377
Albums Rated
4.03
Average Rating
35%
Complete
712 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950
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Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Enthusiast
Rater Style ?
168
5-Star Albums
5
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Junkyard
The Birthday Party
|
5 | 2.16 | +2.84 |
|
Suicide
Suicide
|
5 | 2.46 | +2.54 |
|
Now I Got Worry
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
|
5 | 2.52 | +2.48 |
|
Welcome to the Afterfuture
Mike Ladd
|
5 | 2.57 | +2.43 |
|
Rising Above Bedlam
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
|
5 | 2.6 | +2.4 |
|
Penthouse And Pavement
Heaven 17
|
5 | 2.61 | +2.39 |
|
Born To Be With You
Dion
|
5 | 2.62 | +2.38 |
|
Dr. Octagonecologyst
Dr. Octagon
|
5 | 2.7 | +2.3 |
|
Movies
Holger Czukay
|
5 | 2.71 | +2.29 |
|
Medúlla
Björk
|
5 | 2.73 | +2.27 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Deloused in the Comatorium
The Mars Volta
|
1 | 3.19 | -2.19 |
|
Music For The Jilted Generation
The Prodigy
|
1 | 3.07 | -2.07 |
|
You Are The Quarry
Morrissey
|
1 | 2.86 | -1.86 |
|
Can't Buy A Thrill
Steely Dan
|
2 | 3.72 | -1.72 |
|
A Grand Don't Come For Free
The Streets
|
1 | 2.65 | -1.65 |
|
Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand
|
2 | 3.57 | -1.57 |
|
Gorillaz
Gorillaz
|
2 | 3.53 | -1.53 |
|
Illinois
Sufjan Stevens
|
2 | 3.5 | -1.5 |
|
Synchronicity
The Police
|
2 | 3.41 | -1.41 |
|
Rock Bottom
Robert Wyatt
|
1 | 2.38 | -1.38 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Kraftwerk | 3 | 4.67 |
| Bob Dylan | 3 | 4.67 |
| Beastie Boys | 3 | 4.67 |
| Pink Floyd | 2 | 5 |
| Johnny Cash | 2 | 5 |
| Deep Purple | 2 | 5 |
| Willie Nelson | 2 | 5 |
| Talking Heads | 2 | 5 |
| Paul Simon | 2 | 5 |
| Björk | 2 | 5 |
| U2 | 2 | 5 |
| The Velvet Underground | 2 | 5 |
| Brian Eno | 2 | 5 |
| Sepultura | 2 | 5 |
| Traffic | 2 | 5 |
| Wilco | 2 | 5 |
| Radiohead | 4 | 4.25 |
| The Rolling Stones | 4 | 4.25 |
| Beatles | 3 | 4.33 |
| R.E.M. | 3 | 4.33 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| The Rolling Stones | 5, 2, 5, 5 |
5-Star Albums (168)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Emmylou Harris · 4 likes
5/5
You know how cats look when they’re basking in the warm sun shining through a window and it seems like all their bones melted away into a puddle of bliss? That’s me listening to Emmylou.
The Cramps · 4 likes
5/5
This is awesooooome!! I love the simple, dirty smash up of rockabilly and punk with some of those surf rock licks sprinkled around. If I would have been cooler as a kid I would have listened to the Cramps - good thing I’m so fuckin cool now!!
A Tribe Called Quest · 2 likes
5/5
I always felt too white to listen to this and still do but man I wish I could get over it cause this rips!
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades · 2 likes
5/5
What a fun and wonderful album! I’m so glad to be back in the saddle and greeted with these sonic delights. This is my new go-to for when I get that itch to tap my feet.
The Young Rascals · 1 likes
5/5
Maybe there’s some nostalgia at play, but these tunes warm my heart and get my toes tapping!
1-Star Albums (5)
All Ratings
Sam Cooke
5/5
The tits! Five stars!
Run-D.M.C.
5/5
Cool dudes being cool from
beginning to end. Don’t think I ever listened to the whole album before and it gets a little repetitive, but also kind of cooler because you get to see they’re going for a vibe and it’s not about any one song. Also wouldn’t have been able to put the finger on this as what I think of when I think of baseline hip hop for me, but this is definitely it. Seems like it’s probably the case for a lot of middle American suburban kids - probably even now! Hearing it through, it’s interesting how closely it cleaves to garage rock band sound throughout - especially on songs like Raising Hell. Came out in 86, and I was only listening to what my parents put on the radio until early 90s, so must have been via wedding soundtracks that it first made it into my brain. Glad it did!
Pink Floyd
5/5
Five stars. If I’m honest though, it’s because I want to love it, not because I really do. I almost love it though, so I’d rather round up from 4.5 than down. I don’t have critiques or anything like that, it’s just kind of an ugly puppy is all, you know? It’s basically about the terror and madness of life and they’re kind of too good at conveying it at some points. I’m glad I gave it another listen through and surely will again, but just not one I’d often put on.
Kraftwerk
4/5
A minute in, I was thinking THIS IS AWESOME!!! I felt like such a dipshit not having heard it before and wondered why didn’t anybody tell me? But the album overall got pretty boring pretty fast. It’s kind of ironic because seems like they were both opening the door to and critiquing the kind of mechanized media word we live in now that could make it possible for an album like this to be boring. Seems like it would have been super fun back in the day! Also, four stars is the minimum because any one song is fun to listen to on its own plus it seems like they should get an A for effort given they were blazing a trail and all that entails.
Johnny Cash
5/5
Irrefutable proof that Johnny Cash is The Man! It’s amazingly sweet even when he’s saying fuck you. I especially loved the reprise of San Quentin and would love to see the footage. I was surprised and pretty bummed the album was so short. I honestly felt bad for the guys at San Quentin and thought Johnny kind of screwed them out of more fun time, but then learned the full concert was much longer - you can listen on Legacy edition of the album. It’s pretty great!
Sister Sledge
3/5
It had me tapping my feet from the first beat, and I was pretty pumped for an hour of We Are Family-esque vibes to kick off the weekend, but it started to drag pretty quickly and the album overall didn’t give me that deep down tickle I was looking for. Three stars feels harsh and I wish I could add a half star in there at least, but maybe I’m just a grade inflator. We Are Family is such a great song though - impossible not to feel good when you hear it.
Deep Purple
5/5
First time listening and the opening song was a bitchin entrance to my world! Just kept rippin it from there!
Little Simz
4/5
Loved the first song Offence and Therapy and liked the rest of it, but wasn’t over the moon about the rest. I was in kind of a grumpy mood when I listened to it though and don’t think it’s a good grumpy mood album for me at least.
Air
5/5
Excellent vibes from start to finish.
Stan Getz
5/5
Love love love it. The haters will scoff and say “it sounds like elevator music” in a dumb Mean Girly voice and that’s how you’ll know not to be friends with them anymore. I hope there are other albums on here by each of these two because this isn’t the best of either, but if you can’t lounge in these warm waters then you can get out of my pool.
The Band
5/5
First time listening to more than one of the hits at a time and I double dog dig it. It’s always special when bands are able to capture a vibe like this and all the more so when you find out they conjured it almost from scratch. I’m pretty ignorant when it comes to music history and 100% thought they were a supergroup because they sound like such a blend of the best. I’m impressed to learn it’s the other way around!
David Bowie
3/5
Love the energy and have deep respect for Bowie, but if I’m honest his music always makes me feel like you kinda had to be there and I wasn’t and I guess still am not.
Rod Stewart
3/5
I’ve been trying to use my album a day as an exercise in optimism and to go into each album with the excited spirit of a fan to be able to give the album the best shot it could have. I didn’t want to when I saw it was Rod Stewart though. I’ve always thought he was annoying. I’m still a little perplexed that it made the list, but I’m pleasantly surprised by how good this album is and am now willing to reconsider my position on how annoying Rod Stewart is. The first two songs were especially kick ass!
Black Sabbath
5/5
This is awesome!! I feel like my reviews are turning into confessions, but I have to admit that I’ve never listened to a Black Sabbath record and not even a single song by choice. I always though Ozzy was playing a character and that people who claimed to like Black Sabbath were just in it for the fuck you value of the stance, but the first song was enough to convince me I’m an idiot. The first time I listened to doom metal was after I read a Henry Rollins review of an Om show or record that he said was only for people who were willing to ride the big waves of sonic destruction. I was willing and am glad I did, and now even more glad to have listened to the guys who got those waves rolling in the first place.
