1001 Albums Summary

i feel like i should know this album more than i do -- i vaguely recognize "my generation" even tho it seems like a very seminal song. dont hate it, not really loving it so far, cool 60s vibes for sure but not doing anything crazy for me not the biggest fan of like the blues-rock "I'm a Man" song at all lol -- ok that gets better when it gets to the ending jammy type part. i think i just have something anti-that type of chorus kinda fun jammy thing at the end with "the ox"

Day 2! Growing up heard a good bit of Zep, as my dad is a huge Zep-Head. I've only really personally spent time with I, II, and IV, so I'm not too familiar with this album before pressing 'Play', other than a few of the big ones (Houses of the Holy [edit: although this might just be because im thinking of the album called that] & Kashmir are the only ones I recognize by name, I'm sure I'll recognize more by listening.) Right off the bat, already enjoying more than The Who's "My Generation" yesterday, probably because of my predisposition towards Zep from my dad. My Generation was credited with being one of the fore-bearers of "Hard Rock," so I can't dock it too much, but this already feels from the start of Custard Pie to be much more of my flavor of "Hard Rock." "Kashimir" is one of those songs that is a wee bit overplayed in movies or on classic-rock radio, but man does it still hit when you really tune in to it. Really liking "Ten Years Gone", feels a little familiar, like the building intensity aspect of it. Fun album!! I feel conflicted between a 3 and a 4, i think I'm going to give it a 4 so my dad doesn't disown me. The parts I loved I really loved, but do feel like it's a little overstuffed at 87 minutes.

Album #3. Seems very fitting to get this album the day after "Physical Graffiti" by Led Zep, a similar blues-rock thing going on for sure. I somehow had never actually sat down and listened to any White Stripes album the whole way through, although of course I've heard a good bit of them in passing. Starting out the album with Seven Nation Army is a STATEMENT. Of course, I think any American alive who has been to a sporting event in the past 20 years has heard this song, and sure it is a bit overplayed, but like it must be an unreal feeling for Jack White to have written this riff that virtually anyone in the America can hum along to. (not sure how big it is outside this country, but I'm sure it's played at soccer matches in Britain). Good song, if a bit overdone! Following that, I didn't know what to expect, just more blues-rock along those lines, but I was actually pleasantly surprised with the variety on this album. You got an acoustic track, a piano track, even the rockers are all different enough to keep the novelty and energy going. Definitely a bit of Robert Plant worship going on, but that's not a bad thing. I like the Beatles-esque "AHHHHHHS" on "There's No Home For You Here" a lot. Reading a bit about this album, I saw that it was all recorded on equipment made before 1963, which I really respect and I feel like adds to the sound they're trying to do, which is certainly a bit of 60s/70s blues-rock/ garage-rock throwback, but there is enough fresh there to keep it interesting. Ball and Biscuit rips.

Album #4! First album in this series for me you couldn't remotely describe as "blues-rock/hard-rock", a welcome reprieve. I LOVE Mezzanine, been one of my favorite records for years, but I think I remember trying to listen to this one years ago and not getting it all. So, very excited to jump back into this and see if I can get the hype this time around. From the jump, I'm remembering why it wasn't as immediately appealing to me, it's a bit less accessible, more hip-hoppy, more minimal in some ways? But I think I'm starting to get it a bit more this time around. The "Be Thankful for What You've Got" cover/remix is pretty dang stellar. "Diamond in the back, sunroof top, diggin' the scene with a gangsta lean ooooooooo". I think also starting to dip my toes in dub is making me appreciate the dubbier tracks better. "Five Man Army" sounds so good on headphones. "Unfinished Sympathy," just wow. Listening to this song first on my earbuds on a run I enjoyed it but it didn't stand out, then my second time through the album with nice headphones my jaw dropped with those layers of strings. "Hymn of the Big Wheel" is so damn good, very different from the rest of the album, feels like watching the sunrise after a night clubbing in London. And of course the deadhead in me can't help but think of "Big wheel turn by the grace of god..." (doing a little research, apparently both are references to the buddhist "bhava-cakra", very cool). Overall, my favorite new listen of this experiment so far (only 4 in though). So happy this project pushed me to go back and check out an album I had written off as "not for me" before. I think this is going to be my first 5 so far.

