825
Albums Rated
3.29
Average Rating
76%
Complete
264 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
2020s
Favorite Decade
Soul
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
123
5-Star Albums
39
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Cupid & Psyche 85
Scritti Politti
|
5 | 2.39 | +2.61 |
|
Honky Tonk Masquerade
Joe Ely
|
5 | 2.68 | +2.32 |
|
Djam Leelii
Baaba Maal
|
5 | 2.79 | +2.21 |
|
Night Life
Ray Price
|
5 | 2.81 | +2.19 |
|
Sweetheart Of The Rodeo
The Byrds
|
5 | 2.83 | +2.17 |
|
Shadowland
k.d. lang
|
5 | 2.86 | +2.14 |
|
Good Old Boys
Randy Newman
|
5 | 2.86 | +2.14 |
|
BEYONCÉ
Beyoncé
|
5 | 2.86 | +2.14 |
|
Brown Sugar
D'Angelo
|
5 | 2.92 | +2.08 |
|
Paris 1919
John Cale
|
5 | 2.95 | +2.05 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
|
1 | 3.46 | -2.46 |
|
Hail To the Thief
Radiohead
|
1 | 3.45 | -2.45 |
|
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
|
1 | 3.31 | -2.31 |
|
The Stooges
The Stooges
|
1 | 3.26 | -2.26 |
|
Le Tigre
Le Tigre
|
1 | 3.13 | -2.13 |
|
You're Living All Over Me
Dinosaur Jr.
|
1 | 3.08 | -2.08 |
|
No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live)
Motörhead
|
1 | 3.06 | -2.06 |
|
Vulgar Display Of Power
Pantera
|
1 | 2.97 | -1.97 |
|
Very
Pet Shop Boys
|
1 | 2.93 | -1.93 |
|
E.V.O.L.
Sonic Youth
|
1 | 2.89 | -1.89 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Stevie Wonder | 4 | 5 |
| Beatles | 6 | 4.67 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 4 | 4.75 |
| The Beach Boys | 3 | 5 |
| David Bowie | 8 | 4.13 |
| Jurassic 5 | 2 | 5 |
| Willie Nelson | 2 | 5 |
| Kendrick Lamar | 2 | 5 |
| Rush | 2 | 5 |
| The Pogues | 2 | 5 |
| Led Zeppelin | 5 | 4.2 |
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Sonic Youth | 5 | 2 |
| Dinosaur Jr. | 2 | 1.5 |
| Robert Wyatt | 2 | 1.5 |
| Motörhead | 2 | 1.5 |
| The Fall | 2 | 1.5 |
| Pet Shop Boys | 3 | 2 |
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 4 | 2.25 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Grateful Dead | 5, 2 |
| Simon & Garfunkel | 4, 2, 5 |
| The Byrds | 3, 2, 2, 5 |
| The Who | 2, 4, 5, 3 |
5-Star Albums (123)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Justice
5/5
Whoa. I have never heard of Justice before and I'm mad about it. This is the type of electronica I like, a little filthy and tons of energy. I hate to reference the only other electronica band I like, but this gives great Daft Punk vibes, great sample usage, funky beats and great composition. I am having a hard time picking a few tracks, every one just hits as good as the last. It really reminds of Mystery Skulls too, which is a great thing.
9 likes
Roxy Music
2/5
man I cant dig this. The lead singer sounds like someone yelled at him or punched him in the stomach before recording and he's holding back tears. Also it just sounds a little too boring for rock.
7 likes
Hot Chip
2/5
I think this album spent too much time trying to catch the 80's and kinda threw everything else out the window. it has some fun here and there but the majority was unlistenable (Motion Sickness set the bar pretty well for what to expect).
6 likes
Talking Heads
2/5
Hard pass. Definitely not my vibe at all. Musically a lot of these songs sound great but the lyrics and vocals bring it crashing down, maybe its just over my head. Psycho Killer is the only song I know off this album and I'd be fine with never hearing it again.
4 likes
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
cool rock and synthy fun. I've never heard of ELO before but I enjoyed this quite a bit. Sweet Talkin' Woman got me hooked. also unrelated to the music, I absolutely love the cover art, weird 70's sci fi does it for me. great energy throughout, it gets a little too bombastic here and there but man was this fun.
2 likes
1-Star Albums (39)
All Ratings
ZZ Top
3/5
outside the hits its pretty forgettable, they do most of the heavy lifting. I remember my dad air guitaring Gimme All Your Lovin at a pool hall with my uncles one time so I'll always have it in my brain for that reason.
Linkin Park
2/5
14 year old me would have given this 5 stars, but revisiting this as an adult sees it for a lot of loud angst with pretty base lyrics. Would fit perfectly into an early 2000's edgy videogame.
The Jam
3/5
Pass, not my vibe, it has a good energy to it though and it manages to keep it going the whole way. In The Crowd was pretty good, also the least abrasive.
Jurassic 5
5/5
great album! has a fantastic flow from start to finish. Utilizes so many different sounds (If You Only Knew has a great jazz flute background) and the lyrics range anywhere from philosophical to relationships between friends and lovers (Thin Line). I havent listened to much in the way of alternative hip hop but I kept this on from start to finish with no breaks!
Ray Charles
3/5
I cant find the country anywhere in this, but its still pretty good. it does conjure a romantic movie set during the gold rush on the praires though. Born To Lose is a good example, hits the earmarks of a country ballad without the country, its odd.
Beatles
5/5
so many timeless hits, some of The Beatles' best.The latter half isnt quite as strong but its still pretty good.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Public Enemy
4/5
The Replacements
3/5
All it sounds like to me is the soundtrack to a forgotten 80's teen comedy. A few songs that stuck out were Androgynous (a song about two non-binary people in a relationship all the way back in 1984), Gary's Got a Boner, and Perfectly Lethal. A decent entry in post-punk coming-of-age type music. It has a pretty rough sound in some areas which is typical of the genre, but its not really my thing. Although, I can appreciate it for what it is.
Billy Bragg
4/5
having never listened to Billy Bragg or Wilco (or woody guthrie for that matter) I wasnt sure what to expect, but the more I settled in the more I enjoyed it. Deifnitely suited for a particular mood, like taking a long road trip by yourself to somewhere new. I particularly liked California Stars and Ingrid Bergman.
LTJ Bukem
1/5
I guess I just dont get it. The genre never really attracted me but I gave it a chance, it just seemed like a cacophony of noise. Did not care for a single track.
Keith Jarrett
3/5
its spa music. smooth, relaxing, inoffensive.
David Bowie
3/5
I'm not a huge David Bowie fan, but I recognize his talent and what he did for music and art throughout his career. This was a little too melancholy for me in some places, none of the tracks really stood out, but they all had his distinct style.
Little Simz
4/5
pretty interesting album. I dont know much UK based hip hop so it was a nice change. good sound and flow throughout, I always have an ear for something a little alternative sounding in the genre. Flowers stood out the most to me.
Jimmy Smith
4/5
jazz sax always hits.just right.
Britney Spears
4/5
I never thought I would've enjoyed Britney Spears' debut album as much as I did. Its clear to see how she impacted the world of pop music and what followed. 12 year old me begrudgingly liked it and 36 year old me frickin loves it.
The only knock against it is that its top heavy. You get the strongest hits right away, but the rest of it is still pretty good and has maybe one or two misses. Its Britney bitch.
Tori Amos
2/5
I cant really hear anything that separates her from her peers at this time. I'm sure one of these tracks made it to a Women & Songs album.
Korn
2/5
dumb but fun to listen to (even if just for the beatbox on Freak on a Leash) but only once.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Funky! Never heard of them before but great sound!
Can
3/5
if you want something to play in the background while you do something else this will work.
Orbital
3/5
most of this is pretty forgettable 90's electronica except for Halcyon and On and On which holds a special place in my heart for appearing on the Mortal Kombat movie soundtrack (at the end when they're celebrating before Shao Khan shows up) and the forever classic Hackers.
Dolly Parton
5/5
Dolly Parton fucking rules. From being in love, heartbreaks, to good ol' days, she covers it all and tells a great story. Really enjoyed this one, I've always been a sucker for bluegrass/folk style country
Boards of Canada
2/5
To me, this album is like when you try and listen to someone explain a concept to you several times but you just cant grasp it. This went way over my head, also the genre just isnt for me. Felt really meandering and repetetive.
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
"I'm so counter-culture that I'll make every song sound roughly the same!" The Album. I dunno, their peers are way better for similar themes.
The Lemonheads
2/5
its weird, it reminds me of Great Big Sea if they decided to make Alt-Rock instead. I cant find a song I actively like off this album.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
some great songs off here, and even if they're not great, the rest of the album blows out the majority of this entire list of 1001 albums that I've seen so far. its Zeppelin!
Marvin Gaye
4/5
music to get laid by. Marvin is awesome, lets get it on.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
2/5
More electronica that I just dont vibe with, but I'm learning how big this genre is in the UK
Daft Punk
3/5
the singles off this album are great, but Discovery really crushes this outing comparitively so. not bad, just too bloated.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
not bad, a little too brooding for me, but Cohen is a great song writer!
Saint Etienne
2/5
more house music, nothing really stands out. Again, this genre just isnt my vibe, so its most likely lost on me. I cant figure why this gets a spot on the list either, it doesnt really differentiate itself as far as I can tell
Everything But The Girl
4/5
having knowing nothing about this group or any of their songs I was expecting nothing good, but I was pleasantly surprised. makes great use of the 80's sounds, a nice variety of music, almost like city pop in some places.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
5/5
great album with a really distinct sound to it! definitely made me a fan and I'll be checking out what else they offer. If you want a heavier 80's punk, its all here.
Jeru The Damaja
4/5
Emmylou Harris
4/5
Quiet, soulful and introspective. definitely suited for a particular mood, but the vocals are great throughout
Dire Straits
4/5
A little top heavy, but Money For Nothing and Walk of Life are solid hits regardless. The rest of the album carries itself very well and sent me on a nostalgic trip, I used to hear this album on road trips all the time as a kid and it was good to relive that
Coldplay
3/5
I can never really decide if I like Coldplay or not. There are songs I'll sit through when I hear them on the radio like Clocks or The Scientist but just to see whats coming after. listenable album but Chris Martin really shined on Coming Home with Kanye.
The B-52's
3/5
what a goofy weird album. outside of love shack and rock lobster I knew nothing of B-52's. gives me surfing vibes, but not much else.
Steely Dan
3/5
a little funky, clever song writing, but I cant really find a track that stands out. I do really enjoy the variety of sounds they employ!
Blur
5/5
great album! Its like if Gorillaz stayed in rock, Damon Albarns lyrics are fantastic. its a shame only Blur was the worldwide hit, so many good songs, I'm glad this one popped up.
Haircut 100
4/5
its a very cohesive early 80's album. I'm not terribly versed on New Wave but this seems like a great starting point. I'll admit it did seem to run together a little bit at times, but in a good way. my favorite track was probably Boy Meets Girl.
Heaven 17
1/5
this album has a lot of dead spots. its a little too synth-poppy (although its to be expected), like they just kinda noodle around on the keys a bit too much at times and can overwhelm the song. the vocals are pretty off. like they were more interested in making statements than you know, music.
John Coltrane
2/5
if you like jazz then I'm guessing this is the album you point everyone to. I cant speak against the talent here, but a lot of it just seems so incoherent, like several people playing their own solos at once, other times everything syncs up great. the problem for me is I cant point to a particular point in a song or anything, because of its nature. A technical masterpiece I'm sure, but to me it just seems like jazz jam band.
Radiohead
3/5
Not really a radiohead fan, but this is an alright album. It definitely catches their distinctive sound
Jack White
3/5
I feel like a whole album of Jack White is too much. He's got some good songs on this album and he is a great oddball musician, but his unique sound gets a little too much after a couple tracks have gone by.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Almost like a folksy Jefferson Airplane, the song in French "Si tu dois partir" is particularly good and stands apart from the rest of the album, I was a little let down from what followed
Muddy Waters
2/5
its the bluesiest blues that ever was
Isaac Hayes
4/5
hell.yeah. smooth all the way through!
5/5
this is the quintessential David Bowie album! weird, written well, great lyrics and sound!
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
a couple good songs but overall pretty average.
Meat Puppets
2/5
I dont know how you manage to make a punk band album sound kind of bland, but this does it. I can see what they were trying but it just doesnt sound good at all.
Hookworms
4/5
Just odd and weird enough to make it interesting but not pretentious, keeping the runtime short makes it more digestible too. Lots of variety on this album, my only gripe is the vocals are a little muted at times. I found Shortcomings and Static Resistance (gives some U2 energy) were up my alley.
John Cale
5/5
Having never heard of John Cale I was pleasantly surprised. I'm not well versed in orchestral music but he uses it wonderfully without it overpowering his vocals. The title track especially blends it together well. This entry stands out from the rest of its peers in the early 70's experimental rock genre (if thats what you call it) coming out of the UK. Really enjoyed this one.
Songhoy Blues
5/5
so it starts out sounding like some southern type of blues but when the vocals hit it changes completely. really good album, proves that good music can transcend language barriers. also the story behind it is really interesting too.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
This album tells me I should listen to more Joni Mitchell. Great from start to finish!
Sheryl Crow
4/5
God how unstoppable was Sheryl Crow with this album? I appreciated the hits being a little spread around this one, the rest of the album just falls a little short of the peaks, but its still very listenable!
Van Halen
4/5
I think what makes this better in my eyes is the albums short run time and the singles are very solid, except for Jump, I hate that song. any longer and I'd chuck it, but it doesnt overstay its welcome.
Deep Purple
2/5
cripes, just way way too long. maybe one or two good songs but thats it. Highway Star of course. a whole double album of bloat for this one, LIVE bloat.
Neneh Cherry
3/5
Buffalo Stance was pretty good! the rest, I could honestly do without, not bad by any means, but not great. However the themes throughout set her apart from her peers during this time.
Garbage
3/5
a little too grunge-y for my taste. BUT Shirley Manson has a great voice for rock and the band writes some pretty good songs, and from what I gather, Manson rewrote a lot of the songs herself and it reflects her own experiences more than anything.
Nick Drake
4/5
Eagles
4/5
great country/folk rock. Eagles are always a wonderful listen. definitely for more of an easygoing mood. roadtrip album for sure.
Kelela
4/5
man I love how different and varied she is! great vocals and the song production is great. the genre itself is outside my usual, but it kinda reminds me a little of Krewella but more soulful
ZZ Top
2/5
I bet this album did great with weekend warrior dads, the guy who crushes beers in his garage to work on a project but really just wants to be away from his wife and kids. pretty standard affair for ZZ Top, La Grange is probably the standout hit so your mileage may vary with this one.
Santana
4/5
Sanatana so good! Black Magic Woman, Oye Como Va and Samba Pa Ti are the songs I'm most familiar with from this album, but the whole thing is a great experience. Great vibes throughout, I remember my dad playing this record excessively loud in the basement and me being bored to tears. not anymore!
Bob Dylan
2/5
man I dont give two F's for Bob Dylan. His writing is great but putting it music is a jumbled mess to me. shoulda been a slam poet Bob
Rod Stewart
4/5
70's Rod Stewart is really creative with his
one-of-a-kind voice and utilizes a lot of different sounds, really enjoyed this album.
Rage Against The Machine
4/5
I imagine RATM superfans liken themselves to counter culture badasses who will riot on site, but were more likely the teens whose rebellious act was whispering the cuss words ln this album.
Taylor Swift
4/5
I'm not a Swiftie but I can see the evolution of her music. its not the poppy stuff you usually get but more subdued and IMO more listenable.
Happy Mondays
2/5
Did not care for this too much at all. The songs themselves are okay but quickly forgettable. Except for Rave On because of how different it sounds comparstive to everything else, and I'm not sure if thats good or bad. Reminded me a little of Fine Young Cannibals without any hits.
The Zombies
4/5
Cool album! I'm surprised I havent heard more from them, carries a great late 60's experimental rock vibe much like their contemporaries.
Throwing Muses
2/5
Bad vocals and worse music. No joke, sounds like a bleating goat at some points. Too melancholic in most places. Unique sound though.
Tom Tom Club
2/5
without Genius of Love giving way to Mariah Carey's Fantasy this would be a 1. too scattered and directionless, there is not much here to write home about
DJ Shadow
4/5
this is the perfect album for doing background stuff. it meanders a little from time to time but overall I found myself vibing to this whole album as I worked through my day, good stuff
Amy Winehouse
4/5
you know what, as someone who really dislikes Amy Winehouse and her music, I am delighted to find this album was pretty damn good. Rehab is a great song, but the rest of the album is at a good level too. maybe its because I'm getting older, or my taste has just always been weird and awful, but I'm glad I got a chance to listen to this again.
808 State
2/5
I'm sure UK 80/90's electronica has its place in music. just not for me. this sounds like music that robots would fuck to, if so thats pretty cool imagining two terminators grinding gears to this.
Ray Price
5/5
just some good old twangy heartbroken country music. A lot of the songs have a similar rhythm and feel but they all tell stories, some a little more bluesy, some a little more bluegrassy. the only knock is that the lyrics can be pretty simplistic (A Girl in the Night), but thats country baby, this is definitely easy listening! This album makes me think of passing through a little stopover town to have a drink at a local dive bar and falling in love with a townie.
Foo Fighters
3/5
I'm a big Foo Fighters fan but their debut entry is pretty mediocre all around. They hadnt locked in their sound just yet.
Living Colour
3/5
outside Cult of Personality I am unfamiliar with this band. whats interesting is how different so many of the songs sound from one another. Glamour Boys for example sounds like something from an entirely different band.
Buena Vista Social Club
5/5
man I got lost in this album so easily. hit after hit from start to finish, gets your blood pumping and makes you want to move. beautiful music, simply put.
The Byrds
3/5
a little too aloof. Space Odyssey especially was a hard listen. its just not fun to listen to. its not bad but nothing worth going out of your way to listen to.
Elvis Presley
4/5
Hell yeah, maybe its age but Elvis gets more fun the older I get. when he's not deepthroating a microphone he puts his stellar vocals to use. truly one of a kind. Only the Strong Survive and Suspicious Minds (obviously) are my favorite tracks off this one
Dr. John
2/5
its like Cajun Van Morrison but not good. Psychadelic Rock is probably one of my least liked genres and this album does it no favors. I cant pinpoint anything good about this at all, what a chore to listen to.
Curtis Mayfield
5/5
I felt like I wasnt cool enough to listen to this album.
Various Artists
1/5
I can say I listened to at least one xmas album by a murderer I guess. as a holiday themed album its pretty lame, Christmas Interpretations by Boyz II Men is one of only a handful of good choices for the genre.
Steve Winwood
2/5
I liked Slowdown-Sundown, but this seemed like an album you'd hear over the mall speakers in the 80's. pretty generic.
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
hey not bad! it doesnt overstay its welcome, but I cant get into Marianne Faithful's voice, which is a standout quality she has. a good one and done listen
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
is this just Stomp, but German? Either way I feel I can recreate this album walking down the street with a few bags of recyclables.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
hell yeah! Everything you want and need from a Bob Marley album!
Aretha Franklin
4/5
maybe I'm soft but most of the soul,r&b, motown stuff I grew up hearing will always have a place in my heart. Aretha kills is on this album, Respect is a timeless banger and she's a legend for a reason!
Nirvana
3/5
Another in the list of albums I heard through the wall I shared with my brothers room. I thought I would like this more, I'm guessing I just dont really like grunge or Nirvana. Heart Shaped Box is great, Dumb is good, All Apologies is good, the rest is just okay.
Elton John
4/5
I had a great time with this album! Eltons always got a fun way about his music.
Roxy Music
2/5
man I cant dig this. The lead singer sounds like someone yelled at him or punched him in the stomach before recording and he's holding back tears. Also it just sounds a little too boring for rock.
Pere Ubu
2/5
meh, a little more modern sounding on some places than most rock from this era, but it absolutely drags. had to force myself to push through.
The White Stripes
3/5
I used to think this album ruled but I just liked Seven Nation Army a lot. Even the other hits were a pass for me. Maybe I'm just not a Jack White fan, despite his unique delivery working really well sometimes but missing more often.
The White Stripes
3/5
not bad. better than the White Stripes album I got the day before. Fell in Love With a Girl is great but nothing else on here really comes close to that peak. its fine.
Travis
4/5
this was a nice little surprise. I actually enjoyed this album a fair amount. hits that sweet spot for a more melancholic side of rock.
Gang Starr
3/5
its okay.
T. Rex
4/5
I learned that I should listen to more T. Rex! really fun album!
Cheap Trick
3/5
I mostly hate live albums save for the odd one, this is not an odd one out. except I Want You, this version absolutely blows out the regular version.
Talvin Singh
1/5
from start to finish this is boring and actually difficult to listen to. when the artist says "there are more sonic territories to explore" I imagine the recording studio must be a personal fart huffing chamber.
The Band
3/5
this was a regular in my dads recors rotation. I cant count how many times I've heard The Weight but I've never gotten sick of it! brought back memories but listening as an adult it was just okay. love their sound though.
Massive Attack
4/5
I like Massive Attack the more I like it. ever since hearing Angel in the movie Snatch. great job combining genres to produce a unique sound, instead of coming off as tryhard it just works!
The Velvet Underground
4/5
some hits some misses. a classic album for a reason, I really enjoyed this one, particularly I'm Set Free, but majority of this album is worth a lesson.
Wilco
3/5
you know, its not bad.Jesus, Etc I found to be really good. I think I'd like to explore more of their albums based off this listen. I'll give it another try because it scratches an itch for a sound I didnt know I wanted.
Metallica
4/5
This album has a place in every divorced dad collection (and the growing list of albums I heard through the wall of my brothers room) , and for good reason! Cant help but enjoy Enter Sandman, Unforgiven and Nothing Else Matters.
Nick Drake
4/5
Something I like about this list is that it shows me stuff I never would have paid any mind to had I come across it on my own. Really great easy listening. Solo road trip music. Pink Moon and Free Ride particularly were my favourites. My only gripe is that his voice took a bit for me to appreciate.
Jeff Beck
3/5
so Rowdy Roddy Stewart is the standout on this album by a mile (I know nothing of this band and assumed the lead singer just sounded a lot like him for a weird reason) but its interesting to hear him on something a little harder than you usually would. not bad.
Van Morrison
3/5
i really love Van Morrison but I found this to be more of a chore, not bad, but not great. great singer/songwriter but tghis album left me wanting.
Dire Straits
5/5
Sultans of Swing rules. this whole album is just plain good rock.
Ray Charles
4/5
the balls to call it The Genius of Ray Charles gets it a point, if you like your horns loud, you will love this. what can I say, Ray is a legend for a reason. just maybe lower the volume a bit.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
it hits that good spot of being quirky and strange but not unlistenable. I dont know if I'll search out anything else by them, but liked this entry.
N.W.A.
3/5
a lot of their songs didnt really age well, but the hits are great. although the run time is way longer than I remember. absolutely a product of its time and awesome for what it ushered in, but I dont know if it stands up to today.
Fiona Apple
4/5
Criminal is worth the price of admission on this one alone! Pretty great all around album
Miles Davis
3/5
I mean its okay. Jazz just kind of blends together for me after awhile. Miles is a legend but I just dont have an ear for the genre I guess
Nirvana
3/5
Another in the series of albums I heard through the wall of my brothers room growing up. I'm way more familiar with this one but I dont know if that means its good. A lot of these songs kind of blend together in the middle. I think I just dont care for grunge. Come As You Are is pretty good.
Al Green
5/5
Fuck yes Al Green, I cant say enough good things about his music. Amazing top to bottom. I heard my first Al Green song on my way home from a night class in the middle of winter. Just me and Al Green driving home on a snowy highway in my shitbox car.
The Roots
4/5
Roots are good, but the Seed 2.0 with Cody Chesnutt makes a good song greater.
