610
Albums Rated
3.19
Average Rating
56%
Complete
479 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950s
Favorite Decade
Shoegaze
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Perfectionist
Rater Style ?
14
5-Star Albums
6
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Phaedra
Tangerine Dream
|
5 | 2.74 | +2.26 |
|
D.O.A. the Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle
Throbbing Gristle
|
4 | 1.88 | +2.12 |
|
I See A Darkness
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
|
5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
|
Ghosteen
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
|
5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
|
Sister
Sonic Youth
|
5 | 3.02 | +1.98 |
|
They Were Wrong, So We Drowned
Liars
|
4 | 2.12 | +1.88 |
|
Let England Shake
PJ Harvey
|
5 | 3.15 | +1.85 |
|
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Dead Kennedys
|
5 | 3.27 | +1.73 |
|
Sunday At The Village Vanguard
Bill Evans Trio
|
5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
|
The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
|
5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Life Thru A Lens
Robbie Williams
|
1 | 2.73 | -1.73 |
|
A Grand Don't Come For Free
The Streets
|
1 | 2.67 | -1.67 |
|
Casanova
The Divine Comedy
|
1 | 2.67 | -1.67 |
|
Follow The Leader
Korn
|
1 | 2.65 | -1.65 |
|
1984
Van Halen
|
2 | 3.5 | -1.5 |
|
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Red Hot Chili Peppers
|
2 | 3.5 | -1.5 |
|
The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem
|
2 | 3.48 | -1.48 |
|
Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water
Limp Bizkit
|
1 | 2.48 | -1.48 |
|
Synchronicity
The Police
|
2 | 3.42 | -1.42 |
|
The Fat Of The Land
The Prodigy
|
2 | 3.4 | -1.4 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| PJ Harvey | 4 | 4.25 |
| Kate Bush | 3 | 4.33 |
5-Star Albums (14)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Miles Davis
4/5
Very interesting experimental jazz with the surprising addition of some electric instruments. The very definition of dreamlike, where the narrative thread comes and goes - often hard to follow - but there’s a subconscious logic holding the whole thing together.
I expected this to be an easy 5, but the long runtime combined with that dream-logic made it more challenging than I would’ve thought. Definitely one I’ll revisit.
5 likes
Roxy Music
2/5
Huh, kind of weird. It veered between pretty cool and pretty annoying.
I was going to reserve judgement and go with 2.5 rounded up, but the scales were tilted more toward annoyance by the end of it.
3 likes
Steve Earle
3/5
It’s corny, but not entirely charmless. A little hard to rate - it’s not something I’ll listen to again, but relative to other country albums, it’s fine.
Solidly middle of the road.
1 likes
Soundgarden
3/5
Overlong and mediocre. The style wasn’t terrible, but it got repetitive and a little grating. Not something I’d listen to in its entirety again.
2.5 rounded up.
1 likes
Various Artists
4/5
I’m not a huge fan of Christmas music, but as far as Christmas albums go, you can’t do much better than this.
(Made me smile to see it pop up as the album for Christmas Day.)
1 likes
4-Star Albums (190)
1-Star Albums (6)
All Ratings
The Temptations
4/5
Highlights:
- Papa was a Rollin’ Stone
- The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
- Mother Nature
I'm terrible at rating things, especially music, and this is the first album, so I would take it with a grain of salt.
I don't usually listen to R&B music, but I liked this well enough; I listened twice.
The Mars Volta
3/5
Hmm, not sure how to rate this one. I liked the instrumentals and energy of it, but it felt a little overlong and…homogenous, maybe? Around 30 min. in, I found myself checking to see how much longer it had left.
I also thought the vocalist sounded a little whiny at times. Made me think of early 2000s emo. I dunno. I think I would’ve really liked this in high school, but it’s harder for me to connect with it at this point.
Highlights:
- Son et Lumiere
- Inertiatic Esp
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
I might be shortchanging this a bit…
Highlights:
- Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe
- m.A.A.d city
- Sing For Me, I’m Dying of Thirst
Sam Cooke
4/5
It’s not really my style, but even I’m not enough of a cynic to escape this album’s charm. It just cheers you up and makes you want to move.
Highlights:
- Feel it
- Chaingang
- Somebody Have Mercy
Bob Dylan
4/5
I was happy to get this because I’ve never listened to a full Dylan album, but I’ve seen him compared to Joanna Newsom.
Joanna Newsom he is not, but who is?
3.5-4 stars.
Highlights:
- Tombstone Blues
- Queen Jane Approximately
- Desolation Row
Cream
4/5
I didn’t expect to enjoy this, but I did; I think I was anticipating more of a Beatles flavor, where this felt a bit grittier. Pretty sure “Sunshine of your Love” was used in one of the menus for Guitar Hero 3 - it’s one of those songs I’ve heard and and always enjoyed, but never placed.
The album feels a little more like junk food than a meal, but we’ve all got our vices. Good music to drive to.
Highlights:
- Strange Brew
- Sunshine of your Love
- Tales of Ulysses
Massive Attack
4/5
I feel like this was a really mixed bag. Some tracks were excellent, while others were kind of boring or even a bit grating.
3.5, I guess.
Highlights:
- Safe from Harm
- Blue Lines
- Five Man Army
Stan Getz
4/5
Super chill.
Portishead
4/5
Oh, this is really cool. How have I never heard it before?
I’ve heard of Portishead, but I don’t think I’ve ever listened to them before this - I think I was assuming they were kind of a generic pop band. I’d like to hear more. Really feels like it fits in with the recent “lo-fi hiphop” trend.
(I enjoyed the album as a whole, but didn’t note any highlights - at least on this first listen - because it did feel a bit homogenous.)
Norah Jones
3/5
Ah, okay, here’s one I’ve heard. My dad bought it probably shortly after it came out and used to play it all the time…to the point that I’m kind of sick of it.
2 stars if I’m being honest, but I’ll give it the extra for my pops.
Sleater-Kinney
4/5
Oh, this is good. Riot grrl. This is the sort of thing I’d love to see live. Listened twice.
Highlights:
- Not What You Want
- Dance Song ‘97
- Jenny
Elastica
3/5
I liked this, but having just listened to “Dig Me Out” by Sleater-Kinney the day before, I couldn’t help but compare them - this album felt a bit generic in comparison.
Not bad, but a little overlong. I did really enjoy listening to it while driving, so I dunno, I’m on the fence…I need to rethink my rating system, because although I’ve given them the same rating, I’d definitely rather listen to this than Norah Jones.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
First Neil Young album. I liked it, but am facing that 3/4 stars dilemma again - going with 3 because I don’t see myself going out of my way to listen to the whole album again.
Highlights:
- My, My, Hey Hey/Hey, Hey, My, My (both versions)
- Thrasher
- Ride My Llama
Tracy Chapman
4/5
Beautiful vocals, and “Fast Car” is always excellent. That said, to be honest, I don’t think I’m likely to listen to the whole album again.
Highlights:
- Talkin’ Bout a Revolution
- Fast Car
Teenage Fanclub
2/5
Just bland. I thought there was something maybe promising in the first track, but it never developed. I was hoping for something with more bite, more subversive.
Highlights:
- The Concept
- Satan
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
It’s fun, I enjoyed it - bounced between scores as it went, but in the end, I think it was a little too repetitive to warrant more than a 3.
Listened on the way home from Silver City, which feels appropriate.
Highlights:
- Get Innocuous
- New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down
Black Sabbath
4/5
I thought I’d like this more than I did. I enjoyed it, but felt it lacked a certain something to really push it over the edge…Not quite as hard/heavy as I expected or hoped.
Difficult to rate, but 3.5?
Highlights:
- N.I.B.
- The Sleeping Village
Orange Juice
3/5
Never heard of this band/album before. I’m expecting something poppy?
Yeah…there’s some interesting stuff going on here (like elements of funk in some of the tracks), which saves it from a 2, but overall it’s not really my thing. I think I enjoy post-punk/new wave in general, but this ain’t it. Not inclined to seek it out again.
Metallica
3/5
This feels like a guilty pleasure.
Is it cheesy and low-brow? Yes.
Did I enjoy it? Also yes.
Gives me a hit of that middle school-era nostalgia - both the good and bad.
New Order
4/5
Oh yeah, I like this. Manages to be both moody and danceable. I’m sure I’ll listen again.
Beach House
4/5
Another tricky rating. I like Beach House - they often pop up on Spotify and I never actively dislike their songs; it’s great for a specific atmosphere, but all a little monochrome. Feels reminiscent of Fleet Foxes.
3.5, I guess…
Highlights:
- Zebra
- Norway
Kate Bush
4/5
Yesss, Kate Bush!
I’ve never heard this album before, but wow, it’s excellent - I prefer her more experimental work to the poppier/more mainstream stuff.
Really on the fence between 4 and 5… 4 for now, I suppose, but I can easily see it going up to 5 after spending more
Suede
3/5
It’s just okay. A 2 might be more honest, but I don’t quite have the heart for that.
Bill Evans Trio
5/5
A five it is.
Cozy, nostalgic, a little melancholy - it invokes memories and transports me to beloved times and places in the way only music can.
I’ll be coming back to this one for sure.
Deep Purple
3/5
Another one that I liked well enough, but not quite enough to grab my attention. Fun hard rock. I admittedly didn’t devote a whole lot of attention to it, playing it on my phone while driving.
Not bad, not particularly memorable.
Elvis Costello
2/5
I did not enjoy this. I’m not entirely sure why, but I think it’s mostly the vocals. Something about it just rubbed me the wrong way at the time I listened to it, and I felt actively irritated.
When “This is Hell” came on, it felt like a perfect expression of my feelings toward this album.
Being charitable, there’s some interesting variety music-wise that saves it from a 1, but that’s the score my heart wanted to give at the time…
Dolly Parton
3/5
Another tough rating…I didn’t dislike it, and I kind of like Dolly’s voice, but the storytelling felt a little overly twee, maybe.
Beatles
4/5
The first Beatles album I’ve been served. It’s pretty good; I admittedly sometimes find the Beatles a little grating (probably from overexposure), but this wasn’t really irritating.
Highlights:
- Norwegian Wood
- In My Life
Led Zeppelin
4/5
I didn’t expect to like this much, but there were some gems. The only song I recognized was Kashmir, and it’s really good - it’s a song I’ve heard without knowing who it’s by.
Definitely a little overlong and with some fat that could be trimmed, but enjoyable overall. 3.5.
Highlights:
- In My Time of Dying
- Kashmir
- Bron-Yr-Aur
Peter Tosh
2/5
I thought I would hate this. I didn’t - it’s not a bad reggae album - but it’s also not my style. Went back and forth on the rating, but I know I’m not going to listen again, so it’s a 2.
Iron Maiden
4/5
Probably the biggest surprise so far - I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did. Some songs are just pure, joyous fun (“Phantom of the Opera” especially.) I can definitely see myself listing to this one again.
Highlights:
- Phantom of the Opera
- Prowler
- Transylvania
The Shamen
2/5
Why is this on the list? It’s pretty lame, tbh. I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed this even when a was in a phase of listening to all kinds of uninspired EDM.
Two stars because some of the tracks felt nostalgic. Some were straight-up annoying (Human NRG, etc.).
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
This guy again? Hope this is better than “Brutal Youth” … I’ll try to keep an open mind.
Okay, this is better so far. I actually like “The Beat.”
In the end, still mediocre - 2.5?
Can
3/5
I didn’t know at all what to expect of this, but I liked it.
My rating bounced around through the album, but unfortunately, it started to lose me at the end…it was longer than it needed to be overall.
Best track: Oh Yeah
Fela Kuti
4/5
Another one where I had no idea what to expect, but ended up enjoying it lot. Really chill jazzy world music. A nice album to have in the background.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Seriously, again?! I just had Elvis Costello two days ago, and I’m not much a fan. Let’s see how this one goes.
Ugh, sorry - trying to give him a fair shot here, but I just don’t really like it. “Goon Squad” is kind of fun.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
2/5
Talk about a mixed bag. It wasn’t all bad - “The Faith Healer” was kind of cool, “Last of the Teenage Idols” was kind of fun - but I hated “Gang Bang” so much that it spoiled the rest of it.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Really fun. I enjoyed this a lot, and will definitely revisit it!
The Fall
3/5
I just read a review for this album that said “Close to what I like but not exactly”
Nailed it.
Skepta
3/5
Another one I had never heard of, and didn’t know what to expect - it’s British rap (grime).
I kind of liked it, but it dragged at the end. 2.5 - probably won’t revisit.
Bon Jovi
3/5
I don’t really like Bon Jovi. When I was in middle school, my cousin loved them, and not knowing any better, I listened to them often during free days in my music technology class.
3 stars just for the nostalgia…2 for actual enjoyment.
Public Enemy
4/5
Really solid classic hip-hop.
4/5
I’ve heard a lot of the tracks on this album. It’s good, though not necessarily something I’d think to put on again.
Lightning Bolt
3/5
It’s fine. I’m generally interested in this kind of noise rock, but I was working on a frustrating project while listening, and I just wasn’t feeling it.
The Last Shadow Puppets
4/5
I liked this a lot. Very cinematic and lush - feels like Bond music. I’ll definitely listen again.
The Pogues
4/5
lol, this totally caught me off-guard. The album art and title suggested metal, and I was absolutely not expecting Irish folk-punk (is that what this is?)
It was a little bewildering but fun. Unsure how to rate - I feel like there’s a specific time and place for it. I’d go with 3, but I’ll give it a a .5 boost for making me smile
Talk Talk
4/5
I feel like this is teetering on the knife’s edge of interesting and mundane.
I think it juuust tilts toward the interesting side, so I’ll give it a 4, but I do wish it were a little more experimental or weird.
Moby Grape
3/5
Not my style, but it was inoffensive enough. Pretty forgettable.
The Go-Go's
4/5
I didn’t expect to enjoy this at all, but it was fun! There was a punk-ish edge that surprised me. Still a little poppier than I prefer, but I think it goes in the 3.5~4 range.
Morrissey
4/5
Moody and relaxing. I like the Smiths, but don’t think I’ve heard a Morrissey solo album before; not quite as good.
Despite being a fan of the overall atmosphere of the album, it was getting old by the end. 3.5.
Missy Elliott
3/5
Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it.
Best track: Gossip Folks
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
This is tough. I feel a little unfair giving it a low-ish rating - there were things I liked about it, it was fun in its own way, I can recognize its impact - but it just didn’t do anything for me today. It’s a little too cheesy. On a different day, maybe I’d rate it different.
Highlights:
- I’m on Fire
- Cover Me
- Downbound Train
Linkin Park
2/5
I liked this when I was young (around middle school age), but even then I recognized that it wasn’t “good.”
There’s still a kernel of nostalgia here, but now the cheesiness and hollow commercial sound drown out the enjoyment, and the whole thing just feels kind of embarrassing.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
Fully expected to dislike this, but it was actually kind of pleasant. It’s country/folk more than psych rock.
That said, it didn’t strike me as anything standout or memorable, and I’m not really compelled to listen again.
Morrissey
4/5
Just had Morrissey’s “Viva Hate” a few days ago and liked it well enough, so let’s see how this one goes.
Yeah, I liked this one too. A strong start and finish with some less interesting tracks in the middle. Still not as good as The Smiths, but enjoyable.
Favorite track: Seasick, Yet Still Docked
Jack White
4/5
I wasn’t in the mood for this at first and was going to give it a 3, but it has charm and is well-made. I probably wouldn’t be inclined to listen to the whole album again, though it’s fun in smaller doses.
3.5 rounded up.
Harry Nilsson
3/5
Having never heard of the artist or the album, I was surprised that many (maybe even most) of the tracks were songs I had heard before.
Unfortunately, they’re not anything I’m particularly fond of, even though it’s by no means a bad album.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
I didn’t like this as much as the other Led Zeppelin album I was served, but it was still enjoyable.
Although it started off very strong with Immigrant Song, the other tracks couldn’t quite reach that height.
Television
4/5
Didn’t immediately grab me, but I was sold by the end. Worth another listen.
The Flaming Lips
4/5
This is album is kind of weird, pretty goofy, honestly, but I have a soft spot for it.
I don’t even remember how I originally found it, but in high school, I had this album on Rhapsody and listened to it on my cheap off-brand mp3 player. The only track I really remembered was “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots pt. 1,” which evoked a fond nostalgia.
Highlight on this listen: “ Are You a Hypnotist??”
Sepultura
3/5
Wasn’t sure how to rate this. I liked it, and it was pretty interesting as far as metal goes (incorporates Brazilian sounds/rhythms), but it was bad timing - I was tired, had a headache, and it felt like it went on too long.
At another time, I might’ve given it a 4; I settled for 3 because I’m unlikely to listen to the whole album in one sitting again.
The White Stripes
3/5
Another tough rating…it’s fine, enjoyable enough, inoffensive. I wouldn’t mind listening again, but I wouldn’t seek it out.
It’s just not quite interesting enough to warrant that extra star.
David Bowie
4/5
Haunting, sad, a little unsettling. I liked it.
I remember the day Bowie died; I had never actively listened to his music, but my friends were talking about it during one of our weekly meetups at a dumpling restaurant. The person I liked was especially upset by his passing, which surprised me, because I had never given much thought to Bowie’s music career. I became more interested after that, and I learned there was a greater depth to his music than I assumed.
Anyway, that’s all an aside, but this album put me in a mindset to mourn the loss of that part of my life.
The Kinks
3/5
On the verge of annoying, and I can’t say I really enjoyed this album. I was considering giving it a 2, but there’s enough charm and earnestness to bump it up at least half a star.
Tom Waits
4/5
By turns weird, beautiful, off-putting, catchy. This was my first Tom Waits album, and while I’m not entirely sure how I feel about the artist or the album, it’s unique enough that I feel a score of 3 is unfair. I liked it more as it went on.
