416
Albums Rated
2.99
Average Rating
38%
Complete
673 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950
Favorite Decade
Funk
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
62
5-Star Albums
41
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Apocalypse Dudes
Turbonegro
|
5 | 2.9 | +2.1 |
|
AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
Ice Cube
|
5 | 2.93 | +2.07 |
|
Ingenue
k.d. lang
|
5 | 2.94 | +2.06 |
|
Foxbase Alpha
Saint Etienne
|
5 | 2.94 | +2.06 |
|
Copper Blue
Sugar
|
5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
|
Shaka Zulu
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
|
5 | 3.08 | +1.92 |
|
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
Genesis
|
5 | 3.08 | +1.92 |
|
The Sensual World
Kate Bush
|
5 | 3.17 | +1.83 |
|
Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago
|
5 | 3.2 | +1.8 |
|
Forever Changes
Love
|
5 | 3.22 | +1.78 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The Score
Fugees
|
1 | 3.69 | -2.69 |
|
The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
|
1 | 3.67 | -2.67 |
|
Talking Heads 77
Talking Heads
|
1 | 3.56 | -2.56 |
|
Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes
|
1 | 3.49 | -2.49 |
|
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
|
1 | 3.41 | -2.41 |
|
Parklife
Blur
|
1 | 3.38 | -2.38 |
|
British Steel
Judas Priest
|
1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
|
Since I Left You
The Avalanches
|
1 | 3.28 | -2.28 |
|
Tigermilk
Belle & Sebastian
|
1 | 3.22 | -2.22 |
|
Soul Mining
The The
|
1 | 3.17 | -2.17 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 4 | 5 |
| Deep Purple | 3 | 4.67 |
| U2 | 2 | 5 |
| Yes | 2 | 5 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Lou Reed | 2 | 1.5 |
| Blur | 2 | 1.5 |
| Talking Heads | 3 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Metallica | 5, 2 |
| The Rolling Stones | 2, 5 |
| The Smiths | 4, 2, 1 |
| The Who | 2, 5, 3 |
| Radiohead | 5, 2, 3, 4 |
5-Star Albums (62)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Ministry · 8 likes
4/5
Music to arc-weld by. Which is awesome if you are arc welding. But if not, it can be a bit….much. You’ve really got to be in the mood for this.
The Who · 6 likes
3/5
I know the history and all that, but it’s…. a lot.
Throbbing Gristle · 2 likes
1/5
Annoying shit. Sorry, not sorry.
Sebadoh · 1 likes
1/5
The Wiki on this album says it’s the first album they did in a pro studio. You’d never know. This is the worst sounding album I’ve heard in a long time. Maybe they should start with everyone playing the same tempo and go from there? Plodding, untuneful, meandering on top of totally terrible production. Hey I get the whole Albini raw sound thing, but this is another level. A level below, a few below really. This is time I’ll never get back in my life. Unless you like listening to your neighbour’s kid’s garage band bleeding through a wall, just do yourself a favour a skip this.
Turbonegro · 1 likes
5/5
This album is great, a ton of fun. Lots of good old guitar rock, great interplay. Put it on loud and love it. Love. It.
1-Star Albums (41)
All Ratings
Derek & The Dominos
4/5
It’s a classic, but this amount of time later not a popular style any more.
Billy Bragg
2/5
Didn’t love it at all. Not that it is bad per we, it’s just not really my bag.
The Go-Go's
3/5
Pixies
4/5
I hadn’t really ever listen to this previously, but of course once hearing it there are several songs you’re going to know anyway. I never really realized the similarity (to me anyway) to Husker Du and Sugar in a lot of ways. Great album though.
Nightmares On Wax
4/5
Loved this, great to find music I should have discovered decades ago!
Shuggie Otis
5/5
Thought I had never heard of him before, then along comes Strawberry Letter 23, and whoa, mind blown. Oh! Album is awesome. Another buried treasure unearthed.
The Band
3/5
Meh, I know it is a big classic album. I was never a huge fan of it and this listen didn’t change my feeling.
Wire
2/5
Not really my flavour. It was okay enough, but I won’t seek it out again.
Frank Sinatra
5/5
What an awesome gem this is. It’s amazing how good it sounds for such an old recording. Great put it on and chill album.
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
I love Chemical Brothers, but you really need to be in the mood for it. Not exactly passive sit back and chill stuff, but if you want to get the party moving, well….this is the ticket.
Metallica
5/5
A total classic, can’t say anything else.
Suede
2/5
Meh, it’s okay but doesn’t do a lot for me. I was thinking when this came up, “I don’t know a lot about Suede” and really, this doesn’t make me want to go any deeper.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
Meh, it’s RHCP. If you’ve heard them you’ve heard them.
ZZ Top
5/5
I hadn’t listened to early ZZTop in a very long time. It was great to hear the essence of the band without so much modern-day production and layers. ZZ Top at it’s purest.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
2/5
Not really my thing, I don’t feel it has aged all that great to my ears.
Garbage
5/5
Great album, had forgotten about it over the years. But it’s a classic through-and-through!
White Denim
3/5
I’d never heard this before at all. Enjoyed it, will circle back on it for another listen for sure.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Meh, I know it’s classic yada yada, but I have never been able to get into Joni Mitchell at all. So I can’t rate it badly because it is supposed to be such a Huge Important Album. But, it’s just not for me at all.
The War On Drugs
5/5
Great album, have listened to it a million times before, and will probably listen a million more.
k.d. lang
5/5
I had never listened to this album, but was aquatinted with a couple of the songs though. Lang’s voice is simply magnificent, a total treat to hear the perfect and respectfully restrained use of such an incredible instrument. No modern-day over singing and false emotion. Just absolutely miraculous to sit back and enjoy such a supreme talent.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
It’s a great album, it made them famous for a reason. I not a giant fan but none-the-less it’s a solid album and equally importantly a real snapshot of the time.
Frank Ocean
3/5
Not really for me, just not in my wheelhouse really. It seems okay, but halfway through I found my interest really waning.
T. Rex
4/5
Incredibly I had never heard this album. Everyone has heard the classic Bang A Gong track, but the rest was a mystery. Sonically it’s pretty interesting considering when it was recorded. I’m not so sure the songwriting overall stands up a well as I would have hoped. But still, pretty solid.
The Cult
2/5
Meh, I remembered this as being way better than it is. It all sounds the same, but they don’t have the skills to get away with it like say AC-DC. Immediately recognizable, but also kind of tiresome and repetitive. The songs all blend into one karanging power chord with Wolf Child yarling over the top.
The Verve
3/5
Everybody knows the big hit that opens the album. Not sure the rest of the offering lives up to that, but it’s much more solid all-around than I expected. Will definitely listen to it again.
Roxy Music
3/5
I’m not sure this ages very well. It’s certainly of a time, I can feel the sequins and glam makeup as I listen to it. It’s interesting for its time frame for sure, but you really have to be in the mood to be transported back here. I’m generally not. It’s not bad, it’s just a bit threadbare by now.
Hüsker Dü
3/5
I have coincidentally been getting into Husker Du lately, so I like this. But I don’t see it really making many converts at first blush.
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
I know the album well from my youth. Jeff Lynn is a semi-under-appreciated genius songwriter. And while some of this is a little bit of the time, it’s still masterfully done.
Saint Etienne
5/5
I loved it, never heard it before at all. Just fantastic, absolutely will circle back in this again.
Gang Starr
4/5
This is great old-school Brooklyn-style rap. It would never be my go-to music, but I can appreciate it for what it is.
Adele
2/5
Well, I know she’s a big deal and all. And she can certainly belt out a tune, but this album really left me flat. I don’t know if it is the production or what, but it just seems really soulless. She definitely has the vocal chops, but everything is just too big, overdone. I don’t think it does her justice.
