Stand!
Sly & The Family StoneThis record is better than a double shot of espresso in making you feel alive and energized. I dug every second of this.
This record is better than a double shot of espresso in making you feel alive and energized. I dug every second of this.
Automatic star deduction for Paul McCartney and pedophilia. Honestly 3/4 of Thriller is amazing. 2 songs I would skip. Quincy Jones’ production is great and MJ is at the height of his talent.
Meh. It’s ok. There is a pretentiousness to this whole era of Radiohead.
My favorite Bowie album. Life on Mars and Kooks are for me the highlights on a great album.
This is one of those records where I knew every song off of it - simply through Classic Rock radio osmosis- without knowing they were all Boston songs. They all sound basically the same. No edge. Saccharine.
Not a fan
The Great American Rock and Roll record. Has everything that makes US rock-n-roll great distilled down to its finest form. From the Wall of Sound to songs about love, lost, longing and manifest destiny.
Solid early R.E.M. - would say there’s some skippable tracks, hence the 4 stars. But enjoyable and would listen straight through again.
Classic album introducing Biggie to the world. What’s not to like? Hooks, lyrics and questionable content.
Not for me. I felt like I was trapped in a 90s British Indie film. Also super long - made it through about an hour and there was still close to an hour left. Good to listen to if you want to feel like your being chased by Robert Carlyle though - hence 2 stars instead of 1.
Really dug this. Good mash up of Soul, classic R&B with improvisational piano/organ jazz. The politics of the lyrics are completely applicable today which makes it ageless, but tragic.
Outside of the singles this album is a snoozer.
I really enjoyed this. I had no idea who Little Simz was previously, but will be checking out her other releases.
This record is better than a double shot of espresso in making you feel alive and energized. I dug every second of this.
Fun record. Made me want to shake my hips.
It’s no Dusty in Memphis- but a solid debut. A bit more pop than soul.
Not sure why I’ve never listened to this Talking Heads record before? But I did and it’s good - the combo of African rhythms, art pop and post punk make for a satisfying listen.
If I never hear the song Imagine again - I’d probably be ok with it. The rest of the album is ok, Jealous Guy is a tough listen once you know how shitty John was. But the song shitting on McCartney is fun as is Oh Yoko!
Made it about halfway through this before I just couldn’t go any farther.
As a dude growing up in the 90s it was fashions to hate Courtney Love, so this is my first listen all the way through to this. Honestly this is fun Riot Grrl - would listen to this again in a heartbeat.
What’s not to love? Classic record, you’ve probably heard all of these songs and not known it.
Saccharine 60’s folk. You see some glimpses of the Paul Simon that will emerge. 59th Street Bridge kills me.
Driving Blues from start to finish. Probably won’t be on regular rotation, but I will come back for more listens.
This was the first record and band I was obsessed with. Still a 5/5, although as I’ve grown older the more I think that Stairway is the worst song on it.
Overproduced late 90s alt rock garbage. Major letdown after the great Riot Grrl of Live Through This.
One of my favorite records of all time. Not a missed moment in this. When David Bowie comes in at the end Satellite of Love is 🤌.
Surprised that the 90s kid in me who was struggling with religion never got into this. I think late 90s new metal made me think that NIN was shit? Totally listenable - not necessarily something I would return to a bunch.
It was fine - all the songs had a similar sound. I won’t run to listen to it again, but I wouldn’t shut it off.
Such a great record. A hair under 30 minutes and is non-stop the whole time.
Good to put on and let fade into the background - until you start singing along at random intervals. Brought me back to the mid-aughts.
Never listened to the Fall before. This had strong Television meets Sex Pistols vibes, but from the North of England. It was a good listen.
It’s fine. Not bad, not great. Misses the drive of This Year’s Model.
Awful. Just awful. The most white bread album I’ve heard in a long time. Makes perfect sense why my mom loves him.
