Not my usual vibe, but he's clearly a master at what he's doing here.
Solid, straightforward rock-and-roll, except David Byrne is quite a mind. Not sure how I never noticed it before, but Serj Tankian reminds me of some of Byrne's antics here.
Good vibes; no notes.
Took way too long to finally listen to this all the way through. Rare to hear a record this raw these days, with all its imperfections intact, but the vibe undeniable.
I need more 60s/70s funk in my life and this is a fine start. Strong reggae vibes too though.
I just can't seem to get into Elliott Smith, even after all these years. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ It's fine; maybe I just need the right mood/environment to appreciate it.
So good. I have been missing out.
Meh. Bang a Gong was in constant rotation on every northern MI classic rock station, and the rest of the songs seem about the same. It's fine I guess, but I won't be listening again.
Whoa, the guitar and bass chops on this record. Also, the overall vibe is some rock and roll hippie shit that I'm very much here for.
Nice background music for working. I feel like I've heard of Brian Eno for a long time and never consciously listened or sought out an album. Not sure if I'll do so again, but it was a pleasant listening experience nonetheless.
Mm, not my cup of tea for the most part, but there's a ton of lush instrumentation here that I can appreciate.
Classic. At once dense and sprawling. Liked it more this time than the last time I listened.
Lovely melllow vibes. Probably not coming back too often, but I enjoyed it.
I never really got deep into The Pixies, but I always enjoyed their music whenever I happened to hear it. This feels the same, perhaps unsurprisingly.
The best rock-and-roll I've heard in a while and it's from the 2000s? With thoughtful social commentary from a (checks notes) _southern_ USA perspective? Hell yes.
Not my cup of tea, but I was sort of enjoying it overall - until the "Religious Overtones" bonus tracks. Yeeeesh. No thanks.
Lovely ambiance.
Bouncy, peppy, fun, but not my go-to.
Super mellow and lovely. I haven't really listened to much Fiona Apple besides the hit singles; I might have to fix that.
I'm not exactly the clubbing type, but this was nice background working music.
So good. The drum sound alone on this album - *chef's kiss*.
Undeniably good for what it is. The emphasis on Load/Reload era is striking and unfortunate; good songs in there, but so many more better songs that could have been included. Still solid.
Peaceful; lilting; lovely.
Raw, loud, abrasive rock and roll. Loved it.
There's clearly skill on display here, but this is hold music that I would probably turn down or hope for a callback.
So smooth and chill. I love what Tribe records I've heard, but Q-Tip's solo work was new to me. Always fun to discover a new thread to follow from a familiar source.
....damn it I hate that this is as good as it is
Good in a "I know I'm supposed to like this, and I do, just not as much as the true fans do" kind of way. Also, I can't think of another good song ruined by terrible production as much as "Hats off to (Roy) Harper" was.
Why the hell is this first song almost 6 minutes long?? Could have been half as long for the same impact or more.
Overall I see why people find this compelling, but overall to me it feels overwrought and tiring. I think I can handle a few songs at a time, but the album is too much.
So much groove and talent just hanging out there, each in its spot, not flashy, just solid and funky. Love it.
"Roundabout" is one of those songs I know I've hard a whole bunch but never consciously or really paying attention until now. Man the organ and the overall timbre of the guitars together is a trip back in time.
Some great songs, and also some... recordings where they seem to have just dropped acid and then pressed record. Overall it's still good. That bass tone and playing alone... man.
Bouncy quirky rock and roll. Loved it.
Classic. I listened to this one start-to-finish for the first pretty recently, so it's fresh.
Oscillating between The Cure and some kind of noise pop I probably would have been into in college.
Nice tunes, but I should NOT have stayed around for the stereo versions. Yikes. Yes, technical constraints and all that. Still awful.
Four stars for the music nevertheless.
Not expecting much from this one, as I'm not that into Sinatra. Optimistically starting at 3 stars.
Solid guitar rock throughout. I don't think I've ever heard anything but the singles. The other tracks were certiainly weaker, but overall still a great album.
Definitely out of my usual Rush experience here, but also so familiar. Such ridiculously talented musicians, composers, arrangers. Loved it.
The number of years it's taken me to appreciate Michael Jackson is frankly embarrassing. Love the grooves here.
Pretty fun, if not one I'll be returning to often.
At its best, this sounds like a more folk/country OK Computer, and it's pretty enjoyable. At its worst, it's a little boring, but still pleasant. Not the revelation I remember it being lauded as, but still quite nice.