Morrissey
3/5
I’ve never been a big Morrissey fan either on or off stage. But I approached this with as open mind as I could. I can see why it was successful, but for me his lyrics are bitter and self-indulgent. This did nothing to dispel the impression he’s a big moaner I’m afraid. I’ll still give him an okay rating because the album’s not bad. I just don’t really like him.
Neneh Cherry
4/5
It’s a great travel-back in time, it gets a high rating for me just because of Buffalo Stance which I’ve always loved. I hadn’t really heard the rest of the album and was pretty pleasantly surprised how much I like the rest. It prompted me to seek out ever more so I spent even more time going through her catelog. Great stuff.
Pantera
2/5
Music to arc-weld by. I don’t really do that, so, not so much an album for me.
Bob Dylan
5/5
Well, this is pretty well a timeless classic. If you’ve never heard it, well, you must at least once. Appreciate his lyrics, and also put it into perspective - this is early 1960s. Incredible depth matched by very few.
Chicago
5/5
Although I’ve heard parts of this album many times over the years, I hadn’t really realized what a great album it is. Boy, I missed out not seeing them live at some point, they would have been amazing. I can’t believe this came out so long ago. The musicianship is amazing, I never really heard it from this perspective previously. I have a whole new appreciation for Chicago for sure. Can live without the one guitar noise tune though, a bit self-indulgent.
The The
1/5
Reminds me of everything from that era that sucked and sounds the same. The drum machine work does not wear well over time, it’s as exciting as a Rumba cleaning the floor but with less fun. The album is soulless and un-musical. Matt Johnson’s vocals are meandering and at times sort of tuneless. I won’t be revisiting this album, ever.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Great album that shows good songwriting can hold up to the rest of time really well. One of those albums you out one and go yep, that’s them. Great stuff.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
A couple of what would become classic tunes on here, but a whole lot of not-at-all classic stuff too. Sounds like they are throwing plates of spaghetti against the wall to see what would stick. There’s a reason they have so many Best Of compilations, stick to those. Some killer, mostly filler.
Sebadoh
1/5
The Wiki on this album says it’s the first album they did in a pro studio. You’d never know. This is the worst sounding album I’ve heard in a long time. Maybe they should start with everyone playing the same tempo and go from there? Plodding, untuneful, meandering on top of totally terrible production. Hey I get the whole Albini raw sound thing, but this is another level. A level below, a few below really. This is time I’ll never get back in my life. Unless you like listening to your neighbour’s kid’s garage band bleeding through a wall, just do yourself a favour a skip this.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
I was hoping the rest of the album lived up to the one song I knew off of it, the one song everybody knows. Alas, there’s a reason why after all this time it’s the only breakout from the album. The rest is pretty lack-luster compared.
Deep Purple
5/5
Well, this is an old-time rock concert recorded live. It’s the sound of real musicians, playing live, listening to each other, and letting it fly where it goes. It’s the sound of taking a hill-top corner at breakneck speed as the wheels slip on the gravel and you’re on the precipice of glory or catastrophe. This is a time when concerts were all live, not timed to sync to light shows and backing tracks. Very much the real deal. It’s nothing short of glorious.
U2
5/5
This is one of their best albums by far. Consistent in vision throughout certainly top two in their post-big break era. There’s a reason why it spawned a few massive hits. But the rest of the album holds up just as well.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3/5
I found this to be sort of middle ground OMD. I’ve heard. A fair amount of their music, and this I find is not as dark as some but also not as upbeat as a lot of their later stuff. It’s good though, I’ll listen again.
Lauryn Hill
2/5
My son assures me this is a major, classic hip-hop album. I had never heard it before, yes I guess I’m a troglodyte, so I was expecting something special. Even though it’s not my favourite type of music, I can still appreciate work well done. This just doesn’t come close at living up to the hype for me at all. Very disappointing really. It just didn’t connect with me one iota.
Bad Company
4/5
A lot less heavy than I thought it would be. Even the heavier tunes in comparison to today’s music is pretty low key. But it’s great stuff. I was surprised by how much more low-key most of the album is. But the recording is great, sounds very much like a band playing in a room, warts and all. Not overly polished, but still a gem.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I recognize the place this album holds in the pantheon of great music in the 20th century. Lyrically it’s Dylan further cementing his legend, and musically, when taken in the context of the time period it was released, it’s a rollicking ride. That said, I’m just not a big Dylan fan. I can totally respect it, but I’m not going to seek this out again.
John Coltrane
5/5
I love Coltrane, well most anyway. This one is a bit more of a challenge in that it has a lot more edge to it. The first half is frenetic, a bit chaotic even. You really have to be in the right frame of mind. This is not the laid-back and cool Coltrane, this is the more urgent one - bursting through the door with a manic energy. We settle down a bit in the last quarter, feeling like some demons have been quelled maybe. Still, it’s Coltrane and there’s only one.
The Avalanches
1/5
Blah, I’m not a fan of the loop/sample-based stuff. While it can be be done well, this did nothing for me at all.
Madonna
2/5
Bah, two okay songs and a lot of pretty average stuff.
Belle & Sebastian
1/5
This did zero for me, boring, bland, go nowhere music.
The Temptations
5/5
It doesn’t get any better than old-school
Motown.
Beatles
5/5
It’s incredible. I mean, really, what more can be said? Hit after hit roll past as you listen to the album. It’s absolutely astonishing they were already on their third album at this point, just cranking them out. But the truly amazing thing was how much better they were getting. It’s just mind boggling. John is doing the majority of the singing at this point, which I prefer for these tunes anyway.
Air
4/5
Very familiar with Kost of this album, most of it can be pretty passive listening. First half is a bit stronger, but if you like any of it you’ll like it all.
LL Cool J
2/5
Very much old-school rap v2.0. Not as far back as the original stuff, but definitely in the zone of when rap was becoming mainstream and very popular just before Hip Hop. It still has that early feel from DJs spinning records, but I’m going to assume most are actually samples at this point. So it does straddle eras. Overall it doesn’t wear great, the title track is of course a classic and a standout, but for me the rest of the album doesn’t ever reach that level again.
Thin Lizzy
3/5
It’s okay, not a giant Thin Lizzy fan but the dual guitar lines are great. It’s good just not maybe the most subversive songwriting for me.
The Thrills
2/5
Pretty uneventful, nothing hooked me at all.
Turbonegro
5/5
This album is great, a ton of fun. Lots of good old guitar rock, great interplay. Put it on loud and love it. Love. It.
Fela Kuti
5/5
I was expecting a lot of drum solos…but instead this is an amazing album. Great combo of Afrobeat/soul/jazz, absolutely fantastic. Okay ya, last track is a 17-minute drum duo duel, but it is still listenable. This was a real treat to find.
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
This not much for me, kind of bland mediocre rock. Meh.
Faith No More
3/5
It has a those few songs you’ve heard a million times, that’s good. But the whole rap/rock thing isn’t wearing all that well over time.
John Lennon
3/5
John always to me to be trying too hard, forcing it, post-Beatles. I feel like he really let his cynicism take over and it’s not a nice edge. Still, he’s John and while not all his best, Working Class Hero of course focuses all of cynicism really well.
4/5
There are of course a few classic tracks on here, and there’s a reason why 50-odd years later people still listen to them. They are really great. How well the rest stacks up depends on how big a Bowie fan you are.
Weather Report
3/5
It’s going to make any I-hate-jazz people a convert. If you like it, you’ll like it it, but if not it’s some tough sledding.
James Brown
4/5
This is fantastic, but I feel like I’m watching a soundtrack to a movie that would have been stunning. You can hear him working the crowd, and I’ll bet there are lots of JB dance moves. The album is great but I makes me wish I was hearing and seeing this.
