534
Albums Rated
3.42
Average Rating
49%
Complete
555 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1980
Favorite Decade
Metal
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
94
5-Star Albums
10
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
L'Eau Rouge
The Young Gods
|
5 | 2.32 | +2.68 |
|
Infected
The The
|
5 | 2.92 | +2.08 |
|
Eli And The Thirteenth Confession
Laura Nyro
|
5 | 2.94 | +2.06 |
|
Spiderland
Slint
|
5 | 2.98 | +2.02 |
|
Nighthawks At The Diner
Tom Waits
|
5 | 3.01 | +1.99 |
|
Eternally Yours
The Saints
|
5 | 3.06 | +1.94 |
|
Kimono My House
Sparks
|
5 | 3.06 | +1.94 |
|
Tanto Tempo
Bebel Gilberto
|
5 | 3.07 | +1.93 |
|
Roger the Engineer
The Yardbirds
|
5 | 3.11 | +1.89 |
|
Billion Dollar Babies
Alice Cooper
|
5 | 3.11 | +1.89 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Hail To the Thief
Radiohead
|
1 | 3.44 | -2.44 |
|
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
|
1 | 3.3 | -2.3 |
|
Homework
Daft Punk
|
1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
|
The Blueprint
JAY Z
|
1 | 3.21 | -2.21 |
|
Rubber Soul
Beatles
|
2 | 4.12 | -2.12 |
|
Leftism
Leftfield
|
1 | 2.9 | -1.9 |
|
American IV: The Man Comes Around
Johnny Cash
|
2 | 3.89 | -1.89 |
|
Gold
Ryan Adams
|
1 | 2.84 | -1.84 |
|
(What's The Story) Morning Glory
Oasis
|
2 | 3.84 | -1.84 |
|
In Rainbows
Radiohead
|
2 | 3.84 | -1.84 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 5 |
| Led Zeppelin | 3 | 5 |
| Metallica | 3 | 5 |
| Beastie Boys | 3 | 5 |
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 4.5 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 4.67 |
| Stevie Wonder | 2 | 5 |
| Nirvana | 2 | 5 |
| The Smashing Pumpkins | 2 | 5 |
| Joni Mitchell | 4 | 4.25 |
| Pixies | 3 | 4.33 |
5-Star Albums (94)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Circle Jerks · 17 likes
3/5
When you have someone coming over and you have to clean the entire house in 15 minutes, this is the album you put on.
Roxy Music · 13 likes
2/5
I can appreciate that this was ahead of the curve for 1972, and it deserves props for that. The issue is that I just didn't enjoy it. In fact I found it to be mildly annoying most of the time.
Sonic Youth · 3 likes
3/5
My third Sonic Youth album from this list and I'm not even a year in. I liked this one more than EVOL, but not as much as Dirty. Although this doesn't effect my rating for this album, my biggest thought is that this album wasn't really needed on this list. The two I've already rated already show two fairly distinct sounds from the band, this is just in the middle. A transitory period.
Depeche Mode · 3 likes
4/5
I was expecting 80's style pop synth going into this, but was surprised by the dark ambience that flows throughout this album. This is like a middle ground between pop and Nine Inch Nails. The production is amazing.
The Mars Volta · 2 likes
5/5
This is going to be an unpopular opinion, but I think At The Drive In was better. Relationship was an amazing album and I feel they stepped down a notch with The Mars Volta, losing a bit of edge.
That said this is an amazing album that pushes you in ways that you don't expect.
4-Star Albums (150)
1-Star Albums (10)
All Ratings
Louis Prima
3/5
Jazz / swing. Interesting but dated. Woman singer is fantastic when she is at the front. Some cheeky lyrics - probably risque for the time. Good trumpet / sax. Ok but not something I would listen to again.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Not something I was into back when it was released, and I'm not really digging it now. The lyrics are good, although the flow really dates it. The grooves are the best part with some interesting samples. I can see why this was an influential album to hip hop.
The Doors
4/5
I listened to this a lot when I was younger. There are some great songs on this, But I don't think it was their best album. Going back to their roots comes across as lazy to me.
The Cars
5/5
I had only heard the radio hits previously, which are the first 3 tracks on the album, so the rest was an adventure. This album is fantastic. With the exception of some synth and guitar parts it's hard to believe it was released in the 70's. It has aged fantastically and was clearly ahead of it's time. A couple of tracks, You're All I've Got Tonight and Bye Bye Love could have easily been released as singles. The last track All Mixed Up is a perfect closer. This is a solid album with no filler. Every song is catchy and hooky.
Radiohead
1/5
Boring and pretentious. Anything interesting happening musically is killed by overly repetitive lyrics. Half way through I have an overwhelming desire to punch the singer in the face just so he would shut up. This album is way too long. I might enjoy it after a lobotomy.
Black Sabbath
4/5
What can I say about this that hasn't already been said a million times. It is one of the cornerstones of rock and metal. It's a classic for a reason.
The Temptations
4/5
The first 3 tracks have that 70's funk / psychedelic sound, but the rest of the album is 60's style crooning. Runaway Child, Running Wild is the standout track for me.
Soundgarden
5/5
One of the greatest albums of the 90's. It's what grunge did so well, aggressive and hooky / poppy, yet this has hints of metal, stoner and psychedelia thrown into the mix as well. Chris Cornells soaring vocals take lyrics about despair, alienation and hopelessness to places not thought possible.
Franz Ferdinand
5/5
I was skeptical going into this album. One hit wonders are usually one hit for a reason. However I was pleasantly surprised. The album is full of catchy songs. High hat riding disco-esque drums, dual guitars, clever lyrics and some interesting tempo changes. I'm left wondering why these guys didn't have more hits.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
5/5
Ah the Beano album. This is the album you tell people to listen to when they say they don't like blues. The diversity on this album is great, with differing instruments, tempos and feel for each song. Everybody talks about Clapton (with good reason - his playing on this album changed blues and rock), but the rhythm section of Flint and McVie is solid, and ultimately most of the credit deserves to go to Mayall.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
5/5
The post punk album that shaped the goth sound. It's atmospheric and sinister without being mopey like contemporaries The Cure. The opening track starts out with a familiar sounding guitar riff, but you're soon dragged into the darkness of a claustrophobic, yet melodic journey. There's a brooding menace in these songs that very few bands have been able to replicate.
Waylon Jennings
2/5
This just isn't for me. I listened to it, but I certainly wouldn't again. I don't hate it, it's just not my cup of tea.
Django Django
5/5
This is what I'm here for. I've never heard of these guys before and I'm so glad that I've now discovered them. I'm not sure how to describe this album. It's as if the band got a big bowl and started pouring genres into it. New wave, country, indie, psychedelia and so on until the bowl was full. They then swirled everything together. The end result shouldn't work, yet bizarrely it does.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
At times sounding ahead of its time, other times like a throw back. More raw and less polished than their later works. This seems to be a moment of time of a band starting to find their own unique style.
Van Halen
4/5
The Van Halen album that pushed the pop side of things. Synths came out from the background to the forefront, most notably on Jump, shocking and dividing fans. But it worked and sold a ton.
The Cure
4/5
Early goth music with that dark, brooding quality. The sound tends to be too murky to be atmospheric though.
The Kinks
4/5
Good variety of styles / genres while still sounding fairly coherent as a whole. Fun tunes. It is a solid, enjoyable album. Situation Vacant, Love Me Till The Sun Shines and Waterloo Sunset are the standout tracks for me.
Common
4/5
The album starts like a softer, American version of the Hilltop Hoods (similar choice of samples and flow) but without the edge. Later tracks have a motown feel. Having a live recorded track in the middle was weird and disruptive. Lyrically it's really good. Lots of diversity so it doesn't get boring
Jeff Beck
5/5
Rod Stewards voice is unmistakable and Jeffs guitar work ground breaking. The album that shaped the hard blues - rock sound to come.
The Stranglers
5/5
A mix of punk and pop, without sounding like pop punk. This almost prog in some ways. While obviously punk, there's hints of blues, jazz, boogie and psychedelia that you wouldn't expect. I'd heard "Peaches" before (I guess it was a hit), but "Goodbye Toulouse" and "Hanging Around" are the standout tracks for me. This is a solid album that I suspect would get better with subsequent listens.
Def Leppard
5/5
It's been a long, long time since I listened to this album. I was 9 years old when it came out and boy it was huge. It really was everywhere. A few years later grunge hit and overly produced albums like this were instantly dead and forgotten. Time plays tricks as I remember this as being much more robotic and sickly sweet than it actually is.
More pop than rock, but there is still a rock edge buried in there. Almost like magic those hooks immediately flood back when hearing the songs, even though I believed I had forgotten them, and I find myself singing along.
Little Richard
4/5
Arguably the most important album in rock and roll history. This hit with speed and intensity that hadn't been seen before, inspiring countless others. Richard's voice is amazing. Compared to contemporaries like Elvis this man could really belt it out. I think he is the first to have a vocal trademark, his Woooooo. Decades before Michael Jackson's Heehee for example.
All that said this suffers from a sameness to all the songs. The song structure and melodies are almost carbon copies of each other.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Moody and atmospheric, while simultaneously being antagonistic and jagged. Part goth, part experimental, part no wave. It's like listening to an album that just isn't quite sure what it wants to be.
Femi Kuti
5/5
I had never heard of Femi Kuti before, but what a way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon. Hypnotic African beats with healthy doses of jazz and funk.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
It's Hendrix. Do I really need to say anything else?
Hole
5/5
Their best album by a long shot. Kurt Cobain's influence is obvious. The rage in Courtney's voice comes from the heart.
Slipknot
4/5
I've never really listened to Slipknot before. Because of the masks I mentally labelled them style over substance, like Kiss etc, and ignored them. That said this album is better than I expected. Not perfect but there's a few songs that I saved to my library to listen to again.
Fred Neil
3/5
This type of music really isn't my cup of tea. That said this has a heart and soul that a lot of the albums on the list lack. The opening track "The Dolphins" was really good and I was hoping it would build from there. Instead it stagnated. "Everybody's Talkin" was a highlight, but only because I didn't realise that the Nilsson version was a cover and I love learning new things. The psychedelia of the closing track was interesting but didn't quite flow.
David Bowie
3/5
I know of Bowie from his radio hits and reputation. I'm not sure if my expectations were too high going into this, but I found this album pretty underwhelming.
Ok so I slept on it and came back to listen again fresh. It's better, but I wouldn't call it great. The instrumental tracks, while interesting, sound like they belong on a different album.
The Fall
3/5
Grating and brash in true punk fashion, but there's some interesting melodies buried in there. You can hear where later bands like the Strokes and Arctic Monkeys took inspiration.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
There's 2 ways of looking at this album. The first way is historically. In 1966 this parodied the music of the day and pushed boundaries. The second way is to take it out of that context. As a stand alone album it's fairly meh.
I appreciate this for its impact on music that followed, but I wouldn't listen to it again
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
To quote two English guys modifying a mini - Get the funk out.
You know an album is a classic when multiple tracks from it have been covered by differing artists and become hits.
Van Morrison
4/5
I wasn't really looking forward to this, but wow. There's a liveliness and spirit here that is lacking in his studio produced songs. I guess Van is one of those rare performers who is better live.
The Zutons
3/5
A thoroughly enjoyable album, but (and it's a big but) I can't help wondering if this album actually deserves to be on this list. It sounds like it belongs in a bygone era and really doesn't offer anything new. I expect a lot more from an album this recent on this list.
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Released in 1987. The peak of hair metal and power ballads. This album is the antithesis to what was happening in mainstream music back then. Yet at the same time it's musically very masterful.
The one thing I don't like about this album is the weird fade outs at the end of songs. That's a minor nit pick though.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I always thought this album was released in the early 80's. I'm a little shocked to find out it was 1975. I had only heard Born to Run previously, but the rest of the album is in the same vein, although there is enough variation to keep it interesting. Bruce is an amazing lyricist, but not a great singer, yet there's a passion in his voice that's undeniable.
The Who
3/5
My second live album in less than a week. I'm not a huge Who fan at the best of times. Moons drumming is amazing but I find the rest pretty meh. That said the recording quality is amazing and they sound like a heavier band than on their studio albums.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
This may be contentious, but in my opinion, this is the best Hendrix album and to top it off, it was their debut. Years ahead of everyone else, this fundamentally changed rock music forever.
JAY Z
1/5
I wasn't looking forward to this having heard some Jay Z stuff before. I can't stand lyrics that have nothing more to offer than "I'm the greatest, look how good I am". Unfortunately that's exactly what I got on the first track, and the second. The fourth track mixed it up with a song about girls, and how he has sex with all of them, you know because he's the greatest. I pretty much tuned out the lyrics after that, well until Eminem randomly turned up. Ironically he rapped about how he would talk about anything.
Honestly the only things I find even mildly interesting in this album are some of the samples chosen.
Black Sabbath
5/5
That odd mix between psychedelia, metal and blues that was the beginning of the heavy metal genre. Not my favourite Sabbath album, but it's still really good.
Echo And The Bunnymen
5/5
I didn't really know what to expect with this one. I had sort of heard killing moon previously in passing. Being greeted with an orchestra from the start was a surprise. This album is melodic, yet broody. Post punk meets goth. I really enjoyed it.
Talking Heads
3/5
On first listen this was a bit hit and miss. At times chaotic, at times overly repetitive. With the exception of Once in a Lifetime, I wasn't overly impressed tbh.
So I slept on it and came back with a fresh mind. I really like the elements in the songs individually, but they don't really gel properly a lot of the time. I get what they were trying to do and can see how this would have influenced a lot of future artists.
After a few listens through, I would call this ok, but not great.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
My second album from this group. The groove was interesting for the first couple of songs but soon became boring. Not really my thing.
Happy Mondays
3/5
I should love this. All the elements are there. Instead I find it a little insipid and boring. Nothing really grabs me. It sounds like the sort of thing played in a movie scene of a rad 80's party where you don't want to take focus away from what the characters are doing.
The Roots
5/5
My first time hearing The Roots, and I enjoyed it. The start of the album comes out swinging and never really lets up. It has plenty to say, both lyrically and musically. Plenty of variety between tracks so it never gets boring.
Various Artists
1/5
Like some sort of sick joke I got this on Christmas day. For most people that would be a good thing. Unfortunately due to personal reasons that I won't go into, Christmas is a horrendous time of year for me. I couldn't listen to this and can't find a way to skip it.
The Electric Prunes
4/5
I was curious as to how I have never heard of this band before after reading the review. It's an interesting listen that I enjoyed, but it lacks that edge that other famous albums from this time have. I guess this is one of those albums that will be forgotten to time, which is sad.
The Youngbloods
3/5
When it's good, it's great. When it's not it sounds like elevator music. This is one of those albums that I can't help feeling the band would have be better live. The type of band that would kick into impromptu improvisation during the set. They are obviously all talented with a wide array of musical styles under their belts.
George Michael
4/5
I know this album was huge when I was a kid, but I never really listened to it because it wasn't what my friend group was into. So it was a bit of a surprise when I played it and knew the first 3 tracks. It's amazing what you absorb from the radio without realizing it.
I find it funny that he left a boy band and made something different with this, only for future boy bands to copy the style.
John Coltrane
2/5
This just doesn't work for me. I appreciate the musicianship of each player individually, but as a whole it's disjointed and doesn't flow. It sounds like each musician is playing a different song. A mash up gone wrong so to speak.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
I had to go to youtube to listen to this as Joni pulled her music off spotify, but it was worth the effort. I really like the poetry / stream of consciousness of her storytelling, but you don't even need to understand english to feel the emotion in her voice. This is beautifully complimented by the stripped down and raw music. This album takes you on a journey that you'll want to revisit.
Raekwon
3/5
This could be a great album but it's bloated with filler and crap. Cut it down to half the length and it would be so much better for it.
Willie Nelson
4/5
I know of Willie, but have never listened to any of his music before as I'm not a fan of country. So this album was certainly a surprise. A laid back chill crooning to the classics. It's not quite top tier, but it's a solid 4/5.
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
Going off the name and cover I was expecting a country album. This proves the old adage you can't judge a book by its cover.
Cat Stevens
5/5
Back when I was a young metal head, I had this girl I was seeing around to my place. So there's this chick with purple hair and piercings going through my cd collection looking for something to listen to. She found this album and freaked out, calling me fake, poser etc. That may be the only time in history Cat Stevens' music ever broke up a relationship.
A truly classic album. 5 stars.
Circle Jerks
3/5
When you have someone coming over and you have to clean the entire house in 15 minutes, this is the album you put on.
Stan Getz
3/5
I forgot I was listening to this and ended up staring stupidly at my phone thinking I was on hold. I shouldn't be drinking when I do these reviews.
The next day when I was sober I discovered a cool, chill album. It's more the sort of thing you would put on as background noise than actively listen to though.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
2/5
God I hate this. Reggae has always been a genre I can't stand. I will be generous and bump it up to a two for the message.
