1001 Albums Summary

Listening statistics & highlights

Contributor
716
Albums Rated
3.09
Average Rating
66%
Complete
373 albums remaining

Rating Distribution

Rating Timeline

Taste Profile

1950
Favorite Decade
Funk
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
124
5-Star Albums
82
1-Star Albums

Breakdown

By Genre

Top Styles

By Decade

By Origin

Albums

You Love More Than Most

AlbumYouGlobalDiff
Duck Rock
Malcolm McLaren
5 2.62 +2.38
What's That Noise?
Coldcut
5 2.77 +2.23
I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail
Buck Owens
5 2.8 +2.2
Gold
Ryan Adams
5 2.83 +2.17
Destroy Rock & Roll
Mylo
5 2.88 +2.12
Mama Said Knock You Out
LL Cool J
5 2.9 +2.1
Kala
M.I.A.
5 2.91 +2.09
Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
Maxwell
5 2.91 +2.09
Sheet Music
10cc
5 2.94 +2.06
Brown Sugar
D'Angelo
5 2.96 +2.04

You Love Less Than Most

AlbumYouGlobalDiff
Harvest
Neil Young
1 3.8 -2.8
21
Adele
1 3.69 -2.69
The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
1 3.67 -2.67
Fear Of Music
Talking Heads
1 3.47 -2.47
The ArchAndroid
Janelle Monáe
1 3.45 -2.45
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
1 3.38 -2.38
Bossanova
Pixies
1 3.38 -2.38
You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen
1 3.31 -2.31
Fever To Tell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
1 3.29 -2.29
Fun House
The Stooges
1 3.28 -2.28

Artists

Favorites

ArtistAlbumsAverage
Miles Davis 4 5
Stevie Wonder 4 5
Public Enemy 3 5
Bob Marley & The Wailers 3 4.67
Queen 3 4.67
Jimi Hendrix 2 5
Curtis Mayfield 2 5
A Tribe Called Quest 2 5
Aretha Franklin 2 5
Fatboy Slim 2 5
The Prodigy 2 5
Creedence Clearwater Revival 2 5
Isaac Hayes 2 5
The Rolling Stones 5 4.2
Led Zeppelin 5 4.2
Nirvana 3 4.33

Least Favorites

ArtistAlbumsAverage
Brian Eno 4 1.25
Björk 3 1
PJ Harvey 2 1
The Fall 2 1
My Bloody Valentine 2 1
Pere Ubu 2 1
Sonic Youth 3 1.67
Pixies 3 1.67
Leonard Cohen 3 1.67
Adele 2 1.5
The Mothers Of Invention 2 1.5
Yeah Yeah Yeahs 2 1.5
Peter Gabriel 2 1.5
Madonna 2 1.5
Roxy Music 2 1.5
Echo And The Bunnymen 2 1.5
Tom Waits 5 2.2
Neil Young 3 2
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds 3 2
The Stooges 3 2

Controversial

ArtistRatings
Todd Rundgren 4, 1
Simon & Garfunkel 2, 5
Ryan Adams 2, 5
Morrissey 5, 2
Dinosaur Jr. 4, 1

5-Star Albums (124)

View Album Wall

Popular Reviews

Sounded like a class of primary school were given an assortment of instruments, told to play for 40 minutes, and someone recorded it.

"We all we got" if you know that reference you know what I'm about to say. I bought this album back in the day, after watching New Jack City. Haven't listened to it in years (or seen the film, for that matter) but it was amazing back then and still stands up now.

Another classic from my youth. We listened to this album so many times when driving round in our cars. It amazes me that it still sounds fresh now.

Teen Dream by Beach House

It was ok. I listened to the whole album. I certainly didn't find anything I must listen to again, but equally nothing on there that forced me to stop listening. All a bit 'meh' really.

Exile On Main Street by The Rolling Stones

Probably the best of the bunch so far, in respect of the multiple Rolling Stones that have popped on this site. It grabbed me from the first few bars on the first track, all the way to the end. It might be a controversial thing to say, but Jaggers "club singer" style can get a bit jarring.

1-Star Albums (82)

All Ratings (716)

Electric Ladyland by Jimi Hendrix
Oct 11 2023

A fantastic album. I must admit to already owning this album so it was not a new listening experience. There are no weak tracks, time seems to stand still when this album plays, it flows from track to track so smoothly.

Document by R.E.M.
Oct 12 2023

I must admit that REM has always been a 'avoid at all costs' type band. I was familiar with their more well known tracks, and even like a couple of them, but the thought of a whole album was daunting. However, I was pleasantly surprised and after a couple of tracks found myself quite enjoying it. There were a few tracks that felt very similar, but overall a positive experience.

Gorillaz by Gorillaz
Oct 13 2023

I didn't feel the need to stop listening is as much positivity as I can muster. It wasn't awful but equally, it wasn't memorable or inspiring. Even the well-known tracks weren't versions I was familiar with. It left me somewhat apprehensive of what other albums have made it on to this list.

Sunday At The Village Vanguard by Bill Evans Trio
Oct 17 2023

Wow. Not a very long listening experience but an amazing album. No weak tracks. The sound was so complete it was difficult to believe it was just a trio.

21 by Adele
Oct 18 2023

One or two semi-enjoyable tracks, the rest was just filler. The singers voice was very jarring. Hard pass from me.

Sunshine Hit Me by The Bees
Oct 19 2023

Fairly sterile and boring. It felt like I was in a dentists waiting room. Not my cup of tea in the slightest.

Done By The Forces Of Nature by Jungle Brothers
Oct 20 2023

I bought this album on release, back in the day, and listened to it more times than I can remember. It was a seminal part of my musical experience back then and it has fully stood the test of time. There was nothing else like it at the time. Imitators by the hundreds followed, which gives some idea of its impact. Every single track is momentous, an absolute joy to listen to.

That's The Way Of The World by Earth, Wind & Fire
Oct 23 2023

Another album that I already own and have listened to multiple times. It flows from track to track beautifully, no weak tracks, and several outstanding tracks.

Oct 24 2023

I was surprised, quite pleasantly, as my previous exposure to The Kinks was limited to their most well-known tracks. Musically none of the tracks stood out as headliners, but equally, none of them were weaker either. I probably wouldn't be rushing to listen to it again, but neither would I turn it off.

Oct 25 2023

Sounded like a class of primary school were given an assortment of instruments, told to play for 40 minutes, and someone recorded it.

Celebrity Skin by Hole
Oct 26 2023

A couple of strong tracks, too many that sounded like an angsty teenager trying too hard.

Superfly by Curtis Mayfield
Oct 27 2023

Really enjoyed this, so much that I listened to it multiple times. It has that 70's funk feel to every track which, as someone born in 1970, is very nostalgic and evokes a lot of memories.

From Elvis In Memphis by Elvis Presley
Oct 30 2023

One word to describe this album - beige. Beige as in, warm and comforting but also, beige as in, neutral and uninspiring. It certainly wasn't unpleasant but I won't be rushing to buy it or listen again.

Parachutes by Coldplay
Oct 31 2023

I've never really warmed to Coldplay. I really wasn't expecting much from this album, but I was pleasantly surprised and generally enjoyed it.

Ys by Joanna Newsom
Nov 01 2023

I thought I'd trodden on one of my cats!! If this passes for highly acclaimed mush then I'll pass.

Nov 02 2023

Wow. What an unexpected treasure. Very smooth and low-key. A fantastic album using old samples to make a unique and modern sound. Listened to the album 3 times in total and will listen again in future.

White Light by Gene Clark
Nov 03 2023

I managed to get about halfway through before switching it off. I can understand that for fans of this genre it probably has significance, but it's not for me.

Nov 06 2023

I've listened to this album many times before as I bought it on release. It still stands up today.

In Utero by Nirvana
Nov 07 2023

I've never listened to a Nirvana album before, which I can appreciate is odd because I am a big admirer of Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters. I really enjoyed this album, you can see some similarities between it and the Foo Fighters earlier albums. There were a couple of weaker tracks that took away some of the shine. I will definitely be listening to other Nirvana albums.

Sister by Sonic Youth
Nov 08 2023

Really not my thing at all. It rarely got better than "just about bearable". I did make it all the way through the full album, and I am still alive, so for that it gets my standard 2 stars!

Beauty And The Beat by The Go-Go's
Nov 09 2023

A couple of excellent tracks, the rest were fairly average. As with a lot of previous reviews, this really isn't my preferred genre. My rating system governs that this should be 2 or 3 stars. Let's go with 3 because I knocked one out over a picture of Belinda Carlisle many years ago.

Street Signs by Ozomatli
Nov 10 2023

I think its fair to say this is a unique band and sound. I thought it was great, but can appreciate it may not be everyone's groove.

Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan
Nov 13 2023

It maybe a little unfair to say this, but this style of music is not on my standard rotation. As such I was expecting to last 1 or 2 tracks before losing interest and switching off. I managed to listen to the whole album and it was decent. That's a lot of waffle to say not much.

Chirping Crickets by Buddy Holly & The Crickets
Nov 14 2023

My parents were from the same generation as Buddy Holly, so I grew up with an appreciation for him and his tragic circumstances. I also heard almost all of his material a lot. When listening to it now and trying to put myself into the shoes of the younger generations, I can understand why it may sound dated and not particularly inspiring - but that is understandable. The younger generations don't know that before Buddy Holly, and Elvis and a few others there was no Rock 'n Roll. They paved the way.

Hotel California by Eagles
Nov 15 2023

I've always liked the Eagles. My previous exposure has been limited to compilations and best of albums, this was my first experience of an album release and I was very impressed. There was not one weak track. They really were an amazing band.

Ellington at Newport by Duke Ellington
Nov 16 2023

I'm a big fan of Duke Ellington anyway, so it was extremely unlikely I wouldn't enjoy this. Surprise, surprise - I loved it. I've got the '@Newport' albums by Ray Charles, John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk and will have to get this one now.

C'est Chic by CHIC
Nov 17 2023

Fantastic album, imitated by many but never bettered. The epitome of 70's cool.

The Queen Is Dead by The Smiths
Nov 20 2023

I was jealous of the Queen and felt like taking my own life. I'm sure that people into this genre have wonderful things to say about this album, I however, have nothing positive to say so I'll just keep quiet!

A Love Supreme by John Coltrane
Nov 21 2023

I have a copy of this album so nothing new to me here. I haven't listened to it for years though, and I can report back that it is still as cool and amazing as it was the first time I listened to it. I would think that even if jazz is not your 'thing' you would still enjoy this album.

Nov 22 2023

Loved this album, it has a very unique sound. It really doesn't sound like it's 60+ years old. I listed to it multiple times, and will continue to listen to it in future.

Teen Dream by Beach House
Nov 23 2023

It was ok. I listened to the whole album. I certainly didn't find anything I must listen to again, but equally nothing on there that forced me to stop listening. All a bit 'meh' really.

Transformer by Lou Reed
Nov 24 2023

I found it very hit and miss. Some quite excellent tracks, others that were a steaming pile of horseshit. I think it's the most perfect example of 3 stars that I've come across so far.

British Steel by Judas Priest
Nov 27 2023

Another surprisingly good metal album. I don't have the knowledge of metal to determine if this is good, bad, or average. All I know is it was very listenable. I won't be rushing out to buy it or listen to any other Judas Priest albums, but all in all a positive experience.

The Bends by Radiohead
Nov 28 2023

It was ok. I listened to the whole album. I certainly didn't find anything I must listen to again, but equally nothing on there that forced me to stop listening. All a bit 'meh' really.

Nov 29 2023

I'd never heard of Richard Thompson before so was intrigued by this album. I didn't do my usual 'google' to get some idea of what to expect. The first few notes of track 1 made me wince, was this going be another "The Cramps" experience??? Nope, not at all, it was remarkably good by and large. One or two weaker tracks, and I was questioning my existence by the end of the album, but it was a good experience all round.

Live / Dead by Grateful Dead
Nov 30 2023

I wasn't sure what to expect. I didn't hate it, but again, it didn't 'grab' me at any stage. In fact, I remember thinking "this first track goes on a bit" and then when I checked we had actually reached track 4! I guess that is the best analysis I can provide my experience - it was all a bit monotonous.

Dec 01 2023

Another fantastic album. I have other War albums and tracks in my collection, including some of the tracks on this album, but I've never listened to this particular album fully. Quite short, which is a shame, but that takes nothing away. Listened to it several times and have added it to my "buy a copy on vinyl" list.

Birth Of The Cool by Miles Davis
Dec 04 2023

Another album I already owned so listening was not breaking any new ground for me. I loved it this album before. One of my favourites.

Disraeli Gears by Cream
Dec 05 2023

The more well known tracks are excellent, but putting those to one-side the remaining tracks were also strong. I found myself turning up the volume a couple of times. Really enjoyed this album and will add it in to my playlist.

The Colour Of Spring by Talk Talk
Dec 06 2023

Not really my cup of tea. It wasn't unbearable, but not something I'd be striving to listen to again. A classic 80's sound really, and I lived through the 80's as a teenager, perhaps that explains my ambivalence towards it :)

D by White Denim
Dec 07 2023

Very impressive. I'd never heard of White Denim before, and wasn't familiar with any of the tracks, but thoroughly enjoyed the whole album.

The Undertones by The Undertones
Dec 08 2023

Great album, never listened to it before, even though it was released during my childhood.

The Age Of The Understatement by The Last Shadow Puppets
Dec 11 2023

Another artist I wasn't at all familiar with and so, unsure what to expect. It sounded a lot older than it is, by that I mean, if I hadn't read the wiki page I would have thought it was from the 70's\80's rather than 2000-and-something. I made it through the whole album, which gives it a default 2 stars. I didn't really feel there was much there to give it 3 stars though.

Blood Sugar Sex Magik by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Dec 12 2023

I'm a big admirer of the RHCP and have listened to this album multiple times before.

Odelay by Beck
Dec 13 2023

Another album that was so much more than I was expecting. I had heard a few Beck tracks before but had never really enjoyed them. I'm not entirely sure why because I thought this album was really good. So many influences that it's difficult to put a label on the genre - some rock, some pop, some soul, some blues etc.

A Short Album About Love by The Divine Comedy
Dec 14 2023

I really didn't get it. It wasn't bad as in 'The Cramps' type bad, but it was so bland that I just forgot it was even playing. Nothing memorable or even slightly toe-tapping good. I made it all the way through so for that it gets 2 stars.

Let It Bleed by The Rolling Stones
Dec 15 2023

Nice. I've already reviewed Beggars Banquet which was excellent, but this isn't quite as good (imo). There were a few excellent moments though, and so I will give it 4 stars (same as Beggars Banquet) as 3 stars doesn't feel right.

Dec 18 2023

A really good album. He was a seminal artist in the evolution of soul and RnB music. He broke down barriers. His voice is superb, and this album shows it was not manufactured in studios. I've always loved Sam Cooke's music.

Be by Common
Dec 19 2023

It's not an album I'd heard before. It was very good from start to finish though. Well worth a listen.

Vol. 4 by Black Sabbath
Dec 20 2023

Surprisingly good. It's not something i would have chosen to listen to, but more fool me for having preconceived ideas.

Stripped by Christina Aguilera
Dec 21 2023

I was expecting to last about 3 tracks before turning it off but I made it the whole way through - and even enjoyed large parts of it.

Step In The Arena by Gang Starr
Dec 22 2023

Smooth as baby's bottom. Could listen to it all day.

Kid A by Radiohead
Dec 25 2023

Enjoyed it. A bit samey, to the point that it was difficult to distinguish between tracks, but overall positive.

Dec 27 2023

Fantastic album. Gem after gem, no weak tracks, everything stands alone as a great composition. Shame she's a tax-dodging cunt, but that takes nothing away from this beautiful album.

Songs The Lord Taught Us by The Cramps
Dec 28 2023

Fuck me that's a difficult listening experience. Quite proud I made it through the whole album, once is more than enough though.

Penance Soiree by The Icarus Line
Dec 29 2023

Lucky for this album that it came along the day after listening to The Cramps, it made this album immeasurably better. Mind you, a bunch of saucepans being dropped down the stairs would sound better than The Cramps. Anyway, The Icarus Line is not my thing at all, but I listened to the whole album so 2 stars for that.

Led Zeppelin III by Led Zeppelin
Jan 01 2024

Fantastic. Not what I was expecting in the slightest. Way more acoustic than I thought it would be. Listened several times and will put it into my library.

The Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails
Jan 02 2024

I'm starting to question my own musical tastes. Another good album when I was expecting very little, I had previously considered Nine Inch Nails as something way outside my preferences. There were a couple of moments that I didn't gel with, but in large it was a lot better than I expected. Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars, I'll go with 3 as 4 probably feels a bit too much based on other ratings I've given.

The Man Machine by Kraftwerk
Jan 03 2024

I've only ever really been exposed to Kraftwerk briefly, but I do enjoy electronic music so have always enjoyed their music. I thoroughly enjoyed this album, and listened to it back-to-back. I will listen to it again. As an added bonus,. it reminded me of the Bill Bailey Kraftwerk homage and I watched that a few times and laughed my head off as usual.

Water From An Ancient Well by Abdullah Ibrahim
Jan 04 2024

Never heard of Abdullah Ibrahim previously so wasn't sure what to expect. It wasn't the most exciting jazz I've ever heard, but it was easy to listen to and had a couple of standout tracks.

Who's Next by The Who
Jan 05 2024

Fairly meh, if you ask me. I was expecting a whole lot more. I didn't feel like I wanted to listen to it again ... ever. Which is a pretty bad sign. It wasn't awful, like some of the other albums I've listened to - so 2 stars feels about right.

Harvest by Neil Young
Jan 08 2024

Sounded like one, long monotonous song that made me question the point of existing. Well, perhaps it wasn't quite that bad, but I do fail to see the attraction and why so many people rave about Neil Young. Maybe that says more about me than anything else.

Born To Run by Bruce Springsteen
Jan 09 2024

Listened to it a few times, and it got better each time. I never thought I'd enjoy Springsteen but I was wrong.

Calenture by The Triffids
Jan 10 2024

Not a band or album I've heard or previously. I was expecting one (or more) of the tracks to trigger a memory, but it never happened. It's what I imagine AI would generate if you asked it create a bland 1980's sounding album. Pretty boring if you ask me, but I made it all the way through - so it gets 2 stars!

Born In The U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen
Jan 11 2024

I'll probably come across as a bit of a numpty here, but with all the accolades for this album I was left feeling a little bit disappointed after listening to it. That's not to say it wasn't very good, but I reviewed 'Born To Run' recently and I personally preferred that album ever so slightly.

Home Is Where The Music Is by Hugh Masekela
Jan 12 2024

A nice album. I have previously found the music of Hugh Masekela to be a little bit 'hard going', if you know what I mean by that. However, this album was very easy to listen to.

Amnesiac by Radiohead
Jan 16 2024

I never really listened to Radiohead before. I reviewed Kid A on this site previously and was surprised how much I enjoyed it. This is another 'easy to listen to' album. I don't think it's as strong as Kid A.

Metallica by Metallica
Jan 17 2024

I found myself getting more and more angry through each track - not because I hated the album or anything like that, it was just the style of m,usic is so abrasive and angry it just rubbed off on me. As you can probably tell, not my bag at all, but giving it 2 stars as I made it the whole way through.

The United States Of America by The United States Of America
Jan 18 2024

Ended up burning my ears off with a bucket of acid! I'm all for pushing the boundaries, but this is the equivalent of punching the boundaries in the bollocks. I couldn't make it through the whole album.

Queen Of Denmark by John Grant
Jan 19 2024

For large parts it was just about bearable, a couple of tracks I could listen to again.

Jan 22 2024

It started out fairly slowly, the first track wasn't exactly a 'grabber'. However, it did get better and although it's probably not a genre I'm into I did enjoy it. I think 3 stars feels about right.

Pearl by Janis Joplin
Jan 23 2024

Wow. This was so much more than I was expecting. I'd always thought Janis Joplin was a folk\rock artist - and perhaps there are other albums of hers that are more in tune with that stance - but this album was incredible. So much funk and soul filtering through. I listened to it 3 times back-to-back and fell in love a bit more every time. I've been on this site for a few months now, and the one abiding lesson I've learnt is (in general) do not judge a book by it's cover (and don't believe your preconceptions about any artist).

Jan 24 2024

Very similar to the other Talking Heads album on this list that I've already listened to and reviewed. It's ok, not something I found myself raving about or even nodding along to, but listenable.

The Boatman's Call by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Jan 25 2024

One or two tracks less monotonous and boring than the rest. I found myself shaking my head at the comments on YouTube - I didnt think the music and/or lyrics were amazing, unlike everyone else. Maybe you need to listen several times to develop an appreciation, but I have no desire to put myself through more listenings!

Green by R.E.M.
Jan 26 2024

I'm not a fan of REM, bar one or two of their more catchy hits, I found this album to be completely 'on brand' for them i.e. a couple of toe-tapping hits and the remainder a load of fairly indistinguishable, up-your-own-arse, tosh.

Paul Simon by Paul Simon
Jan 29 2024

Another case of 'don't judge a book by its cover'. I had preconceived ideas about Paul Simon (not all bad, honestly) but was blown away by this album. I don't think there is one track that let's it down. Listened multiple times and will continue to regularly listen.

Synchronicity by The Police
Jan 30 2024

Musically it was fairly average. As a 50-something it did evoke memories of my childhood, well, the more popular tracks did anyway. I never really got into The Police as a youth, and nothing I heard made me feel like I missed out. Oh yeah, and Sting can fuck right off, the pretentious git!

Jan 31 2024

I bought this on release (vinyl) and listened to it a lot. Sad to say it fell out of my rotation and I probably last listened to the complete album 20 years ago. What a fool I've been. An absolute masterpiece, not one bad track.

Another Green World by Brian Eno
Feb 01 2024

I call this kind of music 'receptionist', the sort you will hear in any dentists or doctors reception. It wasn't awful, but had no real substance and l have no desire to ever listen again. It gets 2 stars as I made it the whole way through without wanting to rip my ears off

Savane by Ali Farka Touré
Feb 02 2024

I'm sure that to people familiar with this style of music this is an outstanding album. To me, as someone with minimal experience of this style of music, I found it very difficult to get into. The tracks all sounded very similar, so much so it felt like one long track. I made it the whole way through and can appreciate there is considerable musical ability on show. This all leads to my bog standard award of "my ears weren't bleeding, I didn't want to kill myself, and I made it all the way through the album" 2 stars!

Blood On The Tracks by Bob Dylan
Feb 05 2024

I enjoyed it. Its not an artist or album I would have picked out, but I am slowly learning to ignore my preconceptions and give anything a chance.

Stand! by Sly & The Family Stone
Feb 06 2024

Another album that I already own, and absolutely love. It's a regular listen for me. It was ground-breaking, there really was no one else making music like this when it came out.

Nevermind by Nirvana
Feb 07 2024

I'm beginning to rethink all my musical preferences, so many artists\albums that I thought I wouldn't like have turned out to be incredible. This is another one of those. Absolute perfection. Every track was a standalone belter. 5 stars all the way.

The Wildest! by Louis Prima
Feb 08 2024

Fantastic toe-tapping album. It's exactly my 'kind of music' anyway, and I have several Louis Prima tracks in my playlist.

Vanishing Point by Primal Scream
Feb 09 2024

Bang average. Quite reminiscent of the general 90s sound.

Paranoid by Black Sabbath
Feb 12 2024

Surprisingly good. I think this is the second Black Sabbath album I've reviewed and both were way better than expected.

Natty Dread by Bob Marley & The Wailers
Feb 13 2024

Loved this album. Although it doesn't contain his well-known tracks (obviously 'No Woman, No Cry' is there, but it's a less well-known version) it's a lot more raw and unrefined than some of his later tracks - it almost feels like a live show.

G. Love And Special Sauce by G. Love & Special Sauce
Feb 14 2024

I had no idea what to expect, so I went in pretty open-minded. I found it fairly monotonous and uninspiring. I didn't want to kill myself and made it all the way through the whole album - so for that it gets 2 stars.

Countdown To Ecstasy by Steely Dan
Feb 16 2024

A very nice album that perfectly encapsulates the sound of the early-to-mid 1970's. I didn't find one track on there that had me fully engaged, but every single track was pleasant. Well worth a listen again, at some stage, but it wasn't an 'experience' in the same way that some of the other albums on this site were.

Beggars Banquet by The Rolling Stones
Feb 19 2024

Loved it. I never really got into the Rolling Stones previously. The album flows really well and every single track is worth listening to.

The Number Of The Beast by Iron Maiden
Feb 20 2024

I'm not a metal head so usually end up reviewing these types of albums relatively lowly. There are a small number of metal albums that buck the tred - but this, sadly, isn't one of them. That's not to say it was awful, far from it, I made it through the whole album without wanting to switch it off. It's somewhere between 2 and 3 stars, I'll go with 2.

Songs From The Big Chair by Tears For Fears
Feb 21 2024

Even though my formative years were during the 70's and 80's I didn't really subscribe to 'pop' music. I was familiar with the two classic hits from this album, but the rest of it was really virgin territory for me. Perhaps it was a result of familiarity with those two tracks but the rest of the album was instantly forgettable. That's not as bad as it sounds, any album that contains two iconic tracks can be considered well above average.

Live At The Regal by B.B. King
Feb 22 2024

I really enjoyed this album. It was a lot more funk and sould flavoured than I expected, I was really anticipating a blues album. Definitely an album I will listen to again, and an artist I will explore further.

