Faith
George MichaelA little too dramatic, over-sexed, and not super intriguing album. I do have to say that George Michaelās āCareless Whisperā from later on in his career is an absolutely smashing song. Two stars for this album.
Casey - test to see where notes show up
Cool to hear some pioneering electronic music. Crazy that was born in the 70ās!
I have explicit songs blocked on Spotify so only listened to about half. There was a period of my life when I really tried to like Pearl Jam. I know Ten is Pearl Jamās biggest album, and Pearl Jam was one of the biggest groups of the 90ās, but Iām more of a fan of grunge from the same time period like Soundgarden and Alice In Chains. Plus I donāt really like Eddie Vedderās voice. Iāll give this a 3 star.
Cool to see women represented in alt/grunge but this album was not memorable for me. All sounds a little bland and lyrics are pretty self-harming and somewhat idealizing abusive relationships. Kinda like Pearl Jam, I feel like there are early 90ās grunge or alt groups that I personally enjoy a lot more. 2 stars
This album was so boring! I almost fell asleep listening and Roslyn actually did, haha. I have a lot of respect for someone whoās put out 20 studio albums and I really like a few earlier Bowie songs (Starman, Golden Years, Space Oddity) but this album was unremarkable and forgettable. Like Pearl Jam, I really tried to like David Bowie at one point in my life and it just didnāt work. Neil Young is another one in that category and Iām sure weāll get one of his albums on the shuffle sometime soon. One star
Great album! A lot of dense history behind the group and the time they were writing Rumours- very interesting. āThe Chainā was probably my favorite song on this album, plus āSilver Springā on the Deluxe version. I think it was originally made as a B-side which is a shame because itās a great song. Four stars
I love music groups made of siblings or family members, and there are a lot of them! Gives me hope for the future. This album was a lot of fun- I also love funk and this was pretty funky. Itās been fun seeing different pioneers in their genres so far here. Three stars
Never heard of this guy before and havenāt listened to hardly any Brazilian music in my life. I enjoyed this album, I think Portuguese is a really cool language. Liked the tempo and danceability of the music. Also had to look up what was making the wild squeaking sounds; turns out itās a crazy drum-shaped instrument called a cuica thatās pretty prominent in Brazilian music. I think Beck uses one on a song called āTropicalia.ā Three stars
I never really got into the contemporary/soft rock scene of the 80ās and 90ās and lamentably didnāt recognize any of the songs here except āFast Car.ā That was definitely a staple on 98.3 The Key haha. Not a huge fan of the style/genre of music at first listen but there is certainly some important social commentary on this album- āBehind the Wallā was jarring, heartbreaking, and realistic. Thereās something special about an artistās first album- something they write and record often before having any fame, accolades, expectations, etc. (side note: thatās why youāll hear about lackluster sophomore albums; the second album is really hard for a lot of artists to pull off after a successful debut). This is a great album from a singer-songwriter that went huge right after its release so this is the real deal, straight from her soul. Three stars for straight sound and enjoyment on my first listen, but more like four for content, cultural significance, songwriting value, etc. could I give this 3.5?
I had a hard time placing this one on my musical map. Alternative? Easy listening? Electronic? Duet? Slower pace than expected for sure. Kept expecting the bass to drop but it never really did. Might grow on me if I listened more times but not sure if I will. Three stars.
I always thought that R.E.M. was kind of boring and this album confirmed that. I just didnāt really have any connection or interest in this album. Two stars
Had never heard of PJ Harvey and liked this more than I expected. Semi-edgy singer-songwriter with some acoustic and electric blend. Getting a little bit of the grunge sound from the 90s but you can see her moving to other sounds as well. Cool to see some Thom Yorke collaborations, I think heās a fantastic artist. āThis Mess Weāre Inā was a standout. Loved the monotone monologue from PJ toward the end with Thom dancing all over it with the same lyrics in a terrific minor delivery. A fantastic duet! Listened to it twice in a row. I think itās neat when artists play several instruments, write, and produce their own music and it seems like thatās largely what PJ did here. Props! Also a funny note- I used to have a coworker that looks just like a slightly older version of PJ Harvey on this album cover. Three and a half stars, but Iāll give it four because of that one fantastic song.
This is such a good album. Scattered with instantly recognizable singles, it was nice listening to it all the way through to catch the non-radio-hit songs. Itās easy to forget or gloss over how good Coldplay is just because theyāre so ubiquitous and popularāthis group has multiple songs with over 1B streams on Spotify, and these were songs that went through their most popular phase well before Spotify gained traction! I listened to this album twice. Music I like, sound I love, no skippable songs, and definitely will listen to this album again in its entirety. I think this earns a five star rating.
What a weird album! Interesting to read the wiki and Spotify bio on Tom Waits and this album, sounds like he was really influenced by the Beat Poet stuff and just making weird music. This album definitely did that with some strange instruments, nonsensical or just gonzo lyrics, and his strange gravely voice. I get the purpose and place of crazy, unconventional, or experimental music but itās just hard to enjoy or listen to sometimes. This wasnāt totally offensive or unlistenable, so Iāll give it two stars.
Really enjoyed this album. Made me think a lot of the Grateful Dead, with moments recalling Led Zeppelin, the Doors, Van Halen, and the Beatles. Not sure if The Band influenced The Dead or the other way around, but the early jam-band stuff is great. Itās fun to pull out musical or stylistic similarities between groups, and the seventies were when some of my very favorite sounds were made. Four stars!
Not as bad as the other newer Bowie album we listened to, but kind of a chore to finish. A little too raunchy and drug-referencing for my tastes. Love the album cover though, a classic David Bowie look! Two stars.
