253
Albums Rated
3.04
Average Rating
23%
Complete
836 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
2000s
Favorite Decade
Soul
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
15
5-Star Albums
14
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
|
5 | 3.37 | +1.63 |
|
Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes
|
5 | 3.43 | +1.57 |
|
Imagine
John Lennon
|
5 | 3.45 | +1.55 |
|
Bookends
Simon & Garfunkel
|
5 | 3.56 | +1.44 |
|
Funeral
Arcade Fire
|
5 | 3.57 | +1.43 |
|
Out Of The Blue
Electric Light Orchestra
|
5 | 3.64 | +1.36 |
|
Dr. Octagonecologyst
Dr. Octagon
|
4 | 2.7 | +1.3 |
|
Odessa
Bee Gees
|
4 | 2.71 | +1.29 |
|
Boston
Boston
|
5 | 3.71 | +1.29 |
|
So Much For The City
The Thrills
|
4 | 2.81 | +1.19 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Machine Head
Deep Purple
|
1 | 3.59 | -2.59 |
|
Nevermind
Nirvana
|
2 | 4.37 | -2.37 |
|
Risque
CHIC
|
1 | 3.26 | -2.26 |
|
System Of A Down
System Of A Down
|
1 | 3.26 | -2.26 |
|
The Rise & Fall
Madness
|
1 | 3.05 | -2.05 |
|
At Folsom Prison
Johnny Cash
|
2 | 3.99 | -1.99 |
|
Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches
Happy Mondays
|
1 | 2.98 | -1.98 |
|
Exodus
Bob Marley & The Wailers
|
2 | 3.94 | -1.94 |
|
Damaged
Black Flag
|
1 | 2.87 | -1.87 |
|
At San Quentin
Johnny Cash
|
2 | 3.8 | -1.8 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Stevie Wonder | 2 | 5 |
| Beatles | 2 | 5 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Happy Mondays | 2 | 1.5 |
| Sepultura | 2 | 1.5 |
5-Star Albums (15)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
The Thrills
4/5
I really enjoyed this. I remember hearing a couple of songs when they came out and this took me right back to that point in my life. I’m happy to have listed to this. It’s really pleasant and clean.
2 likes
Radiohead
5/5
Oh hell yes. An absolute masterpiece and one of my top albums ever. I wish there were six stars.
1 likes
1-Star Albums (14)
All Ratings
Al Green
4/5
A beautiful album that can beautifully underscore a get-together without taking center stage. The progressions make you want to move when they’re turned up, but the recording quality shows a bit of its age. Also, not the most dynamic of albums.
LIBRARY: Yes!
Tracy Chapman
2/5
Not really my genre, but lyrically relevant to this day. I’d say the messages were a little on-the-nose, but I guess that kind of clarity is sometimes important. Either way, not my cup of tea.
Foo Fighters
2/5
Just so, so busy. Super energetic and obviously inspired, but damn if it isn’t hard for me to feel like it’s the same song on repeat.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
What a vocal performance from Janis. This recording was described as a “full-frontal assault on the senses,” and I certainly couldn’t put it better. Although stylistically different, her performance gives me the same melancholy I feel when listening to Elliott Smith or Kurt Cobain; a tragic dread that makes me wish they weren’t so self-destructive, that mourns what could have been.
Added to my library.
Carole King
3/5
Solid arrangements and versatile. I initially expected this to be repetitive, because the last few albums categorized as “ singer/songwriter” have definitely bored me. But the point of this entire website is the challenge myself to listen to albums that I might normally not, so I kept listening and almost immediately realized that each song was completely unique. It’s often beautiful though not necessarily always my genre preference. I’ll add it to my library.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
Definitely some classics here. I like how earnest a young Tom Petty was. He certainly has a unique voice. The arrangements are nice and I could happily play this in the background of some kind of gathering. I don’t think it’s by any stretch of the imagination a masterpiece, but I was pleasantly surprised by its consistency.
