1001 Albums Journey

Iconic sound to usher in the legendary 70s rock n roll scene. Sympathy for the devil has unlimited replay potential, great song that people will recognize but aren't sick of. Nice crunchy guitar thoughout the album, twangy bass with a nice low-end, iconic vocals, and punchy drums! The sound gets a little bit repetitive with the slide guitar sound. Lead guitar can get a little bit too heady. Stand-out songs: Sympathy for the devil (T1), No Expectations (T2), Stray Cat Blues (T8). A good album for both the oldheads and younger listeners, super listenable, and not too demanding. I did find myself wanting it to end by the last track, despite being ~40mins. Really middle-of-the-road album for me, 2.57/5

not my type of music. the funkier stuff was cool, and the last track, like fire had really nice guitar. not bad music by any means, but i wouldn’t ever choose to listen to it. 1/5

definitely one of the albums of all time. idk it was kinda underwhelming, each individual song was shorter or worse than the album version, but its cool to hear something recorded 50 years ago in a prison, and I played folsom p. blues with a band so little bit of nostalgia there. overall kinda boring, but nothing was unlistenable or harsh, so 2/5.

Good album, felt super cohesive as a piece, and the intro and closing songs both stood out to me, and were experimental in just the right amount. The album appealed to the part of me that likes the Smashing Pumpkins, other similar rock albums, while also being fairly poppy and with a cohesive and uniform sound. Standout tracks: T1 (Novocaine for the Soul), T12 (Manchild).

pretty great album, never once during listening did I wish that it would end sooner, and each song brought something unique to the album while keeping the overall cohesiveness. really sick funk guitar type sounds, and cool ethereal vocals. One super stand-out track (and the playlist track) is T9- Shoot you down, it has a really nice catchy bassline with the sick funk guitar ontop and a beatles/beach boys type sound on top to create a really addictive track. If someone told me the stone roses were a band from the 60s-70s I wouldn't bat an eye. classic sound with modern melodies. 4/5

I kinda had to force myself through this album, not my vibe at all. I enjoy jazz music, but I swear to god every single song was the exact same on this album. Whatever, I guess I'm not a romantic. I could see myself enjoying the ambiance caused by playing this album at the right time. No standout tracks, I'm a fool to want you is going on the playlist, I guess. 1/5

Bobby Womack's funky fresh beats keep you dancing on your feets. Parts of this album were particularly nice and enjoyable to listen to, while others felt like they kept on going without much to offer (T4- Just my Imagination). Playlist track: T5 - Stand Up. Although I would love to hear more from this genre, I don't know if this album quite hit the spot it was trying to go for, for me. 3/5

Adele was my sister's favorite artist while we were growing up (I know this dates me), so I grew up listening to her (and Adele) sing all of these songs. Although I don't particularly like the style of music that Adele creates, it was really nice to be able to listen to the album and know practically every song that played. I found the overall sound of the album to be pretty boring, and listening to the same vocal range and sound got a little bit boring. No particular stand-out tracks, but I threw Water under the Bridge on the playlist. One song gave me a headache, but overall I didn't hate it. I wouldn't listen to it again if I had the option, so... 3/5

dooooooon't be a naughty baby. The moment I loaded this album up, I knew I was gonna put it off to the last minute, and I did (for good reason). I did "the very best of..." version of this album on spotify, and I think if I were to do the full 3hr track, I might become braindead. I really didn't think it was actually all that bad, it was very calming, and I found myself smiling at the first track and relating to the lyrics in a strange, yet direct way. That being said, I enjoyed a very little portion of the album, and I'm so bored that I decided to write this review to express my feelings about this track. Whatever, it was better than the Billie Holiday record I just had.

This is it. This is the reason that I started to do this one album a day thing. I'm not sure how this album has passed me by thus far, I really enjoyed all of it, and it fits perfectly within the relaxed synthpop 80s sound, along with other artists I love like New Order, Depeche mode, Tears for fears, The cure, etc. Not only would I listen to this album again, I believe that it will enter into my list of albums that I keep coming back to, and that I recommend to my friends. T10 Extended Souvenir was a stand-out track to me (and is the playlist track), but it came on and gave me an intense feeling of nostalgia, and played the part it was trying to play perfectly. Edit: I just realized that T3 (Souvenir) and T10 are extremely similar, and are practically the same song, but I think it was almost genius to do that in the context of an album, and by the time T10 played, I felt as if I had been listening to that song for years. 1hr album, but I found myself melting away in the context of the music, without any desire to listen to anything else at all. I really enjoy the more new-wave albums that are on this list. 5/5

"her ass is a spaceship i wanna ride" surprisingly eclectic 2000's rock-rap, featuring Lenny Kravitz. I didn't love this album. Although it fits pretty well into my interests and my previous music taste, I really enjoy rock music, and especially hip-hop from around this era- MF DOOM, A Tribe Called Quest, but this record didn't itch either of those scratches, nor was it trying to. I found myself wishing that the current song playing would end, and then finding myself starting to enjoy it. This happened with T7- Wonderful place, which earned the spot on the playlist, mostly because of the included bonus track, which was vaguely reminiscent of Tyler the Creator, whom I enjoy. If someone played choice songs off this record at a smoke sesh, I wouldn't be mad at all. Not quite my vibe, but it was chill. 3/5

Am I part of the cure? Or am I part of the disease? I was pretty excited to see an album from an artist I recognized, and knew that I've enjoyed in the past, even if it isn't necessarily my "type" of music now. I was really happy to hear that "The Scientist" and "Clocks" were on this record, as my dad had those songs downloaded on his iPod while I was a kid. The first song immediately caught my attention with a very -rock- vibe, but with the coldplay 'feel' that I'm used to hearing in other tracks. The listening experience was super enjoyable, and although certain songs were slower or more dragged out than I would've preferred, I enjoyed this album and would listen to it again. 4/5