#5 in the series for me, first one I've dreaded a bit putting on. Never been the biggest Eminem-head, I respect the word-play but idk. Let's give it a shot. The P.S.A. is kinda funny. "My Name Is" is a classic, getting that out of the way. But actually listening to what he's saying, woof. The lyrics are just so juvenile, the shock-value violence already starting here just falls kinda flat to me, not in a "Good Heavens Think of the Children!" way, but in "Wow so edgy bro" way. I think this is an album you have to hear as a teenage boy in order to really love. I get that "97 Bonnie & Clyde" is a parody of sorts of Will Smith's version of "Just the Two of Us" or whatever, I get that its a joke, but I just don't think it's very funny. Especially reading quotes of Eminem saying things like "None of it was to be taken too literally, although at the time I wanted to f---king do it." Brining your daughter into a studio to record a song about fantasizing killing her mom is a little messed up, I'm sorry! The production on some of these songs is interesting. Em certainly does have a way with wordplay. Just the words he's playing with are not interesting to me, at all. Not my thing. I can understand his talent. But it really ain't for me.

ZAPPA TIME!!! Someone else who I have not really dove into at all and have been meaning to for a long time. I think I've heard Captain Beefheart like once, and I know the Phish cover of Peaches en Regalia (lol), but have always been a little intimidated to actually dive in. So let's do it!!! Rapid thoughts: "Go Cry on Somebody Else's Shoulder" -- hilarious pastiche of doo-wop. "I gave you my high school ring at the root beer stand" "It can't happen here" - wow this is just phish The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet - what lmao. hell yes. I will say the album was a lot more "Normal" than I thought it would be, given Zappa's reputation, at least until those last few tracks when it really went into the deep out of sound collage spoken word chaos -- which I thought was actually really cool, even though I don't think it will be something I'm throwing on too often. All of the classic 60s psychedelic garage rock sounding stuff I thought was really well done, even when his lyrics are kind of satirizing the whole scene, you can tell Zappa still appreciates the stuff he's satirizing at the same time. But even stuff like "Who Are the Brain Police?", while not especially weird by todays standards, it's insane to think of being recorded in 1966! "I think I'm going to die" repeating freakouts, definitely must have been a bad vibe for any poor hippie who took a tab of acid and dropped the needle on this one. Leaning towards a high 4 stars, both for personal enjoyment and obvious historical importance.

Audibly let out a "LETS GOOOO" when I loaded the page to see this was my album of the day. I went through a massive Radiohead phase as I was really getting into music (like many, many people I'm sure), and while I don't listen to them as much as I once did, I don't think they'll ever fully leave my pantheon of "Favorite Artists of All Time." Anyhoot, this album rocks. Perfect 90s alt-rock, Radiohead perfected the style and then got bored with it and made even better music the next few albums after this. But that doesn't take away from the excellent songs on this record. "Just" has long been a favorite of mine, highly recommend checking out the music video to that one as well. "Planet Telex" is the perfect way to start an album. "Street Spirit" is one of the best songs Thom ever wrote. There are some Radiohead albums I slightly prefer, but that doesn't stop this from being an easy 5 stars from me.

Definitely not an album I would have ever reached for on my own, but that's why ya gotta love this project. I am of course familiar with a few of Thin Lizzy's hits, "The Boys are Back In Town" is an undeniable banger, but never have been super interested in diving any deeper on them. But hey, this should at least be fun! I've always loved "Jailbreak" too ever since it was featured on the soundtrack for MLB 08: The Show, which I put way too many hours into as a kid. Rocks out fine enough here, not adding any Dead/Phish long 12 minute jamming sections or anything (dang, that would actually be kinda sick), but still fun to hear a live version of a song I know pretty well. Grooving through the next few as well, not anything really blowing my mind but it was good music to run to on my morning run. "Still in Love with You" is the first to make me stop in my tracks a bit, really nice tone & touch on the guitar here. Also, an aside, probably dumb of me but never realized they were an Irish band until I heard their accents in the between song banter. I think I just default to thinking any band is American unless they sound very obviously not. Very Amero-centric of me, I apologize. One thing this live album does give me is an appreciation for the front man Phil Lynott's vocals, very impressive, sounds kinda like Freddy Mercury at times. Why are they encouraging the crowd to clap along with the band, one of my biggest live music pet peeves, it always sounds awful and this is no exception, especially with the weird way the audience is mixed (going from non-existent to this weird separation from the rest of the instruments, guessing this is because of the way there were apparently a lot of overdubs, [which I don't hold against them unlike other reviewers, the greatest live album of all time Europe 72 has a lot of overdubs]). I think I would have a lot of fun with this album drinking beers with my buddies in the 70/80s, but sitting sober at my desk on Monday morning in the year 2023 it's not doing a ton for me. And an hour 20 is a bit much. But it's certainly not terrible. "Boys are Back in Town" sounds great here, I liked the transition from "Cowboy Song"

