My 1001 Albums Journey

Album	You	Global	Diff
The United States Of America The United States Of America	5	2.61	+2.39
Songs The Lord Taught Us The Cramps	5	2.84	+2.16
Mask Bauhaus	5	2.85	+2.15
D.O.A. the Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle Throbbing Gristle	4	1.88	+2.12
Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes TV On The Radio	5	2.94	+2.06
Fire Of Love The Gun Club	5	2.98	+2.02
Peace Sells...But Who's Buying Megadeth	5	2.98	+2.02
The Good, The Bad & The Queen The Good, The Bad & The Queen	5	3.03	+1.97
Smile Brian Wilson	5	3.04	+1.96
Underwater Moonlight The Soft Boys	5	3.06	+1.94

Album	You	Global	Diff
A Rush Of Blood To The Head Coldplay	1	3.43	-2.43
The Slim Shady LP Eminem	1	3.27	-2.27
The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn Pink Floyd	1	3.11	-2.11
(What's The Story) Morning Glory Oasis	2	3.85	-1.85
Dookie Green Day	2	3.79	-1.79
American Idiot Green Day	2	3.77	-1.77
Vol. 4 Black Sabbath	2	3.75	-1.75
The Score Fugees	2	3.69	-1.69
Bright Flight Silver Jews	1	2.68	-1.68
Slipknot Slipknot	1	2.68	-1.68

Artist	Albums	Average
Bob Dylan	4	5
Beatles	5	4.6
Radiohead	4	4.75
Simon & Garfunkel	3	5
Yes	3	4.67
Arcade Fire	2	5
Queen	2	5
Miles Davis	2	5
Ray Charles	2	5
Jimi Hendrix	2	5
Johnny Cash	2	5
Kraftwerk	2	5
Stevie Wonder	2	5
Van Morrison	2	5
Nick Drake	3	4.33
David Bowie	5	4

Artist	Ratings
Pink Floyd	5, 5, 1
Black Sabbath	5, 2
Megadeth	5, 2
The Cure	2, 5
Bruce Springsteen	2, 5, 5

Pearl

Janis Joplin

5/5

Tommy

The Who

4/5

Dookie

Green Day

2/5

Songs From The Big Chair

Tears For Fears

4/5

At Mister Kelly's

Sarah Vaughan

5/5

The ArchAndroid

Janelle Monáe

5/5

Suede

2/5

Brown Sugar

D'Angelo

4/5

Fantastic '90s style R&B singing contrasted with excellent musicianship rooted in more traditional forms of R&B and soul.

Moving Pictures

Rush

2/5

Rush, distilled into a radio-friendly format. I particularly enjoyed the interplay between Lifeson, Lee and Peart.

British Steel

Judas Priest

5/5

The Dark Side Of The Moon

Pink Floyd

5/5

Ready To Die

The Notorious B.I.G.

4/5

Madman Across The Water

Elton John

4/5

The Suburbs

Arcade Fire

5/5

My Aim Is True

Elvis Costello

5/5

A great throwback to 50s music while previewing the rise of New Wave, it features fantastic lyrics and frenetic instruments.

Black Sabbath

5/5

In Our Heads

Hot Chip

4/5

Liquid Swords

GZA

4/5

Odessey And Oracle

The Zombies

4/5

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Beatles

5/5

A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector

Various Artists

5/5

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

3/5

The Seldom Seen Kid

Elbow

5/5

Pacific Ocean Blue

Dennis Wilson

5/5

Beautiful melodies and incredible production that the Beach Boys were known for from Pet Sounds.

First Band On The Moon

The Cardigans

3/5

A Night At The Opera

Queen

5/5

A Night At The Opera is a musical tour de force. All the instruments are perfect. The musical production is turned up to 11 but it works. It truly is like attending an opera. Freddy's voice is something to behold.

Cheap Thrills

Big Brother & The Holding Company

3/5

Band On The Run

Paul McCartney and Wings

4/5

S&M

Metallica

4/5

Underwater Moonlight

The Soft Boys

5/5

Flipping marvellous.

Fire Of Love

The Gun Club

5/5

Live / Dead

Grateful Dead

2/5

The first fifteen minutes is them tuning up. It's important in the context of the pantheon of music but I think there was a reason everyone was tripping balls at their concerts.

Eliminator

ZZ Top

5/5

A Rush Of Blood To The Head

Coldplay

1/5

I saw Coldplay on New Years Eve once. It was clear they didn't want to be there and, truthfully, nor did I. Not much has changed.

Peace Sells...But Who's Buying

Megadeth

5/5

Very enjoyable and in many ways more accessible than the other progenitor of thrash, Metallica.

En-Tact

The Shamen

3/5

Live Through This

Hole

4/5

The Velvet Underground & Nico

The Velvet Underground

5/5

Seventeen Seconds

The Cure

2/5

The Good, The Bad & The Queen

5/5

Hot Buttered Soul

Isaac Hayes

5/5

Teen Dream

Beach House

5/5

Stardust

Willie Nelson

5/5

Abraxas

Santana

3/5

Kind Of Blue

Miles Davis

5/5

Double Nickels On The Dime

Minutemen

3/5

Rumours

Fleetwood Mac

5/5

Look, it's a five. It was always going to be a five. Damn this album is just so good.

