646
Albums Rated
3.83
Average Rating
59%
Complete
443 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
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Rating Timeline
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Ratings by Decade
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When do you listen?
Taste Profile
1970s
Favorite Decade
Reggae
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Enthusiast
Rater Style ?
222
5-Star Albums
21
1-Star Albums
Taste Analysis
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Ratings by genre
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Ratings by country
Rating Style
You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cut | 5 | 2.71 | +2.29 |
| Group Sex | 5 | 2.74 | +2.26 |
| Yeezus | 5 | 2.77 | +2.23 |
| Faust IV | 5 | 2.78 | +2.22 |
| Roots | 5 | 2.78 | +2.22 |
| Brutal Youth | 5 | 2.82 | +2.18 |
| Grievous Angel | 5 | 2.86 | +2.14 |
| Gris Gris | 5 | 2.88 | +2.12 |
| Broken English | 5 | 2.88 | +2.12 |
| This Nation’s Saving Grace | 5 | 2.89 | +2.11 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Stooges | 1 | 3.26 | -2.26 |
| Vento De Maio | 1 | 3.01 | -2.01 |
| Nighthawks At The Diner | 1 | 3.01 | -2.01 |
| Ogden's Nut Gone Flake | 1 | 2.95 | -1.95 |
| AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted | 1 | 2.93 | -1.93 |
| A Northern Soul | 1 | 2.91 | -1.91 |
| White Light / White Heat | 1 | 2.88 | -1.88 |
| Second Toughest In The Infants | 1 | 2.86 | -1.86 |
| Gold | 1 | 2.84 | -1.84 |
| Isn't Anything | 1 | 2.75 | -1.75 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| David Bowie | 7 | 4.43 |
| Radiohead | 5 | 4.6 |
| Beatles | 5 | 4.6 |
| Miles Davis | 4 | 4.75 |
| Peter Gabriel | 3 | 5 |
| Bob Marley & The Wailers | 3 | 5 |
| Stevie Wonder | 3 | 5 |
| Metallica | 4 | 4.5 |
| Leonard Cohen | 3 | 4.67 |
| Kanye West | 3 | 4.67 |
| Joy Division | 2 | 5 |
| The White Stripes | 2 | 5 |
| Beastie Boys | 2 | 5 |
| Fela Kuti | 2 | 5 |
| Simon & Garfunkel | 2 | 5 |
| Black Sabbath | 2 | 5 |
| Pet Shop Boys | 2 | 5 |
| Fiona Apple | 2 | 5 |
| The Beach Boys | 2 | 5 |
| R.E.M. | 3 | 4.33 |
| Nick Drake | 3 | 4.33 |
| Led Zeppelin | 3 | 4.33 |
| The Smiths | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| The Verve | 2 | 1.5 |
Controversial Artists
Artists you rate inconsistently
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| The Stooges | 2, 1, 5 |
| Emmylou Harris | 5, 2 |
| The Velvet Underground | 1, 4 |
| Ryan Adams | 1, 4 |
| Ice Cube | 1, 4 |
5-Star Albums (222)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Crosby, Stills & Nash
5/5
Another band I've never listened to that I assumed would be pretty dated sounding, but man I really dug this one too. Marrakesh Express and Guinevere were my favorites here.
5 likes
White Denim
5/5
I've known White Denim through a couple of singles on their Stiff album. But god damn are they really good. Initially sounds like it might be some generic indie rock, but the instrumentals in this are so awesome, particularly the drums and lead guitar, that many of the songs become full face melting jams. Back at the Farm and Bess St. are exactly what I'm looking to find in this journey.
4 likes
Dr. John
5/5
This is the type of music hippies in the 60s would have thought was for hipsters. This is some weird shit, and it's frankly kind of awesome. Way more interesting than another Byrds album from the same era, that's for sure. My favorite is the cult like Danse Kalinda Ba Boom. This whole album feels like you're slinking around the grimiest corners looking for the worst cut acid you can find. As far as the weird albums on this list go, this is one of the better ones.
3 likes
Black Sabbath
5/5
Ozzy has such a great rocker voice. This album is great and I love the early 70s metal. Has the right amount of kick and. Ompared to the other sounds from this era, it's pretty intense. Tame today, sure, but the guitar licks sound crisp and creative. There were also some surprising easy going songs that also were nice. My favorites were Wheels of Confusion/ The Straightener, Changes, Supernaut, and Laguna Sunrise.
3 likes
The Soft Boys
5/5
This is what I'm here for. A band I've never heard before from an era I've never really explored that has multiple songs that catch my ear. What a cool album. The sound is pretty modern besides the older singing style. I really enjoyed Kingdom of Love, Insanely Jealous of You, and You'll Have to Go Sideways.
3 likes
1-Star Albums (21)
All Ratings
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Easy listening, some well known songs on this album. They're all basically romance songs and have similar music styles. Old Devil Moon is probably my favorite from the album.
Television
5/5
Really awesome sound, loved the song Venus.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
Fun jazz album, though nothing standout for me.
Willie Nelson
5/5
Awesome album, really love Willie's voice. There's just something so relaxing in this album that is a joy to listen to.
Nirvana
5/5
Great album, the whole vibe is somber, relaxed, and overall legendary.
Sparks
4/5
Weird and eccentric, really glad i listened to it. This town aint big enough is such a cool and loud song. The rest of the album is enjoyable.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
Glad I listened, but this one was pretty challenging to get through. The distortion will probably keep it from being a repeat listen, but can definitely hear this band in other groups. It's not for me though.
Lupe Fiasco
5/5
I really liked this album. There were a couple songs i already knew but most of it was new. This is the style of hip hop I am most familiar with and it was a fun listen.
Van Morrison
2/5
I wanted to like this album more than I did. It really didn't click with me though.
Astrud Gilberto
4/5
Really liked this album, the sambas were a great relaxing listen.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I've nevet really listened to Bob Dylan before and it wasn't my favorite. I was starting to dig the end end of the album, maybe I was liking it the more I listened, but perhaps I just don't like the storytelling style of music as much as the next. I'd like to give some of his older stuff a chance though, before his voice was completely gravel.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
I didn't really like the start of this album but the more I listened to it, the more I enjoyed it. Took some time but after getting to the end I wanted to listen again. There are a couple of songs that are really not enjoyable for me and I really couldn't ever see myself casually listening to, but overall I liked it by the end.
X-Ray Spex
4/5
I liked this album, don't know how much I will relisten to it though.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
4/5
Pretty cool album, unabashedly 80s. Knew more than I thought I would ( relax and war). Enjoyed this album a bunch.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
Yeaa this is a great album. Still sounds good today and the heavy rock and angsty, politically charged lyrics just work so well.
Pearl Jam
5/5
This album is so good, I've loved it since high school. Black is probably still my favorite. This is one of the first things I listened to that helped me appreciate music as art.
GZA
4/5
I enjoyed this. Never really listened to Wu Tang or any of its members stuff before but this was an easy sounding old school rap track. Everything sounded effortless and I much prefer this style on average to some of the newer stuff I've heard, like Kendrick.
James Brown
4/5
Definitely a cool sound, I was disappointed with how short this album was. Good classic R&B.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
I thought Amy Winehouse was poppier than this, so this was a very pleasant surprise of an album. Liked quite a bit of it. Some songs didn't really work for me, like Amy, Amy, Amy, but most were pretty good. Awesome voice, better than expected music.
Django Django
4/5
I've heard some Django Django before. This album was a good listen, but probably not a must listen going forward, though I did quite like Hail Bop.
Dire Straits
3/5
Safe album, though generally boring.
David Gray
2/5
Pretty boring and not my style of music. My wife liked it quite a bit though, which is nice, and there were a couple sings I liked. My Oh My is probbably my favorite here.
Sly & The Family Stone
2/5
Didn't really enjoy this one, the music was a little too simple I think.
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
Pretty tame stuff, dated as well.
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
I've had a couple of Samba records now and I'm digging it. Very relaxing and nice sounding.
Tracy Chapman
4/5
Pretty powerful stuff. Shame so much is still relevant 35 years later, but this album was good. I had never heard any of it before, so it was a fresh listen, though my wife knew all the words to fast cars. Musically, I liked it mich more than most singer/songwriter stuff.
R.E.M.
5/5
Great album, never listed to REM outside of the radio hits but I love their sound and cannot believe they were mainly an 80s band. I think my favorite songs that were new to me were Fireplace and King of Birds.
Harry Nilsson
5/5
It's a crime I had never heard of this guy before. This album was incredible and Gotta Get Up is probably worth the 5 stars by itself. Will definitely be listening to this one again.
Dion
2/5
Not really my jam.
LCD Soundsystem
5/5
Such an awesome album. I already knew like half of these songs and they are only getting nore poignant as I get older. Loved this one.
Astor Piazzolla
4/5
Had no idea what to expect from this album but I really liked it. It was a lot darker and weird than what I was reading in the comments about it being elevator music. I'd listen to this again.
Iron Maiden
4/5
Great album, I just don't love old metal like I used to. Still really enjoyed this one though.
The Stooges
2/5
I kind of found this boring. Repetative riffs for 7 mins with stuff going on in the background, but nothing that ever really stuck with me.
Joy Division
5/5
Yea this was an awesome album. I had only ever heard "Love Will Tear Us Apart", but the reputation of Joy Division has ways been great, I just never got around to listening to them. This album has a great vibe and sounds so good for being 40+ years old.
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
This groop was way more rockin then I expected. Some punk like tunes and some bluesy Elvis stuff. While I enjoyed it, though, I don't think I'll revisit it that often.
ZZ Top
4/5
Pretty good, La Grange is a classic, and I really liked the first 2 songs from this album too.
George Harrison
5/5
I've never listened to Harrison's solo work but man did I like this. I'd Have You Anytime immediately caught my ear and had it the whole album. Probably like the tune above, My Sweet Lord, and Let It Down the most. When I have more time, I need to listen to disc 2.
Haircut 100
5/5
Damn, this album kicked ass. The music here is so upbeat and catchy, I really liked this one.
Nick Drake
5/5
Of all the folksy songwriters this journey has given me so far (Van Morrison, Bob Dylan) l, this is by far my favorite. Nick Drake's lyrics are engaging and the music it's paired with is excellent. Pretty somber at times and it's sad that he passed so young, could have used more of his music.
Michael Jackson
5/5
I mean, it's Thriller. I knew most of these but I was actually surprised by the other songs here that I hadn't heard before. This is exactly what I associate with 80s pop and overall, it's quite good. Biggest surprise for me was Baby Be Mine.
M.I.A.
3/5
I've heard some MIA before but none of this really. It's entertaining, but a little too disjointed for me. I had no idea she was part Sri Lankan, though that is obviously apparent after listening to this album, which is pretty cool. Interesting listen, not my favorite.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
This album is fine, but it didn't really stand out to me like some of the other late 60s early 70s rock I've gotten from this so far. Plenty listenable, no ear worms. I'd probably say Commotion was my favorite here.
Chicago
4/5
This album is absolutely crazy. It starts with some jazzy tunes, has a really interprative free form guitar jam, and is straight rock opera by the end. What a journey. I definitely liked the beginning half more than the end half, with my favorite being Does Anyone Really Know What Time It Is?. Overall, great album.
Radiohead
4/5
Cool album, I knew most of the actual songs but not the ambiance stuff in between. Cool sound and can really see what they were going for. Overall though, I have other Radiohead I like more.
Suede
3/5
It's fine, but I don't think this album will stick with me that long.
Nick Drake
4/5
Man, Nick Drake is really good. This is the 1st artist I've gotten 2 albums from and it continues to hold as on I really enjoy. I think Five Leaves Left is still better in pretty much every way, but still really liked this one.
Metallica
5/5
Yeaa this was awesome. Already love Metallica for being heavy without screaming, now add in a symphonic orchestra for extra grandness? Cool sound. I will say that it doesn't totally work for every song in this 2 hour set, but it really does for others, enough that I enjoyed the whole trip.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
So again, another singer/ songwriter that I like more than Dylan, which is cool. His style is kind of rambling, lots of sentences and statements that continue on and on, but it kind of has a charm that I like. I'm ready for something different though, feel like I've gotten a lot of these singers from 1968-1972 in the last 2 weeks.
Kanye West
4/5
Lots of great music here, I haven't ever specifically listened to Kanye, but I knew many of these. I think the strongest part of this album for me is the music backing the tracks. It's all pretty inventive and cool sounding. The raps are mostly mid to me, Kanye is kind of an edgelord.
Metallica
5/5
Awesome album, just the right amount of kick ass. Master of Puppets, Orion, and Thr Thing that Should Not Be are my favorites here.
Janis Joplin
5/5
I was epecting some hippie music but man this kicked ass. Janis Joplin went hard and it's a shame we didn't get more music from her.
The Cure
4/5
Good album has a pretty distinct vibe about it. Of course Lovesong is great, but I really liked Lullaby and Fascination Song.
The Birthday Party
2/5
This is just a little too chaotic for me. I look forward to seeing more Nike Cave once his sound developes some more.
Various Artists
3/5
It's Christmas! Didnt know anything about Phil Spector, that's kind of crazy. The music is pretty good for Christmas music, don't know if I'll add any of this to my main rotation since it's seasonal, however.
The Stooges
1/5
I'm pretty done with the Stooges. Their music is just boring to me, and this one has that weird 7 min chanting song that really made this one drag.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
5/5
Another band I've never listened to that I assumed would be pretty dated sounding, but man I really dug this one too. Marrakesh Express and Guinevere were my favorites here.
Metallica
4/5
3rd Metallica album in 2 weeks, and they still kick ass. This one is not quite as good as Master of Puppets, and doesn't have the novelty of the S&M album, so I'm gonna put it at 4 stars.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
First time actually listening to a full soul album. It was enjoyable, but not a must-listen to me. I am going to rate this a 3 to keep as a baseline for other soul albums I get.
The Doors
4/5
The highs are pretty high. I am ready for something outside of 1971 though.
Jazmine Sullivan
4/5
This album was so refreshing after luke 2 straight weeks in 1969 to 1971. The music is quite nice and I like the testimonials in between the songs, kind of a unique gimmick that works well with the album title. Price Tags was my favorite here, followed by Lost One.
DJ Shadow
5/5
Such a cool album. The vibe is consistent throughout and sounds great. The whole thing almost works for me, but sometimes the every-beat drumming can get a little grating. Otherwise though, can totally see playing this album on a day where the mood matches.
David Bowie
5/5
Pretty sweet album. Never really looked into Bowie or Glam Rock, but this stuff goes pretty hard. Some of my favorties here were Alladin Sane, The Prettiest Star, and Lady Grinning Soul. I'm sure there's more Bowie on this list and I will be looking forward to it.
Herbie Hancock
5/5
Absolutely awesome album. This band reminds me so much of my favorite group, Snarky Puppy, and it's clear to see them as an influence to fusion jazz pieces everywhere. Incredible stuff.
The Police
4/5
Never really heard much beyond the hits (Every Breath You Take), and like everything else on this album was better. I really liked Sychronicity 1 and King of Pain. Overall good album.
Jethro Tull
4/5
This rocked so much more than I expected it to. I need another listen to pick a favorite song, but this was a great listen.
Machito
5/5
This is my favorite style of jazz. Its so high energy and I love the trupets and sax throughout. Cool thenes and great throughout.
Ray Price
4/5
I think I just like old country. Reminds me of a dusty old town, and it feels nostalgic. Pretty good, not as good as the Willie Nelson album I had.
Nina Simone
5/5
This was just great. Powerful songs, great music, some of them really are a jam. My favorite here was probably Break Down and Let It All Out.
Paul McCartney
4/5
This McCartney guy is pretty good, I hope he sure continues to pursue music as a career. This is an interesting album with only a cpuple songs and then the rest are kind of jam samples. Overall, pretty good, though I so far prefer George Harrison's solo work immediately following the Beatle breakup.
JAY Z
4/5
Some sick beats and music in this track, and I do like Jay Z's flow quite a bit. My favorite was probably Heart of the City or Renegade.
Screaming Trees
3/5
It's a fine album, and it actually was nice to listen to something from the 90s, but overall this album screams mid.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
I liked this album and the old rock n roll style that the Stones had. More blusey than I expected, though those parts did start to blend together during this long album. Overall it was good.
The B-52's
5/5
This album kicks is just so, so good. Everyone knows rock lobster, but so much on here was great. Loved the opener, Planet Claire, and Dance This Mess Around.
Hanoi Rocks
4/5
Nice album, I like this type of rock quite a bit. Not sure if it's full on glam but sounds a little more modern than other hair bands from this era. My favorite was probably Malibu Beach Nightmare.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Obviously an important and influential album. My favorite here is Heartbreaker for sure. On a full album listen through, however, can't help but feel like it all blends together. Same general lyrics in all the songs, but ultimately not my favorite in a full listen.
Red Snapper
3/5
Man this is so 2000s. I generally like this electronic style, and it was refreshing to hit on a new genre on this playlist. Sounds like something my older cousins would have listened to growing up. Overall, most trscks were hit or miss for me, I liked Keeping Pigs Together and Don't Go Nowhere the most.
k.d. lang
5/5
I almost had whiplash going from Red Snapper to this album, but wow this was a treat. Never heard of k.d. lang before. But this was really pleasant to listen to. Gentle music and I love her voice. Miss Chatalaine made was great, as was Constant Craving and Save Me.
Air
3/5
As an album, a 3. As a movie soundtrack, probably a 4.5. Dug the mood and atmosphere for sure here.
Beatles
5/5
C'mon, its the White Album. What else was it gonna get? To be honest though, I was suprised at how many non-mainstream songs there were here, I seriously didn't know a good portion of this, unlike other Beatles albums so far. Still great though.
CHIC
4/5
I never really thought about where "Freak Out!" came from, but here it is. All in all, pretty fun album, and Savoir Faire is by far my favorite on this album. Good stuff.
Primal Scream
3/5
Pretty all over the place, had it on and none of it really grabbed me. Some interesting sounds in Slip Inside This House and Inner Fight.
Jack White
3/5
I expected to like this more, but it was still a good listen.i liked the backend of this album more than the front, with Weep Themselves to Sleep and On and On and On.
Sleater-Kinney
4/5
Man Sleater-Kinney rocks. This has a great indie sound that still works today. Dig Me Out is probably the best here. Also liked Heart Factory and Words and Guitar.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
This is some pretty good folk music. It's also some pretty weird and unique music, which I quite like. Starts off strongly, and I also really liekd Harry's House/ Centerpiece.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
3/5
Some interesting sounds but I listened to this album twice and nothing really grabbed me. Pretty mid album for me.
Nick Drake
4/5
Not quite as good as the other two Nick Drake albums. Also criminally short. Will probably put all three albums together in a playlist thoigh, because Nick Drake is quite good.
Dr. Dre
4/5
I liked this a good bit. Definitetly gangsta and hearing an 18 year old Snoop is kinda crazy. My favorite here was Stranded on Death Row.
LTJ Bukem
3/5
While I enjoyed this and it worked well as I was sitting on a plane, it overall was pretty samey throughout and easily blends into the background, meaning it wasn't too memorable to me.
Stan Getz
4/5
More chill samba. I'll keep listening to everything this list gives me.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Had no idea Michael was so funky. Obviously I knew Don't Stop Till You Get Enough, but I also liked wuite a bit more here, like Rock With You and Off The Wall. Gotta separate the artist from the art here and give it a 4.
Stereo MC's
2/5
I thought this was kind of boring. Easy to listen to, but nothing super innovative and all the songs tend to blend together. I did like the title track Connected, but then it was 50 kins of the same type of stuff.
The Triffids
3/5
I was surprised that I enjoyed a couple of these songs after seeing the reviews. Safe album, but I still kinda liked it. Vagabond Holes was probably my favorite here.
The Smiths
4/5
I like the Smiths quite a bit but most of my favorite songs hy them were not on this album. Overall, though, good listen. Really enjoyed That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore and Nowhere Fast.
The xx
5/5
Love this album, pretty good vibes all around. I had heard like 75% of this album in various places already, and I still really enjoyed it again. Intro is a classic.
Alice Cooper
5/5
Wow, outstanding bum. I had only really ever heard a couple Alice Cooper things in like commercials, and I think Billion Dollar Babies was in Rock Band or something, but this grabbed me immediately with Hello Hooray. This was an incredible album.
Al Green
5/5
Best soul I've heard in this playlist. Let's Stay Together is a classic and the rest of this album is just sooo good too. Lovrd every second of it.
Dennis Wilson
4/5
Interesting album that is only half as interesting as Dennis Wilson's Wikipedia page. I did enjoy the listen, particularly the songs You and I, End of the Show, and Tug of Love. I think this album kept growing on me as I listened. I still haven't really listened to a lot of the Beach Boys, but I am looking forward to it.
Steely Dan
5/5
Wow this album blew me away. Loved it. My favorite songs here are probably Aja and I Got the News, but really the whole album is so good. Will definitely listen to this again.
Carpenters
5/5
Man I like Karen Carpenter's voice. Bubbly album, light hearted and fun to listen to. Close to You is great here, but I also really liked we've Only Just Begun, Mr. Guder, and Another Song.
The White Stripes
5/5
This album rocks so hard. Ive always loved Seven Nation Army and its short solos, Hardest Button to Button, and Ball and Biscuit, but kistening through the whole album was a treat and I will definitely be coming back.
The Modern Lovers
3/5
This album reminded me so much if the doors, but generally in a lesser way. Still enjoyed the album, and I really like rhe song Pablo Picasso, but overall, a very average album to me.
Peter Gabriel
5/5
This took me 2 listens, 1st on my car speakers 2nd with headphones. I am so glad I gave it another listen, as this album is so cool. I had never listened to Peter Gabriel and had no idea about his sound, and I actually kind of hated it on 1st listen, but with a little more attention, this judt sounds so good. My favorites here are No Self Control and Games Without Frontiers.
4/5
I had no idea this group sang both Low Rider and Why Can't We Be Friends! Such diffefent songs. And they sound very different from this album too. My favorite here was probably The World Is A Ghetto, but it was all actually pretty good.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
As an album, I did not love this. Way too much randomness and "quirkiness" for this to beconsidered good for me. Sounds like a Ren Fair comedy sketch, which I also don't really care for. That being said, I actually liked Mom and Dad, and Absolutely Free, which saves it from 1 star.
The Jam
5/5
Never heard of this group but they were awesome. They had a song that sounded like Helicopter by Bloc Party, which was cool. I liked most of this album throughout, notably Monday. Start!, and That's Entertainment.
Massive Attack
4/5
I have known this band for the House theme and was slightly disappointed that Teardrop wasn't on this album. Altogether though, this feels like a precursor to The XX. Moody and a good sound, I like the different singers throughout it.
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
Lots of iconic sounds here that dtart to sound very same-ish by the end. Though I was surprised at judt how many of these jams I knew. Good listen, my favorite that was new to me was Stranger On The Shore.
David Bowie
4/5
Blackstar is such a weird song, and I love parts of it and others I did not. Bummed, cause I thought about this as the song I would add to my playlist, but ultimately decided on Dollar Days. I enjoyed the album on the whole and with the context that he died 2 days later, it definitely gives it an eerie tone. I kiked the Alladin Sane album more, but this was still good.
TV On The Radio
3/5
I knew Staring at the Sun and still enjoy that song. I also liked Dreams. But man, I wanted to like this album and really didn't. The backup falsetto really was irritating me after a couple songs. Pretty disappointed in an indie band i knew and was kind of looking forward to.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
Fun, brief listen. Most of the songs are pretty similar, but they definitely have a charm to them.
Goldie
3/5
It worked really well as an album while I was doing some monotonous work, the drums keep it ticking along. On a more focused listen, it's not my favortie but I don't have the best ear for all the intricate differences in the drum beat song-to-song. My favorite here was Inner City Life (Baby Boy's edit).
Ms. Dynamite
3/5
Definitely sounds like hip hop from the early 2000s. Dated, but charming. Overall an ok album.
Michael Kiwanuka
5/5
Really great stuff, I love seeing what modern music has made this list and this is one I had never heard of. My favorite here was probably Hard to Say Goodbye.
Sarah Vaughan
5/5
What a charming album. From the opening to her making a mistake and singing through it, with the audience laughing along, this was such a nice listen.
Megadeth
3/5
Only major metal band ive listened to has been Metallica and I like them a lot. Megadeth obviously has a lot of that same feel. They wanted to be a "faster and heavier" Metallica and I think they can have a claim at faster, heaviness feels similar though. Their lyrics are a lot kore morbid and on the nose though, which isnt quite my vibe. I liked Bad Omen the most here, interested to see if there is more Megadeth on this album.
Frank Zappa
5/5
I did not love The Mothers of Invention album that showed up a couple weeks ago, so my Zappa impression was pretty low. But wow, this album was unbelievable. It's so creative and varied and is technically crazy. I loved this. Peaches En Regalia and Son of Mr. Green Genes were my favorites.
OutKast
4/5
Awesome album, I really enjoyed this. Reninds me of middle school, I knew So Fresh, So Clean and Ms. Jackson, but I hadn't listened to the rest of this album before. It's weird, lyrically dense, and just really cool. I don't love every song, but had a ton of fun throughout this album. My favorite is maybe Snappin' & Trappin', or maybe Red Velvet (besides BOB and Ms. Jackson).
System Of A Down
4/5
Man this is a dumb, fun album. All the voices the singer uses are insane and add a lot of flavor to the songs. Sugar is still the standout song here, and one I remember listening to a bunch when I was young. Also some of these songs are basically metal polka, like Suggestions, which surprisingly works.
Magazine
5/5
Love the sound, love the album. Got a post-punk style that sounds like it would fit in today. The songs all all different and interesting, with my favorite being Parade. Reminds me a lot of Television, one of my favorite finds on this app.
Iggy Pop
3/5
I had to go back and listen to the Stooges after this because I was shocked this was still Iggy Pop. I really didn't like his older work, and while this was better for me, I still didnt love it. I did like The Passenger and Tonight, though.
Pink Floyd
4/5
This album is pretty on the nose with its anti-war message, and it took a while for it to get going, but I liked it quite a lot by the end. I think the second disk was much stronger than the first, with The Trial being a overly dramatic but fun climax to the story.
Eurythmics
4/5
Exactly what I think of when I think of 80s synth pop. Its overall ok, though Love is a Stranger is a standout (besides Sweet Dreams, which is a stone cold classic).
The Stranglers
3/5
The music in this album is pretty dang good, but man does this make me feel like i left a British pub late at night trashed and fell face first into a gutter. It's slimy and dirty feeling and holds this feeling throughout, which is a little much for me. The music is similar to the Doors, particularly on Sometimes, which is my favorite from the set. I thought I would like it more by the end than I actually did.
