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Tue Jul 11 2023
Aftermath
The Rolling Stones
The Stones definitely fall into that group of 60s/70s rock bands that I just can't for the life of me understand why they're still celebrated now. I'm sure at the time the music was groundbreaking and exciting, but it just doesn't hold up like some others from that time. Listened to the UK version and enjoyed the first track, but I'm struggling to recall anything interesting after that. I guess they just aren't for me.
2
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Wed Jul 12 2023
There's No Place Like America Today
Curtis Mayfield
Familiar with Curtis from his self-titled and Superfly, both great albums that i enjoyed more than this, though there isn't really anything wrong with this either. It's pleasant to listen to, some great grooves, but overall just kind of breezes past me after finishing. Probably worth another listen in the future, but overall just a solid album that i don't regret having to listen to at all. 'So in Love' especially was a good listen.
3
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Thu Jul 13 2023
Jagged Little Pill
Alanis Morissette
Probably the best compliment I can give the album is that it's packed with smash hits, and it's sequenced in a way where you basically get a hit, a solid filler, and then another hit all the way through. All of the non-hits are pretty standard though and don't really stand out, but they aren't bad either. The production, especially the drums, really screams 90s so it does feel a little dated, but the angsty lyrics and great choruses make up for it. Not one to go back to that often, but the hits really do hit. Especially Ironic, one of the best singles of the 90s for sure.
3
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Fri Jul 14 2023
...And Justice For All
Metallica
Probably their most progressive of their first few albums. The songs are generally pretty long, something they've picked up again since Death Magnetic but with 1/100th of the songwriting skill shown here. The big let down is definitely the production, without any bass the whole sound is very flat. What is impressive though is how memorable and fun to listen to the songs are despite the length, the title track is a great example of this at nearly 10 minutes. For the first half at least this is true, after One the quality does take a bit of a hit, but not enough to completely turn me off the album.
Definitely still worth a listen but wouldn't put it above the two albums that preceeded it.
3
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Sat Jul 15 2023
A Love Supreme
John Coltrane
Every time Coltrane's sax pops into a song it feels like the heavens are opening. So glad that I can appreciate jazz a lot more than I could years ago, makes you realise just how unique this album is in the genre, there's really nothing else like it. It's amazing how much it manages to do in barely half an hour, and with just those 3 words repeated. Somehow feels deeply spiritual just through the sound alone. It's a masterpiece.
5
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Sat Jul 15 2023
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Dead Kennedys
Now we're on my kind of music, some classic punk. Listened to this already many times, Dead Kennedys had a really interesting sound on here thanks to their surf-rock influence. Songs like 'Kill the Poor', 'Lets Lynch the Landlord', 'California Uber Alles' all are punk classics that I could listen to everyday and not tire of them. The only thing stopping me from giving it a 5 is a few tracks near the end running up to the legendary 'Holiday in Cambodia' which are a little weak and don't leave much of an impression even after all the listens i've given them.
Regardless this is still a punk classic that anyone interesting in getting into the genre should listen through a couple times.
4
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Sun Jul 16 2023
Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against The Machine
I'm sure everyones review mentions it, but this has to be one of the best produced rock albums of all time. Even on songs i'm not crazy about like 'Settle for Nothing', the contrast between the quieter and louder parts, how well every instrument fits into the mix. The first minute of 'Take the Power Back' is a masterclass in how to mix an album.
Outside of that, the political lyrics and the anger they're delivered with matches perfectly with the instrumentation. Only things stopping me from giving a 5 are a couple of weaker tracks, and a general feeling like the songs could use a bit of trimming. The whole album also just works off the same trick, but it's an innovative trick and it sounds good. The amazing production also masks over a lot of small issues, it's just great fun to listen to.
4
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Mon Jul 17 2023
Rip It Up
Orange Juice
Was excited to get into this as i love a bit of post-punk, but ends up being a lot less exciting and interesting than the usual albums i'd put on. The first track which was apparently the big single off it was pretty decent, and there was a couple tracks after that that reminded me a little of 'Remain in Light' by the Talking Heads with some afrobeat influence. Unfortunately those songs still aren't nearly as interesting as anything from that album, and the rest of the album, especially the slower cuts, don't leave much of an impression at all.
There isn't really anything outright bad or annoying about the album, but there's nothing that makes me want to replay it again either.
3
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Tue Jul 18 2023
Fragile
Yes
As much as I did enjoy listening to it, can't help but feel like it would be much better if it was put together similar to 'Close to the Edge'. That album was just 3 epics packed in with no room for filler. With Fragile it feels like despite having 9 songs on the tracklist, only 3 or 4 are actually full length songs, not some kind of interlude.
Those actual songs are great, especially the closer, but I really don't see the point of the filler tracks. Could've removed those and just given us another full length track.
3
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Wed Jul 19 2023
Histoire De Melody Nelson
Serge Gainsbourg
Seen this album cover a million times, so glad I finally get to check out the music behind it. The unfortunate thing is that it's all in french, and the story being told in the lyrics seems to be a pretty important part of it. Especially in the first track, which gives me vibes of 'The Gift' by The Velvet Underground, with a quieter instrumental in the background, and ASMR-esque vocals upfront. This opening and the similarly long closer are definitely the highlights, the closer especially has some great moments, but everything in between seems to just pass by so quickly. There's some nice melodies (pun intended) and instrumentals spread through this middle but without the lyrics to grasp onto, nothing really sticks.
Glad I got the chance to check this out finally, but i don't see myself returning to it any time soon. Unless i suddenly become fluent in French.
3
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Thu Jul 20 2023
Mask
Bauhaus
Definitely one to give some more listens. My kind of music, that gothic post-punk is something i love, and was familiar with their debut album already, which is great. I think it could do with a little trimming down, maybe the version i heard had some bonus songs added onto the end, because the quality definitely dipped in the final few songs. Glad i listened to it though, will have to check out the rest of their discography some time.
3
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Fri Jul 21 2023
Crazysexycool
TLC
This is probably the most 3 album i've heard yet on here. I love a nice 90s hip-hop/rnb beat, and there's some great ones on here especially near the start, but there's a lot that aged like milk. The interludes too are so unnecessary and i'll never understand why 90s albums were full of them. The lyrics are pretty straightforward, not really anything too deep, but the choruses and fun and they have great voices. Might come back to a couple songs off here but that's it really. Don't regret hearing it.
3
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Sat Jul 22 2023
At San Quentin
Johnny Cash
Doesn't feel quite as full of an experience as Folsom Prison, but it's still a great listen. Part country album, part standup comedy. Hearing the crowd cheer at every vulgar lyric, or boo at any mention of the guards or wardens is hilarious every time.
3
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Sun Jul 23 2023
Ritual De Lo Habitual
Jane's Addiction
Feel like i need to give this a 3 because i really enjoyed up to and including 'Been Caught Stealing'. It's a really strong first half to the record, full and life and energy, was having a great time. Then they decided to load all the longer songs onto the second half, which just drags the pace down incredibly. Not that these songs were especially bad or anything, but there's nothing I hate more than an uneven tracklist. A bit of shifting songs around and you'd have something really good here.
3
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Mon Jul 24 2023
Nilsson Schmilsson
Harry Nilsson
Well this was a pleasant surprise. This whole album is excellently produced, you really notice it in the first couple songs with all the different instruments popping in from all sides, and it sounds great. It was only when I got to the chorus of 'Without You' that i recognised the song, which apparently this is a cover version, but damn he really sells it. The highlight of the album for sure, but I couldn't really pick a weak track out. Maybe having 'Coconut' right after that is an odd choice, but it's a fun silly song so i can't stay mad at it.
4
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Tue Jul 25 2023
Power In Numbers
Jurassic 5
There's a lyrics in one of the first songs on here that says something along of line of how they just want to bring you the old school hip-hop sound. And that's exactly what they do over the whole album, and do it very well. If you're not a fan of those 90s beats and lyrics then I doubt this will change you mind, but for someone like me who loves that sound, I had a great time listening. The production is great, even drum kicks hits you right in the chest. The songs where they up the tempo a little lets them show off their more technical skills, but mostly this is an album to sit back and relax too. No complaints really.
4
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Wed Jul 26 2023
Bryter Layter
Nick Drake
Very familiar with Nick Drake, but usually when I go to listen to him, it's almost always Pink Moon that I put on. It's an amazing album but I was happy to give another listen to one of his other albums. While I still don't enjoy it quite as much as Pink Moon, all the added instrumentation makes these songs really beautiful, the production is amazing. Nick's voice is soothing and gorgeous as always. Will need to give it more listens as is still blends together a lot for me, have trouble picking out any particular song, but still worth a listen.
3
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Thu Jul 27 2023
3 + 3
The Isley Brothers
Fun album to listen to. Think the opener and Summer Breeze overshadow the rest of the tracks with their slick guitar work and jam sections, but that might just be my own taste and biases. The album flys by though, great basslines and grooves throughout. Definitely one i'll be throwing on for some more listens in the future, where the other tracks might start to stand out more. But it's a high 3 for now.
3
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Fri Jul 28 2023
L.A. Woman
The Doors
Very bluesy, great production, and ends with one of their greatest songs. Another one of those artists where I usually default to the same album whenever i want to listen to them (the self-titled), but I might have to add this one into the rotation. Bit of a quality dip from the first couple tracks until Riders, but couldn't really pick a weak track overall.
3
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Sat Jul 29 2023
Rubber Soul
Beatles
The Beatles are that one band that people just won't let you dislike. "It's influential! It's influential!" they scream at you...uh ok? I thought we were judging how good the music sounds, not what other people thought of it. Was a bit disheartened when I found this site to see that the top albums are littered with the usual bunch of Beatles albums that everywhere else is. I just can't for the life of me understand what the big deal is.
And honestly, around their time there were other incredible artists that I think were both more important and influential, and their music has stood the test of time. Bands like The Velvet Underground, The Stooges or The Doors. They definitely have a couple better albums than this, but nothing to write home about.
2
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Sun Jul 30 2023
Deep Purple In Rock
Deep Purple
Usually I can't get into a lot of the classic rock bands, say like Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin etc. There just isn't anything exciting about their music to me, and when they seem to 'jam' it feels safe, like they're afraid to go all out. With Deep Purple, I don't get that feeling at all. Every song I hear from them is just balls to the wall, trying to outdo each other for the entire song, being technical and musical in equal measure. The longer songs like Child in Time on here are just so much fun to listen to, 10 minutes has passed you by before you even realise. For me they blow a lot of those classic rock bands out of the water.
4
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Mon Jul 31 2023
Arrival
ABBA
Similar to an album like Thriller, where the legendary singles just seem to overshadow the rest of the album. That's not to say that the other songs aren't a decent listen, they're fun and catchy, but after the album is done I spent the next few hours singing Dancing Queen and Knowing Me Knowing You over and over to myself. A greatest hits comp is definitely the best thing for ABBA, but it can't be too bad of an album when a third of the songs are straight up pop classics. Just not something I see myself really going back to.
3
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Tue Aug 01 2023
The Clash
The Clash
Back to my kind of music. Though their debut isn't as varied as their classic album London Calling, they came out of the gate with some great punk music. Full of songs you can sing back after 1 or 2 listens, and songs like Police & Thieves do show a glimpse of what was to come later down the line. It's full of energy from start to finish, and I always feel tempted to start it all over again as soon as the album is done.
4
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Wed Aug 02 2023
The Renaissance
Q-Tip
Despite being a big Tribe Called Quest fan, i've never really gone into Q-Tips solo work fully, as this was just as pleasant as i expected. Instead of the usual jazzy beats it's more of a soulful sound, with some great features to compliment it (looking at you D'Angelo). Q-Tip sounds smooth as hell as usual, he flows over these beats easily. It's the kind of hip-hop album i could play on a drive with my mum, and I mean that in a good way. It's light, bouncy, easy to listen to. It's not blowing me away, but i'm enjoying the experience from front to back.
3
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Thu Aug 03 2023
Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club
Had never heard of this before, then clicked the wiki to see that it was a side project of half of Talking Heads (plus Adrian Belew who was on Remain in Light). So I was then pretty excited to hear it, and lo and behold, it's a fantastic album. Brings the eccentricity of the last Heads album and bumps up the danceability. Can't help but feel like this was a big influence on Belew as I hear a lot of similarities between this and the King Crimson album Discipline that he would record just months after this one.
If you're a Talking Heads fan then this is almost like an extra album from their prime era to enjoy. Will be going back to this one for sure, especially Genius of Love, what a great song.
4
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Fri Aug 04 2023
Peace Sells...But Who's Buying
Megadeth
I'm surprised at the low score (bang on a 3) and the negative reviews here calling this \"typical metal\" etc. I think this is one of the more fun metal albums you'll hear in your life. It breezes past at around 40 minutes, and is just alive with wild technical ability and fun songwriting. I can understand not being a fan on Mustaine's voice though, I guess i'm just used to it after knowing about Megadeth for so long. Can't quite bring myself to give it a 5, but it isn't far off.
I do have a slight complaint about the remastered version I was listening to. Just seems like a slight mixing error but often the drums were very loud and the vocals seemed pushed back a lot.
4
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Sat Aug 05 2023
Automatic For The People
R.E.M.
The singles from this album are great, Nightswimming is an especially pretty song. I think I still need more listens for the rest of the album to sink in, but i don't think there were any bad songs at all. The production on this album is amazing too.
3
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Sun Aug 06 2023
Reign In Blood
Slayer
Probably the peak of metal music for me, doesn't really get much better. Album flies through at 200mph, insane riffs and solos. As soon as it's over I just want to listen to it all over again.
5
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Mon Aug 07 2023
Penthouse And Pavement
Heaven 17
While it starts off pretty strong with the opening track, the album as a whole ends up feeling very one dimensional. Not enough variation or stand out tracks, despite some nice grooves here and there.
2
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Tue Aug 08 2023
Harvest
Neil Young
Neil Young is one of those artists that I've listened to plenty of, but he's never completely clicked with me. So I made sure to give this album a few full listens to really try and get into it, and by the end of the day it was really starting to open up to me. There's some gorgeous songs on here, Heart Of Gold especially. Looking forward to hearing some more of him now.
