729
Albums Rated
2.97
Average Rating
67%
Complete
360 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
2000
Favorite Decade
Reggae
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
53
5-Star Albums
47
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The White Room
The KLF
|
5 | 2.79 | +2.21 |
|
Call of the Valley
Shivkumar Sharma
|
5 | 2.94 | +2.06 |
|
Queen Of Denmark
John Grant
|
5 | 3.13 | +1.87 |
|
Permission to Land
The Darkness
|
5 | 3.14 | +1.86 |
|
Clandestino
Manu Chao
|
5 | 3.22 | +1.78 |
|
Teen Dream
Beach House
|
5 | 3.26 | +1.74 |
|
Winter In America
Gil Scott-Heron
|
5 | 3.26 | +1.74 |
|
Cross
Justice
|
5 | 3.28 | +1.72 |
|
Deep Purple In Rock
Deep Purple
|
5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
|
You've Come a Long Way Baby
Fatboy Slim
|
5 | 3.34 | +1.66 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
At San Quentin
Johnny Cash
|
1 | 3.8 | -2.8 |
|
Neon Bible
Arcade Fire
|
1 | 3.34 | -2.34 |
|
The Downward Spiral
Nine Inch Nails
|
1 | 3.34 | -2.34 |
|
The Soft Bulletin
The Flaming Lips
|
1 | 3.28 | -2.28 |
|
Dry
PJ Harvey
|
1 | 3.24 | -2.24 |
|
Fetch The Bolt Cutters
Fiona Apple
|
1 | 3.19 | -2.19 |
|
If You're Feeling Sinister
Belle & Sebastian
|
1 | 3.18 | -2.18 |
|
Suede
Suede
|
1 | 3.1 | -2.1 |
|
Roxy Music
Roxy Music
|
1 | 3.1 | -2.1 |
|
Kimono My House
Sparks
|
1 | 3.06 | -2.06 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Led Zeppelin | 5 | 4.8 |
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 5 |
| Creedence Clearwater Revival | 3 | 4.67 |
| Coldplay | 2 | 5 |
| Michael Jackson | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Roxy Music | 3 | 1.33 |
| Emerson, Lake & Palmer | 2 | 1 |
| My Bloody Valentine | 2 | 1 |
| Pere Ubu | 2 | 1 |
| Elvis Costello & The Attractions | 3 | 1.67 |
| PJ Harvey | 3 | 1.67 |
| The Fall | 3 | 1.67 |
| Suede | 2 | 1.5 |
| XTC | 2 | 1.5 |
| Sonic Youth | 4 | 2 |
| Arcade Fire | 3 | 2 |
| Brian Eno | 3 | 2 |
| Johnny Cash | 3 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Fiona Apple | 1, 4 |
| Black Sabbath | 3, 2, 5 |
5-Star Albums (53)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Little Richard · 9 likes
3/5
Kickass singer, but I got bored pretty quickly to be honest, it feels like at least half of the songs follow the exact same format and structure: "Sing catchy short sentance a couple of bars, do some falsettos woo's, break, repeat". Yes, I'm looking at you Tutti Frutti, Ready Teddy, Long Tall Sally, She's got it, Jenny Jenny. I mean he's a kickass singer, but it felt like he found one exact song format that worked well for him and then just did. I was about to give this 2 stars, but then I realized I gave the Kid Rock album 2 stars and felt like maybe that was unfair.
Blondie · 3 likes
3/5
I've come to the conclusion that Blondie sounds like something you'd hear playing at your local worn-down rock pub. 'Heart of Glass' and 'One Way Or Another' are a step up and really catchy songs, the rest I could do without. Not consistent enough to warrant any higher rating really, so will have to land in the middle.
Rage Against The Machine · 2 likes
5/5
Man I really love Rage Against The Machine. It's just so heavy, and the grooves are extremely cool. The riffs are usually very unorthodox with Tom Morello and his witchcraft, but just work so well. Extremely fresh.
Zack's rapping works very well together with the rock and sounds cool. The political messages of their music isn't something you can miss, but it's not anything I take in very much, and not either what makes their music good in my opinion. Zack really feel like the personal manifestation of a militant vegan though.
There are a handful of absolute bangers on this album, like 'Bombtrack', 'Killing in the name of', 'Wake up', 'Bullet in the head' etc. Perhaps the other songs don't really reach the same heights, but they're still damn good all of them, can't really name a weak song.
After listening through the album you notice a particular song formula they use. Almost all of their songs end the same way; there is a break where Zack sings slowly, then it ramps up and ends with him chanting one of several phrases with all other instruments going max. Basically the same on 'Wake up', 'Bullet in the head', and 'Killing in the name of' for some obvious ones.
Anyways, I think this deserves a weak 5. Evil Empire might be a better album, not sure, but this one is still damn good. But like you notice in my review, I am a bit biased. This is probably not anything for everyone, but I do think everyone should give Rage Against The Machine a try at least once.
Minor Threat · 1 likes
1/5
Didn’t find anything I enjoyed really. No catchy riffs, no finesse or anything.
Sparks · 1 likes
1/5
Sounds like a mixture between circus music and Queen. Way too sprawling for my taste. I don't think this is objectively bad, it just doesn't suit me the slightest.
1-Star Albums (47)
All Ratings
Pavement
2/5
Not very "musical" in my opinion. Definitely different, which they get a plus for, but not that enjoyable to me personally.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Dylan never was my cup of tea really. Can't deny his impact on music though.
The Offspring
3/5
I'd give this a high 3 star rating. Self-esteem is a real banger, but I didn't really get with the rest that much, even though the music style fits me well. This is why it's not a 4.
The Verve
4/5
I've mostly just heard the Sweet Symphony, but I gotta say I was positively surprised and really enjoyed the album as a whole. Very high bar overall in my opinion.
Dr. Dre
4/5
Really like it, has some classics on it. Doesn't get as good as 2001 though, which is a clear 5 for me, so can't get any higher than this in my opinion. Have to say this type of rap is probably the only genre I enjoy though, so I'm a bit biased maybe. The lyrical content definitely hasn't aged very well, I'm not sure how they got away (did they?) with the women degrading stuff they were spewing back then (even though it "might" have been satirical, still not cool). I'm not sure that would fly today.
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
I know it's a classic but I just didn't really feel it. The sound has not aged well in my opinion; the drumbox sounds are very boring, and their rapping style/flow is not my cup of tea and is quite "predictable" and monotone. Fun to see how much closer this feels to rock than for example The Chronic album we heard yesterday.
Aerosmith
3/5
Didn't really enjoy or dislike it. "Generic" rock imo, didn't stir any emotions or anything, but then there wasn't anything that I didn't like about it, so I guess it is a weak 3 for me, just in the middle.
The Kinks
3/5
Waterloo Sunset is so good, but didn't really feel anything particular with the rest. I think the Kinks in general are very cool though, you can hear the early seeds of punk rock in there.
Harry Nilsson
4/5
Pleasantly surprised by this! Never heard of Harry Nilsson before, but the whole album held up very well. Also sounds very well produced and sounds great to me! Perhaps a weak 4, as there aren't any particular songs that I can say "I really like that one", but all of them were simply pretty good!
5/5
I had a really hard time rating this. I've heard it some times, and it's definitely not my favorite album, and David Bowie is not my favourite artist, but I find all all songs unique and varying with an overall very high quality, with some of the songs being timeless classics. I also know how high people regard this, so it feels hard giving it lower than 5, even though I don't get the feeling that I just need to listen to the album again after hearing it, which I definitely feel with some other albums I'd rate 5 in a heartbeat. So probably weak 5 for me.
Mekons
2/5
It started out really good with Chivalry, and I was excited for the album. But then it got pretty bland, with some occasional pretty bad stuff, such as Darkness and Doubt with the out of tune violin (especially ending was outright bad imo), and it just didn't really recover to the level of the start of the album. Still, it could have been worse for sure, but didn't hit home for me, and will probably forget about this album fairly soon.
Minor Threat
1/5
Didn’t find anything I enjoyed really. No catchy riffs, no finesse or anything.
Fatboy Slim
5/5
Didn’t listen to it, but I didn’t have to. Heard it many times. Solid 5 star for me, lots of really awesome songs. Very 90s defining for me!
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Really nice album! Perhaps not all songs stand out that much to me, but the overall feel of the album is very nice, and it's something I can definitely see myself revisting, it gives a certain mood for sure - in a good way! In addition, it feels very nicely produced and Marvin is a killer singer!
Don McLean
3/5
American Pie and Vincent are instantly recognized classics. While the rest of the songs didn't reach those highs, I still feel like it kept a high standard. There were a bit too many ballads or ballad-like songs for my taste, so it will get a strong 3.
Tracy Chapman
5/5
Have listened to this album once before I think, but didn't think anything particular of it except of Fast Car which I absolutely love. Coming into it I didn't have any special hopes, but I gotta say I was pleasantly surprised by how good all of it is. The lyricical content is quite serious and I wouldn't consider it especially "happy", but somehow it still gives me some feelgood vibes strange enough. Also good variety in the songs in my opinion, for example completely caught off guard with Mountains O'Things which got some carribean vibe going on. Then a bit of raeggae feeling with She's Got Her Ticket straight after, very nice! Hard choice between 4 and 5, but when listening through the album there is not a single song I don't like, so it will have to be a 5!
Kid Rock
2/5
The lyrical content is complete garbage in my opinion. Feels like something that was written by a person who wants to be cool, but is not. Dre and other artists that have a pretty rough and degrading lyrics at least give me the impression of having some self-distance and doing it in an ironic way, but didn't find any of that here. Every fiber of me wants to give this a 1 star, but if you put the lyrics aside some songs were actually pretty catchy, so it gets a 2 for me. Won't return to this album though for sure.
Spiritualized
2/5
I like that it felt different, but just didn't do much for me unfortunately. Can barely remember any songs from when listening on Friday.
Deep Purple
4/5
This was a real tough one, but not for the same reasons as with past albums. The music itself was good, no doubt, but my gripe is mostly with whether live albums should actually be included on this list or not, and the fact that there seemed to be about 10 different versions of this particular album if you go and search for it on wikipedia (I listened to the 2 CD variant from 2014). A liveset in my experience usually comes with the latest - but more importantly, greatest - songs of a band. So it kind of becomes a "greatest hits light" album, and I definitely don't think greatest hits albums belong on a list like this because I think it's not a fair comparison. So I'm leaning towards not being a fan of this being included at all actually, but let's have a look at the music a bit with that said.
I see that the original CD only contained what is essentially CD1 of the 2014 album, so I will only consider that when I write my thoughts below.
I think the music is very good, but I'm not completely sold on everything. Smoke on water, though having a catchy and easy riff, is one of the most overplayed songs ever in my opinion, so just hearing that got me a bit anti. Then there is a 7 min drum solo or something in the Mule which almost made me quit it. The songs are also needlessly long, which of course is not an issue if you're there live, but becomes a bit tedious when listening to it like this. Otherwise I think it's very good, actually much better than I first expected. I like the sound of 70s rock a lot, feels very raw and has some "dirtyness" to the sound that I really like, if you compare with modern recordings of rock for example. Very straight forward with a cranked amplifier, very nice. Reminds me a lot of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, which I also like a lot. Everyone in the band plays very tight as well, singer really delivers. Despite all the annoyances I really enjoyed it though, feels like something I could listen to again for sure!
Silver Jews
3/5
I thought this was pretty good! Never heard before, but was interesting. I wasn't a big fan of the singer though with his dragging and borderline out of tune sining. I think most of their songs sounded very similar, so it all blended together and became a bit unmemorable unfortunately.
Steve Winwood
3/5
This was nice! Reminds me a bit of Phil Collins somehow. Probably won't see myself returning to this as the songs didn't quite stick with me. Still, it was hard to decide whether it gets a strong 3 or a weak 4, but I think I'd like it to be something I would at least consider coming back to and having some songs stick with me for it to be a 4, so 3 it is!
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
Had a long rant about live albums before, so not going to say anything about that here.
I think this type of music can slot in when in certain moods, and the concert is no doubt a real good one, Jerry seems to be on fire and you can often hear the crowd go really wild as well. Watching it live I'm sure this would be very good and have gotten higher rating, but listening to it like this gets a bit messy.
Little Richard
3/5
Kickass singer, but I got bored pretty quickly to be honest, it feels like at least half of the songs follow the exact same format and structure: "Sing catchy short sentance a couple of bars, do some falsettos woo's, break, repeat". Yes, I'm looking at you Tutti Frutti, Ready Teddy, Long Tall Sally, She's got it, Jenny Jenny. I mean he's a kickass singer, but it felt like he found one exact song format that worked well for him and then just did. I was about to give this 2 stars, but then I realized I gave the Kid Rock album 2 stars and felt like maybe that was unfair.
Al Green
4/5
I'm not sure why, but I liked this very much. Some songs you recognize instantly, but mostly all of it held very high bar I guess. Compared to some other albums from around the same time, this didn't sound very dated at all and held up very good I'd say!
Queen
4/5
I am not a very big fan of Queen to be honest. I usually don't like their chord progressions (with some exceptions), and their songs sounding like musicals and their overuse of choir doesn't fly with me at all. Their songs have also been played so much all over the place that it has almost drained me of all liking, unfortunately. Still, I can't deny that this is a good album. They definitely have their own style, and even though their sound might not be my cup of tea exactly, it still works very well and is well executed. Freddie Mercury is definitely one of the best rock singers of all time as well, which helps. I don't think there are any other songs on the album that come close to of course Bohemian Rhapsody, but also You're My Best Friend, and I would have given it a 3 if these two were'nt on the album. But as it stands it's going to have to be a 4. Looking at my other stats, this still slams harder than for example the 'Smash' album by the Offsprings, and 'Toys in the Attic' by Aerosmith, which both got a 3.
The Verve
3/5
The album was good, I think I've discovered that The Verve is my cup of tea. The mellowness and chord progressions sits very well with me, been quite fond of shoegaze in general which I would consider this album to be to some degree. Unfortunately there was no song that really stood out to me, and the whole album sort of blended together a bit to me, probably something I would put on in the background to create a certain mood rather than actually "listen" to. I actually don't really see why it's on the list at all to be honest, the 'Urban Hymns' album was straight out better in all regards and this album doesn't feel like it brings anything special or something that you don't get from that other album.
Supertramp
5/5
Really good album. Love Supertramp, love electric pianos, what more can you say. Baffles me how they are not more highly regarded. The album might not contain the songs their most famous for, but it's definitely one of their best still. Some songs stand out more than other, but it's one of the rare albums where I actually think every song is good. No song sound like the other either.
New York Dolls
2/5
Wasn’t a super big fan of this. Everything blended together and nothing really stood out.
5/5
This one is a bit tricky to be honest. It has very high highs, but it also has some fairly low lows. Still, it basically contains all of the Oasis bangers on one CD, which is very impressive and can probably only be said about very few other albums. I've definitely grown tired of hearing the top hits of Oasis after having heard them what feels like a million times, but giving this anything other than a 5 would be unfair.
Ananda Shankar
3/5
Never heard this before. When I started listening I was very excited, and I really wanted it to be one of those rare gems. But it wasn't as good as I had hoped, it became a bit too monotonous for me I think with the songs being hard to distinguish from each other. I think it worked well as a mood setter though, and it was nice to have on in the background as a variety from the usual stuff I listen to. It was definitely not bad, but didn't capture me as I had hoped either. Plus points for being different though!
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Another album I found hard to rate, surprise. I listened to it once and got distracted with something else, so it kind of just flew over my head. Then I listened again, and it definitely stuck to me better. Maybe if I listened more I would grow more fond of it, but it still didn't quite stick. I can't put my finger on it though, it wasn't bad by any means, but there weren't any song that particularly grabbed me I think. I contemplated going for a weak 4, but I think it will have to be a strong 3 instead. Definitely have some Neil Young songs I'm very fond of, and none of them were on this album, so I know what it feels like when it hits home.
Primal Scream
2/5
Had a hard time deciding whether this was good experimental stuff, or not. It definiely sounded very 90's for me somehow, and I liked some songs as mood setter background music, but the album never really punch through for me. The only track that really caught my attention was Trainspotting, which I liked, but that's not enough to cover up for the rest. I think this is going to have to be one of those albums that tried valiantly with its quirkiness, and ended up on the wrong side of the line. Still, not by any means so bad that I'd say "there's nothing I enjoy in this, burn it". 2 stars.
3/5
One of those bands there were big back in the days, but didn't survive the test of time and have been forgotten since (compared to other bands). Tried getting into Yes before. Didn't manage then, and didn't manage now. On paper it should be a good fit, but in my opinion their songs just aren't that good, nothing that really grabs me or evoke any type of emotion other than indifference. It's not bad though,, nothing that is outwright wrong or anything, and it's still performed good etc, so it lands in the middle.
The Cure
4/5
I never really understood why people love The Cure so much. And when I started out with this album, I didn't feel much. Then it got better at the end somehow. I wasn't particularly fond of Lovesong which was the most listened to song, but The Same Deep Water as You, Lullaby, abd Homesick stood out to me. And after re-listening a bit, I think I have to give this a 4 since I feel like the overall bar was still quite high, and like I mentioned, there were some good songs that I definitely liked. And yet when I look back, it probably isn't any album I'll remember as being "particularly good". It's weird; deciding it must be rated a 4 and still not understanding what people like so much about a band.
The War On Drugs
3/5
I've heard this before, and I'm not a very big fan of The War on Drugs to be honest. I can see why they are popular, but to me each song just feels too much like the same thing and becomes very predictable. The chord progressions are good, but I find the issue in the arrangements. Most of the songs it feels like there are no tempo variations, breaks or anything, and the tempo is usually way too fast for the song. Once the drums start (for which they always play use the most basic pattern there is with almost zero fills or variations) it just goes on repeat until the song ends with no finesse. Under the Pressure, Red Eyes, Burning for example is prime examples of this. In addition, I'm not a big fan of Adam Granduciel's tormented singing. His voice is unique in a way, and he doesn't sing false or anything, but I just don't like the style. Despite me being hung up on certain things, I still think there are some songs where these issues don't stand out as much, for example Suffering or Disappearing, and I usually like this type of genre. So it gets a 3 for me, but I had to revisit what I had given a 2 star rating to determine that I actually think this is a bit better than those.
Sheryl Crow
3/5
Very meats and potatoes in my opinion. All I Wanna Do is very good, but otherwise nothing that really stood out. It wasn't that bad either though, just not particularly interesting. Actually not sure why this is on the list, maybe it was revolutionary when it came or something. Feels like another contemporary-ish pop/rock/country album.
John Prine
3/5
I never really listen to the lyrics that much, because then I need to focus on the song and can't focus on anything else I'm doing. But here the lyrics really stood out to me, he really has some witty, and sometimes clever, writing. Country folk music isn't a genre I'm particularly fond of, so it's not something I will put on again probably. But I enjoyed if for what it was, and it gets extra points for actually making me notice the lyrics, which usually just pass me by as background noise.
Belle & Sebastian
1/5
I did not like this at all. The singer was was so monotone and boring. The songs were some of the most borings songs I've heard, and the mix sounded really bad and boring. No dynamics at all, just flat and weak.
Prince
4/5
Really liked this, was probably my type of vibe. Didn't listen through all of it, and I don't have any standout songs that I particularly like, but all of it was just really good. The songs were also very varying to me - in a good way. My only gripe might be that it was a bit too long of an album.
James Taylor
3/5
Hadn't heard of James Taylor before. Had to google him to find out that he's supposedly a very beloved and "one of the best-selling artists of all time", but I don't quite get it I think, at least not judging from this album. I think the recording sounds very good technically for being 70s, but the songs sounds a bit like generic country to me. Nothing wrong with that, it wasn't bad, but don't really stand out to me either. Maybe it was something you had to experience when it came, not sure.
The Modern Lovers
4/5
This was one of the most stupid albums I’ve heard in a long time - and I mean that in a good way. The singer wasn’t that good, but the songs were sooo weird and interesting. I definitely didn’t like all of them and probably won’t listen to it much, but it’s definitely an album I’ll remember. I also read that one of the members were later part of Talking Heads, and while this doesn’t reach their heights, you can definitely see where some inspiration came from. With lines like “Well some people try to pick up girls
And get called assholes
This never happened to Pablo Picasso”, how can you not like it.
Cat Stevens
3/5
Don't know why but not really feeling it. Not bad of course, but doesn't really do anything for me either. Also heard "Wild World" too many times, so it has lost its magic.
The White Stripes
4/5
Really cool album. Impressive how they manage to get such a big sounds from just a pair of drums and a guitar. Each song feels unique as well, overall really how bar. Definitely seeing this being something that could become a 5 for me if I listen to it more.
R.E.M.
2/5
I usually regard R.E.M highly but this was a very weak album from them. It's The End Of The World As We Know It is a popular song that you're guaranteed to have a heard before, but apart from that it's not very exciting.
Femi Kuti
4/5
I actually liked this quite a lot. Maybe because it was a nice breeze of being something else than rock. Even saved some songs. I think some of the songs were a bit long though and dragged on for too long.
Massive Attack
4/5
Never heard of Massive Attack but I loved it, very cool album. Sounds very 90s somehow - in the “good” way. Also gives me some lo-if vibes which is cool. Definitely see myself returning to this, and many songs I really liked. Hard to decide between a 4 and 5, but I think I will settle for a strong 4.
Koffi Olomide
2/5
I appreciated the uplifting melodies of the album, but other than that it was pretty underwhelming. It contained tons of typical 80s synth parts that have aged very well in my opinion, and the tracks were just not that good.
Queen
2/5
Apart from 'Killer Queen' which is a great song, this album just didn't cut it in my opinion. As mentioned before, Queen is not really my cup of tea to begin with, but that is usually weighed up by really good songs. Didn't really find any of that here unfortunately. The surprise of hearing some Queen metal did give it some extra points though, did definitely not see that coming!
Blur
2/5
I really wanted to like this, but it just didn't grab me somehow. Song 2 is a real banger, but can unfortunately not make up for the rest of the album which is quite forgettable in my opinion. Interesting how you can see where some of the "old microphone" effects used a lot in Gorillaz comes from as it's quite prevalent here as well. Unfortunately this album has pretty much cemented that I really much prefer Gorillaz to Blur.
The Police
2/5
This was a weird album. I had pretty high expectations for some reason, but it started out pretty weak, and then suddenly you stumble into 'Mother' which... is a song that probably never should have been made. Every Breath You Take is a very good song, but apart from that the rest wasn't anything to cheer for.
Fiona Apple
1/5
I knew I was in for quirky when I saw the album cover, and I was not wrong. Fun to hear something contemporary, but I personally think there are loads of new albums that are better than this by miles. It gets plus points for trying to do something different - so tired of hearing rock at this point. Unfortunately it doesn't do anything for me at all, which is unfortunate because I WANT to enjoy it. I think I can single out 1 or 2 tracks that I could give a chance again, but other than that it's an album that I'll definitely remember, but not return to.
D'Angelo
3/5
The lyrical matter was quite sleazy and lame, but I liked the "music" part of it! Definitely something I could have on in the background as buzz. Generally not a fan of RnB, but this sat quite well with me!
Amy Winehouse
4/5
I don't consider myself an Amy Winehouse fanboi, but this album is really good. I don't remember how it looked back in 2006 when this was released, but it definitely feels very fresh and stands out in today's climate, which is really cool! Very good singing, overall nice with some soul/jazz/blues.
White Denim
2/5
I don’t think I really understood the point of this album. It was mostly instrumental long solos, but none of it was particularly good. I would’ve understood if it was the first of its kind in the 60s or 80s, but in 2011? I usually like this type of music but it just didn’t hit home, maybe I need to listen to it more, not sure.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
I liked this! Maybe not the best Pet Shop Boys record, but definitely good.
The Byrds
3/5
Cozy country, but nothing that stands out honestly. I didn't listen to the lyrics that much, so maybe it's about pain and misery, what do I know. Definitely something I could put on if I was in the mood for some country background music though.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3/5
When I saw the album cover I knew it was going to be quite a ride. And it was; a very political one. When the first song started with "Hallelujah" I thought it was going to be some religious shenanigans, and then it switched to hip hop immediately and I drew a sigh of relief. I have to say I don't think the rapper fitted particularly well in this genre... it felt too tame and square somehow? Too well rehearsed somehow, or reading directly from the sheet or something, hard to put a finger on it. Overall I think it was a bit too political for my taste (though I enjoy Rage Against the Machine, so that's a bit of hipocrisy, fitting to the album). I am still well very glad I listened to this - even though I probably won't return soon - as I would never have found it otherwise. I'll remember it for its militant cover.
Fleetwood Mac
2/5
Nothing special in my opinion. Guess it's a guarantee we're going to run into 'Rumours' at some point if this is on the list.
Black Sabbath
3/5
Love the Black Sabbath sound, the guitar sound is just so tasty. I also like how they looked more like hippies in the 70s than the super dark edge lords that they turned into later. This album is not their best in my opinion, N.I.B. and Evil Woman are very good tracks but the others don't stand out as much.
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
This album didn't do much for me honestly, can't remember a single song. Somehow all of it just mixed together. It feels sooo pretentious as well somehow, but I'm not sure if it's actually the lyrical content or if it's just the singers voice that gives me that feeling.
Michael Jackson
5/5
Think this held the title of "most sold albums of all time" for a very long time, and understandably so. I also read that Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones' intent was to make a record "with just hit tracks". I think they succeeded pretty well in that. Probably everyone in the world has heard some song on this album at least once, and some artists could only dream of making one of these songs once in their life. There are some tracks (The Lady in My Life and The Girl Is Mine) that are definitely not on par with the rest, but otherwise it's just banger after banger.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Phantom of the Opera and Strange World are real bangers, but otherwise it wasn’t really anything that stood out as much. Feels like it holds a pretty high bar overall though, and I like Iron Maiden so a very strong 3 feels about right.
Arcade Fire
3/5
I've listened to the top songs from Arcade Fire before (The Suburbs, Wake Up etc.) but doesn't evoke any special emotions in me. Kind of the same in this album, but I did enjoy Half Light I and Suburban War quite a lot actually. Feels like a proper 3, definitely not higher.
Elbow
3/5
I was determined to give this a 2, but then I listened again and Grounds for Divorce kind of stuck with me. Then I realized that I kind of like the singers voice, so I changed my mind to a 3. The most played song was One Day Like This, but that didn't really stand out to me. Overall it was very fun to hear something I never had heard before, but it didn't impress me that much.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
2/5
This was an odd one. First playthrough I took notice of Cripple Creek and Lawrence of Euphoria which stood out with its weirdness. But when I got to Grey/Afro and continued listening I definitely noticed something was wrong. Turns out the songs after that wasn't part of the original - and you could tell easily, the quality really plummeted. The whole album is very uneven in quality. Songs like Diana and Grey/Afro are a clear 1/5 for me with its hazy rambling and droning. But some songs do stand out, like I mentioned. I also read that the whole album was recorded by himself just after having been hospitalized for some time and diagnozed with schizofrenia. That backstory adds more to the album and makes it more interesting somehow - it could explain a lot of the mellowness, for example. Even though it won't get very high rating from me, I'm glad I listened to it and learned some piece of history with it!
The Yardbirds
3/5
For being such an old album I think a lot of it sounds pretty modern! Not the actual production of course, but the actual writing. I think I was a bit distracted when listening to it so nothing really stands out that much. When skimming through it now I must say it's pretty catchy though!
Soul II Soul
3/5
I thought it started out in a good way with the first 2 or 3 tracks, but then it deteriorated quite a bit. ‘African Dance’ and ‘Dance’ were quite yawny for example. Not sure I understand why this deserves to be on the list to be honest.
Snoop Dogg
3/5
I really like West Coast 90s hip hop so this should definitely be my jam. Snoop Dogg have really been on a ridiculuos amount of hits in that genre, but I wouldn't say they're on this album. I've listened to it a few times before but I always conclude that it's not really for me for some reason. There are some well known songs like 'Gin and Juice' and 'Who Am I', but I'm not that big a fan to be honest. They're not bad or anything, I just think there are way better songs out there (see 2001 by Dr. Dre for example) Solid 3 star rating; not bad but doesn't reach any great heights for me personally.
Nirvana
5/5
Maybe a bit cliché but Nirvana is one of my favourite bands, and this is probably their best album. The first half is crazy strong, so many good songs. What I discovered this time listening to the album is that the second half, starting from 'Territorial Pissings', is actually very weak. If that was all the album contained it would probably be a 2 for me, but the first half makes up for it. 'Come As You Are' is probably my favourite song on the album. I think 'Smells Like Teen Sprit' used to be
the best the first 100 times I heard it, but now it has lost its magic a bit since it's been so overplayed over the years.
Common
3/5
I have never heard of this guy before, but I was quite pleasantly surprised and definitely found myself digging some of the songs. I don't think this type of rap/hiphop is really my thing, but if it was I think it would've maybe gotten some higher ratings.
Roxy Music
1/5
Some of the songs could've kind of worked for me, but I feel like everything is dragged down by the singer. I really don't like how he sings or how he sounds. It's not too far away from how David Byrne does it in Talking Heads, but there it just fits the music somehow, and is executed better. Here it's just dissonant somehow. Not a big fan.
Paul McCartney
3/5
I don't know... I didn't really feel that much during the first playthrough to be honest. Definitely not bad, but nothing that stuck with me either except maybe Momma Miss America, which was a really cool song, but also completely different from the rest of the album. Maybe I just need to listen to it again, not sure.
Jethro Tull
4/5
Pretty cool album honestly. I think this is one of those albums where they manage to turn the weirdness into something good, rather than letting it end up drawing the whole thing down. Perhaps I don't want to put it on immeditely after hearing it, but there are definitely some killer riffs in there, and I think it could become a quite strong album for me if I just gave it some more listenings. I'll give this one the benefit of the doubt and give it a weak 4. Plus points for standing out. The album art definitely gels well with the music on it somehow.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
I wasn't very fond of this album. There was too little variation between the songs for my taste, and I particularly didn't like that it was so low-tempo and mellow. I am not someone who appreciates the lyrics that much, and this certainly feels like an album that is for those who do. Still, 'People Ain't No Good' and 'West Country Girl' stuck out to me, and I really liked those. I am going to give this a strong 2 star rating, knowing that it probably deserves better. And it would've gotten more if it was more my thing.
Megadeth
2/5
For metal to work for me, I think I need it to be quite... outstanding. And this album wasn't that for me. It's not enough to just dish out lots of notes in fast order to get my blood pumping. It should have nothing to do with the music, but it might also get dragged down by my view of Dave Mustaine as a whiny child about getting kicked out of Metallica for a being a drunk and general douche.
Gene Clark
4/5
Never heard of this before, but this just grabbed me from the start somehow, which happens very rarely. Often I feel like I need to listen to something for a few times before appreciating it, so that is a really good credit to the album. Most tracks were just great or really good honestly, hard to point out exactly what it is. But the tracks were quite different from each other, I really liked that. Some with heavy Pink Floyd-esque guitar solos like 'Stength of Strings' or 'Some Misunderstanding', a bit more folk or country with the first two tracks and 'True One'. 'No Other' was just a really cool track overall, comes as a complete surprise but really slaps with some distorted bass or synth or something.
Charles Mingus
3/5
I like Jazz, but I don't think I know Jazz well enough to understand the greatness of this album, or why it stands out and needs to be on this list. Don't get me wrong, I thought it was a nice listening, but it just doesn't stand out particularly much. Having an almost 19 minute track also gets a bit tedious to be frank. I also think all tracks sounded VERY similar. Still, it sounds good for what Jazz is, so I guess I'll just put it in the middle?
Television
3/5
Pretty decent album, never heard of them before! There were no song that really grabbed me other than perhaps 'Marquee Moon' a bit, but all of them held up well enough! Nothing really bad, so this ends right in the middle for me.
Sex Pistols
4/5
Many of the tracks are a bit samey, but all in all it's a great album. 'God Save the Queen' has got to be one of the most iconic punk songs, and there's more where that came from as well. I think some mystery is added to all of it with the band having this as their only studio album ever produced before breaking up.
Tom Waits
3/5
When the first song started my reaction was "....what?". And to be honest I think this fits more like a soundtrack to a movie, rather than something to put on and listen to as a typical album. Despite this I think it took me on an interesting journey. Really made me picture being on an old steamboat at dusk at the turn of the last century, in some tropical place, hanging out with various dubious people playing cards and smoking cigarettes. So even though this might not be something I would just put on and listen to, I still enjoyed it for what it was and I'm glad I heard it. But due to this it's also hard for me to rate it much higher than 3 since I wouldn't say I "liked" it as I usually like 4 star albums.
Megadeth
2/5
I wasn't a big fan of the 'Rust in Peace' Megadeth album we heard recently. Though 'Devils Island' stood out as a pretty cool song, the rest just all molded together in a bad way. Can't remember a single song. I think I've grown quite tired of Megadeth already just after 2 albums.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
I really looked forward to hearing this. I have to say I was a little bit disappointed. I had pretty high expectations though, and this is definitely not Bob Marley's best album. Regardless, I really like reggae in and Bob Marley general, and even though I was a bit disappointed it was still not that bad. Good thing is that the really awesome albums will probably come later!
Fiona Apple
4/5
This was miles better than the 'Fetch the Bolt Cutters' album. I especially enjoyed the 'The First Taste', 'Sullen Girl', and 'Sleep to Dream' which sounds like 'Destiny' from Zero 7, but maybe a bit worse. I didn't feel like it was really my kind of music though, maybe if I had given it more chances it would stick to me. Still going to have to go with a weak 4, recognizing that she is a very good singer and plus points for sounding different.
Elliott Smith
2/5
I can see how this album speaks to some people. For me it felt a bit like toned down Blink 182 or skate punk, but in a more serious way, and it just doesn't really work for me. Too many mellow songs and lullabies makes it quite boring to be honest. Feels like it would fit perfectly in some of the 90s or early 20s teenage drama series like O.C, One Tree Hill or similar, and that's just a bit past me.
Suede
1/5
As soon as the singer opened his mouth, I knew it was going to require very much of both the album and myself to straighten the sinking ship. And we never did, it sunk faster than Titanic. There was nothing that I liked about this album, but I least of all liked the singer. It could maybe have gotten a 2 or 3 star rating without him, but that really cemented the 1 star rating. There were no song that really stood out, and it all sounded bad as well to my ear, just badly mixed and too much distortion.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Somehow I was more accepting of this album compared to ‘Raising Hell’. Not sure why, because it felt like it had less hits. But I think the annoying drum machine sounds were less prominent. Feels like a solid “in the middle“ album.
Mott The Hoople
4/5
When I saw the cover art I was a bit sceptical, but it was actually surprisingly good. It sounded good for being so old, and I really liked some songs like 'Honaloochie Boogie', 'I'm a Cadillac / El Camino Dolo Roso'. The album sounded really good and it reminded me a bit of Led Zeppelin sometimes, which I'm a big fan of so this sat quite well. Quite many songs were "generic rock", but perhaps I was just in the mood for this when I heard it, not sure. Weak 4 it is!
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
When I saw this album I though “Nice, I’ve heard this before and it’s an easy 5, I barely have to listen”. But then I thought I might as well. And it’s not as good as I remember it - if you put the classics aside. Without those it would probably have been a 2. Many songs just drag on and on forever or are just not that good. But due to ‘Crosstown traffic’, ‘Along the Watchtower’ etc it still gets a 4.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Not sure if this is their best album, but it still slaps hard. Even the less known songs are very good with easy, yet recognizable, riffs. And then there’s the classics like ‘Whole Lotta Love’, ‘Heartbreaker’ etc. on top of that. Robert Plant is definitely one of my favorite rock singers as well, so powerful.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
This was an interesting album. When I started listening I felt that it was something that should sit well with me, but for some reason I just didn't like it THAT much. Can't figure out why. But I am still inclined to give it a 4 star rating despite this, somehow I feel that it deserves it. There is so much crap music today, but this stands out as well produced and innovative, even though I don't feel like throwing myself over it again any time soon. Think I will learn to like it if I listen more to it.
CHIC
3/5
Really like Chic. Unfortuntely this album doesn't really reach the highs to warrant a higher rating. Many songs, though very catchy, can get quite long and monotonous as well.
Arcade Fire
1/5
I don’t know what it is but I really don’t like Arcade Fire. The last album ‘The Suburbs’ didn’t quite hit home and this sank even lower. I think the chord progression they use just isn’t for me, or it’s too cheerful sounding or something. I wanted to like it, but for the whole album I just couldn’t wait for it to be over, and I wanted to skip every song. I think this is also the first album I rate 1 star even though the production and sound is actually good. Here it’s just the music that really don’t work for me.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
While I can understand the significance this must have had on alternative rock - especially considering it came out at 67, which feels crazy I early - I’m finding it hard to name songs that are actually good. ‘Sunday Morning’ is a classic that I’ve heard many times, but it’s a song more fitting of a soundtrack or something, rather than something I want to listen to like this. Same goes for many other songs. It’s just not something I really want to listen to.
Radiohead
4/5
I have mixed feelings in general about Radiohead, I sometimes feel like they’re a bit too pretentious. So coming into this I was a bit reserved, also due to the fact that I’ve heard this album before but it didn’t stick that well. But I was actually pleasantly surprised, I especially think the latter part was very strong. ‘Fade out’ was already among my liked songs, but ‘Bullet proof… I wish I was’ is a new addition!
Haircut 100
3/5
I was strolling through Limone Sul Garda in Italy when listening to this, and it fitted the scenery very well. Never heard the album before and it was an interesting listening experience, though some songs felt a bit too similar.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Sounded different for a Bon Dylan album, which is good. It was fine, not much more to say.
Elvis Costello
2/5
I think this album had some of the weakest starts I've ever experienced, and I was determined to give it 1 star straight away. Everything just sounded bad and I didn't like it at all. Then it recovered a bit and finally landed on a 2. Elvis Costello is a name I've heard before many times, but I was thoroughly disappointed with this record.
The Clash
2/5
I think it demands quite a lot from punk to be good, and this just wasn’t enough. Nothing memorable really, just mindless riffing etc.
OutKast
4/5
Really cool album actually, quite trippy. The first quarter or so of the album was definitely 5 star terrority for me, but then it got a bit worse after that. Still some cool songs like 'Humble Mumble', 'We luv dez hoes' (though the latter is quite misogynist, like much else sadly). I think overall it just sounds a bit different with lot of acid-like elements and their rapping style works really well in my opinion.
Nico
2/5
This started out really interesting, I really liked ‘These days’. Unfortunately it got gradually worse as the album progresses. ‘It was a pleasure then’ was a clear 1 star track with its weird noises, and so was ‘Wrap your troubles in dreams’ where she sounded out of tune.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
I've heard all of these songs so many times before, so I was hardly blown away, in a "surprised" kind of way, by the album. Though it's quite a feat to have managed to get all of these songs on one album, and I can only imagine how strong this must have been when it came out. I was contemplating putting a 5, but I think a 4 is reasonable.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Liked this one! Very even, high quality throughout the record.
James Brown
2/5
Last James Brown album we had, I remember thinking (and maybe writing) that it would've been better live. Now that we're here, I find that it didn't do as much as I hoped. The fangirls shouting is more annoying than anything, and the songs are just drags on more than a regular album. James is undeniably at least as good a singer live as he is on the album, but other than that that there's nothing that stands out here. I seriously don't understand why this live album, if you had to pick any, ended up on this list.
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
I've heard this album a few times before, and when it popped up now I still thought "I wonder what other songs are on there apart from 'White Rabbit' and 'Somebody to Love'". I think this is quite telling of the record: it's very uneven. There are very many songs on the album, and only the first half + 'White Rabbit' is really worth keeping. The rest should just have been cut and it could've gotten a 4 probably. I also think it's a mistake to not have Grace sing more of the songs, since she has such an iconic voice and is what stands out the most to me.
Queen Latifah
2/5
Not my cup of tea really. No hooks or anything in my opinion. Not totally rock bottom, but still very uninteresting to me.
Germs
1/5
I instantly disliked this, but tried my very best to not let that first impression affect me for the rest of the album. But it was impossible to turn it around. Maybe the worst record we've had on this list so far and I cannot fathom why it is on the list at all. Maybe it was a pioneer back when it came out and paved the way for some genre, no idea. Is it here as a benchmark mark for how bad an album can be? When I looked at the number of songs on the album I got seriously scared, but the silver lining was that each song was just 1-2 mins long, amounting to a very short total playtime around 38 mins. And that turned out to be the only good thing with this album. I would've given this 0 stars if I could.
4/5
New album for me, and this was a happy surprise! Every song felt very funky and had a really nice groove to it. Listened to it while working and I can't remember thinking anytime that it got bad or especially boring. Songs were also different enough from each other. Just overall solid, very happy with this!
Beastie Boys
2/5
I feel like a grumpy old man but I didn't like this very much. 'Fight for you Right' is definitely a classic, but other than that I didn't really enjoy any of the tracks. I think it's the same problem that I have with the old Run DMC albums, it just sounds so synthetic and "basic" with just the drum machines and some sampled stuff. While their rap style can be cool and work well in some songs, it can also become very monotonous and "toneless" over a few songs.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
Bit interesting to hear a Herbie Hancock album start out with some acid bassline. Heavy use of electrical piano as well, which is absolutely some of my favourite sounding instruments. Was planning on going with a 3 first, but this is actually quite a unique jazz album, very different from what I've heard before. And it's very good!
John Lennon
3/5
This was quite hard for me to rate honestly. The music itself was good, but nothing spectacular for me personally. But since it's John Lennon you sort of feel inclined to give the benefit of the doubt. But I still think a strong 3 is appropriate for me when comparing with other albums. To get a 4, I'd at least want to feel some excitement about some songs and want to give it a listen again. Not so much with this. 'Imagine' is of course a very good song, and 'Oh Yoko!' was quite good as well, though very cheesy.
1/5
I actually thought we had hit lowest possible already, but this might have reclaimed the throne? First song is basically a bunch of out of tune noise, more like a soundscape (which can be nice ofc, but not like this). And it just went on the same unfortunately. 0 stars if it would've been possible.
