696
Albums Rated
3.51
Average Rating
64%
Complete
393 albums remaining
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1970s
Favorite Decade
Blues
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107
5-Star Albums
24
1-Star Albums
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You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junkyard | 5 | 2.16 | +2.84 |
| Trout Mask Replica | 5 | 2.28 | +2.72 |
| L'Eau Rouge | 5 | 2.32 | +2.68 |
| Heaux Tales | 5 | 2.68 | +2.32 |
| KE*A*H** (Psalm 69) | 5 | 2.69 | +2.31 |
| Bitte Orca | 5 | 2.69 | +2.31 |
| Cut | 5 | 2.71 | +2.29 |
| Atomizer | 5 | 2.72 | +2.28 |
| Nixon | 5 | 2.76 | +2.24 |
| Faust IV | 5 | 2.78 | +2.22 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rage Against The Machine | 1 | 4 | -3 |
| Master Of Puppets | 1 | 3.73 | -2.73 |
| Dirt | 1 | 3.47 | -2.47 |
| Hybrid Theory | 1 | 3.38 | -2.38 |
| The Downward Spiral | 1 | 3.35 | -2.35 |
| S&M | 1 | 3.26 | -2.26 |
| Scissor Sisters | 1 | 3.23 | -2.23 |
| Deloused in the Comatorium | 1 | 3.2 | -2.2 |
| Make Yourself | 1 | 3.07 | -2.07 |
| I See A Darkness | 1 | 2.97 | -1.97 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 5 | 4.8 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 3 | 5 |
| David Bowie | 9 | 4.22 |
| Radiohead | 4 | 4.5 |
| Pixies | 3 | 4.67 |
| Beck | 3 | 4.67 |
| Public Enemy | 2 | 5 |
| Prince | 2 | 5 |
| Elvis Costello & The Attractions | 2 | 5 |
| Pavement | 2 | 5 |
| Neil Young | 4 | 4.25 |
| Led Zeppelin | 4 | 4.25 |
| The Kinks | 3 | 4.33 |
| Echo And The Bunnymen | 3 | 4.33 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 4.33 |
| Marvin Gaye | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Orbital | 2 | 1 |
| The Mothers Of Invention | 2 | 1.5 |
| Rufus Wainwright | 2 | 1.5 |
| Metallica | 3 | 2 |
Controversial Artists
Artists you rate inconsistently
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| New Order | 5, 2 |
| Metallica | 4, 1, 1 |
5-Star Albums (107)
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Popular Reviews
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
I do love the almost bitter and wounded anthems and pedestrian portrayals of moving on despite everyday burdens and finding solace and joy in music. My hometown is heartbreakingly beautiful. I love when he says things like “there was nothin you could do” it’s a real concession to the sense of being lost and beaten down that is hard to see expressed in music now unless it is an almost comic portrayal of self obsessed misery.
9 likes
The Young Gods
5/5
Industrial that I love because it is not just a single approach, references are pulled from older cabaret music and expressionist art. I have seen them live back in the early 90's and they were fabulous. The Kurt Wiel album is also very good.
3 likes
The Police
3/5
There is something annoying about the lyrics on this album. Some songs are memorable but the bad ones are terrible.
2 likes
Lucinda Williams
5/5
I had never listened to Lucinda Williams other than hearing something on the radio. I love this album and the way she sings, its best when it feels loose and spontaneous. I will definitely listen to this again. Will also look at some live performances because i bet they are great.
2 likes
4-Star Albums (250)
1-Star Albums (24)
All Ratings
Leonard Cohen
3/5
done it
Beastie Boys
4/5
Followed by a masterpiece
2/5
LCD Soundsystem
2/5
Seems a bit souless... One or 2 songs feel fun the others feel detached and uninteresting
Neil Young
4/5
A beautiful sounding album will go back and listen again and amybe learn some of the songs.
Kraftwerk
3/5
Interesting Album not something I crave to listen to repeatedly but I like how committed it is to a musical concept and trying to really tap into modern themes, embracing them in a way that feels simultaneously loving and ironic.
Tom Waits
3/5
I doubt someone could make a record like this today it's very interesting to hear and feels a bit escapist and nostalgic, oddly current... which may be all of its strengths. I like some later works more but if I could do 3.5 I would
Portishead
4/5
a beautiful album the instrumentation feels thin yet moving and complex. One I will want to listen to again.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Just awesome singing, production, the supporting music is so beautifully played. Love listening to the guitar and bass along with Aretha.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Great songs pretty much from start to finish, beautifully produced and despite feeling like it represents a specific time the best songs are also timeless.
Sugar
4/5
A really nice follow up to Husker... I wish the production was crisper. Hart was a better songwriter...
Roxy Music
3/5
at times an interesting jumble with fascinating instrumentation but lacks the drive of Siren which I prefer.
Prefab Sprout
3/5
If I could give it 3.5 I would better than I remember. Horsin Around is really interesting wish the rest of the Album were similar.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
No Exceptions, Prodigal Son and Street Fighting Man are wonderful the rest are not songs I feel compelled to revisit.
The Who
3/5
I wish its ambition was matched with equal musical innovation and exploration. A number of stand out songs are surrounded by filler songs that string along a loose uninteresting narrative.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
If I could give 4.5 I would this is much more distinct and intriguing than his debut. His voice is a beautiful constant instrument throughout and he layers it on top of forays into hits at other genre. Rawness keeps it from being a crooner album.
The Clash
3/5
I like much of the album but not something I will come back to listen too that much. I'm not down I had not noticed before and I really like that, the remaster sounds great too one of those If i could give 3.5 I would.
The Birthday Party
5/5
This album is a wild mess. really chaotic but musically fascinating. Rough and frightening and beautiful.
The Smiths
4/5
I have not listened to a SMiths album start to finish before. Alwassy like some individual songs, this is album is really nice Marr's web of guitar rhythm is very interesting and beautiful to hear.
Pixies
5/5
this sounded both timeless and completely new when it came out. It had all the raw energy of the hard post punk that came before it but was also clean and meticulous in production. Seems like the bands in the 90's tried to constantly live up to it.
The Roots
4/5
I like the expanse of the album I wish some songs took as much musical risk as others. Love when the landscape varies unexpectedly. Almost a 5 for me will re listen to it soon.
Faust
5/5
I love how timeless this feels, it swings between noodling to almost delving into pop ballads and seems wholly comfortable with itself. Foreshadows alot like Radio Head and Ledgendary Pink Dots yet feels outside of genre. Its a great album.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
This is dense yet beautiful. I loved the first half especially when it gets overwhelming. So rich and intense. 4.5
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
I love some of the songs on here Hazy Shade of Winter is maybe one of my favorite S and G songs, some of the slower songs bog down a bit for me.
Ray Charles
4/5
Am I Blue is wonderful as is Come Rain or Come Shine.
Tom Tom Club
3/5
I would give this a high 3 as much as I love them and would love to see them live I don't feel a need to go back and listen to some of the tracks a second time.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
A good one not my favorite SW album
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
I do love the almost bitter and wounded anthems and pedestrian portrayals of moving on despite everyday burdens and finding solace and joy in music. My hometown is heartbreakingly beautiful. I love when he says things like “there was nothin you could do” it’s a real concession to the sense of being lost and beaten down that is hard to see expressed in music now unless it is an almost comic portrayal of self obsessed misery.
Rage Against The Machine
1/5
A little musical swing would go a long way the moments where it crops up are briefly nice but it’s just not enough to engage me. Lyrically it’s so generic that the anthems of defiance are just as empty as the faceless voices of authority they criticize.
Yes
4/5
I do enjoy the musicianship on here the rock and roll based guitarwork on “when all good people” is something I really love more than I did when I was younger. It’s the lyrics that I just don’t really find interesting. Almost a 5
Joy Division
3/5
The quicker tempo pieces are what Like although I do really like the closer which may be the slowest song on the album. The sound when good is definitely unique and striking, other times I just find the depressing element too strong for me to want to hear those songs even all the way through that makes it hard for me to give it a 4.
The Kinks
4/5
I liked this album alot, it has an unusually dark criticism of commercialism and success. Some songs seem pretty standard or pulling from a music hall tradition but then diverge in interesting ways. I think the production is somewhat dry its a 4.75 for me
Talking Heads
5/5
one of the first albums I bought that was not Southern Rock or Pop. Still sounds great I like the songs that are not radio friendly more than those that were, Artists Only, Warning Signs, Stay Hungry all great forcefull and strange. I saw them on SNL as a kid when the album came out and was amazed.
ABBA
2/5
Fernando and Tigers don't make up for the rest of the album. I see why they made a musical using Abba music it all feels like mediocre music plucked from musicals and synthetically reproduced removing the sting of the lyrics.
Van Halen
3/5
Up through Hot for Teacher this is pretty solid, I still marvel at Panama for some stupid reason. Its kinda like every good VH song rolled into one. The later half is just forgettable clunckers that drop without any impact or richness.
Venom
2/5
I’m not a big fan of the themes, which feel very one dimensional and confined. I do appreciate the DIY feel of the album but the niche is too confining for me. I know this is groundbreaking but why not discover more instead of just expressing fascination with one theme.
Drive-By Truckers
2/5
This band reminds me of the southern rock version of Titus Andronicus. It’s just messy and an information over poetry approach to art…. And where is the piano…. It’s like a pretzel without salt. I love Skynyrd and while informative this feels overly played in its desire to convey southerness rather than letting it naturally flow out of the art they are making. I think you can be southern, artistic, critical and poetic… like Skynyrd…
The Isley Brothers
4/5
This album is pretty spectacular some great musician ship, and re-interpretation of other songs. I do really like the Doobie brothers cover the summer breeze cover is the one low point. Will listen to some songs again because the guitar playing is very interesting.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
I love the first side of this album. Cohen is funny beautiful serious rough polished all at once. I love confidence of his voice. The second side is not as engaging for me. I listened to this when it came out and remembered the first song but I appreciate it much more now. Late mid life creativity at its best.
Guns N' Roses
3/5
The sun isn’t greater than the parts. Good talent and styles mix together and the results feel mixed. Best when they create space for some varied landscape in the songs but at times it feels over produced and lacking emotion beyond the wavering wail of Axl a few great songs and many that are lesser reflections of the good ones. Proof… love Buzz by Nirvana came on after the last song and I thought it was from appetite and thought oh wait a second this sounds interesting….
The Black Keys
3/5
Is being beautiful good enough? The adoration of blues and addition soncially beautiful updates should make for a stunner of an album but I own this and never really listen to it. I plowed through it again for this project and it seems even more beautiful to me but emotionally just falls flat. I think because it is lyrically missing a connection to the present. I really love Sinister Kid now and will listent to that again but I do wish I had more love for this...
The Cramps
3/5
This is enjoyable and fun maybe a bit gimmicky but they seem all in. Not something I want to dig back into so it’s a high 3 for me.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
This album surprised me, it has that raw post punk angularity but also hints at what is to come. Reverb over guitar bursts and Ian's beautiful crooning. It will all come together on the majestically cinematic Ocean Rain in a few years. But this is great it lags a little towards the end, but you can see all these interesting influences that other bands were not brave enough to explore. Its psychadelic at times and the landscape of songs vary internally. I have never really listened to much aside from Ocean Rain and I am not sure they get any better than this and Ocean Rain. Look forward to listening again.
Janet Jackson
3/5
The more uptempo the better. While ambitious thematically it does not feel as ambitious when the songs slow down.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
A really fine album there are a couple of ones that don’t shine as much as the great ones. Sounds like Hendrix was trying to expand/explore and it’s mostly successful.
Yes
4/5
I love Brahms… I want other people to love his music. I guess if Ues is a gateway that’s ok but it makes no real sense on this album. Lyric again mean nothing to me here. I think you could cherry pick the good stuff here and combine it with other nice ones from the Yes Album and you would have a 5 star album.
Jeff Buckley
5/5
Much better than I expected
Thin Lizzy
4/5
Over an hour of great shuffle hard rock bordering on heavy metal but grounded in a way metal is not. Great musicians Lynott is a marvel. It’s a lot to take in but nearly every song is tight and interesting to listen too.
Public Enemy
5/5
Such a strong and interesting album I used to have it on cassette and missed hearing it. I like how there are different voices and levels of seriousness waving through each song it makes each one a unique discovery as you listen.
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
the cynical viewpoint is not interesting because it is so simplistically expressed. The music is interesting in very short bursts but the vocals are aloof and robbed of richness they could have had if they were just straightforward recordings and not sped up. I can't say I will ever actively listen to this again because there is nothing of enduring interest to me. I like humor, criticism and experimentation but I am not interested in this desire to just reactively kick something in a slapped together fashion.
The Adverts
3/5
Punk rock at its most serviceable. I prefer the Undertones this feels very average sounding, I appreciate the focus yet it is not remarkable to me. the second half has some better songs I guess.
Charles Mingus
4/5
Interesting mixture of jazz and other music
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
Some of the Orchestration feels a little dated but overall its a nice mix of 1970's contemporary music and Brazilian music. best when its rawer and more direct, the thicker orchestration seems to dilute it a bt.
David Bowie
5/5
This is an incredible swan song... a couple tracks towards the end are not interesting "girl Loves me" is a low point but I think bowie went out on his own artistic terms and the result is challenging and beautiful. I give it 5 because it is something I would be happy to own even if I skip track. James Murphy should have sat it out and Bowie should have brought in one of the artists he apparently looked to for inspiration like Kendrick Lamar .
The Doors
3/5
Most everything that is great on here I already like and the gaps between those are not as interesting as I hoped they feel a bit indulgent. I do like Hyacinth House and wil;l listen to that again. I think I like earlier albums more than this one.
Talvin Singh
2/5
There is not much to emotionally grab onto, the techno trip beats can be pummeling and when slower it’s not that interesting. OK is worth a second listen but I found this to be more like background music than something I want to listen to again.
