Nov 24 2023
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Hunky Dory
David Bowie
It was scattered but I enjoyed it.
3
Nov 27 2023
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Dire Straits
Dire Straits
2
Nov 28 2023
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I Should Coco
Supergrass
Felt a bit scattered. Some good tunes but for a 40 minute album it dragged.
3
Dec 11 2023
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Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs
Derek & The Dominos
This album lasted forever. Incredibly boring. Being good at guitars doesn’t make up for lackluster songwriting.
1
Dec 12 2023
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Ready To Die
The Notorious B.I.G.
Not much can be said that hasn’t already been said. One of the greatest albums of all time. Even the uncomfortable skits and diddy’s annoying contributions can’t take away from how damn good Biggie is on this one. Easy 5 stars.
5
Dec 13 2023
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Moondance
Van Morrison
Not bad. Easy to listen to, kind of background music. Won’t go out of my way to play it again but wouldn’t be mad if it came on.
3
Dec 14 2023
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Innervisions
Stevie Wonder
2
Dec 15 2023
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The Colour Of Spring
Talk Talk
There were some cool things about this album. Some interesting drum loops, and I liked some of the music. There was a lot of potential here for a great album. That being said it didn’t feel very cohesive, and the songs needed work. Also, every song was ruined for me because I cannot stand the singers voice! This was the most egregious use of what I’m calling “80s voice” (think Tears for fears), it was unlistenable. This would be a three star with a different singer.
2
Dec 18 2023
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Hot Rats
Frank Zappa
I was not expecting to like this. I’ve never given Zappa a fair shake. I thought it would just be bizarre experimental noodling. I don’t know where I got that idea but it was ingrained in me at some point. This album was wild! Peaches en regalia while not being as crazy as the other tracks was an amazing kickoff. After that it was nonstop in your face energy. It was by and large an instrumental album and man can this band jam!
4
Dec 19 2023
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Blood On The Tracks
Bob Dylan
There were some great songs on this album. That being said, in my opinion about 99% of Bob Dylan songs would be made better by cutting out the annoying harmonica solos.
3
Dec 20 2023
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The Doors
The Doors
This is a nostalgia album for me. I was way into the doors back in high school so a lot of these songs are baked into my memory. Not everything on here was great, definitely some duds. I haven’t listened to the doors in a minute but I still dig a few songs on this one. Break on through starts the album off with a bang. The rest of the first half is solid. The second half is where it starts to fall off for me. Most of the songs after light my fire are duds. The End being the exception, that song rips.
3
Dec 21 2023
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The Downward Spiral
Nine Inch Nails
Wow this was intense! I’m glad I listened to this with headphones. I think you’d miss a lot just listening on a speaker or even in a car. I honestly didn’t expect to like this album, I’d always just wrote NIN off as noisy and abrasive. Don’t get me wrong, this album is noisy and at times abrasive. But it’s not just noise for noise’s sake like I imagined. The production on here is stellar. Like wow does reznor know how to use a studio. Not only that, the emotion is there too. If I was listening to this back when it was released I’d be worried for the songwriter. I think this is definitely an album I’ll be revisiting. It won’t be everyday drive to work music, it’s pretty dark and very intense. But I do want to dig in deeper, maybe read along the lyrics as I listen and try and hash out everything that’s going on. I feel like the themes are well portrayed just through the music itself but I know there’s much more to this album than I can get from just one listen through.
4
Dec 22 2023
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Wild Wood
Paul Weller
This was the first album on the list where I hadn’t heard of the artist. Then I read the bio and I have heard of the jam, just didn’t know the singer had a solo career.
I don’t have much to say about this album. It wasn’t bad but it didn’t do anything for me. It felt unnecessary, like this album doesn’t need to exist. It’s just a collection of bland forgettable songs.
2
Dec 25 2023
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Sticky Fingers
The Rolling Stones
Ok first Rolling Stones album on the list but I’m sure there will be like ten more. These guys always show up on best of lists but I’ve never met anybody who actually listens to them. Everyone knows some of their songs but does anybody really love The Rolling Stones? It must be a conspiracy or something I think.
Anyways on to the album. It’s not great. It’s better than that Derek and the Dominoes album I had to listen to but that’s not saying much. There’s like one or two good songs on here and the rest are filler. As a bonus for anyone who sits through the whole thing, Mick Jagger attempts a southern accent on Dead Flowers and it’s not good.
2
Dec 26 2023
View Album
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
For what it is this is one of the best of all time. I didn’t know how many definitive versions of classic Christmas songs originated on this album.
4
Dec 27 2023
View Album
Tragic Songs of Life
The Louvin Brothers
I didn’t expect the Louvin Brothers to show up on this list. I had not heard of them until the Cocaine & Rhinestones podcast did an episode about them. If anyone is confused as to why this album is on here I’d recommend checking out that podcast. It does a great job of explaining the Louvin’s historical significance and their contributions to country music. However, even after listening to that podcast I still don’t love the Louvin Brothers. I appreciate them more but the music is still very dated. Much respect for all that they did but I’m still not going out of my way to listen to it.
3
Dec 28 2023
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My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts
Brian Eno
This album was like The Postal Service only when it was Ben Gibbard’s turn to record vocals he phoned it in and just recorded himself flipping through channels on the tv. There’s some really interesting music on here. It’s just ruined by pointless samples. Just because something was “innovative” does not mean it was a good idea. I have nothing against sampling, when done right it can be very cool. This was not very cool.
2
Dec 29 2023
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Microshift
Hookworms
I really liked this album. I’ve seen some criticism because who the hell are these guys and why are they included in the 1001 albums to hear before you die? But I came to this site to be turned on to new music. So while I agree it’s odd to have this album on here I still enjoyed it.
4
Jan 01 2024
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Made In Japan
Deep Purple
It had its moments. The solo on child in time was cool. Space trucking was long but had some good parts in it. Overall not bad. Too long though.
3
Jan 02 2024
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Document
R.E.M.
Some great tunes on here. Not everything was amazing but a solid outing. A very concise album.
3
Jan 03 2024
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Forever Changes
Love
This album was fine. The instrumentation was very well done, bonus points for horns. Why don’t more bands have horns? The songs were kind of meandering, they didn’t really go anywhere. They just kept going.
2
Jan 04 2024
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Arrival
ABBA
Not every song on this album was great, but there are some solid tracks. I wasn’t a fan of the ballads but the dancier numbers were a lot of fun. Some real ear worms that I’m not mad about. The bass is a real stand out.
3
Jan 05 2024
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Dig Me Out
Sleater-Kinney
The interplay between the guitar and the bass is very cool. This album sounds so far ahead of its time.
4
Jan 08 2024
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Crosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash
It’s all downhill from Suite: Judy Blue Eyes. That’s not to say the rest of the album is bad, it’s just how do you top Suite? It’s far and away the strongest song on the album. The rest of the album has some solid tunes and amazing harmonies! Marakesh Express is a lot of fun. There are some duds on here, but even on those the harmonies are great.
3
Jan 09 2024
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Smash
The Offspring
When I go driving I stay in my lane!
4
Jan 10 2024
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Heroes
David Bowie
I had heard of Bowie’s Berlin trilogy, I know it’s legendary, I just never got around to listening to it. I guess I thought I’d be disappointed. I always assumed it’d be very melancholy slow music. Boy was I wrong! This album was wild! A lot of fun and I will definitely be returning to it in the future.
4
Jan 11 2024
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Superfly
Curtis Mayfield
3
Jan 12 2024
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Pump
Aerosmith
Does having Aerosmith on the list negate the rest of the list? Possibly
I can’t believe someone truly thought Love in an elevator was something I absolutely needed to hear before I died. They really couldn’t come up with 1000 albums without including Aerosmith!? I will never understand how anyone can enjoy this band, let alone subject other people to their garbage. If I could rate this zero stars I would. I did not and will not listen to it. I’ve heard enough Aerosmith for one lifetime, and enough Aerosmith in this instance is any Aerosmith.
1
Jan 15 2024
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Fear Of A Black Planet
Public Enemy
I’ve always felt like PE had a problem with quality control. There are amazing songs on this album, but there’s also a lot of filler. They could’ve knocked probably fifteen minutes off of this album and it would’ve been perfect. If not for the bloat this would be a 5 star for me.