I listen to jazz all of the time so had to keep reminding myself that this was the album of the day up for review and not one of my standard playlists. I have a really hard time deciding if certain jazz recordings or albums are good or not and I seem to like it all (unless it has organ or glockenspiel, haha). Itās almost like I donāt have enough knowledge or understanding to make any opinion and have never really listened critically. I have a Miles Davis record and know heās one of the greatest trumpeters (trumpeteers?) of the genre. I did really enjoy this album. Itās cool how important the late 50ās were for jazz and what a big influence a few leaders like Miles Davis had on the progression of jazz. Four stars, more like 4 1/2, but this didnāt knock my socks off to earn a five. Iām still wearing socks.
Grandma Hare set me on Sinatra in my teens and Iāve been a big fan ever since. I love the standards that he is most famous for, but also great to hear lesser-known songs here. Plus, more Brazilian influence! Enjoyed the Portuguese duets in a few songs. Great stuff all around. Itās mind-blowing how many albums and recordings Frank Sinatra put out over like 50 yrs. I personally got about 20 Sinatra records from Grandma and Grandpaās collection and recently culled it, but heās still my most represented artist by a good margin. A solid four stars!
Iāve listened to Indian music regularly for years but canāt say Iāve explored any Pakistani. I really like some of the eastern song structures, scales, and rhythms. I can tell Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was very earnest and energetic about his performance but a 1.5 hr was a bit of a marathon. Not a huge fan of his vocal style and range, but did enjoy this album. Probably better if interspersed with other vocalists or styles for variety. Three stars
Only caught like three songs here but they were ok. Seemed pretty nineties for a 2008 production. Three stars.
Here are my thoughts starting out: - Neil Young is a weird guy - Itās annoying he doesnāt put his music on spotify. Had to listen on YouTube - His voice is annoying and whiny The music was good. I have never connected with Neil Youngās stuff despite trying, and that continues to this album (with the exception of āOld Manā from another album which is an excellent song). This one wasnāt as bad as I thought, and I realize I did go into this album with some bias and preconceived notions, haha. Iāll give this a 2.5 star, probably leaning toward two.
Iāve been trying to decide for a while how much I like recorded concert music. Seems like Deep Purple did a great job at this concert though because sometimes live recordings sound terrible compared to studio recordings. I only know Deep Purple from the classic āSmoke On The Water,ā and canāt say I feel like Iāve been missing out on anything. All of the classic rock boxes seem to be checked (with a gigantic Sharpie) by Led Zeppelin and others better than Deep Purple and worse than Led Zep. I guess they deserve a place in history for helping develop hard rock, but LZ is just so much better in every way (opinion) Cool to hear some experimentation with sounds on this album. This whole thing is probably best listened to loud on a large system and I was confined to Bluetooth earbuds, so Iām probably not giving this album a fair shake. I bet better stream quality and sonic reproduction would do wonders to any album weāre trying out here, I just donāt have time and familial cooperation to listen to all of these at home. Three stars.
āWelcome to techno city-ā favorite line of the album! Cool early electronic music with nothing too exciting or substantial to be memorable. Not many opinions on this album; I can see it as an important stepping stone for the genre. Three stars.
What a classic punk voice this guy has! You can tell heās really into the rebellious, rule-ignoring punk vibe. Definitely a lesson on why not to do drugs haha. Sounds like everyone in the band was a drug-addled dirtbag. After reading the Wikipedia and band bio I thought I would hate this album but ended up not. I like hearing rock from the early 70s in a genre Iām not too familiar with. Amazing how much variety there is in the 70s. Iāll give this two stars.
I like reggae and this was a relatively unexceptional album. Sounds like Filey Quaye is pretty much just a normal guy doing music which is cool. Not much to say about this album but Iāll give it three stars.
Wow, I really liked this album. British lightweight indie-punk in the same vein as the Smiths that I admit to not listening to enough. I would need to listen many more times to see how long the enjoyment or replay-ability would last, lyrics, enjoyment in different situations, etc. would go, but first listen was very positive. Four stars.
What a classic album! Dad gave me this album on vinyl a few years ago, which is very fitting as I remember Eagles consistently being his favorite band. Their Greatest Hits CD was on heavy rotation in the white ā98 Ford Expedition for the majority of my childhood. This whole record is just saturated with Dad; I could very clearly hear him singing along on several of these songs. Something that surprises me about this album is the symphony instrumentals next to crunchy guitar solos, hard rock gems mixed with soft, contemplative pieces. It works! A moment to talk about āHotel California,ā possibly the best rock song ever written. Iāve probably listened to this song hundreds of times over the years and can sing along to the whole thing, including the minutes-long guitar solo on the second half, haha. Just listen to this song and notice the power of each different component- the hazy, narrative lyrics, inquisitive bassline, walloping drums, and of course the guitar solos- one of the very best. Your focus can move from one component to the other for a highly entertaining listen. Almost gets better with time-this is one song that has not worn itself out at all for me. I even remember hearing āHotel Californiaā on the streets of Argentina once, and the portions of the country I was in were utterly insulated from all American music (except a few pop hits). A great experience; this album is a regular listener for me. Four and a half stars, rounded down to four because even for as good this album is, we have barely touched Led Zeppelin and havenāt even started with the Beatlesā¦
Fairly bland music. Almost sounds like someone took the Foo Fighters and made them sound a lot less interesting. I can hear some early hints of the golden 2000ās pop-punk of my teenage years. Two stars.