Abbey Road

Beatles

5/5

Electric Warrior

T. Rex

5/5

John Barleycorn Must Die

Traffic

4/5

Risque

CHIC

3/5

Live At The Harlem Square Club

Sam Cooke

4/5

Green Onions

Booker T. & The MG's

5/5

The White Album

Beatles

5/5

Arc Of A Diver

Steve Winwood

3/5

The Cars

4/5

Wow, what a cool album. Tinges of punk power chords, that 1970s hard rock, 80s synths and new wave singing. Truly a confluence of styles.

Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

OutKast

4/5

Tres Hombres

ZZ Top

4/5

Superunknown

Soundgarden

4/5

A Wizard, A True Star

Todd Rundgren

4/5

Locust Abortion Technician

Butthole Surfers

4/5

Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music

Ray Charles

5/5

Van Halen

3/5

OK Computer

Radiohead

5/5

Music in Exile

Songhoy Blues

5/5

Under Construction

Missy Elliott

4/5

Lost In The Dream

The War On Drugs

5/5

Disintegration

The Cure

5/5

Blunderbuss

Jack White

3/5

Look, I love Jack White, everything he does, I think he, the Strokes and a few others were responsible for dragging us out of the butt rock of the early noughties. I listened to this album a lot, I'd jam along to Sixteen Saltines, the variety, humour and introspection of the lyrics and the breadth of styles shows why he's a legend. But this album is certainly not deserving of being in the pantheon of great albums. It doesn't present anything new, merely a re-packaging of the White Stripes and those albums present a much more distilled version of what he was trying to achieve.

Entertainment

Gang Of Four

4/5

I thought this was just going to be your average English new wave band. It's so much more: Politically charged lyrics, impressive musical chops and musicality and interesting. Recommended.

Street Life

The Crusaders

2/5

That was difficult to get through. I try to find the positives in most music but I really dislike the sort of anodyne smooth jazz on display here. Sorry, The Crusaders.

Logical Progression

LTJ Bukem

4/5

I'm not a fan of, and not knowledgeable enough, to have a decent opinion. That said, the previous album was Street Life by The Crusaders and anything is a masterpiece compared to that drol of an album.

Electric Ladyland

Jimi Hendrix

5/5

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

Arctic Monkeys

5/5

I was the target demographic for this album. I was third year varsity. At this stage I was deep into the garage rock scene. The Killers were huge and The Kings of Leon were making their presence known. My mate had just come back from the UK and brought a copy of The Streets' A Grand Don't Come For Free. What I mean is I was primed for this album. Even so, when WPSIATWIN was just something else entirely. There was nobody making music that sounded like this, or at least that reached us at the southern end of Africa. It was a revelation. We could identify with the rabble-rousing, drinking and partying on display. As the Arctic Monkeys have matured so have I. I guess what I'm saying is this album is both a significant point in the cultural zeitgeist and a deep dive into nostalgia for me.

Tago Mago

Can

4/5

Honky Tonk Masquerade

Joe Ely

4/5

Hotel California

Eagles

5/5

Master Of Puppets

Metallica

4/5

Different Class

Pulp

5/5

What an absolute banger of an album. The gritty, lower-class Brit Pop of Pulp (and Blur) is so good.

The United States Of America

5/5

If You're Feeling Sinister

Belle & Sebastian

4/5

Debut

Björk

4/5

You Want It Darker

Leonard Cohen

5/5

I did not expect to enjoy this. Generally I prefer the melody and harmonies of a song to the lyrics but the words just hit hard. It was truly beautiful. Coupled with the extremely subdued arrangements it was a haunting listen.

Viva Hate

Morrissey

2/5

Good lord Morrissey is tiresome.

The Stranger

Billy Joel

4/5

Back At The Chicken Shack

Jimmy Smith

5/5

Kenza

Khaled

3/5

(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd)

Lynyrd Skynyrd

4/5

Low

David Bowie

3/5

American IV: The Man Comes Around

Johnny Cash

5/5

Grace

Jeff Buckley

5/5

Jeez, this is just such an incredible album. Buckley's control of his voice, the musicianship, the 90s singer-songwriter vibe that's so much more. It feels like most 90s music with the familiar tropes like acoustic guitar supported by strings but at this same time is just unique.

Highly Evolved

The Vines

3/5

In retrospect it's pretty laughable how highly punted these guys were. Not bad, just not particularly memorable.

Bat Out Of Hell

Meat Loaf

4/5

Gotta love grandiose 70s rock operas with loads of piano.

