856
Albums Rated
3.27
Average Rating
79%
Complete
233 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
2010s
Favorite Decade
Indie
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
80
5-Star Albums
47
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Chore of Enchantment
Giant Sand
|
5 | 2.64 | +2.36 |
|
I Am a Bird Now
Antony and the Johnsons
|
5 | 2.84 | +2.16 |
|
Warehouse: Songs And Stories
Hüsker Dü
|
5 | 2.86 | +2.14 |
|
Foxbase Alpha
Saint Etienne
|
5 | 2.94 | +2.06 |
|
Ghosteen
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
|
5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
|
Bert Jansch
Bert Jansch
|
5 | 3 | +2 |
|
Nowhere
Ride
|
5 | 3.01 | +1.99 |
|
Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle
Bill Callahan
|
5 | 3.02 | +1.98 |
|
Bandwagonesque
Teenage Fanclub
|
5 | 3.06 | +1.94 |
|
Everything Must Go
Manic Street Preachers
|
5 | 3.11 | +1.89 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Metallica
Metallica
|
1 | 3.79 | -2.79 |
|
Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers
|
1 | 3.7 | -2.7 |
|
Out Of The Blue
Electric Light Orchestra
|
1 | 3.64 | -2.64 |
|
Van Halen
Van Halen
|
1 | 3.63 | -2.63 |
|
Songs For Swingin' Lovers!
Frank Sinatra
|
1 | 3.52 | -2.52 |
|
1984
Van Halen
|
1 | 3.51 | -2.51 |
|
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Red Hot Chili Peppers
|
1 | 3.5 | -2.5 |
|
Dirt
Alice In Chains
|
1 | 3.47 | -2.47 |
|
...And Justice For All
Metallica
|
1 | 3.43 | -2.43 |
|
Come Away With Me
Norah Jones
|
1 | 3.38 | -2.38 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Radiohead | 5 | 4.8 |
| Beatles | 6 | 4.67 |
| Bob Dylan | 5 | 4.4 |
| Leonard Cohen | 4 | 4.5 |
| Belle & Sebastian | 2 | 5 |
| Nirvana | 2 | 5 |
| Manic Street Preachers | 2 | 5 |
| Nick Drake | 2 | 5 |
| David Bowie | 6 | 4.17 |
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 5 | 4.2 |
| Talking Heads | 4 | 4.25 |
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 4.25 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 4 | 4.25 |
| Echo And The Bunnymen | 3 | 4.33 |
| R.E.M. | 3 | 4.33 |
| Arcade Fire | 3 | 4.33 |
| Van Morrison | 3 | 4.33 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 4.33 |
| Neil Young | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Van Halen | 2 | 1 |
| Red Hot Chili Peppers | 2 | 1 |
| Emerson, Lake & Palmer | 2 | 1 |
| Randy Newman | 2 | 1 |
| Mudhoney | 2 | 1.5 |
| Metallica | 4 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Genesis | 4, 1 |
| Dexys Midnight Runners | 5, 2, 3 |
| Metallica | 1, 4, 1, 2 |
5-Star Albums (80)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Nick Drake
5/5
For me, I would say it's just about Nick Drake's finest album, although all three are so connected and consistent that it's hard to judge. I love the way the instrumental introduction means you're absolutely on tenterhooks waiting for Nick to introduce his greatest weapon - his voice.
Throughout the whole album the instrumentation is so lovely and varied - he really is more than just an acoustic-strumming folky. And yet, the album's pinnacle, for me, comes on Northern Sky, when he strips it all back to just guitar and voice pretty much. Brilliant stuff.
1 likes
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
I mean, where to start with that? It was certainly some sounds that happened in quite an unpleasant way. Was it music? Not as I know it to be fair. Maybe I'm marking myself out as a naif, wanting 'songs' and 'melody' rather than 'quite a close approximation of a waking nightmare'. It's safe to say the last three days have not been the Project's finest. Insert meme of Jez from Peep Show saying 'that wasn't very Christmassy' here.
1 likes
4-Star Albums (307)
1-Star Albums (47)
All Ratings
Black Sabbath
3/5
This was loads better than I expected. But then my expectations were extremely low. As a start point for the Project, a very positive one.
2/5
BORING! Thank you nerds, I'd love to listen to you sing about space. NOT!
The Who
2/5
I feel like my position on the Who hardens every day. I just don't think they're very good. The big songs (Generation and TKAA) are stand outs, but otherwise, it's extremely MOR. Apparently they were bad boys. Not for me, Clive.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Yes, yes, yes. My Young knowledge was a little lacking to be honest, outside of Harvest and After the Goldrush. This was brilliant from start to finish, and on my list to buy on record. The first big hit of The Project.
Wu-Tang Clan
3/5
Thank you Project Wizards! This is why you undertake these things, to have you taken out of your 'I mostly listen to Sufjan Stevens and 20 something white American female singer-songwriters' comfort zone. I was surprised by the musical invention, although I'm too woke to just skip over the casual sexism and glorification of violence.
David Bowie
4/5
Hello David! The first album that I've known really well, and I think this stands up well to any other Bowie period. My birthday pal showing no signs of letting up.
Pixies
4/5
This is great isn't it? What a rush. I listened to it in the car, and belted out Monkey, Debaser and Here Comes Your Man. I also think there's a delicacy to Pixies that often goes unnoticed. So here I am, noticing it.
Björk
3/5
Bit of an awkward one, where I had to make three other people listen to it with me. We were getting ready to go out on the lash and Bjork's entirely acapella album was probably not it. She's very talented though, and obviously barking, to her credit.
Japan
3/5
See the previous entry - this was very good on a hangover. I found it a really interesting listen, from a band I had no knowledge of. It sounded very much like the start of the 80s, rather than the end of the 70s.
Radiohead
5/5
On October 2 2000, I went to see Radiohead in a big top in Warrington, the day after Kid A was released. I think about that night a lot. From the opening seconds of Everything... to the closing moments, this does everything that music should do. Loses 0.3 points for Treefingers. Bad Thom.
Orbital
3/5
I'm reviewing this after the fact, and don't really remember much about it. Make of that what you will. I think they're an act that is much better live than listening on Spotify while you're proofreading.
Elbow
3/5
Objectively good and nice, but also the moment that Elbow became a band your mum liked, instead of a really interesting cult band, as they had been in the early 00s. I saw this tour in Blackpool in 2008, they played One Day Like This second last and everyone just left during the final song, completely ignoring it. It was Scattered Black and Whites, which is 100000x the song ODLT is, and people are morons.
Taylor Swift
3/5
Glad to listen to this, and I think the production and songwriting is top notch. It's really noticeable that this is a vehicle for a few big bangers though, and the drop off from the singles to the filler is really large.
John Lennon
4/5
Hard to be objective about ol' JL. This album is fantastic though - probably more consistent than any other Lennon solo album, if not quite reaching the highs. Love, God and Working Class Hero are all in the very top echelons of Lennon songs, and therefore of human endeavour.
Madonna
3/5
Made my dad listen to this with me while we were away for a weekend. I don't think it inspired him to take up The Project, but nor did it make him like me any less. So thank you Madonna.
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
PSB are fast becoming one of my very favourite acts of all time, and this album blew me away. There simply isn't anyone else who can combine this level of music confidence with lyrical vulnerability, all packed up in the most listenable, danceable package. I didn't know many of the songs on this album, but it's now a firm favourite.
Electric Light Orchestra
1/5
Oh god no please make Mr Bluesky stop forever I don't like it I don't like it no no no.
Elton John
2/5
I just found this...is fine. I think a lot of Elton, once you strip away the fact it's him, is just fine. It was quite boring really. He's got a cracking pair of lungs when he fancies it, but I think this just left my head as soon as it arrived.
Duke Ellington
2/5
I was excited to get this, but really it was the most trad jazz I could imagine, and lasted about four or five days. Started to feel like I was going a bit mad towards the end. Maybe that's the point?
Calexico
4/5
I saw Calexico and listened to a seven minute long double bass solo. I started laughing after 30 seconds in a totally silent auditorium, and I think I ruptured my gooch trying to hold in the sound for so long. Despite that, I still love Calexico and really enjoyed this album, and you can't say fairer than that.
Muddy Waters
2/5
Muddy Waters, muddy recording. He had a lovely voice and I could imagine not minding hearing this at a festival in 1960. In fact, I'd probably be beside myself. But now, I don't know.
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
Yeah, great music, irritating voice. I probably had the wrong idea about Sisters of Mercy because their name is quite silly, but actually they reminded me a bit of Jesus and Mary Chain, which is about as high as praise comes.
XTC
4/5
For a long time I got mixed up between XTC and INXS, but no longer. XTC are the good ones. It's a really beautiful and atmospheric album, and one I'll definitely come back to, even if there are no truly standout tracks.
The Band
4/5
Didn't like The Band, for no real reason other than someone annoying from uni did like them. Turns out even a stopped clock is right twice a day, as this was really good. The Weight is an absolute all timer.
The Stranglers
3/5
Boring and annoying. You can absolutely imagine how pleased with themselves the Stranglers were throughout recording this. Peaches is terribly irritating as a melody.
Napalm Death
1/5
There's a song on this that lasts for 2 seconds, and to be fair, I didn't mind it. The rest was a bit more of a chore. I had to listen to Sufjan's Carrie and Lowell on volume 1 for an hour just to recover my delicate sensibilities.
Jimmy Smith
2/5
If I have to spend 44 minutes listening to hold music, I'd at least expect a better phone deal at the end of it.
David Bowie
4/5
David, you lovely little sausage. Like everyone else, I mythologised this album, given the circumstances of its release, so I was a little concerned that it might not stand up in the cold light of the Project. Fear not, it's magnificent. How is Lazarus written by a 68 year old with months to live? It beggars belief.
David Bowie
4/5
Double David! And I think this is probably in my top three DB albums. It's really hard to pick a favourite track, because really it's a single piece of art. That's pretentious, but it's true and I'm not sorry.
Shack
3/5
Why is this here? It would be poor if it had come out six years earlier, when it sounds like it should be from. It's worse than Gay Dad's To Earth With Love. It wins a few points for the fact I was still relieved not to have Napalm Death or Jimmy Smith.
Talking Heads
4/5
Brilliant brilliant brilliant. Is there anything better than Once in a Lifetime? It is just a tiny bit long, and could probably have done with a little more quality control, but we're nit-picking here.
Suede
2/5
Every now and then, you enjoy this album, then you remember Brett Anderson, and you're back to square one
Sepultura
3/5
So much good musicality. So much shouting. So long.
Paul Simon
5/5
I don't know why I wasn't particularly excited when this came up. It is magnificent from start to finish.
Oasis
4/5
You have to grudgingly hand it to them, this is an education from the University of Banger. Shame one of them is a Tory and they're both City fans.
Soul II Soul
3/5
Great to have on in the background. Halfway through you think it all sounds the same. At the end you look and realise that each song is actually on there three times.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
4/5
Brilliantly eclectic, underpinned by the Captain's vocals, which stop it veering from 'fun' into 'silly'.
Sigur Rós
3/5
It's very good, and the production in particular is amazing. I liked listening to it. But...it's boring? Sigur Ros are boring. I know that's the kind of thing that you get thrown in jail for saying, these days, but there you have it.
Girls Against Boys
2/5
Nah. On the strength of the year and the title I was pretty up for this, but it was disappointingly straight-forward indie-rock. Hard to fathom how this is one of the 1001 most important records, even though it's not actually bad per se.
Mekons
3/5
Pogues-y, interesting and exactly what makes the Project what it is. Is it great? No. Am I glad I listened? Yes.
Cheap Trick
1/5
Woeful. Boring, artless dad rock. The biggest mystery is how much they paid the crowd to cheer between each song. Maybe they told them they were allowed to leave? The saving grace was how low the appalling singer was in the mix, so you couldn't hear whatever turdlets he was singing about.
George Harrison
4/5
From the ridiculous to the sublime. It's hard to think of a stronger run of opening songs than the first six on this (any of which would've improved Let It Be), and yet the two best songs - Beware of Darkness and the title track - come later. All Things Must Pass is my funeral song and maybe contains the best lyric of all time - daylight is good at arriving at the right time, it's not always going to be this grey. It loses out on the big five for being a triple album that could have been a great double or up there with the best single albums of all time, but God it's great.
Kanye West
2/5
He's a good rapper, IMHO. The clarity of the lyrics considering the speed of his voice is really remarkable. Unfortunately, that just means you can really clearly hear all the sexism, self-aggrandisement and so on. I'd say I'm not angry about this one, just disappointed. Wins marks for some great sampling, but couldn't quite rescue it. Maybe it's harsh to look back on this after Ye has gone full nut-nut, as you hear songs like I Am A God and realise that he genuinely means it, rather than appreciating it for (probably) the best song on the record.
The Who
3/5
Three hours?! Three! That's insane Jeremy! It's actually quite good, once you get over the fact that there's still several days of The Who being pleased with themselves ahead of you. The progression in songwriting from four years earlier is stark, and it hangs together as a concept album. People rave about it though, and I find that confusing. It's just OK. Obviously Pinball Wizard is one of the all time great bangers, and songs like Christmas are good fun, but there's a lot of filler.
The Verve
4/5
Wigan's finest. And possibly Wigan's only. My heart sank a little when I had this, maybe because of having to hear the intro to Bittersweet Symphony during every single terrible England game for 20 years, but actually it's very good. The singles are great, and album tracks like Catching The Butterfly catch you off guard a bit. All in all, very enjoyable, and took me right back to buying it on tape aged 13 and wearing a fisherman's hat.
Missy Elliott
2/5
I was quite looking forwards to this; it's what The Project is for really - making you appreciate things that you'd never listen to normally. And it starts quite well - Bring the Pain, with Method Man, is a good song. It drags a touch though, and there's not loads of variety for me. Glad to hear it, probably won't again.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Woof! Is it me, or does Ian Mac have one of the best voices around - it really stands up among the rest of the goth scene (he's better than Robert Smith and the Bunnymen are better than the Cure. There. I said it.). I think on balance, I prefer E and the Bee's later, slightly less dark songs, but this sums up life in Liverpool in the early 80s pretty well I suspect, bleak as all eff.
Dion
4/5
Now we are talking. I hadn't heard of Dion before hearing this, and I really enjoyed it. It's not breaking new ground particularly, just good songs, performed well and given the Spector treatment (great production, not waving guns around and murder).
Massive Attack
4/5
Just great. It sounds as fresh 32 years on as it must have done when it came out. The level of intensity throughout the album is really high, but it's not oppresive or unpleasant to listen to. Its influences seem really diverse, from the dance scene to soul and obviously trip-hop. I guess technically it's 'not my sort of thing', but it turns out it very much is.
Robert Wyatt
3/5
This album gets three stars, but basically every song is either five stars or one star, with nothing in between. Sometimes his voice is the best part, and on some songs, it feels like he's singing a different song to the backing, in a different key. I'm sure that's very clever, but it's also quite irritating. Heaps of Sheep is a great song. Do more like that Bob!
PJ Harvey
4/5
Curiously, I've got a bit of a PJ blind spot, which I'm extremely glad The Project is forcing me to remove. This was really good - full of angst and vitriol, but not overwhelmed by it. It's very raw, and if pushed, you'd probably guess that it was a debut album, but still, lovely stuff.
The Temptations
3/5
This was nice. Classic Motown but with a little bit of extra funk to it. It's groovy (alright granddad) and maybe a bit ahead of it's time. You'd probably peg it as a mid 70s album at a guess. It didn't totally blow me away, but I was very glad to listen to it.
Eminem
2/5
I got this for Christmas when I was 15 and was beside myself. But that's because it's 15 year old humour. From a 35 year old man. He is a great vocalist and the song construction is fun and all. But he's just talking about beating up his mum and partner, guns and his (urgh) pee-pee. Grow up. Regardless, it wins some points for Guilty Conscience, a genuinely great song.
Portishead
3/5
Very cool. It's super dark and a bit foreboding. It also somehow feels very 90s, as you'd maybe expect Portishead to, but also a bit like something from the future. Lots of beeps and boops, which I wouldn't want to hear all the time, but I definitely enjoyed here.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
Hoopla! I thought this would basically be dross, but actually it's dead good. It was quite a bit more interesting than I thought it would be, and a lot more varied. Breakdown was definitely the standout song for me.
Beatles
4/5
It's hard to judge the Beatles on anything other than their own merits, because obviously this is better than almost anything else, despite the variance in quality on the record. One of the things that struck me as I listened was that, even though I must be well into the hundreds in terms of number of times I've heard this, you still notice new and enjoyable things in songs. The bass in USSR, the backing vocals on any number of Paul's silly songs. It's just great. Got to feel like Decca would have knocked this down to a single album though. Lovely to have my once-a-decade attempt to listen to Revolution 9 all the way through.
Christine and the Queens
3/5
This was very nice, if also weirdly forgettable very quickly after. A lot of people with good taste (i.e. taste similar to mine) like C and the Qs a lot, and I can see why. It's also an album where it's hard to pick out a specific favourite song. It's more, as the kids would say, a mood. Again, longer than it needs to be
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
Yep, good. JJ has a cracking set of lungs, and is able to really display power and vulnerability. The band are talented, although at times I think it left me a little cold somehow. This might be the most I've oscillated between a 3 and a 4, and if Joplin's reading this, I apologise for coming down on the side of three.
Lou Reed
4/5
So close to a five star! Without doubt the peak of Lou Reed's powers, for me. It's hard to find a weakness in here really, and hard to pick a standout. In the end, I think Satellite of Love just pips it. It's a simple song really, but worms its way into your head and has a level of openness and sincerity that I think LR occasionally lacks. Thanks for this The Project!
Adele
2/5
Can we have our Transformer back? I get why this is in The Project, because you can't ignore the influence that Adele had over the decade that this album kicked off, but that doesn't mean we have to like it. What I will say, is that the songs with a bit of get up and go (Set Fire to the Rain, Rumour Has It) are much better than the weepies. In particular the stench of Someone Like You really leaves you with a bad taste at the end of the album.
R.E.M.
4/5
REM, the band we love to hate. Deeply uncool, but also extremely enjoyable to listen to. You can definitely feel that this is their debut, it's a little unpolished and raw, which is a good thing overall, but also means that you lose the clarity of voice and lyrics that later REM has.
The Fall
4/5
Mega weird. Sometimes it's genius and sometimes it's like MES has scientifically worked out the quickest way to totally ruin whatever the rest of the band is doing. I'm not surprised everyone leaves The Fall. But having said that, there are a few songs that really stick with you and you can see the scale of influence. Spoilt Victorian Child combines being very funny with being brilliant, which is rare.
Pink Floyd
4/5
This was a time machine. 15 years old, bang into Pink Floyd and playing WYWH (the song) on guitar. I expected it to be worse in retrospect than it actually was. Shine on was really emotional, which is something The Floyd often lack, especially when you know that it's for Syd, and hear the (presumably apocryphal) story of him turning up during recording. And the title track remains an unqualified masterpiece. The emotion in the lyrics, the simplicity of the guitar, the very un-Floyd like lack of a seventeen minute outro, it's all there. It loses a bit for Have a Cigar and Welcome to the Machines being a little too proggy for my tastes, but overall, a very enjoyable listen.
Grateful Dead
3/5
No me gusta. People I like and respect are Dead Heads, and I think I understand the attraction, but for me it was very self indulgent and something of a let down. All the songs are longer than they need to be, and there is way to much of what sounds like jamming to me.
R.E.M.
4/5
Stand will always make me think of Ben Wyatt's claymation in Parks and Rec, and for that reason alone, this album is brilliant. As it goes, it's really pretty good anyway. Stipe is one of those people who has effectively got two great voices - one for the fast numbers and one for the slow ones. That's impressive.
Dolly Parton
4/5
I did not expect to wish this album was longer. I think I knew that DP was a prolific and talented songwriter, but to see it laid out in this collection of simple and effective songs is quite something. It's still a bit too trad country for my tastes, so it's going to struggle to get into the high fours, but it's probably the most pleasant surprise of The Project so far.
Steely Dan
4/5
It really is my favourite foreign movie. I think if this album was just Peg for 40 minutes I'd still score it quite highly, because you can taste the Saturday night cup of tea and see a young Lineker on MOTD. As it is, the rest of the album is also absolutely brill. I sort of don't want to like Steely Dan, because they seem a bit daft, but this is a marvellous listen.
Love
5/5
It's really hard to think of an album that conjures up a period in time more than Forever Changes. The musicality is incredible, the lyrics are perfect and the overall sound is so cool. It reminds me (despite, I think, not being used in it) of the later seasons of Mad Men when Megan moved out to LA, and that's maybe the highest compliment you can give. A clear five stars. It's not In The Airplane Over the Sea (the perfect 5.0), so loses 0.2 on that scale, but it's the highest scoring album of The Project so far.
Frank Black
4/5
I didn't know this album very well, which surprised me. The first thing to say is that the cover is excellent. The album itself is really good in parts, but is probably just a little too one-note for me. It didn't take me on a journey like Pixies albums do.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
I listened to this in Sarf London, which surely helped right? And to be fair, it's extremely evocative. She packs so much personality into her voice and the lyrics are somehow both really light and incredibly dense. I didn't know this album as well as I know Back to Black, but I think that helped, because it forced me to listen rather than to have it wash over me as something you know well can.
American Music Club
4/5
Really, really nice. Soft and gentle, a little bit country, and reminded me of Band of Horses quite a lot. I didn't even mind that I had to scour YouTube for it. I was staggered not to have heard this album before, because it felt right in my zone. I'd hope to buy the record, given that I'm unlikely to proactively find it on YouTube again.
Blur
3/5
Posh Damon and his pals, the Cheese one, the Tory Councillor and Graham Coxon, who is cool to be fair. This is actually a good record, if you forget that you don't like Blur. The singles are absolutely massive, and This is a Low is one of the best songs of the Britpop genre. The rest of the album doesn't match up, and it suffers in comparison to Definitely Maybe, from earlier in The Project. I remain Oasis over Blur.
T. Rex
3/5
Why didn't I enjoy this more? I don't actually know, except to say that I didn't really find it that interesting. The songs I knew were nice to hear again, and the ones I didn't were not ones that I'd hate to hear again, but I'm not seeing their place in the rock canon. It's always cheering to know that Marc Bolan's son is called Nolan.
Aerosmith
3/5
I enjoy a four minute long Aerosmith song. I do not enjoy listening to 12 identical Aerosmith songs in a row. Weirdly little to say about it really, except that they're good at picking the lead single, as Love in an Elevator absolutely towers above anything else on here.
Goldie
2/5
Timeless. A good description in a way, as time did seem to pass less quickly than normal during this mammoth trip through drum and bass-land. I guess it's quite impressive, on its own merits, but it's not fun to actually have to sit down and listen to. A bit like Orbital earlier in The Project, I feel harsh judging this after I'd listened to it during the working afternoon, rather than at 2am in a warehouse somewhere (which for the record, I'd hate).
Joni Mitchell
4/5
I think this was the first Project album I could listen to on vinyl, and it helped the experience I think. She's such a wonderful songwriter, and has a voice that you'd recognise from a million miles away. Court and Spark doesn't reach Blue levels - there's nothing as affecting on River on here, and generally she sounds in a happier place on this record. Good for Joni, not as good for me. But still, it's an easy four, and the first album on the Project that I've just sent for another spin as soon as it finished.
The Clash
4/5
Instinctively, I assume that classic albums aren't going to be as good as people say, but this was really superb. I knew about half of it a little and I knew the title track and Train in Vain really well. But it flew by, it's absolutely jet-powered and the vocals are sublime. I also think that they offer a real lesson in being 'hard' without losing a sense of melody and of fun. You can see why the Manics were so influenced by them, especially in the vocal delivery.
System Of A Down
3/5
It's angry, it's powerful and it's more interesting musically than most of System's contemporaries in the nu-metal scene. It's way too self-righteous for me, and lacks quite a lot of subtlety. I think they could probably learn from Rage Against the Machine on that front - their political message is lost amid the music too easily. Having said that, it's one of the metal albums I like the most, and it's not their fault I'm not really their audience.
Roxy Music
3/5
This is quite nearly as good as Bryan Ferry obviously thinks it is. The good songs are great, and 2HB in particular is a superb song. But so much of it is like something from a musical, and not even one of the musical's main songs, but one of the ones where they need to speed the plot along a little by having people singing exposition for no obvious reason. God I hate musicals. Anyway, for me, The Bob is really tough to get through, as is Chance Meeting. There's no questioning the quality, but there's also no questioning the lack of quality control. That feels like a harsh review for what's actually a fairly decent score, but I think I was mostly just a bit disappointed.
Motörhead
3/5
Yeah, for this pretty dedicated poo-pooer of hard rock, this was not too bad. I feel like they really trade on the absolutely undeniable banger that is Ace of Spades, and it's a bit of a slow downhill from there. Like most hard rock/metal bands, the guitar and drums are really technically impressive, and the vocals are extremely distinctive. Did I actively enjoy it? Not really. Am I glad I've listened to it? Yeah, I think so.
PJ Harvey
3/5
Hmm, I liked this less than Dry I think. It still had that same angst and snarl to it, but I think it was a bit more one-note. It's interesting to see how far she goes onto come in the next 10 years or so (say to Songs from the City...). Still, her voice never fails and it passed in a flash, so can't say fairer than that
Pavement
4/5
Musically, I really liked this. It's lo-fi and sparse, but not so much that it fades into the background. I think my issues, such as they were, came with the vocal delivery on some tracks. While Malkmus can sing well, and does, especially on Here, which is definitely the standout song, he occasionally veers into Mark E Smith territory of just talking quite abrasively, but without the, ahem, Mancunian (MES is from Bury but don't get me started on that one) charm.
Bob Dylan
4/5
It's great Bob. It's not the absolute best Bob, partly because there is a little dip in the middle of the album (Outlaw Blues and On the Road Again in particular). But it's still ruddy great Bob, and the last two songs are up there with the best closers I can think of.
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
This was good - it reminded me of being a kid and going to my dad's office for some reason - not the songs specifically, but I guess because he often listened to this type of psychedelia from the late 60s? It drags a little in places, and sometimes falls into being deliberately obtuse I think, but White Rabbit remains a great song and it has a lovely atmosphere to it.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
I enjoyed this way more than I expected. I had a perception of CSN that they were basically waiting for Neil Young to come along and that it might be a bit cheesy, but it's very enjoyable indeed. Their version of Everybody's Talking is great in particular (maybe better than Neilsson?) and between that and Teach Your Children the album closes really strongly.
New Order
4/5
Very good indeed. This feels like the midway point between New Order being 'the Joy Division band' and being 'the Blue Monday band'. It's got synths throughout, but also one or two moments of real post-punk, especially in the first song. Elegia is apparently about Curtis, and feels like a very literal and metaphorical goodbye to the great man all at the same time. It's a tremendous song.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
An amazing mix of great music and shocking lyrics. The guitars and drums sound like Joy Division at times - not quite as evocative, but very heavy and dense. But every now and then, on songs like Night Shift or Sin in My Heart, you realise that the lyrics are sub sixth form poetry, and it takes you out of the place you're in.
Funkadelic
4/5
It's just…very good. It isn't in my wheelhouse whatsoever, but you can't deny the talent and the attitude that runs through the album. The guitars really shimmer nicely and I love the way the voices intermingle. I think that promentalshitbackwashpsychosis enema squad is (a) the stupidest name for a song ever and (b) the highlight of this album.
The Byrds
4/5
Byrds? Magpies more like. I don't think I've ever heard a band that wears its influences on its sleeve more visibly than the Byrds. Quite apart from doing an extraordinary amount of (mainly Bob) covers - including the super My Back Pages on here - you can really here the impact of the Beatles I think. That's both positive and negative - Have You Seen Her Face could be on Rubber Soul and not seem out of place, while Mind Garden sounds like someone attempting to recreate Tomorrow Never Knows without any clue about what it is that makes the original what it is. A mixed bag, but generally it's very easy to listen to and will bear repeat listens
Emmylou Harris
2/5
What a disappointment! I was really looking forward to this, especially after enjoying the Dolly Parton album earlier in The Project. Unfortunately, while she's a very good singer, it was all extremely samey. Also, I found her emotional range really lacking - we get it, you're miserable. It's why her cover of For No-one was so wrong. The point about For No-one (IMHO) is that McCartney sings it quite matter of factly, as...it's not about him. EH sings it full of self-pity, and the impact is way less.
Beastie Boys
3/5
Their debut, and a point where they seemed to really straddle rock, rap and hip hop more than they did later (when they released Hello Nasty, say, which was the first album I knew on release). It really works, and this album was good fun from start to finish. One or two songs feel a little too raw, and Girls makes you feel like you're going totally mad, but by and large it was highly enjoyable.
T. Rex
4/5
This was considerably better than the earlier T Rex album I had in The Project. It felt far more Bowie influenced and a little less of the Glitter-esque stomp yer feet and jumpsuits end of Glam. Baby Boomerang is a cracking song, and this is definitely an album I'll come back to repeatedly.
Ray Charles
3/5
Listened to it in a lovely cottage in a village in the Peak District, which probably helps elevate this to a good mark. Quite a bit of it washes over me, as so much of this trad blues work does. I Can't Stop Loving You is a corker though. It took me quite an irritatingly long time to work out why I knew it so well, until I remembered that Elvis did it in his Vegas shows. I then went down a deep hole of watching Elvis' late-era Vegas performances on YouTube and marvelling at how good he was. I don't know how much I can really credit Ray with all that, but he sent me in a nice direction.
Willie Nelson
2/5
Yaaaaaawn. I have so little to say about this. It's not bad, it's not good, it just...is.
Throwing Muses
4/5
This has absolultely blown me away to be honest. It's probably the best discovery of The Project so far. I'd heard of Throwing Muses, but didn't know loads about them other than that they were a female-fronted rock band. I guess I'd expected something a bit like The Pretenders, and there are elements of that (Finished for instance), but actually the power of some songs and the delicacy of others provides an amazing emotional range. At times, there's a vocal effect that is a bit off putting, but when that's stripped away, like on Delicate Cutters, you're left with a fantastic song. Great stuff!
Public Enemy
4/5
Absolutely gripping from the very start. I know they were influential across a whole load of genres, and I also know that the Manics cited them, along with The Clash and GnR, as their biggest influence. I really get it, not so much in the music, but in the righteous anger of the lyrics. Musically, I enjoyed it, despite not being my normal cup of tea. It probably relied a little heavily on effects like scratching, foghorn etc, but that's probably only a cliché because Public Enemy made it so! A really enjoyable affair, all told. London, England, consider yourselves...WARNED!
Buck Owens
1/5
Hell's teeth this is bad. I get it, there probably wasn't loads to enjoy in the Deep South in 1965, but then maybe you shouldn't have burned all those Beatles records? It's so one-paced, the lyrics are unbelievably vacuous, and the mix is all over the place, to the extent that I had to check the sound settings to make sure something hadn't gone wrong. Nope, that's just the way Buck likes it. It's short, which is to its credit, and every now and then you can hear something slightly more than the most basic blues guitar (there's a tiny hint of a good lick in Memphis, swamped out by the dreadful recording quality) but there's not a lot more to say for it. Speaking of The Beatles, as I wish we were, the original of Act Naturally is on here. It's so dreadful that for the first time in my life, I wished Ringo was singing.
Frank Sinatra
1/5
Simply the worst genre of music on the planet. I just don't get the appeal of identikit, unemotional swing, with a singer putting in as little effort into his delivery as humanly possible. Sinatra's popularity baffles me. He's no better or worse at this kind of singing than anyone else, because it's the laziest, most untechnical type of singing imaginable. And there's no depth to any of the songs musically or emotionally either. At this time, Elvis was writing Heartbreak Hotel and musicians of colour (who Ol' Blue Eyes would obviously have hated) were creating electric blues music. Why is this the prevailing genre? Fear of having to hear this kind of music is what's stopping me from going to an American wedding, as well as not knowing any Americans.
The National
4/5
Tremendous stuff. I hadn't listened to The National much lately, but this album brought them flooding back to me and I'm now embarking on a major deep dive. Matt's voice is absolutely on great form throughout this and the intensity of the music is great.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Wow! For as long as I can remember I've been very vocal about Led Zeppelin being overrated, for nerds and very uncool. How wrong was I? This was absolutely superb. I couldn't believe how varied this album was, I thought it would just be endless guitar noodling and strained singing a la Whole Lotta Love. That's The Way in particular is so delicate and might be crashing straight into my favourite songs list.
Muddy Waters
3/5
Definitely a step up from the Live at 1960 record earlier in The Proj. You could hear the growl and emotion of his voice much more, and you can definitely see how much of an influence yer man had on the Stones or Clapton. Ultimately a lot of the songs are too long and descend into fairly basic blues riffs, but not unenjoyable at all
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
OK. But that's basically it. I read a little bit about them, in particular the way they were influenced by the British Invasion. You can hear it at times; there are Kinks-y guitars and a sense of urgency that might come from mid-60s Stones or Beatles. But ultimately, it's let down by too many quite plodding songs that feel much more rooted in quite basic American rock 'n' roll. They did the original I'm Not Your Stepping Stone, which is much better than the Monkees' version. That's something.
Stereo MC's
3/5
This was way better than I expected! I thought it'd be the kind of electronic/dance that I'd not enjoy, but it was very cool. It had that baggy, Hacienda style, partly thanks to the female backing vocals, but also the use of brass and extremely funky bass. It was also lyrically quite inventive, especially on Sketch, which was a highlight. The genre means it's never going to get the really big marks from me, but it was such a pleasant surprise. I'd put this on when I had people round and it was late at night, should that ever happen.
Jethro Tull
2/5
Dreadful. Unspeakably boring, very naff and far too much (i.e. any) flute. Musically, it's just dull - the first track actually misleads you, because the opening 15 seconds or so have the potential to be something quite different. Then it just drifts. Also, and I don't want to be too pious about this, the concept of this album is romanticising homelessness, a la Streets of London, and I strongly suspect that Iain Anderson and the gang didn't spend too much time on their research. Oh, also, word of warning in case you've totally switched off by this point, the final track on Spotify is a 14 minute long interview with Iain. No ta!