I love Helpless, Country Girl and Woodstock. Some of the other songs are good - but this is one of those records that is up and down. I’ve listened to this thing all the way through countless times - there’s still songs that I wouldn’t mind skipping.
Ok - has some of that spark of his first couple of records. Some of the songs go on for too long. I kept thing that this would be better if all the songs were under 3 minutes.
Feels very much from the early aughts. Super white guy aggressive - extra star for this being about his insecurities, unlike the shitty New Metal of the era. Minus a bunch of stars for homophobia, anti women lyrics and shitting on Christopher Reeves.
This was a nostalgic listen. I was never the biggest Nirvana fan, but certainly enjoy listening to them when they come on. Album feels like a band maturing into their sound. Gives a glimpse of maybe what would have been.
Two stars because it was short enough that I finished it. Not the worst electronica I’ve been tasked with listening to so far.
Enjoyable, if up and down album. Strong Echo and the Bunnymen vibes - which makes sense since both band leaders were in an earlier band together.
This band is such a weird amalgamation of sounds - Sparks, Bauhaus, Flock of Seagulls and a little Cure thrown in for good measure. Ok record.
I remember obsessively listening to this on repeat summer of 2000. There’s not one wrong note on this thing.
This brought me back to being 25. Working at a grocery store and getting tanked every night. Now I’m 41, sober and get heartburn just for looking at any tasty foods. Time is a bitch.
Fusion jazz for white guys in polyester. Not for me.
Not sure why this was the first time I listened to this front to back - but it’s great.
I hated Rumours for a long time - based solely on the fact that my parents loved it. Turns out it’s one of the few they were right about. Do yourself and favor and listen to the deluxe version and end the B side with Silver Spring.
I had zero hope for this based solely on the band name. Little did I know I’ve heard most of these tracks sampled across so many artists all my life. A fun listen - will throw on again when I’m in the mood for some funky beats.
Atmospheric KrautRock. Good to zone out to.
This was a good listen. Good beats, good lyrics. Made me remember how good Kayne circa 2008 was.
Poor man’s Oasis. Felt like I was listening to a bunch of b-sides of better Britpop bands.
Middle part of this is solid. Either end is meh. Deducting one star due to the presence of Bridge Over Troubled Water.
Derivative and boring mid-aught indie rock. Trying hard not to be Franz Ferdinand/the Strokes/Interpol/Etc. and they just become a mush of sounds that don’t work.
Great listen.
Was surprised by this one - had strong Off the Wall/Thriller vibes to the beats. Could see myself putting this on again.
Not my favorite Bowie record, but still solid. Lots of atmospheric Eno rock. Good to space out to.
Definitely British Invasion blues rock. Felt like early Who, Kinks and Stones. Not a bad listen for a Saturday night.
Kitschy AM gold from the late 60s. It was a fun listen - don’t know if I’d return to it.
The only Christmas record I listen to. Everything is great - skip the weird Phil Spector thing at the end.
I was into the first 22 minute track - was a listening experience. Rest of the record wasn’t as enjoyable.
This is the 2nd mid 70s Stevie Wonder record in a week. They’re so good! Loving the funk and soul.
I feel like I would have really loved this record circa 1996 as a 14 year old. As a 41 year old I was not into it. It wasn’t bad per se - but not something I’d want to return to.
One of my favorite jazz records.
A real uneven record. A Brimful of Rasha brought me back to the mid-90s. But most of this felt disconnected and trying to do too much.
Good chill out record, would say it’s just a touch too long.
It’s good - not my favorite of theirs.
First listen of this B&S - it felt a bit more “modern” compared with their other 90s records. Their classic sound wasn’t quite there yet. Still an enjoyable listen.
Honestly really enjoyed this. Very 80s - but still felt timeless.
I want to give this 5, but the back quarter of this isn’t so strong. But man most of the record is gold. Her combo of old US soul with songs about love, drinking and the various fuckeries of life is so good.
This is just awful. First 3 songs feel like late 80s soft rock. Rest of the album is Bono singing like Michael Bolton fronting the worst Rolling Stones cover band.
