New to me, no prior knowledge. Looked at the track list after listening on YT and realized my playlist didn't include 2 tracks, "Honey" and "Suicide", so I didn't initially hear it in album sequence. 1 Honey - calm beginning with added vibrating electric sound; interesting arrangement 7/10 2 Come Down Softly to My Soul - It's pretty mellow. I'm getting a weird Partridge Family/Simon & Garfunkel mashup vibe. I'm kinda diggin' it! 8/10 3 How Does It Feel? - very dreamy sounding, kinda space-like vibe, slow build-up without losing the dreamstate; hypnotic 9/10 4 I Believe It - another space-y feel with an organ; interesting 8/10 5 Revolution - much more electric, lyrics primarily spoken; the electric sound is fitting with the lyrics 8/10 6 Let Me Down Gently - Another hypnotic piece with a steady drum beat, organ enters; oh, I get it. The drum is a heartbeat and the organ represents the emotions, at least the lyrics make it seem that way. I like this one! 8/10 7 So Hot (Wash Away All My Tears) - simple music and lyrics, very peaceful 8/10 8 Suicide - more electric guitar than the others, feels like the state of mind one would be in based on the title, no lyrics 5 minutes in, added feedback 7 minutes in, 8:40 the added drums feels like we're almost at the climax, 9:50 feels like spinning out of control, 10:40 begins to fade out, 11min ends; certainly feels like being out of control 8/10 9 Lord Can You Hear Me? - musically feels like Simon & Garfunkel again with an added smattering of electric guitar in the chorus, ooh a little sax now; extremely interesting sound 8/10 I could see this feeling monotonous to some people but listening to it as a story, I find It very compelling! It sounds like a story of a person going through the stages of a breakup. I plan to look up the story behind this album. I liked it without knowing the intent. I think it may be more impressive knowing the storyline to drive it though. I would give this one another listen for its unique flavor! Although, I think this is likely a love it or hate it sound for most people. Creativity makes this a 5-star for me!

THIS MAY NOT BE FOR YOU IF YOU HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE TALK TO YOU OR TEXT YOU LIKE THIS. I lovE METal and haRD ROck and juST abOUT any genre I CAN THInk of. That's because there's a patterned rise and fall and unexpected PUNCHES that are simply ear candy. I think this is supposed to be punk or some hybrid of punk. I can't tell because I like a lot of punk music, and this wasn't grabbing me. At least not in a positive way. This is the first 1-star I've given because I don't like it when people pour acid and lemon juice in my ear. No, that has never really happened to me. Well, until today. And I think it scorched a piece of my brain. Ouch!

Read his name a lot in discussions on 1001 album topics, but I have no personal knowledge. No One Receiving - Music is really interesting; lyrics ok; vocals are unique. I'm not hatin' it. 6/10 Backwater - I like the music; lyrics average; vocals ok. 6/10 Kurt's Rejoinder - Digging the really interesting music; lyrics are likely deeper that I care to research; same vocals, I guess this is their sound. 6/10 Energy Fools the Magician - Instrumental piece with a cool sound. 7/10 King's Lead Hat - Music upbeat with punk sound; I have no idea what the lyrics mean; vocals same. It feels a bit disconnected from the other songs. As a punk song though, it gets an 8/10. Here He Comes - Music feels like 60s folk; lyrics are average; vocals are still cool enough. 8/10 Julie With - Music is really good, kinda a Pink Floyd vibe mixed with "Twin Pines" theme; lyrics aren't clear if they are speaking in metaphors; vocals really match the music. So far my favorite from the album. 9/10 By This River - Musically another good vibe; lyrically ok; vocals very mellow and pleasant. All together it works very nicely. 9/10 Through Hollow Lands - An instrumental that I'm enjoying very much. It's kinda ethereal, a little like floating through space. Solid 9/10 Spider & I - Music is really pretty; the minimal lyrics are truly unclear; vocals are . It's a very chill vibe that I can dig! 9/10 Unique experience that gradually improved with each track. I'll revisit some of the later tracks. A very chill album!