Radiohead
5/5
I actually think it might be the best Radiohead album. OK Computer will always have the special place in my heart, but In Rainbows probably beats it really. It's so welcoming, in stark contrast to quite a lot of Radiohead, and I think is definitely Thom's greatest vocal performance. He really shines on the slower songs like Nude and All I Need, while the power of the band (particularly Phil) are more evident in 15 Step, Weird Fishes or the Reckoner. Add into this astonishing piece of music the anti-industry method of release, and you have something really special. It's incredible that anyone could listen to this and still hold any of the clichéd RH views. The only bit I didn't enjoy was picking a favourite. I knew it would be Jigsaw, but then the final gut punch of Videotape comes along and blows you away so totally. Those lyrics! Best record of the Project so far.
Queen Latifah
2/5
A mixed bag from the Queen, I'm afraid. This was quite good fun musically and a few of the songs are lyrically strong. The pick of the bunch is probably Evil That Men Do, which is heavily political and very powerful. There's also an undercurrent of railing against the male dominated world of rap. Sadly, the song most obviously on that theme (Ladies First) is both musically one dimensional and lyrically is about one step above 'My name is Latifah and I'm here to say' amateurism. Like I say, some bright spots let down too often, so a pretty low score I'm afraid.
Tom Waits
4/5
Moments of really classic Waits here. His voice is in full effect, which probably isn't everyone's cup of tea, and on the ballads he absolutely kills it. My Tom issue is the number of jazzy tracks that I'm afraid stray far too far into silliness for my taste. The centrepiece of the album is the magnificent Jersey Girl, which is so good that you only slightly wish it was the Boss' version.
Queens of the Stone Age
4/5
Wowzers! I thought this would be absolutely OK, serviceable, slightly irksome rock. I know later QOTSA pretty well and thought it was fine, but this is much better IMHO. The guitar and drums were really tight and fierce, but the thing that really stands out is the quality of vocals. Just fantastic. It was generally nice and varied, if possibly a tiny bit too repetitive to sneak into the five star bracket. Great stuff though.
Kraftwerk
3/5
Weird and stupid, but weirdly and stupidly enjoyable. I only knew The Model prior to this listen, but to be fair, all the other songs sounded pretty similar to it. It was very good working music, which isn't always a total compliment, as it means it didn't really demand too much attention. One thing I would say about this record is that it's very easy to imagine The Mighty Boosh guys performing this during the episode where they get really into Crunk music. Again, this isn't totally a compliment. Ultimately, there are lots of pros and cons to this, and (weirdly and stupidly) it ends up with an extremely average score.
Bee Gees
3/5
Highs and lows here. The album starts very strongly, and the first two songs in particular really showcase the strength of their songwriting and Barry's pre-disco voice. It drifts in the middle, but it's still in the three to four range. Then towards the end, it hits you with Dearest, which is, in my considered opinion, the worst song I've ever heard in my life. Suddenly it's Sunday morning and Radio 2 is on, you're too hungover to change the station, and Elaine Paige is playing a show tune. Wait, this isn't every other week where she plays Memory from Cats or one of the boring ones from Les Mis. This is actual torture! That's...that's not Elaine! It's the Martians! We're being taken over! They're trying to kill us with this horrible sound! After several minutes of rocking back and forwards, the torture sound abates, and there are Elaine's plummy tones: That was Dearest by Bee Gees, and now, Barbara Swington sings Memory.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
1/5
Imagine a very bad Lenny Kravitz cover band, but instead of the usual singer, it's someone from the crowd who has, weirdly, never heard of music before. Imagine that for 119 minutes.
Beatles
5/5
Rubber Soul is a funny one isn't it. There are no absolute, stone-cold, stand out tracks that would get in the top 10 Beatles songs (arguably In My Life, although it's a little overdone). But it's very consistent album and marks such a great leap forwards. Even the Ringo song isn't that bad. One thing that really came across on this album is that it's quite angry across the board. You Won't See Me, Norwegian Wood and the regrettable Run For Your Life are all of a piece really. I'm sort of criticising it, but it's obviously still amazing and brilliant and scrapes into the fives.
Black Flag
2/5
I was quite hungover and in a lovely cottage. It's possible that isn't the perfect place for this hardcore punk album. It wasn't totally terrible, and at times it was quite interesting, but equally quite a lot of it was just dreadful noise.
Prince
3/5
I think I like Prince, but if I'm honest, I've never found the energy to get really into him. There's no doubting the musical chops on this; he's a superb guitar player and singer, and the songs are extremely funky and fun. But it all just leaves me a little cold. There's not that much emotional range I think. Certainly when you compare it to Purple Rain say, this all just seems a touch too same-y for me. Not bad, but I was expecting to have the scales fall from my eyes in a major way
DJ Shadow
4/5
Unusually for an album of this length, this got better as it went along. By the end I was very into it indeed. This was the kind of thing that the Indie Kid of the 90s shunned, while the more out-there types got bang into it. Well I can see why now. It's superb working music, which, as mentioned previously, may not be a total compliment, but is extremely useful.
Dexys Midnight Runners
5/5
Goodness gracious me this is fantastic. I think because of the ubiquity of Eileen, I'd slightly misplaced Dexys as a bit of a novelty act, but definitely not any more! I absolutely couldn't believe the heart and soul poured into this album, in particular on Old, which is possibly the best new song I've found on The Project thus far. All in all, this was simply a joy to listen to, and one that I'm going to come back to again and again.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
Pro tip: If you're doing a 91 minute long double album, don't put the only decent song at track one. This wasn't awful by any means, and he's got a smashing voice, but it all felt a bit too cheesy for me and I lost interest pretty heavily.
Dizzee Rascal
2/5
I liked this less than I expected to. The two big singles and Hold Ya Mouf are good fun songs and stand out from the rest, but otherwise, the lack of light and shade just got a bit abrasive. He's clearly a master at what he does, but it feels like this was the album that he made before he realised that you're also allowed to have a bit of fun.
ZZ Top
3/5
Fine. It was fine. It's rock and roll of the kind beloved by Americans who also love cars and guns I guess. They can certainly play, and some of the songs are super-catchy, but overall, it felt very derivative and uninspiring.
Astor Piazzolla
2/5
Modern Argentinian tango on accordion and vibraphone. It's good to know this exists, and it's also good to know that I'll never have to hear it again. Within 40 minutes, it was hard to remember a time in my life that hadn't been soundtracked by intense accordion.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Lovely, lovely Paul and Art. They just don't miss. I read that this was released after Simon had spent a year in England, and you can hear it in the folk sensibilities (obviously Scarborough Fair but also elsewhere). Homeward Bound is an all time classic, and, getting this on Christmas Eve, I felt so choked by the final track it was incredible. I love the sense that the purity of Silent Night and the horrors of the news report are fighting for attention; what a perfect summary of the forced niceties of the season against the wider global reality. Talk about still relevant today. It only gets 4.0 just because there's a little filler in there, and I already know that there's at least two better S+G albums to come.
Various Artists
4/5
Ronnie Spector could sing the most boring page of the phone book and I would think it was amazing. I truly believe she has the greatest voice of all time. The Crystals are also effortless, and while Darlene Love feels a touch more forced, the whole album is packed with great vocalists singing classic songs. Add to that the absolutely majestic horns dotted throughout the album and the trademark Spector harmonies and 'throw everything at it' production, and you can totally ignore the fact that a lot of the songs are, basically, stupid.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
What a lovely surprise it was to revisit this! I'd listened to it a lot on release, and really enjoyed it (especially call the police, which is one of the great songs of the 2010s for me). But I assumed it would just be one of those albums that is of a time and swiftly forgotten. Not so, it seems! You can really hear the Bowie and Talking Heads influence in this album, and it hangs together really well. The first album on The Project that I listened to while running, and it works well for that. Let's have two fewer false endings on the final track though eh lads.
The Police
2/5
I'd been ready for this to be dull, but it was actually much worse than that. It's so aggressive at the start, to the point that I had to check this was actually the right band. Mother is risible, horrible stuff, and the fact that the best song on it is a dirge about stalking that you'd run to turn over if it came on the radio says it all. Go away Sting!
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Much better! I liked this, it was fun and very cool. He (Sly?) has a really rich voice as well, more than I was expecting I guess. I knew a couple of songs, and they were the standouts. It loses some marks for a totally needless jam for 13 minutes in the middle.
Moby
4/5
He was a bit of a joke, Moby, in the late 90s and early 00s. I can't really remember why now, because this album is pretty good! The two big singles are absolutely brilliant, and the emotion of Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad is still a real sensation. It's a great example of how a song can absolutely transport you to a time and a place in your life. Overall the album just starts to drag a little, and is probably skewed slightly too much to the upbeat dance songs for me, rather than the emotional sucker punch that Moby is capable of, but still a very enjoyable listen.
Radiohead
5/5
My first perfect score. The emotional attachment I have towards this album always meant that marking it down was very unlikely. It was the first album I bought on release, and was the defining album of my defining teenage friendship. But even disregarding that, I honestly believe that it warrants a perfect score on the strength of the music alone. Airbag is a perfect starter (that cry of 'I'm back to save the universe' still sends shivers down my spine). Paranoid Android is Bohemian Rhapsody for people who hate Queen. Subterrainian Homesick Alien is a lovely palette cleanser. Exit Music is a virtuoso vocal performance. Let Down is probably the best song ever, and the moment at 3 minutes 42 seconds when the vocal comes back in is maybe the pinnacle of music. Karma Police somehow descends into pure festival singalong by the end. Fitter Happier is way better than it has any right to be. Electioneering is (a) brilliant and (b) full of genuinely funny lyrics. Climbing Up the Walls is...sexy? No Surprises still makes me well up. Lucky is a song to sing loudly in the car. The Tourist is the song that I've imagined using in a film score more than any other. All told, not bad.
Echo And The Bunnymen
5/5
I knew this album was going to be good, but I don't think I was ready for how brilliant it was. Start to finish, it never drops, and the peak of Killing Moon is fantastic. What a great collection of songs this is. The final two tracks pack an emotional heft that other similar bands simply can't find. If this Project does little else, I reckon it's confirmed EATB as the finest band of the 80s for me.
The Who
4/5
Finally, The Who have produced a really good album on this Project. I felt like I was properly missing something about them. To be fair, the three standout tracks on this record are Baba O'Reilly, Behind Blue Eyes and Won't Get Fooled Again, which I already knew, but the rest of the album doesn't match up exactly, but there are certainly no stinkers, and Bargain was very good indeed.
Pixies
4/5
Good, if not quite as good as Doolittle. It still has the hugely strong songwriting, but just isn't quite as interesting. Gigantic was a song I didn't know (or at least didn't remember) and it's brilliant, really sticks in the old noggin.
The Kinks
4/5
Extremely 1966. You can feel this coming out in a similar landscape to Rubber Soul, for instance, where old meets new. There's something about The Kinks that doesn't quite scream progressiveness and mysticism, but this is maybe not that far off. It's a good mix of ripe old fun and something more interesting though, and is a very enjoyable way to spend 39 minutes.
X-Ray Spex
2/5
Disappointing really. I was quite looking forward to this, as a punky, female-fronted band should at least have been a bit of fun. Sadly, it was too musically one note, and the vocals were quite annoying. It reminded me a lot of Daphne and Celeste, which I'm guessing isn't what they were hoping for.
Arcade Fire
4/5
The opposite of yesterday! I have a real downer on Arcade Fire, mainly because they seem to attract the kind of Muse-esque fans, who take themselves way too seriously. However, this had a real heft to it and was a much more interesting listen than I'd expected. It's very of-its-time, and I have this feeling that they've been cancelled now, but a pleasant surprise nonetheless.
Bob Dylan
3/5
More Bobbles! Always a pleasure. However, I think that this, along with a bit of mid- to late-era Dylan, falls into a trap of each song being either (a) a traditional blues number or (b) a 23 beats per minute dirge. Luckily, I absolutely love his 23 beats per minute dirges, but I can definitely do without the type of blues that threatens to introduce a honky tonk piano at any moment. Also Bob, no-one has ever written a good 16 minute song. The closing track of this album is a brilliant 4 minute song that lasts for 16. Unnecessary.
4/5
This was a very pleasant surprise! The cover, the genre, the band name - everything screamed avoid, but actually, it was funky, interesting and unpretentious. I did a little further dive into the back catalogue after, and it seems The Project has yet again opened a new door.
Metallica
1/5
God I hated this so much. What a bunch of cry babies. That horrible muddy, swampy guitar sound, lyrics that basically come down to how terrible their life is, titles that are straight out of toilet graffiti at an emo school, it's such a cliché it's unbelievable. Just grow up lads. The worst song of all is Nothing Else Matters, because you've spent hours having your ears assaulted, then you finally get to a song with a bit of light and shade, and it turns out the light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train of misery and self-pity. Genuinely one of the worst songs committed to record, and their ongoing popularity is a blot on humanity's already quite blotty record.
Living Colour
2/5
Very, very unmemorable. Quite boring MOR rock I'm afraid, as I'd been quite looking forward to it. Ironically, neither colourful nor vivid.
Incredible Bongo Band
2/5
A trip. At times extremely funny, occasionally it's absolutely astounding, and often it's like being at a weird all-inclusive hotel evening show that lasts far too long. Listened on a plane, which I don't know was the perfect location. I'd like to mark this higher in a way, but (a) the version of Satisfaction is too silly to bear and (b) I was extremely glad when it ended.
10cc
4/5
What a great band 10cc are! This is a marvellous album, with the first two and the last couple of songs in particular highlights. It sags slightly in the middle, and for me, they're a band who will almost (I'm Not In Love excepted) engender respect and admiration rather than love. There's a tiny bit of emotional heft missing from their songs that stops this technically excellent band getting into the five star realm.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
CCR should be prescribed for anyone needing a little bit of a dopamine boost. Every single facet of their work, from the bouncing guitars to the joyous vocals, is designed to make the world seem sunnier, and this album does just that. Obviously the centrepiece is Bad Moon Rising, which is one of the greatest songs of all time. If I was to steal a car in early 90s LA, I might leave the tape deck, but I wouldn't hold out much hope for the Creedence tapes.
Coldplay
2/5
Hard to rate in a way, because even when there is a nice song, you're so conscious of the Chris Martin factor that it gets in the way. There are bright spots on this album - Yellow is a low-key banger, and Trouble and Shiver are OK. The first track is appalling, so I guess it's good to get that out of the way. One thing that's really notable on this is the lack of any interesting production or musicality. It just...is. You couldn't call it absolutely dreadful I guess, because that would imply something was actually happening.
David Bowie
3/5
For me, this is the worst of the late-70s era Bowie albums. It's Dave, so obviously it's still got a lot to like and is still better than most other things, but it feels a tiny bit pastiche-y at times, which I think when Bowie goes full croon, he can do. Clearly, the title track is a masterpiece, and I think might be in the running for the best male vocal performance on record. It's remarkable that it still remains potent, despite being used on every BBC Olympics montage since ancient Greek times.
Wilco
4/5
I really love this album, and probably hadn't listened to it in a good few years. I absolutely know why people don't like Wilco - it's sooooo lo-fi it almost isn't there - but there's a lot of interesting things happening across most of the songs, and they create a sense of warmth that quite a lot of lo-fi lacks. All in all, a lovely album to listen to on a train looking out on the bleak midwinter, which is what I did.
Shivkumar Sharma
2/5
Delighted to listen to it. Delighted to know I won't be listening again. There's no doubting the quality, and obviously you have to acknowledge its influence in the year of 1967, when every Western band suddenly looked East, but as a whole piece, it doesn't do it for me. I'm very willing to take responsibility for that on my Westernised ears though.
Sister Sledge
2/5
Misery alert: I hate the song We Are Family. Maybe there's an undeveloped bit of my brain that can't just say 'that's a fun song that people like to dance to', but there we have it. Greatest Dancer is a good song, and the production is extremely shiny, but I'm afraid it's not for me.
Venom
1/5
The worst album yet, after 146 days. It has all the worst elements of metal, but with one additional factor: you can actually hear the lyrics. Oh good! Let's see if actually metal singers have deep thoughts and emotions when it isn't just screaming. Wait. Why does he keep saying 'doth' and singing about trolls and goblins or whatever? Is he 14 and a nerd? Hang on, this one's a misogynist, back-seat-of-the-bus giggle about fancying your teacher. That's a gear switch. WHY IS THE NEXT ONE ANOTHER DOTH ONE? Genuinely makes you think that castrating all teenage boys is probably the best way to save the planet.
Van Morrison
4/5
This is more like it, a bit of Van The Man (Who We No Longer Listen To). It's brilliant, although I find the title track irritating for some reason. He's got an unreal voice though and it balances real depth with a sense of lightness throughout. Not quite a five, but a lovely way to spend a Sunday morning cooking.
Lauryn Hill
3/5
Pretty OK to be fair. Way outside of my wheelhouse, but I actually enjoyed the little skits throughout it, which I often find unbearable. Lauren also has a very rich voice, that you feel could handle much bigger vocals than she's offered here. That Thing is a big old blast of nostalgia. Ultimately, it felt a touch samey and went on twice as long as I'd like, but it gets a three, which is probably more than I thought I'd give it.
The Hives
2/5
Not my new favourite band. Immature, unimaginative and abrasive.
Metallica
4/5
What happened to Metallica between 1986 and 1991?! This is so, so much better than the risible self-titled album from a couple of weeks ago. It's a band with serious muscle, not taking themselves too seriously and backed by some of the crispest, strongest production you'll hear anywhere. It's still a big macho guy shouting about how unfair the world is, and it's still a genre that doesn't float my barge, so it's never going to score super-high, but I enjoyed it, and I totally respect the quality. The final track lets it down quite badly too to be fair - it could be any generic terrible metal band.
The Police
3/5
Much better than Synchronicity, which was borderline unbearable. There's a lot to like about the instrumentation from The Police, although with woke 2024 ears, there's a lot of pastiche that veers close to cultural appropriation of the reggae scene I think. Unfortunately, every song has Sting's vocals on, one of the most irritating sounds on the planet. They should play it outside off-licences to disperse teenage delinquents. Still, not bad.
Belle & Sebastian
5/5
Where do you even start with a masterpiece like this? The first thing to note is that this album came out barely six months after their debut. This is a band with such creative force that they can pull 12 songs of such quality in such a space of time. I just love this album. I love the combination of naivety and confidence. Stuart knows he's onto something here, he knows that Tigermilk has made them the most interesting under the radar band in the country, he knows he's doing something all the luddites down south can't do, because he's got empathy, storytelling and delicacy on his side. I could talk through song by song about how great this album is, but let's pull out some highlights: Me and the Major is one of the all time great bops, and the harmonica towards the end is like a rush of joy. The Boy Done Wrong Again is a tear jerker. Mayfly is the most sublime ode to an insect on record. The title track is storytelling to rival any celebrated writer (who ARE these people? I like to imagine Stuart staring out from his bed at passers-by and creating whole backstories for Emily and the rest). And then there's Judy and the Dream of Horses. The second of my funeral songs that I've had on the project (the palette cleanser to Harrison really). It's a great story, it's idiosyncratic and relatable at the same time. The refrain between the verses is such lovely instrumentation, and the way it subtly builds from extreme gentleness into an all out danceable number by the end shows a band reaching the parts that no-one else can reach. A band like no other and their greatest album of all. Get in.
OutKast
3/5
There is just so much going on in every song on this album, you get whiplash. Sometimes that works spectacularly - the switch from rap to soul in Way You Move, for instance - but sometimes it just feels like you're starting to enjoy something and then it pulls the rug from under your feet. One thing that is really noticeable on here though is the absolutely sublime production quality. The crispness of the brass peppered through the record is so nice. It's let down a little by too many nothing tracks, which (shock horror) could have been removed to make a more coherent, sub-two hour album. Fun though.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Can I interested you in some of the funkiest Hammond organ? Obviously the title track is one of life's great bangers, and just gives you a serotonin rush like little else. The rest of the album though - not for me. It's impressive and quite fun, obviously, but you're definitely pleased when it's over.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Yeah, this was much more enjoyable than I'd feared. It suffers in a way from having a very diverse set of collaborators, because the sound changes quite rapidly from song to song, but on the other hand, you get some Santana, which is always a treat. When it works, it absolutely slaps - I'm in the Mood is joyous - but when it doesn't, it feels a bit derivative of a very overdone genre.
The Only Ones
4/5
I didn't recognise the name when I got this, but as soon as Another Girl kicked in I was beside myself! This is such a good album and one that I'll come back to. I read some other reviews slagging off the vocals, but they're right up my street - I love very imperfect singers, and he fits that bill nicely.
Jeff Buckley
4/5
Let's start at the most important place: Buckley's version of Hallelujah is less good than Leonard Cohen's. Yes, yes, Cohen reckoned Jeff's was better. What does he know? Not a patch. Getting that out of the way, this album is a weird one for me. It's maybe too attached to a specific time and place (being 18 and 19, James College, York University) to mark objectively. Trying to focus purely on the quality of the songs is hard, but I think it actually isn't all that good. Sometimes I find it a bit overwrought and you just wonder if it would have the same impact if JB was still knocking about. It's still good obviously, but maybe not as good as its reputation.
Travis
2/5
I was weirdly un-nostalgic about this. I expected to be taken back to the late 90s, but then I realised that by 1999 I was already looking down my nose at the likes of Travis a bit. Ultimately, this is insipid, boring and pastiche-y. There's something about Healy's (very nice) voice that makes the misery not quite ring true. I really don't get the Radiohead comparison, given the level of invention that they'd showed on OK Computer compared to this. It's closer to David Gray than it is to Thom Yorke. Driftwood is good though. Little Fran Healy nugget by the way, when Sgt Pepper turned 40 (2007) the Beeb did a really good programme where contemporary artists covered each song. Fran did Lovely Rita, and his vocals were absolutely tremendous on a song he could easily have murdered. So well done for that, if not really for this.
Bobby Womack
3/5
Normally, I'm not a big fan of old school soul, yer Barry Whites and the like. There were times when this album veered into that hackneyed territory, but by and large I thought it was much more interesting than that. Great voice, good arrangement and well-written songs in the main. Loses a little bit for being a bit same-y and not overly inspiring.
Minutemen
5/5
Woooof! I'd never heard of this, or them, and it's tremendous. All of the words that are often red flags for me, like eclectic (usually means incoherent), ramshackle (usually means poorly played) and DIY (usually means bad production) sum up this album, but in a really great way. This feels like pure punk, but in ethos rather than just a Pistols/Ramones pastiche. At times it's really gentle and skilful, but never loses its power. There are so many influences and styles mixed in here, and it's easy to imagine lots of bands taking inspiration from this record. You can hear a specific song (I don't know which there's millions of them) that might be the only song Clap Your Hands Say Yeah ever heard, and you can at times find the roots of the Elephant Six movement that spawned Neutral Milk Hotel and others. Very good stuff indeed, and thank you Robert.
Elvis Presley
4/5
This was a really interesting listen. It has some of the classic Elvis tracks that are part of the global consciousness, like Blue Suede Shoes and I Got A Woman, but also, because it's so early in his career, there's times when he's being Elvis, rather than ELVIS. The voice is in a higher register and there's more of a vulnerability. It's a shame in a way that that happens on the songs that are the most trad rock 'n' roll numbers, because it lends a bit of charm. Ultimately, you have to mark this highly in the context of the time and the catalyst it provided for all that followed, as well as for the handful of great tunes in among the standards.
Cat Stevens
5/5
Ab-so-lu-tely marvellous. There's a strong argument that Cat/Yusuf is in the top few songwriters of all time. I guess the fact that whenever some schmuck like Rod Stewart covers a Cat song it's so terrible is testament to the fact he also performs them immaculately as well. The big hits on here really stand out, Sad Lisa is tremendous, Father and Son is one of the most emotional and moving songs on record IMHO (and I will be taking no questions on that), while Wild World is both poignant and toe-tapping. That little guitar run after the title line gets me every time. It loses 0.1 for reminding me of the existence of Rod Stewart and Boyzone, but this album is close to perfect. Actually, forget that. FIVE POINT NOUGHT STARS.
Robert Wyatt
3/5
Quite possibly the weirdest thing I ever listened to. Possibly some context required: I listened to this while walking to Old Trafford in a crowd of around 70,000 people, very aware that while other people were chatting, drinking, chanting and so on, I was listening to Robert Wyatt have a bit of a breakdown. I read the backstory to this album, and it's so interesting, but quite often it just sounds like the other Wyatt album I've had - a singer singing a different song to the backing. It's got some lovely bits and pieces on it, and some that are laugh out loud funny. I'd recommend it to someone. But not necessarily someone I liked very much.
Gorillaz
2/5
This was OK. I think the singles are very cool and extremely evocative of the time. Unfortunately, it's a bit full of filler, and when it flops, it flops pretty hard. Not unpleasant, but not one to return to.
Van Halen
1/5
What a stunning waste of a talented guitarist. It's like a science experiment has taken place to remove all the soul, love and nuance from music, and then distilled it through someone who has learned all of the technique of playing the guitar, but doesn't know what it can really do. The best song is a cover of the Kinks that is approximately six million times worse than the Kinks version. Dreadful.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Interesting one. I don't know loads about Kendrick, which is on me, as he's so highly respected by people whose opinion I value. I'm aware this is early in his career, and that To Pimp a Butterfly and DAMN are still to come (presumably at least TPAB is on The Project), and it came across like this. There's no end of talent, but it doesn't feel like someone who's totally risen above the 'generic rap/hip-hip' template at this stage. It's mightily impressive, despite that, and got me excited for what's to come.
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
Yeah, thanks Astrud, now I want a pina colada and it's 10am. An absolutely beautiful voice, so clear and sultry. She did the most famous Girl From Ipanema apparently, and you can tell that she must have been one of the standout vocalists of the era. It's a touch dull, if we're looking at it through cynical 2024 eyes, but regardless, a very nice gentle start to the day. Now, where's that pina?
Blondie
4/5
Great stuff! Packed full of bangers, including the songs that maybe aren't as well known nowadays. In particular, Picture This was a song I didn't really know that was very, very good. The power in the vocals on songs like Hanging on the Telephone is great.
Michael Jackson
3/5
Disappointing, to be honest. A lot of this era of Jackson seems to sum up the very worst of the 80s (musically, I'm glossing over the fact that he summed up the very worst of any generation away from the microphone). Over-produced, style-over-substance and far too slick. The singles are great in a way, because they take you to classic discos and it's hard not to enjoy that, but it's only really on songs like Dirty Diana and Leave Me Alone that he gets any kind of true feeling or grit into what's basically the pinnacle of corporate muzak.
Iron Maiden
4/5
This is...not what I thought Iron Maiden would be like. I was expecting to have my ears pummelled by the most artless noise since I got forced to listen to Metallica. But actually, they're really good! The band are tight as anything, and there's a lot of invention. The occasional samples are great fun and undercut the slightly 'take it too seriously' vibe. I especially love The Prisoner starting with the oh-so evocative sample from the TV programme. It loses marks because the singer is a touch grating for my tastes, and I feel like he doesn't match the funkiness and grove of the band basically. Get Jagger on vocals and you have yourself a rock band.
ZZ Top
2/5
Why are all these songs the same? Why are these people filling stadia instead of playing to eight people in a pub on a Tuesday night in Bromsgrove? It's technically fine, I guess, and it doesn't offend me or make me want to switch it off, but it's boring, and it's the least interesting music you can imagine.
Merle Haggard
1/5
Good god this is unspeakably boring. You know that dreadful film where the Beatles don't exist, so someone plays Beatles songs with Ed Sheeran (I think that's the plot, it was shocking). Anyway, this is like if the Fabs didn't exist, but nor did any other progressive sixties music, any drug or alt culture, or cultural revolution. It's easy to imagine this is what Don Draper put on when he turned off Tomorrow Never Knows halfway through. I love Don, but I don't want to live in that world.
Missy Elliott
3/5
Yeah, this was fun. Dirty, bolshy and well-delivered, with great production behind it. It suffers a little from length and gets a bit bogged down, but I can totally see why it's a popular album in the genre.
Isaac Hayes
2/5
Just way too smooth for me. Hard to think of much to say about it really, other than that he's got a very nice voice and his band can play. They just do very little of interest with it.
Jurassic 5
4/5
Yikes! This was absolutely mega. Considering it was outside of my genre wheelhouse, I enjoyed this so much. What was particularly nice was that it felt very different lyrically to a lot of other hip hop we've had so far. Self-empowering without falling into Instagram post cliché, positive but not cheesy, and by and large avoiding the sexist pitfalls of their contemporaries. Loved it to bits.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
The hits just keep on coming. I watched a documentary on Marley the night before getting this, which meant I was very in the mood for this. It's just brilliant. Darker and moodier than the cliché of reggae that people cling to, but still with some beautiful moments of lightness (it's clinically impossible not to feel better within 3.4 seconds of Stir It Up). Most importantly, it gave me a chance to get on my soapbox about the novel A History Of Seven Killings and sound terribly clever. So thanks Bob.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
We're on a roll of big names and big hits. It's a five from me. What an astonishing collection of songs. I listened to it with 'er indoors on vinyl and we played it three times straight. There are maybe one or two weaker tracks on side one, but by the time you're on the home straight it's like a freight train coming at you. I saw some criticism of Bruce's voice in the other reviews, which I guess was a joke I didn't get? He sounds mega, at his stadium-filling best. Oh, and the title track isn't patriotic gang - maybe you, Donald and Ronald should try actually listening to it - brilliantly subversive pop music.
Miles Davis
3/5
A tough one to mark. So clearly absolutely exceptional musicianship, but with just two tracks, it's a shame that the first one is a bit of a miss. The second, however, really showcases the range and skill of Davis and his band. What I found, I think, most interesting, was the intersection between this and mainstream pop of the period. It's clear that he exists in that world, even if it's translated to jazz. And actually, at around 12 mins into the title track, you realise the influence he had. There's a point where you swear he's inventing shoegaze, and also some of the chord progressions are wholly nicked by Pink Floyd in their Wish You Were Here era. Not my thing, not always an easy listen, but mightily impressive nonetheless.
Iggy Pop
4/5
I thought this was going to be rubbish! But I was not aware of the golden touch of David running across this record. His influence is so strong, and combined with Pop's rough and rowdy ways, you have a winning formula. There's times (Turning Blue!) when it sounds like very bad David, and you get the sense that he might have been holding something back for the Berlin Trilogy, but when it works, like on Success, it's an absolute diamond. Great stuff.
Dolly Parton
2/5
Dull dull dull I'm afraid. All three singers have great voices, and they mesh well together, but the songs are unbearably formulaic and drift really quickly into the background.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
I've got to be honest, this massively passed me by. It was perfectly pleasant, but made no lasting impression whatsoever. Sorry, I love burritos as well.
Fugees
3/5
If you could isolate all the bits that are Lauryn Hill in this album it would be absolutely brilliant. The music is great and her voice is simply stunning. Unfortunately, Wyclef rocks up every two minutes to ruin anything. Also, there's some of the worst skits I've ever heard on a hip hop album on here. But it gets a decent mark for the two big singles, which are both tremendous.
Marvin Gaye
5/5
Magnificent. I love that sometimes I listen to this album and really focus on the lyrical power, and sometimes you can just let the sound envelop you. The recurring motifs in the music work superbly throughout, with the title track coming back into your consciousness throughout the album, meaning this works as a concept album pretty perfectly. There are a couple of minor things I will say - Save The Children is quite a poor song to the point of being skippable, and the scraper on Right On renders a really great song a bit irritating. But these are tiny quibbles that might point to me holding this otherwise faultless album to really high standards. Feel free to hate me, but a perfect 5.0 can't have a song that you want to skip on it, so it gets a magnificent 4.8 and a place in the GOAT conversation.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
A lovely sounding album that probably suffers in comparison to yesterday's generational masterpiece. The two are thematically really similar, but Curtis probably allows too much soulfulness to dull the righteous anger that his social commentary deserves. It's all a little too nice I think, although that doesn't stop it being a lovely listen.
Joan Armatrading
4/5
This isn't the album with Drop The Pilot on, just in case you're reading this before listening, we may as well lower expectations right now. However, it's still a really good collection of songs, sung brilliantly by Our Joan. It's a bit same-y, I'd say, but very nice indeed.
Tim Buckley
3/5
I had this on CD, and remember thinking that Tim isn't a patch on Jeff. I still think that now, although he does a good line in Doors-lite. It's a shame I don't really like the Doors. The stand out track for me is Nighthawkin', which sounds nothing like The Doors, but is basically Dan-esque yacht rock. Lovely stuff
The Kinks
3/5
I was so disappointed with this! I thought I'd love it, but it feels like they've really leaned into a pastiche of English pastoralism that (a) means nothing to me and (b) gets in the way of the often quite interesting musicality. They threatened this already with songs like Lazy Sunday Afternoon, but this felt like it was designed to give American audiences a comforting insight into English life that bears little resemblence to reality for most people.
Beck
4/5
Funky funky funky. I've had a minor level Beck blind spot, and at times, I remembered why, as it's probably a little too (think of another word, nope, I can't) funky. But there are some really great tunes on here, and it's extremely enjoyable, and ultimately, isn't that what it's all about? No idea what any of it means, but I like it.
5/5
The challenge with reviewing Sgt Pepper is it's a bit like trying to review 'air' or 'gravity' (the natural phenomena, not the French band or the Embrace song). It's just always been there keeping me alive. It almost doesn't matter that When I'm 64 is risible, or that WALHFMF is on here. When you have a record that's got Lovely Rita, A Day in the Life, She's Leaving Home and (IMHO) the incredible reprise of the title track all there, plus Good Morning, which really stood out on this listen, there isn't much more to say. it's wonderful, it's life-changing and it's magnificent. Then you add in the cover, the cultural impact and the sheer bravery, and you just can't mark it down.
The Saints
4/5
This was good! Surprisingly so, really. I was expecting some horrible thrashing, but it's musically pretty interesting and has a bit of depth. The singer is obviously a bit of an irritant, but that's probably to be expected. But overall, a great discovery.
The United States Of America
2/5
You've had what you thought were some normal garlic mushrooms on toast, and you've gone on a waltzer. Wait. Those weren't normal mushrooms at all! 37 minutes later you exit the waltzer, confused, scared but maybe a little exhilarated. This album is that, and it's definitely worth somewhere between 0.1 and 5.0
The Zombies
3/5
In some ways, this was a nice palette cleanser after yesterday's absolutely madness, but it was a bit of a disappointment. The songs that I knew were good - Time of the Season in particular is a cracking bit of late 60s West Coast stuff. But overall, I felt that it drifted a little, and was often just...fine.