Look - I like shoegaze, so sue me. If that’s something you’re not into you’re gonna hate this.
Meh - beyond the title track I didn’t really care about any of the songs. They all sounded the same, very one note. I will say that if I had heard this when I was in 6th grade I would have been OBSESSED with AC/DC.
I dug this. I knew the hits but really found the fuzzy guitars and occult lyrics enjoyable.
This was good. Everything about it was just a little too clean for my tastes. I would enjoy listening to it again - but won’t seek it out.
The hits are good, some of the other songs are as well. It’s like 30 minutes too long. Record really is a slog after Foxey Lady.
No thanks. Couldn’t finish it.
This sounds like a mishmash of all the bands that Eno produced from the 70s-early 80s. Not bad - but would prefer to listen to the original bands.
Look - I didn’t get Metallica when I was a teen and all my friends were obsessed. 25 years on and that hasn’t changed. I didn’t finish it because honestly, what’s the point?
Not for me. Every song felt similar. Boringly long.
Forgettable 80s Brit Rock/Post Punk/Something
This album is 30 minutes too long. Someone in the reviews said Josh Homme is a Dollar Store Chris Cornell and I can’t not hear that. There’s some interesting riffs at times, but again too long.
Funky, poppy Bowie is pretty great. A good listen.
Eminently listenable. Good beats. Good rapping.
It’s fine. Not bad, not great.
Surprisingly fun listen. Some of it did not age super well, but hey it was the 90s. Like others have said - Ice T has become at least in my mind part of Law & Order and less a part of Rap History. So it was cool to get back to his origins.
One of my favorites - feels like the album where Zeppelin put all the pieces together. Comes out of the gate literally screaming and doesn’t let up.
Like most Pop albums I’ve reviewed for this the hits are good and fun. The rest leaves me uninterested. There’s a lot of trying hard to replicate the Michael Jackson sound that just doesn’t work.
I remember hearing the White Stripes and the Strokes in the early 00s and thinking to myself that Rock and Roll isn’t dead - despite Butt Rock’s best efforts. This record is so much fun - it gets a bit up and down towards the end. But the first half and more are absolute bangers.
This was pretty awful. Bad Dylan covers with a psych-folk vibe which sanitized everything out of the original songs. I can’t decide whether or not this would be good stoned. Probably not.
In the world of break up albums this doesn’t rank very high. Feels artificially sad throughout its run time.
Didn’t care for most of this. The one song that sampled Strange Fruit was the highlight.
Rock music for dads with mullets who smoke so many Marborlos they're decked out in Marb gear.
This record is so tight - it’s shocking it’s a live record. A brisk 30 minutes, James Brown and his band never miss a beat.
Skeezy, awful and so smooth my earbuds fell out. I felt real dirty after listening to this. Too long, too smooth, too sexual assault-y.
Ugh - I hate how not shitty this is. It’s a fun listen. I’m now a Swiftie.
Fucking trash. Clapton sucks. 0/0
The first half of this is great - second half falls off.
Great voice sometimes overcome by over produced 80s nonsense.
Of the 90s British rock I’ve gotten on this list - this was among the more surprising. Felt like an emo record circa 2004 - so I was a bit shocked knowing it came out in 94. It was a good listen - fairly depressing lyrics. And the story behind one of the band members disappearing is fascinating.
Stupid inoffensive music for the masses. Reading the Brandon Flowers is LDS makes everything make sense. Vanilla rock for a vanilla fan base.
It was fine. Kind of glam. Mostly just replaceable 70s rock.
No. Woman. No. Cry. I don’t know if I ever got white people’s obsession with Bob Marley. I guess it’s because his brand of reggae is inoffensive and accessible? Anyways it was fine. I don’t go out of my way to listen to him, but I didn’t hate this.
A jazz punk record? Sign me up! So much humor, joy and rage on this double album. It is long, but the songs are short.
