364
Albums Rated
2.93
Average Rating
33%
Complete
725 albums remaining
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Taste Profile
1950
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other
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
25
5-Star Albums
31
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Nick Of Time
Bonnie Raitt
|
5 | 2.83 | +2.17 |
|
Red Dirt Girl
Emmylou Harris
|
5 | 2.86 | +2.14 |
|
The Last Of The True Believers
Nanci Griffith
|
5 | 2.96 | +2.04 |
|
Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)
Loretta Lynn
|
5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
|
Will The Circle Be Unbroken
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
|
5 | 2.98 | +2.02 |
|
Queen Of Denmark
John Grant
|
5 | 3.13 | +1.87 |
|
Trio
Dolly Parton
|
5 | 3.13 | +1.87 |
|
Astral Weeks
Van Morrison
|
5 | 3.26 | +1.74 |
|
American Pie
Don McLean
|
5 | 3.28 | +1.72 |
|
Chirping Crickets
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
|
5 | 3.29 | +1.71 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Nevermind
Nirvana
|
1 | 4.37 | -3.37 |
|
Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against The Machine
|
1 | 3.99 | -2.99 |
|
Grace
Jeff Buckley
|
1 | 3.73 | -2.73 |
|
Live!
Fela Kuti
|
1 | 3.44 | -2.44 |
|
Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth
|
1 | 3.3 | -2.3 |
|
Fun House
The Stooges
|
1 | 3.28 | -2.28 |
|
Dirty
Sonic Youth
|
1 | 3.11 | -2.11 |
|
Dig Me Out
Sleater-Kinney
|
1 | 3.08 | -2.08 |
|
Ambient 1/Music For Airports
Brian Eno
|
1 | 3.07 | -2.07 |
|
Larks' Tongues In Aspic
King Crimson
|
1 | 2.99 | -1.99 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 5 | 4 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Sonic Youth | 3 | 1.33 |
| Mudhoney | 2 | 1 |
| Brian Eno | 3 | 1.67 |
| Nirvana | 2 | 1.5 |
| My Bloody Valentine | 2 | 1.5 |
| The Fall | 2 | 1.5 |
5-Star Albums (25)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Elliott Smith · 3 likes
4/5
I like this -- catchy songs, good lyrics. And although Smith's voice is high, it doesn't have that reedy tone that makes me want to pierce my own eardrums.
Meat Loaf · 2 likes
5/5
This is the first album so far that I already loved and choose to listen to occasionally. There's nothing like it, and nothing I say can convey the joy it brings me.
The Velvet Underground · 2 likes
2/5
What the everlasting fuck?
Nanci Griffith · 2 likes
5/5
Such a great album -- really top-notch. Nanci Griffith sure could write songs. I could listen to this on repeat.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band · 1 likes
2/5
Meh.
1-Star Albums (31)
All Ratings
The Avalanches
2/5
Far too electronica-y for my taste. There are vocals, which helps, but not enough.
Antony and the Johnsons
2/5
I wanted to like it, but her voice was just too grating, and I had trouble understanding some of the lyrics.
Fred Neil
4/5
I really liked this, and I liked it more the more times I heard it. (I left it on repeat, so it played about three times.) It really evoked the '60s folk scene.
Gary Numan
3/5
Nearly every song sounded exactly like Cars, so the piano song was a lovely surprise. I actually enjoyed this album, although it could have been a bit shorter.
John Martyn
3/5
A few tracks were quite good, but too much was unenjoyably self-indulgent.
Nirvana
1/5
Oh God no.
Jeff Buckley
1/5
Why, Jeff? Why. Such an annoying voice, and too much noise.
Grateful Dead
2/5
They need a producer to rein in their excesses.
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
Might have been OK with less noise overwhelming the vocals.
Jacques Brel
4/5
Gram Parsons
4/5
This was such a wonderful change from most of my recent albums -- I will definitely listen again.
The Doors
2/5
Just doesn't do anything for me. Jim Morrison's voice is aggressive, and the music is dull.
White Denim
2/5
It sounded like the Dead, and that was bad. Other than that (or maybe because of that), it was completely forgettable.
Barry Adamson
2/5
It was mostly innocuous, but why?
Billy Bragg
4/5
This was pretty great — Billy Bragg and Jeff Tweedy kept the feel of Woody Guthrie tunes while making them sound modern. Highly enjoyable.
Television
3/5
Surprisingly enjoyable, except for Elevation, whose weird time shifts made me want to puncture my eardrums with an ice pick.
Beach House
3/5
It was mostly pleasant, but it washed right over me. There was nothing memorable.
Willie Nelson
4/5
This was a truly excellent way to spend an evening — Willie knows how to tell a story.
Animal Collective
1/5
"Oh, is it over? Thank Christ."
The United States Of America
2/5
The word "experimental" is always a bad sign, but parts of this weren't nearly as bad as expected.
Queen
3/5
Perfectly pleasant, but I probably won't listen again.
Jorge Ben Jor
2/5
It was enjoyable, but because I couldn't understand the lyrics it just washed over me like instrumental music does.
Neil Young
3/5
A bit darker than Harvest, but quite enjoyable. A few of the songs are excellent.
4/5
This is the first album of my 1,001 that I was familiar with, and it's not my favorite Beatles album. Most of the songs are a bit too drug-fueled for my taste, although of course "When I'm 64" and "She's Leaving Home" and "A Day in the Life" are great.
Johnny Cash
5/5
So very, very great. His interpretations of these songs make them brand new. I would listen to this album again and again.
Stephen Stills
3/5
Too much blues and electric guitar.
Gene Clark
4/5
I really enjoyed this. There was nothing really memorable, but I would certainly listen again.
