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Sat Nov 04 2023
Songs From The Big Chair
Tears For Fears
My two initial thoughts:
"Oh, this opening verse is what they're referencing in the Page 7 podcast." "Oh, it's the album that Everybody Wants to Rule the World is on. Hopefully everything else is good, too."
It sounds like it came out in 1985. (This is not bad.)
1. Shout
'They gave you life/and in return, you gave them hell.'
I don't know if this first song needed to be over six minutes long, but what a hook. A lot of space and meticulousness in the instrumentation.
2. The Working Hour
I love the clean guitar riff in the middle/latter part of this track, and the saxophone adds some drama. Again, not sure about the six minute plus runtime.
3. Everybody Wants to Rule the World
I mean, c'mon. It's an all-timer. An unimpeachable song.
'Help me make the most of freedom/and of pleasure/nothing ever lasts forever.'
And this bridge, oh man.
4. Mothers Talk
These 80s drum machine sounds, I'll tell you what. There's something about that huge percussion that can get me going, though. The energy of this is welcome after the sprawling opening tracks and the shuffle of the last song.
Oh, this slaps actually. There's a tasty guitar and bass breakdown.
5. I Believe
Ballad time? I think it's ballad time.
Ballads are hard for me.
6. Broken
A good riff, however, is not hard for me. I was into this within the first ten or so seconds.
There's an interesting dissonance between the organ bits and the background synthesizer; the productions ebbs from being cooperative to at-odds. I like the tension there.
7. Head Over Heels / Broken
This is another one I've heard before--I think the Hivemind guys had this on their 'Our Favorite Songs of All Time' playlist. My money is on this being a Riley pick, but I could be wrong. I'm enjoying it more upon this second listen and in the context of the record. Great hook, great crunchy synth solo, and I actually like the compressed horns (or whatever it is that sounds like compressed horns.)
8. Listen
Again: this album as been meticulously, lovingly produced from start to finish. It sounds of this time, but sounds great. I like the vocal sample and glitchy accent notes here, and the different drum textures. It gets you to Listen. I'm so funny. I'm a very serious musichead. There's great tension in the female backing vocals and patient production. It earns the over-six-minute runtime.
Overall, I'd listen again. I've been missing out by only kneeling at the EWTRTW altar.
4
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Sun Nov 05 2023
At Newport 1960
Muddy Waters
OKAY DAMN LET'S GET INTO THE CLASSICS
1. I've Got My Brand On You
Blues always make me want cigarettes. I want my feet up on the dashboard of my car, windows down, watching traffic go by while I suck on a Marlboro.
Blues can be hard for me to parse and truly appreciate; the first thing that stands out to me is the command and space in Muddy's voice.
2. I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man
THE man for blues standards. This song sounds like it's existed forever, but of course someone had to write it. The beat here is clear but restrained; they're not wailing on the beat stops like I'd expect a bar-blues band to do. I can hear the influence on the Rolling Stones and the Who here.
3. Baby, Please Don't Go
Get those low notes, Muddy. The arrangement sounds loose and almost breezy, but that's only because the band is so tight. The call-and-response with the harmonica and guitar? Chef's kiss.
4. Soon Forgotten
High pitched, warbling opening riff sets the tone here. Contrasts with the heavy, plodding pace. The bass drum is holding it down.
5. Tiger In Your Tank
We've got a beat and prominent piano. Because of how repetitive the blues can be, songs are held together by the energy of the band and personality of the vocalist; both of these are present here. I could put this on at a party, maybe.
6. I Feel So Good
Went right into this one; nice live transition.
7. I've Got My Mojo Working
I like hearing the crowd be kind of stirred up at this point, although I'm realizing that although I respect the blues, it's not a genre that I turn to very often. Other than appreciating the musicianship, there's not a lot here that moves me, I guess.
It can get me excited! Muddy is really popping off here as a frontman. Maybe if my ears were better attuned to blues, this would be great for running.
"I've got my mojo working/it just don't work on you."
8. Got My Mojo Working - Pt. 2
I really dig the electric guitar work in this reprise.
9. Goodbye Newport Blues
Jam \m/
Overall, I'm not sure I'll return to this album, but it could be something I'd put on while I'm up to something else around the house.
3
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Mon Nov 06 2023
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon & Garfunkel
1. Bridge Over Troubled Water
Okay, well, this album opens with a song that makes me cry. Let's fucking go.
Absolutely adore the bass around the 3:10 mark of this song, right before we get the harmonies.
2. El Condor Pasa (If I Could)
Are those recorders? It's giving the Thrillville's Pirateville park background music.
"I'd rather be a hammer than a nail" so true bestie.
3. Cecilia
I'm sorry to ask, but was this in a commercial?
I like the way the percussion builds and layers with the acoustic guitar and their voices. This gives me novelty song vibes, which I don't think is fair.
That "Pick it up, pick it up!" in the left chamber made me jump. I thought someone in the office was talking to me.
That xylophone going ham in the latter half? Interesting sound and texture. What a strange song.
4. Keep the Customer Satisfied
Here's the salty folk music I crave.
Okay, not sure about the brass section here. It's a little cheesy. I still like the riff, the lyrics, melody, and vocal performances. Maybe the cheese is on purpose.
5. So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright
Guitar work here reminds me a bit of Adrienne Lenker's playing. Nice bossa nova sway here and lovely vocals.
6. The Boxer
"Met you at the dive bar to go shoot some p--" wrong song, sorry. I just like the way they (boygenius) interpolate and change the journey of that initial melody.
Beautiful song, love the dramatic percussion--sounds like a snare with a bunch of reverb? Not to mention the bass harmonica.
7. Baby Driver
"When I was young I carried a gun/but I never had a chance to serve."
Maybe I should watch this movie. Anyways, a slap daddy of a folk rock tune.
8. The Only Living Boy in New York
Delicious, salty folk. I used to listen to this when I worked at [coffee shop chain redacted.] Especially love the bass here.
9. Why Don't You Write Me
Went right through me, to be honest.
10. Bye Bye Love
Boy howdy are these folks clapping.
11. Song for the Asking
A nice album; some highlights and some that didn't do a lot for me. I'd probably revisit on a rainy day.
3
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Tue Nov 07 2023
Abbey Road
Beatles
Dude, I've heard Abbey Road a million times. It's ingrained in the folds of my brain. Five stars.
5
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Wed Nov 08 2023
Ramones
Ramones
Okay, I'm not going to do track-by-tracks anymore because it's making it hard for me to focus on the actual album. This is a lean, mean, bite-sized piece of punk. Catchy and concise. Music to crash your car to.
4
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Thu Nov 09 2023
Exodus
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3
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Fri Nov 10 2023
Being There
Wilco
Full disclosure: this is the first Wilco album I've ever listened to. The long runtime initially concerned me, but a few songs into the first half and I was hooked, especially when the rock influence turned up. The chord progressions? General musicianship? The lyricism? This may be my favorite record that this generator has introduced me to so far.
5
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Sat Nov 11 2023
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
This is my first Iron Maiden record, full disclosure.
Is this what metal used to sound like? It's so... melodic, almost clean. I like a lot of the riffs, the bass sounds great (imagine, being able to hear bass on a metal album), and it has compelling soloing. I didn't find this to be an overwhelming musical experience or anything, but I did enjoy it and could see myself revisiting in the future.
3
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Sun Nov 12 2023
On The Beach
Neil Young
Boy howdy is this album bleak; boy howdy is this album good. Even the nearly-nine-minute closing track flew by.
4
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Mon Nov 13 2023
The Pleasure Principle
Gary Numan
This sure is new wave.
I enjoyed it? I guess? It went right through me, which either means it's genuinely not compelling to me or I need to give it another couple of listens. I was relieved when it got to "Tracks" and there was a drum buildup. I've heard "Car" before, but in the context of this album I swear the same synth riff was used already. I'd be halfway through a song on this thing and thinking "Gosh, I can't wait for this to be over," then the song would end and I'd go "Wait, that was it?"
Maybe I'm just not a new wave person.
2
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Tue Nov 14 2023
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash
One of my all-times favorites. An unimpeachable record.
5
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Wed Nov 15 2023
Sunshine Hit Me
The Bees
4
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Thu Nov 16 2023
Different Class
Pulp
4
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Fri Nov 17 2023
Bossanova
Pixies
3
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Sat Nov 18 2023
Aladdin Sane
David Bowie
There are some high points here, but there are Bowie albums I love more.
3
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Sun Nov 19 2023
Electric Warrior
T. Rex
3
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Mon Nov 20 2023
good kid, m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar
5
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Tue Nov 21 2023
Cheap Thrills
Big Brother & The Holding Company
What a party record; what a voice.
4
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Wed Nov 22 2023
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
😴😴😴
2
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Thu Nov 23 2023
Siembra
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
What a warm, fun, delicious record. I haven't listened to a lot (read: any) salsa music, but this was lovely. The production sounds great (some amazing bass performances!), the vocals grab my attention even when I don't speak the language, and the album is cohesive without feeling repetitive. There are so many moments and flourishes throughout that would reward repeat listening.
I particularly enjoyed the "America" (West Side Story) interpolation in "Pedro Navaja" and the backing vocals on "Ojos". And, as mentioned, the amazing bass work across this album.
4
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Fri Nov 24 2023
Heavy Weather
Weather Report
You know, maybe jazz fusion isn't for me either.
2
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Wed Nov 29 2023
There's No Place Like America Today
Curtis Mayfield
Here's the thing: Curtis Mayfield is a genius. He's the Gentle Genius! But why *this* album on *this* list? The instrumentation across the album is fine, his voice is nice, et cetera--but I'm not convinced that the sprawl of most of these songs is warranted or even in service to them. I was tired of "Jesus" and "Billy Jack" before they were halfway over. Mayfield's tenor gets samey in the back half of the record. I don't want to belabor the point here, but at this point I can't wait for this site to generate Super Fly.
2
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Thu Nov 30 2023
Doggystyle
Snoop Dogg
Definitely a landmark G-funk record. The production is uniformly excellent, and Snoop's verses entertain and hold my attention. His flow is always great, but The Lady of Rage features are my favorite part. Some of the misogyny on this record is a little startling (although it is a 90s rap album) and I could really do without some of the skits.
3
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Fri Dec 01 2023
When I Was Born For The 7th Time
Cornershop
4
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Sat Dec 02 2023
Harvest
Neil Young
4
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Sun Dec 03 2023
Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses
"We quit making out to attend this meeting/with old ladies on tremendous amounts of coke."