Beastie Boys
5/5
Beastie Boys let the beat... mmm... drop! Yeaa this album is great. So many bangers and classics, and the lyrics are hilarious, like some sort of twisted origin story of how the three met and how cool they are. Considering the only other old school rap I've gotten here through Run-DMC, this is streets ahead.
Janet Jackson
3/5
This album was pretty mid to me for the most part. I had never listened to Janet Jackson before, and her songs are well produced, but this does feel pretty disingenuous. Maybe Janet really does feel that music can save the world, but Rhythm Nation, State of the World, and The Knowledge all seem to trivialize the real state of things. Though the ending of Livin in a World is pretty haunting, given the amount of shooting issues we've certainly had since this album came out. As for the actual songs, I did actually like Alright, Come Back to Me, and Someday is Tonight.
Tito Puente
3/5
These songs are so familiar sounding, but maybe thats because Mambo sounds pretty samey to me as a genre. I do enjoy some of the horn work, and it was a nice breezey listen, though I dont know if I'll come back. My favorite was probably Cuando Te Vea.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
1/5
Yeaa I have a hard time even calling this music. This was hard to listen to and I don't think I will ever revisit it or even tell anyone about it. I don't like the instrumentation, or Beefheart's voice, or lyrics. It's rough throughout. I will admit there are moments that caught my ear, but it's buried under such chaotic dissonance that it killed any momentary enjoyment.
Queen
4/5
For a band I normally associate with well known pop/ rock classics, I didn't know a single somg on this album. It's still a great time and you can see a lot of precursors to things like Bohemian Rhapsody in the White/ Black Queen tales. I liked it, though I don't think it's peak Queen. For the year this came out in, 1974, this rocks quite hard, and Brian May's guitar sounds timeless to me.
Dolly Parton
3/5
Dang who hurt these women? Almost all of these songs are heartbreak, but maybe that's just how some of this old Country is. Overall, the album was enjoyable, and I particularly liked Hobo's Meditation. I thought it was kind of funny at first, but the question it asks stuck with me past the album's conclusion. I also liked To Know Him is To Love Him and Wildflowers.
Dwight Yoakam
3/5
Country two days in a row after 4 months of only a single Willie Nelson album. This was much more modern sounding, though its still from the 80s! It was pretty dark and sounds like a fable of a deranged man after a breakup. The music is pretty enjoyable and it was nice to hear some twang after not having any for 4 months. Country is still not my favorite, but I liked the album well enough.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
The music in the album just sounds so good and polished, especially against other albums I've heard from this era. Jimmy Page really rocks a guitar. That being said, I don't love the call and response parts between Page and Plant where Plant just moans back the sound, and this happens a bunch on this album. My favorite from here that I hadn't heard before was I Can't Quit You Baby.
The Magnetic Fields
2/5
I almost admire the audacity to release a 3 hour album of love songs. By my ratings system, I should give this a 1 because I didn't finish it. I only got through about 40 songs. Most are generic nothing songs and it was all blending by the time I called it quits. There are a couple in here that I actually recognized and enjoyed, but the rest was forgettable. I would hardly call this mandatory listening.
The Fall
3/5
I really did not like the opening track here, but then there was a run of some pretty good stuff between Lost In Music and Paranoia Man in Cheap Shit Room. The end was pretty forgettable though. I had never heard of this Indie group, and doubt I'll revisit it, but it was a solid listen.
The Soft Boys
5/5
This is what I'm here for. A band I've never heard before from an era I've never really explored that has multiple songs that catch my ear. What a cool album. The sound is pretty modern besides the older singing style. I really enjoyed Kingdom of Love, Insanely Jealous of You, and You'll Have to Go Sideways.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
5/5
Who doesn't love the stuff that was popular when they were in high school? RHCP are funky and the music sounds so nice. I knew this album coming in and I still really enjoy it, particularly Scar Tissue, I Like Dirt, and Savior. It's a boppin ride the whole way through, though the production value is actually not that great. Still loved it.
Public Image Ltd.
4/5
Never heard of this group before but I somehow dug it. I didn't like the droning dissonant sounds on some other albums here, but this one strangely worked for me. The vocalist was not great, but that only fed into the vibe. The bass guitar rocked and the weird sounds that would flare up during songs were intriguing. I don't know if I will revisit it, but I enjoyed the ride more than I expected. My vaorites here are Albatross, Swan Lame, and Socialist.
Daft Punk
4/5
I first listened to this in a car ride home on car speakers while talking with my wife and it didn't really sound great to me. I then got home and tried again with headphones and it really worked well. The sounds are inventive yet familiar. It feels like it's always leading you to its next section that hits nicely when you actaully get there. I still don't love electronic music as a genre, but this was the best this playlist has given me. I also liked the "Homework" lore behind it as the two Daft Punk artists wrote this in their own home studio. Crazy that this is the group to put out Random Access Memory, as their sound will grow a ton over the next 15 years. My vacorites were Da Funk, Around the World, Rock'n'Roll, and Burnin'.
Bon Jovi
2/5
I'm surprised Bon Jovi even has any other albums, because it seems all of his hits are from the first half of this album. Livin' On a Prayer is definitely the best tune here, with Wanted Dead or Alive behind it. The rest of the album doesnt really do anything for me. The music is ok, but nothing unique or impressive enough to stand out for me. Do I enjoy the singles when I catch them on the radio? Sure. Would I ever seek out this album again? Probably not.
Julian Cope
3/5
The first couple songs did nothing for me, but Safesurfer saved this album for me. Funky with a cool baseline and the guitar is really solid. Average album overall with somr cool peaks.
Peter Tosh
4/5
Cool Reggae album by an artist I had never heard of. I like how diverse this album is in sounds despite being clearly reggae. There are some solid guitar licks that creep up before dropping into a reggae groove. While I dont smoke, Legalize It is still a jam. Good stuff.
Pere Ubu
4/5
Weird. Very weird. And I was pretty into it, for parts. I think the weakest part of this album is the vocals. I just don't like them all that much. All that said, a couple songs here are really unique and piqued my interest several times on my listen. My favorites were On The Surface, Dub Housing, Drinking Wine Spodyody, and Codex. I didn't love this album, but I did have a surprisingly great time with it and I am glad I listened.
The White Stripes
5/5
What an album. Everything in this album worked for me. There's the hits I've heard a ton, like Dead Leaves, Hotel Yorba, and We're Gonna Be Friends. But I was really focusing more on the deeper cuts that I haven't really listened to before. Standouts for me are The Union Forever, Offend in Every Way, I Can't Wait, and This Protector. Nostalgic, hard rocking, and just flat out an awesome album that I really gravitate towards.
Cee Lo Green
3/5
This album is hilarious with the number of times Cee-Lo calls himself God. Its pretty pretentious throughout and doesn't feel very generous, contrary to the Lupe Fiasco album this list gave me. That said, there are some songs here I liked despite his constant self-glorification. Namely, Childz Play (thanks Luda), I Am Selling Soul, and Let's Stay Together.
Spacemen 3
2/5
This album was boring, really boring. It had a steady, kind of distant and faint sound to it behind the organ and the whispy singing, and it just couldn't sink in with it. It almost seems unfair that it ended with a cover of May the Circle Be Unbroken, as that's a song I adore and this was a cover I did like. But all in all, I won't be coming back to this one.
B.B. King
5/5
I never had listened to B.B. King and had thought he was a jazz guy of the period. But he is blues all the way and this album was awesome. Definitely a charismatic performer with a great voice and surprising guitar skills. Really enjoyed this with my favorites at It's My Own Fault and How Blue Can You Get?.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
This is a fine album, but it didn't really stand out too much for me. Early 80s rock that sounds good but I had to listen twice because by the end I had forgotten much of it. Nothing really offensive or bad in it, but nothing notable.
The Style Council
3/5
Strange album. I kind of dig the instrumental stuff on Mick's Blessings and Dropping Bombs on the Whitehouse, but then there is some very, very 80s sounding stuff that doesn't age well in A Gospel and You're the Best Thing. Ny favorite here is Blue Cafe by a lot. All in all, good highs, bad lows, mid album.
Neil Young
4/5
All I knew of Neil Young before this album was Harvest Moon, and not even his version but the Poolside cover. This blew me away though, I thought it was awesome and had very expressive guitar. I do think the album started strong and started to wane in the back half, but I still really enjoyed this. My favorites were Speakin' Out and World on a String.
The Strokes
4/5
I knew so much of this album. It's a fun album with memorable riffs and poppy lyrics that is a good listen. But by the end, it all starts to blend together. However, my autoplay started playing Arctic Monkeys afterwards and I realized I wished I had listened to them instead for the hour.
Björk
5/5
I had only ever heard a couple of Bjork songs and never in a dedicated session prior to this, and that is simply a shame. This whole album is so inventful, playful, and just flat out fun. It was a great listen with many songs that stood out to me, particularly Human Behavior, Crying, Venus as a Boy, and One Day. Truly looking forward to more Bjork on this list.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
4/5
I expected a hippie 60s band and, yeaa, they're hippies, but this was much more than I expected. More country than rock, the twang sounds surpisingly nice. The lyrics are pretty interesting, with Christine's Tune and Sin City being pretty dark and funny while My Uncle and Hippie Boy are about draft dodging and the realities of growing up. I didn't expect much with a name like the Flying Burrito Brothers, and it certainly exceeded my expectations.
Johnny Cash
5/5
This album is insane and I love it. From the first song, everything here is prison or criminal themed and the crowd is cheering each time Cash talks about killing a man, or going on a cocaine bender. The atmosphere here is pretty special and unlike any live album I've heard. Cash has a great voice and most the songs here were new to me. My favorites were Folsom Prison Blues, Cocaine Blues, and 25 Minutes to Go (shoutout Shel Silverstein).
Fela Kuti
5/5
Exactly what I'm looking for here. An artist that is new to me playing music that immediately grabs me. The title track Zombie is so funky and pulled me right into the music. I was so absorbed I didn't even realize 14 minutes had passed, it just sounded so good. Inventive sounds, good singing, great instrumentals.
Hüsker Dü
2/5
This album didn't really do anything for me. I found it mostly boring and struggled to pay attention to it. The music didn't do enough interesting things to hold me and it just kind of washed into the background. I don't think it's bad and it aged pretty well and could fit into a much more recent indie scene without much issue. Reminds me of Dinosaur Jr, who I have similar feelings on. My favorite was probably Ice Cold Ice.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Worse that Number of the Beast in pretty much every way, and the singer is not very compelling. Makes sense they replaced him shortly after this. I did enjoy Transylvania into Strange World, and the album is still fun, but not the highlight of Iron Maiden.
Beatles
4/5
Pretty cool Beatles album that doesn't really have the same amount of singles that make the rounds as some of their other albums, but they sound great here. Loose and fun sounding.
Doesn't hurt that In My Life is on this album and that's my wedding song, so it's easy to love this. Others here that I enjoyed are Drive My Car, Norweigian Wood, and Girl. Not the best Beatpes album but fun anyway.
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
So many notable singles on this list, but I don't really love them like I used too. I do still like Disarm a lot and it's probavly my favorite on the album. I also liked Soma into Geek U.S.A. The rest of the album, however, was pretty bland to me. And while Crogan's voice is certainly unique, I dont know if I really wanted an hour of it.
Ice T
5/5
Is this really the same Ice T from SVU? The one from Rick and Morty playing a literal Ice T? This goes pretty hard and I like Ice T's flow a lot, but the standout traits of this album to me are the beats and rhythms, along with the lyrics. It's often funny and clever, and has a steady identity throughout. My favorites here are O.G. Original Gangster, Straight Up N***a, Midnight, New Jack Hustler, and Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. An album that completely caught me off guard, and I love that.
The Band
3/5
This album started pretty boring to me and I didn't really care for either of the big songs from it, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down or Up On Cripple Creek. I did quite like some of the other songs though, like Whispering Pines, The Unfaithful Servant, and King Harvest. Don't think I'll be coming back to the band anytime soon though.
TLC
3/5
All i knew of TLC was Waterfalls, and thats still a pretty great song. The rest of the album is ok, though I think most of the appeal to me was it being R&B, which I haven't had a lot of. While it was nice to listen to something different, it's a little too romantic for me to seek listening to this. My favorites were probably Diggin' On You and Waterfalls.
James Taylor
4/5
This is nice easy folk listening. It's pretty pleasant to listen to, even if it is at times fairly simple. My favorites were probably Sunny Skies and Blossom. His bluesy stuff was probably the most boring parts of the album to me but overall a good listen.
Peter Gabriel
5/5
Peter Gabriel is awesome and I had no idea. This album goes all over the place and most of it is really good. I'm torn over which is my favorite between Moribund the Burgermeister, Waiting for the Big One, and Down the Dolce Vita. Each song is wildly different and going to track to track is like a grab bag of cool ideas. If you like your songs to connect, this might not work well for you, but I aas looking forward to where esch track would go. Cool stuff.
5/5
This album starts amazing with Take a Bow and continues to hit throughout. They have a very unique sound in the early 2000 alt rocm scene, which admittedly is kinda vampireish (thanks, Twilight), but I love all the little synth flourishes everywhere in the music. It also goes pretty hard at times like in Assassin and of course Knights of Cydonia. Feels special and sounds like bothing else so far in this list.
Jimmy Smith
4/5
This is a classy and timeless sounding album. It feels super familiar but maybe because it's kind of elevatorish or maybe hotel lobby. Still, I can see myself turning this on during a warm Spring afternoon chilling in the hammock. Nice even listening.
The Roots
5/5
This album blew me away. I repeatedly thought "Damn, this sounds pretty sick, good beat and complex lyrics", just for the next song to do it again. Sacrifice, Thought @ Work, Break You Off, and Complexity are all amazing. Will definitely remember this one.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Sympathy for the Devil is by far the best song on this record. I've still yet to listen to a Stones album that made me drop what I was doing and pique up in interest. This album was again a lot more blues than I expected, so much so that Synpathy feels out of place. My favorites here are probably Dear Doctor and Prodigal Son.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Pretty cool mid-80s alt rock. The Killing Moon is particularly good. I also liked the song Noctornal Me. It still sounds a little dated overall, but I did enjoy the album.
Otis Redding
5/5
Dang so many classics here and now I know where they're from. And while I knew Respect, My Girl, and Satisfaction, the real hits for me here are Change Gonna Come, I've Been Loving You Too Long, and Wonderful World. The way Otis sings has depth and made me want to listen to this again immediately.
Soft Cell
4/5
This album is kind of deranged and crazy, starting right off with Frustration and that song is pretty fun. I didn't think I knew anything from this group, but I never knew they sang Tainted Love, which is still a banger. I also liked the songs Say Hello, Wave Goodbye, and Memorabillia. Early 80s pop, and its a bit much at times, but I enjoyed listening to it.
Joan Armatrading
4/5
I don't know anything about Joan Armatrading or how popular she may have been, but for folk music I had never heard before, I liked this quite a bit. The songs Help Yourself and Tall in the Saddle were absolutely amazing. Others were kind of bland or dated, but there was enough here for me to stay engaged.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
When I started listening I thought this would be a rather boring album. It sounded like renaissance fair music, and I do still think that. But it surprised me around every corner with interesting musicallity and lyrics. It was much deeper than the first couple bars would let me believe. My favorites were Patterns, Homeward Bound, and The Dangling Conversations.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Amy is certainly talented, her voice is great and her music has a surprisingly good to great band. It's hard for me to relate to her work since it is largely immoral with several songs talking about cheating or drug use. Doesn't bother me too much as she is hardly the first muscian to sing of those things, but it does put up a wall that keeps me from loving it. There is a great stretch in the middle that I really, really enjoyed between Love is a Losing Game, Tears Dry On Their Own, and Wake Up Alone.
R.E.M.
3/5
The album is solid with a couple songs that I liked, particularly Orange Crush, though it was kind of forgettable otherwise. I definitely liked Document more.
Country Joe & The Fish
4/5
I peaked at the global reviews before listening to this one and so, maybe it's because I had lower expectations, but I enjoyed this album quite a bit. The Super Bird song is pretty cool with its Marvel references from a time way before it became mainstream. Other than that, I really liked Porpoise Mouth, The Masked Maurader, and especially Grace. Pretty cool album for pysch rock.
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
I really don't like shoegaze music apparently. I didn't like Jesus and the Mary Chain when I had them, and I didn't like this. If this is the pinnacle of the genre, then I am not feeling great about it. I'll try one more time when my bloody valentine's Loveless album comes up, but yeaa, not my jam.
Björk
3/5
What a strange album that had me thinking a bit about how much I enjoyed it. Some parts are cool (best in show here is Triumph of a Heart, followed by Where is the Line? and Oceania), and it only hit me maybe 20 mins in that this is an a cappella. There were other parts leaving me scratching my head and ready to move on. Of the two Bjork albums I've had so far, I much preferred Debut. This had it's moments, however, and was worth the listen.
Common
4/5
I like Common's flow quite a bit and I really appreciate the music in the background for being pretty interesting and good sounding. The standouts for me here are Intro, Testify, and Real People. Overall, pretty good 2000s hip hop.
This album didn't really stand out to me all that much, even though it was a fine listen. I did like the Memphis, Tennessee cover, even more than the original. I also liked Miss Judy's Farm.
Bad Company
3/5
We have a rare triple name between the song, album, and band name in Bad Company, which is a certified banger of a song. Covered by a thousand bands, but because it's quite good. As for the album on a whole, this is quintessential dad rock and what I would expect to find on a classic rock radio station. Most of it is forgettable or cheesy anthem rock, though I also liked Ready for Love.
The Killers
5/5
This album has so many hits on it, god damn. And they hold up pretty well today, too. Great album with some pop rock classics and one of my gateways towards indie rock. I hadnt really heard much from the backside of the album, but even that stuff is pretty great with On Top and Everything Will Be Alright standing out. Great music here.
The Smiths
5/5
I wasn't around in the 80s so I have no idea why everything thinks Morrissey is an asshole, but man do I like The Smiths. The lyrics are surprisingly clever and laced with a dry sense of humor. My favorites on this album got to be There is a Light That Never Goes Out, The Boy with the Thorn In His Side, and I Know It's Over. The music in the background also goes pretty hard with the guitarist and bassist casually crushing it. It's easy to overlook, but the last 60 seconds of Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others accentuates this musical talent. Great album.
Tim Buckley
3/5
This album didn't really grab me in. Im a little burnt out on early 70s blues-rock and this didn't really do anything I hadn't heard so far. I did like Make It Right, pretty good song and kind of funny, too.
Emmylou Harris
5/5
Guess I do like country. This got my attention right from Bluebird Wine and was pretty great. Emmylou has an awesome voice and i liked the music here a lot. I've heard a couple mid 70s country albums here and so far they've all been pretty good. My favorites here are Bluevird Wine, Gone Too Far, Bottle Let Me Down, and Hank and Lefty.
The Avalanches
3/5
I remember loving this album as a kid thinking it was so clever. And the sampling is dtill done very well. But the album doesn't resonate with me as well nowadays and I expected to enjoy this more than I did. Frontier Psychologist is still the obvious best song here, but I also liked Two Hearts in 3/4 Time.
Everything But The Girl
4/5
This was way more interesting than I expected. The singer has a calm but confident voice that I loved and while the music is pretty minimalist, it works pretty well for me. Maybe because it's something pretty new to me so I haven't heard a ton of it. Reminds me some of Massive Attack.
Slade
3/5
Never heard of Slade, and I feel mind of conflicted about this album. There were parts that were really not for me, but then there were some bangers sprinkled throughout. I really liked Look at Last Nite, I Won't Let It 'Appen Agen, and I Don't Mind. The rest is pretty boring 70s rock to me. Glad I listened, don't think I'll be back again though.
Radiohead
5/5
Yeaa, this album was awesome. I liked it significantly more than Kid A. A number of indie classics here that I hear fairly often, as well as some that were new to me. My favorites are 15 Step, Bodysnatchers, Faust Arp, and Jigsaw Falling into Place.
The Velvet Underground
1/5
Not good. Fuzzy, dumb lyrics, and just generally bad music. It's got a vibe, and if you're in a trance then maybe this is for you, but I didn't really like any of it. If I had to pick a favorite, probably Here She Comes Now, party because its actually a somg, and partly because it's only 2 mins long.
Norah Jones
4/5
I knew some of these songs from various movies and radio stations from a while ago but this is my first time really listening to Nora Jones. Phenomenal singer and the music is easy listening. It tends to be generic love songs which was my problem with some other pop singers like Frank Sinatra, but overall it's a good sound. Don't Know Why, Feelin' The Same Way, and Painter Song were my favorites here.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Obviously everyone knows who Bob Marley is, but this wasthe first time I've listened to something other than Don't Worry or No Woman, No Cry. And it was awesome! Standouts to me are Them Belly Full and Rebel Music. Both are pretty rebelious but with an surprising amount of musicality. Really enjoyed this.
AC/DC
2/5
Is there a band that likes singing the name of their song over and over in the chorus like AC/DC? Highway to Hell (song) stands the test of time because it's the best song here. Once you've heard that, though, you've basically heard everything here. Anthem rock all the way and it's pretty boring for that, in my opinion. My favorite song that was new to me was Beating Around the Bush.
The Damned
5/5
This was some pretty cool punk music. Considering I had AC/DC yesterday from the same year, I liked this so much more. It has personality and uniqueness to the music. My favorites here are I Just Can't Be Happy Today, Anti-Pope, and Plan 9 Channel 7. I'd like to hear some more punk from this era now.
The Last Shadow Puppets
5/5
Parallel universe to Arctic Monkeys and it's great. I've always liked the dryness in Alex Turner's voice and lyrics as it's always been pretty tongue in cheek and kind of funny and that carries over here. I already knew My Mistakes Were Made for You, but I alos liked Standing Next to Me, I Don't Like You Anymore, and In My Room. Really I liked most of this album, will definitely listen again.
Alanis Morissette
5/5
This album has so many iconic 90s songs on it that I was genuinely shocked I didn't recognize the artists name. Very 90s in sound in. Angry and spiteful, but also poppy and honest. Pretty cool to listen to the full album and swell in nostalgia, even though I had never even really "listened" to it.
Beatles
5/5
I kept waiting for this album to be overrated, bit damn is it good. Even silly stuff like Octopus's Garden sound great, what the hell. There is some tonal whiplash throughout this album, like going from I Want You (She's So Heavy) into Here Comes the Sun, and then into Because right after. But you can totally feel each member's contributions to what make this so good.
Elton John
5/5
This album was sick. Having never really listened to Elton John beyond Rocket Man, I knew he made pop/rock music, but this had so much musicality it was insane. My favorite by was I've Seen That Movie Too, but there were several that stood out between This Song Has No Title, Grey Seal, Sweet Painted Lady, etc. Cool album that really just is plain fun to listen to.
Gram Parsons
5/5
Got to say it's pretty cool seeing musical connections as I go through this list. Gram Parsons formed the Flying Burrito Brothers, who I loved, and Emmylou Harris, who I also loved, was promoted from background singer to duetist in this album. Pretty awesome stuff. Posthumous albums are also interesting as you listen to subtext in the songs. The original songs here, Return of the Grevious Angel and In My Hour of Darkness are both dark but sound good. The covers are fun with standouts in Love Hurts and Cash On the Barrelhead. I liked this a lot.
Deep Purple
4/5
Highway Star goes so hard, recorded and live. By itself that elevates this album. Deep Purple rocks and I think I like their sound more than Led Zeppelin. For a live album, it's pretty clean sounding and has long jams in like every song. Child In Time is pretty excellent, too.
Duran Duran
4/5
I really like how high energy this is, nothing in it is static. The bass, the synth, the singers and background singers are going crazy for 42 minutes. It did start to blend together after a while, and the best song on the album was Rio, so it was a bummer to go downhill from there, but overall it's pretty consistent.
The Kinks
4/5
Didn't think I knew anything by these guys since I didn't recognize the group name, bit I knew Picture Book from somewhere deep in my memories. Do You Remember Walter? Is a really awesome song, as is Village Green. They probably hate this, but they are like a lesser version of the Beatles on this album. Overall, thpugh, pretty fun.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Ozzy has such a great rocker voice. This album is great and I love the early 70s metal. Has the right amount of kick and. Ompared to the other sounds from this era, it's pretty intense. Tame today, sure, but the guitar licks sound crisp and creative. There were also some surprising easy going songs that also were nice. My favorites were Wheels of Confusion/ The Straightener, Changes, Supernaut, and Laguna Sunrise.
Elis Regina
1/5
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
This album was pretty unremarkable for me. Nothing grabbed me and kept my attention really. The singer doesn't really do it for me and the saxaphone isn't adding too much for me either, besides in Geno, which was my favorite here.
Merle Haggard
2/5
I have been surprised by quite a few of the classic country albums on this list. And sadly this isn't one of them. Merle's story of being a fugitive is hardly a sympathetic one and him going back and forth about bring a hard man but then a man in pain didn't really sound genuine to me. None of the songs stuck out, either. I don't expect to be back to this album.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Dusty has a great voice and this is some good, classic R&B. So Much Love really shows her off. This album fearures good vibes, a soulful band, and a really clean sound.
Bob Dylan
4/5
I liked this waaay more than the other Dylan album I had. There were actually several charming songs here and I wasn't too distracted by his voice as he was so much younger here than on Time Out of Mind. My favorites here were Stuck Inside Mobile with the Mephis Blues, Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine), and Fourth Time Around.
Carole King
5/5
Damn this album was good. The first three tracks were all bangers, with my favorite being It's Too Late. I also really liked Beautiful and Smackwater Jack. Carole has a great voice and that early 70s pop has that Motown vibe with soulful instrumentals that feel powerful and genuine.
Moby
4/5
What a 2000s album. Many of these songs were recognizable and it was a pretty enjoyable listen with a couple standouts, like Porcelain and Natural Blues. As for sample artists go, I liked this more than the Avalanches, which I didn't expect. At times the music does blend into the background, especially with the B sides, but overall I liked this and could see myself throwing it on when I'm looking to zone out and relax.
Ian Dury
4/5
I was a little worries about this album when it started cause I didnt really care for how it opened, but it really grew on me as the album continued. My three favorites here were My Old Man, Billericay Dickie, and Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll. The album reminded me a lot of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers as it's pretty funky and funny, and a little grimey.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Heaven or Las Vegas is a really cool song, gives strong Twin Peaks vibes. Turns out it was an influence for the music there, which makes sense. The rest of the album is ok, easy to get lost in, but not nearly as memorable as the title track. I also liked Cherry-Coloured Funk.
