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Mon Oct 09 2023
2112
Rush
I would give this a five star rating if it was just side one. A career defining disc for the band.
4
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Tue Oct 10 2023
Liquid Swords
GZA
3
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Wed Oct 11 2023
Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against The Machine
Settle for Nothing is a great Nirvana song
Love the snare sound on this album
Bullet in your head: so much sabbath!
Stylistically homogenous throughout which is the album’s greatest strength and weakness at the same time as it could get the point across with Bombtrack and Take the Power Back, then call it a day. Freedom is also cool. A good heavy rock album with a lot to say that kind of popularized the rap-metal hybrid genre that was outside the mainstream.
4
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Thu Oct 12 2023
That's The Way Of The World
Earth, Wind & Fire
Amazing album. The perfect positivity antidote to my last two albums 😀 (Liquid Swords and Rage Against the Machine). Lots of variety stylistically from cut to cut. Really exceptional recording quality and virtuosity. Never realized what a great singer Maurice White is, this is just next level.
4
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Fri Oct 13 2023
Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs
Marty Robbins
Every song is about some kind of conflict. Outlaws. Guns. Cattle. Saddles. Way out west. It’s all here. I’m just kind of digging it and HOLD UP THE MASTERS CALL! Jesus makes an appearance holy cattle stampede Marty. Calm the fuck down. However not a note out of place. Iconic vocal sound. Strumming acoustics. Lots of backgrounds and echo. Far west on the country western spectrum.
3
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Mon Oct 16 2023
Innervisions
Stevie Wonder
Easy to over-analyze this one. A sonic gem. Stevie wonder at his musical, spiritual, and intellectual peak. Absolutely astonishing record. I could listen to Higher Ground all day every day. Some other brilliant cuts that I was unfamiliar with like Too High and Misstra Know It All make this a great listen. Will revisit many times I’m sure.
4
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Tue Oct 17 2023
Raising Hell
Run-D.M.C.
Why didn’t I know about this back in the day. Kicks ass top to bottom. Taking away one star for the inclusion of Stephen Tyler
4
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Thu Oct 19 2023
The Modern Dance
Pere Ubu
Discarding all sense of musical conventions reminds me of both the fall and the minutemen but with less of an effort to make musical sense. Anti music Don’t take the brown acid, man. It’s “challenge music.” Side effects may include writer’s block, delusions of postmodernism, man’s inhumanity to man, and improper comparisons to abstract art.
4
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Fri Oct 20 2023
Raw Power
The Stooges
Hard to get past the recording quality. Jarring changes in volume that have nothing to do with dynamics in the composition. Sloppy playing doesn’t make it “punk.”
The song “lRaw Power” could be half as long. As Pru lLeith would say “it’s a bit rough and ready.“
I “Need Somebody” is a template for STP, definitely get the feeling they listened to this stuff a lot. Just not a big fan of Iggy Pop. I sort of get what he’s trying to do but the drug-addled bad boy with no regrets schtick just isn’t that appealing, especially in a historical context. Do like the heaviness and riff sensibility though.
3
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Mon Oct 23 2023
Purple Rain
Prince
No notes. Perfect.
5
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Tue Oct 24 2023
At Newport 1960
Muddy Waters
When did the Blues become a dirge? Cause this ain’t that! Was gonna tell a story about young me and how I accidentally discovered this and how I think it was an important punk album but I’ll save it for another time.
A lot of these albums are historically important because of their influence or popularity but don’t age well. This is not one of those. Which isn’t to say it wasn’t popular and influential. It’s just a great record. Fun to listen to, soulful, all the musicians are in top form. A gem top to bottom and glad to see it on the list.
5
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Wed Oct 25 2023
Bug
Dinosaur Jr.
I saw this come up and went “ew” to myself 😬I’ll give it another chance. Did not like Dinosaur 🦕 jr at the time (even though I was the exact audience for this). Be right back…
Ok. I really like this one. It’s hard to get over the vocals but I think I am starting to understand the concept. The heaviness of the guitar, power trio factor, laissez faire attitude: tick tick tick.
I’m in. Kind of a fan now. 😬
4
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Thu Oct 26 2023
Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
Omar Hakim saves this for me. Don’t love it. Great guitar playing but it sounds too much like a bad Springsteen impression
3
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Fri Oct 27 2023
Violator
Depeche Mode
Good vocal quality from Martin Gore, well recorded, some cool synth sounds and darkish themes. But I didn't like it in 1987 and I still don't really like it. It just doesn't have the energy I want. You can sing some dark ballads, but give it a little emotional depth, man! Catchy tunes nonetheless, and "Personal Jesus" is always good for a laugh.
3
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Mon Oct 30 2023
KIWANUKA
Michael Kiwanuka
Not what I expected. A unique new take on some classic soul sounds. Kiwanuka has a great voice and that is the main appeal of this abum. It also works as an album , which is an interesting throwback concept nowadays. A little sad and lonely when you look at it next to its influences like Otis Redding or Bill Withers. Not a masterpiece by any means but you can feel Michael Kiwanuka's intention and looking forward to more. First time hearing about him - is the 1001 albums book slightly UK biased?
3
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Tue Oct 31 2023
We Are Family
Sister Sledge
Learned this was a Chic album! Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards, and Tony Thompson play funk with a Pop sensibility throughout and it's kind of above criticism.
Trying to approach these albums as one would when rating a wine or beer (possibly): is it a good example of the genre? Is it well crafted? This album is certainly a well crafted piece of music, Disco or not.
As much as "We are Family" is a standout, nothing here falls flat. There are some cheesy musical tropes (breathy whispering "why?" in the call-and response, the nearly overwhelming string section), but it's all much more innocent abstractions that service the songs. This album sounds great and is an example of Chic's musical genius - songwriting, producing, and playing gives them artistic control and they thrive in the dance pop environment, obviously.
4
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Wed Nov 01 2023
Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room
Dwight Yoakam
Great traditional country from the late 80s. Dwight Yoakem's voice is perfect throughout, with just the right amount of crack, yodel, and twang. Not a note out of place with a genuine swing that comes from a place of sincerity. Deep emotional content and some intriguing darkness that bears repeated listening. Almost Shakespearean at times. Excellent top to bottom, and I'm not a big Country fan, but I DO enjoy almost everything I've heard from Dwight Yoakem.
5
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Thu Nov 02 2023
Wonderful Rainbow
Lightning Bolt
Okay I get it. Has notes of punk, post-rock, pure noise, industrial, and traditional rock as well. Too easy to criticize, this music is more of an artistic statement than Music. Much like The Fall as an anti-music statement. The album gets SO CLOSE to being interesting at certain points. I definitely experienced some cognitive dissonance, and I think that's what these guys are after (?). There is more interesting avant-garde and noise out there, starting with Merzbow (and maybe ending with Merzbow). I might check out some of this bands newer stuff just to see where they went with this idea.
2
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Fri Nov 03 2023
Punishing Kiss
Ute Lemper
This is not for me. Ute Lemper is an excellent vocalist. Hopefully she's doing some Disney soundtracks and making a living. Including this on the list feels like someone's pet project. We all know someone that tries to get you to like music that you just don't for whatever reason: "C'mon man! You HAVE to hear this!!!"
It's okay. Very heavy-handed. Maybe for another time. Elvis Costello jumped the shark a while back when he tried to do a Country album (yeah, I said it). Considering skipping blatant attempts at taste making on this list in the future.
2
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Mon Nov 06 2023
Getz/Gilberto
Stan Getz
Great classic Brazillian Jazz, exquisite and mellow. Let Joao and Astrud Gilberto sing. The extreme closeup on Getz's tenor sax is jarring to me. Really great songs. Surprising that this was as popular as it was! First, it's mostly Portugese, and second, it's Jazz! A really important album that (sort of) defines its Jazz sub-genre. A good jumping off point for this kind of music.
4
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Tue Nov 07 2023
Cloud Nine
The Temptations
I can’t fault it. On the other hand, this particular brand of 60s soul is a bit over dramatic. For me. Great musicianship and vocal harmonies and a small amount of risk taking make Cloud 9 inoffensive. Not awesome.
3
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Wed Nov 08 2023
It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Public Enemy
Really like the heaviness of this. Chuck D's voice has power, and FlavorFlav is really entertaining, especially "Cold Lampin'." Love the socially conscious lyrics throughout. Great disc!
4
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Thu Nov 09 2023
Ten
Pearl Jam
More from my bud GPT3.5, actually reflecting many of my own feelings about this album (also think the recording is fantastic and I absolutely love the drum mix):
"Ten" by Pearl Jam is an absolute masterpiece, earning every bit of its five-star rating. From the moment you hit play, the album takes you on an exhilarating journey through the grunge era, leaving an indelible mark on the musical landscape.
The opening track, "Once," sets the tone with its raw energy and Eddie Vedder's unmistakably powerful vocals. Each song that follows is a testament to the band's exceptional musicianship and songwriting prowess. "Alive" and "Even Flow" showcase the dynamic interplay between the instruments, while Vedder's evocative lyrics add depth and meaning to every track.
The album's emotional core is perhaps best exemplified by "Black," a hauntingly beautiful ballad that stands as a timeless classic. Vedder's soul-stirring delivery and the poignant instrumentation create an unforgettable listening experience that resonates long after the final notes fade.
"Ten" isn't just an album; it's a cultural touchstone that encapsulates the spirit of the '90s alternative rock scene. Pearl Jam's ability to seamlessly blend grunge, rock, and introspective lyrics is unparalleled, making this album a must-listen for music enthusiasts of all genres.
In essence, "Ten" is a five-star triumph, a sonic journey that remains as impactful today as it was upon its release. Pearl Jam's debut is not just a record; it's a timeless masterpiece that deserves its place among the greatest albums of all time."
5
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Fri Nov 10 2023
One World
John Martyn
Unfamiliar with this artist. I think I had a playlist based on Joni Mitchell where he showed up and I remember the song as a kind of stand-out. I could have been someone else, though.
This music is representative of something that I just can't put my finger on. I don't know what to call it. It's music that is highly regarded, but I don't see it. Other examples: Kate Bush, a lot of Bob Dylan, the band Bush ;) There's probably a German word for it. Music that 'everyone' likes, but it just rubs you the wrong way.