Son of a preacher man! Dusty Springfield is another name that I've heard a bunch, but (perhaps embarrassingly) if you had sat me down and tried to ask me anything what I knew about her, I probably would have said "... was she in Buffalo Springfield?" (No. She was not.) Let's try some of this "blue-eyed soul" (which is a really weird name for a genre lmao) I like the 60s production/orchestration a lot in these songs. "The Windmills of Your Mind" -- Autumn Leaves!!! Yoooooo i literally know her "What Do You Do When Love Dies" -- BANGER. Idk, this one is hard for me to rate because I enjoyed it, but it kinda slid in to the background a bit at parts, I'm gonna go with a strong 3 stars.

Fun rocker, didn’t grab me a ton admittedly.

First real "electronic" album that's come up for me on the generator so far, excited to dive in, I've never even heard of this one. I like a lot of electronic music, but I haven't really good super deep outside of the big names (BoC, Aphex, etc.) So let's see what we've got here. "Tired Games" is kinda fun. I don't really get the hate on the reviews page for this one so far, it's a pleasant enough listen so far. "Attitude" is definitely a little more grating with the repetition. A pretty sparse wikipedia article for one of the "1001 albums you need to hear before you die." The 10 albums I've had before this are all lauded by many different websites, even the ones I didn't enjoy as much I can at least appreciate & understand why they were selected for this list, this is the first time it's a real head scratcher. Not the best reviewed or most popular UK Garage album if you wanted to include one from this genre, I wonder if this was just a CD the curator of the book had in his collection that he happened to like & snuck it in there? I guess the song "Sincere" was the first UK Garage song to hit the UK charts, ok fine, there seems to be some historical importance even though this album seems to be more forgotten today. (Some further research shows that this album was dropped by the time of the 2018 edition, interesting.) Kinda like "Crazy Love". Overall it was... fine. I think I'm going to dock it to a "2" because I don't think it really deserves by any reasonable metric to be in this list.

Duran Duran, another name I know from my mother, I definitely know a few of their hits but have never really dived in. This should be another fun one, not expecting anything mind blowing but some fun 80s pop! Fantastic album cover too. "Rio" - a great track right off the back, definitely already familiar with it, but a closer listen is actually pretty rewarding. "Hungry Like the Wolf" -- What a track. "Do dooo dodoodo dodo doooo doodo" "Hold Back The Rain" sounds like it could have been a hit too. Dang these songs are all pretty good. I really like the bass groove on "New Religion." "Save a Prayer" - the third single from this, another one I really like actually listening closer to it versus hearing it mindlessly on classic-rock/80s radio for years. The synths on this are kinda insane, swirling around.

Merry Christmas !!

My reviews are going to be shorter this week, but I really enjoyed this album, one of the last “major” Bob albums I hadn’t heard yet! Some songs felt very 90s production, in a good way. I really liked “Not Dark Yet”.

Went in with low expectations, ended up presently surprised at points. Highlight was definitely the shoegaziness of “Scare Crow”

Excellent! Psycho Killer!!!! Very fun and groovy. Can see this rising to 5 after more listens, will def be returning for more.

I used to LOVE this album when I was around I want to say a Freshman in high school? Not really sure how I found it, probably some Rolling Stone list, but I digress. So many great songs, “Lost in the Supermarlet” is a standout. 5 bagger.