Queens of the Stone Age by Queens Of The Stone Age
Feb 23 2024

Decent enough, a couple of enjoyable tracks, not enough to make me listen again.

Feb 26 2024

Great album, if a little short. I'm a big fan of James Brown, and while you can see how this album was a stepping stone to his (almost sole) creation of the funk genre I don't think it counts as his best work. Absolutely worth listening to and I will definitely listen again, but there are other James Brown albums that provide a clearer picture of him, his sound, and what he contributed to the music scene.

Feb 27 2024

Fantastic. I already plenty of Otis Redding \ Stax \ Volt recordings and there was very little on here that was new to me or surprised me, but I still get a funny feeling listening to his incredible voice. One of a kind really.

Rust Never Sleeps by Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Feb 28 2024

I think I reviewed a Neil Young album previously and was not at all impressed. I wasn't expecting much from this but I have had enough surprises during the first ~100 albums to go in with an open mind. I'm glad I did, this album was immeasurably better than the previous experience. Maybe it was the added 'rock' impact from Crazy Horse (the other album was a lot more acoustic). The only downside for me is his singing voice, but it's not out of tune or anything awful like that, it just jars a bit with me.

The College Dropout by Kanye West
Feb 29 2024

I always avoided anything 'Kanye West' related as I've been under the impression he was a cunt. Those fucking awful Kardashians he hopped into bed with made matters worse. His gradual decline into being a mentalist added more fuel to the fire. In summary, he is a cunt, he's got more cuntier over time, the Kardashians are also cunts, but this is a great album! I'm very torn, I guess the only take away here is cunts can make good music.

Emperor Tomato Ketchup by Stereolab
Mar 01 2024

For the first time since I started this process I had a co-listener, namely my wife. I personally thought the album was very hit-and-miss - I enjoyed a couple of tracks, found a couple of tracks awful, and the rest were quite mundane. My wife's forthright review is "shit, the foxes fuckign outside our window made more pleasant noises". No longer wondering why I married her, are you?

Mar 04 2024

My previous review for Kanye as a person still stands. He's a class 1 cunt, no question. Musically he can be top-class though. Another very good album.

Smash by The Offspring
Mar 05 2024

I'm happy to report that this album started poorly but got a lot better. I wouldn't rush out and buy a copy, but it was more than 'listenable'.

Fuzzy Logic by Super Furry Animals
Mar 06 2024

I had some familiarity with this band. Like a lot of albums there were a couple of strong tracks and plenty of filler. I won;t be rushing to listen again but it wasn't bad enough to stop me making it through the whole album.

Now I Got Worry by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Mar 07 2024

Fairly easy listening. Nothing ground-breaking. A good example of blues rock, but I think are better examples.

Heaux Tales by Jazmine Sullivan
Mar 08 2024

Fairly basic and simple. It wasn't unpleasant but it didn't sound any different from anything I hear being played by the urban youth today. Call me old-fashioned and\or demanding, but a good album is one that crosses boundaries i.e. old gits like me, and youngsters, and everyone in between, can agree it's a standout.

Fear Of A Black Planet by Public Enemy
Mar 11 2024

This is an album I already own and have listened to hundred, if not thousands, of times. It brings back so many vivid memories. Smoking weed round the back of Chessington Industrial Estate in my mates XR3i Cabriolet, more mates sat in an 205 GTI (1.9 of course) next to us. Thinking we were the busines, probably looking like a right bunch of numpties. Happy days. Can't believe it was almost 35 years ago.

In Rainbows by Radiohead
Mar 12 2024

Another Radiohead album, another middle of the road review by me. It was ok, a couple of tracks were really good, especially '15 Steps'. Maybe it's me, but I can't get too excited by Radiohead and ntierh can I get too despondent.

Something/Anything? by Todd Rundgren
Mar 13 2024

After the first few tracks I was hooked, I thought this was going to be one of those albums where every track is top quality. Sadly, there were a few lulls where the tracks became stodgy and repetitive, but there were still many more strong tracks than guff. There are so many different styles on this album, I was reminded of The Faces and Motown and everything in between. All in all, I greatly enjoyed it and will listen again.

World Clique by Deee-Lite
Mar 19 2024

Everyone should know 'Groove Is In The Heart' but would be hard-pressed to name another Deee-Lite track. That's a shame as this album contains plenty of great tracks that really capture the period when the 80's became the 90's.

Hejira by Joni Mitchell
Mar 20 2024

This was a lot more jazzy than I was expecting. It was still quite folksy though. It didn't fill with me joy, but I didn't feel the need to rip my ears off either. I went with 2 stars but it's probably closer to 2.5 stars (definitely not 3 though). No one reads these reviews anyway, so why the hell am I explaining myself.

Fragile by Yes
Mar 21 2024

Not my cup of tea, not even close to being my cup of tea. It's listenable but drab. It sounds like the sort of music made by middle-aged city workers, when they get home at the week-end and have a cheeky glass of red wine with a line, or two, of columbian marching powder. It gets the 2 star treatment from me.

Smile by Brian Wilson
Mar 22 2024

I struggle to see what the big deal is with Brian Wilson \ The Beach Boys. It wasn't bad, far from it, but it never really got me going either.

Axis: Bold As Love by Jimi Hendrix
Mar 25 2024

Wow. I've always loved the music of Jimi Hendrix, but this was an album I'd never listened to before. My mistake, I thought it was as good as anything else he's done. On my 'wants' list now and will be listening to it a lot more.

Court And Spark by Joni Mitchell
Mar 26 2024

Surprisingly good. I was expecting typical folk music, and although you could feel that it was also a lot more jazz-tinged. I'm not a big fan of her vocals, it kind of jarred a bit with the style of music. Very listenable though.

Rocks by Aerosmith
Mar 27 2024

I have a copy of Young Lust which is an Aerosmith anthology from ~2000. No tracks from the Rocks album are on Young Lust, which is a shame as Rocks was really good. It was a much more raw sound on Rocks than a lot of their later stuff.

KE*A*H** (Psalm 69) by Ministry
Mar 28 2024

I've never heard an album before that was just one long 45 minute track .... wait, what's that, there were 9 distinct tracks? As you can tell I found it very difficult to distinguish the different tracks, there was a high degree of monotony for me. I did manage to listen to the whole album though, so it gets 2 stars!

Mar 29 2024

I've reviewed two R.E.M. albums previously as part of this musical journey. One was not so good, the other was a little better. This one was the best of the lot, but that's still "the tallest midget" type accolade. Some tracks were decent, some were dire.

Mothership Connection by Parliament
Apr 01 2024

This is my music. I'm a proud owner of this album along with several other Parliament \ Funkadelic \ P-Funk albums. I could listen to this everyday and not get bored.

Apr 03 2024

I could just copy\paste my review for Parliaments Mothership Connection as that covers this album too. Love it. My kind of music. I own the album .... blah blah blah.

Want One by Rufus Wainwright
Apr 04 2024

It wasn't 'pull my ears off' bad, but it wasn't something that ever really grabbed my attention. Quite morose really, like an angsty teen trying to be deep. Maybe I'm missing the point, but I'm not ever going to listen to it again and I'm not going to search out any more of his music.

Sticky Fingers by The Rolling Stones
Apr 05 2024

This is the third Rolling Stones album I've had come up , and they have all been excellent. This was easily the best of the lot so far. Not one bad track, I listened to it three times on loop it was that good. Will be listening regularly from here on.

Heroes by David Bowie
Apr 08 2024

If you put aside the Heroes track, which is very good, the rest of it was fairly bland.

Apr 09 2024

One of those rare albums that changed music in some way. Amazingly it's still relevant today, maybe more so that when it was originally released, which is amazing but also quite sad! I still have my vinyl copy of the original release, and it's a treasured possession. My 25 year-old son has his eyes on it, along with a lot of my other vinyl from around the same time - but no chance while I'm still breathing.

Alien Lanes by Guided By Voices
Apr 10 2024

I wasn't a fan of lots of short tracks, it made listening quite frantic. It was quite beneficial for the weaker tracks, as they ended that bit quicker. For the odd decent track I wasn't at all disappointed it was over after 90 seconds. I guess what I'm saying is, it was tolerable but not great.

A Seat at the Table by Solange
Apr 11 2024

Too morose, edgy and flat for me. It just sounds like music-by-numbers to me, there are hundreds of young R&B acts that sound just like this. There's nothing to distinguish this from any of those. It wasn't rip your eyes off bad, but I wouldn't ever seek it out again (or anything else by her).

Apr 12 2024

My lack of punk knowledge is probably surprising as a 70's child, and puts me in the minority. After being pleasantly surprised by the Sex Pistols album I was open-minded going into this album. It wasn't awful, but it was nowhere near as good as the Sex Pistols album. I'll go with 3 stars.

Hail To the Thief by Radiohead
Apr 15 2024

Probably the weakest of what feels like too many Radiohead albums on this list. They haven't all been bad, but it's starting to feel a bit like 'The Emperors New Clothes' to me.

Arrival by ABBA
Apr 16 2024

I've always been partial to a bit of ABBA, they were huge when I was growing up in the 70's. Like most people I know their biggest hits, and let's be fair they have a long list of hits, so I was expecting to find this album full of hits and strong lesser-known songs. I was a little disappointed, there were a handful of well known hits, but the rest of it was pretty boring.

We Are Family by Sister Sledge
Apr 17 2024

Fantastic album. Although there aren't many tracks on the original album, there are four absolute bangers that every one will know unless they've been living in antartica! The remaining four tracks were also very strong and would probably have fared well if released as singles.

We're Only In It For The Money by The Mothers Of Invention
Apr 18 2024

After a few minutes I wanted to stamp on my speakers, it was fucking awful. Then, bizarrely, your mind sort of adjusts to it and it's not quite as awful. I can't say that it ever reached the heights of me enjoying it, but I made it all the way through which seemed unlikely.

Here Are the Sonics by The Sonics
Apr 19 2024

Seemd like a lot of covers, and very few original tracks. The original tracks were also the weakest part of the album. I feel like this is not a great example of 60's music, there must be hundreds if not thousands of albums like this that are immeasurably better.

This Is Fats Domino by Fats Domino
Apr 22 2024

It's odd, listening to it now it sounds very dated. When it came out it was ground-breaking and spawned countless imitators. I've always loved Blue Monday, heard it years ago and listened to it more times than I can remember since. The rest of this album is rock solid too. It gets 5 stars from me for musical content and also impact!!!

Catch A Fire by Bob Marley & The Wailers
Apr 23 2024

Fantastic album, not one weak track on it. It has a raw sound that I absolutely love. It made me want to roll one up and spark it, but it's been too long since I last did that and I'd probably kill myself doing that!

Bitches Brew by Miles Davis
Apr 24 2024

I get that jazz is not for everyone, I understand that to some people it can sound jarring. This album is probably a very good example of that. However, to the ones who love jazz this is a masterpiece. I don't want to sound like a numpty, but you almost forget where you are and what's going on in your life when you listen to it. I've listened to it before and will listen to it again.

Neon Bible by Arcade Fire
Apr 25 2024

I couldn't get into this at all. Sounded like a bunch of moody teenagers. Made it all the way through though, so it gets 2 stars.

Apr 26 2024

Up it's own arse, complete load of shite. I made it to track 4. Me and my mates wanted to start a band back in the early 80's as young teens, we had one 'jam session' where we all played an instruemnt we had borrowed or bought - but had no musical skill or experience with. I'd bet good money we still sounded better than this album.

Exile On Main Street by The Rolling Stones
Apr 29 2024

Probably the best of the bunch so far, in respect of the multiple Rolling Stones that have popped on this site. It grabbed me from the first few bars on the first track, all the way to the end. It might be a controversial thing to say, but Jaggers "club singer" style can get a bit jarring.

Apr 30 2024

Very enjoyable, not at all what I had conditioned myself to expect. I grew up during The Smiths era and had never warmed to their music, if any, I actually found it awful. This album was pretty good.

May 01 2024

"We all we got" if you know that reference you know what I'm about to say. I bought this album back in the day, after watching New Jack City. Haven't listened to it in years (or seen the film, for that matter) but it was amazing back then and still stands up now.

Disintegration by The Cure
May 02 2024

I've always like The Cure, they are so far removed from my normal musical tastes but there is just something about their music that I love. I don't think this is their best album, but it is still very good.

Machine Head by Deep Purple
May 03 2024

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this, it wasn't as heavy as I was expecting.

Revolver by Beatles
May 06 2024

This is the first Beatles album that's come up this site, and I am onto day 146, so I am little surprised it's taken this long. As with a lot of highly-rated artists I was ot sure whether I would enjoy it or find it vastly over-rated. it turns out that I loved this album, every single track was fantastic.

Morrison Hotel by The Doors
May 07 2024

Another pleasant surprise. Much better than I was expecting.

Venus Luxure No. 1 Baby by Girls Against Boys
May 08 2024

Made it just short of halfway through before I had to turn it off. It just felt like anti-music to me, it's probably the sound the artist is going for but I'd rather shit in my hands and clap then listen to this sort of music.

The Hour Of Bewilderbeast by Badly Drawn Boy
May 09 2024

This is a beautiful album. It flows so well from beginning to end, there are multiple high points but no real weak tracks. You easily lose track of time. I will definitely listen again.. and again.. and again!

May 10 2024

Another album that exceeded expectations. Thank fuck Yoko One wasn't audible in any way, in fact, the wikipedia page for the album lists her contribution as "wind". The fuck does that mean? She guffed on record?

Hounds Of Love by Kate Bush
May 13 2024

I feel like I'm not being let in on a big secret, why do large parts of the population absolutely rave about Kate Bush. The comments alone on youtube are bordering on fanatical. The album wasn't terrible, I made it all the way through and even enjoyed parts of it, but it's not one I'd actively pursue listening to again.

Led Zeppelin II by Led Zeppelin
May 14 2024

Another album which was a lot better than I was expecting. I'm somewhere between 3 and 4 stars on this, think it's closer to 4 and I'm feeling generous.

May 15 2024

I enjoyed it. I think it's one of those albums you have to be in the right kind of mood for. I expected it to be very 'samey' but it didn't feel like that at all. Absolutely loved a couple of tracks.

Wonderful Rainbow by Lightning Bolt
May 16 2024

Fucking awful. On a positive note, I now have an additional baseline of awfulness, comparable to aural-pain that was The Cramps album - in fact, this may have been worse. I made it as far as 30 seconds into track 2, and that's only because track 1 was less than a minute long and I gave it the benefit of being an 'amusing' attempt by the artist at providing a breif interlude of the band warming up.

Aftermath by The Rolling Stones
May 17 2024

It doesn't measure up to some of their later albums, still pretty good though.

Sound of Silver by LCD Soundsystem
May 20 2024

First track started off pretty good, the got worse and worse, by the end of the track I wasn't enjoying it much. Rest of the album was pretty bland too. NOt my cup of tea, but didn't have to turn it off, so 2 stars from me Harry!

...And Justice For All by Metallica
May 21 2024

Not my cup of tea at all. This is the second Metallica album I've had to listen to and I could just copy\paste from my earlier review as they were identical listening experiences. No doubt, to metal heads, this is the business - bit to me it's painful and monotonous.

May 22 2024

Fucking awful. Made it to track 4, after I had been forcing myself to give it a chance about 30 seconds into track 1. As much as I have been pleasantly surprised by a number of albums and artists I expected to dislike, there is a sense of patting yourself on the back when you expect something to be dog shit and it then turns out to be dog shit!

Fishscale by Ghostface Killah
May 23 2024

A very strong album. Lots of different contributors give it a very varied feel.

Highly Evolved by The Vines
May 24 2024

Not terrible, not amazing. Some decent tracks, nothing to make me sit up and re-listen. I reckon 3 stars is about right.

Superunknown by Soundgarden
May 27 2024

Another nice surprise. The only disappointing aspect was it started off strongly and around tracks 9/10 there felt like a noticeable drop in quality.

Violator by Depeche Mode
May 28 2024

The well-known singles tracks are definitely the stand-out tracks, but there are other strong tracks too. If you like electronic music, which I do to a degree, then you'll enjoy this album, which I did.

May 29 2024

I've got a fair few Lynyrd Skynyrd tracks in my playlists. They merged together so many different influences and created a catalogue full of great songs in just a few short years. Then tragedy struck and the world was deprived of them. Such a sad story, and one tinged with regret. Don't Ask Me No Questions (although, not actually on this album) is one of my favourite tracks of all time.

Maverick A Strike by Finley Quaye
May 30 2024

I listened to this on a nice day in early Summer, and it fits that mood perfectly. It wasn't 'stand out' fantastic, but it had a few very good tracks and plenty of (imo) filler. I think 3 stars is about right.

Vespertine by Björk
May 31 2024

I'm sorry, I just don't get the fuss about Bjork. It all feels a bit 'Emperors New Clothes' to me. Whilst listening I had a read of the wikipedia page for this album, fuck me, how did it get all these awards and recognitions? Maybe it's me, this wouldn't be the first highly-rated album that I've considered to be utter wank. Anyway, I can only rate based on what I think, and it gets 1 star (I didn't make it all the way through, had 2 tracks left when I finished reading the wikipedia article and felt it very unlikely that they would make me do a 180 on my feelings about this album, after 10 tracks of horse piss!

I Should Coco by Supergrass
Jun 03 2024

I was a little bit disappointed. The well-known tracks were a cut above the rest of the album. It wasn't bad, but equally not good enough to make me want to re-listen. I reckon 3 stars is about right.

Dummy by Portishead
Jun 04 2024

A very good album, it really brings back vivid memories of the 90's. Has a very sparse and raw feel to it, which makes a pleasant change from the over-produced crap which seems to have taken over everywhere.

Pelican West by Haircut 100
Jun 05 2024

I grew up during this era and although familiar with Haircut 100 they weren't what I would consider "my kind of band", I had almost dismissed them as a bit of a gimmick really. I was very, very wrong - this is a fantastic album. I don;t think there was one weak track. I will be listening again.

Jun 06 2024

This feels so far removed from the later Genesis output that I am a little torn. I like a lot of their later music, but this album has the "angsty teen trying to look clever \ different" feel to it. I know that's not a great explanation, but I can't really put it into words. It all sounds a bit like "musical wanking" to me. Made it all the way through so it gets 2 stars by default. I just don't feel it deserves 3 when I think of other albums I gave 3 stars to.

Music From Big Pink by The Band
Jun 07 2024

That was so much better than I expected. The only gripe is the vocals were a little bit 'Dog & Duck', but as a whole it was really good.

Station To Station by David Bowie
Jun 10 2024

Decent album, nothing more. I didn't hear one track that grabbed my attention, but it was easy to listen to and there were no "fuck me, this is so bad I have to turn it off" moments (and there have been numerous albums like that in this list, which still surprises me, but I guess that's what keeps life interesting as we all like different things)!

Illinois by Sufjan Stevens
Jun 11 2024

It was ok, a couple of tracks were approaching good. I doubt I'd listen to it again willingly, but I wouldn't turn it off if it came on the radio. I think 2 or 3 stars is about right.

Heavy Weather by Weather Report
Jun 12 2024

This is my kind of music, so I am a bit biased, but this is a really good album. I've heard a few of the tracks before, but not the whole album. Really easy to listen to, no 'skip-me' tracks.

Zombie by Fela Kuti
Jun 13 2024

A lot better than I was expecting, based on a couple of other African artists that had previously cropped up on this list. It was a lot more 'western' than I was expecting, some really strong funk vibes coming through. I guess, if you think it about long enough, then funk music has long roots in african music anyway.

Surrealistic Pillow by Jefferson Airplane
Jun 14 2024

Another good album. It really had the late 60's psychedelic \ hippie sub-culture feel. There were quite a few tracks that I'd heard in TV shows, films, adverts etc and never knew where they came from.

Jun 17 2024

I enjoyed it, I can't deny that. However, I don't think it's amazing. Musically, it's very sparse, just a guitar and a voice on most tracks. I think those are very complementary instruments anyway (as an aside, I don't think his singing voice is very good). I think you could find many singer\songwriters and buskers churning out equally good material.

Dookie by Green Day
Jun 18 2024

The 90's really was a great decade for music. So many different types\genres coming to the fore and progressing in different directions. This is another great album.

Greetings From L.A. by Tim Buckley
Jun 19 2024

I'll admit to not really knowing who Tim Buckley was before listening to this album. I'd seen and heard the name, but couldn't tell you any of his songs. I wasn't sure what to expect, and perhaps that helped my listening experience as I had a completely open mind. I thought it was a very good album, the first few tracks were excellent, there was a short lull (drop in quality) but it finished on a high with with the final track. Wikipedia lists it as Funk and R&B - and while it certainly had elements of those I thought it was more folk pop.

Let's Stay Together by Al Green
Jun 20 2024

Fantastic album, full of great tracks, even the lesser known ones. IT's a little short and leaves you wanting more, but that's probably a feature of the era it was made in.

Youth And Young Manhood by Kings of Leon
Jun 21 2024

Pretty good album. I already had a copy of 'Because of the Times' which is a fantastic album. On first listen this album is not as good, but I will have a few further listens to see if that opinion changes.

It's Blitz! by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Jun 24 2024

It went from bearable to annoying about half-way through. It's not something I'd ever want to hear again, but it's not 'The Cramps' bad and I did listen to the whole album.

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere by Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Jun 25 2024

I quite enjoyed this. I've reviewed one other Neil Young + Crazy Horse album which I also liked, the standalone Neil Young album I listened to was bobbins (UK slang for shite). My take away so far is Crazy Horse is what makes Neil Young palatable to me.

So by Peter Gabriel
Jun 26 2024

Sledgehammer was a huge hit when I was a teenager, but aside from that track the rest of the album was fairly meh. Made it all the way through though, so the obligatory 2 stars are given.

The Gershwin Songbook by Ella Fitzgerald
Jun 27 2024

I absolutely love this. The songs are beautiful and Ella Fitzgerald's voice is as smooth as honey. I wouldn't be able to understand anyone who can't at least appreciate this album, it may not be your 'thing' but it is undoubtedly one of the best I've listened to so far.

Groovin' by The Young Rascals
Jul 02 2024

Another great album. I quite like a lot of these 'older' albums from the 60's and 70's as the artists didn't feel the need to pad the album out with shite. Very often the best albums are the ones with 8 to 12 strong tracks that leave you wanting more.

Guero by Beck
Jul 03 2024

Another fantastic album from Beck. I'm quite annoyed that I haven't really given him a chance previously. This album seemed to span about 10 different genres. One of the signs of a good album, in my opinion, is when the album ends and you feel like you've only been listening for a few minutes.... and that's how this felt to me. I will definitely be listening again, and also checking out his back catalogue.

Buffalo Springfield Again by Buffalo Springfield
Jul 04 2024

Wow, very surprised by this. So much better than I was expecting. When I saw Neil Young's name I was a bit worried, but this was almost like a time capsule from the 60's. I don't think there was one weak track on it, and I really enjoyed several of them.

Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Jul 05 2024

This is doing my nut in. I listened to a different Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds album earlier in this list and it was bad, not rip-your-ears bad but not something I enjoyed in any way. Then this album comes along, and although there were plenty of low points and tracks that weren't very good, I found myself enjoying it. I preferred Abattoir Blues to The Lyre of Orpheus.

Master Of Puppets by Metallica
Jul 08 2024

I think I'm slowly becoming a fan of heavy metal, and I never saw that coming. This was a really good album, from the false beginning of 'Battery' to the final notes of 'Damage, Inc'. When you realise how young the members of Metallica were when they made this album it just makes it more impressive.

Marquee Moon by Television
Jul 09 2024

It was ok, listenable, nothing good but nothing bad.

The Clash by The Clash
Jul 10 2024

This isn't my kind of music. That being said, it wasn't too bad.

Head Hunters by Herbie Hancock
Jul 11 2024

This album is one I already own and is regularly played. I'm so happy it is on this list as I absolutely love it, and it's a form of validation (especially when compared to some of the absolute shite I've encountered on this list already!). It was one of the albums that really turned me on to music. Only four tracks but every one is a gem.

Getz/Gilberto by Stan Getz
Jul 12 2024

I really enjoyed this, the instruments and vocals were perfectly matched. Grab a nice cool drink, like a cuba libra or mojito, a chair in the sun and listen to this. It doesn't get much better.

Jul 15 2024

Another fantastic album. Every track is beautifully crafted. The covers of the Sam Cooke tracks are, arguably, better than the originals - and the originals are themselves incredible. Muscle Shoals and Stax are, imo, the studios that produced the best output in the 60's.

Hard Again by Muddy Waters
Jul 16 2024

Whilst I'm not an avid listener to The Blues my musical tastes do include genres that have some commonalities with this style of music. The album itself was very 'listenable' but equally there were no standout or weak tracks, it just sort of blended into one 40 minute track with a few gaps. That being said, I could happily listen to it again - and who knows, maybe the tracks would become more distinct.

Kala by M.I.A.
Jul 17 2024

Wow, what an album. I don't think I've heard anything else remotely like that. The mix of so many genres and it not feeling laboured or forced is incredible. I always think the sign of a good album is when you feel like you've only been listening a few minutes but you've actually listened to the whole album. Added to my playlist and will be a regular listener.

New Boots And Panties by Ian Dury
Jul 18 2024

A few weeks ago I started thinking the quality of albums on this list had started to decrease, and then I hit a rich seam of good albums ... and this is another very good album. So many different influences on here, so much that it's difficult to pigeon-hole it. It was very much a product of it's time, but nearly 50 years later it still sounds great.