Beck
5/5
What an amazing twist in Beck's journey. I have always thought his lyrics were his weak point and the creative musical structures carried things and here he strips everything down and it would interesting were it mediocre but he makes a beautifully realized album and doesn't rely on his strengths. Its a marvel. I bought this album on the day my daughter was due.. it had just come out... We played it on repeat when my wife was in labor at the hopsital so it will always bring up a slew of emotions for me.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
I like when se pulls away from tradition but I think lyrically the songs are weak and her vocal gyrations are impressive but no strategically emotional and its like someone riffing to impress because they can and not because they have a specific goal for the song.
Muddy Waters
5/5
wonderfully racous blues gains steam as it moves through the set.
Rod Stewart
4/5
I often wonder if i am bniased to just songs I have already heard but I had nver heard the opener before and its an amazing uptempo strong song why have I never heard it? The album has 2 new songs I will listen to again and several that I know are good and respect.
50 Cent
2/5
I was hoping this was going to be something I liked but his voice is not as interesting as the lyrics and so I then hope musically it will hold me but the rhythms are flat and repetitive. A couple of songs are ok like Poor Lil Rich but I don't feel like I need to dig into this album again maybe other ones are better.
The Temptations
3/5
this opens up with alot of energy and feels fresh, starts to feel a bit dated as the second side creeps forward. The closer, Do your thing is enjoyable
David Crosby
4/5
Much more beautiful than i expected and I am no fan of David Crosby as a person. The sound quality and openness of the songs are pretty stunning, no real stand out pieces but I did think I would not like it and was definitely shocked at how good I thought it was.
The Temptations
4/5
interesting how this is somewhat similar to All Directions, the first half is more adventurous, but Heard it Through the Grapevine is not as impactful as other performers' versions. I think the second half is more standard Temptations and more solid than All Directions too tame second half. I will give it a low 4
Common
3/5
Everything sounds nice and positive, Testify seems the most interesting to me, but overall it does not feel like it expands beyond a world it is comfortable occupying... that world has a beauty and a message that we all agree with.
Bob Dylan
4/5
There is a 5 star album in here. Many great songs including Sad Eyed Lady…. Just noticing the chord progression from it that Foxygen ripped off. But there are some songs I have zero attachment to. It’s one of 2 Dylan albums I owned and I still love what I like be on it even more.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
Really nice songs on this debut album and Free Bird for better or worse... I prefer the live versions of many of these songs.
Frank Sinatra
2/5
I think Frank benefits most from this collab and Jobim's art feelsdowngraded, I'll take Jobim without Sinatra. Makes me want to listen to Wave.
Fleet Foxes
5/5
just stunningly beautiful across the entire album. Each song is precious and crafted with care they feel ancient and new at the same time.
Elliott Smith
4/5
Definitely under appreciated as a songwriter and guitarist. This album has some songs of exceptional beauty and his skill as a guitarist is revealed if you try to unpack the songs and play them yourself. I do not like how Elliots voice was smoothed out and lacks any rawness. I think it causes the songs to suffer a bit when trying to convey some of the complex emotions in his lyrics.
New Order
5/5
This is a solid musical statement I love how natural it sounds even though it is basically electronic dance pop.
Kraftwerk
2/5
I completely understand why Kraftwerk is important to the development of music, yet I really feel no need to relisten to this album. I tend to enjoy minimalism in orchestral music but find it difficult to enjoy in electronic music.
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
Absolutely beautiful sounding for a live jazz album. Gets better as it moves forward.
Roxy Music
4/5
I enjoyed this more than For Your Pleasure. What an oddball assembly of musicians and ideas I like how strange yet confident it all is.
The Charlatans
4/5
I was really surprised by this album, had not heard it before but I think it rips open sounding great. I much prefer it to Oasis at their height.. I must admit I ignored the lyrics but I think thats because the music was more interesting than I expected. the album felt like it lags about halfway through but some late songs are very nice... this hung somewhere between a 3 and 4 but I will say 4 because it definitely will go back and listen to several songs and may try to learn them.
Lou Reed
4/5
I do love the first half of this album it feels like such a stretch and a brave personal vision. Much more of a ground level exploration of identity and personal viewpoint than Bowie or glam rock. It starts to fdade some as the album closes.
Liz Phair
3/5
This album is an amazing artistic statement and as a debut that is impressive, I wish it were more flushed out across a larger band it feels like a single musical strand at times and while I want to go back and relisten I also feel like I want to because it is so well regarded but I am not as enthralled. Her guitar playing is great and the themes are are very powerful but I can’t remember one song that really felt unforgettable. What did I miss.
4/5
This is just a powerhouse of an album, last song is a terrible waste of time.
The xx
3/5
The sparser songs are better than some of the later ones. Overall I love the sound and the hidden complexities XX weave into even the simple sounding songs. I think lyrically this album gets weaker as it progresses. Not as stunning as their debut but still beautiful.
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
I was afraid this would be self
Indulgent but it is surprisingly playful and quirky. I it could end up sounding like musical sausage… the vocals
Come close but it is adventurous enough to allow for an almost mechanical sheen but still feels human. I think it uses pretty standard musical tropes but does not sound bored or tired. As close to a 5
As a 4 can get.
Steely Dan
3/5
Some great songs on here but it also lacks some of the grit I like on the earlier albums. The songs feel almost too crafted.
MGMT
3/5
The hits off here are great and but beyond them is not as interesting to me, so the album feels a but unbalanced to me.
Michael Kiwanuka
3/5
There are some enchanting songs on this, it get bogged down in the middle and the production by Dangermouse seems to fussy and over layered. Would it have sounded better more stripped down?
Miriam Makeba
4/5
Great music and singing, I love the Gwen Davis song Where Does It Lead.
Basement Jaxx
2/5
It’s either Enjoy (Jump ‘N Shout) or endure, and it’s mostly endure.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
1/5
I just find this wallowing unlistenable. It’s the first album I cannot make it through. And I like stripped down songwriter focused music but this feels humorless and flat.
Neil Young
4/5
A really great album Southern Man feels like one of the most powerful songs ever recorded just perfection in sound and execution. Kinda wish the second half had another anchor but this is a great one.
Neu!
4/5
I really loved this album. Was not expecting it to be as wild as it is. I would reach for this over Kraftwerk every time. Not as self consciously intellectual as Kraftwerk and much more fun.
Meat Puppets
5/5
This album is lightning in a bottle, I have always loved it. It taps so many areas that interest me and pulls them together in a way nobody else had done before, punk, country. Beat poetry, psychedelic and a touch of humor. All beautifully played. I do think It’s one of the greatest albums.
Various Artists
4/5
Very nice album to play at Christmas just skip the last song.
Blue Cheer
4/5
This album digs in after Summertime Blues and it feels like they are reaching something like Led Zep but it’s a bit more freewheeling. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
Aerosmith
2/5
I was thinking this is a solid 3, musically proficient lyrically shallow filled with a old man boasting about exploits with young girls and cursory introspection that just results in juvenile clichés and very boring masculine declarations of victimhood. Then I heard Voodoo Medicine and thought these chumps could actually do something interesting if they tried. It’s a great romp more daring than GNR and it makes the rest of the album seem completely worthless. So I am going with a 2.
Röyksopp
2/5
One song Remind Me was memorable and I would be happy to hear again by chance not choice. Beyond that they play a little but not enough to escape sounding like background music at Euro hotel.
Dr. Dre
4/5
IParts of the album sound awesome and others are difficult for me to enjoy because they seem to push for a violence or abuse of others that I have no empathy for musically the album is a fascinating mix of styles and it holds its own in that respect. Vocally it is at times amazing too.
The Boo Radleys
4/5
A bit messy at the start but I do want to go back and listen again I had not heard them before and for a 90's band they sound interesting remind me of Archers of Loaf. Will give 4 because I hope some songs and other albums grow on me
Morrissey
4/5
Many albums on here really start to fall apart after the first few songs.... this one started out sounding like a laundry list of complaints set to generic music, but nearly halfway through it becomes something much more power ful musically and lyrically. I really loved the music and passion of the second half.
David Bowie
5/5
Maybe my Favorite Bowie album, it feels loose musically and beyond Golden Years you rarely hear the other songs so they remain fresh and exciting to hear. I like how he picks up elements of funk and electronic music integrates them and owns them. The cover art is great always loved it... will listen to this again soon.
Stephen Stills
4/5
Great sounding album I really liked Move Around which seems more of a stretch. I like the heavier momebnts and not as connected to times when it sounds like straight CSNY or bluegrass related. But over all very good and will listen again.
The Byrds
3/5
A few good songs Eight Miles High which has a great guitar solo... but the rest of the album is very midling and not that interesting to me
Suicide
4/5
This is an odd album that I have heard songs from in isolation and it works much better as an album, was not surprised Springsteen loves it, seems like a huge inspiration for Nebraska, which I love... I do not love this as much but it makes sense and odd that it is not better known. The album gets better as it settles in and moves through its unique landscape.
Nas
3/5
Some good songs in this but in between them not as interesting to me.
Elbow
2/5
A rare instance where an album sounds absolutely beautiful but feels empty at the same time. I like one song but the grandiosity seems like a veneer and the songs lack specifics or heartfelt emotion. They are like an emotional show not personally emotional. The production is first rate but I have no desire to listen to it again.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
some good funky songs on here, it is an interesting foray into bitterness and other emotions not usually something you pair with funk but it works well in a number of songs. The album seems to indulge in this at times maybe a bit too much so the sense of on song playing off another does not happen, they just bleed into one another.
Foo Fighters
3/5
Initially sounds like an extension of Nirvana, the album takes on more variation as it progresses, however it still sounds like one layer of sound when it gets fast which is not something I want to listen to again, there are some songs I would welcome hearing again.
Hole
4/5
i was tossed this right after the Foo Fighter's first album. I had nvere listened to either and they are not really needing of comparison but... this album is much better than the Foo Fighters. It is exciting right away and slimps a bit into paint by numbers but still done very well and sounds great all the way through pretty good for Pop Prock.
M.I.A.
3/5
A good dance album nice mix of influences and beats and variations. A high 3.
Nine Inch Nails
1/5
This album is just unlistenable for me, it feels souless and grating in ways that I cannot tolerate much more than a song or two and then I regret hearing the lyrics. I like Ministry, Laibach and Unwound but this is just nothing I would ever listen to again.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
This album pretty much presents a relentless string of great music we may not need the drum solo in Moby Dick but it is a very small price to pay for everything that comes before it.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
A very nice album I like some of the songs I had not heard before like Almost Cut My Hair and Everybody I love you. Some of the bigger hits I know are important I guess but I I also find them a bit irritating.
Mariah Carey
2/5
These are flat landscapes for Mariah to scat over. Good make out music maybe... but they feel barren and her gymnastics are not enough to engage me, when the prince cover is the one thing that feels like a tune the rest is problematic.
Radiohead
5/5
This album while not as varied as previous ones is extremely beautiful and emotionally rich. Only dips on the last song but everything before it is worth listening.
Megadeth
4/5
i really enjoyed this album o not typically a genre I listen to but the songs have very intricate and original arrangements I will liasten again. I tend to ignore the lyrics, I think th music is excellent.
Sister Sledge
3/5
Nice disco pop some good songs aside from the big hit.
Louis Prima
4/5
Basically all iconic and gimmicky music. Not something I would choose to listen to but I guess the world would be different without it.
Bob Dylan
5/5
I had not listened to this album before, it’s not as ambitious as Blonde on Blonde but it’s a better, more concise work. I was surprised at how much I admired it.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
For all it’s grandiosity, it’s still feels slight. I want Better lyrical content to match the ambition of the musical content. I understand these are short love songs, but I still feel like they deserve something more.
Ravi Shankar
3/5
Very nice and suitable introduction to the music of India.
5/5
Why Tommy is considered a masterpiece is beyond me... this is a great warm sounding and forward sounding effort - rock opera without trying to sound like a broadway wanna be. It is both fun and critical I will definitely listen again.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
A good Nick Cave Album not as fond of the duets and not something I want to wallow in…. Still prefer The Good Son album.
Butthole Surfers
3/5
Not something I would go back to for pleasure. It was interesting and I appreciate the experimentation and funhouse quality of the music.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
A great album one of those that I am glad I am doing this because I would not have listened to it otherwise. I like how aggressive it is.
George Harrison
5/5
This album is gorgeous from start to finish, George must have been just keeping great songs that he could not get on the group's albums stashed and ready to unload. Its a great revelation of talent that we only got glimpses of during the Beatles run, in someways nore forward looking than John and Paul's post Beatle output.
The Specials
4/5
More expansive sounding than expected. Enjoyed it.
Black Flag
2/5
This is punishing not because it is just grating but its just an endless barrage of complaining without a range of emotion or sense of being connected with other people. Husker Du is so much more interesting and powerful than this.
Adele
3/5
First and last songs were good felt like coasting in the middle.
The The
5/5
I owned this on cassette when it first came our and enjoyed but thought it was a little over the top, which it was when compared to Soul Mining. Upon listening again I find it to be very good start to finish. Each song is uniquely strong and it holds up well musically and thematically. I like hearing how Matt Johnson wraps different musical styles around his serious themes. The music is fun and varied, definitely of its era but transcends the period.
Billy Joel
4/5
Its strange that I think this abum starts out perfect, its tight and clear and then it gets to scenes from what are considered the masterpieces Scenes from an Italian Restaurant and Vienna... and I am not as impressed, while these maybe grander in scope I like the hits on this album. I think the slower think pieces are not as fun or moving.
Justice
2/5
More playful than most electronic dance music but still a bit of slog to get through., I hope I get some Hot Chip in this 1001 albums because the electronic music so far is pretty boring.
DJ Shadow
3/5
I get it that this album is important in the way it was made and the craft involved but its not something I would listen to again.
Small Faces
3/5
I liked the first half, had a lot of forward
Momentum and nicely arranged, second half with the story was not as interesting other than it felt like pre-prog and too cute.
Air
3/5
the album is nice but hits a stride late with Ce Matin and everything after that is pretty good before that its a bit like noodling and rather vague lyrics.