Happy Mondays
1/5
Unfortunately, this feels like it’s right in between two genres that I don’t really enjoy. I feel the 90s Manchester punk rock club scene creeping in, which to me just feels dirty and sticky and it’s something that I can’t identify with. I also feel the distant drum machines of the late 80s new wave, and I just don’t enjoy it. It just feels grimy to me, like a hangover where I wake up with a bad taste in my mouth. Numbly violent.
And I feel like the people that it bred are people that I don’t actually connect with very much. So, I feel bad to hate an album that I’m sure means a lot to a lot of people. I mean, it certainly made me feel something. Just not the feeling I ever really want to have.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Holy shit. I mean, all things aside, I knew this would be a classic. But damn. The mixing quality, the vibe, and that vocal performance are truly second to none. This isn’t even my genre, but I could listen to it all day.
4.5.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
All time classic, for sure. Happy to give it a re-listen. Never been a huge fan, but I can always appreciate her impact. It fits nicely in any library.
Wilco
4/5
This is such a great experience. Maybe it caught me on the right day, but damn if my mood hasn’t been improved by the journey across all 87 minutes of this versatile album. It’s clearly a precursor to so many of my more modern favorite artists. I’ve listened to YHF, but never really understood Jeff and Wilco’s roots until hearing this. It felt like an Americana festival, condensed into one long album.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Often very pretty and relaxing, and was a fine bit of background score to my walk through the city this morning.
While ultimately a bit unmemorable, I’d be glad to have it on again sometime.
Thelonious Monk
4/5
Classic soundtrack for staring at the world.
The Avalanches
3/5
Reminiscent of my early days playing with Acid and Sound Forge as a kid. Learning about loops and layering and planning and affectation.
Definitely a high water mark for this genre at the time, and would’ve been a nice lead into my Fatboy Slim phase.
I like its freshness and space. It’s nicely optimistic.
CHVRCHES
3/5
Definitely a lot of fun. It evokes a familiar feeling from the early twenty teens, when I still listened to Alt-Nation on satellite radio.
If bands like Beach House are considered dream-pop, this feels more awake. I don’t love it, but it is absolutely danceable and there are a few songs that I love.
Santana
3/5
Mellow, rich and… well, I really don’t want to use the word ‘smooth’… god, I hate that song. It turned me off Santana for all these years. What a joke. It’s good. I liked it. Mellow, rich and polished/peaceful/continuous/not rough.
David Crosby
3/5
Very pretty album full of harmonies. Pretty much felt like a normal CSNY album to me, with lower lows and lower highs.
The Young Gods
1/5
This is definitely not my thing. I tried.
Jurassic 5
4/5
I really loved this. Not much of a hiphop guy, but it’s definitely something I enjoy occasionally. In this case it was the clarity and the beats. Just a vibe that made my day better and my city walk more enjoyable.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
Took me back in time and made me think of those who lived in my city back then. Definitely something to passively play at a party. I’ll add it to the library.
Nirvana
2/5
Nostalgic and iconic, it certainly brought me back to my very early childhood. I remember after Kurt died not understanding how his voice could still be on the radio. I guess that, when I was 4, I thought all songs on the radio were performed live.
Anyway, not my thing. Grunge in general. I love their unplugged album because it sounds so much nicer than the heavy distortion. To me, that is. Obviously this is in a lot of people’s top 10.
Metallica
2/5
I like the guitars of Metallica and that’s about it. It’s really a shame, because I can’t take James’ voice which dominates much of their music. It’s generic and unimpressive and… I don’t know, is he trying to sound scary? I get that it’s the metal and all that, but I feel like this is phony most of the time. And Lars’ drumming is so overconfident - just pounding the same basic riffs over and over again with that completely useless double bass pedal…
I used to love a lot of these songs and just outgrew them. Sad. But can’t do it.
Nick Drake
4/5
Finally listened to a full Nick Drake album. Underrated and hauntingly beautiful, as expected.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Not my favorite Beach Boys album by a long shot, but I can’t deny my love for their nostalgic and excellently mixed harmonies. It just feels like an echo of a simpler time, even though in many ways it wasn’t. I know my parents grew up around this time in Southern California, so albums like this almost allow me to put myself in their teenage shoes.
