My 1001 Albums Journey

Album	You	Global	Diff
Rock Bottom Robert Wyatt	5	2.39	+2.61
Olympia 64 Jacques Brel	5	2.78	+2.22
Rejoicing In The Hands Devendra Banhart	5	2.82	+2.18
Beach Samba Astrud Gilberto	5	2.92	+2.08
Bert Jansch Bert Jansch	5	3	+2
Savane Ali Farka Touré	5	3.02	+1.98
La Revancha Del Tango Gotan Project	5	3.04	+1.96
Your Arsenal Morrissey	5	3.05	+1.95
The Trinity Session Cowboy Junkies	5	3.07	+1.93
Before And After Science Brian Eno	5	3.08	+1.92

Album	You	Global	Diff
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin	1	4.1	-3.1
OK Computer Radiohead	1	4.1	-3.1
Kid A Radiohead	1	3.71	-2.71
The Number Of The Beast Iron Maiden	1	3.59	-2.59
The Fat Of The Land The Prodigy	1	3.41	-2.41
Amnesiac Radiohead	1	3.41	-2.41
The Köln Concert Keith Jarrett	1	3.39	-2.39
You've Come a Long Way Baby Fatboy Slim	1	3.35	-2.35
Wish You Were Here Pink Floyd	2	4.3	-2.3
British Steel Judas Priest	1	3.3	-2.3

Artist	Albums	Average
Talking Heads	4	4.75
The Cure	3	5
Bob Dylan	4	4.5
Simon & Garfunkel	3	4.67
Ali Farka Touré	2	5
Johnny Cash	2	5
Beck	2	5
Jimi Hendrix	2	5
The Temptations	2	5
Stan Getz	2	5
Leonard Cohen	2	5

Artist	Albums	Average
The Prodigy	2	1
Slipknot	2	1
Radiohead	5	1.8
Orbital	2	1.5
Tom Waits	4	2
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds	4	2

Artist	Ratings
Morrissey	5, 2
Led Zeppelin	1, 4, 5, 3
The Velvet Underground	5, 5, 2
Brian Eno	5, 2, 5

The Cure

5/5

For me, this is a perfect album. It’s atmospheric, full of regret and nostalgia. The melodies are infectious, the drum beat works seamlessly across the album. This is exactly the kind of album I’d pull out for a rainy day with no expectations.

Doolittle

Pixies

3/5

This album was hit or miss for me. Some songs - like Wave of Mutilation - I really loved. I wasn’t as fond of some of the others. On balance, it’s probably not an album I’d sit down with again, but I’ll definitely listen to parts of it again.

Led Zeppelin

1/5

I came into Led Zeppelin thinking I wouldn't like it, and came out of Led Zeppelin knowing I didn't like it. It was good to listen to the album as a musical learning experience, but I don't need to listen to it again. Quick note: I did like Black Mountain Side, but I think that's just because there's no singing on it.

Blood Sugar Sex Magik

Red Hot Chili Peppers

2/5

Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols

Sex Pistols

4/5

You can really hear the seething anger on this album - I don’t think I’ve ever listened to it all the way through before. Many of the songs disintegrate by the end, and/or blur together with the other songs. But for all that, the ride through the songs is pretty enjoyable. It’s noise, but meaningful and a good listen. Would have loved to have gone to one of their concerts.

Paul Simon

3/5

I groaned when I saw this album pop up because, while Simon and Garfunkel is one of my all-time favorites, I am not a fan of Simon's solo career. I think he lost something when he lost Garfunkel, and YES! I know that Simon was the driver behind the band. I remember in grad school making an off-hand comment about how I don't like Simon post-Garfunkel to a stranger and ended up in a huge argument. I think this album has a little more of the S&G magic than his others, probably because it came out shortly after they split. While I haven't listened to the album before, I have heard many of the songs - and insofar as I like solo Simon songs, it turns out they're from this album (with the exception of Graceland). There is one song that I hadn't heard before and I absolutely love: Peace Like a River. So the album was worth listening through for that alone - plus getting to hear the demo version of Duncan, which I actually like a lot better than the released version. But otherwise, eh.

The Genius Of Ray Charles

Ray Charles

5/5

Big, bold, brassy, and cheerful, even on a song called "Two Years of Torture." Love it! The slower songs later on the album, sad as the lyrics may be, still have a real sense of contentment about them that is satisfying. Not a fan of the song "Am I Blue" but only because of the backing vocals.

Exit Planet Dust

The Chemical Brothers

1/5

I opened this up, didn't recognize the album, and looked at the year - 1995 is a year I should know. I figured I'd start playing the music and realize that I do know it, just not in its proper context. Nope. This is still drawing a blank for me. But more than that, I HATE IT. So clearly there is a reason I don't know the album -- this is the kind of music that makes me anxious and jittery. The first half is hard core dance music, the second half is a ramped-down version of similar beats, but the same paranoia runs throughout. I don't know how anyone can sit and listen to it for fun - there's nothing redeeming about it, unless you're a teenage boy trying to piss off your parents. The whole thing reminds me of a scene in ER when some doctor gets stabbed and then is left for dead on a bathroom floor - Noah Wyle, I think. For some reason that particular scene stayed with me for years, I think because of the techno beat that played over the stabbing scene. There was something particularly gruesome and haunting about the pairing of the visuals and the music. This music isn't that music, but it's just as unpleasant. I'd give this a zero if I could, but that's not how Likert scales work so I'm stuck pretending I like it a little. I gave LZI a one-star review as well, but I'd listen to that any day over this. Thumbs up for the album cover though.

Bert Jansch

5/5

This is another new artist for me. It's a lovely folk/blues album very reminiscent of Nick Drake, one of my favorites. Bert Jansch has a rough but haunting voice that blends nicely with the melancholy of the album. Despite the charm of his voice, however, I prefer the songs where he doesn’t sing but allows his excellent guitar work to shine on its own. Angie and Casbah are my favorites. I'll be putting this album into my general rotation.

Dummy

Portishead

3/5

This album checks off a lot of my favorite music boxes: moody? yep. ethereal? oh yeah. haunting voice? for sure. steady but not overpowering backbeat? give me more! This album has mastered the art of the chill vibe. And yet. It's just not really my thing. I can appreciate it, I'm enjoying listening to it now, but I won't come back to it. A little of it goes a long way. For me it's kinda like Mazzy Star - someone would put it on, I'd think ooh I have to check that out at home, and then I would never follow up because it's just a little too precious.

Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea

PJ Harvey

4/5

PJ Harvey is a name that keeps coming up in my (limited) musical world and I’ve always felt like she’s someone I should like. But when I’ve intentionally tried individual songs of hers it just hasn’t clicked for me. Listening to a full album is a different experience. There’s a coherence to the sound, the lyrics, and the grittiness of the overall feel. I don’t like all of the songs, but I love the ones I do like: One Line, The Mess We’re In, You Said Something.

Neon Bible

Arcade Fire

3/5

I periodically ask my brother - who, unlike me, is a music aficionado - for band recommendations. He suggested Arcade Fire several years ago and I've listened to them ever since, though not this particular album. I like that it captures a delightful sense of jaunty despair. The melodies and the drumbeat are catching and you find yourself bopping along while they sing something bleak like "Every spark of friendship and love will die without a home" (Intervention) or "There's a fear I keep so deep / Knew its name before I could speak" (Keep the Car Running). I really appreciate that the the song Black Wave / Bad Vibrations ebbs and crescendos - it sounds like a wave is crashing around your ears. The fact that it is followed by Ocean of Noise is brilliant, because, despite its name, it really feels more like water lapping at your feet, with an occasional rogue wave getting at your ankles. For all that I like this album, however, I'm not sure I'll pick out songs to listen to individually as they really want to live in context with each other. In addition to BW / BV and OofN, (Antichrist Television Blues) and Windowsill also pair together in a continuum of political discourse. Better together. Favorite songs: Keep the Car Running, No Cars Go

If I Could Only Remember My Name

David Crosby

2/5

This is my husband’s kind of music, not mine. But because it’s my husband’s kind of music, I know far more about David Crosby and his repertoire than I care to. If I had to pick a favorite song (very low bar, here), I’d say the beginning of Laughing. I like the tempo, the beat, and Crosby’s solo voice. But I don’t like the backing harmonies that pick up in the middle of the song (yes, I know it's the Grateful Dead, I don't like them either), and by the end the guitar gets too twangy. Also, the lyrics are beyond dumb: "I thought I met a man / Who said he knew a man / Who knew what was going on / I was mistaken, only another stranger that I knew". WTF?? Nothing appealing about the other songs. The lyrics for What Are Their Names are ridiculously dumb and naive. Cowboy Movie is casually racist and misogynistic. Bleh. But +1 for not being the Chemical Brothers.

Toys In The Attic

Aerosmith

3/5

Naturally I know this album, or at least parts of it, though I’m more familiar with their later works (this is already their third album?!?). Not my usual cup of tea, but I really appreciate the beats, the exuberance of the singing, and the implied strutting, even if Steven Tyler himself is a real sleazeball. Walk This Way and Sweet Emotion really hold up and I love the swing rhythm of Big Ten Inch Record. But Round and Round and You See Me Crying are tedious.

Truth And Soul

Fishbone

4/5

When I was in high school, a good friend of mine was obsessed with ska. He'd make us mix tapes featuring his favorite songs and we'd all go to concerts in San Francisco's 16+ venues. When I saw the name Fishbone this morning, I was instantly transported to my youth. I don't know this particular album and I probably don't know any of them. I haven't given a thought to the band Fishbone since high school. But listening to Ma and Pa was like talking to an old friend. I'm not sure I recognize any of the other individual songs, but listening to this album was a lot of fun. It's so much more than just ska, it reaches into rock, punk, reggae, funk, you name it. It's such an eclectic album. I love the horns, the sound, the political comments, the whole vibe. Slow Bus Movin' (Howard Beach Party) and Ghetto Soundwave are amazing. GS is a powerful comment on the structures of racism, discrimination, and neglect, with a bop. Sadly it fits right at home today, some thirty-five years later. After listening to Truth and Soul, I checked out the Fishbone album immediately preceding it (In Your Face). The opening number - When Problems Arise - really lets the vocals play and the instruments soar. The first album is more firmly rooted in the ska sound and while that's not necessarily what I had thought I'd go for, it turns out I like In Your Face even more than Truth and Soul.

The Velvet Underground & Nico

The Velvet Underground

5/5

One of my all-time favorite albums!! It is essentially perfect, not a single misstep from the first song to the last. It's a dark and intricate story of New York, addiction, desire, loneliness, regret, and love. I got to know the Velvet Underground from a best of album I bought in my grad school days, when I yearned to move to NYC. I had read a review of an album by the band Luna (which one? I don't know) that said their entire playlist was derived from the bridge of a Velvet Underground song. I decided I had to learn more about the Velvet Underground, and what better way to learn a band's music than from a best of album? For many bands that's probably true, but not for VU. This particular album is such a brilliant experiment in sound and storytelling that it belongs in context. Waiting for My Man and Heroin are incredible as paired auditory descriptions of the grip, the power, and the rush of addiction, mimicking in sound the feel of adrenalin and the crash at the end of the high (to be fair, they are also both on the best of album). But they also pair well with the other songs that don't appear on the best of album - the same intense, adrenalin-pumping musical themes are echoed in The Black Angel's Death Song and European Son, for instance. Nico's peculiar and haunting voice is the perfect match for this album. At some point I lost Luna but I kept the Velvet Underground. I've graduated from the best of album to appreciating all of the albums in their original contexts. A definite win. The opening track, Sunday Morning, is my particular favorite (also James does an incredible cover of it).

Different Class

Pulp

4/5

This album (as well as Pulp's next one, This is Hardcore) was on heavy rotation in my grad school days so I was really excited to see it pop up here. I listened as I walked to work, enjoying the memories and familiarity of the music. But. It doesn't hold the same resonance for me as it did back then. For one thing, almost all of the songs on the album are seething with resentment, hatred, and contempt. It's not that I didn't realize that when I listened to the album on repeat, and it's not like I was seething with any of those emotions myself at the time. I guess I could just enjoy the drums, the singing, and the overall sound without really thinking about the meaning. And who doesn't love a good comeuppance? Common People is not only an awesome song but also great fuck off to the concept of poverty tourism. But as I was listening to it today I started thinking about the intended target of this song, who she might be and what she's after - and I started to wonder if she really exists. I mean, she sounds like a strawman. She comes from Greece, she's studying sculpture, she doesn't know what a supermarket is, and she's pretty upfront about wanting to sleep with quote-unquote common people. I don't know how high up on the scale of hoity-toity St. Martin's College is, but it looks like a pretty diverse and arts-career oriented place. What Pulp doesn't mention is that she's had to leave her own country, renowned for classical sculpture, to come study at the heart of an empire that looted her country's moveable artistic heritage for its own benefit. Maybe she's seeking her own revenge? I'm pretty sure they have supermarkets in Greece. (quick update: Wikipedia tells me she does exist, but I'll let my comments stand). I can still get on board with Common People. And it's really funny when William Shatner speaks it. But a couple other songs made me more than a little uncomfortable. Pencil Skirt, for instance, seems teetering on the edge of consent. But assuming that she's lifting her skirt because she really wants to be with Jarvis Cocker, it doesn't sound like he wants to be with her: "I really love it when you tell me to stop"? "I only come here cause I know it makes you sad"? Ugh. I Spy has a similar feel. The object of the song slips - early in the song it's the husband, and Cocker is angrily sleeping with his wife, angrily smoking his cigarettes, and angrily drinking his brandy, hoping he'll come home and catch the violations. For what purpose? To transfer all the anger? But later in the song the object is the wife - "I'll hold your body and make it sing again," which would sound like love or at least admiration if it weren't for earlier lyrics of blatant contempt towards her. Two other songs struck me. Something Changed, which seems mis-placed in the middle of the album, is a charmingly philosophical take on how chance encounters can lead to meaningful connections, with a brief detour into missed connections. It seems out of character for the album but it was a welcome respite from all the anger. And I loved how Live Bed Show told the story of a broken heart from the perspective of a bed that has seen better days. All in all, I do still like the sound of the album and will rate it highly for craft and nostalgia. But it's too steeped in anger and sex as a form of revenge for me to really enjoy it now.

Cut

The Slits

3/5

Me opening up today's album: What is up with this cover? It looks like a still from a B-movie and I'm turning on MST3000. I've never heard of this band. Me listening to the first song: holy shit! This is awesome! Where has it been all my life??!?? The song definitely lived up to its name. Me listening to the final song: o.m.geeeeee will this never end??!?? It starts off ok but just disintegrates into crashing sounds. Now that I've listened to the whole thing, I can say that only liked a handful of the tracks: Instant Hit, Newtown, Typical Girls, and wow! I Heard It through the Grapevine. So this album is a hit or miss for me. 2 for the songs I don't like, 4 for the songs I do, and I'll average it out to 3.

