Can we be fucking done with this theatre kid? Sick of gravely woe-is-me singing with look-at-how-weird-I-think-I-am clang rhythms.

Impressively benign. Nothing really stood out as either particularly bad or great. The sounds were bright and airy, which, when looking for a whimsical mood that isn't obnoxious, this would be an excellent album.

Felt operatic, which was somewhat unexpected. While I doubt I'd put any one song on any of my playlists, I dug the whole experience. 3/5, with the caveat I'm just starting my rating systems.

Ok so Walk On By is a fucking amazing song of emotion and feeling. But the rest of it? It's not really my jam. 2/5

Already know this is a great album. What was surprising and new to me was how much the last track reminded me of Tom Petty. Pretty great to listen to this again with fresh ears! 4/5

I have a renewed appreciation for Hendrix after this album, even the non-hits have something cool about them even though they're definitely not as rad as the hits are. This seems like a prime example of psychedelic rock, and it seemed to pioneer, timewise. That said, I def have to be in a particular mood to want to listen to the whole album. Felt like work finishing it.

I can easily imagine listening to this on vinyl surrounded by lingering cigarette smoke and shag carpet while reading. Cool vibes, smooth sounds and awesome how meandering musicians come together to make something, but I still don't like jazz and I won't listen to this again. Definition of background music. 3/5

It's like Springstein, Stones, Talking Heads, and Dead someone pulled together this bad. Hard to pin it down. Second half is more lyric focused than I care for in my music. Had to work to get this one done 3/5

Way cooler than their big hit. I'm probably gonna keep this in rotation for a a little while. I like the upbeat funk and the solos during their instrumentals were interesting, especially to someone who doesn't know music theory very well. 4/5

The hits are hits for reasons, and even the "filler" is good. Somehow I never got into this when they were around.

She does have a great voice, but the production was so cookie cutter boring. All I heard was the generic pop sound of 2010 that I learned to tune out, so the only things I really heard in this album were the interludes.

College throwback! Fun hearing these songs again fresh after, jesus christ, 20 years. Feels very 90s now that I'm listening with fresh ears. Noticing the audio effects way more than I used to. Much quieter album overall than I remember. Decent, but wouldn't listen to it again for a long time.

Thinking about this in the context of '71 and the rock preceding it, I can see how this was a big hit. But at the same time, there's a good reason why most of these songs aren't well known. It's hard not to compare to Zeppelin, and it's not a fair one at that. 2/5

Never gave it a shot when it came out but I really dug it. This kind of music isn't really my style, but the production and his lyrics actually did it for me, which is very against how I usually am.

Love this album, it's clearly Maiden but much more raw than their more refined sound of later albums. Much more energy in every track.

Dope. Love this way more than PFunk, since each song seems to have a purpose.

Seems like a RATM cover band tried to write their own stuff

Overall, a quiet album, which I wasn't expecting but felt intimate and personal because of it. I enjoyed this more than I expected. 4

Def dig the sounds of this era of hip hop.

At when Meatloaf does storytelling music the music is good. The hits are fine

Formative album for me that I overlistened to in HS. The hits are overplayed, and everything else is great.

Yeah that was more fun than I expected. Gonna keep this in rotation for a bit.

Did Massive Attack produce this? I'm deep in moody 90s movies.

Clear bridge between rock of that time and punk

This is a great album but not his best, and I forget that when listening to the others in his disco. Starts with a banger, meanders, then the back half is just fantastic.

Every song could be a radio hit. fantastically fun

Lots of similar sounds to Pink Floyd just in a different vibe.

I'm surprised I liked this one as much as I did, as it was very quiet compared to what I usually like. Things felt cool and casual while still being fun.

~90s alt mood~

Slow rock n roll

I get why so many folks were into him during college. Good vibe when that's the mood you're after

Not his best but a classic. Lots of great songs and experiments post Ziggy that have a clear connection to Diamond Dogs.

I think one would really appreciate this in better context of the era. A few great songs, but mostly seems like it'd be interesting having not heard nearly as many of these sounds before, which in 2024, we have.

