565
Albums Rated
3.5
Average Rating
52%
Complete
524 albums remaining
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1970s
Favorite Decade
Punk
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Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
60
5-Star Albums
5
1-Star Albums
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You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wonderful Rainbow | 5 | 2.28 | +2.72 |
| Suicide | 5 | 2.46 | +2.54 |
| 69 Love Songs | 5 | 2.84 | +2.16 |
| Songs The Lord Taught Us | 5 | 2.84 | +2.16 |
| Copper Blue | 5 | 2.96 | +2.04 |
| Reign In Blood | 5 | 2.96 | +2.04 |
| I See A Darkness | 5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
| Fire Of Love | 5 | 2.99 | +2.01 |
| Hot Shots II | 5 | 3.01 | +1.99 |
| Scum | 4 | 2.07 | +1.93 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your Arsenal | 1 | 3.05 | -2.05 |
| Viva Hate | 1 | 2.96 | -1.96 |
| Vauxhall And I | 1 | 2.96 | -1.96 |
| You Are The Quarry | 1 | 2.86 | -1.86 |
| (Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd) | 2 | 3.76 | -1.76 |
| L.A. Woman | 2 | 3.67 | -1.67 |
| You Want It Darker | 2 | 3.34 | -1.34 |
| Live And Dangerous | 2 | 3.32 | -1.32 |
| The Slim Shady LP | 2 | 3.29 | -1.29 |
| S&M | 2 | 3.26 | -1.26 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 5 | 5 |
| Stevie Wonder | 3 | 5 |
| Led Zeppelin | 5 | 4.4 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 4.67 |
| Willie Nelson | 2 | 5 |
| Aretha Franklin | 2 | 5 |
| Black Sabbath | 2 | 5 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Morrissey | 4 | 1 |
5-Star Albums (60)
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Popular Reviews
Venom
4/5
I found my newest Christmas tradition! This album is impressive for 1982. By that metric it is four stars. If it was released a year or so ago then three stars. I love how rock music evolved from Little Richard to this album in a relatively short amount of time. A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-lop-bam-Baphomet.
2 likes
Malcolm McLaren
2/5
Meh. While Malcolm McLaren is possibly a notable figure in the history of music, this album is not significant and its inclusion on this list is questionable. Is this album basically a mixtape of ascendant trends in the early ‘80s with a dude’s name plastered on the front who wrote the check for it?
2 likes
The Blue Nile
3/5
Fine. Sounds like something that would play during a montage in an ‘80s movie.
2 likes
1-Star Albums (5)
All Ratings
Dusty Springfield
4/5
A few 5 star tracks (I only want to be with you, when the love light starts shining thru his eyes, you don’t own me), and overall a 4 star album. This album (her UK debut) isn’t on the streaming service I use, but her US debut is (Stay Awhile/I Only Want to Be with You), which is a slightly reconfigured version. If you like this album then I recommend you check out the great compilation One Kiss Can Lead To Another: Girl Group Sounds Lost And Found. That four disc set is one of the single greatest music purchases I’ve ever made. Although there is an abbreviated 21 track version on streaming services.
4/5
It is absurd how good the first three songs on this album are, but the rest of the album is so-so. Too much harmonica. Although I remember those three songs were everywhere when it was released when I was a kid, so they’re a little overplayed and worn out for me.
Boston
4/5
I am burnt out on some classic rock and this album falls under that umbrella. I went through a classic rock phase in junior high, and a summer job in college would blast classic rock all day everyday. These songs are catchy and well-crafted, but I can’t picture myself intentionally listening to this album in the future.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
So good. Will every 5 star album provoke this short of a review from me?
Megadeth
3/5
It’s fine. Some metal is amazing, some metal I love. This is not it. If this was playing in a business I was at I would probably nod along, but I don’t see myself seeking out more Megadeth. For me, Slayer’s Reign In Blood is the top of the mountain for this type of metal/thrash.
808 State
3/5
It’s fine. Is the author of the 1,001 book a white British guy in their 50s/60s? Because that’s the vibe I’m getting so far from these album choices (which is not a criticism). I love electronic music in general, and this album probably sounded futuristic when it was released, but now it sounds almost quaint. I feel like I’ve heard the sax part in Pacific 202 before. Maybe as a reference or joke in an Edgar Wright thing?
The Doors
3/5
It’s fine. More classic rock I am burnt out on due to over exposure. Silver lining: without The Doors we wouldn’t have Jimmy Fallon’s great version of Reading Rainbow’s theme song. I had a teacher in high school who thought I looked just like The Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
It’s fine. Her music never really grabbed me. That might have something to do with me not really paying attention to lyrics. A podcast I listen to (How Did This Get Made) love her and have been talking about her recently, so I was primed to give this a fair shot, but so far it hasn’t clicked for me. Clearly this album is well-crafted, and is understandable how the album went to 2 on the American charts.
Hole
4/5
I liked this more than I thought I would. I’m a sucker for layers of catchy guitar. First comparison that came to mind was Matthew Sweet. Surprised it was this album and not Live Through This, although maybe Hole has two albums on the 1,001 list.
Yes
4/5
Roundabout and Heart of the Sunrise are 5 star songs. It turns out I am not burnt out on Roundabout despite the short version being on heavy rotation on classic rock radio, and this might be the first time I’ve heard the original longer version. I first heard Heart of the Sunrise in a trailer for Buffalo ‘66. The rest of the album is fine but unremarkable.
Nine Inch Nails
5/5
Teenager me was bouncing off the walls and loving this album. I still love it. I clearly remember hearing this album for this first time. A friend bought it on release day and we blasted it on his dad’s fancy stereo. That was one of the single greatest album listening experiences of my life. It’s up there with when I first heard Neutral Milk Hotel or The New Pornographers.
Harry Nilsson
4/5
Fun, solid, consistently good. Jump Into The Fire and Without You are my favorite tracks on this album.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
It’s fine. Yes, her voice is amazing, and the band is good, but this is another album I’m burnt out on due to overexposure to its most popular song.
Moby Grape
3/5
Fine, but I was a little bored. Once I thought of them as Peter, Paul, & Mary but with more electric guitars, I couldn’t shake the connection.
3/5
It’s fine. Starlight is a pretty good song and the strongest track on the album. Has it been in a car commercial or movie or something? It sounded familiar. I was surprised to see Lightning Bolt listed as an influence in the wiki description, but on close listening I guess I can hear some elements that slightly overlap between the two bands. Honestly, I ended up skipping through a few tracks, and instead spent the rest of my lunch listening to some of my favorite Lightning Bolt songs, including but not limited to: Dead Cowboy, Assassins, and Ride the Sky.
Basement Jaxx
4/5
Fun. A nice balance of repetitive and fluctuation. This music makes me think of tagging along with a friend to a clothing store that is not quite my style and costs more than I would typically spend.
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
Enjoyable. Very much my jam. This listen was my first exposure to this album and artist that I’m aware of. Sounds like something that would be in a Wes Anderson film, if it hasn’t already.
Alice In Chains
3/5
A couple of strong tracks, but overall just a so-so album. This album feels very of its time, which I respect as an achievement even though this album is not quite my thing.
The Fall
3/5
Enjoyable, but got a little repetitive for me after a while, despite Mark E Smith being a compelling individual. The group is fine, and I’ve heard them here and there over the years, but I have never felt the need to dig into their extensive discography. I got bored about halfway through this album and started skipping through. But after that I went back and listened to one of their other songs I remember liking (Blindness), and I still really like that one.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
Very good. For a folk rock album its guitars can get pretty scorching at times.
George Michael
3/5
Competent, fine, although Freedom is a 5 star song. I wouldn’t mind if I went grocery shopping and that song played on a constant loop in the store. A couple months ago I watched that Wham documentary on Netflix. It was decent, but I’m a sucker for music documentaries.
The Beach Boys
5/5
Delightful. All killer, no filler. I bought this album during a trip to Kansas City to find an apartment for my first job after graduating college. This album was on a near constant loop while I drove around during that trip. This album provokes a lot of different feelings in me. I want Sloop John B played at my funeral.
Adele
3/5
It’s fine. Great voice, polished production, but it’s just not for me.
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
Fine. Not my thing. Made me think of a brunch I went to at a museum restaurant in New Mexico that was mainly attended by much older people.
Fiona Apple
4/5
Very good. It still sounds fresh. It feels like it could be released now. Except the song The First Taste. That song sounds very ‘90s.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
2/5
Not for me. This probably sounded much fresher and more interesting in 1991, but not now for me. Kind of like how Myst was an amazing video game in the early ‘90s but I probably wouldn’t enjoy it as much now.
Stan Getz
3/5
Fine. A couple strong tracks. Another album that makes me think of a brunch at a museum restaurant primarily attended by older people.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
So good. One of my all time favorite albums. There are weaker moments here and there, but overall its many strong moments are delightful. A friend of mine used to take a random line or two from Stevie Wonder’s lyrics, print them out without attribution, then anonymously post them around at his job.
Jeff Buckley
4/5
Very good. Strong tracks with interesting twists and turns. Sounds very ‘90s, but in a good way. I went through a phase in college where I listened to this regularly. This album evokes multiple memories from that time. In particular it makes me think of a coffee shop where I first met Mark, where he and another friend of mine (RIP) had submitted movies to a film festival.
Underworld
3/5
Fine. Not bad. I imagine it sounded a lot more groundbreaking and interesting back when it was originally released.
Slade
3/5
Fine. Decent classic rock. A few years ago I watched Slade’s movie Flame, which was okay. My biggest memory of watching that movie is being thankful for subtitles, because I was not familiar with their accents and could barely understand what they were saying.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Delightful. Sounds great. I’m not sure, but this album might be about sex.
Little Simz
3/5
Good. I’m pretty sure I recently heard the songs Selfish and Venom in a show or movie or something, but I can’t recall what.
Haircut 100
2/5
Boring. Bland. Generic. Not my thing. I’m guessing the author has a strong emotional attachment to this album unrelated to its quality, possibly due to coming of age when this album was popular. A couple of songs came close to being catchy, but nothing ever crested that hill for me.
The Style Council
2/5
Competent snooze-fest. Not my thing.
Laibach
3/5
Fine. In general I love industrial music, but this album didn’t grab me. The militaristic marching band vibe is a clever gimmick, and I know its intent is to mock fascism, but it is a little off putting at times with everything that’s going on these days. Although this album motivated me to listen to Laibach’s album Let It Be (yes, a cover of most of that Beatles album), and that album is a solid 4 out of 5.
Pink Floyd
4/5
Very good. Another band that was omnipresent when I was younger, but didn’t charm me enough to seek out any of their stuff to buy. Although in high school some friends of mine who were into Pink Floyd had me tag along with them to a concert during their tour for The Division Bell. That was a great show.
The Band
4/5
Pretty good. Up On Cripple Creek is a five star song. Overall this album is weaker than I remember. I went through a small phase of getting into The Band about 20 years ago. Honestly my favorite album of theirs is The Basement Tapes, even though that is basically a Bob Dylan album.
OutKast
4/5
Very good. This was my first time listening to the entire album. Earlier I had only heard the popular songs from it. That heavy rotation is well deserved, because this album has a few five star songs (So Fresh, So Clean, Ms Jackson, B.O.B.). Last summer I attend a music festival where Big Boi was one of the headliners, and that was a great show.
Carole King
4/5
Pretty good. Sounds great. I enjoyed this album more than I thought I would. GILMORE GIRLS FOREVER.
Ananda Shankar
3/5
Decent.
Elbow
3/5
Milquetoast millennial make-out music. I’m sorry, that was too mean. That’s probably not even an original thought. I’m probably read or heard that somewhere and unremembered it.
R.E.M.
4/5
It boggles my mind that this album didn’t reach number one in America. This album was everywhere! And justifiable so since it is very good! Garth Brooks had the number one album that week, by the way. I like REM, they are good, but I don’t consider myself a fan, if that makes sense.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Fine. I watched the concert movie for this about 20 years ago. I remember enjoying that movie more than listening to this album now. The closing Hey Hey My My is my favorite track on this album.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Fine. This album didn’t grab me like his other higher profile albums. Turns out I have a short attention span for listening to a guy talk about his divorce. It felt like reading something on Twitter.
Tricky
3/5
Pretty good. Nice and mellow. Although nothing grabbed me enough to up the rating to a four.
Cat Stevens
4/5
Dang, before now I didn’t realize what an emotional connection I have to Wild World. Maybe another song to add to my funeral playlist (aka “STINK-BOY JAMZZZ VOL 69”). Or maybe not.
Paul Simon
4/5
Very good. Still very catchy. Although wow do I not like some of the bass guitar sounds on this album.
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
Decent. Sounds like something that would play (has played?) during a montage in an Austin Powers movie.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Sleater-Kinney
4/5
Pretty good. Honestly, no one song really stood out to me, but the entire album overall is strong enough to get four stars.
Aerosmith
4/5
If cocaine made a noise, then this album would be it. And it’s actually pretty catchy. I’m almost angry at how good Walk This Way is.
David Bowie
4/5
I can’t think of anything clever to say about this good album and multiple great songs because I’m still mad at Aerosmith for tricking me into giving their album four stars.
The Isley Brothers
4/5
Very good. But needs more math.
