October 5 2023
Good - loved the energy
A classic. Listened on 10/7/23
Fine. Good time capsule of the era. Repetitive but ok as dancing or background music. Can see why people get high to listen to it.
One of those albums that doesn't sound that breakthrough now but then you remember it came out in 2000 and realize that it had a big impact.
I know it’s a revolutionary (haha) album but it’s not the most listenable thing and has a lot silliness that feels like what a band who can do anything would do. The high points are amazing.
A very good album that can be listened to over and over again, but what is interesting about compared to other "classic albums" of that era is that there aren't any particularly stand-out popular songs. It isn't like listening to, say, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" by Elton John, and then you realize there are a lot of "big and popular" songs on there but also the lesser-known stuff is great. In this case, everything is "lesser known" but that doesn't take away from the quality of it.
a great balance of well known songs and lesser known ones that are just as well crafted. Never would have listened to it other than this recommendation.
So many good songs that clearly have inspired so many others.
Really interesting listen. I wasn't familiar with it. and will likely add to my collection
Not a big "noise rock" fan but when I give it enough time it kind of grows on me. I can see where people can really get into it.
Damn that's a good album. Start to finish. Iconic songs that have stood the test of time, and have made the full round from being cool to being "dad rock" uncool to being simply timeless.
One of the original - if not THE original - "outlaw country" albums.
I think it is kind of hard to appreciate how good and breakthrough early Beatles work was when it came through. Now it sounds like so much that has come after it that maybe it feels classic but maybe a little dated. But then you realize that that’s because it changed everything - the top albums in the US before the Beatles hit were from broadway soundtracks, Andy Williams, and the Singing Nun. In that context this is mind blowing music that is still great today but even more amazing given how much it transformed pop music. This came out in 1964… the first Black Sabbath album came out in 1970.
Love me some Jimmy Smith!!
Still a wonderfully intriguing and subversive album.
Interesting listening to this after Adam Ant, as you can hears echoes of it
it's fine. I would listen to it again, but not make an effort to do it.
Some classic songs on there
one of my favorite hip hop/rap albums I've ever listened to
Listened to it three times!
I really don't like reggae. I listened to this album and it felt like one long song.
Added
Iron Man, Paranoid and War Pigs all on this one album. It sets the prototype for heavy metal, yet there’s some weird soft songs too.
Stone cold classic
I think this is often referred to as "the White Album" of hip-hop and I agree. And in fact, I would say that the best songs on "Speakerboxx/The Love Below are actually stronger than the best songs on "The White Album" while many of the tracks are experimental, sometimes with interesting results, sometimes not, but generally rewards deep listening and consideration. Even though the biggest hits are pop radio standards, it isn't an "easy listening" album, not if you want to get the most out of it at least.
A true classic. Just ignore the murderer in the title.
Has long been one of my favorites
How did I not experience them before?
Could t find the actual album but listened to a bunch of other stuff
Awesome 80s alt rock
If aliens came down and asked “what is rock and roll?” I think a good place to start would be to play the song “Born to Run.” I’m not saying it is the best rock song ever. I’m not saying Bruce is the ultimate rock artist (I’m not even that big of a fan) but that song - and arguably this album - is just about pure of a distillation of rock and roll as you can get. Motors as euphemism about sex and talking about freedom felt while driving (or sex). The sound of it. Everything.
Still is a breakthrough piece that disturbs and fascinates while still entertaining.
It holds up remarkably well all these years later as a fun rocking album
Solid. Some great songs. Not one you NEED to hear. Just listen to the popular songs
Interesting. Can hear their influence in many places.
It’s an ok album with no songs that are recognizable hits. It’s amazing that it comes from The Bee Gees as the band that I found myself comparing it to the most is The Fleet Foxes. Which I guess makes sense as the music is mellow with a lot of harmonizing.
Also, is it just me, or does “The British Opera” melody sound an awful lot like the theme for The Polar Express?”
Damn this was great. Added to my collection.
I keep trying Tom Waits. I feel like I should like him more, as I enjoy interesting songwriting sung by different and interesting voices. But it just never connects with me. I will keep trying though.
Some of the most overplayed classic rock songs ever. And for damn good reason.
A timeless album that I think will age incredibly well
Don’t feel like I HAD to hear this. It isn’t ahead of its time or secretly better than the things it sounds like. It isn’t bad and I enjoyed it but it didn’t surprise me either.
such an interesting thing to listen to here in 2024. It still feels subversive and some of the songs are actually good and listenable, but it is really more of an experiment and experience. The needling of the culture at the time is brilliant and much of it still holds up today. It isn’t an easy or fun listen so it’s not necessarily enjoyable but oddly, that is exactly what makes it enjoyable - you’re belong challenged and if you are willing to listen and read the lyrics and appreciate the time and place this came out it is rewarding.
It’s a great album that has timeless songs on it though the overall album is probably overshadowed by the three big hits: “Brown Sugar” “Wild Horses” and “Can’t you hear me knocking” - those are so well known and heard so much it almost lessens the rest of the material, which is still incredibly strong and vital. I mean if you had to explain the idea of “guitar riff” in rock, you’d be just fine choosing the opening few seconds of “Brown Sugar” and “Can’t you hear me knocking.” It’s like “oh, right that’s why Richards is amazing. Got it.” Also, this may be the first time I’ve ever truly and deeply listened to the words to Brown Sugar. Oh my.
It’s amazing how vital and current this album still sounds. Lyrically and musically.