Really enjoyed this one! Realized I don't really know a lot about 1970s "Punk" music (like how it actually sounds other than the major hits like Blitzkrieg Bop or whatever), for some reason I thought it would be a lot more angry/aggressive/abrasive, but this was actually a really fun album to listen to! Parts of it, especially like the start of "These Hands", really reminded me of modern day artists like Ty Segall, who I don't think anyone would really call punk. I will definitely be returning to this one!

"Gee, but it's great to be back home." Back to reality, back to fuller album reviews. I really have meant to get more into Simon & Garfunkel, which seems to be a common thing for me to be saying in this project, which is probably why I'm enjoying it so much. I already recognize the first three songs -- all BANGERS. Wow, Celcilia especially is really benefitting from a close listen, I know the song from mostly in passing but I LOVE the percussion, the vocals, the instrumentation, just everything. The Horn sounds in "Keep the Customer Satisfied" -- wow.

My first thoughts listening to this on my run this morning -- Not my bag. “Mr Blue Sky” is undeniably a banger though, and it’s the song where ELO is trying their hardest to make a McCartney Beatles song. 70 minutes is a bit of a slog to get through. However, I might give it another chance on my nicer headphones, I think the orchestration could benefit from that. OK, I admit, I am already liking this a lot better from the start, my AirPods can make a nice enough sound at times, but this is certainly an album that benefits from the Headphones experience. The vocoder is pretty sick. "It's Over." Still ended up wearing on me a bit by the end. I’m going with a strong 3.

EXTREMELY EXCITED to dive into this one. A little embarassing to admit as the "Indiehead," but I think I've only played through this album as a whole like once, although I know a few of the singles (Jesus Etc, Heavy Metal Drummer, etc) pretty dang well. Wilco has always been one of those bands I know I need to get into, just haven't made the dive yet (especially with all their connections to the Dead!) Quick thoughts: "I'm the Man Who Loves You" -- the guitar sound is VERY "Everybody Knows this is Nowhere" era Neil Young, and I am HERE FOR IT. I can sorta hear the Grateful Dead influence on like "War on War" (ok yes i am copying a little bit from the p4k review of this article, but I figured I had to mention those two as they are two of my favorite artists). I can tell how this must have just dropped like a bomb on the indie scene in 2001/2002, every song is just excellent in its own way. Great production by Jim O'Rourke. I think I finally "get" Wilco. Honestly, I'm a little shocked at the negative reviews that this album is getting on this site. How the hell could this album be described as boring, when you have songs like "Heavy Metal Drummer," when the album starts with the lyrics "I am an American aquarium drinker / I assassin down the avenue"? Another album that is rewarding as a headphone listen, I feel like there's no way you're getting the full experience if you're just playing it off of your laptop speakers. "Jesus Etc." is just an absolutely perfect indie-rock song. Like platonic ideal. The instrumentation, the lyrics, the melancholy delivery by Tweedy, all just exactly perfect. Five Stars. Fav trax: “Jesus, Etc.”, “Heavy Metal Drummer”, “War on War”, “I am Trying to Break Your Heart”, I will stop before I list the whole album

An absolute delight from the very start. I'm a sucker for a concept album, and FUNKY SPACE SHIPS/ALIENS? Hell yes. One of those albums where I *feel* like I've heard a lot of it before, but probably haven't, but I have heard all the music it's influenced, and the artists that have sampled this album. I think the only George Clinton associated album I've actually heard before is "Maggot Brain". But maybe it's time for me to listen to more funk, cause I'm absolutely loving this. nevermind, i definitelty know "Give Up The Funk" lol Overall, quite the fun listen, I can see myself returning to this one, does not blow me away enough to be a full on five bagger but I think it's a very solid 4.

As a note: the spotify release does not make it very clear, but I think it's most fair to judge this album as the original release -- the 12 tracks from \"Little Hands\" to \"Grey / Afro.\" Everything after that are bonus tracks from the recording session. Overall, I feel like I want to spend more time with this album, it is not immediately striking me but I feel like there's a lot beneath the surface. I'm going to give it a strong 3 stars for now, and might regret that later if I return to it.

