171
Albums Rated
3.23
Average Rating
16%
Complete
918 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950
Favorite Decade
Metal
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
19
5-Star Albums
2
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Kenya
Machito
|
5 | 3.27 | +1.73 |
|
...And Justice For All
Metallica
|
5 | 3.42 | +1.58 |
|
Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes
|
5 | 3.44 | +1.56 |
|
American Gothic
David Ackles
|
4 | 2.49 | +1.51 |
|
The Gershwin Songbook
Ella Fitzgerald
|
5 | 3.51 | +1.49 |
|
Moving Pictures
Rush
|
5 | 3.57 | +1.43 |
|
The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden
|
5 | 3.58 | +1.42 |
|
Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room
Dwight Yoakam
|
4 | 2.6 | +1.4 |
|
Out Of The Blue
Electric Light Orchestra
|
5 | 3.64 | +1.36 |
|
Superunknown
Soundgarden
|
5 | 3.65 | +1.35 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Songs Of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
|
1 | 3.38 | -2.38 |
|
London Calling
The Clash
|
2 | 3.96 | -1.96 |
|
In Rainbows
Radiohead
|
2 | 3.85 | -1.85 |
|
Harvest
Neil Young
|
2 | 3.81 | -1.81 |
|
The Joshua Tree
U2
|
2 | 3.67 | -1.67 |
|
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
|
2 | 3.54 | -1.54 |
|
Rust Never Sleeps
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
|
2 | 3.51 | -1.51 |
|
Rust Never Sleeps
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
|
2 | 3.51 | -1.51 |
|
Surfer Rosa
Pixies
|
2 | 3.49 | -1.49 |
|
Blue Lines
Massive Attack
|
2 | 3.39 | -1.39 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 5 |
| Metallica | 2 | 5 |
| Led Zeppelin | 2 | 5 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Neil Young & Crazy Horse | 3 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Depeche Mode | 5, 2 |
5-Star Albums (19)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
The Clash · 9 likes
2/5
British shouting
Kraftwerk · 1 likes
4/5
das beep boop
The Pogues · 1 likes
3/5
Raucous and sarcastic Irish folk punk
Ella Fitzgerald · 1 likes
5/5
An ambitious and successful project to record a huge amount of music by the Gershwins and Fitzgerald in one enormous set, and the quality, skill, and effort put into it truly shows. The production quality is unlike anything I've heard from this time period in its clarity and balance, perfectly underscoring Fitzgerald's consistently perfect vocals.
1-Star Albums (2)
All Ratings
Leonard Cohen
1/5
Boring Adam Sandler talk-singing to acoustic guitar.
Beatles
3/5
The best Beatles classics with some good tracks that I hadn't heard often/before. Basically only love songs.
Deep Purple
4/5
2/5
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Radiohead
2/5
Curtis Mayfield
2/5
Kanye West
3/5
I initially declined to listen to this album because I received it at the same time that Kanye was coming out to the world as a nazi. However, a few years later I've decided that I owe it a listen and found that I really appreciate the unique and diverse sounds and themes of this album. Kanye is exploring heretofore unknown styles of sampling, editing, and writing that makes his music stand out and illustrates the application of his talent and skill as an experienced producer towards the creation of his own music. While I don't appreciate what the man has made of himself, I can't deny that this album is impressive, and I don't even like rap.
White Denim
4/5
Tim Buckley
2/5
The Rolling Stones
3/5
The Clash
2/5
British shouting
Soft Cell
2/5
Bad British 80s techno
Nirvana
3/5
Unexceptional grunge whining from Kurt being backpacked by Dave Grohl's intense and talented drumming.
Nick Drake
4/5
Wild Beasts
2/5
Terrible falsetto and boring Radiohead-esque instrumentals that are much too pretentious. The hole album is dripping in pretentiousness. Rhythm and percussion was okay on some tracks, especially Through the Iron Gate. Best song was All the Kings Men because the vocals were not falsetto and it was actually somewhat enjoyable.
Devendra Banhart
3/5
Boring but okay folk music.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Toe-tapping. Tutti Frutti is the toe-tappingest and an easy fav. Listening to history was an interesting experience but the music itself was pretty bland compared to other rock and blues from the time.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
X.Y.U gives grungy QOTSA vibes, and great rhythm on a handful of tracks from disc 1. The remaining are forgettable, and even the singles don't deserve the acclaim they receive. Would listen again only if forced.
Barry Adamson
4/5
This was a nice reminder of the benefits of listening to music from this generator - it was something different and very enjoyable. Jazzy, big band, slow, fast, atmospheric, dark, light. Listening to this album felt like watching a movie or TV series as each song brought about a new scene, conflict, and vibe. I would listen to more Adamson.
David Holmes
2/5
Each track contains at most one interesting and/or unique concept (beat, sample, rhythm, etc.) and repeats it ad nauseum. The songs are too long and repetitive. Another feature on the list that makes for "decent background music" but isn't worth listening to. In this case, the artist is a professional soundtrack artist, probably adding another collection to their portfolio, but the author of this book mistook it for exceptional music on its own.
Patti Smith
3/5
Lady Paul Newman punk rock-lite. Interesting (if nothing else) lyrics and talented backing band made this a fun listen, but couldn't help but feel that the whole thing is overrated.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
I always hated Rehab, but the rest of this album is thematic and its sound is clearly defined. Listening gave me a greater appreciation for Amy Whinehouse and I would listen again.
TLC
3/5
Very 90's. Horny.
Not my kind of music but definitely a kind of music.