I continue to find the Red Hot Chili Peppers to be underwhelming for my tastes. I think they have some fantastic musicians and would probably like them better as an instrumental band. But Anthony’s voice is just kind of dull and the lyrics are lackluster to me. Most of it comes off to me as a really strong high school or college level band - which isn’t an insult, and the can be fun to listen to - but it does surprise me that they are as huge as they are, and I can’t get on that train.
I don’t know if I HAD to hear it but it grew on me a bit.
Hate the low volume level mixes on parts. Takes you out of the album.
I always find albums like this intriguing. They aren't unlistenable, but I also don't find them particularly engaging or entertaining. It is pleasant, and I think the production is brilliant, and some of the songwriting is powerful if purposefully dense. I enjoyed listening to it, and did so twice, but don't envision myself going back to it again. It's probably brilliant, but just not my think.
Solid rock album with a few stand out catchy tunes.
They always amaze me both in terms of talent and when they were doing this - a decade ahead of the rest of music
Always forget how much I enjoy the cult
Love the symphony. Love Metallica. It is interesting to listen to them together but not sure it adds that much.
Surprisingly good and entertaining. Will be adding to my collection
Hot take: the first six songs (Smells Like Teen Spirit, In Bloom, Come As You Are, Breed, Lithium, Polly) is really what people think of when they praise this album. And for those songs, the praise is well-deserved.
The second half of the album (Territorial Pissings through Endless, Nameless)? I think that's largely interchangable pop-punk that wouldn't have had nearly the impact that the first half had. Not saying it's bad - just not nearly the level that the first six songs are.
It’s fine. Enjoyable listen but nothing that drew me in heavily.
Couldn’t find the original album listened to a bunch of other stuff.
Solid.
The songwriting… some of the best ever
A time capsule of 80s smooth r&b
A time capsule of 80s smooth r&b
Better than I expected
Really good album I wasn’t familiar with
The cultural impact of the album is strong and there’s a few iconic songs on it. BUT - much of it hasn’t aged super well, either lyrically or sonically. It doesn’t sound as timeless to me as other revered albums.
In addition, my hot take is that I hate how the Beastie Boys shout all their lyrics. It’s grating. People like to talk crap about Geddy Lee and Billy Corgan - I would put the Beasties up there in terms of sheer annoyance levels.
I know it’s supposed to be amazing but I find it uninteresting
It may have the least instantly recognizable and most iconic Sabbath songs out of their first few albums, it is arguably the best distillation of what Sabbath was really about: a heavy blues-influenced band that wrote about things the blues didn’t usually write about. Listening to it now, it’s a few licks and different vocals away from being a Chris Stapleton album. Actually I’d like to hear him cover it.
Fun and still holds up well
Meh
Usually don’t like this noisy stuffy but this was great.
Filled with classic classics
Good find
I liked it a lot. Not familiar with the artist or the album. Cool stuff. Eclectic for sure.
Filled with classic classics
Almost a four. Obviously depressing but also enjoyable to listen.
Enjoyable
Enjoyable this may be my favorite hip hop album I’ve ever listened to
Enjoyable
Enjoyable
Ehhh.
Can hear so many other recent songs in their melodies
Can hear so many other recent songs in their melodies
Holds up well
Can hear so many other recent songs in their melodies
An all time classic.
fantastic album though not my favorite from them.
It’s an unadulterated pop gem
Holds up well
Still a great album, though maybe more blues than rock now. But amazing musicianship and lyrics.
Holds up well
Surprisingly entertaining
Absolutely and utterly timeless. and yet surprisingly subdued and less raucous sounding today than it did when it was released.
Two amazing songs show that experimentation can lead to pop hits and move the genre forward.
It is hard to imagine how disruptive and shocking this must have been in 1970
a personal favorite
Perfection
Something this dated and smooth jazz like shouldn’t be this funky and good.
The sonic equivalent of a shart. But if you do a shart on a canvas and put it up in a gallery while acting pretentious about it, you get to call it art and people will find value in it. Seriously though - I am really open minded about "you like what you like" but this has nearly no musical quality to it. It is just shouting and things clanging together. Every once in a while you hear something that you could connect to "industrial music" but that's like looking at some spilled paint and saying you can see the Mona Lisa in it.
I’m a fan so I gotta rate it high. Can’t be objective about it.
A nice but kind of forgettable slice of 80s pop
The first two songs are obviously bangers. Classics. The rest of the album is good but less memorable.
Boring
Boring
A couple of really strong songs helps lift it
Best metal album ever
Liked it better than I have in the past
what’s the point,
what’s the point,
Type of stuff I’m here for - never heard of this before and really liked it.
It’s a five in the genre but I found it a little long for the type of music. Almost still gave it a five but…. It’s probably a 4.5.
One of my all time favorites. A perfect slice of lates 80s college alternative pop
Perfectly pleasant but also unremarkable and unmemorable.
A classic
Not nearly as bad as everyont makes fun of...
It is hard to comprehend how much of a cultural force this album is, but it helps when you listen to it and it essentially sounds as contemporary and vital today as it did then. And the three songs in a row of "Beat It" "Thriller" and "Billie Jean" is arguably the strongest three song set of pop songs on any pop album ever.
Still sounds original and vital, a sound that still appears in music today. Mainstream music made possible by albums like this.
I like the Who.
I love live music.
I generally hate live albums.
This isn't an exception.
I’m sure it’s brilliant. It feels brilliant. It just. Is hard to enjoy.
Can hear what influenced the coming surge of speed and thrash metal in this, as well as more avante-garde indie stuff, mixed in with the raw punkness of it all.
Good pop album buoyed by two really great songs.
