Journey in Progress
Discovering music one album at a time
320
Albums Rated
3.54
Avg Rating
23
5-Star Albums
29%
Complete
769 albums remaining
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2.9
Per Week
776
Days Active
Reviews
318
Written
99%
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vs Global
0.22
Avg Diff
3.54
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1-Star Albums
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You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday Night Music Club | 5 | 3.05 | +1.95 |
| Dirty | 5 | 3.11 | +1.89 |
| If I Should Fall From Grace With God | 5 | 3.34 | +1.66 |
| My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy | 5 | 3.42 | +1.58 |
| Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere | 5 | 3.55 | +1.45 |
| Moving Pictures | 5 | 3.59 | +1.41 |
| Black Holes and Revelations | 5 | 3.59 | +1.41 |
| Morrison Hotel | 5 | 3.6 | +1.4 |
| The United States Of America | 4 | 2.61 | +1.39 |
| To Pimp A Butterfly | 5 | 3.61 | +1.39 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway | 1 | 3.08 | -2.08 |
| The Cars | 2 | 3.67 | -1.67 |
| After The Gold Rush | 2 | 3.64 | -1.64 |
| On The Beach | 2 | 3.47 | -1.47 |
| Get Behind Me Satan | 2 | 3.42 | -1.42 |
| The Fat Of The Land | 2 | 3.4 | -1.4 |
| Blue Lines | 2 | 3.38 | -1.38 |
| Doggystyle | 2 | 3.37 | -1.37 |
| Songs Of Leonard Cohen | 2 | 3.37 | -1.37 |
| Endtroducing..... | 2 | 3.35 | -1.35 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums and high weighted score
| Artist | Albums | Avg | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radiohead | 6 | 4.33 | 3.89 |
| The Doors | 2 | 5 | 3.8 |
| Johnny Cash | 3 | 4.33 | 3.67 |
5-Star Albums (23)
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Popular Reviews
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Very poetic and biblical album. Somber throughout. I feel like I could get something more out of it if I sat down and analyzed the lyrics, but most of it was lost on my on a first listen. The singing itself was pretty unsatisfying, so I didn't get much out of this one on this listen.
1 likes
Sonic Youth
5/5
Incredible album. I love how dynamic it is. I love how they alternate from a male to female vocalist throughout the songs. I didn't immediately love Sonic Youth when I first heard them a few years ago, but this one was definitely an A+ album from them.
1 likes
1-Star Albums (1)
All Ratings
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
A beautiful voice, and a great live album. I enjoyed the intimacy of the environment, and loved how Sarah Vaughan was clearly a little nervous but still just flawlessly improvising.
Sigur Rós
3/5
I enjoyed this album a lot while I was in my car driving at night. I think it really shined in that context, but I wasn't super enjoying it when I was just listening to it at work.
Talking Heads
3/5
I enjoyed the album, and I'm glad I listened to it, but it's not really my cup of tea. I'm glad that this site made me listen to it.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Glad I listened to it, not my cup of tea
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
Very enjoyable album, glad I listened
The Doors
5/5
Absolute classic.
Alice In Chains
4/5
Really good, just not my favorite.
Marianne Faithfull
2/5
I really didn't like this one.
New Order
3/5
It was a fun one, I could see myself listening to this again.
Funkadelic
4/5
A classic. Couldn't listen to it on Spotify, but I actually listened to a lot of it live this year. Found a few songs on YouTube.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
The benchmark for all five star ratings
Metallica
4/5
Pretty good, but I got sick of it fast.
Girls Against Boys
3/5
Listenable, but not memorable. Pretty close to a four; I might re-listen.
Raekwon
2/5
I didn't like this one very much, none of the songs really stuck.
Throbbing Gristle
3/5
At first, I thought I would really hate this album. The first song won me over about halfway through; but I still didn't love every song. Still a very cool album.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
It's a fun album.
Elvis Presley
4/5
Very good album, would listen to many of them again
The Pogues
5/5
Love it, going to add this to the rotation.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Not my type of music, but I liked listening to the whole thing.
Magazine
4/5
A solid album, very british
Tears For Fears
5/5
Really good, a classic.
De La Soul
3/5
It had some bops, but I don't think I'll listen to it again.
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
Extremely grating at times. I can't say that they weren't absolutely cooking at points. But I did not like it, and I would need to be paid to listen to it again. This was the first album where I was unsure if I could actually make it through.
Erykah Badu
4/5
Very well-produced, had some bops. I enjoyed it. Consistent start to finish.
The Modern Lovers
2/5
Not a big fan of this one
The Doors
5/5
Really good album, I had only heard the hits before.
Pretenders
4/5
Very good album, raunchy most of the way through
The Smiths
3/5
I always thought that I hated The Smiths, and I still kind of do, but this one felt a lot more tolerable than what I'm used to. I'm not sure if it was some of the earlier albums I listened to making this sound better in comparison, or if my tastes have changed.
The Notorious B.I.G.
4/5
Great album, I wish that there was a cut of it without any skits.
Suede
4/5
I enjoyed this one quite a bit; definitely a style of BritPop that I can actually appreciate.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
There were some good songs, but the album as a whole didn't really stick.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Really good album, still don't like "Stronger Than Me" but every other song was fine
3/5
Didn't connect with me as much as other music from The Kinks
The Allman Brothers Band
4/5
Love this album, already had it on rotation
The Soft Boys
3/5
I'm not going to listen to all of the bonus tracks, but the few I did listen to almost sounded better than the original album. Didn't leave much of an impression
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
It grew on me over time, and I definitely liked some of the beats.
Yes
3/5
You can tell that they're all very fine musicians and just having fun out there. Some of the lyrics sounded really stupid, and I had no idea what they were trying to say, but it didn't stop them from being fun to listen to. Maybe if I didn't understand English, I would appreciate this band more.
Ryan Adams
4/5
I hadn't heard of this artist before, but I did enjoy listening to the album.
Songhoy Blues
3/5
I enjoyed the album, but probably won't revisit it
Def Leppard
4/5
It's a very fun album, and I find that I've been enjoying listening to these classic rock bands in standalone album form. I've heard them so much on the radio as a kid, that it can take a different context to engage more with the music as more than just background noise.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
That was a slick album. Liked it front to back. I generally really like movie soundtrack albums.
