549
Albums Rated
2.75
Average Rating
50%
Complete
540 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950
Favorite Decade
Latin
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Perfectionist
Rater Style ?
7
5-Star Albums
16
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman
John Zorn
|
5 | 2.24 | +2.76 |
|
Melodrama
Lorde
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
Zombie
Fela Kuti
|
5 | 3.47 | +1.53 |
|
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Arctic Monkeys
|
5 | 3.73 | +1.27 |
|
Medúlla
Björk
|
4 | 2.73 | +1.27 |
|
Ys
Joanna Newsom
|
4 | 2.8 | +1.2 |
|
Time Out
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
|
5 | 3.83 | +1.17 |
|
Reign In Blood
Slayer
|
4 | 2.96 | +1.04 |
|
Fever Ray
Fever Ray
|
4 | 2.98 | +1.02 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Blonde On Blonde
Bob Dylan
|
1 | 3.49 | -2.49 |
|
Blackstar
David Bowie
|
1 | 3.48 | -2.48 |
|
Endtroducing.....
DJ Shadow
|
1 | 3.35 | -2.35 |
|
The Next Day
David Bowie
|
1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
|
Songs In The Key Of Life
Stevie Wonder
|
2 | 4.07 | -2.07 |
|
Purple Rain
Prince
|
2 | 4.02 | -2.02 |
|
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon & Garfunkel
|
2 | 3.96 | -1.96 |
|
Very
Pet Shop Boys
|
1 | 2.95 | -1.95 |
|
What's Going On
Marvin Gaye
|
2 | 3.94 | -1.94 |
|
Sticky Fingers
The Rolling Stones
|
2 | 3.86 | -1.86 |
5-Star Albums (7)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Steely Dan · 51 likes
3/5
Music like an ultra high resolution image of a potato. Somehow intriguing, but still potato.
Elton John · 20 likes
3/5
Hits are stron
Songs too lon
Patience gon
Elton John
Bee Gees · 12 likes
2/5
The best thing about this album was reading the Wikipedia page about the Battle of Trafalgar, after I was got curious about the name's its origin (only knowing Trafalgar Square and Trafalgar D. Water Law until then). The second-best thing is the cover art.
Doves · 5 likes
2/5
Music made for the background. So unremarkable, I only noticed that the album was over 5 autoplay songs after the fact.
Stevie Wonder · 5 likes
2/5
I don't know what it is exactly, but somehow this music is incredibly unappealing to me. I can't really find anything obvious to criticize, besides the album being so long (blessing or curse). Musically and technically great for sure, but 21 songs and there's not one I want to go back to?
Am I blind, I wonder, or is Stevie blind, Stevie Wonder?
4-Star Albums (57)
1-Star Albums (16)
All Ratings
The Prodigy
3/5
Cream
3/5
Feel transported back to the 60s.
Sparked the desire to rebel against the system by gathering a bunch of unwashed shaggy-haired long-term students to sit around on the floor with, consuming God knows what from Serenity's garden.
3.5/5
Cat Stevens
3/5
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Michael Jackson
3/5
Two absolute bangers. rest is ok.
Minus points for having to think about Michael Jackson while listening to Michael Jackson.
George Harrison
3/5
The album sounds like my perception of George Harrison. Musically very solid, but no unique selling point. Back and forth between "Does not bother me" an "Seems to be close to greatness, but that certain something is missing". Admittedly, rather the former than the latter.
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
I don't know anything about jazz.
After listening to this album, I now know one thing.
This is a really nice jazz.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Caught myself thinking "Why is it even on this list" and "when is it over?". Managed to listen to the whole thing, though.
The Cardigans
3/5
I will not speak
Goldfrapp
3/5
Refreshingly distinctive. Not something I would enjoy actively listening to repeatedly, but great background music.
Main associations were James Bond Soundtracks and Ennio Morricone.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
Oasis
4/5
King Crimson
3/5
These songs sound like they were meant to be a movie soundtrack! Sadly, the movie seems to be a progressive avantgarde flick I don't get.
Coldcut
2/5
Couldn't bring myself to listen to it all. Really not my thing. Has some decent tunes, but also some really obnoxious ones.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
This one really faded into the background. Couldn't tell you what I've listened to after "The Healer".
CHIC
3/5
Funky disco funk. Oldshool kinda funk. Not the cool Vulfpeck kinda funk. Still funk tho.
Boston
3/5
Boston came out swinging with "More Than a Feeling" directly followed by "Peace of Mind". Punches you right where your late 70s classic rock nostalgia would be, if you were old enough. Quickly runs out of gas, though. There is no lasting impact.
Still very easy and kind of fun to listen to ...since it might be the most generic rock album I've ever heard. 3.5/5
Nine Inch Nails
4/5
This is a concept album. You feel that it is carefully crafted to sound a specific way, and invoke specific emotions. Joy is not one of them.
It takes you on a journey and tells a story. A story that you probably didn't want to hear.
Each song is musically distinct and interesting enough to catch your attention, but I wouldn't listen to any of them as part of my usual rotation.
Lyrics are repulsive. Sometimes deliberately so, sometimes because of cringy edginess.
The Downward Spiral is not to be enjoyed, but to be experienced.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Ballads about murder, literally.
Musically, the album is very boring. At some point I found myself skipping ahead or just reading the lyrics, because they are what makes the work artistically valuable for me.
Should have been "Murder Poems".
LL Cool J
3/5
Meh.
Neil Young
2/5
This was surprisingly bad. Almost felt deliberately bad. I've never heard anything by Neil Young, but it sounded like a satirical imitation of what a Neil Young album sounds like.
Neil Young
3/5
Just rated Neil Young's "Tonight's The Night" with 2/5, immediately got "On the beach"...
I have to say that it starts off way better. After my first Neil Young album, I wasn't sure if he really couldn't sing, or if it was his "style". Seems to be both. However, it stands out less here.
Overall ok, a couple of good songs, but mostly fades into the background.
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
Hard to rate... Really left no lasting impression for me. 90s grunge influences, but too whiny for my taste. The music is actually quite good, but the singing/voice/lyrics are just… existent.
Jeff Beck
3/5
This is excellent music. I wish I could appreciate it more, but I just don't feel Blues and Hard Rock that much.
Three stars when just taking into account how much I enjoyed listening, but I think this might deserve better 3.5/5.
k.d. lang
3/5
Damn, this is very much country.
Some songs like I "Wish I didn't love you so" also dip into Sinatra-esque traditional pop-easy listening-jazz-swing-big band.
But then k.d. lang blasts you with southern country and whatever Honky-Tonky is again.
Transports you right into an old dirty bar, places a whiskey in your hand and gives you a feeling of longing for the good ol' days.
Surprisingly enjoyable. 3.5/5 | 7/10.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Good listening to it once to know it exists. Earliest 90s Hip-Hop.
Pixies
3/5
No highlights, no lowlights. Just some alt rock album.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
The fact that it didn't annoy me half as much as I expected based on the music genre and 10-unique-words-per-song lyrics is a testament to the album's quality.
The Cult
3/5
Reminds me of Danzig.
This is an above standard Hard-Rock album.
However, it gets quite monotonous after about 3/4.
3.5/5
The Byrds
2/5
Gives me nothing.
Rush
4/5
Quite nice. Tom Sawyer and YYZ are good tracks. This is a good album overall.
Pixies
3/5
A day later, I don't remember a thing. Neither positive nor negative.
Kraftwerk
2/5
I liked the cover image... Yes, that's it.
Still giving two stars, since it fades into the background nicely.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
With how many people praise Led Zeppelin and because I really like Metal and Hard Rock, I was expecting to be blown away by this album.
I was not. It was good, but I did not enjoy a single song enough to listen to it again or even it to one of my playlists. If I had been around when the album first came out, I could have seen myself becoming a huge fan of the band, but today it barely makes 4 stars.
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
I think that the title "Schmerzen Hören" (Hearing Pain) aptly describes the overall listening experience of the album. I also think that this was the intention of the artists (I deliberately do not refer to them as musicians). The only question that remains is: why?
Stan Getz
4/5
I get the feeling that jazz music is to be enjoyed secondarily whilst primarily partaking in a social activity. If you happen to listen to it alone, you wish you'd be sitting in a smokey cocktail bar, sipping on a good drink and talking the good talk. At least with this album.
Justice
4/5
With good headphones, this feels like a brain massage at times. Both physically and psychologically. Hard to explain. I like it.
System Of A Down
4/5
I know this album. I love the band. It might not be the best System of a Down album, but it has such a unique character and songs that easily still hold up today. 4.5/5
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
I tend to give mediocre albums 3/5. This is just another psych rock album and I have already forgotten half of it right after listening. No highlights.
M.I.A.
2/5
Sometimes sounds like Die Antwoord, but worse. Sometimes sounds obnoxious, sometimes kind of cool, most of the time simply not my taste.
The xx
4/5
Probably one of the few albums on this list that I've actually completely listened to beforehand. Makes it hard to rate.
I would describe it as: Effortless, cool, indie, catchy - not flashy, minimalistic, mellow.
Not really an album I would show off to friends or recommend because of its musical greatness, but an album that really scratches a specific itch.
Like when you go for vanilla ice cream or just a plain cheeseburger instead of the fancier options.
That being said, Intro and Crystalised are still bangers.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
This album is a bundle of songs for lovers of swingin'. About lovers. Who do swingin' ... Probably in the old/original sense of the word. With this disarming honesty, I can't find a flaw in a composition/thematic sense. Every song is pleasant, but the album does not feature any hits besides "I've got you under my skin"
Badly Drawn Boy
2/5
Chill, and starts out strong with "The Shining" in my opinion. But then gets real boring real fast. All in all subpar.
R.E.M.
3/5
Interesting to hear more from REM than "Losing my Religion". Okay music, but not very memorable.
Elvis Presley
3/5
My first time actively listening to Elvis!
The music is okay. But the "King of Rock n' Roll" seems to heavily emphasize the Roll. Either Rock meant something very different back in the day, or this is already the struggling to breathe Elvis (doesn't look like it on the cover, though).
Overall verdict: Not for me
David Bowie
3/5
An album I enjoyed listening, but nothing really stuck. 3.5/5
Nina Simone
4/5
This album makes me want to buy a record player, buy this record, and play it.
Listening feels like watching the clear night sky in a warm summer night.
Eminem
4/5
Makes you feel a really wide range of emotions. It's funny, appalling, sad, impressive, genius, cheap, dirty, thought-provoking, ...
An album that has an artistic quality.
Not purely enjoyable, though, which makes it a 4/5 for me.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
ok
Air
3/5
Features a few surprise "Hits" that are well known and good, but not good enough to merit more than 3 stars.
The Avalanches
2/5
I don't get it.
DJ Shadow
1/5
This album deserves samples of a bunch of my other reviews - expertly put together!
I don't get it. I don't get it. I don't get it.
Sometimes sounds obnoxious... most of the time simply not my taste.
But then gets real boring real fast.
boring real fast fast fast fast fast
All in all subpar. Yes, that's it. Gives me nothing.
The only question that remains is
The only question that remains is
The only question that remains is
why?
Gary Numan
2/5
"Hey check it out, we can create music electronically now! Listen:" beep boop bwwwwp - "Cool, right?"
Every other track sounds like the pre-installed demo tunes electronic keyboards play.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Wanted to write "Ok Boomer music", but it's not ok. It's boring Boomer music. The annoying kind of boring, not just the easily forgettable kind.
Boards of Canada
3/5
Just some ambience sounds... Admittedly, with a rather unique vibe.
Should you have listened to this before you die? No.
Does it hurt? No.
At least not if you have something to do while this plays in the background.
Charles Mingus
3/5
jazzy
OutKast
4/5
Maybe a bit too long, the album features so many quality tracks that I cannot argue for anything lower than 4.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
"Get Innocuous" and" Time to Get away" are not the greatest songs to start the album with. 2/5
But "North American Scum" and "Someone Great" are excellent follows. 4/5 "All My Friends" is clearly the highlight in my opinion. 5/5
It gets worse again from there, but not too bad. 2-3/5
"New York, I Love You, But You're Bringing Me Down" the only song I already knew and love. 5/5
Overall 3.16.
Seems like an unfair score for an album from which I really enjoyed about half of the songs and actually saved one of them for repeated listening.
Eagles
2/5
Mixing Country and Rock is like mixing beer and wine. While you might personally strongly prefer one over the other, individually the options are still respectable. However, when you mix them you get this unholy amalgamation of fermented bitter-sour, half bubbly hop-grape juice. Imagine the tase. That is what listening to this album feels like.
Primal Scream
2/5
I have already forgotten what any of the songs sound like, and I will have forgotten that this album even exists by tomorrow.
Dolly Parton
3/5
Still undecided if it's pleasantly boring or boringly pleasant.
Beatles
4/5
Not really music I can lose myself in.
But I guess that is the biggest compliment I can give to it. When I was listening to this album the first time, I got excited about each next song, curious what It will sound like, who will sing it, what it will be about, ....
The album features songs that are distinct enough to feel like an anthology, but at the same time, they are intricately connected by something I cannot describe and will approximate by simply calling it "The Beatles". You really get the feeling of listening to some of the greatest musicians of all time, even if the music itself isn't really your taste.
Something in there transcends music and becomes something else. You can really dig into each song and find information/historical context/meaning/interpretations/...
Abbey Road demands recognition.
The Killers
3/5
Many really good approaches, but not refined enough.
With every song (except for "Mr. Brightside") I thought, "Wow, this is going to be good," and then even before the halfway point I was kind of bored.
Hot Fuss features the absolute Indie-Rock classics "Mr. Brightside" and "Somebody Told Me", and none of the other tracks overstay their welcome enough to become annoying, but for me the album still lacks this special something that would raise it above the average.
David Bowie
3/5
I don't get emotional with Bowie and without emotions all that is left for me are a few good and well known songs in a mass of ok background music.
The White Stripes
4/5
"Seven Nation Army" is probably the most used/overused entry song for prom kids, boxers, stage artists, ... and for a good reason. It's also the entry song for this album, so you know the hype is real.
"There's No Home For You Here" is really good.
"I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself" is really good.
"In The Cold, Cold Night" is really good.
"Ball and Biscuit" is really good.
"The Hardest Button To Button" is really good.
"Little Acorns" is really good.
Elephants are really good animals...
