My 1001 Albums Journey

139

Albums Rated

3.58

Average Rating

13%

Complete

950 albums remaining

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Taste Profile

1980s

Favorite Decade

Post-punk

Favorite Genre

other

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1-Star Albums

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Albums

You Love More Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
Blood And Chocolate Elvis Costello & The Attractions	5	2.92	+2.08
Ocean Rain Echo And The Bunnymen	5	3.22	+1.78
More Songs About Buildings And Food Talking Heads	5	3.42	+1.58
Murmur R.E.M.	5	3.42	+1.58
Sign 'O' The Times Prince	5	3.45	+1.55
Tusk Fleetwood Mac	5	3.46	+1.54
War U2	5	3.48	+1.52
Talking Heads 77 Talking Heads	5	3.56	+1.44
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots The Flaming Lips	5	3.57	+1.43
The Velvet Underground & Nico The Velvet Underground	5	3.62	+1.38

You Love Less Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
Pump Aerosmith	1	3.11	-2.11
The Stranger Billy Joel	2	3.85	-1.85
Boston Boston	2	3.71	-1.71
Born To Run Bruce Springsteen	2	3.64	-1.64
Illinois Sufjan Stevens	2	3.5	-1.5
Blood Sugar Sex Magik Red Hot Chili Peppers	2	3.5	-1.5
Parachutes Coldplay	2	3.46	-1.46
Cheap Thrills Big Brother & The Holding Company	2	3.43	-1.43
The Yes Album Yes	2	3.31	-1.31
Countdown To Ecstasy Steely Dan	2	3.28	-1.28

Artists

Favorites

Artist	Albums	Average
Talking Heads	4	4.75
Pink Floyd	4	4.5
R.E.M.	3	4.67
Beatles	2	5
Fleetwood Mac	2	5
Prince	3	4.33
The Cure	3	4.33

Least Favorites

Artist	Albums	Average
Aerosmith	2	1.5

5-Star Albums (25)

View Album Wall

1-Star Albums (1)

All Ratings

Led Zeppelin IV

Led Zeppelin

4/5

I was a Led Zeppelin kid in junior high school, and this is the one we listened to a lot. Nowadays, I prefer Led Zeppelin III (hippie folk rock) or their first (a "hit you in the head" debut). But IV is holding up pretty well as a blend of those approaches, even if I never need to hear the overplayed "Stairway To Heaven" again.

Boston

2/5

You can't mistake Boston for anyone else, although the keyboard parts hint of an ELP influence. I appreciate the DIY effort of Tom Scholz, but the music itself is obnoxious, with throwaway lyrics. By the end of the eight tracks here, it all sounds the same.

Tres Hombres

ZZ Top

3/5

The Suburbs

Arcade Fire

4/5

Vol. 4

Black Sabbath

4/5

Strangeways, Here We Come

The Smiths

4/5

The White Room

The KLF

2/5

Born To Run

Bruce Springsteen

2/5

Tanto Tempo

Bebel Gilberto

3/5

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan

5/5

Abbey Road

Beatles

5/5

Lost Souls

Doves

3/5

Doves have a definite early 2000s Brit sound that hasn't aged well, similar to Coldplay. There are some tuneful moments here, notably "The Man Who Told Everything." But muddy production and drab vocals bring this down a notch.

Tusk

Fleetwood Mac

5/5

1979 was the year of double albums: The Wall, London Calling, and Tusk. Each had notable showstoppers. In the famously quirky Tusk, those showstoppers are the title track and "Sara." The former is Peak Lindsey, the latter Peak Stevie. Those two songs alone make this album a rewarding listen, but don't overlook hidden gems like "Brown Eyes" and "Walk A Thin Line."

Good Old Boys

Randy Newman

4/5

A compelling chronicle of the South. This album has a cinematic feel, a foreshadowing of Newman's move into film soundtracks later in his career.

Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

The Flaming Lips

5/5

The Lips' magnum opus. Even if you find Wayne Coyne annoying, you will be pulling for Yoshimi as you glide thru the lush soundscapes of "It's Summertime" and ""Do You Realize??"

