572
Albums Rated
3.28
Average Rating
53%
Complete
517 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
2010s
Favorite Decade
Grunge
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
45
5-Star Albums
11
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
69 Love Songs
The Magnetic Fields
|
5 | 2.85 | +2.15 |
|
When I Was Born For The 7th Time
Cornershop
|
5 | 2.91 | +2.09 |
|
Kala
M.I.A.
|
5 | 2.91 | +2.09 |
|
Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes
TV On The Radio
|
5 | 2.94 | +2.06 |
|
Dig Me Out
Sleater-Kinney
|
5 | 3.08 | +1.92 |
|
They Were Wrong, So We Drowned
Liars
|
4 | 2.11 | +1.89 |
|
Let England Shake
PJ Harvey
|
5 | 3.15 | +1.85 |
|
Dear Science
TV On The Radio
|
5 | 3.16 | +1.84 |
|
Liquid Swords
GZA
|
5 | 3.28 | +1.72 |
|
Since I Left You
The Avalanches
|
5 | 3.28 | +1.72 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2112
Rush
|
1 | 3.39 | -2.39 |
|
The Yes Album
Yes
|
1 | 3.31 | -2.31 |
|
Made In Japan
Deep Purple
|
1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
|
Physical Graffiti
Led Zeppelin
|
2 | 3.91 | -1.91 |
|
Back In Black
AC/DC
|
2 | 3.86 | -1.86 |
|
Apple Venus Volume 1
XTC
|
1 | 2.85 | -1.85 |
|
Bad
Michael Jackson
|
2 | 3.81 | -1.81 |
|
Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
|
2 | 3.74 | -1.74 |
|
Life Thru A Lens
Robbie Williams
|
1 | 2.73 | -1.73 |
|
Blood On The Tracks
Bob Dylan
|
2 | 3.68 | -1.68 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| The White Stripes | 2 | 5 |
| TV On The Radio | 2 | 5 |
| Beatles | 5 | 4.2 |
| Radiohead | 4 | 4.25 |
| Stevie Wonder | 4 | 4.25 |
| Talking Heads | 4 | 4.25 |
| PJ Harvey | 3 | 4.33 |
| Arcade Fire | 3 | 4.33 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 2 | 1.5 |
| Public Image Ltd. | 2 | 1.5 |
| XTC | 2 | 1.5 |
| Rush | 2 | 1.5 |
5-Star Albums (45)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Orange Juice
2/5
Another album from the British isles whose biggest offense is just being inexplicably included on this list.
Sort of answers the question: What if the Talking Heads recorded an album of their B-sides, but David Byrne sang it in the style of a vampire from a 1950s Dracula film
7 likes
Brian Eno
3/5
This drives home why Eno is known as a producer more that a recording artist. Most of these songs left me thinking "I bet if Byrne or Bowie were to write take one of these songs, write more interesting lyrics, and sing in their more interesting voice, they'd be pretty good."
3 likes
Billy Joel
3/5
Did you know they made a whole album of alternate theme songs for Bosom Buddies?
2 likes
Beastie Boys
5/5
Classic. I might have more fondness for Ill Communication or even Check Your Head, since that's when I feel like I "discovered" them, but people who argue that this is the better/more seminal album are likely correct.
2 likes
1-Star Albums (11)
All Ratings
Radiohead
4/5
Gorillaz
4/5
Thought it wouldn't hold up. But still really enjoyed it. That said, not sure if I enjoy it because it's great, or just because it was so formative for me.
Guns N' Roses
3/5
Three or four songs that deserve 4 or 5 star rating. On an otherwise 2 star album.
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
Fun! First album I was previously unfamiliar with, though I'd heard the first song on an old Luaka Bop compilation CD I owned. Great energy and just enjoyable stuff
Yes
1/5
At least it wasn't Rush. I'll stand by that part of my review.
The Strokes
5/5
Considered giving it a 4, but couldn't find anything to knock it over. So, it earns a 5.
Frank Ocean
3/5
Read my essay, "Why I Know Channel Orange is Good, But Can't Quite Get Into It," now available from Penguin Classics.
Janis Joplin
4/5
Though bits feel more like filler, the great tracks are really great.
Roni Size
3/5
Good album that probably seemed better at the time, and could stand to be cut down to one disk.
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
I waffled between a 3 and a 4 on this. So, 3.5. But went 3 just based on my likelihood (or not) to revisit the album. Almost made me overcome my distrust of long, jam-y music.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Al Green
5/5
Great album! Not a miss and doesn't overstay it's welcome!
Sam Cooke
5/5
Addicting album. Hearing these familiar songs live breathed new life into them. Also hard pressed to think of a better live album, you can sense the room and crowd in a way I'm not sure I've ever heard before.
Jerry Lee Lewis
2/5
Not as compelling as Cooke's album. His voice isn't particularly charismatic. But also acknowledge some amazing piano amd his place in music history. -1 star weird biographical ickiness.
Madonna
3/5
The production is the star here. The songs I was already familiar with held up, but some of the other songs were definitely less memorable.
John Lennon
3/5
Felt like a bunch of half-realized B-sides for later Beatles albums.
Jack White
3/5
Enjoyed it, but it almost mainly just made me wish I was listening to the White Stripes. I feel like maybe the artificial constraints of that band helped Jack produce better music.
Ray Charles
4/5
Can definitely appreciate it's importance, and the conceit of the album feels pretty audacious for '62, but the big band sound and choir ladies will keep me from revisiting. Still Ray's voice is great.
Björk
2/5
I hope Debut or Post appear on this list somewhere, because I'd love to give Bjork 3 or 5 stars... but her later music just feels like sing-talking over ambient music.
Elis Regina
2/5
Not doing it for me. Wonder if I would like it more if I understood Portuguese.
Funkadelic
4/5
The last track overstayed its welcome, but most of the album is a pretty great. You can hear all the ways they influenced bands down the line.
Common
4/5
Enjoyable. Not always the most memorable, but a good album I was happy to revisit.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
An album with so many hits on it, it almost feels like a Greatest Hits album.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
1/5
The story behind the album would have appealed to earl 20s me, but -while I appreciate difficult art- this just played like freeform bad spoken word alternated with rough draft later day Tom Waits.
Ryan Adams
4/5
There was probably a time when I would have given this a 5, half because of song quality and half because of the album's place in the hearts of my friend and family. But, knocking it a point for general Ryan Adams ickiness.
The xx
5/5
Y'know, I don't need any more albums by them. But this one is pretty perfect.
Sonic Youth
4/5
One of those albums that I wished I'd stumbled across when it first came out. I probably would have loved it. As is, I appreciate a lot, and some feels like a time capsule from that period.
3/5
I enjoyed this overall. I can see others complaints about feeling easy listening-esque, and agree some songs are overlong. But the overall vibe I like, and Lee Oskar's sound reminds me of my youth.
The Beta Band
4/5
I really like this album. Though, like the XX, I sort of feel like this is the only album by this band I need. It scratches that itch.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
Really uneven. I just don't get this lists obsession with the sprawling, double album sets that lean into bands worst tendencies.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I struggle with Bruce sometimes, because a lot of his stuff feels very "middle of the road" for me. But this really plays to his strengths.
Solomon Burke
3/5
I don't think I'd ever heard of Burke before, which is surprising since these songs were all as good as anything else I'd hear from this era and genre.
Judas Priest
2/5
Probably seemed edgy and transgressive in its day, but just feels... quaint... now.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
A lot of things about this felt like something I should enjoy more than I did.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Overall, quite enjoyable. Definitely some classics here, though a few of the songs Bob's like "then I went to school... where people though I'd be cool... but really I'm a fool... I need to steal the jewel..." and it feels like he's just sort of making it up as he goes.
Talking Heads
5/5
I listen to so much solo Byrne stuff or greatest hits/live albums by Talking Heads that it's been a while since I listened to a studio album all the way through. Makes me want to revisit their discography chronologically.
5/5
I don't know if this the "best" Beatles album, but its the one I have the most nostalgia for. My parents had this on vinyl, and Trav and I would put it on frequently because of the iconic, colorful cover and the connection to the animate Yellow Submarine movie.
Elvis Presley
2/5
More corny than anything. I do like Suspicious Minds, but most of the rest feels like bad Vegas music.
The Zombies
3/5
Not what I thought it was going to be. Less garage, more baroque. Actually, good overall, but won't be a new favorite.
Stephen Stills
4/5
Waffled between a 3 and 4 star on this. Overall a 4 star album with a couple of 2 or 3 star songs. But, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
Deep Purple
1/5
Stop with the double-long, 60s & 70s rock, double disk jam session albums already!! I know nothing about Deep Purple, but this doesn't make me want to know more. Just give us a good studio album, list makers.
Green Day
3/5
Fine, but would probably have preferred to listen to Dookie, if only for nostaglia.
OutKast
5/5
One of those albums that is hard to disentangle from a period in my life. It might not be perfect, and it might not even be their best album but it still gets a 5.
Pretenders
4/5
Not what I expected and enjoyed it more than expected. Nice proto-Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs sound.
The Beach Boys
2/5
The vocals and harmonies were fine for what they were. But, not really my thing, and just way too much creepy "old man seducing teen girls" energy for my liking.
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
Not sure what I expected, but this was better than what I expected. More of an album, and not just some singles and filler.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Figured since I was almost done playing catch up with the rest of my group, I'd go ahead and go back and do this album, which I'd missed because it previously wasn't on Spotify. Solid Neil Young album. I fall into the group that likes his voice, and think he's a solid, in uneven, artist. This album is exactly that.
John Lennon
3/5
I liked this one considerably more than the previous Lennon album in this mix. Almost gave it a 4, as it felt more fully realized and had several songs I liked quite a bit.
Le Tigre
4/5
The United States Of America
2/5
I'm sure this was a major technical achievement at the time, but still can't shake the feeling it's a good album buried under layers of midway carnival sounds.
X-Ray Spex
3/5
Enjoyed this, but almost wanted to enjoy it more. The louder and more punk it was, they stronger the songs. When it slowed it lost me a bit.
The Stone Roses
3/5
Outside of "I Want to Be Adored," this album felt decidedly middle-of-the-road. Completely fine, but not sure why Brits are so obsessed with it.
Iron Maiden
2/5
Not bad, just not my thing. Appreciate thst they were doing some sort of early 80s social justice on a few songs, even if the results are oof. Rad cover, though.
Guided By Voices
3/5
Most of this is charmingly low-fi sounding, a few of the songs I wish were longer and more fleshed out, and others were just sort of grating.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Fine. I probably would have given one of his next 2 albums a 4 star rating, but this lacks the stand out tracks that push it beyond drum and bass background music.
Alice Cooper
2/5
I was expecting more straightforward late 70s/early 80s rock/metal... and this was definitely weirder and more interesting than that. Still, just shy of 3 stars in my book.
Charles Mingus
2/5
I'm sure it's good, but jazz like this always feels like one of those Magic Eye pictures where I'm either missing something or the rest of the world is pulling a fast one on me.
Various Artists
4/5
If I'm listening to Christmas music, this is the sort of music I prefer: Upbeat, secular, and mid-century. Tons of recognizable songs from other Christmas mixes here, so pretty 5-stsr record... though I'm subtracting a star for Spector, y'know, killing someone.
Tangerine Dream
2/5
Maybe if I was writing a sci-fi novel, this might make some interesting inspirational background music. But, on it's own it plays more like an interesting experiment than actual music.
Sugar
2/5
Not so much bad... just I think I fail to understand *why* this is on the list. Just feels really unexceptional.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Almost gave this a 4. But really a 3 star album with a few tracks I liked more. Feels like very much a product of its time, right down to the Dave Matthews duet.
Dire Straits
3/5
Solid and enjoyable. Almost 4 stars.
Miles Davis
4/5
A good reminder that I don't dislike jazz broadly, and that I just struggle with stuff that's a little more free-flow and improvisational. This gets "background music-y" at time, but good background music; and enjoyable.
Joan Baez
3/5
This is one of those 3-star ratings where about half the songs are 4's and half are 2's. On the quieter, more country-folk songs, I appreciate her singing, but on others it's just an overwhelming vibrato-fest.
New York Dolls
4/5
Thought this would be more glam rock (confusing them with LA Guns), so happy to hear something more akin to New York punk.
GZA
5/5
Really excellent, but I would have to listen to this more and live with it more to give it a true 5-star rating. Still, I'm giving it an aspirational 5-stars as sort of a message to the 1001 Songs App Gods to give us more albums like this.
David Bowie
3/5
Initially felt like this might be a 4-star, but it slips to 3-star territory by the end. Understand how it might have some historic importance for Bowie fans, but he has better albums.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
The second half of this album was better than the first; but while it's evenly good overall, it rarely rises to great.
Fairport Convention
4/5
Feels like the soundtrack for an unreleased Wes Anderson film. VsguelynEuropean, sometimes twee, sometimes folks, sometimes just feeling like some classic rock song you somehow missed.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Russ almost gave it a 5, I also almost want to give it a 5. So, I will, and Russ amd I can average out to giving it a 4.5. Great album overall.
Massive Attack
3/5
I love Mezzanine, but haven't really listened to this album. I can appreciate it's historical place in music, but much more uneven as a result.
ABBA
2/5
The singles I already knew were OK. And "Tiger" is so dumb it's fun. But a lot of forgettable mediocrity beyond that.
Duran Duran
4/5
The singles still definitely punch above their weight, but the whole album is good fun.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
I like the feel of this album, and it's obvious influence and place in history. But, at times it also just fades into the background.