Shivkumar Sharma
1/5
I emerged from my yurt, which was located on a mountain outcrop. As I looked over the mist-covered mountain valley, my hot, naked body steamed in the cool morning air. I was just coming down from the vision quest peyote I had taken the night before. I felt a bit sheepish. Amazed, I saw myself. I said to my own self “self” I said, “you are ewe”. This album played from inside the yurt and the world made sense.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
It’s Herbie Hancock, the guy’s a legend for a reason. So even if you don’t like it you can appreciate it. I was surprised I knew one of the tunes even, somehow. It’s not my bag, but hey, it’s Herbie.
Ministry
4/5
Music to arc-weld by. Which is awesome if you are arc welding. But if not, it can be a bit….much. You’ve really got to be in the mood for this.
Slipknot
1/5
Oh boy, this is a tough one. Personally I hate it. I don’t know how you listen to this without feeling anxious and angry. I know some people love them, but I just don’t have space for this type of music at all. I like heavy music, but this has all the nuance of a steamroller but without the reward of that fresh asphalt smell.
Emmylou Harris
2/5
I know she’s great, even almost revered is some circles, but this album did little for me.
Hanoi Rocks
1/5
This is what a crap AI-generated album sounds like 40 years before AI. But it’s the same principle - unsurprising and ultimately just boring generic corporate rock. I can smell the hairspray and sweaty spandex, and it’s not pretty.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Yea it has one of his all-time classic songs on it that everyone knows and mostly loves. But I’m just not that big a Dylan fan so…
Bauhaus
1/5
Wretched. Just totally wretched.
The Smiths
4/5
The album is pretty great, but Morrisey is such a moaner he really ruins everything for me. If it wasn’t for Johnny Marr this album would be unlistenable. Full stars for Marr, deducted one for the moaner.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Why is everything on this album the same locked-in 4/4 tempo? It’s like hipster marching music. Definitely some good things here, but the repetitive nature grates on one halfway through.
Steely Dan
5/5
C’mon it’s classic Steely Dan. An audiophile’s paradise and musician’s dream. How they made albums that sound this good back then speaks to their enormous talent. True they went on to make albums that song-wise were more consistent than this, but this has Do It Again and Reelin’ In The Years so, like, shuddup.
The Gun Club
3/5
I started off thinking, oh boy this is some pretty basic kind of garage punk. But as the album went on I found myself really liking the energy a lot and in the end I liked it well enough.
Lorde
4/5
I think with each album Lorde gets better and better. This being her second she’s grappling with newfound fame and all the pressures that come along with getting a follow-up to her blockbuster premier. It’s a good follow-up, and the one that follows this is even better.
ZZ Top
4/5
This was the big kick up for ZZ Top, coupled with the mega-saturation of the videos of the hits on MTV propelled them to superstardom. The production is super glossy and flawless, ushering in the Top’s blues with all the rough edges filed off. Gibbon’s playing is always, always bang on if not maybe a touch predictable but still he’s a king for a reason.
Common
2/5
Well, Common is a good name because nothing on this album stood out. I put it on, fairly decent mix of kinda laid-back hip-hop….and then it was over. I just sort of listened to it but it went as fast as it came. No very memorable.
Björk
2/5
A like a few things by Bjork, I find she’s alright in small doses. But I’m just not a huge fan of her voice, and some of her songs can be a bit meandering. I think she’s super talented, it’s just not really for me.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
This is a classic, of it’s time, really S&G in their prime. Also the first blast of synthesizer on an album. How can not recognize that fat Moog bass? Spawned two of my favourite songs of all time.
Os Mutantes
1/5
Oh boy, back to the rainforest with you and take your flutey things with you and be gone.
Randy Newman
3/5
I feel like Newman is a great songwriter - I can hear all of these songs getting the production treatment and being hits for big singing stars. This album feels like it’s a collection of demos that are being shopped out for other people to do. The bare-bones production highlights his skill as a songwriter, stripping the tunes down to bare essentials. On the other hand you fell like so many people could actually perform the song better.
Sugar
5/5
I love this album, I’ve listened to it sooo many times. Top-to-bottom, play right through every track. It’s a classic as far as I’m concerned.
Jethro Tull
3/5
Seems a little dated by now. Aqualung is a total classic though, but over time maybe it feels a little plodding. I had to struggle to make it through the album. It gets an extra star just because it is a classic of an era.
The Stooges
3/5
Amazingly raw and raucous. Having seen Igggy and the Stooges a few times, I can only imagine the spectacle of their early shows. This album captures that, the only downside is the last track is just trashy trash.
De La Soul
3/5
Early hip-hop lite - kind of jokey and not overly serious. It was only okay but time doesn’t treat it well.
The Who
2/5
Critically acclaimed…although I not sure why. Their first foray into ‘concept’ album territory does not succeed overly for me. It doesn’t have the story arc of Quadrophenia or Tommy - or the songwriting quality, eventually giving up on the concept album idea with the failed Lifehouse project which became Who’s Next (which is totally brilliant). I like lots of Who stuff, but this just to me is not great.
Girls Against Boys
4/5
I had never heard of them before, but I was hooked from the first few bars…somehow. Like a filthy and dark version of Sugar, slower, heavier. I actually listened to it three times in a row. Another one of those “how did I not know about this” albums. Albeit, admittedly this is not for everyone’s taste.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Not a huge fan, I’m sure others are.
Coldplay
4/5
This is before they kind of kind lost all their mojo….
Brian Eno
4/5
I love Eno, more so the later ambient stuff but this gives a good look ahead to what is coming. He’s a sonic genius.
Prince
5/5
There’s a reason why this is the ultimate Prince album, it’s fantastic. A couple of minorly less strong tracks, but the big famous ones more than make up for it.
Ice Cube
5/5
Old-school rap, although chockoblock with language not suitable for tender ears. It packs a mighty punch, unrelenting. But it is fantastic.
Willie Nelson
4/5
Willie’s a gem. I never really listened to him, I mean we’ve all heard him now and then, but I’ve never listened to an album. I was expecting a little more hard-core Hank Williams old-school country with all the weeping pedal-steel guitar. Surprisingly sparse really, just Willie and Trigger banging out the tunes for the most part. He has has a friendly, relaxing voice.
Lightning Bolt
1/5
Uggh, I’ve had more pleasant-sounding farts.
Cat Stevens
4/5
Great album, lay back and let it go. It has a twinge of the era it was made in, but as much as many others. It’s a classic album for a reason.
The Smiths
2/5
This album shows The Smiths can be as boring and predictable as anyone.
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
Pretty surprised, I was expecting something…less. It’s decent enough that I’ll give it another few listens for sure.
Muddy Waters
5/5
Old-school blues done right. My brother introduced me to this album, as it turns out not that many years after it was released. It’s the real deal.
Method Man
2/5
Not enjoyable at all. Seems like a pretty low effort endeavour to be honest.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
I was pleasantly surprised, not expecting something so floaty and ethereal. Definitely add to my background and chill playlist.
Big Star
2/5
Wu-Tang Clan
2/5
I know I’ll be in minority opinion here, but I’ve never gotten them. At all. I just kind don’t like this one bit. I’ll give an extra star because I know it’s supposed to be good, but I shall never ever circle back on this.
Anita Baker
2/5
Sort of most of what you probably hate about 80s music. He voice is good but the high gloss and void of personality production makes this all sound the same.
Laibach
2/5
Just not very enjoyable. If your going to listen to something like this just go for Rammatein and be done with it.
Sam Cooke
5/5
If I could transport myself back in time, what a joy that would be just to be there, that night. Just an incredible live performance, brilliant and effortless.
