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Tue Dec 05 2023
Maggot Brain
Funkadelic
A rich example of psychedelia and funk of time period, that is remarkably current.
The title track is a near-cliché of psychedelic rock. It's a dark, beautiful exploration of expression by guitar. It's beautifully played.
I hear so much of Bernie Worrell on this album. His style of funk keyboard is a big part of the Funkadelic sound.
5
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Wed Dec 06 2023
Frank
Amy Winehouse
This is an unbelievable debut album. Her voice sounds so rich, so mature... This would appear to be the work of an experienced artists
This album is timeless - while she was of a particular era, this could have been released anywhere in the last fifty years. Great, soulful mix.
5
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Thu Dec 07 2023
Songs In The Key Of Life
Stevie Wonder
This is an incredible album. It is joyful, soulful, and even angry (at time, in a "Stevie" way). This is an amazing expression of life, love, and strife. This is Stevie's 18th studio album, and may be his best.
Some of the songs are now classics, bigger that R&B, or pop, or rock. This is a cultural expression, and may be one of the greatest albums of all time.
5
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Fri Dec 08 2023
Sound of Silver
LCD Soundsystem
I downloaded this album - when that was a common thing. I had this on a collection on a ipod mini that I filled with downloads. I love this album.
This is an incredible collection of dance tracks - simple, compelling, and fun. James Murphy can produce fun, catchy tunes with a punk-like attitude.
5
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Sat Dec 09 2023
Africa Brasil
Jorge Ben Jor
This is the first album on this last I had never heard of - knew of - in any way aware of... This is Jorge Ben's fourteenth album - a seasoned artist who apparently adopted an electric guitar and elements of American funk for this album.
I know very little of Brazilian music - this is of a dated funk/soul style - great vocalist and back-up singers in an r&b/motown-type sound. He integrates a range of latin rhythms with the other elements of a big funk band - a horn section and strong keys.
4
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Sun Dec 10 2023
British Steel
Judas Priest
This album is a metal classic. This was the band's sixth album, and by this time, the band had matured and found their sound.
Their sound inspired much of metal music - power chord riffs, driving drums, and a scream/ falsetto lead singer
3
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Mon Dec 11 2023
Made In Japan
Deep Purple
This band was a pillar of classic rock, and a few of their classics are on this album.
1. Drum solos are often disappointing.
2. Guitar solos have progressed significantly in the last 40 years.
3. There is a segment where the singer is mimicking what the guitarist is playing. They were having fun, but it was not that great to listen to.
3
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Tue Dec 12 2023
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Red Hot Chili Peppers
This may be the RHCPs at their best. This Rick Rubin-produced, 17 track effort established the band as an internationally known act. Their punk inspired funk flourished under Rubin's guidance. He has produced many of their subsequent albums. RHCP's history with Parliment and George Clinton is evident in their sound - especially "Sir Psycho Sexy."
This album was central to the sound of 90's popular music, and established RHCPs as an influential band in American music.
5
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Wed Dec 13 2023
Melody A.M.
Röyksopp
This debut album of upbeat, ambient electronic began a long career for Royksopp. The tracks experiment with a variety of sounds, providing variety in music that could be critiqued as repetitive.
This album was clearly influential - there is a great deal of ambient and soundtrack music that sounds like Royksopp. In that vein, the tracks are fun, catchy, and danceable, but none of them stand out as particularly great.
4
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Thu Dec 14 2023
Autobahn
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk's fourth album may be the beginning of electronic pop - and the genesis of the soundtrack of video games. The title track is an attempt to represent the experience of driving on the Autobahn. It's rhythm and repetitive nature create the mesmerizing feeling of driving at highway speeds.
Kraftwerk's robotic, minimalistic sound was formative to several genres of music, including techno and house. The tracks on this album have a beautiful, simple elegance that has inspired many musicians.
4
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Fri Dec 15 2023
Figure 8
Elliott Smith
This is a collection of orchestrated, produced pop songs in the tradition of late Beatles songs. It is not surprising that Elliott Smith found some fame covering a Beatles song. This was the final studio album of Smith's brief, tragic life, and part of the album's acclaim may be a recognition of lost potential.
Smith seems appropriately grouped with Sufjan Stevens, not only for stylistic similarity, but also for his singular vision and effort. Smith wrote and produced all of the songs, and played the majority of the instruments on the album.
There's an odd tension between these songs: some with melancholic, and even dark messages (songs "Son of Sam" and "Everything Means Nothing to Me") and others with an uplifting message ("Happiness" and "Everything Reminds Me of Her").
4
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Sat Dec 16 2023
Homework
Daft Punk
This album was the enormously successful debut from the pair of French producers. They produced the tracks as singles, and compiled the album after a two of the singles met with commercial success.
The album contains a few of Daft Punk's hits, like "Da Funk" and "Around the World." These tracks have become classics of French house music and post-disco. These tracks are simple, catchy dance tracks with widespread appeal. With this album, Daft Punk help propel the commercial success of dance music.
The album is less consistent that DP's later efforts. Some track are so minimal that they approach "repetitive to boring" in segments - for example "Rock n Roll."
3
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Sun Dec 17 2023
A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse
Faces
This album is an from a British rock group of the early 70s, a short-live project that included Rod Stewart and Ron Wood. This is a collection of fun, loose rock songs, like "Stay with Me," which showcases Rod Stewart's raspy, vocal prowess. The album also includes a cover of Chuck Berry's "Memphis," providing a glimpse of the inspiration for Faces and British rock of the time.
4
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Mon Dec 18 2023
Pump
Aerosmith
This is the tenth studio album from this productive band. Pump includes great examples of the band aggressive, confident style which creates polished hard rock songs with popular appeal. Songs like "Love in an Elevator" demonstrate the band's ability bring metal riffs into popular songs. The band also produces rich ballads, like "Janie's got a Gun" and "What it takes," showing the impressive range of the band's skills.
4
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Tue Dec 19 2023
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
This is the debut album from the King of Rock and Roll. These songs are formative to rock and roll, broadly. Elvis had released a number of successful singles before this album. By the time of release, Elvis had already started touring extensively and his fame was growing.
Elvis was the first rock star. He became famous for his incredible voice; his boundless charisma made him a star. Elvis' music - including rock, ballads, and gospel - helped to establish the incredible range that exists in modern music. The legends about the King of Rock and Roll may be as significant.
5
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Wed Dec 20 2023
Heaux Tales
Jazmine Sullivan
This in a great EP from a modern R&B singer. The track include short, spoken word segments, and the songs that follow are studies of the character types expressed through the spoken word tracks.
4
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Thu Dec 21 2023
Illmatic
Nas
This is Nas' debut album.
2
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Fri Dec 22 2023
Toys In The Attic
Aerosmith
This is Aerosmith's third album, and their biggest commercial success. This work contains some of their biggest hits, like "Walk this Way" and "Sweet Emotion." The band's raunchy, confident style is a defining element of their songs, and their popular appeal made them one of the biggest rock bands of the 70s and 80s.
3
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Sat Dec 23 2023
Either Or
Elliott Smith
This is Smith's third album, and contains some of his most famous songs. A few of these songs were in the film "Good Will Hunting," including the original "Miss Misery." That song received an Oscar nomination, and led to Smith's first few televised appearances. The success of the film propelled Smith's career. Smith's songs, with complex orchestrations and earnest, compelling lyrics worked well with the film's themes.
4
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Sun Dec 24 2023
Highway 61 Revisited
Bob Dylan
This is Dylan's first rock album. This was released just after the uproar around Dylan leaving folk music behind and "going electric." This is a collection of songs that have helped define modern popular music. It leads off with "Like a Rolling Stone," which is among the most influential songs from the sixties and from Dylan's extensive catalog. While he had "gone electric," Dylan's songs continue to tell rich stories full of vivid images, like "Highway 61 Revisited."
Dylan's music has elements of folk, blues, and threads of traditional American music which add dimension to his engaging storytelling.
5
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Mon Dec 25 2023
Rain Dogs
Tom Waits
Tom Waits' work sits outside of genres - his jazz/blues/scat/vaudeville is a beautiful expression of the dark side of life. Waits tells stories about society's dispossessed and their stories in New York City.
Waits' raspy, expressive voice adds to his unique sound - a fascinating amalgamation of styles of American music.
5
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Tue Dec 26 2023
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
This may be the greatest Christmas album. This is Phil Spector's collection of seasonal classics, in his well-produced, orchestrated style.