Emmylou Harris
5/5
So great. The song "Tragedy" stopped me in my tracks, and I played it three times, then listened to the whole album again.
TV On The Radio
2/5
Seemed inoffensive at first, but got really annoying by the end.
Fairport Convention
4/5
Not a huge fan of Sandy Denny's voice, but the songs are good (heavy on the murder ballads). I would definitely listen to this again.
Parliament
3/5
We enjoyed it a lot more than we expected to. The sonics were great.
Pink Floyd
4/5
Very good album that I nonetheless have issues with for reasons that have nothing to do with the quality of the songs.
Sam Cooke
4/5
Such a wonderful album — full of great songs and energy and Sam Cooke.
Green Day
4/5
Bouncy and fun — more fun than I expected, although I like American Idiot.
John Grant
5/5
I’d never heard of John Grant (or the Czars), but I really enjoyed this album. It’s like a cross between Harry Nilsson and Father John Misty. Will definitely listen again.
Hawkwind
1/5
Utter insanity. I guess the drugs helped.
CHVRCHES
3/5
It was fine. Nothing terribly interesting or terribly annoying.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Bouncy and fun, but nothing exciting.
3/5
Interesting but not really enjoyable.
Dinosaur Jr.
1/5
The WiFi connection from my computer to the stereo kept dropping, and we dutifully reconnected it each time. Shouldn’t have bothered.
Butthole Surfers
1/5
This is just noise with no fucking purpose. At least with Nevermind I could tell Cobain was making music, even if I didn't enjoy it. This is truly just noise.
Beatles
4/5
I’m not sure what to say about this — it’s a 60-year-old album that still sounds fresh. Have listened before; would be happy to listen again.
New Order
3/5
A bouncy little excursion back to the ‘80s. We listened during a power outage, so it was our only music of the day.
The Mars Volta
2/5
Prog rock, but even worse than the mainstream stuff.
Love
3/5
I enjoyed this album more than I expected to, and discovered the original version of "She Comes in Colors," which I always assumed was a Hooters original.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Bouncy, enjoyable.
Willie Nelson
5/5
Covers of standards. An excellent way to spend an evening.
Hole
2/5
It’s a certain kind of catchy. Not really my cup of tea, but not as loud as I expected it to be.
Depeche Mode
3/5
I mean, it's fine. It's not bothersome, but it doesn't really grab me either.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Quite good — interesting mix of songs.
Bonnie Raitt
5/5
Great album -- I'd be happy to listen to this anytime.
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
I still don’t believe this is not a Stones album. It was pretty good though.
Kings of Leon
2/5
A bit too loud for my taste, but not unbearable.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
2/5
Some songs were OK; some were painful.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
1/5
So very awful.
The Black Crowes
4/5
A little loud, but very listenable.
Tortoise
2/5
Instrumental. Boring. Pointless.
Sugar
2/5
Not horrible, but not really enjoyable either. Loud, although not as distorted as it could have been.
Sonic Youth
1/5
Right down there with Nevermind. I will never understand why some people want to listen to other people shriek.
Ray Charles
5/5
Such a great album -- great songs, great arrangements, great voice. I'd listen to this anytime -- and certainly will again.
The Dictators
4/5
Surprisingly, I liked this. It was a lot of fun — especially the cover of “I Got You Babe.” I wouldn’t mind listening to this again.
The Cure
3/5
Pretty good, although not as good as their later stuff. Too instrumental-heavy for my taste, but definitely listenable.
Happy Mondays
2/5
Not as aggressively awful as some of the others, but annoying enough that I was glad when it was over.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3/5
Not bad -- OMD was never a favorite, but I'd listen to this again if someone wanted to. Nothing really caught my attention.
Meat Loaf
5/5
This is the first album so far that I already loved and choose to listen to occasionally. There's nothing like it, and nothing I say can convey the joy it brings me.
Fugazi
2/5
Loud. Not particularly enjoyable. But it didn't make me want to pierce my eardrums with a skewer to make the noise stop, so I guess that's something.
Jimmy Smith
2/5
Surprisingly inoffensive. I'd never choose it, but I wouldn't run screaming from the room if it happened to be playing.
Garbage
2/5
I'm not a fan of yelling, but the music wasn't bad. Tim enjoyed it.
The Killers
3/5
Enjoyable enough. I certainly wouldn't mind listening to it again, and in the right mood I'd actually be happy to.
Elbow
4/5
I enjoyed this one. Quite a few of the songs gave off definite Sting vibes.
1/5
Too loud. Too much yelling. Too much punk and not enough proto.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
2/5
Meh.
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
Oh. My. Fucking. God. No. This is the first album we just could not listen to. We did the first 30 seconds or so of each song, occasionally jumping ahead in the song to verify that yes, this *is* 3 minutes of nothing but the same metallic banging. I wish I could give this negative stars.
Dolly Parton
5/5
Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris team up to cover country songs. What's not to love?
Pulp
4/5
Catchy, melodic, interesting songs. Reminds me of another band, but I'm not sure which one. Happy to listen again.
Robert Wyatt
1/5
At first it was just weird and boring, but not as mind-numbing as some prog rock. But as it went on it edged into jazz, and by about halfway through was sapping my will to live.
Happy Mondays
3/5
Very '80s without being catchy. Not horrible, but nothing I need to listen to again.
The Byrds
4/5
A fun little country break from all the rock (and noise) lately. Would absolutely listen again, happily.
The Beta Band
3/5
Not nearly as annoying as the Wikipedia article made it sound. Nothing I'd choose to listen to again -- it was not particularly interesting -- but I wouldn't mind if it were on in the background.
4/5
Mostly enjoyable — and quite Beatley in parts.