Pink Floyd
4/5
I can’t listen to this and not think of poor Syd and what could have been. He never would have achieved the soaring chops of Gilmour so Pink Floyd would have been quite a different beast. But where would that experimental mind have gone? It doesn’t hold up as well as many touchstone recordings of that era, but it definitely shows the promise of what could have been.
The Youngbloods
2/5
Sort straddles the end of the psychedelic era and the coming of more country rock. It’s sort of the worst of both really. I found it to be pretty bland…
Animal Collective
3/5
It’s interesting enough for another pass through, but I get the feeling it won’t stand up to repeated listening because it’s just all very much the same.
Rage Against The Machine
3/5
Tom Morello is a modern-day riff-master. I love his stuff. However, I am way way less enthralled with Zach de la Rocha’s shouty singing/rap. It just makes for way too much of an aggressive sound for my liking. Whereas when Morello was paired by Chris Cornell, it was just as heavy but without the yelling. I know it’s critically acclaimed and all that, but for me, it just ain’t it.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
On of the earliest albums I remember as a kid is Pearl. But obviously I’m familiar with much of this album as several of the tunes have become ubiquitous late 60s anthems. The rest of the album is okay enough, I’m not a giant Joplin voice fan. But still, it’s a solid timepiece.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Meh, not my favourite. Just doesn’t jive with me at all. Puts me on edge.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
I feel like I’m hearing the album from down around the hall, around a corner. It may have been something at it time, but the production does not wear well. It’s just a wash of conflicting sounds, which to me ultimately does a disservice to the songs.
The Strokes
5/5
Awesome album, back-to-front!
Sigur Rós
3/5
It’s just what you’d expect if you like this type of ambient-ish meandering music. If you don’t stay clear.
Beastie Boys
5/5
Total classic album, awesome to hear all those old-school Zep samples. Just fantastic.
Beatles
5/5
C’mon, THE classic album of all time. With the exception of one song that shall not be named it is back-to-back perfect. Side 2 is the stuff of legend.
Todd Rundgren
1/5
Like a velvet painting of dogs playing poker, this does not age well. At all.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
What’s there not to love in all their grungy glory.
Elliott Smith
3/5
Meh, - I know he’s a big indy darling and all that but this was totally background to me. It’s okay enough to have pop up in a mix but I wouldn’t be seeking it out on its own. Somebody I used to know is all over all indy Spotify mixes, so I’ve heard that already a zillion times more than I want.
Iron Butterfly
4/5
Kind of a classic if you can make your way through it.
Yes
5/5
As a prof-rock youth I grew up on this album. It doesn’t get much better. The Steven Wilson remixes are worth a checkout also for sure.
Funkadelic
4/5
Only the one tune is on Spotify for some reason. Love Funkadelic though…
3/5
Another one I sort of grew up with. There’s a fine line between quirky and just grating. I give this a bit of a benefit of a doubt and give it an extra star for the inventiveness…but not an album I’m going to put on and kick back to listen to.
Slayer
2/5
Umm, not my cuppa tea really. I mean maybe if I took up arc-welding or something.
AC/DC
4/5
C’mon, it’s a classic. Ya all AC/DC sounds the same. That’s the glory of it isn’t it?
MGMT
2/5
Meh, rest of the album doesn’t live up the the lead-off tune.
The Libertines
1/5
Wow, this sucks.
Marilyn Manson
1/5
Grating and awful. Should have been called ‘Music To Put You In A Bad Mood’.
Ray Charles
4/5
Ha ha country and western, that’s funny Ray. You can certainly hear where some 60’s singers borrowed from him - looking at you Joe Cocker. This is great stuff by a legend.
Johnny Cash
4/5
It’s classic Cash for sure.
Stan Getz
3/5
I can appreciate it, but not my favourite. Very 60’s lounge music….of a time.
Joan Armatrading
5/5
Awesome. Haven’t heard this in a zillion years, but it’s so refreshing.
Kendrick Lamar
2/5
Not my cuppa tea.
Dire Straits
5/5
Classic of its time and still…
Cyndi Lauper
2/5
The hits on this were hits for a reason…but similarly the other non-hits are also that for a reason. It makes for a pretty uneven experience. The bad stuff is pretty screechy.
Jorge Ben Jor
2/5
Did not love this. Just not my style.
Lou Reed
2/5
I know, I know, sacrilege! But I always thought Lou Reed was totally over-rated. This does not convince me otherwise.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
Farrell’s voice is so screechy, I guess it works here but I really don’t like it. The album is good enough, I think Dave Navarro makes this album.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
4/5
That voice, David Clayton-Thomas! It shows a bit of wear for it’s time, but it’s still great.
Spacemen 3
4/5
Very droney and spacey, I’ve never heard this before. Love it.
The Who
5/5
C’mon, it’s The Classic.
The Who
3/5
I know the history and all that, but it’s…. a lot.
Massive Attack
5/5
Love this, huge Massive Attack fan.
Motörhead
3/5
You either like it or don’t, this is not grey-area music. But no matter how you shake it out, they are an entity unto themselves.
Radiohead
5/5
I love this album, probably my favourite Radiohead album. Note a popular opinion I know, but I found some later stuff to just be so jittery.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
It is certainly of the time, it shows a bit of its age, but it has a lot of big tunes on it. Silent night scared the crap out of me as a child, the voice-over part…
Iggy Pop
4/5
I of course know a fair bit of Iggy but had not ever listened to this. I was really surprised by the restraint on the album, I was expecting something far more bombastic for lack of a better word.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
What a voice, such a terrible shame. This album will always remind me of what could have been.
Aerosmith
3/5
I’m surprised it doesn’t wear as well over the years. It seemed kind of weak to me compared to some of their earlier stuff, even though I know it was a big success.
Living Colour
2/5
A couple of okay tunes, but some pretty routine filler too. Lyrics away from okay to not great at all. Like the sound of a lot of it, feels live in the room to me. But still, not holding up great.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
5/5
A total favourite of mine, got a few absolutely timeless gems on here.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
They are more old-school country than I remember. I not an old-school country fan however. But just because it’s not for me doesn’t mean it’s bad. But if you don’t like this genre I’d give a pass.
Public Enemy
5/5
Totally awesome. That’s it. And I’m not even a big rap fan at all. But this is cream-of-the-crop vintage as far as I’m concerned.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
The three songs on here you know, you know. The rest just doesn’t seem to carry the age as well I give an extra star just because at the time it was something, but now it just feels a little grating.
Ryan Adams
3/5
I like the album, but it does maybe lack focus or something. It feels like a lot of the same by the time you grind to the end.
a-ha
2/5
Well, there were two big hits off this album and for good reason. Super catchy, great songs. Let’s face it - they help define an era. There are other tunes on this album that are not hits, and there’s also a reason for that. They are not half as good.
The Sugarcubes
2/5
Not going to lie, I found it hard to make it all the way through. Most of the songs seem sort of half-baked or immature early songwriter versions.
The Killers
4/5
You’ve heard all the hits…. A bazillion times. But as each one came up I thought wow there’s a lot of hits on here. And the rest of the album holds up pretty well too. I had never heard the whole album, although I’d heard half of it without realizing. Very pleasantly surprised.
Radiohead
2/5
I know people love this Radiohead album. I don’t. At all. I like some of their albums a lot. But to me this is aggravatingly meandering.
Fred Neil
2/5
Hmm, like being trapped in a 60s coffeehouse. Groovy man.
Giant Sand
1/5
More like sand in your bathing suit at the beach.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
It’s good when in the mood for it. ‘Maps’ of course is the standout.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
5/5
I love this album so much. The rhythms and the gorgeous vocals I find so soothing and immersive. Very awesome.
The Allman Brothers Band
5/5
While not a huge Allman Brothers fan, at all really, this is great album.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
Doesn’t really grab me. Okay enough but just a bit background music-ish to me. Fine enough to just put on and chill I guess.
