739
Albums Rated
3.24
Average Rating
68%
Complete
350 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1990
Favorite Decade
Reggae
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
59
5-Star Albums
29
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Duck Stab/Buster & Glen
The Residents
|
5 | 2.03 | +2.97 |
|
Locust Abortion Technician
Butthole Surfers
|
5 | 2.39 | +2.61 |
|
Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water
Limp Bizkit
|
5 | 2.51 | +2.49 |
|
KE*A*H** (Psalm 69)
Ministry
|
5 | 2.7 | +2.3 |
|
Roots
Sepultura
|
5 | 2.78 | +2.22 |
|
Slayed?
Slade
|
5 | 2.87 | +2.13 |
|
Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
|
5 | 2.88 | +2.12 |
|
O.G. Original Gangster
Ice T
|
5 | 2.98 | +2.02 |
|
Searching For The Young Soul Rebels
Dexys Midnight Runners
|
5 | 3 | +2 |
|
Legalize It
Peter Tosh
|
5 | 3.07 | +1.93 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John
|
1 | 3.92 | -2.92 |
|
At San Quentin
Johnny Cash
|
1 | 3.78 | -2.78 |
|
Amnesiac
Radiohead
|
1 | 3.42 | -2.42 |
|
At Fillmore East
The Allman Brothers Band
|
1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
|
Made In Japan
Deep Purple
|
1 | 3.28 | -2.28 |
|
Closer
Joy Division
|
1 | 3.22 | -2.22 |
|
Let England Shake
PJ Harvey
|
1 | 3.15 | -2.15 |
|
Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)
Bob Dylan
|
1 | 3.14 | -2.14 |
|
Rubber Soul
Beatles
|
2 | 4.11 | -2.11 |
|
Ambient 1/Music For Airports
Brian Eno
|
1 | 3.08 | -2.08 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Led Zeppelin | 4 | 4.75 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 4.67 |
| Van Halen | 2 | 5 |
| Rush | 2 | 5 |
| Pink Floyd | 2 | 5 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Tim Buckley | 2 | 1 |
| Morrissey | 3 | 1.67 |
| Kanye West | 3 | 1.67 |
| Johnny Cash | 3 | 1.67 |
| Joy Division | 2 | 1.5 |
| Elton John | 2 | 1.5 |
| Brian Eno | 2 | 1.5 |
| Björk | 3 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Happy Mondays | 4, 1 |
| M.I.A. | 4, 1 |
| Tom Waits | 4, 4, 1 |
| Deep Purple | 2, 1, 4 |
| Madonna | 4, 1, 2 |
5-Star Albums (59)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Limp Bizkit · 27 likes
5/5
I will vehemently defend this album - it's a great example of critics not knowing what they're talking about. Limp Bizkit were lightning in a bottle, and Chocolate Starfish... is their uncorking.
It...
Appealed to a generation of young people that were actively disenfranchised at the time (Full nelson)
Spawned smash-hit singalongs that are still played in bars and clubs today (Rollin', My Way, My Generation)
Captured the zeitgeist of the late 90s (Livin' It Up, Take A Look Around)
and draws towards its' conclusion with a performance so heartfelt that even its' cringiest lines are forgivable-at-worst (Boiler)
Whilst it's not its' generations Sticky Fingers or Blonde on Blonde it is something special that's too regularly cast off for being easy (wrong), unadventurous (wrong) or dumb (a little bit, but mostly wrong)
5 STARS
Joy Division · 14 likes
2/5
Style over substance to be honest. I'm not sure why this album is considered so iconic
Einstürzende Neubauten · 2 likes
3/5
I really want to rate it higher, but I don't love it enough for a 4.
I can totally see why this is so low rated, this is so far removed from Paranoid Android, 1989 and Master of Puppets that it will alienate al.ost everyone
But what's the purpose of this list if not to showcase the bravery of these Germans? No I'm not listening to this outside of this project, but I'm glad that I have listened to it and it will remain one of the most memorable albums on the list. Way more interesting than anything that Rod Stewart is involved in
John Lennon · 2 likes
2/5
I was ready to give this 1-star because I think John Lennon is a bit of a wanker. But no, I did as I should and I listened to the album and am judging it on its' content.
This album is wanky. Imagine is such an awful single. If Jeff Bezos wrote a song telling you to give more money to charity he'd be crucified.
Oh Yoko! pissed me off - 4 minutes of wailing. No thank you.
He picks up the extra star for the Macca diss-track. That is based asf
Skepta · 2 likes
2/5
I'm rating it this low very begrudgingly. UK grime is so good, and this is such a poor representation of it. The highlights of this album are all songs that were originally released as one-off singles, and it shows.
I think Skeptas brother JME is far more talented and releases much more interesting music than Skepta. Dizzee Rascal too. It's a shame because this album is a real nostalgia trip for me, and I don't hate it, but it should have been an EP and better albums could have taken it's place
1-Star Albums (29)
All Ratings
Arcade Fire
3/5
Quite enjoyed, didn't blow me away but 👍
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
It's Rage! Classic, wall-to-wall heavy hitters and they inspired virtually everyone that followed them. Easy 5
AC/DC
4/5
Actually enjoyed it quite a lot - this album is much more than just the singles. I can see why it's considered a classic
Elliott Smith
3/5
"do what you want to whenever you want to" - Speed Trials
Otherwise not really my vibe
Adele
3/5
"Say Hello..." is a tune - didn't realise how much Self Esteem sounds like Adele (stylistically) until now.
"Hello" is bang average though
Songhoy Blues
5/5
Awesome! Totally punk rock in a completely novel way
LCD Soundsystem
5/5
James Murphy with a leccy guitar, how can I not give it 5 stars
Van Morrison
2/5
Bit of a yawn fest - highlight was a cover of someone else's song which kind of says it all
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
Wonderful album to put on in the background or sleep to - nothing remarkable stood out to me though
Fats Domino
3/5
Good fun album but again not much stood out as a takeaway song
The Cars
4/5
Quite like the cars, very creative & varied despite always sounding like them. Big fan
ZZ Top
3/5
ZZ Top are the kings of what they do, but this album struck me as quite same-y. Big respect but low score sadly :(
The Waterboys
4/5
Really really enjoyed this! Songs like 'You in the Sky' give off grandios Dylan's-next-door-neighbour vibes - the classic Celtic sounds peppered in made for a varied but not chaotic listening experience. Big fan!
James Taylor
2/5
Little on the lame side - not my vibe :(
Eurythmics
3/5
Really liked it actually, I suspect they smoked a lot of pot whilst writing it. Won't make it's way into my regular rotation, but loved how out-of-the-box this album is
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Really really beautiful album - heartfelt and honest. Thank you Joni!!
Solomon Burke
3/5
Fun album, had a good time listening to it
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Bless you Bruce, bit of a yawnfest though :(
Alice Cooper
3/5
Started off very vanilla but got kind of wild in the second half
4/5
Brilliant! Totally outside-the-box, no two songs sound the same. The kind of thing I'm here for
Deep Purple
2/5
Bit meh but I enjoyed it
Joy Division
2/5
Style over substance to be honest. I'm not sure why this album is considered so iconic
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Very cool! No idea what on Earth they were singing about, but really enjoyed how eclectic this album was
Raekwon
2/5
Maybe it's just not for me, but it was quite samey and no single track really stood out :(
The Auteurs
3/5
A bit meh to be honest - couple of stand-out songs but sounds an awful like lot an awful lot of other stuff
Coldplay
5/5
Before listening: Love love love this album, it was on regular rotation when I was a tyke, and I only revisited it recently. Expertly crafted with some truly phenomenal moments.
I want to give it 4 stars, but Yellow is one of the best songs ever recorded and ending with 'Everything's Not Lost' is such a great payoff it's a 5 from me. The guitars throughout are awesome, I just have nothing bad to say about it!
Charles Mingus
3/5
Enjoyed it, makes me wonder how an album like this logistically gets put together but otherwise not much to add
Baaba Maal
3/5
V interesting, not my usual thing but I did enjoy it
Deee-Lite
4/5
Very fun album, a few songs sounded very samey but it's so weird and eclectic I didn't even mind
The Go-Go's
3/5
Lovely album, feels like I've heard it before possibly because it was a trailblazer and other people made plenty of music that sounds just like it.
David Bowie
3/5
Thank you Bowie very cool!
Beck
4/5
Always wrote Beck off as being boring dad-rock, but he's made something really out-there with this album. Will deffo come back to it
The Darkness
5/5
Big fan of this album, not a bad song on it. The b-sides are strong too, could never give it anything less than 5
Killing Joke
3/5
The Modern Lovers
3/5
Fine
The Jam
4/5
Iron Maiden
4/5
Not my favourite Maiden album, but listening to it this time around was the first time I ever really 'got' it - really enjoyed
ABBA
4/5
ABBA really aren't a band for me, but this is a really brave effort. So many unusual sounds and styles all on the same album would typically be career suicide for most 'radio bands' but this is a really quality effort
Steely Dan
3/5
Quite impressed with this album! It's inventive and a good bit of fun
Fishbone
4/5
Read the description and thought "no way this will be any good" - I'm very happy to be proved wrong! What a treat this album is, totally unpredictable and a really brave effort.
Jethro Tull
3/5
I was really looking forward to this album! I love a bit of prog, but it totally fell flat for me. It wasn't a bad listen, but no single song really stood out. I'll revisit it one day but not in a hurry.
3/5
Morrissey
2/5
I think Morissey had a superbly distinct voice, but that's all this album has
Funkadelic
3/5
Fun album - shame it's not on Spotify because I would've listened through it a second time.
T. Rex
3/5
This feels like I'm listening to a regular 80s/90s rock album but I've done a tiiiiny bit of heroin
Linkin Park
4/5
Classic album, among the first that I ever really enjoyed
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Really took me by surprised - I'd always written off the Stones as not being my thing just because they're ancient. This album has totally changed my opinion. 50+ years down the line and this still sounds super fresh, every songs stands out as having something unique about it. I was sure this would rate reasonably low but I can't not give it 5*
The Pogues
4/5
On first listen I really like it - I mean The Pogues are legends for a reason. I've always had some disdain for Fairytaile... because it's a good song that's ruined by the Christmas setting. It fits neatly into this album, though. And having it on the same album as "The Broad Majestic Shannon" really highlights that. Toying with so many different genres really paid off as well, it's not a predictable album at all.
David Bowie
3/5
A brave album, very different from what I would expect from Bowie
Miles Davis
3/5
Nice - not the kind of thing I'll go back to often but what a serene day I had as a result!
Metallica
4/5
Never actually listened to this front to back, which is a cardinal sin for any metalhead. Really enjoyed it though, Metallica are at their best when they're experimenting and having fun. Orion really demonstrates that
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
I mean, it's got Simple Man and Free Bird on it, two of the best sing-alongs ever to have been written. That said, some of the rest of the album felt like filler, but when on the same LP as such big songs that's always bound to happen
Sade
3/5
Fun album, a little samey for my liking but I generally enjoyed the vibe
2Pac
3/5
Upon first listen this was a big meh for me. There were a couple of songs that stood out but largely felt like a 'safe' album.
Half a zoot and a moody sunset later and wowzers - still not a forever favourite but I can appreciate it much more now
5/5
I will vehemently defend this album - it's a great example of critics not knowing what they're talking about. Limp Bizkit were lightning in a bottle, and Chocolate Starfish... is their uncorking.
It...
Appealed to a generation of young people that were actively disenfranchised at the time (Full nelson)
Spawned smash-hit singalongs that are still played in bars and clubs today (Rollin', My Way, My Generation)
Captured the zeitgeist of the late 90s (Livin' It Up, Take A Look Around)
and draws towards its' conclusion with a performance so heartfelt that even its' cringiest lines are forgivable-at-worst (Boiler)
Whilst it's not its' generations Sticky Fingers or Blonde on Blonde it is something special that's too regularly cast off for being easy (wrong), unadventurous (wrong) or dumb (a little bit, but mostly wrong)
5 STARS
Deep Purple
1/5
I know this isn't a one star album, but I don't understand why exactly it's in here. Live albums can be cool, and DP are clearly a world class live act but I've heard a lot of these songs already in other albums on this list, and the audience clapping along drives me absolutely nuts.
Would have been awesome to be there live and in person, but sadly this was a dud for me.
Dusty Springfield
2/5
Not bad but not for me
The Band
3/5
I do like The Band, this album felt very authentic
Can
3/5
Interesting album, was great as background noise but didn't love it beyond that
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
I love reggae and I love Bob Marley but this album was just a little bit on the 'meh' side - I did enjoy it but nothing much stood out to me. Will definitely revisit it though
R.E.M.
3/5
I have a lot of time for REM - I like their general vibe, and no one else really sounds like them
Kings of Leon
4/5
I adore this album, but it's definitely picked up the 4th star based off of nostalgia
The Specials
3/5
Enjoyed this far more than I initially expected
Kanye West
2/5
This is a real exercise in separation of the artist from their art - I quite liked the album but Kanye West makes my blood boil so it's a low rating sadly
Goldfrapp
4/5
Great album, can't believe I'd never heard of this band before!
Beach House
3/5
Cool album, nice vibes!
Black Sabbath
4/5
Changes and Snowblind I mean what songs! Amazed I haven't heard this album before
Talvin Singh
3/5
I liked this - it's a pretty massive project and was quite well done but I didn't fall in love with it. Not a bad listen at all though
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
Good album, interesting choice to record it live
The Black Crowes
3/5
I've never listened to the Black Crowes before but they sounded super familiar, I can only assume that they inspired a lot of later bands
Beatles
3/5
The Beatles at their least interesting
Bob Dylan
3/5
I enjoyed this album but didn't finish it, will definitely return because Robert is a talent
2/5
Punk runs the world, but this album was a bit 'eh' - I'm not huge on live albums, particularly for bands I'm unfamiliar with.
The Byrds
3/5
Stereolab
3/5
Unusual album, I quite liked it
Nina Simone
4/5
Awesome vibe, enjoyed it thoroughly!
U2
4/5
I've always bought into the "U2 bad because Bono annoying" hype, but actually this album is class. Maybe it's my Irish bias but this album is varied, informative and passionate at heart. Will definitely be putting more U2 on in the future as a result
Supergrass
4/5
I actually discovered this album early this year and quite liked it - having heard Alright I initially wrote Supergrass off as being one of those douchey early 2000s flash-in-the-pan bands, but the rest of this album is really solid and Gaz Coombs seems like a nice guy so I'll happily give it 4*
TV On The Radio
4/5
This is the kind of album I'm here for! Music by musicians, not frauds chasing moneybags. Loved how bizarre this was, obviously a passion project - will tune in again
Queen Latifah
4/5
I really rate Queen Latifah, but I thought she started in gospel and had no idea she debut'd with a hip-hop album?? Either way I'm impressed!
