My 1001 Albums Journey

Album	You	Global	Diff
Trout Mask Replica Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band	5	2.29	+2.71
We're Only In It For The Money The Mothers Of Invention	5	2.47	+2.53
Dr. Octagonecologyst Dr. Octagon	5	2.7	+2.3
Tago Mago Can	5	2.79	+2.21
The Grand Tour George Jones	5	2.79	+2.21
69 Love Songs The Magnetic Fields	5	2.85	+2.15
Kilimanjaro The Teardrop Explodes	5	2.86	+2.14
Good Old Boys Randy Newman	5	2.86	+2.14
D.O.A. the Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle Throbbing Gristle	4	1.88	+2.12
Gris Gris Dr. John	5	2.88	+2.12

Album	You	Global	Diff
Hot Fuss The Killers	1	3.74	-2.74
Arrival ABBA	1	3.5	-2.5
A Rush Of Blood To The Head Coldplay	1	3.44	-2.44
Hybrid Theory Linkin Park	1	3.39	-2.39
Smash The Offspring	1	3.37	-2.37
C'est Chic CHIC	1	3.34	-2.34
Since I Left You The Avalanches	1	3.28	-2.28
The Visitors ABBA	1	3.2	-2.2
Make Yourself Incubus	1	3.08	-2.08
Rage Against The Machine Rage Against The Machine	2	4	-2

Artist	Albums	Average
David Bowie	7	4.71
The Who	4	5
Beatles	4	5
The Rolling Stones	5	4.8
Led Zeppelin	3	5
Jimi Hendrix	3	5
Stevie Wonder	3	5
Miles Davis	3	5
Neil Young	3	5
Public Enemy	3	4.67
Queen	3	4.67
Prince	2	5
The Clash	2	5
The Velvet Underground	2	5
Pink Floyd	2	5
Leonard Cohen	2	5
Joni Mitchell	2	5
A Tribe Called Quest	2	5
Van Morrison	2	5
Steely Dan	2	5
OutKast	2	5
Sly & The Family Stone	2	5
The Kinks	2	5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions	2	5
Tom Waits	2	5
Aerosmith	3	4.33

Artist	Albums	Average
ABBA	2	1

Artist	Ratings
U2	2, 5
The Divine Comedy	4, 1
Bob Dylan	5, 2

Led Zeppelin IV

Led Zeppelin

5/5

Get Behind Me Satan

The White Stripes

2/5

Purple Rain

Prince

5/5

I Should Coco

Supergrass

4/5

Dookie

Green Day

3/5

Rust Never Sleeps

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

5/5

Darkness on the Edge of Town

Bruce Springsteen

4/5

Zombie

Fela Kuti

4/5

Let Love Rule

Lenny Kravitz

2/5

Post listening I still don’t know who Lenny Kravitz is. He takes liberally from those who came before him (perfectly fine) but brings nothing new to the table. A couple of decent songs, but too many throw-aways.

Foxbase Alpha

Saint Etienne

2/5

Tea for the Tillerman

Cat Stevens

5/5

Let It Be

The Replacements

5/5

Third/Sister Lovers

Big Star

4/5

To Pimp A Butterfly

Kendrick Lamar

5/5

São Paulo Confessions

Suba

3/5

The ArchAndroid

Janelle Monáe

2/5

........ no. Look, it's not about genres, it's about creativity. The most creative thing that happens on this record, that was completely unexpected, was the thieving of "I am a Tangerine" by the Shondells. That and the song by Of Montreal that was basically an Of Montreal song ...... so, points for that. It's not a record that I would say anyone "needs" to hear .... unless you want an example of what a lack of creative vision sounds like.

Doolittle

Pixies

5/5

The first time I heard this record, I was completely taken aback. It was so fresh, so unexpected, something I heard but hadn't heard before. It basically cleared out all the cobwebs at the time on it's first play. Exhilarating .....

The Madcap Laughs

Syd Barrett

3/5

All Things Must Pass

George Harrison

5/5

Hot Fuss

The Killers

1/5

Why? Undoubtedly the top boring album generated so far ..... bored ... boring, boring, bored. 1/2 stars ....

Disraeli Gears

Cream

5/5

Oracular Spectacular

MGMT

5/5

An absolute stunner of a debut album. One of those records that is released every so often that blows out the cobwebs on the music scene, rearranges what is possible and, afterwards nothing is the same for a while.

Elvis Presley

3/5

All That You Can't Leave Behind

U2

2/5

I was planning on writing something that references the past creativity of this band, the struggle that continuing that creativity can sometimes be ..... and how this album is a perfect illustration of that dynamic. Wait, I guess I just did. Anyway, this album? So disappointing. 1.5 but I'll give out 2 because their responsible for so much great stuff that it's hard to fault them for coming up short .......

Foo Fighters

2/5

.... stop the pain. This is surely on the list of boring records generated so far. It's early so I'm not sure where it lands on that list but right now it's at the top right under Hot Fuss. 1.5

Who's Next

The Who

5/5

Why can't I give it 10 stars?

Private Dancer

Tina Turner

2/5

It pains me to rate a Tina turner record so low but that plastic 80's sound just grates on my ears. Tina has a voice and it's the only redeeming thing about this record. I don't know how someone with so much soul could soldier through the experience of making something that winds up so soulless and not go crazy but, here we are. 2.5 because it's Tina .....

Scissor Sisters

5/5

If you gene spliced 10cc into Ween and then ran it through a studio with Beck helming the production, this would be the result. Glorious, beautiful, funtastic. I started this project hoping I would be introduced to a gem that I had know nothing about, that I had somehow missed and I have been rewarded.

The Boatman's Call

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

4/5

Deja Vu

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

5/5

I get that some of you will dismiss this record because all the “60’s hippie” trappings that come along with it …. but ….. you just can’t fuck with the musicianship, the writing and certainly not the singing on this record. The arrangements and production are perfect. Do yourselves a favor and listen to this on a real sound system. Fuck Spotify and YouTube (good lord what are you doing?). A 5 for sure that would be a 10 if the scale went that high (11, in fact, for all the Neil haters out there).

The Clash

5/5

...... the only band that mattered. ....10/5

System Of A Down

2/5

- 2.5 ..... doesn't hold up -

Dire Straits

5/5

What else could this be but a five? Their second record consisted of work from the same sessions and that one is pretty damn good as well. A truly great album.

Arrival

ABBA

1/5

As a species, what the hell were we thinking? Ok, this stuff sort of comes out of 1950's/60's variety hour entertainment .... except the arrangements are boring and thin. Ok, maybe this was Eurovision before there was Eurovision? The sad part is we are now forever forced to look back and admit that we made this band important, we gave them hits and gold records ..... it's so embarrassing. 1.5 for the 2 songs with hooks .......