Johnny Cash
4/5
I'm generally not a country music fan, but have listened to some Cash before. What really elevates this album is the audience and the atmosphere that they lend.
Boston
5/5
Some of it sounds timeless, some of it sounds dated, but all of it sounds amazing. From the opening juggernaut that is More Than A Feeling, right to the end of the album I loved this. After a hard day back at work after a 2 week holiday, this was just what I needed this afternoon.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
My second album by Joni. I loved the first one, but somehow this one is even better. A little bit more pop, a little jazzy, a little more upbeat. An easy 5 stars.
Joanna Newsom
4/5
Well I've never heard of Joanna Newsom before, and the album artwork didn't really give me any clue what to expect. Even so I was surprised. The first listen through I was swinging between sorta liking it and being annoyed by her voice. After a few listens this has really grown on me. It's not perfect. but I like it a lot.
Queen Latifah
3/5
The sound of this album is definitely a product of its time. That certainly doesn't mean it's a bad album though. I was enjoying it at the start but after a while the songs all started to blend together. It lacks a bit of variety to push it higher in my estimation.
Portishead
5/5
I had forgotten how good this album is. It's something we used to listen to while getting mellow. It holds up even when not under the influence.
The Icarus Line
4/5
This was a hard one to find. I resorted to a youtube playlist that a fan had created in the end.
At the start I was excited to what appeared to be a post hardcore band in the same vein as At The Drive In. Its not though. There's flashes of brilliance in here, but the album meanders around a bit, seemingly trying to find a direction. I wouldn't call it exceptional, but there's enough to get me to go check out what else they have done.
On subsequent listens it gets better and I find myself liking it quite a lot.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Funky and melodic songs with Stevie's narrative genius. This album is just astounding. Lyrically it's a beautifully gloomy look into the world in 1973, with songs addressing politics, drugs, urban life, divorce and more. Sonically its wonderfully diverse, something even more astounding when you realize that Stevie played most of the instruments himself. This album is a masterpiece.
Cream
4/5
A fantastic album let down by the closing song. Seriously, what idiot thought Mothers Lament was worthy of being on this album?
Deep Purple
5/5
I'm ashamed to say I've never really paid much attention to Deep Purple before, only knowing Smoke on the Water. I had heard they were considered forefathers of heavy metal, but hadn't given that much credence. After listening to this I will admit that I was wrong. They really belt it out. You can hear proto metal, hard rock and prog rock all mixed up together. A fantastic album.
Aerosmith
3/5
A mid tier record from a mediocre band. If it wasn't for a few outstanding riffs, this would be completely forgettable. I really don't understand the hype this band has.
Carole King
5/5
This is music that has heart and a soul. It's music that touches your soul. Just beautiful songwriting.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Beautiful vocal harmonies and musical arrangements, but lacks any bite. I can see why people like Bon Dylan outshone these guys early on, which is a shame because the lyrics are great. It just needs that little extra oomph.
2/5
This was a grind to get through. A whole album of Loretta complaining about her abusive relationship. Instead of feeding your persecution complex, just leave him ffs.
I think hearing one of these songs in isolation, or in a playlist would be fine, but hearing them all together like this is grating.
Beatles
2/5
I'm probably going to get flamed for this, but this album is meh. It's bubblegum pop. Adding a sitar to one song doesn't magically make it psychedelia. I don't care that it's "The Beatles". You can scream "but the influence" all you want. This was released the same year as My Generation by The Who, Eve of Destruction by Barry McGuire, Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lee Lewis and many, many more bands that were pushing the envelope way beyond what the fab four were doing here.
David Bowie
4/5
It took a few listens for this to really click with me. It's poppy and groovy, yet simultaneously menacing and individualistic. Approachable yet detached. It's art rock in the best way, and looking at it in the context of when it was released, way ahead of its time.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Oh man I love this album. I've been listening to it for decades. Every listen makes me wonder what Jimi would have done had he survived. What other boundaries would he have pushed? How would it have impacted future music?
Madonna
4/5
I went into this only knowing the radio hits. Most of this album is just pure pop goodness. There's a couple of tracks that, to me, miss the mark a little. It's a good album, but not quite 5 star worthy.
Chicago
4/5
I had never listened to Chicago before. I was expecting some slow soft rock, but this was something else. It's a jazzy, funky jam session. For a debut album it's quite extraordinary. However some of the songs overstay their welcome and could have been cut down a little.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
For an album of covers I liked this more than I thought i would. That's mainly due to her amazing voice. Ultimately though there's only 2 songs that I added to my liked collection to actually listen to again.
Bad Company
3/5
This is amazingly mediocre. It shouldn't be given the prowess of everyone involved, but it is. I couldn't figure out why for a while, but I believe it's because it's too safe. There's nothing here that stands out or is memorable.
Pink Floyd
3/5
When this popped up my first thought was why this album, rather than Dark Side of the Moon or the Wall. Then I listened to it. A psychedelic trip far removed from what the band would become. I can understand why it's here now.
The question now is, is it good? From a historical perspective it's a ground breaking record that pushed boundaries. From a modern perspective it lacks focus and the lyrics are infantile.
This is one of those albums I will need to listen to a few times and sleep on before I can decide on a star rating.
Judas Priest
4/5
This is dated but still a lot of fun. More refined and less bombastic than the bands that would follow in their footsteps. Interestingly the lyrics have more in common with punk than with metal. Best listened to loud.
Nine Inch Nails
5/5
This is one of those perfect storm albums. It was the right album at just the right time. There really isn't any other period in history that a concept album this abrasive and ugly could have been released and worked. In 1991 - 1995 people actively wanted music that pushed boundaries musically and had something to say lyrically.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Not my favourite Zep album but it's still fantastic
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
2/5
Oh cool, today I'm greeted with an album I've never heard of. But wait, it was released when I was a teenager, so why haven't I heard of it? The album cover looks kind of African. Maybe it's something like Femi Kuti which I liked. So lets press play and see what this is.
The first track is interesting and is a great start to build off. My curiosity is peaked to see where this goes. Unfortunately the second track falls flat on its face. For me the whole album is hit and miss. There's lots of good ideas here that just don't come together well. At least now I know why I've never heard of it before.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
The only Flaming Lips song I knew going into this was "She Don't Use Jelly", so this was a bit of a surprise. The opening track threw me as it reminded me of another song. It took me until half way through the song to figure out it was Cat Stevens. A quick google search confirmed my suspicions.
I love the idea of a concept album involving robots, but this doesn't quite work as one, seeming to lose its way in the second half. All the tracks are pleasant enough, yet nothing really stands out to me.
I can't help comparing this to other albums with similar concepts, like Act II - The Father of Death by the Protomen, and feeling a bit underwhelmed.
Harry Nilsson
4/5
Without You is a classic, but for me the surprise of this album is the opener Gotta Get Up. Beatlesque but it gives me Mr Blue Sky vibes and I like it a lot.
The rest of the album has an amazing variety to it, yet still feels fairly cohesive. The only song that rubbed me the wrong way was Coconut. I find it stupidly annoying and it stops this being a 5 star album for me.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
You have to R.E.S.PE.C.T. that voice. This is an amazing album.
The biggest shock to me in this album was the song Save Me, as it is the same guitar riff as Gloria by Van Morrison. I'm not sure who ripped of who, though it does raise some questions. Is the idea of spelling a word out (Respect / Gloria) also a borrowed idea? Idk and I don't have time to do the research right now.
The Flaming Lips
2/5
My second Flaming Lips album in a few days. I like when bands get experimental, but jeez this falls short for me. When it works it's really good, but a lot of the time it sounds like at least one of the instruments is fighting the others just for the sake of being different. The lyrics are atrocious. I certainly won't be listening to this again.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Grab your staff and cape, we're taking some hobbits on an adventure to Kmart.
Ravi Shankar
2/5
File this one away in the historical cabinet of curiosities.
Gorillaz
3/5
The biggest thing about the Gorillaz was the mystery of who they were. When it finally came out everyone was mildly shocked, then moved on.
There's a few good tracks on here but I find a lot of them to be insipid and boring tbh.
Nina Simone
4/5
The minimalist backing tracks really let the amazing voice shine. An album you feel in your soul.
I didn't know Jeff Buckley's Lilac Wine was a cover, but hearing this album it's easy to see the inspiration he took from here.
Tom Waits
5/5
I can't see myself listening to any of these songs in isolation or in a playlist. Yet together as an album they work amazingly well. It creates an atmosphere and mood that is incredible. A wonderful example where the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts.
The Young Gods
5/5
A brute force mash up of industrial, rock and electronic with a dark cabaret feel. The singer sounds like an angry Tom Waits at times. The songs walk a tightrope between accessibility and utter chaos. Not knowing what the lyrics are may actually work in its favor, as the voice becomes just another instrument. Initially intrigued, I find myself liking this a lot.
Green Day
5/5
Green Day were huge in the 90's, but by 2000 were considered washed up. Then they released this concept album and it was massive. It's been a long time since I listened to this so I was a little worried that my memories might be tinted by rose colored glasses. I had no reason to worry. It's still brilliant, not only holding up really well, but still being relevant today.
The White Stripes
5/5
Most of the criticisms about this album that I recall from back then were in the vein of it being too simplistic. The thing is that's what made it brilliant and stand out. A 2 piece band playing back to basics rock with catchy hooks and an interesting sound.
The Shamen
2/5
Not just a product of its time, also a product of its place and culture. I started listening to this without knowing anything about it and it was quickly apparent that this was 90's UK rave. I must admit that it was a little earlier than I expected at 1990, so I guess it's on the list for being trailblazing or something. Ultimately this just isn't my thing. I found it annoying a lot of the time and it seemed overly long.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
This was a bit of an odd one. It took me a few listens to get into it. Moody, murky and atmospheric, yet experimental. It's classed as post punk but sounds more pop shoegaze a lot of the time. My biggest gripe with this is the singer as I find his vocal style a bit grating.
Steely Dan
3/5
Technically this is amazing, from both a musicianship and recording standpoint. But it lacks any edge. There was nothing here that extracted any emotional response from me at all. As such it sounds like top quality lounge music. Just not my cup of tea I guess.
Tracy Chapman
5/5
What a monster of an album. Tracy's lyrics rip your heart out and leave it beating on the floor. The basic, stripped down music really works to help get the message across. It's easy to see why this is one of the best selling albums of all time.
Elton John
4/5
Only knowing Elton by reputation and overplayed hits, I had preconceived notions and was anticipating something fun and more bombastic than this. Well this album soon changed my mind. Ballads with a prog rock edge and a darkness that I wasn't expecting. Just nine songs showed me facets of Elton that I didn't know existed, but I'm glad that I do now. There's a couple of songs that don't quite hit the mark but this is a solid album.
5/5
We are in the middle of a heatwave here atm, and I've been working in the sun all day after getting just 2 hours sleep. Despite my sleep deprived sun fried brain (or possibly because of it), it's easy to hear that this album is a masterpiece.
Neil Young
4/5
I know a few Neil Young songs, none of which are on this album. I started listening to this but turned it off part way through. I wasn't feeling it, but I knew that was a reaction of my mental state at the time. I went and did other things for a few hours and then came back to it. I'm glad I did that because this is a good album. Not quite 5 stars but certainly a high 4.
Metallica
5/5
This was my first Metallica record. By record I mean literal record, as in big black disc that goes on a turntable.
This album blew my young mind. The production quality was terrible but the songs were amazing. I hadn't heard anything like it. I listened to it so many times I know every song note for note. I went down the rabbit hole of all the previous albums. Most of my friends thought it was weird, until the black album came out. Then suddenly I was one of the coolest kids around lol.
Listening to it now I'm glad to hear that the production quality has improved dramatically from what it was. Although not the best or my favourite album from Metallica, this will always be a five star album for me.
George Jones
2/5
I can smell cheap beer, cigarettes and depression listening to this.
Pink Floyd
5/5
The worst thing about Pink Floyd is the insufferable fans. The music is amazing though.
Björk
2/5
I procrastinated for quite a while before listening to this. I don't really know much about Bjork and was expecting weirdness just for the sake of being weird. This is better than I was expecting. There's emotion and atmosphere in amongst the weirdness. It was an interesting listen, although not an album I would listen to again.
Moby
3/5
An important album for electronic music. This has a number of great tracks, but the second half of the album drags.
Beck
3/5
This is one of those albums that could have only happened in the 90's. That weird period when music labels just threw everything at the wall to see what would stick. A lot of it failed and was soon forgotten, but what worked really worked, giving us gems like this.
Eminem
5/5
Eminems' tongue in cheek lyrics designed to create controversy, combined with Dr Dre beats created an album that took the world by storm. I loved this back in the day, but now some of the lyrics are a bit problematic. I'm torn between giving this a 4 or 5 star rating because of that, but I'm going for 5 due to nostalgia.
Pulp
3/5
Back in the mid 90's Common People and Disco 2000 were played so much on the radio that I grew to loathe them, especially Common People. Because of this I wasn't looking forward to delving into this album.
So it's not a bad album, but it's not a great album either. I find the entire thing fairly meh. I'm not sure what the hype is, but then I didn't get it back when it was big either.
Ryan Adams
1/5
Generic and insipid pop/country. Has about as much punch as an toddler born without arms. Doesn't offer anything that hadn't been done before in decades previous by other artists, so I'm not sure why it's on this list.
MGMT
4/5
I find it interesting that the hits from this album give a preconceived notion of their sound, but the rest of the album differs wildly. There's new wave, prog, disco, brit pop and more woven in here. The result is an album that doesn't sound coherent. It's almost like 2 different albums mixed together. Even so, after ridding myself of expectations, I find this quite enjoyable.
The Stooges
5/5
Intense and gritty garage proto punk. This would have sounded like a slap in the face in 1970. I liked this a lot more than I thought I would
John Cale
2/5
The first half of the album is nice I guess. The sort of thing you would have as background music in a cafe. Not something I would actively seek out. It picks up a bit with Macbeth, then the title track Paris 1919 which I found interesting. It dropped back off a bit after that.
Duke Ellington
4/5
I had a hard time listening to this. Not because of the music but because I kept getting interrupted and had to keep pausing it to deal with life.
The musicianship on display was amazing, but I wasn't a fan of all the introductions sprinkled throughout.
Dr. Octagon
4/5
"Dr. Octagon, a homicidal, extraterrestrial, time-traveling gynecologist and surgeon." Basically it's a more juvenile Rocky Horror done in rap.
There's a lot of talent on display here and I admire using such a wacky concept for an album. However some of the lyrics are pure cringe, even by 90's standards, which keeps it from 5 stars.
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
You wouldn't guess it by the cover but this is much better than the cheesy glam metal that came after it.
The Waterboys
3/5
Well this was an odd one. When it's good it's really good, but that's broken by songs that are fairly meh. This album could have been cut dramatically, getting rid of all the filler, and been amazing.
Blondie
5/5
I only knew the 2 big hits, One Way Or Another and Heart Of Glass, going into this. On first listen it wasn't quite what I expected, being a lot more diverse than I envisioned. This is a fun pop rock album which just gets better with each listen.
The Yardbirds
5/5
This is an important part of music history when blues rock was evolving into psychedelia. But it's much more than that. You can hear how they influenced so many bands to come and also pop culture in general. The opening track Lost Women, with that bass line, could easily be on a Tarantino soundtrack. He's Always There was sampled by the Pussycat Dolls. Black Sabbath was obviously inspired by Ever Since The World Began.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
This was a hard one to get through. I get what they were going for but for me, it missed the mark. One of the songs ripped off Werewolves of London. I don't know how this made the list.
Paul Simon
5/5
On paper this shouldn't work. Half of 60's folk duo travels to South Africa to collaborate with black musicians on album of American songs. It reads like a mushroom induced fever dream. But despite the odds the result is a truly fantastic album.
Crowded House
4/5
Oh nostalgia. This album was massive in Australia when it came out. It had 5 hit singles, which are still played on the radio today. With that said I've never listened to the full album before. (I was in the punk and metal scene when it came out). So nostalgia aside and listening critically, is it a good album?
I'd say this is a really good album, but there is nothing ground breaking here, so I can't call it great.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
This is probably going to be an unpopular opinion, but Sinatra is over rated. He has a good voice, but that's all he has to offer. All the credit for this album should go to the musicians and composer. Seriously you could take the vocals away making this an instrumental and it would still be amazing.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Well that certainly wasn't what I was expecting from the album cover and title lol.
While the musicianship on display here is great, this just didn't connect with me at all. I wouldn't choose to sit down and listen to this, at best it would be background music while I'm doing other things. I already have other instrumental albums that I like a whole lot more for that though.
Blur
2/5
I remember buying this album based entirely on the strength of Song 2, then being sorely disappointed by the rest of the album. So it's time for a revisit. Time to listen to it with unbiased, matured ears.
It still sucks. There's some ok songs but most are boringly mid to terrible.
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
A post punk / new wave record with horns and hints of psychedelia that somehow sounds uninspired, reserved and boring. I'm not sure how they pulled that off, but it's an accomplishment, although not one to be proud of.