4
Jan 16 2024
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Sheer Heart Attack
Queen
Solid album. Some Prog-y weirdness that I wasn’t expecting from Queen. And how about those metal chugs on Brighton Rock, that was unexpected! I didn’t love all the songs but I’m giving this album a 4. Queen really went for it on this one, they were trying some different stuff. Not everything worked, but respect for going for it. Bring Back That Leroy Brown should not be slept on.
4
Jan 17 2024
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Red Headed Stranger
Willie Nelson
4
Jan 18 2024
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Mama Said Knock You Out
LL Cool J
This didn’t stand the test of time. There were better and more influential hip hop albums that came out at the same time/before this. I’m not saying LL wasn’t influential. I’m just saying for a list of albums you must hear this one doesn’t pass the bar. The beats are dope though.
2
Jan 19 2024
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Pink Flag
Wire
I can’t believe I’ve never heard this before. You can hear the influence this had on so many bands. I also had no idea REM’s Strange was a cover.
4
Jan 22 2024
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Lady Soul
Aretha Franklin
It was fine. +1 star for horns
3
Jan 23 2024
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A Love Supreme
John Coltrane
I’m sure there’s a lot more to this album that makes it great that I just don’t understand. I don’t know a lot of music theory, if I did I would maybe appreciate this album even more. I do hope one day to know more and be able to really dig into this album and other jazz greats. For now though, all I know is I love how it sounds and that’s enough for now.
5
Jan 26 2024
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Idlewild
Everything But The Girl
Why?
2
Jan 29 2024
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James Brown Live At The Apollo
James Brown
Instrumentals were great, the songs were good. I’m preferential to later James Brown, this was cool but mostly ballads.
3
Jan 30 2024
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Guero
Beck
This felt like Odelay 2 in a bad way.
2
Jan 31 2024
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Sweetheart Of The Rodeo
The Byrds
I wasn’t expecting to like this. I thought why not just have a country album by a country band? Why do I need to hear the byrds attempt at country? But they did a solid job. Not every song was great, but they really made a solid country album.
3
Feb 01 2024
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Teen Dream
Beach House
I remember when this came out, it received a lot of accolades so I checked it out. I did not care for it at the time. this is a testament to giving things another go. I thought this album was just not for me, turns out I just wasn’t ready for it back then. This album was fantastic! I will definitely be returning to it.
5
Feb 02 2024
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War
U2
I tried going into this one without bias. I’ve never been a fan of U2, i find Bono annoying. But I wanted to give this album a fair shake. It wasn’t bad, although I don’t like Bono’s voice on most songs. I get why the hits were hits and why I’ve never heard the rest of these songs. Nothing on here is bad, just most of the album aside from a handful of songs was ok at best.
3
Feb 05 2024
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A Hard Day's Night
Beatles
Well I’m glad they kept practicing.
2
Feb 06 2024
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Moon Safari
Air
A chiller for sure
3
Feb 07 2024
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Dig Your Own Hole
The Chemical Brothers
The first half of this album was a bit much. I admittedly almost gave up, it was exhausting. I’m glad I hung on because the second half is where the album really shines. The way It Doesn’t Matter, Don’t Stop the Rock, and Get Up On It Like This all flow together to make one long suite was a treat. Then from K-Hole on it really gets into a cool psychedelic groove.
3
Feb 08 2024
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New Boots And Panties
Ian Dury
If this album had been an EP and just had the songs from Blockheads onward it would be pretty good. As it is, the first 2/3 of this album are hard to listen to. The musicians aren’t bad but the music is cheesy. And I did not care for Ian’s songwriting and his voice, while solid for the faster songs at the end, did not work with his slower pop songs and ballads.
2
Feb 09 2024
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Movies
Holger Czukay
3
Feb 12 2024
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Aladdin Sane
David Bowie
All killer no filler!
4
Feb 20 2024
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Definitely Maybe
Oasis
It was good, a lot of the songs sounded the same.
3
Feb 21 2024
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Vivid
Living Colour
Not for me. For a rock album it was too overproduced. Everything was so clean sounding. Talented musicians but it felt vapid even when the lyrics were biting social commentary.
2
Feb 22 2024
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Water From An Ancient Well
Abdullah Ibrahim
This was great! I wish the bass was higher in the mix because the bass playing on this album is stellar.
4
Feb 23 2024
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Supa Dupa Fly
Missy Elliott
In a fake patois Missy Elliott says I got the rhymes to make you jump, jump, jump. And when she does rap this is true. Missy has bars. Unfortunately the majority of this album is r&b slow jams. Based on my limited knowledge of missy elliott and the album cover I was expecting a hip hop album. I was disappointed. The beats are dope though.
2
Feb 26 2024
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Illmatic
Nas
Even without historical context this album is incredible. Add in the context and Nas completely changed the game with his debut. Still one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.
5
Feb 27 2024
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Cosmo's Factory
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Solid album. Creedence is great. Not everything was amazing, but some absolute classics on here. Ooby Dooby was a fun one I hadn’t heard before.
4
Feb 28 2024
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Harvest
Neil Young
This album was fine. Would make for good background music. Neil Young’s voice gets grating after a whole album though. I’m good for a Neil young song here and there but a whole albums worth was too much.
3
Feb 29 2024
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Parallel Lines
Blondie
This was a fun one. I knew the hits but never dove deeper into Blondie’s discography. I don’t know if I’d return to this but I wouldn’t be mad if someone put it on.
3
Mar 01 2024
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What's Going On
Marvin Gaye
A couple good songs in here. What’s Going on and Mercy Mercy Me were decent. Right On was the best track. The rest of the songs were meh at best. I was going to give a three star but Save the Children is straight up one of the worst songs I’ve ever heard so that knocked it down to a two for me.
2
Mar 04 2024
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Seventeen Seconds
The Cure
This rules. Very moody. I love the bass forward sound of early cure.
4
Mar 05 2024
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Led Zeppelin II
Led Zeppelin
Solid album. Not really a bad song on here. I wish they hadn’t made Moby Dick the drum solo song, it has a cool riff but the rest of the song is boring. Also although musically the lemon song is very cool the lyrics are cringe.
4
Mar 06 2024
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For Your Pleasure
Roxy Music
Bogus Man pushed this one from a two to a three for me. Everything before Bogus Man was awful. Everything after it was pretty cool, it got pretty experimental in the second half. I credit old sourpuss Brian Eno with the things I like about this album. Brian Ferry sounds like he’s doing a Dracula impression half the time, he is not my favorite singer.
3
Mar 07 2024
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Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Some good songs on here. Not everything thrilled me. Mountain o’ things was really cool.
3
Mar 08 2024
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Trans Europe Express
Kraftwerk
So close to being a perfect album. In my opinion, Hall of Mirrors and Showroom Dummies throw off the flow of this album. Also I just think they’re stinkers, just not good songs, especially Hall of Mirrors. Otherwise this album is amazing. I love the opener, skip the next two, and then it’s basically one long suite of songs that all flow together.
4
Mar 11 2024
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Rumours
Fleetwood Mac
Objectively this is probably a 4/5, but I’ve been rating subjectively since I started this so for me it’s a 3/5. There are songs I love and listen to somewhat regularly (dreams, never going back again, the chain). There are songs I can tell are good but I have never cared for them (don’t stop, go your own way). There are some good songs that just didn’t really do anything for me. And there are a few duds. So overall it’s a good album but not one that I’ll be returning to in full.
3
Mar 12 2024
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The Stranger
Billy Joel
Mostly really good songs on here. I didn’t love everybody has a dream. Otherwise I at least liked and very much enjoyed many of the songs. Italian Restaurant is one of my favorites from Billy Joel.
4
Mar 13 2024
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Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Smashing Pumpkins
I went into this rolling my eyes. I like some SP songs but thought 2 hours was going to be WAY too much. I’m delighted by how wrong I was. This album was incredible and never lost my attention. I could gush over how dynamic and varied it is all the while remaining cohesive, but I’ll just leave it at incredible. What a feat The Smashing Pumpkins pulled off here.
5
Mar 14 2024
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The Last Broadcast
Doves
This did not need to be on the list.
There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s fine, but that’s it, it’s just fine.
This is inoffensive pop rock, there’s nothing particularly exceptional about it.