This was a good album. Wanted to like this album more than I did; it doesnāt hold a candle to Dark Side of the Moon in my opinion. Liked the weird samples and sound effects throughout. I always thought that the old guys that were really in to Pink Floyd were a little strange, haha. Might need to give this a few more listens to let it grow on me. It is interesting to put the timeline together in the English alternative rock scene- I can see mid/late Beatles references from 10-15 yrs before this, and also can project forward to see influences on Radiohead 10-15 yrs later. Probably 3 1/2, rounded up to 4 stars.
I never realized how much I love Louis Prima until I listened to this album. Such fun energy, silly vocals, hilarious duets with Keely Smith, I just love it all. I ended up watching a few Louis/Keely numbers on YouTube and they were hilarious-you need to watch this guyās dancing and facial expressions, especially contrasted against Keelyās eye rolls. There are a few gold standard originals on this album: āJump, Jive, and Wail,ā āBanana Split For My Baby,ā etc etc. so much fun without being overdone or obnoxious. Whoever in the Wikipedia review called Louis Prima ārumbustiousā was spot on. This one was very enjoyable, no skippable songs, very good throughout musically and vocally, and will enter my regular rotation. I think thatās good enough for five stars.
Never was a huge fan of Van Halen, and still am not. Not as bad as some classic rock but probably low/middle of the pack in my opinion. I can appreciate the technical skill of the guitar which is cool, and probably liked the instrumentals the best. I started getting a little tired of Van Halen by the end of the album and was glad it was finally over. I feel like this is a āhad to have been thereā band - for someone to be a real fan, you had to be living through this in the late 70ās to 80ās. Three stars
This album was pretty bland, then got tremendously grating toward the end. I understand that music is a medium to tell a story, and that everyone has a story to tell, but some of the stories from this album are better left out of published music. The thought of a band exploiting the topic of suicide and employing amoral shock tactics for commercial gain is abhorrent. I see little to no value in this āmusicā ; one star.
I think John Coltrane is the best saxophonist to ever touch the instrument. His music and style are quickly recognizable and amazingly good. I have this album on vinyl and have listened to it many, many times. Excellent, entertaining, high quality, and I always find myself going back to it. Five stars.
Ok, absolutely loved the sound here. Everything great about 90s/00s alternative (Spoon, Beck, Eels came to mind throughout) but with their own style. Loved the music, not totally keen on some of the subject material. Much was cleverly written, some mildly offensive. But wow, the music! 3.5 stars leanining to 4
Instant 5 star, leaning toward 6-7 stars haha. Led Zeppelin IV is possibly my favorite album of all time. Other contenders for #1 would be Sgt Pepperās Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles, Morning Phase by Beck, and Lonesome Dreams by Lord Huron. Iāve listened to IV dozens of times, often sitting on the couch doing nothing else but listening. The mystery, mysticism, and sheer rock and roll power are gripping. During evenings of solitude I often listen to this record followed by Pucciniās Turandot. Something about the juxtaposition of classic rock and classic opera on a late night is magical. LZ has some great history/mythology, and their quality of music far surpasses anything even close to comparable. This truly is the Hammer of the Gods. Jimmy Page as the musical and production mastermind, also clocking in some of the best guitar work ever seen. Robert Plant with an incredible head of hair and even better voice (still putting out very high quality solo and collab work today). John Bonham with groundbreaking drumming approach, and John Paul Jones the least interesting member of the band but still doing good work on bass. My favorites on this album are ever changing, but Battle of Evermore is a haunting favorite and Four Sticks has some great vocal work. And all of the rest as well, haha. Not a bad song on this record, and definitely best enjoyed when listened to all the way through. I wish the rating scale went higher than five; this one is on a whole other level.
This was the lawn mowing soundtrack from about 2006-2007. Something about the lyrics āSHUT UP WHEN IM TALKING TO YOU!!!ā must have really resonated with an angsty teenager who really didnāt have anything to be worried or upset about. Fast forward nearly 20 years and here we are. Still like this album and most recently listened to it last winter during a night drive through a snowstorm. I love Linkin Parkās nu metal/rap metal sound that is a bit more accessible than some bands, but this is not easy listening. The crunchy guitars and Chesterās wail sure gets fatiguing by the end, but there really only is one volume to listen to this: LOUD! Love the 808 drum kicks mixed in and could honestly use some more. Talk about a steamrolling debut album! Listening to this semi-critically as an adult with the context of Chester Benningtonās life, struggles, and end of life brings a whole new perspective to the album. Iām glad that music can be an expression medium and escape for people like him, and there really is something about angry, angsty music that we can connect to at various points in our lives. Could hear some Alice and Chains influence here and there. I had Linkin Park songs rotating through my head all day, which must mean itās good. Very solid four stars here.
A nice indie album, I liked it. A few moments recalled The Shins, Postal Service, and The Smiths. Seems like homemade music made by honest music people. Would need to listen more to get a real feel, also interested in checking out Belle and Sebastianās newer stuff. Three stars.
What a random album! So much variety here and I couldnāt decide how serious to take it. Loved in the bio how the Beatles named Harry Nilsson as their favorite American artist at one point. I recognized and liked a few songs from this album. Liked learning his history and getting to know some more great 70s music. Three stars.
This guyās voice is just horrible. Not a fan at all. Seems like he belongs as a disgusting villain from a bad 80s movie. Some of this music was just too twisted and zany for my tastes. Like his other album we reviewed, this isnāt entirely repulsive, but many songs were. Some songs were half good, but got ruined by utter weirdness, grossness, or Tom Waitās strangled, half-dead zombie voice. One and a half stars, rounded down.