Beatles
5/5
Hearing the hits on their own so often made it easy to forget how great this is altogether. You deserve a five star wedgie if you can’t give this one a fiver.
MGMT
3/5
I respect that it’s a vibe, but it’s not my vibe.
The Boo Radleys
2/5
It’s kind of fun and impressive because it feels like listening to a kind of boring 90s radio station with the mishmashing and all, but even then you’re still listening to a kind of boring 90s radio station.
The Birthday Party
5/5
Maybe this just happened to synch perfectly with my inner aggression, but I had a blast listening to this. It’s probably not one I’ll have in the regular rotation, but it’s honest energy that I can get behind!
The Who
3/5
Three stars out of respect for the idea and effort, but this is one you fall asleep to and wake up wondering why you had such weird dreams.
Rush
3/5
Fun to listen to and there’s some impressive drumming throughout! Solid rock and roll and I have naught but respect for the dudes. I was hoping to have my mind blown by one of the deeper cuts though and didn’t happen.
4/5
The melodrama makes it a heavy lift at times, but it’s a fun and impressive sonic journey overall. I was especially happy to learn there’s more to the album and band than Starlight, which has always been a puzzling hit to me. I will admit that I’m biased toward a bump up in the stars by Exo-Politics though.
The Temptations
5/5
I really like how ignorant this album a day thing reminds me I am. It had been the likes of “My Girl” and “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” that came to mind when I thought of the Temptations - I had no idea they had this kind of funk in them, let alone that they were tearing the roof off before the Mothership even landed! That backbone of soul through the middle gives it a delicious grounding like mashed potatoes in the middle of a perfectly stacked plate. Loved it from start to finish and back around again.
The Go-Betweens
3/5
Seems like it would have been awesome as a 16 year old in the 80s! It’s sweet and earnest and I love how big the simple sounds can feel, but too many of the lyrics reminded me of the emo poetry I wrote as a kid for me to comfortably settle in to this one. It was a good reminder to find and burn those notebooks before they fall into the wrong hands though.
Deep Purple
5/5
Today lots of people in Long Beach saw a balding, 40ish year old white dude in a white Subaru Outback absolutely destroying the air drums whenever it was safely possible because it was the first time I heard this album and it absolutely fucking rules! If you listen to Hard Lovin Man real loud with your eyes closed, you’ll have a glimpse of the great beyond when you get the gong halfway through. And you won’t want to come back when it picks up again!
Radiohead
5/5
It’s one of those albums that makes me want to go plug in an amp and let some chords rip. Like taking a trip through a magically melancholy world for an hour.
Norah Jones
4/5
I loved hearing the songs that made everyone love Norah Jones, like Don’t Know Why and Come Away With Me, but was bummed the in betweens of the album were kind of boring.
Bob Dylan
5/5
I hold a number of controversial opinions and one that always gets me howled at is that I think Bob Dylan is overrated. I still do, but listening to this album helped me to understand how he got up on that pedestal in the first place.
Willie Nelson
5/5
Totally mesmerizing - you can never tell if you’re being tucked in to bed or if you’re being pulled out to party, and it feels great either way. Willie is the absolute Man and his is at the top of my list of hands I’d like to shake.
Carole King
5/5
Carole got my foot tapping and my heart strings bending! I loved the ride and the ups and downs - especially how Smackwater Jack was such a nice pick me up after Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? Kind of a bleak pick me up, but still. I was bummed by how not great the title track was though.
Billy Joel
4/5
It’s tough to beat a Billy Joel song when it comes on the jukebox, but a whole album of them at once is too much strained drama for me to
really get behind it. I respect the commitment though, and was happy to hear some new ones for me that are fun - especially Get It Right the First Time.
The Cramps
5/5
This is awesooooome!! I love the simple, dirty smash up of rockabilly and punk with some of those surf rock licks sprinkled around. If I would have been cooler as a kid I would have listened to the Cramps - good thing I’m so fuckin cool now!!
M.I.A.
4/5
I love the energy, but was exhausted by it too and felt like I couldn’t keep up. Think this one’s a big burrito that’s best eaten in small bites.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Seems like those first few chords open up portal to the rock and roll dimension - how can you not be pumped when you hear them? I hadn’t listened to this all the way through and was a little surprised with how low key much of the album is, but I still loved it. It hadn’t occurred to me before how odd it is for a bunch of Brits to let their Americana rip with Country Honk, but this is what appropriation should look like, you know?
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
Lots of groovy licks, but it felt like it’s missing that thing that grabs you and makes you not want to let go. Maybe I went in with too high of expectations, but I thought I’d be slappin my knee for an hour and instead was just mostly bored.
Billie Holiday
4/5
It’s always amazing to hear Billie Holiday sing - it’s like her voice is coming from somewhere in between. I’m a Fool to Want you cut me deep, but the album overall was a little too sleepy to be the tops for me.
Van Morrison
4/5
Brown Eyed Girl was the song I played during my audition for the 8th grade jazz band. I got the gig, but if I’m honest, it was only because no one else auditioned. Actually, I was so bad that the band director made me take lessons on my own for three months before our first practice, and even then he was always turning my amp down whenever I wasn’t looking. In any case, the experience left me with a lot of love for Van Morrison, but I somehow never got to this one before. Listening to this feels like being in a dream - it all makes perfect sense, but none of it really does. And it seems like every time you try to turn your attention to one part, it fades away as soon as you do.
Deee-Lite
4/5
This is fun! Too much fun for a straight though listen for me, but it pumped me right up in pieces!
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Good vibes, but never really grabbed me.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
There are a couple of bright spots, but mostly I just felt like shrugging my shoulders and saying meh.
Love
3/5
There were some moments that had me flying!
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
I double dog dig the vibes! There better be another Curtis Mayfield album coming down the line though - I’ve had him pick me up and spin me all around, but I had my feet tapping on the ground all the way through this one.
Talking Heads
5/5
Love it!! It’s my first time listening to a full Talking Heads album and it really makes for a good time.
Janis Joplin
5/5
Whenever I hear her voice, it feels like it’s registering in the middle of my spine - like some kind of sonic electrocution. The shock is too strong for this to be to be an everyday kind of listen for me, but it’s nice to touch the wires and feel
that jolt every now and then.
The Killers
5/5
They killed it!!!
John Lennon
5/5
Albums like this are why i signed up for this project in the first place. i don’t know where the idea came from but somehow in my mind pop-culture had told me that John Lennon had become kind of a little bitch when he struck out on his own. But boy oh boy the hour I spent on this one really sent the record straight. He’s the man!
R.E.M.
5/5
I grew up a huge REM fan and it’s fun looking back on albums I loved as a kid. When I was 10 or 11, I was determined to learn the lyrics to It’s the End of the World as We Know It and remember spending an hour with my cassette player transcribing the lyrics. It was a pain in the ass, but now I have a pretty great karaoke song always up my sleeve!
Amy Winehouse
4/5
I wanted to love it, but feel bad because I think I got too excited when I saw it was the pick for the day and overhyped myself. Just a few minutes of that’s energy she channels is enough for four stars in my book though.
Nirvana
5/5
I was honestly scared to listen to it straight through because I thought maybe I’d be a little less into it in which case I would have been very bummed. But good news! It was one of those no need to worry things because this is still amazing and I love it.
Supergrass
4/5
It was a fun journey from where this started to where it ended up. I was a little worried at first when it felt like Gene Belcher joined the guys who got kicked out of Green Day and Oasis, but warmed up to it pretty quickly and had fun throughout.
Elton John
5/5
It’s amazing how many love beams he can cram into song after song. It feels like he’s trying to shake you awake from the inside out and he got me out of bed!
The Allman Brothers Band
4/5
I really wanted to love this more than I do, especially because I know it’s foundational to so many and I think of my friend JP whenever I hear the Allman Bros and I love that guy. It just didn’t break through me though, and I really tried to let it.
Skunk Anansie
4/5
I felt neither chill nor post-orgasmic at any point and my first listen kind of felt like this was on the list just to see if we’re paying attention, but I thought maybe it was just the LA traffic bumming me out and gave it another shot. I’m glad I did! I still disagree with the album title though. False advertising.