4
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Wed Dec 27 2023
Hounds Of Love
Kate Bush
This may be Kate Bush's best album; it was critically and commercially. This is a collection of beautiful songs, highlighting Bush's lovely voice. Bush's art pop has been remarkably influential on generations of musicians in a surprising range of genres.
4
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Thu Dec 28 2023
No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live)
Motörhead
This is Motorhead's first live album. They had released five studio albums and toured extensively at the time of this release. Motorhead had gained the polished confidence of a seasoned band. Their hard, driven style of rock helped create speed metal.
While practiced, their songs lack significant range
3
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Fri Dec 29 2023
Dirty
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth's seventh studio album includes a collection of noise rock tracks, typical of their edgy, guitar driven sound. SY's sound - as clearly expressed on this album as any - was influential in avant-rock for decades
3
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Sat Dec 30 2023
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme
Simon & Garfunkel
This is the third studio album from Simon & Garfunkel, and arguably their masterpiece. This collection of songs has the pair's characteristic harmonies, with beautiful orchestrations. Simon's passionate lyrics place these songs in the social upheaval of the sixties, and among the most influential of the folk rock albums of popular music.
5
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Sun Dec 31 2023
3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of...
Arrested Development
This is the brilliant debut album from Arrested Development. It is a joyful, wise, and diverse collection of tracks from the band that created Southern hip-hop, with their unique sound. They combine rap, sampling, and remixing elements with traces of funk, soul, and R&B.
This album met with wide-spread critical acclaim, and established Arrested Development as an influential group in hip hop and rap. Their positive, humble, thoughtful perspective sits in sharp contrast with the gansta rap that dominated that era (and most eras since).
5
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Mon Jan 01 2024
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
This is the debut studio album from the Foo Fighters. This collection of songs was written and performed - almost entirely - by Dave Grohl. This collection of songs was recorded in a few days, and mostly written by Grohl while on tour with Nirvana. The product is a collection of songs that defined post-grunge modern rock.
Some tracks, like "This is a Call," sound like an obvious next step for an artist to take after Nirvana. Others, like "Big Me," could have come from a band in the late sixties - or any decade since. The timeless quality of some of Foo Fighters' work - with Grohl's impressive range of talents - has lead to their enduring appeal
4
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Tue Jan 02 2024
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
Ray Charles
"Modern Sounds" may be Ray Charles' greatest album(s). Charles' move in to country and western was possible because he gained artistic control of his projects in the early 60s. Previous success afforded considerable freedoms - and a rare level of creative control for the era.
Charles crossed racial lines moving into country music. He brought his vocal skill, R&B background, and big band orchestrations to these country standards. His soulful renditions brought considerable critical and commercial success, and helped bolster Charles' position as one of the most influential American recording artists.
5
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Wed Jan 03 2024
Alien Lanes
Guided By Voices
This is a collection of brief, indie-pop songs from a prolific group. The songs demonstrate the songwriting skills of the group's founder, Robert Pollard. Some songs are catchy, but all brief enough to leave you wanting more and to avoid becoming memorable.
This was clearly influential - you can hear glimpses of many other indie-pop artists in this work.
3
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Thu Jan 04 2024
This Nation’s Saving Grace
The Fall
The Fall was a prolific post-punk band from England. The Nation's Saving Grace is a collection of punk songs with catchy guitar riffs and strong bass lines - punk with a push toward pop sounds.
3
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Fri Jan 05 2024
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
David Bowie
This is Bowie's break-out album. These glam-rock songs about the myth of Ziggy Stardust established Bowie as a a rock star and an icon of pop culture. Combining elements of blues, soul, and traditional rock, Bowie tells the story of a rock star/messiah that is trying to save a world that is spiraling toward disaster. While his "rock opera" may not have met with the success of other such efforts, these tracks did launch Bowie's career and add "glam rock star" to the mythology about rock stars in our culture.
4
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Sat Jan 06 2024
Hail To the Thief
Radiohead
Before Radiohead, nothing sounded like Radiohead. Even early Radiohead didn't sound like Radiohead. After OK Computer, everything changed.
Radiohead experiments with electronic elements in their approach to guitar rock. The results are soundscapes that influenced musicians all over the world, and made Radiohead one of the best-known bands in the world.
5
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Sun Jan 07 2024
Lady Soul
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin has one of the greatest voices to ever record popular music. Her skill as a soul/gospel/R&B singer is unmatched. Her incredible voice changed popular music. Aretha showed that world that gospel and soul music were potent elements to add to R&B and rock.
Lady Soul includes some of Aretha's most famous tracks, and shows her impressive range. The album includes 60s rock classics like "Chain of Fools," and soulful ballads like "A Natural Woman."
5
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Mon Jan 08 2024
Now I Got Worry
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion had live shows that were describes as explosive and energetic. The recorded version of their music captures their energy, but does not present much of interest. The songs are repetitive, simplistic, and unpolished.
This is certainly not "blues," in any traditional sense. Described as "scuzz-rock" or "scuzz-blues," these songs have a post-punk sound, and some of the guitar riffs and bass lines may interest those drawn to punk. Even those drawn to this will likely be disappointed - these inconsistent songs are not that memorable.
1
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Tue Jan 09 2024
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
With this album, Black Sabbath started heavy metal. They forged a hard, driven version of blues and rock with elements of psychedelia and ample use of distortion. Tony Iommi's technical guitar riffs connect Black Sabbath's music to both rocks' and blues' traditions of guitar driven songs. Ozzy Osbourne's unique, strained vocals pushed their music into something outside of those traditions.
Sabbath's associations with the occult has plagued hard rock throughout its history.
3
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Wed Jan 10 2024
Feast of Wire
Calexico
Calexico has a unique sound. A fusion of folk, Latin, electronic, and jazz elements, Calexico has created a type of folk music that sounds like the American Southwest.
This beautiful collection of songs is the work of an experienced band - this is their fourth studio album. Calexico remastered Feast of a Wire for its twentieth anniversary, and added a number of live track with the reissue. The band's skill as a live act is evident, and adds another interesting dimension to this fantastic album.
4
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Thu Jan 11 2024
Time (The Revelator)
Gillian Welch
This is a collection of well-crafted folk songs from Gillian Welch. She records and performs songs with her partner, David Rawlings. Her lovely, warbling voice evokes traditional, Appalachian folk songs. Welch tells stories in her songs about historical events and the role of music in our lives.
3
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Fri Jan 12 2024
#1 Record
Big Star
This is an incredible album of not-so-popular pop music. Reminiscent of the Beatles and the Byrds, this is a collection of great pop songs, that was very influential on pop music for decades after its release.
The band was short lived, and the marketing and distribution of the album was a failure, so the band was far less known that it might have been (perhaps, should have been). One track, "In the Street," became the theme song for "That 70s Show," which helped revive interest in Big Star.
4
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Sat Jan 13 2024
Cloud Nine
The Temptations
This is the Temptations' eighth studio album. This group of songs was influenced by the psychedelic soul that Sly and the Family Stone had made popular. These songs were a noticeable step from their previous efforts, which focused on romantic ballads.
The change was successful, and this album won a Grammy. The Temptation already had a successful career, and this collection of great tracks accelerated their success.
4
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Sun Jan 14 2024
Fuzzy Logic
Super Furry Animals
This is an interesting collection of glam-rock and psychedelic pop songs. Super Furry Animals was a band from Wales, and this debut album met with modest success and critical reception. The album includes some great pop songs, like "Hometown Unicorn." The songs are somewhat inconsistent, where SFA's experimentations were not as fruitful, like "Gathering Moss" and "Long Gone."
3
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Mon Jan 15 2024
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears is an interesting band - it's a jazz band, or perhaps an R&B band, playing rock/pop songs, and occasional classical pieces. The band was immensely talented, very well received, and very successful. Unfortunately, for a series of missteps and considerable turn-over in the lineup, the band did not have a very long career.
This album includes a few staples of 60's classic rock, like "You Make Me So Very Happy" and "And When I Die." The combination of R&B sounds, soulful singing, and support from the horn section made BS&T's rich sound so very interesting.
4
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Tue Jan 16 2024
The Velvet Underground & Nico
The Velvet Underground
Rock, and popular music in general, is "cool." Often, popular music defines cool - from Elvis's snarl to Prince's swagger - rock stars set the standards for what we think of as "cool." When it is coupled with talent - like with Elvis or Prince - the result can be incredible music.
Sometimes, the cool kids without much talent make music. This music can still be thought of as "cool," but it may not be great music. Imo, Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground fit this description. With images of life in New York, and discussing drugs, and connections with Andy Warhol, and then add in Nico, the Velvet Underground is definitely cool. The songs are simplistic, bleak, and and cool because they were supposed to be cool.