I'm only familiar with the title track that I'm aware of, but I really love it so this should be fun! Green Onions - an excellent blues/funk sound. 9/10 Rinky Dink - easy listening with some familiar chord progressions. 7/10 I Got a Woman - Great Memphis Blues twist on this familiar classic I've heard by Elvis and Ray Charles. I'm not sure which is the original, but this instrumental is fun. 8/10 Mo' Onions - A variation on "Green Onions" that's more bluesy. I like it a lot! 9/10 Twist & Shout - Another instrumental cover. Pleasant but nothing spectacular. 7/10 Behave Yourself - Truly Memphis Blues, feels like walking down Beale Street! 9/10 Stranger on the Shore - Feels like a 50s slow dance hit. 7/10 Lonely Avenue - Typical blues sound, the organ is a bit more creative on this one. 8/10 The One Who Really Loves You - Heavy organ with nice guitar riffs. 7/10 You Can't Sit Down - Nice funk/blues track 8/10 A Woman, A Lover, A Friend - Slow typical blues track. 7/10 Comin' Home Baby - Nice cover with just the right blues flavor. If you like the blues, you'll enjoy this album. Just be warned it's more organ driven than guitar. It's an interesting twist on blues though. I don't know if it beats out other blues artists as far as a must hear, but it's a fun listen.

I can see why this is on the list of "1001 Albums to Hear Before You Die". I knew a few of the songs even though this released a few years before I was born. "Scarborough Fair" and "Homeward Bound" are two that are recognizable to most. This album is clearly melodically pleasing. There was one song that caught my attention pretty quickly that I had never heard before. "Patterns" is such a well told story it really struck a chord with me. Even the songs I "recognized" were better appreciated listening with intent. Simon & Garfunkel are truly gifted poets. The stories told are beautiful and the instrumentation suited each song perfectly. If you are looking for extremely well-crafted music, Simon & Garfunkel are a duo to be explored, and this album is a MUST hear! This was the 1st song on my journey, and it made an excellent launch into this trip!

I think much of 'Hunky Dory' is best appreciated with context. I only had limited context and liked most of the songs. Some I knew and enjoyed; a couple I'd never heard were very good. As an entire album, it was just average for me though. I think after I gain more context, I likely will have greater love for it. I think younger generations may struggle with the composition of this one.

Completely new to me, and I enjoyed it more than I expected! Primarily instrumental with a very chill vibe. It made for an excellent soundtrack for a laid back, cool Friday evening on the back porch. I should've had a glass of wine to mellow the vibe even more. A solid 4 stars. It would have been 5 if all the tracks were instrumental. The ones with lyrics took me out of the chill zone a bit. I'm sure I'll be checking out more from them.

This one didn't give me any strong feelings good or bad. It's very interesting with a pleasant sound. I wouldn't list this as something you MUST hear. It's worth checking out once though, because I believe some would really enjoy it.

This is a really interesting album! I had never heard of 'The Specials' before. I was going to rate it a 4 after the first few songs, but as I got into the B-side, I was thoroughly enjoying and it became a 5 pretty quickly. It has a reggae-hybrid sound. As the album progressed, they started making unique transitions, sometimes through tempo, sometimes through melody. I think this was composed as albums used to be, intended to listen to as a whole. It felt as though the A-side is the general attitude of being young while the B-side moved into having more responsibilities and the irritations that come with it. I'll probably listen to more from them. I KNOW I'll listen to "Blank Expression" again. The uneven meter of the chorus is superb!!

Wow, where do I begin? I'll start by saying that there are only maybe 10-20% of rap artists I love, and the rest I typically detest. I rarely feel middle ground about rap, but De La Soul may have been in that category...until now! Prior to this listen, I only knew "Me, Myself and I" which I really like. It never moved me enough to buy the album though, and that's pretty much how we found new music back when this released. My bad! A major note is that this had been unavailable for streaming until about 4 weeks ago. This was due to the numerous samples used and getting clearance for those samples. It unfortunately happened just weeks after founding member, Trugoy the Dove, passed away though. (I did some research while listening). This album is special in, not only are the samples used creatively mixed, but the lyrics are intelligently crafted and not in a superficial way. This is a completely positive vibe, much like DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince were. I enjoyed every moment of listening to this. I'm absolutely certain I'll be listening to this many times. I've already listened to a few of the songs 2 or 3 times! If you're an "I hate rap" person, you probably won't enjoy it. However, I would suggest you listen anyway because this might be the album to show you that not "all rap is terrible". You might even get a chuckle at a few of the songs! For me, I regret not listening sooner!

