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Thu Sep 14 2023
Kind Of Blue
Miles Davis
Sooooo smooth
If I was asked, "Do you like jazz?" I would respond yes, and not be startled or surprised by who or what is asking me.
Listening to this just demands my attention, which is hard to do for me with lyric-less music.
It's so incredibly modal and dissonant without being "crunchy".
5
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Fri Sep 15 2023
Be
Common
Wayyy more vibey than I was expecting. Had to throw in the second earbud part way through The Corner.
I don't love the refrains. They feel a little odd and sometimes uncomfortable and forced. The verses are incredible, though.
The production of the album is fantastic. The produced noises are never overdone, and are finely tuned to the song.
A really good album, particularly the first half. I will probably never listen to this again, though.
3
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Mon Sep 18 2023
Blue Lines
Massive Attack
I think this album probably really benefits from a chronological listening, because as is, separated from its contemporaries, it just kind of falls flat for me. But the review says this is the first "trip hop", so congrats for that.
By fall flat, I don't mean that it's bad, just, for the most part, uninteresting. There are flashes of brilliance, though, like the guitar riff in Be Thankful For What You Got.
Hymn of the Big Wheel was probably my favorite song.
1
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Tue Sep 19 2023
Rio
Duran Duran
The album starts off soooo hot with Rio, and shortly after, Hungry Like the Wolf.
I didn't realize how insane some of the bass lines are for Duran Duran. By far the best part of their music.
I thought this was going to be one of those albums thats a couple of boys and nothing else, but the back half of the album is definitely doing its part.
3
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Wed Sep 20 2023
Zombie
Fela Kuti
The first non-Eurocentric album on this listen through.
Really enjoying the vibes. I wish there was a little more evolution in the songs, but I'm pretty sure that's a style thing, a back beat with lots of solos throughout. That does mean it makes excellent background music for me.
2
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Thu Sep 21 2023
The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter
The Incredible String Band
First impression: it sounds like if John Lennon grew up in a small town.
Yeah, I can understand why this was really popular in the late 60s. Unfortunately, I'm not sure I love the combination of psychedelic and folk.
Kind of wish the singer wouldn't push the bottom of his range so much. He sounds much better in the mid and upper ranges of his voice. The low stuff ends up losing a lot of his nice tonality. And as soon as I typed that out, he hit that really beautiful low note on Nightfall.
2
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Fri Sep 22 2023
Lust For Life
Iggy Pop
Really fun! I like the energy.
I feel like this is something that music has exceeded, though. Like there's music released recently that has the same vibes and style but is better. That's influence, though, so good for Iggy
4
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Mon Sep 25 2023
Pink Moon
Nick Drake
This is beautiful. I don't love the lower range of his voice, but I feel so comfortable listening to him.
Roads is an amazing song. I've actually been hoping to start a new playlist for my fall vibes, and Roads got to start it for me.
An amazing album. Intimate but comfortable, relaxing but emotional. I loved every song.
5
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Tue Sep 26 2023
The Score
Fugees
This is not my preferred style of music. It does slap, though.
I'm just not impressed with the other music elements of the album. I want more than just backing loops.
I will say, Killing Me Softly is killing me
3
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Wed Sep 27 2023
Venus Luxure No. 1 Baby
Girls Against Boys
Much more my style compared to some of the other stuff on this list.
It doesn't really stand out for me though. Most of the songs are really solid without much else.
The back half of the album definitely brings it up a notch though.
3
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Thu Sep 28 2023
Autobahn
Kraftwerk
A lot of fun! A good album front to back.
4
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Fri Sep 29 2023
Public Image: First Issue
Public Image Ltd.
I think I understand some of the ideas of the songs, but man, I really did not like listening to this. Fodderstompf made me want to claw my eyes out of my head.
1
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Mon Oct 02 2023
The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
It's all a little too much for me. I prefer quieter jazz, but this is excellent for what it is.
Track C is my favorite on the album.
4
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Tue Oct 03 2023
The Low End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest
Took a while for it to click for me, and nearly wrote it off before we got there. Lyrics and writing were very good, but music that relies heavily on loops isn't for me. Did enjoy the vibes, though.
2
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Wed Oct 04 2023
The World is a Ghetto
War
A lot of fun. I really enjoyed the sax solos. Just kind of there, though. Missing something for me, though, so it falls into a "this was fine." for me.
3
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Thu Oct 05 2023
Street Life
The Crusaders
Really enjoyed listening to it. The fusion of jazz and disco goes really well together. I wanted the vocalist of the title track to come back, but I was still jamming to every song.
5
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Fri Oct 06 2023
Heaux Tales
Jazmine Sullivan
I really love the concept of the album, and really enjoyed listening to people's stories and then a musician exploring the concepts musically. The vocals on the album are also stellar.
4
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Mon Oct 09 2023
The Gershwin Songbook
Ella Fitzgerald
She is such a good singer. Her scatting is unparalleled.
I kind of wish there was some more uptempo songs, a lot of the album is slow and beautiful, but they all blend together.
Oh, Lady be Good legit gave me chills.
4
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Tue Oct 10 2023
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
David Bowie
I think its cultural importance is a big reason why this album is so highly regarded. Not that the music is bad, but I don't think it's elite, in a vacuum.
I will say, this album is legit all the way through. Ziggy Stardust might be my favorite song, and it's third last on the album.
4
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Wed Oct 11 2023
Close To You
Carpenters
A masterclass in vocal harmonies. Absolutely incredible.
I really wish it didn't have a 70s musical vibe, though. It really brings it down a notch or two for me. A lot of the songs feel like they're a rip off of The Sound of Music, when they would excel more if they had their own identity.
4
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Thu Oct 12 2023
Le Tigre
Le Tigre
I love that the album kind of sounds like it was made in a bedroom. I don't like drum machines, but I'm also a drummer, so I recognize that's a bias that I have.
For how simple it is, it sounds really good. And while they embrace the punk vibes of loud instruments and muffled vocals, the message still comes through loud and clear.
I love the recorded spoken bits of Slideshow at Free University.
4
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Fri Oct 13 2023
It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Public Enemy
It's so heavily over-produced that it's really hard to listen to.
The lyrics seem really good! At least when I can hear them. Unfortunately, it just kind of sounds like bad, over-produced hype music, though.
1
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Mon Oct 16 2023
Meat Is Murder
The Smiths
It's not quite The Smiths that I've listened to on my own. I do enjoy listening to them, though.
I think one of my favorite things about The Smiths, just in general, is that their albums don't really fall off in quality as you listen. The end of the album is just as strong as the beginning.
3
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Tue Oct 17 2023
Talking Book
Stevie Wonder
I do really like his keyboard playing. He's a very talented instrumentalist. His voice isn't incredible, but it is perfect for this genre.
A lot of true bops on this album. You Are the Sunshine of my Life. Maybe Your Baby. You And I. Superstition. The songs that aren't bops, though, are really losing me.
The last few songs on the album are snooze-fests. Except the ending section of I Believe (When I Fall...)
3
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Wed Oct 18 2023
Ace of Spades
Motörhead
I actually really like the unique way the lead singer sounds. Makes them stand out from other bands of a similar style.
It kind of all blends together after a bit, and I just find myself listening to noise. Noise that I like, but I'm not paying attention to what I'm listening to.
2
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Thu Oct 19 2023
Rubber Soul
Beatles
The "beep beep. beep beep. yeah!" lives rent free in my head.
This is the beginning of my favorite Beatles era. Just a lot of my favorite songs from the Beatles, and a really good album beginning to end.
5
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Fri Oct 20 2023
The Pleasure Principle
Gary Numan
It's a little kooky, a little strange, but well created and sounds really good. His voice is a little off-putting, but it works well for his style.
