1001 Albums Summary

Pretty nice hip hop/R&B album in my opinion. I'm not the biggest fan of music of this type from this era, but this was pretty good. A lot of nice beats and good vocals. Liked the use of sampling and some of the lyrical topics (there were some silly, less serious songs and some very political songs). While this is obviously an R&B album, I like the other influences this album includes like the funky baselines used on a handful of songs. Overall pretty enjoyable listen. Not too long but still enjoyable, easily an 8/10. Best Tracks She's Fresh - Very silly opening track. Not the best song on the album lyrically but the musical influences on the song set a good idea of what the album will sound like. The Message - Very nice beat. Absolutely iconic instrumental. The lyrics are absolutely impactful, describing the horrors of urban life during the time. This lyrical concept of speaking out about life in urban areas has certainly gone somewhere with modern rappers like Kendrick Lamar. Very important and amazing song. Worst Tracks Scorpio - It has an interesting techno-inspired beat and vocals. Not really my thing in all honesty. Overall, it doesn't really stand out to me compared to some of the other tracks.

It’s a fine bluesy rock album. Jeff Beck’s guitar work is pretty good but other than that, it doesn’t truly stand out that much to me. It’s not bad, but it’s not something I would listen to often. Eh it’s not the best thing I’ve heard but I’d give it a 6/10.

This album is pretty damn good. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I’m glad I listened to this record. Despite being a pop album, this album accomplishes a lot. The art pop and Brazilian music influences are very present on the album and I love it. The song also has a lot of jazz and funk influences, certainly a welcome surprise. The song Sledgehammer is a good example of everything the album stands for sonically. The Brazilian influences are present in a lot of parts of the song. The jazzy and funky verses and choruses go so incredibly hard. Lyrically it’s not the most deep song, but Peter Gabriel’s vocals are so good in this album. While the art pop aspects of this album are more present in the second half of the album, Sledgehammer still shows what the album is all about and is definitely the highlight, among the rest of this phenomenal album. Truly amazing, I’d give it a solid 9/10, it really is good.

Well, this was certainly a pop-rock/new-wave album. While not the worst thing ever, in general, I find new wave kind of boring. It's not even that slower and more poppy stuff is bad, I just never really got into it. With that in mind, this album is fine I suppose. The parts of this album that really got me were the use of string instruments. The first two tracks in particular are standouts for that reason. Generally, I enjoyed the album when it was a bit more experimental on tracks like Thorn of Crowns. The final track, the titular piano-esque ballad, was also pretty good. While new wave ain't really my thing, I'd say this album was pretty decent. While most of the tracks sunk into the background, none were bad and the ones that stood out truly did so. Maybe, 7/10.

Well. If the last album was post-punk with some symphonic flair to it and some experimental parts that made it less poppy which I kind of like, this album is not that. It's just post-punk. I don't find post-punk that interesting in all honesty. The other album I reviewed did have some interesting moments and was not bad, so I rated it positively. This is just not bad. I don't find it to be particularly interesting. No track truly stood out to me. It's just another album. I'll give it, 5/10. Not bad but not particularly good.

If it's one thing I love, it's psychedelic music. And this, this is certainly psychedelic music. This album is pretty good if I do say so myself. The shoegaze and spacey instrumentation on this album is pretty crazy. My personal favorites are Shine a Light and Angel Sigh. Those two songs really do show off the spacey nature of this album pretty well. The way the vocals kind of blend into the music as well is also pretty neat. These two songs are without a doubt my favorites, but all the songs are pretty good. The only song I'm not too hot on is Symphony Space. I don't know. The ambient and spacey nature of this track, as much as I like it on other songs, didn't click for me too much. It kind of sucks as it is the only instrumentals on the record but I don't really connect with this one. It just went on for too long and didn't do much else to impress me. In all honesty, though, this album is good. I'd give it a 8/10, pretty good in my opinion.

Damn. This album is better than I thought it was. A lot of R&B and funk influences for a pop album and is just overall really good. I won’t go too in depth because reasons, but the funk of this album is so good. 9/10.

Long story short, this is a garage punk record. The crappy production that fluctuates on a dime, the low quality vocals where the guy is screaming his lungs out, it’s all good. The vocals and the punchy sounding drums really do stand out on every song. The guitar and saxophone, as enjoyable as they are, don’t stand out as much, probably because of the production. In some ways that adds character and in others, is a drawback. The albums good but flawed. I’d give it a 7/10.

I’ll keep this brief because it’s late and I have other stuff to listen to; this album is pretty good. The bombastic and grand feeling art pop of this entire record is just phenomenal. Kate bush’s very soft vocals layered on with the bombastic production really does make this album soar. Best song is reaching out; the most bombastic and heartfelt track on this record in my opinion. I had to do a pause after listening to this song, absolutely amazing. I’d say really good, maybe an 8/10 or 9/10, bordering that general area.

I’ve began to rethink my hatred of post punk and new wave music, so I’m gonna be a little more friendly to this kind of music. Anyway, it’s fine. It’s not amazing, but it is is enjoyable. It’s a very groovy and power pop infused new wave album and that’s kind of it. Some of the vocals performances are mid and the instrumentals don’t pop out at me but at least I had a decent time enjoying it. Pretty solid 7/10.

It wasn't until this day that I had finished this record. I had listened to most of it, but for whatever reason, I had not finished it. Having listened to it in full, I can say that this is one of the greatest hard rock and progressive rock albums of all time. Every single track on here goes so incredibly hard it is crazy to just imagine that there are 15 of them. The songs range in "types" so to speak, ranging from incredibly long and progressive tracks like "Kashmir", "In My Time of Dying", "In the Light", and "Down By the Seaside", to shorter but still great tracks like "Custard Pie", "Trampled Under Foot", and "Bron-Yr-Aur". The album is also experimental at times like the banger "In the Light", whose change from an ambient and drony synth-infused track into a hard rock masterpiece is down so well. In fact, a lot of the beat changes in the progressive songs are amazing and work so well. The instrumentals are just so, so good. The drums, the guitar, the bass, it all sounds so good, to a level that is sort of indescribable. The production is so tight and just works incredibly well. Everything about the album is just so good. Sure, the last 5 songs aren't too impressive, and sure, the album ends on a less groundbreaking spot, but this album is so good that it doesn't bother me. Those last 5 songs, even if they aren't as good as the previous songs, are still amazing. The highlights of this record (Kashmir, In the Light, and Down By the Seaside) are some of the best Led Zeppelin songs and, dare I say, some of the best songs in general. This album is a masterpiece. There is truly no other way to say it. This is a definite 10/10. Listen to it if you have not.

I haven't really had the chance to truly get into the White Stripes except for, of course, Seven Nation Army, so this album was my first true White Stripes experience. And it was pretty good. No like really good. The garage and blues rock fusion that occurs on this album is so good. Jack's guitar playing is truly great on this album. The folkier songs I also need to shout out as they truly are pretty good. Not the best folkier songs I've heard on a rock album but the guitar playing is still really good. Pretty much every song is great, with the album just getting better and better as time goes on. The line between garage rock and blues rock gets intertwined really well by this point and it all sounds great. My favorite tracks were "We're Going to Be Friends", "Offend In Every Way", and "I Can't Wait", although pretty much all of the songs are great. However "Aluminum" takes a bit of a detour into Black Sabbath-esque riffs that has slight twinges of psychedelia and noise rock that I frankly think doesn't work all too well and is the worst song on the album. I also think the closer, "The Collector", is also pretty mid but is still passable. It's just a bit of a detour using the organ that is fine but does contrast with the rest of the record in my opinion. Overall though, this bluesy-garage rock album is pretty good. The guitar playing is impressive in almost every song and the folkier detours work really well. I'd give this album a very solid 9/10. I really did enjoy it.