I almost had to turn off the the whole thing during the song Dancing - you really rhymed "fancy-pantsing" with dancing? "Certain Surprise" sounds as drugged as Martyn certainly was when they recorded this. Drugs feel good to him, I'm sure, but that voice is "infuriating" (to quote Phil Collins) - HIT THE NOTE for fuck's sake. Ugh. Sorry, just the visceral reaction I got from this.
There is definitely a free-form attitude about it, but it is more like Lightning Bolt than Coltrane. This freewheeling is possibly not done for artistic effect. Possibly he was just a problematic person who had enablers that encouraged him to surface his demons for some entertainment. It SOUNDS TO MY EARS like Martyn knows how to play and compose a kind of Nike Drake style English folk, but is so caught in his own mental shit (and wants the rest of us to feel this pain as well) that any song construction that might please the audience is eschewed. Just play the first thing that comes to mind. Sure it's unusual, but there are always critics who will give five stars to the unusual regardless of whether the music sounds good or not. As long as it's different sounding, which this certainly is.
Here's the thing. So many self-centered artists expose their pain to us, and many do it in a way that we can relate to. Kind of why we listen to music, to some degree, to get into or out of various states of mind, feelings, thoughts... I just think in Martyn's case he doesn't care whether I like the music or not. And I believe he has said so himself on many occasions. It's like the person who's "just being honest, telling it like it is." We all have our own reality. Great music intersects with the reality of artist and audience alike.
------------------------------------------------
The following is the result of asking ChatGPT to edit the above to be more concise, and I have to say I like it:
"Unfamiliar with John Martyn until he appeared on a Joni Mitchell playlist. His music, akin to the elusive category of universally liked yet divisive artists like Kate Bush or Bob Dylan, leaves me uncertain. Certain tracks, like "Dancing," made me cringe with questionable rhymes. "Certain Surprise" feels drugged and, though free-form, lacks the artistic resonance of Coltrane, leaning more towards chaotic than intentional.
Martyn's apparent disregard for audience preference suggests a self-indulgent approach. While he may possess the skill for English folk à la Nick Drake, his fixation on personal demons overshadows potential audience enjoyment. The music feels like a stream of consciousness, deviating from structured compositions that might please listeners. It's undeniably unique, but uniqueness alone doesn't guarantee quality.
Unlike artists who skillfully share relatable pain, Martyn seems uninterested in whether his music resonates. His indifference contrasts with the symbiosis of great music, where artist and audience connect. In Martyn's case, his "just being honest" approach results in a disconnect between his reality and that of his listeners."
2
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Mon Nov 13 2023
The World is a Ghetto
War
Immensely listenable genre bending album that sounds as great as it did in 1973. Bringing the Latin vibe into the funk-rock gives the band a unique flavor that I've always really liked. A lot of great musicianship on this album. Hidden gem: Beetles in the Bog. It's got this New Orleans drumline feel with some conga and chopping funk guitar that was surprising, fun, and fascinating. I love the rhythms on this album.
4
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Tue Nov 14 2023
Coat Of Many Colors
Dolly Parton
I really enjoyed this. Some great story-telling and humor. A little bit of Peace and Love with "A better Place to Live," some sweet gospel, some humor ("Travelin Man"). But it has my new favorite song, the stunningly beautiful "Early Morning Breeze."
Short and sweet. Dolly Parton has such an iconic voice and her songs are more interesting melodically and lyrically than the Porter Wagoner ones. Still great overall. Coat of Many Colors has a comfortable, folksy tone, simple instrumentation that highlights the songs and Dolly's lovely voice.
4
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Wed Nov 15 2023
Time Out
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
Just want to add - listen to Joe Morello's left hand on Time Out. Masterpiece. The subtlety and understatement is from a higher level. Beautiful example of dynamic range in that tight rhythmic structure. Great album, historically significant, an old favorite. I love every note on this and I am NOT a big saxamaphone guy!
5
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Thu Nov 16 2023
Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses
1 cup post-punk poetics
1 tb each b52s, au pairs, and gang of four
season liberally with arpeggiated major chords and unusual rhythms
serve slightly undercooked
pairs well with the unmistakable Kristin Hersch/Tanya Donnely harmony
{chef's kiss}
4
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Fri Nov 17 2023
A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse
Faces
Cool album, side 2 is especially good. Ronnie Lane doesn’t need to sing when you have Rod Stewart in your band. I liked it more than I thought I would. Love the guitar.
3
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Mon Nov 20 2023
Bossanova
Pixies
Kind of a wild ride as it always is with Pixies. I love the Kim Deal/Black Francis harmonies, the dual guitar wall of noise, the verging on out of control lead vocals, the esoteric and inscrutable lyrics, the asymmetrical over the bar line compositions, the unusual but not too avant garde chord progressions... I will have to listen to it a few more times again to get the full experience. THis album bears repeated listening for sure. Also interesting to hear it in the same week as the Throwing Muses album, lots of compare-and-contrast available between these two. Killer album from an important band.
4
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Tue Nov 21 2023
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
Ray Charles
Oooohh hmmm. Really wanted to like this but the big symphonic swells and background (FOREGROUND) vocals left me feeling … betrayed. Ray Charles is amazing though.
2
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Wed Nov 22 2023
Ramones
Ramones
I always want the Ramones to go harder. Good album though, short and sweet. Never really saw them as a Punk band, but I suppose for most listeners “punk” is more a musical style than a social group association so it probably qualifies. They have a good sense of humor and you get that the early Ramones didn’t take themselves too seriously. The later Ramones did have to be THE RAMONES and I wonder if that limited their artistic range. This album absolutely defines The Ramones, for better or worse. Good job attacking the status quo!!!
4
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Thu Nov 23 2023
Siembra
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
Great album. I love Latin music and this is really enjoyable and extremely well executed example. Interesting variety of moods. Too bad I don’t speak Spanish 🇲🇽😌
4
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Fri Nov 24 2023
Disraeli Gears
Cream
Ginger Baker’s weird snare tuning and signature Tom sound. He also sings a song on this album, which was possibly not a great idea. Everyone was under the influence here, including the producer, how else to explain “Mother’s Lament 😭”
The best songs on the album are the ones you’re familiar with - Sunshine of Your Love, Tales of Brave Ulysses, Strange Brew. Which are great. Except for these standouts, it feels a little low-effort. Clapton was beloved back when this came out, but his style never touched me all that much. And apparently he was just as much of an a*hole in his early years as later (citation: A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs, episode 126 - For Your Love by the Yardbirds, Andrew Hickey) so anything he could say now to turn people against him is pretty irrelevant now.
Ultimately for me there’s a lot to love here (Sunshine of Your Love, Jack Bruce’s falsetto) and a lot to just forget (Blue Condition, bearded rainbows).
3
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Mon Nov 27 2023
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme
Simon & Garfunkel
I am firmly in the ‘Paul Simon is a songwriting genius’ and the ‘Simon and Garfunkel’s harmonies are without equal’ camps.
5
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Tue Nov 28 2023
Melodrama
Lorde
Sorry Zoomers/Gen Y, I was like 50 when this came out so it's one of the worst things to ever happen to me. I AM sorry it's not King Crimson or whatever
1
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Wed Nov 29 2023
Bone Machine
Tom Waits
I came to the realization, after listening to this, that it's just a sideshow and each song is a different freak. Points for attempting to be entertaining. Tom Waits is the emcee/barker. This is not "rock" music however, and should not be categorized as such. If I think of it as an attempt at being folk-adjacent, it makes more sense. But I get the feel that Tom Waits is simply aping some persona, perhaps a troubadour William Burroughs? To my ear the music not really sincerely felt by the singer or has much of a folk soul.
Waits is just a kind of guy that got stuck writing high-school level poetry (one laughably typical example "Oh, when the moon is a cold, chiseled dagger/ And it's sharp enough to draw blood from a stone") and little stories about murder and bad people (that he imagines are out there). I don't get the gravelly voice affectation, I suppose it adds to the persona Waits is attempting to create. All of these little creations are deeply disturbed or whatever, and I'm not interested in meeting them or getting to know them, thank you very much. Keep them in your "closet of dreams" or wherever they came from.
This album is not something I would purposely play. I understand what he's trying to do and I respect it, it has artistic merit definitely. But it's just unpleasant and darkly weird. And some listeners really like the darkly weird. I do not, really.
Please stop yelling, Tom.
2
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Thu Nov 30 2023
Led Zeppelin II
Led Zeppelin
Third garbage album in a row!
This is the first album I ever bought with my own money. Best $5.99 I ever spent.
Never gets old. 10,000 out of five.
Last thing: listen to Plant screaming \"GO AWAY HEARTBREAKERRRRR!\" at the end of that song, then we can talk about Robert Plant, okay?
5
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Fri Dec 01 2023
Every Picture Tells A Story
Rod Stewart
I love Losing You, the Kenny Jones solo at the end is superlative. Maggie May is okay. A lot of the rest sounds like a bar band jamming too late at night, as another reviewer here mentioned. The misogyny and racism on Every Picture Tells a Story is awkward. That's Alright is an abomination - the phrasing is off-putting "Well that's alright MA-MAMA" instead of NOW MAMA is irritating. Another case for me of "Why do so many people like this?" Was there a dearth of quality music in 1972? Is everyone (and by everyone I mean critics and record buyers AT THE TIME, check out the Wikipedia stats and critical reception) just overly impressed by British pub-rockers playing American country music? I know the Stones did this a lot in the 70s as well, never really found this appealing. Maybe it's more impressive if you're British and not ever been exposed. This is a bit third rate. He shouyld have stayed with the Faces, man!
2
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Mon Dec 04 2023
The Köln Concert
Keith Jarrett
Super interesting at times. A lot of what you hear about this album revolves around the story of the bad piano and how everyone overcame their problems to produce one of the best Jazz albums ever. It's like the Michael Jordan \"flu game\" in the 1998 NBA finals. You won! Why belabor it? If I didn't know any of the story, I think I might like it better. Is the story making excuses for a poor performance? Doesn't sound like it.