I ended up tuning out for over half the album. I like it, but it becomes really good background noise.
2
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Mon Oct 23 2023
Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
I really love Pink Floyd's instrumentals, so I really enjoy Shine On You Crazy Diamond, all parts of it.
There's nothing that really stands out for me in the album, but it's so good from top to bottom. Really good listening.
4
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Tue Oct 24 2023
Play
Moby
I was really into it for the first couple songs, but as the album progressed, I started losing interest.
The varied voices is kind of a weird thing to do. It just makes me worried about inconsistency with the vocal quality of the songs.
To me, there's three distinct sections to the album, a beginning, middle, and end. The middle section is the different by being the most upbeat, and to me, it's the worst section. If you just got rid of it, I think there would be a complete album with a full feeling, and there wouldn't be any necessarily bad songs.
3
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Wed Oct 25 2023
High Violet
The National
I'm not a big fan of the really deep voice. But I really like everything else with the sound.
3
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Thu Oct 26 2023
Scott 2
Scott Walker
To be honest, this makes me think of the Gaither Gospel Band, a 80s southern gospel vocal group. I don't like it.
I do really like some of the orchestration, but it's a miss for me otherwise. If there was no singing, I'd say this was a really good instrumental album. But I'm getting the ick from this.
1
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Fri Oct 27 2023
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Red Hot Chili Peppers
This has some *iconic* 90s sound. I couldn't tell you what that is. Maybe like unfiltered and underproduced? All I know is that it sounds like the 90s.
The talent of the musicians is pretty clear. And I feel like they also really like their own style. So the musicianship is just really good.
4
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Mon Oct 30 2023
Music From Big Pink
The Band
Really good. But doesn't really have moments of greatness for me. I do like the style, and the bass slaps.
4
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Tue Oct 31 2023
Urban Hymns
The Verve
Bad radio style pop rock
2
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Wed Nov 01 2023
Talking With the Taxman About Poetry
Billy Bragg
This is some pretty weird stuffy. But there is some strange vibey-ness to it, that makes it tolerable at worst, and oddly enjoyable at best.
3
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Thu Nov 02 2023
Third
Soft Machine
Through two songs, both of them have some really great moments. I generally like this style of music - the experimental rock, so I'm a little biased.
Lots of really good stuff. There weren't any parts, really, that felt like it didn't belong in the song.
4
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Fri Nov 03 2023
What's Going On
Marvin Gaye
Really good stuff. A couple of weird things that I just didn't vibe with, but for the most part, a really quality album with some really good vocals and instrumentation. I also loved that each track flowed into the next, made for a really enjoyable listening experience.
Could have done without Save the Children. That was just weird.
4
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Mon Nov 06 2023
Is This It
The Strokes
This is goooooood. It's got the throwback garage band sound, while still taking every advantage of music production and quality.
5
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Tue Nov 07 2023
Live!
Fela Kuti
This album definitely benefits from being a live recording. The singing bit in Egbe Mi O is really fun.
3
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Wed Nov 08 2023
Kick Out The Jams (Live)
MC5
This is fine. Not a whole lot of interesting things going on. The first 2ish minutes of Starship was the best part, but I didn't like all the electronic stuff going on after that point.
2
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Thu Nov 09 2023
Cross
Justice
Skrillex was really overplayed when I was in high school, so I'm pretty burnt out from this heavy electronic dance music. That said, this is good. Like very good music. The ending of Let There Be Light is phenomenal.
Some of the songs on the back half of the album are causing me pain. Stress and DVNO, specifically.
2
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Fri Nov 10 2023
2112
Rush
I really love Rush's sound. This album isn't quite at the level of Moving Pictures for me, and some of the back end of the album is just there, but the story telling in the first track is incredible.
5
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Mon Nov 13 2023
Illinois
Sufjan Stevens
This is not the first time listening to parts of this album or Sufjan. So, I know already that I really like his sounds, and know to brace myself for some of his weird instrumentations.
High key, this is an incredible album. A little artsy (but what Indie album isn't), but full of character.
5
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Tue Nov 14 2023
Beautiful Freak
Eels
Yeah, this is some real American rock, with songs about guns and drugs. Kind of wild and weird, but really consistent, which I appreciate a lot. The album quality doesn't change as you progress towards the end of it.
3
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Wed Nov 15 2023
You're Living All Over Me
Dinosaur Jr.
I didn't really like the lead singer's voice. There were some moments of brilliance from the album, but for the most part it was just kind of bland or uninteresting. The ending of the album was by far my favorite bit.
2
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Thu Nov 16 2023
Rapture
Anita Baker
I'm loving the bass on Same Ole Love. I'm a sucker for the poppy bass playing, especially when it carries some melodic weight.
The whole album wasn't available on my Spotify, so I wasn't able to listen to the whole thing, but what I did get was good, but not great. A couple of really good songs, and some songs that sounded like they shouldn't be allowed to leave a hair salon.
1
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Fri Nov 17 2023
Nixon
Lambchop
I was really enjoying this, and then the singer went into his falsetto range, and now all I hear is Tiny Tim. The instrumentation is really good and interesting, but I can't get past how not great the falsetto singing is.
2
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Mon Nov 20 2023
Paul's Boutique
Beastie Boys
I'm learning that I might not like hip-hop. Don't get me wrong, this is very good. But I just don't think it's my preferred flavor of music.
3
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Tue Nov 21 2023
The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
This is nuts. Eminem is a wordsmith, though, and these songs are so incredibly detailed.
It's a pretty profane and insane album, but it's really well done, and I've enjoyed it more than quite a few other albums on the list so far.
4
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Wed Nov 22 2023
Celebrity Skin
Hole
I really enjoy the grungy rock of the album, distorted guitars and attitude of the lyrics.
4
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Thu Nov 23 2023
Station To Station
David Bowie
Yeah, this is just kind of fine. I'm wishing it was more rock influenced. I just didn't really like it that much.
2
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Fri Nov 24 2023
Nilsson Schmilsson
Harry Nilsson
I really like this. Chill and subtle. I'm a big fan of quiet/chill music in general, though. So this is just in my wheelhouse.
I really enjoy the different instrumentations. The horn section in Down was a really great touch.
I really enjoyed the first half of the album, but then I just started getting lost in the second half, starting with Coconut.
3
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Mon Nov 27 2023
Unknown Pleasures
Joy Division
Didn't really get it. I can understand why it's good, but not for me.
2
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Tue Nov 28 2023
Rust Never Sleeps
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
His guitar playing is incredible. I really have no idea how guitarists can play a melody line and chords at the same time.
The lyrics of his music are thought provoking and just generally interesting.
I love the sounds. The anti-war music of the 60s and 70s is low-key some of my favorite music, and this feels like an evolution in that style, even if it doesn't have the same message.
4
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Wed Nov 29 2023
Wild Is The Wind
Nina Simone
This is sooooo good. Excellent instrumentation and musicality. Giving me a lot of feels.
Why Keep On Breaking My Heart is kind of a dud for me. Everything else, so far, is incredible.
I tuned out for a little bit, but that's because I listen at work, and I got bombarded with emails, but this is so good.
5
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Thu Nov 30 2023
Elvis Is Back
Elvis Presley
Confession: I've never actually listened to Elvis besides some of the iconic hits, and I never really liked them all that much, honestly. So it's nice to listen to Elvis apart from a top hits. And the first two tracks have changed my opinion on Elvis.
I love all the varied styles and genres in the album, really shows a depth of talent from Elvis.
3
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Fri Dec 01 2023
Punishing Kiss
Ute Lemper
Yeah, this misses for me more than it hits. There's a few flashes of brilliance, but most of it feels over-the-top.