Boards of Canada
3/5
Easy listening with some occasionally interesting beats, grooves, or samples. The standout for me is Aquarius, aa it just pulled me into a deep focus. I also liked roygbiv and a couple others. For an electronic album, I enjoyed it. Not as much as Homework by Daft Punk, and still not my favorite genre.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I liked how this album started, but for some reason I had a rewlly hard time finishing this album, as it just bored me. I can tell the lyrics are deep and pretty interesting, but after about 20 mins of it, I feel I'd heard enough. This was the least distracted I have been by Dylans's voice though, which was nice. My favorite here was Simple Twist of Fate.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
4/5
I did not expect a bluegrass album, which was a pleasant surprise. This double album was more fiddle than I needed in a sitting, but I just really appreciate a fiddle and banjo. The songs are your standard country fair, but performed well. I liked Tennessee Stud, The End of the World, and the Lonesome Fiddle Blues. Second album on the list to cover Will the Circle Be Unbroken, which was cool.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
I had never heard of this group and their brand of bubblegum 60s pop. It was pretty neat with some standout songs, like Kicks, There She Goes, and All I Really Need is You. The rest is overshadowed by the titans of their era, but fun album either way.
Fleet Foxes
5/5
This album is so good. It's modern folk/ alternative and there were some many songs I already knew I liked on it, but many new ones that were great too, like Quiet Houses and He Doesn't Know Why. Blue Ridge Mountains is one of my favorites for a while now and it was a joy to hear it again.
Dolly Parton
4/5
This is the first solo Dolly album I had and it was very pleasant. Dolly is clear and is a pretty good story teller. For how quick this album played, there were a couple of standouts, including Coat of Many Colors and Early Morning Breeze. This album could have scored higher if it wasnt so short.
Ray Charles
3/5
This doesn't sound like any Country or Western music I've ever heard, though it is a pretty good R&B album. Now I didnt like it as much as some of these 50s/60s R&B albums I've received so far on this list, though it is undoubtedly good. My favorite is probably Half As Much.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Doesn't feel like this is Elvis' greatest album, as I didnt recognize any mega hits here, but its overall solid. I had never listened to a full Elvis album before but he has a pretty good range in his voice beyond his normal Elvis twang. The album felt average on the whole and I think my favorites were Thrill of Your Love and Reconsider Baby.
The Zombies
5/5
What a surprise this was. Never heard of the Zombies and it opens with such a banger in Care of Cell 44 and closes on the high loint of Time of the Season. Creative 60s pop rock that stands up pretty well to some of the Beatles albums on here, in my opinion. Enjoyed this very much.
ZZ Top
3/5
Some pretty big hits at the beginning and largely forgettable at the end. Gimmie All Your Lovin' and Sharp Dressed Man are staples of dad rock everywhere, and it honestly still sounds pretty good, albiet simple. The best tune on the album is I Need You Tonight, a more somber and mellow track that has some pretty good guitar work amd a nice groove. Then the album dives with such tunes like I Got The Six, TV Dinners, and Bad Girl, which I didn't really care for at all. Average 80s rock overall.
The Kinks
3/5
This Kinks album was not really that impressive, but maybe because I've gotten 60s pop all week. I think it's weaker than the other Kinks album Ive had, the Zombies, and everything by the Beatles. Its just a little too silly for me to take seriously, even if there are interesting parts sprinkled around. I did like Afternoon Tea and Waterloo Sunset. There are other albums from this era I will come back to before this.
Sister Sledge
5/5
I have never once thought about who wrote We Are Family, but damn this was pretty good. I low key kind of like how groovy and funky disco as a whole is, and this is great disco. He's the Greatest Dancer is an awesome opener, didn't realize Gettin Jiggy Wit It sampled this, and I also really liked Lost in Music and Thinking of You.
John Coltrane
5/5
This took me two listens before it started clicking with me. Obviously, the muscianship here is impeccable, but as someone who listens to more mainstream music, stuff without a solid beat can be challenging (looking at you, Captain Beefheart). After I grasped the motif in A Love Supreme, however, the rest of the music seemed to gravitate around it and time measure started to matter less. I'm interested to see if I feel the same way after another experimental jazz album.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
This jas got to be my favorite Led Zeppelin album so far on this list. Kashmir is such a collosal song that rocks in so many ways, but there were a couple new songs on here that surprised me. Down By the Seaside and Night Flight stand out for me.
Radiohead
5/5
What an album. I've had a couple Radiohead albums on this list, but this one is my favorite. Early in is the absolutely manic Paranoid Android, shortly followed by both Exit Music and Let Down, which are just really calm and somber tracks. Of course Karma Police and No Surprises are also here, which are still is great despite how mainstream they are. This album hits a vibe that works throughout and I really enjoyed it.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
I expected to like this more than I did. Jimi is pretty incredible and I like his singing voice as well, but this album didn't really have any standout tracks that made me want more. I was pretty over the Woodstock vibe by the end. Little Wing is definitely the best here, and I also liked Wait Until Tomorrow and Castles Made of Sand.
Manic Street Preachers
5/5
More of this, please. This is a group I have never heard of from an era that is not represented much in this list that had me engaged the whole time. These are thoughtful songs that have unique instrumentations and poetic lyrics. My favorite here has to be A Design for Life, though Small Black Flowers That Grow In The Sky isn't far behind. I was thinking about this album a couple days after my first listening, which is impressive given the nature of this 1001 album task.
Funkadelic
5/5
I believe in the funk, the whole funk, and nothing but the funk!
4/5
This was a pretty interesting album. A lot of anti-war messages. Shangri-La is the best song here, what a jam. Cool chorus and some surprisingly cool guitar and drums. Overall i think the album is good, not amazing. Runner up song is Yes Sir, No Sir.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Nothing too special here. It's pretty chill electronica, but nothing so innovative that it pulled my attention from what I was doing. My favorites were probably Leave Home and One Too Many Mornings.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Parts of this album really are awesome to me, namely 'Cross the Breeze and Teen Age Riot. Sounds like a bunch of people in their garage jammin and given this released in 1988, it was probably pretty unique. This album might need another listen for me to actually enjoy it, though. Don't know exactly why, didn't really click with me as I listened through it.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Didn't like this as much as Live at Folsom Prison, but Johnny shows off his charisma and instant rapport with the people at San Quentin through this album and it's still quite fun. The highlight here is A Boy Named Sue, but the double play of San Quentin is also quite good.
The Cure
5/5
This album is so cool. Had I been born in the 70s, maybe I would have been goth, because The Cure just has a sound that oozes style. While I liked much of the album, In Your House really surprised me, followed by Three. I also liked A Forest, Seventeen Seconds, and I'm a Cult Hero. Great album.
Rush
4/5
This is one of the first albums where I was caught listening to the drums specifically because they were doing such amazing things. I know Niel Peart was at the top of the class and it shows here, as it's creative and confident. Overall the music is pretty great here, even if I don't love the songs Tom Sawyer or Limelight. YYZ is awesome, and I liked Red Barchetta a lot as a more traditional song.
Mike Ladd
4/5
I feel cooler having listened to this. Not sure if how this album is viewed in the hip-hop community, or if it is mandatory listening, but it was new to me and underground rap is a genre I've never dug into. My favorite was definitely No. 1 St., while Bladerunners was also pretty great (shout out El-P, cool to hear your stuff earlier than RTJ). There were some cool soundscapes on display here, and the poem in the last track is pretty cool too. Interested in more rap in this style.
Parliament
4/5
I think it's hilarious that the 70s funk bands have to use the word funk in all of their songs. It's come up twice now between Parlinent and Funkadelic, just a week ago. Funk is pretty fun and it keeps me bobbing along. I think I liked One Nation Under a Groove by Funkadelic a little more, but this was cool too. Unfunky UFO was my favorite here.
Snoop Dogg
3/5
There is no way I could listen to most of these songs in any sort of casual or social setting other than a college party. Vulgar and almost every song starts with a cold cut skit that I wish I could trim in the apple music app. With that being said, Snoop does have a pretty sick flow and the music in the backgrounds of the raps are pretty consistently good-to-great. I can deal with the obscenity of the album, it doesn't really offend me, but it does lose a star just for all the song intros.
Iron Butterfly
4/5
How has my wife heard of this while I never have? I guess it's thanks to the Simpsons. The title track is undoubtedly epic. It brings you on a journey, a very long, likely LSD-laced journey, but it works well. However good it is, I'm not adding a 17min track to my playlist, so I got to pick something else from the album. The next best here was Most Anything You Want, which has some pretty sick bass and synth towards the end. The 1st side feels so brisk compared to the 2nd side.
Miles Davis
5/5
This is probably the most accessible jazz album from this era that I've listened to. The songs are creative and musically impressive, but without challenging the listener too much with complex time signatures. On here I like Move, Moon Dreams, and Rouge the most.
Marvin Gaye
5/5
This was incredible. Soulful, musical, thoughtful, and ultimately tragic. I'm sure this was even more powerful furing the Vietnam war, but it sadly still works today. I've heard other R&B music on this list that I really liked, particularly Al Green, but this one really did reach into my soul.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Parts of this album were pretty cool (King Kunta. Alright), and other parts were, uhh, not (Institutionalized). It was cool hearing George Clinton after getting Funkadelics and Parliment this week. I think overall i liked it more than Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.
Mekons
4/5
This was a strange one, a twisted mess of genres that was so different, it really stood out to me. I don't think all of the rock/ country mash up worked, but it was funky and cool anyway. My favorite was definitely Darkness and Doubt.
Green Day
5/5
What a monumentous album. So many hits and classics. Greenday was the definition of punk when I was growing up, and you either loved them or hated them. 30 years later, this album is witty and Billy Joe Armstrong has such a good rock voice. I had never listened to the full album but I might as well have since almost everything here is a radio staple. My favorite that was new to me was probably In The End.
Van Morrison
2/5
I don't like Van Morrison's music. Brown Eyed Girl is one of the most boring classic songs that sees regular play today, and now with 2 of his albums via this playlist, I'm still not a fan. This album is a lot more jazzy than I expected, but it still isn't for me. If I had to pick a favorite track from here, I'd go with The Way Young Overs Do.
Paul Weller
4/5
I've had a The Jam and a Style Council album, and I had no idea they were related to each other through this Paul Weller. This album was completely new to me, and I haven't listened to a lot of 90s pop rock. It's supremely produced, the music and singing is really crisp and sounds great. For the tunes themselves, it's a nice sound; at times I was bopping along, and at others I zoned out because it sounded similar to other parts. My favorites here are probably Wild Wood, Ends of the Earth, and 5th Season.
Aimee Mann
4/5
I wasn't expecting much from this album as I don't typically like pop, but maybe I do? This surprised me in nice ways, as the music was far more interesting and the lyrics more intricate than whatever I was planning on hearing. Around Stupid Thing, the album starts picking up. Jacob Marley's Chain through I Could Hurt You Now sounded really good to me.
Talking Heads
5/5
The Talking Heads rock. Funky, quirky, funny at times, this was a very enjoyable album. Cities and Air were my favorites but the whole album worked for me. Definitely feels like the start of a shift in the music that came before and what would come in the 80s.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
Band On The Run has always been a cool song and fortunately there was much more to listen to past the title track on this one. Bluebird and Mrs. Vanderbilt are fun, as is Picasso's Last Words. It's bubbly and poppy in a way that will always compare to the Beatles, but it holds up well with its own identity.
Eric Clapton
2/5
Nothing really outstanding in this album. Also, I try to separate the music from the artist, but the best thing here was the Bob Marley cover of I Shot the Sheriff, which is kind of ironic. I had a Wings album yesterday from the same year and I liked it much more. There is some good guitar work, but nothing that really stood out. My favorite was Let It Grow.
Jeff Buckley
5/5
Never heard of this guy and, wow, it is a shame that he died, because this was awesome. First, his voice is really good. There is a lot of emotion in how he sings and it sounds nostalgic yet new, maybe because of the 90s sound. Also the song structures continuously surprised me. My favorites here are Grace, So Real, and Lover, You Should Have Come Over.
Beck
4/5
Strage album the I liked a lot at times and also didn't at others. The singles on it are my least favorite here. E-Pro and Girl are pretty standard and boring alt rock to me that I've heard too much before. But others here were new that I really liked. The standout for me was Missing. Qué Onda Guero and Scarecrow were cool too. All in all, I liked the album.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
This is so ahead of its time. It sounds like Sleater-Kinney or some other 90s indie garage rock, but almlst 15 years earlier. Crazy, and it sounds pretty great for a garage band. Given the limited scope of the instruments, many parts of it sound similar, but it still largely works and I'm really impressed with this sound vs what was popular in the era. Switch eas my favorite, and Jigsaw Feeling did a good job of priming me for the album.
Faith No More
4/5
I have heard the song Epic probably hundreds of times, and I never once asked who sang this. And i definitely didnt know it was an 80s song, though mid 90s grunge era. This album by Faith No More is kind of ridiculous, but its fun in that way. It doesnt take itself too seriously, as evident by the lyrics in Zombie Eaters, and its cover of War Pigs is seriously great. I think my favorite is probably Woodpecker from Mars, but Falling to Pieces is good too.
Funkadelic
3/5
This is the 3rd George Clinton album I've had in a month, but it was probably my least favorite. The opener Maggot Brain is pretty good and I swear I was listening to Hendrix in it with how expressive the guitar was. But the rest of the album didn't really strike me a funk album and was pretfy different from what I expected. I knew the riff in Can You Get To That, which was cool. I like what this group will become more than I like this album.
Gene Clark
4/5
This is a pretty tranquill easy rock/country album that was a pretty nice listen. I appreciated something a little slower compared to what ive listened to in the past couple days. There is a stretch early in the album that I reallh enjoyed from Silver Raven, to No Other, to Strength of Strings (best in show on this album).
Common
5/5
Common is a good rapper, and I like his style and flow a lot compared to his other contemporaries. It's fast and thoughtful, and the beats are suprisingly musical. Some of the lyrics are dated, particularly the homophobic phrases, I wonder if his newer music includes sentiments like this still. My favorite was Ghetto Heaven, though Dooinit, The Light, and The Question were all good too.
Depeche Mode
4/5
This album was kind of dark and definitely different than most of the music I've gotten here, and I am liking it. I do like synth pop, and this feels pretty gothic at the same time. My favorite was Behind the Wheel, but Never Let Me Down Again, The Things You Said, and Pimpf were all pretty cool too.
Madness
5/5
This album was really, really fun. Reminds me of The Beatles or ELO with all the unique sounds and intruments that show up, but certainly with an 80s twist. Rise and Fall is a good example of instrumentation, chord progression, and tenpo work thay just stands out against a sea of pop. Ironically, Our House is the poppiest and most time tested song here, but I think there are much more interesting songs here.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Emotional album and it feels like a very personal conversation between Cave and the world, almost like a prayer. Is it the most enjoyable album? Not really. It's like being read a poem for 1 hour. It is beautiful, full of grief, and tranquil at the same time, but also largely the same throughout and, as an album, doesn't really scratch that itch for me.
Pulp
5/5
Ive only ever known Pulp for Common People, a funny rock song that also goes kind of hard.
This album also carries that humor and tone. Jarvis Cocker is a clever, tongue in cheek artist. And the music sounds good too. I like this sound from a decsde that is typically pretty grumpy. My favorites are Help the Aged, Seductive Barry, and I'm a Man.
Blur
3/5
Damon Albarn is one of my favorite artists, primarily because of his work on the Gorillaz, but this Blur album is just ok. It's good Britpop, but he definitely comes across as uninterested in a lot of this album. My favorites are Beetlebum, M.O.R., and Death of a Party. I look forward to some eventual Gorillaz on this setlist.
Joy Division
5/5
This album is a vibe and it is good. I really enjoyed this and it holds up pretty well for an album that's almost 50 years old. Moody, awesome bass grooves, and fun to listen to. The songs are mostly similar, but it works foe this album. Day of the Lords is my favorite, but it's all good.
The Residents
3/5
By far the weirdest shit on this list so far, and it definitely is not good. But I don't think it's trying to be, and it has a clear identity, so it's actually kind of interesting? I wouldn't say I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I can't think of a situation where I would fire this up, but overall I didn't hate it. Constantinople is the best here and sets the tone for the next half hour. Other standouts to me are Lizard Lady, Bach is Dead, and Blue Rosebuds. Strange experience.
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
Great old school rap. ATCQ is pretty refreshing after listening to a couple gangsta rap albums recently. They are lyrically deep, got more than one thing they rap about, and have some awesome background grooves. My favorites here are Footprints, I Left My Wallet in El Segundo, and Description of a Fool.
Bert Jansch
5/5
This and Nick Drake have sold me on this slower, more intimate folk music. Bert is a great songwriter, and he is incredible at guitar. There are complex riffs and instrumental pieces throughout this album that were very technically impressive, hidden under the facade of simple folk music. There were several that I loved here: Needle of Death, Alice's Wonderland, Angie, The Casbah, and I Have No Time. Amazing album.
King Crimson
4/5
Prog Rock isn't for everyone, but I've always liked just how expressive each instrument can be in a good prog rock album and this one is pretty spectacular, especially for the year it was written. Exiles and The Talking Drum were definitely my favorites, where a steady climb from organized drums into group choas by the end feels like a full journey. There were parts that were just ok, though. I didn't love the title track or the opening half of Easy Money. Still, glad I listened.
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
Definitely a unique album. Not quite pop, not really rock or alternative rock, at least not what was popular at the time. I'm sure this album was quite provocative in the era it came out, I bet it has aged decently as well. To me, the music was consistently interesting and I liked it quite a bit. My favorites being The One You Love, Hometown Waltz, and Old Whore's Diet.
Janelle Monáe
5/5
Wow, flat out wow; I was floored by this album. I've never listened to Janelle Monáe, learned she has a small part in We Are Young by fun. And I know she was in Glass Onion as an actress, but damn is her own music the standout for me. This album opens with one of the tightest 6 songs groupings I've heard on this playlist, between Dance or Die through Tightrope. Not a miss in there, and so many of my favorite musical elements are present. Deep grooves, good instrumentals, great voice. There's even a pysch rock track in Neon Valley Sign. Even the back half of this album is rock solid. This is one of the easiest 5s I've given here.
Rahul Dev Burman
4/5
Cool to hear some world music here, it's nothing I would have ever seeked out on my own. It's good, but not amazing. Surprised how much Latin influence there is throught the soundtrack. My favorite is Aaina Wohi Rehta Hai, this one is really nice with good singing and destinctive Indian intruments and sounds. I also liked the Romantic Theme and Mera Pyar Shalimar
3/5
This really didn't do too much for me to stand out from the other bands of this era. There's been so much from these couple years that it's hard to get excited about something from this decade if it doesn't immediately grab me. The production is above average, and some songs are a good time, like Live Has Found a Way and Street Worm. Others, like Animal Zoo, were kind of irritating to me.
Arctic Monkeys
5/5
This is my favorite Arctic Monkeys album. Witty lyrics, catchy riffs, grooving basslines, it has it all. I've listened to this album a lotin the past compared to most items on this list, and my favorites have always been Mardy Bum and Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured, but everything on this album works. Though the band has changed a lot over the years, this is an album that's easy to come back to.
Emmylou Harris
2/5
I've loved the Emmylou and Trio albums I've been given so far on this list, but this album does not scratch that same itch. It's a decades later Emmylou, and much of this album is pretty boring light-country pop that sounds very 2000s without being special. That being said, Hpur of Gold is quite good, and I also liked J'ai fait tout too. Overall though, not sure this deserved to be here.
Portishead
5/5
Super chill album full of vibes. Portishead's Dummy is a very easy listen. The beats and samples are creative without being chaotic. Which happens a lot in electronic music. And Beth Gibbons' voice is very soothing, it just works perfectly for the tone rhey set across this album. I really like the opening four tracks, with It Could Be Sweet probably be favorite of the group.
Missy Elliott
3/5
Missy Elliott has style and this album drips with it, though it just isn't my favorite style of hip hop/ rap. Good flow, it seems effortless, but the content in the songs is either unrelateable or boring to me. Some of the backing tracks are pretty cool and I'm glad I listened. My favorite here is Hit 'Em wit da Hee.
Fela Kuti
5/5
What a ferocious drum showcase this album is! Kuti brings in his funky jam session with Cream drummer Ginger Baker and he just rips through these 4 songs, including a near 15 solo towards the end. It's a really great listen between musicians that are willing to let each other shine. Ye Ye De Smell was my favorite.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I haven't listened to a lot of Springsteen before, and I don't think I'm missing a lot. For an album that has many of his hits and classics, I found it largely simple, music wise, and most of the songs were very similar. I think I was going a little insane hearing the snare on the 2nd and 4th beat every song. That being said, Cover Me is great, and he does a good job putting out mysic that feels like the daily grind of being an American.
Steve Winwood
3/5
Very 80s pop, very light, could definitely see it being played on a yacht. I kept thinking that this sounds boring, but I also liked it way more than I expected. Maybe I just liked that the songs evolved as they went, like Slowdown Sundown, which has a fun bridge. I also liked Second-Hand Woman and Arc of a Diver. Overall, a mid album that kept my attention throughout it's runtime.
The Pogues
4/5
I had forgotten all about Celtic rock, but this was awesome. I'm not sure I could listen to this for a long time, but the hour runtime was fun. It's Irish, or course, but it had a surprising amount of depth and sound range. I was immediately caught off guard by the Turkish Song of the Damned. The Medley, Sketches of Spain, and Fairytail of New York were other ones that stuck out to me. I'll give this one another listen next St. Patty's Day.
The Isley Brothers
5/5
Summer Breeze was so good i didn't mind the 3 versions that were on the Apple version of this album. That song is beautiful, as is The Highways of My Life, and What It Comes Down To. Soulful singing, funky music, ripping solos, this is a perfect soul album.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Chef is cooking here, this is a very soulful, funky, and seductive album. It's not really one I think I would come back to, as the songs are not very digestible on their own. Hyperbolicsyllabilicsesquedalymystic is the song that best stands on its own, and even that one is 9.5 mins. Overall, good album but not my favorite soul I've had on this list.
Nas
5/5
Amazing album, Nas has probably my favorite flow of the hip hop artists from the 90s/2000s. Some of the best hooks I've heard are here, with N.Y. State of Mind, Life's a Bitch, The World is Yours, and One Love standing out. There wasn't any duds on this album, I could easily revisit it. Even the backing music is interesting, with pianos and cellos appearing throughout. Easy 5.
Public Enemy
3/5
Flava Flav is absolutely hilarious on this album with his yeaaaah boooooys. It's hard to take him serious, but I also dont think he knows this. Overall, it's pretty good, with lots of topics that are thought provoking and I'm sure this hit differently in the late 80s. I liked this much, much more than Run DMC, which played so safe and bland it was almost painful. Good group act that definitely left its impression on the industry.
Joan Baez
4/5
I had almost no folk exposure before this journey, but I've found I quite like it. It's a nice changeup to my typical listens, and it normally surprises me, and this album is no different. The first song is awesome. Joan sings like she was greatly betrayed in Silver Dagger, and I like how somber it hits towards the ends of the verses. The album is a little long, but I liked it throughout.
Prince
3/5
I can't really tell if I like Prince or not. It's very 80s pop, but done pretty well. It's almost nauseating at times with overproduced drums and synths, but then there are some magical solos sprinkled throughout that rock pretty hard. The lyrics are pretty thirsty, particularly in It and If I Was Your Girlfriend. I think my favorite was Play In The Sunshine, up until it plays Shave and a Haircut. So maybe U Got The Look is my favorite here? I'm sure there is more Prince on this list, at least Purple Rain, so I'm hoping to like that more.
Metallica
4/5
Metallica just rocks. The syncopation throughout their music has always been so crisp and I just really like hearing it in songs like Eye of the Beholder. One is definitely the best overall song here, but it was actually the only one I knew from this album. Still, it was a great album. Metallica makes metal music that is accessible, but the execution is just so good that it still stands above its peers.
Coldcut
4/5
The Avalanches, but 15 years earlier. Sample electronica that works pretty well and actually has aged pretty well in my opinion. There are highlights with Stop This Crazy Thing (insanely fun song) and People Hold On. Lots of disk scratching and sampling and weird sounds, I liked it a lot.
Fatboy Slim
2/5
Maybe I've had too much electronica in the last week that it was hard for me to focus on this. A lot of it sounded the same, probably in part to the super common drum beat over most the tracks. It felt like I was watching a commercial for Six Flags or something towards the end. I think it's fine music and produced well, it just didn't stand out to me. I think 10th and Crenshaw as my favorite, but it was almost a 12 way tie.
Public Enemy
5/5
Pieerful album that sadly has many of the same cultural issues today as it did 34 years ago when it came out. Many of the songs here are bangers with awesome beats, like 911 Is a Joke, Burn Hollywood Burn, and Fear if a Black Planet. The lyrics are non-apologetic in how it talks about being black in America, with some of the breaks like Incident at 66.6 FM being particularly brutal, but funny at the same time. Flava Flav was much better here than in It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, in my opinion.
Eminem
2/5
Fast and furious lyrics with some pretty fun flow and awesome backing music cannot save this album from the really trashy lyrics. I know Eminem was young and rebellious and a lot of his lyrics are his method of lashing out, but damn this is pretty vile at times. I do like most of the music and if I zone out and don't focus on the lyrics, it works pretty well. But then when I snap back to it, I can't possibly listen to this on good faith on a normal listen.
Hot Chip
4/5
It was refreshing to listen to something I'm more familiar with. I don't know a lot of Hot Chip, but I've always enjoyed what I knew in Flutes, Haurache Lights, and Over and Over. This album has some really great songs. My favorites are a Beatles-esque Now There is Nothing and also Look at Where We Are. Flutes is also great. Now this album is longer than it needs to be, and there is a fair amount of mid content on it, but great listen.
Mercury Rev
3/5
Very Flaming Lips. It's an ok album that listened fine but it wasn't my favorite. Holes and Tonite it Shows are good, didn't really care for Endlessly.
Elton John
3/5
The title track is pretty cool here, but it's impact is dimished by 45 minutes of piano ballads back-to-back. This album is ok, with my favorites being Tiny Dancer, the aforementioned Madman, and Holiday Inn. I think Goodbye Yellowbrick Road was a more fun album.
The Stone Roses
5/5
This album gets a full star bonus just for I Want to Be Adored, and a bonus star for releasing this all the way back in 1989. This song could have released yesterday and it would still be a banger. This album was really good, with a great trio to open. Didn't love Don't Stop, but it has a unique style, almost like it's played backwards. The rest of the album is timeless and holds up very, very well. My favorites are I Wanna Be Adored, Waterfall, Bye Bye Bad Man, and Made of Stone.