Killing Joke

2/5

Rust In Peace

Megadeth

3/5

Abraxas

Santana

5/5

Van Halen

5/5

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

David Bowie

5/5

Eliminator

ZZ Top

4/5

Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes

TV On The Radio

4/5

Chore of Enchantment

Giant Sand

2/5

This album always seems to be trying too hard ..... 2.5 for the risk taking ......

Beauty And The Beat

The Go-Go's

2/5

ok .... Better than expected but there is better music from this time period. 2.5 for the hits .......

Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches

Happy Mondays

3/5

Ok, kinda boring ..... perfectly competent.

Fromohio

fIREHOSE

4/5

Violent Femmes

3/5

The Infotainment Scan

The Fall

3/5

The Velvet Underground

5/5

5 stars just for “What Goes On” & “Pale Blue Eyes” ……….

Bummed

Happy Mondays

2/5

I just can't get into these guys ..... it's probably a failing on my part .....

Buena Vista Social Club

5/5

Hybrid Theory

Linkin Park

1/5

.... is generic, angst-ridden narcissism a thing? This record is currently competing with "Hot Fuss" for the "shittiest record on this list" Championship belt .... .5 stars

Come Away With Me

Norah Jones

2/5

ok, I'm really conflicted with rating this because, again, competent, even skilled but boring .... I'm not even gonna say "it's not my thing" because Hey, Laura Nyro is amazing and maybe that's the source of my conflict with a number of the records on this list: They're fine but does anyone really need to hear these??? ... ever??

Parklife

Blur

2/5

2.5 stars - It's perfectly fine but I would rather listen to XTC.

Tommy

The Who

5/5

Darkdancer

Les Rythmes Digitales

2/5

Since I Left You

The Avalanches

1/5

........ why?

Mama's Gun

Erykah Badu

4/5

Bossanova

Pixies

4/5

... aaahhhh the Pixies.

Blood Sugar Sex Magik

Red Hot Chili Peppers

3/5

Da Capo

Love

4/5

Another Green World

Brian Eno

4/5

Eno's fills and textures evolve into the song structures themselves. He makes so much possible for others to follow.

Aladdin Sane

David Bowie

4/5

The Downward Spiral

Nine Inch Nails

2/5

The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn

Pink Floyd

5/5

Reggatta De Blanc

The Police

4/5

It's Blitz!

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

4/5

Picture Book

Simply Red

2/5

Phaedra

Tangerine Dream

2/5

Technique

New Order

4/5

Figure 8

Elliott Smith

5/5

Axis: Bold As Love

Jimi Hendrix

5/5

Sweetheart Of The Rodeo

The Byrds

4/5

Revolver

Beatles

5/5

An absolute power-shot …..

You Want It Darker

Leonard Cohen

5/5

Midnight Ride

Paul Revere & The Raiders

4/5

Here Are the Sonics

The Sonics

3/5

New Wave

The Auteurs

2/5

2.5 because it apes everything before it but brings nothing new to the table.

Home Is Where The Music Is

Hugh Masekela

3/5

Songs Of Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen

5/5

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Hill

4/5

If I Could Only Remember My Name

David Crosby

4/5

A pretty solid record considering it’s basically a musician in mourning hanging out with musician friends free jamming and rolling tape ….. 4 because it’s basically recorded improv.

Exile In Guyville

Liz Phair

4/5

This album is an excellent example of some of the challenges that come with the format of this project. I find myself over and over having a difficult time contextualizing the the records that we're listening to and as in everything, context matters. We hear these things out of context and then we're asked to rate them. Something feels not right about that. It's great to discover things that we've not heard before and it's great to go back and listen to things that we've heard numerous times and have forgotten about or dismissed on a certain level due to familiarity. But .... It's difficult to understand why these records were considered ground-breaking. We can't un-hear things while looking back. The way we hear about music has changed, the distribution channels have changed, the politics have changed and all of these issues matter when it comes to the reception of these creations put out by these artists. I remember when this record was released; the write-ups, the criticisms, the hoopla ..... Mentioning this record in the same breath as "Exile on Mainstreet" .... I'll admit, I scoffed heartily. I mean, that's one tight record; the playing, the writing, the production, it's all there. Who would dare? Well, Liz Phair did. Say what you will but that's a ballsy move and I gotta give it up for that. Additionally, in 1993 the sexual politics of this record (within the music biz) are so out front. Now, we take it for granted but then? So, I'm listening to this and I'm trying to keep this stuff in mind, admit to myself my built-in prejudices and assess fairly. There's some really good writing here, some really good songs. Sometimes it DOES remind me of "Exile on Mainstreet". There's also some of it that just doesn't hold up. There's some of her singing that I just can't get past. So, I ask myself, why do I give artists like Bill Callahan a pass on his singing but not Liz? She owns her voice just like he does and that's what matters; it's HERS, her art, like or not, here it is. I'm not sure I know the answer yet. Anyway, it's not perfect but 4 stars for owning it.

Space Ritual

Hawkwind

3/5

Marquee Moon

Television

5/5

Like A Prayer

Madonna

2/5

Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black

Public Enemy

4/5

The Band

5/5

Just about a perfect record ...........

You've Come a Long Way Baby

Fatboy Slim

2/5

2.5 for whatever this did for electronic music at the time .....

Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea

PJ Harvey

3/5

The Hissing Of Summer Lawns

Joni Mitchell

5/5

Joni ….. youngsters won’t get it but this album is astounding. Just listen …….

Let's Get It On

Marvin Gaye

4/5

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Simon & Garfunkel

5/5

Perfect.

Done By The Forces Of Nature

Jungle Brothers

4/5

Mama Said Knock You Out

LL Cool J

2/5

Some old skool rap just doesn't age well ...... 2.5 for the vintage ....

The Stranger

Billy Joel

4/5

Electric Warrior

T. Rex

5/5

Kilimanjaro

The Teardrop Explodes

5/5

Very

Pet Shop Boys

1/5

... so Very underwhelming.

Violator

Depeche Mode

4/5

In The Court Of The Crimson King

King Crimson

5/5

KE*A*H** (Psalm 69)

Ministry

3/5

.... steppin' on Motorhead's jock while running everything through electronics and samplers but still coming up with something that sounded like nothing else ..... 3.5

Casanova

The Divine Comedy

4/5

Dusty In Memphis

Dusty Springfield

4/5

Very solid record from a time when the execution of the craft mattered; not perfect but really close. 4.5

Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols

Sex Pistols

5/5

.... do I really need to add anything to this?

Lust For Life

Iggy Pop

4/5

Traffic

5/5

just a beautiful record ........

The Modern Lovers

5/5

Machine Head

Deep Purple

5/5

Recorded in a closed-for-the-winter hotel using the Rolling Stones mobile recording unit, this is a record of the band PLAYING. What you're hearing is what happened with very little "studio" applied. ..... fucking amazing. 10/5

The Specials

5/5

The World is a Ghetto

War

4/5

Maggot Brain

Funkadelic

5/5

Music for the Masses

Depeche Mode

3/5

Raising Hell

Run-D.M.C.