The Hissing Of Summer Lawns by Joni Mitchell
Jul 19 2024

I quite enjoyed this, it wasn't as folksy as I was expecting. You can really feel the jazz influences.

Hybrid Theory by Linkin Park
Jul 22 2024

I've never really been tempted to give Linkin Park a chance, the snippets I've heard before did nothing for me. I was pleasantly surprised by this album, don't get me wrong as I don;t feel like I've missed out on much over the last 20ish years, but it was a lot better than I expected.

Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins
Jul 23 2024

This is a really good album. It flowed so well from beginning to end (apart from the shitty youtube ads!). It passed my rule - if you get to the end of the album and wonder where the time went then it's a good album. I will definitely listen again.

Everything Must Go by Manic Street Preachers
Jul 24 2024

Another album I already own, so no surprises on here. I hadn't listened to it for a few years and was struck by how contemporary it sounds, it could have been released in 2024! Aside from a couple of weaker tracks, it's an absolute cracker.

A Girl Called Dusty by Dusty Springfield
Jul 25 2024

A perfect snippet of 60's. It's incredible to think this was her first album, she really was a very natural singer.

Soul Mining by The The
Jul 26 2024

I made it all the way through, so it gets 2 stars by default. I felt it never really got going, none of the tracks ever made me stop and listen, it was all a bit meh really.

Young Americans by David Bowie
Jul 31 2024

Bowie was another artist I never really 'got'. I always considered him a bit of a freak. To give him his dues, this is a really good album, with several standout tracks.

Pacific Ocean Blue by Dennis Wilson
Aug 01 2024

This was way better than expected. I don't really get the fuss about The Beach Boys, and the Brian Wilson \ Smile album I reviewed previously was fairly shite. This wasn't anything like the Beach Boys, a lot more gritty and real.

Django Django by Django Django
Aug 02 2024

Very very average. It was so mundane and middle-of-the-road it sounded like it could have been created any time between 1965 and the present day - by a single person with a semi-decent casio keyboard bought from argos. Not one track stood out as excellent, equally none were dog-shit awful. I'll give 3 stars as I made it all the way through without considering turning it off (but that's maybe due to being in a coma from the blandness of it!)

Aug 05 2024

I still regularly listen to this album some 30+ years after release. It was ground-breaking at the time and still sounds fresh and relevant today. On a related note I saw GZA at Dreamland in Margate in the summer of 2023 (he was performing, and not just a on the rides with his family) and it was fucking awful!!

Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Aug 06 2024

Definitely deserves to be on this list. I've got a couple of other RHCP albums and listen to them regularly.

Fetch The Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple
Aug 07 2024

Made it to the beginning of track 3 after being tempted to switch off half way through track 2. It was truly awful.

Electric Prunes by The Electric Prunes
Aug 08 2024

Complete and utter dogshit. No musical quality that I can discern.

At Fillmore East by The Allman Brothers Band
Aug 09 2024

I didn't realise it was live until I started reading the wikipedia page. It sounds amazing. The guitar playing was amazing. I can fully understand why it's on this list. I loved it and will listen again, and again, and again ....

The Doors by The Doors
Aug 12 2024

A decent album, nothing on there to make me stop listening. There were two more well-known tracks, and they were basically a distillation of the rest of the album. If it came on again I'd probably listen to it, but I wouldn't actively search it out and listen again. That, to me, is the sign of a 3 star album.

Bookends by Simon & Garfunkel
Aug 13 2024

I could, and possibly should, have stopped listening after the first 5 or 6 tracks. The track of old people just talking - what the fuck is that all about? The last couple of tracks were better though. I've never really understood the love for Simon and Garfunkel, and this album has done nothing to help in that regard.

Strange Cargo III by William Orbit
Aug 14 2024

Really good example of chill-out electronic music.

Trio by Dolly Parton
Aug 16 2024

Yee-haw. I'm a fat middle-aged white boy in South-East England so this album is probably way outside the norms of my musical tastes - but it was pretty good. I mean, I won't be rushing out to buy it, but it was easy listening.

Aug 19 2024

This is the first Johnny Cash album that's come up on the list for me. I wasn't expecting much, and it managed to slightly exceed those expectations. I appreciate the guy was 70+ when he recorded this, but his vocals weren't very good. Musically it was very sparse, which I'm was an intentional less-is-more approach. I listened all the way through and there were a couple of decent tracks. It's 3 stars from me.

If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears by The Mamas & The Papas
Aug 20 2024

Vocally this is fantastic - the two female voices are quite different but equally distinctive, and they just complement each other perfectly. Musically I found it quite sparse, but maybe that was intentional to let the voices do the talking (no pun intended). Plenty of classic tracks, both originals and covers. It's easy to see why this album is so highly lauded by lots of people.

Dig Your Own Hole by The Chemical Brothers
Aug 21 2024

This is a exceptional album, it was one of the first of it's kind and paved the way for this style of music. I don't think there is one weak track on it. I've listened to it before, and will listen to it again.

Odessey And Oracle by The Zombies
Aug 22 2024

I'd never heard of The Zombies so I wasn't sure what to expect. I thought the first track was pretty bad, but experience on this site has taught me to be patient and the album soon got better. There were a few more 'poor' tracks but overall it was pretty good. I'll go with 3 stars, but it is probably 3.5 stars in reality (but definitely not 4 imo)!

Bad Company by Bad Company
Aug 23 2024

This is a great album. The songs are so well written. There's a real range of tracks too, not just copies of the same track. I do believe that the 70's was a real peak period for music production. Paul Rodgers is a great singer, which obviously helps too.

The Velvet Underground by The Velvet Underground
Aug 26 2024

It never felt like it got going, if you know what I mean. It wasn't bad. Bland is probably the best word to describe it.

Heaven Or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins
Aug 27 2024

Started off hating it, the first track was just annoying, no real content to it. After that it started to get better and by the end I was actually enjoying it - in a "nostalgic, sound of the 80's" way. It made me think that maybe you have to get into the right mood to enjoy it, so I listened to track 1 again - it was still fucking awful though! Overall, better than I was expecting.

Permission to Land by The Darkness
Aug 28 2024

Another album I know very well, I bought it after hearing 'I believe in a thing called love' on Soccer AM. I was blown away by the album, and still am now. I don't think there's a bad track on it. I don't think there are too many bands with such a distinctive, identifying sound.

Fifth Dimension by The Byrds
Aug 29 2024

It was ok, a couple of tracks were marginally better than the rest. It wasn't so bad I needed to turn it off, but I won't be listening again.

Buena Vista Social Club by Buena Vista Social Club
Aug 30 2024

I listened to this many years ago, I think I had a CD copy at one time. I forgot how good it is. I'll be listening again now I've rediscovered it.

Brothers by The Black Keys
Sep 02 2024

This is a fantastic album. I can't really label it a particular style or genre, there were many different influences. If I had to name it I would call it blues-rock-funk. I don't think there were any weak tracks. It flowed so well. I listened to it twice initially and will be delving into the artists catalogue.

Songs In The Key Of Life by Stevie Wonder
Sep 03 2024

I already own it and have listened to it more times than I can remember. It's one of the few albums I can listen to back-to-back and not get bored. Every track is a masterpiece. It perfectly encapsulates the 70's for me. It really was a golden period for music, and for Stevie individually it was the culmination of his classic period. If you don't like this you're probably someone I don't want to know!!

Rio by Duran Duran
Sep 04 2024

I was a teenage for most of the 80's and always found Duran Duran to be utter wank. This album didn't really change my mind significantly. It was better than I expected, but still not something I would actively seek out to listen to. Le Bon's voice just grates on me, and musically it's fairly basic.

Blood, Sweat & Tears by Blood, Sweat & Tears
Sep 05 2024

This was not at all what I expected, in a positive way. I was expecting a country\folk\rock album, but although there are elements of that it was primarily a jazz sound that I heard. Some tracks were a little weaker, but as a whole it was very good. A particular highlight is Spinning Wheel, which was sampled with great effect by 3rd Bass on the Sons of 3rd Bass track (a favourite of mine). I give it an unexpected 4 stars!

Heartbreaker by Ryan Adams
Sep 06 2024

The ads on youtube sounded better than some of the tracks. I made it all the way through, but it was insepid to the extreme. Like eating a bowl of dry special k cereal.

The Velvet Underground & Nico by The Velvet Underground
Sep 09 2024

It wasn't as good as the other Velvet Underground album I already listened to via this site - and that got 3 stars, and a fairly mediocre rating. I wasn't sure who Nico was and and their involvement in this album. I had to google this information and, perhaps, unsurprisingly she was the 'singer' that strangled a few tracks. Sorry, it's a no from me.

Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelin
Sep 11 2024

Another good album from Led Zeppelin. I think III is the best of the bunch that I've heard so far, but this is up with with II.

To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
Sep 12 2024

I was expecting a lot but was left disappointed. When I looked at the list of contributing artists it was either someone I'd never heard of, or someone I'd always enjoyed and admired. Musically it was ok in places, but generally I felt it was trying too hard to be edgy. The rapping was pretty similar, too edgy for me and made my ear hurt. On reflection, maybe it's my age, I am in my 50's - but I grew up listening to rap, funk, soul, hip-hop etc and they are my preferred genres. I'm confused, maybe if I listen to it again I will like it, but that is not on my agenda.

The Pleasure Principle by Gary Numan
Sep 13 2024

This was as 80's as a rubiks cube wearing spandex and deely boppers. It wasn't bad, a bit monotonous, vocally he's very robotic but I get the impression that's intentional. I reckon 3 stars is about right.

The Band by The Band
Sep 16 2024

Well I never.... another album from an artist I'm not very familiar with that turns out to be a bit of a gem. I find it difficult to pigeon hole this into any specific genre, seems like a lot of ingredients here to make a fairly unique sound. I will be listening again.

Tracy Chapman by Tracy Chapman
Sep 17 2024

You can't really fault this album. It was something completely different when it came out, and it snowballed to the point that everyone seemed to have a copy and listen to it almost constantly. It didn't matter what your usual choice of music was, you had a copy of this album. Several standout tracks, not one weak track.

It's A Shame About Ray by The Lemonheads
Sep 18 2024

Not my cup of tea in the slightest. I did make it all the way through so it gets 2 stars.

Leftism by Leftfield
Sep 19 2024

It's like someone bottled the 90's and condensed it into an album. It's not an album I'd heard in it's entirety before, but I had had several of the tracks individually. It was nicve, very easy to listen to, but nothing ground-breaking - there are many better examples of this type of music from the same period in time.

E.V.O.L. by Sonic Youth
Sep 20 2024

In some ways, this album is approaching a record, it's the only one I've reviewed that somewhat approaches the awfulness of 'The Cramps' album (don't think I'll ever get over the experience of that one, it was horrendous). Couldn't make it all the way through so it's a 1 star for me.

Abraxas by Santana
Sep 23 2024

This was exactly my kind of album. So smooth and just effortlessly moves from track to track. I could listen to it multiple times on repeat, in fact, I already did.

Sep 24 2024

I wasn't aware of this Curtis Mayfield album, although I have several of other solo albums and some of the Impressions tracks. This is a gem, so understated, no heavy production - just pure, raw funky-soul vibes. I love it and have added it to my wants list. Perfection.

Shleep by Robert Wyatt
Sep 25 2024

There were a couple of tracks that drifted aimlessly and had me reaching for the skip\next button, but there were many more tracks that I really enjoyed, perhaps surprisingly. Vocally it was pretty dire, but musically it was pretty good.

Isn't Anything by My Bloody Valentine
Sep 26 2024

I tried, I really did, but it was fucking awful. They didn't sound very competent on their instruments at all, and vocally it was like someone mumbling through their sleeve. I have a strong feeling this is entirely the sound they are going for - and if it is, they absolutely nailed it - but it's got no musical merit in my world.

Sep 27 2024

I was probably in a minority being someone in my 50's that's never listened to this album before. It wasn't really what I was expecting, it seemed a bit more electric rather than rock. That being said, it was pretty good with a couple of standout tracks.

Hot Rats by Frank Zappa
Sep 30 2024

It was another "better than expected" experience. I was expecting it to be completely "out there" garbage and there were several moments when it veered towards that, but it course corrected pretty quickly. Quite jazzy, I was expecting folk \ rock type music. I wouldn't put it in any "greatest albums of all time" lists, but it was eminently listenable.

Tusk by Fleetwood Mac
Oct 01 2024

I'm very "take it or leave it" when it comes to Fleetwood Mac. I've never had to stop listening to one of their tracks, and (even when it comes to their biggest hits) never wanted to re listen. They are the epitome of beige to me. This album didn't change that at all. As such, 3 stars is the perfect rating.

Sign 'O' The Times by Prince
Oct 02 2024

Prince is right up there for me, by that I mean right up there with a lot of other well respected artists that I just don't get. I'll admit that he has released more than a handful of songs that I do actually like, but fuck me, this lad released 1000's of songs so there were always going to be a few I liked. This album was fairly boring to me - simple drum beats, rhythmic chanting, nothing special....

Music in Exile by Songhoy Blues
Oct 03 2024

That was a rollercoaster. After 10 seconds of the first track I was considering turning it off. I persevered and after a couple of tracks I was actually enjoying it. By the end of the album it had all got a bit too 'samey' for me and I'd just about had enough. Musically it was quite unique, I could hear the obvious and expected influences from Africa, but also some rock and folk tones too. I won't be rushing to hear anymore of their work, or even give this particular album a rerun - but it was worth listening. Another 3 stars from me.

Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves
Oct 04 2024

It was ok. I listened to the whole album and there was not one song that jarred with me. Equally, nothing really caught my attention. She's got a nice voice, very smooth and clear. Musically I've never gelled with country music, and this is about as pop-orientated as country music gets and I still couldn't gel with it. Another 3 star album for me.

Off The Wall by Michael Jackson
Oct 07 2024

He was an absolute not job, but he could make great music - and he knocked out a few amazing albums over a 15 year stretch, including this one. Say what you want about him inn a non-musical sense, but musically he is one of the greatest artists of all time. Every track is a banger!

xx by The xx
Oct 08 2024

If anyone was stupid enough to read my reviews they would see a small number of recurring patterns, and this album falls in the "I wasn't expecting much, but it was better than I expected, although still not particularly good" pattern. It probably lies somewhere between 2 and 3 stars, I'm feeling generous so will give it 3.

Blonde On Blonde by Bob Dylan
Oct 09 2024

I don't really get Bob Dylan. It's not that he's not talented or his songs are shit, but I don't get the reverence he's afforded. Maybe you had to be around in the 60's (although plenty of younger people also worship him too)! Take this album for example, it was ok, there wasn't anything offensive or jarring on there - but to me it sounded no different from any bloke+guitar you can hear down your local pub on a Friday or Saturday night. In much the same vein as Ed Sheeran really ... don't get me started on that monotonous ginger cunt, it still brings me some happiness that after 250 or so albums on this site I've yet to be served an Ed Sheeran album. If (when) that happens I may have to stop listening.

Rock 'N Soul by Solomon Burke
Oct 10 2024

I've got a compilation CD of his greatest hits, and there's a few from this album on there. There's a rawness about his voice that makes an average song into a good one, and a good song into a great one. I really enjoyed this album. It probably sounds really dated and old to the younger crowd, but to me there's very much "a less is more" element to good music.

Heroes to Zeros by The Beta Band
Oct 11 2024

Never heard of this band before, and I'm quite pleased about that. I couldn't get into it at all. The vocals were annoying, the music was soft and boring. If it was a colour it would be beige. If it was a food it would be porridge. Just bland, boring, nothingness. I did just about make it all the way through, so it gets 2 stars.

The Slim Shady LP by Eminem
Oct 14 2024

I remember this album being released. I bought a copy. I played it a lot. Everyone was playing it a lot. I still listen to it now and then. The funny thing is, though, that over time I have become a bit more critical. It's still very good, but there are too many weak tracks on there for my liking. If an album gets 5 stars it's because every track is good (or more 1 or 2 slightly weaker tracks). I'll go with 4 stars for that reason alone.

Parallel Lines by Blondie
Oct 15 2024

I was a young lad when this album came out. I remember all of the classic tracks but I've never listened to the complete album previously. It was exactly how I expected it to be. It's a symbol of the late 70's when music was changing constantly. I would listen again if it came on, but I wouldn't actively seek it out to listen again. It's got 3 stars written all over it!

Ten by Pearl Jam
Oct 16 2024

I've heard the name Pearl Jam previously, but I wouldn't have been able to name a single track of theirs. It just wasn't the sort of music I listened to ... until recently. After being blown away by the Nirvana album, and learning how Pearl Jam were considered to be of a similar genre, I was looking forward to this. The album started slowly, and didn't reach the (admittedly, lofty) heights of Nevermind, but it was still very good.

Southern Rock Opera by Drive-By Truckers
Oct 17 2024

I don't know what to make of that. At times it sounded like a bootleg version of the Eagles, just with shittier songs. At other times it sounded like a counterfeit Bryan Adams, but with shittier songs - and his songs are shitty enough as it is, so make of that what you will will. I made it all the way through, so it gets 2 stars, but I just can't bring myself to give it 3 stars. More than once I checked to see how long was left - and that, to me, is not a good sign. I'm sticking with 2 stars.

Crazysexycool by TLC
Oct 18 2024

That took me back. I hadn't listened to this album in years. It still sounds great even now, 30 years later. There are a few filler tracks that do let it down, but there are more than enough absolute classics that far outweigh the weaker tracks and elevate it. It was ground-breaking in many ways at the time, and led to a whole host of other female groups combining R&B and rap.

The Score by Fugees
Oct 21 2024

An absolute classic album for people of my generation - if you're into this sort of music, and perhaps even if you aren't. It was one of the soundtrack albums of 1996, and beyond. I don't think there is one weak track on it. The vocals complement each other, and the music, perfectly. I listened to it one, then again, for a grand total of "two times"!

Garbage by Garbage
Oct 22 2024

Fairly bland, found myself falling asleep. I don't doubt that people who like this kind of music will think this a cracking album, but it was all a bit moist for me.

What's Going On by Marvin Gaye
Oct 23 2024

One of my most treasured possessions is an original copy of this LP. I love every single second of this album. It is musical perfection to me. I listen to it regularly (not the original LP, that's too precious). Although only a few tracks were released as singles I feel like every single track stands on it's own and would have had success as a single release. The fact that it grows in popularity as time goes on is a mark of it's quality.

The Poet by Bobby Womack
Oct 24 2024

I like Bobby Womack and his music, going back as far as The Valentinos. There's a couple of good tracks on this album, and several nice tracks, but even with my bias towards this kind of music I'm struggling to see what makes this album one of the 1001 I must hear.

Paris 1919 by John Cale
Oct 25 2024

It was ok, some nice moments, but another one where I'm unsure why it's included on this list. I didn't consider turning it off, nor would I seek it out again for a re-listen. That has got 3 stars written all over it.

Doolittle by Pixies
Oct 28 2024

This is not really my thing. It's quite angsty and almost emo-y, if you know what I mean. I did manage to make it all the way through and there were a couple of musical highs - but sadly, the rest of it was one long low, and the vocals were pretty awful. I hope this is the only album from this band in the list, that says it all I suppose.

Moving Pictures by Rush
Oct 29 2024

I couldn't get into this at all. If it wasn't for the youtube adds between each track it would just have sounded like a single track lasing 40 minutes, played by a bunch of teenagers on instruments they bought from the toy section of Argos. I made it all the way through so it gets 2 stars ... just!

Dirt by Alice In Chains
Oct 30 2024

Another album that I couldn't get into. Admittedly it's not really my genre, but I can think of many other albums that aren't really "my thing" that I thoroughly enjoyed. I did make it all the way through so it gets 2 stars!

Peter Gabriel by Peter Gabriel
Oct 31 2024

The shit run continues. I've had a few bad albums in a row, and this one is as bad as any of them. I already had one of his albums and gave that 2 stars .... after hearing this that other album now feels like it should have been rated higher. Utter horse shit. I could make better music than this.

Mask by Bauhaus
Nov 01 2024

The run of awful albums continues. How the fuck did this end up on the list? I have a rule that if I listen to the whole album it gets 2 stars - and while I did make it the whole way through, I did so while composing a couple of emails complaining to companies that have messed up dealings with me. The true awfulness of the music was obscured by my pre-occupation!

Exodus by Bob Marley & The Wailers
Nov 04 2024

Strangely, the lesser known tracks stand up really well against the more well-known tracks. A fantastic album. It's nice to finally get another genre-defining album after the recent dross I'd been served up.

Blue Lines by Massive Attack
Nov 05 2024

Very few albums \ artists \ tracks have the effect of transporting you to a place and\or time. This is one of those albums though. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I was back with my mates in the early 1990's - driving round in Tommy's 205 GTi (1.9 obviously) or Jay's XR3i cab. Another genre-creating album, one of the easiest 5 starts I've given.

The Infotainment Scan by The Fall
Nov 06 2024

After a run of dog-shite albums I had two 5-stars in a row, and then I got served up this monstrosity. Absolute garbage. I wanted to turn it off half-way through the first track but was intrigued about the cover of 'Lost In Music' so stuck it out. Fuck me, they butchered that song. I skipped to the next track for one last chance, and it was the worst of the three sofar. I had no hesitation to stop listening. The singers voice is horrific, just really grates on you, and doesn't complement the music in anyway. The music is pretty poor to start with.

Solid Air by John Martyn
Nov 07 2024

Vocally it was just some old geezer mumbling, I didn't enjoy that aspect at all. However, musically there were some very nice tracks. It was very difficult to put a genre on it - could pick out some influences from folk, rock, jazz.

Ctrl by SZA
Nov 08 2024

It was listenable. It sounded like x number of artists you hear on urban \ contemporary radio nowadays. I didn't find anything on there that would make me listen again.

Rumours by Fleetwood Mac
Nov 11 2024

This album takes me back to being a child in the 70's. It felt like every track was played on the radio fairly frequently. It's one of those albums where every track is well-known and well-regarded in it's own right. You can't fault it really, and when you discover the turmoil that was happening between the band members when producing this it is even more impressive.

Queen II by Queen
Nov 12 2024

I can completely see why this album is included. It's not Queen's best album, but you can see it as a precursor to their best period. The sound was almost there, there are a few tracks that really show it. Not quite 5 star material for me, but a fucking good album nevertheless!

Violent Femmes by Violent Femmes
Nov 13 2024

I had no idea who this band was. I was familiar with the opening track, it's been used in TV, film and adverts before - but I couldn't have told you who it was by. After that I was expecting the rest of the album to be pretty bad, but it was actually quite listenable. I wouldn't say it was my thing, or that I will seek it out again though.

Femi Kuti by Femi Kuti
Nov 14 2024

I'm listening to these albums on youtube (I don't have any of the music subscription services) and there was no 'complete' album I could find. I had to find the tracks individually, I didn't manage to find all of them. It's possible all that extra effort clouded my judgement but I wasn't ever really 'feeling' the music. The fact I put in this extra effort for a few tracks probably means it's about 2 stars.

Pictures At An Exhibition by Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Nov 15 2024

That was a hard listen. It wasn't without some musical merit, but it was so far up itself it was generally unpleasant. I did listen to the whole album, mostly in a "driving past an accident on the motorway and you have to look over" way, so it's 2 stars.

Stankonia by OutKast
Nov 18 2024

Fantastic album. If you were old enough to remember the 90's and were into urban music then you would probably remember this was ground-breaking. Outkast has a very unique sound.

Meat Is Murder by The Smiths
Nov 19 2024

Another very surprising outcome. This is the 3rd Smiths album I've had on this list and the previous 2 were split between good and bad experiences. This was another good experience. A couple of really good tracks, and the rest weren't bad either.

Dig Me Out by Sleater-Kinney
Nov 20 2024

It's a pass from me. It wasn't entirely without merit, I made it through the whole album so there must be some musicality in there. The vocals were pretty awful. It just sounded like one long track, there was no discernible difference - to me at least.

Nov 21 2024

I've always enjoyed Chicago. This album is an absolute belter, the musicianship is amazing and the tracks effortlessly show that. Not a single weak track on there.

Woodface by Crowded House
Nov 22 2024

Another group that I've always liked. I bought Recurring Dream, a compilation of their greatest hits, many years ago and it has been on fairly regular rotation since then. Plenty of Woodface tracks are on the compilation, but there are several others I was hearing for the first time. The whole album was great, even the new songs. The vocal are always amazing, beautiful harmonies and the lyrics are very clever. Musically the can tend to sound very 'samey' - but then you could probably level that accusation at nearly every band. I think there will only be a very small number of people that don't like this album.

1989 by Taylor Swift
Nov 25 2024

I couldn't even last 1 song. Fucking awful person, even worse as an artist. No musical merit whatsoever. Her unbelievable popularity is one of the most damning indictments of her generation. One of the few times I have wished that this site allowed zero stars!!!!

Nov 26 2024

I can't listen to any U2 songs without thinking of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8dZwXnMrRU ... I didn't dislike the album, the 3 more well-known tracks that leads off the album are good. The rest of the album is fairly bland.

Our Aim Is To Satisfy by Red Snapper
Nov 27 2024

I'd never heard of this band or, by extension, this album. After a quick read of the linked wikipedia page I was quite excited, it sounded like it would be right up my street. However, I was quite wrong. I couldn't really get into it. It wasn't bad, just very mediocre, like a chicken-in-a-basket version of Radiohead.