The original punk sound and look right here! Leather jackets, long hair, ripped jeans, fast songs, weird lyrics, underemphasis of vocal skill; just generally noisy music. This was a fun listen. I can see teenagers in the 70s and early 80s being all over The Ramones. Somewhat surprised by some of the violent lyrical content. Three stars for this album.
I bought this album on iTunes in 2010 and it was the official soundtrack of that summer. Have revisited many time since then, culminating in a recent highlighted interest in āGeek U.S.A.ā Hard to say if thereās a song out there with more guitars or a more head-bang inducing ending. Thatās often my get-home-early-and-crank-the-stereo-because-no-oneās-home song of choice. This is a tremendous album. So much good music from the 90ās and Smashing Pumpkins is always near the top of my list. Billy Corgan is an iconic frontman with a great story. The sound on the album is fantastic, albeit punishing to the ears. Great songs all over the place - Five stars.
Interesting album from one of the founders of the Seattle grunge scene. I had to keep forcing myself to finish this one, I donāt think I was in the right mood today haha. āFuzz Gun 91ā was a standouts track; I enjoyed how it was an instrumental. Not a lot memorable from this album but it wasnāt horrible. Two stars.
Funky, fun, zany, and eccentric. I think Pete Ubu is just a weird band that made weird music that wasnāt terrible. Had never heard of this group or any of their music before but I enjoyed this one! Three stars.
Very mixed feelings about this. On one hand, this music is vulgar, profane, violent, and disgusting, even in the edited version. On the other hand, much of this album was written as fiction and really plumbs some core issues in Eminemās life, centering around the grinding difficulty living in poverty and its myriad social issues. Everyone gets through their problems however they can, and this is how Marshall Mathers does it with a huge dose of anger and shock value. I cannot agree with or support hardly any of the values or imagery portrayed here. This album is horrible, but I have some respect for Eminem and his story of hard work and dedication despite so many struggles with poverty, eviction, drugs, family, violence, etc. Heās a skilled artist whose art is ugly and disgusting, and sometimes very great (āTill I Collapseā has occasionally brought me motivation during low times). Eminem was a big deal when I was in middle school and I always stayed well away. Still not a fan, but must give the man props for authenticity and overcoming so much. I always love a rags-to-riches story and Eminem s a good one, albeit difficult if not impossible to digest. One star for the album: not entertaining or uplifting or enjoyable at all, and thatās mostly the approach Iāve been using in rating these albums. Absolutely will not listen again and would not recommend to anyone, ever.
I am really really really really liking Radiohead these days. Just listened to this album a few weeks ago, still need a bunch more listens of all of their albums to get a better feeling of them all. I have a friend who is an obsessive Radiohead fan who said that In Rainbows was his favorite and a good portion of the rabid fan community seems to agree. I believe that Radiohead is the next incarnation of Pink Floyd and much of their creative direction. I liked In Rainbows a lot; nothing stood out as being smashingly good to me like on a few other Radiohead works. I really donāt think I can give this a better or more critical review without a few more listens. A solid four star that will probably get better with time.
I had a good friend who was raised in a tough Chicago neighborhood - Common was one of his favorite artists. I appreciate the artistry here and love how much of hip-hop/rap narrate Black history, struggles, and triumphs. I have a hard time judging if this is good or not because thereās so much in here beyond just the beat and music- lyrics, storytelling, collaborations, etc that Iād need to absorb more. I liked much of this album. Cool to see that this is regarded as some of Commonās best work. Three stars!
Never been much of a fan of a lot of 80ās āhard rock,ā the late 60ās- 70ās are just so much better. Usually change the station when a Def Leppard song came on, not sure why. This album wasnāt bad and I didnāt feel the compulsive urge to turn it off like in the past. Not sure if itās bad enough for a 2 star, maybe 3 is better? Very cool that they have a one-armed drummer.
Love me some reggae. I liked learning more history on the genre and about Burning Spear as an influential artist. I realize most reggae artists have been hidden from my view behind Bob Marley, so itās good to have some more exposure. 3.5 stars!
5 stars, without a single reservation. I listened to this twice on Thursday, once at work in headphones and then pretty loud at home on wax. Iāve already soliloquized on the merit of Led Zeppelin, so Iāll just summarize by saying that theyāre the best ever. Ever ever. The blues numbers on this record are out of this world: āYou Shook Meā and āI Canāt Quit Youā are so much fun. Jimmy Pageās āBlack Mountain Sideā is an acoustic delight, and of course the radio staples āGood Times Bad Timesā and āCommunication Breakdownā are pure rock and roll. GTBT was my favorite Led Zeppelin song for a while. Ending it up with the Robert Plantās amazing vocals on āHow Many More Times,ā a song with really cool structure. This album probably fits in my top 10 or 15 of all time. And this as a debut album!?!? So incredibly good.
Ahh, the birth of trip-hop. I love Massive Attack. Have listened to this album several times over the years. I like the British rap, reggae influence, and Horace Andy vocals. Takes a while to get used to that guyās voice. āBlue Linesā and especially āFive Man Armyā are favorites. I think Mezzanine is Massive Attackās best album, but itās a vastly different feel from Blue Lines. Much darker, heavier, and a little more album-oriented. Blue Lines is a comparatively easier listen, but a little short of Mezzās perfection. 4 stars or even a little higher.
This was a fun album, seems like James Brown was having a really great time and the crowd was loving him. I like when soul/gospel gets funky and I think this was a little too early for that. 3 stars.