Queens of the Stone Age
3/5
My first introduction The Queens of the Stone Age was 3's and 7's in Guitar Hero and I always thought that song was pretty cool. Working my way through this album, though, and it's a bit raw and undercooked. Feels like it's missing something that keeps it engaging for the full hour long album length. Maybe the riffs are a little too droning and repetative. I thinkmy favorite riff on the album is from These Are Not the Droids You're Looking For, and I also liked The Bronze, How to Handle a Rope, and You Can't Quit Me Baby. But I didn't really love any of it.
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
This makes me want to sit outside in the warm sun and just be. It's so smooth and relaxing and makes me want to just sleep on a beach. Soukora and Gomni are great, but I think I give the edge to Gomni for the the great jam on its backhalf. Love the communal drums and guitar throughout by Ry Cooder. Good listen.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Good rocking classic rock. Proud Mary and Good Golly Miss Molly are classic, but the best song on this brief album is Penthouse Pauper. I also enjoyed the blues we got here.
Randy Newman
3/5
The Toy Story guy opens with some hard R's in his first song. I don't really agree with the hypocrisy callout that Newman signals to in Rednecks because, while there are many racial issues in America's largest cities, it's still progress from literal slavery. The rest of this album sounds ok, I kind of like his distinct voice and the clarinets present throughout the album.
Talking Heads
4/5
The Talking Heads are the perfect blend of pop and weird. They bring a chaotic energy to the 80s along with a ton of different sounds used in ways you won't find anywhere else. My favorites here are Born Under Punches, The Great Curve, and Once In a Lifetime. The rest of the album doesn't hold those highs, but it's still a great album.
The Offspring
5/5
Damn this sounds like high school. It's pop punk, fast and fun. It's oftentimes dumb but I can't help but love it. Ive known all these songs for a while, and my favorites on this album are probably Come Out and Play and Self Esteem, but I was looking for a new one to appreciate and I think Killboy Piwerhead scratches the itch for me.
Gorillaz
5/5
I love the Gorillaz. This isn't even an album I've heard all of before, I normally go to Demon Days. But this was incredible top to bottom.
They've always fused sounds that shouldn't work and it just does. There are so many great tracks here that caught my attention from whatever I was doing. Of the songs I didn't really know (sorry Clint Eastwood), I was floored by 5/4 and Double Bass. But this album flaunts electronica, raegae, latin, R&B, and Brit pop as it bobs and weaves through it's many genres. Awesome debut by an awesome band.
Paul Simon
5/5
Go listen to the Pokemon Johto Theme and tell me that the chorus isn't a straight rip of Mother and Child Reunion. Paul's first album after splitting from Garfunkel is really strong and has some great singer/songwriter pieces. There isn't a lot of weak stuff here, with my favorites being the aforementioned Reunion, Duncan, and Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard. I want to lay in a hammock on an early spring day and relax to this album.
Little Richard
3/5
Little Richard brings a very fun energy and his awesome, unique voice to this collection of songs. In the 50s, I'm sure this was seen as an evolution of what music could be, even if now it seems sterotypical. My main gripe woth the album is it's very samey throughout in it's sounds and themes. My favorite is probably Rip It Up, an early "I got Money!" song that you hear everywhere in music today.
Jorge Ben Jor
5/5
I always appreciate the world music we get here because it is always new to me. Sometimes the comments rag on something for not being representative or not the best to offer from an artist, but I still find myself enjoying much of the world music in this list. Jorge Ben Jor is no exception and this album is incredibly strong. More traditional sounds mixed with Brazillian music leads to a great listen. I particularly liked O Plebeu, such a happy sounding song (I dont speak Portuguese, so hopefully it actually is). My other standouts are Taj Mahal and Cavaleiro do Cavalo Imaculado.
The Louvin Brothers
2/5
This album makes me think of a sleepy, dusty Texan town. Definitely dated and it lacks a lot of the charm from some of the other early country we've gotten here like Ray Price. Mostly a boring album to me, though the harmonizing is solid. My favorite was probably Katie Dear.
Prince
5/5
Now I can see why Prince was so popular. Compared to Singing O The Times, i enjoyed this album much, much more. The opening to this album is awesome, with 1999, Luttle Red Corvette, and my personal favorite, Delirious. This album is a sex-crazed synth party, and it's simple drum machines and repetative pop notes somehow works for me. It's very confident in its identity, so much so that the ending of Let's Pretend We're Married somehow feels earned and not cringe.
Guns N' Roses
5/5
These songs are so over saturated and I don't even care. Ever since I first played Guitar Hero 3 and heard Welcome to the Jungle, this album has been iconic to me. I love Slash's solos in most of these songs and it's a really great hybrid of pop and metal that meets at the exact right spot. And Axl Rose has a great rocker voice. Dirty and drug fueled, but not ashamed of it. For the playlist, I'll probably pick It's So Easy or My Michelle so I don't have to hear one of the oversaturated singles (though they're all still good).
Dagmar Krause
3/5
It's too bad it's a challenge to listen to this artist, because this is some strange but interesting music. Feels more like a play than an album, and it sounds far older than 1988, almost like WW2 propoganda. Some of these songs are quite cool, like You Have to Pay. Definitely unique among this 300 albums I've had so far.
Pet Shop Boys
5/5
This album was awesome. All synth, but not nearly as cheesy as some other synth pop from the era. The music is interesting with some pretty unique structures. Rent is an easy standout on this album for me, but What Have I Done to Deserve This? and It's a Sin are really cool too. I thoroughly enjoyed this listen.
Justice
5/5
I love pop electronica. This feels like a precursor to dubstep, where I feel electronic really started pushing the boundaries for exotic "Transformer" sounds. Similar to the group Ratatat. The best here is Genesis, D.A.N.C.E., and Stress, which is genuinely stressful.
Radiohead
5/5
I really enjoyed this album right off the bat. 2 + 2 = 5 has a distinct Radiohead haunted wispiness to it that is so recognizable, though it's a song I'd never heard before. Much of the album is solid, with only one being a single I've heard a lot of, being There There. I also really liked Sail to the Moon and Where I End and You Begin.
Eels
3/5
Indie emo band, it was ok. I thought I'd like it more since I was enjoying the more garage rock vibe, but it just didn't click with me. My favorites are Novacoaine for the Soul, Mental, and Your Lucky Day in Hell.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
Oh What a World is a strong opener, but the album didn't carry through for me and it was definitely a tad too long. Overall, I'm glad I listened toboth Want One and Want Two, but not sure the next time I'll come back.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Dylan is definitely a great somgwriter and story teller. It's always vivid and I liked it more than I thought I would. The guitars in this on definitely liven up the album without concealing his stories. Some of them are quite fun, like Bob Dylan's 115th Dream and Maggie's Farm. Good album.
Caetano Veloso
3/5
Can definitely tell it's Brazillian and also that it's from the 60s. It's a pretty fun album with some beach party songs like Alegria, Alegria, Superbacana, and Soy Loco Por Ti America. I definitely liked some of the other Brazillian music I've gotten here more, like Elis Regina.
The Auteurs
2/5
I enjoyed how the album started but it's honestly mostly generic Brit rock from the era. I was pretty done with it by the end and none of it really pulled my attention to really focus on it. How Could I Be Wrong or Show Girl got to be my favorites here.
Travis
2/5
There are a couple of painfully boring songs here, like Driftwood, that derailed any enjoyment I had for this album. It sounds like 100 other albums from this era without doing anything unique to pull it ahead of its competitors. As You Are and Why Does It Always Rain On Me? were pretty enjoyable on an album that doesn't do enough.
Pink Floyd
4/5
You can tell when an artist has the sauce, and Pink Floyd has the sauce. Both prog rock jams, Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Pts. 1-5 and Pts. 6-9, are awesome and sound fascinating and feel like a true journey. While Wish You Were Here is a classic, I think I liked Have a Cigar a touch more. Definitely an album you have to commit to the whole thing for, as each song doesn't work too well individually, but if you have the time, then it's a really awesome 45 mins.
Rod Stewart
3/5
I enjoyed this significantly more than I expected, even if it doesn't do anything particularly outstanding. Some poppy rock made for an easy listen, but I was fully satisfied by the end, and didn't feel compelled for a second listen. Cut Across Shorty or Lady Day are probably my favorite here.
Def Leppard
4/5
This album is good stupid fun. The lyrics are truly dumb and the music is sickeningly 80s.
There are so many over produced arena hair rock anthems here that it actually is impressive. And it actually slaps pretty hard and was much, much better than the Bon Jovi album I've had. As dumb as it all is, my head was bopping along consistently thinking, "hey, why am I not hating this?". Overall, I think Women was my favorite, though I liked 2/3rds of Rocket more, it just meanders a bit much.
Massive Attack
5/5
Such a cool album. This was pretty much all new to me, though I've heard some other Massive Attack before. To learn this is basically the beginning of trip-hop, thay really nailed it and it still sounds amazing today. It's very stylish with some good hooks and samplings. I really loved One Love, Be Thankful for What You've Got, and Unfinished Symphony.
Songhoy Blues
5/5
Right from the beginning, this blew me away. I think it's fair this group has a style where they crush the instrumentals with a rock or blues lick, the singer sings the name of the song, and the backing vocals echo him back. But it's just so great and it's nothing I would have found on my own. Soubour is an awesome opener, though I think my favorite was Jolie.
White Denim
5/5
I've known White Denim through a couple of singles on their Stiff album. But god damn are they really good. Initially sounds like it might be some generic indie rock, but the instrumentals in this are so awesome, particularly the drums and lead guitar, that many of the songs become full face melting jams. Back at the Farm and Bess St. are exactly what I'm looking to find in this journey.
The Byrds
4/5
For a 60s band, its cool to hear one that is of the era, but also not completely ripping off the Beatles. I liked this a lot, with my ear first catching on Renaissance Fair. Also liked Everybody's Been Burned. Good psych pop.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
This was so much better than Born in the U.S.A. to me. A lot more rock ballad and actually feels like it brings something unique to the music scene from the mid 70s. I quite liked Meeting Across the River and Tenth Avenue Freeze Out.
808 State
3/5
Pretty solid electronic music, though I don't know when I would come back. Cool sounds, very rhythmic. I enjoyed Pacific 202 and 808080808 the most. Also special shoutout to the Sonic trampoline sound in Donkey Doctor.
Incubus
4/5
This era of rock has a special, albiet extremely laced in nostalgia, spot in my heart. Sounds like the radio station I would drive to in my first car. Some songs in here are staples of that time, like Stellar, Drive, and Pardon Me. The rest is mostly new to me, but it still feels comfy. It's not an amazing album, but one that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
Is it pretentious? Yeaa, definitely, just look at the somg titles. But is it good? Also yeaa, it's great. It meanders a lot, and the trumpet riffs are a little repetitive, but it's an easy listen with some grand moments. I've heard many of this before, like Chicago, Come On! Feel thr Illinoise!, and Casimir Pulaski Day, but got to say that I was floored by The Tallest Man, The Broadest Shoulders.
The Lemonheads
2/5
It's almost how unfair with how huch better Mrs. Robinson is than the rest of this album. I don't love this era of alt/ indie rock as it all kind of blends together and that same effect is apparent here to me. Standard garage band rock. I like Confetti the most from this album.
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
This is good classic, pre-Beatles rock. Money, in particular, is a blast of a song with great vocals and slamming piano keys. The rest of the album is pretty iconic, though also stereotypical 50s with tunes like Great Balls of Fire and Good Golly, Miss Molly, which Little Richard did better.
American Music Club
4/5
Too bad this isn't available to stream because I enjoyed it a decent amount. My favorite was Western Sky. It's a softer indie rock album, a style I like much more than the Dinosaur Jrs. and Lemonheads of this era. Good song writing, the others I liked here were Lonely and Firefly.
The Police
5/5
Man The Police are weird. Really weird, and I had no idea. This album is quirky and goes a bunch of different directions, and it almost all works for me. First, Message in a Bottle has been a favorite of mine since Guitar Hero 2. But the rest of this album has some real oddities, like Deathwish, the punky On Any Other Day and No Time This Time, and the funky Contact, or their other stalker anthem Does Everyone Stare. I think Synchronicity is still a little better, but this was a great album.
The Verve
1/5
I do not like shoegaze music. It's long, overly distorted, and meandering. It doesn't have any of the charm or creativity of prog rock, and it sounds like what you would play in a dive bar when you dont want anyone to actually realize there is music playing. I think this was slightly better than my bloody valentine and definitely better than Jesus and the Mary Chain, but by the track Brainstorm Interlude, I remembered I just don't care for it. So It Goes was an ok song.
Bill Callahan
5/5
Had no expectations going into this, but holy smokes was this incredible. Kind of a strange, dry, folksy, indie rock hybrid album. But these songs have depth and story telling, and they evolve over their durations repeatedly. My favorite example of this is Eid Ma Clack Shaw. The verses talk about a dream state that supposedly lets him visit a person he has lost, or maybe not? And then he talks about being gifted the perfect song in his dreams and when he wakes, finds out it was all gibberish. While this is a funny twist, the music here speaks with conviction that, somewhere in the nonsense, the perfect songs exists here. It also just generally slaps. Several songs are great, like The Wind and the Dove, My Friend, and All Thoughts Are Pret to Some Beast. Awesome album.
Alice In Chains
5/5
So many hard rock classics here. This album kicks the door open with the opening riff of Them Bones and just holds this unrelenting vibe for the next hour. The album feels suppresive with how dark it can feel, but it nails the tone it's aiming for. Layne Staley has an awesome rock voice and the guitar here is so engaging that I can't help but get pulled in. I already knew many of these (Them Bones, Down in a Hole, Rooster, Angry Chair, and Would?... seriously, this many great songs?), but of the ones new to me, my favorite is Dirt.
Brian Eno
2/5
Not sure how I feel about this one. Brian Eno is bringing many awesome sounds together, and it sounds like the specific precursor to Remain in Light. But it also sounds like it's the homework to the final exam. It's a work in process. Innovative, maybe, but I think capturing his sound in something more complete, like his Talking Head albums that are already on this list, is more appropriate for a list like this.
Violent Femmes
5/5
This album is absolutely timeless, as I never would have placed it in 1983. Punk, raw, alternative, and could have been released a decade or two later and fit right in. Blister In The Sun is classic, but I liked much of this album, including Gone Daddy Gone, Kiss Off, and Good Feeling. A coming of age album that is incredibly genuine.
R.E.M.
5/5
I liked this a lot, even more than Document. As a debut, this stands out very strongly against the early 80s and makes sense that they are as influential as they are. We Walk has a really fun riff that is bops hard and was probably my favorite here, but I enjoyed Pilgrimage and Shaking Through a lot as well.
Santana
5/5
Santana is just so cool. Latin infusion, heavy jazz influences, and it just flat out rocks. Another Guitar Hero classic for me with Black Magic Woman, but I think my favorites are Incident at Neshabur and the reflective Samba Pa Ti. Santana is so expressive with his guitar, it's really one of a kind.
Bauhaus
4/5
I definitely started liking this much more on a second listen. I dont think the second half of the album very good, but The Passion of Lovers, Of Lilies and Remains, and Hillow Hill are very good underground Brit rock. I really enjoy the simple but addictive bass groove in Of Lilies snd Remains. The singing still has some goofy 80s twang to it, but overall, good album.
New Order
3/5
80s dance pop that, while it sounds pretty cool and the production is well done, doesn't have any sounds that pulled my attention. I like the riffing in Face Up in its opening moments, though I think Sunrise is my favorite here.
The Smiths
4/5
Morrissey must have really pissed a lot of people off because all of The Smiths reviews are full of haters. And maybe that makes me pretentious becuase I loved all of them, especially this one. It was all new to me and it was awesome from the very first song. A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours is excellent. I started Something I Couldn't Finish was also quirete strong. Girlfriend in a Coma is a bit disturbing, and I'm sure it's meant to be funny, but it's not quite ironic enough to nail that tone. The only blenish for me on this album.
Baaba Maal
3/5
As far as world music goes, this feels the most genuine that I have heard here. There's been some western style music performed by Afridan artists, but this is very unique. A lot of repetative drumming or chanting, it's not necessarily the most inspiring music for me personally, but I do appreciate getting to hear some music that was truely new to me.
Pet Shop Boys
5/5
What an album, the Pet Shop Boys rule. Its very 80s, but almost self reflective as the decade was rolling over. The production is clean, the singing is confident, and I just really enjoyed the synth instrumentation throughout. How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously? Was my early standout, but I also loved Being Boring, My October Symphony, and Nervously. Great album that had my attention the whole time.
Teenage Fanclub
4/5
Classic garage rock, Teenage Fanclub has a good sound. Not too grungy, not too heavy, not too Dinosaur Jr., it's a sound that I enjoyed throughout. The Concept and What You Do To Me are awesome songs that I still hear on indie stations today and it certainly feels influential. I also liked December and Sidewinder. The album does suffer a little from being a little too samesy, but it's a solid sound they locked into.
Coldplay
4/5
One of the first albums I had on my iPod, I used to really love Coldplay. This album and Parachutes are great. And while its still pop rock here, it's not nearly as dreadful as their post Viva la Vida work that really turned me off to them as a group. My favorites are In My Place, Clocks, and Green Eyes, though The Scientist is very good too. It's one of my gateways to softer rock and it helped me be more reflective on music when I was younger.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
What a terrible group name for a band that is pretty ok. I was expecting a lot more psychadelia, which didn't really happen. Theres some songs I really enjoyed, like Juxtaposed with U and especially Presidential Suite, but most of the album was pretty forgettable.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
This was a good album, particularly on the backend. Starting with Down By the River, it's a long song that has a solid jam on the back end. My favorite is up next with The Losing End (When You're On). It's folksy, country, and just the right flavor of blues for me that is very easy to listen to. Running Dry (Requiem for the Rockets) and Cowgirl in the Sand were also quite nice. I liked the groove in the last one and I wasn't even bothered with how long winded and endless it seemed.
Kraftwerk
5/5
Techno to a T, this album fully owns its identity and it's amazing for it. The sounds, the themes, the vocals, everything is so robotic and it works amazingly. Maybe its because this sounds like nothing else on this playlist so far, but every song had me fully glued to its full weirdness. At 36 minutes, it doesn't overstay its welcome and I was glad this was included. The songs are all similar, but my favorite is maybe Spacelab or Neon Lights.
The La's
4/5
At a brisk 35 minutes, this album is pop rock at it's most fun. Great hooks, not too dark as we enter the grungy 90s, and just overall incredibly listenable. It's aged pretty well. I think my favorite was Feelin', but many on this album justified the second listen.
Fats Domino
4/5
Classic rock and blues, exactly what you think of when you imagine the 50s. I had surprisingly never heard of Fats Domino, but he's obviously massively important and influential. I actually liked his sound a touch more than Little Richard. Blueberry Hill was my favorite, but the whole album was enjoyable, if a bit repetative.
Mudhoney
3/5
Terrible album name, bad band name, but decent sound. Half punk, half grunge, this album feels like it was on the brink of some musical revolution. It doesnt quite tip the scales though, and never reaches the heights that are required to be considered great. I liked No One Has the most here.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
American Girl is definitely the best song on this short debut album, but I kind of like Rockin' Around (With You) more. The album is so short, but very listenable. Overall, nothing too inspirational for me, but an enjoyable listen.
Bonnie Raitt
2/5
At first I was kind of interested in listening to something that was completely new to me, but this pop album full of love ballads really isn't my thing. I kind of like the late 80s synths throughout the album, but they are honestly implemented in some of the most basic and safe ways possible. Every song being essentially the same doesn't help the score here either. Have a Heart is ok, so is Nick of Time.
Ramones
4/5
The Ramones are awesome. OG punk that holds up so well, you can hear direct influences in modern music, it doesn't have to be diluted much at all. Blitzkrieg Bop is insanely classic, but everything else here was new to me. Simple music, really, just a bunch of guys smashing the same chords quickly, but it works because it's so counter to everything else from the time. I like Chainsaw the most here. Kind of sounds like a punky Beach Boys.
Thelonious Monk
5/5
Cool classic jazz that often has harsh and dissonant sounds, but leans into them to. Reate hooks. Right off the bat with Brilliant Corners, it's abrasive and challenging, but about a minute in it takes off and starts bringing that motiff all around with a ton of different tones and vibes. I enjoyed this as someone who had never listened to Thelonious. Probably just behind A Love Supreme on my favorite Jazz from this playlist so far.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
For how legendary Stevie Wonder is, I've never sat through an album of his before. All I can say is wow, what an album. These songs are layered with musical nuance, great singing, and deeply emotional moments. Smile Please opens the album on a high note and Heaven Is 10 Zillion Light Years Away sounds like very moving gospel. There aren't really amy low points here, with my other favorites being Too Shy to Say, Creepin', and Bird of Beauty. Loved it.
Billy Bragg
2/5
It's a fine album that didn't really do anything standout to me. I did like Walt Whitman's Niece and California Stars, but after that, it started fading into background noise and slipped from my attention. Nothing offensive, but I probably will not be coming back.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
My second Bob Marley album in this list, and just as good. As memorable and influential Three Little Birds and One Love are, I think the beginning of the album is even stronger. It's darker and bluesier in So Much Things To Say and Guiltiness through Exodus. Maybe a little more consistent than Natty Dread (Rebel Music is still the best of both though).
Marty Robbins
5/5
The 50s really loved their Westerns. This album is full of outlaw tales and it's honestly great. Marty Robbins is an awesome story teller. Big Iron is such a cool opener, with a tale of Texas Red vs the Ranger. A lot of the album is similar, but Marty's voice is compelling enough to drive the album for it's whole length. Other standout is obviously El Paso, but I also liked The Master's Call and The Hanging Tree. Would definitely listen again if driving through any dusty old towns.
M.I.A.
5/5
This is a Bamboo Banga. What a glow up from M.I.A.'s first album, which I enjoyed but didn't love. This one is loud, confident, full of crazy beats and sounds, and is just a kickass album through and through. Of course Paper Planes and Boyz are well known, but I liked the opener a lot, as well as 20 Dollar. This album is fully imbued with her Sri Lankan sound, which is cool for me.
3/5
There has been a couple of truly WTF albums on this list ( Captain Beefheart, looking at you), and this definitely belongs. And as insane as this album is, I don't actually hate it like I was bracing to. It starts at 11 and stays at 11 the whole time, with a furious drum background and dueling saxaphones just wailing for 45 mins straight. Despite this, it actually sounds decent and unique for much of the run time. It's like walking into the middle of a jam band 14 min song and you stepped in at the peak of the build up, but then it stays there for 45 mins. I wouldn't ever willingly listen to this again, I don't think, but I will think about it for some time this week. My favorite that stuck out to me was Feet Music. Strange stuff.
Sam Cooke
5/5
Another live R&B live album, and I'm still loving them. I'd never heard of Sam Cooke, but what a performance. Similar to the live albums of B.B. King and Sarah Vaughan, this oozes with charisma. It's also surprisingly well produced for a live album and the sounds are all so crisp. For the tunes themselves, Feel It (Don't Fight It) is awesome, but It's All Right / (I Love You) steals the show. One of the best live albums here so far.
The Verve
2/5
The Verve is just not that interesting of a band to me. This era of music, late 90s, has some pretty dull mainstream music and the only thing saving this from a lower score is Bittersweet Symphony. Sonnet is a good song as well, but this album did not need to be an hour long.
a-ha
3/5
Disco pop with a mega hit, it's not really my jam. Not groovy or funky enough to be my favorite from the genre, though there are still good songs here. I think Hunting High and Low is great and Take Me On is fun, if overplayed.
Aerosmith
4/5
I was expecting to not love thid and that it might be like the AC/DC album that I didn't like, but then Back in the Saddle kicks you in the teeth and this album flies. These guys know how to make a catchy as hell hook and the instrument work is much closer to Guns N Roses than AC/DC. This was fun, though not amazing, and I really enjoyed it.
Radiohead
4/5
Another Radiohead album, another vibe. Such an interesting album because of how tuned in this specific sound is. If you are looking for a mellow and reflective album, it has it in spades, with my favorite being Pyramid Song. Most of this was new to me and I don't think it's an album I would come bsck to frequently, but maybe on a rainy day or when I have to sit down and study for a couple hours.
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
One of the oldest sounding oldies groups for sure. I find their music mostly boring, but California Dreamin is really, really good. I also really enjoyed I Call Your Name, a song new to me.
Kings of Leon
5/5
Ah Kings of Leon. This album took over the radio when I was in high school, primarily Sex on Fire amd Use Somebody. It's seriously hard to think of a place where these songs weren't playing at the time. I've listened to the rest of the album maybe once before this return and I got to say, it's a nostalgic trip and I really enjoyed the sound that this group brings. My new favorite from here is Revelry but I liked Closer too. It's a very clean and polished alt rock sound that isn't overly synthy like today's alt rock.
David Bowie
5/5
This might be my favorite Bowie album so far. It's simple and approachable, something that albums like Aladdin Sane can struggle with at times, but still really creative and catchy. This album sounds like a bridge between eras, where you can here some very Beatles-esque songs like Oh! You Pretty Things and Kooks, but then stuff that is more unique in style like Life On Mars?. Strggling to pick a favorite because I like Changes, Kooks, and Quicksand a lot. I think I'll go with Kooks since it's brand new to me.
Billie Holiday
4/5
I love Billie Holliday's voice. It's raspy but enthralling at the same time and is loaded with emotion. And the songs in this album have a beautiful background whispy chant that peak through on several songs that I really like. There are tons of examples in You've Changed, but it happens a lot. That's really the main negative on this album, all the songs are pretty similar in style, tempo, and progression. This could have been a 45 minute song. I wouldn't have minded so much if it was, as it's such an essy listen, but it does lose a point for that.
Neneh Cherry
4/5
I did not expect to like this as much as I did. It's damn hooky, and even though it's a product of its time, the raps have a pretty good flow. Buffalo Style is cool, and I like Heart too. It's fun and often funny, I liked it a bunch.
Happy Mondays
3/5
Feel like I just woke up drunk in a seedy part of London. This is dirty and raw, not a clean production at all, and I kind of liked it but definitely didn't love it. Nothing in it really stuck in my mind after listening, but I enjoyed it as I went. As for alt rock of the late 80s, I definitley had a better time with other albums on this list, like Hüsker Dü. My favorite from this is Performance.