System Of A Down
5/5
Late 1998. I was becoming jaded amid a sea of toothless music like Brit pop, pop punk, etc that was huge at the time. Then I was introduced to this album. What a revelation. Weird, heavy, melodic. Drops and breakdowns. I hadn't heard anything quite like it before.
It wasn't until Toxicity that they really hit their stride, but this album alone had enough influence on the metal of today to be worthy of this list.
N.W.A.
4/5
This album hit like a nuclear bomb, became popular purely by word of mouth and kick started a whole new genre of music. It's easy to see why. It comes out swinging with the one two punch of Straight Outta Compton and Fuck Tha Police. Such a strong messages lyrically, wrapped in a unique sound.
Unfortunately the record loses steam a bit in the middle, but it's still a strong album as well as being hugely influential.
Muddy Waters
3/5
With the opening track being old school slow blues, I thought this just wasn't going to be for me. But by the third track the pace had picked up and I found myself enjoying this album. It's not something I would listen to again, but I'm glad that I listened to it.
Brian Wilson
3/5
I knew of this album by reputation, but had never listened to it before.
Insert Krusty the Clown "What the hell was that?" meme here.
There's some decent songs, but most seem half baked with everything and the kitchen sink thrown at them to make them seem whole. This isn't a masterpiece, it's a mess.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
If you're listening to this on spotify do yourself a favor. Click on the bands name and go to the original unremastered version. It doesn't have the extra two cd's worth of bonus material, and in my opinion sounds better than the remastered version anyway.
So I had never heard of this band and went in with zero expectations. There's a lot going on here. A whole range of musical styles and influences thrown together. A lot of the time it works well. There are times when it falls flat on its face though.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
This one took me a few listens through. It's a good album, a really good album, and I've added some of the tracks to my liked songs. The thing is, there's nothing outstanding or ground breaking for the time this was released, so I don't think it's quite 5 star worthy.
Basement Jaxx
2/5
I was 20 years old when this came out. The right age to be on mind altering substances in dodgy clubs trying to get lucky. I thought this was pretty crap music back then, and my opinion hasn't changed in all the years since.
Mudhoney
4/5
This album captured a moment in time where punk was evolving into what would become grunge. It's worth a listen just for that historical aspect.
I'm going to rate this higher than I suspect others will, purely as I was a teenager when grunge hit, so I'm biased towards this style.
Supertramp
4/5
I had never really paid much attention to Supertramp before and went into this expecting poppy yacht rock. It turns out they are a lot more prog than I thought and I enjoyed this quite a lot.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
This is a good album, albeit a little too country for my taste.
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
There's some interesting moments, but a lot of it is pure excrement. I could have happily died without hearing this.
Brian Eno
3/5
I can see how this is an important album historically, but musically it really didn't do much for me.
David Bowie
4/5
I find the addition funk / r&b to his glam style interesting and for the most part works amazingly well. There are a couple of instances where his voice wasn't really suited for the song though.
Nirvana
5/5
This album was a huge part of my teenage years and I know it well. But now it's time to put the nostalgia goggles away, forget its historical place and judge it purely on its own merits. Does it still hold up?
Yes! This album is still a monster. Gritty punk and cool indie mixed together. Dark and angsty, yet melodic with pop sensibilities. Nonsensical lyrics that don't sound silly but hint at something deep. Fantastic production by Butch Vig.
There's a reason this changed music and became the soundtrack of a generation. In the 80's we became accustomed to hyper produced music with superficial/materialistic lyrics. This just didn't fit in with everything else, and by doing that spoke to everyone that didn't fit in, which is a feeling that almost every teenager has.
The Mars Volta
5/5
This is going to be an unpopular opinion, but I think At The Drive In was better. Relationship was an amazing album and I feel they stepped down a notch with The Mars Volta, losing a bit of edge.
That said this is an amazing album that pushes you in ways that you don't expect.
The Doors
4/5
Try to run, try to hide, I'm sorry but I can't give this a 5.
I loved this as a teen, but with the wisdom of age it's apparent this is just not quite as good as I used to think it was.
The Stooges
4/5
This album dragged rock from the psychedelic party, down a dark alley and gave it 2 black eyes. This is punk before punk was even a thing. The terrible recording quality just adds to the feeling of raw power.
Leftfield
1/5
An album from my teenage years that I've never heard of. As it's on this site that means there's a 90% chance it's British. Let's have a peek and of course it is. Ok, lets have a listen. Oh, oh God NO. Make it stop.
This is the sort of music to enjoy when you're off your tits on drugs. Unfortunately I don't think there's enough drugs in the world to get me to like this.
TV On The Radio
3/5
Well this was an odd one. I hadn't heard of this band before so went in completely blind. The album is enjoyable, interesting and well produced, but it's ultimately forgettable. There's no hooks, nothing special that sticks in your mind. 10 mins after my first listen through I couldn't recall any specifics.
This is an album that I will have to listen to quite a few times to form a true opinion, but right now I don't have time so my rating is based on just 2 listens through.
Eagles
3/5
I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would. The title track is a banger, the following 2 tracks are solid. The rest however, well the best word I can think to describe them is bland.
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
My first impression is that it sounds like the soundtrack to a 90's teenage rom com. After a few listens through I find it ok, but nothing extraordinary. I guess it's on the list for being early for this sound.
Dolly Parton
3/5
I'm really not a fan of country music, so this was a bit of a slog to get through. Listening to this objectively I will say that lyrically this is really good. The musicianship is good. The production is good. Yet I just didn't enjoy it.
Kraftwerk
4/5
It's insane that this was made in the 70's. It's groundbreaking and highly influential to all sorts of music, right up to now. It sounds timeless and also nostalgic. I can't help but picture 80's video games when listening. With all that said I can't give this 5 stars as I found it a tad repetitive and annoying, and I wouldn't listen to it again. I am glad that I listened to it though.
3/5
Meh. An average album from an average band. I seriously don't get the hype about blur.
Stephen Stills
3/5
Why do I always get the super long albums when I have the least time available to listen to them? With just one listen through, I can say that nothing really stood out as amazing here. While it was interesting to hear different genres, a lot of it blended together. It's ok but I'm not going to go out of my way to listen to it again.
Throwing Muses
3/5
Firstly I have to say I hate the singers constant sheep like bleating. Apart from that I really liked the music. It has a frenetic energy and coming from the mid 80's was way ahead of its time. I'm not sure how much influence this had on later 90's acts (I had certainly never heard it before), but it's easy to draw that conclusion.
AC/DC
5/5
The death of a lead singer is the end of most bands, and Bon left big Shoes to fill. But Brian stepped up, bringing a straight to the gut approach that fit perfectly with the hard rock of the band.
This is dumb fun and it is just so damn good at it. Grab a beer, turn it up and rock on.
Sepultura
4/5
This sounds dated and formulaic, but it certainly wasn't back when it was released. Not the album from Sepultura that I expected on this list as they have better, but I like the fact that there is some classic thrash on here.
The Stooges
3/5
An interesting album in a historical context, but personally I didn't enjoy it as much as their Raw Power album.
Prince
5/5
I knew the singles but had never listened to the album before. My biggest thought after the first listen through is how does something so complex give the vibe of being simplistic. After a few listens I have to say this is a great album and I really enjoyed it.
Joy Division
3/5
This really didn't do anything for me. It's not a bad album by any stretch. There's just nothing here that grabbed me. It's strange because I've quite liked some of their contemporaries. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood Idk.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
2/5
I'm not sure about elsewhere, but in my country these guys were a one hit wonder. The big song "Scooby Snacks" got a decent amount of airplay, probably because Tarantino was massive back then. I remember the title track "Fun Lovin Criminals" getting a bit of airplay, but it never really took off.
This was an interesting listen, although it seems a bit try hardish tbh. Scooby Snacks still rocks though.
The Beta Band
2/5
Going by the cover I was expecting a joke band. Like seriously, why name yourselves the Beta Band? And then name your album after an old Charlie Sheen parody movie.
Listening to this I kept swaying between this is insipid and boring, and oh that bit was interesting. Ultimately this is too hipster wannabe for my taste.
The Offspring
4/5
I miss early Offspring. Back when they had an edge and sang about things with some substance. In hindsight you can see the beginning of them transforming into the meme songs they would become known for on this album, but it wasn't really noticeable at the time.
Klaxons
4/5
I've come to dread albums popping up that I've never heard of because it almost certainly means it's a mid tier British band. Not surprisingly this is British, yet I wouldn't call them mid tier. The music is an eccentric and energetic mix of rock and electronica. I enjoyed this quite a lot, but I find myself struggling to remember any specifics after listening because there's no real hooks.
Calexico
5/5
This is exactly what I signed up for. A band that I've never heard of, with album art that I wouldn't look at twice, yet it's an amazing listen. I'm not even sure how to describe this - western indie folk?
The songs are given space to breathe and grow. It's atmospheric and even cinematic. You can't help envisioning scenarios while listening. I love this.
Garbage
4/5
This album was so innovative and fresh when it came out. It's been quite a while since I heard it though. I knew a couple of people who adored this band (and probably still do) due to songs about queer sexuality and depression. But now it's time to put away the nostalgia goggles, stop reminiscing about playing Vampire The Masquerade and see if it still holds up.
Honestly it does sound a bit dated now. Also a couple of the tracks don't quite hit the mark. With that said this is still a great album that deserves its place on the list.
Kelela
3/5
It's nice, but over produced for my taste. I appreciate the mellow sexiness here, rather than the in your face style that most go for.
John Martyn
4/5
I'd never heard of John Martyn before and the first listen through left me with mixed feelings. Subsequent listens hammered home what was happening here. This is a really interesting album. Improvisational jazzy, bluesy, folk music. I really didn't care for his slurred vocal delivery on some of the tracks, but musically this was great.
Finley Quaye
2/5
Another one I've never heard of before. I absolutely hated the first track, but then quite liked the second. The entire album was a mixed bag of hits and misses for me, but sadly the misses far outnumber the hits.
Stan Getz
2/5
I fell asleep listening to this, which is a first for the list. I'm not sure how far I got into it but had to start over the next day when I woke up. This is a pleasant album but not only does it have no bite, it has no teeth. The way this was recorded, especially the sax, makes this sound older than it actually is. Really not my thing.
Carpenters
2/5
I actually let out an audible moan when this came up. Yet I listened to the album all the way through, just like every other. I have to admit Karen has a great voice, and most of the songs are well crafted. But omg, it's so sugary sweet that I had to call an ambulance because I was about to fall into a diabetic coma from listening to this.
Metallica
5/5
I bought this album back when it came out. I love it and know it back to front. I haven't listened to it for a while and for the sake of this list I did my best to listen to it very critically this time.
For the majority of the songs this works amazingly well. There are a couple spots where the orchestration clashes with the band, or it just doesn't flow quite right. Really that's my only criticism and I'm not sure if that's enough to drop this from a 5 to a 4. I'll have to sleep on it.
Duran Duran
4/5
I never really paid much attention to Duran Duran before, only knowing the hit Hungry Like The Wolf going in. Although this sounds a bit dated now, that bass guitar really elevates this above standard pop fare. My biggest criticism is that some of the songs sound a bit samey. This is a really good album though.
Rod Stewart
2/5
Rod Stewart has a very unique voice and with the right songs it's amazing. These aren't the right songs. I don't know why this is on the list. Half of the songs are covers for god's sake.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
3/5
I'd never heard of this artist or album before. After the first listen through I was left intrigued. Reading up about it bought the album into focus, which I was lacking before.
Now I'm left with an interesting conundrum - I don't know how to rate this. This deserves it's place in rock history, but I doubt it had much impact on future musicians. The demo quality gives it a certain charm, but I can't help wondering what it would have sounded like done properly. I'm glad I listened to it, but I wouldn't seek it out again. I'm torn with this one.
Santana
4/5
Aside from hearing some radio cuts of a couple of the hits, and the Rob Thomas - Smooth song, I wasn't really knowledgeable about Santana going into this.
This album feels more like a jam session, but it's a really good jam session. I really liked most of the songs, but a few were a bit meh. Aside from the obvious Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va, I think Hope You're Feeling Better is a standout.
AC/DC
4/5
Fun fact - Highway to Hell is named after Canning Hwy which is close to where I live. I've driven on it countless times over the years.
There's not much to say about this album and band that hasn't been said repeatedly by everyone else. But I can talk about the bogan culture that spawned this music. It's a culture of hard people, hard music, fast V8 cars and alcohol abuse. But it's also about having fun, mateship and tongue in cheek humor. Stemming from the 70's it still exists to this day.
So put on your best black t shirt, grab your sheila, fire up the kinga, head down the Raffles and get maggoted carnt.
Morrissey
3/5
This really didn't gel with me, but it took me until the second listen through to figure out why. It's because of that reserved British thing where the lyrics are angry and emotional but the music is poppy and whimsical. To me the juxtaposition just doesn't work.
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
I've never really listened to Earth Wind & Fire before, but I was looking forward to some funky goodness. The opening track had me excited, but the second track left me cold. Picked right up on the third, then down again on the forth. Ok, so obviously my preconceived notions of what to expect was skewing what I was hearing, so I left and came back later with a fresh perspective.
So after coming back this album is still a bit of a mixed bag. The ballady songs don't really do much for me, but there's some great tracks. This is a middle of the road type of album for me.
Black Sabbath
5/5
This album deserves 5 stars just for its place in history, but just listen to that bass and those drums, they're incredible. When you add in heavy guitar it creates a sound like no other back when it was released. It's a bonafide classic
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
So today's album is one I've never heard of, from a mega star? What have I been missing? Turns out, not much. Obviously pandering to Americans, he even puts on a fake country twang for some songs. I got to the title track and realized that I had heard it before. I guess they tried to push it in my country but it didn't really take off. At least I know why I hadn't heard of this garbage before, I just wish it had stayed that way.
Sleater-Kinney
4/5
I love everything about this, except the vocalist. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but that voice produces the same feeling as nails on a chalkboard for me. It put me off in the 90's and still does.
Black Flag
4/5
I did a deep dive into these guys years ago, so I understand why this album is on the list. It's not just about this punk record. This started the hardcore scene. The band would tour a lot, but play small venues, many of which had never had live music before. This opened the doors for other bands to follow and created the underground hardcore punk scene.
The band also ran SST records, signing not just hardcore, but quite a diverse array of bands. Sonic Youth, Hüsker Dü, Minutemen, Soundgarden, Meat Puppets, Dinosaur Jr. and many more. The underground wouldn't have exploded into the 90's alt and grunge scene without Black Flag.
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
This is way, way too long. I literally don't have time to listen to it all. I managed to get halfway through, but honestly I don't think I'm missing anything by not listening to the rest. Ella has a great voice and the music is pleasant, but I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to any of this.
Kraftwerk
4/5
This review is basically the same as my previous review for the Kraftwerk album The Man Machine. It is important historically and had a huge impact on future music. I'm glad I listened to it for those reasons, but I wouldn't listen again. I find it too repetitive.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I had formed the opinion that the Stones were over rated, even though I hadn't really listened to them, only knowing their big overplayed radio hits. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised by this album. There's a good variety amongst the tracks, but more than that there's an overall feel that's hard to describe, but works. There's a couple of songs that didn't quite land with me (what the hell was Dead Flowers?), but there is no denying this is a good album.
Parliament
4/5
I found the lyrics a bit annoyingly repetitive, but the music itself is amazing.
Nightmares On Wax
2/5
This is the sort of thing that you would hear played as background music at an overpriced cafe. The type of music where the vibe is the most important aspect. Listening to this I find it over repetitive and boring as bat shit.
Haircut 100
4/5
I will admit to letting out a bit of a groan when reading this band, that I hadn't heard of, was another 80's British new wave act. But this was a lot better than I was expecting. Aside from the singer, there's not much that's really new wave here. There's a lot of funk, jazz and latin influences. I'm tossing up between giving this a 3 or a 4.
The Zombies
5/5
This album is great and I really enjoyed it. More than that is the crazy story that goes with it. A massive thank you to the person that mentioned it in their review. Check out the Buzzfeed article "The True Story Of The Fake Zombies, The Strangest Con In Rock History" for an amazing read.
David Bowie
3/5
The atmosphere on this album is fantastic, but I feel that the songs themselves are a bit lackluster. I can't help but think this album is over hyped because of the circumstances.
Manu Chao
3/5
This reminds me of a band called the Cat Empire, but not as fun. I can see this working in the right circumstances, but it just didn't gel with me. I was going to give this a 2, but reading the notes and finding out that he recorded it on a laptop while traveling, I'm giving it an extra point.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
I was expecting an album of catchy dance tunes, but this isn't that at all. It's subdued with a melancholy vibe. I really like the way the lyrics tell a story. My biggest gripe is that if you're going for sophisticated, you can't have some of it sound like the demo setting on a crappy keyboard.