I bought a Jimi Hendrix cd in high school and it got heavy rotation in the old truck. Jimi Hendrix is amazing and his guitar prowess and creativity is unmatched. Plus just look at his style. Incredible. I have mainly stuck with his āgreatest hitsā and a blues compilation so it was nice to go through a full album. Crazy that he only finished three complete albums before he died at the tender and cursed age of 27- imagine what else he could have achieved! āIf 6 was 9ā was my favorite. Iām a big fan of psychedelic music and this is the OG right here. A fun listen! I bet weāll see Jimiās other two records on this list. Four stars.
Instantly forgettable and unremarkable. Never heard of this guy before and I think I know why. Zzzzz Nothing particularly bad about this album, but nothing good either. All songs permanently exited my consciousness immediately after ending. Two stars, not because it was bad, but because⦠zzzzzzz ⦠oh sorry; I fell asleep in the middle of writing this review.
Wow, a powerful, soulful recording. Adele is an amazing artist who puts so much of herself into her recordings. Loved listening to this all the way through- I think 30 is the only one Iāve listened to in its entirety. Favorite song was definitely āIāll Be Waiting.ā Tons of fun and I love the retro jazz-soul sound. Four stars!
Kind of bland Christmas music, all similar sounding and rather noisy. Also tarnished by reading more about Phil Spector and his messed up life and life choices. I think the Ronettes stood out as the best of this album. I absolutely love Christmas music and question the value or importance of this album when compared to many, many others of supreme quality (see Nat King Cole specifically). Two stars.
Had never heard of The Vines before. Sounds like a toned-down Nirvana with some other elements added in. Not very compelling music, almost certainly will not listen again. If you want Australian rock-and-roll, please consider Wolfmother for all of your needs and interests. Iām pretty sure The Vinesā drummer left that band to join Wolfmother. Two stars.
I alternated between really liking this and really not. Was surprised at how extreme both thoughts were, but I think it weighed more heavily on not liking. Some of the songs were so messy. I do love a family band though, and this is comprised of three brothers and a cousin! Two stars.
Madonna has been making danceable hits for 40 years. āMusicā and āDonāt Tell Meā took me straight back to middle schoolāProbably havenāt heard those songs for 20 years. Loved the club/house tracks on this album but everything else wasnāt too compelling. Three stars.
The first thing I always think when I see this album cover is āWow, that guyās shoes are so huge!ā I like the orchestration on the various pieces. Good mixture of instrumentation beyond the normal guitar/bass/drums/vocals. āBittersweet Symphonyā is a 5 star song, the rest were average or forgettable. Overall Iād Iāve this 3 stars.
Not a big fan of Willie Nelson and these songs are much more competently performed by others in my opinion. I had this record at one point and ended up getting rid of it. Thereās just nothing special or particularly entertaining about this album, specifically when stacking the standards up against Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, or contemporaries like BublĆ© or Connick,Jr. Two stars.
Im sure Iām missing some of the literary and poetic depth of this songwriting but it seems good. Itās cool that Leonard Cohen was an amateur musician, turned amateur poet/author, turned professional poet/author, turned professional musician. A neat journey. Three stars here.
Fun music, this guy was wild. Pioneer of rock and roll and conflicted musician/christian. A big influence on the Beatles which is good enough for me! Three stars.
I was surprised to see that this came out in 2007. I donāt remember hearing MGMT until 2012 and then it was all over the place on campus. Canāt say Iām a loyal fan and nothing here stood out as excellent. Getting a little tired of the hits from this album by this point, but it did bring back some 2012 nostalgia and I had to chase this down with āSomebody That You Used To Knowā by Goyte to finish out the session, haha. Three stars, probably more like two and a half.
I liked this. Nice and funky but a relatively lightweight sound. I enjoyed his voice, very agile and nice in the higher registers. Iām in a 3 star rut! This is 3 stars like a bunch of the previous ones..
Iāll have to listen to other Fela Kirk works because I love the story of the native singer protesting and opposing his oppressive, militaristic government with music and activating the common people in their oppression. There was a musician in Argentina called Facundo Cabral who did exactly that, almost a parallel story to Fela Kuti but on another continent. As far of the quality and enjoyment of this Fela Kuti album, Iād give it a meh/10. Certainly he has better music, this was ok for background listening. Yet another 3 star album.
A great album from a successful female singer-songwriter of the 70s. So cool that she wrote most of her own music, including hits by other artists of the time! Likely a real inspiration and template for many successful women in music after her. The music was nice, relatively bland, but seemed significant. I enjoyed this album. Definitely 3.5 stars, not quite at 4 though in my opinion.
Never heard of this group before and itās kind of like a less-exciting version of Alt-J. No particular song interested me and the whole album was slow and slightly dull. I donāt know if this is bad enough for 2 stars or good enough for 3. Letās give it 2 stars.
This album seems to show up on Best-Of lists pretty often, and I see why. I thought it was great and liked the weird endings to almost every song. Enjoyable and fun and I should probably listen to this again. Four stars.
Iāve been a big fan of LCD Soundsystem since high school. Love the disco/alt/dance vibe with silly lyrics- like the electronic version of Weezer and Cakeās nerd rock. From this album, āSomeone Greatā has been one of my consistently favorite songs for more than 15 years. Listening to the different instruments and effects layer on each other is exciting, coupled with relatively melancholy breakup/separation lyrics. A line from the song that I think about all of the time is āthe coffee isnāt even bitter, Iām sad itās not raining.ā Like youāre trying to be sad and melancholy but the world just isnāt matching your mood. A fantastic rainy day song, even though the songās protagonist only can wish for precipitation. āNorth American Scumā has been another longtime favorite. Overall an incredible album with a lot to enjoy. Very re-listenable stuff of a very high quality. 4.5 stars!