Wilco
2/5
Seems to be a fairly popular album, but I'm not quite sold. Sounds a bit like a mix between Radiohead and Eliott Smith, but especially Radiohead are way better in my opinion. I think overall there's not enough interesting stuff going on, quite bland in general so to speak. 'Jesus, Etc.' was quite a cool song, changes sounds completely with violins and everything. But other than that it wasn't for me.
Air
4/5
This album has a bit of an interesting lo-fi vibe to it. It's a bit quirky, and I like that. Somehow it also sounds older than it is, which you don't see too often. 'Sexy Boy' is such a cool track, and the ones with Beth Hirsch are also especially good. I also like 'Ce martin-lá - From "L'uomo in più"'. Not all songs are great, but it keeps a quite high bar still, so this will have to be a weak 4.
Deep Purple
3/5
We had a live album by Deep Purple before, 'Made In Japan', that I was expecting to be bad but turned out to be very good. This is almost the opposite situation. I saw 'Smoke on the water' on this record and expected it to be a banger, but almost all songs turned out to be boring. This was also a stupid expectation to have from me to have, since I can't find any joy with 'Smoke on the water' to begin with, I have simply heard it to many times, and it has lost its magic. My overall feeling with the album is also a bit perplexing. On paper, this album really has everything I should like. Good singer, rock from era I usually enjoy, cool electric piano etc, but it just doesn't get up there for some reason. The album was saved by the last two songs, 'Space truckin'' and 'When a blind man cries' which were actually very good songs, many steps above the rest.
Marty Robbins
4/5
Fun record. I wonder if I enjoyed it much because it was actually good, or if it was just a fresh breeze compared to the records you usually get (rock mostly). It made me want to go to southern US, so I guess that’s a good sign?
Beach House
5/5
I noticed I had saved 3 songs from this album on Spotify, but I'm not sure I listened through the whole album before. Amazingly I found even more songs that were worthy of saving, and I didn't really think there were any bad songs at all. I never really considered this to be THAT good, but now when I heard the whole album I can't really give it anything other than 5 stars, it's actually a stellar album. It's quite melancholic though, and her voice is probably something you either love or hate, but it hits just right for me.
The La's
2/5
I've only heard 'There she goes' before from the La´s, and after listeningen to this I understand why. The whole album was pretty forgetful actually, nothing there to reel you in. It's not bad per-se, but there's just nothing that stands out apart from 'There she goes' to me. I think I will change it up and give this a strong 2, instead of a weak 3.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Once again Led Zeppelin delivers a high quality album. There are definitely songs here that wouldn't be considered Zeppelin's top ones, but the overall bar is still very high. Songs like 'Good Times Bad Times' and 'Communication Breakdown' are probably my favorite ones on the album.
Jimmy Smith
4/5
This was such a nice and calm listen. Super cozy. Starting out the first song with an electric organ was an instant hook for me. I imagine the best way to experience this is in some cozy dim lit NYC basement while having a nice meal.
Sam Cooke
3/5
Seems to have been quite some energy in that club going on. I think in general, I've concluded that I don't like live albums that much. So far the ones I've heard have been less impressive than regular ones, and I'm not sure why I keep seeing them on this list. Regardless, I would consider this one of the better ones I've heard. It's also fun to hear a different more energetic version of Sam Cooke than I'm used to hearing, so it'll get a 3 from me.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
2/5
Really fun with an album that sounds different from the rest. I had hopes this could be the same revelation that the Massive Attack album 'Protection' was. And the first half kind of had me leading on to that, but then it changed format to a more oriental one, which can be fine of course, but it felt a bit disconnected and messy just splitting the album up in two parts like that. In general it didn't quite hit home for me, but I'll give it plus points for trying.
The Byrds
2/5
Very forgettable to me frankly. I guess the album cover should have given me some hint at what I was about to hear. Somehow the actual songs themselves doesn't sound as hallucinatory as the art feels, but there are still some songs where the experimentation goes wrong. Like 'Eight Miles High' for example, which was a low point for me personally. In general I think this album have some of the worst guitar solos I've heard. We've had one more The Byrds album before, and I just fail to see the greatness with them.
Massive Attack
5/5
Massive Attack really has become this group that I wasn't familiar with before starting with 1001 albums, but now love. Had their 'Protection' album here before, which was really good. I think this is stronger though. I am probably a bit biased in my honeymoon phase with this band, but they are just really good at creating extremely cool grooves with nice mellow chord progressions that works very well for me. It definitely feels 90s to me, but also manages to stand out and be very unique compared to much other music. The singers on the album have very different vocal ranges, which it makes it very interesting. It sounds quite similar to Moby, of which I am a big fan. He also manages to capture a similar feeling, especially in the 'Play' and '18' and albums. Some of my favourite tracks from the album are 'Blue Lines', 'Daydreaming', and 'Lately'. But like I said, all tracks keeps a very high bar.
Radiohead
2/5
This was an extremely uneven album. Almost half of the songs are nonsense and feels like they're there to tie the good songs together or set the mood of the album, one quarter is quite good - like 'Knives Out', 'I Might Be Wrong', 'Dollars and Cents', and the other quarter is ok. How do you rate that? I think I'll actually give it a strong 2 for once instead of weak 3. I just feel like the weak songs drag down the overall impression way too much to ignore.
Dolly Parton
3/5
I don't think I am knowledgeable enough in this area of music to really rate this properly. To me it sounded good and the singers are extremely capable, but the music is also feels like pretty generic country music. Nothing I want to throw myself over again, but it was a pretty calm listen and if I'm in the mood for country I could put this on for sure. I just hope for their sake that the album cover picture was done as satire or a joke, and not in seriousness. Though I'm not sure how much humour Dolly Patron & co. has, so it's hard to know.
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
"Cool, an album from 2021!" is what my first reaction was. Unfortunately this quickly turned to sadness since there is so much good music these days, and they chose this out of all the good music they could've picked. I also read that she was inspired by Cardi B, which is not a good thing. I think conceptually the album feels quite cohesive. Unfortunately, the theme is not really something that excites me that much. Some of the songs are ok, but it's just not really my jam honestly, so it's hard to give it proper credit. It's not something I really enjoyed though, and I won't go back to it, so a 2 feels right for me.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
This is our 2nd Elvis Costello record on the list, and I still fail to see the greatness with him. I am fairly certain that this is a "me" thing, because I can't really point out any obvious issues more than that it is very mundane and doesn't move me at all - the chord progressions are just not interesting at all. I think I've heard 'Oliver's Army' before, which seems to be the high point of the album. But even then it's quite weak. The best thing about this album is the cover art, which I think is quite telling. I don't think it quite drops into 1 star rating territory, that feels a bit too harsh, even though I sincerely hope there's no more Elvis Costello on this list.
Kendrick Lamar
2/5
Kendrick Lamar often seems to be cited as the big hip hop phenomenon after 2010. I've tried getting into his stuff, but I just don't see it. I tried listening extra much to the lyrics this time to see if that's where the gold was, but to me it's just the same old tropey disrespecting women, talk about fame and money etc. that you've heard a trillion times. And sure, some of the beats were perhaps a bit more... mellow and melodic somehow, but not enough to warrant that level of recognition. The trap-like elements and tri-hit hi-hats actually works against me here, not a fan of that at all. I think my favourite song of the album was 'Sing about me, I'm dying of thirst', which coincidentally also seem to stand out the most from the rest. I really want to like it, but I just don't. And I am pretty sure this is an extremely unpopular opinion. Maybe he was super revolutionary when he came out, but if so, it's just not in a direction I enjoy. Weak 2 for me.
Kate Bush
3/5
Both the album cover and actual music feels old. It was an interesting listen with many unorthodox songs, but it's hard to say whether I liked it or not. 'Quirky' is probably a good way to describe this album, and a bit all over the place. Not something I'll return to for sure.
Brian Eno
3/5
During my first playthrough this left with no real impression, even though Brian Eno is often brought up as a pioneer in electronic music. I was working while listening and nothing really stood out.
I skimmed again now just before writing this, and it's actually not that bad, but not great either. I think it just passed my by since it's mostly ambient and mellow stuff. It would work much better as soundtrack to a movie rather than a typical album. Might be something I'd put on again while working. Weak 3 overall, not that exciting.
Otis Redding
3/5
This was pretty good, but after hearing a lot of familiar songs thinking "was this really made by Otis Redding?" I googled the album and realized that 90% of it are covers. I honestly think that kind of makes it ineligible for a rating, and that it shouldn't be on this list at all. I guess all I can do is rate his performance then, so I'll do that, even though it feels unfair towards other albums that might've gotten a lower rating.
A fun fact is that it's apparently unknown who the girl on the album cover is. The art somehow also feels before its time and looks like something a bit mysterious that could've popped up during the 90s.
Jane's Addiction
2/5
'Been Caught Stealing' is a quite deecent classic that you'd hear at any 90s themed party. But there's not much more than that for me personally. I think one of the main gripes I have is that the singer mostly sounds like he's singing at his sonic capabilities all the time, like there's no dynamics - it's either on or off - and that makes it feel quite intense all the time in a not-so-good way. Also this is just not really my jam.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Another banger from Led Zeppelin. Perhaps not their best one, but it's crazy how consistent they are. Even their "bad" albums are better than some artists could ever dream of creating. Perhaps this one doesn't contain their most famous songs, but all songs are just really good, where 'Immigrant Song' probably sits on the throne as the most recognized one.
David Bowie
4/5
A bit of a different Bowie album? At first playthrough it kind of flew past me, but then I listened again and I felt that it actually kept a pretty high bar throughout. Hard to pinpoint exactly what was good, but just overall quite nice! Weak 4 it is.
TV On The Radio
3/5
I can see how this could've been an inspiration to other bands to do something similar. I can't quite put my finger on where I've heard traces of this before, but I am confident it's out there somewhere. I appreciate that it stands out and takes a leap of faith in being original and I'm positive this sits well with a lot of people, but it doesn't quite manage to grab me unfortunately. It's probably just not my cup of tea.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
My first though was "hmm, this sounds quite a lot like Phil Collins, but not as good". And sure enough, Peter Garbriel was the front man of Genesis, so I'm glad that my spider senses proved themselves working for once. But that was the most exciting thing with the album for me. Like many other albums we've had on the list, there's nothing bad about this really, it just doesn't get my blood pumping. It also sounds very 80s in a not-that-great way.
Big Star
3/5
The first half was not that great, but it recovered itself in the second half! 'Blue Moon' was a quite a good song. Overall I think a 3 makes sense.
Ray Charles
3/5
Pretty bread and butter big band music as far as I can tell. Nothing wrong with that though, it slots in perfectly when you're in a certain mood for that. The listen made me feel happy, which is more than you can say for many albums!
2/5
Not really my cup of tea. 'You said something' was good, but other than that it really didn't hit home for me.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Think I've only heard 'Can I Kick It' before, so this was new territory for me. I was quite sceptical at first (which I always am, nothing new there), perhaps mostly due to the band name, which definitely ranks high as some of the worst I've seen.
Their music was far better though, really liked it! Once again - as is quite common with many of my 4 star rated albums - there wasn't really any single track that stood out very much, but the overall level was just really high. I found myself constantly grooving along. 'Mr. Muhammad' for example is a really cool track that gives me Massive Attack vibes. Then 'I Left My Wallet in El Segundo' gives you a completely different vibe, but is still really cool. I guess one thing that annoys me is that their rapping flow/style feels a bit tame sometimes. A bit "kosher" somehow. But in summary, really cool album! One of few that I haven't heard before, but still leaves me super excited about listening again!
3/5
Once again it started off with scepticism, as the cover art looks like an invitation card to dinners at an Amish place in the 50s. Lucikly it turned out to be a very nice album! What a wonderful voice she has, she sings very well. It's hard for me to give it more than a solid 3 in the middle, because even though I can appreciate it when in certain mood and it genuinely made me happy to listen to, it's not really something I usually put on myself. It's also hard to know how this album from 67 has impacted the genre.
Ozomatli
1/5
This really wasn't to my liking at all. The single biggest issue for me was that it didn't feel cohesive at all. It was a mixture of latino rap, some rap that didn't feel latino, 'Who Discovered America' which felt like a worse kind of radio smash hit version of Santana's 'Smooth'. Then there was 'Dejame en Paz', which was something completely different? I think if some of the tracks were hand picked and put in another constellation, it might not have been as bad, but this just didn't fly at all. But to be fair, the tracks didn't really leave any impression on me regardless so maybe not.
ZZ Top
3/5
Some proper "old man's rock". 'La Grange' is a real classic, and even the rest of the songs mostly contain real catchy and memorable riffs. If that's exactly what you want you'll love this. I think personally it gets a bit boring after a while somehow. Very bread and butter rock, maybe I just wasn't in the mood for that. One thing that surprised in a good way was how well they sing.
Fela Kuti
3/5
Pretty nice vibe, hard to sit still with this on! Songs were a bit too long perhaps, but not much to complain about to be honest. Hard to say what could change to give it a higher rating, but somehow feels fitting with a 3 even though I can't really motivate it properly.
4/5
I came into this thinking it would be a solid 5 star album. I have to say I was a bit disappointed. The first few songs are crazy strong, but the rest is kind of forgettable to be honest. I am a quite big fan of U2's music, but a realization has dawned on me that they are quite uneven. It's really only their best songs that are good, the rest are not that interesting. Lucky for them they have quite alot of smash hits across all of their albums, but when looking at this album as a whole it fell short of other albums I've given 5 stars.
T. Rex
4/5
Another one I haven't encountered before, but this was a really cool album! It starts off with - in my opinion - the albums best song 'Mambo Sun', and just keeps going with cool songs. When I got to 'Get It On' the coin finally fell down since that is quite a well known song. The singer had a quite unique style, but it fitted very well with the songs. I think in general most songs were just very good, which doesn't happen very often when I come across an "ordinary" rock album. Hats off to this!
Missy Elliott
2/5
I've come to the conclusion that I just like very specific types of rap for some reason. And unfortunately this didn't fit in there. Can't put my finger on it, but it just didn't move me at all for some reason. I appreciate that she's taking a stance for the ladies though, quite a lot of rap can be very misogynistic in my opinion. So hearing something different than that is refreshing.
N.W.A.
4/5
Funny how the last album we got was 'Under Construction' by Missy Eliott, and I said how refreshing it was that she was taking a stand for the ladies. Enter this album, which is the polar opposite of that.
I might get lynched for giving this a 4 star, but I'm just a bit tired of the older hip-hop beats. It was the same feeling with Run-D.M.C. Eazy-E´s rap is also so annoying to listen to, don't like his flow at all. Still, you can't deny how influental the album has been for hip-hop, and catapulting Dr.Dre and Ice Cube, for example, towards very successful careers.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Wow, another Fela Kuti album. Think that has been the artist so far with most albums generated, very unexpected. I have to say this live album actually added something; Fela's energy was really rubbing off! The first 3 songs were really strong, then it dipped a bit. The absolute low point was the 16 minutes drum solo. I really try to be open minded about drum solos, but they have never really worked for me.
Green Day
3/5
I used to listen to lots of skate punk in my teens, and some albums still hold up really well. But this doesn't do much for me, unfortunately. I think it is regarded as one of the better early works in that genre, and certainly some songs like 'Basket Case' and perhaps 'When I Come Around' are bangers, but it is just too uneven for me to give it a higher rating. I really like Green Day's more commercially successful album 'American Idiot', but other than that I think Green Day just isn't really for me, for some reason.
Syd Barrett
1/5
Pink Floyd regards Syd Barret very high and has mentioned how influential he was for their sound and how he was a cornerstone in the band, basically pulling the strings. That might be true, but it's a bit funny how they made their best stuff after he left the band.
I can see many resemblences between this album and the first two Pink Floyd albums as well, but those albums at least had some songs that were pretty good, and they sounded like they were mixed by professional musicians. This has nothing of that. It sounds terrible, the songs are jibberish and incohesive. Maybe some songs reflect his mental wellbeing at the time, which would be both interesting and a bit sad, but it's still not anything I would put on or listen to.
Sparks
1/5
Sounds like a mixture between circus music and Queen. Way too sprawling for my taste. I don't think this is objectively bad, it just doesn't suit me the slightest.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
This was an album with a lot of mixed emotions for sure. The length of it seems to be a whooping 105 (!) minutes, which is absurd for an album in my opinion.
The first quarter is way too much religion centric for my taste. Almost all songs seems to be about Jesus or God in some form - not my cup of tea.
Not all songs keep the same quality, but you can't deny that there are quite a lot of bangers here. What's more, there are also a handful of songs that have been sampled and you recognize from other famous songs as well. 'I Wish' seems to be the main song in Will Smith's 'Wild Wild West', 'Pastime Paradise' has been covered and sampled loads of times, and there might be more that I missed. Still, for an album to get a 5 star I would like it to be a bit more even throughout, and it would probably reach that level if like half of the songs were cut. Strong 4 it is!
The Flaming Lips
1/5
I actually disliked this with a passion. It was a long time ago since I heard a record that sounded this bad, it's on demo territory for me. I actually had to check if my headphones were connected properly, just because it sounded so bad.
The singer has a quite special style that you may or may not like, but I think he actually sang out of key on some songs which just enhances the feeling that he can't sing.
It's a bit of a shame, because 'Race for the Prize' could've been a very good song if it was just executed better. And that is a feeling I have throughout the whole record; every song that could've been good is ruined by bad choices of what sounds and instruments to use, which just makes it sound crap and dissonant (I'm looking at you, distorted bass in 'A Spoonful Weighs a Ton').
It does sound quite a lot like a predecessor to Death Cab for Cutie though, and I can see how many other indie and alternative bands might've been inspired by this.
Ute Lemper
2/5
Strange album. It sounds like it's way older than from 2000 somehow. If lining up all of the different famous artists on the album cover was going to be selling, it unfortunately didn't contribute to it being actually good. Ute sounds like a competent singer, but the songs just weren't for at all.
David Bowie
3/5
This was quite interesting as it didn't feel like a Bowie album. Maybe too non-quirky and/or more electronic elements than I'm used to in Bowie's music. Still, I enjoyed it, refreshing! Shows that Bowie is quite the musician with many different sides to him.
I instantly liked 'Sound and Vision' when it came on, but other than that not much really stuck. There were some nice melodic pieces in the latter part of the album like 'Art Decade' and 'Weeping Wall', but somehow don't feel like it deserves more than a quite strong 3 star rating, still.
Frank Black
1/5
I understand the Pixies to be quite highly regarded, but this just did not cut it at all for me. It felt extremely bland, and I actually didn't manage to sit through the whole of it. Even though it was just an hour long it felt like I was listening to it the whole morning. Not in a good way.
Linkin Park
5/5
It was really hard to rate this album. This album and 'Meteora' were albums that became insanely popular when I was young, so there are quite strong nostalgia connected to this for me. Which raises the question of how good it really is.
Somehow it doesn't feel super modern anymore, but I can't put my finger on whether it's because I haven't been listening to this type of music for long or whether it's something else.
Having mostly heard the big hits before like 'Papercut', 'In the End', 'One Step Closer', 'Crawling', 'A Place for My Head', I have to say that I can't find that many songs that are actually bad.
I think I will have to give this a weak 5 star, just because I can't really find any reason not to. It's just overall filled with good songs. I don't necessarily enjoy it as much as I would've back in the day, but I still think it's objectively really good. And when it came out it was quite groundbreaking.
Funkadelic
3/5
This was hard to get hold of, was not available on Spotify in our country.
I think I was a bit too focused while working to take this in properly, I barely remember anything about it. But it did feel nice to have in the background. Gut says this is a 3.
Foo Fighters
3/5
Foo Fighters has some good songs, but never really liked them that much for whatever reason. I definitely think there are albums that contain much better songs than this, so this is by no means their top stuff. The first half is pretty decent, but second half drags it down quite a bit with 'Weenie Beenie' being the low point.
Willie Nelson
3/5
Nice country. Wise men say country is all about the lyrics, but unfortunately I couldn't focus on that while working. Regardless, it was a nice listen.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Interesting album. Contains two of his most popular hits; 'Superstition' and 'You Are The Sunshine Of My Life' which are undeniable bangers. The rest of the album doesn't reach those highs, and as I mentioned before I have a bit of a hard time relating to the religious theme of his songs. On the flip-side, the Clavinet and electric keyboard, which are some of my favourite sounds, are on almost every song and gives it a nice funky feeling. Still, going to have to settle with a strong 3.
Paul Simon
3/5
When this record started I got lured in by the reggae-like sound and thought it was someone from Jamaica singing. Didn't recognize Paul Simon's voice at all!
Paul Simon is a pretty clever guy when it comes to creating interesting stories and wordplay. But for some reason it just isn't quite hitting home for me, it doesn't stand out enough somehow and I can't explain.
As interesting as some songs are lyrically, equally as uninteresting some songs are as well. 'Run That Body Down' has a nice mellow vibe to it, but the lyrics feels like filler lyrics someone would come up with on a napkin while sitting on the commuter train. Same thing goes for 'Armistice Day'. And I just expect a bit more from Paul I guess.
All things considered it will have to be a 3 for me, though I realize this could be a 'me' thing and it deserves more.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
I liked this. But is it something I'm going to lay sleepless over and think about all the time? No. I think it's a bit unfair towards the album because it's so hard for me to relate to this properly, so giving it more than 3 or weak 4 at tops is just not going to happen. Still, there is a feeling that it might deserve more.
R.E.M.
4/5
We've had R.E.M´s 'Document' album here before which was beneath mediocre, but this definitely stepped up the game a notch or two! After hearing two albums I'm semi-convinced that the base sound of R.E.M. is not really for me - it's more an exception that they managed to create a few really really good songs. This one falls apart a bit at the seams between those strong songs, preventing it from reaching a 5 for me.
Favourite songs from the album are 'The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite', 'Everybody Hurts', 'Man On The Moon', the latter two of which are absolute smash hits that everyone has probably heard at least once.
Miscellaneous strong points unrelated to this album specifically are that I really like Michael Stipe's singing, very good voice and energy. Also badass band name!
Yes
2/5
Had one Yes album here before that didn't impress that much, and this is not really improving on the matter. On paper I should like them, and I wish I did, but I just don't. I think it's just too much, perhaps. It feels like they try to cram in too many notes in their songs for my liking, and it just gets messy.
Fats Domino
3/5
This was pretty nice! But what is it about older artists and basically copy/pasting the same song format over and over? 'Blueberry Hill', 'Troubles Of My Own', 'Blue Monday' and 'So Long' are very, very similar to each other. Had the exact same thing with James Brown.
David Bowie
2/5
Not sure why this is on the list, it's nothing special at all. I'm fairly sure that if this didn't have Bowie's name on it, it would've been forgotten.
Some songs are ok-ish, but mostly it was just weird and dissonant. Bowie's music has always been a bit weird to me, but it always manages to land on the good side. This doesn't.
Michael Jackson
3/5
Whenever you hear Michael Jasckson songs, it's always the smash hits - which he has plenty of, can't argue about that. This album contains two that I can spot, but the rest are more modest. And I have to say that there is quite a big difference between those hits and his other songs. They were by no means bad, but didn't stand out that much else, except of course by the fact that MJ is a stellar performer and singer.
Strong 3 it is.
The Beach Boys
3/5
The Beach Boys has some good songs, but they're not my favourite band. This album feels pretty much like our last record, 'Off The Wall' with Michael Jackson, which had 2 smash hits and then the rest was pretty meh. That's how I feel about this as well; 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' and 'God Only Knows' are stellar, but the rest is pretty forgettable. Just like I did with the MJ record, I'm going to give this a strong 3, where the good songs push it up and the rest drags it down.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
I've never been a huge fan of Tom Petty, just doesn't hit the right spot for some reason. This is the first whole album of him I hear, but it didn't really do much in favour of changing my mind. Even the supposed hits just fly over my head. It's hard to give a fair rating, but I think reasonable a weak 3 might be appropriate.
George Harrison
4/5
Never listened to much of the Beatles past members´ own work, and the few songs I have heard were from John Lennon. So this was quite uncharted territory for me. I have to say I was surprised and impressed. It is VERY good!
It contains the hit 'My Sweet Lord', but I find it overall to have very high quality songs, at least in the first half, with 'Run Of The Mill' being my favourite one. I actually wanted to give it 5 stars at some point, but when I consider that it's over 2h playtime and the second half doesn't nearly live up to the first half, I have to lower it a bit. So I think a 4 is quite appropriate!
De La Soul
4/5
Really cool album that kept a red thread throughout it. 'My Myself and I' and 'Eye Know' were probably the best songs, and overall it was just a very good session where I felt like all tracks gelled together but still stood out enough at the same time. I am fairly sure Gorillaz (which I am a big fan of) has taken quite a lot of influence from this, as it reminded me of them in the sense that it is quite playful and a bit weird at times, but still rockin.
They could have skipped the whole Jeopardy!-like meta they had going as it didn't really seem to end up anywhere. Apart from that, really cool album that I've never heard before, really glad I did! Strong 4!
Fugees
3/5
This sounds like a very 90s record, with the super smash hits 'Killing Me Softly With His Song' and 'Ready or Not' at the front. It feels like this was a pretty influential record, and if nothing else, very commercially successful. I think overall it was pretty decent, but it doesn't quite grab me the way I'd hoped it would. I think it deserves more, but to me it felt like a solid 3.
The Velvet Underground
1/5
The link here directed me to the deluxe edition of this album, and I wonder if that was really supposed to happen as I see now there is a also a regular one on Spotify. Listening to the original album version might've changed things as it seems much more condensed, but I can't be arsed to go through it again.
This album has cemented my dislike of The Velvet Underground. Their first album is ok, but not really my cup of tea. This is much worse in all regards. The guitar distortion they have on all tracks is done in an ear-deafening way and not very nice. So many high pitched shrieks that are really unpleasant.
It's not just the actual sound though, the songs themselves are super boring as well, and a few of them just drag on forever, like 'The Gift' and 'Sister Ray'.
I think this probably has to be listened to with the fact in mind that it was released in '68, but it's hard to do that when it sounds how it does. There are many older albums that survived the turn of time, but not this one.
Roxy Music
2/5
This flew completely over my head. I don't remember a single song. Maybe that's because I was focused at work, or it just wasn't that interesting. I am going to go with the 2nd. Feels like this was only included because of the controversial album cover.
The Beach Boys
4/5
My first thought when I saw the album cover was "what is this, some kind of death metal?", and then it turned out to be The Beach Boys. What a surprise!
I think I may have liked this more than 'Pet Sounds' as a whole. It felt more coherent, and this was another side of The Beach Boys I've not encountered before. Some songs were quite mellow, like 'Disney Girls' and 'Surf's Up', and then there were a bit more experimental ones like 'Lookin' At Tomorrow' which had an interesting eerie chord progression and almost reminded me a bit of some of Metallica's "softer" songs.
I think it might be a bit too generous, and maybe just a honeymoon thing, but I'm going to give this a weak 4 actually. Not very often I get positively surprised, so have to take opportunity to reward those moments!
Lorde
3/5
I've heard quite a lot of praise for Lorde (pun not intended), but I'm not sure I quite get it myself. I think it sounds a bit too over the place for me. Too modern perhaps? Though writing that down makes me feel super old.
Don't see what separates this from other modern pop. Not great, not terrible either.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Definitely not something I listen to every day, but this was still alright. I don't think I will revisit it, but it was still interesting to hear!
I think perhaps the mixing could've been a bit better, everything melds together a bit too much and becomes a bit too high frequency. Especially with that very specific "old microphone" and delay effect on the singer which ends up in about the same frequency spectrum as the hi hats and distortion.
Incredible Bongo Band
2/5
At first I was excited to hear a bongo oriented album, never heard that before! But I was kind of quickly disappointed, unfortunately, by the low-effortness of playing mostly (only?) covers. The ones that weren't obvious covers felt more like jam tracks, and got a bit too messy. I don't think it sounded bad per-se, and it was quite cozy listening to the album, but I just don't think an album with mostly covers really belong on this list which is what brings the score down.
Sinead O'Connor
4/5
This is definitely not my type of music, but her voice and singing along with interesting melancholic chord progressions manages to carry the whole album, so I think it comes down to whether you like that or not. The rest of the musical parts are not particularly interesting, and furthermore that part hasn't aged very well with the quite boring drum parts, for example.
This has quite a few years on it's back now, but there is definitely a loudness issue with this album. It is probably intentional, but many of the songs are so quiet it's hard to hear what she's singing (and whether she actually is singing).
Antony and the Johnsons
4/5
Interesting album. The first song really grabbed me, it was really good. And what a voice he has, wow! I think it became a bit too much of the same thing by the end though, that was the biggest drawback. I still think this deserves a 4; it still felt fresh and new even though it is from 2005. He must've been quite ahead of his time!
Pink Floyd
5/5
When I heard this the first time some years ago I didn't exactly understand the hype. It took some time to appreciate it, and now I do. I wonder if I would regard it as highly if I didn't know it was one of the best selling records ever?
Regardless, I think this is an album that is perfectly suited for listening all the way through in one sitting. Some tracks feels like segways between other tracks ('On The Run', 'The Great Gig In The Sky', 'Any Colour You Like') and perhaps doesn't stand as firmly on their own, but work very well in the context of the album.
This is also an album where the artist definitely experiments and pushes boundaires (as with the clocks in 'Time', and the whole 'On The Run' track) and where it actually works very well.
When I think of the greatest record ever made, this definitely springs to mind as a candidate, but I am not sure if it is because I really think that it is that good, or if it is because I know it's valued as one of the best records ever. Probably the latter. But even if it's not the best album ever for me, I still think it deserves a 5 star.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Another Dylan album, another 3. Still can't get into his stuff, despite trying for quite some time. I mean it's not bad, it just doesn't resonate with me. 'You're a Big Girl Now' was my favourite song of the album.
System Of A Down
3/5
System Of A Down is a really cool band. This album has some good songs, but I think both 'Toxicity' and 'Mezmerize' are better albums. Still, it really stands out and manages to stay clear of being too juvenile/ridiculous and keep on the right side of "coolness". You can tell they're on to something here.
Pixies
3/5
I've heard the 'Surfer Rosa' album before and wasn't that impressed. This was much better! I've never really understood the (seeming) cult following of the Pixies, but this album definitely feels before it's time. I can't really point out any specific high point other than 'Here Comes Your Man', but overall it held a pretty high bar!I think this might deserve a weak 4, but I'm going to give it a strong 3 instead. Could probably reach a 4 if it was more my type of music and if I listen to it more.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Haven't listened much to Rolling Stones, but this wasn't very convincing. I might be wrong, but I expected Stones to be a bit more... hard rock perhaps? This is quite tame rock in my opinions.
Didn't really find any specific song that grabbed me on the album. Also, 'Sympathy For The Devil' is in my opinion an extremely overrated song. All throughout the song it feels like it's about to take off, and then it's over.
Arcade Fire
2/5
I was a bit disappointed there was another Arcade Fire album in here, but I gave it a shot. Still don't like them, unfortunately. Probably deserves better but not my thing.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
I really liked this! Perhaps it didn't feel particularly innovative or special, but it was nevertheless very good and my type of jam. Not much else to say actually! Weak 4
The Sonics
3/5
Good energy. I can see how they could be influential perhaps, but it passed me by a bit to be honest. It just feels a bit too dated.
Solomon Burke
3/5
Pretty decent. Didn't stand out particularly much from other older albums, but wasn't bad either. If anything it feels a bit late to come with this '64 perhaps?
Buzzcocks
2/5
I don't know what to think of this... maybe it's a 2, maybe a 3? Regardless it didn't impress me or made me lift any eyebrows really. Doesn't really provoke any type of emotion other than indifference.
The Stone Roses
5/5
Nice album. I think this might be one that you need to go through a couple of times to appreciate, but I certainly do now. Apart from my personal low point of 'Don't Stop', which is basically 'Waterfall' reversed with some additional lyrics, most tracks keep a high bar and are both varying and interesting. I know 'Oasis' is a band that has drawn a lot of inspiration from 'The Stone Roses', so they were definitely unique during their time. Weak 5 for me!
Dusty Springfield
4/5
This album is probably the best Dusty Springfield album I've heard as of yet. There are quite a lot of really good tunes on this one, like 'You Don't Own Me', 'Anyone Who Had A Hear', 'I Only Want To Be With You'. I think this album suffers from too many songs though, not all of which live up to the same standard as the ones I mentioned before. Despite this I think it still qualifies as a weak 4 for me!
The Avalanches
4/5
At first playthrough I was not sold at all for some reason, even though it feels like this should fit me like a hand in a glove. Not sure how that idiom translates from swedish to english, but you get my point.
I gave it a second try and turned up the volume a bit, and then it was better received. I think I missed out on some of the grooves when listening at lower volume, and perhaps didn't pay much attention.
Their sampling skills are very impressive, but I feel that it sometimes becomes a bit too much. The funny thing with this album is that it doesn't have any single song that stands out as a clear hit for me, and in fact my least favourite one is the one with some of the most plays; 'Frontier Psychiatrist'. But all songs just keep a very high bar, which still makes this a 4 for me, albeit a slightly weak one.
Kraftwerk
2/5
Kraftwerk have made some tracks that are very good and holds up well today, but between those tracks (that aren't found on this album even) it can get quite boring. I appreciate the album as a concept thing, and I think if you'd listen to this in the correct setting or context it would shine brighter.
I am normally listening to quite a lot of modern electronic music, and this just pales a bit in comparison to in all areas ranging from production to music writing. In my opinion, you have to work deliberately to get movement into your track to make it interesting since you don't get that for free like you do with "organic" instruments like guitars, drum kits etc. This lacks all of that, it gets very monotone. I should probably be a bit nicer since this was at the inception of synthetic music when it was much harder to do just that, but I can't get away from the fact that it just hasn't aged very well.
Ice T
2/5
The album cover art is truly hot garbage. It's interesting how I really like 2001 by Dr. Dre but have a hard time standing this, even though it's the same genre. I guess it just isn't as good. Weak 2 for me.
The Doors
3/5
I've listened to The Doors quite a few times, but they've never become my favourite band and I still have a bit of a hard time appreciating it. Some songs are really good, like 'Riders on the Storm', but the rest of this album passes me by quite unnoticed to be honest.
Various Artists
3/5
A Christmas album packed with some of the most popular Christmas songs. There are quite a few of these song versions that are still played a lot on radio today, like 'Sleigh Ride', 'Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" etc, so by those measurements it must be regarded as a success.
Still, there are quite a few Christmas songs I listen to that are not on this particular album. And for some reason I feel that Christmas music plays in a different league than "regular" music, so it's hard for me to compare this to ordinary albums. I think a dead on 3 feels reasonable.
Steely Dan
3/5
Not sure if it's me starting to get burned out to listening to new music every day, but this didn't really move me that much even though I felt like it should. Can't put my finger on why. 'Peg' is a cool song though!
Beatles
4/5
I was trying my best to forget the fact that The Beatles are probably the most popular band of all times when listening to this album, and I was even trying extra hard to be sceptical about it. I was surprised that I found it very good. It's probably not their best album, but it overall holds a very high bar and there are a few songs here that feels like some of Beatles most recognized ones like 'A Hard Day's Night', 'Can't Buy Me Love', 'And I Love Her' etc.
Even though this was during the inception of rock music (the album cover even had 'Stereo!' written on it) I feel that it doesn't hold up to today's standards. One thing I notice quite clearly is that the singing is overshadowing almost everything else. Front and center is of course best practice for song, but in 'I Should Have Known Better' you can only hear the acoustic guitar's strumming, but not the chords it actually plays because the singing just overpowers it completely.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Not my thing at all. Didn't really like the "grand cinematic-like soundtrack" approach it had. Previous Nick Cage records haven't worked for me either, so not a big a surprise.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
One of my regrets on this list is having not given the Cosmo Factory album 5 stars. I think this album might be slightly weaker as a whole - maybe because it is longer - but I am going to redeem myself now and give this 5 stars - albeit a weak one. I am actually shocked by how good I find the Creedence albums, because it doesn't feel like it should suit me that well, and I haven't been especially interested in them historically and haven't regarded them that high.
This album has plenty of hits, but it is also held together at the seams by less famous songs that still deliver. One of their most famous songs, 'Bad Moon Rising', is found on the album, but I find myself enjoying some of their less famous songs more, such as 'Sinister Purpose' and 'Tombstone Shadow'.
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
Pretty good album with many well-known songs! I feel in general like they must've been a bit behind their time though, this feels more like late 50s music in some ways to me. Another downside is that I get a bit tired of their formula after a while, but it's still held together pretty well so it'll be a 4 for me!
Talking Heads
3/5
Talking head albums can really be hit or miss. They always walk on a fine line of being too quirky and weird, and being really good. This slightly misses the mark, but since I know they have much better albums I’m looking forward to hearing them in the future. Weak 3.
Björk
4/5
Have heard a lot about Björk, but never really explored her music. At first I wasn't that struck, but it grew on me after a while. The album is quite uneven; there are many songs that didn't really pan out that well, like 'Ancestors' with the weird breathing and moaning, or 'Where Is The Line' with strange sampled vocals that make up the bassline.
I think I would describe it as more impressive and interesting rather evoking of that primal feel you can get when you hear some really good music where you just want to hear it again. Many times there are only acapella vocals and choirs, which is cool, but it is perhaps not the kind of music I typically listen to.
A thing that must be said is that this must've been extremely progressive and far ahead of the curve when it came in 2004. I feel that I recognize a lot of elements in this music in some of Lorde's or newer modern music. Also, it feels fresh and sounds great for being from 2004, it might as well have been from this year for all I'm concerned.
Perhaps not my favourite album here, but I am very glad I heard it and it widened my view on music!
10cc
4/5
Interesting album! Never heard before, but I was hooked with the first song. I really liked their funky and a bit odd melodies. The song was also interesting, reminding me in some ways about Supertramp. I think the album held up all the way through, and they managed to distinguish themselves enough from other rock to hold their own! The only lame thing was their juvenile band name, which gets old instantly.
David Bowie
2/5
The person who made this list must be paid by Bowie. Granted, he made many good albums, but this is certainly not one of them. So much modern music from same time that is so much better than this. Can’t see this having made it if it wasn’t for it being Bowie.
The Strokes
5/5
Probably The Strokes best album, and for good reason. It contains most of the hits they are known for, and the rest of it is also really good - though it took me a bit longer to appreciate perhaps.
I think they do a great job of sounding modern, but also manage to rub off some older indie band vibes like The Smiths. I can't swear exactly on how much The Strokes have influenced other bands, but if Alex Turner from the immensely successful Arctic Monkeys sings "I just wanted to be one of The Strokes", I have a vague idea.
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
Very uninspiring. Sounds a bit like tame 80s circus music to me. Not great, not terrible either.
The United States Of America
3/5
When I started listening to the album I was convinced it was going to be a 1-star album, but it recovered itself. I think the first half is is pretty messy and not very good. At 'The American Way of Love: Part I' that changes and it actually becomes quite decent!
My main issue with the album is that it's generally incoherent and sprawling all over the place. It's also quite long. This album will not stay with me for long, but overall I think it was quite interesting, so going to give it a weak 3-star!
The Soft Boys
3/5
Not too bad! It had its ups and downs, but in general it held up quite ok. I think my favourite song of the album is 'I Got the Hots', which was pretty cool. Not many strong opinions either for or against, will have to be a 3 star.
JAY Z
4/5
Always knew Jay-Z was highly regarded within the hip-hop scene, but I never really dug into why. This must be one of the reasons. Rock solid album all the way through. Even though it doesn't seem to contain any of Jay-Z's most successful hits, it still really good overall.
The Smiths
3/5
I think this is an OK The Smiths album, but not more. 'There Is a Light That Nevewr Goes Out' is a good song, and 'Frankly, Mr. Shankly' is a quirky but interesting song that could've fitted in well on the first Pink Floyd's 'The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn' album. Other than that it feels quite bland to me.
Paul Simon
3/5
I liked this album better than his self-titled one we got a few months back. Still, it doesn't make that great impression on me, but it's also not bad. Not sure why it doesn't hit harder, maybe it isn't my jam completely. I didn't find any particular song that stood out as being particularly good, but most of them were pretty decent and held an even bar so it was a nice listening anyways.
One song that I didn't like very much was 'Cars Are Cars'. It should be liberating that every song doesn't have to be about love or something serious, but it just feels silly when you get nonsensical lyrics like this. I remember I had the same feeling about some songs on his self-titled album as well. Feels very low effort.
In summary it was a decent even album where nothing stood out very much. Solid 3.
a-ha
3/5
What a start to an album! I realize it sounds weird, but this is just too much 80s for me - and it feels stuck there too. Apart from 'Take On Me' which is an awesome song I didn't connect with any of the other songs. It feels a bit too cheesy for me. I had a hard time deciding between a 2 and 3, but I think I'll give it a weak 3 since it wasn't unbearable like most 2 star albums are.
American Music Club
2/5
Not sure about this, it completely passed me by the first run, and then I put it on again, but now I can't remember a thing. That can't be a good sign. I think it was pretty decent, but also left no impression whatsoever except maybe being a bit pretentious sometimes. Think this will have to a 2 star.
Daft Punk
3/5
Always love me some Daft Punk, and this has got some good songs on it like 'Revolution 909', 'Around the World' and 'Da Funk'. But it also has some very very bad songs like 'Rollin' & Scratchin'', 'Rock'n Roll', and a ton of songs that are quite dull or just not very exciting. This is definitely my type of genre of music, and I do think Daft Punk introduced a new sound to the genre, but there are just too many songs that aren't good for this to reach higher ratings. Has to be a 3 for me.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
Really good album that I've never heard before! I think it was good all the way through with all songs keeping a high bar and being different enough while still manage to stay within the boundaries of the album. I especially liked 'Band On The Run' that felt like 3 songs in one and it felt like it shifted key multiple times! Very cool.
Lambchop
2/5
I can't really put my finger on what exactly it is I don't like about this album, but I don't. It started off OK, but then gradually got worse. It felt very forgettable if nothing else, nothing that really stuck to me.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Some decent songs on this, but also some pretty bad ones. I like this type of music, but this album just didn't contain the most exciting songs.
Hot Chip
3/5
I am usually not that big of a Hot Chip fan... I think they sound too... meek somehow? Maybe that is further reinforced by the singers rather timid voice. Fast forward to now; this was actually a pretty decent album! 'Look At Where We Are' is probably my favourite song of the album, but the rest of the songs held up very well.