King Crimson
2/5
Waffled between 2 and 3 stars. After listening to it several times now, I do appreciate some of it. But, too often they wade off into what feels like self-indulgent jam-prog territory.
DJ Shadow
5/5
Even though I've listened to this album dozens of times, it's raw density makes it always feel new.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Still showcases the strength of her voice, even if the early-2000s-style production isn't as arresting as her other albums more throwback style.
Beatles
4/5
One of the few Beatles albums I don't think I've ever owned in any format. But still recognize every song.
Gillian Welch
3/5
Gillian's voice is great, and the songs are largely pretty, even if none of them really jumped out at me.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
High and lows. Frank's voice is great, but most songs faded into the background.
Johnny Cash
4/5
One of those albums where the story and vibe of it might be cooler than any individual song. Great listen.
Taylor Swift
4/5
Probably actually a 3.5 star. The first half is notably stronger (4-5 star songs) than the second half (2-3 star songs). But, I rounded up because it's ultimately totally listenable.
Bob Dylan
3/5
A few of his songs I know amd enjoy, but a lot of stuff that ends up sort of as background noise.
Madness
2/5
"Our House" is still a great song, but too much of this is trying too hard to be wacky.
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
Maybe like "Surrender" better (or at least more familiar with it), but this is still one of the great albums of this time period/style.
Shack
2/5
Not offensively bad... just why? Did the guy who made this list know someone in the band? Just no context as to why this would be included.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
"Break Down" and "American Girl" are the obvious standouts. The rest is middle of the road Petty. Though I do appreciate it feels looser and less produced than some layer stuff.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I'm not Rolling Stones expert, but this mid-60s to early-70s era Stones is the period I enjoy the most. This album feels looser and less refined, in a way that is sometime charming/exciting and sometime just flabby.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Maybe actually a 2, but giving it a 3. Fluctuated between interesting and annoying... often within the same song. Worked best when it landed somewhere between Blur and trip-hop, but too often felt to try-hard zany.
Nirvana
5/5
Impossible to be objective. Too formative of an album. Glad to it holds up and continues to scorch earth.
PJ Harvey
4/5
Like a 4.5. Mainly giving it a 4 because as much as I love it, I love a few of her other albums more, so I need that wiggle room. Such a strong first album.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
I can appreciate the poignancy of an album about aging and mortality that was released right before the artist's death. And the album has a vibe. Unfortunately, there is a sameness across the songs that made it hard to get too lost in it.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Not bad, just maybe too... schmaltzy... for my tastes.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Almost a 1 star. Just self indulgent feeling. Some nice elements, but just blown apart by languid, unfocused song structures.
Underworld
3/5
Some cool sounding bits, but ultimately feels like background music if you aren't dancing. Maybe a good fit for playing while doing a Cyberpunk RPG.
Snoop Dogg
4/5
Nostalgia and some classic songs buoy this album through the lesser tracks and cringey skits.
R.E.M.
4/5
I'm more familiar with some of their later albums, but not arguing that this has some great songs on it to.
Depeche Mode
4/5
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
The upbeat, danceable songs are great. The slower love songs... less so.
The Byrds
3/5
Solid start, but lost me around the same time they started sampling Leer jet engines.
Richard Hawley
3/5
I actually like the sound of a lot of these song, individually. It harkens to older music without feeling like a shtick. Together though, they get a little samey on the tail end, and I'm perplexed about why it's included on the list.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
"Respect" is a strong 5, but the rest of the album doesn't quite reach that level.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Manages to be a lot of the things that made 80's music great, while not feeling overly dated. Would be interested to see Peter and David Byrne talk, I feel like there's a lot of overlap in their sensibilities.
Pantera
2/5
The Crow Soundtrack... now that was a good album. This, not so much.
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
Breezy bossa nova that gets hijacked every 4th or 5th song by a marching band, carnival or a duet with a 6-year-old and causes it to flirt with 2 star territory.
Talking Heads
4/5
A couple of missteps at the beginning and end of the album, with a bunch of great songs in the middle.
Adele
3/5
"Send My Love" is a genuinely great song, and a few of the other singles hold up. But, there's a melodramatic sameness to a lot of the rest of it, that keeps the album from being better than average.
Little Richard
3/5
Definitely some classics here, and some great energy. But also doesn't really rise beyond feeling like I'm listening to the soundtrack of a period piece like Stand By Me.
Faust
2/5
Half the tracks we too cold and electronic, and half were too loose and lo-fi. Really a Daddy Bear/Momma Bear situation with no Baby Bear in sight.
Beatles
4/5
I tend to almost see early Beatles and late Beatles as two different bands (which is amazing since they were really only a band for about a decade); and tend to prefer later Beatles because they are most interesting and weird. But, there is no arguing that early Beatles could construct whole albums full of pop songs that are so infectious that theyate all niw basically hard-baked into our collective brain.
Justin Timberlake
4/5
The singles hold up, and a few of the songs I wasn't familiar with feel like Off-The-Wall era Jackson making a cameo on a N.E.R.D. track, which isn't a bad thing. It's like a concept album where the concept is hooking up with someone at a club.
Fela Kuti
4/5
All of Fela's stuff is great. Just high energy, and fun! Zombie is a distinctive song, but the rest blurs together... though not in a particularly bad way.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Not sure what I was expecting, based on the album cover but sort of backgroundy jazz music wasn't it. Not bad, just not something that resonates particularly.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
I actually liked this more than I thought I would. I like a lit of their songs individually, but was worried that a whole album of them would be a bit... much. But there was more variety of sound than I expected that kept it interesting.
50 Cent
3/5
Like this more than I thought I would, overall. Though I knocked it a star because of some wince-worthy homophobic and sexist moments.
1/5
There is something about that whole album that feels like "children's music for adults." Lyrics like "F. U. C. K. Is that how you spell friend?" Songs about loading kids into balloon and harvest time. I can hang with sincerity and songs about paganism... but this just was a bridge too far.
Steely Dan
3/5
If I liked the whole album as much as I liked the three singles I was familiar with, I'd have given this a 4.
Johnny Cash
3/5
Since this was his first "live concert in a jail" album, I thought I'd like it more than San Quentin. But, instead I think is seemed less novel and thrilling
Ms. Dynamite
3/5
Feels like another "Oh, the person who made this list is British" entry. Nothing bad, bit also an album that I'd never seen heard of. Solid, but unexceptional.
Rush
1/5
The first song is a 20+ minute sci-fi story about a guy finding a guitar in a cave based on a story by Ayn Rand. So, yeah, I'm out. If you removed the vocal from this album it might be a 3.
Sleater-Kinney
5/5
This might actually be a 4 Star, but it hit me on the right day and in the right mood. I want to be in a Riot Grrl band when I grow up.
Radiohead
4/5
Just shy of 5 stars. Most of it is excellent with just a few points it slips to feeling to background-y.
Björk
4/5
I wanted this to be a 5, but there are a few songs that drag and make it less than perfect. Still, I love it for Nostalgia alone.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Love the sound and vibe of this. And, obviously, the skill is amazing. But still manages to largely feel like very good background music.
Stan Getz
4/5
It's raining and windy out, but this album still makes it feel light and Springy out.
The Cardigans
3/5
First time listening to the whole album. Wasn't sure what to expect. More varied and interesting than I would have predicted, but still nothing that really elevated it beyond the high-quality middle-of-the-road.
Pearl Jam
5/5
It would be hard to name and album that was more foundational to my music tastes and Fandom. So, for that reason alone it gets a 5 despite some overplayed singles.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Almost just a 3. I was surprised how much of it just washed over me without making much of an impression. But, none of its was bad.
King Crimson
2/5
The bookending title tracks are just self-indulgent feeling. But, the middle tracks let me imagine a version of the band I almost might like.
Slayer
2/5
I understand the appeal, and this could be a 3 star rating if the lyrics weren't so dumb.
Neil Young
3/5
I feel like there is a loose breeziness to this album that it makes easy to listen to, but also hard to latch on to. The reviews talk about it's pessimism, but it comes off more as winsome to me.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
Thought I'd like this more than I did, based on "Take Another Little Piece of My Heart" but most of me didn't grab me nearly as firmly.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
My enjoyment of this album really underscores what a shame it is that Marley's music has been high-jacked as the soundtrack for every college stoner.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3/5
Well meaning, with a few good moments, but as someone in my late 40s, a lot of the "truth bombs" just come off as obvious. Maybe if I was younger.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
I love "Loveless" so surprised that I loved this less. It's all the same elements, but they just don't feel like they hang together right. Feels like a B-sides and outtakes album.
The Temptations
3/5
12 minutes of this 34inute album are "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" and that's exactly how it feels.
CHIC
3/5
Cheesy, disco fun that strays into just cheesy disco (sans fun) from time to time. The more upbeat songs definitely work better.
Eminem
3/5
I know that being shocking, misanthropic and indulging in the unbounded id is sort of the whole point of this album, but listening to it now, as a 48-year-old it's just sort of exhausting. Especially with so much of it directed toward women. Still he is an amazing lyricist and there are a lot of moments where he is self-deprecating and/or winks knowingly at the camera that help mellow an otherwise bitter pill.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Enjoyable overall, though the last song (which might be amazing live) overstayed it's welcome.
Amy Winehouse
5/5
While I was a little underwhelmed with her other album, this is the fully-realized one and pretty great all the way through.
Jungle Brothers
4/5
When I started listening to this yesterday, it was a 3. Today, when I picked it up, I'm not sure if my mood was better, it was sunnier, because it was Friday or maybe the second half of the album is better... but it hit me more like a 4. Maybe tomorrow it will be a 3 again.
The Offspring
3/5
Dumb, pop-punk that's catchy and obnoxious in equal amounts. The singles largely hold up, the other songs hold their own.
Public Enemy
4/5
This one would likely be a 5 star, if I had been exposed to the whole album earlier in life. Still cool to listen to it now and see it's influence in hindsight.
808 State
3/5
A lot of it felt very backgroundy, and reminded me of Sega Genesis games. I could picture Sonic running along to Pacific 202 easily. The dorky vocal lines almost tipped the scale into the negative territory for me. But, I'm feeling generous.
Nanci Griffith
3/5
Her voice and the music are both nice, but nothing grabbed me in a way that deserved more than 3 stars.
The Sugarcubes
4/5
Maybe a 3, but felt like I had to pick a side on this divisive album. Started out making confused and being a little put off by it; but when I stopped thinking of it as a Bjork album, and instead started thinking of it as a weird Icelandic punk album from before Iceland was cool, my opinion 180-ed on it.
Elliott Smith
4/5
I'm in a crappy mood today, and I don't feel like this is what I needed to hear to get out of it. So wanted to give it a 3. But, I'm sure it would be an easy 4 on a normal day.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
A couple irrefutable classics, with a bunch of others that -while solid and listenable- are more just products of their time.
John Martyn
3/5
3, but a low 3. I won't remember this a three days from now. Except maybe his grainy voice and the dripping instrumental finish.
1/5
Nope.
The Cramps
3/5
The first song or two, I was like: This is a fun rockabilly sound. By song 5, I had my fill amd was wishing they'd switch things up more. Not bad, just too same-same. They may have been pioneers of this sound, but it's now been so heavily done by other bands this feels unoriginal.
Elliott Smith
4/5
In the land of hair-splitting is album is like 3.75 stars and Either/Or is like 4.25 stars. But they both get 4 stars here.
3/5
If nothing else this proves that if Rush's lead singer tried to do a Thom York knock off, instead of just screeching, I'd probably like Rush more
Van Halen
3/5
This style of rock just always feels like a bunch of dudes who are super obsessed with sex in the least sexy way possible. Still, catchy at times.
Sister Sledge
3/5
Like some of the other disco era albums we've listened to, this loses a bit one the slower ballads, but I love it when it's upbeat amd danceable.
Mike Ladd
2/5
This is almost a 3. There were some parts of it that were good, but in the end it was a little grating and self-important for me to want to revisit it. It did make me want to listen to Deltron 3030, which has similar future-dystopia themes but is more loose and fun.
Beatles
4/5
Great album overall. About every 3rd or 4th song there'd be one thats "not my favorite." But even those are enjoyable.
R.E.M.
4/5
I'm not sure if I've heard this all the way though before, though I recognize about half the songs. I do like how stylistically this album is a little.ore variable than some of their later albums, as they probably still haven't locked in their "sound" yet.
Brian Eno
3/5
This drives home why Eno is known as a producer more that a recording artist. Most of these songs left me thinking "I bet if Byrne or Bowie were to write take one of these songs, write more interesting lyrics, and sing in their more interesting voice, they'd be pretty good."
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
I've always thought that punk was more than being anti-social and shouting obnoxiously... Public Image Ltd I'd working hard to prove me wrong. Maybe a 2 star album, but giving it 1 star because it's annoying this list contains 2 albums by them.
Jane's Addiction
4/5
The singles are the obvious stand outs, but the overall sound of the album, especially the later half, holds up.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Some classic songs, and some filler. Nothing surprising good or bad.
Metallica
3/5
Enjoyable for a metal album, but I think there is a limit to how much metal I want to listen to these days... and that amount is less than a full length album.
Jane's Addiction
4/5
This and the previous Jane's Addiction are pretty interchangeable. The singles are good, with the other songs not quite rising to that level.
Aerosmith
2/5
They are obviously good musicians. Stephen Tyler has a distinctive voice. But they are such deeply stupid songs.