The Mars Volta
3/5
I feel like it’s at its best when it gets experimentally technical. At its worst it sounds like Fallout Boy or MCR playing an early Muse song. And, while I’m not a fan of the former bands, I am a fan of the latter band, especially in their early years. And I love technical prog-rock, as long is it isn’t too busy and whiny.
So I guess I actually liked it quite a bit, overall. The parts I didn’t were at least versatile in their own way.
Fishbone
3/5
It’s certainly a lot of fun, and the performers are all extremely talented. I didn’t get to do the whole thing in one sitting, so maybe it’s my mood, but I liked the first half much more than the second. Either way, happy to find a bit of a hidden gem (for me).
The Black Keys
4/5
I’ve always loved this album. It’s such a nice feeling to listen to while strutting through town, day or night. It needs to be more regular in my rotation, even if most of it is played all the damn time.
3/5
Jane Weaver
3/5
Some of it reminds me of a more upbeat Beach House with synths and passive vocals and fades between tracks. Almost like Broken Bells but with fewer reverb. I don’t think I’d recommend it as a must-listen, but I’d have it on in the background.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Really appreciated the craftsmanship on this album. The recording quality is excellent. The band itself sounds great.
I think people often make fun of Bob Dylan voice for sounding strange, but I find it really beautiful here. Maybe the people that make fun of it find it beautiful too. But it’s truly unique, and his lyrics are unmatched. The only trouble I have is when my mind drifts, and I find myself not understanding the story of the song I have to re-listen. Definitely going in the library.
Beyoncé
2/5
Motörhead
2/5
Pink Floyd
5/5
…we came in?
This album honestly gets better for me with every listen. It’s a masterpiece of composition, recording quality, storytelling, and craftsmanship. Considering its 80-minute length, it moves with remarkable quickness; every moment feels important but never lingers for too long, and no part of it is boring.
Isn’t this where…
Supergrass
3/5
Honestly a lot more fun than I thought it would be. Great musicians.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Kelela
3/5
Pleasantly surprised. Excellent production and a nice vibe. Not at all in my wheelhouse, but it’ll go into the rotation.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
First time honestly giving Clapton a shot. These are some bluesy licks, and the guitars are tuned beautifully. It does get pretty same-y, though.
New Order
2/5
Parliament
4/5
Funk always makes me happy.
Throwing Muses
2/5
Prince
3/5
Never really my style, and I don’t know why. But this was a great experience, regardless. And unlike any album I’ve ever heard.
The Thrills
4/5
I really enjoyed this. I remember hearing a couple of songs when they came out and this took me right back to that point in my life. I’m happy to have listed to this. It’s really pleasant and clean.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Innovate, weird, and constantly surprising. Lots of fun.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
A real masterpiece and necessity in any collection.
Youssou N'Dour
2/5
Honestly a pleasant listen. Had it on while working and it was never distracting. Kinda kept me in a zone. Probably won’t listen again, though.
The The
2/5
Dennis Wilson
3/5
Three songs in and I have no idea what to expect from the next one. Beach Boys to late-Pink Floyd in 6 mins.
Okay it didn’t get great. But I liked some of it.
Beastie Boys
3/5
Mostly lots of fun. The analogue feeling is fuzzy and unique. I don’t love the punk songs, but mainly because the recording quality sounds like shit. But the hip hop is a lovely vibe for most days. It puts a pep in my step.
Erykah Badu
3/5
This project is really opening me up to actively appreciate genres I’d normally avoid. It helps that this is mixed so beautifully.
If you are able, I highly recommend listening to this in Dolby Atmos. The subtle layers of sounds shine so brightly when they come at you from all directions. It really envelopes you and makes you feel like you’re in the studio listening live.
The album itself flows nicely throughout, and the songs elegantly blend together.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
1/5
First time I’m genuinely not giving an album three songs. This is just a bummer.
Talking Heads
3/5
Weird, wacky, crisp, and completely unique.