Tori Amos
3/5
I have deep respect, but maybe haven’t ever caught her in the right mood because her earnest angst always makes me feel a little too wracked to enjoy it.
Curtis Mayfield
5/5
It’s strange to have such sadness sound so amazing, but if that’s what it’s all about then this is it.
Orange Juice
3/5
I liked the vibes, but wasn’t really moved and am not sure I’d be able to pick them out of a sonic lineup down the road. Maybe their sweet every band sound is why they’re on the list?
Adele
5/5
She deserves all the hype. Just when I felt like it was about to be too much, she shifted gears and showed me what that star power is all about!
Judas Priest
4/5
Kind of amazing that an album could be so prescient about the pull of the cultural tides. It’s like they had a fever dream of what the 80s had in store, then brought it into being. It kind of sucks for them that this sound has become a caricature of the indulgences of the 80s, but isn’t mockery the highest form of flattery or something like that? And I should have put it together a long time ago, but I never realized this is where Beavis and Butthead got their tag line from. It’s the opportunity to weave the threads of my life together like this that keeps me coming back for an album a day.
The War On Drugs
5/5
Man they really nailed it on this one. It felt like being lost in a dream that I didn’t want to wake up from. It’s like they captured that moment between the force that pulls a wave up and the one that brings it crashing down, then somehow stretched it into an hour.
Bebel Gilberto
5/5
If I had the capacity to reach that stage of enlightenment that enables you to direct your rebirth, I’d do it just to be have the short lived existence of a microbe in her mouth that gets to ride into oblivion on one of the soundwaves coming from her voice.
Nine Inch Nails
4/5
I never bothered to give Nine Inch Nails a real chance because it seemed like only emo fuckboys were into in the suburbs back in the day, but you can color me impressed on the creative chutzpah that went into this. Now I wonder if those fuckboys listened to the whole album or just had the fuck you like an animal thing in repeat.
Megadeth
5/5
Loved this start to finish and the second time too. I can’t say it helped me calm down and don’t think it will be a regular for that reason, but it stroked the inner thrashings I had going on in just the right way and it’s inspiring to see what kind of beauty can emerge from the mud of rage.
Frank Sinatra
5/5
What’s not to love man? Made me feel like swinging my squeeze around from the get go.
AC/DC
5/5
I’m maybe a little biased because every song reminds me of some of the most fun times in my life, but fuck it man - this shit rips!
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
I have a lot of love for Ella Fitzgerald and she’s a regular in my house to get the morning going. I hadn’t listened to this album and wanted to love it, but show tunes always remind me of the drama club kids who made the drama class I would have otherwise found delight in absolutely suck and I can’t help but have those animus feelings stirred listening to this, hence the markdown.
Lauryn Hill
5/5
Just amazing. Some people think you can see it all if you look into a cup of tea the right way. I think you’ll get there faster if you just sit down and listen to this.
Willie Nelson
5/5
I fell off the album a day horse for too long and it’s hard to imagine a better way to get back in the saddle. How long do we think the gods will keep Willie on loan to us? Whatever they decide, I’m glad they let us borrow him for a bit - his gritty grace is the perfect model for us to all follow. Fuck the Man, but love your neighbor and also maybe the ladies along the way, you know? It’s wild to me that he recorded this at my age and went on to keep it going for more than double the time. Willie for President!!
Pearl Jam
5/5
This absolutely rules. I think I was 12 by the time it made it to me and it hit at just the right time. One of
my favorite memories is New Years 1993 when I was hanging out with Greg Reevie, who was the absolute man. My brother was supposed to be watching us but left for several hours to do cool kid shit and so me an Reevie put this on and turned my parents’ new sound system all the way up and just went completely bananas running around and dancing and ripping some righteous mid-air guitar riffs as we jumped from balcony to balcony in my parents crazy ass house. I distinctively remember the picture frames rattling on the walls and thinking how fucking cool that was. My brother lost it on us when he came back but just got really really angry because he knew he had no leverage. What was he gonna do? Tell mom? Beat me and Reevie up at the same time when both of us were already hopped up on these kick ass tunes and big enough to take him on our own? The answer is he wasn’t going to do anything except get angrier. We did turn it down a little bit, but kept on letting these beautiful soundwaves wash us into the new year.
The Offspring
4/5
It’s like eating Lucky Charms. You know it’s terrible, but it’s so good and you just can’t stop. Their addictive riffs are like those crappy dehydrated marshmallows that get stuck in your teeth and linger, reminding you all day that you should do better things for yourself.
David Ackles
4/5
This reminds me of seeing a great feat of accomplishment that I have absolutely no interest in other than the fact that I almost always appreciate and want to support people who pour their hearts into whatever they’re doing, like the time I saw the giant corn castle in Nebraska or when I visited Foamhenge in Virginia.
Cornershop
5/5
Sign me up! So glad I listened to the album. Brimful of Asha is a fun song but one of those overplayed ones that kind of makes you cringe when you hear it now because you know that loop is in your ahead again even if you turn the song off right away. The rest is so much better!
The Clash
3/5
I can’t explain exactly why, but The Clash have always seemed to uptight to be taken seriously to me. I’m still not sure they’re not uptight, but it seemed like they were having fun on this one at least!
Cocteau Twins
4/5
It’s strangely hypnotic and I love how the songs build and run away from themselves. It also seems oddly timeless. I mean, I’m sure it sure sounds like the late 80s crawling into the turn of the century, but songs like Heaven or Las Vegas at least seem like they could have come out last week too.
The Verve
3/5
I like Bittersweet Symphony, but sitting down for 75 minutes of it again is a no thanks for me. I’ll admit being into the general vibe in the 90s and early 2000s and still to some extent when I’m in a particular mood these days, but the overwrought pseudo symphonic thing generally just doesn’t hit right at this stage for me. I’m not offended or anything by this and it all sounds fine, but I’m very skeptical about the assertion that any of us need to listen to this album before we die and think maybe the author just had Bittersweet Symphony stuck in their head when they were getting toward their deadline.
Ramones
5/5
I loved this. This is another I hadn’t listened to, mainly on account of the vibes the people who wear the Ramones t-shirts tend to give off, and I’m glad I did. I know it’s punk and rough around the edges and all that, but it’s somehow pure and crisp in ways I wasn’t expecting.
R.E.M.
3/5
Listening felt like seeing a high school girlfriend who you’re still friendly with but have no romantic feelings for anymore. I once loved this and even more so because REM at Fiddler’s Green was the first concert I went to without any parents supervising, but now it’s just a hey how are you nice to see you type of thing.
3/5
Some really great ones for sure, but it’s all too much for me.
The Kinks
4/5
I’m so glad I finally listened to the Kinks. I must have had an aural hallucination when I was younger because I always thought of slightly out of tune, aggressively strummed chords and have just assumed they were annoyingly overhyped for as long as I can remember. It turns out I’m just an asshole and that these dudes are pretty groovy.
Os Mutantes
5/5
Holy shit this is awesome!!! It sounds like I’ve always imagined cocaine feels.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Another one that makes me grateful for this exercise - such an amazing and powerful voice. Obviously I’d heard some of these hits, but never all together and even piecemeal was always happenstance. I’m delighted I gave it more concerted attention. I had that fuck yeah feeling as soon as the first riff ripped, and just sunk deeper into it through to the end.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
I have the same feeling in my ears listening to Belle and Sebastian that I have in my mouth when I drink Mountain Dew. It’s okay at first, but too saccharine for more than just a sip or two. And the whole bottle leaves me feeling a little queasy and angry about how jittery I am.
Sade
5/5
Love these vibes. I understand why this sound came to be caricaturized and I wouldn’t choose the synthetic keys on a regular basis, but there were bigger missteps in the early 80s than these silky sounds.
Thundercat
5/5
Really love this. I didn’t at first and to be honest initially thought there was a mistake in the database, but instead ran with the assumption that I’m fundamentally a square and needed to give it another spin with a more open mind and I’m glad I did. It’s groovy and moving, but light and fun too. Three cheers for Thundercat!
Paul Simon
5/5
Just amazing. It seems tough to beat as a standard bearer for what an album should be in my book. He covers so much musical and lyrical ground, but it feels like it’s just effortlessly spilling out.
