Aug 29 2023
Unknown Pleasures
Joy Division
I'm generally not a fan of what gets classified as "80s music" so this one didn't do it for me. However, it was fun to discover that they did the original version of "Love Will Tear Us Apart" I first heard that song as a cover by Nerina Pallot and absolutely loved it; it's worth checking out.
2
Aug 30 2023
Strangeways, Here We Come
The Smiths
It's...fine.
3
Aug 31 2023
Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
This works fairly well as background music, but I probably won't come back to this. I appreciate the composition, though; it's like if Rush or some other prog rock band decided to do a super chill album. In Icelandic.
3
Sep 01 2023
At Mister Kelly's
Sarah Vaughan
Very chill, very enjoyable.
4
Sep 04 2023
Arrival
ABBA
This is not my jam...but I didn't hate it! They're real musicians making decent music, I just don't like it.
2
Sep 05 2023
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon & Garfunkel
I was hoping to like this one more given the level of respect music people have for Simon & Garfunkel, but it didn't do a whole lot for me. A couple above-average tracks, and I didn't dislike any of them, and I appreciate the harmonies...but the album as a whole didn't stick with me.
3
Sep 06 2023
Younger Than Yesterday
The Byrds
This is the closest I've gotten to a 4 so far. Didn't quite get there, largely due to a really good point Kevin made in his ABBA review: I can't help but compare this to more contemporary music that I like and find it lacking. I bet I would have given this a strong 4 if I had been born in 1960.
3
Sep 07 2023
E.V.O.L.
Sonic Youth
This was a real mixed bag for me, as most noise-rock albums are. I kinda liked a few tracks at the beginning, but hated the few before "Bubblegum" and I didn't really like the vocals, so I guess this ends up as a 2 even though some of it worked for me.
2
Sep 08 2023
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
I guess I need more Neil Young in my life. I'd never really checked him out, largely because I've heard him live (on TV) a few times in the 2000's and didn't care for the vocals. In his prime, though, he sounds pretty damn good.
I liked this album quite a bit. This is the only album so far that's going to get another listen from me (along with some other stuff from Neil, with or without his horse).
4
Sep 11 2023
The Wildest!
Louis Prima
This one bops! Pretty fun for an album from the '50s.
3
Sep 12 2023
Revolver
Beatles
I sure hope I don't lose any friends over this, but The Beatles don't do much for me. I think my dad was probably a Stones-over-Beatles guy, and I don't recall 97.5 or 98.5 playing much of the Beatles when I was a kid, so I never listened to them much despite their popularity. I think I listened to one of their greatest hits albums about a decade ago, and it didn't grab me enough to ever follow up.
I feel like "Yellow Submarine" is a terrible song; I just don't get how that became one of their hits. I thought maybe I was missing something, so I listened to the version on the "Yellow Submarine" album, and it still sucks. They named a whole album after this dogshit?? I know people smoked a lot of pot in the '60s and '70s, but I can't imagine being high enough to think this is a good song. Then again, I don't have a great imagination. I guess I just had to be there at the time?
Some of the songs on this album are decent, but I can't say I loved any of them. "Got To Get You Into My Life" was pretty good, though.
Sorry. I know this is sacrilegious, but I can't honestly give this any better than a 2, and I wouldn't blame anyone who gives it a 1. I will now turn in my Music Fan card, admit to being uncultured swine, and delete the 1,300 or so albums on my laptop/iPod.
2
Sep 13 2023
Greetings From L.A.
Tim Buckley
"Sweet Surrender" was a bit extra for my tastes, but largely I enjoyed this album. Solid funky/bluesy stuff.
3
Sep 14 2023
D.O.A. the Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle
Throbbing Gristle
This is a collection of sound effects, not something a rational person would listen to for pleasure. Let's all agree that even if we tried to listen to this with an open mind, it cannot be classified as "good music" under any rubric.
The best thing you can say about this album is that "Throbbing Gristle" is a mildly amusing band name and "Hamburger Lady" is a mildly amusing song title.
1
Sep 15 2023
Nighthawks At The Diner
Tom Waits
Definitely feels like something best appreciated by paying attention to it, rather than having it play in the background while working (which is how I consume most of these). He's got some good lines, and I'm sure I missed a bunch.
I wasn't familiar with Tom Waits so the vocals definitely took some getting used to, but they grew on me over the course of the album. I'll be interested to see if I like any of his non-live stuff more.
3
Sep 18 2023
Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth
I liked this one more than the first Sonic Youth album. It still wasn't great, and I'll probably never listen to it again, but I don't remember hating any of these songs, and some of them were...hmm. I think I'm trying to find a way to justify giving this a 3 just because I liked it more than the last one, but it's hard to do that when my overall reaction was "it wasn't bad" vs. "at least some of them were good."
It was fine. Let's pretend this is a 2.5.
2
Sep 19 2023
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
A Tribe Called Quest
This very much sounds like an album from 1990. That being said, it holds up pretty well, and I'm glad this was included on the list as I don't think I've heard any of these other than "Can I Kick It?"
Solid album. I wish I could give it a 3.5.
3
Sep 20 2023
Fuzzy Logic
Super Furry Animals
I pretty much feel the same about this album as I did about "Daydream Nation." It's fine. It's either a 2 or a 3 for me.
3
Sep 21 2023
Smokers Delight
Nightmares On Wax
This is like elevator music, but with a beat. It's not bad by any means, but not my jam.
2
Sep 22 2023
Disintegration
The Cure
I liked this one more than I thought I would. As someone who owns a shit ton of emo/pop-punk, I was familiar with The Cure as a big influence on a bunch of my favorite bands, but I'd only heard a few of their original songs before (I've heard a bunch of covers). This still sounded very much like an album from the 80s, but it was also pretty good.
4
Sep 25 2023
Bad
Michael Jackson
If you can separate the art from the artist, some of these songs are pretty good. I mean, I prefer the Weird Al version whenever that's an option, but the originals ain't bad.
3.5. Apparently I hate whole numbers and refuse to acclimate to this 1-5 scale.
3
Sep 26 2023
Ready To Die
The Notorious B.I.G.
Not my jam, but I'm obviously not the targeted audience here. There are unequivocally some good beats on this album, though.
2
Sep 27 2023
Pink Flag
Wire
I can't believe this was originally released in 1977; I would have believed it was a punk album from 2005. Maybe the fact that it was remastered in 2006 has something to do with that, but still.
Gotta say I liked it. My tastes tend to lean pop-punk and alt-rock, but this was pretty good. I liked it much more than the Sonic Youth stuff we've gotten thus far.
4
Sep 28 2023
KIWANUKA
Michael Kiwanuka
While listening to the first half of this album, I was pretty excited to dole out my first 5 on here; I loved it. Then the second half slowed down into a soul album which, while still good with plenty to recommend it, wasn't nearly as remarkable.
Quality sound throughout, and overall still really good.
4
Sep 29 2023
Elvis Is Back
Elvis Presley
It's not bad. Decent vocals, and it was pleasantly surprising to hear so much piano from \"the king of rock and roll,\" but this is another one where I had a hard time getting into something made a few decades before I was born. Just not my jam.
I was, however, blown away by how many albums are in his discography. I'm familiar with about10 Elvis songs, but the dude apparently cranked out a billion or so.
2
Oct 02 2023
Aqualung
Jethro Tull
Fuck yeah! I enjoyed the hell out of this. The guitar started to get a little repetitive by the end of the album, but other than that I thought this was great.
5
Oct 03 2023
In Rainbows
Radiohead
I think this is the only Radiohead album that I would choose to listen to in its entirety. I haven't listened to a ton of their albums, but I like this better than "OK Computer." That being said...it's fine. It's got some good tracks, like 15 Step and All I Need.
I think this was the "pay whatever you want for it" album, which was a cool idea in the age of music sharing/piracy.
3
Oct 04 2023
Disraeli Gears
Cream
This was hit-and-miss for me, but not bad.
3
Oct 05 2023
Arise
Sepultura
My main takeaway from this album is that it gives me a better appreciation for the hard rock bands that I enjoy (like Metallica or Disturbed). I didn't enjoy the vocals here, but yelling is not uncommon in hard rock stuff, so I guess this was...too simple? Not musical enough? I know that's a weird thing to say about music, but I'm struggling to articulate the reasons this didn't work for me, which I suppose is why I'm not a music critic.
2
Oct 06 2023
When I Was Born For The 7th Time
Cornershop
I'm sad to say this one didn't really work for me. I liked a few of the early tracks that sounded like classic 90s pop-rock, but for whatever reason I didn't dig most of the rest of the album.
2
Oct 09 2023
Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul
Otis Redding
Props to Otis for inspiring so many covers, although I generally liked the covers better than the originals. Still solid.
3
Oct 10 2023
Hard Again
Muddy Waters
Mm, this was some good shit. I liked it so much I tried a Muddy Waters collection of greatest hits next and didn't like it nearly as much, so glad the 1,001 folks chose this album.
5
Oct 11 2023
Ritual De Lo Habitual
Jane's Addiction
This was solid but unspectacular to me. A few songs made me think "this is what Blink-182 would have been if they'd been born a decade earlier and listened to more hair metal."
3
Oct 12 2023
Fifth Dimension
The Byrds
This was fine, although I enjoyed their "Younger than Yesterday" album from earlier in the list more.
3
Oct 13 2023
School's Out
Alice Cooper
Certainly much more varied than I was expecting; I was only familiar with a few Alice Cooper songs, but there's some range on this album. Largely decent even if it wasn't the hair metal I was expecting.
Also my dog was SUPER interested in some of the weird sound effects he produced, so...props for that?
3
Oct 16 2023
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin is the first band I can remember thinking of as cool. When I was too young to have any input on what to listen to, some of the classic Zeppelin jams were my favorites when they came on the radio, and either 97.5 or 98.5 had a weekly "Get the Led Out" hour where they would play nothing but.
That said, this specific set of songs is probably a 3.5 for me, but I'll round up to a 4 for both nostalgia and what I assume was an original sound in '69. Also rounding up since it was released in '69.
4
Oct 17 2023
Abbey Road
Beatles
Maybe I'm just in a better headspace to appreciate The Beatles today, but I liked this one WAY more than I liked Revolver. This doesn't even sound like the same band, but in my case that's a very good thing.
3
Oct 18 2023
Coat Of Many Colors
Dolly Parton
This rating is purely based on personal preference. For what it is, it's good, but it's not my jam.
2
Oct 19 2023
Fever Ray
Fever Ray
This was perfectly fine background music while I was working, but it didn't grab me in any way. 2.5.
2
Oct 20 2023
Chore of Enchantment
Giant Sand
Well, that was quite the mixed bag of stuff. I generally liked it but didn't love it.
3
Oct 23 2023
Back To Black
Amy Winehouse
Pretty good. Rehab was the only song I was familiar with, and I can see why that one made it on the radio as it's probably the catchiest track. I really hate only having 5 options to choose from, as this is more like a 3.5 and that Giant Sand album was more like a 2.5, but they both end up as 3's for me.
3
Oct 24 2023
(What's The Story) Morning Glory
Oasis
I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would. I was a conscious human being in the 90's so I've heard the singles a million times, but I've also had this album and \"Be Here Now\" in my music collection for 20+ years so I've heard the whole album before. Gotta say I didn't love the vocals on most songs, with Champagne Supernova being a notable exception (although I forgot how damn long that one is).
Anyway, I thought this album would be buoyed by nostalgia, but it ends up in the \"good not great\" pile for me.
3
Oct 25 2023
Come Away With Me
Norah Jones
It's hard to beat this in terms of chill background music to bring my stress level down. This wasn't mind-blowing, but it was consistently good and the vibe was enough for me to bookmark Norah Jones for the next time I want music to chill me the F out.
I didn't realize until today that she's continued to make music for the past 20 years; hopefully the later stuff is good.
4
Oct 26 2023
They Were Wrong, So We Drowned
Liars
This was stressful and unpleasant to listen to. I nearly turned it off halfway through the second song because it sucked so hard. Just straight up shitty noise rock.
I listened to the whole thing, though, and I maybe grew to appreciate some elements of it? I didn't enjoy it, but there's some almost-maybe-kinda-decent, like, tribal progressive rock or something, hiding beneath the offensively awful noise rock veneer.
Ultimately this still gets a 1 because I can't pretend this is as good as some of the stuff I've rated as a 2 and Throbbing Gristle can't be the only band to get a 1 from me, but for the record this gets a 1.5. It's definitely bad, but not as bad as TG.
1
Oct 27 2023
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
This was good.
4
Oct 30 2023
Dire Straits
Dire Straits
It was fine, but it didn't do much for me. If this doesn't qualify as yacht rock, I don't know what does.
2
Oct 31 2023
The Low End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest
I liked it as much as the other Tribe album; good not great.
3
Nov 01 2023
Sulk
The Associates
This is what the term "80s music" makes me think of, and I don't like 80s music. This makes the second album so far (you know the first one) that I didn't finish.
1
Nov 02 2023
British Steel
Judas Priest
This album makes me think that, had I been an adult in 1980, Judas Priest would have been my favorite band. It sounds a bit dated 40 years later, but it still rocks. 4.5.
4
Nov 03 2023
Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
It was a little (maybe a lot) heavy-handed, but it wasn't bad.
3
Nov 06 2023
Homework
Daft Punk
This is another rating based purely on personal preference; EDM/techno just doesn't do it for me. This would be awesome as background music in a futuristic video game, and I respect the musicianship, but this is not something I would choose to listen to on its own.
2
Nov 07 2023
Blonde On Blonde
Bob Dylan
I wanted to like this more. Love the harmonica (which I hardly ever hear anymore), love the piano, love the whole folk vibe. The sound of Bob Dylan's voice, though...it's almost a caricature of himself. I made a joke a Christmas or two ago that the guy playing Hans Gruber in Die Hard was trying a little too hard to be like Alan Rickman, and I feel like the vocalist here is trying a little too hard to sound like Bob Dylan--as if it's part of an SNL sketch or something.
I fully realize the hypocrisy of criticizing vocals given the vast quantity of emo in my music collection, but I have not acquired a taste for Dylan's voice. Good music otherwise, though.
3
Nov 08 2023
Yank Crime
Drive Like Jehu
Turns out there's a limit to the amount of screaming I can take, and this album exceeded that limit. 1.5.
2
Nov 09 2023
Third
Soft Machine
This isn't offensively bad, but I can't really recommend anything about it. 1.5.
2
Nov 10 2023
Walking Wounded
Everything But The Girl
Solid if unspectacular. Sounds like what you would hear in a Hollister store 20 years ago, but I don't hold that against it.
3
Nov 13 2023
Urban Hymns
The Verve
Everything kinda boringly blends together after the first track (which remains a really good song). It wasn't bad, but I don't think I'll ever listen to this again.
3
Nov 14 2023
Young Americans
David Bowie
This didn't do much for me. 2.5.
3
Nov 15 2023
Suede
Suede
Well, that was unexpected. I'll never listen to this again, but it was fine for an 80's rock album.
3
Nov 16 2023
The Soft Bulletin
The Flaming Lips
I didn't love it, but I recognize there's some quality stuff here.
3
Nov 17 2023
Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C.
Woof. I was not expecting this to sound so dated. To their credit, this sounds like an album from 1992, so I guess they were ahead of their time (hence influential, hence why this album is on the list), but to me this one does not stand the test of time.
2
Nov 20 2023
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
The Flaming Lips
That was a fun listen, and it definitely gets points for originality. It didn't quite get there for me upon first listen, but I might come back to this and see if I like it more the second time around. 3.5
3
Nov 21 2023
War
U2
Solid U2 album.
3
Nov 22 2023
Dr. Octagonecologyst
Dr. Octagon
Well, now I know why I had never heard of Dr. Octagon before. Even as background music I found this hard to get through.
2
Nov 23 2023
Blur
Blur
So I know that "real music fans" like Blur for all their songs other than "Song 2"...but I just can't get into them. I guess I'm basic. 2.5.
3
Nov 24 2023
Phaedra
Tangerine Dream
For what it is, it's fine, but this sure felt longer than 38 minutes. Kinda liked the first track, kinda bored by the rest.
2
Nov 27 2023
Are You Experienced
Jimi Hendrix
I don't want to be hyperbolic when we've still got 900+ albums to go, but this might be the easiest 5 I dole out on here. It helps that I'm already familiar with the album and have enjoyed Jimi Hendrix for 30 years, but this album holds up. I can only imagine how mind-blowing this was in 1967.