I’ll admit, I don’t listen to modern hip hop that much, especially British hip hop. I listen to a lot of old school stuff, but not really modern stuff. I can truthfully say however, that this record is pretty okay. If it’s one thing I can say about the record, all of the beats have this fast edm-ish quality to them, some incorporating industrial music as well which is always nice in my opinion. The vocals from skepta are also pretty angry and fiery and there’s a certain something about that kind of works. That being said, some of the production choices like weird ass interludes and pointless skits in between songs is just not that good. And while I may have praised the beats, some of them kind of suck. And admittedly some of the bars are also pretty bad. That one about Muslims in Shutdown is pretty bad. My man also says sus unironically. The noises and euphemisms Skepta uses sometimes are also just kind of bad, although it is inherently a fault of being br*tish. Overall, I’d say a 6 is fair. Nice beats and performance but wordplay and production could be better in some areas.

This was a very nice, dreamy, indie pop album. That’s pretty much all I have to say. Halcyon Digest is a psychedelic, dream pop record that has pretty indie feeling production and songwriting. I am a personal fan of dreamier, psychedelic music and this is certainly that. It’s not groundbreaking, I can say that, but it’s still pretty good. I was a personal fan of the few slow songs like “Sailing” but the record is still very dreamy. The lyrics and songwriting is all pretty good, the performances are all pretty good, it’s pretty standard all things considered but good nonetheless. This may be highballing the record a bit, but an 8/10 would be a fair rating. It’s a nice dream pop record and it’s good for that reason.

This album baffles me. This Eagles-sounding record is on the list. I legitimately fell asleep to this record, honestly. If it’s one thing I can say about the record, is that it is very vibey and easy to listen to. Other than that. This album sucks. The instrumentals are fine but uninteresting, the songwriting is bland as hell, the production feels so grandiose all the time and it gets very stale, and the lyrics are super generic and the album just feels like boring ballad after boring ballad with overproduced, grandiose production. I’d rather listen to the Eagles honestly, at least there is like one track I’d like to listen to. This album is a nice vibe but has no staying power. 3/10

This was meh. The album is kind of vibey but that's kind of it I suppose. The album starts out decent enough as electronica-infused alt-rock but the second half, dear god, it devolves into generic indie-rock. On top of that the vocals are mediocre as all hell. They feel bored and frankly, I am at some points. Now, what makes this record better than an Eagles record, though, is the first half. While sort of generic, all things considered, the first electronic half of this album is good. Not the best electronic-rock ever but still good. Again the second half is just indie-rock but what can you do? The standouts are "Modern Kosmology" (a sort of lounge-jazz feeling electronic beat which is sort of fun), "The Architect" (an electronic hard rock song which is my personal favorite even though the vocal performance is one of my least favorites), and "Ravenspoint" (which starts out kind of mid but gets more abrasive near the end, topped off with an ominous warning of sorts by a guest vocalist). The thing that sucks about every song, is the lead vocals though. The vocals are incredibly mid and don't leave me wanting more. At least some of the electro beats are kind of good. Easy 5/10 for me.

I don’t know how to start this album off so I’ll just say this: it’s good. Arise is very much a thrash metal album with some hints of experimentation. The drums and bass on a number of tracks have a death metal quality to them and the vocals and themes do feel akin to death metal. The guitars are most definitely thrash metal though. And they are pretty good. Admittedly, some of the death metal feeling drums are lost by the middle of the record, occasionally making a few appearances but it is mostly thrash. Now that experimentation comes in a few different ways. Some of the tracks have industrial sounding intros (the only ones I remember are the first two tracks) which kind of don’t fit as they’re just thrown in but it’s not that bad I suppose. Also the Latin drums in the intro of “Altered State” is pretty good and helps add more tension to the upcoming track which is nice. Lastly, the song desperate cry has a mix of hardcore punk, thrash, and death metal which is pretty cool and it all mixes together seamlessly. That is probably why it is my personal favorite track on the album. Overall though, it was an enjoyable thrash metal album with some death metal influences that tried a little bit to experiment but didn’t do too much and is just really thrash and death metal. I’d say a 6/10, maybe 7/10 is warranted.

I’ve listened to a lot of indie and art pop for whatever reason during my time here and this track continues that trend in an interesting way. Two Dancers is fairly novel for its combination of indie rock and art pop, with art pop induced guitars, vocals and melodies, whilst also having indie based production and drums. Sometimes the record feels more indie, which is objectively the lower points of the record, and sometimes the vocals go in a more lounge jazz direction which is mid in all honesty, but the arty-indie rock of this record remains true for the most part. There are also some inflections of dream pop in the mix which I’m always a fan of, but it shows up too scarcely in my opinion. Something that also shows up too scarcely (even more so in my opinion) is the inflections of world music, which did add a bit of flair. To summarize, this album is pretty good and has a novel combination of art pop and indie rock. The high pitched vocals add some flair, but when it deviates it sort of loses me. The dream pop and world influences are nice but are far too scarce. While I did like the record, I feel as though there are too many things holding it back to give too high of a score. Still, a 7/10 is fair for this record.

While this is a very calm record, this is one of the best. Tea for the Tillerman is not for everyone and I do recognize that fact; some people just don’t like folk music. But this is one of the greatest in my opinion. This is some of the most calming folk music there is and on vibes alone, this album is great. However, the instrumentation is also so good. The guitars are amazing and the appearances of the piano, drums, bass, and strings are just so, so good. The vocal performance by Yusuf (formerly Cat Stevens) is also so moving on pretty much every track. While this record doesn’t reinvent the folk music wheel, it perfecta folk music to a degree that’s indescribable. And how could you forgot the song Father and Son; this song is an absolute classic song dealing with themes of wanting to move away and grow contrasted with staying and embracing roots. Easily the climax instrumentally and lyrically to this masterpiece record. While every song holds some ground for whatever reason, Father and Son is the absolute best of the bunch and one of the greatest songs of all time. While I was not planning on giving this album this high of a score, the more and more I think about it, I think a 10/10 is in order for this record.

This is one of the craziest albums I’ve ever heard. Like it is pretty much indescribable. Nonetheless I’ll try my best to describe it. This is essentially garage rock from the 70s mixed with avant garde lyrics and musical choices that really just takes punk to a whole different meaning. There’s some Mexican folk influences and noise rock influences but it cannot truly be described. This album sounds like it influences a number of grunge bands like the Smashing Pumpkins (I know they changed their sound but their early stuff is definitely grunge) and Bleach era Nirvana, among other bands, but that’s what I picked up the most. This album is truly something else. This avant-punk record really defines what grunge and punk music is to me personally. A great album and groundbreaking album; a 10/10 from me.

This is a complexly mid record in all honesty. Greetings from LA is a jazzy blues record undeniably but it is outclassed in a lot of areas. The instrumentals, while fine, don't really hit me that much. The jazzy parts don't feel that jazzy, nor do the more bluesy tracks feel that bluesy. The one folk-inspired track is not that good. It's very slow and generic folk rock and it sort of ruins the pace. On top of that, the vocals are the epitome of mid. The vocals are unique, but they are not good. It's just not that good. And the weird little vocalizations are also just really weird. On top of all of that, the lyrics are very creepy and perverted at times. I don't find them to be sexy or whatever emotion Tim Buckley was intending unless that emotion was disgust. While this isn't the only album during the 70's to directly reference sex or perversion, something about the lyrics is just bad. The Rolling Stones, for example, directly reference sex a lot in their music. However, it is usually very brief or there is some clever wordplay or idea that surrounds the notion of sex. The only song that I can think of off the top of my head that truly goes off the deep end unforgivably is "Brown Sugar", but that song has some of the greatest instrumentals of any Rolling Stones song so it gets a pass. This entire record is like if Tim Buckley tried to lyrically recreate Brown Sugar while doing the blandest blues instrumentals in the background. With all of this said, you may think I absolutely despise this album, however, it is just mid as hell. I have no strong feelings for this record except for the awfulness of the lyrics. With the lyrics the only truly awful thing about this record, it by default gets a 4/10. Don't listen to this. If you do, you more or less likely will not care about it.