Machito
5/5
Bingo bango bongo big band cuban jazz
Kraftwerk
4/5
das beep boop
Blondie
4/5
Always hated Blondie, especially "One Way or Another", but a full listen to this album helped me really appreciate the genre-mixing that occurs seamlessly throughout this album. Rock, punk, and even disco are all represented very well on various songs throughout the album, which underscores the impressive talent of the singer and band. I don't think I associated Heart of Glass with Blondie, but its a better song than I ever gave it credit for, especially in the context of this eclectic album.
2/5
British droning and screeching
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
Random noises and not even music. Forced myself to listen to it and maybe got something out of it, but the commentary/messaging/experimentation that Throbbing Gristle attempts on this album is done better by numerous other artists. I will be laughing at this album in the same way that I laugh at the Human Centipede trilogy.
Adam & The Ants
4/5
Danceable British pop rock that makes effective use of the Burundi beat, something I hadn't noticed was in a lot of music until listening to this album and hearing the source of its popularity. The themes of disorganization and a disregard for civil order are consistent throughout (frontier, pirates, native Americans), and the Burundi beat underlies it all, giving it an unwashed and tribal feel. I would listen to this again, or at least other similar artists, and I can keep Antmusic in my back pocket for the next time I meet an Australian.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Funky, soulful, and sexy. What else could you want?
Paul Simon
4/5
Music for white people who enjoy the sounds of Africa. Cultural appropriation and apartheid issues aside, I enjoyed the music.
Beck
4/5
It's Beck
Everything But The Girl
3/5
Generic late-80's ballad snoozefest with insufficient sax.
The National
3/5
Forgettable 2000's white people music
The Stooges
3/5
Iggy Pop vocals ruin what could otherwise be an album of impressive guitar rock.
Metallica
5/5
Good
Depeche Mode
5/5
The Monks
3/5
Trailblazing unrefined sound from a gaggle of US GI's stationed in Germany who wore the outfits and haircuts of monks. Every instrument is a rhythm and the vocals are grating.
Klaxons
4/5
Thought this would be rubbish based on the name and Britishness of the band but thoroughly enjoyed this album. Loosely gives Interpol vibes.
The Everly Brothers
3/5
Misogynistic love song lyrics that aged like milk, but otherwise enjoyable 60's good white boy music.
John Lennon
3/5
mediocre British blues music
The Human League
4/5
British beep boop music
Dwight Yoakam
4/5
An exquisite blend of 80's pop rock and twangy country.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Miles Davis
4/5
Nice jazz.
Public Enemy
3/5
hard
Billy Bragg
2/5
♪ booa wata choosdie innit ♫
Lorde
4/5
sad party girl music. Redeemed by mostly interesting rhythms (ala Glass Animals before they were bad).
Kings of Leon
3/5
I've always been a fan of this band since hearing their hit single play on the radio, which I enjoyed using my old iRiver MP3 player while I rode the bus to elementary school. I excitedly sought to hear the rest of the album, expecting it to be as enjoyable as the single and was swiftly disappointed by how forgettable and, at times, bad the music was. My disappointment is unchanged nearly 20 years later.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
Funky synth jazz from the 70's ftw
Pink Floyd
5/5
David Ackles
4/5
Extra theatrical folk tunes that shine a light on the tragedy of American life and history. Made me feel I was listening to a sober Kerouac's musical.
The Pogues
3/5
Raucous and sarcastic Irish folk punk
Gotan Project
3/5
French tango electropop
U2
2/5
Unrelentingly bland and boring. The guitar "solo" at 2:15 of "Love is Blindness" does a good job of encapsulating the talent and ambition on display in another hour of U2's music, formulated to never stray too far from optimal mass-appeal.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Thought I liked this after the first couple of songs, but I could only take so much mediocre indie-punk-rock featuring discordant noisy guitars for so long.
Roni Size
2/5
Reduced rating for this one because of the first disc containing over an hour of repetitive, generic beats. The second disc featured more interesting and jazz-infused music that I enjoyed slightly more. Nevertheless, all songs are at least 3 minutes too long.
The Sugarcubes
4/5
Really surprised by the creepy vibes and undertones of the lyrics on this album, which on the surface appeared to be an upbeat 80's pop-punk music based on the album art, band name, song titles, and instrumentation. The satire played on pop music lands well and Bjork's vocals are impressive - it's easy to see how she became famous after this introduction.
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
Fantastic vocals and mediocre instrumentals. Enjoyed the 5'33" a capella track, which allowed for a more refined appreciation of the vocals.
Public Enemy
3/5
hard with just a hint of jazz
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
The epitome of early 70s southern country blues rock.
Paul Weller
4/5
Skillful and distinct instrumentation that ranges across progressive sounds of blues, soul, and rock. It may sound somewhat dated for the 90's considering that much of the music seems influenced by earlier successes in those genres, but I thoroughly enjoyed this album and would listen to it again. Weller's vocals are aged and soulful, providing a sense of focused intensity, and the lyrical themes of introspection and self-discovery avoid becoming pedantic.
The Who
2/5
A lot of forgettable and uninspiring music on this record with "I Can See For Miles" being one great exception, so much so that it is a little jarring to hear juxtaposed against all the other tracks. The radio jingles concept of the album doesn't bother me, and I think hearing the radio voices sprinkled throughout the album gives it an enjoyable theme (even better if it were more satirical - see Songs for the Deaf), but that theme spills over into the music itself, making it bland and uninteresting.
Spiritualized
2/5
The good parts were good. The rest ranged from intolerable clusters of noise to boring and unenthusiastic vocals.