My ears perked up hearing this lyric, so precise and funny and telling. A whole story in a line.
This is a great slice of early 2000s rock, served with the scent of the 90s on it. I'll likely revisit this album and explore more of Throwing Muses discography.
My highlights were "Pretty or Not", "Speed and Sleep", and "Half Blast".
4
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Mon Dec 04 2023
Too Rye Ay
Dexys Midnight Runners
Disclosure: I came into this already hating "Come On Eileen".
I really have trouble with this lead singer's voice. The way he uses his vibrato gives me the ick and I don't like his tone, especially how he transitions from falsetto to chest voice the way you'd go from talking to shouting. The track "Plan B" had an especially intolerable vocal performance.
I liked the violin solo on the opening track.
I hate the hokey claps and brass section on "Let's Make This Precious" and his Elvis-ass vocal inflections.
And it doesn't get better for me. It just got more grating as the album continued. I heard the introduction to "Jackie Wilson Said" and actually gritted my teeth, bracing myself for the songs to follow.
I don't want to be overly negative, so I'll say this: this is an over-produced, over-sung, overstuffed but uninteresting record that annoyed me start to finish.
1
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Tue Dec 05 2023
Eliminator
ZZ Top
I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would.
It scratches the some nostalgia itch for me; it's like growing up listening to classic rock radio with my dad primed me to enjoy ZZ Top. The riffs and melodies are catchy, it's well-mixed and produced. These guys clearly love the guitar. It's not intellectual rock music, to be sure, but it's great for partying and you can dance to it. We all need some meathead rock and roll in our lives, and Eliminator is a prime cut of it.
It gets a bit samey in the back half. I'd give this a 3.5 if I could.
3
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Wed Dec 06 2023
Parklife
Blur
What an English album.
This is a solid collection of power pop and Brit rock tunes with some curveballs tossed in for flavor (see: "The Debt Collector", "Far Out"). I can't say that it blew me away, but I can see why some folks would love it.
My highlights were "Girls & Boys", "End of a Century", "This Is a Low", and "Clover Over Dover".
3
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Thu Dec 07 2023
The Trinity Session
Cowboy Junkies
Okay, well.
I like the Natalie Merchant's voice, although she can come off as overly somber--the reigning mood of this album. She gets close to a kind of slinky sexuality on "I Don't Get It", which would've been welcome on other songs (I think "Misguided Angel" would've benefited from some of that energy).
I've seen other reviews refer to this as a kind of proto-slowcore record, which I'm inclined to agree with. If a lot of these songs were a minute (or two) shorter, I think fewer reviews would complain about being bored. Many of these tracks just overstay their welcome. The lead guitar playing is great, often bluesy, and the gritty tone cuts right through the lowfi production and restrained vocals.
I think this album is beautiful, in a way; I also think it could've used some edits and more varied vocal performances. I could see myself revisiting parts of this on a rainy day when I need some alt country for swaying.
Highlights: Blue Moon Revisited, Dreaming My Dreams With You, Sweet Jane
3
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Fri Dec 08 2023
Marquee Moon
Television
I kind of love this record, actually. I think this is only the second album this generator has given me that I haven't heard before that's reached the five-star benchmark for me. I can't really fault it; it's well-written, well-performed, premium 1970's NYC punk rock.
Highlights: See No Evil, Marquee Moon, Guiding Light, Prove It
5
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Sat Dec 09 2023
Bookends
Simon & Garfunkel
These songs are short, sweet, and pretty. I wish there was some more breathing room between songs.
I wanted the "Bookends" intro to be longer; the tone of that guitar is perfect. I guess there is the reprise.
The arrangement on "Old Friends" was a little saccharine for me, and the short length of some of these songs made them feel fleeting and at times insubstantial. I'd rather that than a song overstaying its welcome, I suppose. Some of the sound effects and added dialogue were nice ideas, but ultimately took me out of the music and struck me as kind of corny. This track with my general experience re: Simon & Garfunkel albums.
"Mrs. Robinson" is an all-time banger though.
3
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Sun Dec 10 2023
Good Old Boys
Randy Newman
4
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Mon Dec 11 2023
Rhythm Nation 1814
Janet Jackson
Me, seeing a runtime of over an hour and eight interludes on what is ostensibly a pop record: 😐
And then the opening track "Rhythm Nation" knocked me clean out of my chair.
It's amazing to hear an album this ambitious, conceptual, and confident from a 23-year-old; even more unbelievably, this was only her fourth proper album. I feel like I've missed something from the one listen, so I'd like to revisit this and commit to closer listening.
There's the 1989 of it all: the massive drums, glossy backing vocals, and synths. "Dated" tends to have a negative connotation, but I don't mind that I can hear the year on this one. The songs stand up to time.
Highlights: Rhythm Nation, Livin' In A World (They Didn't Make), Black Cat
4
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Tue Dec 12 2023
OK Computer
Radiohead
With a lot of these Radiohead albums, they've been hyped up so tremendously in previous years that when I'm not blown away, it feels like a personal failure rather than some flaw in the music or over-saturation of universal praise.
Still incredible, please don't get me wrong. I loved OKC and I loved Kid A and hopefully I love whatever else they have on this list. It's just, you know. I thought my life would be changed after listening or something.
I'll keep trying. I'd give this 4.5 stars if I could, but because I can't really fault this album, it's 5/5.
Highlights: Paranoid Android, Exit Music, Electioneering, No Surprises
5
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Wed Dec 13 2023
Fuzzy
Grant Lee Buffalo
I enjoyed the beginning of this album quite a bit, but something happened around the third-to-midway point. I think it was something like listening fatigue, but that's usually an issue when you're in the homestretch of some 60-minute LP. So what does that say about 'Fuzzy'?
I like his voice; his diction could be better and some of the melodies seem limited by his range. Many of the lyrics that I could pick out seem socially-conscious in a pretty on-the-nose manner. I wish the rhythm section had the same verve and attention as the guitars and vocals do.
"Serviceable" is a descriptor that comes to mind for this record, which feels more deeply insulting than "bad" or "okay." Funnily enough, I came around to it more during the last few songs.
Highlights: The Shining Hour, Fuzzy, The Hook, Dixie Drug Store (who could hate on a classic "I fucked a ghost" tale?), You Just Have to Be Crazy
3
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Thu Dec 14 2023
E.V.O.L.
Sonic Youth
Okay fine alright okay fine fine fine I'll listen to Sonic Youth finally, fine. Okay.
God damn it. I love the first track. I might end up loving this thing. Damn it all to hell.
I don't know exactly where my deep aversion to Sonic Youth came from; maybe it was playing "Kool Thing" on Guitar Hero when I was too young to Get It and hating the song, maybe it was a reflexive dislike of Kim Gordon's voice (I'm sorry), maybe it was years of being inundated with people insisting that Sonic Youth is the greatest band to come from New York, the apex of cool, heirs apparent to The Velvet Underground, whatever. Here we are.
The guitar work, the production and atmosphere--this thing *is* pretty cool. The drums sound great. The songs are tight. The album is polished but not fussy. If I was in somebody's basement or a dim club hearing this stuff live, I think I'd go nuts.
There are still the moments of pretentiousness that I'd expected (see: "In the Kingdom #19", "Secret Voice"), but I wouldn't call this a pretentious record. It's damn good rock music.
But I still don't really like Kim Gordon's voice.
Highlights: Tom Violence, Star Power, Death to Our Friends, Madonna, Sean, and Me
4
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Fri Dec 15 2023
The Healer
John Lee Hooker
I think I'm more compelled by the blues when hearing them live.
Highlights: I'm In The Mood, Sally Mae, No Substitute
3
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Sat Dec 16 2023
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Wilco
I'd give this a 4.5 if I could. I am glad I heard this album before I died.
4
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Sun Dec 17 2023
Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)
Eurythmics
I liked this more than I thought I would. Annie Lennox has an amazing voice, the synths are varied and the guitar is crunchy. I can hear Eurythmics influence in other artists I love, like St. Vincent. I feel like I've been missing out.
Highlights: Love is a Stranger, Sweet Dreams, Jennifer, I Could Give You (A Mirror)
4
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Mon Dec 18 2023
Music For The Jilted Generation
The Prodigy
This is clearly well composed dance music. It's grimy and varied. Perfect for soundtracking your Cyberpunk role-playing game.
It's also very long.
Highlights: Voodoo People, Their Law, Speedway
2
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Tue Dec 19 2023
Boston
Boston
Cheesy? Maybe. But "More Than A Feeling" does make me, well, feel a kind of way.
If you grew up listening to classic rock radio you can recognize a Boston song from miles away. That voice, the production style, the massive hooks and arena rock polish. You even get some prog-adjacent instrumental action on the third track!
My primary complaint with this record is that some of these melody lines and hooks sound a bit too similar to each other to be on the same record: "Rock & Roll Band" compared to "Peace of Mind" is one example. Use different chords, guys.
Anyways, nostalgia and joy give this a decent score. But not quite a great score.
Eat some cheese everybody. It's good for your bones.
3
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Wed Dec 20 2023
Wild Is The Wind
Nina Simone
5
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Thu Dec 21 2023
Elastica
Elastica
I came around to it more in the second half, but I left this record feeling lukewarm towards it. I'm becoming concerned that I generally find 90s rock music kind of boring.
Highlights: Blue, All-Nighter, Connection, Waking Up, Vaseline
3
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Fri Dec 22 2023
La Revancha Del Tango
Gotan Project
I'm never quite sure how to rate albums that are well-made, well-executed, but just not for me. I enjoyed my listen on this one just fine, but I can't see myself revisiting it. Maybe for the instrumental playlist I have for work?
Some of these tracks were groovy, even danceable. Other tracks made me feel like I was sitting in the waiting room for my therapy appointment.
I can't in good conscience give this anything lower than a three.
3
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Sat Dec 23 2023
Licensed To Ill
Beastie Boys
This opens with a fucking Led Zeppelin sample? Did the Beastie Boys beat Dr. fucking Dre to "When the Levee Breaks"? This came out in 1986? There are THREE Zep samples? Why haven't I heard this record yet?
This was a ton of fun, although at times it feels like being yelled at over music at a party for 45 minutes. Also, "Girls" is unforgivably stupid, but this album doesn't exist to be intellectually stimulating. Or progressive. (Although, sound-wise, it may be ahead of its time.) This is id music.