4
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Wed Aug 09 2023
Pieces Of The Sky
Emmylou Harris
Getting some more country music, always glad to see an album pop up on here that isn't from a genre i'm as familiar with. I love her voice, songs like the Beatles cover and the closing track Queen of the Silver Dollar are great listens. Will probably end up coming back to this in the future for some more listens because I had fun. Hoping there's still more to come on this list that'll help me expand my tastes.
3
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Thu Aug 10 2023
The Madcap Laughs
Syd Barrett
I was never a fan of Pink Floyd's debut, so didn't have high expectations going into this. Was still left feeling pretty disappointed. I'll always struggle to see why Syd has been held up in such high regard in history, when all his musical contributions that I can see were pretty mediocre. Maybe it's the whole 'tortured artist' narrative. Does nothing for me though.
2
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Fri Aug 11 2023
Deja Vu
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Just a couple days after getting some Neil Young, here he is again with his friends. Gave it a couple listens and enjoyed it, was more varied than the typical folk rock I was expecting. The opening song in particular had a great change up in the middle that i didn't expect. An album to give some more listens to for sure, but isn't blowing my mind yet.
3
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Sat Aug 12 2023
Hounds Of Love
Kate Bush
Loved this album and Kate's music overall for a while now, it's got to be a 5. First half is some of the catchiest and easily enjoyable pop music you'll ever hear. The chorus of Running Up That Hill, the strings on Cloudbusting, her vocals on the title track. It's all incredible. Then if that wasn't enough, the whole second half of the album is a single story told through some pretty artsy instrumentals and song structures. She really was a genius for this one.
5
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Sun Aug 13 2023
Third/Sister Lovers
Big Star
Reading the reviews for this one you'd think people were listening to a completely different album. Had heard some Big Star (and this album too) before, but after giving it a couple of good listens it really started to open up to me. Plenty of variety from song to song, you've got some hard rockers in here, and also some of the most beautiful songs i've heard in a while. A real treat for the ears, and will be checking them out a lot more in the future i'm sure.
4
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Mon Aug 14 2023
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Aretha Franklin
Respect is a legendary song, but the rest of the album kind of flows past me without much thought. There's also no doubting the power of her voice, the songwriting and production just feel so dated, especially compared to other albums from the late 60s. Still a decent listen.
3
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Tue Aug 15 2023
Blunderbuss
Jack White
I'm a huge White Stripes fan but haven't gone much into Jack's solo career, and i'm glad this site finally got me to give this one a chance. I don't think I can give it too high a rating right now, but I enjoyed the listen. He just knows how to write a damn good rock song. His voice still sounds as good as it does on any TWS album, with just some better production than back then. Will be worth revisiting in the future.
3
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Wed Aug 16 2023
Repeater
Fugazi
Don't need to play a second of this to give it a review, as it's probably one of my most played albums of all time by maybe my favourite artist of all time. It's everything that rock music should be: it's energetic, loud, aggressive, the lyrics have meaning, and the vocals are delievered with so much emotion. It's amazing that they somehow kept this quality up throughout their entire career. What a band.
5
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Thu Aug 17 2023
Punishing Kiss
Ute Lemper
It's not terrible, the instrumentation and songwriting is generally pretty good. Her voice is the main thing turning me off, it doesn't sound very good to me at all, especially when she really tries to push it. Also the cabaret angle just sounds a bit goofy in here too. Can't see myself coming back to it.
2
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Fri Aug 18 2023
Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers
I've always enjoyed some singles from RHCP, but a full album is testing for me. It especially doesn't help that the people who mixed this album were tragically deaf, I had to half the volume on my system before I could listen to it, and even then it was often overpowering. Great singles like Scar Tissue and Otherside make the first half of the album enjoyable enough, but man does it drag on after that. An hour of music shouldn't feel this long.
2
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Sat Aug 19 2023
Urban Hymns
The Verve
I'm surprised at how much I ended up enjoying this. I think it just scrapes a 4 from me, as I love the sound they have. Some of the jams in the earlier part of the album, on some relatively long songs, were really fun. It does commit the cardinal sin of being far too long though, there's no reason for an album like this to be over 70 minutes long. If it was a tight 9 songs, ~50 minutes, we'd have a real gem on our hands, but when you've got your sound nailed down like this, it gets tiring by the last few songs. Well worth a listen regardless though.
4
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Sun Aug 20 2023
Justified
Justin Timberlake
As much as I love to hear a full hours worth of Neptunes and Timbaland beats, this pretty much follows the usual formula of big mainstream pop albums. Any singles are packed into the front half of the album, and the rest is filled with pretty average filler. We even get a little piano ballad to finish it off. It wasn't too bad, but it really didn't need to be over an hour long. Every single song is like 5 minutes long, just cut a couple songs completely and trim a few to a solid 3 minutes and I'd be fairly happy.
3
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Mon Aug 21 2023
A Hard Day's Night
Beatles
Seeing this sitting at nearly a 4/5 average while an album like Hounds of Love barely pushes 3.5 is pretty depressing. Sometimes I just want to grab a Beatles fan by the shoulders, shake them and ask "Why do you all like this album so much?!", and you aren't allowed to talk about it's "influence" or anything like that. Just what are you hearing in this music that I'm missing, it's just the most plain uninteresting pop music you'll hear from the 60s.
I'll never understand.
2
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Tue Aug 22 2023
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
I'm pretty sure this is one of the oldest albums on the list, always good to hear some good old rock n roll. Did enjoy this, maybe partly just for the historical factor of it being the first Elvis album, but the songs are quick and punchy. I like how he lets his vocals fly around a little, worth a re-listen in the future.
3
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Wed Aug 23 2023
Doggystyle
Snoop Dogg
Another easy 5. Snoop came in straight out the gates after being the highlight of The Chronic to make a classic album. Backed up by Dr Dre's best production until 2001, there isn't a single song on here that doesn't have my head bobbing the whole way through. Sure you can complain about the lyrics, they really aren't saying anything insightful, but for me this album is all about the flow, the attitude and the incredible g-funk production.
5
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Thu Aug 24 2023
Virgin Suicides
Air
I'm very close to giving this a 5, it's a fantastic soundtrack that works perfectly as an ambient album in it's own right. Playground Love is an incredible song that hooked me soon as I first watched the film. Funnily enough, that was only about a week and a half ago, great timing. I'll be replaying that song and the rest of the album a lot over the coming weeks i feel.
4
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Fri Aug 25 2023
Psychocandy
The Jesus And Mary Chain
Really an album that was ahead of it's time, lovely pop songs with the most insane wall of guitar noise you'll hear. Just Like Honey is a stone cold classic, but there's plenty more to enjoy. The juxtaposition of the harsh noise with the sweet pop tunes is such a fun combination. Better than I remember from the last time I heard the album.
4
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Sat Aug 26 2023
Nevermind
Nirvana
Interesting that this would come up on here so early, and well timed as my opinion on it has changed quite a lot in recent months. Always thought it was pretty overrated, but after numerous recent listens i've started to really come around to it. It's incredibly well produced, well written, and some of the deep cuts on the album have started to shine through a little. I still think the first half outshines the second with it's huge hits, but I have a lot more respect for the album now than I once did.
4
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Sun Aug 27 2023
I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail
Buck Owens
Yet another album where i'm kind of surprised at the low ratings. Maybe I was just in the right mood while listening but it felt like it flew by. Pretty much every track didn't waste any time, was fun to listen to, had a catchy singalong chorus. Buck's voice is just perfect for this. Fun album.
4
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Mon Aug 28 2023
Young Americans
David Bowie
It's not Bowie's best by a long shot, that would be the 3 albums coming directly after this one, but it's still an enjoyable listen. It's just a bit, in one ear and out the other really. Nothing sticks around too long, but it's a fun listen while it's on.
3
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Tue Aug 29 2023
Back At The Chicken Shack
Jimmy Smith
I do love some jazz, and thankfully this is a new album for me. While it wasn't up there with the best i've heard, it was pleasant enough. The organ was a nice change to have as the lead instrument, not often you get to see that. Glad I got to listen to it though, whole album went by before I even realised.
3
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Wed Aug 30 2023
Ogden's Nut Gone Flake
Small Faces
I'm not mad at giving this album a listen, i've always liked the charm of a lo-fi production. I think my main issue here is the extended spoken word passages in the second half, along with the fact that a lot of the tracks feel like interludes on the way to something that never quite arrives. The songs themselves though are nice enough to listen to, there's plenty of variety throughout to stop any boredom creeping in, but I don't think i'll be returning to it anytime soon.
3
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Thu Aug 31 2023
Eli And The Thirteenth Confession
Laura Nyro
I enjoyed her voice quite a lot throughout this record, contrary to what most of the reviews seem to be saying. It kept me interested throughout the runtime, which was a solid 40 minutes. Don't have many complaints, or too many praises to sing either really. It's very much in one ear and out the other, but while it's playing the tunes are catchy and fun.
3
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Fri Sep 01 2023
Sex Packets
Digital Underground
The only thing saving this from a 1 for me is the opener being fun and the beats in general being pretty funky. Almost every song on here overstays it's welcome by a good 2-3 minutes, and the rapping is so basic when at this point you'd already had Rakim, Chuck D, Ice Cube that had pushed the form forward. I was just waiting for it to end by the time it was halfway down. Won't be returning to it any time soon.
2
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Sat Sep 02 2023
Blood On The Tracks
Bob Dylan
I'm far more familiar with Dylan in the 60s than this, even though I know most people consider it his biggest masterpiece outside of that era. I'm giving it a 3 now just from my first listen in a long while, but I can tell it's going to be one i'll enjoy a lot in the future. Dylan just always takes some getting used to and some time is needed to really dive into the album. Especially when there's a couple of songs on here pushing 8/9 minutes with almost no break in the lyrics. Another hit from Dylan.
3
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Sun Sep 03 2023
Moondance
Van Morrison
Not a single skip on here to my ears. I love Van's voice and how jazzy the songwriting is on this one, the title track is pretty much a straight up jazz song. Gets a little weaker towards the end, but not enough to stop my enjoyment of the album.
4
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Mon Sep 04 2023
You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen
Never got round to listening to this when it came out, though I did listen through some of his earlier acclaimed albums after his death. The opening track on here is brilliant, his voice is so dark and brooding throughout the whole album. It's one to give some more listens to, as it feels like it'll open up some more. I like what i'm hearing off first listen.
3
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Tue Sep 05 2023
Highway to Hell
AC/DC
I groaned a little when I saw this album pop up, but after the first 2 tracks i thought "hey, maybe it's not so bad". A couple more songs later and nope. The fatigue sets in so quickly with ACDC, people are not exagerrating when they say every song they make sounds the same. It's all the same structure, the same sound, the same tempo, same same same everything. It's 40 minutes but it feels like an hour, 4 minute songs feel like 7. I won't give it a 1 because the songs individually are catchy and fun, but listening to more than 1 in a row just shows how much of a one trick pony they are.
2
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Wed Sep 06 2023
The Stooges
The Stooges
In a Beatles review on here, I mentioned The Stooges as a band that were actually important and influential, and made music that can still be enjoyed today. Listening to this just makes me even more sure of that, it's insane what they managed to come up with in 1969, nearly a decade before punk actually blew up. So much energy, the guitars are screeching and squealing the whole time, it's so easy to listen to. I feel like I would be wrong to give it less than a 5, even though their next 2 albums were somehow even better.
5
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Thu Sep 07 2023
The Cars
The Cars
This album is about as easy listening as it gets. A tight 30 minutes of catchy, well-written power-pop. 'Just What I Needed' could be on this album an extra 20 times too and I wouldn't even mind, that song is pure ear-candy. Can't wait to throw this album on again.
4
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Fri Sep 08 2023
Talk Talk Talk
The Psychedelic Furs
I'm surprised i've never listened to The Furs before as their post-punk sound is right up my alley. Had a great time listening to this. All was new to me except for Pretty In Pink which i recognised instantly. Looking forward to hearing it again.
4
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Sat Sep 09 2023
Get Behind Me Satan
The White Stripes
I was going to give this a 2 but I thought that might be too harsh. The reason is that I love The White Stripes, I think literally all of their other albums are some of the best that 2000s rock has to offer, but this one falls short for me. It feels like they wanted to experiment a bit but they weren't completely sure where exactly they wanted to go with it, so it just kind of meanders throughout the runtime.
Surprised that this was selected for the 1001 albums, but hopefully we'll see De Stijl and White Blood Cells too later.
3
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Sun Sep 10 2023
Morrison Hotel
The Doors
Think this is the 4th Doors album i've heard in it's entirety, and the second on this list after LA Woman. So far they haven't missed, everything I've heard from them has been great. Vocals are powerful, I love the heavy blues influence, and the organ sound is perfect. Can't wait to get more of them, as i'm sure there's more on this list.
4
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Mon Sep 11 2023
Paul Simon
Paul Simon
A very pleasant and easy album to listen to, hard to find many faults except from that it lacks some real standout songs outisde of Julio. Could listen to Paul Simon sing for hours though, great voice and guitar playing throughout. Probably worth a relisten in future.
3
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Tue Sep 12 2023
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
It's another one of those albums where there's nothing offensively bad about it, but it's hard to find reasons to praise it either. I've heard this before a while ago but remembered nothing (not surprising). Was hoping since this was their first album that it might be a bit more rough around the edges, and it is...a little bit. Not enough to actually make it interesting though. But there are some decent songs and performances on here, overall it's just pretty plain rock though.
3
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Wed Sep 13 2023
Slipknot
Slipknot
I was fully prepared to give this a 4/5 after the first few tracks as they were so good, but the album really overstays it's welcome being an hour long. I still enjoyed listening to it, the drums are insane, vocals are intense, and they know how to bring 110% energy on pretty much every song here. The style just runs a bit stale by the end. Can see myself going back to a bunch of songs on here.