2
Mar 15 2024
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Casanova
The Divine Comedy
As always a plus one for horns. This album was not what I expected beaded on the first couple tracks. It gets a little experimental and weird in the middle there. Charge and Woman of the World were standouts for me. Not my favorite, but a fun and unique listen.
3
Mar 18 2024
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1989
Taylor Swift
This was my first time listening to a full T Swift album and damn can she write a pop song! There’s not a dud on this album. Lyrically it’s not super relatable to me personally but it doesn’t matter, the songs are just good. I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I knew the hits, but pretty much any song on here could’ve been a single.
4
Mar 19 2024
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Van Halen
Van Halen
While I’m not a fan of 99% of the bands/music that came because of this album’s influence (hair metal), Van Halen and this album are undeniable. Just an awesome rock album. Eddie Van Halen is one of the greatest to ever do it. A creative and virtuosic player. The songs are there too, it’s fun to listen to and it rocks, what’s not to love.
4
Mar 20 2024
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Protection
Massive Attack
Some chill beats on here. Pretty much every song was ruined by the vocals.
2
Mar 21 2024
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Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)
Eurythmics
I’ve never cared for the title song and the rest of the album didn’t do much for me. Synths are cool, but the songs weren’t great and I don’t like the choices the singer made or maybe I just don’t like her voice. Either way not my favorite album. Going with a two because there are some good synth parts in it.
2
Mar 22 2024
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Central Reservation
Beth Orton
This is like a mediocre Dolores O’Riordan solo album. There are a couple okay songs but most drag in too long and don’t go anywhere. I’d say just replace this with a Cranberries album and call it a day.
2
Mar 25 2024
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Fulfillingness' First Finale
Stevie Wonder
Well that settles it, I am not a Stevie Wonder fan. This is the second album I’ve had of his on this list and again it did nothing for me. Some of the more upbeat tunes are kind of fun, like Boogie On, but even that one I got bored of after 45 seconds. Most of his songs on this album are slow ballads and they are capital B BORING!
1
Mar 26 2024
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Endtroducing.....
DJ Shadow
I enjoyed a lot of this. Changeling was fantastic. However, I don’t really buy that it was such a sea change when it was released in 1996. Reading through the Wikipedia and there are quotes saying it set the bar for hip hop and other grandiose statements because of its use of sampling. But this album came out almost ten years after Paul’s Boutique, which basically did the same thing as this album in terms of sampling. I was 5 when this came out so it wasn’t really on my radar at the time. So maybe it was as important as they say, I’m just not seeing it.
3
Mar 27 2024
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Metallica
Metallica
Starting with this album I don’t think Metallica should call themselves Metallica anymore. They kind of stopped being a metal band and veered into hard rock on this album. But Hard Rockica just doesn’t have the same ring to it as Metallica. With their transition to hard rock, Metallica made a decent album. Honestly for a lot of bands this would be a great album, but Metallica was coming off an amazing three album run. This album doesn’t come close to those. It has a few good songs but most are just ok to forgettable. All I’m saying is they better have ride the lightning, master of puppets, and …and justice for all on this list if this album is gonna be on it. I get that this is Metallica’s mainstream success album, but it’s not their best.
3
Mar 28 2024
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Toys In The Attic
Aerosmith
I will never understand how this band is so highly rated, or even remembered. They should have been forgotten and left in the 70s. They had a couple hits but the rest of their music is just not good. A one bit wonder band that somehow clung to relevance.
1
Mar 29 2024
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The Fat Of The Land
The Prodigy
I guess you had to be there cause to me right now this doesn’t stand out as anything special. Climbatize was pretty cool. The rest was ok, annoying at times, but not too bad over all.
2
Apr 01 2024
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Live!
Fela Kuti
This was cool, some fun jams on here. I could’ve done without the 16 minute drum solo at the end, especially consider there already was a drum solo in the middle of it.
3
Apr 02 2024
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Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Starts off strong but the second half was kind of weak.
3
Apr 03 2024
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Destroyer
KISS
Detroit Rock City is the only KISS song I really like. I love that little bass riff. The rest of this album was okay to bad. King of the nighttime world is alright and so is shout it out loud. The ballads are not good, I guess Beth isn’t a terrible song but I don’t care for it. Great expectations was hard to listen to. The rest of the songs are forgettable. KISS were amazing marketers, I don’t know how else to explain the cult following of such a just ok band.
2
Apr 04 2024
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The United States Of America
The United States Of America
This felt ambitious. There was a lot of cool stuff on this album. The instrumentation was great, some really cool bass lines, and all around interesting choices. Where the album falters for me is in the actual songwriting and the vocals. These are not the best singers and for me it ruined a lot of the songs. I think this would’ve worked better as an instrumental album. Also, while some songs were exploratory, most of them were, at the heart, pretty standard blues rock songs with some zany effects over them. I know that is what a lot of 60s psychic rock was like, basically blues rock with a twist, but for all the talent this group seemed to have I felt like they could’ve done more.
3
Apr 05 2024
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Aftermath
The Rolling Stones
I will never understand the love for this band. It’s the stones and Aerosmith that just make no sense to me. How are these bands so highly regarded?
This album was not good.
This band is not good.
1
Apr 08 2024
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Murmur
R.E.M.
I believe this was REM’s debut and it is a solid debut. This album showcases a skilled band with a lot of promise. Not every song on here is amazing, but there’s a lot of great stuff, and no real duds. Overall I think it’s a very cohesive album. It was a perfect one to throw in on a Sunday afternoon. It’s got a chillness to it that’s perfect for just kind of hanging out. It is one of those albums that you can listen to closely or just have on in the background and it works.
4
Apr 09 2024
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The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
I really enjoyed this. While sonically very different, I felt like it had a similar vibe to REM’s Murmur which was my album for yesterday. It’s an album I’m sure you could dig into, but works just as well as one to throw on during a chill afternoon.
4
Apr 10 2024
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Bandwagonesque
Teenage Fanclub
I never really got into Big Star. This band sounds a lot like Big Star. I thought a lot of the songs sounded the same, not much in terms of variety. Also, the songs were kind of boring, like they’re 3-5 minute pop songs that felt far too long. There’s definitely better power pop out there. Not sure how this made the list to be honest. It’s not really innovative, it sounds like it could’ve come out in the 70s but it came out 20 years later. It’s listenable but nothing to write home about.
2
Apr 11 2024
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Suede
Suede
I enjoyed this one! It doesn’t sound like anything else that came out in the early nineties. It sounds like it could’ve come out in the late 70s or early 80s, but with enough of its own sound to not seem dated. I thought it was a bit too long in run time until I found out I had listened to the expanded edition which has like 7 extra songs. That being said, my initial thought was the album should have ended on The Next Life, it was a perfect ender but there were two songs after it that threw off the flow. Come to find out that song wasn’t even part of the original album. I think it would have been a great closer still.
3
Apr 12 2024
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Logical Progression
LTJ Bukem
I didn’t finish it. Got about half way through the first disc. It’s fine, but it’s extremely repetitive. I had no problem with the music other than that it just got boring after a while.
Also, as a disclaimer, the album on Spotify is not the right one. I had to find it on YouTube.
2
Apr 15 2024
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Parklife
Blur
I enjoyed this for the most part. I probably won’t listen to it again. It also was too long, I was ready to be done about half way through.
3
Apr 16 2024
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Deep Purple In Rock
Deep Purple
You can tell these are very talented musicians. That being said, they lack when it comes to songwriting. There was nothing engaging about these songs. It seemed like the songs were a vehicle to show off how good they are at solos.
2
Apr 17 2024
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Bongo Rock
Incredible Bongo Band
This album was a lot of fun. As always +1 for horns. Dueling bongos and the cover of inna-gada-davida were the only tracks I didn’t care for, otherwise a great album!
4
Apr 18 2024
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Seventh Tree
Goldfrapp
I liked the first track, after that it lost me. I wouldn’t say it’s bad, just kind of boring and same-y throughout. Fortunately it was rather short so it was too bad to listen through.
2
Apr 19 2024
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1977
Ash
This was good. It wasn’t great though. I think this showcases a band with a lot of promise that needs time to flourish.
3
Apr 22 2024
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Black Holes and Revelations
Muse
The guitar solo on invincible was wild. The rest of this album was just ok. Not bad but I wouldn’t listen to it again.
2
Apr 23 2024
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All Directions
The Temptations
This was just kind of boring to me.