Highlights: Rhymin & Stealin, The New Style, Fight For Your Right, No Sleep Till Brooklyn
4
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Sun Dec 24 2023
My Aim Is True
Elvis Costello
This is fine rock music, I guess.
He has this inflection in his voice that's part Presley, part Buddy Holly, part Billy Joel that kind of bugs me.
I was surprised when I checked the critical reviews of this album after my listen and saw rapturous praise. This is so middle-of-the-road to me that I feel like a traffic circle.
I will say that I think he's a good lyricist. I wish he was easier to understand when he sang.
2
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Mon Dec 25 2023
1999
Prince
So, I'm biased. I'm from Minneapolis. Paisley Park was blocks from where my dad worked, and I saw it often. I was dancing at First Avenue to "1999" on New Year's Eve when the clock struck midnight and it became 2020.
"When I woke up this morning/Could've sworn it was judgement day."
"We're running out of time."
"We could all die any day."
Tell me about it.
The songs are long, sure. The Minneapolis Sound might not be for everybody. He says some freaky shit on this thing. But god damn, when Prince sings "I'm gonna have fun every motherfuckin' night", I believe him.
Highlights: 1999, Little Red Corvette, Let's Pretend We're Married, D.M.S.R., Free, Lady Cab Driver, International Lover
5
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Tue Dec 26 2023
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
Sure, I'll listen to a Christmas album on a snowless January 31st, that won't make me sad.
Some unsorted thoughts:
I could really do without the spoken interludes on a couple of these songs. Phil Spector talking all over "Silent Night" knocked a full star off of this thing.
Darlene Love has an incredible voice.
I had never heard "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" before and, after listening, I understand why.
But overall, this is a nice gift from Phil Second Degree Murder Spector. His "Wall of Sound" approach makes for exciting, stirring moments, and also for some muddiness and lack of clarity, sometimes on the same song.
It's not my favorite Christmas album and sounds very dated to my ears, but I bet this went off in the early 60s.
Highlights: Sleigh Ride, Winter Wonderland, Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
2
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Wed Jan 03 2024
No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live)
Motörhead
I don't know? Some of these songs kind of slap, I guess, but the sound is so muddy that I can't really grab hold of any particular melody, lyric, or instrumentation. This is a perfectly acceptable live record that I'm sure classic metal fans would enjoy. I can't say that I'd revisit it. But I'm glad I've heard it and have now heard more than one Motorhead song, which I guess is part of the point of this list.
My highlights were "The Roadcrew" and "Ace of Spades" (I mean, yeah).
2
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Thu Jan 04 2024
3 Feet High and Rising
De La Soul
Dante is a scrub.
Thank goodness De La Soul's catalogue is finally available on streaming so more people can listen, and listen in higher fidelity than whatever YouTube does to audio.
I love the Otis Redding flip on "Eye Know", the "Transmitting Live from Mars" interlude, the screaming about Coca Cola on "Do as De La Does", and how this album is a little over an hour and doesn't overstay its welcome.
4
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Fri Jan 05 2024
Supa Dupa Fly
Missy Elliott
Another landmark rap album, but I was expecting to enjoy this more than I did. It's well produced and I like most of the features, but this one does suffer from runtime bloat. If most of the songs were a minute (or even two minutes) shorter I think it would feel less vibe-y and tiring. It's held together by Missy Elliott's charisma and the beats, but I found myself zoning out and being surprised at how much was left to listen to.
3
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Sat Jan 06 2024
The White Album
Beatles
5
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Sun Jan 07 2024
Graceland
Paul Simon
Paul Simon was married to Carrie Fisher? Interesting. Anyways.
This album seems to be pretty polarizing. I see folks either loving it or hating it, so here's my two cents: this record is fine. It sounds inspired, I guess, but the production doesn't always work. Why do the backing vocals on "I Know What I Know" sound like that? The backing vocals on "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" sound great, so why do they sound so shrill here? Why is that accordion so, so loud on "Gumboots", and why does the sax sound so strange and compressed? Was that on purpose? Where does he get off writing "Under African Skies"? (Although the female backing vocals on it are lovely.)
But I can hear this album's influence on bands I love, most pointedly Vampire Weekend, and I can understand why somebody would love it. I can also understand why somebody else would hate it.
I left this record wanting to hear more South African musicians (particularly choirs) and their music, but sans Paul Simon.
Highlights: Graceland, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, Homeless
2
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Mon Jan 08 2024
The Rising
Bruce Springsteen
Me: Calling this Bruce's 9/11 album seems kind of reductive. It's over 70 minutes long and came out only six months after the towers fell, it can't just be about that.
Me after listening: This is Bruce's 9/11 album.
My dad listened to this album all the time when it first came out. I remember him being moved by much of it, especially "You're Missing". I had been just old enough to remember 9/11, but my most vivid memories about it are of the aftermath. I'd cry when my mom had to go into work because it was in a tall building; I remember the magazine covers full of smoke and debris, the anxiety and anger, the full swing into jingoism (which Springsteen does engage in some here; make no mistake, he wasn't above the inclination towards revenge or blind patriotism), the useless, wasteful war.
Is every song literally about 9/11? No, I don't think so, but that grief, loss, and confusion permeates every moment of 'The Rising'; at the very least, it's an album of Springsteen processing 9/11, what he witnessed from his window in New Jersey, and the emotional state of the country afterwards.
If you've noticed I've spent more time talking about the emotions and context around this album more than the music, there's a reason for that.
This album does itself a great disservice by overstaying its welcome. Cut a few MOR or saccharine tracks, hack off a minute or two from the long songs, and this would maybe (emphasis on 'maybe') be an outright Springsteen classic. Seriously, I would cut the entire run of songs from "Into the Fire" through "World's Apart". As it is, this album is like an intense therapy session: a couple of breakthroughs, and lot of spinning wheels.
Sorry, dad, I can't quite love this record, even though my nostalgia really wants me to.
Highlights: Mary's Place, The Rising
2
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Tue Jan 09 2024
The ArchAndroid
Janelle Monáe
Top ten favorite album of all time. What a delight to see it on this list.
5
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Wed Jan 10 2024
Screamadelica
Primal Scream
🤷
Highlights: Movin' On Up, Damaged, I'm Coming Down
2
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Thu Jan 11 2024
Led Zeppelin IV
Led Zeppelin
I'm a big Led Zeppelin skeptic, but unfortunately I must concede that this album rips.
What holds me back from totally loving this record, and maybe Zep in general, is Robert Plant's voice. He'll turn in a performance I really like, or am even impressed by: "Battle of Evermore" and "Rock and Roll" stand out. But on other songs his howl sounds so shrill and overwrought.
My hottest take is that "Stairway to Heaven" is overrated.
But "When the Levee Breaks" gives me goosebumps across my whole body, "Going to California" transports me to someplace warm and fragrant, and "Black Dog" makes me go apeshit. So it balances out.
4
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Fri Jan 12 2024
Unhalfbricking
Fairport Convention
Hallelujah, I really liked this. I'm glad I've heard it and can listen to it again.
Highlights: A Sailor's Life, Cajun Woman, Who Knows Where The Time Goes?, Million Dollar Bash
4
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Sat Jan 13 2024
The Blueprint
JAY Z
Imagine making a rap album so good that even though it drops on 9/11, it sells over 400,000 copies in its debut week.
5
View Album
Sun Jan 14 2024
In A Silent Way
Miles Davis
So beautiful. The title piece is particularly stunning.
5
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Mon Jan 15 2024
Melody A.M.
Röyksopp
Instrumental music isn't really my cup of tea, but this is a solid album of the stuff. (Well, there are some snippets of vocals, but it's largely an instrumental album.) There's good variety of chill, smooth, dance-able, and in between. I'll be keeping it in my rotation for listening at work. I'd give it a 3.5 if I could.
3
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Tue Jan 16 2024
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Aretha Franklin
What a voice what a voice what a voice what a voice what a voice what a voice what a voice what a voice what a voice WHAT A VOICE. Powerful and gritty and soulful. There will never be another like Aretha.
The piano playing kicks ass, too.
4
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Wed Jan 17 2024
Junkyard
The Birthday Party
Had absolutely no idea what to expect based on that album cover, then I heard the opening track and went "Oh, of course."
I've heard music like this primarily live, played in someone's basement or garage in Dinkytown by a band I've never heard of and will not hear of again. I could appreciate the vibe this would bring when shoulder to shoulder in a houseshow environment. It made for strange listening at the office. This music didn't bother me or anything, and there were some moments of greatness, but the massive sound of it all started to sound the same.
My favorite thing about this album is the bass.
Also, apparently The Birthday Party was Nick Cave's first band, if that means anything.
Highlights: The Dim Locator, Several Sins, Kewpie Doll
2
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Thu Jan 18 2024
The Colour Of Spring
Talk Talk
I've never listened to so much 1980s music in my life as I have doing this generator. A lot of influential music came out that decade, or so I keep being told.
What was it about the period of time between 1983 and 1998 where people were making songs so fucking long? I'm not opposed to songs running longer than the pop-mandated two-minutes-and-fifty-seconds, but I'd like the additional minutes to feel warranted.
Their singer has that English New Wave voice. You know what I'm talking about right? That kind of head-voice, almost nasally, a little whiny but a little deep voice, with terrible diction? That's the one. Did all these guys have the same vocal coaches or something, like the 2010s 'indie voice' singers? It's a vocal tone that either communicates immense self-pity or is strangely dispassionate towards what's being sung; for example, I believed this guy not at all when he sang "Life's What You Make It".
I like the cover of this album a lot, for whatever that's worth. Overall, a bit of a snoozefest.
Highlights: I Don't Believe In You (that guitar solo around the 3:30 mark helped a lot), Give It Up
2
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Fri Jan 19 2024
Dig Me Out
Sleater-Kinney
I'm profoundly late to the Sleater-Kinney party. And hallelujah, it's a 90s rock album that's not over an hour long, clocking in at a lean 37 minutes. And those 37 kick ass.
People complaining about Corin Tucker's voice can't hang.
Highlights: Dig Me Out, One More Hour, Words and Guitar, Little Babies
4
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Sat Jan 20 2024
Doolittle
Pixies
Maybe the best Pixies album. I have a not so great ex who proselytized this album to me, so I was inclined to dislike it, but ultimately could not. It's too good.
I'm in love with Kim Deal. Her bass and vocals are vital to this album's sound and texture ("I Bleed" is a great example).
