My 1001 Albums Journey

Album	You	Global	Diff
Metal Box Public Image Ltd.	5	2.42	+2.58
Lam Toro Baaba Maal	5	2.73	+2.27
A Walk Across The Rooftops The Blue Nile	5	2.86	+2.14
Call of the Valley Shivkumar Sharma	5	2.94	+2.06
Copper Blue Sugar	5	2.97	+2.03
Younger Than Yesterday The Byrds	5	3.13	+1.87
Repeater Fugazi	5	3.13	+1.87
Unhalfbricking Fairport Convention	5	3.14	+1.86
Miriam Makeba Miriam Makeba	5	3.19	+1.81
Pink Flag Wire	5	3.21	+1.79

Album	You	Global	Diff
Frank Amy Winehouse	1	3.45	-2.45
Your New Favourite Band The Hives	1	3.12	-2.12
Reign In Blood Slayer	1	2.96	-1.96
A Hard Day's Night Beatles	2	3.9	-1.9
Ys Joanna Newsom	1	2.79	-1.79
Strange Cargo III William Orbit	1	2.77	-1.77
Maverick A Strike Finley Quaye	1	2.74	-1.74
Let's Get Killed David Holmes	1	2.68	-1.68
Oracular Spectacular MGMT	2	3.62	-1.62
Madman Across The Water Elton John	2	3.59	-1.59

Artist	Albums	Average
Nick Drake	3	4.67
Funkadelic	2	5
The Cure	2	5
Aretha Franklin	2	5

David Bowie

4/5

I’ve been exploring a bit of David Bowie’s catalog over the last year as I’ve been doing a deep dive into The Cure’s influences but hadn’t heard this album yet. From the first (title) track, it’s immediately clear how Bowie influenced them, from the guitar effects at the beginning (brings to mind “Jumping Someone Else’s Train”) to the experimental, atonal bit of the first few minutes (a la Seventeen Seconds and Faith), to the poppy dance track it ultimately becomes. I can also hear other late 60s/70s sounds in the title track—at times it resembles The Beatles, Motown, surf rock, Hendrix, and Heart. The second track has a Blacksploitation (Shaft) meets Southern rock meets funk vibe. “Stay” has a similar soul/blues/disco sound and has shades of Bowie’s famous “Fame” in it. This was apparently the follow-up album to Young Americans, so that makes sense. "Word on a Wing" has an almost Meatloaf vibe (but in a not annoying way). "TVC15" feels like a Talking Heads song at some points, mostly in the vocal delivery. [As soon as the album finished, Tidal’s algorithm spat out a Talking Heads song, so I guess I was on to something.] The closing track “Wild is the Wind” also reminds me of The Cure (“Three Imaginary Boys” and some of their instrumental tracks off Seventeen Seconds and Faith). There’s a subtle funk element in the guitar and bass that reminds me of Red Hot Chili Peppers too. Really like the drum breakdown toward the end. Bowie’s high notes on the last line are A+ too. I’ll definitely have to revisit this album and focus more on the lyrics—I was more focused on the music on this first listen. Overall, this is definitely one of Bowie’s more accessible albums. I’m really enjoying it. It might actually be my favorite Bowie album so far. It’s also quite short at 38 minutes and just 6 tracks (though each track is a bit longer).

Figure 8

Elliott Smith

4/5

Elliott Smith has been on my list to check out for a while, but I hadn't gotten around to it yet. I always imagined his music as mellow, "sad boy" music, but the opening track on this album goes much harder than I was expecting. The second track is much closer to the folkier sound I was expecting (in a good way). It has a Beatles feel to it too (e.g., "Blackbird" or "Here Comes the Sun"). It almost feels like an acoustic Cure song too. It's a pretty short song, but has some enjoyable guitar work. The third track "Junk Bond Trader" has a Beatles meets Tori Amos vibe. Again, it's a much fuller, rockier sound than I was expecting (but good). The next two songs (the "Everything" songs) are more piano driven but still have a big sound. The whole album sounds very dynamic and huge, which is a bit surprising since it came out at the height of the loudness wars. "L.A." sounds like a mix of a Beatles tune with some Led Zeppelin and Lenny Kravitz mixed in. The lyric "Last night I was about to throw it all away" is a little eerie considering this was his last album. The lyrical content has darkness to it throughout, but the album doesn't feel or sound bleak. It's a little reminiscent of Nick Drake that way—there's something sort of ominous under the surface (the last track is titled "Bye" and is an instrumental piano dirge) but most of the album sounds beautiful and bright. A lot of this album reminds me of Abbey Road ("Pretty Mary Kay" especially), which makes sense given that it was partially recorded there. The Japanese release of the album includes a cover of "Because." "Wouldn't Mama Be Proud" has a heartland rock vibe with its heavy organ and guitar work and reminds me of The Wallflowers. Very of its time when that sound was popular in the early '00s. I really enjoyed this album. Because it's 16 tracks it does sometimes feel a bit long, especially toward the middle, but several of the songs are sub-3 minutes so it's not egregious. It seems to be a bit of an outlier from the rest of his catalog and, like Bowie's Station to Station, one of his most accessible releases. But it definitely makes me want to check out his other work with more urgency than I had before.

Catch A Fire

Bob Marley & The Wailers

3/5

This is definitely an album that you can just vibe to, but paying close attention to the lyrics makes for a much richer experience. The message of songs like “Concrete Jungle,” which talks about alienation and the struggle to survive in the rat race of capitalism, and “Slave Driver” and “400 Years,” which talk about the inter-generational scars of slavery and racial violence, are just as relevant now as they were in 1973. The music can get a bit repetitive at times, but there’s also a ton of great musicianship on the album (the guitar solo on “Stir It Up” has shades of Hendrix—though, controversially, it seems this was done by session musicians brought in by the label to do overdubs after initial recording). It’s also interesting to hear the very obvious influences reggae had on the British punk movement in the 70s, both in terms of music and political messaging. I enjoyed this album and appreciate its historical importance and influence. I’m not sure it’s something I’d listen to all the time, though. I think it’s a good album for people just getting into Marley/reggae because the album is an interesting mix of politics, sex, drugs, and rock n roll and covers the breadth of his music.

Graceland

Paul Simon

4/5

I've played this album before (and know the singles "Graceland," "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoe," and "You Can Call Me Al"), but more as background music—I haven't done a real active listen until now. The opening track, "The Boy in the Bubble" is like a new wave song with tubas and accordions—very interesting sound. The lyrics still feel relevant today, addressing the ambivalence of living in an era where technology (and how humans utilize it) is both amazing and terrifying. The third track "I Know What I Know" could be a Talking Heads song. The fourth track "Gumboots," which features the South African mbaqanga (mix of jazz and traditional music) group The Boyoyo Boys almost feels like a vallenato song with the prominent accordion. I've often wondered about the cross influences between African music, American jazz, klezmer, and South American folk traditions, so this was a very interesting track to listen to. Overall the album is a very enjoyable listen. The combination of 80s pop, South African sounds, and New Orleans music makes for a very upbeat album, though there's also plenty of introspection to be found with a close listen to the lyrics. The controversial history of the album in the context of South African apartheid, while important for listeners to read up on and take into account, shouldn't deter people from listening to the album (in my opinion). I think the album is a good example of how one can support marginalized populations and artists without supporting oppressive governments and is a good reminder of how nuance is always important when looking at history, and political movements more generally.

Rock 'N Soul

Solomon Burke

3/5

This was an interesting album, but I'm not sure how much I'd regularly listen to it. He has a nice voice and an impressive range. A lot of the songs were catchy, but the album also felt like it dragged even though most of the songs are under 3-minutes long. I'd probably pick out a few songs for repeat listens but don't know if I'd play the whole album through.

Oracular Spectacular

MGMT

2/5

I'm very meh about this album. At first I really didn't like it at all, but it grew on me a bit after I relistened to a couple songs. I was never into that indie rock sound of the late '00s (The Lumineers, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, etc.) and I think I'm still a little sick of the three singles being everywhere when it first came out. A lot of the songs feel like The Lumineers trying to do The Doors or Led Zeppelin ... or shoegaze. Something about all the really high-pitched synth notes in a wall of sound grates on me. “4th Dimensional Transition” finally sounds like a successful attempt at the modern psychedelia they seem to be aiming for. “Of Moons, Birds, and Monsters” is my favorite song on the album. It’s an interesting mix of synthpop/psychedelia/post-punk/post-rock and actually feels like a well-developed song and not just a wall of sound like the first few tracks. Other than the two tracks mentioned, I don't really see myself listening to this album again. I'd maybe sit through it if it happened to come on, but I wouldn't go out of my way to hear it.

From Elvis In Memphis

Elvis Presley

3/5

I had an Elvis phase in high school and even had a poster from the '68 special in my bedroom, but listening to this album made me realize that I've always been more of an Elvis compilation fan—a hits fan, really. I don't think I've listened to many (any?) of his studio albums from start to finish or in the context of his career's timeline. So listening to this album was a new and interesting experience for me. A lot of this album feels like Elvis at a crossroads and trying to figure out where he fits in as music is going through a sea change. That the Beatles had already broken up and bands like Led Zeppelin were ruling the airwaves while he was recording this is pretty wild to think about—how quickly music was changing back then. That's why Elvis had to stage the "'68 Comeback Special" in the first place. While he'd been off making movies and putting out soundtrack songs, music had completely changed around him. He had to re-pitch himself to America. The opening track's melody heavily resembles "Heartbreak Hotel" but with more of that southern-disco-soul sound that defined Elvis' later years. "I'm Movin On" is another example of this transitional sound, while "After Loving You" is classic early Elvis. "Power of My Love" is an impressive song. It's much closer to true blues and where Elvis sounds best (in my opinion). I've never been a huge fan of Elvis' more country songs ("It Keeps Right on Hurtin'") or his gospel songs, and I have mixed feelings about his disco-soul era. The slide-guitar-heavy songs and even the orchestra-heavy songs ("Kentucky Rain") on here sound a little hackneyed and outdated to my ears, but again, I've never been a fan of that style. The following year's "All Things Must Pass" by George Harrison is one of my favorite albums of all time and feels a lot more timeless somehow (even though Harrison's later music also often suffered from that slide guitar old-timey feeling, at least to me). This album feels firmly rooted in a particular time, and I'm not sure if or how much modern audiences would connect with it. The run of "Any Day Now" through "Suspicious Minds" on this album really cements that leather-leisure-suited-Elvis-in-Vegas sound that came to define him later on. I say that with mixed feelings, as I unironically love "In the Ghetto" despite its cringey rock-star-on-a-social-mission lyrics and "Suspicious Minds" will always be a banger, but I lean toward the earlier pop-rock-blues of Elvis in my fandom. The song "Don't Cry Daddy" hits differently in the wake of Lisa Marie's death (whose music I was also a huge fan of), which just goes to show you how the context of how and when a song is listened to can affect its reception and meaning. The closing track, with its Christmas bells, 50s orchestral sound, and spoken-word interlude is all a bit much for me. That to me is peak theatrical Elvis—not rock star Elvis, who I love. Overall, this was an interesting album but a bit of a mixed bag for me. Vocally he sounds as great as ever. Personally, the wide variation of styles gives the album a bit of a pandering, common-denominator feel to me, like Elvis isn't quite sure who he is and isn't quite sure who his fans are anymore, so he's trying to be all things for everyone. At 16 tracks, the album also feels like it's dragging at points. I would have preferred a shorter album of stylistically similar tracks. But I suppose the good thing about an album like this, and about an artist with a discography as varied as that of Elvis, is that listeners do have that ability to pick and choose the era and style they prefer. And maybe that's part of Elvis' staying power—that he could be so many different things to so many different people.

Let It Be

The Replacements

4/5

This was a fun album. I hadn’t made it to The Replacements yet in my punk/post-punk exploration, and it was interesting to hear their take on it. I like that they have a mix of sounds and styles, from the farcical poppy punk of the Ramones and quirkiness of The Damned to the hardcore punk of Rancid to the 60s-pop-inspired sound of the Buzzcocks and The Cure to baroque pop/cabaret of the Dresden Dolls. Similarly, their lyrics range from crude and brash to sincere and introspective. The punk attitude is all over the album, but rather than angry in-your-face political screeds, the lyrics deal with the internal turmoil of trying to figure out where you belong in the world as a teenager and obliquely railing against the cold indifference of everything. I could’ve done without a couple of the more farcical songs, but even those had their charm. I can see why this album is so highly regarded and will likely keep it in regular rotation.

Iron Maiden

3/5

I had “Number of the Beast” on heavy rotation in high school but never listened to much of Maiden’s other material or knew much about the band. It’s definitely weird not hearing Bruce Dickinson’s voice, but the vocalist does an adequate job. This early album obviously has a lot of the typical metal flourishes and sound that the band would become famous for, but it’s interesting that the first few tracks have a hardcore punk and even a prog rock vibe at times (The second track sounds a lot like Rush in spots). By the third track the metal sound seems to firmly take hold with the guitars shredding at lightning speed and the relentless march of the drums only being interrupted for impressive fills. “Transylvania” is a cool instrumental piece and has a classic Maiden sound. “Strange World” is a nice power ballad with shades of Zeppelin—even the lyrics wouldn’t be out of place on a Zeppelin album. The change of pace keeps the album from feeling repetitive, which can occasionally be an issue for me when listening to metal. I could’ve done without the song “Charlotte the Harlot”—the track’s lyrics are … yikes (the opening track isn’t much better). Manly-man metal, amirite? The closing/title track starts out with a bit of a punk drumbeat, but this song also has the classic Iron Maiden sound (though it has an interesting bass breakdown in the middle with a pretty funky vibe). Overall I really enjoyed this album, but I greatly prefer the Dickinson version of the band.

A Rush Of Blood To The Head

Coldplay

2/5

Not impressed. I’ve never been into Coldplay but liked a few of the early radio hits. I tried to give the album an honest shot and not just hate on it because it’s become fun to rag on Coldplay. It’s not bad, but it’s just not very exciting either. Almost all of the songs have the same formula of quiet-loud-quiet-build to crescendo-end. The drum parts have so.many.cymbals. It’s just high hats and cymbals all the time. The guitar parts all tend to feel droning, and there’s usually some synth or orchestra swell. They’re like an adult-contemporary Radiohead. Bland and inoffensive. And I say this as a big Travis fan, so I’m not wholly against dour British ‘00s pop-rock. I just couldn’t connect with it. It’s nice enough background music, I guess.

Risque

CHIC

4/5

I've never been a big disco fan, but I don't hate this. It's definitely on the funkier side of disco; the album is absolutely packed with fantastic bass and guitar lines. You can't help but bop your head and tap your toes. Lyrically, a few of the songs are a little cringey. It's like the unironic version of sendup bands like Scissor Sisters—"A Warm Summer Night" and "My Feet Keep Dancing" come to mind—but there's some good stuff there as well. The tap dance breakdown in "My Feet Keep Dancing" is fun. I wasn't familiar with anyone in the band, but immediately recognized Nile Rodgers (guitarist) upon seeing his photo. Both he and Bernard Summers (bassist) have been hugely influential on popular music, and once you read a list of the artists they've worked with, you can't not hear it (B-52s, Diana Ross, David Bowie, INXS, Daft Punk, etc.)—not to mention the infamous Sugarhill Gang sample in "Rapper's Delight." You can hear their influence in everything from "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen to New Jack Swing to some of the biggest late 90s pop acts (NSYNC, Savage Garden, S Club 7) and into the 21st century disco revival (Robin Thicke, Dua Lipa, etc.). My one big complaint about this album is that too many of the songs simply overstay their welcome. I get that they're made for dancing, but after 6:30, 7 minutes with nothing but the chorus repeating and no real instrumental changes, it gets grating. The second half of the album suffers less from this, but it also contains more of the slower, sadder songs. I'd be a lot more inclined to give the album regular listens if the majority of the songs could be cut in half. Three stars for the music, plus an extra star for its influence and legacy.

Electric Ladyland

Jimi Hendrix

4/5

I only started getting into Hendrix this year for some reason and hadn't made it to Electric Ladyland yet. I like how they continue to experiment with stereo panning on this album—there are a lot of cool effects and it's fun to listen to with headphones. Knowing how big of an influence Hendrix was on Robert Smith, the vocal delay/reverb effects on "1983 (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)" seem likely to be direct inspiration for songs like "A Short Term Effect" by The Cure. The album is full of great jams and insane guitar parts. I wasn't expecting to hear a different vocalist on "Little Miss Strange"—as great as Jimi is, it was kind of a nice change of pace coming off of the 15-minute "Voodoo Chile." If I have one complaint about this album, it's that it's super long. It has 16 tracks and the total runtime is 1:15; included in that are a 15-minute song and another almost 14-minute one. Because of that, I think a few other songs could have been cut. I'm not sure which, though. I'd have to listen to the album more to be able to pick out favorites.

Reign In Blood

Slayer

1/5

I can appreciate that not all art is for everyone, and this album is just not for me. Listening to it felt like possibly the longest 28 minutes of my life. The album starts off with a song about the horrors of Mengele’s human experiments at Auschwitz that really just feels like an exercise in torture porn—it’s the aural equivalent of an Eli Roth movie. And it doesn’t get much better from there. Every song is about death or damnation or persecution (or all three) in the bleakest, most brutal way possible. The music follows in lockstep, relentlessly bombarding you as the singer growls the lyrics so quickly that you can barely make out the words. The speed at which they play is impressive, but there’s not much in the way of melody or even variation. The songs seem to bleed together into one long wall of noise that might just have you begging for death by the end. Again, I appreciate that art is subjective and not everything is for everyone. I can understand why some people are drawn to this type of music—I’m just not one of them. I can appreciate metal as a genre. I don’t mind Metallica, and I quite like a lot of symphonic metal. I’ve just never gotten into the thrash/scream-growl side of it. I’m also a fan of dark lyrics and goth music, so it’s not like I don’t understand the appeal of writing about depression and death and other dark subjects. I think The Cure’s Pornography is quite beautiful despite one music critic’s appraisal of it as “Phil Spector in hell.” But Pornography—and goth generally—has plenty of beauty in both the lyrics and melodies, even if it’s rooted in darkness. There’s none of that here. It’s just brutal and raw anger. I suppose I’m glad this music exists, because I’d hate to think what might happen if someone with this much pent up anger had no artistic outlet for it. But also, maybe just go to therapy?

Good Old Boys

Randy Newman

2/5

This was a weird album for me. I see what he was going for with the concept album idea, but I don’t think it ages super well forty years later. It’s like the musical equivalent of Archie Bunker, but without other characters to play off it falls kind of flat for me. I can’t tell if I’m supposed to be laughing at this guy or pitying him, and despite the dig about northern hypocrisy in the opening track it just feels kind of mean-spirited? I learned some history from looking up the subjects covered in the album—Huey Long and the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 to name a couple—so I guess it deserves some points for that. Beyond that, I think I’d prefer to listen to Ray Charles for the style of music and stick to soundtracks for Randy Newman.

Felt Mountain

Goldfrapp

3/5

This album was ok. It’s kind of like a Bond soundtrack on an acid trip. It’s decent enough background music, but a lot of it starts to feel repetitive after a while. It’s nothing that bands like Cocteau Twins, Portishead, and Massive Attack haven’t been doing for years, so I’m not sure what’s so revolutionary about this album that it made the list.

The Dark Side Of The Moon

Pink Floyd

5/5

The drama and mythology surrounding Pink Floyd can sometimes upstage the music, but there’s a reason this album is a classic. Really great listening experience (especially with a good set of headphones—“On the Run” has some fun stereo panning). I like how all the songs flow into each other, but it doesn’t feel repetitive or boring because the songs are so well done. It’s a well-done concept album. Lyrically, the songs are thematically similar in exploring feelings of loss, alienation, and existential dread, but each song covers a different angle (the rat race, aging, war, insanity, etc.). Technologically, the use of synthesizers must have been mind-blowing when the album first came out, and they still sound great today. Favorite songs include “Breathe,” “Time,” “The Great Gig in the Sky,” “Money” and “Brain Damage.” It’s worth singling out Clare Torry’s performance on the album, especially on “Great Gig.” What a phenomenal voice and performance on that song—you really feel like she’s fighting death.

Dr. Octagonecologyst

Dr. Octagon

3/5

I'd never heard of this guy before. I guess he crawled so B.O.B. and Gorillaz could run. It reminded me of Cypress Hill at times too. This album was ok. A lot of the songs are catchy and I like his rapping style, but some of the lyrics were just too ridiculous/not really my style. I appreciate what he was doing with the concept and the character, but it's just so over the top. It's also super long—it just seemed to keep going and going.

Live Through This

Hole

3/5

I only really knew the singles from Celebrity Skin, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect going into this album. I enjoyed it. Grunge always felt very male-centric, so the feminine perspective was refreshing. The songs are hooky and melodic but still edgy and aggressive. Lyrically it’s a bit of a mixed bag. I think “Violet” might be my favorite track. This is one of those situations where it’s difficult to separate the art from the artist just because of how infamous Courtney Love is. I personally knew her more for the train-wreck media moments than her time with the band, but it seems her behavior on stage is full of controversy and downright terrible stuff too. So, a decent album from not great people.

Who's Next

The Who

4/5

Love The Who, love Roger Daltrey's voice, love Townshend's lyrics and guitar work, love Moon's drumming (Entwistle's good too haha), love this album. First of all, "Baba O'Riley" is one of the great bangers of all time. "Bargain" keeps the energy going before it slows down a bit toward the middle of the album, alternating between ballads and mid-tempo songs (still great). The harmonies at the beginning of "Behind Blue Eyes" are fantastic before the song kicks into high gear, and then the album ends on another high note with "Won't Get Fooled Again"—all 8:36 of it. This album has possibly the most famous organ part of all time. It has killer guitar solos and vocals. It's got classic lines like "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss"—come on!—what's not to love? If there's one weak point on this album, I'd say it's "My Wife"—those lyrics are a little yikes. I'm siding with the wife here. And maybe leave the writing to Townshend, guys. It's a shame so many of these songs are now associated with car commercials and network prime-time dramas (and Limp Bizkit ...). The Who deserves so much better than that. 4.5/5 ("My Wife" isn't unlistenable, but it's definitely skippable).

Penance Soiree

The Icarus Line

2/5

I guess I'm just not punk rock enough for this album. I like my music to be hooky and catchy, and while there are a few songs on here that come close (and they kind of sound like pale imitations of bands like the Rolling Stones, Audioslave, and Smashing Pumpkins), it's a lot of noise and stream of consciousness about being drugged up and depressed. "Spit On It" attempts to take on the capitalistic corruption of art, but it just sounds like bad high school poetry. There's also a vein of misogyny that runs through the album and peaks on the last 3 songs, which are all pretty gross. There are a couple ok moments. "Getting Bright at Night" has an interesting change up in the last 3 minutes of the 9-minute song and "Big Sleep" contains some interesting imagery in yet another song about drugs and depression. Overall, the album is repetitive and, to me at least, feels derivative. There's nothing original about sex, drugs, and rock n roll, and they don't seem to offer anything new. This album is kind of a one-trick pony.

Heroes to Zeros

The Beta Band

4/5

I was prepared for some weird U2/Coldplay meets jam band album based off the opening track, but then a random horn section appeared and I didn't know what to expect. I didn't hate it, though. I ended up being pleasantly surprised by this album. There's a ton of variety and experimentation, and it never gets boring. It's got a crazy mix of garage rock, folk, shoegaze, trip hop, and electronica all mixed up together. Some of the tracks reminded me of Peter Gabriel or Cosmo Sheldrake in the weird melding of genres and bizarre soundscapes (in a good way). I often found myself wondering if they were sampling songs in several of the melodies—was that Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" or just a close imitation of the clav? ... was that the riff from "Paint it Black" I just heard?—or just heavily inspired by older work. "Liquid Bird" definitely samples Siouxsie and the Banshees, and it is fire. The lyrics are at times trippy to the point of being nonsensical and at other times a bit cliche (there seem to be quite a few overt references to The Beatles as well). The words can seem like an afterthought on some songs compared to the music; but the music is so engaging that it doesn't matter that much. I enjoyed this album a lot. I'll probably add it to my regular rotation and check out their other stuff. 4/5

Rings Around The World

Super Furry Animals

2/5

My first thought was that the singer sounds a bit like Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam), so hearing that paired with hard rock on some of the tracks was strange. The first few songs are kind of interesting but derivative at the same time. It's like SFA doe Pink Floyd, SFA does the Beach Boys, SFA does the Beatles, etc. The vocalist's death metal impression at the end of track five was ... no thanks. The second half of the album gets too 70s disco and soft rock for my tastes (And a random country-western song? Why?) My album right before this was Beta Band's "Heroes to Zeros" and at first I thought both albums have similar vibes but that Beta Band has better music and SFA has better lyrics. Then I got to the back half of the album and things get kind of ridiculous, so I think I retract that statement. I didn't mind the first half of the album. The second half overstays its welcome with lyrics that are too clever by half and music that's a mix of their cover band work with electronic elements that are mostly just unpleasant to listen to. Apparently the lead singer said, "We were trying to make utopian pop music that had pretensions of being progressive and exciting," and, well, I don't know about exciting or progressive, but it's definitely pretentious.

Bayou Country

Creedence Clearwater Revival

4/5

I realized that even though I really like CCR and John Fogerty, I've never listened to a full CCR album before. This was a pretty enjoyable listen. Some of the songs ran a bit long and got a little too close to jam band territory, but I was definitely vibing to the music. The lyrics of "Bootleg" were pretty gross, but the rest of the album was good. "Graveyard Train" was probably my favorite song, followed by "Born on the Bayou." Fogerty's great at constructing little stories with his lyrics. The Little Richard cover was decent, and of course "Proud Mary" is a classic. "Keep on Chooglin" will keep you dancing to the end. 4/5

Blood And Chocolate

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

3/5

I wanted to love this album. But it was pretty meh for me. I usually like Elvis' voice, but he sounds especially nasal and whiny on this album. Just about every song being a cynical and bitter take on love with a heaping helping of "If I can't have you, I hope you die" gets old quickly. I thought it was kind of interesting that "I Want You" seems to borrow directly from the Beatles' song of the same name ... kind of like the sequel to the song in a way. "Tokyo Storm Warning" was interesting, once I looked at the lyrics and could actually figure out what the heck he was saying. Some of the other songs were kind of catchy musically, but I was happy for the album to end. Giving it 3 stars, but it's really more of a 2.5

The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady

Charles Mingus

4/5

I liked this album. I can't say I'm one of those people who really "gets" fancy jazz—I enjoy listening to it, but I couldn't tell you what makes a piece of jazz genius. It tends to be more background music that I can vibe to. I did find it cool when they made the horns (I forget which exact instrument it was) "talk" and the random Spanish guitar was great—I love me some Spanish guitar. 4/5 I guess? Why not?

Gorillaz

3/5

Everyone talked about this album when it first came out, and I never really got the hype. Overly long electronica/trip-hop with mostly inane lyrics. Would they have been nearly as big if they hadn't done the mysterious avatar schtick? Good tracks: New Genius (Brother); 19-2000 (Soulchild Remix)—the remix is the vastly superior version; Double Bass; Rock the House—great throwback to old school rap; Latin Simone (Que Pasa Contigo) Incredibly annoying tracks: Man Research (Clapper); M1A1 The rest is ... fine to ok. Like with most of the British electronica albums on this list so far, there are way too many songs and it goes on forever. 3/5 — and 19-2000 (remix) is doing a lot of the work.

Planet Rock: The Album

Afrika Bambaataa

4/5

This album is fun. Good beats, good flow, good times. It's not trying to be anything else or make any big statements—it just wants you to get funky and dance. If I had one (small) criticism about this album, it's that all the songs are pretty long, but unlike with Chic, where it felt stagnant, or with the Britpop groups like Gorillaz and Super Furry Animals, where it just felt pretentious, I don't mind it too much here because the lyrics are always flowing and the music is always changing to keep you engaged. This album has so many crazy good bass lines. It's got orchestra hits and drum machines and record scratches that remind me of cheesy 80s/90s dance music, but in the best way. It's just fun. Favorite tracks: "Renegades of Funk" The original that inspired Rage Against the Machine. "Frantic Situation"—great song with a fun, almost new-wave break down toward the end. "Who You Funkin With?"—whooo, that guitar riff at the beginning. That bass line! 4.5/5 for me

Swordfishtrombones

Tom Waits

4/5

Well, I definitely didn't have punk vaudeville on my bingo card. This album is weird as hell ... but I like it. This album is impossible to categorize. It has theatrical sketches, discordant carnival instrumentals, Randy Newman–esque ballads, outlaw epics, blues jams, and jazzy numbers. There are all sorts of weird instruments—bagpipes, African drums, xylophones, harmoniums, and stuff I don't recognize. Waits' gravelly voice at times sound like Oscar the Grouch (especially when he's wailing "the neighborhood"), a Louis Armstrong or Howlin' Wolf impersonator, or an earnest singer-songwriter. There are even some spoken-word lounge stories. The storytelling in the lyrics is great. Almost every song has a full narrative. There are songs about homesick sailors, dead soldiers, towns falling into disrepair, brutal criminals, and more—there are 15 tracks, but the album clocks in at a relatively short 41 minutes and change. Standout tracks: "16 Shells from a 30.6" (outlaw rock), "Down Down Down" (uptempo bluesy jam), "Soldier's Things" (beautifully sad piano ballad), and I'm definitely adding "Underground" to my Halloween playlist. Waits' voice takes some getting used to, and it isn't always super pleasant to listen to, but he inhabits his characters so well that it works a huge percentage of the time. Though, the blues impersonations can feel a little like a minstrel show sometimes, even if they sound good. Maybe not something I'd listen to that often, but it's an impressive work of art and never boring. Fans of artists like Nick Cave, Dresden Dolls, and Tori Amos would probably enjoy it. 4/5

We Are Family

Sister Sledge

3/5

“We Are Family” is possibly the most overplayed song of all time—and does not need to be over 8 minutes long. So, I was not super excited going into this album. It’s alright. It’s not the worst, but it’s not really my style. I instantly knew the opening track but hadn’t realized they sang it (and of course it’s famous for being sampled in “Gettin Jiggy Wit It”). It’s a pretty typical disco song. The rest of the album is more of the same: disco and slow-tempo 70s ballads. The reggae vibe on “You’re a Friend to Me” was kind of interesting, and the guitar solo on the closing track was fun. Beyond that it was mostly fine but not really memorable. A lot of the lyrics aren’t bad and the singers have beautiful voices. I’m just not a big fan of disco or schlocky 70s soft rock. I’m not rabidly anti-disco—I wouldn’t turn it off if it happened to come on, and I’d dance to it in a club, but I’m not specifically seeking out disco nights or anything. 3/5

She's So Unusual

Cyndi Lauper

4/5

I've known Cyndi's singles basically my whole life, but I never got around to listening to the full albums. She's an iconic badass, so I'm excited to delve into her work more. Cyndi's one of those artists whose voice is so unique that you probably either love her or hate her, with little in between. She's very talented vocally, but she can also kind of sound like a drunk toddler sometimes (If you remember the old Will Ferrell sketches, I like to imagine she's who Pearl the drunk landlord grows up to be). The opening track sounds like it could be a Tom Petty song. So far so good. "When You Were Mine" — I didn't realize Prince had written a song for her. It's got a cool Prince meets The Cure meets Devo vibe to it. I like how her voice is kind of subdued and deeper in the mix during the verses and then gets showcased in the chorus. "She Bop" might be my favorite of the singles — partly because it's not as overplayed as the others, but also because of the guts it probably took to put this song out at the time as a female artist. It's also a banger (pun intended?). I honestly thought Cyndi's voice would start to get on my nerves after a while, but that didn't really happen (the spoken parts in the background of closing track "Yeah Yeah" are a little annoying, but not enough to ruin the song). This album has a lot of classic new wave sounds but there's enough funky variety that it doesn't get boring. It's something fans of bands like the B-52s and Oingo Boingo would like. Fans of No Doubt and Carly Rae Jepsen would probably enjoy it too. 4/5

Meat Puppets II

Meat Puppets

4/5

I'd heard the name Meat Puppets but had never listened to them. My first thought going into this album was holy crap, why are there 19 tracks? Turns out Tidal just has terrible UX and doesn't always mark the extra tracks (or that the albums are rereleases, for that matter). It was originally 12 tracks, all pretty short. I ended up sticking around for the extras anyway. "Split Myself in Two" — the lyrics are fun, but the music is basically "Blitzkrieg Bop." "Magic Toy Missing" is a Primus meets Grateful Dead-goes-punk jam session? Kind of a bop (ha ^), though. Third song — alright, so rockabilly punk is where we're going. I can dig it. Fourth track — is this where Beck got his inspiration from? Fun post-punk instrumental break in the middle of this song. Sonically, I like the more psychedelic songs like "Aurora Borealis" and "We're Here." But the more country songs like "Climbing" aren't bad. "Lake of Fire" sounds like Neil Young on a bad trip (in a good way). Heading into the extra tracks, you get a sense of their thrashier style on the intro of "Teenagers" before it mellows out into more of a psychedelic jam. I could take or leave the thrash stuff — kind of glad they decided to evolve into the latter sound. I've never seen Nirvana's Unplugged show (aside from a few snippets), but knowing that Meat Puppets were guests and performed several of these songs with them makes sense to me. You can definitely hear the influence this band had on Cobain and grunge. I liked this album way more than I was expecting to. I'm a big fan of The Living End, so rockabilly punk isn't unfamiliar to me. And I don't *love* jam bands, but I can do some Phish in moderation, and I enjoy a lot of The Cure's more psychedelic stuff, so this album was an interesting mix of all of that. Not perfect, but I'd listen to this again. 4/5 stars

Your New Favourite Band

The Hives

1/5

This..this is satirical, right? This is some meta commentary about punk music? A cynical ploy to see how many idiots will buy this garbage? Because if not, holy shit. Generic music, generic (bad) lyrics. The first track is a blatant rip-off of Blur. This is like rich kids doing a book report on what they think punk music is. I stand corrected—Slayer was not the longest 28 minutes of my life. This was. At least Slayer puts effort into their lyrics. Good god. I cannot begin to understand why this band is on this list, especially for a compilation album that seems to have been a blatant cash grab—they weren’t famous enough after releasing multiple albums, so they repackaged the best (!) songs off of them and released that. I’d give this negative stars if I could.

Tracy Chapman

4/5

I can't believe I never listened to this album before. "Fast Car" is a classic, of course, but I only really knew her radio hits. It's up there with the greats of the singer songwriter genre. Hard to believe she was only 22-23 when this came out. The first four tracks are a fantastic series of songs that sound timeless and (unfortunately) timely even today. The naive optimism of the opening track is almost heartbreaking given where we are today. The a capella delivery of track four (Behind the Wall) is incredible and a really effective way to set the atmosphere of the song's tragic story. Starting around track five a few of the songs have a noticeably late 80s/early 90s sound to them. They're still great songs, but they don't have the same timeless feel to them. Other standout tracks: "Mountain O' Things" "Why?" and "For My Lover"

Young Americans

David Bowie

3/5

I'm a little conflicted about this album. It feels like soulless soul—which I think is what Bowie was going for—so, in that he was successful. But it's also not the most enjoyable thing to listen to because of that. Most of the lyrics seem to reflect that emptiness—songs about excess drugs, excess sex (but longing for love), the loneliness of fame. It's an interesting juxtaposition to the mostly upbeat music. But the music gets a little repetitive over the course of the album. There's almost always a sax solo, there's usually a vamp section where the band jams out, etc. The songs all seem to go on and on, and after a while it's like listening to the SNL band. The "Across the Universe" cover is very meh. It's like a David Bowie karaoke performance. The best song is "Fame," mostly because it's the only song that really deviates from the formula in any noticeable way. Not a terrible album, but probably not something I'd listen to much. Soft 3/5.

Vauxhall And I

Morrissey

4/5

I wanted to hate this album, but it's actually pretty good. Damn it. Catchy melodies and clever lyrics without leaning too much toward Morrissey's more obnoxious and pretentious tendencies. "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get" (which is apparently about his legal feud with former band mate Mike Joyce and not about a stalker) kind of sounds like an Oasis song. Some of the other songs sound like a less saccharine Robbie Williams. "Hold On To Your Friends" sounds like something Morrissey sings to himself in the mirror—he should listen to that guy. Other stand-out tracks: "I am Hated for Loving," "Lazy Sunbathers," "Speedway" Mozz is an insufferable person, but sometimes he makes good music. 4/5 stars

Nilsson Schmilsson

Harry Nilsson

3/5

I didn't realize how many of these songs I already knew going into this album as someone who vaguely knew the name but had never listened to Harry. "Gotta Get Up" gained new fame from Netflix's "Russian Doll," which is where I knew it from. It's a great jam to kick off the album—it kind of sounds like what would happen if Billy Joel and the Beatles did a song together. I definitely get why this guy was known as the American Beatle. His style is very eclectic and experimental in the same way the Beatles were in the late 60s, and a lot of the instrumentation sounds Beatles-esque. He even sort of sounds like Paul McCartney on "Driving Along" and "Down." At other times his voice and the music bare some resemblance to Aaron Neville, Hall and Oates, and the Beach Boys. I had no idea he covered "Without You"—as a millennial, it's always been a Mariah Carey song to me, and that version remains my favorite. But I probably like the original Badfinger version second best; sorry, Harry. I also didn't know this dude was responsible for "Coconut." What a weird (and cringe by today's standards) song ... and yet, inexplicably a jam. But it gets a little annoying after a while too. Conflicted feelings about that one. Putting it after "Without You" is kind of hilarious, though. "Let the Good Times Roll" sounds like another weird hybrid of the Beatles ("When I'm Sixty-Four"), Billy Joel, and honky tonk. The harmonica solo is fun. "Jump Into The Fire" sounds like a mashup of "I Fought the Law" and "Mony Mony." It's a good song, but it goes on too long. The drum solo is cool. I wasn't a huge fan of "The Moonbeam Song" or "I'll Never Leave You," though I appreciate the different movements the latter goes through, almost like a classical piece. I'd give it a 3.5 out of 4. It's pretty good, but it has a few clunkers for me.

Nevermind

Nirvana

3/5

I've grown to appreciate Nirvana a bit more over the years, but I never really got into them. I was more of an Offspring and Soundgarden fan. The album's good, and I can't deny the impact the band had on music, but I've never understood the deification of Cobain. I wonder how they'd be received today if he hadn't died. A bunch of the tracks in the middle sound similar and start to run together a bit. I like the tracks that break the mold—"Lithium" and "Something in the Way" for example. "Territorial Vibes" has cool lyrics, but the music sounds like a Foo Fighters song—I wonder how much input Dave had on this one. "Endless, Nameless" has a cool post-punk, almost goth vibe to it. Speaking of post-punk, it will forever bother me how "Come As You Are" is bigger than the song it ripped off, Killing Joke's "Eighties" (who ripped off the also great song "Life Goes On" by the Damned). Standout tracks: Lithium, Something in the Way 3.5/5

Fishscale

Ghostface Killah

4/5

I have to admit I wasn't listening super closely to the first third of the album, but once I focused in it was decent. I'm not a big fan of gangsta rap, but this isn't exclusively that. There's a lot of variation and engaging content. The lyricism was well done and witty; the hooks, samples, and beats were catchy; and it was surprisingly feminist. The skits were absolutely dumb, though—"Heart Street Directions" should've been on the Dr. Octagon album, and I don't mean that in a complimentary way. It's also pretty long (even taking the skits out). Probably closer to a 3.75, but I'll give it a 4/5.