The Afghan Whigs
2/5
Too loud; did not enjoy.
The Undertones
3/5
Not bad at all -- nice poppy little tunes.
Tom Tom Club
3/5
It's fine -- a bit too electronic for my tastes, but fine. No real need to listen to it again.
ABBA
4/5
A little less bouncy than their previous albums but still definitely ABBA. I’d be happy to listen again, but probably wouldn’t choose it.
Erykah Badu
3/5
Well-done update of ‘70s R&B, but it didn’t grab me.
Pere Ubu
1/5
Very close to pure noise.
Fela Kuti
1/5
Endless jams. Second didn’t-listen-to-the-whole-songs album in a row.
The Verve
3/5
Drone-y but not actively annoying. Nothing memorable except Bittersweet Symphony.
Moby Grape
3/5
Basically the Dead, without Jerry Garcia’s talent — and, blissfully, also without the endless jamming. Tim called it “the ‘60s of a slightly more boring timeline.”
Billy Joel
5/5
Absolutely perfect album — except for those last two songs, which are just meh. Not sure how they made the cut. But otherwise perfect, and I know every single word.
Louis Prima
4/5
This is exactly the kind of album I was hoping for when I joined this challenge; I've heard of Louis Prima, but as far as I know I'd never heard any of his music. And I loved this -- it was so much fun. I don't think it will occur to me to play this again on my own, but I'd be very happy to listen to it more than once.
Duran Duran
3/5
I was in high school in 1982, and I heard "Rio" and "Hungry Like the Wolf" ad nauseam. But I had never heard the rest of the album, so I was happy to see this pop up.
I hadn't missed anything.
It's fine, but not particularly interesting.
The Young Gods
2/5
I was so excited when I saw this album was in French, but The Young Gods are basically a Gallic Rammstein. Too loud. Too angry.
Alice In Chains
2/5
Far too reminiscent of Nevermind.
3/5
Very Cars-like, but not the good Cars. A little too frantic.
SAULT
3/5
It was perfectly listenable, even enjoyable. Nice mix of musical styles.
The Soft Boys
3/5
Undertones of Cheap Trick (and on one song the Byrds), and in general fairly enjoyable.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I know I'm in the minority, especially in my demographic (sorry, Emma Thompson), but I've never been a Joni Mitchell fan. I just can't get past her weird phrasing, which makes some of her songs almost like jazz. On this album that's not as much in evidence, so it was mostly fine. (And I actually like "Help Me.") But just fine.
U2
3/5
Wikipedia says this has been "acclaimed by writers and music critics as one of the greatest albums of all time." I'm neither a writer nor a critic, but meh. It's fine, with a few good songs and more boring ones.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
"Come On Eileen" this isn't. I have no idea what it is, actually. There's a lot of talking -- maybe channeling their inner Moody Blues -- and just general weirdness.
Coldplay
3/5
I mean, it's fine. Not loud or atonal or arhythmic. (Although Chris Martin's voice got pretty annoying by the end.) It's just ... not interesting.
Shuggie Otis
3/5
Interesting mix of genres -- definitely more interesting than yesterday's Coldplay.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Again, fine. Kind of like Abba on downers.
Scritti Politti
2/5
Relentlessly dance-y.
Sly & The Family Stone
2/5
Very much of its time, and most of the songs didn’t really hold my attention.
The Smiths
4/5
This album was a pleasant surprise. Despite being a child of the '80s, I was not really familiar with the Smiths, and I was expecting this to be much more drone-y. Would absolutely listen again.
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
Loud and annoying. But at least it's not Nirvana.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
This is an excellent album -- even the songs I didn't know were good. I'm so glad I got to listen to this straight through.
Tom Waits
3/5
Not my favorite of his — I prefer his older stuff.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
You have to move while listening to this album -- nothing crazy, no jumping around, but I doubt anyone can avoid at least a little swaying. I would be happy to listen to this again anytime.
Scott Walker
3/5
Scott Walker reminds me of someone, but I can't place who. This is a good album: nothing really catchy, but I like his style.
Queen
3/5
It's Queen all right -- but not the Queen I know and love.
Nico
3/5
At times her voice is a little hard to take, but most of the songs are good. (There's only one unlistenable one.) I think this is an album that will require more than listen before I know whether I like it or not.
Adele
4/5
I knew several of these songs, of course -- everyone does. But I'd never listened to the whole album, and it turns out it's really pretty great. Good songs, good arrangements, good sonics -- just a really fun experience.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Without the extended guitar solos, this would have been a five-star album.
Julian Cope
2/5
This is the album of a boy who didn't get enough attention from his mommy -- or got too much. It starts and ends pretty well, but in the middle it's pure self-indulgence.
The Youngbloods
3/5
Perfectly listenable, but not exciting or particularly interesting.
Bad Brains
1/5
Why?
The Stooges
1/5
I started out thinking this was a two-star album -- not my thing, but not unlistenable. That didn't last. Too much yelling.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Not bad at all. Nice melodies, nice vocals, nice instrumentation.
Scissor Sisters
3/5
Wide variety of styles, including a very ... interesting cover of "Comfortably Numb." A little odd, but quite interesting.
Neil Young
3/5
This album has the downside of Neil Young (the voice, of course) without any of the upside (good songs).
Pulp
4/5
This is a really interesting album with a range of styles. Would happily listen again.
Doves
2/5
So. Boring.
Elvis Costello
4/5
I had somehow never heard this whole album, and I like it — will definitely listen again.
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
Very '80s -- a slightly harder Cure/Smiths/etc. vibe.
King Crimson
1/5
I don't like prog rock. I don't like shapeless noise. I don't like blaring guitars appearing out of nowhere. I did not like this.