Taylor Swift
2/5
I find this album unbelievably dull. Each song feels like it's intended to be an anthem hit where the crowd can easily sing along, but there is no sauce in many of these songs. They're very safe and stereotypical pop lyrics, too, which doesn't feel too genuine. I wanted to give this a fair shot because I've had a hard time getting into pop, but this album falls into most of the pitfalls that keep me away. Perfectly listenable, offensively inoffensive. I won't get mad at hearing it on the radio, but I don't think I'd actively seek it out. Shake It Off and New Romantics are my favorite here, and I also liked "Slut!".
Sheryl Crow
4/5
I must be blessed to have this the day after Swift's 1989. This is what I expected that album to sound like. Poppy, but diverse in sound. Trendy, but also moody. There are some great songs here, like Run, Baby, Run, Solidify, and What I Can Do for You (and All I Wanna Do is a certified banger). I swear this is what people think T Swift actually sounds like.
Brian Eno
5/5
So much of this album sounds like video game background music, and I mean that in the greatest way possible. Many of these sound like they could be written today. It's groundbreaking and full of emotion while also being almost minimalist. There are a couple pop songs sprinkled throughout, but these are honestly mostly forgettable compared to the ambient music Eno brings to the table. My favorites are In Dark Trees, The Big Ship, Another Green World, and Spirits Drifting. Unique and cool.
The Prodigy
2/5
A bunch of samesy rave music that I remember enjoying as a kid and I just can't really get into it here. It's repetative, but not creative, which is essential for electronica for me. It's more rave than house and it simply sounds very dated in today's soundscapes. I liked Funky Shit and Fuel My Fire enough, but it couldn't save this album for me.
Frank Black
4/5
Album oozing with creativity and unfinished ideas. For garage rock/ indie rock of the era, there are several songs that are really unique and don't sound like anything else, in the best way. I liked Speedy Marie, Fiddle Riddle, Ole Mulholland, and several others. Cool sounds, shredding guitar nonchalantly in the background. I think some of it is rather unfinished sounding, but overall, it's quite good. As expected from a member of the Pixies, it's ahead of it's time.
The Cure
2/5
As much as I enjoyed the last couple Cure albums, this one was the most drab and dull. It might be more emo than the other ones (Disintegration, Seventeen Seconds), but not in a way I really enjoyed. No overly weird songs either, like Lullaby. Every song is also 45-75 seconds too long. If I'm picking a favorite song, it's going to be Siamese Twins.
The Pretty Things
4/5
I enjoyed this a ton for something I feared would be your standard fare 60s pysch rock. My standout is Trust, a funky call and response song with some cool chord progressions. The album is familair for it's era while having enough uniqueness to be worth the listen. I also liked The Journey and it's steady build into a chaotic ending. Some of the distortion is distracting, like the chorus in I See You, so it's far from a perfect album for me. But overall, I enjoyed this a bunch.
Bob Dylan
5/5
Each Bob Dylan album this playlist is giving me is having him grow on me more and more. His songwriting feels like watching a 3 act movie, they are full stories. There were several songs here I really enjoyed, like Ballad of a Thin Man and Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues and I found the mix of blues and rock particularly effective in this album.
2/5
Chaotic proto-punk, this is just hard for me to enjoy, similar to The Stooges. It's rebellious and angry, but has very basic riffs that repeat too often and isn't very fun to listen to. Now I did enjoy the dueling scales in Rocket Reducer No. 62 and that's definitely the most structured song on the list here.
Dinosaur Jr.
5/5
A quintessential garage band, Dinosaur Jr is a little heavier than I expected them to be, only knowing Feel the Pain before this. The music takes many unexpected turns that make this album standout amongst so many similar albums that I've been given and I like it significantly more for that. My favorite is by far SludgeFeast, this song rocked. The whiney chorus sandwhiches an awesome solo and bridge that might be one of my favorite in this whole list so far. I was thinking of giving this 4 stars, but listening to SludgeFeast again while writing this is going to bump it up.
Iggy Pop
5/5
I've got to apologize to Mr. Pop because I was unfamiliar with his game. Who is this artist and how could he possibly have come from The Stooges. This is weird, funky, rhythmic, metallic, and a ton of other adjectives that are many steps removed from his punk past life. There's still some of the droning and repetative riffs that I commented on in his other music, but it works quite well here. Mass Production sounds like it was made in a factory and is a great song. But several others like Nightclubbing, China Girl, and Dum Dum Boys are just strange and awesome songs. It's a good thing he and Bowie were friends, because I think it evolved Iggy's music by several levels. This was an amazing album.
Neil Young
4/5
This album is very good and solid. I like Neil's writing style of blues and folk rock. Revolution Blues rocks, though I think I like Ambulance Blues the most here. I don't know why it evokes so much nostalgia for a song I've never heard, but I really enjoy the long journey this song takes me on.
Meat Puppets
5/5
Well consider me one of the people that learned today that Plataeu and Lake of Fire are not Nirvana songs and instead come from the Meat Puppets. This album is weird, mixes genres that normally aren't in the same room together, and is notably unpolished, and it stands out for all of those reasons. I think the 3 songs that appear on MTV Unplugged are probably the best here, but I enjoyed the other jamming bluegrass stuff the Meat Puppets performed here. My favorite is probably Aurora Borealis.
OutKast
5/5
Double albums need to be good for this list because the time commitment can be hard, but this was well worth the time. I've only heard a couple of these songs, specifically Hey Ya and The Way You Move, but there was so much here I liked. It's funky, musically adventerous, and the raps are fast and furious. Also a ton of guest appearances. I liked Speakerboxx more than The Love Below, with my favorite track being The Rooster, it's just such an addictive backing track. Also, Outkast might be one of the best hook writers out there, so many great ones.
Destiny's Child
4/5
This is pretty good, very similar to TLC. I think it's a bit better due to some better hooks, but it's still an album of R&B love songs. There are classics here like Independent Women and Survivor, but I enjoyed a number of other songs, with my favorite being Emotion. I can really see why this was popular back in the day as the trios singing really makes this a nice listen.
Deep Purple
3/5
It's an OK album. Pretty confident as a debut, but not as polished or fun as some of my favorites by them. Child of Time is a good song and the build up throughout has a nice payoff, but my favorite here is probably Flight of the Rat, I liked the drum solo at the end. A pure rock and roll band, solid listen but nothing very stand out for me. I'm sure this hit differently in 1970.
The War On Drugs
2/5
This album reminds me a lot of Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. album, including all the things that annoyed me about that. A snare drum every 2 beats for 45 mins and mostly samesy music. I will say that this had far more ambient music than I was expecting based on the radio edits of Under Pressure and Red Eyes that I've heard. Overall though, pretty underwhelmed by this album and by most of what I've heard from The War on Drugs in general. An Ocean In Between the Waves is a cool build up of a song.
Beastie Boys
5/5
This is way funkier than the punky Lisence to Ill, and it's amazing. Q-Tip and the Beastie Boys? C'mon, man. Seveal songs on here are great and I like them more than Sabatoge to be honest, like Get It Together, The Update, Do It, and Ricky's Theme. This album shows me how talented this trio was beyond their funny gag-rap that was prevelant all throughout their debut.
Beatles
5/5
This is way funkier than the punky Lisence to Ill, and it's amazing. Q-Tip and the Beastie Boys? C'mon, man. Seveal songs on here are great and I like them more than Sabatoge to be honest, like Get It Together, The Update, Do It, and Ricky's Theme. This album shows me how talented this trio was beyond their funny gag-rap that was prevelant all throughout their debut.
Ash
4/5
Such a teenage sounding album, but wow did I love this. It definitely sounds like something a bunch of high schoolers wrote while screwing around with instruments, with childish but awesomely fun songs like Kung Fu or Girl from Mars. But at the same time, it's the right level of catchy and campy that makes many of these songs plain fun to listen to. A couple of them surprised me with just how good the songs actually were, with Goldfinger and Oh Yeah being my favorites.
Yes
3/5
There are moments of this prog rock album that I really enjoy. The Clap is a standout for me. Yours is a Disgrace has some really fun moments and I like the bluegrass second act of Starship Trooper. Many other parts of this album drag a bit long, even for prog rock. I could definitely find myself throwing this on while droning on some work in my garage. Solid prog, but not my favorite.
The Clash
5/5
I've always thought it was funny that punk lyrics are basically I won't go to war for some country, or that working long boring jobs sucks and that those are somehow opinions that are counter culture. Anyway this album is awesome, excellent representation of the explosion of punk. It's fast, angry, musically simple and just is straight to the point rock. Pretty fun listening to this after a week of psychadelic and prog rock. My favorite is probably What's My Name, the one song I wish has a tad longer.
MGMT
5/5
Somehow I've never listened tl this whole album despite it coming out when I was in high school. Electric Feel and Kids were everywhere, and while great songs, they were severely overplayed which I guess led to me keeling the album at a distance. What a mistake that was, because this is seriously incredible. Every track is inventive and exploratory, reminding me a lot of the Bowie I've heard on this list. The chorus in The Youth is ghostly, and entralling, as is 4th Dimensional Transition. Of Moons, Birds & Monsters has some cool moments in the middle, but the last 2 mins of the song are special. This whole album is a vibe and truly stands out amongst its peers from the decade.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
5/5
I had no idea what I was getting into with this album, but man am I blown away. Never had heard of this group but their mix of jazz and rock is really spectacular. The bass is grooving throughout this entire album as the horns and piano take turns between David Clayton-Thomas' vocals, which are also awesome. Every song is a little crazy and it's common to see this group jump between sounds, like the ending of Spinning Wheel. And When I Die is a contemplative song and is a joy to listen to with hints of motown. I also really enjoyed Smiling Phases. Pretty much loved this whole thing, exactly what I'm looking for in this set list.
De La Soul
5/5
This rap feels so effortless. I had never heard of De La Soul, but I'm really enjoying the rap groups of this era, like ATCQ and the Roots. Cool samples from all over, groovy bass lines, and creative lyrics keep this sounding impeccable. I could listen to this all day. The best here is probably Eye Know, but I also liked Jenifa Taught Me, The Magic Number, Buddy (Q-Tip again, awesome), and Me Myself and I. Could probably do without the skits, but thats a genre problem more than this album.
Muddy Waters
4/5
When you think of blues, it probably sounds a lot like this. Soulful singing, harmonica, repeating lyrics on the hardships of life, and classic blues licks. I enjoyed this a lot despite never heard of Muddy Waters before. Looking at his wikipedia page, he was tremendously influential to a ton of artists. I liked I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man the most here. The only issue is that a lot of this Chicago style blues is fairly similar sounding.
Charles Mingus
4/5
Very experimental, and very cool. The only jazz I've heard so far that trows away convential music norms in this list has been A Love Supreme by Coltrane. This was easier to listen to, I think because of that experience and overall I enjoyed this ballet quite a bit. My favorite is Track C - Group Dancers. A long piano build up, a couple hits of the motiff, and then some Spanish guitar, feels like story telling through the music. Not sure how I'll enjoy this as a stand alone piece in my playlist, but for now it stays.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
4/5
This kind of slaps. A music style I know nothing about, but it is pretty damn catchy. Haq Ali Ali Haq is pretty great. The drums are addicting and the chanting is never obnoxious. I liked this more than I expected and am glad I listened. No idea how this stacks up to other Pakistani music, but Nusrat feels like a good intoduction to it.
Ravi Shankar
2/5
I've had a lot of world music this week and this one was the most boring so far. I thought it would be intersting since it opens with some listening exercises, which is kind of cool on a first listen, but these songs are all just too long and too homogenous for me to want to listen to more. Ravi Shankar is obviously talented and this feels very influential to a lot of stereotypical Indian music and psych music with Indian flares, but a whole album of it is pretty dull.
D'Angelo
3/5
D'Angelo is a good singer and this is a nice R&B album. A nice change from some of the poppier hip hop I've had from this era. It's a little oversexualized for large stretches, but I suppose that's the genre. The beats are smooth, though safe. My favorite one by far is When We Get By. The songs are all maybe 90 seconds too long with the last minute constantly repeating the chorus for that duration. Overall, fine album, something I wouldn't have listened to before and probably won't return soon. But I enjoyed it enough.
Suicide
2/5
I did not like this very much, especially the last two songs. Feels experimental, a precursor to shoegaze (which I don't like) but also inspirational to some groups I do like, like LCD Soundsystem. There's also a hint of doo-wap in some of the songs, like Johnny, whoch happens to be my favorite here. Shout out to the Donkey Kong sample here, that's neat.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
Lyrically dense folk rock, sounds like you could it between a renaissance fair and a nursery rhyme. It's soothing, yet full of more detailed instruments than you initially here at face value. The best song here is The Boxer, but I also enjoyed El Condor Pasa (If I Could), Baby Driver, and Bridge Over Troubled Water. Easy to enjoy this when my wife also loves it.
Minor Threat
5/5
Wow, such an iconic sound without me having ever heard of them. Sounds like The Offspring, but a decade earlier. This album is fast and gone in a blink, but it's very memorable. It's fast punk, an evolution on what The Ramones and The Clash did the previous decade. Really an incredible album. Betray is great.
Muddy Waters
5/5
Blues masterpiece. All of your iconic Chicago blues licks can be found here, played to perfection. The guitars are ripping, harmonicas are swinging, and Muddy brings a lot to the mic as well. Definitely a lot more polished than his live album that predates this by 20 years, and that studio shine does take away some ues magic, but I can't deny that there are aeveral amazing songs here. My favorite is probably Crosseyed Cat and Bus Driver.
Genesis
4/5
What a strange and sprawling album. Almost none of these songs follow a traditional format and the instrumentals and production are pretty top notch. But it can be hard to follow or just way too experimental at times with random tracks of ambient noise thrown in for good measure. There are absolutely some gems, with my favorite being The Chamber of 32 Doors. What an awesome song. This was a fun but flawed ride from Collins, Gabriel, and the boys.
Devendra Banhart
2/5
Sounds like I'm sitting in a coffee shop. And I don't like coffee. This is poetic folk that only has one beat and I don't really love his goat-ey voice and the acoustic guitar really gets irritating after a while. Parts are interesting, I liked the Body Breaks, that's a pretty heartbreaking song. I also liked Insect Eyes. But overall, not really my jam.
David Bowie
3/5
Not my favorite Bowie that this list has given me. Some songs are good, like Joe the Lion and I kind of like The Secret Life of Arabia even though it's probably the most simple here. I feel like he is flexing his artistic side with the Eno instromentals here, and I don't think they fit the album super well. But artist is gonna art.
Morrissey
3/5
I like Morrissey in the Smiths and find his cynicism pretty funny in many of the songs there. But add a 90s twist and take away his awesome guitarist and it isn't as good. The cynicism is still there, but a lot of the fun is gone. He still comes across like he's the only person who has discovered feelings. My favorite here is Hold On To Your Friends.
Eagles
3/5
Hotel California is still an unbelievably good song. Like really, really great. Going into this, that was the only Eagles song I really knew. The rest of this album really suffers from not being Hotel California. It's also tonally all over the place. New Kid In Town is actually quite good as well, but then there's the disco Life in the Fast Lane and the (dad) rocking Victim of Love and I don't think they make the album greater than the sum of its parts. And the largest part is undoubtedly the Hotel itself.
Big Star
4/5
It took me two listens, but I ultimate enjoyed this a lot more than I expected. I think I just like alt rock from 1975-1980. This is filled with personality and feels very genuine. Thank You Friends hammers that feeling home. I enjoyed several tunes here, including Big Black Car, Kizza Me, and Nightime. Good stuff.
David Crosby
3/5
Well I can tell who wrote my favorite song from the CSN album I had earlier, because so many songs here sound like Guinevere. A very breif amd quite album, it wasn't really something that stuck with me and was overall quite forgettable. It sounds good, but I don't think I'll come back soon. My favorite is Tamalpais High.
Kate Bush
5/5
Awesome album. Unique pop that stands from it's peers from the era. Running Up That Hill is a monster of a song that deserves all of the recent revitalization it has received. I like several songs from here, I think the one I'll add to my list is Jig of Life. It's a nice Irish jig with Kates dominating voice still present.
Lenny Kravitz
4/5
Never heard any Lenny outside of Fly Away and American Women (shoutout to What Makes This Song Stink on Youtube for the Kravitz bowl), and I'm pleased to say I liked his debut a ton. Let Love Rule is an awesome song with two greatsax parts and a ton of 60s influence, while sounding notably more modern than it. It's probably the best tune here. But I also liked I Built This Garden For Us a lot, too. Surprised at how much religious stuff there was in here, though.
The Hives
4/5
I knew the first song here, it's pretty good. But overly dissapointed by the second song as it sounded almost exactly the same. Fortunately, the album became more and more punk as it went and I found myself enjoying it once again by the end. My favorite was Mad Men.
Erykah Badu
5/5
Wow, incredible music. Some of the best R&B I've heard with some outstanding backing music. I enjoyed TLC and Destiny's Child for what they are, but this was a whole new level. My favorites were A.D. 2000 and Green Eyes. These songs are oozing with style and tell great stories, so much more than typical love shlop that appears on similar tracks.
Neu!
2/5
This album struggled to hold my attention. And maybe thats by the nature of it being half ambient music, but I enjoyed the Eno album's I've had so far. This just didnt have the same pull for me. And by the time the 9 minute Leb' wohl ends, the album turns on a dime into something different, a half of an album I also didn't care too much for. All in all, very skippable for me. My favorite here would have to be Isi.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
1/5
That's enough music for today. It starts rough, has several rough parts throughout, and only a couple of moments shine through. I did actually like Love All of Me, but the rest of this album was difficult for me. I will say it sounds like a guy who made the music he wanted to make, but it's not for me. Too chaotic.
Silver Jews
2/5
Reminds me some of Bill Callahan, but I found this overly boring compared to thatm. The lyrics aren't inspired enough for me to get past the talk-singing that is offered here. It has some cool country influences, but ultimately is a stereotypical indie rock record.
The Byrds
3/5
The tambourine guy in this nand must had had a lot of sway in the group. Song, album title, and he's on every song. This is mostly standard fair 60s pop, though it gets a lot of leg work from their falsetto harmonizing. My favorites here are probably She Has a Way, We'll Meet Again, and Don't Doubt Yourself, Babe.
The Who
4/5
This felt like watching a movie. It was quite long for an album, but I really appreciated the story telling as an operic album. Pinball Wizard is a great song and one I'm surprised wasn't more familiar to me despite it's age and reputation. My favorite outside of that is Probably Eyesight To The Blind, or maybe Sally Simpson. This was a fun listen and The Who feel ahead of the game with their rock.
Beatles
4/5
A bunch of Beatles songs that were new to me, I enjoyed this a bunch. I had a Byrds album yesterday, and the energy and quality of the Beatles really puts most of their contemporaries to shame. Far from their best, there are still some standouts. Namely, And I Love Her is incredible. It's easy to take pop for granted, but the deeper in this list I get, the more I appreciate some of the juggernauts.
Lambchop
3/5
There are a surprisngly large number of these indie / country hybrid albums. This is a fine album, though it isn't particularly stand out at anything. I enjoyed listening through it, with my favorite being Up With People. The music is calm, but repetative. A bit refreshing after a couple of punk albums in a row, though not sure when I will be back for it.
Ozomatli
3/5
Parts of this album are very stereotypical latin music, like exactly what I would imagine would play if a latin charachter was on a TV show. The raps are also very 2000s. It's a style that is very familiar to me, but it's slower paced and less lyrically interesting than raps from other eras. The back end of the album was significantly better than the first half for me. Déjame en Paz was my favorite. It's very high energy and the call and response in it is really fun.
Anthrax
4/5
Far better than Megadeth, not quite Metallica. The voice sound mixing seems a little off, but it's not too distracting. The music here is fast, furious, changes on a dime, and is endlessly creative. Songs will have multiple parts at different (fast) tempos. This happens in each song here, and my favorite was probavly Imitation of Life. A Skeleton In the Closet was also really good. Maybe I needed some thrash after a week and a half in the 60s, but I really enjoyed this listen.
Roxy Music
4/5
Weird group, weird mysic, and I liked it. If There Is Something is very nice. Upbeat, funky, some good solos, goofy singing, and overall a great song. This album also feels strangely placed in time. For 1972, it sounds like not much else from that era, and that gets it some bonus points for me. Starting to see Brian Eno's fingerprints all over this list and it's cool to start noticing connections between groups.
Fiona Apple
5/5
Some albums just have the sauce. The first couple of bars if Rack of His have the sauce. Eerie, intoxicating, and fully unique sounding, it's just one song of many on this album that are really special. I Want Ypu to Love Me, Shameika, Csomonauts, and For Her are great. Fiona definitely has a singing style that persists throughout this album that teeters between fast talking and singing. I know this is her newest album, but very intersted in more of her discography after this.
Brian Eno
5/5
I've had like 3 Eno touched albums in the last month (this, Roxy Music, and Bowie's Heros) and the more I know about him, the more I really appreciate his style and influence. This album is is basically two halves. 1 half 70s pop, 1 half dreamy soundscape. While the beginning is fun, with King's Lead Hat being particularly notable, the second half is really inspirational. Like nothing I've heard before, but at the same time nostalgic and incredibly well produced. It starts with Here He Comes, but really, Julie With... and By This River are the stars of this album. Great listen.
Nanci Griffith
3/5
A perfectly safe country album. Im not very familiar with mid 80s country, but this is easy listening that sounds like the country I tend to like. Twangy, folky lyrics, it sounds like the countryside. Goin' Gone is a pleasant song, probably my favorite on this album with nice harmonizing and all your favorite beats from country music. Not sure if I'll be back soon, but an album that was plenty of listenable for a genre I used to not care much for.
Nine Inch Nails
4/5
What a primal sound. I know a lot of this from when I listened to rock radio in high school, primarily Closer and Hurt, which are both still great. Closer is a little vulgar for what I tend to like now, but you can't deny how driving the song is and how much momentum it carries. My favorite that was new to me is probably Piggy. And while I've hated distortion in some other groups so far, that was mostly directed at shoegaze. This is anything but that. Industrial, feral, mechanical, brutal, it works a lot more here, like in Mr. Self Destruct. And the music is just good despite those harsh tones. Still, not my genre nowadays, but worth the listen for sure.
The Replacements
5/5
Such a kickass album. The opener, I Will Dare, is a very well aged indie rock song. It's probably one of my favorite songs on this list so far, just such an fun, bopping riff. But theres also some really heartfelt songs, with Androgynous leading the way here. I think ultimately this will be the song I add to my list because there isn't really much like it that I've heard before. Overall, this album was amazing and I will be back.
Kid Rock
1/5
This is rough. One of the worst albums I think I've ever heard. It's incredibly misogynistic, crass, and it isn't even that fun to listen to, except for maybe F*** Off with Eminem, who I also think has a lot of those same issues in this era. But the worst sin thie commits is that it is insincere. There is no genuinity here and it comes across like an insensitive teenager who just learned the word hoe. It actually worries me that people listen to this and think it represents them, because it's just so low, I can hardly imagine meeting a person who behaves like the lyrics state in person.
Kraftwerk
4/5
Not as good as The Man-Machine, Autobahn does a great job of feeling like you're flying down the German speedway. At 22 minutes, it's a bit oong to listen to when sitting at a desk, but I'm sure it feels great when on the road. The buzzing sound to simulate speeding cars works very well. Kometenmelodie 2 is also a nice synth pop song.
Linkin Park
5/5
A lonumental album to my youth. Admittedly, I think its sounds cornier the older I get, and the lyrics were always pretty cringe, but this is the best Nu metal ever sounded, in my opinion. It's aggressive, industrial, and does lots of cool things with it's beats and instruments. My favorite, that isn't Crawling or In The End, is probably Points of Authority. I like the hammer sound in the background and the jagged guitars. I still love this album and it brings a sound that only SOAD has touched on this list so far.
N.W.A.
5/5
I had never listened to N.W.A. besides F*** the Police, and I gotta say it was pretty good. The origins of gangsta rap, you can't deny the beats, funk, sampling, and chemistry of the group. Anger was boiling over out west and this album captures a lot of that in different ways than Public Enemy, ATCQ, and Roots, all of who Ive had in this list before this. The flow is simple by today's standards, but it still works very well. And the lyrics also don't age super well, but it doesn't bother me nearly as much as Eminem's debut or even Dre's own Chronic a couple years later. My favorites here are probably Straight Outta Compton, Express Yourself, 8 Ball (Brooklyn Boys seem to have left a huge impressoon on these guys), Dopeman, and Quiet on the Set. Easy to see how this became a landmark in music.
Tom Waits
4/5
This is weird as hell and I really liked it. There's two main vibes here, one is a carnival, which shows ip in these albums far more than I expected, and the other is this sort of noir feeling jazz or salsa or something. The title track, Swordfishtrombone is more of the latter and it is an excellent song. There was a lot else here I liked, like Down, Down, Down, and Underground. This was fun.
The Prodigy
3/5
This wra of electronica is very nostalgic and dated feeling. Sounds like a lot of video game music from the late 90s, and while there are interesting parts, overall I just didnt really care for the album a ton. It's way too long, though there are some cool hooks and sounds mixed in. My favorite is Their Law, which has a nice weight to the heavy rock in it. Poison was also good. But I'm very ready to move on after 75 minutes.
Gang Of Four
5/5
Alt rock from 1978-1979 just hits harder man. This album is unbelievably good, up there with Television and Magazine. I pretty much ejoyed everything on this album. It's upbeat, hooky, rocking, and sounds about 15 years ahead of It's time. My favorites are Not Great Men, Guns Before Butter, and I Found That Essence Rare, but really this whole album is very listenable.
The Byrds
4/5
This is mostly standard fair 60s, landing somewhere closer to CSN than the Beatles. Lots of familiar sounds and harmonizing with the singers. There are a couple special moments throughout that elevate the album to me, including Goin' Back. A beautiful song that I really enjoyed. I also liked Change is Now and Tribal Gathering.
Fugees
5/5
Such a cool album. Killing Me Softly With His Song is simply incredible. But it's far from all this album has to offer. Ready or Not, Zealots, The Score, and Cowboy are also all pretty great. These lyrics are clever, deft, and fully loaded with samples and nods to other songs. All three rappers are great on this, and the backing tracks feel effortless. One of the best of its era.
The Gun Club
3/5
An interesting cow-punk album that's having at times really fun, and at other times pretty forgettable. I think some songs like Jack on Fire are pretty awesome, with the right amount of twangy swing in his voice. From my favorite era in punk, unfortunately, and it doesn't stand up quite to the kings of the era.
