Already one of my favourites and part of my collection.
Funky and weird as hell. Best listened to with high quality headphones.
Soulful easy listening. I’ll be adding to my library for further listening.
Although worth noting that Respect has weird undertones when sung from a male perspective. Hard to get past.
Best tracks: My Girl, Rock Me Baby, Satisfaction.
Mostly bland and forgettable. The album seemed to improve in the second half, although that may have just been me warming to it a bit.
Highlights: The Scientist, A Whisper, A Rush of Blood to the Head.
Lowlights: the entire rest of the album.
Two out of the four albums I’ve got so far have already been in my collection and some of my favourites, including Freewheelin’.
A classic folk album. The protest songs hit just as hard as when they were first written, to when I first heard them 2 decades ago, to now.
Highlights: Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alrights (one of my all time favourite songs), Oxford Town, Masters of War
Lyrically and musically complex hip-hop that brings together jazz, funk and soul influences.
This album definitely feels like it deserves to be on this list, however the majority is not to my personal taste. I’ll give it a few more listens but I don’t expect it to be added to my collection.
Highlights: King Kunta, Complexion, You Ain’t Gotta Lie, i (that riff and bass line!)
This did not hit me straight out of the gate, and based on the first song I was expecting cheesy, generic rock. But by the time the vocals kicked in on Lazy I was properly grooving along. Definitely a pleasant surprise.
Highlights: Maybe I’m a Leo, Smoke on the Water, Lazy
Full review TBA
Highlights: The National Anthem, Optimistic, Idioteque, Morning Bell.
Amazing musicianship, especially given each song was recorded in only 1 or 2 takes. I really love the concept behind the album, bringing the older and new musical generations together. I also enjoyed the insight provided by the dialog between tracks.
However, I didn’t personally get much enjoyment out of the album. Country/bluegrass just isn’t really my jam, especially at 2 hours long.
Highlights: Heart of Gold, Old Man, The Needle and the Damage Done, Words
Lowlights: A Man Needs a Maid (what was going on there?)
Super chill mix of hip-hop, soul and reggae. Keen to check out more from this band.
Highlights: Safe From Harm (that baseline!), Five Man Army, Lately, Hymn of the Big Wheel.
I understand this album/artist means so much to so many people, but I could not make a connection. I suppose I’m not the target audience. It was fine, if a bit bland.
Highlights: Born to Run, Meeting Across the River.
Fun, high energy indie rock. A bit repetitive. The vocal style did begin to irritate after a while.
Highlights: Happy Alone, Molly’s Chambers, Dusty
Highlights: Ponta de Lanca Africano, Xica da Silva.
Ambient and chill.
I found ‘Shhh / Peaceful’ to be a little too much like elevator music, but quite enjoyed build up on ‘In a Silent Way’.
Classic 80’s synth pop. The bass lines are catchy as hell.
Highlights: Rio, Hungry Like the Wolf, New Religion
Struggled with the rating on this one: 3 1/2 stars, rounded up.
The title track is deservedly a classic but largely an anomaly style-wise on this album. The majority of the songs are simply arranged and beautifully sad.
I felt incredibly drawn to McLean’s voice.
Highlights: American Pie, Vincent, The Grave
I feel very conflicted on this one. I really enjoy the music but the vocals just rub my ears the wrong way. I can’t quite pinpoint exactly why, but I think they’re too ‘breathy’ and drawn out.
Every time a new song starts I really get into the intro, then the vocals come in and my mood deflates.
I’d love to hear U2 with a different singer.
I was quite surprised by how much I enjoyed this album. I already knew a few Smashing Pumpkins songs that I had assumed were singles from across their discography - Turns out they were all from this album (Tonight, Zero, Bullet with Butterfly Wings, 1979).
My heart sank when I opened the album and saw it was 28 songs and over 2 hours long. As far as I’m concerned the perfect album length is 45 minutes. Any longer and you’re almost guaranteed a lot of filler. I was surprised to not find any on this album, although I did enjoy the first half more than the second, probably due to musical fatigue.
There were a few moments that even made me “Oh, hell yeah!” out loud (e.g. when the drums kick in on An Ode to No One).
Highlights: Bullet with Butterfly Wings, An Ode to No One, 1979.
Trent Reznor at his angriest. I’ve loved this album since I was an angsty teen.
Highlights: Piggy, March of the Pigs, The Becoming, Reptile.
Some of the songs on this album are fantastic, but some are fairly forgettable. I listened to this a few times to see if it would grow on me more and several times I actually forgot it was even playing.
Could have been a great album with a bit more killer, less filler.
Highlights: Roadhouse Blues, You Make Me Real, Peace Frog / Blue Sunday, Maggie M’Gill
I really enjoyed this one. I can hear how influential this was to some of favourite modern bands. Very surprised I had not come across this before.
Highlights: Friction, Marquee Moon, Prove It.
Not bad, but it didn’t really click with me.
I really liked track 1 “Precious”, but couldn’t really get into the rest of the album.
Not bad, but this definitely feels like an album of Kid A B-sides. These songs just aren't as interesting musically.