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
Love this. A real blend of quite traditional sounding (to me, who has no idea what he's on about here) West African music with some extremely all-American rock guitar work. It was fun, it was great to have on in the background while I was working, and it is exactly what the project is for.
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
The third member of the Gilbertos to grace The Proj, and very nice it was too. Nice being the word, as it was all extremely gentle and a little boring at times. She has a lovely voice, although if I was to sum it up in an adjective, it'd be nice.
Frank Ocean
3/5
I was super-excited to get this, as Frank Orange is so obviously a major cultural touchpoint that I have yet to really experience. A bit like Kendrick in that sense. What I found was a real mixed bag. There were some absolutely brilliant tracks full of social and political commentary, with Crack Rock being the undoubted highlight. Then there was quite a bit that I would have expected on an Usher album from 2004.
Little Richard
3/5
The fact that Long Tall Sally still gives you a visceral sensation in your spine, 67 years on from its creation, is really quite something, and is most of all a testament to Little Richard's unrivalled vocal power. I've scored it low, because I'm listening with modern ears and a lot of it sounds very traditional and staid, but it's hard to ignore the fact that this will have been like music from Mars in 1957, played by someone from the future.
Tracy Chapman
4/5
Way better than I expected for some reason. I knew the album a little, and expected something very middling, but there's such a lyrical power across the album, and really great musicality, that it has to score very highly indeed. A lovely Saturday morning album.
Ice T
3/5
I was so hungover when I got this, and while that isn't Mr T's fault, it did mean that I entered it with extreme trepidation. I shouldn't have though! It was definitely one of the best rap and hip-hop albums I've had so far. Full of really powerful brass and genuinely quite funny skits (First Impressions is the absolute bomb). There's obviously horrible overcurrents of sexism and glorification of violence that loses lots of marks, but in general, surprisingly good.
Michael Jackson
2/5
Too slick, too shiny, too polished. I'm just not into it at all. It's like you can recognise the talent of the production, of the singer and of the songwriter, but still be left feeling like someone has chiselled a little bit of music's soul away forever.
Beach House
5/5
This was so ridiculously up my street, it's completely unfathomable that I didn't know it better already. Its sound is so pure, so emotive and very, very creative. It reminded me quite a bit of Veckatamist, by Grizzly Bear, that must have come out at the same time, but was definitely better. One of the finds of the project so far for me, and something I'll listen to again and again and again.
Garbage
3/5
Good, I suppose. I wasn't expecting to get too much out of this - it feels like it's very of its time really. But actually, there was more going on than I'd have given them credit for; in particular there are some really good, almost metal, guitar parts on Not My Idea, and she has a really instantly recognisable singing style. It's not earth-shattering, but it's pretty good.
Hugh Masekela
3/5
Listened to this in the gym. I suspect that no-one else at Salford PureGym was listening to it at the same time, but maybe I'm being snobbish. It was a really interesting listen, with a good mix of quite traditional sounding 'world music', but alongside something much more recognisable as 'Western' jazz. It could have done with being a little bit less smooth for my taste, one or two of the tracks were definitely more modern feeling, and that's where my enjoyment lay.
Norah Jones
1/5
This was the worst thing I've listened to. Maybe ever. Her voice is so cloying, every single lyric is vacuous, and the whole album sounds like it was created solely for sofa adverts. My hatred is limitless. The fact that she sings a duet with Stuart Murdoch on Write About Love and I love it is testament to the genius of Belle and Sebastian.
David Gray
2/5
No thank you David. For all that Babylon has kind of entered into the ironic appreciation stage, this, on the back of Jones, was just more MOR, boring nothingness. He's a United fan, so gains 0.1 marks for that.
Pere Ubu
2/5
Stressful. Very, very stressful. What's wrong with this guy's voice? It feels like one of the muppets is being forced to sing a punk song at gunpoint. The bass playing is absolutely stonking though, so that's something, and it wasn't David Gray or Norah Jones, so won on that front.
The Prodigy
3/5
I just don't really get the appeal of The Prodigy. We get it pals, you've taken loads of drugs and you've gone mad. It's fairly generic music in the main, and is only really elevated when they lean way more into dance than drum and bass. Then you get something fairly interesting. Whichever one of them sings has a stinker of a voice too. Having said all that, Breathe is a nostalgic song to listen to and impossible not to enjoy on a fairly primal level.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
Yessir! Some lovely palette cleansing shoegaze and feedback. Was just feeling like I'd been on a bit of a poor run, and this was marvellous. The final two tracks are maybe just a smidge too heavy for me. I'm all for distortion and noise, but there's got to be a melody, and I feel they lost it a little. Overall though, a cracking listen to a band that I've always known from a distance, but now intend to get much closer to.
N.E.R.D
3/5
Better than I thought to be fair. Pharrell has got a good voice, these are well written songs, and, unlike some other artists of the genre, they seem to prioritise having fun over macho posturing. It reminded me of Outkast, who were probably their closest contemporaries, in that respect. The songs with Lenny Kravitz were particularly good I thought. Not amazing all round, but an enjoyable listen.
Screaming Trees
4/5
Really diverse set of influences on this I think - far beyond the grunge that I'd assumed I was getting. Bits of Zeppelin, bits of the more psychedelic end of Britpop, bits of heavier rock (unsurprising, given Josh Homme's involvement). Overall, a real treat and a pleasant surprise based on the artist name and album cover, both of which scream 'horrible noise'. Will definitely listen again.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
In places, this is absolutely superb; the first four tracks are clear five star material, but I think it drifts a little towards the back end. The Murder Mystery is hard work, and I'm afraid that After Hours just falls on the wrong side of tweeness for me (and I have an extremely high tweeness threshold). One absolutely cracking nugget I didn't know before though - the opening lines of Candy Says are borrowed by Sparklehorse on Maria's Little Elbows, which is probably in my top ten songs of all time. So that was a real treat.
1/5
I could only stomach seven minutes of this. It is genuinely one of the most stressful and headache-inducing experiences of my life. How is it possible to find this enjoyable? I would confess to crimes I had never committed after the opening 15 seconds just to make it stop. I've selected the first track as my favourite, but really I mean the first second or so, when hope still existed.
Simply Red
3/5
Well, it was better than yesterday. Actually, it was basically fine. Upbeat Simply Red is definitely preferable to crooning Simply Red, which there is too much of here. Money's Too Tight... is an absolute stonker though, and lifts it up the rankings. Also, the first song is very good indeed. Some killer, mucho filler.
Dire Straits
3/5
What an MOR double with Simply Red yesterday. The thing I almost always think about Dire Straits, with a few very notable exceptions (Brothers in Arms, Romeo and Juliet and Sultans of Swing for instance), is that it's all a bit soulless. Technically good, but doesn't really move you very much. Still nice to have on in the background and I'm still grateful for that two days on from the Guantanamo experience.
Lana Del Rey
4/5
Really, really in my wheelhouse. Through my 30s my taste has distilled into 'whispering women singing about the pain of being pure at heart', and Lana gets it. Her voice is very dramatic, sometimes a little too much, but the music is great, and there are way more hits than misses.
Rush
3/5
Listened to it running, and that is exactly the right place for it. It's about the right level of prog for me, but still a bit pretentious at times. All in all, pretty good, but I'm unlikely to go back to it.
The Gun Club
3/5
By and large, my kind of punk. Again, I listened to it running and that felt right. It started off better than it ended, and by the last song I was pretty done with it, but the singer's voice was decent and it wasn't unpleasant.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Oh Bruce, the banger machine. I didn't know this album all that well, apart from the title track and a couple of others. It felt grimier and less polished than the big beasts of Born in The USA and Born To Run. More down-at-home and somehow very personal. I liked that, even if it did lack some of the grandeur of his biggest hits. Once again, I'm left wondering who these people are who consider The Boss' voice to be anything other than absolutely stellar.
Saint Etienne
5/5
Five whole stars for this slice of early 90s indie house. Just sublime in places, with Sarah's voice bringing a whole load of sunshine. The standout for me is London Belongs To Me, which could easily have been on an early Belle and Seb album and not looked out of place, albeit with some amazing house beat behind it. When this finished, their mix of Jackie Collins Existential Question Time came on, and that was quite a way to carry on the fun. A big find, and one I want on vinyl ASAP.
The Sonics
2/5
Hmm. I was pretty up for this - I like garage rock and thought this would be really interesting, but it let me down I'm afraid. It didn't have the oomph that I'd been expecting, and was surprisingly generic I thought.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
He's back, just three days later, our Lord and Saviour Bruce Springsteen. Now, clearly this album has the title track on, so cannot be anything less than amazing. Seriously, is there anything better than the little breakdown, the 1-2-3-4 and then back into the vocals? There really might not be. Overall, it's a little bit more uneven that Born In The USA was - Night is probably the only other absolute stand-out. But even The Boss' average is way better than most people's best, so it still scores very highly indeed.
Van Morrison
5/5
I'm on a cracking run at the minute. Van the Man at his most ethereal, most beautiful, most weird and most listenable. Normally, if you're telling me a folk singer has got an album where each song averages eight minutes, I'm checking out, but these just drift by on an undercurrent of beautiful musicality. There's so much variety - sometimes you're in a French tavern, sometimes you're deep in a forest, sometimes it's just you and Van in a wood cabin (while he presumably tells you the perils of vaccines). Madame George is the highlight, but really, this is one of the peaks of music. It sums up an era, a genre and an artist perfectly. Love it.
Talking Heads
4/5
It's not the best Talking Heads, but it's still excellent. I would say that there's parts of this record that are a bit flat maybe? But I'm nit-picking because expectations are high from David Byrne.
Morrissey
4/5
Sorry, I loved it. We're slap bang in the art vs artist quagmire, and I'm still doing the separation. Lyrically, I think this is right up there with some of the Smiths work, and the two singles from it are absolutely massive. First of The Gang To Die is just a huge, huge adrenaline rush. I'll be singing it for days to come now (so sorry, everyone, blame The Project). Thinking about it, I'm probably marking this down because of Moz, so it turns out the art and the artist aren't all that separate after all.
Parliament
4/5
Deeply funky, incredibly talented, not totally my sort of thing, but absolutely great fun. I'm marking it down a little because I wasn't totally disappointed when it was over, but I'm sure that says more about me than Parliament.
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
Very musical theatre. Rufus is someone that I really think I should like, but it's all a bit too much for me. His singing style is affected and annoying, I feel like I'm at the front row while he plays the piano and stares directly at me. It's not that it's bad, it's that I don't like it very much. It feels a bit false. When he drops his guard, which he does on occasion, it's truly lovely, but that's all too rare.
Al Green
4/5
As quintessentially Sunday-ish as watching both Premier League games through a hangover. From the first horns of the title track, to the very end, this is just smooth and nice. Possibly too nice.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
I arrived at this as a Stevie-sceptic, and left a Wonder-maniac. Why isn't there a synonym for maniac beginning with W? Anyway, I only really knew Wonder's big singles, and found them all too cheesy, but this has real soul (obvs) and depth to it, as well as a big slice of sunshine. The closing two tracks were particularly brilliant, which is always a sure-fire way to get your mark up.
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
The hit factory do it again. I imagine that instead of writing a weekly shopping list, Lowe and Tennant just turn 'milk, eggs and toothpaste' into a six minute, joyous, melancholy epic. The combination of their vocals and the music feels completely unique and hits a part of your brain and heart that no one else can. To finish all this with Jealousy, one of the saddest, most heart-felt songs in their back catalogue, is just awe-inspiring. The good thing about this is that you know this is nowhere near as good as they get.
Spiritualized
3/5
Sadly, this wasn't quite as good as I remembered it being. I absolutely love Spirtualised when they're being all floaty and dreamy, but I'd forgotten that there's quite a bit of fairly bog-standard indie/Britpop. Often he sounds like he's choosing to sing badly, when you know he can do better. Still very enjoyable and nostalgic, but a bit of a disappointment.
Talking Heads
4/5
Not Talking Heads at their absolutely brilliant best, but still a good romp. You can tell that this is early in their career I think; it's not as adventurous as some of their later records. Still, it's got Psycho Killer on, which is one of the all time great songs to sing in the car. It also will always remind me of one of the best cold opens to a TV show ever, when Mac arrives at Paddy's in IASIP playing this on a boombox.
Kate Bush
4/5
Really, really good. What a voice, what a songwriter. The big hits (Running Up That Hill, the title track, The Big Sky and Cloudbusting) are mega. It's missing out on five stars, because I do think it loses quite a bit of momentum in the last four songs or so, but I love this and will come back to it repeatedly.
Arcade Fire
4/5
This was quite a lot better than I expected. So far this project is really showing that I like Arcade Fire, which I was pretty convinced was not the case. It felt a bit more melodic and less urgent than early AF, which is up my street.
The Stooges
2/5
I found this disappointing to be honest, after really enjoying Iggy earlier on in the project. The production felt weirdly thin and weedy, and it was all just a bit blah all round. I daresay I'm missing its vital role in the canon, but for me it just wasn't that interesting or pleasant.
James Brown
3/5
You can feel the power of the live performer in this, and that's pretty exciting, especially early on (I very nearly plumped for the intro as the standout track, as it got me pretty giddy). The songs don't really match the excitement of the performance, which is a shame. It's all quite basic and same-y unfortunately.
Suicide
2/5
Just fairly horrible all round. They can play pretty well, and there was enough interesting and melodic guitar in places to scrape it into the two star banding, but it was, it's fair to say, not for me.
David Bowie
5/5
It's fair to say, however, that this is very much for me. Bowie is surely unmatched for his ability to combine something so weird and experimental with objectively great songs like Sound and Vision. I love the whole second side to this record to be fair, despite the fact that Dave's single greatest weapon - his voice - is barely used. People talk a lot about production and sometimes maybe too much, but credit has to go to Eno on this record; he really makes it.
Big Black
2/5
Similar to Suicide a couple of days ago, mostly extremely no thank you. There were some elements of fun in this, and I listened to it running, which probably helped. The first track and a half was almost good. Then it very much was not.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
I had great fun with this! It's positive, it's funny and it's very nice to listen to. The vocals are on point and the changing cast keep it all quite fresh. It's also quite silly quite often, which isn't so much for me, but there's definitely a time and a place for it.
Primal Scream
5/5
I came into this thinking that I knew Screamadelica and it was good. I was not ready for the sheer strength and emotional connection I was going to get with this album. From the very opening moment to the comedown section at the end (how does this dance album also contain something as beautiful as Damaged?! How!) it encapsulates an era, a vibe and a place almost perfectly. It's not getting 5.0 on the basis of a couple of songs that are too straightforwardly dance songs for my tastes (Inner Flight in particular is a chore), but it's outstripped expectations so much. A word too for Andy Wetherall (RIP) for his Loaded mix. What a song that is, what use of samples. The introductory sample sends shivers down the spine and the opening brass is just an explosion of joy.
Flamin' Groovies
2/5
BORING! I was quite up for this. They're groovy right? I like that! But actually, I don't like hearing garage band covers of old rock 'n' roll standards and not very good musicality. Get a few marks for the opener and the Whisky one (I'm unwilling to even check the track listings, such is my disdain).
Pulp
5/5
Brilliant from start to finish. The singles are massive - we'll come to Common People, but let's pause to acknowledge Something's Changed, Disco 2000, Underwear, Es and Whizz and Mis-Shapes - and it's well backed up by songs like L.O.V.E (I ain't typing that out in full Jarvis, no-one has time for that). It's a testament to an era, and to a counter-culture to the laddish glorification of normcore happening elsewhere. Pulp are knowingly weird, subversive and un-alpha, and I love them for it. And finally, it's become a cliché to love Common People I assume, but get the record, stick on the full length version, and glory in the total evisceration of poverty tourism, told through some of the starkest, most brutal poetry known to man. It's magnificent, and this particular listen has put it back into my own personal conversation for the GOAT song.
Hookworms
4/5
I remember hearing Static Resistance on the radio for the first time in the car, and really enjoying it, then getting onto the album. Listened to it a lot for a few weeks, and then totally forgot about it. Anyway, I was extremely pleased to have it back in my life. I listened to it running, and it is about as good a running album as you can get. Really well paced, very propulsive and just generally very good indeed.
Elvis Presley
4/5
Probably peak Elvis for me. When you think about what you want from EAP, it's the voice, isn't it, and here he has absolute full power without going into the Las Vegas era croon. Also, in Suspicious Minds and In The Ghetto, it has two songs that time has not dimmed in the slightest. Side note: isn't it weird to hear the non-live version of Suspicious Minds? I can't really think of another song where a live version is so much better known that the original (No Woman, No Cry?). It's not a five, because there's too many fairly derivative songs, but even they have the pleasure of hearing The King sing.
Slayer
3/5
This...was quite good! My heart was in my boots when I got it, but I went out for a brisk run and listened to it, and it was way better than I'd feared. Obviously it starts with a 10 second long scream, which (a) is very funny, and (b) meant I set off at about four times my usual pace like I'd been shot out of a cannon. But after that, while it's really heavy and not my thing at all, there's, y'know, melody and skill to the music. A lesson to lots of other metal bands that it's OK to write actual songs that don't make people want to cut their ears off.
The War On Drugs
4/5
Just having a brilliant time of it in the last little while. I love everything about this album. It wears its influences really clearly, with The Boss and even Bob very easy to spot throughout. Musically, it's just got a lovely vibe to it that's ambient but never dull. I'd totally forgotten about this album, but looking back I'd rated it as my number one album of 2014 (yes, keeping those rankings to hand is totally normal, yes). Misses out because while it's great, it's not particularly original, so can only get as close to a five as the system will let me get, without giving it the top marks.
PJ Harvey
4/5
When you hear this against the early 90s PJ, it shows such a remarkable change. For one thing, her voice has matured and blossomed, to the point that it sounds a bit Kate Bush-y. There's also a cracking undercurrent of anger and protest in songs that skewer what it means to be English as the Tories began their endless running of the country into the ground, so that's nice.
Tom Tom Club
3/5
Mental, basically. Very hard to judge this, because it so finely walks the line between absolute genius and terribly irritating, often in the same song. Three things stand out: the female vocals are from a different era to the music entirely, they should be wearing a daisy chain headband and singing about Aquarius; unexpectedly hearing the song that the gang dance to at the end of an episode of Always Sunny In Philadelphia made me LOL immediately; the cover of Under The Boardwalk is magnificent. But these are all confusing things. Ultimately, I've come down somewhere in the middle.
Alice In Chains
1/5
Horrible stuff. The vocals are unbearably drudgy and there is so much swamp all over the music that the whole thing sounds terrible. It gave me a headache, and I was very disappointed.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Just quite dull I'm afraid. After being really blown away by Innervisions, this felt like a different artist entirely; it's hard to believe the albums are only a year apart. Still a great voice and I enjoyed Creepin', but not one for me really.
The Beach Boys
5/5
One of the great white whales! The first thing I will acknowledge is that it isn't The Beach Boys fault that God Only Knows and Wouldn't It Be Nice have been over-played to the extent they set my teeth on edge. Seriously though, they've become a watchword for bland platitude advertising at its worst. Despite all that, this album is obviously magnificent. The vocal harmonies, the invention, the emotion in some songs (I Just Wasn't Made For These Times and Caroline, No in particular) are all absolutely on point, and it's just got a beautiful sound to it. Side point: What the Beach Boys needed was a John Lennon to their McCartneys - maybe they could do with being a little less polished at times. Look it's brilliant OK! Don't @ me for giving it 4.8.
Primal Scream
3/5
With all respect, this album just feels like a bit of a mess to be honest. It's so eclectic - there's straightforward rock, leftover bits from the Screamadelica era and some very heavy stuff - that it just becomes a bit impenetrable. It's not bad as such, but coming quite hard on the heels of their masterpiece in The Project, it's definitely disappointing.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
5/5
I really enjoyed this so much. It's a definite step up from the (still very good) CSN album from the year before. Young just brings so much soul and emotion through his voice, and a hint of more of a rock sensibility. It creeps into the five star category for never really having a lull or a dip in its entire run.
Kid Rock
1/5
The worst art I have ever consumed. Dreadful. Worse than the thing I had to give 0.0 to because it made me feel sick. I've given it 0.1 because I was physically capable of hearing it, but I didn't enjoy a single second of this. By all accounts, Mr Rock is a middle-class white kid from the respectable suburbs putting on a cap and pretending to be a rock rapper. Go away. Imagine Rage Against The Machine if Tom Morello left, Zach had a lobotomy and they had absolutely nothing of value to say. You're imagine an album 100 times better than this.
Roni Size
3/5
Surprisingly nostalgic feeling, was old Ronald. It's quite repetitive and at times pretty irritating, but at other times there's quite a bit going on, and the female vocalist who pops up every now and then adds a lot of value.
The Avalanches
3/5
Good enjoyable fun. How many samples is too many samples? Arguably, it's the amount the Avalanches use every single second of this album, but take nothing away from them, they now how to create complex and interesting songs that also get your feet going. Frontier Psychologist is a great song.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
I enjoyed this a lot, but there is no doubt that his output is a little uneven. For every Wild Rose or Henry Lee, there's a confusing m'f-ing mess of a song around the corner. He's a genius, but I don't always understand him.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Marvellous, I'm in serious danger of having to acknowledge being wrong for the first ever time. Led Zep are not, repeat not, just for nerds who love widdling guitars. Thank You in particular was tremendous, and had the song writing style of Wings-era Macca to my ears.
Haircut 100
3/5
Listened to it in the gym, and it was pretty up-tempo and engaging. I don't know that it's high art, but sometimes you just want to eat sweets and watch The Chase and that's fine.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
A genius, at almost the peak of his powers (the best is yet to come, Project-wise). Is there a more electrifying sound than Crosstown Traffic's riff? It's hard to believe, listening to Jimi, that there are people who think Clapton is the better guitarist - he doesn't possess 1/10th of the soul or 1/100th of the funk.
The Fall
3/5
The usual madness from the Fall. Equal parts daft as the B&Q paintbrush collection, abrasive as the B&Q sandpaper stock and refreshing as (I assume) the tea in the B&Q cafe.
The Zutons
4/5
On the one hand, why is this quite regulation slab of landfill Indie on here? On the other, I think I sang every word and it took me immediately back to some of the very happiest times of my life.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Sorry CCR, I think you left all your best songs on Green River. Pretty generic and at times a little dull, albeit still with Foggy's lovely voice shining through.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
2/5
Is this album....offensive? It feels like cultural appropriation. It does not feel like an album I want to hear again. To be fair, it started OK, but it went very quickly downhill from there.
Fela Kuti
3/5
Yeah, this is cool. A really awesome sound and each song feels really complete and separate, which isn't always the case for me in this genre.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
After the stellar rating for Too Rye Aye, this was a real comedown for the Dexy gang. It was too clean and polished for me. Apparently they went from an 11 piece to a 4 piece for this album, and I think they've lost some of that loveable chaos that epitomised their earlier work. Felt extremely 80s, in a bad way.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Two Felas in three days! Who am I, [insert name of promiscuous woman here]? This one was a definite step up, aided of course by Ginger Baker's superb drumming. Not so superb that I want the last 12 minutes to be one long drum solo though, that was too much for me.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Day 267, and finally some Stones! And a really good one to start with. Listened on vinyl, and quite a crackly vinyl at that, which really helped. Gimme Shelter is, of course, a clear highlight, but really the whole thing is such a mood, and such an iconic piece of music that it feels unfair to single songs out in a way.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Oof Marv, this was a lot les good than the early 70s work. Just a bit hackneyed I think and at times dull. There's no doubting the vocal quality, but I think if you're moving from a concept album that's 'the state of America in a post-Vietnam landscape' to a concept album about 'my divorce', you should maybe give up on concept albums.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
There is quite a lot of not brilliant songs on BOTR, but there are some songs that are of such insanely high quality that the less good ones are quickly forgotten. The opening double of the title track and Jet (WHOO-OO-OO-OO-OOH) are pure adrenaline, while Let Me Roll It might be in the top 15/20 songs of all time for me. It closes superbly as well with 1985.
The Adverts
3/5
Fine. Good even! I get the feeling that I won't remember a single thing about The Adverts in about three days though.
The Residents
1/5
I'll definitely remember The Residents! They're the ones where you're pretty sure the whole thing is a joke. What is going on? Has my brain broken? Have their brains broken? Something here is broken.
The Crusaders
3/5
I started on the back foot by finding the title track quite irritating, but it's actually a perfectly decent album really, if not necessarily to my tastes.
Bob Dylan
5/5
Brilliant, and in my opinion, very underrated Bob. The best known tracks that (almost) bookend the album are very good, but there's some really highlights in the middle, not least Idiot Wind and Jack of Hearts. It's also very 60s-ish isn't it? I've got a bit of a theory that Bob went straight from the 60s to the 80s in his music, and we're still very much in the Blonde on Blonde/Highway 61 era here.
The Thrills
3/5
Why. Are. You. Here? I think that even in 2003, sitting on the porch roof of our student house and listening to this album, we knew that this was not going to be an important artefact. Still, it's always nice to hear what four Irish lads who've been on holiday precisely once to California have to say. To be fair, it's inoffensive and quite sing-a-long, so it's crept into the lowest possible three star mark.
The Birthday Party
1/5
Oooh, the Nick Cave origin story. Oh. Oh no. This is horrible noise and terrible shouting. Normally, I've found, when you get a noise/shouting album, they tend to also be short. Not this one.
Stan Getz
3/5
I'll say what I often say about trad-ish jazz. I listened to it while working and it's excellent for that. Did I fail to notice it had finished for quite some time? Yes.
Orange Juice
4/5
I love Orange Juice. I love the drink and I love the band. This is just great, energetic, slightly knowing, very Scottish pop, and I am totally and utterly here for it.
Robbie Williams
3/5
Hello sir, remember me? I do actually Robbie, and it wasn't exactly brilliant 27 years ago. It ended up being about as good as The Thrills, and you can't say fairer than that. I always maintain that the best thing to do with Robbie's voice is to bury it as low down as possible, and unfortunately they forget to do that on quite a few songs. Still, Old Before I Die is brilliant, and I totally forgot about the hidden track and got the fright of my life, so you can't say fairer than that.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
1/5
Pap. God life must have been depressing in 1957 for this boring old nothing to be something to get giddy about. Quite a lot less good than Robbie Williams.
Queen
2/5
I hate Queen, and my greatest fear on doing this project was that I would be proved wrong and have to either revise my opinion or double down while knowing I was wrong. Luckily, I still hate Queen. What an absolutely dreadful joke of an album this is. Is it meant to be funny? Is singing about how much you love your car cool now? Not even the appearance of Bohemian Rhapsody, which I guess even I have to concede is not without merit, fails to elevate this boring old nonsense. Why do people like them so much?
The Human League
4/5
Now we're talking! This was great. Very unusual decision to leave the big hit til last, but it kind of paid off, because I was very in the zone for it by the time it arrived. I will say this for The Human League. At their best, they remind me a little of some of the Pet Shop Boys less good songs.
Can
3/5
Weirdly forgettable somehow. I've never really listened to Can, but I know they influenced lots of bands that I'm very fond of. I got the connection, and I think it's pretty good, but it hasn't done anything to me deep inside.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
1/5
See Queen. One of my most deeply held convictions is that RHCP are the most overrated band of all time, and luckily, I'm right again. Why dose the dreadful man shout over everything. Some of the songs (e.g. Around The World) might be in the running for the most obnoxious noise on the planet). Strangely, when he sings, like on Scar Tissue and Porcelain, you then notice that the rest of the band are pretty good (and yes, in Flea's case incredible). They should tell him that and maybe he'll stop ruining everything.
Tortoise
3/5
Do I like 20 minute long instrumental post-rock noise? Let me answer that in the affirmative. I do. I'd listened to Tortoise for the first time a few weeks ago because they're repeatedly referenced in Stuart from Mogwai's autobiography, and while they don't carry anything like the heft of Mogwai, you can see the connection. I think they really need to find the overdrive pedal though; so mang songs are crying out for a big GNRRR to break up the Casio keyboard demos.
Deep Purple
2/5
Very boring I'm afraid. Just really vanilla dad rock and not at all for me. Guitar solos are cool and all, but have you ever thought about not doing one?
Liz Phair
4/5
This had a really clear throughline to a lot of artists from the current day that I really like - people like Courtney Barnett or even Soccer Mommy. It feels very of a piece with very specifically 90s feminism - i.e. a slightly 'ladette' culture of empowerment, so I guess it's like Hole in that sense. Still, whatever, enough social history, is it good? Yes! It's really listenable, and I thought the lyrics had a lovely mix of vulnerability and confidence.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Before the start of this Project, there were a lot of bands that I lumped together as 'not for me'. What I've discovered is that while a band like Deep Purple is indeed deserving of that category, I'd really screwed the pooch by putting Black Sabbath (and Led Zep!) in there too. This is a really, really good album. Very spacey, heavy without becoming noise, great vocals and enough variety in the songs to keep it interesting. The only song I knew - Changes - is a little bit too overwrought, but I really like how that's followed up by FX and Supernaut, as it totally breaks the spell. Good stuff.
Dwight Yoakam
1/5
Shut up man. This is the worst kind of Country and Western IMHO. Extremely plodding, every song has an undercurrent of toxic masculinity, and the actual musicality is limited AF. There are one or two nicer moments, but for a 36 minute album, it doesn't half drag.
Death In Vegas
3/5
Lots of people have praised the use of really diverse guest vocalists on this, and I get that - but it also slightly makes the album feel a bit disjointed. Having said that, it's at the intersection of rock and electronica that really appeals to me, and when it gets it right, it's very good indeed. Overall, I couldn't quite get into it enough to push it into the fours, but it's a good three and I'm glad we had it.
Elliott Smith
4/5
Supremely nostalgic feeling, and exactly what I know and love. In some ways, it's a tough listen, knowing that this would be ES's final album before he took his own life. The sadder songs (i.e. most of them) get an additional resonance, and something like Everything Means Nothing To Me is extremely tough going in that sense, despite being beautiful. Incidentally, how much does that sound like All Of Me Wants All of You by Sufjan? Those two artists are totally of a kind I guess. Anyway, great stuff, and only missing out on the five by a hair's breadth.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
Didn't have weeping to the opening bars of Jingle Bells on my to-do list for June, but we are where we are where we are. Just the perfect album, no notes at all. Her guitar playing, vocals, lyrics and production are all beyond amazing. About eight songs could be my favourite, certainly California, My Old Man, A Case Of You are all worthy. But River is the most moving and affecting song I've heard in my life, and has to take top spot.
Black Sabbath
3/5
I'm a big Sabbath fan, have been for weeks now. However, I think this one wasn't a quite in the league of Vol 4. It felt a bit more in the traditions of straightforward rock, rather than the kind of hippyish heaviness that the earlier albums I've had so far offered. Still, they're well written, powerful songs and the quality of musicianship is high.
Carole King
4/5
In a way, I found this a bit disappointing, because my expectations were absolutely sky-high. That's not to say it isn't absolutely excellent, because it is. Maybe it didn't help to have it so close to Blue, because it suffers in comparison. I liked the sad songs a lot more than the chirpy ones, which probably says a bit more about me than our Carole.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Did you know that Jimi was a good guitarist? Jimi was a good guitarist. It probably means that he's a bit under-rated as a songwriter to be honest, and songs like Wind Cries Mary showcase just how good he is on that front. Occasionally, this album descends a little into high-quality jams, which is fine, but it would probably be a better 45 minute album than a 60 minute one in my opinion
Elis Regina
2/5
I read about her a bit, and she sounds...a lot more interesting than the music she makes. This was perfectly acceptable Saturday morning fare, but just a bit on the dull and repetitive side to warrant further listening.
The Pharcyde
3/5
Hungover for this one, and really dreading it. True to my expectations, it was extremely puerile (were 'yo momma' jokes even cool in 1992?) and at times downright unpleasant. However, it creeps into the threes just about, because musically it was a lot more fun than I had it down for, and the vocal was much more towards the J5/De La Soul end of the genre than I'd feared.
Funkadelic
4/5
Basically the same as my previous Funkadelic review - not my bag, but I respect the skills involved to a huge extent. This album starts with a 10 minute rock guitar extravaganza that puts more traditional rock guitarists to absolute shame. It ends with a load of weird sound effects including a gaseous cow(?). In between there's a load of good funk that was very nice to have on while I worked.
Neneh Cherry
4/5
What is he loooiiike?! Great question Neneh, I'm like someone who enjoyed this album to a surprising degree. Buffalo Stance remains a banger, and to follow it up with Manchild is a super-strong start. After that, it never quite reaches those heights again, although Heart is excellent. It's let down quite badly with The Next Generation, which sounds suspiciously like at best a message of 'it's morally incumbent on us all to have children' and at worst a straight up Pro Life message. But leaving aside my distaste on that front, a very good and enjoyable album.
Aimee Mann
3/5
The most aptly titled album of all time. This is fine, nice and OK. Possibly the most three star album I've ever heard.
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
Yet more of the CSNY universe, and another quite enjoyable one. It's all very pleasant, if slightly unmemorable.
Beatles
5/5
It feels over the top to call the second side of Abbey Road the pinnacle of all human existence, but also correct. For this particular listen I tuned in on a very scratched vinyl copy, which really added to the experience.
Imagine hearing this record for the first time! Imagine listening to She's So Heavy and considering that this is the band that six years earlier had been the She Loves You moptops! It's insanity. Every aspect of this album is so perfectly considered and realised, and like always, the fact that this is my thousandth listen doesn't stop me noticing new things.
The thrum of the bass throughout Come Together, the handclaps in Here Comes The Sun and the sheer joy of the harmonies on Octopus Garden (a stellar entry for Ringo by the way, and made even better after watching Get Back). The hard part, as ever, was picking a favourite track. It could be Something - the greatest love song of all time. It could be Here Comes The Sun - what an album George had by the way. It could be McCartney's vocal performance on Oh Darling even (it isn't that, to be fair).
