6/10. It's listenable and the singles are memorable, but I was never much into them the first time around.
Like the singles, happy to have it on in the background, but a whole album of Suede and Brett's voice gets a bit much for me. Appreciated the glam aspects, which I hadn't thought about much previously with regards to Suede.
It's Tricky (to rate this album)
Like the energy ⚡ We Got The Beat
An album is a bit much of the same sound, but I did like the Burundi beat and the song Killer in the home.
Wow, so many genres and styles. Hadn't realised that Prodigy's 'Funky Shit' sampled the Beastie Boys' 'Root Down'. Have found them a bit misogynist and tiresome from listening to podcasts about them, but definitely enjoying the rock/funk/jazz here.
Hadn't realised 'Victoria' was a Kinks song. Enjoyed listening to this despite not being a big Kinks fan.
More of a soul/R&B James Brown, before he got funky.
Nice to have in the background. I'd have to be in the right mood to listen to it - having a drink in a dark bar or something rather than working in an office in the middle of summer!
Quite pleasant in the background, though I wouldn't seek it out. No songs really stuck out to me, I didn't save any to my playlist.
Very Led Zep/Stones - solid, good quality, 1970s rock. Enjoyed the faster songs with twiddly guitars, not bothered much about the slower ones.
Hadn't listened to The Doors for years, but I enjoyed this. More of a sense of humour than I expected.
I love George. Just great songwriting.
Along with the Doors, this has been a very groovy week so far! The first side was okay, but obviously side 2 was the highlight.
Love the heavy guitar and the speed changes. However, I find the vocal style quite irritating and whingey.
Not what I expected! This reminded me more of Queen with a side of prog than what I would think of as 'heavy' metal.
Enjoyed the guitar solos and the driving beat, especially of Running Free. Reminded me of the Burundi beat from the previous Adam Ant album. Also enjoyed Phantom of the Opera, which brought to mind the War of the Worlds album. Charlotte the Harlot was toe-curlingly misogynist, though not out of sync with the times I guess.
Nice to have an album I'm already familiar with (and have the t-shirt!) Obviously a solid 5*.
Though I love a couple of Jay-Z tracks from other albums, I think listening to hip hop from this era is a bit weird for me - the sound inherently feels dated and just reminds me of being a teenager. I liked Izzo (H.O.V.A.).
It's smooth listening and I can appreciate the technical skill and production, but it doesn't really connect with me much.
Not my jam generally but listenable. The dude has a lovely voice.
There's no beating that voice - superb.
Again, a nice one to revisit. Blood On The Tracks is my die hard favourite by Bobby D, so I was prepared to give this one 4*. However I'd forgotten about the humour and hadn't listened to greats like Don't Think Twice, It's All Right for years, so I think 5* is fair.
Great to listen to this again, it's been years. I think Surrender is my favourite Chemical Brothers album, but this is brilliant and the cover takes me back. Love Setting Sun, Get Up On It Like This, and Lost In The K-Hole.
When I was a preteen edgelord (edgelady?) I was appalled when The Prodigy were beaten by THE SPICE GIRLS at the 1997 Brit Awards. I had an official Prodigy calendar and made a tiny Keith Flint Firestarter head out of modelling clay for my school project. An easy 5*.
Fan tip - check out Maxim's collaboration with Skin from Skunk Anansie!
This is complex stuff. Halfway through the third listening my brain managed to comb out the different strands of sound and meaning in this album. I can hear Jethro Tull in the music, some Thom Yorke in the vocals, and it does sound of its time too - I really enjoyed the overall effect.
I think I'll listen to this a lot when I'm at work, it's quite light on lyrics and vocals and I find the driving forward sound a good tempo for writing and thinking! Surprised I hadn't heard of them before.
Sorry, I just can't stand any of Nick Cave's music. I find some of the lyrics cringey (especially around how he describes women) and it's all a bit too melodramatic (though that's probably the point). Can just about stomach Into My Arms.
Interesting if sprawling album. Agreed with reviewers below that it could have been cut off at an earlier point. All the same, love Led Zepp and I was very happy listening to this. In My Time Of Dying was probably the best moment for me.
Quite enjoyed this, hadn't listened to Megadeth before. Like Metallica with much better vocals.
So ubiquitous it defines a whole era. Takes me right back to being 15. Prefer the earlier, funkier RHCP albums, but still happy to listen to this.
Hadn't listened to this for years, so many great songs. Not quite a 5* for me because I find the vocals on some songs (e.g. Jimmy Jazz) so irritating, but enjoyed revisiting. Train in Vain and Spanish Bombs are my highlights.
I have a playlist called 'Warm and Fuzzy' that this would fit really well into. Dreamy, cosy, classic rock for wintertime (as the album cover suggests).
Liked 'Old Times Good Times' and 'To a Flame'.
Great timing, only a few days after I actually went to see Kraftwerk!
This particular album was new to me, I only knew Autobahn. It has moments of darkness - I can hear the influence of Kometenmelodie 1 and Mitternacht on Wendy Carlos's work for The Shining soundtrack. However, Morgenspaziergang ('Morning Stroll') is full of joy, very 1970s kids TV.
This has always been my favourite Bob Dylan album.
I had listened to this before. It sounds quite dated now but has powerful lyrics. Three Babies and Nothing Compares 2 U are very affecting. Kudos to O'Connor for speaking out against the patriarchy and Catholic church at the time.
As much as I love The Jam, I hadn't listened to much in the way of albums. Scrape Away was a highlight outside the obvious genius of That's Entertainment and Start!
I'm not a big Who fan and didn't like the film at all, so I couldn't quite persevere with this one. Appreciate the concept but it's not for me.
Listenable but can't say it grabbed me.