3
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Thu Sep 14 2023
Atomizer
Big Black
Maybe in the top 5 guitar sound on an album of all time, it sounds like scraping against giant strings of metal. Kerosene alone is one of the most intense and explosive rock songs you'll ever hear ("SET ME ON FIRE"). I was pretty sure I'd give it a 5, but after relistening i'm doubly sure, you'll struggle to find more aggressive rock music than this. Not surprised that once again, an album that's actually interesting and different than plain 60s rock n roll is panned with a low score on here.
5
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Fri Sep 15 2023
Screamadelica
Primal Scream
I was heading towards a 4 because the longer songs on the front half of the album kept my attention pretty well, or they were just danceable that I didn't notice the length. Some of the later tracks do have a length issue though, they just don't keep my attention enough. But overall this album is an interesting mix of indie and dance, songs like Slip Inside This House are just so funky I can't help but groove to it.
3
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Sat Sep 16 2023
Remain In Light
Talking Heads
Not that it matters, but I want everyone that rated this less than a 4 or 5 to know that i'm judging you and your taste very harshly.
5
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Sun Sep 17 2023
In Rainbows
Radiohead
I see a couple of the top reviews saying either every song sounds the same, or they all sound like random noodling. I feel sorry for the ears of these people, clearly they aren't working properly. I don't think there's anything exceptionally experimental or hard to listen to about this album. To me it's just a collection of well-written and perfectly produced songs. Seriously, the sound quality of this album is amazing, every instrument fits right into place, like a jigsaw. It's hard not to be moved by the music on here.
5
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Mon Sep 18 2023
461 Ocean Boulevard
Eric Clapton
It's some pretty unoffensive and fun blues rock, nothing too crazy going on here. The Bob Marley cover is great, if a little unchanged from the original. Vocals are solid, good guitar playing, there really isn't much to comment on. It's just solid, a solid 3.
3
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Tue Sep 19 2023
Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
A fun listen with some great guitar playing throughout. It slows down a little on the second half, more listens might make it more enjoyable, but the first half is back to back excellent tracks. Walk Of Life is one of the bounciest pop songs you'll ever hear, and Money For Nothing almost doesn't even need talking about. One of the best guitar riffs i've ever heard, and even though it's over 8 minutes long, if you told me it was only 3 minutes i would believe you, it goes by that fast.
3
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Wed Sep 20 2023
It's A Shame About Ray
The Lemonheads
It's nice when an album is brief enough that you can give it multiple listens in the day. It's some good old 90s indie rock, most of the songs being pretty quick, think Doolittle or Slanted & Enchanted, though not quite as great as either of those albums. It's still a fun listen, the title track seems vaguely familiar with me, as does the Simon & Garfunkel cover bonus song (which is lovely). I don't think there's quite enough sticking to me to give it a 4, but I can see myself returning to it.
3
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Thu Sep 21 2023
Music From The Penguin Cafe
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
Didn't check anything about this before listening, but turns out it's some mostly instrumental folk/jazz, well produced too. The album kind of meanders and can't find it's feet for a while until you hit the 12 minute epic that's the centerpiece of the album. What a beautiful song, but after that the album is almost over already. Definitely worth a listen, and probably some more in the future.
3
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Fri Sep 22 2023
Loveless
My Bloody Valentine
Oh man, what could I possibly say about this album that hasn't been said before. I can't think of any album that effectively killed a genre quite like this did with shoegaze. Sure there have been other great shoegaze albums after this, but this is just universally held up as number 1. It sounds exactly like the album cover looks, sweet pop songs covered in a thick pink wave of guitar noise. Sometimes is one the most heartbreaking songs you'll ever hear. I plan on enjoying this album for the rest of my life, I don't think i'll ever get tired of it.
5
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Sat Sep 23 2023
Imagine
John Lennon
Being a good old Beatles hater, I wasn't looking forward to this, but it's pretty tolerable. The piano ballads (Imagine, Jealous Guy) stand out much more to me than the bluesier songs on there, they kind of pass by without much thought. Outside of the significance of the opening track i'm not really seeing why it was included in the list, there's nothing exceptional in the music here.
3
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Sun Sep 24 2023
The Köln Concert
Keith Jarrett
It's pretty impressive how captivating an hour of just solo piano improv can be, music is weird. Enjoyed this a lot though, he manages to put so much emotion into his playing, and knows exactly how to build intensity throughout these long pieces. Again, the fact that this was all improv is incredibly impressive, deserves a high rating just for the technical ability on display.
4
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Mon Sep 25 2023
Me Against The World
2Pac
Probably Pac at the peak of his powers, right before a stylistic left turn with All Eyez On Me after this. The g-funk production and lyrics rife with paranoia and depression from lost friends and court cases. Despite being a little long the highlights make it all worth it, like the beautiful Dear Mama, the ode to rappers that came before on Old School, or begging death to take him away on So Many Tears. Should be essential hip hop listening even if it isn't the very best the genre has to offer.
4
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Tue Sep 26 2023
Queen II
Queen
Given I always thought of Queen as more of a singles band, it was a nice surprise to see how cohesive of an album experience this was. A lot of the tracks blend right into each other, you can definitely hear some prog rock influence going on. The mix is a little muffled though, especially in the louder moments, and this also makes some of the songs sound a little similar. I enjoyed the album overall though, I just wish there were some standout songs.
3
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Wed Sep 27 2023
The Soft Bulletin
The Flaming Lips
This is one of those albums where I feel like I should like it more than I do, if that makes any sense. The lo-fi kind of production, plenty of diversity in song structures and sound, it really should be right up my alley. That being said, I do definitely enjoy this album a lot, but I find myself debating whether or not to give it say a 4 rating. I think I will because the highlights on here really are great, Race for the Prize, Superman, Disintegrate are all fantastic. Even the whiny vocals don't annoy me much at all, I quite enjoy the occasional voice breaks.
4
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Thu Sep 28 2023
Want Two
Rufus Wainwright
Hooray, my first 1 rating after 80 albums! I've heard worse than this before but oh man, this is putting me to sleep. I'm stopping a couple tracks from the end because I just can't bear another non-descript ballad with average vocals. I'm not seeing the Thom Yorke comparison everyone is making, maybe it's the super weak songwriting that's stopping me. Please no more.
1
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Fri Sep 29 2023
Viva Hate
Morrissey
It might be my love for The Smiths that is making me lean this way, but I really enjoy this. It's almost like a 5th album of theirs, just missing the amazing Marr guitar work. But still Morrissey manages to string together a choesive album full of fun catchy pop songs. Sunday, Suedehead, Forget Me are all fantastic and I would throw on a playlist in a heartbeat.
4
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Sat Sep 30 2023
The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden were really onto something in the 80s, they have what, 7 albums in a row that are all great listens. Pretty incredible. I'm always a big lover of metal that can appreciate the bass guitar, and it's prominent throughout this album to my delight. I remembered the singles of course, but the rest was surprisingly solid too, and at a tight 40 minutes and 8 tracks they make sure not to stick around for too long.
When an album ends with a song like Hallowed Be Thy Name it's hard not to leave with a super positive impression.
4
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Sun Oct 01 2023
The White Room
The KLF
Electronic music is the genre I know the least about as far as the history of it, so I can't really tell if this was ahead of it's time or anything like that. There's some fun songs on here overall, kind of falls off towards the end though especially with the 10 minute song that didn't need to be half that length. Was pleasant enough of a listen, but I doubt i'll be going back to it anytime soon.
3
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Mon Oct 02 2023
69 Love Songs
The Magnetic Fields
It's a great concept and they pull it off, but obviously it is way too long to listen to in full unless it's a rare occasion. There's just too many amazing tracks to give it less than a 4 though. Papa Was A Rodeo is especially a highlight for me, tears me up everytime it's so beautiful. Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side, Long Forgotten Fairytale, I Think I Need a New Heart, Book of Love, do I need to go on?
4
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Tue Oct 03 2023
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Wilco
I am seriously judging anyone that would call this album boring. It's the music equivalent of being so used to marvel films that you can't stand to sit through 5 minutes without a silly quip or a CGI action scene. Just sit back and take in the great songwriting here. Pretty much every track on here is gorgeous, couldn't pick a weak one.
4
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Wed Oct 04 2023
Bad Company
Bad Company
Just based off the band name and the album cover I expected some kind of early punk rock, turns out it's just some pretty average blues rock. Turns out i've listened to the album before once but nothing stuck with me, and on a second listen it seems like the same has happened again. The album is actually just about to finish as I write this and i'm having trouble remembering anything that happened. Nothing offensively bad though, just forgettable, so a 3 is probably fair.
3
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Thu Oct 05 2023
Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs
Derek & The Dominos
Blues rock is a genre that I enjoy quite a bit when it's playing and it's done well...for a period of time. After a while it gets really tiring, and when the album is 80 minutes long like this one, and every single song is pushing 6 minutes, I'm just wishing for it to end. It's a shame they couldn't edit themselves a little as there's some great songs and guitar playing on here. Though I will say it was a nice idea to leave the big single Layla until the very end of the album, kind of brought me back into it for 7 minutes. Really is a damn good song.
3
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Fri Oct 06 2023
Myths Of The Near Future
Klaxons
There's a couple songs I've known from this album for a while but never checked out the whole thing. What a mistake that was. This album is so much fun, it's over in a flash and pretty much every song bombards you with catchy hooks or riffs. Listened to it 3 times during the day and I intend to listen to it some more. Perfectly represent a certain time for indie rock in the UK in the 2000s along with the first Arctic Monkeys record where rock music was fun and exciting.
5
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Sat Oct 07 2023
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Obviously I knew Fast Car going into this, but I was surprised how well the rest of the album stands up, she was no 1-song-wonder. The instrumentals are fairly simple but they carry the songs well, and allow her vocals and lyrics to take the center stage. Songs about revolution, the police, consumerism, a lot of fiery topics that she isn't shy about running into. It dips off a little in a last few songs which aren't as interesting, but overall she produced a great first album here.
4
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Sun Oct 08 2023
Bandwagonesque
Teenage Fanclub
Such a fantastic power-pop album, was already fairly familiar with it before this but giving it a concentrated listen just reveals how good the songwriting is here. The opener especially is incredible, and throughout the album I love how prominent the bass is, always makes me happy. Putting it at a 4 but in the future I'm sure it'll climb even more.
4
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Mon Oct 09 2023
When I Was Born For The 7th Time
Cornershop
Went in expecting an hour of average indie rock based on the wiki description and the fact the band is only really known for the big single on here, Brimful of Asha. Imagine my surprise when it's a pretty eclectic mix of indie, trip-hop, filled with influences from indian music specifically. Turns out it's pretty great actually, kept my attention pretty much for the whole hour which is impressive for a first listen. Was going to give it a 3 but scratch that, for how unique it is it deserves a little more.
4
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Tue Oct 10 2023
James Brown Live At The Apollo
James Brown
Great fun to listen to. Live albums can be really hit or miss, but this one benefits from being a tight 30 minutes with no fat on it. The 10 minute song that takes up a big portion of the album is great, his back and forth with the crowd takes what could've been a repetitive song into a fun experience that slowly builds over time before exploding into the medley after it. His vocals are insane too, some of the screams are almost inhuman.
4
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Wed Oct 11 2023
Femi Kuti
Femi Kuti
Being pretty familiar with Fela Kuti, I probably shouldn't be surprised that his son also makes incredibly fun and catchy political afrobeat music. Given it's a little later than that era, the production has caught up a bit more and can really bring the music to life (but they really should've turned the kick drum down a little, jesus christ).
4
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Thu Oct 12 2023
Highly Evolved
The Vines
It's ok i guess. I can see where the Nirvana comparisons came from, not from the songwriting obviously, but the singer's voice and the way it drags out sometimes is similar to Cobain. The mix is really way too clean for something like this though, I need a bit more edge. Some of the harder rocking songs like Get Free are fun, but there's not enough of them.
2
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Fri Oct 13 2023
Talking Timbuktu
Ali Farka Touré
Really not that interesting, couldn't hold my attention for the duration of a song.
1
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Sat Oct 14 2023
Low-Life
New Order
It's hard to think of any artist that did the synth-pop/new-wave sound better than New Order did in their prime. It's like they just couldn't help but make every song sound like a huge epic, while simultaneously being insanely catchy, especially on this album. Even when they dip back into the more post-punk style on a song like Sunrise, it's a complete banger of a track (very similar to The Cure though). There's about 4 albums from them you could put on the list and I wouldn't have an issue with a single one honestly.
Maybe the lyrics are a little cheesy sometimes, and the singing isn't perfect, but god damn how can you not just dance around like an idiot listening to this?
5
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Sun Oct 15 2023
Golden Hour
Kacey Musgraves
I remember a bit of a fuss going around when this came out, but I never checked it out as it didn't seem like my thing, but I guess now it's been forced upon me. And oh man it's exactly what I dreaded, completely boring country-pop with nothing interesting or captivating about it. What on earth convinced them that this needed to be on the list, 1000s of albums that sound exactly like this have been made for decades now. Her vocals are fine, but there's only so long I can listen to the basic lyrics, basic playing, basic song structure over and over. Made 45 minutes feel like a few hours.
1
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Mon Oct 16 2023
Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room
Dwight Yoakam
I feel the same way as another review I saw for this. It's an ok country album, nothing special, so why is it on this list? I thought these albums were supposed to be somewhat important and influencial, but I'm not seeing what some random country album from the late 80s is doing here.
2
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Tue Oct 17 2023
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Though their debut is still a little rough around the edges, and very much indebted to the heavy blues rock that was around at the time, you can see them already carving a completely new path in rock music. The opening track especially is just haunting, and incredible that it came out in 1970, the blueprint for heavy metal right there. The next couple of albums are what really defined their sound and took them to godlike status, but this is undeniably a fantastic start to the discography of one of rocks most important artists.
4
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Wed Oct 18 2023
Blur
Blur
It's tough to rate this one. I've never been a huge Blur fan outside of their big singles, but it seemed like this was supposed to be the point where they branched out from the brit-pop sound to experiment a bit more, and you can hear that pretty clearly. It does make the album feel a bit disorganised, but also not that much of a chore to listen to even with it being nearly an hour. Only had the chance to give it one listen, but i will come back to it in the future. Feels like an album that will really benefit from more listens to let all the different ideas and sounds sink in.