The Colour Of Spring

Talk Talk

4/5

Harvest

Neil Young

3/5

At Fillmore East

The Allman Brothers Band

4/5

1989

Taylor Swift

2/5

I tried to listen to this with an open mind. I do agree, given the change in artistic direction and cultural impact it had, that this album deserves to be on this list. That said, the 80s synth music is anodyne and the lyrics milquetoast. Anodyne because others have done it much, much better and milquetoast because the change in artistic direction didn't extend to the lyrics. It's the same "boyfriend who didn't measure up to my expectations" schtick that made Taylor a meme in the first place. I'd give this one star if it wasn't so impactful on the cultural zeitgeist for some reason.

Bad Company

3/5

Haunted Dancehall

The Sabres Of Paradise

1/5

The Bends

Radiohead

5/5

Off The Wall

Michael Jackson

5/5

Time Out

The Dave Brubeck Quartet

5/5

Finally some good fucking music.

461 Ocean Boulevard

Eric Clapton

4/5

Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes

TV On The Radio

5/5

Rock 'N Soul

Solomon Burke

4/5

Solomon Burke has an incredible voice. The guitar work is sublime. The horns and backing singers provide the perfect punctuation. Overall I loved the arrangements and production.

Revolver

Beatles

5/5

The Slim Shady LP

Eminem

1/5

Is it technically good? Yes. Is it funny? I suppose so, but it is very edge-lord. Should it be required listening? No, it should be consigned to the rubbish bin of history. Even if he was joking the lyrics have not stood the test of time. I am not someone who believes we should censor the past because it provides a good idea of how far we've come but the gratuitous descriptions of murder, underage sex, violence and misogyny purely for shock value mean I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.

Younger Than Yesterday

The Byrds

4/5

Take Me Apart

Kelela

3/5

Amnesiac

Radiohead

5/5

Green River

Creedence Clearwater Revival

5/5

Is This It

The Strokes

5/5

Elvis Presley

4/5

Jazz Samba

Stan Getz

5/5

To Pimp A Butterfly

Kendrick Lamar

5/5

Not my kind of music but it's influence is undeniable, the roster of musicians is incredible and certainly Lamar is an amazing rapper who seems to stand head and shoulders above his peers.

Morrison Hotel

The Doors

3/5

Ágætis Byrjun

Sigur Rós

5/5

Is that what the kids call "vibes"?

Live And Dangerous

Thin Lizzy

3/5

Trans Europe Express

Kraftwerk

5/5

I don't know what I'm listening to, I don't know how they made these sounds. All I know is I like it.

Cypress Hill

4/5

Brilliant Corners

Thelonious Monk

5/5

Hierdie album is fokken wild, ouens. Vyf fokken sterre uit vyf ekse.

You've Come a Long Way Baby

Fatboy Slim

4/5

I was in my final year of primary school when this album dropped. It was EVERYWHERE. It was inescapable. It was a totally new sound, blending genres, subverting tropes. The "electronic" music I'd grown up on was Darude and Sash!. I had not had much exposure to hip hop. Maybe this album isn't quite as revolutionary as it initially seemed but I don't think it's impact can be over-stated. An extra star just for that.

Bryter Layter

Nick Drake

4/5

The Queen Is Dead

The Smiths

4/5

Fucking hell Manchester must have been a bleak place in the 80s. Four stars because The Smiths are culturally important and Johnny Marr is cool.

Songs The Lord Taught Us

The Cramps

5/5

Not high-brow but awesome for what it is.

Fear Of A Black Planet

Public Enemy

4/5

Aladdin Sane

David Bowie

4/5

G. Love And Special Sauce

G. Love & Special Sauce

2/5

Goodness that was tedious.

Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room

Dwight Yoakam

4/5

With the intro of the first song I was totally expecting to hate it. I mean, I enjoy outlaw country but this seemed like the progenitor of today's terrible bro-country. But man, once the singing started it was great. Funny, full of pathos, telling a relatable story. And of course the influence of mariachi music on Buenas Noches From a Lonely Room was a welcome surprise. So, so good.

Achtung Baby

U2

3/5

Ugh. One extra star for how important it was (compare this to Coldplay) for better or worse (worse, it was for worse).

Come Away With Me

Norah Jones

3/5

Not as bad as everyone says. It's anodyne but it's beautiful, the instrumentals arranged sparsely and beautifully. Jones has the opportunity to move into jazzier territory later in the album and it's probably where this album shines. Not ground-breaking but like your favourite worn-in clothes: really comforting.

It's Blitz!

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

2/5

Reading Wikipedia it said the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were roommates with Metric. That makes a lot of sense. They sound very similar to Metric, Florence and The Machine and The Kills, just not as interesting.

Midnight Ride

Paul Revere & The Raiders

4/5

Crocodiles

Echo And The Bunnymen

4/5

The Man Who

Travis

3/5

It was fine. I like Travis. They make nice music. Is it world-changing? No. Three stars.

Rage Against The Machine

5/5

*Face-melting guitar solo* Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me! Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me! Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me! Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me! Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me! Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me! Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me! Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me! Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me! Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me! Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me! Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me! Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me! Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me! Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me! Motherfucker!

Hot Rats

Frank Zappa

3/5

43:19 album length, six songs. Sigh.

Who Killed...... The Zutons?

The Zutons

2/5

I'd only heard Valerie before this. It started off strongly but it seems like they ran out of ideas.