I couldn't even finish the last song.
1
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Mon Dec 04 2023
Moving Pictures
Rush
Neil Peart is the best.
Tom Sawyer is one of my absolute favorite songs. The vocals, the bass licks, the solos. It's all just so fucking good.
5
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Tue Dec 05 2023
Bossanova
Pixies
I'm learning I don't really love the 90s vibes, but this is a pretty good album. Don't really love anything, but it is pretty good.
3
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Wed Dec 06 2023
Ogden's Nut Gone Flake
Small Faces
It's like Wanna Be Beatles, but they're actually really good. I really liked the story-telling bit, and will probably re-listen to the whole album again.
4
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Thu Dec 07 2023
Greetings From L.A.
Tim Buckley
The bass is the only thing that I'm really enjoying from this album. His voice isn't impressive, nor do I feel like unique or interesting.
1
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Fri Dec 08 2023
Sister
Sonic Youth
It's got that experimental vibe, but it's kind of, tame? Not that that makes it bad, but if they were going for the wild and different, why wouldn't you really go for it? I guess this was one of "the first great American albums to come from the underground". So I'll cut it some slack, but it just doesn't do enough for me.
The guitar work is top notch.
The back half of the album is much better than the first half, in my opinion.
3
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Mon Dec 11 2023
Madman Across The Water
Elton John
There's a lot right with Elton John's music. His piano work is always excellent. The instrumentation with strings, brass, and woodwinds. His voice is also distinct and wonderful.
4
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Tue Dec 12 2023
Lost In The Dream
The War On Drugs
Some really good Americana vibes. I do have a love/hate relationship with vocalists in this genre, as I often feel like they sing in a way that hurts the quality of the music. For the most part, though, this avoids the poor quality sound.
This is just a really good Americana album. Maybe the best I've ever heard in this genre? But there's not really much competition for "Best of Americana".
4
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Wed Dec 13 2023
Time Out
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
A really, really good jazz album. The funky time signatures are the highlight, but they only get to shine because everything else is executed so well.
5
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Thu Dec 14 2023
Chirping Crickets
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
I'm not really sure what I was expecting, but this is really good. You can pretty easily trace how their music influenced the next generation. What's impressive is that even with the hindsight of the evolution of the genre this still holds up and is really enjoyable.
I'm really glad the songs are so short. I feel like if they went much longer they'd start bordering on annoying, but they're kind of the perfect length.
5
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Fri Dec 15 2023
Rattlesnakes
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
I really don't like the singer's voice. But I also don't like Bob Dylan's voice, and I think that's kind of what he's going for. Other than that, this album is really incredible. Excellent instrumentation. Some really interesting songs, too.
4
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Mon Dec 18 2023
Reggatta De Blanc
The Police
Listening to this album makes me realize that I'm mostly just a fan of the Police's hits. They are this interesting blend of reggae and rock, but it really doesn't do much for me overall. Message in a Bottle is still a bop, though.
2
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Tue Dec 19 2023
Vol. 4
Black Sabbath
I didn't know that I was a Black Sabbath fan until today. Some really good stuff. Not quite sure if it's what I would call Metal, or just 70s Metal.
It feels like it's missing something. Just not punchy enough. But really solid.
4
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Wed Dec 20 2023
Dig Your Own Hole
The Chemical Brothers
Some interesting bass lines, and I like the phasing parts. But all in all, this album really isn't for me. I'm not a fan of electronic heavy music, or music that relies on loops, and this heavily leans on both.
1
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Thu Dec 21 2023
Eli And The Thirteenth Confession
Laura Nyro
This feels like the album wants to be jazz but is afraid to try. It's blues, I guess, but I don't think that the genre choice was intentional, and in my opinion, that really hurts it. If they were intentional about their style and sound this might be good, but it is just meh.
Eli's Coming puts the train back on the tracks, so to speak, but I'm already pretty checked out.
1
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Fri Dec 22 2023
Antichrist Superstar
Marilyn Manson
I love a good concept album, and this kills it, in that sense. But it goes a little too hard for me.
3
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Mon Dec 25 2023
The College Dropout
Kanye West
This is a tough one to rate. With hindsight and some of his takes on the album, there's some pretty hurtful things that he says.
But the music is really good. The lyrics that aren't controversial or hateful are really good, and occasionally brilliant. I love that he shares his story of the album on the last track.
If he wasn't a shitbag guy, this probably gets 5 stars/a 10.
4
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Tue Dec 26 2023
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
A really good Christmas album. Some of the best versions of classic Christmas songs. But does a Christmas album, even if one of the best, deserve a spot in the top 1001? I don't think so.
1
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Wed Dec 27 2023
A Girl Called Dusty
Dusty Springfield
This was bad. The only thing that I kind of liked were some of the instrumentals in the background, but they were also just on repeat, so even that got boring.
1
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Thu Dec 28 2023
En-Tact
The Shamen
I don't normally like EDM music, but this is hitting a little different than it normally would for this genre.
The repetitiveness of the songs kills it a bit for me. The melodic material is all very good, and the vocals are always well timed. I'm left wishing songs were 30 seconds to a minute shorter so that I'm getting less fluff and just the best stuff.
3
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Fri Dec 29 2023
Vanishing Point
Primal Scream
The album art had me a bit deceived. I thought this was going to be some driving and distorted guitar heavy music. But I am pleasantly surprised by what this album actually is.
Despite my expectations being wrong in a pleasant way, I'm not sure I really actually enjoy this album. It's better than what I was expecting it to be, but there's a lot of misses for me on the album.
2
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Mon Jan 01 2024
Violator
Depeche Mode
Just not good. Uninteresting. The best part was when it ended.
1
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Tue Jan 02 2024
1989
Taylor Swift
I don't like the dance era of Taylor, but sue does still have very good music. Just not my Swift Style.
The harmonies are on point
3
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Wed Jan 03 2024
All Things Must Pass
George Harrison
I like George Harrison! I think he's got great musical ideas! But over 100 minutes for an album is too long! I couldn't finish this album! It would have been better if he broke it into two smaller separate albums, and he could have developed some songs more, made them more unique.
If this album is a normal respectable length it gets 3 maybe 4 stars from me.
2
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Thu Jan 04 2024
Disraeli Gears
Cream
I'm not sure I would call this one of the greatest albums of all-time, but it is, at worst, really solid for sure, and has some really nice highlights in Sunshine of Your Love.
The back half of the album is so good. I take back what I said before. This definitely belongs.
4
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Fri Jan 05 2024
A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse
Faces
I'm learning that I really like this rock-a-billy/bluesy rock kind of music, and this album is no exception. A few moments really stand out, but otherwise, so far, solid throughout.
The tempo changes are sooooo good.
4
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Mon Jan 08 2024
Stardust
Willie Nelson
This is fine, but I think if I wanted to listen to Willie Nelson, I'd rather listen to some of his outlaw country music, not him singing covers.
1
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Tue Jan 09 2024
Led Zeppelin IV
Led Zeppelin
Maybe one of the greatest rock albums of all-time.
5
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Wed Jan 10 2024
The Notorious Byrd Brothers
The Byrds
I don't know that I would call this the Byrds best album. It's definitely one of their most developed, that shows their most growth and change. But I don't think that necessarily makes it their best. Still good, though!
Moog Raga sounds like it would be in one of those weird SpongeBob episodes.
3
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Thu Jan 11 2024
Harvest
Neil Young
I feel like Neil Young is the king of bad lyrics with really good music. The instrumentals are so good, but I just don't care about most of what Neil is saying. Old Man is a good song, though.