2
Apr 24 2024
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Tubular Bells
Mike Oldfield
This was definitely unique. I don’t know if I’ll listen to it again, but I don’t regret listening to it either.
3
Apr 25 2024
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Want One
Rufus Wainwright
This one definitely has its moments, but it drags a lot too. Some killer but too much filler. Oh what a world was an amazing opening track.
3
Apr 26 2024
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(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd)
Lynyrd Skynyrd
All killer no filler! Lynyrd Skynyrd brings it with there debut. It took me a long time to really dig into skynyrd, I knew the hits but never sat down and listened to the albums. It was probably a few years ago that i finally dug in and man these guys rule.
5
Apr 29 2024
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Hounds Of Love
Kate Bush
This did not resonate with me. I don’t care for Kate Bush’s voice, I find it irritating, I can’t put my finger on why that is. There was some cool instrumentation on the album, but as a whole I didn’t like the songs. I know this album has a ton of accolades, I guess it’s just not for me.
2
Apr 30 2024
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Oracular Spectacular
MGMT
This album was better than I remembered it being. I liked the singles when this came out so I listened to the rest and wasn’t all that impressed. I guess my tastes have evolved since then because I was mostly impressed with this album aside from a couple of duds. The singles are still good, electric feel is still the best song on there. Weekend wars and pieces are the two duds in my opinion. Otherwise the non-singles while not as catchy are really cool.
4
May 01 2024
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Hypnotised
The Undertones
I was unimpressed by this. Nothing about it stood out. It was just an ok album that I got bored of after two songs.
2
May 02 2024
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Stand!
Sly & The Family Stone
half the songs on here were fantastic, the other half were forgettable. Sex Machine is the standout on the album. Everyday People is short and sweet. Stand! was a solid opener. I wanna take you higher was also a good one. I do not see myself revisiting this album or any of the songs. I listened to this years ago and felt the same way I do now. I understand its importance and can appreciate the musicianship but the songs just don’t do it for me.
3
May 03 2024
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The Idiot
Iggy Pop
Never cared much for solo Iggy. The stooges were great because the music complimented his voice. Iggy Pop does not have a good singing voice, it works for garage rock/punk, but o don’t want to hear him singing slow songs and ballads.
2
May 06 2024
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Raw Power
The Stooges
I really got into the stooges a while back. I read the biography, I immersed myself in their music. I was really into it. That being said I always felt like this was their weakest album. Search and Destroy is amazing, but the rest of the album does nothing for me. For the record, I listened to the 2023 50th anniversary remaster this time. I feel that it is the best mix of this album.
2
May 07 2024
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From Elvis In Memphis
Elvis Presley
This was a real mixed bag. None of it was all that good though. The musicianship is top notch, but it felt like Elvis was just given a bunch of random songs to sing. Is it a country album? Is it gospel? Is it soul? Nobody knows. Also most of the songs were boring, suspicious minds was good. He butchered Gentle on my mind.
2
May 08 2024
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Darklands
The Jesus And Mary Chain
Pretty dull.
2
May 09 2024
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Henry's Dream
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
This I like. These songs are like short stories set to music. I didn’t love every song, but I enjoyed the ride.
4
May 10 2024
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Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
I listened to From Elvis in Memphis earlier this week and I was not impressed. I’m not a fan of later Elvis. This is the Elvis I like, he’s still hungry and trying to prove himself. Not every song is great but there’s good energy throughout. A solid debut album.
3
May 13 2024
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Be
Common
I feel # #this is a slow burn. It’d probably take a few listens to really appreciate it. That being said, I listened to it once and have some initial reactions. This definitely feels dated, I didn’t look up when it came out but I’d guess around 2004. It’s definitely backpack rap, that’s not a bad thing, but that style just gets old after a while. It can be a bit preachy, focusing more on the message than the music. And that message oriented music across an entire album can be exhausting. Plus sometimes it veered into corniness. The beasts were pretty solid, some songs sounded like they were produced by Kanye, or a copycat, but this was definitely a Chicago album so I’d be willing to bet Kanye worked on it. Overall an enjoyable album that I won’t be throwing on all that often.
3
May 14 2024
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Green
R.E.M.
This was really good. I’ve never done a deep dive on REM, but this is the second album I’ve gotten from this list and this one was even better than the first (Murmur). I didn’t realize they put out 5 albums in 5 years until I was looking this one up. This is I think the 5th album. That’s a crazy output, and for the fifth one to be this good, these guys were just oozing with songs.
4
May 15 2024
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Drunk
Thundercat
This was strange. I didn’t mind it but I don’t know that I’ll return to it. I’ve been aware of Thundercat for a while now, he seemed to blow up out of nowhere a few years ago. I know he is an accomplished musician, but the songs on here just didn’t really excite me. It would almost make good background music but it’s just a little too weird for that. I mean that in a good way. I like that he’s making the music he wants to make and is not compromising to get a hit.
3
May 16 2024
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Real Life
Magazine
There’s a lot to unpack here. I’ve only listened to this album once so I feel like I can’t fairly rate it. There’s a lot of good stuff, again after just one listen I don’t think I’ve taken the time to fully appreciate it. It’s definitely one I’ll have to get back to.
4
May 17 2024
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Frank
Amy Winehouse
She has a good voice, but I found this tedious to listen to. The songs did not grab me, I was bored. Give me Norah Jones every time over this.
2
May 20 2024
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Disraeli Gears
Cream
The first third of this album I like. It’s got some chill groovy songs, then there’s Blue Condition which I didn’t like. Ulysses brought it back but the rest of the album didn’t thrill me. Mostly just boring bar blues rock and one novelty song at the end. It’s between a two and a three for me, but I’ll give it a three cause I liked almost half of it.
3
May 21 2024
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Moving Pictures
Rush
This was almost a perfect album. The last two songs don’t fit the rest. It throws off the flow of the album. It would have made for a very short album, but if you cut Witch Hunt and Vital Signs it would be flawless. I feel like they were tacked on to fill out the album.
4
May 22 2024
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Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A.
I guess I never really listened to this album all the way through. I was aware it was controversial, and I’ve definitely heard some of the songs, I think I listened to this all the way through years ago. That being said, I didn’t realize how sexist this album is. I would say it’s of its time but I’m pretty sure this wasn’t acceptable even for the 80s. No, I think they were doing it for shock value, and if that’s the case it still didn’t age well. I still like some of the stuff on here, Express Yourself is low key the best song on the album. That and the hits are all solid, even though I can’t stand Eazy E. His voice just irks me. But this one def takes a hit for how poorly some of the songs aged. However, one song has definitely stood the test of time, and unfortunately its message still holds true today. This country really needs to take a deep look into the rampant racism in policing.
3
May 23 2024
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Electric Music For The Mind And Body
Country Joe & The Fish
Definitely some talented musicians, but I was unimpressed with this album
2
May 24 2024
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Live Through This
Hole
When I first listened to this album, probably in high school, I only liked Doll Parts and Rockstar. I still love Rockstar, it’s easily my fav song on the album. This time though, I liked a few more of the songs than last time. The ones I didn’t care for were the ones where the guitar was too beefy for my taste. I love the guitar on rockstar, gutless, and she walks on me. But the first half is too much of that thick grungy guitar that just doesn’t do anything for me. I like a more raw guitar sound. So for me the second half of this album really shines compared to the first half.
3
May 27 2024
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The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden
This wasn’t bad but definitely feels dated. For me Iron Maiden is more of a greatest hits band. The songs I really thought were great were ones I already knew, Number of the Beast and Run to the Hills. The rest of the songs weren’t bad, they just didn’t grab me. A lot of them felt too long. I understand that Iron Maiden are metal pioneers and I can see their influence in this album. But I prefer later metal that’s a little heavier. Maiden is just too clean sounding to me, that and I’m not a big fan of Dickinson’s vocals.
3
May 28 2024
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My Generation
The Who
For its time this album seems a lot more heavy than other albums being released. That being said, if The Who had stopped after this one they would be a footnote in the history of rock music. Most of this album is forgettable, there are a couple songs that have stood the test of time and the rest have rightfully been ignored. Aside from being heavier most of the album is standard fare for what was being released at the time. It is not The Who at a creative peak, it is them working out what they would someday become. I don’t think this album should be on this list. If there was a list of singles to hear before you die, I could see My Generation being on it, it’s an iconic song. But this album is just ok.