Violent Femmes
1/5
I loathe Blitser in the Sun pretty much more than anything on earth. And it was such an alt-music staple I heard it constantly for so many years. And my disdain for it just grew and grew until it became a foaming-at-the-mouth maniacal hatred unrivalled by any other. But in the interest of fairness I still put this on. Yep. I still absolutely hate that song and this album. If I could take away stars from it I would. This sucks so badly I’m surprised the earth still has an atmosphere.
Roni Size
1/5
One hour and three minutes of jittery drum loops. There, saved you an hour of your life.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Love it, some is a bit time-capsule-ish but the big tunes you already know totally defy the time that has passed. They are just so very good.
The Roots
2/5
It’s okay. Got to be in the mood for some of this though. The more laid-back stuff is chill enough but the more in-your-face moments are a little more challenging for me to just sit and listen to.
Eminem
3/5
I can accept it for what it is and was at the time. It’s not really for me though, I’ll never listen to it again.
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
The big hits are timeless classics that you know well. The rest seems a bit more stuck in a time capsule for me. Very mid-60s pop.
The Style Council
3/5
The big hits are timeless classics that you know well. The rest seems a bit more stuck in a time capsule for me. Very mid-60s pop.
LTJ Bukem
1/5
This is sound of being trapped in a hair salon in hell. Boring repetitive drum loops, boring keyboards. So aggravating. I love ambient, but this ain’t it.
The Undertones
2/5
Of it’s time. It’s okay, fine in its place. Does it hold up as great songwriting, meh no so much.
Scott Walker
1/5
It’s so totally of it’s time awful.
The Dictators
1/5
Well, it’s 1975 garage band punk at best. I mean there is a place in the world for that. But not in my house.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
C’mon it’s Sinatra. There’s no downside to it, although I’m pretty sure “swingin’”meant something else then.
Faust
2/5
It’s a bit uneven, the more jam-rock cuts are better. It opens with the sprawling Krautrock which gives great promise. The next couple of tracks are a little less even and then we flip back and forth between solid jam-type tracks and some much more weak songs.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
I’ve never listened to the whole album front-to-back in a single listening. I fell like it takes a few track to get going, definitely found the middle half to flow great, then maybe a few towards the end a like meh. But still, it’s a classic album for a really good reason.
Nirvana
4/5
Maybe I’ve overheard this so my Abe se are a bit dulled. It was good at the time so my rating reflects that, but I’m just super tired of it. And the more I hear the guitar mistake in the The Man That Sold the World the more it irks me.
David Bowie
2/5
Meh, I know it’s a big deal classic and all but it’s only okay.
R.E.M.
3/5
Hmm, okay enough.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2/5
I enjoyed them when they matured a little more, this sounds very garage-demo-ish.
Doves
4/5
Never heard of them before, but I liked it enough to play it back-to-back three or four times in a row. I’ll be happy to circle back and explore them more for sure.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I’ve never been a fan, and this didn’t change my view. I know she’s revered in some circles, and I know this album along with Blue are ‘big deals’. So I give her an extra star for being a legend, which doesn’t come easily, and for being Canadian.
Basement Jaxx
1/5
I felt like I was trapped in an 1980’s hair salon nightmare.
Dr. Dre
3/5
Tito Puente
2/5
That’s a pretty specific music genre. Of a time for sure but…not a fan.
Blur
1/5
Hate to do it, but I have to side with Oasis on this. Blur sort of sucks.
Bee Gees
2/5
The warbling sounds of a broken heart.
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
Old school rap, there’s a time and a place for it…but not often for me.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
C’mon, there’s no question here. Move along.
Sonic Youth
4/5
It's pretty great
Hugh Masekela
3/5
I was pleasantly surprised actually, I thought uh-oh another old cha-cha-cha groovy thing...but it was pretty good. I'd circle back to this, and as much as I hate to say it because I like to think of music as foreground to my life, this is kind good put on while doing stuff music.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
2/5
I’ve never loved them, glad it’s not all ‘Freebird’ but still not winning me over to a daily listen.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Love Marley and the Wailers, can listen to this all day and all night.
Ryan Adams
2/5
Overall I found it to be a little low-effort, I like lots of his stuff but this was a bit mixed song-quality-wise.
George Michael
3/5
It’s good, of it’s time a bit but still solid and there’s no denying he’s a great singer.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Well, 1960s music poetry....You can see where the legend of the great poet singer came from at least even if you don't love the music per se.
Gram Parsons
2/5
Not my favourite, but I’m not a big country-ish fan especially from this era.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
Maybe a bit sludgy for my taste, it was okay enough but I’d really have to be in the mood.
Sarah Vaughan
5/5
A live-off-the-floor performance, spectacularly recorded (it was 1957). Incredible performances, a real treat even if you are not a jazz fan it can be appreciated.
David Bowie
3/5
Hard to be objective when some songs have been heard so many times over the years…rest of the album is okay but maybe a bit more forgettable.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
I was pretty disappointed with this.
Fugees
1/5
This seems to be a bit of a polarizing album...some people think it is a masterpiece and others are somewhat less impressed. Let's put me in the later category. I don't love it, at all. I fact I found it pretty aggravating. Guess it's just not my flavour.
Neil Young
2/5
Meh, I don’t think this is Neil’s greatest work. I’m not a huge fan, but I’m not not a fan either…this just seemed pretty run-of-the-mill to
Me.
Donald Fagen
3/5
Sounded like Steely Dan….but wasn’t quite. Missing a certain I don’t know what. Still okay enough.
Pearl Jam
5/5
This album is 100 per cent great, front-to-back, no track skipping. Classic all-rounder. My only question is if the re-mix version (less reverb) is better than the original (waaay more reverb).
Buzzcocks
3/5
Stands up okay enough.
Sleater-Kinney
3/5
It’s okay, need to be in the mood for it though.
Afrika Bambaataa
3/5
Good old-school funky fun. Love the beats.
Alice In Chains
5/5
So very heavy in every way.
Britney Spears
3/5
You can certainly hear the money poured into this, she had lots of support - at least in this aspect. Not so much in the rest of her life which is a terrible story. Mostly semi-disposable late 90s pop, but well enough done.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Missy Elliott
3/5
I like her so I have some bias I'll admit...
Dire Straits
4/5
Not a giant Dire Straits fan, but this pretty great and the high rez version is stellar sounding. And c’mon, Sultans of Swing.
New Order
4/5
Great album, ya the singing is what it is. Lots of people slag New Order for the vocals but somehow for me they work.
Silver Jews
2/5
Err, I find the songwriting interesting but the delivery leaves me kind of cold.
Kanye West
1/5
No thanks.
OutKast
2/5
I hate to be one of those….but I started out thinking ya I like this. But as it dragged on, and man it does at 40 bloody tracks, I was just….enough already. Even half the tracks would have been overkill. Everything you guys burp out ain’t a gem man, just ain’t.
Slade
2/5
Bad 70s rock, goes along with the haircuts. Of its time, one better left where it was. I only just realized their ‘Move Over’ was a cover, which is obvious but for whatever reason I never linked them together. Doesn’t help any though really.
Mott The Hoople
2/5
I guess I’m just not a fan of this glam stuff from this period. It just seems sort of mediocre.
Michael Jackson
5/5
I’m no big MJ fan, buuut there is no argument in my mind that this is superlative work even if it isn’t what I’d listen to on the daily, or even monthly…yearly.
Pink Floyd
5/5
I can’t comment on this because it is one of my all-time go-to favourite albums. Automatic 5-er.
The Prodigy
2/5
I’m sure it’s great in a club. I don’t live in a club.
Fatboy Slim
2/5
Meh, it’s okay for the time. But another one that I wouldn’t toss on to play.