Classic, super important, bouncy and fun
...and WOW it sounds bad (production-wise) in 2024. There should be a list of albums ranked by the ratio of popularity to production quality; this would be high on that list.
Man, this is so lovely. The bops are bright and lively; the calmer songs are so warm and soothing. Gorgeous.
NASTY and gorgeous.
It's fine, I guess? Kind of a mess though. Not sure why it's on this list to be honest.
Not really into the britpop albums on this list. This was less of a mess than Super Furry Animals at least.
Finally listening to my first Smiths album. It's more pleasant than I expected.
The bass work on "Barbarism Begins at Home" alone is worth the listen. And the whole album is pretty nice! Though... it probably could have ended one track earlier. -_-
Happy 30th anniversary, Dookie! This album is a huge part of the way I play drums. It might have been one of the first albums I bought. Absolute classic, I will hear no slander against it.
The building instrumental at the end of "Chump" permanently lives in my chest. I will rock out to "She" until my legs don't work anymore. Even "Pulling Teeth", which I hated and skipped for years, is a song that I've come to appreciate. "Coming Clean" is so bracingly earnest, and I felt that back in the 90s even though I didn't understand it yet. And I will shout-sing along to "FOD" (in the car alone) forever.
Five stars. All the stars.
Quite a variety in one album. Pretty enjoyable.
Not bad, but nothing I'll be returning to. The samples were almost a self-parody, but maybe it just feels dated in 2024.
Embarrassingly, this is my first time listening to an Erykah Badu album, though I've heard her on other artists' records. It won't be the last. Sweet, smooth, and soulful.
Good stuff, but mostly all sounds the same. That's not awful, but it is unfortunate that the main song that stands out ("Night Prowler") is... well, basically what the title sounds like. Yeeeeek.
Heard these songs a ton on the radio growing up. It’s fine in that context but it’s not something I’m going to throw on by choice. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Better than I remembered. “Morning Glory” is the standout to me at the moment. I’m still tired of the singles as if they were flooding the airwaves yesterday.
My first time hearing of this band or hearing any of this music. Pretty solid. I know it's from 1986 but I can imagine Sleater-Kinney were into Throwing Muses for a while. An interesting sonic departure at the end of the album, but I don't dislike it.
Pretty good! Grimy, grinding rock and roll shifting back and forth in intensity. Probably won't seek out more but I enjoyed it.
Yet another area where I'm embarrassingly ignorant of music I should know better. Absolutely captivating; no notes.
This album has three distinct moods:
1. Manic and unsettlingly energetic
2. Boring and bland
3. Lovely and mellow
Not sure what to make of it, other than three stars.
A great hip-hop record in search of an MC and an editor.
OR
Pleasant background music... when the weird dialogue sample shuts up.
OR
Solid soundtrack music for a movie.
Update: ah, there's the freestyle on track 5
This record sounds so bad but feels so good. Absolutely glad it's on this list.
I mean, I know what they sound like, and it's alright, but on this list? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
So weird to see artists repeat on this list. Can't complain about this album, though. \m/
I think I might end up enjoying this album a bit more than Highway to Hell. We'll have to see how the non-singles hold up, though.
Pretty solid halfway through... until YIKES side A ends with a rape anthem. Gross. Ok.
High hopes for side B, and it did not disappoint. Overall a solid 4 stars despite the above. More steady album than Highway for sure.
Fairly enjoyable; strong voice, but the songs fall into two categories for me: 1) not my cup of tea; or 2) I'd rather hear the original.
I will say the recording sounds better than most recordings of this era I've heard on this list, _especially_ the other ones also recorded in 3-channel stereo.
This has got to be the weirdest album on this list so far, but subtly so - like The Clash had a one-night stand with a ska band and it didn't work out, but this album is the kid they're coparenting, and they're all doing their best and kinda making it work, but things are never quite stable.
Perfectly enjoyable if not particularly memorable.
Bleak as fuck, and it doesn't sound that great either. Disappointing overall, despite some redeeming moments.
Such a feel-good jam through and through. I can feel the energy in the room and how it's a party I'd love to be at.
Less than one song in and I'm reminded that this is classic, awesome, solid. I don't know what else to say. Everybody knows this is wonderful.
Eh, it's almost fine, but I think I'd rather listen to Johnny Cash any day of the week.
Supremely boring.
Enjoyable overall, but not super memorable outside the singles.
Oh my god that bass tone alone A+++ but so weird along that 80s-AF drum sound.
This shit is great!
I know they were huge in the 80s (when I was born!), but I can't help but thinking that this has all the earnest lack of pretense as early Green Day but without the benefit of being particularly enjoyable to listen to.