It made for unconventional Christmas Eve listening, but I’ve felt out of sorts and a little down all day, and it ended up being strangely appropriate.
Various Artists
4/5
I’m not a huge fan of Christmas music, but as far as Christmas albums go, you can’t do much better than this.
(Made me smile to see it pop up as the album for Christmas Day.)
The Doors
3/5
Like a lot of these albums, this is something I could probably grow to appreciate with more attentive listens, but I was pretty ambivalent on my first one. Just didn’t do much for me on this particular day.
Yes
3/5
It’s fine. Pretty forgettable.
Radiohead
4/5
I like Radiohead, but had never heard this album. I enjoyed it very much! Maybe not as memorable as some of their others, but atmospheric and interesting.
Soundgarden
3/5
Overlong and mediocre. The style wasn’t terrible, but it got repetitive and a little grating. Not something I’d listen to in its entirety again.
2.5 rounded up.
N.E.R.D
2/5
There’s really nothing wrong with this - it’s an interesting mashup of genres that often works well - it just wasn’t clicking with me today. I can’t put my finger on it, but there was something about it that reminded me of the Elvis Costello albums I’ve listened to in this project, and it irritated me in the same way. Too upbeat, maybe?
Hovering between a 2 and a 3…
Gary Numan
4/5
I’m a fan of the old school electronica style of this album. It did seem too long and started to get repetitive, though.
I’ll be charitable and just dock half a star for that. 3.5 rounded up.
Billy Joel
4/5
It’s cheesy and not my style, but it’s also endearingly earnest and well-crafted. I also give it credit for not overstaying its welcome.
3.5 rounded up, though not something I’m likely to seek out and listen to again in its entirety.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Aside from “Here Comes the Flood,” I didn’t really enjoy this, although there were some interesting and creative flourishes that somewhat elevated it.
2.5 rounded up; unlikely to revisit. I’m curious to hear some of his other music, though.
Minor Threat
4/5
Really enjoyable in an angry kind of way.
Supergrass
3/5
Inoffensive and forgettable.
DJ Shadow
4/5
I’ve never heard of this artist or album before, but it was really nice. Well-created mix of samples.
Saint Etienne
4/5
Chill, atmospheric, and fun, though a bit repetitive in places.
3.5 rounded up.
It’s fine. Is it something I needed to listen to before I die? No.
2.5 rounded down because I’m feeling spiteful
Dire Straits
3/5
I didn’t hate it, but it bored me. I liked the music more than the vocals.
Blue Cheer
3/5
I can appreciate this album for its historical significance as an early example of metal (the earliest?), but listening to it, nothing really grabbed me.
2.5 rounded up.
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
Started off strong - energetic and fun - but it started to lose me as it went on. Felt that some of the middle tracks were weaker.
Chicago
3/5
This was a bit of a rollercoaster. I expected to dislike it, was surprised by it being pleasantly jazzy at the start, and then the whole thing devolved into a heap of noodles. I don’t think any of these tracks needed to be anywhere near as long as they are.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Really fun and surprisingly varied.
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
Chill album - nice to have in the background. Nothing outstanding, but pleasant enough and I like its overall atmosphere.
3.5 rounded up.
Charles Mingus
5/5
Excellent experimental jazz. The whole album is essentially one piece, conceived as a ballet.
Wilco
2/5
It feels a little unfair, but for whatever reason, this album rubbed me the wrong way today. It struck me as aggressively mediocre. I can’t say it was bad, but it annoyed me enough that I’m going with my gut and giving it a low score.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I wanted to rate this higher because I liked the lyrics/storytelling, and the instrumentals were nice, but the cadence of her singing sort of lost me. I think this is one I need to revisit.
3 for now, but it’s on the cusp of 3.5…
Screaming Trees
3/5
Another blandly inoffensive rock album - this one with a grungy flavor.
Pretty forgettable, unfortunately.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
I didn’t think I liked Sinatra, but I do love bossa nova, and though they don’t always mesh perfectly here, I definitely enjoyed the album as a whole. Feels like a nostalgic childhood dream.
The Prodigy
2/5
There was a time I would’ve enjoyed this, but that time has long since passed.
The Style Council
3/5
What a mixed bag - this was all over the place. The jazzy instrumental tracks were pleasant enough, but the rest wasn't really my thing.
Mercury Rev
4/5
Lots of different things going on here, which was interesting, even though it didn’t always work for me.
Best tracks:
- The Funny Bird
- Holes
- Goddess on a Hiway
3.5 rounded up.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Man, I wish the rest of the album were like “The Murder Mystery.” I don’t think I’ve ever actually listened to The Velvet Underground before this, but that sort of weird, dark, experimental style was more what I expected.
The rest of the album was pretty boring, unfortunately.
Feeling charitable - 3.5 rounded up.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
4/5
A song about a weevil, a song about bedbugs, a song about cocaine…what more could you ask for?
A really fun album with a lot of heart.
B.B. King
4/5
I’m not much of a blues fan, but this is undeniably good.
The Stooges
3/5
Not bad, but today wasn’t really the day for it. I think I’ll need to revisit it.
Radiohead
4/5
I had only heard “2+2=5” off this album, but the whole thing was interesting and enjoyable.
Gotan Project
3/5
I actually did enjoy this, but it went on too long and I don’t think it’s much more than interesting background music.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
How many of this guy’s albums are on the list? (And why??) I’m 99 in, and this is already the fourth Costello album I’ve gotten. Here’s hoping I like this one more than the others.
…No. I still don’t like it.
(“I Want You” wasn’t bad)
Fugees
4/5
A little long, but otherwise excellent. Still feels fresh.
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
I like weird; this was interesting and I didn’t hate it, but I also think I probably won’t listen through again.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
I generally feel pretty neutral toward reggae, but this was a very solid album with more complexity than I expected.
The Byrds
3/5
Not bad, but didn’t leave much of an impression.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Another really solid, fun album by A Tribe Called Quest. Even after it started to feel a bit repetitive, it’s hard not to move along.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
I’m ashamed to admit I went into this expecting it to be mediocre. To be honest, I don’t think I could’ve named a song by Stevie Wonder before listening - I’ve heard the hits, of course, but I didn’t put a name to them.
All that to say, it’s a really, really good album. I seriously wavered on giving it a 5, which is probably what it deserves, but I do think it was a little too long. Maybe I’d bump it up on a second listen.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
I’ve never listened to an album by The Rolling Stones. Unfortunately, it didn’t really do anything for me.
Nine Inch Nails
3/5
2.5.
I last heard this album as a teenager, and it hasn’t aged particularly well.
Missy Elliott
3/5
On the whole, I liked this album more than the other Missy Elliott album that’s popped up (Under Construction); it feels a little more chill and low-key.
An enjoyable album that never quite made me think more than “this is pretty good.”
Highlights: Izzy Izzy Ahh, Friendly Skies
Ananda Shankar
3/5
The first track was disappointing, but I thought the album got better from there.
Although it was interesting and pleasant enough, it didn’t leave much of an impression.
Michael Jackson
3/5
It’s not bad (lol), but aside from a few standouts, I found the album kind of boring and repetitive. Kind of a tough one to rate - I enjoyed it more than several other albums I’ve given 3s to, but not quite enough to give it a 4…
3.5.
Highlights: Smooth Criminal, Bad
4/5
This is an album that’s difficult to judge objectively because it’s so closely associated with a specific person, place, and time for me, and it brings up conflicting emotions.
I can’t quite bring myself to give it a 5 - even though that may be what it deserves, and probably what she’d give it - but still an undeniably great album.
Arrested Development
3/5
A little cheesy and a little overly long, but an otherwise pleasant and charming hip hop album.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Another surprising album that I didn’t expect to enjoy. Super smooth.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
This kind of dreamy, atmospheric pop is right up my alley.
Highlights: Cherry-Coloured Funk, Frou-Frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires
Public Enemy
4/5
Full of lively, angry energy. It did start to feel repetitive, but a solid album overall and an important piece of early hip hop history.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
I can see how is could objectively be a good album, but to be honest, I found it a bit boring and formulaic. Maybe it would grow on me in a different mood or with a more attentive listen.
I’d give it between a 3 and a 4 (probably like 6.5/10).
Circle Jerks
3/5
Loud, dumb, fast, and fun.
I liked it. At 15 min, didn’t overstay its welcome.
Dr. Dre
2/5
Good production, but the album felt pretty boring overall. The lyrics didn’t help.
Pink Floyd
4/5
I’ve listened to this album before, but it’s been a while and I didn’t remember a lot of it.
Despite being overlong and the concept coming across a bit heavy-handed, I enjoyed it.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Meh…I was ready to give it a 3, but by the end, it was starting to annoy me.
It reminds me of Elvis Costello, though for the most part not quite as irritating.
The Cure
5/5
Oh man, I love this. Just beautiful. There’s a dark, shimmery quality which, when done well, almost always hooks me - it’s something present, though not perfect, in lots of music, and this album just about nails it. Even though it’s long, I wanted to play it again as soon as it ended.
More like this, please.
(4.5 rounded up)
The xx
3/5
Pleasant enough but kind of boring. It makes me think of the early/mid-2000s, so I was surprised it was as recent as 2017.
Best track: A Violent Noise
De La Soul
4/5
An enjoyable, fun, and genuine-seeming album with a lot of heart.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
It shifted between “I kind of like this” and “this is kind of boring.” I actually preferred the slower acoustic tracks (“Round and Round” and “Running Dry”).
3.5.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
It’s fine. There’s nothing here I’d go out of my way to listen to again.
T. Rex
3/5
Sometimes an album just irritates me and I don’t know of more of the blame lies with the music or with me.
Either way, that was the case here.
2.5 rounded up
FKA twigs
4/5
I’ve listened to - and very much enjoyed - her album “Magdalene,” but I hadn’t heard this one before.
While still very good, it seemed a little more meandering than Magdalene, and I didn’t enjoy it quite as much.
Ethereal and haunting, if a little lacking in substance.
Green Day
3/5
It’s still fun, still has nostalgia value, but I don’t think it fully holds up.
Serviceable pop-punk.
Best tracks: Basket Case, When I Come Around
The Black Keys
3/5
Kind of fun and cinematic, but also bland/homogenous and manufactured. Doesn’t feel at all “genuine.”
2.5 rounded up
3/5
It has a soft, dreamy feeling about it.
It’s inoffensive and not actively irritating, but it’s also boring and homogenous.
Joy Division
4/5
Ah, I love this. Dark, cryptic, hypnotic. This is one to buy for my personal collection.
The first song did start to annoy me, so It doesn’t get a perfect score.
ZZ Top
2/5
Fun to drive to, but not much more than that.
Orbital
3/5
This was pleasant enough at first, but quickly wore out its welcome. Way too long, and it started to get irritating. Would’ve been better without the vocal samples.
Best track: Kein Trink Wasser
2.5 rounded up
The Beta Band
3/5
More pleasant and chill than I was expecting, though it definitely got irritating at times.
Best track: Squares
Hovering between a 2 and a 3. I’ll be charitable and round up. Unlikely to listen again, though
The Doors
4/5
RnB-flavored classic rock. Kind of fun, and I liked the vocals, but not something I’m likely to listen to in full again.
Best tracks: Riders in the Storm, L'America
3.5 rounded up
The Rolling Stones
4/5
My feelings toward this album are similar to those of yesterday’s (L.A. Woman, The Doors), another rock album from 1971.
I’m still a bit ambivalent, but I did enjoy this more than the other Rolling Stones album I listened to for this project (Exile on Main Street).
3.5 rounded up
Kings of Leon
3/5
It’s not bad, exactly, but it strikes me as totally unremarkable. Generic 00’s soft rock with good production.
Roxy Music
2/5
Huh, kind of weird. It veered between pretty cool and pretty annoying.
I was going to reserve judgement and go with 2.5 rounded up, but the scales were tilted more toward annoyance by the end of it.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
Not bad - slightly better than middle of the road. Nothing super stand-out, though.
Best track: Guinnevere
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
I’m pretty sure I listened to part of this album before, but I don’t think I made it through the whole thing.
I’m really not sure how to rate it - I honestly didn’t think it was too weird or unlistenable at all, but the length was the most challenging aspect, and I also can’t say I truly enjoyed it, either.
I’ll give it a 3 for now but will revisit it. I’m glad I listened to it and it certainly deserves a place on the list - there’s really nothing else like it.
PJ Harvey
4/5
I really liked this. Raw, frenetic, never boring. Might even bump it up to a 5 on a second listen.
Best tracks: Rid of Me, Snake
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
A solid soul album. Feels comforting and nostalgic. It falls into that populous category of albums that are good and that I enjoyed, but am unlikely to specifically seek out again.
Antony and the Johnsons
2/5
I liked the first track ("Hope There's Someone") and was optimistic for the rest, but it started to feel repetitive and grating.
The Cure
4/5
I’ve really enjoyed the other two albums by The Cure that have popped up (Seventeen Seconds and Disintegration), but for whatever reason, this one didn’t click with me as much today. It started to feel too monotonous by the end.
Still really solid, though. Somewhere between 3.5 and 4.
The Streets
1/5
I’m sorry, I can’t even bring myself to give this a 2. It just seems laughably bad in both content and execution.
Adele
2/5
It doesn’t feel quite fair to give this a 2, as Adele clearly has a lot of talent, but aside from the first two tracks, I found this album boring and tedious. Maybe in just in a bad mood.
I do have fond memories of belting out “Hello” (terribly) at karaoke in Tokyo around 2015/2016, so maybe it deserves some credit for that.
2.5.
Queen
4/5
I don’t know that I’ve ever listed to a full Queen album before this, but I’m glad I did. I think the only track I recognized was “Killer Queen;” the rest were also excellent with few exceptions.
Favorite track: Flick of the Wrist
Funkadelic
3/5
I wanted to give this a higher rating -it’s fun and shows great musicianship - but it started to lose me around the midway point. I waffled on the rating; going off the idea that they’re based on my first impression, I’m settling on a 3 for now. On another day, perhaps a different score.
Johnny Cash
4/5
On the one hand, it’s an album of covers.
On the other, one of those covers is “Hurt.”
With the context of these songs being sung by an artist at the end of his life, I found the album quite touching.
3.5 rounded up
Calexico
4/5
Oh, this was interesting - I really liked it! Some tracks weren’t as strong as others, but on the whole, I enjoyed the atmosphere it created. Love the mariachi flair. I can absolutely see myself listening to this again.
This is exactly the kind of thing that makes the project worth doing - I had never heard of this band or album, and possibly never would’ve otherwise.
Favorite tracks: Sunken Waltz, Black Heart, Pepita, No Doze
Van Halen
2/5
Aside from “Jump,” which was passable, the rest was bland, generic, and forgettable. Usually this sort of thing is at least kind of fun in a dumb way, but I wasn’t feeling it at all today.
At least it was pretty short.
Björk
4/5
This was really cool. I’m generally not a fan of a cappella music, but the variety of voices and sounds on the album are used to an impressive and haunting effect. Worth revisiting.
Favorite tracks: Where Is The Line, Vökuró, Mouth’s Cradle
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
This is excellent! Another artist/album I’ve never heard of before, and am happy to have discovered. Definitely something I’ll listen to again. I love these albums that defy easy categorization.
Favorite tracks: You Ain’t The Problem, Hero, Solid Ground
Wilco
2/5
I think I would’ve connected to this more when I was younger. Pleasant enough, but frankly kind of boring and far too long. Not interesting enough to warrant such a long runtime.
Started at a 3, went down to a 2 by the end for being so egregiously long
Ryan Adams
2/5
Never heard of this guy, and I can’t say I was terribly impressed. It’s very generic. The slight folksy charm isn’t strong enough to overcome the bland country-pop sound.
This has been an unusual week of all 2s and 4s - here’s another 2 to close it out, unfortunately.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
I’d never heard anything by Nick Cave before this. I’m not totally sure what I think about the album - I don’t completely love it, but I think I like it a lot. I found myself buying in to it more as it went on, and I can see myself liking it more with repeated listens.
It has a unique and interesting sound that I appreciate.
Favorite tracks: Supernaturally, Easy Money, O Children
3.5 rounded up
Giant Sand
3/5
Hmm. In a way, it reminded me a bit of yesterday’s Nick Cave album, but while it started off promisingly and had some cool moments, it never reached a point where I felt totally sold. Not bad, but unfortunately a little forgettable.
Favorite tracks: (Well) Dusted, Shiver, Dirty From The Rain
Big Black
4/5
Energetic, angry, raw. I’m not sure why this short of thing appeals to me so much, but it does.
Beatles
3/5
I’ve put off rating this because I feel conflicted. I can recognize that it’s an important and well-made album, but aside from “Eleanor Rigby,” “Love You To,” and “Tomorrow Never Knows,” it felt like it went in one ear and out the other. Maybe today just wasn’t the day for it.
3.5
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Ambitious, stylish, well-produced. I liked this better than “good kid, m.A.A.d city.” I’ll listen to this one again.
Dizzee Rascal
2/5
As with the other grime album that popped up, I can’t say I’m a fan of this. Still kind of interesting, though.
The Birthday Party
3/5
This was cool - it has that heavy, dark sound that I love, but it was a little too chaotic and grating for listening straight through. I liked it overall, though, and will possibly revisit it.
Favorite tracks: She’s Hit; Hamlet (Pow, Pow, Pow)
Funkadelic
4/5
Fantastic guitar work, especially on the first track, though I admit the album kind of faded into the background as it progressed, and I got a little bored.
3.5 rounded up
David Bowie
4/5
I suspect this won’t be the most popular opinion, but the instrumental-heavy second half is what really elevated this album for me. Although I didn’t enjoy it as much as Ziggy Stardust and Blackstar, it’s still a solid and interesting album.