Radiohead
5/5
This is probably one of my most listened to albums and I was kind of dreading giving it a listen with wisened ears, but am delighted to see I wasn’t totally wrong about everything at the turn of the century. It’s an emotional and musical masterpiece.
Arcade Fire
4/5
It feels like a landscape painting of the 90s and I love what they’re doing and where they’re trying to take us. Its a few lyrical repetitions too many for me to be a perfect score, but one I’d happily listen to again.
Björk
5/5
This is absolutely an album you should listen to before you die! I can’t think of another album that made me so dramatically rethink what we’re capable of as humans. It’s amazing because it’s such a weird idea, but also so obvious to make an album exploring what the human voice can do and it’s kind of wild that no one gave it a shot like this before. I’ll be honest in that I’ve always waffled between admiring Björk’s kookiness and suspecting it was just a schtick to stand out, but I’m all in on admiration after this one.
Portishead
5/5
Yes, please. Feels like taking a warm bath.
Paul Simon
5/5
I’ll be honest and tell you that my eyes rolled a little bit when I saw this album pop up and figured it was just the result of some Paul Simon fanboys on the editorial team for the book. After all, I consider myself a Paul Simon fan (though I stop short of being a fanboy) and I’d never even heard of it! It turns out I just don’t explore enough because this does in fact kick ass and even though it seems unfair for Paul Simon to have at least three albums on here (because surely Graceland at least is still coming up, right?), I agree you should listen to it before you die. The only thing that sucks about it is that it sounds like Paul was a dick to Art during the making of it and that the experience broke the Garfunkelian camel’s back, leaving all of us without the opportunity to hear what the two of them could have gone on to do together.
Beck
4/5
I listened to this on a Metro ride from Long Beach to downtown LA, and seemed like just about a perfect soundtrack. I have to admit that I’ve always felt like Beck is trying a little too hard to be too cool for school
instead of just being it, but I dunno man - even if that’s true he’s pretty fuckin cool on this one.
Miles Davis
5/5
It’s one of those you really have to sit down with to get all the way in there. It feels like being in a half awake dream where everything seems not quite real and sometimes a little disorienting, but when you make it through to the end you just want to go back and do it all over again.
The Everly Brothers
2/5
I dunno about this one man. If not for my mom and her love of these guys, I might ask to speak to the manager about this decision.
Killing Joke
4/5
Out of the chute, my knee-jerk reaction was that these guys must have been paving the road to 90s alt rock that I’m not really interested in treading, but I warmed up to it and some of this really rips! Even if they did cut the path that Gen X stomped down, I can still appreciate the vistas they uncovered here.
Fugees
5/5
Man this is so good! I’ve heard and always loved the hits of course, but am way too white to blast these beats and have never been much of a headphones guy. Very glad to have had the excuse to listen to the magic in full.
Nina Simone
4/5
I’m torn because Nina Simone is as close to a medium for the wonders of the great beyond as we can get and I love her, but just didn’t love this album.
5/5
What a blast from the past! U2 seems so cheesy these days that it’s sometimes hard to remember how fucking great they were when we were in high school in the 90s. As soon as those first few chords of where the streets have no name ripped, I felt myself transport to the passenger’s seat of Zach Shattuck’s car as we drove from school to swimming practice - windows down, wind whipping, and just absolutely belting the lyrics with all of our naive little hearts. It was fuckin great man. And this one still is!
The Streets
1/5
No thanks. Was this a prank?
T. Rex
4/5
Bang a gong man! These are good vibes!
Franz Ferdinand
2/5
The one song holds up but the rest seems kind of weirdly formulaic and kind of whiny. Adios F Ferd! Maybe Ill catch you on the radio or on some throwback list at a bar.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Some bitchin rips in here! Kind of felt tedious at some points but I think that’s just my instantly gratified early 21st century brain at work.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Some fun stuff and good vibes, but kind of feels like getting a half assed massage. I just want it to go a little deeper, you know?
Einstürzende Neubauten
2/5
I don’t wanna work just wanna bang on my angle grinder all day!
Paul McCartney
3/5
There are some very lovely sounds in here. I may have had my expectations too high going in on account of Paul McCartney’s stature, but I have to admit that I was a little disappointed with this one. It was like eating a sundae that had good but not great ice cream, but then just some basic fudge and a couple of obligatory nuts. I need sprinkles and cherries to be impressed.
ZZ Top
5/5
I wish I could give 6 stars to the ones that not only kick ass but also are now in my lineup. Like summa cum laude for albums. I’d hang with these hombres any day.
Ash
3/5
Some very excellent rock and roll here! It’s not an every day set of jams for me, but I’m glad to know it’s there and wouldn’t be upset at all about coming across these guys again in the future. Reminds me of an Irish version of Better Than Ezra, only better.
Alanis Morissette
5/5
Man what a delight to find something I loved in the 90s that still kicks ass! I’d been starting to think I was wrong about it all back then. At least I wasn’t totally off musically, and seems like my celebrity crushes were on point.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
5/5
What a fun and wonderful album! I’m so glad to be back in the saddle and greeted with these sonic delights. This is my new go-to for when I get that itch to tap my feet.
Todd Rundgren
4/5
I have to admit that I read the wiki page first and let out an unhappy fart when I saw “straightforward pop ballads”, so I went into this with a little bit of a chip on my shoulder. I was pleasantly surprised by most of it and really loved some of it, but there are also some fart inducing passages in there. Bonus half a star for being creative and kind of kooky.
Gotan Project
5/5
Oh man what a great blast from the college past! I remember when every fucking coffee shop and cool dude bar or restaurant around played this on repeat, and it still as great as ever!
Songhoy Blues
5/5
I wish I could remember when I first heard this. I think it was my first intro to “world music”, and it’s still got that same magnetic charm now. I love this and all the musical doors it opened up for me. Three cheers and five stars!
The Prodigy
3/5
I always have a little bit of a through the looking glass feeling when I listen to electronic shit like this because I don’t love it but know there’s a version of myself I could have been who absolutely would. I feel pretty lucky to have made it out of the 90s without getting swallowed up in the abyss of ravelife, but I’m glad to be able to take a peak over the precipice every now and then.
MC Solaar
5/5
Man I don’t care if this guy is rapping about which marshmallows in Lucky Charms taste the best - it sounds cool as fuck no matter what. I felt cool as fuck just listening!
3/5
I like the vibe and am proud of their trailblazing and all that. Maybe I’m just a dipshit, but I wouldn’t be able to pick this sound out of a lineup, and that’s a must for top scores for me.
The Black Keys
3/5
I dunno man I kind of wish I had left my understanding of the Black Keys to be informed by their hits that already made it to me, which are pretty fuckin great! They should get a smiley face on their homework for sticking with the vibe, but the rest of the album feels like a stream of faxed over copies of the hits and I’m a little bummed to have learned there’s not more to it.
The Pharcyde
4/5
I never knew about this! It’s not one I’d throw on anytime, but that’s probably the point. Bonus half star for being fun and creative.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
I dig it man!
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
I hear echoes of this in just about every band from the 90s I grew up loving, so you won’t hear any denials of the impact and long tail on this one from me, just not my thing these days.
Laura Nyro
2/5
I have to admit that I listened to this on a foggy morning after a sleepless night, so I wasn’t in the best place for this to hit right, but all I could keep thinking about was a version of that hypothetical on how many first graders you could realistically take in a brawl except it was angry Care Bears instead and however many it was, I was losing.
The Cars
4/5
Oh man I would have never known to give credit to the Cars for all these kickass songs! I could do without a couple of the ballads, but they’re still cool dudes and I hope their parents are proud.
David Holmes
4/5
I’m torn because I like the beats and what he’s doing, but they conjure images of aggro hipsters trying too hard to be cool and maybe it’s just my state of mind, but I can’t wholeheartedly endorse such inducements.
Amy Winehouse
5/5
It seems like it can’t be real how amazing she is. It doesn’t feel right to really rock out to this - especially that opener - given we know now how rough the seas this ship was sailing in were, but there’s no denying this is truly great.
The Who
3/5
They’ve never been a band I’ve been interested in, but this is my favorite of what I have heard. Give me some good old fashioned rock n roll over the theatrics any day!