OutKast
4/5
It was a really good, though long, basically double album. I liked the Christmas themes in the second part, and the skits were generally more palatable/hilarious than other hip-hop albums. I thought that "Hey Ya!" kind of stuck out from the other songs around it, sounding significantly different. Then again, there was a lot of variance among other songs on the album.
Beatles
4/5
Full of great songs, and I don't think I had heard this one in album form before. Really good, but not quite a five for me.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
I listened to this album on a day where it really wasn't vibing with me. I would actually be interested in revisiting it when I'm in a different mood. The first few songs weirded me out with the lyrics.
Emmylou Harris
4/5
Great album, some very good songwriting. I wasn't sure what to expect with the red dirt reference, but I'm pretty sure that Harris isn't really tapping into "Red Dirt Country" as a music genre.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Solid album. For some reason I wasn't very excited to listen to it based on the name / cover art, but I do really enjoy the first couple of songs. For the most part, not my favorite, but the musicianship is good enough to warrant a four.
Janelle Monáe
4/5
Really good album, very imaginative. She does a good job of using her vocal skill to make actual bops, rather than just showing off.
The Kinks
4/5
Very smooth album, pretty good start to finish. I wish I had the time to actually figure out what they're singing about half the time, but I don't think that I do. Some songs were easier to figure out than others.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
4/5
Really good album, can't believe I hadn't heard it before. Definitely warrants some re-listens, and will go on by Blues album rotation. Could definitely tell they were channeling B.B. King heavily at times.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
I have trouble getting through this album, but I can't deny its historical significance. I don't necessarily have a negative feeling about it, I just also don't have a positive feeling about it.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Can't beat this album. One of the best, and I feel like the songs are some of the metal songs that really connected with me the most as a kid.
Radiohead
4/5
Really good album. I have been meaning to listen to the Radiohead albums for a long time, but I don't think they were on Spotify before. This is going to be a lot of fun. I unsuccessfully tried to listen to this album on my run with my earbuds, and realized that it was pointless. I needed good headphones to experience this.
Eagles
4/5
The hits are just as awesome as I remember. I didn't feel like I got as much out of the rest of the songs that I hadn't heard before. The start and end leave put it on track for a five, but the middle brings it down.
Lorde
4/5
Great album. I only recognized the first song, but I am glad that I listened to the rest of them. I was surprised that the rest of them were so popular as well, since I don't remember hearing them on the radio.
Willie Nelson
3/5
Solid album, I liked the feel of the album though I do not think I would listen to many of the songs individually.
ABBA
4/5
I thought most of the songs were great in context, with the characteristic weirdness of ABBA.
Various Artists
2/5
It has some all-time great Christmas songs on it, but feels especially grimy with Spector's name all over it. It's clearly just another way of downplaying the acts and performers he used, in order to keep them reliant on him.
Peter Frampton
4/5
Really good live album, worth listening to as a package. Wish I had listened in one sitting.
The White Stripes
2/5
It was too minimalist for me, and I didn't enjoy a lot of the alternative percussion. I went in expecting something heavier based on the album title, so maybe I would have a different experience if I knew what to expect.
Finley Quaye
4/5
Really enjoyed this album, will probably listen to more of this artist.
Frank Ocean
4/5
I enjoyed this album quite a bit. It is by no means my favorite music, but I might incorporate it into music I drive to sometimes.
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
Really nice album, glad I listened to it. Love the piano.
The La's
3/5
I appreciated some parts of the album, but for the most part I didn't want to be listening to it. I would call it above average BritPop for my personal taste.
fIREHOSE
4/5
A pleasant surprise of an album, and one I definitely wouldn't have listened to without this site. Always appreciate solid technique from a punk group. Will need to re-listen to figure out what tracks stand out by themselves.
AC/DC
4/5
The songs really rock, and it is clearly a great album, but it still doesn't fully connect with me. I think I would want to hear AC/DC live, as sometimes the potency of these radio hits is reduced when you hear them as background music your whole life.
The Last Shadow Puppets
4/5
I appreciate the album and love the artist. It doesn't knock my socks off, but it is a good album front-to-back. I'm split between three and four, but I'm feeling generous since I do actually enjoy/listen to this music normally.
Rush
5/5
Easy 5, peak Rush and always a fun album to listen to.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
I like the consistent vibe of the album, and I think it is a good choice for many situations, like driving in the rain. I just listened to it at work, and didn't particularly enjoy it, also because of the tone. I don't want to just hand out fours, so I'll go with three, but I'm glad I listened to it.
Coldplay
4/5
Really good album. I'm used to some of the songs from playing their orchestral arrangements, so it was nice to listen to them in their natural habitat.
Nina Simone
3/5
A very operatic album with great vocals and piano. Not really to my taste, but I'm glad I listened to it.
Michael Kiwanuka
3/5
Pretty fun album. I'm surprised it was so off of my radar. I'm glad that I listened to it.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
A really good jazz album, I enjoyed it the whole way through. It was a jam.
Sebadoh
2/5
Good lord, some of those songs were bad. I normally like harmonica, but ideally the player would know how to play the harmonica. I had to take a few breaks during this album. High highs and low lows. I do appreciate some chaos, but when I actively don't like what I'm hearing, I just can't rate it highly.
Nitin Sawhney
4/5
Extremely impressive album. I happened to watch Oppenheimer a few days before listening, which definitely felt uncanny at times. Will be saving for future listenings.
Wu-Tang Clan
3/5
It doesn't land as hard as Liquid Swords did for me, but I did start to enjoy the latter half of the album. I started making a couple of connections between the two albums, but the lyrics didn't spark a lot of thought; it was mostly just vibes.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Very fun album, flows together really well. I hadn't listened to most of these before.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
Nice, laid back jazz album.
Adam & The Ants
3/5
Not necessarily good, but weird enough to earn a three instead of a two.
R.E.M.
4/5
Full of absolute bangers. I don't listen to R.E.M. often enough.
Fleet Foxes
4/5
Great album, so many good songs that I keep coming back to.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Incredible album, and this was the first time I listened to it in album format. I know a lot of people that would give it a five, but I'm giving it a solid, safe 4; possibly the most solid four so far.
Talking Heads
4/5
Fun album. It took me about half of the album to get into the right mindset.