The Specials by The Specials
Nov 28 2024

The Specials, Bad Manners, Madness, The Beat etc.. I was around when this was all happening. It was incredible. I didn't appreciate at the time that many of these songs were covers. I imagine that my kids, and their kids, would not enjoy this album, but to me it evokes so many memories that I can't do anything other than give it 5 stars!

Oar by Alexander 'Skip' Spence
Nov 29 2024

I'm going to break one of my conventions with this album. I made it all the way through which gets a guaranteed 2 stars minimum, but for this album it's only going to get 1. Let's be honest here, it's rambling, mumbling shite, with minimal musical merit and next to no instrumentation. I only made it all the way through as I got sucked into a rabbit hole reading about the artists life. If I was grading on that it would be 5 stars!

Rubber Soul by Beatles
Dec 02 2024

This is the second Beatles album I've served up, and after being pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed the first one it's more of the same here. I've never got The Beatles before, but there is no denying that they created some great music. It wasn't as good as Revolver (the other album) but not far off.

3 Feet High and Rising by De La Soul
Dec 03 2024

This album had a seismic impact when it was released. I've still got the original vinyl copy I purchased on import. There was nothing else really like it. The skits between tracks, the lyrics, the humour, the sound! I'm probably in a minority by saying the follow-up album -De La Soul Is Dead - is better. That really is splitting hairs though, they are both incredible. One of the easiest 5 stars I've given.

Sulk by The Associates
Dec 04 2024

At last, an album bad enough to challenge The Cramps. I wanted to turn it off after about 30 seconds of the first track, but I've been surprised many times while working through the albums on this list so I persevered. Made it to track 3, and that was a huge fucking effort to not turn off. Musically it was awful, vocals were just as bad. The only plus side was this is the bands only release, thank fuck for that!

Deserter's Songs by Mercury Rev
Dec 05 2024

What a pleasant surprise. I made the mistake of reading about the artist and album before actually listening, which allowed my prejudices to kick in and tell me "you ain't gonna like this". They were wrong (for once), the first track was beautifully haunting, and the final track was uplifting and joyous. In between, there were undoubted low points but also many high points. It was difficult to pigeon-hole this music - I could hear many influences throughout such as pop, jazz, soul, rock, etc. I can't quite give it 5 stars, but it's an easy 4 stars.

Feast of Wire by Calexico
Dec 06 2024

Another cracking album. It was very understated and easy to listen to. Perfect for a warm night, a few beers and a bottle of rum.

After The Gold Rush by Neil Young
Dec 09 2024

I've previously reviewed a few Neil Young solo albums, and a few with Crazy Horse and Buffalo Springfield. I don't know if I should be surprised but I've rated one album a 1 and 1 album a 5 - and a couple in between. This one was on the 'better'side. First of all, his vocals are fucking awful - he sounds like my 90 years Grandma just before she croaked. Musically it was quite nice, easy to listen to . I wouldn't seek it out again though, but wouldn't turn it off it came on by chance. That to me is 3 star material!

good kid, m.A.A.d city by Kendrick Lamar
Dec 10 2024

In the words of Andy Townsend - \"not for me Clive\". It sounded like someone with ADHD just saying random sentences as quickly as possible, while his mates messed about with a drum machine and a Casio keyboard. I am a big fan of rap\hip-hop, albeit I am in my 50's so I'm probably much more 'old school' than most, but this album did nothing for me. Maybe I need to give it a few listens to appreciate it, but I needed a tiny spark from the first listen to do that, and I got nothing. It's 2 stars for me.

Your Arsenal by Morrissey
Dec 11 2024

This is the first Morrissey album I've ever listened to. I was also in a similar situation in respect of The Smiths, and I've listened to three of their albums via this website - one bad, two good. As a result of my experience with The Smiths albums I wasn't sure what to expect from this album, I am pleased to say this was another good, in fact great, album. Eminently listenable, the lyrics are really clever, the music is top-notch, and I like his singing voice. There wasn't one bad track. I absolutely loved "You're the One for Me, Fatty" and "Certain People I Know". I will be listening again for sure.

The Slider by T. Rex
Dec 12 2024

Another really enjoyable album. I was a child in T. Rex's heyday. Marc Bolan died just up the road from where I lived as a child. So I have a bit of an affinity with their music. I had heard a few tracks on this album before, but even the tracks I was hearing for the first time were good. Not really 5 star material, but a comfortable 4 stars!

Scott 4 by Scott Walker
Dec 13 2024

It wasn't bad at all. Musically it was ok and he has a nice singing voice and style. I just couldn't get into it. It sounded a bit like all the songs were made up on the spot. At times his voice veered into Vic Reeves doing his club singer, or Neil Hannnon and The Divine Comedy.

Dire Straits by Dire Straits
Dec 16 2024

This was great. I've obviously heard 'Sultans of Swing' before, but the rest of the album was new to me. There weren't any weak tracks. It was a little bit short, but there's no point padding an album with filler. I will make sure to listen again.

Dec 17 2024

Who doesn't love a bit of Queen. There are parts of this album that are absolutely bonkers, and I mean that in a nice way. In fact, the whole album is almost completely bonkers. And therein lies the whole majesty (geddit?) of Queen. They were almost unique in their sound, nothing like it before or since.

Beyond Skin by Nitin Sawhney
Dec 18 2024

It wasn't awful. It was fairly boring really. There were a couple of brief moments (The Pilgrim was one) where it briefly got interesting, but generally it was nondescript and boring. I wouldn't bother listening to it again.

Dec 19 2024

I've had 2 previous Brian Eno albums on this list, and both were utter horse-shit. I wasn't expecting much from this, and it duly obliged. In fairness it was nowhere near the banality of one of the previous Eno albums, and was on a par with the other one. I get that it was the ambient music ground-breaker, but any old prick with a keyboard could have made this album by just striking one or two keys periodically. I was a given a voucher for a massage last year and this music could have been what they played during the massage, it sent me to sleep then and it did the same now.

Loveless by My Bloody Valentine
Dec 20 2024

Fuck me, what a surprise. The surprise being that this is the second album from this band I've been served up on this site. I am amazed that anyone would think this is a good album. At least there is consistency, because it was exactly the same listening experience for me as the first album of theirs. So much so I have copied my comments below, as there are just as apt for this album.... \"I tried, I really did, but it was fucking awful. They didn't sound very competent on their instruments at all, and vocally it was like someone mumbling through their sleeve. I have a strong feeling this is entirely the sound they are going for - and if it is, they absolutely nailed it - but it's got no musical merit in my world.\" Please, please, please, I hope there are no more of their albums on this list.

Dec 23 2024

It's barely believable that this album is almost 30 years old. It was one of the first albums of it's kind. There are multiple tracks on here that absolutely became anthems, and several others that were overshadowed by these through no fault of their own. If you don't like, or at least appreciate, this album you should check your pulse.

White Blood Cells by The White Stripes
Dec 24 2024

This was pretty good, a lot better than I was hoping. I could hear lots of Blues influences with a very raw feel. I would definitely listen to this again.

La Revancha Del Tango by Gotan Project
Dec 25 2024

Another cracking little album. I think it's been one of the more 'unique' albums on here. I've lost count of the number of albums in the more popular genres (rock, country, rap, soul, jazz etc), but this one comfortably sits alone as I don't think I've heard anything else like it yet and I'm just past 300 albums in.

Dec 26 2024

This brings back so many memories. I listened to this album more times than I can remember. I can unashamedly say that these were the best years of my life. The Prodigy were so in tune with the youth of the time, these songs are timeless, like a soundtrack of the 90's to me. I think the lesser-known tracks are better than the hits.

Boston by Boston
Dec 27 2024

Loved it. Every single track was excellent.

Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand
Dec 30 2024

Fairly boring to me. It wasn't bad, but there was nothing I heard that made me take notice - or want to re-listen.

Aladdin Sane by David Bowie
Dec 31 2024

I still don't get how revered Bowie is. This is the fourth (I think) album of his on this list, and only one of them was what I'd consider a good album. Sadly, this album is not that one.

Jan 01 2025

Another classic from my youth. We listened to this album so many times when driving round in our cars. It amazes me that it still sounds fresh now.

The Blueprint by JAY Z
Jan 02 2025

I've never listened to a Jay Z album before, only individual tracks. It was good, it flowed very nicely from track to track. I'll definitely listen again. I've got a feeling it will grow on me with each further listen.

Jan 03 2025

I'm really struggling with this album. It's playing in the background right now, and I'm on about track 4 or 5, but it's not really enjoyable. It's not 'pull your ears off' bad, it's just laborious and boring. It feels like I've been listening for about 3 hours.

Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin
Jan 06 2025

Fucking hell, that is an amazing album. I've listened to a few Led Zeppelin albums via this site and they are not at all what I expected. This is the best of them so far, and I am struggling to believe it's possible they could top this one. I've immediately put the album back on again for a second listen. One of the easiest 5 stars I've given so far!

Brown Sugar by D'Angelo
Jan 08 2025

I must admit to buying this album on release and have probably listened to it upwards of 100 times. I absolutely love it. When it came out there were a lot of R&B artists that, although not exactly copy\paste of each other, had a lot of very strong similarities in their sound (and I think a lot of that was die to the same small pool of producers etc). D'Angelo's album was so far removed from those sounds that it stood out like a beacon. I could easily put this album on loop and not get bored for hours, or even days.

Like A Prayer by Madonna
Jan 09 2025

Unintentionally I listened to the 30th anniversary release rather than the original release. The re-release album was two tracks shorter (woohoo) but some of the tracks were extended and\or dance mixes (boo). If you haven't worked it out yet I didn't enjoy this experience. I haven't lived under a rock so I am aware of Madonna and have heard several of these tracks multiple times - but that was never out of choice. I didn't even make it all the way through, so by default this gets 1 star!

Jan 10 2025

Something weird happened. I listened to the whole album, it wasn't great but it was good enough that I made it all the way through. And then, the Kids track came on again before I could close the tab - and I really enjoyed it. So I thought I'd give the album another go. Turns out the Kids track is the highlight, the rest of it is pretty boring.

The Low End Theory by A Tribe Called Quest
Jan 13 2025

I've listened to this album more times than I care to remember. I have original vinyl copies of this album, their debut album Peoples Instinctive Travels and the third album Midnight Marauders. All of them are incredible, and 5 stars in my opinion. If I have a slight preference it is for Midnight Marauders (which probably puts me in a minority).

Blue by Joni Mitchell
Jan 14 2025

The 4th album of hers I've listened via this site, and it was the worst, or weakest, of all of them. It wasn't "unlistenable" but the meter of the lyrics and the music didn't match up for large parts - it sounded like when you and your mates were trying to make up lyrics to a song on the spot, and you over-ran or came up short by a few syllables. I have no desire to listen again. I did make it all the way through so I have to give it 2 stars.

Jan 15 2025

I decided to get in my truck, with my woman and my dog, drink a bottle of whisky, have a few beers with the boys, shoot something ..... blah, blah, blah. It's not my musical taste at all. The lyrics were so cliched they made my arsehole itch! Well, that is, most of the lyrics - he started fantasizing about killing his ex because she had the nerve to leave him, not sure I've heard that sentiment in a supposedly 'top-rated' album before. I did manage to listen to the whole album, so it gets 2 stars.

Black Metal by Venom
Jan 16 2025

The only way I could tell it wasn't a single, incredibly monotonous song was by the occasional youtube ad (and the 'video paused, are you still watching' message about 2/3 of the way through). It doesn't say much for this album that I actually started looking forward to the ads as highlights. I've enjoyed a lot of other metal albums on this list, so it's not a musical preference thing - this was just a shit album. I intentionally didn't listen to the last couple of tracks so I could give it 1 star - a kind of musical opposite to a chef's kiss, a chef's punch? a clef's punch?

Throwing Muses by Throwing Muses
Jan 17 2025

I made it all the way through. When listening to an album or artist for the first time one of the ways I grade it is by whether it makes me stop what I'm doing and listen again, or do some research online etc. None of these things happened while listening to this album. Total blandness to me.

Surfer Rosa by Pixies
Jan 20 2025

This is the second Pixies album I've ever listened to, the first was also via this site. It wasn't terrible, but equally it wasn't very good. I did make it all the way through, and a couple of tracks were interesting. The best thing about this album is the cover, that is a cracking pair of tits!!!!

Is This It by The Strokes
Jan 21 2025

It was pretty good. I wasn't tempted to turn it off at any stage, so it passed the "fuck me, this is shit" test. I didn't re-listen to any of the tracks or the whole album so it failed the "that was great\good and I'd like to hear it again" test.

Go Girl Crazy by The Dictators
Jan 22 2025

That was superb. I went in blind, not having a clue about the band or the type of music. You could hear the precursor to punk in there clearly, but a very strong rock and even folk thread too. I loved the cover of Sonny & Cher, it was better than the original.

Will The Circle Be Unbroken by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Jan 23 2025

On the whole this was pretty good. It seemed to last forever, 42 tracks is a bit excessive. I love bluegrass style banjo, I've been playing on and off for a few years but I am fucking hopeless. Earl Scruggs is a legend, and the tracks where he was to the fore were exceptional. Some of the other tracks weren't so good but it's still a strong 4 stars for me.

Made In Japan by Deep Purple
Jan 24 2025

I'm listening to these albums via youtube, I'm anti-subscription (showing my age)! Occasionally youtube, for whatever reason, decides that I can't listen to certain tracks of an album - and for this album there were 3 'unavailable' tracks. The album only had 7 tracks in total, so I missed out on ~40% of the album. The bits that youtube permitted me to hear were very good though, particularly 'Smoke On The Water'. In summary, good album, but youtube is a fascist, controlling, soul-less entity run by cunts ... you're welcome.

Jan 27 2025

Obviously, I've heard a few of their tracks before, I don't live in a cave! I've never felt the urge to listen to a whole album though. It was pretty good, better than I was expecting. I really liked the lyrics, there was something unique and raw about them. The music wasn't bad either. There were multiple highlights and only a couple of tracks where I started to get bored. I have a hunch it will grow on me when I listen to it again, which I plan to do.

Joan Armatrading by Joan Armatrading
Jan 28 2025

Fuck youtube in the arse with a red-hot poker! I was listening away and after 3 tracks I heard some bint wittering on about investing in crypto, there was no 'skip ad' button - it showed as a track in the album playlist and was 57 minutes long!!! I eventually worked out I just had to click on the next track button. However, this just highlights how the tech giants have now monetised us all. I'm old enough to remember the hopes we had for the internet, back in the earl and mid 1990's. We've allowed a small number of people and companies to bastardise it instead, just to line their pockets and try to control the masses. We need to burn it all down <rant over>. Errrm, ok, just realised I haven't mentioned the music at all. I enjoyed. It wasn't something I was particularly looking forward to or expecting much from, but it was ok. There was an element of 'waiting room music' to it, and it felt a bit repetitive by the end. I wouldn't seek it out for a re-listen, but wouldn't turn it off it got served up again.

Jan 29 2025

I was expecting to hate this, but it was good, very good in fact. I've always considered Courtney Love to be a bit of a cunt, and maybe she is, but I should have learned by now that whether someone is a cunt or not doesn't usually have any bearing on whether said person can make good music.

Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield
Jan 30 2025

I can remember my parents playing this when I was a nipper in the 70's. Whenever I hear the intro it gives me goosebumps. The intro is the best part (imo) but in fairness, it's pretty good the whole way through. I definitely enjoyed it this time round (and I doubt I'd heard the whole album for 40+ years). I think any album that evokes such strong memories is significant.

Little Earthquakes by Tori Amos
Jan 31 2025

It was listenable, but it's really not my thing. It has that Kate Bush \ Joanna Newsom feel that I just can't get with. The vocals are bouncing about all the time, and they have the feel of somewhere making the words up as they go along. Musically, there's nothing special there. If this is your thing then knock yourself out, but personally it's a pass. I made it all the way through so it's 2 stars for me Clive!

Deja Vu by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Feb 03 2025

This was pretty good. I've had more than my fair share of Neil Young albums come up so far, so his presence on this album scared the fuck out of me (his solo albums have been shockingly bad). However, there were some pretty good tracks and only a few low points (ahem, tracks with the aforementioned Mr Young's vocals prominent).

Come Away With Me by Norah Jones
Feb 04 2025

Nice enough, a little bit dreary really. No offense, but it just felt like the same track on repeat. It would be a useful aid if you have insomnia or something like that.

Endtroducing..... by DJ Shadow
Feb 05 2025

Another album that I was fortunate enough to buy on release and have listened to more times than I can count. It's another ground-breaking album. There really wasn't anything like this at the time it came out. It spawned thousands of replicas which all fell short of this masterpiece.

Clube Da Esquina by Milton Nascimento
Feb 06 2025

In terms of this list, it has a pretty unique sound, I'm not sure I've been served any other albums of this genre. Which leads me to a question - what genre is this? It sounded like a wishy-washy spoof of western pop music. There's an fella in Italy that made a track a long time ago, that was basically a load of gibberish made to sound like popular English-speaking music of the time. I am reminded of that by this album. It was like a Brazilian Brian Eno album - ok, it wasn't that bad! It wasn't "I can't listen to this shit" bad, but I wouldn't find myself seeking it out for a re-listen. If it's your 'thing' then good for you, but it's not for me.

Grievous Angel by Gram Parsons
Feb 07 2025

Fucking dire. I'll admit that Country music is not one of my favourites - but, that being said, I've listened to several albums from that genre on this list and can at least appreciate them and notice some musical value. Somehow I made it all the way through without turning off - more due to being preoccupied with something else rather the music grabbing me - so I'll give it 2 stars!

Definitely Maybe by Oasis
Feb 10 2025

Here's the thing, I quite like Oasis. I have a copy of (What's The Story) Morning Glory and spent a lot of time listening to it. I moved to Manchester in April 1996 and it was the soundtrack of that first summer, Euro 96, Hacienda (which was in it's final stages) etc ... Christ, I sound like Ron Manager ... "jumpers for goalposts, experience replica shirts, isn't it, mmmm?" Anyway, this is a good album, but not as good as the follow up. I'm going with 4 stars!

The Chronic by Dr. Dre
Feb 11 2025

A classic album. It elevated rap to a new level. There are a few artists\albums\tracks that have done that down the years and this belongs amongst those.

Blood And Chocolate by Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Feb 12 2025

I was expecting a lot better. I'm aware of many of his more popular tracks, but I hadn't ever listened to an album. Maybe it's one of those albums that gets better with each listen, but I couldn't put myself through it again. It's weird because I've always considered Elvis Costello to be a sort of musical genius\savant etc (admittedly, on a small sampling). It was listenable, but nothing special, so it's only 2 stars for me.

Orbital 2 by Orbital
Feb 13 2025

Another band that represents the soundtrack of the best years of my life. Orbital were a constant presence in our playlists, and any pub or club we ever went to would probably play one or more of their tracks. The opening track is annoying - but if you've heard the bands debut album you would see why it's there. Otherwise it's a great example of the early 90's dance scene in the UK. I get why people may not like it though.

Hot Fuss by The Killers
Feb 14 2025

It's not really "my thing" but I am aware of their existence and have heard the more well-known tracks before. It was ok, it never crossed my mind to turn it off, but I never really got into it. It feels bit better than 2 stars, so I'll give it 3.

Get Behind Me Satan by The White Stripes
Feb 17 2025

Fuck me sideways, that was really good. This is the second album of theirs I've had on this list, and both were significantly better than I expected. I had a re-listen right after it finished the first time, and it was just as good second time around. I preferred it to White Blood Cells marginally.

OK Computer by Radiohead
Feb 18 2025

This is the sixth Radiohead album I've been served up on this list, and I can't for the life of me work out why that is. None of them have been bad and I made it all the way through each and every one of them. A few of them had some good tracks, and this one is no different as 'No Surprises' has always been hauntingly beautiful. However, I am yet to come across an album that I felt was better than 'meh, I didn't feel the need to turn it off'. Hopefully , this the final album of theirs that I get (confession, I had a look at their discography and I may be in luck in that regard)!

The Yes Album by Yes
Feb 19 2025

I've been scarred by some 'prog rock' albums on this list, so I started listening with my finger poised over the 'close window' button. However, the first track was good, very good in fact. The whole album was a lot better than I was expecting. I would happily listen to it again.

Doggystyle by Snoop Dogg
Feb 20 2025

Flawless. It set the scene for years. It still stands up now. WARNING: If you listen to this via SnoopDoggTV on youtube you will want to blow your brains out. Adverts half-way through tracks - fuck yourself with that, you cunts! Fortunately, I have the original vinyl album and I have listened to that 100's of times since release, so I just switched to that.

The Libertines by The Libertines
Feb 21 2025

I really wasn't sure what to expect from this album. I have no real idea about Pete Doherty beyond his early 2000's shenanigans - which were, admittedly, fairly interesting to watch in a perverse way. I have the debut Dirty Pretty Things album because I liked the Bang Bang You're Dead track - and to be fair, the rest of the album is pretty good. Anyway, enough rambling, this album was very good. There were more good tracks than bad tracks, and there were no tracks bad enough I had to question whether to continue listening.

Achtung Baby by U2
Feb 24 2025

I could Ctrl-H my review for The Joshua Tree album!

Dusty In Memphis by Dusty Springfield
Feb 25 2025

It was good, not as good as I was hoping, but still pretty good. I'd never heard the whole album before, which is a bit surprising as I have a lot of southern soul music in my collection.

Butterfly by Mariah Carey
Feb 26 2025

Before I start listening .... "oh fuck, not the warbler"! She likes a warble, I wasn't wrong, but this may not be the most 'warbly' she's ever been. Track 1 is decent. After that it gets very repetitive, very quickly. There are a few tracks of hers I like, but sadly, the 9.5 tracks that I made it through on this album weren't any of them. I had to switch off after 9.5 tracks as I was losing the will to live.

Darkness on the Edge of Town by Bruce Springsteen
Feb 27 2025

My third Springsteen album on the list, and it probably lies somewhere between the other two (Born To Run and Born In The USA) in terms of how much I enjoyed it. Although the tracks weren't as well known, to me at least, they were really well-crafted.

American Beauty by Grateful Dead
Feb 28 2025

With a name like Grateful Dead you'd expect heavy rock, something mean, a bit snarly. This was nothing like that though, It wasn't bad, it was just very soft - like Simon & Garfunkel with a few extra band members. As I said before, it wasn't bad, but it was disappointing.

Purple Rain by Prince
Mar 03 2025

There a few of his tracks I like, and I don't think his music is 'bad' but .... it just bores me. I just can't ever get into it. This album is a great example of that. I think Let's Go Crazy and When Doves Cry are very good but the rest of the tracks are just monotonous filler with no positives. If I never heard this album again I wouldn't be at all bothered. If it came on again there's a 50/50 chance I would listen to it without skipping or turning it off. I reckon it's a 2 or 3 star, at best. On the basis of the aforementioned 2 good tracks I will go with 3 stars.

On The Beach by Neil Young
Mar 04 2025

One or two relatively bright moments amongst a monotony of shite! I really don't understand how this list has so many of his albums (including Crazy Horse etc). His singing voice just grates. Musically, the vast majority of what he churns out could be made by countless 'geezer and a guitar' types up and down the country. I did listen to the whole album, so it gets 2 stars. But please, no more Neil Young on this list, please, I beg you!

Exit Planet Dust by The Chemical Brothers
Mar 05 2025

A great example of how dance/electronic music was evolving in the UK during the mid 90's. Took me right back to those years. In doing so it made me feel fucking old.

Fever Ray by Fever Ray
Mar 06 2025

I'd never heard of this artist previously. I went in with an open mind but found it quite monotonous. It wasn't 'unlistenably' bad, but it just never got going. A lot of the tracks had the feel of someone finding a new feature on a sampler or drum machine and then hammering the fucking life out of said feature \ effect for a single track. I did make it all the way through, so for that it gets 2 stars.

Space Ritual by Hawkwind
Mar 07 2025

Absolute fucking tosh. I really went in with an open mind as this website has told me, time and again, that I should try to move beyond my musical biases. Made it to track 7 and pulled the plug. The weird Germanic voice cropping up a few times was off-putting.

Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division
Mar 10 2025

Iyt wasn't terrible, but neither was it very good. The vocals were pretty awful. I did think it was quite interesting that you could hear the New Order sound in there. I made it all the way through so it gets 2 stars!

Moon Safari by Air
Mar 11 2025

Very evocative of a different time. It's very easy to listen to, quite soothing. I was listening on youtube and after the album finished the next couple of autoplay items were other Air tracks - and I didn't even notice the album had ended. It came get a bit beige and samey, but I would happily listen again.

Rage Against The Machine by Rage Against The Machine
Mar 12 2025

Everyone should love a bit of RATM. It may not be your musical style, but the content is fucking incredible and the message gets across undeniably.

Mar 13 2025

I didn't dislike it, but it got very repetitive quite quickly. I did make it the whole way through so it's a minimum 2 stars. However, at the basic level it's a jazz album and there are numerous other jazz albums I own that I consider way better than this, and they are not on this list. So I'm going to stick with 2 stars.

Bone Machine by Tom Waits
Mar 14 2025

This came hot on the tails of 'Nighthawks At The Diner', also by Tom Waits. There was quite a large genre difference between the two albums. I made it all the way through but, like the previous album, it felt repetitive. I never really 'felt' it, but I did make it all the way through. So it gets 2 stars.

