View Album
Mon Mar 06 2023
Exodus
Bob Marley & The Wailers
v chill album! a good morning listen
4
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Tue Mar 07 2023
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
It's eye opening that people in 1991 were rapping about the same things they are rapping about now when it comes to police brutality.
3
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Wed Mar 08 2023
Something Else By The Kinks
The Kinks
4
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Thu Mar 09 2023
Raising Hell
Run-D.M.C.
Fun to put an artist to a song I have heard thousands of times (It's Tricky)
I can't believe Aerosmith ripped these guys off (Walk this way)
Run DMC could be honorary Beachy Boys members.
I really like this late 80's early 90's hip hop sound and the variety of beats they were able to produce with horns, scratching, and the sounds that remind me of playing Tony Hawk Pro Skater.
I appreciate that we got Cypress Hill just before this to get a better understanding on the East vs West coast rap debate that I know was prevalent back then. Lyrics aren't as heavy as the ones on Cypress Hill, but the beats are more fun!
Great album, would listen again.
5
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Fri Mar 10 2023
At Folsom Prison
Johnny Cash
Interested to know the history on this album. How did Folsom Prison get Johnny Cash to come there? I do appreciate a live album being on this list.
Dirty Old Egg-Suckin' Dog has to make a place in my vocabulary.
There's a song named Jackson, 5 stars.
I think I overlooked Johnny Cash just because I know his hits, but there's some good singin' here, nothing too crazy instrumentally, though. Great stage presence though. Do all of the solo musicians of this era have that molasses sounding voice like Johnny Cash, or does Johnny Cash sound like all the others?
4
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Sat Mar 11 2023
Marquee Moon
Television
The song Marquee Moon is a great jam, I have a great appreciation for this song.
Overall a solid album, but didn't do anything special for me. I have a feeling this is an album that was cutting edge at the time, but doesn't seem that special to us nowadays because a lot of artists use Television's style and technique. Just a hunch.
Wasn't paying too much attention while listening to this album, could use a re-listen.
3
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Sun Mar 12 2023
Young Americans
David Bowie
Listened to in the car to Vermont. Will listen again
4
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Mon Mar 13 2023
She's So Unusual
Cyndi Lauper
3
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Tue Mar 14 2023
Morrison Hotel
The Doors
I liked it! A good mix of tempos. Some songs were bluesy, some were psychedelic. I put this album off for a while because we were skiing. I'm glad I did because this is not a skiing album.
4
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Wed Mar 15 2023
Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts
The Adverts
More British Punk! Wow! Better than most punk I've heard on this list, but still not great. At least the songs are discernable from one another
3
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Thu Mar 16 2023
Devil Without A Cause
Kid Rock
Really funny if you look at this as an ironically funny album. If I didn't know who Kid Rock was I would think this is just some wannabe rapper who grew up in a upper middle class neighborhood. I love some of the radio edit censorship in this album.
Welcome 2 the Party is a lyrical masterpiece
2
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Fri Mar 17 2023
Suicide
Suicide
Pretty decent start to an album. Not a great finish.
I usually don't like hearing a strange man moan and ejaculate in high def while I'm trying to work, and "Girl" was no exception to that rule.
2
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Sat Mar 18 2023
Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
Album starts off with 3 certified bangers. Money for Nothing and Walk of Life specifically are legendary songs.
The next couple songs definitely tone down the explosiveness and tempo, but are very nice songs to listen to regardless. A lot of good variety with the introduction of some brass.
The riffs Ride Across the River could be a song in Final Fantasy 9 or Crash Bandicoot.
I've heard the hits on this album hundreds of times, but the other songs on it are exceptional in their own right. I could argue the middle of the album feels a bit disjointed, but I think I really appreciate the variety of instruments, styles, and tempos Dire Straits employ here. Definitely not an album where "every song sounds the same".
This album makes me appreciate how available music is to us today. It'll be interesting to see if this album has songs that my kids and grandkids will listen in their day because there is no way that Money For Nothing ever dies.
5
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Sun Mar 19 2023
Tigermilk
Belle & Sebastian
Kinda reminds me of Spoon or Barenaked Ladies.
These are fun, upbeat songs. Electronic Renaissance is different, but I really like it.
Overall an album I enjoyed and would listen to again. After reading about it on Wikipedia I don't really understand why it's on this 1001 albums list. Something about the record label's success, maybe?
4
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Mon Mar 20 2023
Eternally Yours
The Saints
This is one of the better punk albums on this list so far. I really like Know Your Product. Singer's voice is good, but the iconic punk guitar sound just feels like it's the same song throughout.
3
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Tue Mar 21 2023
Revolver
Beatles
I need to listen to the Beatles more.
4
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Wed Mar 22 2023
Sign 'O' The Times
Prince
Some duds like Dorothy Parker, but lots of winners.
Slow Love is fantastic.
If Prince was my girlfriend then he'd be a pedo.
It's Gonna be a Beautiful Night is a certified JAM.
I wish I could see Prince perform live.
Some good songs, some great songs, some actual duds. Doesn't have me dying to listen to this album again any time soon.
4
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Thu Mar 23 2023
All That You Can't Leave Behind
U2
Some absolute bangers to start the album. I feel like this album falls into one of those "every song sounds the same" categories.
Overall a good listen!
3
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Fri Mar 24 2023
Garbage
Garbage
Not digging it. Some of these songs I can't believe someone heard the lyrics/moaning and said "Yup, that's a good song!"
Too much angst for this boy.
Stupid girl < Dumb du du dumb dumb Girl
1
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Sat Mar 25 2023
Songs From The Big Chair
Tears For Fears
4
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Sun Mar 26 2023
The Dreaming
Kate Bush
This album feels like it's supposed to be a musical, but not a musical I would watch.
Night of the Swallow is probably the best song.
Lots of screaming.
The beginning of the last song feels like it's going to be great, but then the screaming starts.
Hee Haw Hee Haw Hee Haw
2
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Mon Mar 27 2023
Mama Said Knock You Out
LL Cool J
Solid to start, trails off at the end. There's something about 80's/90's hip hop beats and scratches that just make me happy.
Lyrics are kinda silly (Milky Cereal) with some serious themes (Illegal Search). Overall I would call this album "just for fun". Not dying to listen again, but not upset by any means.
3
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Tue Mar 28 2023
At Fillmore East
The Allman Brothers Band
Another live album! Excited to listen. Will probably end up comparing it to Folsom Prison.
Never really listened to Allman Bros, but I understand how they got to their level of reputation. Good band, good performance.
They've got a good dose of that southern rock that I like. Coincidentally they are from Jacksonville, just like Lynard Skynard. I wonder if they got some influence from them.
I will be giving this 4 stars. I think David Burt would give it 5 stars.
4
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Wed Mar 29 2023
Southern Rock Opera
Drive-By Truckers
Starts out on a seriously emo note.
Like Pearl Jam, but you can understand the singer.
Three Great Alabama Icons reminds me of A7Xs Welcome to the Family.
One of the singers sounds like Jake Cinninger
These guys love talking about Lynard Skynard
This album is long. Not my cup of tea, but the guitar parts are good, like most other southern rock.
3
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Thu Mar 30 2023
Scott 2
Scott Walker
Sounds like a movie soundtrack for a movie that was on the cutting edge of technicolor.
Did Bo Burnham write "Next"?
I could see a lot of these songs (Next / Girls and the Dogs) being in a Frank Sinatra Jr. Family Guy Episode with how crude/humorous some of the lyrics are.
Good voice, but I don't really understand the album.
2
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Fri Mar 31 2023
Hearts And Bones
Paul Simon
Paul Simon fucking rocks. We've got nice, folky guitar riffs followed by some funky bass and a legendary voice.
Not as good as Graceland, but these are all really good songs.
I think if everyone listened to Paul Simon, we would eliminate world anger.
4
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Sat Apr 01 2023
(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd)
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Oh fuck yeah, it's that band that the Drive-By Truckers wouldn't shut up about!
Tuesday's Gone? Banger.
Gimme Three Steps? Banger.
Simple Man? Banger.
Free Bird? Banger.
Lol I looked up Lynard Skynard on wikipedia and found this nugget: The Drive-By Truckers dedicated their album Southern Rock Opera (2001) to Lynyrd Skynyrd.[citation needed]
4
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Sun Apr 02 2023
Horses
Patti Smith
Not for me.
2
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Mon Apr 03 2023
Kick Out The Jams (Live)
MC5
Never heard of MC5 before this. Great opening song, great closing song.
This is some good old fashioned rock and roll!
4
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Tue Apr 04 2023
Blonde On Blonde
Bob Dylan
Great song writing, I would like to go back and listen again while looking at all of the lyrics. Not the greatest voice in my opinion, but overall a solid listen. Never listened to much Bob Dylan before, and this album is not strong enough to change that.
3
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Wed Apr 05 2023
Guitar Town
Steve Earle
Goodbye's All We Got Left to Say is good!
Love the guitar in Fearless Heart
Overall a pretty solid classic album that could go toe to toe with some Tom Petty or John (Cougar) Mellencamp albums.
4
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Thu Apr 06 2023
Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
A lot of these songs are great! Great voice, background singers, good composition of songs. I would say a lot of this is "sing talking", but it's really enjoyable. Feels like this album belongs to a movie or musical.
Not sure how I've never heard of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds before, but I feel like he could go toe to toe with Tom Petty and other similar artists.
This album is almost a 5 for me.
4
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Fri Apr 07 2023
Leftism
Leftfield
Had no clue what this album was going to be like, wasn't expecting eletronic.
Melt is great - reminds me of playing Terraria.
A lot of these songs are good, although a bit repetitive. These songs would make very memorable songs for games on AddictingGames.com
There is a lot of influence from this album I can hear in some electronic songs today; especially in Inspection (Check One).
Overall I like the sounds of this album a lot, it is a bit repetitive like most early electronic. I think that if you compare it to most early electronic, though, it has a lot of fresh sounds.
This is a 3.5 stars at face value, but I'm giving it a nudge because it feels so original.
4
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Sat Apr 08 2023
The Undertones
The Undertones
I feel like when I hear Bri'ish punk I can just skip it and give it a 3 for sounding good, but homogenous.
There's actually some good variety here relative to other punk.
I would probably give this a 3.5 stars, but rounded down because it's definitely not 4 worthy.
3
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Sun Apr 09 2023
A Love Supreme
John Coltrane
I'm surprised my headphones didn't catch on fire with how hard Mr. Coltrane was going during Pt. III.
It was nice to get some jazz as a change of pace from the rest of this album list.
4
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Mon Apr 10 2023
Kimono My House
Sparks
First two songs start out great! Originally I thought it was not in English.
I'm surprised this is from the 70's; it sounds like late 90s early 00s pop with some solid guitar mixed in.
The rest of the songs sounds more like rock.
Really unique and enjoyable album!
4
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Tue Apr 11 2023
Ramones
Ramones
I don't think punk is my jam. All of these songs sound the same. Blitzkreig Bop is a bop.
2
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Wed Apr 12 2023
Phaedra
Tangerine Dream
Reminds me of the soundscapes that Gabe from The Office creates. I definitely recommend headphones or a good stereo system for this album.
I kinda like these songs as like a background sound to a weird art exhibit or halloween, but 2 AND A HALF HOURS???
Seeing as this is from 1974 I feel like this is probably one of the first uses of the synthesizer, and thus the forefront of electronic music as a whole.
I honestly like the music, but the length of it all would require some psychedelics to keep my attention. Not really a good album to listen to while working. Maybe this could be the soundtrack to some abstract film that I wouldn't watch.
3
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Thu Apr 13 2023
Gasoline Alley
Rod Stewart
Solid album, but nothing special to my ears. I feels like a lot of the classic/southern rock albums are blending together. I really like Rod Stewart's voice. It's talented singing meets pack a day smoker. Kinda reminds me of Brent Mydland's singing.
3
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Fri Apr 14 2023
Planet Rock: The Album
Afrika Bambaataa
Not the best old school hip hop album so far, but definitely still a fun album. Another early electronic album, which I have respect for.
Renegades of Funk!! (Rage version is better)
I think I wanted to like this album more than I did.
Album cover reminds me of Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure.
2
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Sat Apr 15 2023
Red Headed Stranger
Willie Nelson
Never really listened to Willie Nelson. I really like how unpolished the songs are from a production standpoint. His voice shines because when you hear the smallest flaws, you realize his raw voice is just that good.
Down Yonder was a great little ragtime intermission.
I enjoyed this album!
4
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Sun Apr 16 2023
Siembra
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
I really enjoyed this album. I enjoy salsa as a whole, but don't listen to it often. This album is very easy going and flows incredibly well.
Pedro Navaja was probably my favorite song.
This album definitely makes me want to listen to some more salsa.
4
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Mon Apr 17 2023
Getz/Gilberto
Stan Getz
This is a delightful album to listen to. Incredibly calming background music while working. Gotta remember Stan Getz next time I have a dinner party with some new friends so I can pretend like I listen to classy music all the time.
All jokes aside, I think Evelyn would like this album the most.
4
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Tue Apr 18 2023
Play
Moby
I have definitely heard Porcelain sampled in another song (or vice versa), can't wait to forgot completely about this and then hear the song 4 years later, bringing back memories of the first time I listened to Moby.
Starts off kinda emo. It has an enjoyable sound to it that reminds me of The Matrix that I can't quite describe. Songs are pretty repetitive
The hard switch into Bodyrock was a bit jarring, but it made me pay attention again. Interestingly; the second half of Bodyrock samples a song from Planet Rock: The Album.
I did not listen to all of the B-sides, but I enjoyed this album enough. I can hear the influences it had on techno and other electronic music. Probably not going out of my way to listen to this album again, though.
3
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Wed Apr 19 2023
Killing Joke
Killing Joke
Punk, Post Punk, who gives a shit?
I understand the important political aspects of punk and post-punk, but the music is not really my cut of the jib.
It's kind of funny to see the transition of punk from the 60's into the 90's and how much of a turn it makes entering the 00's.
Not for me
1
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Thu Apr 20 2023
All Mod Cons
The Jam
ALL KEV CONS
Another punk album. How broad of an umbrella is punk?
Another 1001 Albums cross over with David Watts!
I really enjoyed this album. It has almost beach rock feel to it; great for a sunny 70 degree day. I would definitely listen to this album again or other works from The Jam.
4
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Fri Apr 21 2023
Dusty In Memphis
Dusty Springfield
Holy hell! I saw "In Memphis" and was expecting some honky tonk southern drawl. What a pleasant surprise to get a voice like this!
I feel like there is a Spanish influence on this album with the drums, soft guitar, and maracas, especially in "Windmills of your Mind" and "Land of Make Believe"
Great album. I'm not sure that it's music I'll more regularly seek out, but I certainly enjoyed it!
4
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Sat Apr 22 2023
Lady Soul
Aretha Franklin
Another great album. We are on a hot streak!
Great voice across all songs, I really appreciate the range of powerful, energetic songs that flow well with more melodic, softer songs.
Apart from Aretha holding down the songs with her voice, I think the rest of the band on this album deserve credit; especially the brass and backup singers. Wish I could give this 4.5 stars.
Never really listened to Aretha Franklin much before. I understand where all of the respect for her comes from. Another reason I appreciate this 1001 albums challenge.
4
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Sun Apr 23 2023
Music For The Jilted Generation
The Prodigy
Not feeling it right off the bat. I liked the middle/middle-end of Break & Enter.
Repetitive, Repetitive, Repetitive. At least there is some creativity with sound design so each song, while repetitive, is actually distinct from other songs.
I started to enjoy this more in the second half of the album as I was tuning it out more. Not sure if that's a good thing necessarily.
Overall, I thought I was really going to hate this album and was pleasantly surprised by it. Definitely fits the bill of 90's edge. Probably pairs well with Adderall and Finals Week.
3
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Mon Apr 24 2023
Wonderful Rainbow
Lightning Bolt
Album art is pretty cool at least.
1
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Tue Apr 25 2023
In Rainbows
Radiohead
Not in love with Thom Yorke's singing voice. I do really love the guitar, bass, and drums though.
I bet you could convince people that Weird Fishes / Arpeggi is a U2 song. Regardless, it is a certified jam.
All I Need is another certified jam. Love the entire crescendo at the end especially drums and keyboard.
Videotape is a great way to end this album. It's unsettling in a good way.
I definitely grew to appreciate Thom Yorke's falsetto more as another instrument in the whole ensemble as the album went on. The technical skill and variety of the guitar and drums are what really stood out to me. This album was good, but does not inspire me to get a silly mouse tattoo.
I wonder if this is the latest album that will be on this list.
4
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Wed Apr 26 2023
Our Aim Is To Satisfy
Red Snapper
The first two songs were pretty rough to listen to. Almost wrote off the whole album. Shellback and Don't Go Nowhere saved this album from being a 1 star. Alaska Street and Belladonna were pretty good too.