Ozomatli
2/5
Wide variety of genres, from funk/hip-hop to traditional. Not surprisingly, I much preferred the traditional.
Bee Gees
4/5
This is a whole double album of Bee Gees songs I'd never heard before -- and it was great. I could see quite a few of these songs becoming hits; I don't know why there weren't any hits off this album. Will definitely listen again.
Fiona Apple
4/5
I mostly missed the '90s, so I only knew "Shadowboxer." But the whole album is good, and I will definitely listen again.
Haircut 100
3/5
Sort of a combo of Duran Duran and Earth Wind and Fire (between songs, not within) -- not bad, overall, but kind of disorienting.
Girls Against Boys
2/5
Too loud and aggressive for me. But still better than experimental German noise.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Nothing offensive. Nothing interesting. Might as well be Muzak.
Depeche Mode
3/5
It's Depeche Mode. Interesting, but not something I'd choose to listen to.
Dusty Springfield
5/5
This is a fantastic album -- four Goffin-Kings, two Randy Newmans, and a Bacharach! And "Son of a Preacher Man"! Plus Dusty!
New York Dolls
3/5
Much less annoying than expected -- some songs are actually enjoyable.
Nanci Griffith
5/5
Such a great album -- really top-notch. Nanci Griffith sure could write songs. I could listen to this on repeat.
Beatles
4/5
What can you say about an album you've listened to so many times? Some of my favorite Beatles songs are on Rubber Soul -- "Michelle," "Nowhere Man," "In My Life." Other songs I enjoy less. I don't think I'll ever choose this album (or any Beatles album) when I'm in the mood for music, but I'll always be happy if someone else does.
Kelela
3/5
Smooth and mellow.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I have it on good authority that this is the best rock and roll album ever recorded. I'm not sure I'd go that far, and I'm not a huge Stones fan. But in general I like it, and I'd be happy to listen again.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3/5
I mean, it's fine. It's there. But it's not particularly interesting in any way.
The Cardigans
3/5
Like so many other indie albums of the '90s and '00s, it's fine. Enjoyable enough, but nothing to really catch my attention.
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
I've had a run of uninteresting indie albums from the '90s, so I wasn't expecting much from this, but I really enjoyed. The songs are catchy, and Sebastian's voice really works for me.
Brian Eno
1/5
Ambient music makes me want to kill.
Otis Redding
5/5
Fantastic album -- great mix of songs imbued with Redding's unique style. Definitely a keeper.
Frank Ocean
3/5
Perfectly fine R&B, but for some reason it had a truly soporific effect on me.
The Associates
2/5
They want to be the Cure. They're not the Cure.
Travis
3/5
I didn't think I had ever heard of Travis, but it turns out I know -- and like -- one of the songs on this album. The whole thing has a very Oasis vibe, but I prefer Travis because they're quieter. Tim summed it up as "Someone has been studying their Oasis studying their Beatles."
The Electric Prunes
3/5
Interesting as a historical document, and fun to listen to.
Pavement
2/5
Not as bad as I was anticipating, but I'd be happy never to listen to it again.
Santana
2/5
I know this is heresy, but I'm not a fan. He plays well; I just prefer not to listen.
Madness
4/5
I really like this album -- "Our House," of course, but most of the other songs too. They're catchy and fun, and I'd be happy to listen again.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2/5
Too much rhythm; not enough melody.
The Fall
1/5
Loud. Weird. Did not enjoy.
R.E.M.
3/5
Didn't find it all that engaging beyond the two songs I knew ("It's the End of the World as We Know It" and "The One I Love"). It was fine.
2/5
Meh. Too much going on, with not enough payoff.
The Fall
2/5
Wikipedia calls this post-punk. I don't understand the distinction. In any case, no.
Brian Eno
2/5
I was really dreading this because of the last Eno album we had to listen to, but this one had actual songs. It was tolerable, although not particularly enjoyable.
Ray Charles
4/5
If you must have jazz, this is the jazz to have. So much fun.
Roxy Music
2/5
I was tentatively optimistic when I saw that this is post-Eno Roxy Music. But no.
Soft Cell
3/5
Any album with "Tainted Love" can't be all bad, and this was actually rather fun, in an '80s-flashback kind of way.
Bobby Womack
3/5
Good stuff, because of course it is. Very nice change after the past few albums.
Björk
1/5
“Björk’s new self-imposed mandate was to build a record almost completely out of a cappella vocals. ‘I want to see what can be done with the entire emotional range of the human voice—a single voice, a chorus, trained voices, pop voices, folk voices, strange voices,’ she told a journalist at the time. ‘Not just melodies, but everything else—every noise that a throat makes.’” Fine. You do you. But why do I have to listen to it?
Peter Frampton
2/5
I recognize that Peter Frampton is a supremely talented guitarist, the same way Clapton is. But I just don't enjoy listening to him play.
Harry Nilsson
4/5
Great album (except for that one song ...). Happy to listen again anytime.
David Bowie
3/5
This album doesn't do anything for me -- I'm not a huge Bowie fan in general, but this seems more unfocused than most of his work.
The Modern Lovers
3/5
It was fine. The vocals were a little weird, and some of the songs a bit chaotic. But it was fine.
Radiohead
2/5
Please, never again.
Rocket From The Crypt
2/5
Truth in advertising, I suppose. There *is* a lot of screaming.
Carpenters
3/5
Surprisingly, this really didn't do it for me. The songs I liked were, of course, fantastic, even the ones I was not previously familiar with. But the covers ("Reason to Believe," "Help," and to a lesser extent "Baby It's You" and "I'll Never Fall in Love Again") were just bad.