5
Nov 28 2023
Cross
Justice
EDM is still not my jam, but I thought this was more enjoyable than Daft Punk's "Homework" album.
3
Nov 29 2023
Tanto Tempo
Bebel Gilberto
This was solid if unremarkable.
3
Nov 30 2023
A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Coldplay
Just because they're popular doesn't mean they're bad. Do I think Coldplay is overrated? Sure. But I also think they've largely made pretty good music. 3.5.
3
Dec 01 2023
The Real Thing
Faith No More
A few thoughts:
1. I was only familiar with "Epic" so I was a little surprised by the range on this album. Overall, it was decent stuff.
2. I'm confused as to why a cover of "War Pigs" was included. It sounds pretty dang close to the original from Black Sabbath; this is what I'd expect to hear by a cover band in a bar. So why the hell is it included here? If you're going to cover a song and release it as part of an album under your band name, you've gotta make the song your own. You can't just do a note-for-note remake. Maybe I'm missing a backstory here, but this track being on the album baffles me. Not sure why anyone would ever choose this version over the Black Sabbath version.
I'm tempted to give this a 2 just because of War Pigs, but I'll reluctantly give it a 3 since that's how I feel about the rest of the album.
3
Dec 04 2023
Live At The Star Club, Hamburg
Jerry Lee Lewis
Dude sounds like a hell of a live performer. I had no idea what to expect from this, but I really enjoyed it. Managing to hit the vocals so well while playing at such a high energy level is pretty impressive.
4
Dec 05 2023
Pink Moon
Nick Drake
My only complaint is that this album is too short and there's not more Nick Drake. His previous album was not at all like this, and he doesn't have any later albums (at least on Spotify). Bummer.
This was some really good, chill stuff. 4.5.
5
Dec 06 2023
Music in Exile
Songhoy Blues
Given that I couldn't understand any of the lyrics, that was still a fairly enjoyable listen. Some tracks didn't work for me, but overall it was solid. 3.5.
3
Dec 07 2023
Manassas
Stephen Stills
Objectively I feel like this is a pretty good album, but it's a little too '70s for me. I liked a lot of it, but I didn't love the album as a whole.
3
Dec 08 2023
Pacific Ocean Blue
Dennis Wilson
This one just struck me as bland. It's not bad. The musicianship is fine. I don't actively dislike it. I just found it to be relentlessly mediocre, so I gave up after 19/33 songs on Spotify's deluxe edition.
To be honest I probably would have given this a "This was fine, I guess" 3 if it was only 10 songs, but the more I listened to it the less I liked it. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for this. 2.5.
2
Dec 11 2023
Red Headed Stranger
Willie Nelson
It's another album that's not my personal cup of tea, but it's fine for what it is. I didn't dislike it as background music, but this didn't make me want to seek out any more Willie Nelson. 2.5.
3
Dec 12 2023
It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Public Enemy
Solid. I'm glad we're getting a variety of rap in the 1,001 as I liked this more than most of the rap we've heard thus far.
3
Dec 13 2023
In It For The Money
Supergrass
This reminded me of Oasis, which I guess makes sense given the time, location, and genre. It was fine.
3
Dec 14 2023
Bringing It All Back Home
Bob Dylan
I didn't find the vocals as annoying as I did for "Blonde on Blonde"; not sure if I'm just getting used to Dylan or if this album was less whiny. I didn't like the music overall quite as much, though, so both albums get a 3 from me.
3
Dec 15 2023
Live Through This
Hole
I didn't love it, but I liked it well enough for a punk album.
3
Dec 18 2023
Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers
I'm willing to be the basic bitch who likes the Red Hot Chili Peppers (even though that means I'm risking going to hell according to "The Good Place").
This album definitely has some filler, and I'm sure it benefits from the fact that I was immature when it came out, but I still like a bunch of the songs on here.
4
Dec 19 2023
Teen Dream
Beach House
I'll probably never listen to this again, but it was decent.
3
Dec 20 2023
At Newport 1960
Muddy Waters
Not as good as "Hard Again" but still enjoyable. 3.5.
4
Dec 21 2023
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Bruce Springsteen
I'm really only familiar with Bruce's big hits, so I was kinda surprised by the vibe of this album--softer than I was expecting. Who knew early Bruce Springsteen had so much piano? (Fans of Bruce Springsteen, probably.)
This reminded me in some ways of the Warren Zevon self-titled album, although I liked Zevon more. 3.5.
3
Dec 22 2023
1989
Taylor Swift
This album is really up and down. I think there's 5 great songs on it (with Blank Space and Bad Blood being my personal favorites), but I also think there's a bunch of mediocre songs that prevent the album as a whole from getting a 5. The highs are high, though.
I was very late to the Taylor Swift party (Folklore was the first album I heard in its entirety), but she turned out to be exactly like the Harry Potter books: everyone likes them because they're really fucking good. Sometimes popular stuff is legit good, and that definitely applies to Ms. Swift.
4
Dec 25 2023
Live!
Fela Kuti
Fun jam-band stuff with some good musicianship. 3.5.
3
Dec 27 2023
Two Dancers
Wild Beasts
I liked a few of the songs in the middle of the album, but I disliked this one on the whole. Not a fan of the vocals, and the music was largely repetitive. Presumably this works for some people since it's on the list, but I am not one of those people. 1.5.
2
Dec 28 2023
Tonight's The Night
Neil Young
I was pretty disappointed in this one given how much I unexpectedly enjoyed "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere." This album was...fine. I guess. 2.5.
3
Dec 29 2023
Risque
CHIC
Not my genre, and the songs were long. Not to take anything away from the talent of the artists here (which I can appreciate), but this one didn't do it for me. 2.5.
2
Jan 01 2024
After The Gold Rush
Neil Young
Maybe I only like Neil Young when he does group projects. I enjoyed parts of this album, but some of it was too 70's for me. Another 2.5.
3
Jan 02 2024
Time Out
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
This was some perfectly fine jazz that I'll never listen to again. I didn't dislike it, and I'm trying to be open-minded towards genres that I wouldn't seek out on my own, but I can't really say I enjoyed this. 2.5.
2
Jan 03 2024
The Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd
I'll tell you what: I think this album has a chance to gain some popularity. This Floyd chap seems to have found something that really works here, and if people give it a try I think they'll like it.
----
Pretty surprising how well this holds up given that it's...holy shit, this album came out 50 years ago! It's hard enough to make an artsy album that works the day it comes out, but the fact that it still works 50 years later is incredible. A million artists have tried to make music that evokes an emotional response like this, but few have succeeded; this one just has that je ne sais quoi.
5
Jan 04 2024
Rocks
Aerosmith
Solid album. Some of these songs were new to me, and they weren't bad. I don't think this is a great album, but I do think it's better than a bunch of other albums on here. 3.5.
4
Jan 05 2024
Ananda Shankar
Ananda Shankar
Well, that was different. After the first track I thought I'd end up enjoying this album, but unfortunately it all started to blend together for me. Kudos for coming up with something new and different, but I don't think it ultimately worked all that well even though it wasn't bad. 2.5.
3
Jan 08 2024
Rubber Soul
Beatles
This was decent. I'm never going to love The Beatles, but I'm not immune to some good vocal harmonization and some catchy pop stuff.
3
Jan 09 2024
Made In Japan
Deep Purple
This isn't universally true, but I generally prefer studio albums over live albums and that holds here. I enjoyed the rockin' on this album, and in some ways it's fun to hear them jam a bit so this was still plenty enjoyable, I just found myself wishing for a cleaner version. 3.5.
3
Jan 10 2024
Orbital 2
Orbital
I will basically never choose to listen to techno, but this was pretty good for the genre (as far as my ignorant ears are concerned).
Did I think most tracks were too long? Unequivocally yes. Other than that it was fine as background music, and I found myself enjoying the composition from time to time.
3
Jan 11 2024
Foxbase Alpha
Saint Etienne
Maybe I listened to this while in the wrong headspace, but this did absolutely nothing for me and I couldn't wait for it to be over. I guess I'm just not a minimalist when it comes to music...although, I enjoy plenty of stuff where it's just a dude with an acoustic guitar, so maybe I just don't like Saint Etienne.
1
Jan 12 2024
Live And Dangerous
Thin Lizzy
They definitely closed the album on a high note. Fun drum solo on Sha-La-La. High energy, decent classic rock stuff in general. It didn't quite get to a 4 for me, but it was solid. 3.5.
3
Jan 16 2024
Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs
Derek & The Dominos
I guess we'll have to add \"Layla\" to the list of songs I didn't know were covers. In general I thought this album was pretty solid. I definitely would have liked it more if some of the weaker songs were removed, but overall it was fine.
3
Jan 17 2024
Kenza
Khaled
Pure pop is generally not my jam, and that holds here.
2
Jan 18 2024
Heroes to Zeros
The Beta Band
Solid stuff, and good background music while working.
3
Jan 19 2024
The Chronic
Dr. Dre
Given that this is from 1992, I thought it was pretty good. Easily my favorite of all the rap/hip-hop albums we've seen so far.
4
Jan 22 2024
The Yes Album
Yes
This isn't anywhere close to that shitty band that sounded like discount David Bowie (Zaggy Moondirt or whatever wonderful string of words Jason came up with), but I can't help but feel that this album sounds like discount Rush. I enjoyed the listen overall, but given how similar they sound to Rush I couldn't help but compare them and find Yes a little wanting. 3.5.
3
Jan 23 2024
Fear Of Music
Talking Heads
They definitely get points for having a unique sound, but this didn't do enough for me to move it beyond a 3.
3
Jan 24 2024
São Paulo Confessions
Suba
This is fine for what it is. Not bad, but not my jam. 2.5.
3
Jan 25 2024
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
Now this here: this is just good music. I'd never heard of PJ Harvey before, but I will be listening to more PJ Harvey in the future. This isn't groundbreaking or mind-blowing or anything, but it's high quality and enjoyable, and that's ultimately what I want from music. 4.5.
5
Jan 26 2024
Sex Packets
Digital Underground
Man, hip-hop has really changed. This is another one where I understand why it's here, and I'm sure it was hip at the time...but it has not aged very well (at least to my ears).
It's not really fair to judge this against modern rap, and 80's/90's rap should probably have its own genre altogether, but I can't say I enjoyed much beyond "Humpty."
2
Jan 29 2024
Beauty And The Beat
The Go-Go's
I'm generally not a fan of 80's music but this was...pretty OK? Also fun since they have a song titled "Skidmarks On My Heart" and I don't think of tires when I hear "skidmarks."
Also I'm 12 years old.
Anyway, I liked this more than I thought I would, but not enough to ever listen to it again.
3
Jan 30 2024
On The Beach
Neil Young
Better than "Tonight's the Night" and "After the Gold Rush", not as good as "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere." 3.5.
3
Jan 31 2024
Faith
George Michael
As far as 80's pop goes, this was better than some but still not my jam; I didn't like it but it could have been much worse. 2.5.
2
Feb 01 2024
Live At The Witch Trials
The Fall
Usually when I personally don't like something on here, my take is "It's good for what it is, but this is not my jam. 2.5." I can't even get that far with this album. I get that it's punk and it sounds the way the band wants it to sound, but I didn't enjoy this one at all.
It's not objectively awful, and I hope others enjoy this more than I did. 1.5.
1
Feb 02 2024
The Age Of The Understatement
The Last Shadow Puppets
My initial reaction was "this is pretty good. They remind me of the Arctic Monkeys." Turns out that's because one of these dudes is also an Arctic Monkey.
4
Feb 05 2024
Cloud Nine
The Temptations
This was fine, but not my jam.
2
Feb 06 2024
Hotel California
Eagles
Given that the title track has 1.5 billion plays on Spotify this record definitely deserves to be on the list, but overall I didn't love it. Good vocal harmonies, and the music is fine, but nothing else really stood out to me.
3
Feb 07 2024
Hunky Dory
David Bowie
Easily my favorite of the Bowie albums we've heard so far...but for me it only gets into "good not great" territory. 3.5.
4
Feb 08 2024
Odelay
Beck
Struggling a bit with this one. I feel like it's objectively good, and I appreciate much of it...but I don't think I would ever choose to listen to this again. It's somehow good without being enjoyable to me. Usually in this case I'll think "yeah, I recognize that people who like this kind of music would like it, but I personally don't like this kind of music." In this case, I think I generally *do* like this kind of music, but I just couldn't get into this album.
It definitely gets bonus points for having a komondor on the album cover as those are the most ridiculous-looking-while-still-naturally-occurring dogs on the planet. So there's that.
3
Feb 09 2024
Maggot Brain
Funkadelic
Mixed bag here. I enjoyed the middle of the album more than expected--I've never really sought out funk music, but this was good. The first track was itself a mixed bag, and the last track decidedly did NOT work for me. Sometimes the experimental track on an album is transcendent, but sometimes it's just noise.
3
Feb 12 2024
Document
R.E.M.
It's been many, many years since I've heard this album in its entirety, but I enjoyed the re-listen more than expected. Looking at the track list made me think this album had a bunch of filler, but I ended up enjoying the whole thing.
I'm certainly biased towards R.E.M. since Adolescent Kyle spent a bunch of money on their CDs back in the day of Columbia Records (or whoever ran those CD by mail catalogs in the 90's), but Adult Kyle hardly ever listens to a full R.E.M. album (and then it's usually "Green" or "Monster"). Maybe I need to revisit them more often, beyond the singles.
4
Feb 13 2024
Cheap Thrills
Big Brother & The Holding Company
Sounds like it was probably a fun show to see live...except apparently it wasn't actually a live album, they just added crowd noise. Weird. Pretending like it's a live album is like giving yourself a license to be raw and unpolished in the studio, which I guess is fine if you're going for a raw sound, but I didn't like this one as much as I wanted to.
Definitely some good stuff here, though. Can't deny that Joplin is a powerhouse.
3
Feb 14 2024
The Infotainment Scan
The Fall
Per the Wikipedia blurb on here: "At the time of its release, it was considered the band's most accessible album." I admittedly haven't listened to other albums by The Fall (so maybe their earlier stuff is akin to Throbbing Gristle), but I don't know how a rational person could describe this album as "accessible." There is no universe in which this album appeals to a wide range of people.
Enjoyment of art is subjective, and I'm sure some people like this flavor of weird, and that's fine...but I think this is one of those instances where "different" and "good" are conflated. The vocals here are unusual; that does not make them good. The instrumentals, to me, are neither impressive nor aurally pleasant; sometimes they're weird, sometimes they're basic, never are they good (to clarify: I'm not saying anyone in this band is bad at playing their instrument, I'm just saying the composition is bad).
So I think these guys made a bad album, but because it sounds different than the vast majority of albums, some people talk themselves into acting like it's good. Different != good. It's unusual, and I guess it's interesting in some ways, but I did not enjoy this at all.
1
Feb 15 2024
Tago Mago
Can
This does not sound at all like an album from 1971, so props to them for being ahead of their time. That said, this is largely not my cup of tea. I kinda liked some stuff at the beginning of the album, but then the back half turned into "let's make weird noises (for a long-ass time) and call it art." 2.5 for the first half of the album, but a 1 overall. Not sure how one could enjoy this album in its entirety while sober.
1
Feb 16 2024
Architecture And Morality
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
This wasn't bad; it wasn't hard to listen to like The Fall or CAN. However, this didn't do much for me and I'll never seek this band out again.
2
Feb 19 2024
Dummy
Portishead
Good not great for me. I really liked the overall sound of this album, but it got kinda boring by the end of it.
3
Feb 20 2024
Superunknown
Soundgarden
I was only familiar with the singles before listening to this, and I can't say I'm itching to add the whole album to my collection. I probably would have enjoyed it more closer to when it came out, but for some reason I never sought out any Soundgarden beyond what the radio gave me.
Anyway, solid stuff here. 3.5.
3
Feb 21 2024
Bossanova
Pixies
I like the Pixies enough to own their greatest hits album, but not enough that I'll ever want to listen to any of their original albums. This was fine.
3
Feb 22 2024
The Stooges
The Stooges
This was fine. 2.5.
3
Feb 23 2024
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
This was OK. I liked some elements of it, but on the whole it felt a bit milquetoast. I couldn't tell you what's missing or why it didn't totally work for me, but I feel like this band has the potential to make much better music that what they put on this album.