Mudhoney
3/5
As a Seattle-area kid who went to High School in the 90s, I like the *idea* of Mudhoney (a scrapy indie Grunge band who never quiet went big, but have been a local institution for 20+ years) more than I actually like their music.
Calexico
4/5
Not sure what I expected, but this was probably better than I expected. I like that they alternated between songs with vocals and just instrumentals. I appreciated the vibe of the instrumentals, but breaking them up kept it interesting.
The Beach Boys
3/5
I can see why there are people who are fond of later-day Beach Boys more than their earlier surf guitar work. It's definitely more sonically interesting. That said, once you get away from the singles (all of which I like), the quality drops.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
I liked this better than the individual albums by various members we've heard so far. I think the collaboration makes for a more varied album that isn't quite as one note.
Missy Elliott
4/5
It might because the sun is out, or it might be because this Challenge has been feeding us rock music for the last 2 weeks... but I really enjoyed this.
The Soft Boys
2/5
Another addition to the growing list of anonymous British albums that seem to only be on the list because the guy who made the list probably liked them in High School. Not bad, just why?
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Some great 5-star songs surrounded by some more middle of the road 3-star songs evens out to a 4-star album.
Beck
4/5
Beautiful and melancholy, but too one-note to be truly great
The Darkness
2/5
I know the Darkness is winking to the audience with this love letter/send-up of 80's hair metal. And they more than ably ape the sound. But, that still doesn't make me want to listen to it more.
Tom Waits
4/5
"Troll in the basement playing barely functional instruments Tom Waits" is my favorite Tom Waits. And, despite its dark weirdness it holds together in a way that other deliberately weird albums (looking at you Beefheart) fail to for me.
Animal Collective
3/5
I've struggled with Animal Collective in the past, but tried to listen to this with a fresh, open mind; but unfortunately the repetition, manic tempo yelping and layer of sounds on top of each other until they are almost incomprehensible reminds me too much of the voice in my head that is the source of my anxiety. So, even though I know the songs are largely upbeat amd joyous... it all just leaves me stretched thin and exhausted. I understand the appeal for others, but not for me.
B.B. King
4/5
Most of my exposure the B.B. King has been limited to the later portion of his life, where he'd be brought on stage to perform the same several standards. So, this served as a great primer as to why he was so important and vital to music in his time.
Nas
4/5
Listening to this reminded me of an article I read years ago talking about the roles of both technical skill and charisma in rap music. The writer of the article used Nas as an example of a rapper who was technically great, but struggled with charima. I think that's a fair assessment. There's a lot to like about this album, but it's missing that final, unquantifiable something that would push it to 5 stars.
Lightning Bolt
2/5
I like songs that occasionally devolve into chaos, but this feels like chaos that occasionally, accidentally becomes songs.
Morrissey
2/5
Like 2 singles, some filler, on humorous ode to the execution if Margaret Thatcher and one song that manages to be paternalistically and pettily xenophobic at the same time. Would probably be 3 stars, but I'm knocking it 1 for Morrissey being a racist fascist.
Mike Oldfield
2/5
Interesting parts. Boring parts. Self-indulgent parts. Basically in equal measure. Crazy though that one of the most iconic horror soundtracks draws from this of all things.
5/5
Waffled between a 4 and a 5. I'm not sure how many Bowie albums are on this list, but I suspect this will be my favorite, so 5 it is!
Sigur Rós
3/5
Sigur Ros has always been too precious and affected for my tastes. Too distant and performative to connect with personally. That said, they aren't so much bad, as just not my thing. And, this album shows more variety in the second half.
The Smiths
3/5
A couple of 5-star songs, but most songs are 3-star dragging it to a 4-star album. Then -1 Star for Morissey being Vegan Ted Nugent these days.
3/5
I've never fully understood either the hype or hate for Oasis. They've mainly struck me as a middle-of-the-road British rock band whose brother's theatrics were more a distraction. This album is a bunch of 2 & 3-star songs. With maybe a couple 4-stars and one song that could be a 5, but is impossible to judge because it was so overplayed the year it came out. At least I understand their inclusion on the list, unlike so many other Brit bands.
Patti Smith
3/5
Glad I listened to this, even though it felt too spoken word to really be my thing. And I appreciate the through line to other artists I appreciate, like PJ Harvey.
The White Stripes
5/5
Before listening to this I was all "auto 5 star." But in revisiting it, there's a few songs I'm less fond of, and I was tempted to go 4 star. Still, I really love this crunchy, fuzzy blues rock album overall.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Not bad, just largely not memorable.
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
Agree with others in my group who make the Monkees/early Beach Boys comparison. Pretty throwaway songs for the most part, with a couple that land.
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
I probably would have been a big fan of this, if I'd discovered it when it came out. As it is, it feels more like a late-90s curio piece. Not bad, just of its time
The Human League
2/5
Yeah, not really. One great single and a bunch of other songs that feel like send-ups of songs from this time period. Just not great. Except that one song thats excellent.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
I had a Kendrick-sized hole in my hip hop knowledge leading into this, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but this wasn't it. It's messier, more complex, introspective, more uneven, less accessible but ultimately better than I thought it would be. It's also an excellent arguement for the value of albums as a single piece of art, versus just a string of songs. Was going to give it 4 stars, but a stronger second half and a desire to revisit it earn it 5.
The Isley Brothers
3/5
Was totally ready to give this album a great grade. But, it ended up being two great singles (one revisited a second time) and a lot ofnless memorable stuff.
The xx
3/5
I appreciate that there is a little more variety on this album, but it also lacks the quality that was so immediately arresting about their first album.
CHVRCHES
4/5
Unfamiliar with them before, but found this really listenable overall. Remind me a little of something like The Knife, where it leans heavily into 80s synthetic, but manages to capture the mood, while feeling new and its own thing.
Harry Nilsson
3/5
One of those albums where you end up knowing nearly half the album because the songs have appeared in movies and TV shows. Overall, I enjoyed this albums vibe, and almost bummed it up a star because my daughter seemed to dislike it.
The Avalanches
5/5
This album. Drifting around on warm Summer nights in my red '87 Acura Integra, with the headlights popped, windows down and music up. The songs merging with the street sounds in a way where it was hard to know where one ended and the other began.
MGMT
3/5
I was familiar with a number of the singles, from KEXP, but never really put together that they were the same band. There were times it felt too Animal Collective for me, and sort of annoyed me. But, other times it reminded me of, say, The Pixies and it sort of clicks
Tracy Chapman
4/5
I both really enjoyed this album, and wanted to enjoy it more. Chapman's voice is a powerful and Fast Car is a helluva song.
Cheap Trick
2/5
So much of this album feels designed to make no impression on me. And it's telling that the highlight was recognizing a bit the Beastie Boys sampled. "Surrender" is fine, I guess.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
4/5
I don't know much about Bluegrass, but enjoy the sound. I'm the type of person who likes to have one or two albums of it in their collection, just to scratch that itch for time to time. This would fit that roll excellently.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
The singles do the heavy lifting, but even the other tracks are solid, if unexceptional.
Yes
2/5
I liked this more than their self-titled album, though that isn't a high bar. This felt looser and lighter, and more appealing, though it still frequently drifted into self-indulgent. Plus, one of the songs is used on the Buffalo 66 soundtrack
Funkadelic
3/5
Uneven. But the good tracks delivered and it was fun hearing all the original source songs of so many hip hop samples.
XTC
2/5
More tolerable than the other XTC album we listened to here. Still suffers from dopey lyrics, but they don't feel as belabored and it all has a Ren Faire vibe that feels more forgivable.
Thundercat
4/5
I didn't think this was amazing, but it was definitely "good interesting" in a way that intrigued me and will likely make me revisit it.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
A strong 3. If the whole album felt as robust as the second half, if probably would have been a 4. But, the first hand was a little thin and one-note. I'm not sure if I'd heard any of Cohen's early work, but this would all slot nicely into a Wes Anderson soundtrack.
Frank Zappa
4/5
Waffled between 3 and 4 with this. But went with a 4, just because this is the type of thing I was hoping to encounter with this list. A famous name whose music I'd never listened to before, but was a pleasant surprise. Was expecting something like Captain Beefheart, but this felt more like a proto-Morphine.
Queen
3/5
I've always run hot and cold on Queen, but really have only heard their hits, so interesting to hear a full album. Still not sure how I feel about them though. How to square the last three songs, for example: The Rag Time of "Leroy Brown," followed by the shambling proto-Jane's Addiction of "She Makes Me," followed by the groggy theatrically of "Lap Of God." It's interesting, I guess.
Milton Nascimento
4/5
While -like most double albums- it overstayed it's welcome a bit, and the language barrier kept it from feeling truly great, I liked a lot of this albums general vibe and feel. Flourishes like the chicha organs and fuzzed out guitar gave this album sense of time and place, and the whole thing was varied amd interesting enough to make a nice soundtrack toy dog walks.
Todd Rundgren
2/5
If you take the transcendent euphoria out of the psychedelic experience, and just try to recreate the visuals or auditor experience... it's kind of an annoying nightmare. The second half (Melody and beyond) is better, but still doesn't redeem it.
Elvis Costello
3/5
I've long struggled with appreciating Elvis Costello. That said, listening to this album and Armed Forces makes me think that I like his earlier stuff better, and (maybe oddly) the songs work together as an album.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
The thing with only being exposed to an artist late in their career is that you tend to only hear their 2 or 3 biggest hits. So, it was good to hear Aretha's amazing vocals on other songs... even if the songs themselves and production don't hold up as well.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Interesting at times, but rarely great. When will saxophone solos come back into fashion? 2026?
Bob Dylan
4/5
I feel like Dylan needs his own scale, not because he's off the charts, but because his voice is a non-starter for lots and he has so many albums, it almost makes more sense to rate them against each other. This one has good energy and doesn't suffer from the "make it up as you go" lyrics I felt the last album had.
Culture Club
2/5
The rating isn't really a knock on this album. It's all serviceable and occasionally fun. I just think there might be better albums out there to represent this era and genre. I appreciate the nods in several songs toward diversity and inclusion, even if they come off as corny by today's standards.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
Great album! I might appreciate this even more now -with its propulsive drums and wall-of-fuzz guitars- than I did as a teen.
R.E.M.
5/5
Funny to have this and Siamese Dream back-to-back, since I probably bought both tapes on the same day. I know real REM fans would fight me on those, but this gets my vote for their best album. If for no other reason than nostalgia.
Skepta
3/5
When the songs land on this album, they are pretty great. But, only about half of them do, and the early part of the album feels lurchy with overlong skits.
Boston
3/5
Barely gets a 3. You're on probation, Boston.
John Prine
3/5
Good for what it was, with what seemed like clever lyrics when they caught my attention. I enjoyed it well enough, even if I'm unlikely to revisit it.
Lorde
3/5
There's some good lyrics and nice production at times, but the songs rarely feel more that solid.
Nick Drake
5/5
Waffled on whether to give this a 4 or 5, but landed on 5 because -within the limitations of the "one singer and one acoustic guitar" genre- it's hard to imagine a better album.
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
The two big singles on this are undeniable classics, and the rest of the album is quite listenable without ever rising to their status. Strong 3.
Small Faces
2/5
Sort of hurts to give this a 2. The actual songs are a lot of interesting 60's Brit rock, with lots of fuzzy guitar, moogs and baroque flourishes... but the spoken word Cokney/jabberwocky words parts between all the songs just tank it. Remove those amd thos is at least a 3.
Arcade Fire
5/5
I know I should knock this by 1 star because Win Butler did something wrong, but I've tried not to learn the details of that in hopes of not ruining this near perfect album for me.
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
A lot of the songs are pretty great, with a couple classics amongst them. But, I could do without the "interludes," and the misogyny and violence wore me out by the end
Cream
4/5
What I wanted the Small Faces album to be. Still wanted to like it maybe more than I did. But still a lot to like.
Meat Puppets
3/5
Waffled between a 3 and 4 star with this. I tend to love roughly produced indie punk like this, and there's a lot of this to love in what feels like a mash up of the Pixies and Violent Fems. But even at 48 minutes it feels a little flabby, and they probably could have cut about half the instrumental numbers.
R.E.M.
3/5
Thisnis the most hot-cold I've run on an REM album so far. It has some truly classic songs on it, but also a few that just fall flat. Probably a 3.5. But I'll grade on an REM-curve.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
I can see the elements that I enjoyed about Loveless, but they just don't coalese in the same way.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Grading on a Kendrick curve. Still a great album, but didn't land quite as well as Butterfly, possibly owing to its more traditional subject matter.
David Bowie
4/5
Probably a 3.5 without context, but the details surrounding its release and Bowie's passing give it a level of mournful poignancy that elevates it to a 4.
Nina Simone
4/5
Grading a bit on a curve, since it would be easy to argue her singular voice warrents a 5 alone. But, I didn't feel this is the best collection of song, leaning too much into slow ballads to really showcase her range.
Massive Attack
4/5
I didn't realize I had such nostalgia for this album. But it totally took me back to the early 2000's when I'd listen to Napstered MP3s of it while working, or just the sound of distance music while hiking around Burning Man.
The Residents
3/5
This rating is based on the original track list, and not the "preserved edition " that adds a wholly unneeded extra hour or so to it. This was like tasting a weird new flavor of ice cream, where I was all "do I like this? I might like this." Weird connective tissue to They Might Be Giants, Violent Femmes and Modest Mouse.