It still holds up and fact may be better now
Everything I love about jazz
It starts to sound remarkably like Wilco towards the end.
Two amazing and timeless songs lift up an album where the rest sounds dated
Can hear so many bands who followed in this. From Springsteen to Petty to Wilco to others.
This is a stupidly good and enjoyable album to listen to.
It’s easy to forget how damn good this album is. How a new band emerged this fully formed is amazing. Three of the songs - a quarter of the album - are radio stokes and rock classics (Jungle, Sweet Child, Paradise City) that are well deserving of both. Then there’s Nightrain, It’s so easy, and Mr Briwnstone, which would have been freshman album classics but are second tier only because they are overshadowed by the other big three.
Interestingly, listening to this again, I realized how much of future albums, especially much of Use Your Illusion, draws on the sound of Think About You, rather than much of the above.
It’s fine. Probably would be higher if I listened more closely to the lyrics. Otherwise it’s generic singer songwriter navel gazing music.
A personal favorite and an album that has value far beyond the title track.
Just can’t get into it
It’s still a vital, urgent and breakthrough album
This album may not sound fresh now, but coming in on the heels of the 90’s pop-country explosion, it was raw and gritty Americana that is one of the albums that marked a growing split between mainstream country and more rootsy country. This album, along with those form The Old 97s, Whiskeytown and a few others helps to pave the way (pun kind of intended) for Drive By Truckers, Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson and others.
Putting aside its historical significance, it’s a great album that I still find compelling.
One perfect song and a bunch of good well written but unremarkable folk songs
A great album that probably should be in more lists but doesn’t. I wonder if it is because the album cover isn’t iconic? It feels like it was thrown together without any thought.
Shockingly good. Never heard of them before.
Good example of psychedelic rock. But not a great one.
Really enjoyed this nugget of funk rock
Musically I found it much more enjoyable than I thought I would. Kanye may be nuts but he’s got talented.
Lyrically though the personal level of anger can be wearing - and I like angry heavy metal! But this feels so directly angry and specifically mean spirited and insulting it can be a bit exhausting. But I would listen to again.
Enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Some good stuff.
Meh
“Tennessee” is an amazing song and there’s good moments but in total it doesn’t hit me as much as others.
Freedom 90 is a perfect pop song though
The two well known songs are so different from the rest!
I keep listening to them and keep not “getting” the Beastie Boys. Most of their stuff feels like really good novelty songs. Then there’s the great stuff, like Sabotage on this album, but even that feels a bit over the top.
This blew me away. Listened to it twice. His voice reminds me of Roger Waters. It’s trippy and airy and dirty and dreamy and gnarly all at the same time.
Literally more than half the album and classic rock radio staples. It’s amazing. And not just the guitar heroics - the range of music is remarkable.
Didn’t like it as much as others from them but still good.
Love me some good garage rock
Several outstanding songs
Good background stuff. Well done.
A personal favorite
Not sure if there is another band with a bigger delta between how well liked they are and how little I understand the appeal.
This is Korn for people who are scared by actual menacing heavy metal. Rap for people who need their music to sound bland and white. Rock for Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC fans who want to think they are bad asses.
The production is overwrought and heavy handed. The lyrics are like what you would find in a high schoolers diary. The songwriting and structure are predictable, sloppy and cheesy.
I can usually find redeeming qualities in the most saccharine of pop music confections and popular wide appealing music, but this feels like heavy metal done by a committee and focus groups to provide the widest appeal possible.
This is in here because it sold a lot of records, not for quality.
Less interesting than influential
A fun and interesting listen. Not amazing though.
What an indulgent unmelodic and nearly unlistenable mess.
If you want to know why U2 are global superstars, listen to The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby.
If you want to know why those were so radical for them and understand the rawness that appealed to early fans, and their political heart, listen to this.
Sonically I find it a two, maybe a one. It’s uninteresting to me.
Lyrically it is literally and figuratively provocative. It comes from an underrepresented audience.
An interesting nugget of Britpop from the 90s. Almost a four star
Very listenable but not memorable
I’d make the argument that this is one of the best debut albums ever. And “She talks to angels” is one of the best written a beautiful rock ballads ever.
Not bad but incredibly uninteresting
Enjoyed this more than I expected given there’s no well known singles on it.
No.
I listened to this back to back with “Low” from David Bowie, which isn’t exactly top 40 pop listenable stuff. But the difference is stark - Bowie manages to say something that feels like a complete, mature statement that is art.
These guys sound like a bunch of high schoolers who could be good if they stopped fucking around in the studio. It’s immature and weird for the sake of being weird, not for the sake of advancing art or making a statement. Theres enough glimmers of talent that I won’t give it a one star but it’s close.
It’s a three overall and a five in terms of influence with two amazing well know songs. So I’ll average it out to four.
Completely and utterly timeless. Musical perfection.
Considering this came out in 1985, it feels so modern and fresh. A surprising hit with me.
Not my thing overall though the hits are great.
Not filled with his most popular songs but strong from start to finish and still sounds vital.
I can’t tell if this is brilliance, mediocrity, or indulgent trash. Maybe all of it? It’s surprisingly good to listen to and you can hear a lot of sounds that echo through other bands when you consider when it came out. But I can see why I never heard of it before this list.
This is surprisingly good and entertaining. Sent me on a deeper dive on him and his music.
Liked it a lot and went digging deeper. But not a classic.
The definition of AOR. Fun but inoffensive but good to listen to.
It’s not only a remarkable album but I think it represents a turn towards a more raw sound that was more widely reflected in Tracy Chapman’s album from the same year, but was surrounded by polished arena rock, hair metal and boy band pop on the top selling albums. It’s one of those things that isn’t directly connected, but it is the fertilizer in the soil that allowed grunge and alternative to the explode a few years later.