3.5 rounded up
Steve Earle
3/5
It’s corny, but not entirely charmless. A little hard to rate - it’s not something I’ll listen to again, but relative to other country albums, it’s fine.
Solidly middle of the road.
Doves
3/5
There were moments here where I thought this might earn 4 stars, but they never came together into something more than pleasant enough background music.
A mixed bag - the poppier tracks stood out in a bad way.
Favorite track: Sea Song
Fats Domino
4/5
Jazzy classic rock. Good driving music.
Miles Davis
4/5
Very interesting experimental jazz with the surprising addition of some electric instruments. The very definition of dreamlike, where the narrative thread comes and goes - often hard to follow - but there’s a subconscious logic holding the whole thing together.
I expected this to be an easy 5, but the long runtime combined with that dream-logic made it more challenging than I would’ve thought. Definitely one I’ll revisit.
Big Star
3/5
Not bad for what it is (70s pop/rock) but not at all memorable.
Coldplay
3/5
It was okay. There were points where it veered toward being irritating, but I don’t think it ever got quite bad enough to warrant a 2.
There’s a certain early 2000s nostalgia.
Lou Reed
3/5
Hmm, not sure what I think of this one. My first notes were “weird, in more of an annoying way than a cool way” and “I can appreciate that this exists, but I don’t really like it.”
At the same time, it’s charmingly handmade-feeling. There were moments that reminded me of Bowie, so it made sense when I saw he was involved with the album.
I’ll give it a middle rating for now, but I think this is one where my opinion would change with repeated listens.
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
I think I like tango in general, and this album was nice enough, but nothing about it really grabbed me.
I don’t think it’s fair to compare it to elevator music or hold music, but I must admit the thought occurred to me…
Janelle Monáe
4/5
Super interesting, fun, and varied (yet still cohesive) pop album. This is one I’ll listen to again - a really pleasant surprise!
R.E.M.
4/5
I don’t know why I expected to dislike this (as I’m not really familiar with R.E.M.) but it was surprisingly good. Nice and melancholy, though I must admit, also a little boring at times.
Favorite tracks: Try Not To Breathe, The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite, Sweetness Follows
3.5 rounded up
Lana Del Rey
3/5
Generally speaking, I do like Lana’s whole shtick (if it’s fair to call it that), but apparently it stretches my patience when taken as a complete album. Some of the lyric choices (overly twee? Anachronistic?) that I can overlook or even find charming in a standalone song were hard not to roll my eyes at here.
Shivkumar Sharma
4/5
Really beautiful Indian instrumental music. It conjures peaceful images of pastoral scenes without ever getting boring.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
While the actual music was more interesting and varied than on “Sticky Fingers,” most of the lyrics were so insipid that I had a hard time taking the album seriously.
That said, the album also includes “Paint It Black,” so I can’t go as low as 2 stars.
Common
3/5
I really liked the style of of this album, but it felt too long and some of the lyrics were off putting.
Though I wanted to give it 4 stars, I’m not sure it’s quite there for me… 3.5, maybe.
Favorite tracks: A Song For Assata, Time Travelin’
Devendra Banhart
4/5
What a completely charming album.
While I’ve never listened to this artist before, I was predisposed to enjoy his music because I’ve seen comparisons drawn between him and Joanna Newsom - I can definitely see why after listening, though the music here is comparatively minimalist and conventional.
Almost went for the full five stars; I think it edges just close enough to sounding twee that I’m not quite there. Somewhere between 4 and 4.5, but a certain re-listen.
Favorite tracks: This Is The Way, Rejoicing In The Hands, Todo Los Dolores, Insect Eyes, Autumn’s Child
Slipknot
2/5
After submitting the review for yesterday’s delightful Devendra Banhart album, I felt something like whiplash when this one popped up.
I can appreciate the catharsis of good, angry metal, but this was neither the album nor the day.
Depeche Mode
4/5
I guess I’m part of the masses, because I quite liked this.
Favorite track: Strangelove
3.5 rounded up
Leonard Cohen
4/5
I got goosebumps as soon as “Avalanche” started. What a haunting, gorgeous song. I had never heard it before, and it may now be one of my all-time favorites.
The good songs on this album are really, really good. I don’t think they all quite meet that benchmark - not enough to be an instant 5 stars - but still an excellent album. I look forward to hearing more of his work.
(Maybe I’m being too stingy with my 5 stars here.)
Favorite tracks: Avalanche, Love Calls You By Your Name, Famous Blue Raincoat
2Pac
3/5
I didn’t expect to like this, but it went down pretty smooth.
That said, I wouldn’t count it among my favorite hip-hop albums; the tracks blurred together and started to feel boring. It’s not one I’m likely to listen to in full again.
Ramones
3/5
Very fun with a raw, youthful energy.
Also very repetitive and borderline annoying at times, though the short runtime makes that less of a problem.
Even though I liked this and think it set out what it aimed to do, on first impression, I’m having a hard time giving it more than a 3.
Turbonegro
3/5
Okay, this was a surprise. I was expecting something way more abrasive based on the track list and album artwork, but what I got was a genuinely fun album somewhere between punk and hard rock.
A work of lyrical genius it is not, but I don’t get the impression that’s what they were aiming for.
Jungle Brothers
3/5
Hard to rate… I like this style of late 80s hip hop, but today it felt a little stale and overly cheesy.
This probably would’ve gotten a higher rating on another day - I put the fault more on my mood than the music, which has nothing wrong with it.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Hmm. I didn’t like this quite as much as I thought I would. Frustratingly, there are so many elements I like here, but something about it fell a little flat for me, and I can’t put my finger on what exactly that is… maybe just a case of this being an early example of its sound that was later developed into something more familiar and cohesive.
I’m going with a 3.5 rounded up, though I wish it were a more solid 4.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Maybe I’m just off this week - this is an enjoyable, well-crafted album with a pleasant, warm sound, but I had a hard time feeling too enthused about it.
Perfectly fine, though not likely to seek it out again.
Drive Like Jehu
3/5
Another one of those albums that comes very close to something I like, but doesn’t quite coalesce into something I can definitively say I enjoyed.
Here, while I liked the punky energy and creative spirit, I think the sheer manic chaos lost me a bit.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Sounds very 80s - I was reminded of Phil Collins - but there’s also some interesting stuff going on here. Some of the tracks are a little generic (“Big Time”), though others, like “This Is The Picture (Excellent Birds),” are more compelling.
This isn’t really my thing, and it’s not quite enough to break me out of my 3-star slump. Maybe 3.5.
Favorite tracks: “This Is The Picture (Excellent Birds),” “Red Rain”
Michael Jackson
4/5
I ended up enjoying this album more than “Bad” - mainly, I think, because I wasn’t familiar with any of the songs. It’s fun, disco-flavored music that makes you want to move. While the latter half wasn’t quite as strong as the first, it still warrants somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
I really expected to enjoy this more than I did (I’ve never listened to a full Simon & Garfunkel album before, but I like their songs I’m familiar with). It was a little too scattered, a little too overwrought, and a little too poppy.
Not a bad album, but a little disappointing regardless.
Favorite tracks: Bookends, Old Friends, Hazy Shade of Winter (but The Bangles cover is better)
Megadeth
3/5
Fun, energetic, homogenous. There’s some lizard part of my brain that just lights up with these sorts of guitar riffs - the musical equivalent of junk food, maybe.
I enjoyed it, but the tracks blended into each other and nothing really stood up to grab my attention; nothing really elevated it beyond a sugar rush.
The Damned
4/5
This was great! I’ve never heard of the band or album, but really enjoyed it. Energetic punk more on the lighthearted side than angry, with a good dose of some weirdness too. I’ll probably check out their other work if it’s not on the list.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Of the four or so Rolling Stones albums I’ve listened to in this project, this has been the best, although I’m still not totally sold. The first and last tracks were the only ones I had heard before, and they were my favorites.
“Gimme Shelter” in particular is just an undeniably great classic rock song.
3.5 rounded up (with the .5 pretty much entirely carried by the bookend tracks)
Favorite tracks: Gimme Shelter; You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Adele
3/5
First thought: didn’t I listen to this already?
No. Apparently all her albums have numerical titles (her age? Impressive if she was just 21 here) and similar covers. Okay.
My feelings toward this album are the same as whatever 20-something the other one was: she’s very talented, and I can see the appeal, but the occasional play on the radio or a grocery store is enough for me. I found myself getting irritated a few tracks in.
“Set Fire To The Rain” is probably my favorite song of hers.
David Holmes
2/5
It’s pretty boring. It’s not that it’s bad, but I kept waiting for it to build or develop into something more interesting, which never happened.
I think this could work well as a soundtrack, sampled in a hip hop album, or with vocals. As a stand-alone album, though, it’s just too bland.
3/5
I think I’m biased against concept albums. It was witty and thematically consistent, but I found myself getting annoyed with the heavy-handedness of it all.
Not bad, just not the sort of thing that appeals to me.
George Jones
3/5
As far as country goes, this was pretty nice. “Cozy” is the first word that comes to mind. I wouldn’t go out of my way to listen again, but I did kind of like it.
3.5.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
I found this album a little disappointing: pleasant enough, but unremarkable, blues. Nothing about it really stood out or fully caught my attention. The most interesting track was probably “Rockin’ Chair.”
Korn
1/5
Sigh
Snoop Dogg
3/5
Great beats; less than great lyrics.
Overall kind of fun, but not one I’m likely to revisit.
Alice Cooper
3/5
Another album with elements that I like - the horror theme is fun - but on first listen, not enough there for me to definitively say I liked it. Comes across as a little too cheesy.
Dolly Parton
4/5
I liked this better than the other Dolly Parton album I listened to for this project (“Coat of Many Colors”). Very charming and easy to listen to. One those albums which, despite never having listened to it before, feels nostalgic.
3.5 rounded up
AC/DC
3/5
Fun and energetic; the tracks blend together into something that sounds pretty uniform, but it’s all enjoyable enough.
That said, it’s unlikely I’ll feel compelled to listen to the whole thing again.
Rating is somewhere between 3 and 3.5.
The Monks
3/5
Y’know, I was ready to give this 3+ stars - it has an original sound, which almost always warrants a more charitable score in my book - but by the time “Cuckoo” rolled around, I felt like I was descending into insanity.
I will note that I had a headache while listening, which made me less forgiving.
Favorite track: We Do Wie Du
(Actually, I found out that Cuckoo is a bonus track, so I’ll spare it from a 2.)
Kacey Musgraves
3/5
In spite of myself, I found this kind of charming at first - partially, I suspect, because I’d never heard it before. (I think a lot of my aversion to pop music can be attributed to overexposure to certain songs/artists.)
Unfortunately, that only lasted about five songs before it started to wear out its welcome; paying closer attention to the lyrics, I realized how cheesy a lot of them are.
Still, I think there’s something in this not-quite-country, not-quite-generic-pop album that gives it a bit more heart than expected.
Small Faces
3/5
This was kind of weird, but not really weird enough to be interesting.
Some tracks were pretty annoying, but i also appreciated that it didn’t take itself seriously.
I guess I have mixed feelings about it.
2.5 rounded up
Pearl Jam
3/5
I had a hard time deciding how to rate this. On the one hand, it’s pretty nostalgic - “Even Flow” takes me right back to hours of playing Guitar Hero, and several of the other tracks were things I listened to as a teenager.
However, I don’t think it really holds up; the vocal style gets grating pretty quickly. I don’t think I can fairly give it more than 3 stars, but there was a time I liked it better.
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
I was hopeful that this would be the album to break me out of my 3-star (and below) slump. It’s pleasant indie with at least one track that was pretty cool/unique (“This Song”), and another that I really liked (“Stone on the Water”).
However, the rest was fairly boring and left my mind as soon as it was over. I don’t think this is the one to break the pattern.
C’mon, RNG! Make the next one at least 4 stars!
Favorite track: Stone on the Water
The Yardbirds
3/5
Started off fairly strong with “Happenings Ten Years Ago;” with its dark sound, I was hopeful that this would be an album worthy of 3.5+ stars.
Unfortunately, what followed was much more generic-sounding 60s rock, which really doesn’t do much for me. “Turn into Earth” was the other standout, but it was too little, too late to save it from a mediocre score.
Elton John
3/5
This was the first full Elton John album I’ve listened to. I like “Tiny Dancer” well enough and “Madman across the Water” was kind of cool, but on the whole, not really my kind of thing. Maybe I didn’t listen attentively enough.
Eurythmics
3/5
I like the title track, and the rest was okay, but overly repetitive and generally uninteresting. The synths are good, and it’s close to being something much better than it actually is - I just wish it were a little more substantial.
The Smiths
4/5
What can I say - I like The Smiths. I appreciate the interesting lyrics where it’s hard to tell if they’re trolling or totally serious. I don’t know that it’s my favorite album of theirs, but really solid regardless.
Favorite tracks: Unhappy Birthday, A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours, I Won’t Share You
Queens of the Stone Age
3/5
It wasn’t bad - I liked it more than I thought I would given the genre listed as “stoner rock” - but too generic and forgettable. My enthusiasm waned about three tracks in when I realized it’s all pretty much the same sound, and I don’t think I need a whole album of it. It reminded me of Soundgarden’s “Superunknown,” for which I had similar feelings.
David Bowie
3/5
Hmm…the story behind this album is interesting (and the cover’s cool), but it’s definitely not my favorite of Bowie’s work. No real standouts here.
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
so long
so boring
neither fun nor spooky as the title implies
Paul Simon
3/5
Too cheesy for me, though somewhat charming. Just okay on the whole.
Favorite track: Hearts and Bones
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
60s pop/rock tends to have a similar sound where it all kind of blends together for me, and I’m generally not a big fan.
While this album likewise feels a little generic, for whatever reason, I enjoyed it more than some of its peers; I think having female vocalists helped, and I liked the layered harmonies (even if it feels a bit dated/gimmicky).
Of course, I think “California Dreamin’” is doing a lot of heavy lifting here.
3.5 rounded up.
Favorite tracks: California Dreamin’, Monday Monday, Got A Feelin’
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
I diligently listened to all 3 hours and 14 minutes of this album.
Ella Fitzgerald’s voice is as close to perfect as I’ve ever heard.
The songs are warm and nostalgic - my grandma plays this sort of jazz singer music at dinner parties, and I’m sure I’ve heard some of this album in that context. It feels fitting that this popped up on my dad’s birthday, who also loves this genre.
This probably deserves 5 stars and I’m being unfair; I’m docking one because some of the lyrics are a little silly (not that it really matters for the kind of music it is), and because I was admittedly a little miffed at the length of the album when the songs were all pretty similar. It’s clearly not intended to be listened to in one sitting like this - like I said, unfair - but that’s what I did.
This would be a nice one to have in my personal collection. It’s like the musical version of a security blanket.
The Hives
3/5
Empty calories - musical junk food.
You kind of enjoy it and tap your foot along in the moment, but it’s a shallow kind of pleasure. It’s basically music for advertisements.
Also, this is a compilation album, which feels like cheating.
The Go-Betweens
3/5
Inoffensive and bland; one that didn’t linger in my memory after ending. I’m not sure exactly why, but I even found it a little irritating.
Normally that would warrant a rating of 2, but I’ll go with 2.5 rounded up.
Hugh Masekela
4/5
A nice, interesting jazz album. Probably not an enduring favorite, but an enjoyable listen.
3.5 rounded up
Japan
3/5
It’s somewhat less generic and more interesting than I expected - I liked the synths and darker sound - but I was never fully sold on it. I found it a bit irritating as it went on.
T. Rex
3/5
Overall, I found this too repetitive and annoying.
Some tracks were kind of fun, though, so I’ll round it up to 3.
Kate Bush
5/5
I love this album. It’s beautiful, original, and creative, while also managing to be catchy and easy to listen to.
This is my kind of pop.
If this were the the first time I had listened, I probably would’ve given it a 4 (some parts come off a bit cheesy, I’ll admit), but it benefits from familiarity and sentimentality. 4.5 rounded up.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
The first track, “Walk On By,” is excellent. Unfortunately, I feel like the quality decreases as the album goes on - in particular, the (long) spoken word portion of “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” didn’t do anything for me - but “Walk On By” was good enough, and the rest enjoyable enough, that I’m willing to be more charitable in my rating.
3.5 rounded up
Blood, Sweat & Tears
3/5
This felt like an album I should enjoy - I liked the jazzy elements, the bass, and the organ - but it just didn’t connect. It seemed too scattered and inconsistent.
Can
3/5
“Future Days” is a fitting title - this album sounds ahead of its time. Fantastic drums. The title track was probably my favorite. Really chill and pleasant overall.
I’m not sure whether to give this 3 or 4 stars; it’s around 3.5, but it didn’t really leave enough of an impression to prompt me to round up.
Tears For Fears
4/5
3.5 rounded up.
It reminds me a lot of Depeche Mode, if not quite as good. Synths, reverb, and a dark sound are usually a winning formula for me.
Foo Fighters
3/5
Didn’t hate it at first, but it quickly stated to get tedious.
A track or two is fine; I don’t need a whole Foo Fighters album
The Saints
4/5
Fun, energetic punk. I enjoyed it.
3.5 rounded up
Nina Simone
5/5
Incredible album by a monumental artist.
The goosebumps I got during “Four Women” cemented this as a 5-star album early on, and it stayed strong through the end.
Primal Scream
2/5
The title and cover made me think this would be punk or metal.
What it actually was works fine as background music, but I was disappointed nevertheless.
Although it was better and more varied than some other similar albums (I can’t think of which specifically), the fact that I kept checking to see how close it was to ending makes it hard to give more than 2 stars.
Jethro Tull
3/5
I only recognized the title track, which I kind of like.