Nick Drake
3/5
There are a few undoubtedly great songs on this, but also a number that fell flat for me, incomparison to Pink Moon.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I tend to struggle with Springsteen a bit. Something about his voice lacks charisma to me. That said, it's hard to argue that there aren't a half dozen classic (if commonly misunderstood) songs on this album.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Aside from a few noteworthy track, this feels more like raw material for future hip hop samples than it does fully constructed songs.
The Lemonheads
2/5
When this album came out, I remember knowing people who were really into it, and feeling a bit like: "Why?" There's nothing bad about it, just nothings noteworthy... whichever it's a 3 star album that gets a minus 1 for taking up a space on this list.
Peter Frampton
3/5
I feel a little more forgiving toward this album than other overlong 60-70s live albums. The self-indulgent bits are a little more interesting and it just feels a little more fun, even if it overstayed it's welcome a bit.
Elton John
3/5
I like Elton John, but in smaller doses. His songs are baroque and (maybe) maudlin enough that it's hard to listen to too many in a row. Cake after cake, sort of thing. So, this suffers for being a double album. There's a 4-star album buried in there.
Eagles
3/5
The singles are maybe 4 stars, but the rest is pretty rough and ranges from 1 to 2 stars. Really, this is probably a 2.5 star album, but it's a "round up" sort of day.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Another album from the British Isles whose presence here is completely perplexing to this American. It's competent, if not my style. Minus 1 star for taking a place on this list that could have gone to something more noteworthy.
David Bowie
4/5
Three classic songs, plus a bunch of others that sound like they could be Ziggy outtakes or B-sides. Still, that isn't half bad, right?
When I rated "Ogden's Nut Gone Flake" I commented that Small Faces could be good if they left all the story time stuff on the cutting room floor. This album sort of answers thst, since it's Small Faces with Rod Stewart. Turns out it's OK. Solid, even if nothing grabbed me particularly.
Paul Simon
3/5
In a vacuum, I'd probably give this 4 stars. There's a lot I like about it, musically. But, going to knock it 1 star for some problematic politics surrounding its creation.
The Doors
3/5
Neither a Doors fan, nor a hater. Which makes me feel like I'm in rarified air. This Is The End makes me wish it was the end, but beyond that these are all solid songs.
TV On The Radio
5/5
Still feel like I'm not cool enough to like their music. But, there's no filler on this album.
Garbage
3/5
"Dad, what did music in the late 90s sound like?"
This is actually like a 3.5.
Bob Dylan
2/5
I appreciate Dylan more than a couple of people in my group, but even I don't understand what theis list gains by including 4* of his albums. So minus 1 star for taking the space thst could probably be used to highlight someone otherwise excluded. This isn't even a very good Dylan album.
(*Who am I kidding, I'm sure there's more than 4 of his albums on the list.)
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Like Zappa, I was expecting this to feel more experimental and out there than it was. Only "Murder Mystery" was outside the norm. Instead a lot of this sounded like they were writing the blueprint for how dozens of future Indie bands would construct songs.
Dire Straits
2/5
Well, that really walks off a cliff after the third track. If the restnof the album was at least 2 star songs, this would have been a 3 or 4. But, sadly not the case.
Dennis Wilson
3/5
I didn't dislike it, but there is just something heavy and belabored about it that keeps it from grabbing me.
Carole King
4/5
One of those albums where every other song was part of the background soundtrack to my childhood.
Kanye West
4/5
Viewed in a vacuum this album would be an easy 5-stars. So good. Like give me chills at points good. But, unfortunately, Kanye has disappeared down a conspiratorial, MAGA rabbit hole. So, sticking to my guns, I have to knock it a star.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
There were things about this I liked about this more than I liked about Songs In The Key of Life, bit overall it didn't hook me the same way outside of the classic singles. Still great album.
Fats Domino
3/5
Fits and entire album into the length of a Deep Purple drum solo.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
2/5
Not bad, per say. Just back ground music.
The Cure
4/5
I don't have quite the nostalgia for the Cure that a lot of my friends do. My teen angst took a more grunge-centric form and it was only later that I really appreciated them. Still, no arguing that this isn't a great album.
Big Star
2/5
I can see how they might have influenced a number of later indie bands and a couple of songs weren't bad, but overall no a great album.
Neil Young
3/5
There are some classic Neil Young songs on this, but maybe an equal number of cringey ones or songs that fall flat.
Fiona Apple
4/5
This album works best when the songs feelnless conventional. When it's all creaks, groans and Apple feels equal parts desperate and menacing. The more traditional songs, usually stripped down to just pianos and strings hold my interest less.
Michael Kiwanuka
5/5
One of my favorite albums from the last 20 or so years. Alternately soulful and joyous, with a mix of the old and new that feels inevitable.
Laibach
2/5
If nothing else, it gave me a chance to brush up on my German. I can see why the singer from Ministry would be a fan, even if I won't be racing back to it.
Primal Scream
3/5
Feels like more of a curio piece. A time capsule from that window right before grunge broke, where pop music was filled with electronica, rain forest sounds and the occasional choir or gregorian chant.
The Pogues
3/5
My record collection would probably only ever need one Irish Folk Punk album. But, if I ever got one, this would be a solid pick.
Songhoy Blues
3/5
Strong 3 that is probably a strong 4, if not for the language barrier. Buyt, that's more my problem than the albums.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
This album has neither my favorite LCD Soundsystem songs, nor does it have any songs that get annoyingly repetitious in the way their worst songs could be. More soulful than I think of them being, too.
Iron Butterfly
3/5
Barely squeaks by as a 3. Almost a 2, owing to the overlong version of the title track
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
Bossa Nova as a genre is basically the definition of 3-Star music: Pretty, appealing, totally listenable, but rarely challenging and only occasionally letting songs drift up to the 4 or 5-star range.
Rush
2/5
The wikipedia page mentioned that with this album Rush tried to make more radio friendly songs, and I think it benefits from that. Still not my thing, but I can sort of see why it would be others.
Coldplay
4/5
I sort of wonder if Coldplay had only released this album and Parachutes, if I'd have a better opinion of them? Because their music today feels like the photocopy of a photocopy of a photocopy.
The Black Keys
4/5
With the Black Kets, I always can't help but wonder how much of their sound is just a pastiche of blues rock. But, I also can't deny the effectiveness of their fuzzied out blues guitar sound.
Kacey Musgraves
4/5
The the rest of the album was as good as the first amd last songs, this would be an easy 4 stars. But, the majority is more in the 3-star range. That said, rounding up because I'm having a good day, and this album fits it's vibe
LL Cool J
3/5
It's mainly about the 3 singles I already new. The rest felt very of It's time. Which isn't bad, but didn't pack the same punch.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
When I hear an album like this, it makes me a little sad reggae is synonymous with American stoner culture.
Radiohead
4/5
Ran hot and cold on this. Several songs hint at what Radiohead would become in later albums, but just as many felt like more run-of-the-mill fuzzy rock songs.
Lupe Fiasco
4/5
This one grew on me more as it went, often just because of some great production.
Arcade Fire
4/5
I think I tend to think of this as the third part of a trilogy of great albums. But, it's definitely the weakest of the batch, and there's a bit of a "been there, done that" feel to the whole thing.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
A couple of good songs and some nostalgia, surrounded by a lot of boring songs. Maybe almost a 3, but not quite.
Jeff Buckley
3/5
I run really hot and cold with Buckley. There's no arguing that his voice isn't impressive, but something about his songs sometimes feels just overwrought.
The Who
3/5
Half Beach Boys and half fuzzy blues rock. Mostly forgettable, except for a couple of noteworthy tracks
Kelela
3/5
Another in the growing list of "British Artists That I'd Never Heard of Before." At least albums R&B meets downtempo electronica made it a little more interesting than other albums on that list.
Fishbone
3/5
Not particularly my thing, but with it mix of ska, funk and metal, I could see how it would be someone else's.
Talking Heads
4/5
A little uneven at times, owing to it being their first album. But still a lot to like here.
T. Rex
3/5
Almost a 4. I feel like the quality drops off in the second half, but overall I like their sound and this represents thevsort of new-old music that I was hoping to be exposed to through this challenge.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Liked thus more than I thought I would. I know they are considered Godfathers of Heavy Metal, but also can see the throughline to Grunge acts like Soundgarden.
Kate Bush
3/5
Way more listenable than you'd expect for an album whose B-side is a "conceptual suite." Borders on 4-stars, but really only a few songs (including the cult classic turned Stranger Things hit) really rise to those levels.
Koffi Olomide
2/5
Was going to give 3 stars, and blame language barrier and dated production for it not being higher. But, knocking an additional star because Koffi sounds like a garbage fire of a person, if Wikipedia is accurate.
The Afghan Whigs
2/5
Just felt like second teir Grunge, and left me wondering wondering "why is this on the list?" despite my affection for the genre.
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
Mainly familiar with the couple songs that got play on Kexp. A lot of it reminded me of The Strokes, but punkier. Despite that, only about half the album had my attention.
Prince
3/5
While I'm not a Prince expert, this album is sort of just a reminder that not only did he write a lot of great songs. He just wrote a lot of songs. Period. And that maybe the quantity is partially the reason there is so much quality. The Wiki said this was his first album without the Revolution, and while he might have appreciated the nimbleness of making songs this way, it does feel stripped down in a half-realized way.
Neil Young
3/5
Nothing wrong with this album, and in fact it is probably better than some of the other eil Young albums we've listened to. But, this moves into Dylan territory where the question arises: What is the value of having so many albums by one artist?
Bauhaus
3/5
I like this fine, but feel like it's one of those things where I appreciate them as an influence on other, later bands that I probably like more.
Arcade Fire
4/5
Great album, and one that figured prominently in an important time in my life, made slightly less great by later revelations of the lead singers problematic behavior.
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
I have never listen to any Franz Ferdinand beyond this album, and don't desire to, which is mainly odd because I enjoy this album so much.
Adele
4/5
Like angry Adele more than sad ballad Adele. Waffled on if this was a 3 or 4, but I like this more than her other album we listened to, which I gave a 3, so I'll round up this time
Röyksopp
4/5
Very much an album that reminds me of a time and place. Ultimately background music, but excellent background music.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
Feel out of my depth trying to review this. It's a neat sound, though not something I'd actively revisit. The language barrier and album length turned it into a background music blur.
Bee Gees
2/5
There were bits in there that spoke to talent, but it's just sort of a self important jumble veering from Beatles to Beach Boys to orchestral interludes.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
The singles do a lot of the heavy lifting here, but the rest of the tracks are still solid.
Kraftwerk
3/5
More interesting as an archeological relic than actual songs. Barely squeaks across the line to 3 stars.
Erykah Badu
4/5
Really solid album. I could even see it being a 5 star, if I lived with it longer.
Michael Jackson
2/5
Fully expect this to be a 4 or 5 star album drug down by all the creepy personal details that came out about Jackson later. But really it's like 3 (4 if I feel generous) great singles, surrounded by a bunch of other, dated music that ranges from forgettable to cringey.
Blur
4/5
The Wiki said this album was their "American album" so maybe they are pandering to me a bit, but I love the mix of strummy, fuzzy guitars and droning, lifting lyrics beyond the big singles.
Lauryn Hill
5/5
It had been a while since I listened to this, so I was wondering "is it really as good as I remember it/the critics say?" And was expecting to be disappointed. But, nope. Just really solid album with nearly no missteps.
Beatles
4/5
Graded entirely on a Beatles Curve, and mainly 4 stars only because the best songs on this album are largely B-sides on a Beatles Greatest Hits album.
SZA
4/5
Drifted between a and 4 for me. But, rounding up because I think it's so stupid-funny that other reviewers are put off by her vulgarity while excusing so many male performers here that are worse.
The White Stripes
5/5
There was just something so lightning-in-a-bottle about the White Stripes. And this is one of their best, if not the best, of their albums.
The Magnetic Fields
5/5
I'm biased because I discovered thos album early on while dating my now wife... so it played a big part as the soundtrack to our relationship. But, I also do like th3 ambition of covering love in all it's forms, from sweet to sad, and from silly to... horny.
Van Morrison
4/5
I think that if I'd grown up with this album, and could paint it more with the petina of nostalgia, I would like it more, because the songs I am familiar with I like quite a bit.
The Police
3/5
Pretty big delta between the good songs and bad songs. If the whole album was as good as the second half, thisbqould be an easy 4, but as is, it's only a strong 3.
The Fall
3/5
I probably would have like this if I wasn't in such a bad mood.
David Bowie
3/5
Rating a bit on a "Bowie curve" but doesn't quite have the same calibur of hits, and the secondary songs don't grab me as much.
Linkin Park
3/5
The fact that I'm giving this 3 stars is a testament to the power of "In The End" given that Linkin Park and other Nu Metal bands were the butt of many jokes for me and my Grunge-loving friends in College. But, in hindsight, if I was 5 years younger, maybe this band would have been my Alice In Chains.
George Harrison
4/5
I think the first two discs of this album are great, but could easily overlook the last, jam-session disk. But it is also annoying that Spotify doesn't have the original release and only the extended remasters that are all out of order.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
1001 Neil Young Albums to Hear Before You Die.
In a vacuum, this isn't bad. In fact it's better than some of the other Young albums we've listened to. But, I still understand what value there is in featuring so many albums by one artist, while so many other great bands have yet to appear.
Baaba Maal
3/5
Good, but in a "background music" sort of way, owing to the language barrier and general lack of familiarity with the genre
The KLF
3/5
15-year-old me probably would have thought this album was pretty cool, before I discovered Grunge. As it is this feels more like a dated curio than anything else, now.