And then, when all is said and done, you have the medley. Scraps of genius from the two finest artists of their or any other lifetimes, melded together by the greatest producer the world has ever seen to form more than the sum of its parts. Ultimately, I've gone for The End, the closing, majestic pinnacle of the medley, signing off the Beatles career in perfect, spine-tingling style. All three guitarists getting their turn in the spotlight, their beloved Ringo having his first ever drum solo, and then the line that sums up the band, the era, the movement they did more than anyone to kickstart and the decade itself. And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make. And then, because they're perfect and recognise that life's a bit of fun, they chuck in Her Maj, just to take the edge off. What an album, and I've not even mentioned Golden Slumbers, which makes me well up just thinking about the purity of Paul's vocal when he first sings the chorus.
Boston
4/5
I had extremely low hopes for this album to be honest. I assumed it would be totally bland hair rock. At times it was, but then at other times it was really surprisingly good. A bit more sixties than I expected and quite a lot more melodic. Sneaks into the fours.
G. Love & Special Sauce
2/5
Grossly immature and quite stupid. I was a bit taken at first, but really, 58 minutes of this is far too much to bear. G does not love.
The Velvet Underground
5/5
Goodness me, this is great stuff. It's so atmospheric and takes you straight to the heart of the Warhol Factory and all the creativity that goes with it. It's hard to pick a favourite really, because it hangs together so beautifully. Heroin though, what a song. It's so cool it hurts.
SAULT
4/5
One of the albums that got me through the great lockdowns of 2020 and 2021. Obviously it's heavily inspired by another momentous event of that period, the murder of George Floyd, and that heaviness is really apparent throughout. Above all though, it's just a really listenable album, and a great gateway into a genre that isn't necessarily one I'm comfortable in.
The KLF
4/5
So much fun, even if it's repetitive and plain silly at times, it's still a pure shot of dopamine.
Animal Collective
4/5
Aah, I loved this at the time and then immediately forgot about it. it's still good, although somehow already seems a bit dated. My Girls has a good emotional heft, and there's plenty more great songs on here. A bit samey at times, but a worthy four.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Like Wish You Were Here but more so, I was a bit worried that this wouldn't match up to my 15 year old's memories. It did and more. I listened on record, as nature intended, and you can see why it's still held up as the exemplar of high quality sound. While it's an album that's about the whole, there are also a number of really standout moments - the 'I'm not frightened of dying' bit, the vocal kicking in in Breathe, the opening riff of Money (otherwise the album's worst song IMHO). And above all, the astonishing virtuoso vocal throughout Great Gig In The Sky - real goosebumps and shivers all over. Smashing.
Shut up man. God I really think Vertigo might be the most irritating sound on the planet. What happened to them? Early U2, while still quite annoying, at least knew their way around a banger or three, but this is just pap from start to finish.
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
There's a little bit of a Pavlovian reaction to hearing the opening drums on Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth. It takes you right back to being 13 or 14 and thinking that the Dandy's were very cool indeed. Overall, it's decent enough, and quite listenable, if totally paint by numbers. Too long by half, but glad to have heard it.
The Cure
4/5
Brilliant stuff. I think I'm a bit down on The Cure, even though I think every single one of their big singles is brilliant, including Pictures of You, from this record. It's got a great overall vibe to it, and a real consistency. It's also a rare hour plus album where you're disappointed when it's finished.
Digital Underground
3/5
Extremely stupid, but sufficiently good-humoured to get away with it. It's got a fair bit of funk to it, and decent instrumentation in places. Once again, it needs some serious quality control and editing on it to take it to a fun-filled 35 minutes, instead of a long, drawn-out 65.
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
Is this a joke? It's like standing quite close to the tip while someone throws a load of scrap metal into a big box of scrap metal. I don't know what to make of it to be honest. At times it's interesting I suppose, in the way that The Intense Humming of Evil is interesting. But mostly it's like something scientifically designed to hurt your ears.
Spacemen 3
4/5
Beautiful and lovely shoegaze, the genre of my saddest dreams. Actually, this was good but not brilliant to be fair. Yer man from Spiritualised will always tug at the heartstrings, but I don't think it quite has the swelling emotion of the very best (MBV or Galaxie 500 say) shoegaze.
Guns N' Roses
4/5
So good, they should really re-record it with a proper singer. With absolutely stonking guitars from Stoke's finest, the throughline from this to Generation Terrorist is clear as day. The drumming is incredibly powerful, and the melodies on the big hitters are surprisingly complex and beautiful. Seriously though, get a better singer in.
Keith Jarrett
2/5
Just a load of piano to be honest. He's clearly very talented, but not really for me. If I wanted to make a film about a lovely hotel lobby, I'd call Keith for the soundtrack (and I imagine he'd be insulted and say no).
Genesis
4/5
It's painful to say, but one of the most notable things about this album is the sheer quality of drums. Also, I read a bit about this being a concept album - always a risky business - and it really hung together well for me. An all round much more enjoyable time than I expected, if a bit silly at times.
The Killers
4/5
Hard to analyse this really. You can smell the Red Reef, feel the sticky floor of York's Gallery nightclub and taste the 2004 garlic burger from Oki's the second the intro to Jenny starts up. I actually thought, despite familiarity breeding a level of contempt in the last few years, it held up well. Somebody Told Me is still a huge banger, All These Things is massive, and Brightside, in its own way, is completely undeniable. It's not doing anything clever, but it's dopamine.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Great stuff. Just the level of noise and distortion that I'm looking for, with melodies that still hit home and provide some light and shade.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Wow-ee I was disappointed by this. It's waaaay too countrified for me, to the point of being grating. You're from Sarf London Mick, stop sounding like you grew up on a ranch.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
Lovely, lovely, lovely Leonard. The voice is so rich and sonorous, it's like a lovely mug of something hot with booze in it. This is a truly great collection of songs, with Raincoat the standout. Listened twice through back to back and will do several more times in the coming days.
Jerry Lee Lewis
2/5
Let's attempt to analyse this outside of the context of Lewis' many reprehensible actions. It's quite bad. You don't get that sense of raw electricity that Elvis or Little Richard gives. Maybe it's partly the recording, maybe it's the fact that the Beatles did his best songs way better than he could.
Deee-Lite
3/5
Listened on the train while speed-reading a science fiction book I wasn't enjoying. Considering that strange set of circumstances it was not bad.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
Beefy mate, I'm not sure this is quite it. Certainly it's far less accessible than Safe as Milk. There's a really burgeoning category of albums on here that come under 'more fun to make than hear', and this falls into that.
The Smashing Pumpkins
2/5
Why oh why is this so long? Why is it so revered? Why does every good song (of which there are a few) get immediately followed by a horrible stinker? The good songs, such as 1979 and By Starlight are really, really great. But it's 28 songs long and on a lot of them Corgan just ruins everything like a skinny, pompous Mr Blobby.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
2/5
Nice enough, but quite boring and forgotten almost before it ended.
The Temptations
3/5
This was a bit of funky old fun. Starting with the big groove of Papa Was A Rolling Stone is a ballsy move, and it doesn't quite live up to that peak, but definitely a lot of fun to hear.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
More LenCo, and this one is even better. Truly one of the greatest, most consistent albums I've ever heard. The guy just doesn't waste a beat. So Long Marianne is an absolute all time great. Thank you project.
The Clash
4/5
Hmm. Yeah, it's very good, but it also feels just a touch generic and like they hadn't quite found their sound. Something major happens between this and London Calling to see them go much more muscular and meaningful.
New York Dolls
4/5
A load of fun here. Good, hearty androgynous rock. Weirdly, the main thing I knew about them was that they were Morrissey's favourite band growing up. It's tricky to see the influence really.
The Byrds
3/5
Same problem as always with the Byrds - they just don't strike me as authentic or original. It's probably harsh, but they seem a bit false to me. Nice enough, but they don't move me.
Metallica
1/5
Shut up please. It's so artless, there's no nuance, no light and shade, no nothing. It also, weirdly, doesn't even feel very heavy. I've seen some complaints about the lack of bass in the mix, and maybe that's it. It sounds like hearing it from quite far away (but not far away enough) at a festival. It's better than their self-titled album, but way worse than Master of Puppets.
Arrested Development
4/5
Yes please! I was very pleasantly surprised by this. It's hugely upbeat, both in a musical and lyrical sense, it's genuinely funny at times, and right in the middle it has a run of really top drawer songs, where you can feel how much they must have influenced many more famous and less good hip hop artists in the coming decade or so.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
Do you know what? Just a weird album from some weird guys. I'm not against that at all, and loads of this - the big hits obviously, plus quite a few others, are really cracking pop music that is basically undeniable. But still, very odd. The Boss cover is probably the most apparent case in point there.
Lou Reed
4/5
I liked it, but I didn't love it as much as I'd hoped to. Lou's voice is always tremendous, but it's quite a distance away from the heights of Transformer. Oh Jim, despite not being the excellent late-90s chunk of Indie of the same name from Gay Dad, is very good indeed.
Elton John
4/5
Ah ha, Elton John's greatest hits album is here. I was ready to be extremely cynical and miserable about this, but the quality of songwriting is absolutely stellar from start to finish. It's annoying in parts, because, y'know, that's Elton, but when he writes a banger he writes a banger. The second album (I listened on record) is particularly monstrous.
Kelela
3/5
Very high class R&B over very of the moment, XX-style, skittish beats. I liked it a good deal, and I was really pleased to discover it.
Antony and the Johnsons
5/5
When this album came out, and won the Mercury, I thought it was very good. I think it's only now, 19 years on and considerably more in touch with my emotions, that I really feel the full extraordinary power of the feelings that shine through this. Their voice is filled with pain and sorrow, but never weak, the instrumentalisation is pitch-perfect and resonant, and the lyrics! My god. So many songs - You Are My Sister, Fistful of Love and Hope There's Someone for instance - have that perfect lyrical balance of simplicity and elegance that is so hard to reach. I could talk for days about this record. And do.
Soundgarden
5/5
I wasn't hugely into this first time round - I rejected grunge and emo a bit. I was very wrong. I listened to this while running through the streets of Pendleton, Salford. As I hit the A6, traffic fumes in the air, and the ugly skyline of Manchester shimmering in the weak morning sun, Black Hole Sun came on, and I felt an almost overwhelming sense of love for this disgusting city and this cruel old world. That was unexpected.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
About 4,000 times more fun to make than to listen to. It scrapes into the twos for being interesting, I guess, but it's basically a bunch of loons messing about in a recording studio and making people pay to sit through it.
Aerosmith
3/5
The best Aerosmith so far, but that's not saying loads and loads. It's very silly and enjoyable rock, isn't it, but imagine if this was your thing? If you really, really liked Aerosmith? Certifiable.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
2/5
Lovely music to work to, boring music to listen to.
The Flaming Lips
5/5
Oh god I can feel an essay about the Flaming Lips coming on. Suffice to say, this album is, like Don Draper's Kodiak Carousel, a time machine. It's futuristic, it's nostalgic, it's sending me directly to Glastonbury 2003. I love it, I love the, for want of a better word, vibe of it. I think the lyrics are extraordinary and I think most of the music is brilliant. It is a low five, because there is probably a little bit of filler in and around the greatness, but you forgive it all for the 'What is this?' vocal coming in on Are You A Hypnotist?.
Faust
2/5
An endurance test of nonsense, interspersed with some really lovely songwriting. Why don't they just, I don't know, not start with ten minutes of the same noise, and get onto the songs that have meaning and tunes?
Pulp
4/5
Pure dirt from Jarvis and Co. I really want to rate this higher than Different Class, because there's no doubting is cooler and more artful. The title track is obviously total sauce, but there's also the growling and yowling through quite a lot of the songs (the scream in Help The Aged!) that gives it a much more grown-up feel than anything that's gone before. It's probably a reasonable case to make that this was the end of Britpop, and what a way to go out. Weirdly, I think that my favourite song on it - A Little Soul - is also a good example of why this gets top fours, not bottom fives, because it doesn't really fit on here and the album could maybe be a bit more cohesive.
B.B. King
3/5
Yes, very nice guitar work BB. No, I'm not finding this especially interesting. Also, stop giving us live albums from the sixties, the quality is uniformly awful.
The Mothers Of Invention
4/5
My heart sank at more Mothers, but actually this one has clearly been through some sort of editing process, or they were on different drugs that meant they could actually hear what the audience might hear. Much more in the enjoyable end of the psychedelic spectrum.
Radiohead
4/5
Sometimes, you have to wonder what the critical reception to Amnesiac might have been if it hadn't been released straight after Kid A and got the reputation for having its cast offs. Although it can't match up to KA, it's really strong on its own merits. Spinning Plates, Pyramid Song, You and Whose Army, the superior Morning Bell and, of course, Glasshouse, are all really sophisticated Radiohead songs, and it was a real pleasure to listen to this for the first time in ages and ages.
AC/DC
4/5
What time is it? It's banger time. Really, a very stupid album by what I suspect are some quite silly people, but then you get smashed around the face by You Shook Me All Night Long and the title track, and you have to accept that you're rocking down to your stocking.
Michael Kiwanuka
5/5
Might this be the most recent five star album on this project? Yes, I guess it might (although if Punisher or Yawn appear on here, then I take this back). It's got such a soulful, fun, heartfelt vibe to it, and it was really great to see this leap across genres and be considered outside the confines of 'music of colour'. He's got a smashing way with words too.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
1/5
Do one. Go away. Stop. I hated every second of this from the moment it started to the end of the world's stupidest encore (with the exception of about five seconds of The Sage, which I thought was OK). Imagine being this smug.
Prefab Sprout
4/5
Cleansed the palette from the ELP ordeal here. I only knew Prefab Sprout for the King of Rock and Roll, but it's clear that, like so many of their contemporaries in the Scottish 80s scene, they really knew how to write a brilliant pop song. I'll listen to this again and again.
The Offspring
2/5
Facile and boring. I didn't hate it or anything, but I can barely bring myself to credit it with a review. In fact there you go. That'll do. Have a fart noise, the band would probably like that, and it basically sums this album up.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Super stuff from NC. It's too long, and is basically one five star album and one three star one, let's get that out the way. But I guess Cave has earned the right to put out a totally needless double album. Anyway, there are many, many good songs on here, and the overall tenor of the record is one of supreme power but also vulnerability, and I like that a lot.
Common
3/5
Yeah, just OK. I'd read a lot of reviews about the volume of homophobia in the lyrics, and yes, that's terrible. It was a shame, because there was relatively little sexism and glorification of violence (relatively little, as opposed to none). But it was musically fairly good, I'll give it that.
Minor Threat
4/5
Thought I'd hate this, and it'd just be noise. It was definitely noisy, but I actually quiet enjoyed it. I think I'm glad it's 21 minutes long though.
Neil Young
5/5
Fantastic. I wonder if this will be my highest rated Neil Young, or if Harvest will pip it. Let me tell you, it's hard to think of a better opening quartet of songs. I've been singing OLCBYH ever since listening to it (I'm quite an annoying person to be fair).
Miles Davis
3/5
Very smooth, very cool, albeit a little bit background-y as a consequence.
The Kinks
4/5
This is the first bit of Kinks that I feel I've really got and appreciated. It's got a number of good songs on it, and it feels like they're taking it seriously for the most part. There are still a few songs where you really wonder if they need to be like this. A music hall one near the end is particularly grating, and probably felt like a great lark in the studio. A bit Maxwell's Silver Hammer-like I guess, but without the charm. Anyway, it closes with one of the greatest songs of all time. I used to play it busking, and the man who was meant to move you on from outside Yorvik Viking Centre would let me stay an extra hour if I played him it.
Nirvana
5/5
Pure unadulterated nostalgia. I don't know if it makes me a bit of arriviste to say that I probably love this as much as In Utero or even Nevermind, but I don't care. I think the format let's you really feel the emotion and pain in Kurt - not just in his voice but in his playing style. And that's all offset by the lovely little interchanges between the band. Just very moving stuff. Also, the last three songs are an incredible way to end, any one of them could have been my fave.
Kings of Leon
3/5
The most three star album of all time. It's entirely serviceable, it's precision engineered to be used on emotional bits on the X Factor, and its boring as hell. They were a band once!
Brian Eno
4/5
This contained a fair old whack of filler, and two of the most extraordinarily beautiful songs I've ever heard in my whole life - Here He Comes and By This River. Honestly, I've listened to Here He Comes about eight times and just want to cry. It feels like those are the jumping off point for his move into ambient, while the rest are more obvious homages to Bowie and Talking Heads etc, only done less well. I'm so glad to have heard this, even if it doesn't get a super high mark.
The Cramps
2/5
Jeez, no thanks! Not good punk rock. In fact, very bad punk rock. It might actually have been OK if it had come in at 25 minutes or something, like the recent-ish Minor Threat album, but it dragged on, and that's the one thing the genre isn't meant to do.
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
Hugely better than my expectations, which were absolute zero! Musically, it was really interesting and quite inventive, and it flew by very nicely indeed.
Mj Cole
2/5
Ironically, it all felt very insincere indeed. If I'm honest, I'm still listening to most albums waiting to get back to listening to two very specific Brian Eno songs, so clocking in at over two hours was always going to mark poor old MJ down.
Bee Gees
2/5
Christ on a high-pitched bike, what is this? Just the weirdest, most nonsensical album you can imagine. Apparently it's a concept, but the concept seems to be 'what if a talented group of songwriters deliberately made a stupid album'. It's rescued a bit by I Laugh In Your Face, which is funny in a good way, as opposed to laugh-out-loud stupid.
Fats Domino
3/5
Fats here, bringing it home in 17 minutes, after four hours of Bee Gees and MJ Cole nonsense. And some of those minutes are Blueberry Hill, a song I find very nostalgic for reasons I can't quite place. All in all, very pleasant stuff.
Grateful Dead
4/5
I wasn't looking forward to this, because the Live/Dead album was so self-indulgent, but this is loads tighter, loads more 'actual songs' instead of noodling jams. You could tell this was good, because halfway through listening to it, Ellie came into the room, and when I told her this was a Project album, she said she assumed that it was just 'the sort of rubbish you listen to normally'. So that's something. Great stuff, and will be listening to it again.
The Isley Brothers
3/5
In which we listen to Summer Breeze and some minor variants for far too long. By no means bad or unpleasant, but still quite pleasing when it had finished.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Very disappointed to learn this wasn't actually an obscure Idlewild album called Everything But The Girl. I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. I thought it might be Cocteau-esque, but it was just...quite boring. Speaking of, I do hope that the Twins are on here.
Supergrass
4/5
Wow! What an unexpected pleasure this was. I knew that I'd enjoy it in a nostalgic, weren't the 90s fun, way, but I think that's actually selling it short. Funnily enough, I think Alright is easily the worst song, and it's a good example of how bands never shake off their novelty hit. Finally, I was absolutely blown away by the raw energy of Caught By The Fuzz, a song I know really well, but maybe listened to properly for the first time in an age. Also, to end that song with a back and forth harmony that must have been a deliberate Beatles nod to Hold Me Tight is proper class.
Heaven 17
3/5
Good fun, this. Not loads to say about it really, except that I enjoyed it and wouldn't turn it off if it came on, but nor do I think I'll ever agonise over what to listen to and end up with Heaven 17.
Def Leppard
3/5
Mindless, fun rock, that packs a good punch, especially in Too Late For Love. Basically, I could write the same review for this as Heaven 17 (which I'm sure the Leppards will be thrilled about) - I enjoyed it, but won't be seeking it out.
Ramones
4/5
If you ever go to Berlin, I'd definitely advise the Ramones museum. For three euros, you get entry, a beer and a pin badge. Or you did in 2012. I bet it's more now. The economy, am I right? Anyway, this is an absolute blast of muscular punk. You can really see the impact it had on the whole scene, and on artists that ended up quite far away from the Ramones tonally.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Pre-commercial success Norman here. It's extremely hardcore dance, isn't it. You can feel the rave influence, and you can imagine it might be great fun sweating away to it in the discotheque.
Scissor Sisters
2/5
Very throwaway, but not without its charms. It front loads all the big hits, and their cover of Comfortably Numb is the kind of thing I would tell a Pink Floyd fan is better than the original, even if I didn't believe it.
Slade
3/5
Learn to spell Noddy. It didn't do loads for me to be honest, although Mama We're All Crazy Now (see - spelling is easy) is a bop and a half.
Steely Dan
4/5
This is a Steely Dan album that I don't know as well as some others - Can't Buy A Thrill and Aja for instance - but I still really enjoyed it. They're so chirpy, but also just on the right side of weird, and technically they're tremendous. An album that both hangs together well and allows for some standalone big numbers is always an impressive feat.
The Electric Prunes
1/5
Someone needed to get all of these 1967 bands and gently suggest that their personal and unique journeys into acid-induced psychedelia had...left them all sounding the same. This was a total pastiche tbh.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
This album comes on day one of a very intense week, and to be honest, I was disappointed by it. Maybe I just didn't need Page and Plant's wailing and squawking, but it felt like it was much more self-indulgent and unfocused that the earlier numbered albums, which have all been top drawer so far.
Nirvana
5/5
Yeah boi! What a great, brilliant, incredible album this is. Sometimes you wonder if albums like this are overrated because of all the narrative and the hype that goes around them, but when you actually listen, it truly isn't. Every single song stands alone as a powerful, huge anthem, and each showcases something unique about the band, and of course Kurt in particular. I listened to this running around the docks of Liverpool in gale force winds after about four hours sleep, and honestly, when Lithium came on I felt like I could run off the pier and land in Ireland. Magical.
Dr. Dre
3/5
The good doctor here, with superb vocal flow, but unfortunately extremely dated lyrical references that made this a tough listen. He's clearly vital in the development of modern hip hop and rap, but these woke ears are curling up in horror a lot of the time
Arcade Fire
5/5
Thus continues one of the sharpest about turns in history, as my reappraisal of the charms of Arcade Fire goes into overdrive. I really don't know what I had against them, but this album, like all the ones we've had so far, absolutely bangs. I think it also gets stronger as it continues, which is a rare feat.
Talking Heads
5/5
Three five stars in four days! I think probably Talking Heads at the peak of their powers. This is where they get quite out there in terms of production, style and mannerism, without being at all inaccessible. Tremendous stuff.
OutKast
3/5
Quality control badly needed for Andre and Big Boi. There are gems, and they correctly picked out the two strongest songs as singles - especially Miss Jackson, that absolutely slaps. But it's all a bit muddy and muddled, and I could do without about 45 minutes of it to be honest.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
I enjoyed this quite a bit, and I really thought I wouldn't They have a great positivity and message, and you can really see why they and the Beastie Boys collaborated so hard in the 80s. It was nice to hear It's Like That in its pure, un-Jason Nevined form.
Lenny Kravitz
4/5
Lenny! This was good! I thought it was going to be like the dreadful Get Away era of Kravitz from my youth, but actually it was just good pop-rock songs sung well and nicely produced. It's not going to be featuring on all time classic lists, but it creeps into my four star camp, which is more important I think.
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
The acceptable face of Cuba for the Americans, the acceptable face of World Music for the west. It's mad, isn't it, how this became so ubiquitous. I can't quite remember why, and I've decided not to bother looking it up, but I've a feeling that Thom Yorke was involved in some way. Anyway, it was lovely music to work to.
John Grant
4/5
A real hop across styles and genre here, for someone I'd only heard of but never heard previously. He should get a more interesting name, because I think I thought he was going to be the other one, who sings songs from musicals and is a general irritant. He has mad fans. Josh Groban! To be fair, I don't actually know what Groban does either. All of this was a good lesson in opening your mind, because you might just get to hear John Grant.
Billie Holiday
2/5
Listened to it in a hot tub, didn't I. That improved it somewhat, but ultimately it was still someone with an absolutely world class voice singing songs that sound like a Disney princess should be singing them.
CHIC
3/5
I don't like CHIC. There, I said it. It's probably criminal and means I can't leave the house for fear of running into Nile Rogers performing at a festival, or put the telly on in case he's on the BBC. But there we go. I'M SORRY.
Queen
2/5
Dreadful and stupid. Genuinely grow up and grow a brain you relentless goons.
The Cars
4/5
Oh right, I've heard of The Cars. Wait, why do I know every word to this song (My Best Friend's Girl)? It's one of the biggest belters of all time and was on a compilation that we used to listen to in the car when I was aged between 7 and 12! The rest of the album can't match up to Proust's madeleine, but it's still very good indeed.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Great stuff from LZ, and the only album of theirs I already knew a bit. It starts particularly strongly in my opinion, but that does mean it drifts a tiny bit and ends up not quite in the fives.
The Doors
2/5
I wanted this to be the moment that I get the Doors. It is not. It's a good band entirely given over to the rampant egomania of a singer who isn't talented enough to make it worthwhile. Like Oasis, which I'm sure Doors fans will be delighted with.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
It is rare, by which I mean you have to be listening to Aretha, that a vocal can knock the wind out of you and leave you breathless. From the regal pomp and sheen of RESPECT to the feeling and power of her (seminal) version of A Change Is Going To Come, she's the ultimate vocalist with the songs to match.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
3/5
Pleasant jazz, and it's not often you can say that.
Genesis
1/5
More Fool Me indeed. This is risible, unbridled bum rot of the highest order. Its centrepiece, the name of which I already can't remember and can't bear to look up, is an 11 minute load of nonsense in a faux cockney absence that immediately brings to mind the kind of people who re-enact battles in the woods for fun. There is one proper song on this, and the rest is self-indulgent, pompous horrible nonsense.
Yes
2/5
One good thing about this album is that it reminded me how good America by Simon and Garfunkel is. It's so good, in fact, that even when it's being butchered by this totem of prog rock excess, it's still great. The rest of the album? Maybe they should have got S+G in as songwriters. And let them sing and play instead.
Nina Simone
3/5
Beautiful stuff really, if a little one paced and at times dull. You can quite easily lose yourself in her voice though, and when she really draws on it, such as during the brilliant Four Women, it's fantastic.
3/5
Let's just say that I wasn't over the moon to have more Yes so quickly after the last one. However, this one was loads better! It was so much tighter and more disciplined, and fundamentally less proggy than the other one. It came in at a nice tight 37 mins, and while I'm glad it wasn't much longer, I didn't particularly wish it was shorter.
Green Day
5/5
Dopamine in musical form. There are so many high points, from the cool When I Come Around to the verve of FOD and the sheer adrenaline rush of Basketcase. It's cleverer than they might want to admit too, lyrically smart and musically extremely good.
The Who
2/5
Is this actually a joke? It is absolutely absurd and not nearly as fun as you'd imagine the band think it is. A weird mix of old musical hall pastiches, gimmicky nothings and one very good song.
Dirty Projectors
4/5
Why don't I already know this album? It is really good! a little lightweight maybe, and extremely 2009, but that isn't the worst thing in the world. The first two songs were particularly good, and I'm excited to find out more about them.
Justice
4/5
Windows down, driving round Manchester at very low speeds, living my best EDM life. It's a funny thing with dance or electronica, it's rare that it really grabs me, and it's hard to know why it does when it does, but Justice really get it. Having said that, my favourite two songs just involve loads of spelling, so maybe I'm just hankering after Sesame Street.
The Who
3/5
Here's the thing about The Who - the gap between their best and their worst is absolutely massive. On this live album, you get the absolute high of Substitute alongside an 11 minute farce about a grown man and a girl guide, which I reckon even a 1970 audience is wincing at a fair bit. Regardless, hearing this live did remind you that even though they're annoying and stupid a lot of the time, they can't half play. Just lose about a third of the songs and all the talking and it's a good album.
Peter Tosh
4/5
I thought this would be a bit of a fun and a bit of a reggae cliché, but no! It felt really highly political and very interesting indeed. He's not got the absolute strongest voice (certainly compared to his former bandmate) but lyrically it was super, and I think the messaging is spot on. Also, I read that Tosh claimed that weed would be 'as popular' as tobacco in the future. So I guess he was pretty much right, but just not in the way he imagined.
Elvis Costello
3/5
One of the more three star experiences of my life. He's a very competent and serviceable singer and songwriter, but I'm yet to hear anything from him that really moves me particularly.
Mike Ladd
3/5
This was so much better than I expected from the cover or the description! There was one song that was so unpleasant in terms of language that I had to skip it after 10 seconds, but that was outweighed by the pleasure of quite a few other songs. It was quite (desperately seeks a better word and fails) trippy, sonically, and generally skipped around genres pretty nicely.
Holger Czukay
2/5
Not for me thanks. Extremely weird, and not without merit, but really it was far too irritating, tonally. Constantly too much going on, and every song lasts a million years. I have nothing against this sort of thing, but it ain't for me.
Marty Robbins
1/5
Yuck. Just about the blandest most terrible version of country, a genre with a huge capacity for bland terribleness. I've picked the first song as my favourite, but that was only because I still had hopes and dreams then.
Neil Young
3/5
This was nice, because it's Neil Young, and he's intrinsically nice and presumably not actually able to write bad songs, but it was by far the least inspiring of the Young (or even the various Young-infused artists) that I've had on the Proj so far. Just a bit forgettable to be honest.
The Byrds
1/5
Risible stuff really, from a band who should know better. Is this what happened? The psychedelics artists of 67 suddenly grew up, got a six shooter and met up with Gram Parsons to release a load of country dirges? It's just so basic and simple, with very little of any interest of all. I never thought I'd say this about The Byrds, but I wouldn't mind a little Bob cover instead to be honest.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Well. It's better than Genesis' latest offering on this Project, but I feel I'm quite over prog now, and to be honest I began the process not exactly ready to embrace it. Two absolute bangers on this album - Solsbury Hill and Here Comes The Flood - get it up to a decentish score, but for a long time it was just a case of chewing through it.
Justin Timberlake
2/5
In the immortal words of the Arctic Monkeys, the bands are f**king w*nk and I'm not having a nice time. What a poor run I'm on at the minute, and JT's self-satisfied pop stylings aren't helping. Like so many pop albums, it was clear that most songs here are a total 'this'll do' effort to prop up the handful of committee-produced big shiny hits. Also, every song is waaaaay too long. Come on my beloved Project. Give me something.
The Pretty Things
4/5
Now this was definitely something. It's a concept album, but manages not to be totally up itself at the same time. There are some really heavily worn influences, from The Beatles and The Kinks to early Floyd, but it hangs together pretty nicely. It's a touch much in places, but generally pretty good fun.
Hüsker Dü
5/5
Woof! I didn't know that much about Husker Du, except that they're fairly revered by other bands of the era and genre. I can totally see why. It's really melodic while still carrying a post-punkish bite and tone. I'm going to come back to this again and again.
Koffi Olomide
2/5
This was decent background music, but also fairly boring and very hard to distinguish one song from the next. As ever with music that's out of my comfort zone, I'm not sure if that's a me problem or an it problem.
Ryan Adams
3/5
If you're going to be an appalling human in the music industry, it's probably also better to make slightly better music than this.
Soft Machine
2/5
75 minutes. Four songs. This prog must cease. There was actually a few interesting bits in there, but I can't see me thinking 'oh I'd like to listen to minutes seven to nine of that terrible song by Soft Machine'.
Sebadoh
4/5
This is dead good. Grunge with a hint of shoegaze that is right in my wheelhouse. It probably suffers a little in comparison to some of the music that came out of the same scene at the same time, because arguably judged solely on its own merits it could be inching into the fives.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I was a tiny bit disappointed by this to be honest. Sympathy is, of course, one of the all time great songs, and probably defines a person and a band better than nearly anything else, but the rest of it is (and this is a regular Stones complaint) a bit to honky tonky for me. I just found it a little hard to really emotionally connect to.
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Now this carries an emotional attachment. There's something magic about an album that can make you feel quite specific nostalgia, despite the fact you're not sure if you've ever heard it before. I loved this very much, and I reckon in the future I'll up this into the fives.
The Darkness
4/5
Ha! I woke up this morning, saw what album I had and thought 'I'm going to give this a sub one or a four plus, entirely depending on my mood'. Turns out I was extremely ready for the ludicrous pomp of The Darkness. The thing is, there are at least five certified and extreme bangers on here. Get Your Hands off My Woman, Friday Night, Love Is Only A Feeling, Love On The Rocks and Growing On Me are all brilliant, and I'm only not including I Believe In A Thing Called Love because it's been done to death. Ultimately I'm a very serious man, and it's too silly to get a five, but hot damn it's close.
Drive-By Truckers
2/5
OK, this is far too long, a pastiche of a terrible genre, simultaneously weird and boring and generally unlovable. And yet, I finished Three Great Men and immediately played it again, because the story telling (of a song that's basically spoken word) is absolutely extraordinary. They should just have released that and ditched all the other nonsense.
Motörhead
3/5
See previous Motorhead reviews. It's cheating to have Ace of Spades up your sleeve basically, because if you went to see them live and they opened with that, your head would be spinning so hard that you wouldn't notice that the rest of it is, basically, a very weak version of the same song.
Portishead
4/5
Very cool indeed. This brought back so many memories of the 90s. It felt like (although I bet it wasn't, as they aren't professional Mancs) this was the only album ever played in Affleck's Palace, when you went to buy your flared cords and Black Grape t shirts.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
There are some big, big hitters on here - Beautiful and Fighter mainly. There is also a lorra, lorra dross that is over-produced, too slick and generally a bit bland. Totally inoffensive, occasionally brilliant, but mostly just...there.
Thelonious Monk
4/5
Brilliant corners indeed. Like a peak David Beckham. This was actually pretty marvellous for the time period, as it's rare to get a level of invention in jazz, apart from Miles Davis and (I know now) the Monk.
fIREHOSE
4/5
Phwoaar! Yes please. This was really good, like a slightly less polished REM or something. I like their commitment to accidentally leaving capslock on and then pressing shift too.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Far too sultry for a girl from Skelmersdale or wherever it is she's from. Sounds pure West Coast LA, actually pure West Coast LA postcode. Either way, she sings beautifully, although as these songs aren't hers, you sometimes sense a slight emotional detachment.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Very nice - definitely my favourite Elvis Costello that I've heard. I've listened to it twice today, and enjoyed it in two quite different ways. The second time I found it quite moving in parts and lyrically fascinating.
Weather Report
4/5
This is more my sort of jazz than the 50s trad stuff. Broadly, it feels a bit more interesting, and I definitely prefer the sounds of sax to the parping brass. This also had some good guitar parts in. Also, Birdland makes me sing 'Haywards Heath', which reminds me of Southern Rail. Despite that, a solid listen.
Teenage Fanclub
5/5
The Fannies here, just tossing out brilliant, brilliant, brilliant proto-Britpop that was never equalled (except arguably by them on Grand Prix) for the rest of the decade. The Concept is such a brilliantly strong opener, it's hard to believe that What You Do To Me packs so much into two minutes, and Metal Baby is a mental sort of glam stomper that sticks in your heard for hours. All in all, I'm putting them out there as the best Britpop band (I reserve the right to argue that B&S do not fit into the genre).