Kanye West
3/5
the album is nice but hits a stride late with Ce Matin and everything after that is pretty good before that its a bit like noodling and rather vague lyrics.
Spiritualized
2/5
I may change my mind at some point but despite this albums beauty I find it difficult to get through. Beautifully produced but ponderous in ways that make it hard for me to enjoy.
Erykah Badu
4/5
A very beautiful album Erykah Badu’s voice is wonderful traveling through the songs floating around exquisitely without being overtly showy.
Fred Neil
4/5
I read some of the other listener reviews before listening and expected a bad dated sounding Album but found it to be very much the opposite. It sounds fresh and compelling. I really enjoyed it and will definitely listen again and listen to his other albums. His vocal style is more like a country crooner than a folk singer. I like his original of Everybody’s Talking too and I have long been a lover of Nilsson’s interpretation.
Kanye West
3/5
This album feels all over the map with some interesting results. I do like how it sounds just not as engaging and interesting as Yeezus and 808s for me.
The Who
4/5
Much better than Tommy, a good album I had never listened too before. Will listen again
Snoop Dogg
4/5
tI enjoyed alot of this and I like it more than The Chronic. Lyrically it wavers a bit but I do like some humor mixed in when it is more clever than vulgar.
Ramones
4/5
I respect what this album did to music birthing the punk scene. Listening closely I did enjoy the guitar playing in a way I was unable to enjoy when I was younger. I may go back and listen to a few songs but I really dont listen to them for enjoyment so I would give this a 4, but know it should be a 5.
Gram Parsons
3/5
Pleasant album I loved the two live numbers they had fun liveliness in contrast to the rest. It was nice sounding album
Jazmine Sullivan
5/5
Wow... first time hearing this album it is a real journey that Lost One even had me in tears. Very honest and a full range of emotions are explored at times as emotionally raw as Elvis Costello. The music matches the stories told. This is an amazing fully realized concept album!
Keith Jarrett
5/5
A strand of beautiful jazz improvisation I will listen again in the studio and/or at work.
Nick Drake
5/5
I was shocked to learn this was a debut album. It’s unbelievably beautiful, and sounds so mature seems just as important as Bob Dylan and other folk artist from that time.
Kacey Musgraves
2/5
I found this was trying to be everything with the country sprinkled in, I guess thats not a bad idea but it just didn't mesh for me. The production was over the top trying very hard to capture a pop audience i could not make it through the whole thing
Sparks
3/5
one of those albums that I know is "important" and I do like seeing them perform but I find the singing difficult to enjoy on an album. Would like to hear other albums and see if they are easier for me to enjoy repeated listens.
Van Morrison
4/5
Blondie
4/5
I kinda hate not giving this a 5. It generally deserves it mainly due to Harry’s singing, she is New Wave and Pop pushed together so she sounds beautiful and aggressively new wave at the same time. That gives the music an edge and the good songs are unforgettable. I still think there are some that are not great although musicianship is always very good.
Lucinda Williams
5/5
I had never listened to Lucinda Williams other than hearing something on the radio. I love this album and the way she sings, its best when it feels loose and spontaneous. I will definitely listen to this again. Will also look at some live performances because i bet they are great.
Aerosmith
4/5
Does Aerosmith get any better than this? Points towards Van Halen and much more musically adept than KISS. At this moment a great American heavy rock band. Seems all downhill from here.
Johnny Cash
4/5
This sounds like a great document nicely raucous at times. I prefer to listen to album versions maybe the very interesting concept for Cash outweighs the quality a little bit. Excellent moment in time captured.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Very enjoyable seems to bridge between folk rock and prog.
New Order
2/5
A far cry from the brilliant Low Life. The songs lack the mystery, emotion and sparseness that made previous albums so memorable. Here they are in territory that The Cure had a better handle on in 1989
The Rolling Stones
5/5
I need to hear Some Girls again before I say this is my favorite Stones Album, but it probably is. It has a polished feel that sets it apart, but each song feels like a unique success. They stand apart and on their own some are gritty and vulgar others sweepingly beautiful. Warhol’s iconic design is icing on the cake.
The Crusaders
2/5
This album starts with something interesting and then settles in to smooth jazz “on hold” music. Competent but lacking real flavor or drive.
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
Alot of this is like beautifully patterned wallpaper, but it still pretty much is just repeating patterned wallpaper.
Pink Floyd
3/5
Screwy to say the least, its not something I will go back to, I do like some of Syd's solo work so I thought I may appreaciate this more than I did. Spawned alot of indulgent music but tha doesn't make it bad either.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Just an amazing artistic achievement. All the innovation is in style, approach and expanding on how to play an electric guitar. All of this draped over traditional blues structures. With an older ear I now feel like the drumming of Mitchell is almost as insanely creative as Hendrix. Both fill every space available with chaotic perfection without overwhelming the songs. Even 3rd Stone is not that bad.
Iron Maiden
2/5
What I can’t get over is the voice which is dynamic but lacking in true emotion. It all feels like a costume or role play. The ideas could create music with emotion but this feels like an imitation of emotion.
Aphex Twin
4/5
Finally an electronic music album that explores tempo and texture. Each song tells a sonic story rather than pummeling you with repetative rythyms.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
No denying this album has a surprising number of hits from Gabriel. He also carves out a space in pop music that feels distinctive unlike the pure motown derived pop of bandmate Phil not that the two should be compared but interesting how he changed his approach and found success later. What's missing is the intensity and strange beauty of earlier down tempo ballads and narrative based explorations. The slow songs here mostly fall flat and stand in contrast to the upbeat ones. Mercy Street seems much less engaging than Big Time. I prefer the earlier weirdness on the first 3 albums to this successful foray into pop.
The Lemonheads
4/5
I was surprised with how good this album is. the guitar work and music is fresh and interesting. A bit ramshackle but tight. I think the album feels a little like an adolescent looking to move to maturity fighting its way through. Almost a 5 for me.
Ministry
5/5
I really love this album. The opener is great. I like that they are all in when it comes to making a very heavy album, but they do not create simple concrete chunks of music, the songs have a beautiful use of aggressive rhythm that still feels human enough to encourage me to bounce along. The crunch of guitars have a really nice punch as well. they also dabble in different styles of metal so the album is a bit of an adventure as well.
Public Image Ltd.
3/5
Bits and pieces of this album are pretty amazing, the others are more of an experiment that is not something you want to listen to more than once. There are other PIL albums I love like The Flowers of Romance, the 2nd album and Album. This is him cutting his teeth on a new found musical freedom and at times sounding like a prophet musically ( pointing towards Albini, Jesus Lizard… ) other times like a crazed prophet preaching that you want to avoid.
Bob Dylan
3/5
There are some songs I enjoy on here but alot of it lacks the edge of his earlier work. (which I prefer). It will be interesting to see if there are any later albums on the list and see what I think of them.
Haircut 100
4/5
This is pretty nice frenetic yet refined New Wave pop. I was surprised at how live it sounded, nice rhythm guitar work. The admirable musicianship helps me push this to 4 stars.
Kings of Leon
2/5
After the first couple a songs this starts to wear really thin... its as if they want to be what the Strokes are but lack that genuine aloof swagger and intricate and accomplished musical precision that make the Strokes fun to appreciate on repeated listens.
Neil Young
4/5
I thought I would enjoy this more, the lush (for Neil Young) orchestration on some of the songs seem to take the bite out of them. The last song Words seems the best balance of grit and grandiose. Some key songs here keep this from being a middle of the road effort.
Derek & The Dominos
4/5
I had never listend to this but have always known it buy the cover and the one ubiquitous song. Its an excellent album, I prefer the more adventurous tracks over the basic blues. Bell Bottom Blues is great as is Layla even after hearing it for millionth time. I wonder why clapton shifted to a solo guitar centric career, here he crafts songs that transcend his bluesmaster approach with a sweep of emotion and musical beauty across instruments. When the guitar chimes in it is a great accent to the songs, not the sole focus. I still will not likely dig into this album as a whole again so it is as close to a 5 as a 4 can get...
The Prodigy
3/5
Better than Chemical Bros… but still kinda mindless and repetitive at times. There is enough variation to keep punished boredom from setting in… it’s ok I guess.
Holger Czukay
4/5
An interesting (especially given its release date) collection of sonically diverse jazz/sound collages. I am surprised I had not heard of it before and I also thought it was a contemporary 2010’s work. Much more playful than Eno oddly beautiful.
Coldplay
3/5
Clocks is ok.. but the songs just roll out feeling like a 2000’s version of Journey. Vaguely meaningful, no bite I guess you can read the tea leaves and extract some emotional longing. In fact, the best Journey is better than this.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
5/5
If you don’t like this album, you probably don’t truly like every kind of music or play a musical instrument. It is chaotic yet a marvel of precision. Beefheart’s other work is excellent too but this is a perfectly timeless time capsule of an exploration of what was/is musically possible. He outdoes Zappa because he is not elitist, he loves sound and poetry and this has an innocent humor that I love.
The Byrds
3/5
Nice sounding, however just because it is an early and unexpected forray into country sound, that does not make it extremly compelling. There are many other straight up country or cross over rock based country albums I would listen to rather than this... points for innovation I guess.
Little Richard
5/5
One of the earliest and greatest rock ‘n’ roll albums…. Where would we be without Little Richard. Not only was it influential, but risky and distinctive, a musical landmark.
KISS
3/5
When I was 10 years old this sounded kinda cool… now as I approach 60 this sounds plodding and mushy. The sound is inexcusably terrible. I guess Beth was a hit simply because it sounds like a unique voice. Hard to even rate a 3 but I guess it gets something for cultural significance.
Jungle Brothers
3/5
Starts out with promise and starts to ease up about 3 songs in, so it rolls out rather middle of the road, good but not fun enough to warrant going back and running through more than a listen and a half.
R.E.M.
3/5
In general, I don’t like this album much at all. It is down beat and musically uninteresting, I think with document you could literally hear them hitting a wall and I don’t think this is an interesting way through it. I almost want to give it 2 but Sweetness Follows, ignorland, man on the moon, and night swimming save it from being a disaster. This coming from someone who saw them 3 times live and I really do love some of their early work.
Elvis Presley
4/5
I feel like the album is a good mix of soulful, country grit, and showy orchestration. That reaches a peak at I’m moving on and the power of my love. Great bass playing by Cogbill throughout.
John Coltrane
5/5
Wow, a beautiful suite of music that increasingly intensifies as it moves forward. Sounds live, crisp and thrilling. All musicians are given space to paint intricate parts. Floored by this album.
Living Colour
3/5
A couple good songs, nice wild yet masterful guitar work. Lyrically I like the themes, they carve a great space missing in Rock but it also seems lacking in poetry, almost the opposite of the guitars.
Fats Domino
4/5
Sounds influential to standard Rock n Roll. some great songs especially Trust In Me which is noticiably wilder than the rest of the songs.
Mylo
1/5
I am really tired of the number of boring white boy EDM albums on this list. This one while being more varied is somehow worse than other electronic vibe albums I’ve been tossed. It lacks a humanity and just pummels away… how do you make dance music boring and not fun.
The Doors
4/5
The first half of this is a barn burner. Morrison is completely unleashed and is beautiful and frightening at the same time. Everyone sounds passionate. His vocal assault on side one is similar to Elvis Costello on Trust, that crazy naked emotion that is hard to pull off on a studio recording…. Then we have side two it feels deflated.
The Cars
5/5
This album’s musical ideas, style and execution for me demonstrate a fully realized perfection. I always want to listen to it all the way through it is such a joy to listen to and admire. And to think a few years later I saw them live in what was one of the worst concerts zi have ever witnessed. Every album is worth listening to until heartbeat City.
Sufjan Stevens
5/5
A singular vision of complex and beautifully arranged songs, while often teeteingr on the edge of twee self indulgence, end up feeling like an immense artistic achievement. His hushed vocals could have been just that but he often adds a musicality to his lines imparting a richness that indie pop musicians usually don’t achieve. I think the album is startlingly varied and inventive. This helps keep it a joy to listen to even well into the album. The upbeat songs are so enjoyable I craved to hear them again.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
This album sounds good and it’s consistent in quality throughout. It is
Not something interests me but I appreciate an intensity and level of dedication to craft and theme.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
A beautifully sophisticated album that is way ahead of its time.
Beck
4/5
Some great songs, feels more like a solid pop album which makes it slightly less interesting than earlier albums.
The La's
4/5
a nice collection of songs too bad they did not make it further into the 90's.
Beatles
5/5
Pretty much a Masterpiece, a complex
Exploration of musical, styles, textures and techniques. Bravely expansive without being just a tribute to or slavish exercise in style.
Neneh Cherry
3/5
Would be good to dance to but sounds very average.
OutKast
4/5
alot of this album is fascinating but there is alot to take in. This is expansive and I feel like a tighter album would have been better. one of the great albums of the 2000s
Kings of Leon
3/5
Who did Kings of Leon pay to get 2 albums on this list (praying there isn't a 3rd). Not as bad as the earlier album and first 2 tracks are pretty impressive. Down hill from there... but they seem to have improved the musical side of their work, the lyrics still are terrible.
Eminem
3/5
While ambitious, this is also very immature and embarrasingly juvenile. I wish the humor were more incisive and clever.
ZZ Top
3/5
This has always sounded like pure product to me. Ready for commercial consumption but not really for deep enjoyment. Sure its boogie based but it is not something you really shake or swing to... Yes iconic I guess but is it good music? We have to wait until the second to last song to hear one with some shuffle to it.
Badly Drawn Boy
4/5
A friend from England recommended this album to me a few months ago and I did like it, it seems nearly as deep as Radiohead, and sadly not as well known across the Atlantic. Its definitly better than Coldplay lyrically and musically too. Not sure if they hold this up on later albums but this one is very good.