ZZ Top
4/5
The idea of combining their blues sound with pop style synths was genius, and influenced a lot of other bands. The problem is the lyrics range from not great to outright terrible. There's a song about TV dinners for god's sake. If you can ignore the lyrics, this is a fun, toe tapping album.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Theatrically dark ballads that few can pull off, yet Nick Cave relishes in them. His vocal delivery draws you into the stories.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
This is my second album from Sly & The Family Stone. I didn't enjoy this quite as much as the first, but I'm struggling to put my finger on why that is.
The The
5/5
I've heard of this band before, mainly as a punchline due to the name, but never actually listened to anything by them. The album artwork didn't inspire much confidence either. I put it on in the background while I did other things but by track 3 I had stopped what I was doing as the music had my full attention.
The Avalanches
3/5
I went into this knowing the hit song Frontier Psychiatrist, but hadn't listened to anything else. The rest of the album is interesting and intriguing, yet it falls short of the refined chaotic brilliance of the hit.
Lambchop
2/5
I love lamb chops, yummy. Unfortunately this album is nearly as bland as mashed potatoes.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
2/5
I'm going to preface this by saying that I hate reggae music. I find the sound of it maddening. With that said I went into this with an open mind and actively trying to find the good points. I will say that the musicians were tight and I like that lyrically it had something to say. It was still a struggle to sit through this though. It's certainly not something I would ever listen to again.
Yes
4/5
I enjoyed this quite a lot, but there were odd questionable bits through out that keep this from being a five. Overall a good early prog album.
Public Enemy
4/5
A turning point for rap music. Up until then rap was generally this goofy, fun thing. But then in 1988 Public Enemy and N.W.A. attacked the airwaves, bringing a harder edge and political commentary to the fore. It's hard to imagine now but back then this was revolutionary and hit like a ton of bricks.
Ray Price
2/5
I'm not a fan of country music so I don't know if I'm missing something, but to me there doesn't seem to be anything remarkable about this album. Maybe it was ground breaking in some way, or genre defining, but I can't hear it. To me it's just a pleasant run of the mill country album, although it is well done.
Norah Jones
2/5
This album achieved something extraordinary - it put me to sleep. In the middle of the day. This is so boringly insipid that its success makes me question humanities future.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
The best word I can come up with to describe this is quaint. It has some high points, some low points, and its place in rock history. The biggest takeaway for me though is thinking just how much, and how fast music changed in the late 50's and early 60's.
Roni Size
1/5
This list has ruined my enjoyment of discovering new bands from my teenage years that I've never heard of. It's always something that was only popular in the UK, and of dubious quality. This is way beyond my worst expectations. It's boring, bland, repetitive crap. I'm not sure what drug was popular in the UK back then, but you need to be on it to enjoy this.
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
I'm not a huge fan of rap music and had never heard of this before. I was about halfway through when I looked at the release date and was surprised as I would have placed this earlier than 94. That just made it sound even more dated. It was an interesting listen, although I wouldn't listen again.
Keith Jarrett
3/5
When this popped up my initial though was "oh god not another live album". I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't a guy noodling on the piano for an hour. It's really well done but the weird sounds he makes through out are off putting. I was going to give this a 2, but after reading the story behind it I'm bumping it up to a 3.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
I'm not sure what to make of this. The music was interesting, probably because of the orchestra. It was let down lyrically though.
Abdullah Ibrahim
4/5
I don't know much about Jazz music, and the write up didn't exactly sing it's praises, but I enjoyed this a lot. Not something I would listen to regularly but when the mood is right I can see myself revisiting this.
Joy Division
3/5
One of those albums where the cover is more iconic than any of the songs contained within. While it deserves praise for being a trailblazer, it's just not an album that has ever appealed to me.
Eagles
2/5
On a Friday, after being worn down by a long week, I really needed a pick me up. Some hardcore punk, dubstep or something. Instead I was greeted with easy listening. So I put it off until Saturday morning. Listening to this while being a bit hungover and sorry for myself was the right choice.
There's some decent tracks on this album, and some stinkers.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
I was looking forward to delving into this one due to the opening track Sympathy For The Devil. Unfortunately a lot of the album didn't live up to that with a lot of blandness. There is some interesting instrumentation sprinkled throughout the album, but I don't think that's enough to make it great.
Slint
5/5
I came to this album late, like a lot of others. I remember going to buy the cd (and finding it not available) after hearing other bands mention them as an influence. It's an amazing album, way ahead of its time, that still holds up. I love the atmosphere they created.
The Band
5/5
Only knowing the song The Weight going in, I had some reservations going in, but this is a great album. It has a warm and rich sound with lots of variety. More amazing is that it's from 1968.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
I knew of Issac Hayes from South Park and pop culture references, so I was curious going in. I love the sound, feel and atmosphere created on this album. The spoken intro on the last track really drops the ball though. When you've only got 4 tracks it's a big blow and stops this from getting a 5 from me.
OutKast
3/5
This would have been a much better album without all the annoying interlude skits. The music itself is interesting and when it works it really works. Some of the tracks fall flat for me though.
Michael Jackson
3/5
I remember back when this came out, it was so big as to be inescapable. I also remember most of us thinking of it as a joke - this effeminate man trying to act hard. With that said it's time to put old preconceived notions, and the knowledge of what Michael would later become behind, and listen to the album on its own merits.
So, although horribly dated, this is a good pop album. The whole "Bad" character still comes off as disingenuous and silly though.
Queen
4/5
I know the hits but have never listened to a full album. Also I have heard that Queen is a singles band, with their albums full of filler. So it's time to have a listen and see for myself.
Well it's certainly eccentric with each song a different style, yet it somehow works. There's a couple of songs that aren't really to my liking, but they're not bad songs. There's also songs that I was unfamiliar with but I think are great, like The Prophet's Song.
I'm undecided if this is a high 4 or a low 5. I'll give it a few more listens through before rating.
Pixies
5/5
This album was the blueprint for 90's alternative. Pop hooks with distorted guitars. Cryptic lyrics delivered in a screech. Loud, soft, loud song structure. But beyond the influence, this is a great album on it's own merit. Just the fact that something this different could cut through into the mainstream and make an impression proves it. It effortlessly mixes genres into something new and coherent. A truly classic album.
Tina Turner
3/5
I was a kid when this came out and back then I thought her hair was weird. Decades later I think it's even worse. It looks like she scalped a sasquatch and stuck it on her head.
The music itself has not aged particularly well because of the 80's production. Luckily it has her powerful, raspy voice to elevate it.
Sufjan Stevens
3/5
Well this album deserves an award for the longest song titles.
An independent concept album where the artist not only recorded and produced, but played most of the instruments as well. I should love this, but it fell kind of flat for me. I found my mind continually wandering whilst listening. It just couldn't hold my attention, with songs just blending together.
Ananda Shankar
3/5
This started on shaky ground with cover versions, but thankfully it picked up later. He is a great sitar player and when doing his own songs is quite enjoyable. That said, this really isn't something I would listen to again.
Janelle Monáe
5/5
Wow. This was so much better than I was expecting. I had heard of Janelle before but had unfairly written her off as just another pop tart, without listening to her. A concept album with a wide variety of styles and influences with great production, sign me up.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
3/5
This album was stupid, but fun and entertaining. Sounds like a cross between pub rock and cabaret. This was released 2 years before TNT by ACDC and you can really hear the influence this had.
Neil Young
3/5
It's a classic album and has his biggest hit on it. Yet it's not my favorite NY album. I much prefer his later rock / grunge style with Crazy Horse, which is amazing live.
Gotan Project
3/5
Trip Hop and Latin infused tango music made by a French outfit seems like an absolutely ridiculous concept, yet this works surprisingly well. Although this was an interesting listen and a nice change of pace, I doubt I would ever listen to it again. It really became monotonous after a while.
Motörhead
3/5
The band that paved the way for thrash, and this album is on the list purely for its influence. The music itself is decent, the lyrics are trash, but there's no denying the attitude.
Public Enemy
4/5
Although this album is better on a technical level than Nation of Millions, it didn't quite have as big an impact on me. Still good though.
Billie Holiday
2/5
I feel like I'm missing something, because I really don't understand the hype for this album. I don't really like her voice. She's a decent singer, but I wouldn't say great. The orchestra is good, but nothing new is happening. Overall I found this fairly boring tbh.
Daft Punk
1/5
There's some good things on this album. Unfortunately they all massively overstay their welcome to the point that I end up hating them. I would rather castrate myself with a rusty spoon than listen to this headache inducing mess again.
Japan
2/5
This obviously had a huge impact on what would become new wave later, but honestly I found it rather dull.
The Beach Boys
3/5
One of the most influential albums of all time. It changed the way records were made and deserves all the praise it gets for that. However I don't particularly like it. There are too many sounds that seem to have been added just to have a sound in that spot. They don't enhance the feel or theme of the song, and in many instances stand out like tacked on after thoughts.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
I can appreciate what they were trying to do, but I don't think it works. It's too juvenile to be satirical.
Iggy Pop
4/5
This sounds more Bowie than Iggy, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I like the rawness that Iggy brings to this.
Lorde
3/5
My first thought is why this album and not her debut? I'm not sure what happened elsewhere, but in my country her first album was a much bigger deal.
So after listening through a couple of times, I'm still asking why this and not her debut. Don't get me wrong, this is a good album, but it sounds like it got churned out of the same factory as a lot of other pop stars. Her debut worked so well because it was different and stood out among the pack.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
I know this album inside out and back to front. I bought this album when it first came out, already being a fan of Siamese Dream. I remember my first listen. I thought I knew what I was in for, but was blown away from the very first song.
With all that said, not all tracks on this are top tier (although they're still good), and I understand some people find Billy's voice grating. Maybe it's just nostalgia, or from listening so many times, but this is an easy 5 star for me.
Hawkwind
4/5
I wasn't really looking forward to a double live album, but damn this was great. A lot heavier than I was anticipating. I was really enjoying the bass so looked it up and found out it's Lemmy! This would have been a great band to see at their peak.
The Byrds
2/5
Well this was fairly meh. This almost gave up on this album, but thankfully I didn't as the best tracks were towards the end. I found "You Got A Reputation" and "Lazy Days" decent, but the rest I could have happily skipped.
Fugees
2/5
I remember back when "Killing Me Softly" was huge hating the idiot constantly singing "one time, one time" all through it, so I didn't hold high hopes for this album. Somehow it's even worse than I feared. A lot of the songs come across as wannabe gangster. The skits are terrible.
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
Instrumental covers of popular songs played on bongos sounds like a truly horrendous idea, but somehow this works surprisingly well. It does overstay its welcome rather quickly though.
Funkadelic
4/5
Well this was a tough one to find. I had to resort to a youtube playlist.
Musically this is great, interesting and diverse in sound. Lyrically, well they must have been higher than giraffe pussy when writing lines like "The fear of being eaten by a sandwich"
Herbie Hancock
3/5
Interestingly funky and jazzy. Every time I got to the point that I thought a song was getting boring they changed it up. I can't help thinking that editing the songs down so that I don't get to the point of thinking that it's getting boring would be advantageous though.
Arcade Fire
4/5
This was a slow burn. On the first listen through it really didn't do much for me. On subsequent listens it really came into its own. I'm rounding up my score because I'm fairly confident this will become a favourite album in the future.
ZZ Top
4/5
It's not breaking boundaries, but what it does, it does especially well. Only knowing ZZ Top from their Mtv era, this was surprising in a good way.
Magazine
4/5
Much better than I was expecting from the write up. Very proggy and certainly ahead of its time.
Neil Young
4/5
My second Neil Young album on this list. This one is a bit more rock than the last one, heading towards that grungier style that he did later that I prefer. This is a solid album though.
Jerry Lee Lewis
2/5
A live album of mostly covers just isn't something I expect from this site. I understand that it was the done thing back then, and it showcases his wild man persona. It falls short for me.
Scott Walker
4/5
I went into this one blind and was pleasantly surprised. Gorgeous music with a darkness hiding just under the surface. I can hear many artists that were influenced by this.
Coldplay
2/5
I've never understood the hype for this band. Back when we listened to the radio Coldplay was inescapable and I hated it with a passion. Well it has been a few years since my ears have been assaulted by this, so lets have a critical listen.
This is generally bland and the singer has a voice that would drive any sane person to violence. That said it is well produced and there are some spots that are musically interesting which keeps this from being a one star.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
This album is a stone cold classic. The sound of a great band at the height of their powers.
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
There's something about this album that just doesn't gel with me, but I can't figure out what it is. I left it and came back a couple of hours later and had the same feeling. I slept on it and listened the next day fresh, yet the feeling persists.
Mercury Rev
4/5
This was a pleasant surprise and exactly the sort of thing I joined this site for. I had never even heard of this band before. I enjoyed this a lot. The only thing that bugged me was the theremin (I think it's a theremin) being overused.
2/5
God I hate this band. I hate the mediocre songs. I hate their stupid hairstyles. I hate the fact that I knew every word of the hits because they were hammered on the radio so much back then.
Iggy Pop
4/5
You can hear Bowie's influence all over this, but not as much as The Idiot. Personally I think that's a good thing, although that's probably an unpopular opinion.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Dylan is an amazing lyricist, decent musician and terrible singer. I can appreciate this album for its poetry, and for a musician reinventing himself, but not much else.
Hugh Masekela
3/5
I appreciate the musicianship, but this is something I wouldn't listen to again.
Otis Redding
3/5
This sounds great, and Otis has an amazing voice. I can't give high marks to an album that is mostly covers though.
Radiohead
2/5
I really don't understand the hype for this band. The singer just drones on and on. I will give them credit for this album being the first pay what you want digital download by a major act.
Jethro Tull
4/5
This is one of those bands that I had heard of, but never actually listened to. This album is a folk, rock, prog mix by a British band from the early 70's that somehow doesn't sound like Led Zep. I will give them props for that alone. I really enjoyed this album although I don't think it's quite 5 star worthy.
Pretenders
3/5
I only knew Brass In Pocket going into this one. It started more punk than I was expecting, which I liked. Other songs swung more to the new wave side. It's a pretty solid album, but it didn't set my world on fire
Deee-Lite
3/5
Well I didn't expect to be greeted by an album from a one hit wonder that I had completely forgotten about today. It certainly makes me wonder what I (and most of the world) missed that makes it worthy of this list.
So dance music really isn't my thing, but I found myself liking this quite a bit. It's fun, quirky and experimental in places. There's a fairly wide array of sounds, but some songs were a bit too repetitive and overstayed their welcome.
It took me a few listens to pin down what I really like about this album, and that is its optimism. It just lifts your mood and puts a smile on your face.
Buck Owens
2/5
So I spent the entire time listening to this album wondering why it was on the list. I had to go the the reviews to find out that it pioneered the honky-tonk sound, so I guess it deserves a star for that. This isn't something I would ever listen to again though.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
I don't think there is anything I could say that hasn't been said a million times. This album is a stone cold classic.
Venom
4/5
This may sound quite hilarious by today's standards, but for when it came out this was way ahead of the curve. This spawned thrash metal, death metal and black metal. It's just an amazingly influential album.
Miles Davis
3/5
I get the feeling this is the type of album that you would get more out of if you played an instrument. This just didn't connect with me though.
Missy Elliott
3/5
After 4 tracks I was ready to write this album off as complete garbage. To me rap music is about the lyrics, therefore the lyrics have to have substance. All I was hearing was - I'm the greatest, name drop, I'm the greatest, swear, repeat. Luckily there were songs with something to say later in the album. Unfortunately there just wasn't enough meat on the bone to raise this above mediocre.
Janis Joplin
5/5
This is a fantastic album. Janis bares her soul when she sings. This is no doubt an unpopular opinion, but to me the most well known songs (Bobby McGee and Mercedes) are the weakest songs on the album.
Orange Juice
3/5
This was fairly mediocre. Most songs sounded a bit anemic.
Simple Minds
4/5
My second album by a Scottish band released in 82 in a row. Luckily this one got a lot of things right that the previous one failed at.
I like the layers here, creating a texture that melds into a pleasing whole. I don't think it's amazing enough to deserve a 5 star rating, but it's a solid 4.
The Black Crowes
4/5
I never really paid much attention to this band before, only knowing the radio hits. Thinking about it I'm sure this is down to timing. This was released the same time as the grunge, alt and thrash explosion at the start of the 90's. This just didn't fit in. I can't recall anyone listening to, or even talking about this band back then.
I really enjoyed this album and I will most likely revisit it in the future. My only gripe with it is that there is nothing new or innovative. This could have been released in the 70's and fit right in.
Sonic Youth
4/5
My second Sonic Youth album on this list. I liked this one a lot more, but that's not saying a lot as the first one didn't exactly set the bar very high. This album drops the ball a bit at times, but never completely loses its way.
Tito Puente
3/5
This was an interesting change of pace from what I've been listening to recently. This isn't music that challenges you in any way, it's exactly what's described on the box - music to dance to. I found it interesting for a couple of songs then it al sort of blurred into one.