A Rush Of Blood To The Head

Coldplay

4/5

The only Coldplay album you need, and it established the band's brand of user-friendly rock. "Politik" jump-starts things, with other highlights including "The Scientist," "Amsterdam," and the title track. These are fine songs that are well written, produced and performed. In a more dubious achievement, "In My Place" and "Clocks" remain in heavy rotation at grocery stores.

Sign 'O' The Times

Prince

5/5

Prince in his prime.

Disintegration

The Cure

5/5

An epic achievement. My favorite Cure album with my favorite song of theirs, "Pictures of You."

Larks' Tongues In Aspic

King Crimson

3/5

Deep, deep 1970s prog. This album is at its best during its lengthy instrumental sections and at its worst with the feeble vocals of John Wetton.

After The Gold Rush

Neil Young

4/5

The Stone Roses

4/5

A few clunkers outweighed by several bangers (including "Fools Gold," available on the US version of the album). Ideal music for shuffling at the club whilst staring at your shoes.

Paranoid

Black Sabbath

4/5

Gritty, tough and occasionally scary. The track order is off: close it with "War Pigs."

The Hissing Of Summer Lawns

Joni Mitchell

4/5

I prefer jazzy Joni over folkie Joni.

Wish You Were Here

Pink Floyd

5/5

Pile on many more layers, and I'll be joining you there.

Sticky Fingers

The Rolling Stones

4/5

War

5/5

The one that created the U2 sound. Strong songs from start to finish.

Porcupine

Echo And The Bunnymen

3/5

Ocean Rain is the one you need to listen to.

Talking Heads 77

Talking Heads

5/5

Doolittle

Pixies

4/5

Parachutes

Coldplay

2/5

1999

Prince

4/5

Led Zeppelin III

Led Zeppelin

5/5

L.A. Woman

The Doors

3/5

The title track is their best song — actual poetry without the pretension that characterizes their other work.

Back At The Chicken Shack

Jimmy Smith

3/5

Tidal

Fiona Apple

4/5

Remain In Light

Talking Heads

5/5

I'm a tumbler. I'm a government man.

Scissor Sisters

4/5

The first three tracks kill it, especially the cover of "Comfortably Numb."

Highway 61 Revisited

Bob Dylan

4/5

Illinois

Sufjan Stevens

2/5

Not so much a concept album and more of a contrivance album, burdened by irritating vocals and complicated arrangements.

Talking With the Taxman About Poetry

Billy Bragg

4/5

Raw Power

The Stooges

4/5

Appetite For Destruction

Guns N' Roses

4/5

Imagine

John Lennon

4/5

Life's Too Good

The Sugarcubes

4/5

My first CD!

Eliminator

ZZ Top

3/5

Who's Next

The Who

5/5

Graceland

Paul Simon

3/5

Physical Graffiti

Led Zeppelin

3/5

Delete the obvious filler and it would be a solid 55-minute CD, if that technology had existed at the time. Docked one star for the band claiming writing credit for "In My Time of Dying."

In Rainbows

Radiohead

5/5

McCartney

Paul McCartney

4/5

Macca music for quiet Sunday mornings

Rumours

Fleetwood Mac

5/5

You better put your kingdom up for sale.

Seventeen Seconds

The Cure

4/5

Teen Dream

Beach House

3/5

Out Of The Blue

Electric Light Orchestra

4/5

I'm Your Man

Leonard Cohen

4/5

Heartattack And Vine

Tom Waits

4/5

Led Zeppelin II

Led Zeppelin

3/5

Unlike its predecessor, this album is sloppy and unfocused. There are the usual Zeppelin ripoffs of blues artists. The album is redeemed by the ballad "Thank You," and the bass and keyboard work of John Paul Jones, the band's most valuable player throughout its run.