I'm weighing between a 4 and a 3, but I think it might not stand against the other 4 star albums I've rated so it'll have to be a very strong 3.
Miles Davis
5/5
Pretty legendary album, and it's one of the first albums I started listening to when I wanted to explore some Jazz albums. For being Jazz, it has quite memorable tunes and melodies, and feels more coherent and less "jammy" than many Jazz albums, which I appreciate. I haven't found any Jazz album so far that I appreciate more than this.
This album always makes me want to some dim-lit cozy bar late in the evening and see some calm jazz.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Third Stevie Wonder album on this list now I think. It's probably the weakest of the three, and I feel that I am getting quite tired of Stevie Wonder at this point. I think it's the religion preaching parts that are wearing me down, and a bit too much hallelujah.
It's hard to find a single best song on this album, nothing really stands out. But nothing really is bad either (except what I wrote above); they are still quite groovy and well made. I think it's going to have to be a weak 3, and the reason it isn't higher is because I'm tired of Stevie Wonder right now.
The Fall
2/5
Not my thing at all. The singer wasn't my cup of tea either. The coolest song was probably 'To Nkroachment: Yarbles' with the opening bass riff... but not a proper song really with its 1:22 runtime. I think Punk in general isn't really my genre of choice, unless it's exceptionally good or different.
The Stooges
3/5
Not so sure about this... 'I Wanna Be Your Dog' is a really cool song, but the rest is not up to par. I can imagine this was quite fresh when it came in '69 though. I think with that in mind it's going to have to be a very weak 3.
Mike Oldfield
3/5
Interesting and a bit of a different album, I like it! I instantly recognized the first part from The Exorcist movie, but that wasn't the only lead on side one.
I actually enjoyed the first half of the 2nd side the most, with its relaxing and mellow tones. Reminded me a bit about tavern music somehow. Would be a good part to play board games to.
The latter part of the 2nd side unfortunately regressed quite a lot when someone started doing guttural noises and screaming, which was just too weird.
All in all it was an interesting experience and I think a dead-on 3 or high 3 feels fitting.
Yes
4/5
Had 'Yes' here on the list before and then I was less than impressed. This was actually not that bad though! It had a quite consistent quality throughout the album that I would put somewhere in the high-mid spectrum. I especially enjoyed the 'Perpetual Change' song, which had a pretty cool melody and reminded me a bit of the rockier Supertramp songs. I think some of the songs could have benefitted from being a bit shorter. Still, going to go out on a limb and give this a weak 4!
The Isley Brothers
4/5
After having a Stevie Wonder album last week, I have to say that this reminds me of that quite a lot but is just straight up better. I ran through this album once, then did a second playthrough and then it stuck to me quite well. I especially like 'Summer Breeze, Pts. 1 & 2' which is a very nice song. I think this has been in quite a lot of travel commercials as well if I'm not mistaken.
Had a hard time putting a score for this, but I think I'll give it a weak 4. I don't think there are any weak songs really, and the good ones are quite good actually.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2/5
It feels like this would belong to a genre that fits me well, but after listening through the record I can't name any songs that I liked. I wasn't y cup of tea at all somehow.
Phaser-like effects on... basically anything, are usually something I am extremely fond of. But here I find it extremely overused on the guitar. I am not sure that I like the singer either, too much wailing and moaning.
An interesting thing I found after skimming through it again is that the first few seconds of the opening riffs are usually pretty interesting, but then they loose it for me when everything else is added. Good examples would be 'Night Shift', 'Sin In My Heart', and 'Arabian Knights'.
Anyways, didn't like it, it'll have to be a 2 tops.
The Crusaders
4/5
The Crusaders seem to be labelled as a jazz band, but this album also feel equally as much as disco or funk. I don't think this stand out particularly much as being different or innovative perhaps, but it was just very good from start to finish, and that is enough in this case! The first two songs were definitely the strongest. It fell off a bit later on, but still managed to stay strong.
I am debating between a strong 3 and a weak 4, but I think I will settle with the latter because even though perhaps it isn't regarded or renown as highly as some of my other 4 star albums, I still felt like I could definitely put this on many more times in the future and enjoy the whole album - something that can't be said for lots of albums to be honest.
Q-Tip
4/5
Never heard of this before, but I liked it a lot! I usually have trouble connecting with new hip-hop artists and albums, and even though this can't be regarded as "new", I still think it keeps one foot in the older sound of 90s rap somehow and sounds less like hip-hop after 2010.
All songs kept a really high bar, and the formula kept changing throughout the album. Some of the songs in the beginning are good, but so is the one with Norah Jones as well. Solid 4 star, might potentially be a strong 4 even. Will definitely come back to this!
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
'My My, Hey Hey' is a great song, but the rest didn't really do anything for me at all, surprisingly. Neil Young must be one of the most respectable in his genre, but I've come to the conclusion that he has a few songs that are very good, then the rest is actually below average. At least this is what I've found after hearing some of his albums through this list. Quite disappointing album for me, I'll give it a weak 3 just because I feel it's a bit of a "me problem".
The Stooges
2/5
I really want to like The Stooges, but I've concluded they're not really my type of band and I don't think they're very good honestly. I mostly like 'I Wanna Be Your Dog' from their self titled album, but that's it. Haven't really found any other song I like, and that goes for this and their other albums I've heard. I'll give this a strong 2 as it's something I will never return to most likely, and the supposed more popular songs were not to my liking either.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Wow... I have a heard time describing how I feel about this. I guess it must be quite genuine, and he is obviously quite sad. But at the same time it just gets too much and become cheesy instead for me, almost to the point where it gets a bit pathetical. I envision him sitting (much like the album cover) inside his room alone and feeling sorry for himself, which is reflected in the music. I guess I am supposed to feel sorry for him or find some songs beautiful, but I don't. Maybe I am just too cynical, I don't know.
Either way, I wasn't very fond of this, neither of the theme nor the chords or anything really. The singing was fine, but it got quite moany after a while, as did the album.
X-Ray Spex
4/5
What a train ride! First off; it was very hard to understand what songs that were part of the original album. The Spotify link sent me to Germ Free Adoloscents: The Anthology. Then I checked wikipedia and the original tracklist was different and with another order of the songs. Also turns out it has been re-released a few times with different set of songs and orders, so that made it more tricky. I gave up trying to make sense of it and listened to whatever the Anthology that the link sent me to.
It didn't start off very strong with 'Oh Bondage! Up Yours!' which was very punky, but grew on me after that. I really enjoyed 'The Day the World Turned Day-Glo' which had some metal vibes. And then 'Germ Free Adolescents' was probably my favourite song, but was neither punk nor metal. So the whole album was quite a mix of different genres, with saxophone and everything, and in this case it worked quite well!
Overall I enjoyed it a fair bit, and there were some songs that stood out as quite good! It was not even enough to really warrant a higher rating, but I'll still give it a weak 4 just because of the handful good songs and the pure joy of hearing something weird and different that actually works for once (very often it does not)!
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Yesterday I thought "I wonder when the first Bruce Springsteen album will show up", and here we are. This has to be one of his most famous albums, so here we go.
I've tried liking Bruce Springsteen so many times, but he never really manage to get up there with the great ones for me. I think the best comparison I can make is to meat and potatoes; even though I'd say Bruce Springsteen is very good meats and potatoes, it just - at least for me - never manages to get very exciting or really stand out.
With that said, I still think this is a very solid album. It seems to contain his most popular songs, 'Born in the U.S.A' and 'Dancing in the Dark', the latter of which I am a real fan. I think the songs between the hits are solid as well, but no bangers. 4 stars from me feels like a very fitting compromise since I just don't love it that much, but still recognize that it's a good album.
Neil Young
3/5
When I saw this I thought "Oh no, not Neil Young again", but I was actually pleasantly surprised!
This was probably his best album so far of those we've had on this list. It perhaps didn't have any songs quite as good as 'My My, Hey Hey' from the 'Rust Never Sleeps' album, but it was much more solid and consistent throughout the record.
Rush
3/5
Interesting album, never heard before. When looking at the cover art I thought I was going to get something synth related, but that is probably just because I've been listening to lots of Synthwave lately.
The music itself was not too shabby. The first song had some quite good and interesting parts, but I've come to the conclusion that I really am not a fan of long songs like that.
I think my favourite song is probably 'A Passage To Bangkok' which has a really sick opening riff. After going through the whole album you can definitely see where Iron Maiden got their inspiration from as well. Seeing that Rush formed in '68, they must really have been ahead of the curve back then as I don't think this type of music existed then. Overall really cool album that I'm glad I heard, very strong 3!
Machito
3/5
I really enjoy this type of thematical music. It has some nostalgic value for me somehow, even though I didn't experience the 40s or 50s. The album brings out a feeling of curiosity and exploration for me for some reason.
I can't really name a single song that stands out, but as a whole I like it a lot and can definitely see myself putting this on in the future just to get in a certain mood or just have some relaxing background music.
Kraftwerk
2/5
There are some Kraftwerk tunes like 'Radioactivity' and 'Das Model', to name a few, that still holds up well today, but they are not on this album. Kraftwerk's influence on electronic music can't be understated enough, but sadly they are also a group whose music don't hold up at all today - and this album is a perfect example of that.
If the first track was 3 minutes or so, it would have been endlessly better. But 22 minutes? I get that it is thematical, but come on. 'Morgenspaziergang' has is ok as a lullaby, but not much more than that. In general I think it's cool that they have tried to imagine how a certain theme might sound if done only with electronic sounds, such as 'Kometenmelodie' or 'Morgenspaziergang', but the problem is that it just isn't that good or fun to listen to in my opinion.
I will give this album a 2 star rating ONLY out of respect for Kraftwerk and their legacy, but if this showed up today out of the blue in 2024 it'd be a 1 star hands down. And this comes from someone who listens to and loves electronic music.
John Grant
5/5
This album took me completely by surprise. I didn't listen super attentive, so the first song sounded like it was going to be some sort of pretentious love album. But it was a really wild ride, lots of swearing, and maybe even some low-key slander-like - or at least quite offensive - comments regarding certain topics. Love it!
It's not often that I comment about lyrics, but that definitely is the most interesting part of this album. So many weird (in a good way) songs with various themes and wordplays going on. The cool part is that it's not only the lyrics that are interesting; the songs also contain memorable and catchy melodies, ranging from slower more mellow acoustic songs to more up-tempo ones with some electronic elements.
Overall this was a very fun record to listen to and I'm glad I heard it. I'm going to go out on a limb and give it a weak 5 because we've had very few 5s in general, and I think this record really stands out among the crowd and deserves some recognition.
Steely Dan
3/5
On my first run of this it went completely over my head, and I had to re-listen to it for this review. Having done so I feel quite comfortable just putting it in the middle, potentially a candidate for strong 2 as well.
The start of the album is pretty decent with some funky jams like 'Night by Night', 'Any Major Dude Will Tell You', but then it turned fairly bland for the rest of the album, with 'East St. Louis Toodle-Oo' being a low-point that I don't feel belong on this album.
Not sure why this is included on the list at all. Like I said it's pretty bland and I don't see many game-changing songs here.
The Band
2/5
Not sure why but this didn't stand out or stick one bit for me. Didn't find any song I liked.
Radiohead
4/5
Interestingly enough I never considered myself that big of a Radiohead fan. Granted, they have many good songs, but also many bad ones, and it often gets pretty pretentious. Fast forward and this is the 2nd (or 3rd) album here on the list, and I really feel like they're all very consistent and deserve high ratings.
I've heard this album loads of times, so that probably influence my perception of it. But still, I think it holds up very well through the whole record. Some songs are stronger or weaker than others, but overall it's high quality. 'A Punch Up at a Wedding', 'There, There', '2+ 2 = 5', and 'Scatterbrain' are the best songs on the record for me.
Nick Drake
4/5
I discovered Nick Drake pretty late in my life, but he's become one of my favourite artists when it comes to getting that specific mood of just tinkering about outside in a garden during fall, or talking a walk in the woods.
I don't think this is his best record, but it's still quite good. All songs hold a high bar and adheres to the same formula and follows the same red line. The album opens very strong with 'Time Has Told Me' and 'River Man', where the former is my favourite song on the record.
Even though the quality is even, I'm lacking a bit more "hits" to warrant a higher rating. I think a weak or dead on middle 4 feels reasonable here.
Tito Puente
3/5
I think this type of music can be really refreshing to put on, and get a break from the regular pop, rock, electronic music and so on. I think it injects some really happy and light mood, which certainly can be very nice sometimes.
The problem for me is that it is very hard to rate music that I don't know very well, and this album falls under that category. The same usually goes for jazz, orchestral, and some other select genres. I liked this album, but in my mind it wouldn't compete against other 4 or 5 star rated albums of what I would consider "good music". So I guess it'll have to be a solid 3 star rating then, even though it may deserve more.
The Notorious B.I.G.
4/5
Some stuff from the legendary B.I.G, cool. Not sure I think as highly of this as the rest of the world, but it was pretty decent still. As seems mandatory with all 90s rap, it contains all the profanities you'd expect along with blowjob skit songs, and promises of extreme violence. I think B.I.G. has a very nice rap style/flow as well that stounds out from other artists from the same era.
The album didn't start out that strong, but had a real nice streak of my favourite songs with 'Machine Gun Funk', 'Warning' (which sounds like a complete rip-off of 'Hood Took Me Under' by Compton's Most Wanted, by the way), and 'Ready to Die'. The hits weren't my favourite songs, but in general the album held up nicely throughout the whole record with barely any real low points (apart from the sex skits which feels a bit too juvenile).
All in all, cool record, 4 stars it is!
Michael Jackson
5/5
It's crazy how many hits Michael Jackson manages to cram in on some of his records, and this isn't an exception. There are some songs that are not particularly interesting, like 'Just Good Friends', 'I Just Can't Stop Loving You', and so on. An issue that I also find throughout the album is that I didn't really like the mixing. On some songs like 'Bad', Michael's main voice actually feels overpowered volume wise by the choir and some other elements. Same with 'The Way You Make Me Feel' actually.
Another big issue I personally have with the album is that it sounds so incredibly 80s, and it is hard for it to stay timeless that way. If you compare with some other rock album like 'Dark Side Of The Moon' or 'Led Zeppelin', or even disco albums, they have aged much better in my opinion. I think it's that particular drum machine they use and the those damn DX7 bells - or whatever it is - that just screams 80s pop, and there's no getting away from that.
Despite all of this, I kind of feel obliged to give it a 5 stars somehow. I think it's partly because there are so many hit songs that they still weigh up the bad ones, but also because I actually think they're pretty good. I don't consider myself a huge Michael Jackson fan, but when I thought about giving it a 4 star rating due to the issues I mentioned, it still felt kind of wrong.
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
Same feelings towards this as Tito Puente's 'Dance Mania' basically. Very nice with different type of music, and Bossa nova definitely works well in some contexts! But at the same time, I don't know the genre to know whether this is revolutionary or not. But I liked it, refreshing indeed. Was half expecting 'The Girl From Ipanema' to be on the album though, but apparently not.
Louis Prima
3/5
Same story as yesterday basically. Nice listening. Think I preferred the Bossa nova album though.
The Undertones
1/5
You never know if you're going to get godlike or crap when you see weird album covers like this. But something made my spider sense tingle, and this time it was definitely the latter. There wasn't anything technically wrong with the album really, but more that it was 0% musically interesting to me.
I initially thought I had found originators of 'Under the Boardwalk', but nope. This was just a sucky version.
After finishing it felt like a 2 star, but the more I thought about it I realized I didn't like anything with it, so 1 star felt more fitting.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Pink Floyd have some sketchy albums, and some incredibly good ones. This is one of the better ones.
Really solid album where actually all songs are really good, harmonize well, and are coherent. Cool album cover too. I guess this might not fit someone who dislikes guitar centric music, otherwise I think this is an album most people are familiar with and can enjoy.
I also like that every song is quite different from one another, even though the also work well together. 'Welcome To The Machine' is for example a quite synthetic song, as opposed to 'Have A Cigar' which is more rocky.
Solid 5/5, would recommend to everybody.
Kanye West
3/5
Tricky one. Generally not a a big fan of Kanye West's music. And let's not get in to what a shitty person he seems to be, though if that was taken into account I'm sure there are other artists on this list that should be subject to the same scrutiny as well. So I will disregard that part!
Commercially it seems to be quite successful, and it is a bit annoying that I feel that affect how I perceive it, but it does. But if I try to put that aside I think it might end up somewhere in upper middle for me personally.
His style seem to land somewhere between hip-hop and pop for me, and you have to appreciate that many of the songs are quite experimental and stands out. They are also quite different from each other, but the album still feels coherent. But I still somehow can't find a song on the album that I quite liked. They were all decent, but even the supposed popular ones were a bit of a shrug to me. And the lyrics weren't that impressive to me.
I'll give it a strong 3. Maybe it would grow on me if I put it on me, not sure.
Baaba Maal
2/5
Interesting to find something different, but not really my jam for some reason. All songs sort of gelled together and they were lacking any hooks, so it was hard to single out any favourite ones. It passed me by a bit too much unnoticed to warrant any higher rating.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Pretty ok album. I suspect you had to be there when this came out to really appreciate it. Now that you've heard Presley dozen of times the initial shock reaction is not very strong. Regardless, 'Blue Suede Shoes' stands out as the best song, but otherwise it was pretty bland.
Jack White
3/5
Jack White usually make pretty interesting and innovative rock songs and records. I think this fits that description. But it still wasn't... as good as I expected somehow? Maybe I was just not paying attention enough, but it kind of passed me by. I should probably give it another try, but don't have time currently, so it will have to be a 3.
The Prodigy
5/5
Wow, what an album! Almost all The Prodigy top hits are gathered in one place. It feels very 90s with the drum-n-bass like beats. Extremely unique style as well in my opinion. I'm sure there are other bands that does music in a similar way, but nothing that has reached this level of success as far as I know.
The album is not flawless. Between the hits it's not always that interesting, and some of them also sound quite similar to each other, for example 'Smack My Bitch Up' and 'Funky Shit' which have very similar drum patterns. The reason I decide to go for 5 is that the good songs in 'Smack My Bitch Up', 'Firestarter', 'Breathe', and 'Mindfields', are just so good that they weigh up the other ones honestly. Regardless of whether this music caters to your palette I think everyone should hear it. Chances are you'll find something you like in it.
Electric Light Orchestra
3/5
Very cool and creative group, and this album holds many good songs. I want to like them more for their creativity and uniqueness, but I think I might have burnt out a bit on them throughout the years and have a hard time really appreciating it THAT much. 'Mr. Blue Sky' is especially good, and there are some other songs I forgot the name of that are decent as well, along with some that pass by unnoticed. The length of the album was very noticeable as I got fed up by the end and just wanted it to be over.
I was contemplating putting a 4 on this, but I don't feel like I want to revisit it soon, and it feels a bit weaker than some other 4s as well so it's going to be a strong 3 instead.
Baaba Maal
3/5
Another Baab Maal album within one week, low chances! I liked this way more than the Lam Toro one. This was much more interesting, and each song differed more from each other. I found some songs that I thought was decent. Solid 3 from me!
Saint Etienne
3/5
What an up and down album! The start had me worrying a bit, but I found 'Girl VII' to be a pretty cool song that pulled me attention to it somehow. Then followed a couple of pretty nice songs, along with 'Stone To Say The Least' and 'Nothing Can Stop Us' which were really nice. I don't know why, but they just brought me to a nice place, being nostalgic about something I can't put my finger on. They also just fitted very nice together and created a certain mood.
I'm drawn to putting a 4 star rating since it was long time ago that I was surprised like that, and there were a handful songs that really grabbed me for some reason. But there are also quite a lot of really boring songs that draw down the whole album, like 'Etienne Gonna Die', and 'Wilson' for example.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
1/5
Wow, what a drag. Felt extremely pretentious. Can't remember a single song to be honest. Maybe it's a bit harsh, but I just can't find anything positive with this really, will be forgotten in an instant.
Nick Drake
4/5
I think this along with Bryter Layter are Nick Drakes' best albums. Very cozy album, got slightly better songs than 'Five Leaves Left'. As I said last time, I think this is the embodiment of calm, relaxing and cozy music you want to listen to during spring or fall. I still think this lacks something to deserve a 5 star rating. It's very unique, and the quality and high and even throughout the album, but still not quite a 5. Strong 4 feels more reasonable.
The Who
3/5
Interesting how they sound very much like The Beatles on many of their songs here on their first album. Feels like they hadn't quite found their identity yet. 'My Generation' does feel very much like a The Who song though, and is easily the best song of the album. The rest are pretty forgettable actually, not much to get excited about.
Blue Cheer
2/5
I liked the idea and sound of this album, but the execution was not very good. The songs just weren't enjoyable somehow. Also it sounded pretty bad. Not very well balanced for example; badly mixed and lots of screeching.
The Beau Brummels
3/5
Wimsical and a bit strange. Surely different, I dare say in a positive way! Still, not my favourite type of music really, but nice with a change of scenery! When listening the first time it passed my by completely and left no impression at all, but now that I'm skimming through it a second time it's actually not as shabby as I first thought. It definitely managed to claw itself up to a 3!
Lightning Bolt
1/5
Wow... I am actually speechless. This is so bad it is inconceivable. I had to skip some songs because I couldn't listen to it. I also went through all of them to see if there was anything worth salvaging, but everything was equally bad. We've had some pretty bad records on this must be the far worst one by quite a margin.
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
Nice, calm and thematic album. Very well sung and good composition. It really makes me want to go to Cuba!
Radiohead
3/5
Another Radiohead album. This is probably the weakest one we had on this list, and if 'OK Computer' also shows up (which I assume it will), it will probably remain so. I really like 'Weird Fishes/ Arpeggi', but otherwise there are not many songs that sticks with me. Holds a pretty high lowest bar, but this definitely belongs in the middle for me.
The Cure
3/5
Always had a bit of trouble understanding the greatness of The Cure... this album didn't change that feeling. Pretty bland overall, no song that stood out and grabbed me really. Hope they have more exciting albums than this on the list!
Deep Purple
5/5
I've always associated Deep Purple with being the boring rock band that made 'Smoke On The Water' and not much else. Turns out that is not quite true. Although a live album, the 'Made in Japan' that we had previously on the list was a banger, and this one is is very good as well.
'Child in Time' is a real 5 star song for me, and unfortunately the rest of the songs don't quite get up there, but it's still a good run through with catchy riffs and great sounding guitars and overall rock. I read that some consider them to be one of the earliest metal bands, and I definitely see what they mean.
Overall, very good album. Maybe a bit generous with 5 stars (weak one, admittedly), but this sat really well with me and I was probably in the right mood when I heard it.
Ice Cube
4/5
Felt like this was slightly lighter on the 90s rap tropes like sex skits etc. than some of Dre´s albums. Didn't listen to the lyrics very well otherwise, but I really like the general vibe you get from this album. I like that there are some "lighter" songs like 'Now I Gotta Wet 'Cha' and 'Dirty Mack' that brings your mood up. Then you also have the 'It Was A Good Day' type songs that are just really heavy and cool.
There is a much better version of 'Check Yo Self' than I found on this album, shame it wasn't here. Definitely one of Ice Cube's better songs. Anyways, overall high standard on the album, I like it!
The Police
3/5
Never thought of The Police as a reggae band, but I certainly do now. At least partially, as many of the songs, perhaps 'Walking On The Moon' mostly have pretty apparent reggae elements and grooves.
Overall it was a decent album, but not more. We had one record of them before which was pretty bad to be honesty, and this doesn't exactly improve my perception of them. 'Message In a Bottle' is probably the most famous song on this album, and it's a decent one, but nothing that can carry the album on its own by far.
Alanis Morissette
5/5
Wow, what an album. It feels like the 90s have come back and slapped me in my face - in a good way. Probably the most 90s I can think of crammed into album.
I have heard all of the hit songs on the album in isolation from each other ('Hand In My Pocket', 'You Oughta Know', 'Ironic', 'You Learn') but I never realized they were from the same artist, and certainly not from the same album. This is extremely impressive considering some of them are the biggest hits of the 90s.
After finishing it yesterday I was impressed, but not much else. Since then I haven't been able to stop thinking of the album. The hit songs are just so good. Alanis' singing can get a bit screamy and fatiguing after a while ('Forgiven', for example), but she has such interesting and clever flow when she sings that just grabs your attention. Also the lyrics are quite frank and fits together in an unexpected way. This feels quite poppy for me, and it shouldn't really suit me that it well, but it just somehow.
I never thought I would, but I can't think of any reason not to give this 5 stars. The hit songs are extremely catchy and it feels like I can listen to them over and over again. Then ones in between are not bad either, at least not bad enough to drag down the overall impression. Probably the biggest surprise on this list so far, I never thought it would turn out like this when I put it on. So much fun!
Orbital
2/5
I was a bit excited about the album when I heard what kind of music it was. But the two first songs are such a weak start that I think I lost focus a bit after that.
My tops songs are 'Remind', 'Lush 3-1', and 'Halycon and On and On', which all definitely have something and are quite cool. But most of the other songs were quite monotonous even by electronic music standards, which brings down the overall impression. Could be that this is something that was very revolutionary when it came out, but I can think of many types of electronic music that I'd rather see on this list than this album to be honest.
Faust
3/5
I've never really understood what "Krautrock" is, and to be honest I'm not smarter after listening to this album. Is it just slower rock with some psychadelic and electronic elements...?
Anyways, it was a good album! I think this fits me quite well. Not all songs had the same quality level to them, but there were a few gems like 'Picnic On A Frozen River, Deauxieme Tableux', 'Jennifer', 'Just A Second (Starts Like That)'.
I found it really hard to decide whether this was a 4 or 3. But in the end I think there are a bit too many tracks that doesn't really do anything or enough, like 'Lauft...', or even the first song 'Krautrock', for it to a 4. Strong 3 it is!
B.B. King
2/5
I don't know... I usually think this type of music can be a bit cozy and give you a nice feeling, but I don't think I was in the mood for this yesterday at all. Found the crowd noise distracting and it just became messy overall. Granted, B.B. King is extremely talented and a great performer, but it just flew over my head a bit. Maybe an unfair score but it is what it is.
The Temptations
2/5
This didn't make any sort of impression on me, frankly. Bad cover of 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine' and not much else.
Black Sabbath
2/5
I was a bit disappointed in this to be honest. I really like their tone and the 'Paranoid' album which is a straight 5 for me, but this had none of those catchy riffs at all. Felt more like noodling aimlessly.
'Changes' is quite a different song and shows that Sabbath have another dimension to them than just making heavy metal songs. But it's still not enough to change the outcome of the score on the album. Strong 2 for me, as I like Black Sabbath and their sound, but the album was fairly uninteresting.
Strong opening with 'Beatiful Day' which is definitely one of the best U2 songs, followed by 'Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of'. I think in general the first half of the album packed a bit more punch than the latter half.
Despite this I must say I am a bit disappointed. I have always considered U2 a very good band, and especially listened to them very much when I was younger. I guess I always knew they were a bit on the cheesy side, but it wasn't until I started listening to this list that I realized how much. Their good songs are very good, but their bad songs are really quite boring. It was the same with 'Joshua Tree' which I expected to be one of the easiest 5 star albums, but turned out not to be. Just like that album, this is dragged down by bad the songs between the good ones. 'Grace', for example, felt so extremely pretentious and boring. Bono sure sings good, but it can just become too much cheese, like in this example.
Was contemplating putting 3 stars on this, but I think a weak 4 is more appropriate considering what albums I have given 3s before.
The Byrds
3/5
This feels like it probably deserves more, and could get a higher rating from me if I listened to it under different circumstances, but for now it will be a dead on 3. Just didn't cut through the noise of my workday enough, and I can't really single out a song that felt particularly good. Maybe should have listened to it more attentively, but it is what it is.
Van Halen
3/5
Interesting... this is quite a niche album for sure. Only heard some of mr. Van Halen's guitar solos before, and I guess this is pretty much what I should have expected an album of that to be.
I am not a big fan of this frankly. It feels very over the top in a sense that I don't like. 'Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love' is a cool song, and it's cool what he does with the guitar, but it just doesn't speak to me. Still, I think this could definitely be in some peoples' taste, especially if you like power guitars and glam rock.
I'll give it a weak 3 for 'Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love' and for recognizing his influence on guitar playing.
Beatles
3/5
Decent album for sure, but didn't hit home that well, still. I often find Beatles' songs too cheery, I think that's my main issue with them. Probably in some key that I don't fancy.
'Yellow Submarine' is an interesting song, but feels more of a lullaby than something I would seriously listen to. 'Fo No One' was a song I haven't heard before that I found to my liking, but other than that it was pretty beige.
Booker T. & The MG's
2/5
'Green Onion' is really cool, but the rest is pretty bland unfortunately. Even the electric organ and piano couldn't save this one. I feel that my opinion was also heavily dragged down when I found out it's mostly covers, and I only think that can take you so far. The 'Twist and Shout' one was horrible, by the way.
In summary it had great potential, but perhaps a whole album of this just was a bit too much. Plus, for some reason it feels a bit like circus music or something less serious. Maybe because 'Green Onion' has been used as soundtrack in sneaky scenes in movies or something.
Fairport Convention
3/5
The album opened quite strong with 'Autopsy' and 'A Sailor's Life', and I thought it would be one of those rare gems that I hadn't heard before and took me completely be surprise and just nailed it. Unfortunately, this streak become fairly short lived when we started to get more cheerful folk-like music and the violin came in on 'Cajun Woman', which wasn't to my liking at all. 'Percy's song' suffers from the same.
When listening to it again the day after, I realize I completely missed 'Who Knows Where The Time Goes' which has that same feeling like the start of the album. So it definitely has a few strong points, but also some fairly bad ones. I was initially hoping for it to be a sleeper 5 or at least a 4, but it will have to settle with a strong 3 since it's very uneven, and the good songs don't manage to carry it enough.
Nitin Sawhney
2/5
It had an interesting start, but fairly quickly I realized that this was an album that couldn't decide what it wanted to be, as it felt like there were a few different styles of music on there. This can definitely be fine in general, but on this record it didn't work for me. I have to give it some plus points for being different though, and for some very nice vocal landscapes. Still, couldn't really single out a song that I liked in particular.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
When I started listening to this list I thought live albums were off the chart, but learned otherwise. Apparently we can have soundtracks now as well? It's not a terrible album, and it was nice to work to, but I just don't quite understand why this of all movie soundtracks ended up here? There are so many others that are more worth putting here instead, like Lord of the Rings, Godfather, Star Wars, various soundtracks from Disney movies, to only name a few.
I assume it was never claimed by the list creator for this list to be objective in any sense, but this move certainly proves the lack of it in my opinion, and gives me some second thoughts about how well verse the author of this list actually is in music.
Back to the album. The opening theme song is very cool, and like I alluded to, I like the overall feel of the album. It fits nicely together and gels well. But I don't think it belongs on this list, and it's not anything I will probably put on ever except when working as a wall of sound. 1 star for the decision to include it in the list, 3 stars for the actual music and the album as a soundtrack.
The Black Crowes
2/5
What a boring album. This felt like the most bread and butter rock I've ever heard, but I didn't find any hook or anything interesting with it. Don't remember a single song either. It also felt somehow like they tried to imitate some other artist, but I can't put my finger on what artist that would be.
Very low 2 star.
GZA
2/5
A fairly new Swedish game studio is called 'Liquid Swords', I feel pretty sure that this is where that name comes from.
Anyways, the album cover game me some manga vibes so I had a hard time figuring out what kind of music this would be before putting it on. Even though it is from mid 90s (which usually is where I usually find most hip-hop that I like), this was not really to my taste. I can't really put my finger on why, it just didn't stand out somehow. It felt kind of like the hip-hop equivalent of the Black Crowes album we heard the other day, just quite boring and nothing special - though admittedly this is a bit better than that.
Strong 2 for me.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
1/5
A whole album that sounds like a video game boss fight, interesting. You have to give them so cred for producing something very different, just a shame that none of it is very good.
Couldn't find any song that I liked on the album. Almost all songs are super stressful and incoherent, and there's a lot of notes that hit you in the face in a fast pace.
The only thing I liked with this album was the cover art, which might be one of the coolest I've seen.
Johnny Cash
2/5
Very strange album in my opinion. Mostly covers, which is a concept I am not a fan of at all on this list. I thought 'Hurt' was a Johnny Cash original, but turns out that is a cover as well. The first song is at least good, and there are some other ones like 'We'll meet again" and 'Personal Jesus' that work as well.
My biggest gripe with this album is Johnny's singing. There are very few songs where I actually think it works out. Mostly he just speaks, rather than sing. And if we're lucky, it's going to be in tune. It isn't even the tempo or whatever that is the issue, it's the execution. It sounds half-assed and amateurish. I get that he was old when this was recorded, but come on.
Feels a bit brutal but going to have to give this a strong 2. I recognize that this might be something other people enjoy, but not my cup of tea.
Santana
3/5
Cool album! I liked the sound and the overall feel you got from the album, felt quite exotic somehow. I didn't find any particular song that I liked, but I think all of them were pretty good. 'Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen' makes me think of an old coffee commercial though.
The album felt cohesive and it worked well to listen to it in one sitting. Got a bit samey after a while, but not enough to get boring. I'm missing some more bangers for it to give it higher rating, still strong 3 though!
The White Stripes
3/5
Generally quite cheerful melodies, coupled with quirky lyrics. 'Blue Orchid' was a cool song, but other than that I didn't find much to my taste. Not as strong as 'The White Elephant' album we had a few months ago, but quite innovative still, which they should get cred for. Weak 3.
Derek & The Dominos
2/5
What a strange album. It should get a prize for worst album name as well, I think. Cheese deluxe.
Some pretty sweet blues here and there, but got quite boring quickly. Whole album was hovering around 2 stars for me until I got to 'Layla'. That was also when I thought "wait, isn't this an Eric Clapton song?". And that's when I realized this was his band before he went solo. Interesting.
Anyways, that song slaps so hard it's ridiculous. I have heard it before many times, but either this version had more energy than I'm used to or I had just forgot how good it was. Perhaps the 2nd half could be cut off, but still. It definitely doesn't fit in with the rest of the album's theme or sound, but it's without a doubt the best song of the album, and the only reason to listen to it in my opinion. It also explains why they put it in the album title.
Even though 'Layla' is superb, I still have to give this album 2 stars since most of it was a drag.
Madonna
4/5
Another album that just screams 90s. I've heard many of these songs, at least 'Frozen' and 'The Power of Good-bye', but I had no idea it was Madonna who made them. Doesn't feel like a Madonna album - it's a bit too tame.
Even though I think much of the text is quite cheese or pretentious, I have to say I dig the overall feel of the album. Lots of nice electronic elements with mellow sound scapes, strings, and so on. It might be nostalgia, but I think most of the songs are pretty good for what is. It definitely doesn't feel fresh or modern, but that's ok.
I think I will have to give this a weak 4 actually. I don't know if it's nostalgia, but I think it's overall quite decent. I also feel like I'd rather listen to this again than pick up many of my 3 star albums.
Boards of Canada
2/5
On paper a cool idea and album, but fell flat unfortunately. Off to a terrible start with extremely repetitive and boring songs. Somewhere in the middle it became decent, with the album high of 'Roygbiv' which was a really cool song that I will listen more to, and some other nice tracks that followed. But the end was also pretty weak if I recall correctly, so overall pretty bad experience.
Nina Simone
3/5
In a way it sounds kind of fresh for being a 60s album, like something that might have inspired Duffy or something. But on the other hand it wasn't really my cup of tea entirely. I think a 3 is suitable, but definitely plus points for sounding different than a typical 60s album!
Nine Inch Nails
1/5
Many people regard Nine Inch Nails pioneers in their area and hold them very highly, so I went in with quite high expectations. I was thoroughly disappointed.
I listen to quite a lot of techno, and that genre usually get comments about being monotone and just "noise", so it's funny that I should have the exact same feeling about this album. I think the melodies are not interesting enough and lacking in general. Almost everything is just distorted way too much for the sake of it (at least that's how it feels). Extremely edgy in general.
'Close' has a cool beat, but the lyrics are just weird. I prefer Johnny Cash's version of 'Hurt' many times over this original with it's dissonant quirks.
Might be heresy, but going to have to give this a strong 1 since I feel that it is borderline hard to listen to sometimes. I think it's a matter of taste though, NiN are obviously praised by many but this wasn't an album for me.
Beastie Boys
3/5
I don't know to honestly... Beastie Boys manages to make white guy rap cool with some energy, but still quite bland. 'Sabotage' is a really cool song, but had a hard time finding anything else that stood out. Gets pretty monotone after a while, but I've heard worse albums as well.
The The
2/5
Could get worse, but real boring album, not for me at all. Thought 'The Twilight Hour' and 'Soul Mining' had something though, but the supposed hits were not my thing. Weak 2.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Dylan again... still can't wrap my head around why people love him so much. I don't get swooned much by lyrics, so if you take that away, what is left here for me then, really? Dylan's labored wheezing of a singing, or the fairly boring guitar playing?
Decent, but not to my taste at all. And it's not that I don't enjoy folk music or guitar songwriters, it's just that I don't like Dylan. Weak 3.
The Zombies
3/5
Pretty up and down album. Overall I'm pretty impressed with how good it sounds for being from '68, especially the vocals.
The first song, 'Care of Cell 44' was pretty good and sounded fairly fresh! Generally it was hard to find songs that grabbed me, but they ended on a high note with 'Time of the Season', which was the best song of the album hands down.
Duke Ellington
2/5
I only listened to the first part of the album, it was so incredibly long. The music itself was nice, but again, it just get tiresome with all the introduction and small talk between songs etc. that comes with a live album. As with other jazz albums, it's hard to really find any song that stands out, especially when it's live. It all melds together. And it was an OK listening session, but I prefer actual studio albums to 2 hour long live sessions.
Coldplay
5/5
One of those few albums where I actually think every song is good. Probably biased though, as it feels like I've listened to this a hundred times over the years, and it holds a special place for me.
Those early Coldplay albums before it got too commercial and all over the place really is something. Sure, it got some cheesy pop lyrics, but I also feel like they've got their own unique sound with a bit of that melancholic vibe. And I really like Chris Martin's singing with the falsettos, it's got something special to it.
5 stars without a doubt, one of my favourite albums.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Legendary Aretha Franklin. Fun to hear!
This album took me by surprise and was way better than I'd expected. I half expected it to sound quite dated, like some of the 50s albums we've had on the list. And it did to some extent, but mostly I was surprised how it sounded relatively modern, and almost all songs on the album were quite good actually!
I enjoyed listening to it back to back, and I never felt like I zoned out and just forgot about it. Every song took my attention even though I was working. Not a lot of albums do that!
Robert Wyatt
1/5
I guess this joke must have been done a billion times, but this album was certainly the embodiment of rock bottom. It started off really bad with the first song and it's atonal quirks and overall... not good things. Then I noticed on Spotify that it was the most listened-to song of the album. Yikes. It got worse pretty fast after that, with 'Little Red Riding Hood Hit The Road' and 'Alfie' probably being the epitome of badness. There are just so many elements that are out of key etc. which makes it very unpleasant to listen to. And the songs drag on forever as well... blah.
You have to give him some props for trying out something different, but it didn't work out at all. Or maybe it's the genre, I don't know. Definitely one of the weakest albums on the list so far. And it's a bit frustrating as well, because you can hear that he's a quite capable singer, he just chooses to make it bad like this. Makes you wonder what could've been if it was different.
Ride
3/5
The most interesting part of this album for me was the album cover. It evokes some nostalgia somehow that I can't put my finger on. It also made me think it was going to be some electronic music. Maybe it's because it reminded me of Mindtrap - Norther Rooms.
To the music. It kind of flew me by a bit, I think because I was focusing on something else. 'Vapour Trail' is a nice track that I think I've heard before. Overall I think it was pretty decent, but not good enough to pull me out of my focus on whatever else I was doing. Should listen to again at some point.
Paul Simon
5/5
Quite interesting and different album, if you consider what Paul Simon had done before. I remember that my dad recommended this album, but after hearing it the first time I wasn't that impressed. It took a few listens to get there.
Conceptually I think this is quite a clean album, the songs meld well together and the African influences and sounds shine through "just enough" so that it's still a pop album, but with a touch of other sounds. What makes the album interesting hinges quite a lot on how it was produced and made together with an African band in Africa, so if you don't know that it might not as special.
Generally I think the album has its ups and downs. There are some definite top songs on here, like 'You Can Call Me All', 'Graceland', and 'Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes'. In-between those songs it ain't that interesting always, but I think they serve their purpose in tying it all together, and the top songs are worth sitting waiting for in my opinion.
I was debating between 4 and 5, but I'll give this a weak 5 out of generosity. I think conceptually it's a really cool album, and there are some really good songs with interesting vocals, twists, and turns. It could really be a bit more consistent though, and some songs are just a bit too weak for my taste.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
This reminds me quite a lot of Bob Dylan. It's quite basic music often times, where it's the words and lyrics that are meant to carry the weight. As established, I am not much for lyrics or poetry though, it doesn't touch me nearly in the same way that the other musical parts can do. So just like the Bob Dylans records, it's quite boring and not very fun to be honest.
The first few songs were quite a drag. Then it picked up around the middle, peaking with 'So Long, Marianne' which I thought was a really good song. Other than that I had a hard time finding songs that I liked, and it all sort of meld together. I'll give this a strong 2, simply because I dislike more things than I like. But some parts do have something that could be worth going through again in the future.
The Only Ones
3/5
I think this album had something different going. Felt like a more modern that sound than what I expected from a '78 album. Didn't really find any song that stood out, but most of it was still decent. Deadshot 3 for me.
Dr. John
3/5
Some real voodoo vibes going on with this album. This reminded me initially a lot about another album we had on the list (that I can't for the life of me remember) that had a real pirate coven theme going on. It sort of turned out like that as well, but a bit less pirate specific. But it sure gave me tropic vibes.
Definitely a special album that stands out, interesting stuff. Not sure it was entirely for me, but it was something else at least!
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
Oof, this was a tough one. There were many things that were good, but also many things that were quite bad. I thought you could hear some early seeds of late 90s or early 00s skate punk in there. But that good core was mostly disturbed - if not entirely destroyed - by overuse of distortion and bad mixing. Examples of this is 'Sludefest', 'Tarpit' around 3:20 where the guitar overpowers the song completely with its screeching, and 'In a Jar' where the open hat is so ear piercing it's ridiculous.