Otis Redding
4/5
Great album, I like it front to back. One of the few on this list I've listened to in album format in the past.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
A lot of fun, easily a four. I enjoyed it just as much as "Songs in the Key of Life", which is saying something.
Minutemen
3/5
Not bad, but very difficult to listen to. Usually, such a skilled band is not difficult to listen to for me, but the song length being taken to the extreme factors in a lot.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
Great album, and I had never heard any of the songs before, to my knowledge. Will need to snag myself a download of this one, since it is not on Spotify.
Meat Loaf
4/5
Love this album, so powerful from start to finish. I think I heard it for the first time a year ago, and it only seemed better this time.
The Prodigy
4/5
Really fun electronic album, good from start to finish.
Queen
3/5
Solid Queen album, but it didn't stand out as much as others. Not much sticks with me from my first listen.
The Kinks
3/5
Bold album, and the highs were pretty good. Still, not the sort of thing that I actively want to listen to.
4/5
Fun album, thoroughly enjoyed listening to it.
Brian Eno
3/5
Interesting songs that I wouldn't necessarily listen to again
Steely Dan
3/5
I cannot deny that the music absolutely jams at times. I even enjoy a few of these songs, usually. However, the songs often come across as infuriating/annoying, mostly because of the vocals. Overall, I think it's good in moderation. Unfortunately, Spotify does not understand this at the moment, and Steely Dan is my most skipped artist.
Joan Armatrading
3/5
I didn't hate it, but I didn't want to be listening to it and am glad it's over.
Ray Charles
4/5
Good album, warrants a re-listen
Jane's Addiction
3/5
It took a while to be in the mood to listen to this album, but it was good once I got there.
FKA twigs
3/5
It had a few good moments that I appreciated, but it is not something that I would seek out listening to again; not that it was unpleasant. I honestly don't know what genre of music this is.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
This one surprised me and was very enjoyable. I must like dance music more than I thought I did.
The Only Ones
2/5
Why is this even a thing. I didn't hate all of the instrumentals, but could not stand the vocals. The instrumentals were still just a three maximum at rare times. The rhythm of the vocals was kinda cool at times, but not cool enough for me to enjoy listening to it.
Garbage
4/5
Very fun album, I liked it start to finish. My favorite from this album generator in a while. "Only Happy When It Rains" is definitely a jam, and my favorite from the album.
The Strokes
3/5
The highs were as high as I remember, but I didn't really like the album front-to-back.
Frank Zappa
4/5
Absolutely love the first half of the album, and I honestly used to love "The Gumbo Variations" as well. These days, the second half is pretty rough to listen to, but not completely unpleasant. Still a big fan of the album.
Violent Femmes
4/5
Impressive album. I didn't realize who this artist was until now, but made the connection after that first song. I've had them on my list to explore for a while. Quite a few songs on this album were pretty good.
The xx
3/5
Sheryl Crow
5/5
test
Marvin Gaye
3/5
It grew on me a bit over time, but I thought the first half was pretty mid. It kind of came across as music for a charity concert for a while. I did enjoy the last few songs.
Janis Joplin
5/5
Great album start to finish. I hadn't listened to the full thing before, so I'm glad I found it through here.
Soft Machine
3/5
Pretty enjoyable album, all things considered. I usually liked the start of each song, but did not have the endurance to really appreciate the album all in one go. It took a few breaks to get through. There were a few breaks in the songs that felt like they just totally switched directions.
Fairport Convention
4/5
Another album with some fun violin parts. I appreciated how chill it was; the stories were nice to listen to without taking too seriously. I'll probably listen to more of this band's work.
King Crimson
3/5
It had some moments that were very good, but it was certainly an active listen. Loved some of the violin parts. The start of the album was not my favorite.
Jimmy Smith
4/5
Great album, was super fun to listen to all the way through.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
It was a good listen, and is overall some pretty good background music
Paul Simon
4/5
Has some all-time classics on it, and is filled out with some weird but okay songs. Giving it a four since the highs are so high, and there was at least one gem that I hadn't heard before listening to the whole album.
Neil Young
2/5
It wasn't really my thing, but maybe I just need a little more time with it.
Gorillaz
4/5
Great album, start to finish. I did not actually the Gorillaz had been going for that long.
Joy Division
3/5
It grew on me over the course of the album. Warrants a second listen.
Hüsker Dü
4/5
This is quite a long album, but I enjoyed most songs start to finish. Not sure if I've actually heard this band before. The cover art is kind of egregious. As with any 20-song album, it got a bit monotonous over time, but there was at least some degree of variation from song to song.
The Thrills
4/5
This album was really good, and a little mysterious. I am still a little confused by the premise, but they really nailed the sound. Never would have learned about this one without the albums generator.
Depeche Mode
3/5
I liked a lot of the songs. Part of the middle of the album fell flat, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one.
Alanis Morissette
4/5
Pretty hardcore album, really good. I am kind of burnt out on the radio hits from this one, but I thoroughly enjoyed the other songs on the album.
The Undertones
3/5
Hilarious album cover, and there are some pretty good songs in there.
Leftfield
4/5
Super fun electronic album. I am definitely adding it to my rotation for this sort of music.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
An awesome album. It had some great songs all the way through, and I only recognized one or two.
Paul Simon
4/5
Great album, has some classics on it. I hadn't heard the cultural appropriation complaints until reading the reviews section, so I guess I'll investigate those a bit more.
Duran Duran
4/5
Great album, loved the energy throughout. The album cover reminds me of Desire from Sandman.
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
I'm sure that it is historically important, and I do appreciate some of their other music. This album felt super lame, though. It was really slow, and the lyrics were pretty bland.
George Harrison
3/5
Definitely a very bloated album. I appreciate a lot of the songs musically, but the many of the lyrics sort of creeped me out.
Genesis
1/5
I did not want to listen to this album, but I did anyway. I did not appreciate needing to hear about erogenous zones so much; the whole album was really horny. Glad I never need to listen to this again.
The Clash
4/5
Very thick and versatile album. Not what I was expecting from what I had heard of it before, but the sound was really good through the different genres.
B.B. King
5/5
Great live album, one of my all time favorites.
DJ Shadow
2/5
The album wasn't grating to listen to, but it was just not my cup of tea. Extremely repetitive, and to be honest I don't really understand the language that DJs are trying to speak to me in.