My favourite was "Varsity Drag", not because of the music but for the title. It conjured up some amazing mental imagery. Oh how language has changed over the decades.
Miles Davis
3/5
Technically it's really good, but it just didn't connect with me.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
There's some gold on this album, and some meh filler. I'm not going to listen more than once because I don't want to give Clapton the money
Curtis Mayfield
5/5
What a fantastic album for a lazy Sunday. The music is soulful and funky with so much going on. Amazing lyrics. What's not to love. I want to see the movie now.
Love
4/5
I had never heard of this band and didn't have high hopes. The album cover looks like a poster for an old B grade science fiction movie.
The summary says this is psychedelic rock, but straight away you're hit with something more akin to punk. As the album progresses there's a whole host of different styles in the mix - folk, garage, surf etc. The fact that this predates most of those styles is impressive. This is an album I will certainly come back too.
4/5
I know this is going to be an unpopular opinion, but I think this album is over rated. I'm not saying it's a bad album, far from it. And yes it deserves praise for being groundbreaking, but musically I find it a bit lacking. There's good songs on here, along with some duds. I certainly don't think this deserves the moniker of best album of all time.
Kate Bush
4/5
I don't really know much about Kate Bush. I had the preconceived notion of her being one of those artists that are weird for the sake of being weird. This album was a pleasant surprise. Melodic and atmospheric with touches of weirdness. I really enjoyed this.
The thing I'm left wondering though is why this album? It doesn't have any hits so I doubt it's her biggest selling. It's not a debut and I haven't heard of any other artists mention it as an inspiration.
Nico
1/5
Oh god that was bad. Musically it was ok, but uninspired and meh. But her voice drags this down faster than a mob informant with concrete boots.
Supergrass
4/5
I had the Supergrass song "Pumping On Your Stereo" on a compilation cd back in the day. Although it's the only song I knew from them, I had some idea what to expect going in.
I quite enjoyed this. It was a lot of fun with decent variety. The songs have held up well, especially compared to other Britpop groups of the era. I'm not quite sure why it made this list, but I'm lowkey glad that it did.
Beastie Boys
5/5
Yes it's incredibly dated and fairly juvenile. But when this came out it sounded like nothing else. Rap and rock fused together made everyone take notice, and it screamed up the charts as a result. Arguably one of the greatest debut albums of all time.
Queen
4/5
I've never listened to this album before. It was interesting to get away from the greatest hits and hear the deep cuts.
KISS
2/5
I came to this with the assumption that this band was more style than substance. This album did nothing to change my mind. There's a couple of decent tracks but most of it is meh.
Meat Loaf
5/5
I unabashedly love this album. Yes it's cheesy, but it knows that and leans into it hard. There's a quality and uniqueness to Steinman's songs, that when you hear one you just know that he wrote it, regardless of who sings it. Add Meatloaf's voice and presence, and magic happens.
Steely Dan
3/5
I had only heard Rikki Don't Lose That Number going into this, and honestly wasn't expecting much. This album was certainly better than I expected. The problem is it just didn't connect with me. I really can't see myself listening to this again.
4/5
Another band I had never heard of before. I was halfway through the first listen through before it started to click for me. It got better with each listen. Punk with a wide array of styles thrown into the mix.
Fleet Foxes
2/5
Indie folk music with a medieval twist I guess. I was interested on the opening track, but it soon all blurred together. It's almost aggressively inoffensive, and I found it rather dull. I think my biggest gripe with this album is that it could have been released in prior decades and fit right in. It's not ground breaking in any way whatsoever, nor did it start any trends or movements. I'm assuming it's on here because it sold a lot.
Beatles
3/5
Probably the most over rated album of all time. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's a bad album, just that it doesn't deserve the hype and praise that it receives. It has some good songs, some mediocre songs, and some crap songs. As an album it's bloated and directionless.
Dead Kennedys
4/5
A cut above most punk bands of the time. Lyrically there's weighty issues wrapped in sarcasm. The band can play well and there's quite a bit of variety in the tracks.
Marilyn Manson
4/5
I knew of MM before this album due to the song Sweet Dreams, from the previous record. However it was hearing Beautiful People that spurred me to actually buy this album, as it's such a strong song. The sound was pretty unique for the time and still holds up fairly well. I'm going to ignore the controversy surrounding Manson himself and judge this purely on the music itself.
Arcade Fire
3/5
This was a bit of an odd one for me. On first listen it just didn't grab me at all. However with each subsequent listen it got a little better. I still wouldn't call it great, but it's certainly not bad.
Linkin Park
4/5
This is a bit of a hard one to rate. I know this album well, it helped me get through a dark time in my life. Listening to it now with quite a few more years under my belt, well I'm hearing it differently. The production isn't the greatest, over compressed and processed to the point of absurdity. But that begs the question - would this album have gotten so big if it was done better? Even though it's far from perfect I'm giving it an extra point for nostalgia.
The Darkness
4/5
This album is good dumb fun. It does the hair metal thing really well and I enjoyed it a lot. My issue with it is that it doesn't offer anything new. It doesn't push the genre or subvert your expectations at all. The only reason that it seems to be here is that it's British and sold a lot.
This list has really shown me just how stagnant music has been for a couple of decades now.
The Verve
2/5
I remember back when these guys were on the radio and not liking those songs. Well I'm older now and was interested to see if they sounded better with the wisdom of age, and also what the rest of the album contained. The best word to describe this album is bland.
Al Green
5/5
I'm not sure what's going on with that cover. Poor guy looks like he's having a stroke as they're taking the picture. Then they added the slime green drippy font. The whole thing is just weird.
Let's Stay Together is a song that is as close to perfection as possible. That makes it a heck of a way to open an album. The rest of the tracks try valiantly to live up to that standard, but don't quite make it. I'm not sure it's even possible to match that opener though.
This was a fantastic listen and I'm happy to say that this is an album you should listen to before you die.
Nas
4/5
I had never heard of Nas before so I wasn't expecting much from this. Wow what a surprise. Lyrics and flow are great. He's an amazing rapper. I do find that musically this lacks a little, with small samples overused, which I find a tad annoying. Still an enjoyable album though.
The Doors
4/5
This takes me back to carefree teenage years, smoking the green and cruising for chicks lol. Honestly this isn't the Doors best album, it drags in the middle. It's still pretty darn good though.
GZA
3/5
I went into this one blind as I had never heard of GZA before. It started out with a voice over about an assassin and I got excited thinking it was going to be a concept album of some sort, then the rap started and I felt blue balled. Also I'm not sure how GZA is pronounced, but my brain insists that it's Geezer.
I had to come back to this one after a while to listen to it for what it is, rather than what I wanted it to be. The guy is a talented rapper, but I found the lyrics a bit too much "I'm the greatest, look at me, I'm a badass." style. Overall I found the album lacking.
Kanye West
3/5
Musically it's interesting, but the songs tended to overstay their welcome. Runaway really didn't need to be 9 minutes long for gods sake. It had obviously run out of ideas, passed boring and went into annoying teritory before it finally ended. The biggest issue is Kanye himself, he's just not a good rapper or singer. All the guests mop the floor with him.
Arcade Fire
3/5
This is my second album from Arcade Fire on this list. This one left me feeling exactly the same as the last one. It's well done but just didn't connect with me in any way.
The Birthday Party
3/5
Well this was an interesting listen. Raw and cacophonic bordering on unhinged. The production quality is terrible which really hurts this. Done properly this wouldn't be so polarizing.
Sigur Rós
4/5
I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. Very atmospheric, which is somehow added to by not being able to understand the lyrics
The Who
5/5
Tommy was a crazy concept, telling a truly insane story. Yet it worked, and paved the way for countless others. A number of the songs can't stand on their own, but as a whole it somehow works. A slightly flawed yet amazing album. I would rate this a high 4, but I am bumping it up to a 5 due to its historic significance.
fIREHOSE
4/5
It's moments like this that I love this list. Being presented with a band that I've never heard of and discovering something great. There's a wide array of influences meshed together here to create an enjoyable album.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
I knew the song Green onions (like pretty much everyone on the planet) going into this. The rest of the album is interesting, but I find it hard to get excited when most of the songs are covers.
Van Halen
4/5
This album is fun and a bit goofy. You can see how it influenced hair metal. Technically it's great and I love the guitar tone. I just feel it lacks a bit so isn't 5 star worthy.
Billy Joel
5/5
There are 9 songs on this album, 5 of which are stone cold classic hits. That's an amazing achievement. Great songwriting, lyrical story telling and fantastic production combine to form a stellar album that still sounds great more than 4 and a half decades later.
Wire
5/5
Another album that I've heard of but never listened to before. I'm so glad that I have finally listened to it now. This seems to straddle the line between punk and post punk, utilizing the best of both. I can hear the influence this had on a lot of bands, most egregiously Elastica ripping off the riff from Three Girl Rhumba.
I've listened to this a few times now and have no doubt that I will keep coming back to it.
Depeche Mode
4/5
I was expecting 80's style pop synth going into this, but was surprised by the dark ambience that flows throughout this album. This is like a middle ground between pop and Nine Inch Nails. The production is amazing.
Moby Grape
3/5
Most of the songs are not available on spotify but I found a playlist on youtube.
I'd never heard of this band before but it sure was an interesting listen. Some of the songs were fantastic, but some were lacking.
Gram Parsons
2/5
This really isn't my thing. It's not a bad album, but I could have happily died without listening to this.
Joan Armatrading
5/5
Wow what a surprise. I only knew of Joan from her 80's hit Drop The Pilot so I wasn't really ready for this. There's lots of different styles that come into play and blend seamlessly - folk, country, funk, rock etc. Her voice is amazing and carries emotion. What a treat this album is.
Big Star
3/5
Another band that I hadn't heard of before. It was interesting reading the synopsis after listening. The blame game seems to point at the record company for screwing up distribution as to why this band wasn't huge. I'm not sure if that's entirely true though. Does this band have enough to make it big even without the other issues?
There were some songs that grabbed me but most didn't really leave an impression, and I couldn't tell you what they sounded like the next day.
The Dictators
3/5
Early punk that's good dumb fun but lacks substance.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
There's some good songs on this album. Unfortunately they're buried among the chaff. This would have been much better pruned down to a single album, getting rid of the weak songs and working on some of the others a little more.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
I bought this album back in the day and have listened to it more times than I can count. It's not quite as good as Mellon Collie, but it's still an easy 5 star for me.
Thelonious Monk
2/5
I'm going to preface this by saying that I was busy while listening to this and didn't give it the attention that I usually do with albums.
This really didn't do much for me. It sounds like a bunch of guys that were hired to do the hold music for your telco got bored and started drinking.
New Order
3/5
This 80's style dance music is not really my cup of tea, but being honest the music itself is above average. The singer however isn't up to the task.
DJ Shadow
4/5
I really didn't expect to like an instrumental album made by sampling as much as I did. There's a lot of layering going on. The end result is an interesting atmosphere. I'm not sure I would revisit this though.
Baaba Maal
3/5
I love this list for introducing me to albums like this, that there is no way I would have come across on my own. The music creates an ethereal atmosphere which I really like. However every song is a bit too long and repetitive. I feel this album would have benefited greatly by being trimmed down a little, it really doesn't need to be over a hour long. I might get more out of it if I understood the lyrics, I'm not sure.
Kacey Musgraves
2/5
Bland pop country with cheesy lyrics. Meh.
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
Although not my style, this was great. The musicianship is top notch. My only gripe is that it tends to be a little repetitive.
The Police
3/5
I only knew the Police from their overplayed radio hits and had judged them as an over hyped white boy reggae act from that. There's a lot less reggae style in this album than I was expecting, which is a good thing. Some tracks were decent, most were forgettable, and then there was mother which sounded like a completely different band. After listening through a couple of times my opinion remains that this is an over rated band.
Laura Nyro
5/5
This another one that I had never heard of before, and wow what a surprise. I loved this. It's soulful, jazzy, experimental, theatrical and sounds timeless.
Don McLean
2/5
I can't listen to the song American Pie without hearing the Weird Al lyrics.
Michael Kiwanuka
5/5
This is a great example of don't judge a book by its cover. I was expecting some tribal sounds, and for the first 30 seconds that's what it seemed to be. But wow, what a journey this album takes you on. It's hard to pin this down to a genre and I'm not sure how I would describe this to someone else, but it is an amazing album.
Roxy Music
2/5
I can appreciate that this was ahead of the curve for 1972, and it deserves props for that. The issue is that I just didn't enjoy it. In fact I found it to be mildly annoying most of the time.
Stereolab
3/5
This was a bit of an odd one. I didn't like it at first, but it grew on me to an extent. The enjoyable part is the soundscapes that they created. It's great as background music but doesn't really stand up to active listening.
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
I'm already groaning before even listening. A 90's album that I've never heard of - it has to be British and probably average. The band and album name promise so much, so lets have a listen and see what this is.
My fears were not unjustified. This does not even try to live up to the interesting title. Not surprisingly it's British. It's tedious and after the halfway mark I started listening to part of a song before skipping to the next just to get through it.
Air
4/5
I knew a couple of the songs already (Sexy Boy and Kelly Watch the Stars) as they received a fair bit of airtime on alternative radio back in the day. The rest of the album is in the same vein. This is music that's about mood and atmosphere more than meaning. Somehow this manages to sound both retro and futuristic simultaneously. It's certainly an interesting listen, although I felt it started to outstay its welcome after a while.
Os Mutantes
3/5
Well this was weird, but in a good way. I'm surprised that this album isn't more well known. That said I really don't think I would ever listen to this again so I'm not going to rate it super highly.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
I'm starting to become convinced that this site only gives you double albums when it knows that you're busy. Luckily this time it was Nick Cave, and even though I hadn't heard this album before, I knew what to expect. I like the way each disc has a completely different feel. I prefer the first disc personally, but that could just be that I wasn't in the mood for the ballads of the second. I wish I had more time to really get into this one but sometimes life gets in the way.
Frank Ocean
3/5
I hated the production of this from the get go. The tone of the drum machine and the overused vocal effects both irked me. Which is a pity because there is some interesting things going on here, if you can get past the horrible sound.
Brian Eno
4/5
I thought this album was better than ok, but wasn't completely sold until the last 4 tracks that it really hit me. I'm not sure it would have normally but it's been an incredibly hectic day and from Julie With onwards I just felt the stress melt away.
I listened again later and the first half of the album is actually pretty good, I just wasn't in the mood for it earlier.
Saint Etienne
3/5
For me this album kept swinging between interesting, quirky fun and outright annoying. Do I think that this is an album that you need to listen to before you die? No I really don't.
2Pac
3/5
Lyrically this is great. Tupac is a good rapper, no denying it. However musically is where this falls apart for me. A lot of the backing tracks sound like they could be used by a corporate made, generic all girl group. I can't take the gangster thing seriously when it sounds like that.
Pink Floyd
5/5
It is overly long and pretentious as hell, but it's bloody good.
Alice Cooper
5/5
Well this was a blast from the past. My mum used to play this when I was little. It's interesting hearing it again decades later. Alice is nowhere near as campy as I remember. Great musicianship from the band and lyrics that are more clever than you expect. These are songs that get stuck in your head and beg you to sing along.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
It's a little bit shit, isn't it.
The Who
4/5
This album is like the missing link, bridging the gap between early 60's doo wop pop music and the punk movement of the 70's. It deserves praise for its place in history, even if it isn't the greatest of albums.
Arrested Development
3/5
I had forgotten about this group. Mr Wendel, Tennessee and Everyday People got flogged to death on the radio back in the day. Strangely not this version of Everyday People though. I'm not sure if they had a radio version or re recorded it on another album. (I had a look and it's the Metamorphosis mix that's the big hit of Everyday People)
This album is funky and has some interesting samples, but oh my it's so overly preachy that it got on my nerves.
Dion
3/5
This is a nice album. There's nothing wrong with it. The problem I have is that it isn't the pinnacle of its type, nor does it push boundaries or explore new territory. I'm left wondering why it's on this list. It's just a nice album.
Sade
4/5
Smooth Operator was the only hit from this record in my country, so that's all I knew going into this. This album has that manufactured "effortless cool" thing going on. I actually love the singers voice here as it suits the music perfectly. I would have liked just a tad more variety to make each song a bit more distinct.
Guns N' Roses
5/5
Today this album brings to mind ridiculously overplayed songs and a complete douche of a front man. That wasn't the case when this album was new though. In a landscape of polished, spandex wearing, soft hair metal bands like Poison and their ilk, Appetite For Destruction was like a bomb going off. Louder, faster, dirtier, sleazier, yet somehow more down to earth. It changed the game and helped pave the way for many other bands to come.
Lightning Bolt
2/5
Went into this one blind. Not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. I feel a bit blue balled after listening. Each song promises something, but doesn't quite get there, similar in a way to the vocals I guess. Is that what they were going for? I'm not sure. The best I can describe it is talent cosplaying as talentless.