Highlights: Debaser, Wave Of Mutilation, I Bleed, Here Comes Your Man, Monkey Gone to Heaven, Mr. Grieves, Hey
4
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Sun Jan 21 2024
All Directions
The Temptations
Excellent vocal performances and arrangements, and the sprawl of "Papa" among a collection of solid 3ish minute songs is interesting. The mixing on the opening track had me thinking my headphones were broken at first.
Highlights: Papa Was A Rollin Stone, I Ain't Got Nothin, Mother Nature, Do Your Thing
4
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Mon Jan 22 2024
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
The Kinks
I love this record. God I love The Kinks. The arrangements are dynamic, melodies catchy without being overly simple, and overall theme cohesive. I'll absolutely listen again.
Highlights: Victoria, Brainwashed, Shangri-La, Mr. Churchill Says, She's Bought a Hat Like Princess Marina, Nothing to Say, Arthur
5
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Tue Jan 23 2024
Blackstar
David Bowie
I'd avoided listening to Blackstar for a long time. I was deeply saddened by Bowie's passing and didn't want my view of the album tainted by that, and all the acclaim for Blackstar fed my suspicions that would happen. I think it's been long enough now where I can listen to this as an album first and a Final Album second.
It's a joy to hear Bowie explore so many genres and production approaches. He was adventurous, up to the end. While I don't know what to do with lyrics like "I was looking for your ass", I do think Blackstar is great outside the context of Bowie's passing.
Highlights: Blackstar, Lazarus, Girl Loves Me, Dollar Days, I Can't--you know what, the whole thing. Whole album is a highlight.
5
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Wed Jan 24 2024
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Oh, this opens with one of my favorite musical pieces ever. Okay. (I wake up to Satie's Gymnopedies every morning and haven't gotten sick of it.)
I've never thought of myself as a jazz rock person, but I can dig this. It's fun and a bit campy, almost dramatic in moments. It reminded me of musical theatre a bit, in moments. And the horns sound great.
I'm honestly a little surprised by how much I like this album.
Highlights: Smiling Phases, Sometimes in Winter, More and More, And When I Die, Spinning Wheel, You've Made Me So Very Happy
5
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Thu Jan 25 2024
Brothers
The Black Keys
Who in the world needs almost an hour of The Black Keys on one album? I like a good riff as much as the next person, but this band has a tendency to milk them. The songs that are great are immaculately produced, catchy, and performed well; the songs that aren't are kind of exhausting. I can forgive a repetitive song when it's not a minute too long. It all begins to sound the same.
Also, goodness gracious are these lyrics vapid.
Highlights: Everlasting Light, Tighten Up, Howlin' For You
2
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Fri Jan 26 2024
Liquid Swords
GZA
Read the label or you might get poisoned!!
Highlights: Duel Of The Iron Mic, Living In The World Today, Gold, 4th Chamber, Swordsman, I Gotcha Back, B.I.B.L.E.
5
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Sat Jan 27 2024
Urban Hymns
The Verve
I've never been terribly impressed with "Bittersweet Symphony." I'm not terribly impressed with this either.
Highlights: I'll just listen to Oasis, thanks
1
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Sun Jan 28 2024
The Next Day
David Bowie
I remember listening to this album when it first came out; I was in high school and trying to keep up with new music releases for the first time. I don't remember it very well, even though I listened to it a few times. Maybe it fell victim to the free-version-of-Spotify disease where you could only listen to albums on shuffle.
Anyways, my new take is that this album is pretty good, but it pales in comparison to Blackstar and, of course, Bowie's best work. It's a couple songs too long, and much of it has a straightforward rock sound with a bit of modern polish. But I can hear Bowie's passion here.
Highlights: Dirty Boys, The Stars (Are Out Tonight), Love Is Lost, I'd Rather Be High, Dancing Out In Space, (You Will) Set The World On Fire
3
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Mon Jan 29 2024
Cut
The Slits
These songs all sneak up on me. They start and I don't really like them, and then by the end I'm bopping along.
It's kind of refreshing to hear a DIY punk record that actually sounds DIY. Apparently The Slits couldn't really play their instruments when they first started, and although I can hear that on this record a bit, if I didn't know I would think this simply was creatively composed music. (And it is still that.)
To be honest, as important of a record as I'm sure this is, I don't think I'll revisit anytime soon. But I'm glad I heard it and had fun along with the band.
Highlights: Instant Hit, So Tough, Newtown, Ping Pong Affair, Typical Girls
3
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Tue Jan 30 2024
Getz/Gilberto
Stan Getz
This album makes me want neat bourbon and a cigarette.
Highlights: The Girl From Ipanema (both versions), Desafinado, Corcovado
3
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Wed Jan 31 2024
The Renaissance
Q-Tip
Oh man. This is really good. This generator has gotten me to listen to a lot of great hip hop records. God bless.
Highlights: Johnny Is Dead, Gettin' Up, You, ManWomanBoogie, Life Is Better
5
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Thu Feb 01 2024
Smash
The Offspring
Music soothes even the savage beast.
It's nice to hear a 90s rock album that doesn't bore me to tears. It does make me feel kind of anxious after a while though. It might be his voice.
Highlights: Bad Habit, Gotta Get Way, Come Out and Play, Self Esteem, It'll Be a Long Time, What Happened To You?
3
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Fri Feb 02 2024
1984
Van Halen
I've never been a Van Halen person, maybe because I never gave their music more than a cursory listen when their songs came on classic rock radio. I will say that hearing "Jump" with headphones instead of my dad's 2001 Ford F150 speakers gives it some shine. (Although, Van Halen definitely makes music for car rides.)
It's still a bit too... meathead rock for me to Love it, but I appreciate the musical proficiency and the fun this album exudes. I can understand why someone would love Van Halen, and why this album is on this list.
So generator, thanks for helping me get off my high horse about Van Halen, I guess.
Highlights: Jump, Panama, I'll Wait
3
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Sat Feb 03 2024
Moondance
Van Morrison
It's so good! Folky and jazzy, sincere and fun. It's also aged like wine. I do wish there was more variety in pacing; the middle portion of the album made me a wee bit sleepy.
Highlights: And It Stoned Me, Moondance, Crazy Love
4
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Sun Feb 04 2024
Red Dirt Girl
Emmylou Harris
Harris has a beautiful voice, and her writing is spellbinding. My singular true gripe is that many of these songs are 30 seconds to a minute too long. The sprawl makes it difficult to pay close attention, which is a shame when the writing is this good.
Highlights: The Pearl, Red Dirt Girl (😭), Bang the Drum Slowly, J'ai fait tout, My Antonia
3
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Mon Feb 05 2024
Electric Music For The Mind And Body
Country Joe & The Fish
I don't know, it's alright I guess. I don't believe this is something I needed to hear before I died, but at least I've heard another album by somebody who played at Woodstock. Whatever that's worth.
It was nice of them to whisper "LSD" directly at me towards the end of the record; the influence had been unclear.
Highlight: Love
2
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Tue Feb 06 2024
Murmur
R.E.M.
This is my first R.E.M. album. I'm aware of their influence and some of their big songs, but that's about it.
I feel like I owe this album at least one more listen, because it kind of washed right over me. There are moments of interesting instrumentation and turns of melody, but I have trouble understanding the lyrics and the mix is a little flat, so it starts to sound the same. I'm on the edge of really liking this, which is the same edge as leaving an album behind after a single listen.
Highlights: Laughing, Moral Kiosk, Catapult, Shaking Through
3
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Wed Feb 07 2024
Hunky Dory
David Bowie
Strangely enough, even though it holds some of my favorite Bowie songs, I hadn't listened to Hunky Dory in full before. Now I have, and I'm not surprised that I think it's pretty great.
Highlights: Changes, Oh! You Pretty Things, Life On Mars?, Kooks, Quicksand, Queen Bitch
5
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Thu Feb 08 2024
Goo
Sonic Youth
I feel like I was maybe too generous when I reviewed E.V.O.L.
I see 'Goo' suffers from long-ass-90s-song disease. "Mote" was going great, until it ended with two minutes of wandering rock noise, which would be fine if I wasn't expected to find it groundbreaking and transgressive.
While I'll enjoy their instrumentation and melodies, I really struggle to enjoy the vocal performances across Sonic Youth's discography. I was so close to loving "Tunic (Song For Karen)"; the riff and the lyrics are great and I love the mix, but god I just can't do it with the spoken vocals.
I did get to take another crack at "Kool Thing" as an adult. And it does rip, it's a great rock song, but god damn it with Kim Gordan's vocals. It's weird to hear this song now with more context and go "this is a pretty tolerable vocal take, actually."
Highlights: Dirty Boots, Kool Thing (miraculously), Disappearer
3
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Fri Feb 09 2024
Immigrés
Youssou N'Dour
Senegalese music, you say? Thank goodness for some variety on this list. It's been a lot of English and American stuff.
N'Dour has a great voice, flexible and strong. I like the instrumentation a lot; I especially love the bass, particularly its tone on the opening track. Not sure about the synthesizers; they muddy the sound a bit. Maybe I'll revisit this album, maybe not, but I am interested in more of Youssou N'Dour's work now.
So thanks for taking a break to present me with some good African music, list. I hope it wasn't too hard to include among all the Britpop and New Wave.
Highlights: Pitche Mi, Taaw
3
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Sat Feb 10 2024
Live At Leeds
The Who
Thank fucking goodness, an actually perfect live album. This makes me feel like my head is being split open, I'm drenched in sweat, and it's a miracle to be alive and in a human body. Imagine being at this show.
If you're reading this and enjoyed Live at Leeds, please check out their performances at Isle of Wight and Hull. They absolutely rip.
Highlights: The whole thing. Long live The Who.
5
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Sun Feb 11 2024
Electric
The Cult
I'll add this to the pile of 80s rock albums I heard once and will never think about again. Thanks to this list, I finally understand all the people who find classic rock bland. These songs are indistinguishable from each other.
See you next time, Rubin.
Highlights: YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH
1
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Mon Feb 12 2024
Slipknot
Slipknot
I don't know. I guess it's not for me. It did make me chuckle a lot. Maybe it's how histrionic it is.
Highlights: Wait and Bleed, No Life
2
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Tue Feb 13 2024
Coat Of Many Colors
Dolly Parton
I've heard it said many times that Dolly Parton is one of the greatest living American songwriters, but I hadn't heard one of her albums start to finish before. Now I have, and yeah. I think she's one of the greatest living American songwriters.
I don't really care for Porter Wagoner's songs, so alas I must detract a star.