Mixed feelings on this one - not totally mundane, and the flute was actually a pretty cool feature - but nothing really moves me to rate it higher than a 3. I think it’s that pseudo-concept album cheesiness that holds me back.
Marty Robbins
4/5
Delightful and nostalgic. Living in the west - and a frequent visitor to El Paso - I’m almost obligated to give this a high rating. I almost went for 5 stars, but hesitated because some of the songs started to sound pretty similar…it’s on the edge, though.
Favorite tracks: Big Iron, Cool Water, Billy The Kid, El Paso
Neil Young
3/5
From the desert yesterday (Marty Robbins) to the beach today.
I’ve liked the other Neil Young albums I’ve gotten in this project, but for whatever reason, this one didn’t really click with me today.
(I enjoyed it more on the second listen - I’ll say 3.5 for now.)
Favorite tracks: Vampire Blues, See The Sky About To Rain
Prince
3/5
This was a fun album - especially “1999” - but I wasn’t really matching its energy today. A bit too long and too homogenous. I can see the appeal, though.
Björk
5/5
Ah, this is so good. Like the Kate Bush album I recently listened to, another example of pop that manages to be wildly original and unique, with a good amount of variety in style and instrumentation.
4.5 rounded up - looking forward to more from Björk!
Pretenders
3/5
I really wanted to like this - an album on the border of punk and new wave with a female vocalist? That should be right up my alley.
I’m not sure why it didn’t so much for me. I thought the first half was stronger than the second, but even then, I don’t think I can justify a rating higher than 3.
The Police
2/5
This probably isn’t a 2-star album. I fully acknowledge that I may not judging fairly.
However, I just didn’t enjoy this at all today, so a 2 it is.
Dion
2/5
Same sort of situation as yesterday’s album by The Police - objectively it’s fine, but I didn’t enjoy it at all. Very bland and unnecessarily long.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
I did this album no favors by listening while working on a project; it didn’t have my full attention, and this is probably the sort of album that deserves a closer listen.
I’ll try to revisit it in the future. I enjoyed it well enough in the background, but it didn’t jump out at me (aside from the yodeling on “Spaced Cowboy,” which I appreciated).
Lauryn Hill
4/5
An engaging and enjoyable hip hop album made more interesting with the influences of reggae and soul. I usually don’t like skits, but I found the classroom scenes here pretty endearing.
Syd Barrett
3/5
There’s something kind of weird and unpolished about this album that elevates it a bit above other psychedelic rock - a genre which is never one of my favorites - by nature of being interesting, but it’s still not something I actively enjoyed.
Favorite track: Long Gone
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Enjoyable and easy to listen to, but a bit much as a whole album (all the songs are very similar, and it starts to get old). There’s something about Sinatra I can’t pin down that rubs me the wrong way, but still, I was tapping my foot along and generally having a good time with this.
Probably somewhere between 3~3.5.
Thin Lizzy
3/5
Not bad, if unremarkable. The guitars were good but overshadowed by the vocals. I’m not sure why this made the cut.
Method Man
4/5
This was pretty cool - I liked it more than I expected to. I’d never listened to anything by Wu-Tang or its individual artists before, and this made me excited to hear more.
There’s a dark, gritty atmosphere that I find very appealing, and no skits is a plus.
This isn’t the sort of album I’d consider to be in my wheelhouse, and I’m not that likely to come back to it, but if only for subverting my expectations, I think 3.5 ~ 4 is fair.
Barry Adamson
3/5
This was kind of a slog for the most part - not much more than background music - but there was just enough interesting variation and creative flourish to spare it from a score of 2.
Wasn’t interested enough to listen through a second time, though.
Radiohead
4/5
This album is probably overrated, but overrated things can still be good.
I’ve heard it before and I like it, although it did feel particularly meandering on this listen.
Favorite tracks: Weird Fishes, Videotape
Beatles
3/5
I’m typically a little underwhelmed by the Beatles, and although I approached this with an open mind and hoped to enjoy it more, I can’t say it won me over.
“A Hard Day’s Night” always takes me back to high school art classes, where the teacher would play it while we worked on projects.
50 Cent
2/5
I didn’t think this was bad at first, and it’s probably fine in smaller doses, but it wore out its welcome pretty quickly. It’s too long and not interesting enough to keep my attention.
I recently watched the movie “Anatomy of a Fall,” which features “P.I.M.P.” prominently, so it was kind of fun when it popped up here; however, I once again have to endure that steel drum bit playing in my head in an endless loop
Wu-Tang Clan
3/5
Ha! Just a few days after the Method Man album and saying I wanted to hear more from Wu-Tang, I get this.
To be honest, I didn’t enjoy it as much as “Tical,” although it’s still solid and enjoyable hip hop. I can’t quite pin down why; I don’t think it has quite the dark sound that I liked so much on Method Man’s album. Maybe it would grow on me with repeated listens.
Favorite track: C.R.E.A.M.
Jeff Buckley
4/5
Hmm. Aside from “Hallelujah,” I’d never heard anything from Jeff Buckley, but I had high expectations based on things I’ve read. I was a little disappointed, to be honest; the tracks I most enjoyed (“Hallelujah” and “Lilac Wine”) were covers, and the rest didn’t really move me.
I’ve put off rating this because I can’t decide between 3 or 4 stars. I think I’ll be charitable and round up from 3.5, but I’m noting that I didn’t fall in love with it like I thought I might.
Hanoi Rocks
2/5
Not good, but dumb in a kind of fun way.
Eh, actually not that fun, though. I was going to round up from a 2.5, but by the end, it’s hard to go higher than a 2.
I did sort of like “Lick Summer Love.”
Electric Light Orchestra
3/5
Interesting in places, and overall pretty enjoyable, but oddly sterile and hollow-sounding.
Another one where I prefer listening to a song or two rather than a whole album; there where parts where I was enjoying it, but I also got pretty annoyed, especially toward the end.
Nick Drake
4/5
I’d never heard of Nick Drake before.
I admit my hopes weren’t high with this being an album from ‘69 in the UK, but, wow, it’s fantastic. It’s beautiful and timeless - the instrumentals really shine here, and the lyrics are lovely, too.
So happy to have come across this. I’ve been feeling a bit burnt out after the past several albums, but this reminded me that there are still gems that make the endeavor worthwhile.
Even though I’m shying away from giving a full 5 stars this time, I’ll definitely come back to this album and artist.
Favorite tracks: River Man, Three Hours, Day is Done, Fruit Tree
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
Wow, a nice follow-up to the Nick Drake album yesterday! I’ve listened to and enjoyed this before; some tracks aren’t as strong as the rest, but the ones that are good are very good.
I think the rich instrumentals and interesting lyrics save this from being overly sweet/twee, though I can see how others might see it that way. For me, there’s a lot here I’ll continue to return to.
Favorite tracks: Concerning the UFO Sighting…, Casimir Pulaski Day, They Are Night Zombies!! , The Seer’s Tower
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
Super cheesy in places (“Dreamin,” “You Are”), but also some iconic beats (“It’s Nasty,” “The Message”).
It has just enough charm to counter the cheese.
I was kind of irritable when I listened to this, so it didn’t go over as well as it otherwise might’ve.
Favorite track: The Message
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Sometimes approaching something I like, but kind of irritating for the most part.
I do like “Come On, Eileen,” though.
Nirvana
4/5
One of the somewhat surprising things I’ve learned from this project is that I’m not much a fan of grunge (or at least, not the grunge albums I’ve gotten so far). I guess that, aside from Nirvana, I hadn’t really listened to much of the genre. I have mixed feelings about this one too, but it’s been the grunge album I’ve enjoyed most till now.
I prefer the rougher sound here to the more polished Nevermind. There’s something almost punky about it, which I appreciate.
There’s a bit of nostalgia here - a friend in middle school was a fan of Nirvana and introduced me to their music. I don’t think I really got it then. Maybe I still don’t, but I do like it better now.
Favorite tracks: All Apologies, Heart Shaped Box, Radio Friendly Unit Shifter
Peter Frampton
2/5
Not bad, but aggressively mediocre, and sometimes that’s worse
Soft Machine
3/5
This was pretty cool - wasn’t expecting something so jazzy.
It was pretty long and not a total hit for me, but aside from the first minutes of the first track, never boring.
Overall, I liked it.
Favorite track: Slightly All The Time
AC/DC
3/5
I was surprised by how grating I found this.
(I wasn’t in the right mood for this kind of album, to be fair)
2.5 rounded up
Kanye West
4/5
I think I’ll always have a soft spot for this album, because it’s so closely linked to a specific time and place for me. (Summer 2018, Tokyo)
I first listened to it on a total whim on a long bus ride - vaguely recalling that it was considered one of the greatest albums of the last 20 years, and curious as to why - and it grabbed my attention from the first track and I was blown away by how much I enjoyed it. I immediately listened again from the start, and I listened many times over those summer months. It was a transitory period when I was often sad and deeply conflicted, and something about this music in particular seemed to offer an escape.
I can’t really rationalize or explain what it is I like so much about this album (although there are definitely objective measures by which it’s great), but despite everything surrounding its artist, it’s one of those that I’ll always appreciate for the role it played in my life.
(This time, too, I listened through without stopping and listened a second time.)
The Verve
3/5
This might’ve benefited from a second listen, because it didn’t really have my full attention and it didn’t leave an impression.
I liked the first track, but found the rest pretty boring.
The Triffids
3/5
At its best (“Unmade Love”), it reminded me of The Smiths; I wish I could say the same for the rest of the album. Unfortunately, nothing else has that melancholy atmosphere, and the rest ranges between confusing, bland, and bad.
2.5 rounded up
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Classic for a reason. Not something it’s typically think to put on myself - and some of the impact is dampened a bit by exposure - but it holds up very well.
Favorite track: Chain of Fools
Paul Simon
3/5
The best parts were the African musicians.
The worst parts were Paul Simon.
I don’t dislike him in general, or at least, conceptually (come to think of it, maybe he’s one of those artists who I feel I “should” like without actually being that familiar with) but this album - which I expected to enjoy - strikes me as cheesy and ersatz.
Favorite track: Homeless
Gil Scott-Heron
4/5
I just had “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” a few days ago; up until the second to last track on this album, the spoken-word “H2OGate Blues,” I hadn’t made the connection that Gil Scott-Heron was the artist featured on “Who Will Survive In America.” I was pretty delighted when I realized that - I had never heard of him before.
H2OGate was the highlight, and I wish there had been more spoken-word style pieces here, but the whole thing was great. Definitely an artist to explore more in-depth.
Kanye West
3/5
Compared to MBDTF, it sounds much less grand and cohesive.
Very conflicting and tough to rate. I really like the dark industrial sound, and just about every track has at least one good moment, but the lyrics and themes are frequently gross. Even where I like this album, I feel guilty about it - like the whole thing feels too crude. I was much more willing to overlook these things years ago when I first heard it, and I’m now I’m finding it harder to justify.
With MBDTF, I was willing to let nostalgia influence my judgement; here, my view is less clouded by sentiment (although it’s still an album I’ve listened to and enjoyed more than once).
Being obligated to assign this a rating, I’m giving it a 3…but I don’t know. I’m not sure how I feel about this one.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Live albums tend to more often be misses than hits for me - but here, it’s the very nature of the live recording and its context that makes the album special. The interplay between Cash and the audience is great, the songs are fun, and I was engaged through the whole thing.
A really pleasant surprise - I wasn’t expecting to get much out of this.
The Libertines
3/5
Some tracks were kind of fun (“Don’t Be Shy” is the only one I specifically remember), but overall mediocre and forgettable.
The Human League
3/5
Very 80s.
I liked the synths, but the repetitive lyrics on some tracks got annoying. Not bad, not particularly memorable.
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
I mean, it’s not bad. Probably pretty good, even.
This kind of music just doesn’t do much for me.
Janis Joplin
4/5
Still not a fan of psych rock, but I’ll give extra points here for the amazing way Janis uses her voice. She was extremely talented.
Tom Waits
4/5
As with the other Tom Waits album I listened to (Swordfishtrombones), I found the start of this album jarring and abrasive, but I was surprised by how quickly I warmed up to it.
Weird in the best kind of way - unsettling, atmospheric, unique.
Sounds like nothing else, and I’m glad it exists.
Van Halen
3/5
This was actually much more fun and skillfully made than I was expecting - and aside from “Ice Cream Man,” never really annoying.
Fairly or not, though, I’m finding it hard to justify more than a 3.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Really, really good. Almost five stars, and I’m on the fence here - could easily go up on a second listen.
I’m tired and wish I heard more eloquent comments, but I very much enjoyed this.
Wire
4/5
A very enjoyable album - the tracks are short, fast, and loud, and that format works really well here. I’ll have to remember to check out other albums by this band.
Motörhead
2/5
The music itself wasn’t bad, but the lyrics were. I’m docking a star mostly for “Jailbait.”
Pixies
4/5
Not at all what I expected from an album titled “Bossanova.”
I think the first instrumental track set a high bar that the rest never quite reached; nothing here was a definitive standout or an instant favorite, but I liked the overall sound. There’s just enough darkness and variation to keep things interesting.
(Actually, yeah - by the end, I was pretty much sold.)
Favorite tracks: Hang Wire, Javelina
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
“The Killing Moon” has long held an esteemed place on my “spooky tunes 4 halloween” playlist, so I was happy to hear it here!
I hadn’t heard anything else by Echo & the Bunnymen, though, and there are several gems here. Atmospheric and stylish (if a bit melodramatic).
Favorite tracks: The Killing Moon, Nocturnal Me
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
For a band and album I’d never even heard of, I was surprised how many tunes I recognized. The title track in particular is instantly recognizable, though I never would’ve guessed its name.
While I appreciated the lack of vocals and I think this could serve as decent background music, as a whole album it felt pretty one dimensional, and I admit the organ started to feel grating.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
I immediately got goosebumps and was on the verge of tears by the end.
It’s not perfect - a little less lyrically complex than I might’ve preferred, though warranted given the circumstances - but I feel that kind of strong reaction is what warrants a score of 5.
David Bowie
4/5
Not as good as “Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars,” but up there as one of the better David Bowie albums I’ve heard in this project (up to five or six now?)
Although I always have somewhat mixed feelings about Bowie, he definitely has a unique and creative sound, which will almost always have me give it the benefit of the doubt.
Favorite track: Life On Mars
UB40
2/5
British reggae?
Kind of cool conceptually - and I liked the saxophones - but in reality, I found it way too long and boring. Felt like a bit of a chore to get through.
Little Richard
3/5
Ah, I feel conflicted rating this - I can definitely see how influential and important it was, and it’s hard to be too cynical about something this energetic and joyful-sounding.
Today, though, I was tired and it just didn’t hit right. Sorry, Little Richard. It’s nothing personal.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Wow, there’s a lot more depth here (both musically and lyrically) than I’d expect from a soundtrack. It absolutely is able to stand on its own. A beautiful soul/funk album.
Caetano Veloso
4/5
Wow, I actually liked this a lot, and I wasn’t expecting to!
Very atmospheric, enjoyable, and varied. This is the sort of thing that’s great do put on while doing housework to liven up the mood.
Scott Walker
3/5
It was kind of weird, but I didn’t hate it.
There’s kind of a grand, theatrical quality about it; I liked the orchestral arrangements, though the vocals and lyrics were a bit much at times.
I’ve never been much a fan of musical theatre, so in the end, it was all a little too dramatic and cornball for me.
Jimmy Smith
4/5
I preferred the saxophone to the organ, which is a little unfortunate since apparently Jimmy Smith himself is the organist.
A super chill album, and one I’ll likely put on again.
Coldcut
3/5
Honestly not bad at all - much more enjoyable than I was expecting.
It did feel too long and started to wear out its welcome, but worth the listen.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
This was very much up my alley! While it was less musically distinct, I liked it nearly as much as the other Echo & The Bunnymen album I recently listened to; it’s a little less melodramatic, maybe.
Favorite tracks: Crocodiles, Pictures on the Wall, All That Jazz
ABBA
3/5
A legitimately fun album despite my misgivings.
Like some other albums on this list, it suffers from overexposure - having heard most, if not all of the songs repeatedly (and pretty much never in situations when I’ve intentionally sought them out), it was hard to approach it with fresh ears and an open mind. It’s a very well-crafted pop album, though, and it’s easy to see why its popularity has endured.
Maybe a score of 3 is a little unfair, but I just don’t see myself jumping to listen to this in full again.
Favorite tracks: Fernando; Money, Money, Money
Metallica
4/5
Metallica tends to be hit or miss for me; it’s the sort of thing I liked a lot as a teenager, but it feels harder to take seriously as an adult.
That said, when I got over myself, I really enjoyed this album. I love the energy and unrelenting driving pace.
Aside from the title track, the other standout here was “Orion.” Even when the band’s at its best, Metallica’s lyrics can be a little silly, and I was able to appreciate the musicianship more in the instrumental track.
The Byrds
3/5
Better than I expected, and more varied.
The genre is somewhere between psych rock and folk, and it felt like track-to-track veered pretty wildly across that whole range. It’s got some charm and character.
Nothing here completely grabbed me, though, and I’m not likely to revisit it at depth.
Favorite tracks: Wild Mountain Thyme, I Come and Stand at Every Door, John Riley
Dusty Springfield
3/5
This seemed like something I’d like - jazzy, soulful - but for whatever reason, it just didn’t click. I couldn’t get into it today.
Common
4/5
Maybe a little too smooth and polished, but on the whole, I like Common’s style. I thought the start and ending of the album were stronger than the middle. Pleasant and easy to listen to.
3.5 rounded up
Favorite tracks: The Corner, Real People, They Say
Slayer
3/5
Completely silly lyrics, exhaustingly relentless…but I couldn’t help but bob my head along. If nothing else, it gets points for achieving what it set out to do.