Yes, this album screams 'Murica, baby'! Although I've never been a fanatic of Springsteen, I appreciate what his music represents. My knowledge of his music prior to this is whatever got radio play. The "Born to Run" album has absolutely beautiful music, really great lyrics, and I even appreciate his voice. However, the amalgamation just doesn't work for me. His voice would fit with much harder music. I get that the contrast is part of the storytelling, and I guess that's the rub for me. If the same music and lyrics had another, more mellow voice, I honestly don't think that would work for me either. I don't know, Daryl Hall's voice would probably work perfectly with it. Anyway, the album misses the mark with me. It's really a shame, because the music and lyrics are really special. I wish my brain would accept his voice as harmony with it. Now where this album absolutely shines in Clarence Clemons' sax! His solo in Jungleland is an 11 out of 5. No exaggeration. I got chills listening to that. It is PHENOMENAL!! It's probably the one thing that is keeping me from giving this a 2.

THIS MAY NOT BE FOR YOU IF YOU HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE TALK TO YOU OR TEXT YOU LIKE THIS. I lovE METal and haRD ROck and juST abOUT any genre I CAN THInk of. That's because there's a patterned rise and fall and unexpected PUNCHES that are simply ear candy. I think this is supposed to be punk or some hybrid of punk. I can't tell because I like a lot of punk music, and this wasn't grabbing me. At least not in a positive way. This is the first 1-star I've given because I don't like it when people pour acid and lemon juice in my ear. No, that has never really happened to me. Well, until today. And I think it scorched a piece of my brain. Ouch!

New to me, no prior knowledge. Looked at the track list after listening on YT and realized my playlist didn't include 2 tracks, "Honey" and "Suicide", so I didn't initially hear it in album sequence. 1 Honey - calm beginning with added vibrating electric sound; interesting arrangement 7/10 2 Come Down Softly to My Soul - It's pretty mellow. I'm getting a weird Partridge Family/Simon & Garfunkel mashup vibe. I'm kinda diggin' it! 8/10 3 How Does It Feel? - very dreamy sounding, kinda space-like vibe, slow build-up without losing the dreamstate; hypnotic 9/10 4 I Believe It - another space-y feel with an organ; interesting 8/10 5 Revolution - much more electric, lyrics primarily spoken; the electric sound is fitting with the lyrics 8/10 6 Let Me Down Gently - Another hypnotic piece with a steady drum beat, organ enters; oh, I get it. The drum is a heartbeat and the organ represents the emotions, at least the lyrics make it seem that way. I like this one! 8/10 7 So Hot (Wash Away All My Tears) - simple music and lyrics, very peaceful 8/10 8 Suicide - more electric guitar than the others, feels like the state of mind one would be in based on the title, no lyrics 5 minutes in, added feedback 7 minutes in, 8:40 the added drums feels like we're almost at the climax, 9:50 feels like spinning out of control, 10:40 begins to fade out, 11min ends; certainly feels like being out of control 8/10 9 Lord Can You Hear Me? - musically feels like Simon & Garfunkel again with an added smattering of electric guitar in the chorus, ooh a little sax now; extremely interesting sound 8/10 I could see this feeling monotonous to some people but listening to it as a story, I find It very compelling! It sounds like a story of a person going through the stages of a breakup. I plan to look up the story behind this album. I liked it without knowing the intent. I think it may be more impressive knowing the storyline to drive it though. I would give this one another listen for its unique flavor! Although, I think this is likely a love it or hate it sound for most people. Creativity makes this a 5-star for me!

Reading the track list, the only song I know for sure is "Help Me, Rhonda". All the songs have a very similar sound, but that's expected with surf rock. I very much like their harmonies! There's nothing offensive or off-putting about the instruments, vocals and melodies. but there's nothing very deep about the lyrics either. Now that I'm listening to the B-side, I'm enjoying it a lot more. This seems to be their ballads. The harmonies sound better and are probably more appealing to the larger population. I was going to give it 3 until I got to the B-side. A-side: straight surfer music. B-side: softer pop. I'm not a big fan of pop ballads, but it gave the album a nice balance. That balance pushes it to a pretty solid 4.5. I would willingly listen to this again with no complaints.