Feels a ton like Roxy Music. Nothing really struck me as "must listen."

This was 1997? Dope

Can't believed all these songs are on one album.

Structurally weird but awesome to listen to, as is expected by Queen.

Son of a Preacher Man is fantastic, and the whole vibe is good. Rest of it seemed too low key for me

Vocally driven music isn't my jam, but interesting collection of collabs

Loved these. Not all are great, but most of them are.

Epitome of this sound and this era. Consistent if nothing else.

Having never heard this album before, my first impression is that this must've been the soundtrack to many languishing Gen Xers.

Way more operatic than I expected, and wasn't really in line with the hits I know. I was impressed with the clean sound on all the instruments, and how different that feels compared to other music I consume.

Good sound but way too much. Probably much cooler in its time

First song should have been in the middle: it set the rest of the album up for failure cause it was such a banger. The other songs were great, but the energy and attitude of the first track was never matched, leaving the rest of the album disappointing.

Much more like the Grateful Dead than I expected, surprisingly chill and fun.

Weird set of stories in these songs, but really interesting big band music throughout.

Like a cross between Oingo Boingo, Devo, Wang Chung, and NPR. I liked a few tracks but most of it wasn't good, certainly not for 1.25 hours

If I knew music theory or studied piano I'm sure I'd appreciate this more.

Eminem is such a good rapper, but this was never my style of music. Wish I had listened to this when it came out

Cool to hear some old styles and sounds in a modern context. Much more enjoyable than I expected at first.

Very theatrical, very different, very emotional, very consistent.

Expected the hits to be the only good thing about this album, but was surprised by how much I liked the rest of it. Helped that the lyrics seemed more derisive and sardonic than the rest of the sound.

Indistinguishable from Automatic For The People. Pretty good, definitely era defining.

I so often think of Ray Charles as his more modern hits, but this is much more old school than I realized. Lots and lots of soul and yearning in his songs, and I love the big band support throughout.

Every song has something distinctive and catchy.

The album wasn't the worst music I've ever heard, but why tf did I need to hear this? There was nothing interesting, new, or groundbreaking about this.

Oh darn I had to listen to this again

Props for pioneering.

Always need generic modern rock

I never knew Danny Elfman had an alias

Very hard to hear with fresh ears. Consistent sounds and attitude, and I would have loved it had I not heard so many of these songs a billion times. I don't need to hear AC/DC again

I understand that this band led the way for industrial music, but it's a terrible album

I am surprised at how much I liked this. Dope beats, dope lines. Will probably listen a bunch more

A collection of short uninteresting songs

This is the kind of shit theatre kids cream their jeans to and pull lines from for their yearbook quotes.

A hot mess of every early 90s shit fusion pop sound, rhythm, and instrument, with nothing of interest to be shown for it.

This album was my first exposure to Metallica, and I really dug the mix of conventional styles. I don't love all of their jams, and fuck them for their RIAA bullshit in the 00s, so can't give it more than 3.

Can't believe I haven't heard this before. Loved the sounds, sentiment, and attitude throughout. Def coming back to this.

Didn’t realize so many hits were on one album. I don't love all of their jams, and fuck them for their RIAA bullshit in the 00s, so can't give it more than 3.

Sounds foundational. Cool sounds and can def see how this led to much more.

Intriguing how much similarities in sound the Kinks have to some Beatles songs of the similar era, while the Kinks clearly stayed in only that area, at least for this album. Cool vibes, amusing lyrics and tone, but a little too much of the same.

Can we be fucking done with this theatre kid? Sick of gravely woe-is-me singing with look-at-how-weird-I-think-I-am clang rhythms.

Imagine seeing James Brown in ‘63.

I'm so impressed that a band had the balls to release a 30 minute album consisting of one song remixed 13 times. Consistent, dope sound, for sure a big change for the music scene in it's era. However, not nearly enough variety to really be a worthwhile album.