2.5 rounded up
John Prine
3/5
I wasn’t at all in the mood for this today, and I found it kind of annoying.
However, there are some witty lyrics here, which I appreciate, so it doesn’t feel fair to rate it as low as 2 stars.
4/5
I’ll admit that I approached this pretty cynically - and to be honest, I’m still not entirely sure why it’s the highest rated album on this list - but it’s good. I don’t think I had ever listened to the album in its entirety, and aside from the big hits, there are some lesser-known gems too (“Within You Without You” was a standout for me). There’s charm, heart, and wit here.
Although it lacks the emotional punch for me to give it a full five stars, even I can appreciate it as someone who sometimes finds The Beatles overrated.
That said…I can’t help but wonder how much of my rating is caught up in the expectation and hype and history of this album, how much of it is obligation. In my truest heart, I’m still not sure I really get it.
Bad Brains
3/5
A really strong start, but I thought it got weaker toward the end. Maybe it was getting a bit fatiguing.
(I listened to this a while back and put off rating because I couldn’t decide between 3 or 4 stars. I’ll go with 3, but worth another listen)
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Fun, catchy, danceable pop that didn’t dip too far into annoying territory. I didn’t love it, but I liked it. I wouldn’t mind listening again, though I wouldn’t seek it out.
Favorite tracks: Can You Forgive Her?, Dreaming of the Queen
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
Pleasant, chill, interesting. I generally enjoyed it, thought it kind of faded into the background and didn’t fully hold my attention.
Favorite track: Pitche Mi
The Strokes
4/5
I’ve heard a lot about this album, and this was my first time listening to it (although I’d heard “Someday” without realizing it was by The Strokes; in a similar vein, I somehow never made the connection that “Reptilia,” a song I love, was by them). It didn’t disappoint - I enjoyed it a lot, and it felt somehow nostalgic. Definitely something I’d put on again!
I listened through twice, and then again a few days later.
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
Surprisingly punky and biting in places. While I liked the first and last tracks, the middle tracks lost me a bit.
Highlights: Broken English, Why'd Ya Do It
King Crimson
4/5
Wow - this was really good. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t quite this. Definitely not the generic psychedelic rock I sometimes assume when an album is from the 60s.
Every track is unique and good in its own way; there are elements of prog rock, folk, and improvised jazz, and the whole thing has a mysterious, otherworldly atmosphere.
One of the rare albums where I listened to the whole thing a second time right after it ended. I’m stingy with my 5*s, but this is a high 4.
Favorite tracks: Epitaph, 21st Century Schizoid Man
Jurassic 5
4/5
Pretty good! It’s that kind of optimistic (if slightly corny) 90s-style hip hop that I always have a soft spot for.
It started off really strong and dropped off a bit as it went; I was going to dock a star for being overlong, but that doesn’t seem quite fair. Maybe a 3.5.
As an aside, “What’s Golden” somehow dredged up memories of the PS2 game “ATV Offroad Fury 2.” I have no idea how that game lay dormant in my brain for 20 years, but a Google search confirmed that it was on the soundtrack. Wild.
The Stone Roses
4/5
Like The Smiths, but not as good - in other words, still pretty good.
3.5 rounded up.
Pulp
3/5
I could’ve sworn I had gotten this album already. I realized I had made a second project for weekend albums, which I used for exactly one day - and this was the album I received.
I wasn’t too impressed on the first listen, and while it’s still not really my thing, I was more forgiving this time around. It has a unique sound to it and a decent amount of variety that saves it from being completely boring.
I think two listens was enough for me, though.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
I’ve heard of Fleetwood Mac. I know (from having glanced at the top rated albums list on this site) that this is a beloved album. But as I’m sitting here before pressing play, I couldn’t name a single Fleetwood Mac song or member of the band or even the genre.
—
…Hmm. It’s well-made to be sure, and I can see why people like it. I’ve heard many of not most of these songs despite not knowing who was behind them. Aside from a few tracks, though, I wasn’t blown away or deeply moved. Maybe I was expecting too much. The tracks with the female vocalists front-and-center are my favorites; the big hits (“Don’t Stop,” “Go Your Own Way”) felt overplayed and hard to approach with fresh ears.
I wanted to love this like so many others do. I liked it well enough. I should probably give it another shot.
The 4 stars is mostly for “Dreams,” and, to be perfectly honest, a sense of obligation based on its reputation. For the rest of the album, to my own taste based on this first listen? A middle-of-the-road 3.
I’m not proud of going along with the crowd, but what can you do.
Favorite tracks: Dreams, The Chain
Digital Underground
2/5
Way too long. It’s kind of fun, and I like the sense of humor combined with the cheesy 90s hip-hop style, but not a fan of the theme (such as it is). No desire to listen to this again.
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
Really nice! Chill, easygoing music that’s hard not to move along to the beat. Worth another listen for sure - I enjoyed this a lot.
The War On Drugs
3/5
This was pretty good, though I didn’t really like the singer's voice and the tracks were all similar to one another. It’s somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. I like this kind of melancholy, atmospheric style, and I wouldn’t mind listening again.
Favorite track: Red Eyes
Violent Femmes
4/5
This youthful combination of anger and humor could easily come off as embarrassing or kind of laughable once you’re no longer a teenager yourself, but here, it really works. Totally fun and with a unique sound.
Favorite tracks: Add It Up, Promise
Mike Ladd
3/5
My option of this album was all over the map from track to track. There were a lot of things I liked about it - it’s got this minimalist/lo-fi/industrial/jazzy sci-fi thing going on, which is very cool, but doesn’t come together as cohesively as I would’ve liked. After the first few tracks, the middle felt like a bit of a slog.
It picks back up at the end, and the great final track, “Feb. 4 ‘99,” saves it from a rating of 2.
Even though I can’t say I fully enjoyed it, this album does feel a little special.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
I expected this to be up my alley, but it was a little too chaotic and too juvenile.
Somewhere between a 2 and a 3.
Elvis Presley
3/5
It’s fine. It’s on the list for its place in history, which is fair, and it’s not bad at all but certainly not the best of its kind.
Muddy Waters
3/5
Admittedly, I wasn’t giving this album my full attention as I should’ve; I was listening while on a short road trip and may have dozed off once or twice.
It was pretty good, though a bit homogenous. I might’ve preferred a studio album to a live one. Even though I’m giving this a 3, I liked it better than yesterday’s Elvis album.
The Only Ones
3/5
One of those that wavers between kind of annoying and kind of good.
I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt and round up. I’m not likely to listen to it again, but it wasn’t bad.
Arcade Fire
4/5
The specific atmosphere of this album hit just right today, and I really enjoyed it. Grandiose, kind of melancholy, very catchy.
Listened while driving home at sunset after dropping my sister off at the airport.
4/5
A fun pop-punk album! Kind of a unique mix of sounds/styles here, and I think it worked. Good energy, albeit a little more on the polished side than the raw side. I especially liked the female vocalist.
Shack
2/5
Normally I give a rating of 2 to albums that actively irritated me. This one wasn’t exactly annoying - or even bad, really - but it was so unremarkable that I forgot it as soon as I finished listening, and I’m in a bad mood, so that’s what I’m going with.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
Well, it gets some points for creativity and originality. I can’t say it was too boring or generic. Still, for the most part, I didn’t enjoy this too much; it just didn’t click, though there some bright spots.
An interesting experience, at least.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Having never heard this album before, I’m not sure why I was expecting to like it more than “Songs In The Key Of Life.” It’s been a while since I listened to that album, but I can’t definitively say I preferred this one. It’s still very good, though.
Femi Kuti
3/5
Pretty good, and super chill.
It’s between a 3 and a 4; it did seem a little too long and I lost focus a bit, but on another day, it could just as easily earn a 4.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Hmm. I liked the general “jazziness” of this album, but apart from that, it didn’t resonate with me and I was a bit disappointed by it.
2.5 rounded up
Muddy Waters
3/5
I like the blues conceptually, but sometimes I find it hard to listen to a full blues album.
I know this probably deserves better (and there’s some amazing guitar work here); I have to go with my gut reaction, though.
Beck
4/5
Wow, this was good. I’m not very familiar with Beck, and this wasn’t really what I was expecting. I’m a sucker for this downbeat, sad kind of stuff. “Round the Bend” reminded me of Nick Drake’s Five Leaves Left (an album I regret not giving 5 stars). I loved the use of the strings. I’ll come back to this one for sure.
Favorite tracks: Paper Tiger, Round the Bend
Aimee Mann
3/5
Unfortunately, I was just kind of bored by it. “Jacob Marley’s Chain” wasn’t bad.
2.5 rounded up (but it really should probably just be a 2)
Faith No More
2/5
3 observations:
- I hate the singer’s voice, or at least the weird affect he gives it. I may have been generous and rated the album 3*, but that voice irreparably dragged the whole thing down.
- A few tracks in, I had to check which year this came out - it sounds exactly like early 2000s nu-metal, so I was surprised it was so much older. I guess there’s something admirable about that, but I hate nu-metal.
- “Epic” took me back to playing Rock Band with my younger sister and joking about what “it” could be. Sorry, though, the nostalgia can’t save it.
David Bowie
3/5
Make I’m just getting Bowie fatigue from this list, but this album didn’t do much for me.
It was fine.
Bee Gees
2/5
This wasn’t at all what I was expecting.
I didn’t think it was bad at first, but it got knocked down from 3 to 2 for the following:
- too long
- boring
- concept album
Roni Size
2/5
I acknowledge that there’s a time and place for drum & bass, and I did the album no favors by listening while not in a dance club or something. In the context in which I listened, though, this was a bit of a chore to get through. It could’ve been improved by making each track a minute or two shorter.
I did like the title track, however.
The White Stripes
3/5
Hmm, kind of a mixed bag. I found a few tracks a little irritating, so I don’t think I can go higher than a 3 this time.
Overall, not bad at all, though; I think I’m in a bit of a slump and finding it hard to enjoy most albums lately.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
This may well be the Springsteen album I’ve liked most so far, but I still can’t quite definitively say I liked it. It’s almost there, but there’s something here that rings false to me; that may be an incorrect impression, but it’s the sense I get.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3/5
I didn’t rate this at the time because I was stuck between 3 and 4 stars.
I like this style of hip hop and generally enjoyed the album; the lyrics are thoughtful and sharp, if also a bit heavy-handed and repetitive.
It’s the repetitiveness that ultimately knocked it down to 3* - a week later, I still find bits stuck in my head (“Famous and Dandy,” “Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury”) in an annoying and intrusive way.
Other than that, though, pretty good.
The Young Gods
3/5
This was interesting. I didn’t like it at first, and it took a while to get onboard, but it wasn’t bad. It’s industrial music with a singer who sounds like a French Tom Waits. It’s atmospherically consistent, though there was a surprising amount of variety from track to track.
N.W.A.
3/5
I know this album is historically important, and it had some good tracks/beats, but overall, I didn’t really like it.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
2/5
As someone who generally likes synthy 80s music and new wave, I expected to enjoy this, but I found it irritating and overlong.
Although it had moments that showed promise, I’m going with my initial impression in the rating.
The Byrds
3/5
Borderline annoying - on the knife’s edge of 2 and 3. Ultimately, it was fine, just not my thing.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
Funkier and rock-ier than the type of jazz I usually like, but it was refreshing and a lot of fun. Even though there are just four long tracks, there’s a great deal of variety both within and between them, and I never got bored or eager for it to end. Something I’ve never heard of and am happy to have listened to!
Simply Red
2/5
A few tracks in, I was already looking forward to the end.
Not the type of 2* where the music was annoying - I can’t even say it was bad, exactly - but so bland and unremarkable that I seriously question its inclusion on this list.
Simple Minds
3/5
This made about as much of an impression as yesterday’s very similar album - which is to say, hardly any - but I thought the opening track wasn’t bad and there were a few with a bit of a “darker” sound, so I’m being a little more generous with the rating.
The Pharcyde
3/5
Kind of fun, but overall too silly and dated. Not something I’d listen to again.
Skunk Anansie
3/5
Pretty cool - I liked the vocalist. I don’t think I gave this the attention it deserves; I’d probably rate it higher on another listen. I’m curious to hear their other albums.
Louis Prima
4/5
Man, I can be cynical, but stuff like this just melts my cold heart and makes me smile. The joyousness is infectious. Everyone involved seems to be having a blast.
Neil Young
3/5
I generally like the Neil Young albums that pop up on this list, though this one wasn’t my favorite. I did appreciate it and its rawness more after reading the backstory behind it as an expression of grief.
The Sonics
2/5
While I did like the lo-fi, garage band sound (and that you can hear the early punk influence), I didn’t like the fact that the album was mostly covers. I was on the fence between 2 and 3*, but I’m rounding down because of that.
Kid Rock
1/5
Wow, this was tough to get through. Like the worst parts of nu-metal, rap, and country mashed together, with some especially jarring autotune bafflingly thrown in. I was surprised to recognize the first two tracks, as I’m not at all familiar with Kid Rock; they’re not good songs, but it’s pretty much all downhill from there.
If that’s not enough, it’s also so long?
Why?!
The Band
3/5
Not bad, but it didn’t click with me the way I hoped it might.
Favorite track: The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
Donovan
3/5
It’s a little cheesy, but for whatever reason, I enjoyed this quite a bit today. Psychedelic music usually isn’t my thing - I think the overearnest folksiness somehow worked in its favor here.
Favorite tracks: Three Kingfishers, Bert’s Blues, Season of the Witch
3.5?
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
One thing. I’ve learned from this project is that 60s psychedelic rock isn’t really my thing - it mostly sounds the same to me.
I can’t pin down exactly why, but in comparison to its peers, this album went down more smoothly.
For that, I’m rounding up the 3.5.
Tori Amos
4/5
Very good. I think a lot of female artists are unfairly compared to Kate Bush, but I do admit I hear some similarities here - while still being a distinct and original songwriter. There are powerful moments in almost all the songs.
Favorite tracks: Winter, Precious Things, Me and a Gun
Rod Stewart
2/5
Not at all my thing, and I wasn’t in a good mood, so I wasn’t very charitable in rating it. It reminded me a bit of Bruce Springsteen, who I also feel ambivalent toward, but a little worse.
The part I liked most was the little instrumental bit at the start of “Maggie May” which seemed totally disconnected from the rest of the song
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3/5
Play Free Bird!
This was pretty good - probably not something I’ll revisit, and not really my style, but not bad. “Free Bird” was the only song I had heard before.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
From the first track, I thought this might get as high as a 4* rating, but around “Ooby Dooby,” it started to lose me.
This was my favorite of the CCR albums I’ve listened to so far, and probably between a 3 and 4.
Favorite track: Ramble Tamble
Tim Buckley
2/5
Bleh. This felt like a similar style to the past few albums I’ve gotten, which I’m a little sick of. I admit I was listening to this while working on something and wasn’t paying attention at all to the lyrics, but the ones I caught were off-putting. It might’ve actually gotten a lower rating had I been paying closer attention.
Fiona Apple
4/5
Really good - raw, claustrophobic, fresh. I’ve never listened to a Fiona Apple album before, although she’s been recommended to me. I’ll revisit this one and I’m looking forward to hearing more of her work.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
Not much to say - just good, fun big band jazz. It made for excellent background music while working on some art.
Mudhoney
4/5
I enjoyed it. It hits a sweet spot between punk and grunge.
Through this project I’ve learned that I don’t like grunge as much as I thought I did, but this early version is more appealing to me. I think part of it is that the vocals sound more angry than ambivalent or bored.
Probably closer to a 3 if I’m being honest, but I was pleasantly surprised and feeling charitable, so I’ll round it up.
Favorite track: Halloween
PJ Harvey
5/5
This is so good, and completely different from the other PJ Harvey album I listened to (“Rid of Me,” which was also excellent). Not as raw or energetic, but haunting and sad, which fits the theme.
After listening to albums on this list for just over a year and hearing so many that sound similar and blend together, this album stands out as something unique and beautiful. I keep going for gems like this, and I’m grateful to this project for introducing me to Harvey’s music.
Favorite track: On Battleship Hill
R.E.M.
3/5
I remember being impressed by “Automatic For The People,” but this album just kind of passed over me without leaving much of an impression. A little too same-y. You can definitely hear the influence this had on future indie bands, though.
Favorite track: 9-9
Least favorite track: We Walk
System Of A Down
4/5
I don’t like nu-metal as a general rule. I’m not sure if this album exactly counts as nu-metal, but there are some similarities - regardless, System Of A Down is an exception to the rule.
It’s interesting how familiarity plays into how you feel about an album; in a lot of cases, overexposure makes me inclined to rate an album lower, but this is one that benefits from nostalgia.
3.5 rounded up
Beck
3/5
This is more what I was expecting of a Beck album when “Sea Change” popped up. I don’t like this one nearly as much (although it’s not bad).
Talking Heads
3/5
It reminded me a little of David Bowie. Interesting and creative, but I couldn’t really get into it.
Van Morrison
3/5
From the description on Apple Music I really thought this would be right up my alley, but unfortunately, it fell a little flat. I did like the jazzier bits like on “The Way Young Lovers Do” (if I’m rendering the right track) and I wish there had been more of that, but overall, it came across as too bland and inoffensive.
Patti Smith
4/5
Although I’d heard of Patti Smith, I’d never listened to one of her albums and didn’t know what to expect. I’m having a hard time summarizing my thoughts on the album, but it was very interesting and I enjoyed it overall. One to revisit.
Favorite: Land
Rush
3/5
Lmao, no. This is way too cheesy. Is it supposed to be a sci-fi rock opera?
Okay, the second half moves away from that and is better. “Tears” is pretty good and the music itself isn’t bad throughout the album, but the corny lyrics of that 20-minute opening track mean it’s not rating higher than a 3.
