691
Albums Rated
3.28
Average Rating
63%
Complete
398 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1970
Favorite Decade
Reggae
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
47
5-Star Albums
3
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Vulgar Display Of Power
Pantera
|
5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
|
The Trinity Session
Cowboy Junkies
|
5 | 3.07 | +1.93 |
|
Nothing's Shocking
Jane's Addiction
|
5 | 3.17 | +1.83 |
|
Ritual De Lo Habitual
Jane's Addiction
|
5 | 3.19 | +1.81 |
|
Shake Your Money Maker
The Black Crowes
|
5 | 3.29 | +1.71 |
|
Nebraska
Bruce Springsteen
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
Live At Leeds
The Who
|
5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
|
2112
Rush
|
5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
|
Synchronicity
The Police
|
5 | 3.41 | +1.59 |
|
...And Justice For All
Metallica
|
5 | 3.43 | +1.57 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
OK Computer
Radiohead
|
2 | 4.1 | -2.1 |
|
A Grand Don't Come For Free
The Streets
|
1 | 2.67 | -1.67 |
|
To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
|
2 | 3.62 | -1.62 |
|
good kid, m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar
|
2 | 3.61 | -1.61 |
|
Illmatic
Nas
|
2 | 3.6 | -1.6 |
|
Blue
Joni Mitchell
|
2 | 3.49 | -1.49 |
|
The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem
|
2 | 3.48 | -1.48 |
|
Rock Bottom
Robert Wyatt
|
1 | 2.39 | -1.39 |
|
At Mister Kelly's
Sarah Vaughan
|
2 | 3.38 | -1.38 |
|
Debut
Björk
|
2 | 3.37 | -1.37 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Led Zeppelin | 4 | 5 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 5 |
| Metallica | 3 | 4.67 |
| Jane's Addiction | 2 | 5 |
| Van Halen | 2 | 5 |
| The Who | 4 | 4.25 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 3 | 4.33 |
| Simon & Garfunkel | 3 | 4.33 |
| The Doors | 3 | 4.33 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 4.33 |
| Marvin Gaye | 3 | 4.33 |
| Johnny Cash | 3 | 4.33 |
| U2 | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Robert Wyatt | 2 | 1.5 |
5-Star Albums (47)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Mercury Rev · 22 likes
2/5
The most forgettable album I think I've ever listened to. But then, if there was one more forgettable than this one, how would I know?
Robert Wyatt · 8 likes
2/5
Shleep is kinda shlitty.
Simon & Garfunkel · 3 likes
4/5
4.5*, but I can't quite round up to 5. America and Mrs. Robinson are, of course, excellent. Great cover of Hazy Shade, too. Maybe my favorite version. Several other songs I hadn't heard before that were quite good, too. But Voices of Old People, while it might be poignant, isn't something I want to listen to very often. Punky's Dilemma seems a bit silly, too.
The xx · 2 likes
3/5
This is pretty good, but it's not something I'm likely to seek out in the future. Lovely female vocalist, in particular. 3.5*
Joanna Newsom · 2 likes
2/5
I found Joanna's singing to be disagreeable. Not a fan.
4-Star Albums (170)
1-Star Albums (3)
All Ratings
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
Big band's enjoyable, Ella's an excellent singer, but not a fan of the lyrics for the most part. Showtunes aren't my jam.
Supergrass
4/5
Pretty good.
Fiona Apple
5/5
Love it! Fiona's awesome and this is an amazing debut album, especially given her age at the time.
Billy Joel
5/5
Classic. Some of his best, most popular work.
Depeche Mode
3/5
Meh. Not my cup of synthesizer tea. I think they're good if you like this sort of music, though.
Röyksopp
4/5
Great background music. Upbeat. I enjoyed it.
Peter Gabriel
5/5
This is an amazing album. That's enough of a review, I think. You should definitely listen to it.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
I can tell that this is good music. But I don't like it. I don't hate it either. I can't see a day where I'll think, "Man, I sure could listen to some Leonard Cohen! How about Songs of Love and Hate?!"
People view and use music for different ends. I don't see myself ever wanting to use music for whatever you use Leonard Cohen for.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
2/5
I did not enjoy this album. Heavy 80's style synthesizers are still not my jam, 40+ years later. I didn't enjoy either of the covers. Maybe this is considered a great album because it was somehow new for the time?
Funkadelic
4/5
Instrumentation is fun. Might go so far as to say funky. The lyrics are a bit lacking for most of it, but that's probably not the point w/George. Really wish you could do half stars. This would be a 3.5 for me.
Youssou N'Dour
4/5
Fun. Quite different than music I normally listen to.
Suede
3/5
Reading a bit about Suede on Wikipedia and the critics kinda nailed this one, I'd say. Overblown and pretentious. Not bad, necessarily, but I feel no need to listen to it again.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
If you like Aretha, you'll like this one. Solid album. No complaints.
Solomon Burke
4/5
It was good. He's got a good voice. Overall, enjoyable listen.
Robert Wyatt
1/5
I do not like this album. It seems to be far too experimental for me to see much merit in it. Don't enjoy his voice, the lyrics are hard to decipher at all most of the time and it's mostly just keyboard tones and noises. Luckily, it was only 1/2 hour.
Digital Underground
2/5
Boo. Some clever rhymes, but overall lyrics are kinda dumb. Also, the whole "sex packets" concept album thing is wacky and dumb, too. 2* based on the strength of Humpty Dance and some catchy music here and there.
Blur
3/5
Decent rock album. Enjoyed more than just Song #2. 3.5*
Incubus
3/5
No real standouts aside from the radio releases. It's not bad, overall.
The Residents
1/5
Awful. I can just see their smug, annoying. college avant-garde art collective faces when the released this shite onto an unsuspecting public. I would happily punch any one of the Residents in the face for this atrocity of an album. It's unfortunate that you can't give zero stars or negative stars. The world is a worse place for having this album in it.
Fela Kuti
3/5
Fun music.
The Stooges
2/5
Meh. I can see how it was influential, given the times, etc. But I just don't dig it much.
Little Richard
3/5
Thinking about other music from this era, this was a markedly different sound. Love the sax!
Jane's Addiction
5/5
The Who
5/5
Strong performance by one of the all-time greats.
Dion
2/5
A good friend said it best, that this album was “fiercely okay. An intense beige.”