3
Feb 26 2024
Madman Across The Water
Elton John
Well gosh dang, that was pretty good! I don't know if I'd ever heard any of these songs beyond Tiny Dancer, but that was a largely enjoyable experience. I think this Mr. John guy has some potential.
4
Feb 27 2024
This Is Fats Domino
Fats Domino
Another case where I'm sure he was great at the time, but it didn't do much for me listening to it 70 years later.
2
Feb 28 2024
A Little Deeper
Ms. Dynamite
Perfectly fine R&B, although nothing mind-blowing.
3
Feb 29 2024
Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room
Dwight Yoakam
I just don't understand the curators of this project sometimes. They seem to have drawn a hard line in the sand with country music and declared that the only country worth listening to was released before 1990. Just a weird take. The genre is still immensely popular with a big chunk of the country, and personally I think the genre has gotten infinitely better over the past 30 years. I'm obviously influenced by when I was born, but I remember more or less hating country as a youngin' other than a few songs, but I've grown to enjoy some more contemporary artists.
Anyway, classic country typically doesn't do it for me, and this album is no exception.
2
Mar 01 2024
Talking Heads 77
Talking Heads
Eh. It's fun in parts, and I always enjoy Psycho Killer, but in general I have a hard time getting on the same wavelength as Talking Heads. 2.5.
3
Mar 04 2024
She's So Unusual
Cyndi Lauper
As far as 80's pop goes, this was pretty good. It's basically maxed out at a 3 due to the genre, so...great job.
3
Mar 05 2024
Let It Bleed
The Rolling Stones
Hard to rate this one appropriately. It starts and ends with all time classics, but the middle of the album doesn't keep pace.
3
Mar 06 2024
Coles Corner
Richard Hawley
Woof. Maybe if I were in a better mood, or if this was dated 50 years earlier, I'd give it a 2 and say it's simply not my jam.
I started skipping on track 2, listened to a few seconds of each, found them to all basically sound the same, and got the fuck out. No thanks. I'm sure this works for some people, but it ain't me.
1
Mar 07 2024
Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club
Yeah, no. At least these people sound like they're having fun, and I can imagine people dancing to this and enjoying it in an 80's movie or something, but this is not my jam.
2
Mar 08 2024
The Modern Lovers
The Modern Lovers
I'd give the vocals a D, but that's pretty much par for the course for classic punk. Otherwise this was fine.
3
Mar 11 2024
Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs
Marty Robbins
I'll certainly never listen to this again, but that's the case with pretty much anything released before 1965 or so. I thought this was largely pretty good for what it was. 2.5.
2
Mar 12 2024
Blunderbuss
Jack White
I've had this album for a decade, but it's not one I spin up in its entirety very often since I think it's uneven. The good tracks are really good, and they're all unique, so this is pretty good overall.
4
Mar 13 2024
Tarkus
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Well OK then. The album cover is as weird as the music, so it's nice when those things line up. This didn't totally work for me, but given how old it is that's not terribly surprising.
I'm generally a fan of prog rock, so I appreciate the trail these guys blazed.
3
Mar 14 2024
Roger the Engineer
The Yardbirds
Pretty good, given this came out almost 60 years ago. I'll never listen to it again, but this was solid. 3.5.
3
Mar 15 2024
The Downward Spiral
Nine Inch Nails
I think this was the first time I'd listened to an entire NIN album. I was obviously familiar with their singles, but I can't say I really enjoyed many of the songs that were new to me.
This is one of those bands where I feel like I should like them more because I know some people think they're amazing, but they don't do much for me. I didn't dislike any of these songs, but I also didn't love them.
3
Mar 18 2024
1999
Prince
Sorry, this was just too damn 80's for me. Respect to Prince, but this is not my jam.
2
Mar 19 2024
Murmur
R.E.M.
I think this album gets so much acclaim since it was at the forefront of this type of rock. At least to me this sounds ahead of its time for being released in 1983. Not my favorite R.E.M. album, but a solid listen and pretty good for a debut. 3.5.
3
Mar 20 2024
Kid A
Radiohead
Per the Wikipedia blurb on here: Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and the Times ranked Kid A the greatest album of the 2000s, and in 2020 Rolling Stone ranked it number 20 on its updated list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".
As someone who was conscious in the 2000s, I'm a little offended. If I could insert the Mugatu/crazy pills GIF here I would. I just don't get Radiohead's popularity. This album is a big ol' bunch of meh. I didn't hate it, but I can assure you I will never choose to listen to this again.
3
Mar 21 2024
Fuzzy
Grant Lee Buffalo
Solid.
3
Mar 22 2024
Jagged Little Pill
Alanis Morissette
Hard to decide whether this gets a 4 or 5. There are some certified bangers here, but there are a few slower songs that really drag when you listen to the entire album.
Ultimately I think I'll round the 4.5 up to a 5 given how high the highs are here. Just an iconic 90's album, despite the shots at my beloved Uncle Joey.
5
Mar 25 2024
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John
On the whole, this album is too long. There's a whole bunch of stuff that, in 2024, does not hold up well to my ears (and maybe half this album has always been filler).
That said, "Saturday Night" still slaps 50 years later.
3
Mar 26 2024
Head Hunters
Herbie Hancock
Uhhhh...yeah, this wasn't for me. I recognize the musical talent here, but I guess I'm just not a jazz guy.
2
Mar 27 2024
Ace of Spades
Motörhead
Yep, that was some 80's hair metal. It was fine, although I remember liking Judas Priest much more when their album came up a few months ago. I'll never listen to this again, but I didn't dislike it.
3
Mar 28 2024
Larks' Tongues In Aspic
King Crimson
Man, this one was all over the place. Some stuff worked, some stuff didn't. It definitely gets points for being this weird in 1973 and (presumably) helping to kick off prog rock as a genre. Before getting into this project, I had always thought of Rush as being the original prog rock band, so it's been interesting to hear a few other bands from the 70's who were also doing weird rock shit.
3
Mar 29 2024
Machine Gun Etiquette
The Damned
This was fine.
3
Apr 01 2024
All Directions
The Temptations
Still not the genre for me. 2.5.
2
Apr 02 2024
Rio
Duran Duran
During the first half of this album, I was worried that I might have a brain tumor as I found myself really enjoying some 80's pop. The latter half definitely brought things back down, so the limit of 3 for an 80's pop album remains unbreached.
3
Apr 03 2024
Chemtrails Over The Country Club
Lana Del Rey
I guess this was largely good, but only a couple tracks stood out on first listen, and the album was similar enough throughout that I was looking forward to it ending. Honestly baffled why this album is on the list given how recent + underwhelming it is. 2.5.
3
Apr 04 2024
Moondance
Van Morrison
Generally not my speed, but this was pretty good! I did not expect to enjoy a chill album from 1970 this much. 3.5.
3
Apr 05 2024
I'm Your Man
Leonard Cohen
For me, the music gets a 2 and the vocals get a 4.
3
Apr 08 2024
The ArchAndroid
Janelle Monáe
Huh. This was a pleasant surprise. I came into this only knowing that Janelle Monae is a straight up unabashed weirdo. I don't typically go for techno or R&B, so I'd never heard more than a song or two from her.
Gotta say: this was pretty good. It started to drag a bit at the end, but other than that it was an enjoyable listen.
4
Apr 09 2024
Illmatic
Nas
I didn't dislike this, but ultimately it didn't do much for me. I'm guessing this is at least partially due to the fact that the lyrics largely don't enter my consciousness while I'm listening to these, so if the rhymes are the selling point of this album they were mostly lost on me.
3
Apr 10 2024
Steve McQueen
Prefab Sprout
This strikes me as wholly unremarkable 80's pop rock.
2
Apr 11 2024
I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
Richard Thompson
I knew nothing about these folks going in, but this was a largely enjoyable album. Nothing fancy or mind-blowing, just good stuff throughout.
4
Apr 12 2024
Elastica
Elastica
How have I never heard of this band before, why do they only have two albums, and why wasn't their second album as good as this one? Gosh dang.
4
Apr 15 2024
We Are Family
Sister Sledge
Disco is still not my jam.
2
Apr 16 2024
To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
I wanted to like this more than I actually did. It wasn't bad, but it won't stick with me.
3
Apr 17 2024
Your Arsenal
Morrissey
Meh. 2.5.
3
Apr 18 2024
Fulfillingness' First Finale
Stevie Wonder
Fine, but not my jam. 2.5.
3
Apr 19 2024
The La's
The La's
I guess everything gets a 3 this week.
3
Apr 22 2024
The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
Hard to rate anything from Eminem. I don't really like the sound of his voice, but the flow is pretty good. I don't typically listen to much rap, but I generally find the beats catchy. The lyrical content is generally abhorrent, but they're also intentionally subversive and offensive.
I can (and very often do) enjoy intentionally offensive stuff in the realm of comedy; I love a good irreverent TV show or stand-up comic. Not much of what Eminem does is played for laughs, yet I also don't take most of it seriously. I dunno. I can't help but enjoy much of his stuff even while thinking "man, that guy's fucked up."
There are a million songs I enjoy with lyrics that I can't relate to and don't endorse, and this entire album falls into that bucket. That's art. Overall this doesn't quite get a 4 for me, but still pretty good. 3.5.
3
Apr 23 2024
Smash
The Offspring
Not my favorite Offspring album, but I'd agree that this is their most influential album. As a huge fan of pop-punk in the aughts, I am by default a fan of The Offspring and the road they paved.
Side story: I will always remember a van ride with the family circa 1994-5 while my dad was driving and in control of the radio. His preference was 97.5 and 98.5, while my sisters and I preferred 100.7 and 92.3 and 107.9 (although I'm guessing this was before 107.9 was The End). He said "I'll change the station if you can name the artist of one of these songs." We kept guessing, like, Eric Clapton or The Eagles as it was on 98.5 (Cleveland's classic rock), but to no avail. Then they had a commercial trying to make a dig at damn kids these days and what has befallen rock music, but don't worry, we're 98.5, we'll never play that shit.
To make their point about terrible modern rock music, they used the intro to "Self-Esteem" that's just "La la lalala, la la lalala" which my sister correctly identified as The Offspring, so we were granted a station change on a technicality. A great win for punk rock.
Anyway, I really enjoyed revisiting this album. Beforehand I was thinking it was a 4 with the iconic singles and some filler...but this holds up well in its entirety.
5
Apr 24 2024
Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Maybe this album is good enough for a 2...but I found it hard to get through. 1.5.
1
Apr 25 2024
Sunshine Superman
Donovan
More like "SuperMEH" amiright?
2
Apr 26 2024
Tellin’ Stories
The Charlatans
This was perfectly fine BritPop. On the whole, I think I actually liked it better than "What's the Story Morning Glory" even though it didn't hit the same highs. Maybe that's a dumb thing to say, and it's just colored by how disappointed I was when that Oasis album came back up here, but at any rate I thought this album was solid. 3.5.
3
Apr 29 2024
Raw Power
The Stooges
This was fine.
3
Apr 30 2024
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
I'm glad this album's on the list, as otherwise I probably never would have checked out Tracy Chapman. I initially wished there was a little more pace, but I ended up really enjoying the chill vibes on this album. Great vocals and overall an enjoyable listen.
4
May 01 2024
Vulgar Display Of Power
Pantera
While I'm getting more tolerant of hardcore vocals over time, this album still felt like an assault on my ears at times. The drums are fucking awesome here, and there are some great metal guitar riffs, but I can't say I loved the experience as a whole.
It's definitely a 3.5...and I guess I'm rounding up to a 4 for musicianship this time.
4
May 02 2024
Ill Communication
Beastie Boys
The Beastie Boys are very much hit-and-miss for me. Personally they get some bonus points for their inclusion in "Patriot" which remains one of the best TV shows of all time. That's enough to round this 2.5 up to a 3 for me. I liked a few of the songs on this album, but overall it was more miss than hit and probably deserves a 2.
3
May 03 2024
Mothership Connection
Parliament
Well that was fun. I don't seek out funk, but I enjoyed this.
4
May 06 2024
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Arctic Monkeys
I liked it more than I thought I would. I have a vague memory of checking out early Arctic Monkeys stuff and not liking it much, but this was decent.
3
May 07 2024
Sign 'O' The Times
Prince
Typically I make myself listen to the entire album even if I don't like it. After an hour of this I had to give up. Sorry, Prince, you remain too damn 80's for me.
2
May 08 2024
Beautiful Freak
Eels
This one is a solid 3.5. If I'd heard it when it came out it would probably be an easy 4, but hearing it for the first time in 2024 makes me lean closer to a 3. Really solid 90's pop rock and an enjoyable if unremarkable listen.
3
May 09 2024
White Ladder
David Gray
Pretty good stuff. 3.5.
3
May 10 2024
Slippery When Wet
Bon Jovi
I generally dislike 80's music, and the quality tails off towards the end of the album, and sometimes the music feels basic...but damn Bon Jovi's got some bangers. I didn't expect to like this album in its entirety as much as I did. 3.5.
4
May 13 2024
Let's Get It On
Marvin Gaye
Honestly I was a little disappointed by this one. It's not bad, but it's not my jam.
2
May 14 2024
Oracular Spectacular
MGMT
This one just didn't do it for me. I feel like it's probably objectively better than I'm giving it credit for, but personally it didn't work. 2.4.
2
May 15 2024
Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo
MC Solaar
This is fine (probably even good) for what it is. Impressed by the speed with which syllables were spit out, and for something from 1991 it's perfectly fine musically. That said, this falls into the "I'm glad to have heard it but I'll never listen to it again" bucket.
2
May 16 2024
Let It Be
The Replacements
Had I been a teen rather than an infant in the mid-80's I probably would have really enjoyed The Replacements. I can't say I love it 40 years later, but it's not bad.
3
May 17 2024
L.A. Woman
The Doors
More bluesy than I was expecting from The Doors. "Riders on the Storm" remains a good jam, but most of the rest of the album kinda just passed by in the background for me.
2.7
3
May 20 2024
Stand!
Sly & The Family Stone
Not my jam, but this was fine.
2.6
3
May 21 2024
Electric Warrior
T. Rex
Pretty solid classic rock. I don't remember having heard any of these songs beyond "Bang a Gong" before, but I generally liked this album.
3.4.
3
May 22 2024
AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
Ice Cube
For a rap album from 1990, this was fine.
3
May 23 2024
World Clique
Deee-Lite
Maybe this is fine for a disco album...but the second Spotify switched to another artist on auto-play I said "thank god that's over."
I feel like I've reserved 1-star ratings for music that is objectively bad rather than just subjectively, so this gets a 1.5 from me.
2
May 24 2024
Dirt
Alice In Chains
My only previous exposure to Alice in Chains was the singles that made it to the radio. This is probably a decent number of songs, but not enough to prevent me from mixing up Alice in Chains with Alice Cooper in my mind (which is probably part of the reason I was so surprised by how little metal was on the Alice Cooper record that came up earlier in this project).
This album holds up really well, though. It started to feel repetitive by the end of the album, but they were repeating a good sound. I'll be buying some Alice in Chains.
4.6
5
May 27 2024
Deja Vu
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Meh. Not bad, but not their best work overall.
3
May 28 2024
Exile On Main Street
The Rolling Stones
Maybe it's just because I'm tired today, but I feel like I didn't enjoy this one as much as I expected. It's perfectly fine, just not great.
3.2
3
May 29 2024
Wild Wood
Paul Weller
I'd never heard of Paul Weller before, but this was good stuff. I didn't like it *quite* enough to buy it, but I wouldn't mind listening to it on Spotify again sometime. This was as good as pretty much any other 90's pop-rock band.
4.1
4
May 30 2024
The New Tango
Astor Piazzolla
This is probably pretty good, but I don't listen to much classical or jazz so I can't really compare it to much. It was fine as background music.
3
May 31 2024
Stripped
Christina Aguilera
This was fine for what it is. The vocals are good enough to get to a 3 even though I'm not a big fan of the genre, but barely.
2.5
3
Jun 03 2024
Power In Numbers
Jurassic 5
Solid.
3.3
3
Jun 04 2024
Since I Left You
The Avalanches
Very much a mixed bag here. It's weird, some of it was fun, there's some interesting stuff, and unlike Throbbing Gristle this actually works as music rather than a collection of sounds.
As an album...it doesn't work that well. It was kinda hard to get through and I very much welcomed the end of the album even though I didn't necessarily dislike most of the songs. A song from this band here or there to add some variety to a playlist is perfectly fine, but given the overall experience of the album I can't rate it very high.