Machito
3/5
This was pretty cool! It felt extremely fun and had a lot of different things going on. That's not a very technical review, is it? But it is quite a good description.
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
Listened to this with the most crushing hangover of my life, while walking to an underwhelming 1-1 draw between United and Chelsea. Despite all this, it still holds up 20 years on, in a way that one suspects much of the rest of the early 00s guitar deluge wouldn't.
George Michael
3/5
Despite my fellow Projecteer championing this as a 5.0 album, this was about as MOR of a three star album as you can get. It's all a bit seedy in parts as well, which is a bit off putting. Still, my namesake sings good.
MC Solaar
4/5
This French language hip-hop hit all the right spots for me. It had some great beats, the voice was very unabrasive, and the fact that my French isn't that good meant that I didn't know if it was the usual hip-hop mix of sexism and violence. It all sounded very cool. I don't know if I'll return to it much, but I was glad to get it.
Cornershop
4/5
My ears were ringing this morning from a very loud gig in a very small room, and this was an absolute balm. This album, while it's quite of its time and possibly runs the risk of looking a bit culturally appropriated in 2024, is just great pop, well made and with a huge amount of nostalgia value.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Fine I suppose. Tricky is very irritating though isn't it? It feels like what nerds think hip-hop might be, and it was in a terrible film that I can't now place. On the other hand, they do know how to write catchy tunes, and I sang my Adidas to myself quite a lot today.
1/5
Just no.
The The
4/5
Just yes, yes, yes. I hadn't really listened to The The loads, apart from a little spate after reading Jonny Marr's autobiography and getting his glowing review of yer man from The The. Anyway, I'm going to listen to them loads now, because this was absolutely great.
Bob Dylan
5/5
Bob's peak, and therefore one of culture's peaks. It's just insanely consistent in its quality, it's gnarly, it's tuneful, it's electric, it retains the blues-y, folk-y heart of early BD, and of course, at its centrepiece is Ballad of a Thin Man, the completion of an evisceration of the square older generation that Bob started in Times They Are A Changing and finished with the immortal 'you know something is happening, but you don't know what it is, do you, Mr Jones?'. That song gives me shivers every time, and the surrounding album is almost as perfect. I love it.
The Beau Brummels
4/5
This was really pretty cool. The description was fairly off-putting, but actually, it was a very tonally consistent, interesting example of psychedelia. Also, at 29 minutes long, definitely didn't overstay its welcome, and left me interested to hear more.
Beatles
5/5
"Ah yes. The GOAT. Shall we go track by track? I think we might.
Taxman - the off-tempo count-in, the riff, the decision to lead this earth-shattering album with George on vocals. It's a great start, despite, at its heart, being a little Tory.
Eleanor Rigby - a song that feels as essential as oxygen and as old as Pangea. It is impossible to conceive that there was a time before its writing. How does Paul do this? It goes without saying that musically, lyrically, thematically, this is extraordinary.
I'm only Sleeping - a tiny dip in quality, with a slightly lazy vocal, but still so cool
Love You To - often panned I think, but I actually prefer it to Within You Without You, and again, it's hard to imagine that the mop tops had gone from Love Me Do to this in just four years.
Here, There and Everywhere - emotional pop perfection
Yellow Submarine - am I going to defend it? I think I might you know. Obviously it's a childish vocal, but every aspect of the harmonies and musicality are bang on and quite interesting.
She Said - Possibly the weakest song on the album (removing YS from the equation), but still great. A weird riff that never seems to quite repeat itself, which is fascinating.
Good Day Sunshine - The horns in this should be prescribed on the NHS
And Your Bird Can Sing - A criminally underrated song, that might feature in my top five Beatles songs I think. The harmonies on (I think) the third verse of this are extraordinary. The level of invention in them is off the scale. Also, an incredible 12-string riff written by Lennon, arguably only their third best guitarist. What a band
For No One - Another absolute classic slice of Paul. The French horn! Oh my god.
Dr Robert - TFW you discover that Dr Robert spiked George and John with acid, and this isn't a nice song at all.
I Want To Tell You - One of few Harrison songs where the vocal slips from being 'pleasantly different' to 'a bit nasal and weak', but still lovely.
Got To Get You Into My Life - Great fun, but you're waiting for it to finish because...
Tomorrow Never Knows - Arguably the greatest song in the entire history of the greatest band. This is probably an album, up to this point, where Paul does the heavy lifting, but John blows everything (in the whole history of music) out of the water. It's like he's got in a time machine, travelled to the 1990s, listened to the Chemical Brothers, written a song that sounds like what the Chems would do if they teamed up with God to write a song, created it out of the technical limitations of the 60s, banged out lyrics based on Tim Leary and probably popped off home to watch the telly in Esher. I do not know how this came from a human man.
So yeah, not bad.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
A very good album indeed. A little jazzy, but by no means the worse for it. His voice is pretty unmatched, isn't it. I can only think of maybe Nick Cave who is so instantly recognisable (in a good way).
Ice Cube
2/5
Waaay too much bravado and cliché in this for me. Weirdly though, I really enjoyed the interludes, where it seems that he was slightly reckoning with the impact of rap on popular culture. So that was interesting, the rest, not so much. Also, there is some very good female vocal backing in this.
George Michael
3/5
A little better than Faith IMHO. It was a bit more serious and acoustic, with less froth (apart from the very frothy Freedom, which is undeniably a good pop song). Anyway, yeah, above average pop from GM.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Ian and the lads' debut, and while it holds all the hallmarks of their future great works, it's a little bit scratchier in places, and doesn't quite have the expansive sound of later epic songs like Killing Moon or Seven Seas, and certainly is more reserved than something later like Dancing Horses. Never the less, it's still great, and further cements their 'best band of the 80s' status.
SZA
3/5
The first three songs on this are quite off-putting, just by the subject matter (which is fine, I'm not against it, it was just quite in your face). After that, it settled into a really pretty good album, with strong vocals and a very cool style. She sounded like Samia, who I really love. It's probably the wrong way round to make that comparison in fairness, given SZA has headlined Glastonbury and Samia has...not.
Gene Clark
4/5
I thought this would be dreadful for some reason, maybe it's the name Gene and the recent scarring of the Byrds, but it was actually great. Really, really atmospheric stuff and quite evocative of the great expanses of America. I listened while reading a novel about Indigenous Americans and it all fit nicely.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3/5
Just so underwhelming. Albarn's vocals are such an acquired taste, and the backing felt way too light really, there was no heft to it at all. There were some decent moments, and it's by no means bad, but considering it's something of a super group, it didn't do it for me.
Afrika Bambaataa
4/5
Very funky indeed. It was like a classic 80s hip-hop (run DMC or something) but with a really strong African flavour that brough a little more joy to it than its US cousin might have had. Each song was a trifle too long, but it was great party music (perfect for a Wednesday morning in work, obviously)
Ian Dury
2/5
Sort of nearly occasionally good, but ultimately a novelty album and deeply irritating. Also just a bit gross and crude in a way that may have been funny in the 70s but is just very tired.
Basement Jaxx
2/5
I was so underwhelmed by this! I thought it'd be great fun but it's actually fairly boring throughout. The three tracks I knew were easily the best and the rest just sounded like filler basically.
Rush
4/5
Rush, I had assumed, are just a paint by numbers prog affair, who would annoy me as soon as the opening track ticked over the eight minute mark. Not so! This was far more at the rock, even proto-metal end of things, and sounded a little like Black Sabbath to my (quite uneducated on this front) ears. Great guitar work on this, although the vocals were a tiny bit of a pastiche.
3/5
Serbian-Brazilian samba jazz. It's obviously one for the hipsters, and I enjoyed it, but it left me with a feeling that I should have enjoyed it more, if only I wasn't so stupid. That's not a nice feeling.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
2/5
Boring! Just trad jazz from Mr Basie. I'm totally ready to be told that this is revolutionary, the first use of triplets in recorded jazz history, a powerful evocation of the era or whatever, but it just sounds like a few guys tooting out some standards to me. Sorry about that.
Harry Nilsson
5/5
Is Without You the best song of all time? I dunno man, it's right up there. Seriously very difficult to think of a time that listening to Without You hasn't materially improved my life. The rest of the album is also really good to be fair. Like, really, really good. Even Coconut, which is stupid at heart, is very lovely. I've been blown away by this listen. It's magnificently produced as well, really bouncy and light and with a good range of instruments involved. This is an obvious point, but you can see why the Beatles liked him so much and see the influence working both ways.
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
This glam punk meets hard rock nonsense was basically very silly, but also quite listenable. I assumed it would offend me and my delicate ears to the core, so it gains marks for not being at that end of the rock spectrum. It's also, in a way, quite a cool band name and album title, so have a little bonus decimal places for that.
Hole
4/5
Man, I enjoyed this very much. I don't, admittedly, know all the ins and outs of Courtney Love, but I think there's a level of misogyny to the way that she's panned by the music press. She seems to be defined solely by her relationships and not as an artist in her own right. Let's face it though, her vocals absolutely make this album, from all out attack to the, um, softness of Softer Softest. Great stuff.
Paul Simon
3/5
Obviously, Paul Simon has got a deeply lovely voice and is a magnificent songwriter. However, by his own impeccable standards, I would say this just felt a bit lightweight to be honest. It's unusual for a Paul Simon or S+G album that I'm not interested in the bonus tracks and so on, but with this one, I was more than happy to leave it. It's above average, because of course it is, but it's not way up there.
Ride
5/5
When I think about shoegaze, it's exactly this that I think of. Washes of guitar, elegiac vocals buried in the mix, a creeping sense of emotion that's quite hard to place. The musicianship on this is also absolutely first rate, and the production quality is top notch, as it has to be for the genre to avoid sounding a bit muddy I reckon. This has immediately gone on my vinyl wish list.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Argh, if you're going to have one song that's a million times better than all the rest, please don't put it first on a 71 minute long album. It's all pretty good stuff, although gets increasingly tuneless and shouty as it goes along, to the point that you've totally forgotten that it started out very well by the end.
Janet Jackson
4/5
I recently read a really good article about how totally JJ was ditched and hung out to dry after nipple-gate, and how much it derailed her career. Apart from a couple of mid-90s fairly average R&B songs, I didn't really know loads of her catalogue, but this is very good. I think I'm ready to die on the Janet is a better singer than Michael hill to be honest. And definitely a better person.
Super Furry Animals
4/5
Another great blast of nostalgia, this time added to the fact that this absolutely stands up on its own terms as a high-quality record. There are so many great songs on here, only let down (as SFA quite often do) by a few too many trips into all out psych for me. The big hits - Juxtaposed, the title track and Run Christian Run - are all standout, but there are gems across the board really.
Boards of Canada
3/5
Scottish? Extremely esoteric name and album title? Weird electronica? You have no idea how much I wanted to love this. Unfortunately it was just...fine. There were a few high points, but otherwise it was perfectly serviceable background music really.
Michael Jackson
4/5
I wanted to hate this so much. I've not enjoyed the other two MJ albums I've had at all, they felt really flimsy and unemotional. But this is just absolutely undeniable - it's hit after hit after hit. They're all quite annoying in a sort of way, mainly because it forces you to think about Michael Jackson, which I'd rather not. In more positive associations, they also make me think a lot about 'Michael Jackson's Moonwalker' on the Megadrive, which I would pay good money (although not the $263 it's currently listed for on Ebay) to play again.
R.E.M.
5/5
An album that feels so essential and eternal, it's hard to believe that for eight years of my life, this didn't exist. It shows every side of REM to their max, from the foreboding rock of Drive, to the sweet sensibilities of Sidewinder to the lush beauty of Everybody Hurts. It just ever so slightly dips in the middle, with the overly long instrumental and Monty Got A Raw Deal. But the last four songs are absolutely tremendous, and Nightswimming is the most amazing tearjerker of a song. The whole album reminds me of family holidays, old friends and the formation of my music tastes. It's good, is what I'm saying.
Skepta
3/5
I was not expecting to enjoy this at all. But actually, it's pretty decent. It's got quite a laidback instrumentation behind it, and his vocal delivery is really crisp without being too aggressive. There are too many little skits for me, and maybe about a third of the songs are just annoying, but having dismissed grime fairly heavily, this was a pleasant surprise.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
This was boring, if I'm totally honest. I've enjoyed some of the six million Costello albums spread across this project, but this wasn't one of them. There's a decent song or two, and nothing he does is particularly bad, but it didn't grip me at all.
Sonic Youth
3/5
A bit poppier feeling and melodic than Daydream Nation. It's also less shouty, but doesn't have quite the same thrill of noise guitar. A different experience. Overall, it's good, but it felt a tiny touch lightweight and over before it started. I bet if I gave this repeat listens, I'd find more to enjoy about it, but on initial hearing, it's a solid high-end three.
Moby Grape
4/5
You need to go to YouTube to get the proper version of this, which is instantly a bit irritating. However! Once you do, it's well worth it. The first half, especially, is good, muscular country-psych. Mr Blues in particular sounds Hendrix-esque in its tone and instrumentation (only with a human guitar player, rather than a genius from outer space). I'm really glad to have discovered this.
KISS
3/5
Well now. That was undeniably quite good fun. I wouldn't choose to listen to it almost ever, but if I was to have a stupid house party I think I'd put that on and everyone would enjoy it. I'm unlikely to do that, but I guess now the option is there.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Enjoyed most of this. Karen has a really cracking voice, especially when she's showing a lot of vulnerability. Skeletons in particular shows it beautifully, and puts me in mind of the recent (very good) Let's Eat Grandma album Two Ribbons. My main complaint with it is that the drum style is really incessant and unvaried, and overshadows a lot of otherwise really good songs. I like a bit of breakbeats in my life, but I like them sparely.
Fiona Apple
4/5
A very good songwriter and an excellent singer. It's not as cool and subversive as late era Fiona Apple, but it's still really atmospheric in the main. There are a couple of times when she sounds a bit like that singer who was famous for singing in the bar in Ally McBeal, and one song that sounds like it should be Geri Halliwell's follow up to Mi Chico Latino (when will we get that BTW), but in the main, lovely stuff.
TV On The Radio
3/5
A weird one, in that they're really very good, but also quite a stressful and uncomfortable listen. I think it's all the honking.
Manic Street Preachers
5/5
In every single way conceivable, from the deep to the not so deep, this was the perfect day to get this album. Insofar as anyone, including James Dean Bradfield, knows all the lyrics, I know this word for word, and yet there was still so much to enjoy on this listen. I took it in on record, pretty loud. What that meant was that it was the quality of James and Sean's instruments that really struck me, which is unusual, because normally you're focused on Richey and Nicky's extraordinary lyrics. And that's a treat, because THB contains some of the fiercest, yet understated, guitar work, backed by drumming that feels unlike almost anything else.
This album means so much to me on a purely emotional level, and yet I honestly believe that if I heard this for the first time out of context, I'd immediately consider it to be a masterpiece. As it is, the knowledge that Richey, a man out of time, on his own, surrounded by his books, his thoughts and his declining mental health, put pen to paper on this to outline his deepest emotions, before leaving us all, is almost too much to bear. The beauty of some of the lyrics in the midst of all the horror, the grime and the debased is startling. The positioning of poetry like 'I want to walk in the snow and not spoil its purity', or the whole of This Is Yesterday, juxtaposed with something like Archives of Pain or Die in the Summertime, is sublime. I love it, I love them and that will never change.
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
There are a few moments of really lovely electronica here, but they're totally outweighed by the kind of relentless blipping that puts you in mind of being too sober in a bar late at night, listening to conversations you have no part in and waiting to go home.
Kacey Musgraves
3/5
I would say that of all my beloved modern sad-girl country-flecked artists (your Waxahatchees, your Lenkers, the Jess Williamsons of this world), Kacey Musgraves isn't right up there. It's just a touch too poppy for me in places, and is closer to the 'Taylor goes folk' end of things. That said, it's still a genre that I really enjoy, and there was lots to like in this. Some of the harmonies are really powerful and emotive and I think it's quite nice and varied in tone.
The Byrds
3/5
Feel like this is the fairly standard Byrds review. Just not that interesting and a little 'over before it's started'. I get the sense it's kind of self-consciously 'groovy', like maybe even their contemporaries rolled their eyes at it. There are some nice songs though, Get To You rattles along well and Dolphin's Smile has a slight Simon and Garfunkel quality to it. That's always the way with the Byrds though, at their best, they sound like someone else.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
The title track towers above the rest of this a fair bit, to the extent that songs that might otherwise sound amazing just sound like less authentic versions of it. Still, it's MG at his sexiest, smoothest and coolest. Obviously it doesn't have the emotional punch of What's Going On, nor the meaning, but that's not to say that it isn't very good.
Gram Parsons
2/5
Not wholly dreadful, but the best part of this is Emmylou Harris singing, not dear old Graham. There are moments of real charm and beauty, and many more moments of yer basic hoedown.
Gillian Welch
4/5
This is one of the finds of the Proj for me. It is so incredibly moving in places - particularly the opening and closing tracks, which really hit you like a gut punch. I think if and when I give this repeat listens, it might make its way into five territory. I'm really quite stunned by it.
The Stone Roses
5/5
Strap in, because I'm about to wax lyrical. There has been something of a backlash against the Roses in recent years. Brown is now obviously embarrassing, and they made the mistake of carrying on after the Heaton Park comebacks (first night of that is in the top three gigs of my life btw), but none of that can ever take away from the fact that these four scallies made something approaching perfection with their debut album, changed the course of Manchester's history, became the most talked about band in the country and provided me with the soundtrack to my life. I can't even go on, because it won't stop. Suffice to say, I think in some ways this is the most important album in my life, for all kinds of reasons. This is the one.
The Doors
3/5
Not bad. I'm not about to change my opinion of the Doors based on this, but it's very OK.
Q-Tip
3/5
Pretty nice really - he's got good flow with minimum thuggery and aggression. It had some good grooves, but actually faded into the background a little. Honestly, what do I want? I clearly don't like abrasive rap, but then complain if it doesn't offend my ears.
Fairport Convention
3/5
This started pretty well, although it lost me a fair bit in the middle, and certainly the medley of trad songs all felt way too village fete for me. Still, the female vocalist in particular has a great voice and it's notable that the only song that is credited to her and Ashley Hutchings, as opposed to a trad song, was easily the best. Weirdly, felt quite appropriate for the festive season.
Eagles
2/5
I'm afraid I'm with The Dude on this one.
Tito Puente
2/5
Pleasant, but sometimes being pleasant just isn't enough. There was actually quite a lot of talented and enjoyable musicianship in this, and I feel bad marking it low, but I was mainly bored, and relieved when it was finished.
Nas
3/5
A good groove, pretty non-abrasive and on occasion downright good.
Björk
4/5
This is such a lovely album - really Bjork at her best in my opinion. It's got that glacial ambience to it, and feels very minimalist, while still being interesting. She also sings beautifully on it, which isn't always the case. Despite that minimal, light-touch style, it also has a great warmth. Very nice indeed.
Peter Gabriel
2/5
Well, this is just so Peter Gabriel. By which I mean it's mostly pretty boring dross, with one absolutely huge banger thrown into the mix. Paraded around the house for a good day or so singing Sledgehammer, much to everyone's delight.
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
Pet Shop Boys Stop Writing Bangers Challenge: They just can't do it. What a collection of songs this is, that'd be a decent greatest hits for most artists, but actually doesn't quite match up to Very for me in this bands insane legacy. What Have I Done... and It's A Sin are the obvious highlights, but Rent, Shopping, Heart and King's Cross all run them close.
Miriam Makeba
4/5
I listened to this on New Year's Day, with, as is tradition, an appalling hangover and washing up a lot of glassware. It was really quite restorative and lovely. There's a lot of joy in the music, but a vulnerability in her vocals that's a lovely mix. The English language songs probably appealed to me slightly more, but actually things like The Click Song and Mbube are also just nice to get lost in.
Fred Neil
3/5
I enjoyed this up to a point, and I really like his voice. It definitely drifts quite significantly, and I'm afraid I found the final song a total chore to get through. However, a lot of the instrumentation feels quite ahead of its time, despite being rooted in the Western and folk traditions. His Everybody's Talking suffers in comparison to Nielsson, because, y'know, everyone would.
TV On The Radio
4/5
Lovely stuff. Much better than the previous TVOTR album that I've had. They are a band that a lot of artists I really like seem to have a lot of time for (I'm writing this as they're making a comeback, so maybe I'm noticing their name a lot), and on this showing, I can really see why. It felt more melodic, but still vital and urgent. I will come back to this for sure.
Lambchop
4/5
This took me back in a major way. I've no memory of really knowing this album, or very much about Lambchop, except this general sense that they were a good thing. Anyway, this was great. Really sad and mellow, but not lightweight or boring at all. The quality of vocals was very striking.
Kate Bush
4/5
It's not the best Bush, in fact it's some way off the quality of Hounds of Love, but it's still very impressive, and carried by her magnificent vocal performance and a nice sense of weirdness. This Woman's Work is a fair way above a lot of the rest, but overall, the third solid four star album in a row.
Soft Cell
2/5
You know Soft Cell? Oh what, the band who does Tainted Love? Yeah, that's right. I bet they write loads of songs that are just as good as Tainted Love don't they? Nope.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
Fan-bloody-marvellous. It is, IMHO, the absolute pinnacle of MBV. Shoegaze at its fiercest, its most emotive and its most melodic. They manage to avoid the trap of just falling into walls of feedback, which is nice, and not something that they always do. It's one that I just immediately want on record.
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
Yeah, pretty good this. I had never heard of him, but you can hear that he's very much part of the fuzz/grunge scene from the early 90s. Interesting that old Tory Noel cited this as an influence as well, you definitely get the scuzz of early Oasis through this. Anyway not anything super special, but very nice.
Waylon Jennings
2/5
Booooooring. Hard to believe this was only 27 minutes long to be fair. It gets two stars for not being actively horrible, but I can do without it.
Mudhoney
1/5
Imagine if every member of Nirvana had a lobotomy. You're imagining Mudhoney. Just terrible grunge, shouted in your face from 1mm away.
Manic Street Preachers
5/5
Hello, and welcome to another edition of George's Over Emotional and Never Ending Reviews. First, a bit of context: I think this was the first ever album I can remember having a release date. I was 12 when this came out, and had a friend who was two years older than me, who was terribly excited. So I remember its arrival as an event. I think I remember the first time we listened to it, on tape of course. The opener starts so weirdly, and is a generally slightly surprising first 30-45 seconds until the brilliant chorus comes in. Then you get smashed in the face with Design for Life and all bets are off for the next 40 minutes. A tiny dip for tracks 3 to 5, despite the brilliance of Enola/Alone, until Small Black Flowers cuts you off at the knees with its perfection. It feels like a final brilliant coda of Richey's lyrics. Australia sees you through another slightly less good section (although I've warmed to Removables a lot) and the whole thing is finished with No Surface, the best of the lot and a very, very meaningful song for me.
It's not actually perfect, and it loses some points for the presence of Further Away. It's not a bad song in and of itself, but it's a love song, and I'm afraid that's broken the Manics' constitution, and Richey would be spinning in his grave/Vietnamese beachside hut.
Caetano Veloso
3/5
Started listening on a plane, and eu nao gosto. Finished it on the beach, and eu muito gosto. Just goes to show that timing is everything.
Beastie Boys
3/5
I'm a bit concerned that the Beastie Boys are actually quite annoying. They're definitely good, but it's terribly abrasive. For the second album running (and for the next few), I listened to it on a sun lounger, and really I just wish they'd have some dim sum and a bottle of Singha and chill out a bit.
The La's
4/5
The story around this album always makes me so sad. Perfectionism is a hell of a curse, and clearly absolutely did for poor old Lee Mavers. Still, his struggles were worth it, because this is very good indeed. It feels like a perfect turning point from the 80s into the 90s for me, retaining some elements of the earlier decade, but announcing the arrival of Britpop. Of course, There She Goes towers above everything to the extent that the rest of the album does suffer a bit. I find it weird that There She Goes has become quite such a mainstream cultural touchpoint. I personally think it's got a case to be in the top 10 songs of all time, but it's quite a slight affair, without a verse and lyrics that are probably about heroin. Still, whatever, it all works and shows the power of one of the great hooks of our time.
Eric Clapton
3/5
Here he is, boring Eric. I dunno what it is about Clappers, but I can't really get on board with him whatsoever. The two best songs on this album are a racially highly questionable rendition of I Shot The Sheriff and a cover of a classic blues song. It's all very serviceable and there's no denying he's a very talented musician, but it's like music by AI or something, there's no soul to it whatsoever.
Public Image Ltd.
3/5
A weird mix of quite unpleasant and very interesting. That's both my review of this album and the Thai street food I ate on the same day, which was definitely either an egg or a radish.
Raekwon
1/5
Shut up Ray, you are horrible.
Beck
4/5
My favourite Beck - full on sad boy indie mode. I really, really, really get on board with this in a major way. The first three or four tracks in particular are five star worthy, and while it loses impetus a bit, it's a really lovely listen from top to bottom. Very nice.
Beyoncé
3/5
Oh look, it's underground star and little known songstress Beyonce Knowles. I gather she got all the world's best producers to live with her for a month and this is what they came up with. It's good and all, but the Beatles got shoved in a recording studio for 12 hours without any warning and produced Please Please Me, so maybe streamline your practices Bey?
Nitin Sawhney
4/5
This is definitely a prime example of the setting maketh the score. Lovely smooth British-Asian R&B with just a hint of mumblecore to it. I think on another day I could have given this a 0.2, but right now, there's Nitin wrong with this.
Incubus
4/5
I didn't want to listen to this on holiday, because I forgot who Incubus were and thought it was going to be a lot of nu-metal shouting. It's actually very, very good. Made me try and fail to lift some heavy weights. Obviously it's not really good, like a lovely quiet female singer-songwriter or a fey Scottish indie band or something, but in the context of American late 90s rock, it's about as good as it gets
Dagmar Krause
1/5
Pros: I laughed out loud within 10 seconds.
Cons: Once you get over giggling at how stupid this album is, you realise you've still got 58 minutes of this dreadful person singing legitimately insane songs.
Simple Minds
3/5
Sometimes I wonder if I'm fundamentally not cut out for life really, because my review of this album is that it's too chirpy, purely because it's got quite a lot of squelchy bass and staccato synth. I just find it a bit annoying. They're well written songs though to be fair, and I feel like this one's on me.
The Jam
4/5
In April 2003, a man in a pub threatened me with an ashtray because I called Paul Weller 'shite'. Well I'd like to apologise to that clearly unhinged man, and in fact the Modfather himself, because this was actually dead good. It makes you wonder why all the famous Jam songs are so rubbish really. Also, all of Weller's solo work is risible, so I retract my apology.
Lightning Bolt
2/5
If I was an American teen, steeling myself for undertaking a school shooting, I would definitely listen to this album. What does it say about me, a British 41 year old, that I'm acknowledging that and yet still giving it a solid two stars?
Chicago
2/5
What a load of dreadful nonsense, in which sits one absolutely stonking song. Seriously, Questions 67 and 68 is like one of the best Wings-style songs you can imagine, and yet it sits next to the worst prog/jazz/rock fusion you could ever find. Someone should have put a stop to this.
Roxy Music
2/5
Eeesh, what a run of tripe the last three days have been. I just about got to a two with this, on the 'not actively horrible' system. But honestly, it's the most self-satisfied, smug affair you could wish to find. The last song offers some redemption.
Turbonegro
2/5
So incredibly dumb and appalling that it almost (but not quite) became enjoyable. Beavis and Butthead meets hard rock meets...Eurovision? Somehow, and I suspect not deliberately, it's extremely camp. That's probably its most redeeming feature, that it's impossible to take at all seriously. If you'd have told me 524 days ago that one day I would listen to Lightning Bolt, Chicago, Roxy Music and this in consecutive days I would have...had quite a lot of questions. But I'd also have expected to find Roxy Music a palette cleanser, whereas this album actually served that purpose. Obviously it's still rubbish though.
U2
3/5
Sunday Bloody Sunday. What a great song. It really encapsulates the frustration of a Sunday, doesn't it? You wake up in the morning, you've got to read all the Sunday papers, the kids are running round, you've got to mow the lawn, wash the car, and you think "Sunday, bloody Sunday!"
A massacre? I'm not playing that again.
Anyway, this wasn't too bad really. It isn't quite peak banger era U2, but nor is it peak stab-yourself-repeatedly-in-the-ear era U2.
Ministry
2/5
Mostly diabolical, abrasive and fairly puerile. There's a hint of some decent rock in here though, that's just about enough to stop it being a one star horror show.
Big Star
4/5
Big Star are a band that regularly get cited by some of the pop-rock-indie greats, like Teenage Fanclub, B&S and so on. I'd never really engaged with them, but this is absolutely great. It definitely sags in the middle, from a peak of the brilliant Velvets cover, but it ends really strongly. He's got a fascinating voice, that really gets emotion across, and the instrumentation is nice and gentle without being too sparse. Very up my street.
Dire Straits
5/5
Easily the most embarrassing five star rating I'm going to give. This milk-white, MOR slice of dad rock isn't cool, that's for sure. It does, however, transport me back to being about 12 years old, playing snooker with my dad on a five foot long table with paint on it and a significant camber towards one pocket. I don't know that I was ready for just what a nostalgic trip this would be to be honest. Leaving aside the nostalgia, there are still objectively tremendous moments on this, from Latest Trick, through the beautifully corny Why Worry all the way to the atmospheric closer of the title track. It's a huge shame about the homophobic slurs that ruin Money For Nothing, which is also the weakest song regardless. Still, it's 1995, I'm drinking tea and playing air guitar to Walk of Life with a child's snooker cue. Happy days.
808 State
4/5
A very different slice of nostalgia today, with some Hacienda-era Madchester. I guess this is Hiraeth - nostalgia for the bond you feel with your homeland even if it's not direct experience. Leaving that pretentious sidenote aside, this is also just some big block-rocking beats, a load of euphoric electronica and doesn't outstay its welcome at any point. I can absolutely imagine taking a load of pingers in 1989 and wearing baggies, even though I listened to to it at 9am on a Sunday morning in the gym like a good middle-aged reformed character.
Fairport Convention
4/5
This was good! A little too on the maypoles-and-village-fetes end of the English folk scene still, but very nice indeed. Sandy Denny, someone I'd never heard of about three years ago, now seems to enter my radar constantly. She's got a great voice - very gentle but still strident - and uses it really well here.
4/5
Five consecutive days of four and five stars! This is Polly at her absolute best for me. It's still powerful and angsty, but it's really beautiful in places. I absolutely love the two big hits, especially You Said Something, but let's also give a shout out for We Float at the end, because that is tremendous. It sounds like the song that Sharon Van Etten (the greatest current songwriter IMO) heard immediately before she began her career. All round great stuff. Nice to get a bit of peak Yorke on here as well by the way, just months before the great Kid A comeback.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Whooaaaaa Geno! A song with two distinct memories for me:
1. Losing a quiz at Toffs nightclub York, despite - or even because of - cheating. Having successfully identified Star Trekking by The Firm as being from 1986, I got down to the final two in said quiz (taking place at midnight in a crowded club). The DJ played Geno, and told us to write down the year and the artist. Closest wins. No problem with the latter, it's Dexys. As for the year, I happened to see my opponent write 1981. No problem, I'll just go one year up and write 1982 - they're early 80s, but surely not that early. 1980. He won a karaoke machine, I won eternal shame.
2. Singing it on karaoke without the benefit of knowing any of the melody or lyrics beyond the bit where you shout 'whoa Geno'.
The rest of this album is so-so.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Yeah, this is good, but I think my expectations were way higher than this. Basically, they're less cool than the band name and the image, once you get down to the brass tacks of the music. There's a decent bit of funk, especially from the bass, but often it's a little straightforward. It's also possible that Family Affair has suffered a lot from over-playing, which I guess isn't their fault. Anyway, an enjoyable if strangely unmoving experience.
LTJ Bukem
2/5
I didn't hate this to be honest, but I was extremely glad to discover that the final two hours were just the same album again without breaks. It was a more pleasant intro to D&B and jungle than the dreadful Tricky album from earlier in the proj. I don't think I'll ever listen to it again, nor do I want to, but it is a comfortable 2.
Mott The Hoople
4/5
This was good, like a sub-par David Bowie album. Which, reading about Mott The Hoople, I guess it kind of is. It's got really good guitar work on it, and a lot of the joy and expression of Ziggy era Dave. If only it had the vocal power then we'd be looking at something scoring much higher. It's got a really grim song on it - Violence - which also loses it some points, but overall it was a nice thing to discover.
Marilyn Manson
1/5
In light of (a) all the recent and not so recent revelations about Brian Warner and (b) the knowledge that all of his songs have no musical, cultural or literary value, I decided not to give him my 0.0001p via a Spotify stream. I listened to In The Aeroplane Over The Sea instead, which gets 5.0 at a bare minimum. It's the greatest album of all time, and my concern that it is not going to be on this project when Marylin Manson is has reached an all time high.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Ooooh yeah, this felt like, just when I wondered if they were a little overhyped, the point when Sonic Youth really clicked for me. It's scuzzy, loud but super-melodic and with enormous hooks in places. This made me really wish I could see them live, but in 1992 (although ideally I'd be 19, rather than 8). You can totally see how this would translate into a live show, and the sparse production really helped with that. Lovely stuff.
Mercury Rev
3/5
Spotify has spent the last 10 years absolutely convinced that I want to hear Goddess on a Hiway. And, as if to prove that the algorithm always gonna get you, they're now absolutely right. It's physically impossible not to sing along with the 'it ain't gonna last' bit of that song. The rest of the album doesn't match up to be honest, it's a poor man's Soft Bulletin-era Flaming Lips, with a singer who can't really carry off the far out wonder that he's going for.
Donald Fagen
3/5
Hmm. Imagine Steely Dan, but it's just the singer and some extremely over-produced and not particularly good yacht rock. This is that. It's the epitome of style over substance, but the style is stylish enough to make it fun for 39 minutes.