2112 by Rush
Mar 17 2025

I'm not really sure what to rate this. I was close to turning it off within the first few minutes. It gradually got better after that. The last couple of tracks were very repetitive. It gets 2 stars.

Lust For Life by Iggy Pop
Mar 18 2025

I enjoyed this, and I really wasn't expecting that to happen. Very catchy and fairly unique sounding.

Chris by Christine and the Queens
Mar 19 2025

Musically this was really good, exactly the sort of thing I love discovering. I'm surprised I had no awareness of this at all. I read the wikipedia page for the album and then clicked on to the 'artist' page - fuck me, that is depressing, wish I'd remained ignorant to all that bollocks. Tbh, identify as whatever the fuck you want, it makes no difference to me - but I automatically think people like that are just trying too hard to be edgy and current, know what I mean? It's probably somewhere between 3 and 4 stars, musically closer to 4 - but all the bollocks about pronouns and identities makes me round down to 3.

Mar 20 2025

Yeah, I'm already a Nirvana convert after listening to Nevermind and In Utero for the first time (courtesy of this site). This was more of the same, very enjoyable. It's scary to think about what might have happened in an alternate timeline where Cobain didn't top himself - would Nirvana have continued to turn out great albums, would they have gone to shit, would Foo Fighters ever had come to exist etc.

Fulfillingness' First Finale by Stevie Wonder
Mar 21 2025

What can you say about this album that hasn't already been said? It's a masterpiece. I am fortunate enough to own an original copy and have listened to it more times than I can remember.

Cloud Nine by The Temptations
Mar 24 2025

I think I'm in a bit of a minority as I actually prefer this style of 'The Temptations', as it has moved to a raw, harder sound - really picking up on the funk explosion that was really taking off about this time. Don't get me wrong, the early Temptations stuff (e.g. My Girl) was still good and I am a big admirer.

The Next Day by David Bowie
Mar 25 2025

Boring. I liked some of his earlier albums, but this album was just filler. I made it all the way through so it gets 2 stars by default.

Timeless by Goldie
Mar 26 2025

The hundreds, if not thousands, of people that are regularly reading my review notes will already be aware that this album was originally released during my drug-addled peak years. It's a classic. It was one of the first of it's kind and spawned a lot of copies.

Meat Puppets II by Meat Puppets
Mar 27 2025

I was not expecting to like this at all. Strangely, a few albums back, I was served up the Nirvana Unplugged album and these guys appeared on a few tracks. Anyway, this was really good. Lots of different influences. I would quite happily listen to it again.

Dub Housing by Pere Ubu
Mar 28 2025

I couldn't make it all the way through. It was awful. It's albums like this that really make me think though. Do the band sit in the recording studio and say "fuck yeah, we nailed that" or do they say "we fucking hate it, that's exactly the sound we are looking for"? In some ways I hope it's the latter. It reminds me of a quote that Chuck D from Public Enemy said about their creative process. He was so sick of the soul \ ballad shit in the 80's (think Freddie Jackson and Luther Van Dross) that he would play what the band had produced to his girlfriend and if she said she hated it then he knew they were onto something good. This album gets 1 star only, I couldn't get to end (I dropped out at track 5 for anyone that's interested)!

Here's Little Richard by Little Richard
Mar 31 2025

Perfection. Sure, there's a lot of similarities between most of the tracks, the lyrics aren't complicated, there is only basic instrumentation, etc.... but it just fucking rocks and you can't not tap your feet and nod your head. I've listened to a lot of 1950's music, but more focused on jazz, R&B. You can see how early pioneers merged the different forms of music and branched off in different directions.

The Köln Concert by Keith Jarrett
Apr 01 2025

It's a really nice album, it highlights how a master of a single instrument can create an incredible experience. The back story about the recording makes it even more impressive. There were periods where it got slightly repetitive, but nothing too bad.

Apr 02 2025

Another album I know all too well. I bought the vinyl when it came out, and have probably listened to it hundreds of times since then. It's an absolute classic, no weak tracks. It really was a peak period for creativity in hip-hop and rap. One of the easiest 5 stars I've given so far. I'm probably in a minority but I think Labcabincalifornia is also a classic, even though it's panned by critics!

Low by David Bowie
Apr 03 2025

There were a couple of good tracks early on, but it was really start to grate on me by the end. I had a look at the contributors and sure enough, Brian Eno was there. I'm a bit like those people that can smell cancer, in that I can hear when Eno is involved in album with a 99% success rate. That's mainly because the album sounds fucking awful. Anyway, I don't get the whole Bowie thing really. A couple of his other albums were good, but the bulk of it is just tosh to me. I amde it all the way through.... just. So it gets 2 stars.

Roxy Music by Roxy Music
Apr 04 2025

Track 1 was ok, not really my thing, but listenable. Track 2 was dogshit, the unmistakable stench of Eno was all over it. A quick check on wikipedia confirmed it, it's an Eno job! Fast forward to track 3, a little bit better. Then it went tits up again.

With The Beatles by Beatles
Apr 07 2025

It was pretty good, not on the level of the 2 other Beatles albums I've reviewed so far - but they were from later in their catalogue.

All Directions by The Temptations
Apr 08 2025

Another superb album from The Temptations. Much like Cloud Nine it has a raw and funky sound. If there was a 1001 songs to hear before you die then 'Papa Was A Rolling Stone' would be on that list. Fuck it, if the list was 101 songs it would still be on it.

Music From The Penguin Cafe by Penguin Cafe Orchestra
Apr 09 2025

I sensed it early on in track 1, the stench of Eno. Track 2 confirmed it. I didn't get any further. There are very brief periods of real music, but the rest of the time it was horrific, like my ears were being raped!

The Stooges by The Stooges
Apr 10 2025

Listening to this was an odd experience. Started out ok for a couple of tracks, then track 3 (all 10 minutes of it) felt like a lifetime and almost put me to sleep. Then it picked up again for a couple of tracks. I was close to switching off during 'We Will Fall', and as it never really grabbed me I'll go with 2 stars.

Sound Affects by The Jam
Apr 11 2025

Not a bad album, a couple of good tracks, especially That's Entertainment. As someone born in the UK in 1970 I was probably too young to really appreciate The Jam at their peak, they were just ending as I started to get into music. I think there are better albums by this band.

A Hard Day's Night by Beatles
Apr 14 2025

This is the 4th Beatles album I've had on the list, and it comes very quickly after the third album which was 'With The Beatles'. This album was very similar to that album, which is maybe not surprising as it was also one of their earliest releases. It was ok, nothing special.

Lady Soul by Aretha Franklin
Apr 15 2025

The only downside is the very short running time. I think this album really shows her incredible vocal range. She conveys different emotions at different times in every single track. The music itself is one of the best examples of the Muscle Shoals sound.

Trans Europe Express by Kraftwerk
Apr 16 2025

Yeah, what's not to love about Kraftwerk? Unless, of course, it's not your thing. In which case you probably hated it. The earliest echoes of electronic music in this album. The inspiration for Planet Rock, which was very influential in the earliest years of Hip-Hop and Electro.

Lost In The Dream by The War On Drugs
Apr 17 2025

I really wasn't sure what to expect, but on the whole it was very good. I could definitely hear some 'Springsteen' in there, and also some Bob Dylan influences. I'm planning on a re-listen in a few days time as that is often the best way for me to fully gauge an artist or album.

Channel Orange by Frank Ocean
Apr 18 2025

This was not what I expected at all. It was way more soulful. Most of the tracks were very easy to listen to, nothing too hard or abrasive. I could quite easily listen to it again.

Apr 21 2025

A classic. This album was being played by everyone, everywhere for most of mid to late 90's. Every track is a banger. One of the best albums of the 90's in my opinion.

At San Quentin by Johnny Cash
Apr 22 2025

The only other Johnny Cash album that I've been served on this list was 'American IV: The Man Comes Around', which he released when he was about 70 (right before he croaked). That album wasn't very impressive, but this one is better. It's a shame that, as a live recording, the acoustics aren't always very good.

Horses by Patti Smith
Apr 23 2025

It's not for me Clive. Very, very, very beige. I don't get how this is called punk by some people. It's more like if a couple of private school kids tried to create punk. Very sterile and anodyne. She even managed to butcher a version of Land Of 100 Dances.

Urban Hymns by The Verve
Apr 24 2025

This album has cropped up for me just after (4 albums in fact) I was served "(What's The Story) Morning Glory", which is quite bizzare as I've always considered them as very similar musically. It's a great album, there are 5 absolute standout tracks for me, and the rest are all very good - not one weak track on the album. It's a very easy 5 stars!!

Rum Sodomy & The Lash by The Pogues
Apr 25 2025

I was expecting to hate this as their song that blocks the airwaves every Christmas makes my arsehole itch! It wasn't as bad as I was expecting, and I did make it all the way through, but it never once got me excited or appreciating the music.

Sea Change by Beck
Apr 28 2025

I'm seven tracks in and this is very disappointing, especially after the two previous Beck albums I'd listened to were so much better than I expected. This is morose, almost to the point that I had to remove sharp objects from my immediate environment. It seems this album was made after he broke up with a long-term girlfriend, so I get the sentiment, but fuck me lad - chin up, life goes on. There has not been one moment of joy on the whole album yet. I really don't want to give it one star, as it's not on that level. I'll just have to suck it up and force myself to listen to the last five tracks so I can, potentially, give it two stars!

Pretenders by Pretenders
Apr 29 2025

This was pretty good. I was aware of the more well-known tracks, but the whole album was very listenable. I'd be quite happy to listen to it again, but I don't think I'll take any steps to listen to it again. That's a standard 3 stars for me.

Electric Music For The Mind And Body by Country Joe & The Fish
Apr 30 2025

Made it to track 4, which is really 3 tracks later than it needed to be, before I turned it off. Very, very bad.

Scum by Napalm Death
May 01 2025

I'm a bit torn on this. The actual musical aspect, the guitarsass\drums etc is actually quite listenable for me. It does get a bit repetitive, but which genre of music doesn't. The vocals just grind though. I get that this a stylistic choice for grindcore, but it's just painful to listen to. I was intrigued by the wiki page showing that the two sides of the album were recorded in different years by almost entirely different lineups. I could not discern any real difference, which may say more about me than about the band/album. I made it to track 6 on side 1, and track 3 on side 2. It only gets a 1 star from me.

You're Living All Over Me by Dinosaur Jr.
May 02 2025

Wow. I really wasn't expecting to like this at all. The first part of track 1 really made me sweat, like all my preconceived ideas were at the fore. Then it just got better and better - there were a couple of low spots, but they were tiny in comparison to the high spots. The guitar solos were fucking incredible. It's 4 stars from me.

She's So Unusual by Cyndi Lauper
May 05 2025

As someone that lived through the 80's (born in 1970) this album couldn't sound anymore 80's if it tried. I've never heard the whole album before, it wasn't (and still isn't) my kind of music. Very listenable though, and I can understand why it was such a huge hit, but I wouldn't actively seek it out for a second listen.

1984 by Van Halen
May 06 2025

It's a very American album, not really the sort of thing I would have listened to in my youth (when it first came out) or since. The only track I knew before listening was Jump, which is an excellent track. I was a bit disappointed by the rest of the album though. Perhaps I need to buy myself a gun and shoot a few schools up to fully appreciate it.

American Pie by Don McLean
May 07 2025

A really enjoyable album. Like most people I've heard American Pie hundreds of times and agree it is a classic. I wasn't sure what to expect from the rest of the album, but I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. Most of the tracks had an 'American Pie' feel to them but they definitely didn't sound repetitive.

Blur by Blur
May 08 2025

Very disappointing. I have no desire to listen to this again. I did make it all the way through, so it's 2 stars!

Back At The Chicken Shack by Jimmy Smith
May 09 2025

I've got plenty of Jimmy Smith in my collection, not this particular album though, but I did have a couple of the tracks. This is my kind of music. I could listen to it all day, and often do!

Ogden's Nut Gone Flake by Small Faces
May 12 2025

What a fantastic, quirky album. I must admit that I only really knew a couple of Small Faces tracks before this, and I'm a bit surprised that I'd not delved deeper previously as I have a lot of Faces in my collection and there are very well-known, strong links between the two bands.

Tea for the Tillerman by Cat Stevens
May 13 2025

It was fairly average and mundane. For people of my age or generation there are a couple of tracks that are probably more well-known as covers by other artists. The original versions on this album were the highlights of the album.

Marcus Garvey by Burning Spear
May 14 2025

I loved it. It's on a par with anything Bob Marley & The Wailers created. Maybe it helped that I listened to it on the warmest day of the year, with the sun shining etc. Several incredibly good tracks, no weak ones. I had to re-listen straight after the first run through.

The Modern Dance by Pere Ubu
May 15 2025

Pre-listening thoughts: I've had the misfortune of already listening to another of their albums on this list - Dub Housing - which was awful. I wonder if this will be more of the same... Track 1: Wow, this is actually not bad. The vocals are grating, as I was expecting, which does take away something from the track, but musically it's quite good. Track 2: This sounds a lot like track 1, in fact, I'll just double-check it is actually a different track. Yes, it is. It's not as good as track 1 , but no need to turn it off. Track 3: What the fuck is this? Is that a chicken screaming? No, I don;t think it is, but it's clearly someone that doesn't know how to play whatever instrument that is. Ok, we're 2 mins in and it's finally got going.... oh shit, I'm beginning to miss the strangled chicken sound. This is bad! Track 4: Slightly better, at least we're back to being just about listenable. Track 5: Another track that takes an age to get going, and is utter tosh to boot! Track 6: Fuck me, this bloke doing the vocals is off his fucking nut. It also sounds like, somewhere in the backing vocals, the chicken from Track 3 has managed to get back into the studio. Track 7: It's gone tits up again. Really fucking bad track. Skipping to the next one. Track 8: I had to keep checking I hadn't clicked mute. Fuck all happens for the first minute, then it sounds like an orchestra in the theatre warming up, badly! Track 9: They're not even trying now. I can't believe people bought this album. The best piece of music in this track was the smashing of glass near the beginning. Track 10: Dismal. I made it all the way through, which by my own self-imposed rules means 2 stars. I skipped quite a few tracks though, and a lot of the time I continued to listen beyond my usual switching-off point, in a perverse "how bad can this get" way, so it's 1 star only.

Rid Of Me by PJ Harvey
May 16 2025

Fuck me, this is worse than the other PJ Harvey album I already reviewed. that got 1 star and I only made it through 4 tracks. I couldn't even get to track 4 on this one though! I am honestly scratching my head how anyone can think this is quality.

May 19 2025

This was probably the first Queen album that highlighted their uniqueness, and laid the foundations for what was to come. It's a bit of a travesty that many of the great songs on this album are not as well known as some of their later tracks. I guess that highlights just how much quality output they produced.

Arise by Sepultura
May 20 2025

Fucking awful. I wouldn't listen to this again unless paid a very large sum of money!!!!

May 21 2025

This is not a band I've really invested any time into before, so much so that I wouldn't have been able to name a single song of theirs, or name a member of the band. Track 1 (Take A Bow) was decent. Track 2 (Starlight) I'd heard before, but wouldn't have known it was one of their songs. I like it though. Track 3 (Supermassive Black Hole) is an absolute banger, don't think I'd ever heard it previously. Fuck me, this album is starting to excite me. Track 4 (Map Of The Problematique) is decent, certainly listenable, a bit of a comedown from the previous track but still ok. Track 5 (Soldier's Poem) reminds me of Queen, completely different sound from the previous tracks but really enjoyable and it somehow fits. Track 6 (Invincible) was another "decent" track. Track 7 (Assassin) was my least liked track so far, but still ok. Track 8 (Exo-Politics) is back on target, another good track. Track 9 (City Of Delusion) pretty good. Track 10 (Hoodoo) listenable, not the best track though. Track 11 (Knights Of Cydonia) talk about save the best 'til last, an absolute belter to round the album off. It was so much better than I was expecting. If I could give 4.5 stars I would. I think it's close to being 5 stars, but I'm going with 4.

Graceland by Paul Simon
May 22 2025

I didn't like this when it came out in the 80's, when I was a teenager, and I still don't like it now. It's listenable at best. The most alarming aspect is it feels like he has just absolutely rinsed a long list of artists and passed it off as his own work. And people go crazy for it, like it helped end apartheid. Fuck off with that shit.

Music Has The Right To Children by Boards of Canada
May 23 2025

It's got that 90's sound and feel. It's not an artist and, by extension, album I've ever heard of before. It was ok in the main, nothing special. In fact, I can think of plenty of albums of this ilk that were released within +/- 3 years of this one that are better. The standout track is (6) Sixtyten.

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins
May 26 2025

This is the second album by The Smashing Pumpkins that I've been served on this site. I was pleasantly surprised by the first one (Siamese Dream) and gave it 4 stars. This album is more of the same. The vocals sound a lot like Mick Jagger, almost to the point where it felt like it was an intentional ploy. Musically it was really good, lots of different sounds and genres. It did feel like it was probably 30 minutes too long and a few of the weaker tracks could have been binned.

LP1 by FKA twigs
May 27 2025

First track has got me questioning whether I will make it all the way through. Second track, 3o seconds in, and this needs to get good pretty quick or I'm turning off and giving it a 1 star. Ok, it's picked up a bit.... oh fuck, it's gone weird again. Track 3 is just as fucking bonkers. I'm really not enjoying this. She's comign across a pretentious cunt trying to be all "edgy" and "unconventional". Fuck this, I'm out. 1 star.

Real Life by Magazine
May 28 2025

I couldn't do it, I really tried, but it's utter garbage. I made it to about 30 seconds of track 4 before pulling the plug.

All Hope Is Gone by Slipknot
May 29 2025

At points this sounds like two completely different bands. Overall it was better than I was expecting. There were a few tracks that were pretty awful, but a few that were surprisingly good. I'm going to give it 3 stars, which seems pretty fair.

In Our Heads by Hot Chip
May 30 2025

It's not offensive, or grinding, or jarring, or even bad in anyway. It's just nothingness really. It's like a bland Erasure - and I actually quite like Erasure in small doses. I could imagine this is on a semi-permanent rotation in some hipster coffee-shop in Hoxton or the like. I made it all the way through so it is 2 stars.

Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel
Jun 02 2025

I can remember my elder brother playing this constantly during the early 1980's. I thought it was ok, a couple of catchy tunes, but not really my thing. I have to say though, that this recent re-listen has revealed what a fantastic album this really is. Obviously, every track on there I've heard before - albeit ~40 years ago. I like to give credit where it's due, and you can really appreciate why this album is so highly revered by so many people. One of the easiest 5 stars I've given.

The Beach Boys Today! by The Beach Boys
Jun 03 2025

I was expecting to be blown away. I was bored mostly. A couple of decent tracks. The rest was just tripe. I did listen to the whole album so it's minimum 2 stars. On the basis of a couple of strong tracks I'll give it 3 stars.

Jun 04 2025

I found this to veer between very good, a bit weird, very weird, bad, average and pretty much every point in between. Some fantastic tracks. The original of 'Brimful Of Asha' was good, but the Fat Boy Slim remix elevated it to a whole different level. I wouldn't actively seek this album out again, which I think means it's either 2 or 3 stars. I'll give it 3 as the good outweighed the weird/bad.

Aqualung by Jethro Tull
Jun 05 2025

Fuck me, this is a really good album. I had no idea what to expect. I generally find prog rock to be completely up it's own arse. However, this album is not like that at all. At it's heart it really is rock, the guitars and drums are superb, the bass-playing is excellent. There's a lot more though, there's definitely some jazz influences in there, some folk and soul/funk too. I only listened to the 11 original tracks on the vinyl LP, and I have to say there was not one weak track among them. An easy 5 stars!

The Sensual World by Kate Bush
Jun 06 2025

One word - aimless. Another word - bland. I wasn't expecting much and, in an an attempt to be fair and not go in with pre-conceived opinions, I decided I would listen to at least half of the album before making any decisions. Pretty soon I found myself counting down the tracks until I reached #6. Then I turned it off. This isn't for me at all. In fairness I could have listened to the whole album so it probably deserves a pair of stars.

Songs Of Leonard Cohen by Leonard Cohen
Jun 09 2025

First impressions - I'm 5 tracks in and this needs to get better, quickly. Every single track is identical - that's not always a bad thing, but it is when it's just someone rambling monotonously. I can feel my mood getting darker and darker. Update - I made it all the way through. I'm not sure it actually got any better in the second half, but by then I'd kind of given up on it and was engrossed in other activities so it was really just on in the background. In summary, it was boring as fuck and far removed from what I would consider good.

Bongo Rock by Incredible Bongo Band
Jun 10 2025

I've spent a lot of time looking into the roots of hip-hop and rap. I found out about this album back in the mid 1990's and was able to buy a copy several years later (an original too, I don;t think it had been been re-released/re-pressed by then). As much as Apache is the most well-known track on the album, all of the tracks are really solid. It just reeks of the 1970's.

Locust Abortion Technician by Butthole Surfers
Jun 11 2025

I wanted to like it, I had a feeling it was going to be an unexpected gem. Wrong. Utter dogshit. Made it halfway through Track 5 (Hay) and had to turn it off. It's just noise. No real music coming through.

Jun 12 2025

I bought it on release and have listened to it hundreds of times since then. An album I know very well. I absolutely love every single track. It's the sort of album that sounds better with every listen, and it definitely sounds better if you listen to the full album in order.

Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys
Jun 13 2025

Same as the other Beach Boys albums really, nothing offensive in there, but boring as fuck. I made it all the way through, so 2 stars.

Modern Kosmology by Jane Weaver
Jun 16 2025

This is not the sort of music I would usually seek out. The first track was annoying almost immediately, but this site has taught me to not judge a book by it's cover (or, more accurately, judge an album by it's first track). It was listenable on the whole, but just sterile and moody. I went to 6th form in the 1980's and this is the sort of music lots of girls were listening to and/or making in their bedrooms. They all thought they were deep and meaningful, and no doubt felt they were a bit better than the rest of us, but ultimately they were just up their own arse.

Elvis Is Back by Elvis Presley
Jun 17 2025

I can't lie, I was a bit disappointed by this album. There were no real standout tracks, nothing that remotely sounded like a classic Elvis track (in my opinion). I made it all the way through and 2 stars feels about right.

American Idiot by Green Day
Jun 18 2025

This album was played everywhere when it first came out. It was also the first album that my eldest child ever really got into, and we had to play it constantly in the car on journeys. It still sounds great today. There are some albums that define an era, and this is one of them. I'm more into jazz, funk, soul etc, but this is one of my favourite albums. An easy 5 stars for me.

Juju by Siouxsie And The Banshees
Jun 19 2025

This is so far removed from what I would choose to listen to, so much that I have actively avoided Siouxsie & The Banshees material as much as possible. Anyway, this site has taught me to forget my preconceptions and judge music on it's merits, and this was actually better than I was expecting. There were tracks that I found quite jarring/grating but as many tracks (especially the opener) were actually quite good. I think 3 stars is about right for me.

Life's Too Good by The Sugarcubes
Jun 20 2025

This is the group that Bjork was in, that's all I knew before listening. Of itself that is not a good start as I can't stand her. Putting aside the music, she is so far up her own arse she forms a human moebius-strip! Her music always annoyed the fuck out of me too, but maybe this album will be different as it's not just her.... Nope, fucking awful, made it to track 3, had to turn it off. Utter horse-shit.

Guitar Town by Steve Earle
Jun 23 2025

I'm partial to a bit of country music. I do find myself smiling at the common themes sometimes, my wife and I often make up fake lyrics when country music comes on the radio e.g. my girl left me, but I still got my dog and truck, pour me another whisky etc. Ok, it doesn't sound funny, I get it. Anyway, this is a really nice album, eminently listenable.

The Rise & Fall by Madness
Jun 24 2025

Another album that was released during my formative years, and another album that contains several tracks I'm well-familiar with. As a complete album though it was not as good as I was hoping for. There seemed to be multiple tracks that just never really got going.

Foo Fighters by Foo Fighters
Jun 25 2025

A really good album that I already own, so didn't really need to listen to. There are better FF albums, in my opinion, but that shouldn't take away from what a strong debut this was.

Tellin’ Stories by The Charlatans
Jun 26 2025

It was alright. Couple of very nice tracks, some other decent tracks. I wouldn't seek it out again, I wouldn't turn it off if it came one again.

Electric by The Cult
Jun 27 2025

This was a pretty good album. I had a vague recollection from youth that The Cult were not for me, but if the rest of their discography is like this album then I was completely wrong. I could hear the comparisons with AC/DC that others had already made.

Talking Heads 77 by Talking Heads
Jun 30 2025

Another album that surprised me. I was half-expecting to not like it, but the first track settled my nerves, it was good. After that it was close to 50/50 with some more decent tracks and a few weaker ones.

Darklands by The Jesus And Mary Chain
Jul 01 2025

I was expecting something I wouldn't like but, while it's not the sort of music that I gravitate towards, it wasn't without merit. As with a lot of albums of genres that I don't usually listen to, there were no standout tracks that made me sit up etc. It was all just a bit monotonous.

New Wave by The Auteurs
Jul 02 2025

It really reminded me of a different artist, but I can't put a name to it. The problems of old-age, eh? Anyway, this was another nice album. Full of nice melodies and lyrics. It just never really got my attention fully though. There was no track(s) that stood out. It was all a bit monotonous and samey.