Live At The Star Club, Hamburg

Jerry Lee Lewis

3/5

Holy hell, this guy was a train wreck and a psychopath. It's really difficult to separate the art from the artist with this one. This live album is entertaining, but I don't think it's the greatest live album ever. Is he passionate or just on lots of cocaine? His versions of these songs are good, and he's got chops on the piano, but I'd rather listen to Little Richard. The only way I can really enjoy "Great Balls of Fire" is by picturing Goose playing it in "Top Gun." 3/5

Off The Wall

Michael Jackson

4/5

Other than "Thriller," I'm more of a greatest hits person when it comes to MJ and haven't listened to many albums straight through. So, I wasn't familiar with most of the non-single songs on here. I have to say, I'm starting to come around on disco when it leans toward the funkier side, which a lot of this album does. The songs on here are fun, but it does get repetitive lyrically with most songs essentially boiling down to "let's dance all night." That said, "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough" is a banger to open with. The title track is also great—it sounds like an early draft of "Thriller" at points. "She's Out of My Life" is a standout track on the album, both for being a ballad and for the quality of the lyrics. Stevie Wonder's clearly of a different caliber than young MJ. The electric piano does sound pretty dated, and it does sort of interrupt the party flow, but it's still a great song. "I Can't Help It" is another great contribution from Stevie. The "Girlfriend" cover is the worst song on the album. Those lyrics, yikes—what the hell, Macca? "It's the Fallin in Love" is the next worst track on the album. It sounds like a weird Dirty Dancing throwaway even though it predates the movie by several years (I blame David Foster). It's really the music that saves this album from being forgettable. There are some great horn sections. The bass line on "Get on the Floor" is ridiculous. And vocally, MJ is at the top of his game. It's a great party album. 4/5

Casanova

The Divine Comedy

2/5

Richard Cheese, Morrissey, and Baz Luhrmann get together to make an album—seriously, what the hell did I just listen to? I like camp. I like baroque pop. This is too much. 2/5

Come Find Yourself

Fun Lovin' Criminals

2/5

Another album where I really don't understand why it's on the list. This reveals the British bias of the list too, since these guys are American but never really got famous except in Europe. It's not the worst thing I've listened to. The music is actually pretty good, and the Bond cover song is good. But the lyrics are pretty bad. It's like LFO trying to be the Beastie Boys. 2/10

Crooked Rain Crooked Rain

Pavement

3/5

I hadn't really listened to much Pavement, though I knew "Cut Your Hair" off this album. I know this band is super revered, but it was just okay for me, at least on first listen. They're like a rougher Weezer—not bad, but not totally my style. They also sound a bit like Pixies, who I like more, so maybe the album will grow on me over time. Some of the tracks were cool—"Cut Your Hair," "Unfair," and "Range Life" were highlights for me—but a lot of the lyrics are really esoteric and the music can get same-samey after a while. Other things I noticed were that the opening track seems to rip off the melody from Buddy Holly’s “Everyday” (fitting since they remind me of Weezer and their song "Buddy Holly" also came out in 1994). There’s also a part in “5-4=Unity” that’s obviously take from “She’s So Heavy” by the Beatles. I just thought that was interesting since a lot of the songs are about the death of rock n roll. 3/5 for me right now, but I'll probably give it a few more listens and see if it grows on me.

Cloud Nine

The Temptations

3/5

Pretty good album. The first few songs are pretty funky for a band I associate with doowop—I like it. The second half is a lot more of the more traditional stuff I was expecting, which is also pretty good. I’m more familiar with the earlier Temptations songs with the other lead singer. But the new guy has a cool rasp to his voice. It’s got a James Brown feel to it. The bass singer’s voice is also cool. I personally prefer the Marvin Gaye version of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” but their version isn’t bad. A couple things I didn’t enjoy about the album—the falsetto guy’s voice gets very grating. Some of my favorite singers are famous for their falsetto, but this dude sounds like a whinier child Michael Jackson. The other issue I had is “Runaway Child, Running Wild” going for 9:30–completely unnecessary. I was crying for my mama by the end. I’d probably pick a few tracks rather than listen to the full album again, but I wouldn’t turn it off if it came on.

Machine Head

Deep Purple

5/5

This album blew me away. I really only knew them from “Smoke on the Water,” so I went into it expecting more psychedelic blues rock—and there is plenty of that. But when the opening track kicks off and it’s symphonic metal?! Holy shit, I was not prepared. As much as I loved the bluesy tunes on this album, the metal tracks stole the show. One of the best albums I’ve listened to from this list so far. Favorite tracks: “Highway Star,” “Pictures of Home,” and “Space Truckin” 5/5

Hybrid Theory

Linkin Park

4/5

I’m a bit conflicted about this album. Listening to it now, parts of it feel very dated—the turntable scratches, the scream singing—it’s very of its early ‘00s rap rock time. On the other hand, I remember being in eighth grade when this album came out and screaming right along with Chester. Lyrics about alienation, failure, and feeling on the verge of losing it spoke directly to my angst-ridden tween self. I think a lot of the songs still hold up pretty well. And I still think Linkin Park was unique among the other rap rock/nu metal bands of the day by having two leads, Mike the rapper and Chester the singer. Chester’s melodic hooks make the album an enjoyable listen. And given what we know now about the struggles eventually leading to his suicide, the lyrics hit harder. Some of the songs are skippable and it’s a bit melodramatic, but it still takes me right back to those days. 4/5 (probably closer to a 3.5, but I’ll round up on this one).

Tapestry

Carole King

5/5

One of the greatest singer-songwriters of all time. It’s crazy how many big songs are on this album. It’s definitely very piano focused and there are a lot of slower songs, but there’s enough variation on the album—“I Feel the Earth Move,” “Smackwater Jack”— to keep it from feeling repetitive. Aretha’s version of “(You Make Me Feel) Like a Natural Woman” is probably the definitive performance, but King’s version is still good, and it’s a testament to her (and Gerry Goffin’s) songwriting that so many legends have performed it. This is one of the few albums that everyone in my family can agree on despite very different tastes in music. There’s just something about King’s voice, vulnerability, and sheer talent that crosses divides. 5/5

One Nation Under A Groove

Funkadelic

5/5

Really really enjoyed this album. It's got a lot of the funk you would expect from George Clinton, but there's also a ton of Hendrix-inspired psychedelic rock and even prog rock too ("Who Says a Funk Band Can't Play Rock?!"—not I!). A lot of the songs are really long, but they kept my interest. You could also just vibe out to it as background music if you wanted. "Promentalshitbackwashpsychosis Enema Squad (The Doo Doo Chasers)" is batshit crazy, in the best way possible. Ridiculous but kind of poignant at the same time. The guitar shredding on the last (live) song is something Hendrix and Prince would be proud of. "I love jazz, I love rock, anything with a swing"—this line from "Cholly (Funk Getting Ready To Roll)" sums up the album pretty well. 5/5

AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted

Ice Cube

2/5

Eh, it was ok. I can see why this would be included on a list of influential albums. There's a lot of sociopolitical commentary on the album that's on point, and the fact that it's still relevant today proves the importance of the album. On the other hand, the over the top machismo and misogyny really drags the album down and undermines the more important points being made. The meta commentary and self-deprecation happening on "It's a Man's World" starts to address this, but it never quite gets there. At the end of the song, Cube's still left holding the same gross opinions about women. The hypocrisy of so much of the album trying to justify gang life as an inevitability for Black men held down by systemic racism while refusing to see how the same systems (and his own behavior as a womanizer) create the "bitches and hoes" he has so much contempt for is pretty bad. The repeating themes of every Black man Cube disagrees with being a sellout and all women (except for the "pick me" ones) being whores get old fast. "You Can't Fade Me" is especially horrific. I'd probably give it a 3.5 without the sexism. With it, I can't give it more than a 2.5—I won't be listening to it again.

The Fat Of The Land

The Prodigy

3/5

I'm not sure if I know any other songs from The Prodigy besides "Smack My Bitch Up"—at least not off this album. The opener is iconic, in large part because of all the controversy surrounding the lyrics and music video. I won't comment on that, but the song is decent (though long). "Breathe" is a cool song. That synth line is very EBM/dark wave, and the vocals and guitars are like a mix of punk (Sex Pistols) and Britpop (Blur). Then add the trip hop, and it's a great dance mix. "Funky Shit" sounds like an inferior version of the Mortal Kombat song, sorry. I could have also done without the weird vacuum and siren sounds at the end. "Fuel My Fire" is probably my favorite track on the album. It actually sounds like a real song and not just a collection of loops and sounds. A lot of the songs seem to follow a formula of one part trip hop, one part Brit pop, one part industrial. Sometimes the result is cool, and other times it starts to get repetitive. The "Oriental" synth line of "Minefields" stands out, as do the bagpipes in "Climbatize," but then both songs devolve into more of the same. Most of the lyrics are simple and repetitive in the same way—just something to fill the space rather than trying to say anything. My biggest complaint with this album is that the songs are too long. In the context of a rave that's fine, but it's not something I'd just listen to at home. There's not enough variation in the music to keep me interested that long. The album is fine. Very repetitive and forgettable.

Neon Bible

Arcade Fire

5/5

I knew the name Arcade Fire but couldn't name any of their songs going into this album. It wasn't until it started playing that I realized I knew the closing track "My Body is a Cage." I can't remember where I first heard it, but it might have been in the Netflix show "Dark." And that's very fitting, because the songs on this album are very cinematic, both in their expansive sound and in the stories the lyrics tell. The album reminds me of The Cure and Echo and the Bunnymen, both of whom the band have claimed as influences. They're also not out of place with contemporary bands like The Lumineers or Edward Sharpe and the Magnificent Zeros (the choral harmonies between a male and female singer and shouts of "Hey!"); but where those bands typically irritate me, Arcade Fire doesn't. Maybe it's because I haven't heard their songs played to death on the radio, but something about Arcade Fire feels more authentic and less trite than those other bands. Or maybe it's because I've been listening to so much post punk lately and my brain is primed for this kind of expansive, melodramatic, tribally rhythmic music. I enjoyed this album from beginning to end and actually didn't expect it to be over so soon. I immediately went back to listen to some of the tracks again, and I expect that this album will enter my regular rotation. Album Highlights: "Black Wave/Bad Vibrations" is a really cool song that uses the two vocalists perfectly to tell the story as two halves from each narrator's point of view. "No Cars Go" starts out as a post punk song that wouldn't be out of place on a Cure or Joy Division album and crescendos to a cinematic anthem reminiscent of U2 or Talking Heads. "Ocean of Noise" starts out dark and ends on a hopeful note as it grows to a swell of mariachi-esque horns that wouldn't be out of place on a Mon Laferte album. "My Body Is a Cage" is another dark anthemic song that works well as the album closer. 5/5

Woodface

Crowded House

3/5

I know Crowded House was huge in Australia and New Zealand, but here in the US they're one hit wonders known for "Don't Dream It's Over." Despite an obsession with music from Oceania, I've never explored this band and only know a couple other Neil Finn songs from "The Hobbit" soundtrack and other artists' covers of his work. This is very typical of early 90s pop rock with Beatles-esque harmonies, lots of jangly guitars, and that vaguely Southern Americana sound that was popular with artists like Tom Petty, Sister Hazel, Jude Cole, etc. I'm not complaining, because I like all that stuff. Lyrically, there are a lot of love songs that wouldn't be out of place on a Rod Stewart, Bryan Adams, or Richard Marx album. Some of the synths and effects sound a bit dated. "Chocolate Cake" is a song critical of American excess and materialism/pop art that's a little cheesy in its preachiness. "All I Ask" is an odd foray into something that's part lounge song part Bond theme that doesn't work all that well. On the other hand, the bluesy guitar work of "Tall Trees" is cool, as are the Finn brothers' harmonies throughout the album. The hand drums on "She Goes On" give an interesting twist to what is otherwise a pretty standard mid-tempo pop song (it also reminds me of "Everything I Own" by Bread). Overall, the album isn't bad. It's got a lot of good melodies and guitar work. But it's also very of its time, and I'm not sure I'd go out of my way to listen to this brand of radio friendly soft rock again outside of a few of the singles. 3/5

Remedy

Basement Jaxx

2/5

Why is there so much electronica on this list??? Please make it stop. Most of this album becomes background noise. A few tracks actually attempt to be full songs with real vocals. The opening track "Rendez-Vu" isn't bad, though it sounds like it's trying to recreate Eiffel 65's "Blue." "U Can't Stop Me" isn't bad either. It has kind of an Aaliyah vibe to it that's cool. And I didn't realize they did "Red Alert"—I think I thought that was Daft Punk or something (because, again, this is really not my genre)—it's not terrible. Those are probably the only highlights on this album. Most of the tracks don't even have real lyrics, just bizarre vocalizations or noises. There are some cool samples, but you can only loop the same 4 seconds of music so many times before it gets annoying—when you do it for 5+ minutes straight, it starts to feel like torture. By track 6 I was ready for it to be over. Every now and then something would draw my attention, like the poor attempt at a whistle vocal on "Always Be There" that's more of a scream, but then it would fade back into electronic monotony. I ended up fast forwarding through "Same Old Show" because of the obnoxious moaning. From then on, that became the norm for me—listen to the first 30 seconds or so, then jump forward a few times to find that nothing much had changed and I wasn't missing anything by ending the song early. Like all the other electronica albums I've been forced to listen to, I have no interest in listening to this stuff outside of a club context (and even then, this is definitely not the type of music I seek out at clubs). 2/10 It's not literally unlistenable, but I have no desire to sit through it again.

Raising Hell

Run-D.M.C.

4/5

This album brought to you by Adidas and Mother Goose ... I thought I'd like this album more, but it was just alright for me. The classics are still classic ("It's Tricky" and "Walk This Way") but a lot of the other songs are more of a novelty than something I'd want to listen to all the time. I never realized how into nursery rhymes these guys are. And "My Adidas" is just weird—it's basically product placement. Run DMC songs are at their best when they use samples and incorporate rock (see the above classics). When left to create their own beats, they apparently just play around with all the Casio keyboard presets, to often annoying results. Lyrically, most of the songs are just about how great they are at rapping. It gets old pretty quickly. And the "beatboxing" on "Hit It Run" is more like someone making fart sounds. I don't know, I get how influential these guys were, and some of the songs are catchy. But a lot of it just feels cheesy now. Best songs: "Tricky," "Walk This Way," "Raising Hell" I'll give it a 4, but it's really more of a 3.5 at best.

Queen II

Queen

4/5

Queen has always been more of a greatest hits band for me. I enjoy their music, but I haven't explored their discography much. The only song on this album I was already familiar with was "Seven Seas of Rhye." That said, I enjoyed this album quite a bit. And I think it's because it's more diverse than a lot of their stuff (at least side A). Freddie was amazing, no argument there—but he sure could suck all the air out of a room. It's easy to forget just how great the other guys in the band were too. With all the overdubbing and vocal layering of Freddie's voice, you could be forgiven for not remembering how much the other guys added to the choral effects of "Bohemian Rhapsody" and other classics. You get to experience their individual contributions on this album, with Roger and Brian each taking lead vocal duties on a song and a more varied sound on the first half of the album. The first instrumental song is a throwaway (sorry, Brian). Luckily, it's short. Then we're on to two great songs with Freddie at the helm that are very Queen, but also have shades of Led Zeppelin. The acoustic guitar solo on "White Queen" is fantastic. The fourth song wouldn't be out of place on one of Zeppelin's folkier albums, and it really showcases what a great voice Brian has. The closing track of side A is a bittersweet ode to mothers with Roger taking lead on vocals. The song is heavier, with echoes of both Zeppelin and The Who. Again, it's easy to forget that Roger has a great voice too, even with all the harmony work he did with Freddie. The second half of the album is much more standard Queen—all the songs feature Freddie on lead vocals, and there's a lot more of the melodrama and theatrical flair the band is most known for. It's still an enjoyable listen, but, if I'm honest, it can get to be a lot after a while. Whereas the variety on the first half of the album was refreshing and gave me a chance to cleanse my palate, so to speak, the second half is like an unstoppable onslaught. Still fun, and it's interesting to hear Queen's take on some of the dark fantasy themes popularized by bands like Zeppelin. But after a while, the songs started to run together. I'll give this album a 4. It's not perfect, but I'd enjoy repeat listens.

Bitte Orca

Dirty Projectors

2/5

Why? Why is this album here? Why was this album made? Why do critics like it so much? Why did I sit through it? The first two songs are basically unlistenable. The next few tracks have areas of promise, but they inevitably devolve into noise and weirdness. At some point I kind of stopped paying attention and didn't even realize the album had ended and the streaming algorithm was playing related artists. I can appreciate the idea of playing with sound and textures to create more of an art piece (a painting, if you will) than a song, but that's just not how or why I listen to music. I listen to it for the stories and the emotional connection, and there's just not a lot of that here. There’s some interesting guitar work, I guess. Otherwise, unless you enjoy Tiny Tim trying to do Bjork and pretentious bloviating about nonsense, don’t waste your time or torture your ears. 2/5

Now I Got Worry

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion

2/5

There’s a handful of decent blues songs here—“Chicken Dog” and “Hot Shit”…maybe a few others that I can’t remember. There’s also a lot of not great stuff. The album is all over the place, and long at 16 tracks. There’s a song that sounds like a bad Rolling Stones impression, several that sound like an Elvis impersonator in a Stooges tribute band, and a couple songs that sound like Jet before Jet existed (I hate Jet). There’s even some proggy/jammy/math rock stuff happening. There’s also a bunch of just whacked out nonsense, like the closing track, which is a dude making unhinged sounds to a horror movie soundtrack. Maybe this band is worth seeing live, but a studio recording shouldn’t be a bunch of random shit thrown at the wall. Garage rock blues that dabbles in experimental art rock isn’t my thing. 2/5

Live And Dangerous

Thin Lizzy

4/5

I'm not sure if I've been listening to the wrong Thin Lizzy songs, but I've never been able to get into them. Until now. This album was really good. It's interesting that it's a live album—there've been a few live albums on the list so far, which I feel conflicted about. I'm not sure what makes this an especially amazing live album, though it's a really good show. But as someone with no real background knowledge of the band, I like that it's kind of a greatest hits. The only song I knew was "The Boys Are Back in Town"—which I shamefully thought was by KISS. The musicianship is really good and Phil Lynott's vocals are great. The band is one part blues, one part Hendrix-esque psychedelic rock, one part KISS-esque hard rock, with some metal and Springsteen-esque lyrics thrown in. It makes for a good mix. To the live aspect, Lynott's engagement with the crowd was really fun, and that drum solo on "Sha-la-la" was great. The album was pretty long—just under an hour and a half—so I'm not sure how often I'd listen to it again, but I definitely gained an appreciation for the band and will check out more of their stuff. 4 out of 5 (but probably more of a 4.5).

Post Orgasmic Chill

Skunk Anansie

4/5

I feel like this album deserves a star for most ironic album title—unless we’re talking about praying mantises. This band has zero chill. Really liked this album and not sure how I missed this band when they were popular. I’m not totally sure what genre they are—nu metal? They’re part metal, part punk, part riotgrrl!, and part Garbage-style post grunge. The album opens with a cinematic “Kashmir”-esque banger and goes pretty hard for most of the tracklist, with the occasional quieter moment, though even those have intense moments. The music mostly reminds me of bands like Chevelle and Deftones, but also groups like Within Temptation, Kidney Thieves, and even 4 Non Blondes at times. The lyrics lean heavily sociopolitical, which was a nice change from a lot of the frivolous albums I’ve been getting lately. I’m a big fan of female-fronted rock bands, and Skin’s one of the best vocalists I’ve heard. Her range in both style and literal vocal range are impressive. At times she sounds a bit like Tina Turner at her more rock moments. She’s also got the passion and emotion of Janis Joplin. The swagger of Grace Jones. The vocal maneuverability of an Annie Lennox or Sharon den Adel. And the anger of the best punk has to offer. The album has a lot of tracks and starts to feel a little weighed down toward the end, but still a solid 4/5.

xx

The xx

4/5

I love a good atmospheric post punk/dream pop vibe, so I knew I was going to like this from the first track. It definitely leans more toward a synth/indie pop sound with the melodies and electronic aspects, but it’s got solid post punk guitar and bass lines and well done sparse arrangements. “Heart Skipped a Beat” could easily be a song from The Cure or New Order. There’s a lot on here that fans of Cocteau Twins, Slowdive, or even Feist and Lana Del Ray would find familiar and appealing. As much as I love the genre, there’s a tendency for it to feel formulaic after a while, so the dual vocalists were a nice surprise to keep things fresh. I’m kind of meh on the male vocalist’s sound—it’s not *bad*, but he’s nothing special—but I really like the woman’s voice. The interplay between them is cool. Even so, the album follows the formula of maintaining the "chillwave" theme throughout, so I could forgive someone for finding the album boring. Is this a revolutionary album that should be on an all-time, must-listen list? Ehh, not sure about that. It seems pretty typical of the genre to me. It's also not subtle about its influences. The song “Infinity” seems to be a direct interpolation of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game,” though they somehow got away with not giving him a writing credit. "Night Time" also borrows heavily from the soundscape of The Cure's "Seventeen Seconds" and "Faith" albums. Then again, I came to post punk very late—in the last year or so—and a lot of the bands I listen to are from the last decade, so maybe I’m under-appreciating the influence The xx had on the revival scene? Based on the streaming radio selections that came on after the album finished, their sound seems to fall firmly within the general sound of that era, so I'm not sure about that either. That said, is it a solid album that I’ll add to my regular rotation? Heck yes. 4/5

Joan Armatrading

5/5

I'll confess that my only knowledge of Joan Armatrading's music before this was "Drop the Pilot" and only because of a Mandy Moore cover. I'd definitely put her up there with the other classic singer songwriters of the time—Carole King, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, etc. Her storytelling is top notch. The musicianship is top notch as well, with some great guitar solos (like on the closing track). The sound oscillates between folky, almost country acoustic songs, funky blues numbers (with a bit of jazz), and harder bluesy rock. Fans of Joni Mitchell and Led Zeppelin (the album was produced by Glyn Johns) could both find songs to vibe to on this album. There aren't many missteps here, though the random bass vocal guy on "Love and Affection" kind of ruins an otherwise good song. It comes out of nowhere and sounds so out of place. Best tracks: "Down to Zero" "Save Me" "People" "Like Fire" 5/5

1999

Prince

3/5

Remember when we all thought we were going to die in Y2k and "1999" was absolutely everywhere? The quaint old times (or maybe we did all die then, and this is the Bad Place?). It's undeniable that Prince was a musical genius. Dude played like 17 instruments, wrote, produced, danced—he did it all. His performance of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" at the George Harrison tribute might just be the best live performance ever. That said, Prince's music has always been an artist who, like the man himself, I prefer in small doses. I own Purple Rain but don't listen to it that often. Likewise, the first two tracks on this album are iconic (the aforementioned "1999" and "Little Red Corvette"). "Free" is also pretty good. The rest of the album was pretty meh for me. Musically, I bet it was mind blowing at the time with its use of synths and drum machines and experimentation. And there are some great funk grooves, and several amazing guitar solos. But most of the songs are overly long and start to become background music after awhile. And the lyrics—dude, we get it: you like sex. There's only so many times you can simulate sex noises on a record before it starts to feel like someone's twelve-year-old nephew hijacked the microphone trying to be funny. It's not even that I'm scandalized by it—it's just not very interesting after the third song, let alone the tenth. 3/5

Metal Box

Public Image Ltd.

5/5

I hadn't heard this album before. I only knew a couple songs from PiL's more commercial 80s days. Holy crap was I missing out. As soon as "Albatross" started playing, my immediate reaction was, "Oh, so that's where Siouxsie and the Banshees got their guitar sound from. And also where Ian Curtis of Joy Division got his singing style from, and where Joy Division/New Order got their electronic sound from." The Sex Pistols changed music in a huge way with their 1976 Manchester show. Without that show, we might not have had the Banshees, Joy Division, the Smiths, The Cure, and so many other giants of post punk (and goth), let alone all the bands those groups inspired themselves. Likewise for The Clash's (PiL guitarist Keith Levene's former band) influence on music. After SP disbanded, Johnny Lydon went on to form PiL. This is very different from the Sex Pistols or The Clash. In a great way. It's much more experimental, less one note than the punk that SP put out—don't get me wrong, I like SP, but if you've heard one of their songs you've pretty much heard them all. The guitar on this album is crazy. The bass lines are nuts. The lyrics and the dark pre-goth, pre-industrial atmosphere on songs like "Careering" and "Bad Baby" sound way ahead of their head time (I realize both the Banshees and Joy Division had already released albums when this came out, but it's difficult to disentangle who inspired who at this point). The digital-sounding effects on "Socialist" are mind blowing. This album is basically everything I love about post punk. So so good. 5/5

Strange Cargo III

William Orbit

1/5

Ugh, the only thing worse than electronica is faux new age electronica. There were some cool guitar riffs in the first couple songs, and then I resigned myself to suffering through it as background music. But even that didn't lead to an enjoyable experience, because there was always some random sound or an odd voice to pull my focus back to it and interrupt what I was doing. Is the "Deux Ex Machina" track an actual excerpt from a video game vignette? Like, what on Earth am I listening to? No thank you. Do not want. 1 star

Bookends

Simon & Garfunkel

4/5

It's weird to me that something is called a concept album when it's actually one part concept album and one part random leftovers and unreleased tracks. There's a vague cohesiveness to the album because of the duo's general guitar sound and the sort of carnival sound that opens the second half (similar to the theme on the first half), but I still kind of feel like they should be considered separate entities. The first half—the concept half—was pretty interesting. It almost feels like the soundtrack to a short film that never got made ("Up: The Musical" given the theme?). The lyrics warrant a closer listen than I was able to give on the first go round, but musically it was enjoyable enough. I don't know if it's among S&G's best material, but for the most part it kept my interest. The "Sounds of Old People" track is at once arresting and jarring —fitting in with the theme of the album, but a little out of place as a non-musical interlude. The second half of the album contains a seemingly random collection of re-released tracks, unreleased material, and songs from "The Graduate" soundtrack. Of course, "Mrs. Robinson" is a classic song from the movie. I'm vaguely familiar with "A Hazy Shade of Winter" in that I recognize the title and know I've heard it but wouldn't recognize the song (until the chorus). It heavily borrows from Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman." Similarly, "Old Friends" (on the first half of the album) reminds me a lot of the Beatles' "A Day in the Life," both in theme and some of the musical elements. Overall, the songs are a bit more upbeat, catchy, and energetic than the first half, but not necessarily as lyrically interesting. Speaking of musical borrowing, that's one of the other things I noticed about this album—musically, there seems to be a lot of repetition of other S&G work (or, elements from songs on this album are reused in later songs). "Save a Child" shares part of the melody line with the chorus of "Me and Julio." "At the Zoo" is similar musically to "Mrs. Robinson," and "Fakin' It" shares the same drum pattern as "Celia." That's not necessarily bad, but it's something that very obviously stood out to me. I enjoyed the album for the most part. The guitar work is interesting, and sometimes soothing, and the themes explored on the first half of the album work well as a cohesive set. And the catchier songs on the second half are fun to listen to. I'm not sure I'd listen to it a ton in the future, but it's a good album. I'll give it a 4/5, but it's more of a 3.5 for me.

Clube Da Esquina

Milton Nascimento

4/5

This was a pretty good album. I love Spanish/classical guitar, so I'm always down for that. And Portuguese is a nice language to listen to in songs. It was nice to break out of the overly British-centric nature of this list for a change and explore music from other parts of the world, particularly from non-English-language artists. The album is really long—it definitely feels like 21 tracks. But most of the songs were interesting, catchy, vibey, or some combination of the three. I'm not really sure what general pop/rock music was like in early 1970s Brazil/Latin America as a whole, but you can hear a ton of American/British/even South Asian influences in this album. There are songs that sound like The Beatles (a lot of those, including with the South Asian instrumentation on the more psychedelic tracks), Hendrix, The Doors, Carole King, Simon & Garfunkle, The Byrds, and I could go on. There's even a bit of whatever's happening in the theme for "The White Lotus" going on in "Lilia" haha. It's an interesting mix of experimental psych rock and more traditional pop/rock sounds. Because of the language barrier, I'd probably listen to this more as background music, but I'd definitely listen again. 4/5

Younger Than Yesterday

The Byrds

5/5

This was a fun album. It took a few listens for me, but it’s really grown on me. At first, I was half listening while doing other things and the tape distortions on the more experimental tracks were a bit grating. But it was a completely different experience when I sat down to actively listen and read the lyrics. This might actually be one of my favorite albums on this list so far. I may even try to find an old vinyl pressing for my collection. I only really knew “Turn! Turn! Turn!” and their cover of “Mr. Tambourine Man” before hearing this album. It had a lot of variety, ranging from the straight forward pop of early Beatles, the more whimsical and experimental side of Hendrix, the free love hippie music of Donovan and the Mamas and Papas, to the more psychedelic dirges of Jefferson Airplane and later Indian-influenced Beatles. “The Girl With No Name” could easily be a Tom Petty song. As a big Cure fan, I can see a straight line from this band to them. Lots of jangly, 12-string guitar, heart on its sleeve vulnerable love songs, and psychedelic jamming. “Why” even has a very similar chord structure to “Boys Don’t Cry.” Favorite tracks: C.T.A 102, Time Between, Everybody’s Been Burned, My Back Pages, Why 5/5

Bossanova

Pixies

4/5

I've casually listened to this album once or twice before and liked it well enough. Listening to it again after getting more into post punk music makes me appreciate it a lot more. It's an interesting mix of post punk and surf rock. There are points where it even verges on goth (Is She Weird) and art rock (Hang Wire). The addition of surf rock and more melodic elements to more traditional post punk elements sounds pretty innovative for a genre that can sometimes feel too formulaic. It's easy to see how bands like Pixies and Pavement paved (ha) the way for bands like Nirvana and the grunge movement. Highlights: "Celia Ann" is a banger of a song—it's like a cross between Sisters of Mercy and the Buffy the Vampire Slayer theme song. "Velouria" sounds like it could be a Killing Joke song, really enjoyed it. "Dig for Fire" has a bit of a Talking Heads meets Jimmy Eat World vibe, in a good way. Not so great: "Rock Music" is good musically, but the vocals are kind of annoying. "Blown Away" kind of feels like a darker retread of "Here Comes Your Way"—I prefer HCYM. Not a perfect album—there are a couple I was meh about. But a solid 4/5

Born To Be With You

Dion

2/5

This was…not good. I’m not a big fan of Phil Spector’s production to begin with. Pair that with some trite lyrics and whiny singing, and yikes. The first two songs made me throw up in my mouth a little bit. Why it was ever a thing to refer to someone’s love interest as “little girl” I will never understand. The second song is possibly the most melodramatic and cheesy way of describing unrequited love, and it’s also creepily paternalistic at the same time. It doesn’t get much better after those. There are plenty more trite, sappy love songs and even an anti-drug song that could’ve been written by DARE. The arrangements are typical Phil Spector—lots of wall of sound, overwrought string orchestration, and songs that should end at least two minutes earlier than they do. There’s also a weird country-lite bent to many of the songs (think John Denver) that doesn’t help with the cheese factor. Dion has a good voice, but he sounds shrill and whiny in a lot of these songs, and it’s not pleasant to listen to. The only songs I actually enjoyed were “Only You Know” and “Good Lovin Man.” “New York City Song” isn’t terrible, but it’s also kind of cheesy. 2/5–even Dion hated this album apparently, so I’m not really sure why it’s on this list.

Pornography

The Cure

5/5

Oh man, after the train wreck of the Dion album I had to listen to yesterday, I was so happy to see this in my queue (not that I don't listen to it monthly at a minimum anyway). I'm a Cure stan, so I can't really be objective about this album, but it's incredible. This era of The Cure was part of an insanely prolific period in Robert Smith's life. In a span of 2-3 years he would make this album, become a Banshee, work on side project The Glove with Steve Severin, and release The Top, which is essentially a Smith solo album under The Cure name. To be that prolific he was destroying himself. Too many drugs, nonstop work, no sleep. The end of the Pornography world tour would see the band break up as the powder keg finally exploded. Everyone thought The Cure was finished. (Fun story: They actually tried to quit in the middle of the tour. After Robert and Simon got into a fist fight, they both bailed and went home. Robert's father told him people had paid money for tickets and ordered him to go back and finish the tour.) So, to say that the band, and Robert especially, were not in a great mental space going into this album is an understatement. And it's clear from every aspect of the album. This album is dark and discordant and hopeless in all the best ways. The drums are relentless, as if marching toward death. The guitar and bass parts are dirgy and wailing. The lyrics are a horror show of depression, nihilism, self-hatred, and fear. Robert said he wrote the album to purge his mind of his darkest thoughts so he wouldn't kill himself. And yet, there's still some beauty in it (I think). I know a lot of people find it noisy and unpleasant to listen to, but that's not the case for me. I think there are still great melodies here—The Hanging Garden, Siamese Twins, A Strange Day, Cold, to name a few. There's experimentation with sound and effects (Short Term Effect, Cold, Pornography). The album even ends on a defiantly optimistic note—"I must fight this sickness and find a cure." Sure, it's a little cheesy, but these dudes were barely 21-22 years old at the time and really going through it. This is probably Lol Tolhurst's greatest contribution to The Cure as drummer. Simon Gallup is the coolest bass player there is. And Robert Smith is an iconoclast, a modern-day poet, and a way better guitarist than he gets credit for. Also, shoutout to Phil Thornalley for producing this album—you know, the guy most known for writing "Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia! It's tempting to want to downgrade my rating a bit knowing that their magnum opus was still to come (and that Disintegration is still out there lurking in this list somewhere)—but I won't. 5/5 Favorite songs: Siamese Twins, A Strange Day, The Figurehead

Remain In Light

Talking Heads

3/5

I have mixed feelings about this album. I like some Talking Heads music, but some of their more artsy stuff can be an acquired taste. I appreciate the technological accomplishments of this album—it's essentially the first album to significantly incorporate loops, even though computer tech at the time couldn't actually handle creating them, so they had to learn to play the loops themselves. That's wild. There are some really fun grooves throughout this album. It's difficult not to bop to it. The songs with sung vocals are generally catchy too. "Once in a Lifetime" is obviously a classic. "The Great Curve" is maybe my favorite track on the album. On the other hand, the back half of the album starts to drag. The lyrics are mostly abstract nonsense (though they sometimes stumble on some cool ideas mostly by accident). The songs that are almost completely spoken word ("Houses in Motion" and "Seen and Not Seen") get a little annoying after a while. I know sing talking is what David Byrne is famous for, but this goes beyond that, and I felt like I was at some weird gallery show. Also the distorted trumpet solo in "Houses in Motion" sounds like a shofar haha. And that's my biggest complaint with this album. It feels like an art project made by white students about the things they learned in school about African music—because that's basically what it is. They listened to Fela Kuti and read some academic articles about the cultural importance and function of music in African cultures and decided they wanted to make an Afrobeat record (with some dancehall and funk thrown in). There's just something derivative and a little appropriative about it that doesn't ruin the album, but rubs some of the shine off. On that note, Jaqueline Kidjo (a singer from Benin) made a full cover album of "Remain in Light" in 2018 and it's incredible. It actually has the heart and vitality that Talking Heads attempted to imitate. Highly recommend everyone take a listen to it. I'd give it a 3.5 if I could, but am rounding down to a 3. I appreciate the technological innovation and importance of this album, and I don't dislike it, but I also don't love it.

The Köln Concert

Keith Jarrett

4/5

The fact that this album was completely improvised on the spot is bonkers. As someone with zero music ability, the idea that someone can make something up that not only sounds good but also feels cohesive over that length of time is incredible to me. So, from that perspective, I'm glad I listened to this album in my lifetime. However, as impressive as it is and as nice as it sounds, an hour-long piano concerto isn't really something I'd seek out to listen to on my own. It inevitably becomes background music after a while. The things that make live music exciting to me are the energy and the interplay between the different musicians and instruments, especially in jazz. As someone who's been lucky enough to see Jon Batiste live, so much of the experience is watching the band interact with each other and feed off each other's energy. I've never been a huge fan of solo musicians, at least in an audio-only context. And while you can hear Jarrett's enthusiasm while he's playing, it still feels like it's missing something. I'll give it a 4 because it is nice sounding and it's incredibly impressive. But I'd probably only listen to it again as background music as I was doing something else. Addendum: Since I can't correct typos in my entries, I just wanted to make a note that in my review of Talking Heads' Remain in Light yesterday, I got the name of the singer from Benin wrong. It's Angelique Kidjo, not Jacqueline. That's what I get for trying to multitask.

Queens of the Stone Age

Queens Of The Stone Age

3/5

“If Only” is okay. "Give the Mule What He Wants" has a fun groove to it that makes it stand out from the other tracks. "Spiders and Vinegaroons" (which wasn't on the original release) was kind of cool with the electronic drums and the Stevie Wonder-esque bass clavinet thingy. Other than that, I wasn't really impressed with this album. With the extra tracks, the reissue version is a long hour of unending heavy power chords and deep drums (except on "Walkin on the Sidewalks" which has way too many cymbals—chill out) with the same droning vocal style and lyrics I could barely make out. It all runs together and gets tiring quickly. Very post-grunge but nothing super interesting. Vocally, I'd much rather listen to Chris Cornell. Musically, I feel like this band is a mixture of Foo Fighters and a more commercial version of Tool—the dad rock version of Tool, if you will. Speaking of Foo Fighters, I learned today that QOTSA was not Dave Grohl's baby, and that he actually only played with the band for a short time. It was during their most commercially successful period, so that's probably why I have that association. But even still, if you put a gun to my head and asked me whether half these songs were Foo Fighters or QOTSA, I'm not confident I'd get it right. And just as I've never been a big fan of Foo Fighters, QOTSA just doesn't really do it for me. 3/5 and I feel like that's generous.

Tidal

Fiona Apple

4/5

I somehow never got into Fiona even though she should've been right up my alley. This was a really good album, especially when you realize that it was released when she was only 19. There's a maturity and polish to it that seems crazy when you compare it to the kind of stuff other artists put out at that age—unfortunately, a lot of that probably has to do with growing up too fast due to trauma. The songs are all piano based and the lyrics are confessional and personal. There isn't much variation from the slow ballad. Criminal is probably the "rockiest" song on the album, and The First Taste is the most playful track. She has great voice control and sounds more mature than her years. Highlights: Criminal, Slow Like Honey, The First Taste, Pale September

Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs

Derek & The Dominos

3/5

It's a shame Eric Clapton is such a terrible person because he makes good music. It's sad to see what he's become (or who he's revealed himself to really be) after making a career out of playing blues music and once counting Jimi Hendrix as one of his closest friends. The fact that most of the original songs on this album were the result of the weirdest love triangle between him and George Harrison is also wild. Layla is one of the greatest songs in rock, but realizing it was written about another man's wife is yikes. Anyway, to the actual album. It was good, often really good. The musicianship is fantastic, the songs are catchy, and Clapton and Bobby Whitlock sound great (even though I can't understand most of what they're actually saying). It's just really, really long. Between it being 14 tracks and several of the songs being covers, it feels very bloated. With so many of the songs also turning into long jam sessions, it starts to get tiring quickly. There's also not a ton of variation in the songs and, especially by the last half, they start to blur together. I feel like the sole reason this album is on this list is because of Layla. 3/4

Let's Get Killed

David Holmes

1/5

Oh, great, more electronica. The title of this album is apt because my first thought was, fucking kill me. "Gritty Shaker" sounds like it should be a Tracy Morgan sketch. Did the dude spitting bars on "Head Rush on Lafayette" get paid for it? Cause David Holmes being credited as the "lyricist" on all these tracks for recording random people is ridiculous. The Bond song remix, Radio 7, started out with some promise, and then around 2:30 they had to ruin it with obnoxious feedback sounds. It also didn't need to be almost 6 minutes long. Don't Die Just Yet was actually kind of cool. It was an actual song. I couldn't really pay attention to the rest. Boring. 1/5

Berlin

Lou Reed

4/5

This was an interesting album. It's got kind of a Rocky Horror meets Rent vibe to it. If you treat it as more of a musical/show than a straight album, it's not bad. It definitely gets melodramatic and can be a bit much in parts, but I didn't hate it. The campiness is definitely on par for a Lou Reed project. I don't know how much I'd listen to it again, though. Best songs: Men of Good Fortune, How Do You Think It Feels, Oh Jim, Sad Song

Rum Sodomy & The Lash

The Pogues

3/5

I'm conflicted about this one. I've never listened to much of The Pogues, though,"The Sunnyside of the Street" has been one of my favorite songs for ages. I love Irish music and I love post punk, so this should be a no brainer for me. But Shane MacGowan's (RIP) voice ranges from decent to unlistenable depending on the song. Musically, this album is kind all over the place. The first two songs veer too far into polka territory for me. Then there are a few songs toward the middle that have an odd Wild West sound to them. The more traditional Irish songs and the more standard rock songs are pretty good, though. "Wild Cats of Kilkenny" is a banger. "I'm Not a Man You Meet Every Day" is great and Cait has a beautiful voice. Shane sounds pretty good on "A Pair of Brown Eyes." I appreciate the impact The Pogues had as a band, and there's some good stuff here, but it was a pretty mixed bag for me. I'm not sure I'd listen to the whole thing again. 3/5

The Bends

Radiohead

5/5

I avoided Radiohead for the longest time, I think out of some contrarian streak to resist the hype, since I never really got why they were so beloved based off the singles I'd heard. I finally started listening to them over the last year, and I can admit I was wrong. I still have most of their discography left to explore, including some of their most famous stuff. But I really enjoy earlier Radiohead, and I think The Bends might be my favorite of their albums (or at least of what I've heard so far). There really isn't a bad song on this album. The melodies are great, and the sound is way more energetic than what I associated with them based off songs like Creep. Lyrically, this album is heavy, but it doesn't feel as heavy as it is because of the music (except for the last song). There's a lot about depression, loneliness, and trying to cope with the pressures of newfound fame. It's very personal but relatable at the same time. Mea culpa. This band is good. Really good. 5/5

Antichrist Superstar

Marilyn Manson

2/5

Manson kind of scared me as a kid, I'll admit. I don't know if I'm old now or if I don't get it, but...meh? I know the handful of Manson hits and don't mind them, but a whole album of this is a lot. There are some catchy songs on here, and I can appreciate the attempt at a concept album. But it just feels like the aural equivalent of an Eli Roth movie. It's just torture and disgust porn for the sake of shock value and trying to offend people. It's not really that shocking, it's just not that interesting. Artists like Screaming Jay Hawkins and Alice Cooper had a sense of humor and genuine theatricality to them. Goth music explores the horrible and disgusting and tries to find the beauty in it. This is just...shock for shock value that takes itself way too seriously. Reading about the making of this album just underscores what messed up, try-hard artists they are. You don't have to go so method for your art, dudes. It's cringey. Add to that the accusations that have come out about Brian Warner over the last decade or so and, nah. No thanks. I'm good. Maybe I'll go read some Nietzsche and skip this sophomoric interpretation. (Tangentially related—it's annoying how good "Redeemer" is from the Queen of the Damned soundtrack given what a garbage person he is).

