Jan 05 2024
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Violator
Depeche Mode
dark and brooding, but also quite energetic and at times frenetic... percussion (or highly rhythmic instrumental lines) and vocals at the forefront... highlights = halo, enjoy the silence, policy of truth, blue dress (a nice chill track),
4
Jan 06 2024
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Hard Again
Muddy Waters
The bluest of blues. Highlights: "I want to be loved" (because it is short), "Jealous Hearted Man", "I Can't Be Satisfied" (great guitar), "Crosseyed Cat",
4
Jan 07 2024
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Tres Hombres
ZZ Top
Bluesy rock that doesn't take itself too seriously. Fun!
Highlights: "Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers", "Master of Sparks", "La Grange" (very similar to that famous riff in another song), "Shiek", "Precious and Grace", "Waitin For the Bus",
4
Jan 08 2024
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Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul
Otis Redding
Masterpiece of blues and soul.
5
Jan 09 2024
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More Songs About Buildings And Food
Talking Heads
Objectively all the songs are good and well crafted, but it is hard for me to get into it. Maybe there is just a little too much going on--or I just find Byrne's voice grating. Highlights: Girl, Found a Job, Artists Only, Take Me to the River,
4
Jan 10 2024
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Head Hunters
Herbie Hancock
Extremely funky jazz. For what it is, it's basically perfect.
5
Jan 11 2024
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Close To The Edge
Yes
Prog rock with a lot of classic rock sounds. It's not really my thing (for some reason the closest thing to prog I can connect to is stuff like Frog Eyes), but I can see how some people might consider it epic.
3
Jan 12 2024
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The Gershwin Songbook
Ella Fitzgerald
Immaculate songwriting paired with divine singing.
5
Jan 13 2024
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Strangeways, Here We Come
The Smiths
4
Jan 14 2024
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Parachutes
Coldplay
Lots of songs in 4/6 time. Peak Coldplay. There are a couple of the big hits, but the other songs actually do a good job at establishing a sonically cohesive and very listenable album. It's like what Dave Matthews kind of wished he could be. It is moody, vacillating between slightly cynical and despairing; and self assured to the point of cringe.
4
Jan 15 2024
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Electric Ladyland
Jimi Hendrix
A classic. I remember discovering this in that formative, though still naive, period that lasted from Senior year of HS to Freshman year of college alongside albums like What's Going On, Sergeant Pepper, American Water, and The Soft Bulletin.
5
Jan 16 2024
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One Nation Under A Groove
Funkadelic
Great groovy goodness. My highlights are the first three tracks.
4
Jan 17 2024
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Eliminator
ZZ Top
Lots of classic rocking tunes. "Sharp Dressed Man" is a famous one that I had not been able to name previously.
4
Jan 18 2024
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O.G. Original Gangster
Ice T
It's West Coast lumpen rap--a progenitor of the genre. What more is there to say?
3
Jan 19 2024
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Machine Head
Deep Purple
another progenitor album, this time heavy metal, but by today's tastes almost indistinguishable from other genres of rock. It's actually pretty easy to listen to. "Smoke on the Water" ... "Highway Star" ... "Space Truckin"
4
Jan 20 2024
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Amnesiac
Radiohead
There's something about this album that I like. I think it makes me understand why some people really latched onto Radiohead. It's got complex things going on, including punky/grungy/whiny stuff, but has a dreamy lofi sonic atmosphere that downplays, masks, or even belies that complexity. Highlights: "Knives Out"; the famous "Pyramid Song";
5
Jan 21 2024
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Tapestry
Carole King
Some great singing with a variety of backing sounds ranging from orchestral to folk to funky grooviness. Highlights: "Will You Love Me Tomorrow"; "You've Got a Friend"; "Tapestry"... It's a bit reminiscent of Karen Dalton.
5
Jan 22 2024
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Tarkus
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
It's short and fairly unique. Jazzy prog jam rock with psychedelic sounds and lyrics.
4
Jan 23 2024
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Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
4
Jan 24 2024
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Peggy Suicide
Julian Cope
Aesthetically / conventionally puzzling. Maybe it belongs to the same genre-defying genre as Beck, Bill Fay, Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa...