If they would've toned some things down and mixed it better it could get a strong 3 perhaps, but now I feel like it's a deadshot 2. Also, the singing wasn't the best, and sometimes fell apart and was out of tune.
Ramones
3/5
Nice sound for being punk, not too screeching and noisy. Really iconic voice on the singer as well to create that Ramones sound.
Generally for me I find it a bit too samey. I have no problems with simple chord progressions, but every song on this album sounds kind of the same to me. 'Blitzkrieg Pop' is a really nice song, but there is not really anything else that stands out. Don't know what group that was first with punk, but if it was Ramones, I can imagine that it was quite groundbreaking when it came. Going to have to be a strong 3 for me.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Always love me some Bob Marley, even though I don't think this is his best record. I much prefer the live version of 'No Woman No Cry' to this one. The drum machine or whatever the beat thing is is making it feel very amateurish and like a kids version. Couldn't really single out any specifically strong songs, but they were all ok still.
The Who
2/5
I have no idea why this album was on the list. Sure, it was pretty good energy, but it didn't do much for me at all frankly. Not game changing by any means in my opinion.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
Man I really love Rage Against The Machine. It's just so heavy, and the grooves are extremely cool. The riffs are usually very unorthodox with Tom Morello and his witchcraft, but just work so well. Extremely fresh.
Zack's rapping works very well together with the rock and sounds cool. The political messages of their music isn't something you can miss, but it's not anything I take in very much, and not either what makes their music good in my opinion. Zack really feel like the personal manifestation of a militant vegan though.
There are a handful of absolute bangers on this album, like 'Bombtrack', 'Killing in the name of', 'Wake up', 'Bullet in the head' etc. Perhaps the other songs don't really reach the same heights, but they're still damn good all of them, can't really name a weak song.
After listening through the album you notice a particular song formula they use. Almost all of their songs end the same way; there is a break where Zack sings slowly, then it ramps up and ends with him chanting one of several phrases with all other instruments going max. Basically the same on 'Wake up', 'Bullet in the head', and 'Killing in the name of' for some obvious ones.
Anyways, I think this deserves a weak 5. Evil Empire might be a better album, not sure, but this one is still damn good. But like you notice in my review, I am a bit biased. This is probably not anything for everyone, but I do think everyone should give Rage Against The Machine a try at least once.
Tom Waits
3/5
More Tom Waits! This dude really loves his bamboo stick xylophones or whatever percussion thing he has going. It is quite similar to the 'Rain Dogs' album we had before, and gives you the same familiar swamp-like pirate cove feel. It does digress a bit from this pattern with 'All Stripped Down', and 'A Little Rain', for example, which comes unexpected but changes it up a bit.
I think I've gotten used a bit to Tom Waits and can appreciate it a bit more than last time. And while quite interesting, I don't quite feel like it's my jam entirely. Still fun to listen to. Strong 3 for me!
Queen
2/5
Queen must be one of the bands that I am the most tired of hearing. First off, I am not that keen on their choir and glam-like sound. Second, they have been played so extremely much over the years that all of their hit songs have lost their charm since long.
This record doesn't contain any of their most popular songs, which could have been an opportunity for me to enjoy another side of Queen without their hits. But I think I am just so burnt on it that I can't enjoy it. Or it's not that great. Probably deserves more, but a strong 2 for me.
Portishead
3/5
People usually seem to put Portishead and Massive Attack next to each other for comparison, and while I can see what they mean, I think that it's also not really spot on. On paper I should prefer Portishead, and I do like the overall sound and feel of the album, but somehow their songs don't manage to grab me entirely. I think the singer really hits the spot and adds so much value and emotion to the songs. But compared to Massive Attack, I feel like there is some energy missing overall on the record. The sick basslines and rap sections they have there really makes a difference.
In the end it's going to be a strong 3 for me. I have heard this album before and didn't thhink much of it. It grew a tiny bit on me when listening to it again, but I don't see it becoming something I really come back to that much.
Kraftwerk
4/5
Had a previous Kraftwerk album that didn't impress, but this is most likely their best one. 'The Robots' and 'The Models' are great songs that do sound old, but still hold up very well today. 'Neon Lights' is also a pretty nice song. In general I'd say it's overall a quite tight album. All songs are decent, and keeping it fairly short ensures that no other garbage gets in there.
If there's one Kraftwerk album you should hear, it's probably this one.
Weather Report
3/5
Props for one of the coolest album covers on the list! The actual music felt very 80s, even though it's from '77. For some reason it feels like a movie soundtrack to some detective show. Shaft comes to mind for some reason. Quite interesting in general though, but nothing that I will really come back to realistically.
Joe Ely
2/5
Had some witty lyrics but didn't really leave an impression on me.
Frank Ocean
3/5
Fun (but completely unrelated to the music) start to the album for a nerd like me, some throwbacks to the original Playstation. The first thing I noticed when starting the album on Spotify was how many listens it had. Also, this has flown straight over my head as I've never heard about Frank Ocean before.
Now, over to the music. it opens with one of the most popular songs of the album, but I can't for the life of me see why that is so popular. And it continues along that same path for the rest of the album as I am a bit clueless as to why this album in particular is so popular. After putting it on now just before writing this review I admit it's quite a nice and mellow experience, and it's not half bad. But I still can't really see the supposed greateness. I must add that R&B is not really my forte. I found my favourite song in 'Lost', which also seems to be the most popular one on the album. Other than that I can't really single out something particular that I enjoy, but it was overall okay.
I realize I am out of touch here with the rest of the public opinion, but for me a strong 3 feels like the right score. Was contemplating giving it a weak 4, but that would have been because I know it's a popular record.
Stan Getz
3/5
Extremely cozy feelgood music, makes you happy and calm when listening to it. 'Girl From Ipanema' is a very good song, but the rest doesn't stand out in the same way, but blend together more. In fact, almost all songs on this album sounds exactly same. I don't know if they're playing similar chords in the songs or if it's just due to the guitar player playing the same "riff" over and over again.
Overall it's a nice playthrough though, and I think I will save this to put on during a dinner or just to have some nice background music. For it to reach higher ratings it would definitely need some more variety. Strong 3.
Buffalo Springfield
2/5
Maybe this was revolutionary when it came out, but man, what a boring album. No song stood out to me. I am beginning to get so tired of Neil Young as well. There is a handful of things spread across many albums he's done that are really good, but he gets praised like he's the messiah of music for some reason. Fire and forget album for me.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Not sure I expected to see something as "poppy" as this on the list, but I'm glad I did. It's fun with something other than rock!
The album itself was a bit too long for my taste with it's 1hr 20min or so runtime. Christina really has some superclass vocals, and I never experienced this before, but it actually got a bit fatiguing after a while somehow. It's just so intense, and it feels like all lines she sings needs to be sung with extreme presence and energy. Almost like she's trying to sing every song in the most technical and impressive way, just for the sake of doing it - and because she can.
There were a handful of classics in there that you've heard before, like 'Infatuation', 'Beautiful', and 'Dirrty'. The hits are decent, but it's not really my jam to be honest. You can't deny that this probably had some impact when it came, definitely played a lot when it came out!
Solid 3 overall.
Rush
3/5
This album made no lasting impression on me unfortunately, forgot I had listened to it when I was about to write this review. I think they have a cool sound, but the songs are not really sticking somehow. Maybe need to listen to it more, not sure.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
I've heard this quite a few times, and when it showed up I immediately thought "nice, this will be an easy 4 or 5!". But I started listening to it again, and I realize it's actually not as tight as I remembered.
The vocal harmonies this band makes are indeed superclass, and I really like their overall sound. 'Helplessly Hoping' stands out as one of my absolute favourites from CSN, but not much else does unfortunately. I think the album could've been cut down a bit to remove some fluff.
I really want to give it a 4 star, but I feel like a very strong 3 is more reasonable.
Franz Ferdinand
5/5
Glad to see this album made the list, as it is a real gem. It holds a special place for me as well as this album and 'N.E.R.D - In Search Of...' were the first digital albums I ever got. A friend had downloaded them from internet sometime around the mid 2000's and shared it. Must have listened to this a hundred times since then.
Even though I am biased, I still think this is holds up to be one of the best albums out there. It's quite an uncommon thing to encounter, but I don't think there is a single bad song on this album. A few of my favorite ones are 'Jacqueline', 'Take me out', and 'Darts Of Pleasure', but the other songs are good as well, and listening through the whole album is a treat.
They have an interesting sound and some unconventional melodies that I can only describe as slightly corny somehow, but at the same time extremely catchy and cool, which is a strange feeling. They manage to deliver some proper energy on most songs. For example, the buildup on the start of 'Jacqueline' until the first chorus just grabs you completely. I think the two guitars are just very good a playing complementary melodies that takes it a notch up. There are some sick basslines in a few tracks as well.
Easy 5 for me, kickass album.
Bee Gees
2/5
Bee gees have some songs before their disco era that stand out, but they were not nearly as interesting back then, sadly. There's nothing wrong with this album production wise really, and the song is good. But it's just so boring. There isn't really any song that stands out to me, but there are a few that I really don't like, such as 'I Laugh In Your Face', and the sudden cowboy song of 'Give Your Best' that doesn't fit at all in the record.
Very forgettable album, no idea why it's on the list at all.
Aerosmith
3/5
Generic rock album for me. Nothing really stands out, none of their better songs here or anything. Really like their tone though. Maybe I should listen to it again, not sure. Weak 3 for me for now.
Neil Young
2/5
Another Neil Young album... I am honestly starting to get really tired of him. Granted, he has made some good songs, and some albums of his are definitely good (like 'Harvest Moon'), and perhaps he has been more influential over the years than I recognize, but I think he is criminally overrated. This album is a perfect example of that. I don't even know what it's doing on this list. It's extremely beige - even below mediocre. No songs stands out. His singing is sub-par for what I'd consider professional. The only good thing is that it's fairly short. Weak 2.
R.E.M.
3/5
I always considered R.E.M a very strong group, but I have concluded that they only have quite a few hits that are really good. The rest, like this album, and the one we had one the list before that, is quite boring.
Nothing that stands out or excites really. Weak 3.
Sigur Rós
4/5
Fun to see Sigur Rós on the list! This album didn't contain that many "hits", but I think it held an overall high, even level of quality. I am not sure if this is their best album, but I think it deserves a weak 4, as I consider it better than many generic albums I've given a 3 star rating. Think it lacks some more stand out songs to warrant a higher rating, but definitely fun and different!
The Style Council
4/5
Interesting album! Every song was quite different from the other with the unexpected turn of 'A Gospel' on the B-side, and I really like the mood it set. Feels like a perfect thing to put on in the background whole working, or having dinner, for example.
'My Ever Changing Moods' stood out as one of the better songs. In general I was missing some stronger songs, but I really enjoyed the whole album.
Realistically it should probably be a 3, but I really dug the album for some reason, so I'll give it a weak 4.
Air
2/5
I can see this being very fitting for a certain type of film, but I don't think it stands very well on its own as just an album. For being almost exclusively instrumental, it's a bit too uninteresting to listen to from start to end. Generally I feel that Air is a bit overestimated as well. They're doing what sounds like 80s or early 90s synth music in the 2000s, so it's not that unique to me. Vangelis for example does it better.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I don't think I will ever understand the praise of Bruce completely. To me, this is the most meats and potatoes or dad rock you can get. It's extremely unexciting to me, even the most popular song of the album 'Born To Run' just passes me by without any real emotion. And the same goes for the rest of the songs.
AC/DC
5/5
AC/DC is one of those bands that is starting to become overplayed for me like Queen or ABBA, but haven't gotten there quite yet. Incredibly strong opening track in 'Hells Bells' with a really sick guitar riff. 'You Shook Me All Night Long' and 'Back In Black' are also really good tracks, probably some of AC/DC's most famous ones. To manage to get those 3 songs on an album is a feat in itself.
I think other songs like 'Givin the Dog a Bone' and 'Shoot To Thrill' are pretty good as well, even though they don't reach the same high. In other words, it's an album with a high lowest bar, but with very high highs.
One slight issue I have with the album is that the songs can sometimes feel a bit too similar somehow. AC/DC certainly has a style, and it shows. Maybe it's similar chord progressions or something, can't exactly put my finger on it. Other than that it's a good album and definitely belongs up there on the list as some of the better albums.
Björk
3/5
Interesting album, very different from much other types of music. In general I was not a fan of the dance up-tempo tracks. I think the rest was decent, but those felt out of place and didn't add anything since they weren't really any good.
I mostly like Björks singing, it could as well have become too much and too weird, but it stays just on the right side of the line. Very melodic and exciting.
I didn't really find any particular song that really stuck with me, which was what I was missing.
Klaxons
3/5
Decent album, but nothing that really impressed me all that much. 'Totem On The Timeline' had a bit of Franz Ferdinand vibes, so that was a pretty cool song. Hard to pinpoint what type of genre this would be exactly.
The Cars
3/5
I don't know... it kind of feels a bit like a less exciting alternative to Talking Heads? At least the singer sounds quite similar to David Byrne. Not sure which band came first, just an observation.
Had a hard time finding a song I liked. Even the more popular ones didn't really stick it for me. Weak 3 it is.
King Crimson
3/5
Pretty cool album, and nice cover! '21st Centuary Schizoid Man' had a pretty sick guitar riff. I enjoyed it in general, 3 stars.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Not my favourite Pink Floyd album, but still delivers. There a couple of really good songs on here, like 'Another Brick In The Wall, Pt.2", 'Hey You', and 'Young Lust', to name a few. Conceptually and sonically it's very well orchestrated and tied together with a clear red line and theme throughout the album. You can also go watch the 'The Wall' movie directed by Alan Parker if you want more of this album and the concept.
I feel it works both for and against it being made as a concept. It's quite neat that there is a red line, but at the same I become quite annoyed when 'In The Flesh' the second time. And there are also quite a few tracks that are meant to drive the narrative of the album, or just setup the next song, which I perhaps wouldn't consider a proper song themselves. For example 'Is There Anybody Out There', 'Stop', 'Outside The Wall', 'Goodbye Cruel World' to name a few. This makes the album feel littered and sprawling. But perhaps you should instead look at the album as some sort of opera, which I guess it was made to be. But that's just not how I want to listen to albums.
Weak 5, mostly due to the many and sometimes uneven tracks. But still a good album!
Eagles
3/5
I know the Eagles are a renowned band, but this felt like extremely generic rock to me, not that interesting at all. 'Most Of Us Are Sad' was probably the song that stood out the most to me.
Bonnie Raitt
2/5
Not especially exciting, sadly. It felt quite generic, didn't really have any song that stood out. Bonnie has quite good voice though, gotta give her that.
Johnny Cash
1/5
But.... why? Puzzled by this making the list... sure, it's pretty cool that he's holding a concert at a prison, but still? Feels like 60% of the whole running time is made up from Johnny's elevator talk about various uninteresting things, and the rest is actual music. Not really what I am looking for in an album. I am not big on Johnny Cash, but I found the songs quite dull as well. This would probably lend itself better as a filmed version than something to listen to.
Not necessarily 1 star for the music, but for the album execution. I am here for music, not a podcast.
Traffic
3/5
Didn't listen that attentative, but a decent album mostly. Becomes a bit bland after a while, and I enjoyed the songs that were a bit less country oriented. Should probably listen again sometime, but a 3 for now.
Gorillaz
5/5
Another album I've heard a million times. Really cool and unique. Quirky in a way, but also fresh and cool at the same time. Must say I am really impressed with Damon Albarn. Blur doesn't exactly sound remotely close to this, yet he manages to deliver even better in a completely different context.
While (what felt like) hugely popular when it came out, I don't think this is the best Gorillaz album, but it still really good. There are some cool tracks on this record, like 'Tomorrow Comes Today', '19-2000', 'Rock The House', and of course Gorillaz's most famous song: 'Clint Eastwood'. Then there are songs that conceptually tie the record together, but aren't hits per-se, like 'New Genius (Brother)' and 'Sound Check (Gravity)'. A handful of songs could've been skipped, like 'Punk', 'Slow Country', 'M1 A1' to name a few.
Before writing the review I was determined on a strong 4, but after skimming through it again I realize that there aren't as many weak songs as I thought, so I will have to put it on a weak 5 instead. I am really a Gorillaz fan though, so probably a bit biased.
Depeche Mode
3/5
Pretto decent album, but not their best album I reckon.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
Man, what a breeze of fresh air from hearing so much rock on this list. I don’t know if it was actually good, or I was just starved of something different, but I really enjoyed listening to this. Strong 3!
Beatles
3/5
What a behemoth of an album with 30 or so songs. There are some Beatles classics here like ‘Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Ada’, ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’, and ‘Blackbird’ for example, but also some real low points like ‘Piggies’ that felt like some Victorian court jester’s theme. ‘Rocky Racoon’ is a quirky little tale which was quite fun, and ‘Revolution 1’ was a song that I’ve never heard before but I really liked! Other than that it was… pretty bland honestly. And how are you supposed to knock out 30 bangers in an album?
I find this pretty hard to rate. Should you credit the album for its highs, or give it a score for the complete experience? I think I’ll have to go with the latter, and since there are so many subpar songs I can’t really stretch any further than 3. It just ain’t that good in my opinion, no matter how well renowned The Beatles are.
Van Halen
3/5
This is not really my type of music, so it's a bit hard to give it justice... It wasn't terrible, but not really that good either. 'Jump' is such a cheesy song as well, doesn't fit in at all with the rest of Van Halens rock repertoire. Weak 3.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Nice surprise! Was a bit sceptical when it said it was a motion picture soundtrack, but it actually worked very will to listen to as a free standing album as well.
All songs were pretty interesting and they felt different enough from each other. Perhaps there weren't that many songs that stood out as "hits" except 'Superfly' perhaps, but they were all just really nice. Really liked 'Give Me Your Love' as well.
Adele
4/5
Nice with something modern for a change.
Adele sure has a very good voice, and this album contains a few of her most known songs. It is a very emotional record for sure, and I read that she wrote it during and after breaking up with her boyfriend. For me it gets a bit samey after a while, basically every song is about heartbreak in various forms and I lost track how many times the word "Love" was mentioned. For whatever reason I don't feel sucked into the music and I find it a bit hard to relate and connect, but maybe that's more on me than on her.
Overall solid record, but maybe not entirely my type of music. Still, a very good modern album and it's insane that she made this when she was 21 considering how mature and good it sounds.
Thin Lizzy
3/5
Felt exhausted just seeing a 1hr 16 min live album by Thin Lizzy going into this... but it wasn't that bad actually. I think I mixed it up with Alice Cooper. Anyways, had some decent songs, but nothing that really grabbed me, and won't be remembered either. Weak 3.
The Thrills
4/5
My first thought when I heard this was that it sounded very early 2000s California pop, and felt like something that you might've heard on the 'O.C' series. Not very surprising considering the opening tracks are called 'Santa Cruz' and 'Big Sur'. I was correct in the early 2000s part, but was surprised when I found out they are from Ireland.
This spoke to teenager me in a good way. The only real complaint I have is that the lyrics felt quite... childish? As in a toddler could've actually wrote it. At least that's how I felt with 'Santa Cruz' and the first few songs, and then I lost track a bit because I was out running.
Overall I liked the singers voice and the "instrumental" part, but got hung up on the lyrics that I didn't like. Weak 4, can definitely see myself revisiting this.
Mj Cole
2/5
My strongest feeling after hearing this album is that I am so incredible tired of the drum pattern he uses throughout the whole record, and I never want the hear those snare, rim and kick samples ever again.
Garage and other drum-and-bass like genres are probably my least favourite electronic music, so this album is fighting an uphill battle from the start. I think the guest artists singing makes the whole record. He also has some nice piano progressions which fits well. But the record is way too monotone for me. FYI Mr. Cole, it is possible to do electronic records without it sounding exactly the same. It does get better at the end of the record though, changing tonality, and 'Rough Out Here' being a fresh breeze. But then it falls back into old ways a bit too much.
Not complete garbage, but very close to a 1.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
Cool album cover, with some (in my opinion) pretty generic, but sweet, jazz. Don't feel like I have the skills to determine what differentiates this from other similar albums. I liked it, but it doesn't feel like anything special to me.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Late Leonard Cohen had a quite unique and interesting style with his whispering-like and bassy "singing". Hearing this record it really feels to me like Leonard was always a poet first, and a musician second, which is also beautiful in a way because poetry was how it started from him before he got into music. Unfortunately for me, I'm not moved much by poetry and words, so this becomes a bit of a dull. Still, I'm impressed that he managed to create something fresh and different even at the very end of his career and life.
John Martyn
3/5
This was a quite coolt album that I've never heard before. I had a pretty hard time deciding and figuring out what genre this is. His singing suggests it could be some sort of blues, but the music points towards it being some form of psychadelic or progressive rock. Also, what an interesting voice he has!
Definitely plus points for interesting album with some good songs like 'Certain Surprise' and 'Smiling Stranger'. Think I could grow to like this if I listened to it more, but for now it's a strong 3.
Sade
4/5
Sade's first album, never heard before even though I've listened to her quite a few times. Contains a quite a few songs that are of similar "cheesy love song with saxophone lead" as 'Careless Whisper' 'Smooth Operator', and 'Your Love is King' for example. But that's not all the album it is, the album is loaded with lots of electric piano and really tasteful grooves and basslines and I just find myself nodding along. Most songs are pretty good actually, but 'Smooth Operator', 'Why Can't We Live Together' and 'Cherry Pie' are some examples of songs that stand out for me.
A thing with 'Smooth Operator' that someone pointed out is that "Coast to coast, L.A. to Chicago" makes no sense since Chicago is not at the coast.
In summary I didn't expect this album to last all the way through, but I think it didn't and liked it more than I thought I would. Weak 4!
Roxy Music
1/5
Didn't find anything for me here on this album, overall boring and... not very good. Singer reminds me of a worse version of David Byrnes as well.
I'd say this borders between weak 2 and strong 1, but haven't had a 1 in a long time so I feel adventurous to explore other ratings as well. The reason it tips the scale towards 1 was that it was so uninteresting, and actually sounded a bit bad a times.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Definitely not your usual singer songwriter experience hearing this. Interesting melodies and Jodie has a fun and enchanting way of singing. The singing makes me think of an earlier, less angry version of Alanis Morisette somehow, she also has an unexpected rhythm to her singing that I like.
I’m writing this review quite a while altering listening to the album, and I realize I have forgotten quite a lot of it, not a great sign. The first song is very good though, and when skimming through it I really like it. On the edge of being a 4, but will have to settle on a strong 3 since it obviously didn’t leave that strong impression on me.
Miles Davis
4/5
Many jazz albums have flew over my head, but this certainly didn't. Though the first track dragged out for quite a while, I thought it was a nice journey and I didn't get bored. Had an interesting suspense to it, like something crooked was about to happen.
The second track started off more mellow, relaxing, and peaceful. Then it ramped up and changed form. This track also took me on a nice journey.
Overall really good album, nothing to complain about! Strong 4.
Talking Heads
3/5
Talking heads really are an interesting bunch. One of the few bands that actually manages to make ‘quirky’ work, where other bands on this last have tried and failed. Sometimes David Byrnes singing can get a bit too weird and tiresome though.
Not my favorite album from them, but there are have few decent here like ‘Uh Oh, Love Comes To Town’ and ’Psycho Killer’ for example. The rest is decent, but not really anything I would put on the record to listen to. Strong 3 will have to do.
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
I feel like I’ve heard My Bloody Valentine being regarded quite highly, but I must admit that I don’t quite understand why, at least not judging from this album.
I think ‘(When you wake) You’re still in dream’ is quite a kickass song, but found it really hard to find anything else that could even be considered decent. I enjoy other shoegaze bands like Slowdive, but this didn't even come close to that. They have quite a lot of out of tune things and various noises in their tracks, and it doesn’t work that well in my opinion. The first track on the album is a good example of this, so is ‘No more sorry’ and ‘All I need’.
I recognize that there is something there that has something, but I just think this isn’t for me at all. Strong 1.
Calexico
3/5
Initially a quite interesting album, but it felt like it diverged a bit from its own formula after a while and got a bit too incoherent for my taste. Don’t remember any particularly song that stood out, though most were decent, mixed with a handful ones as well that didn’t work for me.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
I have to say I was impressed by this as a Stevie Wonder album. It felt more grounded somehow than his previous records I've heard. Still, the occasional Jesus talk bugs me a bit. But it had an overall even quality to it, which I really liked.
The only real complaint I have is that it lacked some song that stood out a bit more as a hit, but other than that it was a good album!
Ray Charles
3/5
Cozy album, but didn't really stand out to me in any way from other big band music. Weak 3.
Richard Hawley
3/5
Pretty unexpected album to come out mid 2000s. I think it was a cosy listening session, but nothing that really grabbed my attention that much track-wise. Could see myself having this on in the background at some dinner though.
Peter Gabriel
2/5
Read that he was the singer of Genesis, which makes complete sense since this sounds very much like Phil Collins - only worse.
Found some half decent songs in 'I Don't Remember' and 'Games Without Frontiers', the latter which whistle tune might have been sampled in Mange Schimdt's 'Giftig' song.
Overall I didn't like this record very much. It felt a bit pretentious, which you can get away with that if the music is really good, otherwise not.
The Vines
3/5
This album started off extremely weak with some edgy rock and the singer sounding like a worse Liam Gallagher. Then around ‘Homesick’ it changed tone into something that I really liked, followed by a streak of a few good songs more reminiscent of 2000s pop rock.
In the end it felt a bit too uneven to warrant a higher rating, having both pretty low lows and high highs. This might be an album I’ll actually revisit to see if it changes my mind, but for now I think a 3 feels appropriate.
Judas Priest
3/5
Most of Judas Priest's biggest hits seems to be packed on this record, which is quite a feat. I still felt a bit let down though, the songs didn't punch as hard as I remembered. And though it might be an unfair and unnecessary comparison, I kind of feel like Rob Halford is just a bit of a less good singer than Bruce Dickinson in Iron Maiden.
Getting 3 strong stars from me, but could definitely deserve more if this is your cup of tea.
Bob Dylan
2/5
So tired of Dylan now it's insane... it was just as boring as I expected.
Todd Rundgren
1/5
This record really was all over the place... it had a handful of ok songs spread out over the different sides, but mostly it is either mediocre or garbage. This is simply not acceptable for such a long record in my opinion. Better to make it tight and short than to have much material with a few decent songs. There were some wit around, but I can't really see myself recommending this to anyone.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
3/5
Wow, what a ride. Mostly juvenile and silly nonsense, but pretty fun to just hear something completely different and out of the box sometimes. Hard to take it that seriously though.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
I must say I don't really understand why Elvis Costello has multiple records on this list. I read online that he was praised for his lyrics and storytelling. If that's the case then it passes me by. I mostly find myself annoyed with his voice, and the music feels quite luck laster.
Not anything that raises any eyebrows to me.
Lou Reed
4/5
I can't put my finger on why, but I kind of liked this. Maybe it was because it was morning and I was susceptible to some calmer stuff. I usually don't enjoy monotone singing that sounds like talking, but for some reason Lou worked just fine this time. He has some unorthodox timings that makes it interesting. The lyrics feels quite unfiltered as well, and somehow Lou sometimes gives off a bit of creep vibes, which I haven't experienced with many singers before.
Overall I thought most songs brought something new and were interesting and fun to listen to. Probably not something I will put on that much, but really appreciated it this time. Going out on a limb with a weak 4.
CHIC
4/5
Very funky and groovy album. No song is bad, though there are some that are stronger than others. Still, very even and high standard throughout the record. Solid 4.
The Waterboys
2/5
First song was pretty good, but I got a bit tired of the format quickly. Maybe I was just not in the mood for this type of folk music, not sure.
It felt like the first half of the record was more rock oriented, and then it turned more folk at the end. Nothing really to write home, strong 2.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Very 90s record for sure. Had some pretty cool songs, but it was a pretty up and down experience. 'Block Rockin' Beats' and 'It Doesn't Matter' felt like perhaps the strongest songs, other than that it wasn't anything special that stuck to me. Hasn't aged nearly as well - or reach the same level of quality - as Prodigy, even though they have quite similar sounds.
Think I will seattle on a weak 3.
Incubus
3/5
Hmm... tricky one. Sounds quite 90s indeed. This sounds like a crossover between Linkin Park and Audioslave, both of which were later projects. Surely this must have been quite a major influence on those bands.
I think there are some cool riffs and instrumental choices, heavy use of chorus etc. that works really well. Overall quite dark and dubious sounding, I like it.
I am not sure I am fan of how the singer fits into it all. He sings very well and can deliver some power, but to me he just has a way too poppy voice. So for me, this whole album has a weird soft edge to it that doesn't feel fitting.
It feels like this probably deserves a 4, but it doesn't gel completely with me, so I'll give it a strong 3. I think I could grow to like this though if I listened to it more.
David Bowie
3/5
Another Bowie album, starting to get a handful by now. Not too shabby, but definitely not his best either. 'Changes' and 'Life on Mars?' were a few levels above the rest for me. All in all decent, but as I'm not a major Bowie fan to begin with it didn't really lift any eyebrows. Strong 3.
5/5
Probably the most successful album of Muse, along with Absolution, back when they were actually good. There are some real bangers here, like 'Starlight' and 'Supermassive Black Hole'. The rest are also a decent bunch and fit in nicely to make a cohesive but also varying album.
What I particularly like with this record is that it doesn't quite sound like anything else, but is still very good. Some quite unusual riffs and patterns here and there that keeps it interesting. Matt's singing style is also one of a kind I dare say, really nice falsettos and long drawn out wailings.
It took me a while to warm up to them, but I very much like this Muse era. Not what comes to mind when I think of my favorite albums, but I still think a weak 5 is quite fitting.
Sonic Youth
2/5
I think this record started off pretty promising with 'Dirty Boots', and 'Tunic (Song For Karen)' that I particularly liked. But after sitting through everything I feel like the melodies and delicacies are lost in too much noise and distortion. This definitely peaked at the end of 'Mildred Pierce' which just turned into some scream fiesta for no good reason.
In summary it had some decent songs at the start, but nothing to warrant any higher rating.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
One of the most 80s sounding records on this list so far... sounds like surely most things on this record ust have been made with DX7 almost. Got all the 80s bells and chimes etc. Very uninspiring drum machine sounds as well.
The album definitely lacked some variation, and it hasn't aged particularly well. For what I was, though, I actually enjoyed it more than I expected to. It doesn't really have any hits, but I just thought everything was fairly nice. I was a bit sad when I found out that my favourite song on the record 'I Don't Want To Talk About It' was a cover, but still a nice song. Not a record I would really recommend to anyone, but wasn't half bad. Solid 3.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Another Zeppelin album. I never remember what songs are on their different records, but I am always astonished by how many good tracks they have. And this might be their best album, though it's a tough call.
Led Zeppelin are kings of sick riffs, and they show it with an extremely strong opening in 'Black Dog', followed by 'Rock and Roll'. 'The Battle of Evermore' fits in thematically well, but is perhaps not the most exciting song of the album.
Then comes 'Stairway to Heaven'. This is of course the most no-brainer and unexpected opinion to have, but this might be the best song ever made. It has everything you'd want out of a good song: acoustic elements with slow buildup, good singing, exploding climax, sick guitar solo etc. The lyrics are very fairy-tale-like in true Zeppelin fashion and perhaps not the most exciting, but fits well in.
'Misty Mountain Hop' and 'Four Sticks' are not that exciting, but not terrible either. Then comes one of my favourite Zeppelin songs; 'Going to California' , which is just an acoustic jewel of fingerpicking. And the record closes with 'When the Levee Breaks' which has really cool drums and a sick distorted harmonica lead.
Very good album, everyone should hear it. Still amazed that Led Zeppelin manages to deliver 5-star albums again and again. Probably one of the most consistent bands of all time.
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
Very cozy album, very cool album cover. Really enjoyed hearing this. This type of music has a very calming effect on me. Perfect to put on during fall or whenever you fell like relaxing a bit. No song particularly stood out, but I just liked the whole package. Strong 3.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Cool band name. Sometimes sounded like a modern version of Depeche Mode, especially in 'Someone Great' and 'Sound of Silver'. Also reminded me a bit of Talking Heads at times, like in 'Us V Them'.
Generally I preferred the songs that were entirely electronic, compared to the ones sounding like it had acoustic instruments in it. My top songs were probably 'Get Innocuous', 'Someone Great', and 'Sound of Silver'.
The general experience was a bit mixed. The songs differed quite a lot from each other, and there were some that I liked much better than others. Still, after just skimming through it again I feel like it's quite an interesting album. I'm going out on a limb and giving it a weak 4 because I felt like it was quite different from a lot else we've heard, and they managed to get quite a few good songs in actually. Still, a bit of an uneven album,
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
A bit ambivalent about this one. Smashing Pumpkins is definitely a band you have heard about before, and it think this record should deserve a higher rating if this is your jam, but it just didn't resonate with me for some reason. There are some decent songs like 'Today', and perhaps a few others that probably deserve more credit, but it just wasn't for me in the end. Weak 3.
Depeche Mode
4/5
Fun with more Depeche mode! Mostly heard their hit songs, so exciting to hear the rest of their repertoire.
This one contains some of their most successful hits with 'Personal Jesus' and 'Enjoy the Silence', which are real killer songs. I'm happy to say that that's not all the album delivers, however. Despite Depeche Mode perhaps not being my exact taste, I find the rest of the songs pretty decent, such as 'Policy of Truth' and 'Blue Dress'. What I find lacking is a bit more uptempo songs, as most feel more tuned down and ballad like. This really lets Dave Gahan shine with his stellar singing, but a record with a majority of ballads is not what I'm looking for in synth music.
Weak 4.
I think overall this deserves a weak 4.
Shivkumar Sharma
5/5
Never heard about this before, but just... wow. I was absolutely taken away by this. The album cover had me interested and turned out to very well convey the serenity you feel when listening to this album. I also read that it was supposed to represent a day as a an indian shepherd in Kashmir. This makes me really want to visit Kashmir.
I haven't listened to much oriental music, but this feels like it managed to cater a bit to western tastes as well, with a nice blend of oriental instruments, acoustic guitar, some background pads, and acoustic drums elements.
The album takes you on a very nice journey, quite similar to how soundtracks does. There is calm, excitement and tension weaved throughout the songs. Some jazz serve the same purpose to me as this does; to calm and put you in a nice state of mind. That can sometimes fly over your head, but I didn't feel any of that with this record. The melodies were really memorable and it kept my interest throughout the record.
Overall I found this extremely nice to listen to and will come back many times I am sure. This might not objectively deserve 5 stars, but to me this was such a nice gem and revelation. Will try to seek out more similar music in the future for sure!
The Allman Brothers Band
2/5
Passed me by quite unnoticed actually. Not sure it's bad per-se, but quite uninteresting. Usually these end up somewhere with a '3', but this felt particularly forgettable, so giving it a strong 2.
Thelonious Monk
3/5
Nice jazz. Nothing less, nothing more, really.
The Band
3/5
Pretty decent album. Feels like I've heard 'The Weight' somewhere else, but not sure from who. Or maybe I'm just imagining.
Anyways, nothing that really stood out, but not bad either. Solid 3.
Dion
3/5
Decent I guess? Had some good vibes, but nothing I will return to most likely. Only listened half-attentative when working, but it didn't cut through the noise.
The Doors
5/5
I find this album pretty hard to review. A lot of The Doors success seem to have come from Jim Morrison being a real erratic person, surrounded by lots of drama, but also from their music being quite different from what else existed, with controversial lyrics and energetic live performances. Most of this is missed out when hearing the recording.
Anyways, this album contains many of their top hits 'Break On Through (To The Other Side)', 'Light My Fire', 'The End', and so on. This by no means that the album is only carried by those songs though, I think most songs hold a really high bar throughout the whole record. For example, I really appreciate 'Soul Kitchen', and 'Back Door Man'. 'Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)' is quite a strange song. "Show me the way to the next little girl" is quite... interesting to put on a record. Perhaps I'm taking the lyrics too face value, but it certainly makes them come across as a bit suspicious and creepy.
Their sound hasn't aged very well in my opinion. It really sounds as old as it is, and the sound quality isn't that impressive. The electric organ they use in almost all songs is a trademark instrument for them, but it makes it feel like whimsical circus music at times, which doesn't sit that well with me.
In summary, I think it's definitely a record filled with enough interesting stuff to warrant a high rating. The actual music is interesting and evenly good, and the band is also surrounded with some mystery and weirdness that piques your interest. The Doors is definitely not a group I would count among my favourites, so I had a hard time deciding between a 4 and a 5, but in the end I'll give it a weak 5 partly because it's actually pretty good, but also because of the band's influence on music.
Arctic Monkeys
5/5
Not sure I expected to see this here, but fun to have something relatively new!
When Arctic Monkeys came I think they took the world by storm a bit, especially in certain age groups. For me personally I had a bit of a hard time with them, and it wasn't until a few years ago that it actually clicked for me.
I think this is definitely one of those albums that you either like or hate. It's quite noisy, and I can see how Alex's singing can feel like a whiny teenager going at it.
What makes this record shine for me is in its simple, yet extremely catchy riffs, along with Alex's unexpected lyrics and singing melodies, which is quite unique else I dare say. The record contains quite a few uptempo songs that can set a crowd on fire, like 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor', 'Still Take You Home', 'When The Sun Goes Down', 'A Certain Romance' and so on. But the rest of the record also has really good songs though, which makes it a strong overall album.
Not a perfect album, and I think it very much depends on whether this is anything for you or not, but I think a weak 5 is in order considering how many good songs there are on the record.
Dire Straits
4/5
I was a bit sceptical of this for some reason, but it sure did prove me wrong.
Almost all famous Dire Straits songs on the same record, impressive. Particularly ‘Money for nothing’ really is a banger! But there are also a handful of other songs that are good, like ‘Your latest trick’ and ‘One world’.
Though famous, I really don’t think ‘Walk of life’ is a particularly good song. It’s too tame or meek, which is enhanced when sitting behind ‘Money for nothing’. I’m don’t think Mark Knopfler is a particularly good singer, quite the opposite actually. It sounds very half arsed and boring.
But in summary I found it a surprisingly good record, where not only the hits delivered. Almost want to give it a weak 5, but a 4 feels more balanced.
fIREHOSE
3/5
Was focused on work while listening to this, so I didn't get a very accurate picture of it, but it didn't particularly stand out. Just skimming through it now afterwards makes me feel like it wasn't too bad, and I should definitely listen through it again! I already found myself some pretty cool songs, like 'In My Mind', 'Vastopol', and 'Time With You', for example. There are quite some parts in this album that surely must have influenced some 2000s indie bands like Vampire Weekend or something.
Interesting listen, strong 3 for now!
Milton Nascimento
4/5
Zero expectations coming in to this but I was actually blown away a bit. First off, it felt quite fresh, well sounding and modern for coming from '72. And even though it contains quite a lot of songs with its four sides, I found all songs to live up to a high standard. Didn't really find any song that I didn't like. Conversely, I found of songs that I did like a lot, such as 'O Trem Azul', 'Club Da Esquina No 2', and 'Paisagem Da Janela' to name a few.
At first, I was almost thinking of giving this 5 stars, but I realize now when going back the day after listening that I was a bit clouded by the good songs. Still, I think this is a solid 4 stars for me. Very fun listening!
Eels
2/5
When I saw the album cover I feared I was in for a rough ride... and I was. Basically an album equivalent of Alice in the Wonderland, in a bad way. Feverish and dissonant, not at all to my liking. The singers voice also reminds me quite a lot of Elliott Smith, which I am not overly fond of.
The only ray of light is 'My Beloved Monster', which I think I recognize from being in the Shrek movie. This recovers it from a dead 1 star to a weak 2 for me.
Small Faces
2/5
Cool and funky album cover art, and weird name. Had some potential for sure, but felt a bit too quirky in a similar way like Pink Floyd's first album - not that great. Didn't really find any song I liked, most of it just felt like background noise.
Can
2/5
This might very well be the album with the fewest tracks I've seen! The album had some decent parts to it, but there was a bit too much noodling around for me. 'Moonshake' was a decent song, but that was also the part that was most different from the rest of the album. If you like slowly progressing and meandering rock, this is for you. Personally I found it a bit too impactless. Strong 2.
Röyksopp
4/5
I have a hard time putting a finger on exactly what the Röyksopp sound is, but it's definitively recognizable and distinct. Has some mellowness to it, while still having some dance oriented tracks.
'Eple' and 'Poor Leno' are the best tracks of the album in my opinion, but the other ones hold their ground well too. Overall really cool album that still sounds fresh.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Holy sh*t, what an album. I didn't use to like Black Sabbath at all, until I heard this album. I am not sure I would call myself an all out Black Sabbath fan of their newer stuff, but this album they did back when they were basically hippies, before they started wearing black trench coats and eating bats on stage, really is gold. But I digress.
Just hearing the first opening note of 'War Pigs', you know you're in for a heavy ride. The guitar on this album might just be the sickest tones I've heard on a guitar actually. It just sounds so rich and heavy, almost doesn't need a bass with how thick it is. Ozzy might be a loony, but he is actually outstanding on this record and delivers much energy. The drumming throughout the record is also exceptional and powerful, and lifts all tracks.
The whole album is just filled to the brim with good songs. The opening track, 'War Pigs', might be my favourite song of the album. It has a nice long progression, and you're rewarded in the end with a sick end to the song. Then there's also the absolute bangers of 'Paranoid' and 'Iron Man' that straddles 'Planet Caravan', which is a calm an mellow song with a completely different tone with its feverish song. I actually think this sits so well where it's at, and is actually a really good track in itself.
The only critique of the album would really be that the first half of the record is an order of magnitude stronger than the first. But I think the second half still holds up pretty well, I enjoy them as well.
Overall I think this might just be a top contender for one of the greatest records ever. Strong 5.
Sepultura
3/5
When I saw the album cover, I got the feeling that this surely must be some kind of heavy or black metal or something. I wasn't wrong!
