790
Albums Rated
3.2
Average Rating
73%
Complete
299 albums remaining
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1970s
Favorite Decade
Britpop
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UK
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Rater Style ?
89
5-Star Albums
31
1-Star Albums
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You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chore of Enchantment | 5 | 2.64 | +2.36 |
| Scream, Dracula, Scream | 5 | 2.78 | +2.22 |
| A Wizard, A True Star | 5 | 2.83 | +2.17 |
| Broken English | 5 | 2.88 | +2.12 |
| Reign In Blood | 5 | 2.96 | +2.04 |
| Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches | 5 | 2.98 | +2.02 |
| Steve McQueen | 5 | 2.98 | +2.02 |
| The Scream | 5 | 3.04 | +1.96 |
| Bandwagonesque | 5 | 3.05 | +1.95 |
| Pacific Ocean Blue | 5 | 3.07 | +1.93 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moondance | 1 | 3.71 | -2.71 |
| Bitches Brew | 1 | 3.3 | -2.3 |
| In The Wee Small Hours | 1 | 3.28 | -2.28 |
| Only By The Night | 1 | 3.23 | -2.23 |
| Younger Than Yesterday | 1 | 3.14 | -2.14 |
| Run-D.M.C. | 1 | 3.13 | -2.13 |
| Shaka Zulu | 1 | 3.09 | -2.09 |
| Fifth Dimension | 1 | 3.07 | -2.07 |
| Make Yourself | 1 | 3.07 | -2.07 |
| Throwing Muses | 1 | 2.98 | -1.98 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 6 | 4.5 |
| Michael Jackson | 3 | 5 |
| Arcade Fire | 3 | 5 |
| R.E.M. | 4 | 4.5 |
| Pixies | 3 | 4.67 |
| David Bowie | 8 | 4.13 |
| Oasis | 2 | 5 |
| Kanye West | 2 | 5 |
| Aretha Franklin | 2 | 5 |
| Johnny Cash | 2 | 5 |
| Elton John | 2 | 5 |
| Pulp | 2 | 5 |
| Stevie Wonder | 4 | 4.25 |
| Radiohead | 6 | 4 |
| The Smiths | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| The Byrds | 3 | 1.33 |
| Tom Waits | 3 | 1.33 |
| Tim Buckley | 2 | 1.5 |
| Grateful Dead | 2 | 1.5 |
| Björk | 2 | 1.5 |
| Van Morrison | 3 | 2 |
Controversial Artists
Artists you rate inconsistently
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Miles Davis | 5, 3, 1 |
| The Who | 5, 2 |
| Happy Mondays | 2, 5 |
| Pink Floyd | 2, 5, 5 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 5, 2, 5 |
5-Star Albums (89)
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Popular Reviews
Rush
4/5
I liked this. Thought all the playing was great. Especially the drums and bass. Not enough albums start with a 20 minute track about mad priests who worship computers. It's all quite indulgent but if you can't do that on a 70s prog album then when can you?
6 likes
5/5
One of my first CD's. Nostalgia through the roof so finding it hard to really be objective. Some of the more straightforward rock and roll tracks are maybe a bit bland but the more unusual sounding tracks were my highlights listening to it today. Pity they never really moved on from this sound and pushed themselves any more because they had all the raw ingredients to have a long and interesting career. This is probably harsh as they were obviously still incredibly successful but it's hard not to think of what could have been.
2 likes
The Avalanches
5/5
Really enjoyed this. Fun listen. Nice to get something completely different to the just recent stuff. I couldn't really pick out much in the way of particular tracks other than Frontier Psychiatrist but I think it's just one of those albums
1 likes
4-Star Albums (211)
1-Star Albums (31)
All Ratings
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Fugees
2/5
Sarah Vaughan
2/5
The Clash
4/5
Massive Attack
4/5
MGMT
2/5
Time to Pretend, Kids and Electric Feel are all still bangers but this didn't do much for me other than those. Not to say it was bad or anything but I thought the second half tailed off a bit. I may be being quite harsh because those three were all massive massive tracks so it's probably unfair to expect the whole album to be of a kind. If I'd checked out this album at the time I would probably be marking it higher
Beck
3/5
Run-D.M.C.
1/5
Yeah I did not like that. Very samey structure and beats. You could listen to the first couple of tracks and get the point. Hard to believe this was once called 'hardcore rap'. Would have cut it more slack except Grandmaster Flash was around earlier than this and actually still sounds really good
Duran Duran
3/5
I liked it. Are they an actual proper band? I always thought they were just fluff but I thought the instrumentation was great. Great bass lines especially. Vocals a bit strained sounding.
5/5
One of my first CD's. Nostalgia through the roof so finding it hard to really be objective. Some of the more straightforward rock and roll tracks are maybe a bit bland but the more unusual sounding tracks were my highlights listening to it today. Pity they never really moved on from this sound and pushed themselves any more because they had all the raw ingredients to have a long and interesting career. This is probably harsh as they were obviously still incredibly successful but it's hard not to think of what could have been.
Dion
4/5
This is great. I'm a total sucker for Phil Spector (producing, not the binfire of a human). A very pleasant listen. Had never heard of Dion before this but there's loads of older stuff I didn't realise was him (The Wanderer!)
The Beach Boys
3/5
I enjoyed it. When I Grow Up... and Help Me Rhonda were highlights for me.
Pixies
5/5
Van Morrison
1/5
I've never been into Van Morrison. I like a few tracks but I know he's an arsehole and he sounds like an arsehole so I always feel he's slightly at arm's length to me. This was quite easy listening but nothing else for me. I liked the piano on Moondance though. More of the looseness would have been welcome.
Elbow
3/5
I have no strong feelings on Elbow and doubt I ever will but this was a nice lush way to spend the best part of an hour. I thought they were a bit by the numbers gentle indie, a bit like Embrace, but there was more going on here than I gave them credit for before. In some places it was like if Sigur Ros were from Bury. My inner teenager can't quite get over them being music exclusively liked by middle aged people, even though that includes me now. That's a me problem though.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Too much filler
Throwing Muses
1/5
Nope
The Velvet Underground
3/5
I thought this was softer sounding than I would associate with the Velvet Underground. Quite straightforward folky songs for the most part, with a couple of noteable exceptions. With it being self titled I assumed it was their first album so I was quite surprised this was their 3rd album and was an attempt at back to basics. I liked it fine but it feels like a step back from The Velvet Underground and Nico
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
3/5
Just a nice chill old bag of blues. Bonus points for two tracks in a row being about bugs and a track about the borax mines. It sounds more timeless than a lot of tosh from the 50's and I like how it sounded like just him, his guitar and a mike. Woodie Guthrie has a very strange speaking voice
CHIC
2/5
Some of the tracks were far longer than they needed to be, although if you're sweatily dancing around a light up dancefloor you probably aren't bothered. I wasn't, for the record. I loved the guitar playing. Nile Rodgers is great.
Marianne Faithfull
5/5
I thought it was great. Highlights were The Ballad of Lucy Jordan and Guilt. Really good cover of Working Class Hero as well. Her voice is very cool, and I enjoyed the electro stuff.