Metallica
5/5
Peak thrash metal. Enjoyable to imagine how much better the music would be with a more competent or creative drummer.
Neil Young
2/5
Can't handle this guy's voice, and I really tried to look past it this time. The rest of the instruments and song-writing are fine if not unimpressive, which really only leaves Neil's voice for much of the album. Alabama and Words were the only two tracks I found myself enjoying, probably because there were arrangements of other instruments to distract me from Neil's horrendous falsetto.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Of course Jimi is all about the guitar, but I find myself distracted by the drums and rhythm on every song in this album. It is frantic and raucous, yet precise and delightfully unpredictable. Easy 5 stars for all three of these genius musicians.
Carole King
4/5
More soul than I expected from the album cover of a white lady and a cat. Fabulous, easy listening with a lot of emotion and variation. Happy to now associate some of the big hits from this album with their talented artist and the overall context of this exceptional album.
David Bowie
3/5
Full of intriguing symbolism and metaphors about Bowie's life and death, making this album an interesting listen that probably needs to be separated from its musical value to be really appreciated. That being said, I only enjoyed Dollar Days and I Can't Give Everything Away because they were more upbeat and didn't carry the same haunting, slow sounds that the rest of the tracks featured.
David Bowie
3/5
Electric Light Orchestra
5/5
A huge variety of sounds, themes, and instruments throughout this excellent album.
Elbow
3/5
A nice album with very gentle and pleasant music. I'm not a fan of the vocals' English accent but also don't feel that it hurt this music either, just that I would have enjoyed it more without. The Bones of You was this album's best and the rest seemed adjacent to filler but were still good.
The Band
3/5
Yet another country folk rock band with an album of dreary songs reminiscing fondly of a past when racists could be more proudly racist. This album didn't age well in its subject matter nor its musical content.
Elastica
3/5
Decent, if not middling and generic, punk rock. Songs started out somewhat avant-garde and became less interesting as the album progressed, but most songs were brief and moved onto the next before each became boring.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
Just okay, if not entirely forgettable, instrumental music made completely insufferable by audio throughout of a large rat biting the testicles of a donkey. Implying that the sometimes grungy guitar sounds of this album influenced later grunge music gives the donkey credit that he never deserved.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Really quite good.
Talvin Singh
3/5
Interesting mix of jazz, orchestra, and other music from Asia and far flung cultures that got progressively tedious and boring after the halfway mark.
Finley Quaye
4/5
Unique blend of reggae and other genres like jazz, hip hop, and rock. Quaye's vocals, while not strictly authentic, are pleasant and blend the many genres of this album together. The second half of the album is forgettable but the first half was surprisingly enjoyable and dynamic.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Truly enjoyed most of this album whenever Kiedis wasn't vocalizing. The tight guitar, funky bass, and varied rhythm showcase the talent and skill of these musicians, and it's a shame that Kiedis detracts so much from this otherwise enjoyable music. Breaking the Girl remains an underrated song and the only RHCP track I enjoy.
Ella Fitzgerald
5/5
An ambitious and successful project to record a huge amount of music by the Gershwins and Fitzgerald in one enormous set, and the quality, skill, and effort put into it truly shows. The production quality is unlike anything I've heard from this time period in its clarity and balance, perfectly underscoring Fitzgerald's consistently perfect vocals.
Solomon Burke
3/5
Burke's vocals are impressive and enjoyable. Among the 50's/60's music in this genre, this was something I enjoyed more than most.
The Beta Band
3/5
Interesting and enjoyable indie trip hop rock. I previously had a difficult time placing my finger on what I though trip hop sounded like, but this album is what it sounds like. Many psychedelic and electronic sounds layered over repeating beats and trance-like vocals give this album a somewhat relaxed and trippy vibe (space Beck?). The instrumentals are many-layered, leaving something different on which to focus for each track.
Sinead O'Connor
2/5
This album feels so different to most other albums because the music is aggravatingly boring and O'Connor's vocals are woefully unimpressive, despite sounding like she has more to give. Listening to the whole thing in one sitting felt like being stretched on a grave that I would rather simply inhabit to avoid hearing more of this music. Truly, three babies could make a better album than this. Perhaps if O'Connor had stepped further out of her box and tried the emperor's new clothes she would have developed a more unique and interesting sound than the generic 90's grade school classroom-sound of this album. The decade of the 90's features such a great variety of fantastic musical talent, much of it made by black boys on mopeds, and I would think that O'Connor might have used some of it to influence her sound on this album. But alas, the only influence on this album was a cover of Prince's Nothing Compares 2 U, so no original O'Connor creation warranted much popularity. It would have been more invigorating to jump in the river, an activity that would, at least, cause as much sorrow as enduring O'Connor's uninspired musical vision. I'd never met Sinead O'Connor, but I really hope that the sole experience of hearing this album marks the last day of our acquaintance. I don't have any Sinead O'Connor albums in my collection, so I find it true that I do not want what I haven't got.
TV On The Radio
2/5
Darkly boding sounds with opposing-sounding instruments and contrasting vocals. Certainly unique and interesting, but I wouldn't describe it as good music. This might be too much art for my art rock music.
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
Quintessential psychedelic 60's rock. Varied genres and sounds, with clear blues, British and American rock, and others influencing this album's unique and timeless sound. The instrumental track "Embryonic Journey" was a hidden gem that showcases the talent and creativity of the musicians in this band and blends the varied sounds of dreamy, psychedelic guitar with that old folksy sound of 60's era rock. Grace Slick's tracks were clear standouts over the others, but all were enjoyable.