2/5
Interesting concept, and not completely pointless to listen to, but I don't think it belongs on the list.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
3/5
Cool concept for an album. Album cover is appropriately creepy. I could not really understand the majority of the lyrics, and felt like I would appreciate it more if I had those in hand.
Billy Joel
4/5
Definitely a hit-heavy album. I do like a lot of these songs individually. I personally still prefer them as singles, and didn't really think that the album format really enhanced the body of work. Like, I was pretty tired of Billy Joel by song 3. That said, it seems criminal to give it less than a four.
Pearl Jam
5/5
Legendary album, it always blows me away how good the first half of it is. This is my third or fourth time listening to it this year.
The Black Keys
3/5
Some of the better pop music out there. I didn't really love the second half of the album with less hits, though it was still fine to listen to.
Neil Young
2/5
Kind of lame and way too mopey. Could have used a few more months before getting another Neil Young album on this list.
N.W.A.
3/5
Interesting due to its historical significance, but I'm not going to regularly listen to it. Pretty over-the-top last track in terms of being offensive; I really didn't notice too much out of the ordinary before that point, but I also wasn't paying too close of attention.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
Super fun album, I really like a lot of these songs. The first song I thought really sucked, but after that point it got going pretty strong. Hadn't heard those demo tracks before, but it was kind of cool to listen to them once.
Radiohead
4/5
Pretty bold, and a few of the songs really grabbed my attention. I still wasn't in the right headspace to listen to this one at the time, so I really want to listen a few more times.
Korn
3/5
I hadn't listened to much Korn before, so I definitely learned a lot on this album. It felt very dirty to listen to, and there were a few bops. Don't think I'm really a fan though.
Mike Oldfield
4/5
I enjoyed these songs quite a bit, and had a lot of fun with each of them. Still felt like an album, due to how much the songs changed over time; they were basically multi-songs.
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
That was gold. I want to buy this one now. Would be a great album to have around.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
The first couple of songs were great, but I really couldn't stand "By the Time I Get to Phoenix". I listened to the deluxe version, which included the single version of this song. What I don't get is, they cut 12 minutes of monologue from the single version, and I have no idea what was missing; there was still an obscenely long monologue at the start of the song. Once the song started, it was fine; but the song still just invalidates the album as a standalone thing I'd want to listen to.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Great album, start to finish. Great vibes for the fall.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
4/5
Quite enjoyed this album. It was only a matter of time before I stumbled on Beefheart; surprisingly hadn't listened to much of him before. Listenable with some great musicianship.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Musically satisfying front-to-back, and Dusty's vocals are really great. The lyrics get a bit repetitive, and you can tell that they were following some formula to try to get a hit, and in this case succeeded.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Started off strong, but seemed pretty boring by the end. Just not my kind of music.
Muddy Waters
4/5
Great album, solid tunes the whole way through. First track was definitely still the best. "The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock and Roll" seemed like the weakest one to me; just a little bit too simplistic, but then again you had to appreciate Muddy Waters himself singing it.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Loved all of the songs that I knew from the album, and still could appreciate some of the ones I hadn't heard before. The Mr. Clean reference caught me off-guard.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Incredible album. The songs have a habit of starting off so insanely funky, they just grab your attention immediately.
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
It grew on me over time, but didn't consistently set itself apart. I really enjoyed "My Mind Spray"
Talking Heads
4/5
Very dynamic album from start to finish. Would occasionally really vibe with one of the songs I hadn't heard before. Glad I heard the acoustic "Psycho Killer" version. I've probably oversaturated myself on Talking Heads going into this, so may be underrating it.
Motörhead
2/5
Some iconic vocals, but really only one good track. The reptile song was one of the better ones, but I definitely got sick of it listening to the B-Sides. Not terrible, just not something I'd listen to in album form again.
Dolly Parton
4/5
Lovely album. Would definitely listen to it again. Possibly on a road trip.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Very fun album, pretty polished in comparison to the previous one on this list. I liked it a little better, but already had my mind made up about that in advance I think.
The Isley Brothers
4/5
Really smooth album. The hits had a little extra punch, but each song on the album was definitely solid.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
I still don't quite "get" the music, but it started to grow on me a bit and wasn't unpleasant. It just doesn't grab my attention like I'm used to rap songs doing. Probably warrants a more active listening experience than I'm willing to give it right now.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Pretty fun, and a little creepy at times. There's definitely a time and a place for it.
Metallica
4/5
Very fun album, and definitely best listened to in album form. I have a lot of appreciation for it, though it's not my go-to music.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Legendary album.
Snoop Dogg
2/5
I didn't really get this one. Was super disgusting at times, and the hits didn't feel like hits to me.
Tori Amos
4/5
Impressive album. Good lyricism, definitely making it one that I'll come back to. Vocals are also nice.
Circle Jerks
4/5
Really liked this album. The songs honestly don't feel short since they squeeze so much into them. Not grating unlike some of the other punk albums similar to this I've listened to.
Fats Domino
4/5
Just a very satisfying album to listen to. Smooth tunes from start to finish. It seems odd to me that they named it "This Is Fats Domino" when it isn't a compilation album.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
I don't mind listening to it, but it just feels like radio music. Mid.
Lana Del Rey
3/5
Slightly more imaginative than the other Lana albums I've listened to. Lovely voice.
Massive Attack
2/5
An odd mashup of genres. Not completely unenjoyable, but definitely not a type of music that I like. Wasn't really in the mood for it this week, which probably impacts the review.
David Bowie
4/5
Pretty entrancing album, and definitely unexplored territory for me. Didn't really take much away from it, but I did like it.
Metallica
4/5
Impressive album. Hit the spot today. Definitely saving for some further listens.
AC/DC
5/5
I thought it might feel stale, but nah, it was pretty timeless. Possibly since I haven't listened to much radio in the past few years.
Solomon Burke
4/5
Fun album, just feels good to listen to. Has a lot of stiff competition, but it is definitely going into the rotation.
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
Solid jams. Definitely felt like a novelty, but I enjoyed listening to it at times. Feels like good background music.
Merle Haggard
3/5
The lyrics definitely got my attention. Very focused, sad album.