This album is really good. 4.5/5
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Wow… brown sugar really aged like milk.
Besides that, no song could really incite any emotion in me.
The Stooges
2/5
Sounds very... raw.
Not the deliberate, constructed, delicacy kind of raw like sushi or carpaccio. More like half cooked chicken breast on a salad without dressing.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Ok Boomer.
2/5
Oh, shut up, Loretta!
Your man probably wouldn't have to come home a drinkin' if you could stop being home a whinin' constantly.
3/5
With Oasis it's always difficult to find the balance between "I can't listen to these songs anymore" and "There's a good reason why these songs have been played so often.
3.5/5
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
Basied as f
Various Artists
3/5
I will play this during Christmas.
Bob Dylan
2/5
snore
Love
2/5
Some forgettable psych-rock album. Not bad, not outstanding.
Klaxons
3/5
Above average indie rock. Right up my alley, but admittedly not outstanding enough to rate it any higher than 3.5.
The Cure
3/5
What does it say about myself, when I don't find this album to be particularly dark/gothic/sad/moody/... ? Just an okay rock album. Quite nice jingling.
Stan Getz
4/5
It's the fucking girl from Ipanema!
This album feels like smelling the faint hint of perfume when walking past an attractive stranger.
Like the first sun rays gently warming your face on a cold spring day.
Pleasant.
3/5
A sound and style I have not heard before. More fascinating than purely enjoyable for me, but in no way bad. 3.5/5
Kate Bush
3/5
This probably was the weirdest shit in the 80s.
Jig of Life really caught me off guard.
Overall, not my cup of tea, but you really have to appreciate the artistic effort that this album radiates.
3.5/5
Jethro Tull
2/5
Ups and Downs. Sounds and feels like Old Dirty Hobo Rock. That assessment might have been influenced by the cover image and the lyrics of Aqualung, though. Not really something I enjoyed listening and would listen to again. 2.5/5
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Ok, but didn't blow me away.
Linkin Park
4/5
Absolute early 2000s nostalgia.
Need For Speed Most Wanted vibes (even though it features no Linkin Park songs, I know).
The only criticism I have is that the album lacks distinctiveness in its songs. Everything sounds kind of the same (but still excellent, of course)
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3/5
Free Bird really is something else... 5/5 stars.
The rest of the album is Alabama without the sweet home feeling.
3.66 overall to elevate it over most other 3 star ratings of mine.
Weather Report
2/5
I like Jazz, I like Funk, I like Vulfpeck (just discovered that Dean Town is an homage to Teen Town), but for some reason I don't like this album. Almost every track reminds me of 70/80s sitcom theme songs or sound effects. Maybe it's a musical "too many cooks" situation.
Raekwon
2/5
The interludes sound like a parody of GTA San Andreas dialog.
Nick Drake
2/5
This one just didn't really phase me. Which is quite sad, because the lyrics really are beautiful and the melodies and harmonics soothing, but everything is just so understated. Voice, delivery, instruments, composition, tone, .... This album feels like a beautiful picture, but undersaturated to a point that it looks almost black and white.
The Police
3/5
Message In A Bottle is the only reason I rate this album 3 stars.
Common
2/5
My first impulse after the first two tracks was to skip this whole album. Over an hour of mediocre rap with a weird pitched voice? No, thank you.
Now, after listening through it all, I'm not glad I didn't.
Admittedly, it grows on you. I have gotten to a point where I was neither annoyed nor excited, a tranquil headspace of pure existence. Weirdly enough, the only track I that kind of broke me out of my trance and the only one I remember listening to was "A Film Called (PIMP)". Cannot deny some head nodding going on.
But that's it.
Metallica
3/5
I get why this album is on this list. Symphony and Metal. An orchestra and Metallica. This is a very weird combination - something you should have heard before you die.
And it's not even bad. However, you get the gist after like 6 songs and really don't need over two hours of it. I suppose only die hard Metallica fans can listen to and enjoy it all.
Personally, I won't be coming back to this album, but I'm glad I know it exists.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
Listening to this album feels like playing around with a sensory bottle. At first, you are intrigued and entertained by the colorful waviness. But after a few minutes you are left with only indifference.
Simon & Garfunkel
2/5
First thought: Oh, that album with the funny mustache picture.
Final thought: Oh, that album with the funny mustache picture.
Garbage
3/5
Quite alright. Metric vibes.
Living Colour
3/5
Surprisingly good. "Cult of Personality" is a banger. Head nodding almost all the way. Really nice riffs and solos. Funky. Metal.
Still lacks that certain something and more standout tracks to justify more than 3.5 stars.
Holger Czukay
3/5
That was some weird stuff. Exactly the kind of weird I want, though. Not annoying (not particularly good either), just existing in its own little cosmos. Glad I got to experience this.
Steely Dan
3/5
Some forgettable 70s rock album. Again.
It has earned some sympathy points from me for not being as generic as others, though.
Pulp
2/5
Kind of creepy.
Tears For Fears
3/5
Shout: 4.5/5
The Working Hour: 3/5
Everybody Wants to Rule The World: 4/5
Mothers Talk: 2/5
I Believe: 2/5
Broken: 2/5
Head Over Heels / Broken: 3/5
Listen: 3/5
-> 2,9/5
Björk
2/5
I really wanted to like Björk, just for the sake of her being an Icelandic girl with an ö in her name.
But these are just lazy synth pop tunes with her mumbling, shouting, slurring and stretching vocals on top.
Bad Company
3/5
Meh. Some forgettable Rock. Solid, but nothing special.
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
Wow, what a surprise. Already knew Franz Ferdinand and Take Me Out is a regular on my playlists, but the band was never one of my favorite Indie Rock bands. Didn't expect the rest of their songs to be up to par, let alone on one single album. Nothing I would rate less than a 3.5. However, no 5/5 either.
T. Rex
2/5
Another forgettable 70s psych rock album.
Guns N' Roses
4/5
This one probably melted faces when it came out. What a debut.
Three masterpieces that have been played to death accompanied by tracks that kind of fly under the radar, but still fly high.
Somehow hard to rate today because of the overall weariness, but I guess I can give it the most rock solid solid rock rating: 4/5.
Neil Young
3/5
The Third Neil Young album I have heard, and I have to say the best one yet. I don't know if I am simply getting used to Neil's voice, if it's actually better on this album, or if it has dulled my mind and senses beyond repair.
Fats Domino
3/5
I see why Fats Domnino has been highly influential and am glad that this album is on the list. However, it doesn't really hold up to today's standard (or at least my taste). Dusty classics.
3/5
You can't deny the *sound* of this album. Every note, ring, twang, chime, tingle, and clink sounds massive. Impactful in just the right way. I've already had the top three of the songs of this album saved in my go-to playlists.
Maybe that's why you feel full of it after listening to 5+ songs back to back. It's not like they suddenly sound bad, they are even varied enough to not be boring, but by the end I couldn't stand the sound anymore.
I would compare it to overstuffing yourself at the fast food joint of your choice. At first, it's great and all, but after eating all of these sugary fat bombs, all you feel is disgust towards what's in front of you and yourself.
Kraftwerk
2/5
Refreshingly German, but also boringly repetitive. While I'm glad this exists, I will also try to avoid repeating this experience.
Thank you for travelling with Deutsche Bahn.
Brian Eno
3/5
I listened to this up to "Julie" and after a day I couldn't remember a single song, the name of the album or even the artist. The music up to this point is so incredibly unremarkable, that I was seriously considering rating the album 1 star.
Then I listened to "By This River". Oh boy. Still not the biggest fan of Brian Eno's voice, but this song is beautiful. Remarkable enough to make it worth listening to the whole album.
The last songs blend into irrelevance again.
The Police
2/5
I can't.
Arctic Monkeys
5/5
This album is the pure, distilled essence of mid-2000s indie rock. Sharp, fresh, crisp, cool, iconic. Not a single song that flops, but banger after banger that hits you at high speed.
I have been looking for something to criticize, but I have nothing.
Michael Jackson
3/5
I expected much from this album. Was disappointed. Not only because every time I hear Michael Jacksons voice, I have to actively blend out thoughts about those South Park episodes and him being a child molester, but also because most of these tracks are just generic disco pop tracks with trivial lyrics. Of course, you have your three standouts: Thriller, Billie-Jean, and Beat It, but to be honest, Thriller isn't even that great.
So overall, we have two songs that I can actually enjoy listening to today.
Inclined to give it 2 starts, but it probably deserves a molestation condemnation compensation bonus
2Pac
2/5
Elongated syllables and double track. Boring beats, boring delivery, boring flow. Maybe the lyrics are poetic, but I couldn't be bothered to really listen.
I don't really care about the album's cultural significance or 2Pac as a person, which leaves me really not caring about this at all.
3/5
In German, we have the Expression "Gedudel". This is nice Gedudel. Doesn't even matter that the tracks so long, since it's all just dudeling.
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
My mom was born in the year this was released. The Mamas indeed.
Eminem
3/5
In comparison to the Marshall Mathers LP, the Slim Shady LP seems rather infantile and immature. Which is not surprising ...actually quite poetic. About as poetic as these lyrics.
Songhoy Blues
3/5
To discover stuff like this is why I am going through this list. These boys shred.
Felt the energy, but couldn't really connect to the music, probably because of the language barrier.
Fishbone
3/5
Interesting blend of styles.
Roni Size
2/5
A drum and bass album. I for it to be justified to make the list, I really hope this is the very first drum and bass album or the very best.
After listening to it, I am quite certain that it's not the latter, and after taking a look at the release date, I am also quite certain that it isn't the former either.
So...
Bob Dylan
1/5
From what I have read, Bob Dylan is one of the most influential singer songwriters ever, producing outstanding lyrics, capturing true poetry in his songs.
From what I have experienced in any of his albums and this one especially, Bob Dylan tries to compensate his subpar singing voice with a singing style so obnoxious, that I can't even listen to the lyrics at all. My mind is too occupied with getting angrier and angrier, waiting for the next unneccessarily eloHOngated and overly pronOUnced slurred syllables. Couldn't finish it. Give me collapsing buildings again.
3/5
Kinda lacks emotion. The Beatles are excellent at making music, meaning nothing ever sounds bad, no tune, instrument, vocals, or song. But most of the songs on this album feel insignificant. Nothing instilled an emotion or afterthought in me besides "sounds good".
Feels like watching da Vinci drawing stick figures.
The Smiths
2/5
It's ok. Kind of boring. 2.5/5
The Flying Burrito Brothers
2/5
The music is as good as to be expected by a band named "The Flying Burrito Brothers"
David Bowie
1/5
Nope.
Somehow saddens me to rate this only 1 star, since it's still Bowie, but I don't have the patience for bad albums anymore. And this one is bad. Not a single enjoyable song between the first ten or even the slightest hint that this might change for the following ones, so I skipped them.
Willie Nelson
4/5
Holy fuck I didn't know Willie Nelson can sing. Never listened to a single song of his before.
At first, I thought this was just an above standard country album that nicely blends into the background. But then halfway through I realized that this is an above standard CONCEPT country album that deserves my full attention. So I listened to half of the songs again to get the full story. Quite the unoriginal tale of a cowboy shooting his cheating wife and then finding true love again, but beautifully told.
Musically not my favorite genre, but I get why it made the list.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
I've heard better Jazz
AC/DC
3/5
Tough one to rate. On the one hand, there are timeless classics, a few hits and decent filler songs by a band that pushed Hard Rock and Metal into the mainstream, especially with this album. On the other hand, the majority of songs feel kind of dated, one dimensional and unexciting.
3.5/5
Aerosmith
2/5
Meh. Subpar generic Hard Rock from the 70s.
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
Offensively uninspired and boring. The musical equivalent of iceberg lettuce, no dressing.
The Pretty Things
3/5
Four days after listening, I remember nothing but the top review.
Three stars, I guess?
The Cure
3/5
Was ok with some highlights here and there. 3.5/5
Prince
2/5
I don't even like purple rain, so me disliking this album didn't come as a surprise to me.
Beastie Boys
2/5
I cannot help but cringe.
This sounds just like a bunch of teens desperately trying to be cool. Thinking, "It's hip hop as long as there is a beat and the lyrics somehow rhyme".
Joanna Newsom
4/5
Wow. The most curious fever dream. Different in every metric that comes to mind. I'm not questioning Ys.
Poetic. Mystical. Astounding. Whimsical. Unique.
Tina Turner
2/5
Meh. For me, it's an okay album by a great singer, ruined by "the 80s".
Can't even pinpoint why this feels so hollow.
Talking Heads
3/5
Quite alright
The Doors
3/5
Like a ride through the mountains. Ups and downs. Highs and lows. Rough at times. Of an all-pervading, discreet beauty. Thrill and relaxation.
3.5/5
Eels
3/5
Starts off promising with refreshing but typical 90s indie/alt-rock, but then fades into this mediocrity and settles for it. Nothing bad, but it kind of just washes over you.
Fugazi
3/5
Not a highlight, but all around solid. Pretty progressive and refined for being from 1990.
The Adverts
2/5
British Punk from back in the day. Very true to the definition.
Not even bad for what it is, but a couple of lads from '78 shouting their young, wild and free anti-establishment slogans at me puts me off about as much as my history teacher lecturing me on the Golden Bull of 1356 in the last lesson of the day.
2.5/5
Yes
3/5
"Well, ok" by Whatever
Eagles
3/5
The best part about the Eagles is, that every time I hear/read their name, I imagine JD from Scrubs going "Eagleeee!". The second-best part (with still considerable room in between) is probably this album.
Destiny's Child
2/5
This album is dripping with commerciality. The songs' messages jump from emancipatory feminist encouragement to praising one's own secondary sexual characteristics to slut-shaming, only to end up with the desire for male attention.
On a musical level, there is little to criticize apart from the lack of memorability. Which is also probably a good thing. At least I won't be thinking of this anymore in the near future.
The Who
3/5
Didn't know anything about The Who before listening to this album. I always thought they were some forgettable old (80s, maybe?) dime a dozen Brit-Rock band. Turns out I was off by about 20 years, and the lads actually rock. Pretty old school, but still solid today.
Considering that this was "only" their debut album, I am excited to hear what a more refined The Who album will sound like. 3.5/5
Miles Davis
4/5
The very first time I listened to this album, I really took my time, focused, and the for a few seconds during the first few minutes it brought me to the brink of tears.