Highlights: Coat of Many Colors, My Blue Tears, Early Morning Breeze, A Better Place To Live
4
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Wed Feb 14 2024
Emergency On Planet Earth
Jamiroquai
I feel like I should like this more than I do. It has lots of elements of other music I love, but something isn't clicking for me.
The length of these songs doesn't help.
Highlights: If I Like It I Do It, Whatever It Is I Just Can't Stop
2
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Thu Feb 15 2024
Dear Science
TV On The Radio
I had a run of albums that I was (at best) lukewarm towards, so I'm relieved to get something new that I also love. I'm looking forward to returning to this one. I like the way it sounds, the instrumentation, the variety, the lyrics and the vocal performances--I guess everything about it.
Highlights: Halfway Home, Crying, Family Tree, Shout Me Out, DLZ
5
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Fri Feb 16 2024
Vulnicura
Björk
This is my first Bjork album. My first thought when pulling up 'Vulcinara' was "This had better be almost an hour for a good reason." I've also heard this referred to as Bjork's breakup album, which makes me inclined to like it, since I tend to enjoy albums centered around intense emotions and moments in the artist's life.
This woman was really going through it.
Her compositions are wandering and unbothered; the strings are beautiful and I like how they're combined with the drum loops and inorganic sounds. I disagree that it sounds like she's "trying to be experimental," none of this sounds labored to me. It does sound like someone working the pain away; there's real agony on here. I'm surprised she didn't process her vocals more, and grateful the raw delivery is largely left unadorned.
It's still not easy listening, and I can't say that I'll revisit this often, but I enjoyed my time with this album.
Highlights: History of Touches, Black Lake, Atom Dance, Quicksand
3
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Sat Feb 17 2024
Hot Rats
Frank Zappa
This is my first Frank Zappa record. It's an astonishing display of musicianship, and while I don't know if I'll revisit or not, I enjoyed my time with it.
Highlights: Peaches En Regalia, Willie The Pimp
3
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Sun Feb 18 2024
Astral Weeks
Van Morrison
This didn't really stick to me at all. I thought it was meandering, almost sounding lost. "Madame George" didn't need to be 10 minutes long. I feel let down, or like I'm missing something.
Highlights: I'm going to listen to Moondance again
2
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Mon Feb 19 2024
Everything Must Go
Manic Street Preachers
A pretty good rock album. Inoffensive, enjoyable, and easy to move on from.
Highlights: Enola / Alone, Everything Must Go, No Surface All Feeling
3
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Tue Feb 20 2024
Queen II
Queen
I'm a simple person. I drink coffee, I sleep on my side, and I enjoy Queen's music.
It's interesting listening to early Queen; I can hear where their influence bled into artists after them, but I can hear them wear their own influences on their sleeve. I can hear The Who all over "Father To Son" and The Beatles on "White Queen (As It Began)." They were still fully in their rock bag on 'Queen II,' with some glimpses of the high-drama to come.
That all being said, there are Queen albums I love more.
Highlights: Some Day One Day, The March Of The Black Queen, Seven Seas Of Rhye
3
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Wed Feb 21 2024
Lazer Guided Melodies
Spiritualized
I'm not familiar with this album or artist, which I like. It's also nice when a total mystery album turns out to be good. It's spacious, unbothered music; I wish I could understand the lyrics better (I'm a words person), but the vibe is absolutely immaculate. And as the album title implies, the melodies are great.
There are dynamic builds in the instrumentation, the production is clean, and I really dig the variety in guitar sounds. It does get a little sleepy in the middle and overlong by the end, which holds me back from completely loving it. 3.5/5
Highlights: If I Were with Her Now, I Want You, Smiles, Angel Sigh
3
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Thu Feb 22 2024
Raw Power
The Stooges
Very excited to get this one from the generator. I ride with the Iggy Mix, personally. It's grimy and gritty without losing all of the sonic fidelity; all the compression manages to work in its favor.
This opening three song run is maybe one of the strongest in its genre. And then the run continues, for pretty much the rest of the record. 'Raw Power' indeed.
Highlights: Search and Destroy, Give Me Danger, Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell, Penetration, Raw Power, I Need Somebody
5
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Fri Feb 23 2024
Bitches Brew
Miles Davis
I'd tried listening to 'Bitches Brew' in the past and failed, so I entered into this listen with some trepidation. I remembered it being difficult, long, and occasionally cacophonous. And it still is that, but I think I can grasp what makes this album required listening now.
It's seminal and genius and groundbreaking and all that, but I have to be authentic to my listening experience with my rating.
Highlights: Spanish Key, Sanctuary
2
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Sat Feb 24 2024
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
Another opening on an album that makes me think my headphones are broken. Anyways, I like that the first track is "I Wanna Be Adored"--is there a sentiment more naked and relatable than that?
The vocals are mixed low on a lot of this, which means the guitar has room to shine but the drums seem loud and severe. There are great chorus hooks and melodies.
Sometimes a band has just one great album in them (see: Third Eye Blind, Hootie and the Blowfish, Boston), and that's alright. Bold of these guys to end their debut album on two sprawling songs.
Overall, a good rock album. I'd revisit.
Highlights: She Bangs the Drums (an all-timer), Waterfall, Made of Stone, I Am The Resurrection
3
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Sun Feb 25 2024
Rio
Duran Duran
This is my first full Duran Duran album. I'm familiar with them as one of the go-to 80s bands to mention when talking about 80s pop music. And this sure is 80s pop music, top to bottom.
I think I'd only heard the chorus hook for "Hungry Like the Wolf," so I didn't know that that songs rips, actually.
I like the verse melody even more than the refrain, which is a rare feat. (However, the breakdown on the bridge is a bit melodramatic for me.)
This came out in 1982, which makes me wonder when the 1980s Sound came about. Was this the daddy of all 80s gloss? Surely they weren't the first New Romantics band.
With this list, I keep running into massively influential, blockbuster albums that I come away from thinking are totally fine. Maybe there's too much distance between then and now and I can't hear exactly what's special here, like playing a video game from 2005 that was groundbreaking then merely enjoyable now. Maybe I'm putting too much stock into it.
I never thought I'd spend this much time thinking about Duran Duran.
Highlights: Lonely In Your Nightmare, Hungry Like the Wolf, Save a Prayer
3
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Mon Feb 26 2024
Idlewild
Everything But The Girl
I have maybe heard of this band? I'm chugging through a lot of 80s albums in a row. Maybe the generator is trying to get a bunch of them out of the way for me.
I'll start with this: Tracey Thorn has a beautiful voice. The opening track is a lovely; she sounds great, and the guitar sounds warm and sweet. I am a bit wary of an album that opens with a cover, however.
Some of the VERY 80s production dates these songs for the worse: "Love Is Here Where I Live" has that piddling drum machine sound that takes the polish off the heavy piano and layered vocals. If you took the vocals off a lot of these songs, it would sound like waiting room music to me. I spent a lot of this album waiting for the next song to see if that one would stick.
Anyways, I've heard Tracey Thorn has a good solo career. I'll go check some of that out.
Highlights: I Don't Want to Talk About It, The Night I Heard Caruso Sing, Shadow on a Harvest Moon, Apron Strings
2
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Tue Feb 27 2024
Music for the Masses
Depeche Mode
This is my first Depeche Mode album. I was wary of yet another 80s record (my third in a row), especially one over an hour long. Thankfully, it hooked me right away. The mix is bottom-heavy in a way that gives these songs some weight and magnitude, there are vocal performances I can actually discern, and all the 1980s signifiers like the drum machines and squirming base lack the cornball "sheen" of their contemporaries.
Thank goodness, it's good music. I'll be revisiting, especially the highlights.
(It still could be maybe 10 minutes shorter.)
Highlights: Never Let Me Down Again, The Things You Said, Behind the Wheel, Nothing, Pleasure Little Treasure, Route 66 (a cover I never thought I'd hear nor enjoy so much)
4
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Wed Feb 28 2024
Olympia 64
Jacques Brel
What a voice. I don't speak a lick of the language, but that hasn't stopped me from enjoying other records. I also enjoy a good live album, and this is one. The orchestra is spellbinding, the vocal performances are passionate but precise, playful but sincere--and the crowd's enthusiasm is included appropriately.
Another album that makes me want bourbon and a smoke.
Highlights: Amsterdam, Tango funèbre, Le play pays
3
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Thu Feb 29 2024
Foxbase Alpha
Saint Etienne
Initial thought before starting my listen: Oh good, another 90s album that's almost an hour long. I'll get myself ready for a nap.
It didn't put me to sleep, to be fair. I was pleasantly surprised to find a dance-pop record. The beats are good and the low mixing of the vocals actually works most of the time.
Much of it still fell into the background for me, unfortunately. This is a great Vibes album, but Vibes aren't personally engaging for me, especially with house music. And not to sound like a broken record with my reviews, but this really didn't need to be 58 minutes long.
Highlights: Only Love Can Break Your Heart (another album that opens with a good cover), Girl VII, People Get Real, Nothing Can Stop Us, London Belongs to Me, Kiss and Make Up
3
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Fri Mar 01 2024
More Songs About Buildings And Food
Talking Heads
I think Talking Heads either work for you or don't. I'm glad I was born with the Talking Heads-enjoyer gene.
This isn't my favorite TH record, but still a damn good sophomore effort. I love the bass, I love David Byrne's strange and kind of charming delivery, and I love the texture and sound of this thing.
Highlights: Thank You For Sending Me an Angel, Warning Sign, Found a Job, I'm Not In Love, Take Me to the River (another great cover), The Big Country
4
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Sat Mar 02 2024
Juju
Siouxsie And The Banshees
I've never listened to a Siouxsie record, but I've read a fair amount about their influence on alternative music (you know, alternative music. The well-known music genre "alternative") and contemporary goth culture. And I'd heard "Happy House" before. I was looking forward to getting a bigger picture.
First of all, I love the drums on the opening track accenting the "throw them down the stairs" lyric.
Siouxsie has a great voice for this; charismatic and strong without being bogged down in technical showiness. As a band, they have good ears for a hook and a strong sense of mood.
I can also hear how many samples have been pulled from this. Siouxsie And The Banshees might be the most sampled goth band. This album is spooky, sexy, atmospheric, catchy, and damn good.