Rust Never Sleeps

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

4/5

The Velvet Underground & Nico

The Velvet Underground

5/5

Violent Femmes

4/5

The Downward Spiral

Nine Inch Nails

4/5

Van Halen

3/5

Hot Rats

Frank Zappa

3/5

Intermittently interesting hippie noodling.

Nighthawks At The Diner

Tom Waits

4/5

Off The Wall

Michael Jackson

3/5

Blood Sugar Sex Magik

Red Hot Chili Peppers

2/5

Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols

Sex Pistols

3/5

Vauxhall And I

Morrissey

4/5

The last solid Morrissey album, thanks in large part to producer Steve Lillywhite

The Cars

4/5

Heaven Or Las Vegas

Cocteau Twins

3/5

The one you want to hear is Blue Bell Knoll.

The Doors

3/5

Brothers In Arms

Dire Straits

3/5

This hasn't aged well, and it has some obvious filler. "Love Over Gold" is the one you need to hear.

The Stranger

Billy Joel

2/5

My Aim Is True

Elvis Costello

4/5

More Songs About Buildings And Food

Talking Heads

5/5

The Velvet Underground

4/5

The Yes Album

Yes

2/5

The only one you really need to hear is Fragile and its best track, "Heart of the Sunrise."

Automatic For The People

R.E.M.

5/5

Black Sabbath

4/5

The Wall

Pink Floyd

5/5

Sides 1 and 3: 5 stars Sides 2 and 4: 4 stars Best track: "Nobody Home" None of it works without producer Bob Ezrin and engineer James Guthrie.

The Wildest!

Louis Prima

4/5

Pump

Aerosmith

1/5

Simply unlistenable.

Let It Be

The Replacements

4/5

The Queen Is Dead

The Smiths

5/5

Document

R.E.M.

4/5

Fragile

Yes

3/5

"Heart of the Sunrise" is the banger here. The rest is overplayed or simply dull.

The Dark Side Of The Moon

Pink Floyd

5/5

Best track: "Us and Them," the perfect blend of Rick Wright's composition and Roger Waters' lyrics.

Countdown To Ecstasy

Steely Dan

2/5

Thriller

Michael Jackson

4/5

Band On The Run

Paul McCartney and Wings

3/5

Nebraska

Bruce Springsteen

4/5

They blew up The Chicken Man in Philly last night

Berlin

Lou Reed

3/5

Bob Ezrin's precursor to The Wall

The United States Of America

2/5

A Night At The Opera

Queen

3/5

Darkness on the Edge of Town

Bruce Springsteen

3/5

Pornography

The Cure

4/5

Achtung Baby

4/5

A suitable reboot. Best tracks: "Zoo Station" and "The Fly"

Armed Forces

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

3/5

Crocodiles

Echo And The Bunnymen

3/5

Ocean Rain is the one you want to listen to

...Baby One More Time

Britney Spears

3/5

Happy Trails

Quicksilver Messenger Service

2/5

Hail To the Thief

Radiohead

4/5

Fear Of Music

Talking Heads

4/5

The Madcap Laughs

Syd Barrett

4/5

Woodface

Crowded House

4/5

Their best album, just ahead of Temple of Low Men. Favorite track: "Whispers and Moans"

Destroyer

KISS

2/5

Production by Bob Ezrin props up the marginal talents of the band. Skip the album and go for the 45 of "Detroit Rock City" backed with "Beth."

Oar

Alexander 'Skip' Spence

3/5

Bay Area Barrett

Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1

George Michael

3/5

Dust off those gossamer wings and fly yourself to the moon of your choice.

Manassas

Stephen Stills

2/5

The Lexicon Of Love

ABC

3/5

Viva Hate

Morrissey

3/5

A relatively successful facsimile of a Smiths record, especially with "Suedehead," "Every Day Is Like Sunday," and "Dial-A-Cliche." The regrettable "Bengali In Platforms" turned out to be a sign of things to come.

Faith

George Michael

3/5

Rocks

Aerosmith

2/5

Cheap Thrills

Big Brother & The Holding Company

2/5

Great album cover!

Electric Prunes

The Electric Prunes