For a soundtrack, this is pretty good, but I kind of wish it wasn't a soundtrack. The soundtrack for Shaft was really good and I kind of want to watch the film now. Having read up on the film, I feel as though the soundtrack is pretty fitting. The jazzy-soul feel of this record, with the few bits of funk and disco music added in, feels like a fitting decision. Sonically, the album sounds amazing; the instrumentation and songwriting is pretty good. Even if a majority do kind of fit into this archetype of jazz-soul, it works. Of course, the "Theme from Shaft" is the best track. It is one of the most iconic and greatest disco-funk songs of all time. I just kind of wish this sound appeared more often than a handful of moments. However, this album is flawed. Firstly, it is pretty bloated. The sonic themes of the record keep repeating a lot and it sort of feels as though the same thing is happening over and over again. This problem is caused by the biggest problem, which is the fact that it is a soundtrack. Every song needs to be a backdrop and not take center stage, as well as fitting these specific scenarios that happen over the course of a 2 hour or so film, while also retaining to some sonic idea. While this album is great and sounds nice, the tracks don't leave too much of an impact partly because they are supposed to be a background thing, not take center stage. Rarely does it feel as though it is the main attraction. It kind of stinks as from what I know, the film contains a lot of themes about race and masculinity, so to have a record that is free from any constraint the film may put upon it that explores all of these themes in a way where it's less of a backdrop and more of the main attraction would be so damn cool. Either way, I can't give this record too much hate. I did enjoy it and the "Theme from Shaft" is one of the most iconic songs of all time, so I'd say a 7/10 would be in order for this record. I just wish it wasn't a soundtrack.

If I can describe this record in one word, it’s 90s. Scream, Dracula, Scream is the epitome of 90s punk rock. No, I mean it. From ska punk, to cow punk, to Midwest emo, to skate punk, to traditional punk, to even grunge and alt rock. Like this is the epitome of 90s punk. There is some hardcore influences but it seems only for specific parts of specific songs. Kind of a shame but what can you do. Now, I love punk rock and I think that it is good a lot of the time. However, this album is kind of boring. The wide range of influences may seem nice, but none are truly done in a way that standout (maybe the ska punk influences but there are some horn performances I can be more fond of honestly). As it stands, it is just a lot of punk. And I’ll admit, I am pretty tired so that doesn’t help, but it can certainly be more interesting. I enjoyed this record, I’ll admit, but it wasn’t the most interesting. It peaked in the literal first minute and just mellowed out. Eh, while it is boring, I did kind of enjoy it on the notion that it is punk rock. For that and that alone, I’m willing to give this album a 6/10.

I've started to warm up to New Wave music recently and I think this was a good album to have at this time. Hot Fuss is certainly one of the more well-known modern rock albums (especially for 2000s rock) and wasn't half bad in my opinion. The New Wave aesthetic of this album worked pretty well and it made some enjoyable tracks. Of course, Mr. Brightside was a very enjoyable New Wave track that had good vocals and was pretty enjoyable all things considered. However, I think I enjoyed the more synth-oriented tracks like Somebody Told Me, Andy You're a Star, and Everything Will Be Alright (even if the former's lyrics don't sit right with me for whatever reason). Speaking of which, Everything Will Be Alright made for a very melancholic ending that didn't fit right as an ending but was a pretty enjoyable song. Overall, the instrumentals were pretty good and the vocals were decent (the few bits of synth work were nice), but I'm not keen on the lyrics as a whole except in a few parts. I think that's what's holding the album back in my opinion (I'd say the song with the best lyrics is Mr. Brightside if that means anything but it might be the best song so I don't truly know). In the end, it's a nice album that was pretty enjoyable. I'd say an 8/10 is fair for this album.

I’ll try and be as brief as I can be; meh. Brother in Arms is one of the most boring records I’ve heard, not helped by the fact that I’m super tired right now. Heck I slept through this record so I don’t know if I’m even qualified to talk about this album. What I can say is that this is some very mellow soft rock and occasionally incredibly mellow hard rock. The tracks switch up sounds a bit but it’s like still kind of underwhelming. The only objectionably good track is the second one, which has good guitar tones and a better hook than most other songs. But, it has homophobic slurs for no god damn reason so screw this track. This album has nothing. Truly nothing. It’s a sort of vibey pop rock/soft rock album if you’re in the mood for that but other than, it’s a very solid 5/10.

Another folk album here, but it’s a great folk album, with a different feeling than most folk album. Happy Sad almost kind of sounds like how it’s described in the title but admittedly in a good way. The sound of this album is this tropical folk music that is really pleasant. It’s really chill and adds a vibe to this album. However, the lyrics and vocal delivery is usually super low and melancholic in a way that creates this contrast between the vibey music and the sad lyrics and delivery. In a way it does sound like a Happy Sad if that makes sense. However, there are also some Jazz influences on the song Gypsy Woman, which is like 1/3 the length of the album so it’s fair to say it’s a major influence. Other that that, the songs “Love from Room 109 At the Islander (On Pacific Coast Highway)” (quite a long title for just one song) and “Dream Letter” stand out to me as the highlights for their tropical folk sound along with their somber lyrics and excellent performance. Overall, this album sounds like how the title describes it but in a good way. Its tropical folk aesthetic sounds really good and its sadder lyrics and vocal performances make for a nice contrast that sounds right. I’d happily give it an 8/10.

Joan Baez by Joan Baez is the most Joan Baez-sounding record by Joan Baez that Joan Baez could have made if that makes sense. This is strictly a folk record and it sounds pretty good. Nothing more to say really. There are some country influences, and some faster-sounding folk music, but it's still folk. My favorite song is All My Trials, it sounds pretty and it's performed well and so on and so forth. This is a pretty short review but I'd say this record deserves a 7/10.

Disco, for the most part, hasn't really aged the best but this was alright. C'est Chic is an odd disco album because as much as it is disco, it's also R&B, which is nice. I think that's part of the reason it's aged pretty well. The further implementation of funk music (something that is usually present but never the main part of disco) is also pretty nice. The songs Le Freak, Savoir Faire, and At Last I Am Free are the highlights. Le Freak is a pretty funky track with a nice riff, Savoir Faire is a really nice R&B instrumental with a nice and mellow solo, and At Last I Am Free is a slow R&B ballad that has probably the best vocals on the entire record. The only complaint I truly have about this record is that the lyrics and vocals aren't that good. The lyrics are shallow and aren't all that good, while the vocals just feel generic. That's kind of what's holding this record back honestly. Overall though, this disco and R&B record is nice, warranting a 7/10 in my opinion.