Highlights: Pulk / Pull Revolving Doors, I Might Be Wrong
I’ve never been a big fan of live albums, and this one unfortunately did not change my mind. I’m sure the energy would have been fantastic live in person, but it did not translate on recording for me.
I also found most songs to sound very similar, which I think is probably just Motörhead’s sound and not specific to this album.
Highlights: Ace of Spades, Iron Horse.
I’ve loved this album for a long time and it’s still high rotation for me - I listened to it just last week. It’s funky and heavy, catchy and melodic. Every time I put it on I immediately find myself aggressively air drumming and singing along to every word.
I checked the global ratings before posting mine and it hurts my soul to see it reviews so poorly. It seems that you really had to be in the target audience at the time it was released to appreciate it.
Highlights: Privilege, The Warmth, Clean, Pardon Me.
Drive probably does deserve to be listed as a highlight but it’s so overplayed even I got sick of it.
Really enjoyable. I’m looking forward to discovering more of The Who through this list.
Highlights: The Good’s Gone, My Generation, It’s Not True, The Ox
I’m not usually a fan of live albums but the energy on this is fantastic. Such a great performance.
Highlights: Feel It, Cupid, Having a Party.
Nothing really stuck me as special about this album. It was fine, probably wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to again.
Highlights: A House is not a Hotel.
I really enjoyed this one from start to finish. I’m glad I listened with decent headphones. Looking forward to checking out their back catalogue.
Highlights: Sweetest Perfection, Personal Jesus, Policy of Truth.
So much going on, but it never feels like too much.
Highlights: (So many)… Don’t Believe the Hype, Caught, Can We Get a Witness, She Watch Channel Zero?!, Party For Your Right to Fight.
Full of catchy hooks but somehow dull and dreary at the same time. There are definitely some outlier tracks that shine through but mostly this is pretty bland.
I first listened to this album when I was an angsty, straight edge, vegetarian teen and I couldn’t even really get into it then. Not much has changed except now I find Morrissey’s pretentious, unsubtle tones a lot more wearing.
Highlights: English Blood, Irish Heart, First of the Gang to Die
I wasn’t sure on the first listen, but this album really grew on me. It’s a bit heavy on the synths for my taste - more new wave than post punk, but there is something about it that has made me come back and listen multiple times over the last few days. Not sure I can place exactly why I like it, but I do.
Highlights: Ha Ha I’m Drowning, Sleeping Gas, Second Head, When I Dream.
The singles/standout tracks are fantastic, the rest of the album is just fine.
Highlights: The Way You Make Me Feel, Man in the Mirror, Smooth Criminal.
Pure Rock and Roll!
Highlights: Back in Black, Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution.
One of my long time favourites.
Highlights: Honestly, most of the album - Junk Bond Trader, Everything Reminds Me of Her, Everything Means Nothing to Me, Easy Way Out, Wouldn’t Mama be Proud, Pretty Mary Kay.
Haunting, beautiful, funky, groovy and jazzy - this album has everything.
Highlights: Over the Hill, Don’t Want to Know, Dreams by the Sea
I remember hating ‘Take Me Out’ when it first came out for how annoying and overplayed it was, so there was no way I was giving this album/band a chance back then. A few years later, ‘Tonight’ came out and I absolutely loved it - I’d got over my pretentious teenage snobbery of hating anything popular by then.
Listening to this album now, it feels like it’s missing something that ‘Tonight’ has for me. All the songs are good, but not really great.
I’ll give it a few more listens to see if anything clicks.
Highlights: This Fire, The Dark of the Matinée, Michael.
This was fine, but didn’t speak to me.
Not great, not terrible.
Not my jam. Some of the beats were ok, but the lyrical content was far too gangsta for me.
I think this album would have been high rotation for me if I had heard it as a teenager. As it is now, I enjoyed it and will be adding it to my library for next time I’m feeling something with attitude.
Highlights: Art-I-Ficial, I Live Off You, I Am a Poseur, Plastic Bag.
This was better than the last U2 album I listened to on this list (The Joshua Tree), but still not enough to really grip me.
Just a bit boring. There were a few moment where I could maybe see why it was on this list, but mostly this album didn’t really speak to me.
Highlights: Fire and Rain
Solid Blues-Rock/Americana. I enjoyed this one and will be adding it to my library. The second side is stronger than the first.
Highlights: Good Golly Miss Molly, Penthouse Pauper, Proud Mary,
I really loved this. The guitar work, the duel vocals bouncing off each other, the powerful vibrato on the lead vocals all sound so good.
I was hooked from start to finish but highlights were: One More Hour, Words and Guitar, Not What You Want.
Smooth and sexy.
Highlights: Let’s Get It On, Come Get to This.
This album was already one of my favourites. So jazzy and catchy, and the musicians skill is outstanding.
Highlights: Black Cow, Aja (that drum solo!!) Peg.
I remember several friends were really into this band/album when it came out, and a few of the songs are vaguely familiar. But for reasons unknown it mustn’t have connected with me at the time.
This time around, I really enjoyed it. The music and vocals are mostly manic in the first half of the album, but tone down in the second. The album flows really well.
Highlights: Date With the Night, Man, Tick, Maps.