3
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Thu Oct 19 2023
Live At Leeds
The Who
Live albums are usually hit or miss, but this one actually gave me some new respect for The Who. Never been a big fan of any of their albums i've heard, but this one really brings out their punk energy, which is crazy given that it only came out in 1970. The long jam tracks like the 17 minute My Generation track are fantastic, you can see how they were influential to the punk scene. Worth going back to.
4
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Fri Oct 20 2023
Ellington at Newport
Duke Ellington
This isn't really the type of jazz i enjoy most, it's big band swing type stuff and i prefer the smaller groups with more solos, bebop and all that. But it's hard to deny the ability on display here. They really shred through some of these songs and they all have some catchy licks all over them. Don't regret having to listen to it at all.
3
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Sat Oct 21 2023
Parallel Lines
Blondie
Another one of those albums where the singles really outshine the rest of it by a fair margin. Not to say the non-singles are bad, they're just not on that level, but the average across the whole album is pretty enjoyable. Didn't find myself waiting for it to end or getting annoyed at any songs. It's a quite fun breeze through some great pop punk and new wave.
4
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Sun Oct 22 2023
Hot Fuss
The Killers
Damn, hitting me right in the childhood here. Those 4 big singles have been unescapeable since then, and they still hit hard nearly 20 years later, 10/10s the bunch of them. What I was surprised about was how well the rest of the tracks stood up. It's a little frustrating that all the singles are packed at the front of the album though, they could've spread them throughout the tracklist more which would improve the experience. 'Everything Will Be Alright' was maybe the one weak link here, but the rest deserves a listen. A 2000s album that actually deserves it's placement on this list.
4
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Mon Oct 23 2023
The Infotainment Scan
The Fall
I groaned a little when I saw the wiki description mention this being their most accessible album. I love The Fall and was just thinking, well why is this included on the list? Why not just throw a couple of their classic 80s albums on here and call it a day? But it turns out that even accessible Fall music is still pretty damn good, catchy post-punk with Mark E Smith blabbering in the back, a combo that never fails. I'm sure some of their earlier, more seminal work will come up on the list, but for now i'm pretty glad to have got my fix for today.
3
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Tue Oct 24 2023
Out Of The Blue
Electric Light Orchestra
It's always a nice surprise when a 70 minute long album turns out to be a fairly easy listen. Obviously I knew that one song, but the rest was completely new to me. God damn these guys knew how to write a catchy pop song. Every single one had a great hook whether that was in the vocals or some kind of guitar lick or keyboard line. Just super fun all round. The length might stop me from putting it on too often, but it wasn't a drag at all.
4
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Wed Oct 25 2023
White Light
Gene Clark
'For A Spanish Guitar' was an insanely beautiful song, wish I could give such high praise to the rest of the songs here. It's some country-tinged singer-songwriter music that is very pleasant to listen to, but will definitely take more listens to really sink in and grow deeper feelings. Worth a listen though. Hard to pick anything standing out from a single listen other than the song i already mentioned.
3
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Thu Oct 26 2023
Music in Exile
Songhoy Blues
It's ok i guess? I'm not sure why it's on here (common theme with newer albums on the list). The description of everything surrounding the band and the album are a lot more interesting than the actual music on here. In one ear and out the other really. At least it's some variety outside of the usual classic rock/pop stuff.
2
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Fri Oct 27 2023
Killing Joke
Killing Joke
Now we're back in my element, prime gritty post-punk. Had heard the album before a couple times, and The Wait especially a bunch more. Requiem with that repeating synth is a great opener, Bloodsport is a funky instrumental that feels a bit Talking Heads-esque, and the already mentioned The Wait has a riff that hits like a sledgehammer. 8 songs and a little over 30 minutes, they really just threw a bunch of bangers together and called it a day.
4
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Sat Oct 28 2023
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
Being a huge punk fan i've obviously heard this album a couple of times already, but for some reason it never really appealed to me all that much. Something has clearly changed since then because after giving it a couple spins today, I'm loving it. The snarling vocals, the rough production and guitar fuzz, it all comes together to make a super easy listen. Massively influencial and deserves a spot on the list for sure.
4
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Sun Oct 29 2023
The Yes Album
Yes
Good timing as I was just listening to a bit of prog yesterday. Though you can see the potential here, I don't think they were quite the beast they'd become on Close To The Edge yet here. There's no bad tracks out of the six here, but I feel like I need some big long epic here, just one at least. The three longer songs are great but they just leave me wanting a bit more. Not quite sure where to rate it really.
3
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Mon Oct 30 2023
Brown Sugar
D'Angelo
This is sitting at a 2.9 average rating on here, are you people crazy? You need to invest in a decent pair of headphones/speakers because the production on here alone is worth a 4, that bass feels like it's hugging my ears through the whole runtime. The constant 5+ minute songs don't bother me at all because this is the type of music you just need to let it run for a while, let those beats and the soulful singing just absorb you completely. I think his most recent album Black Messiah might be his peak, but you can't go wrong with any of his work, incredibly consistent at a high level.
4
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Tue Oct 31 2023
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
A Tribe Called Quest
Super solid album from Tribe. It's hard to give it too high a rating because the two albums that follow this are just out of this world, some of the best hip-hop albums ever made, so this one is bound to look a little weak in comparison. The beats are pretty skeletal, but the sampling is fantastic and the flows make it easy to groove along to regardless. 'Can I Kick It?' is also one of the best hip-hop singles of all time. They really couldn't do wrong could they.
3
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Wed Nov 01 2023
Nebraska
Bruce Springsteen
I know this album is kind of the dark horse in Springsteen's discography, a lot of people call it his masterpiece and praise it to the heavens. I've never managed to enjoy it as much as 'Born to Run' or 'Darkness...', I just prefer that bombastic and over-the-top Bruce to this more subtle and darker version. It's still a great album though, songs like Atlantic City, Highway Patrolman, State Trooper, all tell great stories and are captivating. I just think he's much better with some more instruments and energy behind him.
3
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Thu Nov 02 2023
Soul Mining
The The
Another one of those albums where i'm not sure how it passed me by. Synth-pop and post-punk, this should be right up my alley but somehow I think i've only heard the band's name in passing a couple times. What a great treat to listen to this was, huge drums and catchy beats, wasn't bored for a second of it. The longer closing track was a real epic, love an album that ends like that. Will be revisiting this one again very soon.
4
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Fri Nov 03 2023
Parachutes
Coldplay
Coldplay nowadays might have fallen down the rabbithole of bland made-for-radio pop dross, but from their first couple albums you can see why they got so much acclaim and attention. Even if it isn't anything groundbreaking on here, it's just solid songwriting, great production, and great performances all around. Yellow really does stand out though, one of the most passionate and simple love songs you'll ever hear, and the way that guitar comes in at the start, amazing. The rest ranges from good to lovely, never dipping too high or too low. A very solid effort.
3
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Sat Nov 04 2023
Disintegration
The Cure
This album has been a serious grower for me. The first couple times I heard it I already really enjoyed it, it's just my kind of music, but it was mostly just for the singles like Lovesong and Pictures Of You. Over time, the rest of the album, especially the lengthier songs in the second half, have really grown on me. Hard to think of many quicker ways to have 70 minutes fly by you than listening to this. The mood of it, the production, just the overall atmosphere of this is a perfect example of why the album format will never be beaten. It all just fits together so well.
5
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Sun Nov 05 2023
Orbital 2
Orbital
I've said before on here that electronic music is a real weakness for me when it comes to musical knowledge, so I was happy to see this album pop up. Have seen Orbital's name mentioned with praise a few times but never really checked them out. Clearly this was a mistake, as this album is insanely fun to listen to. I was just vibing out the whole time to the repetitive beats, almost hypnotized by it. They layer on enough additional sounds throughout the tracks so they don't get boring even at their fairly long length. Soon as it was over i was already eager to replay some of the songs.
4
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Mon Nov 06 2023
American Idiot
Green Day
A real nostalgia trip as this was the first album i ever bought and listened to fully when i was about 10/11. Most of the album was still super familiar to me even though I very rarely give it a full spin nowadays. The quality drops a little towards the end, Homecoming being as long as it is doesn't keep my attention the same way all 9 minutes of Jesus Of Suburbia does at the start of the album, and Whatshername is a pretty forgettable closer. When it's on point though, it's a super fun listen, and pretty diverse for a band that was just a fun pop-punk band until then.
4
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Tue Nov 07 2023
Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
Though the big singles were huge when I was younger, I never listened to the full album, probably because the nu-metal thing kind of passed by me. If you can handle the lyrical edginess and the somewhat cringey rapping, there's a tight and concise album here. Only runs about 35 minutes and doesn't have a dull moment in there. Every song has those punchy soft-verse loud-chorus dynamics that keep your attention, and the guitars hit hard with this production. Kind of wish I had checked it out back in the day, I probably would've loved this.
4
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Wed Nov 08 2023
Dry
PJ Harvey
PJ Harvey falls into that category of artists for me that although I've tried to listen to a lot of their work, and maybe even found some of it pretty enjoyable, they've just never clicked with me to the extent I expected. Given the style of music she makes I thought i'd enjoy her stuff more, but it always just sits in the "yeah this is pretty good" bucket. Same here, although the rougher production and songs do suit her well. I'll continue to come back to her music every now and then to see if my opinion changes, but for now, it's fine.
3
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Thu Nov 09 2023
Double Nickels On The Dime
Minutemen
Didn't have time to listen to it fully today, but it's already in probably my top 10 all time albums and I can recall most of the 43 songs from it anyway in my head, so who needs listening? (nvm i got a few songs in and listened to it all anyway) One of the most fun albums you'll ever listen to, punk rock with a side of funk and jazz influence. The guitar riffs and solos are insane, the bass lines are groovy as hell, the drumming is frantic. If you trapped me on a desert island with this album only, I would quite happily be spinning it day after day after day.
Me and Mike Watt, playing guitar...
5
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Fri Nov 10 2023
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
OutKast
Big Outkast fan but not sure I've ever given this a full listen. The Speakerboxxx side I really enjoyed. Big Boi picks some insane southern style beats for it, the features are fantastic, and it just feels huge. Flows by without you even realising. For Andre's side I was expecting it to be a big more experimental, since that seems to fit his nature, but unfortunately it's a bit of a let down. There's some interesting songs, and some big hits, but it really loses energy especially towards the end, and even moreso compared to the first side of the album. Speakerboxxx will get some replays, Love Below maybe not so much.
3
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Sat Nov 11 2023
Green River
Creedence Clearwater Revival
There's just something about the way Creedence wrote songs. They wrote a bunch of great albums, all in a pretty short timeframe, with a pretty similar sound, and they're all fantastic. This one is no different. It's just strong songwriting, great playing, and awesome vocal performances. Not much more to say really, it's just good music.
4
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Sun Nov 12 2023
Shake Your Money Maker
The Black Crowes
It's some solid blues rock. Outside of the singles it tends to blend together a bit, but those singles are good fun, and the playing overall is solid too. Not something i'm likely to come back to, but it was worth a listen.
3
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Mon Nov 13 2023
Oar
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
The story around the album is a lot more interesting than the album itself, reminds me of the Syd Barrett album I had to sit through, in more ways than one. Feels like another instance of the tag of "psychedelic folk" just being an excuse to cover up mediocre songwriting with some weird production trickery. Once you look behind that though, there's really nothing there.
1
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Tue Nov 14 2023
Bookends
Simon & Garfunkel
With it's overall length and the length of many of the songs here, you can't help but feel like it's a little unfinished. With more time you might have a real classic here, but what you get is pretty great regardless. Mrs Robinson, America, Hazy Shade of Winter are serious highlights. The rest flows well, if being a little forgettable compared to those. At 29 minutes though you never get bored of it.
4
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Wed Nov 15 2023
Goo
Sonic Youth
Might be one of the coolest (koolest?) albums of all time, the album cover only helps with that. Sonic Youth is everything that rock music should be, loud and exciting, unafraid to be experimental and weird, and most importantly, fun as hell. Kool Thing, Tunic, Dirty Boots, Mote, Disappearer, Titanium Expose...how could this not be a 5 with songs like that filling it up? I would have them on rock music's Mount Rushmore alongside The Stooges and Velvet Underground, no question.
5
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Thu Nov 16 2023
Talking With the Taxman About Poetry
Billy Bragg
I was already a little familiar with Billy Bragg already, so I thought I would enjoy this. Turns out I was absolutely right, it's a fun and easy to listen to album that tries to say a lot too. Lyrics can be a little clunky at times, but his passion makes it work. The guitar playing is great and I love the little touches of keys and horns that pop up on odd songs. Will be playing 'Greetings to the New Brunette' often now, what a song.
4
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Fri Nov 17 2023
Tago Mago
Can
It gives me immense pleasure to imagine someone in their 40s/50s starting this challenge hoping to find some hidden gems and rediscover classics by Fleetwood Mac and The Beatles etc.
Then being sat at a desk job with headphones on being subjected to the middle of Peking O. Hilarious stuff.
5
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Sat Nov 18 2023
The Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd
I mean it's hard not to give this a 5. As a lover of the full album experience, few albums nail it as well as Dark Side does. Hard to imagine not playing it through front to back everytime. 'Us vs Them' I think might be my favourite on here.
5
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Sun Nov 19 2023
Shaka Zulu
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
I don't think acapella music has to be boring, but this album certainly is. There's only so many times I can hear - guy says a line, then the choir repeats the line 3 times, guy says a different line, choir repeats it, over and over again. They have lovely voices but I need more than that for 45 minutes.
1
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Mon Nov 20 2023
Nixon
Lambchop
Ok i'm tapping out of this one too. I have the same issue with some baroque pop as i do with psychedelic pop, where it feels like they're using an aesthetic to mask over the flaws. As though just throwing some strings and piano over the top will make me forget about the bland songwriting and the horrific vocals when he gets into his higher register. Couldn't remember a single song or a single interesting moment after three quarters through. Make it stop.