The more I listen to shoegaze the more I can hang with the Cure. I think my only caveat is that Robert Smith’s crystal clear voice singing those lyrics is not great for my mental health.
Ugh. McCartney at his most Macca. There’s a reason you’ve only heard the first two tracks on this.
I was excited to listen to this one after liking the other Fall record I listened to on this list. Big difference in sound. One was post punk - this one was 90s British rave. Not my cuppa.
Feels very much of its time. The anti-war, anti-Bush record for those under 18. It was fine. I don’t think I’d revisit it.
Sexed up Marvin Gaye. My wife put her fingers in her ears so she wouldn’t succumb to its power.
Meh. Forgettable 80s Brit Pop.
Good post punk record. Not the classic Echo and the Bunnymen sound yet - but still a good listen.
Look, I like Leonard Cohen - but he’s not a full album guy to me. Some of these are great songs and some are just okay.
Still feels pretty White Stripey - but with more of a roots rock focus. Back up girl singers, lots of clangy pianos. A fun listen on a Saturday night.
Wow - does not age well. Lots of dick sucking talk and N-words. Which I get is part and parcel of the Gangsta Rap genre, but this just feels so over the top that it takes away from Dre’s strengths which are the beats.
I’m a sucker for any band that manages to reference Un Chien Andalou.
Rounding up from 3.5 stars. Certainly Neil Young’s most commercially successful record - for me it pales in comparison to his other output in the 70s. Also - the George Martinesque orchestral arrangements in ‘A Man Needs a Maid’ really make the misogyny that much worse.
This whole record is great. Loretta Lynn’s voice is perfect for these tunes. Her band is cracking. With a 28 minute runtime you can’t go wrong.
Surprisingly not the worst British electronica I’ve reviewed for this. Closer to Krautrock than 90s house. Easy to put on and let fade into the background.
3.5 rounded up. Honestly I just want to hear more of Lauryn Hill every time I listen to the Fugees. They're a solid trio but for me she’s the star. One thing I’ve found listening to these 90s rap albums is that they tend to hold up - with the noticeable exception of all the skits. Which just make me feel icky listening to.
The hits are fun, the rest of the album is up and down.
The hits are great. The rest of the album feels bloated. Very much a product of its time. You get hints at the superstar Beyoncé was about to become.
My only wish while listening to this was that I too would love to consciously uncouple from Chris Martin. This is a completely vanilla band, I have no idea why they are as big as they are.
For me this is an album with a lot of sense memories attached. From driving around aimlessly as a teen singing along with Last Goodbye as it played on the radio to singing Hallelujah to my daughter when she was a baby to get her to sleep. Is it earnest? Yeah. But that shouldn’t take away from it.
This was a fun listen. Still remnants of Simon and Garfunkel, but you can hear his exploration of “world music” for lack of a better term coming in as well.
So far this has been the worst record I’ve listened to. Sure - there have been ones I haven’t finished - but on paper this guy should check a lot of my boxes. But holy shit was this awful. Bad music, horrid lyrics, fronted by a dude who sings terribly with an uninteresting voice. I hate listened to this so hard. 0 stars.
Sometimes I read the global reviews and just shake my head. This is one of those times. This album gets dubbed “avant garde” but in my opinion it’s highly accessible. Written as a ballet piece, the movements make sense throughout the tracks. There’s a nice blend of bop, orchestral and flamenco music. Not sure why I’ve never listened through a Mingus record before but this is worth every minute.
After a ton of 90s hip hop this was a nice break. I was surprised by how much I was into this. Beats were great, songwriting excellent and Frank Ocean seemed to appear fully formed.
How many terrible Brit bands are on this list anyways? Forgettable. Knock off of Oasis.
I enjoyed this a ton. Will probably go on semi regular rotation for me.
Imagine my disappointment that this wasn’t a Homey the Clown record. Meh at best. Not the worst I’ve listened to, not the best.
Not sure why this is rated so low. Fun punk, folk mash up.
Of the 80s Brit Pop I’ve been getting lately this was not the worst.