Maybe some good satire in the 60s but this is just some strange stuff. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so their digs on the Beatles must say something. Cool that John Lennon actually joined them onstage at a concert in the 70s. A weird, messy album. Yikes, did these people not have anything better to do!? Chipmunk voices, seriously?! 1.5 stars at best. Maybe more like 1. Shocked this made it on the list. š¬
Herbie Hancock is great. So jazzy, so funky, such a long, successful career. Also have a special place in my heart for phenomenal keyboardists, probably because I understand a bit of piano after 25 yrs. Love the electric jams on this album- varied, explorative, entertaining. āWatermelon Manā is a classic and Iāve heard many versions. A four-star album!
Super funky with some eyebrow-raising lyrics. Loved the sound, lyrical content was questionable, and interesting to learn the wild history of this boundary-less group. Three stars.
Boston was my high school best friendās favorite band. I canāt listen to Boston without thinking of Jackson Ostler. I bought a Boston Greatest Hits CD in sophomore or junior year (almost every song from this album was on that CD) and it got heavy rotation in the ā84 Ford. I bought this album here a few years ago on wax at a used record swap and listen to it often. So thereās some history here, haha. Great music, incredibly catchy, upbeat, technically excellent, and filled with nostalgia. āMore Than A Feelingā is a rare song that usually gives me the chills when listening. āRock and Roll Bandā is the one thatās been stuck in my head since listening on Friday. A few songs toward the end are very forgettable, but thatās ok. And did you know that this album was written, produced, and recorded almost exclusively by one guy, an MIT student at the time? So cool. 4.5 stars. Hard choice if that makes a 5 or dips to a 4 due to the lameness of a few end songs. Letās give it a 5. Loved it, own it, will re-listen.
Kind of chill, kind of jazzy, kind of out there and āalternativeā as well. Favorite song was probably the first one- āSleep to Dream.ā I liked the sound and enjoyed this album, didnāt knock my socks off though. Three stars for this album.
Ray Charles is a great musician. I like his music and enjoyed this album- possibly more of a fan of his more blues and jazz works (āGeorgia On My Mindā and āHit The Road, Jackā come immediately to mind) but this is good stuff. Have you ever played improv on the piano with your eyes closed the whole time? Itās a great experience. Ray Charles was a legend. Three and a half stars.
I have a love/hate relationship with 80s pop - used to hate it, now (sometimes) love it. Maybe thatās a natural reaction from being one generation removed from the 80s; this is Momās music. Listening as a kid I thought it was appalling. I see some musical and nostalgic value in 80s pop now, with there being some real gems (looking at Yes, MJ, Phil Collins, Billy Joel). That being said, this was an unremarkable album. Seemed to be never-ending with too many songs; lots of them sounding totally the same. A struggle to make it through all of them, in fact I only made it 2/3 the way through and just canāt get myself to listen to another 20 min. Not offensive, but not even entertaining either. Two stars here.
This feels like an important album. So much statement, protest, and force of will by Sinead OāConnor her whole life. I loved the melancholy major/minor interplay with a surprising mixture of musical styles. A lovely album! Three and a half rounded up.
Ok, so I just found out that Peter Gabriel started out with Genesis before going solo, the bad that Phil Collins drummed/sang in before also going solo. My 80s music constellation is becoming more connected. āIn Your Eyesā is a fantastic song, very popular. But āBig Timeā was my favorite from the album. Had a hard time not busting a move in the office. Songs like this are the best thing to come from the 80s (along with Star Wars). I think this album gets 4 stars.
I went through an Alice In Chains phase in 2019-2020 and still consider them the best of the 90s grunge scene. I prefer the harmonies and heaviness of AICās music when compared to Nirvanaās general yelly-ness and omnipresence, but I admit needing to give Nirvana a more earnest chance. Soundgarden is also very good, but just listen to the guitars on this albumādoes it get any heavier than this!? The vocal style in the major/minor alternation here is fantastic. Talk about an album that plumbs some bone-deep issues with war, drugs, anxiety, self-esteem, etc. This is a heavy, dark album and serves as the bandās warning to all about the dangers of drug use. Good music, scary music, have listened to this album a few times. It takes a rare mood for me to be interested in listening to Alice In Chains, especially in full album format, just due to the emotional investment or dedication it takes. Was originally going to give four stars, but probably bringing this to 3.5.
This is 70s Pop at its finest. I always thought of ABBAās music as lightweight and kind of annoying, but I have to admit thereās some real catchiness and musical value here. The songs are lightweight and fun for the most part, with dancing Queen, the best of them all by longshot. Had a lot of fun with this album and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Iāll have to work on getting rid of the stigma. I have around this in so many other genres, because a lot of times music actually really great! 3 1/half stars for this.
Mildly entertaining and quite repetitive. I think I liked it, but not totally sure. Iāve heard of Baaba Maal before so I assume heās a pillar of African music. Three stars.
Pictures At An Exhibition by Mussorgsky, arranged by Ravel, is one of my favorite classical pieces of all time. I saw it performed live by the Colorado Symphony a few years back and it was mesmerizing. Hearing a prog-rock cover of it hear was surprising and very entertaining! Loved recognizing portions of the original piece along with some wild interpretation and improvisation. Talk about technical mastery of instruments- these guys are very skilled musicians. What a hidden gem- Four stars.