Marty Robbins
3/5
Fun and charming, but also feels kitschy by today's standards. Also telling that people complain about rap being too violent, meanwhile this album might as well be call "Jaunty Homocide."
Fugees
4/5
Flirts with a 5-star rating. There's a couple missteps and too much between-song chatter, but there is a lot to like here.
Ray Charles
3/5
Easy to recognize the talent even if -ultimately- the sound is a little too Big Band for my tastes.
Pink Floyd
3/5
Never went through a Pink Floyd phase in High School, so this might be the first time I listened to this all the way through. About half the time if worked for me, and about half the time I was left rolling my eyes. But, when they actually bothered to sing, I like a number of the songs. Low 3-star.
Johnny Cash
4/5
This almost deserves 5 stars based on "Hurt" alone, which is easily one of Cash's best songs and one of the best cover songs ever. The rest of the album ranges for solid to excellent and is a great final recording for thisnicon figure.
Bobby Womack
2/5
About a song in, I thought that this could be good, kitschy fun; with good vocals over fun, dated production. But, it just ended up being dated and underwhelming.
Radiohead
5/5
I'm not Radio head expert, but this is probably my favorite album of theirs. The perfect crossroads of their earlier indie rock stuff and later more ambient/experimental stuff. Nearly ever song a hit.
Black Sabbath
5/5
This probably isn't a 5 star album, but I'm sort of giving up on objective ratings for the day. It was just sort of what I needed to discover and listen to today.
The Vines
3/5
A little better than some of the other random British bands on this list, maybe because I can see throughlines to other things I like (Beatles, Blur, garage rock)... but still nothing to warrent them being on the list instead of other better bands from that era.
The Cars
4/5
Oh look, it's 80s Night at the 3B.
It's impressive when I listen to an album for the first time and already know all but two of the songs.
Def Leppard
2/5
As far as big, dumb albums go, this was pretty big and plenty dumb.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Someone bring me the big spoon, because that Hammond Organ is like ice cream, and I want to eat the whole pint.
That said, while I really enjoyed this, and almost wanted to give it a 4, it ultimately felt like background music. Albeit good background music.
Stan Getz
3/5
Sunny samba music that only feels a little like adding to insult to injury as I walk my dog on cold, wet, grey January Srsttle mornings.
Maybe 4 stars or more, in a different environment.
Queen
3/5
There's something Barroque about Queen, with their tendency to ALWAYS GO BIG that starts to wear on me. That said, it's hard to deny there is talent there.
Jeff Beck
3/5
More white, British guys acting like they discovered the Blues. Fine for the lost part, but feel like there's a lot of it on this list.
Lambchop
2/5
Why?
Iggy Pop
4/5
Almost slipped to a 3 star, because of some missteps in the layer half and the general ickiness of Sweet Sixteen. But, when it's good, it's real good.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Had someone give me this album randomly, years ago, and remember just being like "wow, this album is a whole vibe unto itself." High 4. Maybe a 5.
Beastie Boys
5/5
Classic. I might have more fondness for Ill Communication or even Check Your Head, since that's when I feel like I "discovered" them, but people who argue that this is the better/more seminal album are likely correct.
Stephen Stills
3/5
Seen in a vacuum, this isn't a bad album. Overlong, but solid roots rock mixed with some 70s breeziness. But, unfortunately, it isn't presented in a vacuum, but instead is apparently entry #74 in the Complete and Total List of Every Album Recorded by a Member of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Ever.
Mj Cole
2/5
Weak sauce techno that sounds like something you'd hear on an online royalty-free music sight, while looking for background music for your gashapon opening video, presented with zero context as to why this might be included on the list.
Pink Floyd
4/5
Low 4 star, mainly bumped up to that to indicate that I like this better than The Wall. A little more to the point and the songs might be a little better.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
I might have considered giving this 4 stars, if this listed hadn't already force fed me a couple dozen albums by the various member of the band. I do think that Crosby, Stills, Nash (and Young) benefit from playing as a band. Together they produce something more varied and interesting than the individual artists offering.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3/5
The hits are hits for a reason, the rest is solid, if unexceptional. "Play Free Bird, man!"
Peter Gabriel
2/5
You know song works well in movie trailers? Salsbury Hill. The "boom, boom, boom" allows for some fun editing tricks.
Beyond that, this it feels like Peter challenged himself to make sound like each song comes from a completely different album than the one before it. And then goes BIG on each one.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
Sort of all over the place, likely because it was so early on for rap as a genre. When it's good, is quite good. But, it's just as often corny or cringe inducing.
Parliament
3/5
AKA: The 1990s Death Row Records Sample Library.
Almost gets into 4 territory because when the songs land, they really land. But, a lot of it was a little more formless, even if the energy persists.
U2
4/5
High 4 star. Autchung Baby might be a better album, but I sort of prefer this younger, scappier version of U2.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
It's a nice enough sound, with its lilting vocals and fuzzy, wall-of-soubd instruments, but also felt like it lacked some way to really hook my attention.
Beck
4/5
Of the Beck albums I've heard, this one probably does the best job of letting his various instincts (sample, loops, fuzzy guitars, feedback, country strumming and folks lyrics... and more) cohabitate in a way where they merge into a unified whole. And it's the stronger for it.
De La Soul
4/5
This week has given us a string of "4 stars that are almost 5 stars." Which is such a good place to be in, versus the usual 70s rock and 90s Brit band doldrums.
Only the fact that overstay it's welcome a bit, and has a few misfires keeps this from being a 5 star. But still a classic.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
If the hit singles hadn't been played to death and featured in every film about the Vietnam War, I might have been able to convince myself this was a 4. But, as is, just middle of the road.
Meat Loaf
2/5
Drama teacher: (To himself) "This year, I will use the school play to show the kids that Broadway show tunes can be as cool as rock music!"
Drama students: (To each other) "This year, let's use the school play to show the teacher that rock music is as important as his Broadway show tunes!"
And thus was born an album that combines the most unsufferable traits of both. Such much drama and emoting... so little emotional response from me. Low 2 star.
Manu Chao
3/5
Sonically varied and interesting enough to make this a strong 3, even as the quality of his singing occasionally left me feeling like I was listening to a children's album (until he invariably began sining about marijuana).
Machito
3/5
Brassy and exciting in a way that reminds me of some of the better, earlier James Bond soundtracks. But, like most instrumentals ends up feeling more like background music... or the soundtrack to some spy film I should check out.
Syd Barrett
2/5
It's like Syd heard "Octopus's Garden" and decided "I'll make a whole album like that, but twice as random and half as charming."
Santana
4/5
While not every song landed for me, the overall vibe and uniqueness on this squeaks it into a 4 star rating.
Muddy Waters
4/5
Like a lot of blues, by the end of the album there was a sameness that started to set in; but still bumping this up to a 4 star because it's actual blues as opposed to the usual 60s British blues-rock this list loves to wallow in.
The Stooges
3/5
This was winning me over more and more, as it went along, until the sort of undeserved meltdown of feedback and drumming that it devolved into for its final minutes.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
3/5
Not quite a 4, but I like this more than a lot of the other British Blues-rock groups we've listened to. I'm a fan of the moog through it, feel like Mayall is often just singing rather than play acting as an American Blues singer, and you can see why people were into Clapton before he got old and racist.
The Smiths
3/5
The 2 or 3 singles deliver and the rest of the songs are fine (if unmemorable), but Morrissey has revealed himself to be such a xenophobic, white nationalist that I can't bring myself to award this more than a 3.
Talking Heads
4/5
A number of songs I really enjoy here, with some also rans who don't quite rise to that level.
The Smiths
3/5
My brother had this album, growing up, so I'm probably more familiar with it than any of the non-Best Of albums. Would be an easy 4 star, but charging the -1 star Garbage Person Tax.
Portishead
4/5
Almost went 5 here. This is likely the best album, at least sonically. And it's menacing af sometimes. But, I have a slight preference to their first album just because it made more of an impact on me when it came out.
Venom
4/5
I've determined there is a question I can ask that determines whether or not I'm likely to like a Metal band: Would they play D&D with me or make fun of me for playing D&D?
Billie Holiday
3/5
Beautiful (if dated) production and vocals, only undermined by the sameness in tempo and subject matter from song to song.
Blondie
4/5
When I was in 6th grade my brother got a boomnox, and because it was the floor.model, it came with a copy of Best of Blondie in it. We listened to hat tapena ton and I have a lot of affection for those songs. Sadly, the non-singles on this don't live up to quite that greatness. But still better than most of the stuff on this list.
Michael Jackson
3/5
I thought this would be a 5 star album only drug down by Jackson's extremely problematic legacy. But, honestly, a number of these songs (outside of the trifect at the center of the album) don't hold up and feel thin, dated and in the case of PYT... icky.
Bert Jansch
2/5
Perfectly fine piece of minimalist folk, but perplexing as to it's inclusion here.
Eminem
2/5
Intro to my 160,000 Word Essay "Does Marshall Mather Matter?":
Ok. So, Eminem is a generational talent who is capable of crazy word play and, yes, he has mellowed over the years and expressed regret about some of the views expressed in his early albums. Also, I understand that there can be value in expressing your darkest thoughts and fantasies as a way to vent them from your system. But, the question remains: How much interest do I have in climbing down into the muck and wallowing with Eminem while he fantasizes about beating and murdering women and gay people and raping and impregnating his own mom? How much can be forgiven as art or free speech expression, and how much is tacitly approving of the hate and action this might encourage in people who could have similar thoughts and views, and might be encourage to act on them. Let's dig in, shall we.
The Kinks
3/5
Plays more like a bunch of outtakes from Sgt. Pepper era Beatles songs. At times that is sort of loose and fun, but as often it feels sort of half-baked and lazy.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I just have a Springsteen-sized soul hole. His music just fails to move me 95% of the time. Not bad, just nothing that sticks with me. Maybe he does that moaning bellow thing. Maybe a sax or harmonica plays. I promptly forget either way.
Janelle Monáe
5/5
I love an album that can be cool but geeky at the same time, and one that feels both eclectic and cohesive. 5 stars might be generous, but I'd rather listen to this 15 times than the combined 15 Crosby, Stills, Nash amd Young albums on this list.
Aimee Mann
3/5
Like Springsteen, I struggle to get into Aimme Mann's music. It's not bad, it just feels very middle of the road in a way that doesn't hook me.
The Young Rascals
3/5
I liked this more than I thought I would. Not a high bar and not amazing, but the songs were more varied and interesting than I was expecting from the period and album cover.
Elvis Presley
3/5
The hits we all know, the also rans are frequently forgettable and the covers are often not as good as the originals, but it ends strong with a few songs (including Blue Moon) in that warbling, tin-can style I appreciate.
Nine Inch Nails
5/5
Most things that feel edgy, transgressive and hardcore when you are 19 just feel sort of silly and quaint when you are 49. Downward Spiral holds up.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I feel like this list doea a disservice to Dylan by including so many of his albums. If it would have included just maybe his 3 best albums, my response to them would have been "Oh, Dylan!" But by including so many of his albums, my reaction becomes "sheesh, MORE Dylan?!' He becomes just more 60s white noise
Leftfield
3/5
I could see 3 situations that might call for this music:
1) I'm an early 20-something, just out of design school and listening to techno while I work, because that's what I think designers do.
2) I'm a mid-20-something, wandering around Burning Man at dusk, and this is playing 3 camps down.
3) I'm a late 20-something, in a night club, about to get into a gun battle with John Wick.
But, I'm now 49, so the time for the first two has probably passed; and fortunately the third never happened.
Sabu
3/5
Another one of those albums tt struggles to move beyond background music because of the language barrier. Still this more on me than the band.
Raekwon
4/5
I aways want to rate rap and hip hop albums higher, just because I'm excited for the change of pace. Overall, I did enjoy this, even if a lot of it felt like Wu-Tang B-sides.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
When this was good, it was really good. But a few tracks, like the 14-minute-long Sex Machine killed some of the positive momentum.
AC/DC
2/5
My apathy to AC/DC runs pretty deep. I can't even get worked up enough to given then 1 star. They are just the sonic equivalent to thinking "I'm sure there is something better I could be listening to." The main defense of them is that they are big, dumb and fun. I'll give you the first 2 of the 3.
Orange Juice
2/5
Another album from the British isles whose biggest offense is just being inexplicably included on this list.
Sort of answers the question: What if the Talking Heads recorded an album of their B-sides, but David Byrne sang it in the style of a vampire from a 1950s Dracula film
10cc
2/5
Like Queen without Mercury's range or pathos, but instead replaced by a self-congratulatory sense of humor. A bit of a shame since some of the musicianship undergirding all the "cleverness" isn't bad.
AC/DC
2/5
Having effectively.listen to two AC/DC albums in a row, I can say Scott is a better singer than Johnson. But that only makes this album slightly less grating.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
I never really went through a Led Zeppelin phase like a lot of my friends did in Junior High and High School, but there is still enough connective tissue between them and a lot of grunge that I get their appeal and genuinely like quite a few of their songs.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Only giving this a 4 because of my slight preference toward their earlier, rawer albums, and want to save my 5 for one of those. That said, this album has a lot of great moments and they wear this more synth/dance sound better than a lot of bands.
PJ Harvey
5/5
Possibly my second favorite PJ Harvey album, after "Stories." While all of Harvey's albums sort of feel like concept albums I feel like this one delivers the most in those regards, and is a complex and rich enough reckoning of England's legacy that it still feels new to me almost 15 year on.