Walking Wounded

Everything But The Girl

3/5

Like many people of my generation, I went through an Everything but the Girl phase in the 1990s. Tracey Thorn's voice is beautifully haunting, I'm a fan of the mellow sound, and there's a morose atmosphere that is quite soothing, really, as much of an oxymoron "morose" and "soothing" are when put together. But I didn't stick with Everything but the Girl and frankly I'm not going to pick them up again. The album is boring and reminiscent of elevator music. Can't pick a favorite song because they're all indistinguishable.

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

The Smashing Pumpkins

2/5

While I never owned any Smashing Pumpkins albums, this band was a major part of the ambient sound backdrop of my college years. It’s familiar, but I don’t think I’ve ever sat down with this album before. For one thing, it’s too long. But also the grunge scene wasn’t really my thing then and it still isn’t. I can appreciate the album but once is more than enough and I really had to stop myself from giving up on it as it dragged on. Galapogos was a bright spot, 1979 lived up to my memory of it, Stumbleine was a surprise winner, and I’ve always loved the cover art. But a lot of the other songs aren’t memorable and a couple, like Tales of a Scorched Earth and X.Y.U., are ear-splittingly bad. After listening to the first several songs I had settled on a 3, but now that I’m blissfully at the end of the whole album I’m dropping it to a 2 for unnecessary length and whininess. I see that Amazon is offering to play me an EXTENDED version of this album that is almost SIX HOURS LONG and no thank you.

The Velvet Underground

5/5

Another perfect album, which happens to include one of my all-time favorite songs: Pale Blue Eyes. I was thinking about this song the other day when reviewing Different Class by Pulp. That album has a number of songs about adultery, all of which focus on humiliation - for both the cheater and the cheatee - and as a result they feel dirty (and as I mentioned before, just on the border of consent). PBE, by contrast, is touching and poignant, with discordant notes signaling the intensity of the emotional investment for both the singer and the listener. It is much more mature and nuanced and ultimately a much better song. The whole album is phenomenal.

The White Album

Beatles

3/5

I put on the album thinking it would be an easy 4. It’s the Beatles, I know the album, it’ll be fun, and I would be listening to it while on a road trip with my teenager. And … we’re both underwhelmed. There are a few great songs, like While My Guitar Gently Weeps and Helter Skelter, but as a whole the album is incoherent and tediously long. Sorry everyone who thinks the Beatles are the bees’ knees, but I’ll pass.

There's No Place Like America Today

Curtis Mayfield

3/5

I love the overall sound of the album but none of the individual songs really stand out for me.

Germfree Adolescents

X-Ray Spex

3/5

New album, new band for me. Wikipedia suggests it wasn’t released in the US, so that may be the reason. The album has a bright, clear sound that I really enjoy (especially the brass!), though I’m not a fan of all of the songs. The title track, Identity, Poseur, Let’s Submerge, and Warrior in Woolworths are great, though possibly a little much for an early morning listen.

Your Arsenal

Morrissey

5/5

I love the music of Morrissey but I find the man himself obnoxious and I don’t listen to him much anymore. Lately, though, I’ve introduced the Smiths to my teenager so I have been enjoying his collaborative work, and listening to this album now reminds me how much I love his solo music as well. It also reminds me of how horrible he is. Some of the lyrics are straight up xenophobic, others are mean-spirited and obnoxious. But all of the songs are so catchy! I love listening to them! Ugh, so torn. I'm giving this album a 5 since the music is so good, but I probably won't listen again because it also makes me feel kinda gross.

Hard Again

Muddy Waters

4/5

Not long after I moved to NYC - so back when I still had a CD player - I went through a blues phase and I bought/wore out several CDs of blues from the 1920s. Never made the jump to electric guitar blues, and I think my preference remains for the early blues sound. I do love this album though, and in particular I Can’t Be Satisfied. Unsurprising, I guess, because that track is more like pre-amped blues than the other ones (and interesting side note, it’s also the least played album track on Amazon).

Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)

The Kinks

3/5

I know a bit of the Kinks, but with the exception of Drivin', all tracks on this album are new to me. Victoria is good, Drivin' is good, though a bit bouncy, and I really like Shangri-La. Cover reminds me of Monty Python's opening montage. But on the whole the album is not that exciting. My true score falls somewhere between a 2 and a 3, but I'll record a 3 since it's better than the albums I've scored as 2.

Group Sex

Circle Jerks

1/5

Are you kidding me? This isn't good. If there's any song on this album that I like, it's Don't Care, which is also a perfect summation of this listening experience. At least it's blissfully short.

Public Image: First Issue

Public Image Ltd.

1/5

The opening song sounds like the soundtrack to a horror movie. My husband’s response was “make it stop!” I listened to the rest of it through headphones, which is a much more intimate experience and much harder to escape, though I desperately wanted to. Religion was interesting, as a vitriolic spoken piece. Religion II is the same thing with a drumbeat?? Come on. Public Image is a decent song, but it doesn’t save this mess of an album.

A Night At The Opera

Queen

3/5

I love Queen for the memories of my little kids scream-singing Bohemian Rhapsody on road trips, courtesy of my husband. But do I love this album or Queen the band? Not really. I like a lot of their individual songs, though, and I recognize Freddie Mercury’s genius, but I’m not going to put an album on just for fun. Apart from the aforementioned Bohemian Rhapsody, I also really like ‘39 from this album.

Teen Dream

Beach House

3/5

I enjoy the atmospherics of this album but the notes (and eventually the songs) are indistinguishable and start to become tedious after a little bit. I was hoping for better because, while I don’t know this album, I do really like Space Song from the album Depression Cherry.

Hot Buttered Soul

Isaac Hayes

4/5

Love the first 2 songs - amazing sound, great vibe. Not as much a fan of the second 2 songs, especially the one that opens with an unnecessarily long spoken piece. But the second track (out of the 4 total) is so amazing that it bumps this album up to a 4.

Eagles

3/5

Eh. I listened to the first 2 songs with my husband, an Eagles enthusiast, and his enthusiasm made the songs a pleasant listen. But otherwise, totally not my thing. I’ll grant that Train Leaves Here This Morning is good, though I’d probably prefer a cover version. Bumps my score up from a 2 to a 3 though.

Trio

Dolly Parton

3/5

When I was a kid my parents took me and my brother to a lot of Gilbert and Sullivan productions. Around the same time, Linda Ronstadt starred in a movie version of The Pirates of Penzance alongside Rex Smith, Kevin Kline, and Angela Lansbury. I must have watched it a million times. So to my mind, Linda Ronstadt is exclusively a Gilbert and Sullivan singer. I am constantly surprised that she has a whole other life in music, even though my husband has a minor obsession with her and brings her up occasionally when he talks to me about his love for - gag - 60s and 70s pop music. Yesterday when we had the Eagles, for instance, he had to talk to me about how the Eagles used to sing backup for her and how she sings back up for them on their albums. He’s played me her Rock and Roll Hall of Fame performances and talked about how she had to retire early. But none of this changes my perception of her as a Gilbert and Sullivan singer. So I got a little jolt again with this album - what’s Linda Ronstadt doing here? The Pirates of Penzance is deeply channeled into my brain, apparently. As for the album, beautiful voices, gorgeous harmonies, great instruments, love Dolly Parton. But I doubt I’ll listen again.

The Stranger

Billy Joel

3/5

I know all of these songs really well, by osmosis I guess. I suppose there was a time in my youth that I would have put on a Billy Joel album willingly, but that time is not now. I’m giving this a 3 because I can sing along to almost all of the songs, but it is a begrudging 3.

Lust For Life

Iggy Pop

3/5

This album is a bit of a mixed bag for me. I didn’t know the album but I did know a couple of the songs - the title track and Passenger. I also really like Fall in Love with Me, Neighborhood Threat, and Some Weird Sin. I thought the other songs fell a bit short. But I like the energy and overall sound.

Daydream Nation

Sonic Youth

2/5

Not much to say about this album. Just not a fan.

Born To Be With You

Dion

2/5

Amazon Music tells me this is a cult classic influenced by Lou Reed. I don’t hear it, other than he also sings about drugs on one of the songs (Your Own Back Yard) - though ultimately it’s about getting sober. Perhaps it’s just meant in comparison to his earlier career with the Belmonts? Still a stretch, especially with the Phil Spector “wall of sound” thing going on with some of the songs. More like James Taylor if I had to make a comparison. James Taylor plus Phil Spector. Bleh. I read a great review on here that said 2 is the worst score you can give an album - 1 means you actively hate the music, so you’re engaging with it on some level, but 2 means it’s so bad it’s not even worth any thoughts or emotions. This is a definitive 2 for me. I’ve been listening to a string of crap albums lately and I keep remembering that Beyoncé’s Lemonade is not on this list. I know people’s tastes differ, this is an overwhelmingly white and Anglocentric list anyway, and there are tons of amazing albums included. But when I hear something as completely mediocre as this album is, I’m at a loss.

Led Zeppelin III

Led Zeppelin

4/5

I like Immigrant Song well enough, probably out of familiarity. I really like the guitar/melody on Friends. And I’m pleasantly surprised by a few other songs: the blues influence on Since I’ve Been Loving You, though ultimately it goes on a bit too long, the traditional folk song Gallows Pole, the bluegrass guitar on Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, and Tangerine! That’s the way!! Wow! Definitely my favorites. I’m shocked that I'm actually enjoying a Led Zeppelin album. But I still can’t get past Robert Plant’s screamy voice. As much as I like - love, actually, Tangerine, That’s the Way, and Bron-Y-Aur Stomp - I think I would vastly prefer cover versions. Nonetheless, I’m giving this a 4 for the surprise factor.

I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight

Richard Thompson

3/5

The Great Valerio is hauntingly beautiful. On a second listen, Cavalry Cross was pretty good too. But otherwise, the album is kinda boring. I’ll give it a 3 on the strength of these 2 songs but it's a low 3.

KIWANUKA

Michael Kiwanuka

5/5

This is a new album and artist for me - fantastic. Really loving the sound and Kiwanuka’s silky smooth voice. This album is exactly why I started on this 1001(+?) journey and why I have eagerly stuck with it through mediocre albums that shouldn’t be listed at all. You Ain’t the Problem, Living in Denial, and Piano Joint (This Kind of Love) really stand out - the latter like a warm and cozy blanket on a chilly day. Interesting blend of instruments, sound clips, backing vocals, and musical genres. It’s hard to define - soul? Jazz? Rock? R&B? Funk? - there’s a little bit of everything here. I will absolutely put this album into my general rotation and can’t wait to listen to his other albums.

Blue Lines

Massive Attack

2/5

Maybe I’m just not in a trip-hop mood, but this album is mostly a miss for me. Some songs stand out, like Blue Lines. But other songs, like One Love, are like nails on a chalkboard. I appreciate some of the components of this album - Shara Nelson’s vocals, for instance - but others, like the relentless and unchanging drumbeat throughout, keep me on edge. I feel jittery listening to the album and I can't relax into the music. I don’t think that’s the intention. There is a unique sound to this album and it seems like it should be enjoyable - but it isn't, for me.

Savane

Ali Farka Touré

5/5

Ooh I’m looking forward to this. While I don’t know the album, I do know the artist. I listened to a couple of his other albums on repeat during the pandemic lockdowns. Toure’s voice and blend of instruments are so soothing. One instrument in particular - I think it’s the kora? - produces a beautiful bluesy sound that I adore. In the end, this album does not disappoint.

The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators

The 13th Floor Elevators

3/5

Opened up today’s album and thought, ah, another new band. Started listening to it and of course I know and love the first song. I guess I just never paid attention to the artist. But it seems that’s the only song that gets much play, at least according to Amazon’s play stats, and the only one I know. I enjoyed the next few as well but the album is way too long and the songs are too similar. They all blur together and, quite frankly, get tiresome.

The Stone Roses

3/5

I sought out this album in college after hearing it play at a campus coffee shop. Although it's been many years since then, I listened to the album so many times that I’ve grown weary of it. Now I just think it's monotonous and whiny. But I do hear why it appealed to me when I was younger - there is something in it. Also, I guess I wasn’t into Simon and Garfunkel yet but I never noticed that there’s a song with the Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme melody.

Can't Buy A Thrill

Steely Dan

4/5

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. While I still won’t reach for a Steely Dan album (metaphorically, obviously), I won’t be annoyed if one of their songs comes on.

Who's Next

The Who

4/5

Listening to this album reminded me of the amazing tv show, Freaks and Geeks. Short run but perfect ending. I’ve always enjoyed The Who, though I never listen to their albums. This was quite good, with a few tremendous hits bookending a couple of blah songs in the middle.

Ellington at Newport

Duke Ellington

3/5

I like jazz. Jazz is cool. It's great background music for reading, working, anything really. Today, it was good background for falling asleep. So. It was nice, but I only half heard it.

D.O.A. the Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle

Throbbing Gristle

1/5

I had never heard of this band or this album before it popped up on my list generator today, and my life would have been blissfully complete if it had stayed that way. I will admit there is something in Weeping, but it's the stuff of nightmares. I feel like I need to cover my eyes as I listen to it because it sounds like the climax of a horror movie. Or maybe I should be running, because I'm not watching a horror movie and I'm about to be mauled by a one-eyed axe-wielding psychopath. I will not be sleeping well tonight.

Follow The Leader

Korn

1/5

This is the kind of album that exists so that parents can yell at their kids to turn it off.

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Simon & Garfunkel

4/5

I love Simon and Garfunkel, but I listen to songs, not albums. So to my surprise it turned out that there are a few songs on this album that I don’t know. Keep the Customer Satisfied and Why Don’t You Write Me are new to me, and I think they aren’t among their stronger tracks. But the album also includes my favorite S&G song, The Only Living Boy in New York. So on balance I’d say this isn’t their best album but it’s still good. Some of the songs sound more like they’re trending toward Simon’s solo career, and for all that I love S&G I’m not particularly a fan of Paul Simon on his own.

A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector

Various Artists

4/5

The random generator randomly generated a Christmas album on Christmas? Seems fishy. But thank god for it, because I hate Christmas music outside of Christmas. I will admit that this album is infectious, no matter how overplayed the individual songs are. And you gotta love Darlene Love.

American Idiot

Green Day

3/5

I went to a Green Day concert for an earlier album as a 21 yo and was surrounded by 12 yos. Today I listened to the album with my 13 yo son and asked him for his opinion. “Alright, but repetitive” was his answer. Can’t get better than that.