The Doors
3/5
Supergrass
4/5
Two SUpergrass albums in one week - prior to this year I'd never listened to them at all but I've found that actually they're on the edgier side of the whole britpop fiasco - I can't say I hate that!
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
DJ Shadow
5/5
This album arrived exactly when I needed it, amazed I've never heard it before. Thoroughly enjoyed it, will definitely put it into regular rotation
Willie Nelson
4/5
Beautiful album, we don't deserve Willie
3/5
I do like Bowie but this album didn't resonate too much with me
Soundgarden
4/5
Big up Soundgarden - Chris Cornell is in my humble opinion the greatest rock vocalist ever to have lived. The emotion he spills into this album is intense, and the fact that something so heartfelt could still spawn so many hits is a testament to his talent
Robert Wyatt
3/5
Weird but I didn't hate it
The Band
3/5
Gary Numan
4/5
Synths!
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Thank you Amy very cool
The Cure
2/5
I like the cure but this was a touch too whiny for my liking
The White Stripes
3/5
Pleasantly surprised! Really enjoyed some of the deeper cuts, I can see why 7NA was the hit but solid effort
The Saints
3/5
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
I did enjoy this, but it was a bit mid
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Awesome stuff, amazed I've never listed to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs before now
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Better than I expected, had a Beastie Boys sound to it at times which was welcome. The singles definitely aren't the best songs on this album though
Alanis Morissette
5/5
Perfect.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
It's a lovely album, but I would never put it on of my own volition, except for maybe background music on Christmas day
Metallica
4/5
Superb, cohesive and changed metal forever
The Temptations
4/5
Top shelf, sounds super fresh
Stan Getz
4/5
Wonderful album, excellent vibe
Tom Waits
4/5
Awesome album, one I'd never heard of before, loved the general sound, all of the drums. Something about it really resonated with me, will definitely revisit
The Damned
4/5
This must be the 12th or so punk/hardcore album I e had so far and possibly the only one that is indisputably sonically unique. Loved how it leans into some more proggy and experimental genres
Def Leppard
2/5
I like Def Leppard and I didn't hate this album, but I feel like I've heard this exact album a dozen other times by other bands
Radiohead
3/5
This one is tough because I quite like the general sound of this album. However I can't help but feel that it's an album that was made to test critics rather than a heartfelt attempt at using music to express something meaningful.
I'm stuck at 3.5* wanting to round it up, but I think it's a bit too obnoxious and pretentious so it can't be a 4.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Classic, nothing to dislike really but can't say I'm infatuated
Elliott Smith
2/5
I really don't get the Elliot Smith hype, sorry! There's nothing much here that sets him aside from every other singer/songwriter I've heard. A couple of interesting songs but mostly fell very flat
The Rolling Stones
3/5
A couple of heavy hitters on this album but equally there's some filler too, so no real strong feelings either way.
Incredible that a band can put together an album like this considering the chaos going on in their camp, though. Commendable.
Country Joe & The Fish
4/5
Way ahead of its' time, cracking!
Dire Straits
3/5
Reading about this album made me really excited, among the best selling albums of all time and I'd never heard of it? Sadly I was a bit underwhelmed. It was enjoyable but there wasn't anything particularly iconic about it, even on my second listen it just fell a bit flat.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Parts of this feel like if the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were a post-rock band. Other parts felt like really fresh and original indie-rock. Not what I expected from a 35yo album???
Traffic
1/5
Sorry, Traffic. There's a reason I've probably never heard of you.
Simply Red
2/5
Simply not for me
Tito Puente
2/5
Muzak
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Awesome
Duran Duran
4/5
Adventurous, a fun listen
The Byrds
3/5
Super interesting album for the 60s - it feels really modern. At times almost like King Gizz meets Bob Dylan, balancing each other out to make something that's not super bombastic but distinctly unique in the landscape of pretty plain 60s rock and roll music.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Bit of a let down
The Associates
2/5
Tesco value 80s album
Jimmy Smith
4/5
I've had this one in my list for 13 months now, and whilst I'd listened to it a couple of times I never felt like I had anything to say about it, so never rated it.
However, upon what must be my 3rd or 4th listen I totally get this now. I don't have much of substance to say about it, but what an enjoyable experience listening to this album was.
The fella in my local chicken shops name is Sasni, but if it were Jimmy Smith I'd be there all day everyday.
The Black Keys
4/5
I wrote this one off almost immediately to be honest, but the longer I listened to it the more I realised that the BKs are actually quite a nuanced band, and not just another radio-rock outfit. I particularly enjoyed Black Mud - a Zep inspired broody blues song, shame it wasn't longer is all I can say!
Michael Jackson
4/5
I have a lot of time for MJ and this album is a great example of why. He was clearly superbly talented, and having been confined to the J5 box for so long this effort is him clearly expressing himself in his own way. I imagine he gets a lot of 1*s for reasons unrelated to his music, and being a talented musician doesn't absolve you of anything beyond just that, but I liked this album a lot.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Loved this, Jimmy is a force to be reckoned with. The intro really took me off guard, wasn't what I was expecting and he's so consistent - I don't have a bad word to say
Abdullah Ibrahim
2/5
Lovely background music but didn't do much for me besides
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
Lots of time for this band
Various Artists
4/5
Helped to have this on Xmas day - got all the classics and some other songs by women, made a nice change to Bing and Buble
Grateful Dead
3/5
I've yet to understand why Dead are so heralded. This album was fine, but nothing more so than that
Tim Buckley
1/5
Boring and too misogynistic for my liking
Kelela
3/5
Cool album, can't say it left much more of an impression than that
Eminem
4/5
Of course I got this right after claiming Tim Buckley is a misogynyst.
This is a super album, definitely music-as-art and whilst it clearly caused a stir and the debate about whether Eminem is a genius, or a sheep-in-wolfs-clothing still rages 10+ years later. I can't quite articulate why, but the 'hate' on this record is worlds away from the bad vibes I got from Tim. Eminem's controversy has always had a manufactured-film over it that I think makes it much more tongue-in-cheek, rather than an impassioned rage.
Anyway, this is a good album - considering it's his sophomore it's amazing to think that this was amongst some of the first things he'd put out. Easy peasy 4 stars, reserving that fifth one for Encore!
3/5
Never really got PJ - this album was good but nothing much really stood out to me
Kraftwerk
4/5
Big fan, felt a little samey at points but I think that's the intention
The Adverts
4/5
Great album, I've never heard of the Adverts before. Sounds super fresh even in 2024, classic but novel at the same time. Thoroughly enjoyed
Sepultura
4/5
Metal bias incoming - this album fucks. Sepultura have been on my periphery for a while but I've only ever heard them on shuffle. Arise proves demonstrably that they are a tight-knight unit that know what they're doing. I had no idea they were Brazilian too, so I've learned something today too.
Norah Jones
4/5
Equal parts fun and chill, very easy to listen to and likely I'll revisit it
David Bowie
3/5
This was a lot of fun, clearly a Bowie album but felt less like a lot of what I'd already heard.
Roxy Music
3/5
This was a good time, I really enjoyed how off-piste the second half of the album was. Zany at times, not enough albums are zany
Afrika Bambaataa
4/5
Awesome - this gave me nostalgia for a time before I was even born. I suspect plenty of the 80s movies I watched featured songs from this album. Overall it's a lot of fun, I'll be coming back to it
Pavement
4/5
This is what I imagine I'd make if I were casually making music with my mates. Super relaxed, lots of passion. Great album
Massive Attack
4/5
Wicked - plain as day how and why this album changed music. Some of the combinations of and approaches to sounds would be fresh today, let alone in 1991!!!
3/5
Super novel, well put together but I can't say I like it for much more than that
Nico
3/5
Snoop Dogg
3/5
Impressive for a debut album - some filler and not much stood out to me beyond the hits
The Beach Boys
3/5
I enjoyed this album, but there's something about The beach Boys (or maybe just Brian Wilson) that makes me feel sad
Bob Dylan
3/5
I've got a lot of respect for Bob Dylan, this album felt very sincere
King Crimson
4/5
Very cool album, considering it's from the 60s too. Got a bit pretentious and filler-y in the middle but it's bookended by two phenomenal performances so I'm quite pleased
Carole King
3/5
The Verve
4/5
This was very nearly a 5 - I'm not a fan of britpop whatsoever, but The Verve do everything so much better than the usual suspects in that genre. At times I thought the album had ended and an Oasis album had started playing, but then I'd tune into some of the more subtle sounds that were happening behind the main instrumentation and realise that it hadn't, and that Urban Hymns is simply '...Morning Glory' with far superior production, songwriting and (in my opinion) ambition.
George Michael
4/5
Ya know what, I didn't hate this.
Being a 20-something from the UK my entire experience of George Michael has been plagued by old women badgering the DJ to 'pop on a bit of George!' at events I'd much rather not be at, and it's always the same couple of songs.
This album was totally different from what I expected - I didn't love it per-se but it's certainly changed my position on what I think of GM as a songwriter and artist.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Blown away might be a bit of a stretch, but I was dumbfounded by how many Dusty songs I knew. I've had Dusty in Memphis come up already and only knew '...Preacher Man' - but I think 80% of the songs on this album had me going "Oh I know this one" or "I had no idea Dusty wrote this??"
Whilst it's not the kind of album I'll often go back to I enjoyed it for what it was, and it's opened my eyes to just how influential she is.
Paul Simon
4/5
Amazing! I've listened to Graceland once, but don't remember it well enough for it to have affected my expectations here.
I had expected this to be very forgettable, a little shallow and generally unextrodinary - why I expected that I don't relly know, but I'm so pelased to have been wrong.
From the off this album is full of heartfelt anti-wart sentiment, intricate (but not obnoxious) guitar playing, and a folky-bluesy undertone that really resonated with me. I listened to this twice and both times thoroughly enjoyed it. There's some filler, but it pales to the high moments of this album.
Tracy Chapman
5/5
Astounding! 36 minutes of succinct, berating social analysis. Whilst this is a heavy album, it doesn't feel like it at times. It's tragic that so little has changed in the ~50 years since this album came out, but it's clearly stood the test of time!
Manu Chao
3/5
This album reminds me of Joab, a Portugese migrant who joined my school and struggled to settle as it was very middle class and resistant to non-white people. As a result he was challenging to be around, but I hope he's doing well these days.
As for the album, it has a lot of character but isn't something that I'll be regularly playing.
Van Halen
5/5
Boom it's another 5 - there isn't a wasted minute on this album. VH know what they do best and they don't shy away from it. These guys reinvented guitar rock, but they don't spend 90 minutes parading around going "how good is this, corrrr bloody hell aren't we fuckin sick"
Kate Bush
2/5
I don't really get Kate Bush, which is probably more of a me problem than a her problem. Clearly she's very good at what she does, but I just don't think what she does is for me
Elbow
3/5
Cool album - Elbow always struck me as a bit of a dad-rock band from times-gone-by, but there's quite a lot more to this album than that.
Previously I'd have put them into a similar bracket to bands like The Killers, Stereophonics and maybe to an extent Kasabian, not stylistically but in the sense that they write simple songs for a wide-range of mostly radio listenders, but TSSK has a lot more going on in the background. There's quite a lot of nuance to this album, a lot of sounds going on in the background that you may not pick up on if you're listening passively. I'll definitely give them a bit more time.
The 13th Floor Elevators
2/5
I'm a big believer in 'definitely do judge a book by its' cover, however this album let that down big time.
I love psych rock and this album, at a glance, looks cool as fuck. I suspect back when this was first released in the 60s it was a great example of throwing the book out and blazing your own trail, but in the 21st century we're spoiled with so many better examples of those things. Rating it low on that basis may not necessarily be in the spirit of the 1001 Albums experience, but I just didn't vibe with this one.
Destiny's Child
4/5
Anapologetically 2000s - plus it's refreshing to listen to music by Beyoncé that was considered great based on its' merit rather than her status. Enjoyed this a lot, will definitely go back.
Little Simz
4/5
Wicked - Little Simz doesn't miss a beat nor does she waste any time on this album
The Avalanches
4/5
I love this, and am amazed it's never popped up on my radar before. Very rarely do I hear something and feel like it's actually proper original - I get that this album uses samples quite heavily, but despite that being a genre in-itself this feels super fresh, inspired and is just good fun.
I can't bring myself to give it a 5, though it would be an easy 4.5 if it were possible!
Public Enemy
3/5
Some interesting songs on here, but there's a lot of 'filler' and other stuff that feels pretty homogeneous. I love the energy and messaging, but the delivery just didn't hit for me.
Keith Jarrett
3/5
A nice listen, not something I see myself revisiting or falling in love with but pleasant enough!
Prefab Sprout
2/5
Meh! I'd heard of PS before, so went into this expecting quite a lot. As a result I found this record underwhelming - it never really goes anywhere or does anything interesting. It's fine to listen to, but doesn't inspire me to come back to it at all. Maybe I've missed something, but it's a regrettable 2 at best
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Interesting album, nice and varied - I always thought Echo.... were a modern band and sounded nothing like this.
Elton John
2/5
Elton John just isn't for me.
He's a global megastar because he knows how to get elderly people out of their seats and boogie in the aisles, but nothing makes me go to the bar quicker than an Elton single.
I gave this a fair shot - Tiny Dancer is 90% naff with a pretty good chorus. The rest is entirely forgettable trash that sounds exactly the same as the preceeding song, but without any novelty.
Truely, I'd sooner listen to a dog try and de-worm itself on a the Teletubbies Honky Tonk piano than put myself through this album again, a total waste of my time!!
Sorry Elton, nothing personal. I think you coming in on Eminem's Stan that one time was a very big dick move, but please stop making albums like this.
The Doors
3/5
I like The Doors, they're unproblematic
Eminem
4/5
I was all for giving this a 5 - Kill You, Stan, The Way I Am, Real Slim Shady - but there's definitely quite a bit of filler, and the album goes on for longer than I would have liked.
That said the good stuff is proper good - I'm not a huge hip-hop-head but I'd consider Stan one of the best songs ever written. I can't think of a song that does a better job of telling a story that's equal parts personal and social-commentary, plus it's only got more relevant with time AND it was a smash-hit. A song like that should have been an under the radar opus, but of course it was enormous, which is a testament for just how good Eminem is.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
Another let down - I'm a big fan of avant-garde and music that's a little more out-there, however this record was directionless. It wasn't bad, but even worse than that was it left no real impression on me whatesoever
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Didn't leave much of an impression sadly! No single song stood out much to me, and it's not the kind of thing I think I'd revisit
Gorillaz
5/5
I mean it's Gorillaz - how could it not be 5*.