Hole
4/5
So much time is spent on the mythos of Courtney and her relationship with Kurt that it's easy to forget that Hole produced blistering pop grunge in the way few bands could.
3/5
Bottom of the barrel 3-star, with the songs I liked/didn't mind balanced by aggravated me. The story behind the albums development being more interesting to me than most of the songs on it.
David Bowie
3/5
Fame is one of Bowie's Top 5 for me, and Young Americans and the Beatles cover hold their own. But a lot of this is either surprisingly forgettable and even occasionally cheesy in a way I presume isn't deliberate. Sax party!
Hawkwind
3/5
With it's fuzzy guitars and space sound effects, I like the bones of these songs. Any time a band leans on genre fiction, I'm that more interested. But, ultimately, too overlong and self indulgent to get a high rating, but makes me curious about their studio releases.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
Nothing here is as interesting or impressive as they think it is.
The Yardbirds
3/5
Stylistically all of the place, in a way that made the album feel slippery and hard to sink my teeth into. Some of it I liked quite a bit, and other stuff left me cold.
The Band
3/5
Not bad, just not a sound that I'm a huge fan off. Some overlap with the problems I have with Springsteen and Gary Newman.
The Band
3/5
If Big Pink was a solid 3, this is a weak 3, largely because "songs focusing on people, places and traditions associated with a traditional view of Americana" feel a little off putting when the weird idolization of some mythical American past is currently being used as an excuse to ruin the present.
Eagles
2/5
If all the songs approached the quality of the title track amd a few others, this would have been a strong 3. But, too much of it is too middling. You can see why their Greatest Hits album is their best selling album
Nico
2/5
I wanted to like this more, and waffled between a 2 or 3 star, but Nico herself gave me the permission structure to give it the lower grade since she claimed the album was unlistenable because of the instrumentation... which ironically was what held the album together at times.
UB40
4/5
Surpris8ngly good and dub heavy in a way that makes it feel like the missing puzzle piece between Marley and Massive Attack.
Lou Reed
3/5
Not as relentlessly depressing as I was worried it would be (some songs are borderline jaunty), but also not as interesting and compelling as I had hoped it would be.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
3/5
"Take Five" is easily the standard out track here, and you can see why it still gets play to this day. The rest is fine, if unmemorable, ranging from "good cocktail lounge music" to "good dentist office lobby music."
Metallica
4/5
I think it's a tribute to Metallica's earnest commitment to rocking the fuck out that in 1991, when grunge broke and pretty much destroyed the careers of 90% of the hard rock and metal bands that had been playing before then, Metallica released this monster of an album that would go on to be the most successful of their career. It looses my interest a bit in the final third but comes out of the gates swinging.
The Crusaders
3/5
While there weren't any individual songs that would drive me to revisit this, I do wonder how this would play at an evening backyard BBQ... I bet it would create a cool vibe.
Sex Pistols
4/5
I've panned Public Image Ltd here, on a couple of occasions, owning in large part to John Lyndon's vocals. But it's fun that if you put him in front of a more conventional punk sound, I like him overall. The snotty-Brit sound works. Generally, I knock of a star is the singer or a band member is a garbage human, but how do you deal with Sid Vicious... where being a garbage human is kind of the point?
The Electric Prunes
3/5
I feel like a lot of these songs have interesting stuff in them, but the total of the song is often less than the sum of its parts. Still not bad, though skewing into more vaudeville-style songs toward the end was a misstep.
Suzanne Vega
3/5
Susanne Vega had three inescapable hits in the late 80s, but none are on this album. Which makes it's inclusion perplexing, especially if it's her only album. Still this had a number of tracks that I liked enough I'd call this album a strong 3.
Talvin Singh
2/5
Maybe thisnwouldmworknas the soundtrack to some late 90s/early 2000s movie about globetrotting hackers trying to thwart an evil mastermind. But on its own, it feels like background music.
Gram Parsons
3/5
Mainly appreciated this as an influence to other bands and artists like Uncle Tupelo, Wilco and Sturgil Simpson. Schmaltzy at times. But, I'm in a bit of a schmaltzy phase.
Supergrass
3/5
One of the better of entries in 1001 Mid-90s British Albums to Hear Before You Die. Still, way too many mid-90s British albums.
Deerhunter
4/5
This one really landed for me, and I might even rank it higher in the long run. (But, alas, changing ratings is not allowed.) A lot of it feels like music from an earlier time, beamed into space, bounced off a satellite near Neptune, only to return home warped, echoy and more compelling than it departed.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Despite only having one song I recognized on it, it's a credit to Marley's talent that this is all pretty universally listenable in a relaxed sort of way.
Grateful Dead
2/5
If this challenge has taught me one thing, it is that 90% of the time I'd rather just listen to a studio album than a live album. If you take the music from a live show out of the show (with it's accompanying visuals and criwd energy) what feels spontaneous and exciting often becomes self-indulgent and often undermines the appeal of the original song. Even the Dead, whose shows were purportedly amazing (even sans chemical augmentation) suffers the same fate and I wish I was just listening to one of their studio albums.
Crowded House
2/5
Aggressively pedestrian.
Dizzee Rascal
4/5
One can almost imagine Dizzee sitting in the pub, and then his friend coming in and describing describing an exciting new style of music, called rap. And how the songs are built from bass and samples. How the vocals stress lyrical dexterity over singing. How the themes revolve around urban life with braggadocio mixed in. Then, Dizzee would go home, and never actually having heard rap, would create this album. The DNA is all there, but the sound so alien from what was going on in American rap at the time.
Lana Del Rey
3/5
Waffled on a 3 or 4 on this one. But other people in my group have said Del Ray has better, earlier albums. So, I'll go with 3 here. But this was interesting enough that I want to check out the rest of her catalog.
David Bowie
3/5
Hard to rate an album that is 6 songs long, and Bowie himself was so coked out he doesn't remember recording it. That said 2 of the songs at least (1/3rd of the album!) are pretty classic. So, good Bowie... just to flimsy to be great Bowie.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Christina is one of those artists whose songs rarely rise to the level of her vocal talent, but I liked this album more than I thought it would.
If she'd kept it to 1 album and dialed back the post-productiin so that it feature more live instrumentation, I think this could have been a 4.
Mott The Hoople
2/5
This, at various times, reminded me of a ton of different artists (Bowie, Costello, Dylan, Steve Miller)... but always sort of a mediocre version of them.
Ice Cube
3/5
There were some songs I really liked on this, but for every one of those, there was some random wince-worthy misogyny or homophobia. Honestly though, the parts that appealed to me the most were the parts that reminded me of Public Enemy, which isn't surprising given their heavy involvement.
Serge Gainsbourg
3/5
It's too bad the lyrics on this aren't just some "Prisencolinensinainciusol"-style gibberish, because I really like the instrumentation. The guitar, the strings, the drums... all of that is super cool, and I can see the influence it would have had on (according to Wikipedia) people like Beck and Portishead. Unfortunately, the lyrics aren't gibberish, and the concept of this concept album is pretty gross. So, it's getting my standardized 1 star deduction for that, and I don't disagree with people.who deduct more.
N.E.R.D
4/5
While this didn't grab me in the way that "In Search Of..." did, I still found it's looseness to be enjoyable and charismatic, even if it bordered on feeling phoned in at times. I still appreciate this fusing of rap and rock (and a fair amount of funk) to the Limp Bizkit style swill that populated the airwaves leading up to it.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
I struggle a bit with Costello. Something about his singing and songwriting just doesn't la d for me sometimes. That said, hearing an entire album of his music helps me frame it in a way that I can see the appeal more.
Randy Newman
2/5
Interesting that we ended up with this and Costello's Armed Forced next to each other, since I struggle with both artists in a similar way. Something about their song writing and singing styles seems to, I don't know, self-congratulatory. Regardless, Costello's album fares better.
Also, telling that both artists seem to think their writing is clever enough to get anyway with the white-boy N-bomb.
Q-Tip
4/5
Had a blast walking the dog to this music.
George Michael
4/5
Waffled between a high 3 or a low 4, but this holds up a lot better than other stuff we've listened to from this period, and the hits still land.
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
I just finished the Beastie Boys Book, which features Run DMC several times, so this worked as a fun companion piece for that early period of rap music
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
When I think of Echo and the Bunnymen, I think of some of their hits like "The Killing Moon" and "Lips Like Sugar." Elements of some of these songs hint toward those hits, while never quite hooking me in the same way.
Miles Davis
3/5
Sonically cool, but the lack of traditional song structure just makes it feel like an extended intro to a cool song that never arrives.
Brian Wilson
2/5
"You should try to Smile more."
No.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Surprised by how much of this felt like conventional (for the time) background instrumentals. The songs where Hayes sings are great, but this falls short of his efforts on Hot Buttered Soul.
Donald Fagen
3/5
Low 3. This just felt like the off-brand cereal of early 80s music, where it mainly reminded me of better things I could be enjoying.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
This list is silly with the number of 60s & 70s British bands thinking they discovered the Blues. But, I feel like Zepplin holds up better than the majority of them. I think their interest in genuinely rocking the fuck out (which borders on metal at times) and their inclusion of Tolkien-meets-Renn Faire motifs makes them feel like they are doing something more additive and not just derivative like many of the other bands.
The Dictators
3/5
I didn't like it nearly as much as the first Sabbath album, but it reminds me of that, if only because it represents a genre of music before that genre got defined. At times it feels very punk, but then will become something more akin to hard rock or garage. I do appreciate hearing bands that sort of were making up a genre, whether they knew it or not.
4/5
Maybe only a strong 3, but want to reward stuff that gets my attention. The songs don't always come together, but when they do, I'm into the "LCD Soundsystem songs recreated by a post-apocolyptic cult" vibe. All clanks, creaks,pencil scratches and chanted lyrics.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
The singles hold their own, but beyond that this feels a little too slight to feel truly great.
Cornershop
5/5
This is a much more interesting blending of South Asian and Western music than the sort of anonymous techno Talvin Singh served up on OK. Still, this is probably only a 4 star, but bumping up to 5 because it was a maintain of one of my years in College.
ABBA
2/5
The inclusion of this album really drives home how the creator of this list really lost the thread. There is no reasonable argument for *needing* to hear this album.
Pavement
4/5
I have a Pavement-shapped hole in my indie music knowledge that's big enough for you to drive a cement truck through. I think if I'd discovered them in the 90s, during that same window that I discovered bands like Violent Femmes, the Pixies and Weezer, I probably would have loved them. But, as it is, I appreciated this without loving it.
The Beach Boys
3/5
I understand the Beach Boys desire to be seen as "not just a surf band" and explore broader creative space, like the Beatles were; but unfortunately, most of this, Pet Sounds and Smile all fall sort of flat for me. There are some inspired moments, but those are matched by some cringe moments, too. Not boring, at least.
Tina Turner
3/5
A couple bonafide classics, a couple fun covers and a few tracks whose main positive is Turner's voice...all undermined by dated 80s production.
Rahul Dev Burman
4/5
Not an everyday listen, but I like the variety of this: Going from Bollywood to swinging 60s to Spaghetti Western and back again.
Goldie
3/5
I know that Goldie helped lay the groundwork for his particular subgenre of music, but maybe he was a victem of his own success, because nothing about this sounds particularly interesting or different from dozens of other drum and bass artists. Not bad, just sort of generic, and I feel like I've heard a million variations of these sounds before.
3/5
You know the drink list at the cocktail lounge that plays this album features a lot of rum and tequila, and probably includes the word "small batch" more than once. But, they also probably play this album a little too loud to make easy conversation with your friends.
Morrissey
3/5
Baroque and maudlin. Good post-Smiths Morrissey... just too bad he's turn into such a white nationalist ass.
Alanis Morissette
4/5
I feel like I've gone full circle on this album: Initially enjoying it -> Thinking it was overplayed -> Being a little embarrassed for her liking it -> Enjoying it again.
While feeling very "of its time" now, it's hard to deny why this album sput out a kabillion singles the year it was released.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Like MBV if they traded in some of their wall of sound esthetic for a little more pop sensibility. I think there's legit arguments for that being both a positive and negative. For me, this was a good, solid, enjoyable album that never really grabbed me and convinced me of it's greatness.
Jane Weaver
4/5
Not sure why this is on the list, but in a pleasant and surprising turn of events, I actually like it quite a bit. Sometimes reminding me of a more uptempo Air and at other times of PJ Harvey. Good stuff, all around!
Can
4/5
Honestly, this is probably a 3. Or, rather five songs that range from low-3 to low-4 (though all overlong), plus one song that sounds like background for a video game level titled "The Necromancers Lair" and one song that almost tanks the whole album. But I did find this more interesting than a lot of similar albums on this list, so it gets a bump.
John Cale
3/5
There were some moments on this where it almost caught my attention, but outside of some baroque flourishes this felt too straight-forward to win me over.
Soft Machine
2/5
I feel like I'm doomed to be the dum-dum who never fully understands the appeal of an album like this, because I listen to the 80ish minutes of them noodling around and think "great, you've produced some great raw material, now go make some songs using it." Its not that I expect every song to be a tight 4.5 minutes of verse-corus-verse, but the general lack of structure here just doesn't draw me in to the music, at all.
Talk Talk
3/5
Only recognize the single "Life Is What You Make It," but the rest of the album largely holds it's own. Good, and flirting with being great.