Magazine
2/5
When I read one of these guys was in the Buzzcocks I was quite optimistic, but this didn't do it for me. I find it quite hard to judge stuff like this off one listen but I'm not bothering to persevere
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
So cool. Don't know if they even had the songs especially but an hour of Jimi going mental on his guitar sounds great. I also realised how much his voice sounds like Curtis Mayfield at times. All Along the Watchtower always reminds me of Withnail & I so that's a positive. Little Miss Strange sounds like the kind of 60s rubbish they were trying to move on from though.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
This grew on me as I listened through it. I don't really know LCD Soundsystem though and I can't imagine 2017 was the peak of their relevance. The dense synthy stuff was great but I didn't find the lyrics or the vocals particularly great
Ray Charles
3/5
Nirvana
5/5
I avoided Nirvana for a while when I was getting into music because I thought they could never really live up to the hype. I then got really into the compilation with the black cover and decided they were in actual fact, class. I think the appeal for me lies in the balance between hooky melodies and their abrasive sound, and the balance isn't always there, but overall I loved this.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
Massive McCartney fan boy here and some great tracks on here but he is super super cheesy and you could argue that nobody in Wings had the clout of John Lennon to tell him to reign it in at times. Still I think the cheesiness is something you have to accept is fundamentally him. His dad was a really good pianist and raised him on old music hall comedy songs and such so it's not surprising his songwriting reflects that.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
4/5
Whole album fantastic. Souvenir was my highlight. Can see myself playing it a lot. Loved the slowed down choir as an instrument. A bit like I'm Not in Love by 10cc.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
I wasn't that fussed either. I liked the guitar playing. I think it might benefit from repeated listens though
Talking Heads
4/5
I've always found David Byrne's voice walks that very fine line between quirky and annoying but as time goes by I'm very much on the side of enjoying it. I think it gives life to repeated listens to their songs that might grow stale sooner. Psycho Killer still sounds really fresh to me because i just really enjoy listening to his weird tics and phrasing
The Flaming Lips
3/5
Jacques Brel
1/5
2/5
When people talk about over polished too clean sounding 80s pop I bet this is what they mean. I thought The Look of Love still sounds good but any cool instrument parts were kind of swallowed up by the overall sound. Really underwhelmed
The Avalanches
5/5
Really enjoyed this. Fun listen. Nice to get something completely different to the just recent stuff. I couldn't really pick out much in the way of particular tracks other than Frontier Psychiatrist but I think it's just one of those albums
Lauryn Hill
4/5
Listened to this a few times fairly recently and liked it more than I did the Fugees. Not sure why other than it obviously being much heavier on Lauryn Hill but I feel like it has more in the way of melody rather than pure hip hop.
Fiona Apple
2/5
Motörhead
3/5
There's something to be said for straightforward rock and roll with absolutely no ambition other than that but it put a ceiling on my enjoyment of it. Great at what it is, but nothing more than that. Lemmy should not be singing about jailbait either. Nobody should, but especially him
David Bowie
3/5
The Byrds
1/5
Hearing stuff like this really drives home how much the Beatles were in a league of their own
Santana
4/5
I really enjoyed listening to this on the way to work this morning. Never been that into Santana but i thought the percussion and the loose structure was just good times. Great cover of Black Magic Woman
The Who
5/5
I love this album. Had it at school after buying it blind. I think they hit the mark with every track here. Baba O Riley is my standout but This Song is Over and Won't Get Fooled again both up there as well. I like the early synths. I've not really ever explored The Who outside of this album but I think I might now.
Ray Price
1/5
I can only conclude a honky tonk women killed his parents
Pavement
4/5
Lorde
4/5
Her voice is great. Thought she was a bit Kate Bush on Writer in the Dark. The producer Jack Antonoff has such a distinct sound as well. Liability is so like the Taylor Swift stuff he produced, or Bleachers I thought. I thought this was great all round
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
2/5
I thought most of this was fairly unremarkable rock and roll, with the exception of standout track American Girl.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
No standout tracks in particular but I had a good time just basking in the lush sounds. It has the feeling of a protest album but not against anything in particular, just the 70s being a bit shit
Bad Brains
3/5
Kraftwerk
2/5
This left me completely cold. It was so clinical and robotic, which is obviously the point, but not why I listen to music for the most part. I think they've been copied and iterated on so much that they sound really dated and cheesy now which surprised me. Thought I'd have liked this much more but thought it was a bit crap
k.d. lang
2/5
Shrug
Adele
3/5
I got most enjoyment from the tracks I hadn't heard a million times. I like Adele's voice but over the course of a whole album the brassiness of it wore on me a bit. I think I'm being unfair because of overexposure though. If I was hearing this for the 1st time I reckon I'd be raving about it
Beastie Boys
3/5
When they broke out of the usual 80s rap structure I thought they sounded great but a lot of this was quite straightforward rhyming pairs. Still the best Jewish origin hip hop I've ever heard.
David Bowie
3/5
Not my favourite Bowie but still really good. I don't think anyone can doubt his ability to surround himself with brilliant collaborators and I really enjoyed the sax parts on this especially
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Easily the strongest second half of an album v the first half
Malcolm McLaren
1/5
I enjoyed some of the music but the whole package was just bizarre. I also read that he initially didn't credit a lot of the musicians at all somehow and they had to sue him. Weird all round
Sister Sledge
4/5
I thought this was great. All killer. Playing and arrangements all on point. Great palate cleanser after Duck Rock
Suzanne Vega
3/5
I enjoyed the stripped back nature of this. Feels like the missing link between Carole King and... Sheryl Crow maybe? 90s anyway. Marlene On the Wall was really good and I liked The Queen and the Soldier. Not enough songs are basically short medieval fables
Jimmy Smith
3/5
I don't know what I was expecting but it wasn't organ-led jazz
Stevie Wonder
3/5
I'm a Stevie Wonder fan but off the top of my head I reckon Innervisions and Talking Book (both immediately before this) and Songs in the Key of Life (immediately after) are much better. I thought it was a bit plodding other than Boogie On Reggae Woman. Not bad but a strange choice for the list
Leonard Cohen
5/5
First time listening to any Leonard Cohen and I am on board the hype train. He is pretty dour but I don't think that necessarily translates to a depressing time listening. I like his strange slap guitar playing and his thoughtful phrasing. The backing vocals usually cut through just enough to lighten things or break the sound up enough to keep it interesting. Famous Blue Raincoat was my standout.
John Grant
3/5
I think this has really suffered for me because of the 1 album a day structure. I can see myself getting really into it but at first listen I only really really liked it in parts and couldn't quite make my mind up about the rest
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
The Killers
5/5
Instant classic for me. So nostalgic. I remember going to see them headline one of those NME tours with Bloc Party, Futureheads and Kaiser Chiefs
Small Faces
2/5
I liked this in places but the wacky psychedelic stuff grated. Probably the worst example yet of talking between tracks.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
2/5
That was exactly as expected. Totally inoffensive now but probably mind blowing then
The The
3/5
LTJ Bukem
1/5
Spiritualized
3/5
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Funky
The Police
3/5
This goes harder than I imagined it would. Message In a Bottle is great. Drums sounded brilliant throughout. Not sure about the reggae but at least they owned it with the name of the album
SAULT
2/5
Not for me. Quite literally
Hugh Masekela
3/5
Nice sounds. One to revisit
Doves
3/5
Technically the first band I saw live (supporting Travis) but definitely not one I expected to see on this list. A perfectly cromulent band but are they that significant?
Justice
5/5
Banger of an album. D.A.N.C.E is up there with MGMT for me for nostalgia for the ABC years. Genesis, DANCE, Stress and Waters of Nazareth were especially great.
I love listening to house and hearing parts that are just blatant disco. Makes real sense that Daft Punk would rope in Nile Rodgers on their last album.
Cream
2/5
One for the boomers
Yes
3/5
This sounded like brilliant musicians who didn't really write enough tunes for an album. I enjoyed Roundabout and Heart of the Sunrise and some other bits here and there but I think I'm missing something with most prog. Not sure I know how to listen to it.