Nine Inch Nails
3/5
I can see why people love NIN but I cant get behind it. Closer is good I guess. Trent Reznor's musical contributions spanning albums, movies, games, etc. Is really commendable and he absolutely gives a distinct flavor that sets a mood.
Snoop Dogg
4/5
At the start of this album it made me wonder what happened to all the skits on Rap albums that was so prevalent during the 90's. As I finished the album it made me realize how much they bloat everything and make it a slog to get through, some are still great dont get me wrong! Anyway, fun album with some classic hits, hasnt aged terribly well but I still enjoyed most of it.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
5/5
I've found a new album I otherwise never would have thought to listen to on my own. Amazing, every song a hit, thoroughly enjoyed this one Plastico especially, I like that it starts with almost disco vibes and rolls into salsa, just great.
Duran Duran
3/5
I dont really care for Duran Duran at all BUT this album is produced really well. The hits on this still didnt do it for me, but its a good glimpse into 80's synth pop rock
Buzzcocks
3/5
its a late 70's British punk rock album and has all the earmarks. Hard sounding instruments, not great vocals and lots of counter culture hatred. not really my thing BUT I can see why its a favorite in those circles.
Judas Priest
5/5
just good old fashioned metal. great listen from front to back.
Christine and the Queens
2/5
I dont know, it seems like this album doesnt have a sound it wants to stay in. It sounds like an unreleased album from the 80's. Seeing as my French is pretty bad I think a good chunk is lost on me. I didnt mind Feel So Good, nothing else really got my attention though.
Circle Jerks
1/5
I'm not much of a fan of the good hardcore punk albums, let alone this. Great name, great album name, but thats where it stops for me. I could picture some mid 2000's dickheads (me) creating a homemade Jackass/CKY skate compilation with a fisheye lens to this album.
George Harrison
4/5
I love George Harrison, I'm kind of split between this album and Dark Horse, my only complaint with it is that its still got some beatle-y influence so some of the tracks dont stand quite on their own BUT Harrison has a really good sound, also its just way too damn long.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
halfway through listening I realized I heard this album a fair amount growing up, not knowing that Paul McCartney and Wings were the band to some mystery songs in my youth, Jet in particular. Pretty solid record, I enjoyed this one top to bottom, its sound is far enough removed from Paul's time with the Beatles sot has its own unique sound.
Nas
5/5
One of the best examples of a legendary rap album. Excellent lyrics, flow, etc. Everything you need is here.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
Not the drum and bass I am used to hearing and hating but much more listenable. There's just no edge to it, vocals are nice though.
Janis Joplin
3/5
my only experience with Janis Joplin is the greatest hits album so hearing a lot of non-hits wasnt great BUT it was still alright! She's got a distinctive voice especially in a genre with very little female representation
Wild Beasts
2/5
this kinda sounds like a band took a bunch of discarded songs by The Police and tries to make an album out of it. Indie music is already such a mixed bag I wasnt expecting much, Two Dancers being in two parts made me laugh at least, but this seems like a band some pretentious music dickhead would shame you for not knowing or bail on them after they gained more than a dozen fans.
FKA twigs
1/5
wow this was bad. not much of a discernable rhythm, it felt like more of a mish-mash of electronica and vocals than anything arranged. Maybe it sounds better on heroin.
Radiohead
3/5
Radiohead does sad music pretty well, maybe its closer to despair. Once in awhile is fine but a whole album? Nah, cant fault them for their musical contributions though!
Guided By Voices
2/5
The sound quality on this drove me nuts, and I was confused about why this album sounded like it was played on a small town radio station but I guess it was intentional. This is a long one too, I think if this is your genre its a shining example but to me it was just a lot of garbled noise and half-songs that didnt need to be recorded (Always Crush Me is awful for this and made shut it off for awhile).
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
I dont know much of reggae to begin with but its always a great mood setter. It hits me like bluegrass does, strangely, always levels me out. Its good, and Bob Marley is the best example of it probably, but I'd need to hear more because I'm sure it gets better over time.
Orange Juice
4/5
the first half lost me, but the latter half more than made up for it. I had to go back and listen to the beginning again to make sure it was the same album, but they jumo across different sounds and genres pretty effectively in this one.
Wu-Tang Clan
4/5
pretty good album, I dont know if I'll listen to it again, several great songs, but it still felt a little laborious. I think because there is so much going on between multiple artists, kung fu movie samples, sometimes you get a little too much droning noise I find, I listened to this album in chunks. Great listen overall besides those minor gripes, also bring ODB back to life.
Kacey Musgraves
4/5
I liked this! Good female led country album that sets a slower pace. My only gripe is that it can drag a little too much in some places. She has some great vocals and good lyrics, makes me think of a small town country darling singing her heart out at the local bar.
UB40
3/5
like many, my only experience with UB40 is Red Red Wine, so getting to hear more of their library was nice. not my favoritrle, but not bad either. I'm hardly a Reggae expert so I couldnt say if its great or not, but I enjoyed it for what it was.
Van Morrison
5/5
one of my favorite albums. Into The Mystic and Crazy Love being two of my favorite songs. amazing singer/songwriter, and enough variety throughout that makes the whole album a great experience.
Elvis Costello
3/5
This bounces between good and bad so it lands squarely in the middle. Songs like 20% Amnesia are a tonal nightmare but otherwise its okay.
Eminem
4/5
If you asked 12 year old me this would be a top 5 album of all time, but being a crusty 36 year old has dulled the shine. Gotta give credit for having such a strong debut, and its truly a product of the times it was produced. Lots of stuff didnt age well, but you cant deny the talent and work involved.
Genesis
2/5
Unless its Nelly's Sweat/Suit there is never a need for a double album. Too long and probably one of Genesis' lamer attempts.
Guns N' Roses
3/5
never been a real Gn'R fan to begin with, but this album was fine. the singles are good, the other stuff not so much. its okay.
Jamiroquai
4/5
the best way I can describe this album is fun with a capital F. You cant help but enjoy yourself during this one, funky in all the right places, it runs a little long but thats it! I dont see myself staying in this genre for long but its fun to visit.
TLC
5/5
GREAT RnB album! grew up with a lot of thee songs without realizing it. stand outs are of course Creep and Waterfalls (also the music video with its time appropriate CGI), listened to this from start to finish and enjoyed the whole experience
Elvis Presley
3/5
this album feels more like crooner Elvis than rock Elvis, great voice as always but so much of it blends together. While listening to this album I missed more than one track change due to similarities. Its alright, the best had yet to come.
Kate Bush
2/5
This album felt like music played in the background of an early 90's cd-rom of a slideshow featuring grainy landscape photos. So you can imagine my surprise and laughter when Kate tells us how to operate a computer in Deeper Understanding. This album is just plain boring and keeps the same droning energy throughout.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
2/5
Seems pretty disjointed and all over the place until Maps (thank you Rock Band) and Y Control, I dont really care for this album outside of those two, feels like a big miss.
Le Tigre
1/5
I did not care for this at all. Feels like I'm on the outside looking in and I just dont "get it." I'll chalk it up to a lack of understanding but I had to stop and start so many times because it was annoying to get through.
Joan Armatrading
4/5
pretty good! runs a bit long but overall a good listen!
Femi Kuti
5/5
So so good. As soon as the sax notes hit in the first track I was on board. Not a genre you get to hear very often and its executed so well. Gives great vibes of 70's car chases at some points.
Anthrax
3/5
If you wanna thrash I'm sure this is great. However I cant point to any particular song that stands out. All the ingredients are there for an album like this, but it lacks that little extra push to make it great. I'm sure actual metalheads will disagree
Isaac Hayes
3/5
At first I was bummed by the low track number on this album, then even more bummed when each song is 9-12 minutes. Isaac Hayes is great, dont get me wrong, but this was a slog to get through, no matter how sexy I felt.
Primal Scream
2/5
More bad than good but still some good ideas on this album. I found myself anticipating the end more than anything unfortunately.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
This album has a great energy throughout. With Elvis Costello its hard to guess how listenable the album will be but this one hits the ground running. as usual his distinct vocals and style take a bit to adjust to but the payoff is worth it. Tokyo Storm Warning was a favorite for me.
Joe Ely
5/5
man I've never listened to a Joe Ely song before but this was such a good experience. he straddles that line between country and blues and rock and introduces some interesting ideas. from bluegrassy sounds in Because of the Wind and West Texas Waltz, or more country rock/blues of Honky Tonkin' or Cornbread Moon, or the ballad stuff like I Thinl I'm Gonna Go Downtown. also he sure says Honky Tonk a lot!
Willie Nelson
5/5
just good old fashioned 70's cowboy country. telling stories by a campfire country. I get images of driving through small farm towns in a banged up old reliable pickup truck as I listen to this. Willie is a great lyricist and you cant help but relax to his songs.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
ugh. just bad. a true chore to sit through.
Aerosmith
2/5
this is kinda like the beginnings of dad rock so I'll give it that. But I'm guessing you'd have to be an actual Aerosmith fan to truly appreciate this.
Queen
3/5
I forget that Queen hits that weird fantasy-rock niche, like with Ogre Battle on this album or when they did that album for Highlander. they hit such a wide gamut but stay consistent to their sound, if you dont like something here chances are you'll find it on another album.
Eagles
5/5
its classic rock for a reason. short but sweet, doesnt overstay its welcome.
Spiritualized
3/5
I'd categorize this as white noise. didnt really stick out but it wasnt so bad I had to turn it off. I had it on while working and it served its purpose
Moby Grape
4/5
I found this to be better than I was expecting. A little soft rock, folk and country inspired. Mr. Blues, 8:05 and Aint No Use and Changes stuck out to me in particular. never hearing of Moby Grape before I wouldnt mind hearing more.
Iron Maiden
5/5
as classic as heavy metal can get, Iron Maiden knocks it out of the park with this timeless album. From start to finish its cool as hell.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
not much of a stones fan outside Beast of Burden, although this album had a song titled Turd on the Run so points for that. pretty okay.
Calexico
4/5
heyy this was interesting, I usually skip over melancholic indie stuff like this but it held my attention. I'd say 4.5. it lost me a little here and there but made me want to listen to more. Pepita stuck with me the most.
Frank Zappa
3/5
really short , offers 6 songs of some real jazzy stuff. appreciate the horns in the opening track. also I enjoyed Willie the Pimp, I distinctly remember hearing that song being played on a vinyl in my basement as a child. not much else stuck with me though.
Erykah Badu
5/5
Erykah is always a vibe. she rarely if ever misses, this is a wonderful listen from start to finish, I know her style gets lost on some but its what keeps me coming back. Orange Moon is a fantastic wind down song.
Iggy Pop
5/5
Man why dont I listen to more Iggy Pop? This was fantastic!
Killing Joke
2/5
something about electronica and punk and the way this sounds tells me it should work buy this feels like a miss.
Radiohead
1/5
I dont even really like the good Radiohead stuff, this is too melancholic. I can appreciate how they play with sound, using a good pair of headphones helps, but also annoys me. The Gloaming in particular is bad for this.
Baaba Maal
5/5
Man this was fun. Outside the normal scope of albums I get. Just good chill vibes. Love the arrangements of not often heard instruments.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Your average Stones album. Everyone does their part but it doesnt rise above mediocrity for me. I'd give it a 3.5 if possible, I listened to it straight through, no breaks, can appreciate it for the most part. Under My Thumb is great though.
Pretenders
4/5
pretty good! just shy of being great, not even much of a Pretenders fan, but Space Invader is always a good listen.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
2/5
I wanted to like this but I just couldnt get into it. I like the arrangement of instruments and sounds but two songs in and it just felt like a chore.
Fiona Apple
4/5
The title made me wonder if Fiona Apple released a metal album, but nope, that being said this is quite interesting. This feels very personal and experimental and I'll admit it lost me more than once, its just not my genre. However after sitting down and listening instead of having it on in the background it was way better. Rack of His was a standout to me, also this whole album gave me Florence and the Machine vibes.
The Doors
3/5
never cared much for the doors, but cant understate their influence on Rock. nothing really notable but not bad either. Solid 3.
R.E.M.
2/5
Just kinda boring. I try not to let my disdain for REM to color this review but ugh this was a slog. Laughing wound up being the only song I liked.
Buffalo Springfield
4/5
Hoo boy is this is a classic I grew up with. All I think of are sunny days driving the dirt roads to a cabin for a week. Maybe its nostalgia but this whole album had a smile on my face.
Morrissey
3/5
"Give us dad rock, but make it haunted" thats what I got out of this. If they had a rockabilly version of The Haunted Mansion this would definitely be the music.
The Killers
4/5
this feels like one of the albums from my high school senior year that would play in the background of a bunch of memories, highlighting situations that seemed like they were world ending but today feels like I can laugh it off. They got a couple long lasting hits on this one, but the rest of the album has some good hits too. thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Boston
5/5
not much to say except this album fucking rules. great debut by Boston and it doesnt overstay its welcome.
Ghostface Killah
4/5
outside of GK being a part of Wu Tang I have no idea of his work (outside Def Jam Vendetta) but I gotta say I liked it!
Paul Simon
3/5
A little too quiet for me. Mother and Child reunion is great but everything else is just passable
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Not what I expected from simon and garfunkel. It opens like a psychadelic rock album that shook
my car speakers and goes on a strange journey. It feels experimental (Voices of Old People) and just strange at points. Stranger yet is that I ended up liking the whole ride.
The Black Keys
3/5
Some great tracks off the hop but much like their career it falls off in the latter half. I do really enjoy their sound and the hits though.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Generic Stones album. Wild Horses is great though! Showcase their trademark style and if you like it you'll love this. Its a solid 3 for this guy.
Little Richard
3/5
"Alright guys we got one riff, lets stretch it out for a whole album". This album was FUN but repetetive as hell. I'll admit it coasts on nostalgia for me but you can tell by the end of it they were just out of ideas.
Nina Simone
3/5
this is real soul music. i find it meanders a little, the album starts out great but by the end I'd had my fill. Nina's voice just grates a little after prolonged exposure, BUT the messages within are powerful.
Basement Jaxx
2/5
time to jaxx off with Basement Jaxx! thats all I got for jokes, sorry. This isnt the album with "Where's Your Head At" so immediate disappointment. after that its just the typical uk electronica that seems to be all over this list. not for me!
2/5
man this starts off great but what a sharp drop off. I get its indicative of the times, but it feels like too much message and not enough music. its just storytelling put to music and I'm not for it.
Air
3/5
after I read some reviews I was bracing for yet another electronica album to slog through, but color me surprised I actually enjoyed this one.Maybe its specifically uk based electronica i dont like, but man this was a chill enjoyable album. it lost me here and there, but overall it provided the vibes I wanted.
Grateful Dead
5/5
I think this is a pretty good example of easy listening folk rock. Despite knowing zero of Grateful Dead's music library beforehand I enjoyed the whole thing from start to finish. Not much else to say, great album!
The Byrds
2/5
Oof I did not really enjoy this one. The sound and melody wore on me pretty quick. I hate most psychadelic type music so this definitely didnt help. Pretty easy pass.
Pixies
2/5
This just gave me a headache, not the worst I've heard but I cant say I enjoyed a single track, it was way too disjointed. On occasion the intro would hook me but then the singing would start. Bad entry pixies
Supergrass
2/5
There seems to be an identity crisis with this album. It starts almost like ska with lots of energy but it turns into generic rock with lots of feedback and distortion. Also song structures just dont seem to exist here, which is fine, if the music is good. Supergrass more like Super Ass
Iggy Pop
4/5
I liked it! pretty good debut album. you can really hear the Bowie influence in a few songs. its pretty varied too, the sax in Tiny Girls is great. also doesnt overstay its welcome.
John Martyn
4/5
I have scant memories of a few songs from this album and listening to it start to finish is pretty damn cool. I know the vocals can be off putting but the lyrics aee fantastic. its funky, its soulful, its understated. Certain Surprise is probably my favorite off this album. I'd give a 4.5 if I could.
Adele
3/5
I am conflicted, Adele has an amazing voice and no doubt is an incredible musician, but her songs off this album are just miss after miss for me. Too slow and verges on whiny, although there are a couple of very big hits on this. Rolling in the Deep was and still is my favorite song by her but none of it comes close ilunfortunately.
Ananda Shankar
4/5
Really great combination of instruments and sounds used throughout this album. Usually a sitar wears on me after awhile but I enjoyed this listen.
Talking Heads
4/5
Hearing this album makes me feel like I'm constantly in a high speed chase. A little too melancholy in some spots for me but overall very fun Once in a Lifetime is probably the standout for me.
Bon Jovi
4/5
So many smash hits on this album. This is Dad Rock to a T. All the retired guys who coulda made it big in football if "x worked out for them" but instead they're working on shitbox cars in their garage yelling at their kids to hold the flashlight. Great from start to finish, the vibe wears a little thin but thats rock baby.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
its classic rock and it sure sounds like it. good couple of classics that remain timeless (That'll be the Day in particular) but overall it really is just a product of its time. I'm sure some midwest diner in a cornfield town still plays this album on a jukebox frequently.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
unquestionably belongs on this list. no ifs, and, or buts.
Grateful Dead
2/5
Crazy how a live album can dash all enjoyment for a band. All these songs are way too long and meander too much. But the title Live/Dead is creative along with the band themselves so I'll give it that.
Blondie
2/5
In short: this sucks
Long answer: I remember hearing One Way or Another as a child and I thought Mimi from The Drew Carey Show was the singer so thats always been in my head and certainly colored my review. Even the hits dont do anything for me, Heart of Glass makes me think of Vice City and changing the radio station immediately. Just wasnt for me.
Finley Quaye
3/5
what would you call this? reggae lite? it seems like its almost there but not quite. not a bad thing any any means, its a little hard to pin down on in my brain. it gets a little psychadelic in some spots and kinda drags. overall not bad! I'd definitely try another album by this artist.
The United States Of America
2/5
Listen if I only made one album in my life it would be to get rich being a sellout or to make a ton of garbled nonsense like this. Just stretch out Revolution 9 to a whole album and here ya go. Its pretty grating, to say the least, if psychadelic experimentation is your thing this might be for you.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Lots of hits and sick guitar work! All that holds it back to me is the odd monotonous feel I get from the b sides, but its lifted by the standout tracks. a great entry
Jean-Michel Jarre
4/5
If you like synth ambience this has it in spades. Kinda spooky kinda dreamy. Is it good? Your mileage may vary. However I found I liked this way more when I had it on the background while working on some artwork as opposed to listening during my job hours. I could see this belonging on a soundtrack to an early sci fi dystopian movie or videogame. In fact, all I could think of is Psycho Dream for the Snes as I listened to this (which has a killer soundtrack and visuals) Or even some of the tracks for Mass Effect (Vigil, Ilos specifically). All in all, pretty interesting album, 70's synths and soundscapes arent my forté but they definitely conjure up some cool vibes.
Sonic Youth
2/5
I always assumed Sonic Youth would sound cooler than this but nope. about as alt rock as you can get and a little on the heavier side. none of the tracks really stood out to me, but Kool Thing goes pretty hard and sounds sorta like a Foo Fighters song.
Antony and the Johnsons
4/5
I felt like someone was singing their diary entries and it kind of put me in a sour mood, it does a great job as an entire album. Really powerful and emotional but the vibrato took me out a little. outside that its a masterwork in song writing, its so depressing I dont know if I'd listen to it again.
OutKast
3/5
I enjoyed speakerboxxx way more thsan TLB, but a double album is just too much bloat. the singles off these are eternally fantastic, I'll never tire of hearing Hey Ya, Roses or The Way You Move. Outkast produces some really cool and unique music trying all sorts of different sounds, My Favorite Things turns all weird and jazzy/trance, or Take off Your Cool with Norah Jones. The experimentation is awesome but the experimentation doesnt always hit the mark.
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
if psychadelic is your thing than look no further, otherwise I didnt find too much to keep me listening or wanting more. Worth a listen at least
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
great album! I find as I get older that I really enjoy Springsteens work. If I checked this out 15 or 10 years ago I would've passed on this but damn if this man cant write a good song. With a unique energy and voice he throws himself into everything he puts on this album.
Herbie Hancock
3/5
How can I explain, you ever have a destination in mind and you kind just meander around too much and forget where you're headed? Thats what this, if you love jazz and funk you'll like it but it just spends too much time exploring, if that makes sense.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Not as good as the previous entry. Amy's voice kinda did me in on this one and I found it less appealing but I think thats mostly due to production choices. Aside from that she still showcases her talent, just wish it were a better album
Goldie
1/5
I cant tell these types of albums apart. Drum and bass and UK Electronica both sound lazy and repetitive to me but I recognize I just dont have the ear for it. This one in particular just drags. More than once I would tune out and tune back in and wonder if it was the same song or something new.
Koffi Olomide
4/5
Just funky and fun as hell, gives me island vibes at times. Glad I get to experience lots of world music through this list. Cant really pin down a song that stuck out but the album as a whole made my day way jauntier.
Otis Redding
4/5
Otis has an amazing voice and really speaks to emotion, full of soul. my only gripe is one or two of the covers miss the mark a little bit but not by much at all. Wanna be sad and in love? listen to this
Van Halen
4/5
"When I first came here, I thought every day was gonna be a Van Halen video... hot chicks wearing bikinis riding around on roller skates drinking cocktails by the pool. Damn you, Van Halen." - Ashton Kutcher in Spread.
I havent seen that movie nor do I want to, but anytime I hear Van Halen I think of that quote from the trailer. This album is fun! VH has some sick riffs and really usher in 80's rock with this album before it gets too synthy. Cant help but enjoy it. For some reason Feel Your Love Tonight stood out to me most and thats fine!
Eminem
4/5
the older I get the less I like Eminem. Yes, he is undoubtedly talented and has a ton of hits, but I cant get past the ex/mother hate stuff anymore. That being said I'd be lying if I said I didnt enjoy a bunch of these songs regardless. Also it has Stan which has one of the choppiest ending lines to a song that feels like a reverse cumshot but I still listen to the full thing. "Come to think about it, his name was, it was you. Damn"
Talking Heads
2/5
Hard pass. Definitely not my vibe at all. Musically a lot of these songs sound great but the lyrics and vocals bring it crashing down, maybe its just over my head. Psycho Killer is the only song I know off this album and I'd be fine with never hearing it again.
Ms. Dynamite
4/5
I've never heard her before but I really enjoyed this album. She reminds me a little of Lauryn Hill a bit in some spots, but overall her lyrics and themes are all her own. A little more serious topics than you usually find but it works here. Anyway U Want It is probably my favorite track off this one.
Hot Chip
2/5
I think this album spent too much time trying to catch the 80's and kinda threw everything else out the window. it has some fun here and there but the majority was unlistenable (Motion Sickness set the bar pretty well for what to expect).
Brian Eno
2/5
if the color beige made an album. considering the talent involved I thought this would've been...more than what it was. I get it, just a bunch of music dudes dicking around can be fun, but the outcome is less than stellar.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Amazing album! it doesnt overstay its welcome and its full of great tracks, Higher Ground of course being the standout in a crowd of standouts!
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
maybe my tolerance for Elvis Costello isnt waning as much as I thought, this wasnt bad, nothing too outstanding either though.
4/5
having never listened to Muse I had no idea they were all science fictiony like this. it reminds me a bit of Queen and their contributions to Highlander series. really odd but still some good tunes. I could see them making music for some space opera type show. Like Dune but Xtreme
5/5
Man who the hell needs Lowrider? awesome album! Stuck with it from start to finish, love the tempo and the horns, really glad this popped up on the list. My only gripe is its too short, great contribution though! Where Was You At is my favorite off this.
Ash
3/5
I feel like if you looked for royalty free stock alt rock music to put in a movie this is what would come up. Seems pretty generic, doesnt really stand out.
Dinosaur Jr.
1/5
What a mismatch of vocals to music. How do you sound so low energy and have such intense tempo behind you? It also manages to meander for way too long in places, and sometimes throws in loud jarring noise out of nowhere (The Lung in particular). This put me in a bad mood.