4/5

Back to Mystery City

Hanoi Rocks

2/5

Live At The Witch Trials

The Fall

3/5

The Low End Theory

A Tribe Called Quest

5/5

3 Feet High and Rising

De La Soul

5/5

The Rise & Fall

Madness

4/5

Illmatic

Nas

3/5

Born To Be With You

Dion

1/5

London Calling

The Clash

5/5

yer kidding, right? .... the only band that mattered. - a perfect record - not one weak song - - the standard -

C'est Chic

CHIC

1/5

Disappointingly boring .....

Goo

Sonic Youth

2/5

- It's kinda boring and static. There's just not that much for me to latch onto ..... maybe it's me .... -

Murmur

R.E.M.

5/5

Such a strong debut. So different, such a unique sound.

D.O.A. the Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle

Throbbing Gristle

4/5

Smash

The Offspring

1/5

Songs In The Key Of Life

Stevie Wonder

5/5

The Idiot

Iggy Pop

5/5

Pretenders

5/5

L'Eau Rouge

The Young Gods

2/5

Moondance

Van Morrison

5/5

Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)

Eurythmics

3/5

Either Or

Elliott Smith

3/5

Duck Rock

Malcolm McLaren

2/5

- w t f ? -

Time Out

The Dave Brubeck Quartet

5/5

Parachutes

Coldplay

3/5

Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor

Lupe Fiasco

4/5

Another pleasant discovery. Chi-town shoutout ......

Cypress Hill

4/5

Sunday At The Village Vanguard

Bill Evans Trio

4/5

Hms Fable

Shack

2/5

- Why? Perfectly competent; completely uninteresting; so not vital. -

Darklands

The Jesus And Mary Chain

4/5

Talking Timbuktu

Ali Farka Touré

4/5

Music For The Jilted Generation

The Prodigy

2/5

Born In The U.S.A.

Bruce Springsteen

4/5

Mott

Mott The Hoople

4/5

Nebraska

Bruce Springsteen

4/5

Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs

Marty Robbins

5/5

..... so good.

The Slim Shady LP

Eminem

3/5

Triangle

The Beau Brummels

2/5

Dog Man Star

Suede

2/5

- Are the Brits responsible for the most inconsequential, non-discript pop / rock music? Serious question .... -

Are You Experienced

Jimi Hendrix

5/5

Moving Pictures

Rush

5/5

Merriweather Post Pavilion

Animal Collective

4/5

Homework

Daft Punk

4/5

Hot Shots II

The Beta Band

2/5

Ten

Pearl Jam

2/5

- I'm sticking with my original assessment of this band: Most Overrated Band of the 1990's. -

Live At The Star Club, Hamburg

Jerry Lee Lewis

4/5

Power In Numbers

Jurassic 5

5/5

Trout Mask Replica

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band

5/5

No Other

Gene Clark

5/5

- This project continues to surprise me. I guess I didn't know music as much as I thought ..... or maybe there's just so much out there it's not possible to grasp as much as we think we can .... thanks for this one. It's a beautiful record that exemplifies, at it's core, what the creative process is really about. We do this because we must. Maybe our efforts will be appreciated, maybe they won't but make it anyway. Don't give up. It's what makes us human.

Wish You Were Here

Pink Floyd

5/5

- Absolutely one of the best Pink Floyd records. Tight, imaginative, atmospheric, reverent, dark and beautiful. -

Nick Of Time

Bonnie Raitt

2/5

- 2 because it's Bonnie Raitt .... -

The Next Day

David Bowie

4/5

- Another record I did not know existed ... how is that possible when it comes to David Bowie? .... I blame myself. It's also another record that proves what an absolutely unmatched artist Bowie was; second to his last record of a long career yet still full of work of high quality. If I'm so blessed to have even a portion of this much to say this late in my career, I would die fulfilled. He was a gift to us. May we never forget.

In A Silent Way

Miles Davis

5/5

Guitar Town

Steve Earle

4/5

Rings Around The World

Super Furry Animals

3/5

Slippery When Wet

Bon Jovi

3/5

- I'm giving it a 3 because Bon Jovi let Triumph the Insult Comic Dog on their tour bus to rip bongs and film ....

Blonde On Blonde

Bob Dylan

5/5

- I don't think I need to write anything about this one .... -

Siamese Dream

The Smashing Pumpkins

4/5

Fisherman's Blues

The Waterboys

4/5

- 3 because it's not like these guys can't play, they're clearly good musicians and they care about this music, ..... at a certain point, I didn't. I'm sure it's a failing on my part so +1 = 4 ... -

Crime Of The Century

Supertramp

4/5

Disintegration

The Cure

5/5

Modern Kosmology

Jane Weaver

3/5

- A perfectly competent record, even interesting at times but .... it feels completely out of time. I've checked and rechecked the year of release because when i think about this one, I can't understand how you could make and release this record in 2017 .... so I'm conflicted and unsure how to rate it. It's not bad, it's just .... not. 2.5 rounded up ... -

Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

The Flaming Lips

5/5

Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus

Spirit

5/5

- Another just about perfect record, this one from a criminally overlooked band. -

Faith

George Michael

3/5

- ok, so come on, why? Not my thing, crazy polished production .... 2.5 because I'm not into it but I guess a 3 because of the craft ....? -

Exile On Main Street

The Rolling Stones

5/5

A Love Supreme

John Coltrane

5/5

Station To Station

David Bowie

5/5

Junkyard

The Birthday Party

4/5

Toys In The Attic

Aerosmith

4/5

- "Rocks", which SHOULD be on this list, is the best Aerosmith album and rocks harder than so much you won't believe it ..... "Toys in the Attic" is pretty fuckin' solid but only gets 4 stars because "Rocks" is ... well, hopefully you'll listen to it. -

You're Living All Over Me

Dinosaur Jr.