Massive Attack
2/5
Seemingly overrated and not my favorite form of trip hop. I found the vocals irritating but the instrumentals were nice and the bass was exactly as it should be. Maybe it's because this was the first of a new genre and later trip hop bands were able to develop on the foundation created by this album, but I seem to like other trip hop more.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
4/5
Raunchy blues rock Adam and the Ants. Talented musicians back up Harvey's very unserious vocals for comedic and enjoyably raucous music. Much of it is dripping with glam rock over-indulgence to the point of sounding satirical (in a time before satirizing glam rock was fashionable), which brings about a theatrical rock opera vibe (think Rocky Horror Picture Show). Really enjoyed this album and feel that the Harvey must have been going for a specific sound and nailed it perfectly.
The Fall
2/5
The individual talent of each of these mediocre musicians doesn't come close to what's required to make up for the awful banal talk-singing of the garbage vocalist in this band. Each song is repetitious and has no reason to be longer than two minutes, let alone the 4 minute length of most of these songs. I didn't need to hear this album ever and I hope I forget it soon.
Various Artists
4/5
Decent renditions of some classic and some new Christmas songs. A twist of blues and R&B gives the songs a unique flavor, but I didn't feel that any of the songs exuded wintery or Christmas vibes.
Boston
5/5
Perfect
Depeche Mode
2/5
Rather extra with too much grandiosity. Extraneous orchestral involvement and flourishes that tarnish the otherwise simple and enjoyable electronic music I typically enjoy from Depeche Mode. I honestly think my opinion of this band was better before having heard this album and don't feel that I needed to hear it at all.
The Band
2/5
Decent folk rock. Horrible vocals. Maybe a band, but not the band.
Massive Attack
2/5
Seemingly overrated and not my favorite form of trip hop. I found the vocals irritating but the instrumentals were nice and the bass was exactly as it should be. Maybe it's because this was the first of a new genre and later trip hop bands were able to develop on the foundation created by this album, but I seem to like other trip hop more.
Fishbone
4/5
Punchy and slappin', technically interesting ska and reggae music. Very unique and enjoyable, especially when it leans towards rock. Mighty Long Way was a great song with some excellent guitar work. All songs have incredible bass.
New Order
2/5
Really mediocre British 80's pop rock. Sooner Than You Think stands out amongst the rest for having some pretty delicious synth and a nice guitar solo. It's a shame that the greatest appeal of this band is supposedly the vocalist's poor singing.
The Smiths
3/5
Sounds like a good Smiths album. Not the best album, but a good one. Shame that Morrissey is a complete and total door knob.
Emmylou Harris
2/5
An unsurprisingly uninspiring and uncreative hour of music from someone who built their career by covering other people's music. Harris expresses a lot of emotion and personal experience in this album's lyrics, but offers nothing interesting in the instrumental composition. Anyone who isn't already a fan of Emmylou Harris certainly has no interest in hearing this album.
Oasis
4/5
Nice to hear an album of well regarded music from Oasis that isn't Wonderwall. The vocals grew somewhat irritating by the end, but the music overall was easily held aloft by the intricate and interesting guitar work, as well as the generally upbeat vibes of the songs.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Excellent proggy late 70's rock, with a great variety of influences. Excuse Me is the only track that took a few too many liberties and sounded rather strange, with a bizarre application of blues rock and other genres that didn't quite blend. All other tracks were a treat and I enjoyed this escape into the sounds of Peter Gabriel.
The Pogues
3/5
Raucous and sarcastic Irish folk punk
Sade
4/5
Very smooth bass. Deliciously 80's drum tracks. Jazzy guitar. I was previously familiar with Smooth Operator and was delighted to find that the rest of this album carries the sounds and vibes of that song. No surprises or excess, and definitely no risks taken - in the end, you get only what you expect from this album, so you'd better enjoy this 80's style of saxophone-Casio-jazz rock.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Several guitars out of tune? Vocals out of tune? Other discordant instruments all played on top of each other? Clearly seminal music and among the greatest of all time. Please give me more 1:06 songs of random guitar noises so I can praise the artistic vision of this band's discography, which sounds just as awful as the rest of this album's 50 minutes of "genre defining" low talent garbage. It's really not impressive that this band sought to create "experimental" music by playing all of their instruments out of tune, and they deserve absolutely no credit for exploring a sound space that was already known to be unpleasant. This is why musicians study things like structure, rhythm, and melody - because people generally enjoy music with those elements in balance. People who want the contrary are welcome to this band's music, but the rest of us don't deserve to be subjected to it before our deaths.
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
An enjoyable, energetic, frantic vision of British youth. I originally discovered a taste for the Arctic Monkeys through their album AM, which featured a more organized and pop-oriented sound, so it was nice to get the original, punk rockier British flavor of the band. Vocals could sound a little too British for me at times (something to be expected in a debut album and is more absent from their future releases), but definitely contribute to the themes of the album. All instruments are catchy and on point, growing tighter and more technical when drawing attention, and leaning into a looser more disorganized sound when the vocals take focus. This provides a nice variety among the songs and showcases that these artists know exactly what sound they are crafting.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
The finest gift the British have ever given to the world.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Excellent music to enjoy a beautiful sunrise and question my life's employment at a supplier for the military industrial complex.
Fleet Foxes
5/5
I embrace the perfect cliche of a Washington-resident who listens to Fleet Foxes while driving their Subaru to the Cascades, and I enjoy it every time. Nothing prepares the spirit for a trip into the backcountry of the North Cascades like the Fleet Foxes, and this album is thematic of all the sights, smells, and feelings that come with such an adventure. The instrumental arrangements on this album immediately transport me to memories of driving down Highway 20 along the Skagit River, Ross Lake, and Washington Pass, on my way to explore a new and spectacular region of these beloved North Cascades mountains.