Cut by The Slits
Jul 03 2025

The vocals ruin it. It's like listening to Bjork murder a decent song. The instrumentation and production is actually ok. I quit elike the dub/reggae understones. Just too weird for me vocally.

Crime Of The Century by Supertramp
Jul 04 2025

I've never had the pleasure of listening to a complete Supertramp album before, but as someone that grew up through the 70's and 80's I've obviously heard many of their more well known tracks. This album was excellent. I enjoyed every single track and had to listen again straight afterwards, as it was that good.

The New Tango by Astor Piazzolla
Jul 07 2025

I was quite excited to listen to this. I wasn't aware of the artist, per se, but a quick read of the wikipedia page and it seemed to be the sort of album I would enjoy. Whilst it wasn't in any way bad, it wasn't as good as I hoped. A few of the longer tracks just seemed to lose energy. Not one track really stood out.

Jul 08 2025

Dull as fuck, and not very good musically on more than one occasion. I came very close to turning it off before the end, which would get an automatic 1 star. I did persevere though, but didn't really get much reward for that. For the 1 or 2 brief moments I enjoyed I'll give it 2 stars!

The Stranger by Billy Joel
Jul 09 2025

Billy Joel was one of my mum's favourite artists. As a kid in the 70's I was constantly listening to his songs - and all I can say is "thanks Mum". This is one of his best albums, not one weak track on it. He released a lot of great music, even into the 80's. Listening to this evoked such strong memories. An easy 5 stars!!!!!

Swordfishtrombones by Tom Waits
Jul 10 2025

I couldn't get into this at all. I've listened to previous albums of his via this site and been pleasantly surprised. Not this time though. I made it all the way through. It's 2 stars for me.

Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis
Jul 11 2025

One of his best releases, if not the best. The ensemble is great, every member a master in his own right. It doesn't get much better than this.

Shalimar by Rahul Dev Burman
Jul 14 2025

It wasn't unlistenable. It had a few brief moments where it started to get interesting, then just went back to being very boring and monotonous.

Lady In Satin by Billie Holiday
Jul 15 2025

It was nice, but not as good as I had hoped. Her vocals were beginning to show the ravages of time and substance abuse. The orchestra / band was good, but I feel that any number of bands could have sounded at least this good if not better. If you are new to Billie Holiday there are way better examples than this album.

Pump by Aerosmith
Jul 16 2025

Not as good as the other Aerosmith album (Rocks) that I've already been served up. It sounded a little bit too polished for me. Not at all 'bad' though, so 3 stars feels about right.

Green River by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Jul 17 2025

I loved this album. Short and sweet. Every track is an adventure. I've always been a big fan of CCR so it was no surprise to me.

Scream, Dracula, Scream by Rocket From The Crypt
Jul 18 2025

First track was awful, I almost turned it off. It did get better, it was mostly listenable. It was also quite jarring in places, which I'm confident is intentional. I did make it all the way through, but without any real highlights and no desire to hear it again it's only 2 stars from me.

Sheet Music by 10cc
Jul 21 2025

Where did the time go? By that I mean, I started listening to the album and it felt like 2 minutes later it was finished. It was great from beginning to end. Side 2 was superb, ending on a high with 'Oh Effendi'.

Fever To Tell by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Jul 22 2025

Complete shite! I couldn't make it to the end of track 3. I only persevered with tracks 1 & 2 in case it was a "starts badly but gets better" album. It may well be, but I'll never know.

This Year's Model by Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Jul 23 2025

Another good album. Better than his offering that I've already listened to via this site. 'Pump It Up' is a classic, and there were a couple of other tracks that were good.

Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath
Jul 24 2025

Along the same lines as my comments for the other Black Sabbath albums I've been served on this site, this was really good. In fairness, I was quite looking forward to this as the previous two albums were so much better than expected. Getting this album the day after Ozzy died is either (1) prophetic, or (2) a result of an algorithm - I'm going with (2).

Jul 25 2025

Quite a wacky album, if you know what I mean. There were plenty of highs and lows. I'm glad I heard it, but I doubt I'd seek it out again.

I Am a Bird Now by Antony and the Johnsons
Jul 28 2025

What the fuck am I listening to? Vocally he/she/it is getting right on my fucking tits. It's just warbling, and not very good warbling. Musically there's nothing offensive, but also nothing outstanding or that marks it as any different from thousands of other artists/albums. Track 4 was my breaking point, I had to turn it off. 1 star only.

Jack Takes the Floor by Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Jul 29 2025

I listened to the whole album. It was ok, nothing bad, but equally nothing especially good. I'm not sure why it was on this list. Maybe it was ground-breaking at the time (which I doubt) or a classic example of this style of music (again, doubtful, this is a very popular style of music and the market is saturated). I'll give it 3 stars as I never considered turning it off before it finished.

Liege And Lief by Fairport Convention
Jul 30 2025

This was actually pretty good. I must admit that I was a bit fearful having to review this album after having quite a heavy set of 'folk' related albums in my recent past, but it was better than expected. The first track was really good. There were a few tracks that were fairly rambling and didn't add much. I loved the female singers voice, fitted the music perfectly.

Giant Steps by The Boo Radleys
Jul 31 2025

I was away for a week and when I returned and saw this album in my backlog I was looking forward to listening to it. However, it failed to live up to expectations. It wasn't bad, it was just boring, run-of-the-mill 90's britpop. I made it all the way through, even though a couple of tracks had me considering whether I should persist, so it's 2 stars from me.

Aug 01 2025

One all-time classic track, a couple of other decent tracks, the rest is mediocre.

Maxinquaye by Tricky
Aug 04 2025

This style of music was prevalent in the 1990's. It's not an album I've ever heard before, and I enjoyed it. It did start to feel a bit monotonous towards the end.

Gasoline Alley by Rod Stewart
Aug 05 2025

It really sounds like a Faces album, which is to be expected with so many similarities and common factors. I liked the album, but then again I love the Faces. There was no killer track on here though, but no weak tracks either. I wasn't sure what to make of the cover of 'It's All Over Now' - I'm probably in a minority but I haven't heard anything better than the Valentino's original version!

Melody A.M. by Röyksopp
Aug 06 2025

Before listening I would say I'd heard of the band but couldn't name one of their tunes. While listening there were 2 or 3 tracks that I recognised and could say I'd heard before. The majority of the album was very good. It would be a great album to have on in the background when having a few drinks on a sun terrace somewhere.

So Much For The City by The Thrills
Aug 07 2025

I'm not really sure what to make of this. It was far from terrible, in fact, a number of tunes were quite catchy. The lead vocalist had a very strange singing style, it sounded like he was trying to mimic a US accent ... poorly. Musically it was decent though. I didn't feel like it was a waste of time listening to it, but I have no desire to hear it again. I never considered turning it off, so it's not a 1 star item, but I'm torn whether it's 2 or 3 stars. I'm going with 2 stars as I feel like being a bit cunty today!

Surf's Up by The Beach Boys
Aug 08 2025

Fuck me, not another Beach Boys album. I'm starting to feel like it's me that's wrong. The previous BB albums I've reviewed were largely shite, occasionally dipping into bearable. This particular album was more bearable than shite, but it's still a long way from something I would willingly seek out and listen to.

The Grand Tour by George Jones
Aug 11 2025

Super smooth voice, music is ok (but not exactly my kid of thing). I don't have the ability to discern how good this is in terms of the C&W legion, but on a pure 'musical' level it is neither amazing or shote (to me, at least). This screams 3 stars, so that's what I'm going to give it.

For Your Pleasure by Roxy Music
Aug 12 2025

I've never really had much affection for Roxy Music, and this site has taught me that this stems from Brian Eno. Every album I've listened to that he's had involvement in has been fucking abysmal (at worst) and just about listenable (at best). This album falls into the latter camp.

Aug 13 2025

Jesus Fucking Christ. It's Eno again. This is going to be painful. If this is better than 1 star I'll be amazed! Had to skip track 1 after about 30 seconds, it was a new low - even for fucking Eno. Track 2 was no better. Randomly selected snippets from the next few tracks were equally as bad. I can't listen to any more of this so it's 1 star. It's now getting close to the point where I may not even give a chance to any album with an Eno involvement!

Wild Wood by Paul Weller
Aug 14 2025

It's a weird one. I've never bought a Paul Weller album, or ever downloaded anything of his. When any of his tracks come on I usually quite enjoy them, but I've never had the desire to seek out any more of his music. This was a really good album, some really good tracks. It did feel a bit drawn out and repetitive. I would happily listen again, but I'm still (oddly) not being driven to listen to anymore of music.

Dr. Octagonecologyst by Dr. Octagon
Aug 15 2025

On the face of it this should be something I'd enjoy. There were some bright moments, but in general I was left quite disappointed. It was still listenable but just not good as I'd hoped (or even expected).

Make Yourself by Incubus
Aug 18 2025

Like an aldi version of RHCP. I couldn't get into it at all. I didn't turn it off though, so it's a 2 star effort for me.

Music by Madonna
Aug 19 2025

As far as Madonna goes this album is about as good as it gets. However, that's a bit like celebrating the tallest midget as, by and large, the rest of her music bores me to tears. The opening track is solid, there's a couple of other decent tracks, the cover of 'American Pie' is awful. I made it all the way through, so it's 2 stars from me.

Truth by Jeff Beck
Aug 20 2025

Considering this was a debut album for most of the artists involved it was a really nice album. Rod Stewart's vice was very flaky on the first track, but sounded great after that. There were quite varied styles on the album, but it flowed quite well regardless. I'm going with 3 stars.

What's That Noise? by Coldcut
Aug 21 2025

If you are my age and were into dance music in the UK then listening to this album is like boarding a time machine. It really was a revolutionary album, it was the first UK production that you felt had significant impact. It wasn't copying US urban culture, it was UK born-and-bred. I had this on cassette back in the day, but that sadly got lost over the years as I moved home several times. I think I'll source myself a new copy, hopefully on vinyl. An easy 5 stars for me.

Aug 22 2025

This was unusual. I had no idea what to expect, but I certainly didn't expect this. There was nothing on the album that was difficult to listen to, or had me reaching for the stop button. There was also nothing on there that was exciting. It was just bland, boring, uninspiring etc. I'd imagine there are 1000's of albums very similar to this. Maybe this is the pinnacle of middle-of-the-road pop to a lot of people???? If it is then I am not one of those.

Can't Buy A Thrill by Steely Dan
Aug 25 2025

Like them or loathe them, since their first release Steely Dan has continually delivered catchy songs. There are lots of different influences that they seem to meld together so easily. There are a handful of Steely Dan tracks that I could listen to on repeat without ever getting bored. However, they also have a lot of tracks that I would happily press skip on. This is a really good album with 3 absolutely sensational tracks, a couple of further good tracks, and some 'skippers'. That makes this a 4 star album for me. Someone else's review of this album was just the word "Dan" repeated multiple times, made me laugh out loud when I saw that. Have you never had a cup of beans? You're in for a treat.

Songs Of Love And Hate by Leonard Cohen
Aug 26 2025

It's not for me at all. Boring, monotone, repetitive. I find it quite pretentious really. I read lots of comments that say the lyrics are amazing, but they're just waffle and crap really. Half the time it doesn't even make sense.

Let Love Rule by Lenny Kravitz
Aug 27 2025

It's an album of his that I've listened to before. It was ok, not as good as his later releases. One or two standout tracks, but a few that were completely forgettable. I think 3 stars is about right.

Inspiration Information by Shuggie Otis
Aug 28 2025

I really enjoyed this album. It had a really laid-back vibe. Sparkle City and Aht Uh Mi Hed were the standout tracks. The rest were all pretty decent too.

At Budokan by Cheap Trick
Aug 29 2025

I don't think this album or artist has quite the same 'value' in the UK as in the US. I'm not very familiar with the for sure. It was an ok album, I made it all the way through, but not one track stood out and I have no desire to listen again. I must admit that, in general, I'm not a fan of the live album sound.

This was the 4th or 5th Dylan album I've been served up. It was easily the best of the lot. The second part, with the band, was so much better than anything else of his I've had to listen to. I'm still a long way from being a Dylan worshipper, but I was expecting to hate his music and I've not had that feeling at all.

Sep 02 2025

I didn't need to listen to this as it's an album I own and have already listened to hundreds of times. It was one of a handful of albums that were the soundtrack of my years as I moved into adulthood. Quite simply, I can't find a single fault with it. The word is often overused but this album was groundbreaking. No other artist was making music like this. It inspired countless imitators but none of them came close to this. An easy 5 stars, yeah boiiiiiii!!!!

Triangle by The Beau Brummels
Sep 03 2025

I could copy/paste my comments from any number of 60's/70's folk/rock albums that I'd never heard of previously. In summary, nothing terrible here, but nothing amazing either. Next!

Porcupine by Echo And The Bunnymen
Sep 04 2025

One big steaming pile of shit! I made it to the start of side 2, and I had to force myself to wait that long, before I couldn't take it anymore. Every track was just monotonous and tuneless to me.

Heartattack And Vine by Tom Waits
Sep 05 2025

I liked some of it, the parts that had a really nice blues feel. There were definitely a few weaker tracks though. This is the 3rd or 4th of his albums that I've heard via this site, and I have been pleasantly surprised how much I've enjoyed them on the whole.

A Northern Soul by The Verve
Sep 08 2025

I'm of an age / era where it was obligatory to own 'Urban Hymns', which is a great album. This album sounds very similar, but I didn't warm to it at all. It was ok, but there were no standout tracks.

Quiet Life by Japan
Sep 09 2025

Another album that's from my youth, although I don't really recall it. It wasn't terrible, I made it all the way through, but it never grabbed my attention. It's another 3 star effort for me.

Rattlesnakes by Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
Sep 10 2025

Another album that was released in my youth, and another album that I didn't have any awareness of until now. Of course, I'd heard of Lloyd Cole & The Commotions but I couldn't name one of the band (other than Lloyd Cole himself) or one of their track or album names. It was listenable, I was reminded of The Smiths musically (but not as good).

Call of the Valley by Shivkumar Sharma
Sep 11 2025

It was ok. I imagine it was new to the western world upon release, back in the 1960's, but in the current age of globalism it just sounds ordinary.

A Wizard, A True Star by Todd Rundgren
Sep 12 2025

Nope, couldn't make it all the way through. This album is absolutely batshit-mental. It's a long way from the other Todd Rundgren album I'd already listened to on this site. Turns out he was off his tits when he made this album, which goes some way to explaining the resulting output. It's only 1 star from me for the music, but my hats off to him for, essentially, getting paid to take drugs :-)

Sep 15 2025

This was an album that passed me by back in the 90's. I'd heard the tracks that were released as singles, but never the whole album. In general it was pretty good, but it's another one that never fully grabbed my attention. If an album is on this list then I think it should be at least one of either (1) fucking amazing, (2) fucking awful, or (3) groundbreaking. This feels like none of those. Perhaps I've become a bit stale, now that I'm half-way through the 1001 albums, as I seem to be awarding 3 stars quite often now.

Sep 16 2025

This is another one of the albums that takes me back in time. I was born at the beginning of the 70's and, although I don't own this album, I've probably heard every track on it at some stage. It contains multiple classic tracks, no weak tracks at all. This really was Elton John's zenith, or if not, it was during his peak years.

Low-Life by New Order
Sep 17 2025

The opening track was pretty good, but I guess there's a reason they placed it first on the album as it went downhill right after that. It's not my preferred style of music, not even close. I was able to make it all the way through though. I think 2 stars is about right.

Shaft by Isaac Hayes
Sep 18 2025

There isn't much to say about this album that hasn't already been said. It was the first of it's kind in many different ways. From beginning to end it is an absolute masterpiece (yes, I already have a copy of it and listen to it regularly).

Armed Forces by Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Sep 19 2025

A decent album, a couple of well-known tracks that are good, but also plenty of filler.

All Mod Cons by The Jam
Sep 22 2025

Another album that was neither shite or amazing. Maybe I've become a bit jaded after reaching the half-way point of the 1001 albums.

Bright Flight by Silver Jews
Sep 23 2025

Managed to get to track 5, the imaginatively named 'Horseleg Swastikas', before giving up. Instrumentation -wise it was ok, fairly basic, nothing amazing. Vocally it was awful, to the point that I thought he was signing out-of-tune intentionally.

The ArchAndroid by Janelle Monáe
Sep 24 2025

Not for me Clive. I persevered until track 10, but should have gone with my initial instincts and stopped about Track 4.

Moss Side Story by Barry Adamson
Sep 25 2025

A very strange album. Parts of it were enjoyable. It started to sound like a soundtrack to 'A Touch Of Frost' after a while. I made it all the way through though, so it's 2 stars.

Kimono My House by Sparks
Sep 26 2025

Equally strange and good. I wasn't expecting much as I read the wikipedia page before I got started, but it was very enjoyable. A couple of weaker tracks, but on the whole it was very good. It didn't sound like it was 50 years old. I really enjoy it when my expectations are exceeded, but it seems to have less frequently now.

Apocalypse Dudes by Turbonegro
Sep 29 2025

The opening 30 seconds of track 1 had me excited, it was as good an opening as I'd heard. And then, it just flopped. It was still a nice album, some pretty good tracks, but also plenty of filler.

Manassas by Stephen Stills
Sep 30 2025

An absolutely superb album. I think every track was really good, and several were outstanding. I listened to it again, immediately afterwards, and it sounded even better.

Faith by George Michael
Oct 01 2025

If you're my age, and British, and had a pretty normal journey through the 1980's then you could pretty much sing every track on this album. Easily one of the best albums of the 1980's, and probably of the last 50 years.

Oct 02 2025

Very easy listening. A couple of tracks sounded familiar, but only vaguely. I'd have no concerns if someone put this album on in my presence, but I wouldn't ever think to seek it out for a re-listen. That's a standard 3 star rating for me.

Five Leaves Left by Nick Drake
Oct 03 2025

I'd never heard of this artist, so had no preconceptions. It was a really nice album. Very mellow and easy to listen to. There were no standout tracks, but also no weaker / filler tracks.

The Idiot by Iggy Pop
Oct 06 2025

Absolutely bang average. I was expecting a lot more. If the last track (Mass Production) had come any earlier in the album I would have turned it off and given it 1 star. I'll give it 2 stars though, but that is fucking generous!!!

Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin
Oct 07 2025

This is the fifth album of Led Zeppelin that I've listed to via this site, and it's comfortably the weakest of the lot so far. The other four have received 4 or 5 stars, but this is not at that level. Stairway To Heaven is obviously a classic track, but even that couldn't make up for the rest of the album. It wasn't bad, as in unlistenable, but it never grabbed my attention.

Another album that was part of the soundtrack of my teenage years. Rammed full of classic tracks, I'd be surprised if you could listen to this and not nod or tap along to at least 3 or 4 of the tracks. The odd thing about Terrence Trent Derby is that River Trent doesn;t even run through Derby..... (shamelessly stolen from Harry Hill!). No, the odd thing is that this album was his zenith really, you kind of expected him to become another Michael Jackson or Prince etc, but he just kind of fizzled away.

Movies by Holger Czukay
Oct 09 2025

That was a fucking rollercoaster. Some of it was really good. Some of it was batshit mental. I'm glad I listened to it, but I'll not be unhappy if I don't every hear it again.

Under Construction by Missy Elliott
Oct 10 2025

A couple of tracks didn't sit well with - the Beyonce one for starters, I can't stand her or her shitty music. On the whole though, this was a really good album.

More Specials by The Specials
Oct 13 2025

Sadly, this wasn't as good as I'd hoped, or even expected. It's not even close to their debut album in terms of quality. I did make it all the way through, and there was never any moment I considered turning it off, so I think 3 stars is about right.

Beautiful Freak by Eels
Oct 14 2025

It's band I wasn't really aware of before listening. It's not the kind of music I tend to gravitate towards, but it was very enjoyable. It was a lot more melodic than I was expecting. It didn't really feel like rock, more like moody pop. A very nice surprise.

Kollaps by Einstürzende Neubauten
Oct 15 2025

Nope. Awful. Made it through 2 minutes of the first track, skipped to track 2, listened to about 1 more minute. That ain't music. Fucking dire.

Oct 16 2025

I can remember buying this album on release because the guy in the record shop told me it was by the 'talented one' from Beats International. An absolutely amazing album, there were only a few artists creating music like this at this time, and even after 30 years it sounds fantastic.

Vauxhall And I by Morrissey
Oct 17 2025

Listenable, nothing special, the track where someone is talking over it is really annoying.

Ritual De Lo Habitual by Jane's Addiction
Oct 20 2025

I didn't enjoy the first couple of tracks at all, but it then seemed to get better slowly. It peaked with 'Been Caught Stealing', that was a great track, but then spiraled downwards after that. I thought that maybe I'd misjudged the first few tracks and should listen to them again, which I did. No, I was right first time, they were poor. It really isn't something I'd consciously search out to listen to again, nor does it give me a desire to listen to any other material by this band, or it's members. It's 2 stars from me.

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly
Oct 21 2025

Another strange album. The list of albums that make up this fine list are certainly eclectic. The vocalist sounded like Vic Reeves doing the club singer on Shooting Stars. Musically it couldn't have sounded more 60's if it tried. It was ok, I listened to the whole album but never really got into it. I was never in danger of turning it off. I think 2 stars is about right.

Talking Book by Stevie Wonder
Oct 22 2025

As close to perfection as an album can get - and he did this multiple times with different albums around this period!!

Bossanova by Pixies
Oct 23 2025

This is the 3rd album by The Pixies that I've listened to, and it's comfortably the worst - the other two got 2 stars, so that's a low bar to begin with. I couldn't even make it to the end of this one, so it's 1 star only.

Fear Of Music by Talking Heads
Oct 24 2025

Another band that I view as the musical equivalent of 'The Emperor's New Clothes'. There were 2 or 3 tracks that didn't jar with me, the rest was utter shite. I had to turn it off during 'Animals'.

Penthouse And Pavement by Heaven 17
Oct 27 2025

I never liked them growing up in the 80's (apart from Temptation, which is a great track). This album just reinforced my general distaste. Boring, monotonous, inconsequential bollocks. I did make it all the way through, so it's 2 stars!

Time Out by The Dave Brubeck Quartet
Oct 28 2025

This is an album I already own and have listened to more times than I care to remember. I don't think any words I can come up will do it justice, it was groundbreaking upon release and still sounds fresh now.

Arc Of A Diver by Steve Winwood
Oct 29 2025

It was ok, nothing more. There were no standout tracks, and nothing that made me squirm or cringe. I don't know why this is on the list really.

Oct 30 2025

It started out ok, the first few tracks reminded me of Green Day, in a very remote way. It just got worse with each track after that, and I had to turn it off about halfway through.

The Sounds Of India by Ravi Shankar
Oct 31 2025

I quite like Indian music, but I don't the ability to tell the difference between an accomplished musician/artist and a hack. This was ok, I made it all the way through, but it sounded no different from the music played in the Maharani restaurant on a Friday while having a lamb vindaloo.

Tommy by The Who
Nov 03 2025

I've never heard the full album or seen the film before. I was expecting a lot more really, it was ok without being amazing. I can imagine it was groundbreaking at the time, so I'll go with 3 stars rather than 2.

Future Days by Can
Nov 04 2025

I could only listen to the final track on the album (that's all youtube would allow me to hear). It was ok. It went on a bit though, 20 fucking minutes to be precise. Feels weird trying to rate an album on one 20 minute track. I'll give it a 3, can't say fairer than that.

Tom Tom Club by Tom Tom Club
Nov 05 2025

This was a really good album, which surprised me. I was well aware of 'Genius Of Love' - if you are my age it'd be almost impossible not to have heard that track, or any of the multitude of tracks that have sampled it. The rest of the album was very good. No real weak tracks. This is a big shock to me as The Talking Heads albums I've had served up have been very hit and miss (mostly miss).

Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs by Derek & The Dominos
Nov 06 2025

I was expecting it to be 95% garbage and then Layla, that seems to be how a lot of 'highly regarded' albums come across. This was really good though. Plenty of really good tracks, and not really any dross.

Talking Timbuktu by Ali Farka Touré
Nov 07 2025

Bang fucking average. There was nothing offensive or jarring, it was just monotonous wailing and droning.

Either Or by Elliott Smith
Nov 10 2025

Two tracks in and I'm struggling with this one, I don't 'understand' music like this.... this needs to get a lot better. Sadly, it didn't really get any better. I did make it all the way through.

Rain Dogs by Tom Waits
Nov 11 2025

Just about half-way through and not really enjoying it at all. It's not turn it off bad, just more of the same of based on the other 3 or 4 albums of his I've heard via this site. I fail to see why he's so highly regarded. This has got 2 stars written all over! It got marginally better in the second half, but not enough to swing it to 3 stars.

Gold by Ryan Adams
Nov 12 2025

I love albums like this. I really had no idea what to expect, but my over-riding feeling was "I'm not going to like this". That turned out to be an unfounded fear. From beginning to end I was hooked. It was fantastic. There were a couple of tracks where the quality dropped, but only slightly, and it immediately stepped back up.

Ghosteen by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Nov 13 2025

Another album that I just didn't gel with. I turned it off before the end, it was just so dull and monotonous. I found it difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish between the tracks.

Slipknot by Slipknot
Nov 14 2025

Didn't even make it half-way through, had to turn it off. I could feel myself getting more and more angry, the dog wandered in and I almost kicked him for no reason. There's absolutely nothing I like about this album!