If you're a big fan of Tainted Love and that sound, you're probably gonna be disappointed. Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is an album that I'm conflicted about. Tainted Love is an excellent synth-pop song. The heavy synths and poppy chorus make it a nice track to listen to. Everything else, well, it's just lighter, more new-wavey, synth-pop. Some of it is outdated, especially the first and third songs. I just think that they sound really bad. The rest of the album has lighter synths, reminiscent of new-wave. I have never really been the biggest fan of new wave and to an extent, I wouldn't consider this album new-wave. It's more synth-pop but the synths sound new-wavey if that makes sense. I thought the last track was pretty pleasant and the song Sex Dwarf was interesting for its uncomfortable lyrics (I mean it's a song where the lead singer is putting a person on a leash and taking them for a walk), which, no matter if you like the lyrics or not, does add some element to this album. I feel like I'm kind of making excuses at this point. Tainted Love is an actual banger but the rest of the album doesn't hold a candle to it. I'd really consider giving this album a 5/10.

Having read some of the reviews on here, you’d think the album is insufferable garbage but it’s actually pretty good. Want Two is a very orchestral, baroque pop record, with a hint of indie pop thrown in the mix. It’s sort of operatic and grandiose but I think it works. The vocals are also pretty good. They remind me of a mix between Thom Yorke and Rivers Cuomo. Maybe it’s just me. Either the mix of soft, mellow guitar melodies and the more grand orchestras sound really nice. The album is very ornate and clean sounding, maybe being too clean, but it’s not too big a problem. Either way, I think the song Peach Trees is a good example. It has a good mix of more simple indie pop and more orchestral sounding music. It’s very pretty and it just sounds really nice. I will mention, I wasn’t paying too much attention to the lyrics. I probably should’ve because, from what it sounded like, there were introspective and more societally aware tracks coupled with some sweet love songs. I didn’t pay too much attention (I’m way to tired right now), so maybe I misheard something but that’s my mistake so I don’t know. All in all though, I liked this album. It’s very pretty and nice sounding, I can understand why someone would really enjoy this. Me personally, I’d give this a 8/10.

While I would say that I am a big Beatles fan, I would say I am a fan of post-Rubber Soul era Beatles. I haven't ever gotten into the early Beatles, aside from a few songs, so I was actually quite interested when I got this album as I had never listened to it. I will say this about it: it is very of its time. This sounds like pop from the 1960s and it's not necessarily bad but I'd rather be listening to an album like Revolver or Abbey Road compared to this. That being said, A Hard Day's Night (the song) is a pretty good opener. It has a garage rock quality to it and it is my personal favorite song on the record. The opener chord/note/whatever the hell the band is doing there is certainly iconic, although I will say I had listened to this track beforehand so I already knew what to expect. For songs I hadn't listened to, And I Love Her is a standout as it is the only song to slow it down a bit (well, to the extent that it is slowed down here) and it's pretty good. The lyrics are alright, and the guitar riff is really good and fits the track well, it's a fantastic song. Things We Said Today is also a really good song. The melancholic guitar tones paired with the ominous feeling lyrics and vocal delivery make this a kind of chilling song to listen to in all honesty. Probably the best song on the back half of the record. I'll Be Back is a pretty good closer. The guitar tones are pretty similar to Things We Said Today, which may be the reason why I like it, and the lyrics are fine, I think I just prefer Things We Said Today. However, all of the other songs feel kind of similar to each other. Everything about them from the performances, lyrics, and production, it all just feels very similar. Now, none of them are bad per se, but they don't stand out and are just kind of there. While I did enjoy this record, I will say it wasn't perfect and there are parts that are way better than others and it all pales in comparison to the Beatles later stuff. I'd say a 7/10 is in order for this album.

I’ve been getting a lot of folkish albums recently and I doubt this is the end of it. Unhalfbricking is not only a weird album name but it is also a good album. While this is more blues rock, there are also a lot of folk influences on the album. You could almost say it’s blues folk rock. The song A Sailors Life is a good example; it starts off as a nice folk rock ballad before turning into a blues rock inspired outro and solo. It is pretty long but it kind of works. Who Knows Where the Time Goes? is also a good track, being a very sweet folk rock ballad that is very pleasant. The outro song, The Ballad of Easy Rider is also pretty good, having a bit of a country rock edge to it. All in all, this is a pretty good blues folk rock album. It’s fairly deep when you think about it. The thing that is holding it back, despite all the praise, is a portion of songs near the middle and end that kind of feel samey or just bad. Despite that, I really enjoyed this. I may be overrating it, admittedly, but I’d give it a 8/10.

Very interesting little record. Murmur sounds quite the opposite of its name, it’s very poppy and very high pitched. The guitar tones are very high but they kind of work for the new wavey, college rock this album goes for. It doesn’t really sound like anything else I’ve ever heard to be quite frank. The lyrics are pretty weird but they kind of fit, the bass and drums are pretty groovy, and the folk influences are pretty nice. Nothing really to add; just a nice collection of songs. I’d give it a 7/10.

I only know Beck from his hit single Loser, so I had different expectations that what this album was. Sea Change Can best be described as alternative folk and alternative chamber music. Sometimes the two styles crossover but more often it’s one or the other. But frankly, I think it’s pretty good. The lyrics are very heartfelt with themes of despair and a broken relationship, themes more emotional than Loser, which discusses themes of being a loser in a comedic way. The highlights are Golden Age (a good example of Beck’s songwriting with an interesting alternative folk sound that totally caught me by surprise and good lyrics) and Lonesome Tears (a nice chamber ballad with pop and alternative influences that give it a grand feel to it amidst themes of a broken relationship). This album was really good, truly took me by surprise. I really wasn’t expecting me to give this rating but I’d say this album warrants a 9/10.

Now, I am not a Taylor Swift fan nor am I one of her haters. I like Red. That’s pretty much the only thing that I truly like by her but it is a good album. Everything else, in all honesty, is mid. At least in my opinion. Now, considering how recent the album is, I didn’t expect to get this album here and I still kind of don’t, at least in comparison to some of the actual folk albums I have gotten here. First things first, Evermore is a folk pop album. For what it is it’s pretty good. I feel the pop side can take over and at that point the magic is kind of lost, but it’s still fine. My favorite track of this strict pop style might be Closure, which has a distorted beat that’s actually kind of good. I guess for highlights, I would say Closure, Champagne Problems (a somber piano ballad about a broken relationship that’s actually kind of good and might be the best piano ballad of the bunch), Tis the Damn Season (a soft rock song that may not be the best representation of this album but enjoyable nonetheless), and Tolerate It (another piano ballad that is also enjoyable). Surprisingly, the folk aspect of this album wasn’t brought up too much in this recommendation list. The reason is the lyrics. While some of the lyrics are good (mainly the ones I mentioned earlier), sometimes the lyrics feel too petty or too woeful or just kind of turn offish in my opinion and I just don’t like it. Eh. This was a fine album, certainly different for Taylor Swift but I can only really give it a 6/10 with all of its problems in mind.

I will start this off by saying that I was unable to listen to every track on this as they aren't all available on Apple Music. That does suck but what I can say about this album is that it's great. The beats on this record hit so hard in a way that I believe is new for the time. Honestly, this record is kind of a harder hardcore hip-hop record which is certainly something. However, it also has some industrial qualities that add to the harder sound. As far as I know, this is one of the first industrial hip-hop records. Granted, it's not as abrasive as something like Death Grips, but it certainly is good. It also fits with the progressive hip-hop genre as the lyrics on the record are so political. Hell, there's a song about why the songs on this record are so political. My favorite track based on lyrics alone would probably be Language of Violence, which discusses the discriminatory and hateful way we use language and how that carries on so to say. The song does use some words that should definitely not be used today, as do a handful of other tracks, but it sits in that same vein as Auntie Diaries from Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers. My favorite track for its beat would be Satanic Reverses as I kind of like the horns on this track while also demonstrating the industrial feel of the record. Honestly, though, this whole record is good. Really good. I'm considering giving this a 9/10.