1
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Tue Nov 21 2023
C'est Chic
CHIC
It's good fun to listen to, nice and funky. It's always cool to hear these classic albums and find songs you've always known about but never known the name or artist (Le Freak), or songs that have been sampled elsewhere (Chic Cheer). Doesn't blow me away though, but i'm not mad about getting it.
3
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Wed Nov 22 2023
Seventeen Seconds
The Cure
This is just the start of their greatness, and of a great trilogy of albums, though Faith and Pornography that follow it are probably both superior. This one does have the big plus of having 'A Forest' on it though, that's a pretty huge check in it's favour. A little too much filler/interlude songs for my liking, but even with that they really had that gothic post-punk sound nailed down right from the start.
4
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Thu Nov 23 2023
Ten
Pearl Jam
Never been much of a grunge fan outside of the occasional listen to Nevermind, but this is solid enough to deserve a good rating. The big singles (which is like half the album) I've heard plenty of times before and they still land well. Songs like Even Flow, Alive, and Jeremy, the opener Once has a killer chorus and guitar riff too. I'll probably give it more listens in the future and it'll likely grow on me, but for now I'll just leave it at I enjoyed it.
3
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Fri Nov 24 2023
Is This It
The Strokes
If you've just listened to this album for the 1st or 2nd time, it really creeps up on you. First you think, oh this is a fun rock album, nothing too special. A couple listens later the songwriting and the performances just grip you tight and never let go. One of the best rock albums ever made for me.
5
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Sat Nov 25 2023
Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes
Heard it a couple times before this but managed to give it another couple listens today. You wouldn't believe this album came out in 1983, it sounds so 90s. Some great songwriting and desperate vocal performances all over it. 'Gone Daddy Gone' with it's xylophone solo is a real highlight.
4
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Sun Nov 26 2023
Led Zeppelin IV
Led Zeppelin
I've listened to this album again and again over the years in the hopes that this time i'll finally understand the universal critical acclaim around it, and it never happens. I still think half the songs on here are solid (first two, stairway and levee) but the rest are passable at best. 50% is a pretty atrocious score for supposedly one of the best rock albums of all time. 'Rock and Roll' is such a good song, but the energy of the album just gets sucked out after it's done until 'Levee...' suddenly pops up at the end.
2
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Mon Nov 27 2023
New Forms
Roni Size
There's a lot of good stuff going on here, but god damn is it way too long, feels like i've been listening to it all day and there's still a couple songs left. With a big load shaved off of it I think this would be a pretty good listen, but it all blends together after an hour or so. I don't think the average song length needed to be like 7 minutes either.
2
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Tue Nov 28 2023
All Directions
The Temptations
Only got the chance to give it a single listen, but it was pretty damn funky. Definitely one for me to revisit in the future, had heard the group name before but expecting something more soulful. Not disappointed with some funk instead though.
3
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Wed Nov 29 2023
More Specials
The Specials
Very familiar with their single 'Ghost Town', a banger of a song, but nothing on here rivals that. It's good fun while it's on but it's pretty much in one ear and out the other. Ska was never the most complex or innovative genre though so can't really judge it too harshly.
3
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Thu Nov 30 2023
Led Zeppelin II
Led Zeppelin
Damn I only had Led Zep IV a couple days and now I get another one. Also heard this before but not enough to remember anything except obviously 'Whole Lotta Love', which is a banger. I actually like this quite a bit more than IV, there's a lot more raw energy here and they also get a little weird with it which I enjoy (i'm thinking the bridge on 'Whole Lotta Love' and all the drums on 'Moby Dick'). That stuff works here whereas on IV it felt like the weirder stuff really dragged it down. Still not blowing my mind like Led Zep does for a lot of people, but I did enjoy this one.
3
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Fri Dec 01 2023
Oracular Spectacular
MGMT
Hitting me right in the teenage years with this one, 'Kids' was inescapable for a long time, still gets plays even now on any kind of indie night around town. Out of the 3 huge singles though I think the opener 'Time to Pretend' is the king, telling a morbid story of fame with those awesome synths. 'Electric Feel' is funky as hell too, and the rest of the album manages to be pretty enjoyable if a little forgettable compared to the big 3. 'Of moons, Birds and Monsters' is maybe the deep cut that stands out the most, that big instrumental crescendo is gorgeous.
3
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Sat Dec 02 2023
Africa Brasil
Jorge Ben Jor
I've heard this once before and I think if I gave it another couple serious listens, it would really start to click with me. Even now I was seriously getting into it on that last run of songs, the energy is palpable, from the instruments to the wild vocals. It's just natural that music not in your own language can take a bit more time to digest since there's no hooks or choruses to latch onto, but this one is definitely going into the memory bank as something to revisit.
4
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Sun Dec 03 2023
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
The more I hear this one, the more it creeps up to becoming my favourite Iron Maiden album. I don't listen to them very much anymore, but the raw almost punk energy on this one really appeals to me way more than their later stuff, which feels super bloated and devoid of passion. 'Prowler' and 'Iron Maiden' are just pedal to the metal bangers, 'Phantom of the Opera' goes all over the place with super fun riffs, and the tempo changes in 'Remember Tomorrow', it's all so easy to listen to.
4
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Mon Dec 04 2023
Odessey And Oracle
The Zombies
Listened to this a couple times years ago but not since, and after a couple listens today i'm not sure why. This is a perfectly concise album of excellent psychedelic rock from the 60s. Songs like 'Care of Cell 44', 'Hung Up On a Dream', 'This Will Be Our Year', 'Time of the Season', all absolutely fantastic. That's a full third of the album being outstanding, and the rest doesn't fall too far behind it. Super solid songwriting and fun performances, will be listening back to it very soon.
4
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Tue Dec 05 2023
Songs Of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Even after listening to a few of his albums, I'm still not sure i'm completely connecting with Leonard Cohen's music. This is definitely the favourite so far though, the playing on this one is so beautiful, mostly just a quiet acoustic guitar and his voice. The opener 'Suzanne' is a highlight with it's gorgeous melodies and sweet lyrics, also 'So Long Marienne' which has a bit more instrumentation surrounding it than most of the other songs, along with some female backup vocals in the chorus to really bring it to life. I'll be back to it soon to try and get into Leonard more, but I did enjoy the listen.
3
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Wed Dec 06 2023
Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)
Bob Dylan
The sign of a good live album or compilation is that it immediately gives you the craving to go back to the artist's studio albums, and this does that for me. It's split like 'Bringing it All Back Home' with an acoustic side first and the full band electric side second. Some of my favourite Dylan songs like 'Visions of Johanna' and 'Just Like a Woman' feature on that first side. Will be going through some of his classic albums in the near future i'm sure after this.
4
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Thu Dec 07 2023
A Seat at the Table
Solange
Sometimes I feel like me and some other people on here are listening to completely different albums, what's with all the Beyonce comparisons simply because they're sisters. This sounds nothing like her, it's also head and shoulders above anything Beyonce has ever released. R&B isn't a genre I get into very much, but this is an exception for sure. Lovely vocals, meaningful lyrics and messages, backed up with super high quality production. 50 minutes goes by barely noticing.
4
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Fri Dec 08 2023
The Velvet Underground & Nico
The Velvet Underground
This is the musical equivalent of cavemen discovering fire, there's no predecessor to this in rock music. Compare this to everything else around in 1966/1967 and you can only wonder how they hell they made this. The beautiful 'Sunday Morning', wild guitar flailings on 'Run Run Run', BDSM lyrics and screeching viola on 'Venus in Furs', ear-shattering crescendos of drug addiction on 'Heroin', and the improvised madness of 'European Son' to end it out. It still sounds like it was from the future nearly 60 years later, and it influenced damn near every genre of alternative rock we have today.
God bless The Velvet Underground for what they did for music (and for 'Sister Ray', their masterpiece in my opinion, but that doesn't happen until the next album).
5
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Sat Dec 09 2023
Bayou Country
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence are just really good at what they do, and that was making southern bluesy rock albums that each had a couple massive hits on them with the rest being solid. They never blow me away, but listening to an album from them is never a bad time, always end up grooving along to a riff on each song.
3
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Sun Dec 10 2023
Sign 'O' The Times
Prince
It's funny how albums on here seem to appear if i've been listening to them recently, as I've thrown this one on a few times in the past couple weeks. Might be climbing over 'Purple Rain' as my favourite Prince album, there's such a good mix of styles on here. For a double album it's rare to see such consistency across the whole thing, I wouldn't say there's a bad song on here at all. Some highlights for me are the title track, 'U Got the Look', 'Strange Relationship' and 'I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man'. Prince really knows how to write a damn good pop song the pulls from rock, funk and soul in perfect balance.
5
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Mon Dec 11 2023
The Predator
Ice Cube
Thought i'd listened to this before but apparently not the whole thing, though I'm very familiar with his first 2 albums and NWA. You could definitely make the argument that from '88 and that first NWA classic to this album in '92, Ice Cube was the best rapper doing it, and his skill is obvious all over this thing, though I do think it's my least favourite of his work up to this point. That doesn't mean much though considering that's such a high bar, his attitude and anger comes through just as potently as on any of those albums. I just need more time to sit with it, the anger feels more focused and directed on this one compared to the last 2 where he was just calling out anyone and everyone. Worth some re-listens.
3
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Tue Dec 12 2023
British Steel
Judas Priest
Of the early Judas Priest albums i've heard, this is probably the most basic of them, but that's not exactly a bad thing. Most of the songs here are just straight forward bangers, especially 'Breaking the Law', not hard to see why that continues to be probably their biggest song. I think 'United' was the only stinker on here, the chorus and lack of energy really drags it out. Outside of that though, this is a super consistent and easy to listen to metal album, the sort you'd recommend to someone trying to get into the genre.
4
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Wed Dec 13 2023
Fear Of Music
Talking Heads
Don't even need to listen to it again since it's been almost on repeat since I watched their live concert film 'Stop Making Sense' a couple months ago when it was in cinemas (I watched it 3 time actually). The groovy 'Life During Wartime' and melancholy 'Heaven' are both featured on there and the live performances are just as amazing as the studio versions. Other highlights on the album are 'Cities' where David Byrne sounds like he's literally going insane, 'I Zimbra' which opens the album and showcases the afrobeat influence they'd really hone in on on 'Remain in Light' after this album, and 'Mind' which has one of the stickiest melodies on the album. It's a banger front to back.
5
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Thu Dec 14 2023
Paranoid
Black Sabbath
Man, you just can't touch early Black Sabbath. Must be 6 albums in a row in about as many years from their inception, and every single one is a damn near metal classic. At first it's hard to get past the incredible big hits like 'War Pigs', 'Paranoid' and 'Iron Man', but on repeated listens the rest clicks pretty quickly. 'Electric Funeral' is one of the doomiest riffs you'll ever hear, while 'Hand of Doom' and the closer 'Fairies Wear Boots' just show how Sabbath just had an endless bag of badass riffs and hooks they pulled from, while not being afraid to play around with atypical song structures.
I might still be in the camp that puts their next album 'Master of Reality' above this, but to call this anything less than a genre defining classic would be plain wrong.
5
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Fri Dec 15 2023
Siamese Dream
The Smashing Pumpkins
This album was a real grower for me. First couple times I heard it I just enjoyed the big singles like 'Cherub Rock' and 'Today' that i was familiar with, but most of the rest felt overly long and not too interesting. Over more listens I've really come to appreciate it a lot more, 'Soma' is maybe the only weak spot on the whole thing for me, and even that's not a bad song. Most of the enjoyment now comes from that insane fuzzy guitar tone that just smothers the whole album, it's like wearing a nice fur coat over my ears.
Other highlights are 'Silverfuck', 'Hummer', 'Mayonaise', and the gorgeous closer 'Luna'. The longer songs do start to open up eventually, so don't be shy to give it a couple more listens if it doesn't hit you immediately.
4
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Sat Dec 16 2023
Liquid Swords
GZA
Probably tied for my favourite solo wu-tang album with 'Only Built 4 Cuban Linx', though '36 Chambers' is obviously the king of all things wu. Production is ahead of it's time on this one, clearly influencing a lot of experimental hip-hop to come, and GZA matches these beats with gritty storytelling and intelligent rhymes. He might not flow as smoothly as Ghostface or be as eccentric as ODB, but he has a distinct voice and style to his lyrics that keeps the album engaging 100% of the runtime. Great features from other wu-tang members also. Highlights for me are '4th Chamber', 'Killah Hills', 'B.I.B.L.E', and of course 'Gold' which is a masterclass in hip-hop storytelling.
5
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Sun Dec 17 2023
Time (The Revelator)
Gillian Welch
When I saw it was another modern-ish country album I groaned, expecting a repeat of the Kacey Musgraves album I hated, but turns out that's not the case. Though I will admit that despite a couple of solid songs I was not too impressed as I got towards the end. Then holy hell, she busts out a 15 minutes emotional gut-punch of a closer to finish the album off, just absolutely beautiful from start to finish. That alone will bump this up to a 3 for me, and I can't wait to listen to that song again. Fair play to her, she won me over by the end.
3
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Mon Dec 18 2023
Let Love Rule
Lenny Kravitz
It's a bit like a Prince album, just without the amazing songwriting, or the incredible voice, or the intense sexual energy and charisma, or the great guitar playing, or the decent lyrics.
Whose idea was it to put this snoozefest on the list?
1
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Tue Dec 19 2023
The Band
The Band
Much better than I expected. Not some bland 60s folk rock, but actually had some great songwriting and performances, plenty of extra instrumentation to flesh the songs out too. Kept my attention the whole time. Can't bring myself to give it a 4 though as it wasn't blowing me away, and it's not really the sort of stuff i'm too used to, but a good album nonetheless.
3
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Wed Dec 20 2023
Snivilisation
Orbital
You can tell they were experimenting a bit more on this album compared to their other one on this list. Still found it very enjoyable though, some great beats and sounds throughout, the last two epic songs I thought were especially pretty, the vocals on 'Are We Here?' are gorgeous. You wouldn't think these two songs are nearly 30 minutes combined, they go by without you really noticing. Also loved 'Crash and Carry' in the middle, that one was a real banger. Maybe I preferred the straightforward danceability of the last album, but will be looking into the rest of their work after these 2.