3
May 29 2024
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The Sun Rises In The East
Jeru The Damaja
Some dope boom bap beats on here. The lyrics didn’t age well on some songs, namely the bichez, and the use of the other f word, which I know was pretty prevalent in hip hop at the time, but still doesn’t excuse it. It’s hard to give this album more than a three. His rhymes are solid, but this album was released the same year as Illmatic and Ready to Die. Biggie and Nas pushed hip hop forward lyrically with those albums. So while Jeru has some solid raps and good flow he kind of gets left in the dust by his peers.
3
May 30 2024
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Porcupine
Echo And The Bunnymen
There was nothing wrong with this album. It was fine, but I wouldn’t call it essential by any means. I enjoyed the music but I don’t care for the vocals. The singer has that 80s voice. I think the most popular example of what I’m talking about is tears for fears, but other examples are Modern English, Icicle Works, Naked Eyes, The Monroe’s. These were all one hit wonders, as were, as far as I know, Echo and the Bunnymen. I think it’s pretty obvious why too. It is grating to hear that style vocals for an entire album. It works for a song here and there, but gets annoying when listening for 45 minutes. I’m giving this a three but it’s really a 2.5.
3
May 31 2024
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Dr. Octagonecologyst
Dr. Octagon
I’ve heard this album before but it was a while ago. This album is wild, it borders on outsider music at times. At times it sounds like dr. Octagon is stream of consciousness rapping. This was unlike anything else at the time, even for Kool Keith who is Dr. Octagon. It’s almost as if his alter ego takes over and he becomes Dr. Octagon. The lyrics are wildly inventive and, while seemingly random at times, create the lore of the Doctor. It’s one of the strangest concept albums I’ve come across. And the music on here is amazing. The album may never have been more than an underground hit if not for the production. The themes and lyrics are so bizarre that without stellar production this may have been lost to history save for a handful of hardcore fans. But all the ingredients together has made this album stand the test of time. I will say that it was on the long side, and some of the samples, while on theme, make it so I wouldn’t throw this on in public. Overall, a terrific album that still sounds fresh thanks to its unique style.
4
Jun 03 2024
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21
Adele
I just couldn’t do it. I listened to 25 minutes before I gave up. I do not connect with Adele’s music. It’s the musical equivalent of watching paint dry.
1
Jun 04 2024
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The Man Machine
Kraftwerk
Man Kraftwerk rules so hard. This is what I said while listening to this album. The Robots was my introduction to Kraftwerk years ago. I stumbled on a YouTube video of them playing it live and couldn’t help but think are these guys actually robots!? I’m still not sure. Their mastery of electronic music and monotone singing voices makes me question their humanity to this day. If this is what AI music had turned out to be, instead of just wonky covers of other artists, I’d be ready to assimilate.
The Robots also sparked my love for vocoders. It’s easily my favorite song on the album, possibly mgmt favorite Kraftwerk song. Although, Europe, Endless is up there too. The rest of the album is also amazing. Spacelab is sparse but beautiful. Metropolis is the darkest sounding song on the album, and The Model is also eerie but less so. The Model is the low point for me, the vocals/lyrics on it kind of ruin it for me. But right after that is the beautiful Neon Lights, followed by the closer which is techs and robotic like the opener. There’s not a bad song on here! I am knocking off one star because when these guys aren’t using vocoders they are not great singers. The singing can be a bit monotonous and annoying for some. But the music is so good it doesn’t ruin the songs.
4
Jun 05 2024
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Bad Company
Bad Company
I guess I understand why this album made the list. It has multiple songs that remain in the classic rock zeitgeist. For me personally I’ve never cared much for the hits off this album and the non-hits aren’t great either. The title track is the only one I can tolerate, the rest bore me. This is one that maybe “rocked” in 1974, but feels so tame and uninteresting now.
2
Jun 06 2024
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Fever To Tell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
A loud, sloppy, energetic introduction to a band still working out the kinks. I mean that all lovingly of course. I’ve been a fan of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs for a long time, and I am a fan of this album. However, I see their debut as a promising introduction to a band still finding their voice. A voice they perfected on their sophomore album Show Your Bones. This album though is full of punk rock energy and grime. Mixed in there is a hint of where this band was headed. Maps is one of the most beautiful songs of the 2000s. It showed that behind the grime was a group full of emotion and pop savvy. The sound of Maps is what I think is more fully fleshed out on the next album. It’s cool to see this band growing and learning on this album. A fantastic debut.
4
Jun 07 2024
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My Aim Is True
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello is someone whose music I enjoy at times. I really like some of his songs, but I’ve liked a full album. That remains true with this album. There are a few really good songs and the rest are just filler to me. I think Detectives is probably my favorite song of his.
3
Jun 10 2024
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Five Leaves Left
Nick Drake
This was an inoffensive folk album. I don’t have much to say about it except I kind of forgot I was listening to it. It makes great background music, it’s sort of soothing. I used to listen to Pink Moon sometimes to help me fall asleep. I don’t think pink moon is boring, it’s just very calming. This one is similar but not as good.
3
Jun 11 2024
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Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes
This album came out when I was in high school and I was a fan. High school was a time when I really started to explore new music. Prior to that time my scope was limited to basically classic rock and pop punk and whatever my parents listened to. I probably found out about Fleet Foxes the way I found out about most new bands at the time. Either an album review in Rolling Stone magazine or seeing them on a late show like Conan which I watched religiously. Either way this was an early foray for me into harmony laden folk music. I love a good harmony and this album is partly responsible for discovering that love. All that being said, this album definitely holds up. My opinion about it hasn’t changed much. For me it’s definitely a front loaded album. The first half is basically flawless, I like every song. The second half falls off though. It feels like they needed more songs and threw some filler tracks on it. Blue Ridge Mountains is solid but the rest are just kind of forgettable. Not bad, definitely listenable, they’re just sparse and light in the harmonies. Maybe they are grower songs that I just never gave the time to breathe, maybe I’ll return to them and give them more time. But as of writing this my opinion is first half perfect, second half needs work.
4
Jun 12 2024
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Cloud Nine
The Temptations
This album didn’t do it for me. They’re talented musicians but it just didn’t connect for me. I can’t put my finger on what exactly doesn’t click. I like funk and I like Motown, I guess I just don’t like the temptation’s take on funk/motown.
2
Jun 13 2024
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Nebraska
Bruce Springsteen
It’s sparse but the songs are there. I’ve not listened to much Springsteen, never cared for his radio songs. I enjoyed this album though. The songs are well written and I like that they’re all little short stories. I’d only heard one song off this album before and it was the Nitty Gritty Dirt Bands cover of Atlantic City. I prefer their version of the song, but the cover is only good because the bones of the song were good in the first place. I would give this album 4 stars but I’m docking it one for too much harmonica, harmonica almost never benefits a song in my opinion.
3
Jun 14 2024
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Tanto Tempo
Bebel Gilberto
I didn’t understand most of the words on this album but it didn’t matter! This was a lovely album. Perfect for a summer evening out on the porch. Super chill and relaxing music:
4
Jun 17 2024
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Led Zeppelin IV
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin really could do no wrong on their first four albums. There’s a not so great song here and there (looking any you Lemon Song) but for all intents and purposes this was quite the streak. And you’d think by the fourth one they’d be running out of steam, but this is arguably their best album. I do think they should have switched Levee and Stairway, Stairway is an obvious closer. Otherwise the album is packed with hits and flows nicely. They also don’t overstay their welcome, it’s 40ish minutes of great tunes and then it’s done.
5
Jun 18 2024
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C'est Chic
CHIC
There are aspects of this album that I enjoyed. The instrumentation is solid and there are some great bass lines. However, for a relatively short album it felt long. Most of the songs were just one motif repeated for 4 minutes. At Last I Am Free is the worst offender, they took what would be an okay chorus and made it a whole song. So yeah, this album needs work, it really felt like they had ideas for songs and instead of fleshing them out just made entire songs out of one idea.
2
Jun 19 2024
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I’m a Lonesome Fugitive
Merle Haggard
What a terrific album! Classic country at its finest. I’m not positive but I think this was recorded live in studio, there are little mistakes at times that I think add to the humanity on these recordings. Not a bad word to say about this one!