The Specials
2/5
I absolutely loathe the song A Message To You Rudy, so I fully expected to hate this album. After listening I can call this tolerable, but I certainly wouldn't listen again.
The Pogues
3/5
Tradition Irish music fused with punk is an interesting idea. When it works it's raucous fun. It doesn't always work for me though, and a full album at once is too much.
Tom Waits
4/5
Many years ago, (more than I want to think about tbh) back when I was a teenager, this album was my introduction to Tom Waits. I bought it as I was curious about hearing the original version of Downtown Train, which Rod Stewart had a hit with. I remember being taken aback when Singapore started as it really wasn't what I was expecting lol. Over time the album really grew on me and I explored more of Tom's catalogue. It was fun to revisit this one.
Tom Waits
4/5
Back to back Tom Waits. Yesterday was Rain Dogs, today it's SwordfishTrombones. Luckily I like Tom, although this isn't my favourite album of his.
Lupe Fiasco
5/5
Lupe Fiasco is one of those artists that I have heard of but never actually listened to before. This album is fantastic. Eloquent lyrics that get his point across or tell a story. A rich, full sound musically. My only gripe is the outro. I get what he is doing, listing his influences, but it just drags on. I'm going to listen again before I make my mind up whether or not that drags it down to a 4 star or not.
Van Morrison
3/5
This is a nice album and I have to say that the production is fantastic. That said the songs themselves didn't really do much for me. It's the sort of music that you use as background noise at a dinner party.
Sonic Youth
3/5
My third Sonic Youth album from this list and I'm not even a year in. I liked this one more than EVOL, but not as much as Dirty. Although this doesn't effect my rating for this album, my biggest thought is that this album wasn't really needed on this list. The two I've already rated already show two fairly distinct sounds from the band, this is just in the middle. A transitory period.
Kate Bush
3/5
My second Kate Bush album on this list. This one is certainly a more challenging listen than the other. I didn't quite know what to make of this on first listen. Luckily I got this on a Sunday, which meant I had time to leave it for a while and come back to it with a fresh mind. Personally I find this album makes more sense if I think about it as a soundtrack to an avant-garde musical theater production. That said I don't think it's a musical that I would want to see.
Pearl Jam
5/5
A huge nostalgia hit seeing this one pop up as it was a big part of my teenage years. I know this album back to front and inside out.
The National
3/5
I'm always excited when newer bands show up on this list, getting recognition amongst all the legacy acts. I'm not quite sure what to make of this one though. It sounds like a post rock band decided they needed a goth singer for some reason. I've given it a couple of listens through and it isn't really growing on me.
Madonna
3/5
My second Madonna album on this list. The first I can understand, not only was it a smash hit, it helped define a generation. This one however is just not on that tier. I appreciate that this was a radically different sound for Madonna, and that her vocal range is a lot better than earlier albums, so I guess it's on the list for those reasons. Ultimately though, this just isn't an album for me.
The Undertones
4/5
I have to admit that seeing another band that I've never heard of with a very British looking cover, I wasn't expecting much from this. Turns out this is a fun, pop punk record. It wasn't until Under the Boardwalk that I thought to myself that the singers voice sounded familiar. After a bit of google sleuthing I discovered that the singer is Feargal Sharkey, the "A Good Heart" and "You Little Thief" guy.
Björk
2/5
I've never really listened to Bjork before, but based on what I had heard, that it was weird for the sake of being weird and that I really didn't get the appeal. After listening to this album a few times I can say that it's not as weird as I assumed, but I still don't get the appeal.
The White Stripes
3/5
This is one of those "right place at the right time" albums. The sound was shockingly different at the time. Add in the visual red, black and white marketing gimmick and you had something that quickly became a cultural phenomenon. After their next album even the Simpsons had riffed on this band. It hasn't really stood the test of time though. They inspired many other bands that just did it better, leaving the Stripes in the shade.
Randy Newman
3/5
I only knew Randy Newman as the guy who wrote songs for Pixar movies, so this was a bit of a surprise. While the music is fun, there's a dark undercurrent woven into in the lyrics that make this more interesting than you expect. That said I'm really not a fan of his singing.
CHIC
3/5
Instrumentally this is great, and the bass is just fantastic. A big shout out to the producer too. By my god is it repetitive, most notably in the lyrics. I can't help feeling if they had put some more time into the lyrics that this would be absolute dynamite.
Scritti Politti
2/5
I think I may be lactose intolerant, because the amount of cheese in this album gave me the shits.
Pixies
4/5
I don't like this album quite as much as Doolittle, but I appreciate its importance in music history.
Blur
3/5
The author of this list really likes britpop don't they. There's some decent songs on here, but a lot of filler as well.
Radiohead
4/5
How many Radiohead albums are on this damn list? I enjoyed this one more than the others that have come up, but it wasn't exactly a high bar to stumble over. This is a bit more abrasive and less whiny than later efforts, yet still polished. I was going to give this a 3, but on subsequent listens I'm bumping it to a 4.
3/5
I can appreciate this for the influence it had, but for me the music itself struggled to get above average.
Beatles
4/5
I've said it before and I will say it again. I think that the Beatles are over rated. With that out of the way, this is a good album. Does it deserve the massive amount of praise that it receives? Not entirely. There's mostly good songs here, with some great songs and some mediocre.
The Stone Roses
3/5
The only song that I knew going in was Fools Gold. This was an interesting album and I can understand why so many people hold it i high regard. With that said this just didn't connect with me. I listened to it multiple times, giving it a chance, but it seems to be missing the spark to ignite some passion.
PJ Harvey
2/5
Well this was an odd one. With the opening track I thought this just wasn't an album for me. But then there was something I liked. The whole album kept swinging wildly between enjoyable and terrible, often multiple times within one track. I really don't know what to make of it.
Aerosmith
3/5
This came out when I was 12 years old. A friend at school recorded his older brothers album and gave me a tape of it. When you're young and broke every album counts and I listened to this a lot. It wasn't much later that grunge and alternative hit, washing this style of music away. It has been decades since I listened to this album and looking at the track list the only songs that I could remember were Love In An Elevator and Janie's Got A Gun. But as each song started my brain went oh yeah, I remember this.
Nostalgia aside, this is an ok album, but nothing special. I really haven't missed much in the decades since I last listened to it.
LTJ Bukem
1/5
If this list has taught me anything, it's that if an album from my teenage years shows up that I've never heard of, it's most likely British, and I most likely won't enjoy it. This was no exception. I got halfway through each song before skipping onto the next. Well I did for the first 10 tracks anyway. I saw the last 2 tracks were over an hour long each and just gave up entirely.
The Smiths
4/5
I didn't expect to like this as much as I did, yet I don't think it's an album worthy of the hype. I would say it's decent. I like the instrumentation on a lot of this, but the singer wears out his welcome pretty fast.
Eric Clapton
2/5
I've always hated Claptons cover of I shot The Sherrif. Sadly this album is more of the same. He may be a great guitarist, but this entire album comes across as uninspired. I'm only listening to this once as I don't want to give Clapton any more money.
Bebel Gilberto
5/5
It's always a little exciting to get an artist I've never heard of on this list. The album cover really didn't give any clues what to expect either.
I know nothing about this genre of music, so I don't know if this was revolutionary in some way. I also have no idea what most of the songs are about. I do know that it sounds absolutely gorgeous. I enjoyed kicking back on a lazy Sunday afternoon and just letting this wash over me.
Metallica
5/5
The Black Album. The album that catapulted Metallica into the mainstream, but also alienated a lot of their fans due to the change in sound. I'm one of those weird people that was already a fan (I came on board with the Justice album) yet still loved this album.
Baaba Maal
3/5
Well this was certainly interesting. While it's not something I would generally listen to, or will again, I can appreciate this is well done.
Common
4/5
This is my second Common album on this list. I didn't like this one quite as much as the first, though not by much. Lyrically it lacks in a few spots and some of the samples didn't land for me. It's still a good album though.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
My third Joni album on this list. This one was more experimental than I expected. On first listen some of it didn't gel with me, but I loved the rest of the album. After listening through a few times I just didn't enjoy this one as much as her earlier works.
The Prodigy
5/5
This album is a musical tightrope act, and while it may be shaky and a bit unstable at times, it never falls. It's repetitive, but always adds a new element or change just before it gets boring or annoying. It's lacking in lyrics, yet still manages to get some meaning across. It's edgy without feeling overly cringe. It's incredibly processed yet still manages to have something organic to it.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Won't somebody think of the children!!! It's amusing to think this caused moral outrage from parents, whose teenage daughters were swooning and screaming at the front of the stage. It really shows just how conservative society was back then.
Antony and the Johnsons
2/5
Another one that I had never heard of before. I was intrigued by the cover and went in hopeful. I really, really can't stand the singers voice, it's just horrid. I would rather be waterboarded than have to listen to those torturous warblings again. That said I appreciate the emotion, the interesting subject matter, and musically it's not bad.
The Police
3/5
Some of the songs on this album are great, others feel half baked. They are great musicians but their sound isn't really my cup of tea. I tend to like the songs that lean more towards the post punk sound, rather than the ones that lean into reggae, but that's just my opinion, and I'm sure a lot of people will disagree with me.
Tori Amos
5/5
I have to admit that I've never really listened to Tori Amos before, apart from the radio hits. I was into the punk and metal scenes back then. On top of that she didn't get airplay in my country until Cornflake Girl, a couple of years after this album. So this album was all completely new to me. Wow have I been missing out. This album is fantastic.
Fela Kuti
5/5
I was introduced to Femi Kuti earlier in this list, so was excited to see what his dad had to offer. The African - jazz fusion is great, but reading the story about this album is the cherry on the cake.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
This was certainly interesting. I enjoyed some of it, but there are parts where high pitched sounds are used (Hanana is a good example) that are like nails on a chalkboard to me.
Elliott Smith
5/5
I had never heard of this before but what an awesome discovery. There's an intimate quality to the songs that just draws you in.
Spacemen 3
2/5
This was interesting, in a way. I can't help feeling that I should like this more, all the elements are there. It just didn't connect with me. I kept finding myself getting bored and my mind wandering while trying to listen to this album.
Bee Gees
4/5
I was expecting disco so this threw me. I listened part way through, then stopped to come back later with a fresh mind because I really wasn't liking it.
So after coming back with a fresh mind this isn't a bad album. There's some great songs here, but also some filler. Overall the album seems a bit bloated and confused. I think that if some songs were dropped and others were made a little shorter, this could have been a single album rather than a double, and it would have been much stronger for it. With all that said this is actually quite good as is.
Beastie Boys
5/5
This album fell flat commercially back when it was released, mainly due to the fact that it moved away from the rock influenced sound of Licensed To Ill. Listening to it now it's easy to see this was ahead of its time. The sampling is insanely good. Lyrically it has moved away from the juvenile a lot, although it still rears its ugly head.
Dr. Dre
4/5
Musically I love this. I also love the attitude it has. Lyrically however it's lacking.
Jane's Addiction
5/5
It's cliche to say that a band was ahead of its time, but it's amazingly apt in this case. This album was a minor hit when released, but in the 90's it came into its own. Everyone listened. Every shitty cover band had a Jane's cover in their set. Listening to these songs you can hear the influence on other bands. For example listen to Up The Beach and you can hear Tool. Similarly Idiots Rule is a blueprint for Offspring. This album was ahead of its time and helped usher in the alt movement of the 90's and beyond.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
I've been trying to think of how to describe this album. The best I can come up with is interesting but lacking. Combining vintage and modern sounds is interesting, but others have done it better than this. Songs about hooking up with the wrong guy are interesting, but not the whole damn album. Her voice is interesting, but lacking depth. You get the idea.
The Clash
5/5
While it doesn't have their biggest hits or polish of the later albums, this is everything a punk album should be. Intelligently aggressive, simple yet melodic, anthemic catchy songs.
The White Stripes
3/5
My second White Stripes album on this list. I guess you could argue enough of a departure to their earlier sound to include this one. I find the piano a welcome addition to the semi abrasive guitar. While a more interesting and diverse album than the other one, I still wouldn't call it great.
Radiohead
2/5
Why are there so many Radiohead albums on this list? This is my fourth so far. You can't tell me that there aren't other acts that are worthy of being here.
As for this album, I only got halfway through before giving up. Pretentious garbage.
Marty Robbins
4/5
I'm not a fan of country music and thought I was going into this blind. Turns out that I already knew a couple of the songs. El Paso was in Breaking Bad and I've heard a cover of Big Iron, although I didn't know it was a cover until now. The storytelling in this album is top notch. I love the vivid imagery that each song paints. Most songs on this album are brilliant, although I feel there a couple that fall a little short.
Talk Talk
3/5
I feel this is an album that you need to be in the right mood for, and I really wasn't in the mood for the first listen. I tried again later, and even put off getting todays album for another listen, but it's just not connecting with me.
Sisters Of Mercy
4/5
Another band that I've heard of but never listened too. I was expecting something dreary, but was greeted with very 80's drum machine, synths and horns. It actually sounds a bit campy. Weirdly it's more enjoyable because of all that.
Ride
3/5
I didn't think too much of this album on first listen, but it has grown on me a little bit with each subsequent listen. I get the feeling that this is an album that you would grow to love over time. The paradox is there is nothing here that would entice me to revisit it.
Michael Jackson
4/5
There's some great songs on this album. Don't Stop and Rock With You are an amazing 1 - 2 punch to open with. The production here is great. Lots of layered sounds with out sounding too busy. For me the second half of the album drops off a bit.
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
I feel like I should be wearing a tailored suit, holding a tumbler of whisky while chatting to a dame in a fox fur shawl while dapper gentlemen smoke cigars nearby.
I appreciate the musicianship here, they're all amazing. I'm glad that I listened to this, but it's not something I would listen to again.
Suicide
3/5
Well that wasn't what I was expecting going off the name and cover. It's certainly interesting and confrontational, and obviously ground breaking for its time. I can see how this would have been influential to a lot of artists. Some of the songs sound a bit half baked to me. It's like they had the basic idea and just winged it rather than putting in the time to flesh it out properly. While it's not something I would listen to again, I'm giving it points for being so challenging, yet still fairly accessible.
The Beach Boys
3/5
I only know the Beach Boy hits, so was expecting some cheesy, surf pop rock. This isn't that. Experimental sounds with socially aware lyrics, yet it still has a huge amount of cheese somehow. This album is patchy. Some songs are great, others aren't. With so many different sounds being blended together it still sounds flat in places.
LL Cool J
3/5
I remember back when the title track was a big hit and I absolutely hated it. Every time he says "Mama said knock you out" there's this sound like a childs crying doll being stepped on. It's one of the most annoying sounds that I've ever had the displeasure of hearing.
It shouldn't be much surprise that I wasn't looking forward to this album, but I actually enjoyed this more than expected. The beats are generally ok, his flow is great and lyrically it's mostly impressive. Unfortunately some of the lyrics really haven't aged well and the title track still sounds terrible.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
4/5
A real diverse range of styles / sounds throughout the album. Individually tracks range from good to fantastic. I'm surprised this band isn't talked about more and held in higher esteem.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
An album this long should feel ridiculously bloated, but Stevie pulls it off. This album is an immersive experience from start to finish with very few problems. It's amazing that a blind man creates such visual songs.
Les Rythmes Digitales
2/5
Each track sounds like advert music that was padded out way too much to get it to song length. Even the album cover is borderline an ad for Pepsi. I'm not even sure how influential this could have been. The Chemical Brothers song Block Rockin' Beats was 2 years earlier than this for example. There are some interesting sample choices, but they overstay their welcome.
Talvin Singh
3/5
I like the idea of this album a lot more than I like the actual album itself. The concept of fusing different cultures and genres, past and present is fascinating to me. There are points in each song where you can hear the promise of just how amazing it could be. Unfortunately they are drowned in crappy drum machine beats and repetitiveness.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
2/5
Listening to this I keep wondering if a jam session of cover songs recorded live is actually an album. To me an album is a thought out, immersive experience. It tells you something about the artist, and the zeitgeist at that point in time. Does this do that? You could argue that they way they have changed the songs tells the story. I really don't know what to make of this one. I'm going to sleep on it and give it another spin tomorrow.
Gene Clark
3/5
Trying so hard to be Dylan, while completely missing what made Dylan amazing. You can't be authentic when you're a copy.
This is a reasonably good album. It's competent, heck more than competent. It lacks spark though. It would be so much better if he was being himself rather than trying to be what he imagined the public wanted at the time.
Boards of Canada
2/5
I imagine that AI music will end up sounding a bit like this, broken and disjointed, as it increasingly learns from other AI songs in an incestuous downward spiral. I highly doubt that it would manage to have the ambience and consistent tonal quality to hold it all together that this album does though. Does that make this album decades ahead of the curve? Only time will tell. If only some of the people on the cover had six fingers.
This album is unique in it's own way, sounding simultaneously ethereal, creepy, melancholic and psychedelic. Unfortunately I didn't really enjoy this album, although I can see why others would.