Grateful Dead
4/5
I love the Dead, but I’ve never really been too interested in their meandering live jams. Maybe that keeps me on the square side of the Deadhead line, but I’ll own that. I’d always skipped this one because I didn’t want to sit through Dark Star and knew I’d heard most of the rest elsewhere at other points, but I’m glad I finally gave it a spin. I still don’t love the Dark Starry jams, but I have a lot more appreciation for the no holds barred declaration of freedom that it implies these days.
The Velvet Underground
5/5
This is another one I regret avoiding because of my distaste for the sneering fan base that shaped my impression of what it was all about. I love how simple and quietly confident the whole thing is. I mean, I know the hardest thing is to make great things look easy, but it really seems like they’re just kind of fucking around at some points, and it’s great!
Jimmy Smith
5/5
This is so good it’s almost a caricature of cool.
Emmylou Harris
5/5
You know how cats look when they’re basking in the warm sun shining through a window and it seems like all their bones melted away into a puddle of bliss? That’s me listening to Emmylou.
Radiohead
3/5
I had fallen off the Radiohead train by the time this came out and maybe I’m spoiled by nostalgia or just in less emotional turmoil, but this was kind of boring. Beautiful, but boring.
Robert Wyatt
1/5
No thanks!
Fred Neil
4/5
I absolutely hated his voice at first but by the third song the tunes were so good I was not only over it, but into it!
4/5
I’m so glad I finally listened to the Kinks. I must have had an aural hallucination when I was younger because I always though of slightly out of tune, aggressively strummed chords and have just assumed they were annoyingly overhyped for as long as I can remember. It turns out I’m just an asshole and that these dudes are pretty groovy.
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
It’s all solid and some great moments for sure, but this made me realize I like my folk music like I like my coffee - straight up and erring on the gritty side of things.
The Libertines
3/5
Good stuff! I’m glad to have heard it, but it made me realize I’m biased against British accents in rock music.
Janelle Monáe
4/5
Never have I ever listened to Janelle Monae before and I’m glad I finally did! Super weird album, but I’m giving extra credit and rounding up for what felt like a smooth, groovy ride anyway.
The Police
2/5
When I was a kid, I absolutely hated olives. They were so gross they’d make me gag. But everyone else seemed to love them and I wanted to share in their joy, so I’d try olives once a year or so to see if my palate had changed and I could hop on that train. It felt like a futile and a little masochistic for years, but I kept trying and finally had a delicious green olive when I was 25, and now I can’t get enough. I’ve always felt similarly about the Police - they don’t quite make me gag, but I keep trying to like them just like I did with olives, because how could so many people be wrong? I’ve never turned the corner in my musical palate and at this point don’t hold out much hope, but I respect the joy they bring to others.
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
Solid rock! Not for me these days, but I think I would have been much more into them before I crested that hill of life.
Hole
4/5
I’m glad I finally listened! Way better than I expected.
Steely Dan
2/5
The hits are great but the rest tastes like dry toast.
Elvis Presley
5/5
My mom listened to Elvis all the time in the car when I was growing up. It was only when I was much older that I realized her cassettes were all the hits and that I never listened to any albums. What a fuckin blast man! I know he stole it all, but he’s still the King.
5/5
I didn’t expect to, but I really loved this. At its core, it’s impossibly simple good old fashioned rock and roll, but it’s got some nice ornaments too.
Depeche Mode
3/5
I feel kinda bad, but aside the hits this one is pretty boring.
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
I always felt too white to listen to this and still do but man I wish I could get over it cause this rips!
The Divine Comedy
2/5
I don’t like overly dramatic music in the first place and maybe I’m just extra special grumpy today, this sounds like something that came out of a Seinfeld episode. Bonus star here for ambition and because my friends liked it, but it’s a no thanks for me. It is worth a listen so that you can appreciate the other albums more though.
Merle Haggard
4/5
I love Merle Haggard and if I were honest, I’d tell you I’m giving extra credit on this one because of the bigger picture, but I’m not so I won’t. I hope this isn’t it for Merle on the list because this album feels like getting vanilla ice cream at a fancy homemade shop - great for sure, but there are so many better flavors!
The Prodigy
1/5
Maybe I’m not jilted enough, but I have a hard time believing anyone actually wants to sit down and listen to this. I can understand it would be awesome on a bunch of ecstasy at a rave, but let’s keep things where they belong.
The Notorious B.I.G.
4/5
First time actually listening and I can see what the hype is about! Not really my thing, but definitely isn’t meant to be.
The Young Rascals
5/5
Maybe there’s some nostalgia at play, but these tunes warm my heart and get my toes tapping!
Queen
4/5
By the time I got around to listening to music, the greatest hits had already come out and it seemed like all you needed. Boy oh boy was I wrong! I hadn’t heard most of this before and it definitely rips!
The Rolling Stones
5/5
It feels like riding down a raft on the river of rock and roll - even the bumpy parts are fun!
Simple Minds
4/5
I was just coming online in the 80s and am kind of glad I missed most of it but am delighted to find this one in the end!
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
4/5
It’s super dooper cool on a lot of counts, but kind of tedious and a little too self consciously cool at too many points for top marks though.
The Crusaders
5/5
Man this is some real cool dude shit.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
It’s pretty righteous throughout - maybe top ten openings with Immigrant Song, but goes on to hit right on different registers.
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
I like the vibes, but I’m giving extra credit here because I love Jorma Kaukonen so much. Give me Embryonic Journey for an album and I’ll give you five stars!
The Flaming Lips
4/5
I think it’s what they’re going for, but it feels like one of those trips where you ate just a little bit more than you should have - mostly awesome, but a little uncomfortable here and there.
Suzanne Vega
3/5
I had never listened to Suzanne Vega before but for some reason I thought she was a punk rocker. Boy was I surprised! I like a lot of it, but it has a grumpy intellectual vibe running though it that I have a particular aversion to these days.
The Lemonheads
2/5
I can understand not disliking this, but I really think you’d be totally fine not listening to this before you die.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
My wife pretty much only listens to this album and Dolly Parton’s hits when she drives, so I’m a little tapped out on it, but it’s tough to beat and is a good one to get stuck with if you have to. I’m still surprised Second Hand News doesn’t loom more largely in pop music culture - it’s a great way to kick off the album!
Marvin Gaye
5/5
Up there with the best vibes ever recorded.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
5/5
Okay I know it’s going to piss off the anti-appropriationists because yes this sounds like a dude put a global music album in a blender and added some dope bass and Sinead OConnor in for fun, but it’s really dope bass plus Sinead OConnor!
Astor Piazzolla
2/5
It’s worth hearing because it’s impressive, but it sounds like the soundtrack to a movie I don’t want to see and I don’t think I’ll be coming back.
David Bowie
3/5
I really feel like you had to be there to get the David Bowie obsession, but this one is at least pretty groovy.
Coldplay
3/5
Wow turns out nostalgia is a powerful drug! I was kind of dreading being reminded of how bad my taste was back in the day, but it turns out the album overall is pretty good even if it does err a little on the side of sappy.
Beatles
5/5
I don’t care if it makes me basic or how cheesy any of it might be - this is always welcome on my ears!
Beastie Boys
5/5
Man what a blast!
Ray Price
4/5
This one feels like a true blast from the past! I still like the way Willie sings em better, but I was surprised by how much heart this otherwise squeaky clean honk tonk has.
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
It’s good and I betcha you’ll feel better if you put this one on. It’s on the boring end of the spectrum for the genre and a little bit of a puzzling pick to me given how many other samba and bossa nova albums there are out there that you really must listen to before you die.
Sufjan Stevens
2/5
I’ve tried and tried but just can’t turn the corner on Sufjan Stevens. It’s too much for me though. I can never shake the feeling that I’m caught up in the soundtrack to a Wes Anderson fever dream.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
It’s pretty and great for a rainy day.
Django Django
4/5
Had me hooked in the first half, but I lost the thread by the end. Definitely worth a spin though!
Ozomatli
5/5
I had a few friends who were Ozomatli diehards and I regret not taking them more seriously back in the day - this rips!
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
It’s a good listen as far as 80s goth rock goes…but it’s still 80s goth rock.