5
Jun 20 2024
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Only By The Night
Kings of Leon
I liked Crawl. The rest of the album was fine but not that great. I think the two hits off this album are the worst songs on it. Maybe it’s because of them being overplayed, or it’s the woah-oh chorus on use somebody. That was overused for a long time, it’s such a lazy choice. Otherwise, it’s an inoffensive pop rock album, not sure it deserves to be on this list. Just ok.
2
Jun 21 2024
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Rio
Duran Duran
I like how bass forward this album is. I knew two songs going into it. The title track I never minded, I won’t put it on, but if it comes on I’m not upset. I’ve never cared for hungry like the wolf. The rest of the songs were fine, nothing too crazy, but solid pop songs with some cool bass lines.
3
Jun 24 2024
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London Calling
The Clash
I’m not sure how I feel about this album. I’ve never been a huge clash fan, I like some songs but not huge on most of there music. I’ve heard this album before and didn’t much care for it. This time I was surprised to find myself not hating it. There’s not much I will return to but I didn’t mind most of the songs, and still enjoyed the songs I already liked. Best songs are Train in Vain, Rudy Can’t Fail, Revolution Rock, and Lost in the Supermarket.
3
Jun 25 2024
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Disintegration
The Cure
A masterpiece. This album is euphoric. It is also melancholy, but the main feeling I get from it is pure bliss. Just sit back with a nice pair of headphones turn this on and let it wash over you.
5
Jun 26 2024
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Psychocandy
The Jesus And Mary Chain
I love the guitar sound on most of this album. I like blown out, dirty, distorted guitars. So I thought I’d really like this album. And I didn’t mind it, I like the sound of it, but the songs just weren’t there for me. I was mostly bored by the songs. The singer is not dynamic, and that’s a choice, but it just grew wearisome after about two songs.
3
Jun 27 2024
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Fromohio
fIREHOSE
A little all over the place at times. The songs weren’t bad. There were some cool guitar parts and bass lines. As a whole I don’t know how much I liked this. I didn’t not like it but I don’t see myself listening to it again.
3
Jun 28 2024
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I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
Richard Thompson
I’ve never been big on the 70’s British folk revival, which is funny because one of my favorite bands was heavily influenced by it. I just find a lot of it to be dull. I don’t like most folk music when it’s just one person and a guitar. There are exceptions, but for the most part I like more dynamic music. Even just a guitar and multiple people harmonizing is enough to pique my interest.
This album was mostly the type of folk I don’t care for. Just one person singing and a guitar playing. There were some songs that were a little more interesting, but still not my favorite. I’ll say the album opener was the high point and it was all downhill after that.
2
Jul 01 2024
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Axis: Bold As Love
Jimi Hendrix
Jimi is one of the best guitarists to ever do it. However, I don’t think he really shines in studio albums. There are some solid songs on here. There are also some duds, the musicianship is always good, but the songs themselves are not great. I’m sure even those not so good songs were amazing live though. To me that’s where Jimi really shined. He was a performer, watching old concert footage he is electric on stage, he commands the crowd. So yeah there’s some amazing songs on here, Spanish Castle Magic, Bold As Love, Castles, and the regrettably too short Little Wing. There’s also some decent songs, like One Rainy Wish, songs I don’t mind but wouldn’t go out of my way for. And then there’s some songs that don’t feel quite finished, or are finished and just don’t hit the mark. It’s a mixed bag.
3
Jul 02 2024
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3 Feet High and Rising
De La Soul
It seems like they had a lot of fun making this album. However, that did not lead to a fun listening experience. This album felt like it was 80% skits and bad joke songs. The joke songs seemed like they were written by 8 year olds. They were all about doo doo and bad breath and stinky people. The rest of the songs on here were mostly just ok rapping with a couple decent exceptions. The beats on the real songs were pretty cool though.
2
Jul 03 2024
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A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Coldplay
I get why the hits on this album were hits and the rest weren’t. They’re the only songs of note on this album really. I still don’t think they’re all that great but they’re more catchy and poppy compared to the dull songs that make up the rest of the album. Daylight is an exception, not a hit but it’s not a bad song. Although you can tell that Daylight is just Coldplay trying really hard to be Radiohead.
2
Jul 04 2024
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Bug
Dinosaur Jr.
I played this album at work once and I had forgotten about the song Don’t. I definitely got some looks when that came on. Yeah, that song does not fit the vibe of the rest of the album. It’s not a bad song, just pretty different from everything else on there. Anyways, obviously I’m a fan of this band/album. I love the dirty guitar sound, and J. Mascus’ quiet almost sweet vocals in juxtaposition to it. Just great all around, no complaints from me.
4
Jul 05 2024
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The Score
Fugees
If it wasn’t for Lauryn Hill this album might have just been a 90s conscious rap blip. Her singing really rose this album up above others. And she’s a great rapper to boot. The other two sounded pretty generic in my opinion. Not every song on here was amazing, but there was some really good stuff. I think Fu-Gee-La is the best song on here.
3
Jul 08 2024
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Back At The Chicken Shack
Jimmy Smith
Went into this blind and from the name I guessed it would be a country album. I was not expecting smooth jazz. It’s not bad! Not my favorite kind of jazz, but very listenable. I usually lean toward more aggressive or experimental stuff. This is more lounge music, great for background music at a party in the 60s.
3
Jul 09 2024
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Let's Get It On
Marvin Gaye
I never really thought about it but the opening guitar lick on this album is one of the most iconic guitar lines of all time. And it’s only played that one time, it never repeats. But if you play that one line most anybody will know what it is. Aside from that, I wasn’t huge on this album. Marvin Gaye has an incredible voice, but he be never clicked with his music. I can appreciate it, he’s a talented songwriter, I just don’t like the songs. Nothing wrong with them, just not my taste.
3
Jul 10 2024
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Your Arsenal
Morrissey
This was better than I expected going into it. I’ve never cared for morrisey’s voice, it just irks me for some reason. So I didn’t love the singing on here but it was tolerable. And the songs were not bad. I really only liked We’ll Let You Know, that song was cool. Other than that I didn’t mind it but I would never return to this album.
2
Jul 11 2024
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Your New Favourite Band
The Hives
Not trying to reinvent the wheel with this one, just a fun straight forward garage rock album. I’ve been aware of The Hives for a long time, but I’ve never really listened to them. I had a lot of fun listening to this album and may go back and check out more of their stuff.
4
Jul 12 2024
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Oedipus Schmoedipus
Barry Adamson
This was not for me. Miles was an ok song, most of this was just sound collages though. And if it was just that it would’ve been better than sound collages with annoying dialogue throughout. I don’t understand this one at all.
1
Jul 15 2024
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Talking Heads 77
Talking Heads
That stretch of songs from The book I read through to the end was incredible! The first half was good but they saved the gold for the second half. It’s a really good debut from a band I have yet to do a proper deep dive into. I’ve listened to them over the years but just never really dug in. I think I might do just that after listening to this.
4
Jul 16 2024
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British Steel
Judas Priest
3
Jul 17 2024
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S&M
Metallica
Wow man, I’ve never had this album be brought up not to be mocked. Like isn’t this universally hated? How did it end up on this list. I did not listen to it. Checked out Madter of Puppets and it sounds like shit. I like Metallica but this was a big miss for them.
1
Jul 18 2024
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Midnight Ride
Paul Revere & The Raiders
This was fine. It’s not really breaking any new ground though. This was released in 1966, the same year as Pet Sounds. Now I know it’s not fair to compare it to Pet Sounds, that album was an outlier that was ahead of its time. However, compared to other bands output at the time, including The Beach Boys, but also The Beatles, The Mothers of Invention, and The Monks to name a few, this is pretty weak. This might’ve been noteworthy in say 1962, but there was a big leap in music in the proceeding years, and it seems Paul Revere and the Raiders got left in the dust. I’ll say even for 1962 this would’ve been a pretty average album.
2
Jul 19 2024
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Millions Now Living Will Never Die
Tortoise
Djed was wild. I really enjoyed this album. I had a Tortoise cd that I got used on a whim from goodwill back in the day. So I knew what I was getting into to a point. They did not disappoint. For how many influences they borrow from they have a unique and consistent sound. And the music is good!
4
Jul 22 2024
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Urban Hymns
The Verve
I liked this more than I thought I would. Bittersweet Symphony was always a song I sort of enjoyed but it drags on. The rest of the first half is solid, way more trance-y than I expected. The second half got a little dull. Also, it was far too long.