Our Aim Is To Satisfy

Red Snapper

2/5

Reading the reviews I see that this album is like Massive Attack or Chemical Brothers - two bands I've had to listen to and actively hated. So I don't have high hopes for this. But to my surprise, I didn't end up hating this album. I also didn't love it. It's incredibly repetitive. You could trim songs by at least a minute and not notice anything missing. But it's pretty chill, you could put it on in the background for ambience. Not sure it's something you really want to pay attention to though.

My Generation

The Who

4/5

There is a reason The Who reverberates across generations, for all that they talk about their own. I don't listen to The Who per se, but as I listen to this album I hear their influence in many of the bands/albums I do reach for. The album opens strong with Out in the Street. I love the jazzy/bluesy feel of I Don't Mind. The Good's Gone is also rock solid. And these are the songs that get less play on the album, in deference to the ubiquitous My Generation and The Kids Are Alright. The closing song (for the original album, though I was listening to a later version that added a ton of songs) - The Ox - was also really good as a display of their musical talent.

(What's The Story) Morning Glory

Oasis

3/5

I really liked this album when it came out. Or rather, I really loved the two main songs from this album when it came out. And I remember all the hype about Oasis being the next coming of the Beatles. Now I just find this album - and those songs - whiney. Not terrible, just not remarkable.

Chirping Crickets

Buddy Holly & The Crickets

2/5

A little of this goes a long way. By this I mean I'll listen to Oh Boy! and That'll Be the Day when they come on, but I'd switch anything else off. It turns out I like songs about Buddy Holly more than I like songs by Buddy Holly.

E.V.O.L.

Sonic Youth

3/5

I should know this album better than I do, given my age, but I guess it's a just a few years too early for me. Shadow of a Doubt is an amazing yet utterly creepy song and I don't know how I feel about that. I like this album better than the other Sonic Youth album I reviewed (Daydream Nation), but overall I'm just not that into Sonic Youth.

Aftermath

The Rolling Stones

4/5

I like the Rolling Stones’ music, though probably not so much the men themselves. I’ve never really listened to a whole album, just individual songs, so I haven’t been struck before by the wave of misogyny that just kept building, song after song. These were rich, powerful men in their prime, utterly revered. Why all the hate? Mother’s Little Helper, Stupid Girl, Under My Thumb are just the worst examples but really most if not all of the songs were obnoxious. I had to start tuning out the lyrics after a while. That said, most of the songs are a bop. I love the incredible range of instruments on this album. I’ve always loved Lady Jane but I think my new fave is Doncha Bother Me. I listened to the UK release which means I missed Paint It, Black, another great song. Definitely better than Mother’s Little Helper. Overall, 4 for the sound but it’s a grumpy 4 because of the lyrics.

Rock Bottom

Robert Wyatt

5/5

This is a peculiar album and I really don’t know what to make of it. Is it terrible? Is it genius? It’s definitely growing on me the more I listen to it. This album defies review. It can only be a 1 or a 5. I vote genius.

Funeral

Arcade Fire

5/5

I love this album, but I don't really have anything to say about it.

Songs In The Key Of Life

Stevie Wonder

5/5

One of my favorite albums. Sir Duke alone earns this double album a 5, to say nothing of I Wish or Isn't She Lovely, but there are so many fabulous songs on here.

The Bones Of What You Believe

CHVRCHES

2/5

This is a new album/band for me. No loss to me missing this the first time around - it is pure cotton candy. Looks pretty at first glance, but there's no substance and it evaporates into nothingness.

Life Thru A Lens

Robbie Williams

2/5

I turned this album on expecting to hate it - for no reason other than the stupid cover - and was pleasantly surprised by the first song. But the rest of the album is decidedly mediocre.

Home Is Where The Music Is

Hugh Masekela

4/5

Such a pleasant album and easy to get lost in. I like jazz even though I don't usually listen to it - this is an album I'll play again.

Come Away With Me

Norah Jones

3/5

I remember when this album came out and the song Come Away with Me was ubiquitous in a way that few songs become truly ubiquitous. I can enjoy Come Away with Me and Don't Know Why as the standouts from the album. I like the rest of it too, in a pleasant, doesn't leave much of an impression kind of way.

Rubber Soul

Beatles

4/5

My second Beatles album from this generator. I listened to the first one - The White Album - with my older kid and I'm listening to this one with my younger kid. My older kid and I panned The White Album, recognizing that there were a few phenomenal songs. Something similar is happening here - a few fabulous songs, a lot of missable ones. But on balance, I'm enjoying this album much more than The White Album. Norwegian Wood is my absolute favorite Beatles song, so this album will get high marks for that alone. But Nowhere Man, Michelle, Girl, and In My Life are also really great. I'm not as familiar with If I Needed Someone but I'm really enjoying it as well. On the other hand, there's no excuse for Drive My Car, with or without the double entendre. You Won't See Me, The Word, What Goes On, and Run for Your Life are also pretty bad.

Queen II

Queen

2/5

I like Queen's big hits but that's about it. Deep cuts like this album are tedious.

Electric Prunes

The Electric Prunes

1/5

A collection of random thoughts that came to me as I listened to this collection of random songs. I don't want to call it an album because there is no coherence to it. * The Electric Prunes? Were they playing Mad Libs to find a band name? * Is there a mosquito is buzzing around me? * The band veers from a Beatles sound to a Doors sound to a Stones sound, complete with fake British accent on The King Is in the Counting House. * This song collection is a product of its time, preserved in amber. It should have stayed there. * The Toonerville Trolley? WTF? Now that my listening experience is blissfully over, I can say that I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night) is the only track worth listening to, barely. I like the word play of the song title and the transition to the chorus, but that's about it.

The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter

The Incredible String Band

1/5

I like folk music, I like Bach, and I like Gilbert and Sullivan. But I don’t like them all mushed up together.

Violator

Depeche Mode

4/5

Modern rock was my jam in high school. I loved Depeche Mode and have introduced my kids to them. The album singles remain really strong. But what would I think if I were listening to this for the first time? I kinda think the middle songs drag a bit. There may be such a thing as too much synth.

Californication

Red Hot Chili Peppers

3/5

I opened this album thinking I’d give it a 2, but in the end I’m giving it a 3. That’s something, I guess.

Goo

Sonic Youth

3/5

I can hear that this is an important album, but it’s not really my thing. Really enjoyed Disappearer, though.

Come Find Yourself

Fun Lovin' Criminals

3/5

New album/band for me. I enjoyed the title track, Smoke ‘Em, and Methadonia. King of New York was fun too - overall, I liked listening to the album, but I doubt I'll come back to it. Interesting that Wikipedia has absolutely nothing to say about the band.

Automatic For The People

R.E.M.

4/5

When we were teenagers, my brother was obsessed with REM. He’d hole himself in his room and sing along to their albums for hours. Mind, my brother has the worst singing voice, so you’d just hear a kind of guttural humming, all off-tune. Now I can’t listen to REM without also hearing my brother’s attempt to sing along. At the time it annoyed me, but now I think it’s charming. I had this album too and also listened to it over and over, without the attempt at singing. But it’s been years since I’ve listened to it, so while the songs are all familiar, I’m also getting a fresh take. Star Me Kitten and Find the River strike me more now than they would have when I was a kid, and more than Everybody Hurts or Man on the Moon do now.

Talking Heads 77

Talking Heads

5/5

In the early 1990s I did a study abroad in Moscow and I went with some friends to a David Byrne concert, not knowing anything about him. I was transfixed by his performance, and have been a fan of him and the Talking Heads ever since. This album is a great way to start the day - infectious beats, quirky lyrics, and relentless enthusiasm. This is the first time since I started playing an album a day where the album ended way before I was ready to stop listening to it.

Either Or

Elliott Smith

3/5

I like Elliott Smith’s music, but I can’t seem to really get into it.

The New Tango

Astor Piazzolla

3/5

This was an enjoyable listen.

BEYONCÉ

Beyoncé

4/5

This is a great album. I’m surprised there isn’t more from Beyoncé’s solo career on this list.

Safe As Milk

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band

3/5

The is album is definitely a little different but on the whole I’ve enjoyed it. It opens with something that sounds very much like a classic blues song, but it’s a bunch of young white guys. Which led me into a tangent to see if any *actual* classic blues records are included, but it seems that the list doesn’t start until the mid-1950s. Fair enough. But I think people should check out Blind Lemon Jefferson or Leadbelly before they die. Love Abba Zaba but the album goes on too long and drifts into ridiculousness.

At San Quentin

Johnny Cash

5/5

I don’t usually like live albums, but Johnny Cash is an exception. The interplay between himself and the men incarcerated at San Quentin is almost as good as the set list.

Arrival

ABBA

3/5

The first time I ever heard (or remember hearing, at any rate) an ABBA song I was living in Russia. I was driving with someone in a rickety car when Money Money Money came on. I distinctly remember thinking this is the dumbest song I have ever heard, I can't believe someone wrote this, this would never be popular in the US. Obviously I was very wrong on that score, it was just that I had just missed ABBA by a couple of decades (and preceded it by another decade). I came back to the US and my real ABBA education began. I somehow acquired Erasure's ABBA-esque album, which I loved - but didn't yet recognize the connection between it and Money Money Money (or even that ABBA-esque was a cover album). Not long after that the movie Muriel's Wedding came out and it seemed that everyone in the college audience could sing along to the ABBA songs in the soundtrack while I was in the dark. A couple of listens to a best of album soon meant that I could sing along too. I stand by my original opinion about Money Money Money being one of the dumbest songs ever. But overall ABBA is pretty catchy.

Sail Away

Randy Newman

3/5

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this album but I’ve been pleasantly surprised. I like the subversive lyrics, the piano music, and yes, even the scratchy voice. I'm giving it a 3 but make that a high 3.

Heroes

David Bowie

3/5

I know David Bowie songs, not David Bowie albums so I was excited to see this come up. But … I’m underwhelmed. Heroes is fantastic, naturally, and I also enjoyed Sense of Doubt, but that was about it.

Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury

The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy

3/5

Satanic Reverses is great. The rest of it is a bit unrelenting, but I really love the mixed genres. Not all of the songs were available to me on Amazon, including California Uber Alles, which is unfortunate - I remember that song from when it came out.

Buena Vista Social Club

4/5

I would have said that this is one of a handful of truly ubiquitous albums, like Norah Jones, but after reading some of the reviews it seems it’s only ubiquitous for those of us who remember 1997. It’s a great album, but I wouldn’t play it myself and I’ve heard it too many times to really be objective. I’d give it a high 3, but I’m upping to a 4 because I do love the inclusion of non-English language music on this site.

Superfly

Curtis Mayfield

4/5

This is a fabulous album. The instrumentality, the vocals, the vibe. Best songs are Superfly, of course, and Little Child Runnin’ Wild.

Don't Stand Me Down

Dexys Midnight Runners

4/5

Where has this album been all my life? It’s brilliant. I’ll dock it a little for that one song that goes on too long, but even that has enough turns in it that you think you’ve gone on to a new song when surprise! it’s still the same one.

Rain Dogs

Tom Waits

3/5

I've never been a Tom Waits fan and this album is an illustration of why I’m not. Singapore and Cemetery Polka - actually, a bunch of the tracks - are the stuff of nightmares. I did enjoy Clap Hands, Time, and Gun Street Girl though.

Spiderland

Slint

3/5

My initial review was going to be "decidedly mediocre" but the album has been growing on me as I listen to it, particularly starting with Don, Aman. I like the softly rhythmic guitar and the whispered vocals. I can't hear what the vocalist is actually saying though so I can't comment on what the band is trying to impart. Could be creepy, could be subversive, could be wishing everyone happy thoughts, I have no way of knowing by listening alone.

Juju

Siouxsie And The Banshees

5/5

Siouxsie and the Banshees is a band I love but don’t know. That is, I know and love a couple of their songs (including Spellbound), but for whatever reason I haven’t sought them out so my knowledge of them is extremely limited. That’s been a mistake. This album is fantastic (with the exception of Voodoo Dolly).

What's Going On

Marvin Gaye

5/5

Amazing voice, amazing album. Sadly, the title track is as relevant today as it was in 1971.

Snivilisation

Orbital

1/5

I do not like them on a boat, I do not like them with a goat. I do not like them, Sam I Am.

Wish You Were Here

Pink Floyd

2/5

Maybe I need to be high to enjoy Pink Floyd, but I’m not, so I just find it boring. 2

The Yes Album

Yes

2/5

I like the instrumental music. I do not like it when they start singing.

Sound of Silver

LCD Soundsystem

4/5

I'm a New Yorker and I feel New York, I Love You but You're Bringing Me Down deeply in my soul.

Parklife

Blur

2/5

I thought I'd like this more than I actually did. I've always liked the first song - Girls & Boys - but the rest of the album was kinda boring.

Haunted Dancehall

The Sabres Of Paradise

1/5

This is not why I signed up for the album generator.

Seventeen Seconds

The Cure

5/5

Love this album, the melancholia, the simplicity of the chords and beats. Hard to pick a favorite track.

Medúlla

Björk

2/5

The album is impressive as an intellectual and conceptual experiment. The human voice is truly a magical instrument. However, it’s also a challenging listen. I’ve never been a fan of Bjork’s music and this album isn’t going to change my mind.

Green

R.E.M.

4/5

REM has never been one of my favorite bands, but I'm very familiar with them and always enjoy their music when it comes on. From this album, I think that Hairshirt is particularly touching.

The Bends

Radiohead

3/5

I studiously avoid Radiohead for reasons. I recognize that this is an important band but I’m not going to start listening to them. I’ll give a tip of the hat to High and Dry and Fake Plastic Trees as I go.

Bummed

Happy Mondays

2/5

A drug-fueled mess of an album. Totally boring.

Eternally Yours

The Saints

3/5

Not a band I know. Love the first song, love the horns. The next few songs are more standard-issue punk, but still enjoyable. Favorites: Know Your Product, A Minor Aversion, Orstralia. I ended up listening to an extended album and it included a great cover of River Deep, Mountain High.

Rejoicing In The Hands

Devendra Banhart

5/5

I was aware of Devendra Banhart back in 2004 but somehow lost track of him. That’s a real shame because his music is so beautiful. Love the guitar, the folksy sound. Really glad to be reacquainted.

Low

David Bowie

3/5

I don't know how I feel about this album. I like David Bowie, generally speaking, and I like the overall sound of Low, but a little of it goes a long way and there's a lot here. Ultimately, I think this album is a little too conceptual for me.