I have to listen to this with an open mind. I'm not a fan of Neil Young's vocals, but I thinks there's supposed to be something to the lyrics so I'll be fair in listening to them. Walk On - I like the music, lyrics average, vocals what I expected. 6/10 See the Sky About to Rain - Music average, lyrics average, vocals a bit better. 5/10 Revolution Blues - The music is average with a few high points in the instrumental sections. Lyrics are pretty good, but I don't think I'm getting the intended message. Vocals are ok. 6/10 For the Turnstiles - Starts with a bluegrass sound, lyrics ok, vocals ok. 4/10 Vampire Blues - Starts with an actual blues sound - pretty good, lyrics directed at the oil industry - still an issue today, so I'm getting into this one. Vocals have a more blues-y sound. 8/10 On the Beach - Music is mellow and very pleasant. Lyrics are meaningful and feel the emotions. The vocals are very fitting with the music and tone of the song. Best part of the song is the blues-driven solo. Overall sound is the best I've heard so far. 9/10 Motion Pictures - Nice sound, lyrics ok, vocals ok. 6/10 Ambulance Blues - music is very nice; lyrics appear to have significant meaning, some are clear while others are vague; vocals are nice, I think they are growing on me so that's something. 7/10 The album starts kinda meh. As it progresses, it feels more meaningful. I may listen to a couple of these again, but I don't feel particularly inspired by the album as a whole.

Read his name a lot in discussions on 1001 album topics, but I have no personal knowledge. No One Receiving - Music is really interesting; lyrics ok; vocals are unique. I'm not hatin' it. 6/10 Backwater - I like the music; lyrics average; vocals ok. 6/10 Kurt's Rejoinder - Digging the really interesting music; lyrics are likely deeper that I care to research; same vocals, I guess this is their sound. 6/10 Energy Fools the Magician - Instrumental piece with a cool sound. 7/10 King's Lead Hat - Music upbeat with punk sound; I have no idea what the lyrics mean; vocals same. It feels a bit disconnected from the other songs. As a punk song though, it gets an 8/10. Here He Comes - Music feels like 60s folk; lyrics are average; vocals are still cool enough. 8/10 Julie With - Music is really good, kinda a Pink Floyd vibe mixed with "Twin Pines" theme; lyrics aren't clear if they are speaking in metaphors; vocals really match the music. So far my favorite from the album. 9/10 By This River - Musically another good vibe; lyrically ok; vocals very mellow and pleasant. All together it works very nicely. 9/10 Through Hollow Lands - An instrumental that I'm enjoying very much. It's kinda ethereal, a little like floating through space. Solid 9/10 Spider & I - Music is really pretty; the minimal lyrics are truly unclear; vocals are . It's a very chill vibe that I can dig! 9/10 Unique experience that gradually improved with each track. I'll revisit some of the later tracks. A very chill album!

I'm only familiar with the title track that I'm aware of, but I really love it so this should be fun! Green Onions - an excellent blues/funk sound. 9/10 Rinky Dink - easy listening with some familiar chord progressions. 7/10 I Got a Woman - Great Memphis Blues twist on this familiar classic I've heard by Elvis and Ray Charles. I'm not sure which is the original, but this instrumental is fun. 8/10 Mo' Onions - A variation on "Green Onions" that's more bluesy. I like it a lot! 9/10 Twist & Shout - Another instrumental cover. Pleasant but nothing spectacular. 7/10 Behave Yourself - Truly Memphis Blues, feels like walking down Beale Street! 9/10 Stranger on the Shore - Feels like a 50s slow dance hit. 7/10 Lonely Avenue - Typical blues sound, the organ is a bit more creative on this one. 8/10 The One Who Really Loves You - Heavy organ with nice guitar riffs. 7/10 You Can't Sit Down - Nice funk/blues track 8/10 A Woman, A Lover, A Friend - Slow typical blues track. 7/10 Comin' Home Baby - Nice cover with just the right blues flavor. If you like the blues, you'll enjoy this album. Just be warned it's more organ driven than guitar. It's an interesting twist on blues though. I don't know if it beats out other blues artists as far as a must hear, but it's a fun listen.