Prince
5/5
This album is a generous Whitman's sampler of great music. Prince
Demonstrates a wide range of musical ideas for the most part upbeat and fun. There are better Prince albums out there but this one is a great compendium of what he found he could deliver. I bought the album when it came out and was puzzled by the sound and apparent aimlessness m, but upon re-listen it is bright and packed with fun. I wish the drums felt more “live” but that’s a minor problem.
Calexico
5/5
A beautiful and sumptuous album that follows many musical threads and weaves them together masterfully. Areas rarely explored in Indie popular music. It feels cinematic and gritty at times. I can’t think of many other albums like it.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Amy was an incredibly talented gothic noir chanteuse. This album feels more truly her than Frank. The one problem I have is that she she often favors playing with lines in a way that robs them of emotion. I end up hearing a show of dexterity rather than shaping the feel of the song. Supremely talented yet not mature enough to hold back. Great album.
The Pharcyde
5/5
I enjoyed this a lot I felt the skits were well integrated into the music of the album. It had a strong musicality to it, and it was funny.
Underworld
1/5
Relentlessly dreadful and uninteresting
Eminem
2/5
this is a long time to listen to someone talk about themselves. It sounds better than the Slim Shady LP but its longer and full of false brags and posturing based on a sense of being unappreciated which just seems like a persona and not a reflection of his success. I just can't enjoy it when it is so sophmoric regardless of how clever it is.
Portishead
4/5
A wonderful union of old and new. Soulful yet haunting. I do think the 3rd album is even better but this was a step in a direction many seem to have tried to follow but Portishead feel like they transcend gimmicky genre aping.
Madonna
3/5
Some great songs and a lot of filler that I feel no need to revisit. The last song Met Girl is particularly beautiful while other slower ones are forgettable. While I feel it is adventurous it’s no as though many big discoveries are made.
CHVRCHES
3/5
I found this to be well done and solid synth pop it’s not something I would go back and listen to again. It doesn’t lead anywhere for me.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
Standard love songs filtered through the smooth phrasing of Sinatra hard to go wrong.
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
Good Rap album not something I would really dig into again, I guess I would like the songs to have a faster rhythm.
Scritti Politti
2/5
many of the songs sound like what you hear when the credits roll for any popular PG movie made between 1985-1991. I know it is a sound they innovated but I think in its pure form it was a dead end, but as used by some pop musicians it was influentual.
Beatles
5/5
I was thinking this was not going to be a 5 for me but it ended up really fascinating to hear. Yes there are covers that are maybe not the best version of the song but the playing is on a level that goes beyond a pop band. Some of the rhythm guitar parts are marvelous and will be something I did back into to try to learn from. George’s song is in a place of maturity the rest of the band had not reached. They play with such abandon and skill, the singing is unvarnished yet beautiful. Already setting themselves apart from others.
Slint
4/5
I think this is an interesting album, it expands what post punk rock can be and is not following or constructing grunge which gives it a longer lasting appeal. Picking up pieces of Nick Cave, Big Black minus the humor... but I think Unwound explored this in a more interesting way. At least for me.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3/5
I love Jon Spencer, Seen him live 2x - This album is not his best, it is maybe his most interesting and closest to the tightly managed chaos of his live shows in its approach. I like it enough to give it 4 stars but I really think I would put it a notch below Extra Width, Orange and Meat and Bone all of which I really love. I hope one of those if not all are on this list too so I give it 3.
3/5
This is not a bad album and it is nearly very good. I think they are more inventive then Coldplay but also veer off into what feels like overboard fantasy and dramatics that lack emotional depth… so regardless of their wild musicality which I find interesting at the beginning of the album… they are still emotionally on level with Coldplay and not as accomplished and nuanced in their songwriting as Radiohead… who they clearly emulate. I don’t fault them for that it’s a good zone to play in… but imagine Thom Yorke leaves Radiohead and muse’s singer replaces him. They could perform great renditions of previous Radiohead material, but anything new would likely be very lacking if Thom’s replacement helped write the new songs. The last two songs in the album are just terrible too
The xx
5/5
This album felt like it came out of nowhere when I got it on original release. It is so minimal dark warm and beautiful all at once. Somewhat like Low Life it feels even more lush and haunting. It’s these contradictions that make it fascinating to me. I love this album.
The Yardbirds
4/5
I do like the sound of the album, it seems a bit more lightweight than the Stones but its playfulness is part of the appeal. Beck's playing seems forward looking and the wilder passages something American bands would point back to in the next decade.
David Bowie
5/5
I keep thinkining I should give this a 4 but the great songs are spectacular and the sound of the whole album is so rich and beautiful, like he and everyone involved were working on a different world than the rest of music. I could toss the Song for Warhol and you would have a slightly better 5 star album
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
This album has a great soundscape to it that is maybe a greater artistic achievement than previous Hendrix albums. I feel like I want to recognize its ambition but I also likely will not relisten to every track again if I were to go back. It is something I may play all the way through while working in the art studio.
Jamiroquai
3/5
I don't think criticizing them for sounding like Stevie Wonder is valid, many musical groups emulate others who came before them. I think this has a more funky sound that borrows from 70's mainstream funk and does it rather competently but it lacks a depth that makes me want to comeback I do like that later album with virtual insanity a bit more.
Soul II Soul
3/5
a few memorable songs and oddly has more character when the guy sings even if he is not as skilled. But despite being a key album of the era it is not something I would actively think about listening to again from start to finish.
The Who
4/5
The heavier sounding songs sound great, and its hard not to be amazed with Townsend's mastery of the guitar creating a melodic soundscape that requires such varied technique and adaptation live.
John Lennon
5/5
I love the range of emotions on this album, at turns hopeful in the face of war and sadness, vitrolic and conflicted. Lennon proves he is the philisphical one who would rather weave his mind through the music unlike Paul who is more fascinated with the music itself... A great post Beatles album.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
5/5
I think this album is like an isolated triumph of pop based rock in a time when it stands as an anomaly. I wish there were more albums that had this lush fun edgy feel.
The Sonics
4/5
Evidence the the US northwest has always been grungecentric. I do love the feel of this album a true American garage version of the pop that was flowing freely everywhere. Raw, grating, celebratory and dark a great gem that more need to hear.
The Vines
3/5
Nice sounding album would like to hear it again and see if it’s better than what I thought so based on my initial read, it’s a three
Air
3/5
Nice sounding album would like to hear it again and see if it’s better than what I thought so based on my initial read, it’s a three
Sade
4/5
Listened to this many times one of my wife’s favorite albums uniquely beautiful and immediately accessible
David Bowie
4/5
A bit all over the place and adventurous sonically not my favorite Bowie album but worth a relisten soon.
k.d. lang
4/5
This gets better as the albumn progresses and Lang more deeply tranforms into a chanteuse leveraging her lingering soft tone. I ended up liking the album much more than I thought.
The White Stripes
4/5
Out of the gates this album has a feel and momentum that is exceptional especially for the time,it tightens back up rock and has a feel and purpose that feels like a pivot away from grunge. I think it starts to slack a bit on the second half and could have been helped by pulling a few songs out. Look forward to hearing white blod cells which my son says is better I hope it is on this list.
Dr. Octagon
3/5
This was interesting as a rap based concept album but also cartoonish boucing between clever and sophmoric. Musically interesting use of vintage sounds but probably not going to listen again.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
I know this is the proto punk minimalist precursor to later groups and its supposed to be revered because of that but it is not engrossing to mealthough the last 2 tracks are very interesting, what preceeds that feels a bit bland and intellectual.
G. Love & Special Sauce
2/5
I can't tell what this album is aiming at but it lacks focus and maturity. Not Beck and not interesting at times it shows fleeting musically interesting moments but then something feels off or wrong and it all falls apart.
Marvin Gaye
5/5
Great album of his upbeat music.
Metallica
4/5
Not really, my cup of tea, but it has a great sound and the heavier the better. When it slows down, it starts to border on comical in the second the last song is pure filler, but I won’t deny enjoying the fast loud parts.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
As much as I like Praise You and some other early moments on this album it is still repetative and punishing at times. While the backbone of the sound feels more joyous and natural, it still lacks the variation or exploration that keeps me engaged.
Pixies
4/5
The album starts out better than I remember but the songs start becoming chunky and a sameness sets in that is unlike their previous work. I don’t know how you follow a masterpiece like Doolittle where every second is brilliant.
10cc
4/5
Much better than I expected definitely will listen again. Starts out a bit of a mess and gets better as it moves along. Reminded me of Fiery Furnaces in its scattered yet rich approach and tapping of genre.
The Pogues
3/5
I used to own this album and I listened to it a bit. But I never really loved as much as I feel like I am supposed to…. Listening to it now it suffers a bit from 80’s production and could be more impactful stripped down with a raw sound.
Public Image Ltd.
4/5
This, flowers of Romance and Album are all great PIL albums. This may be the hardest to appreciate but I do like its self defining confidence. Maybe what the Pistols could have been conceptually, an attempt to reshape music in a way that pushed beyond what is considered marketable and pop yet still being sonically rich and wild in a way rock only attempts to be.
Janis Joplin
5/5
Joplin was a powerhouse and this album proves it would like to hear another come up on here to compare but love this one.
Crowded House
3/5
Nice album not as good as their first which I hope shows up on here.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
great performances of music that I would not likely listen to outside of this list. I do think it feels very lively for a recording.
Radiohead
5/5
An incredible musical journey. The album extracted rock based music from the listless grunge based rock of the 90’d. The songs are shocking and beautiful to me. Emotionally raw, smart and musically sensual.
Suede
3/5
Certainly ambitious, but almost equally overdone and seemingly empty in its poetics. Ocean Rain is oddly more moving by using more specific imagery and narratives. This feels weighty and bombastic. I think deserves a listen or two but for me it seems to push its own importance to the fore and lacks playfulness that could help balance the gravity it exudes.
Fela Kuti
5/5
Thankful I got to hear this album and learn some about its history. A brave and beautiful work of art.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
Great album
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Odd that the slower songs that are hits are the highlights, when they try to inject some excitement it falls flat. The first two songs in particular are discouraging I almost gave up but the trio of slower hits are very good. The second half of the album seems lost and never finds the gravitas that works earlier in the album.
N.E.R.D
4/5
I love the diversity of this album and it may be the only album featuring Lenny Kravitz that I can listen to. Its variety is impressive and also makes it a little hard to latch onto as well.
Radiohead
5/5
This is hard to rate because it is not as concise and solid as OK Computer, the Bends or even In Rainbows, but I still find it fascinating. It sprawls and draws inspiration and influence from what came before. I think Yorke sounds raw and panicked and it works well. It may be my personal favorite a great album to listen to while making art.
Thelonious Monk
4/5
Coldcut
3/5
I like the playful approach of this album, not sure that there are any tracks that stand out to me, better than most electronic dance.
John Cale
3/5
I know this is supposed to be a masterpiece but outside of the more upbeat songs I don't find this to be something I crave to listen to again. It is constantly pitched to me on streaming platforms in the past and I skip after a few seconds. great musicians involved but just seems maybe too smart for me.
Talk Talk
5/5
This feels both familiar and so completely personal. Uses a synth pop sensibility to achieve something deeper and more complex than pop usually delivers. I really love this album.
David Bowie
4/5
A great return for Bowie. He is unrestrained by commercial influences.
Gang Of Four
5/5
An album unlike any other new wave album . The guitar work is beautiful yet aggressive cutting into the songs like a jagged knife. The themes of middle class bourgeois excess and power are smart, funny any as jagged as the guitars.
Syd Barrett
3/5
I have listened to this a couple times I find it interesting but not entralling. I do like its unique lyricism and free feeling musicality. Seems of its time but not commercially constrained
Depeche Mode
4/5
The peaks on this album are so high that it makes the other material seem much weaker. I adore about half of the album.
Goldie
2/5
I lack the patience for this, while competent and has a nice sound it is not something I feel compelled to listen to again and have trouble finishing it on the first listen
Brian Wilson
3/5
Its nice and an interesting rebirth of material, I just am not a big fan of the Beach Boys and find this to not be as good as Pet Sounds and I don't see myself wanting to listen to it again.
Circle Jerks
4/5
A wonderful Whitman’s sampler of hard core punk.
Elvis Presley
4/5
Not a huge Elvis listener but I do like this album I especially like Trying to Get You which has some really intricate guitar work and I Got a Woman is great too.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
I like some of this better than Blue. Second song was really good.
The Young Gods
5/5
Industrial that I love because it is not just a single approach, references are pulled from older cabaret music and expressionist art. I have seen them live back in the early 90's and they were fabulous. The Kurt Wiel album is also very good.
The Strokes
5/5
what a great consistent sound and vision. The album has gotten better over time, I initially was not in love with its overt pop sound but it has such an simple approach with excellent guitar work I came around and now find it amazing in its beauty.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Better than the Holy Bible, more overtly popish, but the songs still sounnd like cinderblocks to me I wish they gave a bit more space to their sound .
Slayer
2/5
this is just an endurance test for me, all thrash no humor or variation not something I need to revist.
Dirty Projectors
5/5
A wonderful work that expands artistic pop exploring the ordinary in an extraordinary way. The music is complex but still infectous. Love it.
David Bowie
3/5
The risk and ambition of this is admirable but the result is not enthralling for me as album shifts to ambient orientalism.
The United States Of America
3/5
I like every song Dorothy Moskowitz sings on, the other songs feel gimmicky even if the techniques and approach is edgy it just feels sophomoric. But som of Dorothy’s songs are worth the listen.
Brian Eno
3/5
I am a bit torn on this I do like 2 songs and I like the craziness of the album more than how it really sounds... I don't see myself digging back into it much...
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
This is an excellent album, but I like The first one more. Walk this Way has not aged well.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
About 3/4 of this album has some music that must be heard. A couple songs are not on the same level but this is a must know album glad I listened to and will listen to it again.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Beautiful Nick Cave album still like the fuller sound of the Good Son,.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
This is a fitting lead up to the more refined Ocean Rain, if you prefer a rawer sound you may find is superior. I still like the focus of the next album a little better but this is damn nearly as good. First time listening to it and love it.
