Jul 25 2023
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Sheer Heart Attack
Queen
A band really hitting their straps. Its all over the place really, but it works. Ballads with hard rock and developing that Queen sound.
4
Jul 26 2023
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Hot Rats
Frank Zappa
First time i have really listened to Frank Zappa, and i must say, pretty decent stuff.
3
Jul 27 2023
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1999
Prince
Couldn't enjoy this. With the risk of annoying Prince fans i found it repetitive, turgid music. It felt like a really lazy album. Probably wouldn't appear in my top 10000 albums.
1
Jul 28 2023
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Stankonia
OutKast
Not for me this one. Repetetive beats, pretty por stuff really.
1
Jul 31 2023
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Catch A Fire
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Good stuff from Bob and the Wailers. Reggae, calypso and the feel of sunshine
3
Aug 01 2023
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At Newport 1960
Muddy Waters
Classic Muddy.
3
Aug 02 2023
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Playing With Fire
Spacemen 3
Ranges from soft ballads to full on rock out. A fascinating album, but not really for me.
2
Aug 03 2023
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Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
George Michael
Good album which could have been great. Michael was better when hes pushing his vocal repertoire and delving into risque songs, not the MOR mush which occupies most of his albums. An opportunity missed here..good but could have been outstanding.
3
Aug 04 2023
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Music in Exile
Songhoy Blues
Sound like amazing musicians and a great sound. Not for me, but a real talent here.
3
Aug 07 2023
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Can't Buy A Thrill
Steely Dan
A very listenable album. Some high points here. A nand at the top of their game.
4
Aug 08 2023
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Meat Is Murder
The Smiths
Morrissey didn't really do it for me, and although Marr was a pretty cool gutarist, the Smiths always felt underwhelming. Theres no doubt they wrote some great tracks and lyrically at times, it was impressive, but overall they didnt quite do it for me.
3
Aug 09 2023
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Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Smashing Pumpkins
I have heard of the Pumpkins, but never really heard their music. A couple of great tracks to start this album, but then it deteriorated into i a bit of a mess. The nasly vocals didnt help, bur i found it a hard listen
2
Aug 10 2023
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I Am a Bird Now
Antony and the Johnsons
A really fascinating and interesting album. An amazing voice, which doesn't mean its a great one, and at times hard to listen to, but theres also some cracking moments on here.
3
Aug 11 2023
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Oracular Spectacular
MGMT
Decent. Never heard them before. Some good tracks.
3
Aug 14 2023
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Back At The Chicken Shack
Jimmy Smith
Great musically but not really my bag.
2
Aug 15 2023
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Pretenders
Pretenders
Precious, a great opening track, with Hyndes sneering vocals, sets the tone for an album that just rattles along. They weren't my favourite band, but this is a good album.
3
Aug 16 2023
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Manassas
Stephen Stills
A supremely talented musician and songwriter, and this is a fine album.
3
Aug 17 2023
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Younger Than Yesterday
The Byrds
Classic early Byrds.
3
Aug 18 2023
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Sweetheart Of The Rodeo
The Byrds
More of a country sound due to the influence of Gram Parson who subsequently left the band. Its certainly not my favourite Byrds album, alienated some of their fans, and although critically aclaimed did not give them commercial success. Times a healer though, and this is a fine album, and of course contatins the fabulous You Aint Going Nowhere.
3
Aug 21 2023
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Smash
The Offspring
Machine gun, rattling 3 minute stompers. Some poignant, cutting sharp lyrics, mixed in with banal drivel. Did i enjoy it... Yes... Was it great.. No. Incosistent, a bit repetetive and no real flair... But madly i liked it.
3
Aug 24 2023
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Illmatic
Nas
Complete drivel. Offensive, obscene, parhetic attempt of trying to make an excuse for music.
1
Aug 25 2023
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The Clash
The Clash
An album that set the high bar for all punk bands to aspire to. Few, if any, failed to reach it. A quite astounding bunch of songs, the lyrics of many are relevant still today. Janie Jones, Cheat, Garageland, Remote Control hit you like a sledgehammer, and these guys could play. Police and Thieves showed the public they were no one trick ponies. Critics and fans hailed later albums as better, but its doubtful a debut album as good as this would ever be surpassed.
5
Aug 28 2023
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Innervisions
Stevie Wonder
Excellent album from Stevie Wonder at the beginning of his most creative period.
4
Aug 29 2023
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Let It Bleed
The Rolling Stones
A dark, moody album by the Stones. Themes of war, depression and anger. Not your straightforward rock and roll, big hints of country and R and B. Got great reviews, and the playing is superb, but they have done better. However, Gimme Shelter, possibly the best opening track ever, Midnight Rambler, Let It Bleed and You Can't Always Get What You Want stick it to you right in the gut.
4
Aug 30 2023
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Talking With the Taxman About Poetry
Billy Bragg
Classic Billy Bragg. A mix of political angst, romance, nostalgia and memories. The songs are fleshed out more from his first 2 albums, and there are some fine tunes here. Train train is a bit lost in all this, but the rest of the album gives you plenty to hang your hat on.
3
Sep 04 2023
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Morrison Hotel
The Doors
These guys could play, and Morrison had a great rock voice, but the material here is just not strong enough. A less than average album.