Bookends

Simon & Garfunkel

5/5

I was loving it until we got to "Hazy Shade of Winter" and was disappointed to see it was the second last song. Guess we'll start from the beginning again....

Play

Moby

3/5

Started off strong but dragged on a bit.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Wilco

4/5

Transformer

Lou Reed

5/5

Incredible album. Lou Reed was such a distinctive musician. Obviously "Walk on the Wild Side" is the big single but there are so many interesting songs on this album.

Idlewild

Everything But The Girl

2/5

I don't really listen to lyrics, I've always preferred the tune over the lyrics. So this album definitely wasn't aimed at me. There are worse albums on this list but not many.

Copper Blue

Sugar

2/5

Pretty middle of the road.

The College Dropout

Kanye West

4/5

This was great. Minus one star for it being made by Kanye.

Songs For Swingin' Lovers!

Frank Sinatra

5/5

I See A Darkness

Bonnie "Prince" Billy

4/5

American Gothic

David Ackles

4/5

I'm a sucker for songs that tell a story. Ackles' American Gothic paints a picture of an America that most of us can visualise but few know. One can see why Bernie Taupin decided to produce. The backing instruments themselves contribute a rich tapestry, placing us in Mid-West small town America. At times it drags and can be maudlin but it is certainly a stark reminder of what the singer-songwriter tradition can produce. Folk really sounded this original.

Funeral

Arcade Fire

5/5

Often imitated, never surpassed. The favourite band of the kids who weren't cool but knew good music.

Since I Left You

The Avalanches

5/5

Highway 61 Revisited

Bob Dylan

5/5

This album is a vibe.

Nevermind

Nirvana

5/5

I wouldn't even say I like Nirvana but this album is a five. It changed the course of music irrevocably. I'm inclined to remove a star because without grunge we'd never have gotten butt rock, but I'm not that petty.

Reggatta De Blanc

The Police

3/5

That was fine.

1999

Prince

3/5

Cloud Nine

The Temptations

4/5

That was a blast.

Pink Moon

Nick Drake

4/5

Gasoline Alley

Rod Stewart

3/5

Rust In Peace

Megadeth

2/5

I was waiting for this to end.

Metallica

3/5

Not my speed but it was fine.

Ramones

2/5

That listened like one song. Not in a good way. I get that Ramones were incredibly important in punk rock but besides the classics it wasn't a great time.

The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady

Charles Mingus

5/5

If you didn't give this album five stars I'm not sure this whole music reviewing lark is for you.

Happy Trails

Quicksilver Messenger Service

3/5

Man, I hate jam bands.

Roxy Music

3/5

It's great but it's not their best. That has to go to Avalon.

Porcupine

Echo And The Bunnymen

3/5

Ja, it was fine.

The Köln Concert

Keith Jarrett

5/5

This is what I came here for. While clearly a well-known album I'd never encountered it but it has very quickly gone in to rotation at home.

Court And Spark

Joni Mitchell

2/5

That was disappointingly forgettable.

Superfly

Curtis Mayfield

4/5

Surprisingly deep and depressing that we're still trying to deal with all this shit.

Guitar Town

Steve Earle

4/5

Smash

The Offspring

3/5

I was 9 when this album came out. All of our brothers had this album and we would listen to Bad Habit when our moms were at work. Good times. Does it belong on this list? I'm skeptical but it is much more enjoyable than those bands which lean more to the pop side of pop punk.

Surrealistic Pillow

Jefferson Airplane

4/5

"White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love" make this a four. You can leave the rest of them.

Innervisions

Stevie Wonder

5/5

This was incredible. Stevie Wonder is the man.

Fly Or Die

N.E.R.D

3/5

Third

Portishead

4/5

Bummed

Happy Mondays

3/5

Head Hunters

Herbie Hancock

5/5

The Stone Roses

2/5

Never liked the Stone Roses and that definitely coloured my impression of this album. Boring and jangly.

Out Of The Blue

Electric Light Orchestra

4/5

70s rock is objectively better. More interesting melodies, better chord progressions, wild cover art, varied instruments. Some of the arrangements, especially those with a choral element, are very Handel-esque. Top track was Jungle. It's going on my Summer Certified Bangers playlist.

Power In Numbers

Jurassic 5

4/5

You Are The Quarry

Morrissey

3/5

Jeez Morrissey is tiresome.

Wish You Were Here

Pink Floyd

5/5

At Folsom Prison

Johnny Cash

5/5

Crosby, Stills & Nash

4/5

Tapestry

Carole King

5/5

The Visitors

ABBA

3/5

Queen II

Queen

5/5

Every Queen album is a five star album. I particularly enjoy the breadth and variety on display on Queen II, getting away from the more "rock opera" songs we all know from Greatest Hits I. Highlights for me include The March of The Black Queen, Seven Seas of Rhye, The Lose In The End, Father to Son and the strings-like guitar of Procession.

Are You Experienced

Jimi Hendrix

5/5

Peggy Suicide

Julian Cope

4/5

The first album is great but man, I do not enjoy a musical interlude, which is basically the second half. That said, one can hear a great deal of the next ten years of music in one album.