The Bees
3/5
Fine. Decent vibes overall. I actually bought this album 18 years ago (at an Amoeba in San Francisco on August 5, 2005). I think my reaction then was similar to now. If I recall correctly, I think I bought this album because a review said fans of Beta Band might enjoy it. My copy of the CD says their name is “A Band of Bees”. There was probably already a band called “The Bees” in America when it was released.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
Nice. Mellow vibes, but bordering on virtuosic navel gazing. Reminds me of music that would play during Mr Rogers segments where they would tour a factory or something.
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
Great artist, bad person? The energy on this album is bonkers, but I admit to feeling uneasy enjoying this music knowing what I know about his life.
The Temptations
3/5
Pretty good. The first three songs were the most interesting.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
Delightful. This album hits a sweet spot that balances noisy and catchy. Like a cute little dog that won’t stop howling, but in a good way.
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
Adequate.
Tracy Chapman
3/5
Fine. I remember Fast Car being a hit when I was a kid. That song seemed to be everywhere for a while!
Johnny Cash
4/5
Delightful. There are a few different versions of this album floating around. Try to seek out the version (legacy edition?) with Big River, I Still Miss Someone, and Jackson. I love those songs.
Guns N' Roses
4/5
I clearly remember when I heard this album for the first time. I was around 10 years old and at a church summer camp. I’m pretty sure it was during the year this album became huge. The camp counselor who was in charge of our bunkhouse told me and the other kids “you guys gotta listen to this” and played us a cassette of this album on a boombox. We played that album a lot during that camp. The counselor’s name was Steve, which I only remember because they were fascinated that someone with a common name like Steve helped make this album with people with uncommon names like Axl, Slash, Izzy, and Duff. The big three songs on this album are solid five star songs, among the greatest songs of the 20th century, and Paradise City might need to be played at my funeral. I know this album was everywhere for a while, but I still haven’t tired of those three songs. The rest of the album is fine. I listened to this album over lunch at work, and I got choked up a little bit during Paradise City when the bridge or faster whatever part starts about two thirds in. What is this 1,001 project doing to me?
Daft Punk
3/5
Fun. Da Funk and Around the World are great, but the other songs didn’t grab me.
Dagmar Krause
2/5
Maybe it sounds better in German. The English version I found on YouTube is not my thing. I gave up after a few songs.
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
Delightful. Although it kind of has the vibes of “background music at nice restaurant”. I’m a big fan of Ry Cooder who helped make this album. If you like this album, then I recommend you also listen to the album Buenos Hermanos by Ibrahim Ferrer, one of the vocalists this album.
Frank Zappa
4/5
Delightful. I was already a Zappa fan, so this hit the spot. Although I understand and respect that Zappa is one of those artists that people generally either really like or really don’t like. That Zappa documentary from a couple years ago is decent for that kind of thing. It’s not on this album, but my favorite Zappa song is Apostrophe’.
Pink Floyd
3/5
Fine. I don’t own this album but over my lifetime I’ve probably heard the big songs on this album a significant quantity more than most of the albums I own.
The Strokes
4/5
I remember buying this and listening to it a pretty fair amount when it was first released. I enjoyed it back then and I enjoy it now. Back in 2001 I saw them perform in Lawrence, Kansas, shortly after this was released. It was a disappointing show. The singer was pretty drunk or something, and was sloppy enough to where other people in the band were visibly frustrated with them.
Can
4/5
Enjoyable. This album is very much my jam. Now this is the weird German stuff I can groove to. Although a couple of the songs drag a little bit at times.
The Byrds
3/5
Fine. Nothing grabbed me. Even the big song on here Eight Miles High was kind of a snoozer for me.
David Bowie
4/5
Heroes is a five star song (hat tip to Godzilla). The rest of the album is pretty good. About 20 or so years ago I went through a phase where I listened to this album pretty regularly.
The Flaming Lips
4/5
A great album. Back in Y2K I would have likely given this 5 stars, but now I hesitate to do so. Not sure why. Did I overplay it? Did I grow weary of TFL’s extra-ness? Was it hearing that Wayne might not be a nice person?
The Darkness
3/5
Fine. This would be fun playing in the background of a bar or video game or whatnot, but I don’t see myself seeking this out.
Motörhead
4/5
Ace of Spades is such a good song. I’ve heard that song many times but it has not yet worn out its welcome. The rest of the album is solid, but Ace of Spades is the only five star song on the album.
Miles Davis
3/5
Interesting. Enjoyable. Nothing really stood out to me as something I would go back to and specifically listen to, but overall a good album.
Bob Dylan
4/5
I admit I’m not much of a lyrics person, but I can’t deny the achievements in this album.
Various Artists
4/5
It’s understandable that David Letterman had Darlene Love on his show to perform Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) every year for 28 years. It’s one of the greatest songs of all time! Christmas or otherwise.
Parliament
4/5
Fun. Enjoyable. I greatly appreciate how “funk” as a topic in general is the central focus for a large portion of this album.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Beautiful. The title track and Mercy Mercy Me are five star songs, and the rest of the album is delightful.
Nick Drake
3/5
Fine. Pleasant. Although the song Fly is a small child pointing at me saying “you feel sad now”.
T. Rex
3/5
Enjoyable grooves. Bang a Gong is a great song but not great enough to up the album’s rating beyond a 3.
5/5
I’m borderline on 5 or 4 stars for this one. My rating is just barely 5 stars. I don’t know why I’m so hesitant. The album has an amazing feel from start to finish. Maybe what tipped the scales to 5 for me is that so much of the music is acoustic (guitar, piano, vocals), but yet the album is still so heavy. This album is something where if I was at bar and this entire album was playing, then my reaction would be “HECK YEAH”. Maybe that’s my litmus test for a 5 star album?
Robbie Williams
2/5
Competent but meh. Feels like market research corporate middle of the road coattail riding photocopy of a photocopy of a photocopy pop. Although I will confess to his song Millenium being a guilty pleasure of mine.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Fine. Boring. Elvis Costello has great songs, but unfortunately none of them are on this album.
LL Cool J
3/5
Decent. Peaks and valleys. Mama Said Knock You Out is a 5 star song. That song was popular with my friends and I in junior high when it was released.
Janis Joplin
3/5
Fine. This feels like another artist I’ve been overexposed to (which I might have also said for a different album with Janis). The big songs on here are pretty good, and I wouldn’t change to station if they started playing on the radio.
Soundgarden
3/5
Decent. I was never a Soundgarden fan back in the day, but I remember liking Spoonman and Black Hole Sun when they were released, and those are both still great songs.
Elliott Smith
4/5
Pretty good. I don’t remember buying anything by them way back when, but they’re one of those artists I enjoyed whenever a friend put them on, or I heard while out and about, or on tv or whatnot.
The Black Keys
3/5
Decent. I didn’t mind listening to it, but I don’t see myself seeking it out specifically.
Baaba Maal
4/5
Delightful. I have a soft spot for guitar centric albums that do interesting things with music from different parts of the world. If you like this album then I recommend you also check out the album In the Heart of the Moon by Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabaté.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
2/5
A victim of its own success. This album has been played to death. “Change the station!”, I bark in one breath. This review is not a limerick (just ask Jim or Rick).
Talking Heads
4/5
Delightful. Once In A Lifetime is a five star song.
GZA
3/5
Good. I enjoyed this album, although I’m not as familiar with hip-hop as I should be.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Fine. A decent album.
The Auteurs
3/5
Fine. Nothing really stood out to me other than it sounds like a precursor to The New Pornographers. A few songs into this album I found myself wanting to listen to TNP’s album Mass Romantic instead of finishing this album.
ZZ Top
4/5
Delightful. For me in a normal mood this album is four stars. For me in the right mood this album clicks up to five stars. About 20 or so years ago I read some other list about the best albums of all time and Tres Hombres was on it. My reaction was “Really? That doesn’t seem right”. But then I listened to the album and realized it deserved to be on that list. These beardos have not yet worn out their welcome with me.
Songhoy Blues
4/5
Awwwwwww yeahhhhhh. Like I wrote a few reviews ago, I have a soft spot for guitar centric albums that do interesting things with music from around the world. This is album is very much my jam. This album is interesting and doesn’t veer into bland background music in a coffee shop territory. If you like this album then I recommend you check out Ali Farka Touré.
Elastica
3/5
Good but uneven. One five star song (Connection), a couple four star songs, a few more three star songs, and maybe one or two blah two star songs.
Big Black
4/5
Musically: yum, yes please, delightful.
Lyrically: yikes, no thank you, too real.
Another example of my tendency of focusing on the music and ignoring the lyrics. Their album SAF was a favorite of mine in college.
Björk
3/5
Decent. The world is a better place with Björk in it. I wish Björk would release a series of albums with standards from various genres, kind of like Willie Nelson or Johnny Cash did.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Pretty good. I never really got into Bruuuuuuuuuce, but I was never annoyed when their music started playing somewhere. Born To Run is a five star song. If this website had the option to give the album three and a half stars then that’s what I would choose, but it doesn’t so I’ll go with three stars.
Lauryn Hill
3/5
I remember this album being huge when I was in college when it was released. Doo Wop (That Thing) was everywhere, and rightly so, it’s a five star song. The rest of the album is pretty good, but nothing else really grabbed me.
TV On The Radio
3/5
Pretty good. A great vibe overall, but none of the songs on here grabbed me like some of their songs on other albums.
Elliott Smith
3/5
Pretty good. This listen reminded me of living in Iowa City in the late ‘90s.
Willie Nelson
5/5
I love this album. It has its peaks and valleys, but it’s one of my favorite albums of all time. I listened to this album a lot back in 2002-ish after reading about it in some other greatest albums list. In 2008 I saw Willie perform and it was one of the best concerts of my life (in top three or five?). I splurged and bought a seat in the second row, and was close enough to shake Willie’s hand after the show. I also lucked out in that his legendary band members Paul English and Bobbie Nelson were still with him (for a fun(?) read search for the article Watching Willie’s Back by Joe Nick Patoski). As a kid I remember reading a storyline in the Doonesbury comic of a character dying but being happy that they were listening to Pet Sounds shortly before they “bit it”. What album would I want in that situation? Maybe Red Headed Stranger.
The Smiths
3/5
Pretty good. Another situation of great artists, possibly terrible person? When I listened to this last week I can’t remember if I decided on three or four stars for this one. Since I can’t recall I guess I’ll go with three.
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
This album has aged pretty well. I liked it back when it was released, but haven’t listened to it since then. A lot of the songs are still strong. Take Me Out is still a five star song.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Pretty good. Interesting. I’m only familiar with one or two songs from Siouxsie And The Banshees, so this album was new to me. Nothing stood out to me as a five star song on my first listen, but overall the album is strong enough to get four stars from me.
Beatles
5/5
More like “Owl Be Rowdy”, amirite? I don’t know what that means. Anyway. One of my all time favorite albums, from what might be my all time favorite band. If I had a couple beers in me I could probably talk about this album and things tangentially related to this album for an hour or more. As a kid when I was old enough to play records from my parents’s collection I gravitated to The Beatles and listened to them a lot. That experience probably has a lot to do with what my music tastes are now.
John Coltrane
4/5
Enjoyable. I won’t pretend to fully understand what’s all going on in this album, but it held my attention and I was curious what would happen next.
Metallica
2/5
No. This album should not be on this list. Metallica has multiple albums that deserve to be on this list, but this album is not one of them. Sorry. This album isn’t bad, it just feels like something for superfans.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
So good. If Maps was also on this album then I might have rated this five stars.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Fine. Kind of boring. Barely three stars. Solsbury Hill is a good song, but for me that song has been played to death. Whenever I hear that song I think of the jokes where people made a fake movie trailer using that song and scenes from a horror movie or whatnot to make the movie look like a lighthearted romantic comedy.
4/5
So good. So fun. Still sounds fresh. Their version of Satisfaction is a five star song. The podcast 99% Invisible recently had a good episode called Devolutionary Design that was all about the cover art for this album.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
This band makes me think of being in junior high when their earlier album blood sugar etc was hugely popular. This album is fine. It kind of became omnipresent wallpaper during its height.
Jurassic 5
3/5
Pretty good overall. Although nothing really grabbed me as being a standout track.
Foo Fighters
3/5
Pretty good. A lovely balance of poppy and heavy. A few four star songs. I remember this album being a big deal when it came out.
Maxwell
3/5
Nice. Chill vibes abound.
Traffic
3/5
Okay. No tracks stood out to me. Although I guess Feelin’ Alright makes me feel alright. This album sounds like one that would be playing in a used record store where the employee on duty is 10 or more years older than me.
Sigur Rós
4/5
Yowzers. Another album I didn’t realize I had this strong of an emotional connection to. I listened to this album a lot back when it was released. Svefn-G-Englar is a five star song and provokes feelings. Parts of this album still sound like it’s been transported to the present day from the future. I’m listening to this over lunch and now I don’t want to go back to work.
Justice
4/5
Very good. Very fun. Overall still sounds fresh. I remember this making waves back in the day.