Many of these songs are remarkably famous, and incredibly influential. VU set standards for punk and avant-garde musicians for decades. Broadly - even if music is popular and influential, that does not mean that we all have to like it.
2
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Wed Jan 17 2024
Future Days
Can
Can is a German, experimental rock band that produced beautiful, mesmerizing soundscapes. The tracks on Future Days have an atmospheric, ethereal quality, with a richness that comes from impressive musicianship and intricate composition. The complexity of their work supports their longer tracks; "Bel Air" clocks in at almost twenty minutes.
Can was clearly influential; it is not surprising that Radiohead notes that Can was an influence. Can's music also seems like a precursor to a number of electronic music styles.
5
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Thu Jan 18 2024
Oar
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
Oar is a collection of dark songs that Skip Spence wrote while he was confined in a mental hospital. Spence had been a member of the band Moby Grape. During a drug induced melt-down, he tried to attack member of the band with an axe. While committed, he wrote the songs that appeared Oar. The songs were recorded soon after his release. Spence played all of the instruments on the album.
The album attracted little notice at its release, neither critically or commercially. In the decades following, the album has collected attention - and romanticized - as the work of a talented, but deeply troubled musician.
3
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Fri Jan 19 2024
Green River
Creedence Clearwater Revival
This Creedence Clearwater Revival's third studio album, and the second of three released during their very productive 1969. This album includes two of their biggest hits, "Green River" and "Bad Moon Rising." CCR played in a style that combined rockabilly, blues rock, and Southern rock, and featured John Fogerty's uniquely expressive vocals.
Despite their unique style, CCR's songs are among the classics of 60's rock. Fogerty's voice and poignant lyrics resonated with the protest movements of the sixties, and presented a nostalgic view of traditional American music.
5
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Sat Jan 20 2024
Dire Straits
Dire Straits
Dire Straits creates guitar-driven rock songs that are performed in a style reminiscent of blues rock and country rock. Dire Straits' distinct sound comes from Mark Knopfler's smoky, rich voice, and his crisp and expressive guitar solos.
Their self-titled debut album contains some of their most popular songs, like "Sultans of Swing" and "Water of Love." These songs became very popular all over the world, and helped Dire Straits become one of the world's most successful bands during the 80's.
4
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Sun Jan 21 2024
The Bends
Radiohead
Radiohead's second album, the Bends, transformed the band from "one hit wonder" status into international stars. While none of the songs was successful as the "one hit" from their first album, "Creep," the album is filled with songs that helped define alternative rock. With haunting ballads like "Fake Plastic Trees" and anthem-like tracks like "Planet Telex," the Bends established that Radiohead has significant range, and broad-based appeal.
5
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Mon Jan 22 2024
Madman Across The Water
Elton John
Madman Across the Water is Elton John's fourth album, which includes a few of his early hits, like "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon." This was early in the very productive period of John's career; through the 70's, he released at least an album per year, and they all met with at least modest success.
Elton John's songs are beautiful, piano-based songs, showcasing his skill on the piano and his rich, expressive voice. His songs tell poignant stories, which are the product of John's lyricist/songwriting partner, Bernie Taupin. John's skills brought Taupin's stories to life, making the songs a part of the soundtrack of the 70's and 80's, and made Elton John one of the biggest stars of modern popular music.
4
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Tue Jan 23 2024
Red Headed Stranger
Willie Nelson
Red Headed Stranger is often considered the greatest album in country music. In this concept album, Willie Nelson tells the story of a man who killed his wife and her lover. Some of the songs are simple simple and almost sparse - just Willie singing and his guitar. In others, Willie's band adds supporting instrumentation, including his sister, Bonnie, on the piano.
The strength of the recording is in the compelling story Willie tells. The fable of the Red Headed Stranger was perfectly expressed in Willie's simple but elegant songs. The album was incredibly successful, propelling Willie to stardom that reached far beyond country music circles.
5
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Wed Jan 24 2024
Legalize It
Peter Tosh
The title track of this album propelled Peter Tosh to fame. It was banned from radio play, and this ban may have been entirely counterproductive. The song had been an anthem of legalization efforts for decades. It is a great song, and a reggae classic.
The rest of the album is not as noteworthy. The songs are pretty, danceable reggae tracks, but with limited range. Tosh expressive voice is the strongest element, and makes for a good - but perhaps not great - album.
3
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Thu Jan 25 2024
The Madcap Laughs
Syd Barrett
This album is a collection of odd track from Syd Barrett, one of the founding members of Pink Floyd. After he was kicked out of the band for erratic behavior - due to mental issues (perhaps) related to excessive drug use - Barrett had a brief solo career. This is the first of his solo albums.
For those that worship Barrett as a music genius, this album could be seen as something interesting. For the rest of us, this sounds like a collection of out-takes and first drafts of songs. The few tracks that seem remotely complete are reminiscent of early Pink Floyd, but they do not give the impression that the songs have been well practiced or produced.
There are a few points where you can hear the imagination that made Barrett central to early Pink Floyd, but these moments are rare. The majority of the album is disappointing - little more than a reminder of lost potential.
1
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Fri Jan 26 2024
If I Could Only Remember My Name
David Crosby
David Crosby is better known for his work with group: the Byrds, CS&N, CSN&Y, and number collaborations. If I Could Only Remember My Name is is first solo album, which was recorded soon after his remarkable success first with CS&N's first album, and then CSN&Y's first album.
Crosby's solo work has the same defining elements as the the music of his successful bands; rich vocal harmonies and expressive acoustic guitar solos. However, the tracks on this album are not as consistent as Crosby's work with his well-known groupings.
3
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Sat Jan 27 2024
Who's Next
The Who
This is the Who at the height of their powers. Pete Townshend's potent guitars and Roger Daltrey's soaring voice are central elements of the Who's sound, and Keith Moon's powerful drum fills and Roger Entwistle's active bass lines are as important to the Who's full, rich sound. The impressive contributions of all four gave life to Townshend's compositions, and made the Who one of the most successful rock bands in the world.
Who's Next includes some of their best known tracks, like "Baba O'Reily," "Bargain," "Going Mobile," and "Behind Blue Eyes." Their energetic sound and their range enabled them to create rock anthems and emotive ballads, which contributed to their popularity and their world-wide success.
5
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Sun Jan 28 2024
If You're Feeling Sinister
Belle & Sebastian
If You're Feeling Sinister is the second album from Belle & Sebastian, a Scottish indie pop group. This is a collection of songs that helped define indie pop: thoughtful, self-aware, and perhaps anxious tracks written with thoughtful lyrics and supported by catchy melodies and interesting arraignments
The band was very well received critically, and more popular than the band members expected. The band's character fit the songs - they were reclusive, avoiding publicity and the trappings of fame through popular music.
4
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Mon Jan 29 2024
...And Justice For All
Metallica
... And Justice for All is the fourth album from Metallica, the most successful heavy metal band. The track on this album are full of fast, very technical guitar riffs, frequent time changes, and singer James Hatfield's angry, powerful voice. The songs on Justice are much longer than most rock songs, with several tracks longer than seven minutes, and two longer than nine minutes.
The lyrical content is often bleak, and most consistently expressing aggression. This fits with the aggressive, driven style the music captures. While technically impressive and intricately scored, the consistent not-so-contained rage makes for an album of limited range.
3
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Tue Jan 30 2024
I Should Coco
Supergrass
I Should Coco is collection of fun, catchy pop songs, which are done in a variety of styles. This was Supergrass's first album, and the members were all teenagers when the album recorded. These songs are teenage anthems - celebrations of the joy and frustration of youth. That said, these songs are not juvenile or simplistic. The songs are interesting and varied, showing the band's wide range of influences and surprising range.
4
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Wed Jan 31 2024
Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
Lucinda Williams
Car Wheels on a Gravel Road is Lucinda Williams' most successful album, featuring "Can't Let Go," which may be Williams' most famous song. Her music is difficult to classify; she combines rock, folk, blues, and country. The album won a Grammy as the year's best folk album, but these songs do not sound like most music in the folk genre. "Can't let Go" earned Williams a Grammy nomination for best female rock vocal performance. Rolling Stone called the album "alternate country;" others called it "Americana."
Whatever genre it is, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road is a rich collection of songs that showcase William's skill as a songwriter and her expressive voice. This collection of songs are of an impressive range, demonstrating the wide range of influences and genres she weaves together in her beautiful work.