This hurt my ears. Time After Time is excellent, and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun reminds me of watching TOTP in the 90s when it was rereleased (Cyndi with a bright yellow bob). Otherwise I don't think it's aged very well.
Well, I hadn't realised Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Dub was based on a Van Halen song. I had very little previous knowledge of the band - probably only Jump, Jamie's Cryin', and the solo on Beat It.
I mean, it's okay, but I found the vocals very flat and soulless. Feel Your Love Tonight was probably my favourite.
Knew this one, loads of great songs.
Knew this one, not one of my favourite Pink Floyd albums.
Good fun in a 1970s, bluesy rock style. I felt bad for the vocalist who wasn't Rod Stewart, he's a hard act to follow so some songs were relatively disappointing.
Thought I'd enjoy this more than I actually did. I like a lot of Manics songs, but a whole album is a bit too much for me. Kevin Carter and A Design For Life are brilliant, however.
I was a fan of At The Drive In but somehow missed this band. Great to discover them now. This album sounds very 2000s so there's a bit of nostalgia going on, but I'm probably more open to the progginess than I would have been back then. Will definitely listen again.
A genius but with a level of misogyny that makes it unlistenable. I don't really care if it's supposed to be a character, TBH.
Another one on this list that's been lovely to revisit. Gorgeous instrumentals and an autumnal mood.
Can't really rate this objectively as it was a formative album for me. Stole the cassette tape from a relative at the age of 4 and it was all I listened to for years!
Wish I'd seen Motorhead live.
Had forgotten how many great songs are on this album. I hate you one and all, damn your eyes!
Kind of wanted to like this but can't take it seriously. Not keen on the drum sound or the vocals.
I kind of liked Hot Chip in their heyday and went to see them in 2010. I wasn't really into them in an album sense, so I wasn't much into this. It's the vocal style that puts me off listening again - the music is great otherwise.
Beck excels at a kind of cold, intellectual exploration of different genres, such as Hell Yes which was a highlight. Lots to like here.
Actually loved the first song, but it all went a bit meh from there. Can hear Joy Division on some tracks.
For some reason I had it in my head I wasn't keen on this album. Completely wrong. Will be a regular now. I love the heavy stuff but Planet Caravan is a revelation.
I remember going to buy this album on CD when I was about 12 and listening it to death. The songs were absolutely everywhere at the time, so you get mental imagery of Leonardo DiCaprio in The Beach and a million glossy car ads.
I haven't listened to it for many years but I think it stands the test of time, so many great tracks.
Only knew Gaye's 'What's Going On' album, so this was a new one for me.
The first listen I didn't have it on loud enough and felt a bit underwhelmed. Evidently my ears just needed to adjust... when it finished I put it straight back on and, wow, his voice just hit me. And 'If I Should Die Tonight'... poor Marvin.
"Some say that knowledge is oh-ho-ho"
I know this album well and Sat In Your Lap has been on my regular playlist for the last few months, one of my favourite KB songs. The Dreaming is just the maddest song ever. I don't really enjoy the mock cockney moments, but the rest of it is so purely original that it would be a sin to give it less than five stars.
Wow, it made me feel super elderly reading some of the reviews for this... it was 18 years ago already?! I don't like all of Arcade Fire's albums but their Reflektor tour was one of the most memorable gigs I've been to.
Soooo.... it has to be 5* for this classic. Even if it's because I'm a starry-eyed old millennial.
Crackers, brilliant, irreverent, with a great beat... just what I'm on this site for.
Have had a very 1960s day catching up on my list - The Mamas and The Papas, The Monks, and now this. All totally different but great in their own way.
I like the original tunes; not so keen on the cover versions, but can see how this might have helped Ananda Shankar get an audience back in the day. It's going on my Working playlist.
You inevitably have to compare this to what came before, and I don't love it like I do Ok Computer/Kid A/Amnesiac. For me this seemed like a revisiting of what they had already done rather than something innovative, which is why it's a 4* for me.
That said, it's still Radiohead and has beautiful moments - Reckoner is a classic.
This is like The Gilmore Girls in album form - not necessarily a bad thing!
Had never heard of Aimee Mann before, and it definitely sounds of its time, but I enjoyed listening to it. The songwriting is really good.
On another note, how much lazy misogyny is there in some of the reviews on this site?! "Mom rock", "stuff an ex girlfriend would make", etc... Come on, music dudes.
Knew some songs but hadn't listened to an AIC album before. More heavy metal-inspired than I'd expected, and I liked the droney sound and vocals. The album is a bit long overall but a few songs will go on my regular playlist.
It's good music and makes me quite nostalgic for the 2000s, but I wouldn't purposely listen to it.
I remember reading interviews with solo Frank Black in Rock Sound magazine around 2000 and not really knowing who he was. Shortly after that I got super into Pixies, but somehow have managed not to listen to any of his solo stuff in the intervening years.
A cool, heavy, unsurprisingly Pixies-ish sound which it will probably take a few listens for me to fully appreciate. Headache felt really familiar, and I loved the guitars on The Hostess With The Mostest.
This was already in my top ten albums of all time.
My second Barry Adamson on this list. This was a really interesting album, I always love some new instrumental music for my working playlist. Chocolate Milkshake was a favourite.
Tweenage me had this CD but also had posters of Damon Albarn on the wall, so you can guess which side of the Blur/Oasis thing I was on. I was pretty sure it would be a 4*, but ended up listening to it three times in one day... so fine, have your five stars, Noel.
What struck me most was I didn't know the Beatles that well back in the 90s, so didn't really understand when people were accusing Oasis of being derivative. Now I do get it; nevertheless this still sounds pretty fresh for a nearly 30 year old record. Shame it all went downhill quickly after this album.
T. Rex were a bit on the whimsical side for me, but can't deny this is a great album. Favourite: Planet Queen.
If What's The Story was much better than I remembered, Definitely Maybe was much worse. Some good heavy riffs but the lyrics are terrible. I wouldn't be bothered about revisiting.