Throwing Muses
4/5
Quite a lot of punk this month, this time it's girl punk. I've liked what I've gotten from the female leads like Souxie and X-Ray Specs, so it's not much of a surprise that I enjoyed this too. Most of the first half of the album was good, but it really started picking up gor me around Speed and Sleep. That song through Los Flamingoes was a great 15 min run, with the latter being my favorite on the album. The music is never constant and is overall largely enjoyable. I also like the lead's voice. It's reminding me of someone else I can't place, or maybe just the 2000s era. Either way, I liked it.
The Associates
2/5
This is all over the place, with an almost sickening amount of very dated synths flooding every song. There are occasionally some highlights, like the heart pounding bassline in It's Better This Way or the piano riff in Party Fears Two, but overall, I think this was a little too erratic for me to fully enjoy.
Leftfield
4/5
I enjoyed this electronic album much more than most of what I've gotten on this list. For some reason, it was far more listenable. In fact, some of the songs were quite inspiring. Melt, in particular, is beautiful. Sounds straight out of the game Tunic and pulls hard on 90s nostalgia. I also liked Afro Left. Overall, this bum is more subdued than it's peers and as a result, way nicer than expected.
Fishbone
5/5
Wild album, an absolute hodgepodge of genres slammed together that result in a pretty diverse album where none of the songs are repetative or derivative. It's really funky, at times heavy, and there are plenty of rockin solos and horns. I really enjoyed this throughout, some some of my favorites being Ma and Pa, Mighty Long Way, and Slow Movin' Bus. The ska sounds are very faniliar, and this is clearly influential to the next 15 years of ska wannabes.
Billy Bragg
4/5
Billy Bragg sounds shockingly like an Irish Morrissey on this album, it reminded me of it the whole time. I liked this album a lot more than Mermaid Avenue, maybe because I've been primed on Billy already. But his folk rock is pretty consistent throughout the album, with a couple of high spots. There Is Power in a Union could definitelty be a blue collar anthem, and The Marriage is pretty ironic in it's bitterness contrasting with the joyous trumpets. My favorite is probably the bluesy Wishing the Days Away. Good album.
TV On The Radio
5/5
Wow. I am stunned at how great this album is, because I didn't really like the other TV on the Radio album I've had. That album had far too much falsetto and was overly distracting. This album, however, is unique song after unique song with crazy electronic sounds, funky beats, much more approachable singing, and incredibly layered songs. I liked pretty much everything here. Golden Age, Crying, Red Dress, all awesome. My favorite is Love Dog. I really like the bass riff at the end, just a beautiful song.
Elliott Smith
4/5
Elliot Smith is the embodiment of a tortured artist. The music isn't really anything special, lots of the same soft guitar strumming covers this entire album. But he has a way with lyrics and every song is elevated because of it. Between the Bars is the best song here for me, but I also liked Alameda. It has a pretty cool riff.
Deerhunter
4/5
I've always liked what I've heard from Deerhunter. Feels like a solid representstion of the late 2010s indie music scene. So Ivknew a couple of these songs, but there were some new ones too. Earthquake in particular was a lot of fun. Dream pop that really carries you away (kind of sounds like something from the game Tunic). I think this will be the song I save since it was so new to me. But my favorite on the album is probably Desire Lines, particularly the last minute or so. Solid album.
Miles Davis
4/5
Miles Davis departs from the Birth of Cool. The last album of his of had, wherethe songs are now long and unstructured, giving the artists room to play and experiment, as opposed to the short snappy tuned from 15 years prior. This fusion album is mysterious, shrouded in vibes. Overall I really enjoyed it, especially as background for other work. The songs are long enough to get lost in and you can forget to come up and breathe. I liked Pharaoh's Dance more than Bitches Brew, and Spanish Key maybe more than both of them. It's definitely longer than I would have liked, but pretty great muscicianship is on display here.
AC/DC
3/5
Anthem rock, judt like the other album of theirs I've had. There's no denying their energy. And I'm sure concerts of theirs were absolutely electric when everyone can sing the very simple and repetative choruses. There are rock staples here, and while definitively "dad rock", Back in Black is still good. My favorite that I didnt know was Shoot To Thrill.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Nick Cave is kind of an underground darling (ironically), but this is the first album of his that I really enjoyed. It's a little deranged, starting right with Papa Won't Leave You, Henry. This song is pretty awesome, and it's followed up by my next favorite on the album, I Had a Dream, Joe. The rest of the album is good, but the opening songs were really memorable to me, and this was so much better than Ghosteen or anything by The Birthday Party.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
3/5
Very technically sound, and some absolutely iconic and recognizeable blues licks. Only problem is it's boring. None of the grit or emotion that is in B.B. King or Muddy Waters. Fine enough as an album, and I think it's pretty importsnt for crossing the blues-rock bridge, but I'd rather listen to something more bluesy if I'm in the mood for blues. Hideaway rocks pretty hard though. And there's a good drum solo in What'd I Say.
Dirty Projectors
4/5
Easily some of the most hipster shit I've ever heard. And guess I'm a hipster, cause I liked this a bunch. It's definitely over the top and the echoing feamale leads is way too much at times, but this doesn't sound like anything else on this list so far, and it gets bonus points for that. My favorites were Two Doves and Remade Horizon.
Beck
5/5
Beck was real sad for this one. Fortunately for everyone else, that means we get a pretty great album. The music here is quite beautiful and really emphasizes the emotions that Beck was feeling when writing these songs. One of the songs (Round the Bend) reminded me of my favorite Nick Drake song, The River Man, which really sucked me in. Other great songs here are Paper Tiger (such a funky base line), Guess I'm Doing Fine, and Already Dead.
PJ Harvey
3/5
A concept album focused on Englad and WW1; prerrt interesting and strange. These definitely feel like war songs, almost like a musical accompanying WW1, which has a weird tonal juxtaposition. The nusic is pretty good, though not amazing. I think this album works as a full setlist, though most of thsse songs wouldn't work nearly as well on their own. The best one is In the Dark Places.
Dr. John
5/5
This is the type of music hippies in the 60s would have thought was for hipsters. This is some weird shit, and it's frankly kind of awesome. Way more interesting than another Byrds album from the same era, that's for sure. My favorite is the cult like Danse Kalinda Ba Boom. This whole album feels like you're slinking around the grimiest corners looking for the worst cut acid you can find. As far as the weird albums on this list go, this is one of the better ones.
Buena Vista Social Club
5/5
Awesome Cubano album. There is some really beautiful stuff here and it doesn't really feel generic, while remaining easy to identify. The piano work in the title track is so good, I listened to that song repeatedly over the day. Chan Chan, Amor de Loca Juventud, and Pueblo Nuevo were also standouts for me. Probably my go to for latin music now, if I'm rver told to pick a single album in my admittedly narrow experience with it.
Queen
5/5
For as many hits Queen has, there is still a ton of their music I have never listened to. And this album kicks off with a kick to the teeth; Death on Two Legs (Dedicated To...) is just so good. This labum then goes off the rails for the next 40 minutes, switching fenres every other song before landing on Bohemian Rhapsody. The only real dud here is I'm In Love With My Car. And by the time its over and I'm angry that it's here, You're My Best Friend starts, and no one can be angry with that song. Probably my favorite Queen album yet.
Butthole Surfers
1/5
This was rough. One of my least favorite things I've heard in this list. It's punk and very unique, but I really don't like what they are going for. Way too chaotic, juvenile, and distracting. Human Cannonball is a pretty good punk song, but probably their most accessible song on this album.
The Adverts
5/5
Awesome punk album from what continues to be my favorite year in music. This has all your favorite punk beats, but the difference maker on this album is the singing is quite good, which is not normally present in these albums. This is right up there with The Ramones as my favorite from the genre, probably edging out The Clash. I haven't got the Sex Pistols yet, so we will see if it holds that spot. My favorite here was Safety in Numbers and Gary Gilmore's Eyes.
Circle Jerks
5/5
This album was way more fun than the first impression I got from the album title and group name. This is real punk. The album is fast and angry. You can really feel the angst from these guys as each song blazes by in both tempo and length. But it does so in a way that's pretty funny and just flat out entertaining. I think my favorite was Back Against the Wall, especially the double time at the end. I Want Some Skank, Beveryly Hills, Behind the Door, and World Up My Ass are also pretty great.
5/5
I'm actually surprised this album as is beloved as it is, considering how sci-fi it's theme is. But, then again, the music is damn good. Five Years is grand and amazing. I love how layered it becomes the deeper into it becomes. Most of this album was new to me, besides Starman, and I liked pretty much all of it. The first 4 songs rock, and then Hang on to Yourself, Suffragette City, and Rock 'n' Roll Suicide supports the back half. It's a short and snappy album, and an easy one to enjoy.
Bee Gees
3/5
A generally boring album. The harmonizing isn't as good as CSN, and the softer family pop is done way better by groups like The Carpenters. I did like the opening track and also Walking Back to Waterloo, shout out to Napoleon, he was a cool guy.
The Who
4/5
Incredibly impressive performances by the artists here only to be bogged down by their own success. Baba O'Riley, Behind Blue Eyes, and Won't Get Fooled Again are so over played and cemented as "dad rock" that it can be hard to appreciate the drums, piano, and guitars that rock all over this album. I really liked some of the lesser known songs here, like My Wife and The Song is Over, but there is no denying that the hits here really are hits.
Adele
3/5
Adele's talent is undeniable, but this was squarely in the era that I really dreaded pop music and that's difficult to reconcile for my rating here. The beginning is full of iconic, overplayed, and frankly boring grand pop songs that were hard for me to get into. But the back half of the album contained many new songs for me, and I enjoyed several of them, particularly Love in the Dark, Million Years Ago, and All I Ask. That 3 song section was worth the listen for me.
Public Enemy
4/5
Another Public Enemy album, another list of bangers. Public Enemy continues to be loud party style rap with a ton of sick beats and funk. It's sad that it's still culturally relevant today, particularly the opening to By The Time I Get To Arizona and Can't Truss It. Terminator X and Flava Flave create some pretty fun rhymes, even if at times the flow feels dated. Good stuff.
The United States Of America
2/5
This was rough. At least they are doing their own thing instead of all the other psych bands from these couple years, but it's too experimental for me. I dont really care for the sedated singing or the cacophony that is the first song. And i didn't want to listen to an hour of this. Also, that's a dumb band name. I'll probably pick something like I Won't Leave My Wooden Wife for You, Sugar, because it captures the strangeness of this album.
Marianne Faithfull
5/5
Absolutely stunning album from what continues to be my favorite year in this whole journey. Broken English, the opening track, is funky and dark, sounding something like a track from Super Metroid. But it's far from the only enjoyable thing here; Guilt, The Ballad of Lucy Jordan, and Working Class Hero (a cover) are all great. And the album ends with the incredibly raw Why'd Ya Do It?. I was surprised throughout, and probably only half as surprised as the original Faithfull fans would have been in the late 70s. This is such a departure from her early career, it's remarkable.
Elastica
4/5
Great album, I really enjoyed this. Much more upbeat than a lot of other music this era, including other Brit Pop. Some of it is quite funky, with my favorite being Car Song and S.O.F.T.. I like this car song a lot more than the Queen one I listened to a couple days ago. Some Franz Ferdinand present here.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
The energy Janis brings to her music is pretty spectacular. This is very familiar sounding acid rock, sounds a lot like Hendrix, maybe a little more bluesy, particularly in the middle of the album. But the real highlight here is Janis' singing. Combination of the Two is a pretty fun opening, but my favorite was probably Summertime. A lot of this album works, even if it's a touch long for what I was wanting from it. Listening to I Need a Man to Love as I type this, and it's also rocking.
The Youngbloods
5/5
What a diamond of an album. Never heard of The Youngbloods, but I was completely blown away. I was expecting some more pop rock from 66-73 that I've heard 50 times by now, but this was so much more. It's a beautiful album with excellent instrumentation that made me want to stay in the vibes. Ride the Wind was such an amazing ending of the album that I'm having trouble remembering my thoughts from earlier in the album. Darkness, Darkness, Smug, and Don't Let the Rain Get You Down were all great as well. But i just can't get past the funky finale, with its chimes, piano, and xylophone. Such a positive sounding song.
Elvis Presley
3/5
It's Elvis. You know him, you know the songs, you know his legacy. Many of these songs are from other artists, just done a little more boringly, like Tutti Frutti and I've Got a Woman. I was mostly surprised to hear Elvis sing differently than his deep drawl you normally here, like in I'm Counting On You. Elvis' most charming aspect is his hilarious cadence when he is annunciating, like in most of One-Sided Love Affair. I think it's quite fun to sing along to. Solid album.
New Order
2/5
This has to have one of my least favorite opening tracks. It's just an ugly synthetic mess of a song to me, and it doesnt sound like the rest of the album and only left me with a sour taste for what was a pretty solid album otherwise. Round & Round is pretty nice, though I also don't love the opener there. Once it gets rolling, though, it's pretty good. My favorite is probably Vanishing Point, this song has some beautiful moments in it. Overall, this album is kind of a culmination of the 80s worst habbits all collected, and it's not my favorite.
The Pharcyde
5/5
These kids are really talented, this album is so much fun. Yeaa it's juvenile and the hunor can be very dated, but I'd be crazy to say we didn't talk or joke like this in middle and high school, so I'm not going to dock it for that. It's clearly not trying to be profound or overly insightful, so I have to take it at face value. And that leaves an incredibly fun album with sick beats, great flow and banter, and clever references and word play. Some of the best from an era that I've enjoyed a ton of already.
PJ Harvey
3/5
I can't deny that I enjoyed this, but I also can't deny that most of the songs blended together for me and when reflecting on it, none specifically stood out to me. The album has an industrial vibe that it nails and it plays with volumes a lot, which I thought was pretty cool from a production stand point. I'll probably add Highway '61 Revisited to my playlist, that song does some pretty wild things with tempo and time signatures and also captures PJ Harvey's vibe well.
Aerosmith
4/5
I'm sure this slapped in 1975. It's pretty hard for pop rock with plenty of singable and memorable hooks and Joe Perry goes kind of wild several times. Walk this Way in particular has an awesome bass line and I really enjoy the guitar riff during the choruses. And even if the lyrics are juvenile and horny, Tyler's voice really is energetic, memorable, and has a fun cadence. I liked the album more than I want to admit.
Tom Waits
4/5
Why is there so much carnival music on this list? Fortunately for us listeners, this one is actually really great. Tom Waits seems a little deranged and this is an album that is truly unique to this listening experience, which is refreshing. Singapore is a great opener and tone setter for what kind of twisted Alice in Wonderland journey you are about to embark on. I also liked Clap Hands, and these were probably my favorite before the album started losing some charm. That's not to say the rest of the album isn't worth it, but the shock of the opening tracks was really memorable.
The Crusaders
5/5
I see the comments are complaing that this sounds like elevator or Weather Channel music. Well the Weather Channel slaps, and this does too. Street Life is awesome and it's nice listening to a jazz album that isn't all free form like the Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, and Davis I've gotten in the last month. I think my favorite part on this is the middle guitar-piano solos in Carnival of the Night. Though, if Street Life was a little less than 11 mins, that's what I would move to my playlist because it's great.
Franz Ferdinand
5/5
One of my favorite alternative bands in high school, this group always sounded unique. Their pop sound and liberal use of tempo and tonal changes has always led to fun music. Take Me Out, Dark of the Matinée, and Jacqueline were all songs I've heard over the years, but not much beyond that in depth. My favorite new one was 40', but really this whole album was fun.
The Who
3/5
I didn't really care for this album that much. There isn't much that particularly stands out other than My Generation. The next best songs are both James Brown covers. Out in the Street is probably my next favorite after that. The drums and singing are pretty standout on this album, but the rest was pretty standard. This group definitely gets better as they get more experience.
Pink Floyd
2/5
Very psychedelic, not very fun when not on psychedelics. It's pretty free form, but not in a way that shows off any particular talent other than crafting a dreamscape. The music is cliche and subpar and listless. Definitely like their later stuff far more. Not even sure which of these songs I would add to my playlist, none of them really work as "songs".
Japan
4/5
I really enjoyed this album. It's well produced, funky, and just very clean sounding synth pop without the ugly distortion and bloat that the next decade would push further. Despair, In Vogue, and All Tomorrow's Party are great vibes.
Kanye West
5/5
Kanye may be a hypocrite bigot, but damn this album is good. It was supremely popular when I was in school, but I didn't pay rap or hip hop much attention at that time. This album has awesome backing music, pretty good flow and topics, great lyrics, and is pretty funny as well. Sucks that it belongs to a piece of shit, because I want to enjoy it unabashedly. My favorite was Spaceship, but We Don't Care, Never Let Me Down, and several others were great. Gonna rate it as music, as I have other controversial artists like MJ.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
5/5
Second Siouxie album, second banger. Gothic and spooky, this has an eerie vibe throughout, ending with an absolute rocking song in Voodoo Dolly. By the middle of the track, the blood is pumping full of anxiety and it is a lot of fun. Siouxie kills it throughout this album and is a great vocal lead. The whole album is awesome, with some of my other favorites at Spellbound, Monitor, and Head Cut. Loved it, will probably be back.
David Holmes
2/5
A largely boring album, the beats are simple and it sounds like a movie soundtrack. This lines up, as Holmes' discography includes many film albums like the Oceans' films. It is easy listening and really inoffensive, and I did like the groove in Don't Die Just Yet, which is easily the best song here. But overall, it's not super interesting.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
This is night and day different from White Light/ White Heat, an album I abhorred. This actually pretty nice. Gone are the 8 minute songs ans overly distorted sounds and the shoegaze vibe. Now there's actual song structure with some beautiful songs like Pale Blue Eyes. I even kind of liked the long song this time, where The Murder Mystery kind of sounds like Chop Suey by SOAD. I enjoyed this enough to give it a bonus star because I was really expecting to hate it.
Robert Wyatt
4/5
This was a challenging listen at first, it actually reminded me a lot of my struggles with Coltrane's A Love Supreme. But, like that album, the more I listened to it, the more it fell into place. These abstract albums are so different from 95% of this list because their song structures are way more fluid. Time signatures all over the place, each instrument doing its own thing that circles the themes of the pieces. And the more you let go trying to make sense of it, the better it sounds. Now I didn't like this as much as A Love Supreme, but it was pretty interesting by the end. If I have a favorite, it's probably the first Little Red Riding Hood Hit the Road, Alife, or Sea Song.
Jane's Addiction
5/5
Man what a fun group. I only really knew Been Caught Stealing, but this album is just full of energy. It's pretty metal, and the singer, Perry Farrell, has an oftentimes goofy voice, but it's iconic in it's own way. I also had no idea that he founded Lollapalooza, that's actually really cool. Anyways, Three Days is unbelievable, I don't even mind that it was 10 mins long. This is really great early 90s alt rock.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Never listened to Elvis Costello before (and maybe I should brace myself, sounds like he has a lot on this list), but this was pretty good to me. A lot like Dylan in his song structures with a large emphasis on lyrics and word play, but the music does rock pretty nicely. Also like Dylan, his singing kinda sucks. I guess that makes it distinctive, but also distracting at times. Tokyo Storm Warning is fun, but damn does it sound like Memphis, Tennessee. I Want You is pretty good as well. It's haunting and obsessive and has some cool musical twists. Interested in hearing more.
Black Flag
4/5
Feels like quintessential punk, though I don't know the exact timeline of bands to know where these guys fall. According to other reviewers, it's immensely important. Fast instruments, screaming, angst and social commentary, it has all the elements you want. It's pretty witty in it's cynicism in a pretty entertaining way. I think my favorites were TV Party and Damaged I. I'm going to knock it a star for it's mixing, as it's kind of hard to hear, even compared to other lo-fi punk.
Hawkwind
2/5
Space prog that didn't do much to lure me and hook me, and I normally enjoy prog style groups. There are parts I enjoy, and it gets a point for staying on theme, even with the intermissions, but as far as live albums go, not sure what specifically makes this one special. And it's longer than it needs to be.
Deee-Lite
4/5
Wild and wacky, this is pop I feel no one has ever heard. It starts kind of boring, and I didn't love the dated feel of the singing and beats for most of this, but then I got to the back third, and man, what a jam. Groove in the Heart is good, but Who Was That and Deep Ending are really awesome, and were worth the listen by themselves. Overall, weird stuff. Doesn't really sound like anything 80s or 90s, but still sounds dated.
Beach House
5/5
Love Beach House, which is strange because I can totally see the shoegaze influence they draw upon, and I despised my blood valentine and Jesus and the Mary Chain. I think the main difference is that this dream pop uses much more pleasant sounds tban distortion to generate their trance vibes, which I enjoy so much more. I knew a lot of this coming in, but skme was still new. Of the new ones for me, my favorite was probably Lover of Mine, but this whole album works for me.
The Vines
3/5
Much of this album just sounds like generic rock to me. Maybe that's because this is around the era I was growing up, so I've heard a lot that sounds like this early 2000s rock, so it's not unexpected for me, which can be boring. This album definitely pick up in the middle with Get Free and my favorite, Factory. Nothing on this pulled my attention to know I was listening to something special, however, and that's a bummer.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
More like spoken poetry than songs, this music is still very pleasant to listen to. Leonard Coen obviously isn't a great singer, but there is charm in that for me. The songs here all mostly sound the same, with a single guitar strumming around several verses of prose, but at only 36 minutes, it works for me. Definitely still one of my singer songwriters from the era, and I like this more than most Dylan music. My favorite here is Story of Isaac.
3/5
Way more electronic than I would have expected based on the first song, but I enjoyed it, especially as a backing track while music. I liked it more than a lot of American or British elecgronica from the 90s. It's a little happier sounding (thanks Felicidade). There are cool sounds, but by the end, I couldn't remember any of them specifically. So enjoyable, but not particularly memorable.
Fever Ray
3/5
I was pleasantly surprised by the opening of this album, and I really enjoyed Seven, its a cool poppy alt rock sound I haven't heard too much on this list to this point. But the longer the album went, the more I became disinterested. I think this sound works well as background music while working on something else, but it's not enough on it's own to need a 1 hour album, at least not for me.
The xx
4/5
The xx are very easy listening and minimalistic. I've always liked Romy and Oliver's soothing voices. My favorite here that I didn't already know was probably Dangerous. It's a pretty high energy song for this group and I just like the groove in it. Some of the slower songs sound similar, but they're still nice to listen to (On Hold and I Dare You are very similar).
The Black Crowes
4/5
I had never really thought too much about the song Hard to Handle, but it's a song I've always enjoyed as a rock staple. I was pleasntly surprised by this album. For weeks I've been trapped between 80s punk and 90s electronica, so this was welcomed. I like Chris Robinson's voice, and the blues rock is well executed. Twice as Hard, Jealous Again, and Hard ro Handle are all pretty good. My favorite was Stare it Cold, the ending goes wild and is a ton of fun. Not sure when I'll come back. But glad I know more about the Black Crowes.
5/5
Funky 80s pop, this was really fun. I like disco probably more than most, but I just love the grooves in it. A couple of standouts here for me behind Show Me, Date Stamp, and Poison Arrow/ Theme from "Mantrap". It's a dated sound obviously, but musically it's very layered and engaging.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
5/5
Such a monumental album. I don't even really care for southern rock a ton normally, but I have to make an exception here. My favorite here that isn't Free Bird is Tuesday's Gone. Simple Man is also so good. The base guitar goes crazy throughout and the lead guitar takes off specifically in the closer. Some ok songs on the back end, but maybe I was just too excited for Free Bird.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
James Murphy is a self indulgent artist and this album is excessive in so many ways. Way too long, each song pushing 5-6 mins or longer, long intros. And yet, that's part of the charm to me, as he seems fully self aware of it. There are some good songs here, like other voices, i used to, and tonite. I also kind of liked pulse (v.1), though mainly as background music while I work. It's a fine album that could stand to be 30 mins shorter.
The Kinks
5/5
This album is so great. I liked so much of it, particularaly how The Kinks tend to spill their choruses directly into the next verse, like in both Party Line and Rosy Won't You Please Come Home. Their sound is perfectly poppy, yet it remains musically creative. My favorite is either Rainy Day in June, Holiday in Waikiki, or Rosy. I really enjoyed this one.
Soft pop rock, I've always heard how huge U2 were and I didn't really get it before. I actually liked this album quite a bit, but I still don't see how this band ever took the world by storm. But they remind me a lot of what Coldplay and Imagine Dragons would become, which to me is the epitome of bland pop rock. I really did like the riff in In a Little While, and there is a pretty poignant cynacism in Peace on Earth I enjoyed. Not as bland as I expected.
Faust
5/5
Just now learning that this genre is called Krautrock after having already listened to Neu! and Kraftwerk. This definitely lands in the middle, where I loved Kraftwerk while Neu! was less interesting to me. The Sad Skinhead amd Giddy Smile are awesome, while Jennifer and Just a Second drag on way too long. They still sound pretty nice however, remind me of something that would be in Twin Peaks. Really enjoyed this an learning about a new genre.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
1/5
I tried getting through this 3 different times and kept getting bored or distracted. There isn't a ton here that made me want more. It may be your favorite artist's favorite artist, but not mine. It's plenty listenable, just not the best at any particular element and not charismatic enough for me to care despite that. I liked Weighted Down (The Prison Song) and Margaret-Tiger Rug but thats about it.
Gene Clark
4/5
This list has taught me that I do, in fact, enjoy country music quite a bit, just not pop country or whatever we've been doing the last 20 years. With Tomorrow , Because of You, the Tears of Rage cover, and For a Spanish Guitar are all really nice.
Death In Vegas
5/5
This was getting a ton of the hate in the comics, so I was plenty surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. It's really groovy and vibey. Dirge is so good they added 6 additional versions of it on the second disk. These songs continue to build and remind me of some of the backings on a Gorillaz album or something. Soul Auctioneer, Aladdin's Story, and One More Time are all great. I liked this a lot and I never would have found it on my own.
Supertramp
5/5
Queen's bombacity meets Pink Floyd's prog, Supertramp is awesome. This album is musicially great and exploratory. It's corny at times, but that just adds to charm in my opinion. I love how funky it can be between It's pop choruses, and the solos throughout a re a ton of fun. Hide In Your Shell is my favorite here, such a dynamic song.
Earth, Wind & Fire
5/5
Man this album is just too good. Opening with Shining Star feels like cheating because it's such a well known song, but I've never really paid attention to the music of it, and it is a truly special song. The bass is going crazy in the chorus and I'm glad it came up here. I loved pretty much everything here, with Happy Feelin' as another standout. Also shoutout to A Love Supreme, as the main riff from that shows up at the end of Africano, and I never would have known without this journey.