3
Jul 23 2024
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Remain In Light
Talking Heads
This had some incredible songs on it. It also had some songs I probably wouldn’t listen to again. So this is tough, the good songs are amazing, just truly great music. The other stuff has some interesting things going on, but as songs just don’t quite do it for me.
3
Jul 24 2024
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The Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd
A masterpiece. This album is a gateway drug. Maybe not for everyone but for me it definitely was. It’s accessible enough for someone starting on their music journey but also opens your ears to new possibilities. I wrote out a whole diatribe but it was rambling so I cut it. The crux of it is that this album was one of the catalysts for helping me explore new kinds of music. And unlike some other gateway albums/bands this one stays with me. It’s just as good now as it was when I first got into it. Probably in different ways, the themes hit you different depending on where you are in life. But it’s endlessly relistenable and still one of the greatest albums of all time.
5
Jul 25 2024
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Autobahn
Kraftwerk
Love me some Kraftwerk. This one isn’t as strong as Man Machine or Trans Europe Express, but it’s still good. The centerpiece is the title track and at 21 minutes it’s half the album. This song is a lot of fun, it helps that I’m a sucker for vocoders. The rest of the album is solid but not amazing.
3
Jul 26 2024
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Songs Of Love And Hate
Leonard Cohen
The songwriting on here must be good because this guy is not the best singer. He’s not bad, but he has a unique voice. It works really well for his slower songs but was a bit rough on the faster ones. I might come back to this because I wasn’t able to focus on the lyrics as much as I wanted to. I’m sure these are interesting songs but I do get bored when it’s just a singer and a guitar which is most of these songs. Again, I have a feeling these are really good songs that need a little work to really appreciate.
3
Jul 29 2024
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Slippery When Wet
Bon Jovi
Boring butt rock
1
Jul 30 2024
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Highway to Hell
AC/DC
Mostly forgettable straight forward rock music. I get why at least one AC/DC album is on here, they are an institution in rock and roll music. I like a lot of their songs, but an entire album was too much. They are great at what they do, but for me they’re a greatest hits band with a few deep cuts that are worth checking out. Overall what I expected, a few gems with a lot of filler.
2
Jul 31 2024
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The Low End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest
A classic hip hop album.
4
Aug 02 2024
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The Age Of The Understatement
The Last Shadow Puppets
This wasn’t bad. It didn’t do all that much for me but it was decent. None of the songs were all that memorable. I guess it just doesn’t stand out as something worth going out of my way for. If you’re looking for a 60s garage rock inspired side project I’d recommend The Foxboro Hot Tubs over this. They also aren’t breaking new ground, but at least they bring some energy and fun to it.
2
Aug 05 2024
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Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Man this album holds up! I’ve never listened to the whole thing before but have heard some songs. It’s crazy how heavy this album is, like it’s the first true metal album and they just showed everyone how it’s done. Some of the songs are Zeppelin-esque, but most are very much their own sound.
4
Aug 06 2024
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The Suburbs
Arcade Fire
I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I had written off Arcade Fire a long time ago. I started hearing about them when Neon Bible came out. I think they were on SNL and at one point I got the Neon Bible cd from the library and listened to it. At the time I did not care for it. So I figured this band was just not for me. Cut to today and The Suburbs is my album of the day. I wasn’t all that excited to be honest, but I’m glad I gave it a fair shake. This album is really good, way better than I expected. I will definitely be returning to this one in the future.
4
Aug 07 2024
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Black Monk Time
The Monks
I understand the historical significance of this album. That being said, my reviews on here have always been about my own personal feelings about the music, not why it’s important or anything like that. So while I get why this album is on the list I did not particularly enjoy it. It was kind of annoying. Although I did like some of the keyboard parts when they got all sloppy and noisy.
2
Aug 08 2024
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Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
I can see how this would have been a breath of fresh air in the late 80s. While it still has some of the trappings of hair metal, it is much more raw. Hair metal was very shiny and sleek, it was rock with pop production. This is straight forward rock music with no frills. I’m not gonna say that I’m a huge fan of it, I like a few songs, but mostly it wasn’t my favorite. However, given the context of when this was released I fully understand its inclusion on this list. And Welcome to the Jungle is still one of the best openers to an album, and a debut album at that. That’s the other thing, while this isn’t my favorite music, this is an incredible debut album. These guys came out kicking.
3
Aug 09 2024
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Pieces Of The Sky
Emmylou Harris
A terrific debut album from Harris. Not a bad song on here. Some slower ones that I won’t listen to often but I’d definitely return to this.
4
Aug 12 2024
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xx
The xx
There was a lot of hype around this album when it came out. I checked it out and was not impressed. 15 years later and I feel the same way. This album isn’t bad but it’s boring and bland.
2
Aug 13 2024
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Birth Of The Cool
Miles Davis
If someone asked me what jazz music is who had never heard it before I might show them this album. A lot of people say that Kind of Blue is a good album to start with when first listening to jazz. I feel like this one is much more accessible. Maybe Time Out would be another good one, but I think this is a contender. It’s not that it’s like beginner jazz, the musicianship on here is phenomenal. It’s just that it’s all very straight forward songs, they never go anywhere too experimental or weird like other Miles Davis albums.
4
Aug 14 2024
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If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears
The Mamas & The Papas
This ranged from corny to just ok for me. It’s not bad but it’s not great. Two notes, the Ramones version of Fo You Wanna Dance is infinitely better than the one on here. And I can’t hear California Dreamin’ without thinking of The Dead Milkmen and the sketch from the Kelsey Grammer Sketch show (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1v9cRhT8Gno&list=FLUEiFsihiBtiiqTbVRZMiWw&index=2&pp=gAQB)
2
Aug 15 2024
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Buffalo Springfield Again
Buffalo Springfield
Expecting to fly had some cool harmonies, sort of a precursor of what was to come from CSNY. Broken arrow was also a decent song. My favorite part was probably the last 50 seconds of the album. Everything else on here felt like it should’ve been a B-Side or a demo on some special edition of a real album.
2
Aug 16 2024
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Odessa
Bee Gees
They really threw everything at the wall to see what would stick on this one. I honestly had no idea The Bee Gees were a Beatles-esque band before they switched to disco so this album was a trip. Most of it did not stick. There were a few decent songs, but this thing is BLOATED! If they cut this down to between 30-35 minutes they could’ve had a decent album. As it is, it’s a meandering mess with a spattering of good songs mixed in.
2
Aug 19 2024
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At Fillmore East
The Allman Brothers Band
The second half of this album is incredible. In memory of Elizabeth Reed and Whipping Post are really cool songs with amazing jams. The first half I found boring as hell. It was just boring blues songs with extended guitar solos. I like jams that showcase the whole band, not just filler songs for someone to noodle over. Elizabeth Reed was the highlight for me, that jam was just awesome, you could really feel the bands energy. Same with whipping post but I loved the sound of Elizabeth Reed better, it definitely veered away from the blues focus into something more interesting.
3
Aug 20 2024
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Surfer Rosa
Pixies
When I first listened to this years ago I only knew Where is My Mind? and the rest of this was very strange to me. I’ve listened to a lot of music in the ensuing years but I never returned to Surfer Rosa. In my memory it was a noisy mess with no real songs. I am so glad it came up on this list. What a fantastic album! It is noisy, but in a way that I really enjoy now. And the songs are definitely there, sometimes they’re buried under the noise but I think the noise more adds to the songs than detracts. And then there’s Gigantic, what a beautiful little pop song right in the middle of all of it. Also where is my mind is still great. I will definitely be returning to this in the future, it feels like there’s way more to unpack than I could get out of one listen.
4
Aug 21 2024
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Fred Neil
Fred Neil
Based on the blurb about him being part of the Greenwich village folk scene, and the album cover, I did not expect much from this album. I thought it would be just a guy and a guitar playing boring folk songs. I was wrong, and was pleasantly surprised by this. This guy is unique. I won’t say it’s my favorite music, but I love that he did his own thing and kept it interesting. Definitely worth a listen.
3
Aug 22 2024
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Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes
TV On The Radio
I’ve heard a few TOTR songs before but this was my first time listening to a full album. They do a lot of interesting stuff on this album. I don’t know how much I like it after just one listen but I did enjoy it. Going to give this a 3 for now but it might be a 4 in the future.