3/5

- boring -

Live At The Harlem Square Club

Sam Cooke

4/5

- Another artist I wish I would have had the chance to hear live. It would have been amazing. The recording is not great so I can only give it a 4 but, man what a show this must have been. -

Lazer Guided Melodies

Spiritualized

2/5

A Short Album About Love

The Divine Comedy

1/5

- the joke is good ..... once. -

The Trinity Session

Cowboy Junkies

3/5

3 + 3

The Isley Brothers

4/5

- so, "Who's That Lady" is a banger, there's some amazing playing on this record, weird cover versions of songs I just would not expect .... maybe that's on me ... but good weird, not bad weird. It's adventurous, fun, crazy and most definitely of it's time. It's not perfect .... -

The Köln Concert

Keith Jarrett

5/5

- This one is a perfect example how the whole idea of "rating" some of these records just doesn't make any sense: How do you rate this? It's art, a performance executed under extreme circumstances ... I'm not qualified to "rate" this ... and neither are most of the other yahoos signed up for this project ... 5 because it's art and art is everything .... -

Deep Purple In Rock

Deep Purple

3/5

Rubber Soul

Beatles

5/5

Pretzel Logic

Steely Dan

5/5

- .... the kids just don't understand. -

Lam Toro

Baaba Maal

4/5

Back At The Chicken Shack

Jimmy Smith

5/5

Behaviour

Pet Shop Boys

3/5

Stripped

Christina Aguilera

1/5

- ... more like 1 hour 18 minutes of my sonic life that I'll never get back ..... boring, weak writing, musically uninspired ..... -

Pink Moon

Nick Drake

5/5

First Band On The Moon

The Cardigans

4/5

Unhalfbricking

Fairport Convention

5/5

- they were like 20 yrs. old when this album was made. -

Hounds Of Love

Kate Bush

4/5

Good Old Boys

Randy Newman

5/5

If I Should Fall From Grace With God

The Pogues

5/5

Live!

Fela Kuti

5/5

The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway

Genesis

4/5

Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)

Loretta Lynn

4/5

good kid, m.A.A.d city

Kendrick Lamar

4/5

Seventeen Seconds

The Cure

4/5

Seventh Tree

Goldfrapp

4/5

- it's funny to me that no one mentions neo-psychedelia when reviewing this record cause it's so trippy ..... -

Led Zeppelin III

Led Zeppelin

5/5

- .... seriously. -

Sea Change

Beck

5/5

- one of the greatest artists of our time -

Stankonia

OutKast

5/5

Berlin

Lou Reed

5/5

- A really hard record. Rough in a good way, sad, haunting, beautiful, Lou makes you work for this one. So rewarding if you have the stomach and heart for it. -

Antichrist Superstar

Marilyn Manson

2/5

- over rated -

En-Tact

The Shamen

1/5

- ...... why? -

The Man Machine

Kraftwerk

4/5

The Velvet Underground & Nico

The Velvet Underground

5/5

Africa Brasil

Jorge Ben Jor

4/5

Mothership Connection

Parliament

5/5

- yeah -

New York Dolls

4/5

- so enjoyable .... did not realize that the Todd was involved with this one. I'm sure he made it better .... -

Protection

Massive Attack

4/5

Sex Packets

Digital Underground

3/5

A Rush Of Blood To The Head

Coldplay

1/5

- ... was planning on writing a thing laying out why coldplay is completely competent but bad band and this is certainly an album that no one needs to hear before they die ... but it's way more effort than they deserve. Let's just leave it at completely uninspired and uninspiring; the definition of generic. -

m b v

My Bloody Valentine

4/5

- I don't think anyone does soft aggression like they do. -

Roxy Music

5/5

- 1 9 7 2 -

Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music

Ray Charles

4/5

Dig Your Own Hole

The Chemical Brothers

4/5

Dummy

Portishead

4/5

- Not much sounded like this when it was released ... it still holds up, a testament to the creative energy of this work, it sounds as fresh today as it did then. -

The Chronic

Dr. Dre

2/5

- yeah, this record killed almost everything that was good about hip hop - some decent tracks but, as others have said, doesn't age well. The book this website is based on is bullshit - there are toooooo many records included that NO ONE needs to hear. ..... one good thing about this project is I'll never need to read the book .... a weak 2.5 for the good tracks -

Head Hunters

Herbie Hancock

5/5

All Hope Is Gone

Slipknot

2/5

- not really into the growling / screaming vocal style of this type of music and not really into this band .... this one is, however, a great example of what's both right and wrong with the concept of this book / website .... aside from musical tastes, this record is most certainly NOT a record that everyone "needs to hear". It's just not. It's not even considered their best by people who are INTO this band so, no. but ..... I did get to hear something I never listened to before. I think I'm better for it .... expanding horizons and all that. OK, I'm ready for more pain, hopefully tempered with some really fantastic art .... -

It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back

Public Enemy

5/5

Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul

Otis Redding

4/5

- R E S P E C T -

Penthouse And Pavement

Heaven 17

4/5

- Better than expected; remember to put this one in it's proper context. -

Gris Gris

Dr. John

5/5

The Doors

5/5

Central Reservation

Beth Orton

3/5

- at times beautiful, at times pedestrian but always sincere. 3.5 but leaning towards 4 ...... -

Straight Outta Compton

N.W.A.

4/5

- not perfect but pretty good .... today it sounds more "old skool" than I expected ... and, of course, some of the lyrics don't age well ..... but who gives a fuck? -

Let England Shake

PJ Harvey

4/5

- This album is art and art is not easy. -

In Utero

Nirvana

3/5

- Did not hold up ..... a few good tunes but somewhat boring. -

Innervisions

Stevie Wonder

5/5

- masterpiece -

D

White Denim

4/5

- Good but not quite great. I found myself wishing the mix did not bury the lyrics as much as it does, almost like there was not as much confidence in the singing as there was in the playing. Quite enjoyable, another good discovery (as many others have noted). -

War

U2

5/5

- Another masterpiece. This album punches you in the face from the jump and never really lets up. This is the good U2. -

The Predator

Ice Cube

4/5

The Visitors

ABBA

1/5

- fuck you -

Underwater Moonlight

The Soft Boys

5/5

- I had to go back and check the release year ... so forward looking, so good. -

Elephant

The White Stripes

2/5

- Just not very good. It's mostly a pastiche of blooze rock and not bringing much new to the table. The writing is atrocious for the most part; so very boring/unimaginative. Jack White sounds like he sometimes has ideas but they never really go anywhere. He's also made a great career out some of the shittiest guitar tone ever put down. I was going to give it a 2.5 rounded up to 3 but I'm rounding down because of the song "Little Acorns" .... -

The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady

Charles Mingus

5/5

- ART - .... another one I'm just not qualified to "rate". -

Locust Abortion Technician

Butthole Surfers

4/5

Sticky Fingers

The Rolling Stones

5/5

- No question. One of the great rock records. -

Viva Hate

Morrissey

2/5

- so, not a big Smiths fan and don't really care enough about them and Morrissey to know anything about him (apparently a bit of an asshole, no shortage of those these days ....). As such, all I can go by is the listen .... which is as it should be - and I just didn't really care while I was listening to this one. I'll listen to it again ... maybe it needs a few spins. 2.5 but I'm gonna round down ..... -

Survivor

Destiny's Child

2/5

- why -

The Yes Album

Yes

5/5

- An absolutely perfect album, arguably a masterpiece. -

Feast of Wire

Calexico

4/5

Brothers In Arms

Dire Straits

4/5

Nevermind

Nirvana

4/5

Out Of The Blue

Electric Light Orchestra

5/5

- The weakest songs on this release would make a great album ...... -

Remain In Light

Talking Heads

5/5

The Cars

5/5

- the number of great songs on this release is frightening. The arrangements and production are perfect. The writing great and the guitar work is beautiful. Another perfect album. -