For as small as this album is, it’s enjoyable. Fifth Dimension is a psychedelic rock album with nice solos and some bluesy and folky influences. But it is most definitely psychedelic. It’s enjoyable and you’re bound to find something enjoyable on this album. Frankly I don’t have much more to add. A lot of the songs are pretty short (less than 3 minutes for most) and it’s pretty consistent. The solos are also nice and fit the psychedelic influence this album has. Sometimes tracks feel more bluesy or more folky but they’re still psychedelic. This was a fine album worthy of a 6/10 and that’s kind of it.

Dear god. I don’t know what to say. Anyway, this album which I’ll call DOA the Third is an industrial album? Experiment? Thing? The album cannot be described other than heavily distorted beats and/or very harsh, shriek-like ambient instrumentation. I can’t really describe it any more than that. It’s one or the other. Except for one track and I’ll get to it but firstly, Hamburger Lady is the most horrifying song I’ve ever heard, that has been made, and will ever exist. The songs starts off well enough with cryptic lyrics and a harsh if minimal beat that sounds like a car revving. However, the longer the track goes on, the more you begin to feel fear. The track describes the aftermath of a victim of a car crash, and it’s horrifying. The hazy vocals, the car beat, the fact that the word burned is repeated a lot of times. Even if you went into it blind like I did, you still feel fear. Dread. The melodic repeats of Hamburger Lady add to the dread as it feels out of place and it’s just so good. I don’t ever want to listen to this song again but it is a masterpiece. The next song, Hometime, is also horrifying but for less obvious reasons. The song is just a distorted beat over this recording of a young sounding girl. It’s sounds like she’s just messing around, doing whatever, but with the combination of the distorted beat and the previous track making me scared, I feel dread that something’s going to happen to this girl. Holy shit; how do they manage to get me this scared for two songs. However, the next track is a little happier. AB/7A is a synthy little track that’s just this up beat sounding synth and it’s just what you need after the two tracks. These three tracks are the highlights for making me scared and also making me feel better after those two other ones. This ambitious and experimental record is straight genius and I don’t know how they do it. But, the original release did apparently contain child pornography in the form of a calendar insert, so I’m going to deduct point. Also, that is completely true, a calendar was included that contained photos of a kid on a bed in a calendar thing. It was dropped from later presses but I can’t rate it too high considering this fact. Still, I liked it. I’d give it a 6/10 all in all.

This is the best Rolling Stones album, and it has this album cover. As crazy as it may seem, never has the Stones ever been as good as Sticky Fingers. This album I believe might be the pinnacle of blues rock during the 60s and 70s as by this point, rock had begun a change from the days of early psychedelic rock and blues and towards a much more diverse place. Starting off the record is Brown Sugar, an incredibly great if racist song. It truly does suck that the lyrics are as controversial as they are as this is the best example of blues rock there is. Like, everything about it is peak blues in my opinion. Sway is still blues rock but it’s a bit slower and more melodic. A nice place to be at after Brown Sugar. Wild Horses follows and it might be one of their most famous. It’s a nice ballad that’s also really dynamic. In fact the four ballads (Wild Horses, I Got the Blues, Sister Morphine, and Moonlight Mile) are all dynamic. They have parts where they are more intense, more somber, booming parts, and slow parts. It makes these songs stand out more than they already are. Wild Horses might be the best out of all of them for the sheer reason that I like the performance and songwriting more but it’s not like the other songs have terrible songwriting or anything like that. After that, we have Can’t You Hear Me Knocking which is their best song. Like of their catalog. The song is split up into two parts; a dirty hard rock section and a Latin influences jazz rock section. The first part is so good. Everything is perfect. I’d consider it proto metal in a way, even though metal was already a thing by this point. No matter, this part does fit a specific vibe and it’s amazing. The second part is a little less interesting at first but it’s way more complex. It’s a jam session, complete with a saxophone, different percussion instruments, and a jazzier guitar solo. This Latin infused jazz part is truly amazing. And to think it was improvised. Sometimes I forget truly how good the instrumentalists are in The Rolling Stones. They are great. They are great songwriters and great improvers. These first four songs are the highlights but this whole blues sound continues and remains great. I do truly mean it when I say this album is great. It’s one of the greatest blues rock albums, it has one of the best blues rock songs, and the best example of the Stones’ style. It’s not my personal favorite Stones record (Beggars Banquet was my first Stones album and it really developed my love for music) but this is amazing. It is peak Stones and a definite 10/10.

This is a unique folk album. Bryter Layter is more of a folk pop/chamber music album than anything else. It’s still folk but it’s a little more than just folk. The instrumentation feels more expressive and interesting. There’s even a hint of jazz influences on the project. However, I’m not too keen on this guys voice. His whispers kind of unnerve me and it’s a little hard to describe. Eh, with everything in mind, I’d say 7/10.

I’ve always heard of Elvis Costello but I’ve never listened to him. This album taught me why I should and why I shouldn’t. Blood and Chocolate, aside from being not a good thing to combine, is a good album. Yet, it’s a little too boring. It’s a new wavey post punk album but it has a classic garage rock feel to it that I haven’t really heard before. It’s as much new wave as it is garage rock. It’s a nice combination, but it just doesn’t click with me. It’s good, I like the sound, I just don’t vibe with it that much. That being said, a few songs have a grunge influence and they’re the best songs on the album. It sounds like something from the late 80s but a few years earlier. These songs are also generally slower and if it’s something I like, it’s slower songs. Other than that, it’s just that new wave garage rock. Eh, it’s fine. I didn’t hate it but it’s not really something I’d listen to again. 6/10.

You know what, this album is about 2Pac against the world. Yes, in case you were not aware, Me Against the World is about 2Pac against the world. And it is amazing. Some of the best G-Funk I have heard. While this album isn’t as hardcore as some of his other work (I really wouldn’t consider it hardcore to be honest), it’s one of his more introspective. The songs are usually slower and follow themes related to his past and the concept of death. And this album does detail 2Pac’s fear of death. Even though on a lot of songs he says he isn’t afraid of death and knows he will die eventually, I think this can be seen as him trying to make it seem that he isn’t afraid, even though death is a major theme of the album. Mostly how he’s paranoid of others and other’s deaths. He truly does fear death. But that’s not all. The album also discusses his past like the excellent Dear Mama, where 2Pac thanks his mother for all the she has done. It’s very easily his best song. 2Pac also discusses poverty and gang violence a lot. And all of this ties into death. It’s really a showcase of 2Pac’s fears and worries, something that would, sadly, ring true in the end. This album also has some other bangers like So Many Tears, Lord Knows, and It Ain’t Easy. Speaking of which, the sound is pretty good. It’s kind of the thing holding back the whole record but G-Funk is kind of outdated as a whole so it’s not really a fault for the album. If it means anything, I kind of like the sound, especially the synths (I find the synths during this era to just hold up really well). The more stripped back beats are better though. Despite that, 2Pac’s lyricism really brings the album home. 2Pac is interesting in the discussion of the greates rappers of all time because he doesn’t have the best word play unlike some of the greats, but this album sort of taught me why he is in the running for the best. His performance. He pours out all of his heart into a performance. That is why he is the best. It’s not because he has the best bars, but because he puts a level of heart and personality into it that really makes him stand out. That is why he is the best. He still stands out today when there is a million rappers out there. There is truly nothing else like 2Pac. I won’t tiptoe around it; this album is amazing. Truly fantastic. While the sound may not hold up the best, everything else about the album is truly phenomenal and just goes to show why 2Pac is the best. May he truly rest in peace. 10/10.