Queen
4/5
Never actually given this a full listen. It feels like Queen finding itself amidst the changing rock landscape of the 70s. But when it hits, it hits beautifully. Happy to put it into the library.
Patti Smith
2/5
Unexpectedly punk rock.
Rod Stewart
2/5
Better than I thought but that voice just ain’t my thing.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
No two songs are alike and every single one is a damn classic. I can’t imagine not giving this a perfect rating. The recording quality is maybe the best I’ve ever heard. I can imagine how great it was to listen to this at house parties when it came out. My dad was a cop then and told me that almost every noise complaint was Rumours related.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Full of a feel-good, constantly growing momentum. Surprisingly short and sweet. But Bruce just ain’t my thing. I don’t know why.
Taylor Swift
4/5
Definitely a genre I’ve arrogantly avoided, but this is undeniably great pop. Every song offered something unique.
Steely Dan
4/5
Do people only make fun of Steely Dan because it sounds funny? This is some DAMN good music.
Depeche Mode
2/5
Unfortunately, Apple Music doesn’t support this album in my country. I dunno why. One of the moments currently lives here. Either way, this is a great album and a product of its time. Not my favorite. But, impactful nonetheless.
Brian Eno
4/5
This is WEIRD.
I wrote that immediately and then allowed this album to take me on its journey. Aside from a few standout moments, this just kind of became a part of my day. Like, I almost forgot it was playing a few times. It will be in my focus rotation.
Spiritualized
3/5
Oasis Meets The Beach Boys
Great harmonic soundscapes and average grungy leads. I liked it, though.
Lauryn Hill
3/5
Solid and iconic. Not my typical style, but hard not to appreciate.
The Who
2/5
Kind of a mess and weirdly tinny. Not a huge Who fan anyway, for whatever reason. I just never believe them. But they’re still responsible for quite a few classics. And I love Tommy. Also Keith Moon is the shit.
Grateful Dead
4/5
First actual listen. Honestly great. I was skeptical, but not overrated at all, like so many reviews here have said. I liked the imperfections. It felt like jamming and singing with pros. The Atmos mix was lovely, too.
Prince
3/5
Hole
2/5
3/5
Felt like walking through a Tarantino movie. A lot more nuanced than I imagined it would be, too.
The Byrds
4/5
I always just compared them to The Beatles, and thought they weren’t anything special. But, objectively, they’re a good, tight band with pretty harmonics and uniquely tuned 12 strings. I will happily listen to this album anytime.
Little Simz
4/5
She’s the fucking best.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
I mean. What can you say? An all time classic that I’ll never get tired of. Just beautiful songwriting and harmonies.
The Smiths
3/5
Actually really enjoy these guys, but a bit more passively than I thought I would. It puts me in a nostalgic place that I can’t put my finger on, and then it kind of just blends into the background for me.
Black Sabbath
3/5
Korn
1/5
Oooooooof. Not my cup of anything.
Dr. Octagon
4/5
More and more, this project is teaching me that I have missed so much good hip hop for no reason. I loved this album.
Madness
1/5
Adele
3/5
Beautiful. Even the overplayed stuff. Just earnest, confident vocals and high quality production.
Van Halen
4/5
This is the perfect example of an album that I normally would’ve written off because of a feeling I wouldn’t like it.
David Lee Roth always bothered me and the flamboyance brought on by this era once seemed cringey. I’m sure in many ways, it still is. But I also now revere this era and beyond with nostalgia.
Also, it legitimately fucking rocks. Going to a show would’ve been so much fun.
Aimee Mann
3/5
I liked it. Nothing MIND BLOWING, but solid.
The Stone Roses
4/5
This album is way ahead of its time. Such an elegant bridge between the tired sounds of the 80s and 60s psychedelia, somehow breeding an early preview of what was to come. Adding to the library.
Deee-Lite
3/5
Simple, clear, fun, and effective. I’d play this at any dance party for sure.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
This album is big and weird and aware of itself and I don’t think I’d listen again.
OutKast
4/5
Such a blast. I can’t walk around feeling any more badass than I do with this playing.
