
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Fromohio
fIREHOSE
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.
3
Oct 03 2024
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Clube Da Esquina
Milton Nascimento
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.
4
Oct 04 2024
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Beautiful Freak
Eels
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.
3
Oct 07 2024
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Ogden's Nut Gone Flake
Small Faces
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.
2
Oct 08 2024
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Future Days
Can
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.
3
Oct 09 2024
View Album
Melody A.M.
Röyksopp
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.
3
Oct 10 2024
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Paranoid
Black Sabbath
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.
5
Oct 11 2024
View Album
Roots
Sepultura
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!
3
Oct 14 2024
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Guero
Beck
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.
2
Oct 15 2024
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Teenage Head
Flamin' Groovies
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.
2
Oct 16 2024
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Freak Out!
The Mothers Of Invention
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.
2
Oct 17 2024
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Miriam Makeba
Miriam Makeba
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!
4
Oct 18 2024
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Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth
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.
3
Oct 21 2024
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Kings Of The Wild Frontier
Adam & The Ants
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.
3
Oct 22 2024
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The Sounds Of India
Ravi Shankar
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).
2
Oct 23 2024
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Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John
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!
5
Oct 24 2024
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Permission to Land
The Darkness
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.
4
Oct 25 2024
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Rum Sodomy & The Lash
The Pogues
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.
3
Oct 28 2024
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Hot Shots II
The Beta Band
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.
2
Oct 29 2024
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Rhythm Nation 1814
Janet Jackson
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.
2
Oct 30 2024
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Nebraska
Bruce Springsteen
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.
4
Oct 31 2024
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Ys
Joanna Newsom
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!
5
Nov 01 2024
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Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
Maxwell
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.
2
Nov 04 2024
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Disraeli Gears
Cream
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.
4
Nov 05 2024
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Heroes to Zeros
The Beta Band
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.
3
Nov 06 2024
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Basket of Light
Pentangle
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.
4
Nov 07 2024
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Live / Dead
Grateful Dead
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.
2
Nov 08 2024
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In It For The Money
Supergrass
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!
4
Nov 11 2024
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Bryter Layter
Nick Drake
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.
4
Nov 12 2024
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Kollaps
Einstürzende Neubauten
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!
1
Nov 13 2024
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Untitled (Black Is)
SAULT
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.
4
Nov 14 2024
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Kid A
Radiohead
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.
4
Nov 15 2024
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Selling England By The Pound
Genesis
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.
3
Nov 18 2024
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Duck Rock
Malcolm McLaren
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.
3
Nov 19 2024
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All Hope Is Gone
Slipknot
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.
3
Nov 20 2024
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Sticky Fingers
The Rolling Stones
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.
3
Nov 21 2024
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Aftermath
The Rolling Stones
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.
4
Nov 22 2024
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Arular
M.I.A.
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!
4
Nov 25 2024
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Tank Battles
Dagmar Krause
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,
1
Nov 26 2024
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Blonde On Blonde
Bob Dylan
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!
4
Nov 27 2024
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Deja Vu
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
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.
4
Nov 28 2024
View Album
GREY Area
Little Simz
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.
5
Nov 29 2024
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Stephen Stills
Stephen Stills
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".
3
Dec 02 2024
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Lazer Guided Melodies
Spiritualized
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".
2
Dec 03 2024
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Alien Lanes
Guided By Voices
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.
1
Dec 04 2024
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No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live)
Motörhead
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.
2
Dec 05 2024
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I See You
The xx
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.
3
Dec 06 2024
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Vivid
Living Colour
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.
2
Dec 09 2024
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Music
Madonna
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.
2
Dec 10 2024
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Too Rye Ay
Dexys Midnight Runners
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.
3
Dec 11 2024
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Madman Across The Water
Elton John
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.
4
Dec 12 2024
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Happy Trails
Quicksilver Messenger Service
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.
2
Dec 13 2024
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Cheap Thrills
Big Brother & The Holding Company
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.
5
Dec 16 2024
View Album
Come Away With Me
Norah Jones
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.
3
Dec 17 2024
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The Last Broadcast
Doves
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.
2
Dec 18 2024
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Hot Buttered Soul
Isaac Hayes
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.
4
Dec 19 2024
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Happy Sad
Tim Buckley
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.
2
Dec 20 2024
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Tago Mago
Can
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.
2