Bebel Gilberto
2/5
This sounds like being fed an early dinner then spending the night in your bedroom because your parents have friends round for dinner
The Velvet Underground
5/5
Brilliant album. Sounds really modern still in places other than some unintentional fuzz. Other songs sounding a bit more like Bob Dylan were slightly less interesting to me. Nico's voice is perfect for the sightly uncanny thing they have going on through the whole album. Highlights were anything sung by Nico, Sunday Morning, I'm Waiting for the Man, Heroin
Queen
5/5
Really enjoyed this. Some massive sounding songs on here. I'd never consciously thought of Queen as glam rock but this was glam AF. Harder rocking than a lot of classic Queen. The cover makes me feel a bit ill though, looks like a forgotten store room in Madame Tussauds. Highlights were Brighton Rock, Killer Queen, Now I'm Here, Stone Cold Crazy
4/5
Not my favourite Beatles. Bit gimmicky with the circus stuff (half the album) and sitar (Within You Without You), but with a couple of all time great tracks in there (She's Leaving Home, A Day in the life).
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Aerosmith
2/5
I can't get excited about Aerosmith at all, but I don't have any real complaints. I could probably copy and paste my thoughts on Motorhead
Iggy Pop
4/5
Lust For Life and The Passenger are classics. I enjoyed this a lot on the whole.
The Soft Boys
3/5
One of the better examples of post punk so far. I can't see myself going back but I enjoyed it
Dire Straits
4/5
Big hit with me. I enjoyed the hits and then the melancholy second half vibes. Brothers in Arms was a highlight. Mark Knoffler's guitar sounding incredible throughout. I find the faux-American troubadour thing he does a bit weird being he's from Newcastle but he's got the songs and the skills so he can do what he wants I suppose.
The War On Drugs
4/5
This hit a lot of my sweet spots. Faux 80s rock like the Killers or Arcade Fire or 80s Bruce Springsteen with a more shoegazey sound. I didn't know them at all before this other than they were a bit of a 6 music sacred cow but I will definitely keep an eye out for them now.
Van Halen
2/5
The sound and musicianship were there. The songs weren't
Tim Buckley
1/5
I thought I misheard the lyrics on the first track when he goes on and on about loving a black woman, but when I checked, that's what he was saying. Weird. Then the speaking in tongues stuff. Haven't listened to all of this yet but I don't think I'll bother. I just wanted to be listening to Jeff Buckley instead.
Beach House
3/5
Whelmed
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
2/5
I'm 18 sitting in chai ovna. I'm nursing some tea with twigs floating in it desperately trying to convince myself I wouldn't rather be in the union drinking diesel
Missy Elliott
3/5
Quite enjoyed this despite it not being my type of thing. Work it is great
Ramones
4/5
The Verve
3/5
How long is this album?! Singles are all great, overall sound is pleasant but just too much of it. The story of the royalties with Bittersweet Symphony is mad.
Harry Nilsson
3/5
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Pixies
4/5
I didn't immediately enjoy this as much as Doolittle but that's not really possible. Definitely going to revisit
Manu Chao
2/5
I like the random sounds of a kid's ray gun scattered throughout this. I liked this enough to listen to the whole thing but it's not going into rotation. Reading a bit about him and he seems like a cool guy
Michael Jackson
5/5
Had this on tape as a kid and loved it. Still do. A couple of the slower songs are a bit schmaltzy but there are so many different approaches that it's constantly an interesting listen. PYT hasn't aged too well as a concept given... y'know...
Vincent Price MVP. Love the Eddie Van Halen guitar solo on Beat It too.
The Girl is Mine is notable for being the worst song on the album, which happens to be written by two of the best songwriters ever. Why does McCartney sing that one bit really low? Why did they think the talking bit at the end was a good idea? Despite how crap the song is there are a couple of bits where their skill shines through in the chorus.
The Byrds
1/5
Fuck the Byrds. Terrible. I'm not listening to any more if they come up
Dr. Dre
3/5
Liz Phair
3/5
Van Halen
4/5
Anthrax
4/5
The KLF
4/5
Caveat, I only listened to the director's cut in Spotify but I had never heard them before being put off by their antics. I expected it to be unlistenable noise terrorism but it was like New Order and even Pet Shop Boys and Bronski Beat in parts. Good stuff
4/5
This morning I poured myself a massive bowl of Alpen and grabbed the daily express and stuck this on. It did fade for me towards the end a bit but still held my attention. I thought it was really good in all. Bono is still a twat but I can see now why he was successful enough to have Britain's largest collection of hatchbacks
5/5
I reckon this is the Bowiest Bowie. One of his best for me as well. Five Years is a great intro and the standard stays high throughout. The film of the last performance is worth seeing. Bowie was going a bit mad and couldn't tell himself apart from Ziggy so he announced on stage he was done after that gig. He hadn't told the band so it was a bit awkward.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Sympathy and treet Fighting Man are classics but I thought the rest was just very ordinary bluesy rock. I don't really get the hype with the Rolling Stones to be honest. You probably had to be there
Kate Bush
3/5
I like Kate Bush but eh yeah I don't know what I think about this one. I enjoyed the listen for the sheer invention but I prefer a bit more focus. Singing with a mock cockney or Australian accent can never be a good idea
Rush
4/5
I liked this. Thought all the playing was great. Especially the drums and bass. Not enough albums start with a 20 minute track about mad priests who worship computers. It's all quite indulgent but if you can't do that on a 70s prog album then when can you?
Queen Latifah
3/5
I liked the one with De la Soul and Ladies First the best
Tom Waits
2/5
Bar the couple of times when an actual song broke out I didn't like this at all. The whole conceit of rambling intros to every track wore very thin with me.
Beatles
5/5
I think this is an hour of material that would rank among their best, interspersed by half an hour they would have lost under normal circumstances. By this point they were the band equivalent of sleeping in different beds so it was easier to include everyone's stuff rather than have fights about what would make the cut. John and Paul being in competition with each other and George trying to establish himself as a songwriter means they were all absolutely going for it. I'd take Happiness is a Warm Gun, Blackbird, While my Guitar... as my top picks but I love almost all of it. I skip Revolution 9 and Wild Honey Pie every time though.
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
I thought it was great at the time and it's still a good listen, but considering it kicked open the doors for Pigeon Detectives, Fratellis, Scouting for Girls etc etc etc I have to wonder if it was worth it. (Being a bit facetious above. They were always a cut above all the chancers that came afterwards. Glad they've cracked on as well, trying to follow up a debut as hyped as this must have been a nightmare)
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
Best thing David Crosby ever did was get sacked by the Byrds. Great harmonies all the way through this. Shame it's only half on Spotify
Ride
3/5
I sort of fell in the middle. I think I'd enjoy the odd track here and there but a whole album started sounding really samey quite quickly.
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
I don't see what this brings to the party that sounds unique or noteworthy at all. Not an unpleasant listen but 🤷♂️
Eagles
2/5
I hate the fucking Eagles man
Pretenders
4/5
I really enjoyed this, although I was maybe just relieved it wasn't another country rock album. Anyway, Chrissie Hynde's voice is great and Brass in Pocket really shows it off
Dolly Parton
3/5
A bit trite in places but a breath of fresh air after so much clumpy country dad rock
Stan Getz
4/5
Pleasant. On The Girl from Ipanema It sounds like she's singing 'The Girl from Ipanema is fucking' which made me laugh because I'm a child. Great breathy sax playing
Robbie Williams
3/5
Some great pop singles. Didn't need a full album
Radiohead
5/5
The Zombies
3/5
Gene Clark
4/5
I finished this album and was reflecting how much I enjoyed this. Reminded me of Bob Dylan in a good way. Went to Wikipedia to find out more. Found out he was in the Byrds. Instant 0/5
The Smiths
4/5
For how influential they were. Nobody sounds like them. There is a Light... is my highlight from this.