I find the concept interesting, but I don’t enjoy listening to it.
This one is going to take a few more listens before I land on how I really feel about it. I’ve enjoyed listening to it and will add it to my library, but I don’t think it will get too much play. Not sure yet though, it feels like it might grow on me.
Highlights: Words, N.Y., Pounding, Caught By the River.
This album is less than the sum of its parts. I found myself enjoying some of the vocals, some of the beats and some of the rhythm, but when put together I found it repetitive and even irritating. I was genuinely in a bad mood by the time the album finished.
Drive Like Jehu are a band I’ve always been aware of as being heavily influential to a lot of music I loved when I was younger (Thursday, At the Drive-In, etc.) but never got around to listening to.
I don’t listen to that music as much these days and don’t generally seek out new music in that style, but I really enjoyed hearing this. It felt nostalgic and fresh at the same time.
I’ve also been listening to a lot of Sonic Youth recently and can hear their influence on this album, so maybe I was primed to respond to this.
Highlights: Luau, Super Unison, Human Interest
Yes! This was fantastic and I can’t wait to dive into Lou Reed’s discography and related acts.
I didn’t know about the Bowie connection, but I can definitely hear Reed’s influence on Bowie now.
Highlights: Vicious, Perfect Day, Walk on the Wild Side, I’m So Free.
Catchy, but it didn’t really stick with me. The highlights were really good but the rest of the album was not very memorable.
Highlights: Old World, Pablo Picasso, I’m Straight
Solid blues. I didn’t dislike the vocals at all, but I did find myself gravitating towards the instrumentals more.
Highlights: Hideaway, Have You Heard, Steppin’ Out
The beats, lyrics and samples were on point, but I could do without the skits.
Highlights: How Many Mics, Ready or Not, The Score, The Mask.
Beck is such a weird dude, and I love it. This album is so unique it’s hard to describe exactly what I like about it, but it do. Looking forward to nailing it down in a few more listens.
Really varied album, some great songs, some not so great. Probably a bit too long.
I’m going to keep listening to see if it grows on me.
Highlights: Song 2, Death of a Party, Strange News From Another Star, Essex Dogs.
I know this album is iconic and I really wanted to like it, but I just didn’t vibe with it. It just a bit too 80’s and I’ve never been able to appreciate much music that came from that decade.
This definitely had its moments, but as a whole, not my jam.
Highlights: When Doves Cry, I Would Die 4 U.
Catchy and weird. I love the vulnerable, strained vocals on Spiderbite, and the dirty guitar riff on Buggin’.
Highlights: Race for the Prize, The Spiderbite Song, The Gash.
I was expecting this to be cringey, America, Fuck Yeah! rock, but I was pleasantly surprised. I’ve obviously heard all the big hits before, but never really paid that much attention. Found myself singing along several times.
Highlights: I’m on Fire (far and away the best track on the album), Born in the USA, Dancing in the Dark - basically all the singles.
Felt like an hour and a half jam sesh. Free Form Guitar didn’t help.
Highlights: Honestly, nothing really stood out. It was all very samey.
This album was stuck in my head for weeks after listening, and I kept coming back to it. It definitely resonated with me more than the previous Blur album on the list. Super catchy, makes me want to sing and dance along every time I hear it.
Highlights: Girls and Boys, Tracy Jacks, End of a Century, Parklife, London Loves, Magic America.
I’ve listened to this album multiple times before, but I’ve never been able to connect with it quite like Ziggy Stardust.
It feels a bit less cohesive.
But it’s Bowie, so still awesome I guess.
Highlights: Let’s Spend the Night Together, The Jean Genie
Funky, plastic soul. It’s David Bowie, what’s not to like?
Highlights: Young Americans, Fascination, Fame.
Not my favourite Beatles album, but still a classic, and a turning point in their career leading to later albums that are my favourites.
Highlights: Drive My Car, Norwegian Wood, Nowhere Man, In My Life
Absolute classic. Bangers from start to finish. Listening always makes me nostalgic, thinking of my dad’s beat up old record full of pops and clicks.
Highlights: Literally the whole album but if I had to pick - War Pigs (one of my favourite songs), Paranoid, Hand of Doom.
Ultimate chill.
Highlights: Sour Times, Wandering Star, Glory Box.
Highlights: Blue Suede Shoes, Tutti Frutti.
Not really my jam.
Highlights: Detroit Rock City, Shout It Out Loud.
‘A soundtrack to a movie that doesn’t exist.’ I definitely didn’t hate it, but I won’t be listening to it again. It’s just not the kind of thing I want to spend my time with.
Highlights: Sounds From the Big House, The Swinging Detective, The Man With the Golden Arm.
This one dragged a bit.
I won’t be listening again.
Highlight: Nothing really stuck out.
Yes! Funky and soulful, it’s giving Funkadelic vibes. I loved it and was grooving in my chair while working. Listened through twice in a row.
Highlights: City, Country, City, and Four Cornered Room.
Catchy and fun to listen to.
Highlights: Everyday I Have the Blues, It’s My Own Fault.
Not bad, but it didn’t really speak to me. I can never really get into new wave.