The music itself plows vigorously through a wide range of feelings, tempos, techniques. I don't know a lot about music theory but I'm sure there's tons to dissect in this. It really is an impressive work. Verges on stepping into uncharted territory sometimes, but is a little timid in that regard - I would like to here more experimental sounds. I really like some of the atonal harmonics the piano gives off, especially apparent in the first minutes of Part I. I hear a lot of influence, from Bob James to Radiohead. Interesting album and pleasant. A little like a soundtrack, as Keith Jarret himself has said, but transcendant nonetheless (felt like pretentiousness was appropriate for this one).
3
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Tue Dec 05 2023
Automatic For The People
R.E.M.
The best of the “grownup” R.E.M. albums. We are all alone, together. No jokes today.
A really professional production, some brilliant songwriting and spotless execution. Though I usually like my REM less polished and more inscrutable, this album hits hard emotionally. Looking back at it now makes it feel even heavier. This came out in the deepest part of grunge, a pretty rebellious move for a pretty sounding album. Find the River kills me. Check out the video.
5
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Wed Dec 06 2023
Headquarters
The Monkees
Not bad. Probably overrated due to the Monkees' popularity, but a fun effort. A little light psychedelia here and there mixed with songs about holding hands and pretty girls. "Sunny Girlfriend" brings a little country to the party, and the first three songs could be on any alt-rock band's covers list. Not intense.
3
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Thu Dec 07 2023
Liege And Lief
Fairport Convention
First time hearing this band and I have to say I am impressed, especially by the Dave Mattacks' drumming. Effectively mashing-up a fairly heavy rock sound (at times) with British folk sounds very natural for the band, at a time when LITERALLY EVERYONE was trying to be Bob Dylan. They find their own roots, resulting in a sincere and interesting sound. No one is trying to do the Blues®, or R & B, or Soul or country. So much has been said praising Sandy Denny that I'm not going to mention her except to say she makes this. Without her it's just ok, a nice try. Simply great.
4
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Fri Dec 08 2023
Truth
Jeff Beck
NO
MORE
ROD
STEWART
PLEASE!
Jeff Beck is amazing, but he gets stomped by Rod Stewart and the ham-fisted piano player. Also you guys need to practice a little more, the drummer is trying to swing but my god is it awkward. Find the groove! Although with rod stewart screaming all over everything I can see how difficult it would be.
If only there was an instrumental Jeff Beck album 🤔🤔🤔
2
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Mon Dec 11 2023
Graceland
Paul Simon
She says “Losing love is like a window in your heart
Well, everybody sees you’re blown apart
Everybody sees the wind blow”
Probably should write an entire essay about this album. Linda Ronstadt. Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Youssou Ndour. Adrian Belew. African skies. Diamonds. It’s all good and we forgive Paul Simon for whatever sins of appropriation because this album introduced a huge audience to a kind of music we were previously unaware.
5
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Tue Dec 12 2023
Amnesiac
Radiohead
Ahh, I love Radiohead's sonic experimentation. Just wish I had more time to just sit down and listen because there's a lot of layers. So I guess Radiohead is like an Ogre. I jest, but this band DOES NOT. This is their main flaw - so serious! That and Thom Yorke's vocals don't always resonate (no pun intended).
Sometimes feels like the musical equivalent of the movie Eraserhead. This is a really interesting album, heavy both thematically and structurally. A unique, risk-taking band band that somehow makes their experimental psychological meanderings almost accessible. One last thing - if EVERYTHING is obscure, nothing is obscure.
4
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Wed Dec 13 2023
The Message
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
She's Fresh, It's Nasty and Scorpio (especially Scorpio) are agreat time. Didn't love the R&B/slow-jam middle. THe Message everyone remembers, and sadly really nothin' has changed. This version finishes up with The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash, very very cool, ya gotta hear it. Definitely agree that this is an album you have to hear before you die. Glad I didn't die before I heard it. 😬
3
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Thu Dec 14 2023
Will The Circle Be Unbroken
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Interesting document, but I don't need the talking in between songs. Enjoyable bluegrass. I especially like the instrumental tunes (please learn how to finish those without resorting to "Shave and a Haircut, though!). The old-school Country/Hillbilly artists are not at their best so it works more as a tribute than an original work of art. Could be condensed to a single LP without losing anything. Maybe do that for casual listeners then make the extended version for the hardcore fans/historically motivated.
3
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Fri Dec 15 2023
Mothership Connection
Parliament
For me great music takes you to a different place, a state of mind. Mothership Connection does that. I got totally into it, just changed my thinking for the better in the middle of a semi-trouble-filled day. The opposite of the seriousness of Radiohead or Gracelend (Paul Simon) but equally excellent. Has a good sense of humor. I loved it.
4
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Mon Dec 18 2023
The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden
Finally some metal! Near flawless execution by possibly the most influential Metal band of all. Kind of a bummer that Steve Harris and Clive Burr didn't play on more records together because this rhythm section is massive. Bruce Dickinson is hands down the best metal singer of all time. Yeah, I said it.
5
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Tue Dec 19 2023
The Clash
The Clash
First recorded use of guitar feedback! What an historic moment. Love Teenage Lobotomy! This whole album is great, put The Jam on the map, I love it.
In all seriousness, this is in my top ten favorite albums of all time and one of the most important albums in rock music.
5
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Wed Dec 20 2023
Heavy Weather
Weather Report
They do not heed Miles’ admonition: “Don't worry about playing a lot of notes. Just find one pretty one.”
2
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Thu Dec 21 2023
Diamond Life
Sade
Not bad, not my thing. Huge record at the time. A little TOO smooth. Inoffensive pop from the eighties, I sort of can't get through it all the way. Just okay.
2
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Fri Dec 22 2023
Winter In America
Gil Scott-Heron
Incredible musicianship and interesting juxtaposition of GSH's poetry in the jazz improv context. Different from anything else I've heard recently. A bit "of its time" while still being relevant. A lot of music about Black culture is acclaimed, but did we not get the point? It doesn't seem like the world has changed at all in the 50 or so years since this.
3
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Mon Dec 25 2023
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
You guys! Don’t tell anyone.
This is NOT GOOD.
Dude. Some people are going to pretend that they think this is the best thing that has, literally, ever been recorded. But here’s the thing about that:
They don’t play together
They sing off key ( annoying not quaint)
More pretentious immature poetry (I’m looking 👀 at you Tom Waits)
Don’t act like you’re the first person who was ever in a difficult relationship.
Seriously someone is trying to trick you. Listen more critically. Maybe I’m at a place in my life where I don’t want to hear your complaining anymore. I don’t understand the love for this or the VU in general.
2
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Tue Dec 26 2023
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
Not bad. The Phil Spector spoken word thing at the end is... ironic? Cool Christmas album for Christmas day! Some really fun uptempo high-energy stuff, lacking in sentimentalism, which I appreciate in a Christmas album.
3
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Wed Dec 27 2023
Bryter Layter
Nick Drake
So, this is a fairly deep work. Unique and touching. It's pretty obvious to me that this music would not be beloved by a vast audience. Too introspective, too insecure. These are qualities in people that we often tr to overcome and the casual music buyer doesn't want to spend their hard-earned cash on such things. But as a work of art I can appreciate it. In fact, the poetry here is (of course, Drake studied literature at Cambridge) on a higher level.
Sorry to hear about Drake's ultimate inability to satisfy his own ambition. Maybe if he had been able to accept his own version of himself... life is difficult for us all at times. Maybe don't try so hard and accept that the world IS the way that it IS. Not to say that it isn't painful. This music is a strangely clear and vivid view of Drake and his feelings, feelings that I know I've had a various times. Quite an amazing work actually.
4
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Thu Dec 28 2023
Scott 4
Scott Walker
Didn't want to listen to this. Like a walk in someone else's dark, slightly frightening forest. You probably shouldn't be there alone. Very 'adult contemporary' without being catchy. No contrast, everything is of a piece. Nothing to anchor the listener in a context.
Seems to me like he is trying to write popular (1960's UK) music but with some kind of anti-war thread, but I could be completely wrong. I found this hard to understand in an unpleasant and confusing way, the point of view in any given song was not clear. But a lot of the best music is hard to "get" on first listen. Maybe I'll listen again to try to figure it out. Probably not, though.
2
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Fri Dec 29 2023
Green River
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Love CCR and I'm not even a boomer! Even their toss-off blues cover is far and away more entertaining than anything else at the time. The album has aged well, it still sounds good. Great mix of blues-rock styles with great energy. LISTEN UP ROD STEWART: this is how you do gravely-voiced blues singing!Short and awesome.
4
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Mon Jan 01 2024
Blur
Blur
Moments of brilliance but nothing too special. Really liked the heaviness and interesting sonic quality splattered across the album. Didn't so much love the insincerity in the lyrics. Self-pitying super-successful rock stars has always been a sore spot for me and I think there is a bit of that here, albeit more abstract than Bon Jovi, Metallica or Bob Seger. All in all though an enjoyable listen if not slightly contrived, like most of Blur's stuff, but well executed.
4
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Tue Jan 02 2024
White Blood Cells
The White Stripes
Ushered in an era of lo-fi blues posers. That in itself is both unforgivable and welcome. Unusual, heavy, bare-bones, intense, and satisfying. Actual songs that don't overstay their welcome. Some raw emotion down at the end that sounds more bitter 20 years on. Great genre-defining album with one of the most interesting drummers ever.
5
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Wed Jan 03 2024
A Wizard, A True Star
Todd Rundgren
Much of this album seems to be self-indulgent experimentation, or contractual obligation work, or writer's block. None of these are bad per. But they are not the stuff masterpieces are made from. Bigger Rundgren fans than I probably appreciate this more, and it did have its enjoyable moments. Listened to this twice to get a better grip on it. It does go down a little easier the second time. Rather listen to Iron Maiden again, though.
Sex, drugs, and Rock n Roll I guess? A reluctant 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
3
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Thu Jan 04 2024
Rumours
Fleetwood Mac
Still shockingly good, downright mythical. Simply a masterpiece.