The Smiths
4/5
I think I preferred The Queen is Dead overall but this was great too. A lot made of Morrissey playing off Jonny Marr's guitar but I thought the bass was brilliant on this
Def Leppard
4/5
I'm all about this album. The poppy songs work really well and you can tell they took a lot of care recording/mixing as everything sounds very clear. Armageddon It and Pour some Sugar on me are my highlights
The 13th Floor Elevators
2/5
I appreciated the darker tone, more in common with the Velvet Underground than hippy dippy clappy psychedelic stuff, but the high pitched sort of flapping noise in the background of some of the tracks was really off-putting and spoiled it for me.
Miles Davis
5/5
This is the only jazz album I've ever really got into. Love it
Tom Waits
1/5
Every song featuring a new silly gimmick instrument, from bagpipes to glockenspiel to accordion. He sounds like he's in severe pain. If you had a pet that sounded like him you'd put it out of its misery
Adam & The Ants
4/5
I liked this. I only knew a couple of the singles and didn't really take him seriously after he was arrested for running around with a toy gun ages ago. Turns out he has quite serious mental health issues and is really open about it so my opinion has gone right up. Musically I now think every band should have 2 drummers. The drums sounded insane. The songs were good apart from the one where he went full pirate.
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
Add me to the crowd really enjoying this. Think the band really hit their stride when Jim Earth and Steve Wind recruited Harry Fire to become a trio
The Lemonheads
2/5
I'm finding this really lightweight. Everything sounds really crushed and the drums sound like toys. None of the songs are actively bad but it's not great when the head and shoulders standout is a cover. Fountains of Wayne did it so much better
Frank Sinatra
1/5
I haven't done any research but from hearing him pout and sulk all over this album because one of his wives had the gall to leave him, I can only draw the conclusion he loved monogamy. Poor Frank
Grizzly Bear
3/5
Lovely textured sounds if a bit too meandering in places. If I had listened to this at the time alongside Bon Iver and Arcade Fire I think they'd have been a favourite. I will in all likelihood never put this on again but I enjoyed it today. Bye Grizzly Bear. It was nice
Prince
3/5
Prince famously plays something like 24 instruments including absolutely shredding it on guitar when he fancies which is why I found it annoying that so much of this sounds like him noodling about with a drum machine and a little keyboard recording sparse home demos. I think Purple Rain is head and shoulders better. I particularly enjoyed Starfish and Coffee, If I was your girlfriend, Cross.
3/5
I found this all completely detached from any real feeling or soul but for a bit of a novelty it was fun enough
The Beta Band
3/5
Think they're our first Scottish band. I liked it fine. The sampling was cool. I'll give this another go sometime
Talking Heads
4/5
Urgent spiky sounds with nice level of funky weirdness throughout
Joy Division
3/5
Skunk Anansie
3/5
I quite enjoyed this in a guilty pleasure sort of way. It's very earnest but also very silly in parts
Wu-Tang Clan
4/5
I enjoyed Wu Tang. The number of them could be a liability but it becomes a strength as you'd imagine they were all competing for time. RZA really important gluing it altogether. Method Man my highlight whenever he popped up.
Soundgarden
4/5
Enjoyed this in the car this morning. Nothing too flashy in the playing bar some guitar moments here and there but there's a great groove all the way through. Chris Cornell's vocals are that cut above a lot of sub Eddie Vedder grunge singers. The run in the middle starting with Black Hole Sun is the high point but I thought this was consistently high standard throughout
David Bowie
4/5
This sounded like he left it all on Ziggy Stardust this is the inevitable slight step down, but only slight. The jazzy piano bits helped to distinguish it. Drive-in Saturday was my highlight
Giant Sand
5/5
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3/5
Don McLean
4/5
Eminem
2/5
This was hard listening. I suppose technically he's a good rapper and the production was good but I cringed through almost every word. I guess if I played this to my parents they'd still hate it so it still hits its intended mark
2/5
Pink Floyd
2/5
Didn't do much for me. Think they went on to go greater things
Louis Prima
4/5
Fairport Convention
2/5
I didn't really like this. I know folk is an amazing art form and the passing down of trad songs is important but this just passed me by.
Jeff Beck
2/5
Depeche Mode
3/5
Found it hard to make a personal connection with this one
Randy Newman
3/5
I think Randy is getting a bad rap here. I'm as fatigued as anyone of white guys from the 70s but he is different and distinctive at least. He reminds me of a guy writing show tunes without a show to attach them to (or Pixar film). The orchestral flourishes added to rather than took away from the songs
Wilco
3/5
I used to have Yankee Hotel Foxtrot on my iPod and used to like it but that was all the Wilco I knew. Really into the steel guitar on this. Like Ali and Nick probably won't go into rotation but very decent listen
Kanye West
5/5
Brilliant. Had it on twice in a row. Beats are great and the sped up samples so distinctive. Nice variety of subject matter. Shame he went completely off the reservation more recently
The Associates
3/5
All over the map. Could hear bits of the Cure and Human League. Like Nick I enjoyed the gothic choir stuff. Totally new band to me
Napalm Death
3/5
I liked the second half of this more than the first when the tempo slowed slightly. This style of metal singing does absolutely nothing for me and I'd have preferred them as instrumentals in all honesty. I enjoyed the blast beats and chugging guitar riffs. Am I going to listen to this again? Probably not. Am I glad it exists? Yes
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Pretty derivative of Bowie's glam stuff at first listen but they could have picked worse. I thought it was a good listen on its own merits
Linkin Park
3/5
This brought back memories, the rap flavoured rock songs were better than the rock flavoured rap songs if that makes sense
Arcade Fire
5/5
Very fond memories of this coming out and probably over-listening to it. It was nostalgic sounding then so it's double nostalgia. I think this is their best. Love the skipped beat on Modern Man. Favourite track is Sprawl II but love the whole thing
Roxy Music
4/5
Love the bizarre crooner that is Bryan Ferry. Brian Eno involved again. The transition after about 3 minutes in In Every Dream Home a Heartache made me laugh out loud, or LOL as the kids say
Various Artists
4/5
Leonard Cohen
4/5
I can't really tell why I like Leonard Cohen and dislike Tom Waits so much but I do. I found this to be atmospheric and thought the combo of gospel and his voice worked together. Not very Christmassy though
Norah Jones
2/5
This screams Jools Holland guest edits a radio 2 show where he goes over his albums of the year. Guest stars include Gary Barlow, Mika and Katie Melua
Blood, Sweat & Tears
4/5
No idea where this was going one minute to the next. Constantly surprising
The Flaming Lips
4/5
It's class. Another one from my iPod back in the day
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Mostly bangers
Drive-By Truckers
2/5
Didn't get it. Not Southern enough
Charles Mingus
3/5
Interesting and filmic
Jurassic 5
4/5
I enjoyed it. Really liked what they did with all the sampling with vibes of Avalanches in there. Didn't know Cut Chemist was in J5 but now makes sense. A Day at the Races was my high point but quality was pretty consistently good throughout
Brian Wilson
2/5
An old man recording an album he wrote in his 20s which caused him to have a nervous breakdown is always going to give off quite specific vibes. I thought it was fine. Some well known tracks like Good Vibrations had less of an impact because he obviously went on to record them anyway with the Beach Boys. Happy for him he got to make this. I found it inessential and with too many comedy whistles
Common
2/5
I tried to like this more than I did but I couldn't really get on with it. I really like his album after this but couldn't get into this for whatever reason. There's nothing bad about it I can put my finger on but it's maybe a bit muddled sounding after laser focused Jurassic 5
Otis Redding
4/5
This feels like Otis Redding just tossing out covers of popular songs of the day with a crack backing band and calling it good because he's Otis Redding. I think he's justified. Great