Rejoicing In The Hands

Devendra Banhart

2/5

I've been holding off rating this for a while because I wasn't fully paying attention the first time I listened to it and wanted to give it another shot when I could focus. The music seemed very typical of folk (which isn't necessarily bad, as I'm a fan of folk). All the tracks sounded very similar for the most part, which I think is at least somewhat intentional to give it a cohesive sound. But there was also something kind of creepy about it, so I wanted to give a closer look to the lyrics and see if that was where the fuss about this album came from. But with every passing day, I just can't seem to make myself put the album on again. There's a new assignment to listen to, and plenty of other good music to keep me occupied during the rest of the day. I just don't want to come back to this one. So, I feel like I have my answer. If there's no pull to listen to this album again, how good can it really be (at least to me)? 2/5

Live!

Fela Kuti

5/5

I'm glad this album came up so soon after Talking Heads' "Remain in Light" so the album was still kind of fresh in my head. Because it just confirms what I said in my review at the time—just listen to real afrobeat instead of listening to their sad facsimile of it. Fela Kuti is legendary, but while I've listened to him in the past and seen some of his performances, I'm woefully unfamiliar with most of his catalog. This show was incredible and might be the first live album I've heard from this list where I actually understand why it's on here. The music combines traditional African percussion and polyrhythms with Western funk and jazz, and it's a party from start to finish. The sound is vibrant and the mixing is great, and you really get the energy from the live performance. That said, if I didn't know there was another Fele Kuti album on this list I'd actually be kind of pissed that this was here. He's such an influential musician, and he doesn't need some white guy from England (the drummer from Cream) to help translate his music for Western audiences. The king of afrobeat should be listened to simply because he makes great music, no matter where you come from. 5/5

Californication

Red Hot Chili Peppers

3/5

I listened to this on my good speakers that I set up for my turntable, and the first song sounds like Flea is blowing out his amp. Yikes. And is Porcelain supposed to sound staticky?? The whole album is super compressed—peak loudness wars on display. I vaguely remember having this album in high school (and by having, I mean burning it from someone, which is probably why I didn't realize how awful the mp3s sounded) but somehow I have zero memory of any of the non-single songs. I'm not upset about that. I also remember being so sick of Scar Tissue and Otherside being everywhere all the time—the radio, TRL, you name it, they were on. The music isn't terrible. A lot of it is good. Flea's one of the best bassists there is, and Frusciante's guitar is usually great. I've always kind of liked how they incorporate funk into their sound. But over 15 tracks, you start to notice a lot of repetition, and it wears out its welcome. The lyrics, though. I don't know if it's worse not being able to understand half of what Anthony says or being able to understand half of it. I don't hate his voice as much as a lot of people do (though it's not great by any means), but wow, most of these lyrics are dumb. The rap rock delivery is especially cringey. I somehow forgot about the bizarre Asian (?) impersonation on the opening track, but sheesh that's bad. I definitely would not seek this album out, and I'd probably turn the singles off 3/5 times if they came on. 3/5 for the musicianship and a couple decent songs

Fear Of A Black Planet

Public Enemy

4/5

It took me multiple days to get through this album. I wanted to give it a fair shake because Public Enemy is such an influential group, and I try to really do an active listen with hip hop albums because the lyrics are so central. It's just so long, with so many tracks. I'll never understand the hip hop/R&B obsession with interludes and skits. A couple of them on here were funny/interesting, but for the most part I wish they just weren't a thing. Lyrically, it's crazy how many of these songs are still relevant today. The more things change the more they stay the same, I guess. I liked how socially conscious the album was. A few of the tracks haven't aged super well, and the Ice Cube feature wasn't my favorite thing (though "Burn Hollywood Burn" is otherwise a great track, and still relevant). But for the most part it holds up. It's a little heavy on the DJing and sampling for my tastes, but overall I prefer that kind of hip hop to the more modern styles. Chuck D and Flavor Flav are such an interesting combination haha. Chuck D raps like a preacher giving a sermon (if that's not obvious by the inclusion of the MLK Jr samples). He's powerful and convincing, and he's usually rapping about the bigger social/political themes on the album. Flavor Flav, who's already more of a meme to Millennials, just comes off sounding so much less serious next to Chuck D's gravitas — and sometimes that's needed to bring some levity to a fairly heavy album. But his lightweight, mumbly style often makes it seem (at least to me) that he's not in the same league as his partner. The major exception to that is on "911 is a Joke" — a song that, as someone from Philly, only gets truer with every passing year. This wasn't a perfect album for me, mostly because of the length. I'd probably put it at more of a 3.5, but I'll give it a 4/5 for its influence.

Shadowland

k.d. lang

4/5

This was an interesting album. I'm not super familiar with K.D. or the Indigo Girls outside of a few big songs ("Closer to Fine"). Country isn't usually my style, but the mix of genres on this album was pretty interesting. The album opens with a country-western song that mixes slide guitar and Spanish guitar (what?!) — but it sounds really cool. A lot of the other songs seem like classic old school country-western songs, with songs like "Sugar Cane" and "I Wish I Didn't Love You So" mixing elements of doo wop, jazz, classical, and country. Though, "Sugar Cane" definitely sounds like a Christmas song to me with the mix of doo wop and slide guitar — I blame Elvis for that. "Waltz Me" has more or a ragtime feel (think Randy Newman's Toy Story songs). "Black Coffee" is a jazzy blues ballad with some slide guitar and a drop of Bond. The Spanish guitar returns on "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" and I'm here for it. Speaking of Elvis, fans of his country albums would probably enjoy this album. It's very much in that vein. K.D. has a great voice and delivers her vocals with a ton of power and passion. The fact that a queer artist put out a country album in 1988 is wild to me. Not an album I likely would have found on my own, but I enjoyed it. It's probably not going to a hugely frequent listen, but I'd totally put this on again for a relaxing vibe. 4/5

In Rainbows

Radiohead

4/5

I accidentally listened to Disk 2 first and, hoo boy, was I about to leave a scathing review. Then I realized my error and, mea culpa. This album is another really good showing for Radiohead. More sad songs about depression and hating fame combined with anthemic-sounding rock and a few elements of electronica (but not the super annoying kind). I'll have to give it another listen and pay closer attention to the lyrics, but I really enjoyed what I heard the first time. I think I like The Bends slightly better, but this was pretty great too. 4/5

Dub Housing

Pere Ubu

3/5

Experimental post-punk with some jazz flair. Sort of crazy lyrics that actually read as decent absurdist poetry. *Sigh* This album should be my jam, and I really wanted to like it more than I did. It's a little bit Public Image Ltd, a little bit Alex Harvey, a little bit Peter Gabriel. There are some funky grooves and a lot of weirdness. There are even some fun, catchy poppier songs (Caligari's Mirror). *However* Holy hell, is this dude's voice annoying. He sounds like Alex Harvey on helium. Actually, it's like listening to Andy Serkis performing this album as Smeagol. It gets very grating unless he's buffered by the music and other vocals (again, Caligari's Mirror). Thriller! is a weird "instrumental" pastiche of ambient sounds and excerpts of recordings that sounds like something you'd hear during the Haunted Mansion ride at Disney World. It's sort of interesting at first, but it just goes on way too long. I might give this one a few more listens to see if it grows on me more. It's not bad per se, I just can't get on board with the dude's voice. I'll probably stick with the Sensational Alex Harvey band if I'm looking for this style of album in the future. 3/5 — it would be a 4 if the dude's voice didn't make my ears bleed.

Loveless

My Bloody Valentine

3/5

I have a hard time getting into a lot of shoegaze. There’s a lot about it that I like, but the droning and wall of sound can be hard to listen to sometimes. MBV is legendary, but I’ve never really listened to them until this. At first I listened to it while in the car but felt like I couldn’t hear a lot of the music over the highway noise. Tried to listen to it again at home and turns out I really wasn’t missing all that much. A lot of it is just genuinely noise. There’s some cool stuff here. The more dream pop tracks remind me of bands like Cocteau Twins, Smashing Pumpkins, and even The Cardigans. But man, some of the songs get super repetitive and those droning, distorted guitars start to sound like bagpipes and vacuum cleaners. To Here Knows When kind of sounds like the distortion that would happen just before your stereo or Walkman ate your cassette tape. I’ll probably give this one another listen at some point to see if it grows on me, but for now it’s a low 3/5.

More Songs About Buildings And Food

Talking Heads

4/5

Now, this is the version of the Talking Heads I like. Did I have any idea what he was saying during half of the songs on the album? Nope. Did the lyrics make a ton of sense on the ones I did understand? Sometimes. Was the whole album full of bangers? Absolutely. This is the sort of album that makes you want to dance the entire time. It's catchy, it's fun, it has some crazy bass lines. David Byrne's talk-singing can get a little irritating at time, but the music is fun enough for me to get over it. Much more enjoyable than Remain in Light (sorry if that's blasphemous). Favorite songs: Warning Sign, Found a Job, Artists Only, Take Me to the River 4/5

Licensed To Ill

Beastie Boys

3/5

Help, I think I've died and I'm stuck in fraternity hell. I wanted to like this more than I did. I get that a lot of what the Beastie Boys did was (allegedly) satirical and comedic, but if you don't have that historical context, a lot of this album has aged like milk. If by the time you get to the second track and hear the lines "If I played guitar I'd be Jimmy Page/The girlies I like are underage" and don't realize they're taking the piss about Page being a creepy predator, you're probably not going to have that great of a time. As the philosopher Harvey Dent once said, "You either die a hero or live long enough to become the villain," and I think that became true for the Beastie Boys. They started out lampooning frat culture and hair metal bravado. And while many of their fans were in on the joke, a whole lot more weren't, and this music became the soundtrack to their lives. Aside from that, a lot of the songs are just really repetitive. How many songs on this album are about hooking up with lots of girls and carrying around a gun at a party? I lost count, but there are too many. Some of the wordplay is clever, but it's not enough to counteract the stuff that gets repeated over and over. The music also isn't that interesting. "No Sleep till Brooklyn" and "Fight For Your Right" are pretty good, but most of the other tracks are pretty basic beats and loops played incessantly, with the occasional poorly done record scratch overlaid (again, I know this is kind of the point, but it's boring). I also forgot how incredibly annoying "Girls" and "Brass Monkey" can be — ear worms in the worst way. I will say, I didn't realize how many of the songs from this album became hits. I think 95% of the songs I know by them are on this album. So, that's kind of impressive. I think I just generally prefer my comedic music to be more along the lines of Tenacious D or tongue-in-cheek sendups like the Darkness. This crank yankers sketch set to crappy music stuff isn't really my thing. I suspect if I went back and listened to the Marshall Mathers LP now I'd feel similarly. That kind of stuff can be funny at the time, but as you grow up and the culture changes, it just seems cringe. Crap, I've become my parents haven't I? 3/5 from me. I recognize the historical impact and influence of this album, but that doesn't mean I want to listen to it again.

Unknown Pleasures

Joy Division

4/5

I own this album. Hell, I own a couch pillow based on the design of the iconic album cover. I really enjoy this album and Joy Division as a band. The lyrics are intense, the music was completely innovative for its time and still sounds great today. They're a seminal band in post-punk and goth history. And I slightly prefer this album over Closer, which I know is a hot take. As a songwriter, Ian Curtis was amazing. As a person, his story was incredibly tragic — a super young man slowly destroyed by depression largely brought on by struggling to live with the debilitating effects of epilepsy. His pain is everywhere in the lyrics. However — and I know this is blasphemous — as a singer and performer (granted I never saw them live and haven't watched many performances, so going by albums only), Ian's voice kind of drags the band down a bit for me. I want to like him. I really do. And his voice has grown on me a bit over time. But Ian Curtis will forever sound to me like a bored history teacher reciting off a page in the majority of JD songs. It gets a bit better on Closer, but on this album, he just sounds really flat most of the time (and verging on off key a lot). There are exceptions — Disorder being one — where you can hear the emotion in his voice; but they are exceptions. And yet, for some reason, so many post-punk and goth vocalists seem to emulate his voice, which just drives me nuts. I feel like Ian Curtis has been deified in much the same way as Kurt Cobain was after his suicide. And for everything they both did for their respective genres, I have to wonder if they'd be seen in the same light if they hadn't both died so young and so tragically. Given that the surviving members of JD went on to form New Order, we do get some sense of what impact Ian had on the sound of the band. I really enjoy New Order, and I find a lot of their electronic/synth stuff more enjoyable for a *casual* listen than a lot of Joy Division songs. And while Bernard Sumner isn't winning any singing awards, I much prefer his voice to Ian's most of the time. But it's definitely true that Ian's lyrics elevated the group and that New Order has had much less of an impact on music (though that's not to say they're not also hugely influential). I just really, really wish Ian had a better voice. That's what keeps this from being a 5 for me. 4/5

Youth And Young Manhood

Kings of Leon

3/5

I don't get it. What makes this album so special that it deserves to be on a must-listen list? It's an early 2000s band trying to emulate older music styles, and not doing that great a job of it. That said, musically, it's pretty fun to listen to in the background as you're doing something else. It starts off seeming like it's going to all sound the same with the first few tracks, but then it gets more varied. It's an interesting mix of garage rock, punk revival, and Southern/blues rock — a little Strokes, a little Ramones, and a little Steppenwolf. Lyrically, most of the album is meh. Typical derivative and boring stuff about being a young rock star and partying for the most part. "Holy Roller Novocaine" was a cool song, though. Initially I found the lyrics kind of gross until I realized they were about drug addiction and not a creepy relationship. "Molly's Chamber" wasn't bad. But the dude's voice. Holy smokes, do I hate his voice. I don't remember it being that annoying on the popular radio hits (Use Somebody and Sex on Fire). But on this album he sounds like Adam Sandler's character from The Water Boy trying to do a Bob Dylan impression. Or Eric Cartman when he attempts his weird ad-lib/scatting stuff. At first I thought maybe this album being considered among the best of 2003 was more of a statement on the rock landscape that year — and I say that as someone who bought the Zwan album when it came out haha. But some pretty big artists put out some pretty big albums that year, so I'm back to being confused. 3/5 — decent music, meh lyrics, terrible vocals

Physical Graffiti

Led Zeppelin

3/5

Ehh this is another album that took me multiple days to get through. If you're going to put out a double album, every song better be damn worth it, and I just didn't feel that was the case here. I like Led Zeppelin, and I've owned IV since high school. Nothing on this album is objectionably bad. Okay, that's not true. Black Country Woman is allegedly about Plant having an affair with his wife's sister — big yikes. And Sick Again is about trying to seduce an underage groupie. Vomit. Also, there's the whole stealing from other artists thing that the band is famous for. Awful lyrical content and shitty behavior aside, the album just starts to run together after a while and really overstays its welcome with its 1:22 runtime. There are some really good songs on here. Obviously, the famous ones like Kashmir, Houses of the Holy, Custard Pie, Trampled Under Foot. I also liked the instrumental Bron-Yr-Aur. The whole first half makes for a good to greatish album. But around Down by the Seaside I started to get bored. There were still good songs after that, but it started to get repetitive. I'll give this one a 3/5

Madman Across The Water

Elton John

2/5

I don't mind Broadway Elton John — Aida is a good show. I've never been a huge fan of Elton John the pop singer other than a few of the big hits. I don't know if it's because he's always seemed too melodramatic and overwrought for pop (i.e., too Broadway, perhaps?), if it's because I've never gotten his weird obsession with blues and Western tropes as a British dude (though maybe that's really Bernie Taupin's fault), or if it's unresolved childhood trauma from when I asked my mom to buy me the "Circle of Life" single from The Lion King when I was six, and she came home with the Elton John version — clearly, I still haven't forgiven her for that. This album didn't do much for me. Other than the classic "Tony Danza" song, there's not much I really enjoyed. His singing style is just not my thing. He has a good voice, but he tries to do too much and it gets obnoxious. He ends up sounding pitchy, and he does a slightly less egregious version of the melisma theatrics that Christina Aguilera is infamous for (but without the vocal chops she has). It's also difficult to understand what he's saying because of the weird affected Southern twang. I generally much prefer covers of Elton's songs to his originals. Some of the music is okay, but it starts to feel same-samey after a while. And again, it's all very theatrical, but not in a way I enjoy. The literal Broadway chorus that comes in on All the Nasties is like a nightmare orchestrated by Phil Spector (though the drums in that song are cool). The lyrics are mostly cheesy, but I prefer the lonely rock star songs over the weird attempts at epic storytelling. Indian Sunset is god awful and deserves a special shoutout — the definition of the racist "noble savage" trope. 2/5 for me

Blood, Sweat & Tears

3/5

This album was a wild ride, and I’m not sure if that’s good or bad. I feel like this band doesn’t know what it wants to be. It’s one part Burt Bacharach lounge music, one part Elvis in Vegas, one part James Brown, one part free jazz, one part psychedelic rock, and one part prog rock. There’s just a lot going on. And then, for some reason, they made When I Die, a weird ragtime song that could’ve been an outtake from The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas soundtrack. I knew I recognized the name of this band but could not for the life of me remember why. And then Spinning Wheel came on, followed immediately by You Make Me Very Happy, and then it clicked. The former is a great song, the latter is ok…a cute, cheesy, late 60s love song. But I realized that as an older Millennial, this is sort of the definition of dad rock to me — this is the kind of stuff my Boomer dad jammed to when the Beatles got too experimental and scary for him. I appreciate what they were going for, but I’m not sure it’s really for me. The lyrics are decent, the musicianship is good, the willingness to experiment is interesting (though feels more like imitation a lot of the time) … but it’s just too much at once. It feels like a Hollywood soundtrack created by committee. 3/5

Ramones

3/5

I own this album, though I don't listen to it that often. I like the Ramones. They're a fun band. And what Millennial doesn't have extreme nostalgia for Tony Hawk Pro Skater anytime "Blitzkrieg Bop" comes on? Their influence on American punk is legendary, so I totally understand why this album is on this list. And I bet they would've been a blast to see live at CBGB. But, as much as I like them, I don't know if I'll ever really *love* their studio work because the music gets really repetitive. Almost every song sounds like it's going to be "I Wanna Be Sedated" (which is a great song that's not on this album). And I can't for the life of me understand 95% of the lyrics, though I enjoy the sound of Joey's singing voice. It's a fun listen, to a point. As short as it is, it starts to feel long because of the repetitive sound. And yes, I understand that's part of punk. But it doesn't have to be *this* repetitive. So it's getting a 3/5 from me (might give it a 3.5 if I could).

Architecture And Morality

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

4/5

I had no idea what to expect going into this album, because my only exposure to OMD was "If You Leave" from Pretty in Pink. The opening track starts off sounding like an early U2 song (e.g., Sunday Bloody Sunday). I didn't expect them to be so post-punk and dark. The next song is much closer to the light, ethereal new wave I'd expect from them. The third song sounds like the direction Joy Division was heading in when Ian Curtis died — dark and dreary, but with some incorporation of brighter synths to give it an otherworldly feel. The title track's experimentation with industrial sounds also reminds me of Joy Division. The two songs about Joan of Arc sound like a more polished version of something Siouxsie and the Banshees would do. This album feels like the bridge between early post punk and what eventually became new wave. It has the darkness, the atonalities and sparse arrangements, and sometimes the dark lyrics of post punk, but it also has the bright synths, ethereal singing, and dance beats of new wave. I can definitely hear the religious music influence they were going for throughout the album, but it also reminds me of groups like Erasure and Yaz who did catchy pop songs that had a weird, ethereal twist. This album feels ahead of its time to have come out in 1981. In some ways, it still feels very modern now. The song Georgia sounds like a hyperpop song that Grimes would have made in the 2010s. That it was made before digital synths existed is impressive. I listened to this album on a dreary day during a thunderstorm, and it's quite a vibe. It's a little kooky, and it flips back and forth between soothing and unsettling. Not all of the songs are great, and it runs a bit long because of it, but I enjoyed it a lot. Highlights: The New Stone Age, She's Leaving, Architecture And Morality, Of All The Things We've Made 4/5

Rocks

Aerosmith

3/5

Is it me or do a lot of Aerosmith’s most famous songs sound the same? Walk This Way, Get the Lead Out, Love in an Elevator… Anyway, I like the introspective side of Aerosmith — Dream On, Living on the Edge, Nobody’s Fault. I can fuck with that. I can’t deal with the gross, negging, sex pest Lothario version of the band — Sick as a Dog, Lick and a Promise. Blech. The music on this album is pretty good. It rocks hard and it doesn’t really let up. On the other hand, a lot of it sounds derivative of other bands (Led Zeppelin, Funkadelic, etc.). Lyrically, a lot of this hasn’t aged well. Vocally, Steven Tyler is one of those guys who gets grating after a while. There’s a reason I don’t really listen to entire Aerosmith albums in one go. His voice is especially irritating on the closing track here, Home Tonight. For a must-listen album from such a famous band, I don’t think I knew any of these songs…maybe Get the Lead Out? But again, a lot of their songs sound the same, so I don’t know. I don’t think I can give this more than a 3/5.

Paranoid

Black Sabbath

5/5

This album was way better than I was expecting, and I already knew it would be good going in, considering it has three of the most famous Sabbath songs. It starts off with a bang. There aren't many songs as epic as War Pigs. The slow build, the ominous siren, the almost chant-like singing before the "Oh, lord yeah!" and the song really takes off. Classic. One of the greatest anti-war songs ever. Then, straight into another classic, Paranoid, before slowing down for the psychedelic prog of Planet Caravan, and then right into Iron Man. What a sequence of songs. The first half of the album is hard to beat, but the back half is also amazingly strong. Hand of Doom was a particular standout for me among the songs I hadn't heard before. There are so many great riffs and solos on this album, amazing drumming, and Ozzy's in top form. I love the mix of metal and psychedelia, and I never really paid attention to how almost proggy the band could get. Based on the albums I've already reviewed, you might think I'm not a big metal fan. But this is the kind of metal I love — hard-hitting, but melodic, with inspiration from jazz and blues (or symphonic) — not that tuneless thrash stuff. It's also funny to me that Ozzy became such a lightning rod for the satanic panic backlash, because lyrically, this album is everything true Christians should be all for — anti-war, anti-drug, Revelation-like themes of satanic evil dooming the world to apocalyptic destruction. They obviously never listened to the music they so loudly decried. Anyway, I digress. Fantastic album. 5/5 for me.

Red Headed Stranger

Willie Nelson

4/5

I feel conflicted about this album in a few ways after listening to it about 3 times. If you only listen to the music and don't pay attention to the lyrics, it's pretty soothing. It almost feels like an album of lullabies, and I could totally see myself drifting off to sleep with this playing in the background. On the other hand, because it is so mellow and because it has repeating motifs, my mind kept beginning to wander by the last few songs each time I listened, even though it's fairly short. Lyrically, I'm also conflicted about this, because the story is a lot darker than the music lets on. It's kind of a classic Western story trope about a man getting revenge against people who have wronged him and then wanting to move on with his life. But I did get the ick at the fact that there's quite a lot of violence against women in this. Sure, they're not innocent of wrongdoing, and he also kills the man his wife cheated with, but the whole domestic violence/man who can't control his rage thing is pretty yikes. And the horse thief being another deceitful woman (when it could've just as easily been a guy) starts to set up an uncomfortable theme. And then the dude looks for redemption in the arms of another woman, who he swears he'll never hurt like the others — not the most reliable narrator, though, is he? Granted, Willie's not necessarily condoning the guy's actions, but still. Out of context, "Blues Eyes Crying in the Rain" and "Can I Sleep in Your Arms" are beautiful ballads. But in the context of the wider story, they're kind of creepy. Pros: The music is pretty (if a little boring) and Willie's voice sounds great. It's a nice, stripped-down album, and I think the record company was very wrong in thinking it needed more production to be viable. Cons: The best songs on the album work better outside of the context of the album's full narrative, which is kind of creepy. I'll give it a 4, but it's probably more of a 3.5

Odessa

Bee Gees

2/5

I've never been a super big Bee Gees fan, but their disco stuff is orders of magnitude better than whatever this was. I respect the ambition to make a concept album but...you take big swings and sometimes you miss. It's like Neil Diamond and Broadway but schmaltzier. And so long. And boring. I maybe liked a song or two, but I can't even remember what they were. 2/5

Garbage

5/5

I somehow never listened to a full Garbage album even though I loved the singles growing up. Really enjoyed this one. Good alt-rock but with pop hooks and some electronica elements. I like the darkness of the lyrics and the angst Shirley Manson brings. "Not My Idea" is like a darker cousin of No Doubt's "Just a Girl." It's also clear that they were influenced by bands like The Cure (I wonder if that's where Shirley's affinity for the do-do-dos comes from) and My Bloody Valentine — lots of swirly, distorted guitars, a ton of layered sounds, some droning, shoegaze-esque elements, and a willingness to experiment with sound and push the genre forward. The piano line at the end of "Stupid Girl" is straight out of Nine Inch Nails' playbook. I'd probably give this closer to a 4.5 if I could, but I'm cool with rounding up to 5. Need to explore more of their discography (especially since Cherry Lips is a fantastic song from a different album). 4.5/5 but gets a 5 for rounding

Power In Numbers

Jurassic 5

5/5

I've heard the name Jurassic 5 but probably couldn't name a song by them. This album was a vibe. Loved the soul/funk influenced samples, loved the voices and flow of all the guys, loved most of the lyrics (a couple lines haven't aged super well). I didn't even really mind the interludes because they were done in an interesting way. 5/5 for me.

The Wildest!

Louis Prima

3/5

This was alright. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. Parts of it were really fun, but parts of it were too far into the dull lounge sound for me. The humor wasn't the worst, but it was kind of cheesy. I do get the importance and influence of this album, but it's just not really my speed. I did enjoy hearing the original "Jump, Jive, An' Wail," and the horns and the harmonies were pretty good. 3/5

Green Onions

Booker T. & The MG's

4/5

Omg, that's what that song is called! "Green Onions" is synonymous with Get Shorty for me — a movie I've seen way too many times for work purposes (long story). It's one of those songs that I'm guessing everyone knows but almost no one knows the name of. "Twist and Shout" isn't the same without John Lennon's shredded vocals, and it's not as good as the Isley Brothers version either, but it's still good. I enjoyed this, although it was a bit too heavy on the organ for me sometimes. But it had some cool organ solos and some really nice guitar solos. Since it's all instrumental, it's easy to get distracted doing something else and have it fade into the background a bit. But it's a solid album. I'll give it a 4/5, but it's probably a 3.75.

So Much For The City

The Thrills

3/5

I wouldn't necessarily call this a bad album — it was a decent enough listen — but I have no idea why it's on this list. It seems pretty typical of its time. Ben Folds, Phantom Planet, Something Corporate ... there were a million bands doing the singer songwriter/ acoustic/mid-tempo, vaguely surf rock thing. Basically any band that ended up featured in The O.C. or any other CW show. It's very mid as the kids would say. 3/5

Kid A

Radiohead

3/5

Eh, I think this is around where I get off the Radiohead ride. There are a few good songs on here (Idioteque being one), but this is where the band starts to get too weird for me. I appreciate that they were looking to try new things, but it's just not for me. A lot of this album sounds like some bizarre Enya/Brian Eno/indie film soundtrack mashup, and not in a good way. Thom's vocals get pretty grating on some of the tracks, and a lot of them don't really sound like songs so much as soundscapes. It comes off as pretentious. Not a fan. 3/5

Public Image: First Issue

Public Image Ltd.

3/5

Meh. I liked Second Edition so much I bought the vinyl after hearing it on this challenge. This one, not so much. There are glimpses of great stuff here, but the annoying outweighs the good. Religion kind of toes the line between deep and “I am very smart and you’re all sheep” teenage obnoxiousness. The two super long tracks feel like they last forever. Lyndon’s voice even annoys me here, and I generally have a high tolerance for him. 3/5 but probably more of a 2.5 if I could give half stars.

Homework

Daft Punk

3/5

I know these guys are legendary, and they have some really good tracks. They're one of the few electronica groups I can tolerate. But this genre is just never going to be my preference. There are quite a few good songs on here. I really enjoyed a lot of the more funk-based songs (I can't remember the names of any of them unfortunately). But there are also a lot of typical drum and bass songs that do absolutely nothing for me. There are way too many tracks on here. And why does every song have to be like 7 minutes long? How does something so annoying and grating as Around the World become one of their greatest hits? It's a rare example of a song that gets worse when lyrics are added (not that there are more words than the title). Like all electronica albums, I would only ever listen to this as background music while doing something else, and I don't really get the appeal of listening to this stuff outside the club. 3/5, would maybe round to a 3.5

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

5/5

I listened to this twice — the first time I had it on in the background as I was doing other stuff, and it didn't really connect beyond the first couple songs. Then I gave it another listen while giving it my full attention, and wow. I've always meant to get into Neil Young but never got around to it. That was a mistake. This album is great. It's got a ton of vibey psychedelic jams, but it also has a lot of great slower songs with introspective lyrics (some more abstract than others). There's even a cool almost Balkin-style violin solo on Running Dry that's really different. Neil's voice is great at conveying emotion, and the harmonies with the Crazy Horse band members and guest vocalists (like Robin Lane on Round & Round) are nice. Highlights: Cinnamon Girl, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, Round & Round Also, I feel like it needs to be said that RHCP totally ripped off Cowgirl in the Sand for Californiacation. 5/5

You're Living All Over Me

Dinosaur Jr.

3/5

My only exposure to Dinosaur Jr. was their cover of The Cure's Just Like Heaven (which happens to close this album). So I knew it was going to be kind of punk and kind of weird, but I wasn't prepared for how weird. This album started out okay and got progressively stranger and noisier. It started out sounding sort of like a mix between a punkier Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins. The first few songs were pretty fun, then the middle of the album sort of blended together with several songs that sounded similar. It started getting weird around Tarpit. The second to last song was a bizarre art/noise piece, and then the album ended with the aforementioned Cure cover. The worst part of this band is the singer. My God, is his voice irritating. He makes Eddie Vedder seem like Pavarotti. I'm also not sure if they intentionally played with meter on The Lung, or if the drummer is just that bad at keeping time. Regarding the cover, I'm kind of conflicted about it. When I first heard it I hated it, but I have to admit that it's growing on me. I know it's Robert Smith's favorite cover, and I'm guessing it's because the screamo chorus is just so out of nowhere that it's kind of hilarious — that's definitely something Robert would get a kick out of (I'm also pretty sure he changed the way he sings the "Why are you so far away" line live because of this cover, which I'm kind of mad about). I'll give it a 3 because it started out decent and the cover is kind of fun. But the singer and the back half ruin it.

Head Hunters

Herbie Hancock

5/5

The opening track Chameleon is pretty fun. They sort of sound like a jazzier version of Funkadelic. The bass part that comes in about 1/3 of the way through the track is sick. I usually don’t like songs that go on for 15 minutes, but this is a vibe the whole way through. Watermelon Man feels like the inspiration for the White Lotus theme song with the flute (which is apparently actually a beer bottle?! What??) and weird vocalizations. Maybe this is also where Andre 3000 drew his inspiration for his flute album? The sax is dope. This is another cool track that has a lot of different movements as it progresses. The last two songs are also good, but I didn't take notes on specifics. Really enjoyed this album, though. The songs are long, but they never get boring. And because they're instrumental you can listen while doing other things (or just fully enjoy listening). 5/5

Fever Ray

4/5

Very atmospheric vibe. Cool mix of coldwave, post punk, and electronica/synth pop. It almost feels like a darker version of Lorde — kind of experimental and kooky, but with very poppy hooks. This is a really good album and something I’ll likely add to my regular rotation. I’m just not sure what makes it worthy of this list — it doesn’t seem particularly revolutionary given the existence of artists like Siouxsie and the Banshees, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Bjork, Depeche Mode, Imogen Heap, Sigur Ros, Gotye, and countless other electronic / experimental acts. Highlights: “When I Grow Up” “Seven” - cool tribal sounding percussion, like a mix of Bjork and Talking Heads with a bit of Cyndi Lauper “I’m Not Done Yet” has a cool Cure vibe with the guitars “Keep the Streets Empty” sort of sounds like a mix of The Cure’s “Lullaby,” Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” and Bjork 4/5

Hard Again

Muddy Waters

4/5

This was a pretty good album. Blues tropes and melodies definitely get formulaic, but the energy of these guys playing together and jamming keeps it fresh. The drums on Mannish Boy are great, as is the piano on Bus Driver. Throughout, the live vibe is cool (e.g., hearing them celebrate getting the track right at the end of I Want to Be Loved — “That’s it!”). My favorite song was probably Crosseyed Cat. My least favorite song was Little Girl — once again, why was it ever a thing to refer to one's love interest that way? Especially when he also refers to himself as man in the same song. Gross gross gross. Also, I have to point out that while Mannish Boy is a great protest song, and a banger, it's also kind of exactly what people mean when they talk about toxic masculinity — the idea that a Black man has to convince a white person to respect him and call him man instead of boy by playing into other stereotypes about how much sexual prowess he has is ... unfortunate. 4/5

Cheap Thrills

Big Brother & The Holding Company

5/5

This album was fantastic. I of course knew Janis was legendary, but I only knew a couple of her songs — one of them being Piece of My Heart, which is on here. Hearing a whole album of her singing, and a lot of it live, was an experience. The whole band is great — there are some crazy guitar solos on this album, amazing drumming, and some super funky bass lines. There's a fun mix of psychedelic rock, blues, soul, and the closing live track, (at least on the version of the album I listened to) Magic Love is practically a punk song. I personally prefer the psychedelic songs from the first half, but the whole thing is great. Janis was an incredible performer. You can tell how committed she is to every single note she sings. And though she's famous for her soulful wailing, there are also some more restrained moments where you can really hear what a beautiful, rich timbre her voice had. At her wilder moments she kind of sounds like the love child of Robert Plant and Marge Simpson, but I promise I mean that in a good way haha. This was a very enjoyable listen, and I might even try to pick it up on vinyl. 5/5

Hot Buttered Soul

Isaac Hayes

2/5

I wanted to like this more than I did. The music's good (though the last two songs have too much of that flutey smooth jazz stuff for me). Hayes' voice is great. But the album is 4 songs and It just. goes. on. forever. And wtf is the last track? Did Matt and Trey go back in time and write this script for Chef? I guess I truly understand where the character comes from now. Hayes just babbles on with some weird story set to an obnoxious triangle metronome for almost 9 minutes before anything that can be called music starts. And then it goes on for another 9+ minutes. I can't. 2/5

Can't Buy A Thrill

Steely Dan

3/5

Apparently I know a lot more Steely Dan songs than I was aware of — "Do It Again," "Dirty Work," and "Reelin' in the Years" were all familiar. I guess I always assumed they were by some other band. Look, I'm not a yacht rock fan. Never have been, never will be. And I'm from Philly, the home of Hall and Oates. It's just not my thing. That said, I thought I would hate this a lot more than I did. I didn't particularly love it, but I can't deny the musicianship here. There are some crazy guitar solos, and it does have kind of a proggy/funky side to it. Lyrically, some of the songs are deeper than I would have expected from this kind of band. But it also gets really weird, really smooth-jazzy, and boring. "Brooklyn Owes" lost me with the slide guitar. "Change of the Guard" sounds like it's trying to rip off "Dancing in the Street." And the closing track is just bizarre as hell. The singer kind of sounds like Kermit the Frog (and it has an odd Rainbow Connection vibe) but it also sounds like a song Patrick Bateman would play for a woman he was seducing/murdering. 3/5 — not terrible, not great. Probably wouldn't listen again.

James Brown Live At The Apollo

James Brown

4/5

I thought I would like this more than I did. It's a good album, and the live aspect is really fun because of how he interacts with the fans. But I didn't really know any of the songs, and I felt like there were a few too many slower-tempo songs. I wanted party James Brown, and I didn't get enough of that here. That said, the man sings his absolute face off, the backing band is great, and he goes full on gospel preacher on "Lost Someone" — all really fun. I enjoyed the album, but I'm not sure I'd listen to it on repeat all that much. 4/5 (but probably closer to a 3.5)

People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm

A Tribe Called Quest

3/5

I feel a bit mixed about this. The samples and backing grooves were really cool — I like the jazz and soul samples. I like their voices and flow. A lot of the songs were pretty good lyrically. But there were definitely some tracks that haven't aged super well/were just kind of corny. My biggest complaint is that the album is just really long, and I started zoning out towards the end. 3/5 but I'd round to a 3.5

Court And Spark

Joni Mitchell

4/5

This was a pretty good album. I thought it was a lot more accessible than Blue, which I'm still trying to get into. I sort of wish she would do more choruses, but I enjoy the stream of consciousness narrative style. Her voice is really beautiful and there's some good variety musically on this album — everything from simple folk to uptempo almost psychedelic rock to jazz. Highlights: “Free Man in Paris”; “Raised on Robbery”; “Help Me” A couple of the jazzier songs weren't really my cup of tea, though they weren't awful. "Twisted" reminds me of the theme song to The Nanny. 4/5

Live / Dead

Grateful Dead

3/5

I'm not sure I understand the appeal of listening to a live album for a jam band in an audio-only format. On one hand, it's cool to hear what they sound like live, I guess. But half the appeal (for me, not that I'm a big jam band person to begin with) is *seeing* the band jam — watching their interactions with each other, watching them play their instruments, witnessing the audience react and hanging out with other fans, etc. Listening to it from my living room doesn't have the same feeling. This album is also really, really long. The first track is 23 minutes, and you're not even 1/4 of the way through when that's over. I found it hard to keep my focus and was kind of wishing for the thing to end, even though the music itself isn't bad. I respect this album for how groundbreaking it was — they invented special recording tech just to make it possible. And it is impressive that they can jam for that long and sound good. A lot of it is very heavily influenced by the blues, though, so it's not like it's the most innovative or unique music ever made. After never really getting the fuss about the Grateful Dead, I can now say that their music can be pretty enjoyable — but I still don't really get the fuss. I'm never going to be the kind of person who follows them around the country. 3.5/5 rounded to 3. It's decent, but I'm probably not going to listen to it again, at least not in full.

Led Zeppelin III

Led Zeppelin

3/5

I feel like the more Zeppelin I listen to the less I like them :-/ They're starting to feel like AC / DC to me — for the most part, if you've heard one of their songs you've heard them all. Also, the lyrics are major yikes on some of the songs. The "Gallows Pole" is just gross — dude pimps out his sister to try to get the hangman to commute his sentence and the dude's like 'thanks for sending your sister to keep me warm ... still gonna kill you, though.' BARF. And what was that whole thing about front doors and back doors on "Since I've Been Lovin You"?? 3/5 One star for the "Immigrant Song" and two stars because it's not literally unlistenable, but I wish I could go back in time to when I'd only ever heard the IV album.