5
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Fri Jan 05 2024
School's Out
Alice Cooper
Surprisingly great singing and you can feel Alice Cooper influencing every heavy rock artist that came after. Noteworthy for the Broadway style theatricality, which is not unexpected for Alice Cooper considering his reputation as a live act (esp. in the early days). I love that Alice Cooper is partially responsible for jettisoning the hippies from the pop charts. In 1972 I think everyone was probably ready for a break. Fun album!
4
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Mon Jan 08 2024
Led Zeppelin IV
Led Zeppelin
One of the albums I have essentially memorized top to bottom. Haven't listened all the way through in a while and it was interesting to hear Sandy Dennis on this after the Fairport Convention album. Truly did not appreciate her contribution on this. Remarkable. JPJ's organ on Misty Mountain Hop is underappreciated.
I don't want to see documentaries about this. I don't want to biographies authorized or unauthorized. I don't want to read the (probably) too long Wikipedia article. It's just music, man, don't over-think it. Unless you want to, and Led Zeppelin allows that as well. They finally got to jam the folk-rock down our collective ear-holes, though, and we ar BETTER FOR IT.
5
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Tue Jan 09 2024
Electric Ladyland
Jimi Hendrix
Hendrix is without question the BEST rock guitar player who ever lived - a fact I just came up with out of thin air, but also confirmed by Rolling Stone. The songs on this seem to me either overly numbed or excessively energized, neither to a satisfying effect. BUT SO CLOSE it's a little frustrating for me. I don't think that was the intention. It's hard to say what the intention was.
The music is just not completely formed. There's quite a bit of experimentation and what sounds like goofing that might have been left out. Heavy, innovative guitar sounds are sometimes squashed by the production: the stereo panning, the compression, the tape bouncing and flanging muddy the waters, if you will (see what I did there? Hendrix was kind of a blues guy? whatever, nevermind).
Ladyland is great but not awesome, with flashes of brilliance so blinding you have go over it again to make sure you heard what you thought you did. Overall groovy album with a few rough spots here and there mostly from the production stuff.
All the guitar panning made me dizzy. 😵 Not kidding.
4
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Wed Jan 10 2024
Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black
Public Enemy
I love the heaviness P.E. brings to the party. I don't love the constant badgering. The audience for this is not going to listen to it anyway. I the end it comes off as complaining more than anything else. Some high-quality socially conscious takes are here though and sometimes those things make for an uncomfortable listen. I like Flavor Flave more than I should though. There's nothing I *don't* like sound-wise on this album. At the same time it's just more of the same. Not clear why it made tis list except for the Anthrax collab which is pretty groundbreaking.
3
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Thu Jan 11 2024
Rain Dogs
Tom Waits
Her: I'm gonna pull a Tom Waits song out of my ass RIGHT NOW:
On a Thursday the rivers run raw
His garbage mitt can't catch the claw
The jailer-man don't obey no law
He planned it out, he killed his Ma
On Friday all the beggars fry
A rat-burger below the bigger sky
And now and again amongst the rye
We make all your mamas cry
There ya go. I'll be back later to pick up my Grammy.
2
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Fri Jan 12 2024
Parklife
Blur
A short, non-exhaustive list of things I liked about Blur's "Parklife":
Eclectic song styles keeps it interesting - a little dance music, a little post-punk, a little smooth Continental pop (I don't know what I mean exactly by that, but a lot of this album has a very "European" feel), a little new-wave, a little of that atmospheric Britpop sound but with *just* a hint more edge.
Drums, bass, guitar and vox all pretty resplendent, and excruciatingly tight even when purposely breaking into the sloppier compositions. Incredibly well balanced and "fresh" without sounding forced. This Is a Low is a great example.
Unapologetically anglo-centric.
Different and a wee bit odd without being overly challenging. Everything has a familiarity. But not predictable. Again, nicely balanced.
Has a good beat, you can dance to it :)
4
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Mon Jan 15 2024
Surfer Rosa
Pixies
Weird without being pretentious. Pixies came out of the womb fully formed, somehow. I always forget how heavy their stuff is. Gigantic is such a catchy, avant-pop song, as is the ubiquitous "Where is My Mind." Joey Santiago's solo on Vamos brings out the ghost of Andy Gill and is a thrilling surprise. The best albums (of which this is one) bear repeated listening and it seems like each time you play it, you hear something new. More accessible than some of their other stuff, possibly. One complaint: that song Cactus is trying a little too hard to sound like Nirvana ;)
And yeah, I give a lot of five star reviews, what about it?
5
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Tue Jan 16 2024
Rock 'N Soul
Solomon Burke
Great voice, classic soul singer doing some less-than-usual tunes. I especially like the second half of this LP with "Won't You Give Him (One More Chance)". Nicely recorded and put together collection of singles and filler, none of which are throwaways. A nice, positive record if you're into that kind of thing. Didn't blow me away but has a good energy. Influential.
3
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Wed Jan 17 2024
Elastica
Elastica
You know the generator is up to something when you get Elastica so soon after the two Blur albums.
I love this A LOT. New wave? Really great post-punk, power-pop. A real headbanger, one of my favorites so far. No complaints, but with 16 songs you do get some monotony into the middle. A bit saucy and a blast of energy. I'd say a lot more about this but I'm falling behind in my listening so I gotta move on. Listen to Stutter.
4
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Thu Jan 18 2024
Vulgar Display Of Power
Pantera
Dark dark dark. This is probably going to be the heaviest rock that we get on the 1001 albums list. Vinnie Paul shows here why he was considered among the best metal drummers to ever play. Clean on the fast parts. Massive on the slow parts. This brings a heat and rage that is not matched by any other genre. Unlike the storytelling you get with Iron Maiden or the confused existential soul-searching of Metallica, Pantera has an incessant raging emotional fire. Sonically crushing, creative, and astonishingly tight, this gives birth to some of the best metal to come after it: Gojira, Avenged Sevenfold, Lamb of God and Trivium among them. This album seems to have brought this sort of dark introspective hardcore more into the mainstream. Underground black and death metal existed at the time but it certainly wasn't as accessible as this or the early thrash of Metallica and Anthrax, etc.
It's cool, though. A lot of newer genres rear their ugly heads: djent, prog, post-hardcore, melodic death metal, southern (think Mastodon or Baroness), and whatever it was that Alice in Chains was doing.
Criticisms: can be same sounding, guttural screaming is a good effect when used sparingly but here Anselmo WANTS YOU TO HEAR HIM (fair enough given the subject matter), sometimes the subtlety sounds forced. Overall a good record with tons of intensity that I wish Pantera could have built on instead of started luxuriating in for most of the ret of their career.
4
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Fri Jan 19 2024
D
White Denim
Interesting. Lots of juicy progginess disguised in early '00s Americana clothes. Has a strong psychedelic skeleton, and yeah, the rhythm section is great, throwing a lot of notes in there. Like Rush for Deadheads. Pretty cool, a good listen.
3
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Mon Jan 22 2024
My Aim Is True
Elvis Costello
Although Critically Acclaimed®, still one of my all time favorite albums. Not a throwaway on here, but Angels Want to Wear my Red Shoes, Watching the Detectives , and Allison are outstanding. This is Elvis' debut, making it all the more amazing.
5
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Tue Jan 23 2024
Highway to Hell
AC/DC
Rock and Roll the way Satan intended! An all time favorite of mine, reminds me of 8th grade.
5
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Wed Jan 24 2024
Country Life
Roxy Music
Brian Ferry sounds like he's doing a character. It lacks emotional depth and clarity for me. Not very sincere, but it feels like that's kind of the point (?). Songs aren't very memorable. That being said, Phil Manzanera is extremely good on here. Out of the Blue is a GREAT song though! And you can here the New Wave influence in a lot of this. Not awesome.
3
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Thu Jan 25 2024
Paris 1919
John Cale
Very poetic. I'm not very familiar with his work, which should appeal to my avant garde sensibilities. This album probably needs more context (time, place) for it to make sense to me. Another critically acclaimed record that made me wonder why. I like a lot of his later work better. Not sure what I'm missing here. If I had more time I would probably listen a couple more times.
2
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Fri Jan 26 2024
The White Album
Beatles
Let's talk about William Babinski's "The Disintegration Loops" album instead for a moment.
The Disintegration Loops album https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Disintegration_Loops# (actually 4 albums spanning nearly 300 minutes) are a museum piece, not necessarily music. Babinsky is a sound artist who used tape loops a lot in his work to evoke feelings that traditional recordings do not. The disintegration loops are recordings of some of these sound loops - recordings of voices, old music, found tapes, etc. - literally disintegrating as they pass across the tape heads. Each time they pass through the machine, a little more gets worn off. It's really interesting ambient music. There is a haunting beauty hearing the music itself completely fall apart. The falling apart is the music. The rhythm comes from the loop repeating, the sound changing ever so slightly as it goes on. Certain sections are beautiful, others nasty. When I listened to this, as more and more of it goes away, the more I found myself wanting it to remain in the world even though the whole point was it's own destruction.
Listening to something disintegrate works as a museum piece. As a rock album, especially from The Beatles, it just hurts a little.
3
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Mon Jan 29 2024
In A Silent Way
Miles Davis
Thoroughly enjoyed Miles Davis embracing a minimalist approach and the innovations he adds. More approachable that the later electric work like Bitches Brew. I especially like the reprise on In a Silent Way, kind of the second half of side two, where the guitar plays an ostinato that reminds of Eno's Music for Airports I, the melody kind of revolving around itself without ever fully resolving. Innovative and lovely. Really subtle, bears repeated listens.
4
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Tue Jan 30 2024
Neon Bible
Arcade Fire
Decent post 9-11 indie Rock. Somewhat dismal thematically like a lot of Arcade Fire's stuff is. Nice execution. Some really interesting orchestration and instrumentation to deepen the mood. No Cars Go is a great tune.
3
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Wed Jan 31 2024
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Bruce Springsteen
With all due respect, and I mean this most sincerely, this is yet another example of how Critical Acclaim® is a poor determining factor for whether I will like something. In fact Critical Acclaim® appears to be something that puts me off more often than not and unfortunately this very list is just a list of Critically Acclaimed® albums.