Todd Rundgren
3/5
Started off rather ordinary before veering towards amusing, interesting, and entertaining.
Steve Winwood
3/5
Good singer, too much early 80's synthesizer. Overall, it's pretty OK.
Harry Nilsson
4/5
I enjoyed it much more than I was expecting. Good singer, solid songs, overall. Enjoyed Jump in to the Fire, in particular. Can't justify only 3*, but 4 seems a little too high. 3.5 would be perfect. I'm going with 4.
Paul McCartney
3/5
It's OK.
Bill Evans Trio
2/5
It sure is a jazz album.
Sarah Vaughan
2/5
Yay. A jazz album.
Moby
3/5
This would be another great candidate for 3.5*. I enjoyed it and it's got several strong tracks on it. No complaints, really. Good representative of the genre.
Bob Dylan
2/5
This further reinforces that I'd like Bob's songs more if he had someone else sing them. I'm a lyrics guy and I find it hard to pay attention to them with his voice singing them. The music's good, the singing bad.
Boston
5/5
If you like guitar rock, this album is for you. Great lyrics, singing, instrumentation, arrangement. Very clean sounding guitars. Love the whole album.
Pixies
3/5
Not bad. Don't love the singer. If I liked him more, I,d give it another star.
Julian Cope
3/5
It was alright? I didn't like some some song, but most weren't bad. His singing changes quite a bit from song to song. Liked the music, though, for the most part.
Mercury Rev
2/5
The most forgettable album I think I've ever listened to. But then, if there was one more forgettable than this one, how would I know?
Michael Jackson
3/5
Better than I thought it would be.
Soundgarden
5/5
Outstanding! Probably the best grunge album every produced.
The Killers
3/5
I liked this album quite a bit. This is another one where 3.5 stars would be perfect.
Blondie
3/5
Not bad. Some standouts, but a fair amount of ho-hum songs.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Classic.
Skepta
2/5
Bad album. Lyrics are dumb and amazingly repetitive. Underlying music is simple and unimaginative. I know I'm not a fan of the genre, but come on! There's better rap/hip-hop out there for sure.
Pretenders
4/5
Solid album. Enjoyed it.
Public Enemy
3/5
Meh. Not bad. Liked it better than most rap/hip-hop I've heard.
Elliott Smith
3/5
Possibly the wimpiest album I've ever heard.
Hole
3/5
Pretty good. Another candidate for 3.5*.
Eurythmics
3/5
Lots of 80's synth. Annie Lennox is a great singer. Sweet Dreams is the clear standout for me.
Michael Kiwanuka
3/5
This was pretty OK.
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
It was OK. Felt a little dated, but inoffensive. Decent background music.
Maxwell
3/5
Seems like a good representative of its genre. Sexy time music!
Santana
5/5
I'd never listened to Abraxas, but I love the old Greatest Hits album. So it turns out I'd already listened to most of this album. What a wonderful album. Couldn't be happier.
The Police
4/5
Excellent album by an excellent band.
Pantera
5/5
I, on the other hand, AM angry enough at the world to enjoy the hell out of this. It's a perfect example of the genre. I'm not always in the mood for speed metal, but when I am, Vulgar Display is at the top of my list.
AC/DC
4/5
Solid, classic, rock album.
James Brown
4/5
Fun stuff. Given that it was 1962 and live, this gets 4*.
Jeff Buckley
3/5
Considering the reviews this album got by lots of folks, I'm clearly missing something. It's not bad and I can see that Jeff had talent, but it just doesn't blow up my skirt much.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Don't really dig Leonard's jam. Seems talented, but it's just not my flavor.
Elton John
3/5
It's good and I can see why a lot of people love this album. I'd like it more if it was shorter and it rocked a bit more. Maybe 20-30% more? Another good candidate for 3.5 stars.
Ozomatli
4/5
Pretty good. I liked the variety. Didn't dislike most of the rap, which is saying something for me. Another great candidate for 3.5*. Rounding up with this one, for a change.
Scott Walker
2/5
Fiercely mediocre at first, mildly annoying by the time you're done with it. He's a decent enough singer, but his lyrics are kinda bad and odd. "The dragon of disgust"? Plus, his scataly-boppity-do nonsense at the end of a bunch of songs just sucks.
The Soft Boys
3/5
It was pretty decent. I can actually see what they're talking about regarding this band's influence on later bands. They seem like they would have fit better into the late 60's than early 80's.
The Smiths
3/5
I mean, it's good if you like Morrissey's singing. I can only handle so much of it.
Tom Waits
2/5
Rough. I know a lot of people like him, but MAN, those vocals. Couple songs I sorta liked. But the arglebargle is nearly unlistenable.
Hüsker Dü
3/5
Not bad, but all the songs sound pretty much the same.
The Go-Go's
3/5
Better than I was expecting.
Stereolab
2/5
It's long, French, repetitive and has a wide variety of beeps and boops.
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
Pretty meh. Can't quite give it a 2. Good candidate for 2.5, though.
Baaba Maal
3/5
It's fine.
Norah Jones
3/5
Pleasant voice. All the songs sound sorta similar, though.
Janelle Monáe
4/5
This was an enjoyable listen. She's got a great voice and the music's varied, well produced and played.
Deep Purple
4/5
Excellent rock album. Love the heavy 70's organ sound.
Supertramp
3/5
It was pretty OK.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3/5
It's not bad. I bet it's a fun live show, though.
Aerosmith
3/5
I've never been a huge Aerosmith fan. This isn't bad, kinda like Rats in the Cellar. I'd give it 3.5 if it was an option.
Rocket From The Crypt
2/5
Didn't really care for it. Dumb band name, too.
Talking Heads
3/5
I like the Talking Heads more the older I get. But this one was not my favorite. Still good, but didn't love it.
The Verve
2/5
Very meh. This band sounded like they were actively doing drugs while recording the album.
Cypress Hill
4/5
Adele
3/5
Thundercat
2/5
Eagles
4/5
Personally, I dance to forget.
It would seem I've been away from Classic Rock radio stations long enough to appreciate this. Probably the first time I've ever listened on headphones, too. The Eagles catch a lot of flack, but this is a solid album. Particularly enjoy the Joe Walsh guitar.