0 filler, some of the most recognizable singles to come out of the 2000s. It's totally original, there wasn't much that sounded like this is 2001 and there still isn't much now. There's a gimmick that doesn't detract from the music. Most of the songs would still be smash hits if they came out today. Even the remixes at the end of the album (not on standard release but was on Spotify at time of review) add to the album, and don't feel like afterthoughts. Simply brilliant!
Stan Getz
3/5
Love a bit of Bosa, but I wouldn't say this blew me away any more or less than any other album like it I've heard
Santana
3/5
Not my usual vibe, but I did enjoy the fuzzy/psychy stuff in the middle of this album
Rod Stewart
2/5
It's a man and a piano
The Go-Betweens
3/5
Cool album, feels like the kind of thing I'd put on at the beach on a sunny day.
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
I enjoyed this, glad I stuck it out to the end despite its' length - the last song was a trip.
Johnny Cash
2/5
I enjoyed Cash's banter on this album but musically it was a big 'meh' from me
Scott Walker
3/5
Cool album, super original sounding, almost like if someone decided to sing over a video game OST
Madonna
4/5
Before listening to this album I never liked Madge.
Now I like Madge a bit - good show.
The Bees
4/5
This was a cool album, loads of stuff going on that you probably wouldn't notice unless you tune your ear into it. I'd never heard of The Bees, but am pleased to have changed that
Janis Joplin
4/5
I think Janis Joplin is very cool - I know that's a milquetoast take but I think it has to be said. I don't know why I think so, I figure it's because she's in the 27-club which is unarguable a very cool-person club to be a part of (second only to being alive)
As for this record, I enjoyed it. I didn't read way into the lyrics but it is clearly a journey. I have a lot of time for acapella efforts too.
Van Morrison
2/5
Not what I expected from Van Morrison, but still not really for me
MGMT
4/5
Realistically I think this is a 3-point-something but for nostalgia's sake it's going to be a 4.
To their credit, there are some really stand out tracks on this record - the hits obviously go hard, but some of the instrumentation on the other songs is quite unique and even sounds fresh after 20 years, so by no means is this one to sleep on.
Hüsker Dü
3/5
Clearly an album made by a few fellas who love making music
Portishead
4/5
Really enjoyed this, love a broody atmospheric album. Takes a few left-turns and makes some brave decisions that in my humblest of opinions definitely pay off
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
This is a lovely album, with some really fun songs on it. I didn't buy into the whole concept I suppose, much of the actual history was lost on me but it's obvious that this is a passion project.
Blur
5/5
I didn't expect this to be a 5 start album on first listen, but I'm fairly sure it is now. However, I think this is as good as Britpop gets. If '...Morning Glory' and 'DIfferent Class' are 5* albums this rightfully should be a 6. Some of the decisions made on this album are super brave, at times it's kooky and whimsical. It never feels like it's taking itself too seriously. Compared to the street-drug chic of Oasis, this record is a gem.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Radiohead
3/5
It's Radio-head, I get that it's good but there wasn't much that grabbed me. I respect a brave album but OK Computer may just not be for me
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Reggae touches my soul
Paul Simon
5/5
This could be the most subjective review I've written across 400+ albums..
I'm 6 beers down in a microbrewery. I've saved this album for over a year because my nan told me it was among her favourites and I wanted to give it my full attention (Google: oxymoron)
This album is awesome. It's varied. It's ambitious. It's woke, but not obnoxiously so.
It appeals to the UK Boomers - Call Me Al is among the most famous songs ever to air on Magic.fm. it appeals to my radical-left ass, sticking a finger to apartheid and celebrating being alive for the sake of sharing that life with others.
I think I'll look back at this record fondly. It's so far removed from my usual top-albums but I have a lot of time for this for those reasons.
Thank you, Al.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
There is not a universe in which I give an album featuring Bonham <5 stars - it just so happens that everything else about this album is a smash hit.
LZ win points for being an authentic band too. Putting hurdles in their own way, never caving in to pressure from the industry, making music because they want to rather than chasing the dragon.
Simply joyous
Neil Young
3/5
Better than I anticipated
Wilco
4/5
Really liked this - it reminded me of LCD Soundsystem at points. That said - I wasn't crazy about some of the country elements.
PJ Harvey
1/5
Blegh - this album whiffs of an artist intentionally creating a stinky album because they've won all of the awards and know people will eat it up - and y'all fell for it!
If that's not the case, then this record is just a mish-mash of nothing particularly inspired or inspiring.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Banging album, but gets repetitive in the second half
Cyndi Lauper
5/5
This is a delightful album - its bursting with positive energy, and really encapsulates an era where women were realising and fighting for their full potential. Despite that it's not preachy or in-your-face.
I was going to say that some of these songs gave me Bjork vibes and that Cyndi ran so Bjork could walk. But I don't think that pitting women against each other is in the spirit of this album
Motörhead
3/5
I like Motorhead, and believe that every industry should have a Lemmy Kilmister. I also know just how important Ace of Spades was in the beginnings of heavy-metal, and as a single it's simply phenomenal.
The rest of the album is lackluster though. MH are pretty famous for doing the same thing over and over again, and this album definitely reflects that. After the 3rd or 4th song it gets samey. Good samey, but samey nonetheless.
The Hives
3/5
I mean they're just a cool band aren't they? Not my new favourite band by any means, but definitely shifted up in my ratings
Soft Machine
2/5
File this one under disappointment - totally judged this book by its' cover and wasn't at all what I expected. Even having read the bio I thought it was going to be one thing and it was something else entirely. I don't think it's a bad album per-se, but even had it been labelled differently I don't think I'm as into experimental jazz records as your average participant
Adele
2/5
Wish she would crack a smile
The Police
3/5
Steve Winwood
4/5
I really liked this actually. Never heard of Steve Winwood or this album, but this feels like somebody has put the 80s into a can
Talking Heads
4/5
Sounds like it came out yesterday, despite the steel drums
Hole
4/5
Awesome - I think Courtney Love is a bit mental, but this is decent
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
3/5
Jazzy
Frank Sinatra
4/5
This fella gets about a bit doesn't he. Makes a good album but his todger must be rotten.
Eagles
2/5
This lbum falls off QUICK.
Hotel California, the single, what a masterpiece. Quite simply a masterclass in how to write a single that will still be heralded decades (and generations) after release.
The rest of this album is pants though. How can you go from /that/ solo to what is ultimately an additional hour of filler. Just release the single bro! Were it not for the single this would easily be 1*
Thundercat
3/5
I listened to this at least 5 times because I just can't work out if it's good or not. The instrumentation on it is fab, and clearly these musicians are far more talented than I could ever be. But it's not particularly cohesive, sometimes it feels like it's being weird for weirdos sake and Im just not convinced that it's /actually/ good.
I'm bumping it up to 3 because it's trying something new, and I imagine Thundercat is leaning into his (their?) strengths, but I just don't know...
Slipknot
4/5
Gosh this album takes me back to simpler times - listening to Sulfer and Psychosocial on ScuzzTV as I got ready for school. This album was among the catalysts that got me into metal culture - I paid 99p to have the album artwork for AHIG as my phone background for Pete sake.
It's super easy to pass over this album, particularly if you're not partial to metal, because it's abrasive from the offset. Slipknot also have a reputation for being ridiculous and definitely created sumething of a nu-satanic panic n the early oughts which maybe didn't help them much commercially.
HOWEVER - this album is dead good. It's probably Slipknots most accessible album - the singles are groovy and poppy at times. Minus the image, songs like Dead Memories could definitely have played on some of the big commercial radio stations (and probably did, I don't know I was too edgy to listen to the radio at the time)
I don't think it's SKs best effort. If you liked this album but didn't love it I'd definitely suggest trying some of their other stuff. If this album isn't heavy enough give their self titled a spin. If it's too heavy try Vol. 3. If you don't want to do that go and give the music video for 'The Devil In I' a watch before you close the book on them forever.
At any rate, I think you'll make a big mistake if you hear 'screamo' and skip this album after 3 songs. There's a lot more to it, but I will concede it's not for everyone.
Oh, and if you get a chance to see them live don't pass it up. It's a real Cirque du Horror, and not an experience you'll forget quickly.
De La Soul
4/5
Loved this, had a groove to it that no other album so far has had. Very very fun.
Janelle Monáe
5/5
This is music as art, but super accessible. Big fan!
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
My gut instinct is that this is a 5* album, but that's probably got a lot to do with me listening to this record to death in my formulative years.
Then I thought it was a 3* album simply steeped in nostalgia, but that didn't feel fair too. Admittedly this album is lightning in a bottle - considering that it's a /debut/ album made by a bunch of 20 year olds, AND they pioneered viral online marketing - a 3* would be very harsh.
It's a good album. The perfect length, good mix of upbeat and downtempo songs. The singles are raucous and the 'filler' is still pretty good. Have your 4* and be happy with it Alex.
Prince
5/5
Easiest 5 of my experience so far...
Let's Go Crazy is one of the best opening songs ever put to tape.
Purple Rain is one of the best closing songs ever put to tape.
Everything inbetween is joyous, plus Prince himself was a trailblazer, visionary and had the garb to boot.
If I were his manager I'd promote him to King.
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
It's fine as background music but didn't inspire me to revisit it
Talking Heads
3/5
The Talking Heads are a bit of me, but this felt a little lackluster. No single song really stood out to me - whilst I enjoyed listening to it as a whole I don't think I could recommend any one song to someone from it.
Aretha Franklin
3/5
A bit too Jesus-y for me at times, but she's got pipes and knows how to use them
The Sugarcubes
3/5
Jean-Michel Jarre
4/5
Brilliant album, unlike anything else on this list. Listened to it twice and got lost in it both times.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
I was going to mark this down because it felt like it just wasn't for me, but then Contusion came on and totally blew me away! Still, it's a bit long and about half of it just isn't music that I vibe with so it's a 3.5 rounded down.
Foo Fighters
4/5
I think Dave Grohl is one of the most fascinating musicians alive today. I'm a big fan of his, and of the Foos. Considering he wrote and recorded this whole album by himself at the tender age of 25 after having already been in one of the biggest bands in the world is beyond impressive. The fact that this album was also good is amazing. I do think the Foos have better material, but this album is a snapshot of a pivotal point in music history, and even if you're ignorant of why that's the case it's a great listen
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Wow! Simply put this is an album for music lovers by music lovers. Oozed heart and soul, and definitely deserves to be on this list.
Nine Inch Nails
3/5
Who hurt you Trent?
NIN are cool as fuck, but they never really blow me away. Closer and ...Pigs are classics, but there's a lot of similar sounding songs padding around that.
If you want a raw as hell album to have carnal sex to this is the one, but I'm hiding this CD when grandma gets in the car.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
This was going to be a solid two because the first few songs all blend into one and I began to tune it out, but then Amandrai came on and bumped it up. A 9 Min long blues song yes please!
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
What a wild ride
Pretenders
3/5
Punk rock for kids, good fun
Stevie Wonder
2/5
Underwhelming and very forgettable
Jeff Buckley
5/5
Hauntingly beautiful - I often wonder whether this would have blown up the way it did had Jeff lived longer, and whether he would have continued making boundary-pushing music or become a bit of a twat.
Either way we're blessed to have this effort.
The Who
3/5
Good old classic rock with some synths, what's there not to like?
Aerosmith
2/5
A very lame album. If it weren't for Walk This Way it wouldn't be on this list.
David Bowie
3/5
It's very middle-of-the-road Bowie
The Zombies
3/5
Better than a lot of McCartneys efforts
The Beau Brummels
3/5
Robert Dylan eat your heart out
Billy Bragg
3/5
Cool concept, a smidge forgettable but I liked the vibe
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
Unapologetically prog, cool shit.
Kraftwerk
4/5
Very cool
The Stone Roses
3/5
I liken this to vanilla ice cream, or margherita pizza. It's a bit bland, maybe even boring if put next to other better albums, but I do enjoy vanilla ice cream and a slice of margherita so I'm not complaining
Nick Drake
3/5
I've listened to too many poopoo Elliot Smith and similar artists to have been excited when I saw "singer-songwriter" but this was a pleasant surprise. A novel take on a genre that has been wildly overdone, I quite liked it
Metallica
3/5
'One' is obviously a masterpiece, and this album does have a smattering of other quality singles. But I don't think it's Metallica's best effort by far, and controversially I think Death Magnetic is more interesting
Joe Ely
4/5
I have no idea why this is on this list, but I'm glad it is. It's weird. It's experimental. It's everything country usually isn't, but at no point does it betray itself. I expected this to have come out of the 60s. It it's only a hair away from having been an 80s album! I expect Joe (only a Joe could have made this album) wanted to make the country album no one else had, and boy did he succeed
Coldplay
3/5
Pales in comparison to Parachutes, but very middle of the road Coldplay
N.W.A.
3/5
It's iconic, but is it actually good? The singles are what you would expect, but they're as good as this album gets.
Lorde
4/5
A masterclass in writing modern pop music
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
4/5
Funky Fresh
Boston
3/5
A lot of fun, but too reliant of the formula bruv
Electric Light Orchestra
2/5
Underwhelmed to be honest
R.E.M.
4/5
I liked this a lot, it's much more peculiar than any other REM stuff I've heard and I think it benefits from it
Napalm Death
4/5
As a metalhead I feel very comfortable in saying that this is utterly ridiculous, but it's so unique I have to rate it.
Tina Turner
2/5
Spiritualized
4/5
Really enjoyed this, my kind of vibe
Steely Dan
4/5
Fun vibes, way exceeded my expectations. Will revisit for sure
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Sledgehammer
Super Furry Animals
4/5
Blidning - realistically a 4.5* but I'll round it down just because the lack of an overall structure lets it down a smidge. I'm a big fan of how chaotic it is though. It gave me the same feeling I get when I'm walking through a fairground and there are always a dozen different things happening at once. Definitely deserves a second-pass
Miles Davis
2/5
Totally uninteresting
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
I /hate/ Come on Eileen, it's plainly a rubbish song.
I was pleasantly surprised by the rest of this album though. Far from what I expected it to sound like, it's ambitious and doesn't follow any kind of formula.
I don't like it enough to give it a 4, but I've changed my tune about DMR
Beastie Boys
4/5
Few do it like the Beastie Boys. This oozes cool, great listen
Kanye West
2/5
Entirely listenable but way over rated
The Cult
3/5
Pretty cool
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
This is easily the best album artwork I've had in 400+ albums so far.
The album itself is fine - it holds its' own, isn't too long and doesn't falter. No single song jumps out at me, but as an easy-listening experience it's dead good.
Richard Hawley
2/5
This didn't really do anything for me. It feels like it should have been recorded in the 70s, not the 00s.