Screaming Trees
4/5
This album is awesome, just the sort of thing I was hoping to find with this list.
The Flaming Lips
4/5
Great album. Feels like a major influence behind a lot of music that I hear today. The lyrics have a way of grabbing your attention, and are articulated pretty well compared to a lot of bands, which makes them more impactful in my opinion.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Lovely album, I liked it more than the previous Aretha Franklin album, though that one was still good. This one felt like it swung harder.
The Charlatans
3/5
Not great, but not terrible. Gave me some historical context for other bands, so I'm glad I listened.
Culture Club
3/5
Pretty all over the place, with some bewildering lyrics and darker themes. I only really enjoyed the first hit track, but I'll give them credit for making me feel weird and give it a three.
M.I.A.
3/5
This album definitely took me out of my comfort zone. I did enjoy the main hit, and thought it sounded a lot different than the rest, but I already knew that I liked that one. Possibly worth a relisten.
Ray Charles
4/5
Consistently solid sound throughout the album. The second side seemed a lot more down than the first side and definitely got stale by the end. Overall, a great album.
Beatles
5/5
Clearly a great album. Had a lot of momentum between the songs towards the end. I can't really stand to listen to the Beatles on shuffle; I'm glad they put so much effort into making albums/innovating them in general.
The Icarus Line
2/5
Definitely a violent and dark album at times. Didn't really stand out to me, though I did give it two listens after forgetting my initial impression. Bordering on actively bad, but not completely grating to listen to.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Great live album, up there with the best. Glad I found it through this list.
The Style Council
3/5
Generally a fun pop album to listen to. It really transformed over time, and the end felt nothing like the beginning. The one rap song was pretty bad, and there are definitely turns that I wish they didn't go, but I respect them for trying.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Definitely a historically significant album, and they were definitely jamming for a lot of those songs. Wouldn't really be my first choice for anything, but not unpleasant.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Iconic album. Great imagery and vibes, though I can't figure out a lot of it. The musicality really ramped up in the second half, which elevated it for me; still not something I'd typically reach for.
TLC
3/5
Fun album, with several good songs on it. Probably too many skits, but they weren't terrible.
The Beach Boys
2/5
I started out my life hating the Beach Boys, and they've slowly grown on me after many years. That said, this album is garbage, and sets them right back to square zero in my mind. I'll give them credit for Pet Sounds, but this one is just bad.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Enjoyable album, vocals are just fun to listen to. Obviously loses some points on originality. Also has some weird lyrics, like many of these old albums. Very consistent quality from front to back. I think the right Elvis album could be a four, but this is a three.
Van Morrison
4/5
Album started off crazy strong, and the title track is definitely my favorite. Lots of silly songs on here, but the music is still solid. Not on the top of what I reach for, but still really good.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Very poetic and biblical album. Somber throughout. I feel like I could get something more out of it if I sat down and analyzed the lyrics, but most of it was lost on my on a first listen. The singing itself was pretty unsatisfying, so I didn't get much out of this one on this listen.
The Beta Band
3/5
Pleasant album, was a fun listen from start to finish. The most popular track didn't initially stand out to me that much. Possibly influenced by it just being a good album for my current environment at work; good background music.
Tom Waits
3/5
Weird. Creepy. Evil-sounding. Bewildering vocals, very gravelly. I appreciate that it swung so hard for what it is. But would mostly only listen to this album in this context of seeking out new music.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Iron Maiden has never really clicked with me, and it still doesn't really. The album did grow on me over time, but I don't understand why they are so popular asides from their visual aesthetic. The music doesn't even really seem in sync with the visuals. Still, I enjoyed a couple of the guitar solos and got into a bit of a flow from it, so I'll give it a 3.
Pixies
4/5
An album full of absolute bangers. Also felt short and sweet, somehow. Probably going to add it to the rotation somewhere, so definitely one of the bigger successes of this list. Pretty close to a five, probably could grow into it over time (there are a few 4s already that I regret not making 5s).
Barry Adamson
3/5
I liked it more than I thought I would. The lyrics were originally wacky, and some of the songs had a really cool/rainy tone, though there were some definite departures from that at various places. I like the concept. Worth a listen.
Radiohead
5/5
I think that this is the first Radiohead album that's really knocked it out of the park for me. I've sort of held off on listening to their albums since they weren't on Spotify for a while, but have been looking forward to them. This one is just amazing. Automatic 5. Love the vocal vibrato throughout the album; just doesn't get old.
Bad Brains
3/5
Got me into a bit of a flow and was fun to listen to. Some high energy songs. Didn't stand out enough to go above a three.
Public Enemy
4/5
Definitely my favorite of the older hip hop albums on this list so far. Kicked off strong, then surged back a few times throughout the record. Their message came across pretty well even though I didn't catch every lyric, which isn't always the case with a lot of music.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
I get the complaints on length, but I think they had enough material to back it up, and enough dynamic playing to make it not necessarily boring too early. The lyrics are good enough to enable this sort of length, I think. Not my absolute favorite, but definitely scratches an itch.
Public Enemy
3/5
They definitely rock. I liked this one less than "Apocalypse 91", which happened to come up on my feed just two albums ago. This one felt more like a political cartoon than anything; they wanted to say something, and were very specific about what they were focused on. A few of the earlier songs landed pretty well musically. I didn't like the second half of the album.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
Really a pleasant album. I've never heard of these guys before, so I'm glad I found them. Some great starts to song, and a good sound throughout.
Ice T
4/5
It lacked absolute bangers, but was a generally solid full of good flows. After all of the old school stuff that I've listened to on this list, it was a breath of fresh air. I was surprised by Ice T's Spotify numbers; I wonder if they're artificially low for some reason.
Portishead
4/5
I enjoyed how bold and different the album was. The singer was great. Some of the buzzer-like sounds worked really well I thought, especially in grabbing your attention as they were changing direction. Pretty relentless.
KISS
2/5
It was pretty lame. Worse than I was expecting. Had no idea I was listening to the hits of the album when they went by. KISS has never been my thing, and it's reassuring that that's still the case.