Your New Favourite Band

The Hives

2/5

That was more forgettable than either Veni Vidi Vicious or Tyrannosaurus Hives, both of which I am firmly the target market and love.

Mask

Bauhaus

5/5

There really is nothing like Bauhaus. Moving from some sort of horror-synth pop to Clash-esque reggae punk to piano instrumental it's always weird and always interesting.

The Joshua Tree

U2

3/5

Definitely Maybe

Oasis

3/5

That was definitely Oasis. Maybe I enjoyed it, probably it was "fine".

Dig Me Out

Sleater-Kinney

4/5

We all wish we could be half as cool as Sleater-Kinney. Also, lots of "i DoN't LiKe ScReEcHy WiMmEn". Just, wow.

All Things Must Pass

George Harrison

4/5

It was going so well until the blues odyssey at the end.

Either Or

Elliott Smith

2/5

That was tiresome. The first song I enjoyed was on a different album Spotify auto-queued once "Either Or" finished.

Odelay

Beck

4/5

Truly one of the weirdest and most innovative mainstream musical minds today.

White Blood Cells

The White Stripes

3/5

Probably the weakest White Stripes album and second weakest Jack White album after Blunderbuss but it still has bangers and it's fun.

The Genius Of Ray Charles

Ray Charles

5/5

So beautiful. This album seems to show off his skills as an arranger rather than a piano savant but it's just so beautiful

Brothers

The Black Keys

3/5

Hounds Of Love

Kate Bush

4/5

I think anyone who rated this album "1" should never be allowed to listen to music again. Kate Bush is weird but you can hear her in so many later artists: Enya, Fiona Apple and, as many have said, Bjork. Also, I love weird music. Minus 1 star for the 80s gated snare.

Done By The Forces Of Nature

Jungle Brothers

3/5

The Sensual World

Kate Bush

3/5

I started thinking this album was terrible compared to Bush's previous efforts but it certainly grew on me. There are a number of dated references (some computer bullshit) but it also feels a more personal, less literary and more introspective.

Back To Black

Amy Winehouse

5/5

As a callow youth I though Back to Black, and in particular, Rehab, was callow. With the benefit of hindsight one can see what an absolute belter of this album is. One of the finest singers of her (my) generation mixing a classic genre with the experiences of mid-2000s UK.

Joan Armatrading

4/5

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme

Simon & Garfunkel

5/5

Gin and tonic. Laurel and Hardy. Yin and yang. Simon & Garfunkel. Some things are just better together.

The Rising

Bruce Springsteen

2/5

That's certainly a Bruce Springsteen album but there are better ones.

Elephant

The White Stripes

5/5

First White Stripes album I ever listened to. Has Seven Nation Army, the best White Stripes song (Ball and Biscuit if you didn't already know), all the typical White Stripes influence: Blues, fifties rock, folk and rock. What is missing that started appearing on later albums is the slice of American life (Rag and Bone, Icky Thump, Archbishop Harold Holmes) but it's all done with their signature sound and humour and is certainly in contention for the title of "Quintessential White Stripes Album". Five out of five stripes.

Jagged Little Pill

Alanis Morissette

4/5

Alanis Morissette walked so Fiona Apple could run. There really wasn't anything like Jagged Little Pill when it came out. Female singer songerwriters were sensitive and demure. Alanis was such a breath of fresh air. Even if the production is super 90s it's still an incredible statement of dissatisfaction and feminism. The vocals are raw, the musicianship is incredible and the literary devices are used incorrectly. 4/5.

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan

5/5

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Simon & Garfunkel

5/5

Country Life

Roxy Music

3/5

So Much For The City

The Thrills

2/5

Ragged Glory

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

4/5

Rust Never Sleeps

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

4/5

Moon Safari

Air

4/5

Back In Black

AC/DC

4/5

Rattus Norvegicus

The Stranglers

3/5

Unhalfbricking

Fairport Convention

5/5

Imagine

John Lennon

3/5

This felt like "Imagine", Jealous Guy" and eight versions of Yer Blues. Lucky I don't deduct a star for that celebrity version of "Imagine" over COVID.

The Man Machine

Kraftwerk

5/5

Sunday At The Village Vanguard

Bill Evans Trio

5/5

Automatic For The People

R.E.M.

5/5

Will The Circle Be Unbroken

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

4/5

(What's The Story) Morning Glory

Oasis

2/5

Ugh. Every song sounds the same.

In The Court Of The Crimson King

King Crimson

5/5

Rings Around The World

Super Furry Animals

2/5

Vento De Maio

Elis Regina

3/5

Ctrl

SZA

2/5

I liked the beat for Drew Barrymore but that was about it. I'm giving it an extra star because I'm not well-versed in rap. Still only two stars.

Unknown Pleasures

Joy Division

3/5

Pet Sounds

The Beach Boys

5/5

Feast of Wire

Calexico

3/5

Quiet Life

Japan

4/5

Lust For Life

Iggy Pop

4/5

Garbage

4/5

Run-D.M.C.