Not for me. A cross between Queen and 80s hair metal. I prefer the Beavis and Butthead version of Breaking the Law.
A little up and down at times, but overall a good album to listen to on a rainy Saturday. Funky sounds and fun collaborations make it worth the listen.
80s Soul just doesn’t do it for me. Her voice is not bad, but something about the overproduced sound of the 1980s that just robs it of any power.
Great easy listen. Worth 4 stars alone for Papa Was A Rolling Stone.
If you embrace the Camp this is super fun. Wall of sound with musical theatre lyrics.
Fun punk record. Hints of post-punk, goth, hardcore thrown in for fun. Breezy energetic 36 minutes.
Brit synth folk. It worked for me. Obviously this is woman fronted so it got panned on here - but I found it completely listenable.
One of my favorites from the aughts. Something about this duo that still brings me joy.
Not a fan of House as a general manner. This was fine. Very up and down. 1.5 rounded to 2 because I managed to finish it.
Not my favorite Smiths record. Parts of it feel like Morrissey is trying to murder your ears.
Somehow I’d never listened to a Prince record all the way through. This is so much fun - full of funk and sex.
Shoegazey dream pop at its finest.
30 odd years on this album feels like a white guy stole a bunch of African music and tried to pass it off as his own. If you’re a Paul Simon fan it has everything that makes him a unique artist - I just feel like age has not been kind to it.
What do you do after you put out THE quintessential boomer record? Release an overstuffed double album where you’re searching for a new sound. Tusk is a glorious mess. Lindsay Buckingham is just throwing things at the wall to see what will stick - meanwhile Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie are just doing Rumours. It’s all kinda crazy listenable. 3.5/5 rounded up to a 4.
Really 4.5 for record 1 and 3 for record 2. First one is a banger and such fun to listen to. Second not so much.
Honestly this dragged on so long I just stopped listening. It was fine as a passive listen, but not as an active one.
Another day, another electronica album. The one positive for me on this is that there is a vocalist over all of the songs, which seems to help with my usual strong dislike of the genre.
Fair warning - You have to like Janis Joplin’s voice. Personally I do, especially backed by Big Brother & The Holding Company. Piece of My Heart and Summertime are stand outs. Album feels raw and rough around the edges. It also runs on a bit.
This record was pretty bad. What is it about the late 80s that gave us such overproduced nonsense?
I thought I liked Blur - then I listened to this and it’s not my favorite. Boys and Girls is still fun. The rest of the album is boring Britpop.
This was a fun half hour. Brel’s singing was smooth as butter. I have no idea what he was saying but it didn’t matter. The album exudes charm and sophistication - probably because it’s all in French.
Epitome of boomer rock and another in the long line of White Brits playing the “blues”. I can’t say I found anything good about this record. Sure the music I guess is good from a purely technical standard but it just hides an empty vessel of a band.
The singles brought me back to high school and driving aimlessly around smoking cigarettes. The rest of it - meh. Lots of a filler for a record that probably could have been 35 minutes and a good listen.
This is a weird one - I will say if Townes Van Zandt was singing some of these songs I’d give it 5 stars. But he doesn’t, so I won’t. Ely’s voice works for the more trivial songs, but to my ears lacks the grit for the more pleading country tunes.
Felt at times more like a jazz record than a Bowie record. Somber and mournful it’s very much a record about life and death.
Reggae for white people with dreads.
I can’t believe I’m rating this a 3. But for electronica to zone out to or to pretend that you are the protagonist in a Steven Soderbergh flick then this record is made for you. It runs a tad long and the interstitials are a waste of space. But you can apparently turn it on and roam the streets of downtown Minneapolis and not quite hate it.
Not great like most of Johnny Rotten’s work. Felt like the kind of album a 19 year old would create and think was deep and then be embarrassed by it 5 years later.
Bowie all glammed up which tends to be my favorite Bowie. I love his version of Let’s Spend the Night Together.