3
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Thu Dec 21 2023
Guero
Beck
I'm not sure what it is about Beck but every single album i've heard from him is just...ok. I don't mind it while it's on, but after it's done there's never a single song I want to repeat, no urge to check out his other stuff or anything. It just kind of happens and that's it.
3
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Fri Dec 22 2023
Joan Armatrading
Joan Armatrading
Proto-Tracy Chapman, it's a bit in one ear and out the other, the big single 'Love and Affection' is a nice tune though and there is a bit of variety to the songs. Will say that the album cover does go pretty hard
3
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Sat Dec 23 2023
Electric Ladyland
Jimi Hendrix
That Jimi guy sure can play, but the highlights on here just blow everything else away so it feels like it's 80% filler. Ends on a super high note, but I wish the rest was as good as those two songs or Voodoo Chile.
3
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Sun Dec 24 2023
90
808 State
Was pretty banging front to back, and for 1989 feels pretty ahead of it's time. Liking the older electronic stuff i've got from this list like this and the Orbital albums, can see myself going back to them.
4
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Mon Dec 25 2023
Elvis Is Back
Elvis Presley
Meh it's fine, sounds just like the other elvis album on here, no big stand outs.
3
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Tue Dec 26 2023
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
It's a little cheesy especially with the spoken word bit at the end, but the production is nice and all the performances are good. Only problem is obviously you'll only want to listen to it in a period of about 2 weeks all year, but for what it is it's good.
3
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Wed Dec 27 2023
Dog Man Star
Suede
Hard to figure out how i feel about this one, feel like i'd need a few more listens to it. Couldn't pick out any single highlight songs but it was all pretty decent, like the horns on a couple of tracks.
3
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Thu Dec 28 2023
Rings Around The World
Super Furry Animals
you know i think could've died without hearing this one actually, and there were even a few points deep into the album that death almost seemed more appealing than sitting through more of this bland "made for supermarket adverts" type rock. would give it a 2 because most of it wasn't completely intolerable, but I did give it up completely before the end, so 1 it is.
1
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Fri Dec 29 2023
Hotel California
Eagles
Being a musician in the 60s/70s must've been so cool, all you needed was to write a single banger (hint: it's the title track) and now your entire album gets recognised forever after as a rock classic, just because that one song is now repeating endlessly on every boomer rock radio station. Doesn't matter how entirely uninteresting all those other songs are, it's now an essential album that everyone must listen to. Why? Who cares! Just slurp up that radio rock slop you peasant!
2
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Sat Dec 30 2023
Rumours
Fleetwood Mac
Thank you Stevie and co. for saving me from the recent run of albums I've had. This is the pop album that all other pop albums should be compared to, just unbeliveable songwriting and performances that keeps you enthralled without effort for the whole album. The chorus of 'Dreams', the energy of 'Go Your Own Way', the bass riff in 'The Chain', the beautiful vocals of 'Songbird', the groove of 'You Make Loving Fun'.
Pop music doesn't have to mean basic and sticking within the boundaries, you can make fantastic art within the genre like this.
5
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Sun Dec 31 2023
Hysteria
Def Leppard
Whoever produced rock music this pristinely should be shot on the spot, only gets a 2 because Animal is a banger, the rest was like listening to the same song over and over
2
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Mon Jan 01 2024
The Grand Tour
George Jones
Honestly, the old country stuff on this list is kind of a vibe, makes you feel like some southern USA farmer. Love the twang in the voice too, good fun.
3
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Tue Jan 02 2024
Lost In The Dream
The War On Drugs
I remember this coming out and there being a lot of hype, but it never clicked with me. Listening again I kinda feel the same, it's hard to find anything bad about it really, but also hard to pick out anything it's really good at. It's just solid rock music, needs more energy for me though.
3
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Wed Jan 03 2024
Duck Rock
Malcolm McLaren
Wait, where did this come from?! Might be the most eclectic album I've heard in a long time. Thought it was going to be some kind of early hip-hop sample based album kind of like Entroducing, but then it switches to a pop banger on 'Double Dutch', then a wild salsa song, a synthpop kind of song, and it's all tied together with this radio show concept with little skits appearing throughout. I love it. And it was made in 1983, insane.
A 2.73 average rating though, you people should be ashamed.
5
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Thu Jan 04 2024
No Other
Gene Clark
It's just damn good songwriting all over. Super well produced for the 70s, the instruments all sit on top of each other nicely and you can hear finer details throughout the songs, backing vocals are just right too. 'Strength of Strings' was especially fantastic.
4
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Fri Jan 05 2024
On The Beach
Neil Young
One of my favourite things that can happen with albums, is when the last song is a good bit longer than all the rest, and it's also the best song on there. This happens here, probably my favourite Neil Young album of the ones i've heard.
4
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Sat Jan 06 2024
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Even though a lot of this old folk-rock stuff usually goes right through me, this was an enjoyable enough listen. Their voices mix together well, the keyboard was a nice touch to give a bit of colour to the songs. May come back to it in the future.
3
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Sun Jan 07 2024
Sheer Heart Attack
Queen
Queen might be the only band that can do the whole theatrical and cheesy thing and it becomes a positive for me rather than a negative. Freddie is a big part of that, it says a lot that the only song without him on vocals felt so out of place to me and clearly the weakest. If they went in a full prog-rock direction I feel like they could've made some killer stuff, just from what the more proggy songs on here sound like.
4
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Mon Jan 08 2024
Fuzzy Logic
Super Furry Animals
Nah i'm not going to finish this one, got through 7 out of 12 songs, stop making me listen to this fucking band
1
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Tue Jan 09 2024
Tidal
Fiona Apple
99% of my Fiona listening has been to 'The Idler Wheel..." which is a masterpiece, think i've heard this once before though. 'Criminal' is obviously a banger, and the rest is actually very memorable for being mostly piano ballads. She had some serious songwriting chops even at such a young age, super impressive.
4
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Wed Jan 10 2024
Wonderful Rainbow
Lightning Bolt
This being in the bottom 20 overall is insane, as soon as Led Zeppelin or The Rolling Stones shows up you're all like "oh we love rock music, this rocks!". But then when you get an album like this that ACTUALLY rocks, now you're crying about headaches and "it's too experimental and noisy for me" just because the music actually has some urgency to it for a change.
bunch of fucking babies you people
5
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Thu Jan 11 2024
Heavy Weather
Weather Report
It frustrates me that out of the limited amount of jazz on this list, we get this. With all due respect, it's the most background music, white-people-dinner-party type jazz you can get. Not that it's terrible, it's fine, but not engaging in the slightest.
I wonder why this was included when so many others were left out? (reads the wiki entry)
"the band's most commercially successful album"..."one of the best sellers in the Columbia jazz catalog"..."the opening track was a significant commercial success"...
ah there we go...the creator of the book didn't know anything about jazz and so resorted to throwing in some Miles Davis and Coltrane that everyone knows, and then skimming the best sellers to pad it out. Of course.
3
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Fri Jan 12 2024
Penance Soiree
The Icarus Line
Well that was a nice surprise, never heard of them before. This is my kind of rock music, the kind that prefers being loud and aggressive and maybe a little sloppy, instead of sounding pristine and perfect. Love the singer's energy, fits it perfectly. Good entry.
(Just looked and of course it has a 2.5 rating, you people suck)
4
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Sat Jan 13 2024
Reggatta De Blanc
The Police
For a trio of white british lads, they were pretty funky, especially whichever one of them is strumming the bass. It's pretty post-punky so right up my alley, but not grabbing me completely. 'Message in a Bottle' is an all time classic though, just nothing else really comes close after that, and it's the first song...
3
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Sun Jan 14 2024
Let's Get It On
Marvin Gaye
It's unreal how smooth this guy was. The title track is a stone cold classic but everything else holds up too. A simple and short track list with no filler.
4
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Mon Jan 15 2024
Pearl
Janis Joplin
Somehow never listened to Janis despite knowing about her forever, so this my was first time hearing her. Got such a powerful voice that carried the whole album. Would return to it, isn't blowing me away but it's a good easy listen.
3
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Tue Jan 16 2024
The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
Doesn't matter how many times I listen to it, it only gets better. Different songs start to stick out every few listens, 'Boy with a Thorn in his Side' has really been nailing itself to my brain recently. Also I don't care how silly the lyrics are, the guitar riff on 'Some Girls...' makes it a classic for me. Easy 5, incredible what they produced in such a short career.
5
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Wed Jan 17 2024
The Holy Bible
Manic Street Preachers
Heard it a couple times before but it really struck me today just how much energy this thing has, and rock music with high energy always gets a big thumbs up from me. It maybe loses a little of that steam with it being as long as it is, but the quality never really dips and it doesn't feel like it's length, so not that much of a downside. Some really dark lyrics too, jeez.
4
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Thu Jan 18 2024
Play
Moby
It's fine but it's a bit of a one trick pony, and having to hear that trick about 18 times is way too many. Cut it off at like 12 songs and it'd be a pretty fun listen, some of the samples are gorgeous, 'Porcelain' being the obvious one.
3
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Fri Jan 19 2024
A Date With The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers
It's cute. For 1960 you can see the influence it might have on a Beach Boys or Beatles, and even if you aren't into it there's only 28 minutes of it to sit through. I enjoyed it though, doubt i'll go back to it anytime soon, but learning a bit of musical history is what this list is all about really.
3
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Sat Jan 20 2024
Fear Of A Black Planet
Public Enemy
Classic hip-hop, they had a lot to say on this album and didn't sugarcoat it in the slightest. The shorter skit songs and the super energetic production all over it make it breeze by even though it's 20 songs and over an hour, no small feat. A lot of beats from this era haven't aged too well, but this one still holds up.
4
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Sun Jan 21 2024
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
Unfortunately Kanye has never been the same after his mum died, mental issues have held him back from being the same creative he was. This is maybe the only one that does turn it into a pretty great album though, as i'm not a big fan of 808s or anything that came after this one.
It does commit the huge sin of ending miserably though, once you hit the peak of 'Runaway' it sticks the landing by breaking both of it's legs instead. 'Hell of a Life' has the clunky sabbath sample, the chris rock skit is funny once and then just time consuming, then for some reason ending on a bon iver cover is such a bizarre and weak way to close off what was a very creative album earlier.
4
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Mon Jan 22 2024
Elephant
The White Stripes
Though everyone knows a couple singles from them, I still don't think they get the respect they deserve for being one of the best rock bands of this century easily. 6 albums in under a decade, 5 of them bangers and 1 kind of a dud ('Get Behind Me Satan' is that one). They just rocked too hard, how can you not scrunch up your face when 'Ball and Biscuit' starts shredding.
5
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Tue Jan 23 2024
The Score
Fugees
It might be sacrilege to say this, but I think the two covers are the weakest songs here. As nice as Lauryn's voice is on 'Killing Me Softly...' it's just 5 minutes of chorus, and comes right after the double hit of 'Fu-Gee-La' and 'Family Business' which are two of the best on here by far. I heard the popular songs plenty but somehow never went through the full album, and I was definitely missing out. The beats are fantastic, I love their chemistry together, and though they're all great here, Lauryn really shines. Classic hip-hop.
4
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Wed Jan 24 2024
Rhythm Nation 1814
Janet Jackson
There's some fat funky beats all over this thing, but it does drag on a little bit, especially as you get towards the last stretch. Nice that she tried to have some meaning to her lyrics, don't see myself returning to it much though.
3
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Thu Jan 25 2024
Smash
The Offspring
It's pretty crazy how you start the album and the bangers just keep coming, so you wait for the quality to dip, and it never does. Not a weak song on here, everything is just top tier fun punk. Maybe the silence at the end is a bit annoying, a leftover from the CD era, but I'd be lying if i said i wasn't bobbing my head and singing along to every single chorus on here. Just earworms back to back.
5
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Fri Jan 26 2024
Hail To the Thief
Radiohead
Has to be my least favourite Radiohead album (haven't really listened to the debut). It's just a mess of half-ideas, throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks. The ballads are all pretty dull, you do get some bangers like 'Where I End...' and 'There There', but most of it is pretty tough to get through, at least compared to how good their other albums are.
No idea why this is in the list when you've already got OK Computer, Kid A, and In Rainbows. That's all the essentials anyone needs.
2
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Sat Jan 27 2024
21
Adele
Maybe it's just the curse of the big singles being so ridiculously huge that the other stuff just pales in comparison, but especially after 'Set Fire to the Rain' i'm just sitting around waiting for 'Someone Like You' to pop up. No denying her voice is incredible though, shame the Cure cover is a bit toothless as that could've been fun.
Will say though, 'Someone Like You' is a 11/10 ballad, and ending the album on that is a power move.
3
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Sun Jan 28 2024
I See You
The xx
Don't really know what to say except, yeah it's fine? I really don't think I needed to listen to this before I died, but it was fine. I don't remember much of what happened, but the sounds didn't offend my ears, they were fine. Yeah, it was fine.
3
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Mon Jan 29 2024
Kilimanjaro
The Teardrop Explodes
It's solid post-punk new wave-y stuff, nothing much to comment on really. Kind of breezes past you, probably doesn't deserve to be on the list, but at least it doesn't overstay it's welcome.
3
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Tue Jan 30 2024
Definitely Maybe
Oasis
'Slide Away' might be their best song, I could listen to that wall of guitars on repeat forever. That shoegaze-y wall makes the whole thing sound great even if the songs are somewhat basic, but I guess that was their whole appeal, simple stuff but it's damn catchy. Shoutout to the chorus of 'Supersonic' too, the guitar bends in that make me bite my lip a little.
4
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Wed Jan 31 2024
Floodland
Sisters Of Mercy
One to give some more listens for sure. I do like that 80s gothic sound, stuff like The Cure or Bauhaus comes to mind first when I hear this. I also like this album format of just having a handful (8) songs but a few of them being a bit longer, makes it more memorable.