Solomon Burke
4/5
I love love love love love Solomon Burke. Cry to Me is the first song in this project I wanted to rate six stars. The album is delightful overall and has its peaks and valleys. I first became aware of him via their excellent 2002 album Don't Give Up on Me. A well curated best-of compilation of Solomon Burke would easily earn five stars from me.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Pretty good. This album sounded fresher and more interesting than I thought it would given Zep’s heavy rotation/exposure the past few decades.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
4/5
Delightful. My first time hearing this album. I’ve heard the band’s name here and there, and heard other music band members contributed for other projects, but this is my first burrito exposure.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
A beautiful sloppy mess. It feels like the wheels are about to fall off but I love where it’s headed.
Pixies
4/5
So good. Still really fun. This album has aged well.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
An uneven mix. I enjoyed the songs The Ledge and That’s All for Everyone and That’s Enough for Me and Tusk, but not much more than that. The song Tusk sounded pretty good cranked up in a car. Maybe some bands should have a best-of compilation on this list instead of specific albums.
Ali Farka Touré
5/5
*I climb onto my house’s roof, stand on its peak, arms outstretched, shouting to the heavens*: THIS IS WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT! THIS IS THE GOOD STUFF!
I’m a big fan of both of these guys (Ali & Ry). I love this album, although it does have some weaker moments. Yes, this album has major ‘90s coffee shop vibes, but this album for me is the pinnacle of that vibe in a good way. I remember the song Diaraby being a theme song on a public radio show I listened to about 20 or so years ago, so that song is etched into my soul forever. Thankfully it’s a good song. I’d rate this album 4.5 stars if I had the option. But since I can’t, five stars feels better than four for this album.
Morrissey
1/5
No thank you. The actions of the person have overshadowed the actions of the artist. Also, the music on this album is meh.
Saint Etienne
3/5
Fine. This album probably sounded much fresher and cutting edge when it was first released. Now it sounds kind of stale/boring/cliche, but still has some catchy moments.
Willie Nelson
5/5
Love love love. Beautiful. Soothing.
Sex Pistols
4/5
A lot of this albums still sounds great. It has an odd balance of sounding fresh/revolutionary but then also sounding like Chuck Berry with extra distortion.
Ride
4/5
Delightful. Very much my jam. Although thinking about the album a few hours after listening to it, its vibes are more memorable than its hooks.
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
Meh. Assuming this album sounded fresh and exciting in 1994, it has aged poorly.
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
Decent album overall. Somebody to Love and White Rabbit are both great songs, but a little overplayed for me.
The Cure
3/5
Decent. A Forest is a five star song. I’m curious to check out other Cure albums from this same time period, since I’ve heard good things about those.
Little Richard
5/5
So good. Little Richard made the world a better place. A complicated person who created amazing art and lived an unbelievable life. His authorized biography is a wild ride.
Jungle Brothers
3/5
Pretty good. Enjoyable. Sounds like something that would play in the background at Record Collector in Iowa City.
Kings of Leon
3/5
Decent. Fine, but not compelling enough to make me curious about what their other albums sound like.
The Blue Nile
3/5
Fine. Sounds like something that would play during a montage in an ‘80s movie.
R.E.M.
4/5
Very good. Very impressive for a debut album by a bunch of young’ins that were basically a college band. Radio Free Europe is a great song.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
I remember listening to this record as a kid when my parents would let me play their records on the turntable. As a kid I was fascinated by the bicycle on the cover. Not sure why. Maybe since it’s out of place in that context? Anyway. Great album. Lookin’ Out My Back Door is one of the greatest elephant related songs ever written.
3/5
Pretty good. I remember listening to and liking this album back when it was released. There are highlights throughout the album (Big Exit, One Line), but overall I don’t like the album as much as I did 20ish years ago.
Jethro Tull
3/5
Decent. The title track and Locomotive Breath are flautist epic-sauce (as (the) kids (used to) say (10 or 20 years ago)), but nothing else really stood out to me.
3/5
Fine. Sort of interesting, but nothing grabbed me enough to inspire a repeat listen or search out their other material.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
So good. Whenever I type the word “funky” this album should start playing. Although to be honest, I prefer Mongo Santamaria’s version of Watermelon Man (which I became familiar with thanks to the Out Of Sight soundtrack).
The Smiths
3/5
Fine. A couple catchy songs. But (copied and pasted from my review of a different Smiths album in this project): another situation of great artists, possibly terrible person?
Talking Heads
4/5
Delightful. I love Talking Heads, there are some great songs on this album, but I can’t quite bring myself to give this album five stars due to its unevenness.
Shuggie Otis
4/5
Delightful. If you like this album then be sure to also check out his song Strawberry Letter 23 (which is sometimes included on re-issues of this album, but sometimes not).
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
Fine. It definitely sounds like an album from 1993.
Muddy Waters
4/5
Very good. If you like this album then I recommend you also check out his album Electric Mud which has a slightly bonkers psychedelic twist to it.
Eagles
3/5
“Ugh”, I reacted to seeing this album as today’s selection. Yeah, there’s some decent songs on here, but for me this is one of those bands that has been played to death. Random factoid: I read somewhere that at their peak there was a 12 or 18 month span where they were selling over a million albums a month.
The Who
3/5
Okay. I didn’t finish it. Some catchy hooks. The Who have some things I love, but this album isn’t it. I’m not a lyrics person so a start to finish narrative really isn’t what I’m looking for in an album.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Decent album overall. Makes me think of being a kid and wandering around in general stores or drug stores. Suspicious Minds is a great song and seems like something people will still be listening to centuries from now.
Björk
3/5
swan swan swan swan
swaaAaAaAaAaaanNnNnN
SWWWAAAAAAAaaaaaaaannnn
Having said/sung/typed that, I’ll repeat what I said for a different Björk album in this project:
The world is a better place with Björk in it.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
Fun. Although kind of bonkers album art. In high school I played trombone in jazz band so I felt very much at ease listening to this. If you like this album then I recommend you also check out the album Sinatra At The Sands where Basie and his orchestra are Frank’s backing band.
Björk
4/5
Björk felt like the future in the ‘90s and they still feel like the future today. Human Behavior is a five star song, but the rest of the album is also strong (although some songs have aged better than others).
Lou Reed
3/5
Fine. Not really my thing. I love some of Lou’s solo stuff and VU stuff, but this album did not grab me. This album makes me think of Rocky Horror. Or do I have that backwards? Did Berlin (1973) influence Rocky Horror (1975)?
Skepta
3/5
Fine. Nothing really grabbed me.
The Prodigy
3/5
Pretty good overall, but some parts haven’t aged well. Firestarter was one of those songs that seemed to be everywhere at its height of popularity. Firestarter is still an exciting song.
Sister Sledge
3/5
I have no idea why, but this album makes me think of watching cable tv as a kid in the ‘80s.
Jane Weaver
3/5
Decent. Nothing really stood out other than the agreeable vibes that reminded me of other bands such as Stereolab, Broadcast, etc.
Bill Callahan
3/5
Fine. Pleasant. Am I a horse?
Ice Cube
4/5
Pretty good. It Was A Good Day is a great song, and the rest of the album is solid overall. Although the inserts/skits aren’t really my thing. This album might be the first one we’ve come across in this project where every song is labeled “E” for explicit in my music app of choice. I should not blast this album while driving around with my windows down.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
Very good. This album was a pleasant surprise. This was my first exposure to this artist and I really liked it.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Pretty good. Quite a few highlights and some delightful guitar pickin’ & strummin’, but not my favorite Dylan album. Okay, since you asked, my favorite Dylan album is The Basement Tapes.
Funkadelic
4/5
Delightful. Dense, complex, balanced, beautiful. A shame this album seems hard to find.
Meat Puppets
4/5
Pretty good. I dig the country punk vibes.
ABBA
3/5
Decent, fun. Sort of like Tabey said for an earlier album, it feels like I’m at a wedding reception. Fernando.
The White Stripes
4/5
Very good. I listened to this album a fair amount when it was first released. Overall the album holds up rather well. I almost saw them perform on their tour for this album. Unfortunately the small club they were booked to play in Kansas City went out of business a week or two before their concert and it did not get rescheduled/relocated from what I could find. Then they became huge. You’re welcome.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
Fine. Likely due to my unfamiliarity with this genre of music, I find it challenging to observe the nuances in this album that place it above its peers and as being worthy of its place on this list. That lack of comprehension is a failing on my part.
Hookworms
3/5
Fine. Nothing jumped out at me as being exceptional.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Fine. Occasional fun moments. By listening to this album I am now contractually obligated to frolic in a field and/or barn within the next fortnight.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Pretty good. Still enjoyable. Some portions still feel fresh. This feels like one of those albums that casts a long shadow through a lot of different music, but also at the same time I’m feeling “yeah, yeah, you changed music forever, I get it, but I’ve heard you a lot”.
Dire Straits
3/5
Fine. Sultans Of Swing is a great song. With my current biases/baggage/etc the album feels kind of tired and very much an artifact of its time. Although trying to put myself in the context of being a music listener in 1978, this album probably sounded fresh and cool to some listeners that weren’t in to the punk stuff happening at that time.
David Bowie
4/5
Decent. The sound of cocaine. Good moments here and there, but I doubt I’ll revisit the album. This albums feels better than 3 stars but not as good as 4 stars. I’ll be nice and round up. A middling Bowie album is better than the best album from many bands.
Rod Stewart
3/5
Fine. Has its moments but kind of boring overall. Not my thing. Radio where I grew up played Maggie May to death, and I get why, but I’d be fine not hearing that song ever again.
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
Beautiful. Moving. Aligns with my biases. I don’t know if I would ever seek this out to listen to in future, but I can’t deny what’s going on in this album.
The White Stripes
4/5
Pretty good. A lot better than I remember it being, and I liked this album when it was released. Can something be all over the place but also cohesive? This? Album? This one.
Norah Jones
3/5
Pleasant. Mellow. This album is not quite my thing, but it is understandable why it got as huge as it did. Don’t Know Why is a pretty good song. This is my first time hearing her version of Hank Sr’s Cold Cold Heart, and I really enjoyed that.
Richard Hawley
3/5
Decent but a little on the boring side. Depending on my mood, this might be nice as background in a half empty bar on a lazy afternoon. Kind of reminds me of Nick Lowe (who I also find unexciting).
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Pretty good overall. A few classic songs, even if they’ve been played to death. It took hearing my mom sing Gimme Shelter while playing that Rock Band video game to realize the words “rape” and “murder” are said over and over again in that song.
Adele
3/5
Fine. I’m glad others have found joy in this album, but this album did not inspire similar feelings in me. Rolling In The Deep is a great song but nothing else grabbed on here.
Nirvana
4/5
Very good. Hearing this takes me back to the time when it was released. Songs from this album seemed to be all over the place when it was released, but I didn’t mind because it was so good. I don’t remember buying this album, and it’s not inscribed with my name and date of purchase like I usually do, but the CD is in my collection. It might have been part of a deceased friend’s music collection their mom gave me around 15 years ago. Which is fitting because he and I hung out a lot when this album came out. Anyway. A few months ago Conan O’Brien had an interesting episode of his podcast where he talked with Grohl, Novoselic, and Albini about this album on the occasion of its 30 anniversary.
Ray Charles
4/5
Delightful. Almost a little too much on the easy listening side of things, but it works for me on this album.
Wilco
5/5
Do I love this album? Or do I love the memories of what was going on in my life when this album was released? Maybe both. I was really into this album when it was released. I’m pretty sure I saw them live on the tour for this album. The show was okay. My prevailing memory of that concert is the room was way too hot. I can’t remember the last time I specifically put on some Wilco to listen to, but I did enjoy listening to this again today.
Prince
5/5
So good. Classic tracks. Starts bonkers strong but remainder is good but not as great. If you’re a person who enjoys museums, and you’re a fan of Prince, then I recommend you visit Paisley Park up in Minnesota. I went a few years ago and I loved it.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Very good. Great voice. Although I swear this album already popped up on this list? What am I thinking of? I didn’t know (or simply forgot) The Dap-Kings were the band on this album.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Delightful. Such a satisfying listen start to finish.
The War On Drugs
3/5
Fine. I saw them perform at a music festival a couple years ago and it was a good concert, but I wasn’t wowed enough to seek out their material afterwards.
The Byrds
4/5
Very good. I love You Ain't Goin’ Nowhere.
Meat Loaf
3/5
Fine. Not quite my thing. Big theater kid energy. In high school or college I remember always seeing many copies of this album looking through bins of used LPs & CDs, and for a brief moment I considered making it “my thing” to always purchase every copy of this album I encountered to see how many I would accumulate over a lifetime.
Elvis Presley
4/5
Delightful. Calling something “world changing” usually seems like an exaggeration, but it seems appropriate for this album. Hail to the king/thief.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
I Saw The Light is a great song. Overall everything else is fine but excessive. *insert gif of Jeff Goldblum line from Jurassic Park regarding could/should*
The United States Of America
3/5
Nice. Enjoyable vibes, but the songs aren’t catchy enough to bump up the album to four stars.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Delightful. Very much my jam.
Deep Purple
3/5
Fine, a little fun. They rocked so we could run(?). Or something. Foundational but overplayed. Should I start a cult based on the song Space Truckin’?
The Cure
4/5
Very good. I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. I love the overall sound/vibe on this album. A few five star moments here and there but not enough to get five for the entire album.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Enjoyable mellow vibes.
David Bowie
3/5
Pretty good. I remember when this was released but I don’t recall if I listened to it or not back then.