Cornershop
2/5
The most popular song on this album is aggravatingly repetitive and simplistic, which really sets the tone for the remaining songs on this album. The other songs of western cultural alignment are so basic that they offer nothing unique or of interest to the listener, and are essentially the same programmed bass line, drum track, and synthesizer notes repeating ad nauseum to accompany droll vocals that express no range whatsoever. In between actual songs are tracks of sampled noise and talking that offer frequent reminders that I was listening to music, but am now listening to something that is categorically not music. The songs of Indian musical influence are certainly an appropriation of another nation's culture, but the English have built their entire culture on this practice, anyway.
Television
3/5
It's a shame that I strongly dislike Valeraine's vocals, because I think his vision for this album is a strong one. However, his lack of tone overpowers much of the technical and interesting instrumental arrangements throughout this music. Marquee Moon and Prove It were among few songs for which I could ignore his vocals enough to enjoy the music, but the rest of the tracks were a struggle to enjoy what his singing left behind.
Ms. Dynamite
3/5
Interesting guitar with a nice amount of jazz and reggae influence made this album more interesting and enjoyable than your average pop rap R&B album. Ms. Dynamite's vocals are smooth and the backup vocals provided by a variety of other artists compliment the music well. The a capella track was a nice reprieve near the middle of the album and allowed Dynamite's vocals to shine without the support of the band.
Solomon Burke
3/5
Burke's vocals are impressive and enjoyable. Among the 50's/60's music in this genre, this was something I enjoyed more than most.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Bingo bango bongo I don't wanna listen to anything other than 60 minutes of Afro jazz percussion.
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
X.Y.U gives grungy QOTSA vibes, and great rhythm on a handful of tracks from disc 1. The remaining are forgettable, and even the singles don't deserve the acclaim they receive. Would listen again only if forced.
Rush
5/5
Perfect musicianship throughout this excellent album. Red Barchetta will always be my favorite song to enjoy while driving down a rural road on a sunny summer day. Any time I hear YYZ, my brain becomes thoroughly distracted and I can focus on nothing else but the music - there's just so much complexity to savor and consider. The album falls off a little after Limelight, but it's still classic early modern Rush and has that sweet 80s progressive rock sound that I do so enjoy. As much as I appreciate Rush's former albums for their longer and more fanciful progressive songs, I think Rush made an excellent change with Moving Pictures to shorten their songs and tighten their focus, leading to a greater variety of sounds within each album and providing the world with some of the best 80s prog rock in the albums that would follow. For leading this change in direction, Moving Pictures receives 5 stars.
Muddy Waters
3/5
Really enjoyed this blend of blues that is modern in chronology but traditional in sound. It features many rhythms and themes of classic blues rock and roll, but features a more upbeat sound that kept my toes tapping.
Nirvana
4/5
Great music and truly genre defining grunge, but the star of the Nirvana show will always be Dave Grohl.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
A fantastic album top to bottom, with exquisite musicianship from this legendary foursome. Their excellence truly shines on the epic 7-minute track Since I've Been Loving You, where a great variety of instruments underscores the deep sound and emotion conveyed in the song. Plant's vocals are at the peak of his ability while John Paul Jones underscores the emotion in the vocals with driving organ, strings, and bass. Gallows Pole is another sorrowful song that references a traditional English folk piece, which is a treat among music that so often features themes from American southern blues. Other songs feature more upbeat tempos, like the famous Immigrant Song, which kicks off the album with an exciting high-tempo rock tune for the ages. Ultimately, the song is closed out with the toe-tapping Bron-Y-aur-Stomp, which is a fine song to highlight Bonham's characteristic drumming. Hats off To (Roy) Harper is a bonus track among the album, as far as I'm concerned. This album is truly an underrated collection of some of Zeppelin's finest work and I find myself surprised by it upon each return.
The Prodigy
4/5
Strong start to this album with some incredible bangers. The second half is hit and miss, but held aloft by the hit track Firestarter. This is definitely an album worthy of this list, with a handful of impressive and famous tracks, as well as its iconic album art.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Sad boi 50's crooning. Not the best or most impressive Sinatra album, but still decent music. Kinda hard to believe that one of the biggest sex symbols of his age could pull off an album featuring themes of sadness and depression over how he can't get a gal and get laid.
Gene Clark
3/5
Decent folk rock, though rather grandiose at times. Probably not "one of the greatest albums ever made". Those who hear this album thinking they've discovered a "lost masterpiece" are giant hipster doofuses for thinking this album is anything greater than another 70's folk rock album with too many instruments trying to cling to an already overdone trend of the folk music from this time. Cope harder, losers.
The Strokes
3/5
For a debut album, The Strokes present a refined sound that proves they know their vibe earlier in their career than most. I always had a distaste for The Strokes, but found myself appreciating the narrow focus of the sounds they are able to achieve with simple riffs and arrangements of just a few instruments. The hits on this album like Last Nite find a greater appreciation in the context of the other songs on this album, and I enjoyed this opportunity to become more familiar with the music. However, after several songs I found myself tiring of the distortion effects on the vocals, and began wishing for a song or two with a cleaner sound, if only for the variety.
James Brown
4/5
Perhaps the only experience above listening to a James Brown album is attending a performance by the man himself. This album is as close as you can get, and for that it receives high marks. Brown's voice is dripping with life and passion, and the Famous Flames provide a great funky soundtrack to match. Further, the fanfare of the crowd adds to the appeal of the experience and the live nature of the recording is clear, never detracting from the audio.