5
Jan 25 2024
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Sincere
Mj Cole
Reminds me of Ryan. Highlights include: Crazy Love, Free My Mind, Sanctuary.
5
Jan 26 2024
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Licensed To Ill
Beastie Boys
4
Jan 27 2024
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Music for the Masses
Depeche Mode
More sonically consistent perhaps compared to the other one, but goes much bigger and stranger in some places. Harder to identify highlights.
4
Jan 28 2024
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The Idiot
Iggy Pop
4
Jan 29 2024
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To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
An album that I spent some time with during my final year in Seattle and first year in NYC. Many good tracks!
4
Jan 30 2024
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The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
I want to be adored, bye bye bad man,
5
Jan 31 2024
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BEYONCÉ
Beyoncé
I'm not sure if there is any single song that stands above the rest, but really truly very quite rather solid as a whole.
5
Feb 03 2024
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The Man Machine
Kraftwerk
"We are the robots"
5
Feb 04 2024
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Superunknown
Soundgarden
Peak grunge. Lots of keepers on this one! This album shows me that grunge is actually pretty chill and sedated even in its more frenetic and heavy parts.
5
Feb 05 2024
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The Real Thing
Faith No More
Compositional elements from different rock genres that peaked in the 90s cobbled together to form something that is epic, silly, irreverent, and earnest all at the same time. Kind of fun, though not particularly pleasant, to listen to.
3
Feb 06 2024
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A Girl Called Dusty
Dusty Springfield
5
Feb 09 2024
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Blur
Blur
I had no inkling of who this band was until the track became "Song 2". Highlights: "Death of a Party"; "Look Inside America";
3
Feb 10 2024
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I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Aretha Franklin
5
Feb 11 2024
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Dusty In Memphis
Dusty Springfield
5
Feb 12 2024
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Larks' Tongues In Aspic
King Crimson
Psychedelic prog rock. It's alright
3
Feb 16 2024
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Let's Stay Together
Al Green
5
Feb 17 2024
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Birth Of The Cool
Miles Davis
5
Oct 02 2024
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Blood And Chocolate
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Many of the songs are a little too whiny and tinny. Highlights despite that: "Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head"; "I Want You"; "Blue Chair"; "Crimes of Paris"; "Next Time Round"; "Battered Old Bird";
4
Oct 03 2024
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Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
Shoegazey and mostly pleasant to listen to, although it is hard for me to really grasp onto any particular song. Maybe \"Iceblink Luck\"
4
Oct 04 2024
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Rain Dogs
Tom Waits
Easy A. An important album in my formative (college) years.
5
Oct 05 2024
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Blonde On Blonde
Bob Dylan
Another classic / canonical album. Not something I listen to these days (2024), but I remember being impacted when I first discovered.
5
Oct 06 2024
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At Mister Kelly's
Sarah Vaughan
4
Oct 07 2024
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Peter Gabriel 3
Peter Gabriel
Better than I expected and the appearances by Phil Collins and Kate Bush were appreciated. Possible highlights: Intruder, No Self Control, I Don't Remember, Games, Not One of Us.
4
Oct 08 2024
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3 Feet High and Rising
De La Soul
Another classic of my formative years--via Graeme. Introduced me to different aspects of hip hop.
5
Oct 09 2024
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Get Behind Me Satan
The White Stripes
Seems good. Not really my taste though.
3
Oct 15 2024
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Since I Left You
The Avalanches
4
Oct 16 2024
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People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
A Tribe Called Quest
3
Oct 17 2024
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Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
Pavement
4
Oct 21 2024
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The Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd
perhaps the hipster in me is predisposed to some skepticism towards albums that are so renowned. nevertheless, I acknowledge that this is quite an enjoyable piece of prog / art / experimental rock, and an album that doubtlessly influenced all popular music that came after it.
5
Oct 22 2024
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Come Away With Me
Norah Jones
"Don't Know", "Come Away", "Shoot the Moon"... sometimes jazzy/bluesy songs and sometimes country... with the breathy voice that was in vogue in the late 90s to mid 00s, like a feminine Coldplay singing jazz club tunes
4
Oct 23 2024
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James Brown Live At The Apollo
James Brown
I don't really like live albums for some reason, but it's good.
4
Oct 24 2024
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The Predator
Ice Cube
Do I really need to listen to this?
3