2.3
2
Jun 05 2024
Fetch The Bolt Cutters
Fiona Apple
Interesting to hear this one the day after The Avalanche. There's also a bunch of weird stuff happening in this album, but it works much better as an album for me. Admittedly I've also heard this one a handful of times before.
I never liked this album as much as music critics seemed to (I was originally only aware of it because it made headlines for getting a perfect score from Pitchfork or Rolling Stone or something) as some of these songs just don't work for me, but there's a lot of good stuff here. I appreciate the originality and it feels like she had a good time making it.
4.0
4
Jun 06 2024
Gasoline Alley
Rod Stewart
Inoffensive but also unexceptional. I don't get why this album is on the list. It sounds generic to me now, but I suppose it probably felt more original in 1970.
2.4
2
Jun 07 2024
A Night At The Opera
Queen
Mixed bag for the album. A few classics, including an all-timer in Bohemian Rhapsody, so big points there. I can't say I loved this album on the whole, though.
Probably more good than bad, so we'll settle in at 3.7.
4
Jun 10 2024
Reggatta De Blanc
The Police
Not the worst 80's album (you can point to the year if you want, but this IS 80's pop), and I liked a couple songs...but this is still not my jam.
2.3
2
Jun 11 2024
Garbage
Garbage
This was some perfectly fine alt-rock. Didn't love it, but it was solid.
3.3
3
Jun 12 2024
Shadowland
k.d. lang
Objectively it's not bad. Pretty decent vocals, and...uh... well, I'm not sure what else I can recommend about this album. It bored the hell out of me, honestly. I want to give this a 2 as I can see how some people would find this beautiful and relaxing, but there's just nothing interesting to me about the composition/instrumentation here.
1.4
1
Jun 13 2024
Lam Toro
Baaba Maal
I'm glad they put some foreign-language stuff on the list as some of it has been good or at least interesting. This one still qualifies as "interesting," but I can't call it good. Not my jam.
1
Jun 14 2024
Vivid
Living Colour
A few of these songs hold up pretty well today, but much of the album sounds fairly dated at this point. Given that it came out in '88 that's entirely understandable, but it does cap the ceiling for me.
That said, it was an enjoyable listen overall.
4.0
4
Jun 17 2024
Odessey And Oracle
The Zombies
Not my jam. A couple songs held up OK, but the rest of the album was milquetoast for me.
2.3
2
Jun 18 2024
Bryter Layter
Nick Drake
This was decent, but not nearly as good as his "Pink Moon" album. Still sounds surprisingly contemporary given how old it is, I just didn't like it as much.
3.3
3
Jun 20 2024
Bongo Rock
Incredible Bongo Band
This was fine. Good musicianship and it sounds fun for a couple songs, but this isn't something I enjoy in large doses.
2.9
3
Jun 21 2024
The Idiot
Iggy Pop
Well, I was decidedly *not* looking forward to an album from Iggy Pop...but this was much better than expected. I mean, it's still not great and I'll never listen to it again, but I thought this would be a 2. Turned out it was decent. Interesting to read the Wiki blurb here noting that this was a collaborative effort with Bowie.
3.1
3
Jun 24 2024
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Not sure why they picked this album over "The Colour and the Shape" (which contained Monkey Wrench, My Hero, and Everlong) as this one doesn't hold up terribly well to my ears. Kinda just sounds like noise rock to me. It's not bad, and it's cool that Dave Grohl apparently did the whole thing himself, but I'll never listen to it again.
2.9
3
Jun 25 2024
The Cars
The Cars
Pretty good for 70's/80's pop-rock. A couple classics, which made me think I should consider getting their greatest hits album...but I tried that and I'll pass. Still, not bad.
3.1
3
Jun 26 2024
Venus Luxure No. 1 Baby
Girls Against Boys
Huh. This feels like it probably would have been a fairly unique sound in 1993, and for some experimental/indie/alt-rock it holds up pretty well. It's a little raw for my tastes, but I thought it was decent.
I can totally understand why I've never heard of this band (I can't imagine their whole vibe appealing to a wide audience), but they're pretty good at what they do.
3.3
3
Jun 27 2024
White Light / White Heat
The Velvet Underground
I am admittedly not in a good mood while listening to this...but much of this just sounds like noise to me. It's early punk, and I can appreciate that it was transgressive and groundbreaking in 1968, but it does not hold up well to these ears. For me, this is another case where different != good.
2.0
2
Jun 28 2024
Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
It's fine for what it is, but R&B is not my jam so it's hard to rate this appropriately.
2.5
3
Jul 01 2024
In The Court Of The Crimson King
King Crimson
I largely feel the same about this as the other King Crimson album on here: props for doing weird prog rock shit in 1969, I liked some of it but not all of it, and I'm glad it's on this list.
3.3
3
Jul 02 2024
The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
This was fine for what it is.
2.8
3
Jul 03 2024
Mask
Bauhaus
It wasn't awful, it was interesting in spots, but it was still decidedly not my jam.
2.3
2
Jul 04 2024
Treasure
Cocteau Twins
I can appreciate that they're doing something original here, but it just doesn't work for me.
2.1
2
Jul 05 2024
Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
For me, GNR has always been the light shining in the darkness of 80's music. Most of my distaste is for 80's pop specifically, and if I think about it more I'm sure I could find more artists who released stuff in the 80's that I liked, but my maxim is "I don't really like 80's music...except for Guns N' Roses."
This album is fairly incredible for a debut with a handful of classics, and the filler songs ain't bad. Great album.
4.8
5
Jul 08 2024
Back At The Chicken Shack
Jimmy Smith
Points for putting a dog on the cover, and this was inoffensive as background music, but it also didn't do anything for me. I just don't enjoy jazz that much.
2.1
2
Jul 09 2024
Sunday At The Village Vanguard
Bill Evans Trio
I can confidently say that this is an album of jazz music.
Behold how astute I am.
2
Jul 10 2024
Sound Affects
The Jam
This was fine, I guess, but also unexceptional.
2.4
2
Jul 11 2024
Vauxhall And I
Morrissey
I don't really get the appeal of Morrissey. I feel like I've seen him pop up as an influence for various artists that I like, but his music doesn't do it for me personally.
2.1
2
Jul 12 2024
S.F. Sorrow
The Pretty Things
I can't properly rate this one. When it started, I was like "Oh, this is a Beatles imitation band" but then it got weirder as the album went on, so that no longer fits.
I know it's not something I ever want to listen to again, but while "listening" to it I was fairly engrossed in my work so this mostly just washed over me as slightly annoying background music. Points for doing some weird shit, and maybe I would have appreciated it more if I paid more attention to it.
Rounding up to a 3 here, partly because in retrospect I feel bad about giving the recent jazz albums a 2--it's not a genre that I enjoy, but the musicianship was objectively good enough to get those to a 3 even if I didn't enjoy them that much. Sorry, jazz guys.
2.5
3
Jul 15 2024
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Man has this project done Tom Petty dirty. The only album on the list is this one, which is, at best, fine. It's also his/their first album, so it's not surprising that it's not the best. Why the hell did they choose this one?
I get that this list may lean more towards "influential" than "great," and if a band has an original sound then you can make the argument that their first album should be the pick...but are mediocre albums all that influential even if they have a newish sound? Aren't the "influential" albums the ones that inspire other bands, meaning that they were *good* albums that those later songwriters would listen to repeatedly?
At some point I'll stop complaining about the list because it's an impossible task and everything artistic is subjective, but this album is a terrible representation for an artist/band with decades of music. Obviously, "Wildflowers" is the single greatest album that isn't on the list of 1,001, but even some other Heartbreakers albums would have been better choices.
RIP, Tom. You deserve better.
3
Jul 16 2024
Songs In The Key Of Life
Stevie Wonder
Good for what it is, but not my jam. Fun instrumentation from time to time, and I found my head bopping at points, but asking me to fully appreciate a double-length 70's pop/soul/funk album is a tall ask (although I did listen to all of it).
It was fun to learn that "Gangsta's Paradise" (and more significantly for me personally, "Amish Paradise") originated with Stevie Wonder in 1976. How about that?
2.7
3
Jul 17 2024
Step In The Arena
Gang Starr
This was fine.
3
Jul 18 2024
Dear Science
TV On The Radio
Well, that was a pleasant surprise. I had no expectations going in, but I mostly enjoyed the brand of weirdness these guys deal in. Maybe a little too much variance for one album, maybe a little too long, but this was a good listen. They do a nice job of coherently combining different sounds.
I'll be coming back to this one.
4.2
4
Jul 19 2024
Gold
Ryan Adams
This was a solid pop-rock album. I'll probably never come back to it, but it was certainly a good listen.
3.6
4
Jul 22 2024
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
Decent stuff, particularly given how old it is. I liked it more than most 60's/70's stuff.
3.3
3
Jul 23 2024
25
Adele
I was not expecting to enjoy this album as much as I did. I knew Adele was a good singer, but "good" is underselling it. Great vocals here, although the music is fairly basic (it's perfectly fine, but nothing exceptional). I'm glad this is on the list, and I'll add this to the options for days when I want something to chill me out.
4.1
4
Jul 24 2024
Either Or
Elliott Smith
This was perfectly fine, but it didn't really grab me.
3.2
3
Jul 25 2024
Quiet Life
Japan
No thank you. I don't *think* this is actively bad so we'll leave it at a 2...but it might be.
1.6
2
Jul 26 2024
No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live)
Motörhead
Points for energy, and the album cover is pretty cool, but this largely felt like a thrash/noise rock album. Not sure how much of that is because it's a live album and how much is just Motorhead, but I didn't love this. It all started to sound the same after a while.
2.7
3
Jul 29 2024
Cosmo's Factory
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Not much gets a 5 from me on here, but I enjoy me some CCR. I've got their greatest hits album, and listening to this felt like simply a subset of that. Good stuff. It's particularly impressive given how old this album is and how well it holds up.
Also: love the album cover. What a bunch of dorks.
4.8
5
Jul 30 2024
Illinois
Sufjan Stevens
Well, I understand why they made a live musical show out of this as I found myself thinking "I bet this would be cool in person with a full orchestra."
I remember listening to this album a few times in college, deeming it overrated, and never listening to it again until now. My older, wizened self likes it much better than my ~21 year-old self did. It still strikes me as a bit highfalutin and artsy-fartsy, but I can't deny how good the composition/orchestration is on this album. I don't love the style, but I definitely appreciate the quality here. This was a nice way to start the day.
4.2
4
Jul 31 2024
So Much For The City
The Thrills
I'm sure it was intentional, but this sounds like an album from the 60's, so...no thank you. This was hard for me to get through. I don't think it's objectively bad, so it probably doesn't deserve a 1, but it's darn close.
1.5
2
Aug 01 2024
Can't Buy A Thrill
Steely Dan
Kinda bummed by this one, to be honest. I've always enjoyed the song "Do It Again" so I was hoping there would be other songs on here I'd enjoy, but I'm afraid I didn't get much out of this album. I didn't dislike it, but it was fine at best.
2.6
3
Aug 02 2024
Second Toughest In The Infants
Underworld
I was able to tolerate this as background music while I worked, but this would have been a real struggle after the first few songs if I didn't have something else to concentrate on.
It's fine. Reminded me a lot of the Daft Punk album on the list where much of it sounded like it should be the soundtrack to the Mass Effect video game. I didn't dislike it, and I've gotten to the point with techno where I can understand why people who are into the genre would like this album, but I'll never revisit this.
2.4
2
Aug 05 2024
OK Computer
Radiohead
There have been plenty of artists over the years where I didn't love them at first, or the vocals annoyed me, but then they became an acquired taste and I learned to love them. I have tried and tried and tried to make that happen with Radiohead since they're so beloved by some...but I just can't get there. I like some of their songs, but intrinsically I just don't care for them on the whole.
This album specifically is less palatable than some of their others, so I guess I'm just uncultured swine. I'm OK with that.
2.3
2
Aug 06 2024
The Velvet Underground & Nico
The Velvet Underground
I'm glad they were apparently influential for so many bands that came after them, but this didn't do much for me. It's fine for what it is and when it came out.
2.6
3
Aug 07 2024
Lady Soul
Aretha Franklin
Pretty good! Nothing I'll ever listen to again, but great vocals.
3.4
3
Aug 08 2024
Low-Life
New Order
I'll say this: I've disliked other 80's music more.
2.2
2
Aug 09 2024
Maxinquaye
Tricky
Meh. Not the right kind of weird for my tastes.
2.0
2
Aug 12 2024
Melodrama
Lorde
Solid. I didn't love it, but that's the case for most pop albums.
3.3
3
Aug 13 2024
Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A.
This one feels like it holds up better than other 80's and 90's rap albums on the list. I imagine this was a formative album for a ton of people.
My mom is lucky I never heard this album as a kid as we probably would have entered into a cycle of me getting it and hiding it and her trying to throw it away like the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.
4.0
4
Aug 14 2024
Whatever
Aimee Mann
This was perfectly fine but unremarkable.
3.0
3
Aug 15 2024
Let's Stay Together
Al Green
This was fine for what it is.
2.7
3
Aug 16 2024
Surf's Up
The Beach Boys
Well, that was unexpected. I came into it thinking "oh, I liked The Beach Boys when I was a kid. Maybe this will be a fun trip down memory lane." Then I listened to...whatever this is.
I don't get it. I can't say I enjoyed anything beyond the album cover here.
1.3
1
Aug 19 2024
Axis: Bold As Love
Jimi Hendrix
I didn't enjoy this one as much as "Are You Experienced?" but there was still plenty to like on here. I had only heard a few of these songs before, and the songs that were new to me were a mixed bag: some mediocre, some really good.
This is a good reminder that some classic rock can still hold up a day after that Beach Boys album that was hard to get through.
3.8
4
Aug 20 2024
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Not a fan of the slow jams on here, but this fella's pretty good at the rock that he's known for.
3.4
3
Aug 21 2024
This Is Hardcore
Pulp
There's some good instrumentation here. I'd never heard of Pulp before, and just based on the first track I kinda wanted to not like them, but this was pretty good.
3.6
4
Aug 22 2024
The Trinity Session
Cowboy Junkies
Good chill music. Kinda dull so I can't rate it too highly, but good for what it is.
3.2
3
Aug 23 2024
Elephant
The White Stripes
I think I probably like "Icky Thump" more as an album, but "Seven Nation Army" is easily their most popular song so I get why this album is on the list. A few songs on here feel like filler, but the good songs are enough to get this to a 5.
Whether you like their music or not, it's hard to argue with Jack White as a singular talent when it comes to writing guitar riffs. Is he a straight up weirdo? Seems like it. Is he a great guitarist? Definitely yes.
4.5
5
Aug 26 2024
Getz/Gilberto
Stan Getz
This was fine.
2.5
3
Aug 27 2024
Paranoid
Black Sabbath
Hell yeah. Sometimes I ding stuff on here for being too simplistic, but the simplicity here really works because the guitar riffs are so cool. This album rocks, and it's a prime argument for 70's music over 80's music.
4.9
5
Aug 28 2024
Talking With the Taxman About Poetry
Billy Bragg
I like the instrumentation on some songs, but I dislike the vocals on all of them. Just couldn't get into it.
2.1
2
Aug 29 2024
Goodbye And Hello
Tim Buckley
Meh. Inoffensive, but it didn't do much for me.
Actually, it *was* inoffensive until I got to "Knight-Errant" and then I had to knock this down to a 2 for being grating. The longer I listened to this album the less I liked it.
2.0
2
Aug 30 2024
Billion Dollar Babies
Alice Cooper
Well, that was weird. It was occasionally fine, but it largely didn't work for me.
2.3
2
Sep 02 2024
Beggars Banquet
The Rolling Stones
I guess there's a reason I haven't heard most of these songs.
"Sympathy for the Devil" is an all-timer, though, and there are a few other good tracks on here and it finishes on a high note. I don't think of the Stones as a piano band, but I enjoyed its use here.
3.6
4
Sep 03 2024
Crime Of The Century
Supertramp
This album reminds me in many ways of Talking Heads: I get that they're doing some original, weird stuff, but it's not the right type of weird for me. It gets points for creativity and musicianship, but I ultimately didn't enjoy listening to it very much.
2.4
2
Sep 04 2024
Marquee Moon
Television
This was fine.