Reggatta De Blanc

The Police

3/5

The song "Reggatta De Blanc" confirmed what I've always suspected — I don't hate The Police, I just hate Sting's voice. And the creepy lyrics of some of their songs (Every Breath You Take and Don't Stand So Close to Me, neither of which are on here). The musicianship on this album is pretty great - there are some great guitar riffs and bass lines. It's right up my post-punk alley. But Sting's voice drives me nuts, especially on "Bring on the Night." I much prefer early U2 if I'm going to listen to poppier post punk or The Clash if I'm going to listen to a bunch of white guys trying to do reggae. The only songs I already knew on this album were"Message in a Bottle" and "Walking on the Moon" and neither are my favorites. Highlights: "Reggatta De Blanc" and "Deathwish" Low points: "On Any Other Day" 3/5 and that's being a bit generous.

Bongo Rock

Incredible Bongo Band

3/5

Who asked Robert Dimery to put this on the list, Matthew McConaughey? This album was ... fine. Kind of fun, even. Did I *need* to hear it in my lifetime? Eh. There are a ton of good cover/tribute bands out there. I'm not sure what makes this one stand out besides the fact that they're apparently a go-to source for hip-hop samples — so what? 3/5 — it's not bad, good for background music. But who really cares? I don't.

Ocean Rain

Echo And The Bunnymen

4/5

C-c-c-cucumber C-c-c-cabbage C-c-c-cauliflower Echo and the Bunnymen is one of my favorite post-punk bands and I don't think they get nearly as much recognition as they should. That said, I enjoy this album, but I don't think it's their best as everyone else seems to. I prefer Crocodiles, Porcupine, and Heaven Up Here over this one. A lot of Ocean Rain is really good. Silver, The Killing Moon, Seven Seas, My Kingdom, and Ocean Rain are all great songs. It's not that there's a bad song on the album, but I do think it gets a little melodramatic — it veers a little too far into Neil Diamond territory for me at times. And some of the lyrics are just okay — Thorn of Crowns referenced in my opening, for example, is just bizarre (I know that's the point). Nocturnal Me is almost Shakespearean in its double entendres, and while it's a good song, it's not even a little bit subtle (again, nothing wrong with it, but they have better songs). I'll give this one a 4 because I do still really enjoy this band, and the album is very good. It's not their best, though. 4/5

Juju

Siouxsie And The Banshees

5/5

Well, this is perfect timing because I picked up a first pressing of this album on vinyl last weekend. This album is so good. It's crazy to think this came out in 1981, because so much of it still sounds fresh. Monitor and Night Shift could have been on the radio in the 2000s (think Tool or System of a Down). And Spellbound should absolutely have a rebirth a la Kate Bush during the 80s nostalgia moment. Everything about this iteration of the band is fantastic. Siouxsie's voice is incredible, Budgie's drums are relentless (along with Severin's bass). And as much as I love Robert Smith, there's no question that John McGeoch was the best guitarist the Banshees ever had. His guitar lines are iconic. This band was so hugely influential — to post punk, to goth, to women in rock, to fashion, and to my favorite band, The Cure. If I had to say one negative thing about this album it's that the lyrics to Arabian Knights are pretty racist through a modern lens (to be fair, so is the band's name). There's a way to criticize misogyny in the Middle East without equating all the men to baby rapists and goat fuckers. But, I imagine for a woman who wore a Nazi armband ironically, being abrasive is the point. And (to my knowledge), Siouxsie hasn't gone off the xenophobic deep end in recent years like her idol Johnny Lydon, so she's got that going for her, I guess. 5/5

1984

Van Halen

4/5

Hair metal before hair metal technically existed — the godfathers of hair metal, I guess. Musically, this album is really fun. Great guitar solos and drum fills — obviously, it's Van Halen. The whole album is high energy and catchy. The synthy intro at the beginning wasn't something I really expected from them — it's got kind of a Rush flavor to it — but it flows perfectly into the opening of "Jump." Lyrically, this album is pretty corny. And David Lee Roth's voice ranges from great to kind of grating. 4/5 — just don't pay too much attention to the words and it's a good time. Also, I like to imagine that the kid on the cover grows up to be Ace Merrill from "Stand By Me."

m b v

My Bloody Valentine

3/5

I really want to like this band, but I just can't really get into them. It's fine as background music, but the vocals are so buried and there's so much droning that it kind of just hypnotizes me and puts me to sleep if I try to focus on it too hard. Maybe I'll give it a few more listens and see if it grows on me, but as of now it's pretty meh. I'll say that the drums were kind of fun on "Nothing Is." 3/5

London Calling

The Clash

5/5

Classic album. The perfect combination of rebellion and fun. A good variety of styles from punk to ska to blues. Highlights: London Calling — expresses the bleakness of life in England in the late 70s (read "Goth" by Lol Tolhurst for more on how depressing it was and how it inspired so many post-punk bands) Spanish Bombs — a deceptively cheery tune about the Spanish civil war and losing your country to fascism Lost in the Supermarket — a great lament about the suburbs sucking the life out of you Guns of Brixton — great song about the cycle of violence created by systemic oppression, street life, and police brutality Death or Glory — a great (cynical) tune about how we all become what we hate I'm Not Down — a great anti-depression song about not letting life get to you and realizing how lucky you are compared to many others Train in Vain (cover) — one of my favorite Clash tunes even if it's not originally theirs 5/5

Beauty And The Beat

The Go-Go's

4/5

I never really got into the Go-Go's. I knew their radio hits and didn't mind them but wasn't really interested in them beyond that. After getting more into post-punk over the last year, I think I'm able to appreciate this album a lot more than I otherwise would have. It's definitely on the poppier side of things, but there are clear post-punk influences all over this album. A lot of it sounds like Three Imaginary Boys-era The Cure mixed with surf rock. "How Much More" sounds influenced by New Order, and "Lust for Love" and "Automatic" have a clear Siouxsie and the Banshees influence (and that guitar solo on the former is very Robert Smith). They kind of feel like a more radio friendly version of All About Eve. This album is pretty fun. It's got good musicianship and vocals, with really good harmonies. A lot of the songs do start to sound the same, but I think some of that is just par for the genre. 4/5 - I'd probably give it a 4.5 if I could. It's not quite perfect, but it's close, and it's a lot of fun. For a debut album, it's pretty impressive. And it's nice to see an all-female band on the list.

New Forms

Roni Size

2/5

What's worse than finding a new electronic assignment? Finding out that it's a double album! >:-| I actually didn't hate the first track when it started. The guitar break down in the middle was cool, and the jazzy bass at the end was too. I stupidly got my hopes up. And the beat kind of reminded me of the Blade soundtrack — which should've been my first clue, because the reason the music works in that movie is because they only use a 40-second clip of an 8-minute song. This is elevator music for people who think they're cool. Is "Digital" the most annoying thing ever recorded? Maybe. No, I stand corrected. “Morse Code” is worse. This isn't even enjoyable as background music, because every time you get in the zone they introduce some new annoying klaxon or droning sound that can drive you insane. 2/5 because at least it has vocals. It’s not the worst electronic album I’ve gotten, but I still hate it.

The Beach Boys Today!

The Beach Boys

2/5

I don't dislike the Beach Boys, but this album was really boring. Maybe it's because it's an early album and they were still working out their sound, but a lot of it just feels kind of lifeless and dull. The early version of "Help Me Ronda" here is a good example of that — the re-recorded version they released on their next album is so much better. A lot of the lyrics haven't aged well either. Good harmonies, but otherwise meh. 2/5

Heartbreaker

Ryan Adams

2/5

This dude is so cringe. How did it take so long for everyone to realize he was a predator? It's written all over this debut album. Almost every song is some narcissistic, woe is me whine-fest about a dude who hates himself and knows what a piece of crap he is but refuses to do anything about it. And then he asks why women always leave him... Of course this guy is a Morrisey fan. The music is also boring as hell. There are so many better examples of Americana/folk-rock artists from this time period — Andrew Bird, Josh Ritter, and Peter Bradley Adams to name just a few examples. 2/5 — not utterly unlistenable but close

There's No Place Like America Today

Curtis Mayfield

4/5

I feel like Curtis Mayfield is one of those names I know as being associated with one of the Motown groups, but I couldn't tell you which one or any of the songs they did (that says more about me than him). I definitely understand the comparisons to Smokey Robinson, both in terms of the falsetto and the foray into socially conscious music (if you've never heard Smokey's "Gang Bangin'" do yourself a favor and go watch the trainwreck on YouTube immediately). This was a pretty good album. From what I can gather, it's not considered among his best by most fans, but since I don't really have much experience with his music I can't really compare it to anything. What I heard was well done and entertaining. And at only 7 songs, it's pretty short. It's got a mix of Blacksploitation funk, socially conscious soul, and r&b slow jam love songs. I could've done without the Jesus song in the middle, but that was the only real miss for me. So in Love and Hard Times were probably my favorite songs. 4/5

Grievous Angel

Gram Parsons

2/5

Ugh, this was a rough one to get through. I'm not a big country fan, and I'm not a big fan of cheesy 70s ballads, and this was both. And even though Emmylou Harris has a great voice, something about the combination of her voice with Gram's plus the incessant slide guitar made a lot of the songs sound very sharp and discordant. It just wasn't pleasant to listen to. No thank you. 2/5

Rhythm Nation 1814

Janet Jackson

4/5

This was kind of a tough one for me to grade. It's an incredibly famous and influential album. It has some of Janet's biggest songs, and it's one of the albums responsible for bringing New Jack Swing into the mainstream. That said, it's fairly uneven as an album. You knew Michael was probably going to have at least one political song on most of his later releases, but it never took over to the point where you would mistake him for a protest artist. But Janet can't seem to decide if she wants to make a political statement or a pop album here and ends up splitting the difference in a way that's not very satisfying for either direction. The first half is front-loaded with political songs — some of them really good, some of them a little fluffy. But then the back half is mostly love songs, which range from straightforward slower songs to — for some reason — Spanish guitar, Latin-style ballads that wouldn't be out of place on a Selena album. The other issue I had is that, for me, Janet was always more of a performer/artist than singer. It was the dancing, the music videos, the fashion that made her a standout artist. Her voice, while pleasant, is fairly thin, especially considering her contemporaries like Whitney and Mariah. So just listening to the songs in isolation isn't the biggest draw for me. The best tracks on the album are Rhythm Nation and Black Cat. Everything after Black Cat is honestly pretty weak. I'll give it a 4 for influence and the singles (and Black Cat), but it's probably more of a 3.5/5.

Wild Is The Wind

Nina Simone

4/5

I'm woefully unfamiliar with most of Nina Simone's work and really only know the most famous songs, so I was looking forward to listening to a full album of hers. Being made up of leftovers and unused tracks, I'm not sure how much this album really represents her catalogue, so I'll probably do a deeper dive at some point. This particular album was a bit odd as a listening experience. I had to listen to it twice to really let it sink in. It opens with a happy doo-wop song that I feel kind of sets the wrong expectations for the rest of the album. The remaining tracks are a lot jazzier, a lot more stripped back, and a lot more heavy lyrically and vocally. It creates a bit of whiplash going from the opening track into Four Women. Similarly, the closing track Either Way I Lose starts off with a pretty jarring departure from the rest of the album (good song though). Nina Simone's voice is also kind of an acquired taste (at least for me). It's not that she doesn't have a great voice — she absolutely does — but she's an artist who uses her voice to convey emotion and isn't afraid to get "ugly" with it in the process. It's arresting and affecting, but you have to be prepared for that going in. If you're looking for a pretty voice and a passive listening experience, you're probably not going to have a good time. On a purely personal note, I don't love the super heavy vibrato style she often uses, but that's my issue. I was familiar with a couple songs on here from covers of them — I discovered Nina's rendition of Lilac Wine after first hearing Jeff Buckley's version, and I love them both. Each is haunting and broken in its own unique way. The second song is Wild Is the Wind — which I originally heard on David Bowie's Station to Station (which was my first album on this challenge) and didn't realize Nina had sung until this album popped up. Similarly, both versions bring different things to the table and are great in their own ways. Of course, there are other famous standards on here as well, like Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair, that I'd heard but not her version. I'm not sure how much I'd listen to this album on repeat, and there are a couple songs I'd probably skip. But overall it's a pretty good album. 4/5

Lam Toro

Baaba Maal

5/5

I really enjoyed this album. I wish there were more non-Western, non-English albums on this list. This is the kind of stuff I want to experience, not every crappy electronic artist that ever came out of Britain. This album is eclectic and a lot of fun. It ranges from (what I assume to be) very traditional Senegalese sounds to tracks that fuse indigenous and Western traditions. The Arabic influence is also very apparent throughout the album in instrumentation and singing style. His guitar playing is fantastic as well. Hamady Boiro is a Western-funk-rock influenced song that I wasn't expecting after the first few tracks. It's catchy as hell. Anyone who likes Western-African influenced 80s pop (think Talking Heads, Michael Jackson, Peter Gabriel, etc.) would enjoy this song. The Peter Gabriel connection isn't surprising once you realize they're both involved with Afro Celt Sound System. There are a few more tracks like that on the album, like Gidelam. Olel could be a song off the "Weekend at Bernie's" soundtrack ... take that as you will haha. It's very fun. It also reminds me of Vallenato music from Colombia, and I wonder if there's any historical connection there via the slave trade. I was surprised to find that Tidal had the English lyric translation to Daande Lenol, which is just a lovely song. I wish I had more clue what the other lyrics meant and some cultural context about the album and the artist. Given his association with Afro Celt Sound System and his soundtrack work on Wakanda, it makes sense that he's made this very Western-biased list, but I wonder how he's viewed in Senegal and Western Africa. But just taken in isolation as a pure listening experience, this was a great one. This is one of those albums where I definitely plan to dig deeper into the artist's other work. 5/5

Talking Book

Stevie Wonder

4/5

This album was very mixed for me. I didn't really like the first half of the album that much. The slower songs were cheesy and saccharine. The faster songs had a cool, funky vibe, but veered too much into experimental jam-band territory for me. The clavinet is a fascinating instrument, and so linked to Stevie Wonder. But there are songs on the album where it sounds more like a weird mash-up of a theremin and a cheesy synth. And the ad-libbing of the background singers got kind of annoying after a while. However, starting with Superstition, the album gets a lot better. The second half was very strong. If the album was just the last five songs I would rate it much higher. Highlights: Superstition, Big Brother I'll give it a 4, but it's really a 3.5

If You're Feeling Sinister

Belle & Sebastian

4/5

I was a bit meh on this when the album first started, but it grew on me. It's like The Smiths but without having to deal with the insufferable Morrissey and his annoying lyrics. Good stuff. I liked the themes of the album — there's a lot of exploration of loneliness and trying to fit in, both from the perspective of an adolescent and an adult. The music is very typical of what's become known as the indie sound — lots of quiet songs and simple guitar parts (as well as the aforementioned similarity to The Smiths and The Cure), but it's well done. 4/5

Chirping Crickets

Buddy Holly & The Crickets

3/5

This album was fine. I know it's one of the first rock albums and was revolutionary at the time, but a lot of it just sounds dated now. It's fun enough, but it's pretty tame and the lyrics haven't aged super well. 3/5

Fisherman's Blues

The Waterboys

4/5

I love Celtic music and bands that incorporate Celtic music into rock — The Young Dubliners, The Corrs, even U2 — all my jam. The first half of this album was really good. Good pop/rock music that incorporates fiddles and other elements of Celtic music. A little less punk than The Pogues and with a much better singer. I was digging it a lot. Then there's an abrupt shift about halfway through the album where it switches entirely to traditional Celtic standards. Still pretty good songs, but man, what a weird choice. I get why this album perplexed fans and critics at the time. Taken separately, the first and second halves are both really good. But they should have either mixed the tracks together or just picked one style. I'll give it a 4/5 because it was still a fun listen, but it's probably really a 3.5 because of the jarring change in style.

Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde

The Pharcyde

2/5

I couldn't get through this album and bailed a song or two before it ended. At first I thought it was me, but even my husband, who is a hip-hop head, found it as annoying as I did. Almost every song has the same boring beat. This reminds me of an electronic album, and not in a good way. And most of the lyrics are stupid and juvenile. A whole song about Yo mama jokes, really? Come on. It was cute for like a minute, and then it kept going. Also, deducting a star for the song/skit with the weird beeping noises. Was listening to this on a road trip and thought something was wrong with the car in the middle of the highway. Not cool. 2/5

Definitely Maybe

Oasis

5/5

I go back and forth on Oasis. Sometimes I think they're great, and other times I find them derivative of other bands (particularly the Beatles). I enjoy this album more than the next one, where I think the Beatles imitation is more apparent. This album is more hard rock and psychedelic (but not really in a Beatles kind of way). Parts of it remind me of Zooropa-era U2 and other parts remind of me Wish-era The Cure, but I'm okay with that. There's also a song (I forget which one) where it sounds like a vocal impression of Johnny Rotten from the Sex Pistols — not sure if it was Liam or Noel. 4.5/5 — I debated between giving this a 4 or a 5, but I guess I'll round up.

Modern Kosmology

Jane Weaver

3/5

This album was fine. There's nothing about it that stands out as being noteworthy or innovative or even substantially different from a ton of other music that came out around the same time. It seems like your standard sad-girl music that would be used in a movie trailer or on some prime-time TV show. 3/5 because I basically feel neutral about it. It's not bad, but there's nothing special about it.

Brutal Youth

Elvis Costello

3/5

I liked this a lot more than Blood and Chocolate, but it still wasn't my favorite. It started out pretty decent, but it just felt like it dragged on after a while. Some of the music was cool — very pop punk. But towards the middle it started getting weird and went past cabaret to circusy. Elvis' voice also gets grating after a while. I also can't believe there are six Elvis Costello albums on this list. There are so many artists who should be on here but aren't and he gets SIX?! Pfft. 3/5

The Atomic Mr Basie

Count Basie & His Orchestra

3/5

This album was okay. It's decent background music, but I'm not that into big band/old Hollywood jazz stuff. Would be kind of fun to listen to while cleaning or something, but I wouldn't go out of my way to hear it.

Only By The Night

Kings of Leon

3/5

The first two songs are decent, then it starts to fall apart. The singles aren’t bad, but they were so overplayed on the radio that I’m still kind of sick of them. The singer’s voice has grown on me a bit with this album. It can still be too whiny and annoying, but it’s not as egregious as the other album on this list. Musically it’s catchy, and it’s kind of different from what else was out at the time. The drumming is generally cool, and the guitar has sort of a post-punk revival vibe combined with the Southern rock. But after a while, the songs start to blend together. They sound like they’re trying to blend Interpol with Southern rock. Lyrically, the first couple of songs are pretty good, but there are still too many vapid rock star lyrics. The songs “17” and “I Want You” are pretty gross. The verses to “Be Somebody” are pretty epic — it’s a great post punk song, and the drums are great. But the chorus is kind of meh, like a generic Coldplay song. It still might be my favorite song on the album. Closer, Crawl, and Be Somebody are the highlights of this album. It’s an alright album. I’m still not sure what makes this album worthy of being on a must-listen list, let alone why they have TWO albums on here when so many great artists are left off completely. 3/5 (but probably closer to 2.5)

The Velvet Underground

4/5

I was really digging this album and was thinking it might get a five — right up until the last couple of tracks dragged it down. This album feels timeless in a way I'm not sure I can really explain. It feels very much like late 60s/early 70s rock but also very different at the same time. It's an interesting mix of the type of psychedelic stuff The Doors and The Byrds would do and something more original and experimental. I can see why so many artists were influenced by them. It takes a weird turn with "The Murder Mystery" — the idea of the song is cool, and it's not totally unlistenable, but it's just so dense (not to mention long). Even trying to read along with the lyrics, I couldn't keep up because there are two different things going on at the same time. And nothing against Nico, but the last song "After Hours" was meh. Her voice isn't the worst, but it's definitely amateurish. I get what they were going for, but it's not the most pleasant thing to listen to. From an artistic/experimental perspective, this probably gets a 5. From a listenability perspective, I'll give it a 4.

To Pimp A Butterfly

Kendrick Lamar

4/5

It took me a few days to get through this album because it's so long and dense. I really enjoyed most of it, but less as a musical experience and more as a work of literature. I had to sit down with the lyrics and read a lot of annotations to truly understand the meaning and depth of a lot of the lyrics, like I was back in high school studying Shakespeare. In terms of writing, there aren't many rappers out there better than K.Dot (I'm writing this only weeks after the Kendrick-Drake rap beef of 2024). The imagery, the layers of meaning, the depth of personal storytelling and vulnerability, the recurring motifs and refrains — this is some deep stuff. As a rapper, Kendrick has good flow and excellent phrasing, though the voices he puts on can be a bit jarring and even annoying at times. Musically, the beats and melodies sometimes take a back seat to the words/story, but I didn't mind it most of the time. It's definitely not as "hooky" as most rap/hip-hop, though. I can't give this a 5 for a couple reasons. I didn't love the sound of "Hood Politics" — it's one of the few songs I found annoying to listen to. The final track is also way too long and gets a little too artsy and esoteric for my tastes. The whole weird discussion in the middle is awkward to listen to. And then when he feels the need to explain the symbolism of the entire album, it feels too much like being lectured at — your audience can figure it out on their own. It's an ambitious concept album that mostly succeeds, but it does fall flat in a few places. And I'm not sure how much I'd listen to it again. I'm not sure individual tracks would stand on their own either. 4/5

Coles Corner

Richard Hawley

3/5

This album was an interesting one for me. I came into it expecting it to be more garbage electronica, so it was a relief to find out it wasn't that. On the other hand, I was ready to write the whole album off 40 seconds into the first track — it was too Neil Diamond/muzak for me. But I pushed through, and I didn't hate it as much as I was expecting to. His voice is very reminiscent of old-school crooners like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, but he also sounds a bit like Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison on a couple songs (probably because of the Country-Western instrumentation). Lyrically and musically, this reminds me of artists like Robbie Williams and Morrissey (to a less annoying extent) — more introspective than I would have expected, poetic but still plainspoken. A few of the lyrics are kind of cringe in their attempt to sound meaningful ("The Ocean" is pretty poorly executed in my opinion). A lot of the instrumentation is pretty stripped down and basic, with some interesting flourishes — there are shades of Nick Drake folk and Chris Isaak soft surf rock on the slower songs. It's got a lot of 60s/70s pop sound to it and draws from Motown and Buddy Holly. There's also a lot of Country-Western influence, which I always find funny coming from Brits. Those songs sound heavily influenced by George Harrison, Johnny Cash, and even Willie Nelson. The last song is an instrumental that sounds like it's tailor-made for the sad ending of a "deep" indie film (I actually had to look up whether I might have heard it, or another of Hawley's songs, in "All Of Us Strangers"). It's got that sort of pseudo-religious vibe that's trying to be profound. I could imagine a lot of this album being featured in a quirky movie by Zach Braff. It's not a bad album, but it is pretty sleepy. I'm not sure I'd listen to it again. "Hotel Room" and "Born Under a Bad Sign" were the highlights for me. 3/5

The Wall

Pink Floyd

4/5

It took me like a month to listen to the second half of this after hearing the first disc. It’s just exhausting to get through. I appreciate the ambition and work that went into this project. I just don’t generally love rock operas. The second disc worked a little better for me. It contains most of the well-known songs (except for the title track) — “Hey You,” “Is There Anybody Out There?” and “Comfortably Numb.” But the melodrama of the last quarter gets to be too much. I think what bothers me most about this album is how melodramatic it is. It’s literally a rock opera — interspersed with traditional rock songs and classical guitar ballads are actual orchestras and opera singers with Roger Waters and David Gilmour obnoxiously wailing over the top. It’s frequently not that pleasant to listen to. Also just wanted to mention that “Is There Anybody Out There?” sounds like a ripoff of the Bond theme. I completely understand why this album is on the list. It probably is something people should listen to once. But like many Broadway shows, it’s something that after experiencing once, I’m good. I don’t need to listen to most of this again (the aforementioned tracks are decent as standalone songs, though). If I’m going to seek out rock opera, I’m going with The Who or Queen over Pink Floyd. I’ll give it a 4/5 because of its impact and because it is impressive as a project. But it’s really a 3.5 at best for me personally — not something I’d seek out to listen to over and over again (or maybe ever again).

So

Peter Gabriel

5/5

This is a great album. I slightly prefer Melt over it (aka III), because I like dark, post-punk Peter Gabriel. That said, it's still fantastic and there isn't a bad song on it. This album is a bit more varied in terms of style and themes, and it's the album featuring most of his biggest hits. Musically, it features a mix of pop/new wave, funk inspired songs, and a bit of the post punk style carried over from Melt. There are some great bass lines and cool drum parts (even though Phil Collins doesn't appear on this album). "We Do What We're Told" is a cool song that feels like a sequel to "No Self Control" from Melt, though it's a bit underdeveloped — I wish it was longer. "That Voice Again" and "This Is The Picture" might be my favorites. Finding out Nile Rodgers plays guitar on the latter makes a lot of sense. The drums on "That Voice Again" are fantastic. Of course it has the classics "Sledgehammer" and "In Your Eyes." It also has the hits "Don't Give Up," featuring Kate Bush and "Mercy Street." I think this is an album that will grow on me even more over repeat listens. 5/5

Van Halen

4/5

I’ve never listened to a Van Halen album by choice prior to this challenge, so I only know what I’ve heard on the radio. I was surprised with this one, because I didn’t realize how many of these songs I knew — probably about two thirds of the album. It’s definitely filled with hits. That said, I wish Van Halen’s lyrics were even a fraction as good as their music. I’m not interested in a vapid rock star bloviating about being a womanizer (and a sex pest, as on “Feel Your Love Tonight”). It’s boring. A few notes: “Eruption” — iconic guitar solo “You Really Got Me” — Why does he sound like Steven Tyler? This cover doesn’t add a whole lot beyond some showy guitar fills and solos. His yelps in the background are annoying. I'll take the original. I’d rather listen to Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Rush, but it’s not terrible. Highlight: “Atomic Punk” I guess I’ll give this a 4/5 since I gave the other one a 4 (kind of regretting that now), and I like this album better.

Fuzzy Logic

Super Furry Animals

2/5

I truly don’t understand why this band is on here, and with multiple albums at that. They’re just doing a Beatles impersonation, with some Elvis Costello and Bowie mixed in. The lyrics to every song are completely inane. The hook to one of their songs (“Frisbee”) is a guy making chimp sounds into the mic. I have no idea what I’m missing, but I don’t get it. The main riff and the verses to the opening track are just New Order’s “Blue Monday” set to Gorillaz-style music. It’s catchy and kind of fun, but derivative. Fuzzy Birds sounds like “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” mixed with The Who. “Something 4 the Weekend” also sounds like a ripoff from Sgt Pepper. “Gathering Moss” is the only song with lyrics approaching anything with meaning. Blur, Oasis, Weezer, The Wallflowers, Travis … there are so many better bands with a similar style. Why these guys? I’d probably give it a 3/5 under other circumstances, because it is kind of catchy. It’s not the worst to listen to. But I’m deducting a point because it makes me angry that these guys take up so much real estate on this list for no reason.

25

Adele

4/5

I never really quite understood why Adele is so revered. Sure, she has a great voice, and she's a good songwriter. But I often find her music boring. I liked this album more than I expected to, and I think I like it more than 21. There's more variety here, and obviously the songwriting is more developed. Adele is at her best when she's playful and when she experiments with sound. "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)" is a great example of this — even if it does sort of sound like an Ed Sheeran song. Of course the drums from "Rolling in the Deep" are iconic, but there's some fantastic percussion on this album as well, like on "I Miss You," which has a great post punk beat and also has some great Cure-esque guitar (her mom was a huge fan, hence the Lovesong cover on her first album). "Million Years Ago" is a decent song, though, with its classical guitar, it kind of echoes her "Lovesong" cover. Where the album falls flat for me is on some of the slower songs. The ballads that became singles are pretty good (Hello, When We Were Young). But there are some clunkers — "The River Lea" is cheesy and the lyrics just sound awkward with her accent. And the back half of the album starts to drag with too many slow songs. There's some really good stuff here, and also some stuff that was very meh. What Adele does consistently well is good lyrics and melodies. I just wish more of her songs weren't such a snooze fest. Probably a 3.5, but I'll round it up to 4/5.

If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears

The Mamas & The Papas

4/5

The harmonies are gorgeous, as expected. The style is more varied than I would have expected. A lot of the music is enjoyable but kind of sleepy. I wasn't ready for them to go as hard as they did on "Straight Shooter" — it's a great song, although it's a total ripoff of "Ticket to Ride." I also wasn't expecting them to go more ragtime/blues like on "I Call Your Name." "Spanish Harlem" sounds like a quirky Beach Boys song (a la "Kokomo"). I do prefer their more psychedelic songs to the more traditional 50s-style choral ballads and mid-tempo songs, but the others aren't bad (maybe a little boring sometimes). The best songs are the singles "Monday Monday" and "California Dreamin." "Straight Shooter" and "You Baby" are probably the next best songs. I wish John Phillips wasn't such an atrocious human, because the music is pretty good. It's not perfect, but I'd give it a 4/5.

In A Silent Way

Miles Davis

4/5

I enjoyed this album. As someone who's not super well versed in jazz, this is an accessible piece because it's more of a rock-jazz fusion project. It's a little bit jazz, a little bit Hendrix psychedelia, a little bit Parliament-Funkadelic experimental funk rock. Very vibey. I feel like I can't quite give it a 5, though, because at only two tracks (at least in the format in which I listened to it) and being completely instrumental, it inevitably ends up becoming background music. My attention would pop in at hearing significant changes in the movement, but I'd eventually zone out again. It's just how my brain works. I wouldn't mind listening to this album again, but I don't know if I'd go out of my way to put it on. 4/5

Yank Crime

Drive Like Jehu

2/5

As someone who came of age in the early 00’s and never really understood why so many people were into “emo” music like Dashboard Confessional and Taking Back Sunday, this album brought back a lot of those same feelings. I felt like Steve Carrell’s character in Anchorman for a lot of this album: LOUD NOISES!!!! I’m into vocalists that many people consider unpleasant to listen to — Robert Smith, Billy Corgan, John Lydon in PiL, etc. I’m also into experimental rock that a lot of people find unpleasant, like the aforementioned PiL. This music combines all the worst parts of that music — discordance, aggression, atonality — with none of the redeeming qualities — deep lyrics, unique social commentary, vulnerability, introspection about one’s shortcomings. It’s just a lot of shrill yelling of very surface level and trite ideas, combined with a lot of aggressive music that sounds like the band doesn’t always know how to play their instruments. I feel like this kind of music is the soundtrack for a very particular kind of person — lower middle class cishet white guy who’s very angry about everything but isn’t sure why. He’s read a Wikipedia article (or whatever predated it in the early 90s) on libertarianism and has decided to make it his whole personality. He’s emotionally constipated and doesn’t understand why most girls don’t like him (when he brings nothing to the table), and he uses gay as an insult with his friends. He enjoys mosh pits as a way to get out his anger, because some men will do literally anything except go to therapy. The first half of the album is pretty unbearable. After Luau it gets a bit better, but I still wouldn’t really choose to listen to this. It’s like punk music, but make every track over 7 minutes long. No. The human body is not meant to have that much cortisol coursing through it for that long. Super Unison isn’t bad once you get past the obnoxious emergency broadcast intro sound (why does it need to be 7 minutes long?) New Intro is kind of cool — sounds like it could be a Tool song (I don’t think they’re that good musicians though). I found myself thinking that a lot while listening to the album — "This kind of sounds like Smashing Pumpkins but not as good," "This kind of sounds like Tool but not as good," "This kind of sounds like Pink Floyd, but not as good." I'll give it a 2/5 because there are a couple tracks I didn't find completely unbearable. But I kind of feel bad about giving Slayer a 1 and rating this higher.

Unhalfbricking

Fairport Convention

5/5

I was a bit apprehensive about this album going in, but it goes so much harder than I was expecting. I've listened to it twice now, and it's only growing on me more. When it first started, I was expecting pretty run-of-the-mill folk along the lines of Cat Stevens, CSNY, or Joni Mitchell with its jazz-influenced sound. But it very quickly headed into a Jefferson Airplane / Hendrix psychedelic direction. Then the next track was a folky jig sung in French (and written by Bob Dylan)! What?! But still a banger. Then we’re back to bluesy rock. Then more folk on "Sailor's Life", but it turns into a 10-minute The Who jam-band thing towards the end (very reminiscent of Baba O'Riley). Then the next track is a hoe down (but in a good way). Then more Joni Mitchell folk. Vocalist Sandy Denny's voice is absolutely gorgeous. And the two songs she wrote, "Autopsy" and "Who Knows Where The Time Goes?" are among my favorites on the album. The percussion goes hard. The guitar solos are great. Three of the songs on this album are written by Bob Dylan (not including the bonus tracks added to later releases). My parents were big Peter, Paul, and Mary fans, so I grew up listening to a lot of 60s folk covers of Dylans' songs and tend to prefer when other artists sing his songs (Hendrix, anyone?). These songs are no exception, and I really enjoyed them. This album is a wild ride, and what a fun one it is. If you're into traditional English/Irish folk, 60s/70s folk singer songwriters like Joni Mitchell and Carol King, psychedelic stuff like Jefferson Airplane and Jimi Hendrix, or ethereal goth like All About Eve, you'll find something to enjoy on this album. 5/5 — definitely adding this to my regular rotation and will probably try to pick it up on vinyl.

Odessey And Oracle

The Zombies

3/5

This album was just okay. I think the band's name is apt — not because they're scary, but because most of the music is pretty bland and boring. It's like being zonked out on meds. I knew the big songs — "A Rose for Emily," "Time of the Season," and "This Will Be Our Year" but not much else. Not a huge fan of the former, but the other two songs are good, definitely the ones I liked most. "Butcher's Tale" is also good, and the only song that really says anything interesting. The rest of the album is very meh. It's like a combination of The Beatles' blandest hits with some Partridge Family mixed in (and maybe some Carpenters). It's all very mid-tempo, very pretty bordering on twee, and not very interesting. 3/5 — not bad per se, but just kind of ... there.

Superfly

Curtis Mayfield

4/5

This was a strong album. It has its cheesy and overly preachy moments, but I prefer this to Marvin Gaye’s take on “What’s Going On” (the song is fantastic, but the album is…less so, in my opinion). Some of the songs go on too long, and the instrumentals are kind of meh, so I wouldn’t give it a perfect score. But it gets a 4, and I could be convinced to round to 4.5.

Vulgar Display Of Power

Pantera

4/5

This was my first time listening to Pantera. I didn't hate it. I prefer the Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest type of metal, but I don't mind this or Metallica. It's heavier, but there's still melody and hooks. It's not fully into the tuneless thrash style of Slayer that I can't stand. Some of the lyrics are kind of sophomoric, and the constant wall of intense sound gets a little tiring toward the end of the album. "By Demons Be Driven" definitely rips off Judas Priest's Breaking the Law a bit. Dimebag Darrell's guitar solos are impressive, and I did like the overall positive message of most of the songs — turning your anger against an unjust system and calling for understanding instead of just aiming it at hate and destruction — although, Phil Anselmo is kind of problematic and some of the lyrics reflect some of his misguided views (No Good). I'll give it a 4, but it's probably closer to a 3.5

A Love Supreme

John Coltrane

3/5

Another jazz album that's pleasant to listen to but ends up becoming background music for me.

Pink Flag

Wire

5/5

Knowing how influential they were to post punk, I've listened to a bit of Wire but never heard this whole album. Definitely should've checked them out earlier. Musically they're like a mix of The Damned and The Ramones with the lyrics and attitude of the Sex Pistols and The Ramones (depending on the song — at times they're serious and political and at other times more inane and silly). The album has a mix of catchy and harder punk songs. It's 21 tracks, but a lot of them are more like snippets than actual songs. The whole album flies by in only 35 minutes, and the pace never lags. Highlights: Reuters, Three Girl Rhumba (which you might recognize from the riff that Elastica ripped off in the 90s), Pink Flag, Mr. Suit 5/5 just a really good punk album

Grace

Jeff Buckley

5/5

Instant 5 as soon as I saw the album pop up. It took me a long time to appreciate Buckley. I was a hater of his "Hallelujah" cover for a long time (I always preferred the Rufus Wainwright version). But over the last year it finally clicked for me. This was one of the first vinyl records I purchased after buying a turntable, and it was a very good decision. Buckley managed to convey emotion in a way few vocalists are capable of, and he had one of the best voices in the business. His songs are haunting, his vocals somehow delicate and powerful at the same time (like on his cover of Nina Simone's "Lilac Wine"). The musicianship is great as well — I particularly love the guitar on the title track. There's not a bad song on this album, and it's a shame we didn't get to hear what else he was capable of because of his tragic death. Highlights: Grace, Lilac Wine, Hallelujah, Lover You Should've Come Over

Maggot Brain

Funkadelic

5/5

I really regret not getting into Funkadelic earlier. Another really great album. This is basically the spiritual successor to Jimi Hendrix and the spiritual predecessor to Outkast. The psychedelic concepts, Eddie Hazel's ridiculous guitar playing, the funky soul. Love it. Best tracks: Maggot Brain, Can You Get to That, You and Your Folks Me and My Folks 5/5

La Revancha Del Tango

Gotan Project

3/5

Ugh. Saw the title and artist and had never heard of it. I hope this isn't another electronica album, I thought. I opened the album on Tidal and looked at the track listing — Hmm, maybe a South American rock band or something? I thought, hopefully. Nope. French electronica. Gahhhhh. I'll admit, it's not the worst electronica album ever (I'll also admit I didn't really listen to this but skipped around through each song because I'm not doing more electronica). It's actually real music, with songs that have progressions and don't just repeat the same loops incessantly. And there are actually some songs with sung lyrics in Spanish. But there's also so much French accordion. And very similar trip-hoppy beats on every song. It all sounds like variations of the same song. 3/5 and that's generous

The Stone Roses

3/5

I remember being in the gym a few months ago when they were playing a post-punk playlist and Shazamming a song that came on that I really liked — it was "I Wanna Be Adored’ by The Stone Roses. So I was looking forward to listening to this album. In theory, I should really like this album. It starts out sounding like it's going to be a mix of post-punk (think the poppier hits of The Cure or Echo and the Bunnymen), Pixies-style surf/alt rock, and Byrds-style psychedelia. And the first three songs are pretty good. But after that, it kind of just falls apart for me. The lyrics are mostly lame, and the middle tracks start to blend together. It sounds like someone trying to mash up the music of The Byrds and Oasis with the cynical lyrics of The Smiths but ending up with the worst parts of all three. I'm not sure what they were thinking with “Elizabeth My Dear” — it's more of an interlude than a song, and the random insertion of a track set to “Scarborough Fair" is very jarring. It's giving big “I'm edgy like Moz" energy. “I am the Resurrection” is a decent song. I was really enjoying the jammy break down at the end — until it kept going for another five minutes. And the album closer, “Fools Gold” is an annoying retro throwback disco rock song that sounds like everything Fat Boy Slim did in the 90s. Meh. It's alright, but nothing amazing. I have no idea why Brits seem to revere this band so much. But I've never really understood the whole rave culture over there either. I feel like this is a band the writers of Skins would have been obsessed with in their youth. 3/5 (I might round it to a 3.5 in the right mood).

