Aug 21 2023
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Highway 61 Revisited
Bob Dylan
A classic. Great songs and lyrics, but have to knock a star off due to Dylan's vocals. While distinct, swooping into the actual pitch--or not hitting it at all--gets old. I can see why Dylan covers by other artists are often more popular.
4
Aug 23 2023
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Moving Pictures
Rush
Never really liked prog rock, but tried to listen with an open mind. Nope, still don't like it.
1
Aug 24 2023
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A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Coldplay
5
Aug 25 2023
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Blue Lines
Massive Attack
Great album. Love trip hop / chillhop.
5
Aug 28 2023
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Dummy
Portishead
Smooth.
5
Aug 29 2023
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The Bends
Radiohead
Great album, only a couple weaker tracks.
4
Aug 30 2023
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The Blueprint
JAY Z
Not my favorite genre, but a good listen
3
Aug 31 2023
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A Short Album About Love
The Divine Comedy
Meh.
2
Sep 01 2023
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Veckatimest
Grizzly Bear
A few good tracks, but a lot of them sounded like experimental noise.
2
Sep 04 2023
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The Cars
The Cars
Solid album--didn't realize how many well-known Cars singles were from this one album
5
Sep 05 2023
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L.A. Woman
The Doors
Decent. Not sure I'd repeat listen much, but glad to know more about The Doors' deeper tracks.
3
Sep 06 2023
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World Clique
Deee-Lite
Fun party music. Better than I expected.
4
Sep 07 2023
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Bright Flight
Silver Jews
Rough listen. Song composition and lyrics were decent, but singer's voice was painful.
2
Sep 08 2023
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Timeless
Goldie
Solid double album--lots of great tracks. Love the drum & bass.
4
Sep 11 2023
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Hot Rats
Frank Zappa
Some tracks were excellent grooves, and some were horrendous horns.
3
Sep 12 2023
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The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
Has occasional glimmers of the band coming together, but so much of it was a grating, discordant cacophony. Exhausting. Painful.
1
Sep 13 2023
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The Sun Rises In The East
Jeru The Damaja
Good lyrics/flow/beats. Hip hop isn't even my jam, but this was a solid album.
4
Sep 14 2023
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Little Earthquakes
Tori Amos
Beautiful voice, but the music was a chore.
2
Sep 15 2023
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KIWANUKA
Michael Kiwanuka
Beautiful.
5
Sep 18 2023
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Made In Japan
Deep Purple
Genre-defining. Lots of solos, which you don't hear any more, and some were a bit long, but all were great.
4
Sep 19 2023
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In Utero
Nirvana
Raw grunge. Such a clean break from the polished big hair/glam rock of the 80s.
5
Sep 20 2023
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Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Smashing Pumpkins
Peak grunge.
5
Sep 21 2023
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Porcupine
Echo And The Bunnymen
Didn't love it, but I could hear how it likely influenced many bands to come after them, so credit for the groundbreaking sound.
3
Sep 22 2023
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Surf's Up
The Beach Boys
Could have been as big as The Beatles. Only complaint is the album is too short.
4
Sep 25 2023
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Low
David Bowie
Meh. It was fine. More instrumentals than I thought.
3
Sep 26 2023
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Cosmo's Factory
Creedence Clearwater Revival
The definitive southern rock band.
5
Sep 27 2023
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Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Pure heavy metal. \m/
4
Sep 28 2023
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Vauxhall And I
Morrissey
Mediocre, meandering, inoffensive. Elevator music version of The Smiths.
3
Sep 29 2023
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The Suburbs
Arcade Fire
I don't get the hype. So many songs lacked any dynamics, eventually sounding like a wall of noise. Nothing memorable or catchy, and so much repetition of simple beats (bang on every quarter note!) or chords/notes. Just... blech.
2
Oct 02 2023
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Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Great rock. Some songs are a little too simple/formulaic for my taste, but all of them got my head banging.