This heaven gives me a mee-graine I threw this album on in the early morning, and it nearly gave me a mee-graine as well. Upon continued listening, I decided that I was either just not in the mood at the beginning of the album, or that it had a weak first half. I'm a huge fan of the cure, and "Object" would fit perfectly into this album, or certain songs of this album could fit into "Three imaginary boys," so I feel as if I have to reflect my love of the cure by giving this album a good rating. I really enjoyed the guitar throughout the album, and the musical ideas expressed by the guitar. I absolutely despised the vocals at first, until around T4- Return the gift, which I particularly enjoyed. Another stand-out track was T6 - I found that essence rare (playlist track). I'm bouncing between giving this album 3 or 4 stars. I think it's getting 3 stars, and I'm gonna go listen to the cure now to make sure that my musical taste hasn't changed. 3/5

"Shakin your apple right in my face" I have extremely mixed feelings about this album - and Kings of Leon in general. I really, really enjoy the instruments in this album, and there exists musical ideas that I think rival that of their inspiration- the Strokes. However, I absolutely despise the vocals, and the sub-genre they took the rock music into like Dixie-rock absolutely leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Some stand out tracks T4: Joe's Head (super groovy bass line), T8 - Molly's Chambers (great song, will be on the playlist). This was one of the hardest albums to pick a rating for, so far, just because of how differently I feel about different aspects to the album. I'm just gonna average out and give it a.. 3/5

"Pussy galore's comin' down and we like it. We don't like the atomic bomb" This album wasn't on spotify, so I had to listen to it through youtube, and leave my phone on. not a huge deal but that was kinda annoying. The album was fairly annoying, and I think that's the best word to describe it. The instrumentals, and rhythms between them, all felt elementary and repetitive. T14 - Cuckoo drove me insane. T4- Higgle-Dy Piggle-Dy was silly because of the language, and T3- Boys... is going on the playlist because it's the only song on spotify. lame album, gave me a little headache 2/5

“I guess i’m just like a turtle” This album excited me because of Janis Joplin’s name on the album, but after reading the history of this band, how they brought her to the light and she left them in the dust, I have a little bit less respect for Mrs. Joplin. For the first couple songs, I was really enjoying the album, and T4- Piece of my heart was such a great song to be able to hear in the context of the album (playlist song). another notable track is T5- Turtle blues (nice 12-bar blue). After 6 or so songs, everything started blending together with the Joplin vocals, although I really enjoyed the inspired guitar solos throughout the album. Album could’ve been a 4, and started that way, but I know i’d never listen to it again. 3/5

"I'd like to laugh at what you said, but I just can't find a smile" esoteric, dark, moody. This album is truly more than the sum of its parts, and listened together, sets out to portray a mood, and succeeds at its job. I listened to this album while in an airplane, before, during, and after take-off. I was describing the album to my mom, and I likened it to the dichotomy of a hospital (sterile, eerily clean) in a bad part of the neighborhood, with a flickering street light. T1- "Silence" sets the mood for the album with a really interesting instrumental line. T4- "The Rip" beautifully transitioned from the esoteric synth landscape into an acoustic singer-songwriter masterpiece, with a great climax within the song, when the drums and synth pick up, it's sublime. T8- "Machine Gun" nearly ruined the album for me, and may very well be the sole reason this album didn't get a 5. It interrupted the flow & vibe of the album with the 808s and distorted drum kicks. T9- "Small"the first half was very disappointing, and confirmed in my head the spot as not a 5/5 for this album, but the second half picked up the slack and turned into one of the album’s better tracks, the trend which continued until album's end. Glad to have heard this album, and to have heard of Portishead. 4/5

"Those natives step beyond. Release the mortal patterns" The album felt like it was over just as it started. I was pleasantly surprised to hear something beatle-y instead of metal like I was expecting with the name Iron Butterfly. No stand out tracks, the last track (namesake for album) was 17 minutes and felt like a fever dream. I think termination will go on the playlist i guess. 2/5

"What's your name? Who's your daddy? Is he rich like me?" I'm a massive fan of the single T12- "Time of the season," so I was expecting the album to match that upbeat, poppy, yet dated and unique style of rock music that the song provides. With T1- "Care of Cell 44," I was excited because that song seemed to confirm my expectations, with a really great song off of the album that matches the vibe of a later, more psychedelic Beatles song, like "Strawberry fields." The rest of the album didn't quite live up to my standards, but kept with the Beatle-y theme. It all felt uninspired, and it's hard to try and match the style of the Beatles, while having clearly inferior songwriting abilities. I considered giving this album a 4, because of how much I adore "Time of the season" (playlist track), but I couldn't bring myself to do it because I wouldn't want to listen to the track again, as I'm not a huge Beatles fan, and especially not a fan of a knock-off Beatles. sorry Abby, it's getting a... 3/5

"Is my vibe too vibealacious for you, babe" Fuck this album, even the popular songs (all three were back to back at the very beginning) weren't very good. Afterwards, I felt like I was being tortured during a Crimean underground waterboarding. I would've given them the nuclear launch codes. The album was 1hr and 10min, which is 20 minutes longer than the average album, which was just fantastic. Not only was the music headache-inducing, it was also contradictory, with the girls bragging about being so "Bootylicious" and then going on to bash other women for being sluts in the very next song- "Nasty girl." this shit sucks. T6 - Apple pie a la mode is going on the playlist solely because it's the shortest song on the album. 1/5

"Dead bodies everywhere, Dead bodies everywhere, Dead bodies everywhere, Dead bodies everywhere, Dead bodies everywhere, Dead bodies everywhere" Korn is kind-of a meme of a band, on the level of weezer, and nickelback, so I was excited to get to experience some of the genius that goes on in their albums. I was actually surprised at how listenable this album was, and I enjoyed some of the songs. T9- "Reclaim my place" has a dope ass beat drop off of "What the fuck!!!" so it's going in the playlist. T2- "Freak on the leash" has a funny ass scatting moment. Decent album, didn't hate it, didn't love it. 3/5