Graceland

Paul Simon

5/5

Pet Sounds

The Beach Boys

5/5

Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

OutKast

5/5

Welcome to the Afterfuture

Mike Ladd

4/5

- OK, so, what would happen if Hawkwind discovered sampling and turntablism?? We have the answer with this record. It's also the lost sibling of the likes of DJ Shadow, DJ Krush, Kool Keith's scifi raps while with the Ultramagnetic M.C.'s and it prefigures Delton 3030 by 10 yrs or more. Good stuff ... -

After The Gold Rush

Neil Young

5/5

- ..... it's Neil ... -

Blue

Joni Mitchell

5/5

Unknown Pleasures

Joy Division

4/5

Nilsson Schmilsson

Harry Nilsson

5/5

- if you don't know this record, do yourself a favor and devour it. -

Billion Dollar Babies

Alice Cooper

5/5

- An absolute masterpiece. 10/5 -

Amnesiac

Radiohead

3/5

Tusk

Fleetwood Mac

5/5

- The thing that we consistently forget when we're (expected to) rate these releases is that these are ALL someones works of art; they are the results of somebody expending creative energy to make something that has not been made before, that we've never heard or seen or thought of before. We lose sight or (more likely) have no concept of the enormity of that task. Keep in mind that these artists are doing this in the midst of a grinding, capitalist machine attempting to wring whatever money possible out of these personal creations. This album was conceived of and created in the wake of the unprecedented commercial success of it's predecessor, placing unfathomable expectations and stress upon it's creators. Yet they still go ahead and explore, take chances, do the unexpected; they try (and often succeed) to make something we've never heard before. That in itself is astounding. 5 stars for making art when the universe was aligned against them .... -

Odessey And Oracle

The Zombies

3/5

Elephant Mountain

The Youngbloods

3/5

Fear Of A Black Planet

Public Enemy

5/5

- P E -

Young Americans

David Bowie

5/5

- Another in a string of great releases ... he was a blessing to us... -

Songs The Lord Taught Us

The Cramps

4/5

- Good stuff .... I've been introduced to the parents of Jon Spencer (he basically copped his entire shtick from this band). This is is the Fugs, The Holy Modal Rounders, rockabilly Pere Ubu, the same vein of Americana that Handsome Family is in, Elvis on acid .... it goes on and on ... too bad it's such a shitty recording .... great fun. -

Rage Against The Machine

2/5

- it just doesn't hold up ..... -

Electric Ladyland

Jimi Hendrix

5/5

- .... do I need to explain? -

Beggars Banquet

The Rolling Stones

5/5

- it's hard to argue with the string of records that this release starts off. The number of just truly great songs is impressive and marks the beginning of the peak of Rolling Stones output. -

A Little Deeper

Ms. Dynamite

3/5

- ..... well crafted but sort-of generic. -

Can't Buy A Thrill

Steely Dan

5/5

- If all you think of is "soft rock" when you think about Steely Dan, then you don't get them and you never will. Certainly one of the great debut records ..... -

Let It Bleed

The Rolling Stones

5/5

- Album #2 in the greatest run of releases of all time .... -

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

John Lennon

5/5

- Maybe I'm getting a little liberal doling out 5's here but this is another great one ....... -

Blackstar

David Bowie

5/5

- To produce something so relevant, so solid, so enjoyable so late in life after so much output .... -

Palo Congo

Sabu

4/5

The Dreaming

Kate Bush

4/5

This Is Hardcore

Pulp

4/5

Tago Mago

Can

5/5

KIWANUKA

Michael Kiwanuka

4/5

Stand!

Sly & The Family Stone

5/5

- Sly ..... -

Lady Soul

Aretha Franklin

5/5

- ..... 5 just for "Chain of Fools" .... -

Talking Book

Stevie Wonder

5/5

- 5 just for "Superstition" ..... but shit, "Maybe Your Baby" and "Big Brother" are right up there as well. -

More Songs About Buildings And Food

Talking Heads

4/5

Songs From The Big Chair

Tears For Fears

4/5

Here's Little Richard

Little Richard

4/5

Superfly

Curtis Mayfield

5/5

The Libertines

3/5

- Liked this better than I expected. I will need to look into their other output based on this listen. -

My Generation

The Who

5/5

My Aim Is True

Elvis Costello

5/5

- If you don't understand what a great songwriter Elvis is, I can't help you. Another stellar debut album ..... -

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

The Kinks

5/5

- The Kinks are amazing. If you don't appreciate them, I can't help you. -

Iron Maiden

3/5

Something Else By The Kinks

The Kinks

5/5

- They remain, even on this project that encourages people to LISTEN .... undervalued, under-appreciated and over looked. The Kinks are a gift to us .... -

Untitled (Black Is)

SAULT

3/5

- I knew this was English before I looked up the Wiki entry ..... I can't put my finger on why I knew it; but there's a certain lack of soul ..... A couple of good tracks but somehow more boring than it should be. -

25

Adele

2/5

- I made it through 5 songs and just couldn't do anymore. Many have mentioned how good her voice is ... even that wasn't enough to get me through some of the worst pap written these days. Pair her up with someone who can turn a phrase, for gods sake. Until them she's a talent criminally wasted. -

Shaka Zulu

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

5/5

- voices as instruments .... beautiful -

British Steel

Judas Priest

4/5

Play

Moby

3/5

Golden Hour

Kacey Musgraves

2/5

- competent but so absolutely derivative ... 2.5 -

Ogden's Nut Gone Flake

Small Faces

5/5

- late 60's art music ..... -

Back To Black

Amy Winehouse

3/5

Atomizer

Big Black

4/5

- Punk -

Bitte Orca

Dirty Projectors

4/5

- I read some of the other reviews and, I have to say, the folks dismissing this as "hipster bullshit" are way off base. I also don't really hear Captain Beefheart; there's not nearly enough dissonance and cacophony. The person who cited Steve Howe / Yes, however, nailed it. Longstreth is clearly aping Mr. Howe's stylings and some of his passages. The thing is, he's just not as good as Steve Howe. That's fine; not too many people are that good and aspiring to Yes quality creative output is nothing to scoff at. I think the bigger issue is Dirty Projectors, at least on this record, try to do too much within the same song just a little too often. I once had an instructor tell me "you don't have to use every trick in your bag of tricks every time" .... while listening to this record I was reminded of this advice. Remember, kids; self-editing is a good thing. Having ranted this out of my system, I can say that I still enjoyed the record. It wasn't something I could immediately categorize. That too, is a good thing and usually means we should pay attention to the thing that we're having trouble filing away. Art is, after all, fundamentally the search for the unknown. It's not a perfect record so, 4 stars.