The Undertones
3/5
Rahul Dev Burman
2/5
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
An old favourite
Ray Charles
4/5
I mentally catalogued this in the 'yeah great another timeless classic' pile. I think this list is spoiling me slightly
Ute Lemper
2/5
Track 2 is like if a committee of Germans wrote a Bond theme
Arcade Fire
5/5
Been ages since I played this. Lovely listen. Think Rebellion (Lies) was an ABC staple. Seems like a hard sound to get right as there was a lot of shite around then that tried to copy the style (The Decemberists 🤮)
Pantera
4/5
The Beach Boys
3/5
Thought this was... okay? Some great tracks but for all the talk about the rich orchestration and production I thought it sounded really ramshackle and echoey in parts. Obviously important but controversially I think I prefer my Beach Boys singing about going surfing with their best girl etc
Willie Nelson
5/5
I could listen to Willie Nelson sing the dictionary. Just looking at the track list I know I'm going to enjoy this
Carole King
5/5
What an incredible group of songs to have written
Mylo
4/5
John Cale
2/5
If I'd been a record label exec and John Cale was in my office with his demos I'd have taken out my cigar king enough to say "Where's the zing John? The kids want zing these days. Zing!" then I'd have thanked him and sent him on his way and to see my secretary on the way out for his travel expenses
Al Green
5/5
Dr. John
3/5
1001 albums to hear before you die in a voodoo ritual. I liked this more than most psychedelic stuff. It seemed like it was doing its own thing and sounded more natural and less weird for the sake of it. Plenty weird though
Dire Straits
3/5
I think I prefer their more filmic synth tinged 80s sound than this more straightforward stuff. Still enjoyed it and Sultans of Swing is brilliant
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I listened to it on YouTube yesterday and thought it was okay. Admittedly I didn't give it my full attention and it all seemed to run together a bit. There was one bit that took a major left turn musically to the point that even Innes stopped eating his breakfast to pay attention. Turns out it was a Nandos advert
Jeff Buckley
5/5
It's an absolute joy revisiting this. Stuffed with ideas and one of the all time vocal performances. Puts me in mind of The Smiths in parts (He did a great cover of The Boy with the Thorn in his Side). Highlights for me are Lilac Wine, Lover you..., Dream Brother. Think this is the definitive recording of Hallelujah as well, pity it's so overplayed.
MC Solaar
4/5
The Gun Club
3/5
I enjoyed this without ever being blown away
The Shamen
2/5
I listened to half of it, made sure I was okay, then went back for the second half. Don't know what's in these albums.Finding it very dated and of a specific time (1990) and place (Yeovil Aerodrome). Didn't know they were from Aberdeen
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Ever track a classic
Brian Eno
3/5
I was a bit underwhelmed with this but given the context that it was 1981 it's really impressive. Don't know how directly influential it was but can hear a lot of it in Primal Scream, Avalanches, DJ Shadow.
AC/DC
4/5
3/5
I think Parklife is much better. This seemed like a prototype for it and later stuff. Could be why it's on this list but I don't rate it amongst their best
Bob Dylan
5/5
Grateful Dead
2/5
Sebadoh
4/5
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
Maxwell
2/5
I thought it was a bit bargain bin Prince, and if I want that I'll just listen to later era Prince. Also felt a bit voyeuristic listening to it knowing that it was probably millions of couples' sex album
Buzzcocks
3/5
Sex Pistols
4/5
I'm having a good time with this. It's still got enough edge that you can picture why some people were outraged at the time while sounding quite quaint now. Holidays in the sun/No Feelings/God Save the Queen/Pretty Vacant were my highlights
Black Sabbath
4/5
Cee Lo Green
1/5
His voice is the least soulful thing I can imagine. Like a Muppet
King Crimson
4/5
Really enjoyed this. Playful and inventive in all the right ways. Wasn't crazy about the more jazzy bits especially the second half of Epitaph but 21st Century Schizoid Man and In the Court... stood out to me as highlights. I think I like prog now
Sleater-Kinney
2/5
I could take or leave Sleater Kinney but great guitar sound. I was a bit put off by the constant vibratto vocals. Less is more with that sort of thing. I don't know how to say I love the Riot Grrrl movement for representation in punk and music more generally without sounding extremely patronising like I'm patting them on the head so I'll just stop
Black Sabbath
3/5
The Psychedelic Furs
4/5
Very good. Energy up throughout. I could hear bits of loads of other bands like Roxy Music/The Fall/Sex Pistols/The Cure. They were either very influential or savvy when it comes to picking bits from others.
Iron Maiden
3/5
I liked this without being blown away. As Nick said, the vocals sounded weird without Bruce
Travis
4/5
I downloaded them from Napster and used to play along badly on my dad's old guitar. First gig as well at the SECC. Doves supporting.
Screaming Trees
3/5
I liked it. It was interesting to hear similarities between it and when Mark Lanegan was in Queens of the Stone Age
Elliott Smith
2/5
2/5
The Bees
2/5
I didn't like this at all. Recorded in a cupboard and sounded like it. Music for hotel receptions
Elvis Costello
4/5
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
It was interesting to a point but a less good version of King Crimson
Dusty Springfield
4/5
If I want to listen to Dusty Springfield I will put this album on, or the other one we had, or more likely whatever Spotify serves up. It's all great
Keith Jarrett
3/5
Very pleasant
Janet Jackson
3/5
Billy Bragg
4/5
Hard to argue with stuff written and sung with real conviction
N.W.A.
3/5
Technically great. Hard to get behind most of the lyrics. Ice Cube especially sounded great. His best work until Are We There Yet?
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
Good old rock and roll by a horrendous human
Astor Piazzolla
2/5
David Crosby
4/5
I enjoyed it. Felt of a piece with the Crosby, Stills and Nash stuff but on the chiller side
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
A couple of the tracks reminded me of late Beatles or McCartney solo pop (Baby Driver, Keep the Customer Satisfied). Highlights for me were the big lush orchestral ones (title, New York) and The Boxer. Besides a couple of flat spots and a late tail off I thought this was a cracker.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
YAWN
Tricky
3/5
I was thinking how much this sounded like Portishead then Hell Is Round the Corner came on witch has the same sample as Portishead used on Glory Box. Mad
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
My bag
Tim Buckley
2/5
Middling 60s folk
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
I liked this much more than I thought. I thought he was some overly smooth soul guy but there's a bit more bite to his vocals than that. I couldn't have told you any songs before this but I recognised Wishing Well and Sign Your Name having heard them and not known they were him.
Willie Nelson
4/5
Queens of the Stone Age
4/5
I thought I had listened to this before but I remember it as being a bit more woozy and not as heavy. I might be getting it mixed up with Rated R though. Enjoyed the hypnotic groove, thought it was quite similar to Black Sabbath in places. Really hope to see Songs for the Deaf pop up. If it doesn't I'll riot
The Waterboys
2/5
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
I liked the eclecticness and ambition but this was just too long to get a grip of. I liked what I heard though
Deep Purple
3/5
My Bloody Valentine
5/5
This was an oversight for me. Kicking myself for not listening to it sooner. Dream pop with heavy distorted guitars is basically precision engineered to hit all my buttons
Gillian Welch
2/5
I wasn't that fussed about this. It quickly faded into background music. It wasn't bad but there wasn't much variety
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
He got a great guitar sound on this album and for all his faults as a human being it sounds great throughout. Could take or leave the vocals and there were a few too many nondescript tracks for me but I did enjoy this
The Pretty Things
3/5
I don't hate this after fully expecting to. It's sub Sgt Pepper mostly but I admire the ambition and they shoot off in some interesting directions without getting annoying like whatever that Small Faces album was.