Critics™ want you to know they have better taste than you, possibly. Maybe you meet the artist, that's very special, so now you give an excessively positive review otherwise that artist (and their record company mates) won't be as willing to give you any attention in the future. Bit of a racket when you really sit down and think about it. Especially back in the 60s through the 90s when Major Labels™ and The Radio® were the primary form of music delivery. Critics at places like Rolling Stone and the NY Times could influence opinion for the unwashed masses who had neither the time nor the taste to decide for themselves what was good and what wasn't, after the Labels and The Radio told them what they should be hawking. It was a good system for those inside it. Everybody made a dollar (except the artists, of course!)
I'm not trying to be one of those trolling contrarians (everybody knows one - check out yfbspod.com for an amusing example of the contrarian taken to an extreme for comedic effect), but for reasons I am still trying to understand, if all the critics love something then I am immediately biased against the disc right out of the gate. Don't tell me what to think, I guess.
Which is why, after a mere 83 albums, I must remind myself NOT TO READ ABOUT THE ALBUM BEFORE I LISTEN to it so that I don't otherwise taint my own review. For some of the older albums I am already aware of the Critically Acclaimed® label (CA from here on out) and my own bias about that.
You gotta ask yourself: maybe there's a reason why every mainstream rock journalist can't keep themselves from being the first to fawn over certain albums (this, and all Bruce Springsteen albums, or anything by Tom Waits, for instance), put them on the best of the year lists, and so forth? Maybe this work is real world changing music unlike anything ever known, which will upend your existing worldview and alter the very course of the culture of humanity. It is possible, and I do myself a disservice by not allowing it.
Anyway, this is one of the most CA albums ever made. It's okay, a little dirgy, takes no risks to speak of, the instrumentation and technical quality is generally middle of the road. Springsteen isn't hurting anybody, and that's fine. There's some catchy songs here and some thought-provoking lyrics. The band is good, Clarence Clemmons (sp?)has a recognizable style and Springsteen's iconic voice is familiar and welcoming, but he can bring the heat when needed (not too much, though, we're not here to upset people). All due respect. Springsteen is an icon. That doesn't make it great. I'm going against the critics on this one.
2
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Thu Feb 01 2024
Thriller
Michael Jackson
Changed pop music not necessarily for the better. Didn't age well. The hits are awesome, Beat It and Billie Jean especially. Important culturally as R & B has completely replaced Rock as the mainstream in pop music. Mostly cringey (especially in retrospect), and MJ's voice doesn't work well in most of the material.
3
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Fri Feb 02 2024
The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
Gross. I get it. Critically Acclaimed® (lol), but I don't want this in my life. Trolling. Seek professional help, this is not serious art.
2
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Mon Feb 05 2024
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash
This is a great palate cleanser from the bitter nastiness that is The Slim Shady LP! I'm getting a lot of influences here ranging from Simon and Garfunkel, The Beach Boys, and the Beatles among them. It's nice, inoffensive, comforting folk-rock that ends up in Southern California and spawning a whole generation of singer-songwriters that punks and metalheads would later rebel against. The baby boomers did get to lay claim to some really interesting and iconic music that could give you something to think about. But only if you wanted, no effort needed! Graham Nash seems like a fairly cool bloke, too. And oh yeah, harmonies, lest I forget ;). 1969 was a watershed year for albums wasn't it?
4
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Tue Feb 06 2024
Axis: Bold As Love
Jimi Hendrix
There are some flashes of brilliance, of course. The outro on Bold as Love is especially amazing. Mitch Mitchell is in FINE FORM on this one, too. Hendrix always leaves me wanting a little more. Always kind of too loose. Great album overall.
3
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Wed Feb 07 2024
Cee-Lo Green... Is The Soul Machine
Cee Lo Green
Interesting production and a nice variety of styles make this more entertaining than I thought it would be. Some of the more gangster material is a huge bringdown for after what seemed like it would be an entertaining and generally thoughtful album by an interesting vocal presence.
3
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Thu Feb 08 2024
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis, before getting chewed up by the mainstream American entertainment industry, had an astonishing sound. The Sun Records rockabilly cuts are historic for a reason and there are some fine examples here. Scotty Moore, Bill Black, and DJ Fontana are present on most of the songs. After this Elvis got manufactured by Colonel Tom Parker and apparently sold his soul, but at least some of the early stuff like this is here to remind us all what a big deal this dude was at the time. What a voice. Okay song selection, but I think Tutti Frutti was swing and a miss, while Blue Suede Shoes is inevitably the more well known version but lacks Carl Perkins' edge. Absolutely an album you should here before you die. Really enjoyable for me as a big rockabilly fan.
4
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Fri Feb 09 2024
The White Room
The KLF
When this came out it fell into a category of music I called "Eurodisco," which my local "Alternative" station played so much of I actually wrote them a letter telling them if they didn't STOP DOING THAT I would be forces to take my business elsewhere and I MEAN IT! Wll, of course they didn't, I did and neither of us missed each other for a tenth of a second.
I hear this now as a frequent listener of electronic music and it has a... quaintness. It's kind of weak, still, and relies too heavily on dance styles that wouldn't be native to the Isles (mostly Acid House). Influential, not very underground, it lacks depth, and I found it to be kind of boring. But like I said, in my younger days when I would have been the audience for this, I absolutely abhorred this kind of music. Given that, it wasn't unpleasant or challenging and definitely has some fun moments. Also cool to see some EDM finally on this list!
2
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Mon Feb 12 2024
Band On The Run
Paul McCartney and Wings
One of the first albums I ever bought with MY OWN MONEY! By far the best post-Beatles McCartney album in my opinion. Catchy as hell, amusing, touches of the loveliness we've all come to know. The song arc is excellent. One of the best of all time and a big personal favorite. Brings me back to my childhood I would grab one of my dozen or so albums, put it on the record player and sit down in my beanbag chair with the album cover in hand and just get transported to a completely different world :P
5
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Tue Feb 13 2024
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John
I apologize in advance for this being a review of my own feelings about the album rather than about the album itself. Pretty much par for the course for my reviews, now that I think about it.
There are five-star albums, and then there are albums like this, which hold a special place in my heart. I somehow bought this when I was 11 years old. Songs like "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", "All the Young Girls Love Alice", and "The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909–34)" didn't make much sense to me back then. But I would put this on, open the album, and dissolve into a completely different world. When I heard this again just now, I was transported in my head back to my bedroom as a kid, lost in music, not really caring about the meaning.
The music transcends words. This is how great art always affects me. I WANT to tell you about it. I want you to understand its value emotionally, sensorially, musically, and in a thousand other ways that change my experience—some of which have English words, most don't. But the ability to communicate art's a priori nature lies exclusively in the experience of it. Which is both frustrating and fantastic. I will probably end up saying this again, and I wanted to mention it when I wrote about "Band on the Run" (another album that lives in the same place as this): analyzing art robs it of the deep joy that comes from experiencing it.
Check out the original album on vinyl if possible: every song has the lyrics and an illustration; it's an amazing package. Some part of the album experience is the package, the manipulation of the disc on your stereo, moving the needle JUST SO onto the groove at the beginning before the actual music starts... ah, good times!
"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is fascinating, humorous, sad, multi-dimensional, deep and broad, engaging, weird, fun, cool, bold and meek, familiar and mysterious all at the same time. And for reasons I just can't put into words, it really means a lot to me.
5
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Wed Feb 14 2024
Celebrity Skin
Hole
The song "Celebrity Skin" is catchy and thoughtful enough, so satisfying in a way. Also familiar, being the big hit and title track on the disc.
I'm going to break down what I don't like about this and I'll try to keep personality issues out of it. Although I find it to be in extremely bad taste to attempt to force your drummer to quit. Really really bad form. Just have a meeting: "Listen, after doing two albums with you both of which were really succesful and Critically Acclaimed™, we just want to go in a different musical direction and we don't think you're going to want to hang, I'm sorry." Hole was of course just a Courtney Love project, but you don't have to be an asshole. Read the wikipedia article about how Love and the producer conspired to record this with studio guy Dean Castronovo. Even more unethical is not pulling the original grrrl drummer off the credits, keeping Hole's (almost) all girl grunge band aesthetic intact but still able to pull this over-produced attempt at a commercially appealing rock album. This attempt at a grunge-pop mashup (originally perfected by Nirvana) feels extremely disingenuous. Also whatever attempt at the "Califorinia sound™" {citation needed} would be the antithesis to that punk/grunge aesthetic that they were faking before.
Nothing about the band Hole feels genuine. From their going to Minnesota (!) to recruit Kristen Pfaff, guitarist Eric Erlander's girlfriend who overdosed at 27, 4 months after Courtney Love's husband, to the above mentioned drummer shell game, to the bizarre choice of Production and musical direction. The best songs here are co-written with Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins, which is telling. As a whole it is really not as great as you're being led to believe. So many other grrls did this better, from PJ to The Breeders to L7. Courtney love's singing ruins it for me. It's not good. I love the heavier genres like punk, grunge, an metal, but this is a cash grab or something and it sounds like it to me.
2
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Thu Feb 15 2024
L.A. Woman
The Doors
Densore, Krieger, and Manzarek with some weird spoken word dude on vocals. Pretty obscure, surprised to see this on the list considering how underground this band was. Wonder what ever happened to them. Seems like they just stopped releasing stuff after a while.
One note: I never realized (or forgot) how incredible Robby Krieger. Really amazing, in all seriousness.
5
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Fri Feb 16 2024
90
808 State
Really digging “Cobra Bora” it’s got some attitude. Likable uptempo electronic dance music. I much prefer instrumentals in this genre, and this albumis no escption. I think the weakest songs on this have vocals and they feel a bit labored: less funky or sincere. Like the artist is try to wedge a vocal track into his groove because he's "supposed to?" Likable nonetheless. The back end of this album is a little heavier, which I also like in this kind of music. Mostly a party, though!
3
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Mon Feb 19 2024
Back At The Chicken Shack
Jimmy Smith
This is a really solid post-bop (?) jazz album with Jimmy Smith's instantly recognizable organ. Lots of saxamaphone (Stanley Turrentine) for those who like that sort of thing. Doesn't stretch the genre or do anything too fancy, and sometimes that's exactly what you want from a jazz album. The great Kenny Burrell pops by for anice bit on the guitar. Love Jimmy Smith's blues comp. Cool that this is mostly a three-piece.