Ellington at Newport

Duke Ellington

5/5

Neon Bible

Arcade Fire

2/5

- boring -

Will The Circle Be Unbroken

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

5/5

The Healer

John Lee Hooker

3/5

- 3.5 cause it's J.Lee Hooker - some good stuff but I NEED to hear one of his early releases .... -

Coles Corner

Richard Hawley

4/5

- Another introduction to an artist I had not encountered up until this project & exactly why I signed up in the first place. It's not a perfect record but it's pretty damn good. Sincere, high quality, personal. I'll checking out the remainder of his output as well. -

This Year's Model

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

5/5

- He's such a great writer / composer that it's really hard to give this release the full 5 right off the bat and I was leaning towards a 4 ... but, consider; for almost anyone else this would be a perfect record. .... 5 stars just for "Pump it up". -

There's A Riot Goin' On

Sly & The Family Stone

5/5

- 5 for "Spaced Cowboy" ..... I didn't realize he used drum machines on this one .... -

Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge

Mudhoney

3/5

Juju

Siouxsie And The Banshees

4/5

- I can't summon up a 5 but I look at the year released and I would have thought it was later than 1981 .... it's probably a shortcoming on my part as I was never familiar with this genre at the time so it's hard for me to put the work in context. Easily a solid 4. -

Scott 4

Scott Walker

4/5

Queen II

Queen

4/5

- I understand why people have a hard time with this one; it's not the Queen we know and love. The parts are there but they have not quite gelled yet. That said, this is a great record and from any other band, it would be considered at the top of their output. I'm only going to give a 4 because the debut is similar but it IS a masterwork. It's astounding how good this band was. -

69 Love Songs

The Magnetic Fields

5/5

- art -

If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears

The Mamas & The Papas

4/5

Honky Tonk Heroes

Waylon Jennings

4/5

The Grand Tour

George Jones

5/5

Grievous Angel

Gram Parsons

4/5

Fuzzy Logic

Super Furry Animals

3/5

Make Yourself

Incubus

1/5

- Why.. why ... whydidineedtohearthis? -

Sheer Heart Attack

Queen

5/5

- An absolutely great record. They are hitting their stride on this one. Under-rated, criminally. -

Aha Shake Heartbreak

Kings of Leon

5/5

- I read the reviews on this project and so many times think "There are so many people who just don't know shit about music; the history or how to listen anything, new or old." This is unquestionably a great album. The writing, the composition, the playing - it has it all. This record is clearly their own, referencing music history while bringing their own voice to the output. -

Cheap Thrills

Big Brother & The Holding Company

5/5

- One of the great live albums from the 1960's -

The White Album

Beatles

5/5

- ..... really? -

Teenager Of The Year

Frank Black

2/5

- It's ok ..... I don't think it's a release we all need to hear before we die unless you need a good example of the struggles of following up an extremely successful project with a solo effort. The writing is just not there ... it sounds like he had some ideas but really should have "spent a bit more time in the woodshed" before committing to a release .... unless he just didn't care and wanted to get this behind him. A weak 2.5 ...... -

Rocks

Aerosmith

5/5

- Easily their best .... and hardest ..... album of their output. They get the closest to the Stones here with their display of just nasty, filthy guitar rock & roll. Their masterpiece in my opinion, often overlooked. -

The Colour Of Spring

Talk Talk

4/5

Green River

Creedence Clearwater Revival

5/5

Live At Leeds

The Who

5/5

Drunk

Thundercat

5/5

- Every one of the folks on this project that panned this record, this is your assignment: Go back and - LISTEN - to this record. Put all of your pre-concieved notions, all of your musical baggage, OUT of your mind and listen to the music. This is absolutely one of thee best records released recently. It's forward looking while referencing the past, it's inventive, creativity at it's best. It draws from so many yet is not pastiche. Y'all need to clean out your ears. 10/10

Ananda Shankar

3/5

Rain Dogs

Tom Waits

5/5

Is This It

The Strokes

2/5

Now I Got Worry

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion

4/5

McCartney

Paul McCartney

5/5

- A very strange record, as others have noted here. Difficult to rate for all the obvious reasons that I don't think I need to recount. I struggled with it but, in the end, I have to give it up to Paul; the greatest band breaks up and he goes out and makes art .... by himself. This is NOT an easy thing to do by a long shot and unless you've actually created something, you just don't understand how hard it really is let alone doing under the microscope that he was under. Yeah it's not a finished record, it's a lot of him just fucking around. But, you know what? That's what creativity is. He let us all into his studio, a most intimate space, to listen to him work. It's a very generous record and that's probably why it's so heart-warming to people. This is Paul finding himself and his path forward. Thanks, Paul.

Swordfishtrombones

Tom Waits

5/5

Le Tigre

5/5

- so good. -

Water From An Ancient Well

Abdullah Ibrahim

4/5

Time Out Of Mind

Bob Dylan

2/5

Ritual De Lo Habitual

Jane's Addiction

2/5

- Doesn't hold up .... Perry Farrell has to be high up the list of vocalists (I use the term VERY loosely here) who annoy the fuck out of you .... and, frankly, musically very boring. -

Signing Off

UB40

5/5

- Such a good record. Damn soulful for a bunch of Englishmen. .... and for all of you claiming this record is boring, everything sounds the same; you're failing at the basic premise behind music. Listen ..... -

Appetite For Destruction

Guns N' Roses

2/5

- lots-o-hits, I know but, with a little distance it's really just ok rock pastiche ..... -

Let's Get Killed

David Holmes

2/5

- 2.5, rounding down. -

New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)

Simple Minds

2/5

- It's fine, it's just not that interesting. -

Colour By Numbers

Culture Club

2/5

Sign 'O' The Times

Prince

5/5

- not a perfect record but so very good. Still gets a 5 just for the quality / ambition ratio. -

Moon Safari

Air

5/5

- Thanks for this, 1001 records I need to hear .... -

Blue Lines

Massive Attack

5/5

The Coral

4/5

- gonna give it a 4 because it's not perfect .... it's adventurous and that's worth a lot these days. Solid playing, decent writing but at times obvious .... pretty good stuff. Another unheard band for me to explore. -

Bitches Brew

Miles Davis

5/5

- Miles -

Music From The Penguin Cafe

Penguin Cafe Orchestra

5/5

- art -

Car Wheels On A Gravel Road

Lucinda Williams

4/5

- Here's another example of the difficulty of this whole idea of rating these albums; I just can't place this record in the context of when it was released even though I'm certain that I heard then. My memory fails me. Listening to it now, the sound seems somewhat boring but, at the time of it's release, it was refreshing. I'm just unable to reclaim that experience ..... that's a failing on my part. It's a solid record with good writing and good performances. It's quite enjoyable. She made art and I'm not qualified to judge ..... -

1977

Ash

3/5

- uuuhhhmmmm, ok. Sort of middling, somewhat competent. Not ground-breaking. Am I betraying my State-side bias? ..... 2.5 -

Chemtrails Over The Country Club

Lana Del Rey

2/5

Vol. 4

Black Sabbath

5/5

- there is nothing else to say except Rest In Power, Oz -

Loveless

My Bloody Valentine

5/5

- so good ..... -

Sunshine Superman

Donovan

5/5

- 5 for the title track and Season of the Witch .... -

Pacific Ocean Blue

Dennis Wilson

3/5

- I'm torn with regards to this one: there's a lot of interesting things happening here but then I think about the other releases just before, during or just after this one, I put it in the context of the times and it loses some of it's luster for me. Worth hearing for sure, I'm not convinced it's the lost masterpiece that some are trying to make it out to be. It is art so, 3.5 ........