Arguably the best Zep album. I can never not hear the kick pedal squeak in What Is and What Should Never Be, lol

Great Southern blues rock/jams

Great music and interesting vibes, but I’m never a fan of lyricists

Cool progressions, interesting riffs, more interesting than expected, though only worth one listen to me.

a rare instance where music based around a singers voice doesn’t suck. Her voice is like an instrument that adds to the rest of the band, without the rest of the band being reliant on it.

Impressively benign. Nothing really stood out as either particularly bad or great. The sounds were bright and airy, which, when looking for a whimsical mood that isn't obnoxious, this would be an excellent album.

Singer/songwriter is boring

Solid low key soul with a hint of funk.

Great storytelling, interesting music.

Much more low-tempo bluesy rock than I expected, with a few tracks toward the front of the album feeling like the bombastic Beck that I'm used to. Very fun album, great mood setting, and more relaxing than expected.

At first I didn't think I'd enjoy this, but the old country bluesy rock got me good. Feels like it's perfect for period pieces from mid-20th-century, and good and slow for a lazy afternoon.

At first I fucking hated this, but then I started to feel the groove and the chaos made sense. V agro, v messy, v fun.

I went in expecting disappointment, as I had tried checking this album out a few years ago and was, and I was pleasantly wrong. These sounds were very ahead of their time in '79, but Numan integrates them well with conventional rock sounds and structures. Overall, a bit of a slow and moody album, but some fun discoveries throughout.

The non hits are more awesome than expected

Not as good as Exodus. If I needed a lot of reggae, I'd start with Exodus then move into this, but on it's own it's not exceptional.

Nick Cave and the please god don't have any more of their albums on here

Meh, only because story / songwriter combos don't do it for me. I can appreciate the talent behind it, but I just don't care. :shrug:

Jazz? Country? Jountry? Either way, super chill album with great sounds and sweeping moods.

Upon first listen I wagered this was late 90s or early 00s, given the prevalence of Super Eurobeat at that time, but these folks broke through way earlier with this. Wide variety of moods, but all over a trancy-popy sound.

Not worth it

Old school high energy bangers

one hit and very generic oughts-era indie. Why did I need to hear this?

Lot of hits on one album, and the other songs aren’t for clear reasons, though are interesting examples of mediocre music from the era.

Dug the storytelling of the lyrics, but felt more artsy than fun

Lots of bangers, but a few duds, too, hence only 4 stars.

Very good example of singer songwriter that has a hippie association with it, but not my favorite atuff

Much richer, composition, moods, and lyrics than I expected. Overall highly recommend.

Very good example of singer songwriter that has a hippie association with it, but not my favorite atuff

Tons of great songs and clearly an influential album relative to sounds of the time.

Slightly darker than usual leaning for 90s grunge-pop sound, and overall enjoyable. Must listen before you die? Nah.

In the context of “should you listen to this album before you die,” no.

In the context of “should you listen to this album before you die,” no.

A few hits that are obviously great, and the non-hits are interesting and moving. Great example of Bowie's ability to morph his sound.

Evokes Pink Floyd's combo of chill and exciting, and has a great flow to the whole album.

I expected something more significant given joe’s much I’ve heard this bands name, however, it seemed to have not quite tapped into anything special.

I expected something more significant given joe’s much I’ve heard this bands name, however, it seemed to have not quite tapped into anything special.

Emblematic sounds of the 90, and a truly fantastic voice.

Classic oughts indie rock dance sound.

For sure an album all should hear, especially Americans, before they die. The messages and lyrics are powerful, and for that time, exposing relative to other music of this popularity. It's still hilarious to me when people seem to miss the target of the anger...

Cool to hear this sound this early, but in the context of “does one need to hear this before they die?” No. There are better examples from when this sound was further developed.

Heard a lot of sounds that reminded me of the Grateful Dead, mixed with classic Americana. Got a great chuckle out of The Christian Life

Sets a great mood and sticks to it throughout. If you're languishing, or, oddly, relaxed, this is a great album to put on.

Pleasantly depressing.

Angry, angsty, and somehow low key in it's writing. Emblematic of the 90s

Solid, consistent mood, though no tracks I particularly want to come back to.