I really disliked the voice effect that was used in this album. Had some cool hip hop/funk rhythms which I appreciate, but it feels like they didn't build enough on top of that. This album felt disjointed and repetitive, it could have been shortened to 30 minutes and still been the same.
Overall this album wants to be a good mix of genres, like how peanut butter and chocolate is a good mix, but it feels more like peanut butter and kiwi; probably not terrible, but definitely not aiming to satisfy.
2
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Thu Apr 27 2023
Vento De Maio
Elis Regina
This is a fun album. Good singer, some elements of funk. Pretty solid all around.
3
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Fri Apr 28 2023
A Walk Across The Rooftops
The Blue Nile
I'm liking this strong baseline. Great to listen to on a rainy morning.
I appreciate the emphasis on the singing, but I think Paul Buchanan's voice is *just* good, not great. I also really like another early adopter of synthesizers/electronic elements, especially these chime-y, whimsical sounds. It must have been so cool to listen to these sounds in the 80's.
Really pleasant album. I would like to give it a 3.5, but I'm rounding down to 3 because I don't feel like I'll listen to this one again for any reason.
3
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Sat Apr 29 2023
A Hard Day's Night
Beatles
This album is good, and it's hard not to directly compare it to Revolver, which is just a superior album in my opinion.
A lot of good songs on this album, but doesn't feel like any stuck with me. Pairs well with making homemade pasta for your roommates Last Supper.
3
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Sun Apr 30 2023
Beautiful Freak
Eels
Pretty weird and sad lyrics. Not the worst album I've listened to, but certainly not the best. Album art is freaky, but I kind of dig it.
2
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Mon May 01 2023
Vincebus Eruptum
Blue Cheer
Immediately reminds me of Jimi Hendrix and Deep Purple. Overall a pretty solid album and I can definitely hear the early heavy metal sounds that this album helped discover.
Enjoyable listen, but not too much more than that for me.
3
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Tue May 02 2023
Disintegration
The Cure
Started off good, but quickly started to lose interest in the album. A lot of the songs sounded the same. I enjoyed the piano, as well as some guitar and bass parts, but I could really do without the singing in almost every song.
2
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Wed May 03 2023
Machine Gun Etiquette
The Damned
Feels like some of these songs could be in any Tony Hawk game. Some of the songs had weird jumps in tempo that were honestly a little confusing -- I had to check my phone to make sure the song didn't skip. There are a handful of songs that are definitely poppy, I'm surprised I have never heard any before.
I'm still trying to put my finger on what makes music punk. I did enjoy this album more than most other punk albums we have gotten, especially 70's and 80's British punk.
I oftentimes can't hear different accents when people sing in English; this is not one of those cases. It sounds like they are pretending to be Bri'ish.
Bonus points for names like Captain Sensible and Rat Scabies.
I enjoyed listening to this album. It feels like a stretch to give it a 4, but I'm gonna do it.
4
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Thu May 04 2023
Now I Got Worry
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
More punk. The curator of this list must really hate The Man.
This album was the worst parts of punk mixed with the worst parts of jazz mixed with a bad acid trip.
Did not like.
1
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Fri May 05 2023
I See A Darkness
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
First two songs were good. This album feels like one where the juice is in the lyrics, but I had trouble paying attention to lyrics. Besides that, a pretty mediocre album, but not awful.
Last song was pretty good.
2
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Sat May 06 2023
Ragged Glory
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Solid rock and roll. Nothing very special stood out to me. Good background music.
3
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Sun May 07 2023
Like A Prayer
Madonna
Has the same kind of rhythm as Brothers in Arms where it starts off with some bangers/upbeat songs, then really slows down which I don't quite understand. I really like these poppy songs though, I could certainly boogie this album.
Dear Jessie sounds like every Disney song ever (not a bad thing).
One of my biggest knocks is the album felt disjointed from song to song.
Pray for Spanish Eyes was probably my favorite after the first 2 songs.
3
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Mon May 08 2023
The Wall
Pink Floyd
I think this might be my first time listening to this album in earnest....
Happiest Days of Our Lives is a great interlude. Mother is an immediate standout to me as well.
In the Flesh is also great.
The sheer amount of variety that this album hits on is incredibly well done. From instruments and intensities to singers and solos; it all comes together nicely and kept me interested throughout.
I can't believe I went this long in my life without listening to this album in it's entirety. Definitely happy I read about the concept while listening to understand the songs greater meanings; Comfortably Numb especially.
5
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Tue May 09 2023
S&M
Metallica
When I saw this pop up as the next album it made my eyes light up. I can instantly give this a 5 because it's one of my favorite albums of all time. Not complaining about an excuse to listen to this album at 11am on a Tuesday though.
I listen to this album at least twice a year; once on family vacation at the beach and once during the fantasy football draft (who was that chick?).
Incredible composition and energy from start to finish, I would give my left nut to be at this show. At least we live in a time where so much music is available on demand.
A very thoughtful fusion of orchestral music and metal. Someone could do something like this to make a badass movie score with little to no dialogue.
5
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Wed May 10 2023
You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen
Wasn't sure what I was getting into at the first song, but I was pleasantly surprised.
A very interesting album clearly focusing on death and life. It's not super depressing throughout; I appreciate the matter of fact view he has on death. It also hits harder knowing he died 17 days after the release of this album at the age of 82.
The focus is clearly on the lyrics, like poetry, and it does a good job making sure lyrics are clear and powerful. I would like to listen to this again while reading the lyrics instead of working.
Steer Your Way was a standout to me.
This album has taken the throne for latest album at 2016! (previously held by In Rainbows)
4
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Thu May 11 2023
Gentlemen
The Afghan Whigs
First song was not very good... Singer is kinda rough, like a budget Chris Cornell. Guitar solo in Gentleman was great.
I like the effect on the guitar used throughout. Lyrics remain angsty.
Overall, not bad, not great. Not going to listen to this band anymore, but didn't feel like they wasted my time.
3
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Fri May 12 2023
Country Life
Roxy Music
Bitter Sweet reminded me of Nightmare Before Christmas. I like the dude's voice a lot. A cool variety of instruments as well. I would definitely listen to this album again.
4
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Sat May 13 2023
The Seldom Seen Kid
Elbow
I like that this album has an almost whimsical tone to it. I also appreciate the depth in the tracks with the background vocals, horns, and strings.
Love the use of "holy cow" in One Day Like This. The whole song is very triumphant
This album feels like a 3.5. I feel like Tim would really like it.
4
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Sun May 14 2023
Life Thru A Lens
Robbie Williams
Life Thru a Lens and Ego Agogo were bops, even if the lyrics are stupid.
This album is shades of that Kid Rock album with South of the Border. I'd argue the music is better, but the lyrics and singing are pretty garbage. Kinda whiny.
3
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Mon May 15 2023
Atomizer
Big Black
First song is ROUGHHHHHHHHH, hard to continue the album after that one, but I have been pleasantly surprised before on this list.
Second song starts just as rough. I had to double check that the video I'm listen to this album on isn't terrible quality. Nope, it's just the songs sounding like barbed wire and sand!
I feel like there is actually some decent music behind the "rawness" of this album, but it sounds like they are mixing the audio with the sounds of a paper shredder trying to shred aluminum foil.
I would be interested to see King Gizz do a noise rock album.
1
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Tue May 16 2023
Tidal
Fiona Apple
This is a good album, Great singer and the songs aren't repetitive or overly formulaic. No real highs or lows, but consistently good through the album. Love the choice of instruments.
Feels like a 3.5 stars kinda album. I liked it a lot, but there were no homerun moments that will push it into the 4 star rating. Sorry Fiona.
3
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Wed May 17 2023
...Baby One More Time
Britney Spears
Poppy and catchy; no surprise there. I enjoyed this more than I expected to.
3
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Thu May 18 2023
Here's Little Richard
Little Richard
Another album like Lynard Skynard's where it's just banger after banger after banger. How the hell is anyone supposed to sit still when listening to there jams? Great voice, great instrumentals, great energy.
4
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Fri May 19 2023
Frank
Amy Winehouse
I understand the hype around Amy Winehouse after this album. It's a great album, and listening to it early on a Sunday morning while making breakfast and coffee is a home run time to listen.
This felt like a good R&B album with some jazz and soul thrown it; great combo. It didn't feel like this had highs and lows, it was consistently great from start to finish.
Definitely reaching for more Amy after this.
4
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Sat May 20 2023
Dookie
Green Day
Another album that is absolutely riddle with bangers. The trifecta of Lynard Skynard, Little Richard, and Green Day is complete.
Seriously, this is one of the best pop-punk albums/bands ever. I give this genre a lot of grief because it's so copy and paste; but these guys started it all, and only did it with a slightly whiny voice.
Longview has such an iconic baseline.
Feels like another 3.5 star album, but I'm giving it the Nostalgia Bump to 4 stars.
4
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Sun May 21 2023
Rip It Up
Orange Juice
This is a very interesting album. It feels very experimental, and I definitely like their science.
A Million Pleading Faces is a bop.
Breakfast Time feels like it needs to be made into a terrible short horror movie.
I bet Orange Juice had a lot of fun making this album.
Feels like yet another 3.5 album, but I'm going to bump it up to 4 because it felt so unique. We are on a streak of good albums.
4
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Mon May 22 2023
My Aim Is True
Elvis Costello
This is a music album.
3
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Tue May 23 2023
Pearl
Janis Joplin
I have never picked up Janis and I regret that after today. This album is incredible. Cry Baby, A Woman Left Lonely, and Buried Alive in the Blues were all incredible. I immediately listened to this album a second time after finishing. It's not often you listen to an album for the first time and it becomes a favorite; Pearl did that.
5
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Wed May 24 2023
Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
Glad to get some modern day R&B, excited to listen to this one again. This album gets you hooked with some nostalgia bait right from the get go.
Frank's voice is great.
One gripe is the intermittent audio that's from movies or videos, kinda takes me out of the whole album.
Super Rich Kids is a bop.
The drop in Pyramids got my amped up.
I like the overall variety and beats on this album, and I think it was a very good album; but I think I went into this one thinking I would like it more. I know it's critically acclaimed, but I think a lot of juice is in the lyrics, which I am not always paying attention to. I'm sure I'd give it higher marks if I was reading along with the songs.
3
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Thu May 25 2023
Another Green World
Brian Eno
First song isn't great.
I like St Elmo's Fire, The Big Ship, and Little Fishes.
So far it feels like there are some good songs, one or two nothing songs, and some average songs. Every song sounds so different it feels like I'm shuffling a random playlist.
The short interludes were interesting.
I think this is one of the most engaged I've been on an album so far because I'm really trying to determine if I like it or not.
I would say this is an enjoyable listen. I appreciate the originality, but I'm not going to listen to this one again.
3
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Fri May 26 2023
Live!
Fela Kuti
Right off the bat, this album cover makes me feel like I'm about to listen to people have a lot of fun jamming out for an hour.
OH boy was I right; you should judge a book by its cover.
Got some cool American Jazz fused with some African beats. Just some dudes jamming out big time. What's not to love?
4
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Sat May 27 2023
The Yes Album
Yes
Judging this album by it's cover I thought it was going to be some gloomy, droning songs; was not looking forward to it. I certainly did not expecting the first song to come out swinging like that. Certified jam right out of the gate.
Listen to this one with headphones cause they really like to play with stereo.
Some songs on here that I have definitely heard before like "I've Seen All Good People"
This album rocked from start to finish. Encapsulates classic rock, but has a unique sound with a variety of instruments and a great voice.
5
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Sun May 28 2023
Endtroducing.....
DJ Shadow
This is a very original sounding album with tracks that sound like they are definitely from the 90's, but then there are tracks that sound like they came out this year.
I am giving praise for the variety in this one, but it doesn't flow very well and sometimes it feels like a song changed abruptly which I don't like.
Had some lows, a lot of middling songs, and a high or two. What Does Your Soul Look Like Pt. 1 was really good, but not so good to listen to the whole album ever again.
2.5 rounded down on this one.
2
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Mon May 29 2023
The Gershwin Songbook
Ella Fitzgerald
I listened to "The Very Best of the Gershwin Songbook" before I realized it was a 4 disc set that I don't plan on listening to.
Some good morning tunes from a legend of American music. I have a lot of respect for early Jazz artists for practically giving American music an identity.
Mostly listened to this as background music in the morning, and it made for a very enjoyable morning.
4
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Tue May 30 2023
Lost In The Dream
The War On Drugs
Great alternative album. Guitar shreds, keyboard slaps, and the voice is great. Has a lot of highs in the beginning and end, and is solid throughout.
4
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Wed May 31 2023
Veckatimest
Grizzly Bear
Southern Point could easily be the best song on the album right from the hop.
I have heard Two Weeks several hundred times in my life, always fun to discover song names/artists after knowing the song forever.
Another good alternative/folk/indie album. Unfortunately it became a bit ho-hum after the great start. Good album to follow yesterdays Follow the Dream.
3.5 stars with Southern Point, 3 stars without it.
3
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Thu Jun 01 2023
Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs
Derek & The Dominos
This is some David Burt music. Eric Clapton rocks.
4
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Fri Jun 02 2023
In It For The Money
Supergrass
Interesting album that feels like a fusion of pop-punk, alternative, and some classic rock.
There are a lot of unique sounds in this song that all work really well together. Sometimes I Make You Sad is a stand out in this regard.
There are definitely some middling songs throughout that I start to tune out a bit, but this album feels so unique and their experimental sounds are all incredible while not straying too far from a traditional rock band sound.
Easy 4 star album. Interesting enough to listen to again.
4
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Sat Jun 03 2023
Aladdin Sane
David Bowie
Another good Bowie album. Definitely a unique artist that I need to listen to more of.
4
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Sun Jun 04 2023
Drunk
Thundercat
Next album to top the "latest album" list at 2017, surpassing You Want it Darker. This is great because Thundercat is a god on the bass.
4
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Mon Jun 05 2023
I'm Your Man
Leonard Cohen
I like this Leonard Cohen fella. Good voice, good lyrics, some interesting sounds/instruments used in this one.
3
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Tue Jun 06 2023
The Köln Concert
Keith Jarrett
Nothing like listening to a man tickle the ivories for an hour. Good stuff.
4
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Wed Jun 07 2023
There's A Riot Goin' On
Sly & The Family Stone
Good background music while working. Some good funk and soul to start the day.
3
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Thu Jun 08 2023
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
Power chords for days. Super repetitive and just drones on. Singer doesn't even sound like he wants to be there, his voice is so sterile and emotionless.
Had to take a break during this album and couldn't wait to finish.
1
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Fri Jun 09 2023
The Nightfly
Donald Fagen
This is just such a cool album. Lots of unique, jaunty sounds in here. Listened to this one twice. It feels like a 3.5, but I think it has just enough uniqueness and chutzpah to push it into the 4 star realm.
4
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Sat Jun 10 2023
In The Court Of The Crimson King
King Crimson
Starting off with the sample to a Kanye song, very neat!
21st Century Schizoid is a certified jam.
Singer's voice is amazing.
Very interesting mix of heavy metal, classical, and jazz(?), reminds me of S&M. This album sounds like it could have been released today.
This album is amazing. I like the story-telling aspect to it, reminds me of Rime of the Ancient Mariner. The Moonchild interlude goes a bit long, but that's the only blemish I could point out. I love this list for albums like this where I have never heard of the band. There are a lot of masterpieces to discover.
5
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Sun Jun 11 2023
Is This It
The Strokes
The Strokes are solid, but the singer (Mr. Stroke) doesn't have much inflection to his voice which makes so many of the songs sound the same, despite some of the guitar and bass parts being really cool.
Decent album, but not too exciting. Not getting out of bed for this one.
3
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Mon Jun 12 2023
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
Soft Cell
Tainted Love is another of those songs that I have heard hundreds of times but never knew who sings it.
This feels like stereotypical 70's/80's electronic/synth. I wouldn't be surprised if these guys started it.
Lyrics are a bit uncomfortable, but the rest of the music is pretty damn good.
I guess it's hard to complain about the weirdly sexual lyrics when the name of the album is an Erotic Cabaret...
2
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Tue Jun 13 2023
Station To Station
David Bowie
Eh, kinda forgot I was listening to this album. Still appreciate the variety that David Bowie brings.
3
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Wed Jun 14 2023
American Idiot
Green Day
I feel like Green Day has to be my favorite pop punk band for a genre I generally don't love. Lots of classics on this one with some lyrics that are more politically charged than most pop punk.
3
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Thu Jun 15 2023
Highway 61 Revisited
Bob Dylan
Harmonica is cool. A lot of these songs sound the same. Good album, but no stand outs. Overall I appreciate Dylan's writing, but I wasn't paying too much attention to the lyrics while working.