3
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Fri Jan 12 2024
Oxygène
Jean-Michel Jarre
I'm not really a big fan of electronic music. This is one of the best electronic music albums I've listened to, though. The repetition gives comfort, and the slight variations in the melody or adding/removing a channel (is that the right word?) becomes really noticeable and impactful.
3
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Mon Jan 15 2024
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Yeah, I think I'm okay only listening to Tom Petty's hits. This album is good, but I don't think it's great. It's consistent, which I really appreciate, but Luna and American Girl are the only really highlights, and they're not dramatic highlights by any means.
3
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Tue Jan 16 2024
You've Come a Long Way Baby
Fatboy Slim
This is actually subtly really good. Repetitive, but has a lot of small changes and developments that it's never boring. It doesn't demand your attention to be a really good album, but when you do give it the attention all the small details become really enjoyable.
5
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Wed Jan 17 2024
The Cars
The Cars
Lots and lots of bangers. Hits a bit a of a low point in the middle of the album, but starts and finishes on high, high notes. Great classic rock.
4
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Thu Jan 18 2024
Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor
Lupe Fiasco
The instrumentals are really good. Some of the piano riffs are top notch. The lyrics are also really good, from what I can catch. My brain generally doesn't work fast enough for me to understand rapping.
High key, this is a really good album. There hasn't really been a single dud song on the album. Even the songs that aren't among the best on the album have moments of excellence.
5
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Fri Jan 19 2024
São Paulo Confessions
Suba
There's a vibe to it, but it's hidden under a bunch of stuff that's bad. Just not for me.
1
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Mon Jan 22 2024
Aftermath
The Rolling Stones
So, I hear this as the more rebellious version of The Beatles, but I'm not sure that I like it more than the Beatles. I do get it, and I don't dislike it, but it doesn't measure up to the other music of the time for me.
It is still good, and deserves a place in the top albums of all-time though!
The back half of the album is also much better than the first, but I think that's because it gets away from that rebellious attitude and settles down a bit.
3
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Tue Jan 23 2024
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
The Flaming Lips
Each new song that I listen to through Are You a Hypnotist?? on this album because my favorite song on the album. The only exception to that is Pt 2 of the title track, and even that wasn't a bad track, I just didn't like as much as what I had already listened to.
This is an awesome album. It kind of hits some of my favorite things about music. Melancholic. Is experimental in sounds/noises, but doesn't allow that to be the driving music. And it also has a good story.
This isn't mind blowing, but it is really really good.
5
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Wed Jan 24 2024
The Atomic Mr Basie
Count Basie & His Orchestra
I really like big band jazz. Lets multiple instruments shine. I prefer slower tempos generally, and most of this album is fasssstttt. But it's really good throughout. Doesn't really do anything revolutionary, but it's the height of big band. Excellent dissonances and I was bobbing along to every song.
4
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Thu Jan 25 2024
The White Album
Beatles
One of the best Beatles album (not the very best, in my opinion). Really straddles the crazy psychedelic Beatles and the rock Beatles, and I think it kind of nails it perfectly.
5
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Fri Jan 26 2024
John Prine
John Prine
The lyrics are really detailed, which makes it a little hard to get the full scope of his music on one listen through. The light instrumentation means the electric (steel?) guitar really shines in its moments, and the harmonies on Paradise are excellent. Better than Bob Dylan.
4
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Mon Jan 29 2024
Bookends
Simon & Garfunkel
One of my favorite musical duos of all time, but I've never actually listened to this whole album. They're just so incredibly talented, and every song is at minimum interesting to listen to, if not a certified banger.
The guitar work paired with their harmonies and *also* great lyrics? Just an all-timer. I don't think it replaces my favorite album from them though.
5
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Tue Jan 30 2024
The Bends
Radiohead
This album doesn't really stand out on its own, but it does lay the foundation for a lot of the 90s and 00s music that follows it (including some of the other Radiohead albums). It's definitely good, but without its influence, I'm not sure it deserves a spot in an unbiased top 1001. I do like the style a lot and enjoyed every track, though.
3
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Wed Jan 31 2024
Billion Dollar Babies
Alice Cooper
Aside from No More Mr. Nice Guy, this album just doesn't do anything for me. It sounds like other stuff from the era, just worse. I'm also not a big fan of some of the content of the lyrics. Gives me the ick.
2
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Thu Feb 01 2024
In Rainbows
Radiohead
Radiohead goes harder than I thought/remember them going.
I really love the the electronics and post production instruments are used to enhance what was already there, rather than be the focal point of the music. Definitely some certified bangers on the album. No real low moments at all during the album, but it's lacking a wow factor for me.
5
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Fri Feb 02 2024
Synchronicity
The Police
Listened to this album while hangry and doing chores, so I'll try not to hold that against it.
Honestly, the best songs on this album are some of the best songs ever. Every Breath You Take, Synchronicity II, King of Pain, Wrapped Around Your Finger. There are a couple of misses, though, that actually make it tough to get through the whole album.
4
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Mon Feb 05 2024
Debut
Björk
This is mostly just too weird for me, and lives mostly in a genre that I don't like, house/dance/electronic sound. It's not bad, but it isn't really enjoyable for me. I am glad that she leans into her unique sounding voice, rather than shying away from it and trying to create more "normal" sounding music.
2
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Tue Feb 06 2024
Revolver
Beatles
A good Beatles album, but it's one of the few albums that doesn't have a ton of hits. A good album, but definitely not one of their best.
4
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Wed Feb 07 2024
Live At The Harlem Square Club
Sam Cooke
My biggest "issue" with the album is just that it's live. I feel like it takes away from all the interesting things Sam Cooke brings to the table.
The music is really good, though. Sam's voice is interesting, and his songs are fun. Just wish this wasn't a recording of a live performance.
2
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Thu Feb 08 2024
In The Court Of The Crimson King
King Crimson
This is giving me Meatloaf vibes, in the best way.
I really love the orchestral touches and evolution in this. A lot of really interesting bits exist only because they challenged the expectations of what rock and roll should be. I also wish there was more through-composed popular music like some of the songs on this album.
5
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Fri Feb 09 2024
Coat Of Many Colors
Dolly Parton
This is really good 70s country, which is pretty expected since Dolly is a queen of country. There are a few things that I'm glad we moved away from that are mainstays in this album, mostly the "bouncy" bass lines and some of the plucky guitar work. But those were standards of the time, and also just minor issues.
4
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Mon Feb 12 2024
Raw Power
The Stooges
You can tell that this is a group that is really trying something new, as they've got that unrefined kind of sound. It does get credit from me for that, but ultimately, I don't think it goes far enough.
3
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Tue Feb 13 2024
Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
Some of the lyrics are problematic, but otherwise this shit just fucking rocks. Sweet Child O' Mine is a banger, Welcome to the Jungle is insane.
This album is definitely Hall of Fame worthy, but it's not quite inner circles Hall of Fame, if that makes sense.
4
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Wed Feb 14 2024
Graceland
Paul Simon
This album just makes me miss Simon and Garfunkel. This genre/style isn't doing Paul Simon's voice any favors.
You Can Call Me Al definitely exists and Graceland is good, but this album is mostly a miss for me.
2
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Thu Feb 15 2024
I See You
The xx
Based on the first track, I was really worried that this was going to be an EDM/House/Dance album, which I would have not enjoyed. BUT it was just a fakeout. A real emotional album, excellent lyrics, and instrumentation that supports it. A really wonderful surprise (as I've never listened to the xx before).
4
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Fri Feb 16 2024
(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd)
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Just some really good classic American rock n roll. Some big times hits and some hidden gems (for those not familiar with Lynyrd Skynyrd like myself), and not a single disappointing or bad song throughout. Spotify had some demo versions that don't really do much for me, but I'm not holding that against the album.