Ms. Dynamite
3/5
Decent. Not my thing.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Pretty good. A few five star moments here and there, but overall a four for me.
R.E.M.
4/5
Very good. Solid. Multiple five star songs. I never really dug into REM before this project, and I’m glad it’s exposing me to their work for a deeper and more focused listen instead of just occasional pop culture peekaboos.
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
Decent. I remember this album getting a lot of attention back when it was released, but it didn’t gel with me then and it still doesn't gel with me now. It makes me think of another vaguely adjacent UK rock band from around the same time (Clinic and their great album Internal Wrangler) and how I think now (and possibly thought back then) “how did artic monkeys get so big and clinic not so big?”
Ramones
5/5
Glorious. One of the all-time greats. I listened to this album a lot back in 2001/2002-ish after reading the fun book Please Kill Me (an oral history that included this album and time period).
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Very good. This has aged pretty well. Maps is a great song and the drum part was fun and challenging to play on that old Rock Band video game.
The Black Crowes
4/5
Solid, pretty good, but not quite my thing. Or maybe a victim of this album being overplayed back when it was released. Regardless, this album is catchy enough to get a begrudging four stars from me.
Pretenders
4/5
Very good. A few great songs.
MC Solaar
4/5
Very good. This album was a lot of fun and a pleasant surprise.
N.W.A.
4/5
Very good. Intense. Occasional five star moments.
Curtis Mayfield
5/5
So good. Beautiful. Lush. Catchy. This isn’t the right album for all moods, but it is the perfect album for the right mood.
4/5
Delightful. Victoria is a five star song and my favorite Kinks song. I also really like Shangri-La.
David Bowie
4/5
Delightful. Wonderful vibes all around. This album is definitely my jam.
Metallica
4/5
Pretty darn good. Metallica is another one of those bands that seemed to generally be around in pop culture background but that I never dug into on my own. This album reminds me of playing Tony Hawk Pro Skater (although I have no idea if Metallica was in any of those video games).
Eminem
4/5
Man, this album was huge. It wasn’t my thing back then, and it’s not my thing now, but this album definitely held my attention. This album has its ups and downs, and even deeper downs, but for me overall its highlights earn a surprising four stars.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
Goshdarnit. I went in thinking I was over Clapton, but then Bell Bottom Blues started playing and that is still a five star song. Most of the rest of the album is a beaten-horse-meh. Layla is still pretty good I guess.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Decent. Enjoyable vibes. I’d rate it 3.5 stars if I could.
Happy Mondays
3/5
Upon reviewing the lyrics for the song Donovan on this album, I’ve come to the conclusion that I should not make it my theme song.
The album is decent overall. It’s good, and understandable why it was such a big deal back in the day, but now it sounds a little dated. Although maybe it sounds dated due to so many other bands mimicking their vibe and stealing their thunder. It does have some fine four star moments sprinkled about.
Solange
4/5
Pretty good. Seems like an album that would continue to be more rewarding with each listen.
Van Halen
4/5
Pretty good. This one surprised me. I went in with low expectations expecting to listen to more overplayed dead horses, but overall very enjoyable. Jump, Panama, and Teacher are all five star songs, even though they’ve been played over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over. David Lee Roth seems like the kind of person who would be a horrible roommate but a fun neighbor (down the hall or street not sharing a wall with).
Metallica
3/5
Fine. Does this list need all of these Metallica albums? Seems like this album doesn’t need to be here.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Zzzzzzzz. Not 4 me.
Einstürzende Neubauten
3/5
I do love Einstürzende Neubauten, and this album is fine, but I’m not quite sure this album belongs on this list, although it is sort of understandable from an angle of “this one thing was a trailblazer to do a certain thing a certain way”. Their album Tabula Rasa is my favorite of theirs, it keeps a delightful balance of chaos/noise and structure/harmony, and in my opinion a better choice for this list. I saw them in concert in 2004 or so and that was a great and memorable show.
Butthole Surfers
3/5
Fine. Some tunes are catchy, but the overall immature vibes are a little off putting to this old man.
Beck
3/5
Decent. I listened to this album a fair amount back when it was released. I liked it more back then than I do now.
Fats Domino
4/5
I was very confused looking for this album. Looks like it’s not on my streaming service of choice in USA, and it was unclear what was what on YouTube. I ended up listening to an essentials playlist of Fats which seemed to have a lot of the same tracks as this album. That playlist was great, very enjoyable. My apologies to Fats on the failure of my search.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Pretty good. Catchy at times. Although didn’t grab me like his other work (Basement Tapes is my favorite album of his).
Beastie Boys
4/5
Pretty good. Some very nice moments on here. It’s fun catching samples of other artists (at least one I recognized from a recent album on this project).
James Taylor
3/5
Fine. To its credit, this album does sound like something that would be very popular in 1970. Good job Jimothy!
Alanis Morissette
4/5
Pretty good. I don’t own this album, but wowzers was this album everywhere back in the day. Listening to it brought back a fair amount of high school and college memories. Speaking of back in the day, the album’s overall sound is very of its time. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it occasionally is on this album. If someone asked me what the ‘90s sounded like, this would be one of the albums I would answer with. Although did this album sound this way due to other albums in the ‘90s, or did other albums sound they way they did due to this album? For me there are peaks and valleys on the album, but the strength of its huge songs pull up its average to four stars. The documentary Jagged from a few years ago about Alanis and this album was pretty good and I enjoyed that more than I thought I would.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Fun aka ACIIIIIDDDDD. I remember hearing the big songs from this album on tv/radio/whatnot back when it was released and it was enjoyable, but for whatever reason I did not buy the album. Most of it still sounds pretty good. The overall vibe I got from this album is montage soundtrack with Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright. Which is a good thing.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Decent. When I’ve been at a particular level of tipsiness at a wedding or bar or whatnot, I’m sure I’ve shouted along with Come On Eileen, and that is a great song. The rest of the album was fine but nothing grabbed me.
Traffic
3/5
Fine. Sounds like something that would play as background music in a used record store where the clerk is a baby boomer. Enjoyable, and probably sounds great on a good system, but I’m not going to buy a copy.
Ryan Adams
3/5
Fine. Very 2001 vibes of an album for sale at a Starbucks cash register.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Bobby D, you did it again! Again! AGAIN! AGAIN AGAIN AGAIN!!!
The Go-Go's
4/5
Cool, cohesive, catchy. Three out of the five classic Cs.
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
Dang. Mr Blue Sky is a pretty great song. Great enough to pull up the album’s rating to a four. The other songs were decent but nowhere near as good as Mr Blue Sky.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Wow! This is great. This album feels like a gold standard a few different ways.
Thin Lizzy
2/5
Meh. This band has a few songs that are pretty catchy, but overall they’re a tad overplayed for me. I made it to The Boys Are Back In Town, got bored after, then stopped listening. A live album needs to be something really special to deserve to be on this list. This album ain’t it. Maybe I’ll enjoy their studio albums more.
Kanye West
3/5
Fine. Another situation of the person overshadowing their art.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Dang, this is still pretty good. I listened to a lot of this band in high school and this album still holds up pretty well. Not every song is five stars on this album, but its strongest songs are so freakin’ good.
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
Decent. Great voice. Wishing Well is a great song, and I’m sure I’ve heard it in movies or tv shows. Although at times this album sounds very dated and very ‘80s (and not always in a charming way).
4/5
Pretty good. I like Blur, but this feels like a relatively weaker album for them. Good overall but no breakout-bonkers-catchy songs like some of their other albums. Although I would probably feel very differently if I was a teenager in UK when this was released. The strength of Chemical World’s chorus just barely gets this album to four stars.
Public Enemy
5/5
Wow, this is great. It still sounds so good. The music has aged extremely well. The songs are not all five stars individually, but collectively this album is five stars. One of my favorite concert memories is seeing Public Enemy perform at an outdoor summer festival in downtown Des Moines where there was a small group of hippies with lit up hula hoops doing their thing up front by the stage for the entire concert.
The Who
5/5
Dang, this album is still very good. It’s strong enough that the oodles of times I’ve heard it on the radio haven’t killed it for me.
Pete Townshend and Repeat Townshend are in a boat. Pete falls in the water. Who is in the boat? Won’t get fooled again.
Rush
3/5
Fine. Nothing on here grabbed me. I’m aware of Rush, I know people that love Rush, I’ve enjoyed their pinball machine, but I never got into them. Is this album more significant and enjoyable to people that are already devoted fans of the band?
Joan Baez
3/5
Decent. Not quite my thing but still enjoyable. I just realized that Silver Dagger is an old folk song. I’ve heard a version of that song before performed by someone else.
The Triffids
2/5
😴
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
😴
Funkadelic
5/5
Holy moly, Maggot Brain is such a good song. One of my favorites of all time. The rest of the album is pretty darn strong as well, not all five star songs, but overall strong enough with the title track’ epicness for the album to get five stars from me.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Dang, this album is still so good despite many of its songs being played to death. Crazy strong album overall. Listening to it this time I happened to focus more on the drums for some reason, and the drums sounded a lot more jazzier than I remember. That is not a criticism, the drums sound great and work well with everything that’s happening.
Brian Wilson
3/5
This is a tricky one. Yes, there’s a couple of great songs on here. I hate myself for thinking it and I’m a horrible person for saying it and it is completely normal unfair, but, most of this album sounds like Pet Sounds cosplay. I’m glad Brian got to finally make this album, and one of his pinkies has more talent than one hundred of me put together, but this album fell flat with me overall. Less life changing vibes and more straw hat wearing taffy makers at an amusement park.
Dolly Parton
3/5
Decent. Listening to this album makes me think of browsing in a flea market or antique mall. Dolly is great but this album didn’t grab me.
k.d. lang
3/5
Smoooooooooth. And a little on the boring side overall. Not quite my thing, although Constant Craving is a great song.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Dang. This is still pretty good. Blues? Rock? Man. Blues? Rock? Man. Blues? Rock? Man. Blocks Rue McClanahan.
John Lennon
4/5
I enjoyed this album more than I thought I would. I do love The Beatles. Having said that, John ranks 4th in my personal Beatles rankings. One factoid I love about Beatles solo albums (and other rock albums from this era) is that Jim Keltner and Klaus Voormann are band members in a surprisingly high percentage of them.
Yes
3/5
Good People is a pretty good song, but otherwise the album is competent but unremarkable. Yes might be one of those bands where instead of having multiple albums on this list their accomplishments might be better represented by a best of compilation.
Common
3/5
This album is pretty good, although nothing grabbed me as a standout song. This feels like the kind of thing where if I heard it playing over a store’s PA that I would enjoy it but not be motivated to use an app to figure out what it is.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Games is a pretty good song, but the rest of the album is kind of meh.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Okay, Macky-Mac and the Fleetwood Bunch, you got me. This is a pretty good album. Although one or two songs are meh. Is this album the pinnacle of That Kind Of Thing? That solo bass lick near the end of The Chain might be the best solo bass lick ever.
The Pogues
3/5
Pretty good, but not as good as I remember. I had this album in college and really enjoyed it back then. Although it hasn’t aged as well as I thought it would.
Billy Bragg
3/5
California Stars is a great song. Rest of the album of fine.
Portishead
4/5
Dang, really good, very much my vibe. This might be my first time listening to this album. I was pretty into their first two albums in the previous millennium, and those were also great.
The Stooges
5/5
You know what, maybe I am a streetwalking cheetah with a heart full of napalm. I love this album. I love The Stooges. I’m 20% certain Iggy is not from this planet. Although it feels like I need to wash my hands after listening to this album. The 2023 mix of this album I listened to is…interesting. Sometimes I loved this new mix, sometimes I really disliked it.
Miles Davis
5/5
Miles Davis is hit or miss for me, and this album hits very big for me if I’m in the right mood. I was pretty into this album either in college or shortly after college. I think I read about it on some best of listicle kind of like this project. One time back then I listened to this album very loudly by myself during a long drive on the interstate at night. It was a perfect mixture of music and circumstances.
David Bowie
3/5
Pretty good, but only a couple great songs. I don’t see myself returning to this album like I would with other albums from Bowie.
Scott Walker
3/5
Meh. Not my thing.
John Lee Hooker
2/5
Yikes. I did not like this. What the fudge is this album doing on this list? John Lee Hooker is a legend, and there are many great artists on this album, but this album sounded so freakin’ ‘80s in the worst possible way.
The Cardigans
3/5
FLUTE SOLOOOOOOOOOO. Yes, Lovefool is great, but album is otherwise fine. This reminded me of Komeda, a different band from Sweden that I was into way back when. It’s been a while since I listened to Komeda, but I’m a bigger fan of Komeda than The Cardigans.
Johnny Cash
4/5
But, soft! What train through yonder bend rolls?
It is the east, and Johnny is the Cash.
- - -
Yes, he does deserve to have two live albums on this list. They’re both that good.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
It’s fine. Like I said for a different album of hers on this list, her music never really grabbed me. That might have something to do with me not really paying attention to lyrics.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Raincoat is a pretty good song but the rest of the album didn’t grab me.
The B-52's
4/5
Very good, very enjoyable. Their cheekiness is fun and the music is very good.