Weird music, weird guy. I didnāt make it very far through this and have 0 interest in continuing or finishing. My time is too valuable for this.
A little jazzy and jammy and bluesy, and cool to hear early Eric Clapton. I liked this and think itās worth 3 stars.
Something about Irish/Celtic music reaches a part of my soul - not sure if this is ancestral or just how a lot of people feel about Irish melodies. The best of this album were the more traditionally leaning songs, and the worst in my opinion were the generic poppy ones. I recognized a few 80ās hits here, but the ones I didnāt recognize were the true winners. Listened to āWhen Will We Be Marriedā quite a few times on Friday and it was stuck in my head all weekend. Kind of to the point of it burning out, but my, what a song! The Waterboys found a new fan this weekend; I really enjoyed this album. Four stars.
Well one good thing Iām learning about these punk/new wave albums is they are all very short. This one wasnāt super great and blends in with all the rest. Kind of like a low-quality Ramones copy in my very ignorant, un-punk-educated opinion. Two stars.
Choosing a favorite Beatle is like choosing a favorite child. Each had such a tremendous personality and contribution to the band and to music in general. John Lennon holds a special place, though, and is an endlessly talented songwriter and musician. What a shame we lost him so young (talking like an old person here; he died more than ten years before I was born haha). That said, my opinion is that none of the Beatlesā solo work came close to what they produced as a team. āImagineā is John Lennon at his (solo) bestāso much better than the work he did with Yoko which is so hard to digest. Thereās some really good stuff here, but somethingās missing from it being truly legendary (like every Beatles album!). Iāll probably give this four stars, because even a watered-down John Lennon is better than the very best of 90% of artists out there.
What a gorgeous album. Lovely music and very thoughtful lyrics; Iāve never appreciated what a wonderful songwriter Joni Mitchell is. Cool to see sheās getting traction and visibility in 2024, well into her elder years. A fun mixture of James Taylor-esque melancholy, more upbeat excitement, and introspective songwriting that made me think of Bobbie Gentry and other trailblazing women songwriters of the 60s/70s. A shame this isnāt more accessible by being on Spotify, but just a wonderful, memorable album. An easy four stars with potential for more.
Kind of weird and experimental, but not as bad as I was expecting. Maybe because it was mostly instrumental? Frank Zappa is a weird dude. Three stars.
āWhen Dylan went electricā - weāve got it right here. Dylan was a super impactful artist and essential for the development of rock in the 60s. Iām not very well versed in the lore or discography, but know that Bob Dylan is highly revered and respected by many people a lot more into music than I am. He has an iconic sound and voice, but not really for me and begging to be parodied. Check out Peter Jacksonās Beatles documentary āGet Backā for some excellent Dylan impressions by John Lennon. Not a wild fan of this album but it was enjoyable. Letās give this one three stars.
Love this. Lightweight, idiosyncratic melancholy country music from the 80s by an unpredictable, norm-defying artist. This was a pretty chill and enjoyable/mildly humorous album. Always interesting when people choose to use lower case in their names also, a strong statement. Fun stuff! Three stars.
Crude, brash, immature, and sometimes a lot of fun. More of my favorite Beastie Boys songs come from āLicensed to Illā but thereās some wild stuff here. Loved the example of pioneering crate digging/sample work, and fun to learn that after producing this sample-heavy album, the Dust Brothers took what they learned, spun it in another direction, and produced Beckās fantastically random āOdelayā album. I just canāt get over the raucously hedonistic nasal wail of Ad-Rock and how all three practically alternate words in a single sentence. This album is all over the place lyrically and musically, but ends up showing a crazed tapestry of early experimental hip hop and exploration of the sample genre. Misogynistic and sexist lyrics and jokes donāt sit well here or anywhere, and gratefully the Beastie Boys grew up a bit and publicly apologized for their attitudes later on. Fun but possibly not my favorite from the Beastie Boys, it was good to listen to this all the way through because it shows up on greatest lists all of the time. Three stars here.
ZZ Top is a raunchy group of men from Texas making pretty decent blues-based music. I donāt like Elon Musk, I donāt like football, and I donāt really like Texas and most things that it embodies. Turning a blind eye to the raunchiness and Texasness of ZZ Top, the music is ok, especially when focusing on their blues rock. Few standouts on Tres Hombres other than the overplayed classic āLa Grange.ā I did enjoy this album more than I thought, good for three stars.
Never heard of this group and the music was meh meh meh. Never will listen again, but not because of intentional avoidance. Cool to see Black representation in the whitewashed indie music scene. Three stars.
Pretty funky, laid-back, enjoyable music. One of my very first records was Warās greatest hits, got it for free from some older folks giving away some old records. Actually the same place where I re-met Taylor the summer of 2013. Back to the music though, I recognize a few songs here from that album but most enjoyed the instrumentals. Good music, well done! 3 stars.
Generally not really impressed by Neil Young and Iām not sure why. Maybe because I never listened to him while I was young? Whiny voice? Lack of connection to music and lyrics? Possibly his super whiny voice? This is probably a good album but it didnāt do anything for me. Two and a half stars.
This was a great jazz album. Cool to hear music from different parts of the world (South Africa here) and their influence on the greater jazz genre. I liked this! Four stars.