Björk
1/5
I feel like Bjork is a practical joke that I'm not in on. I truly don't get her. This album was typical of times I've tried before. Strained lyrics over orchestral/electronic/both that only sometimes sound like they were recorded for the same track. There must be something to it but it's lost on me.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
George Harrison
4/5
Little Richard
3/5
The Cure
3/5
Violent Femmes
3/5
Meat Loaf
4/5
I enjoy Meat Loaf for the OTT camp nature of the whole thing but can see why it's not everyone's cup of tea. It's rock n roll for musical theatre goers which is a niche that's pretty much all his own. Most of the tracks go on a bit long for me but I enjoyed it
Elastica
4/5
I would have been a big fan of this at the time if I'd been aware. Big fan now actually having caught up
Laura Nyro
3/5
She sounds incredibly like Carole King but these songs had more of a 60s pop formula to them. Similar to Nick, pheasant enough but didn't grab me
Stan Getz
3/5
The Band
3/5
Sheryl Crow
3/5
I used to have her second album which I much prefer but there was some really interesting sounds on here. Some of the production sounds like those Ibiza trance chillout albums. Some crap like the The Na-Na Song but All I Wanna Do and a few others are good listens
The White Stripes
5/5
Is this still brilliant or did I happen to have it when I was 16? I'm second guessing myself but I think brilliant
The Streets
4/5
John Martyn
2/5
I didn't get much from this
Supertramp
4/5
James Brown
3/5
I expected a longer live set from the hardest working man in show business but I think they had a weird habit in those days of chopping up the recordings and changing the order around, missing songs etc
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
The Darkness
2/5
I enjoyed this at the time but listening to it now it sounds really tired and forced. Too tongue in cheek and winking to be judged for itself but played too straight to say anything clever about what it's aping. Surely a better inclusion would have been one of the hair metal bands from the time rather than a reheated copy from 20 years later. Anything post 2000 on this list is a bit hit and miss.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Yep, two absolute classics bookending a load of farting about. I do love Charlie Watts' laid back drumming though. A jazz man in the wrong band
Wire
4/5
Sonic Youth
4/5
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
3/5
Kate Bush
4/5
Such a strong start it can't keep it up, but that says more about how good the first two tracks are than anything else. A really interesting inventive album.
Elis Regina
3/5
This was pretty nice. Feel like Brazil is quite well represented on this list
Super Furry Animals
3/5
I was looking forward to this having heard constantly how great they were. It was fine?
Oasis
5/5
Goldfrapp
4/5
The Modern Lovers
3/5
Coldplay
2/5
The Police
4/5
Second album by The Police that I've thought was pretty great. Who knew?
Jimi Hendrix
2/5
This screamed difficult second album. Pleasant but noodly.
Joan Armatrading
3/5
Love and Affection was the definite highlight. I think this album has the sound of a grower. Not sure if one listen is enough
Neil Young
3/5
Is Neil Young technically a good singer? I'd say no. But is he pleasant to the ear? Also no
Tortoise
2/5
Couldn't get into this
The Kinks
4/5
I found this hard to judge as some of it is very good, some is stuff the Beatles might have let Ringo sing for a laugh, and then Waterloo Sunset which might be one of the best songs ever written. Confusing
KISS
3/5
Nina Simone
3/5
Barry Adamson
3/5
David Ackles
4/5
Ryan Adams
4/5
I kind of wanted to hate this but it's really good
Gorillaz
2/5
Oh look Damon's got a sequencer and made some demos
Primal Scream
3/5
Gang Starr
2/5
I managed half of this and couldn't tell any of it apart so I bailed. Some of the samples were good but the rapping was really bland
The Black Keys
2/5
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Cat Stevens
4/5
Prince
5/5
The Kinks
2/5
Mj Cole
2/5
Blue Cheer
3/5
I had this written off quite quickly but got into the heaviness as it ticked along. Doesn't sound like 1968
Radiohead
4/5
The Yardbirds
2/5
I thought there were some interesting flourishes but it boiled down to meat and potatoes rocky blues
The Coral
4/5
I used to really like this and enjoyed rediscovering it. They were doing their own thing and kind of got lumped in with the other indie bands of the time. Dreaming of You is such a great tune
Underworld
3/5
Love
3/5
M.I.A.
2/5
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Mudhoney
3/5
Death In Vegas
4/5
Radiohead
3/5
I really like Radiohead but this isn't one of my favourites.
Brian Eno
4/5
Invention everywhere
Orbital
3/5
Talking Heads
4/5
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
Red Snapper
1/5
The Stooges
3/5
The Clash
5/5
I had this when I was at school and sickened myself on it by playing it too much. Happy to say I'm over that now and it was like catching up with an old friend
Soft Cell
3/5
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Sonic Youth
3/5
Coldplay
2/5
Fucking yawn
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Jane's Addiction
2/5
Pink Floyd
5/5
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
The Electric Prunes
3/5
Boston
4/5
I feel like I know all these songs. Have at least heard most of them before I think. They are the most classic rock of all the classic rock. Good fun. I enjoy the spaceship and prog styling then the band just being called Boston
Nick Drake
3/5
Incubus
1/5
Joy Division
4/5
Ice Cube
3/5
3/5
FKA twigs
1/5
Did nothing for me
Judas Priest
4/5
Carpenters
3/5
Jean-Michel Jarre
4/5
Big Star
3/5
Common
4/5
Michael Jackson
5/5
John Martyn
3/5
Arcade Fire
5/5
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
1/5
George Michael
3/5
Jack White
2/5
The Doors
2/5
Johnny Cash
5/5
Devendra Banhart
2/5
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Neu!
3/5
Guns N' Roses
5/5
Megadeth
4/5
The Smiths
5/5
Lucinda Williams
3/5
TV On The Radio
2/5
Foo Fighters
2/5
Deep Purple
2/5
The Band
3/5
Miles Davis
3/5
Green Day
3/5
Lana Del Rey
3/5
Spacemen 3
2/5
Steely Dan
3/5
Fats Domino
3/5
David Bowie
5/5
Dead Kennedys
4/5
The Crusaders
3/5
Beastie Boys
3/5
Enjoyed the sampling
Sam Cooke
4/5
Eels
5/5
I liked this a lot. I knew Novocaine for the Soul but nothing else. I thought they were British. I've heard a few things about E and he sounds a really interesting guy
The Doors
2/5
Aimee Mann
3/5
Talvin Singh
1/5
The Undertones
5/5
Elton John
5/5
Shack
2/5
UB40
2/5
PJ Harvey
3/5
Teenage Fanclub
5/5
Björk
2/5
The Incredible String Band
1/5
Morrissey
4/5
Korn
3/5
3/5
Nico
2/5
Madness
2/5
Thundercat
5/5
Ice Cube
2/5
Roxy Music
4/5
The Specials
4/5
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
Simon & Garfunkel
2/5
Michael Jackson
5/5
Public Enemy
4/5
Metallica
3/5
The xx
3/5
Happy Mondays
2/5
Depeche Mode
3/5
Guided By Voices
3/5
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Sonic Youth
4/5
Ananda Shankar
2/5
Sepultura
3/5
Kings of Leon
4/5
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Bob Dylan
2/5
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
Emmylou Harris
4/5
Marvin Gaye
3/5
This is probably heresy but I thought this was just fine. Lovely playing but weirdly low energy for a protest album. Some tracks were a bit meandering but I really enjoyed What's Going On and Mercy Mercy Me
Beth Orton
3/5
Morrissey
3/5
Van Morrison
3/5
Air
4/5
Billy Joel
4/5
The Prodigy
4/5
Arrested Development
3/5
The Beach Boys
3/5
Van Morrison
2/5
Grateful Dead
1/5
Alice Cooper
2/5
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
4/5
I liked the soul stuff it used to build on top of
Bon Jovi
4/5
Goldfrapp
5/5
I thought this was brilliant. Lush and ethereal at the same time
The Young Rascals
3/5
ZZ Top
3/5
Bob Dylan
2/5
Sounded like Mr Boom falling down the stairs
The Pogues
3/5
Tangerine Dream
2/5
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
The Cramps
3/5
Primal Scream
5/5
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3/5
Cornershop
3/5
Miriam Makeba
3/5
Portishead
3/5
Fairport Convention
2/5
Miles Davis
1/5
I don't have the tools to engage with this properly. It seems more scattered than Kind of Blue was but that might just be familiarity. I didn't stick with it
The Fall
4/5
T. Rex
2/5
Madonna
3/5
Saint Etienne
4/5
Gary Numan
3/5
The Mars Volta
3/5
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
Frank Zappa
3/5
Taylor Swift
4/5
Simply Red
2/5
Peter Tosh
2/5
Jane Weaver
2/5
I liked it too but it hasn't left much impact.