Skunk Anansie
2/5
Not my bag. At all. Heavy, screamy. Could have been…but it just gets to be super grating.
Portishead
4/5
Great, love ‘em.
Mj Cole
2/5
Meh, it may sound harsh but…music to get your hair cut by.
The Pogues
4/5
Incredibly I had never really listened to The Pogues beyond what seemed in through radio osmosis. It is certainly a style of music that is not passive to listen to, but I now realized in its place, this is really great stuff. I feel I missed out on this for too long.
Traffic
3/5
It’s certainly reflective of that time period, some of the songs have that 60s sound that is a real time-stamp. But still, Feelin’ Alright? C’mon.
Nas
2/5
Not for me.
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
I always thought Dinosaur Jr. kinda sucked but had never really listed to them. Now I have and my opinion remains unchanged.
Beck
4/5
Aside from Lost Cause which seems to be a Spotify indy mainstay, I had heard nothing else off the album. Pleasantly surprised at how thoughtful and well done the album was. Will listen again.
David Bowie
2/5
Curious he should compare this to Heroes, which although I’m not a giant Bowie fan, was for sure more adventurous of an album. This just all sort of felt meandering to me.
Drive-By Truckers
4/5
Never heard of them before this. Will definitely explore more but Imliked what I heard.
Kings of Leon
1/5
I’m just not a fan for whatever reason. Does zero for me.
Madonna
2/5
Meh, not a huge fan. It’s well enough done in that gobs of money are spent to make it polished and shiny. But behind all the gloss is…what? Not much really.
Elliott Smith
2/5
Meh, I know he’s a big indie darling but I find him to be such a huge downer. Yes I know that sounds totally awful considering the circumstances, but he’s just way too sad for me.
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
It’s good ‘ol time boogie-woogie rock’n’roll for sure especially since it is sort of the same song played eight different ways!
The Beta Band
3/5
Had never heard of them. Interesting. Off the bat I was, hmm I dunno, but a couple of listen-through a got me intrigued. Will definitely spin back on this one for more.
Rush
5/5
Well even if I’m not a giant Rush fan this is totally boffo. Just accept that it is excellent, in it’s lane.
The Doors
2/5
I’m going to be stoned in the courtyard for this, but I have always thought the Doors were hugely overrated. I guess in their timeframe this was more exciting. But to me….meh. On the don’t listen to and won’t again list.
Black Sabbath
3/5
While I’m not a big fan of Ozzy’s voice, and I had always shied away from Sabbath maybe as a result. I remember thinking they were so heavy, and as a young kid I was sort of scared of them. So I never really listened to them. I’m glad I did, this is okay.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Another thing I would have never listened to but should have. My musical enlightenment continues.
The KLF
3/5
It’s okay…I low key feel like I’m getting my haircut. Very backgroundy….
Scissor Sisters
4/5
Never heard this before, but I’m super pleasantly surprised. What an awesome mix of nostalgic nods to early superstars like Elton John, Bowie, Bee Gees, etc. I mean c’mon, a Bee Gees inspired retake of Comfortably Numb? Genius madness.
Q-Tip
2/5
Snore. Background music hip-hop, oh boy. Really not for me, just a meandering snoozefest.
Gorillaz
2/5
Blah. Sorry, not sorry. Meh.
Franz Ferdinand
2/5
The Strokes and The Hives had a baby and named him Franz.
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
This stands up pretty well after all this time. Always liked his voice, shame he kind of imploded after this. But at least he got one good album out.
Foo Fighters
3/5
I’ve heard it way too many times. I mean it launched a juggernaut right so, can’t be terrible. There’s some good tunes, but I’m pretty tired of it.
Baaba Maal
3/5
I kinda liked it, after a bit of a rough start. I’m a sucker for African rhythms.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
I’m not a big jazz fan, but this is great no matter how you slice it.
Tom Waits
2/5
Not really for me…
Ice T
3/5
It’s pretty heavy and gritty, certainly of that time period. Will be a bit much for many people’s ears.
Justin Timberlake
2/5
Bah, whatever.
Koffi Olomide
3/5
I love African music, it just sounds so joyous even though I have no idea what’s being said in this case. Either way, great for a Sunday morning…
2/5
Not in love with it, can decide if it is spicy Muzak or Muzak with spice. It’s semi-interesting, but with enough kind of aggravating sounds to make it not on the ‘circle back’ list.
Jimmy Smith
2/5
Did not love…
Röyksopp
2/5
Oh I dunno. Sort of laid back trip-hop-ish but more upbeat in many ways. Just doesn’t do it for me.
Happy Mondays
2/5
Bah, sort log leads me down a meandering path but doesn’t quite ever latch onto me.
Richard Thompson
2/5
Oh I know the story behind Richard and Linda, yada yada. But I don’t know this feels like a critic’s darling situation to me. I’ve just never been able to get hold of whatever was been sold.
Deep Purple
5/5
Showing a little bias maybe, but this was the first album I remember ever buying as a kid! A total classic, hands down.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Awesome, brooding, lonely, haunting, classic.
Yes
5/5
A prog classic, ain’t no doubt. I know and love this album so much.
Grateful Dead
2/5
I know they have their super dedicated fans, but for the life of me I don’t get it at all.
Deep Purple
4/5
Old school 70s hard rock, Blackmore is a king.
The Beau Brummels
1/5
In ancient times, hundreds of years before the dawn of history, lived an ancient race of people – the druids. Nobody knows who they were, or what they were doin'. But their legacy remains, hewn into the living rock of Stonehenge.
Ghostface Killah
2/5
In the right mood maybe, but I’m pretty much never in the mood for this.
Mekons
1/5
Not my thing, just kinda aggravating to me to be honest. Too loose and not interesting enough to hold me at all.
Thundercat
2/5
Left me with not much positive to say…
The Rolling Stones
5/5
C,mon, a classique for Street fighting Man and Sympathy on their own.
Elastica
3/5
Brings back those grunge-pop memories hard.
Kind of reminds me of a good time at a pub.
The Smiths
1/5
Hard to get over my intense dislike of Morrissey.
Lana Del Rey
1/5
Snoresville. The tunes just go nowhere at all.
Radiohead
3/5
I’m not as enamoured as many on this. For me it’s a bit where Radiohead started to be a little too meandering.
Fugazi
1/5
Uggh. Hate is a strong word, but this does nothing for me.
Black Sabbath
5/5
This is great stuff, had never heard this early album in all one listen. RIP Ozzy you legend.
The Go-Betweens
2/5
Meh, middle of the read sorta just there. Didn’t love, didn’t hate. Made a sandwich.
Otis Redding
4/5
Otis Redding singing is only ever going to be good!
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
All dirge, no splurge. It’s like if you took all the tunefulness out of The Cure and added a fuzz box.
Judas Priest
1/5
Does absolutely zero for me. Objectively it’s probably not terrible given their longevity and all. But this is the type of so-called metal that I really don’t enjoy.
SZA
1/5
Ya, I kinda hate this.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Old timey awesomeness.
Elvis Costello
2/5
Even though I’m not a big fan, I had hopes his songwriting craft would win the day. Sadly I just didn’t find much here to really pull me through that.
Elvis Costello
3/5
It’s okay enough, not as good as I remember but better than the last EC album that came up.
The Cure
3/5
Beatles
5/5
Aww c’mon. Does anybody not rank this is as an All-Time classic?
Supergrass
2/5
Blah, just does nothing for me.
Aerosmith
3/5
Pretty good, spawned lots of hits of course.
Nirvana
5/5
A generational album.
5/5
Is this their seminal album, is this when they turned insufferable, did they ever have another all-rounder album in them again after this? Lots of questions. To me it is surely along with The Unforgettable Fire an amazing one-two. I would also accept the duo of Achtung Baby and Zooropa maybe being in the running as a strong rallying duo.