Lady Soul

Aretha Franklin

5/5

Giving this a 5. I don’t quite love every single track, but they’re all good and a lot of them are great. Her voice is incredible, most of the lyrics are compelling, and the musicianship and backing vocalists are all great. She’s the queen for a reason. Highlights: Chain of Fools, People Get Ready

Lust For Life

Iggy Pop

4/5

As a 90s kid, my first introduction to Iggy Pop was not as a musician, but as Nona F. Mecklenberg's dad on The Adventures of Pete and Pete. So, the song "Sixteen" is just extra creepy for me. He was 30 when he wrote that song. Even if it is kind of tongue in cheek, barf. Otherwise, this is a pretty good album. It's a mix of proto punk and glam rock. Bowie's fingerprints are very obviously all over these songs. Their voices sound good together, but some of the more experimental and jammy moments can occasionally be a little much. Of course, "Lust for Life" and "The Passenger" are classic songs, though I prefer the Siouxsie and the Banshees' cover of the latter. "Turn Blue" is a terrible, cringe-inducing song. If that and "Sixteen" were left off, it would be a much better album. 4/5

Exodus

Bob Marley & The Wailers

4/5

This almost feels like a greatest hits album. The whole back half is most of their biggest songs. Though I'll admit I knew "Waiting in Vain" from the Annie Lennox cover first. It's pleasant to listen to (and sing along to the ones I know). It's interesting that the album starts out heavier and gets lighter as it goes on — going from politics and religious themes to love songs. It's usually the opposite. There's some great guitar on here ("Natural Mystic" and "The Heathen"). The background vocals and the horns are nice too. The sound is an interesting mix of traditional reggae but with some flourishes of 70s funk and soul sounds that wouldn't be out of place on a Curtis Mayfield or Isaac Hayes track. Since my main complaint with reggae is that it often sounds too formulaic, this was a nice way to keep the tracks sounding fresh. I do sort of wish the sequence of the tracks was mixed up a bit. Rather than having two distinct halves, where the love songs in the second half do somewhat blend together, interspersing them would have made for a more interesting listening experience. 4/5

I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

Aretha Franklin

5/5

This is the second Aretha album I got in a week, and I think I liked this one better. It was more vibey and soulful, whereas the other one was more about showcasing Aretha as a powerhouse vocalist. Her voice is always fantastic, but I feel like her performances on this album are a bit more controlled, which I like — sometimes too much melisma gets in the way of the message. This album has the iconic "Respect." I also really enjoyed her cover of "A Change Is Gonna Come" — I love Sam Cooke, but it was refreshing to hear the song performed by a woman. 5/5

Bryter Layter

Nick Drake

4/5

Oh man. I love Nick Drake. I love Fairport Convention (thanks to hearing their album because of this website). I love their collaboration on Five Leaves Left. Not so much on this album. Nick Drake is at his best when it's his voice and his guitar. Five Leaves Left and Pink Moon are great albums whose sparse accompaniments complement Nick and his instrument. This album sounds like Nick Drake trying to be Van Morrison or Joni Mitchell or Gram Parsons but only succeeding in creating muzak. His quiet voice and melancholic lyrics don't mesh well with the overwrought orchestral and jazz jam session arrangements. The lyrics are still great. Nick's voice is still great, when it's not being drowned out by all the other instruments being pushed way too high in the mix and tracks being given the Phil Spector treatment of saccharine orchestral grandiosity whether the songs call for it or not. There are a few songs on this album with more stripped back accompaniments that work pretty well — At the Chime of a City Clock for example. But most of the songs are so drenched in schlocky 70s strings and horns that it becomes a cheese fest. Where the accompaniments on the first album created a lush autumnal sound, on this album they only make the songs sound like you're on hold waiting to argue about an overcharge on a bill. There are a couple songs that sound very similar to Pink Moon (One of These Things First and Northern Sky) — as good as that song is, it does reveal the limits of Nick's songwriting and perhaps explains why he felt like he needed all the bells and whistles on this album. The title track is the definition of elevator music. The album isn't terrible, and it has grown on me a bit with repeated listens. But it pales in comparison to his other two albums. I'll give it a 4, but it's really a 3.5 (if that).

Thriller

Michael Jackson

5/5

I've always been more of a Michael Jackson greatest hits fan than an albums fan. Which is why this is the only album of his I own — because it is essentially a greatest hits album. In fact, it is the best-selling album of all time (worldwide). This album is insane. There are literally two songs on here that weren't singles. And they were all top 10 hits. Including, of course, "Thriller." I still remember the first time I saw the video (short film, really) on MTV in the early 90s, and I had no idea it had already been out for about 10 years at that point. It still holds up today, and almost every year some new video goes viral on social media of some group doing the dance. So many of the songs on this album are firmly embedded in the American (and probably world) culture. Whether you've seen Thriller, danced to one of the many songs at a wedding/bar mitzvah/school dance, or enjoyed the Weird Al parody "Eat It," you've probably interacted with this album in some way. This album also showcases the evolution of Michael Jackson from child Motown star and disco star to the King of Pop. The sound is much more varied than on efforts like Off The Wall, including not just disco/dance songs but branching out into socially conscious R&B (Human Nature), pop (Thriller, The Girl is Mine), and even rock (Beat It). It's produced by Quincy Jones, features legendary artists Paul McCartney and Eddie Van Halen, and even has an equally legendary cameo from actor Vincent Price. It's basically impossible to give this album anything less than a 5.

A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse

Faces

3/5

This album was okay. I've never been a huge fan of British honky-tonk rock (why I've never been a big Stones fan) and I've never been a fan of Rod Stewart's voice. Nothing about this album changed my mind. There are some decent sounds and some good guitar solos, but there was nothing special about any of it. Very generic, nothing groundbreaking. And Rod's backing vocals sound like a cat in heat on "Debris." I'd rather listen to Chubby Checker or Muddy Waters or the Allman Brothers Band. Can't see myself ever purposely listening to this again. 3/5

Pet Sounds

The Beach Boys

4/5

Decided to do this one as a stream of consciousness as I listened. - Can we start off by acknowledging that this album was largely inspired by Brian Wilson’s marriage to a literal child? Just … ew. - Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ, there are 26 tracks. - Oh no, I’m just an idiot and/or Tidal’s UI is terrible for marking the first half as mono but not the second half as *stereo* so I didn’t realize it’s the same songs twice. - I hate mono and I just listened to the whole album in it. God, I don’t want to have to do it again. - I hate wall of sound, and I think I just realized that’s why the Beach Boys always sound flat to me, even though there’s so much going on that it should sound dynamic. I always thought it was because of the mono versions, but it’s no different in stereo. It feels like listening to an album with a sinus infection. - Every single fade out is so jarring and clumsy, like someone is running over to turn down the volume knob. For an album noted for its revolutionary production, that just seems inexcusable. - There’s so much going on in every song that it often gets overwhelming (not in a good way). And it starts to feel like the Muppet Show sometimes because of all the bombast and chaos (which, I’m sure the show’s music was influenced by the Beach Boys, so that’s a point for their legacy I suppose haha). - Seriously, why are there so many fade outs? Why can’t you figure out how to end a song properly? - The random sounds are random. Why is there a bike horn in “You Still Believe In Me”? What are the train and the dog at the end of "Caroline, No" about? Is the implication that she jumps in front of a train? Like, what? - Also, Brian, if you didn't want your wife to change so much, maybe you should have married an adult! - I like most of the singles. I don’t know if that’s because they’re the most accessible songs or because I’ve been listening to them for literally my entire life (probably some combination of the two). “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” is a classic and, while I don’t agree that “God Only Knows” is the greatest song of all time, it deserves to be in the top ten. - The percussion on “That’s Not Me” sounds like something Simon and Garfunkel would do. I don't know why that felt important to mention. - I think this might grow on me with repeated listens, but it’s never going to be one of my favorite albums. I’m sorry if that’s blasphemous. I recognize the importance and influence of this album, and it’s a good album. It’s just not a 5 for me personally. And I do genuinely think there's a bit of mythologizing and hindsight bias in the way people view this album that makes people feel pressured to say it's perfect. Highlights: Wouldn’t It Be Nice, That’s Not Me, God Only Knows 4/5 But it's not a 5 on my list.

Diamond Life

Sade

3/5

This was a decent album. Very vibey. Sade's voice is great as always and there's some cool guitar work. It got a little too smooth jazz for me at times, and some of the songs started to run together. I prefer Love to this album. I wouldn't mind having this on as background music, but I don't know if I'd seek it out much for an active listen. 3/5 but would give a 3.5 if I could.

Highway 61 Revisited

Bob Dylan

5/5

I've collected a bunch of Dylan songs over the years but somehow have never listened to an entire album of his before now (partly because his discography is so huge that it's overwhelming). This was a great one to start with. The music is fun and varied enough that it kept my interest throughout — lots of electric, blues-inspired songs with a bit of the old folk that Dylan started in. The guitar melody on "Desolation Row" is beautiful — like a summer day in Greece, which makes the juxtaposition of the lyrics interesting. I wasn't familiar with any of the songs besides "Like a Rolling Stone," but these lyrics showcase Dylan at his best. His wordplay is unmatched, and whether he's being funny, political, poignant, or absurd, the language is always creative and interesting. Highly poetic, there's a ton to unpack to fully understand the meanings, but that just makes for a good excuse to listen to it over and over. Highlights: Like a Rolling Stone, Highway 61 Revisited, Desolation Row I enjoyed this way more than I was expecting to. 5/5

Hms Fable

Shack

2/5

Sometimes I think I'm being punked by this list. This is just adult contemporary Oasis. Is it bad? No. Would I listen to it again? Maybe (if I remembered it existed after an hour). Is there anything unique or special about it that makes it deserving of being on an all-time must listen list? Absolutely not. Vertical Horizon and Travis both put out albums just as good as this in 1999. Are they on this list? Nope. Should they be? Also nope, as much as I enjoy both bands. (Wait, what's that? Travis *is* on this list? Lol, oh boy...) The bias of this list toward British artists, particularly Britpop and electronica, continues to be incredibly frustrating when so many artists from other countries who should have a place on it are left off. 3.5 for the actual album — it's catchy, it's pleasant enough to listen to, but it's nothing special. 2/5 in terms of this list, because what the hell, man? (I won't give it a 1 because it's not unlistenable, just unworthy).

British Steel

Judas Priest

4/5

I love Rob Halford's voice and know the band's major hits, but I had never listened to a full Judas Priest album before this. This is my kind of metal — hard hitting but still melodic. It's metal, so while there's variation in the songs, they definitely blend together a bit. But the pace is pretty relentless and moves quickly. What I like about this kind of metal is that even though the sound is heavy and some of the themes can be dark, it still has an upbeat feeling to it. It makes you want to move or drive fast, and because Halford is such an insane vocalist, belt along with him. Halford was/is a huge fan of Freddy Mercury, and there are definitely similarities to some of Queen's harder songs. There are times where the lyrics get a bit cheesy. And the weirdly patriotic songs "United" and "Red, White and Blue" are odd and a little cringe. Not a huge fan of those. But the album is overall really good, and it's hard to overstate how influential Judas Priest was (and is) to metal. 4/5 (probably a 4.5) - really good but not perfect

Behaviour

Pet Shop Boys

3/5

Another one I really wanted to like but just couldn't get into. The Wikipedia article quotes one of the band members as saying they tried to make this album have fewer of the 'annoying' qualities their music usually had (his words, not mine) — but I don't think they succeeded. Pet Shop Boys are one of those bands that tends to take new wave and other 80s sounds to the logical absurd to the point where it's all just too much. It's at times too cheesy and twee, at times too boring, and at times too overloaded with the popular electronic trends of the day. Vox did a video about the history of the orchestra hit and how it became a musical stereotype, and the accompanying playlist they made to showcase songs with egregious use of the sound has a Pet Shop Boys track on it. As egregious as that song is (unfortunately I can't remember the name at the moment), there's actually a WORSE one on this album — So Hard. Indeed, it goes *so hard* on the orchestra hits. I can hear the obvious influence album this band had on one of my favorite bands of all time — Savage Garden — so I should like this. But I just can't quite get there. It's too musical theater/mashing buttons on the Casio presets for me. It's like if Depeche Mode and Soft Cell formed a super group, but not in a great way. 3.5/5 — it's not a terrible album, but it's not something I want to listen to very often, if at all.

My Aim Is True

Elvis Costello

3/5

This is the third Elvis Costello album I've had (of six I think...oy vey). I think I like this one better than the other two, but it's just kind of meh. It's not bad, but a lot of the songs sound the same and it gets boring after a while. Not something I'd consider an essential listen. 3/5

Sound of Silver

LCD Soundsystem

5/5

I don't know what I thought LCD Soundsystem was, but I was very wrong. I went in to this album expecting more awful electronica and instead found something closer to Talking Heads meets Radiohead. I'm not sure how I missed this band, but I'm sad I did. I was going to do a track by track break down, but there's no point. It's all great. And the video for "New York I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down" — How did I miss this? How? 5/5

The United States Of America

3/5

I thought I would like this album more than I did. I've been really enjoying the psychedelic stuff on this list. But this one was just too weird for me. It had some good moments, but it had a lot more weird ones. It's taken me a while to add my review since listening to it, and to be honest I can't really remember much about it now. But I know I wasn't really feeling it. I was planning to listen to it again, but I've got quite a backlog building and it just doesn't interest me enough to try again. 3/5

Abbey Road

Beatles

4/5

Maxwell's Silver Hammer is a creepy, terrible song. Octopus's Garden is a cheesy, terrible song, and they never should have let Ringo write anything. Take those two songs out and the album is just about perfect. The two best songs on the album (and two of the greatest songs ever written) are "Something" and "Here Comes the Sun." George Harrison was the best Beatle, fight me. 4/5 (would be a 4.5 if I could)

American Gothic

David Ackles

1/5

This album is what happens when you can't decide if you want to be Stephen Sondheim or Billy Joel, and you're not talented enough to be either one. What a slog to get through. "Love's Enough" wasn't terrible, though it was a little cheesy. The rest of the album is something between Randy Newman and Tom Waits as this guy attempts to make a concept album about the lies of the American dream but doesn't really have anything new to say. There's a song about a starving artist who laments that he can't stay to get to know a woman he's had a one-night stand with because he's a touring musician and has to leave town — it features such subtle lyrics as, "I wish this wasn't a one-night stand." -_- There's a song about a man reflecting over the dissolution of his marriage and having to start over. There are a few songs critiquing the mythical ideal of the wild west/frontier and imagining the harsher reality of several characters' lives — this includes a cringey song about a Native American man who leaves his reservation for the city and ends up an impoverished and imprisoned alcoholic because, apparently, tone deaf, on-the-nose stories about the plight of the "Indian" man was a thing white dudes just loved to sing about in the 70s. (Looking at you, Elton John — Oh wait! Of course it was produced by Bernie Taupin! Now it all makes more sense.) There are a ton of schlocky orchestrations somewhere between a Broadway play and a carnival. There are obnoxious choruses singing vocals you'd expect to hear in an old Hollywood film. There are corny country-western sounds. And over it all is a guy whose voice is somewhere between a Sinatra-style crooner and Neil Diamond. None of it was very pleasant to listen to, and I couldn't wait for it to end. 1/5 — I thought about giving it a 2, but I'd honestly rather listen to Slayer over this.

That's The Way Of The World

Earth, Wind & Fire

3/5

My first thought when this album started was, "Wait, what? This isn't Stevie Wonder?" Obviously I've heard "Shining Star" before, but I didn't recognize it until the chorus. The song slaps, though. Then the second song opens with one of those lush, 70s smooth rock instrumentals and I was a little hesitant. Was it about to become really cheesy? This is the band that does "September" after all — the most overplayed song in history, and one that I banned from my wedding reception playlist (though to be fair, that's less the band's fault than it is people ruining it the song for me). But I didn't mind it, and the guitar solo is nice. It does probably run about a minute longer than it needs to — when you're on the fifth run-through of the chorus and start scatting on the mic it's time to wrap it up. Happy Feelin' is a fun song. Ridiculous bass line, nice horn section, and some quirky xylophone (or maybe marimba?) part that would be right at home on an Oingo Boingo or Talking Heads track. "All About Love" is another slow song that I was a bit torn about. It's well done and sounds nice, but it's too overwrought and schlocky for my tastes. It's like if Boys II Men did a soundtrack song for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The last minute of it gets really weird, with a spacey organ solo that reminds me of being at the dentist and hearing/feeling the drill attachment's polishing instrument against your teeth — not a fan. "Yearnin Learnin" goes back to the upbeat funky sound that bears a striking resemblance to Stevie Wonder. Can't say I'm the biggest fan of the lead falsetto vocal on "Reasons Why" — it's on the shrill side. And it gets weird again at the end. "Africano" is a fun upbeat jazzy funk instrumental. The album closes with a song that's part spacey prog-funk jam, part Beach Boys love song. Kind of meh. Basically, I liked the odd-numbered, upbeat songs and didn't much care for the even-numbered slower songs. The vocal harmonies are on point all the way through (even though falsetto guy is a little irritating when he's on lead), and they're great musicians. The mixing is also pretty cool when listening on good headphones — they make good use of stereo and space so it feels immersive. I get why these guys are legendary, but this album didn't fundamentally change how I feel about them — a good band that's hugely influential to funk music but just not really my style. 3.5/5

Kind Of Blue

Miles Davis

4/5

I know this album is iconic. So after finding myself zoning out and it fading into the background on my first listen, I figured I had to give it another chance. There's a lot of really cool stuff here. The extended horn and sax solos on "So What", "Freddie Freeloader", and "All Blues" are great. They're also the liveliest songs on the album. The other songs are slower and more mellow, and the album as a whole has a subdued feel (probably where the title comes from). I've never really *disliked* jazz, but I also didn't really *get* the hype. I think I'm starting to see what people mean now. Unfortunately, I just don't know if I'll ever have the attention span to really get into instrumental jazz without it eventually becoming background music. But what I did pay attention to was good stuff. 4/5

Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo

MC Solaar

4/5

Went into this with dread expecting another electronica album and was pleasantly surprised to find out it was French hip hop. I really enjoyed the first 3/4 of this album. He's got great flow and, unlike some rappers (looking at you, Ice Cube), he's able to vary his delivery across songs to keep it sounding fresh. The music is also really good — most of the songs feature actual instruments and compositions (or samples of real songs). They've got a very jazzy/funky feel, like something Jurassic Park or The Roots might do. The sax solos are great and there are some really nice bass lines. I have no idea what any of the lyrics mean, but they sound cool. I didn’t love it as much starting around track 11, though (La musique adoucit les moeurs) — it's still a decent song, but the English parts drag it down a bit. The next two songs (Bouge de la parts 1 and 2) aren't great — they sound kind of cheesy and, again, the inclusion of English kind of ruins it. Ragga Jam redeems things a bit — the speed at which everyone on that track raps rivals Twista and is damn impressive. The last two songs are okay. La Devise is fine, and Funky Dreamer is more of an interlude than a song. I think if the album had ended after track 11 (maybe including Ragga Jam), it would've been a 4.5. But it started to overstay its welcome, especially since the last quarter wasn't nearly as strong. 4/5

Moon Safari

Air

4/5

I was slightly weirded out when this album came up, because I had just been talking about the song "Sexy Boy" a few days earlier (after having no idea who sang it and looking it up). I wasn't sure what to expect based on knowing that one song, but I actually liked this album more than I thought I would. It has elements of electronica, but it's not as repetitive or obnoxious as a lot of electronica. It also has elements of chill lo-fi that I don't mind. It reminds me of Massive Attack but with a bit more pop sensibility to it, a dash of Daft Punk electronica, and some Cardigans sexiness. "Sexy Boy" and the two Beth Hirsch songs, "All I Need" and "You Make It Easy" are the highlights on this album. On "All I Need" she has kind of a Mariah Carey vibe that I liked a lot. On the latter song, her vocals mesh with the mellow music to create a Sade-like vibe. I was trying to figure out why "Ce Matin La" sounded so familiar and finally realized it was on the soundtrack to The Virgin Suicides (apparently Air scored the entire movie as well). It's a beautiful song. I'm not sure if the album is really revolutionary enough to be included on this list, but it's certainly a standout among contemporary artists of the genre. I'll be generous and give it a 4/5, though it's probably more of a 3.5

Back At The Chicken Shack

Jimmy Smith

4/5

This is another jazz album where I enjoy listening to it in the moment, but it inevitably becomes background music. But I'm not usually a big organ fan, and I didn't hate this, so there's that. The whole thing reminded me of the movie Get Shorty. I guess I'll give it a 4. Even though I probably wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it again, I'd vibe to it if someone put it on. 4/5

MTV Unplugged In New York

Nirvana

3/5

This album was fine, I guess. It's a decent show from a decent band I'm never going to get the cult-like hype over (I'm always going to be that person who doesn't quite get Nirvana). Kurt's voice is rough on a lot of these songs, especially at the beginning. He's whiny and hoarse and pitchy. It's like a bad country singer trying to do rock karaoke (or vice versa?). The duet he does with the Meat Puppets is actually painful to listen to — those "harmonies" are yikes. When the producer asks them to try redoing the song with Dave Grohl playing guitar so the Meat Puppets dude can "focus" on "singing" I laughed. It was only slightly better the second time. I also laughed when Kurt said they didn't want to play "Dumb" and "Polly" back to back because then people would realize they're the same song. The covers on this album are better than most of the originals. The Bowie cover is probably the best part of the performance. I originally listened to the album just on audio and had a hard time understanding any of what Kurt was saying in between the songs. Then I went back and watched the transitions between the songs on video (it's actually pretty cool that Tidal has the show embedded in the album), and it improved my experience a little once I could hear what they were saying and see Kurt — he comes off as more playful than surly when you actually watch it. I don't think I've ever seen the whole Unplugged show — again, not a huge Nirvana fan — but I've of course been aware of it forever and know the hype around it. But I'm sorry, it's just not the best MTV Unplugged performance. Shakira's probably is. The Cure's is a close second (tiny toy pianos and the audience helping out on The Walk with kazoos — go watch it if you haven't seen it!). 3/5 — would probably give it a 3.5 because Kurt's kind of funny and I do appreciate how they demystify/take the piss out of the smoke and mirrors that go into filming a concert for TV. But as a pure musical performance, it's not that great.

A Short Album About Love

The Divine Comedy

3/5

Oh, Jesus, no. Not another one. I haaated the first album I was assigned from this group. I have to admit, this one is a big step up from their last piece of garbage I listened to. At least these sound like songs. I think this album is what would happen if Weird Al wrote a Broadway musical and cast Tal Bachman (remember him?) as the lead — it would be like Reefer Madness or Cry Baby but less tongue-in-cheek. The first song sounds like they listened to “The 13th” by The Cure the previous year and decided to try to emulate it, but they’re a bunch of theater nerds, so it came out sounding like Neil Diamond instead. That’s actually exactly what this is — it’s the camp of goth music with all the edge taken out of it so it just comes full circle to theater again. The guitar solos on the second song kind of slap, not going to lie. And I wasn’t expecting that heavy distorted guitar at the end of the third track. The mariachi players are doing a lot of the heavy lifting on this album. I don’t think that’s what they are, but I don’t know how else to describe the Desperado-esque sound on the first couple of songs. “If I Were You” is a blatant ripoff of the melody from “Leaving on a Jet Plane” by Peter, Paul, and Mary. “Timewatching” is legitimately beautiful, but it’s hard for a song with a cello ensemble to not be gorgeous. And the lyrics somehow manage to toe the line of being too much without coming off as insincere. It’s also the most goth song on the album. I feel like the album gets at least two stars just for this song. The music on the last track is cool (minus the annoying organ), but the lyrics are so dumb. And therein lies my biggest problem with this band. I feel like these guys can’t decide if they want you to take them seriously or not. It comes off as snobby theater kids who are too “above it all” to commit to writing a serious song so they have to disguise it in cheese and cynicism. 3/5 — I wish there was an instrumental version of this album without the dumb lyrics.

Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music

Ray Charles

4/5

I’d never heard most of these songs and had no idea that they were originally country songs. The only one I was familiar with was the opening track, “Bye Bye Love” from the Everly Brothers version (and it never really would have occurred to me to consider it a country song). I tried to listen to the originals for comparison and couldn’t get through most of them. Country just isn’t my genre. With the exception of the opening track (of which I’d say Charles’ version is tied with the Everly Brothers for me), I vastly prefer the Ray Charles versions. His reimagining of the songs as blues/jazz/r&b songs greatly elevates them, at least in my opinion. It must have taken balls at the time, too, for a Black man to put out an album covering beloved country songs. There’s also something delightfully subversive about a Black man in the early 60s singing a country song with the lyric, Why don't you put your arms around me? And I'll be your slave 'Cause just a little lovin', baby Will go a long way I haven’t listened to much Ray Charles, but I really enjoyed this album. His voice is very smooth and soothing. The lush orchestration and choral accompaniments give this album a very old-Hollywood vibe — though it does get to be a bit much occasionally, it works well most of the time. It’s great to hear Charles break out the piano chops on songs like “Worried Mind” and “It Makes No Difference Now.” If there’s one downside to this album, I’d say it’s that some of the songs sound very similar, but that’s more the fault of the originals. 4/5

Master Of Puppets

Metallica

4/5

Even though I’ve known “Master of Puppets” for almost 30 years, I’m going to start this off by saying RIP Eddie, you were the best Stranger Things character (Metallica fans, please don’t kill me). Now that that’s out of the way, I’ll confess that I’ve never listened to a full Metallica album and only know the singles. I’ve always enjoyed the songs I did hear, so I’m not sure why I never delved into them any deeper, especially since I do listen to other metal. This is a classic metal album for a reason. It sounds epic. It’s both aggressive and intensely melodic at the same time, and James Hetfield is a great vocalist. I feel like Metallica falls somewhere between symphonic metal and thrash — they’re not quite as operatic or intricate as Symphony X or even Iron Maiden, but they understand hooks and melody (fuck you, Slayer). The opening track, Battery is a good example of this — the Spanish-style guitar intro is beautiful and pulled me in right away, then the momentum of the song carried me through. I will say that the heaviness plus the length of each song do get a little tiresome after a while. I couldn’t help but feel like some of the songs blended together just because of the formula of heavy power chords plus heavy drums plus relentless bass regardless of the melody of each individual song. It’s not necessarily bad, but I don’t know how often I could listen to the album because of it. And there’s not a single song on this album under 5 minutes, so it’s a lot. The comparative slow pace and mellowness of Welcome Home was a … ahem, welcome reprieve after almost 20 straight minutes of full-throttle metal (though it gets heavier in the chorus and bridge). And that’s a damn cool guitar solo. The real standout track on here is Orion — an eight and a half minute instrumental piece. Once it really gets going beyond the typical thrash start (about 3 minutes in), it really is a fantastic showcase of the band’s abilities. I love that it has several different movements. The guitar work is fantastic, and the bass line around the five-minute mark is such a cool groove. It is kind of lame that it just fades out at the end, though. Overall this is a great album, and I’d definitely listen to it again. I just don’t know if I’d revisit it that often (maybe a few songs) because of the length. I don’t know why so many metal bands feel like every song has to be this long, drawn out epic. It’s okay to get to the point sometimes. 4/5

Out Of The Blue

Electric Light Orchestra

4/5

Funny (to me) story: Growing up, I always thought Electric Light Orchestra was the name of the synth orchestra that played during parades down Main Street at Disney World — turns out that was called Electrical Parade. So I was understandably very confused when I first heard this band on the radio. (For the record, some of the synths on songs like Turn to Stone and Across the Border are very reminiscent of Electrical Parade, so I wasn’t totally crazy.) Anyway, this is another one of those 70s bands that I know several songs from but never knew who sang them. Musically, they’re like a weird pastiche of The Beatles, The Bee Gees, Queen, and Hall & Oates (with a smattering of white guys doing Shaft-era Isaac Hayes?). They’re a bit psychedelic, a bit poppy, and a lot schlocky. Very 70s easy listening/dad rock. Not in an unpleasant way, but not necessarily in an I needed to hear this album before I die way. The beginning of the album is a little too easy listening for me. Standin’ In The Rain through Sweet Is The Night is a pretty good stretch of songs. Really started to like it a lot more. Then the last few songs on the album are a mixed bag. The Whale goes a little too far into synthy psychedelic — it’s not bad, but it’s very vibey, almost lo-fi chill that I need to be in a certain mood for. Birmingham Blues is exactly what the title suggests — white dudes doing honky tonk blues. Very Elton John. Not bad, but again not really my thing. The closing track could easily be a Queen song. I’d rather listen to this than most yacht rock. As background music at a barbecue it’s fine. It’ll probably grow on me over time. But I also don’t think this would make my regular rotation (maybe a couple songs here and there). Best songs: Across the Border, Standin in the Rain, Mr. Blue Sky, Summer and Lightning Giving it a 4/5 but it’s probably a 3.75 at best

Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs

Marty Robbins

4/5

I did not have barbershop quartet country ballads on my bingo card. But somehow, this album really worked for me. Maybe it’s because I’m a sucker for Flamenco/classical guitar. Maybe it’s because this guy’s voice is beautiful. Maybe it’s because the melodies are simple and catchy. I’m not sure, but as someone who generally hates country-western music (though I might have to revise that opinion given the albums on this list so far) I enjoyed this a lot. These songs are very much in the vein of Johnny Cash in terms of storytelling and Elvis Presley in terms of the buttery smooth vocal performance (and white guy doing the blues). I don’t love cowboy/Western mythology. And the stories told in these songs are very heavy on those tropes. If you close your eyes while listening, you might imagine Ronald Reagan singing these songs, which is an unsettling thought. And yet, I still really like it. It gets a little repetitive because there are so many songs on the album and the melodies and stories all follow the same familiar structures. But it’s really smooth and pleasant to listen to. I wouldn’t listen to it all the time, but I’m glad I heard this at least once. 4/5

Another Green World

Brian Eno

4/5

Now this is a cool album. Something that’s actually innovative and weird (in a mostly good way). You can hear how Eno’s sound influenced other legendary artists he worked with, like Bowie and Talking Heads. He also seems to be laying the ground work for what will become post punk in a few years as well as anticipating post rock. Most of the songs with lyrics sound like a meeting of the Beatles' more whimsical songs with the distorted guitar parts Brian May was famous for in Queen. The first track is a cool, atmospheric vibe. Very post punk, meshed with psychedelic rock, and a bit of funk. That bass slaps. The lyrics (all 4 lines) are a bit too meta and on the nose, but it’s still a really cool song. The bass is a standout on this album. I’ll have to check out more stuff by Percy Jones. The guitar solo on “St. Elmo’s Fire” is also really cool — I know Robert Fripp is legendary, but I haven’t listened to too much of his work, so this was a nice intro for me. “In Dark Trees” is another dark, atmospheric piece. I can hear a direct link from this song to early The Cure (Carnage Visors had to have been influenced by this). It also has similarities to Peter Gabriel’s brief foray into post punk on Melt, which makes sense given Phil Collins’ drumming work on this album. Some of the instrumentals are a little too New Age mysticism for me — "Little Fishes" in particular sounds like it's trying to combine East Asian-inspired sounds with crazy effects you'd hear in a more trippy Disney sequence (like the Heffalumps and Woozles in Winnie the Pooh). Overall I enjoyed the album, but there were a few misses for me. I’s pretty mind blowing that this came out in 1975. It’s super ahead of its time. 4/5

Franz Ferdinand

3/5

Frat guys discover post punk and start a band. I remember when "Take Me Out" was everywhere on the radio. It was an ok song, but I never looked into the band closer than that. Turns out I didn't really need to, because you can pretty much sing the lyrics to "Take Me Out" over most of the other songs on the album. The music starts out cool but quickly gets repetitive (see above comment). The lyrics are stupid. It's just a very meh album. Toward the end of it I kept thinking how much better their contemporaries were, like The Killers. The next song that came on after FF ended was off of Hot Fuss. So, yeah. Listen to The Killers instead. 3/5 — not the worst, but very mid. I'm not sure why this deserves to be on an all-time must-listen list.

Traffic

4/5

Had no idea who this band was, or that Steve Winwood was in it … instantly knew the opening track “You Can All Join In” — it’s one of those classic rock songs that I’ve always known but never knew who sang it. Same for the second track “Pearly Queen.” And I had no idea they originated “Feelin Alright,” which I’ve always known as a Van Morrison song (for the record, Morrison’s version is better). There are some massive songs on this album. I listened to this right after listening to The Zutons, so maybe I was just primed for saxophone, but I was immediately jamming to the first song (I think I’m realizing I just really like sax in rock — why did that die out?). The psychedelic blues jam on the second track kept it rolling, and even into the slower Neli Young-esque third track, “Don’t Be Sad,” I was grooving. This album is somewhere between the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Deep Purple, Cream, Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, and the Allman Brothers Band. All the vocal performances are fantastic. The sax solos are particularly great, as are the guitar solos, but all the musicians are on point. Vagabond Virgin is a big misstep on an otherwise great album — the lyrics are super creepy and the music is also kind of cringe. Probably would’ve been a 5 if not for this track. 4/5 (but really a 4.5) Psychedelic blues rock might be my bag. Note: This review concerns the original 10-track album. The re-release has another five tracks on it, and it’s pretty hit or miss. “Withering Tree” would’ve been a good track, but the vocals are too shrill. “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush” isn’t my thing, and the production on it is pretty bad. The other songs are decent.

Roots

Sepultura

3/5

Oh, Ross Robinson. The producer responsible for what most consider to be the worst Cure album (that said, it’s still a Cure album, so it’s better than a lot of stuff out there). Nu metal was never really my jam. I went through a brief period of listening to Linkin Park and Disturbed … fine, I’ll admit it, I owned a Limp Bizkit album too. But I never got into Korn, with the exception of Davis’ work on the Queen of the Damned soundtrack. And I was definitely not into the really growly stuff that came later (Slipknot, etc.). So, the vocals on this album are difficult to get used to. And a lot of the music sounds very similar. It's somewhere between thrash metal and nu metal. If you’ve listened to Pantera, Metallica, Korn, or Limp Bizkit, you’ve heard the heavy power chords a million times. What is cool about this album: the indigenous influence sets it apart and makes it sound different from all the other cookie cutter nu metal. The drums on songs like Ratamahatta, the guttural throat chanting on Ratamahatta and Lookaway, and the flutes on Ambush are pretty cool, although the cadence/rhythm of the scatting is still reminiscent of what Jonathan Davis and David Draiman would do (I wonder if they ripped it off from Sepultura). The concept of the album’s lyrics is also cool. These songs are about the oppressed indigenous and poor of Brazil rising up and taking back what was stolen from them. It’s the anger of nu metal channeled into something meaningful rather than just angry white dudes who seem angry for the sake of being angry — more Rage Against the Machine than Limp Bizkit. The execution of the lyrics isn’t always the best — some of the words are pretty cheesy and simplistic, and I’m not sure how much of that is down to language barriers and how much is just down to the limitations of the genre. Portuguese always sounds cool, so while I don’t know what they’re saying, the non-English songs are fun. Jasco and Itsári are probably the coolest songs on the album. Acoustic guitars, tribal drums, and traditional chanting take over, and the album takes a more mellow turn for a bit. It’s nice to get a break from the screaming and bravado for a few minutes and hear a more vulnerable side (as well as the true musicianship) of the band. Then with Ambush we’re back to the typical nu metal, though the tribal drums reappear at the end. The closing track Canyon Jam is … really weird. It’s basically 12 minutes of ambient sounds and tribal instruments made to sound like guns firing and saws (?). I get the symbolism they’re going for, and while it’s cool, it’s not the most enjoyable listen (but then again, that’s probably not the point). 3/5 (maybe a 3.5) — it’s an interesting concept, and I suppose they deserve kudos for being one of the earlier pioneers of nu metal, but it’s probably not something I’d listen to again (aside from maybe a song or two).

Who Killed...... The Zutons?

The Zutons

4/5

When I first saw this assignment, my immediate thought was that I felt like I’d heard of this band and remembered them coming out but couldn’t remember anything about them or any of their songs. Then Pressure Point came on and I immediately recognized it. That song was everywhere on the radio when it came out. And I don’t think I liked it at the time. Listening to it now was actually pretty cool. (Side note: I also had no idea they were behind Valerie.) I don’t think I was ready for the weird mix of alt rock, Western/Americana rock, soul/funk, and jazz (almost klezmer) that they were doing at the time. I wasn’t a big White Stripes fan at the time either, but I definitely hear similarities between those groups. I think this 1001 albums project has actually prepared me for this album, now having a better sense of music history and an appreciation for more genres. So, that’s cool, I guess. When this band came out I think I roped them in with the other garage rock garbage that was coming out at the time like Jet and The Hives. But these guys are talented musicians. Sure, the music is a pastiche of a lot of earlier styles, but it’s put together in a new and interesting way that doesn’t just sound like it’s trying to mimic something that came earlier. It kind of reminds me of some of the Brit pop albums on this list (Super Furry Animals, The Beta Band) except less obnoxious and with lyrics that actually make sense. And I actually really enjoyed the yakety sax elements — it kept it interesting. 4/5

Music From Big Pink

The Band

2/5

Oof, this was a hard one to get through. It's boring and irritating. I kept waiting for it to get better, but it never did. I knew "The Weight" going into this, and I've never liked their version of it. I've always preferred the Staple Singers' version. The album opens with kind of a bummer ... a sad Bob Dylan song (it's not a bad song, but it's an odd way to open an album) and it's one of the rare times I've wished Bob were singing instead. The voices of these guys are not good. The rest of the album never really changes much — it kind of plods along with the same slower, anemic sounding kind of songs. Well, until the last two tracks, which randomly become uptempo disco songs out of nowhere (they may be different, but they're not better). This album is like soulless soul. The music is boring and one note, the singing is terrible — it's like bad Neil Young karaoke. And the weird biblical allusions make it feel like you're stuck listening to a bad church band. The songs aren't terrible in other performers' hands. As noted, The Staple Singers' version of "The Weight" is a great song. And Chrissy Hyndes' cover of "I Shall Be Released" is very good. These guys probably should've stuck to writing for other people. 2/5

Doggystyle

Snoop Dogg

4/5

I have such mixed feelings about this album. On the one hand, It's a classic. This is one of the albums that introduced white private school kids like my brother (and by extension their younger siblings, i.e., me) to hip hop. It's undeniably an historical album that changed the course of music forever. And there's a lot to like. It's full of catchy hooks thanks to the g-funk sound — it's loaded with samples from George Clinton/Parliament/Funkadelic — and it's got a sense of humor that a lot of gangster rap didn't have at the time. Listening to it as an adult, I was kind of floored by the Sukiyaki sample. I also learned about the Herb Alpert —> Slick Rick —> Snoop —> Biggie pipeline of Hypnotize, which I'd never known before. On the other hand, lyrically it's full of the same gross misogynistic tropes and toxic masculinity as most other rap of its time (it's a Dre production, after all). And while I don't want to judge too heavily given the societal context this stuff was birthed from ... I don't really want to listen to it either. I do think it's kind of hilarious that my dad almost grounded my brother and me because he found out I asked my brother to print me the lyrics to Bone Thugs' "Crossroads" (which is a very tame song) ... when I'd heard *this* album too many times to count by then. I also wonder what 1994 Snoop would think of 2024 wine producer and friend of Martha Stewart Snoop (probably that he was a respectable hustler but also a bit of a "bitch"?) I feel like I have to give it a 4 for its positives and for its historical influence. But I just can't give it a 5 because of the lyrics. P.S. — It's also wild thinking of Long Beach as a hotbed of gang activity these days. Much like Inglewood and Oakland, it's pretty gentrified now.

Darkdancer

Les Rythmes Digitales

3/5

Apparently when this came out critics called it ahead of its time. I’m not sure I agree. I think the first few songs are very of their time — Eiffel 65’s “Blue” was everywhere, and there were a ton of dance-influenced groups in the US around this time that had a similar sound even though they weren’t techno/house — Blaque, 3LW, Youngstown, O-Town, etc. You also had S Club 7 in the UK. If Darkdancer beat them by a few months, it was just the luck of timing their release. And of course, Daft Punk was already very much in the game. I guess it beat songs like “Call On Me” and groups like Cascada by a few years, but I’m not sure that really makes them innovative. Then you have songs like “Take A Little Time” which sounds like a throwback to the early—mid 90s dance craze (LaBouche, etc.). A lot of this album sounds like it was created by slapping together a bunch of loops in Garageband. It’s fun for about 30 seconds and then it gets annoying, but it still drags on for another 3 minutes. The more techno songs like “Disco II Disco” are just irritating. The worst parts of Daft Punk electronica. But there are a couple enjoyable songs. Track 2, “Music Makes You Lose Control” is surprisingly fun, and the opening track “Dreamin’” and “Take a Little Time” are both good. Overall, I’m not hearing anything worthy of being a “must listen.” While there are some catchy riffs and pieces, it’s mostly just more annoying electronica. An artist like Mika or Gotye is much more deserving of a spot on this list. I’ll give it a 3, but it’s really a 2.5. It’s not as unlistenable as some of the other electronica albums on this list, but I’m not going to listen to it again.