Can't get enough of Cleo Sol's voice, it's just gorgeous. Also realised that she also provides vocals for some Lil Simz tracks I really like (e.g. 'Woman').
On the whole thing - I knew Wildfires from the radio, but this was the first time I'd listened to a SAULT album. Great music from beginning to end and an important message.
Depressing to read more racist reviews on this site though, some of them for this album are frankly disgusting.
I had Highway Star on an existing playlist, but otherwise not a big fan of Deep Purple. It's all kind of basic 1970s rock, nothing really stands out for me.
This made me realised I've missed Neil since he came off Spotify. Not my favourite of his, but still great.
Taking me back to my uni halls of residence days. Haven't listened to this for years for some reason - it was a joy to be reminded of each and every song. No filler whatsoever.
A few catchy tracks and quite a pop vibe which I'm not sure has aged very well.
Amy had an amazing voice and songwriting talent, and I liked her second album, but this one was a genre issue for me - scat-style singing just gets on my nerves.
U2 the epitome of 'I can appreciate why people like this band, but they're not really for me'. Too much melodrama!
That said, I appreciate the post-punkishness of this album and New Year's Day is a great song, as is Sunday Bloody Sunday (though Alan Partridge ruined that a bit for me):
"'Sunday Bloody Sunday'. What a great song. It really encapsulates the frustration of a Sunday, doesn't it? You wake up in the morning, you've got to read all the Sunday papers, the kids are running round, you've got to mow the lawn, wash the car, and you think, 'Sunday, bloody Sunday!'"
"I really hate to do this to you, Alan, but it's actually a song about..."
Love Rod's voice on singles, but the songwriting isn't strong enough to maintain my interest for a whole album.
Also there's such a thing as too much mandolin.
I just don't like The Who.
One of my favourite bands but not necessarily my favourite album; undoubtedly it is a classic, but hits on self-indulgent at points. I found I prefer the heavier second half now.
Found it funny to read reviews below about Billy Corgan's whingy voice. I can't really deny he has a 'unique' vocal style but this has never put me off the band!
Also love listening to podcasts about how grumpy Billy is (e.g. check out the SP episode of the '60 Songs That Explain The '90s' podcast). His dedication to the art of grouch over the past three decades only deserves admiration, IMHO.
Ach I loved the first half of this record, but then the second half got all cockney whimsical... put me right off, it did.
Metallica were prog?!
Had never managed to get into them because I find the vocals irritating. Luckily this album has loads of deep and thrashy bas propelling it along (albeit too low in the mix), and lots of songs with minimal vocals, which meant that in the end I couldn't quite bring myself to put it off. The time signatures are also a bit of a revelation.
I dunno what the answer is, really. Maybe I quite like Metallica when they keep their mouth shut.
My seven year old pricked up her ears when I put this on, put down her toy animals, sat quietly listening then said "she sounds like she's a nice person".
Loved Black Cherry when it came out, but haven't listened to them again much over the years. This one is okay but not one I'd probably return to.
Good lyrics, but this was a bit too straightforwardly folky for me.
I could have sworn I liked Animal Collective back in the day. I was surprised to find this pretty much unlistenable, especially on headphones. It hurts my ears.
Three Doors albums already and I'm only up to #129! My favourite was Morrison Hotel. I'm a bit out-Doorsed at the moment TBH but this has Back Door Man and Break On Through so...
Can't get past the vocal style, not for me at all.
I'm a fan but hadn't listened to full albums before. This was great, they have that slightly sinister electro sound that's unlike anyone else.
Enjoyed 'No One Said It Would Be Easy' and 'What I Can Do For You' is an interesting feminist perspective on creepy dudes. Sheryl's voice is obviously great.
Otherwise pretty inoffensive, but not really my thing.
I didn't like them at the time and went into this thinking maybe somehow I'd get it now, twenty years later... I don't. Whingey blandness, albeit with some good songwriting; not my kind of thing, though.
Played this one on the way home then proceeded to listen to Van for the rest of the night. So many great songs and so much variety. For some reason I'd sort of forgotten about him for the past few years.
On an unrelated note, Stuart Murdoch from Belle & Sebastian really looks like the younger Van Morrison...
Not my favourite Zappa album, but still makes me laugh.
Preteen me was obsessed with this. One of those albums that's hard to judge objectively because of nostalgia, but still really enjoy listening to it.
Great happy energy + classic songs.
Some classic pop songs that stick with you, and great storytelling in the lyrics which means you never get bored. I wouldn't listen to the whole album again, though: for me, pop is best in small doses.
Not sure this has stood the test of time. Very bland.
Listenable country music. Sounds incredibly like Bob Dylan at first listen.
Put off listening to this for ages because it wasn't on Spotify and I'd never heard of it. I'm a fool. Proto-industrial noise with Steve Albini. Absolutely love it.
Someone gave me a Waterboys album once and I was a bit confused as to why. However, surprisingly I LOVED the first few songs on this, they have this very late 80s vibe that feels very nostalgic for me. Definitely going on my playlist.
Also enjoy the Mike Scott's shortened 'whoo-' vocal tic.
A couple of good songs but wouldn't bother revisiting.
Had memories of them being quite good, but I really dislike this. It's the whingy vocals, I had to put it off.
Sometimes you have to be in the mood for an album. I put this on this morning on the way to work and just wasn't feeling it at all. On the way back, I'm all for it.
I knew Blister in the Sun but not much more apart from they were on Sabrina the Teenage Witch for some reason?
Soundwise, the band's dad is Jonathan Richman and their their grandparents the Velvet Underground. This is the end of my rather disjointed review done on the train home.