The Associates
3/5
This album was a roller coaster. I absolutely hated most of the songs until tracks 8 and 9. This is mostly because the singing got really grating and was just annoying to listen to due to being so high pitched. There is some impressive creativity going on in the album, but I only started to appreciate it until like 40 minutes in. I think this is due to the style of songs, not necessarily just getting used to it. Anyways, I do not recommend listening to this in album form, because it is too hard. I'm also banning myself from this music because it seems like the sort of music that would get stuck in your head and be extremely annoying. As such, it is too dangerous to have around.
David Bowie
4/5
I recently listened to "Low" for the first time as well, so I'll bring it up since it is sort of tied to this album. I enjoyed the vocals on this album a lot more than "Low", and generally found this one more fun at least on the surface. Clearly both albums were revolutionary, but I didn't necessarily get that perspective when listening to them now. It's a great album, but it doesn't personally really hit a home run with me. As such, Bowie will stay a "once in a while" artist.
Jeff Buckley
4/5
Powerful album, impressive voice. I want to listen to this one again soon. The first song was also really interesting, it kind of faked me out at the beginning and really transformed.
Johnny Cash
5/5
One of the best live albums ever. Loved just sitting down and listening to the whole thing.
Orbital
3/5
I've got to give this one props for actually having some good music in the middle. It sort of outsmarted me, in that the first and last tracks are kind of like tech demos and are just kind of annoying. However, I assume some of the same techniques were used in the middle songs, which were actually good. I wouldn't listen in album form again, but it wasn't as bad as I would have thought given the start.
Mercury Rev
4/5
I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It had a consistent vibe, though it did get a bit lost around track 10. The vocals were a little grating at times, especially in the higher registers, but were again consistent. I agree that the album is a great example of a band ignoring commercial influences and just doing them.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
The opening/closing tracks are really iconic. The middle parts don't connect with me as much though. I probably need to do a more critical listening while not at work.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Enjoyable album. I liked the acoustic alternatives at the end. Definitely mildly recognizable, but not something I'd listened to outside of like maybe the radio before.
Calexico
3/5
A solidly good album. Loved the opening waltz, but it didn't pick up much traction with me after that until the second half. It didn't match up with my expectations going in, so I think it would be good to give it a second listen now knowing that it's such a genre-spanning album.
Bauhaus
2/5
It's a pretty creative album with a lot of nonsense-babble sounding lyrics. I found some of the songs unbearable, and the style was pretty all over the place. Tough to get into a flow with this one. Sort of a high 2?
Kacey Musgraves
2/5
I didn't like this one. It was trying to be super plane/understated. But the lyrics were just not good in my opinion, so it felt really flat. There are so many better country artists. A couple of the songs had a bit of pop charm, but overall as an album it was just not worth it.
The Who
4/5
It was a good live performance, and I got to hear a side of the Who that I hadn't before. They still don't fully click for me, but they brought a good energy the whole way and I generally rate live albums pretty highly.
Steely Dan
4/5
Much more fun than the other Steely Dan album on the list so far. Just very smooth, it also helps that I already knew all of the hits on the album. It was also nice to listen to it in album form, because then at least you're mentally prepared for a lot of Steely Dan, something that is never the case for me when just shuffling music normally.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
I'm mostly interested in this band because they definitely influenced some live bands I grew up around. That said, I don't really love taking a song out this long. They had a bit of instrumental variety, so it wasn't all bad. It's just not my cup of tea.
Jane Weaver
3/5
More pleasant than I was expecting. It grew on me after the first few songs. I enjoyed the music, but it was nothing special, which makes it a high three. I also deeply resent the last few seconds of the album, which was just like a high pitched buzz that was not fun.
Roxy Music
3/5
Potentially worth another listen. Generally an enjoyable album. The album art was annoying at work, so I'm going to hold off on a relisten/deeper dive.
Charles Mingus
4/5
Great jazz record. I definitely want to revisit it when I'm more in the mood for jazz. It did kind of all run together, and demanded more focus than I was willing to give.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Great album. Had a high energy all the way through. The last song was pretty bizarre. I hadn't listened to anything but the hits from CCC, so it was nice to hear this one.
Ms. Dynamite
3/5
Not bad, not great. I enjoyed listening to it. This artist was definitely really far off my radar. It's tough because they sound a lot like other music I've heard, and I have no grasp of how original this album was when it dropped.
Madonna
4/5
I thought it worked really well. It did a good job of having a nice variety, while still keeping a consistent vibe. I definitely want to listen to this one again sometime.
Kraftwerk
3/5
Sonically interesting; I'm glad I listened to it once. Probably the longest song I've seen with that many listens to start out. I did not look up any translations, but they were probably unnecessary. I don't think I'd listen to it again, but I did enjoy my one listen.
Nick Drake
4/5
Right up my alley, and definitely one I'll want to revisit. I didn't get much from the lyrics or singing on the first listen, but I just loved the instrumentation and tone.
R.E.M.
4/5
Great REM album, definitely right up my alley. I somehow had every song liked on Spotify already, even though I don't remember listening to this as an album before; probably just forgot. Lots of hits on here, but every song is pretty good.
Sonic Youth
5/5
Incredible album. I love how dynamic it is. I love how they alternate from a male to female vocalist throughout the songs. I didn't immediately love Sonic Youth when I first heard them a few years ago, but this one was definitely an A+ album from them.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Another great Sonic Youth album. I think it's kind of weird that I got these back-to-back. I may have been a bit burnt out on their music since I listened to the previous one twice, but I definitely liked "Dirty" more. This one was less of a masterpiece, but still a great album.
Lambchop
3/5
Definitely an innovative and dynamic album. I appreciated the variance between serenity and chaos. While I appreciate many aspects of it, it's not really my thing.
Supergrass
4/5
Surprisingly a really good album. The A side was straight fire, I thought. Their jams were just a lot of fun to listen to. British Rock has a lot of bands I don't like, but I guess it is worthwhile to keep charting out the territory.
CHIC
2/5
Kinda lame, in my opinion. The hit is definitely a classic, but I wouldn't call it good. I don't get it.
Pixies
3/5
A solid album with some great songs on it. Too chaotic to listen to at work, so I ended up listening in the car. It is less listenable I thought than the previous Pixies album, but still solidly good. Almost a four. Worth another listen.
Radiohead
5/5
Great album from front to back. Not my first listen, but I'm pretty sure it's gotten better since the first time I listened to it.