I also got big "I love to go to the local karaoke and queue 6 Elvis songs back-to-back" vibes from it
Nick Drake
2/5
The instrumentation on this is pretty class, but that's all I really liked about it
Miles Davis
2/5
I don't think I could ever put an album like this above a 2. It's fine, makes great background music whilst I'm doing other things but try as I might I just don't get it
Sebadoh
4/5
Really cool take on indie rock. I can picture these fellas in their garage writing these songs. Raw and unrefined, good craic
Prince
4/5
Groovy baby
Joanna Newsom
4/5
After sitting on my Unrated list for well over a year I finally found out that this was on Amazon Music (which is a shite platform) and gave it a listen.
This album is SO not for me. The lazy comparison would be that this feels like that one Icelandic megastar, but different. I get why, but I think this is better than that. Saying that I hate the vocals is probably a bit harsh, but they don't do much for me. The instrumentation is what makes this album shine. It probably helped that I listened to it whilst walking through the woods at golden hour, but there is a lot to like once you get past those, frankly quite jarring vocals.
Hold off on judging this immediately, get through a few songs and look for what you do like rather than what you don't and I'm sure most people will find something positive.
Sister Sledge
4/5
I was surprised just how many songs I knew from this already, and blown away by how much fun it was. My expectations weren't high because I'd always considered Sister Sledge 'old people music' but this was a great record
Meat Loaf
4/5
This album is bumpy. Its' highs are 10/10 knocked out the park home runs. 'BOOH' and 'Paradise...' are the clear examples of that. There is a fair share of filler, some of which feels a little cringe, but mostly makes sense in the context of the rest of the album.
This is my mums favourite album ever, and she generally has disastrous taste, but this is one that I'm happy to say she has got right!
Jerry Lee Lewis
2/5
I bet being in this room was indescribable, but as an album it didn't do much for me
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Joni Mitchell is very cool, but this album was a little lacklustre
Skepta
2/5
I'm rating it this low very begrudgingly. UK grime is so good, and this is such a poor representation of it. The highlights of this album are all songs that were originally released as one-off singles, and it shows.
I think Skeptas brother JME is far more talented and releases much more interesting music than Skepta. Dizzee Rascal too. It's a shame because this album is a real nostalgia trip for me, and I don't hate it, but it should have been an EP and better albums could have taken it's place
Funkadelic
4/5
Imagine recording this album and then just fucking off
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
A bit of a shame this - I love the Pumpkins, and I was excited to get this album. Then I saw that it was 2+hours long, which made me lose my enthusiasm for it!
If this were just for disk 1, it would be an easy 4 - I love how even amongst all of the weird, against-the-grain music that was coming out of the 90s, TSP have such a distinct sound and feel.
I just can't get behind the volume of music that was recorded for this release. Soz!
The Blue Nile
3/5
I was going to say I'd never heard this before, but maybe I have and just assumed it was The Cure.
White Denim
5/5
Realistically this would be a 4.5, but I enjoyed it so much a 5 seems fair. What a gorgeous album. Reminds me of a scaled back King Gizzard at times, and an unhinged Cage The Elephant at others. Beautiful.
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
This album is fine - it's not particularly ambitious, but that doesn't mean it's a bad listen. At times it feels like a more subdued Smashing Pumpkins, and unusually the album starts to pick up towards the end.
Marty Robbins
3/5
Classic - Mart Robbins tells some fun stories but could do with mixing his style up here and there
Talking Heads
4/5
Wonderful. Every time I retuned my ear I could hear another layer of bizarre instrumentation, or something else interesting going on. This record is layered and complex, but so accessible and not at all pretentious. Bravo!
Barry Adamson
2/5
10/10 idea
4/10 execution
R.E.M.
3/5
The first couple of songs are great, but the record becomes pretty homogeneous after about song 4. Don't get me wrong I enjoy the sound of it, but it could have been an EP
k.d. lang
3/5
Not really for me, but it's a nice short listen and would make for great background music
Johnny Cash
1/5
Disclaimer, I really like Johnny Cash. I don't get these live albums though. This is the second one I've had on this list, both of which have been him performing at prisons. There's a lot of talking, and at one point he seems to get distracted and play the same song twice. Waste of my time.
Fiona Apple
3/5
If Joni Mitchell tried to make an Allanis Morisette album
Beastie Boys
4/5
Who knew there were this many genres?
Goldfrapp
4/5
Started off a little 'meh' but finds itself in the second half
Harry Nilsson
3/5
I was sure this was going to be a flop, but I was familiar with half the songs on it already. Not bad
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Having only heard Fortunate Son prior to this, I was blown away by just how modern these guys sound. There are times where they sound like Soundgarden and other bands of that ilk. Good fun
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Middle of the road prog
Fela Kuti
4/5
This is the kind of album I'd love to make if I had a modicum of talent
Ministry
5/5
Sometimes all you need is an album to repeatedly punch you in the face.
This is that album.
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
Knew this band for the hits but this album is a very cool foray into something much more interesting
Judas Priest
4/5
Enjoyed this a lot - I've never listened to much Priest but have a lot of respect for Rob Halford. I was a big Iron Maiden fan as a teenager, and this is very adjacent to some of their best work
The Cure
4/5
I am Cured
Klaxons
4/5
Pretty generic but the hits carry it
Beth Orton
2/5
Someone listened to Jagged Little Pill and The Lion and the Cobra and had ideas beyond their means
Richard Thompson
3/5
This album starts really strong but 2/3rds of the way through it tapers off..
Rush
5/5
I love prog, and have /just/ got back from ArcTanGent festival where I saw some excellent musicians play some really interesting music.
Yet no one competes with Rush - This album is nearly 50 years old and it's still more complex, interesting and impressive than most things you hear today.
Overture is a masterpiece, followed by some astounding complementary pieces of music. This album has no weaknesses. 5*
The xx
4/5
Awesome album particularly for a debut, especially considering so much of the indie-rock sound at this point was so homogenous. 'xx' really stands out and is a superb little gem
Joni Mitchell
3/5
What a beautiful record. Joni Mitchell has, I'm my opinion, a perfect voice. This record is varied, a little bit sexy and pretty relatable throughout. I enjoyed it a lot, but wouldn't put it in my regular rotation. It's a 3.5 realistically, but I can't give it a 4
The Allman Brothers Band
1/5
Okay. I didn't listen to the full album admittedly.
Live albums typically aren't for me. Judging by the first 30 mins of this album, the next 50 were going to be very similar and I just didn't care for what I'd already heard.
Justice
5/5
Incredible! This feels like a cornerstone of noughties dance - its clear as day that this was influenced by the likes of LCD Soundsystem, and feels like it went on to influence electronic, dance and maybe even dubstep music in the following years. Very big fan
The Beach Boys
3/5
Tender and introspective
Black Sabbath
5/5
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath Black Sabbath!
I'm so torn, this is a 4.5 if I'm honest. The quandary is whether we round up or down.
This album is unparalleled in many ways. Black Sabbath invented a whole genre with this very album. Metal music didn't really exist before this record was released. The Beatles and the Stones and some others experimented with some fucked sounds but this is THE album.
Black Sabbath isn't only the defining album of the whole genre, but Black Sabbath is also among the best opening songs ever. It's not followed by tripe either, it keeps pushing the boundaries of Rock & Roll and Blues music.
This should be a 4.5, but it's so delightful that I'm choosing to round up on this occasion.
Ozzy Osbourne shouldn't expect to be called delightful often, but it's an extraordinary enough occasion that I feel safe in my justification
Bob Dylan
3/5
This is very typical Dylan. I'd rate it lower, but no one is as consistent as he is after 30 albums, so it's a middle-of-the-road from me
Suicide
1/5
Is this a joke?
Megadeth
2/5
Megadeth, more like 💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩
On a more serious note... It's not unlistenable, but there are so many better metal albums that I feel like this album is aspiring to be, I'd rather just listen to those
Derek & The Dominos
2/5
I was really struggling to see why this album was on this list, then I found out it was an Eric Clapton project and it all made sense.
This album is too long, yet still manages to go nowhere. Go and listen to Cream if you want to hear a racist make actual good music.
Iggy Pop
3/5
This is a weird one - at points it's grungey, sometimes sounds like The Doors meets Bowie, other times it's ankle-deep in Britpop. Not something that I think I'd revisit but an interesting listen
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
Beatles
2/5
Wins the award for the worst opening for an album ever.
Original Beatles is so boring, I'm glad they grew some character but this is shite.
Guided By Voices
3/5
Interesting album with a unique mix
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
I am experienced, Jimi!
There's nothing I can say about this album that it can't say for itself, though I would remind people that he was 23 when this album was written and 24 when it was released. Unrivaled.
Deep Purple
4/5
Deep Purple are not boring
Smoke on the Water is boring
Deep Purple are very talented
Happy Mondays
4/5
This album turned my uninteresting Saturday into a Happy Monday
Bad Brains
3/5
John Martyn
3/5
Dramatic
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
It's Hendrix at his best, so it's 5 stars.
I do prefer AYE, but this is a fine follow-up
4.5 realistically but I can't deny Jimi his 5
Wu-Tang Clan
4/5
I don't think a more talented group of individuals have ever made music together. That said, I find that listening to WTC albums demands the same amount of attention as watching a film. As someone who listens to a lot of music passively I struggle with that.
This is possibly a 5* album but I feel like it was more like a 4* experience
Louis Prima
4/5
This is a lot of fun. I imagine getting drunk and dancing to this in the 60s would have been the thing of dreams
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Middle of the road punk music.
Helter Skelter was sick tho
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
I hate Thatcher so much I wrote a synth-pop album about it
Jurassic 5
4/5
This is a cool album - despite being a west-coast hip-hop album I think this does a great job of folding some of the best bits of East and South coast in there too. 'Hey' could have been an Outkast song.
David Bowie
2/5
Pretty boring for a Bowie album
American Music Club
3/5
This is a pretty good bluesy-rock album. I'm not infatuated, but if I could put together something like this I'd be chuffed
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
Awesome album, mostly really interesting use of sounds but verges on boring and repetitive at times.
The Charlatans
2/5
Me: Mum, can we listen to Oasis?
Mum: We already have Oasis at home
Oasis at home:
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
BIG is a 5* artist, but this loses points be abuse...
- it's a single issue album. Lots of "I do crime and shoot people" and not much else
- the Intermissions are a bit cringe, and as Diddly was involved I can only imagine that was his influence.
It's a good listen, and BIGs storytelling and flow are unparalleled, but this isn't an album I'll ever play front to back ever again
Sigur Rós
4/5
A gorgeous album that only suffers from its' length - It does go on a bit, and I get the criticisms about some of the songs not really 'going anywhere' but I think that's by design.
I don't think it's the best post-rock album ever made - I prefer my post-rock to be punchier and have a bit of edge but this is a nice deviation away from that.
Brian Eno
2/5
This is a typical mid-70s album experience.
I mean that not in a complimentary way.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Not my favourite LZ album, but this is clearly a demonstration of how they matured and found their sound. Great listen
Bad Company
3/5
Pretty good company for sitting in the pub and writing my wedding vows - middle of the road dad rock for sure, but I dig it
Tears For Fears
3/5
The Killers
2/5
This album is so aggressively bland.
Realistically it's probably a 3, but owing to the critical acclaim that it simply doesn't deserve I'm punishing it.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
I enjoyed this more than I expected I would
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
Very 80s, this time in the best possible way. An interesting album
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
More unhinged Nick Cave - delightful.
Not quite Murder Ballads but I've got a lot of time for this
Nirvana
4/5
I spent many years poo-pooing Nirvana, mostly because their fanbase is hollow and pretentious. However even I can't deny that this album isn't special - it's lightning in a bottle, and re-invigorated rock music in the 90s. The last 30 years of music would have undoubtedly looked very different without this record, so I will gladly concede that younger me was very wrong.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I've got a lot of time for ol' Robert, but having had 4 of his albums on this list now I feel like finding unique reasons to enjoy them is only becoming more difficult. He definitely found his sound, and it's remarkable that his 15th album is so listenable, I just wish it were more distinct.
Ice Cube
3/5
It was a good album
N.E.R.D
4/5
The André 3000 x Andy Samberg collab the world didn't know it needed
The B-52's
4/5
Very cool. /Almost/ sounds like The Talking Heads made a record with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Nirvana
3/5
I definitely preferred Nevermind, only having had it last week - but this is still a solid effort. I particularly like just how aggressively they go against the grain of popular music at the time. You wouldn't get 'Rape Me' onto an popular album these days
Arcade Fire
3/5
It's Arcade Fire
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
I'm conflicted. Yes this album is technically brilliant. But my tiny brain is too small to comprehend how or why. I've listened to it twice and I still don't really get it.
I understand that not being confined to the 'law of music' is awesome, and more artists should be braver with what they're making (I'm sure lots of drugs helped too) but that doesn't mean that this sounds good. At no point am I going to pick this album over literally any other when it comes to day-to-day listening, and I think you'd have to be an insufferable contrarian in order to do so. That said, I will challenge myself to revisit it another day and see if current-day me is actually a big dummy.
Good job Mr Beefheart, continue being fast and bulbous despite what the plebs say.
Kings of Leon
4/5
I really liked this - Only By The Night was a really forumative album for me, but I'd never delved into any other KOL material. This album whiffs of the mid 2000s, and generally has a really comfortable and content feeling to it that modern albums never seem to have.
Can
4/5
Absurdly brilliant
Rush
5/5
This record is a gateway drug. They reel you in with Tom Sawyer, then almost immediately rewire your brain with YYZ.
Rush are a tough band to get into. ~30 albums spanning almost five decades, but this is absolutely where to start. Even if prog isn't your scene, this album deserves a fighting chance because it's just so unapolagetic in what it sets out to achieve. If you don't like it, maybe you're right and prog just isn't for you. At any rate, this is a top-shelf effort and I would encourage anyone who even liked this album a little bit to give 2112 a spin too.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
I actually really liked this
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Deliciously smooth
Pearl Jam
4/5
Phenomenal album, a real turning point in rock music.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Delightful in a horrid evil satanic kinda way
Television
4/5
Awesome discovery, a really varied rock album - Despite being from the 70s it sounds like mid-2000s Indie. I reckon the likes of the AMs pulled inspiration from this record.
Portishead
4/5
Love love love this album. It's moody, it's unique. Simply brilliant
The Stooges
5/5
Loved this. Didn't expect to 5* it but honestly it blew my expectations sky high. What a fun, interesting album.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
1/5
I've listened to this three times and it just never makes an impression
John Cale
3/5
Dramatic
Creedence Clearwater Revival
2/5
I mean it's okay? But lacks even one song that stands out. Just totally didn't resonate with me
Björk
3/5
I don't love Bjork. She's clearly very talented, and this album is varied and interesting, but I'm not sure that it's actually that great
Kid Rock
2/5
I said I'd go into this one open minded, because hating it is the done thing, right?
