Sep 21 2023
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Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Smashing Pumpkins
Goes all over the place, but not in a bad way. Gives me the feeling that the band poured their everything into this double album, showing off their versatility. Typical 90's edge, a real product of its time. Couldn't get away with lyrics like this without being satirical. Panic! At the Disco and other emo groups clearly took inspiration from this band, which I was not aware of before listening to this album.
3
Sep 22 2023
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Beauty And The Beat
The Go-Go's
Simple 80's fun. Never heard of the group before. Interesting to see an all female rock group. Music not memorable to me.
3
Sep 23 2023
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Low-Life
New Order
Hate to say it, but it does not sound like anything too special. I read the Wikipedia article and that did not mention anything about the album that was revolutionary, or an unexpected turn by the band. Did learn that New Order has people from Joy Division. I think I should treat the album for what it is, and appreciate the calm 80's sounds that it brings. Eight tracks that are quite busy instrumentally but still bring calmth. The instrumental tracks build a serene yet intense mood. With only eight tracks, this album brings eight solid pieces and does not need filler or clutter.
3
Sep 24 2023
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Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
Another album from an artist I had never heard of before, but that's on me, because this woman is great. Emphasis on 'woman' because rock is still dominated by men. I really enjoyed this album, and I'm almost embarrassed that I don't know more female artists in rock. This is a nice one to add to the list. 'A Place Called Home' really struck a chord lyrically and will stay in my playlists.
4
Sep 25 2023
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Let It Bleed
The Rolling Stones
Very excited to check out this album when the iconic album art popped up. I was aware that the Stones were mostly about rock & roll, but did not expect them to have already committed this hard to it in their 1969 album. Personally, I am not very interested in rock & roll, and lyrically I find the subject material of these tracks hard to relate to. Still gotta give it 4 stars. While I don't go out of my way to listen to this genre, I don't have anything against rock & roll at all, and Gimme Shelter is just that good.
4
Sep 26 2023
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The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
An important part of music history: The Velvet Underground was truly ahead of their time. The melancholic lyrics paint deeply emotional pictures while the choice of words makes it feel like the singer keeps a certain emotional distance between himself and the subject material. This raises questions - are the songs sung from the pov of someone who is now in a better place? Someone who has gone emotionally numb? The answer does not matter, though, because the result is amazing regardless. Raw, intimate songs that are polished and accessible at the same time. While I love the overall vibe of the songs and album, to me personally there is no one song that particularly stands out to me.
4
Sep 27 2023
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Inspiration Information
Shuggie Otis
Never heard of this artist before. Great opening track, with some relaxing soulful tracks that follow. Psychedelic soul is a genre I've not listened to before but greatly appreciate. Happy to have been introduced to this artist, who I was surprised to learn did almost all the instrumentals on this album.
4
Sep 28 2023
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Bummed
Happy Mondays
Classic 80's tracks. A solid album of tunes, but no single track stands out. Dubbed an "ecstasy-fuelled" album by their manager, according to Wikipedia, it is not the kind of drug fuelled sound I am used to. An interesting glimpse into 80's culture that in my opinion has not taught me anything new.
3
Sep 29 2023
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They Were Wrong, So We Drowned
Liars
A very interesting experimental punk album. Those who know me better know my secret appreciation for noise music, so the content of the album did not scare me off. It did surprise me by how different it is from anything else I've listened to before. The dark overtones in this album give it an unsettling vibe in stark contrast so the albums we have had until now. I'm glad I got introduced to this album and that I got to experience it, but I do not think I will ever listen to it again.
3
Sep 30 2023
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Music in Exile
Songhoy Blues
Amazing stuff. Turns out I love desert rock! And these guys could rock with some of the best. I was wondering if the list would have albums from outside NA or EU. Happy to see that it does, happy to see that these men from Mali are not an obscure group, and happy that they have finally reached me. This band has a cohesive overall sound while the album features slower songs, faster songs, upbeat songs and more melancholic songs. They show experience and versatility. First album that's going into my library. I can see myself listening to this band more often in the future.
5
Oct 01 2023
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Calenture
The Triffids
Typical 80's sounds with a lot of heart. The lyrics are heartfelt and the music does a wonderful job at creating an atmosphere. Typical for the 80's is that the music could sound upbeat while the lyrics and singer sound wistful, resulting in an album you can put on on a bad day and on a good day.