The Flaming Lips
5/5
I remember loving this when it came out, but haven't listened to it for years, so wondered if it would hold up. It totally does. It's proof that an album can sound experimental and poppy at the same time;; and that being a concept album doesn't can actually be additive, not just a limiting factor.
Ryan Adams
4/5
I have a lot of fondness for this album, since it is so linked to a specific time and group of friends. But, if I'm honest, Heartbreaker is a better album and Adams is sort of a garbage human.
Sonic Youth
4/5
I might be rounding up a bit here, because while there is some stuff to enjoy here, I think I like the idea of Sonic Youth more than I like a lot of their songs. But, the fact that they were making mid-90s sounding music in the mid-80s is pretty impressive.
Tom Tom Club
4/5
Despite my affection for Talking Heads, I'd sort of written this Tom Tom Club off as a one hit wonder, which is a shame because I actually like a lot of this a lot. It's much more dance-cenyric and eclectic (even experimental) than Talking Heads, and it's surprising how little connective tissue there is between the bands, sonically. It almost feels more like a precursor to Gorillaz, which isn't 100% surprising, given Tina and Chris's involvement in that bands first album.
Roxy Music
3/5
Interesting enough that I understand it's inclusion here, even if not all the songs grabbed me
Giant Sand
3/5
Two thirds of the tracks on thisnalbum go for a striped down, minimalist feel, but to do that your need excellent lyrics and/or vocals, and most of the time those fall short. As a result, this album isn't so much bad as just half-baked feeling (and overlong), buoyed by a smattering of songs that are more sonically interesting. I think I liked this more than most in my group, but it's still just barely a 3.
Todd Rundgren
2/5
There's a good (but likely not great) album buried in this sprawling mess. If you, say, took the top 3 songs from each of the album's 4 parts and then mixed them together. You'd probably having a solid album of sunny 70s AM radio pop. But, as is, this album collapses under Todd's inability to self edit.
KISS
2/5
"KISS wouldn't think twice about pushing you into that hole. And they wouldn't sneak up behind you. They'd walk right upto you, look you in the face, and push you in." - Some 5th grader, to me, when I was in 1st grade.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
Notably better than their other albums on the list. One of those albums that also feels like their Greatest Hits album.
Simply Red
3/5
Not bad, but the third star in this rating lies squarely on the back of "Holding Back The Years" and the fact they did a Talking Heads cover.
Country Joe & The Fish
4/5
Maybe, really, just a 3 star album, but feeling generous and happy to hear some psychedelic rock that isn't the same three Jefferson Airplane or Doors songs.
That said, there are a few unintentionally humorous moments, like the singer whispering "L... S... D..." repeatedly at the end of one song.
Neu!
3/5
Flirted with giving this a 4 star, just because I thought it was so interesting. I had a preference to the second half, but not sure if I would have liked it more or less if they whole album sounded like that.
Baaba Maal
3/5
Tempted to bump this to a 4, since I feel like my lack of enthusiasm has more to do with not understanding the language or cultural context, instead of the music itself being lacking.
Christine and the Queens
3/5
Fairly clunk 80s-synth pastiche made only a little more interesting because of the artist overt tackling of gender identity issues.
Elbow
3/5
Recognized a few of these songs from KEXP. The sorts of songs that neither grab me, nor make me consider changing stations. The whole album has that feel, with the more effective ones being ones that screw more blues or more goth.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Three complaints:
1) It's overlong.
2) Too many songs sound too alike... but when he deviates from that well-worn path it somehow feels like a missteps.
3) This is his 4th album we've listened to, and I tend to get grouchy about artists who have more than 3 albums here.
That said, this is all largely listenable and competent, if unexciting.
Black Sabbath
4/5
This album definitely.delivers the hits, but I might prefer the woolly, undefined character of their self-titled album more. That said, I may have rated that one too high, and this one too low. But split the difference for both.
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
Late 90s southern California punk, with some ska notes whose main offense is just not being that interesting.
Michael Jackson
3/5
The first half of the album is excellent, but the quality drops noticeably in the second half. Still, would be 4 stars without the 1 star deduction because of him being such a problematic person.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
So, I listened to the whole album on Spotify, and it turns out the last half dozen or so songs are off a later-released bonus disc. Without those songs, this actually is a high 3, flirting with 4. But, if you it includes those songs, it would be a 2... which proves my point that one should always just grade based on the original release, and not some deluxe/extended edition.
Aerosmith
3/5
Not as bad as their later stuff, but still not great. 3 stars, but a low 3.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
A low 3 stars, but a higher low 3 stars than the low 3 stars I gave Aerosmith's "Rocks" yesterday.
The Jam
3/5
Consistently good, without ever rising to greatness, outside of (possibly) "That's Entertainment" which was a regularly played song at the 3B's 80s Night.
Khaled
4/5
Suffers from the usual language barrier issues a lot of international albums on this list have, but it's catchy and cinematic enough I'm going to bump it up to a 4
Oasis
3/5
I neither buy into Oasis's self-generated hype, nor can I bring myself to dislike them on general principle. With those extreme removed, I feel like you are left with 2-3 solid singles, surrounded by a bunch of songs whose primary sin is just sounding too fuzzily similar. Lowish 3.
Brian Eno
4/5
Like this a lot more than the other album of his we've listened to. Managed to feel experimentalin a way that was more "interesting" than "self indulgent." One to come back to, after I'm done with my never ending catch-up session here.
The Hives
4/5
I love how this list does weird British things even when it doesn't need to. Why include the Hives U.S.breakthrough album, Vida Vita Vitcious, when you could break your own rule about not including compliations to include a Hives compliation album, just because it was created to "boost awareness of the band in the UK." Still, their music is good.
Miles Davis
3/5
I really wish I like this more. I mean, I know it is hugely influential and iconic. But, the unstructured, free flow form of the songs just leaves me feeling like I'm listening to something half realized. I want to give it a 4, but that would just be me wishing I was musically cooler than I apparently am. So, I'll rate it a 3 and then cry myself to sleep for being basic.
Black Flag
4/5
15 songs in 34 minutes. 60s rock bands take note: That is how you make an album. A 4, but maybe a low 4.
Depeche Mode
5/5
One of those albums so stacked with singles and hits that it plays almost like a Greatest Hits album.
The Undertones
3/5
Teenage Licks is another one of those songs I've heard a million times (probably on Kexp), but never knew who sang it. The rest of the album is solid punk/rockabilly without being exceptional.
Ice Cube
4/5
Waffled between 3 and 4, but decided to go high, since it's a lot more cerebral album that it initially seems. I also prefer the production on this to his other solo album we've listened to.
G. Love & Special Sauce
4/5
My rating is largely a by product of nostalgia for a time period and a friend now long gone. But, I do think that early-20s me liked this more than late-40s me. What once seemed like a novel blending of genres now feels like a fusion restaurant where the dishes aren't as good as their inspiration and influences.
N.W.A.
4/5
For an album that had such an influence on the next decades rap music, it's surprising how much this sounds like an 80s rap album. The "hard" stuff frequently sounds... quaint, and there's a lot that comes off as fun party music more than something hardcore. Still, it would be hard to argue that this doesn't deserve a place on this list (unlike a lot of stuff on this list).
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Despite knowing of Siouxsie and The Banshees, I have never explored their discography because I feel like people who are into them are *really* into them. So, I thank this challenge for making finally give them a listen. Their music is pretty great and you can see the blast radius of bands they influenced (Joy Division, Interpol, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, B-52s and a ton more). High 4.
Led Zeppelin
2/5
If your initial recording session yields "a little less than 3 sides," you edit... don't add. This would have been a better single lp. Also, this is the 4th Zepplin we've had and I always turn on bands/artists if they have more than 3 albums on this list. Just taking space other artists could have.
Mylo
4/5
Probably, really, just a 3 star album. But I'm giving it a bonus star for managing to be a techno album with a run time under an hour. In addition, the pallet of sounds used in it's creation are warmer and more inviting than the electronic beep-boop that's dominated most other, similar albums on this list.
Sonic Youth
3/5
I definitely prefer this album to the other Sonic Youth album we've had. It's luster and more inviting. I flirted with 4 stars, but middle portion weeds off in an experimental way that makes me unlikely to revisit.
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
This album largely rests on the shoulders of it's 4 singles. The rest of the album never quite reaching their height. Still Lauper's singular voice keeps the whole thing interesting at least.
Scott Walker
3/5
There's 4ish songs that get more upbeat and jaunty, and I sort of enjoy those in a Neil Diamond or Tom Jones sort of way. The ballads are more interchangeable and less interesting. Didn't dislike it, but no idea what makes it required listening.
Deee-Lite
4/5
I remember buying this album years ago, and being a little underwhelmed by the songs outside of "Groove" (and there is probably an alternate dimension where Q-Tip & Bootsie contribute on more albums that is an absolute classic). That said, revisiting it now, it holds up better than a lot of albums from this period, possibly because they were so out of sync with a lot of pop culture of the time. Maybe a 3, but letting it by with a low, low 4.
Otis Redding
5/5
Even when the covers don't quite deliver as well as the originals, they are still interesting and hold their own against most songs. And the backing instrumentation is great, knowing both when to swell and add to the vocals and when to just get out of the way. Maybe just a high 4, but rounding up.
1/5
Limp Bizkit is music for people who think society is mean to them just because they are misunderstood... but who society is actually.mean to because they are intellectually uninterested, self-absorbed, misanthropic assholes (or chocolate starfishes in Fred's parlance).
Its easy to make fun of Limp Bizkit, so you don't really have an excuse not to.
They probably thought it was a win getting DMX, Redman and Method Man to perform on the second version of "Rollin'" but their presence only makes me A) doubt their judgement and B) drives home Durst's lack of talent through direct comparison.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
5/5
Absolutely undeniable album. The way they manage to balance what feels like borderline cacophony with pop sensibility and catchy swagger has a lightning in a bottle quality.
Missy Elliott
3/5
I wanted to like this more than I ended up liking it. The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) is a classic, but a lot of it faded into the background. Pretty sure Missy has better albums in her.
Red Snapper
4/5
Not as good as DJ Shadow, but in the same wheelhouse. One of the better techno albums we've had on this list.
Faith No More
4/5
I remember "Epic" confusing me when it came out in Junior High. My brain couldn't quite figure out what it was... Metal? Rap? Funk? Listening to it 35 years later, that genre blending seems to their credit and progressive in a way most self-professed prog rock bands can't manage to be. Rounding up a little, but wanted to give credit to the fact that even if theyight not be my thing, I can understand how they could be someone elses.
M.I.A.
5/5
I remember that -when this came out- I ran really hot and cold on it. Loving some songs and not really caring for others. But either it has aged like a fine wine or I have (prolonged wink at the camera), because now every song feels like it is exactly what it needs to be.
Portishead
5/5
If this album doesn't remind you of the time you drew Santa named, from life, you are doing something wrong.
Tortoise
3/5
I enjoyed this, but there were times it came close to annoying me. The first half of the first song felt like "what if we just took the first 10 seconds of a normal song and blew it out for 10 minutes." But the later half of the album kept me interested. When it played like a cool soundtrack to a movie I hadn't seen, if worked. When I felt like it was asking me to look at it as some intellectual activity to be "appreciated," it left me cold.
Shuggie Otis
4/5
Perhaps a little uneven at times, but I loved this, overall. This is the sort of thing that I was hoping this activity delivered. I knew the name Shuggie Otis, but had never really looked into his music. But so glad to hear this.
Also, I usually get grouchy when I realize I'm listening to a later, extended edition. But, totally happy to here. I mean, who is going to complain about having to listen to Strawberry Letter 73? And, if you do, who broke you?
Living Colour
4/5
This album reminds me a bit of the Faith No More album we had earlier this week. Partially because they were released around the same time, but also because while they tending to be thrown into the Hard Rock/Metal bucket- they pull in other genres and sounds that make that label feel a bit restrictive. Like Faith No More, this might just be a 3, but I'm inclined to round up.
Hanoi Rocks
2/5
There's a few songs here where they flirt with The Clash-style punk songs, but the majority of the songs feel like pretty run of the mill hair metal. If someone gave them a 3, I wouldn't argue the point, but round down for the "why?" factor.
Billy Joel
3/5
Did you know they made a whole album of alternate theme songs for Bosom Buddies?
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
This feels like it was ahead of its time in a way that maybe Dinosaur Jr. recorded it in 1997, built a time machine and sent it back in time a decade
Big Black
4/5
This goes hard. Especially for 1986.
But, surprisingly catchy and listenable for an album that is abrasive and ugly by design. You can also hear a lot of the elements that would lead to Albini's later success as a producer.
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
Another album that suffers from the language barrier and lack of any real context from the Wikipedia page. Still, technically impressive and largely pleasant in a background wat.
Van Morrison
3/5
There's probably a 4 star album buried in here, but it's only a single album long.
Mercury Rev
3/5
You can definitely feelnthe sonic overlap with Soft Bulletin, but ultimately that album is better. Plus, the singer of this band does that thing where he's pitching his voice like he's singing lullabies for children, and that wears thin over time.
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
*Insert my usual comments about language barrier and lack of context for foreign artists here*... then ignore a lot of that because this album just has some added soul and variability to it that makes is a star better than the other similar albums we've had.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
I actually enjoyed hearing Sinatra do Bossa Nova just because it was a bit unexpected. But, despite his voice being great, occasionally this slipped a bit into "Bill Murray lounge singer" territory, and ultimately I prefer Astrud's versions of her two songs better.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
I'm imagining a series about a coven of punk rock witches who fight the evils of mindless consumer culture and the entire soundtrack is just this album. It's a pretty cool movie.