Automatic star deduction for Paul McCartney and pedophilia. Honestly 3/4 of Thriller is amazing. 2 songs I would skip. Quincy Jones’ production is great and MJ is at the height of his talent.
Coldplay is the fucking worst. It’s like a band made up of the worst instincts of all the huge pop bands rolled up into one giant kaiju of shit.
It’s Monk - what’s not to love?
Tribe is just so smooth. From the beats to the rhymes everything is great on this record. It also doesn’t suffer from skits that haven’t aged well unlike some of the other hip hop records from this time on the list.
This record brings back a lot of memories of my 20s. Still holds up!
Look I’m a Neil Young stan. His stretch of early solo records is just great. You have to like proto-grungey guitar that sometimes devolves into ponderous nonsense- which is something I’m here for. On the Beach isn’t among his most well known records and doesn’t necessarily have any hits on it. But it slaps.
This album is all over the place and doesn’t know what it wants to be. Good musicians - but uneven.
More forgettable Brit pop. How does this band have 2 records on this list?
Good post-punk! I listened to this walking around Manhattan on a beautiful spring day and it kept me from being to perky. Will spin this again.
I had a friend in High School who said that the best part about Kurt Cobain’s suicide was Foo Fighters. Not having listened to this in a long time I found the top 3 and last 3 songs to be good and the rest forgettable. If you’re going to listen to a Foo Fighters album go with the Color and Shape Of.
This was great. An artist I hadn’t heard before and I spent the rest of the day listening to. African beats, jazz hooks and funk. I really dug this.
Wasn’t my favorite, wasn’t the worst I’ve heard. Mix of African, Island and French musics. A bit long and over synthesized for my tastes.
This is a weird one. The Irish/Scottish influence is very obvious - but where the Pogues and Dubliners had voices that came straight out of the pub this guy’s voice felt too clean. I would have appreciated it more if he had a rougher voice and the music had a less sanitized sound.
I love this Country-fied version of the Stones. The big singles are the least interesting tracks. Not sure why this gets so much hate on here.
The first five Zeppelin albums are just so much fun that it’s hard to pick a favorite. Some days it’s III and other days it’s II. This is an almost perfect record - star deduction for Thank You which is categorically terrible.
I liked this more than I thought I would. Not sure repeat listens would bring more joy however. Classic 3 record.
Good live record. Muddy Waters and his band are tight.
Kitschy late 80s pop. Shades of Madonna and Prince with Hip Hop sprinkled throughout. I surprisingly didn’t hate it.
Certainly some cheese factor with this - but this was a fun listen. A soul country sound with a tight backing band. Elvis’ vocal affectations sometimes got in the way.
This is one of those albums and bands I can’t believe I hadn’t heard before. Slowcore at its finest. Short record, complex time signature changes and great vocals.
Meh. It’s ok. There is a pretentiousness to this whole era of Radiohead.
This was super fun. Big mid-60s energy. Not quite sure why it has such a low rating. It’s a breezy easy record.
Ryan Adams has put out a ton of albums and dear reader it’s all crap. This is an over stuffed vanilla early aughts piece of garbage. Really not sure of what is appealing about this. His voice is reedy and uninteresting and lyrics are obtuse. The musicianship is fairly decent. All in all not my favorite.
Honestly a bit disappointed with this one. Not sure what I was expecting, but for an early Rock and Roll album it left me wanting. The first track sets you up for a greatness that the rest of the album didn’t rise to.
Probably the best Creedence record. Loaded with hits. I love this version of Grapevine.
This will not be for everyone - but I really enjoyed it. The singer gives some David Byrne sounding vibes but over a mishmash of post-punk noise.
Underwhelming. The songs are pretty one note. Limited hints of Latin beats. Would be fine background music - but I wouldn’t search it out.
My favorite Bowie album. Life on Mars and Kooks are for me the highlights on a great album.
Replaceable mid-aughts pop rock.
An hour and seventeen minutes is too much Thin Lizzy.