Wow, a complete revelation having only known UB40's big singles. Deep sounds and political lyrics (many of which are unfortunately still relevant in today's Britain).
Man, the way some of these lines are delivered... "I gave you candy, and you fed me dirt..." You can practically feel the poor guy's pain (and hear his influence on so many people that came afterwards).
I went to see The Human League in the 2000s but I don't think I'd listened to this album. Pioneering stuff, and now I know Kraftwerk better you can trace the influence.
I don't think Phil Oakey would claim to be the greatest singer ever, and some of the lyrics are a bit creaky, but a really enjoyable, cohesive album otherwise.
For me, this was the last truly innovative and resonant Radiohead album. Don't get me wrong, I like all of what came after, but none of it hit me in the same way.
The political critique of two decades ago seems almost nostalgic now compared to the psychodrama and social/economic disintegration brought about by the Tories. Sigh.
Don't let the charity shop cover put you off.
I'm new to Price, but took straight away to his voice. It has a purity that reminds me of Patsy Cline and a hangdog guilt that puts me in mind of some of Johnny Cash's catalogue (e.g. Sunday Morning Coming Down).
The album is strongly themed, with vignettes featuring a long line of honky tonk women living the "Night Life" hanging out in bars. For the 1960s, the songs aren't actually that judgemental of these women - well, hardly more than Price is of himself for choosing this lifestyle. He asks them "Are You Sure?", but I think he's asking himself the same thing.
I love 90s dance music and the first track is a classic. Otherwise, not the most memorable dance album I've encountered.
Some albums on this list have just made me want to listen to the bands who do it better. Slayer made me want to listen to Metallica. This makes me want to listen to Led Zepp.
It's quite nice and musically very accomplished, but too twee for me.
Much prefer the live Nirvana albums, and I think this one just beats Wishkah due to the amazing covers.
Some nice punky moments, great musicianship, and has aged well. I liked Shabby Doll. It's just his vocals that makes it a 3* rather than a 4* for me.
Such a great album to revisit, enjoyable from start to finish.
Every time I catch Iggy Pop's radio show I am so grateful (and partly amazed) that he's still with us.
I've always liked heavy music, but lots of the metal albums on this list have been new to me. This one is okay but doesn't hook you in the same way as '...And Justice For All' does. The songs all sound a bit too similar. Postmortem was good though.
Not my favourite Stones album - tracks 2-5 I found pretty irritating. However it picked up again with Midnight Rambler and I was on their side again by the end. Hard to rate as I don't think I'd return to the whole thing, but probably deserves 4* for Merry Clayton's vocals alone.
Firstly, Hookworms is a terrible band name. From one angle it grosses you out, from the other it's only a very mildly amusing pun.
Anyway, reading the reviews I thought this wasn't going to be very good, but there was loads to enjoy! Driving beats and, true to their name, lots of nice electro hooks.
Sorry Americans, there may well be too much British stuff on this list, but I think this deserved a place.
Like a lot of people I don't enjoy the earlier Beatles stuff much, though I have to admit I was still singing the songs several hours after listening to this. This is therefore a very personal 3 stars, acknowledging the greatness but also that I wouldn't return to listen to this one again!
Liked: the first clanging chord of the album. 'A Hard Day's Night' as one of the catchiest things ever written. 'And I Love Her' as a classic warm 'n' fuzzy Paul song.
Though I'd heard the name here and there, I'd somehow never listened to Elliott Smith before (though I recognise the sound from films).
As soon as you put it on, you can hear that this is on another plane of songwriting. Loved it.
I'd never heard of this but loved it as soon as I put it on. You can hear Eno all over it. Will definitely explore more their albums.
I love Elton, but albums always feel a bit too much of the same thing.
I managed to miss this band because my weird brain had somehow merged them with Jurassic 5 (I guess there is a prehistoric theme going on there...). When I read 'Dinosaur Jr', my brain instantly gave me "playground tactics, no rabbit in a hat tricks..."
So quite surprised to put on the album and hear noise rock rather than hip hop! A good surprise though - I listened to it three times in a row and will definitely check out their other stuff.
Another band I'd heard of a lot but never listened to. This took a few songs to get into, and I agree with others that it's too long, but it definitely made me want to try some of their other albums.
My favourite Stones album.
I can still never believe Paul Weller wrote so many lyrically incisive and musically brilliant songs by the age of 20.
In the 90s, the video for 'Alright' with the whole cheeky chappy schtick put me right off Supergrass. Luckily I rediscovered them later on and agree with others they are completely underrated.
The quality of their albums is super consistent and they have written some of the most atmospheric songs I've ever heard (e.g. 'Mary' - so creepy).
This album is not my favourite but still really good, despite the fact that Gaz Coombes does sound like a Mick Jagger parody on some of the songs. You can already hear hints of what's to come in terms of the greatness of their later albums.
I remember wearing a lot of new rave neon around the time this came out. I didn't have the album but I know a few songs off it. It's very original but I find the overall sound a bit cluttered, so wouldn't be something I'd return to.
Not so much my kind of music, but the vocals are mesmerising and the songwriting talent is admirable.
Wasn't expecting a lot from a ZZ Top album but was right into it. They do what they do and they do it well.
Nice background chillout music.
Really original and interesting album, wish I'd discovered this at the time.
Decent live album, didn't know much by Cheap Trick but will go and explore their stuff a bit more.
Prefer the earlier, thrashier, proggier Metallica.
Formative album for me - sure, the lyrics are beyond ridiculous, but how can you resist the funk? One from my teens that I still get stuck on again every now and then.
I was a big fan of Fever To Tell but then kind of lost track of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, apart from catching the odd single release. This album is very listenable but I think the band work best when they have that high energy, punkier vibe. Honourable mention for the acoustic version of Soft Shock, though.
Enjoyed this - punky and grungy.