Muddy Waters
3/5
Good. If this was on the radio then I wouldn’t change the station. I have to confess, my favorite album of his is Electric Mud, a bonkers fun album that is riding the coattails of psychedelic rock. It’s kind of like if Bob Dylan released a techno album. … Unrelated question: how much money would it take for Bob Dylan to release a techno album? Answer: you contribution to this Kickstarter will help determine what that amount is.
Tears For Fears
5/5
Pretty great. This album sounds like the ‘80s in the best possible way. Hippie voice: Hey man, is that Songs From The Big Chair? Then turn it up, man!
Miles Davis
3/5
Pretty good. I’ve probably heard these songs before as background music in a coffee shop or Borders (RIP).
Leonard Cohen
2/5
I’m glad Leonard Cohen has released so many albums that fans of his are able to enjoy. But there are way too many of his albums on this list. Not for me.
Coldplay
4/5
Goshdarnit, I’m so angry, I admit it, this is a pretty good album. I went in with a negative bias thinking I wouldn’t like it due to it being played to death. But. Then. The opening few guitar notes of In My Place begrudgingly turned me around. This album gets a mildly resentful just barely four stars. How did this happen?
Japan
3/5
Fine. Not for me. My favorite thing about this album is the opening statement in its Wikipedia entry: Quiet Life is the third studio album by English new wave band Japan, first released on 17 November 1979 in Canada.
The Specials
4/5
A message to you: I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. Rudy.
Jimmy Smith
4/5
Very good. Delightful vibes. I know I had at least one album by Jimmy Smith, might have had this one in the past. Or maybe checked it out from the library.
Ice T
3/5
Decent, but a mixed bag overall. Some tracks are great, some tracks sound pretty dated and have not aged well. The interludes made me think of Mister Rogers.
Richard Thompson
3/5
Fine. I’ve heard a lot about this album and some people really like it, but this album did not grab me.
Femi Kuti
3/5
Fine. Good grooves.
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
Exceedingly pleasant. I apologize, but I did not listen to all 3 hours and 15 minutes of this selection.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
Good. Some classic tracks, but overall for me not as satisfying as their other albums. Also: too long.
Sheryl Crow
3/5
Fine. Yowzers, that one song was freakin’ everywhere for a year or so.
Sam Cooke
4/5
Pretty good. Delightful vibes. Amazing voice.
Tom Waits
4/5
Pretty good. Another album with amazing vibes and a glorious voice. For me peak Waits is Bone Machine. I’m not very familiar with this album, and it might be the first time I listened to the entire thing. Maybe Rain Dogs will get up to five stars after I become more familiar.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Very good. Feels like something I would like more and more on repeated listens.
The Who
3/5
Pretty good. The Who is great, and they have multiple albums that deserve to be on this list, but I have my doubts about this live album deserving to be on this list. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: a live album needs to have something really special to make it on this list. This live album doesn’t have it. Well, on second thought, this album’s version of A Quick One is pretty darn good and might just tip those scales. “CELLO CELLO CELLO CELLO CELLO CELLO CELLO CELLO”
Bert Jansch
3/5
Fine. Reminds me of how much I like John Fahey.
D'Angelo
4/5
Very good. This goes so hard but so smooth. Here and there this album sounds dated in a meh ‘90s way, but most of this album sounds fresh. I love this version of Cruisin’ and it sounds like it could be released today. Jonz In My Bonz is also great, but, for reasons I can’t say in this forum, it reminded me of skeleton John Ratzenberger.
The Prodigy
2/5
Kind of boring. Sounds stale and dated. This album’s presence on this list is questionable. Although maybe it has cultural significance in the UK I am unaware of that justifies it being here. Or maybe this is the kind of album best experienced in a crowded room at high volume.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
Pretty good. The songs Breakdown and American Girl are strong enough to bump this album up to 4 stars for me. Those two songs feel like something that people will still be listening to in 100 years. Is Tom Petty another artist who would be best represented on this list with a best of compilation? That would be wall to wall five star songs.
George Harrison
5/5
👏 FIVE 👏 STARS 👏 FIVE 👏 STARS 👏 FIVE 👏 STARS 👏 FIVE 👏 STARS 👏 FIVE 👏 STARS 👏
Full disclosure: this album was already one of my favorites of all time before this 1,001 project, so I’m a big fan and very familiar with it. Is every song five stars? No. Could this triple album have been trimmed to two albums on its initial release? Maybe. Do the jams occasionally get annoying? Yes. This album isn’t perfect, but there is so so so much on here I love.
Lucinda Williams
3/5
Fine. Not bad. Feels a little dated.
The Killers
3/5
Fine. I feel like I’m watching TV in the late ‘00s. Full disclosure: I’m pretty bummed and currently not in a music mood. Sorry, The Killers.
Robert Wyatt
3/5
Decent. Mellow. Agreeable.
Christine and the Queens
3/5
Peppy. Sounds like something I’d hear in the food court of a mall. Fine. Not quite my thing.
Thelonious Monk
3/5
Good. Satisfying, but nothing on here grabbed me enough to seek it out for additional listens in future.
Nirvana
5/5
Wow. This is still so good. I remember liking this album back when it became huge huge huge, although I never bought it. I’m pretty sure my kid logic back then was something along the lines of why should I spend money on something that I’ll be hearing all over the place all the time.
Santana
4/5
I coulda sworn we already did this album. Guess not. Anyway. This was probably a popular album to have on while hippies did their taxes. Wink.
Mike Oldfield
3/5
MAN-DOE-LYNNNN!!
The opening riff is fantastic, but most of the remaining album is too much noodle not enough steak.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Dang. This album is still great. Many five star moments. Although the herky-jerky parts in Black Dog still feel bad, kind of like when walking down steps and almost tripping to your death but catching yourself at last moment. Sooo, is Bread Zeppelin anything? Stairway to Leaven, amirite?
Can
4/5
Delightful grooves. Repetitive, but in a way that evolves and is enjoyable.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Pretty good. A couple 5 star songs. Although EC might be another example of an artist who might be better represented by a best of compilation on this 1,001 list instead of multiple albums that each have a couple classic songs.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Pretty good. Enjoyable vibe overall. If I heard this in a store I’d probably use my phone to figure out what was playing. I’ll be generous and give it a 4 since I can’t do 3.5.
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
Fine. Not my thing. I’m pretty sure this linked to the wrong album. I maybe found the right one on YouTube? This does sounds like something rockstars would listen to in the late ‘60s.
Minutemen
5/5
So good. Examined individually, there’s just a handful of five star songs on here, but there’s something about this album as a whole that makes everything work and feel great. Although I might be biased due to reading about this band in the enjoyable book Our Band Could Be Your Life. PS, I do not object if someone wants to blast Corona on their phone while my ashes are scattered.
Elton John
3/5
Yeah, yeah, I guess, Tiny Dancer is a five star song. The rest of the album didn’t grab me and was fine. Elton always seems to be around in pop culture in one way or another. Do I take them for granted? Maybe. Although one thing I love and respect about Elton is that they seem to genuinely be a fan of music in the context of a consumer/enjoyer of pop music (did I see that in a Tower Records documentary?).
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
Pretty good. Fairly or unfairly, I think of EWF as wedding music. Being the soundtrack to happiness is a nice achievement, I suppose. A couple mega-strong songs on here, and the rest are decent.
Björk
3/5
Decent. A fascinating concept for an album. Although my reaction is mild.
PJ Harvey
3/5
Good, with a couple great tracks, but I like their other albums more. Their other albums might be more deserving of being on this list than this album.
The Sugarcubes
3/5
This list loves Björk. As do I! But the list’s love is greater than mine. The dude vocals on this album are annoying.
Beatles
5/5
Magical. This album isn’t even in my top three Beatles albums. Although some of the lyrics are kind of dumb. Sorry, lads. Basically the world’s greatest ballerinas that occasionally tell a knock knock joke written by a child. Wait, that would be great.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
Pretty good. I’m pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this. This album probably sounds great on a good stereo.
Nick Drake
4/5
Pretty good. I remember listening to this in the past and really liking it. I wasn’t in the right mood for it today, so it didn’t quite hit the same, but still good stuff in here.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Fine. Kind of meh for me. I do like some of Bruce’s other albums, but this one didn’t do it for me.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Delightful. Is the opening two minutes and forty seconds of this album the best start to any album ever? The rest of the album is decent but nowhere near as amazing as its start. BUT, Do Your Thing is a marvelous extended jam.
The Doors
3/5
Fine to meh. Decent musicians but Morrison is not for me. This album should not be on this list. I can see an argument for including some of their other albums that are more popular and allegedly-classic, but not this one. Why do I dislike some talented jerks (Jim Morrison) but like other talented jerks ([REDACTED])? Although the song Land Ho made me want to start a cover band called Nautical Corner that only plays songs about ships/sailors/seas/etc. Also: one of my cats left the room when I started playing this album.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Wow, this is great. I’d give this album 4.5 stars if I could, but its vibes are just so good I’ll round up to 5. No song on here feels like a 5 star song, but everything together just works so well.
Stephen Stills
3/5
You’re love the with one. Or whatnot. That song has been played to death but I begrudgingly accept it is a good song. Album is decent overall.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Dang, what a weird album. Did this sound good and/or cutting edge when it was released? Sorry, Leonard. A lot of people seem to like you, this 1,001 list really likes you, but your music is just not my thing. The one positive takeaway I have from this album is that I will now say the term “jazz police” on a regular basis. Per orders of the jazz police this album gets 3 stars instead of 2 stars.
Burning Spear
4/5
Delightful. Strong throughout. I think I remember seeing flyers on telephone poles for Burning Spear concerts when I was in high school.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Decent. Street Fighting Man is the best song on here. Sympathy For The Devil is a good song but for me has been played to death. You might be familiar with Sympathy being partially inspired by the novel The Master and Margarita, but what you might not be familiar with is it is worth your time to search YouTube for “master margarita cat gun fight scene”.
Beatles
5/5
Amazing. This still sounds so good. A funny coincidence this album came up after a Rolling Stones album. For the age old question of “Beatles or Rolling Stones?”, I am firmly in team Beatles.
Grateful Dead
5/5
I almost gave this album four stars, but then I found myself humming multiple songs from this album later in the day. It seems fair to grant five stars in those circumstances. My parents played this album a lot when I was a kid so that might be some baked in bias there. Many classic songs on this album.
The Fall
4/5
Dang, this is really good. I’ve heard other Fall albums before, but this was my first time with this album. This is my favorite Fall album I’ve heard so far. Is this album a missing link between Velvet Underground and Yeah Yeah Yeahs? This album is not quite five stars for me yet, but seems like it might earn five on future listens.
Justin Timberlake
3/5
Decent. Makes me feel like I’m at a mall around 20 years ago. I generally enjoy JT when they show up in tv/movies/whatnot, but I do not specifically seek out their music.
Eminem
2/5
Meh. Some of the music is decent, but the overall distracting vibe is of a kid being annoying with the goal of being annoying. This album is not for me. I did not finish this album.
OutKast
5/5
This was a tough one to decide on, but I’ve settled on rating this album five stars with an asterisk. The asterisk being this album is too long. The strongest songs on here are so good and so plentiful. It’s bonkers. Is Hey Ya the greatest song released in the 21st century so far?
U2
4/5
Me 15-ish years ago would have rated this five stars, but today me rates this album a solid four stars. Although I do admit the album has a few five star moments. Did my rating decrease because of Bono?
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
Fine. I enjoyed the guitar playing (hooray for Ry Cooder) but otherwise the album did not grab me.
Sparks
3/5
Fine. There’s a few good songs on here but it wasn’t quite enough for me to bump up my rating to four. Although I really enjoyed the recent documentary about Sparks that was made by Edgar Wright. Maybe I haven’t found the right Sparks album for me yet? Or maybe Sparks is another example where their strengths are best highlighted in a best of album?
Neil Young
5/5
Dang, pretty good. A few great moments and overall felt cohesive. A nice variety of instruments and vibes from song to song but they still all fit together nicely. Also: I really enjoy Prelude’s cover of the song After The Gold Rush that I first heard on Rhino’s sci-fi box set Brain In A Box.
Lou Reed
4/5
Pretty good, but kind of uneven. High highs and low lows. And thus concludes my career-spanning biography of Lou Reed’s artistic output.
Talking Heads
4/5
Delightful. Great vibes. A few great songs (almost half of the album?).
Suede
3/5
Fine. Portions sound like the ‘90s trying to sound like the ‘70s.
Buck Owens
4/5
Surprisingly good. This album caught me off guard. A wild ride I was not expecting. And unexpected Chuck Berry cover! I’m not willing to give this album five stars today, but I can see myself revisiting this album in future and my rating possibly growing to five stars.
The Verve
3/5
Fine overall, occasionally boring. Yes, Bittersweet Symphony is a great song. Maybe a top 25 or 50 pop song of ‘90s? Although for me it is one of those songs that has been played so much back in the day that I doubt I’ll ever specifically seek it out to listen to, but if I did hear it at a store or in a movie or whatnot then I would likely think to myself “wow, this is a great song”.
Beatles
5/5
Dang, this one is also delightful. It kind of feels weird listening to these songs altogether on an album since my own experience with these songs were separate from this album. This is a marvelous album and these songs are amazing, but there’s quite a few Beatles classics where I prefer a cover version to the original.
Elis Regina
3/5
Fine, but not quite my thing. Vibe is kind of Steely Dan adjacent?