Cool to include an album like this on list that is some order of magnitudes heavier than anything that's been here so far. Doing this in '96 also feels quite early for this type of music, so this must have been quite novel when it came out. I read online that the album is about the band exploring their Brazilian heritage, and that they went to visit some indigenous tribe in the jungle. This is quite an interesting backstory that was at least missed out by me when listening to it.
As for the actual music... well, it's not for me. I find it hard to connect to and appreciate, which also makes it impossible for me to give it a fair score. But I dare say I've heard music in this genre that I liked way less, so I guess that's... good?
I'll give this a 3 star rating as it feels most fair. Also, it wasn't that bad honestly.
Beck
4/5
Had no idea what to expect when starting this, but I was pleasantly surprised! I was quite busy with some work when listening to this, but it still grabbed my attention, which is quite a testament.
'E-Pro' immediately felt recognizable. I wonder if it has been in some famous commercial or something. Nevertheless, good song! The rest of the tracks continued along the same track; a bit experimental with quite heavy grooves. Reminded me of Gorillaz at times, in a good way. Funny thing with the record is, Beck doesn't look at all like a person who'd make this type of music. He looks more like he'd fit in the Lumineers, and I'd expect someone closer resembling Shift Shellshock or something to be the author of this. Funny how wrong you can be!
I find it hard to single out particularly good songs, except perhaps aforementioned 'E-Pro', and 'Que' Onda Guero'. I just think the whole record was really good and nice to listen to. I'm going to give it a 4 for now, but this could be a 5 if I give it a proper swing again and get more into it.
Flamin' Groovies
2/5
What a boring and forgettable album! Most generic rock I can think of, nothing special whatsoever. Didn't sound particularly good either compared to some other '70s albums. Maybe it was influential back then, I don't know, but it certainly drowns in the sea of good rock available from that era.
Giving it a weak 2 out of lack of inspiration and fun-ness. Only thing saving it from a 1 was that it doesn't sound as outright bad as some other 1s we've had.
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
I liked the sound this album had, made me think a bit of early Pink Floyd at times, like on 'Who Are The Brain Police', and 'You're Probably Wondering Why I Am Here' with its quirky kazoo, for example.
Overall it felt like something I should have enjoyed more, but didn't for some reason. It think it got a bit too silly honestly. In addition, it felt relatively lengthy, which wasn't in its favor.
Weak 3.
Miriam Makeba
2/5
Quite varying songs, but it didn't stick with me that well. I initially thought 'House Of The Rising Sun' was a cover of The Animals' version, but it seems like she actually recorded it at least 4 years earlier than them. Turns out it has been done before Makeba in many other iterations as well.
Anyways, there are some playful and interesting lullabies in there that are cute. But in general it just didn't feel like it was for me. Strong 2.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Felt like it could've been something for me with some sections of quite ambient guitar playing with much chorus. Leans a bit into shoegaze territory sometimes as well. But nothing really stood out to me. When I thought a track was going the right direction, instead they chose to take it the wrong way. Maybe I need to listen to the album more, not sure. Not a fan at the moment though.
Adam & The Ants
3/5
Quite strange album I have to say, very similar to Talking Heads in many ways. The singer sounds very much like David Byrne, but the songwriting and weirdness is quite similar to them as well. Apparently quite successful when it came out.
I'm having quite a hard time figuring out where it ends up on a map with weird on one axis, and good on the other. After some consideration I think it ends up somewhere in the middle. It's quite interesting and decent at times, but not something that really pulls me in either. Didn't find any particular song that I really liked, for example.
I think a weak 3 will have to do.
Ravi Shankar
3/5
It was very interesting to hear about the different ways indian music is structured, but I'm not sure I feel it belongs to an album you want to put on to listen to.
The music itself was nice, but I don't feel that I am knowledgeable enough in indian music to know what makes this stand out compared to other similar pieces, and therefore find it hard to see why this particular album should be on the list, and not some other sitar album. I do enjoy the sitar quite a lot though, would be very fun to try out sometime.
Elton John
4/5
Surprisingly I think this might be our first Elton John album on the list. This is certainly one of his better albums, and is set off with a couple of real bangers in 'Candle In The Wind', 'Bennie And The Jets', and 'Goodye Yellowbrick Road'. It's actually crazy that these 3 come in succession.
Unfortunately, that is pretty much everything that is interesting with this album. I really like Elton John, and it's ridiculous how many good songs he has to his name. But in my opinion he has never really succeeded in putting many of those songs on a single album. They are spread out over all of his many many albums. So, while he certainly has a good amount of hits, there's also many songs that aren't particularly good or notice worthy, a bit like this album. Still, I think those 3 songs are just good enough to edge this record to a weak 4, but the album certainly doesn't deserve more than that to me.
The Darkness
5/5
Did not expect to see this here! Listened through it at least once before, but was a while ago. Remember hearing 'I Believe In A Thing Called Love' when it came out and I thought it was a bit of a weird one, but still catchy. Listening through the album now it definitely feels like one of those ones where you go "oh, I completely forgot about this, what happened to those guys?!".
The music seems to take influence from the heavy riffs of perhaps AC/DC, but with a completely different tone added with Hawkins' singing. And I think it works very well together. Hawkins wearing a tight glam rock body appearance is somehow what you would expect when listening to the songs, but I feel like they have quite a lot of self distance and do it more in an ironic way, rather than that being how they view themselves. It's nowhere near Kiss in my opinion, and that's a good thing.
'I Believe In A Thing Called Love' is probably the most recognized one, but I actually think the whole album is really good, with other favourites such as 'Friday Night', 'Love On The Rocks With No Ice', 'Holding My Own' to name a few.
I can't understate how cool of a singer I think Hawkins is. His falsettos are incredible, and he takes this from being generic rock and roll, to something completely unique. I was planning on giving this a 4 star rating, but I'm actually going to be generous and give this a weak 5 star rating. Forgot how many good songs here are.
The Pogues
3/5
Ah, the band with the depressing Christmas song! I find this type of irish-like rock/folk music very fun and cozy in certain settings, especially when experienced live. But a whole album like this wasn't really my thing... perhaps I wasn't in the right mood, I don't know. Admittedly, 'Sally MacLennane' is really catchy when hearing it again now one day after listening to the album first time. Still feels like a 3 for me, but if this really is your jam I can see how it deserves a higher rating.
The Beta Band
2/5
I think they have an interesting chill sound, and this should really suit me. While I found 'Squares' to be alright, I didn't find any of the other songs particularly interesting.
Somehow the whole album also sounds very... weak, and bad? There is no punch in anything in the songs, and the singer's voice is extremely weak and sits behind everything else in the mix, so it just doesn't grab you at all. Also almost zero stereo image... just very bad sounding in general to me.
Maybe a bit harsh, but getting a 2. Mostly because it's sounds so uninspiring, but also because it's a bit of a boring record.
Janet Jackson
3/5
Judging by the numbers of times played on Spotify, some of the songs on this album are still quite popular. I fail a bit to see why, though.
The album sounds very 80s pop, even though it's from the latter part of the 80s. It's hard to not think about Michael Jacksons album when hearing this, as it sounds quite similar. Where Michael's albums stand the test of time, this doesn't. Barely any songs that I liked that much, perhaps except 'Lonely' which I found still sounds fairly modern.
Overall not that interesting, but also not the worst I have heard.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
As mentioned before, I am no big on Bruce, sadly. I admire him for making this a bit of a different album compared to the other ones. Unfortunately it's not to my taste either. Everything just flew over my head, don't remember any song barely. Pretty boring overall. Strong 2.
Joanna Newsom
3/5
Sad that this isn't on Spotify, not where I live at least.
Hearing this I feel like the most accurate description I can come up with is "cute". The cover art matches the music well, which have a bit of a fantasy or medieval feel to it. Definitely different for sure, so I believe the spot on this list is deserved!
The album contains a few songs with interesting small stories, focusing heavily on the lyrics, which admittedly is not my favourite part of songs usually, but it works well. She seems to be playing the harp as her main instrument, which is not anything you see that often, cool!
Overall, I found it a quite interesting album, but not anything I would really see myself listen to. I also find her voice quite annoying to listen to after a while, unfortunately. Still, fun with something different for once! This could actually deserve a better rating, but for me this is a strong 3.
Maxwell
4/5
What a nice album! Hits just the right spot for me. Really funky, nice basslines, lots of electric piano and nice guitar fills. What is there not to like?
I just found the album overall nice to listen through. Strongest songs are probably 'Urban Theme', 'Sumthin' Sumthin' and 'Ascension', but the thing I missed the most was a real banger that clearly stands out and you can put on repeat. Luckily all songs are just nice to listen to, and I can definitely see myself put on this whole record when working or something.
Cream
4/5
Extremely era accurate cover art. I wonder how much LSD went into making this one.
Sounds very gritty, and I would say '69 in general. Reminds me a lot of how Jimi Hendrix or Jeferson Airplanes songs sounds. Overall I think this is quite a good record. Have heard it before, but there's definitely quite a lot of good songs here in 'Tales Of Brave Ulysses', 'Outside Woman Blues', and 'Strange Brew', which all have very memorable riffs. And let's not forget 'Sunshine Of Your Love', which is actually quite a banger. Just a very mysterious and heavy riff.
It definitely sounds a bit dated, but I still think it's catchy enough to hold up quite well today. And I can imagine that this must have been quite sick when it came out, especially live. Solid 4.
The Beta Band
2/5
Another Beta Band album... "yay". I actually don't understand what the list creator sees in this band. While this wasn't as bad as the other record (Hot Shots II) we had just last week, it's still pretty bland and boring. Most critiques for previous album holds true here as well; singer is quite tedious to listen to, and no real oumph in the songs. I hope we don't get any more Beta Band albums on here, there are more deserving artists for those spots.
Pentangle
4/5
Nice album with some really nice vocals, especially those sung by the Jacqui. It feels like many songs go in the same key using the same chords, but I don't mind too much, it sounds good.
'House Carpenter' is a really good song, and I could've sworn I had heard it in the Read Dead Redemption 1 or 2 video game, but can't find it now for some reason. Maybe I'm just imagining. Feels like an iconic track somehow though!
I feel like this beats a lot of other type of folk records I've heard, so giving it a weak 4.
Grateful Dead
2/5
There are a few Grateful Dead songs that I appreciate, like 'Terrapin Station' for example. Other than that I haven't listened to them that much.
Grateful Dead have quite the fanbase and cult following, and if I understood it correctly it's much due to their live shows. I have to say that I don't really see it in this record to be honest. I think jamming and noodling, when done correctly, can be really thrilling live, but it just doesn't lend itself that well for a studio record in this case. There are also a few quite long segments that just doesn't work at all for me, like 'Feeback' for example.
In the end I end up a bit disappointed in this, resulting in a 2 star rating.
Supergrass
4/5
I just listened to disc 1, as the 2nd disc seems to have be some limited edition thing.
When I saw the album cover I thought we'd get something along the lines of The Pogues, and was not very enthusiastic. I was quite wrong.
I don't think I've ever heard this record before, but somehow it felt like I've heard at least half of the songs before. I don't know if they have been in some movies or TV shows I've seen, or if I am just imagining, but most songs felt easy to get into and were catchy.
I must admit British rock bands leaning towards pop can definitely be hit or miss, but I am very impressed with this album, even though I don't feel like it's entirely my jam. Most songs are good, but there are actually more songs than usual that I would consider very good, such as 'Late In The Day', 'G-Song', 'Sun Hits the Sky', 'Going Out'.
In summary I was pleasantly surprised. Even though it's not 100% my type of music, I still found it very good, which I find quite rare to be able to appreciate something in music that you're not fond of. So I'm giving this a 4, but think it might actually deserve more if you're into it.
Nick Drake
4/5
I see Nick Drake, I press 'like'. Another very good album from him. 'Norhtern Sky' might be his best song, competing with 'Pink Moon'. Overall, high quality throughout the record. I kind of want to give this a weak 5, even though it suffers from a bit of the same problem as the 'Pink Moon' album of lacking some more real hits. On paper this should be a weaker album than 'Pink Moon', which got a strong 4, so I guess it will have to get the same!
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
I am a bit disappointed that I knew before listening to this that it was the lowest rated album on the list, but I don't think it would've made a difference. I can understand it holds that position, but there have also been other albums on this list that could also be deserving of similar sentiments.
While bold and definitely something else, it just doesn't turn out very well. Very harsh and dissonant in general, with lots of saturated screams and singing, mallets, and all sorts of percussions and noises. Barely anything resembles a traditional "song". I ended up turning it off half-way through since I felt it wasn't my thing, and it didn't show any signs of heading in a different direction.
SAULT
4/5
Maybe newest album I've encountered on this list? Actually heard this once before, and while I am a bit surprised to find it here I must admit it's a damn cool album. It feels quite political. Nothing for or against that, just an observation. Other than that I'm struggling to find bad songs, most of the album is evenly good! 'Wildfires' feels a bit like a league of its own though, clearly the best track of the album.
Overall really solid record. Feels very modern and fresh, a nice breeze on this list compared to all 70-80s rock we've had. Also feels very underrated judging by the listening numbers on Spotify. Strong 4!
Radiohead
3/5
Feels like we must have had almost all big Radiohead album now on this list, just missing 'OK Computer'!
I think this is a bit weaker than those albums we had before. No real single strong song that stand out and carries the album (not that it's a must-have, but still), and I find the rest to be lacking identity, like 'Kid A' and 'Treefingers', or just not being that good. Still, 'How To Disappear Completely' is a really good song, and 'Everything In Its Right Place' is decent as well, but the rest you can skip.
Genesis
3/5
For some reason I'm always a bit sceptical about Genesis... I sometime feel its too religious, but I am not sure if this actually warranted, or just due to the band name and some minor things in some songs.
This album was a bit of a surprise. The cover art definitely mirrored the music quite well: a theme album touching on old English culture. We had Joanna Newsome's 'Ys' album here recently, and this reminded me a bit of that, but in a more modern and rockier setting.
Overall I didn't really find a favourite song, but I thought most of the songs were quite decent. I don't have any deeper analysis; it was a pleasant listening session, but didn't move me in any particular way, so a dead on 3 feels appropriate.
Malcolm McLaren
4/5
Oh wow... what a ride, what just happened here?
Starting off with 'Buffalo Girls', I thought we were off in some kind of early-hip-hop direction. But then we took a left turn onto "latin up-tempo music", which seems to make up the majority of this record. But before arriving in "weird american rodeo town" represented by 'Duck For The Oyster', we had to take a quick detour into an 80s synthpop-ville, with 'World's Famous' (which might have been my favourite song of this record).
This album was really all over the place, and I mean that mostly in a good way. It is always fun to hear something that you don't expect! If he could have just managed to tone down the craziness a bit and keep it a bit more cohesive I think it could've gotten a higher rating easily!
As it stands, the best songs were the ones that were not really representative of the album; 'World's Famous' and 'Buffalo Gals'. I enjoyed the mid-section to some degree, but that wasn't the best. Not everything is great on this record, but for once I actually think this might be an example of when it actually paid off to to just break all boundaries and go crazy. Interesting album that takes you on a weird journey, and rewards you with some cool songs and an overall nice feeling!
Slipknot
3/5
I like some Slipknot stuff, but this wasn't really what I expected to see on the list. None of their really good songs are here, and I have to say some songs sound more like light Nickelback than what I consider Slipknot. The first quarter or so of the album is quite good, but could live without the rest.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Crazy how much the opening riff in 'Brown Sugar' just sounds like a chopped up 'Start me up' riff, almost feels similar close to me.
Overall I think this was a decent record with some songs that were better, and some songs that were not as good perhaps. I don't feel like I'm swaying in any direction, it's pretty much dead in the middle for me. Pretty much "meats and potatoes" rock I would say. 'Wild Horses' was probably my favourite track.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Back-to-back Rolling Stones albums, what are the odds? I found this more to my liking that Sticky Fingers. Felt a bit more daring and different, whereas Sticky Fingers was very vanilla rock. 'Under My Thumb' stood out as a particularly good song, but 'Mother's Little Helper' was also a quite good, especially as a way to start the album.
Still, this wasn't anything that really blew me out of my chair. Haven't listened too much to Rolling Stones ever, and I guess there is a reason for that. Sure, they have some hit songs that are pretty cool, but mostly it's pretty mundane.
M.I.A.
4/5
Huh, a bit unexpected, but always glad to see something that is not rock, even more so something contemporary-ish!
Really whacky record. Listening to this make me feel very uncool and old. All beats are extremely catchy and groovy, and the lyrics are complete jibberish and devoid of any type of coherency or "sense". It just feels completely disconnected and all over the place, but she is just so good at creating memorable fun pieces that rhyme really well and are easy to remember, that now it feels like I know almost all songs even tough only heard the record once. And I think that is where much of here success lies, it's incredibly powerful.
Going to sound even older now, but I wonder how much she has influenced how kids talk these days. Listening to her rap feels a bit like hearing teenagers talk.
In summary this is definitely not what I usually listen to, but there's just so many hooks here in the lyrics and the beats that it's hard not to dig it. Really fun to listen to as well, not so complicated or pretentious as some music can be. Gotta give it a weak 4 just because of how fresh it feels, even though I probably won't listen to it much more and I didn't find any particular song that I "loved".
Dagmar Krause
1/5
Another one that can't be found on Spotify. The cover gave me a bit of Ute Lemper vibes, so was a bit sceptical coming in.
This hit all the wrong spots for me unfortunately. A german composer (Hanns Eisler) writing an album about tank battles in the late 80s, it just feels so... dated and prehistoric? Granted, it was during the cold war, but still... felt like something that may have been fresh during the 30s, but late 80s? Come on.
Not my thing at all, stopped half-way through.
Bob Dylan
2/5
Oh no... not more Dylan. I wonder if his moaning, disguised as singing, has peaked on this record? 'I Want You' is a very good song, and the 'Stuck Inside The Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again' is good as well, but the rest is... ok I guess?
If it wasn't for his crappy singing this would've gotten 3 stars, but that just drags it down for me.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
Good album from a good band! Got a good bunch of songs in 'Carry On', 'Almost Cut My Hair', and particularly 'Our House' which we played at our wedding and holds sentimental value to me. Their vocal harmonies are definitely what makes them stand out as a group, and also coincidentally most present on the tracks that are the best, like 'Our House' for example where it almost makes the entire song.
I've read a lot about how this group had troubles getting along, especially with mr. Young who was only part of the group for quite a short while. It's funny how his most noticeable appearance here is on 'Helpless', where it almost feels like he's singing solo.
Overall, solid album for sure, but lacks some "better songs" to really punch through. Weak 4 for me.
Little Simz
2/5
I wondered where I recognized her from, and it turns out she was part of Gorillaz's Humanz tour that I went to, cool.
As always, cool with something new. I'm not big on rap in general and am quite picky, and unfortunately this wasn't to my taste at all. Sounds modern, but not in a good way as it leans too much into the seeming current trend of "have to get as many words in a bar as possible".
The supposed most popular song of the record, 'Venom', did nothing for me and was actually among the worst songs, which I think tells me this is just not for me. 'Sherbet Sunset' and 'Selfish' was probably my favourite ones on the record, and also happens to be the ones that differs most from the rest.
Stephen Stills
2/5
Almost back-to-back with CSNY two days ago. Have had lots of that happening lately, interesting.
Must say that this was quite beige and colorless in general. I don't think a single song stuck with me, it passed me by completely even though I appreciate CSN.
Not much to say, strong 2.
Spiritualized
2/5
Cool name on an album, but that was almost the only positive with this album. On paper this should fit me very well, but it just doesn't catch me. 'Shine a Light' was a good song, but the rest just passed me by without leaving any impression. They have a good sound, but the songs are just very... boring? Lacks some punch as well.
Guided By Voices
1/5
This has to be the worst; when you get the sound of the 90s, but it's just outright bad music.
For starters, the album sounds incredibly bad. Like it was recorded and mixed on a toaster. With 28 songs crammed into 41 minutes, there is no way every song can punch hard, and it shows. Some songs are not that bad, but they drown in the rest that are mediocre or worse. Definitely quantity over quality, and that's not how I want my music.
Think this deserves a strong 1. Could've gotten a weak 2 as well, but we've had some many twos and this is just such a boring album. Taking into account the issues with it sounding bad, and way too many songs, I think it cemented itself as a 1 star album for me.
Motörhead
3/5
Haven't listened to much Motörhead honestly, I mostly know that 'Ace of Spaces' is a real banger track. Overall I found this a pretty cool, high energy live recording. Since I don't know most songs from before I find them a bit unintelligible from each other. I think this would be less of an issue on a proper studio recording, so I'd rather have listened to that other than a live one. But overall, not bad!
The xx
4/5
Interesting to see this, in my opinion, worst The XX album on the list. Maybe we will see the other albums as well then? Regardless, it was still much better than I remember it. Obviously I have quite a sweet tooth for The XX.
The opening track 'Dangerous' is a really good way to kickstart this album. Cool horn sequence that goes straight into a very cool beat, and then we the familiar XX vocals we love. Following up is 'Say Something Loving', which is also a good song, but not as groovey as the first.
The mid part of the album is perhaps the weakest part of the album, but it's still quite good, and 'Replica' is an example of a really good song that sounds like something from the previous XX albums.
The album finishes very strong with 'On Hold', which is perhaps the coolest song of the whole album, and then 'Dare' which is also lovely.
This whole album definitely sounds different (perhaps more poppy?) than their previous albums. I remember being a bit on the fence when it came out, but hearing it again now I am not sure why I didn't like it. I also can't really come up with any reason to not give it a very high rating, it's just that good. I am obviously biased, but to me The XX is a band that has managed to be very consistent throughout all of their released material so far. And all of it is very very good in my opinion. Was debating between a 4 and a 5, but unfortunately 'A Violent Noise', 'Brave For You', and especially 'Test Me,' are not that good, which drags it down a bit. So it's going to have to be a strong 4. Time will tell if I regret it or not.
Living Colour
2/5
Got some Red Hot Chili Peppers vibes from this, especially on 'Cult of Personality'. I wonder if they influenced each other.
While this wasn't exactly what I'd call "bread and butter rock", it was pretty damn close. The only real song that stood out to me was 'Cult of Personality', the rest just passed me sort of. In summary I'd say it was pretty boring, frankly. Strong 2.
Madonna
2/5
Madonna's discography really is a musical roller coaster. Her previous album two years prior to this was 'Ray of Light', which felt like a spa friendly, buddhist inspired record that could have been conceived during some journey about finding oneself in Nepal. This record gives me the feeling that she is back in the bar, ready to shot Jack Daniels and throw dart with the boys.
This was an incredibly strange record with a wide array of different musical styles. Both 'Music' and 'Don't Tell Me' feels very 90s and are both Madonna classics. They both sound vastly different though, so it's strange to find them on the same record. They're both by far the best songs of the record though.
Some mentions must be made of 'Nobody's Perfect', where Madonna discovered auto tune, which is quite a terrible song actually. 'American Pie' is quite a decent cover I guess, but just weird to find it on this record. Musically it stands out quite a bit from the rest. The rest of the songs were not that noteworthy.
Overall I think this record was too sprawling and incoherent for my taste when combined with the fact that the songs weren't that good.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Meh, 'Come On Eileen' is a really good track but the rest is pretty boring. Looking back at this list, British and Irish folk music studio albums hasn't really worked that well for me. It's fun to hear live, but not a recording. Doesn't capture the same magic somehow.
Elton John
3/5
Like I've stated before, Elton John has a whole load of hits under his belt, but his individual albums are fairly weak. I think this album is a good example of that.
'Tiny Dancer' is a really good song, and while the rest are not bad per-se, they are not anything that really takes your breath away.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
Cool album! The cover art reflected the feeling I got from the album: Some western vibes with a modern take.
I usually don't like these kind of records that just sound the same throughout the whole album. It is quite standard rock in some sense, but the guitar just sounds so gritty and cool, and that paired together with the overall theme just works very well for me somehow. Makes me want to go camping in the Rocky Mountains or something.
There is not really any single song that stands out that much, but it is more the complete package as a whole that is good. If I have to name any songs, it's probably 'Who Do You Love - Pt. 1', 'Mona', and 'Maiden Of The Cancer Moon'.
Overall cool record, strong 3.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
Janis Joplin sure has a unique voice, you can't deny that. But somehow she's never really been a favourite artist of mine, can't put my finger on it.
'Summertime' is a pretty good song though, gotta give em that. I think I could grow to like this over time perhaps, as the sound should kind of gel with me. 3 for now.
Norah Jones
4/5
This album really is the most sugary type of cafee jazz you can get, with some smooth butter on top. Marvin Gaye probably is the most stereotypical "love song" artist, but this album might just claim the title as the ultimate love album. At least that's the feeling I get when listening to it.
Overall I think this is a great album. 'Come Away With Me' has been played loads of times, but it still is a great song. My favourite song of the album probably is 'Shoot The Moon' though, such a nice song. Got a touch of melancholy to it that hits different.
I only knew 'Come Away With Me' when starting out, but I must say I thoroughly enjoyed this whole album. It gets a bit samey at times, but all songs are just very good. I think it deserves a strong 4!
Doves
3/5
Never heard of this band before. The cover art had me thinking it would be either some synth thing, or metal/hardcore.
In theory this should definitely be a sound for me, but I have a bit of a hard time being too excited. 'Caught By The River' was my favourite song on this record by far, and the other hits in 'There Goes The Fear', and 'Pounding' were alright too I guess. For some reason it just doesn't hit home completely. I think I might have to give it another swing sometime, but also kind of feel not to at the same time.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Huh, Compton's Most Wanted's 'Hood Took Me Under' is basically a complete ripoff of 'Walk On By'. Fun to know where those samples came from!
I really liked this album. I have never really listened to Isaac Hayes before this list, but this is the 2nd album here now, with Shaft being the first. I think it's fairly deserved spots. This is slightly stronger than the Shaft album for me. It feels noticeably less of a soundtrack. The weakest part of the album is probably the 8 or so minutes at the start of 'By The Time I Got To Pheonix' which is quite a chore.
My only real gripe with this album is it seems only 'Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic' is the only song actually written by Hayes himself, the rest are covers. And I am generall not that big of a fan of cover records, I find it removes quite a bit of the cred somehow, even though the tracks might be completely different. Still, if you let go of that fact and only focus on what you hear, I think this is a very nice album. I would want to put a 4 on it, but going to have to knock it down to strong 3 due to the cover thing.
Tim Buckley
2/5
This flew a bit over my head, I think I was a bit unfocused when listening to it.The first two songs are quite good, then it turns a bit dull and samey from 'Love From Room 109 at the Islander' and onwards. Think this will have to cement it as a strong 2 for me.
Can
2/5
I really have quite a hard time getting into Can. They have made a few good songs ('She Brings The Rain', 'Vitamin C'), but sadly, none of those have been found on the records on this list so far. After listening to Can more, I also realize that they aren't very typical Can songs.
There are many songs on this record that has something to it, but only temporarily. 'Mushroom' for example, is decent at times, but derails at the end of the song. 'Halleluhwah' has a nice main riff to it, but is just way too long and becomes repetitive after some time. Then you have 'Aumgn' and 'Peking O' that are... I don't know what. The black sheep of this album, perhaps? Complete garabage.
I'll give this a weak 2. It is bordering on complete trash, but there are some rays of light that saves it. But just barely.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
1/5
Wow, this really was hot garbage. Almost an hour long live album of (what seems like) improvised stuff. It almost can't get any worse. So extremely incoherent and all over the place. Would not recommend to anyone.
The Fall
2/5
We had one The Fall album on this list before. This album might be marginally better than that one, but I didn't see it then, and I don't see it now. All tracks just fly over my head. Not interesting enough hooks or anything really to evoke any sort of emotion for me.
Nirvana
4/5
Generally not a fan of "non studio" albums on this list, but I think this deserves an exception. It's quite a stark contrast from Nirvana's normal heavy grunge sound, but they managed to make each song work really well acoustically. I actually prefer this version of 'Come As You Are' to the studio one, for example.
The album is definitely a bit rough around the edges though, as you can tell the recording is not studio quality. Curt's singing is also a bit lacking at times, mainly in the beginning, but that is also part of their sound to some extent.
Despite mostly positives, there are some songs on here that doesn't work very well acoustically as they probably do originally. 'Pennyroyal Tea' and 'On a Plain' are examples of this.
In summary this is a very cool album that shows a different side of Nirvana than what you're used, and it works very well. Worth a listen for sure!
Van Morrison
3/5
Van Morrison is one of those supposed great ones, but I've never really understood his greatness completely. Perhaps it's yet one of those "you needed to be there when it happened" kind of things. This is not bad by any means, it just doesn't stand out that much to me. Very in the middle.
Burning Spear
3/5
Quite political record to say the least. Still groovey though! 'Marcus Gravey' was a very catchy song that stood out, but the rest feels a bit like quite staple Reggae? Or it is just me who has mostly heard Reggae from '75 who thinks it's a bit ordinary? Nothing wrong with that, just an observation.
Anyway, I enjoy myself some good reggae from time to time so this was a nice session! Nothing that to me that really warrants any higher rating than strong 3.
Blondie
3/5
I've come to the conclusion that Blondie sounds like something you'd hear playing at your local worn-down rock pub. 'Heart of Glass' and 'One Way Or Another' are a step up and really catchy songs, the rest I could do without. Not consistent enough to warrant any higher rating really, so will have to land in the middle.
Kanye West
4/5
I try really hard, but every time I try to listen to Kanye's music I can't stop thinking about what a horrible person he is. That aside, this was actually not that bad. It shows that this was early Kanye before he went complete bonkers, so this feels much more humble than his later works somehow.
The album didn't start out that strong for me. I don't think I really get Kanye that well, or modern rap for that matter (if you can call 2004 modern). It turned at 'Slow Jamz', followed by 'Breathe In Breathe Out' which I think had a really cool riff. The whole school skit section with 'School Spirit' in the middle was actually pretty well done. Usually skits don't add much value but here Kanye portrayed some self-distance. The three last songs were good as well, with 'Through The Wire' being a classic.
In summary I think this will have to get a weak 4 to me. It seems very widely praised, and I can understand why to some extent, but it just doesn't sit THAT well with me.
Method Man
3/5
Quite grim and ominous sounding in general. Got some interesting beats here and there, 'Release Yo' Delf' was definitely my favourite tune, really cool with the trumpet sample. Other than that I didn't find anything particularly noteworthy, but overall decent groove.
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
Must say that this album feels quite fresh for being released in 1966. 'You're Gonna Miss Me' stood out as a pretty decent track, otherwise I found it a bit hard to find a particular track I enjoyed. It was more the overall sound and feeling that worked for me. Feels like an album that slots in right in the middle of the scale. Nothing that I will return to probably, but also not something that I disliked.
Heaven 17
3/5
A synth album, cool! Read that a member was a past member of Human League, which is interesting trivia.
I think this is an OK album, but not much more. The beginning of the album with 'Penthouse and Pavement', is decent, and so is the ending with 'The Height Of The Fighting' (which might be the best song of the album) and 'Song With No Name'. The rest was more of a necessary evil.
Overall I find the beats a bit too much raw drum machine for my taste, and the album in general is decent, but not more. Weak 3.
TV On The Radio
3/5
First off I just have to write a few notes about the presentation of this album. Holy cow, what a sprawling impression. The 'TV On The Radio' font looks like something fitty for a cheesy wedding invitation. The album name 'Desperate youth, bloody babes' makes me expect either an emo album or a hip-hop record. And the actual image itself gives me synthwave associations. I am not exactly sure what we got, but it's not that.
The record was a quite slow start for me. Didn't enjoy any of the early tracks, even though they seem to be the more popular ones judging from number of plays on Spotify. It felt like they were just dragging on without any real hooks or leads.
I did find 'Poppy', 'Don't Love You', and 'Bomb Yourself' quite a nice trio of songs of which all I enjoyed. But that was about it sadly, even though their sound did have something. Probably will have to be weak 3 for me since it wasn't that good, but at least I managed to find some joy.
The Gun Club
2/5
Uh... I've realized through this list that only the very best punk rock works for me. This doesn't fall into that category.
The riffs are very similar and I find that it overall lacks anything musically to keep me interested. It's all just a bit of a mess. Also failed to find any song that I particularly like.
Strong 2.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
I was really excited for this when I heard the bass line of the first song and thought that this might be something. Unfortunately my excitement for this recorded ended there. The rest was of the album is mostly filled with various noises and screeching.
I have to say I am a little impressed that some parts of this album sounds quite modern for being made in '79. If the singer wouldn't have opened his mouth for the entire record and they would have used something other than that awful distorted guitar it might have been a completely different story. 'Albatross' and 'Graveyard' are good examples of where it almost works, but is dragged down due to aforementioned issues.
In all this unfortunately falls quite flat and is mostly annoying. Strong 1 for me.
Korn
3/5
Though I don't listen to them much, I think I generally appreciate Korn. I think they have a sound nobody else has, and it definitely works. Not sure how fresh it feels today, but it works in my opinion.
The first three songs on the record are quite good, with 'Freak On A Leash' standing out as a clear 5 star song to me. The rest is also decent, but I must admit I am got a bit tired of the formula and its was hard to find songs that stand out.
I think in the end it's going to have to be a strong 3 for me. There are a bit too many songs that don't do it for me to warrant higher a rating.
The Go-Go's
3/5
Fun with with an all ladies group, don't get that very often unfortunately!
I think this was a pretty decent album. 'Our Lips Are Sealed' was my favourite song of the album, it had a nice groove to it. I also enjoyed 'How Much More' and 'Fading Fast'. I can see this being quite fun to dance to at a party or something as it had quite much energy. The runtime of 35 minutes was just perfect before it started getting tiresome. Wish more albums could keep it down in that area, it makes it much more digestable in a sitting.
Strong 3!
The Zutons
3/5
Hmm... I don't know quite how to feel about this. There were some parts that was quite interesting, like the three four songs, along with 'Not A Lot To Do'. And the overall sound was definitely had something at times.
On the other hand I found that overall it sounded a bit weak somehow, like it lacked some instruments like pads or something to make it sound a bit more full. Sometimes it just sounded a bit amateur somehow, not sure how to put it. I also got a bit annoyed with the singer quite quickly. It just sounded a bit pretentious somehow... and I always got the feeling that this sounded just like some other famous band I've heard, but can't remember the name of.
I think in the end it's going to have to be a 3 for me. It had some ups and downs, so that's what feels most suitable. Plus points for stumbling into something I have never heard of before!
Neil Young
4/5
Ah... Neil Young's most famous record. When I heard this the first time I was a bit disappointed. 'Heart Of Gold' wasn't as good as I expected, and neither were the rest. But I am starting to warm up to it. And for me being someone who usually have a bit of a hard time with Neil, actually find myself letting go of that a bit here.
The opening track, 'Out On The Weekend', is probably my favourite track of the record. It has a nice melancholy touch to it, and you just gotta love the steel guitars that gives it that extra atmospheric touch.
There are a few weird ones on this record, though. 'There's a World', for example, comes in very suddenly and unexpected. It's like leaving your cozy cottage in the woods through the front door and end up on the main stage of an ongoing Phantom of the Opera play. Very strange. 'Alabama' also sounds like a worse version CSNY's 'Ohio' (Alabama was released before Ohio though, but still)
In summary the record holds a high standard, and it's easy to see why it is a classic. Still, this is no 5 star record to me. Even though the quality is high, there aren't enough singles, or hits if you will, that carries it to that next level.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
4/5
A rap album from the 90s that doesn't feel dark and depressive for once, nice! The whole album has a kind of playfulness to it with interesting samples, guitars etc, which I like. The metal guitar riffs perhaps doesn't work that well everywhere, but I appreciate the effort!
First time I went over this it wasn't instant love (even though it stood out a bit compared to other rap albums), but I decided to skim through it again a bit before writing this review and now I actually appreciate it much more.
Favourite songs included 'The Grave And The Constant', and 'I Can't Get With That'. Gives me feelings of wanting to drive around at summer sunset or something, very calming and groovey.
Overall I grew to like this album over the course of hearing it, so giving it a 4!
Ryan Adams
3/5
When I first read the artist name I misread it as 'Bryan Adams', and was mighty surprised when he started singing.
My general feeling about this is that it sounds a bit too much like teenage music to me. That coupled with the fact that it sounds like modern country, or very "american rock" for lack of a better word, makes it hard for me to relate to.
I found that the songs I enjoyed the most were the more mellow ones like 'La Cienega Just Smiled', and 'When The Stars Go Blue'. But apart from that it just really wasn't my jam. Not that it was bad per-se, just not for me.
Finley Quaye
4/5
What a sprawling record, and I can't decide if that's a good thing or not. The first song had me thinking it would be some kind of reggae album. But then 'Sunday Shining' sounds completely different, and again 'Even After All' is something new yet again.
After second time listening through this I think I'm leaning towards this being a quite good record. I like that it tries different things, and it does it quite well. Plus there are several tracks that I enjoy quite a lot, like aforementioned 'Even After All', 'Your Love Gets Sweeter', and 'Sweet And Loving Man', to name a few. The rest of the tracks does what they do quite well also, and there are barely any ones that are a bad. Except perhaps 'I Need a Lover' which could've been skipped for sure.
Fun with a record I haven't heard before that is a bit different! Weak 4 for me.
1/5
An album not on Spotify always have me suspicious. This time I'm positive we're better off without it.
When listening through the record I always had a feeling in the back of my head that not only was the music pretentious, but the people behind it as well. And boy was I correct. The lead singer, Andy Partridge, seems like quite a distasteful person when reading about the band on Wikipedia. The guitarist basically quit because he singer spent all of their budget on a 1-day Abbey Road studio session, and was overall extremely hard to work with.
And when it comes to the music, it really just doesn't work for me. In addition to the record feeling extremely pretentious, as I mentioned earlier, the singing feels quite laboured on some tracks ('Easter Theatre', 'River of Orchids'), and borderline false sometimes. The orchestral additions is also not for me at all.
Thoroughly didn't enjoy this.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
Must say this was quite a boring album. It just lacks identity completely for me. Everything sounds very tame and vanilla, very forgettable overall. Didn't sound bad by any means, just very uninteresting.
The Psychedelic Furs
1/5
What a boring album! The singer really is unbearable, it sounds so amateurish it is ridiculous. He projects the image of someone who woke up and was forced to sing the lines. And when he hold notes (or attempts to) it just sounds garbage, what a drag.
Removing the singer from the equation couldn't save this record though, everything sounds uninspiring and the same to me. This will have to be one of those records that gets a one star because of how boring it is, and failing to evoke any kind of positive emotion.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Probably Red Hot Chili Pepeprs first album (chronologically) that really hit the mark and put them on the world map, the ones before were not that interesting.
I am a quite big RHCP fan, but this is by no means my favourite album. In general I feel like the album mix lacks a bit of punch and could have benefitted from being a bit louder.
There are a handful of really good songs here, like 'Suck My Kiss', 'I Could Hvae Lied', 'Give It Away', 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik', 'Under The Bridge'. Almost more good songs than some albums have regular songs! Despite this, it feels like a 4 star album for me. The reason is simply because there are too many songs, especially songs that are mediocre or worse, which dilutes the whole album.
If the whole album was shorter and tighter this could be a 5 star, but solid 4 feels appropriate.
Pere Ubu
1/5
Been in a rut for a while now with the seed in this list, having more bad and mediocre albums than usual. Was hoping for that trend to change soon, but with this album we plunge right back into the deeps of the garbage can.
What an absolute terrible album. There are sometimes cases with albums where there's one or two songs that are really bad, so much that they draw down the whole impression of the album. Imagine finding an album where all the songs are like this. Enter 'The Modern Dance' by Pere Ebu.
There are songs on this album that resemble "normal" songs, but mostly it is quite experimental with various weird and atonal noises. The album makes me think about Einstürzende Neubauten - Kollaps, which is the lowest rated album on this list. This is a bit better, but not by much.
A real 0/5 record if I could give that, but I can't. There's no positive thing with this album. Stay away.
Ash
3/5
Definitely a quite 90s sounding record. When I was younger I listened to music like this quite a lot, but I must say this barely does anything for me now. I wonder if the situation would've been different if I had heard any of their songs before.
While the sound of the band appeals to me to some degree, my main problem with this album is the lack of any type of interesting melody. I also felt that most songs were a bitt too busy. They mostly turned into a distorted mess.
Weak 3.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Definitely a different album, fun to hear. Feels a bit like a modern Blondie album for some reason. I also noticed that I have saved song from Yeah Yeah Yeahs on Spotify, but sadly it's not from this album.
Personally, the experience of this album was a bit up and down, and I'm a hard time deciding how I feel about it. On one hand, it had some songs that were decent, like 'Soft Shock', 'Dragon Queen', and 'Hysteric', but nothing that really wow:ed me. I also appreciate the fact that it stands out among much else on this list.
On the other hand, I just don't think this is for me. The album's by far most popular song, 'Heads Will Roll', didn't do anything for me whatsoever. I generally find that the music gets a bit too messy, and I think it's mostly due to the singer. She really is a blessing and a curse; it's what makes the band unique, but it also gets a bit too much at times.
Think I'm going to settle on a 3 after all. It's not anything I want to put on again, really.
Morrissey
3/5
Huh, didn't think I'd see this album here. Opening track is quite wild. I think maybe he doesn't like America that much, not sure.
It seems that the main selling point of this album is the provocative and sometimes witty lyrics. And he succeeds in that very well. Morrissey is one of the few people that actually seem to be as pretentious and self-occupied as he sounds.
To me, it's not really enough to have crazy lyrics to carry a whole album, there needs to be something else as well. 'The First Of The Gang To Die' is a really good song with a clever story (and also completely orthogonal to the rest of the album content if you ask me), but that is the only song that I could really see myself go and put on from this album. There are a handful other decent tracks, but that's about it.
Napalm Death
1/5
The cover had me half-expecting something like this... but it was actually worse than I anticipated. I don't know how to make this review sound anything else than an old person complaining about something, but so be it.
I don't listen to grindcore so I don't have anything to compare this with... but boy this really is bad in every single aspect I can think of. It's just a wall of sound that hits you with no finesse whatsoever. The tracks are completely indistinguishable from each other to my ears. On top of that the mix is complete trash, everything sounds so incredibly bad. Perhaps some parts could've been salvaged if that wasn't the case, but probably not. In the end I didn't manage to sit through more than a couple of songs before turning it off. Hot candidate for worst album on this list, maybe even of all albums I've heard ever.