They have some amazing one-off songs but I just can't get into REM albums.
I know and love Grinder and Breaking the Law, but otherwise the vocals are a bit too cheesy for me. The Rage had a great 80s bassline though.
I remember the name but missed this at the time. Good album, reminds me of Talking Heads and also a potential influence for Young Fathers?
This album is poetic and cheesy and hilarious and baroque and misogynist and original.
The lyrics undoubtedly represent the experiences of a particular generation of men. However this means it hasn't aged very well - today it feels a bit like Ron Burgundy sings Sinatra.
LET ME CUT YOUR CAKE WITH MY KNIFE
So great to listen to this complete cheesefest again.
So smooth it slips in one ear and out of the other.
The timing of the albums you get on here has a big influence. This one came up not long after I watched The Zone of Influence, and I can't help wonder if Throbbing Gristle were a big influence on Mica Levi's work. It has a lot more in common with ambient than a lot of the industrial music that followed. I love the northern voices, the repetitive rhythms, and pretty much everything about it.
Best listened to with headphones walking around a city.
Another one I haven't listened to in years. I can now hear the influence/crossover of/with peers like Patti Smith and, more than anything, Talking Heads.
One review here suggests that you can judge PJ Harvey's credentials by the fact that Thom Yorke guests on this album. I'm going to suggest the opposite: that you can tell Thom Yorke's credentials by the fact that PJ Harvey lets him be on her album!
She is a true one-off who has never stopped evolving creatively (as much as I love Radiohead, I do feel they get a bit samey after In Rainbows). I saw her in the early 2000s and then in 2023, just an all-round amazing artist who offers something new and exciting with each album.
OKAY FINE... I normally hate Nick Cave, but quite enjoyed this one (especially Abattoir Blues). Don't know if I'd return to it as I don't like his voice much, but the lyrics weren't all as melodramatic as some of his other work.
Fun fact - the song 'Space Invaders' is used on the Sopranos episode 'House Arrest' when the rubbish truck dumps a load of stuff outside a deli.
The bassline of that song hit me when I first watched it and I'd forgotten I knew this album until I heard Precious again. Also hadn't realised Chrissie Hynde wrote Private Life (as covered amazingly by Grace Jones).
A fun album with solid songwriting and quite a broad mix of genres (punk, nu wave, reggae, 60s girl group-styles, rock...)
Reading some of the reviews I thought this was going to be unlistenable; it's fine! Doesn't have many stand-out/wow moments maybe, but The One and Scrap Metal were highlights.
Lovely voice but not my thing.
I prefer Control as an album but this one did grow on me after a couple of listens. As a millennial, a bit of nostalgic new jack swing makes me nostalgic.
Rhythm Nation is great and the Come Back To Me has that Janet vocal magic <3
This is the 'On a Rope' band - I hadn't heard of them before now but I did know that song.
A big, energetic sound but otherwise cookie cutter rock that just washes over you. You can imagine the songs being played by those pretend bands that come up when Guitar Hero is loading.
Always think I don't like the Kinks but I end up admitting I'm wrong with every album that comes up. It's just the twee, self-conscious Englishness of some songs grates on me a bit.
Listening to this you realise half of 90s Blur songs were basically Kinks tributes.
A definite whole album vibe rather than songs that hit you individually. Love it.
Preferred this to their eponymous album. Love the driving beat of Girl Gone Bad, and House of Pain is great. Not so bothered about the slower tracks.
Despite the fact that I took against this band at the time because of their stupid name (sorry, judge away), I'm listening to this for the first time now with a bit of nostalgia because they sound so much like those landfill indie days. That's not to say THEY are landfill, but a lot of people sounded like them.
I can hear the influence initially of The Smiths, then The Strokes come out really strongly. The rest reminds me of peers like Franz Ferdinand, White Stripes, etc. It's weird to look back and hear how the early 2000s have crystallised over time into such a clear assortment of beats and guitar styles. The originality is in the lyrics and delivery, though it's not enough to make me return to listen again.
Loved it, great discovery. If you like this, try Gwenno (Welsh language) or Cate LeBon.
As a student I had this uber-80s LP sleeve framed on my wall, but somewhat fraudulently was never been a big fan of the music. The basslines are great and I liked New Religion and The Chauffeur. The vocals however are too thin and forgettable, so I don't think Duran Duran compare that well to peers like Spandau Ballet.
Having been on this site for over a year, here's a handy tip: any reviews where the reviewer compares a woman artist ONLY to other artists who are women can safely be filed away under M for Misogyny (and completely ignored).
I saw Janelle Monáe in a relatively small venue around the time this album came out, she is on another level in terms of showmanship and musical talent. Happy to be reminded of her and will go and explore the albums I missed in the meantime!
Felt like I'd missed out on Soundgarden - loved Temple of the Dog and a couple of their singles but had never listened to any albums.
Cornell's voice is amazing but the album didn't blow me away - maybe a band where I prefer to listen to the odd song rather than whole albums.
It's depressing how many albums come up on here where your first thought is - how exactly should we approach rating work by this [abuser/misogynist/homophobe/racist- insert as appropriate] work?
I've never been disappointed by anything Neil Young has done.
One of my favourite albums ever.
Okay this is not strictly my favourite Bowie album - I'm not a big fan of Wild is the Wind and probably overlistened to Golden Years and TVC15 as a teenager.
The disco sounds of Stay are great, through, and the the bit of Station to Station where the drums break over the angelic 1950s sound [5:14] is worth 5* on its own.
Great album with jazz-style samples and a jokey vibe which reminds me of De La Soul.
I only knew Passin' Me By before it came up on 1001, so glad to get a chance to hear more of The Pharcyde.
Wow, I got Station to Station and Young Americans within a week of each other. This one has stayed with me more: though I'm not bothered about the Across the Universe cover, the rest is amazing.