Ice T
4/5
Great album! it hits that sweet spot of transitioning from 80's to 90's rap, best way I can summarize it. Ice T keeps it real this whole album and like his contemporaries at the time doesnt mince words about authority. my only issue is the length, and some of the experimentation he tries falls flat (Body Count) but I respect the man for just going for it. I'd give a 4.5 if I could
Johnny Cash
4/5
A live Johnny Cash show must have been great, a live Johnny Cash show at a prison must have been an experience. Not only good outlaw country but Cash is a great storyteller and you can tell he's having a great time with the audience.
Ministry
1/5
not good nor enjoyable. Absolute chore of a listen, and it put me in a bad mood. metal isnt my bag but I dont see how anyone enjoyed this junky noise parade
Traffic
3/5
Short and fun. Horns in Freedom Rider are interesting, but overall this whole album felt pretty average.
Taylor Swift
4/5
I dont care for Taylor Swift one bit, but its easy to see why she's such a pop powerhouse. Several hits and a huge legacy and she's still going strong. Still like her country music better though.
k.d. lang
4/5
I've never heard an entire KD Lang album before and this was a really nice listen. She blends a lot of styles to make a solid cohesive album. The strings on Miss Chatelaine and the deep bass and folk-ish guitar on Season of Hollow Soul couldnt be more different but they fit this album and the mood very well.
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
Okay so Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and Time After Time are fantastic songs and worth the listen on this album, the last two songs feels like a weird add-on or Cyndi's stream of consciousness put on tape. He's So Unusual is like a 45 second Betty Boop impression and Yeah Yeah a B-52's track that didnt make the cut.
3/5
nothing standout about this, generic 80's punk.
Radiohead
4/5
you wanna have the blues or listen to something while having a bad day? radioheads got you covered. Although its a little more "upbeat" than their usual, its still melancholy as hell in places.
Kraftwerk
4/5
I remember listening to Kraftwerk ages ago and not thinking anything of it. I still dont think I get it, but I appreciate it a bit more. its a short listen, and it gets pretty soundscape-y but maybe thats your bag, baby!
Madonna
2/5
Dont Tell Me is good, and I would listen to a Madonna country album in a heartbeat, but the rest is not so much. I dont know if it was an experiment to try a bunch of different stuff but it falls fairly flat. Also she gets points for all the anger stirred up by her American Pie cover.
Queen
4/5
Great album, not much else to say. Freddie Mercury still has some of the best vocals of all time. I still cant stand Bohemian Rhapsody though.
Adele
3/5
Adele showing she has an amazing voice but dammit she needs better songs to apply it to. Rolling in the Deep will be a personal favorite, its unfortunate the rest of her catalogue doesnt match. Rumor Has It and Set Fire to the Rain dont reach the same high, and Someone Like You is a clear example of sounding great but the song being trash garbage. The rest is just ok.
Suicide
1/5
big oof. is this just over my head? its kinda cool to hear 70's electronica but it sounds like music you'd hear traveling through a wormhole and you're beyond terrified. I birst out laughing at some of the noises and screeches but thankfully I wasnt wearimg headphones.
Emmylou Harris
4/5
really good country/folk album, I cant point to a particular track but this whole thing just sounded comfortable and "home-y." really great inclusion on the list.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
All I could think of was Fatboy Slim this whole album, is that good or bad? I dunno, it makes me realize that you dont hear this kind of music that much anymore. The lead singers voice grated on me as this went on. Not bad, not great.!
Small Faces
4/5
Never heard of this band or any of their songs before so it was a good surprise! The talking bits took me out sometimes, it felt like an audiobook put to music.
David Holmes
2/5
Nope. Didnt like it. It has some good sounds here and there but just having a guy talk behind the music upends it. I get its more for setting a tone but it just annoyed me more than anything.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
pretty good showing by Bruce, he's a really great storyteller in his music, even though some of his other albums are better than this, its still well worth the time to listen to.
Richard Thompson
4/5
It took me a few tracks but this settled in nicely. Its a very sad album, but its very well written and has a little variety in terms of sound. Withered and Died seems almost like a bluegrass/celtic ballad and The Little Beggar Girl that pushes further into that genre.
4/5
This is like the template for 80's sound snd aesthetic. Lots of synth, electric drum kits, trying to sound like David Baowie (at least on Poison Arrow). I get there is a theme of heartache but the sound portrays it as something you'd hear at an 80's nightclub. Its fun, its poppy, I liked it. Tears Are Not Enough is probably my standout track on this. Also Look of Love pt. 1 then going to Pt. 4 cracked me up. And Date Stamp giving me Pink Floyd "Money" vibes at the start. Its fun!
Jane Weaver
3/5
This has a weird balance between synthy soundscapes to soft indie girl music. Some of these tracks feel like they would be at home on the Adventure Time soundtrack. Your mileage may vary with this, it doesnt have any edge, outside of maybe The Architect so it comes across a little boring. Still, an interesting listen
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
I kinda feel bad for any artist getting hyped to release a live album because most of them are just not good. Although hearing a crowd going crazy for Jerry Lee Lewis while he makes weird mouth sounds in Great Balls of Fire is pretty funny.
OutKast
4/5
pretty good, I enjoyed this more than speakerboxx, also I didnt realize how many hits came off this album. its way more raw than later entries which muddies things up I feel. great listen!
Mercury Rev
4/5
Man this album really runs the gamut in terms of sounds. There is so much going on it feels way over my head. Lots of emotion and several long music breaks but thats not necessarily bad. I particularly liked Endlessly.
Beastie Boys
3/5
I used to think I loved Beastie Boys but I just liked the odd song and this proves it. Sabotage is great! Everything else is okay. Actually Sabrosa fucking rules too.
AC/DC
5/5
Hell yes. I'm so glad I'm past that cynical phase where I hated popular stuff for no reason. Dad rock to its core, its simple, loud and fun. You Shook Me All Night Long will probably remain my favorite AC/DC track but this whole album is full. Of greats. I have a distinct memory of my boomer dad and uncles mime-playing guitars on pool cues at a pool hall to Back In Black that will remain with me forever, so thanks AC/DC!
Crowded House
4/5
This list has exposed me to a bunch of music I otherwise would never have listened to. Fun album! It lost me here and there but the artist really tries something different. It gives me Cat Stevens vibes with a little more edge in some places.
Raekwon
2/5
I always like hearing old rap or r&b albums that didnt get as much mainstream attention when it was released. This was a bit of a tough listen, Raekwon brings a lot of Wu-Tang aesthetic to this album and doesnt really seperate himself, it seems like an album of songs he made for the group and he decided to rework them for a solo project. It also runs long. Heaven & Hell is really good though. The whole album has a bit of a murky feel to it I cant shake.
Sex Pistols
1/5
Ugh, no thanks. Its punk as hell but also a hard pass.
The Temptations
4/5
Hell yes love motown, definitely music from my childhood. There's a bit of a stark contrast from Cloud Nine to the rest of this album, its definitely the funkiest track. Also some of the tracks (and Temptations in general) follow the theme of "Dont leave me I love you come back right now" type of lyricism. Fun album but definitely not their best.
Fleet Foxes
4/5
Beautiful harmonies and voice work throughout. Not usually my jam but I found myself hooked, it also doesnt overstay its welcome. It gets a little sleepy here and there but overall put me in a good mood. Blue Ridge Mountains and Oliver James hit just right.
David Bowie
4/5
I figure you know what you're getting into when you seek out a Bowie album. Great lyrics and storytelling, a little self-indulgent but still good! Outside the first track the whole album fairly quick, nothing really stuck out to me, but its best to experience the album as a whole I feel.
Love
3/5
It seems like music that you listen to while observing artwork. Its kept fairly short and that definitely helps it. Comes across as very repetitive, nothing particularly special or bad about it.
Madonna
2/5
I do appreciate Madonna trying to hamfist her way into any and every genre to varying levels of success. This is a miss, the weird kinda-electronica doesnt quite match her voice, also the lyrics ring pretty hollow and overall its just boring.
Pantera
1/5
Get fucked Pantera
The Velvet Underground
3/5
its nice, but it made me sleepy. just seemed a little too low energy for me in places, even on songs with higher tempos.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
3/5
well I cant find a place to listen to it and I'm not shelling out cash to do so.
The Kinks
3/5
a little jaunty and more upbeat than what I've been getting, its fine brit pop. it also has a couple weird songs which makes things interesting. Session Man amd Holiday in Waikiki in particular. nonsensical but why the hell not?
Yes
3/5
Roundabout is worth the price for admission on this but it also carries the weight of this album. I cant get past thinking of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure since its become so linked to that song. The rest is okay, but still pretty enjoyable, they just put the best up first.
The Avalanches
4/5
What an enjoyable surprise this was. So funky and energetic. The only thing that lost me was that I cant point to a song in particular due to the nature of the presentation. Everything shifts and flows into one another, but maybe thats your jam. I'd give a 4.5 if I could.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
like every double album, its just too long. outside that its a nice relaxing listen, a little top heavy and a bit of a slog to get through the latter parts. I've never heard of Todd Rundgren before so this was nice to hear something completely new to me.
Beastie Boys
5/5
I'm not much of a Beastie Boys fan to begin with but I found this was really good! not much else to say except its a must listen.
The White Stripes
4/5
opening with Blue Orchid sets a great tone. I still cant get past Jack White making music for Steampunk Snake-oil Salesmen in a saloon or late 1800's slave traders. such a weird manic energy to everything he makes, BUT for what its worth I liked this album kinda. Some songs I couldnt wait to end, but some grabbed me and I enjoyed quite a bit. I'm Lonely being one of them.
Also on the album cover Jack White looks like a Dracula.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
3/5
its quiet and introspective, and even though its a little over an hour it seems longer. not really my thing, but overall it was okay.
Soundgarden
3/5
ah, its been awhile since I could add another to the List of Albums heard through the wall of my brothers room. I thought for sure I would be giving this an easy 5 but it was nostalgia talking. That being said I only recognized Black Hole Sun and Spoonman which are both great, mind you. This also tells me my brother probably only played those two tracks or the rest of the album is kind of forgettable. Chris Cornell has an amazing voice as always.
Beastie Boys
3/5
its good, but not Paul's Boutique good. fun album, but was a little surprised how many hits I recognized off this one; Brass Monkey, Girls, No Sleep Till Brooklyn and Fight for your Right. Despite that I still feel its just an okay entry. Still enjoyable though!
The Auteurs
2/5
this just didnt click with me. There is an underlying depression throughout, and the music doesnt do anything to keep me engaged. maybe I'm just not an English rock guy. its like a really sad Blur album.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
I found myself enjoying this a bit more than most of the UK pop I've heard. Its got that distinct 80's sound, kinda like Duran Duran. nothing really stood out, but it wasnt bad by any means. The lead singer needs a bit more edge on his voice but thats a personal preference.
Janet Jackson
4/5
great album! Rhythm Nation is one of those hits that make their way around to me time and time again. my only gripes with the album are the interludes. Outside that its a great listen with a message.
Cream
4/5
damn smooth, I was worried it was going to be a psychadelic mess from the 60's, but man am I glad to be wrong. Just good dive bar rock and blues.
Prince
3/5
as much as I like Prince, nobody needs a double album (Unless its Nelly's Sweat/Suit duh). honestly its fine, but its missing that Prince flair. solidly average.
LCD Soundsystem
2/5
I think its just over my head. I didnt vibe with this very much. Although a song titled Emotional Haircut is pretty funny, along with a weird surfer rock tone to it. Overall it seemed like a slog and very reptetitive. Just not for me.
David Bowie
4/5
Changes will always command my attention, and I was happy to find a couple more tracks I'd never heard before that caught me. I dont know what happens at the end with these weird loveletter songs, but you know what, Song for Bob Dylan wasnt bad, its just weird.
Kid Rock
2/5
Kid Rock is a loser dumbfuck. That being said the hits off this album are just fun nonsense, everything else is shit. Listening to this as an adult made me realize how corny his rhymes are, along with the whole raprock attitude having all the bluster of a pissed off teenager.
Björk
2/5
Bjork will always be one of those artists I just cannot get into. Much like Die Antwoord, the music does nothing for me and I feel like I'm just not getting it. However, I did find this album a little more listenable than I thought I would. Pagan Poetry wasnt bad and Hidden Place was about the same, but they couldnt save the whole album for me.
Pink Floyd
5/5
A certified classic of the Psychadelic Rock genre, maybe its the nostalgia talking, but this does a great job combining art and music.
Metallica
2/5
Metallica what happened? One was great but the rest not so much. Full of their trademark sound but with none of the hook to make you come back. Its also very repetetive. And 9 songs still pushes over an hour.
The Cardigans
4/5
man Love Fool alone made this whole album for me, that Iron Man cover was just so strange, but the fact they tried something different was nice. I really enjoyed Been It, Choke and of course Love Fool. Its a strange fun little album.
Scissor Sisters
3/5
I recognized more of this album than I realized, it brought up a lot of high school memories, Take Your Mama in particular. That Comfortably Numb cover was something else, really transformative. its a fun, jaunty album that kinda has its own thing going on. fairly enjoyable.
ABBA
4/5
ABBA is the perfect example of 70's pop. I remember hearing several of these songs from my mom and aunts growing up if not just in pop culture itself. I dont even really like ABBA that much but I can admit they have some great hits on this one. Dancing Queen and Fernando of course.
The Isley Brothers
4/5
just good and soulful. That Lady will always have me stop and listen, I'm glad I got a chance to explore some more music from The Isley Brothers. You Walk Your Way and the cover of Listen to the Music stuck out. The whole album is pretty groovy, my only gripe is that it runs a bit long.
Donovan
2/5
this was just not it for me. I did enjoy the instrumentals in Three King Fishers, and Season of the Witch seemed a lot more cohesive than the rest, but overall it just seemed too melancholy and too psychadelic for me.
Bebel Gilberto
5/5
I think if this album came out today you would find it under a playlist called "Chill Bossa Nova Songs to Vibe to." Great for a slow day and melts your stress away, it makes me want to check out the genre more.
Steely Dan
4/5
I can usually take or leave Steely Dan but this was a nice surprise. Peg in particular hooked me. Gives me Shoji Meguro vibes in some places.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
I think its pretty okay. This type of lyricism and flow I pass on usually. The instrumentals are great for the most part, but the vocals just dont match
Tom Waits
4/5
For the most part this sounds like music in a spooky biker bar, but then Hang Down Your Head comes on and its a huge tonal shift. This album makes me think Jack White wants to have the vibes Tom Waits gives out in spades. I enjoyed it way more as it went on. Will I listen to it again? Probably not, but it was fun.
Queen
5/5
All I knew off this one was Killer Queen so I was delighted how much of this album I enjoyed. Just all around great music. Lyrics, vocals, song production, every song seems like an event. This was excellent.
The Modern Lovers
2/5
Whatever you call this genre is what I just dont care for. Flat vocals with serviceable instrumentals with no charm. I got annoyed by this one pretty quickly, Old World made me take a break. Just too much droning nonsense, although it sounds like they had fun making it.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
I have a visceral memory of hearing Zig Zag Wanderer blasting in my basement waking me up with a terrible hangover, and thats how I felt listening to this whole thing; disoriented and mad. I'm Glad was okay but its the album high point. The lead singers voice gets incredibly grating at time, especially in Electricity (although the spooky sounds were a nice touch I guess). I appreciate the experimental psychadelic stuff for what it is but its mostly terrible.
Frank Sinatra
5/5
Easy 5, Franks crooning goes great with the instrumentals, its smooth and just delightful.
The Cars
5/5
This made me realize how many singles from the Cars I actually knew. That being said it does make the album a little top heavy, but the rest of the tracks are pretty great too. I wish I found this sooner.
Fugazi
3/5
Music with messages are usually hit or miss for me. I find they tend to sacrifice something in order to get their message across and this is no different. Lyrically its deep but the instrumentals are a miss and the vocals arent much better, but I suppose that isnt the point.
Björk
4/5
I usually cant stand Bjork but this wasnt bad. Its just delightfully weird enough to listen to, Bjorks vocals still irk me but the production behind this album was wya more coherent than I'm used to hearing from her. There is More to Life Than This is a perfect example, its fun and weird all at once.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
I've never been much of a Smashing Pumpkins fan and I just let this play in the background while doing stuff until Disarm came on, its just so thematically different than everything else but damn if I didnt love it. This album runs long and even though it didnt hit the sweet spot for me I can appreciate what it is.
Faust
1/5
I'm not sure how 5 songs/28 minutes seemed like such an eternity but what a slog this was. Maybe its over my head but it sounds like an insane mishmash of distortion and voices.
Ice Cube
2/5
I got psyched after seeing this. Unfortunately It Was a Good Day is the only good part of this album, the rest is pretty middling gangster rap that runs for 16 tracks.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
3/5
Southern saloon music. Some of these songs couldve been used for Roadhouse or some dive bar in New Orleans. Lots of storytelling but it gets all disjointed. Giddy Up a Ding Dong is probably the most coherent but it also plays by Rock/Blues traditions.
Meat Loaf
4/5
Jim Steinman is a hell of a composer, and Meat Loaf is a hell of a vocalist. I liked every song here, but I loved the hits. it was nice to experience the album in its entirety, I know next to nothing in this genre (rock opera? ballads?) but it was pretty enjoyable, true to form, however, some of the song lengths are too much, but your mileage may vary.
Beatles
5/5
I liked some of the experimental stuff they tried with the sitar in this album, as a whole its very solid and I was shocked it was only 34 minutes, the majority of the songs are a little over 2 minutes, which makes it even more interesting how they pack so much in that timeframe. great songwriting, I'd give this a 4.5 if I could, Eleanor Rigby alone is worth listening to this album.
Mike Oldfield
3/5
I think its just too weird for me, but damn that Exorcist theme always hits, it conjured a lot of dread in me. Outside the first track I lost interest, but the story behind creating the album was a good read. I think it probably works best if you're creating ambience, and maybe I'd benefit by listening to it during another activity instead of a walk around the lake.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
This band makes me think that their fans are very insufferable, a lot of "you just dont get it, man" type conversations when you talk about their songs. Production is pretty good and you can tell they put a lot into it, if you like them you'll probably love this, me, not so much.
Neu!
4/5
Its crazy how a well crafted instrumental part of an album can conjure so many images out of your imagination. I sat and listened to this and went on a journey, as weird as that sounds. A lot of tracks elicit emotion, I found Seeland did this best. A nice gradual rise through the song, like someone on a lone drive across the country.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
so much of this just blurred together for me, it couldnt hold my attention for long. not really my vibe but I can still appreciate the effort.
The Stooges
3/5
You know, not bad. For something a little psychadelic I'm surprised I enjoyed some of it. Its fine, nothing too crazy, I feel if it were longer it wouldve been a slog.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Songs to sleep to. Really though Leonard Cohen is a great song writer but absolutely no edge to his music, but its not designed that way and its perfectly fine for it.
Robbie Williams
3/5
You know how psyched I was to hear Rock DJ only to be let down? Anyway, its not bad, it feels like he's trying to grab some Elton John magic for this album, Angels in particular. Its okay, wouldnt revisit it though.
Lorde
3/5
I promise Lorde, it'll get better. I have a hard time with the way she enunciates, its very formulaic of her contemporaries, but then mixes things up a little. The Louvre has so much going on in it but I probably enjoyed it most, the bridge especially. Cripes its just sadder Taylor Swift.
CHIC
4/5
This was cool as hell. Also Chic Cheer containing the sample for Be Faithful (at least I think) made this an instant like. Every song had something I liked, it blurs together a little bit, but how can you get upset at something this fun?
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
This was just okay, seemed pretty generic, but I didnt mind listening to the whole thing.
Blur
3/5
I'm not sure if any other Blur albums will reach the high of their self titled album. Although its cool to hear a sort of proto-Gorillaz, Damon Albarns still a treat to listen to. It seems like they experiment a bit more with this earlier entry.
Slade
3/5
I use this term a lot, but this just seems so generic, when you look at their contemporaries they dont really offer anything different, outside of a bit of a cross between Foreigner and AC/DC. Its a very beige album, royalty free rock. You could easily slip this in the background of a movie of some dressed up dorks walking into a biker bar.
The Clash
4/5
not really my jam in most cases but bot howdy this was good! outside of running long and getting repetitive in places its a solid entry to this list. Wrong Em Boyo sounds like a weird proto-ska track to me, it threw me for a loop. a lot of diverse tracks here and great song writing.
The Doors
2/5
I dont even like the good Doors albums. The vocals in this one seemed more grating than usual. Lyrically its good, and the production itself was okay. My problem with the Doors is that the instrumentals are usually pretty great but the vocals just dont match and bring it all down.
Beach House
4/5
This gives me Florence and the Machine vibes which is a great thing. Really beautiful vocals, the whole production has a bit of a dreamlike quality to it. Better Times in particular. It is a little too soft and melancholy for me the longer it goes, but thats just personal preference. I'm sure listening in a different settintlg would help.
The Kinks
4/5
This was a fun listen, like an English folk-rock album. A little silly in places but also composed well. Last of the Steam Trains was a standout to me, it caught the feeling of the album for me. Not everything has to have a deep poignant meaning, you can just have fun making good music about whatever you want.
Method Man
3/5
Wu Tang's solo ventures just never live up to their work as a group it seems, its not bad, but the way everything is arranged you expect to hear everyone else too, its strange.
R.E.M.
3/5
I think you either really love R.E.M. or passively dislike them. I'm in the latter camp. Its fine, I cant stand Michael Stipe's voice but overall the album is just ok.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
talk about an easy 5. This is Springsteen at his best. Great rock and powerful lyrics from start to finish.
The xx
2/5
so boooooring. I couldnt into this one, feels lazy, but I couldnt wait for it to be done.
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
Wow this album dragged. Its barely an hour and feels so much longer. The elongated vocals and softness of the entire production made this a bit of a chore. However, in a coffee shop? You got an album baby.
Iron Butterfly
3/5
I came here for the title track and left happy, the rest is worth skipping.
David Bowie
3/5
I cant put my finger on it but a good chunk of this album just feels out of sync. Lets Spend The Night Together is a perfect example, at least the opening. Also I found a lot of noise just muddies up Bowie's vocals. Not his best, thats for sure.
The Sabres Of Paradise
1/5
Game over music for a forgotten bad videogame.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
3/5
Sad and depressing but I still found myself listening to the whole album. Its okay, not my brand of sad music but its lyrically beautiful in places.
The Darkness
5/5
I remember blasting this in my friends car circa 2005 and loving every minute, time has not dulled that experience at all. Great album, full stop
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
Late 50's jazzy big band. What a vibe, I had a good time from start to finish, it does blur together a little and the runtime is long and still enjoyable.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
I knew sweet FA about Jimi besides Purple Haze and Along The Watchtower, and I'm glad I sat down with this one. Great lyricism and the band as a whole works great while Jim shreds, I Dont Live Today stuck out to me as an album favorite.
Terence Trent D'Arby
5/5
This is why I like this list. I have never heard of this artist and I'm blessed with this banger of an album. Fantastic all around. Seven More Days is probably my favorite, but everything here is enjoyable.
R.E.M.
3/5
Sorry if I ever gave the impression that I liked R.E.M. enough to warrant more albums, the list mistook my tolerance for enjoyment. Its fine, but no more please, Mr. Stipe.
New York Dolls
4/5
Full to the brim with hard rock and attitude, but dotted with the odd introspective song (Lonely Planet Boy in particular). This isnt usually my thing, but I wound up enjoying it quite a bit more than I thought I would. It gives me vibes of Rolling Stones evolving to punk rock.