5/5

Melodrama

Lorde

5/5

My Generation

The Who

4/5

Three stars plus one for the solo on "My Generation".

Arrival

ABBA

4/5

Nilsson Schmilsson

Harry Nilsson

4/5

Real Life

Magazine

4/5

A Northern Soul

The Verve

3/5

Street Signs

Ozomatli

3/5

Blue

Joni Mitchell

4/5

Vol. 4

Black Sabbath

2/5

Eternally Yours

The Saints

3/5

Hot Fuss

The Killers

5/5

This came out in my first year of university. Nonsense lyrics aside this album (and The Black Parade) was omni-present in the most formative years of my life. Five stars all day.

Make Yourself

Incubus

4/5

Good Old Boys

Randy Newman

4/5

Smile

Brian Wilson

5/5

Songs In The Key Of Life

Stevie Wonder

5/5

Wonder is God.

In Rainbows

Radiohead

4/5

Damaged

Black Flag

2/5

Led Zeppelin

5/5

21

Adele

4/5

Me, a 40 year old male engineer with a beard, driving home from gym: "Set fi-iiiii-reee, to the raaaaaainnnn".

On The Beach

Neil Young

3/5

From Elvis In Memphis

Elvis Presley

4/5

Apparently Tommy Cogbill was an influence of Jaco Pastorius'. I can certainly believe that, the bass on this album is incredible. Reggie Young on guitar is also showing absolute class. On to Elvis. I never got the hype until I saw the video of him singing at the end of the movie in 2022. What a performer.

Hunting High And Low

a-ha

3/5

Butterfly

Mariah Carey

1/5

Goodness, that was dross. I tried to listen to it four times, eventually skipping through songs. Out of 250-odd albums this is the second I couldn't finish.

Your Arsenal

Morrissey

3/5

Meat Is Murder

The Smiths

4/5

It was a choice between this and a Morrissey solo album. I believe I made a wise choice.

Fleet Foxes

4/5

Gris Gris

Dr. John

4/5

Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya - You can feel Dr. John's later work in this but it is clearly the genesis, a stepping off point. Brilliant. Danse Kalinda Ba Doom - Mystical, it feels like you're observing a voodoo ritual. Mama Roux - Suddenly upbeat and showing hints of Right Place Wrong Time and the first track to be recognisable as a song. Danse Fambeaux - Heading back into the trance. Croker Courtbullion - The intro sounds like Golden Brown by The Stranglers. The song sounds like you're having a bad trip. Walk on Guilded Splinters - The trip is ending. Great, full of the mysticism, unconventional instrumentation and feel that Dr. John was known for throughout his career.

Pretenders

2/5

Ugh, just so generic.

World Clique

Deee-Lite

2/5

+1 star for Bootsy Collins.

Urban Hymns

The Verve

4/5

I guess I'm a sucker for lush production but some classic 90s bangers made this album a 4 for me.

Bayou Country

Creedence Clearwater Revival

4/5

Listened to it twice in a row.

Vivid

Living Colour

3/5

Sulk

The Associates

4/5

Lady In Satin

Billie Holiday

4/5

Dirt

Alice In Chains

5/5

So nice I had to listen twice.

Get Behind Me Satan

The White Stripes

4/5

Crooked Rain Crooked Rain

Pavement

3/5

Darkness on the Edge of Town

Bruce Springsteen

5/5

School's Out

Alice Cooper

4/5

Straight Outta Compton

N.W.A.

4/5

The Village Green Preservation Society

The Kinks

4/5

Figure 8

Elliott Smith

3/5

Homework

Daft Punk

5/5

People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm

A Tribe Called Quest

5/5

Treasure

Cocteau Twins

4/5

Who's Next

The Who

4/5

Violent Femmes

4/5

Peter Gabriel

5/5

Fishscale

Ghostface Killah

4/5

Armed Forces

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

3/5

Music From Big Pink

The Band

5/5

I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

Aretha Franklin

5/5

Back to Mystery City

Hanoi Rocks

2/5

I hear a bit of The Hives in this but come on, it was released in 1993.

Astral Weeks

Van Morrison

5/5

Thriller

Michael Jackson

4/5

Licensed To Ill

Beastie Boys

5/5

Birth Of The Cool

Miles Davis

5/5

This is pretty seminal isn't it. The Birth of the Cool, it's right there in the name. Just changing the course of jazz history.

Africa Brasil

Jorge Ben Jor

5/5

Top shelf stuff, this.

Histoire De Melody Nelson

Serge Gainsbourg

4/5

Voted on the arrangements and tunes, not the lyrics. I will not be taking questions at this time.

All Mod Cons

The Jam

3/5

Document

R.E.M.