Back in the dinosaur ages I listened to War and Boy back-to-back on a cassette on my Walkman for months. Months.
So I take this one as an always listen, tier one U2 album along with the earlier ones mentioned. As an aside I found October to be not as gripping as its predecessor and successor for whatever reason.
But since the slightly diminished in comparison duo of AB and Zoo they haven’t been able to put the lightning into the bottle again. It’s been a long time in spite of the fact they have had other albums that somehow charted much better in the post-period.
That’s why I’m ranking this up there with the best of the best.
The Undertones
3/5
Second song in I went hey, is that Feargal Sharkey singing? I forgot he was in this band.
The album is okay, pretty straightforward stuff. Not a lot of surprises.
Miles Davis
2/5
I know it is supposed to be great, but it is not my thing.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
I have never been a fan, I just…have not. So hard to get into it for me.
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Awesome, I didn’t look at the track list when I started this up and it’s just hit after hit. Classic Credence.
Talking Heads
3/5
I remember this being better to be honest, but I was never a giant fan of Byrne’s vocals so…maybe over time I’m less tolerant. I saw them play much of this live in 1980 and admittedly they were great.
The Doors
4/5
I have mixed feelings about this. Yes, a timeless classic. But there’s some kinda janky filler on here too, for me anyway. You’ve heard the big tunes, Ad infinitum, so there’s no big surprises except The End seems to go on about three days longer than I remembered.
But the enduring success and legacy of this album buy it an extra star from me.
Korn
2/5
I have problems digesting this.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
Pretty solid singing and songwriting, not necessarily my preferred genre but I could put it on again for some kinda background listening. I’ll give it more listens.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Brilliant classic album. A cultural touchstone.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
1/5
Put this on, and pretty much anybody you know will hate it. I like my fair share of prog rock but this…this…is tough stuff to chew.
That said, I may name my next dog Tarkus just because.
Pixies
2/5
Ya, I know people are generally all gaga over this album. It just doesn’t really connect very deeply with me. What can I say.
3/5
Aren’t these the guys that wrote Stairway to Heaven? Ha ha, no they are not. This is actually better than I thought it would be, but I can seen why it’s sort of in the musical history dustbin. I gave it an extra star for surprising me.
Johnny Cash
5/5
I have this whole series, it’s a lot. It’s superb, but has an aura of intense melancholy throughout. Maybe it’s just my retrospective viewpoint, but to me it is pretty dark overall. Like a man on his deathbed speaking to God….which maybe it sort of was. There are lots of surprise cover versions of songs you’d never expect (one of the other albums has a Soundgarden cover). But still, the Man in Black’s version of Hurt is absolutely devastating. Get the whole series and repent.
Dion
2/5
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
Ella sings classics, c’mon. I met her
Once, extra special.
Queen
2/5
Never been a Queen fan, this sure doesn’t change my view. Totally meh. It’s not unlistenable dreck, but it is just, whatever.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Springsteen always sounds like Springsteen of course. For me the standout track is The Fuse because it isn’t as predictable and is just dripping with a sort of melancholy.
Dolly Parton
2/5
Not my favourite genre, or even my favourite version of the genre. It’s well-enough done but it’s not for me.
Genesis
5/5
Admittedly the second half is a bit tougher sledding. It loses steam for sure but nonetheless this is a prog classic, the first half is just bonkers.
Red Snapper
4/5
This is a really crazy, cool album. Certainly not for everyone that’s for sure. It sort of reminds me of a Brand-X or Uzeb sort of vibe.
Massive Attack
4/5
A good trip-hop classic album. Dreamy and laid-back, perfect groove when you feel that way.
The Pharcyde
1/5
Uggh, I like my far share of old-school rap/hip hop. But this, no thanks. Reminds me of old Will Smith. I hate Will Smith.
Brian Eno
4/5
I’m a big ambient Eno fan, so I can the the genesis of it sort of a bit here. It’s pretty raw and out there considering the time frame. I remember way back when I first discovered this I had no idea he was in Roxy Music…but then that sort of twisted cabaret feel makes sense. To me it’s a classic even if some of it doesn’t wear as well at this point.
Marianne Faithfull
2/5
Meh, couple of okay tunes I remember from the time. But somehow that cool chic is now just sort of lacklustre.
PJ Harvey
3/5
I like PJ Harvey lots, this one from early on is good…but there are better to come. She’s so wonderfully raw and stripped-down.
The Offspring
4/5
It’s great, lots of good tunes on here. You’ve heard the hits, many times.
Carpenters
3/5
That voice, it’s a winner for me because of Karen’s amazing voice. But the schmaltz production of pop from that era hurts its
listenability many years later.
Slint
4/5
I had never heard of Slint, ever. So I approached this with a totally open mind not knowing what to expect.
It opens with Breadcrumbs Trail with is somewhat apt as it slowly leads us into the fold of the rest of the album.
It’s dark and churning, pulling up unsettled feelings from the brackish water you wade through.
It’s wonderfully raw, very glad to have found this even if it is way too late to feed my teen angst. I feel like this is the Nirvana that never made it, but had I found this album in its time I would been one of the cool kids, for sure.
Mike Oldfield
4/5
It’s hard for me to get past the title track which as a kid scared the pants off of me because of the Exorcist movie. Even today it still sends chills down my spine, irrational as that is. But I know it’s great.
CHIC
4/5
Nile Rogers is nothing short of incredible.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
Very late 60s jam-band feel, loosey goosey. Some would say meandering….
Run-D.M.C.
5/5
All around awesome plus. Old school, and great great great. And I’m not really even a huge rap/hip hop fan.
Supergrass
4/5
Had never heard them before, was super pleasantly surprised and shocked that I hadn’t heard this previously. It’s great. A new favourite.
Arctic Monkeys
2/5
I kinda feel like this is okay enough, but I can just listen to The Strokes instead and like it way more.
Harry Nilsson
2/5
I don’t see much of the appeal. Ya, there’s the two hits, well, one hit and one song you heard way too many times anyway.
Queens of the Stone Age
4/5
This is a no-holds-barred assault. If you are in the mood it’s awesome. If not it’s a lot on the ears.
Bad Brains
3/5
It’s okay, I just wouldn’t really listen to it - not totally my bag.
Janelle Monáe
2/5
While well done enough, I guess, it doesn't really resonate with me. just a bit too much going on maybe in the production. I dunno. Didn't love it.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Pretty even ateven kinda album, just rolls along with no no ups or downs. If you like it Dylan, great, if not it’s not going to change your mind.
Van Morrison
2/5
I’m not a Van Morrison fan, at all. This is good, but not for me.
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
Buh, did really not much for me. Objectively I don’t think it is a bad album, but it’s not for me.
Talking Heads
1/5
Boy, I don’t remember David Byrne being so aggravating. Ya, it has one of the three Talking Heads songs on it a non-fan could name. The rest of the album makes me want to stab needles into my ears.
The Black Keys
3/5
This was okay, I’m not a giant fan or anything but playing through the album changed my view a bit. I’ll revisit this for sure.
Justice
2/5
I’m not a big EDM-type fan so….I guess it’s okay but nothing I’d listen to.
Morrissey
1/5
This was a surprisingly okay album, but I hate that moaner Morrissey intensely.
Steve Winwood
2/5
Boy, I haven’t heard this in ages. It brings back memories of bad hair and colours on clothing that shouldn’t be together. It doesn’t wear as well as I thought it would.
The Verve
3/5
Pretty good, I was nicely surprised by this.
Sheryl Crow
3/5
Pretty good, has some hits you know. But a pretty easy listen.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
1/5
Uggh. Just, no.