After The Gold Rush

Neil Young

4/5

I have mixed feelings about this album. It’s got some really good songs, and there’s not really anything on here I dislike. At the same time, for an album with 11 tracks and a runtime of only 34 minutes, it somehow manages to drag a little. Maybe that’s because most of the songs are slower tempo. There are also times where Young’s higher pitch gets a bit grating. It grew on me after a second listen, but it’s not my favorite Neil Young album. It definitely has a more mellow vibe than some of his other stuff, which isn’t bad but requires a certain mood to enjoy. The only song I knew from this album going in was “Southern Man.” Before his feud with Spotify, Young was famous for his feud with Lynrd Skynrd, who did not take kindly to this song (resulting in the famous anti-Neil Young lyrics in “Sweet Home Alabama”). With its multiple long electric guitar solos and relatively uptempo feeling compared to most of the songs on this album, it feels kind of out of place. It’s probably my favorite song on the album and is a classic for a reason. My other favorites are “Don’t Let It Bring You Down,” which in addition to really interesting lyrics has a crazy good bass line, and “When You Dance I Can Really Love,” the only other uptempo song. Am I the only one who feels like Ben Folds ripped off “After the Gold Rush” for “Brick” after hearing this album? Or that Bread kind of ripped off “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” when they did “Everything I Own”? I think I initially would’ve given this a 3, but after another listen I’ll give it a 4/5.

Treasure

Cocteau Twins

3/5

At the risk of having my goth card taken away ... Cocteau Twins is one of those groups that I want to like more than I do. I respect them for pioneering dream pop and ethereal goth, and I don't dislike their music. Persephone is a banger. It's just that after a while all their songs kind of blend together. I also always kind of feel like I'm having a stroke listening to Elizabeth's vocals — like, I feel like I should understand what she's saying, but I know it's just gibberish. It gets frustrating, especially as someone who really cares about lyrics in music. If I'm going ethereal goth, I'm picking All About Eve over this. Sorry. 3/5 — part of me wants to give it a 4 because of its influence and legacy, but meh.

I'm Your Man

Leonard Cohen

2/5

Well, that was one of the weirdest albums I’ve gotten so far. I was not prepared for this album when I saw Leonard Cohen. I was thinking it was going to be similar to “Hallelujah” — admittedly the only song I know by him. Instead, the opening track is like some uber-villain theme song I’d expect from Scar from the Lion King or Brain from Animaniacs. This album is peak 80s. So many synths, so much cheese, so melodramatic. Cohen’s deep bass sing-talking takes some getting used to. I’m still not sure how I feel about it. The backing vocals on songs like “Ain’t No Cure for Love” are nice (but also very 80s). The bouzouki on “Everybody Knows” was an interesting twist. The first three tracks aren’t terrible, but I feel like it gets progressively cheesier and more ridiculous after that. And too many of the songs overstay their welcome, clocking in at nearly 6 minutes. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be tongue-in-cheek or if he's serious. Ultimately I couldn’t wait for it to end. 2/5

Cross

Justice

2/5

Man high on acid at Euro Disney during the Main Street Parade: You know what would be sick? If Kidzbop did Daft Punk! Justice: Say less. And that's how D.A.N.C.E. was born. That's my head canon, anyway. Sometimes I wonder if Robert Dimery's book was a cover for some secret military research study on the best albums to use for psychologically torturing prisoners of war. This was one of those times. Look, this wasn't the worst electronica album I've been assigned from this project. I don't totally hate the techno Bee Gees vibe of a lot of it. But the album takes a turn for the worse around "The Party," which features some weird Kesha meets Nicky Minaj "rap." After that, it seems to be a whole lot of sirens and obnoxious sound effects that represent everything I hate about this genre. Also, I'm not really sure what's so innovative about this album that landed it on this list. How does one gauge the evolution of looping beeps and boops to recognize something groundbreaking? If you held a gun to my head and asked me to correctly identify if one of these songs was Justice or Daft Punk, I'd have a 50/50 shot of surviving. 2/5

Getz/Gilberto

Stan Getz

3/5

Wow, the production on this album is pretty terrible. I can hear more of the saxophonist's breaths than the actual notes he's playing. Were microphone filters not a thing yet? Girl from Ipanema is one of the most famous songs of all time. And pretty much every bossa nova song released after it sounds exactly the same. Is it pleasant to listen to? Sure. Is it hugely influential? Yes. Is it exciting to listen to? Not really. It's a decent album to put on as background music when you want something soothing. Great for napping on the beach or chilling in a coffee shop. Not something I'd really choose to listen to otherwise. One point for classical guitar. One point for Portuguese, which always sounds cool. One point for being vibey, I guess? 3/5

All Hope Is Gone

Slipknot

3/5

I was today years old when I realized the song "Bodies" (which I hate) was Drowning Pool and not Slipknot. I'm not actually sure I've ever heard a Slipknot song before this album then. So, I was expecting the worst going into this. Surprisingly, I didn't hate it as much as I thought I would. But it's still not really my cup of tea. Several of the songs sound like other bands, ranging from Metallica to Pantera to Disturbed. Nothing about this band stands out as different from any of the many nu metal bands riddling the field at the same time — their masks are one of the only distinguishing things about them. And considering this album came out in 2008, when the nu metal fad was already dying out, I'm not sure why it's on this list. The attempt at tackling issues like politics in addition to the usual songs about bad relationships and depression was kind of interesting, though System of a Down does a way better job of it (they also do harmonization better). Not sure why they aren't on this list instead. And though the band disavows fascism and racism, I can definitely picture a ton of Neo-Nazis in their native Iowa rocking out to this album. The album is also just really long. I will say, I enjoyed the latter part of the album more — from the title track onward it mellows out a bit, and the harmonization and the musicianship of the band are more apparent. 3/5 — not terrible, but not particularly noteworthy either.

Moondance

Van Morrison

4/5

It's not until you hear Moondance back-to-back with Crazy Love that you realize Michael Buble is really just a (poor) Van Morrison tribute act. This was my first time listening to a whole Van Morrison album. Overall I enjoyed it. The Irish-folk-tinged blue-eyed soul is very smooth listening — like a quintessential Starbucks album before coffee shop music really existed. Some of the lyrics, particularly the choruses, are pretty lazy — a lot of ay-yay-yays and la-la-las — but otherwise he's a good songwriter. The downside is that it's kind of boring. Most of the songs sound pretty similar to each other (and the opening track basically rips off the melody of The Weight by The Band). The last two tracks, Everyone and Glad Tidings, are the only songs that really sound significantly different, but even then, Glad Tidings is basically a retread of Morrison's earlier hit, Brown Eyed Girl (there's even an overt guitar reference to it). 4/5 — probably a 3.5, but I'll round up because I'd definitely listen to this again on a lazy Sunday.

Rubber Soul

Beatles

3/5

This album marks the Beatles' move toward more sophisticated songs and experimentation — they'd been hanging out with Bob Dylan, they'd started getting more into drugs, and George was getting into his Eastern philosophy phase. There's a lot of good stuff here. At my count, 6 of the 14 songs were #1 hits. The good: "In My Life" is one of my favorite Beatles songs of all time. And "Nowhere Man" is also up there. "Think For Yourself" is also a highlight of the album, and marks the emergence of my favorite Beatle, George, as a songwriter. There's a lot of variety in terms of music style, although a few of the songs do sound similar. The bad: Oof, a lot of these lyrics have not aged well (really, they should've always been seen as gross, but...). "You Won't See Me," which is apparently about Paul's actress girlfriend not making time for him, comes off as a creepy stalker song. "If I Needed Someone" is a weird way to profess your love for your fiancee — I'm totally not going to sleep with you other girls anymore ... but leave your numbers, just in case (bad, George!). But "Run For Your Life" is just straight up awful with zero redeeming qualities. I can't believe anyone thought that song was a good idea. Knowing John's history with women, there's nothing tongue in cheek about it. It's just bad. 3/5 — probably more of a 3.5. When it's good, it's really good. But when it's bad, it's yikes.

Frank

Amy Winehouse

1/5

This album just left me feeling sad. I never jumped on the Amy Winehouse bandwagon. I always found her voice kind of grating, and I didn't understand why everyone was obsessed with a song about a woman actively trying to destroy herself (Rehab) as if it was cute and funny. This album confirmed that I have zero interest in her as an artist. Her opening track complaining about all the ways her (much older) boyfriend fails to meet her needs is an ode to toxic masculinity and sexist ideas of gender roles and explains why so many people end up in awful relationships. Several other songs describe more ill-fated relationships with awful men as they use her, she uses them (or cheats on them), they break up, and she goes out to find the next one. Underneath it all, there's a sense that she knows she's deeply wounded but just can't help herself. There's also a song where she tears down superficial "trophy wife" women, a song where she tells her deadbeat boyfriend to get off his ass and help himself, as well as a song where she complains about her brother needing to get his shit together to take care of their mother. Amy seemed to relish living in a glass house and throwing stones. What Is It About Men? and Amy Amy Amy both prove she is capable of introspection, and she actually does seem to acknowledge that she's out of control. But then on the latter she just doubles down on it. The instrumentation alternates between annoying and badly done R&B beats and sleepy (boring) jazz songs. And through it all, there's Amy shouting in her whiny, affected jazz voice (you can tell she's talented, but dear God she needed a good producer to rein her in). It's actually kind of horrifying that this was her debut album and she was so clearly going down a bad path even then (at 19!). It seems like Amy was always surrounded by the wrong people. Her views on men and relationships suggest someone who was never taught how to respect herself or have a healthy relationship, and she turned that outward by believing it was okay to use other people the way they used her (and turned it inward by destroying herself). And then in her professional life she was surrounded by yes men who were all too happy to cash the checks written by her suffering and self-destruction. It's deeply sad and disturbing, and I just feel bad for her that no one seemed to be there who really cared about her. Even if she was determined to destroy herself and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it, they didn't all have to stand around and encourage it. 1/5

Exile On Main Street

The Rolling Stones

3/5

I know this is heresy, but I've never been able to get into the Stones beyond a few of the greatest hits. They're not a bad band, it's just not really my style. This album wasn't bad, for the most part (though the vocals on the opening track are pretty painful to listen to). It's just kind of meh for me. The music was pretty good — most of the songs are high energy, competent ripoffs of blues and honky tonk. A lot of the lyrics are just okay, and Jagger's voice gets grating after a while. There are way too many tracks here, and it definitely overstays its welcome. Overall, it's not something I'd go out of my way to listen to, and I feel like I'd probably pick actual blues music over this British impression of it. Also, "Sweet Black Angel" is so weird. If you're going to write a protest song in support of Angela Davis, maybe don't write it from the perspective of a Black character (complete with the N word) and sing it in a minstrel voice. What the hell? 3/5

Imagine

John Lennon

3/5

Am I allowed to say I didn't love this album? I feel like, as groundbreaking and influential as they were, both John Lennon and Paul McCartney have been deified to a point where it feels like heresy to admit you don't love everything they've done (and it's worse for Lennon because of his murder). But I often feel like there's a quantity over quality issue with both of them. Because George had to fight so hard to get his songs on the albums, almost all of them are incredible, whereas there are a lot of Lennon-McCartney songs I personally think range from mediocre to downright bad. This album is no different. There's some good stuff here — Imagine is a classic for a reason. Crippled Inside is pretty good lyrically (the music is just okay). There's also a lot of meh stuff. I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier sounds like it's trying to be a Bob Dylan song, but it doesn't even remotely approach the level of lyrics Dylan would write. A lot of the album sounds derivative. Most of the songs are obvious musical ripoffs of the Black artists they were inspired by — Chubby Checker, et al. A lot of it sounds derivative of the Beatles too. The melody of Jealous Guy sounds like it's ripping off parts of A Day in the Life. Gimme Some Truth feels like it borrows from Strawberry Fields and Helter Skelter. Oh Love sounds a lot like Because. And while I guess it was brave to write Jealous Guy and shows he's capable of introspection and regret, I still find the whole thing of how he mistreated women and his first family pretty gross. It's ironic that he's taking pot shots against Paul in How Do You Sleep? and calling him a no-talent hack, considering how derivative and boring this album is (it also shows he is still a very jealous guy and hasn't changed much at all). The song How? kind of sums up this album for me. John had no idea who he was after The Beatles, so he threw a bunch of stuff at the wall to see what would stick. But none of what results on this album is very cohesive or original. 3/5

Slippery When Wet

Bon Jovi

3/5

I've never actually listened to a full Bon Jovi album before. I probably won't listen to another one either. Their biggest hits are on this album, — "You Give Love a Bad Name," "Livin on a Prayer," and "Wanted Dead or Alive" — and they still slap. As a soprano, the key change in "Livin on a Prayer" is difficult for me to sing, and it's always entertaining when some dude attempts it at karaoke. Jon Bon Jovi had one of the best voices in rock (I say had because it's gone now, thanks to overuse of steroid shots). Richie Sambora is a legendary guitarist, and there are some great performances on this album. Bon Jovi is hair metal adjacent, but they never went as hard as some other bands, and they also never quite reached the same levels of gross hedonism (not to say the album is completely devoid of cringe lyrics that haven't aged well). I think my biggest complaint about the album is that it gets too repetitive. A lot of the songs sound the same. The reprise of "You Give Love a Bad Name" on "Without Love" is obviously intentional, but the album as a whole has a very formulaic, familiar sound to it. That shouldn't surprise anyone, considering their 2000 comeback hit "It's My Life" sounds very typical of their hits on this album. Bon Jovi is definitely a band most enjoyed via a greatest hits album (in my opinion). I get why this album is on here, but it's just okay for me. 3/5

For Your Pleasure

Roxy Music

4/5

I always see this band pop up in interviews with some of my favorite bands when they discuss their influences, and I never quite got it. I've only heard a handful of Roxy Music songs and a couple of Brian Ferry's solo tracks and never really connected with them. They seemed to be pretty generic and cheesy 80s songs. I still don't love them after listening to this album, but I can finally see why they're influential. The Eno years of this band are just different, and I'm assuming a lot of the praise comes from his mark on the songs. This album sounds very ahead of its time. I would've expected this to have come out in the early 80s, not 1973! It definitely sounds influenced by Velvet Underground and Bowie, but it also sounds much more modern than something I would have expected from the time. I can absolutely hear how this influenced Talking Heads, The Cure, Peter Gabriel, and other huge bands from the late 70s and 80s. That said, the album itself was interesting, but a lot of it isn't really my cup of tea. The first half is okay, but it's too musical theater-ish for me. A lot of it sounds like it could be from Rocky Horror Picture Show — not bad, just not necessarily something I want to listen to all the time. I'm not a huge fan of Brian Ferry's style of singing. The second half was way more interesting to me. Starting with "In Every Dream Home a Heartache" (the best track on the album, in my opinion), it gets darker and more experimental. The mentioned track is almost proto-goth, which makes sense given the Lou Reed influence. The lyrics are like a darker, more sinister version of The Clash's "Lost in the Supermarket" and then it ends on a crazy psychedelic journey a la Hendrix. From there, the album continues on the darker path and also throws in some cool instrumental pieces. I'm tempted to give it a 3.5 because it's not my favorite, but I'll bump it to a 4 because the experimentation is cool and they really do deserve points for innovation. 4/5

Hunky Dory

David Bowie

4/5

This one took me a few listens to appreciate. At first I wasn’t sure about it, but it’s growing on me with each listen. On my first listen through I was a little confused at critics calling this the album where “Bowie begins to sound like Bowie,” because a lot of it sounded to me like retreads of The Beatles or Velvet Underground. But I suppose lyrically it does begin to introduce us to the weird themes Bowie would explore during the Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane periods. While Bowie was a master of stealing from his influences to create a pastiche, which is on display here explicitly as he name drops people like Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan, and Lou Reed, what can’t be overstated is this album’s influence on future musicians. The high-pitched two note guitar part at the end of “Andy Warhol” clearly influenced The Cure’s “10:15 Saturday Night” — they idolized Bowie. And if you haven’t seen Robert Smith perform “Quicksand” with Bowie on his birthday special, go to YouTube immediately — this is also where Smith met Bowie’s guitarist, Reeves Gabrels, who now plays in the current iteration of The Cure. The one that blew my mind the most was “Queen Bitch.” Do these lyrics seem familiar? And I’m phoning a cab Cause my stomach feels small There’s a taste in my mouth And it’s no taste at all It could’ve been me Yeah it could’ve been me It’s impossible that this isn’t a direct influence for The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside,” which blew my mind the first time I heard this album and realized I’ve been listening to that song for 20 years without realizing it. And that’s what’s fun about this 1001 albums project — even if I don’t always love the albums on here, it’s really cool to see the direct lines through music history once you understand it. Also, “Oh! You Pretty Things” influenced the author who wrote The Tomorrow People, which was adapted into a kids’ show I watched growing up on Nickelodeon. I’m pretty sure it also influenced the song “All You Pretty Things” by one of my favorite artists, Darren Hayes. 4/5 — I’m not sure I love every single moment of this album, but there’s some really good stuff here. Aside from classics like “Changes” and “Life on Mars,” there’s a lot of experimentation and interesting lyrics, and it’s a fascinating stroll through music history.

Le Tigre

4/5

This is the album Weird Barbie was making while Ken was mansplaining Pavement to the other Barbies. In seriousness, this was a fun album. I think I missed the riot grrrl period by a couple years, and I'm kind of sad now. This would've been my jam if I'd known about it in high school. It has a very post-punk vibe, like a mix of The Go-Gos and The B52s musically (with some electronica tossed in) mixed with Siouxie's fuck-you attitude. There are a couple annoying moments — "The the Empty" is kind of grating, but most of the album works. It's nice to see another all-women album on here. I imagine there are probably a lot of dudes who won't like this album, but they're just dumb Kens. 4/5

Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)

The Kinks

5/5

I wasn’t expecting this album from a band I’m most familiar with from the song “You Really Got Me.” It’s like a political Sgt Pepper. It doesn’t sound punk rock, but the message is hella punk rock. It’s kind of hard to understand the lyrics sometimes, but this is one of those albums where you should probably pull up the lyrics anyway. It’s a concept album that follows the storyline of a Brit named Arthur as he attempts to move up in the strict hierarchy of British life (and eventually does so by emigrating to Australia). It’s a biting criticism of classism and how the rulers/privileged classes in the UK don’t care about anything but themselves and are happy to send the lower classes (who continue to dream about moving up into the higher class) to their deaths to maintain their status and lifestyle. It’s actually pretty ballsy for an album that came out in 1969 — almost a decade before the Sex Pistols took the piss out of the monarchy. Rock operas seemed to be a thing in the late 60s/early 70s, and though they’re always ambitious, they don’t always land. This one does. It might be my favorite rock opera (followed by Tommy by The Who). I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this so much, but it’s cohesive and enjoyable to listen to all the way through. Best songs: Some Mother’s Son, Brainwashed, Shangri-La, Mr. Churchill Says (the guitar solo is fantastic) 5/5

Morrison Hotel

The Doors

3/5

I’ve never listened to a full Doors album. This isn’t the one I would’ve picked on my own, though it’s not bad. I know The Doors are regarded as one of the great classic rock bands, and while I’ve never listened to much beyond their most well-known songs (and I remember seeing bits and pieces of the Val Kilmer-led biopic growing up), my appreciation for them comes mainly from how they influenced some of my favorite post-punk bands. My first exposure to Echo and the Bunnymen was from their “People Are Strange” cover from The Lost Boys. And Ian Curtis of Joy Division was obviously influenced by Jim Morrison as a singer — which always makes me laugh, because poor Ian didn’t have 1% of the charisma Jim did (sorry). The Cure have a cover of “Hello I Love You” that’s not very well known but is decent. Anyway, getting back to the album. It’s a fun listen, I just don’t quite get why this specific album is on here. Their first couple albums, sure. But this is just more of the same with no real innovation. It’s pretty typical blues with psychedelic influence. It’s got some great performances and catchy songs, but there’s nothing that really stands out here. Highlights: Roadhouse Blues, Peace Frog, Ship of Fools 3.5/5

Fifth Dimension

The Byrds

4/5

I didn't love this Byrds album as much as Younger Than Yesterday. It's not bad, but it's too same-samey. The second song is basically the same music as "Turn! Turn! Turn!" and there are at least 3 songs on here that have the exact same chord progression as The Lovin' Spoonful's "Do You Believe in Magic?" I do like the psychedelic, jammy feeling of a lot of the songs. And in retrospect, this album does seem to have some material that is reworked on the next album (Younger Than Yesterday), but it's more polished on that album. The vocal performances are really smooth. It did grow on me during a second listen. The first time around I listened to the extended version with the extra 5 songs released in 1996, and it definitely feels long and bloated. The original 11-track release is a better listening experience. 4/5 — not my favorite Byrds album, but still a strong one.

Happy Sad

Tim Buckley

4/5

As a big Jeff Buckley fan, I’ve tried to get into Tim Buckley’s music before, mostly because I was curious how he compared to his son. But I had a hard time getting into some of his most well-known songs like Song of the Siren because of the overuse of falsetto. This album is definitely much better in terms of his voice — the lower register he uses here is a lot more pleasing to the ears. Musically, this album is an interesting mix of blues, country-western, and pop. The influence of The Lovin’ Spoonful, who produced it, is very clear. It also reminds me of Roy Orbison, as well as — oddly — Don Johnson’s foray into singing in the 80s. The album as a whole gives off a slightly more country Doors vibe. The vibraphone gives the music an interesting mood. As a millennial, vibraphone often reminds me of Sesame Street before anything else, so it can be very hit and miss for me. Here it’s sort of a mixed bag — used to the right effect it adds to the bluesy vibe, but it also comes close to going too far over into lounge-music territory at times. Take “Strange Feelin’” for instance. If the song had ended at the 6:20 mark it would’ve been better (and even that’s pretty long) — but there’s no reason for the track to go on for almost 8 minutes just to have an extended vibraphone solo. I think my biggest issue with this album is the length of the songs. With the exception of the closing track, which is 2:41, the shortest song on this album is still over 5 minutes, with two tracks running longer than 10 minutes. “Gypsy Woman” could be a fun jam song, but it’s just way too long. Less vibraphone and shorter songs would’ve made this album way better. I’ll give it a 4/5, but it’s more of a 3.5 for me.

Repeater

Fugazi

5/5

I was very confused when this album started because, as someone who never listened to them (yet another one of my musical oversights), I always thought Fugazi was a hardcore punk band. I wasn’t expecting melodic singing. They’re closer to Rancid than Black Flag, at least in vocal sound. As a big fan of The Living End, I definitely recognize the influence of Fugazi now. The second track’s vocals were much closer to what I thought the band would be — but the music is still a lot more melodic than I expected. Holy shit, the drums on track 3 slap. Right up my post-punk alley. I totally get the critics’ comparisons to Gang of Four. The bass line and drums on Sieve-Fisted Find kick ass too. The guitar on Styrofoam! So good. The piano riff on Joe #1 is a cool way of using rhythm in a fresh way to keep things interesting. Really enjoyed this album. The pace of the music keeps things moving (even though 42 minutes isn’t super long), the compositions are interesting and varied, and they say a lot with a few lyrics. Melodic punk music with great melodies and something to say. Sign me up. I’m mad at myself for not giving this band a chance sooner. 5/5

Mothership Connection

Parliament

3/5

I've really enjoyed both Funkadelic albums I've heard so far, so I was looking forward to this one. Sadly, it was just okay. These songs aren't bad, they're just not super interesting, and most of them are way too long. It quickly becomes monotonous, and even though the album is only 38 minutes long it really drags. There's not enough variation, and some of the clavinet-heavy songs sound like Stevie Wonder outtakes that never made it to an album. Give Up the Funk is the only song I knew going into this album, and it's the highlight. Everything else is just ... fine. Funkadelic > Parliament 3/5

#1 Record

Big Star

3/5

This is a good album. It's catchy pop-rock with jangly guitars and nice harmonies (and so much cowbell). The lyrics are often a little too simple and sometimes saccharine, but they're not bad songs. I hear a lot of people talk about how influential this album was on future artists like Tom Petty and R.E.M. My issue with it is that it sounds kind of derivative to me. It often sounds like they're trying to imitate someone else — The Byrds, The Beatles, George Harrison, The Monkees, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, etc. It never really feels like they're a uniquely identifiable band. Even the vocals sound pretty generic. There's nothing that announces that this is Big Star. 3.5/5 — I'd probably listen to it again, but it's not life changing.

Cosmo's Factory

Creedence Clearwater Revival

5/5

I've been really enjoying the CCR albums on this list so far. Sure, they completely rip off Black blues and gospel, but they do it so well. They're one of the few bands in the genre that really seem to put their hearts and souls into it, and I love how they meld the blues and gospel with a bit of psychedelic jamming too. This album follows along the same trajectory as their earlier ones, but it's a bit more polished than Bayou Country. I'd have to listen to the album again to pick out the highlight tracks, but the whole thing flows really well and has a really fun energy to it from the first track through the last one. Their cover of Heard It Through the Grapevine is very vibey and never really gets old despite its lengthy jam session. It's a little hard not to laugh at Fogerty's ridiculous affected accent at times ("I hoid it through the grapevine" — what even is that, NYC bayou?), but that's the only negative I can find with this album. 5/5

Ambient 1/Music For Airports

Brian Eno

3/5

If I ran an aquarium, this album would be playing all the time next to the jellyfish tank, particularly tracks 2/1 and 1/2. Other than that, I can't see myself listening to this again. It's exactly as advertised, so I can't fault him there. It's not bad, it's kind of relaxing even, but it's just ... there. I know that's the point, but that's not what I look for in music. 3/5 because it's listenable and obviously influential (or maybe I should deduct a star because it's responsible for creating the ambient genre?) but wholly forgettable.

Murmur

R.E.M.

4/5

I've only heard R.E.M.'s hits, and I never really felt a strong pull to their music, so this was my first time listening to a full album. I'm a bit conflicted about it. It's not a bad album at all, but I still don't really feel that strongly about them. It was kind of fascinating to listen to from a music history perspective though. There are songs on here that are very of their time, like Pilgrimage and 9-9, which are firmly in post-punk style of early U2. The jangly guitars also give it a 60s-pop feel a la The Byrds (Laughing). But in other ways this album feels very ahead of its time. I would have easily believed that Talk About the Passion, Catapult, or Sitting Still came out in the early 90s. It's very obvious where 90s alternative bands like Gin Blossoms, Goo Goo Dolls, and even Nirvana got their sound from. This R.E.M. album feels like it's somewhere between The Smiths and U2, but there's something innovative about the use of jangly guitars and the song compositions that feels different. I think it's easy to gloss over 40 years later, but I'm sure at the time this sounded pretty unique. I will say, Michael Stipe's lyrics make no freaking sense to me, and it's often difficult to make out what he's singing anyway. The harmonies mostly sound good, though his voice can be a little whiny at times. As someone who's very much a lyrics person, I think that's a big part of what keeps me from connecting more with this band. I'll give it a 4/5 but it's probably closer to a 3.5. It's an interesting album to listen to, but I'm not sure I'd revisit it much aside from a few songs. Highlights: Laughing, Moral Kiosk, Catapult, Sitting Still, 9-9

Ys

Joanna Newsom

1/5

I'm sorry, I can't. I got through two of the tracks before I had to tap out. I respect the creativity and the originality, but it's just not for me. Her voice is like listening to Ruth from "Ozark" getting high on her boss's supply and telling unhinged stream of consciousness bedtime stories. There are so many words, and the melodies (if you can call them that) meander so much that my eyes started glazing over and I could not focus no matter how hard I tried. 1/5 I feel bad rating it this low, but I think it might be the only album I couldn't get through so far.

Electric Warrior

T. Rex

5/5

Wait, so Marc Bolan was obsessed with my favorite books, Lord of the Rings, and went on to start glam rock and inspire my favorite band, The Cure? Everything in my life suddenly makes sense. On a serious note, I feel like I’ve tried and failed to get into T. Rex before, but maybe I wasn’t listening to the right songs (beyond Get It On, which is a banger that everyone knows). This album is a lot of fun. It’s silly and campy, but it’s catchy. It also feels way ahead of its time. While it obviously owes a lot to blues and early rock pioneers like Chuck Berry, as well as the Velvet Underground, there’s a clear shift toward the harder glam rock that didn’t exist yet. It reminds me of George Harrison too, with its combination of slightly silly lyrics, spirituality, and deceptively simple melodies. But this album had significant influence of its own, notably on David Bowie (and the rest of glam rock). The campiness and theatricality also no doubt influenced the founders of goth. 5/5 — would listen again

Double Nickels On The Dime

Minutemen

4/5

Man, I needed a nap after this album. I started out a little unsure about this one, with the Jim Morrison/Ian Curtis-goes-to-college-and-joins-the-slam-poetry-group vibe. But pretty soon I was grooving. The songs are all fairly short. There’s a fun mix of punk, post punk, jazz, ska, and blues. For the first time, I was able to hear the direct connection from post punk to 90s alternative — you can definitely hear the precursors of bands like Nirvana and Sublime on here. The vocals can be grating, especially given the length of the album. And therein lies the biggest downside (in my opinion). It quickly becomes exhausting as it refuses to end. At 43 tracks, it’s kind of amazing that it’s *only* an hour and a quarter. But it’s still a lot. I would’ve loved to take a deeper dive and study the lyrics on a second listen, but I feel like I’d have to break it up into a multi-day project. I know the band’s name refers to the right-wing hate group, but I can’t help but laugh at the double entendre considering the length of this album. No one likes a minute man, but there is such a thing as too much. Sometimes you just wish your partner would hurry up and finish … that’s kind of how this album feels. Also, I’m not sure what it says about me that the only song on here that I recognized was “Corona” because of its use as the theme song to Jackass, even though I’m sure I’ve heard other Minutemen songs on playlists before. I’ll give it a 4 because of its ambition and overall decent execution, but it's more of a 3.5. I just wish it was shorter.

Talking With the Taxman About Poetry

Billy Bragg

3/5

I had no idea who Billy Bragg was or what to expect with this album. I enjoyed a lot of this. It's mostly electric guitar folk (with some acoustic and country-ish songs) that has a lot in common with The Clash — melodically catchy, political, cheeky lyrics. This is what I wanted Elvis Costello to be. Damn, the lyrics of "Ideology" hit hard. It's a song that's almost 40 years old and even more relevant today than when it was written (it also borrows heavily from Bob Dylan's Chimes of Freedom). Ditto "There Is Power in a Union." "Levi Stubbs' Tears" is a great storytelling song. Unfortunately, the choice to make this a double album wasn't a great one. It starts to overstay its welcome, especially since the latter part of the first album and a lot of the second one have several slow acoustic songs that begin to blend together. I'd probably give it a 4 if it was pared down to one album of the best songs. As is, I have to round down to a 3.5. Highlights: “”Ideology,” Levi Stubbs' Tears,” “Help Save the Youth of America”

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Hill

3/5

I somehow never listened to this whole album when it came out, even though I loved all of the singles. It took me 25 years and this challenge to finally hear the album (insert joke about being very late to things, just like Ms. Lauryn Hill — also the fact that it opens with a skit about her not showing up for roll call is chef’s kiss irony). I expected to like it a lot more than I actually did. The singles all still hold up, and some of the other songs have grown on me with repeated listens, but it just didn’t blow me away like I was expecting it to. It’s also very long as an album, with several songs running longer than they need to. To Zion and Doo Wop (That Thing) are the best songs on the album. —To Zion always sounded gorgeous with the gospel chorus (and it’s one of the few overtly religious songs on here that doesn’t bother me). Lauryn has always had one of the most beautiful voices in R&B, but I’d somehow forgotten about her whistle notes at the end of this song — I didn’t know her range was that impressive. I’d forgotten about the Santana feature on it too. —And, although some of the lyrics on Doo Wop haven’t aged all that well, it’s still catchy af. Lost Ones, Superstar, Final Hour, and a few other tracks are pretty good, but the length of this album and the number of songs that either don’t have a great hook or just seem to drag on forever (a couple have both problems) makes it a chore to get through after a while. And I know it’s an autobiographical project and her faith is a huge part of her life, but it gets really preachy and irritating after a while. I’m sure other people are fine with that, but it’s just not something that I connect with. The fake vinyl static on the title track is really irritating. I get that she’s trying to make it sound like an old song on a well-loved record, but it just sounds like someone didn’t take care of their music collection. It’s so distracting that I couldn’t even pay attention to the music. I feel like Lauryn’s words in When It Hurts So Bad sort of sum the album up for me — “And it sounds nice, but it may not always be right for you.” This album deserves to be on this list — it was hugely influential on neo-soul, and Lauryn’s voice is one of the best in the biz. However, while I don’t regret listening to this album and may give it some time to grow on me, I didn’t love it as much as I wanted to. 3/5

A Walk Across The Rooftops

The Blue Nile

5/5

I’d never heard of this band or album, so I had no idea what to expect. This was actually a really interesting listen that I enjoyed more than I thought I would, and I think it will only grow on me with repeated visits. It’s got a Talking Heads meets Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel vibe. It’s produced to show off how each element adds to the total sound — there are some really cool bass lines, good drum grooves, fun, jazzy parts, and interesting experiments with sound that are Eno–esque (and “From Rags to Riches” has a fun arpeggiated synth that sounds a lot like The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” mixed with interesting drum sounds). The lyrics and the singer are pretty good. He sounds similar to David Byrne but actually sings, though he occasionally approaches a shrillness that’s a bit too close to Sting for me. For an album that was created by a company specializing in hi-fi audiophile equipment, you can hear the care that went into engineering and mixing this album. The music sounds great and has a very full, dynamic sound that fills the space. Because it’s sort of on the post-punk side of new wave, there’s a lot of space between notes that helps to highlight each musical element. My only complaint is that on the title track, the vocals sound a bit buried in the mix. It somehow sounds very clear but also kind of muddled in my headphones. I’ll have to try listening on my stereo system and see if that makes any difference. I can definitely see how this album may have influenced future artists like Imogen Heap. It’s actually really impressive that they were able to achieve that kind of futuristic sound in 1983. The album feels like an 80s album but also feels very timeless. 5/5 — was not expecting this album but will be adding it to my regular rotation

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

2/5

Well, before I listened to this album I would've considered myself a Tom Petty (RIP) fan, though I mainly know the singles from the radio. I still am a fan, but woooow, this album is not good. Other than the two big songs (Breakdown and American Girl), there's not much worth listening to here. Lyrically, most of the songs are a variation of the same thing — boy wants girl, boy won't give up until he gets her. Musically it's fine. It's very safe, vaguely Southern rock that gets kind of boring after a while. And if you think Tom Petty's voice is annoying, dear God, you're going to hate this album. He experiments with his higher register (nails on chalkboard) as well as his lower register (still not great) and even seems to be trying on different voices at times. Of the two noteworthy tracks, Breakdown has aged like milk. I guess I never really paid attention to the lyrics before, but it's a song about a sex pest trying to badger his girlfriend into sleeping with him. Yikes. Just when you're ready to rip your eyeballs out after listening to Tom wail and whine for 25 minutes, the album's sole redeeming track comes on to close out the album. American Girl is where Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers finally come together and gel as a band. The music works, the lyrics work, and Tom's voice manages to find that balance between annoying and interesting. It's a classic song that's a classic for a reason. 2/5 — Sorry Tom, but I'm never going to play this album again.

Pretzel Logic

Steely Dan

3/5

It's amazing how many songs I've known forever and had no idea were by Steely Dan. I guess Rikki Don't Lose That Number is another one. This album was very strange. I thought it was going to be more yacht rock, but I was mistaken (kind of). It starts off that way, and then it kind of meanders everywhere. It's a weird mix of blues, jazz, show tunes, country-western, and whatever the hell else they felt like doing. Night by Night is a great song — goes much harder than I was expecting, with a super funky bass line and crazy guitar solos. The guitar riff on Any Major Dude is pretty sweet too. Parker's Band is a fun jam. I have no idea what's going on with most of the rest of the album. There's a bizarre foray into burlesque music on East St. Louis Toodle-oo. With a Gun is like a mix of Billy Joel, The Who, The Monkees, and Johnny Cash. Charlie Freak could be a Regina Spektor song. The musicianship on this album is ridiculous. There are tons of amazing bluesy guitar solos, fun sax riffs, and good drum and bass grooves. But it's so all over the place, and there's always a weird undercurrent of yacht/dad/lounge rock to everything. 3/5 — I guess I didn't hate it, but there aren't many songs I'd put on repeat.

Elastica

3/5

This is a perfect example of why I find this list so confusing. Elastica is a decent band, and this is a good album that is definitely representative of a prominent music trend and time period (Britpop). But it’s also a band that doesn’t have an original bone in its body. Just because an album was popular doesn’t mean it contributed anything new to music. Line Up and Connection, Elastica’s two most famous songs, famously rip off Wire, and the whole album is an attempt at recreating a more radio friendly version of Pink Flag. S.O.F.T. is a blatant ripoff of Weezer’s Undone (The Sweater Song). Waking Up sounds like it’s trying to combine multiple Nirvana songs. 2:1 sounds like it’s trying to be Automatic by the Go-Go’s. Stutter is a retread of Kim Wilde’s Kids in America. Other than being notable for having a lineup of mostly women, there’s not a whole lot that’s influential about this band or this album. Did I enjoy listening to it? Yes. Should it be on this list? I’d argue no. Also, if someone hasn’t made a Deepfake of Moira Rose from Schitt’s Creek lip syncing to Connection yet, someone needs to do that. 3.5/5 — I’d probably give it a 4 for enjoyability, but I have to deduct points for its derivativeness.

Call of the Valley

Shivkumar Sharma

5/5

Finally, something interesting. More albums like this! This is an instrumental album that is both soothing and attention-grabbing. The melodies are at once unusual and familiar to a Western listener, especially with the mix of traditional instruments and guitar — it's immediately clear where George Harrison, Bob Dylan, and other 60s/70s rockers who dabbled in Eastern music got their inspiration from (and if George was a fan, I'm a fan). These sounds aren't totally foreign to anyone familiar with Balkan, Klezmer, or Middle Eastern music, which goes to show that we're all more connected than we sometimes think. Also, the history of how the slide guitar made its way from Hawaii to the southern US and on to India is fascinating. The third track (Nat Bhairav) was my favorite — that tabla beat makes you want to dance. The next track, Raga-Desh also had a really great groove about halfway through. The dynamic range on the title track is amazing — the flute takes up so much space and feels like it's right in the room with you. 5/5

Hot Rats

Frank Zappa

5/5

I haven’t listened to much Zappa, but I know his reputation, so I was ready for some crazy stuff. It wasn’t as nuts as I thought it would be. Definitely a journey. Definitely experimental. But it was kinda cool. Very cool, actually. And very catchy. It has a real jam-band vibe to it, but it’s an interesting mix of blues, funk, rock, jazz (maybe even some klezmer?), and random sound effects thrown in. The lyrics to Willie the Pimp are kind of yikes, but the music is fun. Son of Mr. Green Genes is like going on a wild journey through some fantasy video game world. Also, as a Philadelphian, I’m (embarrassingly) just learning where local band Mr. Greengenes got their name from, so that’s fun. Little Umbrellas feels like a big departure from the songs before it, moving into more free jazz compared to the bluesy rock of the earlier tracks. It’s still interesting to listen to, but it’s kind of a jarring shift in mood, especially since the next track goes back into bluesy rock. The closing track It Must Be a Camel returns to the mellow free jazz, another cool but slightly jarring track. I’m tempted to knock the score down a smidge only because of the way the two jazzy songs interrupt the flow of the album, but it’s still so good that I’m willing to round up. It’s probably a 4.5-4.75, but I’ll give it a 5 rather than a 4.