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
It kicks off right and has nothing but great vibes throughout. There are a couple of turns here and there I’d prefer not to have taken, but it always got back on track.
Bob Dylan
4/5
The hits are genuine bangers, but I’m less persuaded by the rest. Bonus points because I never paid attention to 115th Dream before and “They asked me for some collateral And I pulled down my pants” is up there for top lyrics of all time!
Kate Bush
2/5
Okay I get that this was maybe pushing some boundaries in the day, so extra credit for that, but I think the tides of time should maybe sweep this one away. It sounds like the songs Gene Belcher makes that they play at the end of Bob’s Burgers episodes.
OutKast
4/5
I love parts and respect it all, but it’s too frenetic to be a regular part of my repertoire.
Boston
5/5
I’m realizing now that the DJs that ran the classic rock station when I was growing up were huge Boston fans. I never knew who was playing and to credit, but now I know how much ass Boston really kicks!
Morrissey
1/5
Ugh I always thought Morrissey fans were dorks and now I know why.
The Stranglers
5/5
Good stuff! I’m into it and got me tapping my toes.
Fats Domino
5/5
It’s the tits! From start to finish!
The Beach Boys
4/5
The Beach Boys are great and this sounds like summers riding in my mom’s car.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Love bits of it, but too many parts felt like satire. Kind of made me sad because I think maybe it’s just me channeling the cynicism of our current zeitgeist, but I’m not here to lie to anybody.
The Specials
4/5
This kicks ass!
Jane Weaver
5/5
Okay so I’ll admit this album had a leg up on me from the get go because there was a Jill Weaver who I went to middle school with and was a total babe and we were boyfriend girlfriend for almost a whole week and I almost saw her boobies once so I of course thought of better times when I pulled this up, but it’s legitimately great!!
David Bowie
3/5
I dunno man - I mean, if you don’t have respect for a guy in his 60s doing this, then you’re a dick, but I also think you had to have already been a Bowie fan to really love this and I have a hard time with discordance for the apparent sake of it. I’ve got enough stress in my life, you know?
Otis Redding
5/5
So good! How can getting my heart strings tugged feel so good?
Jane's Addiction
4/5
Mostly love this!
Dizzee Rascal
3/5
I will admit that this is the first British hip hop I’ve been able to listen to without imaging everyone with pinkies up sipping tea between takes and I respect the mark it made, but no thanks!
Meat Loaf
4/5
All I knew about Meat Loaf growing up was that I thought it was a stupid name and he did that I will do anythiiiiiiiing for love song. Listening to this makes me wish I hadn’t judged the book by that cover. It’s pretty kick ass!
Neil Young
5/5
Oh man what an amazing album! He’s the Man for sure.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Okay so obviously Jimi Hendrix is The Man and this album and all the rest is great stuff, but it’s just not my stuff. I mean, I would go to town on this if it were a buffet at a wedding, but I wouldn’t order it on my own accord at a restaurant, you know?
The Who
3/5
I’m still not a fan, but this helped me have some more respect and I think maybe I’m just being obstinate because this is mostly pretty great.
TV On The Radio
4/5
I had totally missed these guys and am glad to have been encouraged to listen. I like the vibes.
Kraftwerk
5/5
This is really lovely.
B.B. King
5/5
So good! Seems like it would have been a blast to be there.
R.E.M.
5/5
It’s 90% awesome, 10% annoying. They were the first band I saw live without my parents, so bonus points for nostalgia’s sake!
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
4/5
Its a little too dramatic for me, but mostly fun!
CHIC
5/5
super groovy!
Arrested Development
5/5
What a blast from the past! I had kind of forgotten how great this was and am glad to be reminded!
John Lennon
4/5
Pretty good stuff!
Guns N' Roses
5/5
They really knew how rock.
Brian Eno
5/5
The Man!
Sonic Youth
2/5
Seemed like the cool kids liked Sonic Youth when I was in middle school so I listened to them then and remember thinking that being cool sucks and I was right.
Kid Rock
4/5
I never got past Bawitdaba - which kicks ass - and always thought Cowboy sucked and was popular only because of a conspiracy. Hate to admit it now, but the rest of the album kind of rips.
The xx
4/5
I love how sweet and earnest it is. Demerits for that dude’s kind of whiny voice though.
Megadeth
3/5
I’m not often into thrashing, but I’d definitely come
knocking on this door when I’m next in the mood.
Lenny Kravitz
3/5
I think Lenny is a cool dude and I don’t have any beef with this album, but also won’t be back in line for seconds.
White Denim
4/5
I’m into it!
Soul II Soul
5/5
It seems almost like a parody of the 90s, but I love it!
U2
5/5
I was a serious U2 fan in the 90s and have had them mostly on the shelf the last 20 years - for reasons both deserved and not. This was a great reminder of why I loved them so much.
Fiona Apple
5/5
I will admit that I’m maybe a little bit biased because I had such a crush on Fiona Apple in high school, but this is great stuff!
Grateful Dead
5/5
I think this might be my most listened to album of all time, and I’m always happy to give it another spin.
Barry Adamson
4/5
It’s kooky and kind of spooky, but worth a spin!
Can
3/5
Had me in the first half, lost me in the second.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Is there anything else that can make you feel this way no matter how you’re feeling when you go into it?
The Cult
3/5
Solid rock for sure, but think I’d rather just listen to AC/DC.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
It’s pretty great, just not the tea I’d order.
The Dictators
5/5
this kicks ass!
Duke Ellington
5/5
Man I wish I could have been there! This rules!
The Residents
3/5
I’m torn on this one. I kind of like how kooky it is and am pretty into a few songs - especially Constantinople and Lizard Lady - and I appreciate the effort and willingness to say fuck it to commercial success. It’s not really one I’d turn to in any other circumstance though, so tough for me to give high marks.
Parliament
5/5
You can make my funk the P-funk any day of the week. This is the grooviest and these dudes are all the Mans.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
It feels like bread and butter at this point, but I’m still into bread and butter and you can eat my farts if you’re not.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
When I was younger I hated olives and also Joni Mitchell. Now that I’m older, I absolutely love olives and at least like this album quite a bit. Sure seems like she was boning a lot back then. Makes me sad I wasn’t around for the 60s and 70s, though if I’m honest, I probably would have been a square then too.
Ravi Shankar
5/5
Love this so much. There are more fun Ravi albums out there, but I like the instructional approach on this one. Also the Man for sure.
Pentangle
3/5
I think this one is the most perplexing so far for me. I loved it, then hated it, then loved it again. I’m glad I listened though, and love always wins in the end - right?
Joan Baez
4/5
It’s amazing she did this when she was 19 and she’s got my respect for sure. This album is like a good bottle of scotch though - definitely worth a few sips, but your head will hurt if you drink the whole thing at once.
Spiritualized
5/5
Absolutely lovely. I’m so happy to know about this! I’ve been so hypnotized, I didn’t catch the JJ Cale/Velvet Underground mashup on “Run” until my third listen.
Happy Mondays
5/5
I’d give this six stars and a cherry on top if I could!
Shivkumar Sharma
5/5
I probably wouldn’t have ever found this without this, but feel like I’ve been looking for it forever.
Talvin Singh
3/5
It was…okay?
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
4/5
I went into this one with pretty low expectations based on what sounded like an annoying and pretentious band and album name, but these dudes hopped right over that low bar - great album! Seems like it captured a perfect moment right after the 80s broke up with the 70s, but before the 80s snorted too much cocaine.
Duran Duran
3/5
No hate and in fact much love to the band for what they did and came to represent, but I was surprised to find the 40+ years that have passed since this came out didn’t do it a lick of favors. I don’t mind it and whether it’s me or just the zeitgeist, I can’t say, but I got pretty bored and don’t think that’s what they were going for.
Beastie Boys
5/5
These guys just absolutely fuckin rule. They’re all the Mans for sure. Is there anybody else who sticks that landing on the edge of paradox so well?
The Beach Boys
4/5
I had vaguely heard about this side of the Beach Boys, but this is my first time hearing it myself. Kind of weird because I don’t think I would have ever guessed jt was the same band without knowing it, but also sort of felt like running into a buddy from high school who’s all grown up now.
Silver Jews
3/5
I gave this one an honest shot, but just don’t think I’m riding the same wave. I get why people would like it, but that’s true about key lime pie too and you’ll never see me order it.