This is a very odd album. Junkyard very much in that post punk lane, but it has a unique combination of two different sub-genres, no wave and goth punk. This album in my opinion is very noisy. The best example of this is Blast Off, a song that is almost entirely no wave. The next song though, She’s Hit, cements the album in its gothic roots. It’s very dark and heavy but also containing that punk flair we know punk to be. This gothic no wave continues through most of the album and it’s pretty enjoyable. No tracks particularly stand out other than the first two, so take that as you will. This was an enjoyable little post punk record though. I’d give it a 7/10.

I'll be honest, I don't know a whole lot about EDM. I've never been into it that much. I enjoy it when I hear it and that's kind of it. This was pretty good though. Music For The Jilted Generation sounds like it was for the jilted. It's fast and occasionally harsh. No better example is the song Their Law, a fast and heavy guitar-laden track. The use of breakbeats is prevalent throughout this album, which combined with its fast-paced nature, makes for a very unique sound. This album can be a little weird at points, especially with some of the beats and samples used. These moments kind of work though because the songs embrace this abrasiveness and it amplifies the oddness. Past the halfway point, tracks begin to slow down and be a bit more odd than in the first half though. Especially the tracks One Love (Edit) and No Good (Start the Dance). However, the last three tracks do pull off this stylistic switch well. 3 Kilos might be the most laid-back track but it works as a bit of a break before the end. Skylined is more than 3 Kilos, but a bit faster, a bit heavier, and a bit more abrasive. Claustrophobic Sting serves as a melancholy finisher that's a bit eerie, and it works. Overall, this album was a bit flawed and it kind of lost momentum near the middle, but this was a very fun and fast-paced record. I'd be happy to give it 7/10.

If you’re a fan of noise rock, then I think this is your thing. You’re Living All Over Me sounds as if that is the case. It’s very loud and noisy alt rock. Hell, I’d consider it grunge. The lyrics definitely sound as if they’re from the era. It’s a bit odd, though, but I think that really adds to the album. There are parts that sound like more friendly indie rock but it’s contrasted later by distorted guitars and noisy interludes. It really does contrast but I wanna say that’s intentional. The album is trying to make that contrast. It’s very interesting. It is capped off with the avant garde Poledo, a piece of musique concrete. A very fitting way to end of the record in my opinion. This was a short but ultimately enjoyable record. It hit everything I’d want it to hit and did so spectacularly. I’d say it deserves a 9/10.

While it is very British, it is pretty good. GREY Area is a great British hip-hop album, even though it takes from some American influences. I'm gonna start with what I found to be the best and that is the instrumentals. It's really diverse in my opinion. There's a good mix of distorted beats and cleaner, live instrumentals. This includes some bits of jazz horns, guitars, strings; really a bit of everything. Sometimes these clean sound instruments are added upon a distorted beat and it creates something truly special. Like no joke, I think this has some of the greatest beats and instrumentals of the past couple of years. The vocals are also pretty good, albeit very British, meaning that the flow is okay. Sometimes it's a real crapshoot if the vocals for British hip hop are gonna be good and I think they are here. I think the anger felt by Little Simz is the only reason they work as her flow is sort of dependent on her anger in her lyrics. Speaking of which, I think the lyrics improve over time. They don't start off amazing but they really become fantastic by the end. All the anger and emotions hinted at near the beginning come up in the last three tracks and I believe that they are amazing. I will reiterate, the last three tracks truly are amazing. Everything that worked in the previous tracks is just done during this last third. It really is amazing. If not for these last 3 tracks I would've considered giving this album a decent score. But the instrumentals, vocals, and lyrics just go so hard in the last third and it really elevates the whole experience in my opinion. I am gonna give this album an 8/10.

While this isn't their hardest album, it's certainly a great debut. Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables is a fantastic hardcore punk album. I grew up with punk (thanks to my father), but I never got into the hardcore side of things until in high school. It was there I was introduced to the Black Flags, Bad Religion, and, importantly for this album, Dead Kennedys. The Dead Kennedys always stuck out in my opinion. The shrieking and fast-paced guitars were nothing new, but I think it was the lyrics that really did it for me. The lyrics on this whole record are comedic, but also political. This album is one big piece of political satire, ripping on California governors, war, landlords, and crimes like mail fraud. All issues that might have been a contentious point in American politics at the time (can't confirm; wasn't there). Despite the issues seeming dated at first, they have aged pretty well. Sure, the lead single California Uber Alles seems a bit odd if you didn't know who the song was about, and the song I Kill Children is an odd track that I still don't really understand too much, but songs like Chemical Warfare that detail a chemical gas attack at a country club (subtly making nods to how the US would just attack places all over the world with no regard for the people there) and Holiday in Cambodia, a song about how rich, spoiled, college kids should go to Cambodia and see how life is there (both criticizing the pretentiousness of spoiled, upper-class, white people and the horrible regime of Pol Pot) have ideas that still have some truth to this day. These songs have (for the most part) held up lyrically, but what about the sound? Well, that answer would be a definite yes because the hardcore punk sound is phenomenal. Everything that I would be looking for with this sound (fast guitars, banging drums, screechy vocals) is present. Sure, it's not the fastest or most intense hardcore punk record there ever was, and other albums would do this sound better, but I feel that when compared to their contemporaries, it doesn't matter too much. Especially when there are a number of different musical influences on the record, specifically surf punk and classic garage rock. This combination of sounds on a few tracks keeps the album fresh, even though the fast hardcore sound rings true throughout. The guitars are good, the drumming is good, the vocals are just what I would like (I find Jello to be great for this sound), and the bass is actually amazing. It's one thing that really brings me back. The bass is so good throughout and I really don't know how they do it but it's just amazing. I could go on and on about every song but I've pretty much said everything I need to say. While I am a little biased because I listened to this as a teenager, but I think it's fantastic. It's not their best or even their fastest (Plastic Surgery Disasters is like one of the greatest punk albums ever), but it's a damn good hardcore punk album. I really want to give this album a 10/10, so I think I will.

If you’re the guy the likes You’ve Got a Friend In Me way more than anyone reasonably should, you might like this album. Sail Away is more of that kind of sound, but I hesitate to even like that song to begin with. This album is not good. Sure the orchestral/chamber sound of this album is pretty good. It gives the album a unique flair and it sounds objectionably nice. There’s a few guitars in there that switch up the sound but I have a thing for slower and more stripped back tracks (even though I won’t complain for a few rock-laden tracks). However, I will reiterate, this album is DOGSHIT. And it is all because of Randy Newman’s god damn voice. Holy shit, it is unlistenable. And it’s like actually crazy because the lyrics aren’t that bad. Sometimes they are tacky and terrible but, like on the song Political Science (the only track I somewhat liked), they are insightful and witty. But none of that makes any difference when the vocals just suck. The vocals feel so out of place and terrible and I just don’t want to listen to this. The vocals seriously made me want to just go to bed right now. But I persisted and was left with total, agonizing garbage. I never want to listen to Randy Newman’s voice again. I’m giving this a 2/10. Borderline unlistenable.