The Crusaders
4/5
Pretty good. A pleasant surprise. Sounds like something I’d hear as background music in an older grocery store. This one caught me in the right mood.
Kraftwerk
3/5
Pretty good. Honestly, some of It sounds kind of dated now. Although it probably sounded revolutionary back then.
Cream
3/5
Decent, I guess. A few highlights here and there, but overall feels overplayed and occasionally clumsy.
Radiohead
4/5
Dang, this album is a lot better than I remember. Very good. I bought this album shortly after it was released, and while I enjoyed it back then it kind of felt like more of a companion EP to Kid A than it’s own album. A couple decades later it feels like its own album (and I maybe like it more than Kid A?). A few amazing songs. I’ll probably revisit this one in near future to dig deeper.
Queen Latifah
4/5
Pretty good. This was a pleasant surprise.
Manu Chao
3/5
Fine. Not quite my thing. Pretty sure I heard this playing in the background at a Borders Books & Music way back when.
Gang Of Four
4/5
Pretty good. I think I’ve heard a couple of these songs on compilations or cover versions.
Queen
4/5
Dang, this is a lot better than I thought it would be. I was worried it would be boring and overplayed, but it was an enjoyable listen. Some of the lesser known songs get a little weird and go off the rails, but in a good way.
Taylor Swift
3/5
Fine. Catchy, poppy, polished, and Shake It Off is a great song. But listening to this makes feel like I’m in a store where I’m not the target demographic.
3/5
Fine. Decent twangness, but a little bland. I know Loretta is a legend so I must have missed something with this album or been in the wrong mood or something.
Pixies
4/5
Pretty dang good. I don’t know if any of the songs on this album will still be played 100 years from now like some of their other classic songs, but this album is super solid.
Air
5/5
A classic. I listened to this album a lot back in the day. This reminds me of the 2001 documentary Startup.com and a scene near the end. One of the main subjects was driving their car and talking to the filmmaker and their camera in the passenger seat. Air’s song Remember happened to be playing in the background on the car stereo. After the documentary subject finished saying something emotionally intense (and probably hard to replicate) they joked the song was playing the entire time and now the film would have to pay Air if they turned it up. The filmmaker replied with “yeah…”, and then the subject turned up the music and started to groove. Thankfully the song worked pretty well for the scene. To see that clip search YouTube for: startup.com air remember.
Elton John
3/5
Elton isn’t someone I think of in the context of particular albums. For as long as I can remember Elton had always been a background pop culture mainstay for specific songs. This album is decent overall, and has a couple great songs, but is another example an artist where a best of compilation better aligns with what I’m looking for than multiple albums. An hour long Elton best of seems like a guaranteed five stars.
Depeche Mode
4/5
Dang, this is pretty good. A very pleasant surprise. Strong overall with a couple five star songs. I was only familiar with the big singles and it was nice to finally hear the rest of the album. It makes sense why they got huge.
Morrissey
1/5
Nah. No thank you. Another example of an individual’s actions overshadowing their art.
MGMT
5/5
Wow. This is really good. I’ve heard this album’s big songs plenty of times, but this was my first time listening to the entire album. This album is very much my bullshit. And today I learned a producer on this album (Dave Fridmann) has been involved in a lot of other stuff I love.
The Avalanches
4/5
Fun. Pretty good. A little dancier than I typically seek out, but enjoyable overall.
The Zombies
4/5
Very good. Catchy, mellow, gentle. I like this album and it has some great moments, but I don’t seem to like it as much as some critics.
The Offspring
3/5
Fine. This album is very good at what it does, but what it does is not for me. The big songs on here were played to death back in the day. I like punk but something about this album’s twist on it doesn’t grab me.
Missy Elliott
3/5
Fine overall. Work It is a great song. This album did not grab me.
The Kinks
3/5
Fine. The Kinks are great and I love some of their albums, but not this one. This album has a few good songs on it but overall it did not grab me and was a little boring.
Big Star
3/5
Fine. There’s a few good songs on here but overall the album did not grab me. Apparently this album influenced a bunch of people. I wonder if this is a case of this album being a trailblazer and then its fans leapfrogging it with better music.
The Who
4/5
Pretty good. Still sounds fresh and vibrant. A few really great songs. I’ve always loved the description of The Who as being a band with four front men, and it does seem accurate for this album.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Very good overall. Delightful mellow vibes throughout. There’s a few songs on here that people will still be listening to in 100 years and beyond. Mostly in dorm rooms.
Billy Joel
3/5
Good, I guess. A few catchy songs. Not really my thing. I don’t see myself seeking out this album, and it’s a little overplayed for me. I would rate this three and a half stars if that was an option. Will I be sued because of this review?
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
Decent. A few catchy tunes. I greatly appreciated the song dedication to Stevie Wonder.
The Undertones
3/5
Decent. If this was playing as background music in a bar I would enjoy it but not enough to look up what it was.
Blondie
4/5
Dang, this pretty good. Solid. Like glass. Of the heart.
Sly & The Family Stone
5/5
Amazing. In a wild coincidence I just watched the new Sly Lives documentary the day before this album popped up for this project. Hopefully my enjoyment of this album would still be as big without having watched that documentary, but this was an amazing listen in the context of everything in that documentary.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Fine I guess. I listened to this album a fair amount back in the day, but for some reason it did not age well for me. Why do I like this album less now? Overplayed? Leapfrogged by others? Realizing this album was a surrogate for wanting more Neutral Milk Hotel? Allegations towards the main guy regarding sexual assault? All of the above?
Tortoise
3/5
Fine. Sounds like something late-‘90s-me would be into. Reminds me of Slint, but I remember liking Slint more than this album.
Tito Puente
3/5
Fun. Fine. Today’s secret word: TIMBALES. Mmmm, drummy.
Beatles
5/5
Amazing. Another 5 stars, another example of my Beatles-bias.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Fine. Feels a little dated. If I was aware of this band back in high school I could see myself digging them.
Drive-By Truckers
2/5
Meh. Way too long. I remember these folks being around 20 or so years ago, and they seemed to be popular with some critics, but it didn’t catch on with me for whatever reason. Skynyrd-lite? Black Crowes sans hooks? A British person’s idea of what the American south is like?
Morrissey
1/5
Nah. No thank you. Another example of an individual’s actions overshadowing their art.
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
Fine. Skilled noodlings.
Roxy Music
4/5
Pretty good. Just barely four stars. They caught me in a generous mood. YOU OWE ME, ROXY MUSIC.
Venom
4/5
I found my newest Christmas tradition! This album is impressive for 1982. By that metric it is four stars. If it was released a year or so ago then three stars. I love how rock music evolved from Little Richard to this album in a relatively short amount of time. A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-lop-bam-Baphomet.
PJ Harvey
4/5
Nice. I listened to this album a fair amount back in the day. It still sounds pretty good.
Gil Scott-Heron
4/5
Pretty good. Too bad it seems challenging to find online.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Dang, this is great. This album is almost 60 years old but still sounds so fresh and vibrant.
The Mars Volta
3/5
Decent. Interesting and complicated, but not quite my thing.
TLC
4/5
Pretty good. I enjoyed this album more than I thought I would. Creep and Waterfalls are still amazing songs, and people will still be listening to those in 100 years. At its best this album sounds of its time but not dated, if that makes any sense.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Fine. If I heard this on the radio back in the day on the college station or whatnot I’d probably like it enough to keep listening but not enough to seek out the album and buy it. I read the story behind the song Kevin Carter. Heavy.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Fine. A few good moments here and there but overall the album did not grab me. As a kid I remember seeing shirts, posters, patches, jackets, etc, with Iron Maiden stuff on them and thinking it looked scary and that the music was probably wild and dangerous or something. Now this sounds kind of tame and quaint (complimentary).
Deep Purple
3/5
Decent, fun. Does this album need to be in this list? It makes sense for their album Machine Head to be on this list, but not this album.
Miriam Makeba
3/5
Fine. If I heard this playing as background music in a restaurant i would enjoy it enough to think “this is nice” but not enough to find out what was playing.
The Who
3/5
Fine. I Can See For Miles is a great song, but the rest of the album did not grab me. The Who have one or more albums that deserve to be on this list, but this album is not one of them. Or am I missing something great about this album? The version of the album I listened to had so much extra stuff it was almost 6 HOURS LONG. What the what?
T. Rex
3/5
Fine overall. Solid 4 star vibes. Decent 3 star songs.
Nirvana
5/5
Wow, this album is a lot better than I remember it being. Back in the day this album and show were one of those pop culture things that seemed to always be around. Going in I thought I might be bored with it being overplayed, but that was not the case. This album is amazing. A wonderful time capsule.
Bon Jovi
4/5
A begrudging 4 stars. Good job, Jon B. More like Blippery Bhen Bet. I don’t know.
Grateful Dead
3/5
Decent. Skillful noodling. I really like St Stephen on here, but overall the album did not do it for me. I like Grateful Dead, I’ve attended a concert of theirs (in junior high with my entire family), they have one or more albums that deserve to be on this list, but this album was not connecting with me for whatever reason.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Pretty good, but nothing I found myself wanting to re-listen to in the future. Their other album Daydream Nation (and maybe others) deserve to be on this list, but I’m unsure about this one. Borderline 3 or 4 for me.
The Cure
3/5
Decent overall. Agreeable (to me) vibes. Borderline 3 or 4. This album and some of the last few albums feel like they might earn a 4 after multiple listens.
Röyksopp
4/5
I enjoyed this. Dare I say: “boogie-inducing”? I did! I said it.
Lupe Fiasco
3/5
Decent. I think I borrowed this album from the library about 15 or so years ago. I remember Kick, Push being a standout track, but don’t recall much beyond that. Pretty much holds same today. *hawk screech*
Arcade Fire
3/5
Ugh, fine. Somewhat catchy, I guess. I understand their album Funeral being on this list (despite my earlier expressed reservations), but this album doesn’t deserve to be.
Peter Frampton
3/5
Fine. Classic classic rock. Classic. Classic. Classic. Over. And over. And over. And over. And over. And over. And over. Again. Show. Me. The. Way.
Donovan
4/5
Dang, this is pretty good. Great folky-psychy-hippy vibes. I deny all rumors that my rating is due to name sharing bias.
Bob Dylan
4/5
‘90s kids will remember. REMEMBER. What I remember: this album makes me think of the movie Wonder Boys. Although there might just be one or two songs from this album on that soundtrack, and Dylan’s big song from that movie is not on this album. Great vibes/atmosphere overall on this album but occasionally the reverb gets a little too intense for my taste.
Joy Division
4/5
Still pretty dang good. A few great songs on here. This probably sounded revolutionary when it was released. Although to my current ears its charming sparseness is occasionally too thin. To be honest, there’s a live album of theirs that I prefer to their studio albums. It’s from 1979ish concert(s), has blue/black/white rectangles on cover, has Frenchy words in title, sounds like a bootleg but is an official release, is rough around the edges, is more punk than post, and to me has a fascinating energy and urgency the studio albums don’t have.
Morrissey
1/5
Nah. No thank you. Another example of an individual’s actions overshadowing their art.
Rocket From The Crypt
2/5
Not for me. Some friends in high school liked this band and would play it around me now and again, but it never connected with me. I don’t know what it is. A significant chunk of the music I like is dudes with guitars, and this album is dudes with guitars, but I’m not buying what these dudes with these guitars are selling.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
Uhhhh, meh. A couple decent moments here and there, but overall this album is not for me. The are some Zappa albums I love, but this ain’t one of ‘em.
The 13th Floor Elevators
4/5
Very good. Very much my BS. A few 5 star moments and a pretty strong album overall. ELECTRIC JUG.
Hawkwind
4/5
Pour it straight into my brain. Very very very very much my BS. Peaks and valleys of 5 star songs tempered with occasionally excessive noodling.
The Byrds
3/5
Groovy. Far out. Keep on trucking. Mellow times. *holds up album to face, silly walks, weird voice*: “Look at me, I’m a boomer. Twang twang twang twang twang.”
Fela Kuti
4/5
Dang, this is great. When I saw today’s album was Fela, only 4 tracks, but 54 minutes long, I knew this would either be amazing or horrible. This album is delightful. The parallels are tenuous, but this album has adjacent vibes to Hawkwind’s Space Ritual that this project served up earlier this week.
Suede
3/5
Fine. This band seems like something I’d like given I like adjacent bands, but for some reason this band never connected with me.
3/5
Fine overall. Adequate noodling. I prefer one or more of their other albums that have already appeared on this list.
The Beta Band
5/5
Dang, this is still so good. I listened to this album A LOT when it was first released in 2001. At the time I was living in a nice apartment complex with a pretty good pool, and when I’d go swimming sometimes I would play this album on a little CD boombox I’d bring with me. For me this album does an amazing job of balancing all the different genres it draws inspiration from. If you like this album then I recommend you check out Lone Pigeon or The Aliens (and their album with the excellent title Astronomy For Dogs) which are offshoots of The Beta Band.
The Charlatans
3/5
Fine. Decent britpop jams. Oasis adjacent. “Oasis adjacent orangutan” is my preferred phrase for vocal warmup.