Sheryl Crow
4/5
I enjoyed this more than I expected too. Not as generic as I feared it would be. There's some variety with a bit of funk on Solidify, a little lounge on We Do What We Can.
Nirvana
5/5
It's peoples reactions to this album that really shows its power. For many the acoustic versions of their songs are their favourites. For most the cover songs have become the definitive versions.
Roxy Music
3/5
You have to wonder how many copies were sold just because of the cover art. This is a case of don't judge a book by its cover however, as the music really doesn't match. That said this isn't a bad album by any means, although not great either. I was surprised to see that it's from 73, certainly ahead of its time and deserves props for that.
Ray Charles
4/5
My first thought upon getting this was - I didn't know Ray Charles did a country record. After listening it's clear that he didn't. He used the lyrics from country songs and did them in his own style, and I can respect that. This is a nice album, but not something I would seek out personally. Listening through the second time I came to the realization that a lot of these songs sound like they could be in an old Disney movie and now I can't hear them any other way.
Steely Dan
3/5
I'm not a fan of soft rock, the type of inoffensive garbage that you're subjected to in shops and waiting rooms. I will acknowledge that this is really good for what it is. It's just not something that I would ever choose to listen to.
Incubus
3/5
The only song that I knew going into this was Drive, which is a decent song but not exactly mind blowing. After listening to the rest of the songs it seems I haven't been missing out on too much. This is an average album with a fair amount of variety. This is the type of album that you latch onto as an angsty teenager, but beyond that it sounds fairly meh.
3/5
This started out rocky, but did eventually settle down into something fairly enjoyable. Sounds more like look how clever we are and the tricks we can do jammed together than actually serving the song a lot of the time. Over indulged wank like this is exactly what punk was pushing back against.
Sabu
2/5
God this is hard to listen to. Stupidly repetitive and the vocals are horrible, just shrieking away. It may have been amazing back in 57, but I don't want to listen to it again.
Jean-Michel Jarre
4/5
Dated futurism that still sounds great. This is mind blowing for 76.
Goldfrapp
4/5
I knew a couple of Goldfrapp songs going into this, neither of which are on this album. This album was a shock (in a good way) as I was expecting electronic dance music. I really like the dreamy, ethereal sound they have here. Surprised that Happiness was a single as I feel it's one of the weaker songs on the album, although I guess being a little more upbeat it's closer to their dance sound. The biggest problem this album has is a lack of hooks, ear worms, anything that will get stuck in your mind and lead you back for another listen.
Pink Floyd
5/5
I criticized an album a couple of weeks back for not really feeling like an album, as it was just an overly long jam session recorded live. This is a true album. One where the songs are meant to be listened to as a whole. A cohesive collection of songs that create an experience, a mood, a kind of magic. There's a reason that this is considered one of the best albums of all time.
Radiohead
3/5
I remember back when this was released and everyone was raving about it. I wasn't a fan of the first single released but I went and bought the cd to see what all the hype was about. I listened to it and wasn't impressed. I kept listening to it but it just didn't grow on me. Eventually I got rid of that cd and moved on.
Listening again after all these years, it's not as bad as I remember. Having listened to other Radiohead releases for this project I can say it's not their worst album. I still don't get the hype though.
Fela Kuti
4/5
My second Fela Kuti album on this list. I didn't think this one was quite as strong as the first, although it's still great.
The Coral
3/5
Another British band that I've never heard of on this list. I'm guessing they rode on the coattails of bands like the White Stripes and The Strokes. There are moments on this album that are amazing, doing things their contemporaries just couldn't. When it works, it works really well. Unfortunately they took it too far, into ludicrous territory, too often.
The Kinks
4/5
I didn't get to spend as much time with this album as I would have liked, and I'm sure that's to my detriment. There's quite a lot of interesting things happening throughout. I'm sure this is an album that I will revisit in the future.
Pixies
4/5
My second Pixies album on this list. This one was more polished and coherent, yet not quite as interesting. It took a few listens for it to click, but it's a vibe.
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
He has a great flow and the beats are good. But even putting the misogyny aside, having the same lyrical theme song after song, only broken up by crappy skits kills the enjoyment.
Suede
3/5
I remember back as a teen in Australia reading about this album and how it was dominating the British charts. I headed down to the record store to check it out. Back then you could listen to albums before buying. I distinctly recall sitting there with headphones on being completely underwhelmed. This album suffered from British reservedness, being released into a world where Nirvana, Rage Against The Machine, Body Count etc. were the standard.
Hearing it again decades later, with matured senses, this isn't a bad album. There's some interesting things going on musically. That said this still isn't something that I would seek out to listen to.
Scissor Sisters
4/5
I only knew this band by their 2 radio hits (Take Your Mama and I Don't Feel Like Dancin) going in, so this album really subverted my expectations. There's a wide array of styles and genres on display. Doing a dance/disco cover of Comfortably Numb seemed an odd choice, until you get to the end with Return To Oz which has a distinct Pink Floyd vibe, which puts it into perspective. Subsequent listens were spent searching for what else I missed the first time.
I was expecting this to be a fun but fluff album, but it turned into an enjoyable and interesting listen. I also really like the album cover. It's a great concept even if the photoshop work could have been better.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
I've heard covers of Leonard Cohen songs before but have only listened to one of his original songs before. This is an artist where the lyrics are the main point, like Bob Dylan and Tom Waits. Leonard has a better sounding voice than the two I mentioned, but his lyrics aren't as good. The music itself tries to be something unique, but doesn't push far enough like Waits does, and it just sort of falls flat. I wouldn't say it's a bad album, but it's nothing special.
Traffic
4/5
I was kind of excited with the first track, thinking that an instrumental album would be an interesting change of pace. When the vocals came in on the second track I actually felt a little disappointed. I had to leave this one and come back to it a few hours later to appreciate it for what it is.
Wilco
3/5
I remembered the name of the band but couldn't recall any of their songs. After listening I can see why. This is competent but uninspiring, which is an odd thing considering the array of musical styles played with.
3/5
I found this really interesting, but far from great. It just misses the mark in so many ways. Trying to be sinister but sounding kind of goofy. Trying to be clever but coming across as pretentious. Fantastic concept that they struggle to convey. I could go on. To me this sounds more like a demo that needs to be hashed out.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
I know that it was a stylistic choice, but I hate the mix on this album. Everything sounds muddy and the vocals are buried. There's actually some interesting things happening, and with a decent mix I'm sure this would be better received.
Wu-Tang Clan
2/5
I almost gave up on this one before even getting to the halfway mark. Lyrically it had nothing to offer except the usual "I'm the greatest, I'm going to kill everyone" type shit. The beats were uninspired and boring. Truly terrible skits. I got to "Can It Be All So Simple" which offered a bit of variety so I stuck with it.
So after listening to the whole album I'm still not really impressed. I do like the raw sound and the samurai movie thing is interesting even if not used well. There's some moments of brilliance, but most of it just repeats the same ideas.
Skepta
3/5
Lyrically this is good but the beats really don't do it for me. Deducting a star for still having stupid skits in 2016.
The Bees
2/5
I thought this was another band that I had never heard of, but it turned out that I knew the track A Mihna Menina. It was used in an ad for something. This is low key, Lo-Fi, hipster music that blends a variety of genres together. Unfortunately it's not as exciting as it sounds, and pretty forgettable. This is a palate cleanser album - it just removes the taste of the previous album and gets you ready for the next.
Ice Cube
4/5
I had never heard any of these songs going in. Ice Cube is one of the few rappers that actually sounds believable when they say that they're a badass. There's some great messaging in the lyrics on this album, and also some truly horrible takes, mainly revolving around how women are treated. The song Check Yo Self sounds almost identical to Shoop by Salt N Pepa, which I find hilarious.
Bert Jansch
3/5
I feel this is one of those albums that you need to be in the right mood for. It's stripped back and bare, letting the songs speak for themselves. A relaxing listen that is a great antidote to the craziness of the world around us.
John Lennon
3/5
This album shattered my preconceived notions, as I had heard that John had gone all weird after meeting Yoko. Think back to the Simpsons episode The Be Sharps, where Barney was the John character and showed the band his new music which was him burping and the Yoko character saying number 8.
This was a pleasant listen, until "Well Well Well", which injected a dose of punkish energy, which I personally applaud.
Overall I would say this is good but over rated. Not really an album that you need to hear before you die.
Holger Czukay
2/5
Listening to the first track I was laughing at the stupidity of it. I thought this is great, some levity on this list. It soon became apparent that I was wrong and this was actually serious and unintentionally funny.
I will give this props for technical work and experimentation seeing as it's from 1979, and there's some great instrumentation buried in there. But the songs don't flow well. A lot of the noises seemed tacked on rather than integrated, and don't fit in with the narrative of the song. It's like the guy just didn't know when to stop.
Patti Smith
4/5
I only knew Patti from the song Because The Night (which isn't on this album) going into this one. I like the raw, stripped down sound as it suits her voice and lyrics. It's easy to see the influence this had on what would become punk. Generally a really good album with a few flat spots.
The B-52's
3/5
Weird and goofy, but structured and accessible enough to be enjoyable.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
I really didn't expect to like this as much as I did. I had heard bits in passing before and thought, no thanks, that's not for me. By the third song I was coming around and at the end I went back and listened through again. Musically it's eclectic yet cohesive and at first seems to be lacking any punch, but the punch is kept for the lyrics. I'm not a huge fan of the singers lisping voice which really drags this down for me.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
2/5
Look at that cover, this has more featured artists than any modern rap album. It also has the crappy skits.
I don't know enough about this type of music to know if this is extraordinary or groundbreaking in any way. Therefore I can only judge it on my enjoyment. This really isn't for me. I got through disc 1, but part way through disc 2 I gave up. I kept picturing Homer and Grandpa Simpson being chased by hillbillies until they turned the music off.
Pavement
3/5
In my country Pavement were one hit wonders with the song Cut Your Hair in the late 90's. Never having heard anything else by them I was curious to hear what they had to offer with this album. After listening it's fairly obvious why they only had the single hit, as there is nothing here with the hooks or catchiness that I was expecting. (Although some bits come close to that greatness, In The Mouth A Desert for example.) I guess they were pioneers of this sound, although I'm not sure tbh. This is a decent album but I wouldn't say amazing.
Bobby Womack
4/5
First time listening to Bobby Womack. It's dated and cheesy, but damn it's good. Personally I prefer the tracks with a bit of grit like Stand Up, more than the saccharine in some other tracks.
Germs
4/5
This album has gained an almost mythical status among punk aficionados. Considered to be the first hardcore album, it's everything you expect - raw, fast, hard and unforgivingly brutal. Darby delivers his vocals with a sneer and attitude. Pat blasts out great riff after great riff. Lorna and Don keep everything moving with the rhythm section.
The xx
2/5
I had never heard of these guys before. The first 2 tracks were interesting, but it soon became apparent after that that this band is a one trick pony. I am not saying it's bad, there's just not enough here to hold my attention.
Small Faces
3/5
My reaction on the first listen through was that it was a bit hit and miss. A weird amalgamation of psychedelia and comedy. On the second listen through I realised that it isn't, it's just that I have been conditioned to hear that accent as comedy through consuming British media.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
4/5
Never heard of this before, but damn was I impressed. Powerful messages right across the album. My biggest gripe is the repetitiveness with certain lines. Yeah I got it the first 20 times, you can stop now. Sadly the songs still resonate as the problems discussed haven't been fixed.
Eurythmics
5/5
I know Eurythmics from their hit songs, but have never actually listened to a full album before. This is a good album. It seems a bit of a let down on first listen when you go in expecting the strength of the title track throughout, but it really grows on you with subsequent listens. Normally I would rate this a 4, but I was a child in the 80's. It's hard to imagine now but when Sweet Dreams hit the airwaves there was nothing like it. Adding to that was the video with Annie looking and acting androgynous, which was shocking at the time. I would love to know how many people found the image of of a suited Annie smacking the pointer into her gloved hand a gateway to bdsm lol. This is a band that carved their own path, echos of which can still be heard in music today. It's because of that that I'm bumping this up to a 5.
Maxwell
2/5
I was a teenager in the 90's and I've never heard of this. I'm not even sure what type of people were listening to this. The first track was interesting, the second lost a little with the introduction of the vocals. By the end everything had blurred together into a forgettable mess. This is decent if you're hearing one song, but a whole album is too much.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
I know 2 songs by this band, "Zero" and "Heads Will Roll", neither of which are on this album. I'm looking forward to delving into more with this album.
This was more raw and punkish indie sound than I was expecting. There's some interesting moments, but a lot of meh as well. It's an ok album, but nothing I would rave about.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
I didn't have high expectations for this after reading that the songs were demos that Bruce decided to release as is. Normally I would like the raw, stripped back sound, but these songs sound half baked. More time spent on them would have been a great idea.
The Velvet Underground
2/5
Pretentious garbage for idiots with their heads up their asses. The only thing keeping this from the bottom of the barrel is some of the themes sung about, which would have been shocking at the time.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
My second Cohen album on this list, although the last one was nearly 2 decades newer than this effort. Leonard is great at writing lyrics, not so good at singing them or composing the instrumentation.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Knew the hits but had never listened to a full album before. For the most part it's a solid album and exactly what you expect. The big issue is the covers. Ooby Dooby (Roy Orbison) and My Baby Left Me (Elvis Presley) both stand out like sore thumbs and really don't fit. I will admit their cover of Heard It Through The Grapevine (Marvin Gaye) fits in a lot better. I would have been a lot more impressed with this album if they had just taken a bit longer and written 3 more songs. All the originals here are great, it's just the covers that stop it being a 5 star.
Johnny Cash
2/5
We all know Johnny's version of Hurt, and most agree that it's amazing. So why did I find the rest of the album a letdown compared to it? All the songs are in the same style with many having similar emotional tones. After listening through a couple of times I've come to this conclusion.
Hurt is more dynamic. It builds, drops back down, then builds right up to the crescendo with a dramatic drop right at the end. It's a musical roller coaster ride. The other songs just seem flat and boring compared to that.
Fishbone
4/5
How have I never heard this before? This is like finding the missing link between the 80's and 90's. There are throwback sounds to the earlier 80's but just as often there are sounds that wouldn't come to prominence until the 90's. An album that was simultaneously behind and ahead of its time. As someone that hates ska I enjoyed this a lot more than anticipated.
M.I.A.
2/5
I only know M.I.A. as a one hit wonder with the song Paper Planes. That song isn't on this album though, which makes me curious as to why this album is on the list. After listening I'm still not sure why this album is on the list. It may have had some impact in its scene but I don't know enough about electronica to know. This didn't do anything for me.
Ms. Dynamite
3/5
I remember the stupidly annoying Dy-Na-Mi-Tee being played to death on the radio when it came out before disappearing, never to be heard again (thankfully). Because of that I really wasn't looking forward to listening to this album. Luckily it's better than I feared.
This one's a bit of a strange beast, swinging wildly between socially conscious lyrics and pedestrian blather. The backing tracks are generally good and engaging. Ms. Dynamite is basically the Temu version of Lauryn Hill. Looks the goods at a glance but doesn't hold up to close scrutiny.
Ian Dury
2/5
This album is for a particular type of person. I'm not that type of person. Outside of men who have lost a few too many brain cells downing pints in an English pub, I doubt this would have much appeal. His voice swings between novelty act and annoying. There were some of tracks that were musically decent on the b side of the album and keep this from being a one star, but otherwise this was complete garbage.
Mudhoney
3/5
I remember listening to a Mudhoney album way back in the day because a lot of the big bands of the time touted them as an influence. I wasn't overly impressed then, and I'm not overly impressed now. It's ok. More punk than anything. It lacks the hooks and songwriting that propelled better bands to stardom just after this was released.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
I am definitely not the target demographic for this one. I hated Go West when it came out, so needless to say I wasn't looking forward to listening to this album. This entire thing sounds mechanically soulless and repetitive to me. It's well done for what it is, but it's not something I would ever choose to listen to again.
Lou Reed
3/5
Lou Reed is proof that you don't need a great voice or a heap of talent to make it. You just need to be one of the first on the bandwagon so everyone thinks that you're a visionary. Luckily Bowie's touch on this record elevates it up from complete garbage.
Can
3/5
I expected a futuristic album that sounded hilariously dated, but surprisingly it's not. You could have told me this was released this decade and I would have believed you.
Primal Scream
2/5
I remember listening to part of this album back in the 90's and not being impressed. A lot of time has passed since then and I have changed a lot. I still think this sucks. It's music for a certain type of person on a certain type of substance. I'm not that type of person and although having dabbled, those type of substances aren't my thing.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
My fourth Springsteen album on this list. How many do you need? As the last 2 that I received were decidedly sub par I wasn't looking forward to this one. I had never heard any of the songs on this album before, yet they're the type of songs that sound like you already know them. He sings with passion but without enunciation. Nothing truly exciting here.