It starts off actually pretty good. If you get rid of the self-mastabatory calling out of his own name, the opening track 'Batwitdaba' is actually a really solid nu-metal song. If Rage had released it, people would go nuts for it. Admittedly I unashamedly love nu-metal, so that commendation only goes so far for the average Joe.
Even the second song 'Cowboy' is worthy of credit - it's not trying to be anything other than what it is. It's corny as hell, but in an almost endearing way.
Aaaaaaand then the rest of the album arrives. By this point I was thinking "surely people haven't got this album so wrong??" and tragically I was right. What follows is some fairly decent instrumentation, some interesting ad-libs, sound effects and even choral interludes which make for an varied listen. Unfortunately all of that hard word is accompanied by misogynistic lyrics, truly awful usage of autotune and one part where a child brags about how big their dong is, so I can't defend it any more than that.
Is it the best album ever? No.
Is it the worst album ever? Definitely not - it's just the result of someone with mediocre-at-best talent being handed far too much money and attention.
Edit: Oh my God I just listened to the last song on the album why did he think this was a good idea????
MC Solaar
3/5
It's s a really fun, classic 90s rap album and fella is Hella talented
Bonnie Raitt
2/5
Songs 4 80s housewives...
Doesn't do much for a 28 year old male metalhead in 2024 NGL.
John Lennon
2/5
I was ready to give this 1-star because I think John Lennon is a bit of a wanker. But no, I did as I should and I listened to the album and am judging it on its' content.
This album is wanky. Imagine is such an awful single. If Jeff Bezos wrote a song telling you to give more money to charity he'd be crucified.
Oh Yoko! pissed me off - 4 minutes of wailing. No thank you.
He picks up the extra star for the Macca diss-track. That is based asf
Guns N' Roses
4/5
I mean, how could this be less than a 4? I doubt there is a more famous rock song than Welcome to the Jungle, and if there was one it would probably be Sweet Child O' Mine! This isn't wall-to-wall bangers, and it does come off a bit cheesy/cringe at times, but for a debut effort it's phenomenal.
The Specials
4/5
I may just have American-Singer-Songwriter fatigue but what a breath of fresh air this is. Ska, reggae, trip-hoppy unusual nonsense. I loved the first album, and despite what I read about the making of this one it /feels/ like a group of people enjoying music because they love it. The art really shines through.
I also adore the line "Spend and spend and spend and spend. Will the muzak never end?"
(International Jet Set)
Le Tigre
4/5
Absolute gold. A group of people pissed off at the world channeling their energy into art. Not your typical punk record, non-pretentious, fresh and alive.
The Pretty Things
4/5
More proof that the war on drugs was a bad idea
Elvis Costello
3/5
A cool, early take on punk music
Al Green
3/5
Smooth.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
If this album were a sandwich it would be a bread sandwich.
A slice of bread between two other slices of bread.
That's how this album made me feel
Soul II Soul
3/5
Cool vibes to bump and jive to
Solange
3/5
A good idea, poorly executed
Ray Charles
3/5
Genius? No. Still pretty good though
Green Day
4/5
I've always given Green Day a hard time. I love punk, but compared to the likes of the Dead Kennedy's and Fugazi, GD we're always too bubblegum instead of broken glass.
That said, this is a dead good record. Saying that punk is bad because it's accessible is obviously misguided - especially when the message is still pretty consistent.
I liked this a lot, and will definitely give it another spin.
The Roots
2/5
I've listened to this a few times and I just don't think it's for me - apparently it's not their strongest album, so fingers crossed for next time
Incubus
4/5
I'll pre-face this by saying I love this band, and wanted to give this 5* but I think 4 is fair.
Make Yourself is such a breath of fresh air. In the late 90s/early 00s there was a lot of boring rock music doing the rounds. Incubus are nothing if not innovative. This record is eclectic, anchoring itself with that grungey guitar tone, but pinging off in every direction in order to keep things fresh. Songs like Stellar, Make Yourself and Pardon Me are the perfect rock songs, in my opinion. Battlestar Scralatchtica is an awesome interlude, and Drive is the perfect lead single for an album like this.
I do however think that there are better Incubus Albums - if you liked this then definitely try Morning View. That's an easy-peasy 5* album. As a nu-metalhead I would also give S.C.I.E.N.C.E 5* but I know that's a more controversial opinion.
At any rate I'm glad this album is on this list, and thoroughly enjoyed revisiting it!
Beastie Boys
4/5
Lightning in a bottle - RATM meets Wu Tang Clan. This experience can't be faked
The Isley Brothers
3/5
Smooth
U2
3/5
Gesundheit
The Kinks
2/5
I don't know who Walter is and I don't think I care much for him
Dr. Octagon
4/5
Chad music for virgins
ZZ Top
3/5
EVERY lady is crazy about a sharp dressed man?
EVERY one??
Doubt.
New Order
3/5
Synths coming out of every hole
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Short, sweet and sultry
Sisters Of Mercy
4/5
Spooky, but not Thatcher spooky
Mj Cole
3/5
A fun bit of RnB
John Prine
3/5
If I wanted a cosy, southern country album this would be a 5* effort. I almost never do, though...
Elvis Presley
3/5
I've never actually listened to an Elvis album, and prior to hearing this I don't think I could even have named one amazingly.
I do find a lot of his stuff pretty samey - I didn't dislike it but a few songs on this album could easily be confused for others.
The few songs that do stand out are the hits, naturally. Even those didn't leave a massive impression on me. I'm hoping for some more interesting Elvis in the future!
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
Wonderfully dreamy
Madonna
1/5
This might be harsh, but I have a head-cold and this album has gone straight through me.
After the first couple of songs I did start to question whether it was me or the music - then that horrid autotune song came on and she started singing American Pie and I've concluded, as ever, Madge is the problem.
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Very enjoyable plinky vibes
Pulp
4/5
If Bowie wrote a poverty-musical
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
I just don't /get/ it
T. Rex
3/5
Orbital
4/5
Fab
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
Easy listening
Khaled
1/5
Not my tempo at all, and then he started singing Imagine and I bailed - unforgiveable.
Radiohead
1/5
I'm actually offended at how bad this album is.
Imagine you're the biggest band in the world, right in your prime, and then you release this tripe. 45 minutes of Thom Yorke dribbling over some awful electronic mess.
This album should have been titled 'Hubris'.
Why on Earth did this reach no. 1? Because 900,000 dorks were told 'Radiohead are a good band' and gobbled this shite right up. Just because the nerds say an album is good, doesn't make it good.
I'm angry on behalf of all of the small musicians that were overlooked because everyone was wanking over this album, instead of using their ears and their brains.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
1. Amy on Frank compared to BiB are w different singers
2. That this came out when she was 19, reality TV was curating talent and she had 3 labels fighting over her!!
It's nice to hear some AW that isn't the overplayed singles the UK was plagues with. Good effort
Saint Etienne
3/5
Chill vibes to get the tube to
Bauhaus
3/5
Bowie skipped his sertraline
Leonard Cohen
3/5
It's a fine album, but no single song jumped out at me and it goes on a bit
The Police
4/5
Equal parts classic, inventive and a lot of fun
Billy Joel
3/5
Man plays piano but never mentions the piano man
Nas
4/5
For something we'll out of my usual wheelhouse I really enjoyed this
Michael Jackson
4/5
I unashamedly love this album - I remember getting the 25th anniversary edition of this on my 12th birthday and played it to death.
That said, I'll acknowledge he's a problematic artist and whilst we may never know the truth behind those controversies, it's fair to say that musically MJ was a genius.
The run of Thriller/Beat It/Billie Jean is *perfect*.
The Girl is Mine is a big stinky pile of cringe though - I would probably attribute that mostly to Macca.
...Startin' Something and PYT are awesome songs that balance this record out, so overall it's a solid solid effort, with a couple of 'eh' songs and one I'd skip altogether.
The Sonics
3/5
I don't understand why the reviews for this album are so mixed - it's just some fellas having a blast playing music in their garage. Did they reinvent music and change history forever? Probably not, but it's short and sweet, and full of character and energy
Missy Elliott
3/5
Some excellent songs on here
The rest are a bit swing-and-Missy
Cee Lo Green
1/5
I listened to this for maybe 15 minutes, which is maybe 15 minutes longer than it deserves.
I don't know much about CLG, or how he 'became a musician' - but this record stinks of some dude that has loads of money, loads of connections and no material talent.
I imagine plenty of other people realised that too, which is why he started recording under the Knarles Barkley name instead?
Oh also he enjoys abusing women.
Donovan
3/5
Donovan, I bet you WHIFF - but your attitude is spot on, I get the sense you're a proper hippie who is genuinely out there making art, not milking every bit of fortune and fame the industry has to offer.
Just buy some deodorant bruv,
Haircut 100
3/5
Ultimately I can't say I love the genre much, but what these lads have done with it is class.
Equal parts corny and horn-y
3/5
Loretta walked so Dolly could run
Cornershop
3/5
This one is odd. I admire it for trying to be totally unique, but I think as a result it's quite chaotic. At times it sounds like an Indian prog-indie record, then the next song sounds like a Blur or a Kooks b-side. I don't dislike it at all, but it's not exactly an easy listen
Primal Scream
5/5
This will never be my favourite album ever, but I think having given it a fair crack it's just about a 5*
It's varied, complex, nuanced - it takes you on a journey. I can totally see why this was the big acid/LCD soundtrack in the 90s. Totally deserves the iconic status it has, in my opinion.
Weather Report
4/5
My friend Max sometimes listens to the worst jazz you've ever heard - almost like it's been made to intentionally offend me
This album isn't that, this is great fun and I really enjoyed it.
Do better, Max.
D'Angelo
2/5
It's an R&B album. It's smooth, it's sultry, but it's boring.
Crowded House
3/5
I'm inclined to say the reviews for this album verge on harsh. Are Crowded House reinventing the wheel, burning down record stores and inventing new instruments? No. However, this album is fine - it's easy to listen to, doesn't try too hard but has it's quirks and interesting moments. Safely a three.
Malcolm McLaren
3/5
I do think this is an interesting album, and it's nice to get some real variety - however I saw the comments about 'musical colonialism' and I'm inclined to agree that a bunch of white-British people getting together to 'bring international music to the masses' does whiff of privilege and virtue-signaling.
It's either just above or just below a 3*, so I'll middle it out
Throbbing Gristle
2/5
I love weird shit but wtf is this
Os Mutantes
4/5
This album is cute - not my usual vibe but it's a pleasant listen. Would recommend.
Spiritualized
3/5
I have a lot of time for Spritualized, but this is far from their best effort. It's fine - makes for some good ambient background music but doesn't ever make an attempt to do anything really significant.
If you thought this was interesting, delve into some of their later works, but don't judge them too harshly on this debut effort.
The Shamen
2/5
Suspiciously French sounding
Peter Tosh
5/5
I /love/ this album. I also /love/ to get stoned. Those two things are totally unrelated
Paul Revere & The Raiders
2/5
More generic 60s pop-rock. Totally forgettable imho
Tom Waits
4/5
This album STINKS of red wine and cigar smoke.
I like it though, it's charming and has a unique energy. I can imagine Tom sat in a bar writing most of these songs on the back of a napkin whilst Roxy Music plays on a jukebox.
AC/DC
3/5
Way better than Back in Black - it's still turn your brain off pub rock, but is far more adventurous
Leonard Cohen
4/5
I can taste cigarettes when listening to this album.
Leonard is a master of 'less is more' - there's so much breathing room in this album but it's so well executed.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
Totally forgettable
Eric Clapton
2/5
I was going to give this 3* just because it's middle-of-the-road American guitar music. Clapton himself leaves me very conflicted, which I wasn't sure whether I should take into consideration. I had a look at the reviews and I think I'm in good company, so I'm docking him points for being a waste of skin & bone
William Orbit
3/5
"Yes, hello. I was wondering if you could play that song again."
"Hmmm, which one, man?"
"The one that goes "Bee-boo-boo-bop, boo-boo-beep.""
"No, man, you're thinking of "Bee-boo-boo-bop, boo-boo-bop.""
"Bee-boo-boo, boo-boo-bop? [garbled telephone noise] Bee-boo-boo-bop? [garbled telephone noise] Boo-boo-bee-bop? [garbled telephone noise] Not "Bee-boo-boo-beep"? [garbled telephone noise] Bop? [garbled telephone noise] Beep?! [garbled telephone noise] Boo-boo-bop?!"
[SpongeBob screams.]
Bee Gees
3/5
A valiant attempt at pushing the boundaries - its not their best work, but I think we should encourage more bands to make the music that they want rather than the music people expect to hear
Big Black
4/5
I bet all of the 1 star reviews are from Old people that angrily shake their fist whenever they see young people having fun
It's a bunch of kids making art in their garage. Does it sound like shit? Kinda, yeah. But that's the charm, and we wouldn't have your favourite band were it not for albums like this
Machito
5/5
This really isn't for me at all but I fucking loved this album
The Prodigy
5/5
Boom, easy 5* for me.
I totally get why other people might not like the Prodigy, particularly this album. It's abrasive and in your face, but it's trying to be. Not every album has to be 'beautiful', 'soulful' or a 'thoughtful masterpiece' - sometimes you just need punching in the face.
"Yes, but so many people make music like that, why is this one 5*?"
Virtually everyone that has made albums like this after the Prodigy did it worse, or said that they never would have been making music we're it not for Liam, Maxim and Keith.
Jilted... Isn't just an album, it's a cornerstone in music history
The Byrds
3/5
Eh
Jeff Beck
2/5
Hendrix for plebs
Don't get me wrong, Jeff Beck is talented, way more so than I am, but what is this if not a bargain-bin Jimi album?
And why is Rod Stewart here?? Jimi would never.
Milton Nascimento
3/5
Not my bag, but makes for great Muzak whilst I bang out my spreadsheets
Van Halen
5/5
Plainly, this is a joy to listen to.
The reviewers that rated this 1-star because they hate hair metal are brain-dead, and should broaden their perspectives.
Whether this is your usual poison or not, you don't need to be a genius to recognise that these fellas are wildly talented with their respective instruments. I can see the smiles on their faces as I listen to it. They obviously love the art they're making
If you did rate this low - go back and listen to Girl Gone Bad again. Reeaally listen to it. Then go back to the hits, and read your review again. If you still don't feel like a knucklehead then this project clearly isn't for you
Einstürzende Neubauten
3/5
I really want to rate it higher, but I don't love it enough for a 4.