4
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Tue Feb 20 2024
Cosmo's Factory
Creedence Clearwater Revival
I love this band so much it's kind of embarrassing.
This album cover LOL! It is "dad rock" that maintains some edge even today. I really like everything on here, it's a guilty pleasure. I dig their loose approach, it adds flavor to what could otherwise be unremarkable blues rock. "Lookin out my Back Door" is homey and quirky and I love it. I loved this even when I thought I hated country music, wghich this (kind of) is. Great band, killer songwriting, topical without being dated, at times fun and other times somewhat dark. A little humor goes a long way.
4
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Wed Feb 21 2024
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Arctic Monkeys
Glad I got this from the generator. I have heard of them but haven't listened to them at all closely. This kind of sneaks up on you from being a chavvy cross between The White Stripes and Franz Ferdinand, but toward the end of the album it seems to find its own voice. Listening to the whole thing beginning to end is sort of like riding along with these fellas as they experience a night out, stuff can go right(\"I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor\") and then things can go wrong (\"From the Ritz to the Rubble\"). Separating this from other post 9/11 post-punk revivalists (like Franz Ferdinand in fact)are that they make these compelling little stories, and the lofi affectations that have a ton of burning young-man energy. Actual songs that don'task me to invest too much effort (I'm looking at you Arcade Fire). Fun tunes, fun album, a great listen from beginning to end! At 41 minutes (the perfect album length) it's a throwback to when the Album was a \"unit of art\" to quote someone who I forgot.
3
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Thu Feb 22 2024
Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
Pavement
I was going to go on another useless diatribe about my problem with Critically Acclaimed® albums, but instead I will leave the following one word review of Crooked Rain Crooked Rain:
Whatever.
2
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Fri Feb 23 2024
Tago Mago
Can
Difficult to decipher, but I have rounded up some clues. I will need to listen several more times before even beginning to deduce who the killer is, but here's what I have so far:
1 - The term "Mushroom" has multiple meanings. Especially important to recognize that Damo Suzuki is a Japanese native person singing English words in front of a West German band. "When I saw a mushroom head I was born and I was dead" could refer to The Bomb OR a psychedelic experience. That the succeeding song pulls out of this one and literally explodes on the first note could also imply something more base level. Mushroomhead. hmm...
2 - Paperhouse lulls the listener into thinking this might be a rock album. It is not. That is a mental trick designed to pull you out of your usual reality in a nicer way than just dropping Aumgn on you.
3 - The rhythm section of Holger Czukay and Jaki Liebiz (later sampled by Q-Tip on ManWomanBoogie, I still can't get over that fact) both had parents who were essentially dispatched by the Nazis. This generation of German people is rarely talked about in these parts. Why do you think they're making so much noise? In some ways it appears this music might be a reflection of their inner lives, or at least in my imagining. Chaotic. Harsh. Frightening. UNRELENTING. WWII must have absolutely sucked.
4 - Unlike any other CAN, or any other Krautrock for that matter!
5 - WHY did they get a new singer? From wikipedia: "Mooney quit the band and returned to America soon after the recording of Monster Movie, having been told by a psychiatrist that getting away from the chaotic music of Can would be better for his mental health." IF THAT WERE TRUE, are we not encouraged to get away from the chaotic music of CAN? Why only Mooney? Just asking questions, not saying that CAN is an aborted CIA MKUltra spinoff project to weaponize rock music against the hippies. I am 100% NOT saying that. Do your own research.
6 - Damo Suzuki (friend of the great Mark E. Smith, RIP) did this month, just as my findings have come out and I now have no way to corroborate them. This is very suspicious.
7 - If you play "Aumgn" backwards, it says "Bring me a towel. I killed Luap" over and over.
IN CONCLUSION: some say that this avant-garde masterpiece is not an experiment in merging rock aesthetics with musique concrete, or a stab at musical dadaism and surrealism, or spontaneous outbursts of sound simply for their own sake to further explore the ideologies of post-modernists like Stockhausen. No, they claim it is something more sinister, that perhaps CAN were mere puppets of the military-industrial establishment, bent on undermining the emerging free-thought and youth movements (among so many other postwar philosophies that were starting to dawn) by turning music against itself, in an effort to lead it towards it's own destruction. I don't say this, but some do.
4
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Mon Feb 26 2024
The College Dropout
Kanye West
I'm not listening to this dude. Not gonna give him the $ 0.0002 or whatever streaming royalty you get. Kanye West sucks in so many ways all of us should do everything we can to reduce whatever influence this idiot mouthbreather has left.
1
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Wed Feb 28 2024
The Renaissance
Q-Tip
Eclectic and entertaining. Especially liked sthe more innovative sounding stuff like "Manwomanboogie" ... OH SHIT!!! That's a CAN sample!!!
It's Krautrock week and I am PRESENT! I love that there is a CAN sample on here, had no idea. Good job Q-Tip. There's a little trilogy of slightly twisted prog style in the mifddle of the albumthat I was really impressed by the sheer "newness" of the sound (for lack of a better word) with "We Fight/We Love", "Manwomanboogie", and "Move / Renaissance Rap." Wordy but not obnoxious or excessively violent or confrontational. Interesting album.
3
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Thu Feb 29 2024
You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen
The slow tempo of these songs are, I'm sure, old Leonard Cohen's sincere self-expression. I haven't heard anything else he's done, so I don't know if his other work is like this. It's all stripped down to the most minimal instrumentation, simple progressions, simple poetic meter, in your face vocal production, and the aforementioned tempos.
Kind of refreshing in a way after listening to so much experimental stuff. I had this thought just this morning: very little music is acoustic now, very little is just people playing a non-electronic instruments, or singing without any digital manipulation. So I am enjoying this possibly for that reason alone, (fully aware that this album contains some electronic instruments). Electronics or the production trickery is not the main focus. For example, Q-Tip's "Renaissance," which I thoroughly enjoyed, is composed almost entirely of samples that are further twisted into a new sound somewhat distant from their original source. Whereas here Leonard Cohen invokes church organs, choruses, piano, a string quartet, and his own voice in a strikingly grounding way.
I found the songs with a religious theme were most interesting. Unlike Tom Waits, he's not playing a character, seems like he's speaking (literally, he doesn't sing much on this) from the soul. Different and unique, I like it a lot more than I thought I would. Play this during the daylight hours though, that's all I'm going to say.
4
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Fri Mar 01 2024
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
A Tribe Called Quest
Coincidence one day after the Q-tip album? I THINK not!
Positive hip-hop! Consistently funky beats throughout. Humorous and entertaining, youthful almost to a fault, but thoughtful as well. "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" and "Ham and Eggs" have a lighthearted flow that's missing from a lot of other hip hop. Having fun is allowed here, but they still speak from their souls. Some of the grooves went on a wee bit too long, but even for that and the length of this album, it was an entertaining ride.
3
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Mon Mar 04 2024
C'est Chic
CHIC
Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards, and Tony Thompson can play whatever they want and it will always be the best funk you have ever heard. A couple of the ballads are a little bland, but outside of that, this is a true gem and a really satisfying listen.
3
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Tue Mar 05 2024
The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem
If I criticize this, then I am one of the people he complains about, so I'm not going to feed that. Although reading about this album did introduce me to a new term, "transgressive art," so I did learn something. "You know how a lot of white Establishment types think Rap music is nasty? Watch this!" As juvenile as anything else this dude does.
1
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Thu Mar 07 2024
If I Could Only Remember My Name
David Crosby
Pro: Vocals("Music Is Love", "Laughing", "What Are Their Names"), some cool experiments("Music Is Love", "Orleans", "I'd Swear There Was Somebody Here"), Graham Nash, Neil Young, Crosby's guitar, Mickey Hart
Cons: Jerry Garcia (does he know more than the one guitar solo?), the cover, too much Grateful Dead slopping all over, heavy sedation
3
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Fri Mar 08 2024
Antichrist Superstar
Marilyn Manson
The algorithm is really trying to bring me down. First Eminem and now this. I have avoided listening to this wannabe Alice Cooper my whole life and frankly I'm sorry to see it show up on this list.
Pretty inconsequential gross-out music, it proudly wears the Trent Reznor industrial-metal brand right up front. So if you like that stuff, which not everyone does, you'll like this.
Gives rise to some of the most extreme music to come, like Dillinger Escape Plan and their ilk. Marilyn Manson's (if that IS your real name) attempt at genre-bending transgressive provocation is merely a passable mashup of Nine Inch Nails, the aforementioned Alice Cooper - who, by the way, did a far far more interesting and entertaining version of this schtick 25 years prior - and possibly Throbbing Gristle. Take that mix, dirty it up, and voilà! Rock stardom! Fame! Fortune! It's all very self-referential. Wow, that's deep man.
I "like" extreme metal, and you might lump this in that category. But it's unoriginal and frequently boring, and like a lot of stuff that doesn't hit me, devoid of soul. This feeIs like a stage show that just needed a soundtrack. The music kind of sucks, the majority of the people involved are huge assholes, and while that's not in itself a disqualifier of good music, the shenanigans are a distraction.
P.S. The U.S. Congress in the 1990s really had some serious issues, why are they so worried about what your kids are listening to? If you want to MAKE 100% sure kids hear this shit, make a big deal out of how they shouldn't get to hear this shit.
2
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Mon Mar 11 2024
The Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd
The defining album of the Album Era. That cover. The long long chart run - 736 nonconsecutive weeks (from 17 March 1973 to 16 July 1988) including a run of 593 weeks. Nothing I can say that hasn't already been said. My own reflection listening again after many years:
- Still perfect.
- Owes its existence to Rick Wright and Nick Mason.
- The band is firing on all cylinders.
- Perfectly balanced between the head and the heart.
- An exquisitely beautiful work of art.
- Ironically, the start of the Roger Waters Corporation Business Interest Ltd. Money, indeed.
- There is a throughline from CAN to this to Talk Talk's "Spirit of Eden" to late 90s Radiohead.