4/5

Synchronicity

The Police

3/5

Selling England By The Pound

Genesis

5/5

Truth And Soul

Fishbone

3/5

Let England Shake

PJ Harvey

5/5

More Songs About Buildings And Food

Talking Heads

3/5

The Score

Fugees

2/5

Five Leaves Left

Nick Drake

5/5

Suicide

3/5

Close To The Edge

Yes

4/5

Surfer Rosa

Pixies

3/5

Aqualung

Jethro Tull

5/5

Crime Of The Century

Supertramp

4/5

Ill Communication

Beastie Boys

4/5

Fifth Dimension

The Byrds

4/5

Iron Maiden

3/5

Dummy

Portishead

4/5

Billion Dollar Babies

Alice Cooper

2/5

That was dross.

The Holy Bible

Manic Street Preachers

5/5

This was truly something else.

Oedipus Schmoedipus

Barry Adamson

4/5

Violator

Depeche Mode

5/5

We Are Family

Sister Sledge

3/5

There's No Place Like America Today

Curtis Mayfield

4/5

Frampton Comes Alive

Peter Frampton

4/5

You might not like it but this is what 70s rock excess looks like.

I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail

Buck Owens

3/5

At Newport 1960

Muddy Waters

5/5

Hunky Dory

David Bowie

4/5

Something Else By The Kinks

The Kinks

3/5

The Soft Bulletin

The Flaming Lips

5/5

...Baby One More Time

Britney Spears

2/5

Got whiplash going from "(You Drive Me) Crazy" to "Sometimes" to "Soda Pop".

Blue Lines

Massive Attack

3/5

Wild Is The Wind

Nina Simone

5/5

Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus

Spirit

3/5

Olympia 64

Jacques Brel

4/5

Vauxhall And I

Morrissey

2/5

I got this album yesterday but I was really tired and could not bring myself to listen to that insufferable prick. Today I got to song 8. Bonus star for not being Kid Rock.

Blackstar

David Bowie

4/5

After The Gold Rush

Neil Young

4/5

Californication

Red Hot Chili Peppers

3/5

California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California California

16 Lovers Lane

The Go-Betweens

3/5

This is a five star three star album.

Aja

Steely Dan

4/5

Strangeways, Here We Come

The Smiths

3/5

Franz Ferdinand

4/5

Southern Rock Opera

Drive-By Truckers

4/5

It seems like most of the other reviewers are unable to determine criticism versus praise. It's incredibly rough but it has an earnestness that is endearing.

Signing Off

UB40

4/5

You're Living All Over Me

Dinosaur Jr.

3/5

The Number Of The Beast

Iron Maiden

5/5

Let's Stay Together

Al Green

3/5

Phaedra

Tangerine Dream

3/5

Not my cup of tea but that was pretty cool.

Low-Life

New Order

4/5

The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn

Pink Floyd

1/5

Why yes, this does sound like it was conceived by three architecture and one art student in the late sixties, how did you know?

Blur

3/5

American Idiot

Green Day

2/5

Green Day is not interesting enough to warrant a multi-movement concept album, even if what they have to say is pertinent.

Bright Flight

Silver Jews

1/5

Boring-ass music

Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby

Terence Trent D'Arby

3/5

Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge

Mudhoney

2/5

Dinosaur Jr. with worse riffs, Seattle Grunge with less angst, Nickelback with less butt rock.

Foo Fighters

3/5

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Elton John

5/5

Even with Jamaican Jerk-Off this is five stars. Beautiful instrumentation, great variety in lyrics and musical styles and fantastic arrangements. This sort of lush musicality is such a feature of 70s rock albums, I wish it would make a comeback. Song of the album: Too many but either "Candle in the Wind" or "Saturday Night's (Alright for Fighting)".

Talking Heads 77

Talking Heads

5/5

I saw a comment under the video for David Byrne's NPR Tiny Desk concert: It's 2025 and David Byrne is still living in the future. Well, it's 2025 and Talking Heads 77 is still the future.

Slipknot

1/5

Bringing It All Back Home

Bob Dylan

5/5

Live!

Fela Kuti

5/5

Ginger Baker is great, let loose from the constraints of being in a power trio he can show off his jazz chops. Tony Allen is just an incredible. Africa '70 is such an incredible band, incredibly tight yet bursting with energy. And Mr. Kuti is sublime. I'd known about him for a long time but the direction he brings to the band and his organ playing are just *chef's kiss*. Some people may find it rambling but I love the juxtaposition between the long rambling solos, the call and responses, the timing of the various sections and the incredible energy brought to this recording.

The Atomic Mr Basie

Count Basie & His Orchestra

5/5

What a beautiful album. It sounds like it was recorded yesterday; the musicianship is wonderful and the entire album fizzes with energy.

No Other

Gene Clark

5/5

I thought it was going to be some old-fashioned country, which I do enjoy, but it turned out to be some of the most beautiful, haunting and ephemeral music I've listened to. I kept repeating songs because of how incredible they are. It's definitely inspired me.

Vulnicura

Björk

3/5

Walking Wounded

Everything But The Girl

2/5

Bit dire and monotonous.

Welcome To The Pleasuredome

Frankie Goes To Hollywood

4/5

The Yes Album

Yes

5/5

Sound of Silver

LCD Soundsystem

4/5

Absolute banger. I'm partial to post-punk but undoubtedly LCD Soundsystem are one of, if not, the best. The songs themselves feel incredibly stripped back yet still full of energy. Top pick: North American Scum.