3
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Fri Jun 16 2023
The Downward Spiral
Nine Inch Nails
There were a couple times during this album I could feel myself getting into the chaos that NIN was slinging, but for the most part it's not my cuppa tea.
Reminds me of Twisted Metal.
Is this Math Rock?
2
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Sat Jun 17 2023
Rio
Duran Duran
Absolute classic of a first song.
Has some fun pop/synth sounds that just screams 80's to me.
Nothing crazy about this album.
3
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Sun Jun 18 2023
Midnight Ride
Paul Revere & The Raiders
These honkies can play! Got some 60's beach rock vibes in this album.
This album was an interesting mix of upbeat rock, some love songs, and some other slow songs.
Some pretty cool songs in here. Feels like a 3.5.
3
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Mon Jun 19 2023
Peter Gabriel 3
Peter Gabriel
This is an interesting album that definitely had mental breakdown written all over it.
Games Without Frontiers and Lead a Normal Life were the two standouts to me.
Peter Gabriel has an all time singing voice.
3
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Tue Jun 20 2023
Figure 8
Elliott Smith
There are some good songs at the beginning and end. Can't Make a Sound and Son of Sam to name names.
Overall some pretty unique sounds and instruments on this album which I appreciate, but overall was a pretty average sounding album.
3
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Wed Jun 21 2023
I Against I
Bad Brains
Singer reminds me of Jake Cinninger. Pretty meh album. Not bad though.
2
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Thu Jun 22 2023
Elephant
The White Stripes
Couple shining moments in this one. It's better than most rock from the early 2000's from a technical standpoint, but a lot of songs felt pretty repetitive and similar. Overall this probably warrants a re-listen just based on Jack White's ability.
3
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Fri Jun 23 2023
White Blood Cells
The White Stripes
The The White White Stripes Stripes
I didn't know "We're Going to Be Friends" was a Stripes song.
Other than that this album had some interesting variety. I think it edges out Elephant just a bit, but still just an average album on first listen.
3
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Sat Jun 24 2023
Beggars Banquet
The Rolling Stones
Pretty damn good album! Factory Girl and the end of Salt of the Earth were some standouts.
4
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Sun Jun 25 2023
New Boots And Panties
Ian Dury
This was a weird album. I really liked the guitar, but really hated the guys voice. The middle of the album was really good, but the end turned into some garbage punk? I would give all my favorite parts of this album a 4, but the last two songs + his voice on every song takes it down to a 3.
3
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Mon Jun 26 2023
Like Water For Chocolate
Common
I love this style of hip-hop. Really good album. Looks like the first song is a tribute to Fela Kuti who had that baller jam album a few weeks ago.
I like the beginning and the end of the album a bit more than the middle.
I like the story and how it's kind of a concept album.
There's a good amount of homophobic lyrics, but I get that 2000 was a bit different in that regard.
4
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Tue Jun 27 2023
Green
R.E.M.
The singer of R.E.M. has such a distinct voice. I honestly didn't think he was American.
I've never listened to R.E.M. outside of their hits.
Guitar and the mandolin/ukelele are on point in "You Are The Everything" and "The Wrong Child". Reminds me of Eddie Vedder.
Orange Crush rules.
4
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Wed Jun 28 2023
Every Picture Tells A Story
Rod Stewart
Another good Rod Stewart album. This one had more of the hits than Gasoline Alley. Overall I liked this album more.
Didn't know Rod Stewart was British, because his music just sounds so American. Not sure if other people think the same or if that's just ignorance on my part.
4
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Thu Jun 29 2023
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears
I was not expecting peaceful, orchestral music from the get go. Definitely settles more into a jaunty big-room style of music that I love.
Some parts remind me of Final Fantasy.
This was a very unique album. I really love the genres that it covered. I want to give this one a 4.5, but will settle for a 4.
4
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Fri Jun 30 2023
Fuzzy Logic
Super Furry Animals
Didn't do the best job listening to this one. Was having the stop and start a bunch so I might need to listen again. Felt like punk and alternative put together, but not in your face about it.
I enjoyed a lot of the guitar solos.
Feels like a 3.5 that deserves another listen.
3
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Sat Jul 01 2023
Tommy
The Who
Underture was awesome. Pete Townshend and Keith Moon are awesome. Lots of classics that just keep bringing up Mr. P. Wizard.
Never realized how fucked up the story of this album was until reading about it.
Great listen.
4
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Sun Jul 02 2023
Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
This feels like an album Kevin would like a lot. I also like this album a lot. It's early pop music that isn't overly poppy.
It got a little repetitive toward the end, but overall was enjoyable. Probably won't listen to this one again, but happy I listened once :).
3
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Mon Jul 03 2023
Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against The Machine
These guys stole our group name >:(
Killing in the Name will always go hard till the day I die.
Some songs I never heard before. Take the Power Back was a favorite.
I think this album falls into the category of the songs being so lyrically driven, but I don't pay attention to the lyrics word for word, so a lot of the purpose of the album gets lost on me.
Tim Commerford has now entered my brain as a great bassist, based off this album.
Definitely an impactful album socially. Simple repetition of some phrases is effective.
4
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Tue Jul 04 2023
The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
Pretty cool rhythm and bass in the first song.
Liked the guitar in The Thorn Sided Boy.
I have heard of The Smiths, but never listened to them. With a name like that I expected some bland style of post-punk. I am pleasantly surprised by these lads; especially the bassist.
Not the strongest 4 on this list, but it warrants the 4 for the surprise factor as well as the variety of instruments working so well together.
4
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Wed Jul 05 2023
Duck Rock
Malcolm McLaren
Was not expecting a serene soundscape to start this album.
Oh it's hip hop.
Oh it's world music.
I really like most, if not all of the songs on the album. Unfortunately it doesn't really sound like an album to me. It feels more like a playlist. I guess that's what you'll get from travelling the world in one album.
Definitely was grooving to a number of these songs
4
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Thu Jul 06 2023
GREY Area
Little Simz
Oh baby another album coming in to usurp the title of latest album at 2019! Looks like Willow Smith on the album cover.
Damn this girl has flow. This is a really good rap album. I really liked Flowers.
4
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Fri Jul 07 2023
Aha Shake Heartbreak
Kings of Leon
Has an interesting folky/southern twang to what I expected to be a more generic rock album. Seems like they found some success with commercial alternative rock and ran with it, which is the Kings of Leon that I know.
Pretty solid album. Not quite what I was expecting, but it is good.
3
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Sat Jul 08 2023
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Great album with hit after hit. I always think about how I don't listen to Led Zeppelin enough (since I don't listen to their albums often), but every time I go to listen to an album I recognize nearly every song.
Great vocals, guitar, drums, and bass. I love the inclusion of organ and some other instruments in there as well.
Minus 1 star for having a lot of rip offs on this album. NOT Cool Led Zeppelin!
4
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Sun Jul 09 2023
Warehouse: Songs And Stories
Hüsker Dü
This album sounded like an AI generated album that was guaranteed to be commercially successful. The white bread of music.
3
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Mon Jul 10 2023
Raw Like Sushi
Neneh Cherry
This album definitely influenced a lot of 90's pop/hip hop. There's some cool beats in this album, but overall not really my cuppa tea. I appreciate getting different genres than rock though. I'd probably give this one a 2.5 if I could.
3
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Tue Jul 11 2023
D
White Denim
First couple of songs remind me of Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Back at the Farm is a jam.
I was already starting to hear shades of King Giz, then the flute came out in "River to Consider".
I could see this band slowly making it into my rotation.
4
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Wed Jul 12 2023
Jack Takes the Floor
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
I think I expected to like this album more than I did. I generally like older American music from a history standpoint. While I enjoyed listening to the album from that perspective, I was never too invested in the music itself.
3
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Thu Jul 13 2023
Tellin’ Stories
The Charlatans
I liked this album!
4
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Fri Jul 14 2023
Dirt
Alice In Chains
The hits are great. Most of the other songs are a little ho-hum. Not in love with grunge, but I like the heavy metal riffs.
I don't know if it's intentional, but the singers voice keeps fluctuating from good to terrible as he sometimes just drones and moans when he isn't singing.
Overall; the hits buoy this album for me. Wouldn't choose to listen to this one again, but I know I'll be listening to The Rooster for the rest of my life.
3
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Sat Jul 15 2023
Bayou Country
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Tons of hits of this one. Really like how short this one is. Guitar shreds. Little to complain about on this one.
4
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Sun Jul 16 2023
Urban Hymns
The Verve
Bittersweet Symphony could be in my personal top 100 songs. Sonnet is a pretty good song too. The middle of the album gets pretty boring. Lucky Man was pretty good amidst the boring. I actually liked the ending a good bit too. All in all it ends up squarely as a 3.
It's way too long as well.
3
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Mon Jul 17 2023
American Gothic
David Ackles
Another album that sounds like to belongs in a musical. That's not necessarily a knock, but it just stands out to me.
Fairly pleasant album to listen to, no real highs though.
3
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Tue Jul 18 2023
Arrival
ABBA
A fun pop album that is helped by the fact it has songs on one of the most well known movie soundtracks. I expected to enjoy the songs from Mamma Mia and have everything else be average. I was pleasantly surprised by how good the overall album is. Fun lyrics, good singing, and not overly repetitive like a lot of pop is. Happy Hawaii is a great song to end it all on
4
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Wed Jul 19 2023
Ys
Joanna Newsom
Her voice and the flow/cadence is really throwing me off. It feels like she is singing in a different time signature.
I am interested in the fact that this is not a traditional song structure with choruses and verses, but is instead more freeform; like a poem or a story
I think this album took some getting used to, but I really think it got better as it went along. That being said; it took me about 40 minutes to get to this point.
The instrumental composition is great in this album. The lyrics and song structure are interesting. I don't love her voice and cadence, however.
All in all, I was prepared to give this a 1 after the first song. Glad it got better, because it is fairly long. Another reason this album list is fun to go through, you get some genres you would never think of listening to.
3
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Thu Jul 20 2023
The Doors
The Doors
Lotsa classics on this one. Didn't realize it was all from the 60s.
Some cool psychedelic sounds going on in here.
I felt like the later part of the album turned more into a story. The End was a cool song to end it. I'd probably listen to this one again.
4
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Fri Jul 21 2023
Five Leaves Left
Nick Drake
Never heard of Nick Drake before. Great intro song; love me some folky jams in the morning.
Overall a nice easy listening album that I really enjoyed. I would definitely listen to this one again, but mostly as background music. Good job, Nick Drake!
4
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Sat Jul 22 2023
Remain In Light
Talking Heads
I like Talking Heads in small doses. Listening to the whole album at once just feels disjointed and random. I generally appreciate how unique Talking Heads is, but it's a bit much for me and less enjoyable in long form.
Crosseyed and Painless and Once in a Lifetime are standouts to me.
There's some highs and some lows on this album. The Overload is kind of a dull song to end on.
I think I biasedly want to give this a 3, but I'll pretend I've never heard of Talking Heads and give it a 2.
2
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Sun Jul 23 2023
3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of...
Arrested Development
Good hip hop album. Really good beats for background/working music. Unfortunately (once again) I was not listening too closely to the lyrics.
Overall I enjoyed listening to this album like most of the early 90s hip hop that is on this list. Might give this one a more earnest listen sometime in the future because I think it deserves it. Until then; 3 Stars, 5 Possible, and 2 Left to Earn...
3
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Mon Jul 24 2023
Music Has The Right To Children
Boards of Canada
Another great working album primarily made up of great beats. The first couple songs remind me of The xx. The Color Of The Fire was a cool song that reminded me of some of the interludes in Griz's Rainbow Brain.
Telephasic Workshop is a standout for sure.
Kinda funny that I mentioned Rainbow Brain because that album also has a song called "Roygbiv".
Kind of a long album that gets a little stale through the middle.
Finishes strong with One Very Important Thought and Happy Cycling.
Overall a pretty interesting early electronic album. Really enjoyable as background music.
4
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Tue Jul 25 2023
Reggatta De Blanc
The Police
I didn't really like The Police before listening to this album. Not much has changed since listening to it.
The title track was pretty good, as well as the chorus in Walking On The Moon.
Besides that I find this album (and The Police) to be a pretty boring, uninspired, and nasally listen.
I probably had some bias going into this one, but I was never really excited listening to this album.
2
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Wed Jul 26 2023
G. Love And Special Sauce
G. Love & Special Sauce
Started out fairly solid, and never really deviated from solid. Some cool hip-hop sounds to begin and moved a bit more towards blues.
Good listen, nothing spectacular to me though.
3
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Thu Jul 27 2023
3 Feet High and Rising
De La Soul
There's some cool beats in here to start; but it overall feels pretty boring and not very well produced. The game show interludes didn't really make sense to me either. The main rapper has a cool voice, but there isn't much else that he brings to the table. It got a bit better at the end, but nothing to write home about.
It's a shame because I generally like this era of hip hop, but this wasn't quite it.
Eye Know was a standout for this one.
2
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Fri Jul 28 2023
Isn't Anything
My Bloody Valentine
Off beat and moaning, like a crackhead faking an orgasm.
The best thing I can call this album is generic.
1
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Sat Jul 29 2023
Ace of Spades
Motörhead
THE ACE OF SPADES!!! What a song.
I've never really listened to Motorhead so I'm excited.
Mr. Motorhead must have chronically sore vocal cords, because his voice is fairly guttural in a good way.
A lot of these songs sound the same, but they all shred, so I'm not complaining.
A Motorhead concert seems like it would be a real clambake!
4
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Sun Jul 30 2023
Dear Science
TV On The Radio
I love the beat switch in Halfway Home. There are a lot of unique sounds in this one; each song is fairly distinct.
Golden Age was cool listen.
Overall this album was very unique, I loved how everything was different without being discombobulated. I really did enjoy the album, but I don't think I'll ever go back to it.
4
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Mon Jul 31 2023
Paul's Boutique
Beastie Boys
These are more of the 90's hip hop sounds that I like. Drums and scratches are nostalgia inducing.
Lol @ 5-Piece Chicken Dinner
I like that I didn't recognize any songs on this album, but still really enjoyed it.
4
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Tue Aug 01 2023
The Stranger
Billy Joel
The classics on this album are certified bangers: Good Die Young, Italian Restaurant, and Movin' Out are all going to outlive me.
All of the other songs I haven't heard before are also great pieces. Great voice, lyrics, piano, and brass in this album.
5
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Wed Aug 02 2023
The Clash
The Clash
Went into this expecting it to be bland British punk. Left thinking this was actually pretty solid and a little less bland than most other punk we have listened to so far. The guitar solos were pretty dang good throughout.
Cheat was the best song, loved the effect at the end.
Overall I think the last half of the album was a bit better than the first half, but not enough to push it to a 4 star.
3
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Thu Aug 03 2023
Fromohio
fIREHOSE
dAMN tHIS iS a gOOD aLBUM. Guitar, bass, and vocals are all great together. Short and sweet. Doesn't have the gravitas that a 5 star album would normally have, but everything else is there. I would give this a 4.5, but I'm rounding down because it's just hard to call this a 5 star. Really enjoyable listen though!
4
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Fri Aug 04 2023
xx
The xx
Awww yeah, excited to listen to this one after loving The Boards of Canada. Intro is an all time song. Overall this is more indie/folky than BoC, but it just feels similar.
If Elon Musk could create a band he would name it The xx.
This is such a chill album. I would hypothetically take mushrooms and listen to this on the beach in North Carolina next week.
I haven't listened to this album in full before, but I certainly recognized many songs from it. This album is great, no real low points and plenty of high points. It's also a unique album in that I wouldn't really put it on for a group of people, but it's a great solo listen.
Stars to end the whole album is perfect. It has incredible production with those booming bass notes.
This is a sneaky 5.
5
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Sat Aug 05 2023
MTV Unplugged In New York
Nirvana
Love me a live album. I've actually never listened to this one despite being recommended it numerous times. Lotsa classics, loved hearing it acoustic. Nirvana is good, but they aren't necessarily my favorite. 4 stars for the gang though.
4
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Sun Aug 06 2023
Vanishing Point
Primal Scream
This is like electronic noise rock. Noisetronica if you will.
Star was a pretty good song. Stuka was not.
The singer reminds me of The Verve. Some of the experimental aspects remind me of Radiohead.
Idk about this one. Found myself headbopping a couple times, but spent more time waiting for the album to finish up.
2
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Mon Aug 07 2023
The Specials
The Specials
This is a nice sounding album right out of the gate. A little reggae/punk? A good combo in my eyes.
Feels like some beach rock. It's easy to listen to, but gets a little bit monochromatic throughout the album. Overall was an enjoyable listen, but didn't have much variety to send it to 4 stars.
I could see this whole album playing on repeat at a place like Mackey's on a Tuesday afternoon.