Funkadelic
4/5
Groovy af with a lot of sweet rock licks
Fried ice cream is a reality
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
I liked the Pet Shop Boys gay little single, West End Girls. Among the nearly gay techno pop of the 80's, West End Girls is a refresher because it's so obviously gay. What a thrill to let it all out in age of advancing liberal values! This album, however, is much too gay and features none of the subdued qualities that made the band's prior hit a success. Of course there's nothing wrong with music that's very gay, but I prefer subtlety to the opposite. To the band's credit, the title of the album describes these qualities to the listener before they've even heard the first track.
The Temptations
3/5
Funky, soulful, contemplative, sad, joyful - this album features many themes and emotions that keep in engaging and enjoyable. No song is too long, and even the longest song, Papa Was A Rollin' Stone at 11'46", gives the music space to breath and move in its extended playtime. Meanwhile, the shorter songs are punchier and focused. The string arrangements provide a classic early-70's sound while the bass and guitar keep things soulful and funky for a modern sound on this concise record with many enjoyable tracks.
Pink Floyd
5/5
brilliant classic
Otis Redding
3/5
Strong vocals and good songs. Redding's rendition of (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction is very soulful and a great variation of the Rolling Stones classic, as are his other covers. His original songs are good too.
Butthole Surfers
2/5
The album opens with a sludge of guitar on Sweat Loaf, a clear reference to Black Sabbath's "Sweet Leaf", setting the stage for the forthcoming album which sounds like musical satire of itself. It was nice to listen to some proto-grunge with a lot of punk sounds, but the music itself seems like something nobody expected anyone to enjoy, and they probably shouldn't. Investigating the origin of the name Butthole Surfers led me to some of the band's former names, which I rather enjoyed: The Dick Clark Five, Nine cm Worm Makes Own Food, The Vodka Family Winstons, Ashtray Babyheads, Ed Asner Is Gay, Fred Astaire's Asshole, The Right to Eat Fred Astaire's Asshole, The Inalienable Right to Eat Fred Astaire's Asshole, Zipgun, and many others.
Underworld
3/5
Very smooth rhythms and arrangements set by engaging electronic beats. Great progressive sounds among a genre that I find typically boring and repetitive. The runtime was a little lengthy and the tracks after Pearl's Girl struggled to defend their inclusion on the album, but the first half was dynamic and complex enough to elevate the music above most other electronic music I've heard.
Haircut 100
4/5
This is a fantastic album whose biggest hits I had never even heard of before, though I didn't find myself especially impressed with them. Strong use of Burundi beats throughout the album, paired with slap bass, gives the music an 80's jungle vibe combined with the various brass and wind instruments on the album. I'm a huge sucker for saxophone and this band delighted, even thrilled me, with their consistent use of saxophone throughout the album. Not every tune was a banger, but my attention was piqued by something on every song. I will undoubtedly return to some of the highlights from this album in the future.
Supergrass
3/5
Took me a couple songs to warm up to this music. At first, it sounded too British, but ultimately it charmed me with its unique alt rock sounds that I found to be unique and dynamic in a way that captured my interest.
The Temptations
3/5
A fine mix of soulful, groovy, and funky tunes. Lots of great vocals featured.
The Police
3/5
Great tunes by The Police with some pretty experimental themes. They don't always land, and sometimes the tracks fracture the flow of the album (Mother and Miss Gradenko being the most obvious), but the hits are very strong and illustrate why The Police are such a great band.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
Nice and good, especially for its time. The Murder Mystery is proof that Sonic Youth never did anything new or interesting.
Mercury Rev
3/5
The album started out pretty mediocre with a lot uninteresting music and annoying vocals, but became more progressive later in the album, reaching an apex with The Funny Bird. A lot of moody jazzy instrumental arrangements and technical sounds coming from this track that I really enjoyed. It was surprising to dislike just about everything I was hearing from this album with the surprise exception of that song. Ultimately, two weak tracks close out the album and leave a totally forgettable impression upon me.
Iron Maiden
5/5
Every track is a timeless banger. Dickinson's vocals are genre-defining, the guitar riffs are technical and dynamic, the drums are iconic and memorable from the first downbeat, and the bass is unrelenting. The themes of the album, while built upon those of former albums, set the stage for a discography of epic heavy metal spanning the works of classic Greek mythology to imperialism's history of bloody conquest. No band is as iconic as Iron Maiden, and this album blazed the path for future albums to follow without a single misstep.
Beatles
3/5
A strong album with many great tracks and a few timeless ones, as well. This album might not represent the best of The Beatles, but it certainly represents some enjoyable music by the band. Overall, the album was weakened by some questionable, if not bad, tracks, such as Revolution 9.
Pere Ubu
2/5
Yet another example of bad music that doesn't deserve to be lauded just because it's "avant-garde". This music is bad, disorganized, and oppressive to the senses, and, even though it influenced future more successful musicians, it doesn't deserve the distinction it received by being included in this project. With that said, most of the instrumental arrangements are tolerable at worst and interesting at best, which strongly underscores the way that the shrill and poorly produced vocals ruin every song. The 9th track of the album, Sentimental Journey, was the exceptionally cliche track of the album, featuring random and monotonous noises for over six minutes - the kind of thing that I have come to expect from bands like this.