Listen, I’m already a big fan. Seen them 13 times and it would have been 15 if they hadn’t cancelled their last tour.
But putting that aside, this is a slab of 70s rock goodness that is fueled by drunkenness, drugs and debauchery. It’s dark and raw and I’ve always felt like it had a polished messiness to it. Amazing riffs supporting sleazy and sexy lyrics. It’s the type of stuff that inspires air guitar playing and teens to pick up an actual instrument and start a band, which this album certainly did.
It’s a perfect example of that mid 70s hard rock sound that led to Van Halen and built off of Led Zep, and the Stones.
Come on Eileen is a song everyone should hear. Not sure if this album is one that everyone needs to hear. It’s enjoyable but not amazing.
Damn good metal album that is a great example of the thrash genre
Very solid album that I may very well listen to again but also not the most amazing piece of electronica nor an all-time classic.
This only has two stays because of the title track which is a stone cold classic pop song that is a total ear worm. The rest of the album is teenage diary poems drivel lyrics. No one needs to hear anything other than the title track.
A couple of good songs but the rest just reaffirms the magic that John and Paul had together along with the rest of the Beatles. Listen to the popular songs not the album.
I may like it better than the Zoso (Led Zeppelin 4) album
This feels like the type of music that falls into this category:
Q: How do you know someone is a fan of The Devine Comedy?
A: they tell you. Over and over and over again as they insist on how great it is.
Listen, this is bad. It is clever. It is beautifully arranged and produced. But after a few songs, the joke gets old and repetitive.
Fans of this think that SNL had one good season - the first. Liked SCTV more and if you ask about their favorite Monty Python sketch, they say something obscure and look down with disdain at the popular ones.
I’ve listened to this album a few times and it always hits me with its dark beauty but when you put it in the context of 1979 (!!!) it’s absolutely remarkable. The Cure doesn’t exist without this. Sludge metal doesn’t. I’m not sure if grunge does either. Neither does half of 90s alternative. Worth listening to and paying attention to every detail.
Not his most iconic work but enjoyable
A second proper listen really helped. A great piece of music with powerful songwriting.
It’s like the Eels but without the weirdness which just makes it boring and unremarkable. I don’t know how anyone could get excited about it. I use Apple Music and usually when there is an album or artist I haven’t heard of on here, the write up reveals something that informs me as to why it’s important. Neither the album nor the band have any wrote up at all. It not bad, it just doesn’t need to be heard before you die by any stretch of the imagination.
It’s not quite an all time classic but well worth a listen as one the top ones in the next level down in his catalog and 70s rock in general. But he has some stronger albums. Tiny Dancer is amazing though.
Sounds like something you’re supposed to like. The weird cover sums it up well - roughly done, incoherent and artsy in an amateur way.
Good. Not classic. Certainly not elite. And not even their best or most interesting. This gets a three. El Camino would/will get a four.
This album has a lot weight around it form a legendary standpoint. The songwriting is beautiful. Dylan’s voice, as almost always, is bizarre. But he manages to take deep songwriting, an impenetrable voice and sparse musicality and make it accessible.
Fantastic album. I think it technically give it 4.5 stars.
This is better than I remember. For me, U2 is a three album band: War, Joshua Tree, and Achtung. And what a remarkable three albums they all are. Around them are a bunch of uneven but often band shifting albums with the occasional remarkable song.
With All That You Can’t Leave Behind, U2 technically finds their future voice that becomes more consistent but a little less interesting. Some really solid tunes but none of the edgy excitement from earlier efforts. I couldn’t tell you if all the singles off this album were from this any of the next five. Beautiful Day and Elevation are classics at this point.
An album that shows the power of hip hop/rap, is entertaining, and accessible enough for the non fan to understand the artistry and power.
Doesn’t exactly blow you out of the water but it’s pleasant.
It’s hard to do a fresh objective listen to this and separate it from the legacy of it. But maybe for that reason along it deserved five stars so that you can listen to it and decide if you think all the hubbub is worth it. It is a remarkable album still and even more amazing considering when it came out and how inventive it was. The songwriting is great but the production is amazing. George Martin is as much of a her in this as any of the Beatles.
Couldn’t listen to the actual album but listened to enough know what they are about. Nothing terrible. Nothing compelling.
Moody. Weird. But still listenable. Not sure if it’s a must listen but you should listen to something like this at least once. Hudson Line really hit me as a great song.
Trying to check my white classic rock star preference here, this is still a must listen. It’s a bridge between old school rock, hard rock, psychedelic rock and even prog rock. You can hear the inspirations for everything Sabbath to Led Zeppelin to Rush to King Crimson and Pink Floyd echoing through it, all of which followed quickly on the heels of this.
I really like The Who and the best known songs from this album are classics. And some of the deep tracks are gems. But the concept feels dated and high school humor silly now.
A good if uninteresting album. Good next deep dive into shoegaze id you want it.
An amazing piece of 90s rock that transcends the grunge era. Even the overplayed stuff is good.
A perfect jazz album accompanied by being so unique
The vocals are shrill and harsh. The music lacks melody or cohesion. I think the songwriting is great. But the lack of interesting musicality undermines it all. It feels indulgent and purposefully obtuse. I can’t imagine listening to this and being like “this is what I need more of!” Things like this make me appreciate artists who challenge norms yet make interest and good music - like Tori Amos, David Byrne, David Bowie, PJ Harvey, etc.