Tragic Songs of Life

The Louvin Brothers

3/5

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

5/5

- For so many other bands, this would be a 5 star debut that they would roundly pleased to have produced. For this group it's nowhere near their best which makes it so difficult to rate. Even the songs that weren't hits are pretty damn solid and there are a few that could have been hits ..... Once again context matters. I'm going give it a 5 just for "Breakdown", "Strangered In the Night" and "Rockin' Around (with You)" - - Also, according to many others on this project, this is the only Tom Petty release on this list .... WTF? They had at least 3 better releases after this one. Considering some of the absolute DRECK that IS included, that's an absolute travesty. -

Trio

Dolly Parton

4/5

- The combination of these three voices sends chills up my spine. 4 because some of the songs aren't the best .... -

Metallica

4/5

Rid Of Me

PJ Harvey

4/5

Bert Jansch

5/5

- .... what a player. -

People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm

A Tribe Called Quest

5/5

- This was their debut? Man, what a good record. Somehow, I had not heard this one ..... so good. Fuck gangsta rap ..... -

Rattlesnakes

Lloyd Cole And The Commotions

3/5

- This one I had a little trouble with. Reading through some of the other takes I see that I'm not alone. It's easy to dismiss as the music isn't all that interesting and the writing isn't particularly stand-out. The style recalls a number of artists and it seems that many others were reminded of the same artists that I referenced as I listened. Then I looked at the year released and it was much older than I had thought so they prefigure many of those artists ..... In the end it's the quality that matters and I just don't think it's there. It's perfectly competent but kinda one-dimensional. The writing isn't as good as it is clever, the story telling is murky. 2.5 rounding up for the forward-looking nature of it ....

Shalimar

Rahul Dev Burman

3/5

Hunky Dory

David Bowie

5/5

- Yeah, right at the beginning of an almost unmatched string of releases. -

Truth And Soul

Fishbone

4/5

- So many good songs tarnished by that 80's production; the glossy veneer that serves only to take away from the sounds these musicians actually make with their instruments. 4 stars anyway for the quality and creativity. -

Wild Wood

Paul Weller

5/5

- Quality throughout, something that can too often go unappreciated these days. Also, once again, look at the release date and put this in the context of it's time; the record seems both late (kind of a throw-back) AND early, prefiguring the coming wave of looking back at 70's music. A solid 5. -

...Baby One More Time

Britney Spears

2/5

- ok, I'm gonna steel myself for this one and apply my efforts earnestly to this project ....... .... but I, once again (and with many others on this project) question what exactly is the criteria used to determine whether a release absolutely MUST be heard before one dies .... - So, let's get this out there at the beginning; I don't care how many awards were given or how many "units" were sold. I care about the art. Coming at this release from an artists perspective, I can unequivocally say that this record is just not that good. Others may take issue but here's the list of reasons why I claim this position. 1. She just doesn't have a very good voice and is not that skilled ** at this point in her career**. Maybe she gets better, don't know. If you don't believe me, listen to the track "I Will Still Love You" and pay attention to whoever she's singing with because that person has some pipes and skill. 2. The writing is average at best and overly derivative overall. Arguably, "Baby, One More Time" is the standout track. After that not much is brought to the table. 3. The instrumentation is pretty fuckin' weak; kinda boring and, again derivative. 4. The production is ...... boring and brings not ONE thing new to the party. 5. Where is the art? So, not a great album, I don't care how many it sold. ...... 2.5 and I can't round up to 3 ...... -

Beach Samba

Astrud Gilberto

1/5

- no - - There were so many albums like this made at this time that the hipsters like to dig up and listen to looking for inspiration. This is not one of the good ones. 1.5 and I'm not rounding up. -

Buffalo Springfield Again

Buffalo Springfield

5/5

- What a gem, an album that takes you on a journey through the incredibly wide range of music being made at the time. It could get a 5 based on "Mr. Soul" alone but also includes "Bluebird", Rock and Roll Woman" and "Expecting To Fly" (which features probably one of Neil Young's most poetic stanzas: "There you stood on the edge of your feather Expecting to fly While I laughed, I wondered whether I could wave goodbye Knowin' that you'd gone" - Just beautiful imagery ..... half of the record is basically poetry set to music. The record is solid given it's variety, the only oddball on the release being "Good Time Boy". It includes at least 2 hits but also has the hidden gem "Hung Upside Down" which IMHO is pure art; which has them jumbling up the song structure, somewhat echoing the title. It ends with "Broken Arrow", a piece of hauntingly beautiful psychedelia that hangs well with the best of them. Yeah, I'm a fan. -

Meat Puppets II

Meat Puppets

3/5

- I'm a bit conflicted with this ; some good stuff, some not so good stuff .... but the energy and writing, pretty fuckin good. It's probably more art than product but I don't know if that's enough. i hate to say I want more polish but I can't get past the "we can't be bothered" vibe .... -

Natty Dread

Bob Marley & The Wailers

5/5

- On the list of albums that are perfect. -

Os Mutantes

5/5

- I can't add anything worthwhile to this. It's a record that changed me the first time I heard it. -

Harvest

Neil Young

5/5

- .... another bum on the perfect list. -

Electric Music For The Mind And Body

Country Joe & The Fish

1/5

- it's ok .... another "not sure why it's on the list" album .... sure it's of its time but it's just not that good & they're were so many better psych records out there .... -

A Night At The Opera

Queen

5/5

- If you don't get Queen, you may never. The writing, the playing, the production, the vision. They bring it. This one is a masterpiece. Arguably, they have 2 more in their catalog (Sheer Heart Attack and then either News of the World or The Game). What an album. -

Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

5/5

- Pretty fuckin' good .... thanks to the list for giving me this one. -

Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite

Maxwell

3/5

- Starts out good but by the end I found myself, once again, asking why I needed to hear the record. .... and it's probably context; release date, album is credited with bringing back soul to the forefront, with starting the neo-soul thing ...... but, taken on it's own merits, it just doesn't hold up. Yeah, it's smooth, it's even funky, but it's also boring. Was I listening to some kind of BarryWhiteSoulTrance? Afterwards I was really trying to think of one track that stuck with me. Nope, not a one. Perfectly competent, even skilled considering he did it all, basically but .... boring. Can't go more than 3 and it's a weak 3 based completely on the craftsmanship.