Paul Simon
4/5
Heard the Album many times a great one
Slipknot
1/5
Overly Drummed, overly long, overly serious and overly dark.
Love
4/5
a great album bridging american garage rock and Psychadelic Rock, I like some of that later work more but found this very interesting and will relisten to some tracks.
Lupe Fiasco
3/5
Lyrically stronger than it is musically. I feel like the backing music is just canned music with a vibe based on a specific genre rather than being crafted to match the work put into the lyrics. Production is nice but I want more musically.
The Modern Lovers
4/5
Rock without the posturing. It is a nice evolutionary look at how American punk and new wave began. The first side is spectacular the second side is more interesting as a look back to how Richman started.
Paul Weller
3/5
Weller proves himself a competent soul pop performer. The songs are good and his voice is almost rough enough. I think were it not Weller would this album be of signifigance? Its good but not remarkable.
Miles Davis
5/5
A great sounding jazz album a minimal sound but very beautiful.
The Beach Boys
3/5
I just am not fond of the Beach Boys, sure they broke ground here with the elaborate orchestration but the music does not move me. I do love Sloop John B and God Only Knows. But I guess I like music with swing or some drama to it if it is orchestral.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
this wall of beautiful fuzz felt so unusual when I heard it back when it came out. Some songs stand out more than others I do not go back to it as often as I used to but nice to hear again.
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
Sounds beautiful but in the end its boring.
Santana
4/5
Some great covers here that became classics for him, other parts of the album feel a bit generic and not as riveting.
Tracy Chapman
4/5
Powerful songs on this album has a great sound that is deceptively sparse which I think gives it a more universal feel given the time it was released.
Hugh Masekela
4/5
Good jazz I do like the pieces that have more of a non traditional sound like Maesha
The Rolling Stones
4/5
A sprawling album I prefer the tighter Sticky Fingers. Admittedly impressive but not something I would revisit aside from some specific songs.
Public Enemy
5/5
Another great one by Public Enemy, a sound collage that is amazing to experience in addition to the lyrics. Great album to make art or work to.
Bad Brains
4/5
I was impressed by this the more I listened. It’s not really a musical style I like but it is well done and unlike music that followed in its playfulness musically. Lyrically it is complex and pretty raw.
Pulp
4/5
This sounds a bit like a rock opera I do like the focus on class and that struggle for status and looking for something to make the struggle worthwhile. Will listen again
De La Soul
4/5
An album that is generous and fun, covers alot of ground with lyrical invention not as much in music so I latch onto the tracks I like.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
I love Lamar's voice and his contemplative approach to story telling. There is a pursuit of realism that sets him apart and then he really cares about the musicality of his art and that makes it really rewarding to listen to.
Al Green
4/5
Good soul with Greens meaty vocals stand out on the more uptempo songs
Parliament
4/5
Great funk grooves nothing else like Parliament, hoping there is some more on this list because I like some of the earlier albums more.
Joan Armatrading
5/5
Wow I never would have listened to this and am so glad I did. Beautiful sounding album and I love her voice.
Chicago
5/5
I do unashamedly love this album. It has a great energy to it and they get a bad rap for their later work, however there is some good music on the first 7 albums and it ends there. I loved them as a young teen and think this album holds up well.
Steely Dan
3/5
This is a generous 3, makes me realize how much I like Katylied, Can't Buy and Countdown. Here they largely overcomplicate some basic generes and suck the fun out of them.
Beastie Boys
4/5
This album is filled with many good tracks, including some fours into other musical styles however, the album feels over stuffed, and some of those explorations are not as fruitful or interesting.
Wilco
4/5
An ambitious work, it is not as beautiful as some later albums but looking back at this you can see how this points to those works.
Sabu
2/5
while I can't deny the talents of Sabu, the recording is largely dedicated to long flat examples of some rythyms that dont change and have little or no orchestration so the appeal is very limited. I did find the second to last and last songs to be better because they involved more orchestration.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
my favorite Zeppelin Album. Such a wonderfully varied musical landscape.
Grizzly Bear
4/5
I think this album had a wonderfully unique sound. I am not typically interested in music that is based on vocal layers but I do like thier compositions.
Funkadelic
5/5
Great Diverse Album the variety reminds me of seeing Funkadelic live each song differing from the previous won and descending into wonderfully adept and fun jam sessions.
Morrissey
3/5
Like almost every album by Morrissey. There are 2 to 3 good songs on it and that’s about it.
Michael Jackson
3/5
I feel like this has not aged as well as Off the Wall and Thriller. Some good songs but a lot of it lacks the feeling of earlier albums.
Bee Gees
3/5
Somewhere inbetween The Beach Boys and David Bowie, more tolerable for me than The Beach Boys but it meanders and seems overblown so it never reaches the self awareness and immediate power of Bowie. Appeal is drowned by ambition despite some good songs.
Deep Purple
3/5
I do like a few songs but it feels self indulgent. I don’t see myself going back to it anytime in the future.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
What a great album, he redefined gritty yet refined pop. so many excellent songs on the album. Everything sounds tight. You get some hints of the coming sophistication his following efforts will contain.
Skunk Anansie
2/5
While heavier than Pink I am not sure how it is really different than Pink. Much of the album has a polish that works against its rage. I liked one song but will not listen to the album again.
Afrika Bambaataa
4/5
Some really good songs on here and Planet Rock is such a fun element of my musical youth.
AC/DC
5/5
Packed with great music. I still find the guitar solos amazing. A brilliant muscular ball of energy from start to finish.
Willie Nelson
3/5
These interpretations are all done Really well, but not the content I want from Willie. Guitar sounds nice and clean but not sure I will listen again hoping there is another album on this list.
Metallica
1/5
Trenchent and thematically Sophmoric in its doom infused drama, hearing this right after Back In Black makes it sound like an emotionless brick. Not impressed.
Malcolm McLaren
3/5
Now this seems like the gentrification of early hip hop but it is not terrible... Buffalo girls still sounds a good as when I first hear it in 82. However the rest of the album is mildly interesting at best.
Pretenders
5/5
An amazing debut, Hynde is a bad ass who pushes an unvarnished female view in your face and sounds both beautiful and tough at the same time. Tattooed Love Boys, Precious and Mystery Achievement are perfection. The Wait is one of my favorite Songs by anyone, her guitar playing is great on there too. Not sure how she can sing and play that Rythym at the same time. I've watced vids of her playing it live and am astounded...
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Ok pop music the second album appears to have more of a theme to it but my interest overall had waned to the point that it felt annoying and a indulgent ask of my patience.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Green Onions, the first track, is great and the rest is very good but feels a bit like the foundation of a house. Like the bones of some great music if only there were more elements in play. Great band but will listen to some other efforts next time.
MC Solaar
4/5
The first few songs felt like cookie cutter hip hop but the album gets much better as it moves forward and feels more relaxed. I ended up liking it more than I thought I would.
David Bowie
4/5
The first half of this is stellar, the crunchy rock pop is great and balanced with melodic Sound and Vision. The second electronic side for me has always been a bore. I know it is supposed to be a huge achievement but it is not something I really have ever wanted to listen to more than once.
Tina Turner
3/5
I love Tina Turner and this has some nice songs on it, that have not aged well. Better Be Good to ME still sounds great but some of the covers just feel like she is vamping rather than exuding emotion.
5/5
This album is packed with great songs that also have that unique Devo sound. Robotic, energetic yet still sounding hand crafted. I don't know that they made a better album than this. Remains a standout.
The Police
3/5
There is something annoying about the lyrics on this album. Some songs are memorable but the bad ones are terrible.
Beatles
5/5
A great pop album even if the last couple songs are not perfect
Van Halen
5/5
I do love this album the only other album that is nearly as good is Fair Warning. Every song has a rushed overblown energy that works because they are trying to prove themselves.
Supergrass
4/5
The kind of Brit Pop I like striving for fun over perfection. Need to listen to this a few more times because it seems to slowly unveil itself.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Great Reggae album glad to have it pop up on the list so I could listen to it.
Funkadelic
4/5
Great Album, Still think Maggot Brain is better but still a great orchestration of music.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
1/5
Less than half baked jam session exploiting the 60's "Love" theme and riffing off the Bo Diddley song that is infinitely superior to anything on this mess, no need to ever listen again.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
American Girl is a knockout, the rest of the album seems like a search for a sound. Even Breakdown sounds a bit like Steely Dan.... variety is not a bad thing but the overall blandness is something Petty needed to escape from to become a bigger musicial star.
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
While there are some songs on here that I find nice in their sweep of sound and simple emotions (Tonight, 1979). It does not hold up through the rest of the album, the bulk of which feels like sonic and lyrical wallpaper. Lots of trite emotions that could use some prosaic specificity to balance things out.
FKA twigs
4/5
The second half of the album is very good. I knew this had a lot of praise ad at 3 songs in I wondered why. But then by the next song everything started to come together. The strange sonic landscapes better matched the the songs and I became interested.
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
Hearing this after the dreadful Quicksilver Messenger Service album restored my faith in Psychadelic Rock. I have always liked Slick's voice much of the album is good and surprisingly focused for the genre.
Johnny Cash
3/5
More of a cultural artifact than a stunning musical performance.
The Go-Go's
4/5
Great collection of pop
The KLF
2/5
There was one song I liked I won’t listen to this ever again. Better than most electronics but not enough for me to take notice of anything.
The War On Drugs
2/5
I don’t believe you need a hook to make good songs, but this album certainly may make you crave one… these reverb pieces go in circles and leave me felling like I have listened to nothing.
Deee-Lite
3/5
Definitely the album the brought house to mainstream. Groove is a great song the rest is pretty good but not nearly as good as the one hit.
2Pac
3/5
Rap that’s pretty good but is not musically distinctive.
UB40
3/5
The album sounds good but I find the genre of music to be a bit boring. I did enjoy the title track.
The Killers
3/5
This sounds like what someone who thinks they are an Alpha Male listens to when they feel emotionally vulnerable. I do like a few songs and everything sounds well done. The appeal wanes over time. All Thesr Things That I’ve Done is great but nearly ruined by its overuse in corporate PowerPoints I endured in the twenty Teens.
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
Exciting Album I need to spend some more time with it.
Carpenters
4/5
At first listening to this was as interesting as eating vanilla ice cream, then realized it's pretty damn good vanilla ice cream.
4/5
This is a difficult one to rate. Much more adventerous than other pop music at the time, it was my favorite Beatles album as a youth... but now I think it starts to drop off on the second side. Paul's bass playing throughout is marvelous but I feel like with the execption of a couple songs the last half is weak.
Nina Simone
5/5
Has some powerful and brave songs mixed with some more broadly appealing ones. A good view of Simone’s range and complexity.
4/5
One of the better synth pop albums of the 1980s
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
There is one good album in here and one very mediocre album. Born to Run is an unlikely excellent cover.
AC/DC
4/5
Very nice last Bon Scott album. The great thing is AC DC sound only like themselves and nobody else really sounds like them.
Johnny Cash
4/5
An intriguing choice of songs that at times works well, however it also sounds like Cash is literally phoning it in, his voice often sounds disconnected from the music too forward rather than melded to the songs. I think that is unfortunate and surprising given that Rick Rubin produced it. His voice admittedly is like a gilded lump of coal but it should not completely overshadow the music.
Gillian Welch
3/5
Some great songs towards the end of the album. I do like the sparseness of the music it feels very natural. The songwriting did not engage until the album was almost over.
T. Rex
5/5
Glam Anthems galore.
Donald Fagen
2/5
I like 2 songs on here the rest is indulgent crap.
Depeche Mode
4/5
The first half of this album is spectacular and points to the even better to come Violator, the later half is more trenchant in theme and musically suffers from the seriousness.
Marvin Gaye
5/5
A beautiful and meaningful work of art.
5/5
An end to end masterpiece concept album. The concept does not override the creativity of each song. They have wonderful strengths outside of their inclusion in the album, yet also contribute to the “concept”. Inventive vocal arrangements help it rise above standard rock music.
Lana Del Rey
3/5
I guess not bad for a privileged gen z Patsy Cline. Sounds nice and lush and a bit like artificial empathy.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
A couple interesting songs but the entirety is very average.
Beck
5/5
An unlikely masterpiece. Every song is a wonderful adventure. The music wins out which is great because Beck is not a great lyricist. Here his dadaesque slacker songwriting works well
Enough to ensure the album travels from party to contemplative surrealism.
Elvis Presley
3/5
I like Reconsider Baby the most and it’s maybe the one that feels more of a traditional Presley song. I am not convinced Presley does R&B and Do Wop better than other folks back the.
Genesis
5/5
My favorite prog concept album. It never takes itself too seriously and is more outwardly impressive if a bit showy musically instead of being self indulgent. The story is gritty, psychological interesting and gounded in NYC reality rather than being a flight of fancy.
B.B. King
4/5
Great Blues Album a bit showy but sounds great and high energy.
Deep Purple
3/5
You can still shake your hips to this so there are a few songs I like but the singing is not something I enjoy.
Pere Ubu
3/5
Definitely something wonderful and admirable about the approach to making music. It feels
Like Pop avant- jazz but it is not beautiful enough for me to want to listen again. I do like later Ubu albums.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Not terrible at times very nice but I much prefer early Dylan over this
King Crimson
3/5
At times beautiful the first two songs and then overbearing the last 2 songs.
1/5
Terrible
3/5
Not as interesting musically as it is lyrically. Plain psychobilly that waits until the very last song to really engage you.
The Cure
4/5
I like the atmospheric qualities of this album not what I was expecting. An album I will listen to again very soon
Green Day
3/5
As much as I wanted to hate this album it is pretty good especially the second half.
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
A decent Goth rock album. I did dance to This Corrosion at the clubs back in the day but the rest of the album is not something I would get back into again although I was impressed with the dedication and sound l.