- Still powerful and really great to listen to, front to back.
5
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Thu Mar 14 2024
The Only Ones
The Only Ones
If I saw this in the store as a teenager there's no way I want to know what's on this. No way. Based on the cover alone. I don't know who that red-faced squinty guy is, but he does NOT look like he will add musical value to my life. Or the Ron Wood-lookin dude on the left. The front guy just seems like he wants to be anywhere else and the only person who looks even somewhat like a rocker is being hidden in the back.
This better be good.
Well, it was good.Really good. Exactly the kind of thing I would have loved as a teenager actually. Like a cross between the Violent Femmes and the Buzzcocks with a bit of early rock influence (think Elvis Costello more than Elvis Presley).
The Only Ones are great instrumentalists, wrote hooks, and simply great all around. I guess these guys worked on the music more than how they look, which is perfectly fine considering the result. I apologize for my earlier remarks. This is a basket of fun danceable tracks mixed with some odd (in a good way) slower tunes. I'm astonished that I'd never heard of them. This album lives up to the "1001 Albums You Have to Hear" rule for me.
4
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Fri Mar 15 2024
461 Ocean Boulevard
Eric Clapton
***BEGIN CHATGPT PROMPTED REVIEW***
"461 Ocean Boulevard" by Eric Clapton is a lackluster attempt at revitalizing blues classics through the lens of the so-called "California Sound." While tracks like "Mainline Florida" and the standout "I Shot the Sheriff" provide fleeting moments of intrigue, the album predominantly relies on covers, reflecting what seems like creative laziness from Clapton. The appropriation of reggae elements in "I Shot the Sheriff" may resonate with some listeners, but it also raises questions about authenticity. Ultimately, the album falls short of delivering the innovation and depth expected from an artist of Clapton's caliber, resulting in a forgettable collection of uninspired renditions.
***END CHATGPT PROMPTED REVIEW***
One last note: if Clapton only played guitar there would be no problem.
2
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Mon Mar 18 2024
The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
The Smiths weren't really all that great, but they were definitely considered that by some in their time. A bit too challenging to be a pure pop band, but they did fill a temporal void in alternative music between post-punk and grunge.
For me, Morrisey pushes his poetic self-reflections too far. AndI realize that while it's part of the campiness, his vocal affectations obscure the songs' musical soul. Like putting too much mustard on a great sandwich. No matter how good all the other elements of the sandwich are, all you remember is that it was mustard. With the Smiths, you have to like mustard A LOT.
3
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Tue Mar 19 2024
Electric Warrior
T. Rex
Here is the lyric sheet for this album: ah - ah - ah - oh yeah!
I could have gone my whole life without listening to this and I would not have missed it.
The album is derivative in countless ways and so weak musically that I was almost offended. Electric? Hardly. MAYBE "Bang a Gong. MAYBE. Whoever is playing percussion on this is trying to be heard above the drummer, so they're hitting the tambourine (or clapping, or the bongo) just before the downbeat. And it's not consistently done, either. Just random movements to offset whatever groove might be trying to emerge. The guitar sound is compressed and a little flat. The singer (Marc Bolan always made me uncomfortable and not in that "ooh, what-a-strange-and-interesting-person kind of way but in the creepy-but-thinks-very-highly-of-himself kind of way) has NO dynamics or range, the lyrics are insipid and tried. Listening to this is like watching a remake of a TV show that was based on a bad Broadway show that everyone in the 70's had to watch because there was nothing else on. A real overrated downer. Electric my ass.
1
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Wed Mar 20 2024
Live!
Fela Kuti
Funky, jazzy, high-energy afrobeat by the undisputed king of the genre. Throwing Ginger Baker in there creates a symbiosis that makes this album as great as anything else on the list. Pure soul from every single band member working as a team. Fun as hell and now my new favorite album. Love love love.
5
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Thu Mar 21 2024
So
Peter Gabriel
One of my favorite albums. Lots of deep emotion. Monster musicians, especially Manu Katchè and Tony Levin. Bill Laswell and Nile Rodgers even pop in. In Your Eyes is the best love song ever written and there can be no argument. Saw Gabriel live in October 2023 and it was life-altering. This album never gets old.
5
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Fri Mar 22 2024
Dig Me Out
Sleater-Kinney
Heartfelt and nicely recorded post-punk! Listening to this I was thinking about how refreshing it is to hear women doing heavy music without relying on tropes but rather investigating and expressing their own point of view, unapologetically, without compromise. And Punk is the format for that - the idea of people outside the mainstream doing what they want, don't really care what you think. Reminded me a little of Throwing Muses, but with even more edge. Glad to hear this, I've heard of the band but never had a chance to listen. I would give it 3 1/2 stars if I could.
3
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Mon Mar 25 2024
Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
First time hearing any Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Really interesting. Kept me engaged over both of the albums, but kind of a bit much to take in all at once. Kind of Tom Waits-ish but without the annoying gravelly-voiced circus ringmaster character. Kind of pretentious, the songs about love and sex were compelling but lack ambiguity or abstraction that makes someone else's stories artistic. Otherwise very enjoyable on a Saturday afternoon cleaning my raingutters!
3
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Tue Mar 26 2024
Frank
Amy Winehouse
It took 43 people to make this?
Unpopular opinion but I think Amy Winehouse’s voice is weak and annoying. The songwriting left me cringing. Much like every other post 2000 female r& b artist. Very commercial and definitely not for me. Owes too much to its influences.
2
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Wed Mar 27 2024
Jagged Little Pill
Alanis Morissette
Head Over Feet is a nice song. Forgiven is a good new treatment of an old theme. She shows off some vocal chops on Mary Jane that were a surprise. Ironic is a way better song than I remember. Maybe it’s the nostalgia sauce that makes it more delicious than it used to be.
3
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Thu Mar 28 2024
Better Living Through Chemistry
Fatboy Slim
A Moogtastic panoply of zounds with a surprise around every corner. Wish I was there to see it!
I like most of what Fatboy Slim does. This one is not quite as taut as "You've Come a Long Way, Baby" but has similar punchy rhythms and tasty synth oscillations as its successor. If you like "Praise You" and its ilk you'll like this.
4
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Fri Mar 29 2024
Now I Got Worry
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
You can't fool me, I know punk rock when I hear it. Maybe it's psychobilly. Whatever it is, it's rad. Album of the week.
4
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Mon Apr 01 2024
The Chronic
Dr. Dre
I'm a little loathe to admit it but Robert Christgau's assessment mirrors what I think exactly: "The Chronic (which I still can't stand but respect for its influence and iconicity)"
"Dr. Dre: The Chronic [Interscope, 1992]
The crucial innovation of this benchmark album isn't its conscienceless naturalization of casual violence. It's Dre's escape from sampling. Other rappers, as they are called, have promised to create their own musical environments, usually without revealing how much art and how much publishing fuels their creative resolve. But Dre is the first to make the fantasy pay out big-time. The world he hears in his head isn't the up-to-date P-Funk fools say they hear--that would be too hard. Instead he lays bassline readymades under simulations of Bernie Worrell's high keyb sustain, a basically irritating sound that in context always signified fantasy, not reality--stoned self-loss or, at a best Dre never approaches, grandiose jive. This is bell-bottoms-and-Afros music, its spiritual source the blaxploitation soundtrack, and what it promises above all is boom times for third-rate flautists--sociopathic easy-listening. Even if it's "just pop music," as some rationalize, it's bad pop music. C+"
DNF
2
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Tue Apr 02 2024
Talking Heads 77
Talking Heads
It's an art piece!
You will enjoy this a lot more if you take a naive approach and reject the notion that every band or album has to belong to some genre. For example, Wikipedia puts the song "Psycho Killer" alone into no less than 6, from art punk (wat?) to no wave (sure, okay). Just relax and allow Talking Heads '77 to reveal it's true nature.
Talking Heads laissez-faire approach to music frees them as songwriters to rummage around in your psyche and find whatever weirdness they can turn up. Like when you go to a new town, everything familiar is a little different. Songs about the mundane that reveal other concepts about ourselves without force or irony.
Groundbreaking yet catchy, odd but confident. Some of David Byrne's most entertaining and interesting vocals on all of the Talking Heads records are here. A really important album for the future of the metagenre known as alternative rock and a home run on their first at-bat.
I was complaining
I was down in the dumps
I feel so strong now 'cause you pulled me up
5
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Wed Apr 03 2024
OK Computer
Radiohead
I have to put this to bed for myself. Been wracking my brain trying to figure out, really, what I think about this album (and Radiohead in general, as I still owe a review of Kid A). But I think I finally got it.
The band are paradoxical. Yorke goes out of his way to confuse us both lyrically and professionally - in interviews, his stage presence or lack thereof, etc. Abjectly refusing to take the Prog baton, while doing exactly that. Being the "Biggest Band in the World™" while at the same time the most introverted band to ever exist (putting the lie to "introversion" as real concept at all, but these personality tropes help marketers so let's all just keep on pushing the stereotypes). Being upper-crust English Gentlemen from Oxford yet having a vicious hatred for the establishment.
Being the living human embodiment of these paradoxes would push one to the edge of a certain socially acceptable madness. The listener is expected to ignore all of it and take a quick dip in this strange pool. I'm not judging this as bad. In fact, one of the reasons Radiohead succeeds is that they are somehow able to make catchy well-composed, almost accessible music out of this confused, often depressing and enraging state of mind. It's an impermanent state, but one that will float in and out of consciousness without warning. And one that leaves only on it's own accord, even if asked politely.
This is Radiohead for me. They absolutely went to a place pop music (HA!) never really went. If we believe Yorke and Co this was not contrived but spontaneous. Another paradox, in that if tyoou think about it, no music is either truly spontaneous or truly contrived, it's not a black and white thing.