Laura Nyro
3/5
It was fine.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
I liked it. I like big band jazz way better than the smaller scale style. Again, wish there were 1/2 stars. This would be 3.5 for me.
Doves
3/5
I liked it. 3.5 stars.
Beth Orton
2/5
Meh. I think she's probably good at what she does, but I don't love what she does. Songs all sound quite similar. Don't love her singing style. I was ready for the album to be over before it actually was. 2.5
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
It's worth 5 stars just for the Boxer. The last verse of which is one of the best verses ever written. I'd never listened to this entire album, just half of it from the Greatest Hits album. All killer, no filler.
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
2.5*
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
It's good. But all the tracks are pretty similar sounding. Prefer Graceland, I've got to say.
Sigur Rós
3/5
Seems like a movie soundtrack more than a music album. I didn't mind it.
David Bowie
3/5
Felt very "meh" for a Bowie album.
Robert Wyatt
2/5
Shleep is kinda shlitty.
Beatles
3/5
I know it's revolutionary for the time. But in the present...meh.
Oasis
3/5
It's competent rock music. I neither love nor hate it.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Top-tier beeps and boops. I think it's excellent dance music. Is it brilliant from a song-writing or musicianship perspective? Nope.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Frank Ocean
2/5
I did not enjoy this album.
Charles Mingus
2/5
Clearly talented. I'd give it 2.5 if I could.
Beatles
4/5
The only reason I'm giving this 4* is Norwegian Wood. There are some decent songs aside from that, but nothing that rises to 4 for me. I get that it was very influential at the time, etc. etc. But damn, Norwegian Wood is a good song.
The Streets
1/5
Comically bad album.
Beastie Boys
4/5
The Beta Band
3/5
Miles Davis
3/5
That was a real trip for biscuits and now we're all wet, daddio.
Not only am I not sophisticated enough to enjoy all this jazzy skittly-boppin', but I'm somewhat self-conscious of the fact that I don't get/like it.
2.5*, but giving it three so I don't seem like such a square.
Kendrick Lamar
2/5
Not my bag, really. Where my fucking dominos at?
B.B. King
3/5
A fine album. 3.5, if it were an option.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
It's something. That's for sure.
John Prine
4/5
Excellent lyricist. I'd like his work even more if he were a better singer or had a good singer do that singing for him. Still, overall enjoyable experience for me.
The Temptations
4/5
3/5
Solid album. Not my favorite. Much like the other Oasis album.
The Byrds
3/5
3.5* and I might have gone 4 if I'd listened to it more.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Been a long time since I've listened to the entire album. It's still great.
Blur
3/5
The Smiths
3/5
Elvis Presley
3/5
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Worth 4* for Born to Run itself, don't love the rest of the album enough to bump it up to 5*, but it'd be a 4.5* for me, were that an option.
4/5
Neil Young
2/5
Nope
The Who
3/5
Kendrick Lamar
2/5
Scott Walker
3/5
The Specials
4/5
I do enjoy the ska.
Duran Duran
3/5
Solid 80's pop rock. Rio and Hungry were definitely the right singles to pick from the album.
Tori Amos
3/5
Winter is an excellent song. I like her singing on this better than some of her subsequent work. 3.5*
Dennis Wilson
3/5
Meh.
Jane's Addiction
5/5
At this moment, you should be with us, feeling like we do. . .
Great album. Three Days is one of my all time favorite songs. Most of the others are great, too.
Nick Drake
3/5
Kinda dull. 2.5*
Butthole Surfers
2/5
Yay drugs?
The Flaming Lips
3/5
Van Halen
5/5
I believe I got this album right around when it came out on cassette tape. Must have been about 10 or 11 at the time and loved it. Haven't listened to the entire album in decades, I'd wager. I still love it.
Jungle Brothers
3/5
Competent dance music.
The Incredible String Band
2/5
Now I truly understand why folks hated hippies in the 60's.
If there was a good singer amongst this merrily annoying band of Scots, I might have given this 3*s. But nope! 2 it is. Fight me.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
Chamber pop as a genre is kinda new to me. I think it's got promise.
This guy, though. I actually laughed out loud at some of his lyrics. Maybe I was supposed to, though?
Eagles
3/5
Tempted to give it 4*, just for Take It Easy, but I'm going to go with 3.5*.
The Human League
3/5
The Hives
3/5
OK, then started to get mildly irritating as I kept listening to the rest of the album. 2.5* is about right.
Radiohead
3/5
Much like Jazz as a genre, I don't think I'm cool and/or sophisticated enough to get Radiohead. I like a couple of their songs from other albums and they're clearly talented. Maybe some day I'll get it and join the ranks of. . . Radioheaders?
Method Man
3/5
I didn't hate it.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Good, but not as good as Bridge.
Radiohead
3/5
I think I'd like Radiohead up to 20% more if Thom would try to sing better more often. I just don't like his singing style, which makes me not even think about attempting to pay attention to his lyrics.
Arcade Fire
3/5
I liked this, particularly Culture Wars. I can't quite bring myself to give it 4*. 3.5*.
Frank Black
3/5
Weak 3*. It felt like a very long album.
Waylon Jennings
4/5
This is pretty good. Enjoyed it more than I expected.
Nirvana
4/5
Dr. John
3/5
It's weird, but I don't hate it.
MGMT
4/5
I was familiar with several of the tracks, but I enjoyed the rest of them, too.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
The Doors
5/5
Some of my favorites on one of their best albums. 4.5*, but I have to round up for this one.
Duke Ellington
3/5
Definitely liked some of the songs. I bet this sort of jazz is really fun live.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Good stuff.
Guided By Voices
3/5
I read only a little about lo-fi music. New thing to me that I don't believe I enjoy, if these guys are representative of the genre. There were some bits here and there that I sorta liked. At times, I heard hints of early Beatles. But mostly, I think I'd like them if they'd just try harder to be better musicians. 2.5 if it was an option, but rounding up to 3 as I wasn't consistently irritated by their music.
Carpenters
3/5
Karen's voice is just lovely, no doubt about it. Very clean, talented arrangements. But it's just kinda boring overall to me. If I'm ever in the mood to drink a conservative amount of wine with a reasonable amount of friends at a scenic location with pleasant weather, I'll probably pop this album on in the background.
Dr. Octagon
2/5
The music is actually fine. The lyrics are just trash. So glad I'll never have to listen to it again.