Highlights: Spellbound, Arabian Knights, Halloween, Monitor
4
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Sun Mar 03 2024
If You're Feeling Sinister
Belle & Sebastian
Talk about a hyped album. I've never listened to Belle & Sebastian before, but boy howdy has a lot of ink been spilled about them and their impact on music, particularly the indie scene I once found so vital and precious. And I can hear it right away, as soon as the opening track: the slight production, the subtle build, the trumpet as the sonic climax.
There's more sex on this record than I'd expected. I guess I assumed it would be too twee. It's not *sexy*, but certainly curious about sex as subject matter. Maybe a little horny.
This album casts a spell. I was inclined to resist it, but around halfway through I realized I was really, really enjoying it. Damn.
Highlights: Seeing Other People, Like Dylan in the Movies, Get Me Away from Here I'm Dying, If You're Feeling Sinister (what a great title track), Judy and the Dream of Horses
5
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Mon Mar 04 2024
The Lexicon Of Love
ABC
I had no idea what to expect going into this. I hadn't heard of the artist or the album, and the album cover didn't give me any meaningful clues. I guess I can continue to round out my 1980s listening.
There's melodrama on this record; I started picking up on it during the second track. The songs are catchy and flashy, creating a listening experience that alternates between fun and occasionally grating.
But mostly fun! I like the prominent bass guitar, what can I say. It's a strong debut album that gives concept album energy without being obviously a concept album. It's a collection of good early 80s pop songs about love and its trappings. I'll be revisiting the highlights.
Highlights: Show Me, Many Happy Returns, The Look Of Love Pt.1, Date Stamp
3
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Tue Mar 05 2024
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
A Tribe Called Quest
I've never listened to a A Tribe Called Quest album in full before and I'm excited to finally do so. I've heard a lot about their influence and excellence and enjoyed the solo albums of some of their members very much (read: Q-Tip's). I was also a little bit apprehensive because of all the hype as well.
But I didn't need to be apprehensive, because it is really good. The beats are great, the sample work is kind of bananas, and it's bursting with personality and humor. I can hear how its influence has stretched over pretty much all contemporary hip hop; it's great to listen to an album this foundational and enjoy it.
Highlights: Footprints, I Left My Wallet in El Segundo, Can I Kick It?, Youthful Expression, Ham 'N' Eggs
4
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Wed Mar 06 2024
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
Iron Butterfly
There's a Taylor Swift song where she sings the lyric "Now that we don't talk I don't have to pretend to like acid rock." I imagine this was one of the records she tolerated, because that's how I felt.
Highlights: realizing The Doors would be a great palate cleanser after this
2
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Thu Mar 07 2024
I Am a Bird Now
Antony and the Johnsons
Beautiful and well-performed. I'll be revisiting.
Highlights: My Lady Story, You Are My Sister, What Can I Do?, Fistful Of Love, Spiralling
4
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Fri Mar 08 2024
Stankonia
OutKast
I'm always skeptical of albums that are over an hour long, especially when they tip into the 70 minute territory. But some of my favorite albums are pretty damn long, so it's not really an indication of quality on its own. If it's a good album, then you're in for a treat. If it's not good, it'll be agonizing. A just-okay album can crater to a bad album when its runtime is too long.
All this to say that Stankonia is absolutely packed with heaters, bangers, and jams, and sometimes a long runtime is a good thing actually, because it means there's more of those.
Highlights: Gasoline Dreams, Ms. Jackson, Snappin' & Trappin', Spaghetti Junction, I'll Call B4 I Cum, B.O.B., Humble Mumble, ?, Gangsta Shit
5
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Sat Mar 09 2024
The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
Kind of a bananas debut album, and it came out later than I thought. I was under the impression Eminem had been doing This since the early 90s, but this thing came out at the turn of the millennium. Everything that makes Eminem compelling is here, right alongside everything that makes Eminem inaccessible for many.
Most of the skits are like, fine, but there could be fewer of them. Him beating critics to the punch about how disgusting his subject matter can be doesn't make any of those objections less "valid," but it does give me a preview into his future petulance about his place in the current rap scene.
Let me be clear: I'm not personally bothered by what Eminem raps about or how he raps about it. I can tolerate 90s/00s misogyny and violence and homophobia just fine, especially with great beats, fun performances, and cultural context (which are all present here). It's harder for me to tolerate those things when I have someone poking me saying "Hey, are you mad? Are you offended? Aren't you offended? Are you mad? Look how much I don't give a fuck. I don't give a FUCK."
If you say so, Em.
Highlights: My Name Is (an all-timer for me, if I'm being totally honest; the Labi Siffre flip is too good), Guilty Conscience, '97 Bonnie & Clyde, My Fault, Bad Meets Evil
3
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Sun Mar 10 2024
Master Of Puppets
Metallica
This is my third Long Album in a row and I've never been a big Metallica fan, so let me try to be fair here.
They are clearly accomplished musicians. The remaster of this album is a massive facelift. When their long songs work, it's because they managed to include a new hook every minute or so. Hetfield is not a good lyricist (I feel silly for caring about that at all on a Metallica record), but he is a good frontman and strong vocal presence. I wish I could hear the bass, which is not an uncommon complaint of mine regarding metal albums.
Overall, I kind of enjoyed my listen but do not plan on returning, except to the highlights if the spirit ever so moves me.
Highlights: Master of Puppets, Welcome Home (Sanitarium), Orion
3
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Mon Mar 11 2024
Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water
Limp Bizkit
Prior to listening:
My FOURTH album in a row that's past the hour mark, and you're telling me it's a SEVENTY FOUR minute LIMP BIZKIT record? Are you kidding me? Be serious.
Okay, I'll climb down from my high horse, leave my prejudices about Fred Durst and nu-metal aside, and give this a fair listen. I'll stop eyeing what appears to be a cover of or a reference to The Who's "My Generation" with distrust and apprehension. I will wait until the end of my listening experience to gather my thoughts, I promise.
After listening:
"Go ahead and talk shit/talk shit about me." If you insist!
The problem with referencing other bands so heavily, especially in the opening moments of your record, is that it reminds the audience they could be listening to those other artists instead. Why would I listen to "Hot Dog" ever again when I could just listen to NIN's "Closer"? Durst seems to want me to. I was relieved to get to "My Generation" and discover that it's not a cover; instead it's another numetal song filled with more sloppy references.
It isn't top to bottom dog shit. I came close a couple of times to having the kind of dumb fun that (I think) is intended here, like on "Full Nelson." I liked the instrumentals for "My Way" and "Hold On" a fair amount.
The sample and interpolation work is a mixed bag. "Take A Look Around" interpolates the Mission Impossible theme is overwrought, but in a way that's fun to listen to. On the other hand, the interaction between the Eagles' "Life in the Fast Lane" sample and the hook on "Livin' It Up" is unforgivably corny.
I do want to say that I think I'd be slightly more forgiving of this album if it was a reasonable length. I'm already embarrassed by the amount I've written about 'Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water.' Still, I can't quite give it one star because, unbelievably, it didn't bore me despite its runtime. To be fair, I wasn't bored because I was frankly amused by this as a project; all the Limp Bizkit name dropping, the sudden moments of self-pity and sincerity, the righteousness about using the word "fuck"--it's too funny to outright hate. Maybe that's a deeper insult than slapping a one-star rating on this and calling it a day. I almost admire the audacity of including "Outro."
Two fatal flaws keep me from engaging with this album with any amount of seriousness: the vocal performances and the lyrics.
This all being said, if you tapped out on this album after the first couple of songs or didn't listen at all out of "principle," you're a coward.
Highlights: My Way, Getcha Groove On (other rappers are here, thank goodness), Take A Look Around, Rollin' (see: Getcha Groove On qualifier)
2
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Tue Mar 12 2024
Talking Book
Stevie Wonder
Listening to 'Talking Book' after getting Limp Bizkit's opus 'Chocolate Starfish...' yesterday feels like coming up for air after nearly drowning. It is water in my mouth after crawling through an unforgiving desert. It is coming home to my own bed after time spent abroad in a hostile land.
I actually involuntarily shut my eyes during "You And I" and let his voice wash over me.
To be clear, I would've loved this record even if it was sandwiched between two other great ones. I'm just particularly appreciative of it in this context. It's a masterclass in arrangement, singing, mixing, producing, pacing, and general musicianship.
Highlights: You And I, Superstition, Big Brother, Blame It On The Sun, I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)
4
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Wed Mar 13 2024
American IV: The Man Comes Around
Johnny Cash
I actually could listen to Johnny Cash read more of Revelations. It won't make me a believer or anything, but there's something compelling about Cash's earnest faith and fear of God.
I love how weathered his voice sounds, the gravity and grit in it. I didn't realize most of his knock-out late-career covers were on one album: his devastating rendition of Hurt (I love that the mix sounds blown out in the run up to the last lyric, like the mic is peaking just from the emotional intensity), the tenderness in his voice on In My Life, the Fiona Apple-assisted Bridge Over Troubled Water that makes me cry every time I hear it, and more--it's absolutely stacked.
Cash aside for a moment, this is immaculately produced and mixed. The guitars in particular sound crisp and clean but still warm, like you're in the same room with them. Rubin was cooking on this one.
This is a pretty somber record, but also full of gratitude and love; appropriate, given it was his last release before his passing. It's a beautiful work to go out on.
Highlights: The Man Comes Around, Hurt, Give My Love To Rose, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Personal Jesus, In My Life, Sam Hall, Danny Boy, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, We'll Meet Again
5
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Thu Mar 14 2024
São Paulo Confessions
Suba
Have mercy, generator, please--you've given me so many long albums in a row. This one is 61 minutes. I am on my knees. Is my attention span just shot? Are most of the 1001+ albums this long? Whatever.
I am not familiar with this artist or album and had no idea what to expect; I did a bit of reading and learned that Suba was an up-and-coming producer who passed away in a fire at only 38 years old while trying to rescue his recordings from a studio fire, right before the album promotion for 'São Paulo Confessions' began. It's so tragic that I almost can't believe it's true.
And it is such a shame, because this is so well produced and arranged. I've said before in my reviews that I'm not a "vibes" person, but this album envelopes you in vibes so completely that I can't ignore it. I love the variety of sonic approaches and instrumentation, and the guest vocalists are all important contributors to what makes 'São Paulo Confessions' work. The Wikipedia description of this album as a "musical account of life in that humid, foggy, and manic megalopolis" is a little purple, for me, but it's not inaccurate either. City living seeps out of every pore of this album.
That being said, I can't say that I'll be revisiting, but some of these tracks did sneak onto my instrumental and dance playlists.