Escaped the 1 star realm only because the songwriting is strong and I think there’s some legitimate artistry here. But it made it just barely.
I’d give it four and a half if I could
So many influences and contemporaries in here. Shades of Pink Floyd, Sabbath, Rush, Phish, Grateful Dead, Sonic Youth, etc etc. just a little outside the mainstream but so good. Put it on and say it’s the new Queens of the Stone Age record and a lot of people would believe you.
Simple, sparse, maybe a little under-thought but that makes it raw. An exceptional example of a person and a guitar making a remarkable sound.
A strong album but meaningful only for those diving deeper into the metal genre.
Not as strong as Thriller. Period.
Honey is a GREAT song. She’s an amazing singer. The rest of the album bores me.
An all time classic example of the blues.
Classic MTV 90s pop
I am more of a fan of studio Dead than live Dead and there’s parts of this album that reinforce that and others that make me question it.
“Dark Star” feels meandering and self-indulgent with a lot of noodling that doesn’t feel cohesive. It probably sounds good if you’re tripping on acid.
But then “Turn On Your Love Light” is a jam-filled blues number with much more energy and focused direction.
Giving this four stars because while it isn’t the most seminal album, it’s worth listening to so that you can understand what the Gratful Dead playing live were all about in their earlier days. I’m sure Deadheads will say there are better ones and maybe you should start there but this is a great picture of a particular sounds during a particular time.
Discovering all of Bowles albums has been a real joy of this project. His ability to weave perfectly crafted but interesting pop tunes in with exploratory sounds is remarkable. Even more amazing that they all hang together as an album.
Solid but interesting mainly to Van fans
Still sounds timeless and classic. I discovered this in the early 2000s and kind of thought it sounds like a lot of other stuff around at the time. Then I realized it came out in 1988. A great example of alt rock.
This was a hidden gem for me that I really enjoyed. A mix of jazz and electronics that wasn’t affected or boring or self indulgent
Beatles solo albums really reinforce and define the roles that they played in the Beatles, true or not. Paul was the master pop tunesmith, Ringo was the lighthearted silly one, George was the quiet contemplative one with virtuosic ability, and John was the artistic visionary.
This was more accessible than other Lennon solo material thanks to some well known song, including easily the most well known title track. But the deep tracks still feel a little unfocused and artsy for the sake of being artsy.
Everyone should hear the title track if they haven’t. There’s a few other songs that are worth hearing. If you’re going to pick a Lennon solo album to listen to this is probably the right choice. Plastic Ono is “technically better” arguably, but this is the most representative.
Classic voice. A lot of similar sounding songs.
Giving this three stars doesn’t mean this isn’t good - it just is a bit of a capsule of time. It’s a heck of a debut album and its impact was big but it doesn’t change the fact that the songs all sound similar and distinctly from their time period, in a limiting sort of way. There are probably more timeless collections of music from that period and better examples of hip hop/rap from that period. But if you’re digging deep this feels like a must-listen.
This is a remarkable album in my opinion. There are some truly classic songs on here and the deeper cuts are still strong. The sound is still vital and Dylan’s limited vocals probably never served the music so well as on this album. You can hear echos of music past (blues, Elvis) and yet to come (alt country rock, indie rock, even some punk overtures) throughout the whole album. It’s great on its own but within the context of its cultural impact and timing it’s even more remarkable.
A three musically. A four for the club scene it brought on people’s attention. There’s still only one truly great song on it through.
Classic glam
You have to sing it a bit for sounding dated but technically it’s timeless. If Sturgill or Stapleton or similar did this album song for song people would rave over it. You can hear a lot to come in this.
It’s a good album. Super solid. Enjoyable. Not “must listen before you die” great but really good.
If an alien landed and asked “what is rock and roll? What is hard rock?” this classic record would be a pretty good place to start. Some dark and evil sounding songs. A lot of songs about sex. A song about rock music itself. A song about sex that’s so much fun that your aunts dance to it at weddings. Great stuff and yeah, everyone should hear it all once.
Giving this three stars as it seems to be an important album in the sub genre of London grime rap music… so it’s important if you’re getting deeper into rap, hip hop and EDM. But it isn’t broadly seminal. For me personally it got a little long and repetitive but that’s more style driven than this album specifically.
Great piece of acid rock and you should hear the title track once
Two fantastic, iconic songs (the first two). One decent one pop ditty (“Cherish”) a Prince song that I didn’t realize was one and a bunch dated sounding boring pop. I fast forwarded during “Love Song” and didn’t think it worked because it sounds so the same. It’s probably 2.75. Maybe 2.5. Going with 2.
I think the legacy looms larger than some of the music.
Was doubtful at first and thought this was going to be a two star review. But it grew on my and listened to it two and a half times. Feels like a less snarky Steely Dan. Or what Dawes ripped off thirty plus years later.
Interesting proto punk stuff that is worth a listen but didn’t stick with me
It’s impact in the times is bigger than how the music has held up, especially compared to their other albums.
First few songs are actually really interesting. Even the first seven songs are good. The first three sound like the song equivalent of 80s brutalist architecture: dated, angular, not very soothing but kind of beautiful and interesting.
But the two covers of Born to Run and San Jose really take you out of it and don’t add anything to the originals.
Never really got these guys. To me it feels like Tool for people who want a less aggressive vibe and less intrigue. And arguably less interesting. It’s prog rock if it was played by the jocks to attract the chicks instead of the nerds to be complex and complicated. Drive is good tho.