3
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Tue Aug 08 2023
Live At The Harlem Square Club
Sam Cooke
Short, sweet, and to the point. This performance is a real clambake. It sounds like this show was done in a very small, intimate club which would have been a blast to be at.
Love these old soul/jazzy songs and the energy and swagger that Sam Cooke possesses here. Could definitely start my day with this album every morning.
4
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Wed Aug 09 2023
Club Classics Vol. One
Soul II Soul
Not really feeling this one too much. African Dance is the first song that really got me going. There are some pretty cool beats and rhythms in here, especially Happiness. The beat in Back to Life was definitely a headbopper.
Not necessarily bad, but not quite my taste and a bit boring. There are a couple good patches, but I would not want to be in a club that was playing these classics for very long.
2
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Thu Aug 10 2023
Raw Power
The Stooges
I hate the mixing on the first tack. Why do the guitars sound so flat and muted? Not looking forward to the rest of the album after this first song.
There were a couple cool guitar parts I guess. Overall this is a no from me dog. Punk is not good music.
1
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Fri Aug 11 2023
Step In The Arena
Gang Starr
I was mowing the lawn while listening to this one so I don't have a song by song recap. I love these 90's hip hop albums, definitely head bopping and grooving at the beginning on this album. Mr. Starr has pretty good flow. Some of his lyrics are better than others. He doesn't have very much change in his tone though which causes the album to turn a bit bland.
Overall it started out well, but I kinda checked out later in the album. Could have been shorter. I could maybe give this one 3.5 stars, but I'm rounding down.
3
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Sat Aug 12 2023
One Nation Under A Groove
Funkadelic
Pretty solid funky album. My favorite was P.E.Squad, Doo Doo Chasers ('Going All-The-Way Off' Instrumental) which was one of the bonus EPs. All of the songs were good though.
I enjoyed this one! A soft 4.
4
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Sun Aug 13 2023
Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
The intro to Straight Lines sounds like a Rush song. A solid folky album. Didn't love it, didn't hate it.
3
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Mon Aug 14 2023
Cloud Nine
The Temptations
This was a nice album to listen to. Don't have much else to say about it. Probably in the 3.5 range, but not a 4.
3
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Tue Aug 15 2023
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Great voice, good songs, enjoyable listen. A solid 4.
4
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Wed Aug 16 2023
Autobahn
Kraftwerk
This was a album starts out great with a whimsical song. Kometenmelodie 1 felt a bit listless, but not necessarily bad.
Kometenmelodie 2 sounded like a song out of Terraria, which is one of my all time favorite video games.
Mitternacht was not as much of a song as I would have liked, but at least it was short.
Finishing the album with pianos and flutes was a fun juxtaposition to the rest of the album.
Overall this album was really enjoyable. I was expecting the album to be super techno like their song Kernkraft. I was pleasantly surprised!
4
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Thu Aug 17 2023
Hot Rats
Frank Zappa
This album was cruising to a 5 star rating with stand outs of Peaches En Regalia and Son of Mr. Green Genes. I really liked the variation in each song, and how each song was an absolute jam. The back half of Gumbo and the entirety of Camel were just a little too loose for my liking. Don't get me wrong; I still liked those songs, but they just weren't good enough to give it a 5 star. 4.49 stars for this album.
4
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Fri Aug 18 2023
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Some classics on here. Overall a good album. It's cool to listen to the earliest of rock and roll. Blue Suede Shoes and Tutti Fruitti (Little Richard version is better) were good ones off the album.
Feels like a 3.5 because it is Elvis and is the foundation for rock and roll, but I'll give it a 3 after I take that bias away.
3
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Sat Aug 19 2023
Surfer Rosa
Pixies
This album was alright. Some punk sounds to it, but not entirely punk. Some parts shred, some parts didn't. Didn't listen to this one too closely. Tony's Theme would be a great song to listen to if you have a friend named Tony who warranted a theme song. TOE - NAY!
2
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Sun Aug 20 2023
Parallel Lines
Blondie
Didn't know what to expect out of this one. Had more rock n' roll than I expected. Fun songs that are good. A little beach rocky and poppy. A little too monochromatic to be a 4, but it's in the 3.5 range.
3
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Mon Aug 21 2023
Songs For Swingin' Lovers!
Frank Sinatra
A legendary musician playing some legendary music. I always enjoy big band and this is no exception. I feel like Frank Sinatra was the smoothest mfer during his time. He probably made so much whoopee.
The album starts to feel a little bit samey towards the end, but I don't care because it's so great.
5
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Tue Aug 22 2023
Led Zeppelin IV
Led Zeppelin
This album starts with a bit of a southern/country twang, and then it falls into a more fantasy-esque sound with the mandolin from Battle of Evermore until Going to California. Afterwards it switches back into that rock n' roll style.
I like this album more than Led Zeppelin I. I already dinged that one a star for having stolen songs, but I won't do it here.
5
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Wed Aug 23 2023
Nighthawks At The Diner
Tom Waits
Love this jazz. An interesting live album where he's having some conversation with the audience. Some story telling, some straight comedy. An enjoyable listen, and would be cool to be there in person.
We're on a bit of a hot streak lately, not too many misses.
4
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Thu Aug 24 2023
Lost Souls
Doves
There's some interesting sounds and effects used at the beginning of this album. It was a pretty unique and relaxing album until Catch The Sun which felt extremely out of place. It feels like an emo Foo Fighters song that was created to be a radio hit.
Reprise was a lovely little number.
This album had an interesting back and forth of being really relaxing and calm, to have unsettling ends of songs.
This album feels like it has some legs to get to a 4, but I don't see myself revisiting this one anytime soon.
3
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Fri Aug 25 2023
Shaka Zulu
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
There is no doubting that these songs are beautiful, but 46 minutes of acapella is not really engaging to me. Took me 3 days to listen to this in parts.
A lot of these songs would be cool as interludes in a non-acapella album.
Fun note; it was produced by Paul Simon!
Overall takeaway: good album objectively, but subjectively I was ready for it to be over after 2 songs because acapella was just not my jam.
2
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Sat Aug 26 2023
Funeral
Arcade Fire
Never really listened to Arcade Fire besides Wake Up. Glad it's on this album because it's a top 100 song for me.
This album so far is a unique intersection of rock and folk with a touch of emo. I love the beat switches in their songs.
Rebellion is also a familiar song.
Good album, will probably listen again.
4
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Sun Aug 27 2023
Calenture
The Triffids
Never heard of this band, no clue what to expect.
It feels like that genre of 80's rock that was a bit softer like Bonnie Taylor or Genesis. Has a bit of southern twang to it at points
Pretty solid album. Nothing I'll go back for though.
3
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Mon Aug 28 2023
Talking With the Taxman About Poetry
Billy Bragg
I enjoyed the musical aspects of this album. I didn't listen much to the lyrics (again) but I feel like this is an album where the lyrics are most important. Feels very patriotic/anti-establishment.
I actually listened to this one twice because I forgot to rate it after the first listen. Probably won't listen to this one a third time, but I have really enjoyed it. It's classified as punk, but doesn't suck!!
3
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Tue Aug 29 2023
Hounds Of Love
Kate Bush
Trying not to let the last Kate Bush album cause too much bias here.
I know "Running Up That Hill" topped Billboard recently because of Stranger Things, but it wasn't that special of a song...
Waking the Witch certainly got my attention.
Jig of Life was solid too.
This album is better than The Dreaming. Still wasn't anything great. Points for originality as well. Maybe 2.5 for this one...
2
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Wed Aug 30 2023
Younger Than Yesterday
The Byrds
Nice beachy, old school rock n roll album. Easy and pleasant to listen to! CTA - 102 was interesting, and I thought it was going to mark a drastic change in the style of the album, but then it just went back to its regular sound.
Nothing too crazy about this one, but it was good.
3
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Thu Aug 31 2023
Power In Numbers
Jurassic 5
One of those albums that likely wasn't appreciated properly because I listened while working and couldn't pay full attention to the lyrics.
The start of the album was a bit average, but I started getting into the groove around the middle.
Last song is pretty good.
3
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Fri Sep 01 2023
Violator
Depeche Mode
Some cool trippy sounds going on in this one. Singer sounds like Bo Burnham.
Didn't love the front half, but started getting into the groove later in the album.
I think this album had some 3.5 star material in it, but it was outweighed by repetitive, emo sounds. Would probably be a 2.5 star for me.
3
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Sat Sep 02 2023
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Wasn't listening to the lyrics all that much, but man can this guy shred the harmonica. Decent background music, probably better with some active listening.
3
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Sun Sep 03 2023
Astral Weeks
Van Morrison
Pretty good album. Don't have too much to say about it though. I like the voice, and the whole album has good flow.
3
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Mon Sep 04 2023
D.O.A. the Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle
Throbbing Gristle
???
1
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Tue Sep 05 2023
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Funky! The bass and drums go hard in this album from start to finish.
Definitely has some RHCP classics, as well as plenty of great deeper cuts. I know a lot of people say this is the Chili Peppers best album, but I don't quite agree. Probably has to do with when I grew up.
Great album nonetheless.
4
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Wed Sep 06 2023
Boston
Boston
This is one of those automatic 5 albums for me. One of my favorite albums of all time. Every song is a banger.
Best selling album of all time when it first came out. I think my mom has said something along the lines of "Of course I have that album, everybody had that album!"
This is also an incredible album to be a band's first.
Love this album, glad I got to listen again.
5
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Thu Sep 07 2023
Tres Hombres
ZZ Top
ZZ Top shreds. Love the southern twang of their catalogue. Wasn't paying the greatest attention (like most albums), but this was a solid, raw, guitar heavy album. Probably a 3.5 for me, but I'm in a good mood and ZZ Top have great beards.
4
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Fri Sep 08 2023
Chelsea Girl
Nico
Nico sounds a bit like Moira from Schitt's Creek. Jackson Browne was the guitarist on this, that's cool.
I think I recognize "Chelsea Girls" and "I'll Keep It With Mine".
Overall this album is good musically, I enjoyed the strings and flute. However, it wasn't a very engaging listen to me.
I think it's objectively a better album than I am giving it credit for, but it's not really my cuppa tea. Soft 3 here.
3
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Sat Sep 09 2023
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme
Simon & Garfunkel
Short and sweet. Delightful folk rock by none other than Paul Simon. Cant be sad listening to this album until the 7 O Clock News.
4
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Sun Sep 10 2023
The Suburbs
Arcade Fire
I didn't expect two Arcade Fire albums on this list.
A pleasant, triumphant sounding album. I enjoy the seamless transition from one song to the next.
I like the electronic/strings mix in Half Light II, feels very much like an Arcade Fire song.
There is a lot of variety in this album. When Sprawl II came on, I thought the album had ended and went to a random artist.
I was tuning in and out on this album, but I think it certainly deserves another listen. It had a distinct sound to it, and I didn't recognize any songs on it.
4
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Mon Sep 11 2023
The Man Machine
Kraftwerk
WE ARE DA RrrOBOTS!
Great beginning and middle of an album, but it kind of trailed off toward the end. I was bumping to this one with some energy all the way through!
4
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Tue Sep 12 2023
Electric Ladyland
Jimi Hendrix
I don't really listen to Jimi's albums, and that is going to have to change.
I don't want to overstate this, but this guy can play the guitar.
A cool funky, psychedelic, and bluesy mix of rock. I'm here for it.
Voodoo Chile is a certified jam.
I didn't know Watchtower was a cover.
There is some really raw sounds, especially in the guitar, but it sounds well produced.
This album is 75 minutes long, and I'm not mad about that at all.
4
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Wed Sep 13 2023
Two Dancers
Wild Beasts
I really thought the intro to the first song was awesome and this album was going to go place, then the singer started singing. Not a fan of the voice.
The singers voice gets more tolerable over the course of the album, but the songs all feel very similar.
Feels like some pretty standard indie music. I like the pluckiness of the guitar.
Overall there were a couple bright spots in this album, and very few lows, but most of it was average or so. This album is pretty solidly in the 3 category.
3
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Thu Sep 14 2023
One World
John Martyn
This album is an interesting one. A lot of variation between songs that all fit nicely together. I was a bit off put by John Martyn's voice, and overall think it detracts from the instrumentation in each song.
The album really picked up with Big Muff, Couldn't Love You More, Dancing, and Small Hours.
I enjoyed this album to the tune of 3.5 stars, but I think the uniqueness and flow of this entire album brings it squarely into the 4 category.
4
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Fri Sep 15 2023
All Hope Is Gone
Slipknot
There's definitely aspects on Slipknot that I enjoy. The drums, bass, and guitar are enjoyable. The singing is not. I have never been a fan of the edgy nu-metal bands singers, but if you eliminated vocals, this would be an awesome album to listen to.
Gehenna was a change of pace, but I didn't like that song, so it doesn't get brownie points.
Snuff was another change of pace, although a bit too emo for my tastes. It sounds like a buzz ballad.
All Hope is Gone is probably my favorite off the album. Good message, great drums, and I appreciate the beat switches throughout.
Overall I love the energy that this album showcases. I also understand the message that this album is trying to get across, but it's not expressed in the way that I find appealing; which is why I feel like Slipknot and bands like them are popular across "misunderstood" people. This album is in potential 4 star territory for me, but I really have to knock it down for how off putting the singing is and how long the album goes. Definitely some bright spots that I really like in this album, though.
3
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Sat Sep 16 2023
Aftermath
The Rolling Stones
Paint it Black is an all-timer, although it doesn't seem to fit very well into the rest of the album.
Feels a little bit like surf rock at time, but then there are other times that have a bit of ragtime piano to them. Not really what I was expecting, as I don't listen to the Stones very often.
This album was fine, not really that interesting to me though.
3
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Sun Sep 17 2023
Paranoid
Black Sabbath
This album really starts out with the bangers that are associated with Black Sabbath.
Great early heavy metal, no real low points in this one. Lots of highs. I'm sure lots of people will give this one a 5, but it's a 4 for me!
4
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Mon Sep 18 2023
Face to Face
The Kinks
Nothing really stands out about this album. Maybe because I'm listening to it right after Aftermath and it just exudes 60's rock.
Another one of these albums right around a 3.
3
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Tue Sep 19 2023
Be
Common
The beats on this album are definitely my favorite part. There are some high points with the lyrics, but once again, I'm not listening that closely while working so a lot of the message gets lost on me.
Overall this is a fine album. It had me head bopping a few times. If this was Album of the Week I would definitely spend more time active listening to these albums.
3
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Wed Sep 20 2023
Time Out Of Mind
Bob Dylan
Standing in the Doorway sounds like Dire Straits :)
I like this album more than the other Bob Dylan albums we have gotten so far, but I am firmly in the camp that Bob Dylan is not really my type of music.
This one is a 3.5 but, like most Bob Dylan we have heard, I am rounding down because it feels like a lot of the same throughout the album. Not too exciting.
3
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Thu Sep 21 2023
Traffic
Traffic
This album just sounds great! Almost sounds like Grateful Dead in a way. Love the keyboard and the vocals. Never hit a low point in this album. Nice variety throughout the album. I would definitely listen to this one again.
4
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Fri Sep 22 2023
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
Fuck Kanye
4
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Sat Sep 23 2023
This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Some really good basslines in this album. Better than I expected from Elvis Costello since I wasn't crazy about the other albums that we have review by him.
Definitely a poppy sound to this album. This one approaches 4 territory, but it would be a stretch to put it there.
3
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Sun Sep 24 2023
Paul Simon
Paul Simon
A nice, calm, folky album for a gloomy day. Pretty good combination.
Not a lot of songs that I recognize on this album except for Julio which is one of his bangers.
I like a lot of Paul Simon's music, especially his voice and lyrics. Might not be the best music of all time, but it always puts me in a good mood when I listen to Paul Simon. This is a 4 with some bias helping out.
4
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Mon Sep 25 2023
Viva Hate
Morrissey
This feels like a story in an album but, as always, I am working while listening so it's hard to follow.
Didn't love Morrissey's voice in the first couple songs as it was moaning and whiny. It either got better or I got used to it and it was fine.
This feels like a very technically advanced album with a tone that I don't really resonate with. Maragaret on the Guillotine was good as was Suedehead, with the latter being a bit of a poppy change to the whole album.
Didn't know what to expect from this album except I think I have heard that Morrissey is an exceptional guitar player. I would say that the guitar in this album is above average, but I may not understand what a good guitarist sounds like.
Some highs could convince me to give this a 3.5, but its a bit more square in the 3 department for me.
3
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Tue Sep 26 2023
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Beatles
This is such a pleasant album! I didn't listen to the Beatles growing up so I feel like I don't have as much familiarity/nostalgia associated with it. It is still a terrific album with tons of variety and crystal clear production. I like the variety of instruments and singers that are used throughout.
The album feels simple and complex all at once. It is easy to throw on as background music, but there is also a lot of nuanced instruments and vocals that are layered throughout.
Good stuff, Beatles!