5
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Mon Feb 19 2024
Songs In The Key Of Life
Stevie Wonder
I feel like this is a victim of just having to pump out an album a year. The highlights of this album are awesome, but there's just so much fluff that's not needed. A 'Best Of' album by Stevie Wonder would be an auto-10, but there's so many songs on this album that aren't even that good. Even some of the songs have extra fluff, that if you trimmed them down they'd be a lot better.
Honestly, just go listen to Stevie's best songs and leave the albums alone.
3
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Tue Feb 20 2024
Green River
Creedence Clearwater Revival
I didn't really enjoy this? Which is strange, because they do things that I generally enjoy, and they're leaning into a style that I also usually enjoy. I think just most of the album falls flat for me.
2
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Wed Feb 21 2024
Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs
Derek & The Dominos
Some really good rock blues. I wish there was some more variety throughout the album, but that just makes Layla shine all the more when you do get to that song. A few other songs are top notch, and the rest of it is just incredibly solid.
4
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Thu Feb 22 2024
In Utero
Nirvana
A really good album, and a great response to hitting the mainstream from the previous album. Heavy and abrasive, and excellent writing (for the most part; not a big fan of screaming "R*pe me"). The hits coming from this album are also deserving of their popularity.
5
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Fri Feb 23 2024
I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
Richard Thompson
Kind of bounces between really great folk music, and Sufjan Stevens kind of odd sounding, but it's never really bad, and the album has some really great "high" moments.
3
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Mon Feb 26 2024
Blonde On Blonde
Bob Dylan
I really don't want to give this a one star, because Bob is a great guitar player, and the harmonica work is excellent, but I absolutely hate his voice, and it kills everything for me. The intonation sucks. His vocal embellishments are cringy. The vocal strain is bad. It's just bad.
1
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Tue Feb 27 2024
There's No Place Like America Today
Curtis Mayfield
So In Love is an incredible song. Everything else is kind of a miss, though. The vibes are great, but the singing drags it down, and I'm left wishing this was 30 minutes of So In Love.
2
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Wed Feb 28 2024
Arc Of A Diver
Steve Winwood
This mostly ends up feeling kind of like a Kirkland brand Genesis or other synth heavy band. Still good! But not an original vibe or top name brand quality. Good, but doesn't blow me away.
3
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Thu Feb 29 2024
Permission to Land
The Darkness
This just fucking rules. It's got a classic rock sound and vibe with the attitude of the aughts. The guitar solos are excellent, and the singer is masterful in the control over his voice.
5
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Fri Mar 01 2024
Tidal
Fiona Apple
There's nothing here that's particularly good. Sometimes her voice sounds really nice, but on the whole it's forgettable.
Definitely not a bad album though. Just not special.
2
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Mon Mar 04 2024
Cloud Nine
The Temptations
Definitely a tale of two halves. The first half is different, experimental, and awesome. The second half is some classic motown, which just doesn't hit as good after the first half. Wishing the first half was more, or by itself.
3
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Tue Mar 05 2024
L.A. Woman
The Doors
Riders on the Storm is the big hit on the album, but I think some of the bluesy stuff is better music. Some solid stuff, but I don't think it really stands out.
3
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Wed Mar 06 2024
Cosmo's Factory
Creedence Clearwater Revival
They've got a great sound, but I get a bit tired of it quickly. They're still a really good group, and even though this album doesn't have any big hits, there's still some great listening on the album.
3
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Thu Mar 07 2024
Fly Or Die
N.E.R.D
I really like the rock music, and the lyrics are really well crafted. There's some quality difference in some songs.
The beginning of the album was missing something for me, but the album gets better and better as it goes.
Not great, but this is definitely good.
3
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Fri Mar 08 2024
Berlin
Lou Reed
I'm not a huge fan of his voice, and while the music is fine and has some flashes of brilliance, it's never really consistently great. The star of this album is the lyrics and the story of the full album. They're dark and sad, but well crafted and make for a great listen.
4
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Mon Mar 11 2024
Ten
Pearl Jam
Hell Yeah
5
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Tue Mar 12 2024
Blood On The Tracks
Bob Dylan
I really don't like Bob Dylan's voice, and Idiot Wind is the perfect storm of why I hate it.
But then immediately after that song on the album, he voice is much less abrasive. It really actually let me listen and appreciate his lyrics, and also was kind of a window into why he is such a highly regarded musician.
3
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Wed Mar 13 2024
Elastica
Elastica
This could be a really, really good album, but there's some songs on here that are just misses, that don't do much of anything interesting. The good songs are excellent, including some of the 3-part harmonies, but it's just not a great album from beginning to end.
3
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Thu Mar 14 2024
Dummy
Portishead
This was way different than what I was expecting, but it was so good. Her voice was perfect for the style, and the "triphop" was a jam the entire time.
It does fall just short of a 10 for me, but it is darn close.
5
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Fri Mar 15 2024
Queen Of Denmark
John Grant
I was fully expecting this to be a bad album, but it's actually really good folk (even if it is occasionally weird/odd). His voice is perfect for the genre and vibes.
I don't really appreciate the use of slurs in any music. But outside that, this is a great album.
4
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Mon Mar 18 2024
Hail To the Thief
Radiohead
I'm finding that every Radiohead album doesn't really have a standout song for me. Which is more about the fact that all of the songs go so well together and are all excellent, rather than any single song being single worthy.
This one just feels like one complete idea. The album is a tapestry of songs all woven together.
5
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Tue Mar 19 2024
Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A.
The backing tracks are actually really awesome. The lyricism is really great, but the content is often too violent or misogynistic for me to really get behind it.
4
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Wed Mar 20 2024
Swordfishtrombones
Tom Waits
High key, the instrumentation and instrumentals are incredible. I really don't like the singer's voice, though. The spoken parts are kind of perfect. I really don't like how much I actually truly enjoyed this album.
4
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Thu Mar 21 2024
Gris Gris
Dr. John
This is not for me really. I can see why this is on the list as a boundary pusher, and helped evolve music, but I won't be listening to this again.
1
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Fri Mar 22 2024
Traffic
Traffic
This just fucking slaps.
It's like Kansas, but turned down to like and 8, rather than an 11.
I was really worried the album would fall flat a bit as it went on, but it constantly surprised me and some of the back half was even better (not all of it).
This is saved, added to playlists, and I can't wait to listen to it again.
5
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Mon Mar 25 2024
Illmatic
Nas
I have a really hard time catching the lyrics, which is what (apparently) makes this album great. Without that it all just kind of falls flat. There's some good production work, but otherwise I'm not into it.
Good enough that it's not bad, though.
2
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Tue Mar 26 2024
Slippery When Wet
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi's hits are so good. You could argue that they're overplayed, but I would say they're played that much because they are *that* good. The album does, however, have a feeling of the hits and some other songs, but that's probably more a me problem being unfamiliar with other Bon Jovi songs.
The songs other than the hits aren't quite misses, but they're not as good as the hits.
4
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Wed Mar 27 2024
The Wildest!
Louis Prima
Some of the best big band jazz I've ever heard. The variety in singers is wonderful, because every single one of them is really talented.
This is just kind of like chicken soup for my soul.
5
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Thu Mar 28 2024
Beggars Banquet
The Rolling Stones
I'm liking this album more than our previous Stones album, Aftermath. I do like the folky rock style a lot, and I feel like the identity of the album is a lot more clear. I know what it's trying to be, and how it's accomplishing that.
There's no real "highlight" on the album but it's an incredibly solid and consistent listen from beginning to end, which is something that I really appreciate. A hit or two would make this into a 5-star album for me, but it just misses on that.