I can totally see why this is so low rated, this is so far removed from Paranoid Android, 1989 and Master of Puppets that it will alienate al.ost everyone
But what's the purpose of this list if not to showcase the bravery of these Germans? No I'm not listening to this outside of this project, but I'm glad that I have listened to it and it will remain one of the most memorable albums on the list. Way more interesting than anything that Rod Stewart is involved in
Parliament
3/5
Funk me
TLC
3/5
Kinda sexy, mostly cool. Virtually no crazy
The Cramps
3/5
The Doors on sertraline
Lauryn Hill
2/5
R&B has to be really special for me to like it, this just isn't it
The Coral
4/5
There is egg on my face. I assumed this would be radio-rock rubbish. I know and enjoy the single Dreaming Of You and assumed that this would be a classic one-hit album.
I'm glad I gave it a chance, The Coral is so much more interesting and adventurous than the hit would lead you to believe! The Doors' influence bleeds through basically every moment of this album, but they're in no way just trying to be a sequel to that band. I enjoyed this a lot
U2 write some good hits, but the rest of this is pretty dog.
That bit when he's singing about "peeeeeaaaaccee on eeeaaaarthhh" made my skin crawl. Very wanky.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
I was surprised to find this album on the list! I do adore this album. In my eyes James Murphy deserves more credit than the likes of Thom Yorke and Macca.
That said, this is the weakest LCD album in my eyes. It's still gorgeous, don't get me wrong. 'oh baby' is a perfect opener, and 'how do you sleep' is simply gigantic in stature.
I think it suffers from sticking to it's vibe a bit too rigidly. I would have enjoyed a bit more variety. The other three albums are definitely more ambitious.
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
Maybe 2* is unfair, because there's nothing really wrong with this album.
My problem with it is probably that it sounds like some people just did a load of drugs and tried to make a Bowie Album. Drugs and music are a bit of a match made in heaven, but this is a swing and a miss.
Maybe they weren't on drugs, in which case that could be the problem. Who knows.
Grizzly Bear
4/5
Ultimately I think there is only so much you can do with dreamy-indie music, but these guys have done a great job. This album is very pretty, it's spacious, and isn't just a rehash of every similar album that precedes it. Quite nice.
Tangerine Dream
3/5
This is a tough one to rate. It's actually a really pleasant listen, I can see why it was so popular. However I would never willfully put this on again, so I can't rate it that highly.
Dagmar Krause
3/5
I'm conflicted. It's a weird album, but I can tell it's really clever. Does it make it enjoyable? Not really.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
I feel like this would have been a really exciting album to have experienced upon release, but sitting among so many other similar albums on this list it's quite easily forgotten. I did enjoy it, but can't rater higher than 3
Daft Punk
2/5
I was really excited to get some Daft Punk, but this album is a bit of a dud. 'Around the World' is a fantastic single and is deserving of its' plaudits. The rest of Homework is frankly boring.
Every band has to start somewhere, and DP obviously went on to make some phenomenal albums after this, but this one is /stinky/.
Living Colour
5/5
This album is so much fun. Opens with a song that could be mistaken for Alter Bridge covering Nickelback, then flies straight into Rush had they written a song for the GTA Vice City soundtrack.
It's forgivably cheesy, isn't trying to be something that it's not and even the weak songs are vey listenable. An easy 4, but a somewhat worthy 5
Faust
2/5
Not my bag - it was fine as background music but nothing stands out and I'd never realistically revisit it
Chicago
4/5
A solid, clearly Hendrix-inspired rock album. Way more interesting than a lot of stuff I've heard come out of the late 60s/early 70s. Enjoyed this quite a lot!
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
1/5
I used to have this awful uncle called Tom who was a pitiful alcoholic. This album reminds me of him.
Death In Vegas
3/5
Interesting but ultimately forgettable
George Michael
2/5
I actually didn't like this. It's very confused. One song sounded like he was trying to be Bowie then the next, Michael Jackson. Faith is a certified tune, but the rest of this is fodder
Digital Underground
1/5
I went into this project telling myself that I would listen to everything and give it a proper chance - this is the first album (#542) that I just can't do that for. This does absolutely nothing for me.
Sugar
4/5
I really like this. It's raw and edgy, but not in a lazy or cringe way.
Buffalo Springfield
4/5
I largely enjoyed this album - it's a little slow and repetitive at points but when it shines it's bright and beautiful.
Radiohead
2/5
🙂
The National
3/5
This album is fine. This kind of rock music should be right up my lley, but having listened to this effort a couple of times it just doesn't do much for me.
It's not awful, but shouldn't be anywhere near this list.
If you did enjoy this album, I would suggest listening to Manchester Orchestra who are in a similar vein, but make much more interesting albums.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Beautifully solemn but nigh on impossible to revisit
fIREHOSE
3/5
This is a fine album - I disagree that I had to hear it before I died but I'm glad the generator has thrown another album my way that I likely never would have heard of
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Ngl I think Elvis Costello is the most overrated musician alive
3/5
Jazz but not cringe
Les Rythmes Digitales
4/5
A great listen - I'd never heard of LRD before this, but found some of the songs on this record to be really familiar so they must have made a splash.
At times this felt like old school LCD Soundsystem and Daft Punk - I can only imagine that these guys were all listening to each other. What a moment in time.
Will definitely revisit this
Ray Price
3/5
Cheer up, cunt
Madness
4/5
I've never loved Madness - they verge on cringe and suffer from having a sound that's so specific I feel like they get stuck in the loop of making the same stuff over and over again.
That's what I thought going into this album, but actually this is a pretty exciting listen. It's clearly Madness, but feels like they've pushed the boat out a bit more and aren't writing for radio. Colour me impressed.
Ash
4/5
This record is equal parts grungey and preppy - like a depressed cheerleader. Big fan
Miles Davis
3/5
It's a trumpet and an organ
Dexys Midnight Runners
5/5
Boom, there go my expectations. Blown to pieces! This album is so cool, it reminds me of the modern band HMLTD - a group of outcasts who come together to make a racket and have a fucking blast doing it.
Paul McCartney
3/5
I've never understood the Macca hype. This is a good album, it's got some interesting bluesy parts scattered about it and maybe 50 years ago thisreally was amazing - but it's mostly forgettable, no single tracks stand out and I'm not drawn to listen to it again.
It's simply not for me, but it was short so I'll chuck it an extra star.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
This is a pretty good introduction to that late 90s trip-hop scene. It's not as fully-formed as the likes of Massive Attack or Portishead but fits nicely alongside them, and it admirable in its' attempt.
Depeche Mode
4/5
This album made me want to snap Bo Burnhams neck
Pantera
3/5
Separating the artist from the art is always something I struggle with - this is one of those cases where it's particularly difficult.
This album feckin rips. It's hard from the beginning and doesn't relent. The guitar work on it is beautiful and really makes it shine. It's novel, and stands apart from other metal albums in the same era.
I do think Pantera are a great example of a band that should have quit while they were ahead though. Famously they fell apart because they hated each other. Dimebag was murdered, and then Phil went full-on Nazi. Unforgiveable.
It's not the first album I would recommend to a budding metalhead, but I do think it's an excellent signpost that could point you in the direction of the kind of metal you might like because it does an awful lot.
All-in, I really like it, but I can't award it more than 3* because of the 3 decades of controversy
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
4/5
I /just/ listened to Trout Mask Replica, so the timing of this is excellent.
I like this much more - this isn't a review of TMR, but this is unquestionably the better album if we were comparing. It's almost incomparable, and I only am as both are Beefheart albums, but where Trout... is lauded as maybe the better 'art' I think this is where the Captain's talents are maybe better placed.
This is very accessible, varied and interesting - big fan!
M.I.A.
4/5
Cool record - MIA is totally unique, no one else sounds like her. I've got a lot of time for this
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Fine, but quite samey
Kacey Musgraves
3/5
This is a fine album - I don't /love/ country, but the pop on this record is pretty good.
I felt like it was missing something, then as soon as it ended 'Solar Power' by Lorde came on and I think I realised that Golden Hour just doesn't have the same character that we've become accustomed to.
Perhaps Kacey walked so that Lorde could run.
Tom Waits
1/5
I admire Tom Waits for his bravery, but this was trash
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
2/5
Alex Harvey is mid
The Who
3/5
The songs on this album are okay, I don't love them. But the presentation if this whole thing is spectacular!
The Byrds
3/5
Classic mid-60's jangly rock. Pretty fun but didn't blow me away at all
Sleater-Kinney
5/5
This is cool as fuck. It sounds like Alanis Morisette spent her teenage years getting stoned with Chris Cornell whilst listening to Joan Jett and Janis Joplin albums. Proper intense, raw as can be and so easy to enjoy. Hell-fucking-yes!!
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
I expected to hate this album - Italian jazz strikes fear into my heart. But this was actually really interesting. It's equal parts melancholic and zany. Not something I get to say often
Aerosmith
2/5
Disappointing. Aerosmith at their best are pretty good, but this album is the same song on repeat for 35 minutes.
Carpenters
3/5
This is a very pleasant album, but I think that's all it is. It's not trying to break the mould or push any boundaries, but it's very easy to listen to if not a little drab at times.
I'm glad I heard it before I died, but I doubt I'll hear it again
Curtis Mayfield
5/5
Cool as fuck
Joy Division
1/5
A precious hour of my life I'll never see again
Lupe Fiasco
4/5
Cool album - Daydreamin' is a fantastic song, and the rest of the album is totally listenable. The content is admirable, but I can't see past the Kanye influence and that god-awful Outro.
This probably sits around 3.5 so I'll generously round it up to a 4
The Pharcyde
4/5
Genius
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
This is a beautiful sounding album, but it feels like it's trying to do something profound but ultimately comes off as very hollow
X-Ray Spex
4/5
Spex brought the horn and made me angry \m/.
Fred Neil
3/5
Errs on bland, but when it's good it's really good. The final track is 8 minutes of gorgeous instrumental composition - maybe if Freddy did more of that I'd have heard of him before
Nirvana
4/5
I'm not a massive Nirvana fan, I'm not convinced they would have stood the test of time were if not for KCs untimely death.
That said, this is very good - leaning away from their biggest hits, dropping in some tasteful covers, reeling in the whole manic-depressive identity. It sounds so far removed from what you would expect from Nirvana, and maybe that's why it works so well.
I do wonder what Kurt would have been like had he lived longer. I suspect he would have become a massive douche, but listening to this makes me think that maybe I'd be wrong. Fair play.
Ravi Shankar
4/5
Ya know what, I was sure I wouldn't enjoy this, but I was totally wrong. The music on this album is really really good. Maybe a little understated at times, but it's really apparent that this was made for a western audience. If the educational sound bites weren't enough, then the simplicity of this album should surely be enough to make it clear that it's trying to draw in an atypical audience.
I liked this a lot. It did feel like I was watching some of those weirder scenes from Courage the Cowardly Dog at points, but I found it very charming
Röyksopp
3/5
I'm ready to be crucified for not 'getting' this album, but it does feel like a CD you'd get with an early 2000s hip-hop magazine.
Dire Straits
5/5
There's nothing dire about this
Bert Jansch
4/5
Cool album - gave me Scottish Dylan vibes. Quite enjoyed
Jazmine Sullivan
4/5
A fresh R&B album, affected by Andy P's Midas touch!
Flamin' Groovies
4/5
The Stoned Stones
The Undertones
3/5
Adolescent 1980s pop-punk. Beat for beat what I expected from an album of that description. It's fine.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
This is a tough listen. Not really enjoyable at all, but I /think/ that's what it's trying to be
Coldcut
3/5
Starts really strong but tapers off - I didn't really care by the end
The White Stripes
3/5
I don't get the WSs. They sound like a privately educated Nirvana - some of the grit but none of the soul. It's fine, totally listenable but I just don't believe it.
The Clash
3/5
Punk had to start somewhere. It's probably unfair to judge this so harshly /because/ so many better albums followed it, but this isn't really that interesting. There are two dozen albums I would pick to listen to before this one, but I'm glad I've spun it at least once
Cowboy Junkies
4/5
Looking at the reviews for this I think it's been judged a bit harshly. In my opinion it's a beautifully put together and well considered album. It's not blowing the roof off of any venues but it's not trying to. Even the criticisms about it being 'just another blues/folk/country' album I don't think are fair. There's a lot of nuance in the way it blends those genres, plus others.
It's not going to be on my regular rotation but I did really enjoy it
Morrissey
2/5
Yeesh
Peter Frampton
2/5
He might be excellent at what he does, but Peter Frampton's live albums don't do much for me I'm afraid
Brian Wilson
4/5
This album has big swansong energy, but the fella went on record 6 more albums after this. I'm curious about the history behind it, you can't mention Smile anywhere without people talking about the backstory, so I'll be sure to go and watch the doc. But just off of this alone it's an easy 4.
Godspeed you, Brian Wilson!
Underworld
4/5
Having O my really heard Born Slippy before this I was expecting an assault on my ears, but this is actually a really nuanced album. It's almost like jazz for racers. Wicked.
Elvis Costello
2/5
Much like this experience, every 4th dream I have has an Elvis Costello jump-scare.
Jokes aside, I just don't understand this fella. It sounds like the kind of generic rock music you get in cartoons. That's probably a testament to just how influential Elvis 2 is, but I can't get behind it.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
I have to say I'm underwhelmed by this album. Loveless is a masterpiece , but mbv is a bit too light and airy for my liking. I love a long slow burn of a song, but there's rarely any payoff on this album
Eagles
3/5
This is so much better than the Hotel California album
GZA
3/5
Hippity Hoppity
Liz Phair
3/5
I want to say something clever, like how groundbreaking the social commentary is or that the political incandescence of this album burns with the rage of a thousand stars...
...but I can't think of a better way to describe this record than "it's like eating dry bread. It's bland, and doesn't excite any of my senses, but sometimes I eat it anyway"
Pentangle
3/5
Ba ba ba do da da
Miles away from my usual rotation but very enjoyable
Wild Beasts
3/5
Arctic Monkeys if they were born with depression instead of developing it as adolescents
The Fall
1/5
What on Earth was this
The Libertines
2/5
This is a very confused album. One song will sound like an adolescent tantrum that would be right at home in the soundtrack for Skins. The next is a swingy jazz inspired call-and-reslonse number. If I were in a drunken stupor I may feel differently
Neil Young
3/5
I don't love Neil Young, I think he's a bit whiny and derivative. That may be because this album is 55 years old and everyone and their nephew was inspired by it, but I'm not sure.