4
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Wed Sep 27 2023
This Nation’s Saving Grace
The Fall
This sounds like it'll be grungy right from the start. Hopefully it doesn't stay that way.
I like Barmy. Paintwork was fine relative to the rest of the album. I'm really looking for some highs here. Rollin' Dany was good too.
This album doesn't feel like it has a message or anything.
Tirelessly repetitive and boring. Punk is bad.
1.5 stars? Rounded up because it isn't blatant garbage like some other albums we have encountered.
2
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Thu Sep 28 2023
Here, My Dear
Marvin Gaye
Pretty good funk music. I listened to this one a couple of times because I kept forgetting to write a review. It definitely got better the more I listened to it, and it gets better throughout. There are some serious jams in here. It also works really well as a background album. A soft 4 for me.
4
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Fri Sep 29 2023
Natty Dread
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Some solid reggae that is more suited for casual listening. I honestly expected more out of this album. Didn't hate it by any stretch of the imagination, but I would hope this is the worst Bob Marley album that we listen to, because Exodus was great.
3
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Sat Sep 30 2023
Come Away With Me
Norah Jones
Pretty chill album that doesn't really have highs or lows. Her voice is fine, but nothing special. I think the other instruments do a lot to make this album as good as it is. Once again I listened to this mostly as background music, but Nightingale caught my ear; there's some good depth to this song.
3
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Sun Oct 01 2023
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Arctic Monkeys
Didn't love the start of this album. It felt like generic rock that wanted to be punk. I've said it before, but it's hard to hear an artists accents, so it's hard to tell where in the world they are from. Not the case here, these Monkeys really emphasized the fact that they are English.
Overall, the album got better as it progressed, but it still feels just like a rock album. Mardy Bum was a stand out and the basslines were pretty solid throughout.
This one is pretty squarely a 3 for me.
3
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Mon Oct 02 2023
Illmatic
Nas
Listened to this one a couple times as well. The beats and flow on this album are unmatched. Definitely had me head bopping all the way through. I didn't know "The World is Yours" was Nas, but that song rocks.
Rap still isn't really my cup of tea, but I appreciate this one more than most other 90's rap.
4
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Tue Oct 03 2023
Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes
My sister introduced me to Fleet Foxes with the album so I'm excited to listen to it again. It certainly has a wanderlust vibe to it. If "Into the Wild" needed a new soundtrack, this album would be a perfect fit. Wish I had enough time to see them at Roo. I also think the rise of Fleet Foxes and the comeuppance of Hipsters is not a coincidence
I really like this album, and it gets bonus points when listening to it in fall weather. The singer has a great voice and I enjoy the songs that have beat switches in their midst. The songs do sound a bit samey which is generally a knock on albums, with no exception made here.
Overall this album starts out really strong in the 4 star category, but slowly declines into the 3 star territory when songs start to blend together. There's still enough great songs on here to keep it as a soft 4.
4
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Wed Oct 04 2023
Electric Warrior
T. Rex
Not sure what to expect on this album. I like the strings on Cosmic Dancer.
Feels like they got a ton of inspiration from The Beatles.
Bang a Gong is a song that I had never looked up the artist for. Disappointed by the lack of gong in this number.
Another ho-hum album.
3
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Thu Oct 05 2023
California
American Music Club
Some folky/country music to start us off which I can totally get behind.
Is the last 2 minutes of Laughingstock just silence?
Lonely wasn't great songwriting.
I feel like I am constantly changing the volume on the songs so I can hear. I am listening on YouTube though so maybe that has something to do with it.
Blue and grey shirt was pleasant, but very much a white bread song.
Bad Liquor is sporadic and loud all of the sudden? Doesn't really fit in.
Overall not terrible music, but it really just seemed so lackluster and felt like they just wanted to appeal to 80% of white Americans. I don't think I would enjoy having a beer with these guys.
I want to give this a 1 star so badly, but it is objectively better than the 1-stars I have given out.
Soft 1.5
2
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Fri Oct 06 2023
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Guitar shreds, Bassist shreds, Ozzy shreds the vocs. The Wizard is great. Whole album good, not many words needed.
4
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Sat Oct 07 2023
Moondance
Van Morrison
Van Morrison's voice is distinguished and talented. A nice upbeat folky/bluesy album that is probably best listened to while not at work.
Moondance is a great jazzy number. The songs start to sound similar throughout, until the intro to Everyone to catch your attention.
Solid 4!
4
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Sun Oct 08 2023
Countdown To Ecstasy
Steely Dan
This has a nice calm vibe to it that I am really enjoying. A lot of piano and almost beachy guitar riffs that remind me a bit of Santana.
I enjoyed this one enough to be about 3.5 stars, maybe close to 4, but I doubt I'll ever come back to this album. Good listen though!
3
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Mon Oct 09 2023
Moss Side Story
Barry Adamson
Interesting album that could be interpreted as a movie with just a soundtrack. There are definitely some highs to this, but overall I don't really understand the style of album it is trying to be. Most of the songs blend together so it's hard to remember which songs were the standouts, but there are a couple of them sprinkled throughout.
The Man with the Golden Arm was a solid end.
It's not all that bad, but I wouldn't do drugs and listen to this album.
2
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Tue Oct 10 2023
good kid, m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar
The production on this album is insane. I really enjoy the overall story being portrayed as well about a kid growing up in the streets and how he is influenced by different members of the same community.
There's obviously some hits that I recognize to varying degrees, but Compton may have been my favorite song and a great one to go out on.
I'm glad I focused while listening to this one, because I got a lot out of all of the lyrics and features.
Overall I enjoyed this about as much as I expected. I want to reiterate how much I enjoyed the production/mixing in my headphones. This is an album that likely gets better with more listens as you get to unpack the lyrics more and more. After one listen, this one is a strong 4.
4
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Wed Oct 11 2023
The Real Thing
Faith No More
Epic was another song where I have heard the song a thousand times (maybe from GTA San Andreas?) but have never heard of Faith No More.
This is a good album to listen to while cutting grass. They really accentuate some basslines which is cool.
Pretty decent metal album, but nothing too special in my eyes. War Pigs cover was cool, but they didn't really do much to it. Probably good enough for a 3.5, but rounding down because not much stuck out to me besides the songs I recognized. Good for what it is, but I'm not clamoring for more.
3
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Thu Oct 12 2023
Oar
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
I'm 30 minutes in and I'm ready for this to be over. So boring. Is this shoegaze?
This album and American Music Club back to back was a terrible waste of time.
You can go ahead and 'Skip' this album if you want to keep an hour of your time.
1
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Fri Oct 13 2023
The Age Of The Understatement
The Last Shadow Puppets
I love the orchestral nature of this album, almost like Sinatra Jr. The organ makes it very Halloween appropriate. A couple of the songs sound a bit like Vampire Weekend as well.
Very unique album. The way it is produced had me thinking it was from 1985. I didn't realize it was released in 2008 until I was almost finished.
I would listen to this one again for sure.
4
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Sat Oct 14 2023
Court And Spark
Joni Mitchell
I really liked the first song. After the first song I was expecting a sneaky 4, maybe 5 star album to come out from this.
Unfortunately I kinda zoned out for this one while working. It all starts sounding similar. That being said, I liked her voice and it was never bad.
Probably deserves another listen, but I'll call it as I see it after one listen for this one.
3
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Sun Oct 15 2023
The Last Broadcast
Doves
Starts out as pretty generic sounding alternative; a bit reminiscent of U2.
The middle, starting with M62 Song, takes a turn down a street that I'd prefer not to be on as it becomes more like a soundscape album.
I started this expecting it to be average at best after a song or two, and it kind of underperformed in my eyes.
Nothing special, not terrible.
2
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Mon Oct 16 2023
Kollaps
Einstürzende Neubauten
I was just thinking the other day how we have only had English and Spanish albums.
Oh crap, this is the lowest rated album globally on this list. Buckle up!
Obligatory "would not do drugs" comment.
Jet'm has an actual instrument!
I could see this being the soundtrack to a movie that is just the "Lust" part of Se7en for an hour.
Spionagedub and Rivieradub aren't terrible. If more of the album was like that then I could take it more seriously.
There's already too much music to listen to, I don't think I need to listen people push the boundaries of what can be considered "music".
1
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Tue Oct 17 2023
The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden
Excited to listen to this one again. Going into this a bit biased because I'm expecting to give it 4 or 5, and just have to decide between the two.
Yup, this is a good album.
Every song is shreds, and Bruce Dickinson's voice in legendary.
I love albums that are only 6-8 songs, they tend to blend together less in my opinion.
5
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Wed Oct 18 2023
To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
During the start of this album I was thinking it was better than Good Kid maad City, but the middle of the album started to fall off a bit for me. Luckily the end of the album brought me back, especially with Blacker the Berry and i.
I listened to this one a few days before actually writing the review so I don't have much detail here.
4
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Thu Oct 19 2023
Tubular Bells
Mike Oldfield
What a cool album. There were shades of Final Fantasy in this album. It was a cool touch to introduce all of the instruments as they were added. This feels like a world music album with the variety of instruments, including bagpipes and Spanish guitar.
I'm only reviewing based on Tubular Bells pt 1 and 2.
Such a pleasant album I'll likely listen to again. I thought the album was going to be very simple and repetitive due to the first few minutes. The only real downside of this album was the weird moaning in Pt. 2. Everything else was a high throughout the entirety. I enjoyed the fact that it was just 2 long songs that gave Mr. Oldfield room to draw out and experiment during songs, almost like a jam band.
Would pair nicely with a day at the Renaissance Festival.
This album is a sneaky 5 in my opinion. I was in between 4 and 5, but the uniqueness of the album and the fact that it elicited joy while I was deep cleaning the bathroom pushes it into 5 territory.
5
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Fri Oct 20 2023
Band On The Run
Paul McCartney and Wings
First two songs are classics. Rest of the album is good. I haven't listened to this one before, but there's not too much to say. Really good classic rock.
4
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Sat Oct 21 2023
The Genius Of Ray Charles
Ray Charles
The title of this album sounds like a biography or a documentary; it's funny that he named it himself. Big brain stuff, Ray.
This is nice pleasant album to listen to with practically zero flaws. That being said, it was a steady level of high throughout this album, but no real peaks that especially resonated with me.
This album sniffs 4.5 stars for me, but didn't quite do enough for me personally. Good listen for sure though.
4
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Sun Oct 22 2023
Gris Gris
Dr. John
The combo of the album art, the name Dr. John, and the first song being named Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya means we are in for a weird 33 minutes and 20 seconds.
Feels like a group of guys and gals smoking some hasheesh and playing around with their various instruments for a bit and recording it.
Not terrible, but I can't say it was good. I feel like we could probably make an album equal in quality to this ourselves.
2
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Mon Oct 23 2023
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Listened to this twice. It's pretty good as far as metal goes, but I was hoping for a bit more from Iron Maiden. Maybe because it's their first album? Either way it was still an enjoyable listen. 3.5 rounding up because it shreds
4
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Tue Oct 24 2023
Exile On Main Street
The Rolling Stones
Love the sax, love the keyboard, love the harmonica, love the voice. This album is a jam; I really enjoyed Stop Breaking Down.
The southern rock tune combined with Jagger's voice reminds me of Van Morrison.
Not much of a Stones guy, but I think this album changed my mind, the boys be jammin.
4
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Wed Oct 25 2023
Mothership Connection
Parliament
I appreciate funk as much as the next guy, but nothing about this album really stood out to me. It was a solid album that had me bumping at points, but overall it was pretty homogenous.
Good not great.
3
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Thu Oct 26 2023
Live / Dead
Grateful Dead
I expected to like this a lot more. The feedback song to end the album doesn't really make sense to me. I can deal with dissonance in small doses, and when properly timed its a great way to build tension, but this one wasn't it.
I don't think this album would get someone to be a fan of the Dead.
3
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Fri Oct 27 2023
Songs The Lord Taught Us
The Cramps
This all felt the same. There was one good jam towards the end, that was about it for me.
2
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Sat Oct 28 2023
Purple Rain
Prince
All time intro song on this album.
Overall I think the singles do a lot of the heavy lifting on this album (seeing as 5 of the 9 songs are singles). I wish this was a deeper/more consistent album.
Although the message of Purple Rain matches the rest of the album, but the tempo/style is kind of a mismatch. Still a banger of a song though.
Overall I really enjoy the style of Prince with banging guitar solos mixed with some early electronica, but the middle of this album is kinda forgettable when you listen to it more critically.
I feel like we are not far from some new musician gaining popularity by emulating and refining Prince's style.
This is a 3.5 album, but I'm biasedly rounding it up because of how much I like the singles. If you got rid of the rest of the non-singles on this album I would have this in the 4 or 4.5 range.
4
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Sun Oct 29 2023
Bookends
Simon & Garfunkel
Very short, pretty bland. Love me some Paul Simon but this one can stay on the shelf.
3
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Mon Oct 30 2023
Bandwagonesque
Teenage Fanclub
Not my favorite. Pretty repetitive. Is This Music was a redeeming end to the album, but that was about it.
2
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Tue Oct 31 2023
Odelay
Beck
Oh man I was disappointed by this album. I thought Beck would be better.
Points for being experimental, no points for being bad.
There are like two good songs on this album.
I thought the album has ended when it got to Ramshackle because it was so different.
Couldn't really follow this one.
2
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Wed Nov 01 2023
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
Pretty boring album. The last two songs had some legs though. Those two songs brought this album from a 1 to a 1.5 for me.
Shoegaze?
1
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Thu Nov 02 2023
American Beauty
Grateful Dead
Not a huge Dead listener, but I feel like this album is comprised of their highly popular songs. I recognized almost all of them. Good stuff.
This album is so chill and feel good. Steadily great throughout. This is what I was hoping for when we got Live / Dead.
5
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Fri Nov 03 2023
A Date With The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers
This album is white bread. Nothing special, but solid. You can bring it to the beach for lunch and you'll have no complaints. Don't feed white bread or this album to ducks, choose oats instead.
3
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Sat Nov 04 2023
Ten
Pearl Jam
A good warmup album for our trip to Seattle.
Oceans was a good one that I haven't heard before. The songs I already know on this album are all fantastic.
Don't care for Release to end it all.
Overall it's a good album, although I don't love grunge as a whole.
Giving this one a soft 4 to be honest. The hits on this one help out a lot. Would be better if it was named Mookie Blaylock.
4
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Sun Nov 05 2023
Da Capo
Love
Not at all what I was expecting out of this album.
Starts sort of whimsically, and continues through the album with jam after jam.
Solid and easy-listening!
4
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Mon Nov 06 2023
Tapestry
Carole King
Well done album! Carries a similar energy to Janis Joplin. Great singing voice with heavy piano backings. Very simple and well executed throughout.
4
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Tue Nov 07 2023
Songs Of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Good voice. Not really my style of music though. Not bad though.
3
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Wed Nov 08 2023
The Man Who
Travis
I think 15 year old Jackson would have liked this more.
Not very exciting. Not bad.
3
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Thu Nov 09 2023
Fisherman's Blues
The Waterboys
Initial thoughts:
1. This album is way too long if it's actually 1:42.
2. The mandolin and violin go ballistic in the first song. If this energy is carried throughout, we are going to have a proper good time.
We just missed these guys come to the 9:30 Club on October 22, 2013... damn.
I ended up having my last song be "This Land is Your Land" for the purposes of this review as that's the last track according to Wikipedia. I will probably continue to listen to the rest of the songs.
There's definitely some really high highs in this album. The mandolin and violin continued to go hard, but I appreciated some of the more mellow parts of the album.
I had a proper good time.
5
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Fri Nov 10 2023
Sweetheart Of The Rodeo
The Byrds
I really enjoy old country music and have been waiting a while for an album like this.
There is something about this album that just makes you feel good. The album is a bit homogenous, but I think it is really well done and doesn't really have any low points.
I really prefer 60s albums like this compared to bands like the Everly Brothers.
3.5 rounding up
4
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Sat Nov 11 2023
Are You Experienced
Jimi Hendrix
Solid album. No real standouts for me, honestly. Just solid play throughout. Guitar, drums, and bass all slap. They all get their time to shine which I like.
I honestly expected to like this a bit more, especially because I listened during a run where I can focus a bit more.
3
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Sun Nov 12 2023
Larks' Tongues In Aspic
King Crimson
Love the intro going from soft and slightly discordant to a booming, heavy metal riff.
Exiles is a standout to me, I appreciate the variety of instruments and improvised sounds.
I have bashed certain albums for being too experimental that it isn't really music anymore. I would like to point those albums to this album as an exhibit on how to do experimental. The sounds are unique, but familiar, the rhythms/tempos don't get too far out of whack, and the rest of the album is actually good.
Overall this album isn't quite as good as The Court of the Crimson King, but that's a high bar to surpass. I think this one is closer to a 3, but then I listened to the bonus tracks which brings it to a soft 4.