Elephant Mountain by The Youngbloods
Nov 17 2025

Another gem buried in a pile of crap. That's not fair to the list of albums, it's not all crap, but there have been a lot of poor albums served to me recently. This album was really refreshing, no highly-produced or over-engineered pretentiousness. Absolutely loved 95% of it, only a couple of weaker tracks.

Nov 18 2025

Didn't listen. Didn't need to. I already own this, and the other early Jamiroquai albums up to A Funk Odyssey, and I listen to them regularly. There's nothing to fault with this album.

Too Rye Ay by Dexys Midnight Runners
Nov 19 2025

I've had a few of these recently. An artist that was mostly prominent during my early years (I was 12 when this was released). I only previously knew Jocky (;-)) Wilson Said and Come On Eileen, the rest were new to me, and they were pretty good. I enjoyed this album.

In A Silent Way by Miles Davis
Nov 20 2025

A while back I was complaining that I'd had too many poor albums in a row. Now I feel like I'm being spoiled. It's probably just two sides of the same coin though. A fantastic album, so easy to listen to, it felt like it was over in 5 minutes though.

Nov 21 2025

It wasn't bad. It wasn't exciting. It sounds very dated, in fairness, it is very old! I know artists have a particular 'sound', but this album was 12 versions of the same song.

Siembra by Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
Nov 24 2025

A decent album. Very mellow and easy to listen to. It was a little repetitive. I'd be happy to listen to it again but I probably wouldn't go out of my way to seek it out.

Walking Wounded by Everything But The Girl
Nov 25 2025

It wasn't really what I was expecting. It had a lot more electronic, house, big-beat sounds when I was expecting instrumentation. Still nice though, very easy listening, nothing that made you wince.

Suicide by Suicide
Nov 26 2025

One track in, and I'm considering turning it off. On to the second track, and it's not got any better. I'll give it 1 more track. Third track, more of the same. Utter shit. The undoubted highlight of this whole experience was the youtube link being for 'Suicide - Suicide' which opened a page saying "You're Not Alone" and providing the number for the Samaritans. Very prescient of youtube, it must have known how people feel after hearing this album!!!

System Of A Down by System Of A Down
Nov 27 2025

It's one big "fuck off" from me. Maybe the timing didn't help, I put this on at about 7am to listen to in the background as I started my work day. I found myself sending emails that were more and more angry and insulting. Thankfully I turned it off before I got sacked.

Bayou Country by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Nov 28 2025

Only 7 tracks, which is relatively sparse, but 4 of them are absolute belters and the other 3 are fairly good too. I've always been a big admirer of CCR after my elder brother introduced me to their music in the 80's. If you can't enjoy this then the problem lies with you, not the artist or the album!!!

At Folsom Prison by Johnny Cash
Dec 01 2025

It was ok, nothing amazing, nothing terrible.

Bug by Dinosaur Jr.
Dec 02 2025

It's not really my style of music. That being said, it started out ok, the first couple of tracks were decent. It then continued to get progressively worse, until by track 9 I couldn't take it any longer and had to turn it off. I was so close to hearing the full album and awarding 2 stars under my own self-imposed grading system - but fuck that, it's 1 star only and that feels about right!

Forever Changes by Love
Dec 03 2025

I listened to the whole thing. It was boring without ever entering the 'I can't listen to this shit' zone.

The Wall by Pink Floyd
Dec 04 2025

This dragged on a bit. There were some good bits though, but it wasn't the masterpiece I was expecting.

Damaged by Black Flag
Dec 05 2025

Another album where I made it all the way through, just, but it was in doubt several times. My personal taste is that music , like any art, should be an enjoyable experience. I don;t subscribe to the bullshit about 'challenging the norm', 'abstract art' and all that sort of nonsense. In a similar vein, I wouldn't go to an art gallery to view something awful, I want to see great art. Anyway, I'll give it 2 stars, and that feels generous.

Destroyer by KISS
Dec 08 2025

Another fairly bland listening experience. It's not without it's own merits, but it just didn't strike me as anything out of the ordinary.

Aha Shake Heartbreak by Kings of Leon
Dec 09 2025

Pretty much without fail, every single track starts and I think "this is pretty good" and then the singer opens his fucking gob and ruins it. I'm trying to imagine a less grating voice singing the lyrics and I can't imagine what that would do the total effect. It has to go down as a 2 star album for me, just because of the vocals. If he was half-decent it would easily be a 3 and maybe even a 4.

The Last Of The True Believers by Nanci Griffith
Dec 10 2025

By no means bad, but nothing outstanding either. I'll admit it's not my usual genre of choice, but I'd wager there are hundreds (it not thousands) of country albums that are on a par with this one.

Fun House by The Stooges
Dec 11 2025

It started out ok, but by track 5 (1970) it was giving me a headache. I persisted through and the next track was better. Then track 7 (L.A Blues) happened and I longed for the time when I was listening to track 5! Quickly turned it off so I could give it the 1 star it deserves from my self-imposed rating standards.

Raising Hell by Run-D.M.C.
Dec 12 2025

I didn't need to listen to this album as I already own it and must have listened to it dozens, if not hundreds, of times. It was one of the first albums that opened me up to hiphop and rap. It's a classic, and it shaped how hiphop/rap evolved.

Beach Samba by Astrud Gilberto
Dec 16 2025

Pleasant, if a little bit dull. The one dud track was the one where a young child did some vocals.

Time (The Revelator) by Gillian Welch
Dec 17 2025

It was an almost perfect 50/50 split between 'this is quite nice' and 'this is quite boring'. It screams of 3 stars to me.

Imagine by John Lennon
Dec 18 2025

It was pretty good. A couple of weaker tracks, but generally the tracks were good with a couple of standouts.

The Rising by Bruce Springsteen
Dec 19 2025

I really enjoyed this album. There were a couple of tracks that sounded pretty weird (almost out of place) in amongst the standard Springsteen fare - but on the whole it was well worth listening to.

The Scream by Siouxsie And The Banshees
Dec 22 2025

I made it all the way through without ever particularly enjoying any of it.That was largely because the album was relatively short and I fell into a rabbit-hole on wikipedia that started off with me reading about this album. It gets 2 stars, and it can count itself fucking fortunate to get that many!

Moondance by Van Morrison
Dec 23 2025

I bought this album about 30 years ago on the strength of one track, specifically 'Into The Mystic' which I thought was one of the most beautiful songs I'd ever heard. I still think that track is beautiful, and it was a pleasant surprise that the rest of the album was absolutely fantastic. There is not one track that I would class as weak. I listen to it regularly, and will never tire of it. An easy 5 stars!

Ready To Die by The Notorious B.I.G.
Dec 24 2025

A near perfect album. Part of the soundtrack to my 20's.

Fromohio by fIREHOSE
Dec 25 2025

I love these types of albums, when you just have no idea what to expect but end up really enjoying it. If someone asked me to put a genre to this album I wouldn't be able to. I could hear punk, funk, rock, blues, folk influences, to name just a few.

Dec 26 2025

I didn't really buy into her back in the late 80's, when a lot of people were wanking themselves silly about her and her cover of Nothing Compares To You (and a lot of that was centred around the video to the track where she cries, like she was some superhuman who was actually crying and normal people can't cry on cue). Anyway, this album was mediocre at best. I wouldn't care to listen to it again. I did make it all the way through though, and there was never a cause to turn it off.

En-Tact by The Shamen
Dec 29 2025

Another artist I never really listened to in my youth, I think the few tracks of theirs I knew had the effect of putting me off listening to more. For once this approach paid off. I couldn't make it all the way through this album. It just doesn't sound right to me.

This was better than I was expecting. She's got a really nice voice that suits the music perfectly. I wouldn't have chosen to listen to this, and even though it was nice I wouldn't seek it out again. It's got all the hallmarks of a solid 3 stars!

The Real Thing by Faith No More
Dec 31 2025

Another enjoyable experience when I really didn't know what to expect. I'd heard the bands name before but I could not have named one track, album or band member if my life depended on it. The lead vocalist can be a bit whiny at times. It's somewhere between 3 and 4 stars, I'll go with 3.

Sweet Baby James by James Taylor
Jan 01 2026

Another new experience for me, listening to a James Taylor album, and it was pretty good. There were a couple of really good tracks, especially 'Suite for 20 G' which was a great closing track. On the basis that 4 stars, in my own grading system, means I would seek the album out again then I will have to award 3 stars this time.

The Visitors by ABBA
Jan 02 2026

I like a bit of Abba, they have a huge catalogue of great songs. Unfortunately this album only contains one of them (One Of Us) and one other good track (Head Over Heels), the rest of the album is instantly forgettable. I don;t feel like one track can elevate an album significantly, so it's only 2 stars for me.

GI by Germs
Jan 05 2026

That was awful. It's just noise, and not even close to being listenable let alone pleasant. Even though some of the tracks barely lasted a minute, it often felt like hours when listening. I couldn't make it all the way through, so it's 1 star only.

Van Halen by Van Halen
Jan 06 2026

I was a little bit disappointed really. There were no standout tracks, and it started to feel very repetitive after a few tracks. As a Brit I can say that Van Halen probably never reached the heights over here that they attained in the US, and this album goes a way to explaining why that is/was (imo). I did make it all the way through without feeling the need to kill myself, but it's not close to 3 stars for me.

Rattus Norvegicus by The Stranglers
Jan 07 2026

There was not a single track on this album that I actually enjoyed. It never got bad enough that I had to turn it off either. This is a prime example of a 2 star album using my own crude rating method.

Immigrés by Youssou N'Dour
Jan 08 2026

I made it all the way through. I can't comment on the lyrics, I haven't got a clue what he's trying to say! I didn't really enjoy the timbre and tone of his vocals either, I've heard better singers doing karaoke at the Fox & Goose on a Friday night. Musically I also find it quite jarring. All in all, not the best album I've heard ;-)

Jan 09 2026

I enjoyed it. There were a couple of really good tracks, and plenty of better-than-average ones too. It's probably somewhere between 3 and 4 stars, I'll give it 4.

Stardust by Willie Nelson
Jan 12 2026

That's a bit of a weird one for me. Quite a few of the tracks on this album are favourites of mine, but they were all recorded by someone else. The other versions seem far superior to the versions on this album, but I do appreciate that opinion may mostly be borne out of familiarity. That being said, I'm not a fan of his vocals at all. A 3 feels about right, it's nowhere near a 4 for me and a 2 is probably slightly too low.

Welcome To The Pleasuredome by Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Jan 13 2026

I had just started my teenage years when this album was released. I well remember the how the elder generations and the establishment believed this was the beginning of the end of days. To the youth it was rebellious and new. In the intervening 40+ years the 3 standout tracks are still played on the radio (well, on the nostalgic channels that I listen to) but the rest is broadly instantly forgettable. I think that Relax and Two Tribes were groundbreaking at the time, for many reasons, and like a lot of groundbreaking tracks they stand the test of time.

Jan 14 2026

The first track was good, so much so that I was expecting to really enjoy the album. It fell flat after that though, nothing unlistenable, but very morose and repetitive aside from 1 or 2 tracks. One good track does not make an album good, in my ratings at least.

Junkyard by The Birthday Party
Jan 15 2026

Three fucking awful tracks in a row to start with left me with no option but to skip to each remaining track in turn and listen to the opening few seconds. They were all, consistently and equally, as fucking awful as the first 3 tracks. I quickly turned it off at that point.

Crocodiles by Echo And The Bunnymen
Jan 16 2026

It's a good job I was preoccupied when listening to this, there were several moments when I considered turning it off. However, I did get all the way through. Musically it sounded incomplete, like a band playing songs for only the 2nd, 3rd or 4th time and not really gelling. Maybe that's the sound the band is aiming for, but it does nothing for me.

Jan 19 2026

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! Absolutely, fucking abysmal. It feels like the artist has intentionally tried to make abrasive music. I struggle to believe people can actually enjoy this.

Elastica by Elastica
Jan 20 2026

Aside from the 2 more well-known tracks I was disappointed. The remaining tracks were just filler, no real substance. I never took much notice of Elastica in my 20's, other than stroking a few out to the lead singer, when they first arrived on the scene. Maybe I should myself credit for my musical taste in my 20's.

Ananda Shankar by Ananda Shankar
Jan 21 2026

A very interesting album. The interweaving of several vastly different genres was not at all jarring, which surprised me. The versions of Jumpin' Jack Flash and Light My Fire were really good interpretations. The rest of the album was also heavily influenced by western musical themes, you could hear it coming through. That being said, I wouldn't seek it out for a second listening. I do feel it was worth listening to though. I think 3 stars feels about right.

25 by Adele
Jan 22 2026

Her voice is horrendous, it just cuts through me like a carving knife. She's permanently wailing. I can't stand it. It doesn't help that she's a bit of a cunt too, very full of herself, and comes across poorly. The actual instrumentation and songs aren't terrible, it just her nasally, whiny timbre that ruins it. She can stay in the US for all I care. I did make it all the way through so it's 2 stars.

The Renaissance by Q-Tip
Jan 23 2026

The first 3 ATCQ albums are some of my absolute favourites, I listen to them regularly. I don't know why but I didn't really follow any of the collective did outside of quest. In respect of Q-Tip I was aware of Breathe & Stop, but that's about it. This was a really strong album, you could heard the quest influences, but it was also sufficiently different that I didn't think it was an extension of their style. Any way, I enjoyed, plenty of good tracks, nothing that jarred with me. I will be listening again. It wasn't 5 stars level, but still very good.

The White Album by Beatles
Jan 26 2026

Some good, some very good, some bad and then 'Revolution 9', which was fucking awful. It did seem to go on a bit too long. It was a good album, but nothing more.

McCartney by Paul McCartney
Jan 27 2026

Another album, similar to a number I've had recently, where there's a small number of very good tracks, and then the remainder is either average or dog-shit. There was nothing on here that was terrible, but nothing to write home about either.

Paul's Boutique by Beastie Boys
Jan 28 2026

I do have a copy of this album, but it's fallen off my musical radar and I hadn't heard it for > 25 years (probably longer). It's a symbol of a bygone time, an easier time, where artists absolutely fucking scraped every sample they could from absolute anywhere (before licensing and royalties were considered) and created musical masterpieces. Musically it's incredible, but I always found their rapping to be the one aspect that let it down. It's probably somewhere between 4 and 5 stars, I'll go with 4.

Palo Congo by Sabu
Jan 29 2026

I'm very partial to latin rhythms. This album was more of the same in respect of my recent experiences working through this list. Nothing great, nothing terrible. No need to turn it off before the end, no desire to ever listen to it again. A classic 3 stars really.

Killing Joke by Killing Joke
Jan 30 2026

I read the wikipedia pages for this album and the band, and I was fully expecting to hate it, but I didn't. In fact, I really enjoyed large parts of it. Musically it was so much better than I was expecting. Like a lot of albums of this type the vocals can often be the big letdown, and while they weren't great they were passable.I really like that it didn't feel over-produced. These are the albums I love discovering, and this site has helped me do this with multiple albums. Time to make another donation to the provider. If you are are user of this site and you haven't donated yet then do it, at least once. Alexander, the guy who provides this fantastic site free-of-charge, deserves that as a minimum. Love to all.

I See A Darkness by Bonnie "Prince" Billy
Feb 02 2026

These albums seem to come in waves, long periods of albums that I wouldn't use to steady a wobbling table, followed by some absolute gems that I can either be familiar with or hearing for the first time. This album came to me after I heard Killing Joke / Killing Joke for the first time, and my pre-listening thoughts for both albums were identical - specifically, I had no positive expectations and had my finger hovering over the end/stop/close button as the albums began. They both turned out to be really good. Neither was 5 stars good, but both were solid 4 stars!

Songs For Swingin' Lovers! by Frank Sinatra
Feb 03 2026

A fantastic album. I've got several Sinatra albums in my collection, but not this one. I'm familiar with almost all of the tracks, and several of them appear on other Sinatra albums I do own. It's an album you could listen to on repeat and not realise you're on the 4th our 5th rotation.

Devotional Songs by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Feb 04 2026

And so we swing back to the dregs after a few good albums. It's almost certainly, in a large part, due to my lack of familiarity with this music and artist, but this album does nothing for me. I struggle to spot the gaps between any of the tracks, there is nothing different in any of the tracks, it just sounds like 45 minutes of some guy wailing over random Indian/Pakistani music - and occasionally being in tune and in time with the rhythm. The most amazing thing was discovering that Rolling Stone ranked this guy in their '200 Greatest Singers of All Time' list. Although I didn't technically listen to the whole album I am going to give it 2 stars, as I feel I could have made it all the way through.

Broken English by Marianne Faithfull
Feb 05 2026

This was a cracking album. Short but very sweet. I was amazed it was nearly 50 years old, it sounded very contemporary to me. To be fair it had Steve Winwood doing a lot of work, and he is one of the best in my book. I kept thinking it sounded like a lot of the later work by Blondie.

Close To You by Carpenters
Feb 06 2026

Another album that I enjoyed a lot. She really did have one of the most beautiful singing voices, and it paired with their style of music beautifully. I was particularly surprised by how much I enjoyed the lesser-known tracks on this album.

Power In Numbers by Jurassic 5
Feb 09 2026

A fantastic album, one of several by Jurassic 5. This is easily my favourite of their albums. The 2 DJ's were at the most creative and the tracks are a perfect mix of music and vocals. The diverse rapping tones of the MC's actually weave together beautifully. A favourite album of mine for many years, I've no doubt I will be listening to it until my dying day!

Spiderland by Slint
Feb 10 2026

I was thankful the album only contained 6 tracks, it made skipping through tracks 2 and 6 to listen to brief snippets much easier after drawing the conclusion it was utter shite from track 1.

Actually by Pet Shop Boys
Feb 11 2026

A couple of cracking tracks, plenty of filler, and a spattering of dog-shite. It's somewhere between 2 and 3 stars. Tune in tomorrow to see which way I go....

Midnight Ride by Paul Revere & The Raiders
Feb 12 2026

This was quite enjoyable really, as I wasn't expecting to like it all. There was definitely more than a whiff of the late 60's US sound going on, thta made it pretty indistinct from what the Beach Boys and the Monkees were turning out.

Cross by Justice
Feb 13 2026

Genesis has been on my playlist for a long time, it's an absolute banger. If it comes on when I'm driving then speed limits suddenly don't seem to mean much. I didn't ever bother to search out any other Justice tracks though. Which is a shame as this is a really strong album.

Feb 16 2026

It was ok. Not the masterpiece I was expecting though. Some good tracks, but plenty of filler.

Fear and Whiskey by Mekons
Feb 17 2026

Track 1 was ok, very listenable, and I thought I might enjoy this album. Then the dross started, which quickly morphed into unlistenable shite, so much so that I had to turn it off during track 5.

Dear Science by TV On The Radio
Feb 18 2026

That was very hit and miss. I'd already heard another one of their albums via this site, but that was over a year ago and so I had no real preconceived ideas. The first track was just boring, so the bar was initially set quite low, then tracks 2 and 3 were really enjoyable, which perked me up a bit. Then it devolved into a sort of crappy Coldplay tribute band. Coldplay are pretty crappy themselves, so a crappy version of them is not an enjoyable experience. Anyway, I did listen to the whole album so it's not a 1 star experience - I can;t bring myself to give 3 stars though, so it's 2 stars - which does feel about right.

Tarkus by Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Feb 19 2026

I'd already had the 'pleasure' of listening to their other album on this list in November 2024. THat was pretty bad, and this was more of the same. There are some enjoyable parts, but in the most part it is the musical equivalent of watching someone have a wank, and (trust me) that is never pleasurable.

Feb 20 2026

I should have probably enjoyed this more than I did seeing as it's right in the target area of music I enjoy, but although it wasn't bad in any way I never really got excited. The well-known tracks are spot on, but the rest of it felt a bit like colour-by-numbers , a sort of rinse-and-repeat exercise.

Feb 23 2026

It started out poorly, but definitely got better as it went on. It felt like it was trying a bit too hard. That's not to dismiss the many messages the artist(s) were trying to get across, but it all felt a bit too contrived. I'm not explaining myself very well. Anyway, it was nice without being exceptional.

Hot Buttered Soul by Isaac Hayes
Feb 24 2026

I have a copy of this album and have listened to it a lot down the years. It was one of the first albums that pulled me into Stax/Volt. It's an absolute classic. It sounds so pure, even now, not over-produced or too many layers. Put this album on, sit down, close your eyes and be at peace with everything - you can't fight it.

Elvis Presley by Elvis Presley
Feb 25 2026

For it's place in the 'history' of popular music you would expect more from this album. Maybe the passing of time has dulled it's impact, and in 1956 it would have hit harder. However, the versions of 'I Got A Woman' and 'Tutti Frutti' don't even come close to the originals. So maybe this album is more a marker of how inherently racist the USA was in the pre 1960's - and it's sad to say that not much has changed in that regard. Musically, it did very little for me, so I think 2 stars is about right.

Medúlla by Björk
Feb 26 2026

Pre-listening thoughts are "fuck me, no, not another or her albums", and that is not a healthy starting point!! I'll bravely plough ahead and try my best to rid myself of any pre-conceived ideas. Track 1 was awful, just white noise, and fucking bad white noise at that. Not relaxing in any way, shape or form. Track 2 was worse, and the accompanying video on youtube was horrendous. I just can't do it. Her music is abysmal. How do people like this?

Teenage Head by Flamin' Groovies
Feb 27 2026

It started out sounding like the Rolling Stones, at some point near the middle it drifted into sounding like an Elvis tribute band, and by the end it was starting to sound like Vic Reeves club singer in Shooting Stars. It wasn't bad, but there was nothing on there that was amazing. There wasn't even one standout track, like a lot of albums seem to have. It's only 2 stars for me.

Let's Get Killed by David Holmes
Mar 02 2026

I'm a bit disappointed in myself that this album and artist has slipped past me over the last ~30 years. This was a really good release, a really mellow sound and feel. I'll be listening again for sure.

Mar 03 2026

It was ok. Personally it was a bit too angsty, I could feel myself getting more wound up as the album went on. To fully enjoy it I would have to be in a suitable mood and location e.g. in a car on a road with no other traffic, and when I've been slightly inconvenienced by someone or something. I could then thrash about safe in the knowledge I'm not going to kick the cat, or throw a bottle through the TV screen.

Steve McQueen by Prefab Sprout
Mar 04 2026

I quite enjoyed this in various places. It wasn't the shitshow I was somewhat expecting. Musically all the songs were melodic and well constructed. Instrumentation was pretty good, even the vocals weren't decent. It's just not really in the wheelhouse of music I lean towards.

Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd
Mar 05 2026

This was another good album, after I was expecting more of the same from Pink Floyd really (if you take out the fucking awful Piper At The Gates of Dawn album). The opening take/version of Shine On was really good, the closing one was not so good. The other 3 tracks were also pretty good. The best Pink Floyd album I'd had on this list.

Private Dancer by Tina Turner
Mar 06 2026

The whole Tina Turner story is amazing. I was a teenage through this period, when she went from 'aging has been' to 'pop/rock royalty'. Nobody deserved it more, she had been through wars (almost literally) for decades. She also has a voice that can smooth the edges off granite, in a good way, and oozes charm, warmth and character! The good tracks are What's Love Got To Do With It, Private Dancer and the covers of Let's Stay Together, I Can't Stand The Rain. The rest of the tracks are, sadly, instantly forgettable.

Djam Leelii by Baaba Maal
Mar 09 2026

The original release had 8 tracks. The re-release had an extra 4 tracks. I was served up the re-release, and just about made it to the end of the 8 tracks before turning it off. For that reason I will give it 2 stars - on a technicality! I think that not understanding the language really limits my enjoyment. I kept trying to imagine the album without any vocals, or even vocals in English, but I found it very difficult. It's not without any merit, but it's not really something I enjoyed.

You Want It Darker by Leonard Cohen
Mar 10 2026

It's just an old bloke that smokes 60 woodbines a day, talking over some really dull music ... or am I missing something???

Teenager Of The Year by Frank Black
Mar 11 2026

I typed a really long comment about this album, then lost it when I clicked on the wrong button. I can't be arsed to attempt to recreate the comment, so here's a summary... I was expecting it to be fucking awful based on The Pixies albums I'd had to endure. It wasn't awful, in fact, I enjoyed swathes of it. Knock me down with a feather!

Wild Gift by X
Mar 12 2026

That was a weird ride. So many different influences and sounds. At times I could hear rock, punk, rockabilly, country even a bit of soul. It wasn't really my cup of tea at all though. Thankfully it was quite a short album in terms of running time.

In The Wee Small Hours by Frank Sinatra
Mar 13 2026

I've a huge appreciation for Sinatra and his music. One of my favourite albums ever is Sinatra with Count Basie at The Sands in Vegas, recorded live in the 1960's. This particular album is really nice, but only in the right setting. I'd have to say it's listenable but I probably wouldn't rush to put it on again.

Electric Warrior by T. Rex
Mar 16 2026

This was a really strong album. I would find it difficult to pin it to just one genre really. I can't think of one single track that I didn't enjoy.

Jazz Samba by Stan Getz
Mar 17 2026

It was nice without ever getting me very excited. There wasn't a single standout track, but it's the sort of album I could put on in the background while working and it would help me relax without ever interrupting me.

Oedipus Schmoedipus by Barry Adamson
Mar 18 2026

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I refer you to my first two sentences of his other album on this list, namely Moss Side Story. This album was better though, so I'll give it 3 stars!