4
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Thu Feb 01 2024
Feast of Wire
Calexico
Some kind of interesting ideas popping up here and there, but mostly a forgettable but ok mix of songs. Bit indie, bit country, nothing special.
3
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Fri Feb 02 2024
The Who Sell Out
The Who
There's some decent songs hidden in there, but a lot of it feels like half-finished ideas. Doesn't stick with you, doubt i'll return to it.
3
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Sat Feb 03 2024
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
The Kinks
One to give more listens, I wasn't paying 100% attention and there were little hints of lyrics peeking through that made me want to look into it more. Some great tunes though, 'Shangri-La' and the closer especially, though 'Australia' feels like it goes on for about 3 or 4 minutes too long.
3
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Sun Feb 04 2024
Legalize It
Peter Tosh
Nice to see some reggae here, listened to a bunch of Wailers albums but not heard too much of the genre outside of that, unless you want to lump some Dub stuff in there too. It's a great listen though, it can be repetitive but those basslines and the production always keeps you hooked.
4
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Mon Feb 05 2024
Sheet Music
10cc
J Dilla jumpscare on the 2nd track, always fun to hear the original from a sample you've heard a million times. As a whole though it's actually a really fun listen, great balance of catchy pop/rock songs with some slightly more experimental stuff. Sticks around for a cool 40 minutes and is done.
4
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Tue Feb 06 2024
What's Going On
Marvin Gaye
Undeniably a classic, smooth as hell from front to back with something to say. One of those albums where I would actually take your musical opinions a little less seriously if I knew you hadn't heard this.
5
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Wed Feb 07 2024
Coat Of Many Colors
Dolly Parton
Simple and stripped back so Dolly's voice can carry it, and she does it well. The title track especially is super sweet, songs all about heartbreak and love. A very pleasant listen.
4
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Thu Feb 08 2024
Gasoline Alley
Rod Stewart
Maybe I just wasn't in the mood but damn this is really boring. No energy at all and Rod's solid voice can't keep it interesting all on it's own.
2
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Fri Feb 09 2024
The Coral
The Coral
Surprisingly good. Only knew 'Thinking of You' before so expected it to sound similar to that, but it actually had a pretty diverse sound, the dub sounding song early on was a nice surprise. At only 35 minutes too it's over before you think about getting bored, will have to go back to this.
4
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Sat Feb 10 2024
So
Peter Gabriel
It's good, but I feel like all the songs are very dense and it's gonna take me a few listens to really get into the meat of it, so I can't rate it too highly just on a first listen. The Kate Bush cameo surprised me though, and for everything i've heard about Sledgehammer that song is a banger.
3
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Sun Feb 11 2024
Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
Can't shake the feeling it was just a poor man's Public Enemy, the guy even sounds a bit like Chuck D. Some decent production but it feels way too preachy, even if i don't disagree with any of the messaging.
2
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Mon Feb 12 2024
Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
Lucinda Williams
Oh god it just keeps going and going and going. Why is so much country-pop always so boring, I thought with all the acclaim this one was going to be different, but it's all the same.
2
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Tue Feb 13 2024
The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
It's just so much fun, Eminem peaked here right at the start. The beats were fantastic, which would always be his biggest weakness going forward. Technically his rapping is untouchable, but here it manages not to be corny like his later stuff, and it's hilarious. A lot of the songs have certain topics or stories that make it cohesive. What more could you ask for really, there's a reason he was as huge as he was.
5
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Wed Feb 14 2024
Deserter's Songs
Mercury Rev
Well damn, took about 2 seconds to see why people were making Flaming Lips comparisons, but then it turns into so much more. Amazing songwriting, production is so full, there's not a single song i didn't like. Even had a couple of weird interludes to satisfy that part of my brain too. Banger.
5
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Thu Feb 15 2024
I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
Sinead O'Connor
It's fine but I wish i liked it more, since her voice is unique and she can get very expressive with it. A lot of the ballads and slower songs don't hold my attention to much, 'Nothing Compares 2 U' being the exception obviously. She nails it on that one, but it's not a bad listen by any stretch.
3
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Fri Feb 16 2024
Cut
The Slits
You hate to see a banger album with such a low rating on here, I get it though, the weird post-punk stuff isn't for everyone. I love it though. The way the songs just flow from part to part, the wild vocals all over the place, sick basslines, it's so much fun to listen to.
'Shoplifting' and 'Typical Girls' are just straight up bangers, along with the amazing 'Heard it Through the Grapevine' cover. I hope nobody turned off the album before that one comes on at the end.
5
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Sat Feb 17 2024
This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
With his style being this post-punk/new-wave type thing, you would think i'd be more into it than I am. I do really enjoy it though, there's not really a band song on here. The singles bang, the deeper cuts are still super catchy. I hear there's a lot of Costello on this list, so maybe those will finally make him click for me.
4
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Sun Feb 18 2024
Pornography
The Cure
God damn, that final trio of songs 'Strange Day' / 'Cold' / 'Pornography' is just unbelieveable. I'm so glad that it's not just albums after this one that are included by The Cure, since this early work of theirs was amazing. Almost unbearbly dark and soul-crushing, but also some of the best post-punk you'll hear.
5
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Mon Feb 19 2024
Southern Rock Opera
Drive-By Truckers
This is probably amazing if you know a lot about Lynyrd Skynyrd, but i don't, so 90 minutes of songs about them is a little much. The music isn't bad though.
3
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Tue Feb 20 2024
Violator
Depeche Mode
I love synthpop like this. No bullshit, just big fat synths and some drums pounding away, catchy as hell. The singles are all classics but there isn't even a hint of a weak song on here in totality.
5
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Wed Feb 21 2024
Marcus Garvey
Burning Spear
Damn I love all the grooves on this thing, I don't know if the songs were getting better as it went on or if i was just really getting into it. The production is great too, the horns, vocals, other instruments are just the right volume, and the basslines pop right in the center.
As a big fan of the bass, i'm slowly learning that i've been missing out on reggae and dub music.
5
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Thu Feb 22 2024
Inspiration Information
Shuggie Otis
It's just super chill and funky, great grooves. Not really sure what else to say, will probably be throwing it on in the future when i'm in the mood for this kind of thing.
4
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Fri Feb 23 2024
Elephant Mountain
The Youngbloods
It's a fun little old rock album, but kind of breezes past me. The two longer songs felt like they dragged on, but the rest were pretty nice. Doubt i'll return to it in the future, about as 3/5 as an album can get.
3
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Sat Feb 24 2024
Beggars Banquet
The Rolling Stones
It's getting a 2 and i'm being very generous. 'Sympathy for the Devil' is a banger, but everything else after just bored me to tears, but it's listenable, that's as positive as i can be about it. Maybe you just had to be there, the Stones do nothing for me.
2
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Sun Feb 25 2024
System Of A Down
System Of A Down
One of the most bizarre and fun metal bands to ever do it. I've learnt that Toxicity isn't on this list, which is insane, but this is not too far from the quality of that album. It's all over the place, heavy and silly in equal parts, with some of the wildest vocals you'll ever hear. Rare to find a band that is truly unique in every sense of the word, but here they are.
5
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Mon Feb 26 2024
Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
Pavement
Just a little indie classic for a sunday night. Love this and their first album, laid back and just simple great songwriting. 'Gold Soundz' has such a strong nostalgic feeling to it, love the climax at the end of 'Elevate Me Later', and 'Unfair' melts my face everytime.
5
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Tue Feb 27 2024
MTV Unplugged In New York
Nirvana
I like the choice from them not to just run through the classics, but to do some relatively deeper cuts and a bunch of covers, the Bowie one especially being fantastic. Really shows what an amazing frontman Kurt was, one of a kind. Not an album i'll throw on often, but it's always a good listen, stripping the instruments back shows off their great songwriting more.
4
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Wed Feb 28 2024
Funeral
Arcade Fire
Forgot how much I love this album, not a single song i'd change from it. If the 4 Neighbourhood songs don't get you going then I don't know what will, especially Tunnels and Power Out, both give me goosebumps every time. Then you've got the singalong chorus on 'Wake Up', the ending of 'Crown of Love' with that sick disco drum beat, and the way 'Haiti' transitions into 'Rebellion'. What an amazing album experience, peak of 2000s indie right here.
5
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Thu Feb 29 2024
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Surpisingly great, was a lot jazzier than I expected. They even throw in a full 12 minutes jam at the end that goes super hard, I heard them bust out the lick from 'Sunshine of your Love' in there somewhere. For 1968 it's pretty crazy, will have to come back to this one.
4
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Fri Mar 01 2024
Giant Steps
The Boo Radleys
Not terrible, but I can't stand these hour long britpop albums that feel like they go on forever. Chop this up into a 40 minute album and you'd have some interesting stuff here. They play around with shoegaze and other styles so it would make for a decent album, but again it's just bloated, I can't wait to turn it off by the end.
3
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Sat Mar 02 2024
Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
Probably their best, right alongside 'Dark Side...'. Sometimes I feel like the middle 3 songs are just fillers between the epic 'Crazy Diamond' pieces, which I think is really the heart and soul of the whole album. But those 3 tracks standalone on their own feet, and I love how seemlessly they blend into each other and back into the final track. Pink Floyd really knew how to create a real album experience, not just a collection of songs.
5
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Sun Mar 03 2024
Haunted Dancehall
The Sabres Of Paradise
I don't think it's anywhere near as bad as the reviews on here would have you believe. A lot of people say they're fine with electronic music, but what they really mean is they just like Daft Punk. I agree it's overlong though, chopping it down to an hour would've been nice, but there's still bangers on here and it keeps it pretty varied. 'Wilmot' especially was a good time.
3
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Mon Mar 04 2024
Melody A.M.
Röyksopp
I'd be very surprised if someone told me they disliked this album. I'm not saying you need to love it, but it's such a smooth and easy listen that I can't imagine anyone getting worked up about it. Doesn't leave a super strong impression though, but it's a nice time.
3
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Tue Mar 05 2024
The Low End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest
All killer and no filler. Super easy listen with those jazzy beats, having an actual jazz bassist playing all over it definitely helps. The back and forth is so good on this album, one of the best things about Tribe. Love it.
5
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Wed Mar 06 2024
Risque
CHIC
Not much to say except, damn that bass is funky.
4
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Thu Mar 07 2024
Fever To Tell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
It's fun as hell, over before you even realise. One of the best vocal performances you'll hear on an album, just gives every song so much energy, and brings the emotions out perfectly on a moew somber song like 'Maps'. Soon as it's over I just want to play it back again.
5
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Fri Mar 08 2024
Beach Samba
Astrud Gilberto
Don't know if i could say anything particularly bad about it, but it really just flew by without making a single impression on me. Like the epitome of background music.
2
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Sat Mar 09 2024
Juju
Siouxsie And The Banshees
I need to listen to this more because it's right up my alley, dark gothic post-punky stuff. Didn't pick out any weak songs while i was listening, and those basslines were going hard.
4
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Sun Mar 10 2024
In The Court Of The Crimson King
King Crimson
5 prog rock epics all on one album. While I think 'Red' is their best album, this one comes reasonably close. Hard to think of a more fiery opener to an album than 'Schizoid Man', 'Epitaph' is hanuting and epic, and then the closer is a wild journey to finish it off. Love it.
5
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Mon Mar 11 2024
The Only Ones
The Only Ones
This was super fun pop-rock right here, catchy as hell all over. Even sounds a bit before it's time being the late 70s, would've guessed sometime in the 80s. Already knew 'Another Girl...' was a banger going in, now there's a few more tracks to replay over a few times.
4
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Tue Mar 12 2024
Superunknown
Soundgarden
As someone who's never been a big fan of grunge, and prefers shorter albums, you'd think this would be a big swing and a miss for me. Surprisingly this is a very enjoyable listen. The songwriting is interesting and varied, some great riffs, very powerful vocal performance that carries a lot of the tracks. Not too shabby.
4
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Wed Mar 13 2024
Songs From The Big Chair
Tears For Fears
This is some pretty high-tier synthpop, 8 tracks in a tight 40 minutes. 3 of those tracks are stone-cold classics that everyone has probably heard, but the deeper cuts aren't too bad either. Super catchy, the classic synth sounds always get me.
4
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Thu Mar 14 2024
Lost Souls
Doves
Somehow avoided hearing them despite seeing them around for years, just never got around to it. Turns out they can write a pretty decent song, and create some nice atmosphere. It's just overall a little underwhelming, no songs really made my ears stand up and take notice.
3
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Fri Mar 15 2024
Hunting High And Low
a-ha
Early synthpop is just so much fun, the goofier and sillier the sounds they come up with, the better. Even outside the obvious 11/10 song here, the rest is super catchy. Not long enough to get boring, by the time it's over you're ready to start it up again.
4
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Sat Mar 16 2024
Maggot Brain
Funkadelic
I feel like it would be wrong to rate it a 5 just on the incredible title track, which is so obviously a 5 that it doesn't even need saying, what an insane solo. But then again, everything else on here is super funky, easy to listen to, makes you want to dance around while listening. So I guess it is just a 5 after all.
5
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Sun Mar 17 2024
Oedipus Schmoedipus
Barry Adamson
I actually have no idea how I feel about this after listening. It's pretty long and it jumps around so many ideas, even if individually they can be fairly interesting, as a whole it feels too disjointed.
2
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Mon Mar 18 2024
Pink Flag
Wire
According to my last.fm account this is my most listened to album (since 2014 when i reset my plays), so you could say i kind of like it. Barely a month can go by without me giving it a spin, I genuinely believe it's one of the best rock albums of all time. Incredibly catchy, short punk bangers that just fly through in half an hour. The two longer cuts of the title track and 'Strange' show their versatility that would become more apparent on their next two albums (which are also incredible). Thank god for Wire.
5
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Tue Mar 19 2024
The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem
For the insane influence and banger singles like 'Stan' and 'Real Slim Shady' that are still classics now, it should be a 5. Unfortunately it goes on a little too long and ends up throwing some weak tracks at you towards the end. 'Amityville' is clunky, the D12 features on 'Under the Influence' just aren't nearly as good or funny as Eminem is, and 'Kim' for how raw it is is insanely long and bad. If you stopped it before that last section of the album I think it's a 5.