I am no expert when it comes to music, especially jazz, so I cannot really explain or comprehend what makes this album consistently the highest rated jazz album of all time, so I will try to express my thoughts using an analogy:
This album feels like sitting in the highest class Michelin star restaurant, eating the juiciest, most tender, tastiest, overall best steak of your life. All the while being waited by the most pleasant staff. You have five courses, but they are all steak.
The first one is pure bliss. After the second one, you are comfortably full. Three steaks in and you feel sluggish. Four, it's getting *heavy*. You long for something less savory, something refreshing. You eat the fifth steak and even though you rate the overall experience as one of the best you've had, you don't see yourself ordering the five courses of steak again.
The album has a heaviness that I feel can only be enjoyed in smaller doses at a time. 5/5 music, but as an album, others work better.
The Temptations
3/5
Quite enjoyable
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Wow, Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins sound so similar to me. So, this album was mainly interesting and not particularly enjoyable. Not a single song stuck with me, but Philter Collriels voice makes up for it.
Beatles
3/5
For me, the Beatles are a band that never seems to have problems with musical quality, but rather with quality of content. Most of the songs are good to listen to, but absolutely irrelevant, and I don't buy that the band feels any different, which gives the feeling of inauthenticity.
I expected that the early Beatles offered more ups and downs. Absolute rivets and quirky hidden gems, that you feel are somehow unrefined, but authentic.
This album proves the opposite. Completely ironed and aimed for commercial success, with the most generic and bland lyrics revolving about "love". Not exciting. Radio music.
But I'd like to think that I only feel that way because the Beatles shaped the mainstream so much with their unique style and that it was revolutionary new hot shit at the time.
Animal Collective
3/5
Just the right amount of Psy-Ops to get me through a slow Friday afternoon at work. I feel thoroughly sedated and propped up simultaneously.
4/5 warped realities
Laibach
2/5
I knew "hard, borderline fascist sounding music in German language" was a thing because of Rammstein. I can appreciate the original compositions and often surprisingly poetic lyrics.
I didn't think there was a market for "pop songs covered by alternate timeline industrial metal Nazis" You don't get the original compositions or lyrics that go beyond whatever Germans say in American 2nd world war era movies, but at least you get to experience something that is far, far from mainstream.
Funkadelic
3/5
Maggot Brain is 5/5. Absolute beast of a track. I will probably be using this to benchmark new headphones/speakers in the future.
The rest of the album is ok. Very forgettable. Short enough to not become annoying.
Inclined to give it 4 stars, but honestly, my enjoyment of this album solely hinges on a single song, which is rather bad when considering it as a complete piece of art.
Joan Armatrading
3/5
Writing this review a few days after listing to this album. I vaguely remember a smooth voice and not being annoyed. Not much to go on, but I also don't feel inclined to listen to any song again...
An album like an okay massage. You feel fine while exposed to it, but know you won't be coming back.
Nico
3/5
The musical equivalent of drinking a Negroni. Almost overwhelmingly bitter and in no way conventionally tasty, but you can handle it if you take small sips and don't think much about it. During the "experience" you may feel very sophisticated and of distinguished and refined taste. Afterward, what you have left is a bitter tase in your mouth and slight nausea.
An old school drink that looks tasty and has a dope name, but is terribly bitter - A girl singing songs somewhere between beautiful and avant-garde, but she's terribly German.
The 13th Floor Elevators
2/5
ANOTHER forgettable psych rock album. But with this one you get all the psych rock without the 60s nostalgia.
I initially thought you had to be on drugs to produce this kind of music, not to enjoy it too, but I'm changing my opinion. I don't remember a single song. It's way too long.... wait, is this actual elevator music?
Big Black
3/5
Nothing if not fucking authentic.
The Clash
3/5
Ironically, what apparently characterizes one of the best, if not the best, punk album of all time is how many non-punk tracks it features.
I get it. Too much of a good thing and so on... But in true rebel fashion this principle is also immediately broken, considering the length of the album.
Sadly, this is about the only instance in which I got something that resembles rebel/punk vibes.
Besides all that: Solid album. Just not what I expected or what I like personally.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Not outstanding in any regard, which in a way is kind of impressive.
Kate Bush
2/5
Nope. Really didn't have to listen to this before I die.
Lorde
5/5
Oh, how I have waited for the first Lorde album of this list! I'll try to blend out my early 20s nostalgia and try to be as objective as I can be and take this as a chance to really explore why I even like this music as much as I do.
First Impressions:
Lorde's voice -singing style -tone? has a fatalistic, nihilistic dramatic sound. You sense an underlying sadness paired with cool-headed detachment. Superb production. Fat beats. Booming bass. Head nodding. Danceable. Multi layered. Multi facetted. Varied. Recognizable.
I regularly have homemade dynamite's hook stuck in my head at random times. Although, I have to admit: I can't immediately connect all song titles to their sounds, despite having listened to the whole album multiple times. On the one hand, this for me speaks to the quality of the album as a complete work. Sure, I have tracks I like more than others, but overall they blend together so well I don't really feel the need to look up and check what is currently playing. On the other hand, this also indicates that many songs may be too similar in terms of sound, content and general feel.
But of course you have "Liability" and "Writer in the Dark", which break up the flow. I'm a sucker for ballads on non-slow sad song centric albums, but these hit extra hard, only featuring soothing piano scores and Lorde's vocals in between these heavy electronic beats.
If you are a teenager/young adult, you can identify yourself with the lyrics. If you remember once being an angsty teenager/young adult, they might move you enough to feel nostalgic. Although I would say you don't even have to listen to them. The instrumentals and singing transport enough.
After listening to it all, the critique I have is that the lyrics are very monothematic and tend towards exaggeration, the full and bombastic sounds are hard to digest towards the end, and somehow you wish for something more cheerful. But is this critique really valid, when the title of the album is "Melodrama" and Lorde literally sings "we told you this was melodrama" to you?
Overall, the album has a certain style and transports a feeling that I couldn't really pinpoint up until now, and I feel stupid realizing it this late.
According to Google, melodrama is "a sensational dramatic piece with exaggerated characters and exciting or sad events intended to appeal to the emotions.". This is Melodrama.
Motörhead
4/5
Shabby, dirty, gritty, and blunt. Fuck good vocals, masterful instruments and complex compositions. Rock and roll with a punk soul.
I really like the stile and attitude, but musically this album can't reach beyond 3 stars.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
The epitome of everything that was once. Your dad telling you "back in the day ..." made into an album. Boring and cringe, but you've heard worse stories and it's somehow endearing.
R.E.M.
3/5
Interesting voice, likeable, but unfortunately somehow doesn't appeal to me.
However, there are worse albums and I appreciate the craftsmanship.
The Cure
3/5
They call themselves The Cure and I am still wondering: for which infliction? I think a more fitting name would have been "The Placebo".
Not saying it's bad, just that you probably have to project a lot of your own thoughts and experiences into it to rate this one highly. Considering on the overall rating and reviews praising this album, I didn't expect to be this unaffected by it.
U2
2/5
I can't pinpoint exactly what it is, but U2 always have something pretentious about them that makes them unappealing to me. It is as if they are actually a band of aliens that didn't make it on their home planet and said to themselves: "Fuck it, we'll move to planet earth and play human music!"
Happy Mondays
2/5
After the first few tracks, I was convinced this one wouldn't make me look up and actually focus on what I'm listening to, but what the fuck is Bob's Yer Uncle!?
Can't say it is unremarkable, can't say I particularly enjoyed it.
Steely Dan
3/5
Music like an ultra high resolution image of a potato. Somehow intriguing, but still potato.
Thin Lizzy
3/5
Expected another run-of-the-mill Hard Rock album. Got a live album that admittedly features above standard Hard Rock, but also overstays its welcome and lacks the energy I expect from a live recording. 3.5/5.
Pink Floyd
2/5
"Mom, can we have the Beatles?"
"We have The Beatles at home" -
*drops acid
Suicide
1/5
Suicide by Suicide. Poetic, in a way. I felt half of my brain cells committing it, and the other half longing for it.
Musical equivalent of scratching a mosquito bite bloody.
It hurts. You don't want it. It does not stop. You feel worse than before.
Please don't get me wrong, this album has no artistic quality or novelty. It just sounds bad and boring.
Radiohead
2/5
Didn't bother me at all, but it's too pretentious and deliberately obscure for my taste. Can't seem to get into the state of mind required to vibe with the music.
Iggy Pop
3/5
Didn't inspire me enough to seriously engage with the music and my experience of it to write a long/funny review.
Bob Dylan
2/5
Couldn't finish this Bob Dylan album either. At least Like a Rolling Stone is an ok song.
Inclined to rate one star, but, although it is apparently a commonly accepted fact that Bob Dylan can't sing for shit, I can see what some people like about his music.
Django Django
3/5
My first contact with Art-Rock. It's really distinctive. I don't particularly like it.
Some tracks are borderline enjoyable, most just tolerable for me, but I'll give the album credit for being memorable.
Slayer
4/5
Ruthless Metal relentlessly showering over you as if it were raining blood. Nice. Slay queen. Yass.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Ok Soul/Funk music, maybe even great for enthusiasts, but nothing special for me to find here.
The Cars
3/5
This is exactly the kind of music and quality you expect from an album and band both called "The Cars".
I guess this album is like watching Formula 1. Depending on your disposition, it's either an exciting affair underpinned by romanticized nostalgia from back then and subconscious memories of your (grand)father, or simply loud cars driving in circles.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
I really want to like this album for the concept alone, but I didn't really enjoy the music. Well, at least it is memorable.
The Doors
3/5
An album like driving on the highway in Summer. Sounds kind of nice, right? But when you think about it for more than a second, it's still just driving in a straight line while the seat gets more and more uncomfortable and the AC is blasting because it would be unbearably hot otherwise. Not the worst kind of activity, you might actually enjoy unwinding a bit, but not something I would seek regularly either.
Skepta
3/5
Nice flow, some beats really slap, meh lyrics, but I like the attitude. 3,5/5.
Also: Man's not hot.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
2/5
It has the necessary emotionality for such an album. I buy the singer's absolute despondency and melancholic, nihilistic view of the world. But what the album lacks is the collateral beauty that comes with the sadness. There is little grace, elegance, or sophistication in the vocals, lyrics, or melody.
Maybe I'm just too sensitive, but I prefer the darkness of a starry night to the endless emptiness of a black hole.
To truly see darkness, you need a little light, or you just don't see anything at all.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Really smooth, groovy, and funky soul music. Solid all around, but no highlight. 3.5/5
Muddy Waters
4/5
I accept this as the very definition of Blues.
-1 Star because I KNOW there is a joke to be made somewhere in "Hard Again" and "Muddy Waters", but I can't think of it.
The Kinks
3/5
An album that does many things. Most of them right. None of them exceptional.
Very Beatles-esque classic 60s Rock, Psychedelic Rock, a mixture of both and a rather unique Kinks sound, especially in "Sunny Afternoon", which is the clear highlight of the album for me.
However, when there are 20 tracks on the first disc (I didn't even bother with the second), the quality of the album overall is inevitably diluted and it appears bloated.
The Beau Brummels
2/5
Another 60s pop/rock/psych band? Well, let's give them a fair... OH NO, HE SOUNDS LIKE BOB DYLAN.
Admittedly, a Bob Dylan with a slightly better voice who can actually sing (be it in a style, that I really can't stand). The instrumentals are also not as boring.
I still didn't particularly enjoy the album, but it deserves half a star bonus for being better than what I've heard from Dylan. 2.5/5
Elvis Presley
2/5
I listened to Blue Suede Shoes, and it sounded a little hollow, so I listened to Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins' version right after. And then Folsom Blues. What a song! Can't wait to listen to the whole album.
Where was I? Right, Elvis. Probably a really relevant album and so on, but most of the songs are rather cringy or bland, or both...
Tutti Frutti comes along and feels anemic. So I immediately listen to Little Richard's version. What a classic!
I get it, Elvis laid the groundwork for Rock and Roll's success. This is album the foundation upon which other people built castles. But only nerds visit a castle and are interested in its foundation.
The Stone Roses
3/5
Hm. Ok, I guess.
The Verve
2/5
Bittersweet to bitter with sprinkles of sweetness to bland. So long, you forget what it was like in the beginning.
Bauhaus
3/5
At first, I was very irritated and rather turned off, but if you approach it with an open mind, you can't help but like this charming early goth vibe. Somehow under the black mascara and white make-up there's still funk and something like goth-ska to be found.
Dolly Parton
3/5
Okay, this is just country music overload.
Had about as much fun with it as what I imagine being wrestled, overwhelmed, and tied down by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris feels like. I am uneasy and annoyed, but can't deny some enjoyment. Inclined people might discover a new kink.
ABBA
4/5
I always wish I wouldn't enjoy ABBA songs as much as I do, or enjoy them even more. Always stuck in this weird place where I cannot help but groove with the tune when it plays, but wouldn't actively seek it out.
This album features (at least) 5 hits, varies in mood and tone while keeping a unifying style, and isn't too long.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
I still don't really get the hype around Led Zeppelin.
This is a solid Hard Rock album with notable highlights, but it also gets boring, especially in the second half, and feels bloated overall. A major plus point is the diversity that the album offers, which counters the boredom that sets in after a few "filler" tracks.
Still, I miss that certain something that defines Led Zeppelin. Something tangible that elevates them and this album above upper mid-range. 3.5/5
Khaled
2/5
I am not a fan of the oriental singing style and instruments. So this album is not for me subjectively, and I have too little contact with this kind of music to be able to judge it objectively.
So subjectivity it is!
The Fall
2/5
Okay. Fuck it.
The album "was recorded in a studio in a single day". Listening to the whole thing AND writing a thoughtful review seems like more effort than the band put into producing this album.
This is a bundle of scrambled notes and slurred lines held together by energy and attitude.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
I had Kendrick Lamar pinned as that one popular rapper with the odd voice and wacky flow. Odd voice? Sometimes. Nothing wack about the flow after listening to the whole album, though. Still not my favorite rap style or type of music in general, but definitely unique and high quality stuff.