2
Sep 05 2023
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Chirping Crickets
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
Its of its time, but this is great stuff. Holly and the Crickets were great musicians, and songwriters. So sad he died at such a young age, and never realised his massive potential.
4
Sep 06 2023
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Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo
MC Solaar
Not really for me, all a bit of a noisy mess.
1
Sep 07 2023
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Vincebus Eruptum
Blue Cheer
No sublety about this. Loud, rocky, and ok i suppose. Banal lyrics though, and a feel of one trick ponies didn't endear them to me.
2
Sep 08 2023
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Let's Stay Together
Al Green
Im not really a soul music fan, so this didn't do it for me. No doubt he could sing though, and backed by some decent musicians, im sure this is a fine album to the right audience.
2
Sep 11 2023
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Out Of The Blue
Electric Light Orchestra
ELO wrote some decent stuff, and had an instantly recognisable sound. Some of their material can be a bit samey, but when its good, its very, very good. This albums got some classics, and is a good listen.
3
Sep 12 2023
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Teen Dream
Beach House
Never heard of this band/duo, but this is reasonable to listen to.
3
Sep 13 2023
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Nighthawks At The Diner
Tom Waits
Not a fan of Waits, not really heard a lot, but this album has a lot going for it. At times you feel you're in the bar with him. Some great jazz feel tunes, and top musicians, but i can't really go for it. Toms vocals make Dylan sound like Pavarotti, he talks his way through the tunes and sounds like he's being interrogated.. Hes hard to listen to. Even so, this had a lot going for it.
2
Sep 14 2023
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Destroy Rock & Roll
Mylo
Dreadful repetetive durge. I could only take half the album. I know it takes all sorts, but this was absolutely awful.
1
Sep 15 2023
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Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
Too much screaming down the microphone for my liking, but I can see why these guys are popular. They can actually sing and play, but that wouldn't satisfy the fanbase... So lets just make a racket!
2
Sep 18 2023
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Joan Armatrading
Joan Armatrading
An early Armatrading album, where shes flexing her vocal muscles and giving a hint of her great talent. Decent, if a little flat.
3
Sep 19 2023
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Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
Acerbic lyrics, Rottens snarling vocals and the rhythm section that literally is jumping out the speakers, this was punk at its fiercest. Seventeen could have been great, but fell short, and there are some tracks that miss the mark, even so, this stands the test of time. The band had already started to implode by the time this was released, its not a long legacy, but its impressive.
4
Sep 20 2023
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Liquid Swords
GZA
I appreciate music is personal taste, and this a genre i avoid lime the plague. But this is absolute drivel. Monotonous backround beat and spouting out offensive, non sensical lyrics. It really doesn't get much worse than this. By using some samples from a film apparently elevated this guy fo superztarxom. Blimey, theres hope for all of us.
1
Sep 21 2023
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Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
Spiritualized
A bit of a mess really, an uncomfortable noise at times, but theres also some good stuff on here. I found it a bit dull and boring though, so a standard 2 stars is the most generous I can be in.
2
Sep 26 2023
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Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
Oh dear Frank. Not sure what all the hype was for. An album bereft of any musical originality, a dirge of insipid tracks, conspiring to build an album of the mundane and banal. Amongst the dirge, Bad Religion is just about listenable. If he made money out if this dross fair play to him. There's millions of infinitely better musicians and artists out there struggling to make a pay check. The unfairness of it all stinks.
1
Sep 27 2023
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Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus
Spirit
Never heard of the band, but this was ok. It didnt reach out and grab me, but these guys could obviously play, and theres some decent tracks on here.
3
Sep 28 2023
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Germfree Adolescents
X-Ray Spex
I was a teenager through the punk explosion, but X-Ray Spex sort of passed me by. Listening to this now, doesn't make me want to hark back to those days, and they didnt have the extra edge that bands like The Clash and The Jam had. But this is good stuff, a drummer whos on fire and a singer in Poly Styrene, who was all attitude and angst. Interesting use of the sax on some numbers must have been quite novel for the time.
3
Sep 29 2023
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Sweet Baby James
James Taylor
Gentle acoustic numbers that sometimes feel a bit too safe. Taylors clarity of voice and decent acoustic guitar playing carry it along effortlessly, but a bit more variety would have helped. Even so, a couple if killer tracks in here.
3
Oct 02 2023
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Sticky Fingers
The Rolling Stones
4
Jan 24 2024
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Endtroducing.....
DJ Shadow
Banal, talentless, drivel, as bad as it gets, and those are compliments, its actually a thousand times worse. Not sure who gets suckered in to buying this redundant filth, they really do need to check in for help. Would give it minus stars, it is just awful.
1
Jan 25 2024
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A Short Album About Love
The Divine Comedy
The guy can sing,and the songs have some decent, if simple arrangements, and theres lots to hang your hat on here, but oh my, the lyrics are dreadful, and completely ruin what potential there was. Were the Divine Comedy camping it up deliberately?
2
Jan 26 2024
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Bummed
Happy Mondays
A few of the songs sounded ok, but didn't help the singer was out of tune. A bit of a noisy mess really.
2