Purple Rain

Prince

3/5

No way that was only 9 songs. Found it very tiring. +1 for the singles.

New York Dolls

3/5

I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got

Sinead O'Connor

5/5

Man, that was beautiful.

Pretzel Logic

Steely Dan

4/5

People may think Steely Dan is lame but their music is so layered and sonically rich, so full of harmonic complexity it elevates it from rock to jazz. The irony-tinged lyrics add to the fun. Fagen and Becker are undoubtedly geniuses. I don't think this is their best album but it's still pretty damn good.

Natty Dread

Bob Marley & The Wailers

3/5

That was fine. A couple of good songs, No Woman No Cry is inferior to the live version that every student had on a copied CD in the mid-2000s.

Pieces Of The Sky

Emmylou Harris

4/5

Moondance

Van Morrison

5/5

Grade A poes making grade A music.

Tuesday Night Music Club

Sheryl Crow

2/5

Sea Change

Beck

3/5

Guero

Beck

5/5

Let It Be

The Replacements

3/5

I definitely preferred the more "sincere" songs, those caught in the middle between punk and hair rock. This album was a pleasant surprise.

Tarkus

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

3/5

Sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe shit.

Endtroducing.....

DJ Shadow

3/5

Sticky Fingers

The Rolling Stones

5/5

I listened to Lenny Kravitz just before this and wow, it truly is remarkable the difference when they're going for something similar.

Let Love Rule

Lenny Kravitz

2/5

Murder Ballads

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

4/5

Dr. Octagonecologyst

Dr. Octagon

3/5

I watched Louis Theroux's "Inside the Manosphere" last night. It's difficult to not draw a line between a lot of these 1990s rap albums featuring significantly misogynistic lyrics and these manosphere influencers who are little more than pimps and grifters. Similar thoughts extend to early Eminem and Biggy. On a positive side I really enjoyed the flow of the rapping, the sampling and the beats of this album.

If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears

The Mamas & The Papas

4/5

Station To Station

David Bowie

5/5

Golden Years makes it an automatic 5* for me, one of my favourite songs of all time.

Liege And Lief

Fairport Convention

4/5

Connected

Stereo MC's

2/5

Rio

Duran Duran

4/5

Born To Run

Bruce Springsteen

5/5

With The Beatles

Beatles

3/5

Even when the Beatles are meh they are great.

Apple Venus Volume 1

XTC

2/5

Didn't particularly care for XTC before this and I still don't.

Tusk

Fleetwood Mac

3/5

When Joseph Heller was asked why he hadn't ever written anything as good as Catch-22 since, his reply was that neither has anyone else. That pretty much sums up this album when compared to Rumours. However, the sparser arrangements make for an interesting soundscape and I particularly enjoyed the driving drums on Tusk, which makes you feel an impending sense of doom.

A Girl Called Dusty

Dusty Springfield

5/5

I'm a sucker for a song in 6/8.

Queens of the Stone Age

Queens Of The Stone Age

4/5

Phrenology

The Roots

5/5

Exodus

Bob Marley & The Wailers

4/5

Siembra

Willie Colón & Rubén Blades

5/5

Imperial Bedroom

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

2/5

Heartbreaker

Ryan Adams

3/5

Was a bit whiny for my tastes.

The Clash

2/5

Parklife

Blur

4/5

Dust

Screaming Trees

3/5

Myths Of The Near Future

Klaxons

2/5

That got monotonous quickly.

Rapture

Anita Baker

2/5

Fragile

Yes

5/5

Boy In Da Corner

Dizzee Rascal

4/5

A Love Supreme

John Coltrane

5/5

Take me to church. Is this or Giant Steps John Coltrane's magnum opus? Does it matter? This is an incredible album, pulsating, driven. Acknowledgement is my favourite but each song is so unique. Shout out to Elvin Jones, who's drumming is not only rhythmic but seems melodic in its own right.

Blood On The Tracks

Bob Dylan

5/5

Moby Grape

4/5

Pretty groovy harmonies, man.

Surf's Up

The Beach Boys

4/5

Hypnotised

The Undertones

2/5

That was pretty banal.

The Rise & Fall

Madness

2/5

The fact that I slept badly probably did not contribute to my feelings about this turd. I may have given it a three on another day.

Joan Baez

4/5

Her voice reminds me of the succubus from South Park. This really does sound like it was recorded as a live album sans crowd, really beautiful. The song choice also seems to reflect a wide range of folk sub-genres from English to all across the US.

D.O.A. the Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle

Throbbing Gristle

4/5

Like Uncut Gems, I'm unlikely to revisit this particular piece of art but I did enjoy it.

The Healer

John Lee Hooker

2/5

Certainly not the best by John Lee Hooker but the song with Bonnie Raitt was pretty cool and the story behind the album was heartwarming.

Reign In Blood

Slayer

3/5

15 year old me would have been too good for this.

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