However, my favorite thing about the album is the concept. Not innovative by any means: life in the hood, rising from the gutter to a penthouse, losing friends and dealing drugs - the main themes of 90% of rap albums. But Lamar manages to tell intricate stories that neither glorify nor directly criticize the lifestyle, or only serve to lament his own suffering or bravery. Instead, there are sober facts and personal learnings. Aptly titled, good kid, m.A.A.d city encapsulates the feeling of a kid in a city. You can decide for yourself how you want to assign the adjectives when you listen to it.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
Imagine the hammer God must have used to pound this mighty voice into this little body. 3.5/5
Arrested Development
2/5
Not bad, but also not exciting or, special in any way. Just dated old school rap/hip hop.
G. Love & Special Sauce
3/5
Emphatically casual. This would be a very attractive style if the overall musical quality were higher. As it is, most of the songs sound like they've been thrown together by a college band.
Beck
2/5
An unrefined incoherent mess of samples, distorted voices, okay riffs and basic drum beats interspersed with the occasional quite good rock and folk song (fragment). Oh, and interference noise.
Maybe this album has some artistic value if you want to dig deep enough, but musically it falls flat. At least it's memorable.
Gorillaz
3/5
Obviously, Clint Eastwood is pretty great (actor and song). The rest of the album, not so much. Many boring tracks, despite the stylistic versatility, which in turn you really have to appreciate. The album feels more like a sandbox in which musicians played around with different concepts and ideas. This also fits with the either very cryptic or very label-like song titles. Makes sense considering this is a debut of a virtual band.
All in all ok music earning bonus points for creativity.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
This sounds soooo dated. Doesn't really hold up today, but you have to respect classics like It's Tricky and Walk This Way. However, my favorite track is Raising Hell also really surprised me with the metal-heavy beat.
The Pogues
4/5
I listened to this, immediately went down to Fitzpatrick's Irish Pub, had a few Pints, had a few more, sang, cried arm in arm with a stranger, danced, started a fight, and got my teeth smashed in by that same stranger until they looked like Shane MacGowan's.
5/5 would listen again.
5/5
I guess I needed to hear this before I die. I just don't know what to do with it now.
An absolute onslaught of sounds that rained down on me relentlessly until my brain was utterly overwhelmed and rendered unable to comprehend what was happening, so I listened to the whole thing in one go.
I don't know if this is hell or heaven. I don't know anything anymore. I feel like a biblically accurate angel just manifested in front of me and told me to be not afraid.
Bee Gees
2/5
The best thing about this album was reading the Wikipedia page about the Battle of Trafalgar, after I was got curious about the name's its origin (only knowing Trafalgar Square and Trafalgar D. Water Law until then). The second-best thing is the cover art.
Queen
3/5
Not the best Queen has to offer, but still Queen.
Elton John
3/5
Nice experience. Was especially captivated by Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding. The album offers variety in musical styles and themes, high production value, an artist who can actually sing, and solid lyrics. However, there is not a single song I would go back to, let alone the album as a whole. For me, it scrapes the boundary to "great". 3.5/5
Dr. John
3/5
Refreshingly different and yet accessible enough to get you bobbing your head. No hit single in sight, but overall the album convinces with its unique vibe. It's also short and snappy, so you won't get tired of it.
3.5/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Boring, forgettable, dull. The only thing that stands out is Elvis Costello's voice, and I am not yet sure if that is in a good way.
Travis
2/5
Very obvious parallels to Oasis and Radiohead. In some song they even reference Wonderwall, although I would associate this album closer to mid-late Radiohead. That being said, it just feels like a cheap knockoff. 2.5/5
Billy Joel
3/5
Listened to the album on a Friday, now reviewing it on a Monday. The only things I remember are that it was ok and "Vienna waits for you". I guess that's something
David Bowie
2/5
Can't seem to warm up to Bowie. This album's most popular song, The Jean Genie, is just a generic Blues Rock track. There are some weird Jazz and Piano pieces spread around. Basic 70s synth tunes. The best thing for me was the realization that the title is a pun.
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
All right. Soul, Funk, Afros and bare chests on the album cover. 3/5 Elements.
Bonnie Raitt
2/5
Almost painfully generic and absolutely forgettable.
Listening to this album feels like having to drink a bottle of water when you're not thirsty.
Sepultura
3/5
Cool metal album with an interesting little indigenous flavor. Unfortunately, it drags on a bit too much and lacks highlight tracks. Simply not condensed enough to stand out.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
The Smashing Pumkins deliver a lot here. However, I'm ambivalent as to whether it really had to be 2 hours on two double CDs. The “album” contains pretty much all the band's the hits, is stylistically varied, and yet remains thematically true to itself. It is probably their magnum opus.
Nevertheless, the singer's voice has the inverse effect of getting used to something (it gets weirder over time) and the melancholic style becomes boring after a while, which means that large parts of the album were just background noise for me.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Early Iron Maiden without any of the hits, but with all of the energy. Condensed into 8 tracks of solid Heavy Metal. Honest and straightforward. 3.5/5
Fiona Apple
3/5
While I can appreciate the artsy style, I just don't warm to the music. A cut above the usual copycat bands you've heard over and over again, who also do little wrong, and rarely annoying, but no track in sight that I want to listen to more often.
Portishead
3/5
Fantastic background music with the occasional ear-catcher track, or at least part. Glory Box also really stands out to me. Not a fan of electronica, but this one is a 3.5/5
Buck Owens
2/5
Country distilled until only the pure, crystalline essence remains, heated to scalding hot and injected straight into your veins with a "Wham Bam".
Amy Winehouse
4/5
A modern classic.
Taylor Swift
3/5
I won't fault this album for being pop music. It's popular, which means very appealing to a broad populace, which means you can't expect much depth or experimentation. Nevertheless, I was positively surprised by the synth wave approaches and some, albeit somewhat infantile, lyricism.
There are some hits that you know even if you're not a Taylor Swift fan and where you can't help bobbing your head to.
But
every song on the album has only one theme, and I can't listen to any more of this ex-boyfriend crap, no matter if it's whiny or emancipated.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Somehow dull and unpleasant. This rhythmic talking style singing, which probably characterizes the band, doesn't appeal to me.
Nirvana
4/5
Here are a bunch of adjectives that I would use to describe this album: constricting, enraging, abandoned, suffocating, empty, bursting, sad, painful, confusing, indifferent, raw.
None of it is particularly "good", but it is special.
I think grunge delivers more on an emotional level than a musical one and this album is a good example of that
Fatboy Slim
2/5
A feast for all enjoyers of misheard lyrics and repetitions. Unfortunately, not something I enjoy.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Fresh, but lacks some flavor. Like a bland watermelon.
Tracy Chapman
4/5
I was surprised at how many songs I knew from the album without realizing it. I don't find her voice particularly pleasant, but it definitely sounds unique and gives her already very personal songs an even more personal touch. The songs are the highlight anyway. If you don't listen closely, it's just solid singer-songwriter acoustic music. If you listen closely, Tracy Chapman will break your heart.
The Byrds
1/5
I've heard other country albums, no problem. Some I have even enjoyed. But something about this one is so repulsive to me, I couldn't finish it.
Nanci Griffith
2/5
Mellow, sweet singer-songwriter country. Too boring and monotonous for me, but at least not annoying.
New Order
3/5
Meh. The only song that stood out for me, Elegia, is coincidentally also the only song without vocals and the basic 80s synth pop beat.
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
Massive debut. While the general aesthetic, stile and "content" feel kind of dated today, Biggie Small's flow and lyrics and rhymes and delivery are something to behold. I don't even mind the skits that much.
Still, over an hour of good, but not spectacular, dated gangster rap is just too much. 3.5/5
3/5
Reminded me of Arthur, the animated television series for children ages 4 to 8, developed by Kathy Waugh for PBS and produced by WGBH, set in the fictional U.S. city of Elwood City and revolving around the lives of Arthur Read, an anthropomorphic aardvark, his friends and family, and their daily interactions with each other.
Common
3/5
Very accessible. Buttery smooth flow and no edges to take offense at, but I don't see any highlights either. Everything drifts along and hardly anything sticks. The lo-fi to gospel to jazz beats are nice. 3.5/5
Todd Rundgren
2/5
A mixed bag filled to the brim. Rocky, poppy, psychy, Super Mario Landy. Seems like Todd Rundgren just threw everything he had at the wall, hoping that Something/Anything? would stick.
An observant listener or simply life experienced person will realize that this approach usually only ends in a mess.
Missy Elliott
3/5
Supa Dupa Features but also Supa Dupa Forgettable
Sister Sledge
3/5
Neat little Disco album. 3.5/5
Meat Loaf
3/5
Judging by the cover and title, I expected a spectacle along the lines of "Epic Monster Truck Death Wrestling".
What I got was "The ballad of 'Epic Monster Truck Death Wrestling' - The musical, on ice".
Pantera
3/5
Actually groovy/intricate/melodic/interesting guitar riffs and metal sound that I would place somewhere in between Slipknot and Disturbed (I know, newer bands that were probably inspired by Pantera), being held back by the vocals. I think that's why “vulgar display of power” doesn't quite fit. What I associate with this screamo voice is strained bowel movements. Vulgar? Maybe, but not powerful.
Marty Robbins
4/5
You get exactly what the label says. That's always a plus in my eyes. In this case, even in almost the right dose. Album's a little too long for my taste, but it doesn't get annoying. What the label doesn't tell you is that shit slaps, yo.
Bonus point for the unexpected Breaking Bad reminder.
Mudhoney
3/5
Garage Grunge Punk mix. Meh. Low 3.
Public Enemy
3/5
Imagine my surprise after only knowing Chuck D from Prophets of Rage and Flavor Flav from Flavor of Love.
Solomon Burke
3/5
Solomon Burke is a pretty cool name
Björk
4/5
I'm really torn whether to consider this album a gentle, elegant work of art with which Björk, in her naturally weird way, manages re-illuminate intimacy in an innocent yet sensitive light, or whether it's really just 12 pseudo-intellectual electro pop songs stuffed with euphemisms, puns and innuendos about intercourse.
It might be both, which I find kind of impressive. To then call it “Vespertine” (something occurring in the evening) leaves me feeling both very clever and very fooled. Good job.
Dirty Projectors
2/5
Bitte nicht Orca
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Ok individual tracks and pretty well-rounded as a whole album, but not great.
Adele
3/5
Not bad, as to be expected, but emotionally jaded. Would have wished for more joy, silliness, and fun, or even real sadness, desperation, or rage. All I get from this album is a very mature rational distance to all things, very well sung onto uninspiring ballad tunes.
Stevie Wonder
2/5
I don't know what it is exactly, but somehow this music is incredibly unappealing to me. I can't really find anything obvious to criticize, besides the album being so long (blessing or curse). Musically and technically great for sure, but 21 songs and there's not one I want to go back to?
Am I blind, I wonder, or is Stevie blind, Stevie Wonder?
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Nothing special. Didn't hate. Didn't like. 2.5/5
The Byrds
3/5
Quite Bealtesque which I like more than the county direction they go into in their works.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
Prog rock with organ sounds.
My cup of tea: 2/5
Deserves to be on this list: 4/5
Jeff Buckley
3/5
Very Graceful. 3.5/5
Queen
3/5
The Queen songs I like, I really like. They are explosive, energetic, catchy, beautiful, 5/5, but while I hate to admit it: The other Queen songs just give me nothing.
I want to enjoy the album more than I did, but besides You're My Best Friend, Love of My Life and Bohemian Rhapsody, there are only mediocre filler songs. Even so, I recognize the production quality and innovation, which makes my overall rating feel even more unfair.
3.5/5
Doves
2/5
Music made for the background. So unremarkable, I only noticed that the album was over 5 autoplay songs after the fact.
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
Very low 2 stars. Nothing about this is good, and it did annoy me quite a bit. The saving grace is this as actually labeled as "Noise Rock" on Wikipedia, and I would say the album very much ticks this particular box.
Japan
3/5
Nothing special, but easy to listen to. Probably the least annoying synth-pop I've heard to date.
Soundgarden
3/5
I really like Chris Cornell's voice (even though I liked it better in Audioslave) and this is a good album, but not great. It drags on a bit too much and in typical grunge fashion, it's leaning a bit too heavy on the heavy for my taste. Still, it features some highlights and overall cool tunes.
Van Morrison
3/5
Expected a mix between Van Halen and Morrissey. Was disappointed.
Paul McCartney
2/5
Cute attempt, but missing smart, quiet and funny. 2.5/5
Van Halen
3/5
Entertaining short hard rock album. Awakens 80s nostalgia in someone who didn't even live through the 80s. 3.5/5
Patti Smith
3/5
Was about to form the opinion that the 70s were a pretty bland decade musically, but this is actually pretty neat.
Jack White
3/5
Not a blunder, but also not creating buzz.
Ramones
3/5
All attitude and energy, no skill and sophistication. A 5 star punk album.
Heaven 17
2/5
Pretty fun and entertaining. Quirky, authentic, committed to its specific kind of art. At some points, it's just super weird if you examine too closely.
This is album is a clown.
I don't hate the effort, I actually commend the devotion, I just find it unsettling.
The La's
2/5
One hit wonder band with a one hit wonder album that features their one hit. The rest of the music is ok, but the album's length further dilutes the enjoyment. 2.5/5
Shuggie Otis
2/5
Rating after listening to the album 4 days ago. I don't remember disliking anything, but to be honest I only vaguely remember the album cover and that's it.
The Isley Brothers
3/5
3 + 3 = 3
Miles Davis
3/5
Like going to a fancy art exhibition consisting of only two huge pieces by this one famous dude.
While I have to admit that I don't really get it on an artistic level, I respect the effort and appreciate the craftsmanship. I also like how it makes me feel super sophisticated. About 40 minutes is also the perfect amount of time to spend on it until you've had enough and want to sneak off in a silent way. 3.5/5
Sade
3/5
So smooth, most of it just slipped past me and nothing really stuck.
Sugar
2/5
How incredibly generic
Alice In Chains
3/5
Somewhere between pretty dope and too dark for me. I guess that's just grunge. I don't mind the occasional track about despair, suffering, or physical, emotional, or drug abuse, but the constant barrage and at times also musically very heavy and drawn out themes really pull me down.
Throw out 3 or 4 of the more mediocre and doomish songs and this would have been an easy 4/5 stars, but as it is, it's just a 3.5 for me.
Harry Nilsson
3/5
Quirky, playful, intriguing, radiating something between wisdom and madness. Like a random guy showing up to a party in a bathrobe. There are stories to be told and fun to be had.