I’ve never been that big of a Clapton guy as I think his solo stuff is not as good as something like Cream, and this kind of proves that. 461 Ocean Boulevard is a fine album, but it’s certainly nothing revolutionary. I don’t hate this album, but for whatever reason I just don’t click with it. The blues rock and funk rock sound of this album is really great, with songs like Motherless Children and Get Ready showcasing the sounds of this album fantastically. It peaks with a cover of Bob Marley’s I Shot The Sheriff, seamlessly combining blues and funk into one nice track. The other tracks are also pretty good but none are quite as memorable in my opinion. But here is where we get to the big problem: I don’t like Clapton as a vocalist. He’s a fine guitarist who makes good music, but I don’t like his vocals that much. I think his vocals worked in Cream when it is also mixed with Bruce and Baker (and also more psychedelic music), but they just don’t click with me here. They’re not insufferable but it’s not something that I am a big fan of. I don’t really have anything more to add. This was a fine album worthy of a 7/10.

This is a very interesting album. Music Has The Right To Children is an odd electronic album. I can still tell it’s electronic, but it doesn’t feel like it is. It feels ambient and beautiful. It’s slightly psychedelic, helped by the downtempo beats. Somehow, it all just kind of works. It’s very pretty in my opinion. Listening to it was almost like a dream. This ambient and downtempo sound, while it may sound like a turnoff to some, it clicked with me. I’ve never been a big electronic music kind of guy, but this feels like it’s going beyond that. It’s like it is breaking the boundaries of electronic music and making something that is artistic. Not to mention dynamic. For an ambient album, it has a lot of different types of sounds. There’s clean sounds, distorted sounds, trebly sounds, bass-y sounds; it certainly adds some flavor to all of this. It also feels eerie as well. Almost like how OK Computer feels robotic and cold in some parts, this album feels the same way. There are parts where it feels cold and tense, despite the ambience. It’s a feeling that I love to get because it’s not a feeling that you get very often. This was an amazing ass record. It’s cold demeanor really worked in my opinion and it’s ambience really added to the experience. I’d happily give this a strong 9/10.

This is a very unique hip-hop album in my opinion. 3 Years, 5 Months, and 2 Days in the Life Of has some of the most conscious lyrics of any hip-hop album I've listened to, but the sound is like nothing else. It's very hard to describe in all honesty. It has lo-fi production with its inclusion of record grain that adds to the hard-to-describe sound. Some tracks feel more funky, obviously showing its classic funk influences (definitely not the more modern G-Funk), but also showing influences of old-school hip hop in a few areas as well. But these sounds are twisted to be different. I think that that's the best way to describe it: different. I don't hate it; in fact, I think I like it. It really does give the album a unique sound. The lyrics are very conscious, especially for the time it was recorded (near the end of the days of Gangsta Rap and a few years before the Bling Era). It is the only album to have had conscious lyrics like this, but they still feel unique. There are songs about spirituality, committing yourself to God, and finding peace with your fellow man. In fact, this album is mostly about spirituality. It gives a unique perspective of a spiritual, Afrocentrist life, while actively promoting said life and discussing why it is a good idea for everyone to help make this life a reality. These spiritual lyrics are really unique and I think that's the big thing it has going for it. There are lyrics about struggles, criticisms of the government, etc., but the lyrics about spirituality do make this album stand out the most. I think this was a very fun, unique, and spiritual album. Easily earning a 9/10.

I'm going to start with a rant real quick; why are there so many 60s folk albums on here? Like, yeah, they're good, but like, come on man. I don't need to listen to like 20 different people thus far (I'm on like 55 albums) sing over some guitar melody for 3 minutes only to have that exact same thing done for like 10 more tracks. I swear, all of these folk albums from the 60s and early 70s blend together when you listen to them in quick succession. That being said, this was fine. I thought that Triangle had a unique country flair that some other folk albums don't have. There are some times that the more folky, psychedelic pop sound reared its head in this album, but the country songs do add a unique sound that should be mentioned. I thought the Wolf of Velvet Fortune stood out the most for its slower and more rustic sound. Other than that, it's perfectly passable. I'd give it a 7/10; the country-side really bumped it up this high but it's not bad.

Despite its ironic name, this album was great. Ctrl is really about control, rather it’s more about the deep expression of emotion, which this album conveys perfectly. SZA’s lyric writing is truly phenomenal, truly being able to convey the emotion that’s intended with these lyrics. While these lyrics may not, at first glance, seem the deepest (especially that one track with Kendrick Lamar), when combined with SZA’s excellent singing, conveys the negative emotions she feels. It truly hits you when she sings about her self doubt about love. It’s truly fantastic. The tracks Garden (Say It Like Dat) and Drew Barrymore stand out to me lyrically, with the former discussing her self doubt about if her partner would love her for who she is and the latter being about loneliness and her inability to truly connect with others. Not only do these songs hit on an emotional level, these songs sound good. SZA is a great vocalist who really makes this album for me. The lyrics and her vocals are what makes this album such a great one. However, the neo soul sound that is being gone for with this album is great. Neo soul in general is a fantastic genre and I think this album really proves that. The hip hop and pop inspired production really gives this album an enjoyable sound. However, there are a few hints of indie pop sprinkled throughout the album that really adds to the sound. It’s so relaxing and nice to listen to. I could, honest to God, listen to this album forever and I don’t think I’d get tired of it. This album is really good. I can’t sing it’s praises enough. The sound and emotions of this album are really something special. I’m really thinking a solid 9/10 would be a good rating for this.

I've had quite a few Psychedelic Pop and Rock records pop up on here, but this is the first acid rock album I've gotten. Nevertheless, this is a good album. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is a classic record that is only known for its titular song which is about half the length of a modern Swans song. But before that song, I'll mention the other tracks. They are pretty good. I will say that none of them are as good as the titular track but I don't think they're bad. The first 5 tracks are nice psychedelic and acid rock tracks. I think the best of these 5 are Most Anything You Want and Are You Happy, the former being a nice blend of softer psychedelic rock and harder acid rock and the latter because it is a true acid rock banger. Then you have the titular track, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, a true acid rock classic. This 17-minute long song is iconic, even though that's because of the way shorter radio edit. That version has the first two verses and choruses, the first part of the solo, and the last verse and chorus. The lyrics, though simple, are iconic. The heavier, acid rock riffs are outstanding. No wonder this song is a classic when the riff sounds so good. However, it's the full solo that I think steals the show. It starts off with an acid rock-induced guitar solo before slowing down into a long drum break. This drum break is sort of ominous as it takes up a long time and it keeps getting faster. Eventually, the organ (I don't have anywhere else to talk about this so I'll just discuss it here: the organ parts are great; it's not something I was expecting and doesn't always shine but I'm not complaining about it, or at least not in the titular track; so yeah, pretty good use of the organ) shows up adding a greater sense of something ominous to this drum break before devolving into another guitar solo. This solo is pretty short, going into another drum break, filled with a groovy bassline and shrieking guitar and organ noises. After this, the song moves back into the verses and chorus from the intro, and the solo is finished. This solo is great. It's so dynamic and interesting, keeping you on your toes at all times wondering what happens next. This is what makes this album iconic. I do feel as though this song was too much for the album. What I mean is, it kind of doesn't fit with the rest of the album. Now, this song is iconic. But when listened to in whole, it's way too grand compared to the rest of this album in my opinion and it kind of doesn't fit. Either way, it's amazing and even if it doesn't fit, it's still great. This whole album really is great. With the first 5 tracks and the amazing titular track, it really is fantastic. I am thinking that an 8/10 would fit this album the best.