"We gon be getting down on the moon. Light years, interplanetary funk" I used this album as background music, otherwise I'm not sure if I would've been able to stand 1hr 10 mins of Marvin Gaye crying about the fact that his wife divorced him. It was very nice as background music. The entire album (predictably) merged together into what felt like one long song. some particular tracks that stood out to me sonically include T4- Anger, with a nice funky beat alongside his usual type of vocals. and T11- A funky space reincarnation (which is the playlist track), which is super funky and I think the lyrics are hilarious. I'm not sure why he felt the need to include the same song three times in this album, and not a particularly good song either. I guess he really wanted to drive home the point that he wasn't sure when his ex-wife stopped loving him, so he included an instrumental and a reprise. Whatever Mr. Gay 2/5

"Around the world, around the world / Around the world, around the world / Around the world, around the world / Around the world, around the world" I was initially pretty excited for this record, because I really enjoy daft punk songs, and I expected a lot more songs to include lyrics. I was pretty disappointed in the album after the first half. T3- "Revolution 909", T4 - "Da Funk", and T7- "Around the world" (playlist) were all really good tracks, but basically the entire rest of the album felt like noise. T8- "Rollin' & Scratchin'" was particularly hard to get through. I'm disappointed with this record, but it still had a lot to offer, and showed real potential in the duo. 3/5

"Immense in my girth, erect I stand tall" I'm slowly realizing that I enjoy metal music a lot more than I let on (both to myself and to others). In my mind, megadeth was this death metal band with incomprehensible screams and muddled guitar riffs played over crazy time signature drums. In actuality, it's (metal is) just a step up from hard rock music, on the level of metallica. There were a bunch of cool musical ideas in this album, particularly in the form of the underlying guitar/bass riff that repeats. I think I would've preferred the vocals to be a little bit harsher, but I suppose that's part of the appeal of this "level" of metal music. Cool stuff, especially T1-"Holy Wars..." and T7 "Tornado of Souls" (playlist track). 3/5

"It's not the side-effects of the cocaine, I'm thinking it must be love" I think that David Bowie has one of the greatest artistic minds of the century, and any music he creates has great potential, so I was very excited to listen to this album. Quite honestly, I was disappointed by this album. It was experimental in the way that Bowie quite frequently is, and has his great vocals behind each song. However, I didn't find any of the songs to be particularly compelling, and I don't think I would choose to re-listen to this album. T2- "Golden Years" was pretty well done. This might be considered sacrilegious to some, but if I'm being honest with my ratings, it's a.. 3/5

This album is a glorified compilation of royalty-free music. It wasn't unenjoyable to listen to, and I even recognized a couple of the tracks, but everything felt so uninspired and robotic. I can only listen to a certain amount of 12-bar-blues variations without any lyrics. T1- "Green Onions" is going on the playlist. What a waste of a spot on this list. 2/5

"y'all niggaz on the titty in your formative stages" I haven't listened to any of The Roots' records before this one, and I enjoyed it a lot. The flow on most of the songs was really sweet, and the lyricism was well done. My biggest gripe is the runtime of the album, in conjunction with a good few songs that are sub-par, or have a vocal section that took away from the album for me. A real stand-out track for me was T11- "Quills," it has a really nice backing bassline and the rap flows really nicely ontop of it, playlist track. Other tracks, such as T2- "Rock you" and T13- "Complexity" really hit the spot that they're shooting for, but most of the rest of the album could've been done better, or been cut out. 3/5

"I had to pay the doorman just to let me use the door. I had to use a muscleman to pick me off the floor" I was pretty excited to listen to a Psychedelic Furs album, as I really love the song "Love my Way," and my dad (having been a teenager in the 80s) told me that The Psychedelic Furs were one of the bigger bands, influence-wise, in his high-school, along with the Cure, the Smiths, and others. Upon listening to the album, I was pretty disappointed with what the furs had to offer. There were some songs with fairly good musical ideas behind them, such as: T1- "Dumb Waiters," and T2- "Pretty in Pink" (playlist track). But, much more frequently I found the songs to have very surface-level lyrics that were borderline embarrassing to be listening to, with uninteresting vocals over mediocre music, even if the music is in the genre that I prefer over most others. Due mostly to the genre, the band's influence, and those first 2 tracks, the album will not get a 2/5, but rather a... 3/5

"What's this before me, In shadows where no wind blows? A crying, frightened flower without a gentle breeze." This album is a strange mix between genres of music, and sticks true to it's mystical, medieval theme, with great storytelling, and strong country and psychedelic rock influences. I really enjoy albums that can take me to a different world while listening to them, and Triangle fit that bill perfectly. At a run time of <40 minutes, it didn't overstay it's welcome, and I felt satisfied by the end. T1- "Are you Happy?" starts the album with a great guitar backing that reminds me of Neil Young's "The needle and the damage done," which consists of an amazing acoustic guitar. I added this track to the playlist. Beyond the tracks that help to immerse the listener in this fantasy world, I also quite enjoyed T10 - "The Wolf of Velvet Fortune" which is almost chilling at moments, and has a guitar riff to match. A unique album that easily earns it's spot on this list. 4/5

"Mama, just killed a man, put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger, now he's dead" Yeah, it's the bohemian rhapsody album. I was never the biggest Queen fan, and anytime people felt compelled to sing along to that aforementioned song, I would roll my eyes internally. That being said, I was still pretty excited for this album, and hoped it would punish my cynicism with great rock n roll. T1 - "Death on two legs" begun to reward that wish with a great single that uses Mercury's range to compliment a moody guitar/bass melody (playlist). Beyond this track, the album became increasingly tedious to listen to, and reminded me of the reasons that I don't listen to Queen. Through T8 - "Prophet's song" and T10 - "Good company," I was almost forcing myself to continue listening to the album, and then ~the song~ played. enough said. I wouldn't listen again, but I understand it's inclusion on the list. Maybe this is me being petty, but... 2/5