Meat Is Murder

The Smiths

4/5

When I lived in St. Petersburg, Russia, my friends and I often went to see a Smiths cover band play in a dance club. Good times, great cover band. I love the music of the Smiths. Pity that Morrissey is such a jerk. 4

The Idiot

Iggy Pop

4/5

I've never really known the music of Iggy Pop - other than a couple of songs on Lust for Life that I didn't actually know were his - but it turns out I l really like him. The funny thing is that I reviewed David Bowie's Low a couple of days ago, which was made right after The Idiot. I didn't really like Low all that much but this album much better. Had to listen to it on YouTube though because it's no longer available on Amazon.

Beyond Skin

Nitin Sawhney

2/5

Love all the trash reviews of this album. I didn't like the first song but I did enjoy the next two: Letting Go and Homelands, so when I first started taking notes I was inclined to make a case for the album. But every song after Homelands has been a downhill slide and now I'm just waiting for this to end. Pilgrim is too precise in its syllable count, like a child reciting a poem; Tides is elevator music; and another reviewer was spot on when they said Immigrant was a Disney song. My main critique is that a lot of the tracks start out interesting, but they all go on far too long and whatever was interesting about them fades into a repetitive drum beat. This album is a smidge better than a lot of the other boring trip-hop we've gotten here, but only because of the Indian/diaspora musical influence.

Tigermilk

Belle & Sebastian

4/5

I do love Belle and Sebastian, twee-ness and all. The music is so aggressively upbeat and cheerful, delightfully masking the horror of the lyrics. Great combination. I forget when I stopped listening to B&S - I guess I outgrew the 90s - but should start giving them a listen again.

Thriller

Michael Jackson

5/5

Not every song on this album is a winner (the doggone girl is mine?), and MJ is problematic as a person. Then again, so was his whole life. But. This album stands out as a truly remarkable feat of pop music. Thriller alone secures its spot as a five, and then you throw in Wanna Be Startin’ Something, Beat It, and Billie Jean — it defies classification.

British Steel

Judas Priest

1/5

This sucks.

Life's Too Good

The Sugarcubes

3/5

I saw the Sugar Cubes tour for this album, as an opening act for New Order. Looking it up now it seems I also saw Public Image Ltd on the same ticket? Blech. I believe I gave their album a 1. I’ll be kinder to the Sugarcubes, but I’ve never really seen the appeal.

You're Living All Over Me

Dinosaur Jr.

1/5

I appreciate all the positive reviews of this album, but for me it was a real chore to listen to.

Solid Air

John Martyn

3/5

I didn’t know what to expect with this album, but it definitely wasn’t this. It’s got folk, funk, John Denver, psychedelic rock, blues, and lounge music all rolled up in one package. The first song, Solid Air, stands out as the soundtrack for a movie about lonely people, but otherwise it’s just pleasant ambient sound.

Tusk

Fleetwood Mac

2/5

Unremarkable. The only song that made me sit up and listen is Sisters of the Moon, which got bogged down in ridiculous electric guitar solos at the end.

The Wildest!

Louis Prima

4/5

This whole album has such a bright, cheerful sound. Love the tongue-in-cheek lyrics and the scat. Amazon music tells me that Louis Prima is styled as Louis Armstrong, which is a relief - for at least a couple of the songs, if you told me it was Louis Armstrong I would have believed it. Love Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody, which naturally I know from David Lee Roth, and Jump, Jive, An' Wail, which is a swing classic. Night Train is new to me and also a stand out.

Fever Ray

2/5

Hauntingly beautiful. A little bit Bjork, a little bit Everything but the Girl, a little bit Gregorian monk chants. Interesting once, but not worth a second listen. Alternatively, this will stick with me. It’s a bit of a toss up.

Me Against The World

2Pac

4/5

I know some of the songs but I’ve never really given the album a full listen. Taken together, the first two tracks are an interesting flirt with the historical record. Actually, all of the songs are. I don’t listen to much rap, so I didn’t know this is a beautifully nuanced and touching album. I’ve missed out but not listening to it in full sooner.

Foxbase Alpha

Saint Etienne

2/5

It’s nice enough, I guess, but nothing to write home about. It seems like we’re getting many more of these ethereal moody albums than is really warranted.

War

U2

5/5

I've forgotten what's it's like to listen to a truly outstanding album after all the mediocrity I've been getting. Obviously U2 is a household name by now, and I've always liked their music well enough though I don't ever listen to it. But sitting down with this album really drives home why U2 is the phenomenon they are. Sunday Bloody Sunday is a masterpiece. Seconds is new to me, which is unfortunate because the drumming just blows me away with its insistence and power. I think for me that's the real album takeaway - not Bono himself but The Edge. Across the album the drumming is just so raw, palpable, and deeply emotional.

White Blood Cells

The White Stripes

4/5

I've always been fond of The White Stripes, even though I'm not usually a fan of loud, brash music.

Screamadelica

Primal Scream

2/5

A tedious listen.

The Number Of The Beast

Iron Maiden

1/5

Are you kidding me? No.

In The Court Of The Crimson King

King Crimson

3/5

My husband gives this album a 5. He even painted this album cover in the Freedom Tunnel, with a train coming out of the mouth. I’ll be generous and give it a 3.

Music for the Masses

Depeche Mode

5/5

Ooh, perfect weekend album. Something to really slip into. Sorry to see all the negative reviews, but perhaps you needed to grow up with Depeche Mode. I'll grant that it perhaps drags a bit in the middle, but overall I love the sound of 80s synth.

Vespertine

Björk

2/5

My third Bjork album. Still not a fan. It’s just so whiny sounding. My visiting nephew, who admits to enjoying the occasional Bjork song, is much more generous and calls it “atmospheric “ and “flowy.” I’ll grant that. But it’s still also whiny.

Duck Stab/Buster & Glen

The Residents

1/5

I can’t believe there are two songs referencing Constantinople. I like the other one better. This album really isn’t for me, with the exception of Bach is Dead.

Africa Brasil

Jorge Ben Jor

5/5

This is a great album for driving along the Mass Turnpike in the rain. Mellow but not sleepy. Turned into a surprised conversation about musical plagiarism once Taj Mahal came on.

Stankonia

OutKast

4/5

I haven’t listened to this full album before, though I’ve always liked the song Ms. Jackson and the next album from OutKast (Speakerboxxx/The Love Below). But many of the tracks are infectious and I love the spoken bits in between songs. I did sit up for Toilet Tisha though. I can’t speak to the lyrics on the other songs because I wasn’t listening that closely, but Toilet Tisha caught my ears because it was pretty gruesome.

Hypnotised

The Undertones

4/5

This is a new album for me. It’s great! I love this bold and upbeat sounds. I keep bopping as I listen to it even though I’m in public. Nice cover of The Beach Boys. Also Boys Will Be Boys reminded me of Blur’s song?

The Last Broadcast

Doves

3/5

The album is fine. Unremarkable.

Deserter's Songs

Mercury Rev

4/5

I’ve never heard this before but it fits the rainy day and my mood. I’m really enjoying this and I’m sorry I didn’t know about it back in 1998.

The Man Machine

Kraftwerk

3/5

It's not really "listen to for fun" music, though there is something in it that draws you to it. Better for a sweaty dance floor at 1 am than for a living room couch at 1 pm. I like The Model but overall the songs go on way too long.

Guero

Beck

5/5

I enjoy Beck's music and then I remember he's a Scientologist. But seriously, I had this album in college and played it all the time. I lost the thread of it at some point and haven't heard the album in years. When I started listening I thought that on the basis of losing the taste for the album I'd give it a 4. But I'm hard pressed to name a track I don't like; I'm enjoying this very much. I love the overlays and the beats and the mix of genres. Guess I'm upgrading to a 5.

Music For The Jilted Generation

The Prodigy

1/5

I can’t wait for this to end. I didn’t like it in 1994 and I don’t like it now. Listening to it makes me jittery and anxious and I honestly don’t understand how people can listen to it. 1

Trafalgar

Bee Gees

2/5

Pre-disco BeeGees. This is my husband's jam. There’s something kinda charming about it, but it’s not really for me.

Modern Life Is Rubbish

Blur

3/5

I really enjoyed For Tomorrow and Sunday Sunday. Otherwise the album seemed very much a product of its time.

Tidal

Fiona Apple

3/5

Love the sultry voice, but a little goes a long way and I think that’s why I didn’t pick up Fiona Apple in 1996. I really like the big songs from the album, Sleep to Dream and Criminal. I also really enjoyed Shadowboxer and Slow Like Honey. I’d like to give this a 3.5 but I can’t so 3 it is.

A Love Supreme

John Coltrane

4/5

I used to listen to jazz more and I loved John Coltrane. This was a very pleasant listen.

Deloused in the Comatorium

The Mars Volta

1/5

Super annoying. No.

Made In Japan

Deep Purple

3/5

I can see the appeal of this music. I like the melodies, the hooks are truly memorable, the drums are amazing, the guitar work is something else. But. The tracks go on too long. I’m tired of them long before they’re over. Not really a fan of the scream singing.

Damaged

Black Flag

2/5

This is such suburban teenage boy music. Bleh. Rise Above was reasonable, if you like this genre. And I actually chuckled with TV Party and enjoyed it. But overall it's not my thing.

Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

3/5

First half: I’m not disliking this as much as I thought I would. Not a fan of Nick Cave’s voice or the backing vocals that keep popping up, but the instrumentation is unique, full, and engaging. Cannibal’s Hymn was especially cool. I don’t know what to say about the other songs though. There are moments in all of them that I enjoy, but I’m not necessarily a fan of the songs as a whole. Second half: This is what I expected from a Nick Cave album. I actively despise some songs, such as Fable of the Brown Ape, but I liked a couple others: Breathless and Spell.

Live And Dangerous

Thin Lizzy

2/5

I’m not a fan of recorded live music or of hard rock/metal. Obviously this album isn’t for me. But rock on, Thin Lizzy fans.

In The Wee Small Hours

Frank Sinatra

5/5

I have a huge soft spot for Frank Sinatra. His music puts me in mind of so many good memories - my grandfather, swing dancing, monthly Fridays with Frank parties in grad school. This isn’t my favorite album, or my favorite songs, but listening to it is still like getting back in touch with an old friend. I love the soft melancholy, the crooning voice, the orchestration, the mood-setting artwork.

Emperor Tomato Ketchup

Stereolab

3/5

I know one song by this band, and I love it. It turns out there is a reason I only know that one song. That said, there is something very comforting about the repetitive beats, whisper-soft voices, and the interplay between the French and English lyrics. It’s very nice background music, but not something to sit up and take notice.

Head Hunters

Herbie Hancock

5/5

This is not what I was expecting from a Herbie Hancock album but I am blown away. I rarely do this, but I listened to the album again immediately after it was finished. I loved all of it, but especially Chameleon and Watermelon Man. I expect I'll be listening to this again very soon.

25

Adele

2/5

I bought this album when it came out. I didn’t really like it much so after a couple of listens I put it away. My kid found it and fell in love - and so this is the soundtrack to their childhood. I’m listening to it with them now and they’re singing along to every word. Sorry kid! I should have had better taste in CD purchases.

Fear Of A Black Planet

Public Enemy

4/5

This was a great listen. I loved the layers of sound and the rhythms. Best tracks: Brothers Gonna Work It Out, Welcome to the Terrordome, Burn Hollywood Burn, and, naturally, Fight the Power.

For Your Pleasure

Roxy Music

3/5

New band/album for me and I’m pleasantly surprised to start. Seems ahead of its time, or at least major influence on later bands that I really like. This album opened strong with Strictly Confidential and Beauty Queen but the later songs were more of a snooze.

Before And After Science

Brian Eno

5/5

I’ve always had this idea that I like Brian Eno because he’s had a hand in music that I adore, but I haven’t really taken the time to listen to him. This album does not disappoint. I love (almost) everything thing about it. Also, today is his birthday! Happy birthday Brian Eno!

Ghosteen

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

2/5

Really not my cup of tea.

Ten

Pearl Jam

4/5

This brings back memories. Move in day, freshman year of college, and someone anchored their speakers into their dorm window and blasted this album. Grunge music was everywhere, so naturally I had to hate it. But despite my attitude, this album wormed its way into my consciousness and has stayed with me for years. I usually can’t actively listen to it - the lyrics are too sad - but I appreciate the genius of this album and enjoy hearing it when it’s on.

A Hard Day's Night

Beatles

3/5

I don't want to say something dumb like the Beatles are overrated, because they aren't, obviously, when they have such an outsized influence on popular culture and history. Buuuuuuuuut ... I guess I will say that they aren't my favorite.

American Pie

Don McLean

3/5

American Pie is an undisputed classic. Song. Seems a bit of a stretch to put the whole album on this list.

Hysteria

Def Leppard

2/5

Awesome drumming, insipid lyrics.

Stephen Stills

3/5

I’m enjoying this more than I thought I would. Love the bluesy Go Back Home.

The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady

Charles Mingus

3/5

Chaotic. At times dissonant, at times lyrical, but always interesting.

Led Zeppelin IV

Led Zeppelin

5/5

I've gotten 3 LZ albums in order: I, III, now IV. They've gotten progressively better. I'll give this top marks based on its incredible legacy. I'll even admit to enjoying it.

Grace

Jeff Buckley

3/5

A little whiny for me. A couple songs stand out: Hallelujah, obviously, and Lilac Wine.

Pictures At An Exhibition

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

4/5

A curious album, at times engaging and at times tedious. Thumbs up to The Sage, Blues Variation, and The Hut of Baba Yaga.

Like Water For Chocolate

Common

3/5

Love the blend of musical styles. The album is a bit long, def don’t love the homophobia. But Time Travelin’ and its reprise are worth the price of admission. The 6th Sense and The Light are also really good and I’m tickled by the transition from Thelonius to Payback is a Grandmother.

Liquid Swords

GZA

3/5

The beats are surprisingly catchy and engaging. The lengthy excerpts from Shogun Assassin are rather tedious.

Fever To Tell

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

3/5

Love Karen O’s voice, love Maps and a couple other songs. Overall I’m not a huge fan of screamy music, but I appreciate this album.

Django Django

4/5

I started out skeptical of this album because I’ve never heard of this group and because Introduction is a terrible introduction. But it turns out the album is cheerful and boppy. They’ve won me over.

Darkness on the Edge of Town

Bruce Springsteen

3/5

The album starts out incredibly strong with Badlands and I was excited to hear more of this ode to the American blue collar working man. Springsteen looms so large in US culture and I know so many of his later albums. But ultimately I was disappointed. I understand why this gets so many accolades but I just don’t connect with it.

Are You Experienced

Jimi Hendrix

5/5

Makes me wish I could join a rock band.

Bringing It All Back Home

Bob Dylan

5/5

I love the poetry and storytelling of Dylan’s music.

Superunknown

Soundgarden

3/5

Naturally Black Hole Sun is amazing. But other than that singular track, I never really got the appeal of Soundgarden. Listening to it now, I can appreciate the vocalized melodies and the overall sound. But it is intense and a little goes a long way.