2.7
3
Sep 05 2024
LP1
FKA twigs
Eh, not for me.
2.2
2
Sep 06 2024
Out Of The Blue
Electric Light Orchestra
Too long for me, but I imagine that's a benefit for those that like this music. I didn't hate it, but this is not my jam.
I guess this week's theme is stuff I just can't get into.
2.2
2
Sep 09 2024
Off The Wall
Michael Jackson
<obligatory note about how hard it is to separate the art from the artist>
It sounds dated, and disco/80's pop is not a genre I particularly enjoy, but I can't deny that some of these songs are catchy. There's almost enough good stuff here to get this to a 3, but the back half of the album falls off.
2.4
2
Sep 10 2024
Gorillaz
Gorillaz
I'm glad this album is on the list, and I like a number of elements here...but The Gorillaz just don't quite do it for me. I like a bunch of alt-rock bands, and I like a bunch of bands that blend rap with other genres, so I'm not quite sure why this doesn't work for me as it seems like it should. I don't dislike it, but I feel like I should like it more.
3.0
3
Sep 11 2024
Untitled (Black Is)
SAULT
This was interesting, and the production value was high. I didn't love it, but I'm glad to have heard it.
3.3
3
Sep 12 2024
More Specials
The Specials
Woof. It's possible that I'm just not in the right headspace to appreciate this today...but it's more likely that I'd still hate it if I tried it again tomorrow. Luckily we'll never know.
1
Sep 13 2024
Fire Of Love
The Gun Club
Sounds like some old punk. Presumably they were trailblazers to some degree, so I heartily thank them for their service...but I'll never listen to this again. I imagine this is something I would have liked if I were 20 when it came out rather than -4.
2.5
3
Sep 16 2024
Tapestry
Carole King
This holds up shockingly well for something from 1971. There's a bunch of stuff on this list where my general takeaway is "I get how this was a stepping stone in the evolution of this genre of music, but it's hard to appreciate it in the current day." I don't love this album given all the artists I've listened to that came after Carole King, but it also was not a struggle to get through.
It's cheesy in parts, and sounds a bit dated, but a decent listen for chill music.
3.5
4
Sep 17 2024
Songs From The Big Chair
Tears For Fears
This continues to be a genre that I simply do not care for.
2.0
2
Sep 18 2024
The Clash
The Clash
This is another one that falls into the "thank you for your service" category. It's fine for what it is.
2.5
3
Sep 19 2024
What's That Noise?
Coldcut
This is not my jam, but I can at least see why some people would be into this. Some of the funk is kinda fun, but some of it is annoying.
2.4
2
Sep 20 2024
Snivilisation
Orbital
Fuck this was long. I liked some of this as background music while working, but it was hard to get through the whole thing. I assume this is a pro for people who are into this kind of music, but it ended up as a con for me.
This falls into the "it's good for what it is" bucket.
2.4
2
Sep 23 2024
Endtroducing.....
DJ Shadow
This was fine. Liked it, didn't love it.
3.3
3
Sep 24 2024
Frank
Amy Winehouse
Pretty good, but uneven. I still have a hard time fully appreciating jazz, and much of this felt jazzy to me.
3.2
3
Sep 25 2024
Blue Lines
Massive Attack
Massive shrug.
2.5
3
Sep 26 2024
Technique
New Order
No thank you. It's probably fine for what it is, but it's not for me.
1.9
2
Sep 27 2024
Antichrist Superstar
Marilyn Manson
If I've heard any of these songs other than "Beautiful People" before now I don't remember it; I imagine Marilyn Manson didn't make it into many Christian homes in the 90's. Teenage me probably would have liked some of this, but the relentless screaming probably would have turned me off.
I'm more tolerant of hardcore vocals these days, so overall this worked reasonably well for me. Good not great.
3.7
4
Sep 30 2024
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
A bit flowery for my tastes, but otherwise fine.
2.8
3
Oct 01 2024
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Huh. I hope the lyrics to this album are brilliant, because sonically it largely blends together after a few songs. Thanks to Bob for paving the way for later folk artists, but this was hard for me to finish. It's better than a 2, but I sure would've liked a little more variety in the guitar.
2.5
3
Oct 02 2024
Aja
Steely Dan
Not my jam, but not bad for what it was.
2.7
3
Oct 03 2024
The Madcap Laughs
Syd Barrett
This didn't do much for me. It's another one where I assume the lyrics are significant part of the draw.
2.2
2
Oct 04 2024
Queen Of Denmark
John Grant
This was fine. Liked a few songs, didn't love it.
3.0
3
Oct 07 2024
The Band
The Band
Solid classic rock.
3.6
4
Oct 08 2024
Black Holes and Revelations
Muse
Not all of Muse's songs work...but when they do they're typically bangers. Lots of bangers on this one.
4.9
5
Oct 09 2024
Follow The Leader
Korn
This is some perfectly fine nu metal. I never got into Korn at the time so there's no nostalgia here for me beyond the singles. I liked it well enough in 2024, and I thought the song with Ice Cube held up pretty well, but I'll never listen to this again.
3.4
3
Oct 10 2024
Songs The Lord Taught Us
The Cramps
This was fine.
2.9
3
Oct 11 2024
Crazysexycool
TLC
It ended up being too long, but the good songs hold up pretty well 30 years later (including a couple of all time classics).
3.9
4
Oct 14 2024
The White Album
Beatles
Well, this was interesting at least. I'm not a Beatles fan, but at least half of these songs don't sound like The Beatles. It was certainly longer than I wanted it to be, but it's a double-album so I can't really ding it for that. It was all over the place, but I think that was also intentional.
So what I'm left with is this: I liked a few songs. I don't think I loved any of them, but it wasn't a slog to get through (other than the overall length and "Revolution 9"). The variety helped me get through it, but also detracted from it as an album.
2.9
3
Oct 15 2024
Songs Of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
I largely enjoyed this. On a different day I can easily imagine myself thinking "this was dull" and giving it a 2, but it worked pretty well for me today (although it was a bit dull).
3.6
4
Oct 16 2024
Songs From A Room
Leonard Cohen
Well, this is a bit frustrating. I liked the Leonard Cohen album we had yesterday, but this one felt...fine, I guess. Is this because it's 2 days in a row of music that's already kinda static? Am I just not in the right mood for Cohen today? Or is it because this album is objectively worse?
The world will never know. Sorry, Leonard.
2.6
3
Oct 17 2024
Beyond Skin
Nitin Sawhney
This is a weird take coming from a guy who has trouble getting into albums without vocals, but I think my favorite track on here was the instrumental one ("Tides").
I'd like to say that I really appreciated the unique sound and the deep meaning behind the lyrics and the musical artistry...but that would be a lie. This album did not work for me.
2.1
2
Oct 18 2024
G. Love And Special Sauce
G. Love & Special Sauce
This was fine. It very much sounds like something from the 90's.
3.0
3
Oct 21 2024
Sea Change
Beck
This was fine for a chill album. Certainly more accessible than some of Beck's other stuff.
3.1
3
Oct 22 2024
Band On The Run
Paul McCartney and Wings
This was an album of music. Some of the songs were better than others.
2.8
3
Oct 23 2024
Red Dirt Girl
Emmylou Harris
Perfectly fine, but I didn't love it.
3.2
3
Oct 24 2024
Lost In The Dream
The War On Drugs
Some songs have an 80's vibe that I don't particularly care for, but I can't deny that they're well done. Some of these songs also sound exactly like The Head and the Heart to the point where I had to check Wikipedia to see if there was crossover (the answer is either no or I'm too lazy to find a yes).
Anyway, this was a largely enjoyable listen.
3.9
4
Oct 25 2024
With The Beatles
Beatles
It's fine for early 60's rock, but not my jam. I can't fault them for making music of the time, and obviously they're not bad musicians, so this probably doesn't deserve a 2...but it was hard for me to get through and that's the 2/3 tiebreaker for me on here.
2.4
2
Oct 28 2024
Paul Simon
Paul Simon
This was fine.
I'm jealous of people who can whistle that cleanly.
3.1
3
Oct 29 2024
A Love Supreme
John Coltrane
I continue to be unable to fully appreciate jazz, and today I realized it's at least in part due to how I listen to the albums on this list: while working, usually. This is usually a detriment for albums where the *lyrics* are a big part of the draw, but I think it's also a problem for jazz despite the lack of lyrics. Jazz can be fine as background music, but it can probably only be appreciated at a 4 or 5 star level if you're really paying attention to it.
A few times during this album, I'd devote attention to it and think "oh, that was a nice little ditty in the middle of this 8 minute track" but then the rest of it would just be pure background noise. I didn't dislike any of this, but I also don't think I'd like it enough to just sit and listen to it.
3
Oct 30 2024
Here Come The Warm Jets
Brian Eno
The best I can say about this album is: it was creative. Maybe a little too creative. Points for sounding weird, but not much of it sounded good to these ears.
1.8
2
Oct 31 2024
Nothing's Shocking
Jane's Addiction
This was fine. I don't think I'd heard anything beyond "Jane Says" before, and I don't think I'll be seeking out any more Jane's Addiction.
3.0
3
Nov 01 2024
Youth And Young Manhood
Kings of Leon
I could do without the...whiny yelling? I'm not sure how to describe the occasional shitty vocals on here. Otherwise this was some pretty good alt rock. Not what I expected from a band that I know from "Use Somebody." I won't come back to this, but I didn't mind listening to it.
3.4
3
Nov 04 2024
Neon Bible
Arcade Fire
I continue to be baffled by the selection process for this list. After 300+ albums, my main complaint is how often they select a band's first album since I thought the point of this list was "influential" albums, and many times (not always!) bands are kinda working out the kinks and finding their sound on their first album, and they dial it in and become good/popular/influential on their later albums.
In this case, this is neither the first nor the best album by Arcade Fire in my opinion. I love the songs "Keep the Car Running" and "No Cars Go" but the rest of the album kinda blends together. I don't dislike the other songs, but this is not an album I ever choose to listen to from start to finish, so I kinda wish they had picked The Suburbs instead.
Anyway, I generally like Arcade Fire and their expansive sound, but I also generally don't love everything they do. They're good and they're unique and I appreciate their whole vibe, but intrinsically they're not a 5 star band for me.
3.8
4
Nov 05 2024
The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem
All my general Eminem thoughts in my review for The Slim Shady LP still stand; it's all intentionally offensive, so it's hard to rate appropriately.
I almost wish this album were in a foreign language so I could just say "sounds cool" because it does, in fact, sound pretty good. I wish I could throw out about 5 tracks, though.
3.9
4
Nov 06 2024
Viva Hate
Morrissey
Well, I can't say I enjoyed a single track here. I didn't outright hate any of them, but this was very much not my jam. It was both very 80s and also boring after a while.
1.7
2
Nov 07 2024
Alien Lanes
Guided By Voices
28 songs in 41 minutes; that's something. Most of this strikes me as noise rock, which I don't love in most cases. I know it's intentional, but it largely sounded messy to me. I'm sure the "raw" sound works better for others, but I was glad to be done with this one.
1.9
2
Nov 08 2024
The Hissing Of Summer Lawns
Joni Mitchell
Meh. Inoffensive, but I'll never listen to it again.
2.8
3
Nov 11 2024
Highway 61 Revisited
Bob Dylan
Every time Bob Dylan comes up on here I generally like the music and dislike the vocals, and this was no exception. It's an acquired taste that I can't seem to acquire.
2.4
2
Nov 12 2024
Harvest
Neil Young
Well damn, that was good. The Neil Young stuff on this list has been hit and miss, but this was definitely a hit. This has held up extremely well for something from 1972.
4.8
5
Nov 13 2024
Exile In Guyville
Liz Phair
Per the Wikipedia blurb: "in 2020, it was ranked No. 56 by Rolling Stone in its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list." WTF???
This album was fine. It was not bad; I did not dislike it. But the 56th best album of all time? Go home, Rolling Stone, you're drunk. Or, more likely, you're conflating different and good.
3.0. This album is the threest three that ever threed.
3
Nov 14 2024
Slipknot
Slipknot
This was the first time I've listened to a full Slipknot album, and I'm glad it came after I've softened my stance on hardcore vocals. I still can't say I love the relentless screaming, but it's not the total disqualifier that it used to be.
The drums on here are occasionally incredible, including the first track; that was a great intro to the rest of the album. The style here (a relentless auditory assault) made some of these songs blur together after a while, but I'm not opposed to listening to this album again at some point in the future, so I guess it's *just* good enough to get to 4 stars. I'm interested to see whether they refine things in later albums.
3.5
4
Nov 15 2024
Armed Forces
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Meh. Elvis Costello has never really done it for me, and this was no exception.
2.3
2
Nov 18 2024
Moving Pictures
Rush
I never fully appreciated Rush until they became a staple in Rock Band/Guitar Hero. I always liked them when they came on the radio when I was a kid, but I didn't seek them out during high school and college, so I'm glad I got back into them afterwards. I'm also glad that I was fortunate enough to see them live once; seeing Neil Peart in person was pretty cool.
I think they're probably the most impressive 3-piece band for my money. The vocals are fine-not-great, but damn near everything else they do regularly hits 10/10. Great composition and great musicianship leading to a bunch of great songs.
This album in particular is the easiest 5 since Dark Side of the Moon.
5.0
5
Nov 19 2024
Tusk
Fleetwood Mac
I was kinda excited for our first Fleetwood Mac album on here, but this one didn't do much for me. A few songs worked fairly well, but those ended up being the exceptions on a long album.
2.8
3
Nov 20 2024
Fly Or Die
N.E.R.D
I think I first heard N.E.R.D on a sampler album from Adidas that I got from a mall shoe store. Remember malls? I liked the single well enough to buy a couple of their albums. I basically never spin them up in their entirety these days, but I enjoy it when the songs I've liked come up on shuffle (particularly "Fly or Die" and "Thrasher").
The whole album holds up a little better than I was expecting. Good stuff.
4.2
4
Nov 21 2024
There's A Riot Goin' On
Sly & The Family Stone
It seems like I should like this one more, but I'm afraid funk doesn't intrinsically work for me in large doses. I don't have any particular criticism of this album, but it wasn't for me. Maybe if I had listened to it on a different day...
2.4
2
Nov 22 2024
Remedy
Basement Jaxx
Got through about half of it before giving up out of boredom. It's probably fine for what it is, but I found it tedious.
1.4
1
Nov 25 2024
Deep Purple In Rock
Deep Purple
Pretty good! Even the remastered version still leans a little too noise-rock on a few tracks for my personal tastes, but this was a largely enjoyable listen. I really only knew Deep Purple from "Smoke on the Water" so it was nice to learn that they were also hard-rock forefathers.
4.0
4
Nov 26 2024
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
This was fine-to-good.
3.4
3
Nov 27 2024
Sheer Heart Attack
Queen
Meh. The vocals are great, and Killer Queen is a classic, but the overall sound on this album is not for me.
2.4
2
Nov 28 2024
Trout Mask Replica
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
TLDR: what the fuck?
The longer version: what the fuck is this shit? As a disclaimer, I listened to a playlist on Spotify that includes most of the tracks from this album since it's not on Spotify as a standalone album. I might say "well, some of these are live tracks, so the true studio version of this album is probably better" except for the fact that I checked Wikipedia for the track listing and then read the rest of the Wikipedia article.
My reaction after reading the article: holy batshit, Batman! If you haven't read the article, I highly recommend it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trout_Mask_Replica
There are a number of great quotes in the "Reception and legacy" section such as "it was not even 'ahead' of its time in 1969. Then and now, it stands outside time, trends, fads, hypes, the rise and fall of whole genres eclectic as walking Christmas trees, constituting a genre unto itself: truly, a musical Monolith if ever there was one."
I'll agree with that much: it is a singular album. I find it hard to agree with all the publications ranking it as one of the greatest albums of all time, but I think it goes back to my main criticism of critics: they have to listen to so much stuff that they lose their minds over something that's truly different and creative regardless of whether it's objectively good. That's how this album strikes me, but maybe I'm not enlightened or open-minded enough. Matt Groening (yes, the Simpsons guy) also hated it at first, but loved it after 6 or 7 listens. I didn't pay for this double album so it won't get that much time from me, but maybe I'd grow to appreciate it if I tried. Maybe once you get into the mindset of "if it's intentionally discordant and shitty then it's not actually shitty" it works, but I'm not willing to put that effort in.