Starting off, I think this might have the lowest "Plays" on spotify of any album I've listened to so far for this project -- around 15k streams per track, which is pretty crazy for an "Album You Must Listen To Before You Die." However, it is also an album not from the USA/UK/Canada, so I have to give it bonus points for that, a bit refreshing for sure. On to the actual music. This one is a bit frustrating to me, I think Baaba Maal sounds very talented but I agree with some other reviewers that I think the "crossover" attempts with more western instrumentation are a bit cringy in hindsight. I like the songs that are more "rootsier" than the songs that have like a rock 'n' roll band behind him. Like for example, I was really feeling "Daniibe" until that 90s seinfeld slap bass came in and I audibly groaned. Ehhh now the very 90s sounds are starting to win me back over, the MIDI(?) in "Olel" is pretty fun, and harkens me back to like SMW soundtracks, or 90s Grateful Dead "Drums>Space" jams. Oh I bet Mickey Hart LOVED this album. (OK for any other Dead Heads out there doing this project, yup they did perform together at least once, at the 2006 "Jammies" awards at MSG [which I did not realize was a thing, wow they should bring that back.]) A little further research finds that they actually played together three times that week, alongside Phish's Mike Gordon! And... Walter Cronkite?? https://phish.net/setlists/mike-gordon-april-21-2006-grand-central-terminal-new-york-ny-usa.html I'm getting way off track. What is that guitar whaling doing in the background of "Minuit" lol. Very weird record from 2024 standpoints, but it's really won me over I think. OH GOD I just downloaded the 1993 mix and this is SO MUCH ROUGHER. THE RAPPING INTRO over "Hamady Boiro" jesus man.... 1992 mix (the one on spotify) is infinitely better. "Its the african music called yelle"

I wish this did more for me; but it really doesn't. The title track is pretty iconic, I really like the way the chorus comes back in one more time when you think it's done. Other than that, the record is enjoyable yet pretty forgettable, sadly. Pretty solid 3 stars.

This is HITTING as a big winter storm is hitting here in the PNW. Watching snow softly float to the ground. Looks kind of like the album cover outside my window. The mix on this album is really interesting -- on a couple of songs, the vocals are mixed so low, they're like buried under the jangly guitars, a choice which I actually really like. A very gloomy, ethereal album. Could you make the arguement this is the first "slowcore" record? I mean, some of the reverby guitar tracks sounds straight off of like Galaxie 500 "On Fire." "A Forest" is an absolute stunner, sounds familiar for sure. After one play thru, this is easily a solid 4, possibility to creep up to a 5.

defintely interesting to hear this a couple weeks after the Phil Spector christmas album, you can hear how clear the influence was... I'll be honest, this album does not do a ton for me. Maybe it's because of the over-prevalence of a lot of the singles, but it is just not super interesting to me. The 60s Wall-of-Sound production by Ronson is interesting and I respect it, but mimicking it 40 years later isn't super interesting to me... idk. "Tears Dry On Their Own" is just like directly aping the "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" open? Call it a nod or a tribute, but it is just not doing a lot for me I'm sorry! Or a sample I guess, after reading into it, a interpolation, blah blah blah. I'm all for sampling don't get me wrong but I think you need to do something interesting with it rather than just doing a similar motown-type song over it... Am I just in a bad mood this morning reviewing this album, possibly.

Looking through the reviews on this website, it seems people are broadly split into two camps on this album, one of the more controversial that I've received so far in this experiment. On the one hand, you have the people gob smacked that an album of "elevator music," boring beats, ambient noises, somehow made the list of the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Leave This Plane Of Being. On the other hand, you have people who are enraptured by the beauty of these floating synth melodies; these sparse, driving beats; the ethereal samples that come in like they were beamed from another planet. You have the people who recognize that this is one of the most monumental albums of the 90s, nay, 20th century music. You might be able to guess that I am in the latter camp. And we are the dreamers of dreams.

Always happy to take a trip outside the Anglosphere, I think this is my 30th album and only second one not in English (or instrumental by an English bloke). But just by reading the description, it doesn't immediately strike me as something up my alley, never been super into \"industrial\" music, but I'll try and go in with an open mind. Eh, I honestly just don't have a lot to say about this one. It was a little goofy at times, maybe just because it sounds a little funny to my ears to hear these dramatic vocal performances in French. I thought about giving this a "3", just in terms of like "I see what this is going for but its not for me," but I also feel like 3s are albums i wouldn't mind listening to again, and I don't think I'd really want to listen to this again. So, I'll go two. Sorry Young Gods.