However, as is usually the case, the shtick is up pretty fast. But this bathrobe stranger knows when it's time to go and doesn't overstay.
The Black Crowes
2/5
Incredibly unremarkable
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
3.5/5. I refuse to elaborate.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Quite good. Special, but not unique.
The Band
3/5
Redneck vibes with a funky twist.
Lauryn Hill
3/5
Not bad, but lost me in the second half. Should have been only one half anyway.
Something about this exaggerated R&B and soul vibrato singing makes the music feel hollow and unauthentic to me. I just don't buy that you feel every single line of every track that much, Lauryn. The melody is not that captivating and the lyrics are not that profound, stop acting.
Beck
3/5
I think I can now confidently say I don't like Beck. At least he's distinctive and mixes things up.
The Roots
3/5
An ok hip hop album by the Jimmy Fallon band.
Genesis
3/5
Weird medieval England themed Prog Rock by the band of the dude who made the Tarzan soundtrack.
I don't know what to think.
The Boo Radleys
2/5
Could only make it until "Thinking of Ways" and had to skip from track to track from there on. What a mess of an album.
Its saving grace is that it's mostly boring and only sporadically annoying in its over one-hour length.
Depeche Mode
4/5
Unique sound, which I can only describe as “definitely sounds like Depeche Mode”.
Really strong album. Hits, hardly any weak moments, not too long. The rest is a matter of taste.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
3/5
I feel like I've heard this before.
Paul Simon
2/5
As exciting, attractive and memorable as oatmeal raisin cookies
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
How do you even rate a trout mask replica?
By how much it looks like a trout? By how well it works as a mask? How well it imitates the original (without ever seeing the original)? By what the sight of a person wearing a trout mask triggers in you? Is this art?
Impossible. And probably all of the above.
Tim Buckley
3/5
Better than average funky/souly/bluesy music, but paired with lyrics written by the horniest of gremlins.
Bonk out of five.
James Brown
3/5
James Brown is (rightly, in my opinion) one of the best Funk and Soul musicians of all time. Is this his best album? Questionable. It definitely isn't the best recording and features none of his greatest hits.
Still, early (peak?) James Brown deserves to be on this list.
Fela Kuti
5/5
One of the best and most surprising discoveries on this list to date. Who would have thought that Nigerian Funk-Soul-World-Jazz would go so hard?
Only four tracks, each one distinct and while "Zombie" is the clear highlight to me, each one of them is enjoyable and fun. Perfect for cooking.
The Afrobeat influences make the whole thing weirdly danceable and catchy. The long jazzy instrumental passages in the first half of the songs are varied, exciting and groovy in themselves and then vocals also come into play.
Apparently, the album criticized the Nigerian government; and is believed to have led to the murder of Kuti's mother and the destruction of his commune by the military, which is sad but also Metal as fuck.
Van Morrison
2/5
Wow, this album really hits you like a small felt-covered mallet hits the xylophone.
Kate Bush
3/5
I know some girls who, if they had known her music back in school, probably would have made Kate Bush their whole personality.
Bill Callahan
3/5
Okay so most of this album is okay modern singer-songwriter mellow country-esque lofi deep voiced rhythmic talking with a weird bird romanticizing favor. Honestly quite chill. 3.5/5
Sidenote: Eid Ma Clack Shaw really shook me. Not because it is such a masterwork of a song (it's good), but because it sounds so familiar as if I had heard it a thousand times before and just forgotten about it. Like a dream. Which is really bizarre, considering the content of the song and the fact that I never heard of the artist, album, or any of the songs before.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Iconic, but too long and somehow doesn't hit the mark. The album didn't interest me enough to explore why exactly. Still, the experience was good enough to know straight away that this is good stuff. Open and shut case. 3.5/5
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Interesting how this album is all about Dusty Springfield and not at all about her at the same time. A large collection of cover songs from the 60s with the typical early-mid 60s sound and vibe. But to be fair, most of them benefit from being sung by Dusty. 3.5/5
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Ah, the sex album. The one with the sex song. Where the very first four notes already make you feel like you're being touched indecently.
5/5 as musical accompaniment for a limited number of highly specific use cases.
3/5 any other time.
Love
2/5
Very forgettable 60s psychedelic rock, dabbling into early punk and blues rock at times. Meh. I liked the album's composition 2.5/5
Iron Maiden
3/5
I know that this is regarded as one of the best heavy metal albums of all time, and it's fun and all, but I can't help but feel that it hasn't aged well. It tends to be repetitive, monotonous and lyrically so simple that it borders on infantile. Standout tracks are The Number of the Beast and Run to the Hills. The rest is just solid metal. 3.5/5
Fleet Foxes
4/5
I feel cozy and warm while breathing in the clear mountain air, snow softly and slowly covering my porch, while the fire crackles in the fireplace - the album.
On a more technical level: Indie Folk Pop, but really well produced. Leaning heavy on the gentle choir and acoustic sound, and tends to build up to a climax that occasionally doesn't come. The soundscape is also not particularly varied, but the album is short enough to not become boring. Where it does excel, in my opinion, is in conveying this mountainy feeling and invoking images.
All in all, an excellent debut.
Calexico
3/5
Nothing to hate and little to like. Weird genre mix.
Supergrass
3/5
An okay album by an okay band with one single hit song that kind of makes me want to get a Kinderriegel.
Sebadoh
2/5
You think it will be an okay listen, but then it isn't.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Good funky RHCP sound, but unnecessarily drawn out. The good tracks don't carry enough to make up for it.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
An album, like my grandparents' home furnishings. Unmistakably out of time, lots of brown, some supposed “treasures” that should have been got rid of. Nevertheless, somehow cozy. You can stand it for grandma's sake.
Beastie Boys
3/5
I found it difficult to rate this album.
On the one hand, this is a classic, features iconic songs, pushed the boundaries of the genre and has brought us this unique Bestie Boys sound and energy.
On the other hand, I don't really like the sound and the energy annoys me.
Ancient school Hip-Hop beats and rhythmic speaking that I wouldn't call rap (maybe because rap wasn't a thing yet).
3.5/5
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
Just some generic 80s brit rock/pop without any unique selling point. Not a bad, but deserves minus points for being utterly forgettable
Moby Grape
3/5
Okay, but certainly not outstanding.
Autoplay gave me I Hated The Day I Was Born by John Lee Hocker afterward, and that was a really nice discovery. So I might be ending this review somewhat too much on a high note.
The Beta Band
2/5
The best thing about this album is the cover. Music reminds me of Coldplay but even more trivial.
Metallica
3/5
Solid, but too Thrashy for my taste. I miss the intricacy that I know other Metallica albums showcase more prominently. The album is also not exactly short and lacks highlights apart from the title song, which makes it tedious to get through for filthy casuals like myself. 3.5/5
OutKast
3/5
Speakerboxxx: 3/5. All around solid, not very exciting hip hop tracks, with two or three notable exceptions. But even the many prominent features can't really elevate the album.
The Love Below: Definitely more experimental and artsy, leading to more surprises and standout tracks. In positive and negative. Though, the positives clearly outweigh the negatives. "Prototype" to "Good Day, Good Sir" is a joyride. The rest is somewhere in between okay, forgettable, and annoying. 3.5/5
Minor Threat
3/5
The album goes hard, blasts you with all the energy and attitude you'd expect, but also makes time for actual melodies, harmonics, and even guitar solos! A hardcore punk band that actually showcases basic proficiency in playing their instruments? What a pleasant surprise. And after 21 minutes it's all over -short and to the point.
If I was more into punk, this would certainly have been a great listening experience. 3.5/5
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
Really enjoyable if you like the sound of electric guitars. But honestly, with the way that Jimi Hendrix is hyped, I expected a little more.
Didn't mind the two 10-15min tracks on the album, although the overall runtime of 1 hour 15 minutes is too much. It doesn't help, that arguably the best songs, Voodoo Child and All Along the Watchtower, are the closing two. 3.5/5
Deerhunter
3/5
Surprisingly okay. Actually caught myself grooving with the music a few times. But certainly not outstanding.
Blur
3/5
Too bad, the album starts very promising with Beetlebum, smashes the best track in your face with Song2, and then falls off immediately. Every now and then, you'll listen up briefly, because a few good ideas and sounds give you hope for more, but everything remains mediocre. Each additional song blurs out into irrelevance.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
I am now convinced that Neil Young has gotten consistently worse over the time, since the albums I have reviewed up to now have gotten progressively better the older they are.
I have actually enjoyed some of the tracks on this one, especially the electric guitar heavy ones. Also, Neil Young not being able to really sing doesn't stand out that much.
That being said, Everybody Knows This is Nowhere still isn't an exceptionally good album, it just joins the mass of unexciting psych rock albums from the late 60s.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Neat little album. Nothing besides Son of a Preacher Man really stands out, but that's ok. Some review called this "white people soul", and I think that's fair. Would also add "old" to that nowadays. 3.5/5
Cee Lo Green
1/5
CeeLo Green is painfully NOT the soul machine. Never heard anybody call him that. CeeLo Green sounds like a cartoon character.
I can't go into the content too much because it was either irrelevant or ridiculous and after the first 5 tracks I just skipped through the album.
Musically, it's somewhere between rap and soul, but incredibly uninspired in both forms. There's nothing here that hasn't already been done way better. Be it beats, vocals, composition, ... The only special thing is CeeLo's voice, and I don't think it fits either rap or soul very well. Singing pop songs is where it's at.
Al Green
3/5
Very cool. Music barely reaches the coolness of the cover. Smooth. Would have listened to this while cruising in my car in the early 70s. 3.5/5
Johnny Cash
4/5
If this was only Johnny Cash singing 9 of his lesser known songs, this wouldn't have been a very appealing album to me. Not a big fan of country music. But this is a prime example of an album being grater than the sum of its parts. Okay songs and a solid performance, but the interaction with and reactions from a room full of prisoners elevate the whole experience.
Not a single song saved, but I might listen to the whole thing again sometime.
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
Immediately gave me massive "drunk dad at the Christmas party"-vibes.
But like watching your father grabbing the microphone - ready to embarrass himself in front of the whole family: It's going to be over fast, half as bad when you remember that everybody is just having fun, and you really have to commend the confidence, energy, and actually decent singing.
Ray Charles
3/5
Musically okay, but I can't listen to these melancholy “love" songs anymore. A double CD full of them is borderline torture.
I haven't quite understood the country and western aspect that the title refers to either. I guess because 90% of the music sounds like it could be playing in the background of very old western movies?
I don't even want to tear the album apart, it was probably really important and revolutionary in its time, but it's like reading important ancient writings today. More interesting than enjoyable.
Nick Drake
2/5
Nick Drake's voice reminds me of a clarinet. Not much to criticize here, but I don't like the monotony and lack of variety in the way he uses it.
We have another album full of mellow tracks, very understated and singer-songwritery, so you can and should probably focus on the lyrics. However, the vocals stand out so little to me and blend into the music as if they are just another instrument, so that I found it difficult to actually comprehend the lyrics at all. 2.5/5
American Music Club
2/5
Three weeks passed between listening and writing this review. I remember absolutely nothing about this album. Was about to listen again until I recognized the top review, which reminded me that I have actually already listened to it and found it boring.
Blur
3/5
Alright album, but a bit underwhelming.
Starts strong and then dilutes into unremarkable run-of-the-mill Brit pop
Beastie Boys
3/5
Compared to their other albums that give me more of a 'frat boys playing gangsters' vibe, this one feels remarkably mature. Very diverse musically, featuring the expected mix of Hip Hop and Rock/Metal beats, but also dabbles with punk, funk, and instrumental. This diversity makes it intriguing, but also somehow incoherent and overall probably less appealing, since most people won't like all genres.
As always with the Beasties, it's not my cup of tea and apart from Sabotage, which is of course awesome, I didn't really enjoy anything. 3.5/5
Liz Phair
3/5
Barely tolerable singing and indie rock-pop singer-songwriter tunes. Stands out with, let's call it “feminine” flair and is quite easy on the ears throughout.
Queen
3/5
High quality production, as is to be expected from a Queen album, but nothing really groundbreaking on there. Solid listen. 3.5/5
Malcolm McLaren
2/5
Feels like listening to "Radio Limbo" while waiting to be assigned a hell. You know that it could be worse, but can't help to feel relieve when the music finally stops.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
To summarize in advance, "You want it darker" is the most intimate and captivating examination of faith, life, and the limits of both, I have ever come across in any medium.
At first, I was quite creeped out by Leonard Cohen's voice and the whole dark aesthetic. The image that immediately came to mind is that of an old man whispering in the dark. Wishes, regrets, advice, complaints, prayer. Directed at god and himself. You don't need to know that Cohen died soon after the album was released to feel the finality that lies within it.
I didn't particularly like the music and won't listen to it again, but will probably think about it a few more times.
Hugh Masekela
3/5
Quite enjoyable Jazz album for the background. So easy going, it fails to be catchy.
The Smiths
2/5
Quite nice. Morrissey simply has a super catchy and unique voice. All the controversy that seems to surround him has passed me by anyway, so that won't be part of the rating.
If I was a child of the 80s, The Smiths would probably be in my regular rotation.
However, the album itself has little character. Perhaps it stands out in comparison to other Smiths albums, but on its own it has few stand-out qualities. I couldn't name or even clearly remember a single song after listening. 2.5/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
This was very boring.
John Martyn
2/5
Starts out kind of slow and bring. Then it actually gets better when it gets more experimental, but not enough to elevate the album above "Okay in the background" for me. 2.5/5
SAULT
3/5
Refreshing, minimalistic, refined, confident.
I hardly found anything to criticize musically, even if it doesn't directly correspond to my musical taste and the album is a bit long.
However, I'm struggling with the content. Sure, can be considered to be a concept album and is therefore monothematic. Maybe it's even a concept group with just this one theme. But I find being so hyperfocused on race problematic in general and not very enjoyable in the context of music. For some, this may be exactly the art form in which to deal with topics such as racial identity, conflicts, and culture, but I would actually prefer to take an hour reading articles or watching discussions on the topic, rather than listening to this. This feeling is reinforced for me by the fact that it is even explicitly limited to black people and pretty on the nose lyrically.