4
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Thu Feb 01 2024
American Beauty
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead's work is a central element of the American songbook. As a relentless touring band, they created a countercultural community around their shows. Their studio albums were not as famous as their live work, but they did establish the "standard" versions of their songs, which provided the background for their improvised versions they played live. Their music combined rock, bluegrass, folk, and country music into songs that have influenced and inspired generations of musicians.
American Beauty contains many of the Grateful Dead's best know songs, including "Trucking," "Ripple," "Box of Rain," and "Sugar Magnolia." These songs have become central elements of modern American culture, not only for their devoted fans - the "Deadheads" - but also for the music culture generally. The Grateful Dead's song have had a greater cultural impact than the work of any band in modern music. American Beauty contains a collection of songs that resonated with enough fans to establish that incredible impact.
5
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Fri Feb 02 2024
Dusty In Memphis
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield had a very successful career in the early and mid-sixties. Her first four albums were recorded in England, and all met with considerable critical and commercial success. Dusty in Memphis was her first album recorded in United States. The album received incredible critical praise, but saw very little commercial success. Springfield never found the commercial success that had during the early years of her career.
Dusty in Memphis is regarded as the best of her work. It includes her best-known single, "Son of a Preacher Man." Her soulful voice is accompanied with orchestrations typical of late-sixties pop. This collection of lovely, well produced songs influenced pop singers for generations. Despite its very limited commercial success, Dusty in Memphis is regarded as one of the most important albums in pop music.
4
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Sat Feb 03 2024
Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
Brothers in Arms was the album that propelled Dire Straits to international stardom. Propelled by some of the band's biggest hit songs, like "Money for Nothing" and "Walk of Life," this album set sales records all over the world, including a note as the first CD to sell over a million copies.
Brothers in Arms is more pop-oriented that the band's previous albums, but the band maintained its distinct sound based on Mark Knopfler's technical, precise guitar solos and his deep, rich voice.
4
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Sun Feb 04 2024
Slayed?
Slade
Slade was a glam-rock band in the early 70's. They achieved remarkable success in Britain, and limited success in a few other countries, but very little notice in the United States. Slayed? is their third studio album, and was released in the middle of the band's most successful period - the first half of the 70s.
Slayed? is full of energetic, potent rock songs. These are fun, punchy tracks that seem precursors of glam rock/pop metal of the 80s. This album includes a interesting collection of songs of notable range, and makes Slade one of the curiosities of popular music - why were they not more successful...?
4
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Mon Feb 05 2024
Doolittle
Pixies
Doolittle is the second studio album from the Pixies, and was among the most influential alt-rock albums of the the 80s. The Pixies combined punk-like jagged guitar riffs with pop-like melodic elements and added a "soft/loud" dynamic; their songs have quiet, reserved moments broken up with a loud punch, typically from a wailing guitar and Black Francis' near-screaming vocals.
Doolittle includes some of the Pixies' best known songs, like "Monkey Gone to Heaven," "Here comes Your Man," and "Debaser." These songs, and the Pixies' distinct sound, heavily influenced alt-rock for decades.
5
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Tue Feb 06 2024
Amnesiac
Radiohead
This is Radiohead's fifth studio album, containing a few of well known tracks like "Knives Out" and "Pyramid Song." The songs were recorded in the same sessions as their previous album, Kid A. As such, some have critiqued this album as a collection of "B Sides." The band members felt differently; they felt that the Kid A songs were a complete set, and these songs were from a different place than the Kid A material.
Radiohead continued with their exploration of experimental alternative rock and electronic music. They explore different textures and arraignments to create mesmerizing soundscapes in their work. With Amnesiac, they continue to define modern music.
5
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Wed Feb 07 2024
With The Beatles
Beatles
The Beatles are the most influential band in modern, popular music, and it's impossible to overstate their impact. They had an unmatched streak of hit songs, they combined a range of styles in their catchy, memorable songs, they were the first global rock stars, and they showed that a band could be far more than the sum of their very talented individual parts.
With the Beatles is the band's second studio album, which includes a few of the early hit songs written by Lennon and McCarthy, like "All My Loving" and "I Wanna Be Your Man." These songs are typical of early Beatles' songs with catchy melodies, and endearing lyrics delivered with polished harmonies. The album also includes covers of rock classics, like "Roll over Beethoven" and "Money (That's all I Want)," showing that early rock and roll were among the influences the Beatles incorporated into their music.
This album shows the range and depth of the Beatles' music. Through their career, they evolved considerably from the sound presented in this album. Nonetheless, With the Beatles' demonstrates all of the elements that made them global stars that would inspire decades of musicians.
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Thu Feb 08 2024
Elephant
The White Stripes
The White Stripe exuded the energy and creativity of Jack White. Meg White certainly played a role, and her drumming was a significant addition to the White Stripes sound. That said, Jack White wrote all of the songs, and their sound was defined by Jack's brash guitar work and his distinct vocals. The White Stripes have a raw, bold energy that few bands could ever match.
Elephant is their fourth album, and many regard this as the White Stripe's best work. It opens with "Seven Nation Army," which may be their most famous song, and has become a stadium anthem, especially in the soccer world. The rest of the album is filled with the White Stripes fierce version of alt-rock. Their sound has a foundation in the blues - like found in "Ball and Biscuit" - and developed with Jack's skilled, raw guitar riffs.
4
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Fri Feb 09 2024
A Grand Don't Come For Free
The Streets
The Streets is the work of British hip-hop artist Mike Skinner. A Grand Don't Come for Free is a concept album about the narrator's loss of on thousand pounds (a monetary loss) and his relationship with a woman.
The album had very few moments that could be called melodic. "Dry Your Eyes" stands out as a track where some sense of musicality accompanies the spoke word monologues. Most of the album is brash and atonal. The narrator's tale has a few interesting moments, but far from enough to overcome relatively unpleasant background "music."
1
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Sat Feb 10 2024
Let's Get It On
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye had a long, successful career as one of the greatest voices of R&B, funk, and soul. Let's Get It On is more overtly sexual than Gaye's previous work, and his smooth, rich voice works incredibly well with this type of material. The title track is one of the more pointedly sexual songs of modern music, and it isn't the only obviously sexual track on the album. For example, "You Sure Love to Ball" starts with the sound of a woman moaning.
Gaye's voice is one the strongest, most-recognizable voices in modern music. Let's Get it On differs from Gaye's previous socially conscious work, but adds to his catalog of beautiful, well-produced songs.
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Sun Feb 11 2024
Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby
Terence Trent D'Arby
Introducing the Hardline... was an incredibly successful album. Within days of its release, it sold a million copies. Terence Trent D'Arby's mix of pop, soul, R&B, and rock made for great late-80's pop. His work could be seen as a funkier Michael Jackson, or a more grounded version of Prince. His songs have great range, developed arrangements, and catchy pop melodies that had widespread appeal.
This album is very much a product of the 80's, and Trent D'Arby remains a fixture of music of that time. He met with very little commercial or critical success after this, his first album. The limitations of his career reflect the limitations of this work. This album is product of the eighties, and seems very dated in retrospect.
3
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Mon Feb 12 2024
Eliminator
ZZ Top
ZZ Top, the "Lil' Ol' Band from Texas," had a great lane, and they ran with it. They started as a guitar-driven blues rock band, and found modest success in that format. In the eighties, they moved in a pop direction, adding synthesizers and drum machines to their songs. This addition propelled them to stardom, and "Eliminator" was their most successful album in that format. The two in front, Billy Gibson and Dusty Hill, grew beards down to the middle of their chests, giving them a signature look to add to their signature sound.
Eliminator has some of their biggest hits: "Sharp Dressed Man," "Gimme All Your Loving," and "Legs." Their simple, guitar driven mixture of pop, blues, and rock drove a successful career. It isn't complex, or of significant range, but their work is solid rock songs.
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Tue Feb 13 2024
The ArchAndroid
Janelle Monáe
The Archandroid is Janelle Monae's ambitious debut album. She combines soul, funk, pop, and rap in elaborately orchestrated songs. Monae has a great voice, and her songs are of a remarkable range. The Archandroid is a concept album which contains a story about an android in the future.
For the range, the complexity, and the elaborate concept, I tried to love this album, but I couldn't muster it. The songs are scattered, and all feel like revisions of songs of other pop artists. For me, the sum did not add up to something greater than all of the parts.
3
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Wed Feb 14 2024
Honky Tonk Masquerade
Joe Ely
Joe Ely's songs are country rock, rockabilly, and ballads - he's a singer/songwriter that spent his life as a touring musician. Ely's a great story teller, and his songs reflect his skill in that role and present the lessons he acquired as a road-weary musician.