4
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Fri Mar 29 2024
Goodbye And Hello
Tim Buckley
Weird, and not enjoyably weird. The vocals aren't great, and the rest of it is just odd folky music with some ancient instruments thrown in (that was a nice touch, though). Not worth listening to.
2
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Mon Apr 01 2024
Come Away With Me
Norah Jones
This is fine pop/blues/jazz. Nothing really impresses except her voice. The light instrumentation doesn't elevate or highlight. Just a fine album.
3
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Tue Apr 02 2024
Fear Of A Black Planet
Public Enemy
I just don't like this. Like, there's nothing enjoyable about this to me.
1
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Wed Apr 03 2024
Elephant Mountain
The Youngbloods
There's some really good instrumental moments in this album, including "Trillium". I enjoy the folk/country/rock vibes, but the psychedelic moments are not quite as enjoyable.
A good album that isn't a major hit, but also avoids missing, for the most part
3
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Thu Apr 04 2024
Tonight's The Night
Neil Young
Man, Neil is just not a great singer, or at least I don't like his voice, at all. His lyrics are really good, though. If he would have been content to just be a songwriter for a different vocalist, this would be top tier stuff.
Everything except the vocals on this is incredible. Like, an easy 10 if any other professional singer is taking lead.
4
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Fri Apr 05 2024
Casanova
The Divine Comedy
This guy gives me the creeps. Which sucks because the rest of the music is actually pretty good. But this is unlistenable because of the lyrics.
1
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Mon Apr 08 2024
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
I generally really love the guitar and bass playing on Neil's albums. The solo on Down by the River goes on quite a bit too long for me, though. Actually all of the instrumentals are a bit too long for me. I don't mind music with really long solos or instrumentals (I'm a big Kansas fan), but the ones on this album just don't do enough new or interesting things to really keep me engaged.
3
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Tue Apr 09 2024
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
I was not familiar with anything Tracy besides Fast Car, but this is a really good acoustic album. It doesn't stand out as a best ever, but it is very, very good.
4
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Wed Apr 10 2024
Heartbreaker
Ryan Adams
This is really, really good. I love the choice timings for harmonies. Occasionally there's some really interesting and great chord choices. The instrumentation and vocals pair together wonderfully. There's not a single miss on the album, and there's some really, really good songs that push it over the top for me.
5
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Thu Apr 11 2024
Scott 4
Scott Walker
Ugh, the first song was fine, but this guy is a bit of a creep, and his music makes me uncomfortable.
Yeah, the album starts fine, but then it immediately gets bad and cringy and nearly unlistenable.
I would have a better life if you promised me that I would never listen to Scott Walker ever again in my life.
1
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Fri Apr 12 2024
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Arctic Monkeys
Slaps. There's not significant lowlight to the entire album, and neither does any song stand out above the rest for me. A really great album, but one that I think misses out on being like a top 50ish. Still well deserved on this list, and I really enjoyed listening to it.
4
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Mon Apr 15 2024
Funeral
Arcade Fire
It either starts off a little too indie for me, or I just wasn't fully prepared for the sound/style when I started up the album, but god damn it's growing on me.
Really good indie music. Raw and unique. It doesn't blow me away by any means, but it is really solid album to listen to.
4
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Tue Apr 16 2024
Birth Of The Cool
Miles Davis
Tonality that no one musician would touch with a 10-foot pole, and Miles Davis and his friends make this one of the smoothest sounding albums ever??? Incredible.
I honestly could have done without the last track. The singing is just not up to par with the rest of the instruments.
Favorite song: Moon Dreams
5
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Wed Apr 17 2024
Pretenders
Pretenders
I'm not really impressed at all? Maybe because it's "old" pop punk, but imo this isn't that good. Space Invaders is rad, but the majority of everything else is a miss for me.
The soft ventures into other genres is really cool, but when the base sound isn't great, it's like adding sprinkles to bad food.
2
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Thu Apr 18 2024
The Genius Of Ray Charles
Ray Charles
At this point in my life, I need big band music that I'm listening to for the first to do something interesting, and there's nothing that stands out about the first half of the album to me. I would listen to it again, but I'm not going to go seek it out.
Now, the ballads on the second half of the album are a completely different story. I'm a big sucker for slow jazz ballads, and these songs are killing me.
4
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Fri Apr 19 2024
Live At The Witch Trials
The Fall
If I listened to this in the 80s, I'd probably think this is rad as hell, but in today's context it doesn't really sound good, and I'm mostly uninterested.
2
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Mon Apr 22 2024
Elephant
The White Stripes
I need to be careful, because I could describe all the things I love about this album in detail, and I don't want to get too long winded.
The songs are incredibly well crafted, from lyrics, to guitar riffs, to offsetting the drums.
The back half of the album simply cannot keep to the same standard of the first half, but it's still really good.
5
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Tue Apr 23 2024
At Fillmore East
The Allman Brothers Band
Yeah, I'm just not a big fan of live albums. I do enjoy listening to music live, but I don't want the same experience when listening to a recording. I do like the vibes of the band/music/album, the slightly jazzy rock.
Yeah, this would be awesome to listen to live, but I really am uninterested in this kind of album layout for a recording.
2
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Wed Apr 24 2024
If You're Feeling Sinister
Belle & Sebastian
This is some fine Indie Pop. A couple of songs have good vibes to them. I don't have anything bad to say about the album at all. But I also don't really have anything great to say? It just ends up being a good but not great album for me.
3
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Thu Apr 25 2024
Before And After Science
Brian Eno
I'm not really a fan of the first few tracks. This is all just kind of too weird without much direction, in my opinion. It feels like something frog men would listen to. I don't know what that means exactly, but that's what it sounds like.
After a few songs, it mellows out, and the avant guard-iness plays so much better in this low energy/slow tempos. I'm glad I didn't fully give up on it after the first half, because I ended up really enjoying the second half of the album.
3
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Fri Apr 26 2024
Rising Above Bedlam
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
The bass playing is pretty slick, especially on Erzulie. But otherwise I'm not interested. The male vocalist is boring and bad, and the instrumental being a weird mix of synthetic and acoustic just is not combining very well.
This gets worse as I listen too. I'm so checked out, and just waiting for the album to end.
1
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Mon Apr 29 2024
Power In Numbers
Jurassic 5
I'm not a big hip-hop fan, but greatness is still easily recognizable. There's a few songs that I don't like at all (either Break or React, I don't remember already), but otherwise this slaps hard.
This isn't quite best of the best, but it is excellent from beginning to end. Beats go hard, lyrics are topical and well crafted.
5
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Tue Apr 30 2024
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
This a really good punk album. I'm not blown away by it musically, but I don't think that's what makes it legendary.
It is a really, really good album. There's not really any highlights for me personally. Just a whole lot of good late 70s punk from beginning to end. Listening to this 45 years after its release, I don't think it has any of the same impact that it may have once had. In comparison to the music being released today, this is no longer ground breaking in any way. But I can appreciate its historical significance.
4
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Wed May 01 2024
Leftism
Leftfield
It's house music. Everything gets repeated or looped about 418 times, so the interesting stuff becomes boring and the bad moments become a nuisance. I just don't like this style or genre, and nearly quit listening to it.
1
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Thu May 02 2024
Country Life
Roxy Music
The first song was good! But then it gets kind of bad immediately after. Not really interested in much else going on in the album. The bass playing is pretty great, though.
I do think the changes in vibes and style a bit made in the second half of the album elevate it some, but it's still not that good.
2
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Fri May 03 2024
Imagine
John Lennon
I feel like this album is just "Imagine" and friends. Nothing else really lives up to that song. Not that any of it is bad, it all still has the John Lennon vibes, but none of it is as good as Imagine
3
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Mon May 06 2024
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
This is some really good hip-hop. Shit constantly slaps.