"I eat sixteen saltine crackers then I lick my fingers" I'm a huge fan of Jack White's work with the White Stripes, and I'm aware that he was the mastermind behind most of those songs, so I was pretty excited for this album. T1-5 were very solid, but the second half of the album pales in comparison. T2- "Sixteen Saltines" gives us a nice, heavier rock sound that maybe a lot of us were expecting from White's musical style (playlist track), whereas T4- "Love interruption" is an acoustic ballad that is still very much rock n roll, but in a very different, more singer-songwriter way. Both these songs were great, but like I said, the second half of the album is far weaker, and because of that, I will have to give this album a 3/5

"See the people fussing and thieving, while the sharks are wheeling and dealing" It's the 'smooth operator' album, but it offers more than just a single hit. This is the type of female vocalist jazz that I can enjoy (looking at you, Ella Fitzgerald). I put this album on, and as soon as I knew it, it was over, not due to the run-time, but because it flows really nicely in the background T1- "Smooth Operator" is a really really nice track with an addictive chorus (playlist track). Tracks 2 and 3 "Your love is king" and "Hang onto your love" were also notably good tracks, but not close to the caliber of Smooth Operator. The rest of the album wasn't memorable, and didn't add (or take away) much. Another album with what seems to be a 1 hit wonder with other decent songs around it. 3/5

"Well every girl I go out with becomes my mother in the end" The Police! The Fuzz, Popo, 12, the red and blue, it's not your dad's favorite band, but he'll play the hits. I was excited for my first police album, and T1 - "Synchronicity I" started the album out with a good start. T2 - "Walking in your footsteps" annoyed me, and I hated that song, but if I hated that song, then I despised T4 - "Mother" which was probably one of the most unlistenable songs of this entire project, as of yet. T7 - "Every breath you take" is a classic, and T9 - "Wrapped around your finger" was a really nice hidden gem off of this album (playlist track). Much like a clingy ex-girlfriend, this track was hot and cold, unbearably annoying at times, but the good parts almost make you want to forget about everything else and redeem it. but you can't, because jessica took your dog to the pound when she left. 3/5

"Die little baby screaming / Body, screaming, fucking, bloody mess. Not an animal, it's an abortion" Unapologetically punk-rock, and whatever they want to be- it's the sex pistols (With the closest thing they've released to a self-titled album). The sex pistols are almost a cultural phenomenon by themselves, and their name evokes images of people that listen to them, whom are a lot cooler than myself. I loved how anti-establishment the lyrics were, and some of the musical ideas expressed by the guitar riffs, and the rest of the band, were pretty great. Tracks 3 and 5 "No Feelings" and "Problems" both had very promising guitar riffs at the beginning of their song, but turned out to be lackluster. Tracks 1 and 6 "Holidays in the sun" and "God save the queen" are fairly well rounded tracks, and worth a second visit. Track 2 "Bodies" has a lot of gruesome lyrics about abortion and is super punk rock, so it's the playlist track, and Tracks 8 and 9 "Anarchy in the UK" and "Sub-mission" are super anti-establishment, and anti-PC (with sub-mission having a really funny play on words). The rest of the tracks proved to just add to the noise, and took away from the album (in my opinion) by providing nothing more than the same sound all the other songs have. Despite the homogeneity of the album, it's dope asf and gets a (low)... 4/5

"Crayons ready? Very well, begin to colour me." I wasn't expecting to know any of these songs based off of the artist's name and the album, but I knew both of the first tracks! T1 - "Mama Said" Which is good, if not a little bit annoying when someone else can't help but to sing it, and T2- "You don't own me" which is a classic anthem for women's empowerment (playlist track). The rest of the album was a bit of a slog for me to get through, but nowhere near as bad as some of these other albums have proven to be. I will admit that my spotify version doesn't have all of the songs off of the album, and is missing T8, T12, T13, and T14. But i'm not really mad about their exclusion from the album. I can see why it was included in this list, I'm just not a huge fan. 2/5

I feel fine, im a shaking leaf The most interesting part of this album is that it was written in 1970. Super influential in the punk rock scene or whatever, but even if it's a super influential album, that doesn't mean it gets a free pass to be mid. It has cool guitar, some good musical ideas, kinda just boring and misses the spot it tries to hit. I guess it had to walk so other bands could run. T1- Down on the street gets the playlist track.