Ray Charles
4/5
Some really good stuff on this one. I'd like most of the songs with the chorus better without the chorus. Some of the songs he chose to cover have some pretty corny lyrics, too, but those were probably typical of the time and genre. I'd probably like it better if it was a single album of just the stongest material. All told, still excellent.
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
It's decent; couple good ones. I like the bass line in the beginning of Picasso's Last Words. 3.5*
John Cale
3/5
It was fine. Not my thing.
Arcade Fire
3/5
At times, I was thinking 4 stars, but 3.5 is as high as I can go, I think. I don't love his singing most of the time. I do enjoy the music, though, for the most part. I could see this band growing on me w/repeat listens.
Einstürzende Neubauten
2/5
Come for the can-banging, stay for the drills! This was different, I'll give it that. Some of the sounds were genuinely unpleasant to listen to, as in ear pain. But I sorta, maybe enjoyed some of the -dubs at the end of the album. With all that said, though. I think 2 is the best I could do. If I could pick and choose tracks, maybe I could get to 3. But that's not the world we live in. We must listen to these albums. In their entirety.
Erykah Badu
3/5
I don't love the lyrics or her singing. Some of it's pretty repetitive, too. Music's fine, though.
Iron Maiden
4/5
Good stuff. Several stand-out tracks. Bruce uses more vibrato than I'd like at times, but a great metal singer, for sure. If I go back and listen to it more, I'm sure it will grow on me.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Classic. One of my favorite Zep albums.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
It was OK. Sort of a cross b/w the Cure and U2, but not as good as either.
De La Soul
3/5
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Good stuff for the most part. Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) may be the coolest song ever recorded.
The Lemonheads
3/5
It was fine.
Tim Buckley
3/5
I liked the music, but the lyrics were sorta gross, comical or just strange at various points. I think he's probably a good singer when he's not trying to sound like a blues man.
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
Meh.
ABBA
3/5
I'd give it 3.5 if it were an option.
Billie Holiday
3/5
Not my jam, daddio. Most of the songs sound pretty similar. I know her voice is supposed to be top-notch, but I don't love the singing style. I'm probably just unsophisticated.
Mariah Carey
3/5
For the most part, not a huge fan of her singing, in spite of her clear talent. I did enjoy a couple songs, though.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
The more I listen to Elvis and the older I get, the more I like him.
Joan Armatrading
3/5
3.5*. Pleasant voice enjoyed some of the music. A bit too jammy for me, though.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Wow. Almost entirely hits. I don't think I've ever heard the whole album before.
The Dictators
3/5
I liked it better than most punk I've heard. But that's not much of an endorsement from me.
T. Rex
3/5
3.5*
Gang Of Four
2/5
2.5* and didn't get rounded up.
Missy Elliott
3/5
It was OK.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
4.5* and I can't quite bring myself to round up to 5. Good stuff, great Grapevine cover.
Drive Like Jehu
2/5
Randy Newman
3/5
Not quite sure what to make of Randy. He's got some good lyrics. Easy enough to listen to his music.
Queens of the Stone Age
3/5
I like QOTSA and this album, but wouldn't have picked it for their representative album. Solid first album, though, and I think it would grow on me with repeated listens. 3.5*.
Nine Inch Nails
3/5
Not my thing.
Herbie Hancock
3/5
I liked it at times. Gets a bit cacophonous for me at other times. Enjoyed it more than a lot of jazz I've listened to on this project.
The Pharcyde
3/5
Very hit or miss for me. A few I liked, most I didn't.
The War On Drugs
3/5
Not bad. Another band that I think is probably fairly talented, but I don't really dig what they're doing. Good background music, sort of "atmospheric" most of the time. Singer sounds Dylan-esque at times, which isn't really a compliment from my perspective.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
4.5* - Don't love Jimi's singing or lyrics all the time. While he's undeniably a game-changing guitarist, I think Mitch and Noel deserve more credit. Some of their instrumental only portions of songs just sound great together.
fIREHOSE
3/5
Meh.
Soft Cell
3/5
If this album was just Tainted Love and Where Did Our Love Go?, I'd be rating it solid 4*s. Maybe even 4.5. But they also wrote their own songs and, subsequently, performed them. So that brings us down to a 3* rating (3.5*probably due to TL and WDOLG). It was all so very 80's. But Sex Dwarf is probably the best song ever written, so yeah. 3.5* Final Score.
Derek & The Dominos
4/5
Layla's undeniably a great song. Rest of the album is pretty good, if a bit "jammy" for my taste.
Napalm Death
2/5
That one part in the song where he said, "Borogoroga waagaja!" Man! It really hit me in the feels. Such tender restraint. And then there was that other song where they all thrashed on their instruments for a minute or so, melodically. Just wow!
Jesus Christ. This is why Animal isn't the lead singer in Electric Mayhem.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Rounding up to a 4, but it's pretty close anyway.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
4.5*, but I can't quite round up to 5. America and Mrs. Robinson are, of course, excellent. Great cover of Hazy Shade, too. Maybe my favorite version. Several other songs I hadn't heard before that were quite good, too. But Voices of Old People, while it might be poignant, isn't something I want to listen to very often. Punky's Dilemma seems a bit silly, too.
3/5
Actually pretty good pop. Recognized a couple songs from my youth, which is always fun when you've almost forgotten them. Some good instrumental work, too, the bass in particular caught my interest on several tracks. 3.5*
Kanye West
3/5
Didn't care for it. Really struggling to decide if it's 2 or 3 stars. 2.5 is my real rating.
Pavement
3/5
Peak 90's alternative Meh.
Tracy Chapman
5/5
Yeah, this is a 5* album. Especially impressive given that it's her debut.
Muddy Waters
4/5
I enjoyed it.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
More solid CCR. While I understand the urge to write a song about chooglin' after using it in one song, I think maintaining the mystery of what, in fact, it means to choogle would have been the smarter play.
Sam Cooke
5/5
Holy shit this is a good album.
Michael Jackson
4/5
I'll give it 4 just because of its gargantuan status. Some good stuff, but some of it sounds quite dated. I think Michael himself summed it up: You're a vegetable, ow!
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
It's fine.
Kid Rock
3/5
It was fine. I'd probably rate it a 2.5, but it's not irritating enough to get just 2.