I may be influenced by personal nostalgia here but I love this album. It’s a great example of style mashups that results in great songs
The actual debut album is much better
Nothing too extraordinary but it hold up tot he test of time and still sounds pretty fresh. Can hear some influence on future White Stripes in it
Really interesting as an artifact of psychedelic rock and remarkable considering the albums that came out around it. But while it’s great it feels more like a curiosity than a classic, or a classic example of a specific sub genre within a time. Three stars overall. Four stars if you’re a Pink Floyd fan. Maybe five within the world of psychedelic rock.
I actually really wanted to like this more than I did. It was more rock than I give Oasis credit for (as opposed to soft pop) but it just felt… noisy and messy in an ineffective way.
It amazes me how mainstream this was at the time.
Liked it. But not something you MUST hear.
It’s good, but not unlike the Grateful Dead, a band/genre at the other end of the spectrum, it’s probably a lot better in an altered state of mind. I enjoy listening to this at times but the repetitive nature that is inherent to the genre starts to wear on me.
A decent but relatively nondescript piece of 90s grungy pop rock. There’s nothing wrong with it but there’s nothing here I recognize (1992 was just entering a long peak music discovery for me - I was buying anything vaguely interesting to me) so the result is somewhat generic for me.
If you told me this was a collection of b-sides or outtakes from Collective Soul, Cool for August, or Tonic, I would have believed it. Probably more interesting if you’re a Husker Du or Bob Mould fan, but it isn’t something you need to hear before you die.
It’s a pop album. It’s fine.
This is what it sounds like if your weird artsy friends from high school got a record contract. Better than most could do but overly clever and not quite as good as they think they are.
This is way better than I remember it. I LOVED Siamese Dream but could never get into this album. Kind of dug it now. But still think it would have been better as a single album rather than a double.
I can’t decide if it is genius or annoying. I have listened to it - or at least started - five times. I do t think I hate it. But then I forget I’m listening to it. I think it’s good.
Fine
Good. Not outstanding.
I am just not a ska fan.
Good reminder that alternative rock didn’t start in the 90s. There was weird and eccentric shit back in the 60s too.
Definitely sounds like a move
It’s amazing to to think this came out seven months after Sgt Peppers and almost two years before Black Sabbath’s debut and a year before Led Zeppelin’s debut album. This is a must listen just for that - a relatively obscure band that gets easily forgotten made something that would still vital in an underground club show today.
The sound coming from a 1972 is what makes this worth a listen. It sounds like a lot of other bands but most of them came after Slade.
So much fun
The jump from fusion to smooth jazz is a remarkably small one but this is an example of where that smoothness associated with fusion is beneficial with a little bit of funkiness underneath
I like it better than the rating suggests but I can’t give it higher than a three as it isn’t exactly life changing. But it’s good.
Filled withIconic classic songs
A lot of this hasn’t aged well, but the songs that hit hard still do.
Kind of fun. Not iconic by a long shot. Almost gave it a four.
They are more trippy and heavier than people think
You can hear the shadows of what made his later career so great. As others said, it’s a bit of a messy combo of songs with “Solsbury Hill” and “After the flood standing out”. He’s trying to be Bowie but doesn’t quite pull it off. But interesting to hear as part of his evolution
An exciting interesting album without any particular standout songs/singles. An example of being interesting but accessible
Interesting. Kind of good college or maybe even high school rock band stuff. But not amazing.
I am a lyrics person so many non English music leaves me wanting more but this psychedelic garage rock was good and didn’t know how influential it was until now.
Still sounds fresh and vital
Listened to this in the car in mid November with my almost five year old daughter. After one or two songs she goes “daddy are you listening to Halloween music?” Which is totally fair.
This is a remarkable album given how old it is. You can hear so much future music in it. To the point where it makes some other stuff that was “breakthrough” in the 90s and 2000s feel derivative!
You have to listen at least once. An atmospheric adventurous album tha still manages to have radio hits.
Love traffic but this is a good but unremarkable album by them
A few spectacular songs
For the sake of it being a big of the singer song writer thing if the 70s. But you’re still better off listening to his greatest hits.
It’s an interesting listen that helps to connect African music directly to the blues that stemmed from it originally.
Impact-wise this is likely a five star. But even within the Run-D.M.C. catalog it may not be their most exemplary work. Highly suggest listening to it but if you had to pick a single album from the,, it’s going to be Raising Hell. But then listening to this tells you where it all started.
The bridge between the Stones, the Beatles, the Who and punk and hard rock.
The album that spawned a hundred inferior rock-rap bands. Not sure if the sub genres ever got more perfect than this - maybe Battle of Los Angeles gives it a run for its money, but I think it’s still not as strong. Not sure if a sub genres ever ever showed up in a single album so perfectly and completely.
Really enjoyed it and think it’s great. But not a groundbreaker.
What a nice hidden gem. Some funny dated stuff in there (“Gang Bang”) but I’m giving it a four in hopes more people find this interesting tidbit of 70s blues rock.
A haunting, beautiful album. Not life changing but great.
A personal favorite - I wrote a paper on it in college, and have thought long and deep about it. Bit it also isn’t an album I’ll just throw on and listen to. So I tried to listen to it with some level of objectivity.
With that, I still think it’s a remarkable piece of art. It may be the best example of how rock can be a full thought out artistic piece, from concept, to songs, to album, artwork and its associated stage performance and movie.
Is it flawless? No. But ambitious art often isn’t. The fact that some of the most obvious themes aren’t the main point - it’s not about a rock star, it’s about a system that tried to minimalise individuality and an industry that imposes expectations on its stars - makes it more ever-lasting. I saw it a while ago performed by Roger Waters and it translated well to today’s political and cultural environments.