Anyway, given the critical reception and the absolute batshit nature of the album as a whole, I understand why it's on this list and I'm glad to have been exposed to it. I did not enjoy this, and I can't imagine I'll ever listen to this again, but it gets points for creativity and for spawning a great Wikipedia article full of apocryphal shit.
1.5
2
Nov 29 2024
Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman
John Zorn
Did I get through the whole thing? Dear lord no; this is an assault on the ears. But I did learn that "thrash jazz" is a thing, so there's that. Who knew you could make punk/noise-rock with saxophones? Neat! But also terrible.
1
Dec 02 2024
Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
Hard for me to be objective here; while listening to this I found that I still knew all the words to the songs that never even made it to the radio. That said, this album holds up really well. Yeah, it's tainted a bit by the nu-metal of its time, but I still enjoyed the heck out of a re-listen in 2024. I forgot what a great song "A Place for My Head" is.
I know there's a line in one of their songs that "rock and hip-hop have collaborated for years" but I still feel like Linkin Park lead that charge in the 21st century. I'm not going to write a treatise comparing the influences of Run DMC and Linkin Park here; I'll just say that this album felt novel at the time and it's still fucking great. I wasn't expecting to see this one on the list, but I'm very glad it is.
4.9
5
Dec 03 2024
Green River
Creedence Clearwater Revival
This was fine, but not their best work. Not bad by any means, just not exceptional.
3.1
3
Dec 04 2024
Will The Circle Be Unbroken
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Mixed bag here as some songs have more twang than I prefer, but the sound quality was shockingly good for something from 1972. I'd only ever heard "Fishin' in the Dark" from The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, so I was surprised to learn that 1) they've been making music since the 60's and 2) they're at least as much bluegrass as country. This album would fit right in with The Comatose Brothers or Old Crow Medicine Show albums from 30-40 years later, so I thank these folks (and all the guest performances) for their service.
Gotta say the second half of this double album falls off, though. Early on I had this pegged as a 4, but it was hard to get through the back half.
3.4
3
Dec 05 2024
461 Ocean Boulevard
Eric Clapton
This was fine-to-good. There's probably a world where I'd move this up to a 4 after a few more listens, but we don't live in that world.
3.2
3
Dec 06 2024
Hot Buttered Soul
Isaac Hayes
Not my jam. I'm sure it's grand if you like soul, but it's not for me.
2
2
Dec 09 2024
Stankonia
OutKast
How have I never listened to this album before?! I'm very familiar with the singles from OutKast, but for some reason I've never checked out any of their albums and now I just feel silly. Really good stuff here.
4.4
4
Dec 10 2024
In Utero
Nirvana
For some reason I had it in my head that all Nirvana's hits came from "Nevermind" but obviously that was incorrect. Lots of good stuff here from one of the seminal bands of the 90's.
3.9
4
Dec 11 2024
Destroy Rock & Roll
Mylo
Nahhhh. This ain't it.
Welcome to the exclusive club of albums I couldn't force myself to finish.
1
Dec 12 2024
The Next Day
David Bowie
Well, I did not personally enjoy this all that much, but I imagine most people who like Bowie liked this album. It has an interesting sound: it's still very much a Bowie album with an 80's vibe, but it somehow sounds more contemporary.
This is one of those "it's good for what it is but it's not for me" deals...with *just* enough personal appeal to get to a 3.
2.5
3
Dec 13 2024
Bookends
Simon & Garfunkel
Meh. This was fine with a few good tracks.
The tiny little bangs on the album cover are...something.
3.0
3
Dec 16 2024
If I Should Fall From Grace With God
The Pogues
I've been a fan of Flogging Molly and The Dropkick Murphys for many years, but I'd never really checked out The Pogues so I'm glad they came up here. This was some really solid Irish stuff, and I'm glad they paved the way for later bands.
I also really enjoy the guy in the top left corner gently holding his...according to Wikipedia: probably a tin whistle.
4.1
4
Dec 17 2024
The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
I'm afraid I can't tell if this is good or not; I am largely resigned to the fact that I don't have a good ear for jazz. I was fine with this on the first track, but couldn't wait for it to be over by the end.
2
Dec 18 2024
Dirty
Sonic Youth
Yep. That was some noise rock.
2.7
3
Dec 19 2024
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Veloso
This one was not for me.
1.7
2
Dec 20 2024
Giant Steps
The Boo Radleys
This was mostly fine and reasonably enjoyable, but it got aggressively bad at the end. Way to end on a sour note, guys.
2.7
3
Dec 23 2024
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Aretha Franklin
This was fine. Obviously "Respect" is an all-timer, and the vocals are great, but this is not in my wheelhouse. Objectively this is probably better than a 3.
3.1
3
Dec 24 2024
Metallica
Metallica
One of the nice things about this list is that it isn't ranked; it's just a bunch of albums that have been deemed influential or noteworthy or whatever. While I have some quibbles about what is and isn't on the list, at least I can't argue with the ranking of any particular album. Another nice thing about this project is the Wikipedia blurbs on here, which tell you that according to Rolling Stone, this album is only the 235th best album of all time which, quite frankly, is bullshit.
Yet another nice thing about this project is it helps me appreciate the fact that I'm not a professional music critic, which allows me to maintain sane opinions on music. Yeah, I'm not going to give you detailed descriptions of why certain songs are great, and I don't have every album ever made as a comparison point in my mental catalog...but I can very easily tell you that this album fucking rocks. 235th? Get outta here.
I know Metallica is not for everyone and we all spent a few years shitting on Lars for the crime of wanting to get paid for a living, but this album is unassailably great.
5.0
5
Dec 25 2024
Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
Kinda fun, and "Wish You Were Here" might be my favorite Pink Floyd song. I appreciate the rest of the album for what it is, but I don't love it.
3.3
3
Dec 26 2024
Punishing Kiss
Ute Lemper
Interesting vocals, and I enjoyed a couple songs, but this was largely not my cup of tea.
1.8
2
Dec 27 2024
System Of A Down
System Of A Down
I hate to keep repeating the same point on here, but I really wish they would have picked "Toxicity" rather than this album for System Of A Down. The first album fetish continues to annoy the gosh darn heck out of me.
This one is...fine. This is admittedly the first time I've listened to this album start to finish as their later albums drew me into them. I had heard "Sugar" a bunch of times before, and it still slaps.
...OK, it's better than fine, and holds up fairly well in its own right. I appreciate how they later cleaned up their sound a bit, but there's lots of good stuff on here and I'll probably give it a few more spins in the future. These guys are pretty good at what they do.
4.3
4
Dec 30 2024
Grace
Jeff Buckley
Sounds too much like 80's pop for my liking. No idea whether or not Jeff Buckley started the trend of covering "Hallelujah" but since a billion others have covered it at this point it doesn't hit me the same way it would have in 1994 (although it's a fine cover).
On its own, I kinda liked "Eternal Life" but it was jarring as part of this album; I assumed autoplay had moved me on to someone else.
2.4
2
Dec 31 2024
1984
Van Halen
There are some classics on here, which is *just* enough to get this to a 4 for me. This is about as good as it gets for glam metal, but it's not a genre I love.
3.5
4
Jan 01 2025
I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail
Buck Owens
Not my jam, but the musicianship is decent and I'm sure this slapped 50 years ago.
Well, for some people, at least.
2
Jan 02 2025
The Doors
The Doors
I get the significance of The Doors historically, but their music hasn't held up as well as Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd for me personally. It's certainly not bad, but I'll basically never choose to listen to them.
3.2
3
Jan 03 2025
Blue
Joni Mitchell
Yep, that was really good and it holds up well. Great vocals and a clean sound. It's not *quite* a 5 for me, but still good stuff.
4.4
4
Jan 06 2025
Blackstar
David Bowie
Honestly this was hard to get through. If the name of the artist were different this would probably get a 1.
2
Jan 07 2025
Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
Part of me feels like maybe objectively this should be a 3 as there's nothing specific here that I particularly disliked, but ultimately I was really glad when it was over so I guess there wasn't much that I liked, either.
2.2
2
Jan 08 2025
The Predator
Ice Cube
YMMV with gangsta rap, but I thought this album held up pretty well.
3.4
3
Jan 09 2025
My Generation
The Who
My condolences to the people of the 60's who considered this hard rock. You poor souls. I'm thankful to live in a time with more options.
That said, this album is solid. I even enjoyed the instrumental track (The Ox). At the time I imagine this would have been an easy 5. 60 years later it's hit and miss so I can't go that high, but given how old it is and how much I still liked it, I feel like it deserves a little better than the standard 3.
3.6
4
Jan 10 2025
Time Out Of Mind
Bob Dylan
I was a little surprised to see a Dylan album from 1997 here, and even more surprised to learn that he's still making music (and if I'm being honest, I didn't even know he was still alive). He's now at 40 albums. Gosh dang.
I was immediately pleased by the change in the sound of his vocals compared to his classic stuff; his voice has lost some of the nasally sound that's made it really hard for me to full enjoy the music that the rest of the world seems to hold up as some of the best ever.
This worked well as background music while working. It didn't grab me enough to ever seek it out again, but it was solid.
3.3
3
Jan 13 2025
Low
David Bowie
I actually liked the first half of the album, which I wasn't really expecting. I thought we were heading toward a solid album.
Side two strikes me as mediocre at best, though. It's experimental and a little different, but it doesn't work for me.
2.4
2
Jan 14 2025
Machine Head
Deep Purple
Just some really solid classic rock.
4.1
4
Jan 15 2025
Elephant Mountain
The Youngbloods
Loved the first song, but didn't care much for the rest of the album. It wasn't bad, but nothing great either.
2.7
3
Jan 16 2025
A Walk Across The Rooftops
The Blue Nile
This one sounds like it's probably decent if you can get on the same wavelength. There's some good piano in there, but the general vibe is not something I enjoyed.
2.2
2
Jan 17 2025
Olympia 64
Jacques Brel
Looked at the artist, year, and album cover and thought "ah, shit."
Then I pulled it up and saw it was only 28 minutes and thought "I can do this."
Listened to the first track and thought "ah, shit."
I gave each track 10-30 seconds in the middle. This is in no way whatsoever my jam.
1
Jan 20 2025
Home Is Where The Music Is
Hugh Masekela
I enjoyed some of this, which is about as good as it gets with me and jazz. It definitely dragged in some parts, but the musicianship was consistently good. I think. I dunno, it got harder to pay attention to in the last half of the album.
2.5
3
Jan 21 2025
The Wall
Pink Floyd
I guess I've probably never listened to this whole album before (and maybe with good reason). It's a real mixed bag here. There are a bunch of songs on here that I'm familiar with, and they all hold up pretty well (shocker: the popular songs are good).
The whole concept album thing doesn't totally work for me, though. This was pretty long, clocking in at 26 songs and 80 minutes, and I was fairly glad when it was done...which is not something I expected going into this. A pared-down version of this would fall somewhere between a 4 and a 5, but then it wouldn't be this album.
Hard to rate this one. I didn't dislike all the stuff I'd never heard before, and I can't fault artists for being artsy, so I guess this ultimately gets a 4 as the good outweighs the bad...but barely.
3.5
4
Jan 22 2025
Blood On The Tracks
Bob Dylan
I really liked the first track, but the rest of the album didn't reach those heights for me. The vocals on this one bothered me less than Dylan albums usually do; not sure if I'm just getting used to them or if this was a little less Dylan-y than his earlier stuff. Ultimately this falls in the good-not-great bucket for me, just short of a 4.
3.4
3
Jan 23 2025
Honky Tonk Heroes
Waylon Jennings
It's hard for me to appreciate any country before the general Garth Brooks era of the genre, and this is no exception. It's not offensively bad, and it was a brisk 27 minutes, so it wasn't hard to get through. I just didn't enjoy it much.
2.4
2
Jan 24 2025
Future Days
Can
Well, certainly not something I'll ever listen to again, but solid musicianship. This was better than expected given that I gave the other Can album on here a 1.
2.8
3
Jan 27 2025
In A Silent Way
Miles Davis
I already knew I was not the type of person who appreciates jazz, but this one was less enjoyable than maybe all the other jazz albums on this list. It largely sounded like elevator music to me, with only brief forays into something interesting.
A real shame since I was taught by "Billy Madison" that Miles Davis is the coolest person ever.
1.7
2
Jan 28 2025
The Village Green Preservation Society
The Kinks
Meh. I think this is another "thank you for your service" album. I'm sure it was much better at the time, but it doesn't do much for me today.
2.3
2
Jan 29 2025
Go Girl Crazy
The Dictators
This was fine. I had never heard of The Dictators before, but they certainly sound like a 70's punk band.
3.0
3
Jan 30 2025
Talking Timbuktu
Ali Farka Touré
This was fine.
2.9
3
Jan 31 2025
The Boatman's Call
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
I'm embarrassed to admit that this is the first time I've listened to a full Nick Cave album. I'd probably only heard a handful of songs before, despite knowing that this is a top-5 artist for many people. Well, better late than never.
This album was pretty darn good. Love the vocals. Love the piano. Dipped in on the lyrics a few times and found them to be pretty good. Reminds me a good bit of The National. That said, this doesn't *quite* get to a 5 for me on the whole as it all started to blend together by the end of the album; I needed a little more variety from song to song. Good stuff, though, particularly the opening track.
4.4
4
Feb 03 2025
Hail To the Thief
Radiohead
I'm at peace with the fact that Radiohead is not for everyone. There are times when I really dig what they're doing, and I appreciate that they make unique music...I just don't always like it. I found this album a little more enjoyable than "Kid A" and "OK Computer" though, which probably means Radiohead fans like it less.
3.3
3
Feb 04 2025
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
I feel like I should have a stronger reaction to what is apparently a seminal record...but I'm afraid I don't.
I didn't dislike it. I didn't love it.
3
Feb 05 2025
The Bones Of What You Believe
CHVRCHES
By all rights I should not have enjoyed this album given my aversion to 80's pop/new wave...but I'll be damned if I didn't like some of this. I didn't like it enough to seek out more by this band, but this was perfectly fine and much better than expected given the genre.
3.4
3
Feb 06 2025
James Brown Live At The Apollo
James Brown
Nothing I'll ever seek out again due to personal preferences, but I'm glad it was on this list. Sounds like it was a religious experience for those in attendance, and James Brown was clearly a hell of a performer.
2.8
3
Feb 07 2025
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
Iron Butterfly
Fun random note: on the Spotify page for this artist, 3 of the top 5 songs are just different versions of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida." I think that's a pretty good sign that we have a one hit wonder on our hands. I can't say the other songs on this album made much of an impression on me, so I guess that makes sense.
Also, shout out to The Simpsons for making me aware of this song. The bit where Bart gets this song into church as "In The Garden of Eden" and maybe kills the organist by the end of it burned itself into my memory about 30 years ago.
Anyway, I did enjoy listening to the 17 minute version of the title track here. Solid early prog rock. Didn't really care for the first half of the album though; just sounded like generic oldies to these ears.
3.1
3
Feb 10 2025
Amnesiac
Radiohead
I did not have high hopes going into it, but I tried to have an open mind about each song. This era of Radiohead just doesn't do it for me. I like some stuff on "The Bends" and I like some stuff on "In Rainbows," but everything they did in between those albums is mediocre to me...but that seems to be the Radiohead era that their fans like the most.
Whatever. Different strokes for different folks. I wouldn't say I hated this album, but I was still glad when it was over so I could move on to something else.
2.4
2
Feb 11 2025
Back In Black
AC/DC
Like most classic rock bands (and this album came out 5 years before I was born, so it's classic rock to me), I've spent little to no time with their full albums. I just bought one of their greatest hits albums and called it good.
This might as well be a greatest hits album on its own. What a monster track listing! An easy, easy 5 stars.
5
Feb 12 2025
Fear Of A Black Planet
Public Enemy
It sounds like early 90's hip hop, which is a genre that sonically just hasn't aged well in my opinion. Hip hop is inherently supposed to be cool as hell, and I'm sure this was in 1990, but it sounds a bit cheesy today compared to contemporary music. It's the aural equivalent of hammer pants.
2.4
2
Feb 13 2025
Chelsea Girl
Nico
Respectfully: what the fuck is this shit?
I try to be open-minded about this list, give everything a fair shake, and accept that there are people out there who enjoy some things that I don't...but this was a rough listen.
1
Feb 14 2025
american dream
LCD Soundsystem
A bit too electronica for my personal tastes, but good for what it is.