R.E.M.
4/5
I was pretty ambivalent about this at first, though it grew on me as it went on.
3.5 rounded up
3/5
It wasn’t bad, but hard to get too excited about.
Animal Collective
4/5
I can absolutely see how this kind of vague, meandering style would be offputting to some people, but I really enjoyed it. I’m drawn to these sorts of albums that evoke a mood or atmosphere in a minimalist kind of way.
Beastie Boys
4/5
I don’t know exactly what it is about the Beastie Boys, but it’s rare that their music doesn’t me smile. I can see why some might not like them - I’m not one of those people, though.
This album pretty well exemplifies what I like about them: pure, dumb, bombastic fun.
3.5 rounded up
Taylor Swift
3/5
I don’t want to be a hater, but I didn’t love this
2/5
Not my thing, unfortunately. Some songs were okay; some were very annoying.
2.5
Bob Dylan
3/5
I’ve been a little surprised to learn through this project that Bob Dylan albums are very hit or miss for me (well, mostly pretty neutral with a few standouts). While this one wasn’t bad, it got old quickly.
Too much harmonica?
Aretha Franklin
4/5
One of those albums I’ve known about, but never listened to. What an incredible singer.
4/5
Another excellent PJ Harvey album - I’d put it about at the same level as “Let England Shake,” my other favorite of hers. Seriously considering a 5 here.
Favorites: Big Exit, Beautiful Feeling, The Mess We’re In, Horses In My Dreams
4.5-5
Elvis Costello
2/5
Ahh. We’ve had some time apart, but he’s back again.
I really did try to be open-minded, but this was the same old Elvis Costello schtick, and it just doesn’t do anything for me.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Funky and smooth.
Feels very 60s, but that’s not necessarily a detriment, and you can sense the influence this album has had and continues to have on American music.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
2/5
Weird - sometimes in a kind of cool way, sometimes in an annoying way, but in the end, the scale tipped more toward annoying.
2.5
Klaxons
3/5
I liked the first track, but from there it felt like it all kind of blended together and I was losing interest 20 min in. Not bad, but too boring/homogenous.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Too repetitive and boring. I’m sure there’s a time and a place for this, but it was not today
2.5
Arcade Fire
3/5
A mixed bag, but overall good. One of those albums that invokes nostalgia even though I’d never heard it before.
Favorites: Sprawl II, Ready to Start
3.5
George Michael
3/5
I enjoyed this more than I expected to (not that I really knew what to expect - probably a more generic pop sound). Not super consistent, but I enjoyed it overall.
Favorite: Cowboys and Angels
3.5?
Stevie Wonder
3/5
I don’t think I liked it as much as the other Stevie Wonder albums.
I thought it was a funny coincidence that “They Won’t Go Where I Go” was a cover on yesterday’s George Michael album - I liked the song both times.
3.5?
The Incredible String Band
3/5
wtf did I just listen to
okay, that was pretty weird and totally goofy in places, but you know, I can’t say I hated it
The wackiness became strangely endearing. I listened while taking a walk on my lunch break, and found myself grinning out of bafflement - I just can’t penalize it too harshly for that (though I don’t know how to begin rating it)
Favorite track: Three Is A Green Crown
3* not for being boring, but a truly mixed bag. Honestly, I may round it up to 4
The Charlatans
2/5
Totally bland and forgettable.
Yesterday’s “Hangman’s Daughter” may have been nutty, but at least it was interesting - give me something like that over this just about any day.
Steely Dan
3/5
Not really my thing, but there’s just enough charm to tilt it more toward the “kind of like it” side.
Favorite: Only a Fool Would Say
3.5?
Supertramp
3/5
I did not enjoy this.
(Okay, it was better in the last few tracks - I listened with headphones the next day. It’s somewhere between 2.5 and 3, I guess.)
The Doors
4/5
I liked this way more than I expected to - I didn’t think I was anything more than ambivalent toward The Doors. The dark sound of this album is great.
Favorite: The End
The Specials
3/5
Reggae-flavored ska. There were glimmers of something likeable here, but for me, it just didn’t work as a whole album listened through. The repetition just kinda drives me nuts.
I’ll be perfectly happy to never hear “too much too young” again
2.5
Meat Puppets
3/5
Hmm. It’s not bad, but I didn’t really like it. It’s weird in a way that failed to win me over.
A Nirvana-loving friend introduced me to “Plateau” and “Lake of Fire” in middle school; I had never known they were covers. In particular, I remember singing “there’s nothing at the top but a bucket and a mop, and an illustrated book about birds” all the time. I haven’t thought about either song in years, and that little burst of nostalgia prompts me to rate this higher than I might otherwise.
The Youngbloods
2/5
The first track had potential (“Darkness, Darkness”), but the rest passed over without leaving an impression. Thoroughly mediocre.
2.5
Throbbing Gristle
4/5
Woah, this is genuinely very cool. It’s unsettling and beautiful in that vague way that’s almost uncomfortable, but ends up being much more enticing than off-putting. When I started listening, I was working on something else, but I found myself getting so drawn in to the environment of sound and the images it conjured that I couldn’t concentrate.
I was kind of dreading this when it popped up since I don’t generally like industrial music (and I expected this to be especially abrasive), but it ended up being a really pleasant surprise. I would love more weirdly beautiful shit like this to pop up in the list.
In places, the atmosphere totally invokes the game Yume Nikki for me. (Specifically Dead on Arrival, AB/7A)
Favorite tracks: Dead on Arrival, Weeping, AB/7A
Dire Straits
3/5
Probably better than the other Dire Straits album generated, but still not really my thing. “Sultans of Swing” is a bop, though.
3
MC Solaar
4/5
Excellent flow. I wish I could understand the lyrics better, but I really enjoyed this regardless.
Paul Weller
2/5
The title track was okay, with hints that it could’ve been something better, but the rest failed to make an impression (at best). The instrumentals were probably the best part.
2 for being boring
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
4/5
Just the right kind of weird - interesting, cool, pleasant. I was surprised to see the release year, since it sounds like it could be much more recent. With its evocative title, “Sound of Someone You Love Going Away…” made me tear up a bit.
Like the Throbbing Gristle album from last week, this is the sort of thing I love to get from this list - no idea what to expect going in, or even track-to-track once it starts, but with everything coming together in a captivating and enjoyable way.
Easy 4. Love the cover
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
Rough lyrics and terrible skits, but a lot of tracks with undeniably excellent beats and flow. Low points aside, it made for an unexpectedly fun soundtrack to my daily walks.
Favorite tracks: Juicy, Everyday Struggle
3/5
This felt like it had a lot of potential to be cool, but somehow ended up feeling kind of insufferable.
Maybe worth another listen on another day.
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
Nothing special, but I liked it - fun, synthy new wave. It reminded me a bit of Echo & The Bunnymen.
That live version of Sleeping Gas was…something.
3.5
4/5
Sort of a mixed bag, but overall pretty interesting. I tended to prefer the tracks with vocals.
Favorite: “We Fenced Other Gardens…”
3-4
The Cult
2/5
Super super mediocre.
I’m not familiar with the band, but the Wikipedia summary makes their previous albums sound much more appealing than this one.
Elbow
3/5
It had promise, but fell flat for me. I can’t really pin down what I didn’t like about it - too “fluffy,” somehow.
Best track: Grounds for Divorce
3-3.5?
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
Pretty good, but mixed.
My favorite track was “Expecting to Fly,” which felt both nostalgic and like something that could’ve been made in the past 10 years. Nothing else was quite that good, though.
The Avalanches
3/5
The problem with this kind of album is always the repetitiveness, but that aside, I enjoyed it. I found it worked much better as a soundtrack to a walk than to sitting and working.
“Frontier Psychiatrist” was fun.
3.5
Neneh Cherry
2/5
It was fine, but I wasn’t sad when it was over
Sheryl Crow
3/5
Pretty boring, unfortunately. Very solidly middle-of-the-road.
Lenny Kravitz
2/5
I’m not sure why, exactly, but I just didn’t enjoy this at all. It was boring and the vocals had kind of a whiny quality. It mostly just irritated me.
Almost a 1, even.
Eric Clapton
2/5
Boring. The best track was “I Shot The Sheriff,” which doesn’t count since it’s a cover and not as good as the original.
Red Snapper
3/5
Pretty boring overall, though I did like the first and last tracks.
Favorite: They’re Hanging Me Tonight
Eminem
2/5
I’ve liked some Eminem songs in the past, and I expected to enjoy this album (even if only as a guilty pleasure). Really, though, it just came across as cringey and juvenile. I get that that was kind of Eminem’s thing, but I couldn’t get into it and found myself looking forward to it being over.
Gene Clark
2/5
It’s not that it was unpleasant, but somehow just completely unremarkable. Even as I was listening, I was almost impressed by how little of an impression it was leaving on me.
A 2 feels a little harsh, maybe, but that’s what it gets for being so boring.
Jamiroquai
3/5
It wasn’t bad. Nothing really stood out, though.
Tangerine Dream
5/5
Sometimes this type of super chill, slow electronica hits just right, and it sure did today. I imagine it’s a polarizing subgenre, but for whatever reason, I think I really like it.
Somehow it feels like it could serve equally well as background music, music to just sit and focus on, or music to fall asleep to.
I’ve only rarely caught the “Hearts of Space” radio program on Sunday nights, and it occurred to me about halfway through that this is exactly that type of music. It always feels like something special when I happen to catch it, like I’ve slipped into some weird liminal space. I was happy to get that kind of experience again today.
I didn’t expect to be giving this a 5 at the start, but by the end, I was pretty much sold.
4.5 rounded up
Mike Oldfield
4/5
Before generating this album, I was thinking about how much I enjoyed yesterday’s (Phaedra by Tangerine Dream), and how I really just wanted to listen to that again.
I feel like I lucked out - in a lot of ways, this really was similar: kind of an instrumental journey of an an album. Not quite as spacey or dreamlike, but always interesting and multi textural.
I had never heard of the album or artist before today, and had no idea what to expect.
Stereo MC's
2/5
Not great.
Not horrible either, but a bit of a chore to get though
Boston
3/5
Pretty fun classic rock album. I liked it more than I expected to.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
Not bad, pretty chill - another one that reminded me of Portishead. No real standout tracks, though, and kind of boring.
The Clash
4/5
Fun, classic punk.
I don’t even know what to add beyond it being a good time.
Bauhaus
4/5
Pretty cool goth rock album. I enjoyed it!
Bob Dylan
4/5
I’ve been a little underwhelmed by the Bob Dylan albums I’ve listened to to this point, but this one was really good - definitely my favorite so far. Some excellent tracks here, and basically no duds. I really loved “Masters of War.”
Highlights: Masters of War, Blowin’ in the Wind, Girl from the North Country, A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall
4.5
The Kinks
3/5
I haven’t been much a fan of the Kinks albums I’ve gotten previously; while there were some tracks I found annoying here, too, there were also some that were surprisingly enjoyable. Maybe my favorite of theirs so far.
Best tracks: Sunny Afternoon, Rosy Won’t You Please Come Home, Fancy
Napalm Death
3/5
As a metal album with incomprehensible lyrics, it’s not bad. It’s angry and energetic, though it never really grants the catharsis that the best kinds of angry and energetic albums do.
The tracks all blend together, and by the end, you’re pretty much glad to be done with it.
The Monkees
3/5
I am not excited for this one.
…Yeah, pretty much what I expected. I do give it credit for not taking itself too seriously; it’s a “dumb fun” kind of album. Once was enough, though.
2-3
The Byrds
3/5
Mediocre folksy psych rock. Albums in this genre have to be really exceptional (or maybe just weirdly particular to my taste) for me to feel anything other than indifferent toward them, and unfortunately, this one didn’t rise to the occasion.
It’s not you, it’s me. Maybe. It might be you.
Bonnie Raitt
2/5
I hoped to like this at least a little, but this really did nothing for me. Super bland country-pop.
The The
3/5
There’s some kind of interesting stuff going on here, but today wasn’t the best day for it; it didn’t fully hold my attention.
Portishead
4/5
I liked this a lot - especially from the second half. Some tracks hit that near-perfect dark, sad sound (Small, for example).
Highlights: The Rip, Machine Gun, Small
M.I.A.
3/5
The good tracks were really fun (Jimmy, Paper Planes) - I just wish it was more consistent. There’s some cool and creative stuff going on here with the different world music influences, so it was worth a listen.
Donald Fagen
2/5
This was sort of jazzy, which usually endears me to an album, but for some reason it ended up rubbing me the wrong way. Simultaneously boring and a little annoying. Maybe just not the right day for it.
2-3
Suede
3/5
I liked this a little more than I expected to, though I did lose interest in the second half.
Not bad as far as britpop goes.
3.5?
Os Mutantes
4/5
It’s psych rock, which is never my favorite genre, but it’s Brazilian psych rock, which at least makes it more interesting.
Overall, a pretty fun album with a good amount of variety.
Favorites: O Relógio, Le Premier Bonheur du Jour
3.5
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
Like other progressive albums, I’m having a hard time deciding where it falls on the spectrum between corny and a fun experiment.
There’s enough room in the world for an album like this to exist, and I’m glad I listened, but I’ll still take the original orchestral composition any day.
Favorites: The Sage, Promenade (all versions)
David Ackles
2/5
There were elements of things I liked here - the orchestral arrangements, the folksy singing, the weirdness - but the odd theatricality of it all was offputting.
2.5, though it could go up if I listened again.
Dead Kennedys
5/5
Pure enjoyment. As far as punk goes, this is some of the best.
Favorites: Drug Me, Chemical Warfare, Stealing Peoples Mail
4.5 rounded up
Dagmar Krause
2/5
Man, this was hard to get through, and I tried hard to give it a fair shake.
Steely Dan
3/5
Not bad, kinda jazzy. Not really sure what I think of it, though. Kind of cool, kind of lame
3-4
The Velvet Underground
4/5
I liked this better than the other Velvet Underground album that popped up; overall, it was pretty cool.
Highlights: Venus in Furs, Femme Fatale, All Tomorrow’s Parties, The Black Angel’s Death Song
Sugar
3/5
I was sick and feeling pretty miserable when I listened to this, and I really wasn’t in the mood for this kind of thing at all.
It was just okay.
M.I.A.
3/5
Pretty fun and interesting.
Favorites: Bucky Done Gun, Dash the Curry
The Divine Comedy
1/5
Ugh. I did not like this all, for reasons I can’t fully articulate.
1 - 2
Coldplay
3/5
It was okay. Not something I’ll listen to in full again, but better than yesterday’s.
Destiny's Child
2/5
I’d never listened to the full album before, but just as a side effect of having been alive in the early 2000s, I’ve heard most of it by osmosis.
For the pure nostalgia value, it was nice; I don’t think I need to revisit it anytime soon, though. Aside from the hits, it felt like there was too much filler.
2.5
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
5/5
Wow, this is excellent. This is exactly the sort of somber, moody stuff that I often find myself inexplicably craving.
I’d heard of Bonnie “Prince” Billy from his association with Joanna Newsom, but this was the first time I’d listened to his music.
Favorites: I See A Darkness, Another Day Full of Dread, Madeleine-Mary, Black
4.5 rounded up
Sonic Youth
5/5
Probably not my favorite Sonic Youth album, but still great. Innovative, original, interesting, and always super cool.
4.5 rounded up
Motörhead
3/5
I won’t deny that “Ace of Spades” is fun, but having it as the first track really made everything that followed feel like a watered-down version of the same song.
2-3
808 State
3/5
The same issue that tends to pop up with EDM albums - outside of the right context, they can be boring. I liked this well enough at first, but everything blended together and I was pretty much glad for it to be over.
Not bad in itself, though.
2-3
Robert Wyatt
3/5
In some ways, this seems like just the kind of thing that would appeal to me - and parts of it did, in its weirder, more experimental moments - but it failed to fully connect. I didn’t dislike it, though, and being as unique as it is means it won’t get lower than a 3.
3.5?
Justice
4/5
Ah, this is tough. There were some tracks that I’d give 4 stars (especially in the first half, and a few at the end), but the middle dragged it down with some 2 star tracks (The Party, DVNO, Stress). “The Party” especially felt unnecessary.
In its high points, though, this is really good electronica - reminiscent of Daft Punk, even.
3.5 rounded up
Joni Mitchell
3/5
It’s not bad at all, but for whatever reason, it just didn’t really click with me. Joni Mitchell is one of those artists I feel I should like, but neither of the albums I’ve listened to have made much of an impression. I’m not entirely sure why.
Favorite: Twisted; Court and Spark
Wild Beasts
3/5
The music itself was pretty good and I was super optimistic when the first track started, but I feel like the vocals did more harm than good here. Disappointing, because there are lots of elements that I like.
Favorites: Two Dancers (i), (ii)
Steely Dan
3/5
It’s okay. I don’t actively dislike Steely Dan, but I’m never really moved by their music, either.
Charlie Freak
2.5
3/5
This isn’t genre I’m especially fond of, and I didn’t really enjoy the album. It did feel at least a little creative/experimental compared to its peers, though, so I give it a bit of credit for that.
2-3
John Cale
2/5
Not great. I was finally getting some variety over the last couple weeks, but it seems the endless 70s are back
Not bad: The Endless Plain of Fortune
2.5
Elis Regina
4/5
An excellent album! Really enjoyable jazzy samba. The songs/artists that popped up after the album were also great.
Kraftwerk
4/5
A couple days ago I was bellyaching about all the 70s albums I’ve been getting, but these last two are good reminders that there are real gems from that decade.
This project has shown me that I’m pickier than I realized when it comes to electronica - and I have a hard time pinning down what exactly it is I like and what I don’t within that category. This album definitely falls in the “like” category, even though complaints I’ve made about other albums could be applied here (too repetitive, etc.).