King Crimson
3/5
I can't help but feel that the first track is a sort of litmus test. If you can sit through 13 and a half minutes of directionless noodling you're going to love the rest of the album.
This did grow on me a little with repeated listens, and I can see its importance, but it's not something I will ever listen to again.
The Pogues
2/5
My second Pogues album on this list and I have to wonder why it's here. Only popular in its home country and I fail to see much influence outside a small niche. I'm going to post my review from the other album below as it fits here too.
Tradition Irish music fused with punk is an interesting idea. When it works it's raucous fun. It doesn't always work for me though, and a full album at once is too much.
10cc
2/5
I had a hard time getting into this one. It just felt too goofy to be taken seriously, but too serious to be funny. Left it for a day and when I came back it sounded even worse.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Musically this was decent, even though it's not my scene. Lyrically, well, it comes across as creepy, sung by someone who sounds like a poser. I certainly won't be revisiting this one.
Elvis Presley
3/5
This album has some great tracks, but also a lot of filler. However the more I consider this album, the more I don't know how to rate it. This was 1969, a year with albums from Led Zepplin, The Stooges, Mc5, Pink Floyd and many more. Elvis wasn't pushing boundaries like his earlier work. This was more like sliding backwards. I can't help feeling that if this album had more tracks with themes like In The Ghetto rather than generic love songs that it would be better.
Paul Simon
3/5
I had never heard any of these songs before. Paul is an amazing lyricist but the songs here fall a little flat. It lacks the harmonies and polish he had with Garfunkel, and lacks the hooks and experimentation of his later solo work. To me this is a transitionary album, and as such I question its inclusion on this list.
Elvis Costello
3/5
It's an ok album. Fun enough but not mind blowing. Not sure why this is an album that I have to listen to before I die.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
My second Costello album in a row. Just like yesterdays this is mid tier. Decent enough but nothing extraordinary.
Eminem
3/5
I remember buying this album after hearing My Name Is on the radio and being impressed. I've listened to this countless times, although it's been years since the last time. I thought this would be easy to rate, but it's not. Eminem's rhyming prowess is on full display, but lyrically this is juvenile. Skits have always been a terrible idea, even if I do know these ones word for word. It's brash and outlandish but hasn't aged well. Even with all the problems I can't deny its historical importance. There's a reason I bought the album after only hearing just one track. It was a game changer.
LCD Soundsystem
2/5
I love seeing newer albums pop up in this list. This was a band that I had heard of but never listened to so I was excited to dive in. My excitement soon faded. This is just a rehash of post punk but without the shock or passion that that movement had. It doesn't push the sound anywhere new or innovate in any way. It's well done for what it is, I'm just saying that I'm not impressed with what it is.
The Cult
3/5
Generic hard rock made worse by the knowledge that the band was so much more interesting before this album.
Snoop Dogg
4/5
Straight away I'm docking a point for the stupidly annoying skits. I will never understand raps obsession with them in this time period. With that said, does doggystyle hold up? Not quite. Musically I love it. Great beats and production. Snoop is also a good rapper with a distinct style. But the lyrics swing wildly between wit and cringe.
Destiny's Child
2/5
This is a great example that just because something is popular, that doesn't necessarily mean that it's good. This was a rough listen. The first track sounds hilariously dated due to the Charlie's Angels tie in. You already know the first 3 tracks because they were played to death on the radio. If you expected the female empowerment to continue after those three you're going to be sorely disappointed. The next track is slut shaming, followed by another track hating women. Next they're simping over some guy.
An album should be a coherent whole and this is all over the place. Add in that the backing tracks sound terrible when you focus on them rather than the voices. This isn't just something I didn't need to hear before I die, I never want to hear it again.
Wild Beasts
2/5
An interesting mix of genius and absolute crap. Personally I found this too pretentious to gel with.
Mike Oldfield
3/5
This is an album that I knew of by reputation but had never actually listened to before. Generally this was great, but there are things that completely take you out of the experience. For example when he starts talking like a muppet character that's been possessed by a demon.
Grateful Dead
3/5
Listening to this you realize just what over hyped means. The songs are all decent, but not extraordinary. Production is shoddy. The saddest part is that this mid tier album is considered their best.
Method Man
4/5
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. The music itself creates an atmosphere that appeals to me. Stupid skits kept to a minimum and when used actually kind of fit. The mixing isn't great, with the vocals buried and at times hard to hear.
Justin Timberlake
2/5
This cliched cheese isn't something I would ever choose to listen to, yet I knew four of the songs already as they were hammered on the radio back then. I remember writing this off as a Michael Jackson rip off, but listening now I can hear Pharrell all over it. I have to admit that the production on this is excellent. Normally I keep my reviews based purely on the music, but in this case I'm deducting a star for Justin throwing Janet Jackson under a bus. She is such a nice person and deserved a career more than this douche.
Nitin Sawhney
3/5
This one was a bit hit and miss for me. Some of it was hauntingly beautiful, some annoying. It's an intriguing concept for an album, but the execution was a bit off.
Funkadelic
4/5
God I needed this today. After a long string of meh albums with very few highlights, none of which were rock, it was about time to hear some face melting guitar. I love the funk - rock sound of this. Although not a perfect album, it rightly deserves its place in history.
The Who
3/5
I'm upset my adblocker didn't work on half of this album. I get what they were doing, and maybe it worked back then, but in this day and age it's just annoying. It makes it an album that's a fun listen as a curiosity, but not something that you would want to listen to normally.
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. Only knowing them from the song If You Tolerate This, I had unfairly written them off as just another britpop band. This actually has some passion and balls to it.
Korn
3/5
I don't need to check the reviews to know this album will have divided opinions. I understand why. The vocals, lyrical content, and it hasn't aged too well has it. Yet they created a unique sound all their own, which changed and influenced the music that followed. I find that amusing given the title of the album. It's the sort of innovation you just don't get anymore. I haven't come across any rock bands with an innovative sound in the past decade, and hardly any this century.
Jeff Buckley
5/5
I've loved this album since it came out. It's still one of my all time favourites. This is one of those word of mouth albums. As a teen I bought the album after hearing a couple of tracks on the Triple J radio station. My mum fell in love with it and bought a copy. Then my uncle, grandmother, cousin, friends. Before you know it everyone you know owns it. Age, sex, etc was no boundary to the spread of this masterpiece.
The Jam
4/5
This was better than I feared it was going to be. Post punk that swings between pop / new wave and harder punk influences. I'm not entirely sure it belongs on this list, but I'm glad it's here.
Miles Davis
3/5
My third Miles Davis album on this list. I find myself having similar feelings to this as the other two. I think that people that play an instrument would get more out of this than non players like myself. I do love seeing albums from the 50's pop up though, it's a refreshing change of pace.
Khaled
4/5
This is exactly the type of thing I signed up for. An artist I've never heard of and would never have listened to normally. I'm not sure what style of music this actually is but it sounds like an Arabic and Latin mash pop to me. Certainly interesting and enjoyable. The cover of Imagine threw me, but I'm glad it came early as I found myself liking the album more and more as it progressed.
The Saints
5/5
I got all patriotic seeing an Aussie band pop up. For those that don't know this is the band that kickstarted Australian punk music, releasing their first single in 1976, beating the Sex Pistols, Clash and the Damned to the punch. Sadly like many Aussie bands they had to move overseas to make it.
This is a classic album from a criminally under rated band, that helped shape punk.
Billy Bragg
3/5
I feel that I should like this more than I do. I'm a sucker for politically charged lyrics and singer songwriters. Yet there's something here that leaves me cold. I'm not sure quite what it is though.
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
I'm struggling to see why this is on the list tbh. There are much better albums released the same year that pushed boundaries, both musically and lyrically. This is just a throwback, although done slightly heavier.
Milton Nascimento
4/5
I have no idea what the songs are about. I'm not even sure how to classify the music. I do know that I enjoyed this album despite all that. Exactly the sort of thing I was hoping to discover when I signed up for this list.
Jamiroquai
4/5
Jamiroquai didn't hit the charts in my country until the mid 90's with songs like Virtual Insanity and Cosmic Girl, so I was curious to listen to their debut. This is a straight Stevie Wonder rip, which has made me hear their later songs in a new light.
This is a well made and enjoyable album, but entirely derivative. I'm glad they evolved past this in later records.
The Velvet Underground
2/5
I wasn't looking forward to this one, even though I knew it would be on the list. I have already had to listen to a Nico album that was insufferable. I'm going to quote myself from my review of a Lou Reed album though, because it rings true here as well.
"Proof that you don't need a great voice or a heap of talent to make it. You just need to be one of the first on the bandwagon so everyone thinks that you're a visionary"
Bad Brains
4/5
It's not a perfect album, but it is one of the most influential punk albums. Bands as diverse as Anthrax, Rage Against The Machine, Beastie Boys, Guns N Roses, Green Day, Nirvana, No Doubt and countless others have cited this album as an influence. It's considered a seminal classic for a reason.
White Denim
5/5
This album is so tight it should be titled Corset. A collection of different elements and genres that sound meticulously balanced rather than thrown together. I don't know how I've never heard of them before but I'm glad I have now. This is an album that I will certainly revisit.
The Pretty Things
4/5
A concept, rock opera album that predates all the famous ones. I must admit reading that before listening I thought there must be a reason this isn't talked about, and went in expecting something terrible. However the songs are pretty good and I like the concept used for the album. The production really is terrible though.
Love
4/5
I found this to be a really interesting album. Listening to the lyrics you hear that the hippy sheen was wearing off. It's a transitional album, bridging the gap from what was to what was to come.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
This album just seems a bit flat and uninspired. I generally like Neil's 70's stuff, but this just didn't quite scratch the same itch. I think it's worse knowing the live version of Fuckin Up from the Weld album.
After a few listens it's grown on me a bit, but I still wouldn't call it one of his best albums.
The Byrds
4/5
I only knew the Byrds songs Turn Turn Turn and Mr Tambourine Man going in, so being greeted with horns was a surprise. Psychedelia / folk rock with twangs of country. Great harmonies. A great example of late 60's experimentation. I enjoyed this quite a bit.
James Taylor
2/5
This is definitely not an album for me. Boringly sweet with less bite than a 98 year old who has lost his dentures. It's not a bad album, it's just not something I would ever choose to listen to.
Dusty Springfield
5/5
Her voice is sublime and the musicians compliment it perfectly. Although this is cloying to my taste, it is a great record. Also Son Of A Preacher Man has a place in my heart after being introduced to me in the 90's thanks to Pulp Fiction.
Def Leppard
4/5
I'm surprised that this album is on the list as I've already had Hysteria, which is a more realized version of what they were doing here (with the sales to match). This is standard 80's pop hair metal done extremely well, even if it hasn't aged well.
On second listen I think I understand why it sounds so aged now. The 80's was a prosperous, optimistic time and that shines through in the music. That feeling died in the 90's, and we're in a similar situation now. I imagine that if the economy was doing well this would hit better.
Rush
3/5
I've tried listening to Rush before, but the singers voice is like nails on a chalkboard and always put me off. Luckily while sitting through this, the 3rd song is an instrumental, which shows the bands chops without the distraction. This is a good album if you can past the singers voice. I can't get past it though.
Beastie Boys
5/5
This is my favourite Beasties album. I know that's a bit controversial as most rank Paul's Boutique higher, buts there's just something about Ill Communication that hit right from the first listen for me, and it hasn't ever faded.
For those that are new to this and dig the instrumental tracks, they have an album of just instrumentals called The In Sound From Way Out. It's worth checking out.
The Go-Go's
3/5
I only knew the radio staple Our Lips Are Sealed going into this. By today's standards this is fairly plain, but I was thinking it would have been fairly groundbreaking back in 81. Then I looked at albums released in 81 and I'm not so sure about that. Overall this is a solid album, but I wouldn't say it's amazing.
Talking Heads
3/5
I don't know what to make of this. It sounds like a novelty act that somehow became a one hit wonder, even though I know they had a successful career. They deserve recognition for doing something different, and for their influence on music. I just don't find it very enjoyable to listen to tbh.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
I find this a strange pick for this list, as the Stones have a vast catalogue of better albums to choose from. This is just an album of covers, and they're not great covers at that.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
Musically this is good, and usually something I would like, but omfg his singing is horrible. He whines and drones on. I don't want to hear this guy again.
Christina Aguilera
4/5
I remember back when the single Dirrty came out and not thinking much of it, considering it done just for shock value. I liked the singles Fighter and Beautiful, but never listened to the rest so I'm curious to dive into this one.
This is a good pop album, although a little bloated. Christina has a great voice and shows it off in a multitude of ways. I feel if some of the weaker songs had been cut that this would be an easy 5 star album.
Suzanne Vega
4/5
I knew of Suzanne by her hits like Tom's Diner and Luka but had never delved deeper. I enjoyed this more than I expected. The album has a great atmosphere. This is a high 4 for me, but not quite a 5.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
After listening through a few times I'm left with a question - why is this album on the list? I'm not saying that it's a bad album, far from it. The issue I have is that this is the fourth Joni album I've had so far and I just can't justify so many inclusions from one artist. There are thousands of albums released each year so there is inevitably deserving artists that have been snubbed.
With that said I'm not letting that influence my voting for this album, I'm judging it on its own merits. I loved the previous albums from Joni that I listened to, yet this one didn't quite land quite the same. I didn't connect with it on the same level. It's a good album but I'm not sure I will revisit it.
3/5
This was simultaneously great and terrible. I knew of this by reputation. The concert where Dylan switched from acoustic to electric halfway through and the crowd hated it, booing and jeering. Well it turns out the audience didn't really hate it all that much. Sure there's some dissenters after each song, but mostly applause.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
What a strange album. I eventually realized that each side has a distinct style and it made a bit more sense, like 4 mini albums packaged together. Technically this is good, but I found it boring and wouldn't listen again.
Cocteau Twins
2/5
Very 80's, dreamy goth sounding vibe with indecipherable vocals. If you told me Ai made this I would have believed you. This is nice as background music while you concentrate on other things, but it's not something that's great to actively listen to.
Roxy Music
3/5
My third album from these guys on this list and I have to say they love their titillating covers. I imagine this caused some "won't somebody think of the children" controversy. I can't help thinking that if this came out today there would be a bunch of morons claiming the chick on the right was trans or something equally stupid.
Tom Waits
3/5
I'm a Tom Waits fan, but come on. This is his fourth album on this list so far and I'm only halfway through. There are thousands of albums released every year. Having multiple albums from one artist means other artists are getting snubbed which annoys the shit out of me. This isn't even Tom's best.
Sparks
5/5
Never heard of these guys before, and wasn't expecting much going by the cover. This had my attention from the start. Proggy, theatrical, glam rock. It's weird and goes right up to line of being annoying or stupid, but never crosses it. I got curious and googled only to find out that it's a male singer, which I can hear now that I know.
Pere Ubu
3/5
Well this is a strange one. Musically unmusical. You can tell they have talent and are purposefully breaking the rules to make a controlled cacophony. It's certainly unique, especially for 78. An interesting listen, although not something I would consider revisiting.
Iron Butterfly
4/5
My mother had this album so I heard it countless times growing up. I remember as a teen, at a mates house, watching the Simpsons when Bart swapped the church music for this. I was laughing my ass off and at the ad break had to explain the joke to everyone else. For those that don't know, the song was originally titled "In The Garden Of Eden", but the record company made them change it, so it became the gibberish "In A Gadda Da Vida".
Soul II Soul
2/5
There's not much I found interesting about this one. The beats / backing tracks are repetitive and boring. There's some good singers on here but they aren't given much to work with lyrically. I can hear the influence that this had on later acts like Massive Attack. The production is good. Ultimately I found this dull and it just isn't something I would choose to listen to again.
The Hives
2/5
Why is there a greatest hits album on this list when we have to endure multiple albums from other artists? Add in the fact that there is only one song on this that I knew and it seems to be a compilation album from a band that's a one hit wonder. (Well at least in my country). The songs themselves are enjoyable punk / post punk, but no one is going to accuse them of technical greatness, and they're a few decades late to the party. I'm kind of baffled as to why this is on the list tbh.
Julian Cope
3/5
I approached this one with trepidation because not only is it an artist that I've never heard of before, it's also from my teenage years. That feeling got worse when I saw the run time.
There's some interesting and enjoyable things happening here, and also some self indulgent wank along with repetitive lyrics. This grew on me a bit with each listen. If some restraint had been shown, cutting a lot of the chaff out this, it would have been a much better album.
Wilco
2/5
There's lots of instruments and samples layered all over these songs, but the underlying structure is just basic and boring. This is a gilded turd, designed to appeal to people that like shiny things.
Robbie Williams
3/5
Better than I expected, but I really wasn't expecting much tbh. A lot of it sounds like it was written by committee, going down the checklist of current popular sounds to tick off. The production is super slick. There are some reasonably enjoyable songs on here, but I wouldn't actively seek any of them out. The thing is, being over the hill and male, I'm not the target demographic for this. So looking at it in that light I can see the appeal and why it sold so many copies.