4
Oct 03 2023
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Urban Hymns
The Verve
Better than I thought. More than a one- (or two-) hit wonder.
4
Oct 04 2023
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...And Justice For All
Metallica
Frenetic, tight metal album.
4
Oct 05 2023
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Darkdancer
Les Rythmes Digitales
Okay, but a bit simple for my tastes.
3
Oct 06 2023
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Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo
Devo
Weird, different. Love it.
4
Oct 09 2023
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Transformer
Lou Reed
It was fine. A few great tracks with a number of forgettable ones.
3
Oct 11 2023
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Brown Sugar
D'Angelo
Smooth grooves. Digging it.
5
Oct 12 2023
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Heavy Weather
Weather Report
Well, that was a jazz album.
2
Oct 13 2023
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Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
Seeing all the awards this artist & album received but trying to figure out what I'm missing. Just seems like boring, depressing, low-energy, pretentious dreck to me. I know taste is subjective, so maybe it's just me or the my mood today. /shrug
1
Oct 16 2023
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Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against The Machine
5
Oct 17 2023
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Guero
Beck
Beck can nail so many genres and blend them together seamlessly. This album is no exception. It's no wonder he's been producing so much great music for decades.
5
Oct 18 2023
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Phrenology
The Roots
Some tracks were good to great, some were forgettable, and some were just off putting--trying to be experimental but came out as noise.
3
Oct 19 2023
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Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
It's fine for what it is. Which is nothing memorable.
2
Oct 20 2023
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Billion Dollar Babies
Alice Cooper
Interesting... hard rock with a whimsical, musical sound. Good but not great.
3
Oct 23 2023
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More Songs About Buildings And Food
Talking Heads
Some catchy songs, some forgettable ones. Definitely that "Talking Heads" sound--punchy, half-singing, etc. No need for a repeat listen.
3
Oct 24 2023
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Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin
4
Oct 25 2023
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Aladdin Sane
David Bowie
Weird. I know David Bowie, I recognize the famous album cover, but I didn't recognize any of the songs. Nor did I particularly care for any of them.
2
Oct 26 2023
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Scott 2
Scott Walker
A man way too in love with his own voice (whose defining feature is a too-slow vibrato).
1
Oct 27 2023
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Manassas
Stephen Stills
Great blend of blues, bluegrass, southern rock, and other genres, with vocal harmonies and varied instruments--guitars, harmonica, banjo, etc.--to form a wonderful album.
4
Oct 30 2023
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Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Arctic Monkeys
Decent alternative/garage/rock/punk album.
4
Nov 02 2023
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War
U2
U2 during their great years.
4
Nov 03 2023
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Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
Soft Cell
Fun, quirky album. They sound like they'd put on a fun live show.
4
Nov 06 2023
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People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
A Tribe Called Quest
Love the chill hop, excellent rhymes & flow.
5
Nov 07 2023
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Talking Heads 77
Talking Heads
Punchy, quirky, sometimes catchy. A product of its time. But not something I'd repeat listen much.
3
Nov 08 2023
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Blue
Joni Mitchell
Initially liked her voice and interesting melodies, but as the album wore on, it became tiring and all over the place. Unique, and glad I gave it a listen, but wasn't for me.
3
Nov 09 2023
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Come Away With Me
Norah Jones
Beautiful songs, wonderful voice, and soft, relaxing jazz backing. Perfect for a glass of red wine by the fireplace.
5
Nov 10 2023
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Arrival
ABBA
Well, I can now say I've listened to an ABBA album. Silly and upbeat, but definitely not my jam.
2
Nov 13 2023
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Maggot Brain
Funkadelic
Gotta have that funk.
4
Nov 14 2023
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The Gershwin Songbook
Ella Fitzgerald
Only could find "The Very Best of The Gershwin Songbook" which was 12 songs, not the entire 59-song set. But it is some of the very best of its genre.
5
Nov 15 2023
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Behaviour
Pet Shop Boys
It's fine background music... nothing too complex requiring active listening.