Honky Tonk Masquerade was widely critically acclaimed, but not very commercially successful. It includes a collection of interesting country rock songs, showing Ely's skill as a story teller and the work of a polished, practiced band.
4
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Thu Feb 15 2024
Astral Weeks
Van Morrison
Astral Weeks is Van Morrison's second solo album, after starting his musical career with the band "Them. It's a beautiful collection of his version of soulful folk songs. His distinct, rich voice is the defining element of his work, and his expressive sound gives life to his thoughtful, engaging lyrics. Add skilled, complex orchestration, and Morrison is able to create a memorable set of tracks.
This album met with near-universal critical success, but didn't catch the attention necessary for commercial success. Regardless, Astral Weeks may be Van Morrison's masterpiece, and marked the beginning of his long, successful solo career.
5
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Fri Feb 16 2024
Henry's Dream
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds create a distinct version of alternative rock. His deep, warbling voice and his very dramatic lyrics are accompanied by a talented, energetic band. Henry's Dream includes a collection of songs that showcase Nick Cave's talent as a storyteller, which is one of the elements that draw his devoted fans.
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Sat Feb 17 2024
Master Of Puppets
Metallica
Metallica is the definitive heavy metal band. Master of Puppets was their major label debut, and the album that catapulted the band into stardom. The songs have the characteristic harsh, technical guitar riffs, and the scream like vocals of the genre, and have the longer than normal rock songs that was common in the band's early work.
Master of Puppets is regarded as the band's best work. Some claim this is the best heavy metal album. It's a consistent set of well written songs, and clearly genre-defining - generations of bands attempted to replicate the sound of Metallica.
4
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Sun Feb 18 2024
Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim
Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra has an astonishing catalog. He released successful albums throughout his sixty-year professional career. This album, Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim, was his experiment into bossa nova, a gentle style of samba music that was popular in the 50's and 60's.
While interesting, this is far from Sinatra's best work. The songs are pretty, but not particularly noteworthy. Jobim was known as the father of bossa nova, and his collaboration with American artists helped bring the music to audiences outside of Brazil.
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Mon Feb 19 2024
Imagine
John Lennon
John Lennon had an astonishing musical career - as a part of the Beatles, and then as a solo artist (or, as a recording artist with his wife, Yoko Ono). As a part of this incredible career, it seems odd to claim that he has one, "signature" song. "Imagine" may be that song.
Imagine, the album, includes that incredible song, and a collection of other songs showing Lennon's strength as a songwriter and recording artist.
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Tue Feb 20 2024
If I Should Fall From Grace With God
The Pogues
The Pogues are a unique band - Celtic folk with punk sensibilities. "If I should fall from Grace With God" is their most successful album, commercially, and may be the best of their studio work. It is a combination of a range of styles - their Celtic background, with Turkish and Spanish elements that the band learned while touring. Through all of the various styles, Shane MacGowen's compelling storytelling ties the songs together into an incredible, danceable, heartfelt collection.
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Wed Feb 21 2024
Aqualung
Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull combined an unusual collection of stylistic elements: classic rock guitar, some folk-like ballads, obscure to inscrutable lyrics, and more frequent use of a flute than almost any band in modern popular music. This unique mixture made for a remarkably successful band, and Aqualung was their most commercially successful album.
The title track is a great example of Jethro Tull's style, complete with dramatic transitions and religious overtones throughout the lyrics. The album contain other similarly intense songs, including "My God" and "Locomotive Breath." Several critics believed that Aqualung was a concept album discussing the relationship between God and religion. The band did not intend it as such - this is just the work that was typical for Jethro Tull.
5
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Thu Feb 22 2024
Head Hunters
Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock is an inspired keyboard player, with an extensive career in jazz, funk, fusion, and electronic music. Head Hunters was a breakthrough album for him, which brought his jazz/funk fusion to mainstream audiences. The album includes four long tracks, which wind through composition that sound as if they arose out of improvisation session.
The songs are centered on Hancock's impressive keyboard work, and he's supported by a talented jazz band. These are interesting tracks, like "Chameleon" and "Watermelon Man," and makes for a good album, but perhaps not a great album.
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Fri Feb 23 2024
Get Rich Or Die Tryin'
50 Cent
I am not a fan of the genre. I do not like to celebrate violence. The closing track of this album has a line: "I don't like ya'll anyway - fuck all ya'll."
1
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Sat Feb 24 2024
American Idiot
Green Day
Green Day has had a long, very successful career as a pop/punk band. American Idiot is a concept album, a punk rock opera, about Jesus from Surburbia. The band maintained their punk pop sound - guitar driven songs with catchy melodies and interesting lyrics - while telling a story about a disillusioned American kid.
The result was critically and commercially very successful. This album tells an interesting, thoughtful story, through some of Green Day's biggest hit songs, like "American Idiot," "Holiday," and "Wake Me Up When September Ends." This is an excellent album, and may be the high point of Green Day's career.
5
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Sun Feb 25 2024
Trans Europe Express
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk are pioneers of electronic music who created minimalist, melodic music with early synthesizers. Trans Europe Express may be their best album, filled with catchy, melodic, danceable songs. In a decade dominated by classic rock and Motown, Kraftwerk made music with drum machines, and characterized their music as "robot pop" - the work of automatons.
Kraftwerk was incredibly influential - much of modern electronic music is inspired by their work. This album is arguably where modern electronic music began.
5
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Mon Feb 26 2024
Larks' Tongues In Aspic
King Crimson
King Crimson was the definitive progressive rock band. Their work was something between rock and jazz; it has complicated orchestrations and interesting structures, but it is not danceable and not particularly melodic. All of the musicians display a clear level of talent, and the songs have a complexity that makes them engaging, but their work is not particularly pleasant to listen to. This is challenging music.
3
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Tue Feb 27 2024
Music in Exile
Songhoy Blues
Songhoy Blues is a band that was inspired by political and civil unrest in their native Mali. After getting noticed by French producer, the recorded a few songs, and were invited to perform in the U.K. While there, they recorded their first album, Music in Exile. Their music is a modern spin on traditional Mali music - a fast-paced, guitar-driven style of African folk music.
4
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Wed Feb 28 2024
Grace
Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley tragically had a short career. A few years after his one solo album, Grace, Buckley died while swimming in the Mississippi river.
Grace is an exceptional album. Buckley's potent, near-operatic voice compliments a collection of rich, engaging songs. His cover of "Hallelujah" is lovely, and his songs "Last Goodbye" seems a near-perfect match to it. This is a beautiful collection of songs, and a testament to a career that could have been...
5
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Thu Feb 29 2024
Sea Change
Beck
Sea Change is a different album for Beck - but all of Beck's albums are different. This is closer to traditional acoustic folk that most of his other work, and this is a somber effort. Most of the songs are about loneliness and heartbreak. These were songs Beck wrote after the end of a long-term relationship.
This is a beautiful collection of introspective, thoughtful songs, which is considered by some to be Beck's best work.
5
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Fri Mar 01 2024
Ambient 1/Music For Airports
Brian Eno
Brian Eno has an incredible career in the music industry. He has been involved in a wide range of projects, with an almost impossible list of different recording artist. Among his various projects, he has recorded a few albums of ambient music.
Ambient 1: Music for Airports is a collection of pretty, but fairly innocuous ambient tracks. These are pleasant tracks, but not particularly memorable.
3
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Sat Mar 02 2024
The Wall
Pink Floyd
The Wall could be the high point - or, one of the high points - of Pink Floyd's illustrious career. A rock opera about a rock star, Pink, and the struggles he has with his life, fame, and the world we live in. The album was incredibly successful, and inspired several successful tours and a not-as-successful movie. The Wall has become a cultural icon as one of the most famous and influential albums of all time.
Some days, this can seem cliched and melodramatic - other days it can seem poignant and inspired. From either perspective, The Wall is compelling and and engaging.
5
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Sun Mar 03 2024
Lost In The Dream
The War On Drugs
Lost in the Dream is the third studio album from the indie rock band The War On Drugs. The songs on the album tell stories about loneliness and depression that Adam Grandeciel experienced while touring. The band is heavily influenced by Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Tom Petty, and their work has tracks that could have come from any of these artists. Grandeciel has a distinct, expressive voice, and his songs contain vivid expressions of the experiences of his life.
4
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Mon Mar 04 2024
Sound Affects
The Jam
The Jam is a great punk/pop band from Britain, that never found great success outside of Britain. They create catchy, melodic songs with punk sound, but cleaner and more skillfully played that many punk acts.
Sound Affects may be their best album. It includes short, pop songs like "Pretty Green" and "Monday," as well as acoustic tracks like "That's Entertainment." Their range and energy made them the most successful of the first wave of British punk bands.