I was becoming annoyed by interpretations of the lyrics and their confusing, abstract nature: WHAT DOES THIS MEAN! Add to it the idea, for me, that some of these interpretations do NOT correspond at all with what the words in the poems actually ARE. Just as an example, let's talk about Airbag (first song on the album and puts itself out there as a representative). I've read articles whose purpose was to shed light on the poetry (it's poetry, in the ancient sense, but without the storytelling) claiming this song is about a car crash. And outside of the literal interpretation, about "transport", and maybe even the dangers of modern society, cars, whatever. But if you look at the lyrics, what are they really saying? Born again. Almost died. Airbag saved my life. What actually saved your life, man? How did you almost die? Was Thomas telling the story of a car accident that he was in? Maybe.. these guys are a paradox. Maybe all of his angst has to do with people like me misinterpreting what he's trying to say. (I've read that infact some of Thom Yorke's angst comes from exactly this.) Is "Airbag" a complaint about technology, or an acknowledgement? The fine German car caused a problem (car crash), but the Airbag prevented a different problem (death), so maybe the technology that can kill you can actually save you? What is repeatedly discussed is being born again, and the chorus about an interstellar burst and how I am back to save the universe. Yes, Thom Yorke was in an accident, yes, he has spoken about it and the relationship to this song. So you can certainly take it very literally - the feeling of escaping a near death experience adn emerging from it with a renewed sense of joie de vivre. But HAVE YOU HEARD THIS SONG. There is no joy, only fear.
So it's poetry and soundtracks. The poetry isn't really all that great. The singer sounds almost as if he doesn't want you to understand the words, they are there as a vehicle for his voice to intertwine with the guitar - vocals as musical instrument. WHich is great. People love that. It has just been difficult to unravel the various paradoxes with Radiohead, or understand when they are possibly NOT being paradoxical at all. I came to this music later in my life. If I heard this first when I was 17, you couldn't tear it out of my cold dead hands. But I deeply respect it, tall the guys in this bad are fantastic musicians and Thom Yorke is without question one of the best vocalists of this generation (arguably any generation), and an entertaining frontman as well. But every time I hear Radiohead, a small bit of my enjoyment is clouded by the cynicism that they themselves frame everything with. It becomes tedious. I feel pressure to like them more than I do. When that pressure gets to be too much to take, I put on OK Computer and drift away to a different place ;)
4
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Thu Apr 04 2024
The Coral
The Coral
This was very interesting, as a Rock album after Radiohead supposedly ended the album era. There's a late 60's folk/psych feel here that is charming and sincere. Lots of musical variety and some intrguing surprises here and there without being overly ambitious, making this an enjoyable listen.The album feels very live - as if I were listening to the band in the pub wherever these dudes are from, everyone is having a great time. Really fun.
3
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Fri Apr 05 2024
The Downward Spiral
Nine Inch Nails
Another juvenile fit-thrower from the 90s, like Marilyn Manson and later Eminem. DNF
1
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Mon Apr 08 2024
Elephant
The White Stripes
There's a macho approach to rock 'n' roll that The White Stripes didn't exactly avoid in previous albums, but on this they somehow became Led Zeppelin all of a sudden. Almost overconfident without the self-effacing charm of previous albums. Still brilliant in a lot of ways: clever lyrically, solid grooves that maintain the DIY trope, and some 5-star guitar playing - Jack White's guitar sound speaks to me, and some of the solos on here are wildly expressive. Drugs make an appearance, though? What's up with that?
4
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Tue Apr 09 2024
The Man Machine
Kraftwerk
Sometimes music can just be something to listen to, not worry too much about, enjoy the sound, the rhythms, the little melodies, the chord changes. Just listening with no effort expected on the listener's part. Light entertainment for your amusement.
3
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Wed Apr 10 2024
This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Give it up for The Attractions ladies and gentlemen! The rhythm section and drum 'breakdown' on Lipstick Vogue literally making me cry. It's not Punk Rock, it's another level of Elvis Costello that didn't show up on "My Aim is True." More complex. More inscrutable. Deeper. Heavier. Angrier.
"Big Tears
mean nothing {scowling}
When you're lyin' in
your coffin"
Jesus! Easy, Elvis!
Then they just toss off "Radio, Radio" like it's a Sunday afternoon jam with friends. Fantastic.
Takes a while to get into, but once you do, it's a pretty fulfilling musical experience.
4
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Thu Apr 11 2024
Pump
Aerosmith
Kind of strangely good hard rock at the end of the hair-metal era. Peak Stephen Tyler, I'm not a huge fan, but tons of respect for the voice. Smarter than average but with some cheesiness (which is not the worst thing in the world - a sense of humor is always welcome). Enjoyable overall. For me the big winner is the whole second side of the album, notably Hoodoo Voodoo/Medicine Man, which was a Brad Whitford (!) song. Go figure. Janie's Got a Gun is a good song, regardless of what you think of Aerosmith. Good, well thought-out album. Good to see rock stars come back from the dark side instead of immolating themselves for a change.
4
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Fri Apr 12 2024
The Infotainment Scan
The Fall
Five stars because fu the Fall are awesome. It's different and you just don't get it. This is their most accessible album, and it's not all that accessible. I wonder if someone challenged Mark E. Smith (who is a god by the way) to come up with a pop album?
Might change me name to Shadrach Glamrick.
5
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Mon Apr 15 2024
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Pop R & B isn't my usual taste in music but the further into this album I got, the more I enjoyed it. Especially like the socially conscious songs and the variety of influences (dancehall, rap). Always cool to get a feminist perspective. Really like the cover of "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You."
3
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Tue Apr 16 2024
The Bends
Radiohead
Really like Guitar-Radiohead a little more than Experimental-Ambient-Radiohead, and this peak Guitar-Radiohead. SO EMOTIONAL though, fakeplastictrees kills me every time. High and Dry is a great pop song on an album is chock full of great songs, I don't care if Thomm doesn't like it. Not an easy or casual listen, but as deep as anything the band ever did. Not for everyone. It was always odd to me how popular this band was, hoping someone can explain it to me some day.
4
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Wed Apr 17 2024
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Dead Kennedys
I saw the Dead Kennedys at this weird little gymnasium in SLC. Got smashed up against the stage for most of the show while my friends were either in a mosh pit or floating around the outside. I was wearing my favorite metallic orange skinny tie and a shitty thrift store suit. Someone tries to choke me or hang me by grabbing my tie, I couldn't see them and I decided I could escape by whipping my head around like a dog that doesn't want to e on a leash, all the while screaming Chemical Warfare into the mic the Jello pushed in the faces of us all getting smashed into the stage. The tie itself was finally unleashed but I didn't really care, that was he best night of my young life up to that point.
My friends had similar tales.
Hands down my favorite punk album ever and I think most of these themes still resonate. My deadhead friends couldn't listen to 5 minutes of this without yelling at me to turn it off, but that was their loss.
5
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Thu Apr 18 2024
Rhythm Nation 1814
Janet Jackson
Inoffensive but otherwise meh. Owes a lot to Prince and Michael Jackson (no relation). Black Cat is a cool song, others are mostly unoriginal and weakly executed.
2
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Fri Apr 19 2024
Grace
Jeff Buckley
Intense. Not what I expected. A lot of variety musically. Really powerful, at times prescient considering Jeff Buckley's short life - for example on "So Real" he sings
"...I couldn't awake
from the nightmare
that sucked me in
and pulled me under
Pulled me under
oh that was so real..."
4
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Mon Apr 22 2024
The Joshua Tree
U2
Like the best bands, the best albums are of a piece.
The last of the great rock-era U2 albums, before they "reinvented" themselves - as what, many of us fans STILL do not know. I guess just "not this anymore." Yet this album (and the little portion of their career it represents) was a career plateau that they never really got back to.
They hold up a mirror to America, more as their own introspection than as a preachy diatribe. There is a respect and disappointment in the romanticism. And it's not all about America, either. Running to Stand Still, Streets Have No Name, most of these are about everywhere. Like a daydream, images fade in and out, some more lucid than others.
The themes and lyrical content give the whole thing its emotional underpinning. U2 as musicians have hit their stride, confident in the style that they invented for themselves and unapologetically galloping from one rendering of it to the next. Instrumentally, U2 have a tension between the piercing staccato of guitar and the down-to-earth smoothness of the bass. This tension is not so much antagonistic as it is a framework or scaffolding. The drums/bass/guitar push against each other and work together to support whatever chaos is happening on top of and around them. Kind of a cool trick that works really well for them in that the singer isn't doing pop tropes all the time. He requires an instrumental pulpit that the band are happy to provide. Neither can exist without the other. This structure sounds great on an album with outsized and ambitious anthemic thrust.
It does fail for some listeners who aren't up for that level of commitment, maybe. U2 have attempted to take on difficult and far-reaching themes, inside and outside of themselves. It can be a lot. I always really loved that about them, though. They are committed to each other, the fans, the music, and what they are trying to say. When it works, like it does here, it can be a religious experience.
5
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Tue Apr 23 2024
Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
Some interesting grooves. Story songs, but without much subtlety. I do feel transported into a world I'm unfamiliar with, I enjoyed that. Not Just Money, Super Rich Kids, and Crack Rock carry this whole thing for me. A lot to recommend but it doesn't make me feel anything. I like the minimalism and chill tempos. I would need more time with this. Seems like Frank Ocean (if that IS your real name!) is not that into making music and this was something he shedded like a snake skin from his lifestyle. It's ok.
2
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Wed Apr 24 2024
Surf's Up
The Beach Boys
Some of the worst music I've heard of the albums I've listened to so far. Really not good. I never "got" the Beach Boys, and this just makes me dislike them more.
1
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Thu Apr 25 2024
Olympia 64
Jacques Brel
Couldn't get through it. Maybe some other ti,e. He's a good enough singer, and I'm sure this is a good example of the genre. I couldn't do it. Grateful for having a streaming subscription so I don't have to buy or try to borrow stuff like this.
1
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Fri Apr 26 2024
You're Living All Over Me
Dinosaur Jr.
This is heavy proto-grunge, negatively focused on the whole, challenging, noisy, and weird. What was happening in Massachusetts in the late 80s? This is what "indie" used to be. Much less of an attempt to be popular through hooky songwriting tropes. More from the heart and about as underground as you want to be without disappearing completely. I don't dislike this era, sort of underground American post-post-punk - I don't know. Definitely not for everyone. A bit in that Minutemen/Hüsker Dü/Meat Puppets vein. A lot more dismal and introspective though.
3