Talking Heads
3/5
As always, David Byrne’s voice is like nails on a blackboard. Other than that, it was fine.
Elliott Smith
4/5
I like this -- catchy songs, good lyrics. And although Smith's voice is high, it doesn't have that reedy tone that makes me want to pierce my own eardrums.
Beatles
4/5
I mean, what can you say about such an iconic album? It offers a bunch of great songs, some so-so ones, and one or two that lean far too heavily on the sitar.
The Police
3/5
The hits are good, but there’s a lot of filler. (And “Mother,” which is just awful.
D'Angelo
3/5
Good R&B. I wouldn't mind listening again, but I wouldn't choose it.
David Bowie
2/5
Well, "Heroes" is a great song. The rest of the album is pretty bad.
Tom Waits
3/5
This is a live album, and includes the lengthy song intros. While I love this stuff in the context of a concert venue, it doesn’t work for me on an album. I just wanted him to get to the music.
Elastica
3/5
The first song is awful (Tim: “Maybe they’re trying to establish their indie cred by putting the worst song first”), but after that the album improved greatly.
Stereolab
2/5
So monotonous, but not ignorably monotonous. It gets into my head and makes me want to kill.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
5/5
This is an amazing album -- so many foundational artists, so many classic songs. I am giving this five stars even though it doesn't exactly meet my standard criterion, because giving it fewer would be wrong.
Lana Del Rey
3/5
Not a fan of Lana Del Ray's voice, and the songs were too trippy/dreamy to hold my attention.
Ryan Adams
3/5
I'm not sure what I think about this. I wanted to like it, but it felt like he was trying too hard.
Supergrass
3/5
Mostly listenable Brit pop.
Mercury Rev
3/5
Mostly Inoffensive, with a hint of the Beatles’ drug years.
The Band
4/5
Some really great songs; a few less enjoyable ones. This is a classic for sure.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
I have a soft spot for Leonard Cohen, stemming from a perhaps unhealthy childhood fascination with "Suzanne." But in general his lyrics are a bit too abstruse for me, and he really can't sing.
Cocteau Twins
2/5
I didn't like this at all. Too electronic and loud and abrasive.
5/5
Don McLean
5/5
What a great fuckin’ album. Hadn’t listened to whole thing previously.
Caetano Veloso
3/5
This was surprisingly enjoyable. I'm a lyrics person, so generally not a huge fan of music in languages other than English, but this was a nice background soundtrack.
Pentangle
2/5
I dislike Jacqui McShee's voice, to the point where listening to some of these songs was painful. Otherwise, the music is good.
Beyoncé
2/5
I'm not a fan of pop in general, and although I know Beyoncé is widely considered to be wildly talented, I just don't understand it.
Destiny's Child
1/5
It gave me a headache.
Neneh Cherry
1/5
Maybe it's just that I had to listen to Beyoncé, Destiny's Child, and this all in one day, but it's just a no. This album caused me way more stress than I needed today.
XTC
3/5
Pleasantly Beatley. If I listened a few more times, could probably make it to four stars.
Talking Heads
2/5
Actively annoying.
Jane Weaver
2/5
Too weird and spacey for me.
The War On Drugs
3/5
Blandly inoffensive, for the most part. There were stretches of annoying instrumentals, though.
10cc
4/5
Weird but surprisingly fun.
1/5
Who pays for shit like this to get made? It's noise, literally. No attempt at music.
Rage Against The Machine
1/5
No.
Dion
3/5
I liked it, although it’s a bit anemic, like he’s phoning it in.
Songhoy Blues
4/5
Unexpectedly, we both really liked this. There’s a range of styles, all interesting.
The Who
2/5
Live Who is considerably more abusive than studio Who.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
5/5
Oh, God -- so good. 12 perfect songs in 25 perfect minutes.
Taylor Swift
4/5
I enjoyed this much more than I expected to. The lyrics are pretty good, as is the music. With a few more listens I think it could be four stars, so I'm just going to rate it that way.
Elvis Presley
4/5
This is the Elvis you think of when you think of Elvis -- or at least when I do. It's early rock and roll, and he does it well.
Spiritualized
2/5
A couple of songs weren't too bad, but most of it was just weird for weird's sake.
Sonic Youth
1/5
Abusive.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Not the Beach Boys you know and love. They definitely went weird on this one.
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
Jimi Hendrix
2/5
I understand that Hendrix is considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time, but talent does not necessarily translate into listenability.
Ian Dury
4/5
I really liked this, despite the fact that the music wasn't exactly my thing. I would like to listen again to pay more attention to the lyrics, which seem pretty great.
Cyndi Lauper
5/5
Such a great album. The last three songs are meh, although they might grow on me with repeated listening. But the rest, well, they're fabulous. It's a delightful album.
ABBA
3/5
Overall, it was just kind of boring. I think I just don’t get ABBA.
Bill Callahan
4/5
I liked that -- it was mellow but interesting.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2/5
Not quite bad enough to be a 1.
Soundgarden
2/5
Tim gives it a 3; for me it barely scrapes into 2 territory.
Super Furry Animals
2/5
A few songs weren't too bad, but overall, no.
The Jam
4/5
This album started off a little aggressive, but overall I really liked it. Some of the songs had a bit of a Squeeze feel, and a couple were more like the Smiths.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
3/5
Pretty classic blues. I'm not much of a blues fan, so I'm going to give it three stars, but that's purely based on taste and not on quality.
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
Unexpectedly enjoyable funk, but most of the songs are instrumentals. Tim loved it.
Ash
2/5
I thought it was awful: too loud, too discordant, too much noise. Tim liked it.
Justin Timberlake
2/5
This album sounds as if it was written and produced by AI.