Derek & The Dominos
4/5
Many instant classic songs on here. Loved the starts to the songs, but not all of them continued to be good through the often six minute lengths. Hit or miss on being complete songs, but still mostly had something good to say about each one.
Buck Owens
3/5
It's a fun album, and I thoroughly enjoyed many of the songs. The sound is just not consistent to me; like his voice will sound totally different from song to song. There was a random banger fiddle track towards the end. Overall, I don't think I'd listen to it in album form again, but it's still a nice bundle of music.
Common
4/5
Not the most enjoyable to listen to, but Common did a great job getting his points across and I found the album pretty educational, as well as pretty clever a lot of the time. Because he nailed these key areas that I often complained about in other rap albums, I feel like it elevates him to a four.
Hanoi Rocks
2/5
It seems like they're having fun out there, and it's got an annoyingly contagious sense of fun. That said, it is aggressively mid in basically every other aspect. I don't really understand glam metal, but I didn't aggressively hate this album. It wasn't a total failure.
The Cars
2/5
Inoffensive. Still feels like radio music when in album form, which isn't always the case. I don't really like it, and definitely wouldn't decide to listen to it on Spotify again.
Foo Fighters
4/5
Very formidable album, definitely going to listen to this one again. Better than I expected. I also didn't know the Foo Fighters backstory, so that was cool.
Black Flag
4/5
Great hardcore album. Good variety of songs, and TV Party was pretty hilarious.
Cowboy Junkies
4/5
I really enjoyed this album, and it is definitely up my alley. I was unsure of how many were original vs. covers. I'd definitely listen again, but I'm not sure if it's at the level of a 4 from a critical perspective.
The Slits
3/5
A creative and original album. I know a lot about it from a podcast. Not the worst, but I don't enjoy listening to it.
James Brown
3/5
Solid live album, but not better than the other live albums so far that I like more. Not sure how much James Brown is on this list or if he had any good normal albums.
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
Fun Earth, Wind & Fire album. I enjoyed it.
Queen
5/5
Always fresh. A really influential album that I like. I think the Prophet's Song is fine to listen to once, but has become a skip at times. Otherwise, flawless album.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
3/5
It's a high three. It sounds like it has the potential to be a really great movie soundtrack or something, but it doesn't stand great on its own for me. Like, the highs are really high, but there was kind of a lack of direction lyrically and the jams went on for a really long time. I did appreciate some of them, but I wasn't loving the album.
Kelela
3/5
Not unenjoyable to listen to, but didn't distinguish itself enough from similar sounds. I've also never heard of it, and it dropped while I was in high school, so I seriously doubt this will ever be considered an essential listen.
Van Halen
3/5
Pretty good album, full of radio hits. I didn't hate it, but it's never going to be my go-to. Still holds up better than most radio stuff I thought.
Radiohead
4/5
Loved it. The theme of the album makes so much more sense now; I had only heard the songs in isolation before. Not so perfect as to be a five, but still a great album.
Lauryn Hill
4/5
Really great album. Glad that I listened to it again. Even better than I remember from last time.
The Police
4/5
An album that's very new to me. Felt fresh. Enjoyed the listen.
The Zutons
4/5
Really enjoyed these songs, and I think that they came out really strong. I definitely like the higher energy ones more, and thought they slowed down a bit in the middle and towards the end. Still, a great album that I'm glad I found through this.
The Jam
3/5
Pretty fun album. High three.
T. Rex
4/5
An album that's intangibly good, but also pretty frustrating. Pretty dirty. Had no idea the two hits that I recognized were from the same album.
Nas
4/5
Great album. Am writing this at the same time as Knicks vs. Pacers 2025 #BeatTheKnicks
Bee Gees
3/5
It had some lyrics that stood out at the beginning, but started to drag on pretty long. Some okay songs in the middle, but nothing that was outstanding.
The Auteurs
3/5
It had some 4-star songs on it, but didn't seem like a cohesive 4-star album. I really loved the valet parking song. The simplicity of many of the songs was really great.
The Blue Nile
3/5
I finally started to get the album towards the last track "Automobile Noise". It was pretty cohesive and calming. Just not all of the songs were for me.
Sade
3/5
It was a pleasant enough album, but I didn't really get it.
The Zombies
4/5
Some of the songs were nicely unsettling. Pretty good musicality. A worthwhile album. Not going to be listening on repeat.
The United States Of America
4/5
Crazily jam-packed album. So many songs were actually three songs, even if they were only a few minutes. I really liked the classical themes, as well as the imagery a lot of the lyrics conjured up. Very weird sounds at times, but overall a nice experimental album.
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
There were a few nice songs, but overall it wasn't really my thing.
Fiona Apple
3/5
Definitely some interesting experimental sounds in here. Not really my cup of tea. Still may be worth a second listen to try to digest the lyrics more.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
I found this album much more enjoyable and approachable than the other two Led Zeppelin albums so far on this list. Very smooth and listenable.
Syd Barrett
4/5
Much better than I expected. I didn't know Pink Floyd's story much going into this, so it was cool to learn a bit about that. It makes me want to dive in more. Definitely need another listen for this one.
Public Enemy
4/5
Fun album, and it connected the dots on a lot of hip-hop references I didn't know about before. It wasn't my favorite Public Enemy album, but was solid enough to escalate above a three.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
4/5
Very fun album, I had always just heard these individually before.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
I expected to like this album more than I did. It was pretty fun at times, but just didn't rise to the level of being great for me. Probably worth further investigation. Still a high three.
The Offspring
4/5
Gets off to a great start, and then still has some bangers later on in the album. Rocks really hard. High 4.
Soft Cell
4/5
Super chaotic and depraved album. Was pretty fun, but went on for far too long. Lots of songs probably should have been cut.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
There was a lot of good music on here, but it was ultimately kind of boring. Didn't rise to the level of great, but still a solid album to listen to once.
Prince
4/5
There were some songs that elevated it to the level of cool, but it wasn't really my thing. Still pretty good.
The War On Drugs
3/5
Calming and dreamlike. Wasn't in the right state of mind the first time listening to it, so would definitely be worth a re-listen. Fine, not great.
Alice Cooper
3/5
Far jazzier than I expected. Pretty smooth all the way through. I didn't think any of the songs were bad, but there was obviously only one popular one from the album. Not something I'd reach for.