Returning to Bowie these days what sticks out to me is the cold detachment of his lyrics; he almost always chooses intellectual experimentation over genuine emotion. Fascination indeed.
You can definitely hear this band were in the same music scene as early Red Hot Chilli Peppers. They also remind me of Faith No More. I liked the songs that were more funky (Bonin' In The Boneyard, One Day), but I wasn't so much into the rest of the album.
Ah this was my time, New Rave era... I saw LCD Soundsystem the same year this came out, probably wearing a load of plasticky neon jewellery and a CSS t-shirt.
Not entirely sure why I stopped listening to them - I think this has aged really well compared to some other stuff of the same era, so happy to have a nudge to get back to them.
I knew a lot of these songs from a best of album but really enjoyed the ones I'd never heard. Armatrading deserves to be much more widely known, which is explored in the recent documentary 'Joan Armatrading: Me Myself I' (worth watching if you can get it).
The song 'People' was a surprising, Zappa-esque highlight!
A pleasant voice but you don't get the same feels as you get from other country voices like Patsy Cline or Johnny Cash. I personally don't find the stories that interesting either.
What do you get if you mix Orange Crush (REM) with Lemon Crush (Prince)? Answers on a postcard.
Once you notice Matt Bellamy takes a massive breath in between each line, you can't unnotice it.
Had my massive McCartney phase a couple of years ago. Some songs I like better than others on this album, but love how he's never boring.
Another band I thought I hated, based on a rubbish TV ad I saw about 20 years ago. Great late night listening - Sea Song and Firesuites were my favourites.
It's aged quite well, though definitely has the hallmarks of turn of the century indie - some tracks have Radiohead moments. The tracks where they sound a bit like Coldplay (e.g. Catch The Sun) are probably my least favourite parts of the album.
Not bad, but not really my kind of music. I recognised Época from some TV ads. I like that they covered Zappa, but the original Chunga's Revenge instantly transports you in a way that's difficult for another band to reproduce.
Didn't think this was as bad as others are saying! Kind of dated but the lyrics are quite cute and it's inoffensive to have on in the background. Their name is awful though.
This was one of those albums that was instant love as soon as I put it on. A proper, full, cohesive collection of songs which reminds me why I love the 80s. Also love the album cover, very Catholic school prayer book.
Beautiful, atmospheric acoustic guitar sounds. I'm not bothered about American Pie but I love Vincent and Everybody Loves Me, Baby.
I've never been able to get into Springsteen - on some tracks I find the wall of sound a bit overwhelming, and on others I can't take the melodramatic lyrics seriously. Like others have said, I understand why people like him but he's not for me.
Meh. Inoffensive. Sounds a bit like the Stones, a bit like Bryan Adams.
Some great tracks but I much prefer Paul's Boutique.
In the pines, in the piiiiiines, where the sun don't ever shine.... oops, wrong band. Loved this.
I really tried to listen to this out of fairness (and because I love Brian Eno), but I gave up.
I wish he'd just have a good cough.
Steve Tyler took a look at Mick Jagger and thought, "you know what? He's just not PRIAPIC enough. Must try harder."
Actually enjoyed this one a lot more than Toys in the Attic. It's straightforward rock but they seem to have found their own style by 1989, rather than just trying to be Led Zeppelin.
Absolutely love this, excellent Laurel Canyon vibes.
I know I'm wrong, but I don't really like Otis Redding. I think his music was used too much in 80s-90s movies or something - it's hard to evaluate it from a neutral perspective.
I love this genre/period in music, but Eurythmics do it in a unique and original way; the clean, crisp synths complement the purity of Lennox's voice. The way she moves from note to note is like autotune without the autotune.
I knew and loved the obvious ones already, but Jennifer was a great new discovery. I also like the Talking Heads-esque lyrics of This Is The House. Somebody Told Me made me look up when PiL released Rise (it was three years after this) - the intro is very similar!
If you enjoyed Annie Lennox, try her early 90s album 'Diva'.
Ah, more splenetic misogyny from the 1960s. I am a Stones fan, but you wonder what minor thing the 'stupid girl' actually did which hurt poor wee Jagger's feelings so much that they had to pen this rubbish.
I listened to their earlier albums a lot in 2007, but since then the only time I've come across them was playing Sex On Fire on Guitar Hero many years ago now.
This album now sounds VERY of its time. The intro to Use Somebody is like a million noughties TV idents. It's fine to listen to, but I wouldn't particularly return to it.
It's nice and musically accomplished, but not my vibe. A bit nostalgic for the late 90s sound.
I love 80s synth so completely surprised how much I disliked this. The synth is jarring, some of the lyrics are awful, and the vocals hurt my ears. A bonus point for originality and for the Tainted Love cover.
I'd forgotten how good this album is.
Really enjoyed this genre mashup. Great for a lunchtime walk in the winter sun B-)
Late 60s psychedelia is not my favourite genre. It doesn't get on my nerves, it's just not something I'd choose to listen to. Tailor Man was quite nice.
This came out of the blue, but really liked it - very atmospheric. Agree with others that it sounds a little like Neil Young & contemporaries of that time, but it also has its own original feel.
Also, unlike a previous reviewer, I quite like the decoupage cover!
This came out in my student days and I was quite into them, but I'm kind of meh about them now. Sort of a poor man's Sparks with lyrics a la Pulp, but I don't think they've aged as well as the latter. (I don't really mean to sound so harsh, they're still a good band!)
Saw them live in 2024 - fuzzy brilliance.
Wow, Simon Diamond is basically Blur circa 1993 (doing The Kinks circa 1967). I love Blur, but can't say I'm bothered about The Coral.