Nico
3/5
I was enjoying this until Winter Song, I wouldnt call it a tonal shift, but the identity of the album just switches here and there. If you've ever gone to an abstract art performance, it feels like that at times, just off putting and feeling too dumb to "get it" . Overall its okay.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Lullabies for adults. Such a sleepy depressing album. You're a great song writer Leonard, but boy does your music put me in a bad headspace
The War On Drugs
3/5
Man did this put me in a mood. Very atmospheric, it has a weird 80's tone to it in places, "An Ocean Between The Waves" has a very Don Henley, Boys of Summer vibe to it, just dark. Interesting album for sure, the song runtimes are on the long side for me, but it kept my interest.
SAULT
5/5
A great mix of lyricism and instrumentals that details a life and existence I couldnt possibly fathom. Hints of funk and gospel, it runs through several different sounds and hits all the marks. Simply put, a beautiful album with a strong message.
The Strokes
3/5
I remember I used to love this album, time has definitely changed that. Several songs have the same tempo and its easy to feel like they kinda melt together. Or some songs have a great verse, but then a weird bridge kicks in. Modern Age is still great! But I'm happy to move on from this one.
Marvin Gaye
5/5
Easy 5. Soulful with a message.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
I dont like Nick Cave and you cant convince me otherwise, at least not yet. rough listen, is too loud a good criticism? because I had to keep adjusting the volume out of annoyance.
Björk
2/5
Bjork at her most listenable? Still a struggle to get through, just less so than the other albums. I will never revisit this, but it wasnt bad, just kind of draining? its almost like you get bits and pieces of something that sounds good, then some weirdness takes over and assaults you.
Rod Stewart
4/5
Maybe its age, but I find myself enjoying Rod Stewart more as I get older. Its like a more rock oriented Elton John at times, Country Comfort especially.
The Prodigy
5/5
Great album opener, and great hits that followed. I was shocked to notice I recognized multiple songs on this album. Perfect for any Matrix inspired fever dreams you concoct.
Jazmine Sullivan
4/5
Right up my freakin alley. Pick Up Your Feelings has been on my playlist for awhile now and I'm glad I finally listened the rest of her album. The talking tracks or sketches take me out a bit, but the rest is quite enjoyable.
Arrested Development
2/5
People Everyday is great. The rest not so much. They just tend to meander a lot, like what the hell is Blues Happy? Either way it was a bit of a slog but I'll pass on anymore of this.
Supertramp
4/5
I can file this one under "Albums my dad would blast on the downstairs stereo". Maybe its nostalgia but I enjoyed this, a little psychadelic but not to the point I'm annoyed, Dreamer rules.
Rahul Dev Burman
4/5
Its all over the place but not in a bad way. I never thought I would ever enjoy an album full of Bollywood music. Real funky and just plain cool. Baby Lets Dance Together is a real jam.
PJ Harvey
2/5
Barely audible vocals, weird off key instrumentals, its was a drag to listen to. Speak up PJ!
Brian Eno
3/5
never heard of Brian Eno, and I have zero desire to hear more. its okay, but a little grating here and there (Blank Frank in particular).
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
I suppose this answers a question that if a band is incredibly talented, can they really produce a bad album? of course they can, this isnt bad, per se, just really mediocre for long stretches. I get that its my unfamiliarity with this entry, but there is definitely a good album among the chaff in here.
Donald Fagen
5/5
Just wonderful, peaceful, great cooking music.
Slipknot
3/5
For a debut album its pretty good, they come out strong out the gate. It gets pretty tiresome in the back half, and the length doesnt do it any favors, how much screaming is too much? Here's your answer.
The Who
2/5
my memories of this were the movie box art when I was a kid. I get its a rock opera and that explains the length, but boy oh boy this was not good. Is there a good rock opera? its certainly not this. At least its mostly devoid of sing-talking like a lot of rock opera/broadway albums have.
Stereolab
4/5
this is so weird and funky but still very fun. I didnt get annoyed like I do with experimental stuff like this. It's great background music!
Slayer
4/5
short and sweet but also hard as fuck. perfect for a metal album
Duke Ellington
3/5
the small little intros/conversations aside, this is some fun big band jazz. it doesnt really stand out to me (except the horns here and there) but it was definitely enjoyable.
3/5
hey the last PJ Harvey album I had my biggest criticism was she was too quiet and it was a little too melancholy. she definitely fixed those issues for me with this album. Clear concise lyrics with a bit more professional sound. One Line captures it pretty well. Still not really my jam but enjoyable!
Common
4/5
Great flow, classic rap and hip hop is nice to hear. I forgot how much I enjoyed Common. Funky For You was a favorite for me.
Ramones
4/5
An easy 30 minute listen! Also quite enjoyable, the distortion guitar gets a little same-y, but overall its fun, its classic hard rock, cant really go wrong here.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Bold as Love is an easy 5 on its own. Listening to more Hendrix that I normally would pass over put me in a mood? Its hard to say, it was very good, but sad. Castles Made of Sand is a good example, great melody, lyrics, guitar, just bummer subject matter. Hendrix the forefather of Emo, I guess.
I think I just enjoy Rod Stewart. I had a great time start to finish. Doesnt overstay its welcome. Just come in, hear about heartbreak, and continue on your day. Maybe I was just in the mood for some 70's rock. I've had Debris on repeat for a bit.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Leonard Cohen and synth is an odd combination. But you know, I like when artists do weird stuff like this, good or bad. This is just more bad than good, as usual Cohens writing is good, but musically its a big miss.
Drive-By Truckers
2/5
There has to be a better way to tell a story than a Rock Opera. has some interesting sound here and there but the storytelling nature and 2 frickin discs makes for a sour experience. How do you make southern rock so boring?
Beatles
4/5
its really cool to see what they had before they went and started to experiment with their sound and writing years down the line. I'm probably way more familiar with this era of Beatles than any other (thanks Mom), its a little samey here and there, but man if I didnt enjoy almost all of it.
M.I.A.
2/5
I dont even enjoy the good M.I.A. songs. I really struggled to find something good here but found next to nothing. World Town is a prime example, loud and annoying in all the wrong places and painfully monotone. However I'll give them this, its a pretty varied album in terms of sound, it just fell flat and annoying to me.
Django Django
4/5
never heard of Django Django before this and holy shit what a good ride. its a perfect example of why I like this list, discovering great music for the first time. Despite it being released in 2012 it has a really funky 70's feel to it. Firewater stuck out to me more than the others, it did get a little too psychadelic for me in some spots but overall a pretty good experience.
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
it sounds like Blur if Damon Albarn's voice went up a few octaves and he applied a more annoying affectation to his voice. Outside that its not bad, pretty generic English rock. Some clever lyrics here and there, nice breakdowns, but I'll be damned if I wasnt thoroughly annoyed at some points.It keeps this high tempo that gets exhausting. Still Take You Home is a fantastic example, it just runs a bit too fast, but has a great breakdown, instruments are on point, but lead vocals, ugh.
Q-Tip
4/5
good lyrical wordplay, great beats. just all around great stuff from Q-Tip who I admittedly know very little of, I'd like to hear more.
Muddy Waters
2/5
If you love blues you love repetition. This has it in spades.
Sleater-Kinney
3/5
just generic indie rock, wouldve fit in on the Garden State soundtrack or something like it. Just a little off-kilter and edgy enough to set it away from mainstream sound, but it kinda borders on annoying (Words and Guitar in particular), like being different for the sake of it.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
I'm not a huge Tribe fan, but they always have smooth and funky production and good lyrics. It just doesnt stand out too much for me, but thats a personal gripe, I can see why they're so venerated.
Love
2/5
its okay. pretty run of the mill folk rock. usually the vocals are a dealbreaker for stuff like this, and the lead singer doesnt do me any favors, just a bit too much of a whine. Also these songs just end weirdly. listen to Old Man, it just stops with no lead out.
Pink Floyd
5/5
I know this album front to back, its pretty much the soundtrack to my childhood. I cant count how many times my dad just blasted this album or played Delicate Sound of Thunder on our tv in the basement. its completely tied to nostalgia for me and it always will be. Listening to this as an adult makes me see why he loved it so much, I usually avoid listening because it puts me in an emotional spot, its great though. Truly timeless.
Neil Young
5/5
classic rock and probably Neil Young at his best. I dont even like the man all that much but this was a treat through and through. I just cant get past his voice but that is a very personal mark against it so I'll brush it aside. Plus Southern Man is just so good all on its own.
Def Leppard
2/5
Weird placement on this list, Photograph is a pretty iconic song that reminds me of being a child and getting up at the crack of dawn to play hockey out of town while my dad cycled between AM and FM radio on the way. Good memory but its just goofy past-your-prime highschool hero rock.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
4/5
Just a great bluegrass album, it gets a little long and repetetive but the talent and music speaks for itself, Tennessee Stud and Will The Circle Be Unbroken are fantastic and this album brings back a lot of fond memories.
Pink Floyd
3/5
Weird psychadelic fantasy rock, this ticks all the boxes of things I dont like. Its interesting to see how much better they got after this. I bet this is some Pink Floyd hipsters favorite album.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Man its so weird, mentally I feel like I know this album but I dont recognize any of these songs. Its alright, it has that recognizable indie sound a lot of late 2000's bands had. I liked Suburban War quite a bit, but the rest is okay.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
My friends brother had this on cassette and played it all the time. I remember it just sounding off. Three decades and change later I feel the same. They have a distinct sound and its not terrible, but for such a hit album there is not a lot of good here. Under the Bridge is fantastic, Suck My Kiss sounds like a Soundgarden or Audioslave song but with lyrics by Anthony Kiedis, I Could Have Lied isnt bad, when they go away from hard funk rock its infinitely better.
Robert Wyatt
2/5
The jump from Heaps of Sheeps to The Duchess is mind boggling. This whole album has very little cohesion, and a lot of the songs will have a great intro and just devolve into noise experiments. I understand I know little of prog rock so maybe its hallmark, but Was A Friend is probably the worst example of what I'm talking about. Like "hey look how different I am" but late 90's. ALSO did anyone else think this was late 70's album? Its got that feel.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Way more enjoyable than I remember, I figured this was going to be an album I liked as a kid and hated as an adult but its better than I thought. The hits do the heavy lifting here but the rest isnt bad, a little repetitive sure, but thats a hallmark of the genre.
Turbonegro
3/5
Hop on your skateboard and cause some property damage! This reminds me of all the dickhead skaters I knew who idolized CKY and so on, but its still pretty enjoyable grimy rock. Will I listen to it again? Probably not, but it was fun while it lasted.
Peter Gabriel
2/5
Peter Gabriel what the hell is this? Why is it so dark and spooky in places? I feel like Cronenberg commissioned this for a movie he never made. I cant figure it out, its like trying to be pretentious and mainstream at the same time, every time I get into a song for a bit it turns around on me. Not One of Us is okay.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
its fine, maybe a little less. I cant figure out why they're such a classic rock group. I could see initially how different they were was probabky refreshing and cool, but overall I just cant get into the Stones. Sympathy for the Devil is fun, so is Prodigal Son. but man, most of this is just humdrum bluesy rock with sleepy Mick Jagger voice.
Solomon Burke
4/5
WOO this is good. Solomon's vocal chords must've been fried during the recording of this. Powerful voice and lyrics backed with some great simple instrumentals. its soul to your bones baby. it gets a little same-y here and there, but its still very enjoyable.
King Crimson
2/5
I love the cover art. The music itself not so much. The volume levels alone are a pain, either barely audible or assault on the senses. I think I enjoyed the second bonus track the most, the rest is pretty lukewarm.
Frank Ocean
4/5
I just realized upon listening that I have never sat down and listened to Frank Ocean before. Great lyricism and vocals, very introspective, Super Rich Kids is great. My only knock is that it has this stretched out, tired energy throughout. Maybe thats the intention behind it, felt like I was driving home in a downpour.
Elvis Costello
3/5
Alison is probably my favorite Costello song and damn its always good to hear. The rest is pretty okay. If you like his particular style then great, its a little too disjointed for me (I'm Not Angry for example) but overall its fine.
PJ Harvey
4/5
Compared to the last two PJ albums I've gotten, this stands head and shoulders above. Pretty great debut, not bad Peej! and Victory is a pretty damn good song, even though I thought it was Lithium at first, also wacky to find out she was a contemporary of Cobain, so thats cool. Dry was pretty good too. Just mostly good grunge rock, nothing fancy, raw lyrics and instruments, it gets a little long in the tooth, but I found it a treat despite not liking much grunge to begin with.
U2
4/5
I dont even like U2 very much, but I can see why people do. Juat an all around good album, not great, but thats personal bias. pretty good entry.
4/5
Is it stupid and in-your-face macho bullshit? Yes, but thats why its so much fun. I had a great time revisiting this album and I remembered why I loved it so much. So many hits, and so many f-bombs and similar sounding songs at points, but you can take me to the Matthews Bridge, great addition. 4.5 if I could.
Sabu
2/5
you like bongos? you'll love this! good rhythm and beats, but its repetitive as all hell.
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
alternative to a fault. I know it seems a bit of an oxymoron to call something like alternative rock as generic, but thats the best I got. not for me, but probably for someone.
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
cool rock and synthy fun. I've never heard of ELO before but I enjoyed this quite a bit. Sweet Talkin' Woman got me hooked. also unrelated to the music, I absolutely love the cover art, weird 70's sci fi does it for me. great energy throughout, it gets a little too bombastic here and there but man was this fun.
Pearl Jam
4/5
ooh yes, another album heard through the wall between mine and my brothers rooms. Great lyrics, not a huge fan of grunge to begin with but they rock hard enough to push past it. Even Flow, Alive, Jeremy are all huge hits for a reason, tackling difficult themes, the rest of the album sounds good too, except Release, 9 minutes was way too long.
The Only Ones
3/5
pretty inoffensive, I get the vibe of royalty free music from this album. its not bad or anything, in fact I liked Another Girl, Another Planet, but overall its just a pretty average album.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Solsbury Hill is great, and gives me memories of my dad, so thats cool, but outside that this album is pretty humdrum. Which is unfortunate, Peter Gabriel has more hits, just not here.
TV On The Radio
2/5
I dont get it, lots if accolades for this but I cant get on board, the drum tracks are too fast and this whole album seems like an adhd nightmare. Shout Me Out in particular was awful. Pretty varied though, I'll give it that.
The Vines
2/5
Get Free is the hit on this record, but beyond me reminiscing about it on a Big Shiny Tubes album, there isnt anything else here thats worth sticking around for. Pretty generic indie rock, thats it.
Motörhead
2/5
Motorhead is some pretty good gnarly rock, although I hate Ace of Spades so much, just one of those songs that annoys me. There are some pretty sick riffs and guitar work on this album, Shoot You in the Back and Fast and Loose sound so good, but the lead singers vocals are pretty dogshit. around the midpoint they say fuck it and get very repetitive, Also what the fuck is Jailbait, different times, I know, but holy fuck how gross.
Tom Waits
4/5
I like Tom Waits' storytelling approach to his music, and the recording of this album in front of a small audience to simulate a jazz club is a pretty cool concept, it definitely hits that vibe. Its not exactly my jam, but I can appreciate it. I have a hard time picking out one or two songs to focus on, the nature of the way it was recorded translates into listening to it the same way, as a whole. Pretty cool concept.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
whew there is a shit ton of feedback on these tracks. I guess its sorta like a poppy/distortion laden The Cure? Almost every track is just a wall of noise at some points, like they recorded guitar over tv static. None of the songs are particularly good or stand out, I guess they catch the mid 80's fairly well, just replace the synth with noise, feedback and distortion.
The Saints
3/5
Aussie punk rock isnt bad! its never been a must-listen genre for me, but this reminds me of Ramones here and there. Also I'd never hears of The Saints before either, I liked it more than I thought I would. Some songs have a real in-your-face feel thats pretty trademark of the genre, it just seems a little more lighthearted here and there like the harmonica in Run Down. Interesting album to say the least!
Alanis Morissette
5/5
Easy 5. Monster of an album, captures the nineties easy.
Deerhunter
2/5
nothing about this really stands out, and it was a chore to get through at times. it doesnt really set itself apart.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
Depressing and high energy. Unsurprisingly lame.
XTC
3/5
Not really my thing but still pretty enjoyable! Season Cycle is probably my favorite, the whole album has a pretty nice easygoing energy, but it makes it a little lame? Weird point against it but its the best way I can put it. Absolutely worth a listen.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
I love blues and guitar noodling but oh boy, this missed the mark. Too psychadelic, Jimi is a legend but I had to struggle through this. Crosstown Traffic and Voodoo Chile were great, I'm still a sucker for blues riffs. A lot of it just felt aimless, like building an album around noodling.
Gary Numan
2/5
Do you like synth? This is for you! I can appreciate how experimental and out there this album is, and it reminds me od other songs I like (Random for example giving me shades of One of These Days by Pink Floyd). But overall this misses the mark with me, the only song I recognize is Cars, and even then it was a journey to get there. The latter of the albun doesnt improve much for me either.
Justice
5/5
Whoa. I have never heard of Justice before and I'm mad about it. This is the type of electronica I like, a little filthy and tons of energy. I hate to reference the only other electronica band I like, but this gives great Daft Punk vibes, great sample usage, funky beats and great composition. I am having a hard time picking a few tracks, every one just hits as good as the last. It really reminds of Mystery Skulls too, which is a great thing.
The Police
2/5
Can Message in a Bottle carry this whole album? No. Even the album track doesnt stack up, this whole album mystifies me, I cant see why its so beloved. Man I am glad Sting got away from this. Although calling your album White Reggae is pretty funny.
Morrissey
3/5
I always hear about Morrissey from people who are way more musically intelligent or hip than me. Its okay? Produced pretty well, nice variety of instruments, doesnt rely too much on synth depsite being an 80's album.
Dr. Octagon
2/5
I have no idea who this is, and I'm not much of a fan of "spoken-word" rap, if you get what I mean. As I listened I got the impression they wanted to sound like KRS-One or Rakim or something, profound lyrics, solid beats, etc. but Dr. Octagon misses the mark, its also just weirdly immature in places, other artists do this better.
David Bowie
4/5
If David Bowie were a genre, I would say this album is pretty generic. But thats not a bad thing! I actually enjoyed the soundscapes on the latter part of the album, overall a good album, woukd recommend at least one listen in a place you wont be interrupted.
Baaba Maal
4/5
Whenever I tell a friend to try music outside the english language, this is what I mean. Beautifully written and composed. Daniibe is probably my favorite track on this. Love the percussion throughout. Vocals get a bit much here and there but my ear just isnt used to it I'm guessing
Lou Reed
4/5
I'm not a particular Lou Reed fan but this album might've changed my mind. Tonally it seems different than what I usually get from him, maybe thats why. Good lyricism, its got a more rock n' roll vibe that suits him well.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Sounds angry, kinda samey throughout, at least its consistent. Carcass caught my ear pretty well though. Not bad, maybe no repeat listens though.
The Damned
4/5
Reminds me of Tony Hawk and CKY and Jackass and being an asshole in the early 2000's! Rock as fuck, unapologetic and just plain fun!
Hawkwind
3/5
Live psychadelic rock? 2+ hours? Strap in for a terrible time! Nah its not terrible but its just too much, the freedom and exploration of psychadelic rock combined with the live nature of the performance makes this a real slog. The Awakening is just making me mad, I cant help but think this is something you had to be present for. I cant knock it too hard, they did something really different and experimental and I'm sure it resonates with some, but its a dud for me.
The Who
4/5
considering Tommy was my last album my hopes were low. But this was a welcome change! just good old fashioned rock. Thats it thats all, nothing really stood out to me but overall I enjoyed it.
Richard Hawley
4/5
Easy listening to a T. I'm reminded of Leonard Cohen but likeable.
Slipknot
3/5
I genuinely cannot differentiate any of their albums from one another. All I can say is good sounding metal but nothing stands out to me. Gematria fucking slays though.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
5/5
Damn, this whole album just hits so well. Folk Rock at some of its best, I cant say I had even a lull at any point. I was in a bitter mood when I started but it put me in a good space. Beautifully written and composed all the way through.
Joan Baez
4/5
Just nice melodic folk music, nothing edgy here, music to sit with contentedly while you read a book on the porch. I'm unfamiliar with Joan so this was a nice new listen for me.
The Zutons
4/5
I find this fits in kind of a Shins or a Strokes or Arctic Monkeys and maybe White Stripes kind of vibe but a little funkier. It was a fun listen but not too much lasting appeal unfortunately. Having never heard of them I was quite happy to hear this though. Long Time Coming is probably my favorite off this.
The Jam
2/5
Every time we get a British Pop Punk or electronica album it reminds me that even a list like this is beholden to an authors bias. Just straight mediocre, repetitive, nothing really of note. Thats Entertainment grabbed my attention, but like a bunch of songs on this album, I might enjoy a section but the rest just brings it down.
Nightmares On Wax
2/5
I imagine you have to be in a particular mood for this music. Its just background noise to me, not much else.
Joy Division
3/5
ooh this sure makes me feel GOTHIC. Not really my thing, but its interesting to see where this music goes from here as a genre.
Beatles
4/5
early poppy Beatles sure is fun, not much of the more introspective from later in their careers, but damn if I didnt enjoy the heck out of this album.
Fela Kuti
5/5
man the horns on this album grabbed me. seeing 4 tracks at a total of 53 minutes made me a bit worried, but man does it fly by. Had a great time with this, not a moment was I bored.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
as I get older I feel the pull of folk music on my soul. I'm not sure why but it just works for me these days. I'm not even a big Joni Mitchell fan to begin with, but man this put me in a great mood.
Björk
2/5
I cant deal with Bjork, she hits some part of my brain that gets me annoyed and angry. This fits squarely in the "not for me" category, as for who the intended audience is? I have no idea. It was a little more coherent than the last entries, then Family hit and that turned a free fall into a rocket straight into the ground.
Lucinda Williams
3/5
depressing, sad, small town folk country music. It has its place, its one of those albums where the cover art captures the mood pretty well. Maybe if I were in the headspace for it, I'd enjoy it more. its okay, nothing groundbreaking, but nothing really stands out either.
Mariah Carey
2/5
I was so excited when this album popped up, as soon as Honey started I was elated, even though it wasnt the version with Mase and The Lox, but the album plummets hard after. Even the song with Krazy Bone couldnt grab me! She sounds great but the songs here dont reflect the talent.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Love me a blues harmonica, but there is too much of a good thing. Way too much. I dont get why Dylan is considered so amazing, sure, his songwriting and lyrics are good, but not mindblowing. Am I being contrarian? Probably, I dont get the hype.
5/5
sad country songs about crummy dudes hell yeah! When I think heartbreak country music this is pretty much what I mean. Loretta nails it, now to drown my sorrows in a small town bar.
Yes
5/5
clocking in a six tracks and forty some minutes, this was a nice little listen. Even though some of them run pretty long, I was never bored of anything I was listening to. I'm not much a prog rock guy but man this had some really good breakdowns and tone changes that keep everything interesting. Great entry, full stop.
Coldplay
4/5
Coldplay has always been one of those middle of the road, nothing special, nothing bad kinda bands for me. They got some hits but I wouldnt place them anywhere near the top of a list usually. That being said, I'm enjoying this album, it hits their particular sound pretty early, Chris Martins' vocals especially. Its a little more melancholic than their later entries were. Even just the intro song, Sparks, a little more quiet and introspective than later releases. Yellow especially, it has a good lasting quality to it, but I'm sure thats why its still considered one of their better songs.
Tracy Chapman
5/5
one of the easiest 5's I've ever had to give out. Grew up with this album, every time I listen its a like a warm hug, also getting to experience songs that I completely forgot about. Chapman is a fantastic performer and song writer. You could easily just put Fast Car here and get great ratings but there is so much more. Sorry for gushing.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
1/5
weird album to get for christmas. First off, what a garbage way to start an album. Skunk is awful. If you have to start by screaming out of tune its a bad sign. The rest of the album stays at the bottom, I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. It's like if they played the blues backwards and underwater, just because its different doesnt mean its good. Now that I think about it, I'm getting Jack White vibes from this, and I feel bad for saying that.