Wow, my first artist repeat, 30 days in! I just got \"Seventeen Seconds\" last week, excited to continue filling in a musical blind-spot with this album, perhaps the Cure's most beloved/critically acclaimed work. I certainly have seen this album cover a lot. First song that I immediately recognize is \"Lovesong\" -- one of my mom's favorites. Have to keep this review kind of short, but I really enjoyed this album, with all of its moodiness, still very fun to listen to somehow. I can see myself returning to this one for sure.

Enjoyable! I had fun listening to this! Dancing Queen is a bop for sure! I just don't see it being something that enters my regular rotation, but I respect the hell out of it.

Man, I feel like I'm learning from this project that like dramatic sweeping slightly proggy rock is just not really for me. I respect what this is going for, and it times it grabs me, but at the end of the day I don't really connect with it all that much. Sounds like an album I would have loved at 13, and I don't mean that in a bad way! But not really hitting for me now. "Dreamer" is fun. Definitely can hear a bit of Roger Waters Pink Floyd in here at parts. Idk maybe it's winning me over a bit.

This has to be one of the most 80s sounding records ever -- every single noise on "The Way You Make Me Feel" is almost parody level. The drum machines, synthesizer sounds, bass tones, it's honestly pretty incredible how dated this sounds. Obviously knew the first two tracks pretty well -- absolutely massive hits. "Speed Demon" was kinda fun, kinda almost a novelty song. Don't know what to think about Liberian girl -- had an interesting groove to it. "Man in the Mirror" -- I vividly remember watching this music video in like a middle school gymnasium anti-bullying assembly. Song is fine. "Smooth Criminal" is the best song on the album. Annie are you ok? I admittedly don't know much about like Michael Jackson chronology, if you would have asked me I think I would have thought "Smooth Criminal" was an earlier song and "Man in the Mirror" was a later stage almost sympathy #1 hit like "oh yea, michael's still got it!" The amount of hits that I know every word to, without being particularly a Michael Jackson fan, is no doubt impressive. (And I don't really want to get into All That Other Stuff). And this album without a doubt deserves to be one of the 1001 Albums to listen to before you shed this mortal coil. But I don't think it has quite the timeless quality that "Thriller" has, of course a high bar. Can't really see myself throwing this one too often.

Paul McCartney kinda just f**king around in the studio, making songs about how much he loves his wife, is better than a good amount of albums I've heard through this project. He's a legend, in and out of the Beatles, for a reason.

How can you not love this album? The first track is the obvious banger, but every single track grooves, never overstaying its welcome.

This is real good rock and roll, uh, music. "Move me on down the line" -- another "Big Wheel" reference. That's like three now for this project. Who knew that was such a popular reference point. And of course, my other jam-band perspective on this album, always have loved Phish's version of "Jesus Just Left Chicago" ("La Grange" too!) I am actually kinda loving this album. Oh man, and as I'm writing that, "La Grange" comes on. Hell fkin yea what a track. I can't believe somebody wrote a great review how this album is like smoking in a bar in Texas and going out for a ride on a motorcycle, and then proceeded to give it three stars? I think a funny bit would be copying that exact review and giving it 5 stars.

I went in with an open mind, I'm certainly no metal head. "Enter Sandman" will always make me think of the great Mariano Rivera. I dug the production, one of the best sounding metal records I've heard. Some good head bangers. But at the end of the day, I was not blown away, and did not do much to change my general opinion of Metallica.

The first album that I remember listening to the year it came out! Wow! Seems like kind of a random pick honestly. Saw them at Lollapalooza a few years back. Good show. Haven't really thought of them in years. I feel like it's a slightly more accessible version of like Animal Collective. "Default" and "Waveforms" are great tracks.