3.3
3
Feb 17 2025
The World is a Ghetto
War
Kinda fun. Not really my jam, but an interesting listen.
3.1
3
Feb 18 2025
Tea for the Tillerman
Cat Stevens
This was fine.
2.9
3
Feb 19 2025
Blood And Chocolate
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
I didn't love it, but this was solid. Probably the most I've ever enjoyed Elvis Costello.
3.4
3
Feb 20 2025
Black Metal
Venom
I was on board through the first few songs, but then it just became background noise while working. Not sure if that's because I don't have a keen ear for thrash metal, or if these songs all legitimately sound fairly similar, or if I was just devoting too much mental energy to my work to appreciate the differences from song to song.
At any rate, this was not bad, and I appreciate their service to the genre of metal.
3.1
3
Feb 21 2025
The Contino Sessions
Death In Vegas
Sounds like some 90's alt rock. It was fine.
3.0
3
Feb 24 2025
Talking Book
Stevie Wonder
I'm sure this album deserves better than a 2 objectively speaking, but this just didn't do much for me personally. I respect the vocal talent here, but this is not my jam.
2.3
2
Feb 25 2025
Hot Fuss
The Killers
Just an iconic aughts album.
Still holds up well on the ~50th listen.
5
Feb 26 2025
Songs For Swingin' Lovers!
Frank Sinatra
If nothing else, I'm glad this album is on the list so I could experience the song "Makin' Whoopee" in the year 2025. Simply delightful. Sometimes unintentional comedy is the best comedy.
I'm also glad that I was forced to listen to at least one Sinatra album in my lifetime. I'll never listen to this again, but I'm glad I did; I enjoyed it more than expected.
3.3
3
Feb 27 2025
Traffic
Traffic
This feels like it was performed fairly well, and I didn't dislike it, but I didn't love it. It somehow sounds simultaneously like something from 1968 and 1980, with the organ reminding me of Boston or Kansas.
3.2
3
Feb 28 2025
O.G. Original Gangster
Ice T
This holds up much better than I expected compared to all the other early 90's rap on this list.
This is a *slightly* different Ice T than the guy on SVU that John Mulaney pokes fun at.
Anyway, it was probably pretty good, but also not really for me.
3
Mar 03 2025
Station To Station
David Bowie
No thank you. No matter how many Bowie albums they put on this list, I can't bring myself to like his general sound.
2
Mar 04 2025
Green
R.E.M.
Not my favorite R.E.M. album, but the highs are high enough to get to a 4.
3.8
4
Mar 05 2025
Birth Of The Cool
Miles Davis
I continue to have absolutely no idea whether any particular jazz album is good or not. They almost universally strike me as fine for background music, and I can also almost universally say that I didn't specifically enjoy much about them.
2.5 I guess?
3
Mar 06 2025
Lust For Life
Iggy Pop
This was fine. I actually liked it more than expected.
2.8
3
Mar 07 2025
Behaviour
Pet Shop Boys
They sound like a proto-Postal Service, which is a mixed bag. I can't help but compare them and find the Pet Shop Boys inferior, but this also came out a dozen years earlier. I can clearly hear the influence of 80's pop/new wave which is almost always a turn-off for me, but I didn't hate this.
I can't tell if this one should gain or lose points for the album cover. It looks real dumb, but if that was intentional then I love it. If this was an honest attempt at "art" or something serious then I hate it.
Anyway, I'll never listen to it again, but I thank these guys for their service.
3.2
3
Mar 10 2025
You've Come a Long Way Baby
Fatboy Slim
I've never attended a rave. I don't know the difference between house and dub-step. This album is definitely too long. I was a conscious person in America in 1998, so "Rockefeller Skank" has been burned into my brain (although not the extended album version; just the radio edit).
All that said, I somehow still enjoyed some of this. Is this what Throbbing Gristle aspired to? It was ultimately too repetitive to get to a 3, but it was close.
2.4
2
Mar 11 2025
Dance Mania
Tito Puente
I am flabbergasted. I saw the year and the genre and I was prepared for a slog; I figured there was a pretty good chance I would cut out early on this one.
But I'll be damned, this was fun! Maybe this is something I can only appreciate on some days and this is one of those days, but I actually enjoyed my time with this album. Also the sound is shockingly clean for something from 1958, even if it was remastered in 1991.
4.1
4
Mar 12 2025
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme
Simon & Garfunkel
You guys make weird album covers.
This was decent.
3.2
3
Mar 13 2025
The United States Of America
The United States Of America
I kept trying to find the good in this, and I kept coming up empty. I guess we can just call it "experimental" rather than explicitly bad, but this was more distracting than interesting to me. The normalish stuff just sounded like mediocre 60's music, and the weird stuff sounded like...fuck, artsy fartsy grad students at the circus or something. I'll give them this: they accomplished what they set out to do.
Bully for you if you like this particular brand of weird, but it ain't for me. This is like a Captain Beefheart record. This was painful to get through, so it's gotta get a 1.
1.4
1
Mar 14 2025
Roxy Music
Roxy Music
This was probably fine for something from 1972, but the further into the album I got the less I liked it.
2.3
2
Mar 17 2025
Cee-Lo Green... Is The Soul Machine
Cee Lo Green
This is not really my jam, but I can recognize some decent stuff on here. It's a borderline 2/3 for me.
2.4
2
Mar 18 2025
Live At Leeds
The Who
Sure, I guess. Kinda feels like cheating: it's technically a "live album" rather than a "greatest hits," but it doesn't really feel like a live album. Then again, I don't particularly care for most live albums so I'm not really complaining, it just seems like a curious choice for this list.
3.5
4
Mar 19 2025
Kind Of Blue
Miles Davis
This was fine. It's just, you know, jazz, and I'm uncultured swine.
3
Mar 20 2025
Dare!
The Human League
Two seconds in: oh no. We're in for a rough one.
By the end: are we done yet? Oh thank god.
Given that this is one of my least favorite genres, there was no way I was going to be into this. That said, I feel like I would probably really like this album if I liked 80's synth pop stuff. I think this is pretty good by the genre standards?
2.3
Side note from the next day: I'm watching the show "The Americans" right now, and the episode I watched last night featured a poster for The Human League on the wall of a girl's bedroom. Fun coincidence to see that twice in the same day.
2
Mar 21 2025
Suicide
Suicide
Meh. I was onboard with a 3 at the start, but then we hit "Frankie Teardrop" and then it ended after a mere 32 minutes, so I can't get there.
2.2
2
Mar 24 2025
Parallel Lines
Blondie
Didn't hate it.
2.7
3
Mar 25 2025
OK
Talvin Singh
This was interesting and I appreciate the ambition. Anything "experimental" is going to be highly subjective, so I figured "experimental techno" was gonna rate pretty low for me...but this actually turned out OK. Plenty of variety, and this guy is clearly a skilled composer.
I didn't like the style enough to ever listen to this again, but I'm glad I heard it once.
3.4
3
Mar 26 2025
The Score
Fugees
I'm not typically big on R&B, but this was good stuff.
3.8
4
Mar 27 2025
Henry's Dream
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
After one listen, this album feels like it's right on the 4/5 border for me. It's hard to give out 5's in general, and especially when I've only heard each song once as background music. I really enjoyed my time with this album though, so I guess I'll round up.
4.5
5
Mar 28 2025
L'Eau Rouge
The Young Gods
OK, so they're the French version of Rammstein. Gotta say this is pretty damn good metal for something from 1989. I never would have guessed they were contemporaries of Metallica if I hadn't seen the year.
The weird stuff doesn't always work and I don't love the vocals (although I'm not sure why I find them inferior to the two bands mentioned above), but other than that this was pretty good.
4.2
4
Mar 31 2025
Woodface
Crowded House
This was fine. I'm sure it was good at the time, but it feels a bit dated now and doesn't blow me away.
3.0
3
Apr 01 2025
Melody A.M.
Röyksopp
Yeah, not my jam.
2
Apr 02 2025
GREY Area
Little Simz
Meh. Not bad, but it didn't grab me.
2.6
3
Apr 03 2025
Everything Must Go
Manic Street Preachers
This was fine. It was probably a lot better in 1996.
2.8
3
Apr 04 2025
Rattlesnakes
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
It's not objectively bad, but it sounds like discount-REM to me. I'll give it a little credit for coming out in the mid-80's without sucking.
2.6
3
Apr 07 2025
Myths Of The Near Future
Klaxons
This was pretty good. Strong Foster the People vibes here (which is fine with me) if not quite as good.
3.6
4
Apr 08 2025
Welcome to the Afterfuture
Mike Ladd
Meh. This never really grabbed me.
2.3
2
Apr 09 2025
The Only Ones
The Only Ones
I imagine this landed much better at the time. It's not bad, but it's also largely unremarkable to these ears in 2025.
Grading on a curve a bit for the release year, so this one sneaks into a 3.
2.5
3
Apr 10 2025
Liquid Swords
GZA
With the caveat that almost none of the lyrics actually made it to my brain (even though lyrics are, you know, kinda important when it comes to rap), I thought this was solid.
3.2
3
Apr 11 2025
Doggystyle
Snoop Dogg
I feel like this one holds up much better than most rap albums from the 90's. It sounds a little dated, but it still manages to sound cool 30 years later.
I mean, I'll never listen to this album again as it's not for me, but it wasn't hard to get through.
3.4
3
Apr 14 2025
Wild Is The Wind
Nina Simone
I enjoyed the beginning of the album more than the end, but this was fine.
3.0
3
Apr 15 2025
Repeater
Fugazi
This was fine.
3.1
3
Apr 16 2025
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears
For the time, this might have been fine. Although looking at the history on this site, I'm seeing albums from 1967 from Jimi Hendrix and The Byrds and The Doors, so maybe this isn't old enough to get a pass.
I don't quite think it's objectively bad, but I had to start skipping around after a few tracks as this was hard to get through. I feel like a 1 is probably too harsh for this album but that's what I'm going with since I couldn't force myself to finish it.
1.4
1
Apr 17 2025
The Hour Of Bewilderbeast
Badly Drawn Boy
I don't think I've ever listened to Badly Drawn Boy before, but this was pretty good for some chill 90's stuff. I'm sure I would've liked it more at the time, but it's still solid.
3.5
4
Apr 18 2025
Music for the Masses
Depeche Mode
I knew going in that this band is not for me, but even so I found this fairly boring.
1.7
2
Apr 21 2025
Deloused in the Comatorium
The Mars Volta
I'd never spent much time listening to Mars Volta before this, and I'm not sure how much time I'll spend in the future, but I'm not opposed to more of them. As with most prog-, weird-, or noise-rock (and I think this hits all 3), it doesn't work all the time. However, it was at least interesting for the vast majority of the album even if it was occasionally grating.
I appreciate the originality and composition here. I feel like this style of music takes more effort to really love; maybe someday I'll get there if I go back to them. For now: pretty good.
4.0
4
Apr 22 2025
Penance Soiree
The Icarus Line
This was fine.
3.3
3
Apr 23 2025
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Beatles
Sorry, The Beatles still just don't do it for me. I don't think this album is objectively bad and I can appreciate some of the musicianship here, but intrinsically it's just another dud for me.
2.3
2
Apr 24 2025
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Not their best album (which is understandable since it's their first), but there's still some good stuff on here. Hard not to compare it to their later stuff that's more polished.
3.4
3
Apr 25 2025
Devotional Songs
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
During the first track I was afraid I wouldn't get through the whole thing, but then I got into the groove and was able to appreciate the musicianship here. Not a genre I'll return to, but I'm glad to have heard it.
3.3
3
Apr 28 2025
Dust
Screaming Trees
I'm surprised that I wasn't already familiar with these guys. This sounds like pretty solid grunge rock to me, so I'm not sure why they weren't more popular in the 90's. I guess they just never had a breakthrough single on the radio.
4.1
4
Apr 29 2025
#1 Record
Big Star
Liked this much more than expected for an album from 1972 by a band I'd never heard of. Solid if unspectacular.
3.4
3
Apr 30 2025
Our Aim Is To Satisfy
Red Snapper
This is one of those albums that I liked less over time. I started out thinking it was interesting and might be one of the few mostly-instrumental albums that worked for me, but it got tedious as hell by the end of it.
Not bad, but too long for something like this.
2.7
3
May 01 2025
Calenture
The Triffids
Not my jam, but this was probably fine at the time. Kinda sounds like discount Billy Joel.
2
May 02 2025
Back to Mystery City
Hanoi Rocks
This largely sounds like some standard 80's rock, although I'll say that "Beating Gets Faster" is catchy as hell and holds up.
3.2
3
May 05 2025
The Genius Of Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Very much not my jam, but that goes for everything before 1960. Probably fine for what it is.
2
May 06 2025
Mr. Tambourine Man
The Byrds
The Wikipedia blurb here got my hopes up (noting that The Byrds inspired the term "folk rock"), but I didn't end up loving this album. It's definitely a "thank you for your service" album as I appreciate them laying the groundwork for later folk acts, but I didn't love the dated sound here.
2.7
3
May 07 2025
Horses
Patti Smith
Huh. Not at all what I expected from the cover, or from an album from 1975. Some real solid punk here, especially given the release date. Nothing complicated or mind-blowing, but really good for what it is.
4.2
4
May 08 2025
Diamond Life
Sade
Fine for what it is, but not my jam.
2.5
3
May 09 2025
Nevermind
Nirvana
It had been a while since I'd listened to this album in its entirety (even though I bought the CD 20-30 years ago), so I wasn't sure if it was a 4 or 5. It was nice to find that it never really dragged between all the singles that I've heard a million times.
Great album, and a fairly easy 5. I never worshiped Cobain the way that some Nirvana fans do, but this album is undeniably a banger.
5
May 12 2025
Like A Prayer
Madonna
As a known hater of 80's pop I wasn't looking forward to this. Then it started, and I couldn't help but admit that the first few songs were pretty catchy and well made (notably the title track).
Then I got to the back half of the album and it kinda fell off a cliff for me. There's enough here for this to sneak into a 3, but barely.
2.5
3
May 13 2025
Dig Your Own Hole
The Chemical Brothers
For the most part, this was not objectively bad. It was grating at times, too long for my tastes, and not a genre that I ever seek out, but it's probably fine for those who enjoy this type of music. It gets points for originality, but not enough to overcome my personal preferences.
2.4
2
May 14 2025
Here Are the Sonics
The Sonics
Pretty good for something from 1965! I was pleasantly surprised by this one.
3.8
4
May 15 2025
Something Else By The Kinks
The Kinks
Meh.
2.6
3
May 16 2025
Under Construction
Missy Elliott
Solid stuff.
3.3
3
May 19 2025
Konnichiwa
Skepta
This one was not for me.
2
May 20 2025
Peter Gabriel 3
Peter Gabriel
I was prepared to throw this album on the trash heap of new wave after a few minutes, but it grew on me a tiny bit. I still can't say I enjoyed it, but I was able to make it all the way through the album, so there's that.
2.4
2
May 21 2025
The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden
It's not quite a 5 for me, but it was still a good time. There's some good shredding here.
4.4
4
May 22 2025
Psychocandy
The Jesus And Mary Chain
I'm sure this was an intentional "artistic choice"...but fuck this particular noise rock. Just because squealing guitar feedback is something you can do doesn't mean it's something you should do, and just because it's different doesn't mean it's good.
1.3
1
May 23 2025
Double Nickels On The Dime
Minutemen
Fine for what it is and when it came out.
3.3
3
May 26 2025
Warehouse: Songs And Stories
Hüsker Dü
I guess this was a little ahead of its time since it came out in 1987 and sounds like standard 90's pop-rock. It's fine.
2.9
3
May 27 2025
American Gothic
David Ackles
I tried on two different days, but I could not get into the headspace where I could enjoy this. This ain't for me (or most people born after, like, 1970).
1
May 28 2025
Boston
Boston
The highs are really high here. Great stuff, and a good reminder that I should appreciate Boston more.
4.7
5
May 29 2025
Definitely Maybe
Oasis
It's not a bad album, but the songs blend together after a while. "Supersonic" remains a good jam.
3.3
3
May 30 2025
American IV: The Man Comes Around
Johnny Cash
Good stuff. "Hurt" is an all-timer, but the whole album was solid. Crazy that he made this at 70, and cool to hear him lend his voice to these songs.
4.5
5
Jun 02 2025
Bad Company
Bad Company
This was fine.