CHVRCHES
4/5
why did this hit me in the just the right spot? I listen to synth-pop very sparingly but for some reason this album hooked me good. Gun starts off pretty good and its pretty consistent from then on. Giving me strong vaporwave vibes, like the soundtrack to an 80's movie that doesnt exist. The only problem is that once you've had enough, you really dont want anymore. By the end of this album I can go awhile without hearing it again. Surprisingly enjoyable entry for me.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
"On this weeks episode, we join Neil Young as he teams up with the local grunge band! Will they put their differences aside, or will they fail to work things out and produce some awkward music?" I kinda get what they were trying to do here, it was the 90's and to be fair, they get a couple good songs out of this, but Neil Young is the anchor for them, but realistically they're holding him back. It was a fun experiment and I'm glad they tried it, but this is a one and done for me.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
5/5
this was probably the introduction to folk rock music in my life. My dad used to play this on his turntable when I was a kid and I hated it then, but man do I ever love it today. The harmonies alone are fantastic. It really doesnt even seem like its that long, either. There's plenty there, but I was enjoying it so much that before I knew it, it was done. These guys really made something great.
Deee-Lite
4/5
just fun and funky to a tee. 90's dance club music has never sounded better. It gets a little repetitive for me in some spots (around What is Love, to be precise), but to keep up this energy across a whole album is difficult. It just put me a good mood altogether.
Elliott Smith
3/5
I feel like Elliott Smith's contemporaries did this kind of music in a better way. like Alexi Murdoch or Joshua Radin or Ernie Halter. Thats not to say its bad, by any means, but it doesnt really stand out to me. Slightly depressing, but enjoyable enough.
Dwight Yoakam
4/5
man something about this era of country music just feels good, nothing fancy, basic instrumentals, fun lyrics. You got songs about love and life. Ballads and stuff to dance to.
The Boo Radleys
1/5
I dont know why they just didnt add in enough distortion so you couldnt make out anything else instead of some things. This sounds more like people experimenting with their new instruments and recording equipment than anything else.
Beck
4/5
the first introductory notes had that distinct Beck sound, its interesting how that works. Pretty enjoyable album. I'm not much of a Beck fan myself, but I've always been able to appreciate his music. I like how varied he gets from time to time, sometimes its successful, sometimes not so much, but I like the effort (Hotwax has so much going on in it, especially the latter half). I can definitely say I've never been bored listening to a Beck album, he is wholly unique. My only other gripe is that the album runs a bit long, but its still fairly enjoyable.
Suede
5/5
what a nice surprise, had I not looked into it I wouldve clocked this album as being a more modern release than something from 30 years ago. You can hear the Bowie influence through the vocals, it actually reminds me a little of Rush here and there. I think Heroine is my pick off this one. Also it has a somewhat uplifting vibe despite the nature of the alt rock genre. Great entry.
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
I had to take a short break after the intro song. But it did get better, however that didnt make it a "must-listen" for me, more of an average, middling album. It gives me a little pretentious vibes here and there and I cant see why it deserves that attitude.
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
A psychadelic rock album that manages to feel jarring (Thief of Baghdad is a lrime example), there doesnt seem to be a flow if that makes sense. That being said I enjoyed this more than most of the psychadelic rock we get here, it crosses over into 80's movie montage sound here and there (Sleeping Gas), also 17 tracks? Tighten it up guys, take it down to 12 and it gets way more digestible.
Ravi Shankar
4/5
a good chunk of this album felt like a music class. I first started listening during work, and it was a little difficult to pay attention, but I finished out at home and it made for a better experience. First and foremost it was just a cool experience, no one song stood out to me, and due to the length of the tracks its hard to pick a favorite, but I'd chalk that up to being unfamiliar with this genre. At the end of the day, cool.album, and the sitar fucking rules.
Peter Tosh
5/5
My knowledge of reggae doesnt extend much past Bob Marley's hits, so usually I cant tell bad from good, but I'm pretty sure this is good. Even though my initial impression of the album was mostly "weed, man lol" its a great vibe that explores various subjects, I guess it feels a little darker, but in a good way. Great way to utilize the genre.
Portishead
2/5
"we have Bjork at home" is what I felt this whole listen, and I really gave it a shot. Nothing clicked, its not objectively bad, but there is just very little to nothing here.
Sepultura
2/5
For years I thought Ratamahatta was a Korn song but I guess its only the drummer, I just remember my brother blasting it to wake me up in the morning. Loud and abrasive are the two things that come to mind for this album, like most of this genre its better in small doses, after an hour I'm drained and annoyed.
Tito Puente
5/5
How delightful and fun this was. Easy 5. Doesnt overstay its welcome, great rhythm and beats throughout, who knew I'd enjoy Tito Puente outside the Simpsons.
Elvis Presley
3/5
I grew up listening to Elvis so its all white noise to me at this point. Fever is great and gets me hot and bothered so thanks pal. This seems a little low energy compared to his catalogue in some places. Its okay, his impact is undeniable but I am noticing how much recycling he uses for riffs and song structure. Great voice though.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Like a lot of blues, sometimes less is more. I like the genre but due to its nature it can get repetitive quick. Love some good blues riffs and this album has it in spades, and Santana, so points for that. It just gets to be too much by the end of it, great guest spots though.
Jethro Tull
4/5
Never been big on whimsical prog rock, but man that flute is great. I like when bands just try something different, and maybe for the era it wasnt too out there, it still leaves a good impression, it has this cool heavy tone, specifically Aqualung, like an early early heavy metal.
Pulp
3/5
Absolutely middle of the road, nothing outstanding, nothing bad.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
Not really my thing but I can see why people like it. Its a little too low energy overall, but I think it suits them well for their sound. I think Like Dylan at the Movies encapsulates them pretty well.
Serge Gainsbourg
2/5
I saw runtime and got a little excited, but this somehow feels like a real journey to get through. Like when you're on a road trip and you get a flat tire. It feels really romantic, nice string section, but just a little too boring for me.
The Go-Go's
4/5
Just fun. Nothing serious, fun pop music then bop along to. A great early 80's album to show the direction music was heading. Some good familiar songs here and there, and the ones I've never heard of are still pretty good. 4.5
ABBA
4/5
I hate Dancing Queen so much its colored my entire perception of ABBA. This album was pretty good, I still dont like ABBA much, but there is a lot to love here. Its weirdly serious in much of its runtime, so hearing the band come together in a more serious effort comes across as unsettling, I guess? Overall its a solid 80's album, but I cant point to a particular song I like.
James Brown
3/5
When crowd work isnt just for comedy shows. The backing band is so good, and James Brown is electric, but holy shit does this album give you whiplash with all the stops and starts. Although JB's call and responses are great.
John Grant
4/5
synthy as hell, really great lyrics, and just balls to the wall weird. But weird in a way that kept me interested. I dont know if I'll ever listen to any of this again, but its definitely one of those entries that made me glad to try this list.
Sade
5/5
Just chill to perfection. Buttery smooth vocals and music. Not much else to say, I could put this album on at any point and have a good time with whatever played.
k.d. lang
5/5
KD goes country was never on my radar. She's pretty damn good at it too, its more like that small town watering hole country music at points between love ballads. I just really enjoyed this one.
Sebadoh
1/5
"how hard could harmonizing be?": The Album. Bad, just bad and annoying all around. If a hallmark of the genre is sounding bad on purpose then maybe its just not good?
The Electric Prunes
3/5
weird, dreamlike 60's experimental rock. It somehow seems kind of generic if only because I dont see anything that stands out, good or bad, a goos number of the songs are pretty different from one another. Sold to the Highest Bidder, About a Quarter to Nine, two songs I wouldve never guessed are on the same album.
Television
2/5
I put this on while cooking and I forgot it was on within 15 minutes, it just turned into rock white noise, it doesnt help when you have Marquee Moon, a 10 minute song that just kinda meanders around, but what shook me out of it was Elevation right after, because I thought it was Lovefool by The Cardigans, then got bummed when I realized I had several tracks left. Just not for me, their peers are better.
Randy Newman
5/5
like damn Randy, here I thought I knew the guy and his sound from Cop Rock and Toy Story, how did any of his other music slip by me all this time? he manages to make thought provoking songs, dropping n-words, and still makes it sound like a whimsical day in the life.
Miriam Makeba
4/5
Getting crooned all the way in South Africa. Just nice, relaxing, beautiful. Not much more to say.
Miles Davis
5/5
"The trumpet!" - Lou Bega in Mambo No.5. Man I dug this album, and the horns kicked ass. Jazz is a little hit or miss for me, but this did really well, it doesnt fall into the trappings of long-winded songs that all melt into each other. Moon Dreams was probably my favorite, then there is a great energy shift to Budo notlong after too. This is just so cool, as the album title suggests.
Hole
3/5
Another added to the list of albums heard through my brothers bedroom wall. This seems like grunge but trying for mainstream appeal? Its okay, nothing really stands out to me, anytime I hear Celebrity Skin it reminds me of a girl I knew singing it over and over again whenever our friend group would play Rock Band.
Metallica
5/5
I dont think I've air drummed and air guitared so much in my life. Front to back this is thrasher's paradise. What can I say? It grabs you and doesnt let go, so much guitar distortion and same-ish at some points but never annoying. Prime Metallica.
The Coral
3/5
Man I knew a guy in high school who would go out of their way to find wacky and off the wall type rock albums like this just to flex their musical acumen.
Thats all I could think of during this listen, I didnt like it because I didnt get it, man. That being said the arrangements can be pretty good sometimes, and the vocals seriously hit. I just wish I liked it.
George Michael
4/5
The older I get, the more I like George Michael. What a fun album, just great 80's synthy pop, having the gall to have I Want Your Sex on the list not once but twice made me respect him big time. I wish I enjoyed all the songs as much as Faith, having a shorter tracklist is a bummer when none of the other songs hit that high, to be fair, I am more of a Fast Love part 1 and 2 guy.
Bonnie Raitt
4/5
Bonnie Raitt has this little niche sound that I think only she does well. The only thing I can really compare is Love Letter reminds me of Joe Cocker and Leave Your Hat On. Outside that it hits this nice middle ground of not quite country or pop rock, but its all pretty good.
Funkadelic
3/5
Going from the first track to the rest of the album gives me whiplash, outside that its pretty funky as the title implies. Some great hooks and beats, its fun but a little dark, if that makes sense.
Megadeth
3/5
"We have Metallica at home", just kidding Megadethheads! Just good solid heavy rock, I think they shine more when they go away from the melodic stuff and commit to shredding. Also it gets into weird spots sometimes, I Aint Superstitious is just a roadhouse blues jam that sits in a weird place among all the epic stuff around it. Also two discs is too much.
The Style Council
4/5
While I was listening to this I thought it was just a short album and autoplay kicked into the next album. Turns out the latter half is just completely different, whats nice is that it does both pretty well. I really enjoyed the first half, I got a lot of lo-fi smooth jazz vibes and then the latter half with all its 80's style pop funky energy was a treat. Cafe Bleu is probably my favorite off the album, and A Gospel just for the enjoyable whiplash.
Bob Dylan
2/5
I'm a blues guy and my enjoyment fell off pretty quickly here. Its like I was hearing more familiar blues songs but slower and less intelligible. Bob Dylan? more like Bad Dylan. stick to poetry!
Elton John
5/5
definitely some of Eltons best. opening with Tiny Dancer strong and it stays pretty consistent after that, its nothing complicated either, just pure Elton, and it pays off pretty well. I really enjoyed this listen.
Dead Kennedys
3/5
I dont get it. its definitely not for me, and every DK fan I've met is kinda an abrasive dick, although truthfully there arent many I've met. It sounds okay musically, but lyrically and vocally its pretty bad, I'm sure the messages are there but I'm not going to go any further than a single listen.
Steve Earle
4/5
This is the kind of country I used to associate with the genre before listening to it. Just down on your luck, life kinda sucks but its a hot day with your buds and you can still have fun even if you never leave your hometown. Its fun, and I love the distinct sound Earle has.
5/5
easy 5! What I love about this album is how much fun they must've had making it, like they all just got a chance to really cut loose and try some cool shit, but then rein it in so it doesnt lose the plot. crazy how much this influenced the future of music.
with that out of the way, and my childhood memories of hearing these songs aside, I have a specific connection to the the title track. I was living with some friends and I got part of the song stuck in my head but wouldnt follow up with any other lyrics. so my roommates would hear me sing "Sergeant Peppers LONE--" and thats it. Thats all, I annoyed the hell out of my roommates and it remains a core memory, thanks Beatles.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Lady Soul is right! Easy 5 for Aretha. As you would guess she hits it out of the park on this one. Just good deep hitting soul music by one of the best to do it. Chain of Fools starts strong and keeps the momentum going.
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
So the band name made me think of a country group I'd never heard, but this is more like swampy blues with a hit of acid. Some of the riffs and arrangements are neat for like 10 seconds but its so wishy washy and distorted it kinda shoots itself in the foot.
Common
5/5
This definitely has Kanye's hallmarks all over it, and Common rises to the occasion. Great lyrical hip hop, steady hard beats. Kanye I hope you get yourself help before its too late, because its hard to hear what you did and what you were capable of at one time.
MGMT
4/5
the hits are good, and plentiful, but outside those its a little dry. I do have to commend them for a varied experience though, no two songs sound alike. I remember Electric Feel the most because one year houseboating with friends there was a boat parked next to us that played it on loop until 5am.
Cat Stevens
5/5
I came to hear this album later in life and I've always liked it. I think Father/Son will always be the standout track to me, I'd heard it here and there over the years, enjoying it enough, but a few years ago I was driving cross country on the highway by myself, coming home after my dad's funeral.
For whatever reason it hit me like a ton of bricks. Since then its always been a difficult but good listen. The rest of the album was fantastic as well and I'm glad I got to experience it.
GZA
3/5
one of the only solo wu tang albums I'm kind of familiar with. Its way better than the others I've heard so far, like the others though, it gets repetitive and the kung fu motif gets worn out. all in all a decent entry.
The Monks
3/5
man they get a hell of a lot of use out of the keyboard on this one. frenetic pace, just loud and in-your-face, although done by design. I tuned out a couple times during the listen, but mostly out of boredom. Not bad, but also not for me.
Spiritualized
2/5
every song feels like a journey, but not in a good way. I swear I thought some of these tracks were 10 minutes each at some points but they really do just drag and repeat ad nauseum. I give them points for originality and coming up with some cool sound here and there. But overall its just up its own ass, its definitely the favorite album of the most insufferable music lover you know. Its all build up and no payoff.
Eurythmics
4/5
All I knew was the title track but wound up enjoying most of the album. Lots of wobbly synth, not terribly deep but still poppy fun!
Dolly Parton
4/5
I was so psyched to see this come up, I'm always down for DP and friends, and it delivered for the most part, but truthfully with the star power behind this I feel it couldve been better. its still good! Made me wish I had a broken heart to relate a little more but damn if those ladies cant harmonize.
Khaled
3/5
there is a lot of good here, but also just a lot period. It runs long. but it makes up for that runtime with enough good tracks. At the end of the day its just not for me, although that Imagine cover was pretty good.
The Black Crowes
4/5
listen, She Talks to Angels is one of my karaoke bangers so I gotta give it props for that, and you know the rest of the album is good! not great, but definitely a fun listen. Hard to Handle is a fun break from the more serious drunk and broken heart vibes.
Missy Elliott
4/5
runs a bit long, but it was nice to hear an entire Missy album I'd never listened to before. TONS of featured artists, Sock it 2 Me, Friendly Skies and Best Friends probably being my favorites, great vocals and beats, solid R&B.
Shack
2/5
Its pretty boring and monotonous to a T. All I could think of was like Mumford and Sons without the folk instruments. Its pretty bland, no edge, typical British pop rock from this time and doesnt stand out from its peers.
Super Furry Animals
2/5
The lead singer cant decide if he's Damon Albarn or Elvis Costello, and the band itself seems like they tried to bring the sixties british semi-psychadelic style rock to a then-modern 2001 with poor results. Too much going on here, and none of it flows together, and overproduced as hell. If they were going for that 60's feel like I think, its missing all of the warmth, for whatever sense that makes.
Neil Young
3/5
Very middling Neil Young album. If you're a fan I'm sure it stands out and gets a higher rating, but nothing about this really wowed me. In fact towards the middle and end this effectively became Neil Young white noise.
Fun fact, I used to (and sometimes still do) get Neil Young and Neil Diamond mixed up.
Ian Dury
2/5
what the hell even was this. I had to stop and start this album too many times. also, 2 hours, cripes. Musically in most of it its pretty good and funky in the right places, but the vocals and lyrics are absolute trash garbage. It just seems like a throw everything at the wall and see what sticks kind of album.
Maxwell
4/5
just super sexy to a tee, it doesnt really deviate from the formula, but it doesnt need to, its different in that its a lot smoother and funkier than contemporary RnB at the time, a nice detour until you come back to Ginuwine. I'll add it to the fuck music list.
Marilyn Manson
1/5
Marilyn Manson and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad album. The Beautiful People is good for about 15 seconds and the UWAAAAH part but everything that follows is just pretty lame and tepid, considering the image Manson tries to project you'd think it'd be interesting. Oh also he's a weird sex creep on top of it. Lame!
Sisters Of Mercy
4/5
80's moody synthy goth, and I actually enjoyed it! The choir and orchestral stuff gave me Castlevania vibes, and the rest like 80's pop goes goth. Great pick for this list, This Corrosion is probably my favorite.
Germs
1/5
This is about as bad as a punk album gets. Poor vocals, bad instrumentals. Just audio diarrhea.
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
its a pretty decent serving of indie rock but doesnt really stand out so much to me. I had it playing in the background and didnt notice it had ended, and couldnt recall any particular song. Not bad by any means, their peers are better.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Nick Cave they could never make me like you. Maybe thats too harsh, its not terrible but its just squarely not for me. Good lyricist, bad singer, although he tickles the ivories well. His music always teeters on spooky or reminds me of an old youtube video someone makes using windows movie maker, and they use the slow fade out/fade in effect for every slide. Also way too low energy, oozes pretentious dickhead. I'm sure this is someones bag though!
Talk Talk
3/5
A little too melancholy for my taste in places, although the 45 minute runtime is nice. Despite being an 80's pop album I didnt notice as much synth which was a nice change, that being said it didnt really wow me in any places. Songs would start good but thrle dragged out vocals would bring it down. Its My Life tops anything on this album unfortunately.
The National
3/5
decent indie rock. It wore thin on me fairly quick. This particular style of music and singing is just either hit or miss for me, thankfully its pretty good throughout.A bit of a downer in terms of feel, was glad when it wrapped.
David Bowie
5/5
Even on his way out, Bowie produced a one-of-a-kind album featuring his particular brand of songwriting and music. He sounds worn, and tired, but still had something to say.
Grizzly Bear
2/5
if it werent for Two Weeks I wouldnt have recognized a single note on this album. Another indie pop rock snoozer in most places, being different for the sake of being different. Maybe I'm a dick for saying that, but its just too depressing in places and giving me very gray and low vibes. pass.
John Prine
5/5
Whats interesting is how much John Prine I recognized, my Dad used to play his songs on guitar all the time for as long as I remembered, so this was a nostalgia trip. Just good, wholesome song writing from a folk legend.
Joy Division
3/5
Dark, brooding, spooky. The first few tracks bored me but it got better as time moved on. Incredibly repetitive in melody but I guess it works? Its okay.
Simon & Garfunkel
2/5
I'll preface this with a story, my Uncle got talked into seeing Simon and Garfunkel in concert and he told me it was "The most boring bullshit sleep-inducing show I've ever seen." And you know what? I am inclined to agree, S&G are no doubt great songwriters, Simon especially, but wow was this just kinda lame and boring. No edge, just the personification of the color beige. Works for most but not for me.
Ozomatli
4/5
Pretty good, funky Latin rhythms. Really like the string arrangements throughout, and its pretty varied too. You'd think this is a few different albums going from Love and Hope to Street Signs to Santiago. I came into this listen with zero expectations, having never heard of Ozomatli, and thankfully the list provided another great addition.
The Stone Roses
4/5
I'm glad I stuck it out for this one. It was better than my initial feelings. Outside of Elizabeth My Dear and I Wanna Be Adored I bopped along quite satisfied. Its not my usual thing but surprised me a little with my enjoyment. It hits that apathetic British rock sound and singing and makes it listenable, Fools Gold was great for that!
John Lennon
3/5
Maybe I'm being inconsiderate but this album gives me shades of tourettes. Like its all soft and thought provoking through Love but Well Well Well comes in and Johns voice is trying to leap out his body. I think this album is a case of saying yes to everything and not giving a critical eye to your work.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
I was going to call it a modern masterpiece despite being 10 years old, so many tracks off this hold up and the album as a whole is just great from start to finish. Kendrick grabs you and doesnt let go. Great features (George Clinton on the intro!) and the inclusion of funk on top of his creative songwriting.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Leonard Cohen I'm sure is a fantastic songwriter, but this is so downcast and boring like everything else he's produced. I cant stand his monotone voice so its automatically in the bad column for me, much like how I feel about Bob Dylan, I'm sure I just dont "get it" but I really just dont want to.
Buck Owens
4/5
Old twangy country western music always hits when Spring amd Summer start coming around, dont know why, but this hit the spot perfectly.
3/5
I cant enjoy U2, for whatever reason their music sounds like they should've been a Christian rock group. I can recognize why they are considered great, but it doesnt do much for me. I'll give them this, a lot of their music is pretty timeless, I thought "I Still Havent Found What I'm Looking For" was an early 2000's release all this time. They have staying power for a reason, and a guitarist named The Edge. I cant say its bad but I definitely didnt find it good.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
some great songs, some not-as-great, but all packaged in a tight 43 minute experience. Its cool to sit with these classic rock albums and listen to them front to back instead of picking out singles like I used to, anytime I hear music from this era it always transports me to my dads vinyl collection, hearing him blast songs on his old stereo system. Immigrant Song is so good, but it sets a high bar. while the rest of the album doesnt quite reach it, its pretty consistently good! Still a fantastic entry by Led Zeppelin.
50 Cent
5/5
holy hell what a debut album, who knew 16 year old me and current me would agree on how good this is. It also made white teenagers everywhere very comfortable shouting racial slurs. I'm not even talking trash, I bought a spinner chain so I wasnt immune to it. And goddamn normalizing pimping as a cool thing, what a time.
Whats to say, front to back this album screams coming out party, Fifty Cent has arrived and he's here to make his mark. I cant say I didnt enjoy any of the songs on this album, nothing got phoned in here, the features dont disappoint either. I also appreciate the high energy in the production, like it needs to be played on a good sound system or pumping through your car stereos when you meet up with friends in a parking lot of a mcdonalds or a 7-11.
Pulp
2/5
I think this band heard all the sexy R&B coming out of North America at the time and thought "we can do that too but in British pop rock". Nope. Also it just has a very generic Brit pop sound, long slow strums, monotone voices that sound disinterested. lame!
Rush
5/5
I'm not much of a prog rock guy, but if you're gonna listen to it, you may as well listen to the best. Rush is undoubtedly a rock powerhouse and the best way I can describe their music is a musical journey through space. The 38 minute runtime is misleading, as it feels like a complete experience, and some of their better work comes after this!
Mekons
2/5
"in todays episode, Country Music goes to the U.K.! oh, behave!" Thats about as interesting that it gets. I'll give them points for an attempt at trying to work country western music into British rock , but some things just dont gel. I cant understand whats so amazing about this album, the vocals alone are grating at best. That being said, I wouldnt mind another musical crossover from someone better suited.
Booker T. & The MG's
5/5
just cool and groovy to a tee. Also these instrumental covers are taking me out. That Twist and Shout one had me grinning the whole time.
The Clash
3/5
London's Burning is good, the rest meh. Its not bad, and Punk, especially early Punk just isnt my thing. Overall its okay.