The Stone Roses
3/5
Mostly fun little pop tunes, quite enjoyable to listen to.
Fiona Apple
3/5
It was a lot less annoying than I expected after reading the Wikipedia article. Tim found it annoying, but I kind of liked it.
David Bowie
2/5
Really boring.
Lorde
3/5
Electropop, but the opposite of vacuous.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
This was relentless sludge.
The Libertines
3/5
Anarchic pop-rock that was close to growing on me.
Brian Eno
2/5
A few songs were tolerable, but not enough.
The Cars
5/5
To quote a good friend of mine, this is a killer album. So very, very good.
Electric Light Orchestra
3/5
Some good stuff, but most of it is a bit overwrought for my taste.
Big Black
1/5
Anger management might have helped these guys.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I'm not a huge Stones fan, but I actually liked this album. (Apple Music only has the American release, but we added "Mother's Little Helper" and "Out of Time" from the U.K. release as a bonus.)
Simply Red
3/5
Definitely not what we were expecting, although with the context of the rest of the album you can hear the soul influences on "Holding Back the Years." It's a strong 3, edging toward 4.
Eels
3/5
Tim: "That guy's a bucket of cheer." Other than the depression, the music is pretty standard '90s indie rock, not bad but not great.
fIREHOSE
3/5
Interesting mix of genres. Nothing offensively loud or annoying, but nothing really exciting either.
Steely Dan
5/5
I didn't think I was much of a Steely Dan fan, but this album is great.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
This is a really great debut album, including Breakdown and American Girl. I'd go 4.5 if I could.
Turbonegro
2/5
Too loud for my taste.
Primal Scream
2/5
Mostly annoying, aside from one song that sounded strangely like Al Stewart.
Queen
5/5
What an unexpectedly fantastic album! So many excellent, truly diverse songs. This may be my best discovery of the project so far.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
The songs themselves are fine, even enjoyable. The five minutes of masturbatory guitar solos at the end of each one are wholly unnecessary. The last song ("Thorn Tree in the Garden") was by far the best song on the album.
The Pretty Things
3/5
Some of the songs were OK but boring, and the others were actively annoying.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
All covers, and not particularly interesting ones.
Solomon Burke
4/5
Really enjoyable album, with shades of Sam Cook.
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
I enjoyed this more than I expected to -- there's a wide range of genres, and the lyrics are clever. But I'm not sure we need three hours worth. Had it been a single album, it would have merited four stars.
Richard Thompson
4/5
I love this -- it's exactly what you expect from a Richard and Linda Thompson record, and that makes me happy.
Silver Jews
3/5
Not bad, although his voice was a little grating.
Jimi Hendrix
2/5
Tim gives it a 3 because his tolerance for endless electric guitar solos is far higher than mine.
The Velvet Underground
2/5
What the everlasting fuck?
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
Our second vinyl record of the generator. This album is just lovely, start to finish. "For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her" is one of the most ethereally beautiful songs I've ever heard.
Sonic Youth
2/5
My friend Dave and I frequently discuss the albums in the project. About this one he said: "I don’t like those guys at all. Sometimes you dismiss music that I like as 'just noise'. But they really are just noise."
R.E.M.
4/5
I really like this album -- the songs are interesting enough to keep my attention, which isn't always the case with R.E.M.
Morrissey
4/5
We both unexpectedly really enjoyed this. It's basically '80s Smiths vocals and verses with late-'90s pop-punk choruses.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
Perfectly pleasant (except for his voice) mix of folky and jazzy. If I could, I'd give it a 3.5.
The Boo Radleys
3/5
Some light British-invasion-ish songs mixed with discordant walls of noise. If I had half-stars, this would be a 2.5.
Giant Sand
2/5
Really dreary. Some songs were OK, but most just made us want to die.
Muddy Waters
3/5
I mean, it's the blues. Surely he's one of the greats, but it's still the blues, and it could have all been one long song for all the differences we heard.
The Byrds
4/5
Interesting album, full of good songs.
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
Some good songs ("Pretty in Pink"!); some noisier ones.
Pixies
2/5
Too much noise.
R.E.M.
3/5
“Well, that bored the piss out of me.”
3/5
Tim: “The hit songs are amazing songs, and the entire soundscape of the record is unique and tasty. Five stars.”
Lil: “Meh.”
Mudhoney
1/5
Jesus Christ.
Dwight Yoakam
3/5
“Well, there was fast ones and there was slow ones.”
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
The hits — “Monday Monday” and “California Dreaming” — are among the best songs ever, but most of the rest drag a little. Still, with those two it can’t be less than a 4.
Sleater-Kinney
1/5
Painful.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
2/5
What the fuck? It's just the same thing over and over and over again, like the Dead at their most stoned.
Mariah Carey
3/5
Poppy and inoffensive, but not interesting. But her ability to sing was a nice change from Sleater-Kinney's caterwauling.
5/5
Albums don't get much more perfect than this. And don't fuck with Loretta.
The Who
4/5
This is the first time I ever listened to the whole album, and it's really good. I enjoyed the story arc.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
Overall, not as bad as I expected. A few songs were downright listenable. Tim found it "utterly charming." I found it too weird for words.
Tim Buckley
3/5
Music was mostly fine, if a little bluesier than I'd like. Buckley's voice is grating, though.
Lightning Bolt
1/5
The book describes the band as creating "a mix of sheer abuse and welcome diversity, for a truly challenging listening experience.” I chose not to be challenged, and gave it the 30-second treatment. That was far too much.
Madonna
3/5
As per Wikipedia: "Ray of Light is an electronica and techno-pop record which incorporates multiple genres, including ambient, trip hop, psychedelic music and Middle Eastern music." Nonetheless, it was surprisingly not annoying.