I feel like glam (aside from Bowie, Eno-era Roxy Music, and T-Rex) doesn't get as much respect as other rock genres. The best glam artists evolved beyond glam, and the others left behind sound a bit dated (I can never help thinking of the movie Velvet Goldmine).
So... This is good fun and enjoyable but I don't think I'd return to it.
I was like, "oh, I REMEMBER Wild Beasts..." Then I slowly realised I went to see them in 2009 but had completely forgotten.
Good music and they really stood out at the time, but a whole album of the vocals are a bit much for me now.
On one hand this has some of my favourite Stones songs - Can't You Hear Me Knocking; Bitch; Sway. On the other hand, it definitely has some filler; Sister Morphine is unlistenable. Still their best era, I think.
Some of Neil's songs are just like a direct line to my heart, I don't know how he does it. The rest are all excellent. Happy to discover this album, the vibe is quite similar to another of my favourites 'Silver and Gold'.
I now feel guilty that the sum total of my knowledge of Brazilian music up to now has basically been Getz/Gilberto and CSS (great as they both are). Really enjoyed finding out more about the Xavante people and the cultural context behind this one.
The album chimed with the 15 year old nu-metal fan that still living within me (though I think I would have appreciated some of the lyrics more if I'd have discovered it at that age). The music hits a sweet spot between Deftones, KoRn and thrash, and the rhythmic interludes are hypnotic. Great discovery.
This is brilliantly original and, reading about the band, I expected to love it. I do love elements of it (guitars, funk, some thrashy moments), but I'm not a fan of the vocals and some of the more American-style punk sound is less my thing.
So 4 stars with the caveat that I can completely understand why lots of people give it top marks!
Tom's "neo-noir hangdog vagabond persona", as someone else here described it, hits me like nails on a chalkboard.
The music and songs are good, I just can't listen to the man.
Nice album - agree with others the tweeness sounds of its time, but appreciate the interesting sounds.
There's a Joni album for every season and mood. Summer Lawns is my go-to all-rounder: the lyrics create impressionistic vignettes and characterisations that move in perfect tandem with the music. I love the Blanche Dubois figure in Shades of Scarlett and the lingering menace of Edith and the Kingpin. Probably one of my top twenty albums ever, and certainly in my top 3 of Joni's.
One of the few artists I love so deeply that I feel irrationally offended when I see some of the reviews she gets on here!
Bizarre, but I enjoyed the trip.
Thoughtful lyrics, lush production, coherent as a full album - a real work of art.
A bit Siouxie, a bit post-punk, a hint of twangy, sparkly shoegaze... Love it.
I like a lot of ambient/background music, but couldn't get excited about this. Inoffensive.
I liked 'I Don't Want To Tie You Down' and 'Sometimes I Don't Know What To Feel', but mostly listening to this I DID know what to feel: irritation. Maybe just in the wrong frame of mind today to appreciate it.
Celebrating underachievement, but this gets an A+ from me:
"Out on my skateboard, the night is just humming/And the gum smacks are the pulse I'll follow if my Walkman fades."
I've never even been on a bloody skateboard but this conveys the vibe so well. (Also, I miss my Walkman.)
I think Pet Shop Boys are brilliant, but at the same time an album is a bit too much for me. Better as part of a playlist.
Listened to KoL a lot at the time but they haven't really stuck with me. It's fine.
Let's play a game where you automatically lose ten points for any review of a woman artist where your only/main point is to compare her to other women artists, as if gender is somehow a musical genre.
Further points lost for lazy references to Lilith Fair or patting yourself on the back for somehow managing to enjoy a woman artist.
Took me a few songs to get into the vibe but I was enjoying it by the end. Definitely echoes of Throbbing Gristle.
Favourites: 'We Fenced Other Gardens...' and 'Hold Hands And It Will Happen Anyway'.
Listened to this walking to work on the first sunny day of spring. Sonically beautiful and absolutely crackers at the same time.
I always think I like Lana's songs when they first come on, but infallibly feel irritated by the breathiness by the end of the track. She's a good songwriter but I don't enjoy the general vibe.
Shades of George Harrison - liked it.
Fun fact - The song 'The Sensual World' was inspired by Molly Bloom's soliloquy from James Joyce's Ulysses (1922). Unfortunately Bush couldn't then get the rights approved by Joyce's estate, so had to rewrite the lyrics for this album. Happily she finally did get permission to use the original lyrics in 2011, when she released the song on the Director's Cut album as 'Flower of the Mountain', so listen to that one if you want to hear it as originally intended!
One of those artists I feel like I SHOULD like more, but I find whole albums of her a bit too much - especially the solely piano/voice songs. I like Crucify, Girl, and Precious Things a lot though.
I've read Tracy Thorn's memoir (recommended) but haven't actually listened to much outside of the obvious tracks. I think of them as indie-ish, so I totally wasn't expecting the album to sound like Sade! Thorn's voice is great, and I love when she's a guest on other stuff, but not sure I'd return to the album itself.
A weird mix of some great guitar/piano with the absolute worst elements of glam rock and the lightly irritating silliness of the 70s British pop charts. I love *some* glam and I'm not averse to a Funky Gibbon or Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep, but Giddy Up A Ding Dong... absolutely awful.
That said, The Faith Healer was some good proto-metal and I quite enjoyed the Zappa-ish doo-wop at the very end of the album, so not a complete disaster!
Some good background beats and a couple of iconic songs, but I don't like the overblown vocals. I know the dramatically over-serious lyrics were popular then (see Human League, Duran Duran), but others did it better.
I chose Brian Eno for my playlist when I was in labour (ambient Brian, not King's Lead Hat or Driving Me Backwards Brian - I'm not a masochist). I love him and everything he has ever touched (apart from that U2 album - as I say, I'm not a masochist). An easy 5* for me.