A pleasant breath of fresh air for this list, but I won't be coming back to it.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Meh/5
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
An album like drinking a glass of milk. Neat and chill. Satisfying and quickly saturating, albeit not very exciting. For grown men and women, who don't mind being called a milk drinker. 3.5/5
The Rolling Stones
3/5
The obvious and undisputed highlight is Sympathy For The Devil. Nothing else comes close, and the rest of the album feels like bonus material because of that. However, putting that and the possibly influencing Black Ops nostalgia aside, you are still left with an okay late 60s rock album, that isn't too long and varied enough to be enjoyable throughout. 3.5/5
4/5
This is one of the albums that I listen to and know that it's great, more than actually feeling that it's great.
Nevertheless, I actually listened to Moonage Daydream, Suffragette City, and Starman multiple times and am a sucker for concept albums, even if the concept is loose.
Above all, I like the vibe. Somehow weightless, dreamy and sparkling, even if I would have appreciated a little more vibrancy and less pathos in some places.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
1/5
This album is really annoying and way too long. Sounds astoundingly bad as well.
Doesn't merit a long review.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Most solid Rolling Stones album I've heard until now. No duds, but also no hits.
It achieves the perfect blend of enjoyable and unobtrusive, meaning that it fades into the background easily enough without ever becoming boring. That's why I can forgive the running time of over an hour.
Nevertheless, I won't take away any lasting impression and would have preferred a more hit or miss album.
Little Richard
4/5
This is just pure, distilled, old-timey fun.
Doesn't quite hold up til today sound quality wise, however, I don't think any comparison to modern releases would be fair. The album also offers little variety in terms of tone and tempo, but I guess this was just the style at the time.
Listening experience: 4/5
Deserves to be on this list: 5/5
Elton John
3/5
Hits are stron
Songs too lon
Patience gon
Elton John
Robbie Williams
2/5
This album isn't bad. Although I am a bit confused as to why it made the list. I would have place Angels on a "1001 Songs you have to listen to before you die" list, but as a whole, the album is fairly insignificant and conventional. 2.5/5
Britney Spears
2/5
Like chewing one of those cheap 90s bubble gums. Overly sweet, so much so that there is nothing to actually taste but sugar. Then it's just instantly bland. Zero nutritional value. You also get the nausea and disgust that comes with overstuffing yourself with candy.
The album certainly has its relevance if you want to comprehend a very specific feeling of a very specific time period, but it still hurts to listen to all of it.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
I can now understand why Rumours is the highest rated album on the list.
It begins with the superb production. You can hear the bass strings as clearly as if they were being struck next to you.
Then you have this pretty unique mix of rock, singer-songwriter, pop and folk. Plus, the members give me likeable hippie vibes.
Thematically, it's all about breakups. Obvious, if you read a bit about the making of the album. But approached from different angles and the songs are also distinct musically and in terms of content without breaking cohesion. There is always the subliminal struggle between vulnerability and emotional outbursts, softness and hardness.
You can clearly hear that all the members have poured their hearts into this.
Even though I've had more fun with other albums, Rumours is the most well-rounded one I've come across so far.
Massive Attack
3/5
Not for me, but definitely for other people and probably relevant.
Kanye West
4/5
Well damn. Didn't think Kanye's debut would slap like this. Baller beats all the way through. On the weaker tracks, Kanye's Flow, the beats and the occasional feature carry you through. The strong tracks are instantly recognizable classics. The album is dripping with innovation and delivers good story telling, all "without using knives or guns".
Only criticism: could have been condensed a bit more.
4.5/5
Goldfrapp
3/5
Ethereal, airy, laid back, vague, cozy, chill.
The instrumentals are clearly in the spotlight, while the vocals and lyrics take on a background role. All the songs blur into one another. In the end, you have an album that feels like the cool breeze of an air conditioning on a hot summer's day.
Not a rollercoaster ride, but at the right moment, with the right mood, exactly what you need.
3.5/5
The Who
2/5
Okay, but certainly not particularly worth listening to. This is one of those concerts that you only listen to at a festival if you happen to be there. 2.5/5
Prince
2/5
I really want to like Prince just for his persona and was hoping this album would feature anything I can point to and go "I might not like purple rain, but this is great". Sadly, it doesn't.
I don't know what it is with Prince's music, but it just doesn't faze me at all. All I hear are frustratingly generic 80s synth pop beats and the occasional good guitar solo.
Green Day
4/5
One of the best albums by one of the most iconic modern punk rock bands.
I used to be more into Green Day back in the day, so my rating might be influenced by teenage nostalgia, but this album leaves little to criticize. One could wish for a little more variety, because the songs do tend to sound quite similar, but in this case I would consider it as “Delivered as ordered”.
Funkadelic
3/5
It is very funky and I enjoyed it.
But there is also a noticeable gap between the title track and the rest... the whole thing is just too playful to think too much or get serious about it. 3.5/5
The War On Drugs
2/5
Why would you create Bob Dylan Boomer music in 2014?!
fIREHOSE
2/5
If you'd discover this band by randomly walking into a pub with the occasional amateur band night, and they happened to be playing, it would have been a nice discovery and a decent experience.
A decent amateur band is however not what I would call a "must listen to before you die".
Steely Dan
3/5
Probably the best Steely Dan album I've listened to.
Parliament
3/5
The band has already made each and every funk-pun I could come up with themselves, so I am left with nothing but the funk. 3.5/5
The Go-Betweens
2/5
Well I guess someone has to produce the low cost accompanying background music that romantic comedies like to use.
Also mandatory to mention: Sounds like the Smiths
Beach House
3/5
Enjoyable indie dream pop. By design, not something that will blow you away.
John Lennon
2/5
Songs fluctuate between okay and kind of annoying.
It would probably be decent overall if the album didn't have the curse of being by John Lennon and thus having to compete with the Beatles' work. Compared to that, my impression of the album is best summarized by the word “pretentious”. 2.5/5
Arcade Fire
3/5
First off: Nothing I criticize applies to "The Suburbs".
However, the tracks tend to be too long, which makes the whole album cumbersome. I can't even recognize that a certain feeling should be conveyed or theme dealt with. Instead, this is a bundle of songs of which most have some kind of radio music character, but aren't catchy enough, and some that are more ballad-like, but the singer's voice is far too thin for that.
MGMT without catchy synth tunes.
Muse without fat drum beats.
Depeche Mode without moody electronica.
Still, a mix between MGMT, Muse, and Depeche Mode is something.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Scented candle: Vanilla.
Perfect background music for when you need mellow and smooth, but also borderline boring and entirely bland. 2.5/5
Joy Division
2/5
Certainly influential and basis for many great things, but really dated and improved upon so much by newer indie rock bands, that this pales in comparison.
Bert Jansch
3/5
This is a guy who plays the guitar and occasionally sings. Quite well, I guess.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Actually quite good. Interesting melodies and captivating lyrics. However, I can't get to grips with Joni's singing style. I cringe at every cascade of higher and higher notes.
Marvin Gaye
2/5
I've got to be honest: This was surprisingly lame.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
I think the core of this album is best reflected in the most listened to track “F*!#in' Up”. Supposedly dirty and ragged, but restrained as to censor the actual swearword. Wannabe rock for country fans.
Simple Minds
3/5
My goodness, does anything scream 80s synth pop more than this album cover?
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
Refreshing, but you need to bridge a large cultural and language gap to fully enjoy this.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
Very old, but only moderately outdated. Short enough not to be boring. 3 stars because probably influential in some way.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Solid hard rock sprinkled with fantasy folk here and there, which I wasn't expecting, but I welcomed the change.
The only thing I have to criticize is that there is a lack of substance lyrically. While other albums have recognizable themes, concepts, or at least coherent single songs, Led Zeppelin feels more like stringing words together that sing well and roughly make a sentence.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Above standard album that features almost every type of "Rock" style oft the time. However, it also mixes in country (which I think is a detriment) and feels a little bloated overall. 3.5/5
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Quite interesting to directly compare Emmylou Harris to Dolly Parton and to themselves in "Trio". Although it is all very samey and country really isn't my genre.
While I didn't dislike the music, the album does not deserve to be on this list because it is no different from any other classic country album.
The Who
4/5
One of the best album starts I've ever heard. It also finishes really strong, but the middle section lags behind somewhat in the in comparison.
Nevertheless, those are some iconic sounds and singles, and although it's not quite my cup of tea, I have to respect that this album dates back to 1971 and still holds up to this day.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
I like how the genre simply says "Rock". You look at the cover and this is exactly what you get. Some late 60s/early 70s boys playing simple classic Rock songs well.
Beck
3/5
Apparently I like sad Beck better than happy Beck. Less experimental. However, this is also exactly what I have to criticize. 52 Minutes of early 2000s heartbreak acoustic guitar whining with barely any change in tone or tempo is simply too much.
Tori Amos
3/5
Tori Amos seems to be a more pleasing, less experimental and electronic version of Kate Bush. Some also see parallels to Alanis Morissette, but I think the album has far too little rock for that. Little Earthquakes almost exclusively features piano focused tracks, sometimes more, sometimes less heavy. Apart from Winter, nothing really moved me. Neither emotionally nor physically.
The Libertines
3/5
A day after listening, I tried to remember what I've heard so I could write the review. Realized after a few seconds that what was playing in my head was the Arctic Monkeys, not The Libertines. Quite telling.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
2/5
Quirky. Once you get past the first few songs, it's ok. Scooby Snacks is actually quite enjoyable. 2.5/5
Paul Simon
3/5
One of the best singer-songwriter albums I've heard, but somehow they all cap at 3.5/5.
Radiohead
4/5
Perfect soundtrack for when you have the metaphorical bends.
The (very iconic) cover image is my face when listening to Street Spirits (Fade Out). The only thing I have to criticize is that the album doesn't manage to keep up the quality of the tracks over the slightly above-average running time.
Slightly off-topic: There is a joke to be made involving this image and the term "radiohead", but I will not make it.
4.5/5
Supergrass
2/5
Somehow, it took me three attempts to get through this album. It's not even bad, but music like this is a dime a dozen. Doesn't stand out from the masses of boring Rock Indie Britpop bands. 2.5/5
Steve Winwood
2/5
It wasn't until the 5th track that I realized this actually wasn't Stevie Wonder and I could stop wondering why it is so... flat.
Like asking an AI to generate some 80s flavored human music.
U2
2/5
On paper, I should like this album, but I don't.
I've never really listed to the band except for that one time when their album just came with my neat new iPod touch, but somehow there is still this deeply rooted aversion to anything U2.
2.5/5
Prince
2/5
1999?
More like 1982, am I right?
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
This album is so dense. Too dense for my taste. So many lyrics, genre mixes, tracks, interludes, .... It's quite an achievement to release a 1h18 album that doesn't feel watered down. Still, I think a little streamlining would have done the album good. 3.5/5
Van Halen
4/5
Straight forward, top-notch Metal and Hard Rock. A little dated, but still cool. Would have loved to train Karate to this in the 80s.
David Bowie
2/5
When this one came out, it was probably a new low for Bowie in more than one sense.
Can't convince me this album would have anywhere near as many listens if it weren't for the name.
The Sugarcubes
3/5
I will just memorize this as “early Björk” and move on.
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
Kind of weird and hard to place. Not even "Beatles Light", but I am not sure if that is good or bad.
Wire
3/5
Interesting early Punk Rock album, because you get to hear how Punk actually faded into existence, Although I would say that this album already had a firm grasp of the concept and probably a noticeable influence on the genre. 3.5/5
The Gun Club
2/5
Pretty unimpressive for an album called Fire of Love by a Band named The Gun Club. Mediocre Punk album. 2.5/5
3/5
Okay, U2, take your three stars and leave me alone.
Metallica
4/5
Metallica
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
These guys go on tour with this kind of music? Geez. I am curious and afraid to see the people who attend.
Jacques Brel
2/5
Ah, Papa Outai in the flesh.
2.5/5
Devendra Banhart
3/5
Quirky, whimsical, and pleasant acoustic singer-songwriter tracks.
I don't know if this works as an album, what it is all about, or if it is even supposed to be about anything. Nothing I enjoy actively listening to, but I think the album deserves a bonus just for breaking the mold a bit.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Maybe one of the best albums early 90s crew Hip-Hop has to offer. Sadly, I'm not a big fan of the genre and found it hard to enjoy any of it. 3.5/5
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Kind of hard to review. To the album's credit, it is varied and well produced. Folky jazzy pop singer-songwriter woman. Solid all around, but lacks a unique selling point or recognizable hit single.
N.W.A.
3/5
Upstanding young men from a town called Compton singing about hanging out with all the boys, picking themselves off the ground, and the many ways to have a good time.
It's fun to stay with the N.W.A.
MC Solaar
2/5
I felt personally insulted by "Ragga Jam"
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Refreshingly different, but you really have to be a fan of acoustic guitars and Africa, or a hipster beyond compare, to enjoy this unironically.
Coldplay
4/5
Man, late 90s to early 2000s really was the heyday of sad boy mellow guitar cry bands like Radiohead, Death Cab for Cutie, and apparently early Coldplay. I get that people (a loud minority) dislike the mainstream Pop route they are going into nowadays, but I found Parachutes different and actually really enjoyable. Admittedly, you have to be in the right mood for it.
Paul Simon
3/5
Remember when in the music course back in school, all the talented kids got to play the few actual instruments and the rest of us musically challenged kids with basic motor function got handed the claves, knowing that this isn't an instrument anyone actually uses, but a low-cost inclusion measure? Well, Paul Simon is one of those talented kids who actually uses claves in his music, and it doesn't sound half bad. 3.5/5
Dion
3/5
Reminds me of Elton John, but less flashy. Which kind makes this very average.
David Bowie
1/5
Album so bad, Bowie died.
Alanis Morissette
4/5
Angry 90s woman sings about her ex.
There is probably also something about pain, healing, and empowerment in there, but honestly I'm just here for Alanis' distinctive singing, the unmistakable 90s sound, and a little nostalgia.
Although well-known musicians in their own right have worked on the album and everything sounds great, not all tracks carry equally over the running time of almost an hour.
Impact wise, Jagged Little Pill might be the reason why a whole generation doesn't actually know what "ironic" really means. 4.5/5
Killing Joke
3/5
Grainy Post Punk Rock that is heavy on the bass and sounds industrial. Not bad - unconventional. For enthusiasts.