3.2
3
Jun 03 2025
If You're Feeling Sinister
Belle & Sebastian
Fun instrumentation at times, but I didn't love it. It's like poppy Death Cab.
3.2
3
Jun 04 2025
Exodus
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Fine for what it is, but it all largely sounds the same to me.
2.7
3
Jun 05 2025
Ogden's Nut Gone Flake
Small Faces
This wasn't objectively bad, but I can't say I enjoyed listening to it. Maybe I'm just in a bad mood today, but this did nothing for me.
2.1
2
Jun 06 2025
Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes
TV On The Radio
Points for being weird and interesting even though it didn't totally work for me.
3.3
3
Jun 09 2025
Shleep
Robert Wyatt
Bummer. I rather enjoyed the first song in a "this is weird but still accessible" way that I enjoy a bunch of Modest Mouse stuff.
Then it fell into "this is just weird and not all that great to listen to" like a bunch of other Modest Mouse stuff. Squealing horns just don't do it for me. It's a different sound than MM, but the same vibes.
Objectively this should probably get a 2, and I'm sure plenty of people would give this a 5, but I did not enjoy the vast majority of this. I skipped forward on the last few tracks, and my rule of thumb on here is to hand out a 1 if I couldn't make myself listen to the entire album. Fun album cover, though.
1.4
1
Jun 10 2025
You're Living All Over Me
Dinosaur Jr.
I guess it's pretty good noise rock for something that came out in 1987. Still noise rock, though.
2.7
3
Jun 11 2025
Sound of Silver
LCD Soundsystem
I've never loved any other LCD Soundsystem albums I've heard, so I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. Not typically my jam, but this was pretty good.
3.9
4
Jun 12 2025
Brilliant Corners
Thelonious Monk
I know I'm not a jazz aficionado, but this just made me think of Will Ferrell scatting as Robert Goulet ("BOP BOP doo doo doo doo...GOULET!"). Really hard to get into this one.
1.8
2
Jun 13 2025
Pet Sounds
The Beach Boys
I was never going to love a pop-rock album from 1966, but points for creativity.
One of the lessons learned from this project: I don't know shit about the Beach Boys. This was much more in line with expectations than "Surf's Up" but still a little surprising.
2.7
3
Jun 16 2025
Pearl
Janis Joplin
The vocals are obviously great, but the music isn't quite enough to get to a 4 for me. It's not bad by any means, just not my jam.
3.4
3
Jun 17 2025
You Are The Quarry
Morrissey
Still too new-wavey for my personal tastes, but I enjoyed this much more than expected.
3.2
3
Jun 18 2025
Music From The Penguin Cafe
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
What a pleasant surprise! I'd never heard of this group before, I don't typically go for instrumental-only stuff, and it's from 1976 so I did not have high expectations...but I enjoyed the hell out of it!
This was beautiful. Good composition that was well executed. I can't believe this, but I think this is getting a 5.
4.5
5
Jun 19 2025
Closer
Joy Division
Nah. This just ain't for me. It wasn't bad, I guess, but I didn't personally enjoy it.
2.4
2
Jun 20 2025
Shaka Zulu
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
I appreciate the level of skill here. Not something I'll ever listen to again, but this was really well done.
3.6
4
Jun 24 2025
Doolittle
Pixies
Solid stuff.
3.7
4
Jun 26 2025
Ctrl
SZA
Solid R&B, although that's a genre that doesn't do much for me.
3.1
3
Jun 27 2025
Strange Cargo III
William Orbit
I may have appreciated this more on a different day in a different headspace, but I largely just found this boring. It wasn't bad, but it didn't do anything for me today.
2.3
2
Jun 30 2025
Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters
Bleh. Not for me.
2
Jul 01 2025
Wonderful Rainbow
Lightning Bolt
I'll say this: the album cover tells you exactly what you're getting, which is noise rock. I was into it to start, but by the end of track 4 I started to dread finishing this album. There's some stuff I can appreciate here, but it's also a relentless assault on the ears.
2.7
3
Jul 02 2025
So
Peter Gabriel
This is probably? good for 80's pop, but 80's pop ain't for me.
2.4
2
Jul 03 2025
Happy Trails
Quicksilver Messenger Service
I didn't love it, but it was interesting and not at all what I expected from the album cover. Glad to have heard it.
3.5
4
Jul 04 2025
The Slider
T. Rex
Just a big ol' meh.
2.4
2
Jul 07 2025
The Man Machine
Kraftwerk
Fine for what it is.
2.6
3
Jul 08 2025
Rip It Up
Orange Juice
I'm probably too harsh on here on 80's albums, but I can't find a way to enjoy new wave. This is a me problem, and I already feel bad about giving that Peter Gabriel album a 2 when it probably deserved better, but...woof, this album was painful. I can't tell whether it's objectively bad, so we're going with the lowest 2 possible.
1.5
2
Jul 09 2025
xx
The xx
I don't come back to this one much anymore, but I was an early fan of this record when it came out. It's understated, which caps the ceiling, but still a solid album.
4.0
4
Jul 10 2025
Kenya
Machito
It's not bad, and it might even be great for what it is, but there's a limit to how much I can personally enjoy a Cuban jazz album and that limit is not very high. Far from the worst entry on this list, but I was also glad when it was over and I could listen to something I enjoy.
2.3
2
Jul 11 2025
Cut
The Slits
I was told this would be a punk album. In this case I think "punk" is just code for "messy." Punk doesn't *have* to be bad, but this kinda is. I'm guessing Sleater-Kinney would cite this band as an influence, but they actually made good music.
Positive points for a fun band name and interesting percussion, but negative points for pretty much everything else.
1.8
2
Jul 15 2025
Kings Of The Wild Frontier
Adam & The Ants
Huh. I'm not entirely sure why, but I enjoyed this much more than most new wave stuff. Probably because it's got a healthy dose of weird mixed in.
3.2
3
Jul 16 2025
Fisherman's Blues
The Waterboys
Well hot damn. I'd never heard of The Waterboys before, but I rather enjoyed this Irish folk stuff.
4.1
4
Jul 17 2025
Let Love Rule
Lenny Kravitz
Cool that he did almost everything himself, but this is otherwise an unremarkable album.
2.7
3
Jul 18 2025
Innervisions
Stevie Wonder
Soul is not something I ever seek out so I'll probably never rate it highly, but this was good for what it is. Higher Ground still slaps. I'm sure when he wrote that song he hoped that in 50 years people would still think it "slaps." Mission accomplished, Stevie.
3.2
3
Jul 21 2025
Pump
Aerosmith
Solid album that gives you everything you would expect from Aerosmith. Rounding up to a 4 here, albeit barely.
3.5
4
Jul 22 2025
One World
John Martyn
There might be a world where I give this a 5 after listening to it with headphones in a dark room, but in this world where I listen to most of these while working, this never really grabbed me.
2.6
3
Jul 23 2025
Before And After Science
Brian Eno
I appreciate that Brian Eno's music is weird, but it's not my particular brand of weird.
2.5
3
Jul 24 2025
Vol. 4
Black Sabbath
So, yeah, Black Sabbath was awesome. Part of me wonders: did Black Sabbath discover all the coolest guitar riffs in the early 70's, leaving nothing but scraps for every band that came after? I know the answer is no because there have been a million awesome bands that came after them, but there's a finite number of ways to arrange notes in a 2-5 minute song, and Ozzy and co. sure found a bunch of badass ones.
4.5
5
Jul 25 2025
Idlewild
Everything But The Girl
I can't tell if this is awful or not. I think it's probably fine for what it is, but it ain't for me.
2
Jul 28 2025
Parachutes
Coldplay
Coldplay takes a lot of shit, but this album holds up well.
Side note: I distinctly remember listening to this album while driving in high school. I had the portable CD player plugged into the cassette deck in my truck and maybe 10 or 15 CDs available at a time (whatever I could shove into the CD holder velcroed to the visor). I had to take this album out of rotation because it almost put me to sleep a couple times.
It's beautiful music, but maybe not the best for driving. I also maybe (definitely) didn't get enough sleep in high school.
Anyway, I almost never listen to Coldplay anymore so I was glad to have the excuse to revisit this one. Given how stingy I am with 5's on here I can't quite get there with this album, but it's close.
4.3
4
Jul 29 2025
Van Halen
Van Halen
Pretty good for a debut album!
4.3
4
Jul 30 2025
You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen
While I appreciate the distinctive vocals, I largely found this album to be boring as hell. I mean, even the vocals are more "spoken word" than "singing."
2
Jul 31 2025
La Revancha Del Tango
Gotan Project
Meh. This felt creative in a jazzy way, but jazz has never totally worked for me. This is probably good.
2.4
2
Aug 01 2025
All That You Can't Leave Behind
U2
"Beautiful Day" is still catchy, but I can't say I enjoyed much else on this album. I like some of their hits, but otherwise U2 just doesn't do it for me.
2.4
2
Aug 04 2025
Born To Be With You
Dion
Fine for what it is.
2.7
3
Aug 05 2025
Rock 'N Soul
Solomon Burke
I dunno, it was probably good at the time. Hard to hold up for 60 years.
2
Aug 06 2025
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Dead Kennedys
This was fine for a punk album, and I was fine to be done with it.
2.9
3
Aug 07 2025
Master Of Puppets
Metallica
I wonder how I'd feel about this album if I'd never heard of Metallica before. There are some absolute classics on here (namely the title track), but I don't love the album as a whole knowing what else the band is capable of. I mean, it's still getting a 4 from me which is more than the vast majority of albums on this list, but not a 5 like the black album. Maybe I'm just a square who likes their later stuff more than the early, thrashy stuff.
4.0
4
Aug 08 2025
The Bends
Radiohead
This is fine. "My Iron Lung" is a good song, and I like this better than some Radiohead albums, so there's that.
However, I am of the very, VERY strong belief that we did not need 6 Radiohead albums on this list. Music is subjective, and lots of people really like Radiohead...but fucking hell this is a terrible job of curation when the entire history of music is available.
3.0
3
Aug 11 2025
Water From An Ancient Well
Abdullah Ibrahim
Not for me.
2
Aug 12 2025
The Fat Of The Land
The Prodigy
If nothing else, I really like the album cover. That crab is ready to rave.
Other than that I didn't love it. It's another one of those "fine for what it is" albums that I didn't personally enjoy too much, but I can see how others would. Not as hard to get through as some other techno on this list, though, so we'll (barely) go with a 3.
2.5
3
Aug 13 2025
Scott 2
Scott Walker
Sorry fam, I couldn't get through this one. I appreciate that he had a run of albums simply named "Scott 1-4" but this is not something I'm capable of enjoying (beyond being slightly surprised that the phrase "stupid ass" was used back in 1968).
1
Aug 14 2025
Rhythm Nation 1814
Janet Jackson
Well, this very much sounds like it came out in 1989, and it very much sounds like something from the Jackson family. I don't think it holds up terribly well, but this album hit its mark for the time (per the Wikipedia blurb: it's the only album with 7 top-5 songs).
However, I was 4 at the time so I have no memory/nostalgia related to these songs, so I can't go any better than "it's fine for what it is."
3
Aug 15 2025
Street Signs
Ozomatli
Liked it more than I thought I would.
3.3
3
Aug 18 2025
Unhalfbricking
Fairport Convention
Well, I didn't see that coming. An album from 1969 with this boring-ass cover from some band I've never heard of? Then it starts up and sounds like a good folk album that would fit right in during the 2010's. Then "A Sailor's Life" comes on with the jam band sound that I don't even usually like...but I'll be damned if it wasn't great.
Through the first half of the album, this was a 5 for me. The latter half kinda fell off, though. I think the back half just sounds more dated, so the album as a whole doesn't hold up as well as I thought it would. Still a surprisingly fun listen, though.
4.4
4
Aug 19 2025
Guitar Town
Steve Earle
It's not the worst country I've ever heard, but I'm not sure why it's on the list.
2.8
3
Aug 20 2025
Abraxas
Santana
I think this is an album that could be mind blowing if I listened to it in a dark room while on some kind of psychedelics. Listening to it in the background while working, it was fine. There's obviously some good guitar work in there, but otherwise it didn't grab me.
3
Aug 21 2025
Smile
Brian Wilson
This album did not make me smile.
Honestly, it was hard to get through this in the year 2025. I can appreciate the vocal harmonies here, but that's about it.
1.7
2
Aug 22 2025
White Light
Gene Clark
This was fine.
3.3
3
Aug 25 2025
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
It's almost impossible to like Kanye the person at this point, but the music ain't bad. That said, I was glad when it was over. It was interesting in parts but more than I needed.
3
Aug 26 2025
Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
George Michael
Blarf. Objectively this probably doesn't deserve a 1 so I won't give it that, but this was hard to get through after "Freedom." Sorry, "Freedom! '90" which makes for an awful track title.
1.6
2
Aug 27 2025
Superfuzz Bigmuff
Mudhoney
Kind of an interesting artifact for punk transitioning to grunge, but I can't say I particularly enjoyed listening to it.
2.6
3
Aug 28 2025
Basket of Light
Pentangle
Fuck, what a mixed bag. I actually really like the instrumentation here...but I just can't stand the vocals. I know they're genuine, but they sound to me like Maya Rudolph or Kristen Wiig is trying to perform the most annoying song in the world. Had to stop halfway through to save my sanity.
Sticking to my rule that anything I can't force myself to get through gets a 1, even though I might rate an instrumental version of this as a 4.
1.4
1
Aug 29 2025
Ten
Pearl Jam
I don't know if I've ever listened to this album in its entirety before. It came out before I started collecting music, and I ended up just buying their greatest hits album. While I didn't love the songs on here that I haven't heard a million times already, this still gets a 5. Holds up really well for something that came out in 1991, and the highs are really high.
4.7
5
Sep 01 2025
Butterfly
Mariah Carey
Huh. I guess I really don't like R&B. I'd never listened to this album before, but the cover is so iconic that I figured it would be fine. I can appreciate the vocal talent here, but similar to how I can't seem to find a way to appreciate jazz I just couldn't get into this.
2
Sep 02 2025
Post Orgasmic Chill
Skunk Anansie
This was interesting. Oddly, this band sounds like a predecessor to Halestorm, but if they were influenced by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I liked it enough to check out more by them.
3.9
4
Sep 03 2025
All Hope Is Gone
Slipknot
Liked it more than I thought I would. This sounded closer to Disturbed (who I love) than Pantera or Sepultura (who I don't, but they're what I was expecting).
It's a little disjointed as a couple different times I assumed autoplay had taken over since the vocals switched from screaming to singing on a few tracks and it's a long album. Overall pretty solid for a metal album, though.
4.0
4
Sep 04 2025
The Healer
John Lee Hooker
I wouldn't say I loved it, but I enjoyed it more than most stuff on this list. Really solid blues.
3.9
4
Sep 05 2025
Oedipus Schmoedipus
Barry Adamson
Nope.
1
Sep 08 2025
Live / Dead
Grateful Dead
A Grateful Dead live album? I bet this is gonna be long.
Oh, it's only 7 songs.
Oh. It's still an hour and 13 minutes. Buckle up.
I've never been a jam band guy, but I've never been high at a jam band concert so who knows how I'd feel about them in their natural environment? This might be the first time I've listened to a full* Grateful Dead album, and I guess it went about as expected. They clearly had some talented musicians, and it wasn't hard* to get through for the most part. This didn't convert me, though. Similar to jazz, it's hard for me to appreciate jam bands beyond background music.
2.8
*I had to skip ahead on "Feedback." Honestly, fuck off with that. Pretend that this track is "art" if you'd like, but just because it's different doesn't mean it's good.
3
Sep 09 2025
Electric
The Cult
This was pretty good for what it is.
3.6
4
Sep 10 2025
Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black
Public Enemy
Probably fine for what it is.
3
Sep 11 2025
Pornography
The Cure
For a Cure album, I found the first few tracks shockingly inoffensive. Then expectations were restored and it turned into a slog. The "gothic rock" stuff was fine and had some fun bass guitar; the "slow sad shit" was slow sad shit. I love plenty of sad music, and I know The Cure is often cited as influential for some of the emo music I love, but this ain't it.
1.9
2
Sep 12 2025
NEU! 75
Neu!
This struck me as wholly unremarkable.
2.3
2
Sep 15 2025
Bluesbreakers
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
Solid stuff, and I'm willing to grade on a curve since it came out in '66.
4
4