PJ Harvey
4/5
PJ Harvey may be my greatest discovery from this project - I had never heard of her before, and I’ve really enjoyed every album I’ve gotten. (This is the fourth, and I’m guessing the last on the list.)
This one felt more similar to “Rid Of Me” than “Let England Shake” and “Songs From The City…”
Slade
2/5
Pretty boring classic rock. Reminded me of T. Rex.
2.5
Gang Of Four
3/5
Pretty good post-punk, although it did start to feel like it was dragging.
Favorite: 5.45
High 3?
Hot Chip
3/5
Pleasant enough electro-pop, but nothing outstanding.
Favorite: These Chains, Flutes
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
A little cheesy and uncomplex, sure, but I tend to like the 80s/90s style of hip-hop.
I could’ve been paying closer attention; it didn’t leave much of an impression beyond “this is nice enough.”
Drive-By Truckers
2/5
I feel a little bad going with 2 stars here because it’s not really unpleasant and is trying to do some interesting things; I also don’t want to have a knee-jerk negative reaction to the southern US theme or style, which itself wasn’t awful.
That said, paraphrasing another reviewer: if you’re going to have an album this long, there should be at least a few standout tracks, and I didn’t find that to be the case here.
(Weirdly, the one I probably found most interesting wasn’t even really a song at all - the spoken word “Three Great Alabama Icons” at least caught my attention.)
Hüsker Dü
2/5
Just like yesterday’s, this is an album I’d be more inclined to rate higher if it weren’t so long.
I wasn’t at all in the right mood for this, and it was painful to get through
Iron Butterfly
3/5
It’s pretty much what I expected seeing the album cover and release year - pretty run-of-the-mill psych rock.
It’s fine.
2-3
Queen
3/5
I don’t know that I had heard any of the songs on this album before.
I generally liked it, though nothing especially stood out.
3, 3.5?
Nightmares On Wax
2/5
The name made me think I’d hate this; I didn’t, but I didn’t love it, either. It’s okay as background music, and not much more than that. Not really sure why it was included in this list, to be honest.
2.5
Eminem
2/5
As with the other Eminem album I listened to for this project (Marshall Mathers LP), I was surprised by just how puerile it was. I like some Eminem songs and generally considered him a pretty skillful rapper, but it’s hard to take most of these lyrics seriously.
Fishbone
3/5
Pretty cool early ska. The variety from track to track is impressive; not all of it works, but the creativity and scope are admirable.
Don McLean
3/5
A little corny, sure, but at least in small doses, I like it.
Favorites: Vincent, The Grave, Babylon
3.5?
4
Fugazi
4/5
I don’t know why I was expecting this to be electronica, but it was a pleasant surprise! Angry, punky, original.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
I actually do kind of like some RHCP songs (albeit, in a guilty pleasure sort of way), so I was surprised how little tolerance I had for this album.
Too long, obnoxious lyrics, and with none of the songs I may feel more charitable toward.
Tina Turner
3/5
Tina herself is clearly very skilled, but something here just fell a little flat for me. It got too repetitive and I was tired of the album pretty quickly.
Favorite: I Can't Stand the Rain
Ice Cube
2/5
Though the beats are dated and pretty simple, I have a soft spot for that style. Where I do take issue is the lyrics. I haven’t been totally consistent with my rating in regards to sexist lyrics, but I’m finding it harder and harder to overlook as I go through these.
Easier to stomach than the Eminem album last week, but I’m still not sure I can go up to 3 stars.
2.5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
I love this beautiful depressing shit so much
I admit some of the lyrics fell a little short for me, but that’s being nitpicky and a minor complaint drowned out by the sheer beauty of the album as a whole.
Favorites: Spinning Song, Bright Horses, Night Raid, Ghosteen, Hollywood
Kraftwerk
3/5
I didn’t like it as much as “The Man Machine,” and the title track felt too long and monotonous, but overall it was still pretty good.
3.5?
Britney Spears
2/5
I thought the nostalgia would make this more listenable, but I didn’t even recognize more than 2-3 songs. While I can tolerate bubblegum pop as standalone songs, a whole album of it definitely tries my patience.
“E-mail My Heart” is pretty funny, though.
Slint
4/5
A great album! I had “Don, Aman” on a “beautiful music” playlist from 15 years ago, but hadn’t heard anything else by Slint.
Tense, moody, unsettling in an appealing way.
4.5
Dr. John
4/5
Woah, this was cool. Jazzy voodoo psychedelic blues with a singer that sounds like Tom Waits?
3.5 rounded up
Lupe Fiasco
4/5
Way better than I was expecting. Really enjoyable album. (Loses half a star for that way too long and boring outro, though)
Kick, Push; Sunshine; Daydreamin’
3.5
1/5
Nope. I disliked this in the same way I disliked the Korn album, and this was worse and longer with obnoxious vocals.
There’s a time and a place for this kind of music - outside of the soundtrack of some 2000s shovelware BMX game, I don’t wanna hear it.
Songhoy Blues
4/5
Really good! Lots of variety from track to track, and no duds. To be honest, I liked this more than most American blues albums on the list.
4.5
Jean-Michel Jarre
4/5
Quite nice; it reminded me a bit of Tangerine Dream’s “Phaedra,” but this one didn’t quite sink its hooks into me in the same way.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
Hmm, I’m not exactly sure where I come down on this one. I didn’t dislike it, and it’s pretty cool in some ways - it sounds ahead of its time - but also on the verge of being irritating.
“Jane Says” was the only song I’d heard from this album, and it’s definitely the standout.
U2
4/5
I liked this more than I expected to - certainly better than the other U2 album I listened to for this project.
Sunday Bloody Sunday
3.5
Astrud Gilberto
4/5
I think it’s a fair criticism of these bossa nova albums to say they’re a bit one dimensional and essentially “background music,” but I’m a sucker for them anyway. It made for a pleasant 40 minutes.
Favorite: Stay
The Flaming Lips
3/5
Kinda cheesy - so was “Yoshimi,” but it got a boost from nostalgia that this one doesn’t.
I don’t know. I like it in a way, but it’s also kind of lame. The whiny vocals irritated me more than they did on “Yoshimi,” and the lyrics are just…
3 stars because I’m unsure. In spite of all that, I still kind of like it.
Duran Duran
3/5
I do like new wave/synth pop, and this wasn’t bad; maybe it was just the particular day, but I didn’t feel anything stronger than “it’s alright.”
Favorite: Hungry Like the Wolf
The Zutons
3/5
Not bad, kind of cool; I liked the first track and was optimistic for the rest, but it got repetitive and a little annoying.
Favorite: Zuton Fever
Prince
3/5
Hmm. I was surprised when I didn’t particularly enjoy “1999,” and I thought maybe that was a one-off, but I wasn’t too enthusiastic about this album, either. Not bad, but aside from a few tracks, it didn’t hold my interest much.
Favorite: It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
Super mediocre.
I’m not sure why this would be included on any essential listening list, even though it’s not terrible.
2.5?
3/5
I really liked the first track - it’s moody and evocative, and made me hopeful for the rest of the album. Disappointingly, it felt like a steady slide downward from there, and while it’s pleasant enough throughout, the uninspiring electronica overtakes the interesting elements.
Favorite: Tantos Desejos
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
Janis Joplin’s vocals are just awesome, and they really shine here.
Favorites: Turtle Blues, Ball and Chain
Koffi Olomide
3/5
Kind of funny that I’ve gotten several African albums in the past couple weeks! I usually enjoy them, but this felt the weakest out of those I’ve listened to recently - a little too bland, formulaic maybe. I can’t say I actively enjoyed it much.
Christina Aguilera
2/5
Christina Aguilera does have an impressive voice, and as a pop album, this is probably pretty good.
It’s not the sort of thing I care to listen to more than once, though, and it’s way longer than it needs to be.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
This felt more experimental and jazzy than the other Joni Mitchell albums I’ve gotten so far, so it’s also the one I’ve liked the most. Honestly a very cool album - the first of Joni Mitchell’s that resonated with me.
The Jungle Line, Shadows and Light
4.5
Cheap Trick
3/5
An album where the live setting really makes a difference. This is the sort of album that wouldn’t normally leave much if any impression on me at all, but something about the sounds of the crowd really made me imagine being there at that place and that time, and it seemed like everyone was having a blast. Somehow it resonated with me and felt weirdly nostalgic.
I don’t know how to rate this, really, because the music itself is unremarkable, but it did make me feel something to imagine life there and then.
Silver Jews
3/5
An album with a drunkenly sad atmosphere. It didn’t resonate quite as deeply as I thought it might, but I still enjoyed it.
Favorite: Time Will Break The World
3-3.5
The Verve
3/5
I can’t really explain why, but even though it’s generic and pretty boring, there’s something kind of wistful about this album that I like.
(Well, even then, it starts to get old about halfway in…)
Favorite: Bitter Sweet Symphony
The Thrills
2/5
Annoying
Twee, boring, and repetitive.
On top of that, California is an overused theme from an album, and the artist not being from California doesn’t make it any more interesting
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Pretty good, and I liked the “swampiness” of it all. Not particularly my thing, though.
Robbie Williams
1/5
Lol, no. I didn’t like this at all, and I’m not sure what about it I found so irritating. My tolerance for britpop is low to begin with, and this album felt like it was rubbing what I dislike about the genre in my face. Aggressively bland.
Does this really deserve a 1? By my usual pattern, it would probably warrant a 2 (and “Angels” wasn’t terrible), but I was so annoyed while listening that it only seems fair.
The Beach Boys
4/5
I had never heard this album before, and I didn’t recognize any individual songs, either. It wasn’t what I expected (in a good way).
The album cover image is amazing, and I was immediately struck by the contrast between the somber painting and the cheery “Surf’s Up” title. That contrast is reflected in the music, too, if not quite as dramatically. It’s much less chipper than “Pet Sounds.”
Pretty interesting, and I’m glad to have heard it. It’s a little cheesy and weird in places, but I have to give it credit for creativity and defying expectations.
Favorites: Lookin’ At Tomorrow, Surf’s Up
Sparks
3/5
On the first track, I was pleasantly surprised - the style was unexpectedly cool and original. I’d never heard of the artist before.
By the second track, I realized that it might quickly wear out its welcome.
That largely proved to be true, at least on the day I listened; I still appreciate the creativity, though.
This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both Of Us
3.5
3/5
The music itself is decent, but many (most?) of these songs have been on other Bob Dylan albums I’ve listened to as part of this project, so it seems redundant. The live performance doesn’t seem to add or change much, and it’s very long.
The harmonica started to annoy me in the first half.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
Right up my alley - shimmering, haunting, ethereal. Almost a 5, but it slipped a bit toward the end.
Lose My Breath, You’re Still In A Dream, No More Sorry
4.5
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
Even as (generally) a fan of the genre, I found this to be boring and a bit of a slog. No real standouts here.
The Slits
3/5
Ah, I wanted to like this, but while it was certainly interesting, I didn’t enjoy it much.
The Cramps
3/5
A fun album, but I was feeling sick when I listened, which dampened my enjoyment.
A high 3, because I really dig the campy horror theme and probably would rate it higher if I weren’t nauseous
Favorite: Zombie Dance
3.5
Malcolm McLaren
3/5
Lol, what a weird album. Not the music itself, which ranged from okay to pretty good (except the for the last song, which was straight-up bad)- but I don’t understand its provenance or purpose. It’s not a bad collection of hip hop and world music, but something about the presentation feels off.
Buck Owens
3/5
This was kind of a charming classic country album, though it’s not the sort of thing I’d usually listen to.
Favorite: Streets of Laredo
Erykah Badu
3/5
Parts of this were cool - jazzy and chill - but others annoyed me a bit, and tracks that weren’t even that long felt like they dragged (“Kiss Me On My Neck”). I wasn’t in a mood to feel especially charitable toward it, unfortunately, even though on another day I might’ve really enjoyed it.
Basement Jaxx
2/5
“Same Old Show” was terrible; the rest ranged from pretty bad to mediocre to pretty good.
I don’t hate the genre or the album, but it really doesn’t feel like it belongs on this list.
The Prodigy
2/5
As I’ve said of other albums, and probably will say again, this is the type of electronica that’s context-dependent - probably fun to dance to, but not something that I find really enjoyable on its own.
Favorite: Speedway
2.5
Tim Buckley
3/5
Kind of interesting. This was mostly passing by without leaving much impression until “Love from Room 109,” which was really nice in a slow, melancholy way. The rest of the album was pretty hit or miss.
Traffic
3/5
What a strange assortment of genres. It didn’t all work, but on the whole it was pretty solid, and I appreciated the variety.
Freedom Rider, John Barleycorn, Every Mother’s Son
Ice Cube
3/5
I liked this much more than the other Ice Cube album I got. Pretty good!
It Was A Good Day, Check Yo Self (+The Message remix, which I probably preferred)
3.5?
Happy Mondays
3/5
I liked the first track, but the album lost its shine after that. Still not bad, though.
Favorite: Kinky Afro
Goldie
2/5
Two double albums in a row?! Come on…
Too long. When I checked in at 20 min, I was sure I was already an hour in.
State of Mind
2.5
Cee Lo Green
2/5
Is this soul??
Parts are okay or even good, but not enough to make up for the album as a whole.
Pere Ubu
3/5
Definitely strange, but I kind of liked it.
Feels raw, homemade, and interesting.
High 3?
Goldfrapp
3/5
Hmm. I really liked this at first - namely, the first two tracks - but comparing it to the other trip-hop kind of albums on the list, I’m not sure how well it distinguishes itself. When I heard the Portishead album a few days into this, I thought it was really cool and unusual, and while I still like that style, it’s starting to feel a bit gimmicky.
I’m being a little too harsh, maybe. On the whole, I liked this (except for “Oompa Radar,” which I kind of hated).
3.5?
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
None of the Springsteen albums have really connected with me, and this may have been the one I liked the least. With a few exceptions, most tracks ranged from boring to annoying.
(While listening, it didn’t occur to me at all that this was a “post-9/11” album - I don’t think that changes my opinion of it, though.)
Not bad: “Worlds Apart,” “Further On (Up the Road),” “Paradise”
2.5
Tom Tom Club
4/5
Okay, a lot of this is silly, but I really like it. (Love it??) “80s” in the very best way - fun, playful, funky, and somehow cool. Never a drag!
Favorites: “Genius of Love,” “As Above, So Below,” “Lorelei”
Played it from the start once it ended.
4.5
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
4/5
So good.
Even though I’m usually not a fan of a cappella music, it didn’t bother me at all here.
4.5
Khaled
3/5
I thought it was pretty interesting at first, but that faded as it went. I also thought it was longer than necessary.
A fun listen, though!
3.5
The Jam
3/5
Another one of those where there were flashes of something good, but the album as a whole fell flat for me.
Too generic/boring; no standout or memorable tracks.
3
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
I think had a similar experience with the other Rufus Wainwright album I’ve rolled on this list - I liked the first track, but it started to seem too overwrought and dramatic. While I didn’t exactly dislike it, I can’t really say I liked it, either (and if anything, I think I preferred “Want Two”).
Oh What a World, Vibrate
3-3.5
The National
3/5
I liked this at first - slow, sad music with a deep-voiced singer is usually a winner.
It felt like it never really went anywhere, though, and the album started to feel pretty mediocre in the second half.
Favorite: Afraid of Everyone
3-3.5?
Stephen Stills
3/5
It seems like it SHOULD be good, but…
At one point I thought a track might’ve been skipped so I went back and listened to the previous song, and didn’t feel sure until the very end that it was in fact the one I had just listened to.
That sums up how little impact it made on me.
Bob Dylan
3/5
This felt different from the other Bob Dylan albums I’ve listed to - his voice sounds different, reminiscent of Tom Waits, and it’s maybe more bluesy.
At first, that different sound was enough to keep me interested, but it went on too long and started to feel a bit like a chore.
Not my favorite Dylan album, but not my least favorite, either.
Not Dark Yet, Love Sick
3-3.5
Madonna
3/5
It’s a good pop album - catchy, well-made, not actively annoying. Not really my thing, though, and I probably won’t listen to it in full again
Like a Prayer
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
This was similar to the other My Bloody Valentine album I recently got (maybe a little better). I like this kind of thing, so I was happy.
3.5-4
Barry Adamson
3/5
Kind of cool - I thought it might be a real soundtrack, and I like the idea of evoking a movie plot through the track names.
Actually, I’m pretty sure there’s album on the list with the same concept - was that the same guy? I’ll have to go back and look.
Either way, I liked the jazzy and horror elements here. Very atmospheric. Some parts were boring, though.
Elvis Presley
3/5
It’s an Elvis album. It’s not bad, and obviously it has historical significance, but it’s not something I feel a need to revisit after listening once.
Favorite: Fever
Public Image Ltd.
3/5
I really thought I’d like this from the first few minutes, but it didn’t fully hold my attention.
I’d say I learn more toward liking it than disliking it; I was a little disappointed, though.
(Just for my own reference, I really enjoyed the song that autoplayed afterward: Modern Art - Hello / Goodbye)
Kanye West
4/5
Years ago, after I first listened to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, I got on a brief Kanye kick. This album wasn’t on heavy rotation at that time, but revisiting it, I enjoyed it more than I remembered.
There’s an innocence and playfulness to this album that feels bittersweet - maybe even outright sad - given how far its creator has fallen. It makes me nostalgic and almost in mourning of a simpler time in my own life as well; coincidentally, I first heard “Through The Wire” when I was spending a lot of time at the hospital visiting a close friend who had broken her jaw. There were lots of things going on back then, but hearing that song makes me miss that person and that time.
I don’t know exactly where I come down on separating the art from the artist, and I’m sure I’m not even consistent. I still find this worth listening to, though.