4
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Wed Mar 20 2024
Fever Ray
Fever Ray
It's a shame that this and The Knife will always be under-appreciated. The atmosphere throughout this is intoxicating, 'Triangle Walks' and 'Keep The Streets Empty For Me' are the highlights but I couldn't pick a weak song on here if I tried. Just swallows you into it's world.
5
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Thu Mar 21 2024
I’m a Lonesome Fugitive
Merle Haggard
All classic country is basically just emo music for people in the bible belt. Every song is 'my woman just left me', or 'I miss my ex', or maybe even a little 'I killed my woman and now i'm sad about it'. I should listen to stuff like this when i'm on a downer, it would probably go over well. "If i could die my pain might go away", jesus man, it's gonna be ok.
3
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Fri Mar 22 2024
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
Much calmer and restrained than the first two Velvet albums that I prefer, but their incredible songwriting is still plain to see. Would still consider them one of the most important rock bands of all time, their versatility was unbelieveable.
5
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Sat Mar 23 2024
Stand!
Sly & The Family Stone
They knew how to groove better than almost anyone else, just bangers all over this thing.
4
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Sun Mar 24 2024
m b v
My Bloody Valentine
Sure it can't really compete with 'Loveless' but what can. Nobody does it like My Bloody Valentine does, so even if this isn't their best, the deafening wall of sound that masks those sweet pop songs hiding underneath is still worth a 5 to me. Over the course of this album i found myself increasing the volume steadily throughout, until I finished it at about twice the volume I started it on.
5
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Mon Mar 25 2024
Our Aim Is To Satisfy
Red Snapper
Liked it quite a bit more than I expected, given how some of the seemingly random british albums that get put on this list are. While some songs could definitely be trimmed, and I never found any of the vocals appealing, this album does the good thing of putting the very best tracks right at the start and the end. The opener pulls you in, and then the last two tracks are just fantastic, incredible atmosphere.
4
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Tue Mar 26 2024
Live!
Fela Kuti
Fela's albums already felt like you were listening to a live band just jamming out for 15+ minutes on some sick grooves. This just ups the energy by even more, the band sound fantastic. 60 minutes of music doesn't get much easier to listen to than this.
5
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Wed Mar 27 2024
Gorillaz
Gorillaz
Never been a big Gorillaz fan, and as the album neared it's conclusion I was pretty happy for it to end. That's not to say it was bad, it's just overly long and feels like it keeps the same pace for the whole runtime, which gets tiring. The songs with features are pretty good, the basslines and production overall is definitely a highlight, but would need serious trimming for me to want to revisit it.
3
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Thu Mar 28 2024
The Healer
John Lee Hooker
You gotta respect this guy for still rocking out and having a voice this good in his late 70s when he made this, but it's not that exciting of an album. It's a solid listen though.
3
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Fri Mar 29 2024
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon & Garfunkel
One of the rare albums you could play for pretty much anyone and the worst response you would get is "yeah, that's nice". If you aren't pulled in by the opener then I just don't understand you, nevermind the multiple other classics like 'Boxer', 'Cecelia', and 'New York'.
5
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Sat Mar 30 2024
Sunday At The Village Vanguard
Bill Evans Trio
I'm always happy to hear some jazz on the list, but I feel like I need some horns or something else to keep me fully engaged, just piano, drums, and bass can get a little stale. The playing is great though, and the recording is too, just blends into the background a bit without something more going on.
3
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Sun Mar 31 2024
Tical
Method Man
After wu-tang's debut, they went on a few year streak of releasing just banger solo albums one after the other, all produced by RZA from the clan. This one starts that streak off, and though it's maybe my least favourite from the first batch of solo albums, that's not really a negative. It's still grimey and dirty, immaculately produced, and fun as hell. Only complaint is the mixing can be a bit off in sections, like he's being drowned out by the beat. There's nothing like early wu-tang though, it's too good.
5
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Mon Apr 01 2024
Tarkus
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Don't get too much prog on here so this is nice, I usually have issues with this album format though. It's always one long song that is a raging banger, then a bunch of short songs that leave no impression. Luckily some of the shorter ones here aren't too bad. The huge title track is insane, Emerson's wild jazzy keyboard playing carries the whole thing, he's a madman on this album. Was a nice change of pace from the other stuff on the list.
4
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Tue Apr 02 2024
Sound of Silver
LCD Soundsystem
Can't be mad about getting to spend some of easter monday spinning this modern classic. Not a single bad song, maybe the title track is the weakest but that doesn't say much. The double whammy of 'Someone Great' then 'All My Friends' is a real gut punch, songs like the opener and 'Us vs Them' just make me want to dance, and the closer is beautiful. Some of the post-2000 inclusions so far on this list have been questionable, this one is perfect.
Where are your friends tonight?
5
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Wed Apr 03 2024
Face to Face
The Kinks
I have some trouble with this simple early era of rock/pop from the 60s, but this was a pleasant enough listen. Definitely heard 'Sunny Afternoon' in various places before but it's nice to put a band and album to it. Songwriting is good but it blends together a bit by the end.
3
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Thu Apr 04 2024
Hunky Dory
David Bowie
As well written as the whole album is, I prefer Bowie when he gets a little weirder, like his Ziggy persona or the run of albums from 'Station to Station' onwards where he experiments more. The classics on here are classics, but the rest don't leave a huge impression on me.
3
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Fri Apr 05 2024
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
Soft Cell
Just like the title and album art suggests, this does sound like a sleazy back-alley sex club. I'm surprised (as always) at the very low score, I thought this was a lot of fun, some songs were pretty wacky like 'Sex Dwarf' but that early synthpop sound just makes everything into a banger. 'Tainted Love' is an 11/10, goes without saying, but especially towards the back half I found every song to be extremely catchy.
4
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Sat Apr 06 2024
Exile On Main Street
The Rolling Stones
Not a Stones fan at all, but for some reason this one just sticks out to me as a really great album. The songwriting is just way above their other stuff, the performances are exciting, love the horns added on a bunch of tracks. It's good rock music.
4
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Sun Apr 07 2024
The Last Broadcast
Doves
These guys are so frustrating, it's like they want to do something interesting but they can't quite bring themselves to do it. There's a bunch of variety to the instruments on here, but all the songs still end up being the same decent mid-paced track. Solid songwriting only gets you so far, I don't see any spark that makes me want to go back the album or any track in particular.
3
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Mon Apr 08 2024
Olympia 64
Jacques Brel
Feel like I'd need to look more into the guy to know why this is included, but it's fine. He's belting it out on the opener, the rest can't really compare, even though his powerful voice does carry the rest of them too.
3
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Tue Apr 09 2024
Blue
Joni Mitchell
An all time favourite here, literally would not change a single thing about this one. Joni's voice is beautiful, as is the instrumentation, and every single song is filled with lines that stick in your head for days and days after listening. 'River', 'My Old Man', 'A Case of You', 'California'. I could just go through naming every song really, they're all fantastic.
5
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Wed Apr 10 2024
Rain Dogs
Tom Waits
Probably my 2nd favourite Tom album with 'Bone Machine' just beating it out, but he has multiple masterpieces so doesn't say much. There isn't an artist alive that sounds like him. 19 songs on this album and every one is unique and bizarre in it's own way. He throws everything and the kitchen sink into these, strange lyrics about seedy characters that sound like something out of a carnival horror film. Even if you don't love him, you have to recognise how completely original he is, and this album is one of the best examples from his incredible catalogue.
5
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Thu Apr 11 2024
Another Green World
Brian Eno
Had a Tom Waits album yesterday and I'd consider him a musical genius, Brain Eno is firmly in the same category. This is his best album imo, perfect mix of his earlier experimental rock stuff and the later ambient that he'd become known for. Some of the most beautiful songs you'll ever hear are on this: 'Becalmed', 'Golden Hours', 'Everything Merges With the Night', and of course 'The Big Ship' which is honestly just one of the most incredible songs ever written.
5
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Fri Apr 12 2024
Arise
Sepultura
Heard this and another album of their's not too long ago and didn't think much of it, just that it was alright, i'm not too much of a thrash metal listener anymore. Giving it another listen though I must've just not been in the metal mood at the time, as this actually shreds pretty hard. Didn't feel like there was a weak song, some wild riffs and solos going on, exactly what you want from the genre. Might need to give them another chance.
4
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Sat Apr 13 2024
S&M
Metallica
I do enjoy some Metallica, and as nice as the idea of this is, more than 2 hours of it is a bit of a slog. Especially since they exclude almost all of their earlier faster stuff that I prefer, as that would be tough to make interesting with the orchestra. Hetfield's little ad-libs are comedic ("San Francisco Orchestra YEEAAUGH"), although i don't think that was the intention. Definitely some great highlights on here, but i don't see myself every listening through it again. Watching the actual concert might be a good time though.
3
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Sun Apr 14 2024
Mama's Gun
Erykah Badu
I can see the comparisons to D'angelo's 'Voodoo', that album also has A+ production. The drums hit hard and the bass is smooth and warm, love all the jazzy instrumentation, great sounding beats over the whole thing. Erykah's voice is lovely throughout. I was tuning out a little bit towards the end when the songs felt a bit more stretched out than the ones before, but never heard a weak song really.
4
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Mon Apr 15 2024
Revolver
Beatles
Even as a renowned Beatles hater, I'm man enough to admit when they were kind of cooking. I say 'kind of' because despite the highlights, there's some definite filler on here, looking at you 'Yellow Submarine', 'Doctor Robert', 'I Want To Tell You'.
The highlights make up for it though, songs like 'Eleanor Rigby' and 'For No One' are fantasticly written little things, short and to the point with great ideas. Then the best for me is 'Love You To' and 'Tomorrow Never Knows' (a 10/10 if i've ever heard one), where they really get their hands dirty trying to experiment. It's a shame they didn't walk down this path more, as it's always annoyed me how they clearly have the ability to do something interesting, but often just fell back into safe pop-rock.
4
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Tue Apr 16 2024
Moon Safari
Air
Starts off with some serious bangers, trails off a little towards the end but it's still an enjoyable listen throughout. Pretty chill eletronica, not much to complain about.
4
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Wed Apr 17 2024
Buffalo Springfield Again
Buffalo Springfield
Same as many albums that have come before it in this list, it's very much "in one ear and out the other" type music. I don't dislike it while it's playing, but after it's done if you put a gun to my hand and asked me to sing any chorus, any melody, any solo or catchy lyric, my brains would be splattered across the walls.
3
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Thu Apr 18 2024
Licensed To Ill
Beastie Boys
Of course the rapping sounds dated, this is seriously early in hip-hop's history, but it's undeniably influential. What the technical rapping skill lacks, they more than make up for with chemistry, humour, and the booming beats backing them up. A few serious classics in the middle of the tracklist, it makes for a fun listen overall despite the negatives.
4
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Fri Apr 19 2024
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
I've struggled to get into PJ Harvey, with the exception of 'Let England Shake' which is great, but this might be the album that helps me on that path. Not really a weak song on here, the songwriting is consistently great throughout. On the heavier songs she's really belting it out, and she still shines on the more restrained tracks. Also shoutout to Thom Yorke for his excellent little contributions on here. Deserves a few more spins from me.
4
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Sat Apr 20 2024
Boston
Boston
Was expecting bland dad rock, instead I got very fun and well written dad rock. Knew 'More Than a Feeling', then 'Peace of Mind' came on, turns out i know that one too, 'Foreplay/Long Time' was fantastically epic, especially the intro. Everything after that just kept rocking out, didn't feel annoyed or bored for a second, which is far more than I can say for a lot of classic rock albums. They kind of nailed it here.
4
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Sun Apr 21 2024
GREY Area
Little Simz
Even being from the UK, i'm not a fan of UK rap usually. The beats are often kind of clunky, same with the flows, and the lyricism is miserable. Luckily Little Simz is the exception to all of these, as the beats bang here and she has something to say, and says it well. Her next album is better than this but it's still a great listen.
4
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Mon Apr 22 2024
All That You Can't Leave Behind
U2
I think if it wasn't for nostalgia then I'd think 'Beautiful Day' was just bland radio slop too. Giving it a 1 because this album is the antithesis of everything I think rock music should be. It's bland, uninteresting, unexciting, has no passion, and nothing to say. Get it out of here.
1
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Tue Apr 23 2024
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
Maybe a 5 could be a bit high, but this is sandwiched between a U2 album and an Elbow album, so it's the only thing keeping me alive right now. Full of bangers front to back, but especially at the front, and ESPECIALLY at the back. 'Don't Stop' could maybe do with being a couple mins shorter but otherwise no complaints.
5
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Wed Apr 24 2024
The Seldom Seen Kid
Elbow
Never been a fan of them from the songs i've heard, even the big singles on here still don't do much for me. The vocalist just doesn't sit right with me, brings the whole thing down. Just not for me.
2
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Thu Apr 25 2024
Time Out
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
It's such a fun concept, have a jazz album based around using weird time signatures, call it 'Time Out', even have some of the song titles be references to the time signature. On top of that it's just a fun listen. I maybe like my jazz a little wilder or weirder, but you can't deny the bangers on here.
4
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Fri Apr 26 2024
Let It Be
The Replacements
Well this is easy, The Replacements have been one of my most listened to bands over the last couple years, this album especially. They're so versatile, from punk ragers, to sweet piano ballads, to indie rock bangers, they can do anything. Could name every song as a favourite, but i'll just mention that 'Androdgynous' is beautiful, 'Answering Machine' is a gut-punching way to end the album, and 'Unsatisfied' is one of the most passionate rock songs i've ever heard, in the vocals specifically. Absolute alt/indie classic.
5
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Sat Apr 27 2024
Heroes
David Bowie
Bowie was just at an insane creative peak around this time. First half is wild bangers with some of the most interesting instrumentation you'll hear him with, and then slows it down in the second half (similar to what he did on 'Low') with some instrumental tracks. Can feel the Eno in that second half, somehow it all works together just as perfectly as it does on his last album 'Low'. If that wasn't enough to convince you, then the legendary title track should at least.
5