"Time is never time at all / You can never ever leave / Without leaving a piece of youth" The smashing pumpkins is my #2 artist of all time on spotify, so this review is heavily biased. I have listened to this record before, but I don't remember it being 2 hours long, so I may have only listened to the first side in the past. I find it kind-of cringy that Corgan wanted this album to be "the wall" for gen. X, but damn if it doesn't come close. I really, really enjoy the musical ideas behind the smashing pumpkins and their music. And I think this album rivals that of the pumpkin's more accessible album for casual listeners- "Siamese Dreams" T2- "Tonight, Tonight" is an epic ballad about the inevitable passing of time, with a focus on making the most of the moment. Anything is possible tonight. T3- "Jellybelly" provides a heavy wall of sound complimented by Alt-rock vocals. T4- "Zero" has perhaps one of the most hard 'metal'-sounding riffs in the back, alongside emo lyrics that creates a contrarian's anthem. T5- "Here is no why" has a genius guitar riff that blends heavy fuzz with the best parts of mathrock and heavier rock, to preach it's cynical song T6- "Bullet with butterfly wings" complete's the album's run of 5 amazing songs to kick off the album and builds up to a chorus that preaches something that is all-too-familiar for those working the 9-5 rat race. T11 - "Galapogos" is a soft-spoken song of admitting one's struggles, and fears of solitude. Disc 2 offers a lot less in the form of obvious hits, but begins with T2 - "Bodies" and continues a cynical vibe of hopeless romanticism, with the haunting chorus "Love is suicide," which may be a reference to Courtney Love, Corgan's ex-girlfriend, and the woman rumored to have played a part in Cobain's suicide. T3- "Thirty-Three" offers a change of outlook, providing a hopeful wish that "Love can last forever." T5- "1979" is perhaps one of the pumpkin's greatest singles, and is the track that introduced me to the band. It offers an unfaltering wave of nostalgia with the hypnotic guitar backing, and wistful lyrics talking about the "cool kids" sung in the past tense, and ideas that there is little to worry about for these kids beyond something as frivolous as social clicks and their respective rules. 1979, to me, offers a direct response to the other hit track, "Tonight, Tonight" which calls one to make the most of the moment, and damn if that's not exactly what happens in 1979. T8- "Stumbeline" is a depressing track of misspent time, and past wishes, and connects to the album's theme of falling asleep with the last line "come around ruby, I could never sleep alone," and the name reminds me personally of "Thumbelina," a bedtime fairy-tale that recounts a girl, borne of a seed, that escapes an abusive marriage with a mole T9- "X.Y.U" is a very heavy song, with references to "Mary had a little lamb," continuing the theme of sleeping, and bed-time stories with dark background stories. This track offers a reflection back onto a very toxic relationship. The second disk ends the album with a fitting track given the theme of sleeping, saying "Farewell and goodnight" This album encapsulates a reflection of one's youth, and lessons learnt too late, relationships symbolized by fairy-tales, and the depressing realization that time can never move backwards. The entire album seems to suggest the universality behind the human emotion of sorrow, and spans multiple genres from rock, alt rock, grunge, heavy metal, alt pop, and art rock. The two sides (discs) of the album seem to suggest a theme of 'day' for the first, and night for the latter. Upon research from the wikipedia, the vinyl was split into 6 sides, including names like "Dawn," "Tea time," and "Dusk" to describe the first side, and names like "Twilight," "Midnight," and "Starlight," to describe the latter, although the songs are in a slightly-different order. This idea also goes along with the ideas expressed in the album, with more positive (yet sorrowful) memories of youth and nostalgia taking place in disc 1, for day, and more pessimistic ideas, fairy-tales, and other references to sleep happening mostly in disc. 2, night. Although a difficult choice, I'll put 1979 on the playlist due to my personal connection with the track. I love this record, and despite it's length, I never once found myself bored. I would recommend this to any enjoyer of music that has similar tastes to mine, that wants a thorough experience and reflection of music. An easy 5/5

“Now i’m a napalm bomb, baby. Just guaranteed to blow your mind” Cool little album, really not my type of music at all, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying this record. A very relaxing sounding album that i’m sure my grandma would love to listen to, also has the single: “Fire and Rain” on it, which is a great track and is going on the playlist. A high 3/5 although not my preferred music, very enjoyable

“My love for you is like a Cadillac” I’m really enjoying these shorter-length albums, and I’ve never listened to Buddy Holly despite hearing no end to his importance in the development of rock n roll. I feel like I always say these words “it’s not my type of music,” and although true for this and many other albums, I always make an effort to listen unbiasedly, and I’m really glad I didn’t have those biases when listening to this record. Genuinely great musical ideas throughout the album despite the release date, and I would listen to many of these tracks again, and I thought of different contexts that I would really enjoy listening to this album. I also feel just like buddy holly, mr weezer. Although I can’t rationalize a 4, it’s getting a 3/5 with strong support from me, and a good replay chance on some of these tracks.

"You could find better things to do, than to break my heart again" First Beatles album of the list- and third album from their discography. I appreciated the short length of the album, and although I know how influential the Beatles were for practically all of modern music- I couldn't find myself really enjoying most of this album. Each song blurred into the last, and ironically, the song that I enjoyed the most was the one that I recognized because of the Cobain cover (and I like his cover better, lol) Looking at the track lists for the albums after Rubber soul, It's pretty clear to me that this album is just kind-of a nothing sandwich, especially in the context of the other Beatles records. T1- "A Hard Day's night" is going on the playlist because although I enjoyed T5- "And I love her" more, it just leaves me wanting to listen to Cobain's version. looking forward to the first Beatles record that's full with bangers (Abbey road???!!!) 3/5

"Sad eyes, crooked crosses / in God's country" I had a grudge against U2 ever since Apple forced us to download their shittiest album on itunes. I later realized that I really enjoy very specific songs of theirs- "Sunday bloody sunday," and can tolerate U2 songs when they come on in the dentist's office, or get played on the radio (those are the exact people that listen to U2). The album starts with three of their most commercially-viable songs, and I enjoyed the opening riff of the album quite a bit. T2 - "I still haven't found what I'm looking for" is listenable, if not overplayed. (playlist, i guess) T3- "With or without you" is dad-rock to its core, and the epitome of a radio song, but there exists still good musical ideas at the root of the song. T10- "Exit" has some Joy Division-esque sounds within it, and I enjoyed that aspect of the song. U2/5

"Mother nature is a coward, mother nature is a whore" As compared to "Rust in peace," by Megadeth, which I reviewed a couple of weeks prior, this album sucks. Although metal riffs are hard to make bad, and I enjoyed all of the pinch harmonics used, I didn't hear any super unique or interesting melodies in the guitar of this album, and the lyrics were pretty mediocre and sound like they're trying too hard at times. I also find it funny that the two most-played songs off the album: T4- "Psychosocial" and T11- "Snuff" are both the most poppy and parts sound more like My chemical romance than anything that would be considered metal. I don't consider myself a metalhead, and i'm not trying to call anyone a poser or bash anyone's music tastes, but it's kind of funny how the majority of "Slipknot fans" listen to stuff that hardly sounds like Slipknot. All of the songs blended together, and at 1hr 10mins, I split this album into two listening sessions, which probably saved me a headache. At the end of the very last song, I felt particularly tired of listening to it, and I feel like this album could've done with some more trimming. 2/5