Highlights: Tantos Desejos, Voce Gosta, Felicidade, Sereia, Samba Do Gringo Paulista
3
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Fri Mar 15 2024
Birth Of The Cool
Miles Davis
I hadn't heard any of Davis' work with his nonet, so this was a treat.
Highlights: Moon Dreams, Venus De Milo, Godchild, Boplicity, Rouge
4
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Sat Mar 16 2024
(What's The Story) Morning Glory
Oasis
I forget how much I actually like this album until I hear it again, and quickly remember that I love it, actually. Beatles pastiche and all.
Highlights: Roll With It, Wonderwall, Don't Look Back In Anger, Some Might Say, Cast Now Shadow, She's Electric, Morning Glory, Champagne Supernova
5
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Sun Mar 17 2024
Trout Mask Replica
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
To quote Mic the Snare: "Music theory: don't do it, kids."
I can understand, conceptually, why this album is on this list. It's considered a "classic," an example of what free-jazz can do for *your* rock and roll, a willful bucking of pop structure and defiance towards the listener; the can-you-believe-it-sounds-like-this-on-purpose of it all. That's all fine and great, and I didn't dislike absolutely everything about this album. I suppose it's impressive that this music was carefully written and arranged to sound like this on purpose, and that the band was able to execute Mr. Beefheart's vision, but that knowledge doesn't automatically make this listenable for me.
I've heard that if you listen to this album enough, the brilliance shines through. I'll have to live on in ignorance.
Highlights (?): Ella Guru, Moonlight On Vermont, China Pig, Well
1
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Mon Mar 18 2024
Fly Or Die
N.E.R.D
Pharrell? Is that you? Where's the four-count start, my guy?
"Her ass is a spaceship I want to ride." 🤮
I'm not impressed with the lyricism (there were multiple moments where a line made me say "Wait, what?") and many of these songs are too long, but this is fairly well-produced and (most of) the vocal performances are fine. I can understand why somebody would really enjoy this. Personally, I am unconvinced of needing to hear this before I died.
Highlights: Don't Worry About It, Breakout, Thrasher
Songs with particularly baffling lyrics: Wonderful Place, Drill Sergeant, She Wants To Move, The Way She Dances, Chariot Of Fire
2
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Tue Mar 19 2024
Nevermind
Nirvana
I had a couple of rough albums in a row, so I was relieved to open the generator today and see an album I already know I love. Glad to have an excuse to listen to 'Nevermind' again.
Highlights: Smells Like Teen Spirit, Come As You Are, Breed, Lithium, Territorial Pissings, Something In The Way
4
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Wed Mar 20 2024
Roxy Music
Roxy Music
I've only heard of Roxy Music; this is my first exposure to their work.
Some unsorted thoughts:
Bryan Ferry's voice and delivery reminds me of David Byrne's, albeit with more vibrato.
I love the breakdown in the opening track where each instrument gets a solo, and that the bass solo references "Day Tripper" and the sax references (I think) "Flight of the Valkyries."
That bottom-heavy synth sound during the last minute of "Virginia Plains" makes my brain vibrate.
The bass sounds great!!
Listening to a new album and enjoying it more and more as it continues it one of my favorite feelings, and I'm thankful today that the generator has done it for me again. What a great debut album.
Highlights: Re-Make/Re-Model, If There Is Something, Virginia Plain, The Bob (Medley), Would You Believe?
4
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Thu Mar 21 2024
Axis: Bold As Love
Jimi Hendrix
I thought I would enjoy this more than I did. There are Hendrix projects I like more, I guess; maybe my expectations were too high. Even still, I'm glad I've heard this.
Highlights: Spanish Castle Magic, Little Wing, If 6 Was 9, She's So Fine
3
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Fri Mar 22 2024
The Joshua Tree
U2
I didn't realize so many of U2's heaters were from the same album. Strangely enough, I'm glad I've finally heard a U2 album front to back.
Highlights: Where The Streets Have No Name, With Or Without You, Bullet The Blue Sky, Running To Stand Still, One Tree Hill, Exit
4
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Sat Mar 23 2024
Beauty And The Beat
The Go-Go's
The only thing I knew about The Go-Go's before listening was "We Got The Beat," which rips harder than I remember. I think I'd only heard shitty covers of it as a kid.
This is a solid album, I'd venture to call it proto-pop punk. I can hear this thing's fingerprints on Riot Grrl bands like Sleater Kinney and Last Import. It's lean and catchy and performed well. I feel like I'd enjoy it more upon revisiting, even.
Highlights: Our Lips Are Sealed, Lust To Love, We Got The Beat
4
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Sun Mar 24 2024
Band On The Run
Paul McCartney and Wings
Well, I'd heard the title track before, countless times. It still holds up: I love the separate parts and how the song's momentum builds. The rest of the album was a mystery to me.
I grew up listening to a lot of Beatles music, among other things, so I have an innate bias to enjoy McCartney's songwriting. It's a pleasure for me to hear him touch on different rock sounds throughout this album; I don't think he's necessarily breaking new ground, but the songs are consistently catchy and well-performed (maybe as a result of McCartney's notorious perfectionism in the studio).
Some of these tracks totally could've been late-period Beatles songs. I can hear their harmonies and instrumentation all over the place.
A star deducted for McCartney corniness rearing its head at unwelcome times.
Highlights: Band On The Run, Jet, Mrs. Vandebilt, Let Me Roll It, No Words, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five
4
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Mon Mar 25 2024
Figure 8
Elliott Smith
Well, I enjoyed it, but it didn't stick to me like some of Smith's other work. It felt very polished and a little too Beatles-indebted.
Highlights: Somebody That I Used To Know, Everything Reminds Me Of Her, L.A., Easy Way Out
3
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Tue Mar 26 2024
Songs For Swingin' Lovers!
Frank Sinatra
It sort of all blended together at some points, but music like this feels like getting into a warm bath. It's lush and enjoyable and not too intellectual. And, of course, Sinatra has a great voice. But I probably won't revisit in full.
Highlights: You Make Me Feel So Young, You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me, I've Got You Under My Skin, Anything Goes
3
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Wed Mar 27 2024
Fragile
Yes
I wish I had a picture of my face when "Roundabout" got started and I was suddenly made aware that that song from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure was a fucking Yes jam.
Prog can be a hard pill for me to swallow, but this is a damn good prog record.
Highlights: Roundabout, Long Distance Runaround, The Fish, Mood for a Day, Heart of the Sunrise
4
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Thu Mar 28 2024
Beggars Banquet
The Rolling Stones
I'll give them this, "Sympathy For The Devil" might be a perfect rock song.
Highlights: Sympathy For The Devil, Parachute Woman, Street Fighting Man
3
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Fri Mar 29 2024
Talking Timbuktu
Ali Farka Touré
Beautiful compositions and guitar tones, and I'm glad to have listened to something I wouldn't have otherwise. But it also went right through me, and I'm not sure I'll revisit.
Highlights: Bonde, Gomni
3
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Sat Mar 30 2024
Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against The Machine
FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME
FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME
FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME
FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME
FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME
FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME
FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME
FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME
FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME
FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME
FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME
FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME
FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME
FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME
FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME
FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME
MOTHERFUCKER
Highlights: Bombtrack, Killing In the Name, Bullet In the Head, Know Your Enemy, Wake Up, Fistful of Steel
4
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Sun Mar 31 2024
Bad
Michael Jackson
As a music fan and self-proclaimed pop-head, I'm a little embarrassed to admit I haven't listened to a MJ album start to finish. I don't live under a rock, so I've heard the hits. There's obviously a lot of baggage around MJ, but he was crowned the King of Pop for a reason and I do want to engage with that cultural legacy.
So is it blasphemous to say that 'Bad' is just alright? Or is it a relief?
It could be that the production sounds dated to my ears, or maybe that the hooks aren't as bulletproof as I'd expected. MJ's vocal tricks and runs get old by the middle of the album.
But the hits are Hits, and undeniable ones. I'm sure there are other MJ albums on this list; maybe those will stick.
Highlights: The Way You Make Me Feel (this is still a perfect pop song, lukewarm review aside), Man in the Mirror, Dirty Diana, Smooth Criminal
3
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Mon Apr 01 2024
Viva Hate
Morrissey
Fucking Morrissey. His work with The Smiths always washed right over me and left me feeling let down and indifferent, with some exceptions for the truly excellent songs. This album is much the same. I think it's a combination of his vocal delivery, the arrangements, and his general ear for melody. He's also a fascist. Fuck this guy. Fuck Morrissey all my homies hate Morrissey
Highlights: Suedehead, Margaret on the Guillotine (at least he had the decency back in the day of being anti-Thatcher, an impossibly low bar)
2
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Tue Apr 02 2024
We Are Family
Sister Sledge
I've never been big on the song "We Are Family," so I entered into this listen with some trepidation.
"We Are Family" holds up much better in the context of the album, in my opinion. I'd only ever heard it pumped through speakers at some school event or other mandatory celebration. I'm relieved that the original seems to be a huge hit for a good reason.
Overall, I enjoyed this album just fine and am glad to have a disco classic under my belt, but I can't say that I'll revisit.
Highlights: Lost in Music, We Are Family, One More Time
3
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Wed Apr 03 2024
A Date With The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers
I don't want to hear Boomers complain about how vapid and bubblegum modern music is ever again.
Highlights: Lucille, Cathy's Clown
2
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Thu Apr 04 2024
Scum
Napalm Death
Before listening:
I'm aware that this is one of the lowest-rated albums on this site. Let's fucking go.
Some unsorted thoughts:
I think my personal problem when it comes to music like this is that a lot of it is kind of, I don't know, boring? I can only hear so many blast beats and metal growls before it starts to sound the same. It isn't painful for me to listen to or anything, it's just too easy to tune out and not engage with.
That being said, I actually enjoyed this a fair amount? The riffs on "Instinct of Survival" and "Scum" worked really well as hooks for me, and god knows there aren't a lot of vocal hooks to grab onto.
All of these songs are well-below the three minute mark with the exception of one comparatively sprawling four-minuter. That brevity is for the best.
I can't believe I'm listening to a grindcore album where I can sometimes actually hear the bass.
'Earache Records Ltd'--I can dig it.
Highlights: Instinct of Survival, Scum, C.S., Pseudo Youth, M.A.D.
3
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Fri Apr 05 2024
The Scream
Siouxsie And The Banshees
Glad to get another Siouxsie record, and for it to be another good one.