The Rise & Fall

Madness

2/5

Listened to a fair amount of ska in HS but other than Our House I didn’t know this album. I like the cheerful upbeat-ness of it and love the horns! But I can’t get over the blackface on the cover, which thankfully I don’t get on the streaming version of the album. I’m wavering between a 2 and a 3. But before I logged on today, I could not for the life of me recollect the album. So I guess it’s a 2.

Oxygène

Jean-Michel Jarre

1/5

This is terrible!

Freak Out!

The Mothers Of Invention

3/5

An interesting listen.

The Köln Concert

Keith Jarrett

1/5

This album is to classical music as smooth jazz is to jazz. That is, an insipid shadow of what it’s trying to emulate. That’s my ungenerous take. But I’ve avoided my album of the day listening for three weeks now - I have a lot to catch up on - in part because I couldn’t stand the thought of listening to this through to the end. Today’s the day I’m biting the bullet.

In A Silent Way

Miles Davis

4/5

This was really nice to listen to.

The Trinity Session

Cowboy Junkies

5/5

I was obsessed with this album in college, especially the song I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry and Sweet Jane. Now I find it a tad too morose for my taste - different life stages I suppose. But I recognize the bluesy/jazzy genius of the album.

Play

Moby

4/5

I had this album on repeat when it came out and still find it relaxing. Related, I once went to the tea shop that Moby had? has? on the Lower East Side and didn’t really like it.

Blood On The Tracks

Bob Dylan

5/5

I have always loved this album - so many amazing songs on it. I listened to it again with my teenage son and sadly he was unimpressed.

Odessey And Oracle

The Zombies

2/5

Seeing so many positive reviews of this album makes me want to like it … but I just don’t. Small exception for Time of the Season.

Bossanova

Pixies

3/5

There are elements of the album that I really like - the drumming, the melodies. But there are elements that I really dislike - the shrieking and discordant elements. So I'll take some and leave some.

Eliminator

ZZ Top

2/5

Just not my thing.

Moby Grape

3/5

So ... this album is not available on Amazon Music or on Spotify. Found it on YouTube instead. It's kinda what you expect out of late 60s music. Bit of a Beatles feel on Hey Grandma but otherwise it's pretty eclectic - blues, bluegrass, country, folk. I hear a lot of other bands in their work. Naked, If I Want To and Sitting by the Window are my favorites but overall I doubt I'd listen to it again.

Aqualung

Jethro Tull

2/5

Something about the jaunty flute makes me feel like I should be frolicking amongst the daisies. Big fan of daisies, but not so much flutes.

Bookends

Simon & Garfunkel

5/5

America, Mrs. Robinson, A Hazy Shade of Winter - such amazing songs! It doesn’t matter that some of the other songs on the album don’t hold up. These do, and they’re genius.

Chris

Christine and the Queens

2/5

One long, tedious drumbeat with backing vocals.

The Modern Dance

Pere Ubu

3/5

This isn’t really my music, and I doubt I’ll listen to it again, but I can see the appeal. There’s something about this album that really draws you in.

Viva Hate

Morrissey

2/5

Everyday is Like Sunday and Suedehead are great songs. I also enjoyed Margaret on the Guillotine (but that song ending?) Otherwise, though, this album is shockingly mediocre.

Band On The Run

Paul McCartney and Wings

3/5

Good title song; the last song was excellent as well. But the in between bits were kinda blah.

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

Arctic Monkeys

3/5

Pleasantly energetic

Remain In Light

Talking Heads

5/5

David Byrne is delightfully quirky. His music is always bold and brash and I love it.

Be

Common

3/5

Earnest

Palo Congo

Sabu

4/5

A cheerful pick-me-up on what was otherwise a glum afternoon.

Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music

Ray Charles

3/5

Ray Charles’ voice is amazing. His piano is amazing. I love the trumpets. But the backing vocals and orchestration make me cringe. I really want to like this album - but the more I hear the sound built around the voice and the piano, the less I like it.

Fire Of Love

The Gun Club

2/5

Tedious.

Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs

Derek & The Dominos

2/5

Obviously the song Layla is iconic. Otherwise this is a slog.

Moon Safari

Air

3/5

This album is the best thing I got from a an otherwise awful ex. But that was years and years ago. I still listen to the album occasionally, but definitely not as much, and listening to it now it all kinda blends in together in a not unpleasant but definitely monotonous kind of way. If I were listening to it for the first time I think I’d give it a 3. I’m tempted by a 4 for the sake of nostalgia, but realistically it’s a 3.

Under Construction

Missy Elliott

4/5

Omg that reference to Donald Trump not wasting his time with public fights 😂 I don’t listen to much hiphop but I’m clearly missing out. This album is catchy and a lot of fun. Love Gossip Folks, Play That Beat.

Ambient 1/Music For Airports

Brian Eno

2/5

Man, what a punch! If anything makes me want to listen to an album, it is a title like "ambient music for airports"! But more to the point, this album could only accompany a sparse, minimalist European airport with lots of windows, sunlight streaming through, and a zombie apocalypse that leaves the airport utterly empty. I would not be able to take this seriously at JFK or LGA. Or Frankfurt, for that matter. Maybe it could play in Geneva, or the airport in Station 11.

Vanishing Point

Primal Scream

2/5

As an album, I did not enjoy. A couple songs were ok - Get Duffy, Star - and I liked some of the guitar riffs on other songs. But overall a real slog.

Born In The U.S.A.

Bruce Springsteen

4/5

I'm not much of a Springsteen listener, but as an American child of the 80s this album was seared into my consciousness. How exactly I don't know, since my parents never listened to anything but opera and I wasn't seeking it out myself; I guess it was just in the air. I like the album well enough but I have a special fondness for I'm on Fire.

Hybrid Theory

Linkin Park

2/5

A little of this goes a long way. I surprised myself by enjoying the opening track, Papercut, but the rest is just a bunch of screaming.

Broken English

Marianne Faithfull

2/5

Started off thinking I should like this but ended up realizing I don’t.

Let England Shake

PJ Harvey

3/5

I won’t say that I love every song here, but it is definitely unique and not unenjoyable.

After The Gold Rush

Neil Young

3/5

I like this better than the other CSNY solo albums we’ve seen here. Some powerful songs included here, but I find I like Till the Morning Comes best.

The Cars

4/5

Lovely, jaunty album. Hard to pick a favorite song! But if I had to choose, it’s the classic Just What I Needed, with honorable mention to Moving in Stereo.

S&M

Metallica

3/5

What a curious concept. Much better than I expected it to be.

The Modern Lovers

3/5

Seeing a lot of bad reviews for this but I’m enjoying it. It’s a little quirky, obviously in the vein of Velvet Underground and Talking Heads. Not as sophisticated or intricate, but worth a listen.

Architecture And Morality

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

4/5

I really enjoyed this, from the tone and the mood to the emerging new wave sound.

Black Holes and Revelations

Muse

2/5

There’s an urgency and intensity to this album that’s a lot like Radiohead, but at the same time tempered by Oasis and Coldplay. On all accounts, not in a good way. It’s too much for me.

The Chronic

Dr. Dre

3/5

I really enjoy this, but only one song at a time. And maybe I don’t listen too closely to the lyrics.

Melodrama

Lorde

4/5

Catchy pop album, full of raw emotion made entertaining. And then Liability comes along and stomps on you. Powerful song about heartbreak and low self-esteem. The rest of the album is fine but doesn’t really compare.

Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)

Eurythmics

2/5

The title track is amazing. Hands down 5 stars. If this were a list of 1,001 songs to listen to before you die, then its inclusion is a given. Jennifer is also good. But what is up with the rest of this boring album? I was expecting something great but was left with meh. The album gets a 1 for the disappointment, but the title track bumps it up to 2.

Revolver

Beatles

3/5

Sacrilege, I know, but the Beatles are hit or miss for me, usually on the same album. Revolver is no exception.

Document

R.E.M.

4/5

These songs are all so familiar to me. They're ingrained on my consciousness even though I don't really listen to REM on my own.

The Doors

5/5

When I was a kid I couldn’t get over the fact that Jim Morrison sings “if I was to say to you” rather than “if I were to say to you.” It still kinda rankles. But this is a masterpiece of an album nonetheless.

To Pimp A Butterfly

Kendrick Lamar

3/5

Very layered, complex, powerful. These Walls made me sit up and pay close attention. U grabbed me as well. It’s not an easy listen though.

Entertainment

Gang Of Four

4/5

New band for me. Impressed out of the gate.

I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got

Sinead O'Connor

4/5

Beautiful, haunting album.

The Sensual World

Kate Bush

3/5

Not all of this album lands for me, but the songs that do are nothing short of mesmerizing. For now, those songs are The Sensual World and This Woman’s Work. I feel that Kate Bush is the kind of artist that grows on you, so in the future I might want to rate this higher.

From Elvis In Memphis

Elvis Presley

3/5

This is not the best representation of Elvis. There are a lot of songs to get through before you reach the big hits - a bit meandering, a bit overproduced, though on the whole not unenjoyable.

The Slim Shady LP

Eminem

3/5

Violence, misogyny, homophobia, and a catchy beat!

Forever Changes

Love

4/5

An underrated classic. The trumpets! Alone Again Or is one of my favorite songs. Bummer in the Summer and You Set the Scene rank highly as well. The rest of the album doesn't quite hold up to these three tracks, but it's good nonetheless.

Street Life

The Crusaders

2/5

This conjures up a smoky, jazzy ambiance that I guess I'm just not feeling.

16 Lovers Lane

The Go-Betweens

3/5

This album really seems to be a product of its time. That’s not at all a criticism, I happen to love late 80s new wave. It just really struck me as representative of an era. This is a new album for me, somewhat to my surprise, and I’m enjoying it. Most of it. Dive for Your Memory is my favorite.

Blackstar

David Bowie

3/5

As a personal diary and journey into the unknown for someone close to the end, this is really deep. For a listener in a different stage, it’s a bit much. But then again, Bowie has always been hit or miss for me.

Paranoid

Black Sabbath

2/5

Admittedly, I am not the audience for this. Listening to it did not change my mind.

Swordfishtrombones

Tom Waits

2/5

Listening to Tom Waits is tedious. Musically I actually like a lot of it, but I can’t take his voice.

Teenager Of The Year

Frank Black

3/5

I enjoyed Calistan.

Talking Timbuktu

Ali Farka Touré

5/5

Mellow, relaxing, upbeat. The perfect accompaniment to just about anything.

Figure 8

Elliott Smith

3/5

I used to listen to Elliot Smith all the time but I somehow lost the thread. His music ticks all the right boxes for me but somehow it doesn’t hit me.

Maggot Brain

Funkadelic

3/5

I’ve been vacillating between liking this album and not liking this album. Can You Get to That and Back in Our Minds were pretty good. But otherwise, eh.

Fromohio

fIREHOSE

3/5

It’s not terrible, but really nothing stands out.

Kollaps

Einstürzende Neubauten

3/5

This album is definitely hard to get into. A lot of harsh sounds that give you the heeby-jeebies and hurt your ears. But I have a fondness for the Serge Gainesbourg song J’Taime and this album includes an interesting cover. And then the next song was Kollaps, which I actually enjoyed. Liebesdub and Spionagedub were good too. On the challenging 1001 albums scale, it’s better than Throbbing Gristle / Third Report and less good than Robert Wyatt / Rock Bottom. I’m not sure I’ll listen to it again but also I’m not sure I’d not listen to it again.

Pornography

The Cure

5/5

The Cure is a favorite of mine and this album is no exception.

In Utero

Nirvana

2/5

I am exactly the right age for Nirvana - in high school when Nevermind came out, in college when In Utero came out. Their music permeated everything and was impossible to escape. I must have been one of the very few who couldn't stand it. Years later, I wouldn't say I hate their music. But it also hasn't grown on me.

Fear Of Music

Talking Heads

5/5

Fabulous album from the Talking Heads, as always.

Sulk

The Associates

1/5

New album, new band for me. Some experimental music really works - see anything by David Byrne, or even that clangy album by the German band everyone on here hates (Einstürzende Neubauten). This just seems to be trying too hard to be David Bowie. Then again, not all of David Bowie’s experimental music works, so I guess they got it down after all. I was going to give this album a 2 for forgettable, but the more I listen to it the angrier it’s making me.

Roots

Sepultura

2/5

Headache-inducing.

Dear Science

TV On The Radio

4/5

This is new to me and *fantastic*! I love coming across new things that are right up my alley.

Foo Fighters

2/5

I hate to say it, but this album seems kinda generic now. I played it for my teenage son, thinking that he's really the right age for it, and his response was ehhh, it's all right. Damning with faint praise.

Highway to Hell

AC/DC

2/5

Oh to be a teenage boy.

Dry

PJ Harvey

3/5

PJ Harvey’s voice is raw and haunting. Her music is emotionally impactful in a way that that I recognize as good. But I also find that most of her music is difficult to listen to. On this album, I really like Victory, and I remember Sheena-Na-Gig from back in the day. I’ll come back to those songs, but probably not the rest of it.

Pieces Of The Sky

Emmylou Harris

3/5

I’m don’t listen to much country but there is a sweet plaintiveness to this album that I enjoy. It turns a little saccharine after a few tracks. But Harris’ voice is amazing.

Club Classics Vol. One

Soul II Soul

3/5

I was walking to work, listening and enjoying the vibe of this album on a beautiful fall day. But at the same time I was wondering why on earth this album made it to the top 1,001. It’s pretty generic house music. Then Back to Life came on and I realized why it’s here. But is an individual song the reason to put an album on the list? It’s like the Eurythmics and Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). Awesome, influential song, and a great addition to a 1,001 greatest songs list. But when it comes down to it, the album is boring.

James Brown Live At The Apollo

James Brown

4/5

Surprisingly short album, but it still packs a punch. Love the instrumental bridges, they really work to psych you up for the next song.

Sign 'O' The Times

Prince

4/5

Prince is a masterful artist and this album is an amazing listen. It is also WAY too long.

Let It Be

The Replacements

2/5

Lots of paeans to this album in the reviews but I don’t really see it.

Nick Of Time

Bonnie Raitt

2/5

This album has a country base with jazzy elements. It’s smooth but sappy. I definitely hear it as a precursor to Norah Jones.

Mama Said Knock You Out

LL Cool J

3/5

The driver from the first song - The Boomin' System - drives around my neighborhood every night. Sadly, he does not listen to The Boomin' System, which is vastly preferable to the songs that do get played. I'm enjoying this a lot. Great beats and rhythms. I'm seeing a lot of complaints in the reviews about insipid lyrics, etc, but that's true for a lot of the albums on this list. So how is this album different? hmm.

Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs

Marty Robbins

2/5

I don't exactly know why American culture is so obsessed with cowboys and Manifest Destiny, but it is, and this album epitomizes both. I've never heard of Marty Robbins and I've never heard any of these songs but I see the through line from this to modern country and some pop crossovers (looking at you, Sting). The voice is beautiful but the songs idolize terrible acts.

The Gershwin Songbook

Ella Fitzgerald

3/5

I love Ella Fitzgerald and I love her renditions of the Gershwin songbook. When I was younger, I went through a When Harry Met Sally phase that was accompanied by an obsession with 1940s-50s vocal jazz classics. I’ve attended regular Fridays with Frank parties and learned how to swing dance. That said, I’ve never sat down for a 3+ hour session all at once. The great songs are great! But honestly not all of the songs are worth listening to. Ella Fitzgerald herself taps out of the final 6 songs and leaves us with jazz ballet. I'd give a pared down song book - a "best of" album, if you will - a 5, but I'll subtract a star for each of the extra hours included on this version.

Butterfly

Mariah Carey

2/5

Overproduced and boring.

Space Ritual

Hawkwind

1/5

Pretentious and interminably long. I want my 2 hours back.

Slippery When Wet

Bon Jovi

4/5

Fun album. The great songs - Livin' on a Prayer, You Give Love a Bad Name, and Wanted Dead or Alive - are classics. The rest of the songs are more forgettable.

On The Beach

Neil Young

2/5

Honestly I just find Neil Young boring.

Wild Is The Wind

Nina Simone

5/5

In college a boyfriend handed me a couple of Nina Simone albums to listen to (not this one). We were at the end of the relationship, I had grown increasingly uncomfortable with him around, so when I played the first album I was subconsciously set against it. I hated it. Never bothered with the second album. Years later, when the idea of him just didn’t matter anymore, I played the album again. I was blown away. The power, energy, anger, and most of all, beauty in Nina Simone’s voice has stayed with me ever since. I come back to her music frequently and there’s always something new to hear in it.

3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of...

Arrested Development

4/5

For nostalgia alone I have to give this a 4. Love the instruments, blend of musical styles, and overall sound.

Something Else By The Kinks

The Kinks

3/5

Cheerful and jaunty but boring.

Sex Packets

Digital Underground

3/5

The Humpty Dance is a staple from my high school years. Not all of the rest of it holds up though.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Kanye West

4/5

For all that Kanye West is such a powerful cultural force, I’m not really acquainted with his music. So I wasn’t sure what to expect when I turned this on. I won’t say I’m a fan of all of it (ugh, Blame Game), but I couldn’t turn away from any of it. The album has a real pull. Monster in particular really blew me away.

Shake Your Money Maker

The Black Crowes

2/5

Totally forgettable.

Teenage Head

Flamin' Groovies

2/5

There’s a real garage band sound going on, not in a good way. Amazon initially took me to a completely different album by them, so I’ve listened to 2 of these to come to this conclusion.

1977

Ash

2/5

Blood And Chocolate

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

2/5

There may be a couple of songs by Elvis Costello that I like and enjoy, but they are not on this album. I find his voice to be like nails on a chalkboard.

The Score

Fugees

5/5

Amazing blend of musical styles and lyrics.

Transformer

Lou Reed

5/5

Lou Reed is a genius.

Elvis Is Back

Elvis Presley

4/5

Elvis is just a lot of fun. Some songs - like I Will Be Home Again - are vapid but others - like Fever - are truly outstanding.

Hearts And Bones

Paul Simon

3/5

I am resolute in my love for Simon & Garfunkel and my disdain for solo Simon. But I do like Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog after the War so the album gets a 1-star bump.

Beauty And The Beat

The Go-Go's

4/5

So delightfully upbeat and peppy. I knew and liked their big hits but I’m also really enjoying their lesser known songs.

Ágætis Byrjun

Sigur Rós

3/5

This was introduced to me years ago as one of my sister-in-law’s favorites. I listened to it for a while. It’s pleasant enough but maybe a little too atmospheric for me.

Brilliant Corners

Thelonious Monk

3/5

I need to be in a dimly lit, smoky bar to properly enjoy this.

Idlewild

Everything But The Girl

2/5

This is the second Everything but the Girl album I’ve gotten and it still doesn’t include their biggest hit. I don’t think this band is worth one let alone two albums on this list. Are there going to be more?!?

Live At The Harlem Square Club

Sam Cooke

3/5

The album was fun but made me remember how I like studio albums better than live albums.

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme

Simon & Garfunkel

5/5

I first heard this album while babysitting two rotten little kids - they liked to fall asleep to it. At the time I thought it was an odd choice. But as I got older I started listening to it myself and realized how brilliant it is. Homeward Bound and 59th Street Bridge (Feelin’ Groovy) are obvious classics, but my favorites are The Dangling Conversation and Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall.

Blunderbuss

Jack White

4/5

I didn’t really keep up with Jack White post-White Stripes, but that was a mistake. I love the controlled passion and the piano work on this album. Some overdone bits, to be sure, but I like the general flow and sound.

The Poet

Bobby Womack

2/5

Stand Up was the sole redeeming track from this album.

A Northern Soul

The Verve

3/5

In a word, whiny. And not even the album everyone knows. Oh god, is that one coming up too?

Virgin Suicides

Air

1/5

Oh my god this movie sucked. Not for the music, which is actually pretty decent. But I’d give money to not have to think of the movie ever again, and this album made me think of the movie.

Ill Communication

Beastie Boys

4/5

I was in high school and college for the heyday of the Beastie Boys, so while I never owned one of their albums their music just kinda seeped into my consciousness. It wasn’t until I was an adult, living in Brooklyn, that I started consciously listening to their albums. There is something so incredibly cool about what they do and the sounds and musical influences they put together. Sabotage, naturally, is a classic, but my favorite was Sure Shot.

Green Onions

Booker T. & The MG's

4/5

Snappy and cool.

xx

The xx

3/5

This was an easy listen. I quite enjoyed it.

The Blueprint

JAY Z

2/5

All I can think of while listening to this is that Jay-Z is in the news for raping a 13 year old. My Jay-Z connection is that my kids went to the same middle school that he went to. 13 year olds are in middle school. F JZ.

3 + 3

The Isley Brothers

3/5

Pleasant, unremarkable.

Tommy

The Who

3/5

I feel like I should rate this higher than I want to, because of the tremendous influence this album has had. But honestly, with the notable exception of Pinball Wizard, I just don’t like it all that much. My husband loves Tommy, and will sing various snippets of it frequently, but this one isn’t for me.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Wilco

2/5

I know that Wilco has been an indie darling for years. I’ve never liked them though.

Microshift

Hookworms

3/5

Quirky, not in a bad way, but a curious addition to this list.

Movies

Holger Czukay

2/5

WTF.

The Scream

Siouxsie And The Banshees

4/5

Really enjoying this. Love the vocals and the urgency of the music. I love covers of Helter Skelter, but my favorites from this album are Jigsaw Feeling and Metal Postcard.

Morrison Hotel

The Doors

4/5

Went into this thinking I wouldn’t like this album - it’s toward the end of Morrison’s life, I’ve seen the movie so I know he’s increasingly erratic - but it’s actually really good. I know Indian Summer from a cover version that I adore, Roadhouse Blues is obviously a classic, and many of the other songs had a jaunty, bluesy charm that I found easy to enjoy.

Cloud Nine

The Temptations

5/5

I waited a day to listen to this album because I wasn’t feeling Motown. But boy was I wrong. This album is Motown but it’s more funk, all genius. Enjoyed the hell out of the is album.

The Fat Of The Land

The Prodigy

1/5

I’m listening to this album to give it a fair shake but I hated it when it came out and … same now.

Gris Gris

Dr. John

2/5

Kinda creepy, kinda mesmerizing, definitely a unique entry.

Another Music In A Different Kitchen

Buzzcocks

3/5

Boppy, fun, but not really me.

Purple Rain

Prince

5/5

One of the greatest albums. Prince is a masterpiece.

A Girl Called Dusty

Dusty Springfield

2/5

I love Dusty Springfield’s voice but honestly this album didn’t do it for me.

Destroy Rock & Roll

Mylo

2/5

Amazon music is telling me that Mylo “achieved success in the mid-noughties.” Is that what we’re calling the 2000s now? Really?? I want to talk about that more than I want to talk about this boring album.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Elton John

4/5

There is nothing like hearing your family belt out Goodbye Yellow Brick Road at the top of their lungs when you had no idea they even knew the lyrics. For that alone I have to give the album a 4.

Amnesiac

Radiohead

1/5

The band Radiohead scares me, so I've avoided listening to this album, and therefore my subsequent albums, for a few days. But it's time to face the music. I have a hard time judging this. I don't hate it musically, so it's not a 1. It's definitely not boring, so it's not a 2. But I vehemently don't want to listen to it again, so it can't really be a 3. And you can forget 4 or 5. I'll have to go with a 1, since on some level I DO hate it. I hate that the music is so bleak. I hate that it churns up my insides with some kind of unstated fear - Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors is especially horrifying. I hate that Thom Yorke's voice is hypnotic.

Appetite For Destruction

Guns N' Roses

5/5

Not usually a fan of heavy metal, but I sure do have a sweet spot for Guns N' Roses. Would I like this album if it didn't include Welcome to the Jungle, Paradise City, and Sweet Child O' Mine? It doesn't matter, because it does include these three masterpieces.

Crime Of The Century

Supertramp

2/5

This was less interesting than I had thought it would be. Nothing really to say about it.

Casanova

The Divine Comedy

2/5

Peculiar. It's like the album is part of some joke that I'm not in on - but then again, I don't want to be in on it.

Frampton Comes Alive

Peter Frampton

2/5

Blah blah blah

At Fillmore East

The Allman Brothers Band

3/5

This album was a little bit of a roller coaster for me. I went in thinking I probably wouldn't like it - white boy blues and all that - but enjoyed the first couple of tracks and was ready to revise my thinking. But then, I don't know, it's too much of a live album and the songs go on and on with endless guitar riffs and I just got tired of it.

Surfer Rosa

Pixies

2/5

I know and like the song Where Is my Mind? but other than that, I find the album unremarkable.

Coat Of Many Colors

Dolly Parton

4/5

Not usually a country fan but man, Dolly Parton is something special.

Smile

Brian Wilson

1/5

I feel like 2004 has better representative albums, no need to dust off the 1960s vibes of The Beach Boys.

Low-Life

New Order

3/5

This album has a lot of the classic sounds of New Order but ultimately is a bit disappointing. Guess I'm more into the singles.

Alien Lanes

Guided By Voices

1/5

This album is a real head scratcher for me. Why is it here? Why all the praise? I like lo-fi indie music but this is a bit all over the place, a random assortment of song snippets. Some of them are interesting, but most of them aren't.

Physical Graffiti

Led Zeppelin

3/5

Kashmir and Bron-Yr-Aur were good, but since I left my air guitar at home the rest of the album wasn’t as fun.

Jazz Samba

Stan Getz

5/5

A calming antidote to the horror of the day of the 47th inauguration.

They Were Wrong, So We Drowned

Liars

4/5

In 2004 I was going to Brooklyn clubs listening to music very much like this. I don't do that any more but I enjoyed this album a lot more than I had thought I would when I first opened it up. Weirdly melodic, creatively rhythmic, glad I gave it a listen.

A Grand Don't Come For Free

The Streets

2/5

Rap in slo-mo.

White Light / White Heat

The Velvet Underground

2/5

I generally love The Velvet Underground but eh, this album.

Ramones

4/5

Catchy and joyful. Sure the songs sound similar to each other, but it’s a great sound.

Moving Pictures

Rush

3/5

Not really my cup of tea but I get the appeal.

Music Has The Right To Children

Boards of Canada

2/5

Kinda haunted and creepy. And taken with the cover and title, I feel like the children will be the music’s meal.

Devil Without A Cause

Kid Rock

1/5

I debated not listening to this on principle alone but I’m a completionist so I did. The opening track, Bawitdaba, isn’t bad, but the rest of it is tedious. I guess that’s a literal kid on Devil without a Cause?

Repeater

Fugazi

3/5

Not really my thing but I can hear the appeal.

Hail To the Thief

Radiohead

3/5

Radiohead albums have an ethereal, haunting quality that make them hard for me to enjoy.

Raising Hell

Run-D.M.C.

4/5

Wow this brings me back to middle school/high school. Such a fun album. I only really remember the big hits really - It’s Tricky and Walk This Way - but I enjoyed all the songs.

Pet Sounds

The Beach Boys

2/5

Listening to this and realizing I just don’t like The Beach Boys.

The Age Of The Understatement

The Last Shadow Puppets

4/5

Totally new for me. Love the lush orchestrations and sonic urgency.

Ritual De Lo Habitual

Jane's Addiction

3/5

I can't tell if I really like this or if I'm just inclined toward it since it came out when I was in high school. But I am really enjoying this album. Obvious has real appeal, Been Caught Stealing has always been a favorite. Of Course is also really good.

Dusty In Memphis

Dusty Springfield

4/5

Such a smooth, sultry voice - a pleasure to listen to.

American IV: The Man Comes Around

Johnny Cash

5/5

This was the album that first introduced me to Johnny Cash. His rendition of Hurt still makes me cry.

Devotional Songs

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

3/5

A calming and pleasing album - I suppose that’s the point of devotional songs.

A Little Deeper

Ms. Dynamite

3/5

New album/artist. Dy-Na-Mi-Tee is great, but the rest of it didn’t stick with me.

The Village Green Preservation Society

The Kinks

2/5

One thing this experiment in listening to 1,001 (+) albums has taught me is, that as much as I like a couple songs by The Kinks, I am not a fan of The Kinks. So I listened with an open mind, but … still not a fan.

Getz/Gilberto

Stan Getz

5/5

Every note on this album is perfection.

Natty Dread

Bob Marley & The Wailers

2/5

I liked this less than I had thought I would.

Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul

Otis Redding

5/5

Amazing horns. Amazing voice. Masterful album.

All Hope Is Gone

Slipknot

1/5

This music sets me on edge in a very unpleasant way.

Behaviour

Pet Shop Boys

4/5

To me, this is electronic lounge music done right. All the songs are engaging, but Jealousy in particular is the perfect blend of pathos and urgency.

More Songs About Buildings And Food

Talking Heads

4/5

I don’t know this TH album - a shame that luckily I can rectify. Delightfully quirky.

Brothers In Arms

Dire Straits

4/5

I know the first three songs are monster hits, but I also appreciate the quieter, more melancholy second half of the album.

Bone Machine

Tom Waits

2/5

I saved a couple of songs from the last Tom Waits album I got, and listened to a playlist that included them frequently enough that I started skipping the Tom Waits songs. I can only take so much of it. I appreciate the instruments and the rhythms of his music, but there is also something so intentionally grotesque about it that it puts me off.