Metallica
4/5
Metallica plus an orchestra is way cooler than I thought it would be. Is it 2+ hours of cool? nah. Outside the hits its still worth hearing the orchestral accompaniments though.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
man I'm not much of a Stevie Wonder guy but I cant deny how good this was. It has a pretty soft start until Boogie on Reggae Woman and it gets funkier and a little more energetic. You Havent Done Nothin' is probably my favorite from this entry but honestly the whole thing is a pretty good listen. That horn section!
Solange
4/5
Its way softer and melodic than I thought it would be considering some of the featured artists. I think I was in the right headspace for this when I heard it too, it sits in a weird spot for me, I cant see myself listening to it again, but it was still enjoyable. She's definitely got a great voice, very poetic.
Laura Nyro
2/5
so it started kinda cool but at Lonely Woman is just falls off. Like sad jazz lounge singer but not good. I think she puts a lot of the success on her vocal talent and unfortunately she just cant carry the whole band.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
5/5
easy 5. Felt like I was listening to this with my Dad at some points sitting in front of his turntable. I didnt realize how many hits came off this one. Tuesdays Gone, Simple Man, Gimme Three Steps, Free Bird. Man, just enjoyment start to finish. A masterwork in rock.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
its funky, its cool, and its long. You know the phrase too much of a goosd thing? Thats this, it overstays its welcome, they're funky as hell but nothing really stands out that makes me wanna stick around for more. Maybe Poet, but thats it.
Simply Red
3/5
as soon as I saw them described as "British Pop and Soul" my expectations sank, but it fared bettet than I thought it would! Pretty serviceae in most areas, its got some little jazzy spots that remind me of a late night infomercial (Jericho specifically), where you would wake up on the couch at 3am and see some product fading in and out on a grainy 90's broadcast with a 1-800 number in yellow at the bottom. Not bad, the instrumentals give me early Persona game vibes in the overworld.
Astrud Gilberto
4/5
I'm on a tropical beach in the 80's, closed an insane business deal, and letting the waves crash over me. Thats what I get here, and damn those flutes hit so good here.l, great soft percussion.
Arcade Fire
3/5
man I never got into Arcade Fire when all my friends did, listening to them just seems like work. Its that indie rock that has a very downcast feel to it, tries to be grandiose here and there, but to hell with your mainstream appeal, normies. Its okay, nothing really stood out, way too much keyboard for me too.
Devendra Banhart
2/5
I'm always up to hear a genre clash, as described in their write up, this is considered Psychadelic Folk. Its pretty lame, noodling an acoustic guitar with a bored sounding singer makes for a bad experience. I get it, its a vehicle for the powerful lyrics. As soon as something has a bit more of a positive spin (intro to The Body Breaks) they drag it back the fuck down to make you feel like shit. Also way too much vibrato and vocal fry. It was like an attempt to create something similar to Bright Eyes. Its just pretentious as fuck.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Pretty solid for a debut album, but you can tell they were still a little raw. If you've heard blues breakdowns before there is nothing new there, its a short listen and really. their best was yet to come. How Many More Times was probably my favorite on this album.
Robert Wyatt
1/5
an accurately titled album. I understand wanting to stand out and present how different you are, but this is just Revolution No 9 cranked to 11. mashing keyboard keys and playing sections in reverse, for what? How quirky. Dumb, lame, and stupid.
Kings of Leon
3/5
an album full of b-sides. Its fine, if you're a Kings of Leon fan you'll enjoy it, but there is nothing here that really stood out as great.
Julian Cope
2/5
2 hours of self indulgent nonsense. Not every album by a British rock band has to make the list.
3/5
live albums are usually not great and live punk albuns manage to be worse. Really had a hard time deciphering lyrics and hearing through the wall of noise, although maybe its more about evoking a feeling. My feeling is that its too messy, and not good. Not the worst, definitely full of energy and they go hard and some of the songs are a little catchy Rocket Reducer No. 62 was pretty good.
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
This was way more fun than I thought. Come on Eileen is the obvious runaway hit, but the whole thing was a fun jaunt. Gets a little samey here and there but overall just a good, fun album.
Happy Mondays
3/5
eh its fine. Upbeat 90's British alt rock. Put me in a good mood actually. Makes you feel like moving.
Laibach
1/5
what the fuck even was this? The melodic stuff here and there was neat, but the spooky vocals and weird industrial horror vibe just annihilated any enjoyment. It gets so weirdly arty through a bunch of the tracks too. Its an arthouse film that people pretend to like, but an album.
The La's
3/5
not sure why this is included here, its not bad or anything, just a little too milquetoast. There She Goes is the best song here, and unfortunately it doesnt carry the album.
Violent Femmes
3/5
whats interesting is that you could release this album in the mid 2000's, put a bunch of the songs on the Garden State soundtrack and I wouldnt be any the wiser. I suppose that makes it timeless, or ahead of its time? Outside of Blister in the Sun I didnt really vibe with any of the other songs. I figure you have to really be into that indie rock sound to truly enjoy this, its not bad or anything, just takes itself a bit too serious, also a lot of repetitive bass lines, and the vocal tones tend to wear thin. That being said it makes me feel like I'm im my early 20's living in Vancouver again.
Sonic Youth
3/5
I always think Sonic Youth will sound cooler than they do, but they leaveme disappointed. Its definitely alt rock to its bones, unconventional and fast paced, it has its place but not with me!
The Yardbirds
3/5
man I love some good blues and harmonica but a guy has his limits. Its got a bit of a honky tonk blues vibe to it at some points, which is cool, but if you've heard long blues riffs and noodling there is nothing new here.
David Ackles
2/5
I feel like this guy just treated this album like a stream of consciousness, he has some good instrumentals but just kinda talk-sings over it. Its like he's trying to hit those Frank Sinatra notes, but also trying to be introspective. I couldnt help but think of My Way through most of this listen. You know it reminds me of that Americana, turn of the century type sound, I'm sure there are better references, but Bioshock Infinite background music. Just weird. kinda spooky, and annoying.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
2/5
no. Great string section, but no. I was already skeptical and honestly intrigued until Zopf: In a Sydney Motel. They do a great job eliciting emotion, and highlighting my lack of patience for people fucking around on instruments (Zopf: Milk). I am good on never hearing anything from them again.
Stan Getz
4/5
sick bossa nova but in lower case. I have never felt so cool and calm while listening to music before.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
not bad! it wanders for awhile lyrically, but it kept me interested, Joni has a nice voice for this type of music and tells a good story. I liked Coyote and A Strange Boy but the rest I could leave behind, its just a bit too unstructured. This gave me shades of a
proto Alanis Morissette if anything.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
look man, I get it list author, you fucking love Elvis Costello, and I can see putting one of his albums up, but all of them? Nothing here comes close to Alison. That being said, its kinda neat to hear him incorporate some synth here and there and some 80's sounds to his repertoire if you were interested, and you know when his voice is good, its great, but it really depends on the song. Unfortunately its just not enough to make an enjoyable listen.
Bobby Womack
4/5
you can be funky, cool and smooth but also pretty cornball (hell yeah KFC). He probably had a lot of fun making this and so did I listening to it. One of my favorite lines from If You Think You're Lonely Now, "And the skeletons in your closet, chasing you all around the room." Come on, thats a funny moment in a sexy song
Orbital
2/5
early 90's British electronica? Sorry guys, the French did it better. I think I've heard enough on this list that I cant differentiate between any of the artists anyway. Its all pulled from the same well. Some neat beats here and there, like the background music to an obscure PS1 racing game. But its all fluff, and wow does it feel long. Also the intro to I Wish I Had Duck Feet made me feel so gross it left a bad lasting feeling for me.
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
Instrumentally its pretty good, but, thats it. It borders on annoying here and there, but I guess something has to be said for the talent behind the band.
Chicago
4/5
right out the gate with the horn section, hell yeah. It feels like a Saturday night in the late 60's or early 70's in New York (or more accurately Chicago) or something like that. I'll admit, the horns do kinda play a bit too much, but as someone who's never heard a single Chicago album, I dont really care. This whole listen was pretty fun. My only real knock against it is the runtime, it gets to be a bit much, especially the final track being 14 minutes. Either way, its a good experience and I'm glad I got to hear some new music.
Beck
3/5
What the flip? This is so strange, if you covered up the name of the artist, I never would have guessed this was Beck. That's not to say its bad, by any means. One of my favorite things is when an artist tries a genre outside their wheelhouse, or what they're primarily known for. Lyrically, the Beckster has always been pretty creative and grabs you, and the exploration of musical instruments is strange coming from him, but the tonal shifts in here help and hinder it. It overall feels on the depressing side, although considering he was also dealing with depression following a tough breakup, it tracks. Paper Tiger was a downer that kinda kept that vibe the whole way through. Guess I'm Doing Fine also could've been a Pearl Jam song, its cool to hear Beck stretch his vocals like this.
The whole thing is just a little too foreboding and depressing overall for my tastes, but I gotta give the guy credit for putting his feelings out there like this.
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
its Jazz, but not up its own ass. This was pretty enjoyable to listen to, but I think its a good one and done deal. Nothing really stood out to me in particular, although it was a great mood setter, soft, it doesn't assault your ears.
Alice Cooper
4/5
Awfully brave to start with your big hit, Alice! Pretty serviceable rock, with a bit of a silly side. Also a bit of a short journey with 9 tracks, which helps it, in my opinion. The further I got into this album I realized I had no idea what music Alice Cooper made outside School's Out. Take a wacky song like Gutter Cat vs. The Jets leading to Street Fight. A grimy storytime. Also, the bass player was holding this whole thing down, I dont usually pick that kind of thing out, but they did a great job, and really there is a ton of instrument use, Blue Turk has some great keys and a sax.
Pretty good entry by an artist I would've usually written off as lame buttrock, glad I was wrong.
Alice Cooper
3/5
back to back Alice Cooper albums for me on the list, thats entirely too much. Its not bad though! It just seems more tepid and safe compared to School's Out. As a whole its nothing to write home about, No More Mr. Nice Guy is great, love the opening.
Paul Weller
3/5
its nice and folksy, but overall pretty average. Its plain oatmeal in music form. Completely harmless but it has its place.
Ryan Adams
3/5
nice harmonica, but pretty bland and generic. Nothing too much here to write home about
Joanna Newsom
3/5
best listened to in a witch's circle somewhere in the deep dark woods.Very medieval and kinda spooky? Nice strings, but the vocals annoy more than please. Also very poetic and lyrically heavy. Sawdust and Diamonds is probably the best and worst example. warbling voices, nice backing melody, attempt at thoughtful lyrics, witchy, etc. Its all there if you want it!
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
On todays entry for 1001 Elvis Costello albums you must hear before you die. Very much the same as the others, some good, but most is below to average. Pump it Up still holds up great, the rest, not so well. Still, love the guys voice, but I just cant see how he needs this many entries.
The Sonics
3/5
This is pretty neat, they stand apart from their peers in this era just due to the sheer bite they put in each of their songs. That being said. I'd still say their covers kinda miss the mark more often than not. Night Time Is The Right Time is a summation, like the usual blues riff inspired songs of the era and later, its repetitive and unless you're a fan of that genre there isnt much here for you, strong vocals aside.
Sonic Youth
1/5
ugh. I cant sanction this noise. Every time I try another Sonic Youth album its just letdown after letdown.
Cowboy Junkies
4/5
some nice sad storytelling country/folk music, love me a sorrowful sounding harmonica. Honestly I couldnt help but think of the Red Dead Redemption soundtracks listening through this, so it sat very well with me. My only gripe is that it keeps the low energy throughout, you wouldnt make a rock album with only ballads!
Super Furry Animals
3/5
These UK rock albums are just a little too numerous on this list, it seems like a Beatles or Kinks tribute album but with way more distortion. Its not bad but it doesnt try anything new, moreso aping their peers than trying their own thing.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
80's rap is so unserious and funny listening to it now. Hearing all these synth beats is pretty cool, Its Like That is the clear winner here. I can imagine how ground breaking this was upon release in its era, but it doesnt have the same bite today. Great for a historical look back and to see what would come later.
Bob Dylan
2/5
I already made a "Boo Dylan" or "Bad Dylan" joke before so I cant go to that well. I just dont get the appeal. Like a Rolling Stone is alright, and its always the song Bobby D fans recommend to me, but man, the rambling vocals and using the harmonica as a breathing mask gets old so quick.
Roxy Music
2/5
lame, long, and an audible chore to sit through. its just not good, the vocals are wonky, some of the notes are just stretched out wayyy too long, and the songwriting itself is just limp.
Lambchop
3/5
its like if brit rock met country western folk music. its not bad, nice string section, its like looking over a vista in the old west as the sun rises and touches everything, ready for a long day on horseback. its just gentle all around, maybe a little too much.
The Beach Boys
5/5
goddamn I need to listen to more Beach Boys. Great harmonies as expected, and man, some really great song writing here too. They've always been aroune peripherally in my life but I've never sat down and listened to a full album before. Also this seems a bit more serious toned than I expected. Front to back fantastic. Mike Love might be a dumb dickhead but guy can sing.
The Soft Boys
3/5
feels like pretty generic 80's rock, sounds kinda like Jefferson Starship and Triumph but softer? Its hard to pin, I feel like their peers are better. Som3 nice instrumentals but nothing really stands out.
Ryan Adams
2/5
"God just SHUT UP" I said this a few dozen times. Adams' voice is just grating enough that I cant appreciate the music. To Be Young was good, the rest is a bit of a downward slope. There are some nuggets here and there, some nice folk guitar, but overall its just self-suckery.
Spacemen 3
2/5
Too long, too new-age goofy. Although I was a little surprised that it was produced in 1989 and not the 60's. Its certainly chill and quiet in places, and downright melancholic in others, sometimes giving you whiplash. Like they decided their soundscapes needed lyrics. This feels less like music as it does an experience, and boy oh boy I dont want to reflect on it
PJ Harvey
3/5
like the other PJ Harvey albums we got, I feel like her voice is under utilized in favor of spoken word nonsense. Its not bad, just lots of speak-singing over tepid instrumentals.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
hey this was actually a treat to listen to! A pretty great example of the music of the era. None of it really reaches the high of Kicks, but its just all around good American 60's pop rock. I can put this on and go to work on a project and just enjoy the day.
The Stooges
3/5
some pretty good shredding and guitar licks throughout, and it feels appropriate on top of it, it fits the style of the album. Come to find out this is a departure from their usual style up to this point, which makes sense, it seems a little raw in places, (Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell in particular.) however it was still a fun listen, its interesting to hear harder rock from this point in time.
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
man some things just dont mix. It feels like the instruments are for a filthier or dirtier band, when the vocals come across as
softer and more introspective. Almost like a precursor to pop punk of the 2000's. Unfortunately it just feels muddy, between the constant hum of distorted guitar and trying to listen through it, makes for an average to poor experience.
Cee Lo Green
3/5
I was thinking I would enjoy this one more. Its okay, its like a soul singer tried his hand at a rap album and it just kinda falls flat, although that song with Timbaland is pretty damn good, I wish the rest of the album had that vibe.
Green Day
4/5
another to the list of albums heard through my brothers bedroom wall. I remember as a kid looking at the cover art and trying to see all the literal shitflinging. This is the Green Day I'm most familiar with. The singles off this album still hit, Longview, When I Come Around, and Basket Case are still in rotation today, The rest of the album is still good, but doesnt reach those highs.
I remember my brother leaving the room and All By Myself played, being creeped out by it, I told my brother about it and he said no such song exists as he showed me the track listing. As I've aged I learn that it was a secret track and I'm not insane or haunted.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
It's strange, I hear this album and I think of carefree days of childhood christmas during blue hour, or walking through nature hand in hand with someone you love.
Frank's timeless voice and the gentle instrumentals put you at ease. The man certainly paints a picture with words, ifnyou could put music to Norman Rockwell paintings this would be it. I guess my only gripe is how many songs you can sing about the same subject. I guess I've never been in love like this!
The Bees
3/5
man I was all geared up to dislike this but it turned out pretty enjoyable. The turning point was A Minha Menina, everything else just kinda fell into place. Also there is a nice variation of songs here too, although at times it can be a bit too melancholy for me.
3/5
I just started laughing in the middle of the intro for just how goofy it was getting and imagined the rest of the album must be similar, I'm bot shocked I was right. I'm not usually a fan of experimental stuff like this but I totally appreciate the effort and risk taking aspect of it. Like in There's Always Room on the Broom can be an incomprehensible mess, and the background vocals sound like a mosquito stuck in your tent at night, but its SOMETHING. They couldve easily copy+pasted the formulaic stuff od their peers. The noise genre sucks, dont get me wrong, its annoying and hard to pinpoint anything relating to melody and its just awash with, well, noise. This wouldve been perfectly suited as a soundtrack for an indie student horror film.
U2
4/5
Sunday Bloody Sunday is my favorite U2 song and really the only song of theirs I enjoy. I am so glad the album began with it, unfortunately nothing else quite comes to that level. However, I enjoyed this album way more than I thought I would, its rock music with a message, and they do it well. It does overstay its welcome a bit, but man, I cant fault them for the quality they put out. Pretty good entry.
3/5
I went into this ready to hate but it wasnt that bad. I really cant vibe with the weird talk yelling brand of singing they like so much. And it drags for longer than I like. Outside that its fun, poppy, and good for at least one listen through.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
damn, so many hits off this album. Cecilia, Baby Driver and Why Dont You Write Me are worth the whole listen, but honestly I cant find a song I didnt at least enjoy. Great songwriting, harmonies, S&G nailed it, and it still holds up 55 years later!
D'Angelo
5/5
If Lady was the only song on here it would still be a perfect score. Thankfully the album is full of R&B gold, D'Angelo is so talented and the whole listening experience is just top notch.
The Undertones
3/5
its serviceable british punk rock thats more listenable than most, kinda gives Ramones vibes. I feel like if there was less of the genre on the list, then this would stand out a little more.
Tortoise
1/5
music to listen to while drowning. A little soundscapey, a little experimental, a little reptetitive and a whole lotta boring. Like the titles of these tracks could all be rearranged and it wouldnt matter. Bad list edition.
Kings of Leon
2/5
color me shocked, I was a little surprised that one Kings of Leon album made it, but two? If any, this one shouldve made the cut, IF. Its a lot of radio friendly rock, I remember being in University at the time this came out and not really caring for it then either. Use Somebody is good, I'll give them that, but a lot of their music is just too aggressive and harder than it needs to be, if that makes sense. Alright, now I'm bracing for a Hinder album on this list eventually.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
Something about live organ music or synth just seems a bit much. The opening track made me feel like I was at Sunday church service as a kid, thankfully the drums kicked in, but it got weird. There is something delightfully goofy in this whole thing that makes me not dislike it, like The Sage and its laser synth effects that sound like the intro to a VHS based fantasy board game from the 80's. The whole thing seems campy and fun, I think if I were there, it wouldve been more enjoyable. As it stands, its a live album with some varied performances and some silly sounding organ settings, but I'd urge you to listen once, if only for the experience.
Mott The Hoople
3/5
like a lot of people have stated, they sound like a David Bowie tribute band. Honaloochie Boogie is probably the most egregious, but also my favorite track on this album. Overall its alright, honestly better than a lot of the dime a dozen british punk rock albums we've gotten. Its just more fun.
The Mars Volta
2/5
Maybe its because I'm not a prog rock guy but man this not for me. I assume if you're a Mars Volta fan then you must really love them. The lead singer just sounds on the verge of tears and some of the vocal filters are incredibly grating. Not to mention the lyrics themselves just feel pretentious? The instrumental prowess is pretty good actually, hard drums, great guitar work, and a pretty great variety of sounds. I think if you deleted all the vocal tracks this would be way more enjoyable. Although it does get repetitive, which is hard to avoid when a number of songs are over 7 minutes each.
I know its unfair to compare them to Rush, but its my only frame of reference for this genre. Not once did I experience the joy or emotional fun a Rush album gives during this listen. Maybe thats the intention, but for all the noise and filler, this album feels hollow.
The Cure
3/5
someone should hug Robert Smith. There is a real charm to 80's goth music, but its just so dang gloomy, which I suppose is the point. The vocals are also just way too much on the whiny side, but I cant be too critical as someone who still loves 2000's emo and pop punk. I really do enjoy the sound this album has. A Short Term Effect is probably the best way to sum it up, spooky sad rock.
Wire
2/5
nope! More British Punk Rock that nobody asked for! I really am having a hard time seperating these bands from one another at this point. It works for the genre I guess, I got more annoyed the longer I listened.
White Denim
4/5
never heard of White Denim before but man I wish I had. Just cool funky rock, doesnt try to be obnoxious or more than what it needs to be. Great instrumentals, the vocals do wear a bit thin here and there, but I'm not going to argue with a band that throws in a jazz flute when they can, such a nice variety of tone throughout.
Gil Scott-Heron
4/5
This felt like a journey more than just listening to tracks move by one by one. I gotta say The Bottle was my favorite, I'm a sucker for that jazz flute. Overall a good experience! Funky and introspective.
R.E.M.
3/5
I remember seeing the jewel case for this album always just laying around my house as I grew up, but never hearing it play. Man on the Moon and Everybody Hurts and Nightswimming are undoubtedly the my favorite parts of the album, and really the songwriting is a strong suit through the whole album. However, outside the hits, the rest of a album was a bit of a chore to get through, but damn do they play the keys well.
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
I'm not sure what you call this genre but its just interesting. I love the idea of basing an album off a state and things about it. A nice variety of music, its soft and kinda whimsical. Bright horns, some good folsky banjo. Its not my favorite but I had a good experience with this albim, I think Decatur stuck out to me most, but there really is a lot here to listen to, wear a good set of headphones too.
Bee Gees
4/5
man I had no idea how vast the Bee Gees discography was. like most people, I was not expecting this at all in terms of genre and sound. Like a softer Beatles, kinda warbly, maybe Pink Floyd-y? Maybe I'm insane but I wound up listening pretty intently, I think I was also in the right mood for it too. I did find myself enjoying the first half more than the latter, but damn if it didnt still hook me in a way. Great use of the piano throughout, the vocals do get a bit much to deal with by the end but its still worth a listen.
The Beach Boys
5/5
peak Beach Boys! Great harmonies and wonderful song writing. Its long but maintains quality through the whole run. Easy 5.
Portishead
3/5
just flat out weird. I read the album description and was a little surpised to see their influences, pretty creative, especially the film sounstracks for John Carpenter films, I can kinda see that vibe in a couple of the songs, but the doo wop influence? where? Deep Water probably sat with me best just due to it being more of a traditional song. Everything else feels super experimental and tries for vibes more than anytbing else, the singers voice wears pretty thin.
Talking Heads
4/5
This was pretty fun! It just seemed like an energetic, bright sound coming off this whole album. Its kinda funky and weird but overall enjoyable, the vocals were the only thing dragging this down for me.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3/5
the whole rap and hip-hop with a message genre is conflicting for me. Yeah, the themes are important and its a great way to make your voice heard for those who cant speak. But man, it gets tiring. Also I think his peers did a better job, its got some good beats and its poignant when it needs to be, but I'm not sure it needed to make this list with Public Enemy also being here.
King Crimson
4/5
Is this list making me enjoy prog rock? I think the worm is turning for me, I usually dont enjoy the genre much but this was a nice surprise. The melancholic lyricism usually turns me away but this was pretty captivating. This must've blown some minds back in the 70's.
Queen Latifah
4/5
damn for 1989 this sounds pretty good. Its not corny like a lot of rap from the 80's (mostly). Its pretty fun, and she's the Queen for a reason!
The Cult
3/5
I had no idea these were the She Sells Sanctuary guys, it seemed more like they were aping AC/DC and Van Halen more than putting their own work out there. Its better than a good chunk of the British rock this list has put forth, but maybe because its a departure from those hallmarks. I didnt hate this, but it didnt really stick with me either (that guitar solo in Love Removal Machine is pretty cool though) a lot of the songs just seem familiar due to sounding like more well-known tracks by other bands. I can picture this being played in a pool hall back when they still allowed smoking indoors.