The Beta Band
3/5
Decent, but nowhere near as good as their previous album. I love their previous album but this album should not be on this list.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Dang. This is pretty good. I was never into this band in high school but I knew a couple people that were really into them. Legend has it SP played a show at a tiny club here in town a few days after this album’s release but before they became huge.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Fine. A couple standout tracks. But this album’s inclusion on this list feels like another example of the book’s bias. Exit planet dust? More like: ex, it plane, T dust.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
😴😴😴 Dang, this was boring. Definitely not my thing. Sorry, DMR. A rule of thumb I have for rating something 2 stars is if I’d change the station if this was playing on the radio and it was my first time hearing it. Yes, I’d absolutely change the station if this was playing.
4/5
Delightful. Sounds like the ‘90s in a great way. I have a few XTC albums, and some of their songs are amazing, but I don’t know if I’ve found an XTC album yet that was solid one start to finish for me. It’s generally two or three amazing songs and the rest decent.
The Gun Club
5/5
Five stars awarded for outstanding achievement in the field of overall vibes. Am I able to hum any of the melodies after listening to this? No. Did the album feel great from start to finish? Yes.
Taylor Swift
2/5
not my thing. the few times i paid attention to a lyric it felt like an actor staring at the camera with extra stank face.
Method Man
3/5
Fine. No standout tracks that I can recall.
Coldplay
3/5
Yellow is a good song, I guess. Otherwise a soft-rock-snooze-fest.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
5/5
Now here is an album I am well acquainted with therefore whom. I listened to this album a lot back in the day. And I’ve been fortunate to see them in concert once. It’s been a while since I listened to this album. It is still really good. I forgot about a couple songs that are still so freakin’ good.
3/5
I’m split on this one. Honestly, the music overall gets four stars, but the vocals and lyrics are a distracting one or two stars. Sorry, Fred. You’re not my cup of hot dog flavored water.
The xx
2/5
😴
The Clash
5/5
Dang, this is still so good. I went through a phase around 2001/2002 where I listened to this on regular basis. Maybe this album is one of my all time favs? Top 50? Top 25?
Simply Red
2/5
Sounds like the ‘80s. And not in a good way. No thank you. Even the Talking Heads cover is meh.
Fred Neil
4/5
This was a very pleasant surprise. I did not know the name Fred Neil before today. Good job, Fred. Good job, 1,001.
Dead Kennedys
5/5
Wow, this album is great. A few classics on here that will likely still be in rotation 100 years from now. I first became familiar with DK about 30 years ago when some friends were listening to the DK tribute album “Virus 100”. Overall that compilation has its peaks and valleys, but there are a few inventive and great covers on it.
Ash
3/5
Meh, fine. Made me want to listen to the band Hum who I really like.
John Grant
4/5
Pretty good overall. This album is teetering on the edge between 3 and 4 stars for me. Whom amongst us hasn’t felt like Sigourney Weaver?
Steely Dan
4/5
I go through phases with Steely Dan. Sometimes I like them. Sometimes I don’t like them. Today I liked them. Book ‘em, Dan-o.
The Pogues
3/5
Fine I guess. Sort of interesting vibes but they are overshadowed by an ‘80s sheen that feels too sparkly and brittle to my ears.
George Michael
4/5
Dang, Pt. 4. On this 1,001 album journey one of my biggest self discoveries is I guess I’m a George Michael fan? I heard his big songs as a kid, and I found them catchy back then, but for whatever reason his songs never clicked with me. Sounds like the ‘80s in a good way. A few songs are meh, but some are MWAH (five stars). *monkey sounds*
Afrika Bambaataa
4/5
Delightful. This album, during the right time, during the right mood, would hit just right.
Sugar
5/5
Flashback central. I listened to this and other Sugar albums a ton back in high school. I loved it then, I love it now. Is nostalgia biasing my rating? Maybe. To put it in the parlance of my youth: would I put every song on here on a mixtape? No, but most are mixtape worthy. The part of my brain dedicated to guitar riffs was very happy to hear this again after many years. I never saw Sugar in concert but I did see Bob Mould solo in 2005 or so and he was great.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Pretty good. Today! RIP Brian Wilson. Also: lunch time with the boys.
Slint
4/5
Pivotal. There was a time I’d rate this five stars, but today I’m doing four stars. While there’s some great moments here and there, overall it just isn’t hitting as strong as it used to for me.
50 Cent
3/5
I remember In da Club being inescapable back in 2003. It. Was. Every. Where. Which is understandable since it is catchy as heck. Shoot, people still make quips that reference that song. In fact, that song has permeated pop culture to such an extent that I am confident I am not the first person to joke that this album is old enough to sip Bacardi. Although I don’t see myself seeking out this album in the future.
Spiritualized
3/5
Good. 3.999 stars. This album is very much My Kind Of Thing. Although truth be told their other bigger album might be the only one of theirs that deserves to be on this list. This album from this period of time being on this list is consistent with the UK bias of this project.
Paul Weller
3/5
Fine. I know some folks are really into Paul Weller, but he never clicked for me.
Talking Heads
4/5
Now this is a band that definitely deserves to have multiple albums on this list. This album is very strong overall with a few classic tracks.
Nanci Griffith
3/5
I enjoyed this album more than I thought I would. Makes me think of browsing in a vintage/antique mall with multiple vendors. Although I don’t see myself making the choice to listen to this album again.
Slayer
5/5
Dang, this album is still so good. Although the choice of lyrics and topics are sometimes unfortunate. Hopefully they’re not nazis but people trying to be provocative with whatever they think will get a reaction.
Madonna
3/5
Fine. I’m not a Madonna expert or anything, and she 100% has one or more albums that deserve to be on this list, but in my opinion this album ain’t one of them. The title track is pretty good, but the other songs didn’t grab me (an internet rando whose contributions to society overall are 1,000,000+ times less than Madonna’s).
Neu!
5/5
So good. I want to bottle this album and drink it for breakfast every morning. A delightful balance of simple and complex.
Slipknot
3/5
Fine. Barely a 3. Does any Slipknot album deserve to be in this list? I don’t know.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Meh, not my thing. Background music in a restaurant I won’t be going to again.
Jazmine Sullivan
3/5
Decent. Good grooves. Interesting production.
Deee-Lite
3/5
Fun overall. Kind of uneven with high-high(s), many-mediums, and dated-lows. GIITH is a classic and will outlive us all (due to the song hunting us for sport (the song’s catchiness is only surpassed by its thirst for blood)).
CHIC
3/5
Fine. Catchy, polished, but kind of mooshed into samey vibes eventually.
The Adverts
3/5
Decent. Like something playing in the background at a hipster used record store (complimentary).
Mekons
3/5
Almost a four. If I had heard this 20 or 25 years ago I might have rated it four or five. This has a couple great tracks on it, but something about it overall couldn’t tip the scales from almost to definitely.
Van Morrison
4/5
Well, darn it, this is a tough one. About 20 years ago I might have rated this album five stars. But that was before I became aware that the artist maybe became/is a not great person. This music is still great but there’s a shadow over it. On a lighter note, the band Secret Machines did a decent cover of the song Astral Weeks about 20 years ago.
The Slits
4/5
Pretty good stuff. I had heard a couple of these songs before on mixtapes or compilations and those were great, and the album is also pretty strong.
Primal Scream
3/5
Good vibes overall. I like Primal Scream in general but haven’t this album before. This album is good, and one or two of their other albums definitely deserve to be on this list, but this album doesn’t feel worthy of being on this list. Sorry, Bobby G.
The Fall
3/5
Enjoyable in its special way. A good Fall album, but including it on this list maybe feels generous.
Brian Eno
4/5
Dang, this is great. I’m considering setting a monthly reminder to listen to this album. I remember seeing this album a lot in music stores back in high school and college. Too bad I didn’t take the hint back then.
Napalm Death
4/5
Scum (the album) = Yum yum yum. How does that one song go? 🎵Yummy, yummy, yummy, I’ve not Napalm Death in my tummy🎵 This was my first time hearing this album, but I’m a fan of one of the band members (Justin Broadrick) on the first half of the album. I enjoy two of his later bands: Godflesh, Jesu.
Buzzcocks
4/5
Delightful. I was literally shitting myself when this was released. Because I was a baby. Speaking of diapers, the band’s Singles Going Steady might be the more deserving release (which is hopefully also on this list).
The Magnetic Fields
5/5
Excessive and magnificent. I’m about 26 years late to the party, but this was my first time listening to this album start to finish (other than the occasional song here and there). Is every song a winner? No. Is the bit that good? Yes. Although more synths than I was expecting.
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
Fine. Moderately groovy, occasionally boring. This album probably sounded revolutionary when it was released, but now it reminds me of those fake bands in tv or movies where studio musicians are tasked with hippiness.
M.I.A.
3/5
Fine. Catchy at times, although sounds kind of dated. Knowing about them and anti-vax/5G/alex-jones takes off some of the shine.
Malcolm McLaren
2/5
Meh. While Malcolm McLaren is possibly a notable figure in the history of music, this album is not significant and its inclusion on this list is questionable. Is this album basically a mixtape of ascendant trends in the early ‘80s with a dude’s name plastered on the front who wrote the check for it?
Finley Quaye
3/5
Fine. I like reggae in general, but this album felt unexceptional on first listen.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Delightful. RIP Ozzy. I was on the fence between four and five stars for this album. Did current events tip the scales to five stars? Maybe. Is every song five stars? No. But when this album is good it’s really really good. And also surprisingly groovy.
Fleet Foxes
4/5
Pretty good. Great vibes overall. A time capsule. White Winter Hymnal is a great song.
Paul Simon
4/5
Good. Julio is a great song. Since I’m not a lyrics person I wonder if a lot of this album goes over my head.
The The
3/5
Fine. Sounds very ‘80s, but in a dated and not charming way. If I was in my 20s when this was released I might have been into it. Some songs feel like something that would be in the soundtrack for an ‘80s movie, but like in an awkward/shoehorned/sore-thumb way where the record company also helped finance the movie.
Pink Floyd
5/5
About 15 years ago I attended a lecture presented by a music studies grad student (or someone similar) and the talk was all about how this album’s overall structure was similar to the structure/phases of a pop song but stretched out across an entire album. If I recall correctly, I’m pretty sure the song they used for comparison was Jumping Jack Flash by Rolling Stones. Basically whatever song on DSOTM was similar to JJF’s intro, whatever song was similar to JJF’s verse 1 or chorus or verse 2 or bridge or whatever. They made a pretty convincing argument. I wish I still had the handout from that lecture. Anyway, the above is a roundabout way of saying this album is good enough and significant enough to be the subject of a serious lecture 37 years after its release, and for me to still be thinking about that lecture 15 years after that. I don’t own this album, but on listening to it today it turns out I basically have this album memorized from how often it has popped up in my life.
Gillian Welch
4/5
Delightful. A surprising mix of spooky and comforting.
Jamiroquai
3/5
Full disclosure: I regularly wear a bucket hat. Not gonna lie, when the didgeridoo solo happened on the opening track I LOL’ed. Good job, Wallis Buchanan. Enjoyable overall, almost my thing, but not quite my thing. I can understand their huge album being included on this list, but I’m not convinced this album deserves to be included.
James Brown
4/5
Pretty good. Although I’m more familiar with and prefer volume two that was recorded about five years later. On the deluxe version of volume two I love the extended grooves of There Was A Time and I Feel All Right.
The Residents
3/5
I’m pretty sure one of the other members in this list group I’m in played this album for me before we became roommates. This album does feel significant for being what it was in the context of 1978. I’m glad I listened to it again for this list. Although I don’t see myself seeking this out to listen again in future. A very high 3 stars resting on the strong shoulders of a great album cover and great album title.
White Denim
3/5
Decent. Good enough where if they were performing at a music festival I’d stop and listen and say “hey, they’re pretty good”, but not good enough where I’d buy a ticket for a concert of just them.
Milton Nascimento
4/5
Dang, this was a pleasant surprise. This was great. Good vibes start to finish.
Pantera
4/5
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I love metal but never really got into the thrashy stuff like this back in the day. Tasty riffs. The vocals were occasionally grating but decent overall. This review is dedicated to Jason, some guy who lived in the same apartment building as me in 2013. Back then I put out pen and paper at the front door asking people to sign in with their name and a song. Of the 8 people who did it, Jason signed in with Walk by Pantera (from today’s album). Jason, I hope you are well.
Oasis
5/5
Now these are talented jerks I can get into. Occasionally grating and corny, but that is far outshined by many five star moments.
Suicide
5/5
If an album ever had a vibe, it’s this one. Kind of simple and samey at times, but I ain’t complaining about the blood squeezed from this stone. This might be another album I learned about from reading Please Kill Me around 25 years ago.
Guided By Voices
3/5
If you like Guided by Voices songs then I have good news for you: there are a lot of ‘em. Like, A LOT a lot. No, more than that. I’ve heard some GbV songs that were good to great but for some reason the band never grabbed me.
Tom Tom Club
3/5
Decent. Besides that one super recognizable sampled moment, nothing really stood out to me.
The Incredible String Band
3/5
*inhales deeply* hippie kelpies maaan *exhales deeply*
The National
3/5
Pretty good. Better than I was expecting. If I was born 15 or so years later I might have been really into this group. BEES!!!
Sonic Youth
4/5
Good overall. Great moments here and there. Although if I’m in the mood for a Sonic Youth album then I’m reaching for Daydream Nation.