Neil Young
3/5
I'm sure I've said this before, but I'd like his stuff better if he didn't sing most of it. Plus, this seemed pretty meh, overall.
Slipknot
2/5
I kinda wanted to like this more. But I like different flavors of angry music than this. Not big into the screaming argle bargle vocals for any bands. 2.5, but in this case, I can't round up. There were too many irritating songs for a 3*.
Lenny Kravitz
3/5
I didn't like this album, particularly. I generally only like the song Are You Gonna Go My Way? by Lenny. I find his lyrics to be fairly uninspired and repetitive. Don't much care for his singing, either. But I didn't find it to be an irritating album, so it gets 3.
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
It was fine. Probably good for its time. Simple rhymes and lots of 'em.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
4/5
Pretty good. I'd rate it 3.5, but rounding up to 4, given how many 3's I've had of late and won't lump this in with them. He's a competent singer, but I don't love his vocals. That's the main thing holding him back. Seems like a lesser version of Jack Bruce, vocally. Solid music, though.
M.I.A.
3/5
It was fine.
Stan Getz
3/5
It's fun, inoffensive music. Great background music for dancin' your way around the house doing some light housework. 3.5*
Eminem
3/5
Can't say I enjoyed it, particularly. But he seems to be good at what he's doing.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
I like Bob. I'm thinking 3.5*, which I will round to 4.
Can
3/5
It was interesting. Not irritating.
Metallica
5/5
One of the best metal albums ever.
Jamiroquai
3/5
Maybe 3.5*? I mostly liked it.
Common
3/5
It was fine.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Not bad, musically sounded a bit like early U2.
The White Stripes
4/5
Good stuff. Fell in Love with a Girl and We are Going to be Friends are both excellent little tunes.
Ananda Shankar
3/5
This was OK. I bet if you like Indian music, this is pretty revolutionary.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
It's fine. Probably very good for the time.
The Stone Roses
3/5
3.5* Much like their 2nd album, couple standouts and the rest is pretty decent. They have a cool groove, I overall.
Turbonegro
3/5
It was kinda fun.
Arrested Development
3/5
It's good dance music. Album's too long, though.
Gene Clark
3/5
All the songs sounded pretty much the same. Very meh.
Nina Simone
3/5
I know it's heretical, but I don't love Nina's singing that much. There are times when she sounds amazing, but taken as a whole, it's just not for me. Not a knock on her talent, which is obvious. Just another talented person that doesn't appeal to me in particular that much. End of disclaimer.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Good dance music, I suppose.
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
I seem to like about 10% of Zappa's work.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Very fun.
Metallica
5/5
Probably my favorite Metallica album. It's just got that extra level of thrash.
The Who
4/5
3.5* rounded up to 4*. I don't love the Who, but certainly respect their outsized impact on rock. Particularly for this being their debut from 1966 AND it having My Generation and The Ox, it's impressive. The Ox is just a banger. I think I came to realize that the main reason I don't love the Who is Daltrey's voice. I like it in some songs, mostly later in their career, but not universally across their catalog. Also, I really like The Ox, in case I didn't mention it.
Nick Drake
3/5
Clearly, Nick had some talent, both as a performer and song-writer. But it's just so bland to me.
George Harrison
3/5
Songwriting's fine. Music and musicianship is pretty good. Lyrics and singing are boring to me. Overall result is fiercely bland.
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
Fun music, but don't like the singer for most of songs. Worked on a couple very well, but not on most for me. 3.5*
Cream
4/5
4.5* Mostly bangers, but not quite enough to push it to a full 5*'s, unfortunately. So much talent in this band.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Not bad. Lovely voice. Would be interesting to hear her sing real words.
The Bees
3/5
It was fine.
Screaming Trees
3/5
Not sure how I missed this one in the 90's. I liked it, overall. 3.5*, could see it going to 4* with repeated listens.
The Byrds
3/5
It was fine.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Again, I wish Neil would get someone else to sing his songs for him. Probably go up a full star with a decent singer.
Circle Jerks
3/5
It was fine. Probably good for punk, if it's your thing. It's not my thing.
Love
3/5
Surprised to see how highly regarded Love is by critics. I found it very meh.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
Going with 4*, but I don't see myself going back to listen to it, oddly. Still, undeniably good stuff.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
I think "West End Girls" is all the Pet Shop Boys I really need. It's all pretty much the same, but for some reason I sorta like WEG. Yet another, "It was fine," from me.
Goldfrapp
4/5
This one was a pleasant surprise. Music's interested and sophisticated (I think?). And I like it better than most electronica-type stuff. Some of the songs are pretty weird and I think most, if not all, of the lyrics are gibberish. But her voice is SO sexy I don't even care. Would definitely listen again.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
4/5
This is good hip hop. Good beats and lyrics. Enjoyable.
Beatles
4/5
I know it's heretical, but I don't love the Beatles. I certainly respect their influence on music, but a good chunk of their catalog just doesn't speak to me. A decent portion of this album feels like filler. 3.5*, only rounding to 4 because it's the Beatles.
CHVRCHES
3/5
If I was a teenage girl, I bet I would love this. But I'm not and I don't. She does have a lovely voice, though.
The Vines
3/5
This album was rather indistinguishable from a lot of other rock from. . . those other bands.
Paul Simon
4/5
Solid, but the only standouts for me were the radio releases.
3/5
Hadn't heard this one before. Fun album. Might rate more stars with repeated listens. May be the most British sounding album I've ever heard. 3.5*
Tim Buckley
3/5
Realistically, this should be a 2.5* from me. It's not quite irritating enough to be a 2, but I would have stopped listening had it not been part of this project. I thought his lyrics weren't great and I don't love his singing style. Music was fine, though. Hoping there's no more Timmy in the future.
Wilco
3/5
Music's fine. I just can't get past the singer. He's either, bored, sleepy, disinterested or on some sort of depressant. Or maybe it's a combo of the above. I just can't get into it or even get engaged in whatever he's singing about.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Like a lot of the Stones, I like about half of it. Radio releases are strong and I've always loved Paint it Black. Don't even get me started on red doors. I'm sure it was ground-breaking for the time, too. Based on the fact that it's the Stones and Paint it Black is on this album, I'm giving it 4*.
Hugh Masekela
3/5
Jazz! It's still not my thing. More fun than some, though. I suppose.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Another artist I can tell is talented, but I just don't like her work much.