"her fingers will learn / the lightbulbs burn" Cool album full of walls of psychedelic sounds, and with an underlying sense of urgency about the music. although I can enjoy a bit of something like this, the songs really tend to melt into each other, and it's difficult to comment on them individually. I was listening to this while scrambling to finish some homework before 11:59, and I felt the urgent tone helped that process. T1- "Seagull" has a really sick bassline, and will be the playlist track. Although I enjoy some of the genres this album encompasses, I really need something to be able to catch my attention and to get my head start to bop, it falls short in those places but does offer some great noises. 3/5

"'cause, i'm free as a bird now, and this bird you'll never change" besides giving us the only get-out-of-jail-free card for speeding, and the world's most requested song, This album, the band's debut (and closest to self-titled) gives us a stellar tracklist, and with no skips. Beyond being the epitome of bar/uncle music, Lynyrd Skynrd gives us an album full of great guitar riffs, soaring solos, and groovy drums n bass. "I Aint the one" showcases the band's ability to write groovy licks, and to match the vocals perfectly to those grooves. "Tuesday's gone," and "Free bird" give us rock ballads, with the latter having one of the most cinematic sequences in the history of rock n roll. "Gimmie three steps" is the band's (successful) attempt at creating a southern-rock song that you could get up and dance to, and "Simple man" is clearly inspired by Bob Dylan, giving us a emotional track, with a hard rock twist. I really wanted to give this album a 3, but there's no way I could justify that in my head, so it's getting what it deserves, with a... 4/5

"somebody went under a dock, and there they found a rock. it wasn't a rock, it was a rock lobster" Weeeeeeeeird album. but it doesn't take itself too seriously, either. it's like the wacky conspiracy theory aunt of albums, maybe it's like the bar that has some crude humor as wall art. i found myself hating it just as often as i found myself somewhat enjoying it, but it did give me a headache, and i don't think i would listen again. that being said, if i found this record on vinyl at a vintage store, i'd probably end up picking it up. Parts of 52 Girls was good, but the lead singer's voice is super nasally and headache-inducing. Rock lobster is a classic, but overstays it's welcome (playlist). There's a moon in the sky (called the moon), is such a funny title for a track, and is listenable. beyond the annoying nasal voice, the guy that just like talks into the tracks gets super annoying as well, I can only stand 1 B-52 song at a time. 2.5/5

"shame on the girl, she's got a big black dog in her" I really enjoyed this album upon my first listen, but in hindsight, I think I enjoyed the first 2 songs very much, and kind-of zoned out during the rest of the album. I'm glad to have heard of Suede, although this album had some very strange themes going throughout it, like bestiality, and having sex in cars. So Young has an addictive chorus with the phrase "let's chase the dragon" and will be my playlist track. I also very much enjoyed Animal Nitrate, and the super distorted guitar riff ringing in the haze throughout the track. My percieved rating for this record has jumped all over the place from a 4, to potentially a 5, and down to a 3 upon re-listen, but I'll stick with my gut and award Suede's debut, self-titled, album a 4/5. It reminds me a lot of Bowie, the Smiths, the Cure, and other New Age and Indie rock sounds that I enjoy.

"if you're not blind and deaf, how can we pollute your head?" I'm a pretty big fan of some of the stuff that the queens of the stone age put out, especially a lot of the stuff from "songs for the deaf." this album started off insanely strong with 3 bangers in a row... then it just sucked the rest of the hour. By the third song, I thought I might've found another 5 star, or 4 atleast, and by the end, I think this album will be lucky to get a 3. Regular John is getting added to the playlist, and has the queens of the tstone age sound that I've come to expect. As does Avon and If Only. The only song that has any promise beyond those first 3 tracks is Mexicola with a really nice riff and drum breaks. 3/5

"birds never look into the sun before the day is gone" I'm not sure what I expected out of this album, but I knew it probably wasn't going to be my favorite album from the recent history, and it wasn't. Very soul-y, and there are even tinges of what I would call influence from Michael Jackson, which I enjoyed, but overall, although I'm sure this album is a top 5 for those who enjoy this specific genre, it wasn't written for me (literally and figuratively). I often reference the amount of 'plays' a certain track has on spotify to gauge how well my personal tastes match that of the rest of the population. My favorite track was T8- "Rain," which has the second fewest plays out of any song on the album, is funkier, and has a cool, (egyptian-esque?) electronic synth in the back with a nice bass line (playlist). Lots of passion and clear talent in this album, but it didnt speak to me. This is probably blasphemy in certain communities but... 2/5

"Who will love Aladdin Sane? Battle cries and champagne, just in time for sunrise" My second Bowie album! As always, Bowie is very listenable, and I put this album on in the family room TV when visiting home for the entire family to enjoy. I was expecting a bit more out of this album than what it gave me, however. Lyrically, this album is probably close to perfection, but musicality is far more important to me. 'Watch that Man' has such a nice hook that I needed to add it to the playlist, great example of good Bowie. the other stand-out track to me was 'The jean genie' although a bit overplayed in Bowie's discography, it offers a nice interpretation of bluesy-country songs, and this album having been considered what would happen if 'Ziggy stardust goes to America,' it's very fitting, with most of the other tracks. All that being said, I wouldn't come back to this album, so by my own criteria, it cannot earn a 4/5, although I appreciate the mastery behind Bowie's lyricism, thematic choices and musicality.