ZZ Top
3/5
Blues Rock essentials. Simple, straight forward, and bearded. Boiled down to the basics so much that it doesn't even sound dated today. However, this also makes the album feel lacking of a little substance and variety after a while. Le Grange as a single highlight track can't mitigate this feeling. 3.5/5
Basement Jaxx
1/5
This is exactly the kind of music that the far too enthusiastic "DJ" plays in these trendy clothing stores that try to sell you a ripped neon-green tank top for 80 bucks. Wears you down and gets you used to pain, so your subconscious can't help but feel relieved instead of scammed when you pay and leave.
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
Quintessential 90s pop diva with a debut album that could have been a greatest hits record ...wait, is that a good thing? 3.5/5
The Band
2/5
Pretty much what I expect from musicians who call their band “The Band”.
Johnny Cash
4/5
I appreciate this album more as a piece of art and the conclusion of a famous musican's lifework, than as a medium simply carrying more or less enjoyable music.
The "country" tag was also mildly confusing to me, because I didn't associate a single song with country music while listening - all of them were just Johnny Cash songs to me, even though most of them are covers.
Suede
2/5
The Smiths (again), so no surprises here. An unobtrusive album that has little character, barely any stand-out qualities, and I couldn't name or even clearly remember a single song after listening. 2.5/5
3/5
Calling this interesting would be an understatement bordering on falsehood. This is unhinged, lunatic, clean, bizarre, vivid. Fever dream - the album.
Listening enjoyment: 1.5/5
Deserves to be on this list: 5/5
The Fall
2/5
Falls flat without a saving grace. 2.5/5
Baaba Maal
2/5
I don't know anything about this. I don't understand the lyrics, know whether the rhythm or used instruments are typically Senegalese, or if this is a revolutionary cultural break.
The best conditions to simply let the music speak for itself - and this music doesn't appeal to me.
Jurassic 5
3/5
Really cool Hip Hop Album. Smooth old school rap to varied beats, although I would have liked it more if they had leaned further into the chill Lo-Fi vibe. 3.5/5
Little Simz
3/5
Okay. Little Simz Flow is not really smooth and quite monotonous, her lyrics not funny or otherwise outstanding, and her voice has too little pressure for the fatter beats.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
"The Holy Bible by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers" is the answer you got when you asked the edgy loner kid / pick me girl what music they are listening to.
Marvin Gaye
2/5
I don't think I'm able to feel the emotions that you have to feel to be able to feel the feelings Marvin Gaye was feeling.
Feelings aside, this is rather boring.
JAY Z
2/5
JAY Z is to Hip Hop what Starbucks is to coffee.
Steely Dan
3/5
Rock and Jazz, huh? Like mixing chamber play and action for a movie. While not directly mutually exclusive, these genres fall short of their potential when mixed.
808 State
1/5
I can't imagine what state of mind you have to be in to enjoy this.
Adam & The Ants
3/5
So weird that it defies any evaluation metric I could apply to it, but not so weird that it is completely unenjoyable and more art than music.
Pulp
3/5
This isn't hardcore. This is parallel universe Bowie.
Fever Ray
4/5
Best Ray (I've heard of) since Ray Charles. Followed by Sugar Ray Leonard, Ray Tracing, that one fucker that got Steve Irwin, and then Sugar Ray.
Speaking of Sugar, Björks band was called the Sugarcubes. Coincidence? I think not.
50 Cent
3/5
Really didn't expect this to hold up today, but it does. Obviously, the content is irrelevant gangster rap garbage and the rap is mediocre in terms of flow and rhymes. But the album very well produced and almost overloaded with instantly recognizable bangers for a debut. No wonder 50 Cent didn't die Tryin'. 3.5/5
Os Mutantes
3/5
Yeah what the fuck.
I will not mention "this one time I listened to this Brazilian Psychedelic Rock band from the late 60s and quite liked it" to anyone, to appear completely eccentric.
Underworld
3/5
This has got to be some high quality Electronica/Techno/Rave/EDM shit. I managed to listen to all of it, felt teleported into the most underground illegal rave in some abandoned Berlin subway tunnel, and didn't hate it nearly as much as I thought I would.
Talking Heads
3/5
Quirky and unconventional, but likeable.
Like the one weird uncle who always attracts attention at family parties with his wacky shirts and adventurous stories.
Tricky
2/5
Would have been ok if it wasn't too long. Exceeds the limit of how much 90s Trip Hop one can handle.
John Grant
3/5
Big queer man has more or less coherent meltdowns over various topics. Reminiscent of other artist, but still strikingly distinctive. 3.5/5
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Ideal soundtrack for driving through the actual Savannah in a jeep, tolerating the dry heat only because of the dusty airstream.
Apart from that, not particularly good to enjoy in everyday life.
The Offspring
3/5
Mainstream Punk Rock that is mainstream for a good reason.
One of those albums that convey an attitude to life. All without sounding punk-typical - as if recorded under the influence and picked up through a can of beans.
The only thing that keeps it from being great for me is that it doesn't really stand out from other Offspring or even other Punk Rock albums of the time and lacks its own character. 3.5/5
Roxy Music
2/5
Was meant for my pleasure, but got on my nerves instead. The album is like a soup that hasn't been cooked enough. The ingredients aren't wrong in themselves, but they don't form a whole.
"A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse by Faces" sounds like it would be the work of a completely unhinged anarcho punk / minimalist indie electro pop/ avant-garde free jazz band. Turns out it's just ok dad-rock.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
2/5
Sounds like the intros of many of the Lion King songs, but without ever getting off the ground, perpetually staying in the state of intro, leaving you to want them to finally progress, or stop.
The Dictators
3/5
When I heard "great-grandfather of Punk", I imagined something like the Ramones. But there are always two kinds of great-grandfathers. The Dictators seem to be the silly nice one who smells funny too, but when he talks about his wild times back then, he doesn't mean the war.
T. Rex
2/5
Unremarkable
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
Go Or Go Ahead sounds like a B Tier Radiohead song, and this is the one I've enjoyed the most by far. The rest of the album sounds like a collection of Broadway songs that didn't make the cut.
Black Sabbath
4/5
From today's perspective, the album is a 3.5/5. Still holding up, which is impressive given its age.
But imagine listening to this in 1970. Some fuckers have just invented Heavy Metal and you are holding it in your hands, unaware that this will help to establish an entire culture.
Depeche Mode
3/5
I don't think this is music for the masses. However, I'm still undecided if this is a good thing or a bad thing.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
How can an album with the words “Armed Forces”, "Elvis" and “Attraction” in the title be so unexciting?
Sonic Youth
2/5
Almost impossible for me to listen to using quality headphones, because it actually hurt my ears. I guess if you're into Noise Rock, this is the highest praise.
However, I can't wrap my head around why anyone would be into Noise Rock.
It's good that the album also features less noise-heavy songs. Unfortunately, if you subtract the noise, all that remains is mediocre indie rock.
Slipknot
3/5
An album like the typical Metal fan.
Definitely could have used some (quite a lot) of trimming around the edges, but it's good at its core.
Doves
2/5
The Last Broadcast by the Doves. How fitting. It is indeed about as appealing as the death rattle of a pigeon. Somewhat touching, but also rather repulsive. 2.5/5
Super Furry Animals
2/5
Early 2000s Britrock/-pop.
Nothing special. Not bad, but if you really like this, I assume you also really like boiled potatoes.
Kanye West
3/5
In parts truly beautiful, dark, twisted, and fantastic. However, for my personal taste, it's a little too commercial/geared towards mainstream tastes and the tracks are too long.
Probably deservedly Kanye's most successful work, but I also find it the least experimental. Maybe I'm wrong, though, because these songs and the sound in general have been played to death. 3.5/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
This album starts out really strong with My, My, Hey, Hey (Out of the Blue), then confused me with a weird blend of Rock, Country and Folk and in the end ruins all the rapport that it built with My, My, Hey, Hey (Into the Black).
At least gotta respect the album's flexibility. 2.5/5
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Solid, but rather unexciting. Kind of like naming your third solo album "Peter Gabriel 3".
Fred Neil
2/5
Sounds like the great-grandfather of singer-songwriter folk. May be interesting for some, but it only reminds me of how much better we have it today. 2.5/5
Teenage Fanclub
2/5
Below-average alternative rock with no distinctive features.
Mott The Hoople
2/5
Sounds like the knock-off brand of any popular musicians from the 70s, which is actually kind of impressive. Mainly Bowie, Dylan, Young and a little Queen. This generic album cover only reinforces that impression. 2.5/5
Aerosmith
3/5
Unnecessarily horny.
Le Tigre
4/5
I have a soft spot for feminist Punk Rock ladies shouting in my ear with just the right mix of casual, unimpressed, and latently pissed-off attitude.
Apart from that, the aesthetics of the album are difficult to put into words. We have everything from shitty guitar riffs to retro samples to a pure beat track which I can only categorize as "unusual". Most of it sounds like it was played on a 60s radio and recorded back on tape, but in a good way.
Anita Baker
3/5
I feel like this would be popular today, if it was a Japanese lady singing in Japanese, riding this fake japano 80s retro nostalgia. However, this is actual authentic jazzy City-Pop Soul from America. Lovely, but forgettable.
Richard Hawley
3/5
Not bad and even grew on me. In the end, I can't really say what the genre is. A mix of classical, jazz, and singer-songwriter. It captivates with its smooth romantic and nostalgic atmosphere. Picture smoking a cigarette in the light drizzle on the street corner after the show, wondering whether you'll actually ever feel that again. 3.5/5
Wu-Tang Clan
3/5
Although this type of hip-hop never really appealed to me, I recognize how innovative the album must have been at the time. What we now call classic old-school rap, with lyrics ranging from gangsta to funny, all tied together by an old kung fu movies aesthetic. 3.5/5
Sabu
2/5
Sometimes "world" jazz really hits, most of the time it misses. This one misses. I can't believe would listen to Latin American music and think "This needs more emphasis on the congas".
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Sounds terrific, but doesn't really tingle my jingle, if you know what I mean. Like it's got that special sauce, but what do you expect me to do with it, eat it like soup? 3.5/5
Christine and the Queens
2/5
This album is gay, French, and pop, and as with most things that are gay, French, or pop, I think it's good that it exists, but it's not for me. Whether it's in English or French makes no big difference.
However, I like the 80s synth retro vibe they've got going.
The Pogues
3/5
Shane McGowan and The Pogues have found a special place in my heart, a place of imagined nostalgia for joyful, whiskey fueled nights spent in an Irish pub that I've never actually experienced.
But to be honest, even the fancy pub is just a run-down dive bar during the day, and this music is not compatible with a hangover.
Lupe Fiasco
2/5
Listening to Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor leaves you hungry and sober.
Daydreamin' is the only saving grace, because it reminds me of Glory Box by Portishead.
Television
3/5
Decent 70s rock. As basic and forgettable as it gets, but not bad.
Tito Puente
3/5
Pleasant, fun and lively enough that you can enjoy it completely without irony, but also so specific and foreign that I would never put it on again. 3.5/5
Alice Cooper
4/5
Okay, this album is more than merely Hard Rock and definitely more than "School's Out". Strange, that this track became the sole hit. The album feels more like a 70s rock surprise bag with Broadway show aesthetics.
The Youngbloods
2/5
I get that his album bridges the gap between the psychedelia heavy era of the late 60s to the early 70s country-rock focused years, creating a weird folky blend, which maybe makes it kind of relevant? Unfortunately, this blend isn't particularly good.
At least it deserves a bonus for being not as forgettable as most of the albums of the aforementioned styles. 2.5/5
Milton Nascimento
3/5
This is certainly something. Although, I'm sure I would only play this when Brazilians come to visit to seem more sophisticated and cosmopolitan ...so most likely never.
3/5
A very 80s Synth Wave Pop album that honestly really slaps. Might be because of the reduced use of basic keyboard tunes in favor of the heavy use of slap bass.
No song I recognized besides the Look of Love, but even though the rest of the songs aren't of the same quality, the album doesn't overstay its welcome. 3.5/5
Scritti Politti
2/5
One of the many examples of boring 80s New Wave Synth Pop. Reminds me of Michael Jackson, the way powdered milk reminds me of real pasture milk.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
A 1-hour-long recording of an actual metal box filled with tools and nails being kicked down a flight of stairs would only have been slightly less obnoxious. Kudos for making me want to punch someone more than any Punk album ever did.
Goldie
2/5
If you really like drum and bass, this album has a lot of that for you. If you don't, well...
Some tracks fade into the background nicely, I guess.
Johnny Cash
4/5
An "outlaw" country star singing songs about outlaws to outlaws in an outlaw penitentiary. Based on the concept alone, the album promises to be fun and an enjoyable listening experience, and that's exactly what it is.
While music and performance are not the strongest aspects, the reactions from and interactions with the audience certainly justify the rather poor sound quality of the live recording.
My only criticism is that the album is quite front-heavy. Not only are the first songs subjectively better—Folsom Prison Blues and other rather fast, cheerful tracks—but the audience also mellows down and becomes quieter toward the end.
Happy Mondays
2/5
Weird late 80s snare drum heavy Indie Rock.
Like instant coffee. Whether it is worse or better than nothing depends mainly on your current mood.
Otis Redding
3/5
Like a decent action move. Fun once, maybe still enjoyable a second time, but ultimately lacks variation and depth to make it stand out to me. 3.5/5
The Velvet Underground
3/5
As mellow, dull and boring as fall weather.
While you are inside, and dry. With nothing to do. Maybe having a tea.
Wait, this actually doesn't sound so bad.
Turbonegro
3/5
Everything about this band looks and sounds like an edgy twelve-year-old boy's imagination of what a punk band is. This is kind of impressive and interesting, but most of all very amusing.
The lyrics are even more hilarious to me when I pretend that some magically aged up pre-teens are singing them.
2/5 music, 4/5 entertainment
Elliott Smith
3/5
Sad and gentle soy boy singer-songwriter sings sad soy boy songs gently. No surprises, no high or lowlights.
Frank Zappa
2/5
Very progressive guitar solo heavy psych rock jazz fusion. Didn't really feel it.
Alice Cooper
3/5
Not really shocking anymore, just basic Hard Rock that feels dated, having lost its teeth, although it still manages to be kind of offensive. Like a grandpa with questionable opinions.