I am generally not a fan of "NME-core", and I am coming to the frightening realization that a lot of the 90s-present albums on this list could fall under that purview... I really don't understand the acclaim of this album. It's like shoving brit-pop and Nirvana in a blender and removing all the heart. "Homesick" might be the worst track I've heard in this project so far. Somehow "Get Free" just passed me by completely, maybe it's bc I wasn't old enough, but everyone is talking like it's this massive song and I do not recognize it at all. I like the Beatles "ahhhhhs" on "Country Yard" I'll admit. Ok but immediately following it, "Factory" trying to do the sing-songy Paul McCartney "Penny Lane" type vibe into a grunge breakdown sounds like it should be really cool on paper, but this SUCKS I'm sorry. Instead of listening to this album, you'll have a better time if you put Nevermind and Sgt Peppers on a playlist and hit shuffle.

Absolutely stunning record. I own this on vinyl, but I feel like I haven't fully been able to get it into it until this came up for me. I am honestly SHOCKED to see that the average rating is only around 3.5 -- are people really rating lower because she's not on spotify? You go Joni, who needs spotify, those bastards. Anyways. What a unique voice, so beautiful. These songs just cut right to the heart. This is Taylor Swift for people who actually like music. I guess you could say I'm "Tangled up in Blue" now! Ok I'll stop. Brilliant record.

Iggy Pop - another one of those greats that I've been meaning to really get into. And boy, this record knocked me on my ass. This is ROCK AND ROLL. Ann Arbor Michigan represent! Go Blue baby!

Pretty thematic one-two punch with The Stooges - Raw Power as yesterday's album. Right away, it's reminding me of Pink Floyd's "The Wall", in terms of like directly addressing the audience. I wonder if Roger Waters took some inspiration? Anyhoot, I am pretty sure I was only vaguely familiar with Alice Cooper before this landed on my page today, I have fond memories of playing "School's Out" on Guitar Hero growing up. Other than that, I do not really have much of a context for him/them (apparently Alice Cooper is both the name of the band and the frontman's stage persona? A little confusing but ok). I am learning that I definitely prefer the sound of early-70s "hard-rock" to the late-70s sound, and both of those are preferred to the harsh 80s production of similar bands. To quote Jake Longstreth, you have to appreciate the tasteful palette of early 70s rock and roll production. Everything sounds warm. Kind of funny almost the disconnection between the lyrics and the instrumentation -- pretty standard (but really good standard!) type of hard-rock playing, with some really wild/goofy/obscene lyrics. Reading about some of the controversy with this record brings me back to an earlier album in this project (for me, the album is like 25 years in the future of course) -- the Slim Shady LP. (I like this record a lot more). But it goes to show how the older generation will always be shocked by something the younger generation is listening to -- and of course, a good amount of the intent behind the young kids music is to shock their elders. You can see this continue today with songs like "WAP" causing people to freak out. The only track I've recognized so far is "No More Mr. Nice Guy" -- good track! The guitar playing on "Generation Landslide" is really nice, almost Allman like in the outro. I like this record more than I thought I would! Probably not a 5 star, but a very solid 4.

Tom Waits, another one of those legends I've seen on lists and shouted out in reviews and interviews, but have not taken the chance to really dive into before this list. I enjoyed the blues-rock songs a lot more than the piano-orchestra ballads I must say. Great lyricism. I have to say a little disappointed overall. This is one I could see myself returning to later and giving a much higher score, but as for now I do not think I can give it more than a solid 3.

I'm a little worried by the Wikipedia page on this that it might be my least favorite genre on this list, "NME-core", but I'll give it a chance. Sounds like it might be a bit weirder than the run-of-the-mill brit-pop alt-rock sound at least. Oh never mind this is a lot better than that first impression. I am much more on board with weird americana/alt-country! Vocals are reminding me a lot of Yo La Tengo around this time. I feel like "X-tra Wide" could have come right off a YLT record, title and all. I see a lot of reviews on here hating on this vocal style, I don't mind it all so far! Yea, I liked this a lot. Very different than a lot of the other stuff on this list. Solid 4 stars.

DLZ is an incredible track. "Golden Age" I actually really only know from Phish's cover that they've been playing for the last few years. But yea, TV on the Radio is one of the classic indie blindspots for me -- I feel like theyve been "that band I've been meaning to check out" for a while. I enjoyed this record a lot though! Not sure if I was blown away or not. I want to give it another listen on my good headphones. Yea, this is definitely one that adds a LOT from the headphone listening experience v. running with my beats earbuds.