4
Oct 02 2023
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Microshift
Hookworms
Hookworms MORE LIKE HOOK LINE AND SINKER HAHA. No but really this is some of the freshest stuff I've heard this year. Didn't know what to expect and was pleasantly surprised along the way. It's been a while since I've been surprised by an album that wasn't meant to be something experimental. The high pitched vocals tickle the prog-rock fan in me in the right way. The lyrics are touching but floaty enough to zone out to if one wishes to do so. The songs feel high energy at first listen, but the synths, keyboards, and the at times appropriately monotone guitar riffs provide enough calmth to hone in on.
5
Oct 03 2023
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Grace
Jeff Buckley
Only knew Hallelujah before listening to the album. Was pleasantly surprised by what I heard. Listening to this album brings me one step closer to eliminating my 90's blind spot. Would not have expected these classic sounds to have come from the 90's, when every band with a guitar seemed to experiment with different sounds and genres.
4
Oct 04 2023
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Among The Living
Anthrax
A rather basic thrash album - context is key here. Knowing that these guys were the among the first, entertaining crowds before they even recorded their first studio album, makes the album worthwhile. Other than that, it is basic thrash metal that has me wondering if it stood out in 1987, and makes me think there is a reason Anthrax is the least memorable of the Big Four of thrash metal.
2
Oct 05 2023
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D.O.A. the Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle
Throbbing Gristle
An experimental album that sounds like it was experimenting for the sake of being experimental. If it brought anything new to the scene, it was lost on me.
1
Oct 06 2023
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Good Old Boys
Randy Newman
A piece of very specific US history packed in pleasant blues and soul tunes.
3
Oct 07 2023
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Out Of The Blue
Electric Light Orchestra
THE album by ELO, and the first album on this list that I've heard in full before. Features different progressive sounds that made me think that this album was from the 80's rather than the 70's.
4
Oct 08 2023
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McCartney
Paul McCartney
What a strange debut solo album from a former Beatle. Reading the history about this album confirms my suspicions that this album is, indeed, strange. The few songs that are actually songs are nice enough but very forgettable.
2
Oct 09 2023
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My Generation
The Who
These guys could ROCK. True pioneers of the hard rock genre all the way back in 1965. The harmonies in their songs are pleasing and I'm glad they kept them throughout their career.
4
Oct 10 2023
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Violator
Depeche Mode
A classic. I've never listened to a full Depeche Mode album and I definitely enjoyed listening to this one. Depeche Mode set an example for what 90's electronic music was going to sound like.
4
Oct 11 2023
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Purple Rain
Prince
Is there anything more 80's than this? So catchy, with both serious and carefree tracks.
4
Oct 12 2023
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Blood And Chocolate
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Rediscovered that I like folk. Though this album sounds more like something I would put on in the background.
3
Oct 13 2023
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Two Dancers
Wild Beasts
Strange haunting vocals but forgettable music.
2
Oct 14 2023
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Power In Numbers
Jurassic 5
An album with a lot of variety in sounds. Hip-hop is among the genres I seek out the least, though I usually find myself enjoying it when I listen to it. My extremely uneducated opinion is that the beats and instrumentals sound solid. The jazzy tracks in particular stand out to me.
3
Oct 17 2023
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Madman Across The Water
Elton John
Emotional pop tunes with great vocals. Tiny Dancer stands out, and while the other tracks were great to listen to in the background, they were significantly less memorable.
3
Oct 18 2023
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Getz/Gilberto
Stan Getz
The Brazilians know how to do jazz. A relaxed album of songs that I would consider pleasant background music.
3
Oct 19 2023
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Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo
MC Solaar
4
Oct 20 2023
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Deep Purple In Rock
Deep Purple
The most blues-y out of the classic hard rock bands. The longer songs don't get boring. The keyboard in Deep Purple's album adds another layer to rock music that I often miss in other hard rock music.
4
Oct 21 2023
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The Band
The Band
3
Oct 22 2023
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Harvest
Neil Young
4
Oct 23 2023
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Odessey And Oracle
The Zombies
A rare 60's album I had not listened to before. The mixing on this album is superb. The subject matter such a sign of the times. Love it.
4
Oct 26 2023
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Club Classics Vol. One
Soul II Soul
Superb mixing. Surprised to see this is from 1989. Sounds very ahead of its time, or maybe I am just very out of touch with soul music.
3
Oct 28 2023
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Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
From jazzy to rock to blues. The instrumentals are as good as the lyrics.
4
Oct 29 2023
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Chris
Christine and the Queens
Fresh multilingual pop with a lot of heart from an artist I had never heard of before. Really grew on me and I found that I kept coming back to listen to more.
4