Buck Owens
3/5
Pop country very nice and some good number here.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
The more derivative blues songs are the best here, the longer more original ones are less enjoyable and an approach they perfected on physical graffiti
Boards of Canada
3/5
Somewhat better than most electronica
Beatles
5/5
This is a great album despite the last song being about as despicable as a song can be. The recent remaster sound wonderful too
Madness
3/5
I almost want to give this a 4 but I really don’t think I will listen again it seems to favor theme over music a bit too much. Our House great song.
Television
5/5
Every song on here is a wonderful journey. This album is such a rare gem they pull from so many sources and rejected Eno’s initial NY new wave mix for a lusher sound. The Result feels like the apex of 70s guitar music
PJ Harvey
4/5
I do like how ragged and rough this is feels more like a real genuine gut punch than other grunge from that time.
3/5
Some nice long grooves but nothing extraordinary.
Stan Getz
3/5
I still would prefer a straight forward Jobim album, some nice North American riffing by Byrd but it lacks the feel of the real deal.
Common
3/5
Not a bad album the music is good the rapping is a lot to take in i just tint see myself digging into it again.
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
I’ll finish this over time and Ella’s voice is beautiful. Would also like to hear different singers but what an amazing songwriter he was.
Elton John
3/5
Four great songs does not make an 18 song album great. This feels boated and showy.
James Brown
5/5
Ma powerhouse of a performance. The star is Brown’s vocals.
Blur
4/5
This feels like a natural extension of the Kinks. Some great snark and ambitious musical treats. The last third of the album feels like a let down.
Wilco
5/5
I see this often compared to OK Computer. But it is better and more personal yet still global in both its disparate and hope. It seems remarkably ambitious and still messy. I love so many songs on here and I come away moved after listening everytime.
The Stooges
3/5
The album starts strong but I lost interest as is moved forward. Not as interesting to me musically as it is could be.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Another great early Dylan Album. Odd to me that the older I get the more I appreciate these 60’s albums. I think he was too Much of a caricature when I was growing up in the late 70’s that I could only see home as that. Glad I lived long enough to enjoy these.
Big Star
5/5
The album is so intricately beautiful and musically smart without feeling indulgent. Chilton and company give us pop gems across styles. Love it and will listen some more.
John Martyn
2/5
I would love to hear more international bands and music. But we get this. It’s harmless I guess but boring and the song Dancing seems like a precursor to Dave Matthews which is unfortunate. Sounds competent but uninteresting to me.
Frank Ocean
5/5
A richly satisfying exspansion of R&B half to finally hear this album.
The Stooges
3/5
A couple excellent songs does not make a great album. Feels like more attitude than musically interesting.
Robert Wyatt
3/5
A times a challenge but the second half is a bit more interesting to me.
Arcade Fire
4/5
I do like the sound of the album it has an indie intensity that is strong here but its influence seems unfortunate with bands like Imagine Dragons. I do think the intensity feels like they churn out the same thing song after song but it’s not a terrible song…. With so many musicians you would think they could create a more varied output.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
At times a bit overboard it’s a brilliant album with many good songs. Lush and strange in its theatrical elements.
George Michael
4/5
Much better than I expected. Best when he is soulful I Want Your Sex is way too long and maybe the only thing I did not enjoy.
Dead Kennedys
3/5
I used to own In God We Trust and did not listen to it much because ultimately it’s not really enjoyable in repeated doses. This album is similar and while it may be fun to hear a song every few years it’s just not something I want to immerse my self into.
Garbage
3/5
I do like the singer she has a great bad ass presence. The music borders on sounding like commercial heavy rock a bit too much. I bet they may be good live.
Machito
3/5
A bit of an assault musicianship is great and arrangements solid. It feels more Hollywood than Afro-Cuban but I did like the last 2 songs which felt more layered.
Iggy Pop
3/5
I do like the sound of the album and a few songs are very good. But I have to admit I would not go back to the album it is not something I really enjoyed overall.
Michael Jackson
4/5
There are about 3 clunkers on here including Thriller and the Girl is Mine. Still think Off The Wall is a better album.
The Mars Volta
1/5
This album seemed terrible to me. Like Pink Floyd on steroids. Everything was unnecessarily showy, the lyrics were self important and bookish. Like Prog rock with only polish.
Missy Elliott
4/5
This could be one of the greatest but there are a few songs that fall flat in contrast to the fabulous Work it. One of the best Rap songs ever.
Solange
2/5
So the end result feels very flat musical, it’s is lush in production and ripe with interesting content. I just find it to be remarkably flat and cannot identify one song I would want to listen to
Incubus
1/5
Why is this on here it’s just terrible marking the low point that pop grunge brought us to in the 90’s.
Iggy Pop
4/5
Some great Bowie composed songs on here overall mostly beautiful in its rough stripped down sound.
The White Stripes
4/5
A powerful album I have trouble sometimes finding an emotion core but some great songs and urgency to the playing.
Eagles
3/5
This album has maybe 3 great songs and the rest are not even as good as the time period’s other AOR that the band was trying to emulate.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Wonder set of songs and her voice is beautiful and beefy at the same time.
4/5
Starts out with great promise. The Anger and longing feel personal yet also political and the songs are infused with momentum. Then it starts to meander and drift. Feeling preachy and overly careful. I saw them in this tour and I really never listened to a whole album by th after this. The concert was a mess and I longed for for the U2 that was raw and full of power.
Mercury Rev
5/5
I do love this album so much richer and mature than the Flaming Lips who they are always compared to. I did own their previous albums and enjoyed the noise and chaos so when this came out I was shocked and I have not enjoyed subsequent albums either. Something special about this one start to finish.
ZZ Top
3/5
a couple good songs one great one but not really compelled to listen again
Christina Aguilera
3/5
This album would have been great hat is started with Beautiful. Everything before It is not very interesting and her vocal gymnastics overshadow emotion. But I do like the last 1/4 of this she feel less frenetic more emotionally focused. Shame had to endure the first 3/4 of the album.
3/5
Meandering and uninteresting to me. The extra tracks on the rerelease are more interesting to me.
Heaven 17
3/5
Synth pop With a cutting edge wish it was something people would do now.
Kraftwerk
4/5
Trans Europe Express is a wonderful song the album is the best Kraftwerk one so far but I still would not listen to it much beyond this time… maybe Trans Europe express again.
Happy Mondays
3/5
I do like Loose Fit and the rest sounds ok as basic Rave music I like where it sounds rougher but not something I would go back to much.
LTJ Bukem
1/5
Unlistenable
The Sabres Of Paradise
1/5
Another electronica album that despite some inkling of variety still bores the shit out of me. I am 420 albums in and have heard 36 electronica albums vs 18 country albums… something is very biased about this list. I hope in the future there is some Pantha du Prince ion here instead of more of this terrible rave electronica.
The Byrds
3/5
A couple great songs
Simple Minds
3/5
This lush synth is beautifully done but not impactful to me. I used to own this album and barely listened to it was hoping to find it was better than I thought but that was not the case.
Weather Report
3/5
Well played yet plain electric jazz
Motörhead
3/5
If you are into this this seems like something you would love. Definitely scrappy and fully committed but not something I enjoy musically.
Pulp
3/5
Comes across more like a novel than music. I did like some songs towards the end and also on the bonus 2nd disc.
The Doors
4/5
The hits on here are excellent then gives way to some self indulgent near nonsense.
Jeff Beck
3/5
Shape of Things and Morning Dew are incredible but the rest of the album feels like just laying the groundwork for what Led Zep was able to do in a more expansive and interesting way.
The Darkness
3/5
Competent yet forgettable pop metal not much else.
Cheap Trick
4/5
When the music matches the energy this is fantastic. Surrender is perfection.
Donovan
4/5
The first half of this is really wonderful, the songs slink along beautifully and feel genuinely interested in exploring instrumentation and sound. After Season of the Witch it drops off a bit and does not retain what I loved about the first side.
Todd Rundgren
4/5
A pretty stunning journey. It’s not something I would listen to over and over but definitely unique.
Queen
3/5
Solid operatic prog, hints at what is to come. There is a beauty to the lush orchestration yet overall rather one note.
The Everly Brothers
3/5
A nice collection of songs, the later half better than the first half.
The Slits
5/5
Right up there with Gang of Four and PIL Flowers of Romance. The instrumentation is complex and aggressive I just am not as
Enthralled with the vocals even though the lyrics are great.
Joy Division
5/5
This really surprised me, I do not like Unknown Pleasures that much yet this effort feels much more dynamic and powerful. I want to listen many more times
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
A Very average collection Pet Shop Boys songs. No need to really listen again.
The Beach Boys
4/5
I like this more than Pet Sounds. It’s an easier listen but still feels like they are pushing some boundaries.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
3/5
Starts off with a couple interesting songs but all together it’s good but not much more.
GZA
3/5
One note minor key so it wears thin
Joe Ely
3/5
Solid country, bordering on some more mainstream sounding orchestration but still feels true to its Texas roots.
Rod Stewart
3/5
There are some good songs on here everything sounds like great playing but also not particularly interesting.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
Listened to this previously a number of times and listened again. I like the way it sounds but it still doesn’t seem to contain any memorable songs.
Massive Attack
2/5
Not as sonically interesting as it could be. It is filled with competent but uninteresting music.
Sepultura
1/5
Just terrible the drumming is compartmentalized making the songs feel awkwardly stitched together and clumsy.
Peter Tosh
3/5
Good reggae music but not something I would seek out again.
Sinead O'Connor
5/5
What a courageous and beautiful album. Some songs bring tears to my eyes because they feel so painfully honest. I also love the music on here. Emporer’s New Clothes is one of the greatest personal rock anthems.
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
Beautiful performance by a great singer the recoding is is wonderful.
Black Sabbath
3/5
I guess this is important but the ground it broke is not something I enjoy.
Mekons
3/5
This sounds a bit ahead of its time. I did like the loose feel and approach the songs end up not being as distinctive as I was hoping.
The Go-Betweens
3/5
A very pleasant sounding album. I do
Like the singer’s voice no big stand out songs but does have a distinct Aussie sound.
Klaxons
3/5
While it has enthusiasm it seems rather unsophisticated in a way that felt empty
The Black Crowes
3/5
A suitable southern rock revival album with great sound and musicianship. Not a lot of memorable songs aside from the hits.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
I found this to be surprisingly irritating and uninteresting.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
Not nearly as distinctively beautiful as Loveless. You can hear them laying down the groundwork but it is a bit weak on vocals second half of the album is where it gets interesting.
The Magnetic Fields
2/5
So this is a project more than an album to savor there are some good individual songs and the breadth of "love" and its meaning is well explored lyrically... its not something I would want to move through a second time despite this being a huge accomplishment I thought it would have more individual songs I would want to go back and savor.
Girls Against Boys
3/5
Not bad but there are far better Bands with this hard core bent on Touch and Go Records that I bet are not in this 1001… Flour, Brick Layer Cake, Rapeman and Big Black… go listen to them.
Paul McCartney
4/5
I was surprised at how loose and messy this album was and I loved that. Like he finally had a chance to just try out some musical ideas rather than write Beatles songs. I will listen again .
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
This is such a big step forrward for Costello the songs have a new rich quality that gives an unusual beauty to his anger. I have revisited this album many times over the years and it continues to amaze me. He shows he can be a border line crooner as well as a rocker and still have the same venom in his lyrics. The musicianship of the band is elaborate and complex showing that there are new directions Costello will go to explore sonic scapes and vocal styles.
Madonna
4/5
This album is better than I expected. Has some less pop centric material that I had not heard before that I found interesting.
Alice In Chains
1/5
I find this unlistenable and lacking any sense of genuine emotion.
Elastica
3/5
A Very good new wave revival album.
Taylor Swift
3/5
While this sounds good initially as it moves forward it feels increasingly plastic. The Snthems sound like insincere slogans or declarations of very generic post-teen angst and en hi. Is this really smart pop or just poetry from your high school literary magazine.
Rush
3/5
High School me found the opening suite impressive, older me finds it to be Wagnerian prog rock that lacks feeling in spite of its
Musicianship. Also Pert clearly hated empty spaces and had to fill them with unnecessary flourishes.
Peter Frampton
4/5
Better than expected. At times he sounds like a coffeehouse singer that made it to the big time however his voice is sweet and the songs are solid. Still has a great live sound and the songs feel so beautifully complete live.
Elton John
4/5
Liked this more than I thought I would it feels more like his voice than trying to inhabit a sound like he does on some later albums.
Iron Maiden
2/5
I much prefer this to the operatic and heartless sounding later Maiden. But it still is not something really want to listen to again.
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
Brit pop meets American Grunge humor all covered with shoegaze the sum is less than its parts.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
A great album well crafted and richly orchestrated. There is a dedication to theme but plenty of variation. Each song a short story.
Laibach
3/5
More of an art concept than a musical achievement. Not terrible and enjoyed it when it first came out good to hear again but no need to listen another time
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Really wonderful sounding album I like the slight bit of roughness in her voice.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
Sounds like a pretty good Arctic Monkeys album maybe a bit over the top without adding more than excessive flourishes.
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Album gets better as you move through it fuzzy yet controlled.
Massive Attack
3/5
I have read this is a pioneering album… the first trip hop album. The lack of a varied
Musical landscape makes me lose interested quickly in each song. All sounds nice but no need to hear it again
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
Good album.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
I liked this more that Massive Attack’s Blue Lines. It’s still a bit one dimensional and no real stand out songs.
Pere Ubu
4/5
Some great songs on here and they know how to get a bit insane and still keep the song short. I like it best when they are wild and raucous.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Maybe my favorite Beach Boys album because not as many annoying vocal harmonies.
Jane Weaver
4/5
Really sunny this album, great electro pop and then heard more music by her that was also very good.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
Definitely a unique musical realm created by the band but Buckingham’s quirky contributions stand out while the rest is pretty flat. 2nd disk noticeably better than first.
Oasis
3/5
I like this album more than What’s the Story but its still has not aged well for me.