Really nice 1001 discovery - I've heard of FKA twigs but never listened before now. It's like Prince, Bjork, and trip hop all mixed together. Looking forward to listening to more of her stuff.
Simply Red are pure millennial nostalgia for me. I like them on a 'Greatest Hits' level, but they don't really hold up for whole albums of (easy) listening. Love Money's Too Tight (To Mention) and Holding Back The Years.
Now I understand why punk had to happen.
...Just kidding! I prefer my prog crossbred with something a little heavier, but there are some lovely moments on this album, particularly during 'The Cinema Show'.
A mix of enjoyable lowkey indie tracks and quite annoying discordant tracks, meaning it didn't feel very coherent as an album. Agree with others that a bit out of tune is great, but some of these songs were too out. It's grungy but was surprised when I found it was from 1993, it sounded more early 2000s to me. Maybe ahead of its time!
Meh. It's fine but doesn't stand out from music of its time.
Telllllll me mommmmmmmaaaaaaaa....
Don't know why I haven't listened to this in over a decade - one of my favourite live albums ever. Recently watched the Timothée Chalamet movie which was technically competent but left me a bit cold - not a patch on listening to wobbly, keening, perfect imperfection of the real Bob in his heyday.
Like lots of other reviewers, I knew the Alice Cooper persona more than the music!
Found it really enjoyable - it's definitely glam rock in parts, but I was surprised how sixties (slightly psych/wall of sound) some of the songs sound, given it was released in 1973.
Beautiful, wistful album, not sure why it's not getting much love on here. Lambchop are new to me - brought to mind slower elements of Super Furry Animals/Gruff Rhys crossed with Grandaddy. You can hear some turn of the century vibes, but overall I found this had a pretty timeless sound.
Not a massive fan of The Police, but the songwriting is solid. I can hear the Talking Heads influence. When 'Mother' came on it made me check we were still on the same album, I guess I didn't think of them as that experimental!
Don't enjoy the vocals at all so gave up on this one. It reminds of Dancing On My Own, one of my least favourite songs ever.
Reminds me of Bryan Adams.
Rewatched E.T. the other day and noticed Elliott has an Elvis Costello poster on his bedroom wall.
This must be my third or fourth EC album on here and I'm still not a big fan.
I love everything about this.
Didn't know much of the Boo Radleys beyond the obvious chart stuff. Thought this was a nice album - of its time but hasn't aged badly.
Ooft, psych has to be one of my least favourite genres. Why have they all got to be so goddamn WHIMSICAL. It's just dreadful. The vocals are Bob Dylan without the wit. Maybe you had to be there at the time to appreciate it.
Good fun, tongue-in-cheek rock music.
This is superb - inventive, genre-mixing, fun, with a driving rhythm that still sounds fresh. The best of punk.
I love The Dubliners to death but can't find the same enthusiasm for The Pogues.
Like a massage for your brain.
They are a great band but I'll admit my favourite Clash songs are probably the more polished later tracks (e.g. Rock the Casbah). For punk I prefer Buzzcocks, the Damned, even the Pistols.
My favourite Bowie album.
I'm sure he's very talented but I can't stand the poor man's voice at all. Much prefer Martha.
From the reviews I guess Basement Jaxx were a very British/Euro phenomenon?! Yes, a lot of this sounds very 1999, but I don't really mind - they are a very nostalgic artist for me. 'Always Be There' is a highlight, as well as the obvious singles.
Have already written a lot about why I don't like Nick Cave's music. Someone else's review calling it melodramatic and overwrought captures it very well for me. There are far too many Cave albums on this list, in my humble opinion.
I've kind of run out of things to say about Costello. He's a good songwriter but I don't think his oeuvre has necessarily aged that well. For me, it's fine but I wish his voice was better.
Still sounds super fresh despite also sounding super 1989.
I'm obviously in the minority as the last track was my favourite! The whole thing was interesting to hear what came before Forever Changes, quite liked it.
That bit at the beginning of Nirvana's Territorial Pissings with 'come on people now, smile on your brother, everybody get together....' is from Get Together by The Youngbloods. That isn't on this album, though, sorry.
I actually like this more than a lot of other similar, folk-adjacent stuff from the same era. Also enjoyed the cover art which, if you're not zoomed in, looks like early 90s computer game graphics.
One of the best bands I've ever seen live, despite it having been in a massive arena. I prefer other albums but this is still a great listen - Homme's consistency is unbelievable.
Rolled my eyes a bit at the cover, but it goes with the territory I guess.
Still not a big fan of American punk.
I was the right generation for Slipknot but wrote them off as a gimmick at the time. Lately I've been listening to quite a bit of stuff from the same era, some that I liked at the time (KoRn, System of a Down) and some stuff like Deftones that I only discovered when I was older.
So, the upshot is that I was in the right mood for this and really enjoyed it! I see what people are saying about the edgelord lyrics but, to be honest, they just wash over me (a bit like Korn's do now I'm not 15): it's the drums and heaviness that really come through. Favourites were the first two tracks.
This started off quite well with Mining For Gold, but the rest of the songs didn't grab me at all. It's so slow that I found myself silently willing them to speed up!
I like Portishead and, but a whole album is a bit much for me.
Good fun, better than I expected.
TLC stands for Totally Lame Comment (from a previous reviewer, who never seems to have progressed from their 12 year old sense of humour).
ANYWAY... I never listened to this at the time, only knew the main singles. Brilliant production, enjoyed the whole thing.
Not usually a big fan of American punk but got quite into this. Cashing In was my favourite.
A pleasant surprise compared to the other Aerosmith albums I've had on here - you get a sense they became a parody of themselves as time progressed. This is straightforward, Stones-influenced, bluesy rock which has a strong sense of coherence over the whole album. I guess I couldn't tell what would have been the obvious singles, but overall I enjoyed it.