Eminem
4/5
The Pharcyde
3/5
This album is a lot of fun. Even when it’s vulgar, it still feels so playfully innocent. Especially considering how aggressive the genre was becoming at the time. I like!
Scott Walker
2/5
This feels dated for the late-sixties. He feels like a parody of himself. Like, is it supposed to be a little silly? Because it makes me laugh when I imagine him singing this way ironically, and it also makes me laugh when I imagine him singing it sincerely.
Small Faces
4/5
Always just assumed this was the GTA V theme and composed originally. So it’s hard to escape those vibes from the start. But that says a lot about the timeless flexibility of music in cinema and entertainment. I wish the recording quality was crisper, though I understand that’s a lot to ask of something recorded 55 years ago. It’s great, otherwise.
The Cure
3/5
Honestly really pretty and simple. Nice words and a few classics.
Paul Weller
2/5
Generic and boring.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
Unmemorable and not offensive. Boring, I guess. But it didn’t hurt my ears. Decent background score.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
I really loved this album. Each now song added a bit more complexity, culminating in an alternate version of its intro. It really showcases Young’s songwriting versatility and capability. The entire album started so clean and ultimately felt as though it had rusted into something recognizable but changed.
Pulp
4/5
Damn. I’m gonna listen to this whole damn thing again right now. I brought it up at a party last night and I was the only one who didn’t already know about it. It’s a classic, I suppose.
Marilyn Manson
1/5
Madonna
2/5
Just cringy and boring. American Pie ruined forever.
Frank Zappa
4/5
So much fun. Can’t believe it’s from 1969.
The Police
3/5
Definitely unique for its time. It gets pretty repetitive and old quickly, though. Digging the drums.
Pavement
2/5
Robert Wyatt
2/5
This is weird and at times hard to listen to. I like the experimental approach, and I can genuinely say there are sounds on this that I’ve never heard before. Probably because they’re odd and rarely pretty. It keeps you guessing. Probably won’t go for it again, though.
4/5
So, it’s hard to negate the feelings of relistening to an iconically popular album. But, within the context of listening to so many albums each and every day, this is a goddamn masterpiece. Through and through. Several classics supported by should-be-classics.
Fever Ray
3/5
Weird and bold and delightfully restrained.
Genesis
3/5
Definitely good. But it just made me want to listen to other classic rock bands of the era. I’ve never been a Genesis guy, but I’m glad I gave it a listen.
Arcade Fire
5/5
This is a damn good album and I’m so glad to have listened to it in its entirety. I think I’ve heard all of these songs before, some of them many times, but never as an album. The flip side to this project is hearing albums you’d never normally here, but it is refreshing to have something so deeply in my wheelhouse.
Antony and the Johnsons
3/5
Very pretty and emotional. Unlike anything I’ve heard. I liked it. Definitely not something I’d passively listen to.
Animal Collective
3/5
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Bob Marley & The Wailers
2/5
Honestly it gets repetitive quickly for me…
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
John Martyn
2/5
Mehhhh. Very hit and miss. The last song is beautiful, though.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Better than the last Springsteen I had, but still not feeling Bruce. Sorry, NJ.
Steve Earle
2/5
Cliche mid-tier country.
The Louvin Brothers
3/5
More of a slowed-down bluegrass than country, in my opinion. While repetitive and overtly dated, I never got tired of it. Just pleasant harmonies and simple tunes.
Talking Heads
3/5
Lots of Fun and groovy AF.
Electric Light Orchestra
5/5
Man, this is just so so so good. Really well produced fun rock and roll with some of the tightest, most consistent harmonies of all time. It’s weird and almost silly sometimes, but that’s what I love about its ambitious versatility. One of my rare 5s.
The Replacements
3/5
Not bad! Honestly the first punk album I’ve enjoyed the whole way through. It’s just not my genre, but this seems prescient and I can hear how influential they must’ve been.
Iron Maiden
2/5
Marty Robbins
4/5
Really surprised by how beautiful this album is. It’s less country than I expected, at least vocally. Marty croons with the best of them, the harmonies are pretty, and the sound quality is stunning. Plus, it’s got El Paso from the Breaking Bad finale.