Favorites: Spaceship, Jesus Walks, Never Let Me Down
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Probably not my favorite Cocteau Twins album, but still quite good - their dark, ethereal sound is something that always appeals to me.
3.5
Fairport Convention
4/5
Wow, Sandy Denny! I’ve heard some of her songs before (“North Star Grassman and the Ravens” is a favorite of mine), but I wasn’t familiar with this band, and I was delighted to see that she was the singer after looking the album up a few songs in.
I don’t usually consider myself as much a fan of this - for lack of a better word - “Renaissancey” folk music (it now occurs to me that the difference comes down to European vs American folk), but this was pleasant and I went back to listen a second time.
Favorites: Reynardine, Tam Lin, Crazy Man Michael
4
OutKast
3/5
It’s a fun album, and very 2000s (in a good way), but I wasn’t feeling it today. It felt too long, and aside from “Ms. Jackson” (which is excellent, of course), no other tracks really jumped out at me.
Favorites: Ms. Jackson, So Fresh So Clean
Super Furry Animals
2/5
I didn’t really like this beyond the first track.
I haven’t had the best track record with either psychedelic rock or britpop on this list, and this album combines both in a way that fails to be more appealing than the sum of its parts
2.5
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Pretty solid. The first track actually didn’t hook me, but I really liked the second one, and it kept up from then on.
From what I’ve heard of this list, I think Led Zeppelin’s albums are more consistently enjoyable than some of their contemporaries.
Favorite: Babe I’m Gonna Leave You
Doves
3/5
Almost something kind of good, but never quite gets there.
Not the worst of the myriad mediocre britpop albums, at least?
M62 Song, The Last Broadcast
2.5-3
Kate Bush
4/5
Not my favorite of hers, but still very good. I think the only track I’d heard before was “This Woman’s Work.”
Rocket’s Tail, This Woman’s Work
4
Deep Purple
3/5
It’s so long, and really started to feel tedious. It’s not even the fun sort of live album where I can easily imagine myself being there - the recording’s too clean, perhaps, with not enough feedback from the audience. Maybe I’d be into it on another day, but today it felt like a bit of a chore.
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
Sometimes you get an album - say, “Bossanova” by The Pixies - where, perhaps to your surprise, you find the title is completely unrelated to the contents therein.
This is not one of those albums.
(Pretty fun at first, though it overstayed its welcome. Honestly better than I expected.)
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
It brings me no joy to draw the comparison, but this reminded me of Elvis Costello. Is the voice? I’m not sure, exactly.
(And this is unfair, but coming back and seeing that smug face on the album cover, I think I like it less.)
Still, I didn’t have the same immediate annoyed reaction that I did with Costello, and some songs are pretty decent, so maybe I’m being too harsh. I’ve never liked “American Girl,” though.
Breakdown
3
Love
3/5
I liked some songs, though overall, I’m pretty ambivalent.
That said - I’m really not much a fan of psych rock in general, and I thought this album fared decently well compared to its peers. It felt distinct and pleasant.
A House Is Not A Motel
Morrissey
3/5
Not my favorite Morrissey album. It dragged, and there were no songs I especially enjoyed. The whininess got to me more than it usually does.
3
Blur
3/5
Maybe the Blur album I’ve liked most on this list, if only for sounding less generically britpoppy. Still, aside from Song 2 (the only one I’d heard before), pretty mediocre.
Favorite: Song 2
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
I’d never listened to a full Jimi Hendrix album before - I enjoyed it. Legendary guitar.
Favorites: Voodoo Chile, All Along The Watchtower
Maxwell
3/5
I didn’t know anything about this album, and I wasn’t optimistic.
The first track made me surprisingly nostalgic/sad, even though it’s really nothing special. Not sure why it hit like that.
Once the vocals kicked in in the second track, the rest of the album was more mediocre. It really feels evocative of those “lo-fi hiphop beats” YouTube playlists, which kind of sums the whole thing up - decent background music, but is it really the sort of thing you can easily enjoy on its own merit? While I didn’t dislike it, it’s hard to justify its inclusion on this list.
If you don’t hear this before you die, don’t feel like you missed out on too much.
John Lennon
3/5
I appreciated the rawness of this album, like how the first track unravels into something primal and guttural. I’d even go as far as to say I found it more interesting than many Beatles albums, if only by nature of it sounding less polished and being fresh to my ears.
Still, “interesting” doesn’t mean “enjoyment,” and I didn’t find myself particularly moved by this album.
I’m back in a 3-stars rut, it seems. I think the blame lies more with me than the music.
Favorite: Working Class Hero
Worst: Well Well Well
fIREHOSE
3/5
Pretty cool, enjoyable, not annoying - but also the sort of album I could tell I would forget shortly after listening.
The Soft Boys
3/5
Another “just alright” album.
I realized an hour in that I was playing some deluxe bonus edition with like 40 tracks; it was bland enough that I was annoyed to have listened to a few extra songs
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
Another middling psych rock album. Not bad, not great.
Porpoise Mouth
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
It’s not really my kind of thing, but it’s fast, fun, and relentlessly energetic. I also appreciate the tight runtime.
The Band
2/5
This just didn’t do anything for me. Not having a lot of patience for this sort of thing today, although I could certainly find things to like about it on another day.
2-3
Steve Winwood
2/5
This reminded me of Steely Dan - whose appeal I still don’t really understand - but worse and less catchy.
Or maybe Phil Collins is a more apt comparison?
I’d never heard of Steve Winwood before. The title and cover are cool, and I was disappointed that this was something totally different to what I hoped.
2.5?
Keith Jarrett
5/5
Just what I needed today - I had a headache and was feeling pretty lousy, and this went down smooth as I worked on an art project.
When I was listening, I didn’t know anything about the backstory - I played it again after reading the Wikipedia article, and I enjoyed it even more after learning it was improvised in less than ideal circumstances.
Part II a and b were my favorites. I got goosebumps toward the end of II-b.
4.5 rounded up
Soft Cell
3/5
Kind of fun, but it also got a little annoying. Could’ve been worse, though.
Favorite: Tainted Love
Q-Tip
3/5
Quite nice - a smooth and jazzy hip hop album that makes for pleasant listening.
On the fence with the rating. I didn’t dislike it at all, but it felt a bit same-y and nothing really reached great heights.
3.5
TLC
3/5
Not bad, but not sort of thing I’m likely to revisit. Hadn’t heard any of these songs expect for “Waterfalls,” which was probably the best on the album.
Death In Vegas
3/5
Dark electronica. It’s something that very much could be my cup of tea, but it’s too repetitive and dull, so it fades into the background. Like many electronica albums on this list, it shows its age.
The Undertones
3/5
Fun, but underwhelming. Too much of the same sort of thing; nothing really stands out from the rest.
Boardwalk
Jeff Beck
3/5
Generic; not overly annoying. I tried to appreciate for what it is, but couldn’t get too enthused about it.
Standard bluesy classic rock. The inclusion of “Greensleeves” was an interesting choice (I liked the rendition, but is it really the best fit for the rest of the album??).
Favorite: Old Man River
New York Dolls
3/5
Fun and punky, though unremarkable and forgettable.
Favorite: Frankenstein
Primal Scream
3/5
Having previously listened to “Screamadelica,” I had at least some idea of what to expect now, but I still wasn’t really into it.
It’s fine, though not something I feel I need to have listened to
Mariah Carey
3/5
Mariah Carey obviously has an impressive voice, but this album really does feel like listening to almost an hour of Disney end credits music, and it’s hard to get past that.
Madness
2/5
This rubbed me entirely the wrong way today. I wasn’t in the best mood to start with, and I felt myself getting more and more irritated as it went on.
Even in the best of circumstances, I don’t have a lot of patience for something so unrelentingly upbeat (and so unrelentingly British?).
I mean, I guess there’s a point in favor of the group’s name - I did start to feel like I was descending into madness.
I’d probably be more forgiving if I had more of a sense of humor about it. I’ll give it that the instrumentation and compositions are creative.
Def Leppard
3/5
I hate “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” so I fully expected to hate the album as a whole, but it actually wasn’t bad. It’s basically the music equivalent of junk food.
When you think of the most cliché, basic “rock,” this is the sort of thing that comes to mind - and I truly don’t mean that as a slight against the album. It’s effective, and it’s fun.
Too long, though.
Tortoise
4/5
Oh, I love this sort of thing. I can see how, for a lot of people, the meandering tracks can fade in to the background, but they hold my attention and evoke interesting mental images and story threads.
Great stuff.
4.5
Holger Czukay
3/5
This was odd, and at first, kind of annoying; to its credit, though, can’t really say it’s generic or entirely boring.
It didn’t appeal to me much, but it’s hard to decide on a rating - I think an experimental sound typically warrants a little boost.
Persian Love
2.5?
Bee Gees
3/5
This isn’t at all what I was expecting - am I wrong in associating The Bee Gees with disco??
(Apparently not. Thought I might just be wildly mistaken.)
It was just okay.
The Police
3/5
An interesting blend of new wave and sort-of reggae - props for having an original sound, at least.
Other than “Message in a Bottle,” which is pretty good, this didn’t hold much appeal for me.
The Vines
2/5
Kinda grungy, but not grungy enough
It’s just okay - nothing notable.
I don’t like saying that for so many albums. I’d like to think I have something more to say about it, but I’ve got nothing.
As I’ve said before and will say again, that’s probably more on me than the music.
2.5
The Associates
2/5
This was way too long. It kind of reminded me of that “Movies”album from a few days ago, but I less patience for this kind of thing today.
2.5
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
I tried to give this a fair shot and an attentive listen, as I do all albums on this list, but it felt like it went in one ear and out the other. I had a hard time focusing, and I’m not sure how much of that is the fault of the music.
Either way, it didn’t stand out to me at all.
Little Wing, Layla
2-3
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Not my favorite Rolling Stones album, and I wasn’t really into it today. Only track I recognized was “Sympathy For The Devil.”
Favorites: Prodigal Son, Factory Girl
Neil Young
4/5
Melancholy, autumn-feeling. Probably the Neil Young album I’ve liked best. It grew on me as it went.
Favorites: Old Man, Words
Billy Bragg
3/5
I listened to this on a flight home, which was probably to its discredit, because it was hard to focus on the lyrics. While it didn’t click with me right away, the punk/folk pedigree is cool and noticeable. I’ve heard “Deportee” before, and it felt like a jarring shift in style from the rest - I had to double-check that I was still listening to the right album!
3?
Public Enemy
3/5
I like Public Enemy, and this was a pretty good album, but I wasn’t really feeling it today. Not quite as good as “Fear Of a Black Planet” or “It Takes a Nation of Millions…” (I’m sick and having a hard time focusing, so I’m sure that didn’t help)
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
This 50s rockabilly style of music can have a certain charm to it, but it’ll never be something that inspires much enthusiasm in me.
Likewise, this was kind of fun at best. Probably better than Elvis, though, and blessedly short.
David Gray
3/5
Never heard of the album or artist.
It’s kind of pleasant, but falls frustratingly short of ever actually being interesting or moving. It’s the sort of slow, melancholy music that seems like it should make you feel something, but it meanders, never really builds up, and is ultimately a disappointment.
2-3
The Beau Brummels
2/5
Psychedelic rock has to really be exceptional for me to feel anything more than ambivalent about it.
This album wasn’t exceptional.
2.5
Ray Charles
4/5
Even though it runs long and starts to feel a little tired, this is a very well-executed and enjoyable album with a cool concept.
Much like parents disguising vegetables in a dish so their picky child will unwittingly eat them, it turns out that hiding country music in jazz and blues makes it palatable to me
Suzanne Vega
4/5
Definitely has a unique character, even if it feels like there’s something missing that’s can’t quite pinpoint. Poetic lyrics and nice guitars.
Favorites: Small Blue Thing, Undertow, The Queen And The Soldier, Knight Moves
3.5
The Specials
2/5
This was hard to get through. It’s not that it’s actually bad, exactly, but it’s the sort of thing that’s easier taken as individual songs - a full album becomes grating (personally, I’d even say “maddening”).
I also just have a very low tolerance for unrelentingly upbeat music.
2.5
Beth Orton
3/5
I thought it started off strong with “Stolen Car,” but the rest of the album failed to keep up. It feels kind of generic in a weirdly specific way - 90s downtempo pop with a female vocalist. Still, there were some other tracks that were pretty good.
Stolen Car, Blood Red River, Devil Song
Merle Haggard
3/5
I like this sort of old-school country more than the modern stuff (although truthfully I haven’t listened to much of that either, so it may be an unfair comparison), but there’s nothing here that truly grabs my attention. Like so many others, a fine album which I feel no pressing need to revisit.
It did get me tapping my toes, at least.
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
I wasn’t looking forward to this when it popped up; I remembered the other Mothers of Invention album from quite a while ago (Only In It For The Money?) being pretty weird and abrasive, although I didn’t hate it.
Actually, this isn’t bad at all, and refreshingly creative. The style jumps around wildly. There are kazoos.
At this point in this project (some 700 albums in), anything that feels distinct and unusual is welcome.
…okay, I had written all that about halfway through, but it does get weird at the end.
Elliott Smith
3/5
Not bad; some interesting lyrics, and overall a good (sad) atmosphere, but I don’t love his wispy voice. It doesn’t have enough weight to it and makes the whole thing feel more frivolous than it deserves.
Still, on the whole, I liked it.
Favorite: Son of Sam
3.5
Ute Lemper
3/5
Hmm. Looking at the cover -
Like: Nick Cave, Philip Glass
Don’t like: Elvis Costello, The Divine Comedy
Neutral: Scott Walker
Idk: Kurt Weill, Ute Lemper?
…huh, that was something. I actually thought it was pretty cool at first, but the appeal wore off quickly and it became something to endure. It was too hammy and theatrical (like that Divine Comedy album, though the singer here was more bearable). Even though there were apparently so many talented musicians involved in making this, it doesn’t feel like there’s much diversity in style; I can see the artists’ influence on each track if I squint. Too many cooks? I’m not even sure that that’s the problem.
Favorite: Little Water Song
The Modern Lovers
4/5
I’d never heard of this band/album, but it was really enjoyable! Sounds ahead of its time. Not everything worked (“Girlfriend”), but for the most part it was a lot of fun. I can see myself revisiting this one.
Favorites: Roadrunner, She Cracked
Finley Quaye
2/5
Another of those albums which aren’t bad, per se, but I didn’t enjoy. While some of the instrumentals are pretty good, on the whole, it was too repetitive and boring. I also found the fake Jamaican accent offputting.
2.5
Solomon Burke
3/5
It’s historically important, and it’s fun/energetic, but it all blended together. Although I can recall the feeling and style of the music, a day after having listened, I can’t name a standout track.
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
Not excited about this; I feel like I’ve already heard more than enough psychedelic sounds for this project
—-
Actually, I jumped the gun a bit. That wasn’t too bad. It has a (somewhat) dark, garage-y sound that makes it more palatable.
That said, while the electric jug was unique (I had to look up what the particular effect was - I thought it was someone making sounds with their mouth, lol), it was a detriment to just about every song it appeared on.
Don’t Fall Down, Through The Rhythm
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
4/5
Dark, growling, wild swampy blues. This has a lot of appeal, and successfully dances on the razor edge of experimental and accessible. I didn’t dislike TMR, the only other Captain Beefheart album I’ve heard, but this was definitely (and unexpectedly) easier to digest.
Electricity, Trust Us (Take 9), Korn Ring Finger
Dirty Projectors
3/5
This seems like something I would like, but I didn’t really get it. It’s unusual, but somehow also pretty bland. I was disappointed.
Favorite: Two Doves
3?
Steely Dan
3/5
I’m sorry. I still don’t really get Steely Dan.
I was surprised to see “jazz” as one of its genres; I guess I appreciated it more by paying attention specifically to the jazzy elements, but even that wasn’t enough to make it click for me.
I mean, it’s not bad - I’m just not sure what I’m missing that so many others are charmed by.
Madonna
2/5
Of the three Madonna albums I’ve listened to on this list, this was perhaps the weakest.
It was different than I expected, and maybe even in a good way - slower songs, kind of interesting (experimental, even?) electronica - but it felt hollow and inauthentic, and failed to come together. Given that it’s not Madonna’s best work, or even especially notable or influential, it’s hard to justify its inclusion on the list.
Paradise (Not For Me)
2.5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Exactly what it says on the tin.
Despite seeming like something I’d enjoy - I like Nick Cave, and a bunch of murder ballads feels fitting a week before Halloween - I found this tedious.
Maybe it’s too soon after the last Nick Cave album (just over a week ago), or - more likely - an entire album of murder isn’t actually that fun to listen to. O’Malley’s Bar was the nail in the proverbial coffin.
Favorites: Henry Lee, Lovely Creature, Where The Wild Roses Grow
3 - 3.5
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Like the other Pet Shop Boys album, I liked this, but didn’t love it. Pretty decent 80s synthpop that I wouldn’t mind listening to again.
John Martyn
4/5
Ooh, I love this. A combination of some of my favorite genres: jazz, blues, folk, experimental. I’d never heard of John Martyn before, but now I want to listen to his other work.
Favorites: Solid Air, Don’t Want To Know, Go Down Easy, The Man In The Station
4.5
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
2/5
Not great. I think it tries for a multicultural sound, but it feels inauthentic.
Not actively irritating, but neither enjoyable.
2.5
Alice Cooper
3/5
More varied and more theatrical than I expected, and I give it props for defying expectations; while it wasn’t a bad time, it wasn’t a particularly great one, either. I can’t dislike it, though.
Dwight Yoakam
2/5
A country album that feels right on the border of the more old-school style and the modern pop country. While the tex-mex flavor was kind of nice, as was the Buck Owens duet (“Streets of Bakersfield”), I didn’t enjoy this much.
2.5