3
Nov 16 2023
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Crosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash
I'm a sucker for guitars and harmonies.
4
Nov 17 2023
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Goodbye And Hello
Tim Buckley
Decent, and has that 60's baroque pop sound, but nothing too groundbreaking or memorable.
3
Nov 20 2023
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Let's Get It On
Marvin Gaye
Start the fireplace, pour some wine, turn this on softly in the background. Oh, and hopefully your partner is with you too.
4
Nov 21 2023
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Crime Of The Century
Supertramp
I like Supertramp. They're not GREAT, but they're good. Definitely a unique sound, and tunes are catchy enough. 3.5 round up to 4.
4
Nov 23 2023
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Public Image: First Issue
Public Image Ltd.
Wikipedia says the lead vocalist left the Sex Pistols to pursue a more "experimental sound." That's the nicest description I can think of for this noise. Boy was this a rough listen.
1
Nov 24 2023
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Is This It
The Strokes
Just a perfect garage rock band/album. Had this in regular rotation in the early 2000's, so this took me back.
5
Nov 27 2023
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Deep Purple In Rock
Deep Purple
Another solid rock/metal album.
4
Nov 28 2023
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The Soft Bulletin
The Flaming Lips
I really want to like this band. The varied instruments and somewhat more complex and interesting musical arrangements should be up my alley, but I don't really like the lead singer's straining voice, and, well, I just don't vibe with them.
3
Nov 29 2023
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All That You Can't Leave Behind
U2
These guys fell so hard from their peak. This album was just bland and boring. A couple semi-decent tracks bumps it to a 2, but if this were a no-name band, this nobody would have heard of it.
2
Nov 30 2023
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Moby Grape
Moby Grape
Fantastic rock & roll album. Great guitar work by all the members, from rhythm to finger picking to leads/solos. Harmonies. Drums with flair that get your feet tapping. Solid 5.
5
Dec 01 2023
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Boston
Boston
There's a reason practically every track was in the rotation of every classic rock station for decades. Great album.
5
Dec 04 2023
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Birth Of The Cool
Miles Davis
Great jazz album, just wished I liked jazz more.
3
Dec 05 2023
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Music for the Masses
Depeche Mode
Great 80's synth-pop-rock sound. More instrumentals than I expected. Worth another listen.
4
Dec 06 2023
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The Rise & Fall
Madness
Good album. Unique sound with a blend of different instruments. And all the songs had that band's sound, despite the various songs having influences from different genres.
4
Dec 07 2023
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The Message
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
Back when rap/hip hop was fun (before gangsta), plus bonus Stevie Wonder tribute. Great stuff!
5
Dec 08 2023
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Highly Evolved
The Vines
Good garage rock album. A few duds but mostly solid.
4
Dec 11 2023
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Paul's Boutique
Beastie Boys
Fun hip hop. Love these guys.
4
Dec 12 2023
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Homework
Daft Punk
Classic late 90's techno. Some great songs here, but knocking off one star due to the trend of the era to add some annoyingly screechy sounds to various tracks. Still a good listen overall.
4
Dec 13 2023
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Happy Trails
Quicksilver Messenger Service
Some good songs mixed with some plodding ones where they seemed to be having fun but I wasn't. Maybe groundbreaking at the time?
2
Dec 14 2023
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Boy In Da Corner
Dizzee Rascal
Don't love most rap/hip-hop, but this was good stuff.
3
Dec 18 2023
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The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
Decent album, and The Smiths definitely have their own unique sound, but a number of tracks were just kind of there… not too many grabbed me.
3
Dec 19 2023
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Murmur
R.E.M.
Some killer tracks that show the future promise of this band, but some mediocre tracks too.
3
Dec 20 2023
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Want One
Rufus Wainwright
Song composition was above average, but nothing too groundbreaking or memorable. Vocals were a bit too dominant. None of the tracks were standouts. This album was just kind of... there.