Two Dancers

Wild Beasts

3/5

It’s a bit peculiar, but overall not a bad sound. It just seems to be trying too hard.

Armed Forces

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

2/5

I always think I will like Elvis Costello more than I actually do, I guess because I really like the song Alison. But that song isn’t on this album, nor is it on the other Costello album I rated on this site. But back to this album, I like the song Busy Bodies and it kinda saves what is in my mind an otherwise unremarkable album. Oliver’s Army is also quite catchy but the lyrics are super questionable. I get the meaning and the juxtaposition but I dunno.

Synchronicity

The Police

4/5

I’ve always had a fondness for The Police.

Live At Leeds

The Who

2/5

I generally like the Who, but I’m also not much of a fan of live albums. This is no exception.

Fleet Foxes

4/5

My kid introduced me to this some years ago, which is not how I expected cultural transference would happen in my household, especially since this album came out the year they were born. Nonetheless, it’s charming.

Sea Change

Beck

5/5

This is a very familiar album to me. I’ve always loved it - super smooth, with an edge of despair.

Untitled (Black Is)

SAULT

3/5

Love the start of the first track, Out the Lies, as a matter of timing. March 2025 in the United States is not a pleasant place to be. We need to figure out our revolution strategy pronto; everyone seems to be fumbling around while a duly elected monster undermines the fabric of our democracy. But that song is just a rallying cry that I can appreciate in this moment. I was disappointed by the next several songs from a musical standpoint - too much repetition, the beats were too heavy. But I do vibe with the political message. Wildfires, Sorry Ain't Enough, and Bow (Michael Kiwanuka! My favorite find from this album journey!) were also brights spots.

Electric Ladyland

Jimi Hendrix

5/5

Masterful album. I especially like All Along the Watchtower and Crosstown Traffic.

Rust Never Sleeps

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

2/5

Squeaky voice, can’t stand it.

Tuesday Night Music Club

Sheryl Crow

2/5

I can sing along to the big hits on this album but nonetheless I find it boring. Good for her for getting rid of her Muskmobile though.

Madman Across The Water

Elton John

4/5

Seems an appropriate time to get an album and song entitled Madman across the Water from a British singer/songwriter. We are staring into the abyss. Elton John isn't usually what I go for, but his music sure is jaunty and wins me over almost every time. Indian Summer didn't age well though.

Rid Of Me

PJ Harvey

2/5

The album's raw emotionality is on display throughout. I suppose it's interesting musically, but it's just too on edge for me. With the exception of Missed, I'm not interested.

She's So Unusual

Cyndi Lauper

5/5

This album is a blast. Introducing it to my teenagers and having them love it too was also a blast.

Fragile

Yes

2/5

I really liked the first song. The rest of the album blended some interesting musical/instrument ideas, but was boring overall.

Cheap Thrills

Big Brother & The Holding Company

2/5

Janis Joplin is totally wasted on me.

Fear and Whiskey

Mekons

2/5

This is more a bar band album than a top 1001 album.

Femi Kuti

3/5

Cheerful, peppy, great rhythms.

Horses

Patti Smith

5/5

Apart from that exceptionally long song - Birdland - this was an amazing album. I love her voice, the discordant notes, the frenetic passion/rage that spills across the songs. It’s not an easy listen, really, and I don’t know how often I’ll go back to it, but it was an impactful album. Also, Patti Smith used to live on my street! I mean, this was years before I was even born, but still a fun little fact.

Cosmo's Factory

Creedence Clearwater Revival

2/5

I find CCR tedious.

Copper Blue

Sugar

3/5

I feel like there are good songs here, but they’re buried under layers of noise.

Ananda Shankar

2/5

The sitar does not do Light My Fire any favors. This all sounds to me like embellished elevator music.

The Colour Of Spring

Talk Talk

2/5

Bland

At Mister Kelly's

Sarah Vaughan

5/5

God, what a voice.

Deep Purple In Rock

Deep Purple

2/5

I like Child in Time (though it goes on too long). I like Ian Gillian in Jesus Christ Superstar (though I prefer John Legend). My husband really likes Deep Purple. I tried, honestly. But I just can’t.

Mermaid Avenue

Billy Bragg

4/5

This album is such a mixed bag for me. I loved the first three songs, especially California Stars. Then a stretch of songs I didn’t care for, then the delightful Ingrid Bergman came on. Hard to rate this, but I guess I’ll be generous and give it a 4.

Another Green World

Brian Eno

5/5

I’ve known of Brian Eno as a producer of a lot of music I really love. Years and years ago - back in the days of Napster and dial up modems I tried to download some of his music but I didn’t know what to get and frankly the download speeds were so atrocious that I gave up. So it wasn’t until this project that I have really listened to Brian Eno’s music. This is the third album of his that I’ve listened to, and it’s an amazing collection of songs. I hated the airport album but I can’t get enough of this one. If only I’d had more patience back in the day - I could have been listening to this all along. What a find.

Joan Armatrading

5/5

Such an interesting album, new to me. I love Armatrading’s voice and her guitar. Somebody Who Loves You is so touching. Really glad to hear this.

OK Computer

Radiohead

1/5

I have been dreading this album ever since I started this project. I have not listened to it in something like 25 years, after listening to it on constant repeat after I bought the album. Listening to it now brings up such an intense and unpleasant visceral reaction that it's hard for me to keep it on. Once upon a time I fell asleep to this album. There was a dumb trend back when this came out, I guess because they could, where bands put "secret" songs on the back end of an album. In the case of OK Computer, the secret song came on after something like 20 minutes of slow, pulsing electronic music. When I consciously listened to the album, I'd either skip the final song or fast forward through the bridge. But when I fell asleep I couldn't do that. I don't know if it was the bridge itself, or some other part of the album (it does all kinda blend together), but this album became the sound track to the worst nightmare I have ever had. It haunts me to this day, the despair I felt while trapped in this dream, overlaid by the pulsing of the music. After I woke up, during the final song, I realized I could never listen to the album again. In fact, I never listened to anything by Radiohead again (except for the one other album out of 1,001 that I've gotten so far) and will not pick them up again.

Exile On Main Street

The Rolling Stones

3/5

Energetic and enthusiastic. Perhaps a little too much for me right now. The album is fine as a whole, but none of the individual songs really stood out for me.

Here's Little Richard

Little Richard

3/5

Little Richard is a force and a fascinating person. This album is an intense and powerful break with the a lot of the popular music that came before it. That said, a little goes a long way. I can’t hear the album in its proper context - I can only hear it in comparison to all the music that came afterwards, much of it probably influenced by Little Richard. But because I can’t hear the album in its proper context, I struggle to fully appreciate it. It’s loud, brash, the songs a little too much coming one after another in the early morning. My favorite is the more down tempo, bluesy Can’t Believe You Want To Leave.

With The Beatles

Beatles

3/5

Interesting to get this album immediately after Little Richard. It clearly takes so much from LR. As a whole, this album works a little better for me. While LR maintained a high intensity throughout, this album rolls and crests with a little more emotional variation. It keeps the upbeat tempo throughout, just like LR, but the individual songs leave a little more space to emotionally breathe. But there is no “With the Beatles” without “Here’s Little Richard.”

Traffic

2/5

I’m hard pressed to understand why this is here.

Rock 'N Soul

Solomon Burke

2/5

Cry To Me, naturally, is a classic. But I was disappointed by the rest of the album.

Mothership Connection

Parliament

4/5

Can’t be unhappy listening to this!

Sincere

Mj Cole

1/5

Music - term used lightly - like this is incredibly tedious.

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Hill

4/5

I haven’t heard this album in a long time. I started it with high expectations, but was disappointed as I listened to the first few tracks. But then something clicked, I think after Doo Wop (That Thing), which I knew too well. I turned the volume up, sliding into the lyrics and the beats, and was transported. It does go on a little too long, I’m not a big fan of the spoken interludes. But what a powerful album.

Lazer Guided Melodies

Spiritualized

4/5

I went into this album with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. It reminds me a lot of Luna, a band I listened to constantly years ago.

Hot Fuss

The Killers

5/5

I hadn't actually listened to this album in its entirety before, but I do know many of the individual tracks. I've always enjoyed The Killers - a blend of rock and punk that isn't too loud or obnoxious. Sitting down with it was a pleasure.

The Queen Is Dead

The Smiths

3/5

The *idea* of The Smiths is so much better than The Smiths actually are. A little bit of musical ennui goes a long way. Maybe I’ve just outgrown them.

Felt Mountain

Goldfrapp

3/5

Moody and atmospheric in a way that I enjoy, but can also tire of quickly. Part White Lotus, part circus, part goth in music form, and yes, I have tired of it.

Pretenders

4/5

I’ve really only known the Pretenders from their big hits. While I’ve enjoyed them, it hadn’t really occurred to me to explore them more. But man I was wrong. I love the voice, the rhythms, the overall sound.

Halcyon Digest

Deerhunter

2/5

Honestly, it’s just meh. Not bad, not great. So I’ll damn it with the worst review - a 2. Too boring to think about again.

Raw Like Sushi

Neneh Cherry

2/5

The most interesting thing I learned today is that Neneh Cherry is from Sweden. One of the reviews on this site said the album is like teenage Disney channel music. Spot on assessment.

Younger Than Yesterday

The Byrds

3/5

I can hear and understand the importance of this album, but it still sounds dippy to me.

Dance Mania

Tito Puente

4/5

Charming and cheerful.

Time Out Of Mind

Bob Dylan

3/5

I’m a big Dylan fan but this isn’t striking me in the same way as his earlier works. One funny thing: as I was first listening to the album, it struck me as very similar to a different album that I used to play a lot - Shine by Daniel Lanois. Then I opened the review section and saw that this album was produced by Daniel Lanois.

Nighthawks At The Diner

Tom Waits

1/5

This is the third Tom Waits album I’ve gotten here, and I’m so tired of his gravelly voice. This combo of jazz, singing, comedy, and pseudo-intellectual philosophical insights might have been entertaining in person, but it’s not want I want to sit down and listen to. And from reading the comments I’m learning that the whole jazz club vibe is fake, which makes it that much worse.

The Specials

5/5

I listened to a lot of the Specials, and especially music influenced by them, in high school. I think this is where my love of horns in music comes from. There is just such an irrepressible joy and enthusiasm in their songs that I can’t give it anything but top marks.

Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo

MC Solaar

5/5

I don’t understand a word of it, but I love it!

Peter Gabriel

3/5

I really don’t know what to make of this album. Sure, Solsbury Hill is a masterpiece. But the rest of the album is uneven. Even some of the individual songs are uneven. Do I love Excuse Me? Do I hate it? I’m really not sure. Pretty sure I hate Waiting for the Big One. And then he throws out a classical-rock-disco track with Down the Dolce Vita and I’m mesmerized! Such a disconnected, uneven album.

Electric Music For The Mind And Body

Country Joe & The Fish

2/5

I grew up in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, blessedly at least a generation removed from this. But I heard plenty of this kind of music anyway. Didn’t like it then, don’t care for it now. Was this album groundbreaking at the time? I dunno. I will say this: I’ve never heard of Country Joe & the Fish, but I’ve heard of plenty other contemporaneous bands out of San Francisco, so that’s telling me something.

Atomizer

Big Black

2/5

New album, new band for me, etc etc. Really not feeling it. I will admit to liking the drums and the bass, so there’s that.

Fetch The Bolt Cutters

Fiona Apple

3/5

I never really got into Fiona Apple, thought I can see the appeal.

Here Are the Sonics

The Sonics

2/5

I hear the early punk in this, that’s cool. But there sure are a lot of covers on this album - too many, really, to include on this list. Maybe if they were definitively better than the originals? Or if the originals were obscure? But neither is true.

Sound Affects

The Jam

3/5

New band/album for me. It’s ok. Nothing to write home about.

Tom Tom Club

4/5

Joyful, cheerful, energetic.

Dire Straits

3/5

Really, really love the guitar. I’ve never really paid much attention to Dire Straits beyond the big hits, but damn, that guitar work.

Reggatta De Blanc

The Police

4/5

I’ve always been a sucker for the Police and Sting. Some of the tracks don’t hold up, but I love Does Everyone Stare, which is new to me.

Stripped

Christina Aguilera

3/5

I don’t really know anything from this album except, of course, Beautiful. I’ll admit that this isn’t what I usually listen to, but it’s pretty good. I like the coherence of the album, love the interludes, especially Primer Amor Interlude, and the jazzy sound that comes through in a lot of the tracks. Will I listen to it again? Probably not, and that’s why I’m giving it a 3.

Dog Man Star

Suede

2/5

Love the Rolling Stone review "one of the most pretentious albums ever released by a major label." Can’t do better than that.

Olympia 64

Jacques Brel

5/5

Omg I looove this.

The La's

2/5

The contrast between The Song on this album and all the other songs is remarkable. But I’m scoring the album based on all of the songs, not just the one great one.

Fisherman's Blues

The Waterboys

2/5

Pleasantly surprised by the start of this! Then the next song begins and eh. That about sums up my reaction to the rest of the album.

Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room

Dwight Yoakam

1/5

Country schmountry

At Newport 1960

Muddy Waters

5/5

Fantastic album.

The Message

Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five

3/5

Picking this up thinking it’s another album selected because of That One Song, but it’s more varied than I had thought it would be. Getting a kick out of It’s a Shame (Mt. Airy Groove) and The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheel of Steel.

Kala

M.I.A.

2/5

Repetitive, interminable. Really, to get through a whole album just for Paper Planes? Sure, PP is a good song, but it’s definitely not worth the rest of it.

Rio

Duran Duran

4/5

Love, adore the big hits. Not sure the less well-known songs hold up for me, though.

Now I Got Worry

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion

1/5

Opens with a scream. And it's downhill from there, nothing redeeming.

Heroes to Zeros

The Beta Band

4/5

I’m seeing a lot of negative reviews for this one, but I love it! I love the plinking, the rhythms, and the singers’ soft and gentle voices.

Rhythm Nation 1814

Janet Jackson

3/5

Opens strong with Rhythm Nation. But then the album lapsed into some kind of cliched lament about the harm humans do to each other - problems that existed centuries before the songs were written, and have no signs of abating in the 30+ years since. Nothing deep, nothing insightful. So, palatable human tragedy? Other artists have done it much better. But then came Livin' in a World (They Didn't Make). Blah song til then end, then holy crap, a graphic news segment about a school shooting (Stockton, CA, 1989)? I get that the song is meant to be shocking, but it resonates differently in a post-Columbine, post-Sandy Hook world. Anyway, the album does have some great songs in addition to Rhythm Nation, but overall I don't think it holds up well. My score is on the strength of the good songs.