4
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Tue Mar 05 2024
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
I'm not a fan of the genre. That said, Wu-Tang Clan is very good at what they do. Hard core beats, piano riffs, and a rolling cast of MCs makes for the defining sound of rap in the 90's and the aughts.
I don't think we should celebrate violence this way, but I realize that I may be at odds with the majority on this count.
2
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Wed Mar 06 2024
Basket of Light
Pentangle
Pentangle is a product of the late 60's, and their music sounds like a manifestation of that time period. They are an acoustic rock band - or a folk band - with talented guitarists, an intricate rhythm section, and harmonic vocals. They would make a perfect double-bill with Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young.
Basket of Light is their third studio album, and is filled with a collection of rich, lovely songs.
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Thu Mar 07 2024
Technique
New Order
New Order is a definitive 80's band. They started in the 70's as Joy Division, and after the death of Ian Curtis, the remaining band members became New Order. They have recorded music and toured since that time, but their greatest success and impact was in the 80's.
Technique is the band's fifth album, and may be their most successful. It combines their punk roots and synthesizer based dance music in a set of engaging tracks. This album is the work of a great band at the height of their powers.
4
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Fri Mar 08 2024
Os Mutantes
Os Mutantes
Os Mutantes are a brilliant psychedelic band from Brazil. Their self-titled album is a collection of fun, experimental songs that garnered world-wide attention. They embraced elements of American and British psychedelia - distortion, feedback, and a range of instruments and styles. The result is very entertaining, and a great example of the experimental music that arose our of sixties psychedelia.
5
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Sat Mar 09 2024
Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
Frank Ocean received significant critical acclaim for his first album, Channel Orange. This is a collection of almost-rap, almost R&B, and maybe soul songs. Generally, the tracks are not particularly melodic, not danceable, and not that interesting. Ocean's storytelling seems bitter and frustrated with the world.
This album is hard to listen to. He has a good voice, but doesn't seem interesting in creating melodic work.
1
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Sun Mar 10 2024
Private Dancer
Tina Turner
Tina Turner's Private Dancer marks one of the great come-back stories in popular music. Tina first found success as a singer in a band with her first husband, Ike Turner. Tina escaped from that abusive relationship, and then struggled to find success as a solo artist.
Private Dancer was the album that ended her struggles, and met with international critical and commercial success. Her songs are driven by her potent, soulful voice, like the title track and "What's Love Got to do With It." Her energetic performances drove a sequence of successful, international tours that made Tina into a superstar.
4
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Mon Mar 11 2024
Oxygène
Jean-Michel Jarre
Jean-Michel Jarre's Oxygene is one of the very influential albums of early electronic music. This is Jarre's third album, and was an enormous commercial success. Jarre combined catchy, classically inspired melody lines with ethereal sounding echo effects, to create a sound that is definitively "new age." The songs are pleasant, but lack range - they all seem to be cut from the same ethereal cloth.
3
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Tue Mar 12 2024
Tea for the Tillerman
Cat Stevens
Tea for the Tillerman is the Album that made Cat Stevens a global star. "Wild World" was issued as a single before the album's release, and the song found substantial commercial success. The album includes some of Stevens' most famous songs, like "Father and Son" and "Where do the Children Play."
Stevens tells dramatic stories and adds catchy melodies in his folk rock songs. His distinct, expressive voice complements his memorable story telling. Tea for the Tillerman may be his strongest album, but there are other contenders in his extensive catalog.
5
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Wed Mar 13 2024
Urban Hymns
The Verve
Sometimes, single songs can make an album great. \"Bittersweet Symphony\" may be one of those songs. It was a break-out hit, and could be make the band a \"one-hit wonder,\" but the rest of their work was far too good for that classification. Urban Hymns includes another hit song, \"Lucky Man,\" and a collection of great, alt rock songs. The album was the band's most successful, and got near-universal critical praise.
The Verve embody the sound of 90's alt rock: strong vocals, well produced tracks, and rich orchestrations to support their engaging sound.
5
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Thu Mar 14 2024
In Rainbows
Radiohead
Radiohead may be the most influential band in the world. They started as an alt rock/pop band, but they have moved far beyond that. They make music that is outside of any genre but their own.
In Rainbows may be the band at the height of their power. These songs have a simple sound, that is build of complex, beautiful arrangements. They creates tapestries of guitar rock, with synthesizers rich rhythms. A rare band that is far, far bigger than the sum of their very talented parts...
5
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Fri Mar 15 2024
The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter
The Incredible String Band
The Incredible String Band is a Celtic folk band that would pair well with early Pink Floyd. This is a folksy side of early psychedelia: a string band with pan flutes, a harpsichord, a sitar, and lyrics with a noticeable Irish brogue.
The songs are amusing, but quirky - interesting, but not an album that I will be drawn to listen to again.
2
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Sat Mar 16 2024
Music for the Masses
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode's brooding, dramatic version of pop synth music fit particularly well with the 80s aesthetic. They make dance music with synthesizers and drum machines. The songs are catchy and danceable, but it is hard to notice any particular difference between the songs.
The band was quite commercially successful at the time, and have been able to sustain a successful career since. Music for the Masses may have had mass appeal at the time, but for the very dated sound of these songs, that appeal has certainly waned.
3
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Sun Mar 17 2024
Rum Sodomy & The Lash
The Pogues
Rum, Sodomy & the Lash is an incredible effort from the Pogues. Their punk by way of Irish folk songs is their distinct sound, and it work so very well because of the vivid storytelling from Shane MacGowen. This is drinking music - and unapologetically so - and a brilliant version of drinking music.
The Pogues made a unique, distinct addition to modern popular music, and this album demonstrates why they had a devoted following. This talented band has instrumental songs - "Planxty Noel Hill" - but most of the tracks feature MacGowen's brogue and his engaging stories.
5
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Mon Mar 18 2024
Entertainment
Gang Of Four
Gang of Four is one of the most successful and influential punk bands to come out of the 70s punk scene in England. Their raw sound combines brash guitar solos, precise base lines, and intricate drum rhythms to create an energetic, driven sound. Jon King's vocals riff on Marxist theory and societal problems, adding a social relevance to their work, and ensuring their influence among anyone listening.
Entertainment! is the first album from the band, and established their sound as a central figure in punk music.
4
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Tue Mar 19 2024
The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem
I'm not a fan of the genre. This is a better album that most rap, in my opinion. Eminem is a compelling story teller.
He has some issues - he's an angry man, and perhaps a disturbed one. This work is an semi-interesting portrayal of a damaged human. I still don't think that makes for great music.
3
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Wed Mar 20 2024
Solid Air
John Martyn
John Martyn was a talented singer/songwriter from Britain. He plays is style of folk that is influence by jazz and blues. His guitar playing is of a distinct slapping style, and he frequently used electronic effects to enrich the sound of his guitar. Add a rich, raspy voice, and Martyn created a distinct sound that was very well received critically, and influenced generations of folk singer/songwriters.
Solid Air is one of Martyn's most successful albums, which helped establish an international fan base. It includes some his most enduring songs, like "Solid Air" and "I'd rather be the Devil."
4
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Thu Mar 21 2024
Suede
Suede
Suede - or The London Suede, as they are known in the US - began the "Brit Pop" wave of the 90s. They may catchy, melodic pop songs, that capture a variety of moods. Singer Brett Anderson's expressive voice works well with Bernard Butler's effect-laden guitar work.
Suede may have been overshadowed by later entries of the Brit pop wave like Oasis, but their songs are great examples of engaging 90s alt rock.
4
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Fri Mar 22 2024
The Wildest!
Louis Prima
Louis Prima was a vocalist that helped establish the early sounds of rock 'n roll. He combined jazz, boogie-woogie, and R&B styles and added his expressive charisma to his songs. The songs on this album are the classic standards of rock: "Jump, Jive, 'an Wail," "Just a Gigalo," and "Night Train."
Prima was one of the formative voices of early rock music. His piano centered music with prominent contributions from his horn section helped create the sound of early rock 'n roll.
4
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Sat Mar 23 2024
Debut
Björk
Bjork has a hauntingly beautiful voice. She makes odd songs. They are not all pretty - some are even uncomfortable. Some are strikingly beautiful: melodic, rich, and well orchestrated.
This album ranges from incredible songs, to the odd side of avant-garde. It is certainly memorable, and interesting, but may not be great...