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
Meh. A little better than the other Mothers album this list already served up, but not by much. More doo-wop-y than I was expecting. The more Frank Zappa I hear the more of a fan I am of them as a musician/guitarist/composer and less of a fan of them as a singer/vocalist/lyricist.
Donald Fagen
3/5
Fine. Listening to this album is like trying to sleep on a full length mirror.
SAULT
3/5
Good overall, but at times a little too lo-fi and or first draft for my taste. Felt like some songs had a great foundation but might have benefited from being fleshed out more.
Orange Juice
2/5
Meh. Another one where it felt like I’d like it more if I was from the UK (I’m not, I’m from Bofa).
Violent Femmes
4/5
Dang, this is great. This is punk as fuck. I had no idea this is over 40 years old. For some reason I thought it was more recent than that.
fIREHOSE
3/5
Good, but not as good as Minutemen. Unclear if this album should be on this list.
The Teardrop Explodes
4/5
Pretty good. Something about this album’s vibe really connected with me. I might have to seek out more by them. What band names are more dramatic than The Teardrop Explodes? Napalm Death? Cannibal Corpse? The Wiggles?
Waylon Jennings
4/5
This was great. I maybe shouldn’t listen to the lyrics too closely.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Fine. Another example of something I learned about myself during this list project: Bruce Springsteen just isn’t my thing. If you love Bruce then I’m happy for you. The ‘steen ain’t for me.
Hot Chip
4/5
Pretty good, although a little uneven. A few great songs. I love Flutes (in general, but that song in particular).
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
The soundtrack to a D&D campaign I do not want to play. The components or whatnot that comprise this album are all part of other music I love, but for some reason it just doesn’t work for me on this album.
Ray Price
4/5
What a courteous and informative introduction. Overall a pleasant surprise. *insert joke re honky-tonk and/or*
Sepultura
3/5
Decent. But not quite my thing for metal. I love metal, but for some reason this didn’t connect with me.
Louis Prima
4/5
Good ol’ Diamond Lou Prima. His music always makes me think of the movie Big Night. Fun overall. Not an album for every mood, but a great album for a particular mood. This album contains the universal sentiment of “all my meatballs, you try to steal”.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
This feels like the sixth EBTG album we’ve been served up, but it looks like it’s only the second. Bleh. Not. For. Me.
Wire
4/5
Pretty good. I really liked the song Mannequin. I’m pretty sure I’ve heard that song before but I’m not sure where. Mixtape? Compilation? Movie? Cover version? Cat video?
Devendra Banhart
3/5
Decent. Not quite my thing.
Simple Minds
3/5
Fine. Solid ‘80s vibes.
New Order
3/5
New Order have some amazing songs and it’s too bad only one of them is on this album. Another example of a band’s best-of being a more appropriate entry on this list instead of a specific album.
Stephen Stills
3/5
Fine. More boomer stuff to confuse the algorithm in the music app I use.
Common
3/5
Fine.
The Cramps
5/5
This. Is. The. Stuff. So good. Is this album my new personality now? Years ago there was a great series on some music blog called “Lux & Ivy’s Favorites” where you could download a ton of songs that the band were inspired by or liked. I recommend you seek that out if you like this album. There are also playlists of those on streaming services.
PJ Harvey
3/5
Fine. I like PJ Harvey, and they have some great albums, but this one didn’t grab me on first pass. Maybe it would grow on me after repeated listening?
Michael Jackson
4/5
Scandal noted.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Fine. Pleasant and decent grooves. No standout songs for me.
Lightning Bolt
5/5
Ha ha ha ha, this makes me so happy. Such a great album. This is one of my favorite bands of all time. I’ve seen them in concert twice. Two of the best and loudest concerts I’ve attended. They don’t perform on a stage, they put all their equipment on the floor in the middle of the crowd. So imagine listening to this music as a crowd behind you is gradually pushing you into a drum set being played by the Tasmanian Devil singing into a microphone attached to their face by a ski mask. If you want to see what sweaty American hipsters looked like in 2001 then watch the documentary The Power Of Salad & Milkshakes (available on YouTube) which has a lot of concert footage of this band. The song at about the 11:10 mark in that video is a good highlight.
Iggy Pop
5/5
Awwwwwww yyyyeeeaaaaaahhhhhhh. Here we go. One of my favorite albums of all time. I’ve listened to this thing from front to back many times. If you listen carefully, you can hear Bowie in some of the backing vocals. In 2002 I saw Iggy in concert and it was pretty good. Honestly his band then was kinda meh and kept going too fast (Iggy kept having to clap and stomp and glare at the drummer to keep the correct time). The highlight of that concert for me was at the start of Real Wild Child when I swear to god he was staring right at me during the opening line. That was great but a little unsettling.
Jeff Beck
3/5
Pretty good. JB can play the heck out of a guitar, but for whatever reason his music has never really grabbed me.
Nina Simone
4/5
Striking. I don’t know if I would intentionally seek this out, but it was impressive.
The KLF
3/5
Pretty good. Better than I was expecting. I would rate it 3.5 if I could.
The Vines
3/5
Fine. I remember this album from back when it first released. It was nothing special then. Kind of a meh shrug why it’s on this list. Worth listening to if you want to do a deep dive into early ‘00s rock, but otherwise unimpressive.
The Lemonheads
3/5
Much ‘90s. Much acoustic guitar. Fun adjacent.
Heaven 17
3/5
Does anyone need a fascist groove thang? Anyone? This groove thang was almost a four but not quite.
Van Morrison
3/5
Am I over Van Morrison?
Belle & Sebastian
5/5
Pretty darn good. I’ve had plenty of exposure to B&S via friends/mixtapes/etc and always enjoyed it, but for whatever reason I’ve never bought anything by B&S. While listening to this album after work, it inspired my wife to dance around the kitchen and squeak a clown horn. I’m borderline 4 and 5 here, but a debut album being this good tips me over to 5.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Pretty good, but kind of a mixed bag. Yes, Kashmir is still amazing. The song Ten Years Gone is an odd one because it has the biggest ratio of great riffs to meh song I can think of.
Tim Buckley
3/5
Fine. Nothing stood out or grabbed me on first listen.
The The
3/5
Fine. Have I heard one or more of these songs in a movie or tv show?
Bee Gees
3/5
Decent. A few moments grabbed me. This feels like an album where my feelings might grow to four stars if I spent more time with it. There is a different Bee Gees album I love and that is Bee Gees 1st. That one is great. To my ears 1st is the best Beatles album the Beatles didn’t make (complimentary).
Arcade Fire
3/5
There are too many Arcade Fire albums on this list. Funeral I get. I’ll repeat basically what I said last time: Fine I guess. I listened to Funeral a fair amount back in the day, but for some reason Arcade Fire did not age well for me. Why do I like them less now? Overplayed? Leapfrogged by others? Realizing they were a surrogate for wanting more Neutral Milk Hotel? Allegations towards the main guy regarding sexual assault? All of the above?
The Divine Comedy
3/5
Decent, I guess? Sounds very mid/late ‘90s. Would I have liked this in mid/late ‘90s? Maybe.
Public Image Ltd.
3/5
Public Image is a great song, although the rest of album is decent but feels a little unfocused. Mr Lydon seems…unpredictable.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3/5
Souvenir is a great song. Feels like I’ve heard it in one or more movies/tv/whatnot. Another album that might grow on me to four stars after repeated listens, but for now is just three overall.
Soft Machine
3/5
This album might hold the record for most stoned listeners exposed to a flute solo. Or would that be Jethro Tull? If this album was a little less jazz and a little more rock, it might have bumped it up to four for me. Almost my bullshit.
Public Enemy
4/5
Pretty good. Enjoyable, but not an album I can listen to while driving around with the windows down. I’m more familiar with their other two bigger albums, but this one also seems very worth exploring.
Machito
3/5
Fine. Not in the right mood for this today. Clearly amazing musicians all around, but the songs just didn’t grab me or inspire me to want to listen again.
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
“DON’T WAKE TABEY! It’s the exciting new board game where raver kids sneak around a house and listen to techno as loud as they can without waking up Michael Tabor!” Pretty good album overall. It’s wild thinking back to how fresh and new this sounded when these guys seemed to be everywhere for a brief time when this was released. Now it sounds kind of dated. But I still had a good time. It was probably life changing to hear this played mega loud in a crowded room in the late ‘90s.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
Fun fact: this album cover is to scale. Frank Sinatra was 16 feet tall. And he likes to watch. He really likes to watch. It’s kind of a problem. Frank, just because you can easily peep in a second story window doesn’t mean you should.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Is us listening to an album like this now kind of like if a yuppie in the ‘90s was listening to psychedelic music? Is this album now music for old people? This old guy says 4 stars. *wheeze*cough*hack*
Moby
3/5
Kind of all over the place for me. Sometimes catchy, sometimes corny and dated, sometimes meh. This album hasn’t aged as well as some of the other electronic/dancy albums on this list. Just barely a 3.
Nico
4/5
There is something very charming to me with this album. But also an overall weird vibe. Kind of like meeting someone at a party who is fascinating but your spidey-sense says to not trust them.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
3/5
A real kick in the brass. Is this album a cop? You have to tell me if this album is a cop. My inner boomer and inner hipster are in a slap fight over giving this album 4 or 3 stars. My wife told me to tell you she hates this album.
Stay With Me is still a pretty good song. Otherwise the album is fine.
Grizzly Bear
4/5
Jay-Z loves these guys. I can see why. They’re great.
Queen
4/5
I always forget that Dixieland is about 15% of Queen’s vibe. Somehow they make it work. Speaking of crimes against humanity, in the ever increasing likelihood that aliens will invade our planet and threaten to destroy us unless we convince them otherwise of humanity’s worth, I’d say having the aliens listen to Bohemian Rhapsody has about a good a chance as any other evidence to spare us.
Kate Bush
3/5
Fine. They are clearly an immensely talented artist, but for whatever reason their music never grabbed me.
The Louvin Brothers
3/5
Pretty good, but I prefer their Satan oriented album.
The Monkees
3/5
Fine, I guess? The Monkees have some great songs, but unfortunately none of them are on this album. The version of this album I listened to did not contain their version of Neil Diamond’s A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You (was on an early draft of a track listing for this album from what the Wikipedia article said), which is too bad since that song is pretty good.
k.d. lang
4/5
Pretty good. I was pleasantly surprised. I might need to dig into their other work.
Brian Eno
5/5
Beautiful. Simple. Inspiring. Still sounds fresh. Hit just right for my mood today. Although in other moods I might give this one star.
Destiny's Child
4/5
Like many before me, and many to follow: I am, in fact, not ready for this jelly. Despite my lack of preparedness this album was great. Mega strong opening three songs, but the album gradually gets weaker as it goes on.
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
If you like tinkle-tankle piano and tippy-tappy cymbals and strummy-thumby bass then you will likely enjoy this album. I do and I did.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
Pretty darn good. A few great songs, but album is a little uneven overall. I never got into Paul’s post-Beatles stuff like I did the other dudes.
De La Soul
4/5
Pretty dang good. A few great tracks. Makes me want to listen to their other albums.
Love
4/5
Shagadellic. Shagtastic. Shagnanimous? Is one of these songs in an Austin Powers movie? Was my statement unfair to Love? Most of what I say is unfair to love. It feels like one or more has been in a few movies or tv shows. Or maybe this album inspired a lot of songs that appeared in movies and tv shows. Good stuff. Groovy.
The Doors
2/5
Ughh. Turns out I have run out of patience/tolerance for The Doors. Did not enjoy. No thank you. Not for this beardo.
Motörhead
3/5
Pretty good. It would have been great to see them perform back then. This is a good live album, but for me I don’t know if it has the magic to justify being on this list.
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Fine. A decent example of the genre. No standout tracks for these ears.
SZA
3/5
Fine. Solid grooves. Good atmosphere.
Ozomatli
3/5
Finally, music featured in Hot Tub Time Machine, a major motion picture from MGM. Fine overall. Not quite my thing. Although I could see myself enjoying this at a music festival.
David Bowie
3/5
Pretty good. Bowie is great, but this album is kind of kind of.
Kid Rock
1/5
I recently learned that “bawitdaba” is short for “baby with a bad attitude”. Ponderous. I get why this was huge back in the late ‘90s, but it is just not doing it for me now. I could not finish the album. Boi-oi-oi-oi-oing. Goo-goo-gah-gah, indeed.
Carpenters
3/5
Pretty catchy, but not quite my thing. I wouldn’t seek this out but I would likely hum along if it played in the grocery store. Ron Burgundy vibes overall. Or is it more accurate to say Ron Burgundy has Carpenters vibes?
Fugees
4/5
Pretty darn good. Still sounds fresh to my ears. A couple five star songs, but overall album feels like a strong four.
Le Tigre
4/5
Am I cool enough to listen to this album? I hope I’m cool enough to listen to this album.
Doves
3/5
Fine. Decent vibes but kind of boring. I had their album after this one back in the day and I remember a couple decent tracks on that one. Although I haven’t listened to them in over a decade. Maybe they aged like a slowly deflating helium balloon?
The Damned
3/5
Pretty good. Although I greatly prefer their first album. Their first album deserves to be on this list. But I’m not sure about this one.