Ice Cube
2/5
There is much to criticize and the album really doesn't deserve to write it all down.
Radiohead
5/5
Beautiful songs about a dystopia that seems frighteningly close.
The album works as a concept, with the instrumentals and lyrics both sounding depressing and futuristic, familiar and yet alien. At the same time, there are several strong singles that can also stand alone. The densely layered sound paired with simple, but cryptic vocals produces an ultra-distinctive style that might not be for everyone, but in My opinion deserves the praise it receives.
Can
3/5
An album that sounds like throwing yourself into the abyss. By the time the music is drowned out by the noise, you are too far in to care and comprehend. Fitting cover image as well. 3.5/5
Dead Kennedys
3/5
Typical old school punk. Fast, short, loud, superficially political.
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
Fuck this headache inducing self-absorbed experimental noise shit pretending it's music.
This is what you get when you continually give children unnecessary praise for the delicious "cake" that they "baked", even though it's just a lump of wet sand.
KISS
2/5
"Most kids were infatuated with the looks of Kiss, not their music"- KISS's Spotify description 2025
Anthrax
2/5
Sounds like a Metallica supporting act from the 80s. All raw, loud, heavy, thrashing that feels unrefined and unremarkable.
Sam Cooke
3/5
Would have loved to be there. Not the best album music and audio quality wise, but up there in terms of energy and fun. 3.5/5.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3/5
It's refreshingly different. But that may well be due to the fact that Synthwave Pop is underrepresented on the list, because I didn't particularly enjoy anything about the album besides its distinctiveness.
Mike Ladd
2/5
Futuristic Hip Hop. Unfortunately, it sounds rather unpleasant. It's like expecting cool, sophisticated cyberpunk futurism, but getting a tattered, scrap-metal post-apocalypse instead. Probably enjoyable for a select few. 2.5/5
Lambchop
3/5
Sounds like that space cloud from Rick and Morty, only slightly less obviously ripping off Bowie.
Ultimately, there is too little going on to hate or love it.
The Only Ones
3/5
Run of the mill Britpop/rock. Astonishingly neutral
Germs
3/5
Raw, loud, obnoxious Punk.
Doesn't deserve them, but gets bonus points for invoking Tony Hawk's Underground 2 flashbacks.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
If this is basics Christina, I am afraid of what advanced Christina will do.
Joking aside, I liked the second CD much better because you can actually hear the influences from the mid-1900s. In comparison, the first CD is completely generic early 2000s R&B pop music sung with Christina Aguilera's typical low larynx voice, in which every third note is overemphasized to signal power, I guess? Save Me from Myself was a very welcome change in this regard.
Still, not much going on if you don't happen to be a fan of early 2000s pop divas.
Abdullah Ibrahim
2/5
Jazz, but so smooth you barely feel anything.
Donovan
3/5
The name of the artist and album, and above all the music, in my mind perfectly embodies the white young American mainstream of the 1960s. 3.5/5
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Of course, the album features the all-time classic Paint it Black, however, it is only on the US release and I think it's weird to release only mostly the same songs in two countries and still call it the same album.
Apart from the respective first tracks, there are only solid to forgettable mid 60s rock songs in both releases.
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
Listening to the album didn't inspire me to write anything. About as inoffensive as it gets.
LTJ Bukem
2/5
Drum and Bass music that is massively elevated by staring the album cover while listening.
I don't really know how to rate electronic music since it really isn't my taste, but I think this is a good one? Still, the album is much too long. 2.5/5
AC/DC
3/5
I'm happy for the guys' success, just like I'm happy for the inventor of paper towels. It's a solid product, totally innovative (at the time), and really important that it exists, but if we're being honest, it's also so straight-forward that it almost feels offensive. 3.5/5
Silver Jews
1/5
Excerpt from a fellow reviewer's 5-star review: "A kind of indie version of Tom Waits with Nick Cave, with a touch of country but without the cheap country lyrics. Also, some Bob Dylan characteristics, but in this case it is still listenable, even though he sometimes sounds a bit dissonant." and I wholeheartedly agree.
This sounds terrible.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
When I was a kid, we would always listen to Bob Marley in the car. My dad complains to this day that his "Legends" CD was eventually stolen. So when listening to this album, I can't help but compare it to the greatest hits collection, which is kind of unfair, I know, but I still have the feeling that something is missing from this. That being said, this is probably still one of the greatest Reggae albums of all time.
3/5
The album sounds surprisingly little like Radiohead, even though Thom Yorke is on it. I think that is a good thing, because any direct comparison would not do this album any favors. Instead, at some highlight moments it reminds me of Tool a little bit. The rest is grungy sounding Indie Rock from the late 90s.
Public Enemy
2/5
This brings the noize.
I can get with the bringing aspect of it, however, I am not so happy about the actual noise. 2.5/5
Lucinda Williams
2/5
A somewhat average singer-songwriter folk album, with a generous dash of country mixed in.
Now, of course, that's a property that sets it apart from the rest of somewhat average singer-songwriter folk albums, but it's still country, so in the end I'd say does more harm than good. 2.5/5
3/5
At this point, the list has already spit out so many late 60s/early 70s psych rock albums that I can not only ask but also answer myself what makes this album so special.
Nothing. Just another fairly decent album.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
The most exciting thing about the album is that at its absolute best moments, it sounds like The Smiths. Now think about how exciting The Smiths are.
The Damned
3/5
Decent old school Punk album. Less angry and chaotic than other representatives of the genre, instead more fun and experimental. Also doesn't sound like it was recorded through an old can of beans by a bunch of drunk youngsters, which makes it less Punk, I guess?
George Jones
2/5
That’s good old country.
FKA twigs
3/5
Nothing here that you can really listen to more than once, but also not extraordinary enough to pass as a total work of art, although you can tell that the album is really trying to earn credentials like "innovative" or "experimental".
More of a miss than a hit, but I prefer boring hipster bullshit to boring mainstream bullshit. Bonus points for working well as a palate cleanser in this 1001 course menu.
Dizzee Rascal
2/5
Grime ahead of its time, but not very refined. Listening is exhausting, bordering painful. For choosing those beats, Dizzie rightly belongs in the corner.
Could have seen this working if the tracks were either full speed in your face, or chill head-nodders, but they're all just lost somewhere between.
Miles Davis
3/5
It probably deserves a profound, complex, jazz-savvy review because of all the brilliant arrangements and compositioning that is going on.
Alas, I don't know jack shit about music, this sounded weird for way too long and all I've got stuck in my head is the RTJ line "I'm miles ahead of you, you can sip my bitches brew."
The Beta Band
3/5
There is a reason this is not called Hot Shots 1 by The Alpha Band.
Talking Heads
3/5
Could have done with fewer songs about buildings and food, but the songs are all right. If the music didn't fade into the background so well, I would rate it more harshly.
Björk
4/5
Listening to this album feels like being touched in an unexpectedly intimate way. This might be a kink for some people, but I find it rather embarrassing and uncomfortable. However, if an album manages to make you feel something and think about how to classify it, then it has done something right.
I guess "deep and tingly" are suitable adjectives for the album, so calling it “Medúlla” meaning marrow or core of organs is quite fitting.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Surprisingly little pet sounds, although I wonder if what is meant here is really the subset of animal sounds, or whether the noises are so tame that they could be kept as pets. The latter certainly fits better. I don't think it needs to be mentioned that masters of harmony produced masterpieces of early pop songwriting here, but the whole thing sounds pretty dated nowadays.
Overall, I'm left with a feeling of “respect, but it's a shame it doesn't sound better” and “if the Beatles had recorded this, you'd still be hearing it today.” 3.5/5
The Beach Boys
3/5
It radiates a certain emancipation and brokenness, but the lack of energy gives the music too little emphasis to really make me feel it.
N.E.R.D
3/5
Acceptable mix of chill and annoying
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
Boring. But that's probably mainly due to the chosen style of music. 2.5/5
Pet Shop Boys
1/5
I could have noticed at first glance that this wasn't my cup of tea. It looks like a bucket, says “trash” in bold letters, and inside is a steaming pile of shit. My cup of tea, on the other hand, is characterized by the fact that it is a cup with actual tea in it that says “Regulation Hottie.”
Stereolab
2/5
Surprisingly pleasant singing to tunes that I can only describe as alternative synth-pop with guitars. Often too repetitive and boring or simply too French for my taste, but not bad. Still, this is an album for the background and not something you actively listen to. 2.5/5
TLC
2/5
I really like Waterfalls, but unfortunately the rest of the album is just generic RnB Hip Hop whining.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
Don't know the difference between salsa and samba, but when I ever find myself in a situation in which I have to bring "the sauce" in a very Latin American sense, I will remember this album.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Starts off outrageously cool.
But as is often the case with cool things, the more time you spend with them, the more faults you notice, and in the end, the mysterious stranger turns out to be nothing more than the rambling uncle.
Aretha Franklin
3/5
Very appealing and excellently sung. However, the production sounds somewhat dated today, and the content of the songs is not only very monothematic and not something I can identify with, but also rather awkward from a modern emancipatory point of view. The title Lady Soul is fitting. 3.5/5
Sonic Youth
2/5
Almost good.
PJ Harvey
3/5
Although I find the raw grungy sound to be most predominant here, the album still sounds quite unique stylistically. There's nothing particularly great and nothing I truly like, but overall it's fine.
The Birthday Party
2/5
The first Nick Cave album I've heard that isn't overly boring, but instead overly shitty!
The only saving grace: it is aptly titled.
Judas Priest
3/5
As far as I know, Britain is not particularly known for its steel. It probably ranks somewhere in the middle globally, which makes the album title quite fitting after all. A solid classic hard rock/heavy metal album.
Elastica
3/5
An entertaining album that, for me, just misses the mark of being outstanding. The first “post-” anything I've heard that isn't terrible. 3.5/5
Ride
2/5
Shoegaze as a genre is strange. I don't really like the music itself. Too boring, monotonous, whiny. Although the album sometimes reminded me of The Cure. But if you judge it by how well you can bob along to it as an angsty teenager while staring down at your shoes lost in thought, it's top-notch.
However, that's not how I rate things.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
An indie/punk rock new wave mix that sounds very much like the 80s. Some people may not find that as bad as I do, but with a running time of over an hour, the album is much more a test of my nerves than a pleasant listen.
Genesis
2/5
I can't imagine how this could ever be cool for more than half an hour. If they had stuck to a single CD, I might have enjoyed the album, but as it is, it feels like "getting carried away with a mediocre idea" -the album. 2.5/5
Small Faces
2/5
Yeah, what the fuck.
Offensively British Hippies rambling something about a man in the woods with some psych rock interludes. 2.5/5
Cowboy Junkies
3/5
Very soft, slow, and mellow country-folk that is surprisingly listenable. However, it's also too old-fashioned to connect emotionally and too unexciting for anything else.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Quirky and fun, but like when a 50-year-old is past the point of midlife crisis, doesn't settle down, and describes himself as having a "youthful spirit". That being said, the old guy can actually still keep up somehow, even if that's 80% thanks to "Come on Eileen".
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
2/5
ADHD the album. Completely unfocused, chaotic, all over the place, and right in the middle of it all a Broadway musical number, which I actually enjoyed the most. Punk in spirit, what the fuck in execution.
Doesn't surprise me that this was an inspiration for Nick Cave, but I can't stand Nick Cave.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
The album has at least one purpose: to show me that I don't like 80s new wave synth pop at all.
Orbital
2/5
At least the album doesn't sound completely lazy, but rather deliberate. So I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and assume it has some value for enthusiasts.
Marianne Faithfull
2/5
Her English isn't the problem.
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
Nice.
Besides, I understand. This album is anything but conventional, so it would be unfair to judge it by conventional standards. It literally consists of 69 little songs about love. Musically speaking, it's like throwing buckets of slightly different shades of paint onto a canvas. You can hardly expect a Renaissance painting to emerge by chance, but as long as you view it as art, you will find little spots that you can appreciate....
Merle Haggard
2/5
If you want to listen to a classic of the country genre, this is probably one of the best albums for it, but looking back, I have to question anyone who would voluntarily want to do so. 2.5/5
Barry Adamson
2/5
Very weird. Then jazzy, then immediately back to weird again. 2.5/5
Culture Club
2/5
Certified one-hit wonder. 2.5/5
Pavement
2/5
It has everything I like in terms of sound, but still tastes like unfulfilled potential throughout. Like watered-down coffee. What a shame. 2.5/5
2/5
Another "post-" album that is way too artsy. This time, they don't take themselves too seriously, but are unbearably silly instead. What is supposed to be playful and special just comes off as annoying and strange to me.
Megadeth
3/5
This album is quite good. It made me realize that I don't actually have anything against thrash metal; it seems I just didn't care much for the most famous representatives of the genre (Metallica).
Still, for me, the album only comes close to greatness because there just aren't any standout hit tracks that I can listen to over and over again, let alone sing along to, even though the overall quality is consistently high. 3.5./5
Steve Earle
2/5
Well at least you get exactly what you bargained for, considering the title, cover and everything.
Actually, that’s not quite right: he should also be wearing a cowboy hat.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
I’d really like to like Stevie Wonder more, because he seems like such a nice guy, but for some reason I just can’t warm up to him. The album isn’t bad, but to me, it just sounds like generic disco/soul/funk. Maybe it sounds that way to me now because Stevie Wonder had such a huge influence on those genres back then, but that still doesn’t increase the listening pleasure.
The Human League
3/5
Ah, the Don't You Want Me album. I still have fond memories of that evening we spent on a whim at a pub in Cardiff, when the drag queen who was performing the song suddenly jumped on my friend's back demanding a piggyback while the crowd was singing along and cheering. Balls to the walls while he had balls on his back. Fun was had. Good times.
The Everly Brothers
3/5
It has the charm of an old dresser.
Hawkwind
1/5
It’s pretty bold to assume that everyone’s on drugs and can put up with that for two hours, let alone actually enjoy it. 1.5/5
Eric Clapton
3/5
Solid Blues Rock. I can't say I particularly liked it, but I also didn't notice anything negative about this album.
David Bowie
3/5
Would be okay if the second half wasn't comprised of mostly gloomy ambience instrumental tracks. Still is okay, because honestly I didn't even like "Heroes" that much and the ambiance stuff isn't annoying.
The Replacements
2/5
Meh. Just another punk band. 2.5/5