Talking Heads
4/5
High class strangeness from them as usual
The Cars
3/5
I really like a few of their songs (My Best Friend's Girl, Just What I Needed) but the rest blurred a bit
George Michael
3/5
The Boo Radleys
2/5
Cypress Hill
2/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Snoop Dogg
3/5
Nine Inch Nails
2/5
Robert Wyatt
2/5
The Go-Betweens
2/5
Ryan Adams
4/5
Bad Company
3/5
Jethro Tull
3/5
R.E.M.
5/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
The Pharcyde
2/5
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Basement Jaxx
3/5
The Style Council
2/5
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
Elvis Presley
3/5
The Cult
3/5
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Ms. Dynamite
3/5
The Notorious B.I.G.
5/5
The Icarus Line
3/5
I didn't take to this straightaway but it definitely grew on me. By the end I was quite looking forward to giving it another go. A bit like The Vines or Black Rebel Motorcycle Club but more sinister
Rocket From The Crypt
5/5
Had a great time with this one. Maybe it's the heavy diet of Less Than Jake I grew up on but there isn't much music can't be made better with horns
Gotan Project
2/5
This was a bit sleepy
The Only Ones
3/5
The drop off from Another Girl, Another Planet to everything else is massive. Such a great track
Green Day
5/5
Solange
2/5
Lyrically interesting but musically a bit wandered in places. Not sure I like this sparse style too much
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
It's hard to separate the art from the artist. Great music but then apparently he was a criminal (smoked MARIJUANA) so it's hard to know what to think
The Verve
2/5
Pretty bland cod-psychadelia. Left no impression
Kings of Leon
3/5
Not as good as their first album. Still much better than their subsequent stuff. Part of a straight downward line of quality
The Temptations
3/5
2/5
Alice In Chains
4/5
Eagles
4/5
Buck Owens
3/5
I liked this. Sounds like the style that the outlaws were trying to work their way back towards
Lenny Kravitz
3/5
Absolutely fine. Not bad at all. Throw it on the 3/5 pile
Serge Gainsbourg
3/5
Musically pretty good. Horrific lyrics but I don't speak very good French so I don't know. In conclusion, France is a land of contrasts
David Bowie
5/5
Merry Christmas all. A wee Christmas treat today. I think this is up there with his best. Sound and Vision is 👌
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Accidents Will Happen, Oliver's Army, What's so funny... were all great then it was diminishing returns for me
Sinead O'Connor
4/5
Lambchop
4/5
I really liked the chilled country tinge. Some interesting phrasing of vocals. Definitely want to listen to more by them. Reminded me of Giant Sand who I think we had quite early on, or Big Thief
Destiny's Child
3/5
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3/5
Aphex Twin
3/5
Does Wyatt it says on the tin
Radiohead
4/5
Scott Walker
4/5
Flamin' Groovies
2/5
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Hanoi Rocks
4/5
Seemed like connective tissue between English punk and sunset strip hair metal
Siouxsie And The Banshees
5/5
Spiritualized
4/5
Scritti Politti
4/5
Obviously not a patch on MJ/Luther Vandross etc but pretty spot on sound for a band formed in Leeds. Really dated sound now but an enjoyable listen
Finley Quaye
2/5
I had this on at the gym which I don't think was its intended environment but it was pleasant enough
The Stooges
3/5
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
Tina Turner
3/5
George Jones
3/5
The The
4/5
Country Joe & The Fish
1/5
Bob Dylan
4/5
Cocteau Twins
5/5
Pavement
4/5
Missy Elliott
3/5
Iron Maiden
5/5
R.E.M.
4/5
Soul II Soul
2/5
Turbonegro
4/5
Julian Cope
2/5
The Specials
4/5
R.E.M.
5/5
The Cardigans
3/5
Dolly Parton
3/5
Manic Street Preachers
5/5
Thin Lizzy
3/5
Raekwon
4/5
I do love that RZA sound
Pere Ubu
2/5
Kanye West
5/5
Loved this. Never had it on before. Bonus King Crimson sample on Power
Gene Clark
4/5
Neneh Cherry
2/5
I like the 80s sequencer/drum machine sound. It's a bit like junk food, strangely addictive
Johnny Cash
5/5
Emmylou Harris
4/5
Television
4/5
Ministry
3/5
The Saints
3/5
Metallica
2/5
This sounds really muddy and busy to me. Of the songs I like, I like the originals better, and the whole thing just stinks of them sniffing their own farts
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Muddy Waters
2/5
Elvis Costello
3/5
Meat Puppets
3/5
808 State
2/5
Mudhoney
3/5
Randy Newman
3/5
Nick Drake
3/5
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
Getting this right after Nick Drake is mad. He must have been a huge influence on them
The Everly Brothers
2/5
Marilyn Manson
3/5
R.E.M.
4/5
As a big REM fan I can admit they have far too many albums on here. I reckon Automatic For the People and this or their other early one would have covered them fine
Eurythmics
3/5
Dagmar Krause
1/5
Patti Smith
3/5
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
Def Leppard
2/5
Neil Young
4/5
Stereo MC's
2/5
De La Soul
4/5
Koffi Olomide
3/5
Elvis Presley
3/5
Isaac Hayes
3/5
The Isley Brothers
5/5
Slipknot
2/5
The Divine Comedy
3/5
I liked some of it. Some of it was a bit clever for its own good though. Enjoyed the Father Ted theme popping up. Another one for my massive 3 star pile
Pixies
5/5
John Lennon
3/5
Mother and Working Class Hero are the standouts to me. I found most of the rest to be a bit half baked. I've never liked his tendency to revert to a sweaty old blues riff and call a track done. Well Well Well was the worst offender in the regard
Youssou N'Dour
2/5
Moby Grape
3/5
Christine and the Queens
3/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
Neil Young
3/5
4/5
Really enjoyable. Can't recall any standout tracks but strong all the way through. Very Tony Hawk
Sisters Of Mercy
4/5
Bob Dylan
3/5
Peter Gabriel
4/5
The Monkees
2/5
Pulp
5/5
I think they are my favourite of the Britpoppers. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk
Ice T
2/5
Syd Barrett
2/5
Sonic Youth
4/5
Haircut 100
3/5
Amy Winehouse
4/5
PJ Harvey
4/5
I was really into this when it came out. Still sounds really fresh to me. I haven't heard much else by her but I gather it's a bit of a departure
Q-Tip
4/5
Digital Underground
2/5
Milton Nascimento
2/5
U2
3/5
Paul McCartney
5/5
The White Stripes
3/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Simple Minds
2/5
Bit non descript
TLC
3/5
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Iron Butterfly
3/5
This sounds like rock and/or roll!
