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Fri Jan 05 2024
Madman Across The Water
Elton John
Not my usual vibe, but he's clearly a master at what he's doing here.
4
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Mon Jan 08 2024
Talking Heads 77
Talking Heads
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.
4
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Tue Jan 09 2024
Natty Dread
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Good vibes; no notes.
4
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Wed Jan 10 2024
MTV Unplugged In New York
Nirvana
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.
4
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Thu Jan 11 2024
The World is a Ghetto
War
I need more 60s/70s funk in my life and this is a fine start. Strong reggae vibes too though.
5
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Fri Jan 12 2024
Either Or
Elliott Smith
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.
3
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Mon Jan 15 2024
All Directions
The Temptations
So good. I have been missing out.
5
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Tue Jan 16 2024
Electric Warrior
T. Rex
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.
2
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Wed Jan 17 2024
Deja Vu
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
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.
4
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Thu Jan 18 2024
Ambient 1/Music For Airports
Brian Eno
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.
4
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Fri Jan 19 2024
The Sensual World
Kate Bush
Mm, not my cup of tea for the most part, but there's a ton of lush instrumentation here that I can appreciate.
3
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Mon Jan 22 2024
Paul's Boutique
Beastie Boys
Classic. At once dense and sprawling. Liked it more this time than the last time I listened.
4
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Tue Jan 23 2024
Red Headed Stranger
Willie Nelson
Lovely melllow vibes. Probably not coming back too often, but I enjoyed it.
4
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Wed Jan 24 2024
Teenager Of The Year
Frank Black
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.
4
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Thu Jan 25 2024
Southern Rock Opera
Drive-By Truckers
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.
4
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Fri Jan 26 2024
Tragic Songs of Life
The Louvin Brothers
Not my cup of tea, but I was sort of enjoying it overall - until the "Religious Overtones" bonus tracks. Yeeeesh. No thanks.
1
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Mon Jan 29 2024
In A Silent Way
Miles Davis
Lovely ambiance.
4
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Tue Jan 30 2024
Beauty And The Beat
The Go-Go's
Bouncy, peppy, fun, but not my go-to.
3
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Wed Jan 31 2024
Tidal
Fiona Apple
Super mellow and lovely. I haven't really listened to much Fiona Apple besides the hit singles; I might have to fix that.
4
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Thu Feb 01 2024
Music For The Jilted Generation
The Prodigy
I'm not exactly the clubbing type, but this was nice background working music.
4
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Fri Feb 02 2024
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Red Hot Chili Peppers
So good. The drum sound alone on this album - *chef's kiss*.
5
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Mon Feb 05 2024
S&M
Metallica
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.
4
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Tue Feb 06 2024
Bryter Layter
Nick Drake
Peaceful; lilting; lovely.
4
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Wed Feb 07 2024
Kick Out The Jams (Live)
MC5
Raw, loud, abrasive rock and roll. Loved it.
4
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Thu Feb 08 2024
Arc Of A Diver
Steve Winwood
There's clearly skill on display here, but this is hold music that I would probably turn down or hope for a callback.
2
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Fri Feb 09 2024
The Renaissance
Q-Tip
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.
5
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Mon Feb 12 2024
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
....damn it I hate that this is as good as it is
4
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Tue Feb 13 2024
Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin
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.
3
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Wed Feb 14 2024
Henry's Dream
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
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.
3
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Thu Feb 15 2024
There's A Riot Goin' On
Sly & The Family Stone
So much groove and talent just hanging out there, each in its spot, not flashy, just solid and funky. Love it.
5
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Fri Feb 16 2024
Fragile
Yes
"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.
4
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Mon Feb 19 2024
Fear Of Music
Talking Heads
Bouncy quirky rock and roll. Loved it.
4
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Tue Feb 20 2024
Dirt
Alice In Chains
Classic. I listened to this one start-to-finish for the first pretty recently, so it's fresh.
4
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Wed Feb 21 2024
Architecture And Morality
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
Oscillating between The Cure and some kind of noise pop I probably would have been into in college.
3
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Thu Feb 22 2024
Roger the Engineer
The Yardbirds
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.
4
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Fri Feb 23 2024
Songs For Swingin' Lovers!
Frank Sinatra
Not expecting much from this one, as I'm not that into Sinatra. Optimistically starting at 3 stars.
3
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Mon Feb 26 2024
Slippery When Wet
Bon Jovi
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.
4
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Tue Feb 27 2024
2112
Rush
Definitely out of my usual Rush experience here, but also so familiar. Such ridiculously talented musicians, composers, arrangers. Loved it.
5
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Wed Feb 28 2024
Off The Wall
Michael Jackson
The number of years it's taken me to appreciate Michael Jackson is frankly embarrassing. Love the grooves here.
5
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Thu Feb 29 2024
Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters
Pretty fun, if not one I'll be returning to often.
4
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Fri Mar 01 2024
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Wilco
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.
4
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Mon Mar 04 2024
Ramones
Ramones
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.