The Icarus Line
1/5
More noise; more shrieking. Why?
Even at barely audible, this is unlistenable.
Randy Newman
4/5
Really enjoyable. Have to listen again when I can pay better attention to the lyrics.
The Verve
2/5
Not horrible, but far to droney to listen to again.
Blur
3/5
Kinda fun, a little silly at times. There was a lot more to the band than "Song 2" would have implied. A solid 3.
Syd Barrett
3/5
It was kind of interesting. Could have been a 3.5, but Tim did not particularly enjoy it.
Neil Young
4/5
I didn't like every song, but every song I liked I really liked.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I just don't get Joni Mitchell -- her phrasing is weird, and that takes me so far out of the music that I just can't enjoy it. I know everyone considers her a genius, and this isn't the first time (nor will it be the last time) that I just don't get it.
David Bowie
3/5
I just don’t get Bowie. Besides “Young Americans” and “Fame,” this was just dull (aside from a truly annoying cover of “Across the Universe”).
Prince
4/5
Excellent album, with a range of styles. A bit too much screaming, but otherwise quite enjoyable.
The Pogues
4/5
Top-notch. Only not a 5 because it's hard for me to listen to a whole album with energy this high.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
This is a pretty typical Elvis Costello album. Tim: "It's everything I love about Elvis Costello."
The Go-Betweens
4/5
I had never heard of the Go-Betweens, but I quite liked this album. It's got a real Echo and the Bunnymen feel.
3/5
The singles ("Wonderwall" and "Don't Look Back in Anger") are great. The other songs varied between enjoyable and too loud. I think with a few more listens it could be a 4.
Various Artists
4/5
I mean, how can you go wrong? It's delightful. It's a 5 at Christmas for sure.
Suzanne Vega
3/5
I feel like I should have liked this more than I did. I like her voice. The songs are melodic and quiet. But for some reason it just didn't grab me.
U2
4/5
The singles are great, and I can definitely see myself listening to it enough to learn the rest.
FKA twigs
2/5
I just don't get this. It's not *bad* -- it's just not even the slightest bit interesting. There's no real melody, no interesting musicality, no meaningful lyrics (at least, not that I could understand). It feels like someone playing with the musical equivalent of Photoshop. (Garage Band, I guess.)
George Jones
4/5
Oh my God, this album is amazing. It's the lyrics -- they just keep getting better. We found a review that describes it as an "exultant wallow in heartbreak" with Jones inhabiting songs "like an inmate on suicide watch."
The Smashing Pumpkins
2/5
There are a few listenable songs scattered throughout the two mostly unbearable hours of this double album. Do not recommend.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Nearly a 5, but there are a couple of weird songs.
Holger Czukay
2/5
Surely, it meant something to someone. But not to us.
The Human League
4/5
If you were to imagine what the rest of the album that contains "Don't You Want Me" sounded like, it would be this. I don't like electronic music as a rule, but I liked this.
3/5
I was dubious when it started, but it really grew on me. The songs are interesting both musically and lyrically, and even though it’s a little harder than I prefer I really liked it. We both think it could be a 4 after a few more listens.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
It was more stylistically diverse than Tim expected, but too consistently jazzy for me.
The Vines
2/5
Definitely too loud for me, but unlike many (many!) other albums I’ve listened to the past year, I could hear the musicality. I can understand why someone might like it.
Coldplay
3/5
It's fine. Not nearly as annoying as I was expecting.
The White Stripes
2/5
Surprisingly, this album includes one or two songs that are not abusively loud. Unsurprisingly, those songs are ruined by Jack White's nails-on-a-blackboard voice.
Roxy Music
2/5
Weird, as expected. But not charmingly weird. Annoyingly weird.
Pearl Jam
2/5
I know this album meant a lot to a lot of unhappy young men in the '90s, but I am just not its target audience.
Steely Dan
4/5
I was surprised how much I liked this. (Tim called it "crazily catchy" and said he'd give it a 5 on vinyl but a 4 digital.) I'd happily listen again.
Britney Spears
3/5
It's meaningless pop, but at least it's not as annoying as I expected it to be -- or as annoying as Pearl Jam was.
Kate Bush
3/5
I feel the same way about Kate Bush's vocal stylings as I do about extended electric guitar solos. I'm sure she's very talented, but I don't enjoy listening to her.
The Monks
2/5
What the everlasting fuck?
Sufjan Stevens
3/5
It was fine. Dull, but fine.
The Monkees
4/5
Classic Monkees. Nothing brilliant (and a bit of weirdness), but lots of fun.
Fats Domino
3/5
I guess I lack the context to fully appreciate this. It’s fine.
Rod Stewart
3/5
Some good songs, but overall I didn't enjoy it as much as I expected to. It's a 4 for Tim, though.
Talking Heads
3/5
I’ve never really appreciated the Talking Heads, and this album did not change that.
The Clash
5/5
This is such a great album -- the Clash is so much deeper and so much more rooted in music history than we ever imagined.
David Bowie
3/5
It just did not resonate with me (or Tim) at all.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
Interesting time capsule, but nothing I feel the need to listen to again. Maybe a 3.5, if that were an option.
Pink Floyd
2/5
I might have enjoyed this more if I'd been stoned. Or tripping. But I’ve never been stoned, unless you count the time I took Percodan on an empty stomach. And I think it goes without saying that I have never — what’s the term? — dropped acid. And so all I can say is “what the fuck?”
The Young Rascals
4/5
This was really pretty great -- a time capsule in the best ways.