This is a very odd album. Like I seriously don’t know how to feel about it. I’ll start by saying that Bummed is not a bad album but I can’t really tell if I like it. It’s this odd mix of psychedelic music and this blend of indie rock and dance music. It’s generally a good sound. I think that it doesn’t stand out that much and is just okay but I don’t dislike it. The lyrics are very cryptic and nonsensical. They also rarely follow any rhyme scheme and the vocals themselves are kind of bad in my opinion. For dance music, the vocals have no groove and the guy singing the lyrics sounds like he’s stoned out of his mind. Maybe that’s part of the appeal but I don’t really know how to feel about them. I think that goes for the whole album, I just don’t know how to feel. I normally love oddball and abrasive music but I don’t feel as though this music is all that abrasive. Sure, it’s odd, but it’s not like unimaginably odd. It just sounds different. Now, that can be a good thing. But I feel here they were just different to be different. Nothing more, nothing less. This album just didn’t hook me at all and even though I love psychedelic music, I have to give this album a 5/10.

This album may have been influential for the time (to be honest, I don’t really know), but it’s just fine nowadays. L’Eau Rouge is an industrial rock album, with some twists. Most importantly, its use of orchestral instruments. There are a few points (I think like 3 songs) where the Young Gods bring in an orchestra and these songs are the best on the album. The first track in particular is neat for starting as this nice and soothing orchestra piece before becoming abrasive and harsh. The vocals become more guttural and the song just works. It’s probably why the first track is my favorite track. The other tracks using strings are neat, but it’s the first track that does it. I should also note there’s this metal sounding song that uses the orchestra and it’s pretty cool, albeit it’s only one song near the beginning. Other than that, it’s just industrial rock. I will give it credit, some of the production choices are really interesting, like the use of sampling (something you don’t see everyday when listening to rock music) and the manipulation of those samples (sometimes they are made quieter then louder and then quieter and also the reversal and un-reversal of said samples) which add some flavor to this album. Other than that, this album does really just peak in the first song. It’s something I truly hate when the first song is so good and then the rest of the album is good but nowhere near as good as the first song. I kind of wish the album was just the use of orchestra and sampling as I think that’d be neat. As it stands, it’s an interesting industrial rock album that could have been more. 7/10.

For my second Kate Bush record, I think I enjoy this way more than the first. Hounds Of Love is pretty interesting as it's more like Hounds of Love and an additional album, I believe called the Ninth Wave. Each takes up about 20-something minutes of time, so it's pretty evenly split. I'll start with Hounds of Love first, and it's great. While less conceptual than the Ninth Wave, these are the more enjoyable songs, which makes sense as these are easily pop tracks, albeit more artsy. This art-pop is truly fantastic and Kate Bush's vocals feel so breathy and delicate, it's just soothing to the ears. Not to mention this album has some great sounds and ideas. The opener, Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) is a banger. It feels uplifting and powerful even if you don't entirely know what the lyrics mean. The instrumentals soar as Kate Bush deepens her voice a bit during the chorus. It's amazing. It's not my favorite song though as that would be The Big Sky. It feels more rock-adjacent, incorporating a groovy bassline and a nice rhythm to the music. Kate Bush's vocals become more powerful and lively, I truly love this track. I think it may be the bass riff, but it's just perfect. I will mention two other tracks, Mother Stands For Comfort and Cloudbusting. The former is more spacey and ethereal. There's something unnerving about it that reminds me a bit of space rock, which I like. That slower, more ambient-leaning sound is something I've always been a fan of. The latter is the most unique song on this side of the album as it's more orchestral. Stringed instruments really do complement Kate Bush's voice, it's insane. The titular track, though, is pretty weak. Nothing stands out about it. The other half of this album, the Ninth Wave, is more conceptual and ambiguous. As far as I can tell, the story has to do with some woman who's in the sea and is drowning. A lot of the lyrics discuss life and death in a pretty interesting way. This half brings back everything from the first half but adds to it. It takes it to more of an extreme. Hell, there are even bits of heavy metal music (at least the satanic part of metal; also I'm being serious one of the tracks feels heavier and has this demon guy talking during it) and traditional Irish folk music. It really is more of a crazy time. It really works as one full experience instead of individual tracks and really makes you think a bit. That being said, the last track is terrible. It feels so out of place with the last track hinting that the protagonist is dead or is dying and to just go to some upbeat, poppy crap feels really weird. The lyrics seem disconnected as well; I wanna say that this was a last-minute addition that was just added but I actually don't know. It could be true and I wouldn't be surprised if it was the case. With the exception of the titular track and the closer, this was a phenomenal album. Truly great. I am really considering looking past the flaws and admiring it for the bulk of the work, which is great. While I still enjoyed the first Kate Bush album I listened to on here (the Sensual World), this completely blows it out of the water in my opinion. Maybe it's because I understand Kate Bush now and I like her style more, but this is just way better in my opinion. Honestly, though, I kind of want to relisten to the Sensual World. I feel like there is something I missed that I can get if I relistened to it now. That never happens unless a piece of work is good enough to make me want to give a second opinion on a record. This is one of those cases. An easy 10/10.

It’s odd to think that this is the 2nd soundtrack I’ve gotten on this website and that, like the 1st I’ve gotten, it’s really good. Superfly is a soul album, that also happens to be a soundtrack to the film of the same name. While I have not seen the film, I can guess what kind of film it is and what it’s about. Or at least, presume what kind of film it is and what it’s about. Lyrically, there’s a lot of discussion about drugs, specifically the harms of drugs. The clearest example of this is the song Freddie’s Dead, a song in which this Freddie guy died of drugs. It’s clearly anti-drug but feels genuine about it. I think some of the lyrics might be essential to the plot but I haven’t seen the film so I don’t know. On the sonic side of things, this album is very much a soul record. And yet, it feels a bit different. The soul sound is there but it feels like it’s going farther than a typical soul record. There’s a wide variety of sounds, like softer melodies to faster rhythms. There’s also a lot of different instrumentation, from brass, to orchestra, to guitars, to more distorted guitars, it really is unique. I’m admittedly not describing it very well but it kind of feels indescribable. The instrumentation really is great. I’d call it almost similar to progressive music with its sonic experimentation and wide influences. Two major influences are funk and psychedelic music. There are funky rhythms all over this thing. It’s complemented by the psychedelic influences on this album. It’s very present, on the track Freddie’s Dead for example. The psychedelic sounding guitars are very prevalent. Throughout the whole thing and complement the funk that runs throughout. In conclusion, this was really good. I am truly at a loss of words on how to describe it. It feels like it takes soul to a whole new place and it’s amazing. I’d easily give it a 9/10.

Okay so I didn’t listen to this entire album. Frankly, it’s been a long day. And today I got a generic ass indie rock album. I stopped halfway through, I am just too damn tired to care. It’s fine for what it is but today is just not the best day to listen to this. It’s the same old indie rock album you’ve heard a million times up to this point. I’m being quick cause I’m tired, so I’ll give it a 5/10.

For an album with Yoko Ono, it’s not as experimental as I thought it would be. Maybe it’s the poppier, John Lennon side of things, but John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (different from Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band) is a very raw pop album. The production is very minimal, you can hear all the imperfections, only improved by John Lennon’s performance. His screaming really adds something to this album, specifically on the tracks Mother and Well Well Well. Mother is a very nice and pleasant pop track, ending in Lennon screaming out for his mother and father. It’s very, very emotionally potent and one of the best tracks on the album. Well Well Well is more akin to blues rock with an odd interlude, delving into garage rock sounds with screamed vocals. This has the best and rawest performance on the album, hands down. This is all over the album but I believe these two songs to be the best examples. Generally, the sounds are close to pop and rock music. It’s very nice in all honesty. But the rawness and the production takes it to truly another level. Hell, I believe the production and performances to make this album worthy of a 9/10 rating.

I literally don’t have much to say, but it’s just English punk rock. It’s not bad, but if you know anything about English punk rock, you will have already heard this album. I still liked it though. 7/10.