3
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Sun Mar 24 2024
Emperor Tomato Ketchup
Stereolab
Stereolab created an avant-garde version of alt-rock and dance music. They focused their creative process on looping, and by the time they recorded Emperor Tomato Ketchup, they had perfected their sound, and their process. The rich, well-produced tracks on the album use rhythms that are inspired by (or, inspiring to...) hip-hop, with arrangements and transitions that suggest jazz influences. Add some haunting vocals, and the combination yields a textured, engaging sound with the nature of complicated dance music.
4
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Mon Mar 25 2024
Back to Basics
Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera was one of the performers in the 90s reboot of the Mickey Mouse Club, and she may be the most talented of that very talented bunch. Her dynamic voice has an impressive range, and allows her to create pop songs with the sounds of R&B and soul tracks.
Back to Basics is an impressive double disk - 85 minutes with 22 tracks. The content is certainly not "basic." Several tracks are orchestrated and performed like vocal jazz standards from the 40s. The incredible range of the songs is impressive. While the album received mixed reception from critics, it was very well received commercially. This album, and the tour that followed, propelled Aguilera into superstar status - a performer with far more range and creativity than "just" a pop music star.
5
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Tue Mar 26 2024
There's No Place Like America Today
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield's solo work is among the best examples of 70's funk. Bass-driven orchestration with a deep, talented band backing up Mayfield's soulful falsetto. He was well known for his socially conscious lyrics - much of Mayfield work is commentary on the African-American condition is our world.
Mayfield's critical and limited commercial success are responding to the beautiful songs and his expressive voice.
4
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Wed Mar 27 2024
Odessa
Bee Gees
The is a surprising album from the Bee Gees. This was a concept album, almost approaching sixties psychedelia at points. The concept of the album may have been lost in revisions and a significant rift in the band. The result is not a product of 70's disco stars - this is more the work of a country or folk band. Some tracks could be Creedence - without Forgerty's distinct sound.
Other tracks on this odd mix are orchestrated pieces which could be part of a John Williams movie score. It is a strange mix, and a strange album, composed of pretty songs.
3
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Thu Mar 28 2024
Moving Pictures
Rush
Rush's Moving Pictures is the band's most commercially successful album. It contains some of their most successful songs, like "Limelight" and "Tom Sawyer." The three-piece band makes guitar driven hard rock driven by Alex Lifeson's technical guitar solos. Rush's sound is completed with Geddy Lee's distinct falsetto, and Neil Peart's intricate drum work.
Moving Pictures is full of shorter, more accessible tracks than the band's earlier work, which may have contributed to the album's commercial success.
4
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Fri Mar 29 2024
Veckatimest
Grizzly Bear
Grizzly Bear was one of more influential alt-rock bands of the aughts. The band started as the solo work of Ed Droste, who wrote indie/folk sounds with a elements of psychedelia. As the band matured, the four piece collaborated by adding jazz undertones and rich orchestrations.
When they recorded Veckatimest, the band had learned to collaborate effectively, and the result was their most successful album. Driven by a few hits, like "Tom Weeks," Grizzly Bear set a standard for alt-rock of the era: engaging story-telling in upbeat folk/pop songs.
4
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Sat Mar 30 2024
The Gershwin Songbook
Ella Fitzgerald
This album, and the collected sets of Fitzgerald's "songbooks," are canonical in modern popular music. Ella's songbooks are the first, encyclopedic recordings of American Songbook.
Ella's incredible voice may have been the only up to this task - a first complete draft of the American Songbook. This collection of fifty-eight songs of the Gershwins was the last installment of her "songbooks." It is beautiful collection of songs, with Ella's voice accompanied by a talented, rich orchestra.
5
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Sun Mar 31 2024
Led Zeppelin II
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin was one of the most influential rock bands, ever; they were the most dominant force in popular music of the 70s. This album, "II," is Zeppelin in their full, audacious swagger - Jimmy Page's guitar licks, and Robert Plant wailing.
The band was famous from the start. This album made them international rock stars - arena shows...
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Mon Apr 01 2024
The Stranger
Billy Joel
The Stranger is Billy Joel's break-through album. His first four albums were successful - especially the second - but this album made Joel a star. His "Piano Man" role is supported by the band that his touring band.
This includes some of his biggest hits, like "She's always a Woman," "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant," and "Moving Out." This may be the strongest album of Joel's catalog, establishing him as one of the most recognizable singer/songwriters in popular music.
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Tue Apr 02 2024
More Songs About Buildings And Food
Talking Heads
More Songs About Buildings And Food is the Talking Head's second album, when the band was developing their sound. Talking Head created a very rich version of minimalistic art-pop. They played simple chord progressions in complicated rhythmic patters. The band members were actually art school punks, and their music would create this impression. David Byrne's upbeat, random, lyrics are delivered with an anxious earnestness - completing the picture.
This is an incredible collection of songs from very early in the band's career. While their later albums were more commercially successful, More Songs about Buildings and Food may be more influential.
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Wed Apr 03 2024
The Only Ones
The Only Ones
The Only Ones are a British, punk/pop band that were more of a critical success than a commercial one. Their music is melancholy version of upbeat, 70s punk, The Only Ones is a good enough band to have been more famous, popular music is not always predictable.
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Thu Apr 04 2024
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys are the aughts' most successful British punk/pop band. Whatever People Say I am, That's What I'm not, their debut, set the record for the fastest selling debut in British history. Driven by a few hits, like "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor," and a very early command of social media propelled, the Arctic Monkeys to global stardom very quickly.
Their music is an energetic, skillfully played post-punk. The band's consistent lyrical focus created a (perhaps intentional) concept album: this is a snapshot of a young, club-hopping British man.
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Fri Apr 05 2024
Electric Music For The Mind And Body
Country Joe & The Fish
Country Joe & The Fish were one of the great bands of 60's psychedelia that didn't become very famous. A politically-motivated, Bay area group that combined folk, blues, The band was best known for their anti-Vietnam war anthem, "I feel like I'm Fixing to Die Rag," but it was left off of this album.
Electric Music for The Mind and Body is their debut, and may be their best work. Country Joe is an excellent example of late 60's blues/rock, just not a particularly famous one.
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Sat Apr 06 2024
3 + 3
The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers are an institution - they recorded music over an almost 50 year career, through a few lineup changes and styles of music. 3 + 3 is from the height of the soul/R&B phase of the band's career. It opens with "That Lady," a song that is one of their biggest hits, and one that sounds like a snapshot of the 70's.
Their polished vocals add a gospel sound to their version of bass-driven funk. They include a few interesting covers on this album, like "Sunshine (go away today)" and "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight."
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Sun Apr 07 2024
Club Classics Vol. One
Soul II Soul
Soul II Soul made positive, post-disco dance music. Late 80s London club music relied heavily on a mechanized back beat, and vocals in a disco/R&B style. Soul II Soul had a rotation of lead vocalists, which gave the band a range of sounds. Some of their most successful track featured Caron Wheeler, like "Keep on Moving." This is a strong collection of the dance tracks of the era.
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Mon Apr 08 2024
Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes made lovely alt/folk music that is filled with rich vocal harmonies. Their self-title debut album met with notable critical success. They make upbeat, guitar and mandolin based folk songs, with a warm, near-falsetto sound to their vocals.
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Tue Apr 09 2024
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
PJ Harvey makes guitar driven alt rock with punk sensibilities. Her strong vocals give her work a distinct energy; she presents vivid images, and her expressive voice brings them to life.
This is a collection of songs written after Harvey spent part of a year in New York City. Some of the tracks could be odes to the Big Apple.
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Wed Apr 10 2024
Fetch The Bolt Cutters
Fiona Apple
In Fetch the Bold Cutters, Fiona Apple is experimenting with rhythms, and a collection of experimental percussion instruments. Apple's music is still centered around the piano and her clear, articulate vocals, like her earlier albums. This collection of songs is more experimental, and of a surprising range. By the end of the album, it isn't clear what genre to place Apple's music in.
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Thu Apr 11 2024
Follow The Leader
Korn
Korn added rap to metal's vocabulary. Their sound has the bass driven rhythms of metal, with down-tuned guitars to add weight. The brooding, articulate lyrics wander from the scream of death-metal, through rap to scat in some sequences. Follow the Leader is their third album, and perhaps their most successful. Driven by a a few hit singles, like "Freak on a Leash," Korn became one of the biggest bands of the 90s.
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Fri Apr 12 2024
Abraxas
Santana
Santana brought a Latin element to 60's psychedelic rock. Abraxas is the second studio album, which includes some of their biggest hits, like "Black Magic Woman" and "Oye Como Va." Santana combines Latin rhythms with the wailing guitar of 60's psychedelic rock, and the combination was so successful that Santana's music is part of the songbook of classic rock.