It's an okay listen, great vibe and politically conscious - I'm just not enamored I'm afraid
The Only Ones
3/5
This is a solid album - raw and ready, yes the vocals are naff but it makes up for that in the execution of its experimentation
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
Not bad for an archduke
The Smiths
3/5
If meat is murder then I am the Son of Sam
Roxy Music
2/5
Lol?
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
Wooooooo
Ozomatli
3/5
Very cool album, shame it's not available to stram - even the YouTube playlists are missing half of the album. I liked what I heard though
Slayer
4/5
Simply put, this is the best thrash metal album ever made. I can totally understand why it may not be your cup of tea, but it's undeniably brilliant.
Opening the album with a song about one of the most evil human beings to have lived is a little sus, but once you get past that this is lightning in a bottle.
34 minutes long and not a second wasted, Slayer pummel you into submission. Jeff Hanneman's riffs go and go and go. Tom's vocals are a bit hit and miss, but under the watchful wing of Rick Rubin they pull together an absolute masterpiece. This is one I regularly go back to.
Happy Mondays
1/5
Bummed by name, bummed by nature
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
I really tried to like this, but it's like it wants to be disliked. I didn't choose the rating, this album did.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Led Zepp at full throttle, storming towards their peak
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Joni Mitchell is an artist in the truest sense
Turbonegro
3/5
Good fun if a little hollow
Frank Sinatra
3/5
The album has the warm, festive feel of a Christmas record, but the artistry and swagger are pure Sinatra. It's as if Jay-Z dropped a jazz album.
Joan Baez
4/5
Proper folk music, great voice (Very Joni Mitchel)
Randy Newman
2/5
Holy shit.
Beatles
3/5
If you throw enough shit at the wall, some of it sticks. Unfortunately, now your wall is covered in shit. That's this album.
I'm offended that we've allowed this to have the cultural cut through that it has.
Move "...Gently Weeps" to disk 2, throw disk 1 away. Maybe include Blackbird as a b-side or an album closer. Then you've got a 3.5.
There's so much average filler on this, it's obvious the bravado the band had at the time resulted in them just releasing anything they wanted whether it was good or not.
As it stands, this is a 2.5 I'm generously rounding up to a 3.
Don't @ me
The Zutons
3/5
Very listenable, strange in a good way
Metallica
3/5
Metallica but cringe
The Clash
2/5
Totally over-rated, even the singles are a bit naff
Q-Tip
3/5
Cool album, dumb as fuck name
Dr. John
4/5
Haunted in a wonderful way
David Crosby
3/5
Short and sweet - if you're after this kind of thing then it's pretty decent. I can't say I'll be reaching for it regularly though
The Who
3/5
Glad I've heard it, but it's pretty mid
The Birthday Party
4/5
Bravo Nick, awfully brilliant
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Robert "Jazz Hands" Dylan
Stephen Stills
3/5
Interesting, but not something I would revisit
Muddy Waters
5/5
Mr Muddy speaks to my soul
Marianne Faithfull
2/5
I feel bad because she obviously poured her whole being into this album but I didn't really enjoy it and I think it verges in forgettable
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
Albums like this are exactly what I wanted coming into this project. A bluesy, soulful Malian album I otherwise never would have heard of? What's not to love
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
5/5
Phenomenal - totally blew me away
Mudhoney
4/5
Grungey grunge to grunge to. Doomy in parts, super interesting album
Suzanne Vega
2/5
If Dolores O'Riordan and Stevie Nicks made an album together but made it bad it would sound like this
Serge Gainsbourg
2/5
This is clearly a really impressive work of art but it made me exceptionally uncomfortable
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Haunted house at the carnival vibes
10cc
3/5
This is a brave album, very chaotic but equally fun
Britney Spears
2/5
Oh no, I really wanted to like this but it's actually dreadful. Britney comes out swinging with what is maybe the best pop song ever written, but it quickly unravels into low-effort tweeny drivel. Far too much whining and pining for my liking.
She's an icon, and this album clearly defined the zeitgeist more than maybe any other album released in the last 30 years, but it's plainly not good
System Of A Down
5/5
I was raised on and radicalised by System of a Down - a group of misfits with little in common but their shared heritage and the want to scream about the existential threat that faces their people.
My initial thought was that this isn't the album that belongs on this list; Toxicity being the obvious choice. But this self titled record is truly lightning in a bottle. By the time it had been recorded and released System were the biggest band in the world, they just hadn't happened yet. Soil, War?, Mind and P.L.U.C.K are assaults on the listeners senses, calling them to action and for once it worked. There has been no better advertisement for the injustice of the Armenian race than System of a Down. And no band for a long time before or since SOAD have so brazenly thrown politics into global arenas and stadiums and been so warmly embraced.
I was going to give this a 4, reserving the 5 for Toxicity (despite its absence on this list) but I can safely say this is a five star album, no quibble.
Mudhoney
3/5
Middle of the road grunge
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
Yeah nah
Neu!
3/5
Having one foot in post rock and the other in punk is very brave, but ultimately it works
CHIC
4/5
It made for a very awkward train journey when I got up out of my seat and started rhythmically shouting "Chic, Chic Chic!"
Björk
1/5
Björk is obviously very talented but fucking hell I hated this album
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Incomprehensible nonesense
The Beta Band
3/5
This was far from blowing me away, but it's a nice dreamy soft rock album and I enjoyed listening to it
PJ Harvey
3/5
Pissed off women make some decent tunes
The Monkees
3/5
This is a fun album - it's pretty dumb but at least John Lennon had no involvement
Led Zeppelin
5/5
There is nothing anyone dead or alive could have done to make this album any better
Madonna
2/5
Swing and a miss again, Madge
Stevie Wonder
3/5
A pleasant listen, but it ends there for me
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
2/5
Perhaps I should have let this one steep for a bit, but I found it totally lacklustre.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
4/5
I don't know how much I enjoyed this album, but gosh do I respect it. 2 hours of bluegrass was never going to be something I actively sought out, but having listened to this in It's entirety I'm taken aback at just how versatile and dynamic it is. There are points where you're whiplashed from a crooning ballad straight into dueling banjos.
I was sure I'd hate this and I'm chuffed to have been proven wrong.
Dion
3/5
The definition of middle-of-the-road
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Positive vibes for post-Patriot Act America
M.I.A.
1/5
I suppose this deserves credit for being creative - smashing together so many genres and styles is brave, but this album is diabolically executed. Paper Planes is obviously the highlight, but it isn't nearly strong enough to carry the rest of this record
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
Great fun, I love picking up these world albums I'd otherwise never have heard of.
Dizzee Rascal
4/5
Love this - it's energetic, it's unapologetic, it's just a great time
Deerhunter
4/5
Not sure of I liked this because it's good or because I was really stoned
New Order
2/5
I really like a bit of dancey poppy rock music but this is depressing and dreary :(
The Velvet Underground
2/5
Listened to this twice and forgot about it twice
The Yardbirds
3/5
This is a good fun blues album, but that's all it is
The Slits
4/5
More proof we should live in a matriarchy
Moby Grape
3/5
I didn't hate this - it's very proto-Beatles but not in a derivative sense
2/5
Lots of noise, not much of it was good
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Starts really strong but suffers from a pretty quick taper
Elton John
1/5
Forgive me for not listening to the full 70 minutes of this, but there was no coming back from the Jamaica Jerk-Off
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
This is a very pretty album, very enjoyable
Travis
3/5
Entirely listenable, but contains all of the least enjoyable parts of Radiohead's sound
The Electric Prunes
2/5
I have to say I'm totally disinterested with albums like this
Mike Oldfield
4/5
Amazing. Would make for an awful doorbell though
Morrissey
1/5
What a boring cunt
Cypress Hill
4/5
Cops. What a bunch of bastards.
Fugees
5/5
Absolutely quality - if hip hop still sounded like this I'd listen to a lot more of it.
The Replacements
4/5
Very tender grunge, a little bit woke but sincerely and not performative. Definitely a grower
The Offspring
3/5
Little Tikes Punk Rock - serves a purpose but is far from the best punk album ever made
Taylor Swift
2/5
Pooing on TS is admittedly very easy to do, but I day this as a big fan of 1989...
I find it totally unfathomable that this is considered (by some) the best album by the most successful music artist ever to have lived. The features are the only standout songs, probably because those artists didn't just accept the first thing Swifts songwriters handed them. This whole album is filler, thrown together to support the couple of acceptable singles I expect were hastily rustled up to exploit the fact that everyone had fuck all to do in 2020.
To each their own, why you would choose this over literally anything else is beyond me.
The Young Gods
4/5
I think is is a really cool record, but I think I understand why it's so low rated here. It's very far from the matured, cohesive projects such as Rumours and Dark Side...
Instead, The Young Gods violently jerk between uncomplimentary genres. Kicking off sounding like Gypsy-punk band Gogol Bordello, you soon find yourself tumbling between songs that sound like the least talented members of Nine Inch Nails, Rammstein and the Dead Kennedy's got mortally pissed and recorded an album out of hatred, fronting it all with a Frenchman who sounds like the personification of 'Sacre Blú'
I think this is totally deserving of your time, but it's *so* niche.
Throwing Muses
3/5
At its best when it's grungy, otherwise it's pretty middle of the road
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
As far as hip-hop goes, this is awesome. I'm just not a /massive/ hip-hop fan.
I really like the jazzy beats on this album, the lyrical delivery is awesome too. I just don't reach for albums like this very often, so it's a 4-almost-5.
Tortoise
1/5
I /love/ post rock, but this was dreadful
Queens Of The Stone Age
4/5
Not my favourite Queen's album but a very strong self titled
Minutemen
4/5
Cool as fuck.
At times it sounds like RHCP before they hired Kiedis, then it sounds like La Dispute, and then it sounds like Cheekface.
Comparing this band to anyone does them a total disservice, they're proper original. Blew my expectations out of the water.
Iggy Pop
2/5
I wish I liked anything as much as this guy loves shiny leather boots
The The
3/5
1980s Arab Strap
Jane's Addiction
3/5
Cool shit, but sounds like it was written by a prepubescent school bully
Frank Black
2/5
I didn't really find this interesting at all
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
This album lowered my cholesterol
Lucinda Williams
2/5
This feels like a parody album at times. ChatGPT, make an American country album...
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
Starts strong and then is exactly the same song over and over again for an hour
Red Snapper
3/5
The 90s - gone are the days of hallucinogen fueled psych rock bands, in are the minimalistic electronic experiments. For what it's worth, I really don't hate the simplicity of this album. It doesn't try to shock and awe (except for that one song) and instead provides ample breathing space to quietly float along at its own pace.
That said, I bet DVD menu designers were crawling over themselves to license some of these songs.
All in all it's pretty good. Deserving of a proper co sidered listen.
The The
2/5
Very forgettable
Small Faces
4/5
The first half of this album is pretty forgettable, but by the end it's almost as if Led Zep wrote a Lord of the Rings esque musical based in East London. It might not be very good but it's a lot of fun. Id love to have a pint with Mad John, fella sounds like proper craíc
Oasis
4/5
Ya know what, I've always poopood this band. Partly because the songs I'd heard were pants, but also because Liam G was rude to me when I met him in a Spanish supermarket. At any rate, this debut album is pretty good! Shits all over Wonderwal et al. Good craíc
Sonic Youth
2/5
Would be great if I were sad or had poor taste
Rod Stewart
4/5
I must be feeling generous to be giving Rod Stewart anything more than 3*, but this is a standout work compared to the other albums I've heard from him. Save for that cover of Amazing Grace, the musical direction and lyrics on this album are actually pretty good - sincere and well told storied. I quite enjoyed it
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
This album is pretty good when Neil shuts the fuck up
Kanye West
1/5
"If Kanye West was a horse, he'd have been put down by now"
That was my attitude going into this album, and I was totally prepared to give it 1*. That said, the production of this album really picks up in the latter half, and there's some really good instrumentation and features throughout.
With all of that in mind, Yeesuz gets 1 beautiful star, one more than it deserves. Having Justin Vernon do his thing over some real fucking cool electric guitar solos only to interrupt it by dribbling like a brain-dead fuckwit is a crime I cannot forgive. Fuck you Kanye, eat shit.
Giant Sand
3/5
Nick Cave makes a Damon Albarn record
Frank Ocean
4/5
Frank'd my Ocean all night long to these chill vibes
Super Furry Animals
3/5
This isn't a bad album by any stretch - it goes out of its' way to be more than just a guitar rock album. There are some interesting synths and samples, but it still all feels a bit flat. I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't come back to it - maybe because it's largely a fairly archetypal Britpop album which just isn't my vibe
Iron Maiden
4/5
Let's be honest, Iron Maiden deserve every bit of praise they've ever had. Whilst far from their best album, this debut is phenomenal. It's creative and it doesn't overstay it's welcome!
Later albums benefit from having Bruce Dickinson, a real force majeure, but this doesn't feel as though it suffers for not having him.
Great band, great album, thank you for making me re-listen to it again
The Flaming Lips
3/5
I don't hate this. But it's absolutely Radiohead-music for Ed Sheeran fans
Radiohead
4/5
This is probably the best of the 4 RH albums this list has chucked at me, but it suffers from many of the same criticisms I have of the others - it's steeped in pretension and illusions of grandeur.
Tell me I'm the best band in the world and I'll make the most middle of the road music that appeals to experts and plebs alike.
Credit where it's due, there are some actually good songs on here, but if you consider this to be the best album ever made I think you need to hug a human being.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
This album starts out gorgeously, as strong of an open as you could hope for.
Then it goes on a bit, and each song sounds quite a lot like the one before it.
3* for my sober brain, probably a 4* album if the devils lettuce has chimed in
Ride
3/5
This album is fine, I almost feel as though it would have been better as a post-rock album sans vocals
1/5
Sorry gang but I am now officially a certified Bob Dylan non-enjoyer
The Kinks
2/5
Would rather listen to something else tbh
Bob Dylan
2/5
He's the best example of 'separating the artist from the art' that I know of. I have massive respect for Bob Dylan. But his music is mostly wank
Beck
3/5
Albarn does what he does and he does it good
The Mars Volta
4/5
Awesome album.
Sepultura
5/5
What an album - I love metal and admittedly have given some other albums on this list an easy ride. This is top drawer stuff.
Gutteral instrumentation, world influence, and features from icons of the biggest music subculture of the late 90s at their prime? Absolute gold. This is all killer and no filler.
Femi Kuti
5/5
Flawless
Tim Buckley
1/5
I wouldn't leave my drink unattended around this donny
The Gun Club
3/5
Primus without the edge
B.B. King
5/5
I'd do unholy things to be in the room when this was recorded, the women sound feral and B.B. is absolute top shelf
Garbage
3/5
I can't explain why but this gave me big Fred Jones from the live action Scooby Doo movie vibes
Minor Threat
3/5
Hard and fast but not for long just like me ayy lmao
Blue Cheer
4/5
Very solid blues rock album, can hear some ACDC and Led Zep in this. Very cool
G. Love & Special Sauce
4/5
Gorgeous - 90s bluesy hip hop, really liked this. It's feels equal marts mature and juvenile, really complex.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Let's be honest. This is a masterpiece. Music as art.