Sinead O'Connor
4/5
I was so pumped for this and feel bad because I maybe put the bar too high, but I was surprised to be feeling underwhelmed so often. Its beautiful, but also like a heavy blanket you’ll want to save for a cold, lonely day.
2Pac
5/5
2Pac has always been like a cryptid to me - I’d heard so much about the legend that I assumed an investigation of my own would be kind of futile. I was wrong and am glad I listened though. I feel like the legend at once fell to earth and came to life.
Justice
5/5
Super fun!
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
5/5
This kicks ass!
Ice T
5/5
Glad I listened - I never had and gave me a whole new perspective on Ice T!
Dion
5/5
This was new to me and is great!
Arcade Fire
5/5
Love these dudes.
Tom Waits
4/5
I was sad about the assignment at first, but this one made me like Tom Waits a whole lot more than I did when I started. How do the angels get to sleep when the devil leaves the porchlight on? is still a great question.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
I mean, I don’t even think Fatboy himself would recommend sitting down and listening straight through while sober, but I did it and regretted not having spent my time doing pretty much anything else. Right Here, Right Now and Praise You kick ass and I like all the peacocking throughout though!
Aerosmith
3/5
I’ve always been perplexed by the Aerosmith thing, but I met them in the 90s when that music video with Liv Tyler came out and even in that proto-internet age everyone found out she was Steven Tyler’s daughter and was like ew gross, so they’ve always had a higher bar to overcome for me than other bands.
Death In Vegas
5/5
I’m into it!
Stereolab
5/5
I would take a star away from another album to give this one a bonus star if I could. But I love Stereolab. Love them period, but love them even more because my wife is smarter and more successful than me, but hates them, so when I listen to them I’m constantly reminded I’m at least cooler than she is.
Prince
5/5
I’d never been able to turn the corner on Prince until this listen. Glad I kept trying though - this rips!
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Better than I expected but not one I need again!
The United States Of America
2/5
Sounds like Peter, Paul, and Mary took a bad trip!
Super Furry Animals
4/5
Wow there’s a lot in this one! I kept hoping I’d turn the corner and love it, because I love how ambitious it is, but none of it really grabbed me. Maybe I’m just a little grumpy these days, or maybe you have to be Welsh?
Radiohead
4/5
I guess I’m a freak cause I’d take Kid A over Amnesiac any day of the week, but still find a nice refuge for the remnants of my 20-year old malaise in this one.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
I often forget how groovy some of the Stones roots are. Glad to be reminded!
Taylor Swift
4/5
Okay so yes the lyrics are vacuous and I’m not really into the valorization of the female fuckboy thing, but finally listening to this helped me understand her superstardom better. It’s fun!
Tortoise
5/5
Love this. TNT was my first intro to Tortoise and is still my fave, but I’d be happy with this as the alternative any day.
2/5
I’ll admit to being biased from the get go because everyone I know who actually uses the term rubbish is a putz, but this tracked with my expectations on that front.
Prefab Sprout
3/5
Maybe somewhat ironically, this album reminded me of the period when I had my friend’s Royal Enfield on loan. It super cool at first, but pretty quickly became annoying and heavy and the same problems kept repeating themselves.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
Are You Ready Eddy is cool. No thanks on the rest!
Janet Jackson
3/5
This made me realize that I don’t think I ever bothered to actually listen to Janet Jackson before! There were some bright spots, but too much snare for me.
Steely Dan
4/5
I dug it! The Steely Dan fandom makes way more sense to me after having listened.
Sepultura
5/5
I was annoyed to have a metal assignment the day I finally sat down to listen, but then had me tappin my toes and bangin my head by the third track! The genre just isn’t my jam, so it won’t be in my regular rotation, but I’ll pick this one up again for sure!
Heaven 17
5/5
If you had asked me what I think about British synth-pop from the early 80s when I woke up this morning, I 100% would have looked you in the eye and convincingly pretended to know what I was talking about and as I told you it’s basically just post-Imperial flatulence. But look at me now! I’m humbled and educated and have Heaven 17 to thank for it. This is the tits!
Pet Shop Boys
5/5
loved it!
Johnny Cash
5/5
Man this is so great! I’d only listened piecemeal before and am glad to have finally sat down for the full course.
Pink Floyd
5/5
I’m not a fan of the rock opera thing in general, but think everyone knows this one supersedes all categories and lives entirely in the realm of awesome.
Robbie Williams
2/5
No thanks for me!
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
I liked it overall, but got pretty bored halfway through.
The Damned
4/5
Pretty great for a Monday that made me want to smash a bunch of things!
Tina Turner
4/5
I was surprised how much better the album got after What’s Love Got to Do With It. She can really belt it out man!
10cc
4/5
I appreciate the thumb nosing silliness but wasn’t in love and was about to cut the last corner - glad I didn’t cause the Sacro-Iliac bumped it up a star in my book!
Blue Cheer
5/5
felt like eating a good batch of raw carrots!
Dr. Octagon
5/5
It’s weird because I feel cooler than I did this morning after having listened to this but also like more of a dweeb knowing that I wouldn’t have if not for this.
LCD Soundsystem
5/5
First time listener and I’m sold!
Beastie Boys
4/5
I was surprised to find out I don’t LOVE love this now, but still love it and these dudes even more.
T. Rex
5/5
If I get nothing else out of this list, it will be worth it for having finally listened to T. Rex. I’m sold!
Booker T. & The MG's
5/5
How wonderful! I might start using this as a litmus test for friends. Why anyone want to hang out with someone who can’t get into this?
Don McLean
4/5
I won’t discount my nostalgia for the title track and the rest of the album stands up!
Burning Spear
5/5
I’m into it!
The Monkees
2/5
I grew up in the suburbs of Colorado and spent a lot of time in my mom’s car listening to the oldies on KOOL 105 and they played Daydream Believer a lot, which left me thinking I was a huge Monkees fan. I learned later in life that they kind of suck but was still rooting for them when I went into this one and somehow they still managed to even more than kind of suck.
Small Faces
5/5
I felt like I was meandering along with a totally fine but forgettable to me album when Happiness Stan came along and opened up a whole new portal of fun!
Eels
2/5
The music is pretty solid and seems like the production even better, but just listening to the lyrics made me want to give myself a wedgie.
Suicide
5/5
It’s like a riptide off a quiet shore and I was glad to get out to sea by this one.
Butthole Surfers
2/5
I think I get the point, just think it’s a lame one to make.
Little Richard
5/5
Man what an absolute treasure!
The Mars Volta
1/5
Whoof!
Echo And The Bunnymen
5/5
Loved this way more than I expected to.
Traffic
5/5
I hadn’t heard this before and am pumped to know about it!
Dusty Springfield
3/5
I liked it, but also made me sad she only got to sing about dudes she was banging or wanted to. Give me some Dusty with some depth!
Big Star
3/5
Really tried to get hooked because it seemed so great and then kept seeming so great but I dunno man, I respect their influence, but didn’t turn the corner myself here.
Patti Smith
5/5
I never bothered to find out what the Patti Smith fandom was all about and am glad I did! This is wonderful!
Elastica
4/5
I’m on board, but just not always. I’m giving them extra credit here because I thought this was Veruca Salt or another in the vein I’d heard before, so this is on behalf of all them.
Japan
5/5
I was expecting some regular schmegular 80s and was not that sad about it because those were fun and goofy times. This kicked way more ass than I expected!
The Avalanches
5/5
I was in no kind of mood for this but it’s impossible to resist. Amazing work!
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
I wanted to love it and there were some moments I loved, but they were too far apart for me to come back to this one anytime soon.
Black Flag
5/5
I always wondered where all the hype came from and now I get it!
Mott The Hoople
3/5
I was a huge REM fan back in the day and always had these guys on my list thanks to the Man on the Moon, but I think maybe I hyped them too much in my mind because this was pretty underwhelming!
Holger Czukay
5/5
I hated this at first, but am glad I didn’t bail on it because he turned it around quickly and this rules! It’s things like this that I came for.
Hanoi Rocks
4/5
Very solid and fun!
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
I’m giving extra credit because I like the underlying concept and seems so hard to pull off, but this was annoying!
Haircut 100
4/5
Fun!