Liz Phair
3/5
It’s definitely not bad, but its edginess can sometimes make me cringe. Like “watch out, y’all, here comes a badass.” Eh. I think her voice is perfectly average. The mixes are pretty cool sometimes, though. I dunno. Not bad, not great to me.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
I don’t know enough about the genre to pass any judgement, really. But, I listened to the whole thing and enjoyed it.
2/5
Radiohead
5/5
Oh hell yes. An absolute masterpiece and one of my top albums ever. I wish there were six stars.
Red Snapper
3/5
Mudhoney
2/5
The White Stripes
4/5
Can
3/5
The Byrds
3/5
Björk
3/5
Not nearly as difficult to appreciate as I imagined it would be. On the contrary, it was immediately evident that this was a special talent confidently showcasing herself and band. Challenging, yes, at times. But not at all in the way I thought it would be. I really enjoyed it.
David Bowie
4/5
What a fantastic and beautiful experience. I’m lucky to now discover the magic of Bowie. I was always one of those guys that knew only his hits, and loved them. But for whatever reason I never dove deeper and listened to a full album. So excited to discover it all.
Lucinda Williams
2/5
Boring and bland.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
4/5
This is just so positive and fun and genuinely old-school-cool. Also always happy to hear some funky ass bass lines and brass solos.
Various Artists
4/5
The recording’s era really makes this feel nostalgic, especially when mixed with the season. I don’t care about who produced it, I just like its vibe.
Peter Frampton
2/5
I still can’t deal with the sound of that guitar. I know it’s considered iconic in many circles, but it actually bothers me. Like, it sounds silly. I mean the guitar sounds like it’s trying to do a funny voice. It makes me cringe. Definitely listenable otherwise, but mehhhh.
The Prodigy
2/5
Not really my thing. The album art also bothers me, and I just don’t enjoy seeing it in my library. It feels dirty and sticky and doesn’t match my vibe.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Exactly what the title says.
Brian Eno
2/5
Q-Tip
3/5
Funkadelic
4/5
Joy Division
3/5
Dwight Yoakam
2/5
Booooo
Giant Sand
3/5
Lazy vocals but really warm and nice recording. I liked it.
Coldplay
4/5
I love this album and I’m so bummed their quiet, indie charm was so short-lived. Stripped down Coldplay is the best Coldplay. But I’d probably sell out too. They look like they’re having fun. I just miss this.
Bee Gees
4/5
This is a Bee Gees I’ve never heard. I really like it.
Suede
4/5
This is fucking great. I’ve never heard of them. The vocals are Bowie-esque, the guitars are clean, the album is dynamic and epic and truly a blast. I’m so glad to have had it recommended to me.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Not bad at all! Really didn’t expect to enjoy, because I’ve never been an Elvis fan. But it was more versatile than I assumed, and the quality is pretty good for being nearly 70 years old.
Napalm Death
1/5
Wu-Tang Clan
4/5
Loved it.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
I’m so grateful this project has finally allowed me to explore music I should have so long ago. I’ve always known about Stevie, but until this project I never really gave him the time of day. Man… such a legend.
Literally every single song is exceptional. I could listen to this all day.
Beck
4/5
Not my favorite Beck album, but it’s still an innovative experience and lots of fun.
Johnny Cash
2/5
Interesting for a bit but then it gets pretty boring. The concept of these guys celebrating figurative murder and abuse is fascinating. Also the mentions of cocaine and use of bad language feels so oddly taboo. Still, though, the music gets stale fast. It’s just boring, eventually.
The Who
2/5
ZZ Top
3/5
Fun, bouncy, bluesy southern rock. Repetitive, but not boring.
Soul II Soul
2/5
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
2/5
Fleet Foxes
5/5
I love Fleet Foxes so much. I’ve been listening to them pretty regularly since this album came out. Sometimes they’re just the right mood to be on in the background and enjoyed passively. Sometimes you want the perfect song while you drive. Sometimes you decide to listen more closely and realize how incredibly talented the entire band is. They’re like The Beach Boys if they lived in the mountains. This album is probably the most straightforward of theirs, but that’s not a bad thing at all. I love it.