The Beatles. The greatest group in the world with much of the best music ever written. Rubber Soul was my favorite Beatles album until I heard Sgt. Pepperās Lonely Hearts Club Band in its entirety. So many of the greatest Beatles works on Rubber Soul, and you can really see it as a transition point in their songwriting and musical approach from the frenetic pop of their earlier years to more diverse, thought-provoking, psychedelic, and experimental music of their later studio years. Doesnāt hurt that some of my favorite Beatles songs of all time are here, āNorwegian Woodā being a long-time favorite. Also āGirl,ā āMichelle,ā āIn My Life,ā and āBaby You Can Drive My Car.ā Just listen to the bassline on that last one critically. The only thing marring this album is the jealous, violent ex-boyfriend with murderous intent of āRun For Your Lifeā. Iād rather hear the plan to go after the new boyfriend than the girl- doesnāt sit well at all. Itās like no wonder she left you, dude. āHey Joeā by Jimi Hendrix is another song in this line of thinking. Overall a tremendous album. No hesitation rating this 5āļø
A little too dramatic, over-sexed, and not super intriguing album. I do have to say that George Michaelās āCareless Whisperā from later on in his career is an absolutely smashing song. Two stars for this album.
Super fun, somewhat irreverent music that youād hear at a weird but cool kidās house party in the 90s. I love the sound coming from the earlier electronica artists like Fatboy Slim, Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk, and Moby. This album was great- Iāve been a consistent fan of āRockefeller Skankā since high school. My favorite part of the album was the intro to āRockefeller Skankā tagged on the end of āRight Here, Right Nowā. Hilarious and tasteful. āPraise Youā has also been a longtime favorite of mine. You can tell that Norman has a great time making music and was very busy with big ideas in the 90s. Not sure heās released much of impact since this album but who cares!? This is great stuff. 4 stars.
Loud, noisy, yelly, profane, uninteresting. Didnāt even make it halfway through and this is the shortest album Iāve ever seen. One star.
Great music! Iāve heard a lot about Crosby, Stills & Nash (we can leave Young out) and never really listened. I liked this! Four stars.
Fun, chill album. Love me some reggae and this is 100% classic. No one does it like Bob Marley! Four stars.
CCR is a fantastic band that I thought was from Mississippi or Louisiana but actually from San Francisco, haha. Great swampy, bluesy rock sounds that Iāve been a great fan of for years. Favorite CCR song is āBorn On The Bayouā which most unfortunately is not on this album but is one of those few songs that gives me chills to listen to. This album is full of good work with nothing lame. I donāt know if it has the undoubtable power of a five star rating, but not much is standing in the way of five stars. Letās give this a health 4.5!
Beck is one of my top 10 artists, possibly top 5. The creativity, variety, and authenticity of Beck is incredible and hard to beat. And talk about entertaining! This album is full of wild hits, with the first several songs in a row being some of Beckās all-time bests in my opinion. Lots of fun and variety here. For more zany enjoyment, consider the remix album called āGuerolitoā - not quite as good as the originals in most cases but worth anyoneās time. This is a defining album of my youth and I have spent a lot of time listening to Guero over the years. Five stars.
Never really listened to Talking Heads before this and didnāt know what to expect, but this was ok! Listened a week or two ago at this point so I canāt really remember very well, but letās give this 3 stars.
I liked this. Seems like a lot of good content that I probably missed. Music in the early 2000ās is an interesting space, specifically the small time where the nineties were barely over but pre-9/11. I will listen to this again probably and think itās worth four stars.
Reminded me of Cream, Beatles, hints of future Pink Floyd. A delirious mixture of enjoyable, strange, and all in the middle. Some songs got a little excited about newish stereo mixing experimentations and āInterstellar Overdriveā almost had me taking out my headphones. Good experimental stuff though! 3.5 star
Meh. Too much David Bowie and Iām not a huge fan. Liked the album less and less as it went on. Made me think of a lot of other artists as well, but not as good as them. Two stars.
Moments I liked and moments I didnāt, not very motivated to finish even disc 1. Maybe 2.5 or 3 star.
Beatiful, classic souls music right here. āChain of Foolsā is probably my favorite on this album. Amazing vocals by Aretha, great instrumentation; a very enjoyable listen. Four stars!
Always love hanging out with Bob Marley. Fewer stand out tracks on this album but very much enjoyed. 3.5 stars.
Yay 80s, this was a great listen.
Punkish new wave from the 80s (loving the 80s these days) with a dose of ska. Didnāt emotionally connect to this album but enjoyed it more or less , letās give it a 3 star.
The boring part of the 80s. :( Generic, too wordy, relatively boring. I read some of the Global Reviews on this one and have to agree with some- anything that reminds me of department store music in the 90s is not great, haha. Two stars.
I read a book by Chuck Klosterman called āThe Ninetiesā and in it he argued that the 90s truly began when Nirvana released āNevermind.ā This is truly the sound of a generation and the sound of a decade. So many radio hits on this album, Lithium probably being my favorite. Other good songs that don't get as much attention. Like most great albums and artists, the history and context of their time and location add so much flavor to the recording. Kurt Cobain was a reluctant icon and embraced the countercultural revolution even amidst his unwelcomed fame. I love his rejection of norms and conventions, be it in his musical approach or when he wore a dress to a red carpet event. A shame he was lost so young. Loud, angry, at times introspective and sometimes overplayed, this is an excellent album and has so much to offer and much to return to again and again. I go on and off with how much I actually enjoy Nirvana, but their place in history and music is unmistaken. 4-4.5 stars.
A timely follow up to Nevermind- both of these albums released in the most important year of 1991. āThe Low End Theoryā is great 90s hip hop, very enjoyable! Four stars
Iām not going to listen to this entire album out of principle. Very few artists will earn my attention for three discs, and a sub-par, boredom-inducing caterwauler is not going to make the cut. Two stars.