Michael Jackson
4/5
What can you say about an album like this? I was 15 when it came out, and the singles (most of the songs on the record) were everywhere. Being the contrarian that I was (and still am), I didn't like anything that everyone else liked, and that included Michael Jackson. But 40 years on, I can see what an impressive feat it is -- there's a variety of styles, and they're all good. (And it made Tim move. Not much makes Tim move. He called it tasty.)
The Coral
2/5
I ... don't know what that was. It was a weird amalgamation of '60s folk(ish) and psychedelia and '90s noise. I don't want to listen to it again.
Tim Buckley
3/5
For the most part, the songs are good, although they all kind of run together. But his voice is really hard to take.
Hole
2/5
Well, I only had to skip four songs (out of 12), so I guess that's something?
Adam & The Ants
3/5
This is very 1980, in that a little goes a long way.
John Cale
4/5
I feel like this is an album that could be one of my favorites if I took the time to play it over and over again and really learn the songs. There's just something about it that speaks to me. (Tim gives it a 3.)
Dead Kennedys
2/5
That was just awful. (Tim admires their moxie.)
Jeff Beck
2/5
I'm sure Beck is quite talented. Nonetheless, I'd rather not.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
This is an excellent album -- most of the songs had a great groove -- and we both want to listen to it again.
Paul Weller
3/5
Nothing massively stood out, but it might benefit from another listen.
Beatles
4/5
How can I possibly review the White Album? It's got a bunch of good songs. It's got a bunch of songs I'd happily never listen to again. Tim says "It's manifestly a 5." If I could make one album by choosing the best songs, I would agree.
Radiohead
3/5
Not as bad as I feared -- there were actually a few songs that weren't walls of noise. But Thom Yorke's voice is still excruciating. (Tim's review: "That was a long 48 minutes.")
The Smiths
3/5
“One or two songs rocked harder than I thought was their gestalt.” It’s very much of its time.
Paul Simon
5/5
Just a fantastic record, start to finish.
Cat Stevens
4/5
Great album, start to finish. Both the hits and the lesser-known songs are well worth the listen. But it doesn't transcend -- there's nothing brilliant about it.
The Dandy Warhols
2/5
So drone-y. So boring. Tim: “There might have been a time I’d have cottoned to it, but certainly no longer.”
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
The acoustic side of this album is great. The electric side is too noisy. But anyone who knows me could have predicted that I'd say that.
Van Morrison
5/5
Man, what a perfect album. No hits; just one perfect song after another.
Merle Haggard
3/5
Straight-up country. Lots of longing.
Iron Butterfly
3/5
This is a surprisingly mellow album until, well, you know.
Christina Aguilera
2/5
Except for one song (maybe), it's pure product, every aspect carefully crafted for maximum selling power.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
We were pleasantly surprised by most of the album, although we could absolutely have done without the nine-minute chaos of "The Murder Mystery."
Magazine
3/5
This is a really interesting album -- a mix of genres (punk, rock, some quieter songs) and tempos. I'm not dying to listen to it again, but I wouldn't mind if I had to. (Tim would give it 2.5 stars.)
Waylon Jennings
4/5
You want outlaw country? This is outlaw country. (Tim gave it a 3.)
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
The original songs are very of their time, but the covers (and there are a lot of covers -- "Born to Run," "Do You Know the Way to San Jose," etc.) are a lot of fun.
Mudhoney
1/5
Grunge. No.
Funkadelic
2/5
Just boring. Tim: “It was … challenging.”
Django Django
4/5
This is a really fun album -- a nice variety of very listenable songs.
Prince
3/5
I wanted to like this, but it just felt tedious by the end.
Elvis Costello
3/5
Kind of boring — nothing really grabbed me. (Tim: “A lot of classic-sounding EC arrangements — heard stuff I want to hear again. 4 stars.)
The Damned
2/5
Tim: “At least it’s melodic punk. … I wouldn’t say I was eager to listen to it again, but it wasn’t horrendous.” Ditto. (It was slightly better than a 2, but certainly not a 3.)
Sex Pistols
2/5
I always thought I didn’t like punk, but then Green Day and the Clash made me think I was wrong about that. This album reminds me I was right. It was awful. (Tim: “The musicianship was better than I expected. It was raw but not sloppy.” 2.5 stars)
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
A little too blues-heavy, but CCR is gonna CCR. Excellent album nonetheless.
Barry Adamson
2/5
Why?
Tori Amos
4/5
With the exception of a couple of more chaotic songs, this is a really solid album — music is good, lyrics are intensely personal. Piano-forward arrangements are unique for the time.
The Kinks
3/5
Some songs are Beatley, some are Stonesy. Overall, the album is more of a curiosity than something I’d choose to listen to again. I’d give it a 3.5 if I could.
CHIC
3/5
It’s got a good beat — you can tap to it.
Ramones
3/5
Fourteen songs in 29 minutes — you have to appreciate a band that gets in, gets the job done, and gets out. It was nearly four stars, but there was just a bit too much similarity between the songs.
Frank Zappa
2/5
The worst the worst elements of free jazz and some of the worst elements of rock, combined into an album I don’t want to listen to.
Nirvana
2/5
Oh my fucking God. (Tim’s review: Amazing as the day it was cut. 5 stars.)
Janet Jackson
3/5
Boring pop with delusions of profundity. Tim: “1989? Really?”
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
It’s rare that I find myself agreeing with rock critics, but in this case the ones quoted in the Wikipedia article are spot on. So much unnecessary and unjustified self-importance.
Paul McCartney
3/5
Sounds like a collection of demos and outtakes. (Except for “Maybe I’m Amazed.”)
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
It’s fine. Solid 3. (Tim: His mannered vocals are hard to take. Still a 3.)