Television
3/5
I kinda liked this album. Not entirely sure why, though. Singer seemed like a mix of David Byrne and whoever the singer is for the Violent Femmes. Definitely didn't seem like punk to me, though. 3.5*
Pere Ubu
2/5
All the toots, twerdles and honks on Laughing were pretty irritating. I hate that sort of crap.
Turns out, it was pretty indicative of what the rest of the album's like. There were moments I enjoyed, but a lot of irritating noises.
Still better than the Residents.
Merle Haggard
3/5
I was a bit surprised that I liked this as much as I did. I like the steel guitar and Merle's got a good voice, IMO. Some of the lyrics were clunky, though. But it was short, which probably helped. Oddly enough, I think I'm getting a bit more country in my old age. Just not modern country. That's still the worst.
Pulp
3/5
I liked this one. I think I need to give it another listen with headphones on, though, as I really couldn't pay attention to the lyrics while driving. There was a mention of breasts and curves, though, which piqued my interest. Overall, I heartily agree with my co-reviewers assessment that this is sort of a poor-man's Bowie, but that's not a criticism. 3.5* with a distinct possibilty of another .5 with a relisten. Not that you'll ever know, though, as there's no way to edit reviews.
Lou Reed
3/5
Lou Reed is sorta like the Rolling Stones for me. I like some of his stuff, but certainly not all of it. I appreciate his cynicism and he can certainly write excellent songs. Wild Side deserves it's classic status. But I also don't love his singing on a lot of his songs. Some of the guitar work is rough, too. Lou, for me, works well on a Best Of type album.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Not a fan. The noise in noise-rock is too noisy for me.
King Crimson
3/5
This is just a 3* for me. Much like a lot of jazz, I just don't get this. It's not particularly enjoyable for me to listen to. I'm just not as proggy as I'd hoped to be.
Joy Division
3/5
The Joy Division brought me very little joy. The music was alright, but I did not like the singer.
The Byrds
3/5
It's fine. Another older album that I probably would have enjoyed more if I were of the same era.
Slayer
2/5
I've tried to listen to it before, but it's just not my thing. I know this is a thrash metal classica and it's going to ding my metal cred, but here goes.
Don't like the singer or the lyrics. All the songs sound pretty damn similar. 2.5* rounded down.
Neil Young
3/5
Neil can write some pretty good songs, but he insists on singing them. It works on some of them, but I really don't like his voice most of the time.
Janis Joplin
3/5
Screechy vocals are hard to take on most of her songs. 2.5 rounded up to 3*.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
None of my favorite Gaye songs. He's a great singer, but none of these songs grabbed me for some reason. Hopefully, there's more of his albums on the list. There must be.
Soul II Soul
3/5
Seems to be pretty good dance music.
Marvin Gaye
5/5
Now THIS is what I'm talking about. 5*. Amazing singer, great songs, timeless lyrics.
Depeche Mode
4/5
In general, I'm not really into synthesizer music, but this is a lot better than the majority of the genre. Several just plain good songs, regardless of instrumentation. 3.5* and I think I need to round up to 4, though 3.5 is really where I'd place this.
Sebadoh
2/5
This is mostly pretty irritating to me. I'll be sure to never listen to this again.
SAULT
3/5
It's fine. Not really my thing.
Meat Loaf
4/5
I think there are a couple key things, above and beyond the musicianship, singing and songwriting that make this work so well. Meat's just so damn sincere and committed to the material. He's giving it his all, passionately. To that I say, well done, Meat Loaf.
Simple Minds
3/5
It was fine, I guess.
The National
3/5
I think I like this? Like Radiohead, I feel like there's something here I'm just not quite getting. Definitely got some talent and I should listen to more of them. 3.5*, but I can't quite round up to 4.
Talking Heads
3/5
I kinda like the Talking Heads more the older I get. But David Byrne's singing style is not my favorite.
The Clash
3/5
I don't love punk, in general, but this is better than most. For the Clash in particular, I like their later stuff more, but you can already tell on this album that they're more talented than the average punk band. 3.5*
Sepultura
3/5
Don't care for the vocals. Songs are pretty similar for the most part.
The Yardbirds
3/5
It was pretty decent. There were a couple parts of songs that piqued my interest, hinting at the future of rock. I bet I was have really enjoyed this, though, if I was a kid growing up in the 60's. 3.5*
Paul Simon
5/5
About as close to a perfect album as you can get. I've been listening to this for close to 40 years and it's still amazing.
The Libertines
3/5
It was OK.
Heaven 17
2/5
Not my thing at all. I'm sure their mothers think they are very talented. Perfect candidate for a 2.5*.
Queen
4/5
This album is so very English. Good stuff, but I don't LOVE Queen, in general. I enjoy their music though, by and large. I can see why this album is held in such high regard.
The Beach Boys
3/5
My mother likes the Beach Boys and we used to listen to them quite a bit when I was younger. Nostalgia may have colored my assessment. But it's good music, particularly for the era. I assume, anyway.
Jean-Michel Jarre
3/5
It's fine. Sounds like a movie soundtrack. Good background music, I suppose?
The Velvet Underground
2/5
I REALLY wish there were 1/2 star ratings. This one's getting two stars from me. And here's why! Much too much noise in a lot of these songs. It's just irritating. I would like it if they were more talented musicians, too. Or maybe if Lou just wrote songs for other bands and singers. I appreciate their affect on later music, for sure. Their legacy, if you will. But damn, I just don't like listening to it.
Beck
3/5
Might be tempted to go 3.5* if it were an option. Enough stuff I don't like on this album, though, to prevent 4*. Some noisy nonsense here and there. I like Beck, but I don't LIKE like Beck.
Prince
4/5
Some good stuff. I don't like the screeching in some songs. Definitely can see his talent. I know it's pop music, but it doesn't feel like it for the most part. 3.5* rounding up to 4.
Orbital
3/5
I guess if I were to get into EDM, I'd probably like this?
Coldplay
3/5
It's fine. Yet another album where the band's good at doing what they do, but I just don't care for what they're doing. Pretty sure I'll feel this way about all Coldplay albums, if there's more on this list.
Raekwon
2/5
Yo, son. I did not like this album. Know what I'm sayin'?