Inherently yet not overtly political, enormous and bombastic, clever and refined. This record is held to lofty standards and it overshoots them. Phenomenal.
Neil Young
3/5
Hee haw
Slint
4/5
I really really like this album, but I don't think it's perfect. It tries very hard, and achieves most of what I think it sets ku to, but it doesn't hold my attention throughout. I'd eat my own shit in order to see it played live, but probably because it's warty
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
I was really into this then the last song came on and it had a live audience clapping along which made me vomit
Herbie Hancock
4/5
Dearest Bartholomew B. Benson,
It is with great pleasure that I can confirm that I do indeed like jazz.
Sincerest regards,
Blood, Sweat & Tears
4/5
I went into this with 0 expectations, left me quite impressed. SPIN THAT WHEEL!!
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Alright.
The Soft Boys
3/5
Better than most psych albums that show up on this list
Arrested Development
3/5
I enjoyed this - I wouldn't scream and rave about it but it's pretty good
Björk
2/5
Björing
Public Enemy
3/5
Rowdy
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Earnest and tender - a window into Lenny's soul. On the depressing side, but that's to be expected
The La's
3/5
Pretty good
New York Dolls
3/5
Rowdy and obnoxious - there's some really interesting production going on here, not bad at all
Brian Eno
1/5
I should have just sat in silence
Ryan Adams
3/5
I didn't love this, but the wife enjoyed it which counts for something
Frank Zappa
4/5
Adventurous but not obnoxious prog, proper class
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
Is this The Killers making a Mars Volta album, or is it the Mars Volta making a Killers album?
Whichever it is, I fuck with this
George Harrison
4/5
Yes yes yes, this is what the Beatles should have been! Complex, intricate, soulful. Not the bee-ba-doo-bop shite that people insist is quality music. It's clear where the talent in the band was, and that it was stifled is only forgivable because it resulted in this album.
Gil Scott-Heron
4/5
Thoroughly enjoyed this despite only having row-res Youtube audio to listen to. "H2Ogate Blues" is a masterpiece - if you're considering passing over this as it's not on any streaming services *at least* give that one song a listen.
Wire
4/5
The instrumentation on this is fantastic, the discordant guitar is 👌 - I'm not crazy about the vocals, but the energy is awesome
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
This album is perfect, but it requires tuning into. I've listened to it 100 times, and the first 99 we're just because I liked the way it sounded. Once you tune in and begin to understand the storytelling present here it takes it from a good album to an all timer. It's poignant. It's cyclical. It's maad.
If you don't like this on first listen, give it a Google and try it again. It's worth the effort
The Velvet Underground
3/5
I was almost immediately prepared to write this album off... "It sounds like a group of people who are infinitely ambitious but not at all talented decided to make a record" - was my first, fleeting thought.
I'm glad I stuck around. I'd suggest skipping most of the album though, which feels as though it's just lowering and lowering the bar so that the monumental album closer 'Sister Ray' seems even more gargantuan than it already is in reality. Bin the rest, all my homies love Sister Ray.
I'm also glad I got to hear Lou Reed talk about his ding-dong being sucked for 17 minutes. Big up.
Elis Regina
3/5
Fine and nice
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
The first song on this album is awesome - 5*
It's then followed by a lot of quite uninteresting wallowing. I know it's his thing, and Ive got a lot of respect for Nick Cave, but I could totally have stopped after that first song and been quite satisfied
Fatboy Slim
4/5
I was considering giving this 5* because it caused a monumental shift in how the UK music scene operated, but having listened through and considered it's global appeal I don't think that's right. It's a mega album, and 4* feels fair
Doves
4/5
Loved this - it you threw Coldplay and Radiohead together via the Large Hadron Collider this would be the result!
Buck Owens
3/5
A 1965 honky-tonk album with a title that sounds like it could be a microaggression doesn't usually catch my attention for the right reasons, however this is a pleasant surprise. It helps that it's capped at 30mins, but the storytelling and sincerity of this album do a lot of heavy lifting. I'll likely never listen to it again, but I'm glad I listened to it before I died
Bobby Womack
3/5
Cool record. Very easy to listen to, but I'm not sure how it's influential or why it's on the list
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
40 minutes of pure bliss - what a talent, the likes of which we'll never see again
Mariah Carey
2/5
So booooring
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
Makes me want to eat very tiny food and pay lots of money for not enough drink
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
This album is *pretty* but otherwise really not for me
Silver Jews
4/5
God, I'm about 700 albums deep and just had the revelation that an album doesn't have to be good in order to be good.
This sounds like your most endearing uncle sheepishly hopping on the karaoke, or showcasing his garage-rock project that he's undyingly passionate about but is, objectively, not good.
I love it. It's an earnest reminder that an artist is an artist, whether you or I like it or not. Bravo 👏
Tricky
4/5
Gorgeous album - 'Hell Is Round the Corner' is an awesome song
Wilco
4/5
Beautiful sounding record, deeply complex without being obnoxious.
4/5
There are a couple of enormous songs on this album - I think 'Cast No Shadow' is an all-timer. 'DLBIA' is quality', 'Morning Glory' and 'Champagne Supernova have both grown on me too'. Considering the cultural impact this album had, I think a 4 is fair
The Undertones
3/5
There are a lot of albums in this era with a similar sound, but I think this is one of the better ones. The hits on this album are really solid, and the filler isn't too bar behind
Slade
5/5
This is like the Beatles but better
Fairport Convention
4/5
There's a lot of wanky folk music on this list, but this is the exception! The band are really tight, each instrument adds something to the mix, it's well paced and doesn't get boring. Bravo
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
Jazzy jazz
Merle Haggard
2/5
I'm a Bit Bored of 1960s American Country Music
Erykah Badu
3/5
Lovely, well paced R&B - the Jacob Marley feature was a nice touch
Rocket From The Crypt
4/5
Very cool album - butt rocky ska but not cringe. Loved it
Robbie Williams
2/5
This isn't a good album. Angels isn't a good single, LMEY is, to be fair. I'll never listen to this again.
The Youngbloods
3/5
Unextraordinary easy-listening. Totally inoffensive, excellent music for a coffeeshop
Pink Floyd
5/5
Pink Floyd are just one of those class acts that come around far too rarely - alongside Led Zeppelin and Rush they're so talented it just isn't fair on the rest of us.
I love early Floyd. 'The Piper at the Gates of Dawn' is zany and bombastic, but this ninth album is the polar opposite. Brooding and considered. A triple filled pop-prog sandwich, made with Crazy Diamond bread. Flawless.
SAULT
4/5
This is a cool album - socially conscious but not overwhelmingly aggressive. Very easy to listen to with some novel, catchy hooks. V nice
Billie Holiday
5/5
Phenomenal, haunting, an exceptionally brave display of bravery and vulnerability
The Stooges
3/5
Raw for sure, needs more power
Johnny Cash
2/5
I've spent my whole life bugging up Johnny Cash and it's only now I realise I'm probably wrong.
Credit where it's due: putting out an album, albeit one that's fine at best, when you're running on fumes is a hell of an achievement. But this feels like everything from the cutting room floor.
Contrary to what I might have said 10 years ago, his cover of Hurt isn't better than NINs, and I'd happily say that about all of these covers.
Gotan Project
3/5
This Brazilian album made me feel like I was in an Irish pub in Bulgaria
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3/5
More explosion than blues
The Who
3/5
I actually felt like this was a bit mid
Jane's Addiction
5/5
This album fucks
Dolly Parton
3/5
I grew up in a house where this album would be blasted on repeat, so I'm averse to a bit of Dolly Parton - that said this is her eighth album released over 50 years ago and she's still got the beans now, even I can't deny that she's one of the all time greats
Marvin Gaye
4/5
I spent the first 20 minutes cooing, who knew Marvin was so infatuated with me?
Then a woman was audibly satisfied to completion and I realised he didn't want to get freaky with me.
I had a good time though, even if I didn't cum.
Nick Drake
3/5
This is a very tender, vulnerable album. It's pretty, and it doesn't outstay it's welcome, but I don't think it deserves the reputation it has
OutKast
5/5
This album stanks but it's a good stank the kinda stank you rip and huff and you know it stank bad to other people but you luuurve that stank
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I've never been mad on Springsteen but this is a dramatic effort. Sounds like it influenced other acts like Prince, Aerosmith and Meatloaf so he must have done something right
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
4/5
This is a really nice, thoughtful album. It's restrained, easy to listen to and doesn't overstay it's welcome. Very glad to have discovered it.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
If I were driving through backwater USA this would be my first pick. It was less good for my London parkrun.
Finley Quaye
3/5
Good bit of reggae adjacent music
Slipknot
4/5
I'm very familiar with this album and the scene it exploded out of and whilst I don't think it's Slipknot's best effort, it's still very strong.
Slipknot were a group of misfits growing up in the arse-end of nowhere, Iowa. They were bored, pissed off and had access to instruments. The music they made was harsh and abrasive, offensive to some senses and people didn't really give a shit. Then they put on the mask and as Bane prophesised, they blew up.
This album goes for shock, and it lands that on multiple fronts. If this isn't your bag but you're still a little curious, their later albums are definitely more coherent (Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)) and catchier (All Hope is Gone).
Butthole Surfers
5/5
What an experience. This is my 705th album and likely the best I've discovered via this project. Unusual sludgy grunge, intersprsed with aboitoir noises, a traumatic phone call and a Black Sabbath sample? Count me in.
Looking at the reviews this has been peppered with 1s and 2s, but all I ever see people complain about is how there's far too much 70s/80s prog and country. Here you go people, an actually interesting album and you've shat all over it.
Big up the Butthole Surfers, I'll be back again and again!!
Teenage Fanclub
4/5
Cool album, lots of interesting sounding guitars. Amazingly ahead of it's time
Janet Jackson
3/5
Not her best work but pretty interesting
Mike Ladd
3/5
Thought this was a bit 'meh' but then I added 'To the Moon's Contractor' to 4 different playlists
The Residents
5/5
Bounced on this for hours until I Les'd my Claypool
Lana Del Rey
3/5
In the summer of 2019 I was erroneously added to a Twitter group chat full of British teenagers eagerly anticipating their GCSE results. It turned out to be a group of misfits who had all bonded over their love for Lana Del Ray.
I announced my arrival with the howdoyoudofellowkids.gif, they welcomed me as a new member of their clan, labelled me with the moniker 'Anne' and spent 24 hours asking me about my worldly wisdom and asking me of my opinion on LDR. After that, I left the group and never spoke to them again.
I hope you did well in your history GCSE, Rachel.
Faith No More
4/5
Cool funky proto-metal
Buzzcocks
4/5
Proper grassroots punk this
The Vines
4/5
Excellent album! So much is said about the big hitters of the grunge scene; Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden. This rightfully belongs in those conversations - it's not a carbon copy of those massive genre-defining albums, but sits neatly atop them adding its own dramatic flare. Big fan.
Beyoncé
1/5
I really didn't like this, it's left a really sour taste in my mouth.
Should this artist be on this list? Yes.
Should this album? No.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Admittedly I don't love this, it's lacking something, but I am taken back by how contemporary it sounds. There are enormous bands playing feckin arenas right now that sound just like this
Billy Bragg
4/5
Delightful - the spirit of Bob Dylan born out of Barking, Essex. As poignant now as it was in the 80s. Bravo, Billy 👏
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
3/5
30 mins of the middlest-of-the-road country. Probably would be a 2* song but that song about bed bugs was pretty sick
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
5/5
I'd like to say this is as if Scroobius Pip had a baby with Benjamin Zephaniah, but it predates them both.
File this one under "albums we should have learned from but didn't"
Unbelievably this could have been released last week and it would be word-for-word relevant.
Well impressed.
Christina Aguilera
4/5
This album is CHARGED with bangers, hell yes!
Boards of Canada
4/5
V interesting post rock, quite enjoyed
Talk Talk
1/5
Yaaawwwnnn
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
Nice bedroom-y grunge
Beatles
2/5
I'm sorry but this band are so mid. There's nothing exciting about this at all. Perhaps it popped back in the 60s when it was the only music available, but going out of your way to listen to this these days is mental behaviour.
Aimee Mann
2/5
Eh, this was an okay listen but totally forgettable if I'm honest
Pixies
3/5
Easy listening jangly alt rock, pretty good but equally forgettable
The Jam
4/5
I've never quite 'got' The Jam before - they're regularly heralded as masters of their craft and pioneers of the era but they've always given me the cheese-vibe.
This album is great though, they really found their groove and it's big on funk. Much much better than I anticipated
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
This sounds like the result of David Bowie and Agnetha Fältskog producing an album for Bob Geldof
Fever Ray
3/5
Would do bits at Arctangent festival, put her on Bixler whilst Pig Destroyer tear the Yohkai a new one
The Strokes
4/5
Cool album, I can see why people go nuts for it and why every indie album after it sounds the way it does
Moby
2/5
Music for film credits and DVD menus
Anthrax
3/5
Big metalhead here, I've never been mad on Anthrax. They're the most forgettable of the big 4, but having listened to this they're maybe the most accessible - at least for a thrash band. This doesn't stink, but I'm unlikely to revisit it
Beck
4/5
Wow, what a departure from what I expected from Beck. Tender and morose, there isn't a shred privacy on this album, he (they?) are wide open and vulnerable to the core. Sunday Sun is a phenomenal crescendo, a d the denouement doesn't leave me feeling cheated. Superb
Ice T
5/5
The last album I reviewed (Beck, Sea Change) I praised for being unapologetically vulnerable. I'd say this album does the same thing in a VERY different way. There's almost no filter to be found within a hundred miles of Ice T. Body Count is an awesome fusion of genres and was a great prelude to the band of the same name. This album does it all and it does it well
Gillian Welch
3/5
MOTR
JAY Z
2/5
Totally underwhelmed actually - so much good rap music came out of this era and a lot o it credits this as the blueprint (haha) but it falls so flat
Tori Amos
3/5
Me *listening to Kate Bush*:
"Hold my beer"
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
When the Chilis are good, they're so fucking good! The filler on this album really drags it down though, it really outstays it's wrlcome
Shack
3/5
Edgy Scouse Oasis
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Cool beans
Massive Attack
3/5
Massive Attack at their most subdued? Criminal that this is here rather than Mezzanine, but I'm only the 10,000th person to say that.
This is a good background-album, but far from MA's best