3
Aug 23 2024
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The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter
The Incredible String Band
Well that was obnoxious. It’s like a group of strangers was given a bunch of random instruments and drugs and told to write an album. They made an album I guess, but it was a meandering mess. Like were they dared to cram as many random instruments onto this as possible? I’m worse for having heard this.
1
Aug 26 2024
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Rubber Soul
Beatles
Some great songs, some forgettable songs. Overall, a decent album but not one I’d probably listen to all the way through again.
3
Aug 27 2024
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Purple Rain
Prince
I’ve never been a huge Prince fan so I’ve never fully understood the hype around him and this album. I listened to it, it was fine. I like let’s go crazy, it’s a strong opener. After that there are moments that I thought were cool, and I actually liked it more than I expected. However, it’s not one I’m probably going to come back to all that often, if ever.
3
Aug 28 2024
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Shaka Zulu
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Yeah man, I just don’t like a cappella music.
1
Aug 29 2024
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You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen
This guy is a good writer, but a singer he is not. This is mostly a spoken word album set to music. There’s some great lyrics here but I would not listen to it again.
2
Aug 30 2024
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Beautiful Freak
Eels
Eels has some good songs, I like quite a few of there songs. However, I find them to be tiring for a whole album. Eels for me is great for a song here and there but it’s too samey when you listen to an hours worth.
3
Sep 02 2024
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Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
4
Sep 03 2024
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In Rainbows
Radiohead
If you didn’t give this 5 stars it’s probably just cause you’re not intelligent enough to understand Radiohead. Radiohead only makes music for smart people, if your not in Mensa dont even think about listening to Radiohead. I bet mozart is happy he was born in the 1800s cause if he was trying to make music while Radiohead was around he probably would’ve quit knowing he could never match the genius that is Radiohead
5
Sep 04 2024
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Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against The Machine
I like Rage, but an entire album is too much. They’re not very dynamic, all the songs sound the same for the most part. So an hour of it is draining. The album is very high energy, and has some really cool instrumentals. But even the guitar solos, while innovative, are kind of same-y throughout. I love a rage song every once in a while, and can appreciate what they contributed to music. However, the album as a whole had me wishing it was over by the halfway point.
3
Sep 05 2024
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The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
David Bowie
This was great. Not a bad track on here. I wouldn’t listen to them all just randomly, definitely some. most I would only listen to again when listening to the album in full. I don’t mean that as a bad thing, the album just feels like it’s meant to be listened to as a whole.
4
Sep 06 2024
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Zombie
Fela Kuti
This was cool. I now understand when people say the talking heads were inspired by Fela Kuti.
3
Sep 09 2024
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Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon & Garfunkel
A couple corny songs but for the most part this album was great.
4
Sep 10 2024
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Amnesiac
Radiohead
So this album is a bunch of outtakes from Kid A and while there’s a lot of great songs, it doesn’t flow as well as an actual album. It feels a bit scattered which makes sense given the context. The songs themselves are all very dense, with a lot of different sounds panning in and out. It makes for at times an overwhelming experience, but in a good way. The songs never get boring or redundant. I feel like this is another one that I’d have to hear a few more times to really dig into it.
4
Sep 11 2024
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The Pleasure Principle
Gary Numan
Yeah this was just at the same song over and over. Not sure why a one hit wonder is on the list, but I fully understand why he was a one hit wonder now.
1
Sep 12 2024
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That's The Way Of The World
Earth, Wind & Fire
Starts off strong, dips in the middle, and ends pretty strong. Some of these songs didn’t need to be 6 minutes plus, they could’ve been shaved down. Maybe get rid of the spoken word portion or cut a chorus here and there. There are good songs that just went on too long.
3
Sep 13 2024
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Blue Lines
Massive Attack
Meh
1
Sep 16 2024
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Exodus
Bob Marley & The Wailers
I liked it. The hits are the best songs in my opinion, but most of the others are good too. Not every song was amazing though, there’s a few I wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to again.
3
Sep 17 2024
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Bryter Layter
Nick Drake
I wasn’t big on the last Nick Drake album I got on this list, but this one I liked a lot more. There was more variety to this one. I could definitely throw this on for some background music or for a deeper listen.
3
Sep 18 2024
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New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)
Simple Minds
I don’t care for the singers voice. There are some interesting things here and there in the songs but overall I didn’t find them very engaging. Nothing about this album hooked me.
2
Sep 19 2024
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The Next Day
David Bowie
This came out in 2013. Bowie could’ve just rested on his laurels at this point but he never stopped. While this isn’t my favorite album it’s not bad. I would not have expected Bowie at this point in his career to still be making unique and interesting music. It truly is a testament to his talent. By 40 plus years into a music career most bands/musicians aren’t putting out anything noteworthy. Usually it’s just some half-assed rehashed bullshit. So kudos to Bowie for never settling down.
3
Sep 20 2024
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Inspiration Information
Shuggie Otis
This album was all over the place, it was like they just threw a bunch of demos together and called it an album. The music wasn’t bad, it wasn’t all that great either.
2
Sep 23 2024
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Beauty And The Beat
The Go-Go's
I’ve heard the singles, but not the rest. This was a fun album that I could definitely see listening to again.
4
Sep 24 2024
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Young Americans
David Bowie
Ok hear me out, maybe not every David Bowie album needs to be on this list. Case in point, this album. If you want an idea of how not great this is just check out his cover of Across the Universe, it’s a hot mess. I genuinely like a lot of David Bowie’s music but this album is just not it.
2
Sep 25 2024
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Marquee Moon
Television
This album was hugely influential to me so it’s an easy 5 stars. I may not listen to it all the time any more but it will always hold a special place for me. Also, I will never skip Marquee Moon, it’s one of the best songs of all time. If you get a chance, check out Little Johnny Jewel. It didn’t make the album but it’s on the expanded edition and imo should have been on the album.
5
Sep 26 2024
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Born To Run
Bruce Springsteen
I liked this more than I expected. I’ve never really cared for what I’d heard from Springsteen but I’d also not listened to a full album. There’s some really good stuff on here. His voice is still not my favorite but it didn’t entirely hinder my enjoyment of this album.
3
Sep 27 2024
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Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Not a bad debut, definitely showcases a band with a lot of potential. Some decent songs, some classics, and some filler.
3
Sep 30 2024
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Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
I can appreciate this album. I can tell it’s really good, but it doesn’t do a lot for me. It’s weird there’s a lot of elements that are right up my alley but as a whole I just couldn’t fully get into it. Also, it is incredibly long, I was fatigued by the end of this. I could almost give this a four because I could probably get a lot out of it if I dug in deeper, but I’m giving it a three because I don’t see myself listening to it again.
3
Oct 01 2024
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Jazz Samba
Stan Getz
I will definitely be listening to this again. Hell I wouldn’t mind owning this on vinyl. Super chill, I listened to it on the way home from work after a long day and it calmed me right down.
4
Oct 02 2024
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At San Quentin
Johnny Cash
This guy had great stage presence! This was fun to listen to, I enjoyed his banter between songs. The songs are classic cash, straight forward story songs with minimal instrumentation. It works well for him and I would listen to this again.
4
Oct 03 2024
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The Infotainment Scan
The Fall
If this is The Fall’s most accessible album I guess they’re just not for me. Musically it was fine, nothing that crazy. The singer I did not care for, his talk singing was annoying.
2
Oct 04 2024
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Armed Forces
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
I usually can only listen to maybe two or three Costello songs in a row before I need a break. I like a few of his songs a lot, his voice is just a bit much after a while. I actually enjoyed this album a bit though. By the end I was ready for it to be over, it went on a little too long. There are some really cool songs on here though, I really liked Senior Service. I’m marking it a 3 but it’s a solid 3.5
3
Oct 07 2024
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My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
I’ve listened to this album more times than I can count. It’s what first got me into Kanye. Not a bad song on here, most are amazing.
5
Oct 08 2024
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A Night At The Opera
Queen
Queen is a greatest hits band for me for the most part. I feel like they don’t have a great album. Their albums always have a few good and great songs, but a lot of duds too. This album is no exception. I like the more novelty-esque songs like seaside rendezvous and lazing on a Sunday afternoon. And Bogemian rhapsody is a classic. Everything else was forgettable.
3
Oct 09 2024
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Le Tigre
Le Tigre
Kathleen Hannah rules
3