Happy Mondays
3/5
This is pretty OK. Music's sort interesting, but I don't care for the singing.
Devendra Banhart
2/5
A few I liked, but mostly a lot I did not like.
Foo Fighters
3/5
It's fine. I've always wanted to like Foo Fighters more, just because of the Nirvana lineage, I suppose. But it's just OK. My official policy on Dave Grohl is that I like him best behind the drums. 3.5*
Cheap Trick
4/5
Solid rock album. Some classic songs on it and the band's tight, throughout. 3.5* and I think I need to round up considering it's a live album.
Drive-By Truckers
3/5
Even though the singer's voice/style goes well with the music, I don't like it. Just not my type of singing. Some decent lyrics sprinkled throughout.
Parliament
3/5
I do, in fact, want the funk. But not always. It's fun music, but I don't crave it very often. 3.5*, maybe 4 if I'm feeling particularly funky.
Orange Juice
3/5
Not bad. Singer's kind of goofy David Byrne-ish sometimes. Other times, he reminds me of Dave Wakeling. Music's decent and varied enough to keep my interest. 3.5*
Radiohead
4/5
Not a huge Radiohead fan, to say the least. I think it's mostly Thom's singing. That extra H in his name doesn't help anything, either. BUT! I love Might Be Wrong. It's a perfect song, I believe. His mumbly, sorta whiney, soft-singing works well within the confines of this one song. Sadly, the only other one on the album I liked was Knives Out. The rest ranges from Meh to Why Isn't It Over Yet? One more band where I can see that they're good at what they're doing, but I don't like it, regardless. All songs w/out MBW, 3*. But as much as it pains me to crank it up to 4 because of ONE song, I must.
Faith No More
4/5
Been a bit since I've listed to this one. Enjoyed it more than I remember. I honestly think Angel Dust should be here instead of this album, but it stand up pretty damn well, all the same.
Rush
5/5
I love Rush. This isn't my favorite album of theirs, but I do love it and it's their breakthrough album. Forever grateful to it in that regard. Also, the more I listen to Alex's guitar work, the more I'm impressed with it. I was always enamored with the rhythm section, but he's definitely an underrated guitarist. I don't think there's ever been a band with this much concentrated talent.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
There's a few songs where he actually sings well. But most of the time he sounds REALLY sleepy or maybe just doesn't open his mouth enough. I didn't hate it, but I did find myself wondering why it was taking so long to end. 2.5*, but I can't say it irritate me enough to merit 2*. I guess I have to round up to a weak 3.
The Afghan Whigs
4/5
Really on the fence about 3 vs 4 stars. Songwriting and musicianship are definitely 4, but the singing is a bit grating at times. A band worth further exploration into their catalog, though.
Jack White
4/5
Good stuff. One thing that's always bugged me about some of Jack's songs is that he tries to jam too many words into his songs. But it totally works for some of his songs. Fine line, I guess?
Megadeth
3/5
Never been a huge Megadeth fan, but I liked this more than I thought I would. Still, they're a notch or two down from Metallica, in terms of songwriting and, for me at least, singing. 3.5*
The Stooges
3/5
I know the Stooges are proto-punk, but I'm going to lump them in with punk. I prefer talent in my bands. It's best when it's songwriting and musicianship/singing ability all in one package. But I need some in at least one of those categories. The Stooges have some songwriting ability, but not much in terms of musical ability. I'll round up to 3* just because of their pioneering aspect, not so much that I enjoyed their music.
Motörhead
4/5
The song Ace of Spades is a 5* song. I've loved it for a long time. The rest of this album is good if you like the genre, for sure. But it all sounds pretty similar. Given Lemmy's status as a Metal God and progenitor of fast, heavy music, he deserves all the praise he gets, as far as I'm concerned. I'm lucky that I got to see him before he died. RIP, Lemmy.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Love Amy's singing and there are some good songs on this one. Some excellent lyrics as well. I do prefer it when she's got the whole band behind her, though.
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
It was OK. Very indy sounding.
Adam & The Ants
3/5
Not bad. Kind of a fun energy to it. There seemed to be no low end to the music, though. Strange mixing issue, maybe?
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
It's fine. Not my sort of music. All the songs sound pretty similar.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
I'm not sure why, but I enjoy Elvis' vocal style more and more as I age. Some very good songs here and it's a completely new album to me, near as I can tell.
Kings of Leon
4/5
Good stuff! I've heard the radio releases and liked them, but never explored deeper. Solid rock album w/out a sniff of "indie rock" to be had! They've got a unique sound, good songwriting, enjoyable singing, good musicianship (particularly some of the bass lines) and what else do you need? This is what this 1001 album project is all about: finding stuff you like that you probably wouldn't have otherwise. Feels like a high price to pay sometimes when you just got through listening to the Residents or Robert Wyatt, though.
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
It was OK. Must have been influential in its day or something, but I neither loved nor hated it.
Prince
3/5
I like Prince more than I did prior to starting this project. He was clearly a talented songwriter, musician and singer. But I still don't LOVE his music. It's just not my thing. And 2 albums is a LOT of Prince when you're not a big fan. 3.5, but I can't bring myself to round up.
Thin Lizzy
4/5
Really good live album. I'd always thought the radio releases were decent enough, but the rest of the album was excellent. Appears to be some controversy about just how live the album really is, but assuming it's at least somewhat live, the songs are even more impressive. 4.5* is what I'd rate it if it were allowed, but can't bring myself to round up to 5.
Beastie Boys
4/5
I like the Beasties. If I were able to gather all my favorites of their songs, I could probably come up with a couple 5* albums. But given that we're doing a different project, I'm going to give this one 3.5* rounded up to 4*.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Not a fan. I think it's probably "noise-rock" in general that I don't enjoy. I found this mildly irritating, as a whole, so 2.5*. But I guess I'll round up to 3 due to their influence on subsequent bands?
The Temptations
3/5
It's good. Can't quite bring myself to go to 4*, though. 3.5*.
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
Oof. The strength of this triple album is also it's weakness: variety. If I could select the songs, I could probably make a single 4* album. But there were also a lot of 2* songs. In the end, there's just too much stuff I don't enjoy to rank this any higher than 3*.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
I kinda liked the opening track, Something for the Weekend, but it gradually went downhill from there. Not sure why someone would want to make an album of this type of music. Didn't hate it, though.