Maybe Quadrophenia has better songs but I would say that The Wall is a more complete piece and is well worth hearing at least once and then properly listening to and absorbing across lyrics and imagery at least once as well. It rewards deep listening.
I am a metal fan but Slipknot falls into a camp of bands that I have never been able to fully get into because of the vocals. Favorite song on here was Snuff because it was the least guttural. It’s not bad but I also don’t think it’s a seminal piece in this genre or even sub genre.
Still love this album and a really good slice of that era electronica style stuff. Has held up well.
It just an amazing album that is required listening in the history of rock and pop music.
This may be influential but that doesn’t mean it’s good. It feels messy and incomplete.
An album where you hope you discover the rest of the genius who sang with the Velvet Underground.
What you discover is the singer who was very lucky to be on that album as there is no other reason for this to exist.
So damn good
The album that made ,e understand how good electronic music can be. If you don’t feel this, you’re heartless.
Underrated band that rocks more than you think
Not as strong as their others but ahead of its time
Liked it a lot but you really have to be into prog rock to love it.
That is a LOT of conga.
Precursor to Duran Duran. Not sure if better but interesting to hear the origins of the sound a few years before it broke out for other bands. Probably deserves a 3.5. Some songs move towards a 4. Some to a 2.
If you wonder if Harrison is a guitar great, listen to “Out of blue” on here.
She has a beautiful voice but this simply isn’t her best album. The fact that it’s traditional song covers makes it feel impersonal, the production and musical backing is sparse, so if you don’t care for her light trilly singing style, this will be a turn off.
First half sounded like decent psychedelic but then got weirder.
An amazing album for U2 that changed music and them. And they never reached that high level again. It feels like the culmination of decades of rock and alternative and underground music finding the forefeet balance with each other and pop accessibility. To me it feels like it encapsulates what is possible with music.
It’s like JV Nine Inch Nails
I admire the talent but it’s not for me. Liked it to begin but then starts to feel repetitive after a few songs.
I am not a RHCP fan. I think there’s a bunch of very talented musicians backing up one of the most mediocre vocalists of all time. I think I’d love them if they did just instrumentals. Then their hits - of which there are several on here - got overplayed on the radio and they sound different than their “core” sound.
If you have heard the hits you don’t need to hear the rest of it.
They are being weird and different just for the sake of being weird different
A band I was not familiar with and an album I really enjoyed. Not worthy of a five but still really great
Ways to see if someone has a soul: see if they don’t have a reflection in a mirror and see if they don’t start tapping their foot or humming to this.
One of the best albums of the 90s. There’s maybe one thro away song. The songwriting is exceptional.
More complex than it sounds, artsier than it seems and noisier than it has to be. It kind of works but there’s something about it that manages to be unique and still sound like so much else at the same time. I don’t think it is a game changing album nor do I think it is the best expression of the time or genre or approach.
I’ve decided that Brit Pop is basically English psychedelic rock with different drugs.
It’s one of my all time favorites and it is indeed an album that you should hear before you die. Its ability to combine predictable melody with improvisation is remarkable. If you give it time, you will understand why people love jazz and what makes it so wonderfully complex.
A band I would read about and think I would like. And then don’t
It is so reminiscent of many other bands that came after and from the same time. Queen, ELO, Talking Heads. I feel like if you were doing a deep diver of influential alternative music, this is a must listen, but instead it is an album of songs that other did slightly different and maybe better and became more popular. Technically give it 2.5 stars.
This is an album that opens my world to rap and hip hop. I can feel the flow and the urgency and passion. If you don’t “get it” try this.
One extra star for it being Frank Zappa and having influence. Otherwise has not stood the test of time.
Initial reaction is that it sounded like an Oasis cover brand trying to do originals. Then I realized that it predates Oasis’ debut. I missed the whole BritPop thing and find it all mildly entertaining but not very exciting with the exception of the well known singles. The fact that it came out before Oasis and is at the start of the movement gives it an extra star for me.
I’m calling it. Brit Pop is just overrated.
It’s one of those albums that does fall into the “you must hear it before you die” category, even if it is just to see what all the fuss is about. I agreee with the prevailing trend of the last decade or so to put this above Sgt Peppers or the White Album. SPLHCB is too conceptual and psychedelic while The White Album is too experimental. Rubber Soul shows their full capabilities while having a high level of remarkable and well known songs.
A testament to how patient labels were with bands back then. It’s good but it still doesn’t sound like them.
Such an overrated band
I am a metal fan but lean towards more melodic stuff - Tool, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Soundgarden, AIC, Ozzy, Judas Priest, Metallica, etc. Harsh, screaming vocals never really appealed to me and that’s my turn off here. It is quite inventive though by mixing genres and is seminal for those who like it.
A seminal album of 90s rock and a breakthrough for female rockers.
Holy boring Batman.
I really hate reggae
An album that pushed heavy metal into the mainstream. Not for the first time. Not for the last time. It it made it appealing to a whole new audience and it still stands up. Not their heaviest or fastest but damn good.
It literally sounds like Iggy Pop singing a David Bowie album. Which makes sense since Bowie produced it. It grew on me though.
Enjoyable but not outstanding
If you are a fan of late 60s blues rock, like the stones, yardbirds, the Bluesbreakers etc, you will love this album.
Is it better than any of those? Nope. Is it good? Yes. Is it something you need to hear before you die? No. Is it a great example of a deeper cut of a specific subgenre? Yes
Perfectly fine and pretty mope pop. If it’s your thing you’ll love it. Nothing stood out for me and kept forgetting I was listening to something.