Elastica
3/5
Oh yeah, Elastica were cool huh? Were they though? They were definitely ladettes in a sea of lads, and had a bit of attitude, but musically, are they good? The answer: they're OK. This is serviceable punk-lite mid-90s London Britpop, and if that adjective-athon hasn't put you off entirely, probably give it a listen.
Ghostface Killah
3/5
Pretty, pretty cool all round. Killah has an excellent flow, and there's shades of Arrested Development or even De La Soul in the backing. There's a ceiling to the score, because this woke white kid doesn't like hearing the N word, even if it's being reclaimed in rap. But regardless, this is a fun and funky album.
Metallica
2/5
I listened to this in two parts. The first, hungover, grudging, trudging to the shop to get a paper, was truly abominable. The second, running through the streets the following day feeling fresh and sprightly, only quite bad.
The album begins with about 15 minutes of instrumental. As it's live and with a large string section, that's not totally unpleasant. Soon, the shouting starts though. Cheer up mate, it might never happen. The band are really tight, and the strings do actually add something to proceedings, but it is so, so, so long and every song follows an identikit format. The best known songs probably fare best here, because, regardless of my own distaste for it, it's always nice to hear a crowd going absolutely beside themselves with joy.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Sublime musicality, tremendous emotion, as befits a man who knows he's got months to live (and passed away within two months of the album's release). It feels quite unfair to point out that Cohen's voice isn't anywhere near its full power, because of course it isn't, but it still leaves the songs feeling a tiny bit unfilled out in places. Still though, alongside Bowie's Blackstar, 2016 really did give us two final flourishes from two departing geniuses.
Linkin Park
3/5
It feels like there's been a concerted 'on second thoughts' rehabilitation attempt around Linkin Park of late, but actually, it's just quite average nu-metal. The vocals are better than most, and it's definitely not as annoying as something like Limp Bizkit, but nor does it have the velocity of a Slipknot or similar.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
There was a recent question on BlueSky, along the lines of 'what's the most classic and revered album that you've never knowingly listened to?'. My immediate thought was Songs In The Key Of Life. Well now I have, and it's very good indeed. Every element is of such quality - the musicianship, the production, the songwriting and of course the vocals. It's also clearly so often ripped off - everyone from Coolio to Jamiroquai to George Michael owes a debt to this record. That's the compliments out the way, now for the reasons it won't get a five star. The first thing is very much a 'me problem'. It's too chirpy by half, and the only song with any sort of edge was Black Man. That's not bad in itself, but it's a lot to contend with for the length of the record. That brings me on to me second issue - it's yet another case for the prosecution in the argument that there is yet to be a double album made that wouldn't be better as an absolute killer single album. Unusually, the issue here isn't (just) that there's too many songs, but that each of them is a three-minute gem wrapped up in an eight-minute indulgence.
Love
3/5
Let's deal with the elephant in the room. It is totally insane for a 36 minute album to have a 19 minute closing track, especially when it's mostly just a blues jam. That's actually more than half the album pal. Still, with that out the way, it's worth acknowledging that while this is nowhere near the standard of Forever Changes (what happened to them in the year between the two? I guess the answer is drugs and the summer of love), it still has a lot going for it. Lee's vocals are always so dreamy and otherworldly, and the songs are surprisingly impactful considering all but one of them is three minutes or less. It's just occurred to me that this would be a great thing to have on record, because you could just never turn over to the second half.
Pink Floyd
4/5
Famously recorded in the next door studio to where The Beatles were recording Sgt Pepper, this feels like Pink Floyd before they became the prog behemoth that they became known for. It's good, at times very good psychedelic pop, with a few hints of the grandeur that they'd find in the 70s. It's not always very coherent I think, partly deliberately probably. Still, it ends with Bike, a song that is both extremely stupid on the surface level (I've got a mouse and he doesn't have a house I don't know why I call him Gerald) and has some absolutely mesmerising psychedelic instrumentation across it. I enjoyed listening to this for the first time in a long time, even if it will be a while before I feel the need to do so again.
Prince
4/5
Another chance for Prince to achieve his greatest goal - convincing me that he really is all that. And do you know what? He's done well here. It feels redundant to point out that the guitar playing on here is absolutely [mind-blown emoji] throughout, but it can't pass unremarked. Overall the songs feel deeper than on 1999, and the big hits are beyond great. Despite that, there is a bit too much filler to get it into absolute classic territory. Needless to say, the 8 minute closing title track is the highlight; partly because it's dead good, and partly because it takes you straight back to a power ballads night, on your (increasingly sticky) knees, arms in the air as you bellow out the 45th chorus. Lovely stuff.
The Vines
3/5
Hmm, yeah I don't know if this is all that highly evolved for me. In a way it's basically the opposite of evolution - building on what's gone before but for no obvious benefit to the species. It's not bad, especially, and a couple of songs have that early noughties nostalgia factor, but it's pretty unremarkable. Factory scores highly for being a pretty decent mid- to late-era Beatles pastiche with very good harmonies.
Joy Division
4/5
Context: I listened to this with a monumental hangover driving back from Stamford to Salford over the moors in driving rain. So, basically the perfect context for Joy Division. I would say that, for me, it doesn't quite hit the same highs as Unknown Pleasures, but it's still absolutely heart-breaking and astounding all at once. I've given it the top possible four star mark, because I do think it isn't quite them at their best, and I was monumentally glad when it was over, but that was only because I'd got home and could crawl into bed.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
The stars of the Project ride again. On this one, they really straddle the line between what they are - a California band having the time of their lives - and what you could mistake them for - some good ol' boys from the Bayous. A few of the early songs are silly, really, as befit songs called things like Hurdy Gurdy and Oodie Woodie or whatever, but the whole album is massively elevated by the final three tracks. Who'll Stop The Rain is beautiful, their version of Grapevine rivals Marvin's and Long As I Can See The Light is so, so so, so cool.
Radiohead
5/5
When this album came up this morning, I immediately thought that it was going to be an underwhelming low four stars, because you obviously contextualise it as a bit of a dip in Radiohead's trajectory between the twin highs of Kid A and In Rainbows. However, while it is worse than those, it's still so much better than almost anything else. I'd pretty much forgotten about the rollercoaster of the first three tracks, and just what a strong single There There is. Throw in the woozy jazz of Glasshouse at the end, and it truly deserves its place on here and among the five stars. Bonus points for being just about the most 'definable point in my university days' album.
Air
4/5
I liked this a lot, but also put it in the slightly backhanded compliment category of 'good music to work to'. It's nice, quite ambient, interesting enough to sustain it, but in no way obtrusive.
Bad Brains
3/5
Very interesting, if not always very enjoyable. A real rough and ready mix of hardcore, metal, rock, reggae and proto-hip hop. The musicianship on display is very good, and although it's a little bit one-note for me (that note being 'shouting'), I was able to appreciate it much more than the cover and the artist name suggested.
Crowded House
3/5
Hello, we're Crowded House, allow us to play 12 songs that precisely sum up three star music. Prepare yourselves to feel almost nothing, but have a reasonable time while you do so. Don't forget to sing along to our hit.
Tricky
2/5
This felt a lot longer than 57 minutes long. There were times when Tricky channels Massive Attack really well, and the more Martina Topley Bird we get, the better. Overall though, an album that was one to get through, appreciate the highs, and consign to the dustbin of time.
Stan Getz
3/5
My parents had this on CD, and a lot of the songs were instantly placeable. That's probably quite a significant complement, considering it's a mix of fairly standard seeming jazz and a handful of much loved standards like Girl From Ipanema. Anyway, I enjoyed it, I worked to it, it was some time after that I realised it had stopped.
King Crimson
4/5
I've seen this record cover so many times before, and never really been aware of what King Crimson had to offer. Turns out he can offer quite a deranged hour. It starts really strongly, despite the slightly proggy nature of the songs (and the proggy length). It dips into self-indulgence quite a bit at times, but overall, I found this to be a really interesting listen, and one I suspect I'll persevere with.
Rod Stewart
3/5
I've made a (amateur) career out of telling anyone who'll listen what a hack Rod Stewart is, based on not that much. So, in the interest of fairness, I'm going to review this album without any baseless accusations over Rod's character. This album is boring. It's not bad, and there are a few songs that are good, in fact, but it's all very MOR, God Save the Queen and fly the Union Flag nonsense really. Obviously Maggie May is a belter.
David Crosby
3/5
If I had to rank my CSNYs, then it's obviously St Neil by a long way, then Manchester's finest Graham Nash, then yer man Crosby (sorry Stephen Stills, maybe you'll convince me yet!). This album didn't really shift the dial on that ranking. It's nice enough country folk, and you can still hear where he brings the rest of the gang, plus Joni et al in. I think is voice is a touch feeble though, and the songwriting doesn't always make up for it. Like all things CSNY, loads going for it, but unlike their best bits, a little flimsy.
The Monkees
2/5
It's all just so fake innit. Like AI early Beatles. The vibe is pleasant enough, the vocals are fairly decent-ish, but come on.
Bert Jansch
5/5
A pal, with impeccable folk taste and an extreme understanding of guitar playing, rates Jansch as the GOAT in that department, and immediately on listening to this, you understand exactly why. It is so nice, and so tuneful, but above all there's a real melancholy and beauty to it. I did a bit of reading, about his life and addictions, and the whole package just adds up to an ineffable mix of joy and sadness. I think this might be the best thing I've heard for the first time on the Project.
Roxy Music
3/5
Maybe this will be the one where I get Roxy Music! No. It's still just a load of smugness that's about 4% as good as it thinks it is. It's not, y'know, absolutely terrible, and there's quite a bit of talent in there. It just leaves you feeling a bit icky.
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
Really enjoyed this very much. It's all of a keeping with California Dreaming, which is obviously lovely, and they're at their full power when they do the millions of harmonies thing. It's a tiny bit trite in places maybe, but it's a very enjoyable thing to let wash over you.
Can
2/5
The overriding sense of this is that it's very, very, very long and weird. I was quite into it for a short while, but really, you've got to stop a lot sooner than they do. Having said that, there's some cracking guitar work throughout, and it's never boring.
Tom Waits
3/5
Tom Waits. Let's have this one out. He's clearly a genius of sorts, and loads of people rave on and on about him. But...he's also quite silly and often a little annoying. I think I said this on a previous Waitsy album, but he needs to seriously tone down the jazzy ones and focus more on trying to make me cry.
Cee Lo Green
2/5
Laughably bad for the most part, despite the fact he's an objectively good singer. There are a couple of tracks that raise it above the worst of the genre, but by and large, this is just something you want to never have to hear again. Also, it's 73 minutes long. That should be illegal and everyone involved in dragging it out that far should feel very bad indeed.
Little Simz
3/5
Very cool. I really did enjoy this quite a lot more than I expected, even if it's quite an intense assault. But yeah, her flow is superb and it's lyrically really dense and powerful.
Tears For Fears
4/5
I had a little sinking feeling about this when I got it, after a few poor similar albums that just felt like a let down, but this really delivers. The two big singles are obviously very good, especially Everybody Wants To Rule The World, but they by no means do the heavy lifting. It's actually a really consistent and well put together album, and I'll be coming back to this many times.
Thin Lizzy
4/5
Wheeee! This was a stupid amount of fun. It's rare to get a live album that really makes you feel like you're there, and even rarer to find one where that's a positive thing. But this definitely does it in spades. The band's quality is very high, and it's noticeable that there's very little quality drop off between the hit singles (both tremendous) and the rest of the songs. It's a little bit too one-note to get into the fives, but I really enjoyed it.
Femi Kuti
4/5
Was I hugely enthused about 73 minutes of Afrobeat? I was not. However, this was really enjoyable, and excellent to have on in the background while I was working (see previous reviews for why this is, in some ways, the most important genre of all). It's interesting that Femi is really able to infuse quite playful and upbeat melodies, while leaving you in no doubt as to the depth of the themes.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Welcome back, the official sponsor of The Project. It's arguable that there are about three times as many Costello albums on this thing as there should be, but if there was only going to be one, it should absolutely be this cracker of a record. By far the most coherent, enjoyable and interesting of his that I've had so far. It also must be said that ending a record with a really strong song like Peace, Love and Understanding probably does quite a lot for the rating.
Tim Buckley
3/5
Here's the thing about me - I just find this sort of thing a little dull, even though it's objectively both good and right in my wheelhouse. I am satisfied but unmoved. It's like the lemonade of music (that's the drink, not the Beyonce album, although I suppose that is, in a very literal sense, the lemonade of music).
Red Hot Chili Peppers
1/5
Man alive this band are tedious bores. Growing up as a muso with mosher-adjacent leanings and a passing interest in grungy culture (by which I mean baggy jeans and hanging around Affleck's Palace), it was basically the law to own this album and to consider it the height of subversive cool. But it's absolute bum wash. Under The Bridge, arguably it's only highlight, is a song done much better by All Saints, and is wholly sabotaged by the insane falsetto bits. And these are the facts I'm giving you about the best song.
Brian Wilson
3/5
With the best will in the world, this is a tiny bit of a disappointment. It still gets a decent score, because Brian Wilson is outrageously talented, creates heart-soaring melodies and is often lyrically interesting, but actually there is waaaaaaay too much noodling around, sub-outtake level stuff and half-baked ideas on here. It felt longer than it was, is what I'm saying. Still, I'm reserving the right to be totally negative and then contradict that with a score in the high threes.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
4/5
Can I give it a five? I might you know. But I think not quite. Let's deal with the facts as they pertain to my life. FLC were the first band I ever saw live; it was at the Manchester Apollo, and my ticket included coach travel from Lancaster and back again. That was in 1998, and marked a watershed moment for me, when live music became, without being over the top, one of the best things that would exist in the rest of my life. Whenever I go to a gig now, there's always a tiny remnant of the buzz that I got walking into that smoke-filled room to see Huey Morgan and the gang (supported by an Elvis impersonator, something I naively assumed was par for the course for all gigs).
This album is the bedrock of that set and that time, and it has many, many highlights. The opening bars of the album are so life-affirming, Scooby Snacks is the best kind of fun song, there are serious bits, King Of New York is great, and the title track is excellent. It's got slightly too much self-conscious cool about it, I guess, and is a tiny bit immature in places, but it's still absolutely tremendous.
Ryan Adams
3/5
If you're going to be an appalling human in the music industry, it's probably also better to make slightly better music than this. I'm not wasting my time or yours with a fresh take on Adams - so you get a repeat of the Heartbreaker review.
Lupe Fiasco
3/5
Hmm, not bad to be fair. The instrumentation was decent and it all felt quite varied. It felt massively of its time though, with a synth sound that got dated very quickly.
The Doors
4/5
Fine, fine fine, this is OK. I guess even if you're a card carrying members of the anti-Doors society, it's hard to knock some of the hits on this album, and it's quite noticeable that Morrison was still at least vaguely cognisant of the need to be 'a singer' and 'coherent' at this point. I do think The End is great to be fair, it feels like it was written to be used in films, but that's probably some after-the-fact-ing from me.
Janis Joplin
4/5
A pearl indeed. The vocal quality on this is absolutely beyond almost anything else. I actually think it would be nice if the vocals took slightly more centre stage than they do, but it was such a warm bath of an album to bathe in, and had a kind of aching quality to it.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
This doesn't feel like it reaches anywhere near the peaks of Court and Spark, or obviously Blue. It's just a tiny bit same-y and unremarkable. I really enjoyed Edith and the Kingpin as a standalone song though, and of course Joni's average work is still better than most other people's best.
Massive Attack
3/5
A very poor Doors cover left this album with a bit of a sad ending, after being a really enjoyable bit of electronica in the main. They do have some of the best marriage of beats and vocals around. Ultimately, I think I'm probably marking this a little harshly, but that can happen when you're mostly just pleased that the last song has finished.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
I was reading that this was something of a transition album for Bob Marley, away from being part of The Wailers as a collective endeavour, and into being a band leader. You get that sense I think - he's not quite in his full imperious stride, but not far off. There are a number of highlights on here. Weirdly, the lowlight may be No Woman, No Cry, but that is absolutely only because it pales in comparison with the ubiquitous and tremendous live version. I wonder if there has ever been another song so much better known for a live version than the original?
U2
3/5
It's just endless U2 isn't it? Life? Seriously, this is the most unremarkable of the U2 albums I've had so far. Not horrible like the one with Vertigo on (I'm not dignifying it by scrolling up to see the title) and not the 80s iteration that is at least a bit singalong. There are a few songs on here that you actually notice, which is something at least, but their popularity remains bewildering to me.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
At some point in my journey through Peter Gabriel 3, one of us changed. Either he changed, and went from writing a pretty dreadful record to writing something that I never wanted to end, or I changed and went from someone with functioning ears and taste faculties to someone who loved the works of Peter Gabriel. Whatever, the second half of this is as good as the first is bad.
Sex Pistols
5/5
One of the great sacred cows, which I arrived at very tempted to kill. However, it does exactly what they set out to do. It's muscular, snarling, funny, stupid, inspiring and great fun. It's easy to see why this was such a phenomenon when it came out, and why it outraged and scared people so much. Also, No Feelings is a really underrated song I think - it doesn't get the press of some of the more obviously controversial numbers on here, but the nihilism in it is much more gritty than some of the posturing elsewhere.
Eminem
2/5
I'd outgrown this when it came out, when I was 16, because it's puerile and silly, and there's little of redeeming value. Having said that, I do think - for all its memeability - Stan is a very good, well constructed and quite thoughtful song. It's annoying in a way, because he's clearly capable, but chooses not to bother.
Bad Company
3/5
I thought this would be quite abrasive, quite hard work, but quite interesting. It was none of those, it was boring.
Underworld
1/5
Very monotonous, stressful listening. I suspect it was real 'had to be there' music. There, in this instance, being a club, off your rocker.
Buzzcocks
3/5
Such a shame that this didn't live up to my high expectations! It's decent enough, on the line of punk and post-punk, but it's fairly one-note and there's not the kind of light and shade that the best of the genre gives you. They get some little extra points for being top lads.
Megadeth
3/5
Far, far, far better than I thought and feared. At times, it bordered on being good. They should have a less silly name really, and then people who like music, as opposed to endless screaming and guitar solos, might not be instantly put off.
Os Mutantes
4/5
This was cool AF to be fair. I also got to use it to improve my Portuguese, an endeavour I'm doing through Duo Lingo, leaving me fluent for about 20 minutes a day, and entirely non-conversant the rest of the time. Anyway, Os Mutantes (The Mutants!) manage to combine Brazilian flavours with garage rock in a way that left me thinking: eu me sinto muito feliz agora.
Deerhunter
4/5
Lovely, lovely Deerhunter, with their 2010 sound. What is it about this year (it's the fact that Veckatemist is never more than 5mm from my mind) that makes it so instantly recognisable? Anyway, it's great, somewhere in the field of dream pop, but with a little electronic sound in the mix. Really liked it thanks.
Patti Smith
5/5
This is probably in that list of 'iconic and revered albums that I've not really knowingly listened to that much'. And yet I knew the vast majority of the songs, and really, really dug it very much. Her voice is an absolutely sledgehammer wrapped in velvet, the musicality is like the very best of someone like Lou Reed, and the whole vibe is extremely cool.
Destiny's Child
2/5
Pop Acts Stop Putting All Your Best Songs First Challenge: It can't be done. The opening four tracks are absolutely sensational, from a banger perspective, and then it's just some extremely 'will this do' work for the remaining 40 minutes? I mean, I do know why they do this, it's for money reasons, but don't they know that 24 years later some twee little Indie nerd will have to listen to this for a Project?
Aretha Franklin
3/5
Nowhere near the quality of the other Aretha album I've had on the Project. Still sensational, from a vocal perspective, but it feels a little bit lazy and phoned in at times. You Make Me Feel is the exception, such power and emotion.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
Real highs and lows. Mostly lows to be fair; but Religion II feels like such a big high it almost drags it to a three star rating. But mostly, it's Horrible John Lydon talking over fairly industrial and unpleasant music.
The Sugarcubes
3/5
Here she comes, mad old Bjork. Or mad young Bjork, in this case. It's a really large amount of fun, this is, while a lot of it is daft as a brush and - as a result - a little bit grating at times. Still, it's a good listen all round.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
There has to be a cap on the kind of rating you can give to this kind of thing - it's all covers, and is basically just a vehicle for Jagger. It's a waste, is what I'm saying. Also, it's the kind of thing that really makes you wonder why there was the Beatles v Stones debate. Not that it's bad, but it's generic and straight down the line for what rock and roll bands of the time were doing (while the Beatles were already striding ahead by 64). No I will not stop making every review secretly about the Beatles.
Don McLean
3/5
The two singles are, of course, extremely tremendous. The title track in particular deserves its place in the pantheon of ubiquitous and revered songs. It should be annoying, but it's good enough not to be. It's also, of course, a karaoke classic of yours truly, and is great fun for the look of horror as the audience realise you're really going for the full nine minute version, not the single cut. Anyway, the rest of this album is quite so-so.
Donovan
4/5
First bit of news: Donovan is not American! That's news right? Someone should alert the authorities. Anyway, I really, really enjoyed this. There's a funk and a swagger alongside the more traditional folk stuff, and it all adds up nicely.
Gang Of Four
4/5
I think that I Found That Essence Rare is going to live in my head for quite some time, without even having the courtesy to pay rent. This was great to be fair, very spiky but melodic, a bit brooding, a bit danceable. Top stuff.
a-ha
4/5
Two giant bangers, just the way we like it. The Sun Always Shines and Take On Me are both right up there in the very best songs of the decade, and certainly the best to come out of mainstream pop (alongside Somewhere in My Heart, and I reckon that's it). Anyway, this album, for a very long time, stays firmly in the 'great' territory, but the second half can't quite keep it going, and it recedes into 'very good'. Still that's good isn't it. Very good in fact.
Jungle Brothers
3/5
Yeah, enjoyed this quite a lot, although it outstayed its welcome pretty significantly. It's got a cool overall vibe to it, while being individually quite unmemorable. You could happily have it playing and not be troubled.
The Dictators
3/5
Ah good, now my Spotify algorithm has an album by a band called The Dictators, with about six different fascist-adjacent song titles in it. How could that possibly hurt in the Year of Our Lord 2025? Actually, this is a lot of pretty fun stompers, and quite obviously tongue in cheek. It's not good, but it's not actively bad either.
Otis Redding
5/5
Let's talk about great singers of all time, and let's immediately talk about Otis. There is something about the sweetness, the clarity and the emotion in his vocals that sets him apart from even anyone else on the scene at that time. Even Marvin, I'd say. Here, he takes a collection of good but not great standards and turns them into something so significantly greater than the sum of its parts. Great stuff.
Tori Amos
3/5
I was expecting a little more from this I think. She's achieved a remarkable cultural status, without ever tipping over into the mainstream, yet from this album, I don't quite get it I reckon. It's good and nice and enjoyable, but it never screams "I am a totem of musical culture".
Mudhoney
2/5
Well, it was better than the last Mudhoney we were subjected to, but it's still the most paint by numbers, sludgy grunge you could ever conceive of. There has simply got to be better music than this someone could enjoy listening to.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
I had a beloved dog called Freddie, and the fact that this album, containing as it does a (great) song called Freddie's Dead, still fills me with joy is quite remarkable. Much like the dog, it's great fun, a tiny bit unhinged and is assured of its legacy in the pantheon of the greats.
ABBA
3/5
ABBA, but for grown ups. Honestly, it's not bad at all - they all have an innate sense of how to sing and perform together that's pretty unteachable, but it doesn't quite have the fun factor of all the horrible nonsense they did in the 70s.
The Lemonheads
3/5
It's a shame about the fact that this album isn't quite as good as I remember it being. Of course, the Lemonheads peaked with their cover of Mrs Robinson, which is only on this album as a bonus track, so can't influence this scientifically rigorous process. A pity. Anyway, it's pretty serviceable, but distinctly nothing special.
Brian Eno
3/5
Brian's gone full ambient here. Just the four tracks, all endless, all basically identical, and yet listen carefully and there's a whole world of beauty in there. It's such a feat to be able to produce ambient music that leaves the listener feeling something so strongly, while also achieving the most important goal of the genre - being almost unnoticed.
Fiona Apple
4/5
A lockdown album, almost like no other. I think this, Phoebe Bridger's Punisher and Soccer Mommy's Color Theory saved me from total insanity during Lockdown One (nothing could help in the winter one to be fair). So it's a weird experience to be listening to it in the wild, rather than planning when to go to Lidl today to really maximise the thrill of being out of the house. Anyway, it's still absolutely great, even without the Proustian connection to 2020. Musically, it's sparse, weird and wonderful, and Fiona is so expressive, even when she's only semi-singing.
Youssou N'Dour
4/5
One of the best world music albums we've had on here so far, and coming on the heals of the last couple of days, I'm feeling in a good place Project wise. I ended up doing a fair bit of reading around this one, which is always a sign that a record has got under your skin.
Fever Ray
4/5
What did I think Fever Ray was? Not this, anyway. And that's for the best, because my heart sank when I got this. I think I thought it was like La Roux or something. Anyway, it's really good fun. It's not ground-breaking or life-changing, but I played it three times in the day, so it had to be doing something right, right.
Syd Barrett
2/5
Now then, I fear I'm going to go a bit po-faced here, because really, this just feels a bit like a level of intrusion into mental collapse that shouldn't be allowed really. Syd, one of the true greats, can barely keep it together for a song here, never mind an album. I understand why it's so fascinating and important, but it sits uncomfortably. There's an argument that you could say the same about (for instance) The Holy Bible and Richie's state when he wrote the lyrics to that, but at least that went through the band process. This just feels so personal and sad.
Deep Purple
3/5
Great musicianship, lots of screaming and whooping. Twas ever thus with your early heavy metallers. There's a really nice epic feel to a lot of it - the start and end of Flight of the Rat is a case in point - but it's drowning in a sea of sixteen year long guitar solos and falsetto horrors.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3/5
Would you like some advice? Just listen to Freebird over and over again for 76 minutes. What. A. Song. The rest of this album is a bit like encasing the finest steak in a load of stale bread to be honest.
Adele
2/5
Cheer up love! Honestly, I feel a bit bad saying that after saying what I said about Syd Barratt, but honestly, do you think Adele - or anyone! - has ever had this many emotions in their entire life? It's outrageously cloying and boring. Unlike early Adele, there's not even any fun stompers to offset the constant misery. There are people who probably like Adele who make jokes about Radiohead being miserable. I'd say round them up and send them to purgatory, but they'd probably enjoy it. I suppose it's worth acknowledging that, through the gloom and the tears, she's a good singer.
The xx
3/5
I didn't really know this album at all, my interest in The XX began with their debut, made a sort of token attempt to engage with their follow up, but promptly deceased. Anyway, it's a shame, because this is pretty decent and up my street. It's not got the intimacy and the emotion of the debut, and is probably leaning slightly too far into the dance and ambient end of Jamie XX's solo work for my preference, but it was certainly pleasant to listen to.
Joanna Newsom
4/5
Maximum respect for keeping your work off Spotify Joanna, but nothing quite takes you out of the beauty of this album like countless YouTube adverts for some sort of accounting software (FAO the lads at YouTube, the day I need to engage in accounting software is the day that capitalism finally collapses in on itself). Anyhoo, I hadn't listened to this for ages, and I'm glad I did because it's absolutely lovely. Really fascinating instrumentation and choices of instruments, backed by JN's lovely vocals. It's got a real richness and depth to it, and I'd be keen to get this on record. If only to stop the software adverts.
Gang Starr
3/5
Not bad hip hop this. It was a good deal of fun in a way, although quite repetitive, to the point that it felt longer than it was. It starts really strongly - the first two proper tracks are bops - but that's a mixed blessing, because it kind of drifts after that.
Björk
4/5
Bjork at her best, IMHO. I feel like she still has the pop sensibilities of the Sugarcubes here, while still infusing it her with her madness. Venus as a Boy is an absolutely great song, and it's the kind of album you could easily play back to back and spot and enjoy totally different things each time.
Pentangle
3/5
If I ever want to feel like I'm at a jousting contest in 1536, reeling from the dissolution of the monasteries and desperate to lose myself in some contemporary music, I'll put this back on. To be fair, I wouldn't sprint to turn it off even if I just wanted to feel like a normal human being, instead of like I was at an am-dram performance of As You Like It.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
The Sainted Neil, with one of his most loved records. It's very, very good. It's not quite in the upper echelons of his back catalogue for me, if only because of the imperial phase of Harvest and After The Goldrush, but it's raw, it's emotional, the songs are wound up so tight yet still sound really loose. I started, 623 days ago, with only a passing Young knowledge outside of the aforementioned period, but there's so much to enjoy across the whole career I'm discovering.
Gary Numan
4/5
It's synths. It's quite an ominous singer. It's songs about technology. It's good stuff. I was fairly ready to hate this, because I group him, unfairly, with the sort of new romantic dross that I'd cross the M6 to avoid, but this was really very good indeed. Cars could easily have been my pick of the pops, but I think Metal hit even harder on this listen.
The Young Gods
2/5
Hello! It's French metal, of the most industrial variety. I'm instantly invested, because I'm still quite smug whenever I can put my rudimentary French skills to use. The first track, weighing in at eight minutes of unabated noise, is almost intolerable, but it does improve from there. I'm going to say that if I liked industrial metal, I'd think this was good. I don't, so I don't.
Kate Bush
2/5
A rare miss from Bush, as this fell over the line from quirky, breathy woman of the earth singing beautiful and ethereal songs over msytical backing into...well, that, but in a hugely irritating fashion. I'll let her off, and accept that it's probably my failing rather than her, but really, the difference between this and Hounds of Love is very stark.
The Beta Band
4/5
Another album that wasn't quite as good as I remember it to be. There must be a threshold where if you know an album well enough, and if it's good enough, hearing it for the first time in a long time gives a rush of nostalgia, but if a record comes short of that threshold, the feeling is a bit more like 'oh, I thought this was better than this'. That's not to say I didn't like it, because I definitely did, enough to get it over the four star line, but it wasn't as good as my memory said.
Gotan Project
4/5
A bizarre mix of dance, break and tango, used to create a quite brilliant Frank Zappa cover, among some other, less brilliant tracks. On the strength of the fact that it blew my mind a little bit, and left me feeling a bit like I'd had an outer body experience, it gets a good mark.
William Orbit
3/5
Somehow both boring and enjoyable. I guess sometimes, it's nice to be bored, right? Nice to just sit around, doing nothing and listening to...basically nothing?
Sabu
2/5
Sabu, of whom I simply had not heard, will not be someone I'm checking out in the hit parade. And not only because this came out in 1957 and I assume he's long since retired. Like a lot of music of this kind of time period and this kind of genre, I'm sure it's ground breaking and to be respected, but I don't wanna hear it ta.
The Stooges
2/5
Starts well, then just dissolves into a load of noise and shouting. Claims to only be 35 minutes, but feels much longer. Iggy, in my very considered and unhumble opinion, is a more enjoyable figure when he's just striding around topless or mucking about with Bowie. He should stick to doing that instead of this.
FKA twigs
4/5
Really, really, really enjoyed this much more than I thought I might. It's super visceral but also melodic, you can absolutely get the sense of what she's saying and the diction is really clear. The instrumentation is good, without being mind-blowing, but I think overall this is one of the better rap albums from the last 15 years.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
2/5
The first 25 minutes of this is a single track cover of a Bo Diddly song. If that sentence doesn't make you want to Bo Diddly your brains out, then I think we have wildly diverging tastes. The rest of it is actually not too bad, but by then, the damage is largely done.
Alice Cooper
3/5
A pleasant surprise, in the way that things often are when your first reaction is 'I would rather chew my own ear off than listen to this'. But actually, it wasn't subtle, it wasn't sophisticated, but it was good fun and I'm glad it exists, so well done Alice.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
2/5
Went on quite the journey with this album to be honest. At times, there were songs that were really beautiful and very up my street. He has a lovely, quite rough but really enjoyable voice. However, I imagine because of the well documented struggles he was going through during this process, the album is really unfocused and variable in quality. I respect this a lot, but it's far from an easy listen, and drags quite hard towards the end.
TLC
3/5
Big bangers, a load of clangers. There's a real consistency in the big pop albums on here being simply too long. When they hit though, they hit hard, and obviously Waterfalls is a huge song.
Van Morrison
4/5
Live Van, which is pretty good all told. It's not brilliant though, and you do slightly wonder if the magic that Van Morrison bottled during Astral Weeks was a bit of a one off, never to be repeated. That's not to say that it isn't good stuff, because of course it is, but it's not the special vibe that he's capable off.
The Specials
3/5
The Specials have a sense of being very important to the UK's music story, but actually, there's not a great deal special (LOL) about it really. It feels fairly paint-by-numbers to be honest, and very samey indeed. Not bad, but I think I was expecting a little more.
Ananda Shankar
4/5
Hello, would you like to listen to rock covers on the sitar? You'd expect the answer to that question to be a look of abject horror and a swift knee to the groin, but actually, it turns out I very much would like to listen to this. I'd like that a lot. It's ideal working music, jaunty, tuneful but not in the way.
The Louvin Brothers
2/5
Realistically, the only thing of value on this pretty dreadful record is In The Pines, and the main value in that is that it reminds you of the absolutely superb cover on Nirvana Unplugged. Other than this, it's very bad indeed. It's also the only album on the Proj that I've had to listen to twice purely as part of the process, having been subjected to it on a drive from Shrewsbury to Brighton. It wasn't good then either.
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
Got quite distracted reading about TTD's name change. That's probably on balance better than this album, although there's plenty of good stuff in this. It's not really memorable enough to get into the four category, but still, it's good solid and catchy pop.
Badly Drawn Boy
4/5
Damon Gough, a man who I have met thrice. Once, he ordered a margherita pizza when I was working in an Italian restaurant, even though it was happy hour and all pizzas were the same price. Once when we were being escorted out of Glastonbury on a tractor, and he was trudging along, and one recently, through work, when he was a top man. Anyway, this album was a real nostalgia fest, and surprisingly weird in places. Very nice indeed.
Pink Floyd
4/5
The smug and polished end of Pink Floyd here, yet still with considerable merit. Brick In The Wall and Comfortably Numb are songs good enough not to have been dulled by repeated listening. It's far too long and a bit OTT, but don't let that put you off entirely.