4
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Tue Mar 05 2024
The Atomic Mr Basie
Count Basie & His Orchestra
Man, this is so lovely. The bops are bright and lively; the calmer songs are so warm and soothing. Gorgeous.
5
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Wed Mar 06 2024
One Nation Under A Groove
Funkadelic
NASTY and gorgeous.
5
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Thu Mar 07 2024
Fuzzy Logic
Super Furry Animals
It's fine, I guess? Kind of a mess though. Not sure why it's on this list to be honest.
2
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Fri Mar 08 2024
The Village Green Preservation Society
The Kinks
Not really into the britpop albums on this list. This was less of a mess than Super Furry Animals at least.
3
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Mon Mar 11 2024
Meat Is Murder
The Smiths
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. -_-
4
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Tue Mar 12 2024
Dookie
Green Day
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.
5
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Wed Mar 13 2024
Roxy Music
Roxy Music
Quite a variety in one album. Pretty enjoyable.
4
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Thu Mar 14 2024
The White Room
The KLF
Not bad, but nothing I'll be returning to. The samples were almost a self-parody, but maybe it just feels dated in 2024.
3
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Fri Mar 15 2024
Mama's Gun
Erykah Badu
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.
5
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Mon Mar 18 2024
Highway to Hell
AC/DC
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.
4
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Tue Mar 19 2024
Cosmo's Factory
Creedence Clearwater Revival
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)_/¯
4
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Wed Mar 20 2024
(What's The Story) Morning Glory
Oasis
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.
4
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Thu Mar 21 2024
Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses
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.
4
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Fri Mar 22 2024
Penance Soiree
The Icarus Line
Pretty good! Grimy, grinding rock and roll shifting back and forth in intensity. Probably won't seek out more but I enjoyed it.
4
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Mon Mar 25 2024
At Newport 1960
Muddy Waters
Yet another area where I'm embarrassingly ignorant of music I should know better. Absolutely captivating; no notes.
5
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Tue Mar 26 2024
Tusk
Fleetwood Mac
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.
3
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Wed Mar 27 2024
Let's Get Killed
David Holmes
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
4
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Thu Mar 28 2024
Slanted And Enchanted
Pavement
This record sounds so bad but feels so good. Absolutely glad it's on this list.
4
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Fri Mar 29 2024
Emergency On Planet Earth
Jamiroquai
I mean, I know what they sound like, and it's alright, but on this list? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
3
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Mon Apr 01 2024
Back In Black
AC/DC
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.
4
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Tue Apr 02 2024
A Girl Called Dusty
Dusty Springfield
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.
3
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Wed Apr 03 2024
Searching For The Young Soul Rebels
Dexys Midnight Runners
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.
3
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Thu Apr 04 2024
Tigermilk
Belle & Sebastian
Perfectly enjoyable if not particularly memorable.
4
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Fri Apr 05 2024
Nebraska
Bruce Springsteen
Bleak as fuck, and it doesn't sound that great either. Disappointing overall, despite some redeeming moments.
3
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Mon Apr 08 2024
Live At The Harlem Square Club
Sam Cooke
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.
5
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Tue Apr 09 2024
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
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.
5
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Wed Apr 10 2024
I’m a Lonesome Fugitive
Merle Haggard
Eh, it's almost fine, but I think I'd rather listen to Johnny Cash any day of the week.
2
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Wed Apr 17 2024
Felt Mountain
Goldfrapp
Supremely boring.
2
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Thu Apr 18 2024
Elephant
The White Stripes
Enjoyable overall, but not super memorable outside the singles.
3
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Fri Apr 19 2024
Sound Affects
The Jam
Oh my god that bass tone alone A+++ but so weird along that 80s-AF drum sound.
This shit is great!
5
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Mon Apr 22 2024
Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes
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
4
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Tue Apr 23 2024
Music for the Masses
Depeche Mode
Churning; brooding; punchy. Pretty great.
4
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Wed Apr 24 2024
Time Out Of Mind
Bob Dylan
Dylan being Dylan. Couldn't really get into this one.
3
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Thu Apr 25 2024
Smash
The Offspring
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.
4
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Fri Apr 26 2024
Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts
The Adverts
Perfectly enjoyable English punk that I probably won't be returning to, personally.
4
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Mon Apr 29 2024
KIWANUKA
Michael Kiwanuka
Lovely and smooth. The gunshot/snare juxtaposition on "Living in Denial" made me jump. Wonderful production and performances throughout.
5
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Tue Apr 30 2024
3 + 3
The Isley Brothers
Oh hi Kendrick, I see you samplin' :D
Sublime. That guitar is WILD and spacey but funky as hell all at once.
5
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Wed May 01 2024
The Poet
Bobby Womack
Smooth and funky. Immaculate basslines; incredible voice.
5
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Thu May 02 2024
Casanova
The Divine Comedy
I made it all the way to one minute into track 3 before I noped the hell out.
1
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Fri May 03 2024
Arrival
ABBA
It's fine, if a little boring, but with rare exception, very much not my style.
3