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
N.E.R.D
3/5
Hole
4/5
Enjoyed this. Poppier than I thought, almost like a Britpop sound. The chimey guitar tone really reminded me of someone specific but I can't place it
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Method Man
2/5
I think RZA really improved with time. This just sounded really muddy for the most part and had that same problem that solo Wu Tang stuff often has in that I wanted a bit more variety
Ghostface Killah
3/5
Blur
3/5
CHVRCHES
5/5
Marty Robbins
3/5
Big Iiiron
The Strokes
5/5
Steely Dan
2/5
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Stephen Stills
2/5
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
The Byrds
2/5
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Love
4/5
Stereolab
2/5
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Steely Dan
4/5
Beck
4/5
Songhoy Blues
3/5
Chicago
4/5
Dennis Wilson
5/5
I thought it was brilliant. 5 stars for me. It was lush and cosy but still varied and interesting. I'll come back to this a lot
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
3/5
Ash
2/5
Butthole Surfers
2/5
I like some Butthole Surfers but not this particularly. I can do a certain level of weird as long as it's hanging on songs and some of this didn't hit that mark. Human Cannonball was good
Happy Mondays
5/5
Good stuff. Never been sure about them but this was class. Definitely need to be in the right vibe but today I am. The well known ones are good but particularly enjoyed God's Cop and Harmony as new ones to me.
Buffalo Springfield
2/5
U2
4/5
Annoyingly I really liked U2 today
Jamiroquai
3/5
Muddy Waters
2/5
AC/DC
3/5
Lou Reed
4/5
The Blue Nile
4/5
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
Deep Purple
2/5
Prince
4/5
The Offspring
3/5
Beatles
3/5
It's a strange one to have on the list. Basically business as usual after Please Please Me. Not particularly groundbreaking
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Beatles
5/5
Slint
2/5
Dirty Projectors
3/5
Lou Reed
3/5
Tom Waits
1/5
Shite
Janis Joplin
5/5
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
Mike Oldfield
3/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Fugazi
5/5
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
The Last Shadow Puppets
2/5
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
Talk Talk
4/5
Richard Thompson
4/5
Traffic
3/5
Mercury Rev
2/5
Steely Dan
2/5
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
The Zutons
2/5
Madonna
2/5
Black Sabbath
4/5
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
4/5
I had this album from around when it came out but hadn't listened to it since. Great to revisit. The maximalist approach really suits Muse as a band. They've never been subtle so might as well chuck it all at the wall. The mixture of synths and guitar is great and the weird conspiracy vibe fits perfectly
Supergrass
3/5
I like them and imagine it would have been great fun jumping around to them at V Festival or something
The United States Of America
2/5
The Adverts
4/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
XTC
2/5
a-ha
3/5
The Roots
3/5
Beck
4/5
Beatles
5/5
The B-52's
4/5
Definitely more post punk than they sound in my head. The roughness was a good contrast to the surf party rock, which would have got older a lot faster otherwise
The Kinks
2/5
Nirvana
4/5
Waylon Jennings
4/5
The Triffids
3/5
Doves
3/5
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
3/5
Slayer
5/5
Metallica
5/5
The Slits
3/5
David Bowie
4/5
Can
4/5
k.d. lang
4/5
The Sugarcubes
3/5
LL Cool J
3/5
Django Django
4/5
D'Angelo
1/5
Pere Ubu
2/5
White Denim
3/5
Shivkumar Sharma
2/5
Scissor Sisters
2/5
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
Minutemen
3/5
Kings of Leon
1/5
Tears For Fears
4/5
Blur
5/5
Culture Club
2/5
Cowboy Junkies
3/5
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Tracy Chapman
5/5
Klaxons
3/5
Wild Beasts
3/5
Aretha Franklin
5/5
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Mekons
3/5
I read the description and can't say I was getting much punk or country. This sounded more like The Fall or Half Man Half Biscuit. It was good though. Hard to be Human Again was a good listen. It all had the sound of something that needed a couple of listens to appreciate
Germs
3/5
The Stooges
4/5
3/5
Anita Baker
1/5
The cheesy 80s instrumentation absolutely kills this for me. Of all the great soul recorded this being on here is baffling to me
Pentangle
1/5
3/5
Queen
3/5
Mariah Carey
1/5
Sade
2/5
Burning Spear
3/5
Incredible Bongo Band
4/5
Brian Eno
4/5
ZZ Top
4/5
Fun Lovin' Criminals
2/5
The Libertines
2/5
Faust
3/5
The Jam
4/5
Calexico
4/5
Heaven 17
2/5
David Gray
3/5
SZA
3/5
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
Robert Wyatt
3/5
Pulp
5/5
Le Tigre
3/5
Eminem
3/5
Insanely talented but seems like a weird, broken man
Roni Size
2/5
Prefab Sprout
5/5
Elvis Presley
2/5
Grant Lee Buffalo
4/5
Beastie Boys
3/5
The National
4/5
Beyoncé
4/5
The Hives
4/5
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3/5
Joni Mitchell
2/5
Radiohead
3/5
Crowded House
3/5
Tori Amos
3/5
Elton John
5/5
Slipknot
2/5
4/5
Radiohead
5/5
My second favourite Radiohead after OK Computer. Still a guitar album but you can hear the strangeness creeping in at the margins. Say what you want about them but their first 5 or so albums show such a clear path of movement before things level out a bit after that. I meant to say about Kid A that I think I've tried enough and don't rate it massively. Finally made my peace with it. As for The Bends the usual suspects are great but Bones sounded great to me on this listen
Erykah Badu
3/5
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
This sounds more like a late career post-grunge renaissance than from the actual real life 70's. Really good
Roxy Music
4/5
Pink Floyd
5/5
Metallica
3/5
2/5
Suicide
3/5
Alanis Morissette
3/5
For so long I thought Alanis was just Ironic, but I was surprised how familiar some of these tracks were. It was alright, I'll never be a superfan, but she has plenty of those
Lupe Fiasco
4/5
The Divine Comedy
4/5
Not really getting the hate for this. Nice luxe indie-pop with all the extra orchestral instruments you could want. Cohesive set of tunes, lasted half an hour. Smashing
The Who
2/5
Leftfield
4/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
David Bowie
4/5
Beatles
5/5
The Mamas & The Papas
2/5
Mamas and Papas a real mixed bag. Some lovely tracks (Monday Monday, California Dreamin) but it's all very slow and lacking energy
Fleet Foxes
3/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Nick Cave is for guys whose Facebook profile picture is them cradling a glass of whisky they don't like while staring pensively into the middle distance
Deerhunter
3/5
Todd Rundgren
5/5
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Hawkwind
2/5
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
The Prodigy
4/5
Röyksopp
3/5
New Order
4/5
The Doors
3/5
Mike Ladd
3/5
Bauhaus
2/5
Struggled to get on with this. Bit sparse for my liking (I'm quite behind. Looking forward to the Cure based on reviews so far)
The Cure
5/5
Bill Callahan
4/5
Liked this a lot. Interesting to read about his lo-fi background which I might dig into. Reminded me of Giant Sand a lot, Father John Misty slightly. His voice was perfectly cromulent, but unusual in that we don't hear a lot of baritones in pop music
JAY Z
2/5
Skepta
3/5
Morrissey
3/5
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
2/5
Madonna
4/5
The Beta Band
3/5
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
Slade
2/5
Holger Czukay
4/5