Neil Young
5/5
It was 39 days since my last five star record, which may (or may not be, I obviously haven't checked) be the longest fallow period I've had. Anyway, it's broken in spectacular style by the Beloved Neil's Harvest. My record copy of this is my mum's, and is exceptionally battered and bruised, yet still plays perfectly. It feels like that's the best possible way to hear this. One sign of how good this album is, is that it's equally good at 3am or 3pm, or 8am or 8pm. The consistency of the album is one thing that really stands out, both of its quality and its emotional tone. Picking a favourite is really hard, and I've gone with the one that sticks most in my head every time I hear it.
The Young Rascals
3/5
Just serviceable. Pretty enjoyable, but not especially one to come back to. It's a truly terrible album cover by the way.
Small Faces
2/5
"Layyyzy Sundaayy Arfternoon, I am a professional cockney". Yeah, very irritating indeed. I actually quite wanted to like this, based on them being a bit of a band from my childhood, and the fact that the album title is enjoyably crackers. But really, it's the worst of English music at this time in a way, very smug, and offering little by way of introspection, depth or any other hallmarks that the better bands were doing at this time.
Elvis Costello
4/5
Album 6004 by Elvis Costello, and yes, this one is quite like all the others - good. Good enough, in fact to just about sneak a four. Maybe if this was the only one of these on here, I'd be mildly blown away, instead of wondering just how much Dinery is in the pocket of Big Costello.
Lorde
4/5
Lordy Dordy this is good. It's a really, really atmospheric and well produced album, and Lorde's voice is stellar in parts. She straddles the line of how much breathiness is too much breathiness really well. The instrumentation is also very good. Pop really had a moment in the 2017-2025 era, with regards to female vocalists. All of them are destined to live in the shadows of Taylor Swift, who can't really hold a candle to people like Lorde, Phoebe Bridgers or Lana Del Rey. Weird, innit.
The Monks
4/5
Everything was absolutely pointing towards this being a very frustrating experience. It's only on YouTube, they sound beyond stupid and look insane. And yet! This is just straight up great 60s garage rock, with a heavy tinge to it and no little artistry. The lyrics are quite impenetrable, but still very interesting, and overall, this has been a great discovery.
Fleet Foxes
5/5
Insert heart emoji here, for there is nothing that can swell this folk simpleton's heart more than the opening bars of Ragged Wood. I will fend off with my dying breath any nonsense about this record being twee or inauthentic, it's just absolutely brilliant. The harmonies are sumptuous, the songwriting is right on point, and most importantly, it holds a really special place in my mind and in my full heart. It's not perfect, but it's close.
The Auteurs
4/5
As they say in Yorkshire "I'm on a reyt run". They say all sorts over there, not all of it useful here. Still, this was excellent arty rock, set firmly in the early Britpop space.
Dead Kennedys
2/5
My reyt run endeth here. First the positives: I quite like the name of the album and the dreadful noise only lasts a relatively short time. The negatives: The aforementioned dreadful noise.
Adam & The Ants
3/5
I found this a bit of let down to be honest. Adam and the Ants, although I don't know anything other than Prince Charming, had always held a bit of interest for me. However, this was very run of the mill. Nice, not bad, perfectly decent, but just not exciting.
Hole
4/5
I love this album. I'll defend Courtney at all costs, and I really think that she'd be so much more revered if she was able to exist in her own steam, rather than in the Nirvana Universe. Anyway, just banger after banger after banger.
Circle Jerks
1/5
Absolutely pointless and dreadful. I won't dignify any more space than this.
Scott Walker
4/5
Lovely Scott, being extremely strange. There's no doubting that this album is packed full of ideas, many of them very good. Some of them are just weird and a little daft, but mostly this is a really great experimental album - albeit one that can't get too high a score, failing the 'glad when it ends' test.
The Beach Boys
4/5
We're all getting Beach Boys today (although we aren't all getting Beach Boys Today today). Yes, it's very good stuff, a lovely little mid-point between the fun, fun, fun in the sun, sun sun boys and the serious artists that the Beatles convinced them to become (citation needed). The better known songs - When I Grow Up and the peerless Help Me Rhonda - do quite a lot of the heavy lifting really, but overall, it's very good stuff.
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
This was significantly more fun and interesting than you'd expect from them, given the band name. I was all braced for rootin', and afraid that our good friend tootin' might be close by. But this was actually a fairly serviceable, if totally unremarkable slice of rock. Nothing special, but a relief nonetheless.
Spiritualized
4/5
This is the good stuff. I was slightly less whelmed by the album earlier in the Proj from Spiritualized that I knew much better than this one. This felt more shoegazey and a bit less far out maybe. Whatever; I enjoyed it hugely and would gladly listen to it on the regs.
Johnny Cash
3/5
Here comes the man in black. Not Will Smith. Not the other one either (Tommy Lee Jones?). It's Cash. I'll say this about ol' J Cash - I admire him a whole lot more than I actually want to listen to his music. It's not bad at all, and occasionally it's pretty good, but it would be completely standard fare if you didn't know he was the kind of legend standing firmly on the right side of history.
Magazine
4/5
Are we post-punk here? Are we just straight up late-era punk? I don't know to be honest, but I do know that Magazine are a band regularly cited by James Dean Bradfield as being very important to him, and I guess that makes them very important to me. Also, on a base level, this is just really good songwriting, a cracking vocalist and very enjoyable songs. Dark, but not Joy Division dark. The right kind of darkness.
Van Halen
1/5
Had to check repeatedly that this album was in fact different to the abomination I had early on in the Project. It is, but it's also absolutely identical. The man is talented. The man has no soul. It gains a very marginal uptick for the fact that Jump is a little bit hard to resist. You can do it, but it's a bit hard.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
3/5
A bit like those Country Fish people a week or so ago, John Mayall did a good job of lowering expectation with the band name, before presenting you with something not totally unpleasant. It's about 40 minutes too long, of course, because guitarists simply can't keep it in their pants.
De La Soul
4/5
first, some context: I listened to this in Porto, an incredible city, cutting around on an early morning walk in the sunshine. That'll help. Arguably, this absolute gem doesn't need the added stimulus, but it didn't hurt. Anyway, it's everything that hip hop should be - fun, upbeat, cool - while avoiding all the traps that most people fall into of bravado and violence. They even manage funny skits! It's long, maybe too long, but a lovely pastel de nata and coffee accompaniment.
The Smiths
3/5
Opinion time: I think this is the weakest Smiths album. The score is maybe harsh, because I'm judging it on that basis. Meat Is Murder, for me Clive, doesn't really have any standout tracks. It's still good, because it's still Morrissey and Marr in great form, but compared to The Queen Is Dead or Strangeways, it's just not quite there.
The xx
4/5
Remember when this was absolutely everywhere? We all got very into laidback beats and mumbled vocals from (I imagine) posh lads from (I imagine) East London. Then they disappeared and you'd just occasionally see the name Jamie XX appear on line-ups of things you'd never go to? Anyway, this album brought that period right back home. Being 25, wondering if really I just needed to spend several months chilling out and listening to the XX to compensate for having a life of almost zero true responsibility or hardship. These are the thoughts I had within about 14 seconds of the Intro to Intro starting. Afterwards, I just quite enjoyed it really.
Brian Eno
4/5
It's Sly Bry, with another lovely offering. A weird thing is that I think Eno isn't very immediate, and as a consequence (brace yourself for a look behind the Project curtain here) I score him quite lowly, as that's done straight away, and then review him much more kindly a few hours or a day or so later. Isn't that interesting? Come back! I'll tell you what I think of this record! I really like it to be honest - it's pre-ambient Eno, when he's still rock tinged. It's basically an album that Roxy Music could make if they weren't all completely hateful.
Megadeth
4/5
[Partridge voice] Can I just shock you? I like Megadeth [/Partridge Voice]
Traffic
3/5
I'm afraid poor old John Barleycorn can be left to his fate for me. This is just quite boring. It's perfectly nice, quite MOR rock with a decent line in noodly guitars and a vocalist (are we talking about Steve Winwood here? Pass, and the fact I'm unprepared to Google it tells you everything about my investment in Traffic).
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
We're 15. We're angry young men. Of course we are, we're middle class white boys at a grammar school with loving families. Life is terribly unfair. The answer? Become moshers and worship at the altar of Rage Against The Machine. And do you know what? They deserve it because this, all these years later, is absolutely, unstoppably, righteously brilliant. There are SO MANY highlights. The 'no more lies' bit, the countless 'HURGH's, the last 90 seconds of Killing In The Name Of, the guitar on How High. I could go on. It's just hairs on the back of your neck brilliant, from guys who were right about everything.
Sleater-Kinney
4/5
Let me tell you something - I really wanted to love this. And yet I didn't. I liked it. I admired it. But I was also glad when it was only 37 minutes long. I think if someone said 'do you want to listen to some more of their music', I'd say yeah, sure I'll give that a bash. But I wouldn't suggest it myself.
Bill Callahan
5/5
I want to weep tears of wonder at how beautiful this is. This is so absolutely sonorous and enveloping and great. I didn't really know it. I knew him and I knew he was good, but I wasn't ready for just how beautiful it was. Faith/Void is the highlight of all highlights. It comes in at nearly 10 minutes, but it's all so worth it. As an aside, to give five stars to a new discovery like this two days after giving five to a pure nostalgia fest like RATM shows the power of (a) the Project and (b) music.
2/5
Not for me in the slightest this one. It's not offensively terrible or anything, but it just did nothing for me whatsoever.
Morrissey
4/5
Morrissey's solo debut, so I guess unsurprisingly, it still bears so many of the Smiths hallmarks. It's a really consistently good album, but it's the two singles that really carry it. Everyday Is Like Sunday is about Morecambe I think, which warms me to it a lot. If it's not about Morecambe, it still is, in my head. But Suedehead is a genuinely brilliant song, and just about gets my vote for pick of the pops. Anyway, nice one Steve, I enjoyed this and look forward to seeing where your solo career takes you. Do make sure you don't accidentally become a right-wing maniac crossed with an embarrassing uncle!!
Talvin Singh
2/5
An interesting listen, if not always easy. I guess I sometimes like some dub and some house, and I guess I sometimes like listening to talented tabla players. Do I like the whole thing together? Not sure. When it works, it works well though, as on the title track. Just a note to say that I vaguely remember this winning the Mercury, back when it was a proper award. I was probably appalled that [insert generic indie album by Gomez or whatever] didn't win, but fair play, this kind of left-field choice is what the Mercury should be about really.
Randy Newman
1/5
Flaming heck, this is diabolical. The highlight is an absolutely dreadful song that immediately makes you think of male strippers. There you go. Boring, offensively lazy and drab.
George Jones
1/5
Kind of see above really, except that this one was a little shorter (so better), but didn't have a noticeable highlight. I really just think that the genre needed one, maybe two at a push albums from mardy men telling us about their hard lives or whatever, but accidentally spawned three million, all of which are on here.
The Cure
4/5
Much more like it. It's a really nice and consistent album, with no obvious weaknesses, and a few standout tracks - in particular A Forest. It doesn't quite have the production punch of later Cure, and seems a little more lightweight as a result, but it's definitely a lovely listen.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
I didn't know this Nick Cave record at all, but it's really great. There's a touch of the Springsteens at times, in what's a really varied and interesting album.
Meat Puppets
4/5
I feel like this album is going to have a lot of one star reviews, from people who want singers to 'sound nice' and 'be able to sing'. To those people, I can only shake my head sadly. This album is so much fun and really interesting. Obviously, there are also the songs later covered by Nirvana on Unplugged, which are just good to hear - even if you do slightly wish it was Kurt and Co. But whatever, this was a great discovery. I'd reserve the right to give it 0.3 on another day.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
Well I enjoyed this a million times more than expected. When people talk about how the Project can help them 'get into world music', I think they probably mean 'listen to Graceland and remember Buena Vista Social Club', but this is the real good stuff. It's very moving, the instruments are fascinating and new to my ears. It loses marks because I was fairly pleased when it finished, and found it hard to distinguish song by song very much. Me problems though.
Morrissey
4/5
I think I'd like it if Morrissey could release an objectively bad album please, because it's painful to have to hear something as good as this and equate it with Old Steve. As it is, this is, yet again, excellent, starting with the exceptional Now My Heart Is Full. A confusing feeling.
The Icarus Line
2/5
An extreme case of the 'why is this on here's. It's just got bog all to it really. It's not bad, so it's in the twos, but there is literally nothing to really make it stand out in any way.
Britney Spears
3/5
Some red hot bangers on display here from young Britney, with the title track, crazy and Every Time all great pop songs. Like every other pop record on here, there's a massive disparity between the hits, where literally every songwriter and producer on the planet has had their go, and the album tracks, where Britney sings into a karaoke mike with the Casio keyboard demo in the background.
1/5
Absolutely horrible. Not only bad, but really bad enough to sink the entirety of the Nu Metal scene on its own, which is a shame in a way.
Jane Weaver
4/5
What a tremendous palette cleanser that is from yesterday's abject nonsense. She's from somewhere near here apparently, only somewhere totally dreadful like St Helens or something. But she's not let that set her back. This is a lovely slice of electric tinged classic singer songwriting.
Brian Eno
3/5
Not for me, this one. Two legends of the game combining to produce something significantly less than the sum of its parts. My overall view is that it doesn't know what it wants to be. Is it Eno, is it Talking Heads, is it a perfect combo? Not sure.
Ash
3/5
We're into Proustian territory for the singles here, especially Girl From Mars. It's just a smashing song with a huge hook in it. It's tempting to wonder what this is doing in this list really, as it is quite run of the mill indie, but I was pleased to hear it.
Bon Jovi
4/5
It's not clever, but it sure is big. What a rush all those singles are, almost impossible to pick a fave. The thing that stood out for me throughout is what a terrific voice JBJ has. It's allied to really good musicians and songwriting, plus very OTT production, but he really holds his own.
The Jam
3/5
Fair play, this was a lot better than I expected. I'm nearly, but not quite, ready to admit that Weller is alright really. The centrepiece of this album is the back to back of Start! and That's Entertainment - two great songs, the latter of which has a real emotional gut punch. It really reminds me of This Is How It Feels, which presumably won't make it on here, in the way it nails the smallness of town life better than (for instance) the Arctic Monkeys. Anyway, I digress, this was not bad at all. For Weller.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
4/5
Sometimes, you have to just accept that something is great, unabashed fun, and there's no point trying to be too clever or analytical about it. This is one of those times.
Wilco
4/5
A beautiful album from an all round beautiful band. Like all Wilco, it's slightly too lo fi and slight to be one of the true greats - it just drifts a touch too much - but its still really lovely to listen to, and a good reminder of their sheer longevity.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
I got a sense that I really enjoyed this, and after a couple of songs was ready to wax lyrical about it. Then it finished, and I simply couldn't remember anything about it at all. It just...went. Hard to rate that super highly really.
The Prodigy
3/5
I definitely prefer rave and dance Prodigy to nasty gurning and noise Prodigy. This album is way more of the former than Fat Of The Land. I'm by no means a convert, but this gave me a more enjoyable nostalgia kick than things like Firestarter do.
Beastie Boys
4/5
The end (I imagine) of the Beastie Boys era on the Project, and it's not done loads to change my overall opinion of them. That is that they're a very good, but quite irritating band who don't really do loads for me. Sabotage is a banger to be fair, especially the opening 20 seconds or so. It's good this, but I generally was hoping for more.
Herbie Hancock
3/5
Yeah, I enjoyed this. It's very stylish and he's a superb musician. Having said all this, it's definitely one for me to appreciate and acknowledge, then move on pretty swiftly from it and probably not listen to it again.
Rahul Dev Burman
2/5
There have been some albums that have come out of India and Pakistan in this Project that I've enjoyed a surprisingly large amount. This wasn't one of them. It's - to my ears at least, and I do appreciate that I'm coming from a position of almost know understanding of the culture - a quite hackneyed sounding affair, and just generally pretty annoying.
Madonna
3/5
For me, this is peak Madge. I know that's probably not true for the vast majority, but I was too young (and bluntly can't buy into the camp fun of it) her early singles, but I will always remember her coming back with the swift one two of Frozen and Ray of Light. The former especially is a real totem of the late 90s for me. It's beautifully sung, which isn't always what you associate with Madonna, but she really gets superb light and shade into it.
Willie Nelson
2/5
It feels like Willie Nelson, or someone who may as well be Willie Nelson, appears at least monthly, and they're always basically the same. Which is to say rubbish. This one is on the better end of that scale I suppose, but it's still very unemotional, stoic crap.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
Phwoar, yeah. This is the good stuff in the world of shoegaze. Maybe not quite as good as Ride, but right up there. It's the wash of sound on here that is really noticable and special. It bathes everything in this ethereal glow and creates an album that's very much a single piece. Really very good.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
So, so, so cool. Probably the best Jimi record for me I think. I reserve the right to change my mind on that, but it's super consistent, got a very singular vibe, and - unlike Jimi at times - all the songs feel quite finished and complete.
Eagles
2/5
The Eagles themselves sum up this album. You can never leave. Or that's how it feels for 43 very long and arduous minutes. They aren't a bad band, they aren't a horrible band. They are a supremely boring band.
Happy Mondays
3/5
Classic Mondays really. It's extremely cool, it's got a great vibe, it's great fun. Is it actually good? Not so much. But it's a very enjoyable way to pass the time, and you can really sense how much fun they had making it.
Giant Sand
5/5
Oooh, a bona fide five star for something I'd never heard of before. It turns out that they're part of the Calexico universe, which now I know, is quite apparent. In that vein, it's a really lovely bit of Americana, with particularly good vocals. The best way I can describe this is that I feel like I've always known it.
Killing Joke
3/5
Every time you think you've heard the most three start possible album in the world, another one is even more three stars. There's very little to say about this to be honest. It was some music that happened until it stopped happening, and life was the same as it was before it happened.
Scritti Politti
2/5
I think I thought they were going to be better than this, which is to say, this was pretty poor and I had allowed their quite fun name to make me think I'd be getting a sort of Temu Ah-Ha or something. It was actually offensively bland pop, of the kind that would be hugely disappointing if you'd turned on Top Of The Pops 2 on a Friday night on BBC4, hoping for either a bit of early Smiths or weird-era McCartney, or at the very least some totally insane Bad Manners. But no, you get this. Poor.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Basically the same as Scritti Polliti, in that it is so inoffensive it's actually offensive. I've had three totally bland albums in a row, and can't really think of much to say about any of them. Come on Project! Do better than this.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
That's more like it! Glorious madness, this. How do you follow up Rumours, probably the best and most accessible record of the decade? If you're Buck, Nicks, Mick and Christine, then you do...this. An absolutely mental mess that is, nevertheless, completely brilliant.
Lucinda Williams
3/5
My threshold for quite sad country-ish women from the good old heartlands of the USA is extremely high, so this low rating is a very parental 'not angry, just disappointed, Lucinda'. She's got a lovely voice, and there are moments of really interesting songs on here - not least in the title track - but in the main it's just a bit too one paced and mooning.
Suede
2/5
Bog off Suede. It's very hard to get past the mix of Brett Anderson's fundamental weirdness, combined with a really quite run of the mill (Butler apart) outfit. His voice is in full annoying mode on this too. Basically, if it's not Trash, then his whiny vocals are not worth my time.
M.I.A.
3/5
Very cool, this. And she's got a cracking back story as well, which makes this more enjoyable. It's not totally my thing, but it's also really enjoyable and admirable.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
I bought this in around 2000 in Camden Market, as well as a red tie, which I wore to the clubs of Lancaster and then York. One of those items has stood the test of time better than the other. Actually, I was a little disappointed by this to be honest; I loved hearing the ones I could remember well - Let Forever Be and Setting Sun - but otherwise it wasn't quite as good as I remember.
Bob Dylan
5/5
Truly wonderful stuff. That run of albums through from Freewheeling up to here is pretty much unparalleled. I would say this doesn't quite have the big hits of Highway 61, but it's absolutely flawless as a vibe. Also, this might be the rarest thing in the book - a double album that actually deserves to be a double. There's no fat to trim here whatsoever.
ABBA
4/5
Ah-ha! Probably the most perfect distillation of Abba until Alan Partridge and Rebecca thingy did their duet on Knowing Me, Knowing You. It's just a big old hit factory, and try as I might, it's hard to deny that. The songwriting quality is off the scale, even if it feels slightly daft to waste all that talent on silly pop songs like these. All in all though, a very good way to spend 33 minutes. Now let's never speak of this again.
4/5
Compared to some of the absolute stinkers the Kinkers have dropped at times on this project, this one was pretty OK. Victoria is a great song, of course, and generally, it felt like they were keeping the Pearly King act to a bare minimum on here, focusing on things like 'writing songs' and 'singing properly'. They'll always lose marks for having demonstrated that they can write Victoria, Waterloo Sunset and You Really Got Me, but they choose not to do more of that for some reason.
The Smiths
4/5
Tremendous stuff from Moz and the gang, in their final proper outing. In a way, it's a fitting farewell, finding Morrissey and Marr at the peak of their individual powers throughout (Morrissey's vocals on Last Night I Dreamt are genuinely awe-inspiring). And yet, it doesn't quite have the propulsion and sense of fun that they found on the Queen is Dead, keeping it from the hallowed five star mark.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
Imagine an album containing the song Bridge Over Troubled Water, and that song arguably being not in the top three songs on that album. It's hard to fathom. This really and truly is Simon and Garfunkel at their finest. A duo in perfect unison, all while rancorously falling apart behind the scenes. Where do we even start? I suppose we start with The Only Living Boy In New York, which has a strong claim for the title of My Favourite Song Ever. I love everything about it, from the ghostly 'here I am', ironically delivered by Art, when the whole song is about the fact that Art wasn't there when Paul needed him, to the descending bass and the simplicity of the lyrics. Then you think about The Boxer, El Condor Pasa, Baby Driver, Keep The Customer Satisfied (my god I love to sing along to that song - it just keeps on getting more joyous). One of the absolute all time greats, and a must listen on at least a monthly basis.
Joy Division
5/5
What a three days this has been. Unknown Pleasures is another album that often gets cited in the GOAT conversation, and you can absolutely see why. It's so weighty, both in its subject matter and production, and the atmosphere it manages to create is really impressive. It has that 'faster but slower' effect that Martin Hammett demanded, with the drums taking the lead and Curtis' voice as another instrument in the mix. Let's also add some points in for one of the best album covers ever made.
Judas Priest
3/5
Notable only for being a lot better than I assumed it would be. If there's anything this Project has taught me, it's that I like nothing better than judging a book by its cover, except maybe judging a rock band by how much hair might be in their metal. Anyway, this was pretty decent really.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Fun, easy to listen to and quite toe-tapping, without leaving that much of a mark. I think the other ATCQ album that we had felt a bit more substantial than this to be honest.
Le Tigre
3/5
You know when something's perfect, and people say 'no notes'. Well I have no notes for this album. But not because it's perfect. Because it is extremely unnoteworthy.
The Divine Comedy
4/5
I live Divine Comedy a lot, and especially the big hits. They unabashedly awkward, fey and twee, which I enjoy. He's a little much a bit of the time, Neil Hannon, and I have a strong feeling that I wouldn't want to go for too many pints with him, but he can certainly deliver lovely tunes.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
4/5
I don't quite know how to explain this, but I think I had a bit of an out of body experience listening to this (do you think people say outer body experience instead of out-of-body? I do, but let's park that). It's quite ambient instrumental music, in the Eno style. But there's something about it that really does make you question the meaning of life, of music, of time and existence. And there aren't many albums that do that.
Korn
2/5
This made me question the meaning of life too. But mostly in the sense of pondering 'how have I come to listen to Korn in 2025?'. It's poor fare from start to finish, although not absolutely without any merit at all. Like almost all nu metal, you have to hand it to the drummer and vaguely respect the guitar.
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
Marianne Faithful, who I mostly think of giving relationship advice in the Guardian. It turns out she was able to write a pretty decent album too. I'm being flippant here, but actually, having read that this was her comeback after many years of addiction and being treated badly by the industry and many people in it, I think this is a really impressive affair.
Orbital
2/5
I saw Orbital at Glastonbury 2002, headlining the Other Stage on the Saturday night, and it was a transcendentally good thing to do. Listening to them at 10.50am working from home on a Wednesday? Different, let's just say that.
Jeru The Damaja
2/5
It's...not for me. I mean, it's not totally dreadful or anything, just distinctly not up my street. I do quite like the front cover, if only because it would be a superb game of 'bad film, bad album or bad video game from 1994'. Not a game with loads of scope, but still, this would be a good entry.
The Mars Volta
3/5
Really loved the ambition and the story for this, and for quite a while, it was a clear and obvious four stars. The musicality was really fun and interesting, with good light and shade. It toppled into self-indulgence though, and by the end I was relatively glad to see the back of it, which automatically shunts it down a peg. Weirdly, just when you're ready to wave tata, I think it the final song is actually pretty excellent.
Super Furry Animals
4/5
Not, objectively, quite as good as Rings Around The World, but still has all the hallmarks of what makes the Furries one of the most interesting bands out there. The odd punch of noise, the swirly psych, the Welsh lilt and the nonsensical lyrics are all in place, and the overall effect is just as tremendous as it was back in the day.
Supergrass
3/5
Diminishing returns from the Oxford boys here, as they lose a little of the youthful exuberance of I Should Coco. This is still a very solid slice of Britpop though, and Gaz still brings a great deal of energy. It's just a touch generic I guess.
Pantera
3/5
Can I just shock you? I like Pantera. I put this off for a very long time, on the assumption it would be - your friend and mine - dreadful noise. It is in many ways, it's loud, abrasive and in yer face, but it's also melodic, skilled, varied and has, with the last song, an quite hefty emotional gut punch. Well done Pantera, this was about as good as you're going to get from me.
The Pogues
3/5
Let's gloss over the very Christmassy elephant in this particular room, as a song that slightly defies rating or classification, and look at the rest of this album. And it's good! It is! It's also a lot of very similar songs with a load of fiddles and a drunk man singing over them. But there are many worse ways to pass the day.
Depeche Mode
4/5
A bit staggered by this (Steve McManaman voice) to be very honest with you. I knew that the two songs I knew on this - Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence - were very large bangers, but I was really pleasantly surprised by the overall quality of the rest of the album. The opening bars to the opening song fill you with a bit of dread, as some quite Atari game standard synths get going, but after that it's a dark, moody, almost New Order-ish journey, and I am very much on board.
Ice Cube
2/5
Ah, Mr Cube. I put you off for a few days because, bluntly, I was feeling too overwrought for no real reason to contend with what you're offering me. When I got round to it, it was...fine. It was OK to hear the backing - and at times downright good to hear it. The rapping is crystal clear. Sadly that means you're left in no doubt that, yes, he really is having a good old laugh about kicking pregnant women and so on. Many minus points for that.
Wire
4/5
One of those bands that I know are super influential, but don't really ever recall hearing. Anyway, what a fool I've been! This is really good. You can see how they rubbed off on Buzzcocks, Joy Division and other near contemporaries, but also on much more modern bands. In fact, there's a great deal of the early 2000s indie boom in there, only better. The other obvious connection is the Manics - you can really feel that James will have taken a fair bit of his early vocal stylings and recording style from this. It actually starts a bit slowly (not literally) with some fairly standard punk, but keeps on getting better as it goes.
Tangerine Dream
1/5
Jesus slowly and bitterly wept into a tiny crystal cup. This is absolutely dreadful. It's barely worth describing, because it's just so infuriating and stupid. Talented guys making weird atmospheric noise without any purpose. I say this as someone who likes ambient, who likes quietness, and who quite likes weird, purposeless atmospheric noise, but it's just dreadful.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
Not anywhere close to the heights of the other two Velvets albums of the period, although by no means bad. It's extremely out there, and you feel the drug influences way more on this than, say, on Nico. Does something I normally hate, with a 17 minute long freakout at the end, but fair play, Sister Ray is very good indeed and rewards more than one listen.
Brian Eno
4/5
More good stuff from the man Eno. It doesn't have the same impact as Before and After Science, but it's kind of in the same vein - I suppose being right on the cusp of the more straightforward Roxys influenced rock and his foray into ambient. The instrumental track on here don't quite have the ethereal beauty he finds later on, but they are still interesting and do something to you deep inside.
Sinead O'Connor
5/5
Shall we deal with the big issue first? I think if you hear the opening 10 seconds to Nothing Compares 2U (this version only, do one Prince) and aren't immediately crying and singing with equal gusto, you should go and see your GP at the earliest opportunity. Overall, this album blew me away with its power, its vulnerability, its strength and its delicacy. She's just a tremendous artist and person, and deserves all the praise she gets and none of the shit she got. The stretch from track three to track seven on here is so great, and the slight drop off towards the end shouldn't let you forget that.
Nick Drake
5/5
OK, this Project is really having its way with me these last two days. Nick Drake is simply an unparalleled artist for making you feel something, and his story is so deeply resonant and tragic. This is, I think, not quite his best album, which says something, because it's almost perfect really. River Man, I mean, I don't even know where to start with the tone of the guitar, with his beautiful, dreamlike voice or with the lyrics. And of course, towards the end of this album, on the lovely Man In A Shed, the defining lyrics of his life: They’ll all know that you were here when you’re gone. Quite so Nick, we all know, and thank you.
Billy Bragg
3/5
He's a man to hugely admire, Bragg. Probably more than he is someone to really, truly enjoy listening to. I love the forcefulness of his delivery and guitar playing, and the rawness of the lyrics are, of course, fantastic. On the other hand, he's not much of an actual vocalist, and the accent is a bit much to listen to for long periods of time. Power in the Union is absolutely anthemic though, and overall, the world needs way more Billy Braggs making art, so fair play to him.
The Pogues
3/5
Dirty Old Town and 11 lesser songs, to give the album its alternative title. It's very raucous and fun, with McGowan's vocals very much on point - in the sense that they're meant to be. But a lot of it strays too far into trad Irish for my own tastes. And then we have DOT, an ode to Salford, my home town. It's just magnificent as a song, and sends shivers right through me. Obviously the best place to hear it is at 2.58 on a Saturday afternoon at Moor Lane as Salford City come out onto the pitch. I've also got a sneaky feeling it used to play at Old Trafford back in the 90s maybe? Before Gary Neville introduced them to the Roses that is. Anyway, a good but not great album overall, with one transcendental moment.
Frank Zappa
4/5
I went through quite a short, but very intense Zappa phase, when I was around 17 to 19. I saw a Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention tribute act at the Platform in Morecombe (this is what passed for a big gig there) and they were crazily good. So this was a nice thing to come back to and hear again. Musically, it's very all over the place, but mostly in a very good way. Great fun, if a little silly.
Jamiroquai
3/5
I enjoyed this more than I expected, armed only with a knowledge of Jamiroquai's quite annoying singles from later in the 90s. It's quite out there in places, and has a really consistent vibe to it. It's only getting a low-ish three star mark, because it is a little much to listen to in album form, but I probably wouldn't be aghast if a song or two cropped up on a playlist and so on. And isn't that what we're all looking for ultimately?
Kings of Leon
3/5
Although they were nothing special even at the outset, it's sad to see how far KoL went from their debut towards totally bland mainstream output. This has plenty of bite, it's quite fun and you get a lot more of a sense of who they actually are than on the likes of Only By The Night. It's still quite flawed, like I say, but it's the kind of thing that is probably good for music, in the whole, rather than another manufactured nothing.
Traffic
4/5
Yeah, this was excellent stuff in the main. It's probably a little bit situational - I was listening in a nice chair on the first morning of a holiday, looking out over the Welsh hills at the drizzle, so was already in an excellent mental space. This was a good accompaniment, it's quite groovy, with super guitar work and admirable vocals from Winwood. It's not the kind of thing that will stay with you for a hugely long time, but it is, nevertheless, a lovely record to listen to.
Prince
3/5
I dunno, y'know. I just feel like I'm missing something with Prince. There's no doubt that he's a talented guy, but he doesn't really make me feel anything most of the time. This felt like quite a technical exercise in songwriting. It's still good, of course, I can see that, but it's just not particularly connecting with me.
Sam Cooke
2/5
A low score for this, which is in quite large part because you think of the raw power of his version of A Change Is Gonna Come, and then you hear this, and it's mostly him whooping and having a laugh with the crowd. And that's fine, of course it is. I'm not anti-fun per se. I just wanted a little bit more of the voice and little less of the party.
Sufjan Stevens
5/5
Sufjan is almost uniquely able to combine extreme beauty with the kind of light-heartedness and lack of pomposity that brings you song titles such as 'To the Workers of the Rock River Valley Region, I Have an Idea Concerning Your Predicament, and It Involves Tube Socks, a Paper Airplane, and Twenty-Two Able-Bodied Men'. In some ways, all SS songs follow familiar lines, highly-skilled guitar work and his unique, instantly identifiable voice. But there's also so much variety and mystery in each song. It's very good, is what I'm driving at here. I wonder if the Project will see fit to give us Carrie and Lowell, because that's probably a 5.0 for me, and I've scored Illinois accordingly.
The Allman Brothers Band
1/5
Oh god please just be less long than this. I don't even know if it's really bad to be honest, but I do know I can't face 76 minutes of endless, ceaseless, relentless blues guitar action, never going anywhere or doing anything. You're a bit lulled at first, because the first two songs are standard four minuters, and are vaguely OK, and then it just descends into inanity.
Foo Fighters
2/5
What an absolute yawn fest from the most boring guys in rock. I can't even be bothered to say much more, except to say that Dave Grohl gives me the biggest ick and I don't know why.
Goldfrapp
4/5
Yes, this was excellent. Really otherworldly and a little bit trance inducing. It's just the right balance of acoustic and electronica and the vocals are dreamy. It's very slight, which occasionally means it loses your attention, but still a lovely bit of business. To pay it an extremely big compliment, it sounds like Belle and Sebastian in places, especially Caravan Girl, which would fit on Write About Love nicely.
The Incredible String Band
3/5
This gets a hugely bad rep, in fact I think it gets one of the lowest global ratings. But you know what? I thought it was OK to be honest. Quite hard going at times, and very weird, but give me this over any of the trillions of country albums on here any day. I think this record is at its best when it's not veering into trad folk. The trad folk stuff makes me think of Morris dancing and cider festivals, which is to say - bad hat.
Guided By Voices
3/5
Please, I beg of you, come back and finish some of these songs off, they could be good! But they won't will they. Instead they'll write 28 sketches of songs that bring you right in and then leave you a bit dissatisfied. A shame.