Cream
3/5
I obviously know who Clapton is, but I've never listened to Creme before. I was actually way for excited to hear Ginger Baker's drums, which were an absolute highlight on Fele with Ginger Baker Live!. So i was disappointed in the mixing of this album because it was pretty hard to make out the drums. Still, some absolute bangers are here, with Sunshine of Your Live, SWLABR, and my personal favorite We're Going Wrong. A great album held back by its mixing, even if the stuff in between feels like 60s filler.
Dead Kennedys
5/5
I've had a lot of punk in the last year or so of this journey and I've liked most of it, and that doesn't change here. I think my favorite punk song to date is here in Stealing People's Mail. The riff here is absolutely insane, manic, fast, and just heart pumping fun. There's also Guitar Hero 3 standout Holiday in Cambodia, Let's Lynch the Landlord, Chemical Warfare, damn this album rocks so hard. And for how punk it is, it stands out pretty strong against its peers for being pretty musically strong instead of the typical guitar smashing in a lot of punk. Listening to Funland at the Beach as I type this and damn it's good. Easy 5 stars.
Ryan Adams
1/5
This is absolutely my least favorite genre of music. Musically dull, there isn't a lot of talent on display. And there are not any standout or beautiful moments that make up for this dullness. Lyrically forced, it lacks any substance and sounds like it's written in a lab. And vocally transparent, you could replace Ryan's voice with any number of singers and the songs wouldn't become any more interesting. It's not country enough to be country pop, and not rock enough to be alt rock, and not poppy enough to be pop. Perfectly forgetable. I did like Sylvia Plath, so it's the survivor for the playlist.
The Specials
4/5
Really fun, funky band. Tons of horns, ska, and beach sounds. 1979 continues to be the most exciting year for me from the less mainstream artists. This album doesn't take itself too seriously, it's just a jam throughout. A Message to You Rudy is great, and I like Stupid Marriage and Gangsters. It's jot quite the peak as some of the other bands I've really enjoyed, but it was a fun ride regardless.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
I have nonidea what the rest of the people here are talking about, this album is awesome. Maybe it's Costello burnout, and I've only had 2 so far in 500+ albums, but I'm not burned out. This is objectively great stuff. Costello does have a goofy voice, but so do Dylan and Coen and many others and that never got in their way of great songs. This album is very 80s without all of the slop from the era. I like almost of this album, with Human Hands, Tears Before Bedtime, ...And In Every Home, and many others here are just awesome.
Patti Smith
5/5
Patti Smith brings the poetic wordsmithing of Dylan and other singer songwriters into the punk world of rock. Very different from all the other punk bands of the era, more like a proto Sleater-Kinney or PJ Harvey in the indie rock scene. Eitherway, it's unbelievably cool. Gloria, Kimberly, and Elegie lead the way as all amazing songs. I also like the spoken poetry tracks like Birdland and Land where the music is kore of a tone setter.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Definitely an album of it's era, this has a cool Irish flair while still depending on many of the Indian influences that affected the psychadelic music of the era. The folk nature is nice, but the album can get a bit too hippie for me at times. My favorite is Matty Groves.
Gotan Project
3/5
Pretty chill electronica, not chaotic or noisyike a lot of other stuff from the era. I like the use of different instruments over the qlbum, like I think an accordion in the opening song, Queremos Paz. Unfortunately much of this album blended in for mw and I didn't recall a lot of what I'd heard. But i know I enjoyed it throughout, so 3 stars.
Fairport Convention
4/5
2nd Fairport Convention album in my last 3 albums, that's kind of funny. I liked this one more than Liege and Lief. It's a little more interesting and doesn't have nearly as much droning psychadelia. And there are some brilliant moments, like the song Autopsy, which was amazing. Pretty good stuff.
Shuggie Otis
5/5
Nice to hear a funk album where the bass guitar can shine like some of my favorite bassists like Marcus Miller and Michael League. In fact, this has a lot of flavors like what I love in Snarky Puppy, so it's an easy like for me. My favorite was probably Not Available. It's not even really a full song, but I just really enjoy the groove and vibe.
Culture Club
3/5
It's a Miracle is such a bop, but then Black Money comes on, and it's pretty rough. This whole album goes like this, with some good to great stuff like Karma Chameleon and Romance Revisited, and then a ton of mid 80s slop. Solid album, glad I listened.
Doves
4/5
This album feels like sitting around outside at night while your conversations get sleepier and quieter as the night goes on. The opening duo of Firesuite and Here It Comes are awesome, and there are some other cool songs like Sea Song. The end of the album from The Cedar Room on were pretty boring to me, this album could have been 15 mins shorter. Overall, good album.
5/5
Super weird and pretty great. You can definitely see the beginning of the Gorrilaz here, which is awesome, as there are many experimental sounds, rhythms, and somg structures. The brit rock era of the 90s is notably cheerier than the grunge seen here at home and I find it quite refreshing. For Tomorrow, Pressure on Julian, Chemical World, and Villa Rosie are my favorites here. Rock on Damon Albarn.
Pixies
4/5
Much weirder than Doolittle but still pretty great. It can rock, it can funk, and it can hook, Black Francis can write a fun song. My favorite is probably Is She Weird, with other standouts being Allison, and Dig for Fire. Not quite the highs of some other albums but pretty great overall.
The Slits
5/5
1979 remains undefeated. Nothing on this list has sounded like this. It's more like indie or alt rock than punk, at least compared to the contemporay punk artists around the same year. At times it's really unpolished, which I can see upsetting many people. But I think the general creativity and mixing of sounds is worth the experiment. Funk, ska, raggae, rock, there's plenty of all of this around. Instant Hit, New Town, and I Heard It Through the Grapevine are all great, but Typical Girls is the clear best song here. Kind of has a piano similar to the Neu! album, but then it changes into something that sounds a lot like Fiona Apple. Pretty neat, and I enjoyed this a lot.
Lou Reed
5/5
This album is a clear evolution on the music from just a couple years prior and it's quite beautiful. It's much more restrained than a lot of the hard rock that was devloping around this time. Lou Reed has a calming voice and subtle guitar that can pop off in spots, but is generally a tone setter. How Do You Think It Feels, Caroline Says II, and The Kids are great. The Bed is hauntingly emotional, and then the album ends on the great Sad Song. I liked this album on first pass, and on a second pass really loved it.
Hookworms
3/5
I do enjoy this album, but I have to wonder how essential it is. Only a cluple years old from a genre I dabble in and I had never heard of it. It's pretty trancy psychadelic alt rock and is quite ambient at times, reminding me of some Brian Eno tracks. The best here is probably Each Time We Pass, and I also liked Boxing Day, minus it's abrubt ending. It's an enjoyable listen, but loses some points for no notable influence to date.
Peter Gabriel
5/5
This sound uniquely belongs to Peter Gabriel. It wears its era on its sleave, but it's also very well produced and full of unique and non-formulaic pop sounds, which solves many of my issues with a lot of pop. Even the biggest song here, Sledgehammer, brings in these cool wood flutes just before the final call and response portion of the song. Flairs like this are present all over and really elevate the album. Other highlights are the almost awkward Don't Give Up duet, Big Time, and We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37). Always down for more Peter Gabriel.
Tricky
4/5
Trip hop always feels like a fun little diversion from the rest of this journey because it sounds just so different from 95% of this list. This album is smooth and sometimes overly sexual (Abbaon Fat Tracks caught me off guard haha), but it's still a fun trip. I don't think it reached the highs of Massive Attack for me, but there is some cool stuff here. The Public Enemy cocer of Black Steel is really cool, as is the backing music in Hell is Round the Corner and Pumpkin. I also liked the reggae in You Don't.
John Martyn
5/5
This is a masterpiece. It is blues with a flair of jazz. Folk with a dose of psychadelia. There sre several moments throughout that made me stop everything and just listen, for example the last 3 mins of I'd Rather Be the Devil. And at only 34 minutes, there isn't a wasted moment. Other standouts here are the title track, Don't Want to Know, Dreams by the Sea, May You Never, and both Blues songs at the end. Really such an easy listen, I loved the whole album.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Do-do, do, do, do, do-do; do, do, do-do, do, do-do; do-do, do-do, dooooo. From the first lick, this album is fresh, soulful, funky, and just a blast. Every song has such a ridiculously strong identity while being 100% Stevie Wonder and prerty much everything here is great. My favorite is probably the very pretty Golden Lady, but the heartbreaking story in Living For the City is close. The breakneck groove in Higher Ground is also such a classic, though I've mainly only heard the RHCP version and this is certainly better. I actually think the weakest song here is Don't Worry 'Bout a Thing, which is good in its own right, so that says a lot. Loved it.
Tom Waits
4/5
Tom Waits is so overdramatic and gravely, but I can't imagine these songs any differently as the material and tone matches the gutter he was drug out of. The album starts strong with the title track and In Shades, and I really like the griminess of Downtown and 'Til the Money Runs Out. I definitely like thsse more than the ballads like Jersey Girl and On the Nickel. It's basically the same as I feel about Nick Cave, but Tom Waits is definitely more enjoyable between the two. I think there were higher highs in his discography, like Swordfishtrombones, but this is a good representation good mysic by this lunatic.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
I really just don't get Bruce. This album was an order of magnitude better than Born in the USA as the music had some more dynamics to it this time. Largely, however, the slow rock ballads are all pretty boring to me. I was clicking through the album a second time to pick a song for my list and each time one started, I was intrigued, just to want to move on by the end of the first chorus. Something in the night comes to mind, such a beautiful opening that fades away to me. It's a shame because this is probably the first mainstream artist on this list I just can't really appreciate. If I'm picking a favorite, it's probably Factory because thematically it's very strong as a blue collar anthem.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
What a funny album. Who thought it'd be a good idea to talk over this whole thing? And the mixing is infuriating, as I can barely ever here the piano even though it's the one putting in the most work. The irony of the song One of Those Things and the fact it sounds just like Sweet Home Alabama is also too funny. It's probably the one making myist because it stuck with me a bit after the album, though maybe that credit should go to Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Meat Loaf
4/5
Meat Loaf sounds like a twisted version of Elton John as he's slamming away on his piano. This album starts insane and explodes into the awesome duet in Paradise by the Dashboard. It's a hilarious song and the most entertaining here by far. Two Out of Three Ain't Bad also is great. As individual songs, they are weaker and the album mostly is greater than the sum of its parts, but maybe that's just the operatic factor.
Heaven 17
2/5
I like how funky the first two songs are, and the bit about the Democrats being out of power and Reagan being the facist god elect hits a little too close to home in these times, but this album starts falling apart from there for me. The third song sounds like the group just learned what a synthesizer was and every 4 bars they pick a different sound to play. It's very distracting and dissonant. The best song here is the title track, but the rest is repetative, too busy, and not enough of the bassist who is clearly the most talented one in the group.
John Cale
3/5
I guess this month we are getting the solo albums from the Velvet Underground members after getting Lou Reed like a week ago. I found that album to be a lot more compelling and emotional than anything this album offers. I did like Paris 1919 and Graham Greene, but most of this album was pretty standard stuff from the late 60s. For an album in 1973, there wasn't nearly as much evolution as what Reed demonstrated.
Minutemen
5/5
This is it. This is why I'm doing this. This album is so unbelievably good. I thought this several times as I was approaching 1 hour into this 75 minute album and then I got to There Ain't Shit on T.V. Tonight. Sometimes music just has the sauce, and The Minutemen absolutely have the sauce. I've been exposed to a lot of punk in almost 600 albums and I've like a ton of it, but these guys bring a different level of musicianship to a genre that is typically simple on the musical complexity. The bass is insane, the drums are precise and easy to hear, and the singer/ guitar is plenty sufficient when called upon, like in This Ain't No Picnic. And its unusually well produced for a group that notoriously skimped on recording costs so they could just go out and play. I'm going to need to listen again to pick a favorite, but this will easily make my top 10 of the 600 albums I've got through to date.
The Doors
4/5
This album has some ridiculous highs. Light My Fire is a trancendental song: the organ, Morrison's singing, the subtle mysteriousness in the versus, it's just so good. Break On Through (To The Other Side) is also a clear winner that has stood the test of time. The rest of the album is interesting. This is yet another album with a circus song, as Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar) is really goofy and it's almost whiplash going from that to the best song on the album. I think it just doesn't work as an album as well as L.A. Woman, but it's still overall pretty good and great contrast to the pop of the era.
Sinead O'Connor
3/5
It's interesting alternative folk/ pop, but it's still not my genre of choice. I do appreciate that there's a lot of different sounds and tones. Feel So Different is a strong opener, but there's some songs like Emperor's New Clothes that just fail to grab me. Nothing Compares 2 U is also a great song, though I cannot tell if I like the Prince original or this one more. I think the hook is stronger in Sinead's. It's a fine album, but not my personal favorite by any means.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
This album is getting a lot of hate, but honestly, it's got some nice pop to digest. It's pretty good sounding new wave in an era where there was a lot of noise clutter. Some of the synth work is lame, but the songs that don't rely on it, like Blue Moon Rose and Love is Here Where I Live are easily the best parts. There's also a suprising amount of groove in some of these songs, much more than some lesser new wave. Good album from a mediocre genre.
Miles Davis
5/5
Three Davis albums so far, and all have been wildly different. Kind of Blue is so tempered and mellow compared to Birth of Cools rapid bebop and it's obviously different from Bitches Brew. So What is such a compelling opening track of easy listening cool jazz. All of the members stand out here, with my favorites being Davis and Coltrane. This is easy to listen to in the background while working and easy to appreciate when paying attention. Great music.
5/5
This is pretty great alt rock, hard to believe this is from the early 80s. Like some of my other favorite albums from this list, the alt/ underground scene in 1978-1982 is some of my favorite stuff. This is feels like a precursor to decades of music and I like it a lot more than the grungier stuff that developed later in the decade. My favorites are probably We're Desperate and In This House That I Call Home. The songs do all have a similar structure and tone, which can get repetative, but then again this album is only like 33 mins so thats pretty forgivable.
Big Black
3/5
Atomizer is a good album name for this because it sounds like you are being ground into dust by the relentless of the drums and bass. They are simple, but punishing. And strangely enough, I liked it. The production was terrible and the distortion, specifically on the opener, were rough at first, but the album grew on me the longer it went on. The lyrics are pretty dumb, I like more social commentary rather than blind rage in my punk (talking about you, Stinking Drunk).
Femi Kuti
5/5
Femi can jam just like his father. This album is so good and fun, it was easy to just get lost in the music. My favorite is definitely Plenty Nonsense. It's so upbeat and esch part gets to shine. Most of the songs are similar, especially the singing which has Femi doing a call and response for large parts around the title of the song, but that didn't really bother me. Seems like a staple of world music from this area and the instruments are just so good that it gets a free pass. The sax and percussion are the highlights for me here.
David Bowie
4/5
There are parts of this Bowie album that are absolutely outstanding. The opener and closer are great and I actually never knew who sang Fame, so that's cool. And the opening of Right has that special Bowie flare to it that makes it sound truly unique in a foreign genre to him. I do enjoy a lot of the album, but it does feel like an immitation rather than something confident or genuine for large stretches, compared to something like EW&F or The Isley Brothers.
The Stooges
5/5
I cannot understate how much more I enjoyed this album compared to the other two Stooges album. These feel more structured, more like actual punk, and each song is really quite strong here. It's dirty, raw, and full of character. Iggy really crushes this album and so does the band, mostly the guitar work. Gimmie Danger is such a good song, but so is Search and Destroy and Death Trip. The super dissonant droning is mostly gone here and what's left is an album I definitely would revisit.
The Temptations
4/5
I've listened to a lot of funk and R&B from this list, but the Temptations are all soul. This is a pretty emotionally charged album between the obvious Run, Chsrlie, Run and Papa Was a Rolling Stone. My favorite is probably I Ain't Got Nothing, it's such a beautiful song that highlights the vocal group. It's a good album, probably not my favorite of the genre or era, but I did like it a lot.
Drive-By Truckers
3/5
You know this album had me thinking about it a good bit after I was done. Not because it's the best thing, quite far, but it had mw considering this genre and part of the country in a different light. We are all subject to the media around us and how it ultimately warps our perceptions. And I'm certainly no southern boy, so, especially in today's political climate, I don't have a particularly high opinion of the south. But maybe I should try to avoid the pitfall that Drive-By Truckers accuse Neil Young of falling into by judging the south soley on their reputation. Not that it's not significant, but it's also not the whole story. So I'll judge this album instead. 3/5, music is derivative and far lesser than their Skynyrd icons, but a bonus point for making me type all this. Best song is Ronnie and Neil.
Tina Turner
3/5
Man Let's Stay Together is so good. The Al Green album was one of my absolute favorites so far 600 albums deep and I am so happy that Tina Turner is able to do the song justice. This is a lot more upbeat with some great funk and a sweet synth solo that I liked way more than most of the rest of the synth of this album. Tina's voice on this album is so much fun. Most of the music is kind of standard fare 80s pop, but I still liked it. What's Love Got to Do with It is undeniably great, and I liked I Can't Stand the Rain, but songs like Show Some Respect and Better Be Good don't really age well at all. I'm definitely interested in some older Turner, and this one gets a pass mainly from the ridiculous Al Green cover.
Ryan Adams
4/5
This album is much better than I honestly like to admit. I didn't care for the other Ryan Adams album I've had so far, but this one is pretty diverse in its sounds and is pretty good for a "modern" singer songwriter (I know this already 25 years old). The opening trio is really good, with my favorite probably being Amy. Its subdued and lets the softness do all the work. Come Pick Me Up is also really good, the banjo is nice to hear as that instrument is definitely underrepresented 600 albums in.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
My first 9/11 album in this list, and it's got it's cheesy moments for sure. But it's a lot more reflective than vindictive, and patriotic without being a jingoistic caricature. Still, this is mostly bland 2000s rock without anything particularly standout from a musical perspective. I like the 80s Springsteen more, and I wasn't even really a fan of that. Best song is Worlds Apart or Lonesome Day.
Marilyn Manson
1/5
This music goes pretty hard, but I just can't get over how dumb, angry, and angsty the lyrics and themes are on this album. It's pretty cringy id you take a step back and actually listen instead of handbanging, but maybe it's a tone and vibe that's more important. Still not enough to win me over though, and I blame the Irresponsible Hate Anthem for leading off the album that way. Angel with Scabbed Wings is pretty sick though.
Tom Waits
1/5
I don't know, Tommy. I liked some of your other albums and admittedly this is the easiest it's been to hear you in 3 albums, but his is pretty corny. It's so over the top with the acting and skits, it hardly feels organic. Like I'm watching a sitcom with a laugh track. And it sucks becsuze I actually liked most of the music in this album, kind of an old school sleepy jazz, but this album is just really weird in its concept. Doesnt really do it for me. Also an hour and 15 mins was too long for basically all the same song.
PJ Harvey
5/5
Aggressive, angsty, and shockingly well produced. I've liked all the PJ Harvey I've had so far, but this album is definitely my favorite from her. O Stella, Victory, Sheela-Na-Gig and several others are standouts here. This is a highlight of the decade for me.
Jefferson Airplane
5/5
Great sound, this group sounds distinct in an era with some juggernauts and it really stands on its own. Psychadelic, but bluesy. Grace Slick has such an amazing voice, I wish she took lead vocal on more songs, but it really makes the ones she owns stand out. White Rabbit is the obvious choice for best song here, along with Somebody to Love, Best Friend, and I also liked In The Morning and J.P.P. Mc Step B. Blues.
Tom Waits
2/5
Two Tom Waits albums in a week is enough, thank you. It's strange, gravely, and mostly not very fun to listen to. Some stuff works, I think Black wings is a pretty great song as Tom's voice works in a Western setting. But overall, I was mostly ready for this to be over.
Boston
3/5
It really makes sense that Boston was popular because this is honestly pretty good. Putting dad rock bias aside, it has great riffs and hooks in pretty much every song. That said, I still can't get totally past that barrier and it still comes across as bland despite it's good guitar work. My favorite is probably both Foreplay and Long Time, but More Than a Feeling is definitely the best this album offers.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
4/5
Pretty sick album. The rapping is outdated, but It's Nasty, The Message, and The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels of Steel are all really cool. I don't think it's the best funk or hip hop, but it's a pretty great crossroad. Hope these boys met Stevie Wonder eventually.
The Undertones
5/5
This sounds 20 years ahead of Its time, almost like Franz Ferdinand. It's some great alternative with great bass lines. There Goes Norman is the first standout track and had me stick around for some if the anniversary content (which I often will skip if it's not included on the original album), and I'm glad I did because I think The Positive Touch is my favorite here. The lyrics can be pretty juvenile, by my count 5 of the songs have Boy or Girl in the song title and I'm sure way more have hooks that include it. Still, really impressed with this.
Judas Priest
4/5
Hell yeaa this is some kick ass metal. So much of this album is awesome, especially how it opens. Rapid fire is fast and crisp and sounds a lot like Black Sabbath. Metal Gods also kicks ass and the first hit, Breaking the Law, is iconic. I think two patriotic songs is a bit much and kind of funny to be on the same album as Breaking the Law, but I had a ton of fun with this album and it was almost all new to me.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
I enjoyed the other albums I've had from this group, but for some reason this one didn't really click with me much. It still sounds pretty good and there are some cool riffs like in Ripeness, but as I was flipping through the songs after listening, I realized I couldn't really discern most songs from each other. I think Fuel is my favorite, kind of sounds like something Peter Gabriel would produce.
Stereolab
5/5
Stereolab is just so cool. Maybe the French makss it sound fancier than it really is, but it feels like a natural and progressive step in synthetic music where the production really lets it shine compared to its peers in the previous decade. Cybele's Reverie is an amazing song, and my other favorites here are Percolator and Monster Sacre.
Adele
5/5
I can't even really hate on this album because it's honestly great. It's so much better than 25 which, while well produced, bored me with pop ballads. This one, however, has the sauce. Rollin in the Deep is an epic song and then following it up with Rumour Has It and shortly after Set Fire to the Rain? This could easily be a best of list and instead it's just a really great album. I actually found myself loving some of the other songs that were new to me, like I'll Be Waiting and One and Only. My wife will be glad that I liked this one.
The Beach Boys
5/5
This is the first full Beach Boys album I had ever listened to start to finish and, wow, not at all what I expected. The highs on this album are some of the absolute best and most inspired music I've heard on this list so far. First off, this is way more melancholy, somber, and fearful than what I expected from the Surfin' USA crew. Very environmentalist, and while a bit on the nose, it makes me revisit what they meant by the album name, where Surf's Up is maybe talking about a climate crisis. And while Don't Go Near the Water isn't the best (or even close) to what this album offers, it opens the foor to what will be a pychadelic trip for the next 30 minutes. What I really want to focus on is the three song trifecta at the end between A Day In the Life of a Tree, 'Til I Did, and Surf's Up. Such an incredible grouping of songs. I'm back Nd forth on which one is my favorite, but the last minute of Surf's Up is truly special.
Mj Cole
2/5
Perfectly inoffensive but totally forgettable. There's some nice easy listening electronica here, which is nice contrast to the blast of The Prodigy I've gotten here. But at the same time, not sure why I would come back to this as none of the individual sounds are compelling enough to bring me back. My favorites would be Bandelero and You're Mine.
The Undertones
4/5
In a parallel universe, all of these alternative rock bands from 1979 are the hottest thing. Now this Undertones album is a little more punk and beach rock than some of the other bands I'm thinking of, but it's still damn fun. This album was a little less memorable than Hypnotized album, but still good and jjst what I needed now that the summer weather is about here. Appropriately, my favorites are Here Comes the Summer and Teenage Kicks.
Lightning Bolt
3/5
My monkey brain likes patterns and for some reason, this music actually started to click after about 5 mins. And I give it bonus points for actually sounding like its own thing. Now I'm taking a bunch of points off because it also punched me right in the earholes, but I am glad I experienced the genre. Draculas Mountain was my favorite, particularly the second half of it.
Nightmares On Wax
2/5
A fine album but nothing to write home about, which makes its inclusion suspect. I'd want to know from someone more familiar with chill electric to tell me if this was esemtial or ehat it would have influenced, becasue to me it seems mostly run of the mill. Rise is the best here, pretty good track.
Ice Cube
1/5
What a kick in the teeth, and not in a fun way. Hateful, offensive, misogynistic, and flat out digusting in some places, this album is not at all for me. Ice Cube is a pretty good rapper, but this is just far too hateful to be enjoyable. I feel for the people who need music like this to represent them, the world must be cruel for this to form into adult thought. The Bomb is the best for me for being the most listenable.
Killing Joke
2/5
Been listening to this list long enough that I'm finally to the point where good music is not strictly enough to get a good score from me. This album is fine, but there are a ton of other groips from this 2-3 years I've enjoyed more, so I don't know if there is really anything here to boost it's score. This does have some rock infused with dated 80s synths which gives it a bit of a unique feel compared to those more typical alt rock bands. My favorite was Change.
Animal Collective
4/5
Modern acid band, these guys are weird. Panda Bear in particular does some weird things and a lot of the time it doesn't work (looking at you, Lion in a Coma), but then their standouts are awesome, like the very next song, No More Runnin. It's beautiful and lets the mind settle into a little pocket of vibes, almost like a rainforest with light rain dripping with frogs croaking to the beat. Very unique band and I like that.
Sepultura
5/5
Pretty sick metal with big Doom vibes. I love how heavy the guitar feels and this album accomishes a lot without ever doing too much to make the music unapproachable. All three of the first tracks were bangers for me, with my favorite probably being Attitude, but it was close. I even liked the pure vibes in Canyon Jam. Most metal, for me at least, starts to sound samey and around 40 mins in I was having a hard time differentiating the music. Still really enjoyed it.
Christina Aguilera
4/5
This album is a lot more fun than I wanted to admit as I was listening through it. Christina sure can sing and the album is full of R&B and latin influences that really escalate this. Now the album is like twice as long as it has any right to be, but she totally owns her own identity and expresses herself in a way that is bold and fairly emotional. My favorites are probably Can't Hold Us Down, Loving Me 4 Me, Beautiful, and maybe Make Over.
Brian Eno
3/5
What a weird and wonderful album. As a "song", this doesn't work at all. But it is still peaceful and interesting both when actively listening and when doing something else. I feel I've heard this during every Savasana during yoga, but also in hundreds of loading screens over the years. 2/2 in particular sounds straight out of Mass Effect, while 1/1 slunds like something from Blue Prince. Really interesting and definitely influential and I'm glad I listened. As an overall enjoyable album, but nothing I would ever willingly play without a specific purpose.