Just like some others have said, the only realy joy I got out of this was reading some of the crazy reviews.
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
Must say I'm quite impressed how good this was! My initial expectations hit rock bottom when I saw that it was an album from Dexys Midnight Runners, as their previous albums, along with similar acts such as The Pogues, hasn't been my thing at all. But this was quite nice!
Off to a bit of a slow start, but I found almost all songs starting from 'I'm Just Looking' until the very end to be very good. Ones that stand out as especially good to me are 'Geno', 'Seven Days Too Long', and 'Thankfully Not Living in Yorkshire Doesn't Apply', the latter of which is a really quirky but cool song.
I was going to give this a 3 star, but I actually think I'm going to raise to a 4 star. Taken by surprise with the many good songs on here, definitely worth a listen!
Miles Davis
3/5
Felt like a pretty average jazz album to me. Not more, not less.
David Holmes
4/5
There are many albums on this list that get a whole lot more interesting if you just read a bit about them on Wikipedia. This is one of them. Apparently David went to New York with a tape recorder and just recorded a bunch of sounds and strange people in the city, and then used that as basis for the record. I even found a small 30 minute documentary about him from '98 on Youtube that I watched, quite interesting.
The album definitely feels conceptually complete. There is a vision for the album, and every song feeds into and realize that vision. All songs just fit very well together.
The whole record also feels extremely 90s with the breakbeat or drum 'n bass-like drum patterns, something which I am not a big fan of. They are centered way too much in the songs for me and take over quite a lot, leading to many songs sounding the same. The scratch sound effect is also something I don't think I've ever heard on anything except 90s or early 2000s music, and I don't think anyone would dare use it anymore.
What is interesting to me about this record, apart from the production method, is how it was very evident that it got progressively better to me the more I know about it, and the more I listened to it. I have alluded to this before that it's sometimes hard to appreciate something when hearing it first time, but here it was extremely clear as I wasn't very impressed when I put it on at first, but now think it's a quite decent record.
Some of these songs were a bit too long and repetitive, but I found 'Gritty Shaker', 'Rodney Yates', 'Slasher's Return' to be my favourite songs.
I was determined to make this a strong 3 star album, but I think I'll stretch it to a weak 4. I realize this is entirely because this is a bit of my jam, but also because I've become quite biased after researching the album.
King Crimson
2/5
Not really my cup of tea. Through this list I think I have concluded that I only really like a selected few pieces of progressive rock (Pink Floyd), otherwise it's not for me. Way too much aimless and long noodling, especially the first and last songs.
U2
3/5
There was a time long ago when I held U2 extremely high. I think back then I had only really listened to their hit songs, which admittedly there are quite a handful. But the songs between those can really be bland and forgettable.
One' is a stellar song, and 'She Moves In Mysterious Ways' is decent, but the rest is not much to count home. And this is not a unique issue with this album, it was the same when I went through the Joshua Tree album. There were more hits songs there, so the album was overall better, but non-hits were quite forgettable.
Weak 3.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
1/5
With all bad records on this list taken into consideration, I wonder if the most criminal thing about this list still is the amount of Elvis Costello records brought in. I think this is the third of the fourth, and I can't for the life of me see what he has done to deserve that. I can only pray that this is the last, but I am afraid that might not be the case.
Maybe it's a thing you either love or hate, but I simply can't stand this mans voice anymore. His labored wheezing can sometimes be categorized as singing, but mostly not. I have a hard time putting a finger on what the issue is, but his singing just lacks depth somehow, and feels fake. Perhaps an unfair comparison, but with Bruce Springsteen you always feel that what comes out is deep, sincere, and there is emotion in it. With Costello it's just words that he's projecting, but there's nothing behind the curtain so to speak. A bit like a teenage who tries to sound cool singing, but fails to understand what cool is.
Since his singing seems to be front and center on the album, devoid of any type of interesting riffs or melodies, the rest of the album also becomes extremely uninteresting.
Really not my cup of tea. Guess it probably deserves a weak 2 or something, but I'm just so tired of him so I'm going to drop it to a 1.
Van Morrison
3/5
Not sure why, but this doesn't do much for me. I have a feeling it might be for a similar reason as other singer-songwriters like Bob Dylan: there is just too much that hinges on you listening to and enjoying the lyrics. And I didn't really do that when listening to it. Not bad, just not for me.
Chicago
3/5
Not so sure about this... felt way too long, and it was a bit all over the place. There were a few good songs like 'Beginnings', 'South California Purples' to name a few. But then there were also a few tracks which were mostly or completely instrumental that just sets the album in the wrong direction to me, with way too long guitar solos that are not that great. 'Free Form Guitar' for example was a really crappy song, and 'Poem' is just waay to long and uninteresting to make up for it.
In summary it was a decent album, and they had some cool riffs going on in places. Might return to it in the future, we'll see. Reminded me quite a lof of the Eagles actually. Will have to be a 3 star for now.
Giant Sand
3/5
Fun with something I haven't listened to, or even heard of before! It's usually fairly easy to hear when something is from the 90s, but not with this. And I say that as a good thing. It feels like it might as well have been made today, so it definitely survived the test of time.
It was very cool to hear this album, but it's probably not anything I'd put on again. I don't know what it is, but it just doesn't resonate that well with me somehow, and I'm a bit sorry for that honestly.
The Magnetic Fields
2/5
Got a minor heart attack when I saw the length of this album. Took me most of the workday to get through it, with various interruptions between, meaning I probably missed some songs completely, and heard others like 3 times.
This album leaves me with two polarizing emotions. On one hand I am actually a bit impressed that it wasn't worse than it was. There were a handful of actually decent songs in there, and none of the songs ever hit complete rock bottom.
On the other hand this wasn't an album I enjoyed at all in any way. It just dragged on forever, and I kept looking at the track list and counting the songs left until it was done. Making an album of 69 songs surely makes it stand out simply because it is long, but I'm not sure that's why you want people to notice it. Maybe they're thinking "all publicity is good publicity". Because if they actually think they've made an album with 69 songs worthy of showing the world, I think they're a bit delusional. This is definitely not a formula that respects the listeners time, nor guarantees any type of quality. Quantity over quality is certainly true for this one.
Overall not as bad as I had feared, but the whole records is mostly a blur and I won't revisit it or recommend it to anyone.
Pixies
3/5
This must be our second or third Pixies album on the list, and I think I've concluded that it is not for me. For starters, punk is not really my favourite genre. 'Where Is My Mind?' and 'Gigantic' are really cool songs, but that's about it. Overall I think I prefer the songs when the girl is singing.
Not much more to say, a bit disappointed that it didn't deliver more for me. It just gets a bit too much with quite samey guitar riffs in many songs, and with songs like 'Tony's Theme' where the singing sounds like it was recorded with a toaster. The album is weighed up by two good songs.
Metallica
3/5
Love me some Metallica from time to time - especially did when I was younger. This must surely be their most controversial record, but you've got to give them some credit for trying something different out. I am not sure I'm the camp that thinks it's great, though. When listening to the record I realize that I just prefer the original songs.
Listening to this album sure gives me some anime- or Japanese-grand-fight vibes. Like fighting against One-Winged Angel in Final Fantasy VII for example. I don't think that's how I want to feel when listening to Metallica. And to be completely honest, I prefer 'One-Winged Angel' to many of these songs.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Fun with a modern album, but this has left me with the feeling "Why?". There are so many modern amazing albums to choose from, and the author of the list chooses this one. That is baffling to me. Probably the author only have a certain set of artists in his color palette to choose from, and this was the newest album by one of those. Ridiculous.
About the music then. Quite a snoozefest to be honest. Another piece of music that focuses entirely on the lyrical side, and I've expressed my views on this earlier. I tried to pay some extra attention to that, but didn't find anything noteworthy really.
The only thing keeping this from being a one is the fact that it is at least quite calming. I listen enjoy electronic ambient music quite a lot, and this is not too far from that, so that is something it has going for it. But I still think it got a completely undeserved spot on the list.
Neu!
2/5
The first two songs took me on a fairly nice instrumental and ambient journey. Felt a bit like Kraftwerk with "real" instruments instead of synths.
'Leb Wohl' was more of a drone than a piece of music. Would've slotted in nicely as a transition between the first and latter half of the album if it wasn't so incredibly long. 9 minutes of empty space is way too long.
The last 3 songs felt like the exact same song but different sections of it. Same drum beat, same key, same chords, almost same tempo, etc. Would've been fine as a 3 minute piece, but not 20 minutes.
In summary this wasn't too bad, and was nice background music to listen to when working. But everything is just way too long for what it gives you. I enjoyed the first 2 and parts of Hero, but the rest was just overflow. Strong 2.
Joan Armatrading
4/5
Never heard of this woman before, but I must say I quite liked this album. I was first tempted to draw lines between her and Tracy Chapman, and while there are some similarities I also think they differ quite a lot. Joan almost feel more like Joni Mitchell at times, weirdly enough, but is also her own completely. This still managed to stand out despite the amount of 70s and 80s albums we've had, which is quite a feat.
One of the most powerful things on this record is Joan's voice. I think she sounds incredible! She does more calm songs like 'Somebody Who Loves You' very well, but also manages to deliver some energy in 'Help Yourself'
Another strong thing with this album is that almost all songs are quite good. There is no real complete miss. There is a good mix with some more funky and uptempo ones, then there are a few more calm ones mixed in nicely as well.
Must say that this is what's fun with this list: That you sometimes stumble upon things that are great that you never heard of. Weak 4!
Dead Kennedys
3/5
What a silly album. I recently decided that punk was not my genre of choice, but I must admit this was not that bad. Very political, naturally, but at least it managed to keep my interest up throughout the record.
Maybe it's Mr. Jello Biafra's (what a stupid name) singing style that makes me feel like they don't take themselves too seriously. I like that. Also, the energy in the songs was actually captured in the recording, which is quite rare. I actually got a bit excited there, for a few minutes, to stand next to the scene and dance to their beats and throw rotten tomatoes at pictures of the president, or whatever you do at punk rock shows.
Shack
2/5
Never heard of this band, but wasn't a big fan of this. I don't know exactly what it is, but it just feels very generic to me and lacking of anything to pique your interest. No real song stood out, and the sound wasn't particularly interesting or revolutionary. Just pretty bland pop rock from the late 90s. No idea why I would recommend this to anyone.
Eminem
5/5
I remember buying this when it came out and I was like... 9 or something. I had only heard 'The Real Slim Shady' before, but on the way home my mom wanted to listen to it in the car just to see what it was about, and let's just say it was a bit rougher than I expected. She was very nice and didn't judge me or get angry, but I still got so ashamed about all the foul language that I sold it to a friend. Good times. Now, to the music.
This type of music is definitely hard to review today. Just like with some of Dre's albums, I don't think you'd get away with making an album like this today. Hiding behind his alter ego Slim Shady is not an excuse to project all the misogynism, sexism, homophobia that you get here. In that sense, it has aged really, really badly.
At the same time, the rapping is extremely tight and many songs are definitely timeless classics. The first part is the strongest, with some real bangers like 'Stan', 'The Way I Am', and 'The Real Slim Shady'. 'Kill You', 'Who Knew', 'Under The Influence', and 'I'm Back' are also good songs, though not of the same calibre.
The latter half is not as strong, which coincidentally is also not produced by Dr. Dre. And let's not go into details on 'Kim'... Jesus Christ. It's baffling enough to imagine how someone can make a song like that, but then to release it is as well? Insane. And then there's all the skits, which just like on Dre's records, are really juvenile and just stupid. Something that can only be made up by an immature teenage boys club for sure.
Despite all of its flaws, I still think this is a 5 star record. It's just all over the place, and it certainly evokes strong emotions - both good and bad. The record is very well produced and sounds incredible, and so does Eminem. I also shouldn't downplay just how good the good songs are. And even though it's ugly in a lot of places, is is interesting to go on the trip this album takes you on and experience something quite more rough and different than your average 70s vanilla rock album.
Elastica
2/5
Must say that this was quite lacking of an identity for me. All songs just fell completely flat for me, didn't manage to find a single song that I enjoyed. Not even their supposed hit, 'Connection'. In addition, it sounded like something that could've been made during the early 80s, but turned out to come from '95.
Not sure why it didn't click. Probably just wasn't my thing at all.
Beyoncé
3/5
Don't usually read the wiki before listening to an album, but I did this time. I was completely floored by the amount of people that has been working on this. Some songs seems to have up to 10 different writers and producers on it, absolutely ridiculous.
Regarding the album itself, I must say that I don't quite understand the hype around Beyoncé? I mean, she is a very good singer for sure, but apart from her active female support drive (which is not her music per-se), I don't quite see what she does that no other R&B does. But to be fair, it is quite clear to me from listening to this that I don't really understand R&B either, so could just be that.
The groove of 'Blow' really stood out and is my favourite song of the record. Other than that I had a hard time finding any songs that didn't just flow over my head as something generic you'd find on radio, unfortunately.
Totally not my jam, but even with this in mind, it didn't feel particularly revolutionary. Solid 3.
Gary Numan
3/5
I usually prefer my synth music to be a bit more on the dancier side, so this didn't quite land there. But still, I must admit that this is quite good.
There are a handful of good songs, like 'Complex', the really beefy 'M.E' with its sick overdriven main lead, and 'Cars'. Though the sound is a bit dated by now, it still feels quite fresh for being from '79.
A weird thing with this album is that almost all songs sound the same, and I can't really put my finger on why. Maybe its similar chords, or he's overusing the violin-like sound, not sure.
Another thing that just struck me is that this sounds a bit like something that could be a predecessor to MGMT. Their voices are not too far away, and M.E sounds quite similar to MGMT's 'Little Dark Age' somehow.
Anyways, a bit torn between a strong 3 and a weak 4. Not sure I really want to hear again enough to warrant a 4 though, so settling on 3.
The Monks
2/5
Not available in my country on Spotify, but after listening through the album that doesn't sadden me one bit.
This really wasn't particularly good. Very messy overall, and it made me really dislike electric organs. It does remind me a bit about The Doors at times, but that's probably due to the organs. And they manage to pull that off way better than these guys.
Was quite surprised by the amount of fairly straight blunt sexual language and references they used. Bust certainly have been frowned on in 1966. I read on Wikipedia that this paved the way for Punk rock quite much. While that may be true, it's not anything I will be revisiting any time soon or recommend to anybody, really.
Weak 2.
Grant Lee Buffalo
4/5
Must say the album starts really weak with 'The Shining Hour'. Sets the tone completely wrong for the rest of the album. I thought I was in for a rough ride. I was caught off guard when 'Jupiter and Teardrop' came on and was a big improvement already. 'Fuzzy' comes next and now you know what this album is supposed to sound like. Very good song, hits all my pressure points perfectly. It's very melancholic, and Grant-Lee's voice is really powerful and cuts through the mix perfectly.
The rest of the album follows along that melancholic and emotionally loaded trajectory, but never becomes cheesy to me. The album also has a kind of grit, or feeling of almost being a demo version, but without sounding bad at all - quite the contrary. A bit hard to pit my finger on. And I really like Grant's singing, it's powerful and he has great presence.
Overall quite pleasantly surprised by this. Never heard it before, but I really liked it and think I'll revisit this album many times in the future.
Girls Against Boys
2/5
Don't really have the energy to dissect this that much, but it was not for me at all. Too much distortion on everything from guitars, to vocals. Too messy. No interesting hooks or melodies. Not my thing.
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
An all instrumental electronic album, cool! Definitely something that should fit me.
Sadly, it just wasn't interesting enough to really make a dent. It was great working to, and definitely evoked some nostalgic feeling (even though I've never heard the album before). It had some interesting songs here and there, like 'Night's Introlude', and 'Stars', for example. But overall it lacked depth and hooks to really make it stand out.
It is quite similar to David Holmes' 'Let's Get Killed' album actually, but that at least had a whole story to it and was conceptually much more interesting and complete. This is just lounge music, really.
John Lennon
4/5
Interesting that John Lennon is credited to this whole album, but the title suggests it was made by both him and Yoko Ono.
I had low expectations coming into this, which mostly stems from the quite quite negative image of Yoko Ono I've gotten over the years. Probably completely unwarranted, what do I know. But it turned out my expectations of the album was proved wrong, it is quite a good album!
'Hold On' was a song I had saved on Spotify even before hearing the album, and it is a really good one. Was also surprised to find out that 'Working Class Hero' - which I consider quite a classic song - comes from this album. Impressive!
The only real thorn in my side with this album is the echo or delay used on the drums. This is most prominent on 'Remember' and 'Well Well Well' and is so incredibly enjoying to listen to and sounds extremely messy.
While I think Lennon's obsession over Yoko Ono becomes silly and influences and bleeds into the music way too much, the album has an overall very high lowest bar. While the Beatles' individual work after their split isn't on the same level as when they were together, I think Lennon probably was the one who managed to create the most memorable songs of them all. And some of them are on this record.
Solid 4!
Sisters Of Mercy
2/5
For once, the album cover conveyed exactly what the music was. Or I guess it could've been the cover art for a Dracula movie as well.
I didn't expect something describes as "gothic rock" to sound so close to 80s pop and synth music. Especially the drum parts are very electronic. There are some choirs, strings, and organs throughout the album, like in 'This Corrosion' for example, that surely cements the feeling of being awoken in Transylvania.
Must say this music does very little for me. It sure grabs my attention due to it being quite different, but it's not because its purely because it's different and not because it is good or moves me. Like, why would I want to listen to this instead of Depeche Mode if I wanted some 80s sounding synth record?
Strong 2. Not because it sounds bad, but because it's not my thing at all, and not hit songs really on the record that can carry it to a 3.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
Really struggled to find anything that worked for me on this record. The songs felt like pretty generic 80s pop, but the songs just... weren't good. Not my thing, won't be returning to this.
CHVRCHES
4/5
Nice for a change with something that both is modern and sounds like it. I'm quite an electronic music lover, so this naturally sat very well with me. The opening track, 'The Mother We Share', is a very good song and is probably the best song of the album. The singer is really good and definitely lift the tracks from something fairly decent to something great.
Overall I really liked this! Will look more into this band and see what else they got.
Jeru The Damaja
2/5
90s hip-hop is usually the only one I can stomach, but this wasn't my thing. The drum samples sound very acoustic, and I must say that it makes it loose quite a lot of punch. It just sounds weak compared to Dre, for example.
In addition, there just weren't any interesting hooks to me in any of the songs. The out-of-key piano in 'D.Original', for example, is more annoying than it is cool. And I didn't find any interesting melody in the other tracks either, really.
My self introspection from this is also that I probably should find another way to listen to this album than when working. I feel like I sometimes miss quite a lot of the tracks when focusing on code. On the other hand, it's a good filter because if something is really good it usually catches my attention anyways.
Gang Of Four
4/5
What a boring band name, but the music sure rocks! Must say this raw sound they produce sounds really and good for a '79 record. It feels like a predecessor to Franz Ferdinand, and sometimes Red Hot Chili Peppers as well. The guitar and bass works perfectly together and complements each other very well.
The album is probably at its strongest in the first half, but I was overall impressed by how almost every song had some kind of hook to it that worked for me.
This has to be a 4 star for me. Probably a slightly weaker one, as it's lacking some stronger songs, but the overall quality across all songs definitely carries it from a 3 to a 4.
Rahul Dev Burman
4/5
Ohh, more indian albums, exciting! Putting the controversial topic of having movie scores on this list aside, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this. There is a good mix between more orchestral tracks, a bit similar to something from the early James Bond movies, and more "modern" music. It blends elements from (what I consider) Indian music, and western, as well.
'Aaina Wohi Rehta Hai' for example sounds very Indian, or middle eastern, with the female vocals and percussive elements, while 'Countess Caper/Shalimar' sounds typically french with the accordion, and 'Baby Let's Dance Together' almost sounds very funky with the wah wah pedal guitar.
The sound quality is not that good, but other than that I found this to be a really fun record to listen to. All songs stood out well and caught my interest without difficulty. Solid 4 star record, will definitely come back to some songs from this!
The Saints
1/5
Wow, what a drag. 'Know Your Product' was the only song that at least had something different with the horns and more of a "grandiose" feel to it. The rest was just fast paced punk that flew completely over my head without any types of hooks or bringing anything different to the table. Like, why is this album on the list at all?
Strong 1. Extremely boring and unjustified place on this list in my opinion.
Public Enemy
4/5
Pretty cool album from a big hip-hop group. Must say that there were quite a few and hard-slappin tracks here like legendary 'Rebels Without A Pause', and 'Show 'Em What You Got', for example. Wasn't too impressed somehow after first playthrough, but now when skimming through a second round I don't know why I was so critical. This stuff is great! Almost all songs are very solid and cool.
A few minor pain points is that I think their rapping style can get a bit tedious after listening through many songs. Also, their "broken record squeel" (or however you want to describe it) sample found on 'Don't Believe The Hype' and 'Rebels Without A Pause' for example, also gets a bit old.
In summary I found this really cool, and well deserving of a 4.
3/5
Interesting, very similar to Talking Heads in style. Quite a fresh breeze with somethinge light-hearted and witty. Everything doesn't have to be so dead serious all the time!
The record had quite a strong start with some good songs, and I think it trucked along a good trajectory of staying interesting and varying all the way through. Perhaps not exactly packed with bangers, but still fun to listen to. Probably something I could grow to like over time if I gave it the chance!
The Replacements
3/5
The first few songs had me thinking we were heading in some kind of punk-rock direction, which worried me a bit. The album took a left turn though, and I found some safe ground in the trio of 'Androgynous', 'Black Diamond', and 'Unsatisfied', where especially the latter one was very good.
The rest of the album continued along this trajectory: some punk-ish rock songs with 'Sixteen Blue' between, which sounded completely different (in a good way). Keep making these types of quite dramatic switches makes the album feel a bit in-cohesive to me.
At the end I very much enjoyed the tracks I stated, but the more energetic post and rock songs were not for me at all. In summary I think this puts it at a weak 3. There were some good songs, but most were not to my liking, sadly.
The Specials
3/5
Interesting band for sure, feels like a mix of so many different genres and sounds. 'A Message To You Rudy' is by far the best song. Other than that it is a bit of a mixed bad, some are good and some not so much. Still, fun with something different!
Animal Collective
2/5
Relatively new for being this list, but you wouldn't need to know when it's from to feel that this is a modern record. Everything about this esthetic should cater to my liking, but there's something with this that doesn't sit well with me and I have a bit of a hard time figuring out exactly what it is, if it's even one single thing.
The mix annoys me to death and is actually one of the worst I've heard. I understand that it is a design intent, but the vocals sits behind or in the middle of a lot of sounds and becomes completely lost and unintelligible. There is some attempt at making interesting harmonies in some songs, but they fall short.
The vocals are also very wide or panned weirdly, which is annoying to listening to. Also, there is so much sounds going on all over the place, and it is really unstructured, which makes it hard to know what to focus on. Their stereo image is also completely ruined and messed up.
While I appreciate them being experimental and trying out unorthodox sounds, I'm not sure I appreciate the arrangements and what actually comes out. The songs feel more like a feeling than a collection of instruments and elements, which could be interesting if just... was a bit better.
The supposed top song 'My Girls' sounds like it is about to take off the entire song, but never does, and consequently just sounds weird and weak. Maybe it is just me who have listened to a lot of dance music that has that feeling, not sure.
The more I think about this and listen to it, the more annoyed I get. I think that means it's a 2 for me.
George Michael
4/5
Wow, George Michael really is a thirsty bloke. Jokes aside, I really liked this! 'Faith' is an incredible opening track. Very funky and groovy! It actually sounds very fresh as well, almost could've been made today. Which is not something I can say for the rest of the album which sounds extremely 80s.
Overall I feel like the album has a good mix of different types of songs to keep you interested. 'One More Try' is a powerful ballad, then you have the more uptempo and crazy stuff in 'Monkey', and then again some more funk inspired sounds in 'Hard Day'. And let's not forget that George Michael really is a stellar singer.
I didn't know what to expect from this, but was positively surprised! Think this easily deserves a strong 4. Might even creep up to a 5 if I listen to it a bit more, who knows!
Jeff Buckley
3/5
I feel like I should like this more than I do... not sure why I don't. 'Hallelujah' to me is really an incredible cover, many times better than the original in my opinion. I also found 'Forget Her' to be my favourite non-cover song. Other than that I had a hard time finding something I really liked. I think his sound and singing is good, but the songs just didn't resonate with me.
Def Leppard
4/5
Not sure this is entirely my cup of tea, but have to say this album feels quite well made and packs a punch. Doesn't overstay its welcome, and is crammed with multiple smashing tracks. The guitar sound is also really good and raw. First track 'Rock! Rock (Till You Drop)' reminds me quite a lot of AC/DC, probably took lots of influence from there.
Weak 4!
Leonard Cohen
3/5
I am very ambivalent towards Leonard Cohen. On one hand he brings a very unique style, and voice, to the table. That is refreshing. On the other hand, I am baffled by how out of tempo (and tune?) he can be sometimes. It really sounds amateurish at times. I think I wrote this in my last review of one of his albums, but it is so obvious that he was a poet before he was a musician. I sometimes think he should just have stayed that.
All of that aside, I think this was a decent album. 'First We Take Manhattan' is such an unexpected sound and song. I don't think I've heard Leonard Cohen in a synthesizer setting before, and I must say that while the actual synth sounds are very basic, it still feels quite grand. "First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin" is such a cool line as well.
The rest of the album also holds up quite well somehow. Even though I am, not always a fan of his performance, his voice and the music still somehow works together? It is a very strange feeling.
Overall I find this album completely OK. Not my thing, but fun with something that stands out.
The Adverts
2/5
Not the worst punk music I've heard actually. But also find it a bit tricky to find songs that breaks through the noise entirely. 'Bored Teenagers' is probably the one songs that really manages that for me.
Nothing I will revisit again, but it was actually decent for being punk. Strong 2.
Simply Red
4/5
Quite awful album cover considering what was actually in there. I expected something along the lines of Dexys Midnight Runners, but instead got some mix of jazz, funk, disco, synth, and soul?
I really liked this record though. Probably because I was taken off guard by the album cover, but also it was just very groovy and kept my interest up throughout the whole record. The singer has a powerful voice that really contributes to the songs. At times it made me think of Tom Collins actually, like 'Holding Back the Years', which sounded like it could've been a song made by him.
While almost all songs were good, a downside with the album is that I had a bit of a hard time finding smash hits. 'Money's Too Tight (To Mention)' is probably my favourite song of the record, but turns out is a cover... bummer.
Overall, the high quality across the board warrants a 4 star! Probably because I am a bit of a sucker for this type of music.
The Bees
4/5
Never stumbled on this band before. Must say they sound more modern than 2001, impressive. A bit quirky sounding at times as well, like 'No Trophy'.
Much electric piano in this one, nice. Their supposed most popular song, 'A Minha Menina', was the one that stood out the most on the album, and was also my least favourite song of the album. Instead I found that they shone in the more downtempo songs, like in 'Sunshine', 'Lying in the Snow', and 'Sky Holds The Sun', for example. So the latter half of the album definitely catered better to my taste than the first half.
Think this will have to be a weak 4. Not the best, but enough here to carry home for me to warrant an above average rating.
Gang Starr
3/5
Pretty decent hip-hop album, but didn't stand out particularly much to me. Not really in the mood for rap today so not going to do much deeper analysis than this.
The Kinks
3/5
Ray Davies is an interesting character, and I really want to like The Kinks... but something about this just doesn't impress that much. I think I overall find that their songs are too sprawling and uneven, incoherent even. One song can have a really nice tone and sit well, and then the next sounds like some kind of circus theme or otherwise whacky thing, like 'Phenomenal Cat', for example. I guess that is partly what makes them interesting, but it also works against them sometimes.
Had trouble finding songs I liked on this record, but there also weren't any real major low points (except aforementioned 'Phenomenal Cat' perhaps)
Lou Reed
3/5
I didn't use to be a great fan of Lour Reed, but this record has kind of changed me, even though I didn't think the record was anything particular? I don't understand the logic of that, but that's how I feel. While I still don't think he sings particularly "beautiful", and it's sometimes borderline false or out of tune, I've come to appreciate the rawness of his style somehow. It's definitely unique.
'Men Of Good Fortune' was a banger to me, really good song. Not many elements, but you hear the few there are very clearly and it's just got a lot of power. Didn't find any other song that delivered that well, but I overall thought it was a pretty decent track list with some twists and turns here and there.
Solid 3.
3/5
Pretty energetic rock, can imagine this was fun live. Feels a bit like a predecessor to Motörhead. It gets a bit monotonous after a while, but is still a decent listen. Not much more to say.
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
Really happy to see something from Earth, Wind & Fire from the list. Really brings up the mood when listening to.
The sound of this sits perfect, but I perhaps expected the track list to be a bit stronger.
Right in the middle between a 3 and a 4 for me, but the supposed hit songs from this weren't as good as I expected, and it felt like it lacked punch overall. Still, I'd much more listen to this than some of my other 3 star albums, so a weak 4 feels correct.
PJ Harvey
1/5
Ugh, another PJ Harvey album. I don't know why, but I expect her to be some cult classic artist from the 90s, but turns out she definitely isn't. At least not to me.
The last album we had by her was nothing noteworthy, and neither is this. In fact, it's less than noteworthy, it's subpar. Her wheezing quickly becomes annoying to listen to, and musically there is not anything really to bring home here.
Strong 1.
Scott Walker
2/5
Not really my type of music. It felt a too cinematic (in the wrong way) and grandiose, and a bit pompous and pretentious at times as well with the strings. Very much focus is put on his lyrical work, but Scott's depictions of his love life and heartaches is of very little interest to me.
k.d. lang
2/5
The album cover had me thinking this was another Ute Lemper-like album, but it turned out to be country!? Weird.
part from K.D. Lang's great voice, there is not worth salvaging from this album. Basically didn't find any song that I liked particularly much, and it all felt very forgettable.
The Young Gods
1/5
Somehow it feels like this album could only have been made from someone from two countries: Germany or France. We got the latter.
While this was quite a different listen, I didn't enjoy it particularly much. The french growling and screaming definitely worked against me. There is just something inherently creepy with someone moaning in a low voice in french.
There were definitely songs that were better than others. 'Pas Mal' almost had something, for example.
There are definitely worse albums on this list in my opinion, but it still ends up being a 1.
Bee Gees
3/5
Sad to say this, but Bee Gees really were much better in their disco era than before.
Honestly, this album didn't impress me that much. I know they have some non disco songs that are decent, but I didn't find them here. Had quite high hopes, but was disappointed.
Overall quite boring album with way too many ballads. Lives on the border between a 2 and 3 for me, but think weak 3 is fitting.
Nirvana
3/5
Nirvana albums can certainly be a mix of very high highs, and very low lows. This is an example of that. 'Heart-Shaped Box', 'Dumb', and 'All Apologies' are all very good songs, but the rest are not near the quality of those in my opinion, and I could actually do without all of them frankly. They all have the Nirvana signature sound, but 'Pennyroyal Tea' is a great example of when the formula just doesn't work at all. The chord progression takes a wrong turn at the wrong place, and everything just falls flat.
The Stranglers
3/5
Interesting, never heard of these guys before, but I found it pretty interesting. Certainly different! There were a few songs that caught my attention and I found particularly outstanding, like 'Princess of the Streets', and 'Peaches'.
Another album that held a pretty high bar overall, but sadly didn't really have any super high highs to carry it to better rating territory. Have a feeling this could be one of those albums that I could grow to like if I listen to it more. Which is weird considering I am not a fan of punk at all. But this is also not exactly that somehow. Interesting listen either way!
Strong 3.
Scritti Politti
2/5
Potentially the most 80s sounding album on this list (yet). Got all the Korg M1 and Yamaha DX7 bells and whistles, and shamelessly unprocessed drum machine sounds. Reminds me a lot of Michael Jackson’s music, except his stuff are actually good.
Overall I found this extremely boring. The 80s sound is way too cliché to me, so it has to be stellar if that’s going to fly, and this certainly wasn’t.
Tom Waits
4/5
We've had at least one Tom Waits album on this list until now, and I was not that impressed with him then. But I must say I think I'm starting to change my mind about him.
This album is thematically quite dark and moody, but it's very nice to listen to. It makes me want to go to some worn down jazz club in New York and smoke and drink Whiskey (even though I do neither). Also, I now see that Tom Waits always brings something new and unexpected with every album, which is very impressive!
Perhaps not a single song that I felt "wow, what a banger", but the overall tone and feel of the album was great. Weak 4!
Faith No More
2/5
Had this on in the background while cooking. Probably didn't listen that attentative, but It felt quite bland. I think I've heard 'Epic' before, and if not, then that stood out as a better song than the rest - which were unremarkable. Cover of 'War Pigs' was decent, but that's probably just because it sounded quite close to the original. Sabbath did it better either way.
Nothing really noteworthy with this record, doesn't belong on the list in my opinion. Strong 2.
The White Stripes
3/5
Having chewed through quite many rock albums now on the list, I must say I appreciate The White Stripes and their tone more than I did before.
All of their albums we've had on the list so far sounded very much the same to me, though some of the other ones contained more hit songs than this. I think that is also my general sentiment of this record: it sounds good, but there are not enough outstanding songs to really push it over the line from 3 to 4. Still, solid record though, and most songs held up very well!
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
When it comes to shoegaze, it feels like people have always pitted My Bloody Valentine against Slowdive, and decided MBV is the better of the two. This being the 2nd MBV album on the list, I can't for the life of me understand that reasoning.
Really messy album overall sonically. Not nice at all to listen to. Despite being from 2013 the mix is really bad to my ears with too much noise and rattling. The vocals are intently muffled out and purposefully hard to make out. But I think it's overdone completely, and since it sounds like it sits in the same range as the rest of the instruments it all turns to a mess.
No good hooks or anything in any of the songs to latch onto on this record, it's all just a wall of sound. Very disappointed actually since I view myself as someone who enjoys Shoegaze, but this just doesn't cut it at all.
Kelela
2/5
Was exicted for something modern, but was quite disappointed actually. Not particularly big fan of R&B, which works against this. But it sounds very ordinary to my, nothing special at all.
Most songs were alright, but I wouldn't want to listen to the record again. Felt like something you'd hear at the radio or something.
Probably missing the point here, but not my thing at all. Didn't sound bad or anything, just didn't like it.
Eric Clapton
2/5
Judging from Wikipedia it seems like this was quite a popular album. I fail a bit to see its greatness actually.
Most songs seems to be covers or written by other artists. ’Let it grow’ is the best song, and seems to be almost the only one written by Clapton himself.
Overall I found this quite bland, nothing really stood out. Not sure why it’s on the list honestly.
The Libertines
3/5
Haven't heard much from the Libertines, except that Pete Doherty is a real a-class junkie and trouble-maker. Listened to this album half-attentively while cooking, and I didn't find it much interesting. I think it has a promising sound, but the songs don't grab me at all, sadly.
Even now when skimming through it as I'm writing this, and I don't find it particularly noteworthy. Perhaps I need to listen to it a few times to appreciate it, not sure. Weak 3 for now.
Brian Eno
1/5
This couldn't have sounded more like a mix of Brian Eno and mr. Byrne than it does. It has the electrical and ambient elements of Eno, and the weird and quirkiness of David Byrne.
Gotta say this album is quite garbage though. It's just a collection of blip-blops, and strange percussive and industrial noises. The songs are very much "exactly one thing" for 3 straight minutes, without variance or change in tone. You can listen to the first 10 seconds and know what the rest is going to sound like. Extremely unexciting.
This deserves a strong 1 star to me. Not for sounding particularly bad, but because the music is just bad. Sure, it might be a bit experimental and different, but it fails to be something I want to listen to.
Johnny Cash
3/5
Did Johnny Cash only do concerts at prisons? This is out 2nd prison live album on the list.
The previous prison album (at San Quentin) got a 1 star from me. In hindsight maybe a bit harsh, but it felt more like a talk show than a musical performance. I didn't have that issue with this one though.
I'm generally not a particularly big fan of Johnny Cash, and this album didn't change that opinion. But it was still decent, and there were some fitting jokes cracked in there. Weak 3 from me.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Getting some real Woodstock vibes with this folk album from '69. Thought it was a pretty decent album, and 'Matty Groves' was a particularly nice song. I think the singer's voice fitted really nicely with the music as well.
Overall nothing too ground breaking for me, but still a decent album. Weak 3.
Suede
2/5
Suede isn't really my favourite band, so wasn't super excited about this. As a side-track I actually decided to look them up a bit more and stumbled on a live video of 'So Young', which really kicked ass. So I feel that made me less hostile about their music. Unfortunately 'So Young' isn't on this list, but still.
With all of that in mind, I did find this album a bit too... grand or glamorous somehow? It felt like some songs were made for some musical setting ('Daddy's Speeding', 'The 2 Of Us', for example), and I didn't quite like that sound. Many songs run a pretty gritty guitar sound, which is cool, but often there are not strong enough hooks in my opinion. Didn't really find any songs I would call "great" and there is barely anything on this album that makes me want to go back again.
Steve Earle
3/5
As always I have a hard time with country deciding if it’s groundbreaking or just staple ware. Sounded decent, but didn’t raise any eyebrows for me. Weak 3.
Pere Ubu
1/5
Uh… I mean I want to be open minded enough to say that there is something in there? Some songs, like ’Drinking Wine Spodyody’ had a groove that was onto something. But at the end it’s just a bit too weird for me. Especially the singing is just too much to handle.
Magazine
2/5
Pretty bland punk, not exactly exciting. Didn't find any interesting songs in here, and since it's punk it was a bit hard to stomach.
Tim Buckley
3/5
Second album on the list from Tim Buckley I think. Not sure I feel it's warranted, but ok.
Must say I get some Jim Morrison vibes from this. Their singing style feels are not too different in some cases, like on 'Get On Top', for example.
When I plowed through this the first time I didn't feel that much, so I tried to be a bit more attentative the second time. I actually think the sound is very nice, and the songs have a nice groove to them. I get some sexist vibes from Buckley, could be unwarranted, not sure.
Overall I think the record is pretty decent. No single song strike me as particularly standout, it's more of the overall tone and quality of the record that holds up well.
The Fall
1/5
Thought that voice sounded familiar, and it was. Second album featuring Mark E. Smith on this list. Interesting choice.
Must say this was off to a better start than the last one with more electronic vibes. But the more I listened to it the more annoyed I got. When I realized Mark finishes ever sentence with ”-ze” or ”-ah”, there was no way to unhear it. So the frustration built up gradually until I couldn’t bear listening to him anymore.
Of course he has his own style, which is admirable. And reading about him on Wikipedia he definitely seemed like an interesting character. But I just can’t stand listening to this.
Strong 1 for me due to Mr. Smith. Without vocals it might have been something between a 2 and 3.
Ryan Adams
4/5
Remember we had an album from this guy before that I didn’t think anything special of.
This was an upgrade though. Maybe on the cheesy side, but I enjoyed the slower songs. ’My Winding Wheel’ stood out as particularly good. The songs I liked the least were the more uptempo ones, like ’Shakedown on 9th Street’ for example. Granted, it would be quite boring with only ballads, but still.
Think this is a weak 4 from me as far as country goes. Haven’t heard any country album on this list so far that I liked as much as this I think.
Slipknot
2/5
I used to consider myself a low-key fan of Slipknot, but now I'm not so sure anymore. Feels like I probably was more of a normie all along.
While I dig their sound and think they are quite unique as a band, I had a hard time enjoying most of this record. I like all of their more "mainstream" hits like 'Duality', 'Before I forget' and so on. But an album of, for me, less known and never heard of songs, proves to be a quite bigger challenge to digest.
The issue for me generally is that I think it lacks hooks that are easy to tap into. Granted, the genre is not my home turf at all, but I just feel like the songs just gets too noisy and crowded.
I am a bit disappointed with my reaction to this, but in the end I can't deny that I don't really see the beauty of the album. Going to have to be a 2, as I can't see myself going back to this really.
Cypress Hill
4/5
Probably a bit biased after hearing 'How I Could Just Kill A Man' a thousand times when playing GTA San Andreas, but I really like this album, and Cypress Hill's sound.
Another very 90s sounding recording. Feels like a joke by now, but I just generally seem to like music from this era. Not that surprising seeing I was born in this decade, but didn't realize it would subconsciously have such an effect on what I like.
Really front-loaded record with the three opening tracks being the strongest of them all. The rest of the record holds up really well though. I think overall they have a very interesting palette of samples to keep it fresh. Lots of funk-like guitar wahs, TV recordings and so on. It does get a bit old with the various "squeel-like" samples they have in many of their songs though ('How I could Just Kill A Man', 'Hole In The Head', 'The Phuncky Feel One', 'Psychobetabuckdown'), but I still think it stays on the right side of the line between overused and not.
The nasal rap of B-Real is probably something you either like or hate, but I think it works really work and is a cool standout trademark for the group, along with the mixed in spanish lyrics.
Overall really cool record. Got quite some hits, but also a really solid foundation in the other tracks. Perhaps a few weaker ones, but overall really high quality and interesting stuff with heavy beats and good rap. Strong 4!
Hüsker Dü
2/5
I think I've become absolutely allergic to any type of average or mediocre rock between the 60s and 90s after starting to listen on this list. And sadly this record fits right in there.
Apart from the song being completely non-present in the mix, that bad sounding or anything, just very boring.
For a moment I actually thought it was the same band that made the theme song for the Friends TV show, as it had that kind of feeling painted all over it, albeit in a bit rockier fashion.
In summary it was an extremely forgettable experience, apart perhaps from the wonky band name.
Gil Scott-Heron
5/5
Once in a while you find music that you're really sad about not being on Spotify. This is one of those.
The opening note of those record had me glued straight away. Having mentioned previously that I have a weak spot for electric pianos, hearing that overdriven e-piano with insane amounts of tremolo was just straight eargasm.
I was a bit worried when he started speaking that it was going to be a weird album, but then he starts singing and it's just goes perfect along with the mellow piano playing, and overall dark feel of 'Peace Go With You, Brother (As-Salaam-Alaikum)'.