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Sat Apr 13 2024
If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears
The Mamas & The Papas
The Mama's and the Papa's added a thread of harmonic folk music to the mix that was 60's pop music. Their four voices blended richly with acoustic guitar driven orchestrations. Like much of 60's pop, their music is mixed with a number of supporting parts - the string section parts add a layer of 60's psychedelia to their distinct, near-choral sound.
If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears is their debut album, and includes some of their most famous hits, like "Monday, Monday" and "California Dreamin.'" This may be the strongest work of the band's short career, and this one adding a significant facet to 60's pop music.
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Sun Apr 14 2024
Double Nickels On The Dime
Minutemen
Double Nickels On the Dime was the Minutemen's fourth album, which they released after the band had considerable critical and commercial success as a punk/hardcore band. Their relentless touring earned them a devoted following, and Double Nickels placed the Minutemen in the center of 80's punk.
The Minutemen made rhythmically complicated punk, with raw guitar and bass lines. Their music is eclectic and political - engaging and energetic punk that helped define the genre in the 80's
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Mon Apr 15 2024
Group Sex
Circle Jerks
Circle Jerks made hard-core punk - short songs with aggressive guitar, and simple, angry lyrics. The drums are as aggressive, and may be the most skilled element of the band's music. This is a great example of hard-core punk, and as clear of a example of how hard-core punk isn't particularly great music.
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Tue Apr 16 2024
Eagles
Eagles
The Eagles' debut album includes some of their early hits, like "Take it Easy" and "Peaceful Easy Feeling." They made guitar-driven, country rock with harmonies from a few strong singers. This album established the band's sound, and brought the band their initial fame.
This is a great collection of songs from a band that would become one of the biggest bands of the decade.
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Wed Apr 17 2024
Elephant Mountain
The Youngbloods
The Youngbloods could be called a "one hit wonder" from 60's folk rock. Their version of "Come Together" is their most famous effort by a significant margin. It is a great example of the band's folk/rock, centered on rich, vocal harmonies. The Youngbloods seem like a step between 60's psychedelia and 70's country rock
Elephant Mountain does not include their "one hit, but it does include a strong collection of melodic, interesting songs. While the Youngbloods did not achieve considerable success, this is an album that could (should?) have been much more famous.
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Thu Apr 18 2024
Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs
Marty Robbins
Marty Robbins recorded popular country music over a thirty year year career. He recorded albums in a variety of styles - Elvis' odd, movie soundtrack section of his catalog may have been inspired by Robbins' eclectic mix. In the late 50's, Robbins recorded a few albums of "cowboy myth" country.
Gunfighter Ballads is one of those albums. This is simple, cowboy country - voices and guitars - and Robbins is at least partially responsible for popularizing this part of country music.
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Fri Apr 19 2024
Violator
Depeche Mode
Violator is the Depeche Mode's seventh album, and one of their most successful. It includes some of their biggest singles, like "Personal Jesus" and "Policy of Truth." These tracks are great examples of the band's synthesizer based pop songs, with a dark, almost sinister sound. Depeche Mode made international pop hits out of dance club music, becoming one of the biggest, most influential band of 80s and 90s popular music.
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Sat Apr 20 2024
Superfly
Curtis Mayfield
Superfly is an arguable high point in the long, illustrious career of Curtis Mayfield. This was the soundtrack to a movie of the same name; this is a collection of songs commenting on the condition of African Americans.
Curtis' distinct falsetto gives a soul sound the the R&B he included on this album. He uses a punchy horn section and rhythmic varieties to give his song s rich texture. This is an incredible album this is a central element of the sound of 70s popular music.
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Sun Apr 21 2024
All Mod Cons
The Jam
In the late 70s and early 80s, the Jam were most popular band in British pop music. The made short, melodic, guitar driven pop songs, and were a significant step in that tradition. Their sound impacted the 80s and 90s bands in that genre.
All Mod Cons is the band's third album, and was the album that propelled the band to popular success.
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Mon Apr 22 2024
Southern Rock Opera
Drive-By Truckers
Southern Rock Opera is double-disc, concept album from Drive-By Truckers. They imagine a world through the eyes of the band Lynyrd Skynyrd. The band plays heavy guitar drive, Southern country rock, and Southern Rock Opera was the break-through release. The band "crowd-funded" the album, before crowd-funding was a term. The strong critical reception to the album led to a re-release, and the band began tour nationally. The band's gritty, rich sound became part of the mixture of popular alt-rock in the aughts and the 10s.
This album is a daring attempt to express the "duality of the Southern thing." The song "Three Great Alabama Icons" is a spoken word piece at the center of this theme. It voices the tension of a culture that is addressing its racist past.
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Tue Apr 23 2024
Guero
Beck
Guero is a Beck's ninth studio album - a collection of songs about Beck's childhood in a Hispanic neighborhood of Los Angeles. They are typical of Beck's style of alt-rock: vocals that wander toward spoken word and even rap, a range of rhythmic styles with regular transitions, and engaging melodies. Beck has made successful, popular songs throughout his career; this chapter includes "Girl" and "E-Pro." Guero is a great collection of songs that demonstrate Beck's range and songwriting abilities.
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Wed Apr 24 2024
KIWANUKA
Michael Kiwanuka
Michael Kiwanuka is a British man from a Ugandan family, who makes a modern version of soulful R&B. His songs have a joyful energy that Kiwanuka carries in his rich voice, and is developed in an interest mixture of musical influences. African rhythms are complimented by backup singers, a horn section, and synthesizers to give it a modern twist.
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Thu Apr 25 2024
Shaka Zulu
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Ladysmith Black Mambazo is a South African choral group that was propelled to international fame for their contribution to Paul Simon's Graceland. Shaka Zulu is the album that the group release right after touring with Paul Simon. This Grammy winning album contains a collection of lovely songs with nothing outside of the sound of ten voices, in practiced, rich harmonies.
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Fri Apr 26 2024
Before And After Science
Brian Eno
Before and After Science was a solo effort from Brian Eno in the late 70's. This sounds of the same mixture that made early Talking Heads - guitar and synthesizer driven art pop of the seventies. On some tracks, Eno's affinity for ambient comes through.
These songs are not particularly melodic, and not as engaging as Eno's work with Roxy Music,
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Sat Apr 27 2024
It's Blitz!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs make synthesizer-based alt rock with danceable beats, in which the most recognizable element is lead singer Karen O's sweet, strong voice. Their music is version of minimalism found in alt pop: simple chord progressions played with a rhythmic complexity.
It's Blitz is a great collection of songs - catchy, danceable songs with a generally uplifting tone and message.
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Sun Apr 28 2024
Tical
Method Man
This is the debut solo album from Method Man, who was the first of the Wu-Tang Clan to launch a successful solo career. His long career has produced an extensive catalog, both as a solo performer and in various grouping.
Method Man's voice has a distinct, rich sound, making his vocals more melodic than most rap. I'm not a fan of the genre - I don't think we should celebrate violence. This album does include some of that, but does have a few tracks with more positive messages.
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Mon Apr 29 2024
Come Away With Me
Norah Jones
Nora Jones has a stunning voice, and she makes beautiful pop song in the style of a slow, deliberate, talented jazz vocalist. Come Away with Me is her debut album, which propelled her to international stardom. The title track is a great example of the elegant, memorable songs she produces.
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Tue Apr 30 2024
Live!
Fela Kuti
Fela Kuti brought afrobeat to the world's attention. Fela Kuti's dynamic personality as a bandleader, a multi-instrumentalist, and an ambassador for afrobeat music made him an international star. His bigger contribution may have been as a voice for Nigeria's poor and a political force in his country.
Live! is a recording featuring Ginger Baker which is a great example of Fela Kuti's music: polyrhythms, blaring horns, and his near-rap/scat vocals. The combination makes very danceable music of infectious energy.
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Wed May 01 2024
Bone Machine
Tom Waits
Tom Waits is his own genre - there is no one that sounds anything like him. His gravel, hoarse, rough voice one of the defining elements. The vaudeville-esque, cacophony of horns, piano, and percussion from a seeming assortment of found objects create the concoction that is Waits' folk/blues/ballad/blech.
His music is beautiful for the use of all of the ugly, out-of-sorts components he orchestrates.
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Thu May 02 2024
Konnichiwa
Skepta
Skepta is a British rapper who is from a Nigerian family, who is a known in the UK grime scene. This is electronic based, rap/hip-hop, with a lyrically style that is very repetitive - to an odd, boring level at points. This is not particularly danceable dance music.
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