Kinda sounds like generic alt rock now. Likely influential on other bands later who perfected it.
A new favorite jazz album
I think there’s some lyrical genius in here but I can’t get into it with all the various noises and interruptions and the lack of melody
A good piece of 80s pop that has one iconic song (Karma Chameleon) and one underrated one (Church of the Poisoned Mind), but the rest is solid but less memorable.
Just kind of middling sad mopey pop rock.
Angry and potent.
Listen to the first song and you can see such a direct influence on something recent. So direct I had to search it and confirm. But the ending of Bad Bunny”s half time show was directly inspired by plastic.
Really great sounding album even if you don’t understand the lyrics and a major milestone in the genre. I wasn’t familiar with it but I can see why.
This is a five star for its impact. Listen to it twice. Think about very noise rock or messy spoken word interlude you’ve heard. Or fuzzed out weird song. It traces in part back to here.
I don’t find a band more enigmatic thank Echo and The Bunnymen. They look large in 80s music but without a truly major hit. And they sound like a lot of other artists, but they are a band that when you look at when albums were release you realize that their influence was deeply felt. It’s an enjoyable listen but rated higher for influence and quality than iconic songs.
There some heavier bands. Some faster bands. Some “darker” bands but I don’t think anyone achieved that combination with an incredible dose of anger better than Korn. It can be uncomfortable to listen to, it so angry. And the fact that they achieved pretty broad success is a testament to the quality of writing and performing. This isn’t my favorite album but is a great example of turn of the century nu-metal
I have now listened to it three times. It’s not bad but it literally all sounds the same. It’s like listening to one long song. Likely deserves 2.5.
I really want to like the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion but too much of it is just sloppy versions of things other do better. A song like “Rocketship” feels like the best they can get - rootsy raw rock that has a melody and a beat. The rest feels like your friend in a local band that is good enough to go see and cheer on but glad when it’s over.
The shadow of this album looms large. And the pervasiveness of some keys songs makes it easy to take for granted. But listen to it closely and consider the context of the band and the times and you can understand why it is so big. And it does still hold up. “Eleanor Rigby” is a damn depressing song that manages to be catchy.
A personal favorite. For me it’s a five star but realistically it’s a four star album.
It can be a thin line between consistency and boring. This one crosses it several times. I didn’t realize the second song had started. It’s not bad - just not required listening
There are better, more original examples of this type of music out there. It’s fun but it is still derivative of things that came 10-30 years before without adding much to it.
A personal favorite but I still like other albums from him better
The first song is amazing. And I think there’s great but not necessarily iconic expressions of 70s disco/funk/soul in the rest of the album.
This starts to sound like a lot of other alternative music… then you realize it’s because this came out in 1978 and was so influential. REM took it and made it more radio friendly. The Cure made it darker. Radiohead made it weirder. Jane’s Addiction and PJ Harvey simply did their version of it. Listen this to understand them.
Sounds like a lot of other bands from the era. Most of which did it better. The Eels. Super Furry Animals. Wilco.
It’s all good but not memorable
One of my most personally influential albums. This was absolutely formative for me in my youth. So I’m eschewing my own rules of five stars being only for those albums that you must hear and giving it five stars.
That being said it is likely worth at least three if not an easy four as it is a remarkable achievement in terms of them getting a second act in the bands career and for me, this is their peak. Other albums were more popular but this balanced their sleazy rock with broad appeal. It’s up there with Rocks and Toys as their best.
My favorite things I’ve heard from Zappa. I may understand his musical genius now. It’s an amazing album that straddles rock, blues, psychedelia, jazz and more. The musicianship is astonishing.
It challenges you. And it changed things. It’s art. But not pop art.
Listen - it may be weird and challenging but that doesn’t make it good music. There are other who came before and after them who managed to be weird and challenging but also melodic and good to listen to.
Great early 2000s rock revival rock
Kinda interesting and an example of where a pinnacle of a very specific subgenre can result in a broadly OK album.
Uninspiring 80s pop rock
Who listens to this and enjoys it?
Couple of great songs.
Guess it’s a pretty good example of this style and a meaningful album in general. Technically rebellious though the sound became associated with anything but that.
The music is fantastic but the songwriting… it feels so harshly and blatantly personal, that it seems like we shouldn’t be allowed to hear it. Pay attention and there’s dark and disturbing stuff. But it’s made palatable by Tori’s piano playing and singing. I can see where some get turned off by the composition of things but I find it to be the right balance of unconventional and enjoyable.
It has a lot of emotional baggage from its legacy but damn the music holds up. The fact that most people still think the title song is a patriotic anthem speaks to the brilliance of the writing and music. There’s dark, deep and complex stuff in the lyrics, made enjoyable by the musicality of it. Is Bruce the best singer ever? Oh hell no. But he make up for it in emotion and passion. Plus there’s some truly iconic songs on this album.
Riders on the storm is a really amazing song. LA Woman has always been a favorite as is The Wasp. Then you have Love Her Madly. Grassy stuff.
Till a remarkable blues album and a great picture of the moment in time when the blues were influencing so much. Plus the sheer legend of the album itself.
Weird, aggressive, clever, angry, funny, annoying, inspiring. Some of Kanye’s vocals start to sound repetitive in style and the music and production is nuanced enough that you need to pay attention to catch the differences song to song, even though it’s all in your face.
I always assumed Coldplay only ripped off Oasis and U2. Now I know they also ripped off Travis.
What it would sound like if Coldplay tried to do a punk album
Really enjoyed this.
So dated sounding and her style of singing feels like she’s trying too hard. A few decent songs saves it.