Being There

Wilco

3/5

Wilco is one of those bands I used to hear about all the time growing up. They were hailed as some sort of indie rock gods, but I never got around to listening to them. After hearing this album I don't really get the hype. Maybe their later stuff is better, but I'm not sure what's so special about this one. It's a mix of pretty run-of-the-mill alt country and generic alternative (think somewhere between Ryan Adams and Oasis). The first track, "Misunderstood" was pretty cool, and there are a handful of decent songs on here — mostly the rock ones. The country ones I could do without. But there's really nothing special about this album. This wouldn't stand out in a sea of generic 90s rock bands, and they often sound like they're trying to be other bands — "Monday" is essentially a Rolling Stones song. "Outtasite (Outta Mind)" almost sounds like something the fake band The Oneders would have sung in That Thing You Do. Lyrically, the songs all pretty much cover the same topic — a guy is sad over his lost love and is having trouble moving on. Like, every song. And there are 19 of them. That's way too many songs. Maybe if this album had been pared down to the best tracks, there might be 8-9 songs to make a decent album here. But as long as it is, and with the weird bouncing back and forth between rock and country, it got really tedious to slog through. By the time I got to "Outta Mind (Outta Sight)," I perked up for a second because I thought I was about to hear the Sesame Street theme song. Seriously, it's the exact same chords. I was almost angry it wasn't, because it would have been a refreshing change from the same boring subject. I'll let Jeff Tweedy's own lyrics sum up my thoughts on this album: I keep on singing Your eyes they just roll It sounds like someone else's song From a long time ago 3/5

Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1

George Michael

3/5

This was an interesting album. I'm not sure if interesting is good (but am open to it growing on me). The lyrics, for the most part, are pretty good. Michael's voice is good. It's certainly an ambitious project. The musical compositions are more of a mixed bag. This album tends to yo-yo between traditional, mostly acoustic, pop songs and melodramatic, overwrought tracks that are part Broadway and part lounge music. The latter songs tend to be overly long (though most of the songs could be cut down) and unfold in meandering narratives with no real chorus or hook. "Cowboys and Angels" is probably my least favorite track — it's way too long and has a cheesy, dated sound as if he was attempting to write a Bond song. "Waiting for that Day" seems to needlessly go out of its way to sample "Can't Always Get What You Want" by the Rolling Stones, and while it's a decent song, it probably could've been better with an original melody that doesn't make it sound as derivative. "Soul Free" is a really cheesy sounding new-age song that's somewhere between Madonna, Ace of Base, and John Tesh. The best songs are here are the acoustic guitar ones: "Freedom," "Something to Save," "Heal the Pain," "Waiting (Reprise)" 3/5

Channel Orange

Frank Ocean

4/5

I somehow missed the whole Frank Ocean thing. I remember everyone talking about him and all my friends listening to him, but I never did for whatever reason. I was pretty sure I'd never heard one of his songs, but I realized I knew "Thinkin Bout You" and just never knew who sang it. I really liked this album. It sounds fresh, and it's vibey. He's got a great voice — sort of like a cross between Usher and Stevie Wonder. The lyrics are clever and often funny. The mix of R&B, soul, electronic, and rock is a good combo and reminds me of Prince or Janelle Monae. The guest features from John Mayer (or his guitar, really) and Andre 3000 were cool. The only reason I'm not giving it a 5 is because I'm just never going to be an interlude fan (even though they're more tolerable here than most). It's also kind of long — I wouldn't necessarily say overly so, but because Pyramids is almost 10 minutes, I feel like a couple other songs could've been cut to tighten it up a bit. 4.5/5

1977

Ash

3/5

Another Britpop band I’ve never heard of. The first track sounds like Weezer crossed with the Buffy theme song. Cool guitar solo, though. Second track sounds like if Rivers Cuomo became the lead singer of Lit (to be fair, I loved Lit back in the day). Another fun guitar solo. The more this album went on the more I kept thinking about how much they sounded like Weezer, sometimes crossed with a bit of other bands (Oasis, the Beatles, Lit, Travis, Ramones, etc.). Then I got to “Kung Fu,” which I guess is their racist version of “Buddy Holly”? Reading that they in fact opened for Weezer was the least surprising thing I’ve learned all week. Look, this was a catchy album, even if it is repetitive. The lyrics are decently written but trite. Every song is about the same thing — a guy obsessed with a girl who’s not there. The musicianship is pretty good, and there are cool guitar solos on almost every song. The lead singer is good, but he sounds like a carbon copy of Rivers Cuomo. Actually, he’s a little less annoying than Rivers. Is there anything special about this album that I needed to hear before I die? If there is, I must be missing it. To me it sounds like any number of Weezer soundalike bands from the mid to late 90s. There’s nothing memorable about it that would make me want to listen again. 3/5

Rio

Duran Duran

3/5

This was fine. It’s dumb pop music for when you don’t want to really pay attention and you’re just looking to dance. There’s a place for that kind of music, and there are much worse things to listen to. But I’m never going to be a huge Duran Duran fan. Duran Duran are the hair metal equivalents of post punk and new wave music. It bothers me that they were so much bigger than bands like The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, New Order, and Oingo Boingo. Everything about them seems like it was purposely crafted to be easily digestible to MTV audiences. There are some really catchy, funky guitar and bass riffs on this album, I’ll give them that. And it is kind of a fun album when all you want to do is clean the house or have some danceable music on in the background. But the lyrics are either vapid or make no sense. And while Simon’s a competent singer, he sounds like a million other new wave guys. The songs end up kind of running together after a while because of the similar synth pieces in every song. It’s disposable popcorn music made by guys who never hid the fact that they wanted to be famous and get girls. I guess I have to respect them for being up front about it. And I know it’s cool to dunk on them for that and act above it, but really, what else is there to say about them? The last two tracks on the album are also just really annoying. The Western showdown-style whistle riff thing of the synth on “Save a Prayer” is weird and distracting. And the “The Chauffeur” is one of the most annoying things I’ve ever heard. The flute flourish reminds me of the White Lotus theme song every time I hear it, and I always end up skipping the song if it comes on my streaming playlists. 3/5 — It’s not terrible, but if I never heard this album again I’d be just fine.

Vento De Maio

Elis Regina

4/5

This was difficult to find, as it doesn't seem to exist on streaming (it's apparently some random compilation that came out in 1998, but the book lists it as coming out in 1979?). I eventually found it as a playlist on YouTube and had to listen to it with a bunch of annoying ads in between. I enjoyed it. Parts of it definitely sound dated — there's a lot of disco and 70s-pop piano/synths a la Carole King and Stevie Wonder, and it has its cheesy moments. But the mix of pop, blues, jazz, prog rock, and bossa nova/traditional percussion was a fun ride. She was a talented vocalist with a versatile voice, able to belt out on faster songs and bring it down to a soft croon on ballads. Her improvs and scatting on songs like "Aprendendo a Jogar" were entertaining, though they didn't always land — she definitely wasn't afraid to get wild like Janis Joplin, even if it resulted in a bit rougher of a vocal. She sounds kind of like an edgier Sade that way. I'll give it a 4/5. It's probably a 3.5, as I didn't love every song, but it was a nice change from a lot of the typical stuff on this list.

Bone Machine

Tom Waits

3/5

Granted, this is only my second of five (!) Tom Waits albums on here. But this is what bothers me about a lot of this list. Rather than being a collection of truly innovative and influential albums, I feel like a lot of this list boils down to Robert Dimery being a really big fan of certain artists and insisting that you listen to everything they’ve done, whether it’s warranted or not. Early Beatles vs. Sgt. Pepper's Beatles? Clearly a very different band, and it’s worth exploring the evolution given their influence on all of rock and pop music. Seventeen Seconds vs. Pornography vs. Disintegration era The Cure? Might as well be different bands, and each album was hugely influential. Makes sense (but they're also my favorite band, so that's my personal bias). But do we really need five albums of Tom Waits doing his weird Oscar the Grouch sings the creepy blues act? Do we need SIX albums of Elvis Costello whining over the same cliche guitar riffs? There are so many artists who should be on this list who aren’t: Savage Garden, No Doubt, John Trudell, Skinny Puppy, Nightwish, Shakira, Juanes, Maná, Alabama Shakes/Brittany Howard, Brandi, Monica, etc., who are left off in favor of repetitive albums from the same artists or the hundredth cookie-cookie electronica act. All that said, this probably isn’t fair to Tom Waits — I’m clearly not giving this particular album an objective assessment. But even if I was, it would just be an okay album for me. It’s more of the weird, creepy blues that I heard on Swordfishtrombones. Some of it’s vaguely catchy, some of it’s sort of cool, some of it’s just annoying. At 16 tracks, it’s way too long. And I'm not looking forward to going through this three more times. 3/5

Endtroducing.....

DJ Shadow

5/5

Oh goodie, another super long electronic album. -_- Hey, at least this guy actually put in real effort to make this, combing through and cutting snippets of vinyl instead of just making digital loops in GarageBand. Though I’m not sure how he makes any money off of it with all the royalties he probably has to pay. There’s an interesting mix of influences on here. Obviously, he owes everything to old school hip hop. But there’s also plenty of soul, jazz, classical, rock, metal, and even shoegaze influence on these tracks. And it’s fascinating how someone who doesn’t truly make his own music can influence future artists. I can hear a direct line from this to Linkin Park on several tracks (Mike Shinoda has confirmed him as an influence), especially on the beginning of “The Number Song” and “Stem.” Parts of it also remind me of the Gorillaz and that “Frontier Psychiatrist” song by the Avalanches that was everywhere in 2000. I didn’t hate this as much as I wanted to. I actually kind of really liked it, as much as it annoys me to admit that. It’s very atmospheric and immersive while at the same time being able to function as background music when you’re busy with other things. There’s also something oddly nostalgic about it, even though I’ve never listened to it before. It brings back memories of playing Tony Hawk Pro-Skater on Playstation and hearing song like “Kick, Push.” It’s very evocative of the late 90s. I can see myself listening to this again. Shit, am I going to give a 5 to an electronic album? What’s happening to me? Favorite tracks: “Building Steam with a Grain of Salt” “Stem/Long Stem” “Organ Donor” “Midnight in a Perfect World” 5/5

Exile In Guyville

Liz Phair

4/5

I remember when “Why Can’t I?” came out in 2003 and was everywhere all the time. Everyone complained that Liz Phair had sold out, but I had no idea who she was or what the fuss was about. I just didn’t really care for the song. That’s still the only song of hers I knew until putting on Exile in Guyville. This album is like a stripped down version of something Sheryl Crow might do if she had the edginess of Courtney Love instead of the sanitized edginess of “All I Wanna Do.” Which is kind of ironic considering Liz Phair seemed to be a bookish good girl in real life and this album was largely an exercise in creative writing. Yet somehow she manages to come off as authentic and vulnerable on these songs. They’re well crafted, well sung, and form a cohesive album that’s enjoyable to listen to. They’re a little grungy, a little poppy, and a little bluesy. I can’t speak to the claims that it’s a response to Exile on Main Street by the Rolling Stones because I mostly avoid their music (though I know I’ll have to get to it at some point for this challenge), but it’s still an impressive debut album either way. 4/5 (probably a 4.5)

Smokers Delight

Nightmares On Wax

2/5

Ugh. Nightmares on Wax is right. I'm not going to lie, I didn't really listen to this. I fast forwarded through most of the tracks to confirm that it's exactly what I expected it to be. I'm not wasting my time on another album of 9-minute instrumental loops. The cover of this album reminds me of those stupid glow in the dark posters stoners could buy at Spencer's Gifts, so the title of this album makes perfect sense. That's obviously the market this album appeals to. Boring electronica pretending to be jazz. Other than being "vibey" while you're high on your couch, I don't know why anyone would listen to this or why it's considered important. It's not unlistenable as background music, but there are a thousand AI-generated albums online right now that sound exactly the same. There's nothing special about this. 2/5

Five Leaves Left

Nick Drake

5/5

I smiled when I saw this assignment. Man, I love this album. Five Leaves Left is such a vibe. It’s the perfect album for a cozy, gloomy autumn day. It’s folk music, but it’s so much more than that. His voice is so smooth and mesmerizing, the lyrics of each song paint a picture, and the guitar work is great. They’re fairly simple songs, but the accompanying orchestrations by Fairport Convention (who I also love) are gorgeous and give the album a cinematic scope. It gets quite heavy and dark, but it's always beautiful. There’s definitely a cohesive sound to this album, which some people might find repetitive, but there’s so much detail put into these songs. There are country flourishes, soul ballads, orchestral dirges, even a jazzy mid-tempo song — there’s something different that stands out about each one. And the way the music is used to enhance the emotion you feel while listening to it is genius. It’s astounding that Drake was able to achieve this at 21 with his debut album. I also love Pink Moon, but I think this is his best work from a tragically short career. Highlights: Three Hours, Way to Blue, Day Is Done, Cello Song, Fruit Tree 5/5

Very

Pet Shop Boys

4/5

Oh my God, someone take the orchestra hit away from these guys. They abuse it to such an astonishing degree I almost want to report them to the ICJ for war crimes. Egregious overuse of keyboard effects aside, I enjoyed this album a lot more than the last Pet Shop Boys album this list gave me. It’s fun synth-pop dance music that also has a lot of heart. It’s a little cheesy and a lot melodramatic, but it’s also damn catchy. There’s something about this album that’s very 80s (even though it came out in 1993) but also somehow timeless. It has similarities to New Order’s poppier songs (NO was apparently influenced by PSB) but also ‘90s dance music and even ‘00s techno. I guess that’s to the band’s credit — they’ve clearly had a huge influence on pop and dance music, and a lot of their sound can still be heard today. I definitely hear their influence on my favorite band, Savage Garden (and Darren Hayes’ subsequent solo work). Their influence on other queer artists (or non-queer artists who’ve become queer icons) is apparent too — Madonna, Scissor Sisters, SOPHIE, Lady Gaga, etc. On the techno side, you can hear their influence on artists like Cascada, for example. It’s not a perfect album for me. It gets a little repetitive sounding, and some of the sound effects are quite annoying — that obnoxious high-pitched beep on “A Different Point of View” makes me actually appreciate the orchestra hit softening it a bit. But it’s pretty good, and I can see myself listening to this again. 4/5

A Girl Called Dusty

Dusty Springfield

3/5

Huh, I had no idea Dusty Springfield was British. I guess that explains why this random white lady is singing r&b and soul songs at the height of Motown? I knew a lot of these songs, but I didn’t particularly love her takes on them. She’s a competent singer, and she sings with a lot of passion — she can definitely belt (used to best effect on the closing track by Ray Charles, “Don’t You Know”). I also like the husky timbre of her voice. But there’s something about her tone I find off putting. It’s like a frog in the throat/country twang thing I can’t quite describe mixed with a bit of shrillness. There’s also often a sharpness that’s just not that pleasant to listen to. I wonder if that has something to do with her lacking the context/understanding of the importance of blue notes in this type of music. “Twenty-Four Hours from Tulsa” and “Nothing” seem to have her voice a bit lower in the mix, which softens some of the sharpness (the backing vocals help too). That’s probably why I think they’re some of the better songs on the album. “Anyone Who Had a Heart” is also a decent track, mainly because it showcases her smoother sounding upper register, as does “Wishin and Hopin.” The standout on this album is probably the Carole King-penned “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” though I still prefer the version by The Shirelles. In fact, on most of these tracks where there are more famous versions, I prefer the other artists over Dusty. This wasn’t a terrible listen, but I probably wouldn’t seek it out again. 3/5 (maybe 3.5 on a day when I’m in a good mood)

Since I Left You

The Avalanches

2/5

Australian artists who should be on this list but aren’t: Midnight Oil, Kylie Minogue, Savage Garden, Natalie Imbruglia, Powderfinger, Silverchair, Killing Heidi, Missy Higgins Instead we get another dumb electronic group. Robert Dimery clearly has a huge bias in musical taste, and it’s getting really irritating. “Frontier Psychiatrist” was and will always be a banger. The rest of this album is a mix of lo-fi beats and Daft Punk with extra noises added. It’s repetitive and boring, when it’s not just annoying. 2/5

Appetite For Destruction

Guns N' Roses

3/5

Meh. I never listened to GnR beyond the radio singles, and after finally listening to this album I feel like the singles are the only songs worth anything. The album’s not bad per se, but all of the songs sound very similar. A lot of them have cool intros but then the main song starts and it’s just more of the same. It’s like AC/DC — if you’ve heard one of their songs you’ve pretty much heard them all. The last couple of songs are slightly different, but the lyrics are bad. There’s not much substance to this album lyrically. Sex, drugs, and rock n roll. Also, who thought the line, “Cause I can turn on anyone/Just like I turned on you/I’ve got a tongue like a razor, a sweet switchblade knife” was sexy? Yeesh. While I was listening to this I had an epiphany that Axl sounds like Elmo doing his best Ann Wilson impression, and I will never unhear it now. 3/5 — basically one point for each of the singles.

Either Or

Elliott Smith

2/5

I really did not like this album. I thought I was going to be an Elliott Smith fan once I finally sat down and listened to him, but this album manages to be boring and pretty yikes at the same time. The music is dull — the same simple, uninteresting guitar parts song after song, and the lyrics are cringy. It's giving me the same vibes I get from Ryan Adams — an uninspired, whiny, ripped-from-the-diary type of album from a downtrodden, "sensitive" "nice guy" who can't understand why the world sucks and nothing works out for him ... when it's probably because he's kind of a dick to everyone. 2/5

Aladdin Sane

David Bowie

4/5

This was an interesting album. It’s a mix of 70s glam rock, experimental art jazz, and melodramatic rock opera. It feels a little longer than its 40-minute run time, but I liked it a lot. It definitely grew on me with a second listen. The first track kind of sounds like a mix between Tom Petty and the Rolling Stones (and there’s actually a Stones cover on here — “Let’s Spend the Night Together”). Both “Time” and “The Prettiest Star” could be Queen songs. You can also hear the influence of his friend, Iggy Pop. There are also clear blues and 50s R&B influences underlying a lot of the songs. Several of the songs are kind of abstract and a couple are nearly nonsensical. I guess this was the peak of Bowie writing snippets of lyrics and throwing them in a hat. And cocaine. So much cocaine. This album was hugely influential on Robert Smith, and I definitely hear it. I guess that’s where the ideas for some of The Cure’s crazier experimental sax pieces came from. 4.5/5 — not quite as good as Ziggy Stardust, but definitely one of the better Bowie albums.

Our Aim Is To Satisfy

Red Snapper

2/5

When the entire Wikipedia article for this album is a paragraph about it being included on Robert Dimery's 1001 albums list, how influential is it, really? We call that a circular argument. More annoying electronica. Just because it's played by a live band doesn't make it good. This album is basically a Linkin Park album with the vocal tracks removed. I'll admit the fourth track, "Don't Go Nowhere" and the seventh track, "Bussing" were kind of fun. The last two tracks are just obnoxious ambient pieces filled with ear-piercing sounds that'll make you grit your teeth. 2/5

In The Court Of The Crimson King

King Crimson

5/5

Never would have guessed that this proto-metal/prog record came out in 1969. It sounds like something from much later, though I suppose The Beatles had already done "Helter Skelter" and Black Sabbath was already working on their debut at the same time. I've known of King Crimson for decades because of Stephen King's Dark Tower series — one of my favorite series of all time — which incorporates the idea of the Crimson King for its central villain. But I'd never gotten around to listening to them aside from a song or two. This album is pretty trippy. It alternates between high-powered hard rock (21st Century Schizoid Man) and slower jazzy ballads like something The Beatles or Pink Floyd would do (I Talk to the Wind, Moonchild). There are flute and oboe solos on this! A lot of this album feels like a more sophisticated, better executed version of what Led Zeppelin were going for. I've listened to this a few times now. The first couple were more of a background listen while I was doing other things. I found it enjoyable but wanted to do a deeper listen. Really sitting down and listening with headphones and reading the lyrics is a very different experience. It goes from "hey, that's pretty cool" to "whoa, this is something special." I'm not always a huge fan of meandering, noodly prog songs. They often feel overly long and pretentious. But with a concept album about the apocalypse, it kind of has to be ambitious, you know? The big symphonic elements on this album lend an appropriate gravitas to the subject matter about a man feeling disconnected and disillusioned from a society that seems to be crumbling before his eyes. The lyrics are poetic and well done, the narratives managing to feel expansive and epic but claustrophobic and personal at the same time, really putting you in that end-of-the-world mindset. It's very cinematic. The length of some of these songs was off-putting to me at first glance — the shortest song is 6 minutes, with the longest getting over 12. But somehow it never feels overly long. There's always something new and interesting happening, and it's always moving forward rather than just stalling in place so the band can show off their musical chops. The music is organized intentionally to build atmosphere and create a specific mood. It's incredibly cohesive as a concept and an album. And even if each individual track is long, there are only 5 of them, so it doesn't feel like too much. The more I listen to this, the more I like it. It's clear that this was a massively important album that influenced a ton of artists. And it still holds up today. The content matter feels evergreen and the music timeless. 5/5

Scream, Dracula, Scream

Rocket From The Crypt

4/5

This ... isn't goth? I was not expecting a punk/hard rock band from that band name and album title. There's a horn section? Huh. Interesting. I guess "Born in 69" does sound like it could be part of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer soundtrack. I've never heard of this band in my life, which I've come to expect from Dimery's list. But for once I'm actually kind of surprised they didn't make a bigger splash in the US. It's very catchy and high energy, and I'm not quite sure why US audiences wouldn't be into them. Maybe it's just my own ignorance in not knowing them despite them supporting bands I did listen to, like Offspring and Rancid, but I have zero memory of these guys existing. At times this album sounds like a harder version of the ska bands that were popular at the time (Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Reel Big Fish, Save Ferris, even No Doubt). At other points they seem ahead of their time in that they sound a lot like the bands that became popular in the early 200s — Fall Out Boy, Pan!c at the Disco, My Chemical Romance, etc. There's also a bit of Elvis Costello, Tom Petty, and Pogues here. Maybe that's why they weren't bigger in the US — they're a little hard to categorize, and marketers might not have known what to do with them. Maybe if this album had come out a few years later it could've fit in better with bands like Lit, who they also remind me of. This is a fun album. The singer's voice sometimes teeters on the edge of grating, but there are enough harmonies and big melodic instrumentals to buffer it. It can be hard to make out the lyrics sometimes, so I can't comment too much on the songwriting without doing a deeper dive (lines like "It's all fine/why you crying/want some cheese with your whine" on Ball Lightning are a little cringe, but not the worst I've ever heard). But I don't think the lyrics are supposed to be the focus here. it's all about the high-octane music. And it definitely has that in spades. Wait, this is the same guy from Drive Like Jehu?? I haaaaated that album. This is so much better that it's honestly a little shocking that one dude is responsible for both. The album does start to lag in the middle. The songs blur together some with the same punk-beat drum part and heavy power chords in every song. The horn sections are more varied, but even they get a little samey since you come to expect one in each song. I'm not entirely convinced this album should be on this list, but at the same time I'm not that mad about it. It's a good album I wasn't aware of, and though they bear a resemblance to quite a few bands, there is something that feels different about them. They're kind of a pastiche of a lot of different styles, but it works. I don't know if this is an essential album that I needed to hear, but I'm glad I heard it. I'll give it a 4/5 but it's probably a 3.75.

São Paulo Confessions

Suba

3/5

I was surprised at how much I liked this. When I first heard the bossa nova mixed with electronica I was ready to hate it, but it's actually pretty well done. It's a little long and gets a bit repetitive, but it makes for nice relaxing background music. Not sure if it belongs on this list, but I guess it's cool to see something from outside of Dimery's British bubble. 3/5 (could be a 3.5 if I'm in the right mood)

A Night At The Opera

Queen

4/5

I'm pretty sure I listened to this album at least once before, but I don't really have any memory of it. Just looking at the tracklist, the only songs that stood out as familiar were "I'm in Love With My Car," "You're My Best Friend," and "Bohemian Rhapsody." The former I only really know because of the Queen biopic (Bohemian Rhapsody) — the scene of Brian and Roger destroying the kitchen in a fight at the studio while Brian roasts Roger for pitching such a stupid song was a highlight in an otherwise mostly cringe hagiography (also, poor Roger, they were so mean to him). The other two are obviously classic Queen songs. This album often sounds like what might happen if The Who and The Beatles did a collaborative album. That's not a bad thing. It's a fun album to listen to. I've always enjoyed the band's musical style and tend to enjoy most of their modern imitators as well (Mika, Scissor Sisters, The Darkness, etc.), so there's no real surprise there. Maybe it's because I grew up in a post-Queen world when so many acts had already adopted their style that it seems normal to me — like a lot of other Millennials, my first introduction to Bohemian Rhapsody was through "Wayne's World" — but for an album that advertises itself as an "opera," a lot of this album sounded surprisingly mellow and subdued. It must have been an insane album to put out at the time, but it just sounds like normal rock to me. It is cool that the music flows together so seamlessly — you can hear repeated musical motifs all over it, like part of the "You're My Best Friend" melody in "Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon," and elements of "Bohemian Rhapsody" foreshadowed in "Love of My Life." Lyrically, it's not as cohesive — if there's supposed to be a story here, I'm not getting it. Maybe I need to listen again and pay closer attention to the lyrics. As I said, this album is a really enjoyable listen. All the songs are well done and catchy, and it feels cohesive. Other than the three aforementioned tracks though, not much else stood out as particularly incredible. "I'm in Love With My Car" stands out because Roger sings lead on it, and "39" because Brian sings it. I enjoy both of their vocals and, as I noted with their second album, I like when the other guys get a chance to shine on vocal duties because they're all really talented singers; but while "I'm In Love With My Car" is a good song, the lyrical content does make it feel a little out of place on the album. The only other real standout is the excellent "The Prophet's Song," which actually goes through multiple movements as you'd expect from an opera, and is somewhat unsurprisingly the longest song on the album as a result. I say somewhat unsurprisingly because seeing the run time of "Bohemian Rhapsody" kind of shocked me. Is it really under 6 minutes long?? I always assumed BR was like 8 minutes long (not in the sense that it feels long, just in the sense that it's so epic). Of course, Bohemian Rhapsody is the reason this album is on this list, and for good reason. It is and always will be one of the all-time great rock songs and is still monumentally impressive 50 years (!) later. My one real criticism of this album is the ending. It should go out with a triumphant bang as BR draws to a close. Instead, they tack on a well done, but sort of baffling instrumental of "God Save the Queen" at the end that feels unnecessary and out of place and destroys the album's momentum. I would've left that track off. Overall, this album is just a string of consistently good songs. It fits very firmly into what I expect from Queen. I could see myself listening to it a lot, but I'm not sure it'll become an all-time favorite album. I'll rarely turn them off when a Queen song comes on, but I'm still mostly a greatest hits fan. 4/5

Dirt

Alice In Chains

4/5

I was born just a few years too late to really appreciate grunge while it was happening. I remember hearing all of it on the radio and listening to my older brother's albums (Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam), but I never really connected with it beyond a couple singles (Spoonman and Black Hole Sun were my jams). I remember being a little afraid of Alice in Chains at the time. They were loud and aggressive and kind of spooky (I have vague memories of what I think was the Unplugged performance — lots of atmospheric candles — so that probably didn't help). I was familiar with their big radio hits, but they all kind of blended together in my head. Case in point — I knew multiple songs on this album (Down in a Hole, Rooster, Would?) but never knew the names of any of them. I never sought out any of their albums at the time of release, and my brother didn't either. But I think if I had been a bit older they would've been right in my wheelhouse. So, this was my first listen to the album, and man is it good. And dark. I feel like it's the spiritual successor to The Cure's Pornography in a lot of ways, mixed with a bit of Black Sabbath (when they do the homage to Ironman on "Untitled" I was like, of course). This album is heavy, bleak, and relentless. There's a lot of pain, but there's also beauty. Lyrically it's well done. I like the introspective, self-aware narratives, but also that there are so many layers of meaning you can extract. Down in a Hole was apparently written by Jerry about his lifestyle choices contributing to the failure of his relationship, but it could just as easily be about Layne's struggle with addiction (and he certainly makes it sound that way when he sings it). Musically, AiC definitely has a signature sound, and it does drag a bit because of the somewhat repetitive soundscape. But some of the best Cure albums are like that too — the atmosphere set up by the music is part of the experience — so I can't knock it too much. The guitar intro on Rain When I Die is sick, and the effects are very Joy Division. I love the tribal, post-punk style drums on Sickman. Angry Chair almost sounds like a grunge version of a Siouxsie and the Banshees song. But the vocals, and particularly the harmonies, are probably the most impressive part of AiC for me. I always preferred the powerhouse vocals of Chris Cornell over the whiny screams of Kurt Cobain or the indecipherable moaning of Eddie Vedder, so it's no surprise that AiC would be a bigger draw for me. Out of the major grunge vocalists — Kurt, Chris, Layne/Jerry, and Eddie — it's crazy to think that only Eddie and Jerry are left. I think AiC probably doesn't get enough acknowledgment for their contributions to grunge and music more generally (I know they're one of the grunge big 4, but people are probably least familiar with them). You can definitely hear the influence of AiC in 2000s music [like Godsmack (obviously), Three Doors Down, Staind, etc]) — for better or worse. Some standouts for me were Rain When I Die, Rooster, and Down in a Hole. 4.5/5 — not quite perfect, but close

Here's Little Richard

Little Richard

3/5

I like Little Richard, and I own his greatest hits album. He was a talented singer and a great performer. But musically, most of his songs sound very similar. Seriously, you could sing the lyrics of most of his songs over any of his other songs and barely notice a difference. I'm good for 3-4 songs at a time, but then I just get bored. Even with every song being under 3 minutes and the whole album under 30, it still felt long. Historically important. Incredibly talented. Deserves to be on this list. But just not that much fun to listen to for a full album (I bet the concerts were fun, though). 3/5

Miriam Makeba

5/5

Loved this album. What a voice. I've always enjoyed the South African artists who have become popular in the West (Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Soweto Gospel Choir, etc.). I know of Miriam Makeba, but mostly for her activism. For some reason I never really explored her music that deeply and only knew her most popular songs. Her voice is smooth like butter and she effortlessly adapts to different styles — from South African folk songs to Indonesian lullabies (Suliram) to American jazz/soul (House of the Rising Sun, Where Does it Lead?, etc.). The music and the backing vocalists are great as well — really enjoyed the blues/jazz influenced folk sound and the mix of uptempo dance songs and slower ballads. The only low point on this album is One More Dance — Charles Coleman sounds like he's drunk off his ass and the laughing throughout the song is cringe-inducing. The version with Harry Belafonte is much better. 4.75/5 — docking a bit for the awful Coleman song, but that's not really Miriam's fault.

The White Album

Beatles

5/5

This album has some of my favorite Beatles songs of all time — "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Dear Prudence," "Blackbird," "Helter Skelter," "Happiness is a Warm Gun," "Revolution." Shockingly, not a single one made it to #1 on the charts. I also have flashbacks to high school every time I hear "Birthday," because that song would play if someone swiped in with their ID on their birthday (but that's not the Beatles' fault). This might be my favorite Beatles album — definitely top 3. And one of the few double albums I don't mind. There's really not a bad song on here, with the exception of "Revolution 9," which I could do without. And there are plenty of gems — besides the aforementioned ones, "Long, Long, Long" is another great Harrison contribution that further proves why he was the best Beatle (in my opinion). Most of the best songs are on the first disc, but the second half is pretty strong too. This album isn't as experimental as some of the others (which I don't think is necessarily a bad thing), but it's still eclectic. It has serious, heavy songs, it has quirky, humorous songs, it has orchestral songs, and it has arguably the first heavy metal song. Yet it still manages to flow pretty smoothly. 5/5

Seventeen Seconds

The Cure

5/5

Seventeen Seconds probably falls somewhere in the middle of where I rank the 14 albums by The Cure (that's probably heretical to most Cureheads). That's not because it's not a fantastic album; it's because they just have so many great ones. That said, this album is still a solid 4.75 for me. It has so many classic Cure songs, including "A Forest" and "Play for Today," which are both absolute bangers. It also has "M," "Secrets," "At Night" — there's really not a bad song on here. The storytelling in songs like "A Forest," "At Night," and "Seventeen Seconds" is top notch, which is even more incredible considering how young they were when they released this album. Simon's bass lines are iconic and infectious. Some of Robert's most enduring lyrics are on this album. And human metronome Lol Tolhurst was really the perfect drummer for the band at this time. Seventeen Seconds creates an amazing and cohesive soundscape and is one of the albums that wrote the blueprint for goth music. So many goth bands have blatantly copied "A Forest" over the years to the point where it's almost become a parody (Lebanon Hanover's "Gallowdance" is a pretty tongue-in-cheek nod to the song). If I had to lodge a couple tiny complaints about the album, they're that a) I wish there were fewer instrumental pieces, though they're still pretty great and work well to set the mood, and b) because the album really goes for that cohesive soundscape, there are a few songs that sound pretty similar to each other. Again, not a real negative, because they're still great. Whether I prefer cohesive, gloomy Cure or eclectic Cure really just depends on my mood on any given day. So, I'll give the album a 5 on here, and I really do love it. It's just that their catalogue is so insanely great that it's difficult to pick a "best" one — and as good as this one is, knowing that what came after it is even better just barely knocks it out of perfect for me. 4.75/5

Pink Moon

Nick Drake

5/5

I love how stripped down this album is — for the most part it's just Drake and his guitar. And there are some great riffs, like on "Free Ride." I just wish there was a bit more musical variety. This is a great album, but of the 3 Nick Drake albums, it's my second favorite (Five Leaves Left being my favorite). This one is famous for "Pink Moon," but there are too many other songs on the album that sound similar to it. Lyrically it's great, though it's a really sad window into Drake's declining mental health at the time. 4.5/5 (I'll give it a 5/5 since I can't do half stars because why not)

D

White Denim

4/5

This was another band I'd never heard of, and I was wary going into it based on some of the other stuff that's cropped up on this list. I was pleasantly surprised. They're like a higher energy, proggier version of Dispatch (it might be more accurate to compare them to State Radio), two of the few bands my brother and I could agree on when he was going through his otherwise terrible techno phase in high school and college. The musicianship on this album is top notch; the drummer does a lot of interesting things, and there are plenty of great guitar riffs and solos. The incorporation of strings and flute (River to Consider) works really well, even though it could have turned out cheesy and weird. The vocalist has a good voice and the lyrics are interesting — often political in a slightly abstract way. Highlights: Burnished, Back at the Farm, Anvil Everything, Drug, Bess St. Wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did. It's not quite a 5, but it's a strong 4.5, and I'll probably check out more of their catalogue. 4.5/5

Medúlla

Björk

4/5

I've been aware of Bjork forever but never explored her music. I know a couple of the big singles, like Army of Me, The Hunter, and the newest one, Oral, with Rosalia; and I've listened to/enjoyed the Sugarcubes. But Bjork was one of those artists who was always kind of cool but a little too weird for me. I might have to change that after hearing this album. Is it weird as hell? Yes. Is it cool and interesting? Also yes. This album is kind of like what would happen if you combined Pentatonix, Imogen Heap, Nine Inch Nails, The Hu, and a classical choir — all things I enjoy (I contain multitudes, okay?). This album runs the gamut from ethereal choral pieces to quirky pop songs to just bizarre stuff that doesn't sound like anything else. The fact that this album was made with minimal use of instruments and is mostly made up of vocals is insane. Bjork's voice is probably one of the most distinct voices in recent music history — that rich alto is instantly recognizable, and few people can make screaming and growling sound so good. Who Is It? is a certified banger, as is Triumph of a Heart — I can see why those were singles. Where is The Line? is a cool kind of industrial/choral song. Submarine and Oceania are also great but completely different vibes. The songs where she sings in Icelandic are cool too. This is definitely a strange album, but it's also really cool and atmospheric. And Bjork is one of the few modern musicians who really does something original. 4/5

Maverick A Strike

Finley Quaye

1/5

Who is this person? And what makes him notable besides the atrocious fake rasta accent? I got about three songs in before I couldn't take it anymore. Even if the accent wasn't terrible, his voice is just not good. Some of the music was okay, but it's nothing you couldn't hear on a lo-fi beats playlist. No thanks. 1/5

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

The Smashing Pumpkins

4/5

I only have to look at this album cover for "We Only Come Out at Night" to become stuck in my head, and I feel like I should deduct a star for that. It's an ear worm that gets very annoying very quickly. "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" was one of my first favorite songs as a kid, so there's a certain level of nostalgia that comes with the Smashing Pumpkins (before Billy ruined it with his turn toward the insane). That said, I'm more of a singles fan than a huge Smashing Pumpkins buff. I've listened to the first three albums (but really more as an adult) and enjoy them, but the only SP album I own is the Rotten Apples greatest hits compilation. Embarrassingly, I did buy the Zwan album when it came out. This album is good, but like most double albums, it's just way too long for me. It has some classic SP songs, like the aforementioned "Bullet With Butterfly Wings," "Tonight, Tonight," "1979," and "Zero." But by the time it gets to the second volume I've started to tune out. I respect the ambition of the project, but two hours is an insane amount of time to devote to one listening session, especially when not every song is a masterpiece. And I'm one of the rare people who doesn't hate Billy Corgan's voice (though I will never understand what he's singing on "1979" without looking at the lyrics in front of me). It's also not just because it's the "darker" half of the album — some of my favorite SP songs are the darker, heavier ones. I just feel like a lot of the second volume is filler. This album is certainly historically important, and "Tonight, Tonight" will always be one of the most impressive music videos ever made. But it's not an album I'll sit down and casually listen to very often, if at all. 3.5/5 (I'll round to a 4 since I can't do half stars).

Pacific Ocean Blue

Dennis Wilson

3/5

My initial thought when seeing this cover pop up was, man, Robin Williams (RIP) totally could've played him in a biopic (they definitely both had the same epic chest-hair sweater haha). It didn't immediately dawn on me that this was one of the Beach Boys. Then I pressed play on the album, and 10 seconds into the first song I was like, wait a minute. This album felt like a pretty ambitious project. The first couple songs are very in line with the Beach Boys' style — lots of 60s bluesy surf-pop riffs, lots of harmonies, the same kind of airy lyrical themes. The opening track, "River Song" has a very cinematic scope like some of the stuff off of Pet Sounds. But around "Moonshine," the album takes a turn toward weightier songs with a bit more gravitas. The lyrics and the music get darker and heavier. "Friday Night" is something I'd more expect to hear from a band like Dire Straits than the Beach Boys. "Dreamer" has a Parliament-Funkadelic vibe to it. Parts of the album are definitely a little overwrought — the bridge with the Christmas bells on "Dreamer" is a bit much. "Thoughts of You" starts as a stripped-down piano ballad and builds into a melodramatic Pink Floyd-esque piece that doesn't quite work. There's a lot of brass on "Time," though I kind of dig the banger it turns into on the way out. "You and I" is a cheesy mid-tempo soft-rock ballad that has echoes of "Kokomo" — the Beach Boys at their worst, in my opinion. "Pacific Ocean Blues," is reminiscent of a bluesy Bill Withers bop that teeters right on the edge of going over into cheesy territory. I liked "Rainbows" more than I was expecting to. It's another song that hovers right on the line of cheesy, but I'm a sucker for jangly guitars and harmonies. This album was a mixed bag. I think on balance I liked it more than I disliked it, though there are definitely some misses. But I respect the swing he took on it, and it shows that Brian Wilson wasn't the only talented member of the Beach Boys. I only listened through "End of the Show" as that's where the original tracklist ends. But I might come back and finish out the bonus tracks and Bambu at some point. Highlights: Moonshine, Dreamer, Time, Pacific Ocean Blues, Rainbows 3.5/5

Kenya

Machito

3/5

This is like an "I Love Lucy" soundtrack. I imagine Ricky Ricardo playing this down at The Tropicana. It's fun enough to have on as background music while cleaning or maybe at a party if the vibe is right. But it's not something I'd casually listen to. The music is well done, but the beats are kind of repetitive and it gets boring after a few songs. There are better Cuban artists out there I'd rather spend my time listening to. 3/5

A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector

Various Artists

3/5

Ugh, way to ruin Christmas. I hate Phil Spector. Besides being a murderer of people, I'm of the opinion he murdered a lot of music with his crappy wall of sound style. I'm not opposed to wall of sound — I quite like George Harrison's take on it. I just hate the way Spector does it, especially since he usually combines it with overwrought, schlocky orchestration that makes me want to gouge my eyes out. Nowhere is that more apparent than on this album. I'm a Jew (a lonely Jew), so Christmas music has never really been my jam. There are a few songs I rock with, but there are many more I can't stand. Most of the songs that I actively avoid are on this album, so that's fun. The singers and musicians involved in this album are undoubtedly talented. But the sum of everything turned up to eleven adds up to an overwhelming assault on the ears, not to mention that by track four all the instrumentation starts to sound the same and it feels like you're listening to the same song over and over. I'll give it a three because of the talent involved and the grudging acknowledgment that many of these songs have entered the canonical Christmas playlist. But Spector sucks, and Spector Christmas is no exception. Also, I thought "various artists" compilations were disqualified from this list, so wtf, Dimery? 3/5

All Things Must Pass

George Harrison

5/5

Slide guitar. Phil Spector. Eric Clapton. Religious themes. There are so many reasons I should hate this album. But this is one of my all-time favorites. George Harrison is just that good (I will forever be willing to die on the hill that he's the best Beatle). Does this album sound like it's from the early 70s? Absolutely. But in the best way. It's lush, it's wall of sound, it's experimental. Lyrically, it covers a lot of the spiritual themes George was known for throughout his career. It's clear he was searching for something, and he was inviting the listener to come along on his journey, but somehow it never feels preachy. And along with songs about his relationship with God (My Sweet Lord), there are also songs that explore spirituality in more abstract terms, like "Isn't It a Pity" which laments the all-too-human tendency to hurt the ones you love despite aspiring to be a more enlightened being. Songs like "Wah-Wah" (one of my favorites) also explore George's newfound freedom from the crushing pressure of being a Beatle and in the constant shadow of John and Paul. The fact that it was such a successful solo album proves that he was every bit as talented (who knows what other amazing Beatles songs we could've had if George had been allowed to have more input in the group?). Musically, this album experiments with a lot of genres and sounds, from gospel to liturgical chants to raucous rock to country western. Billy Preston's organ work and Eric Clapton's guitar work help elevate the album to even higher heights. If there's one valid criticism of this album it's the length. Very few releases warrant being double albums, let alone triple. But the first two discs of this album are pretty strong. And even the third one, which George intended as a bonus, has good stuff on it. I probably wouldn't listen to the third disc that frequently and might skip a couple songs on the second one if I didn't have a ton of time to do a full album listen. But when I'm in the mood for a long session, I'm perfectly happen to let it play through from beginning to end. I'm giving this a 5/5 in the full knowledge that I can't be objective about this album, but even if I wasn't a massive fan it wouldn't get less than a 4.