...okay, fine, it's kinda enjoyable, just with some ups and downs - and hugely influential, obviously. That gets it an extra star. Four stars, that's IT
Churning; brooding; punchy. Pretty great.
Dylan being Dylan. Couldn't really get into this one.
Man I wore this one out as an angsty teenager. Someone said "Offspring is like Taco Bell for Punk", and yep, sometimes what I want is Taco Bell. Not as much as after I found the real thing, though.
Perfectly enjoyable English punk that I probably won't be returning to, personally.
Lovely and smooth. The gunshot/snare juxtaposition on "Living in Denial" made me jump. Wonderful production and performances throughout.
Oh hi Kendrick, I see you samplin' :D
Sublime. That guitar is WILD and spacey but funky as hell all at once.
Smooth and funky. Immaculate basslines; incredible voice.
I made it all the way to one minute into track 3 before I noped the hell out.
It's fine, if a little boring, but with rare exception, very much not my style.
If this album doesn't get five stars, nothing on here does.
Ok this sure as hell started strong.
Equal parts Led Zeppelin, The Doors, and The Who. Damn, I've been sleeping on Deep Purple.
Fantastic drumming too! DAMN.
This is wild. I know it's cliche, but I'll always wonder how he gets away with that voice; it's beyond parody. This album was a great time, but I do really wish they hadn't edited it so hard, especially that iconic exchange before "Like a Rolling Stone". I love to see it - an artist doing what they want, and the audience is welcome to come along or not. Play it fucking loud.
Not super memorable? Generally fine. I hate that I write so many reviews that are just like that.
QOTSA has always struck me as a little flat, and this record is no exception. Pretty fun guitar-driven jams, but not a lot to get me excited. Three stars feels too low; four stars too high. Four it is.
Ok, I'll admit it, this one grew on me over the course of the album. Glad I didn't jump out after the first song or two like I thought about doing. On the other hand, it wasn't until the first bonus track, "In the Morning", that I really took notice. I'm not sure what to think now. Four stars, I guess?
Five stars, no notes.
What I'd give to spend another afternoon enjoying this with my dad. Neil will forever be wrapped up in memories of him.
The way the crowd is so small and distant at the end... this show must have been MASSIVELY loud.
At turns wild, smooth, pulsing, brooding, unsettling, and grooving. I'm probably enjoying Depeche Mode the most when they lean into the dirty guitar and throbbing synth sounds, so this album was a bit all over the place for me, but overall I enjoyed it a whole lot.
A rock and roll party album made oddly eerie when I listen closer and read the backstory. Still so strange to have the immaculate band up against Neil's... well, very *Neil* voice. It all kinda works, though.
Most days, Puppets is my favorite Metallica album; Justice second. Still five stars, no notes.
I don't think I've listened to this in 20 years, and I certainly didn't appreciate it then the way I do now. Sprawling, chaotic, mesmerizing.
Damn, I'm enjoying the music here a TON but I get the feeling I shouldn't listen too closely to the lyrics >.<
Unlike the last time I attempted to listen to more than half a Tom Waits song some decades ago... I didn't immediately hate it. I have no experience with the rest of his catalog, and I probably won't seek it out until it pops up on this list again... but I'm honestly surprised I didn't hate this one. So I'll approach the next one with some mixture of confusion and curiosity, rather than dread. Win?
HUGE sound and unmatched swagger. Classic.
Absolutely stellar start to finish.
Three songs in: nah, not feeling it.
I'm real done with basically all the britpop on this list. It's fine, but I'm not listening to the whole album today.
Not my usual, but this was warm and cozy and I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Overall, I am no longer comfortable with how much I used to like the Stones. I can see their importance of these records in their time, and I enjoy the newer stuff still... but man I'm glad rock and roll has moved beyond what this is.
Someone already said "big dumb fun" and I can't think of a better review.
Even better than I remembered, daaaaaamn <3
I don't think I've heard hardly any of these songs before, but Queen is still being Queen here and I'm all about it.
Much less cringy than "Aftermath" (setting aside "Brown Sugar", and/or maybe I just paid less attention overall to lyrics); much more rocking. I remember why I liked the Stones now.
Fine background music, but kinda boring.
This was a lot. Not sure I'll listen again, but I can get the idea of its influence and role in music history.
Love it love it love it. Classic.
Fine, I guess. Starts off strong and has some bright moments, but quickly gets repetitive and dull.
"Frankie say, 'no more'". I couldn't have said it better.