Dr. John
2/5
Bob Dylan
3/5
George Harrison
4/5
A classic, if not a bit toooooo long. But I love George.
Astor Piazzolla
2/5
Digital Underground
2/5
Richard Hawley
3/5
Weirdly unstuck from time. Pretty, but not super engaging.
Dire Straits
4/5
Pretty gooooood. Very crisp and beautifully mixed. Just under a 4, but way more than a 3.0.
Blur
3/5
Linkin Park
2/5
Nostalgic, repetitive, and dated.
David Bowie
3/5
Pere Ubu
2/5
Hole
2/5
It just doesn’t do much for me.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
2/5
Kate Bush
3/5
Unconventional and interesting, but probably not in the regular rotation. Happy to know it, though. She’s awesome.
Ravi Shankar
3/5
Better than expected. Quite interesting.
Billy Bragg
2/5
De La Soul
2/5
Heard good things. Maybe in the context of its release it was more groundbreaking, but it didn’t actually do too much for me in 2023.
The Slits
3/5
Definitely the highest quality, but a solidly ambitious and weird ordeal. I enjoyed it more than I expected to.
Sepultura
1/5
Jamiroquai
2/5
I don’t know why I didn’t like this more. It felt repetitive and kinda tacky. And I love funk. Bummer.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Quite a few classics here. For some reason never got into them because I was always a Beatles guy, but enjoyed so many singles. Weird I’ve never really given a whole album a shot.
It’s dynamic and iconic. Some weak points, but hard to deny.
Hanoi Rocks
2/5
Sigur Rós
5/5
Just beautiful. Unlike anything else. I kind of always make up my own words to the their music, which leads me to associate these songs with different feelings. Regardless, this album makes me look at the world around me with more clarity and understanding. It’s meditative, but also dynamic and expertly crafted.
Nitin Sawhney
2/5
Big Black
1/5
Afrika Bambaataa
2/5
Maybe it’s all the cringy memories of teachers or education programs following this blueprint to make education hip. It was already dated when I was 5. Like, I get something had to do it first, and my opinions are colored by unrelated moments, but it just makes me feel uncomfortable.
Beck
4/5
I appreciate the simplicity of the song structure. Not trying to do too much, but beautifully recorded and captured. I don’t LOVE Beck, but sometimes I’m in a Beck mood. And this is the version of Beck I like best. Simple and resonant.
Alice In Chains
3/5
Not bad! A little repetitive and dated, but sweet riffs.
Deep Purple
1/5
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Really satisfying. I wish the lyrics made more sense, but I suppose that’s part of its charm. Some songs are MUCH stronger than others.
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
Boston
5/5
This is in the high fours… if it weren’t so overplayed I’d go five. Ehh… I’ll give it a 5 anyway. Those harmonies. Classic.
Mariah Carey
2/5
Iggy Pop
4/5
This is fucking great and so much fun.
CHIC
1/5
Black Flag
1/5
Michael Jackson
4/5
The Yardbirds
3/5
Daft Punk
3/5
The White Stripes
4/5
3/5
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Beatles
5/5
One of my favorite albums of all time. Now and always. It’s the perfect intersection of early and late Beatles.
Sepultura
2/5
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
Undeniably epic. But I still just don’t love that whiny voice of Billy’s, okay?? I’M SORRY, internet.
Elliott Smith
4/5
Such a tragic album. Really hard to listen to, given the context of what he was feeling. Still so beautiful, though.
Kate Bush
2/5
Justice
4/5
k.d. lang
2/5
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Laibach
2/5
Nick Drake
4/5
Eagles
4/5
This is why I love this project. I’ve always openly talked shit on the Eagles, but giving this a sincere and honest listen was a nice experience. It resonated with me in a real way. They’re like a calmer ELO.