The Number Of The Beast

Iron Maiden

4/5

This is an album I bought in high school but somehow don't have much memory of. Other than the title track and "Run to the Hills," I don't think I listened to it very often even though I liked it. This was a fun little nostalgia trip. So glad to hear Bruce Dickinson's voice — when I got the first Iron Maiden album on this challenge it just sounded wrong without him. Good ol' Eddie's always there, though; you can always count on him. Iron Maiden is the kind of metal I enjoy (along with Black Sabbath and Judas Priest). It's loud and aggressive but also melodic and fun. It's somewhere between Rush and Metallica. None of that thrash garbage (Slayer sucks, don't @ me). The bass lines on this album are crazy good ("The Prisoner" is a standout for bass, as are "Number of the Beast" and "Run to the Hills"). There are a lot of interesting guitar solos and drum parts. And of course, that voice. Aside from Rob Halford, very few people can hit notes like Bruce — it's no coincidence that the band's success came once he joined as lead singer and they released this album. The album does a decent job of making the songs sound distinct, though there are moments when it blends together a bit. The lyrics are heavily focused on melodramatic fantasy/horror/history epics that toe the line of being cheesy sometimes, but in a fun way. One song that hasn't aged well is "22 Acacia Avenue," a paternalistic cautionary tale about a hooker and the John who wants to save her, Pretty Woman style — gross. The highlights of the album for me remain my high school favorites, the title track and "Run to the Hills." The opening to the latter might be one of the most iconic riffs in metal. The album has a couple weak spots but is a solid 4 and a reminder that I should explore more of the band's discography. 4/5

Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea

PJ Harvey

4/5

For some reason, both PJ Harvey and Nick Cave have been blindspots in my post-punk/alt rock exploration over the last couple years. I've skipped several Nick Cave albums on this challenge that I'll have to get back to — I don't know why, but he just hasn't clicked for me the few times I've tried to listen to him. But I recently binged Peaky Blinders (yeah, I'm late to the party), and having had both of them shoved down my throat throughout the series, they've grown on me a bit. I feel like it's finally time. I'm not sure how this album compares to the rest of PJ's discography (it certainly doesn't sound anything like "Down By the Water" which is the one song I know of hers), but I'm guessing this is more stripped down than her typical stuff. I'm digging it, though. She has a cool voice with a good range, and she knows how to use it for emotional effect, going high and whispery for vulnerability and low and growly for aggressive and angry (sometimes high-pitched howling as well). She reminds me of a more mellow Siouxsie Sioux. I like the confessional lyrics for the same reason — vulnerable and honest but with a gritty edge. It reminds me of Lisa Marie Presley's first album, which came out a few years after this one. Musically it's very late 90s/early 00s alt-rock — lots of acoustic guitars, still sort of a post-grunge sound but with bits of U2, Oasis, and Radiohead influence peeking through (I started typing this review while still listening to the album and had to laugh when the song with Thom Yorke came on — nailed it). If I have one complaint about the album, it's that there's not that much variation in terms of tempo. There are a few faster, harder songs ("This Is Love"), but for the most part it's mid-tempo and slower songs. There aren't really any bad songs, but it does get a bit monotonous. I'm still not sure where I'll land with Nick Cave, but I'm pretty sold on PJ Harvey. Definitely going to check out more of her catalogue after this. 4/5

Fleet Foxes

3/5

I avoided the 00's indie-folk movement like the plague at the time. Which is odd, because I actually enjoy a lot of folk music. It was just everywhere, and it all sounded the same, and it seemed so vapid compared to the politically charged folk of the 60s and 70s. I think at one point I may have attempted to download a couple songs by these guys just to find out what the hype was about — or maybe it the Mountain Goats? So many dumb animal-themed band names at the time — but I remember it sounding muffled and unintelligible, like it had been recorded in an underwater cave (maybe that was just the poor quality of the files I found). Anyway, other than White Winter Hymnal, which I knew from the dozens of covers that have been done (I'm actually quite fond of Kina Grannis' a capella version with her sisters), I went into this pretty much blind. It was ... fine. It's not as terrible as I remembered it being. The harmonies are nice enough. The music is okay background music. The lyrics are meh. But, and I say this as someone who's generally a fan of male singers with high ranges, that falsetto guy sure does get grating. And the overall sound gets pretty repetitive after the first few songs. It's a competent album, but I still don't really get the hype. It's pretty typical folk. Sometimes it's like a more stripped down version of the Beach Boys with a bit of psychedelia added in. But I still don't find anything about it to be earth shattering. I see that it's been listed as one of the greatest stoner albums of all time, and ... yeah, that tracks. 3/5

Sheer Heart Attack

Queen

4/5

This album was a lot of fun. I only knew two songs, (“Killer Queen” and “Now I’m Here”) but they’re all good. I like the mix of Queen’s heavier sound with the classic melodramatic harmonies they’re known for. It’s just a solid album of what you expect Queen to sound like. Not sure it's anything revolutionary as far as this list goes but would listen again. 4/5

First Band On The Moon

The Cardigans

3/5

Maybe the only song I heard more than "Lovefool" on the radio in 1996 was "The Macarena." Lovefool was one of those songs that I initially liked but ended up hating with a passion because there was just no way to get away from it. I think I largely wrote the band off because of that. Over the years I've come to appreciate The Cardigans a bit more — I thought their cover of "Iron Man" (which is featured on this album) was cool, and their appearance on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver a few years back was rather endearing. But I never sat down to listen to any of their albums in full until now. This album is hard to describe other than it's very 90s. It's a weird mix of 70s-style soft rock (complete with schmalzy flute solos), experimental art pop, and Sheryl Crow soft rock. And I'm not sure I really enjoyed it. Maybe repeated listens are required, but nothing really grabbed me on the first play through. It's good enough background music, but not something I'd go out of my way to listen to. The singles (Lovefool and Iron Man) are definitely the best songs on the album. I can see this being a hit with fans of Air and even Beck. For me it was just ok. 3/5

Copper Blue

Sugar

5/5

Oh, is this what Foo Fighters would sound like if they were good? (I said what I said, don’t @ me, dad rockers). This album sounds quite of its time, but there’s something about it that elevates it above some of its contemporaries. That’s probably because I’m a sucker for good melodies — I was always a bit more of a Collective Soul kind of kid over a lot of the grunge sound. These songs have the introspective, dark soul of grunge but with brighter-sounding music. In fact, “Hoover Dam” sounds like what would happen if The Cure wrote Collective Soul’s “World I Know.” There are actually quite a few sounds and effects on this album that remind me of The Cure’s “Wish” album that came out the year before (“If I Can’t Change Your Mind” came on as I was typing this sentence and it sounds like a Del Amitri take on “Friday I’m in Love.”) There’s a lot of post-punk and shoegaze influence here, which is great for me. There are bass lines that wouldn’t be out of place on a Sisters of Mercy album, and some songs sound like a more radio-friendly version of what the Pixies were doing around this time. I’m woefully unversed in most of Husker Du’s music, and based on this album, on Bob Mould’s work as a whole. I will definitely be correcting that. 5/5

NEU! 75

Neu!

4/5

Never heard of this group or album. It was an interesting ride. Very eclectic mix of art-pop/rock/krautrock with detours into Eno-style ambient music. Not sure I'd listen to this all that frequently, but I didn't mind it. Given that they influenced the Sex Pistols and Bowie, it's hard to argue against the significance of the album, even if it is new to me. 4/5

Revolver

Beatles

4/5

This was another Beatles album that I don't think I'd ever heard all the way through, though I knew a majority of the songs on it. I enjoyed this album a lot. It feels like a transitional album between their early pop music and the super experimental albums still to come, but it lands in a pretty good happy medium of interesting lyrics and a little musical experimentation while still retaining the catchy pop harmonies and hooks. The sitar and tabla on "I'm Only Sleeping" are cool, and a lot of the lyrics are clearly heavily influenced by the spiritual and drug-induced journeys they were starting to go on. Lyrically, most of the songs are well crafted, and thankfully there's not much of the creep factor that sometimes seeps into their songs (e.g., Norwegian Wood, Run For Your Life, Maxwell's Silver Hammer, etc.). "Eleanor Rigby" is definitely up there among their best songs ever. And "Yellow Submarine" is definitely among their worst (sorry, Ringo, not sorry). Fun fact — the violin part on Sisqo's "Thong Song" is apparently a sample of Wes Montgomery's 1967 jazz cover of Eleanor Rigby. 4.5/5 (giving it a 4) — not quite perfect, but one of the more enjoyable Beatles albums for me.

Siamese Dream

The Smashing Pumpkins

5/5

I kind of regret that I wasn't more into Smashing Pumpkins when they were in their prime. I remember my best friend bringing this cassette on the school bus a lot, but I was more of a casual, singles SP fan. It's only in the last few years that I've really started to explore their discography in depth. I think this is probably my favorite of their albums (with Gish coming in a very close second). I like the shoegazy vibe of a lot of it. The sound is cohesive across many of the songs, but there's enough variation in sound and tempo that it doesn't get boring. And some of my favorite SP tracks are on here ("Today" and "Disarm"). I wouldn't call it a short album, with several songs well over 5 minutes ("Silverfuck" is pushing 9 minutes!), but it's a lot more manageable than the sprawling double LP of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, with a lot less filler. I think SP were at their best in the earlier years, before Billy got so far up in his own butt (though a lot of Ava Adore is still really good). 4.5/5 (I suppose I'll round to 5)

Psychocandy

The Jesus And Mary Chain

4/5

The Jesus and Mary Chain is another post-punk/shoegaze band I've heard a lot about but haven't really listened to other than a song here and there. I enjoyed this album and have listened to it a few times since. That said, I know they're a hugely influential band, but I'm not sure if I really *get it.* Maybe it's because I wasn't there in 1985 when it probably sounded revolutionary, but to me it just kind of sounds like Joy Division's music with Echo and the Bunnymen's lyrics and the distortion turned up to 11. I guess it was innovative to put all those things together at the time, but to a 90s kid like me it just sounds like normal rock music (with a lot of feedback). In terms of the distortion and effects, I enjoyed this album more than MBV, because there are still strong melodies and hooks underneath the noise. There are moments where it's a lot, though — "Taste of Cindy" and "Never Understand" are a little painful to listen to with all the high-pitched feedback. And it tracks that these guys are Scottish, because the noise sometimes resembles bagpipes. All in all, it's a good album and I'll probably listen to it in the future (but probably not on headphones — god, that was a mistake). I'll probably check out some of their other stuff too. I'll give them their flowers for influencing the shoegaze genre, but I'm still not totally sold on it. 4/5

Want Two

Rufus Wainwright

3/5

I've never been a huge fan of Rufus Wainwright, but I've had a soft spot for him since first hearing his cover of "Across the Universe." There's something about his voice that manages to sound warm and soothing without crossing the line into annoying Kermit impersonation (but just barely). I've never listened to one of his albums though, so I the only other songs I know are "California" and his cover of "Hallelujah." I vaguely remember seeing him perform at my college back in the day for like $10, though I can't really remember anything about the show, other than that his sister Martha was also there and she had a good voice too. All that to say I didn't hate this album, but it didn't do much for me either. His voice is good, and he has an impressive range, both in terms of physical vocal range and genre. I'm usually not a fan of melodramatic baroque music, but I've heard worse than this (though I prefer the more conventional songs on here). I honestly wasn't paying super close attention to a lot of the lyrics. Mostly I just found it kind of boring, which is how I'd sum him up in general. A talented guy with a pleasant voice who makes music I don't really love. He seems like a very niche act, and I'm not really sure how much of an impact his music has on anyone outside of the small group who listen to him, so I'm not really sure why this album is on here. 3/5

The Scream

Siouxsie And The Banshees

4/5

Not my favorite Banshees album, but still a really good one. This debut is definitely early Siouxsie and the Banshees, when they were still weird art punks figuring out what the band was. It's also before guitarist John McGeoch and drummer Budgie joined and took their sound to the next level. The album opens with a weird, atmospheric mood piece set to the tune of Three Blind Mice. The rest of the album alternates between aggressive, discordant rock where Siouxsie often does more yelling than singing (including an f-bomb laden cover of The Beatles "Helter Skelter") and more upbeat, danceable tracks complete with handclap beats. There's another curve ball towards the end of the album with "Hong Kong Garden" — the album's sole single — a bright, poppy tune protesting the skinheads who would harass the staff at a popular Chinese takeaway frequented by the Banshees. It's arguably one of the first post-punk songs, and is a bop (though you could be forgiven for thinking it hasn't aged terribly well with its stereotypical "Chinese"-sounding keys). I'm not sure if I'd recommend this as an intro to Siouxsie and the Banshees to most people since it's a little less accessible than some of their other albums (Tinderbox or Through the Looking Glass might be better starting points), nor is it the peak of their quality (Juju, A Kiss in the Dreamhouse, and Hyaena for that). But it's still a really good album that's essential to the Banshees' catalogue and post-punk history. 4/5

Blunderbuss

Jack White

4/5

I didn't realize how many of these songs I knew. I was never a White Stripes/Jack White fan growing up — I always thought the music was kind of pretentious (Seven Nation Army being the exception). But this album was a banger. I've listened to it a few times since getting the initial assignment, and I think it's going to enter my regular rotation. I also discovered Little Willie John thanks to the cover of "I'm Shakin," so that was cool. 4.5/5

Bitches Brew

Miles Davis

4/5

This album is definitely jazz, but at times it sounds almost like funky prog rock (think Parliament-Funkadelic). I enjoy psychedelic rock, so I wanted to like this more than I did. It's not that I didn't enjoy it per se. It's vibey and interesting. It's just that I can't imagine ever having the patience to sit down and really actively listen to the whole thing. As background music it's fine. I can even see myself putting on "Spanish Key" (my favorite track on the album) on its own at some point. But a bunch of 26-minute improv instrumental tracks are just not something I'm ever going to pick to listen to — unless it's as background music, which doesn't seem fair to these musicians. I respect this album for what it is, the impact it's had, and for the incredible talent that Miles Davis and the other musicians clearly have. I'm glad I listened to this once. It's just not something I see myself revisiting. 3.5/5 (I'll bump it to a 4 since there are no half ratings)

Sound Affects

The Jam

3/5

The Jam is another one of those bands I'd been meaning to listen to but hadn't gotten around to yet. I knew they were influential in British rock, and I knew Paul Weller has become a bitter old arsehole, but that's about it. It's a pretty good album if not a little generic. It's 60s-influenced pop-punk with lots of catchy hooks and an acoustic feel on many of the songs. Lyrically, the songs range from simple love songs to vaguely political songs about working-class struggles. I can see why Chris Parry signed them and then signed The Cure a short time later — they both had a catchy pub-rock vibe early on. But it seems like The Jam got stuck in that rut and never really evolved, which is why they only lasted about five years. Musically it's pleasant but derivative. "Start!" sounds like a ripoff of The Beatles' "Taxman." "That's Entertainment" could be an Elvis Costello song. There are shades of The Clash, David Bowie, The Who and other bands on many of the songs, but there's never anything super unique. I'd never be able to instantly identify a song by The Jam. It's not hard to see why Oasis considers them a big influence — they have the same pastiche vibe of sounding vaguely like a bunch of other bands who've done things better. It's a catchy album. I liked it. I might listen to it again. Is it world changing, though? Meh. Highlight: "Music for the Last Couple" 3.5/5

1989

Taylor Swift

3/5

I'm neither a Swiftie nor a hater, so I have a hard time getting excited about this album either way. It was probably the first Taylor Swift album I listened to all the way through when it was released, and I enjoyed a few of the singles. At the same time, while it's decent enough pop music, it's also very typical Max Martin/Jack Antonoff/Ryan Tedder fodder, and all of the songs blend together after a while (which is how I feel about most of Taylor's music — the same two or three melodies over and over). I think Taylor deserves to be on a list like this, but more so for her impact/influence than her actual music. I think she's a competent songwriter, and I appreciate the vulnerable singer-songwriter lyrics. I can also appreciate how she's played with genre and her image over the years. For whatever reason though, I've never really connected with her songs the same way I have with other artists (or the way so many fans have with her). Even if not many of her songs have resonated with me personally, it's hard to deny the impact she's had on the music world. She has obviously influenced an entire generation of artists (for better or worse) given the endless copycats you can hear now. But I think her real strength is in her business acumen. She and Beyonce are probably the closest thing to a Madonna or a Michael Jackson we'll see in the 21st century. As for the album itself, it's fine. It's perfectly serviceable pop music. It marks a turning point in her music where she starts to shift from teen star into a more mature artist. And a few songs have decent staying power (and meme power — Starbucks lovers, etc.). When comparing the original album to the "Taylor's version" re-recording it's clear that her voice has improved over the years, though she'll never be a powerhouse singer. But this album is also really long and repetitive. Besides the singles, there's not a ton that stands out for me. After listening to it a couple times when it first came out, I haven't had any desire to listen to it again, and I had zero memory of the non-single tracks after putting it on for this listen. 3/5 — decent but not amazing

Follow The Leader

Korn

2/5

I was never a KoRn fan, which is interesting because I did own albums by Limp Bizkit, Disturbed, and Orgy (oh, to be a middle schooler again). I just never vibed with Jonathan Davis' whiny growling — how he manages to do both at the same time is as impressive as it is annoying. I will give him my grudging respect because he's responsible for Queen of the Damned, in my opinion one of the best soundtracks of the early 21st century; but that's mostly because he got other people to sing his songs (I still think Jay Gordon from Orgy should have been the voice of Lestat in the movie). Anyway, I digress. I'm still not a fan after listening to this album for the first (and last) time. The two singles, "Freak on a Leash" and "Got the Life" are okay, and the video for "Freak on a Leash" will go down in history both for its innovative visual effects and for bumping BSB and NSYNC from the top of the TRL chart (oh, to be a middle schooler again). I don't know, I guess it's not the worst album I've ever listened to, but it's not good. The dark power chords and the screechy, horror-movie guitar sounds mixed with rap rock just aren't for me. A lot of the songs sound very similar, with some new, random distortion noise being the only thing really distinguishing them from each other. And I'll never get the appeal of Jonathan's dog growl scatting obsession. The lyrics really haven't aged well, especially when adding Ice Cube and Fred Durst to the mix. I'm not sure if "aged well" is the right phrase, since they're pretty vulgar and juvenile to begin with, but that Jon and Fred "rap battle" on "All in the Family" sure is cringe. They really went all out on the casual homophobia ... and homoeroticism. Toxic masculinity is a hell of a drug. This album is just a lot of super aggro noise, which obviously played well with the male teen demographic they were targeting. But it never was and never will be my thing. The best thing about it is probably that Ross Robinson didn't work on it (I'll forever dislike him for what he did to The Cure's self-titled album). I can kind of see why it made the list — as much as I don't love the sound, it was pretty different from most of what was happening in music in the late 90s, and Korn should get credit (or blame) for ushering in the rap-rock/ nu metal trend that would dominate over the next decade or so. I'm just happy to never listen to it again. 2/5

Bubble And Scrape

Sebadoh

3/5

This album definitely sounds like a Dinosaur Jr side project. The more post-punk songs like “Emma Get Wild” and “No Way Out” are cool. Some of the more grungy songs are a bit boring. I don’t love all the yelling Dinosaur Jr does, but I didn’t mind “Flood.” “Homemade” is probably my least favorite song. Unfortunately it’s also the longest song. It wasn't a bad listen, but I don’t know if I’d play it much again in the future. Half of it feels pretty generic, but there are some interesting songs. Not sure it really belongs on an all-time list. 3.5/5

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Elton John

3/5

This is the most 70s thing I've ever heard. The Moog synthesizer, the melodramatic orchestrations, the wall of harmonies in the background. When everyone from The Who to Pink Floyd to Queen to Wings were trying to make rock operas, this album definitely fits in. I've never been a big Elton fan aside from some of the bigger singles. Several of them are on this album, so I wasn't dreading it quite as much as that terrible country-western album of his I had to suffer through. I still wasn't looking forward to it, though. Seeing that the opening track is 11 minutes long did nothing to reassure me. But I have to admit, the bass lines and guitar riffs are pretty sick, the piano is fun, and the weird Reading Rainbow synth lines have an odd charm. The next three tracks should be very familiar to even the most casual music listeners: "Candle in the Wind," "Bennie and the Jets," and "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (though as a Millennial, I'm more familiar with the Princess Diana remake than the Marilyn Monroe original — it was actually one of the first singles I ever bought. And I still find it weird that he recycled a memorial song). Bennie always gets on my nerves by about the halfway point, but Goodbye is one of Elton's best songs. By track 5 we're already 20 minutes deep, with another almost hour to go. Oh boy. As with most double albums, not every song is a winner. "Jamaica Jerk-Off" is amusing to say ... less amusing to listen to. "Ive Seen That Movie Too" is a better song, but it's basically a musical mash-up of "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and "Bennie and the Jets" with different words. Then we get into the meat of Bernie Taupin's morality tales and problematic lyrics over the next several songs, with "Dirty Little Girl" being the peak of the ick. Actually, very few of these songs are winners (in my opinion). It gets a bit repetitive musically, and the lyrics are ... not great. I kind of zoned out for a while until the other big hit, "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)." By the last three songs I was kind of over it. It is both admirable and insane that the actual writing of this album took about three weeks total and that Elton allegedly wrote most of the music in three days. Cocaine is a helluva drug. But perhaps that's why several of the songs sound similar and why so many of the lyrics aren't great. I can't say I loved this album. Honestly, besides the opening track and the four singles I can take it or leave it. Elton's just always been a singles guy for me, and the more albums I listen to, the stronger that opinion becomes. I really dislike a lot of Bernie Taupin's lyrics. If you're the kind of person who only pays attention to the music and doesn't listen to the lyrics, I can see the appeal of Elton John. A lot of this album is fine to listen to, musically speaking. But the lyrics drag it down a lot. Elton John is undeniably an iconic artist who has been hugely influential on music, fashion, and gay culture. I understand why many of his albums are on this list from a historical perspective. But they're not my favorite. 3/5

It's A Shame About Ray

The Lemonheads

2/5

I couldn't remember why I knew this band's name until the album finished playing and their cover of "Mrs. Robinson" came on after. Oh, right. That's why. It's still the only song of theirs I liked. The album ranged from generic rock to obnoxious noise, and I didn't enjoy much of it. 2/5

A Hard Day's Night

Beatles

2/5

I've never seen the movie, so maybe I'm missing something, but this was a hard one to get through. Of course there are the mega hits, "A Hard Day's Night" and "Can't Buy Me Love," and I know several other songs from "Across the Universe" (the movie) — and I'll be honest, I like the soundtrack versions better. This album just sounds kind of rough. Their voices/harmonies aren't as tight as they should be, a lot of the songs are the sappy, generic love songs they were known for in the early days, and a lot of the music sounds similar to the point that the songs become almost interchangeable. Not a fan. 2/5

Orbital 2

Orbital

2/5

Have you ever wondered how Alex must have felt during the torture scenes in A Clockwork Orange? Listen to the opening and closing tracks of this album, and you might have some idea. More electronica, yay. While this wasn’t the worst example I’ve ever listened to, I still have no idea how anyone can enjoy this kind of music outside of the context of a club. And even then, who wants to dance to the same incessant loop for over nine minutes? No thanks. 2/5

Rising Above Bedlam

Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart

4/5

This album is like post punk mixed with those new-age groups you'd hear on the Pure Moods commercial in the middle of the night in the 90s. It's at once a bit ahead of its time and also SO of its time. A lot of it is kind of appropriative, but at least the singer has Egyptian heritage, so it's not completely out of pocket (maybe?). It doesn't surprise me that Peter Tosh disciple Sinead O'Connor ended up on this record. Nor did it surprise me to find out other people involved with this project were connected to PiL and Bauhaus/Love and Rockets. Look, is it kind of cheesy? Sure. But it's also quite fun. I'm a sucker for Spanish guitar, soaring electric guitar riffs, cool bass lines, and artists who sing in multiple languages. It's part of why I'm a big Shakira fan. In terms of impact and worthiness of being on this list, I don't know. I've never heard of this group or this album, and I'm betting most people outside the UK haven't (and likely many inside as well). But was it an enjoyable listen? Hells yeah. Judge me all you want. 4/5

Sunshine Superman

Donovan

4/5

I know some of Donovan's bigger singles (Catch the Wind, Mellow Yellow, etc.) but had never listened to any of his albums. It's kind of strange how Donovan was in the same orbit as the biggest acts in history — Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles , Led Zeppelin — but has ended up as more of a footnote in comparison. I'm sure accusations of his copying Dylan and his record releases being hamstrung by contract fights with his label didn't help, but it's still surprising that more of his catalogue isn't as well-known (or maybe that's just me?). In terms of the actual album, it was a pretty good listen. It's definitely eclectic, jumping from acoustic folk ballads to bluesy rock to psychedelic pop — it's part Van Morrison, part Nick Drake, part Rufus Wainwright. I didn't realize he did Season of the Witch, but I knew the song as soon as it came on — it's probably my favorite track off the album. He has a good voice, though his phrasing is sometimes odd, and he does sound a little like Neil Diamond at times. Some of the folkier, medieval fairytale songs get a bit repetitive after a while. I did enjoy the album for the most part, and his influence on music history is clear. It's not one of my all-time favorites, but I'd listen to this again. 4/5

OK

Talvin Singh

3/5

If they ever make a Blade sequel that takes place in India, this should be the soundtrack. This was a weird album. Parts of it were typical, boring techno, parts of it were typical, boring new age/world music, and parts of it were a combination of both, which was hit and miss. Combining drum and bass music with tabla and other eastern instruments and vocals was not something I had on my bingo card. But, with a few exceptions, once the novelty wears off it starts to get annoying. There's also not really anything that interesting happening with the vocals. It's more about repetitive loops than any real verses or song structure. As with most techno artists, my biggest complaint with this album is that most of the songs way overstay their welcome. There are only a handful of tracks under 5.5 minutes, and two of those are more like interludes. The last three tracks are pretty bad. This is an interesting experiment, but it works better as an idea than in execution (at least on this particular album). It came out during a time when new age/world music was hot, and it stands out a little compared to a lot of the other offerings of the time; but that doesn't automatically make it good. I wouldn't say I regret listening to this album, but it definitely isn't something I needed to hear and isn't something I'll listen to again. Best songs: Sutrix, Eclipse (although the song is about 3 minutes too long), OK, Light 3/5 (probably more of a 2.5)

The Man Who

Travis

3/5

Does this album resemble a more radio-friendly version of Radiohead or a tamer version of Oasis (they even name drop Wonderwall on two separate songs)? Yes. Did I have it on constant rotation when it came out? Also yes. I totally understand if people find this album bland and uninteresting. I remember my own mother once asking if I could put on something else because this album was making her sleepy lol. I probably wouldn't include it on a list of albums you absolutely must listen to in your life — it's a competent album, but it's not really innovative or influential. But damn it, I love it anyway. This album reminds me of the folkier aspects of 70's acts like George Harrison or Cat Stevens. Even if it's derivative of better albums that came before it, I'm a sucker for jangly guitars and harmonies. I don't know why Travis spoke to me when so many similar bands didn't. But for whatever reason, this album and their next album, The Invisible Band, are some of the few I've kept in my personal music collection for over twenty years, and I still dig them. I'd take Travis over Oasis or Coldplay any day — if nothing else, Fran is the strongest singer out of the three. Sometimes you just like what you like and you can't explain why. "Driftwood" and "Turn" are and will always be bangers, and that's a hill I'll die on. This album is also cool because it included a secret track at the end, which was always a fun easter egg in the CD era (it's also a much darker and heavier song than anything else on the album). Personally, this is a 4/5 for me. Trying to be objective about it, I'd give this a 3/5. It's a good album with repeat playability (in my opinion at least), but I agree with people who don't think it belongs on this list. Therefore, I'll give it a neutral rating. And I'll continue to listen to my boring, beige music, thank you very much.

Little Earthquakes

Tori Amos

4/5

I never got into Tori Amos during her heyday and only knew a couple of her songs going into this. I enjoyed this album more than I was expecting to. I'm not sure I would have appreciated it as much a few years ago, but after getting more into post punk it makes more sense to me. This is definitely an eclectic and "quirky" album. I was prepared for a lot of slow piano ballads, and there are plenty of those. But I wasn't expecting it to be as dark and as heavy as a lot of it was — not just in terms on lyrics, but in terms of sound. A lot of this album reminds me of Kate Bush, but several songs also remind me of Siouxsie and the Banshees ("Girl", "Precious Girl," Little Earthquakes") which I would not have guessed. Even the songs that are mostly piano and vocals are very atmospheric, using odd chord progressions, eerie-sounding high notes, and choppy playing to great effect. Lyrically, Amos is really talented. The themes are pretty dark, with lots of deeply personal songs about bad relationships, loss of innocence, feeling lost, etc. "Me and a Gun" is especially harrowing, as it's essentially a retelling of a terrifying and horrific rape she experienced. Because of the themes and the heaviness, it might be worth breaking up into a few listening sessions. But it's also one of those albums that benefits from multiple listens to properly absorb the lyrics and narratives. I'll be checking this one out again and probably exploring more of her catalog. 4/5

Maxinquaye

Tricky

2/5

I know Tricky is one of the biggest trip-hop artists, but the only song I really knew was "Excess" from the Queen of the Damned soundtrack. I've always loved that song (and I just found out Alanis Morissette is on that track — what?!), so I had high hopes for this album. Unfortunately, while it starts out decent, it didn't really hold my interest after about the third song. I've never been a huge fan of groups like Massive Attack or Goldfrapp, and this album didn't change my mind. The music and beats start to become repetitive, and a lot of the lyrics seem like he's trying too hard to be edgy. Martina Topley-Bird's vocals are great throughout, and there are a few catchy songs, but it was overall meh for me. 2.5/5

The Cars

3/5

I'd never listened to a whole Cars album before but knew the big singles — 3 of which are on this album. This was a decent listen. Overall the songs are catchy, but they tend to get repetitive (Let the Good Times Roll especially). I liked a few of the deeper cuts more than the singles, but nothing really stood out. There is some experimentation with sound — I forgot how country My Best Friend's Girl was — but it's fairly standard 80s pop-rock. Some of the songs sound like a combination of Queen and Talking Heads, which was kind of interesting. It's a competent album, but not groundbreaking for me personally. 3/5

Butterfly

Mariah Carey

3/5

Mariah is one of the most iconic singers of the twentieth century and has written or cowritten more hit songs than almost anyone. She absolutely deserves to be on an all-time list. Some of my favorite songs ever are Mariah's (Always Be My Baby was the first single I ever bought). That said, I'm much more of a Mariah singles fan than an album fan. The only full album I ever purchased was Rainbow, and though I've listened to most of the big albums once or twice, none of them left much of an impression on me. The list of collaborators on Butterfly is pretty mind blowing — Missy Elliott, Bone Thugs, Elton John, Dru Hill, Walter Anafasieff, and that dude in jail we won't mention... There's even a Prince cover. And yet, the album is still kind of lackluster (at least in my opinion). Besides the singles, it's kind of boring in a lot of spots. This was the era when Mariah was starting to break away from the demure crooner her record label wanted her to be and leaning more into her sexy, "urban" side. But this album feels like she's still figuring things out and isn't sure which path she wants to go down — not that she should have to pigeonhole herself into a particular box, mind you — but what results is an odd mix of adult contemporary ballads, sultry r&b, and hip-hop adjacent jams that doesn't quite gel together into a coherent album. It feels like she's trying to please every possible audience at once and ends up not totally succeeding with any of them. Mariah's songs also have a tendency to retread the same territory over and over — similar melodies, the same themes, etc. Even the Bone Thugs song sounds like they just rewarmed the melody from Crossroads. There's a lot of talent on this album, and I don't know if I'd say any of the songs are truly bad. But at almost an hour long, there's a lot of filler that could have been cut and songs that could have been shortened. Again, all the respect in the world for her, but I'll be sticking to the Mariah #1s. 3.5/5

My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts

Brian Eno

2/5

Recorded before Remain in Light but released after it, My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts is a good companion piece to the Talking Heads' album in that it's a similar study in looping/samples and how to be a culture vulture. Similar to Remain in Light, this album makes extensive use of samples and loops, drawing heavily from African music; but this album also draws from American funk and Arabian music, including using several spoken-word clips from preachers, politicians, and apparently an exorcist? Unlike Remain in Light, this album leans more heavily toward the ambient/electronic sound Eno is known for, creating mostly soundscapes and movements rather than typical songs. It was an interesting listen, at least at first. But at an hour long, it soon gets kind of stale. And as someone who's not all that into electronic music, it definitely overstayed its welcome. It makes for ok background music, but it's not something I'd seek out on my own. I can see how this album would have been considered influential and innovative in its time, but it definitely feels like a cringey art project from a bunch of rich white dudes. 2/5

...Baby One More Time

Britney Spears

4/5

Look, I could pretend that I'm a sophisticated music listener and above this bubble gum crap, but I'm too old to care about being a music snob anymore. Also, it would be a complete lie. I was a twelve-year-old girl when this album came out, and I was obsessed. I still remember the first time I saw the video for "Baby One More Time" and immediately knowing everything was going to be different from then on. It wasn't long before that song was absolutely everywhere, and then Britney was as well. The rate at which she exploded was insane. I saw her on the tour for this album in 1999 at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia, which held just over 3,000 people. The next year, my gift to my childhood best friend at his bar mitzvah was tickets to her new tour (spoiler: why yes, he is gay) and we saw her at the E-Centre in Camden with over 25,000 of our closest friends. Okay, on to the actual album. It's bubblegum pop. There's nothing super profound here. But the songs are catchy, her voice is better than we gave her credit for at the time, and though he'd already had some minor success with Robyn and the Backstreet Boys, this is the album that launched Max Martin into the stratosphere and influenced the next decade or more of pop music (for better or worse). That said, even if you love cheesy pop music, this album isn't all winners. There are some pretty corny ballads and it does get a bit repetitive — the first half is definitely better than the back half. But there are plenty of bangers on here, and five of the songs were hit singles for good reason. The title track, "(You Drive Me) Crazy" and "Born to Make You Happy" are probably the best tracks. I personally prefer the video version of "Crazy", but the album version is still great in its own way. "Soda Pop" is ridiculous but annoyingly catchy, and the bizarre cover of Sonny and Cher's "And The Beat Goes On" is oddly endearing. I didn't remember several of the songs just looking at the titles, but my brain had no trouble digging up lyrics I haven't heard in over 20 years, so I guess that's a testament to the album's staying power. Maybe it's the nostalgia as I approach middle-age, and you can judge me all you want, but I still dig this album. I'm glad it's on here. 4/5

Suicide

2/5

This is one of those albums that you listen to once because of its legacy and influence and then never again. Super weird and unsettling. 2/5

The Trinity Session

Cowboy Junkies

4/5

In a weird coincidence, I'd never heard of Cowboy Junkies before this week, when their cover of "Sweet Jane" came up during a round of Lilith Fair-themed pub trivia. Now here they are as my assignment. I dug this album. I wasn't sure what to expect having only heard the one song, but the overall tone of the album is pretty cohesive. If you like a slow-burn blues/folk album and smooth female vocals, this is the one for you. At times it reminded me of Sarah McLachlan, Paula Cole, PJ Harvey, and Linda Ronstadt. With three of the four members being siblings, I also can't help but think of them as Canada's answer to The Corrs (with fewer harmonies) — not a bad thing for me as a fan of the Irish band. I'm not sure if I'd always be in the mood to appreciate this album, but it's the perfect vibe on this gloomy, rainy day during which I find myself listening to it. I like their take on alt-country (a genre I usually don't enjoy that much), and I like how the tracks are a mix of originals, covers, and hybrids (Blue Moon Revisited uses the melody of that classic song but has original lyrics). The sound production is cool too. Apparently the album was recorded live in a church with the whole band gathered around a single mic, and you can definitely tell (in a good way) — and more impressively, wasn't mixed or edited after the fact. The opening track in particular, a haunting folk dirge about the plight of mining workers, sung a capella by the lead vocalist, makes great use of the space they were in and is one of the highlights of the album for me. If I had a small complaint, it's that the album's tone is so cohesive that it starts to drag ever so slightly by the end. I might have enjoyed it more if it was a touch shorter, but it ends without overstaying its welcome. Glad I had the chance to listen to this one. 4/5

The Colour Of Spring

Talk Talk

4/5

This is an album I'm kind of conflicted about. There's some really good stuff on here, and "Happiness is Easy" is a staple on most of the 80s playlists I make for myself. There are some really fun guitar riffs, drum fills, and jazzy elements throughout the album, and it's got that dark, melodic atmosphere I enjoy from some of my favorite 80s artists (Peter Gabriel, Depeche Mode, The Chameleons, etc.). On the other hand, the album still manages to have a "sameness" to it despite the experimental bits. The first song starts off with great energy, but then it overstays its welcome by going on a bit too long (and this is my favorite song on the album, remember). That then carries through the rest of the album, as most of the songs sound like variations on the same melody and themes. By the time the closing track finishes (after over 8 minutes), it definitely feels like it's been a lot longer than 45 minutes. I think my biggest issue with it (and Talk Talk in general), though, is Mark Hollis' voice. Though not unpleasant to listen to, there's something about it that's a bit off putting to me. I can't say it's monotone, because he does have range, and the melodies are fairly dynamic; but it often feels like he's just droning on, and I've never really connected emotionally with anything he sings (I think that's why I prefer the No Doubt cover of "It's My Life" over the original). He reminds me a lot more of singers like Michael McDonald and Steve Winwood (who incidentally, plays on this album) — singers with objectively good voices that just do absolutely nothing for me. This is one of those albums that I listen to repeatedly, because it is mostly good, but I probably can't listen to more than once or twice a year without getting sick of. 3.5/5 (but rounding to 4)

I See You

The xx

2/5

Nah, this ain’t it. The first one of these I had to listen to from this band was at least decent generic post-punk. This is just generic meh pop music. No idea why they’re on here at all, let alone twice.

Blood Sugar Sex Magik

Red Hot Chili Peppers

3/5

I think most of us can agree that Anthony Kiedis is a trash human being. I think most of us can also agree that Californication is a trash album (definitely from a mixing and mastering perspective; from an artistic perspective, I realize art is subjective — but still, a lot of that album is trash). Anyway, that aside, I was kind of excited to listen to Blood Sugar Sex Magick. I'd never actually heard it in full, but all of the monster tracks I grew up hearing on the radio are on it. Under the Bridge and Give It Away are classic songs. If I'm not missing any, there are five tracks from this album that were huge singles. That's wild. Unfortunately, that's where the fun ends. There are 17 tracks on this album. SEVENTEEN. And despite being such good musicians, most of them start to run together after a while. And the lyrics. My God, the lyrics. RHCP will go down in history for having some of the dumbest lines of all time. And while Kiedis isn't the worst vocalist, more often than not, his garbled rap-rock makes him sound like Adam Sandler's "Waterboy" character. If this album had been the five singles plus another handful (I don't know which because, as I said, they all ran together after a while), it might have been a good album. But at seventeen tracks, I wanted to claw my eyes out by the end. 3/5

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