Finley Quaye
5/5
loved just about every minute of this!
Björk
5/5
Maybe I’ve grown or maybe it’s just that the world is an even weirder place than it was back when I first listened to Björk, but I remember thinking this was too far out there for me back in the day. I’m grateful for an excuse to give it another spin because it’s great!
Stereo MC's
4/5
Loved the beats and will come back to it!
Santana
5/5
It’s way too easy to forget how greats Santana is. What’s wrong with me?
Beatles
3/5
I was surprised to be incredibly underwhelmed!
Alice Cooper
3/5
The first song is so good that you almost don’t even realize the rest of it isn’t!
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
Totally fine and some bright spots for sure, but I was mostly just above bored.
Hugh Masekela
3/5
I wanted to love it more than I do, but I’m an honest fellow.
Digital Underground
4/5
Almost too cringey, but the jokes and beats got me over the hump.
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
I promise I tried so hard to hear this from a fan’s perspective, but still couldn’t turn the corner on Rufus. I’m not an idiot and understand the talent behind it all, but it’s annoying!!
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Not the tea I’d order, but I’ll drink it if it’s delivered!
My Bloody Valentine
5/5
I always thought these dudes were just a bunch of emo dorks. I’m very glad to find out that the problem is actually that I’m an ignorant asshole, because this rips!
5/5
They lured me in for sure. I’d give em a smooch!
The Specials
5/5
Super fun! I really like the bullocks song
Rush
4/5
Okay so this was pretty kick ass in a lot of places and helped me understand why there are some Rush fanatics out there so I’m giving bonus points for being a hater before, but still - I gave this one three listens and the less attention I pay, the better it sounds and I don’t think that’s really what they were going for.
The Waterboys
5/5
Super fun and wonderful!
John Prine
5/5
I’m still ashamed to admit that I didn’t know who John Prine was until the bug made him shuffle off his mortal coil, but it was love at first listen and I’d give this a thousand stars if they’d let me.
Serge Gainsbourg
5/5
When I saw French pop I immediately assumed there would be some scratchy voiced Frenchman sounding French and there was and it was great and so was the rest of it.
Lupe Fiasco
5/5
This is great. So glad I listened - I had totally missed this and ignored Lupe Fiasco ever since, but now I don’t know why.
The xx
3/5
Good album and I’m in no way sad I listened but not sure about it being a must listen to.
American Music Club
3/5
Bad Liquor was fun and the rest is totally fine but hard to imagine coming back to these days.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
Some groovy tunes and Janis sounds like she’s coming from another planet.
Aimee Mann
2/5
Totally fine but I’m perplexed by the acclaim.
Mike Ladd
5/5
Love this and felt cooler than I would otherwise while listening.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
I didn’t really love the album but love Marvin Gaye and pudding is pudding, you know?
Brian Eno
5/5
I listen to this so often and easily that it’s hard for me to remember that it was pathbreaking. Just seems like what you’re supposed to hear.
Dirty Projectors
3/5
I don’t hate it, but it sounds like a slightly less annoying pared down Andrew Bird to me and I’m a little perplexed about this standing out as a must add to the list
John Lee Hooker
5/5
Groovy dudes groovin throughout.
TV On The Radio
5/5
Super cool dude shit!
Girls Against Boys
2/5
Wow this was kind of wild to listen to - maybe I too would have liked it back in the day, but seemed like a parody of early 90s alt rock with my today’s ears.
Buzzcocks
4/5
Glad they did what they did!
Cream
4/5
Pretty great!
Wilco
5/5
I’d bet my last shoe this was my most listened to album when it made it to me my third year of college, and it still feels just as great.
Neu!
5/5
Love this. So glad to have learned about it, and to find out that I apparently like Krautrock.
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
Shining Star is such a great song and the album peaks with the opening, but the rest is still fun.
David Bowie
5/5
I didn’t think I even liked David Bowie but it turns out I love David Bowie!
Gorillaz
2/5
No thanks.
I feel dumb for not knowing Faces earlier - I dig it!
Sex Pistols
5/5
Okay, I get it now!
King Crimson
2/5
This was the hardest fought 2 in my run. I hated it at first, but I gave Morrissey a 1 and knew this isn’t that bad. I gave it an honest fair shot and found the bright spots on my third and a half listen, but never turned the corner on maybe wanting to listen again. I’m down to get weird - I’m just not on board with this strategy of let’s show you how terribly we can sound so that you’re relieved and happy when we sound not terrible.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
Fun cool dude shit at first but I got bored by the halfway point.
Traffic
5/5
Super groovy and radical!
Metallica
4/5
The hits rip and Enter Sandman is on any reasonable short list for most kick ass song, but I was bored with the rest by the end.
3/5
Some great moments for sure, but not the wave I’d ride.
Ms. Dynamite
4/5
Loved the first half, especially Dy-Na-Mi-Tee, but got lost in the second.
Suede
3/5
I was neither bothered nor persuaded.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
I’m probably not alone, but I have to be in the right mood for Leonard Cohen. When I am though, he’s really a charm.
The Velvet Underground
5/5
Wonderful! It seems like I have to keep re-learning this lesson, but I really need to stop assuming things about bands based on their publicly identifying fans.
Public Enemy
5/5
Under hyped at this point.
Sepultura
5/5
I’m still not there, but this is a good way to try to convince me to be a metalhead.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Respect, but no thanks.
Afrika Bambaataa
3/5
Super fun at first but got bored pretty quickly. Maybe more a sign of the times and my mentality, but I feel how I feel.
Incredible Bongo Band
5/5
fun and awesome!
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
4/5
Okay so I think like most people with functioning ears, I was kind of angry about the assignment for the first quarter of this. It gave me the feeling I have when I realize I dropped a spoon in the garbage disposal only after I turned it on, and sounded even worse. I turned the corner of respect by the halfway mark though, and even rounded the bend on liking it by the end. I’m going to take those people who claim you realize it’s the greatest album ever after the half dozenth listen at their word though.
The Thrills
2/5
Remarkably unthrilling! To be fair, the repeating lyrics thing is a general pet peeve of mine and they leaned pretty hard on that.
Gillian Welch
4/5
Love it on a melancholy day at least.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Seems like one you had to be there for.
Genesis
3/5
Very different but I think also better than I expected!
Dolly Parton
5/5
The best!
Buffalo Springfield
4/5
Lost me toward the end but I still dig it!
Leonard Cohen
5/5
This is amazing and beautiful and wonderful.
Eric Clapton
5/5
People who know me know I’m an idiot and one way I know they’re probably right is that up through a good chunk of my 20s I 100% thought Eric Clapton was an acoustic musician because I knew about him from his Unplugged album and listened to it so much. Anyway, this kicks ass!
Hookworms
5/5
Hooked me man - it’s great!
Kraftwerk
5/5
I had fun on the Autobahn!
Talk Talk
3/5
Super okay!
Tom Waits
5/5
Super awesome! I love Tom Waits and wish I were a rain dog too, but I always feel like he’d think I’m a nerd and wouldn’t like me when I listen, so I never do.
Travis
3/5
my high school me would have loved this!
The Verve
3/5
Way better than I remember them being and I wouldn’t be sad to listen again, but still not my thing.
Elis Regina
5/5
I don’t love it top to bottom, but love her so much it doesn’t matter.
Bob Dylan
5/5
I still think he’s a chode, but man this is great.
The Cure
4/5
I never feel like I’m in the mood for the Cure anymore, but it still always seems to hit right.
Talking Heads
5/5
One thing I love about this list is that it made me actually listen to the Talking Heads - they rule!
Marianne Faithfull
4/5
I didn’t know who Marianne Faithfull was until this listen and am glad I do now.
Slayer
4/5
I don’t like it, but I can understand why this would be the thing you like if you like this kind of thing.
Throbbing Gristle
2/5
Hits the same way pretty much all industrial music does for me - the discomfort they’re going for is there, but just seems pretentious and boring.
Wilco
5/5
Still as good as ever!
Laibach
3/5
Sounds like an intense cartoon and seems like it would be fun to watch.
Moby Grape
5/5
Super great! Pumped to have learned about them.
UB40
2/5
I’ll admit I’ve never really taken them seriously but I tried as hard as I could on this listen and I definitely have more respect, but was still pretty bored.