I don't know what else to say about this, just because I'm not familiar enough with the genre and the history of hip-hop. But I enjoyed it, and it was good music the whole time.
4
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Tue May 07 2024
Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand
I've never actually listened to this album, so we're learning some things about Franz today.
Take Me Out might be one of the best songs ever. I could listen to it on repeat for hours. I was a little worried that it would overshadow every other song on the album, and while it is still the best song, the rest of the album really holds up well. I'm bobbing and jamming along to The Dark of the Matinee and Darts of Pleasure. Just an excellent album in total. They stay true to their unique sound throughout, but vary themselves enough that each song feels unique.
5
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Wed May 08 2024
Warehouse: Songs And Stories
Hüsker Dü
This isn't really an album that I would expect to find on this list. About halfway through, and this is good, but I'm not sure what makes this so special or important to be here. Yeah, this is fine, but it's not great.
The novelty of the singing gets old pretty quick for me. The guitar playing and distortion is pretty nice, though.
2
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Thu May 09 2024
Out Of The Blue
Electric Light Orchestra
They can be a little much sometimes. But when it's not noise pollution or overstimulating, it's really great music. Tight vocal harmonies, instruments are all in sync.
This is great, but it falls short from elite, for me. A few odd songs, and sometimes there's just too much going on. But I was bobbing along to most songs, and it's an overall great listen.
4
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Fri May 10 2024
Metallica
Metallica
Better than earlier Metallica albums! I'm glad they slowed it down. It lets the differences in each song stand out more, so the album doesn't sound like one continuous song.
Favorite Song(s): Enter Sandman, The God that Failed
4
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Mon May 13 2024
Live At The Regal
B.B. King
Most of the songs sounded very similar to each other, which is probably more a reflection of the genre than the album, but I checked out after the 3rd song or so. He's a great singer, he's got a good band, and this is probably one of the best blues albums, but I don't really need a full blues album in my life.
Favorite Song: How Blue Can You Get?
3
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Tue May 14 2024
3 + 3
The Isley Brothers
There are some staples of the genre on this album, and they're a little different than the most popular versions of the songs, but they still slap hard.
Some of the singing is off-putting, but it's only brief moments of a couple songs. The instrumentation is incredible, especially for the time. It's honestly a really incredible album from beginning to end. I did skip all the alternate versions that were at the end of the Spotify album, because I didn't really want to "re-listen" to songs with minor changes to them.
4
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Wed May 15 2024
Kid A
Radiohead
An incredible album from beginning to end. It's different from the other Radiohead albums we've had, and I love what they did.
5
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Thu May 16 2024
The Infotainment Scan
The Fall
Man, I do not like this guy's singing at all. I do really like the general style, but I can't commit to completely listening, because his voice is so bad and off putting. I honestly think I would love this album if it wasn't for the singer. The guitar, drums, and bass are all excellent.
The last song on the album is stinky poo poo, though.
2
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Fri May 17 2024
Odelay
Beck
The last song in the album keeps this from being a 1/10, but while they were trying to be interesting, they forgot the music did still need to be good. Just not something I want to listen to.
1
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Mon May 20 2024
We Are Family
Sister Sledge
R&B Bass playing is one of the best things in the world. I found myself bobbing and dancing in my chair subconsciously constantly while listening to this. Just a fuckin incredible album.
Favorite Song(s): Thinking of You, You're a Friend to Me
5
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Tue May 21 2024
Get Behind Me Satan
The White Stripes
This is a much different vibe than Elephant. Not that it's bad, but I do miss the grunginess of the previous album. Like, if I heard this first, I would think they're just an odd rock band. Jack White's voice does carry the songs that aren't as musically interesting.
I spent the first few songs just getting used to the less grungy/lighter style, but once I got use to it, this album is pretty great. There's a couple of songs that blow me away, but the whole album doesn't have that same quality.
4
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Wed May 22 2024
Emperor Tomato Ketchup
Stereolab
Really enjoying this. The synth is not a musical choice I would have made, but it's not overused and doesn't take away from anything else. A bit of a strange album, but a very good weird album.
Favorite Song(s): Cybele's Reverie, Tomorrow is Already Here, Monstre Sacre
4
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Thu May 23 2024
Colour By Numbers
Culture Club
The album starts off with a bang with Karma Chameleon, and it never gets back to that level of quality. In fact, a handful of the songs are just really bad. It's never consistently bad, but the album on a whole is not worth listening to.
2
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Fri May 24 2024
Since I Left You
The Avalanches
Before I say anything else, I just need to note that I don't like this genre or style of music. I generally find repetitive electronic music boring and uninteresting.
That said, this album does actually do some really interesting things, even if there is a lot of boring repetitions still. Bending of pitches. Manipulations of samples already introduced. Using non-musical samples in musical ways.
I didn't love it, but it wasn't offensive to me, like a lot of other electronic/dance albums have been, and there were some occasional really good things happening!
3
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Mon May 27 2024
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
This album does not start off strong for me. The first couple of songs made me think this whole album might end up a miss, but there's a big swing at "Beautiful Feeling" and the album doesn't really look back from there. Beautiful Feeling is the peak of the album, but every song after that is much better than the first part.
3
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Wed May 29 2024
Modern Kosmology
Jane Weaver
Very clearly a modern singer-songwriter album. Ethereal, breathy singing, and light synth work. Some of the songs could be on a space-related movie soundtrack.
A pretty good album, but honestly nothing particularly special.
3
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Thu May 30 2024
Shaft
Isaac Hayes
A couple of the tracks feel like elevator music, and I mean that as a compliment. Smooth, repetitious, but not boring, and incredibly comforting, whether you're actively listening or just letting it play through in the background.
This is a really good soundtrack, but that's also kind of all it is. Imo, it's really hard for soundtracks to be among the greatest albums of all-time. This one deserves a spot, but it doesn't get to sit among the elite of the elite.
Also, Spotify only has 6 tracks available, and I don't feel like using another platform.
4
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Mon Jun 03 2024
Fever To Tell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
I don't love when does some squealy things with her voice, but this is solid lady punk rock. I started listening to this before I was really awake, so I started it over, and this is a much better album that I thought it was on first listen. I think the back-half of the album is the better half, but an awesome album nonetheless.
5
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Tue Jun 04 2024
Aladdin Sane
David Bowie
I think I'm learning I'm just not a big David Bowie fan (this is the third album I've listened to.) It just doesn't really stand out to me as anything particularly special? "Lady Grinning Soul" is a great song, but the rest of the album is just good. A few better than good moments, like the piano solo in "Aladdin Sane", stand out, but on the whole, good not great.
3
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Thu Jun 06 2024
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Wilco
This is some really nice/chill indie rock. I really like atmospheric sounding music, and this falls under that umbrella. Yeah, this is just comfort music to me.
I don't often save albums from this list to listen to again, but I did with this one. It kept getting better until the end, and I just really enjoyed the sound.
5
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Fri Jun 07 2024
Sound of Silver
LCD Soundsystem
This is some fun upbeat electro-pop-rock, but it's repetitive. I could have listened to 30 seconds or less of each song and gotten everything I could have needed from the song, and saved myself maybe half an hour.
It is fun. It does groove. But I get quite tired of it pretty quickly. It also probably doesn't help that I had a work meeting break up my listen.
2
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Mon Jun 10 2024
Dusty In Memphis
Dusty Springfield
I'm not entirely sure why this album is labeled as Soul/Jazz. I can get behind calling it blue-eyed soul. But it's really Pop with some jazz influences.