Tom Waits
3/5
Some intimate arrangements like his version of Nebraska, but I still prefer his more orchestrated arrangements
Neil Young
5/5
Spectacular album, not a big Neil Young listener but this amazing in its unfiltered raw musicality. His voice makes complete sense with scrappy playing and emotion. I know I will
Listen to this a lot.
The Band
3/5
I don’t really understand why this is considered such an important album. Has a couple good songs on it and the production is loose in a way that seems ahead of its time but I have no need to hear 80% of this again.
Hole
4/5
Respectable album with great rough sound and a great female perspective of being driven to aggression and push back of powerful insight.
Scott Walker
4/5
Walker is a solid balladeer. I do like several songs on here.
Manu Chao
2/5
Becomes grating as it moves forward draining the joy from the cultural source of the music. Flat and uninteresting.
Ride
3/5
A pretty good album, feels a little rough around the edges. The vocals could be better sounding.
Anita Baker
4/5
Top shelf, soulful pop. Baker has a beautiful voice that has next when she needs it. Avoids the musical cliches and novelty of the time the result is emotionally rich and tuneful.
Sam Cooke
4/5
Really interesting in how raw the songs sound compared to the originals. I wish the sound were better that would have made the album even better.
Ice T
3/5
He’s a good rapper the content is blunt and I feel Loses its edge by being so direct. Musically it feels pretty standard.
Shivkumar Sharma
2/5
Sounds like background music in a new age crystal shop. Basic riffs on a musical theme.
The Auteurs
3/5
I do like this more than candy coated Brit pop. The message seems a tad more important than the music so many of the songs remain forgettable despite the care put into crafting them.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
2/5
This wore thinner as it went I feel like it owes much to public enemy yet it lacks a sense of enjoyment. It is overly didactic and musically looses its charm as the album wears on.
Buzzcocks
4/5
I love tha contrarianism of their anti rock anthems. “Fast Cars, I hate fast cars” they have teen angst mixed with middle aged intellectual crankiness. The music is fun in its own serrated way.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
This is my favorite Springsteen album. The first of his albums that I really listened to closely and loved immediately. There is a bleak beauty in what it takes to get by that he seems to completely understand in these songs. Everything tatters on the edge of American despair, it’s amazing how he gives us a sad romance using stripped down rock and roll and banal specificity not a generalized portrayal of Americana.
The Monkees
3/5
forgettable collection of 60’s pop. They have better songs but not on here.
Primal Scream
4/5
I do hike this more that I expected. It feels raucous and varied in a way that kept my attention and would enjoy some repeated listens.
Beyoncé
4/5
Sound wise this album is amazing in its variety and edginess, it also feels very personal but not necessarily relatable. There is no doubt we have a superstar giving us her thoughts and feelings and maybe that why I feel distanced from the whole effort.
Screaming Trees
4/5
Overall good album avoids the cliche grunge sound. Would like to listen again.
Soundgarden
3/5
While this sounds great and feels like a dedicated effort, lyrically it is romantically obsessed with dread and not in an insightful way. The songs are looong and end up boring me in spite of their musicianship.
Einstürzende Neubauten
3/5
I admire the all in commitment to this and can see how it fills a spot and then influences other music but it’s not for me… a later song by the band came on afterwards and it was much more listenable than anything on here.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
I started watching Peaky Blinders last night and noticed extensive use of Cave music in the first epi. Makes sense and this album feels like the same kind of background music. Very good for that purpose but not as distinctive as the Good Son or other Cave albums.
The Stone Roses
3/5
More psych than Brit pop but still not sure what all the fuss is about this album. It just seems a little too comfortable and doesn’t push itself until the last few songs.
John Martyn
3/5
Better than the other album on this list but still not something I will revisit
Solomon Burke
4/5
Some great production on the songs makes them sound rich while his voice still has a nice raw blues edge.
Dire Straits
5/5
I fell in love with this album when it came out, it felt more contemplative than other rock and the sophistication was in the musicianship so as a 12 year old it did not intimidate me thematically but awed me with the sound. I wish this had carried on to later albums but they seemed to get less interesting with each subsequent release. Communique is very good and overlooked.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Really great album lags a bit at the end
Van Morrison
4/5
Very good the slower pieces are not as engaging for me, but the sound and feel seem both ahead of the time and personally unique
Richard Hawley
2/5
Very palatable crooning although it feels a bit overly clean and smooth to achieve the down beat country folk it is aping.
David Bowie
3/5
This foray into smith R&B feels weak, aside from Fame the songs feel mired in style while lacking the essence of what makes R&B pop fun.
Eels
3/5
Nothing really memorable about this album feels a bit distant and clean.
Travis
2/5
Has a lot of good elements but it just feels rather bland.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
I do like the raw guitar solos in here and the openness of the songs although at times it meanders a bit.
Dennis Wilson
4/5
Much better than I expected, Brian could learn something from this adventurous album.
Radiohead
3/5
If I have a choice it will almost always be Kid A over Amnesiac. Upon listening again it is still interesting a very brave album.
Cat Stevens
4/5
Beautiful album and his voice is uniquely wonderful.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
The album is pretty good and you can hear how influential it was on Shoegaze but difficult to enjoy. It’s impressive for a first album.
Randy Newman
3/5
I still find his voice irritating there are are a few nice songs on here he is a good lyricist I added a couple to my playlist.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
Ok album just feels making a bit of maturity both musically and lyrically.
Traffic
3/5
More progressive rock than I expected which was nice on the first 3 tracks but musically it meanders and has little lasting impression.
The Verve
3/5
More contemplative than Oasis. The songs wash over the listener in a nice way but not something I want to go back to.
Barry Adamson
3/5
I do like Barry Adamsom and these are pretty nice cinematic soundscapes.
Saint Etienne
4/5
This electronics had a human feel to it. I enjoyed it.
The Kinks
4/5
Another really decent Kinks Album. More intellectual than organic.
The Cure
2/5
Not all experiments yield great immediate results. I didn’t like really anything on here although I believe it led to better music. I can be enamored by risks taking like PILs Flowers of Romance but this is not music I need to hear again.
The Monks
4/5
Surprisingly rough and tumble album given the time. it is rife with unique ideas without novelty. I don’t know that I fell in love with it but I do admire it deeply.
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
Great album almost a bit too aggressive at the start gets more complex and interesting in the second half.
Rufus Wainwright
1/5
1st album of 500+ I am skipping. Why 2 Wainwright albums?? The suffocating pretension is too much.
Stereolab
3/5
Even though every streaming platform thinks I should love Stereolab, I find them irritating despite how accomplished and dedicated they are. Their Mid Century Modern aesthetic I find cold and their political stance feels bookish.
Astrud Gilberto
1/5
Wasted slot on this list any other Jobim album would be fine
Steve Winwood
3/5
For all the nice orchestration it still sounds like lightweight jazz pop filler.
Orbital
1/5
Just another terrible electronic music album on this list. Why not pull in more artists from around the world.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
3 iconic songs with a lot of feeling things out indulgence. For Zep this is a good start but the better work comes later
U2
4/5
At times stunning for its sound.. it’s like they reinvented what a rock anthem can sound like and expanded the genre into new social areas. There are few weaker moments but the ambition is pretty breathtaking when it works musically
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
Good tunes nothing spectacular.
The Stranglers
3/5
While this album is at times very good it lacks a feel for musicality that other Stanglers albums have I don’t go back to this album so while important I guess it’s not a favorite of mine.
Coldplay
2/5
Milquetoast
The Smiths
3/5
The good stuff is front loaded on this album. I was disappointed with the second half
Judas Priest
3/5
Not bad for Metal but still not something I would want to listen to again.
Brian Eno
4/5
Not completely my cup of musical tea but a I can hear how influential this has been and it has beautiful ambient and pop moments.
Ryan Adams
3/5
I like the rockers and songs that don’t draw from Dylan. But other wise feels a tad generic.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Edgier Brit pop but still feels
A bit bound by that sound
Pantera
3/5
Not as bad as I anticipated rhythmically interesting at times in ways that typical metal does not achieve.
Elvis Costello
4/5
What a comeback to rock album! Elvis’ voice is beautifully mature here too. Some of the later songs feel a bit like fluff but mostly a collection of gems.
4/5
These are the kinds of musical risks I enjoy. Not knock out great but it delivers a solid artistic musical statement the rides the edge of popular music while building something all its own. Engrossing at times.
Napalm Death
3/5
It has an odd chaotic charm.
The Blue Nile
5/5
I do love this album it was such a shock when it first came out. It felt timeless when I first heard it yet it does not completely reject sonic elements of the 80’s. The pacing of the songs and the way they tumble forward bordering on messy but they never fall apart. The odd main beat sounds and scattered noises along with a Sinatraesque phrasing it’s all so refreshing yet familiar.
Deerhunter
5/5
An absolute pear of an album. Memories become pearls of pain and desire to shape the past around pain and what could have been but wasn’t. A wondrous collection gets better over time.
Anthrax
2/5
It is what it is. Why do these kinds of bands turn the vocals into something so bland if they are trying to be so expressive ? Almost a 1 on Indians alone.
Ghostface Killah
3/5
A bit heavy in a good way at times
Cowboy Junkies
3/5
I prefer Opal, The Reivers and Arian Parade for this genre.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Decent metal album I like Ozzie’s voice here. One of the better heavy metal albums so far
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
While the songs are iconic the album production feels bloated and emotionally overwrought.
The Flaming Lips
4/5
For the most part, a stunningly, beautiful and moving musical experience however it does get bogged down occasionally. And spins its wheels.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Even better than Paranoid. The first metal album on this list that I would consider listening to more than once.
The Clash
3/5
Not as good as I want it to be more of a fashion statement than a great musical effort.
White Denim
4/5
I do find his version of shuffle rock interesting and have heard him live. The songs are so dense and complex it can be hard to grab hold of them even as you admire them. I like how he cuts his own sonic path.
Dire Straits
3/5
Noodles started doing soundtrack work and it led him to believe he could make cinema with his music and the result is a disappointment. The second half of the album is laden with narrative cliches and music that lacks the gritty power that marked the first 2 albums.
Sonic Youth
3/5
It has a rough beauty that is not something I fully enjoy. While I hit the demographic for Sonic Youth I have never loved them.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
Overly intellectual snobbery posing as buffoonery. There is talent to be sure but the songs feel drained of joy and pleasure. I’ll take Beefheart any day over Zappa.
Mudhoney
3/5
Pretty good for Grunge but I do hope The Wipers are on this list instead of the middle of the road 90s grunge that keeps popping up.
Stan Getz
4/5
Finally a very good Bossa Nova album. Still waiting on Jobim solo album…
Bee Gees
2/5
A collection of ambitious yet forgettable ballads.
Pixies
5/5
Such a great musical roller coaster ride. Cut and paste approach of styles and wild production still sounds very fresh and raw.
Baaba Maal
3/5
Nice sounding album unsure of its overall greatness.
Brian Eno
3/5
Better than the electronic music on Low, but still not something I would voluntarily listen to.
Supertramp
3/5
2 excellent songs amid a lot of forgettable material.
Grateful Dead
4/5
Not as bad as it should be and not as good as it could be.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
A scoop of vanilla ice cream
Nick Drake
4/5
Another beautiful Drake collection of songs.
Orange Juice
4/5
An oddly beautiful album, one that I will listen to again gald to have encountered it on this list.
The Zutons
3/5
Very fun sounding and some great production on the first half but it also feels thematically and lyrically pretty shallow.
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
First 2 tracks are great but the album drops off after that. Ends on some interesting songs but a large gap that did not interest me much in between.
The Flaming Lips
2/5
I own this album and have always found it disappointing, I do like some of Yoshimi but this is both pretentious and seems overly simple both lyrically and musically.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
Such a stunningly wonderful
Mix of Hip hop rap and funk. Brash and smart.
Primal Scream
3/5
The decongestant half of the album, much more interesting than the first. The First sounds like general rave music.
Boston
4/5
Fussy yet well done sweeping rock and roll.
David Holmes
1/5
Another terrible Electronica album
Sheryl Crow
3/5
She is not a bad songwriter but she is not a great one either. My brother recently compared her to Huey Lewis and that seems apt, he music on this album seems ready made for generic heartfelt moments on tv dramas
Tom Waits
5/5
First Tom Waits album I owned and loved then but had not listened in at least 3 decades… still wonderful and now I can understand how it prepared me for enjoying Captain Beefheart, the Fiery Furnaces, Minutemen and other bands that played by their own rules yet still were musically beautiful. My favorite album by him too.
Kings of Leon
3/5
Album sounds like Lazy post punk Stones which works better on the second half of the album.
The Cardigans
4/5
A really nice album with a unique sound have listened to it many time over the years.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
The album is smug, pretentious and overblown.
M.I.A.
3/5
This album beyond 2 songs has always seemed overrated to me.
The Gun Club
5/5
I was definitely surprised by this album. For me this is much more interesting than X or The Cramps who come across as very simple or novelty based, the album is musically wild and adept at the same time. They don’t just bang out Psychobilly rants. Everything sounds very tight and beautiful even at its wildest.
Arcade Fire
2/5
Lyrically and thematically maybe this is interesting but the music sounds so flat and mopey it ends up feeling Ike an endurance test.
Billy Bragg
5/5
This album is such a nice breath of overt political art. I got it when it came out and it still sounds great. Glad this is on here
Wild Beasts
4/5
I love this album shile i am sure it is offputting for some, I find it oddly beautiful and seems like it follows a stylistic path the starts with Bowie and Bryan Ferry. The music and lyrics are captivating and I was glad to listen again, surprised it was on the list.
Willie Nelson
4/5
Some great gems and first time I realized how musical Nelson's voice is. I did love listen to the small, almost almost unnoticeable runs he adds to lines so they have character and sound different each time he repeats a line.
The Undertones
4/5
Great energy at times more melodic that other late punk bands. Feargal’s voice gives the band instant recognizability. They are almost as fun as they are disgruntled.