The album continues along those lines for me. It has an overall dark and moody tone throughout the record, which fits me very well. The piano playing is very good, and somehow I'm just completely hooked to the very end (perhaps with the exception of 'H2O Gate Blues' which was interesting and a bit fun, but dragged on way too long).
Going to have to be 5 stars for me. I very rarely hear new music that I instantly love, but this definitely did that for me. It's even more impressive that it is in a jazz/blues setting, which can tend to get quite samey for me, and I usually have a hard time finding what makes certain pieces stand out in those genres. But this is just very unique to me, and very good as well. Plus points for never having heard of Gil Scott-Heron either, all the more fun!
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
Uhh… I don’t know. Feels like it had some promising moments where it felt like an early inspiration for skate punk bands like Blink 182, Sum 41 etc. But then you suddenly get songs like ’Don’t’, which is just pure garbage.
In the end it wasn’t convincing enough. Going to have to settle for a 2, probably a weak one.
Ian Dury
2/5
While I appreciate that different types of music exist, I didn't particularly appreciate this. It feels way too juvenile and childish for my taste. I mean... the first song is downright creepy with "Rise on this occasion, halfway up your back. Sliding down your body, touching your behind".
I get that being raunchy is the identity of the album, but when it comes from Mr. Dury's mouth it just feels creepy and almost predatory to some extent.
What saves this album for a 1 is that there are some half-decent funky beats in there on the instrumental side. But it's a small comfort honestly, so in the end this will have to be a weak 2.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Interesting to hear some of the (in my opinion) lesser known Simon & Garfunkel music. Found it pretty decent, especially 'Homeward Bound' and 'Flowers Never Bend with the Rain' stood out as better tunes.
Overall I missed some more prominent harmonies which Simon & Garfunkel are known for. In the end, this was an OK album but no smash hit.
Beth Orton
3/5
Another very 90s sounding album, though not as strong as some other ones we've had in my opinion.
The sound is alright, but I am having a bit of trouble really appreciating the songs. My favourite one was 'Feel To Believe', which was surprisingly good, but other than that I don't really remember anything that stood out other than it was "pretty decent".
Green Day
5/5
Oh, hello again 12 year old me. Skating and listening to this type of music was definitly my eartly teenage years, though if I recall correctly Green Day was never my most listened-to band in the skate punk genre. With the amount of traction and air time this record got, I think it felt a bit too commercial. It really was played everywhere, and this rock genre really was extremely popular and common to hear around the early 2000's. At least that's how I remember it.
Anyway, fun album to hear! Since Green Day was formed in 1987, and without any commercial success close to this album, I wonder if it was intentional to try to cater to a wider audience or just a happy accident.
Say what you will about the commercial side, when listening through it it's still a really solid record, and understandable that it was received the way it was. The album is just front-loaded with hits after hits, like 'American Idiot', 'Holiday', 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams', 'Jesus Of Suburbia'. Then it's quiet for a while, but saved in the end by 'Wake Me Up When September Ends', which admittedly is a bit cheesy perhaps.
Considering how big fan I am (was) of skate punk, it's very strange that I have such a hard time with "regular" punk. Sadly you don't hear music like this anymore being played on the radio, but I still think it sounds very good to this day. Maybe we'll see a resurgence of this soon, who knows.
Considering more than half the record are hit bangers, and the ones between are decent as well, I can't give this anything else than 5 stars. If I had to pick the greatest skate punk album, it wouldn't be this. But can't deny that it's still rock solid.
Donovan
4/5
Must say I really like the tone of this album. Definitely has those late 60's oriental rock music vibes, a feeling further enforced with some sitar in 'Threee King Fishers', and 'The Fat Angel'. Also hearing some The Beatles similarities in 'Sunshine Superman', but that's also where the similarities end for me.
I prefer the more uptempo, or "rockier", songs of this album, like 'Sunshine Superman' and 'Season of the Witch'. But the calmer songs still deliver, 'Three King Fishers' is probably my favourite one of them.
Overall I really liked this album. It has a lot of interesting elements and surprises, with songs containing rockier elements, more psychedelic tones, and even some old Victorian vibes in 'Legend of a Girl Child Linda'. Never heard of Donovan before, and though I think the last three songs are a bit of a letdown, the rest of the album was very fun to listen to!
3/5
Alarm bells ringing with another 70's rock band that I've never heard of.
It was a bit of a false alarm though, there are actually some decent songs in here towards the end of the album in 'When I Touch You', 'Life Has Just Begun', and 'Morning Will Come'.
Overall, it sounds surprisingly clean and decent for when it was made. It feels like it reminds me of some other band, but I can't quite put my finger on it.
I like that there is quite a mix of songs on here as well with some rockier ones, some more experimental and lounge:y ones in 'Love Has Found a Way', and so on.
Wasn't exactly stunned by this, but after finishing it I feel like it was not that bad.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Not sure I expected this on the list. But always fun with something different!
It's almost impossible for me to think of Christina Aguilera in any other context than what we hear her in on this album. She was all over the radio when this was released, but I haven't heard much of her since. As such, I feel like this record is a bit stuck in time for me and feels a bit dated - it's not old enough to feel vintage, but also not new enough to feel fresh.
Certainly the album is playful, and it's hard to feel sad or down when listening to it. Christina certainly has an impressive voice, but halfway through the record I feel a bit fatigued by her wailing and screaming. It just becomes a bit too much and too repetitive.
Overall I feel like this probably deserves more, but I personally can't extend past a 3. It just feels too radio and commercial for me, and is not the type of music I typically enjoy listening to.
Motörhead
4/5
Man... 'Ace Of Spades' really is a high octane track. Heard it numerous times, but it really is incredibly good.
This album is definitely better than the previous Motörhead album we had: No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live). This still suffers a bit from the same problem though: most songs sounds very much the same or are to similar. There are loads of riffs in there that almost feel like a variant of the Ace Of Spades riff, and the chorus usually follows the same formula of "sing the name of the song a few times". The tone of the album really hits the spot though; the guitar and bass sounds incredible. Makes me think a bit of Black Sabbath, though I think they win out in tasty guitar sound by a small margin.
Sometimes the lyrics can be a bit too much about drinking, chasing tail, and getting laid. But reading a bit about Lemmy that seems to have been what he was all about, so checks out. Strange enough, the second best song of the album is actually 'The Chase Is Better Than the Catch', which has a pretty cool riff and and awesome tone.
Overall this ends up somewhere between a 3 and a 4 for me. But since I have so many 3s on this album, it's actually going to have to be a weak 4. Actually found myself nodding along to this quite a lot, and 'Ace Of Spades' and 'The Chase Is Better Than the Catch' are real bangers.
Shuggie Otis
3/5
Never heard of Shuggie, but must say this is a pretty good album.
It has a mix of some stronger and some weaker songs. Especially the instrumental ones were a bit of a drag at times.
Overall I found it funky and fun to listen to. I think if I gave it more time it could grow on me, but for now it feels like a quite even and good record, that unfortunately didn't really have those highs for me to warrant a higher rating than strong 3.
The Monkees
3/5
Feels a bit like a mixture of Beach Boys and The Beatles.
'You Just May Be The One' was a good song, but the rest kind of flew over my head a bit. They got that old sound, but it's not really my type of jam honestly.
Decent, but nothing that stands out today for me.
Brian Eno
2/5
We've had quite a lot of Brian Eno albums on this list. I also keep hearing how Brian Eno is one of the first electronic music pioneers.
Having heard a few albums now, I must say I don't understand the fascination with him at all. He does have some tasteful tunes here and there, but it's mostly VERY mediocre to me. Perhaps it was groundbreaking when it came out, but it feels very beige now.
This album feels like a mix between a musical and Talking Heads. You're never sure whether it's sincere or not. The weird screams at the end of 'Dead Finks Don't Talk' is a perfect example of this. It sounds ridiculous, but I'm pretty sure Brian thought it was dope.
No particularly noteworthy song here, all felt pretty boring and I'm glad it's over. Pretty tired of Brian Eno as well honestly, and I hope this is the last we see of him on this album. Time can be better spent on other more joyful things.
Robert Wyatt
3/5
Robert Wyatt looks a bit like Richard Stallman, the GNU founder, so I was a bit confused coming into this album.
The first song was quite feelgood and that's a feeling that sticks with me for most of the album. Quite playful sounding record somehow, and a bit whimsical at times. A lot of songs feels like they're part of an ongoing tale of some sort, but I am a bit unsure of what kind of tale.
Robert's singing can be a of a bit of a hit and miss. His atonal-ish and comical sound can be fitting on some tracks, but on other tracks it just feels mediocre and amateurish.
When reflecting of the album I remember it as decent, but I also can't really name any standout song apart from the first one. I think it belongs somewhere between a 2 and a 3, but probably manages to just scrape together a low 3.
k.d. lang
3/5
Much better than the previous K.D. Lang album we had (Shadowland). This was not a country album like that, but felt more "french", for lack of better words (or cabaret, as Wikipedia describes it).
K.D's voice lends itself great for this type of music, and it all feels very tasteful. 'Miss Chatelaine' was without a doubt my favourite song of the album. Very playful and nice to listen to. 'Wash Me Clean' sounds incredible and is a true reference for HiFi environments.
The album overall was perhaps not extremely exciting at all times, but I found it overall a bit different from the usual albums on this list, and had enjoyed hearing the record. Right in the middle for me!
Sepultura
3/5
I think this was better than the previous Sepultura album we had, Roots. Even though this was made earlier than that it felt more modern, and overall better sounding.
I thought there were some decent riffs in there, but since this really isn’t my genre I feel I have a very hard time judging this in a fair way. Just going to put a 3 on this since it feels most right.
Metallica
5/5
Was beginning to wonder when we'd see this.
I have quite strong feelings towards this album as it was one of the first albums I got when starting to get my own music when I was 13 years old or so. A friend had downloaded it and shared it with me. First time I heard it I was thoroughly unimpressed. But it grew on me, and having listened through it more times than I can count, it's impossible for me to give it anything resembling an unbiased review.
I think this must be Metallicas best album, maybe in contest with the 'Black Album' and '...And Justice For All'. All songs except perhaps 'Disposable Heroes' and 'Damage Inc' are really good songs, with 'Master of Puppets' and 'Orion' being the ones transcending the rest by a small margin.
The main riff in 'Master of Puppets' is just so iconic and never gets old. And the downbeat bass part of 'Orion' with the guitar solos is just pure class. Makes you wonder how Metallica would have sounded if they hadn't lost Cliff Burton early on. I think it shows great breadth in their composing that they are able to make tasteful slower parts feel as strong as the more upbeat ones. The almost mexican sounding acoustic start of 'Battery' is another example of when this works really well.
You have memorable and catchy riffs everywhere, and just overall high octane metal where Hetfield's singing complements the music well with perhaps the most metal voice of all bands I've heard. Grounded, and more dirty, as opposed to Dave Mustane (Megadeth) and Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) which are arguably better singers, but more opera like.
I guess if I have to nitpick on some things, it would be that the songs start to sound the same after a while. The main riff of 'Leper Mesiah' for example sounds very similar to the chorus riff of 'Master Of Puppets'. In addition the palm muted open E pumping can get a bit old, but that's just metal I guess.
This is a 5 star album to me without a doubt. Almost all songs are really strong, with a few standout ones that are stellar. It has also aged very well, and still sounds good today. I'd image many new metal albums are still measured against the standard of Metallicas earlier albums. Even though Metallica feels a bit like a dad band today for me, this is probably one of the first albums I'd suggest if anyone wants to to get into metal.
Brian Wilson
3/5
What a strange album. This apparently supposed to be the follow up album to Pet Sounds in '67, but was then re-recorded and released by Brian in 2004? It also features 'Good Vibrations', which I remember being a Beach Boys song, not Brian Wilson specific... though I'm sure he wrote it. Anyways, to the music.
This sounds like a straight up Beach Boys album to me mostly, which is not surprising given Brian seemed to be one of the main songwriters. You lack some of the choir voices usually heard on Beach Boys, but otherwise this is pretty bang Beach Boys on for me.
I usually associate Beach Boys music with being cheerful, a bit up-tempo, experimental, and a bit quirky and nerdy somehow. This record has most of that as well, but adds some darker soundscapes in some songs at the of the album in 'Wind Chimes', 'Mrs. O'Leary's Cow', and 'Blue Hawaii', which I would never have expected from Beach Boys, so that might be where Brian puts some of his own identity stamp in.
Beach Boys have never been my favourite band really. I always feel like they're on the border of sounding a bit too much like a Tom & Jerry's main theme, and that sound is still very present here. The overall experience was decent, but I had trouble finding songs that stood out that I liked.
John Cale
3/5
I see that this is quite a praised album, but I must say I didn't find it very exciting. 'Paris 1919' is a familiar song from before and stands out as the best one, but even at that it's not that fun.
While fitting conceptually, I find the old victorian-like sound found in some songs quite off-putting. Overall quite a tame record, and I find John's voice quite lacking of power which makes it a bit boring to listen.
Not a big fan. This ends up on the lower end of the middle spectrum for me.
The Jam
2/5
More mediocre lightweight punk, great. Failed to grab me completely, felt very beige and dull. Even tried a second time to listen a bit more attentative but nope.
Morrissey
2/5
I think I'm failing a bit to see the genius of Morrissey. Sure, he is (was) good looking, has a very good voice, and perhaps the lyrics speak to some people. But I think I'm starting to realize I'm not a particular fan of his music.
A quite 80s sounding album, where most songs feel like they're about Morrissey complaining about sad life. Not really the type of music I enjoy. I even failed to appreciate the most successful songs.
Going to have to be a strong 2 for me, just not my thing.
Christine and the Queens
2/5
New-ish and something completely different than what I usually listen to? Exicting!
I listened to the English version of the album, and I wonder if that was a mistake. The whole album has a bit of an 80s vibe to it and overall sounds very well produced, so this should definitely speak to me! Unfortunately I can absolutely not get over how bad Christine's English pronunciation is. I don't know if it's intentional or not, but it annoys me to death and I can't hear anything other than that throughout the whole album. That is a shame.
Going to have to be a 2 for me based on what I said. Could definitely be higher if someone else sang it, but can't stretch it in current state.
Pearl Jam
4/5
I'm actually impressed with how I've unknowingly almost completely managed to avoid listening to Pearl Jam throughout the years, even though their music fits me very well. After looking them up a bit more online I realize just how incredibly big they are, and how influential they seem to have been. Fun to be blessed with their top selling album straight off!
After hearing the chorus of 'Alive' my reaction was "Ah, it's this band!". While this is probably the Pearl Jam song everyone has heard, I found other songs on the album much more interesting, like 'Black', or 'Garden' for example.
Overall I think this is a really solid album. Good guitar riffs and tone, and quality singer with a voice that works really well with the songs. I think this could grow to a 5 star album if I listen more to it, but for now it'll be a 4 star!
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Marvin Gaye has really grown as an artist for me through this list. His second album on the list for me, and this is a solid one, though perhaps not absolute stellar.
Though 'Let's Get It On' might be one of the most well known and overplayed love songs (along a few other songs from Marvin), it's still one hell of a tune. And his singing really makes it shine!
The other songs on the album don't stand out as much, but I have to say I really enjoyed most of them. 'If I Should Die Tonight' for example has such a good melancholic chord progression that just works great with the guitars and Marvin's singing.
Though lacking of hits, and certainly an album that lyrically feels quite "thirsty", I liked this a lot. Perhaps not an album that I will come back to instantly or remember as a particularly good one, but I enjoyed listening to it a whole lot more than a many other albums on this list. Think I will let that be the decider for the album rating!
The Prodigy
4/5
An earlier Prodigy album, and you can tell. A bit of a mixed bag for me. Some better and worse songs, but the songs are also a bit more of a mixed bag sonically than the last album we had, 'The Fat of the Land'.
'Voodoo People', 'Their Law', 'Poison', and '3 Kilos' stand out as the most noteworthy songs for me, and they're all quite different.
While pretty decent overall, I find that it sounds a bit too much Break Beat, and Drum 'N Bass for me. Though I never thought I'd say it, it just feels a bit too much early 90s electronic music somehow.
While I think this is not an incredible album, I still think it will get a weak 4 from me. There is more to discover here for me, and I overall enjoyed hearing this way more than some 3 star albums we've had.
Billy Bragg
2/5
One of the more generic albums we've had here on this list. Feels like something geared towards Americans with it's country-light sound. Sounded pretty weak at times, so that mixed with it being quite boring brings it to 2 for me.
Stereolab
2/5
Was excited when I saw the poster and when it was made. Must say I was a bit disappointed.
The record could either have gone in two directions: heavy and cool 90s electro, or nerdy synth - a bit like Air. Unfortunately it went the latter.
First song felt promising, but the songs turned out to be mostly boring and monotonous. It also felt quite badly produced. Didn’t like the singer very much either, quite boring performance.
Overall it fell flat sadly, no good song to count home here for me.
Barry Adamson
1/5
Definitely thought that was a soundtrack to some film. Turns out it was just made as such, but it was not written for any particular movie.
The whole album felt like it could’ve been a demo for the score to the Grim Fandango game, which seems fitting since the album aims for a noir movie setting.
I must say, listening to it without a movie in mind as a studio album, it falls pretty flat. There are definitely some parts that are more interesting than others, but I can’t say I enjoyed it that much, even as a movie soundtrack. Therefore I am quite questioning as to why it’s even on the list. Not a good studio album, and not a particularly good soundtrack, what is left then?
Overall I wouldn’t recommend this. Might have been novel when it came out, but it was more noises than interesting soundscapes and other atmospheric touches. Strong 1.
Meat Puppets
3/5
Interesting album. Much of Nirvanas MTV Unplugged material, such as ‘Plateau’ and ‘Lake of Fire’, comes from here, and I guess that’s why it feels like it sounds more modern than it is. I personally enjoyed ‘Aurora Borealis’ quite a lot.
In general it was a bit of hit or miss though. Many songs feels like filler material or lackluster, but there are some decent ones as well if you can stomach the singer’s unorthodox style.
Kings of Leon
3/5
Might be a boring take, but I find the newer, more commercial and vanilla Kings of Leon, much better than this. Caleb’s semi-rapping and punk-like singing feels very strange and doesn’t work for me, but that might just be because I am used to a different Kings of Leon than what we get here. Still interesting to hear where they came from I guess, but this album has no business being on this list in my opinion. Very average, in a bad way. Weak 3.
Elliott Smith
2/5
Definitely a different tone compared to the emo album, Either/Or, we had of Elliott on the list before. Still, I’m failing to find any particularly interesting tunes that stand out. And I just can’t seem to get on terms with Elliott’s voice. It’s just way too much of a teenage voice to me somehow, even though that might not be Elliott’s persona.
I can definitely see that this album, and Elliott in particular, is a matter of taste. Unfortunately I don’t enjoy it, so going to have to be a strong 2 for me.
Kate Bush
3/5
This album has the vibes of a record that was probably very well received when it came out, and regarded by many as a groundbreaking one. Not sure if that was the case, but that is the aura it has to me.
I personally think this sounds too “grand”. Both the lyrics and instrumental arrangement feels like something meant for the big stages.
It is also impossible to overlook the 80s sound that runs through the whole album, making it feel quite unmodern and stuck in time.
In summary this was not an album for me, and I struggled to find songs that I want to hear again. Not because they’re bad, but just because it’s not my thing. Weak 3.
Gram Parsons
3/5
Somehow it feels possible for me to understand what distinguishes exceptional country albums from ordinary ones. To me, this is very very bland and not interesting at all. No song that stands out at all, and Gram sounds like the most generic country singer there is. Just don’t the see why this among all country albums deserves a spot on the list. Weak 3.
The KLF
5/5
Didn't find the album this linked to on Spotify, so listened on youtube. According to Wikipedia this album has all kinds of releases with different tracks, think I got the north american 1991 release maybe?
Regardless, I really liked this, a lot. Electronic music wise I'm still stuck in the 90s, listening to lots of trance and generally consider that the most interesting electronic music era.
The 'Lets Get Killed' album by David Holmes that I found through this list, and Massive Attack, have both further broadened and deepened my appreciation for 90s electronic music. What I'm trying to say is this album fits me like a glove.
And the album delivered from pretty much the start. Very cool when the main groove starts in the opening track of 'What Time Is Love?'. Sure, it sounds unapologetical 90s, and could even feature as soundtrack in Blade. But it still sounds very cool.
And it just keeps on going along the same tracks after that with heavy basslines and reverby chanty vocals and cool samples.
I realize this is very much an album for me, and probably not something everyone appreciates. But for me, this was so fun to hear. It's not every day you discover new things from the past. Very generous here, but I'll give it a weak 5 just because of how excited I got over this.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
Think this is the 3rd Creedence album we get on this list. I used to think Creedence was boring and tame, but the albums on this list has changed my mind. Sure, it's still a bit of dad rock, but man, they sure know how to pack an album with good songs.
While 'Proud Mary' certainly is the most recongizable song on this album, pretty much all tunes are good. 'Born On The Bayou' is a great album opener, and they continue to deliver after that. I think I've overlooked in the past just how much of an impact John Fogerty's voice makes for these songs as well, real stellar.
I made a huge mistake by not giving Cosmo's Factory 5 stars, so even though I consider this a 4 star album I'll give it 5 stars as compensation.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
For being labeled as a ”super group”, this doesn’t exactly live up to expectations for me. It just feels like a worse version of Arctic Monkeys without all interesting and catchy riffs. You still have Alex’s trademark singing style that makes it at least somewhat interesting, but apart from that it feels quite boring frankly. Weak 3.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Seems like this is the 3rd Sonic Youth album on this list for us so far. Since this was not to my liking at all, I think I officially have to announce that I don’t like this group. It is a bit unfortunate, because they have a pretty cool band name. Shame this music is not particularly good.
The Birthday Party
1/5
Was out biking when I put this on, so might not have been the best listening conditions, but man… this sucked hard!
Felt like there were some interesting riffs in some places, but that felt more like happy accidents than intentional.
Everything felt messy, dissonant, and the singer was garbage. 1982 felt very early for this type of music, but that won’t save it from a 1 star rating.
Erykah Badu
4/5
Cool album! Thought we had Erykah on this list before, but apparently not.
I really like the tone of this record. Sits somewhere between R&B and disco for me, the former of which I am not a fan usually, but it works well here.
'Didn't Cha Know' is a cool track, and the rest doesn't come far behind. Guess I didn't listen that attentatively, but I'm still missing some recognizable songs. Still, very solid and even performance thoughout the record. Weak 4!
The National
3/5
Feels like a fairly unique sounding album, and I think I enjoyed it. It can sometimes feel a bit whiney gloomy, but that mellow and sad tone is also what I like about it.
In general the album started out fairly strong, just didn’t finish on top. ’Afraid of Everyone’ was probably my favourite track on the record.
David Bowie
4/5
Oh, is ‘Young Americans’ a David Bowie song? Had no idea!
This list has completely changed my perception of Bowie totally. Think I had mostly heard the Ziggy Stardust album before and some of his hit songs, but I now realize what a breadth he has to his songmaking, along with even more hits I wasn’t aware of!
This album doesn’t sound like any other Bowie record, but it’s still very good. Opener track is obviously one you recognize, but I found myself really enjoying the rest as well! Would definitely come back to this.
The Cramps
1/5
Ugh... please. This was just too difficult and weird to me. Song was horrible, music itself was not good either... very noisy. Now that I think of it, the song was probably the biggest issue.
Anyways, not my cup of tea at all, not much more to say.
Hawkwind
2/5
I saw the runtime on this a few weeks back and have been saving it for when... I really wanted to torture me with a 2 hour long record.
Never heard space rock before, didn't even know there was a genre called that.
The record started off pretty interesting. Pretty gritty rock sound, and it had my interest up. But the longer the album progressed, the duller it became. Though I thought the 'Orgone Accumulator' and 'Time We Left This World Today' definitely had something, by the end of the album I feel like it basically is the same thing playing as when I started it. And the album suffers immensely from just casual grazing and letting minutes pass by without anything interesting happening.
It's by no means the worst album I've heard on this list, but it's way too long and slow for my taste.
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
1978 feels quite early for this kind of record. While I appreciate there are all kinds of music out there, and this certainly could be a fitting soundtrack for a horror movie or Twin Peaks, I hardly think it is an album you must listen to before you die.
‘Weeping’ was really on to something but in the end it’s too much noise ans incoherence, and just overall bad sounding - as with the rest of the album. Ironically I listened to the remastered record but it’s probably one of the worst sounding albums I’ve ever heard. 0/10.
The Black Keys
5/5
This has completely flown past me, but wow, what an album.
I really like the swamp blues feels I get, mixed with grunge and distortion. Works really well.
The album takes off straight from the get-go with a stellar intro track in 'Everlasting Light'. Really nice groove and overall rhythm to it. The singing complements and works great with the instrumental as well. While the following tracks after were good as well, the formula repeated itself a bit for a while, but then came 'The Only One' which had some oriental vibes to it, and completely flipped it around. Probably my favourite track of the record.
In summary this record took me completely by surprise. It rarely happens that I instantly like something when hearing it first time, but this was one of those records. Really impressed!
3/5
'The lLok Of Love, Pt.1' stood out as a song I've heard before, otherwise this was all new to me.
I found it to be a quite decent record, but it didn't left any serious impression on me. There were some decent disco-like beats in there, but it didn't blow me over for some reason, not sure why. I guess it just wasn't good enough to compete with some other records from the same era.
Jungle Brothers
4/5
Interesting album! Rap flow reminds me of mix between early NWA and Run DMC. This feels like a bit fresher than at least the latter, though. It has a lot of groovy bass lines that might as well be found in some disco music. Feels like a quite synth heavy sound there, with perhaps less samples than some other rap groups.
Overall all I enjoyed this. Stood out enough from other rap groups to be interesting and it held up throughout the record.
Aphex Twin
3/5
Fun to see this album here! Hailed by many to be one of the first and most important electro albums that was before its time.
I have heard this a few times, but have a bit of a hard time grasping the greatness of it. I can appreciate it was special when it came, but today it has a hard time standing out among similar albums.
Ironically enough I find many of the tunes too uneventful and monotone, even though the album is labeled “ambient works”.
Have seen some live clips from Aphex Twin, I am 100% convinced he can make awesome music, but this just ones up a bit short for me with a lack of impactful tunes.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
Only listened to the first disc as I felt the format was quite clear by then. By no means a bad album, I quite enjoyed it. I can definitely see this being super to play live or listen to in a bar. Maybe got a bit repetitive, and it’s way too long. But other than that it was nice!
The problem I have is that there is no way for me to determine if this is good bluegrass or not. And if I ever want to put that on, I’m certainly not going to remember this exact album. So in the end I just don’t feel that I can rate this in a fair way. But a 3 feels appropriate as it was good, but nothing I want to throw myself on immediately and listen to again.
R.E.M.
2/5
How extremely unREMarkable. Similar to Elvis Costello, the author of this list must see something in REM that I don’t. Can’t for the life of me understand why they need this many mediocre albums on the list.
This album cements the fact for me that it’s only the REM hits that are good, nothing else.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Just reviewed KLF - The White room album yesterday, and gave that a (maybe generous) 5 star rating. On paper this album should be very similar to that, and should also fit me very well. I’m not sold though, and here is why.
This album is too drums focused and almost resembles some slow bpm version of drum n bass at some points, which I am not a fan of at all. In general it has quite weak basslines and leads, nothing that interesting. It sounds a bit like boring The Prodigy at times.
It had some ok songs here and there, but nothing that exciting. A bit of a letdown generally. Cool band and record name, but nothing that blew me away.
David Bowie
3/5
Iconic album cover of Bowie. While the sound of the record itself definitely felt like the Bowie I'm used to hearing and expect, it wasn't that interesting.
Didn't find any particular song that I really liked here. If you like Bowie a lot you'll enjoy this album, but none of his more memorable songs are here in my opinion. Weak 3.
New Order
3/5
Weird album. Starts off with an electronic song, then 'All The Way' and the following track is some smooth pop song, just to continue on to 'Round Round' which sounds extremely 80s electronic again. What type of album is this trying to be?
I found the beginning of this album quite tame and lame, but it saved itself a bit towards the latter half with 'Vanishing Point' actually being a good song.
Overall it felt a bit lacking of identity, but wasn't terrible either. Weak 3.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
This whole record sounded a bit like light punk without hooks, and everything sounded quite the same. Didn’t like the guitar sound particularly much either.
Maybe I didn’t pay that much attention but this didn’t grab me.
Khaled
3/5
Interesting album! Fun to hear something oriental to break the tedium.
There are definitely some gems in here. I particularly liked the two few opening tracks, and especially ’Melha’ which was the top song of the album.
Between the highs it definitely turned quite low at some times, with the absolute low point being the Imagine cover. Talk about meme material.
Overall I was excited at first, but in the end it didn’t really continue to deliver like it set out to in the beginning.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
Very psychadelic album for sure, which is hinted by the cover art.
It was a bit of a mixed bag for me. It started off with a quite cool intro for 'International Feel'. Generally I think my favourite track was 'Sometimes I don't know what to feel', but the tracks really took turn between being decent and complete circus music.
Overall I think it was alright, but no cigar. Weak 3.
Caetano Veloso
3/5
Generally I enjoy this type of bossa-like (at least that's what it sounds like to me) music once every now and then, and it always brings me in good mood.
For me it's hard to pick out selected tracks here that are better or worse than the other. It mostly gels together into one experience, and it was a good one.
If I think about what type of music I consider the best, this doesn't come to mind though. While I enjoy it in certain settings, it's not something I'm really passionate about nor see myself putting on as something else than background music or for thematical reasons. I guess I just feel knowledgeable in this genre to know how it stands against similar works.
Beatles
3/5
Doesn't feel like one of the strongest Beatles album really. 'Drive My Car' is of course a very iconic Beatles song, but other than that I found it quite lackluster.
In 'Michelle', I first thought McCartney sang "some day monkeys won't play piano and some, play piano and some" and thought "what is he on about?!". Turns out he sings in french. Either I need to get better at french, or McCartney does. I'd like to think it's the latter. Quite a nice melody, but otherwise ridiculous song.
Overall I think you'll like this if you're a Beatles fan, but to me it was just very mediocre. One, maybe two stronger songs, otherwise quite beige. Weak 3.
Supergrass
3/5
Felt like a decent album to listen to at a rock pub or in similar settings, but otherwise found it mostly a bit annoying. More speed and tempo over finesse and catchy riffs in my opinion. Just didn't hook me somehow. Don't think I was a big fan of the singing to be honest, think that dragged it down a bit.
'Alright' stands above the rest of the songs for sure, quite catchy'! 'We're Not Supposed To' sits below the rest for sure, both because of the smurf voice, and juvenile lyrics.
Genesis
2/5
I don't know if there is any reason for this, but to me, Genesis feels a bit like kosher Christian rock. It always feels very tame and non-offensive. This is a bit ironic, seeing as this particular album is quite political, but that is still the feeling I get when listening to it.
While one must admit it being impressive to craft a 2 hour long rock opera, I must say that I didn't particularly enjoy it. Thematics are appreciated, but not rock operas. And I've also realized that I don't really like Genesis either, so overall this didn't stir up much feelings in me, rather than wishing it to soon be over.
If you like Geneis, this is probably your thing, but to me it was dull. Strong 2.
Abdullah Ibrahim
4/5
Of all jazz albums we've heard on this list, this might be one of those that stands out the most from the crowd.
I can't put my finger on exactly what it is that differentiates it from other jazz albums. It could be I found it to be less noodling and more structure to this than typical jazz records?
Regardless, I enjoyed this very much, and it made me happy to listen to. Especially 'Song for Sathima' grabbed my attention. Would definitely want to revisit this again! Strong 4.
The Jam
2/5
Another punk-leaning rock album from a (to me) unknown band. Extremely forgettable record that failed to make any sort of positive impression on me.
All songs sounded quite similar and boring, and it wasn't my thing at all. Only reason not giving this a 1 star is it didn't sound bad enough technically.
Iron Maiden
5/5
Surely this has to be the most succesful album of Iron Maiden? And what an album this is! I have heard it a couple of times, so I'm probably a bit biased, but I think it's very strong. Crazy that they managed to get 'Children of The Damned', 'Run To The Hills', and 'Number Of The Beast' on the same record!
I noticed that this was the first album Bruce Dickinson appeared on. What a way to enter a new band. While I appreciate Iron Maidens previous works, I can't stop thinking about what an absolute powerhouse of a singer he is. While the rest of the music can stand on its own two legs itself, he definitely brings that extra spice to the table that brings this album brings to the next level.
The guitar play and overall composition on this album definitely are unmatched by few. They definitely take advantage of the two guitars by playing different octaves and lines, which elevates the riffs. Some memorable solos as well.
While the 3 songs I mentioned in the beginning almost grants this album 5 stars on their own, I think the tracks in between, while not as strong, are also fairly decent. Honorary mention to 'Invaders' and 'Hallowed Be Thy Name' which were the best of those.
Overall this is one of the best heavy metal albums I can think of at a glance. Easy 5 stars.
1/5
This sounded incredibly bad, like it was recorded on a toaster or something. The composition was extremely uninspiring as well. Maybe a bit harsh but didn't like this one bit.
The Young Rascals
4/5
One of the more interesting sounding albums I've uncovered through this list I must say! Didn't sound too much like a copy of The Kinks, Beatles or Beach Boys.
Found 'Groovin' and 'A Girl Like You' to be particularly interesting, but overall I enjoyed the unexpectedly good composition and interesting sound of the album! Weak 4.
Duran Duran
3/5
If you've heard 'Girls On Film' before, you instantly recognize the sound on this record. Hasn't listened to Duran Duran much before but they have a quite distinct sound that is easy to recognize, and this album sounds like that.
I didn't quite find any song where I felt "I need to hear this again!". But overall it was alright, perhaps not my cup of tea exactly. I can definitely see this being someones jam though!
Garbage
3/5
An album that I sometimes feel have a bit of a hard time deciding what it is. Sometimes it felt like... vampire rock? 'As Heaven Is Wide' made me feel that way somehow. Then 'Stupid Girl' and 'My Lovers Box' feels quite poppy.
'Milk' was probably my favourite track, but sounded completely different than the rest with its dreamy soundscape. Reminds me a bit of 'Tears From The Moon' by Conjure One and Sinead O'Connor.
One thing I have to give this album is it sounded really good technically. Quite pleasant to listen to in fact, which is a cool breeze after the lowpoint of Wild Gift a few records ago.
The Youngbloods
4/5
Really nice album! Very serene sounding and overall peaceful. I like the mix of folk sounding tracks, along with some instrumental songs leaning towards jazz. The singer has a nice voice which works great with this type of music.
I found myself enjoying almost all songs on this records, so it was a joy just tugging along the ride. Definitely see myself coming back to this!
Fred Neil
4/5
Nice album! Had this album on in the morning, and it instantly made the day better. I get a similar feeling listening to this as I get when listening to Nick Drake, quite cozy. His voice reminded me a bit of Elvis Presley as well (of which I wonder when we'll see on this list!?).
Overall a nice ride. 'Everybody's Talkin' is instantly recognizable, though perhaps Harry Nilsson's version is the more famous one. Perhaps no single song that really grabbed me, but I much prefer the whole album being enjoyable then one track being stellar and the rest garbage. Weak 4.
Destiny's Child
3/5
Huh, don't think I expected to see this here. Really front loaded with all of the major hits of this record, all of which I have heard thousand times on radio when I was a kid. For a while I was actually wondering if it would turn out that I would have heard all the songs on the album, but never listened to the album itself.
I am not much of an R&B fan honestly, so I find it hard to gauge how good this is. It's so hard for me to view this in another way than a bunch of radio hits, none of which are my sauce really.
The album definitely has a quite weak ending, with the gospel song about god and the thank-you song being the absolute lowpoint of the album. Overall this is a decent jam if you'd ever want to listen to old R&B songs, but not more than that to me.
Manu Chao
5/5
I am not exactly sure why, but I really like this album a lot. By no means a diehard fan of south american music (though Manu Chao is french), so it's a bit surprising to me.
It is a bit of a weird album in some ways. It almost feels like more of a very long song than distinct tracks at times. Melodies from tracks also come back again later in new songs, so it's repeating itself quite a bit. I feel like works both in the favour of the album, and against. On one hand, it feels very cohesive, and on the other hand it feels like a bit of slack to reuse melodies with new lyrics ('Bong Song' and 'Je ne t'aime plus', 'Mama call' and 'La despedida', for example). Speaking of lyrics, they can often times be quite repeating themselves quite a lot throughout the song. Somehow I don't have very big problems with this though, it suits the album somehow.
Generally I find almost every "unique song" to be stellar and enjoyable. 'Clandestino' is great, so is 'Bongo song', and probably my favour one, 'Mentira'.
Overall this is just a great album. I don't speak portuguese so I don't know what the lyrics are about, but sound wise it's a great cohesive journey that I think is very cool. Easy 5 stars.
Bad Company
3/5
While this album sounded very good, it was one of the more kosher and meats and potatoes rock records I've heard.
I don't know why, but this just feels extremely... fake and uninspired? Songs were naturally about them being bad company and they liked to pick up chicks, but it just didn't feel believable.
When Motörhead sings about picking up chicks and drinking whiskey for breakfast I can believe it, but here it just feels... not so cool.
The tracks were decent otherwise, but nothing that really grabs me at all. Quite boring record overall, but probably decent jam in a rock bar. Weak 3.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Everytime I think of Aretha I always think about her incredible voice and singing talent, and perhaps especially how hailed she has been for it. It is hard to look at her music objectively because of that.
Regardless, I think this is a really solid record. 'Chain Of Fools', '(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman', and 'Ain't No Way' are timeless tracks, and probably some of her best work. The other tracks are very good as well.
Generally I find all the lyrical content about god a bit hard to relate to, but I mean it's soul so it kind of belongs here I guess. I can't really say I find it to be a very progressive either, much content seem to be about how a womans duty is to please her man somehow, but maybe I'm missing a deeper meaning.
Overall, this felt packed with just enough good songs to turn it into a really solid record. When it comes to Soul, I don't doubt this is one of the better ones.
Spacemen 3
2/5
The beginning of the record felt like it had something going with some cool synth sounds and guitar ambience. The ball got lost completely after a few songs, though, as it became much too uninteresting and eventless.
Strong 2.
Frank Zappa
3/5
Was looking forward to a Zappa record, but I was a bit disappointed.
'Willie The Pimp' had my interest piqued as it actually had a really cool riff at the start, and Zappa singing silly lines. Overall the record had an interesting corny sound with flutes and some oriental instruments, but it was just way too much improvisation and noodling for my taste. An album almost entirely consiting of guitar solos? Come on.
Weak 3.
Wire
2/5
Me: Mom, can we have Pink Floyd at home?
Mom: No, we already have Pink Floyd at home.
At home: Pink Flag
Uh… I mean this was ok at times? But it felt like a pretty below-average punk. And I am mighty tired of those kinds of albums, so I guess that should put it at a strong 2.
Love
2/5
Possibly the worst band name of all time.
Must say most of the songs both felt quite cheesy and pretentious. The lyrics and how they were sang was a bit of a thorn in the side as well.
Plus points for sounding fairly fresh for being a 1967 record, can imagine it was a bit more impactful hearing it back then. As it is now it just isn’t that interesting, sadly. Definitely don’t want to revisit this, so I guess a strong 2 is appropriate.
Bill Evans Trio
2/5
Read that this was regarded as one of the best live jazz albums of all time. Be that as it may, to me it sounds like one of the more generic jazz records I’ve heard.
Everything sounded sort of the same throughout the whole record. There was barely any feeling of different songs throughout the whole record, and each song had no real hook or interesting parts that made them stand out.
While this certainly gave me the same coziness vibes as all jazz does, it otherwise failed to feel unique and stand out among other jazz albums. Strong 2.
The Electric Prunes
3/5
A bit of an interesting album sonically in a way, especially considering it is from 1967. Felt different enough from Beatles and other groups from a similar time.
Still, it didn't exactly blow me out of the water. Overall a decent experience, but not something I will sit and long for, or likely revisit.
Coldcut
3/5
Another one not to be found on Spotify, sadly.
What an opening track. Slammed in the face by some funky house chords. If it continued on this trend, I was certain for it to be an easy 5 star album. Sadly, this was the albums strongest song, and though there were a few other gems, none lived up to the opening track.
The album sounds quite fresh for when it was made, more of a 90s record than an 80s record to me. Generally it was a bit too much scratch sounds, and the "corny side" of 90s dance music. It was more beat focused than it was melody focused, which make it drop ratings for me.
Overall I was excited at the start of the record, but it just didn't deliver consistently enough to warrant a higher rating from me. Strong 3.
4/5
Always find it hard to review Beatles albums. They're not my favourite band, but not my least favourite either, but I think the world has agreed on them most likely being the best band of all time.
When hearing this, I get mixed feelings. On one hand, it has a handful real stellar tracks, like 'With A Little Help From My Friends', 'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds', and probably my favourite one, 'A Day In The Life'. On the other hand, I don't get THAT much joy out of listening to it, honestly. Though, I did find a few new neat tracks that were not that bad, like 'Getting Better', 'When I'm Sixty Four', and 'Within You Without You' that was a bit of an odd, but interesting turn (I really like Sitar, so easily sold).
My gut says this is somewhere between a 4 and a 5... but honestly, I just don't enjoy it enough for it to be a 5 star, even though perhaps my brain says it should be.
Janelle Monáe
4/5
Fairly recent and different, cool!
Not really my type of music perhaps, but I thought this was quite interesting and good at most times! Didn't feel like it slotted into one specific genre, and the formula didn't get old over the course of the album. There was much variety and you were constantly taken by surprise.
Album high-point was 'Tightrope', and absolute lowpoint was 'Make the Bus'.
I definitely enjoyed this more than lots of 3 star albums, but I'm not sure I feel like it's a 4 star one. Tricky. I'm going to be generous and give it a weak 4 though, much more interesting than loads of stuff I've heard on this list.
DJ Shadow
4/5
Another 90s trip-hop-ish record. Perhaps 'DJ Shadow' was legit in the 90s, but now it feels more some 10 year old would name his rogue in World of Warcraft.
Staying true to his name, many of the songs had quite ominous and evil sounding samples for being trip-hop, like 'Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt', 'Stem/Long Stem', or 'Organ Donor'. Felt like they could feature in either The Excorcist, or one of the Resident Evil games.