She's got a great voice, and the album does a great job of highlighting it on every song. All of the instrumentation is just there to support her singing.
Outside of her voice, though, the album is pretty bland. It's a good pop album, but not a great one, and pop is just pretty boring. If it was any singer other than Dusty, this would probably be 1-star.
2
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Tue Jun 11 2024
Aja
Steely Dan
This feels so unique. The jazz elements are just delicious. The bass, guitar, and drums all drive everything forward. The singing is just kind of what it is, but I could live in this sound for days. Every solo was different and interesting, and there wasn't any major or noticeable dips in quality from song to song.
Favorite Song: Peg
But they were all great.
5
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Thu Jun 13 2024
Physical Graffiti
Led Zeppelin
I don't know if my expectations/bias for Led Zeppelin played a role in my opinion here, but the first half of the album didn't really impress me all that much? It is still a good listen, but it didn't particularly stand out to me.
But Trampled Under Foot, Kashmir, and In The Light all flip a switch for me, and those songs are by far the best on the album.
As an album, on the whole, I'm kind of just whelmed. But those three songs made 1 listen through worth it, but pull them out and listen to them separately rather than relistening to the whole album.
4
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Mon Jun 17 2024
...And Justice For All
Metallica
I love some good protest music, and even though this doesn't fit the historical mold for political protest music, it does still absolutely scratch that itch for me.
Unfortunately the sound of Metallica gets pretty worn out for me as the album goes on. They really only have the one setting, and that's fast, loud, and rockin'. Which is fun for a while, but I need something varied, even just a little bit, to keep me engaged.
3
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Tue Jun 18 2024
Beauty And The Beat
The Go-Go's
We Got The Beat doesn't impress me as much as I thought it might, honestly. But the album on the whole is a lot of fun. And the songs are varied enough, even though they all have the same high tempo and vibe, that I'm engaged to every song throughout the album.
Favorite Song(s): Our Lips are Sealed, Can't Stop the World
4
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Wed Jun 19 2024
Sheer Heart Attack
Queen
What to say, other than Queen good?
Aside from Killer Queen, there aren't any **hits** from Queen on this album, but it still has that incredible, distinctive Queen sound, which means every song will, at worst, will be solid. Most songs are excellent works of artistry.
5
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Tue Jun 25 2024
Abbey Road
Beatles
When I first started collecting records, I always thought Abbey Road was overpriced and overhyped. The more I've listened to the Beatles, though, I've come to learn that a lot of my favorite songs come from this album, and this is some of their best artistry. I honestly don't really have anything negative to say about this album, other than a couple of the songs don't sit in the same tier as the rest, but is that really a complaint if the songs are still very good?
Favorite song(s): Come Together, Oh! Darling, Octopus's Garden, Here Comes the Sun
5
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Thu Jun 27 2024
Figure 8
Elliott Smith
His voice is pretty unique, and I could see how that could be a problem for some people, but he's a magician with his lyrics and instrumentation. Each song is fairly unique, but all of them have this underlying haunting-ness to them.
4
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Fri Jun 28 2024
Live At The Star Club, Hamburg
Jerry Lee Lewis
The album is high energy, driven by the live performance. There's a couple of major hits on the album, that bring it up a ton for me, but there's a few moments where the band just seems out of sync/tempo, and it just doesn't sound great to me.
Favorite song(s): Good Golly Miss Molly
3
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Mon Jul 01 2024
1999
Prince
This just isn't it. The first couple of songs are really good, but the rest of the album is either fine, or not good. The synth/drum machine starts pretty interesting but gets old after a handful of songs. It's got vibes, but I find the music mostly uninteresting.
"Lady Cab Driver" breaks up some songs worth skipping, but that's only a brief reprieve.
I've never actually listened to Prince before, so this experience is teaching me that his hits are great, that rest is just there.
Favorite Song(s): 1999, Lady Cab Driver
3
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Tue Jul 02 2024
Exile On Main Street
The Rolling Stones
I don't think there's any individual stand-out from this album. None of the songs really blow me away. But every song is really good. I really like the bluesy vibes, and the varying instrumentation keeps every song interesting.
This album is the poster child for high floor, low ceiling. A really, really good album, but no shining star.
4
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Thu Jul 04 2024
Court And Spark
Joni Mitchell
I can't really explain it, but, as a straight man, this album makes me want to put on a sundress and spin while the sun is shining down on me. This album just makes me happy and comfortable. The jazz music in the singer-songwriter/folk style is incredible.
Favorite Song(s): Help Me, Down to You
5
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Wed Jul 17 2024
Queen II
Queen
One of my favorite things that an album can do is flow from one song into another. I think it really shows an intentionality to making an album, rather than just making a collection of songs. Queen is very good at that, even in their early days.
Ogre Battle had me really worried that the second half of the album was going to be, uh, not good, but that song kind of stands alone as not great.
Besides Ogre Battle being pretty rough, none of the other songs really stood out, good or bad. The whole album has an early/rough Queen Sound (tm), which they obviously refined later. The album misses out on being great, though, imo.
Favorite Song(s): Some Day One Day, Nevermore
4
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Thu Jul 18 2024
Music for the Masses
Depeche Mode
I hated this. The music itself is fine. It's not particularly good, and it doesn't have any flaws or anything, but I don't like the guy's voice, and the style of music is something that I really don't like. So this is just an un-perfect storm.
1
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Fri Jul 19 2024
Here Are the Sonics
The Sonics
This is pretty good. I wasn't overly impressed by their musicianship, but it's a lot of fun. The guitar distortion is excellent, and the vocals find a great balance between singing and screaming (lol). If the album was any longer without any other stylistic changes it might get old, but it's kind of the perfect length.
It's also really solid from beginning to end, without any songs that are "duds".
Favorite Song(s): Night Time is the Right Time, Good Golly Miss Molly
4
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Mon Jul 22 2024
Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
If this album was Money for Nothing for a straight hour, it would be a 5/5.
It still is a really good album, even though none of the other songs really measure up to Money for Nothing (what can, if we're being honest?). It's a lot more vibey than I thought it would be.
4
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Tue Jul 23 2024
Moon Safari
Air
The low-fi vibes are pretty incredible on this album. I normally really don't like Electronica albums, but this one hits different. A big thing for me usually is the repetitions of the electronics, but here I feel like those repetitions are used more as a backdrop for the more interesting bits.
Honestly, just vibey and fun to listen to.
Favorite Song(s): La femme d'argent
3
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Wed Jul 24 2024
Mott
Mott The Hoople
There's some pretty good moments in a couple of songs. Hymn for the Dudes has a great riff. Whizz Kid is a good song. But otherwise, I'm having a hard time finding any song that I really like, or that sounds good from beginning to end.
This album is hard, because there's some good moments, some meh, and some moments that are really not good.
2
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Thu Jul 25 2024
Club Classics Vol. One
Soul II Soul
This is basically just slightly elevated shitty club music. For the most part it's fine. There's some parts that aren't good, and the style is just boring.
1
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Fri Jul 26 2024
Your New Favourite Band
The Hives
I don't like that this is a compilation album. There's not really any other "best of"s or comp albums post 1950s on this list. I do like this music, though. So I'm in this difficult spot of trying to rate an album that I don't think should be on the list, but am thoroughly enjoying.
Musically, it's not complicated at all, but it doesn't need to be. They want to blow your face off with distorted guitar riffs, muted screaming vocals, fast tempos, and drums that sounds like a train that lost its breaks. They do all of those things well.
On principle of it being a compilation album: 1 star
Rating it as if it were any other album: 3.5 star (ish)
So we'll split the difference and call it a 2 star.
Favorite Song(s): A.K.A. I-D-I-O-T, Main Offender
2