Elton John
3/5
It started off really strong obviously, and then just slowly regressed to mid. I don't think I'd listen to it in album form again, but it wasn't a complete waste of time to listen to it once.
5/5
Wow, that was like an instant classic. Really grabs your attention. Strong all the way through. I'm glad I found it through this list.
Black Sabbath
4/5
I had only listened to later Black Sabbath albums, so I was happy to finally visit this one. The ingredients were definitely all there. I enjoyed the album, but I didn't like it as much as later works. Still really great.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
4/5
Some really good stuff in here. More of a compendium than an album. Still going to rate it highly since I appreciate bluegrass music.
OutKast
3/5
A lot of the songs are really good, and it was nice to experience the album once, but I don't think I'd listen to it again with all the skits.
N.E.R.D
2/5
I thought the first half was really lame, and was prepared to give a two. Then I listened to the second half on another day, and thought it sounded pretty smooth. I don't really want to listen to the whole thing again, but it's nearly to a three.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Great album. I got a better idea for the whole picture by listening to it all at once. Still like the hits the most, but there were a few gems in there.
The Prodigy
2/5
I didn't get much out of this one. Most of the songs were too long, I kept getting distracted and starting over. Just don't like it.
The Gun Club
3/5
Not altogether unpleasant, but pretty experimental and unsatisfying.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
It was a solid album, but it wasn't really groundbreaking for me.
Richard Hawley
4/5
Pleasant album. Consistent tone, definitely something that I would listen to again on its own.
John Coltrane
4/5
Very intense album. It had some great moments where I was really into it. All of the participants really shone at times. It was more of a single multi-part song than an album. Definitely worth some more listens, but I'd probably reach for it when I feel like listening to a symphony, which is not very often.
Björk
3/5
It had some good moments, and some grating moments. The album cover was captivating. Some of the songs were interesting. But it felt more interesting than good.
Primal Scream
3/5
I feel like I'd like this more on a further listen. Trainspotting was great. A times, it felt like they were going a lot of different directions and styles that didn't really go together in my brain, and that I wasn't expecting. But maybe it would make more sense on a second listen.
John Cale
3/5
It had some creative lyrics that I appreciated for their imagery, but did not understand at all. Overall fine songs, but mostly I just know that this album exists now and will probably never think about it again.
Pere Ubu
3/5
I have a soft spot for Avant Garde music, but I did not really click with this one. It sounded really smoothly sloppy, which isn't something I look for but was very well executed. I spent a lot of time not listening to this album because I didn't want to sit down and dedicate the energy to do it. I appreciate that they came up with something strange and original.
Pixies
4/5
Nice album, much less catchy than the last one but still pretty interesting.
Stan Getz
4/5
Really nice, enjoyable to listen to. It's kind of funny that I got Bossanova right before a Bossa Nova genre album. I wasn't necessarily excited about seeing saxophone in the album description, but it managed to be pretty good in spite of that.
Throwing Muses
4/5
Fun album. Not sure if I listened to the right one; I ended up finding it on youtube.
Elvis Costello
3/5
I didn't really get much out of the lyrics, and a lot of them were really annoying and repetitive. The audio quality was really nice I guess, at least it was notably interesting when I started listening. Didn't really get much out of this one.
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
It was a pleasant album, but didn't really leave much of an impression. The story behind it is definitely crazy. It is fine chill/background music.
Kanye West
5/5
A classic. Great songs from front to back. Obviously don't like the man, but I can't not like this album.
Dr. Dre
3/5
It started off really weak in my opinion, but started to flow a little better by the end. Not really my cup of tea.
The Bees
4/5
This album has really nice vibes and I could totally see myself listening to it again and keeping it in my back pocket for the right situation. Nice consistent sound with still a nice amount of variation throughout the album. It feels like a high three to me, but I'll give it a four because I've given some far worse albums threes recently.
Santana
3/5
Pleasant album. The vocals sounded a bit odd to me, but generally I really liked the instrumentation.
Milton Nascimento
4/5
Some really nice songs in here that caught my attention. Some of them were better off as background music. Still a really solid album, I feel like I usually like albums in foreign languages.
Michael Jackson
4/5
The lyrics were kind of weird when I focused on them more on this listen, but that didn't stop the songs from sounding cool. I'm not a VEGETABLE
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
That was unexpectedly really good. I thought all of the songs were consistently solid, exploring a variety of themes while still rocking really hard.
Shuggie Otis
4/5
Really nice album. Smooth, nice guitar playing. A great addition to learn about.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
It had some good moments, but it isn't really up my alley. It's just a very odd sound.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
3/5
A variety pack of an album. The songs all came on very strong, but I didn't really want them most of the time. Still, I respect the style and originality enough to give it a three.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Really nice jams. The Wikipedia article was crazy. Never heard of this group before, it was pretty great.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
Excellent album, strong from start to finish. Glad I got the chance to listen to it all the way through again from this list.
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
Fire album. I wasn't expecting much from this one, but the sound was just really fun and it was a joy to listen to.
Neneh Cherry
3/5
I had absolutely no idea what to expect here, but it actually did start to grow on me a bit. I struggle to understand "Buffalo Stance", specifically the buffalo aspect. "Kisses On The Wind" is a favorite on one of my weird local radio stations, so I was surprised that that one wasn't actually well-known because I totally recognized it. Overall not really my thing, but not bad.
Radiohead
4/5
Really really good. Not my favorite Radiohead album, but its best songs are up there with my favorite Radiohead songs.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Surprisingly a great album. I wasn't expecting much after the first song, but it got into some really nice grooves later on, and the lyrics were also really solid.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
Really good. I can tell they're trying hard to sound different, and they do sound a lot different, but it's definitely the same band. Songs are a bit more focused at times. Great album.
k.d. lang
4/5
Impressive album, definitely something that I would listen to again.
Nick Drake
3/5
It's fine, but it isn't my cup of tea. The instrumentals are great, but I feel like the main point is supposed to be the singer.
Steve Winwood
3/5
It was fine. It had a familiar energy that wouldn't be unappreciated at a live show, but I personally wouldn't reach for it in an album.
The Coral
4/5
I thought this album was pretty consistently good; I was surprised that its one hit stood out so much. It has a nice thematic feel, some pirate vibes at times, and the songs don't overstay their welcome.