Lou Reed
1/5
Okay, unpopular and contrarian opinion I know. I have always felt Lou Reed is hugely over-rated, and this sucks. This is the sound of neck-beard dudes in black turtle neck sweaters drinking super hoppy IPA and eating fried kelp sandwiches and pretending it’s good. Just go away with your rolled-up jeans and clunky boots. You are annoying. But not as annoying as this album. If you like it, great. Don’t play it when I’m over please and thank-you.
Orange Juice
3/5
Never heard this before. Obviously very influenced by Talking Heads, but I sort of
like it better.
Tortoise
4/5
This is great backgroundy/ambient stuff. My wife thinks I’m crazy.
Christina Aguilera
2/5
She’s got a crazy strong voice for sure, but this whole style of over-blown singing just isn’t my thing.
Stereo MC's
2/5
Music to play in the background, like while you get your hair cut or something. Whatever.
TV On The Radio
2/5
Not sold.
Gary Numan
4/5
He was so far ahead of his time, I never appreciated this album properly. Speed forward to now and with hindsight you can see all the music that Numan inspired and led the way on.
Dizzee Rascal
1/5
Uggh, not for me in the least.
The National
4/5
Great album, although I find the opening track mix is just…horrible.
The Replacements
3/5
it's okay enough, I'd throw it on again for sure.
The Zutons
2/5
Meh, didn’t stop me in my tracks. Not terrible but just didn’t pull me in at all.
Brian Eno
4/5
I’m a big Eno fan so…I’ve always had a soft spot for this early stuff. It wears the time pretty well still.
The Cars
5/5
Absolutely chock-o-block filled with hits and hooks that never end. I’ve been a fan of this album since it came out.
George Jones
2/5
I’m not a fan of country, even if this is at least a more ‘pure’ form than the new country these days, which is at least okay in that it is the old-school ‘proper’ form. I still wouldn’t listen to it.
Suicide
2/5
Urgently boring.
New York Dolls
2/5
Hmm, pretty sure I played in garage bands that were no worse than this. I guess it had it’s spot in the timeline it was in but…
Van Halen
3/5
It’s got the hits alright, but also some weedly-weedly filler. If that’s not for you, you already know the hits all too well and can live without the rest.
The B-52's
4/5
Total classic, every single track. Stands up so well.
Iron Maiden
2/5
I find with so much metal….the playing may be great, the actual songs don’t do much for me.
Songhoy Blues
3/5
It was okay enough, a bit of a different and refreshing perspective.
Solange
4/5
It was surprisingly good actually, I was expecting... I don't know what but this was way better than I thought it would be.
Talvin Singh
2/5
Started off like I thought I would like it, but that diminished with every track. Just not enough sticking power for me, some just doesn't work great.
Blue Cheer
3/5
Awesome heavy 60s, a full frontal assault in your living room.
David Gray
4/5
I knew one song, somehow, as I didn’t think I knew of him at all. Super pleasantly surprised and will revisit him for sure.
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
Annoying shit. Sorry, not sorry.
Kate Bush
5/5
It’s awesome. One of my favourite albums.
Fishbone
3/5
It’s okay enough, a little much for me but it’s not bad.
Beatles
5/5
It’s an all-time classic album for many reasons and you know it.
David Crosby
2/5
It’s okay enough, points to what more is to come.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
This is the real goods. It’s just so good, so, so very good.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Objectively it’s not terrible, but I don’t like it. It’s as if The Girl From Ipanema was transported to the 80s. Didn’t realize they wrote I Son’t Want To Talk About It, I always had associated that with Rod the Mod. Nonetheless I shall not revisit this album in the future.
Baaba Maal
2/5
It’s nice to heard something different. That said, many will find the songs to be very repetitive, almost like loops playing. Over and over for 5 or six minutes. It can get to be a bit boring.
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
Ya, not my bag at all.
2/5
Really didn’t do much for me. I was never a huge fan, but this felt a little meandering and unfocused.
R.E.M.
4/5
A little dated maybe but still great. I had this cassette in my car for ages when it came out, great to hear it all again.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Maybe after repeat listens I would get it more, but for now it leaves me kind of flat.
2/5
Sounds great thanks to Trevor Horn, of course it’s going to be polished as hell. I’m not a fan though of the genre so….
Simple Minds
4/5
I love Simple Minds, so big thumb’s up for me.
Jane Weaver
4/5
Frank Black
2/5
Meh, I don’t love it. Never was a big Pixies fan either so there you go.
Eels
3/5
X-Ray Spex
3/5
Well it sure is of the era, pretty basic late punk-ish entering into the pre-new wave era. Surfing that spot in-between. But certainly captures the time.
Sepultura
2/5
Prince
4/5
It’s Prince….no mistaking him for anybody else!
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
2/5
Probably better live…..back then.
Nick Drake
3/5
I’ve heard the title track track way too many times over the last few years, for whatever reason. It seems to make a lot of playlists. The rest is solid enough.
The Streets
2/5
Did not enjoy this, at all.
Neu!
3/5
Not at all what I expected. Most was okay, couple of tracks were meh.
Radiohead
4/5
I’m not a giant fan really, but it’s hard to argue that this isn’t pretty great.
Tom Waits
2/5
Maybe in the right mood, but a little too much warble for me.
2/5
And so is blur sort of.
Doves
4/5
I love when you find a band from this list you’ve never heard of and really like them. This is great.
Van Morrison
3/5
Moondance, one of the most overplayed songs of my generation. To the point where I just hate it. Hate. Point deducted for the continuing assault.
2/5
For me this is the time Dylan really leaned into ‘the voice’ which led to it being the foundation of every parody since. It’s not as enjoyable as the album versions of tunes that came before.
Queen
2/5
Never been a Queen fan, and will not be. Ya it has Bohemian Rhapsody on it, but I just don't love them at all. People do, just not me. It's obviously not a terrible album or they wouldn't be rock icons. I just don't care for them.
Miles Davis
3/5
Maybe a little more accessible Miles for those who can’t go all in on a some of his more challenging stuff.
Love
5/5
Totally admitting a gigantic bias, I grew up in this album and have loved it my whole life.
Metallica
2/5
Imagine if Spinal Tap did a Bond movie soundtrack. Okay it’s not that horrible, but some things, like say a peanut butter and salmon sandwich, should maybe just not exist. I’m sure someone likes it, but they are also probably a serial killer.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
It’s okay enough, never heard this before. Will maybe give them a deeper look as time permits.
Robert Wyatt
1/5
I tried to give it a chance. Really. But it is just time I’ll never get back. Hard pass.
The Modern Lovers
2/5
Had its moments, will probably not revisit it though.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
You know the hits, of which there are many. You’ve heard them many times over the years. For some this was peak Springsteen. I never really got into him much, although recently I have acquired an appreciation for sure. But one of my main gripes about him is in full display on this album. Oh boy, the over-the-top bombastic production is really a downer for me. Is that a key as to why I like Nebraska so much more? Anyway, it’s top Boss.
Lenny Kravitz
2/5
Meh, it's okay enough but I have always found him to feel not very genuine - like an actor pretending to be a rock star.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
Genuinely surprised by this. Had no real expectations.
JAY Z
2/5
Never been a fan.
Le Tigre
2/5
Maybe when I was young and this came out it would feel different to me, but now so many years later it just seems sort of lightweight.
Talking Heads
2/5
This is the third Talking Heads album serves up to me. I find myself increasingly aggravated by them. Is this like a fine cheese that ages and becomes sublime with the passage of time, or is it just kind of funky smelling and off-putting? I’m leaning towards the latter, the more old Talking Heads I hear the less I like them.
Joy Division
2/5
Well, that’s dreary innit?
Primal Scream
1/5
I had hopes when the album opened, but they soon faded the deeper I got. The more, umm, adventuresome tracks after a while just get more and more aggravating. In the end, super disappointed.