4
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Mon Nov 13 2023
Crocodiles
Echo And The Bunnymen
Don't have too many thoughts on this one. Good basslines. No real highs or lows.
3
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Tue Nov 14 2023
It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Public Enemy
The name of this album and the intro made me think this was a going to be a very serious, hard hitting album. Then Cold Lampin' with Flavor played...
I think Griz has played the saxophone sample from "Show 'Em Whatcha Got" at concerts before.
The transitions between songs aren't very great. I had to double check I wasn't on shuffle a couple of times.
This album is too long and none of the songs are particularly good. I was ready for it to end about 15 minutes in.
This is teetering into the 1 star category.
2
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Wed Nov 15 2023
Sail Away
Randy Newman
Good whimsical album with an iconic voice. This is just a happy album that I could definitely see popping on during a weekend morning.
Probably a 3.5, but I'll round up.
4
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Thu Nov 16 2023
Lust For Life
Iggy Pop
3
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Fri Nov 17 2023
Celebrity Skin
Hole
Pleasantly surprised by this one. I was expecting some edgy garbage tunes. Enjoyed the listen, not quite enough for a 4, but I considered it a couple of times.
3
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Sat Nov 18 2023
The Predator
Ice Cube
Feels like a generic rap album. Didn't get much from it. There were some good beats, but they were that 90s style where they're too prominent while also being too repetitive.
There was some good flow especially at the beginning.
2
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Sun Nov 19 2023
Coat Of Many Colors
Dolly Parton
I really like this era of country. The bassist was doing a good job which is not something I usually equate with country music.
Short and sweet and I like Dollys voice and cadence.
4
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Mon Nov 20 2023
Music for the Masses
Depeche Mode
Not a bad album, I just didn't really like it.
Nothing was probably my favorite.
Pimpf is boss music.
Listening to the last couple songs while driving alone at night in the rain seemed appropriate.
2
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Tue Nov 21 2023
Catch A Fire
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Lovely album to listen to the morning before Thanksgiving while I pretend to be working.
No More Trouble was a song I haven't heard before, but certainly enjoyed.
Nothing too crazy going on with this album, but really great for what it is.
I'm rating this before the Jamaican versions of songs on the 50th Anniversary edition of this album.
4
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Wed Nov 22 2023
School's Out
Alice Cooper
This had a lot more electronic and blues to it than I anticipated. I was expected straight up rock n' roll with some hair metal.
First song is a classic. At one point in your life you listened to School's Out while leaving school for summer for the last time and never got to leave school for summer ever again :(
The rest of the album had tons of variety and fun elements that I was not expecting. Alma Mater and Grand Finale was a great way to end things.
4
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Thu Nov 23 2023
Want One
Rufus Wainwright
First couple songs were cool, then it kinda faded to the background.
3
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Fri Nov 24 2023
Let It Be
The Replacements
This was an interesting album for sure. It definitely feels like punk most of the time, but there was a good variety in the instruments and the composition of the songs. Even songs like Unsatisfied showed the vocal range of the singer.
The latter half of the album started fading out as I was working, but there were riffs in every song or two that would catch my ear. This feels like a 3.5 that probably earned a re-listen.
4
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Sat Nov 25 2023
The Score
Fugees
Another album that isn't necessarily bad, I just didn't car for it. Too slow for my tastes. I appreciated all of the different voices that are featured throughout.
As with most rap, I tend not to be able to focus on the lyrics which I know is very important to their albums.
That being said, this one fought for a 3 star for my personal tastes. Probably a 2 from my gut, but I have to recognize that it is a pretty good album despite my tastes.
3
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Sun Nov 26 2023
1989
Taylor Swift
T Swizzz!
Pretty great pop for what it is. Loads of bangers in this one especially Shake it Off and Welcome to New York.
The songs themselves are pretty repetitive, but this is pop music so it's understandable. If you like singalongs, this is right up your alley.
The last couple songs started to lose me, but it was so solidly a 4 before those songs that it didn't really move the needle for me.
I enjoyed cooking dinner and listening to this one. I think I might listen to Taylor's version next.
4
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Mon Nov 27 2023
1999
Prince
Poppy, repetitive album with no real exciting moments besides the very beginning (1999) and about 30 seconds of Lady Cab Driver.
This album could have been 30 minutes long and had the same impact. All of the songs are way too long for how little they actually provide.
Definitely the worst of the Prince albums we have had so far.
2
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Tue Nov 28 2023
Talking Heads 77
Talking Heads
No real low points on this album. Uh-Oh is a good start to an album. The Book I Read and First Week / Last Week are favorites; love the xylophone/marimba on First Week/Last Week. Psycho Killer obviously we all know.
Overall I like David Byrnes mannerisms. The guitar and piano parts are great throughout the album as well.
Soft 4 here.
4
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Wed Nov 29 2023
If You're Feeling Sinister
Belle & Sebastian
Three.
3
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Thu Nov 30 2023
Heavy Weather
Weather Report
Absolute firecracker of an album.
Starts out hot as a fireball and quickly switches to a cooler tempo with A Remark You Made and then builds and builds back up to super hot fire before ending with Havona.
The Orioles need to get the rights to Birdland and make an 80s themed hype video using it and use it around the ballpark to get the fans jazzed up.
This album is incredible. Every instrument had time to shine and took full advantage of the spotlight. The drummer deserves a special accolade because that man kept driving the beat without a single hesitation or slip up.
5
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Fri Dec 01 2023
...And Justice For All
Metallica
Heavy metal \m/!
Album starts out swinging, but after "One" it starts to feel very homogenous, although still good.
To Live is To Die brings it back to the feeling of "One" with a few tempo switches that I really enjoy.
Dyer's Eve is a good finish.
Overall this is a solid 4. Blackened, And Justice, and One are obvious favorites.
4
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Sat Dec 02 2023
Stankonia
OutKast
Not my favorite. The classics slap, but I didn't really find any other gems in this album except for maybe B.O.B which sounded like Flux Pavilion produced it.
The album Kinda reminded me of Prince's 1999, especially with how sexual it is.
It's also entirely too long, it felt like I was slogging through.
Maybe this deserves another listen? Idk not really in my wheelhouse.
3
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Sun Dec 03 2023
Bluesbreakers
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
I've done some reading about Eric Clapton since my last review (Derek and the Dominos) and boy he is a piece of shit.
Great musician though. 4 stars.
4
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Mon Dec 04 2023
Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby
Terence Trent D'Arby
Had to find this one of Youtube, which I don't normally love. However, I liked watching some of videos. Terence had some superstar energy with the hair and the dance moves.
Dance Little Sister was my favorite. Let's Go Forward was solid too.
His voice is good and has a good range, but nothing about this album really encapsulated me.
3
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Tue Dec 05 2023
Off The Wall
Michael Jackson
Started off strong, fell into a lull in the middle. Burn This Disco Out was a good, fun finish. This one probably warrants a re-listen, but for now it gets a 3.
3
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Wed Dec 06 2023
Van Halen
Van Halen
Fun, up tempo album with loads of memorable riffs. Love David Lee Roth's voice and their use of backup vocals.
Commendations are also in order for this being a debut album.
I feel like this is a rare album where the "deep" tracks are better than some of the hits. Ice Cream Man being one of those songs.
I had high expectations coming into this one and they were surpassed. Hard to find a flaw in this album. Every song is good and it doesn't really run together at all.
This 5 isn't completely out of left field, but it definitely wasn't a slam dunk going into the album. Very pleased with this one.
5
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Thu Dec 07 2023
Talking Timbuktu
Ali Farka Touré
Kinda boring. Couple bright spots though. Kinda gets the same review of Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
2
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Fri Dec 08 2023
Physical Graffiti
Led Zeppelin
I feel like I take Led Zeppelin for granted. No matter what album comes on, I recognize at least 50% of the songs on them, but I have rarely every listened to Led Zeppelin albums before.
This album is long, but is very solid from cover to cover. Probably could have listened more intently, but there weren't any blemishes that I heard.
4
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Sat Dec 09 2023
Highway to Hell
AC/DC
Never been a huge AC/DC guy. Not much changed for me here.
3
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Sun Dec 10 2023
Highly Evolved
The Vines
Really like the album cover right off the bat.
Really hate this guy's voice right off the bat.
There ended up being a couple of OK songs, but this album was fighting an uphill battle the entire way and lost.
Punk bad.
2
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Mon Dec 11 2023
Abraxas
Santana
Perfect way to start a morning. Seamlessly transitions from the chillest beats to some some hot guitar solos. I love how Santana has a such a distinct sound, but without all of his songs sounding the exact same.
One of my favorite stories my mom tells is about the time she blacked out at a Santana concert at Merriweather.
5
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Tue Dec 12 2023
All Directions
The Temptations
Good voice. Liked the drums. Nice for a chilled out day. That's about it. Decent funk, Okay soul. I probably won't think about this album again.
3
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Wed Dec 13 2023
Disraeli Gears
Cream
Need to listen to this one back, but it's a strong 3.5 on the first pass.
The middle of the album really felt like Hendrix which isn't that surprising.
Hope we get more Cream!
4
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Thu Dec 14 2023
Debut
Björk
This album felt all over the place while also sounding like it came from a children's TV show. Everything was super basic sounding, and I don't really care for her voice.
2
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Fri Dec 15 2023
We're Only In It For The Money
The Mothers Of Invention
This album did drugs and listened to me. WTF were some of these ramblings???
The lows were LOW and the highs were good.
I think if they took out all of the junk, this would be a very solid 15 minute album.
2
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Sat Dec 16 2023
Born To Run
Bruce Springsteen
I have always appreciated Springsteen's voice and the energy of his tracks. This album did not fail to deliver on those.
The the greatest album of all time, but an enjoyable listen for sure.
4
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Sun Dec 17 2023
Pornography
The Cure
Boring goth music. Similar to Depeche Mode but worse.
Nothing really exciting in this album except for a couple cool guitar parts that I picked up on. Other than that I was hoping for redemption from their last album because I know The Cure is extremely popular. I can't figure out why after 2 albums.
2
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Mon Dec 18 2023
Surf's Up
The Beach Boys
Enjoyable listen, but didn't blow my socks off.
3
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Tue Dec 19 2023
All Things Must Pass
George Harrison
Had something longer written out but erased it, here's the gist:
Long album. Spotify has the track listing all messed up. Really good music. Nothing innovative, but a very high level of musicianship in each and every song. Faded to the background a bit.
3.5 rounded up because this is a flawless, albeit not too exciting album. Probably too long for me to ever re-listen, but I feel like this really earned 4 stars.
4
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Wed Dec 20 2023
Call of the Valley
Shivkumar Sharma
Not really anything that I would reach for again. Not bad, but this would definitely classify as background music. Fairly peaceful for working. I hear some similarities to American folk.
I could envision a short film having this as the soundtrack. Something like Into the Wild.
3
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Thu Dec 21 2023
Triangle
The Beau Brummels
Didn't hate the length. Interesting mix of country into some more whimsical style, almost like psychedelia.
Started to fall into the 2 star range in the middle, but the last song saved it. I think I would give this one another listen because it's unique and short, but nothing really grabbed me after just 1 listen.
3
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Fri Dec 22 2023
Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman
John Zorn
In my professional opinion, they should have played better so that this album would have sounded better.
I hate John Zorn more than I hate Jim Zorn after listening to this.
1
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Sat Dec 23 2023
Pretzel Logic
Steely Dan
This album I had chilling in the background, but I really enjoyed it. It was an especially nice reprieve from Spy vs Spy.
Short and sweet which is nice when you are trying to catch up.
I should throw Steely Dan on more often.
4
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Sun Dec 24 2023
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Started off as a pretty jaunty album, but quickly faded into background folk.
Maybe a 2 here because it was pretty boring, but I'm going true neutral for this average and inoffensive album.
3
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Mon Dec 25 2023
Sincere
Mj Cole
The techno beat to start caught me a little off guard, but I enjoyed it for a bit. Then it just got repetitive.
This album oozes early 2000's. It reminds me of the Music Choice channels on TVs.
British people rapping will always amuse me. It has such a Caribbean influence and the slang is hilarious.
All in all, pretty long and boring album, but I've heard worse. 2.5 rounding up.
3
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Tue Dec 26 2023
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
Some absolute classics here. I'm not a huge Christmas music person, but you never want to go a year without listening to a small dose of this stuff.
Probably a 3/3.5 without context, but it's the holidays and I'm no Grinch.
4
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Wed Dec 27 2023
So Much For The City
The Thrills
Middle of the road indie album. Not super inventive. I enjoyed One Horse Town for the bells/xylophone and Big Sur for their synth. The harmonica in the last song was a nice way to end.
This one started to drift into 3.5 star territory, but I really don't feel like it was exciting enough to warrant a 4.
3
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Thu Dec 28 2023
Sunshine Superman
Donovan
This album was fine. Pretty middle of the road 3.
3
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Fri Dec 29 2023
Next
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
Some interesting stuff in this album. Some interesting lyrics for sure.
There were some parts I really liked, but other than that it feels like a pretty forgettable album.
3
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Sat Dec 30 2023
My Generation
The Who
Pretty damn long and pretty mid. Some solid classic rock sounds throughout with no blemishes. However, nothing really stood out to me. It felt like they played out of rhythm a ton, which I assume was done on purpose.
Not nearly impactful enough to warrant the length.
3
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Sun Dec 31 2023
System Of A Down
System Of A Down
There's a couple cool moments in this album, with Spiders and Sugar being the standouts. However, the speed and energy that is the clear upside of this album doesn't feel very cohesive.
Little too screamo for me.
2
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Mon Jan 01 2024
The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
I really appreciate the idea of improv jazz, but it seems so difficult to execute with each instrument being so bold. These guys seemed to have much better cohesion when they sped up, but as the songs slowed down I started to feel disinterested in the dissonance.
It got better toward the end. I think Track C and Medley: Mode D-Trio were a step above Tracks A and B.
The easiest comparison to make is to John Coltrane, which was easily a start better than C. Mingus in my eyes.
3
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Tue Jan 02 2024
Music in Exile
Songhoy Blues
This certainly has a bluesy, southern rock twang to it that I enjoy. I also enjoy that it's not in English, because I barely pay attention to the lyrics anyway.
Pretty middle of the road album though. Nick was a standout.
Reading the story of this band is pretty enlightening, but it's not influencing my rating on the album too much. Apparently they were influenced by Ali Farka Toure who we just listened to recently.
3
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Wed Jan 03 2024
Connected
Stereo MC's
This album is what I expected Beck to be more like. Such a chill, head-bopping album.
Nothing crazy exciting, but I was nodding along the whole time to the beat. The interspersed sax, guitar, and piano are great touches. The lyricist has great flow.
Definitely thought this was a strong 4 star right out of the gate, but it slowly drifted down to 3.5.
This one gets the nudge to 4 stars because I was certainly grooving the whole time and so that it can be my 1,000th star.
4
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Thu Jan 04 2024
Freak Out!
The Mothers Of Invention
This album is hilariously trippy. Who ARE The Brain Police?!?!
The end of the album certainly went off the rails...
I was actually more entertained by this album than by other albums with similar eccentricity to them. The psychedelic stuff was good, and the weird stuff wasn't assaulting.
Probably did enough for a 3.5, but I'm rounding down because there's no way I listen to this one again.
3
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Fri Jan 05 2024
Go Girl Crazy
The Dictators
This is one of the blandest things I have heard. I'm going to have some plain white toast for breakfast to spice up my morning after this.
The last song actually wasn't bad, albeit a bit shallow.
Handsome Dick Manitoba is the coolest thing about this album.
2
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Sat Jan 06 2024
Pretenders
Pretenders
Too much punk on this list! It all sounds the same. Luckily it has been a while since we had a lot of punk, but now we get two in a row...
This album was much better than I anticipated, but certainly a far cry from punk, especially in the latter half.
The Wait was one album that stood out to me with the nice basslines.
I could even venture giving this a 3.5 if there were half stars. But there ain't, sorry Pretenders!
3
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Sun Jan 07 2024
My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts
Brian Eno
Experimental, noodley album. Nothing too exciting. Too long and boring to ever go back to. There were a couple bright spots like Solo Guitar w/ Tin Foil, Jezebel Spirit, and Mea Culpa.
Probably a 2.5 here, rounding down based on length.
2
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Mon Jan 08 2024
Untitled (Black Is)
SAULT
The production quality and the beats are very solid on this album, especially during Only Synth in Church and Monsters. Feels good to listen with headphones on.
It does get a bit repetitive though and the lyrics aren't doing much for me.
3
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Tue Jan 09 2024
Smash
The Offspring
I generally like this era of punk with The Offspring, Green Day, and Sum 41. The speed of this album is certainly engaging. The Offspring have some seriously iconic hooks in their discography, with Come Out and Play being one of them.