3
Dec 21 2023
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Fun House
The Stooges
I know, let’s keep the drums and rhythm guitar keep a steady sound, while making the most obnoxious, annoying, screeching, unpleasant noises with vocals and a saxophone! How groundbreaking!
1
Dec 22 2023
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The Doors
The Doors
Very much 60s psychedelic rock. Classic album.
4
Dec 25 2023
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Nilsson Schmilsson
Harry Nilsson
Mixed bag. Unique sound and some memorable songs. Some have a circus-like feel. His biggest hit (Without You) was his probably my least favorite.
3
Dec 27 2023
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Here's Little Richard
Little Richard
Do a lot of these songs sound the same? Yes. Are they all great? Yes. Just makes you want to get up & dance, and Little Richard BRINGS the energy.
5
Dec 28 2023
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Antichrist Superstar
Marilyn Manson
Some good heavy metal riffs, but the dark edgelord schtick appeals to a more teenage-angsty audience than me.
2
Dec 29 2023
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Exile On Main Street
The Rolling Stones
Weird that an English rock group does a great job with an American southern rock sound with influences of blues and gospel, but here we are.
4
Jan 03 2024
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Tommy
The Who
Good songs, some good recurring themes, a weird mix of lengths (ranging from silly ditties to epic suites). While I liked some individual songs a lot, the album as a whole didn't grab me. Might need another listen, but I've got hundreds of others to go.
3
Jan 04 2024
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Gentlemen
The Afghan Whigs
Definitely not a "must-listen" album by any definition. A few okay guitar hooks, but awful, nails-on-chalkboard vocals.
1
Jan 05 2024
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Rocks
Aerosmith
This album rocks.
4
Jan 08 2024
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The Fat Of The Land
The Prodigy
So many songs to get pumped up to. Techno/bass/EDM perfection.
5
Jan 10 2024
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Tidal
Fiona Apple
Sultry voice with excellent range. Musical composition is complex but catchy, with a range of instruments all perfect for the songs' moods. Fantastic album.
5
Jan 11 2024
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Heartbreaker
Ryan Adams
Great album. Most songs have a soothing, relaxing, southern sound with guitar, harmonica, banjo, and piano, with a few more upbeat, foot-stomping tunes.
4
Jan 12 2024
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Honky Tonk Heroes
Waylon Jennings
Well-titled album. Pure honky tonk. A fun listen.
3
Jan 16 2024
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Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth
Oof, not much good to say about this album. Weak/yelling vocals paired with instruments making noise (fuzz and feedback) that occasionally broke into the faint sounds of actual music. A painful listen.
1
Jan 17 2024
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Penance Soiree
The Icarus Line
Not a single memorable track on the album. Only thing I’ll remember is how awful this album was.
1
Jan 18 2024
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Sex Packets
Digital Underground
Some good tracks here, with fun/silly lyrics. They definitely have that sound, but all the tracks have a similar sound, so I was getting bored by the end.
3
Jan 19 2024
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The Age Of The Understatement
The Last Shadow Puppets
Good album. Reminds me of 70's Bond film music, but with a hint of grunge/garage rock. Might want to give this one another listen.
4
Jan 23 2024
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On The Beach
Neil Young
Well, it's a Neil Young album. Sounds like Neil Young, so if you like Neil Young, you'll like this Neil Young album. I like Neil Young just fine, but don't love him. In fact, I'd say I like him and his music 3/5 stars.
3
Jan 29 2024
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Tusk
Fleetwood Mac
Some decent tracks, some meh ones. Definitely can hear the influences of early punk.
3
Jan 31 2024
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Doolittle
Pixies
Some 5-star tracks, but not a strong album overall.
3
Feb 09 2024
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Grace
Jeff Buckley
Musical genius, powerful vocals. A top album.
5
Mar 19 2024
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Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
Excellent relaxing, ambient music with nonsense lyrics so as not to distract from the _feeling_ of the music.
5