Starting the album with a blood curling is certainly a choice -- and lets you kinda know what you're getting into with this one. Certainly seems to have scared off a good portion of the reviewers here. But I will persist through. Can hear a bit of like Beck in here with some of these blues grooves ("F**k Sh*t Up specifically). Released on Matador, which is making me want to give it a bit more credit, as I love the label. I think I'm actually enjoying this. Interesting reading reviews about how people were concerned about the cultural appropriation aspects of mimicking Black vocal stylings -- definitely something that would come under even more fire today, and for good reason. But if you can look past that, there's some really explosive rock 'n' roll music going on here. I think it wore on a bit as a 45 minute record (don't really feel any inclination to listen to the bonus edition that's 1 hr 20), could have been a really great 30 minutes. I think this a strong 3 for a record that I appreciate and enjoyed in places, but don't see myself coming back to super often.

Really enjoyed running to this one. Groovy as hell. Haven't heard a ton of 9 minute motown songs.

To quote a two star reviewer on this site, "Sounds like a fairytale theater run by deadheads." Except to me, that sounds incredible. Also, I feel like King Gizz must be real into this record. All these reviewers need to get their heads out of their asses - flute playing in rock-n-roll music is cool as hell.

You got me noiivus. This is the type of album that's catnip to the audience of this website apparently... never seen so many 5 star reviews on the "top" section of the reviews. I liked the White Stripes album that I got previously more than I thought I would, so I went into this album with a slightly more open mind. I feel like the songs are crafted well enough, they're just not doing anything interesting to me, at all. If this was not "The First Solo Album by Jack White" there is no way we'd be talking about it now. Two Starz

Enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. Good high quality rock and roll, uh, music.

Absolutely stunning record. Not sure how it's taken so long for me to listen to it, but I think it's going to be one I will have with me for the rest of my life now. I think I've heard the title track in passing, but this is the first time I've really paid attention to it, and my god. Best guitar playing I've ever heard by someone not named Jerry or Trey ;)

I think I said this for another album, possibly another Van Halen, that I can see how if you were a college aged white boy when this came out, I can easily see how it would seem like the greatest album of all time. To me in the year 2024? Doesn't sound too great, if I'm being honest. Sorry Dad, I know this is one of your favorite records. The only thing that saves this from 1 star is that "Jump" is a pretty undeniable banger.

This is a kick-ass indie rock & roll album. Don't believe me, just ask Kurt Cobain, Thom Yorke, Isaac Brock, or any of the countless others influenced massively by this record. I have to admit I was only vaguely familiar with this record from "Where is My Mind?" and "Gigantic" (and maybe a couple of others) being played a lot on my favorite satellite radio station (XMU), but it was a real treat finally sitting down and listening to the whole thing. My patented dead-head connection trivia tid-bit - both the Grateful Dead and Pixies got their name by randomly selecting something from a dictionary. Great tactic for anyone out there starting a band! I love the anecdote that they started "Black Francis put out an ad for a female bass player who liked both the punk band Hüsker Dü and the folk trio Peter, Paul, and Mary." I don't know if it is blowing my mind enough to be a 5 bagger, but it is a very strong 4. I'd give it a 4.5 if that were possible.

This was frustrating for me. I went into this album really wanting to dig it, as I feel like so many of my favorite bands love R.E.M. and I have not dug much into their discography, and I had a hard time connecting with it. The songs I recognized, like "End of the World" and "One I Love" are good songs, but most of it just seemed like kind of run of the mill alt-rock. I wonder if it's a sort of "Seinfeld is unfunny" problem where so many people have copied these R.E.M. records that they lose a bit of their uniqueness? Idk. I can see myself eventually returning to this album/this band and loving it, and cursing at my past self, but for now this is only getting 3 stars.

Really incredible pop album. Impressive hearing how it was all self produced. I can see myself returning to this one for sure. “Big Sky” was my favorite other than the obvious Stranger Thangz

Liked it more than I thought I would! Fun Bowie/Dylan worship with some nice guitar playing

a modern classic in every sense of the word.

Could tell the ol' sourpuss parts without really knowing he was part of this album! Great listen.

can definitely see the rem influence!! i quite enjoyed!!!

Love this album more than anything

nice, good, independent rock n roll uh music.