"They've been spending most their lives, Living in a pastime paradise" I feel so sorry (and stupid) for thinking Coolio could create the melodies (and hook) for Gangsta's paradise. Stevie Wonder is undeniably a musical genius, and this album does show his heightened sense of hearing. That being said, I wouldn't listen to this record again, and found myself wishing the current song would pass by quicker than it did, and if I have to listen to "Isn't she lovely" again, I might go insane. "Sir Duke" is a bonafide classic, and I was glad to have it ripping through my eardrums upon listening to this album, I wish the rest of the album kept as funky fresh as this track was (playlist). As per my rating promise, if I wouldn't put the record on again, it gets no higher than a 3- so that's what it gets, sorry Mr. Wonder.

"What kind of fuckery is this?" Its.... Amy Winehouse. IMO- people made such a big deal out of her and her character for absolutely no fucking reason, and it's a pretty highly rated album on this website, so maybe I'm missing something, but I absolutely despise "Rehab," it feels very artificial and most of the rest of the tracks off the album feel as if they offered very little that was musically interesting to me. That being said, while I was actively wishing the album to end, the title track, "Back to Black" came on, and I found myself turning up the volume and eagerly awaiting the next hook. Good track, it will be on the playlist. Despite the star track, I can't justify a rating higher than.. 2/5

"He bought me a soda and he tried to molest me in the parking lot" This is an album that I've listened to before, and upon the initial listen, I think I convinced myself that it was a really good album (probably mostly due to whatever website ranked it as top 10 alt rock albums of all time). I am a big fan of Pixies, and I was worried that albums like this one were going to flood my 5-star rankings with stuff that I already knew I liked. I was surprised that after listening to it today, I didn't really feel any sort of strong connection, and despite my premonitions telling me it was going to be a 4 to 5 star album, it fell pretty short of that. Compared to Doolittle, Surfer rosa has very little to offer in terms of stand-out tracks, with "Where is my mind" being the only huge hit off of this album. I decided to add it as the playlist track for this album, despite it being overplayed. This album reminded me a lot of going to see Pixies live, lots of noise and what felt like songs that they wanted us to hear, but that nobody in the crowd actually wanted to hear. Then they played "Where is my mind," everyone freaked out, and subsequently left the concert. I'm pretty disappointed with this album, mostly because of how much I hyped it up in my head, but also because of how directly influential this album and band was on Nirvana, the Strokes, Radiohead, etc. I wish I could restore the way I viewed this album after my initial listen, but as it stands, this album is getting my most surprising 3/5 yet.

"They'll bury Flo tomorrow, but they're hanging me tonight" I remember having listened to "Big Iron" for the first time a while back, and I had that song on repeat for the rest of the day. Because of that, I was looking forward to hearing anything else this album had to offer. In terms of catchiness, "Big Iron" has the rest beat, and I love the storytelling behind it, as well as the repeated phrases "1 and 19 more," "Big Iron on his hip," etc. (playlist track). I wasn't particularly a huge fan of the rest of the songs mostly due to the style, but as a 1959's record goes, this is as good as it gets for me. After reading through the lyrics, especially on "Running gun," I realized a running theme between a couple of the songs off this record. I initially thought "running gun" was the reverse POV of "Big Iron," both the outlaws have 20 notches on their pistols, and get shot before their gun leaves the leather, with onlookers watching their death. However there are some differences with who shoots them (Bounty hunter vs. Arizona ranger, and Agua Fria vs. Amarillo). Both these songs tell a similar story to that in "Billy the Kid" where he has 21 notches on his pistol, and is shot by a sheriff, maybe has something to do with a divine similarity in the deaths of those who live the outlaw life, like it says in Running gun, "And I knew that where I lie today, he too must lie some day." Cool record with a good underlying theme of cowboys and outlaws in the old west. 3/5

"my creme de la creme, please take me home" If I never have to hear the track "We are family" in my life again, I would be glad. Not sure why they needed to put all 3 different versions on the album. I wasn't expecting much from this album but it sent me to a very funky place, and I didn't dislike it. "He's the greatest dancer" might be one of the most danceable tracks that has ever graced my ears, and I think that's the main draw of this album - something to get down n groovy with. (playlist track). "Lost in music" has a really nice chorus with a funky guitar backing, I could really hear someone like daft punk sampling this track. Beyond these starter tracks, I was let down by this album. 3/5

"Well, you didn't wake up this morning / 'cause you didn't go to bed. You were watching the whites of your eyes turn red" I once thought about it for a while, and I decided to pick a 'favorite track of all time,' because although my current favorite song constantly changes, I wanted to decide on a song that I would always connect with. I came up with "This is the day" off of this track as that song. Because of this choice (which I stand by), I once decided to listen to this album in it's entirety, and I remember being pretty disappointed. It was probably caused because of my inflated perception of that one track, so based on that experience, I went into listening to this album today expecting to be disappointed again. "I've been waiting for tomorrow" began and confirmed my internal bias to prove me right. I dislike the loud, obnoxious drums overwhelming the track, and the beginning minute 30 of the track, and the vocals coming in didn't help at all. The bass and other instruments made it bearable, but this was the toughest 6 minutes of the album. "This is the day" is a divine track, and the dichotomy of the terrible sounds that preceded it made me question if it was the same band who wrote both these songs. The synths, drums, chimes, buzzing chorus, and vocals all come together in this track beautifully to create a bittersweet song full of hope, that I relate to very fond memories. Much like the pumpkins' hit track "Tonight, Tonight," the underlying message is about realizing that the past is forever unchangeable, and dealing with that realization. But despite that, maintaining hope that the best is yet to come, and with the idea of living one's life to the fullest, I really enjoy this message. "The sinking feeling" was beginning to disappoint, and then the drums and bass came in. Super groovy track, I enjoyed it a lot. "Uncertain smile" is the record's second stand-out track, and lands directly in the kind of music that attracts me, in the intersection of the cure, the smiths, and david bowie, and holds it's own standing against those idols. "Giant" is really the only other track worth mentioning, and serves as an epic, morphing wall of sound to carry the album out to it's end. I also listened to "Perfect," which was only included in one of 3 releases of "Soul Mining," but I can see why it wasn't included in the rest, pretty lackluster track, but has a cool island feel. I didn't know until today that The The is a solo project of one Matt Johnson, and later joined by Johnny Marr (guitarist of the Smiths)! Cool addition to the group, but the stuff they put out was pretty lackluster, unfortunately. I'm glad my favorite song 'of all time' was joined by an album that wasn't as terrible as I first perceived it to be. 4/5