This is another album that is very homogenous so it gets stale by the end. I have a hard time giving this one any higher than a 3.5 with a pretty heavy nostalgia bias. Enjoyable, but I'm not clamoring for more Offspring after this.
3
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Wed Jan 10 2024
Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club
Nice relaxing tunes to work to. Another album that really benefits from headphones. The bass, drums, and soft guitar all sound great and it feels like the musicians are in cruise control working together.
All in all, this did run together but it worked very well as background music. This is a pretty square 3.5 for me. Rounding down just because I probably won't replay this one ever again.
Someone get me mojito and some sunshine!
3
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Thu Jan 11 2024
Pet Sounds
The Beach Boys
All time song as the leadoff track. Beatles-esque throughout.
Sloop John B was another standout to me.
Very pleasant, easy listening album with very few if any lows. I could see myself revisiting this album.
4
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Fri Jan 12 2024
Eagles
Eagles
If you don't like my music get your own fucking cab!
Pretty solid classic rock with a handful of hits. Exactly as expected from The Eagles. Not the strongest 4, but a 4 nonetheless.
4
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Sat Jan 13 2024
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
OutKast
There is a lot going on in this album, but I don't really have the capacity to write a length review because this bad boy was loooooong.
As far as 2+ hour albums go, this one was very good. I still don't love super long albums, but this one had plenty of variety and depth to entertain me from start to finish. A ton of cool features on the rap tracks.
As much as I love Hey Ya, it did not feel like it belonged in the album at all. Maybe it's because I have heard it 1000 times before, but it just felt like a radio hit in an otherwise deep cut album. Roses played well with the rest of the album though.
I'm currently typing this during My Favorite Thing which is really giving me the rhythm to keep typing.
I likely won't listen to this one ever again just because of the length, but I really enjoyed it.
4
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Sun Jan 14 2024
Tarkus
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Definitely love the synth and the vocals. The lyrics remind me of certain Iron Maiden songs in a way that sounds like a legend is being told.
Also reminds of of King Crimson in the structure of the whole album.
This is a strong strong 4.5 that I was really looking for something to push it into the 5 star realm. Then I saw the album cover again after finishing.
5
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Mon Jan 15 2024
Cosmo's Factory
Creedence Clearwater Revival
CCR hits are always welcomed by me. I didn't know much else besides their hits on this one, but I really loved Ramble Tamble and Ooby Dooby.
Another southern rock album that impressed.
4
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Tue Jan 16 2024
Hotel California
Eagles
Not as good as their first album. Barely a 3 here.
3
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Wed Jan 17 2024
Trout Mask Replica
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
There are definitely a couple parts in this album that are pretty good, but I'm barely giving that any weight because the rest was just not music.
This is another album where they are just being "random" for the sake of being weird.
I don't have the capacity to try and scrounge a 2 star out of this album.
1
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Thu Jan 18 2024
Floodland
Sisters Of Mercy
As soon as I saw the album cover I knew I was in for a Depeche Mode type album.
This Corrosion and Flood II were standouts. Otherwise this gets a similar review to Depeche Mode where I don't think the album is bad, I just really dislike this emo 80s era personally. That being said, this wasn't as bad as I expected, just really repetitive. This could warrant a 2.5, but I'm rounding down because I'm feeling spiteful today.
2
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Fri Jan 19 2024
Document
R.E.M.
There's something about REMs vocals that sound cheesy to me.
A couple of songs I recognized, but pretty boring honestly. The last song was a pretty lame song to end the whole thing on.
Seemed like this album had some doom & gloom themes to it that I didn't really jive with.
Was disappointed in this one.
2
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Sat Jan 20 2024
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
David Bowie
Very solid album! Probably my favorite Bowie album so far. I was honestly expecting more (knowing how highly it is rated) but I still enjoyed it a ton.
I still don't think I quite understand the David Bowie hype. I think this is our fourth Bowie album and I have just been whelmed by him.
Ziggy Stardust was my favorite song to play on Guitar Hero. I played it so much that I could play the first ~30 seconds with my eyes closed.
4
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Sun Jan 21 2024
Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Good voice. That's about the only thing I really liked about the album. Everything else was just not in my personal taste. Not very exciting as it's really just a guitar and a voice for an hour.
This one is falling under a similar rating to Depeche Mode where I think the music is objectively good, but it doesn't resonate with me personally.
Another plus to this album is that it was recorded in 1960 and it sounds flawless. That is impressive especially because there is no mention of remastering.
2
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Mon Jan 22 2024
Doggystyle
Snoop Dogg
This album cover radiates early 90's and I love it.
I am enjoying the transitions/interludes on this one.
Beats and flow are on point.
Not entirely my taste, but I enjoyed this for the most part. The earlier part of the album had more sticking power than the back half. This is a 3.5 that could go either way, but because I don't feel like I'll come back to this one, I'm gonna round down.
3
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Tue Jan 23 2024
Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers
All time intro riff to start this thang. Great basslines throughout. One of my favorite bands and oldest known albums so some decent bias here.
There's a mix of really raw sound and polished sound in this album that I have never really paid attention to before this listen.
I can understand why people don't like RHCP/Anthony Kiedis in particular, but I do.
I like dirt.
5
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Wed Jan 24 2024
The Grand Tour
George Jones
Solid old school country. This one is solidly a 3.5. Pretty inoffensive, but I really like the tempo of the whole album. The upright bass will always be one of my favorite parts of country/Americana.
4
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Thu Jan 25 2024
Rain Dogs
Tom Waits
I had a bit more of a review that I accidentally deleted but here goes:
First song sounds like an R-rated Disney tune.
This is not the Tom Waits that I remember...
This is an album that likely gets a lot of praise from its lyrics. It feels like the music surrounding the lyrics on this album aren't great sounding, but that's the purpose. It sounds like this album is about economic disparity, especially among immigrants.
This album definitely warmed up on me as it continued. Climbed all the way from a 1 to a low 3. I'm sure if I was reading the lyrics as I listened I would enjoy this a lot more, but that's not how I listen to music so it doesn't gain that benefit.
Diamonds and Gold and Hand Down Your Head were standouts to me.
3
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Fri Jan 26 2024
Heroes to Zeros
The Beta Band
One of the cooler album covers so far.
This album had a ton of variety that I appreciated. Very unique sound without being overboard on randomness.
Pure For was a great end, especially with those bass kicks.
4
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Sat Jan 27 2024
Rumours
Fleetwood Mac
I have been looking forward to this album! This is like that Lynard Skynard album where every song is just hit after hit.
Very solid album from start to finish. I expected this to nail a 5 star from the hop, but it never quite got there for me personally. Lots of variety in the songs, different talented singers, each instrument had time to shine, but there was never that rock out moment that I was looking for.
Very high 4 that doesn't quite crack 5 stars when I put it toe to toe with Janis Joplin or other 5 star albums.
4
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Sun Jan 28 2024
Bitte Orca
Dirty Projectors
Really loved the intro to the first song, but it fell off a bit when the vocals came in.
I can't tell if this is in a weird time signature that I just can't pick up, or if the instruments just felt discordant from the vocals the entirety of the album.
A couple pluses about this album was using multiple singers and having some unique sounds in the instruments. Other than that, I never really got into a groove with this one.
I was really looking forward to the album after the intro to the first song, but that seems to be the high point of the whole thing. Only about 20 seconds of a high point at the very beginning does not make for a great album.
2
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Mon Jan 29 2024
The Libertines
The Libertines
Pretty solid album that was made better by reading the story behind it. Not much else to say except I was expecting some crap punk and I'm happy it wasn't that.
What Katie Did was a standout.
3
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Tue Jan 30 2024
Stardust
Willie Nelson
Little bit slower and more deliberate than Red Headed Stranger, but we all need to slow down every once in a while! Very peaceful, clear vocals that I appreciate.
Great singer/songwriter for a genre that I generally am not giving rave reviews on.
If I had to say, I enjoyed Red Headed Stranger more, but they can both belong right here in the 4 category.
4
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Wed Jan 31 2024
Nevermind
Nirvana
Definitely some bangers on here that will always get me rocking out. I thought this album was just going to have 2-3 hits, but it's probably 6-7 which impressed me.
However, the last couple songs leave a lot to be desired.
Endless, Nameless is a good exhibit of what I don't like about grunge. Drums are awesome in it though.
The last two songs were so bad that I almost went to rate this a 3, but I went back and listened to a couple other songs back and realized that wouldn't be fair.
4
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Thu Feb 01 2024
A Girl Called Dusty
Dusty Springfield
Hell yeah, Dusty's last album was awesome. Looking forward to this one.
Fantastic voice and nice instrumentals throughout. Such an enjoyable, uplifting listen.
Went into this hoping to match Dusty in Memphis, but this surpassed it (from what I remember).
Lovelight Starts Shining is an absolute bop.
Listened to this twice in a row as I couldn't decide if it deserved the bump from 4 to 5. I think Dusty deserves it.
5
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Fri Feb 02 2024
The Boatman's Call
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Good, but definitely a slow and heavy album. Not exactly what I'm looking for on a Friday. No doubt Nick Cave has a wonderful, clear voice with strong lyrics.
Not quite as good as I remember the last Nick Cave album, but still enjoyable for what it is.
3
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Sat Feb 03 2024
Let's Get It On
Marvin Gaye
Short and sweet with one of the most well-known intros in the world.
There's some good vocals and all going on in this album which leads me to a 3.5, but I personally didn't hear much to ever really hook me in, despite being such a short album.
3
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Sun Feb 04 2024
Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
Absolutely no subtlety in the messaging on this album, and I understand why they chose to be so blunt. Not beating around the bush at all. I appreciate the artistic choice, even if it makes for some rather boring beats.
This one gets a strong 4 for really hammering in the message about discourse with America and not getting pretty with it. Unfortunately from a musical perspective I see it more in the 2 range because frankly, it is boring beats and vocals. I understand that messaging/politics is a cornerstone of music, but I also like to bop to my tunes. I'll average these takes out to a 3.
3
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Mon Feb 05 2024
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
John Lennon
This album was pretty boring and simple, never really finding a groove. Now I'm on Well Well Well and Goose is making weird faces at the speaker.
John still has a great voice and I feel like that is carrying this album. Everything else about this album seemed not good. Definitely gets an extra knock because it's John Lennon and id expect him to write a better album than this.
2
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Tue Feb 06 2024
Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
This is my type of album! Incredible production and a beautiful listen on headphones. To top it all off, it's in a foreign language so I don't have to try and understand the lyrics and I can just enjoy the voice as an instrument ala Radiohead.
Sigur Ros now sits firmly as my second favorite Icelandic artist in between Dadi Freyr and Bjork.
I don't know if it's because I listened to Bittersweet Symphony this morning, but this sounds similar to The Verve in spots.
This album started off as a solid 4, but slowly drifted into a very average album as it progressed.
Definitely a handful of songs I really liked especially at the beginning and Olsen Olsen, but I can't imagine I'll pick this album up again in the future.
3
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Wed Feb 07 2024
Private Dancer
Tina Turner
What an impressive head of hair on the album cover! Homegirl was making sure she was tall enough to ride all of the rides at Six Flags.
I don't understand why there is a US order of songs and an International order, but I queued it up to follow to US order. USA! USA! USA!
Love this plucky, synthy, energetic 80's sound right off the bat.
Fun album full of energy that is right up my alley. Enjoyed every song. Very high 4 on here.
4
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Thu Feb 08 2024
Giant Steps
The Boo Radleys
Starts out a bit all over the place with some scratchy garage rock, some of that reggae guitar sound, into an emo/whimsical tune in I Wish I Was Skinny, which happened to be a standout.
This album definitely doesn't sound the same throughout with all the random instruments they throw in, I have to give it points there.
Thinking of Ways is another standout that starts and finishes with a cacophony of new instruments.
I'm at Spun Around and I don't really know what to make of this album. It is unexpected at every turn and there are times I think it hits, and other times it misses. I'm happy, at least, that it's not just bland from start to finish.
Back to the reggae sound with Lazarus. Also happened to be a standout for me.
This one fluctuated between a 2 and 3 throughout. So I'll split it down the middle and round up for their arsenal of random instruments that they employed.
3
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Fri Feb 09 2024
Bad Company
Bad Company
This is a poster child for 3 stars. Solid music, but ultimately pretty forgettable. Seagull was probably my favorite track.
3
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Sat Feb 10 2024
Kid A
Radiohead
Definitely dark and gloomy. There were a couple moments in this album that sounded really beautiful. I appreciate the dreamy sounds in this one accompanied by a prominent baseline. However, these moments were few and far between so I never really got sucked into this album. How To Disappear Completely was by far my favorite. The ending of Tree fingers was good too.
I can understand the love for Radiohead, as they have a very unique and melancholy sound, but it's just not the stuff for me.
I really tried to justify a 3 here for Kev, but I couldn't find it in this album.
2
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Sun Feb 11 2024
Will The Circle Be Unbroken
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Great music, but didn't necessarily need 2 hours of it. However, of all albums to be 2 hours, this one I welcome most as it is very easy listening and makes the work day go by a bit faster.
Probably a 3.5, but I'm gonna round down for length and homogeneity
3
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Mon Feb 12 2024
Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
Lucinda Williams
IDK about this one. There is something about her voice that irritates me. Maybe there is something about the tempo of these tracks that is throwing me off. The guitar work is pretty good, but for some reason this is just a struggle to get through. This just feels like cheesy emo music with a country twang.
I think my final take on this is I was probably irrationally angry at it and it deserves another shake, but I can't actually see myself ever listening to this one again. I don't know anything about Lucinda, but it feels like disingenuous pandering to wannabe cowboys.
Song named Jackson redeems it all.
2
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Tue Feb 13 2024
With The Beatles
Beatles
14 songs in 33 minutes is pretty impressive.
Short and sweet. Sounds more like the Beach Boys with a surfer pop rock sound.
I think this one falls around the 3.5 range, but it gets the Beatles Bump. I think I take a lot of The Beatles for granted, but I'm sure this was awesome in 1963.
4
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Wed Feb 14 2024
Signing Off
UB40
Incredibly solid reggae/electronic fusion that is right up my alley. Great for easy listening. No extraordinary highs and certainly no low points. I could day drink at Seacrets with this album on repeat and have no issues.
4
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Thu Feb 15 2024
Millions Now Living Will Never Die
Tortoise
Interesting album here that felt like a bit of a jam. Some pretty cool stuff going on in this one that could warrant a 4, but not ever really exciting enough to bring it there.
3
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Fri Feb 16 2024
Technique
New Order
These songs are heavy on the synth effects. Some of these songs sound like the soundtrack to some random platformer video games for the PS1. Then we get into that 80's dark electronic sound like Depeche Mode that I don't care for at all.
High 2!
2
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Sat Feb 17 2024
Neon Bible
Arcade Fire
Love Arcade Fire's use of choir singing and beat switching in their songs. It gives it a uniquely triumphant sound to their songs. No Cars Go was a standout.
Overall not the best Arcade Fire album, and I'm not really sure why we have gotten 3 AF albums so far. Cool album cover though.
This one ultimately fell into the background for me. Nothing exceptional, but good indie/alternative tracks.
3
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Sun Feb 18 2024
The World is a Ghetto
War
I was expecting this to be a really heavy, blunt rap album similar to Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury.
City, Country, City was a bop.
Good album 👍
4
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Mon Feb 19 2024
I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
Sinead O'Connor
snooooooze.
I think it's pretty telling that her most successful single (Nothing Compares 2 U) is a cover. Her next highest praise in the Wikipedia page is that "The single 'Emperor's New Clothes' found moderate success".
I usually reserve 1 star for things that are arguably not music. This is a low 2. We are talking 1.5000001 stars.
2
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Tue Feb 20 2024
Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes
It is an instinctive reflex to clap or drum those 4 notes in the first song.
Rest of the album isn't great. Some cool basslines, but other than that it is a boring, droning album.
I can't tell if I'm in a bad mood, but I have been giving a lot of 2s and 3s lately.
2
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Wed Feb 21 2024
A Little Deeper
Ms. Dynamite
Nice flow, solid beats. Loved the guitar in the beginning.
As extensive as my knowledge of female British rappers goes, this is squarely my second favorite album by that demographic.
Danger is a bit of a switch to a bit more speed, flow, and the rappers switch to a more pronounced African accent which sounds pretty cool. Definitely a standout song for me.
This has been a pretty solid album, not exactly blowing me away, but I'm bopping along. I'd say this is close to the 3.5 range, but I am going to round down because I think it is a clear step down from Little Simz's GREY Area.
3
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Thu Feb 22 2024
Nick Of Time
Bonnie Raitt
Can't wait to talk to Kev's mom about Bonnie Raitt when I see her next. She has a pretty good college-aged story about meeting Bonnie Raitt that I'll have her tell me again.