Highlights: Pure, Jigsaw Feeling, Carcass, Nicotine Stain, The Staircase (Mystery)
4
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Sat Apr 06 2024
Is This It
The Strokes
A yes, a watershed rock album for our times.
There are some massive hooks and riffs in here. I was skeptical going in, maybe because of all the hype around this debut album, but I warmed up to it as it progressed.
I do gotta say, the filter on the vocals starts to get old.
Highlights: The Modern Age, Someday, Alone Together, Last Nite, Hard to Explain, Take It Or Leave It
4
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Sun Apr 07 2024
The Chronic
Dr. Dre
A landmark hip hop record full of charisma and great beats. Snoop Dogg kind of steals the show here. I love the The Lady of Rage feature on "Lyrical Gangbang." Could do without some of the skits tacked onto the ends of otherwise great songs.
Highlights: Fuck Wit Dre Day, Nuthin' But A "G" Thang, Lil' Ghetto Boy, Lyrical Gangbag, The Roach
4
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Mon Apr 08 2024
Diamond Life
Sade
The lead singer has an enchanting, beautiful voice. On a few too many of the songs here, the hooks repeat themselves until the appeal is gone. The production is a bit dated to my ears as well. I didn't dislike my listen, but I wasn't moved by it.
Highlights: Hang On to Your Love, Frankie's First Affair
3
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Tue Apr 09 2024
Either Or
Elliott Smith
This is what I'm talking about. It was refreshing to listen to this album again so soon after 'Figure 8.' (Well, a little over a week.) It's still Beatles-influenced, but also actually sounds like Elliott Smith.
It's a beautiful record: the arrangements, the writing, the performances. I feel fully immersed in it when I'm listening, like being underwater. I've heard this acclaimed as Smith's best work, and I can't really argue the contrary.
Highlights: Speed Trials, Alameda, Ballad Of Big Nothing, Between the Bars, Angeles, Cupids Trick, Say Yes
5
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Wed Apr 10 2024
Will The Circle Be Unbroken
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Hello? This album is longer than than 'The Silence of the Lambs.' I misread the Spotify description for this so badly that I read "42 songs" as "42 minutes." Imagine my surprise.
But I love bluegrass and traditional country music and, you know, all that. So I'll strap in.
Usually I can get annoyed with too much studio chatter--it can be indulgent--but hearing the musicians talk through their approach to these songs before they start playing is interesting and engaging to me this time around. I think it's the sincerity, and maybe knowing that these songs were recorded in either one or two takes. The musicianship on display here is astounding.
It is a long collection, however, and I can't imagine sitting down to listen to this all again with intent and focus. But I would absolutely put it on in the background on a sunny day at the cabin.
Highlights: Keep On The Sunny Side, Nashville Blues, Dark As A Dungeon, Tennessee Stud, Black Mountain Rag (😵💫), Nine Pound Hammer, My Walkin' Shoes, Cannonball Rag, Earl's Breakdown, I Am A Pilgrim, Will The Circle Be Unbroken (an all-timer)
4
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Thu Apr 11 2024
Teenager Of The Year
Frank Black
Well, I do like Pixies, so I guess I can go into 62 minutes by Black Francis himself. The cover art threw me off.
And it's really good. Some of his vocals remind me of Lou Reed or Ezra Furman (her voice also reminds me of Lou Reed's, to be fair). It's still a long record and I think some careful editing could get this down to a comparably lean 50 minutes--but overall I'm impressed by the consistent quality on an album this long.
Highlights: Whatever Happened to Pong?, (I Want to Live on an) Abstract Plain, Speedy Marie, Headache, Sir Rockaby, Freedom Rock, Two Reelers, Pure Denizen Of The Citizens Band
4
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Fri Apr 12 2024
Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs
Marty Robbins
I've loved this album for a while, partially thanks to Fallout NV. I don't know why it surprised me to see it on this list, but I was glad to get it and have a reason to listen to it again.
Robbins has a beautiful voice, the lyrics and the storytelling are strong throughout the whole record, and the mixing is so clean for its year without sounding glossy or fussy.
As a fellow reviewer said: "YE-(and I cannot stress this enough)-HAW"
Highlights: Big Iron, A Hundred and Sixty Acres, Cool Water, The Master's Call, El Paso, The Little Green Valley, Saddle Tramp
5
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Sat Apr 13 2024
The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
It took me a couple of tries to get through this. It's not that it's bad; I have a hard time engaging with The Smiths' music. It just doesn't compel me.
But it is better than the Morrissey solo album I got recently and has "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out," an undeniable all-timer, on its tracklist, so I can't hate it. I understand why people would like this record, but it's not for me.
Highlights: Bigmouth Strikes Again, There is a Light That Never Goes Out
2
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Sun Apr 14 2024
3 + 3
The Isley Brothers
I love the guitar and bass work, and the vocal performances and production sound great. A landmark soul and funk record.
Highlights: That Lady, Pts. 1 & 2, Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight, If You Were There, Sunshine (Go Away Today), Summer Breeze, Pts. 1 & 2
4
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Mon Apr 15 2024
Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Aphex Twin
I'm entering my listen with a lot of apprehension. I'm not an instrumental/ambient/etc. music fan and have thus avoided Aphex Twin, as significant an artist as he may be--but now my time has come. For whom does the bell toll; it tolls for thee.
And it tolls so fucking loud, because this album rips, actually.
Highlights: Xtal, Pulsewidth, Ageispolis, Heliosphan, Schottkey 7th Path, Actium
4
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Tue Apr 16 2024
Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs
Derek & The Dominos
To my ears, this is unimaginative, overlong, boring white-person blues rock. There's one all-timer on here; the rest feels like I'm at a bar with a sticky floor where the resident band is playing covers for people who aren't listening. Sure, they're damn good musicians, but I was ready to pay my tab and go home about forty minutes ago.
Highlight: Layla
1
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Wed Apr 17 2024
Gentlemen
The Afghan Whigs
I appreciate many of the reviewers reacting with disgust to the notes of misogyny that perfume this record; it gives me a bit of hope for society, I guess.
So maybe I'm a bad feminist for giving the benefit of the doubt here. Albums written from a place of pain, or a desire to explore toxic relationships, doesn't mean they're strictly autobiographical. So yeah, these lyrics are hyper-masculine and not always empathetic to the woman on the receiving end, but there are moments of (what appears to be) regret and desire for understanding.
"Tonight I go to hell/for what I've done to you."
Then we hear a woman's voice on "My Curse," like getting the other side of the story, which is the real saving grace on this record for me.
As for the rest of the album, the sound and production reminds me of the 2010s emo revival, particularly in the Midwest. It's a nostalgic sound for me; I could've bumped this at 16 alongside bands like Title Fight or Joyce Manor.
But many of these songs are paced the same, and the lead singer oscillates between sounding urgent and sounding strained. I'm curious about revisiting and spending more time with this record.
Maybe it's just been awhile since my last bad breakup.
Highlights: Be Sweet, Debonair, Fountain and Fairfax, What Jail Is Like, My Curse
4
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Thu Apr 18 2024
Nighthawks At The Diner
Tom Waits
The bassist is playing like rent is due, and I love me some bass. Otherwise, I have to admit this isn't my cup of tea. It's not grating; just boring, indulgent, and quite long. I'm a simple person who likes hooks I guess.
I'd consider putting it on for background music while I'm working so I'd feel like I'm in a club instead of the office, so at least it's immersive.
I kept checking to see how much time was left, which usually results in me slapping a one-star rating on an album; the most unforgivable thing an album can do is bore me. But again, the bass playing is so good that I can't insult it like that. Shout out to fellow Minnesotan Jim Hughart. I love to see a hometown hero winning.
Highlights: On a Foggy Night, Eggs and Sausage, Better Off Without a Wife, Nobody
2
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Fri Apr 19 2024
Fear Of Music
Talking Heads
Another great Talking Heads record. I do have to say that the live rendition of "Life During Wartime" goes a lot harder than it does on the album, but I guess that's to be expected. Everyone who likes Talking Heads should watch 'Stop Making Sense.'
Highlights: I Zimbra, Mind, Life During Wartime, Memories Can't Wait, Heaven
4
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Sat Apr 27 2024
Deep Purple In Rock
Deep Purple
More organ than I expected; about as much screaming as anticipated. It's a solid rock album, and I can appreciate it as a blueprint for the hard rock and heavy metal that came after it--but I enjoy some of its contemporaries more.
Highlights: Flight of the Rat, Living Wreck
3
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Sun Apr 28 2024
Ocean Rain
Echo And The Bunnymen
I didn't know what to expect based on the album cover, band name, or the Wiki description for that matter. My expectations were a bit low based on the release year, to be honest.
And I'm a fool, because this blew me away. The second half of this album in particular is stacked with great songs--lyrically, melodically, and instrumentally. This is another one where I'm grateful to have started this generator journey so I could hear this.
I might have to get this on wax, actually.
Highlights: Nocturnal Me, Thorn of Crowns, The Killing Moon, Seven Seas
5
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Mon Apr 29 2024
Something/Anything?
Todd Rundgren
I've heard a lot of good things about this album, though I did balk at the runtime at first glance. It is really quite long, but the songs consistently run from pretty good to great. There aren't really any outright clunkers on here. 'Something/Anything?' is an achievement, but it might be awhile before I listen to it again in full (at least in one sitting.)
Highlights: Wolfman Jack, Cold Morning Light, Sweeter Memories, Breathless, The Night the Carousel Burned Down, I Went to the Mirror, One More Day (No Word), Couldn't I Just Tell You, Dust in the Wind, Hello It's Me, You Left Me Sore
4
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Tue Apr 30 2024
Machine Head
Deep Purple
This is my second Deep Purple album in less than a week. I'm glad to say I enjoyed this one more; there are a few songs that I'm familiar with, and I know how much shouting to expect. The proto-metal sound is more obvious to me here than it was on 'Deep Purple In Rock', particularly in the soloing and vocals.
These songs are catchier and more discernible. I'm still not blown away.
Highlights: Highway Star, Maybe I'm a Leo, Pictures of Home (the instrumental outro is bananas)
3
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Wed May 01 2024
Bryter Layter
Nick Drake
Beautiful folk music, understated but ornate. This album is more adorned than the Nick Drake stuff I'm familiar with. It's a shame he passed so young.
"Would you love me through the winter?/Would you love me 'til I'm dead?"
Highlights: Hazey Jane II, One Of These Things First, Poor Boy, Northern Sky, Sunday
4