Underworld
1/5
Another electronica album that blends in with the crowd. I really don't know enough about the genre to tell the key differences in these albums, but I know there aren't any hooks or riffs that completely pull me in, and that hurts my enjoyment of this quite a lot. I did like the back half of Banstyle/ Sappys Curry, but not enough to add a 15 minute track to my playlist, so I'm going with Rowla instead.
Thin Lizzy
5/5
This was really good, way better than I expected. Hard rock with a couple of super famous hits that are honestly really fun, even if over played. There are some absolute jams, with the best being Still in Love With You. The instrumentation is great, the opener is great, The Boys Are Back In Town is great, this was a very good listen.
Elvis Costello
5/5
People here really don't like Elvis Costello, but this album is really good! I think it's easily my favorite of his that I've had here as there are a couple of songs that I enjoyed. Kinder Murder is my favorite. It has a really addictive ear worm and I like how the chorus progresses. These songs are pretty lyrically dense, so I think I'd need another listen to really understand it, but for pop, it passes. The other standout for me is London's Brilliant Parade.
Miles Davis
5/5
A very smooth album, this was very easy to enjoy while listening in and out. Shhh / Peaceful is gentle and subtle as kt carries its high hat and bass heartbeat for almost the entire 18 minutes. In a Silent Way feels a little more experimental. It full stops a couple times to pivot into a different direction, but the middle section is pure bliss. A great production, great groove, and great evolution and escalation of the song, especially around minutes 10-15. This feels like an experiment, the first of fusion, and it's really enjoyable. Davis' representation on this list has such a wild diversity, he truly was gifted.
Wu-Tang Clan
5/5
I don't know what it is, but I really like this crew style rap with a ton of absolute talent. It's silly, lyrically clever, and a flat out blast. Stuff like this, De La Soul, and Pharcyde are so much fun with absolute banger samples backing samples. It's so much better than gangsta rap that is just flat offensive, like the Ice Cube, Snoop, or Eminem albums. Defintely my golden era of hip hop.
The Fall
5/5
I liked this album a lot, kind of reminded me of Fontaines D.C.. It's a pretty good blueprint for post-punk. They meander around a riff and let it breath and really settle into your brain, but in a way that's a lot more enjoyable than something like Dexys Midnight Runners. My favorites are probably Paintwork, My New House, Bombast and maybe L.A.. Great album start to finish.
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
Perfectly fine to bop around to, but I also gind it unbeliveably boring the more I focus on it. In a club it's probably great. Sitting on my cluch trying to listen to it as an album, not so much. To quote The Chemical Brothers, It Doesn't Matter. All of these songs blend and I find it quite boring. Block Rockin' Beats is fine as an album representative for my list.
Simple Minds
5/5
Awesome album, loved it. I loved how driving the bass guitar was in this whole album. I didn't get to a song I didn't really care for until Glittering Prize, and that's most of the way through. The standouts for me are Big Sleep, Promised You a Miracle, and New Gold Dream. Great new wave album, would never have heard of these guys otherwise.
SZA
4/5
There is some pretty inspired work here, starting around Broken Clocks onward, where I really was able to appreciate this album for it's R&B sounds. The problem is that I like to share music with family and friends, and Supermodel and Doves In The Wind are songa I absolutely would be embaressed showing someone else - theyre just far too vulgar. I feel the same way about some of the rap albums I've had here. And it's a shame because the aforementioned Broken Clocks, Anything, Normal Girl, and a couple others are really great songs with some really great dreampop/ R&B fusion. Overall, still generally impressed by SZA here, just turned off by some of the louder pieces of the album. Also, it's a bit long.
The Icarus Line
1/5
Nope, it's not very good. Way too dissonant, nothing particularly iconic or standout, and just way too loud without any hell yeaa moments. It is kind of funny that my favorite song here is Big Sleep, because that's the same name as my favorite song from yesterday's Simple Minds album too. That coincidence was far more interesting and exciting than this album was.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
2/5
A long psychadelic jam session, I found the second side to be far kore interesting, as I actually enjoyed Mona into Maiden of the Cancer Moon into the very Muse-y Calvary. The first half was very boring and way too trippy for me to get into. Overall, ok album but I definitely don't plan on coming back any time soon.
The Beach Boys
5/5
Man what an album. I've always heard a ton about the Beach Boys, but even all of their top hits on apple are Kokomo, Surfin' USA, and California Girls, the super hoky stuff that never really grabbed me like the Beatles pop would. But this album is nothing like those songs, in all the right ways. Basically the whole album is remorseful, yearning for something unobtainable, whether that's the past (Wouldn't It Be Nice), saving a failing relationship (God Only Knows), home after a long trip (Sloop John B) or fitting into the world (I Just Wasn't Made for These Times). It's incredibly introspective and the music is calm, reflective, and complex. Even the intrumentals (Let's Go Away for Awhile, Pet Sounds) are great. Outstanding album, one I will be back to eventually. I don't know if there is a single best song, as at 37 mins you should just listen to the whole thing, but I'll shout out Here Today and I Just Wasn't Made for These Times.
The KLF
3/5
It's a fine album, plenty easy to bop around to, and thankfully short for an electronic album (44 kins, praise be). But it's quite dated sounding and makes me think of a video game dance club, like something in Mass Effect. I was never anywhere or anytime where this eurodance was popular, so it doesnt really grab me any particular way. Build a Fire is cool, thanks to the Twin Peaks sampling, and I liked Madrugada Eterna and No More Tears too.
Wire
4/5
Punk, but a little more alternative - is that what makes it post-punk? It's good, regardless, with riffs that have a timeless guitar feel with that old school Brtitish singer. The music is a little more intricate than the blur that is 70s punk, but it still rocks hard. Field Day, Three Girl Rhumba, and Ex Liom Tamer are pretty strong starts to this album, and at only 37 mins, it doesn't overstay it welcome. I don't love it quite as much as some pure punk from the era, but it does feel like an evolution from that music, which is cool to listen to.
Fiona Apple
5/5
What a debut, Fiona absolutely crushes this album. Indie alt rock that really stands out against her contermporaries from the decade, there are some absolutely stunning songs here. My favorite is Slow Like Honey, by far, but Sleep to Dream and of course Criminal standout as well. This is a lot better than Fetch the Bolt Cutters, which I still enjoyed, but it isn't on the same plane as this.
The Human League
3/5
A funny little synth pop group that has great production, and then the final song of the album hits and is instantly recognizable. I really like that Don't You Want Me has like 3 stages to it's chorus and it's just such a fun song. It's so good, in fact, I forgot the rest of the album after hearing it. Maybe Do or Die? I think that leaves this group as a bonafide one hit wonder, but what a hit.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
I really wanted to like this more than I did, but ultimately it was too samesy for it to be worth a full album for me. It is really beautiful and at times the trance can absolutely overwhelm. But long stretches of this really get stuck in the trenches of the a cappella gimmick of the album. It is, admittedly, outstandingly produced. So shoutout to Paul Simon. Hard for me to pick a standout, so I'll settle somewhere between Unomathemba and Hello My Baby, depending on which language I want to listen to.
Skunk Anansie
5/5
I really expected this to be another ki d of lame 90s electronica album given the band and album names. But surprsingly, this was an absolutely incredible hard rock album. The singer is highlight throughout as the album dabbles in metal and some slightly lighter sounds, and I think the song that really pulled me into the fact that this was something special was Tracy's Fear, but make no doubt, this whole album is great. Not sure if they will have more representation on this list, but I will definitely check out more by Skunk Anansie at some point.
Dexys Midnight Runners
5/5
This album is by far the best of the three these guys have on this list. It's the best of their pub style rock/ folk with a lot of really fun songs. Obviously Come On Eileen, but Let's Make This Precious, Old, T.S.O.P., and Reminisce are all great. Is it the best music on this list? Not by a long shot. But it has a charm and style that stands out against a lot of these other early 80s groups.
Hugh Masekela
5/5
Excellent album! I was in a rut of music that just wasn't clicking with me and this pulled me right out. This is way more structured than what Miles Davis and co were doing in the 70s. It reminds me a lot of what Snarky Puppy would do, which is always a great thing: set up a strong motif and then let your musicians dance around it. The Big Apple and Inner Crisis were definitely my favorites. This is a very beautiful album and one I could listen to all day.
The Electric Prunes
1/5
I found this very boring, it's a very oldies sounding pop album without any of the charm of the Beatles or Kinks or Zombies. And it's not their fault, but I heard this the day after a Genesis album that's only a couple years older, and it left a lot to be desired. The music is boring psychadelia and definitely an album I could have skipped. My favorite is either I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night) or Train for Tomorrow.
Genesis
5/5
Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, and the boys sure rock hard, wow. I am floored at how musically complex this album is. I'm even more confused how a prog rock band was ever as big as it was, as it seems so counter culture to whatever was popular over the decades. You can't sing to this, you can barely keep time with it. But at the same time, I can believe it - this came out in 1973 and sounds like bothing around it; it sounds like the future. There isn't any psychadelia sounds around, just face melting instumentals. Firth of Fifth is a special song, one of my absolute favorites 600 albums in.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Superstition is an all time song, no doubt about it, but the rest of this album is very good as well. You Are the Sundhine of My Life is particularly sweet because I'm about to have my first baby girl and the song just swells me up. Other standouts here are Blame It On the Sun and Lookin' for Another Pure Love. Stevie Wonder is massively talented and his music is infinitely enjoyable. I did like Innervisions Fulfillingness' First Finale a bit more, but man what a run for Stevie in the early 70s. Can't wait to get to Songs in the Key of Life, glad that one was left last for me.
Jamiroquai
5/5
What an absolute jam. I don't really care about all the comments that this group just re-did what Stevie Wonder did, Stevie Wonder slaps and this is a bit funkier than a lot of his music anyway. This sounds like something you'd find in a Persona game and there are many highlights. Revolution 1993 is probably my favorite, despite the pretty generic lyrics. The flute breakdown in the middle is just too fun. Emergency on Planet Earth , Too Young to Die, and several others are good too. I really am glad I listened to this, it wasn't boring at all.
Eagles
3/5
Quintessential classic rock, but it's awfully boring for large stretches. I actually didn't know the Eagles had as much countdy influence in them as they do, with my easy favorite here being Earlybird. It's weird, unique, and the banjo really shines along with the sour sounding guitar. Made me actually notice the banjo at the end of Take It Easy.
Serge Gainsbourg
1/5
Samn, I really enjoyed this album, why did I have to read a little more about it. A concept album of a guy falling in love and documenting that journey, and it's inevitable end as she dies, is fine. But 14? Wtf, why? Without that detail this is a borderline masterpiece, and instead I feel dirty having liked it.
The Go-Go's
5/5
The Go-Go's are great fun. This album is cheerful, snappy, well played, and feels very influential to female-led rock and rock in general when compared to more modern bands like Metric or the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. We Got the Beat is definitely the best song here and it stands the test of time well, but I also liked Our Lips Are Sealed and Automatic.
Jacques Brel
4/5
I headd someone here call him a French Leonard Cohen, and I totally hear that, but I also hear a lot more in his voice. It's compelling and I wish I could understand French because I've also heard he has outstanding word play. Eitherway, this album is great and I liked it a bunch. Amsterdam is my favorite.
Ice Cube
4/5
It's remarkable how much more I liked this album than AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted. Maybe it's that the beats are really sick here or maybe it's how politically focused it is following the Rodney King riots, I'm not exactly sure. But I really despised that other album and didn't feel that way here. It's still way more gangsta rap than some of my favorite hip hop, but this time feels mich more representative of the black experience in L.A.. It Was a Good Day is the best and most well known here, but I liked a couple more and all the news clips between songs were way more interesting than skits normally are.
Liz Phair
2/5
People love this album, but I am just not its demographic. It's very sexually charged from the young female perspective and the music isn't good enough to extend the olive branch for me to want to listen to this view point for kore than a couple songs. I just find most of the GenX music rock pretty boring. I'll probably add 6'1" to my list, it's the song I most recognized and enjoyed.
Small Faces
1/5
Just a lame album. Poor production, overshadowed musicianship by like everyone else in this era, and nothing really memorable over its quick 19 minute A side. The B side is a concept long track that I was over before it even started. Afterglow (Of Your Love) is an ok somg, even if it starts poorly, so it's going on my playlist from this album.
David Bowie
5/5
I really struggled picking the song I wanted to add to my playlist becayse this whole album is simply incredible. Funky, great vocals, great instrumentals, great production, Station to Station might be my favorite Bowie album so far. It's very accessible but also so different from jis peers of the era. I ultimately landed on Stay; it has that groove and the last 2 minutes are just absolutely shredding. But I would have easily included Station to Station itself if it were on nearly any other album.
The Notorious B.I.G.
4/5
Biggie's talent is undeniable. The flow is impeccable. Cadence wizardry and clever rhymes that are both obvious because they work so well and unpredictable because the bars are not a rigid structure. Unfortunately, I just don't really care for gangsta rap. The topic is tedious and a whole album of it is exhausting. Though Gimmie the Loot is admittedly a pretty good song, definitely seems like a street rat anthem. It's also pretty different in styling from all the West Coast rappers so far like NWA, Snoop, and Dre. The album can be really introspective, gotta really think about how gangsta Biggie wanted to be when you have songs like I'm Ready to Die and the haunting Suicidal Thoughts. Also the skits suck. My favorite is probably Machine Gun Funk. It's a great album, just not my personal favorite.
Madonna
3/5
What a strange album. Feels way past Madonna's prime but looking it up, this was nominatdd for a ton of awards. And I was worried, because the first couple songs were rough 90's/ 00's pop. And there was also some egregious autotune here. But this album actually got progressively better over it's runtime. In fact, the last three songs of What It Feels Like for a Girl, Paradise (Not for Me), and Gone were actually pretty good and I liked them a ton. Not enough to push this album past mid, but a respectable score nonetheless.
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
Maybe the first miss of the late 70s/ 80s alt rock on this list for me so far. It's aggressively fine, but nothing grlundbreaking. It does feel like a precursor to something like Bloc Party, especially with the song Second Head. Couldn't wait for it to be over so I could move on though, and that hasn't happened a ton.
Cornershop
3/5
I didn't really care for this on my first listen betond Brimful of Asha, but on my second listen I liked it a lot more. I like the idea of a British Indian fusion because it highlights so much of the muddy history between those cultures, but this album is just too bloated. Overall, Brimful remains the best here, but I also like Butter the Soul.
Aphex Twin
5/5
I liked this a lot. In fact, I liked this a lot more than most other electronic music. It's layered and has depth and nuance instead of aggressively loud and repetative features common in most electronica. It sounds sci-fi, like something out of Metroid Prime or Mass Effect. My favorites were probably Xtal, Ageispolis, Green Calx, and Ptolemy. Definitely something I could put on while doing some light gaming.
Justin Timberlake
1/5
Man this was pretty brutal. An album that was far too long, full of pop with no substance. Every song is about the most seductive man on the planet saying he's going to get with the woman subject of the song. There isn't a lot to take away from this besides some ok R&B grooves. But reading the Apple Music description of the album made me laugh by stating JTs falsetto "MJ worthy" because I actually feel it's really forced sounding. This whole album just plays as fabricated. All that said, Take it from Here has some pretty cool backing music parts, notably in the bridge. Cry Me a River and Rock Your Body are not good enough songs to propel this album to enjoyable for me.
Pixies
4/5
This album is awesome. There are huge indie songs here (Gigantic, Where Is My Mind?) And they are great despite how often I hear them. But some other great songs here are Bone Machine, Break My Body, and my personal favorite, the absolutely disgusting and desperate Cactus. I think what holds this album back is the back half. Tony's Theme onwards is pretty forgettable, but the first half was awesome.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
This album is ok, and Karen O is a great front lady. I feel this album gets almost all its work in the first 15 mins, and I gound myself not caring for or remembering back half. But Zero, Heads Will Roll, and Soft Shock are all great (and indie radio darlings), and that's enough to keep the album passable. Soft Shock is my favorite, even if Heads Will Roll is probably better.
Sade
4/5
Came in with no expectations, left floored by this album. It's so cool and I love the Noir feel of it, like walking through a rainy New York alley at night. Smooth Operator, great. Hang on to Your Love, great. My favorite was probably Sally, what a great track. A lot of the rest of the album has great vibes, but doesn't carry quite the highs throughout.
Lauryn Hill
5/5
The Fugees album was great with the all time classic Killing Me Softly With His Song, and Lauryn was the star there. But there is no exaggeration when I say this might be the best album on this list. It has it all, an awesome singer, raps that sound great without any of the offesively unlistenable trends of the era, beats that are funky and diverse, and skits that are not only not terrible, but add to the experience. Doo Wop (That Thing) is so good, and so is Ex-Factor. Forgive Them Father, Every Ghetto, Every City, Everything is Everything, these songs are all perfect. Incredible album, no wonder it cleaned up the Grammy's in 99.
Missy Elliott
4/5
This album was a lot more fun than I expected. I don't really know much about Missy Elliott, but she is clearly a super fan of hip hop and this felt like a mega tribute for all her idols. Name drops, guest spots, somg references, it was pretty cool. And it's also an album for the ladies, that they are free to have the same kind of fun that the men always rap about, and I can respect that. Work It is pretty cool, so is the Luda and Beyoncé tracks. I also liked Slide a lot.
Robbie Williams
3/5
I liked this album a bit more than I expected. Passable pop with some good opening tracks. My wife knew Angels, but that was new to me. I liked Life Thru a Lens a bit more, but they're good. The back end of the album was more forgettable, however, and it's far from my favorite album.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
This album is so somber and heartfelt and genuine. Reminds me (obviously) a ton of Blackstar; a man reflecting on his life and his mortality. Cohen's voice works wonders as spoken poetry over this really beautiful album. I loved it, and I hope Cohen was proud of this before he passed. You Want It Darker, Treaty, and Steer Your Way were my favorites, but this probably works best as a full 36 minute playthrough.
Laura Nyro
4/5
Love the sound, it's very Carole Kimg. But the album kimd of wears two masks with some Motown and some hippie psychedelia, and the Motown work is definitely better. Luckie is a great song and has been stuck in my head all day, but as the album transitioned, it felt more generic. Still rwally enjoyed it though.
4/5
This was so unique compared to so much of the last two months of this list for me, and I loved it. Easter Theatre was my favorite, with its mysterious chorus immediately pulling me in. It has a driving force, especially when the trumpets kick in. But the whole album is fun, and I would definitely give this another listen.
Korn
1/5
.an Korn was so popular with the emo kids I knew in middle school, but I always thought it was pretty cringe, and I think that doubly after listening here. At times I kind of dig the trashiness of the Nu Metal rock in here, it can scratch the weird parts of the brain. But it didn't clip its nails and will eventually (on short order) scratch and scrape and start to hurt. An hour+ is way too long. The only song here I really knew was Freak on a Leash and it's really the only song I want to know. The lyrics are crass and abusive and just pretty empty in general. Maybe there is a mindset of people that need to hear this, but then again, I find it hard to believe that this would help them get out of that mindset.
Scott Walker
2/5
I almost got whiplash listening to this after Korn. And at first I was very pleased, but this is a bit dull of an album in itself, maybe too much of a course correct. I did like Duchess, it was compelling in its own quiet way.
Mudhoney
3/5
This is the first I've listened to Mudhoney, supposedly an overshadowed forefather of grunge. But this album has more punk in it in my opinion, maybe a touch of grunge. It's still good, though unpolished and not as fun as punk from mainstays of that genre. My favorite was probably Let It Slide.
Richard Thompson
3/5
Two Fairport Connections albums in the last 100 and now some solo work. I was pretty excited after the first couple songs here. When I Cross the Border and The Cavalry Cross are both great. I especially like dueling instruments at the end of the opener. The rest is ok, some nice duets between Richard and his wife Linda, but nothing crazy memorable. I also liked The Great Valerio.
Roni Size
3/5
I find drum and bass fun, and I like it when I focus on it for a moment, but it definitely had me watch checking by about 10 mins, which only is 1.5 songs in at that point. And the album is super long. And I didn't really want to listen to more bu the time I got to the end of the New Forms track. It's strange, because I did like it, but I was also done with 75% of the album still in front of me. Maybe if this was in the background instead of me actively listening, I would have enjoyed it more.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Welcome to the 70s, what a departure from their 60s counterparts. There are some mega classics here that are still near perfect today. War Pigs, Paranoid, and Iron Man are all unbelievably good. I'm going to end up adding Hand of Doom to my list, though, as it was new to me and was almost as good as those other 3. Ozzy has a perfect rock voice, the riffs are heavy, solos are great, and the drums and bass are also awesome throughout (almost wish I could hear the bass popping off a little more actually).
Jean-Michel Jarre
5/5
Such a cool album. The 70s definitely had more ambition in their electronic music than all the slop from the 90s and 00s i got this month. Endlessly creative, retro yet futuristic, I loved this. It's kind of hard to simgle out a "song" from here, since this is the kind of listening experience best taken in one full sitting. But if I had to pick (and I do, because 1 song from each album here make's a playlist), I'd probably say Pt2, Pt4, or Pt5 (such a cool second half). Going to land on Pt2.
Can
5/5
This album is great and whoever in the comments recommended focusing on the drums, thanks because this was absolutely ridiculous. Stand out sections all throughout, and I kind of wish the songs were broken up a little more so I could add the specific parts I like to my playlist, like the first half of Bel Air or back end of Future Days. Moonshake is also really good. Can did a good job of setting itself aside from all the other psychedelic jam bands, creating something that still captures that acid feel while highlighting their own style.
ABBA
5/5
This is pretty great pop music. Very singable, endlessly catchy and upbeat and just overall a joy. Dancing Queen is obviously the most well known song here, but I liked Knowing Me, Knowing You, Money, Money, Money, and of course Fernando, which is also a banger. Pretty good album, wanted to give it a 4, but I listened to this album back to back and it never really grew old, so 5 it is.
Kanye West
5/5
Honestly, probably my favorite Kanye album so far. It's weird, really weird, and pretty creative. As usual, Kanye's head is a mile up his own ass and you can see his ego from space, but there is no denying you won't find song structures like this on many other albums. My favorite, by far, is Guilt Trip. I swear I recogonize the piano and synth parts from somehwre else, but endless googling turned up nothing. Maybe from my roommate listening to it in college, otherwise I have no idea. The rest of the album is good too, particularly in the music. The lyrics, or more the content of the lyrics, can still degrade to some misogynistic themes present in a ton of R&B/ Hip Hop. Sucks that he's a nazi now tho.
Traffic
4/5
I liked this album though it is pretty tonally all over the place. I think it gets stronger as it goes and the only song I even kind of recognized was Feelin' Alright. The first peak for me was No Time to Live, and I also like Shanghai Noodle Factory a lot, some great prog jamming tucked at the end there. Good album.
Arcade Fire
3/5
There are some great songs here, mainly Neighborhood #3 and Wake Up, but I also found Neighborhood #2 really nice as well. I expected to love the rest of this album because I like this era of alt rock and everything that comes after for the genre, but it never really happened. Still a great album, but not one that I loved.
The National
2/5
I just don't like The National. They are highly regarded in the indie community, but I find their songs slow, musically boring, and Matt Berninger's voice very grating. I like some monotone groups, like Leonard Coen or Joy Division, but this is missing the sauce that makes those so compelling. Even the song names and themes just are so unappealing to me, like Bloodbuzz Ohio.
Arrested Development
4/5
This group definitely gets credit for absolutely awesome the music and instrumentation is in this album and also for being generally positive and thoughtful, unlike the rise of gangsta rap this same year with The Chronic. It does get out classes lyrically by similar groups like De La Soul, though. Still, the bangers here are great, with my favorites being U, Mama's Always On Stage, and Fishin' 4 Religion. Pretty good stuff by a group I'd never heard before.
5/5
Absolutely mental prog rock album, I loved this. It's hard to pick a favorite song because it's pretty much packaged as a full listening experience. I do know that as Siberian Khatru was fading out I wanted more. Great prog is always as fun as it is pretentious, and this was very fun.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Plus a point for a vibraphone, minus a couple for meandering for far too long. The first song started off promising, but the others feel like I'm listening to a guy reminiscing of a time I was never a part of. The other album we had by Tim was much more up my alley. Strange Feelin' was my favorite here.
Louis Prima
5/5
This album is special. I 'Aint Got Nobody is an inspired song and has been stuck in my head all weekend. The trumpet is great, the harmonizing chorus is great, the scat is great, and Keely Smith is great. The whole album is a ton of fun, with some of my favorites being The Lip and (I'll Be Glad When You're Dead) You Rascal You. As I'm typing this, I'm bopping along to (Nothing's Too Good) For My Baby and it's also awesome. I love Louis's foice and the way he can hit a sour note or linger on a note to really pull you in. It's really compelling and I loved this.
Os Mutantes
5/5
This album is pretty unhinged, and in all the best ways. It really earns its psychadelia badge as this is dripping with acid. The songs are all over the place and the fact it's in Portuguese only helps with the disorientation it causes, for me at least. A Minha Menina is great and Baby strangely reminds me of some Cage the Elephant from 40 years later. Senhor F sounds like some of the weirder Beatles. All in all, I really enjoyed how all over this was.
Sugar
2/5
This might be the most stereotypical 90s album. It's fine, even good at parts, but it does admittedly sound like everything you already know about the 90s even if the album is fully new, like it was to me. Hoover Dam, Slick, and Clownmaster were my favorites.
Beth Orton
3/5
This one was pretty interesting. I saw talk of trip hop in the descriptoon and collaborations with The Chemical Brothers, and then it's a folk album. Some of the early songs here were actually really awesome, with my favorite being Pass In Time. Stolen Car and Couldn't Cause Me Harm were also really good. I didn't really like the back half though, pretty much anythi g after Stars All Seem to Weep.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
It's insane that Bob most lasting legacy, at least in pop culture, is weed culture, because he is a musician first and foremost. This album is very rhythmic, full of jams, and the Wailers are fully in sync. It's also pretty politically scathing, or at least social commentary conscious. And while all raegae can dound similar at the surface level, I think this album does a great job at pulling out the different tones and features of raegae that differentiate the songs from each other. Concrete Jungle is the standout here; it's absolutely incredible. 400 years and Stop That Train were really good, and so was High Tide or Low Tide.
Slint
5/5
This is so sick. The riffs are great, they have such a driving force and create an eerie, sinister, or tense vibe that feels like you're trapped in, well, a spiderweb. Nosferatu Man is awesome and the Don, Aman, with its absense or drums, builds the tension even more. And finally Good Morning, Captain caps off the album with a disorienting and chaotic song that perfectly represents the experience from the 30 mins prior.