Gasoline Alley

Rod Stewart

5/5

- OK, another example of why context matters: This record is released one year after Let it Bleed and 2 years before Exile on Main Street. This is Rod / The Faces (basically) at their best, a beautiful, raw even sometimes sloppy record in all the right ways. Y'all are dismissing this record way too easily .... -

On The Beach

Neil Young

5/5

- "On the Beach" .... for many, this is a lost masterpiece and, for a while, it really was; it was out of print and very difficult to get (at least before the advent of the internet, y'all have NO idea). Anyway, for me it was never lost. In high school I ran across an 8-track copy and played the shit out this release in my brothers 1969 Chrysler Newport. Before you accuse me of nostalgia, my point is I had this record and recognized at an early age how great it was but, also, that it was probably not everyone's cup o tea. If, at first blush, it's not yours, do yourself a favor and really listen to it. Give it some time, go back, listen again later. This is Neil at is absolute best. It's fuckin' high art, a true masterwork. It's inspiration at play in real time and THAT'S why you're having a hard time with it: it's something you never heard before so your brain can't grapple with it. This is one that absolutely belongs on this list. -

Suicide

4/5

- I'm not convinced that this is as innovative as everyone claims; there's a lot happening in the mid-1970's ... these guys were working in a hotbed of creative energy (NYC) though so ...... For sure, it's a tough listen and I say that if you're having trouble categorizing something it's probably art .... anyway, 4 stars for the balls it took to record this and put it out there .... -

The Rolling Stones

4/5

- Even on this collection of mostly covers, the discerning ear can hear the greatness to come. There is a slinkiness to the band that shows, setting them apart from other bands covering blues songs at the time. Interestingly enough, not every track exhibits this and there some back to back tracks that really show the contrast. It's not a perfect record by any means but it's pretty good and they get one star just for "Tell Me (You're Coming Back)". -

Whatever

Aimee Mann

3/5

Kind Of Blue

Miles Davis

5/5

Venus Luxure No. 1 Baby

Girls Against Boys

1/5

Sweet Baby James

James Taylor

3/5

- I guess I never really listened closely to his work before; I was surprised to come to the realization that, of all the singer-songwriters from this time period, he certainly was the weakest, at least as far as the writing is concerned. Perfectly competent, ultimately bland. He gets a 3 because "Fire and Rain" really is a great piece of songwriting but "Steamroller" is beyond cheesy and equals a minus 1. -

Physical Graffiti

Led Zeppelin

5/5

Meat Is Murder

The Smiths

3/5

What's That Noise?

Coldcut

4/5

The Scream

Siouxsie And The Banshees

4/5

S&M

Metallica

2/5

- So, this is kind of what I expected; a symphony playing behind Metallica .... it comes off as a movie soundtrack .... ish .... i can see why Metallica heads could be into this but I really don't think it added anything, it feels forced. It's CERTAINLY another one that I don't think I absolutely needed to hear .... before I died ... -

We're Only In It For The Money

The Mothers Of Invention

5/5

- .... 5 stars just for the title "The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny" ..... Sorry, folks; it's art existing in a commercial world. Sometimes, creativity hurts at first .... -

Blood And Chocolate

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

5/5

Heaven Or Las Vegas

Cocteau Twins

4/5

Exodus

Bob Marley & The Wailers

4/5

Tank Battles

Dagmar Krause

4/5

- Interesting to hear from a historical perspective. is it something that i would put into regular rotation? probably not. Does it have value? Absolutely. It's a high quality project that is probably not for everyone but important is important to hear and acknowledge. -

Fetch The Bolt Cutters

Fiona Apple

3/5

Bug

Dinosaur Jr.

2/5

- .... in the words of Kool Keith .... "WHY?"

16 Lovers Lane

The Go-Betweens

3/5

- There are actually a few really good songs on this record. Pretty good, worth hearing. -

Youth And Young Manhood

Kings of Leon

4/5

- Pretty good debut .... I'm not sure if they ever reach this level of consistency again .... It's not a perfect record so I gotta go four ... -

Searching For The Young Soul Rebels

Dexys Midnight Runners

1/5

- For a band so chock full of horns and said to be some sort of blue-eyed soul band, they had absolutely no idea of what it is to "swing". In fact, I was shocked at just how much the music just plodded along, the rhythm section just hit. ting. on. ev. er. y. beat. ....... and then we get to the singing ... which somehow reminded me of that British thing that Morrissey does that just annoys the piss out of me ... this just did not hold up. -

Blur

2/5

- 2.5 rounded down to 2 because it's fine, competent and has some interesting moments ...... but it never really goes anywhere. I was left wanting .... -

Bad Company

4/5

- better than a 3 but not perfect .... am I being too harsh here due to over exposure? maybe ..... 4 stars because it's not perfect. -

Parallel Lines

Blondie

4/5

- I'm going to go 4 as I think the middle of the record is a little weak; still good but not perfect although "Hangin' On The Telephone" and "Heart of Glass" almost get a star by themselves ..... also, Debbie Harry is so fuckin' good ...... -

American Pie

Don McLean

3/5

Risque

CHIC

3/5

Apple Venus Volume 1

XTC

4/5

A Hard Day's Night

Beatles

5/5

Imagine

John Lennon

4/5

Dr. Octagonecologyst

Dr. Octagon

5/5

- Who said it: James Joyce or Kool Keith? .... Take the test! "I got 9/10, but only because I know James Joyce. Really makes me want to listen to Kool Keith. Anyone can tell me where to start?" "Sure bro. Dr. Octagonecologyst. It's a really surreal album with Dan The Automator production. Keith uses an alternate persona, "Dr. Octagon", throughout. This album is extremely influential imo. Highlight tracks to me are Blue Flowers, Bear Witness, and 3000. But honestly, listen to the whole thing. Pretty incredible experience of an album." "Thanks dude! Been meaning to listen to it, love Dan's production on the original Deltron 3000." - 12y ago - Unfortunately, this online test no longer exists ... ah, the modern age .... Kool Keith is a treasure. Is it hard? Yes. Is it raw? Yes. - but - It's art and art is hard, sometimes raw, sometimes ugly. Buck up, youngsters. Don't be such a prude, go for the ride ..... -

Pump

Aerosmith

4/5

- It's a rocker ..... -

Selling England By The Pound

Genesis

4/5

- Tough to review; you certainly need to be in the mood for complex and literary. Very well done and, again, in the context of the times, very different from much of the other output but also their fifth release at this point. Is it groundbreaking? i don't know if it holds up from a "this is n important release" standpoint ... I'm struggling to get to a 5. -

Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables

Dead Kennedys

4/5

The Nightfly

Donald Fagen

4/5

Djam Leelii

Baaba Maal

4/5

Shaft

Isaac Hayes

5/5