TV On The Radio
3/5
that sax at the very beginning hooked me but then the rest of the album started. Kinda reminds me of White Stripes or Imagine Dragons but more synthy. It struck me as more noise with weirdly pitched vocals, not much of an impression.
Jacques Brel
3/5
French sounds great in song, although it seems he talks more than sings. but man a lot of this kinda blurs together, live crooning is fine, but I can only take so much warbling and mandolin and strings. Whimsical here and there but unremarkable.
MC Solaar
4/5
Two French-speaking albums in a row! The language lends itself well to the genre, very energetic and flows well with the beats, couldnt tell you what any of the songs are about but its still very enjoyable.
John Martyn
4/5
first track lost me, Over The Hill grabbed me and shook my shoulders. Gave me a vibe of Stop This Train by John Mayer so maybe thats why I liked it. More hits than misses for me here, I usually dont like this kinda wispy singing and guitar noodling but I actually enjoyed this. Its just a little too low energy for too long.
Tangerine Dream
4/5
I listened to this on a long drive outside the city and I'm pretty sure that helped me enjoy it more. Not much of a soundscape guy but this was a fun journey! Honestly try listening to this outside your home, I think it makes a hug difference.
Roni Size
1/5
whenever I would just listen to the opening of couple of the songs I would whisper "smack my bitch up" and it would fit perfect, but then the actual song would start and dash my enjoyment. Drum and Bass just sucks and this whole experience did too. Thats all.
Don McLean
5/5
Donny Mac hitting it out the park on this one. Opening with American Pie and managing to keep the high bar is pretty impreasive. Having never listened to a Don McLean album before this was fantastic. Great voice, quiet, thoughtful song writing. Great entry!
Minor Threat
2/5
I hate this brand of punk rock, but thankfully it was mercifully short, and that works in its favor, this kind of high energy "fuck you" music is best in small doses, and some good guitar work too. Outside that I cant find anything else I liked or even tolerated.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
like a lot of people my experience with Yeah Yeah Yeahs is Maps, so I was a little bummed it wasnt here, but it turned out to be pretty good! Some good vocals and songwriting here, way more synthy than I thought it would be, and it reminds me of a less intense Chvrches. Runaway was pretty good, but the acoustic renditions of some of the tracks at the end of the album probably caught my ear the best, felt more suited to the type of soft, quiet music this is.
Sigur Rós
4/5
a lot of big sounds, if that makes sense. Very grand and room filling. It started out a little much for me, but Staralfur pulled me in. Proof that you dont need to know a language to enjoy music. Most of the songs do run long, and I would suggest listening to this during a less hectic activity, like a hike or something.
3/5
more like No. I dunno, it was fine, enjoyable enough but their other entries were better. After finishing this one it just doesnt seem memorable, its kinda wishy washy in places, like it tries to be experimental and weird, but comes back down to cool and funky (End of And You and I directly moving into Siberian Khatru) it can give a little whiplash.Still worth a listen, at least.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Damn what a way to open an album, I wish the rest of the album reached that high. When the songs arent as good or memorable the vocals start to be a little more grating, I find. Its unfortunate, I like this kind of deep south rock, but this was a bit of a letdown. That being said, if you're a CCR fan you'll most likely love this album. Even the side of me that loves long drawn out blues riffs got a bit tired by the end, which is unfortunate because I'm sure they could've tightened this up. I liked the Good Golly Miss Molly cover way more than I thought I would, but it wouldve been nice to see the same effort from the rest of the album.
Frank Black
3/5
its like punk rock without the edge. Its not anything I would go out of my way to listen to. Too warbly in a lot of places, also the vocals are just annoying for most of it. I think a lot of my displeasure comes from just disliking the genre itself, so I cant hold that against it. Calistan really blows though.
The Everly Brothers
3/5
this is the silly crooner puppy love music my mom and aunts listened to, so much of it that it all blurred together for me hearing it so much over time. Its sweet, inoffensive, and the title "A Date With The Everly Brothers" legitimately makes me laugh.
Willie Nelson
5/5
Its Willie Nelson at his best, no notes, nothing. Just sit back and take it in
Brian Eno
4/5
Most of it kinda washed over me until By This River, and then I just restarted it and for some reason it just clicked? I'm not sure why, but it did the trick. Nice lyrics, soft, but the instrumentals also have a really weighty feel to them, if that makes sense. Definitely worth a listen, I'm not much on the melancholic stuff but this sticks out.
Carpenters
5/5
weird how I recognized so many of these songs. Just fun and lighthearted all the way through. You get a real 60-70's vibe from this whole listen, like you're actually in a different era.
The Verve
2/5
Here I was thinking The Verve and The Verve Pipe were the same band and I was waiting for The Freshmen. How disappointing. Just lackadaisical, boring, it seems like something better couldve been added here, No Bittersweet Symphony either, what a miss!
Bob Dylan
3/5
I say this every Dylan album, great poet, great song writer, tepid musician. Its much the same here as every other album, Tangled Up in Blue is a standout here, but its not enough to lift the rest.
The Doors
3/5
My first experience with this album was at my first job. I was working retail at a folf course pro shop, and the owners wife came in to drop off some products and arrange some displays. She found this album in a pile of cd's by a boombox and put it in, within 30 seconds of Break on Through she flipped out and unplugged the whole machine sighing "UGH DRUGGIE MUSIC", she played Brenda Lee later on.
Its fine, 60's psychadelic rock isnt my thing but there is some good, Break on Through being the standout, but a lot of it just falls flat and is a chore to get through. Also the keyboard tones are pretty obnoxious.
Madness
3/5
I get that its fun and jaunty throughout, bit it doesnt keep the quality of the benchmark Our House (and It Must Be Love to an extent), I'm not much of a Ska guy either, but I can appreciate the effort here. Love the horns!
The Pogues
5/5
WAY better than any other punk albums we've gotten om this list. The traditional Irish music works so well with this genre, and its not used as a gimmick either. This held my attention from start to finish. Pogues tapped into something great here and all the pieces fit together nicely. It reminds me a little of Great Big Sea here and there for the more lighthearted songs. Great use of folk music here all around.
The Who
5/5
more of this and less of Tommy. English rock I can get behind. Its just good solid 70's rock, definitely road trip music. Not much else to say, they deliver a great album here, not all of the tracks ars amazing, but the quality consistency is stellar across the board. If you want a perfect example of 70's rock, when it started getting a little heavier and moved away from the psychadelic 60's vibey stuff, this is your jam.
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
frickin awesome for a debut! Incredibly influential and you can really hear the tonal shift in rap and hip hop coming from the 80's to the 90's. Lots of samples and a great variety of sounds here keeps it interesting, I love the tempo the album keeps throughout. This was great for a day walking through nature. Going in I only recognized Can I Kick It, but man it was so good to discover so many new (to me) songs. Great addition.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
I think Stevie Wonder is one of the only guys who can drop a double album and have it be a good idea. Isnt She Lovely is the high mark for me but truthfully the whole album is a treasure. You will undoubtedly find something to enjoy here.
The Slits
4/5
lady punk/reggae band with their cans out on the cover hell yeah brother! Enjoyed this more than I thought I would, way more enjoyable than their peers.
Dizzee Rascal
2/5
nahhh, not for me. Fix Up, Look Sharp was probably the only enjoyable track but I do appreciate hearing rap from the UK. I think there were better options though.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
This album has the second worst sampling of Werewolves of London in One of Those Things. This whole album feels like someone sick with a fever trying to finish a paper minutes before its due. Just weird asides and conversation in the middle of songs, some guy just outright coughs in the second track. No enunciation at all, just stumbling through lyrics. bad entry.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
This feels like a soundtrack to a Tim Burton movie. Reminds me of Imogen Heap lyric wise, its okay, not my thing but I can see the value.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
3/5
I am a blues guy but this seemed a bit too much at times. On the plus side its all the blues riffs you already know! love the technical prowess behind this, but it makes for a bit of a boring entry unless you really enjoy 60's white guy blues.
Gotan Project
3/5
eh its fine. Seems like background tracks for parts of a James Bond movie. The spansih behind it is nice, not much else though.
Moby
2/5
I remember back when Eminems Without Me came out, Moby did an interview with MTV for his own music and someone asked him about the line Em wrote about him that ends with "you dont know me you're too old, let go, its over, nobody listens to techno" and he replied with something like "I dont even make techno so I dont know what he means" in his loser Moby voice. Also the Natalie Portman stuff cements him as a dipshit creep.
This album isnt great, it makes me appreciate Fatboy Slim way more. If you like electronica maybe this is your jam, but as it stands he manages to make it low energy and it feels way longer than it is.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
3/5
whats weird is how many of these tunes I sorta recognized. Perfect as background music, light jazz, but not much else.
Mj Cole
1/5
within the first two tracks you will be incredibly annoyed. The rest is a little more cohesive, but saying that, none of this seems mixed or layered properly. its like they recorded all the seperate tracks and left them as is.
Black Sabbath
5/5
I remember the first time I heard this album it blew my mind as a kid. My dad told me after he got this album, he and his friends started a band and they convinced their church pastor to let them play during a service. When they went to perform, they put on black robes and tried covering Ozzy. The congregation was not happy, but it made for a great experience.
Top to bottom heavy metal, I've never been a fan of Ozzy's vocals but it just works for this music.
The Icarus Line
1/5
a wall of incoherent noise.
Gorillaz
5/5
great debut by a great group. A little something for everyone here! Damon Albarn at his best, and he's not even the best part. Great variety in song writing and styles.
Animal Collective
3/5
pretty soft and inoffensive rock. Something you could put on while enjoying a day at the lake, I find it runs long and borders on weird and spooky at times. Overall a decent experience.
Mudhoney
3/5
its fine. But I cant really see how this stands out from their peers, although this being a 1991 release struck me as interesting, I assumed early 2000's indie rock. It kinda borders on skater rock, which is fun, but assaults your senses.
10cc
4/5
hey this was pretty fun! Love finding stuff I'd never heard of and it catching my ear
A good amount of it I wont return to, but Wall Street Shuffle, The Sacro-Iliac and Oh Effendi were fun and stuck with me. Definitely worth a listen through at least once.
Doves
3/5
boring indie british rock. I feel bad because if I got this album earlier I might have been a bit more generous, but there is so much of this exact sound that it doesnt differentiate from the others enough. Here it Comes was a lone bright spot at least.
Rush
5/5
This album was my introduction to Rush in high school by one of my oldest friends. Since then, as I've aged I've gained more appreciation for their music and it was so good to come back to this. Its prog rock at its finest.
The Byrds
2/5
everything about this struck me as British 60's rock but its just got that sound, its like the lead singer just had a good cry or something. I couldnt get into it, even Mr Tambourine Man, which is supposed to be their big song is just nonsensical whimsy.
Alice In Chains
4/5
Them Bones and Rooster are worth the price of admission here! Not a huge fan of hard grunge rock but man this was pretty good. Heavy distortion, deep bass lines and hard solos. It does wear a little thin by the end, but the distinct vocals give a nice flavor to the whole thing. Also its fitting that God Smack being the worst song begat the absolute dumpster fire band of the same name.
3/5
spooky latin beats. not much else. weird distortion and sound effects are fun but relied on too heavy. I liked Segredo, and overall the vibe was just okay.
Patti Smith
2/5
I think Patti is one of those beloved bad vocalists (ie Bob Dylan) that gets away with everything because of the quality of the lyrics. Pass. Way too much warbling and nonsensical songs. Some of the melodies are nice though.
Eels
2/5
different for the sake of being different. I didnt mind Rags to Rags. But overall it just seemed like they were trying too hard to be more than they are, if that makes sense. Also a song from Shrek is here if thats your bag. This whole album just has a depressing, rainy day in a satellite city feeling that you cant escape.
Cocteau Twins
5/5
pretty good! The vocals and the sound production stand out to me, a real dreamlike quality to it. Also this album feels like its a decade or so before its time. It felt like a fun journey, best way I can describe it. Those sweeping synth notes just take me out and I feel like I'm on the open road in the 90's to a new town.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
this seems like a good band if they had different singers. There's something good here but the vocals always toss me. Kind of gives me a Jack johnson or Donovan Frankenreiter vibe but a decade and some early.
Funkadelic
5/5
funky with a message. Some seriously good vibes here. Not much else to say! Still pretty great for a 1977 release!
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
as lame and goofy 80's rap can be, this was pretty fun. Lots of staying power with some of these tracks, Tricky, Walk This Way and even My Adidas. Outside the hits though it kinda drags.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
I had this playing in the background and almost none of it stood out to me, it was just there. Like end credits music. Only The Wind sounded like something out of a Persona game but outside that this album was mostly a miss.
The Associates
3/5
lets do a synth album but make it evil! its that sad depressing kind of goth that the 80's were known for. Unfortunately its more annoying than interesting. Unless this album was used for an 80's high school movie and all the students are monsters, this album has not much else going for it. Seriously you can picture the Wolfman and his jock buddies unraveling the Mummy at the Monster High prom to this soundtrack.
Sepultura
2/5
I think this is as generic as industrial metal can get. crank up the distortion and start singing poorly, nothing here you havent seen before.
Mylo
2/5
I was hoping with the album name we would get something a little meaner sounding. This just sounds like rejected tracks for a Persona game. Its not the worst or anything but it felt really lacking and uninspired. If you need some background beats this works well enough. If I had to pick a track I'd say In My Arms.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
I always dig a good country rock album! I just think their peers were better. Not bad, but not great, sits comfortably in the middle. Wouldnt mind giving more of their stuff a listen though.
Fats Domino
3/5
like Fats himself said "It wasn't anything but the same rhythm and blues I'd been playing down in New Orleans" which strikes true for this album. Its very much the same chord structures and whatnot rearranged to fit a different tempo (I found myself humming "Dont Be Cruel" by Elvis more than a few times). That doesnt mean its bad! also this seems like a greatest hits album, which is odd for this list. If you love New Orleans blues and rolling piano then you'll love this. As an aside, I love the naming conventions for this era, Fats Domino, Chubby Checker, etc.
The Birthday Party
1/5
This was not worth the effort to find. Its cool to hear different genres from different countries but hoo boy this was just not good. Yelling is fine, but it all sounded so washed out. Maybe its a post punk thing, I dunno.
Primal Scream
4/5
wasnt exactly sure what to think going in, and I'm happy to have experienced the album this way. Movin' On Up sets a great bar that the album reaches a few times, but I'd have to say its more hits than misses. Fantastic background music too.
Supergrass
3/5
This did not need to be 2 albums. Pretty unique sound though, I usually dont care for this style of vocals but the instrumentals carry it well. Good poppy energy, but it doesnt ever really reach higher than that. Also the horns in Tonight really sound great on top of everything else.
Tina Turner
4/5
as soon as I hear the opening notes to Whats Love Got To Do With It I always crank the volume and deal with the blown speakers. Great album from top to bottom! Not everything here is tops, but overall its close. 4.5 if I could.
Kraftwerk
4/5
I've made jokes about past electronica albums as "Music for robots to fuck to" but this takes the crown. This is way outside anything I like yet captivated me from start to finish, there was a bit of a dip when it got a little too dragged out, but I definitely got 70's sci fi vibes. I think it helped because I was working a mundane task and the music hit a sweet spot. Dont know if I'll seek this out again but what a fun ride.
The Fall
1/5
man weird how all these counter culture non conformist bands all manage to sound the same. The same droning bass lines, bad talky vocals, distortion. Great job on not standing out guys.
M.I.A.
2/5
holy shit this was annoying. It wasnt the worst but wow I thought this would be better. What did everyone love about her outside paper planes?
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
Psychadelic rock already scores low for me so 2 discs of it was just a bad time. It doesnt try anything their peers havent already mastered. Its okay I guess, lyrically fun enough and good instrumentals. Its the beige paint of psychadelic rock.
The Beach Boys
5/5
just peak Beach Boys tunes. not much else to say. Nothing beats those harmonies.
Goldfrapp
5/5
well this was a nice little surprise. Never heard of Goldfrapp before and it turned out pretty great. She has a real nice dreamlike quality to her voice, this whole album works great for a quiet day doing something for yourself. Some really good warm tones coming out of the sound, if that makes sense. Despite being low energy it still has a good pop to it and kept me invested (Cologne Cerrone Houdini for example).
The Velvet Underground
2/5
I had to power through this one. I already dislike this brand of rock, its so lackadaisical to the point of annoyance. Either talk or sing, its like a bunch of Bob Dylans with varying degrees of music behind it. 6 tracks never felt so long. Shoulda kept this one to small art house shows or something.
Napalm Death
3/5
i blasted this in my headphones till around 1:30am while I was working and my god what a way to experience this. Its loud and insane and also weirdly funny. The Kill is 23 seconds of everything the album represents, loud, unintelligible and rock as fuck. This sucks but I still enjoyed it, odd as it is to say.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
good reggae, and plenty funky too. great to listen to on a hot day.
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
man just listen to it once for the experience. I hated it but it was still kinda enjoyable, I was waiting to see just how strange it was going to get. Also it had a sketch! sorry rap albums of the 90's and 2000's, these guys beat you by decades.
The Adverts
2/5
it starts terrible and keeps that consistency throughout. a lot of these songs just feel like continuations of others. Fast UK punk rock, you've heard this before.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
an album full of melancholic distortion! but its okay, every song is in lower case to reflect their apathy or whatever. Its like emo that missed the train by 10 years, also a little experimental which is okay. Overall a bit of a dud though.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
do you like rolling southern blues rock? Because thats what you're getting whether you like it or not. Not their best but still a pretty good time, I always picture a life I've never lived, life in a small town sitting on a back porch, cruising in a banged up pickup to the local watering hole. The hits here are bangers, the rest of the album doesnt quite match up though.
Dr. Dre
3/5
a time capsule of 90's gangster rap. you got sketches, songs of loose women, drugs and gangbanging, all the hallmarks. Its iconic for a reason and earns its status, but doesnt really stretch beyond those core themes.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
I'm not much of a Joni Mitchell fan to begin with but this really caught my attention. One of those albums I wished I heard earlier in life, I could see this coloring my music taste when I was younger for sure. Just great all around, whole album is entertaining, great vocals, lyrics, and the instrumentals are muted enough to let her shine.
Big Star
3/5
in a sea of 70's rock bands, you have these guys planted firmly in the middle. Not bad, not great, but there. I guess I could classify this as highway rock, something to listen to on a long drive. Femme Fatale is probably my favorite here, if any.
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
sixties pop rock, pretty enjoyable! a bit too much tambourine for me, but overall a pretty good entry. I know California Dreamin' is probably the big hit off this one, but I cant stand it. However I can recognize the talent behind the music in this case.
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
This Fire and Take Me Out are some real bangers that lift this album up above average. This was a nice throwback to my changing of music tastes as I was in my late teens. Also guitar hero as frick.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
5/5
a debut album as crazy and bombastic as this isnt something you see very often, much less something good. All the hallmarks of 80's pop but also with a much more grand presentation. it feels like a musical or soemthing in terms of scope. Also an amazing title for an album.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Sonic Youth you could never make me like you.
Charles Mingus
4/5
This is the kind of jazz you hear at Christmas time, settled down at a coffee shop or something, watching people go about their evenings. Its great background music that doesnt do too much to pull your attention, just a good jazzy vibe.
Sister Sledge
5/5
an out-of-left-field dinger of an album here. I recognized so many samples and its clear to see why artists utilized them. Great funk and gets you moving from start to finish.
Holger Czukay
2/5
the most contrarian guy in your friend group probably loves this album. Its loud and offputting, feels very experimental. There are some interesting bits here and there but not worth digging deeper for. Mercifully short.
Pet Shop Boys
1/5
this sounds like late 90's era infomercial music with bad cgi. Also how do you make pop music boring?
LL Cool J
3/5
I can see why the Ladies Loved Cool J. corny as hell but it still has its place in this time. Its right at the turning point of the sillier fun rap that turned into gangster rap and r&b later in the 90's. it shows its age but its still fun.
Adam & The Ants
3/5
I didnt think I would enjoy British 80's new wave music yet here I am! Poppy fun, nothing really stood out but overall a good experience, its got some light funk and good basslines and silly wacky lyrics. Will I come back to this? nope! but it was an interesting ride.
The Byrds
5/5
aw man this brings back memories. I think this was one of the only country rock albums my dad had on vinyl. A lot to love here, especially the more bluegrassy tunes. A relaxing day at the lake sitting on the deck with this playing is a core memory for me. Nice storytelling too, all around a great album!
Klaxons
3/5
man this was loud. Honestly just some good 2000's alt rock, nothing spectacular but still worth a listen
Beth Orton
3/5
this strikes me as a bunch of songs by Fiona Apple, Norah Jones and Jewel that never made it to their albums so Beth said "I got this." Real coffee shop vibes here which I am a sucker for, but I think her peers just clear her easy. Great voice though!
Youssou N'Dour
4/5
some good African World Music, love the percussion and the horns. Its a nice change of pace from everything else, also a trim runtime of 34 minutes, so you dont get overwhelmed either.
Faith No More
4/5
These guys always reminded me of Red Hot Chili Peppers but leaned more towards hard rock instead of California. Pretty good as a whole! Of course I only know Epic but the majority of the album is enjoyable too.
The xx
3/5
this opens strong and then rolls its ankle in a gopher hole during a full sprint. Its fine I guess. Nothing really sets it apart from its peers. I find indie pop to be either really cool or just trash garbage, yet this somehow sits in the middle. They do some cool things that make their sound unique but its the lack of energy that sinks it for me. At least sound like you care, guys!
Todd Rundgren
1/5
I usually love hearing a band make a departure from their usual sound, and according to the write-up this was markedly different due to the experimentation Todd was doing with psychadelics. Well toss a straitjacket on the guy because this fucking sucked. It was annoying until You Need Your Head and then it became borderline unlistenable. No cohesion, a jumbled mess of sounds, but I suppose I "just dont get it, man." No, dont hide garbage sound behind a guise of experimentation.
System Of A Down
4/5
man what a throwback. I forgot how good these guys were before Daron Malakian had to shit up every song down the road. Serj sounds great as usual, their trademark sound is here, I liked some of their later entries more but as a debut this is pretty good.
The Crusaders
5/5
just what I needed. Soulful jazz that doesnt get in its own way. This hits on just the right way. Great sax and horns, great keys, great basslines, great vocals, its just great!
Ute Lemper
2/5
starting with Nick Cave was already a bad choice, and dont get me wrong, Ute Lemper seems like an interesting composer to assemble something like this with all these artists, its just more of a slog and gets weighed down by some sterile performances. Something like this should be greater than the sum of its parts. Shouldve added some David Bowie, I think he wouldve lent himself well to this kind of project.
B.B. King
3/5
Even though several of these songs use the same blues riffs, I still enjoyed it enough. The live aspect usually sucks but I think it works here, highlighting B.B.'s voice and the talent of the band. That being said, the live nature of the performance causes everyone to meander a bit too much. Good but not great.
Pixies
2/5
nah. Sounds like something from the Empire Records soundtrack. I always hate barely-there vocals. Speak up, and the strange meandering of instruments is a hallmark of this era of indie rock.
The Pharcyde
4/5
man Pharcyde is one of those groups that I'd always heard of but never sat and listened to. Pretty enjoyable early 90's rap! A little goofy here and there and even spooky. Soul Flower is probably favorite off this entry, it feels a bit long but overall a great entry. 4.5 if I could!
The Youngbloods
5/5
went into this not knowing at all what to expect. So many good sounds here, funky, nice folk rhythms, good strings, some Bossa Nova type beats even! I enjoyed pretty much this whole album.
The Hives
2/5
you cant trick me into enjoying an album by using that title. Really sounds 20 years late to the genre, nothing you havent heard before by better artists.