Overall I felt like the record was a bit of a roller coaster. There were some really good tracks, like aforementioned 'Organ Donor', and especially 'Midnight In A Perfect World', and 'Changeling', and then there were quite boring drum heavy ones like 'The Number Song'. The transmission songs were also a bit... edgy.
Overall the album was stronger at the end. I think I'll give this a weak 4, knowing it fits me quite well, and while there were lowpoints, I still enjoyed listening to it a lot.
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
Strange sounding album in a way. Sounds like cleaned up or commercialized punk, some sort of predecessor to skate punk perhaps?
While it sounded pretty good, I didn't exactly find any songs to vibe along to. Apart from the album name, it felt like a pretty mediocre experience. Weak 3.
Circle Jerks
2/5
Due to both the band name, album name and runtime of this album I was expecting this to be the bottom contender on this list. But I was wrong!
While this isn’t exactly the type of music I listen to, I didn’t find this as bad as expected. The songs were short, but quick to the point, which I appreciated. Some also had interesting compositions that I’ve almost never encountered before.
I also felt like this was pretty pure punk in the sense that it really was quite a lot about mundane and garbage topics and complaints. It wasn’t especially smart or anything, which felt quite punky somehow. To just complain about things.
Not the best record, but it also didn’t ask for much of your time. 100 times prefer this over the 69 love songs album, for example. Strong 2.
Portishead
2/5
I’ve tried to get into Portishead many times but never really manage to. This was probably my least favorite album of those I’ve heard.
This record can be summed up in a few words: ”Moaning to sad ambience”. That’s kind of how this record feels.
Even though ’Machine Gun’ had an almost trancelike beat to it, the rest is quite boring. No interesting melodies or things happening in the songs. Just the singer’s moaning to some mellow music. The record could probably have scraped together more points if it was completely instrumental.
Holger Czukay
3/5
First song really took you off in a completely different direction than the rest of the album. While quite quirky and corny, 'Cool In The Pool' was quite unique and had something going for it.
Sadly, the rest of the album was a progressive rock slog, with 8 minute long instrumentals. This was not at all as interesting as the first song. I'm genuinely sad that it didn't continue along the tracks of the first song, and was disappointed with the rest.
Weak 3.
The Go-Betweens
3/5
This didn't start off very strong in my opinion. Felt like they were hell bent on trying to make everything rhyme, using convoluted phrases and wordings that made little sense.
Then it somehow recovered itself a bit in the end. Though no particular song stuck to me,
it sounded like a better version of R.E.M at times.
Overall a bit of a roller coaster. Nothing particularly memorable, but not that bad either, especially considering the album name is cheese deluxe.
Coldplay
5/5
Say what you will about the current state of Coldplay, but the first few records they made were proper good. This will hardly be an unbiased review.
Maybe not my personal favourite album of theirs, but when I look through the tracklist its hard not to like it. 'In My Place', 'Clocks', 'The Scientist' counts among their best songs to me, and 'Green Eyes' is also very good. Then you have a slightly weaker, but still very good, ones like 'Politik' and 'A Rush Of Blood To The Head'. The rest, of which there are a handfull, no doubt, tie it together decently, but are not that interesting to me.
While it's hard to see Coldplay in any other light than commercial and poppy, I still think this is unique and cool enough to be a really good record before they became completely radio-lized. There are good hooks and chord progressions, and I (though maybe an outlier) really like Chris Martin's singing.
Was trying to decide between a strong 4 and a 5... it feels a bit cheeky giving the same band too many 5 stars for their albums, but at the same time I also enjoy this loads more than 90% of what's on this list. And as I said, this wouldn't be biased. So 5 stars it is, though a weak one.
Drive Like Jehu
2/5
I can see how this fits many people, but it wasn't really for me. Too much screaming. They have some decent riffs going that I can imagine are done justice on a bit louder good sound system.
Public Enemy
2/5
This was a bit of a mixed bag, with some decent tracks and some with quite obnoxious samples.
'I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo Niga' was a quite groovy track, and 'By The Time I Get To Arizone' had a real phat distorted bass or guitar that was cool. 'Lost At Birth' was annoying though, and I didn't like 'Bring Tha Noize' which was more of a hardrock track, completely going outside of the boundaries of the album.
Overall I'm not exactly why, but I didn't enjoy it that much when listening to it. Definitely feels like an album that could fit me, but maybe it's one of those that you need to get into more to appreciate. For now a strong 2.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
This started off in a really good place, with the first few tracks feeling really interesting and different for something on this list. Really got you in the mood for going hiking and playing some guitar.
Then it started getting duller as it went on, perhaps there was too little variation, not sure.
Overall I enjoyed this quite a bit for being an older record. Perhaps not anything I'll put on right away, but I had a good time listening to this album.
Willie Nelson
3/5
When I put this on I found it to be very soothing and relaxing. It also felt very tasteful and stood out from other types downtempo music from this era.
But then I found out it's just covers which he handpicked from his favourites. That certainly makes it hard for me to appreciate as much.
I guess cover albums can be controversial, and I don't know which side to pick. On one hand, you can just take it face value, in which case it would be a quite nice album. But taking away the fact that he didn't invent any of the songs changes everything at the same time. Feels a bit like doing half the work. I can't think of any artist I respect that has only made covers, for example.
I think I'll put myself somewhere in the middle and just give this 3 stars. I enjoyed it for what it was, but I won't recommend it to friends as some sort of top album.
Gene Clark
2/5
This felt like an extremely bland and boring album to me. Had Willie Nelson's 'Stardust' before this, and it certainly felt similar, but just way worse in all regards.
I didn't find any kind of variance at all on this record, and the singing felt laboured. Not much to say, just didn't like this at all. Weak 2.
Beck
3/5
Didn't find this as catchy as the Guero album we encountered here before. Beck's sample game is really creative and usually on point, but I found this record a but too distorted for my taste.
As I think I mentioned on the last album, Beck's music in general, and his singing, sounds way more cool and rough than he looks. I feel like white people 90s rap/hip-hop-ish music can go either two ways; corny and lame like Crazy Town, or legit like Beck.
Not too bad of a record, but not great either.
M.I.A.
4/5
M.I.A. is a bit like Candy Crush and other dopamine mobile games. It's not necessarily that good, but you just can't stop. Same goes with M.I.A. Her beats are really delicious and the timing in her rap is on point, but the lyrics are complete jibberish and nonsensical - even to me who usually don't care about the lyrics. But it kind of doesn't matter because even though it's nonsense, it's super catchy with easy lines to remember. And in a way it is a bit refreshing for lyrics to not be super deep, and be about love.
'Paper planes' was everywhere when it came out, and I've heard it 10^13 times. 'Jimmy' and 'Come Around' were new for me, but really cool as well. Other tracks are decent as well.
One thing I keep asking myself is how many gigabytes of gun samples she must have on her hard drive. Literally all types of claps, and most other percussive noises as well sounds like a gun. And then there's the actual gun sounds as well.
While part of me feel like her music isn't particularly smart, and actually stupid and annoying in a lot of ways, I constantly find myself digging along. I think I'll just have to admit that this is actually kinda good.
The Temptations
3/5
Quite a funky album! 'Papa Was A Rollin' Stone' definitely is a step above the rest for me despite its long runtime, but I enjoyed the album in its entirety as well.
Vocals are definitely the selling point, but the instrumentals are also on point.
Don't have much more to say about this, but I enjoyed it a bit more than the average record I'd say. Still, a strong 3 feels appropriate.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
I forgot how many good songs there are in the opening of this album. The first and second original disc (2nd disc ending with 'Kashmir') is actually insanely strong, and if it would have ended there it would be an easy strong 5 star album for me. But when disc three starts ('In The Light'), I am not so sure anymore. And while 'Ten Years Gone', 'Down By The Seaside', and 'The Wanton Song' recovers it a bit, the second half of the album is not one, but several steps below the first.
I probably gave all Led Zeppelin albums generated for me so far 5 stars, so I am a bit inclined to break the combo for this one. But at the same time it's just so good. While maybe not their absolute best album, it still stands tall above most of the albums on this list, which says quite a lot about this group. It'll just have to be a weak 5.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Not sure how strong this album is compared to Bob Marley's other albums, but I'd say it surely must be up there.
First side might not be that exciting, until 'Exodus' comes on which is just so incredibly groovy with a very tight bassline and overall beat. The horns are a real nice addition as well, gives some western vibes.
Second side certainly ain't no slouch with 'Jamming', 'Three Little Birds', and 'One Love / People Get Together' being the heavy hitters. I think in general anyone could be satisfied if they managed to get any of the four aforementioned songs on their record, but cramming this many on one album is a feat for sure.
Don't listen to that much Reggae, though I must admit I have a soft spot for it. Might feel a bit generous potentially, but I can't imagine being able to swing a much more strong Reggae album than this actually, so I think a 5 is warranted. Albeit a weak one perhaps, as the songs between the hits are not as strong, but not that bad either honestly.
David Crosby
3/5
With this album I sadly still think I have to stand by my opinion so far: that CSN are better together than they are solo. There were some decent songs here and there, especially towards the end, but it just felt quite forgettable all in all somehow. Don't have a deeper analysis than this, just a bit disappointed and barely remember anything special about it. Weak 3.
Talk Talk
2/5
Extremely sounding 80s pop with some minor synth influences. Must say this aged fairly bad. Sounded like a boring version of Phil Collins or Genesis, and I sometimes find their albums quite dull themselves. Tried to pay attention and find something decent in this album, but didn't really manage to.
Serge Gainsbourg
1/5
I had a conversation once with a french guy, where I joked around a bit about Serge, based on my knowledge at the time. But he was dead serious when he said that he was quite a revolutionary person in France, and very well respected.
Sadly, I have to admit I don't understand that at all, at least not based on this album. My take is that he is well with words. If that is true, that part is completely missed since I don't speak french. And what remains when taking that away is not much. Sure, it would fit nicely in a french café perhaps, but that's about it.
Probably won't ever be let into France after giving this a 1 star, but so be it. Someone will have to explain it to me sometime, but if that's what it takes to enjoy this, it is a problem in itself. And even without speaking french, this album oozes with pretentiousness.
Patti Smith
2/5
Definitely different. Were some parts that were quite decent, but mostly got hung up around the disturbing lyrics about splitting someone’s head up and crawling inside a skull. The sometimes erratic singing didn’t really suit me either.
Justice
5/5
As far as new-ish electronic music album comes, this is one of the best. While you can definitely feel some resemblance or influence of Daft Punk in there, the raw grit and power of this album is unmatched by them completely. The sound and melodies feels fresh and modern, with an analog feel to them (without probably beeing actually analog).
'Genesis' is a perfect opening track to this album, and might be the best song of the album. Extremely powerful and just raw and cool. 'D.A.N.C.E' feels like a pretty commercial song, but is still good. Overall the first half feels a bit stronger than the latter, but is sort of recovered a bit with 'Waters of Nazareth' and 'Stress' which are absolute bangers both of them.
If I have to mention something negative, it's that the format of the album gets a bit tiresome at the end of the album. 'DVNO' is a quite beige song, with similar beat and "features" as some previous tracks. Other than that it is a very varying album with much cool in it. Weak 5!
Marilyn Manson
2/5
Having not listened that much to Mr. Manson, I understand that he is quite a famous, and ostensible succesful, person, who's been around for quite some time. I'm sure this is someones jam completely, but it ain't mine.
This overall feels way to distorted and screamy for my taste. 'Beautiful People' has a cool hypnotic rhythm to it, but other than that I had a hard time finding interesting melodies to latch onto on this album, sadly.
Not my jam, but probably someone else's.
Moby Grape
3/5
This felt like a quite generic blues album to me. Nothing really stood out, but it wasn't bad either. Not much more to say. Weak 3.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Man, I really love myself some funk from time to time. Very cool album overall, really enjoyed it. The first song of the album stood out, and it just kept on delivering. No particular hit that stood out that much, but it was overall a nice experience. Red Hot Chili Peppers is a band I'm a big fan of, and you can tell they took quite a lot of influence from here.
Tim Buckley
3/5
Didn't listen that attentively, but this didn't stick with me.
Sure, now that it's fall outside it can be nice with some folkier acoustic music, and this slots in there quite well. We've had one album with Tim Buckley before on this list, and I can now safely say that he hasn't impressed enough to warrant a spot on this list. Not super bad per-se, but just not stand-out enough. Weak 3.
Grateful Dead
3/5
Got some Grateful Dead songs that I enjoy, 'Terrapin Station' to name one. This album didn't at all feel anything like that. Much more like a country or soft rock album than I had hoped, so a bit disappointed.
After a pretty uninteresting first half, it recovered itself a bit with 'Ripple' which is quite a nice track. But then it was unfortunately back to pretty boring territory, with 'Truckin'' perhaps a decent track as well.
Overall I was not a very big fan of this, and it felt overall quite mediocre. I understand that the Grateful Dead has a cult following, but I can't really understand why based on this record. Not the worst album I've heard, but not particularly eye opening either. Weak 3.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
Fun with something that stand out on the list! Enjoyed this, it has a nice atmosphere to it, and gets you in a good mood when listening to it - more than you can say about many of the albums on this list, sadly.
I read that this was one of the best selling salsa albums of all time. Quite a feat. If I knew that before listening to this I would have expected a bit more somehow. Like many other genres like jazz, blues etc, and albums we've had on this list, I don't think I'm in a position to give this a fair review since I don't know what distinguishes this from a regular salsa album. Nevertheless, it was good, but not anything I will remember as "the best salsa in the world".
Sonic Youth
2/5
Started off fairly interesting, and I was impressed they managed to get the sound of 'Schizophrenia' and '(I Got A) Catholic Block' in '87. Feels much more modern than that!
But as the album progressed, the quality dropped. They lost their finesse and interesting melodies, and it turned more into a distorted atonal mess than something interesting.
So while the first two songs were cool, the rest was not. Strong 2 for me.
Beatles
3/5
Wasn't in the mood for Beatles at all, but this still managed to cut through. Think that's a pretty decent compliment.
After listening to the album, I felt a bit fatigued by this, though. I feel like their earlier music can be quite shouty, and this certainly fit that category. 'All My Loving' and 'Please Mister Postman' are probably the strongest songs. And I must imagine this was very fresh in 1963 when it came out, not much else probably sounded like it. But now in hindsight it falls a bit short compared to other Beatles records, and the recording sounds dated which probably contributes to the screamy feeling I had listening to it.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
When I first started listening to this, I felt "Uh, not Nick Cave again". Even more so when hearing 'Stagger Joe' which felt a bit overly graphic. But after getting to around 'Where the Wild Roses Grows', I started appreciating the lyrics. Overall it feels quite similar to Tom Waits 'Rain Dogs' album.
Though the stories are grotesque, and a bit sadistic at times, I find it interesting to just listen to it with the mindset not to be too upset by the lyrics. I found myself eagerly wanting to find out what the next song would be about. The lyrics are definitely well written, and rhymes well etc.
'O'Malley's Bar' was such a cool song honestly, a huge mistake not to go out on that one in my opinion.
Overall it was a bit of a train ride, but I really liked it when it ended so going to go with a 4 on this.
PJ Harvey
2/5
Had one album of her before on this I belive, and wasn't too impressed if I remember correctly. Feel the same with this.
Finding a hard time enjoying her singing. Feels like too much wailing. And the melodies and overall music just feels uninteresting to me.
Adele
5/5
I have Adele's '21' record a 4 star rating, and thought about the other day how that may have a been a bit unfair, and actually should have deserved 5 stars instead.
This record might feel a tad more commercial, but probably stronger, than '21'. The start is crazy strong with 'Hello', 'Send My Love (To Your New Lover)', and 'When We Were Young'. Then it slows down a bit, and in the middle sits 'Water Under The Bridge' which is probably my favourite song of the album.
The end is probably the least exciting, but still decent. But I think this record deserves 5 stars just due to the aforementioned songs alone. Adele must be one of the saddest girls on the planet, but the songs are really good.
To weigh up for my 4 stars on '21', I'll give this a 5 stars. Plus, it deserves it.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Can't think of any singer more british sounding than Neil Tennant. Maybe it's because he's so well articulated, not sure.
Found this a bit of a slow starter, but 'Liberation' really caught my attention. Good song. It carried on in a more interesting track after that, with 'The Theatre' neing nice, and in general the latter part being decent or better.
I sometimes found their tracks a bit too cheerful? Too much chord changes which overall makes it a bit unfocused and all over the place.
The electronic sounds definitely don't feel modern to me, but more toy-like and... well typically 80s I guess - in a bad way. I realize that's just their sound, but on some songs it's more tolerable than others.
Generally found this a decent album. Pet Shop Boys have some stellar songs, but I don't think I have found a smash-hit album from them yet. And this wasn't it either, even though it was better than I expected. Strong 3.
Grizzly Bear
2/5
Quite a new album relatively speaking, nice. To me, this felt like quite a generic rock/folk album, though. It has that modern folk/american rock sound, but I mean, if you're going to take something interesting from in the vicinity of this sound, why not go for Bon Iver or something?
Think I've heard 'Two Weeks' before, which also stood out as one of the better tracks. Other than that this didn't do that much for me. Don't want to put this on again, but it wasn't the worst either. Still, considering how much other interesting stuff there is sounding similar to this, I kind of want to put it down to a strong 2.
Eagles
3/5
Think Eagles Greatest Hits album is among the most sold albums ever. Or at least it used to be. I was always a bit baffled by that, and after stumbling across some albums on this list, I still am.
'Hotel California' is a good song, no doubt. And I was impressed with the following two tracks after that as well. But what more is there?
To me, Eagles is a group you might introduce to someone saying "I want to hear some rock for the first time, but please go easy on me and don't give me anything crazy". That's what this whole album feels like. Extremely kosher and just "ordinary", despite what some sale charts might say.
Not a shabby album with more decent tunes than I anticipated, but definitely not anything out of the ordinary in my book.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
Started off quite interesting with ’Hung up’. Almost thought we were going to get something extremely before its time.
Unfortunately the album wasn’t quite that. The first few songs felt different, and certainly a bit quirky, but as it progressed it started to become much more flimsy and silly. ’What’s the ugliest part of your body’ was probably the epitome of that. And ’Hot poop’? Please.
In the end the record felt unusual (maybe progressive?) for its time, but it wasn’t particularly enjoyable. Strong 2.
Solange
3/5
Mostly quite ordinary R&B, not much to raise one eyebrows at. I enjoyed some of the more electronically oriented tracks like ’Junie’. Did she have the put an interlude track between each regular track, though? Became old very fast and felt extremely pretentious.
Not anything I would consider list-worthy material exactly. Weak 3.
Def Leppard
3/5
I always thought Def Leppard was way more metal than this, didn’t know they were this soft glam rock group.
This works great at an 80s themed party, but not really anything I’d put on for serious listening. ’Pour some sugar on me’ is something everyone has heard, and has a catchy chorus, no doubt. ’Hysteria’ was an unexpectedly good rock ballad as well, but in the end it’s just not my jam so hard to judge entirely. Strong 3 for what it is feels reasonable?
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
Must surely have been an influence to future skate punk bands like Sum 41, Blink 182 etc. Sounds early for its time.
Overall I found it a bit tame though, probably much due to the singer. Felt like he lacked some presence or something, not sure. Just didn't really feel punk enough I guess.
I found 'What You Do To Me' the best track by far. The rest were ok, but they all sounded quite similar to me. Weak 3.
Rod Stewart
2/5
Pretty ordinary rock record with a cover in the middle of it. I enjoy some of Rod Stewart's work, but most of his discography is uncharted territory for me. He has a really good rock voice, but was not very impressed with this. Felt like dad rock galore and quite dull.
There's just too much of this on the list by now, which knocks it down from a weak 3 to a strong 2.
Wilco
2/5
Got half-way through the second disk when I felt I had heard enough of this album to give a fair review.
Not paricularly eye opening overall to be honest. 'Outtasite (Outta Mind)' feels like a song you've heard before and stuck a bit to my mind, but the rest passed me by. Don't have any particularly deep reflections of this, but overall it felt a bit too soft and the soft rock/country/blues blend made it a lacking of an identity.
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
I had to listen to this two times because I was left a bit impressionless the first time I listened... but I have to say I almost cringe at this band... it just oozes of pretentiousness. The band name, the lyrics, the vocal style of the singer, the chord progressions, etc. Everything just feels so... forced? The singer sounds like he's exhausting himself just by vocalizing the lyrics. There's also very little dynamics in his singing. It always sounds like he's screaming his heart out.
The chord progressions and melodies of most songs also feels very... awkward and doesn't feel natural to me. Often times a song takes an unepexted turn for the better, but here it's always for the worse somehow.
The start of the album was by far the worst, it got much better at the end. 'Australia' is actually not too bad of a song, with a very catchy chorus. 'Interiors (Song For Willem De Kooning)' is also decent with its catchy guitar riff. And the album ends with one of the strongest songs in 'No Surface All Feeling'.
The end of the album totally saves this from a 1 for me. Ends up being a 2 instead.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3/5
Fun with something I've never heard of before. Must say it's quite a pretentious band and album name the found for themselves. Otherwise it had its ups and down, and passed me by completely first run-through but grew on me the second time.
Favourite track was 'Souvenir', and low-points include, but are not limited to, 'The Romance of The Telescope,', and 'Architecture And Morality'. It had its ups and and downs, but overall definitely nothing I'll be reaching for in the future again. Low 3.
New Order
4/5
Went over this album a week ago, and it passed me by completely. Returned again yesterday, and something clicked. My new-found appreciation was probably partly because I listened on a way better sound system, but it really came alive in another way.
The album feels very much like a synth record to me, a feeling enhanced due to the heavy chorus use on guitar. Sounds a bit like a mix between Depeche Mode and Petshop Boys.
I found many songs I liked on the record: The first three ones, 'Elegia', and 'Sub-culture'. Most of the record was quite good sounding, with very few duds.
After listening to this again I think it actually deserves a weak 4. Very good sounding record still, and the songs hold up well. It definitely sounds dated though, not doubt.
Primal Scream
3/5
We had Primal Scream's 'Vantage Point' album on the list before, and I swore I remember them being some sort of punk band. Was mighty surprised when we got this instead!
The album name is quite misleading, and the music doesn't live up to its name at all. But if you put those expectations aside, its actually not too shabby.
The opening track 'Movin' On Up' stands out as the best without a doubt. But it's also not at all like the following tracks, which are more dance-oriented and less of some cheerful gospel-like rock song, like 'Movin On Up'.
'Don't Fight It, Feel It', has an interesting whistle like sample that feels familiar. Then follows a few darker, more downtempo songs that are not particularly inspiring. 'Damaged' also stands out as something you'd hear before closing in a rock bar.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that this album is all over the place. It doesn't seem to know what to be. That can both be a bit interesting, but also a bit annoying at the same time.
Overall I found this better than expected, but I'm still not hugely impressed. Strong 3.
Iggy Pop
3/5
Must say I don’t quite understand rye fascination with Iggy Pop, this being the second album of his we encounter on this list.
I mostly knew him as the guy who still doesn’t wear a shirt when he performs, but now I understand he also wrote ‘The Passenger’. A descent song for sure, but nothing that warrants putting the whole album on the list.
’Neighbourhood Threat’ was also pretty cool, otherwise I didn’t find much for me on the album. Pretty generic rock, and considering it came out ’77 it can hardly count as that innovative? Maybe I’m just out of touch, don’t know.
Richard Thompson
2/5
For someone who likes First Aid Kit, this shouldn’t be too hard of a sell. But for me this just isn’t particularly interesting.
Linda sings well, but I’m not sold on her husbands singing. The songs also lacks hooks in my opninion. Just generic strumming and uninspiring chord progressions. Feels like quite generic folk/country.
Soundgarden
3/5
I really want to like this album. The band has such a cool gritty tone, and I really like Chris Cornell. And I love Audioslave, so this should not be too far away, right? But after sitting through it two times, I'm still not convinced.
There are some decent songs here and there, but overall its just not good enough for me. Every half decent song is followed up by a not-so-good one. Even 'Black Hole Sun', which probably is Soundgarden's most famous song, is way too long - just like the album.
The best parts are basically when Chris Cornell can just do his thing and let his singing shine.
Overall I was disappointed by this. Feels wrong to give it a 3, but that's where it ends up for me. Albeit a strong one.
The Mars Volta
3/5
Don't think we've had anything quite like this... feels like a mix between emo and metal somehow? Makes me think of Coheed and Cambria.
Quite a fun record, but not completely my taste. There wasn't anything particularly bad in this record. I enjoyed most songs for what it was, but nothing I'd put on really.
Solid 3.
XTC
2/5
Wow… this was a boring album. Didn’t like the singing or the arrangements. Not much more to say. Weak 2.
Stan Getz
3/5
As with all Samba and Jazz, this is all very tasteful and nice. But if I were asked say what separates this from samba album X, I would never be able to say anything specific. It was a nice listening, but who knows if it was the best samba or just decent samba?
The B-52's
2/5
Really quirky music for sure. Somehow finding it hard to take this seriously. Feels more like circus music at times. 'Rock Lobster' is a funny silly song, but I don't know if I'd consider it a good song?
I can understand that this album fits the list as something completely different, which I appreciate. And it's fun to have heard the album. But I don't want to put it on when I want to listen to some propery, good music.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
I have a bit of a hard time understanding the greatness with Velvet Underground. There is not band that sounds quite like them, I'll give them that. But is that enough to warrant a page in the history book?
Overall this was quite and eventless album. No energy. Most songs almost felt like ballads, or something closely resembling that. That can be fine for sure, but it does make the album a bit boring in my opinion. Lou Reed's singing can also get a bit too much after a while.
Overall it was decent, but can't say I enjoyed it that much. Weak 3.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Quite a "beach boysy" album. 'Dance, dance, dance' was the only song I recognized from this album. Sounds a bit like a mix between american The Beatles, circus music, and something you'd expect to be played at a high school ball dancefloor in the 60s.
Got to give them that they sure know how to make interesting vocal harmonies when they want to.
One thing that really annoyed me by the end of the album is how most songs are just about juvenile romance. Not really anything unique to this album, but somehow it just stuck to me, and I can't shake that feeling.
Overall a decent album I guess, but I've concluded that I have a hard time appreciating The Beach Boys for much else than their absolute best work, i.e. their most known hits.
Weak 3.
The xx
5/5
A dear album to me, so will hardly be unbiased.
One of the better albums from around 2010, without a doubt. Such unique sound and atmosphere. I read that they recorded this mostly during night, which you can definitely hear. The whole album has a mellow mystical feeling to it.
The album feels very coherent and complete as well. All songs work in each others favour, and sets each other up nicely. While there are some unexpected turns, there is definitely a red line throughout the album and nothing really feels out of place to me,
Strongest songs in my opinion are 'Intro', 'Islands', and 'Shelter'. Though there aren't really any big duds for me, all songs are good in their own rights.
Romy and Olivers singing just work so well together as well. Good singers in their own rights, but they also tag team very well and create a cool dynamic together.
Easy 5 stars.
LCD Soundsystem
2/5
What stuck to me mostly with this album was how weak - and frankly boring - this sounded. The album was released in 2017, but it sounds like it could've been released sometime during the 70s or 80s, and I don't mean that in a good way. I didn't even have to google the band to understand that the whole crew is getting quite old.
The singing was subpar and annoying. The songs were very long, for no benefit at all. And so was the album.
Usually bands with some electronics to it pique my interest, but this was not my cup of tea at all.
Metallica
4/5
When I saw this on the list I thought it'd be an easy 5 stars, knowing many of the songs before. And the first half sure delivers, with almost every song being a hit song.
But then the second half comes. And apart from 'Nothing Else Matters', which might be one of the best metal ballads of all time, there is not much else to be excited about. 'Through The Never' sounds like a worse version of 'Master of Puppets', and the other songs just aren't interesting. Perhaps you've grown a bit too used to the formula at this point? Not sure.
With that in mind, I have to say this has dropped to a 4 for me. When half of the album is really good, and the other half not, it's hard to justify it being a stellar album.
PS. I just have to get it to writing that Metallica sure knows how to nail a sweet snare drum sound. Must be the juiciest snare sound I've ever heard on this record.
Missy Elliott
4/5
Had zero expectations going into this, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Not my usual cup of tea, but I found myself nodding along to almost all songs on this record.
She says herself in the last "song" that the record was produced by Timbaland, and I thought "aha, that's why it sounds so good", knowing he's revered in the hip hop industry for good sounding beats.
It feels weird, but I kind of want to put a weak 4 on this. Mostly I think I just got really excited about actually appreciating an album when hearing it for the first time, which is very unusual for me.
The Smiths
3/5
Have to admit I'm very ambivalent about The Smiths. They have some stellar songs, but not sure I've sat through any of their records and felt that the whole package delivered. Same goes for this.
The music itself feels pretentious, which is probably further enhanced by Morrissey's bumptious voice. He does sing good though, no doubt.
I'm finding it quite interesting how the manage to make such sad and depressing lyrics to relativelly cheerful tunes throughout the album. Like 'Girlfriend in a Coma', for example. It probably has the most cheerful guitar line, but the lyrics are absurd, or macabre even. That juxtaposition is quite fascinating to me.
But overall the record fills a bit like... weak pop somehow, and its songs lacks hooks and memorable lines. Surely won't go back to this probably, but at the same time it was an interesting listen with the lyrics take into consideration. Weak 3.
Roni Size
2/5
Drum and bass.. one of my least favourite electronic music types.
This whole album sounds very 90s. I guess most drum and bass does, but this one in particular.
Just like with all drum and bass album, this record suffers from the same problem: you get tired of the drum pattern after hearing one or two songs. And it's almost always the same as well, barely changes one bit over the course of the album. How incredibly boring. Especially when paired with the fact that their snare (or rim shot or w/e it is) sounds incredibly weak and annoying.
There were definitely some high-points on this album, but they were few. 'Heroes' was a pretty cool song, but mostly due to all other reasons than what made it drum and bass. The end part of 'New Forms' also had something going to it.
Overall this wasn't my thing at all, as I dislike drum and bass quite a lot. But if this is your jam, I'm sure it might be as good as claimed in the wiki.
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
Was quite negative going into this when I saw the runtime of the album. And it was off to a really, really bad start, with the three first songs being all over the place, feeling like they belonged to completely different genres and albums.
But in the end it turned out better than expected. There were some low points in the more hardcore ones, like 'Bodies', for example. But there were some real recognizable and good songs in '1979', and 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings' as well. And most songs in between were either tolereable or decent as well.
One thing that icks me a bit about the record is that it changes character quite a lot - a bit too much for my taste. Many songs feel like they may even belong to different genres. And I am certainly no fan of super long albums. They're never as tight as shorter, more thought out ones, which means you just have to sit though a lot of mediocre tunes.
In the end it wasn't that bad though. I much prefer this to '69 Love Songs' or whatever that slog album was called. Weak 3.
Oasis
4/5
Came into this with quite low expecations after having 'Whats The Story (Morning Glory)' as our first Oasis album on this list, which is a fantastic album. But I was quite wrong.
There are a serious of real bangers on this record, like 'Rock 'n' Roll Star', 'Live Forever', and 'Supersonic'. I really liked 'Slide Away' as well, but realized the chorus sounds like a worse version of 'Stop Crying Your Heart Out', after which I changed my mind a bit.
The tracks between the hits are not that impressive, but not unbearable by any means. Overall this feels like a 4 star album for me, and I was pleasantly surprised that it delivered like it did. I understand now why Oasis was so hyped back in the days.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Quite a nice country album, with nice harmonics, and Emmylou sure sings well. I can imagine this being a real iconic country album, but since I'm not a big country connoisseur it's hard to tell.
Van Morrison
3/5
Oh no... not another super long album. And a live one on top of that, yikes!
Not been too impressed with Van Morrison in the past, but this was surprisingly nice. The two major pain points for me is the length of the album, and the songs sounding too samey. Had a hard time distinguishing them, and in the end I can't really remember any standout song being especially good - something I consider absolutely crucial to warrant any kind of higher rating.
I usually don't like live albums because I think the audience noise and overall less tight mix and performance don't usually overshines the energy the artists provide. But I don't have that problem with this album. Van Morrison sounds way better than he's done on any recording I've heard, and the performances are super tight.
Borderline 3 and 4 star album for me, but after some thinking it's still a 3 star for me.
John Martyn
4/5
My first thought after putting this on was that it felt like a predecessor to Nick Drake, but I realize now after fact checking that this album actually comes after some of Drake's albums. Nevertheless, they give me the same feeling: Mellow and dark vibes with acoustic guitar playing. The vocals in 'Dreams By The Sea' sounds quite Drake-like as well.
It didn't leave such a lasting impression after finishing it, except that it was quite nice. But now that I skim through it again I realize that most songs are actually really good - though potentially a bit same sounding. But for me this holds a high level throughout the record, with some standout songs like 'Solid Air', 'Over The Hill'. Might be feeling generous because it's Christmas, but going to give this a weak 4 star.
Everything But The Girl
4/5
Thought I recognized that voice, and indeed she did a few songs with Massive Attack on their Protection album. Now I was listening.
Admittedly I was biased after that realization, but I still wanted to not take anything for granted before hearing the record. Said and done, I think this is quite an interesting album.
No getting away from it being very 90s sounding. Not sure it’s in an entirely good way throughout, but mostly at least.
The singer carries this album in many ways, and both sounds and looks a bit like a predecessor to Romy in The XX. Half expected her to be Romys mother, but not the case.
In summary, ’Wrong’ stood out as the best track, but I liked almost all of them more or less. Weak 4.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
Quite a modest album that passes you right by without evoking much emotions at all. Feels like a mix between The Beatles and The Doors, but just not particularly interesting to me somehow. No real tracks that stood out, and the organ kept annoying me greatly. Think I’ve come to the realization that the 60s just isn’t an era for music that I enjoy particularly much.
Elvis Presley
4/5
Our first Elvis album on this list I think, how exciting! Has to say I was a bit shocked by how good sounding and exciting this was - at least the first disc. Even more so considering it was recorded 1960!
Seems like this is mostly covers though, and here again comes that debate that I've been having with myself throughout this list of whether that is OK or not. This album brings a new side to that discussion as most of the other cover albums were not something I really enjoyed. But this was!
Overall I enjoyed the first disc more than the first. It was more varied, and sounded better. The songs on the second disc sounded more the same, and some text were extremely basic, like 'Such a Night'. But throughout the record I was really impressed with Elvis' vocal prowess. Definitely no other that sound like him, and he shows he can handle different types of singing as well. Extremely impressive show, no wonder he's been dubbed the king of Rock 'N' Roll.
All this in mind puts it at a weak 4!
Björk
2/5
While I appreciate Björn for doing something different, this album wasn't to my taste. Felt a bit like a snoozefest, too much downtempo and ambient arrangements on one album. Her wailing also became a bit too fatiguing over time, and I found the lyrics a bit contrived.
The Blue Nile
2/5
This passed me by fairly unnoticed. I should probably give it another shot, but then again there's loads of other stuff to listen to so why bother.
Felt like a fairly decent 80s synth pop album, with strained and not-so exciting vocals.
Overall not very fun, but not terrible either. Think a strong 2 will be alright.
Gotan Project
3/5
Electronic tango, interesting.
Overall I found this a bit intriguing. Though I must admit the accordion sections made it feel a bit cliché... hard for it to not feel a bit like a french comedy. This definitely has no reason at all to be as long as it is either, as most songs were quite monotonous and same sounding.
I'd probably put this on if I wanted some french café feeling at home for whatever reason, but not for serious listening. Weak 3.
3/5
Despite no obvious hit, this was better than the other Kinks albums we've had on the list so far. 'Victoria' and 'Shangri-la' stood out as the better tracks, and overall it sounded good for being The Kinks (being used to some of their mono recordings).
Not much more to say, middle type of album - in a good way.
Country Joe & The Fish
2/5
Quite a psycadelic album indeed. Overall I was not impressed with this. Left no lasting impression on me despite listening to it on 3 different occasions. It just felt too meandering and without purpose somehow, hard to explain exactly what wasn't interesting. Didn't enjoy the arrangements or the singing really, and no song stood out as particularly interesting. Definitely not worth more time than this.
Jane Weaver
3/5
Never heard of this artist before, exciting!
The first part of this was quite interesting. Very minimalistic moody electro with few chord changes. The singing supported the songs well and worked very well in my opinion. She lost me completely by 'The Architect' however, which was not a particularly good track. And neither were the following ones.
In the end, this is a strong 3 for me. The rhythm part of this album was way too weak for me. The singer felt professional grade, but perhaps not the rest of the instrumental elements. The album clearly lacked some punch somehow.
Miles Davis
3/5
Always piques my interest with a Miles Davis album.
The first part felt a bit like a feverish dream about being captured by dodgy people in a steamy swamp, or perhaps by pirates in a rain forest cove. Messy, intense, and dissonant are words that come to mind when thinking about the first part.
The second part is much better in my opinion. More collected and less erratic. Much more coherent and pleasing to listen to overall. But there are still traces of that chaos, and I don't think I like it that much. Calm jazz is much more to my taste than what this album shows.
Overall it was a fun ride, but way too messy for my taste. And way too long and meandering.
Peter Gabriel
2/5
Listened to this while pushing my crying one year old up the hill to our apartment in a trolley, all while getting my face smashed with snow-mixed rain. So perhaps not the best of circumstances.
Sadly, Peter Gabriel didn't do much to make that situation better. Quite the opposite. Think this is at least the 3rd Peter Gabriel album we get on this list. Why!? And 0 Phil Collins albums? Mind boggling.
Sure, 'Solsbury Hill' is alright. But the whole album sounds like Genesis and just feels pretentious and hard-to-get for the sake of it. Just nothing special about it in my opinion.
In the end it wasn't complete disaster, but it definitely wasn't good. Think I'm mostly tired of having to sit through multiple mediocre albums from the same artist just because the author has bad imagination. Lex Elvis Costello.
Tori Amos
2/5
Another artist I've never heard of before. Suffice to say this isn't my cup of tea at all. Sounds a bit like a boring version of Kate Bush somehow?
I guess it was beautiful in a way, but also felt quite pious and... just straight up safe and uneventful. Not anything I needed to hear really.
Cornershop
3/5
Definitely most known for 'Brimful of Asha', which in turn I've mostly heard the Fatboy Slim (Norman Cook) version of. So any encounter with the band's original songs is quite far away from me.
I found this to be a quite interesting album. 'Brimful of Asha' - while being the most known and best song of the album - is not really representative of the rest of album. There are more sample based songs that live between hiphop, pop, and electronica here. And then you get a lot of indian influences throughout, which you don't expect at first, but which completely makes sense when you find out the band founders are english-indian.
Generally it's a bit all over the place. It's hard to wrap your head around what this album is exactly. Which is both exciting and frustrating. There are some interesting songs, like 'Candyman', which sounds to have some kind of sample reminiscent of 'Willie the Pimp' by Frank Zappa. Then you have 'Good to be on the Road Back Home Again' which is a boring version of 'Brimful of Asha', but with much more interesting lyrics, sung from both a man and woman's perspective of a night's out.
In the end I don't know how to feel. Was fun to hear, but I wasn't floored with how good it was. Guess that puts it in the middle. While interesting, I also don't feel like it has a place on this list.
Doves
4/5
Listening to this back-to-back to Cornershop's 'When I was Born For The 7th Time' made it drown a bit in 90s sounding music. Especially for an album which is not very in-your face, but a bit more relaxed.
I stopped listening and then put it on later again, which made me appreciate it more. The tone of this album is very much to my taste, and reminds me a bit of other moody bands like Warpaint, Zero 7, Moby, or something along those lines. It being mostly instrumental was also nice.
As it went on I found some songs I enjoyed, like 'Break Me Gently', 'Rise', or 'A House'. Overall I enjoyed the first part more, and the ambient songs without lyrics the most. The more poppy songs like 'Catch The Sun' wasn't to my liking really.
Hard to put a score on this, definitely somewhere between a 3 and 4. There definitely was something here though that I don't appreciate in 3 star albums, so weak 4 it is.
Violent Femmes
2/5
Name the band and album Violent Femmes, and then be a bunch of juvenile dudes. Reasonable.
Not a fan of this. Can't shake the string rattle of the first two songs off my head. Overall the whole album just sounded bad and raw. Very amateurish. The lyrics were also... while witty at times, mostly annoying and dude-ish.
I guess the only applause I can give them is sounding fairly modern and fresh for being recorded '82. Sounds like something from the early 2000's.
U2
5/5
Probably the best U2 album on this list actually. This album sounds much more raw than any of the other U2 albums I've heard, which is probably entirely due to the guitar tone now that I think of it. Bono is also way more energetic.
Crazy strong first cd with 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' as opening and then 'New Year's Day' which is probably the best song of the whole album.
Second half is weaker with no singular track living up to first half hit ones. 'Two Hearts Beat As One' is pretty good, and
After first hear-through I was determined on a 4, mostly due to the 2nd half being a bit disappointing. But skimming through it again I realize it's not as bad as I remember it. It'll have to be a weak 5 for me!
Tears For Fears
4/5
The album name definitely lead me to believe this would be a snoozefest. How wrong I was!
Instantly recognize the opening song 'Shout', which has probably been sampled thousands of times. It's a cool song, but a bit too monotone perhaps. Definitely cements that british synth band tone though.
The real star of this album is 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World', which to my surprise has a whooping 2.3 billion listens on Spotify. Which is almost as much as Michael Jackson's most listened to song!? Crazy. The song is really good, and just has such a tasty chord sound in the opening it's crazy.
The whole album is unapologetically 80s sounding. I'm usually not a fan of albums that sounds its age too much. Especially the 80s could have sounds and instruments that have aged very, very badly. But here it works. And the singing from Curt Smith is just stellar. Really think he does a good job.
Overall I think the album is just short enough to be really tight, and there is a good mix of songs here to keep it interesting. 3 great tracks in 'Shout', 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World', and 'Head Over Heels/Broken', with the rest of the tracks being good as well really makes the album deserve a high rating in my book. Was deciding between a 4 and a 5, and was determined for the latter after finishing it the first time. But I think it's more reasonable with a strong 4 still, not letting myself get carried away with the excitment of hearing something for the first time and it being good.