Hüsker Dü
2/5
Jane's Addiction
3/5
Jack White
4/5
Faust
2/5
Metallica
3/5
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Mj Cole
2/5
Ryan Adams
2/5
Travis
2/5
Pearl Jam
4/5
Elbow
3/5
Weird and ambitious and diverse. Never heard of them before this, but I respect their boldness.
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
I think I don’t know enough about hip-hop to have a good opinion on this, but I’ve been told forever that it’s one of the greatest hip-hop albums. It definitely packs a punch and makes me feel like I’m walking on an escalator, but it didn’t strike me as profoundly as I hoped, I liked it though.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
4/5
Brand new band for me. Really really impressed. I loved it.
MC Solaar
4/5
Talvin Singh
2/5
R.E.M.
4/5
Honestly never gave them much of a chance, but I’m familiar with (and enjoy) many of their hits. They have their own sound, for sure. This almost makes me nostalgic for the time riiiiight before I was born.
Beatles
5/5
I mean. Come on. Often my answer when I name the GOAT album from the GOAT band. Desert island disc, for sure. This belongs in its own category, but I consider it in my top 2, and sometimes #1.
If it was only the medley, I’d give it 5. But you also get a bunch of other classics ahead of that. Like, each half of this album is 5 stars. So… 10/5.
R.E.M.
4/5
I guess I just like R.E.M. Two albums in three days. They’re truly lovely. Stipe’s voice is so weirdly average and simultaneously iconic.
The Strokes
5/5
I can never explain why this album is so impactful to me. I’ve heard it on good days and bad days and it hits hard either way. A lot of its sound just feels so iconic. The first time I heard Is This It? I was told it sounded like it was being sung to someone through an apartment buzzer. That is fitting, for whatever reason, and it strips down an otherwise bold, varied, and chaotic album. It’s absolutely one of my all time favorites.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
The War On Drugs
3/5
Grateful Dead
2/5
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Beach House long before Beach House. As good as I hoped it would be. Maybe even a little better.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Funky and tight. I liked it a lot.
Beck
4/5
Beck is always such a pleasant adventure. This was great.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2/5
John Lennon
5/5
X-Ray Spex
3/5
Morrissey
3/5
The White Stripes
4/5
System Of A Down
1/5
I guess I’m not angry enough for metal. I try so often with this project. Sometimes I like softer metal if it is more nuanced (I’m sure people are like “fuck you this is full of nuance”, but I don’t enjoy the cacophony). This just makes me angry. Probably the only genre I can’t do. I don’t like someone screaming DIE MOTHERFUCKER in my ear. I guess that makes me a real square. But I wanna vibe. This ain’t my vibe.
Dire Straits
3/5
Sex Pistols
4/5
Primal Scream
4/5
Did NOT expect to enjoy this so much. What a blast.
Keith Jarrett
4/5
Extremely listenable and moving.
Neneh Cherry
2/5
T. Rex
4/5
This is fucking good. I dunno why I never tried to listen to a full album until now.
Johnny Cash
2/5
The Isley Brothers
4/5
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
Blue Cheer
3/5
Scissor Sisters
3/5
The Smiths
2/5
Radiohead
4/5
Ambitious, challenging, frustrating, and beautiful. Not a masterpiece like some other Radiohead albums, and it doesn’t leave me with the same sense of awe, but it’s still an impressive feat.
Happy Mondays
2/5
Mostly uninspired, progressively repetitive throughout. At least the remastered version is mixed better than some reviews have said.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Odd that this came up the day Brian Wilson died. It doesn’t evoke the same feelings for me as the earlier albums did. It feels a little all of the place, which I normally love. But I guess it’s hard when it’s just not hitting that classic mark for me.
I also think that’s what makes it a fun journey. I’d never heard this album, so it’s a pretty amazing experience to hear them do something so unexpected consistently.
The consensus is correct. Student Demonstration took me out of it completely.
Otherwise, psychedelic Beach Boys making a 70s album.
Janis Joplin
4/5
Back to back albums from 1971 after Surf’s Up.
She’s electric, the band is on fire. What a classic.
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
Jefferson Airplane
4/5