Eels
3/5
Boring sad alt rock
Kate Bush
3/5
Whimsical music for fairies and women - an interesting blend of progressive orchestral and 80's pop that somehow found wide appeal. However, the highlights of this album are Running Up That Hill and the several other songs that feature strikingly similar marching-style rhythms and building arrangements. The remaining tracks are mostly not memorable for their music; however, the bass receives an honorable mention for being deep and slapping.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
Just okay, if not entirely forgettable, instrumental music made completely insufferable by audio throughout of a large rat biting the testicles of a donkey. Implying that the sometimes grungy guitar sounds of this album influenced later grunge music gives the donkey credit that he never deserved.
Norah Jones
3/5
Exemplary 2000's soft rock, with instruments that almost aren't even there and a not-too-generic and also sorta bluesy white female vocalist. What a head trip it is to establish some of my earliest memories in elementary school listening to Norah Jones CDs in the classroom while performing constructive learning exercises, to now listening to the same album while I squander away the prime of my life 20 years later toiling away at my professional job in a sterile office space. My thanks to Norah for the nostalgia and the existential dread.
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
I'm unsure if this music is supposed to be satire or a genuine expression of human emotions and experiences. If it's the latter, Sullivan's life experiences have taught her nothing except that she wants money and that sex is the best way to get it. For all of the feeling expressed in her vocals, her lyrics ring hypocritical as one of the major themes of the music is the independence of women and their struggles, but repeatedly the lyrics remind the listener that men are essential because of their money and their genitals. So what is it, yass queen, are women independent to win their own struggles and make their own mistakes, or are they dependent on men for money and sex? This dichotomy has been explored ad nauseam by other artists, so Sullivan's attempt in this album falls flat as crass and unnecessary.
Burning Spear
3/5
Solid reggae
Curtis Mayfield
2/5
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Truly enjoyed most of this album whenever Kiedis wasn't vocalizing. The tight guitar, funky bass, and varied rhythm showcase the talent and skill of these musicians, and it's a shame that Kiedis detracts so much from this otherwise enjoyable music. Breaking the Girl remains an underrated song and the only RHCP track I enjoy.
Iron Maiden
4/5
Classic tunes that set the stage for some future legendary albums. Remember Tomorrow is an underrated song that features the band's exceptional ability to slow down with thoughtful and technical guitar riffs that quickly ramp into thrashing solos and driving bass. While the tracks from this album don't rise to the level of many future Iron Maiden classics, the fundamental elements of those songs are clearly established in this album and its influence on artists of similar music from the era is clear.
Buck Owens
3/5
Owens music really shines when he kicks up the tempo and sings a jolly tune to a toe-tapping beat, which makes tracks like Wham Bam (all misogyny aside) stand out on this album. On the other end of the spectrum are the sad cowboy songs, which I typically enjoy but find that Owens vocals lack a fullness of emotion that I appreciate in the singing of other musicians like Marty Robbins and Dwight Yoakam. At the bottom of the barrel is Streets of Laredo, which had strange production and echoing vocals, sounding like it drew influences from some kind of Gregorian church chanting. Overall, I enjoyed becoming familiar with Buck Owens style of classic rock & roll country, and can clearly hear his influence in musicians that followed his style and genre, many of whom performed his music but better.
Syd Barrett
2/5
This album represents more of a lesson in the history of Barrett and Pink Floyd than a collection of music one would enjoy on its merits. After hearing the discord of the first couple tracks, I educated myself on the biography of Barrett and began to understand the history behind the random instruments and rambling lyrics. It comes as no surprise that this album was born out of necessity on the part of the recording company to produce an album from Barrett, whom they had recently acquired following his departure from Pink Floyd. Thus, the album was not made from the passion and creativity of Barrett, and the struggles of those involved with the album to generate music representative of Barrett's former talents is woven through each song. There isn't much to enjoy of this album from a musical perspective, and listening provides more of a sad history lesson; but, at least some context is provided behind some of Pink Floyd's great hits like "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and other homages to Barrett.
Joan Armatrading
3/5
Really groovey bluesy 70's soft rock. Armatrading's voice is unique and somewhat soulful, though not altogether great. However, the song writing and supporting instruments are strong while not overbearing. An enjoyable listen, but probably not one to which I would return on my own.
Miles Davis
4/5
Good jazz but I'm too stupid to understand why.
David Bowie
4/5
Funkified Bowie slaps pretty good. The music on this album is a little all over the place and the songs are pretty diverse, but the influence of black musical styles is a unifying theme that ties it together. Special mention for the sax throughout the album.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Cave's vocals are strong and the music from the rest of the band is there but never quite noticeable or impressive. The lyrics prioritize story telling over musical value, but don't generate opportunity for dynamic change, leading to Cave's vocals sounding essentially the same throughout the album. Overall, I appreciated the opportunity to become familiar with Nick Cave's musical career, but don't feel that this album in particular needed to be heard.
Nina Simone
3/5
Nice jazzy and often dramatic music, with engaging piano, supports Simone's unimpressive and distracting vocals. Simone's voice is at times harsh and unpleasant when adjacent to the instruments in the band, but her songwriting and orchestration is impressive and keeps the music engaging. The subject matter of the album is noteworthy and Simone's passion is apparent.
Madonna
2/5
An absolute steaming pile of auto-tuned garbage pop music. Madonna deserves no credit for her work on this album that pushes no artistic boundaries nor develops novel sounds or ideas, and the album's producer deserves none for staunchly following the trends in pop music of the day, all of which aged poorly.
Sam Cooke
3/5
An energetic and fun performance whose nature of having been recorded live provides the listener with some of the overflowing enthusiasm of the performer and their audience. Cooke is a masterful artist and this recording provides a high quality representation of his skill as a musician and performer.