Love Letter is a jam!
Definitely errs on the side of folk, but there is definitely that 80's electronic sound in a lot of songs
Came out to a hot start, but settled into a standard album for me. Kinda forgot I was listening tbh.
3
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Fri Feb 23 2024
Bone Machine
Tom Waits
Not really vibing with this one. It is very raw and his voice doesn't really jive with me. I get that some of it is exaggerated, but I don't really understand the gravelly voice. Is that his natural voice? Is he trying to sound like that?
A Little Rain was actually good
I would be upset to see Tom Waits show up on this list a 4th time.
2
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Sat Feb 24 2024
The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
Eminem is truly a unique lyricist. Incredible flow and rhyming capabilities, but he chooses to rap about some weird shit.
All time intro song. Other than that, it's not really my cup of tea from a music perspective. It is definitely an interesting way to go about the album with the skits and the storyline that is followed throughout.
Wanted to like this one more.
3
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Sun Feb 25 2024
Casanova
The Divine Comedy
Pleasant and unique album. This sounds like the lovechild of Frank Zappa and Randy Newman.
4
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Mon Feb 26 2024
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John
Another pleasant album that is nearly flawless. Bennie and the Jets is kind of an annoying song, but just for the "BENNIE" parts. The rest of it is a jam.
Mr. John certainly knows how to tickle the ivories.
A good mix of classic piano with some electronic mixed in which I wasn't expecting.
This one flirts with 5 star territory. I will likely listen to this one back.
4
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Tue Feb 27 2024
Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A.
Good flow, great beats. Love the scratching.
If It Aint Ruff is a real treat to listen to on headphones.
Rap's not usually my game, but this is one of the better ones I have heard on this list so far.
4
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Wed Feb 28 2024
First Band On The Moon
The Cardigans
Good poppy jaunt. Idk how to explain this, but it feels like this album should be in sung in French.
It's been a while where I have been blindsided by a song that I have heard a million times when Lovefool came on.
Really solid poppy album. A strong 3, but not getting out of bed for this one.
3
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Thu Feb 29 2024
Skylarking
XTC
Skylarkbunting.
4
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Fri Mar 01 2024
In The Wee Small Hours
Frank Sinatra
One of the smoothest voices of all time. Easy to listen to, but made me a bit sleepy. Didn't like this quite as much as Swingin' Lovers, but still got the job done.
4
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Sat Mar 02 2024
Deja Vu
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Is this the shortest album we have had? 21 minutes is shorter than a TV episode.
Peaceful tunes with a good harmony between the boys.
Another strong 3 album, but nothing spectacular to warrant a 4.
3
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Sun Mar 03 2024
The Message
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
First couple songs were good, including the beginning of Scorpio. Unfortunately Scorpio went on too long.
I think I wanted to like this one more. Couple of hits that are good, the rest of the album is fine too. Didn't really do much for me.
3
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Mon Mar 04 2024
More Songs About Buildings And Food
Talking Heads
Solid album that isn't carried by it's big hits like I have experienced with other Talking Heads albums.
Was listening to this one while bouncing inside and outside while grilling so I don't have any real stand outs or details to share, but I was always grooving to this one.
4
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Tue Mar 05 2024
Sunday At The Village Vanguard
Bill Evans Trio
Lovely soft jazz to start a day. Very easy to listen to. Not really sure why there's two takes for each song, but it barely made a difference in an album like this.
Pretty much as square of a 4.0 as you could get. No blemishes, but not a ton of wow factor.
4
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Wed Mar 06 2024
Brilliant Corners
Thelonious Monk
b2b jazz!
This one certainly has a different feel than the Bill Evans Trio. I really like that this album gives each instrument time to shine and it isn't too chaotic like some Jazz.
4
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Thu Mar 07 2024
Bug
Dinosaur Jr.
Nice album cover!
Singer bad!
Music is fine!
Mixing isn't great!
Barely a 3!
NEVERMIND I JUST TURNED ON DON'T!
2
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Fri Mar 08 2024
Electric Prunes
The Electric Prunes
Sounds a little like the Beatles. Pretty solid. Don't have too many details to discuss on this one. Could probably reach a 4 on a re-listen, but I doubt I'll ever do that.
Good band name.
3
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Sat Mar 09 2024
Gorillaz
Gorillaz
I enjoyed this number a good deal. Reminds me a bit of Radiohead in the experimental/gloomy aspect. Not quite as weird or dark as RH, but that's where my head is at.
Double Bass was a standout for me.
Couple of hits on here I recognized. The album is a bit all over the place. There's certainly a couple of 4 star songs on this album, but the album as a whole doesn't quite get there for me.
3
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Sun Mar 10 2024
25
Adele
I have never listened to Adele besides her radio hits, so I am really excited for this one because I truly think she is one of the best singers of this generation.
I really like how the instrumentation is simple and bold, allowing Adele's voice to shine.
Water Under the Bridge was probably my favorite off this one.
I really enjoyed this album. I think her bravado and emotion paired with the orchestra is putting this album into the 5 star discussion. Low 5 for this one.
5
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Mon Mar 11 2024
Ill Communication
Beastie Boys
I like the hip-hop and funk aspects of this album, but some of the rap and punk aren't great. The whole album feels kind of muddy to me, with something nice catching my ear maybe once every song or two.
Futterman's Rule was great, Sabotage was great, Ricky's Theme was great.
Overall kinda reminds me of Gorillaz with how the album is all over the place genre-wise.
IDK... I like some of the songs, but I really dislike the chaotic makeup of the album as a whole. Let's put this one in the 2.5 range. Rounding down to 2 to send a message.
2
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Tue Mar 12 2024
Who's Next
The Who
Baba O'Riley is another one of those all time songs. Fitting that it opens up this album.
The Who sounds so American.
This reminds me of that Lynard Skynard album where it is just banger after banger after banger. Hard to find any criticisms of this album.
5
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Wed Mar 13 2024
Locust Abortion Technician
Butthole Surfers
This album name and band name duo does not spark optimism that this album will be very good. Hopefully I'm wrong.
Goddammit I hate being right.
1
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Thu Mar 14 2024
Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge
Mudhoney
I expected this to be kinda funky based on the artist name. Kinda feels like a better version of the Butthole Surfers as we come right off from that ride.
Move Out was probably the best.
Grunge still continues to be toward the bottom of my list of favorite genres, but this one wasn't terrible, but it wasn't good either.
2
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Fri Mar 15 2024
McCartney
Paul McCartney
Folky!
Momma Miss America is a jam. I'm fairly certain Gramatik must have sampled this song. I'll have to track down which song it is.
Singalong Junk is a peaceful number.
This album felt a bit lackluster to begin (for Paul McCartney) but really shaped up toward the end to square away the 4 stars that I wanted to give it.
4
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Sat Mar 16 2024
Made In Japan
Deep Purple
Highway Star will always remind me of Rock Band.
Fun live album with some good jams. I like their use of the synth. It gives me a little hint of prog rock which I enjoy.
4
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Sun Mar 17 2024
Close To The Edge
Yes
Loved The Yes Album. Excited for this one.
Definitely a good album, but strictly compared to The Yes Album there is something missing from making it great.
And You and I sounds like a Led Zeppelin song.
4
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Mon Mar 18 2024
Dire Straits
Dire Straits
Wonderful guitar work. Nice and buttery with a few shreddy bits that I can get down with. A nice southern sounding voice.
Sultans of Swing kinda sounds like a Dire Straits song.
I feel like we have had a lot of close 5s recently which is nice. This one is another close one, but it doesn't quite have that chutzpah that would push it over the edge. Really enjoyable listen though!
4
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Tue Mar 19 2024
Led Zeppelin II
Led Zeppelin
I've said it before and ill say it again: it's insane how many LZ songs I have heard a hundred times without ever really choosing Leddy Z.
Lots of really good rock with that whimsical sound that they can weave in and out of their tracks. This one didn't have thoss fantasy style interludes that I really liked in the last one we listened to.
Solid album start to finish, but again, doesn't have the chutzpah for a 5.
4
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Wed Mar 20 2024
Out Of The Blue
Electric Light Orchestra
Night in the City needs more cowbell.
The Whale was trippy, liked it!
Overall a really good album that has a electronic uniqueness to it that I have always enjoyed about ELO's hits. First time listening to an album all the way through and it certainly lived up to what I expected.
4
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Thu Mar 21 2024
Truth And Soul
Fishbone
Funky ska with some guitar shredding? Sure!
Pretty decent music. Can't really find any flaws, but no songs really stuck out either.
Sounds like a band that you kind of know 2 of the members from high school or college and you like one of their songs and every time in comes on when you are playing music you can say "yeah I went to high school with these guys. Smoked weed with one of them one time. They aren't the greatest, but they played the afternoon slot at a beer festival I was at one time."
3
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Fri Mar 22 2024
Rock 'N Soul
Solomon Burke
Short and sweet. Good pipes. Good rhythm. A strong 3.
3
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Sat Mar 23 2024
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
Slow, grungy, and boring. Not my cup of tea.
ol' Thommy getting some features!
2
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Sun Mar 24 2024
2112
Rush
Don't need to say much about the opening track, will always be a favorite of mine.
I love the whispery bits in The Twilight Zone.
Lessons has a bit more of a folky vibe which is a change up to the rest of the album, before getting right back into the rock.
I really expected to give this one a 5 when it popped up, but besides 2112 being an all time song, the other songs were right in that 4 category. Maybe it's because I have listened to this album a bunch before, maybe because I think Moving Pictures is better, idk.
All said, high high 4.
4
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Mon Mar 25 2024
Here Come The Warm Jets
Brian Eno
Oh boy another Eno album, time to buckle in because I have no clue how weird this'll get.
Took two songs to get into some Teletubbies sounding BS with a nice racially charged song title to boot.
Definitely some weird songs, but honestly I was vibing with it a bit more today. The end of Dead Finks Don't Talk made me consider giving this a 2, but it was short lived. Warm Jets was a great close out song.
3
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Tue Mar 26 2024
Get Behind Me Satan
The White Stripes
Great album name.
My Doorbell was fun.
Everything else was just some alternative rock to me.
3
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Wed Mar 27 2024
Nebraska
Bruce Springsteen
Nice album to listen to on a rainy morning. Don't have too many notes on this one except that it was enjoyable, but nothing special to me. The singer/songwriter style has never been my favorite, so I'm not entirely surprised that I didn't fall in love with this one.
3
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Thu Mar 28 2024
Post Orgasmic Chill
Skunk Anansie
Dang, I usually don't care for this slow, grungy style of rock, but this one was a fairly enjoyable listen from start to finish. It didn't all feel the same and it wasn't whiny. The vocals are powerful without being overbearing. The instrumentation has a good variety and doesn't get boring.
This is one where I would give it a 4 if you compared it to others in its genre, but it's still just a 3 for me in the grand scheme of The List.
3
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Fri Mar 29 2024
Live At The Regal
B.B. King
Love these live albums where you can hear the artists hamming it up with the audience. Really good music on top of this. It's easy to see why B.B. King is so revered.
A real jumping album. Sounded like a real clam bake.
Dude probably caught so much tail.
4
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Sat Mar 30 2024
Rust Never Sleeps
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Maybe the most generic album I've listened to.
Powderfinger and Hey Hey, My My sounded so different (production wise) from the rest of the album that I thought I had changed artists.
Not impressed.
2
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Sun Mar 31 2024
Slipknot
Slipknot
Really love the drumming and the overall energy that Slipknot brings. I have never really been a fan of their lyrics or their vocals, but the vocals are a lot more bearable than I remember from All Hope is Gone.
I wasn't sure if this was worthy of 4 territory just because it's not my personal taste, but I was definitely vibing to it so it definitely gets that push over the line. The drums are truly the focal point for my admiration of this album. Don't know if I'll ever listen to it again, but I enjoyed this dance. I also love the idea of listening to Slipknot while grinding away at Excel on a Tuesday morning. Just the way they intended for it to be listened to.
4
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Mon Apr 01 2024
Stripped
Christina Aguilera
Her voice starts off pretty good, but then it kinda falls into a more average pop voice.
Not too impressed halfway through and I am not thrilled that this is well over an hour long.
The last half picked up a good bit once "Beautiful" hit. I'd say this brought it up to a soft 3. Wasn't my favorite listen, especially how long it went, but there was some stuff to like in here.
3
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Wed Apr 03 2024
Nowhere
Ride
There's some stuff I like in this album, like Dreams Burn Down, Vapour Trail, and Unfamiliar. There's other stuff I dislike about the album, like Nowhere.
Sennen is an odd one because I do like it, but I think the guys voice takes away from it.
Either way, none of it was good or bad enough to sway me either way. Ultimately this is on the boring side for me, but there's a world where I could really get behind this. Maybe if they upped the tempo a skosh. Would be better if the singer wasn't there I think.
3
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Thu Apr 04 2024
You've Come a Long Way Baby
Fatboy Slim
A lot of memorable songs that I didn't know were Fatboy Slim. A lot of interesting looping techniques used here. It doesn't feel like the greatest DJing/looping, but I also think this has to be on the forefront of that technique. I am enjoying it so far, despite it's repetitive nature.
Wearing headphones during the intro to Kalifornia feels like the song is inside my brain.
This has enough hits and depth to cruise to a comfortable 4. Really enjoyable listen that I could see revisiting and it and I feel like this album is a good poster child for this 1001 albums list as it is a different take on traditional music.
4
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Fri Apr 05 2024
KIWANUKA
Michael Kiwanuka
I missed calling out the SAULT Untitled (Black Is) for latest album (June 2020), but this one fits into second place at November 2019. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the last time I make a mention of latest albums over the next ~600 albums.
This is a terrific album. Beautiful voice with clean, chill backing instrumentation. Feels like it's somewhere between Gary Clark Jr and Jungle.
Easy 4
4
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Sat Apr 06 2024
Liquid Swords
GZA
There's definitely beats that get my head bopping throughout. Flow is good too. Nothing really exciting here for me though. Just a rap album with a cool album cover.
Nothing earth shattering here either good or bad.
3
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Sun Apr 07 2024
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Smashing Pumpkins
2 hours. Buckle up. At least it is a reputable band and not someone unheard of so it's a bit easier to prepare for this.
Album feels like a bit of a grab bag with some whimsical sounding songs and some grungy songs.
Definitely some of their more popular songs sprinkled in here as well.
As with most albums, they tend to lose points for me when they are this long.
The singer's voice is not that wonderful, but the instruments go!
Tales of a Scorched Earth was pretty bad. As was XYU.
I think there is a lot of good stuff in this album and I really like the variety, but I feel like as it gets longer I start to pick up more on the songs I don't like. It's like they're cutting their product with filler. The musicians should leave that practice to the cartels.
Definitely has a some high 4 potential, but it slowly crept into the 3.5 category and then I was just happy for it to be over. Side 1 was significantly better than Side 2.
3
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Mon Apr 08 2024
Diamond Life
Sade
Enjoyable listen that had me going in and out of paying attention while working. A nice jazzy number is always welcome in my headphones. Definitely caught some 4 star moments in here, but ultimately I was tuned out for too much of it to really warrant a 4. Definitely a high 3 though.
3
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Tue Apr 09 2024
Can't Buy A Thrill
Steely Dan
Another good one from Steely Dan. Has some nice jazzy tones to it while providing some bangers.
Hopefully this isn't the end of Steely Dan (being the third album we have gotten). It certainly won't be the end of my listening to them.
4
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Wed Apr 10 2024
GI
Germs
Thought this was gonna be a long one being 16 songs, but like some other punk songs we have listened to, it is only about 2 mins per song.
Pretty terrible way to start the morning. Basslines are pretty sweet though.
Singer sucks and is constantly off beat. Take him out and we maybe have a 3 star album? Strange Notes actually goes hard and then he just spews some incoherent noise all over the track.
The mixing in Our Way sounds like the band is underwater. idk what's up with that.
low 2. the voice was irredeemably bad.
2
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Thu Apr 11 2024
Movies
Holger Czukay
Very interesting album here. I really like how forward the doohickey is in the mix. The contraptions are certainly going in on some of these songs. Could have used more thingamajig throughout, since it really shone in Oh Lord, Give Us More Money.
Honestly though, this started out a bit hectic but really settled in the second half. Maybe not so good to get all the way into 4 stars, but I was grooving for a good portion of this.
3
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Fri Apr 12 2024
Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago
Big band, jazzy, funky rock n' roll? Nails all my favorites. I would love to listen to this on a day where I'm feeling a bit more spry, but it has all the makings of a 5 star album right out of the gate.
Didn't love Free Form Guitar much, but that's gotta be the only blemish on this one. All other guitar shredding songs on this album make up for this though.
I think this one deserves a re-listen because I'm a bit distracted at work, but I am erring on the side of "fuck yeah this album was awesome" that will hopefully be even better after a second listen.
5