I'm reminded of a quote from Anthony Bourdain on Top Chef: What is your major malfunction? Steely Dan are phenomenal musicians, but what they fuck are they writing about? I think people DO need to hear this music to get a real sense of cognitive dissonance between amazing sounds and confusing composions.

Pleasantly depressing.

Bangers throughout.

The definition of "edgy" music from the 90s. If there was ever a scene in a movie that required you to know that there's a counter-culture moment going on, any one of these tracks would do.

This album would be worth hearing if it was ~1/4 the length

This was a huge album for my mom when I was growing up, and listening to it now it's clearly easy listening meets country.

Cool proto prog sound. Odd to think it’s live cause there’s hardly any crowd noise

Perfectly adequate rock from 1964-1977 made in 2001.

Felt like I was playing Rez, but without a draw to keep me interested for a full hour.

So good I often say first albums have the “Alanis Morissette” effect, where the album is great, but subsequent albums aren’t as good. Anyway, fun 90s throwback def worth hearing at least once

Love this old school big band jazz when I need to get shit done.

Interesting, but leans too heavy into the singer songwriter stuff that I don’t care about. But, mainly influential so should be heard once before death

Overrated, and this is no exception

Solid old school hip hop

Classics still hold up

Lots of classics on this one album!

Simon somehow makes personally intimate and lofty sounds ebb and flow throughout.

Genuinely interesting and unexpected use of 90s sounds to make a wide variety of moods.

It's like Smashing Pumpkins but more generic and boring.

As classic as it is, it’s far too long. I wouldn’t say someone needs to hear it before they die.

I melted into my chair on this one. Sets a mood effectively that brought me to a smoke filled room with coke dusted on every surface

Know how I know this author is full of shit? He’s put Coldplay albums on more than once.

Surprisingly good, especially for the time and not having heard any of these before. Cultivates that new wave sound mixed with some disco funk

Damn, Kate Bush had some brutal fever dreams. Idk what I just listened to but I kinda enjoyed it? Def not necessary to hear before you die, tho

Classics and great vibes

Classic college rock that I keep coming back to annually. Very surprised it ended up on this list

Bob Dylan’s vocals are like a roller coaster that isn’t fun. Otherwise his music would be great

Bringing angst goth alt rock to the mainstream with this one. Not all songs are great, but lots of them are fun

Some massive bangers of Elton's in this one, but also some that aren't as fun (but are still great).

Fun sounds, more chill than I remember.

A great example of the languishing attitude of some branches of alt rock in the 90s. Great music to put on when putzing around the house.

Surprisingly old school hip hop sound for 2008, but solid nonetheless. Must hear before you die? I guess so?

Chill but energetic beats with some fun rhymes, def great

Super hippie shiz with a dash of 90s languish-pop

Interesting to hear from '89, pretty fun and feels of the era. Required listening? No.

Funky, fun, consistent mood throughout. Def coming back to it sometime.

Dolly is an icon for a reason

Wild to have never heard of this band before given their lineage and influence. Fun discovery

Great sound, great vibes, tons of classics. But, FUCK METALLICA AND FUCK THE RIAA one star

How do you know if someone is Irish? Don’t worry, they won’t shut the fuck up about it Anyway, an interesting mix of traditional sounds and of the time modern stuff. Still, unnecessary to hear before one dies

Near perfect album, massively influential, and still rocks

Some bangers, but, given he is just making a modernish version of old sounds, not necessary to hear before one dies

Meh. There are better examples of languishing alt rock from the era.

Super fun old school, really love hearing the audience from this era.

Great to hear these classics again that have been part of my random snippets of music going around in my head since forever. Interesting to hear lots of repetition in both lyrical themes and musical composition

Uninteresting and not terribly original. Not necessary to hear before you die.

Fun live album of all the hits and some extra. Solid crowd work.

Generically 90s. Replace this required listening with a Now That’s What I Call Music 90’s and you’ll be fine

Solid old school sound. Def worth a listen.

Bangers throughout, just happens to be longer than necessary