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx

Raekwon

3/5

Surprisingly catchy. I can't really hear the lyrics over the beats, and I'm not a big fan of the sketch interludes. But damn, this is good. Better than 3 but doesn’t quite rise to the level of 4. 3.5

m b v

My Bloody Valentine

1/5

It’s just static! That’s it! Punctuated by the occasional screech! Oh my earballs.

Aha Shake Heartbreak

Kings of Leon

3/5

Enjoyable, but in a kinda generic mid-2000s way.

Go Girl Crazy

The Dictators

3/5

LOVE this version of I Got You Babe. But then the next 2 songs are Back to Africa and Master Race Rock? I get that it’s tongue in cheek but that humor hasn't aged well. Nonetheless, I will admit that there is something overall that’s charming and infectious about this album and I can see how it was a huge influence on the later punk scene.

The Boatman's Call

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

2/5

Surprisingly religion-coded for a singer who announces in the first song that he doesn’t believe in god. I was living in St. Petersburg when this album came out and he included the city on his tour. I saw posters for it all over and kept thinking I should go (I was paid a Russian salary as an ex-pat English teacher and so was way too poor to afford a concert of a singer I’d never heard of but whose posters gave me *vibes*). Listening to the album now - with that same poster image as the album cover - I’m glad I didn’t go.

The Beach Boys Today!

The Beach Boys

2/5

Honestly, I just find The Beach Boys boring. The occasional song is fun - I enjoyed Help Me Rhonda, for instance. But a whole album’s worth is waaaaay too much. The lyrics are dippy (will my kids be proud / or think their old man is really a square?!?) and the beat is just unrelentingly bouncy. RIP Brian Wilson.

So Much For The City

The Thrills

3/5

I’m really enjoying this paean to my home state. Early 2000s indie rock is my jam. Shocked to learn this is an Irish band, but I guess California really is that alluring. However, thinking about it objectively, there is nothing about this album that is remarkable or timeless.

Will The Circle Be Unbroken

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

4/5

I do enjoy bluegrass. But seriously, this album is over two hours? This music is cheerful and jaunty, I like that, but I get the feeling that it wants to convert me. Old men crooning about their dead 16 year old brides is creepy. In the end, the album went by faster than I had anticipated, but the inclusion of an instrumental version of Both Sides Now was a little jarring and out of place. Overall, I liked the album well enough. My favorite tracks were the ones without vocals.

Arc Of A Diver

Steve Winwood

2/5

The best part of this album is the cover. The first track is tolerable, in a smooth jazz/rock early 80s kinda way. But the rest of the album is a slog.

Blood, Sweat & Tears

2/5

I like the horns that keep popping up but otherwise I think the album is boring.

Steve McQueen

Prefab Sprout

2/5

New album, new band, etc, etc. Total snoozefest.

Logical Progression

LTJ Bukem

1/5

Godawful, like nails on a chalkboard. It wasn’t on Amazon, it wasn’t on Spotify, and I could only find some copyright-shortened version of it on YouTube. In hindsight, the fact that I only had to listen to an hour of this was a blessing.

Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite

Maxwell

3/5

Had low expectations going into this album I’ve never heard of, but I’m pleasantly surprised. Side eyeing the song … Til the Cops Come Knocking, though.

Sweet Baby James

James Taylor

3/5

I’ve just never liked James Taylor. Something about the voice. But I recognize his impact. Please I love the fact that he references Stockbridge/the Berkshires in his songs. Lots of love for Stockbridge.

The Visitors

ABBA

4/5

Definitely not the ABBA I was expecting, but I like it! The second song, plus most of the others, are closer to what I expected. But still different from their usual over-the-top pop.

Beautiful Freak

Eels

3/5

Took one look at the album cover and was sure I’d hate this. But then it started playing and I realized I know this album from college, though I don’t think I’ve listened to it again since the late ‘90s. It’s actually quite good.

Take Me Apart

Kelela

3/5

Pleasant enough as background music, but nothing really stood out.

Whatever

Aimee Mann

2/5

Very rooted in the 90s.

Roger the Engineer

The Yardbirds

3/5

Interesting

Like A Prayer

Madonna

3/5

Madonna and her music had an outsized impact on my childhood, and I can’t help but love her music. I sang along, loudly, to Like a Prayer while my children looked on in horror. This isn’t my favorite Madonna album, but she is masterful in her craft.

Songs Of Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen

5/5

Cohen is a masterful storyteller. There is a quiet intimacy to his songs that makes you listen, rapt, and ask for more.

You've Come a Long Way Baby

Fatboy Slim

1/5

Really hard to take this album seriously. Interesting melodies and beats are completely lost to repetition. Maybe it’s cool at the club, but it’s not for listening enjoyment. Ultimately, the only tracks worth the price of andmission are Rockafeller Skank and Praise You, both of which are far too long.

Oedipus Schmoedipus

Barry Adamson

3/5

My first thought when I opened this up was are you kidding me with that album title? And then I refused to listen to it for its assigned day. But when I ended up listening, I was pleasantly surprised. Except for the creepy songs, didn’t like those.

It's Too Late to Stop Now

Van Morrison

2/5

I find live music recordings tedious. I find Van Morrison tedious. So a 1.5 hour live Van Morrison album really isn't my cup of tea.

I Against I

Bad Brains

2/5

Not my scene.

Urban Hymns

The Verve

2/5

I had this album in grad school and listened to it over and over through a painful breakup. Now I just think it’s whiny and twee.

Born To Run

Bruce Springsteen

4/5

I don’t usually pick Bruce Springsteen to listen to, but I generally enjoy his music. I do hear some of his songs often enough though - Thunder Road is one such - because my husband is a huge Springsteen fan.

Face to Face

The Kinks

2/5

Low rent Beatles.

Slipknot

1/5

I pegged this as angsty teenage boy music but then my teenage son walked in and called it rubbish.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

2/5

Not sure what to say about Tom Petty. I don’t dislike him, but I can’t say I really like him, either. I guess most of what I do like is on other albums.

American Gothic

David Ackles

1/5

I can’t begin to express how awful this is. No redeeming qualities.

Your New Favourite Band

The Hives

4/5

I just had to listen to the monstrosity that is Slipknot, by Slipknot. When I first started this album, I thought that on the scale of angsty teenage boy music, it rates better. But somewhere around Untutored Youth I realized that I’m actually enjoying it. So I’ll take it off the angsty teenage boy metric and give it a straight 4. But I’ll note that my teenage boy isn’t a fan of this (or of Slipknot).

If You're Feeling Sinister

Belle & Sebastian

5/5

I used to listen to Belle & Sebastian albums all the time. Listening to this one now reminds me that I miss them.

La Revancha Del Tango

Gotan Project

5/5

I’ve been obsessed with the song Mi Confesion by Gotan Project (from the next album) and because I’m an idiot it never occurred to me to listen to any of their other songs/albums. Soooooo glad this project is here to tap me on the shoulder and point me in the right direction. But I’m surprised to learn this is a French band - I had assumed they were from Argentina.

Vol. 4

Black Sabbath

3/5

On my newly-discovered scale of angsty teenage boy music, for which Slipknot is the actual, literal bottom, this rates pretty well. I wouldn’t listen to Black Sabbath outside of this project, but I’m not disliking this album. I’d even go so far as to say that I actively like Laguna Surprise. Also, RIP Ozzy Osbourne.

Ragged Glory

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

2/5

This project really wants me to like Neil Young. I don’t.

Pink Flag

Wire

3/5

This grew on me. Quick punk album. I especially like the back half of the album, where the songs are so short you just get a taste before moving on the next one.

Kid A

Radiohead

1/5

This is the third Radiohead album the algorithm has given me. I can hear that this is different from the other two, but is it so groundbreakingly different that they all need separate entries? I’ll admit I have a strong anti-Radiohead bias, but I can’t be alone in thinking this just isn’t good enough for all the praise.

Country Life

Roxy Music

4/5

Ooh, nearly naked & super skinny women on the album cover! Edgy. But I’m enjoying the music.

Happy Sad

Tim Buckley

4/5

I’ve never heard this before. It’s fascinating. Really glad to hear it.

Power In Numbers

Jurassic 5

4/5

Listening to this album was a lot of fun.

The Rolling Stones

3/5

I can’t believe this band still tours! Interesting to listen to their beginning from 19-fucking-64, but it doesn’t match their later work.

Myths Of The Near Future

Klaxons

3/5

I’ve been teetering between scoring this a 1, 2, or 3 depending on the song - and sometimes even depending on the moment within a song. I’m going to be generous and give it a 3 for the moments I like, but I’m not at all sorry to see the end of this album.

Dust

Screaming Trees

4/5

I had very low expectations going in, but am really enjoying the first track. The rest of them album held up as well.

Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge

Mudhoney

3/5

Loud, brash, sometimes fun.

Fishscale

Ghostface Killah

3/5

Not a fan of the skits. Enjoy the overall sound.

Protection

Massive Attack

2/5

Beautiful voice but honestly I just find it boring. At least it’s soothing boring.

All Directions

The Temptations

5/5

Such a perfect album, even with a 12- minute song. The R&B Love Woke Me Up This Morning was the only misstep.

1989

Taylor Swift

5/5

I unironically love this album. My introduction to TS came through my small girl-child listening to Red nonstop. I thought I’d be indifferent to the TS charm but I was lured in even then. 1989 is a masterpiece of pop.

Beach Samba

Astrud Gilberto

5/5

Charming, lovely, relaxing.

L'Eau Rouge

The Young Gods

2/5

Some songs, like Charlotte, were fun. Most songs, like La fille de mort, were painful.

Welcome to the Afterfuture

Mike Ladd

2/5

I just couldn’t get into this one.

O.G. Original Gangster

Ice T

4/5

Good album, rhythmic, very enjoyable. Really loved Bitches 2.

Deja Vu

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

2/5

Why does this algorithm keep torturing me with Neil Young? Seriously, how many albums of his do we need to hear before we die? Sure, this particular album is tempered by some of his friends, but still.

Beggars Banquet

The Rolling Stones

4/5

High energy, always fun to listen to.

School's Out

Alice Cooper

4/5

Obviously, I knew the titular song (and ironic getting assigned this in the waning days of summer, as my kids gear up to go back to school), but the rest of the album has been a delightful surprise.

This Is Fats Domino

Fats Domino

5/5

Had to cobble the album together song by song to hear the whole thing, but it was worth it.

Blonde On Blonde

Bob Dylan

5/5

I love this album, but a lot of the songs on it sound like they’re meant to be listened to - or sung - when you’re sloppy drunk. Then again, maybe that’s the charm.

Phaedra

Tangerine Dream

2/5

This would be a good soundtrack for a late-night, drug-fueled pseudo-intellectual conversation in a dorm room, not so much for anything else.

Achtung Baby

U2

3/5

Entertaining, but not one of their best albums.

Sweetheart Of The Rodeo

The Byrds

3/5

This was way more country than I had expected from The Byrds, to the point that I went back and checked their discography to make sure I wasn’t confusing them with another band. But nope. I liked some of the songs, but I doubt I’ll ever go back to this album.

Is This It

The Strokes

5/5

I unabashedly love this album. It’s the right combination of upbeat and loud.

Duck Rock

Malcolm McLaren

3/5

This is definitely the case where it’s important to read the reviews to fully contextualize what’s happening on the album, i.e., colonialism. I like the sounds, but they’re not Malcolm McLaren’s.

Live!

Fela Kuti

5/5

Toe-tapping good

Pacific Ocean Blue

Dennis Wilson

2/5

I have no words for how boring this is.

Lady Soul

Aretha Franklin

5/5

Marvelous voice, marvelous singer.

Guitar Town

Steve Earle

2/5

Not a fan of the first/title track, but I thought the second song was ok. Back to disliking the third track. So this is clearly hit or miss for me. But then I really couldn't get into the remaining tracks. I'm just not a fan of "new" country, though I can appreciate that this album includes some Springsteen nods too.

Parallel Lines

Blondie

5/5

Debbie Harry is one of a kind. All hail Blondie.

So

Peter Gabriel

4/5

This is the sort of album where I don’t know if I like it because it’s good or because I’m so familiar with it.

Murder Ballads

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

1/5

How many Nick Cave albums are too many Nick Cave albums? This is the 4th or 5th that I’ve gotten overall, the second in as many weeks. Honestly, I’m gonna say that 2 Nick Cave albums is already too many. The first one was an interesting listen, but after that his music is overly dark, melodramatic, and self-important. A bunch of story songs about murder? Come on.

Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby

Terence Trent D'Arby

2/5

I recall Sign Your Name as a staple of the 1980s, and I think it holds up pretty well. Seven More Days, I think, is the most interesting track here, though I’m not sure I like it, exactly. Terence Trent D’Arby/Sananda Maitreya has a beautiful voice, but overall the album is boring.

No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live)

Motörhead

1/5

The algorithm is trying to hand me a panic attack with this album.

Step In The Arena

Gang Starr

3/5

Pretty smooth.

Orbital 2

Orbital

2/5

Rhythmic beats with other sounds overlaid on top. Not ideal for an extended family road trip.

Throwing Muses

3/5

The album (I think it was the album? Unclear, since the album listed here is not available on streaming services) grew on me over the course of listening to it.

Calenture

The Triffids

1/5

Boring. Such a waste of 1001. AND it’s almost 2 hours long?!? Give me a break.

Crazysexycool

TLC

3/5

3 Feet High and Rising

De La Soul

3/5

My first thoughts about this album were that this was probably interesting when it came out, cool jazzy influences, but hasn’t really help up into 2025. And then Transmitting Live from Mars and Eye Know came on, changing my mind about the album. In the end, a couple other songs have stood out to me - Say No Go, for instance - but overall my first impression wasn’t so far off from my final analysis. And you’ve got to be kidding me with De La Orgee.

A Date With The Everly Brothers

The Everly Brothers

3/5

I sure hope their dad taught them about consent, not just what girls were made for. Dubious consent issues aside, this is a fun romp into the late 50s/early 60s zeitgeist, priming teenage girls for the eventual onslaught of the Beatles. My preference is for the rockabilly songs over the mopey ballads.

Ingenue

k.d. lang

2/5

Starts as smooth jazz, ends as a jazz club, but feels hollow all the way through. Beautiful voice but that’s it.

Songs From A Room

Leonard Cohen

5/5

Peggy Suicide

Julian Cope

2/5

I delayed listening to my album for the day for 2 or 3 months because I so didn't want to listen to this album (that I'd never heard of). Finally listened today and it's not nearly as bad as I had thought it would be. It's fine, I guess, but the only interesting song is Beautiful Love. Marginally. I don't expect I'll ever listen to another song from this album.

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