The Cure
4/5
I do appreciate early The Cure just because there is something a little more stripped down and punk about it, even if they were quite the hits factory Disintegration era Cure was. I prefer Boys Don't Cry to this overall, but I guess that's apparently a compliation from roughly this time.
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
I was going to write a review that rationalized this album's inclusion, talking about how, maybe it sounded progressive and exciting for '94, and that it only feels like the barest scaffolding of songs by today's standard... but then I realized that The Downward Spiral came out this same year and how -even if its technically a different genre- it beats it on every axis (better electronic-based music, more exciting songstructure and soundscape, and WAY scarier). So, in comparison, this just feels weak sauce, like a haunted dancehall where you realize the splattered blood is just ketchup.
Eurythmics
4/5
Most of the songs on this album waffled between a low 3 and a low 4, buoyed mainly by Lennox's vocals. But Sweet Dreams is probably enough to push the album into 4 territory overall.
Einstürzende Neubauten
2/5
Being that this was made it '81, I feel like there is a lot of innovation going on here. It's darker and more evocative than a lot of what's been on this list and only occasionally devolves into what should be considered an "industrial audio recording" instead of "music." Still, while I will be unlikely to revisit it, I think its unlikely we get bands like NIN and Ministry without going through this first.
Love
4/5
The album descriptions call this this psychedelic rock, butit felt more baroque and less self-indulgent than most psychedelic rock we've had on this list. And, while a product of it's time, I can almost see a through line from this to other bands like Belle and Sebastian, rhe Shins and Beiruit.
David Bowie
4/5
While instrumentals often leave me cold, it was interesting to hear Bowie dedicate half the album to them. While this might not be one of his albums I readily revisit, I appreciate that it presented something new about him as an artist.
Primal Scream
3/5
Feels like it's a product of its time. I feel like there's a nice variety of songs... but that almost works against it. There's no "voice." Cornershop's "When I Was Born" is from the same year, I think. But this feels like that album if you striped out 70% of the South Asian influence and idiosyncrasies, and replaced it with more run of the mill dub and drum and bass.
Slipknot
2/5
I shall now think and talk about Slipknot more than a (nearly) 50 year old should. Honestly, they seem like good musicians (especially the dummer), but my main issue is that they feel like two bands staple-gunmed together: A growly speed-metal band and a sad sack post-grunge band. And even when they share a song they never really mesh. Still, if my kids went through an overly angst period, I'd probably prefer them listen to this than a misanthropic hack like Fred Durst.
The Police
3/5
Waffled between a 3 and 4 on this, and decided for a high 3. The two hits are great, and overall I feel like the band benefits from a loose lo-fi sound.
Destiny's Child
3/5
Nonstop hits!!! ...for the first three songs. Then the quality drops noticeably into a string of more pedestrian songs that feel very ofntheir time and aren't very memorable.
Jean-Michel Jarre
3/5
I can appreciate the influence this must have had at the time, and parts of it remind me of Bladerunner or Big Trouble in Little China's soundtracks. But, it's ultimately background music.
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
I recognized and liked the first two songs. After that they began to blend together. Not bad just samey.
New Order
3/5
I feel like New Order has better albums. Pretty much every excellent song here is balanced out by one with shaky vocals.
Lucinda Williams
3/5
I feel like this lives between Aimee Mann (whose songs and voice are a little too conventional for me) and Neko Case (whose amazing voice and weird, atmospheric songs are totally my thing). I wish the sound was more varied and unique, but it's all uniformly good.
Kings of Leon
3/5
Have you ever watched a Summer blockbuster where you could tell the director sort of wished they were doing an art house film? Like there's some interesting cinematography and it doesn't quite move rhe way most big budget movies do... but in the end it's still a big, dumb Summer movie. This album sort of feels like that.
Ute Lemper
3/5
A pop album for some alternate reality where everyone on the planet is a High School Drama Club member. Seen through that lens, about half the songs aren't bad.
Marilyn Manson
1/5
Too cartoonish to be taken seriously, like NiN, but not fun enough to be enjoyed as dark camp, like White Zombie. This is either a 2 star album that I'm knocking a star off because Manson is a garbage person, or a 3 star album that I'm knocking 2 stars off because Manson is a garbage person. I can't decide.
Bon Jovi
3/5
The three big singles hold up, with their catchiness trumping their goofy earnestness. The rest of the album from forgettable pop rock fluff to almost feeling like a parody of 80s hair metal. Still, mostly harmless.
Barry Adamson
2/5
Waffled between a 2 and a 3 on this, because a few of the songs have a James Bond/Peter Gunn meets Twin Peaks vibe that I started to get into. But, too much of it is just cranky atmospheric and thst combined with the "why is this on the list" factor drag it down.
Spacemen 3
2/5
(Just reviewing the original 9 songs, and not the extended version, because I don't have the time to listening to 30+ minutes of different versions of "Suicide".)
You know how, on some albums, the first song isn't like a full song, it's sort of a tone-setting amuse bouche that comes before the real songs start on track 2? Well, as near as I can tell, today's album is a double album of just those songs.
Suicide is the notable exception, but it overstays its welcome by about 5 minutes. There are bits that are interesting on this album, but not enough.
Public Enemy
5/5
Impressive this still lands as hard as it does. Depressing that it still feels as relevant as it does.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
4/5
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, but I also always presumed they were an early 2000s jam band, based on their name alone. I can definitely see how they influenced a lot of later alt-country musicians I liked.
Laura Nyro
3/5
Sort of like Carole King, but without the personal nostalgia from having it be so omnipresent in my youth. I can appreciate her talent even if ultimately none of these songs really hooked me.
The Thrills
2/5
The Wiki says they made this album to cheer themselves up, and there's not anything wrong with that conceptually. But the singer's vocal style is so cloying that it feels like he's singing to cheer up Kindergarteners.
Emmylou Harris
4/5
I've heard more of her later stuff, which I feel skews more Americana rock, but I definitely prefer this. Not all the songs were my thing, but it does a great job of being what it is.
Doves
2/5
I remember there being some buzz around this band when this album released, but don't recognize/remember any of the songs... we'll, except several songs reminded me of other, better songs. Which is never a great look.
PJ Harvey
4/5
Considered giving this a 5, but decided to grade on PJ Harvey curve, and there are definitely some other of her albums that I like more. Still this is like a 4.75 rating. It's probably her most raw sounding album (and Inappreciate that), which may have to do with Albini producing it.
Pulp
2/5
Waffled between a 2 and 3 on this, but a decided to round down because not *every* British rock band from the 90s and early 2000s needs to be on this list. I know Pulp was big in the British Isles, so maybe it is more deserving of being on this list than some of the other bands we've had, but there still isn't anything here I'm over eager to revisit.
Drive-By Truckers
3/5
I appreciate that they are trying to present a version of poor, white Southerns that manage to be proud of their region, while also not turning a blind eye to its history a racism and other problematic aspects of its history; but the album is overlong to the point of repetition and I feel like I'm maybe just not the target audience.
Van Halen
3/5
Mostly harmless.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Solid, but not exceptional beyond the couple bigger hits. At least it's smart enough to no overstay it's welcome.
Method Man
4/5
Even less than classic albums by members of the Wu Tang Clan are still generally pretty good albums.
TV On The Radio
5/5
I remember feeling like those albums was less accessible than Hello Science. But this didn't strike me as the case revisiting it today. TV on the Radio is one of those bands that sounds like no other: Walk of sound buzzed out guitars, thumping drums, brass horn blares, barbershop quartet backing vocals and a sing who can going from angelic highs to menacing growls midsentence. But, somehow, it all holds together.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
3/5
Letting this squeak by as a 3 on the back of some solid female vocals and nice instrumental bits. Still, its hard to shake the feeling that I'm getting something off the TGIFriday's Fusion Flavors menu, rather than something authentic.
Madonna
3/5
A couple of solid singles surrounded by synth and autotune.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3/5
After the first couple songs I was ready to be angry at this album, fearing it would be dull and overlong. But it won me over as it went on. Not something I'm rushing back to, but solid, given it's time period and potential influence on later work.
The Beau Brummels
2/5
Answering the question: What if Bob Dylan helmed a psych-folk band, and replaced his formidable songwriting chops with gibberish about magical hippy hallows?
Prince
5/5
This might actually be a high 4, since there are some missteps, but this and Purple Rain clearly mark the intersection of Prince's unique talents and pop accessibilty, so I'm rounding up.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Looking back at my previous Sonic Youth ratings, I gave two out of three of them, but both those were sort of "round up to 4." This is a legit 4+. I feel like they sanded down just enough if their jangly experimental tendencies to let their songs shine a little more, without losing the bands distinctiveness. Plus Kool Thing is just an excellent song.
Jethro Tull
4/5
Rounding up a bit here, but I have a soft spot for anything that feels like that cross roads of fantasy/Renn Faire and heavy metal/hard rock. Its uneven, but when it lands, it lands.
The Incredible String Band
1/5
Trivia Fact: We live in a drug free world. All the drugs were used up in the production of this album. Not because the songs are tripping, but because it must have took a lot of drugs to help convince these people tat their output was worth recording and putting into the world.
The B-52's
4/5
I sometimes struggle with bands that feel too jokey or self-congratulatory in their cleverness. B-52s flirt with falling into that territory, but manage to escape that gravitational well through the sheer force of their catchy and propulsively fun songs.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
High 3 for me. I tend to like the vibe of Nick Cave, even if I'm not super familiar with his discography. Sort of the "Goth troubadour performing murder ballads as he wanders between sketchy border towns" thing. But, none of these songs inidivually grabbed me enough to pull it into 4 range.
Chicago
3/5
Low 3, flirting with a 2. But, there is easily a strong 3 star album here, if they shaved off like 15 minutes of the run time, but not feeling so compelled to jam out in about half the songs. Such a reoccurring problem on this list.
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
Fine. Whatever. This album suffers from two problems:
1) Even at only 33 minutes, it doesn't feel like a single cohesive album. More like 3 albums of varied quality staple-gunned together.
2) This lists masochistic need to include everything ever recorded by a member of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
Madonna
3/5
Like A Prayer is a 5 star classic but, overall, I wanted to like this more than I did. The other two singles hold their own, but the Prince duet is more interesting as a curio than a song. The rest ranges from "fun but forgetable" to "clunky and dated."
Scissor Sisters
3/5
On the upside, this album is upbeat and fun enough that it wasn't a chore to get through, and I could see how peoplenlooking for something to party and dance to might dig it. Still, there is something artificial/superficial enough about it that it feels more like a schick than actual creative music. And, if doesn't really rise to the level that I can understand it's inclusion on this list, especially since I am not sure (for better or worse) we've had any 1970s disco on this list, and this album leans so heavily on that source material.
Alice Cooper
3/5
Was going to give thisb2 stars after the first couple of songs just because of how sonically conventional it was, but the later half mixes it up a bit more. Not bad, more just underwhelming.
Robbie Williams
1/5
Go home, England, you're drunk.
This is aggressively uninteresting, but I could see someone arguing it's 2 stars because it's largely competent. That said, the fact that this album doesn't have "Millenium" on it makes me worry there's another Robbie Williams album lurking on this list.
Germs
2/5
If 17 year old me had seen them play at the Old Redmond Firehouse, I probably would have loved it. Nearly-50-year-old me has 3 or 4 songs like this in me before I need a break.
Bill Callahan
4/5
Almost rated this a 5, but realized I was probably getting out over my skis because I was excited the list recommended something new I was excited about. Callahan has that almost spoken word style that reminds me or Reed or Cohen, but more country and more atmospheric. He also reminds me a bit of a less jokey version of John Lurie, in his Marvin Pontiac mode. Regardless, into it!
Traffic
3/5
Could maybe argue this is a 4 star, just based on the fact that similar albums tend to be overlong jam sessions and this clocks in at a mere 34 minutes.
Grateful Dead
4/5
I sometimes wonder if the Deads reputation as a stoner/hippy band hurts their broader popularity. Because seen as strummy, AM-radio road music, they are quite enstrumming, Also, never having seen them live, I definitely prefer their studio albums to the live albums I've heard.
k.d. lang
4/5
Probably actually a 3, but bumping it up for being a pleasant surprise. I was thinking this would be ballad-heavy, late-80s rock with a country twang, but honestly most of these songs feel like they could have been beamed in from the Country charts 25 years earlier. The later half of the album features a few cabaret/torch song number that lose me a bit, but stillenjoyed overall.
Kings of Leon
3/5
This is looser and more lo-fi than the other album of their's we've listened to, and I enjoyed it more as a result. Still not convinced we need two (or more?) of their albums on this list, but can see how -during a period where better bands like the Strokes and White Stripes dominated- these guys could get some traction.
The Gun Club
3/5
I was initially incluned to go with a 4 on this, because I could see how it likely influenced a lot of stuff I like (Pixies, Violent Femmes, Rev Horton Heat, Primus), but the 2 or 3 times the singer drops the N-word knocks it a star. I sure people would defend it in a "writing in character/parlance of the time & place" sort of way, but still just yuck.
Air
4/5
Like the book and movie, I'm always found this album to be beautiful, sad, but a little elusive. But, s the album itself points out, I've never been a 13 uear old girl. Still one of the more striking and memorable soundtracks out there.
The Jam
3/5
I'm sure I know some songs by the Jam, but apparently they aren't on this album. When it is upbeat, it's light post-punk/ska fun, but it stumbles a bit when they slow the tempo down.