Sugar
4/5
This is the most 'designed on Paint' album cover I've seen for a long time, but don't let that put you off. It's a pretty good slice of alt rock, from - it turns out - the guy from Husker Du. It doesn't have the same depth or power as Husker Du do, but it's still a good listen and a nice discovery.
Slipknot
4/5
What the hell is happening here? This...is really good! I gather this is the moment when hardcore Knot fans ditched them, because they'd discovered anti-nu-metal concepts like melody, songs and being musicians. What's particularly good here is that the few things that are good about nu-metal - insane drumming and a sense of energy - are still very much present and correct.
The Afghan Whigs
2/5
Massively unmemorable and quite boring to be honest. A classic of the 'why is this in here' genre. One thing that you learn quite quickly on this voyage is that - particularly from the US - there is alt rock and there is alt rock. It can go one of two ways, and this one goes the bad way. No imagination or subtlety. No thanks.
Gil Scott-Heron
4/5
Extremely cool. Almost beat poetry really, and lyrically absolutely fascinating. I'd heard a lot about GSH, without ever really dipping my toe in the water, but this is a really great introduction. It's not my genre at all, but I can still appreciate it so much.
Faith No More
3/5
Not bad at all, considering my main reference points were 'they're quite annoying I think' and 'they covered Lionel Richie'. It's fairly enjoyable, if emotionally stunted rock music, and there's definitely a time and a place for that.
Jacques Brel
2/5
You really need to double check here, whether this is by an actual French person, or an incredibly racist impression of a French person. It's the former, but I now know who inspired every terrible accent in 'Allo 'Allo. Anyway, the songs are quite bad, the singing is extremely stupid, but it's short, and sometimes that's enough.
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
Very nice, this. Another glorious chance to test out my Portuguese in places, which I always like, if only to ensure I stay humble. Musically, it was a lovely blend of south American rhythms with quite western instrumentation. Strange that the best song is seemingly a homage to an Indian landmark, given all that, but we are all one world, and let's celebrate that.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Another massively enjoyable slice of Sonic Youth, who I think (don't check the ratings, I've no idea if this is true) I've enjoyed more with each listen. Anyway, this one was beautifully balanced between loud and quiet, with big hooks, great vocals and a good deal of light and shade. Lovely stuff.
3/5
Here we are then, the era of U2 where they weren't a total joke. And yet...why are you putting three massive bangers right at the start and then sort of dribbling a load of rubbish out for the remainder of this record? Seriously, if every third song was The Streets Have No Name or With Or Without You, you'd probably forgive all the filler, but my brain totally switched off for about 75% of this album in the end. You're capable of better than this Bono and the other ones.
Shuggie Otis
3/5
Fine, basically. I was probably hoping for slightly more than this than I got. It was very soft and mellow, which is nice but not ever going to really grab you, and it was sort of over before it started.
Dr. John
4/5
Sometimes you get three star albums that are just fine, and sometimes you get three star albums that are a wild mix of 'WTF, this is really something' and, well, the same, but in a very bad way. It was clear to me that this was a very interesting album, but it is not the kind of thing you'd put on to have a nice time or in front of people.
Goldfrapp
3/5
We're back to the Frapp, after a short hiatus, and I'm afraid that this one really didn't grab me in the same way as Seventh Tree did. It has some of the same positive elements - it's quite dreamlike, the vocals are lovely - but was much more easy to ignore. There just wasn't quite the same level of memorable songwriting. Still, I'm not complaining, it was perfectly decent.
Pretenders
4/5
This packs a lovely punch, while still being melodic and relatively easy-listening. I didn't know much beyond Brass In Pocket (a great song), but it was impressive in a way that I didn't expect. Now I think about it, I think maybe my opinion has been sullied by only ever really seeing them on the telly at Glasto, playing the Park Stage every year and looking several hundred years old.
Tim Buckley
3/5
It's good but not great from Tim Buckley. I have a fairly common complaint about him (with the caveat that I'm nitpicking because I do think he's very good), which is that he doesn't always seem to be taking it as seriously as he should be. Regardless, there are some very lovely moments on this, and it showcases his excellent voice - his range is mad! - well.
The Go-Betweens
4/5
Right up my alley! Delightful Australian jangle pop and easy to see the throughline from this to the janglier end of Britpop. The vocal mix is beautiful too. All round, I think this is one of the better finds of the Project for me, although I can totally see why lots of people will find this too fey and a little bit easy to dismiss.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
The Father Ted theme, and of course plenty of other good songs. It's a shame that the writer's gone fully off the deep end in such a major way, because it's such a lovely TV programme and the theme tune is a really beatiful hit of nostalgia and warmth. This is more of a review of Father Ted than of Div Com, who are, here, what they are everywhere - a good band if a trifle silly to be scoring the big numbers.
Burning Spear
3/5
Enjoyed it, appreciated it, forgot it instantly. That's maybe more dismissive than I'd like to be, but it's an album that somehow feels even shorter than it is. When it grabs you, it grabs you nicely, but often it's just in the background.
The Style Council
2/5
I gather it's not actually him doing it, but this album forced me to reckon with the concept of Paul Weller rapping, and I'm afraid that's not something I'm prepared to put up with. When they get guest vocalists on, it's quite a lot better, and Ever Changing Moods is good, but on the whole this is a plus one in the 'Weller is bad' argument.
D'Angelo
2/5
Hmm. Gave the score immediately and wrote the review after he died, which is a bit awkward because I basically didn't enjoy it at all, but it seems that he is revered in R&B circles and a Good Guy. As such, I'll just say it's not for me, that's my fault and let's call it a day.
John Coltrane
4/5
Eesh, it's so delightfully bright and breezy, but by no means lightweight. Even I, a jazz novice and agnostic, can recognise the virtuoso playing throughout this, but somehow that's not the thing that makes it good. There's plenty of jazz that contains evidently fantastic players, but none of the discipline required to make it an enjoyable listen. This though - it's slightly behind Miles Davis (don't check the scores, I'm nothing if not capricious), but it's still excellent.
The Bees
4/5
A very aptly named album here, because you really are hit with a big old slab of sunshine, pretty much from the moment it all begins. I don't think I expected to feel this nostalgic about The Bees, but they have tapped into something deep within. They're also, objectively, a very interesting sounding band, quite far removed from a lot of their turn-of-the-millennium contemporaries.
The Undertones
5/5
This...is so much more than I imagined! I think maybe it just caught me at the right place, time and mood, because I sort of recognise that it's basically just good punk-pop, but it's so filled with energy, attitude and joy that I'm going to give it the big five (just). It rattles through so pacily and leaves you fairly breathless by the end. A great discovery.
The Smiths
5/5
The best Smiths album, and in some ways it gets quite close to a best of really. There are so many highlights, and it's fiendishly difficult to pick a fave from them. There's honourable mentions for the title track, Frankly Mr Shankly, I Know Its Over (I'm just listing every track now), Bigmouth, The Boy With the Thorn and Some Girls... but really, There Is A Light That Never Goes Out is such an extraordinary song. It's monumental, and yet it's light - even funny at times. It's one of those timeless songs that it's hard to believe was brought into existence by the same creatures as you and me. I'm not even going to use this review as an excuse to knock Morrissey.
k.d. lang
3/5
The one everyone knows and the other songs. Constant Craving is pretty good and very plaintive (is that negative, I don't mean it as such). The rest is just very MOR. It's fine basically, I wasn't offended by having to listen, but I don't think it'll live long in the memory.
The Band
3/5
Doesn't have the highs of The Weight and a couple of others that Big Pink have, but still quite an enjoyable slice of faux-deep southern rock. Great guitar work at times, with a lovely crunch feel to it. It doesn't do too much to your insides overall, but it probably makes the world a marginally better place for existing.
Beatles
4/5
These guys again! I suppose it's worth prefacing this by saying that I think this is the worst Beatles album probably, and yet I also think that on a pure scoring system, it rates (and I've scored it higher than) The White Album. And yet the latter stands as an undeniable artefact to their genius. What this stands for is an undeniable artefact to their youthful exuberance and a great reference point for their early influences, given the number (and quality at times!) of covers on this record. Anyway, I suppose I've fallen between judging this on objective listen and the fact that I simply love it because it's the first music I ever remember hearing, specifically Devil In Her Heart, and it was the tape that started the most important journey of my life - the one through music. Also It Won't Be Long is an unmatched banger and deserves way more respect in the pantheon of great Beatles songs than it gets.
Steve Winwood
3/5
Dear old father, fellow traveller on the Project and the man most responsible for much of my musical heritage, is a big Winwood fan, and I can definitely see the appeal on this. He's a tremendous singer - with, although I'm not always great at judging this, a huge range. It's not earth-shatteringly great, but it's certainly very nice.
Coldplay
2/5
Coldplay at their most whinesome, boring and, well, Coldplay. It contains all the ones you know but don't know the names of or the words to. It contains all the ones that most make you think of Chris Martin closing his eyes and frowning at a piano, while also being very smug. It contains all the ones that have no musical value. Annoyingly, it also contains all the ones that you sort of vaguely hum for a few days after, and on that basis I guess it deserves the very basic modicum of respect that a very low two star mark denotes.
The Libertines
4/5
I think for a spell I really did believe the Libs were the most important band of a generation. Worryingly, I sort of stand by it. And this is definitely their signature record, with most of the greats on here. They're at their best, for me, when they're a bit more spiteful and harsh than on the ones (What Katy Did) where they lean a little into Chas and Dave for my tastes. But still, a really cultural touchstone that has a lot more musical chops than they get credit for. Viva Barat and Our Pete.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Being good isn't always easy, says Dusty. And yet she seems to find singing good very easy. As you'd expect, the star of this is the honey-ish vocals, rather than any stellar songwriting, with the exception of Preacher Man, which remains a tremendously evocative song that really envelops you.
Yes
3/5
My Project voyage through the world of prog rock is telling me that if you really must listen to prog, you could probably do worse than listen to Yes. It's still got all the things that make it one of the most objectionable genres in artistic history, but it's reined in sufficiently to mean that you can actually enjoy the songs, instead of want to go back in time and encourage Ted Heath to pass a law to ban guitar solos, synths and capes.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Very good indeed, and the final nail in the coffin of my pre-project opinion of Led Zep. Although I do worry a little that I'm doing Liking Led Zeppelin wrong, because I think they're so much better when they just slow down and inject a bit of consideration and balladry into their songs, compared to the 'woah-yeah' of things like Whole Lot Of Love. Anyway, another very good album that I'm pleased to have changed my mind on.
Nico
4/5
These Days is a song that Spotify, very annoyingly, correctly identified as up my alley a few years ago, and it quickly became everywhere I turned. It was therefore a total pleasure to get a bit more context to that song, and to find out that the whole album is very listenable. She is officially not just the name at the end of the Velvets' masterpiece.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Wow. I, like all the guys bang into Kendrick, listened to this driving to Rochdale in the rain, and it really helped I think. Seriously though (because sometimes the fun has to stop) this is a tour de force in places, with great depth to the lyrics and quite a surprising amount of lightness of touch at times. I can absolutely see why this has become so quickly so revered.
David Ackles
1/5
Oh Dave, no thank you. No thank you very much indeed. I really didn't enjoy this at all. Sometimes a one star is for something actively disgraceful, and this isn't quite that, but I think sometimes you have to dole one out if you feel that your time has been so absolutely and thoroughly wasted.
Björk
3/5
Late era Bjork that I quite enjoyed, although I wonder how readily I'll go back. It created a great sense of atmosphere, and of course her voice was a key part of that. It felt a little bit like it lacked variety though, and felt a bit more of a single piece really. That's sort of fine, and was actually quite nice to have in the background, but makes it harder to really justify or remember it.
Stephen Stills
3/5
Stills, as I think I've opined previously, is possibly the least known and least recognisable member of the CSNY gang to me. This album isn't going to shift that dial, but it's certainly a very nice piece of Americana-inspired folk rock. His voice is a little weak at times, and a bit (possibly the wrong word here, but let's reach for the moon) tremulous. It doesn't quite have the power of some of his contemporaries.
The Waterboys
4/5
Ah. I would say the first half of this album is in real danger of a five star, culminating in the superb cover of Van the Man's Sweet Thing. It really goes downhill after there, and ends up clinging onto the fours. Still, I would say that's a sequencing issue. The actual music is a lovely Celtic mix of folk and rock, and the band are tight.
Iggy Pop
4/5
I think I now understand when Iggy Pop is at his best. It's when quite a lot of the singing, songwriting and producing is done by David Bowie. The best song on this is China Girl, unsurprisingly, as it's a David song that hits you like a fist out of nowhere for it's brilliance. The rest is good, and I'm going to be generous and say that Iggy Pop deserves some credit for that, alongside Dave.
Bauhaus
3/5
Bauhaus, I thought, would at least be more interesting than this. As it goes, it was relatively enjoyable, but nowhere near as gothy or dark as I was expecting really. They'll remain a bit of a t-shirt band to me I guess.
Miles Davis
3/5
I didn't get as much from this as I know I will from Kind of Blue, or even as much as I did from In A Silent Way. I really enjoyed the meshing of guitar and trumpet, and the clear rock influence in his songs, but I'm afraid it was also quite a bit too long and, well, jazzy for me to really get fully behind.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
What a record. What a feat of songwriting all these songs are! I can't decide if the songwriting is better than the performance or vice versa. Either way, the end result is basically peerless. And then there's the backstory to the making of the album, the internal wranglings and the personalities.
Look, it's Rumours, does it really need reviewing? If so, then I would say that both sides of the record open in absolutely astonishing ways, with the bounce of Second Hand News (a vastly underrated song) contrasting so well with the threat of The Chain. And then there's the delicacy of things like Songbird.
Above all else, there is Go Your Own Way, in the conversation for the GOAT song. If you have a spare four minutes, then listen to Go Your Own Way. If you have a spare eight minutes, then listen to it twice. If you have a spare 12 minutes, listen to it twice, and then go to YouTube and search 'Go Your Own Way isolated vocal'. Watch that video.
Mike Oldfield
4/5
Totally tubular! Is that something from a film (Wayne's World)? I can't remember. Anyway, I actually really enjoyed this way more than I expected. I think I had probably listened to this a bit more than I remember at around age 16 and 17 (the Pink Floyd era). It's quite silly, and why he feels the need to put a jig in the middle of it is anyone's guess, but at times it's very atmospheric and the opening few minutes are (horrible word) iconic.
Aphex Twin
4/5
A strong argument for this being the best working music of all time. I did a lot of quite boring admin with a level of furious intensity not seen since the episode of Mad Men where the whole office got injected with amphetamines by Jim Cutler's doctor. Is it good? Yeah, I think it's definitely a vibe, although it's hard to pin down what the qualities are that make it good. Also, I carried on listening to whatever came after it for a good hour after it finished, which is a backhanded compliment - I definitely wasn't waiting for it to finish, but nor did I notice when it did.
Barry Adamson
3/5
Get's off to a really great start, with a Jarvis guest vocal spot creating a tremendously atmospheric opening track (with, let's get real here, a stupid name). From there, it's up and down to be honest, sometimes good weird and sometimes just weird. Barry Adamson, by the way, is one of Moss Side's finest, and that's probably gained him some marks, because I've grown to love the place dearly.
Considering this is a dreaded Rod Stewart vehicle, it's actually not all that bad really. His stupid singing ruins quite a bit of it, but the band give a nice bluesy swagger in the main, and it's quite good fun. And actually, despite definitely not one bit ever wanting to give Rod any credit, Stay With Me is probably his finest vocal effort. It has - and this is rare from him - actual emotion instead of a cheap facsimile of it.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
1/5
Well. I will say this - it's slightly better than the previous ELP horror show I was subjected to. But that really isn't saying a lot. This album starts with a 20 minute long track, which they break into six parts and call a suite, because they're pretentious wallies who think their endless, meaningless, pointless noodling is some sort of opus on a par with Mozart. After that, if you can make it through that torture, it does improve a fair bit, to the point where it's 'terrible' as opposed to 'actively wishing for everyone involved to die'.
Sparks
3/5
I was pretty excited for this, because Sparks are the kind of artist that has gradually gotten huge amounts of hype in recent years, having never really been spoken about previously. And I can sort of see why people - albeit with different taste to me - really love it. It's fun, inventive, very well played and sometimes quite funny. Unfortunately I can feel the dead-hand of musical theatre, or worse(!) - Queen - upon the tiller, and it's frequently too silly for me. Sometimes that's quite cool, like on the opener and the closer, but sometimes it really does make you think of grown men doing the hoovering in a frock because they think it's a giggle. Oh look, now I'm thinking about Queen again. Thanks Sparks!
Aerosmith
2/5
Very stupid really, and often - and maybe I'm the only person noticing this - very badly sung indeed. By which I mean aiming for a range he can't reach, needing a Strepsil and missing notes. Maybe people like that? I'm certainly not well attuned to what people who enjoy this enjoy it for. There are some highlights - the two singles actually, which rescue it to a point, but it's safe to say it's not for me. Oh also, immature lyrically - mainly on 10 inch record. Are these guys 13 years old?
Television
4/5
This is excellent! Really interesting guitar work, and a very good mid-point between punk and post-punk. Pre-post-punk I guess. You can here the likes of Joy Division in here, but also some of the lightness of someone like Talking Heads. I'll be coming to this one repeatedly.
The Youngbloods
4/5
Very in my wheelhouse is this. A bit of folk, a teeny bit psychedelic, quite heavy CSNY influences. It's also noticeable for some quite unusual choices of instrumentation and styles. I would say that's all positive, but the negative is that there weren't any particular songs that stand out especially, it's just all quite a nice vibe.
k.d. lang
2/5
Dreadful, to be honest with you. She has a good, strong voice, but it's pure showtune nonsense that really does feel about 40 years out of date. It's all very 'working in a diner in rural Virginia' to me - just vapid, show-y and blah.
Thundercat
3/5
Really interesting, a fascinating and often great voice, good instrumentation. And yet...trying to squeeze 23 songs into 52 minutes means that they're all really just ideas of songs or sketches. Work them up! Take time on 12 of them! I mean, who'm I to tell Thundercat what to do here, but it does strike me as a bit unfinished.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Partly, that's because I thought it was going to be the most appalling twaddle, but also because it was a nice mix of hard rock, metal and some more thoughtful moments. All in all, I don't know that it's my genre or my thing, but I always appreciate when an artist is trying something beyond the confines of a reductive genre. Good stuff. It also got better as it went along in the main, and that's always nice.
The Magnetic Fields
4/5
Barking mad, really. Three full hours of silly little love songs that all add up to something so beautiful and endearing, even if quite a lot of them are very daft at heart. The two best known songs - Book of Love and My Little Words - really do sum up what this album is all about. As the former says, 'some [music] is transcendental, some of it is just really dumb', and as the latter says 'if I could write for you the sweetest song you ever heard. It doesn't matter what I'll do, not for all my little words'. Just lovely.
Scott Walker
4/5
Good stuff, this. I do enjoy the combination of quite old school crooning with the very over-the-top production and slightly psychedelic vibe to it. It's not an album where you pick massive standout tracks, but more one where you can't quite believe that 32 minutes have passed, because you've been lost in a lovely feeling.
Randy Newman
1/5
What a load of garbage. Do I want to hear the man who sings You Got A Friend saying a load of racial slurs? I do not.
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
An absolute blast. I really enjoyed the energy and the talent on show. I read a little more about D Jr's place in the scene and I think I could see myself getting very into them with some more repeated listens. It's a tiny bit indelicate for me to go into the really high marks, but it's still a lot of fun and quite ferocious.
Jack White
3/5
I'd say this was more fun than I was expecting, but not really all that interesting or special. He's quite jaunty, is old Jack, and you're always a little fearful of something a little rootin or tootin going on. That said, even writing that has reminded me of one of my all time favourite things - the look on Jack White's face when the idiotic Jools Holland absolutely trampled all over a White Stripes song with a dreadful and uninvited honky-tonk solo. I don't think I've seen sheer contempt like it in all my life.
Kraftwerk
2/5
I mean really. What do you say about 22 minutes of fun, fun, fun on the autobahn. Goes through all the stages - a little bit enjoyable, the fun wears off, delirium sets in, delirium wears off, abject despair, missing it when it's gone. Is that the point? The rest of the album is much nicer, but also has much less to say for itself. A confusing listen.
The Cure
4/5
This felt like I really got the Cure for maybe the first time (although I've just remembered that I said that about Disintegration). Maybe the challenge is that unless I'm listening to the Cure, I don't think about the Cure. But while I'm listening to them, it's all I do think about. Weird huh? Anyway, this was excellent. Dark, foreboding and atmospheric. It passed in a flash too.
Santana
4/5
I'm a guitarist like Santana, in the same way that a child painting shapes with a potato is an artist like Michelangelo. He is just ridiculously good. It's in the second half of this album that this really comes to the fore, and elevates it from a fun but not too memorable record into something quite brilliant. The second half alone is a clear and strong five star, the whole thing falls just a touch short, but is still very enjoyable.
Ozomatli
3/5
Fun and funky, with a very eclectic set of influences. The various streaming services clearly feel this is too much like a good time for them, as they've rendered it almost impossible to listen to in a coherent fashion. Anyway, it was fun, but we all know by now that I'm not really here for fun.
David Bowie
5/5
Bowie at very close to the peak of his powers here. What a run this is with Hunky Dory and Ziggy! It starts extremely strongly, with the title track and Drive In Saturday massive hits. The second half is a bit of a Best Of really, with Jean Genie, Prettiest Star and Let's Spend the Night Together. Because they aren't top echelon David singles, there is a bit of flatness about hearing them like this in a weird way, even though they're all very good indeed. Still, whatever, five stars and we move!
John Martyn
4/5
A bit of a mixed bag, but when it's good it's very good indeed. I definitely preferred the more folk-y end of this, where he's clearly in thrall to Nick Drake. In fact, it turns out they were good pals, and the title track is written for and about Nick, so good on you John. It took me two listens to decide, but this is definitely a good album.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
Mesmerising, to be honest. Knowing the backstory, as this album was written following the death of his son, makes this ambient piece of beauty even more special. It's bleak at times, it's doleful at others, but sometimes it's almost hopeful and uplifting. How we does all that within the constraints of his own grief and while never stopping producing Nick Cave music is beyond me.
Bonnie Raitt
3/5
The elephant in the room: The album cover art looks like one of those deliberately bad ones that you'll find in quirky exhibitions. Once you get over that, this is sort of serviceable I guess. The really best bits sound like they could possibly be acceptable as Stevie Nicks b-sides.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I enjoyed this, of course, because Springsteen is basically incapable of writing a song that doesn't at least have some merit. It loses a lot from not having the E Street Band with him, and it's so dark and maudlin, but even so, it's a great example of evocative songwriting and heartfelt performance.
Belle & Sebastian
5/5
The greatest advert for the benefit of a government scheme that recognises that art and music are worthwhile. Modern politics could never. Leaving aside the (amazing) backstory to this album, let's just focus on the songs themselves. I really think there isn't a weak spot across the whole thing - it opens exceptionally well, probably with as close to a mission statement as Belle and Sebastian ever get. I think it really peaks in the middle, with Electronic Renaissance leading beautifully into I Could Be Dreaming (what a rush the end of that song is by the way). All told, it's just great music, great writing, performed as only they can. The fact it wasn't even the best album they released this year, and yet still gets a perfect score, says quite a lot.
Malcolm McLaren
2/5
What an odd album. Mostly, it's some fairly risible cultural appropriation, but there are odd bits of quite joyful instrumentation and music. The opening two tracks in particular are very strong. But it definitely feels like Malcolm has nicked a lot of early hip hop ideas and is bringing them back to an extremely white British sensibility.
Maxwell
2/5
Yaaaaawn. It's far, far, far too smooth for me. I just don't care about any of it. He can sing nice, and it's not unpleasant to have on I guess, but really, I just think I'm missing something.
Steely Dan
4/5
Not quite at the level of Aja I think, but still really excellent Steely Dan. Dirty Work and Reelin in The Years are such bops and marry the funk and fun of the band with songs that actually make you feel something (occasionally something they can't quite do). It flies along really nicely as a record, and although it never hits the highest height, it's very consistently good.
M.I.A.
3/5
Similar to the other M.I.A. album I've had so far, it's a very interesting and eclectic album, from someone clearly brimming with ideas. Sometimes probably too brimming to be fair.
Nine Inch Nails
3/5
Hmm, just missing a little. And actually I think that little is a bit more guitar and a little less synth. I really admire the effort to create something super-dense and harsh without relying on thrashy guitars, but it might have gone a bit far from my perspective. One thing I will say though is that NIN have a very cool logo, and not a lot of bands ever really nail that.
Suzanne Vega
3/5
It's very straightforward fare, this, but it's nice and I think she's a good lyricist. Overall, it doesn't leave too much on you (there's nothing on here that has the power of Luka, for instance), but it's very pleasant to have on in the background.
2Pac
3/5
It's actually surprisingly chill. The instrumentation is nice, and he has quite a laid back style of vocal delivery. It's not great, by which I mean it just isn't for me, but I definitely enjoyed it more than I thought I might.
Anita Baker
2/5
Yeeaah, not for me I'm afraid. There's a lot of the very worst of 198-s production all over this - the sheen and polish, the painfully insincere synths - and it just leaves me dead cold. A shame, because she seems to be a really good singer and there's nothing offensive in these songs. It just does absolutely nothing for me emotionally.
The Charlatans
4/5
I have an unfounded and unfair aversion to Tim Burgess - I think it was when we launched that cereal - but he's one of the best Britpop singers I think. There's a really good energy to a lot of this album, particularly on the big hits - North Country Boy, One To Another, How High and Tellin' Stories, and a lot of that is carried by Tim's vocals. All in all, it's not clever, but it's in the nostalgia sweet spot for me, and I think it stands up pretty well all told.
Steve Earle
2/5
Guitar Town is not a place I would like to spend a great deal of time. Country music is timeless, isn't it, by which I mean this could easily be from 1956, rather than 1986. People who make it must just be totally immune to the development of anything new that's happening around them. Fair play, I guess. It's like the Amish community of music.
Supertramp
3/5
Sort of dreadful irritants, but equally hard to truly dislike. They're like if Roxy Music had a tiny ounce of charm. The highlight, for me, is Dreamer, which was on a mixtape we used to have in the car when I was a kid, called Goodies To Order, made by my uncle. It is a lifelong goal of mine to recreate that tape as a playlist, but I reckon I can only remember around 45% of the songs. Anyway, Dreamer was one I couldn't quite place until today, so thank you Project for that.
Steely Dan
4/5
It's good this, because of course it is, it's Steely Dan. But it, in the words of the guy in The Inbetweeners, is probably a little too jazzy. They do hover on the line between genius and annoying quite a lot, and on this particular effort, they might occasionally come down on the latter. Still, there's plenty of bops in here, and it rushes along well.
Joe Ely
1/5
Are there two more foreboding words in the English language than honky tonk? It's exactly as risible as you'd expect basically. There is the tiniest hint of meaning and emotion towards the start, and then it's just...honky tonk.
4/5
A quite wild ride here. It's not always actually super enjoyable, but it's got such a lot of energy. As usual with live albums, it mostly made me wish I was seeing it live. Even so, a really interesting and evocative listen.
Devendra Banhart
4/5
Oh man I really liked this so much. It's so delicate and heart-felt, and his voice is so interesting. Occasionally, it's a little too one-paced and sometimes needs a bit more variety in the instrumentation, but overall it's a beautiful little bit of folky Americana.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
In some ways, this is really Alex Turner at the perfect intersection between 'scally boncing round Sheffield and talking about getting into scrapes' and 'the thing that Alex Turner is now'. It's consistently cool, and there's plenty of interest, but it's not really super emotive or grabbing me. I guess maybe, timeline-wise, this was also when landfill Indie was thoroughly losing its appeal for me.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
4/5
This wasn't what I feared at all. No root, not so much as a hint of toot. Instead, it was a lovely insight into a very clear Bob Dylan influence (and vice versa I guess, given RJE's cover of Don't Think Twice), and a great surprise to hear Woody Guthrie pop up. I get the sense that Ramblin' Jack was one of the good guys, like Woody or Pete Seeger, and I've decided I'm not going to check whether that's true or not.
Talk Talk
3/5
Sort of the opposite of Jack Elliot really, in that I thought I'd really like this, and it was just very, very OK. Nice, really, but not at all inspiring or that interesting.
Charles Mingus
1/5
Absolutely Mingus. This was the dictionary definition of hard work and stressful. You get that there's loads of talent in there, but why is no-one suggesting that maybe everyone doesn't need to break the world notes-per-minute record for a solid 39 minutes? Less is more Charles! This is bad jazz.
Doves
5/5
I wasn't even slightly ready for the emotional reaction I had to this one. If anything sums up my early festival years (let's say 2000-4) it's Doves. They've got such an instantly nostalgic tone, especially because it's shot through with their Mancunian sound and nature. Also, I really do think that the diversity and variety of the songs on here is tremendous. They're quite a hard band to quantify really. Also, this album just builds beautifully, until you're smashed in the face by Catch the Sun and brought back down again with Cedar Room and A House. I love it more than I knew.
Nick Drake
5/5
For me, I would say it's just about Nick Drake's finest album, although all three are so connected and consistent that it's hard to judge. I love the way the instrumental introduction means you're absolutely on tenterhooks waiting for Nick to introduce his greatest weapon - his voice.
Throughout the whole album the instrumentation is so lovely and varied - he really is more than just an acoustic-strumming folky. And yet, the album's pinnacle, for me, comes on Northern Sky, when he strips it all back to just guitar and voice pretty much. Brilliant stuff.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
This album takes a little while to get going IMHO, but ends in really good shape. Maybe North American Scum is the point at which they move from 'good but unremarkable dance-adjacent indie band' to 'Oh my god it's LCD Soundsystem'. Certainly once you're into Someone Great and All My Friends, you're all the way up, the windows are open and you're loving life. A strong four.
Paul McCartney
4/5
McCartney here, having the time of his life writing songs that could probably have been on Abbey Road or Let It Be, if he hadn't had to at least pretend to be interested in what John and George were doing. It's got all the hallmarks of late-Beatles Macca, from the super-high-in-the-mix bass on Momma Miss America, the relentless jauntiness, the supreme vocal quality, and of course the big ballad. The fact is, Maybe I'm Amazed is probably P-Mac's best ballad of all - even pipping the likes of Let It Be (OK, maybe not Golden Slumbers). It's just a tremendous, timeless song, showing the fragility, innocence and wonder of being in love like only the great man can.
Carpenters
4/5
I was quite ready to hate this, based mostly on how ridiculous Close To You is, but actually it's pretty good all told. The vocals are so on point, and the arrangements are even nice enough to make me not mind the two Beatles covers (OK, Baby It's You is technically a Shirelles cover, but you know what I mean). It's a relaxing bath - it's not exciting or new, but it's comforting and pleasant.
Emmylou Harris
4/5
What just happened here? I absolutely loved this. It starts off a bit humdrum, but a few tracks in it really transports you to somewhere magical. I think maybe it's a situational thing, because to me it has a really melancholy feel to it, perfect for the Christmas season. Beautiful stuff in the main, slightly too long and with a weak start, but a lovely suprise.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
It's very beautiful this, and probably hinges entirely on what your thoughts are on Cave's voice. By and large I think it's magnificent, although it does get badly exposed on occasion on this album by the very sparse instrumentation. Still, I like it a lot, and Into My Arms and Far From Me are two truly wonderful songs. It's not his best, just because it is quite one-paced and you start to feel a bit over it well before it finishes, but it's nice to see a different side to Nick Cave.
Taylor Swift
1/5
""Hi ChatGPT, could you make me an album to show that I, the world's least relatable human, get sad too?"
[Harbinger of Doom activates]
"OK, but could you make the voice less sincere and more cloying please?"
[Harbinger of Doom intensifies]
"Thanks, that's almost perfect, but it would be good if you could also make it a little bit more soporific? Maybe get rid of capitals from the song titles so people know that I'm a serious artist?"
[Harbinger of Doom whirrs uncontrollably]
"Perfect, now my marketing people have said that we need to have three respected folky artists to collaborate with, could you add them in. I don't care who they are."
[Harbinger of Doom produces Evermore by Taylor Swift]
Those are the prompts that make this solid gold stinker. It's sad that Matt Berninger, HAIM and Bon Iver, each of whom I like and respect, are part of this charade.
Serge Gainsbourg
2/5
Premier chose premier, je pense que j'ai prefere Histoire De Melody Nelson apres de decouvrir plus. By which I mean to say, first things first, I think I preferred Histore De Melody Nelson before I discovered more. It turns out it's a concept album about a man and a 15 year old. No thank you. It's a shame, because it's not unpleasant musically, and while the vocal stylings are a bit de trop, it's relatively enjoyable. A solid three for the music, loses a bit for the Lolita ick.
Neu!
4/5
This starts off really brilliantly - the first three tracks are super delicate and ambient, and hit you right in the emotion zone. After that, it gets a little more generic and less considered for me. It becomes a bit punk-adjacent but without the fun factor. Still, I enjoyed it, and the first couple of tracks will live long in the memory.
Sarah Vaughan
2/5
It just passed me by a little, to be honest. She has a very lovely voice and I didn't mind it being there, but it was very much existing in the background.
Jean-Michel Jarre
2/5
Equal parts very annoying, quite stupid and very pointless. The famous one rescues it a little, and it's almost relaxing at times. But mostly it's pretty poor fare. I guess I just don't see its relevance in here.
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
I mean, where to start with that? It was certainly some sounds that happened in quite an unpleasant way. Was it music? Not as I know it to be fair. Maybe I'm marking myself out as a naif, wanting 'songs' and 'melody' rather than 'quite a close approximation of a waking nightmare'. It's safe to say the last three days have not been the Project's finest. Insert meme of Jez from Peep Show saying 'that wasn't very Christmassy' here.
Amy Winehouse
5/5
Really excellent in most regards. Obviously Amy's vocals are exceptional; it is remarkable that she does channel the great female singers of the 60s - especially Ronnie Spector - but still sounds super current. Funnily, I think the thing that is often lauded - the production - lets it down a little. It's just a touch too bouncy to let some of the vulnerability of the songs through. It's possible that the number of sub-par imitations that arrived in Amy's wake haven't helped with that perception though. Still, a really great experience to listen to it in full for the first time in a very long time.