Public Enemy
3/5
hard with just a hint of jazz
Deep Purple
4/5
A strong collection of Deep Purple hits, featuring the energy of the crowd and the improvisational creative talent of one of the best bands of the time. As a fan Deep Purple, I appreciated the opportunity to hear the band jamming and expanding songs in their catalogue, but I feel that this album is likely too deep a dive into the mechanics of Deep Purple when any of their more famous studio albums would have better represented the band's music and why it should be heard.
Neu!
2/5
Pleasantly boring instrumental music whose devolution started with the third track Leb Wohl, a song that featured sounds of disconcerting breathing and moaning, and reached an apex with the following track, Hero, which featured strained and unpleasant vocals shouting unintelligible lyrics while supported by discordant instruments. The penultimate song treated the listener with three minutes of wind noises on a track that was already 7 minutes of boring and repetitive music. Finally, to close out the album, the last track continues the repetitive beat and boring sounds of the previous track, but with the addition of more unpleasant whispered and screamed vocals. Overall, this was an album that no one benefitted from hearing.
Queen
4/5
Proto-glam rock at its finest, with a hint of the orchestral grandiosity that makes Queen one of the greatest rock bands of all time. This album features a slightly more unrefined sound and provides a sense of how the band developed the elements of their future music. Some of the tracks have great potential but are too short and sound a little underdeveloped, but this is countered by the excellent continuity of the rock opera suite Tenement Funster/Flick of the Wrist/Lily of the Valley. The song Stone Cold Crazy is a rocking banger and stands juxtaposed among many slower and more melodic tracks.
Soundgarden
5/5
Superunknown represents the grunge genre's transition from gloomy underground Seattle rock to a mainstream musical style with broad appeal, and while I prefer the unwashed sound of Soundgarden in Badmotorfinger like the sharp bitterness of a Pacific Northwest IPA, this album goes down smooth like a macrobrew pale ale. The progression of the album weaves between upbeat and catchy rhythms like those of My Wave, and dark and brooding guitar riffs that underpin songs like Mailman, illustrating a range of emotions that grunge was thought to lack before it was thrust out of obscurity by this album. Betwixt the singles of wide renown are not filler tracks, but delicacies of the finest grunge, appreciated by fans of the genre who choose to explore the sounds of Soundgarden beyond what is considered to be commercially successful. Such real grunge enjoyers understand the tragedy of the loss of Soundgarden's vocalist, Chris Cornell - one of the greatest vocalists of all time. Every one of his songs reveals new talents and ranges of his voice's broad repertoire, and while a sense of melancholy is felt knowing that his career reached an early end, a happiness can be found in appreciating the great variety of art he has given for us to enjoy.
Dire Straits
5/5
Top tier guitar among a flurry of hit tracks and other savory samplings from this band of goliath talent.
Beatles
3/5
Short and sappy love songs that represent the source of future, better, Beatles albums. A Hard Day's Night is the first and best track on the album, so the remaining songs do little to impress.
Hugh Masekela
3/5
Upbeat and enjoyable Afro-jazz with plenty of horns. A little light on the "Afro" but still very good.
Doves
4/5
Melodic and atmospheric tracks give this a great progressive sound, and each track provides enough variety to keep the album sounding dynamic and keep the listener engaged. I'd never heard of this band nor this album, but it's one to which I will return.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
Perhaps the least objectionable album, yet, from this old woman who refuses to stop screeching into a microphone and pretending to be a cow boy. The supporting band, Crazy Horse, did a good job of distracting me from the horrendous vocals of the old woman.
Pixies
2/5
This album sounds like Sonic Youth if Sonic Youth made bad rock music instead of incoherent garbage noise. +1 for boobies and the song about a cool guy who rides his bicycle.
John Cale
3/5
Pretty forgettable album of English rock music. A lot of variety but nothing really stood out, except for Macbeth, which was a surprising folk/country rock jam that I enjoyed. Cale mostly used other English pop rock bands (read: Beatles) as inspiration and replicated their orchestral style but to much lesser effect, especially because so many other artists were doing the same thing at the time. I noticed the guitar on some tracks featured a twangy country sound, and feel that incorporating more of this in his otherwise English pop sound might have been a more novel element of his "experimental nature" if it had been a larger focus of his music.
Dolly Parton
4/5
Short and sweet, this album listens like the distillation of the best of 1970s soft country. It tackles themes like poverty, family conflict, and betrayal through sometimes upbeat but often melancholy songs, and the variety throughout keeps it engaging. The album grows more generic after the first handful of tracks, and there's perhaps too many love songs for my taste, but the country twist of each makes them unique and reminds the listener that, despite our best efforts, we sometimes all bear our flaws. Nevertheless, Parton's vocals brilliantly convey a broad range of emotions that support the varied themes of the albums and underscore her talent as one of country's greatest artists.
Marilyn Manson
2/5
This album is way too long and the music isn't very good, but for kickstarting the post-grunge late 90's/early 2000's alt metal scene I can understand its influence. That said, I think its significance lies with a select few songs and not the album as a whole, and for that I don't feel it deserves to be included in this list or deserves much respect on the whole.
Black Sabbath
5/5
This is genre-defining metal and set the standard for every Black Sabbath album to follow. The bellowing and unrefined low sounds of the brooding guitar bludgeons the listener while the precision sloppiness of the supporting instruments reinforces a thematic sound throughout the album. Tracks vary between fast tempo, such as Paranoid, and immediately drop away into pensive and slow tracks like Planet Caravan, showcasing the broad range of the genre and the talent of these artists.