Method Man
4/5
Enjoyed this because you can move to it and appreciate the lyrical content too.
Pink Floyd
4/5
There is an undeniable perfection to this opus however its artistic grip is suffocating and creepy. My main reaction is not wonder but avoidance because I feel like “I get it”.
Suzanne Vega
3/5
Very average sounding, like well produced coffee shop music. I gues her later albums are more interesting.
Harry Nilsson
4/5
I found the deeper cuts better than the songs which have become iconic.
The Libertines
5/5
The best mainstream rap album ever.
Orbital
1/5
More electronic garbage sausage.
Run-D.M.C.
5/5
The best mainstream rap album of the 80’s
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
When twee becomes serious, this is what ya get. Nice music but not something I really will revisit. Give me The Clientele, this is pretty boring.
The Offspring
3/5
Green Day but not as fun.
Supergrass
4/5
Great Brit pop, better than Oasis more expansive musically and much more fun.
Def Leppard
4/5
While this album sounds completely stuck in its era it also shows how l80s music can be exciting and beautiful. Much better than I expected.
Hawkwind
2/5
Ots a lot to take in, a big wig out that feels like it never really goes anywhere.
Miles Davis
4/5
Feels like one continuous piece of music and while its emotional scope is not limited it never gets boring. Beautiful toe in the electric sound ocean by Miles.
New York Dolls
4/5
Seems like lightning in a bottle. A mess yet still beautiful at its best. I do hope there is. Johnny Thunders Album on here.
Frank Zappa
4/5
When Zappa doesn’t have some kind of intellectual axe to grind he is much more interesting. Add in Sugarcane Harris and you have something pretty marvelous.
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
A pretty run of the mill rap album. Not bad not amazing
Marianne Faithfull
4/5
Best when she is bad ass. Glad this was on the list I never would have listened otherwise. It sounds surprisingly fresh and I like her rough voice.
Fugees
3/5
I was hoping this would be better given the people involved and the reputation of the album but seemed a bit uninteresting for most of the album. Gets better towards the end.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
Indulgent and not as good as I was hoping. I think the over emphasis on keyboards makes the album feel busy.
Richard Thompson
4/5
The Thompsons use traditional music but never sound sentimental. Great songwriting and music.
Cypress Hill
5/5
For me this is a perfect combination of hip hop grooves, fun yet smessage based rap with an edge. I know I will go back and listen again several times
The B-52's
4/5
Nearly perfect but the album does backload the weaker songs at the end. Love the guitar playing and how tight the band is.
Scissor Sisters
1/5
I find this album unlistenable, its craft over content. All veneer
Echo And The Bunnymen
5/5
I still listen to this album several times every year. It’s strange how musically simplistic the songs really are but they feel so rich and complex. Ian McCullough’s voice is uncharacteristically beautiful. I don’t know how he pulled this off when his live performances sound terrible. I admit to being obsessed with this album for nearly 40 years, it stands out as something greater than almost anything being produced by their 80’s peers.
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
This ends up feeling messy like the singing is more important than the music. Sometimes it works out but mostly it’s a jumble that leaves little musically for me to enjoy. Maybe seeing them done live would be better.
The Byrds
3/5
Nice album but not as distinctive as I thought it might be.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Still sounds both of its time and timeless wonderful soundtrack and album.
TV On The Radio
3/5
The songs all have an entrancing slow burn quality. I like Dear Science more will listen again while working in the studio.
Talking Heads
4/5
This album is not as sonically enjoyable as any of the previous 3. There is coldness that strips the borrowed Afrobeat and template of joy. I know that’s the point but the. Why do all the songs really come to life live.
Nirvana
5/5
A final beautiful gift from the band, reveals the talent behind the apparent mayhem. Wonderful tributes to artists who influenced them, a pure emotion evident in Cobain’s voice that also shows his ability to craft a vocal line. One of the best live albums ever.
A pretty stunningly beautiful first half of an album. Glad I got to hear it.
3/5
Interesting and an accomplished doesn’t really mean an enjoyable listen.
Les Rythmes Digitales
3/5
Better than most of the Electronica on this list.
Shack
3/5
There are a handful of excellent songs in here. Then others are plain as cardboard.
Slade
4/5
The second half feels locked into a tighter group of songs that all fit together nicely. Like a fun precursor to AC DC.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Its so strange how he and Phil Collins diverged. Both trying more popular song structures and exploring song stylings outside of prog. Both also focus on the intimate but Gabriel shows greater range delving into the quotidian and the complex mindset of minor figures and then reaching for much greater themes like Biko. Collins remained mired in bitter relationship issues. I do like this album yet I actually prefer the live versions of these on Plays Live I think they have more vigor and theatrical punch. That said I don't know that Collins made an album as good as this and I don't think Gabriel made an album as purely delightful as Face Value.
Madonna
4/5
A surprisingly crafted pop album. American Pie seems completely unnecessary.
Björk
3/5
Starts out engaging but then slumps into something that feels like it is more about Bjork than music and loses grasp of me as a listener
Linkin Park
1/5
Abysmal crap for teens.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Better than any LCD I had heard before almost a 4 from me… kind of shocked because I really hate their other albums. I still think they lack a melodic quality that makes them feel aloof.
Blur
4/5
Not sure why they have a hard time finding a hook. I very much admire their broad approach to music and sound they are not confined by Brit pop I wish they were a bit more melodic on this album.
Grateful Dead
2/5
Messy blues with soul replaced by muscular drug infused wig out then stumbling into navel gazing.
Throwing Muses
4/5
Pretty amazing debut and sound for the time.really taking a hold of different genres and pushing their own urgency on top of it. It feels honest and conflicted all at once.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
It’s not what I expected but elegantly beautiful for Cave. I don’t know that I will listen again but I very much respect the art and the range of what Cave creates.
Beth Orton
3/5
A few songs I enjoyed it just feels like she has not settled on a sound that feels right. Many of the songs last much longer that I like despite having some great lyrics.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
Strong set of songs with beautiful sound.
Tricky
2/5
Gets increasingly tedious as it goes… Goldfrapp the only enjoyable moment for me
Throbbing Gristle
4/5
Listened to this a number of times, feels like a true art project and I guess that’s why I enjoy it. It’s both intellectual and completey pedestrian all at once.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
This is not bad but wonder if there are albums by the musician with out Cooder that are maybe just as interesting.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
4/5
I do like this it feels like what psychedelic music should be, like a sonic bridge to Meat Puppets II. Definitely indulgent but still chaotically beautiful.
Turbonegro
2/5
One long musical and lyrical cliche.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
A great pure live sounding album. Some of the songs are a bit long but the guitar work is angry and beautifully rough. More interesting at times than the lyrics.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Good abrasive post punk I can hear how influential this was but for me I will probably not listen again
Silver Jews
4/5
Surprisingly lush production for the Silver Jews. Berman still maintains his charm and ease I felt the album peters out a bit but still wonderful turns of phrase and beautifully recorded.
Big Black
5/5
Albini revels in blue color small town toxic machismo and ennui. It becomes difficult to untangle how you feel about these horror stories delivered like Shapiro infused anthems. This has such a unique sound it feels both DIY and highly skilled. I do prefer when Albini added a full band on Rman’s Two Nuns and a Pack Mule but this Groundwork is solid and still sounds edgy.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Maybe the second best Stones album on the list I have heard. I think Midnight Tamber is best live the three songs that close the album are spectacular.
Waylon Jennings
4/5
Solid country Jennings unvarnished voice and delivery adds an odd unexpected rough hewn charm to the songs.
ABBA
3/5
Better than the other ABBA album on here seems influenced by Broadway musicals but lacks memorable moments.
The Undertones
4/5
Playful angst, tight musicianship a great album.
John Prine
4/5
Prine somehow is able to combine the contemporary and folksy country in both themes and music. The songwriting cuts deeper than you initially think because it is simple yet insightful. Wonderful album.
Lightning Bolt
2/5
This is interesting noise at times the drumming sounds thin not sure why it is on the list.
Devendra Banhart
3/5
Beautiful album but also quite
Restrictive in its adherence to a sound.
The Associates
4/5
Great album have not listened to it for decades still sounds challenging and fresh yet definitely of its time.
The Thrills
3/5
I don know why so many people shit on this. Musically it’s not bad, lyrically it’s pretty lightweight but so were so many albums in previous decades. All of it about that compelling but it’s not as absolutely terrible as many seem to think.
Cyndi Lauper
5/5
The first half of this album is perfection, Somehow she reveals emotional depth and longing while appearing to be a pixie pop singer. It’s quite an empowering feminist feat. I think the album lags a bit on the second half but she pulls off iconic performances without sacrificing her identity.
Metallica
1/5
Bombast.
Tito Puente
3/5
A perfectly serviceable collection of Latin songs, although I’m not sure that it reaches the level of mania
Lambchop
5/5
I find this beautiful, challenging and brave. They weave their sound and influences with little consideration of marketable genre and admire the effort and outcome. Will definitely listen again.
The Electric Prunes
2/5
Ranges from run of the mill to annoying
CHIC
3/5
a couple classics that unfortunately are much better than what the rest of the album has to offer
Prince
5/5
A stunning journey both funky and futuristic. A behemoth of an album that is at times funny, honest, raw and a deserved egotistical fantasy.
Moby Grape
2/5
Really ordinary psych-country music not really memorable or interesting
Gang Starr
3/5
Pretty good rap
Elis Regina
3/5
Very nice not sure what is available reflects a 1978 release but ok and not sure I will go back to it.
Billie Holiday
4/5
The performance is so rough, raw and mannered it’s not a great entry point for listening to Holiday. It’s an emotional performance like a sad farewell.
D'Angelo
4/5
Smooth and funky a sense of what comes later. Beautiful but also a bit restrained.
Alice Cooper
5/5
I really was kinda floored by this album, so varied and expansive. Had no idea Copper could sound like this look forward to listening again.
Pink Floyd
3/5
Album feels bitter and lacking emotion. I get the themes but they kinda feel empty other than the title song.
Brian Eno
4/5
The best Eno album for me it seems to sit astride musical paths taken by many soon after the album release was recorded. I do prefer the popish Eno.
Japan
4/5
Like a streamlined Bryan Ferry, not a dis I like how it sounds of its time and still beautiful.
Cream
4/5
A classic even if overplayed still sounds good
Pavement
5/5
The album cuts a veering path that displays both an improvised feeling with a an unusual confidence. A combo of beatnik poetry and nods to The Fall, ragged post punk and just plain beauty it’s a jumbled collection that feels smart and wild all at once. Love this album.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
A few great songs I think Please is better than this.
PJ Harvey
4/5
Complex and a bit rough will need to listen again I liked it
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
4/5
I was surprised at how good this was would take for another listen.
Rahul Dev Burman
4/5
I was surprised by this album a nice mix of styles.
Shuggie Otis
4/5
Almost like he was creating his own genre of lower key r&b some beautiful music.
Cornershop
4/5
I do like this album and may revisit or look at some later albums.
Bobby Womack
3/5
Smooth but not remarkable
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
A pretty good bridge to grunge never been as entranced with the band as others but thy are also never really terrible.
Bad Company
3/5
Starts strong and drops off after ready for love.
Gary Numan
4/5
This is a great album I love the use of single word titles and the apparent cold aesthetic. You have to search for the hidden humanity that is there below the surface.
3/5
Has a similar grandiosity as Skylarking but not as memorably catchy and cutting.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
4/5
This doesn’t feel like a full album it has a couple slow ballads grafted onto some of the great rap/electronic songs of the 80s.
Guided By Voices
4/5
Not as beautifully messy as the previous Bee Thousand. At times it is quite wonderful full of the snippets of brilliance but it feels a bit empty towards the end and seems indulgent despite the brevity of those songs. End 3/4s of the way through and you have enough to be a great album.
Pavement
5/5
Not simply slacker rock… whatever that term means… this expands on their first album adding elements of Jazz, country and explorations into a music scene where they are finding success and unease. They explore the stupid teenage allure of Rock stardom and the desire to also make art that is associated with a fading genre.
Fever Ray
3/5
Not really something I love but I can appreciate the craft.
Patti Smith
4/5
Glad this list got me to listen to the album, sounds more timeless than I expected ver god songs.
The Residents
2/5
while this comes across as an art project that does not mean it is something I would go out of my way to enjoy or analyze. I have bought one of their albums in the past so I am not a complete hater but this is not something I need to revisit.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
A beautiful sounding album her voice is is beautiful seems similar to Dolly Parton with a bit more bite. Not so moving that I want to go back to listen again sounds a bit like product.
The Avalanches
2/5
More boring electronic house music
Kate Bush
4/5
The Velvet Underground
3/5
This sounds maybe even more groundbreaking than the first album but it’s not really something I would listen to again. It’s raucous and messy in a way that predates much that carries that aesthetic decades later.
Steely Dan
4/5
I feel like despite this being at times amazing it also has a couple duds that seem maybe worse given the greatness of the standouts. Fire in the Hole was the one new song for me that I want to listen to again a nice piano part in that song.
Sonic Youth
3/5
The sound is interesting and raw but they feel like an endurance test and I need more variation or shorter songs or more melody.
The Specials
4/5
Some great songs
Tears For Fears
5/5
An album that both reflects the time period and transcends it. Both fragile and staggering in its emotional sweep it feels about as near a masterpiece of grand synth pop. Like a pros album there are thematic call backs and purely instrumental flourishes that avoid cliche. I still love this album.
Burning Spear
4/5
I enjoyed this it felt a bit more varied than I expected.
Alanis Morissette
5/5
This seems like a moment in time where Morisette was able to connect up unlikely musical currents and create something really wonderful. Some songs start like typical coffee shop singer songwriter fare and then gain an unexpected edge by infusing pop grunge and raw female anger that borders a bit close to rap. It all feels very radio ready yet it also pushes some edges. I give her a lot of credit when for me the worst song on the album, Ironic, is a big hit. One of may hits the rest of which hold up really well. You Learn is incredibly beautiful to me.