The Fat Of The Land by The Prodigy
Mar 19 2026

If you don't like The Prodigy there's something wrong with you. Liam Howlett churned out classic track after classic track for several years (let's be fair, he was the driving force musically, no disrespect to the others). This album is full of classics, not just the 3 more "well known" tracks that hit the charts. Listening to this instantly took me back to my late 20's - and they were the best years of my life!!!!!

Scissor Sisters by Scissor Sisters
Mar 20 2026

I can remember getting the CD of this album for my wife, and thinking at the time I would not enjoy it. I was wrong, it was played in the car what felt like non-stop for months. The kids all loved it too. It was something we could all listen to. I'll be honest, the opening four tracks (even allowing that one is a cover, and a very good one at that) are as good as anything you'll hear. Instant classics, you can listen to it repeatedly. There is a slight drop after that, but still 2 or 3 really good tracks interspersed in the remaining tracks. It's somewhere between 4 and 5 stars, I've rounded down and I feel guilty already,

Mar 23 2026

I enjoyed this album, probably a lot more than I was expecting. I have been listening to this list of albums while working, and the fucking awful albums and the fucking great albums share some similarities, specifically they grab your attention - the 'awful' albums get binned, the 'great' albums stop me from working. So albums that do neither can often feel mundane, they become background noise. However, there is a range within these albums too, and this was definitely towards the better end of that range. It was so smooth and mellow. It felt like a time capsule back to the 70's.

One World by John Martyn
Mar 24 2026

That was a weird album, very difficult to badge a specific genre. I actually quite enjoyed it. The vocals weren't always great, he had a tendency to start sounding a bit slurry/pissed - maybe he was, in which case, fair play to him!

Odessa by Bee Gees
Mar 26 2026

I'm 6 tracks deep and this is dull. I'll persevere for a little bit more. I've made it through a further 2 tracks, and if anything it's getting worse. It's a surprise because the music the BeeGees turned out a few years later was really good. I suppose you have to go through evolution to see improvements! Anyway, I can't take anymore of this specific album of theirs, so I'm fucking off.

Mar 27 2026

That was hard-fucking-work. The opening to the first track was so long and boring, and sounded so fucking bad that I thought it was the band warming up. It made me look at the track listing and there were 28 tracks, but a lot of them were sub-tracks like 1a and 2d etc. That immediately makes me think "what a bunch of up-yourself" cunts. Digging a bit deeper and the 28 tracks relate to reissues and super deluxe version - deluxe? fuck right off with that. Anyway, as a stickler for originals, I decided to only listen to the tracks that formed the original release - and I couldn't even manage that to do that because it was utter dogshit.

Nilsson Schmilsson by Harry Nilsson
Mar 30 2026

A decent album after a couple of stinkers. It probably sounded better than it is because of the aforementioned double-whammy I experienced. 'Ken Lee' is obviously a classic, before being butchered by all the wannabe warblers, but some of the other tracks were also pretty good. I think 3 stars is about right.

Blunderbuss by Jack White
Apr 02 2026

I was really surprised how much I enjoyed the two White Stripes albums I'd listened to on this site, and now the same has happened with this album. It was a real grower. I wouldn't rush out to buy it, or put it on my 'wants' list - but that is not to say it wasn't very good. Fair fucks, this guy has got some talent.

Ramones by Ramones
Apr 03 2026

At first it made me want to buy a new fridge or TV, by the end I was fucking angry at everything. It was ok, not really my cup of tea, but I never found myself wanting to turn it off.

Vulnicura by Björk
Apr 06 2026

I haven't even started listening to this and I am filled with fear. There is more than a small part of me that doesn't even want to bother listening as her other albums on this list have been so fucking awful. That is not a good pre-listening state!!! I was listening to the first track and I can tell you what it is that I don;t like. It's just meandering and wandering with no structure. My daughter, who is now nearly 30, first learned to talk she would do the same thing vocally. I can remember dreading long car journeys as she would just waffle on, about nothing in particular, with no structure or substance, jumping from one subject to another. This album is the musical equivalent. The time it's take me to write this has taken us into track 2 and that just reinforces my feeling. It is utter wank! I can't stand it! If this type of music is your preference then I would probably not ever discuss music with you.

Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective
Apr 07 2026

I'm listening to track 1 and all I can think is "this is worse than the last fucking album I listened to", and that album was Vulnicura by Bjork - which could be the worst album I've heard yet (admittedly, I only listened to 2 tracks of that album, but I listened to several of her other albums in full so I am sufficiently confident that it wouldn't have a huge uptick). Track 2 of this album is also just as bad. Maybe it gets better, but I'll never know.

Shaka Zulu by Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Apr 08 2026

The harmonies are as tight as anything you will ever hear. Absolutely stunning. It does have a tendency to get very repetitive or samey as there is only so much variation you can produce using solely vocals.

Underwater Moonlight by The Soft Boys
Apr 09 2026

I wasn't aware of the existence of this band prior to yesterday, and I now long for those days of ignorant happiness. Ok, it wasn't that bad, like an undiscovered Bjork album! It was just boring. Nothing on there was interesting, exciting, melodical i.e. nothing to grab your attention. I just about made it all the way through, I did waver once or twice, so I'll give it the customary 2 stars.

Phrenology by The Roots
Apr 10 2026

A cracking album. I own a couple of The Roots albums, but not this one. There were some absolute belters on this album, but a couple of very weird ones too, that felt they didn't belong at all (maybe that was intentional).

Frank by Amy Winehouse
Apr 13 2026

I've never heard this album before, and I feel like I've missed out as it was pretty good. I'm a big fan of Salaam Remi from the early 90's, he kicked out some banging tracks and remixes e.g. Patra, Da Bush Babees, Shabba, House of Pain. In fact, "Pull Up To The Bumper" is one of the best summer tracks I've ever heard. Her vocals can be a bit 'whiny' at times, but the overall package is very good.

Winter In America by Gil Scott-Heron
Apr 14 2026

You can hear the influences of this album in thousands of releases that followed, by a huge range of artists. Musically it is beautifully put together, so easy to listen to. I don't think anyone would claim that the vocals are the strongest part - the message being delivered is clear though. A classic album, I was not disappointed.

Machine Gun Etiquette by The Damned
Apr 15 2026

I was probably just a bit too young to really get into the punk explosion in the 1970's, plus also I don't really enjoy that style of music in general. There have been some punk albums on this list that I really enjoyed though, along with some utter shite. This falls somewhere in between those ratings. There wasn't a single track that stood out for me as either 'great' or 'unlistenable' so I think 3 stars feels about right.

Toys In The Attic by Aerosmith
Apr 16 2026

I really enjoyed this album. I like Aerosmith's music in general anyway. There were no weak tracks, the sort you instantly press skip when you hear the first few notes, and to me that is one of the signs of a great album.

Murmur by R.E.M.
Apr 17 2026

Another example of an album that I had low expectations for, but they were easily surpassed. It wasn't all amazing, there were a couple of weaker tracks, but the good/great far outweighed them.

Berlin by Lou Reed
Apr 20 2026

I made it all the way through, but it could have just been 1 really long track for all I could tell. Very monotonous and single-paced. Not really my thing at all.

Halcyon Digest by Deerhunter
Apr 21 2026

Another "not really my thing" album. I wasn't even aware of this band, which reinforces the "not really my thing" sentiment. There was nothing awful, so bad I had to turn it off, but equally there was nothing particularly good.

Nothing's Shocking by Jane's Addiction
May 06 2026

Another "not really my thing" album. I was aware of the band, but only really through this site and the cross-references between the members of this band and other bands. I didn't ever really feel like I was enjoying the album, but it wasn't horrendous either. I've had a lot of albums like that recently. It's been very sterile - beats listening to an album by The Cramps though.

Shadowland by k.d. lang
May 07 2026

I really tried, but it was fucking garbage and I turned it off halfway through. There was nothing significant about it at all. Every song appeared to be a cover of a really old track, except for one relatively newer track, and I can only imagine there are dozens (if not hundredsor thousands) of versions of these same tracks recorded by other artists - and I doubt the versions on this album were any better or worse.

May 08 2026

This album was released right around when I was getting into music, but I was into ska like the rest of my mates, so it passed it me by. Tainted Love is a classic, an absolute banger, but I couldn't have named another single track on the album. It was ok to listen to, a bit like a nostalgia trip looking at pictures but you don't really remember the pictures or the people in them.

Hunky Dory by David Bowie
May 11 2026

He's got a shitload of albums on this list, and they've been very "hit and miss" with me so far. This one was slightly more hit, there were a few really nice tracks, but still some filler.

Duck Stab/Buster & Glen by The Residents
May 12 2026

Is this a fucking joke? The first track was so bad that I wanted to turn it off within 30 seconds. I skipped to track 2 to see if it got any better - it did not. If I was in a more generous mood I would probably have tried a couple of other tracks. Not today though, fucking awful. Finally, an album to rival The Cramps (in fact, it may even be worse than The Cramps).

Freak Out! by The Mothers Of Invention
May 13 2026

There were one or two tracks that had some merit, but it was routinely fucking dreadful otherwise. I really didn't enjoy it all. I made to turn it off before the end so I could award the obligatory 1 star!

The Cars by The Cars
May 14 2026

Outside of Drive and My Best Friends Girl this is a band I don't know much about. I think they were probably a lot bigger in the US than they were in the UK. Anyway, none of that matters. This was a really good album. In addition to My Best Friends Girl there were several other good tracks, and Just What I Needed was fantastic. I like that albums were shorter back then, almost a less is more.

Olympia 64 by Jacques Brel
May 15 2026

I listened to it all, didn't more than a few lyrics, musically it didn't really do much for me either.

Le Tigre by Le Tigre
May 18 2026

I wasn't really sure what to expect. The album cover and very brief information I read about the artist had me fearing the worst. In general it was not my sort of "thing" at all, but although I didn't actually find myself getting into it there were more than a few tracks that I actually enjoyed. QUite a few absolute wankstains too.

Duck Rock by Malcolm McLaren
May 19 2026

I had this album on cassette when it first came out. As a kid on the Surrey/London border in the early 80's it was my connection to urban culture, we'd started hearing about hip-hop and breakdancing in the US but didn't really have a fucking clue. We thought we were cool. Anyway, this album has aged quite a lot. It's still very good, yet I find myself thinking I'm likely to rate it higher because of what it meant to me back in the 80's instead of objectively rating it on the music. Fuck it, if nothing else it changed my musical tastes.

Screamadelica by Primal Scream
May 20 2026

An amazing album when it came out, there really was nothing else like it. It fused many different genres together, but it was so well done that it sounded amazing - it could easily have sounded forced or just fucking awful. There are several absolute bangers on this album e.g. Moving On Up, Loaded, the bulk of the rest are pretty good with only a couple of weak tracks.

L'Eau Rouge by The Young Gods
May 21 2026

It was weird as fuck, but not without some merit. The vocals were extremely guttural and in a foreign (to me) language, but they complemented the music perfectly. The music was very hit or miss, and by the end of the album it felt very repetitive. I'm glad I heard it, it was a band I had no knowledge of and it expanded my horizons. That being said, I'll never knowingly listen to it again.

Deep Purple In Rock by Deep Purple
May 22 2026

A really good album. In general, I'm very much in the "less is more" camp when it comes to the number of tracks and length of the album. This was right in the goldilocks zone. It didn't sound dated. All of the tracks were good, the standout tracks being 'Child in Time' and 'Flight of The Rat'.

Entertainment by Gang Of Four
May 25 2026

I enjoyed this more than I expected - unwisely, I read the wiki page before the music began which probably made me a bit fearful. You could easily see the influences this album had on a lot of the indie music that came out during the 80's and onwards.

The Healer by John Lee Hooker
May 26 2026

Like every album I've listened to on this list I've had it on in the background whilst working. It was very easy listening. Although I enjoy Blues music, I didn't get the impression this was a 'standout' album of that genre. Still, nothing wrong with it at all. I think this is a bog-standard 3 stars for me.

The Coral by The Coral
May 27 2026

That was a fairly wild ride. I had only heard one of the tracks before, 'Dreaming of You', and that's a decent toe-tapping track. There were a couple of further tracks that were decent, but there was quite a lot of 'weird' tracks. They weren't bad, like I had to turn it off, but they just didn't seem to fit into the album. I get the feeling the band was trying to shoehorn as many genres in as possible, and that just weakened the whole thing for me personally. I did make it all the way through, which guarantees 2 stars!

L.A. Woman by The Doors
May 28 2026

I was expecting it to be a bit better really. It was what I'd call a moody album. There were a couple of decent tracks, but it just seemed to meander for a couple of tracks then perk up for a track, and so on.

Os Mutantes by Os Mutantes
May 29 2026

Track 1 had me reaching for the off button more than once, but this site/list has taught me to give an album more a single track to fully judge it. It got a lot better after that. There were still undoubted moments of utter shite, but there were equal (if not a few more) good periods. I didn't have a fucking clue what they were saying, but that didn't distract too much. I'll never actively seek it out for a re-listen, but it was a worthwhile one-off experience.

Jun 01 2026

It's an album I know well, I bought it on vinyl when it was released. It's full of great tracks, and there are several era-defining tracks on there as well. It stands the test of time too, my eldest son wasn't even born where this album was released and I've heard him listening to it.

Psychocandy by The Jesus And Mary Chain
Jun 02 2026

It's not my thing at all. Pretty dismal sound, depressing as fuck, had to switch it off about half-way through, before I slashed my wrists.

Sail Away by Randy Newman
Jun 03 2026

It was ok at best. It just sounded like a Toy Story soundtrack. There's nothing jarring or awful about any of the tracks. They're just boring.

Jun 04 2026

What a fantastic album. Track 1 grabbed me by the bollocks, it's a real toe-tapper. It didn't dip at all after that intro. Twelve fantastic tracks. I'm not usually a big fan of country music, but this was great.

KIWANUKA by Michael Kiwanuka
Jun 05 2026

I enjoyed it, without ever really getting very excited. I can't think of one track that I would choose to seek out again, I couldn't name a single song. There's a lot of comments on youtube about how amazing this is - lyrically and musically - but I just didn't feel that myself. It was very mediocre in my mind.

The Gilded Palace Of Sin by The Flying Burrito Brothers
Jun 08 2026

A very intriguing album. There were a couple of covers that sounded nothing like the originals which, when nicely done like these were, is very refreshing. The rest of the album was decent enough. Like a lot of my recent reviews, my overall feeling was one of "ok, nothing great, nothing awful" - but maybe that is me becoming stale after nearly 700 albums.

Jun 09 2026

I bought this album when it was originally released, but I haven't really listened to it much. That tells a story on it's own as I also bought 'Enter the 36 Chambers' on release and then bought anything Wu Tang related for several years, and this album is the only one I didn't get into. I don't know why that is. There's not one single standout track. There's nothing special about it. I enjoyed it, not no more than that.

Punishing Kiss by Ute Lemper
Jun 10 2026

A strange album. It sounded like the score to a third-rate shitty stage show in the West End. Every single song sounded the same to me. Just progressive chords and lyrics that are semi-spoken and don;t really fit the meter of the song. I quickly switched it off at track 9 as I was getting close to making it the way through without enjoying a single second. I suppose I could concede that it wasn't 'hurts my ears' bad, but it was still shite.

Jun 11 2026

I only know Buzzcocks from 'Ever Fallen In Love', which is a great track. I've been surprised by several punk albums on this list - it's not one of the genres I'd ever listen to outside of this list. This was another listenable album though. No real standout tracks, but not one track that had me reaching for the skip/off button.

Brothers In Arms by Dire Straits
Jun 12 2026

This takes me back. Everyone seemed to have a copy of this in the 80's. It's a classic. It seemed to coincide with CD's becoming available. I remember my mate (Ian Clark, he had a fucking huge nose) got a CD copy of this album from his nan for his birthday but didn't have a CD player, so he had to beg his parents to buy him one. We listened to this album and then turned the CD player upside-down and listened to it again. We were more amazed by the CD playing ok when the player was upside down than the contents of the actual album itself. Good times. I also banged his sister listening to this album a few weeks later, needless to say Ian wasn't present that time!

Signing Off by UB40
Jun 15 2026

This is a great album. The music is fantastic and it contains messages and social commentary on the time. That this album was even released is incredible, and I am thankful it was. Years before Bob Geldof jumped on the bandwagon and told everyone to "get your fucking money out" these guys were doing it on track after track. Of course, they're all probably millionaires now, made from the very system they were singing out against, but at the time this album came out they weren't.

The Modern Lovers by The Modern Lovers
Jun 16 2026

It's not awful, but it's not really something I'd choose to listen to. I made it all the way through the album but that was in no small part due to being preoccupied by something else. I wouldn't want to hear it again.

Jun 17 2026

Not a patch on their first album, Moon Safari. This album was just one track really, played monotonously, no variation. I've never seen the film so I can't comment how well it fits that, but as a standalone album it's just boring.

B-52's by The B-52's
Jun 18 2026

Like a lot of your people in the UK in the 80's my only real exposure to The B-52's was 'Love Shack' and 'Roam', they were huge during the late 80's and got played constantly on radios and even in pubs and clubs. This even continued well into the 90's too, more so for Love Shack than Roam. I wasn't really sure what to expect from this album, so I went in quite open-minded. It was decent, I could see a clear link between this album and their later output, there is a definite 'sound' for this band - not just instrumentally but also vocally (which I suppose is really another instrument anyway). I couldn't pick a single stand-out track, but there was nothing close to dog-shit either.

Nebraska by Bruce Springsteen
Jun 19 2026

Booooooring. I quite like some of his 'usual' stuff, not this though.

Happy Sad by Tim Buckley
Jun 22 2026

Another offering which falls in the "ok without being really good" camp. All of the tracks were fairly easy on the ear but they sounded like something piped into a doctors waiting room, or played by customer services at your gas and electric provider when they put you on hold. I couldn't distinguish one track from another.

Hot Shots II by The Beta Band
Jul 01 2026

I wasn't aware of this band at all prior to today, and after listening to this album I am very grateful for that fact. It wasn't band in a "I can't listen to this shit" way, but it was just humdrum and monotonous.

Sincere by Mj Cole
Jul 02 2026

"Crazy Paving". There was a period in the late 90's, early 00's where this sound was the dominant sound in the UK urban/club scene. It was all over the charts too. I was familiar with a few of these tracks, but not the complete album, and I have to say I think it's a very good example of the garage scene of that period.

Diamond Life by Sade
Jul 03 2026

If you're my age, or thereabouts, then this is probably an album you'll be well aware of. I reckon nearly every family in the UK had a copy. A classic. Silky smooth vocals, fantastic musicianship, classy all round. It falls short of 5 stars because a few of the non-single tracks were average at best.

Metal Box by Public Image Ltd.
Jul 07 2026

More shite!

Jul 08 2026

Average at best, not un-listenable in any way, but just didn't do anything for me. There wasn't a single track that stood out about the others.

Raw Power by The Stooges
Jul 09 2026

Much better than I was expecting, but my expectations were pretty low so that's not a huge endorsement.

Eagles by Eagles
Jul 10 2026

I've always enjoyed The Eagles. My mum used to play their albums in the car and round the house. Listening to this was a blast from the past. As debut albums go this is a very good offering.

Foxbase Alpha by Saint Etienne
Jul 13 2026

I've never got into this band. It's a weird mix of styles really, there's a strong dance/club element to the beats and then a sort of navel-gazing / emo element to the vocals. It never feels comfortable or well-suited to my ear. I was able to make it all the way through.

Daydream Nation by Sonic Youth
Jul 14 2026

It was better than the two other Sonic Youth albums I've had to endure, but they only garnered a total of 3 stars from me so it wasn't particularly difficult to better that. It started out reasonably well, but towards the end it dropped off.

Another "not really my thing" artist and album. I'd heard the more well-known tracks a few times down the years. but that's about it. I did make it all the way through without ever really considering turning it off. There were a couple of decent tracks, but all-in-all it was just repetitive and boring.

Autobahn by Kraftwerk
Jul 16 2026

Kraftwerk really were a groundbreaking artist. This is another really good album.

Fire Of Love by The Gun Club
Jul 17 2026

A big sweaty fuck-off from me. It was turned off after 5 tracks. In all honesty it should have been well before then really, but I always try to give an album every chance to not be jank! I had a quick look at the wikipedia page and was drawn to this line... "the album does not feature founding guitarist Kid Congo Powers, who had been asked to join the Cramps in late 1980" ... which explained a lot. The Cramps album that this site served up was the single worst listening experience of my life!!

Jul 20 2026

Another enjoyable album from an artist I was aware of but would have been hard-pressed to name a single track or album. Musically it as very good, all the tracks were catchy and the album flowed nicely.

S&M by Metallica
Jul 21 2026

I really enjoyed this, the combination of metal and orchestra worked well, surprisingly well. It felt like it went on about 4 or 5 tracks too many.

Copper Blue by Sugar
Jul 22 2026

Another decent album. It's quite a pleasant experience when I get a few good albums in a row, even more so when they've by artists I'm either not familiar with, or don't hold out much hope for. This really reminded me of R.E.M. when it first started out, but by the end it was a lot more grunge-based. I initially thought it was an incredibly short album, but it turns out that youtube had hidden several tracks from me for some reason (possibly copyright or licence) - I don't want to lose focus on the album, but fuck youtube, and the rest of big tech.

My Generation by The Who
Jul 23 2026

I'd never heard the whole album before. 'My Generation' is a classic, and the the rest of the album is generally decent. It's amazing to think it's over 60 years old.

Playing With Fire by Spacemen 3
Jul 24 2026

That was a strange one. It was very trippy, not at all what I was expecting based on the wiki page for the artist. It was listenable but not something I'd choose to hear again.

Gentlemen by The Afghan Whigs
Jul 28 2026

I enjoyed this album. Again, probably not something I would have considered listening to before starting the 1001 experience - but that just reveals how blinkered I was previously. It was a nice mixture of rock, grunge and a few other genres. Very listenable. I'm a but surprised/disappointed that I'd never heard of this band before.

My Aim Is True by Elvis Costello
Jul 29 2026

Listenable, nothing amazing, nothing terrible, probably wouldn't bother listening again if asked.

Exile In Guyville by Liz Phair
Jul 30 2026

The first few bars of track 1 were great, I was lookign forward to the rest of the album. Then it just went to shit, very quickly. Her vocals were painful and completely ruined every track. Then the music actually got worse too. About half way through I finally decided that enough was enough and turned it off. Even the quarter-areola on the album cover couldn't save it.

Hearts And Bones by Paul Simon
Jul 31 2026

Average, OK, ordinary etc. Nothing amazing, but nothing terrible.... well, apart from "Cars Are Cars", what the fuck was that? Sounded like a parody, or joke track.

Rapture by Anita Baker
Aug 03 2026

Pretty much my whole friendship circle had a copy of this album in some format or other. It was a blast from the past hearing it again. It's a really good album. I think every track has some merits, and there are multiple standout tracks. It's a good example of what was happening in the soul scene in the mid 80's, probably one of the highpoints actually.

Rust In Peace by Megadeth
Aug 04 2026

Made me as angry as I've ever been. Pretty sure that is the absolute aim of this album/band/genre.

Bummed by Happy Mondays
Aug 05 2026

It was good in places, weird inn others. I never really got into the Happy Mondays when they were 'happening', which put me in a minority as far as I can remember. I've heard better albums, but I've heard a lot more that were worse.

A Walk Across The Rooftops by The Blue Nile
Aug 06 2026

I wasn't aware of this band or album until I had to review it, and after listening to it I quite liked being unaware. It wasn't just boring, it was mood-destroying. I didn't make it all the way through, so 1 star only.

Truth And Soul by Fishbone
Aug 07 2026

Surprisingly good. There were a few shit tracks, but there was more good than bad overall. There were plenty of different styles, influences, genres etc - call it what you will.

The Stone Roses by The Stone Roses
Aug 10 2026

This review is essentially the same as my one from 4 days ago, for The Happy Mondays debut album, copied below, cut/paste as appropriate... "It was good in places, weird in others. I never really got into the Happy Mondays when they were 'happening', which put me in a minority as far as I can remember. I've heard better albums, but I've heard a lot more that were worse"

It's Too Late to Stop Now by Van Morrison
Aug 11 2026

I'm usually disappointed with live albums. They rarely sound as good as the originals. Which is perverse, because when you are actually at a gig it usually sounds better - caveat, drugs and alcohol may play a part in that. This was decent material though. Not anything that blew me away but listenable.

Searching For The Young Soul Rebels by Dexys Midnight Runners
Aug 12 2026

Pretty similar to the other Dexy's album I reviewed - not familiar with any of the material other than the single releases, but it was a very good album to listen to.

The Trinity Session by Cowboy Junkies
Aug 13 2026

It was decent enough. I listened to it on a Monday morning back at work, after a long weekend in Mahon, Menorca (went to see The New Mastersounds gig, which was fucking amazing, if you're asking) so the melancholy mood was quite fitting. It was fairly repetitive, and not really the sort of thing I'd seek out. I'd be concerned if someone listened to it after the ned of a long-term relationship, or death of some close, it could easily push them over the edge.

American Gothic by David Ackles
Aug 14 2026

Nope. Sounded like a backstreet musical in London's West End. Made it through 5 tracks, couldn't stomach anymore than that.

Innervisions by Stevie Wonder
Aug 17 2026

I didn't need to listen to this album. It's one of my favourites and I have lost count of the number of times I have listened to it. As the saying goes "all killer, no filler" - every track is a 10/10. An absolutely classic album.

Wordsmith

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Other

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