"were you there to watch the earth be scorched?" I listened to this album like a week ago, before I'm doing this review, sorry for any inaccuracies. This album consisted mostly of the first song (20/38 total minutes). It truly felt like an experience that I went through. At best, showed similarities to Pink Floyd, and at worst, embodied all of the worst parts of jazz and rock. Infinite space went on the playlist, idk why. 3/5

my thought process listening to this album: "highway to hell": hell yeah this is gonna be a dope AC/DC album full with bangers. at this moment, I am expecting to, at some point, hear back in black, thunderstruck, dirty deeds, or any combination of the top AC/DC tracks. "Girl's got rhythm" to "Touch too much": there haven't been any super killer AC/DC tracks other than "thunderstruck" thus far, but these tracks all maintain the energy, provide killer riffs, and allow me to think that this album is still 4/5-5/5 range. "Beating around the bush" to "Get it hot": I am now desperate for a recognizable track, or anything resembling a breath of fresh air. Every song now sounds the same, and I'm sick of Scott's screaming vocals that offer no dynamics "If you want blood" to "Night prowler": all hope has been lost. I have succumbed to the AC/DC sound, nothing can save this album at this moment. 1 good track (and 9 other identically-sounding tracks) cannot make a good album. Any of these songs on their own could make their way into a dad-rock playlist, but I'm convinced that this album simply is not made for front-to-back listening. I juggled with different ratings, but if I'm being honest, it really just deserves a... 2/5

"I'm living on gatorade, planning my getaway" I enjoyed this album a lot more than I thought I would, which is always a pleasant surprise. I found myself smiling, and in a relaxed trance while listening to it, and I think it came to me in the perfect moment. It's cool to hear some solo work from the notorious Simon of Simon & Garfunkel. Really pleasing and soft voice, paired with nice acoustic guitar and round bass lines, and soft drumming. Lots of the songs are groovy, and I particularly liked "Run that body down" for the reasons aformentioned (playlist track). I disliked "Me and Julio down by the Schoolyard" because of how poppy it sounds, and it reminds me of a Jack Johnson song (not a bad thing, but not what I want from a song). I also disliked "Paranoia Blues" because of the screeching slide guitar. In an ideal world, this album would get a 4, and although I could imagine myself throwing it on after a tough day, I don't think it quite deserves that rating. 3.4/5

"threads, i'll make it meta" I had no expectations at all coming into this album, and although the songs have strong parallels to bands and styles that I enjoy: crumb, melody's echo chamber, portishead, I found myself remarkably uninspired by most of these songs. Although there existed some cool synth lines or rhythms within certain songs, I didn't think this album deserved it's spot on this list. "Modern Kosmology," the title track, got it's place on the playlist. I did enjoy listening to this album, and would far prefer putting this on over metal, or most other genres for that matter, but I didn't think it did very much. 3/5

I loved this album, it was full of cool synth parts, and has great vocals and cohesion. reminds me a lot of portishead and mort garson’s plantasia.

oooooh baby baby it’s a wild world - some guy named cat

I enjoyed the Paul Simon solo album far more than I did this album. Felt like music for people that genuinely enjoy church music. Frank Lloyd Wright reference was crazy tho

Not on spotify- had to find a random version on youtube that I think was missing a track. Props to the book author for including a record like this in the listings, but I couldn't figure out why this particular record was included. It didn't feel unique to any of the other middle eastern music I've heard. Some cool musical ideas in tracks like c'est la nuit. I enjoy the middle eastern a-a-a-a-a thing I heard a bunch, but overall it kinda felt like a drag.

2+2=5 is the only redeeming song off of this album, and this album is a far cry from the records that Radiohead gets its cult following from.

Alanis wrote the song of the summer for like all of the early 2000s with this one album. Everything makes so much sense after listening to this record. + I like it when she tells me to be a good boy

An absolutely iconic album. It has candle in the wind, bennie and the jets, goodbye yellow brick road, and saturday night's alright. The first song had a crazy synth intro, and felt like I was listening to an electronic album, which was absolutely crazy. The album ran a bit long at 1hr 16mins, and I wasn't the biggest fan of the other filler songs in the album (apart from jamaica jerk-off), but given the fact that this is album contains half of elton john's greatest hits, I can't rate it lower than 4/5.

Great album, I enjoyed it even more than the previous jimi album. Full of guitar mastery and psychedelic melodies

Cool folke-y type album, not my cup of tea, but it was really chill listening too. I enjoy Mykonos from this band, which wasn't on this album.

is this really an album i NEED to have listened to before i die? basic grunge album, very few standout noises, all felt pretty basic

sultans of swing extended version

great album, #2 radiohead just behind rainbows IMO

Cool little album, some songs were a distinct step-up from the basic mexican mariachi type music I hear at restaurants and the like. I was also eager for this album to end, so 3/5

Daft Punk vibes. Wayyyy too much saw wave synth. Genesis started the album off with a hype and cool beginning. The rest of the album used the same drum beat and saw synth, making it really boring. I avoided listening to this album for months, it wasn't too bad.