Def Leppard
4/5
Def Leppard manages to carry that signature 80's rock sound into the 90's and keeps it pretty authentic, it sex, drugs and rock n' roll through and through. This is a classic rock album I grew up with in my household so its hard not to let nostalgia blind me, but man its just a fun energetic experience. It does overstay its welcome a bit, but it comes out the gate with fire. 4 out of 5 but 10 out of 10 for one-armed drummers.
Lana Del Rey
4/5
man she's got some good vocals. its a little too sad sounding for me overall but it doesnt hinder her performance, plus its just part of her aesthetic I'm sure. Pretty good entry that gives you something to think of after its done.
The Streets
2/5
this is the equivalent of 80's corny rap from the U.S.A. but put to serious beats making for a terrible english breakfast of music.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
more of the same Pet Shop Boys boring britpop. If their entries were different enough I could see justifying putting all their albums here, but its just more and more of the same. Again, not terrible but does nothing to seperate from their other music here.
Fishbone
4/5
I think I'd like Ska more if it sounded like this more often. Its weird, a lot of these songs sound like something you'd hear in a 90's sports highlights VHS. its funky and fun! also thise basslines and horns are something else.
4/5
its so cool hearing a band evolve over time. This early entry once again showcases Damon Albarn at his best as usual. I usually hate this brand of UK rock/punk singing, but he consistently nails it and the majority of this album kept me interested. Its fast and energetic but not obnoxious.
Van Morrison
4/5
too long and too live, but Van Morrison is and always will be a great songwriter, I didnt recognize most of these songs yet I still enjoyed this a lot! Cut the runtime in half and it wouldve been an even better entry.
Aerosmith
4/5
fun late 80's rock. All you need! Hoodoo/Voodoo Medicine Man containing the lyrics "masturbating with a noose" really sold it for me. It made me wonder, is Buckcherry just an evolved Aerosmith? Anyway if you want 45 minutes of just fun rock with tons of sexual overtones and living fast, then Aerosmith has your number on this one.
Deep Purple
2/5
psychadelic hard rock is just not my bag. Also wayyy too much distortion and muddy sounds here, I checked the write-up and supposedly its intended to emulate a live performance, in which case, why? It burdens the whole listening experience, dont get me wrong, great instrumentals at times, but man do they just wander aimlessly a lot.
Neil Young
3/5
I just dont like Neil Young. He's a great songwriter for sure, but man, his voice and sleepy musings just miss the mark for me. I like the genre, and the album is okay, I know its iconic for a reason but I am glad to be done with it.
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
I think that shitty reality show Whale Wars did irreperable damage to Smashing Pumpkins because I cant help but laugh whenever I hear Bullet With Butterfly Wings, it was used for the intro and elicited chuckles from me every time.
I appreciate how grand they sound, they've always had that larger than life feeling to their music. There are some gems in here but you have to wade through a ton of garbage inbetween the hits. Why two discs? You just spread yourself thin.
Bill Callahan
3/5
Some nice poetic writing. I'm not sure what I would classify this as. Its well written, kinda sad, introspective, and a little weird. The Wind and The Dove sounds like something from a Pharaoh's tomb. Its mostly okay, a lot of it just kinda phased through me but the stuff I really paid attention to was nice.
Nitin Sawhney
3/5
I liked the subtle strings and vocals in this one, but the whisper singing at times takes me out. I feel like Erykah Badhu could've knocked this out of the park. The whole music with a message thing, adding in different aspects of World Music is a nice effort but it feels tacked on. Not sure if this really needed to be on this list.
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
"we'd appreciate if you'd act normally as you would." How frickin cool is it to drop that on your audience when live recording was such a new thing. Here's the thing, unlike a lot of live albums, this is great! Great vocals and some jazzy piano and other backing instruments makes me feel like Winter holidays in a big city.
Elastica
2/5
boring alternative rock that doesnt really seperate themselves from other entries on this list.
The Cure
4/5
very goffick, very 80's, spooky, tons of synth. All in all a great entry! I usually steer clear of this depressio type stuff, especially from this era, but man it got its hooks in me somehow. Despite seeming to drone and give a weird sense of despair I stuck with it and enjoyed it quite a bit.
AC/DC
4/5
just some good classic rock. AC/DC gives you what you want and nothing less from the genre. Yes, a lot of it is samey sounding but therein lies the charm. Sick riffs, predictable drums, clear and loud vocals. Pretty great all around. Perfect garage mechanic soundtrack.
The Human League
4/5
Synthy as fuck! Pretty fun to bop around to. Wear some good headphones when you listen and its like you're getting laser massage on your brain.
The Prodigy
3/5
havent had a British Electronica album in awhile and I wish it stayed that way. Its okay, I think this is a weaker entry for Prodigy, this definitely couldve been passed over. It hits all the earmarks of the genre but doesnt really set itself apart.
Tim Buckley
3/5
Alright Bum Tickley we get it you're introspective. I understand its indicative of the time it was released, but usually only one or two songs of hippie psychadelic is enough. Also the hand drums wear out their welcome quick. Pleasant Street was pretty good though.
Prince
5/5
peak Prince. banger after banger. Not much else to say, this is one of the reasons he's considered one of the greats! That guitar riff at the beginning of When Doves Cry fucking slams and always reminds me how much of a guitar maestro he really was.
Missy Elliott
5/5
I wrote a glowing review and accidentally clicked off to another tab and erased everything. I'll sum it up, fantastic early 2000's rap and hip hop. Great album.
Big Black
2/5
indecipherable noise for most of it. Did not care for this much, also I just felt pissed off listening to it. There's a weird static through the whole thing that acts as a barrier to anything listenable.
Radiohead
3/5
I'm coming in contrarian on this one. Radiohead's brand of depressive melancholy always sucked the life out of whatever enjoyment I would glean. Like I feel tired by the end of this, and maybe thats the idea. The album is definitely written and composed well, everything sounds great, its just got this dreamlike quality to it that bogs it down to me. Again, I'm sure its a positive to most but it takes me right out, nothing really grabs me.
Culture Club
3/5
just fun and unserious 80's bops, all it needs and wants to be.
The Go-Betweens
2/5
as much as I like this list for showing me stuff I've never heard that winds up being great, this is the other side of the coin. Never heard of this and it wasnt really needed on this list . It feels very stagnant, all the parts are there for something better, the songs are somewhat unique enough to warrant listening through but its always a letdown. Like you're ready for a beach day but it starts pouring rain.
G. Love & Special Sauce
3/5
90's college kid aesthetic. Some cool sounding stuff here but it largely sounds directionless which I suppose may be the point. Not a bad listen, just a little more quirky than it needs to be.
Miles Davis
3/5
good jazz that unfortunately blurs together. its like the run-on sentence of music. Still enjoyable at some points though! Miles Davis is a legend for a reason, those horns!
Thin Lizzy
2/5
long and weirdly uneven. Who wants a collection of live performances from different venues? Every one of these songs are better recorded normally.
Death In Vegas
2/5
a wall of noise that doesnt really sound good. You know when you lean on a keyboard and let the notes ring out? its like they made an album around that.
The Fall
2/5
I think most punk is just bad by design and this offers nothing to set it apart from its peers. is it still counter culture if you do the same thing as everyone around you? A lot of blurry noise.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
fun corny 80's rap! its dated, but still enjoyable for what it is.
Billy Joel
5/5
much like Bruce Springsteen, BJ is one of those artists I appreciate more as I get older. I really enjoy his storytelling and how grand he makes everything sound. This album rewards patience and close listening, if that makes sense.
fIREHOSE
4/5
This flies in the face of what I usually like, but lo and behold it grew on me. The back half I found a lot more listenable, and it made the experience fairly enjoyable. Time With You strikes that weird spot of a rock classic but alternative enough to stand on its own. This album gave me memories of driving to small towns as a kid to play hockey, falling asleep in the backseat while this kind of music played through a rough quality AM radio broadcast.
David Bowie
5/5
crazy to think this is nine albums deep for Bowie and he still kept innovating. I thought it sounded a little different but upon reading the write up I saw the soul R&B influence and it just clicked. Funky Bowie just works.
Paul Simon
5/5
Such a cool concept album. I'm not into Simons vocals much at all, but the work he did for this album is timeless. I suggest watching On Tiptoe, a great doc I saw during my Anthropology studies. It's about Ladysmith Black Mombazo, their collaboration with Simon for Homeless and Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, bringing them international recognition (and brings up questions of what cultural authenticity means to those presenting and viewing it, but thats neither here nor there.)
Anyway, stellar album! You'll definitely find something to enjoy here, even if its just the silly fun of You Can Call Me Al. Simon brought a whole genre of music from another continent and made something special.
Motörhead
1/5
Motorhead fucking sucks and they suck harder live. Ace of Spades is by far one of the shittiest hard rock songs that gets heaps of praise for some reason. Lemmy is trash and probably buried with all his favorite nazi paraphrenalia. What a terrible time this was.
Beatles
5/5
hell yeah Rockband Beatles memories coming through on this one. I remember hearing this a lot growing up, my dad had all these on vinyl and they got a lot of play. I didnt really get into the Beatles until much later and man what an experience to listen through it all again. I love Something and Oh Darling but really the whole album is paced well, written well, everything hits just perfectly.
George Michael
3/5
Freedom 90 is great! everything else, not so much. I'm much more of a Fast Love pt.1&2 kinda guy. I can appreciate George Michael as a singer-song writer and push aside my personal likes and dislikes here. Definitely worth listening to at least once, as different as it may sound to his previous works.
CHIC
5/5
its cool and funky and fun as hell. The bassline in Good Times has stuck with me long after I stopped listening, even just the guitar work is fantastic. I dont understand why disco got so much hatred if this is what you got to listen to.
Giant Sand
3/5
more like chore to listen to. KIDDING. Its okay, it teeters toward up its own ass with the spooky vocals and overly wordy lyrics. I blame Bob Dylan. There are a couple nice quiet songs, Punishing Sun being one of them. I suppose thats my main takeaway, it seems really subdued in a lot of places and it just doesnt work for me.
The Who
3/5
I dont get the fascination with the authors love of live albums but this one was alright. Still prefer studio versions of these songs, even though I'm not much of a Who guy anyway. Just good classic rock, nothing more nothing less, and they do a good job engaging the crowd.
Jurassic 5
5/5
great album! has a fantastic flow from start to finish. Utilizes so many different sounds (If You Only Knew has a great jazz flute background) and the lyrics range anywhere from philosophical to relationships between friends and lovers (Thin Line). I havent listened to much in the way of alternative hip hop but I kept this on from start to finish with no breaks
Rocket From The Crypt
4/5
I've always heard this era of grunge rock as "angry older brother music" but thats not a bad thing! I'm sure a ton of gen-x'ers loved the hell out of this. Actually more enjoyable than I thought, also it was nice to hear something completely unknown to me. Clean drums, loud but discernible vocals, good instrumentals all around. Its weird because it skirts that line of rock music in a PG kids sports movie in the 90's to a rock show in a smokey basement full of energetic druggie kids. Used was a really good banger on this album and I've put it in my rotation!
Marty Robbins
5/5
easy 5! great storytelling and simple twangy old boy country. Marty nailed it with this one. Also my introduction to Marty was Big Iron like everyone thats played Fallout, wish I came across his stuff earlier.
Bob Dylan
3/5
way more palatable than every other Dylan album on this list. Not bad, its okay, way more musically inclined and Bob carries a tune a little better than usual.
Black Sabbath
4/5
man Changes is so good, Black Sabbath and Ozzy were a staple in my house growing up, and it blew my mind how much of this album I recognized. Trademark early metal sound but a bit on the softer side if that makes sense. Also all these breakdowns making me want to thrash.
Flamin' Groovies
2/5
so the opening track fucking rocks until the lead singer comes in, and that remains true for most of the album, seriously, it sounds like they recorded the vocals using the equivalent of a laptop microphone. I dig rock n' roll blues but this is a miss, it doesnt stand out at all and just apes better artists
The Charlatans
2/5
please sir, may I have some less? This is just a drop in a bucket of Brit rock that we've been given so far. its fine for what it is, but doesnt seem to stand out. competently made, but sounds like watered down U2 and Blur. Also just a little too on the whiny side.
Bert Jansch
3/5
its okay, pretty standard folk music from the sixties. Despite a 39 minute runtime it somehow feels longer. Also I cant get into Bert's vocals. Its pleasant enough to have on in yhe background but borders on annoying at times. Maybe I am just not familiar enough with his music.
Goldfrapp
3/5
listless and weird but not. I appreciate the dreamlike quality here and there, it sounds like music you'd hear in a high fantasy setting. Its easy to get bored of the tired sounding vocals though
N.E.R.D
3/5
N.E.R.D. hits that spot of rap rock managing to be listenable. I prefer some of their other stuff more, but this was still a pretty good listen. Pharrell and The Neptunes were unstoppable for awhile there and it shows.
Beyoncé
5/5
a gold standard for pop. Beyonce nails it. Not much else to say, you'll definitely find something you'll like here if you're a Queen Bey fan.
Thelonious Monk
3/5
I get how influential and important jazz is to music history, but you could play all the jazz albums on this list in whatever order and I would not be able to differentiate them for the most part. I love a good horn section and honestly the smoother stuff is always a treat to listen to.
Sonic Youth
2/5
I've made the same Sonic Youth jokes on this list already so i'll keep it short. Bad. Annoying.
The Temptations
4/5
man that first song is wackadoo I heard more crowd noise than needed. Which sucks because the song itself sounds like it couldve been great, the rest of the album feels like a strange departure. Temptations you are smooth as hell and I thoroughly enjoyed this whole listen, outside that first track.
Ride
2/5
weird boring imitation of better music. Outside of a few outliers 90's British Rock just feels so flat, like much of this album. I guess you could say its a precursor to 2000's emo given the subject matter. Other bands did it better. Dreams Burn Down couldve absolutely been a song by Live or Goo Goo Dolls, not to mention a few others.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Albums.
the creation and circumstances surrounding the creation of this album are very tragic, but that does not make it good, at all. Sure, pour your heart into it, but also make it sound good. Just do slam poetry Nick, none of this half singing half talking pretentious nothingness. I'll give you this, the piano sounds nice on some of these tracks, and he manages to create some interesting soundscapes. That doesnt redeem this album though.
Butthole Surfers
2/5
I usually only heard of butthole surfers as the butt of a joke before this list. its filthy and grimy distortion laden rock, and not much else. I cant vibe with this, also a lot of it is just straight up odd, perfect example being Hay. It seems like more of an experience than just an album, and I want off the ride.
The Stooges
1/5
man these are some bottom of the barrel rhyming schemes, I was hoping it would be just one or two songs but the entire thing is like that. Also it just insists on being present through some wall of noise complete with some bored sounding vocals. Put the guitar down, its already dead.
Prefab Sprout
4/5
Man I really enjoyed this more than I thought I would. English 80's pop but so good! Clear guitar and percussion, fun synth usage but not overbearing, pretty good songwriting. This is what 80's pop should be. Its bright and sad at the same time. I feel like I should be wearing a leather jacket, driving a convertible, flying down a beachside highway at sunset in Miami trying to figure out my life. Damn this was good.
Traffic
4/5
Fun late sixties rock. Never heard of them but it was still pretty enjoyable. They hit all the right notes but maybe blend in a little too well with their contemporaries. Its one of those albums thats so familiar I'm certain I heard growing up but cant single out a particular song or anything. Pretty good for the most part.
The Smiths
2/5
lame. annoying. depressing. Just bland proto-emo. So frickin whiny. Although some of the songs had riffs that reminded me of better songs. Cemetry Gates intro sounds like Sea of No Cares so thats neat.
Soft Machine
2/5
long AND bad. Perfect recipe for a terrible time. Not terribly offensive but it sure is grating, I'm not sure this was mixed properly at all.
The Waterboys
4/5
some nice down home folk rock from start to finish. Love those strings. What an enjoyable listen. it runs a bit long for me, but still worth the listen. It has this vibe about it that makes it feel very big and bright. Kinda like New Radicals but more celtic? Either way you cant miss with this one.
Paul Simon
3/5
Paul Simon is a great songwriter, although this album has more misses than hits for me. I think he shines in his other work, but if you're a fan I am sure there is plenty to like here. He has a great way with lyrics and meaning behind his music, minus Cars Are Cars, what the hell was that? Pretty basic entry, couldve been a spot for something else considering Simon is already on the list.
The Pogues
5/5
Celtic punk rock is pretty cool. Not much else to say, its loud, brash, but not muddied up with layers of distortion. Fairy Tale of New York is now one of my favorite christmas songs.
Scritti Politti
5/5
British pop, especially 80's can be so dang good. this was fun from start to finish, it wore a little thin by the end, but man I love the instrument usage. The synth is great, not overbearing, loud percussion, I kept thinking I was hearing different artists at points, Dont Work That Hard gave me shades of Sussudio or maybe something by Huey Lewis and the News and even a bit of P.Y.T. This was a great listening experience.
Aphex Twin
4/5
I always used to get Aphex Twin and Basement Jaxx mixed up. This was way better than I expected this to be. It reminds me of a lot of songs from the Mortal Kombat movie soundtrack, or even Hackers. You could totally play this while surfing early cg cyberspace like Lawnmower Man. Great ambient music is right.
Bee Gees
2/5
man what a let down after hearing Trafalgar. The disco guys making a concept album about a missing ship in 1899. Okay cool I guess, but the lyrics are just capital b Bad, also way too many shades of Beatles. Too drawn out and overwrought, I feel like they pitched this for a broadway show and had to settle for this instead. It sucks because the Bee Gees are a legitimately good sounding band and the music they put out here is produced well, its just everything around it crashes and burns, like their fictional boat.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Stevie nails it again. Thanks to this list I've been introduced to more of his work. Not much to say outside of this being a great example of funk and soul. It seems a little softer than his other stuff I'm familiar with, and that works great here. Also Superstition is an all time banger.
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
This sucks. I think the majority nailed it with this one. If your success hinges on some kind of pretentious notion that "its not made for you, only we understand why this is actually amazing" then its bad. Dont launch an album into the public if you dont want public scrutiny. Its different walls of noise, lots of screeching, off key everything, etc. I let the whole thing run while I worked to just see it through and I can confidently say you arent missing anything by skipping this one.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
This feels like an album comprised entirely of b-sides. Tom Petty fans, I'm sure you have something to grab onto here but so much of this just sounds the same, and unfortunately makes for a bit of a boring listen.
Soft Cell
3/5
Tainted Love cant carry a whole album unfortunately. This is weird and even a little spooky at times? I get the attempt to make something different and quirky but its way more misses than hits. Also stop leaning on the synth so dang much.
Pavement
2/5
lifeless lyrics and monotone guitar. a whole album to say "shit sucks but fuck you for trying to help."
Screaming Trees
2/5
supposedly this entry has a more jazz/blues influence to it but I cant locate any of that. Its all so basic, feels like background music in a made for tv movie.
They sound like a Tragically Hip cover band that put out some original songs and they miss the mark. Also it seems like the vocals werent mixed properly, they seem so seperate from the rest of the music.
The Dictators
1/5
This feels like an album made for Andrew Dice Clay fans.
Gram Parsons
3/5
When someone accidentally spills a drop of rock into your glass of classic country music. Its fine Emmylou Harris sounds good here, but overall its not really a standout album anywhere. I suppose it paves the way for acts to follow, if anything.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
I'm glad Kendrick has seen so much success, the guy really deserves it. Great storytelling through his own experiences, this album is a masterclass and a perfect entry for the genre.
X-Ray Spex
4/5
This was pretty fun if not a little samey-sounding. This makes me think of pop punk but if it came to prominence in the late 70's instead of the 2000's. Those drums do a ton of work here and they produce a pretty good album!
Kanye West
4/5
hit after hit after hit. What a fantastic album, I'm more partial to Graduation but this one goes hard too. My biggest gripe are the skits, just wayyy too long and annoying. Slow Jamz and Family Business are my favorites here but you would be hard pressed to find something bad.
4/5
They may have birthed a generation of guitar bros at house parties (me included) but man did they have a banger of an album here. The hits are obviously the standouts, and the other songs are okay. Great addition to the list.
Röyksopp
3/5
This album and its constant repetition reminded me of a song I heard on a local radio program like 20ish years ago. it was a content block at 1am or something and the host played the most obscure stuff. I distinctly remember being in my car and the song lyrics going "no matter what you do, its always the same. its always the same. its always the same." and the entire song repeated that until it finished. Thats what this whole album felt like. Sure, some interesting sounds here there, but its always the same.
Ali Farka Touré
5/5
man the World music featured on this list has a pretty good representation and this is no different. Amandrai is probably my favorite, I guess those familiar blues-ish riffs hit just right. Great listen overall.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
I think this is the Bruce album I've heard the most, or the one I'm familiar with. I've said it before, but my appreciation for his work only grows as I get older. Just a damn good songwriter, full stop. He's creative and loves to try different sounds (Worlds Apart) but doesnt betray his own message.
Venom
2/5
about as generic as you get for metal. Although it kind of pioneers the sound and themes for what was to come later. It strikes me as being very tryhard edgy. Something you would play in a haunted house attraction run by the goth kids or something.
Steely Dan
4/5
odd album for Christmas, but I'll allow it. Just fun all around, some nice rolling rock, great guitar and keys. I'm not much of a Steely Dan guy but this was pretty enjoyable for the most part. Its old school rock with some funky guitar and some old downtown blues sounds in the mix, My Old School was pretty damn good. 4.5 I could
Green Day
5/5
This album hit like a runaway train. A departure from their usual sound, they bring a full on protest album that had a shit ton of hits. Just in-your-face "fuck you government" to the Bush admin.This is sorely lacking today. Does it hold up? mostly, I conflate it with a lot of nostalgic memories due to high school, and then years later pointing out odd things about it with friends, like one of the guys being named Mike Dirnt because "dirnt" is the sound his bass makes.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
okay that bassline in No One's Leaving fucking kills, to start with, and Been Caught Stealing is a classic, and probably the only JA song I'm really familiar with. Unfortunately the rest of the album doesnt quite reach that high. The yell-singing grates on me after a while. Lots of frenetic energy throughout though.
The Stranglers
3/5
more 70's British punk rock. I get the author wanting to stuff more music from their home country but surely there must've been an influential Japanese punk album or Romanian folk music or I dont know, something other than another 70's punk rock British band I havent heard of with songs I dont recognize. Also its really nothing we havent heard before on this list. plain jane punk music doesnt really make sense, but here we are.
1/5
do you like big band style horn sections? what about a couple of them playing over each other with scattered drums behind it? terrible? of course it is!
Paul McCartney
5/5
as much as George Harrison may be my favorite Beatle, I think Paul really was the strongest member. Fantastic solo album with catchy songs, Maybe I'm Amazed is an all time great, the whole album showing an evolution of Paul's sound and what was to come with Wings. The man knows his way around a song and shows why he's one of the greats. Also I dont know why but that cover art sticks with me for some reason. Cant say the same for that final track, did he have a Yoko-Ono moment? weird. Oh well, if I were an accomplished singer/songwriter I would do some goofy shit too
Silver Jews
2/5
weird broken up cadence throughout, also try not to sound bored as fuck throughout. The rhyming schemes are pretty basic, but I kinda get the vibe they were going for. I just think Bright Eyes did it better.
The Monkees
3/5
just fun silly late sixties pop. Songs about hanging out with that gal you fancy, I think it culminates in I Cant Get Her Off My Mind. Its all simple but thats because it doesnt have to be complicated for what is it. Except for Band 6. Literally slapping around instruments for 40 seconds.
Machito
5/5
absolutely great use of horns and bongos. Its jazz but without the pretentious parts of it. Cuban jazz has such a life to it that provides an energy to anyone listening, you cant help but picture yourself dancing along to this on a sunny day in Miami.
Anita Baker
4/5
damn Anita has some great pipes and the band behind her supports her well. Those bass lines are so frickin good. Its shy of being truly great but its still deserving of a thorough listen. Same Ole Love was a smash hit for me, maybe because its a little more upbeat and energetic while the majority of the album feels like some good ballads to bang to.