Weather Report
3/5
Like a lot of jazz, this is pleasant enough. Good background music. Still not my thing, though, daddio.
Portishead
4/5
I'd heard of Portishead, but hadn't realized I knew a couple of their songs. If this is what trip-hop sounds like, sign me up for the newsletter. VERY good debut album. Sounds like the soundtrack to a stylish, sexy, well-produced detective movie. Excellent songwriting and singing. Somewhere between 4 and 4.5*.
Morrissey
3/5
I think Morrissey is probably a pretty good singer. But I don't like the way he sings. The music itself if fine. There were even a few tunes I thought were pretty decent. But his singing just made the music more boring. He seems disinterested, which guides me down that same path when evaluating his work.
Rod Stewart
3/5
I've never been a huge Rod Stewart fan, but he's definitely got some good songs. Maggie May and I'm Losing You are both pretty good. 3.5 overall, but I can't really round up.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I know it's not what I'm supposed to think, but I don't like most of Bob Dylan's songs. He's got some admittedly excellent lyrics, but that doesn't apply across this entire album. A lot of the music behind his lyrics is pretty uninspired, too. And then of course, there's his singing. That alone takes a full star rating off.
Rod Stewart
3/5
Not bad. The only real standout for me was You're My Girl.
Joanna Newsom
2/5
I found Joanna's singing to be disagreeable. Not a fan.
Garbage
3/5
Unremarkable and inoffensive.
Eminem
2/5
Not a fan. Maybe if his lyrics weren't like a 13 year old trying to be provocative?
Slint
2/5
Boy, that sure was something.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Disc 2 was much more enjoyable than the first. I had no idea she was such a good singer. Still, a lot of the music's just not for me. 3.5*
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
Not bad, but it feels uninspired, particularly when compared to Rumours. Tusk is the sole standout for me. And that spazzy drum solo in the middle always makes me chuckle. 3.5*.
XTC
3/5
Seems very British. Not bad. Dear God is the standout for me and it seems to not match the rest of the album.
4/5
I'm still not a huge Beatles fan. And this album doesn't have my favorite songs. But I'm still going to rate it 4*, based on Day in the Life, mostly. I also didn't realize With a Little Help From My Friends was written by Ringo. Props to Mr. Starr. Plus, I'm sure the album had an outsized influence on most music that came after it.
UB40
4/5
I liked this one quite a bit. I'd always thought of UB40 as the Red Red Wine band, which is fine, but I don't love it. This has a cooler feel to it, with some very nice bass and saxophone, the latter of which I don't normally associate with reggae. I'm not always in the mood for reggae, but when I am, I could definitely see putting this album on, as well as exploring more of their catalog.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Essentially, a perfect album. So much talent in both musicianship and songwriting.
OutKast
4/5
Pretty good overall. 3.5* rounding up based purely on how much I love B.O.B.
Talk Talk
3/5
This has got to be some of the wimpiest music ever recorded.
Steely Dan
3/5
I've always felt like Steely Dan is OK. This album reaffirmed this feeling. They seem to be good at what they do, but I don't love what they do.
Van Morrison
4/5
I like Van, but typically can only handle so much at a time. This was pretty good, though. 3.5* rounded up.
Tears For Fears
3/5
My opinion of Tears for Fears remains unchanged. They're pretty OK.
Deerhunter
3/5
I was as bored listening to this album as the band members seem to have been playing/singing for it.
Kate Bush
3/5
Meh.
Sheryl Crow
3/5
I liked it more than I was expecting. Strong Enough is a pretty solid song and several of the non-radio releases were pretty good, too. Unlike a lot of other albums, most of the radio releases were weaker than some of the unreleased songs. 3.5*, but I can't round up.
Bonnie Raitt
3/5
The last, bluesy song was my favorite. I can clearly hear that she's talented musically and she's got a lovely, smooth voice. But the songs on this album overwhelmingly scream Adult Contemporary. It's just sort of lifeless and bland to me. Seems like it's specifically written and performed to appeal to a wide-range of people while remaining completely edgeless. Maybe there's stuff in her catalog that would grab me. There are certainly some hints in that direction on this album, but this one ain't it for me. She seems like a classy lady, overall. Maybe she's got a blues album that'd tickle my fancy.
Van Morrison
5/5
Just based on Moondance and Into the Mystic, this is a 5* album. Some other quality songs, too. Glad Tidings is just happy, fun music, which I think I appreciate more as I get older.
Tom Waits
2/5
I wonder what would happen if this guy tried to write music that's enjoyable to listen to? I bet he could do a decent job of it! Maybe get a singer who drinks water occasionally, too. It's a radical idea, I know. Still, maybe it's crazy enough that it just might work.
Janet Jackson
3/5
It seems like a good pop album. Not my thing, though.
The Replacements
3/5
I didn't hate it, but I was glad when it was over.
King Crimson
3/5
I've listened to this multiple times in the past in an attempt to enjoy King Crimson. This attempt proved no different to me; I still don't really like it. It's too disjointed or something for me. I'm sure, just like most jazz, it's me, not the band. Clearly talented musicians. Again, I'm disappointed in my level of prog.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
4/5
This was really fun. I didn't particularly care for the male lead vocalist, but I think I'd get used to him. Really enjoyed the album.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
I liked some of this. Had it been an hour shorter and different lead singers for some of the songs, I could probably even have gone as high as 4*. But it wasn't. It'd be 5* to accompany a serious drinking session, though. 3.5*
The Doors
4/5
I love the Doors, but this is probably my least favorite of their albums. Still, I do enjoy most of it.
Johnny Cash
5/5
What can I say? I love Johnny.
Various Artists
3/5
I'm kind of a Scrooge about Christmas music, but this one's not too bad. It's more fun than a lot of the crap we're all forced to listen to this time of year.
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
Corrigan's voice is tough to take for a whole album, let alone two. Some good song-writing, but overshadowed by his screechy voice.
U2
5/5
Peak U2. All killer, no filler.
PJ Harvey
3/5
Another album that's not for me. Don't care for the singing.
The Sonics
4/5
This album was a pleasant surprise. 3.5* rounding up due to the early time period for this level of rock. Probably one of those influential bands that most non-musicians didn't really know about.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
This rocks pretty hard. Great singer, too. But there's something I can't quite put my finger on that just doesn't do it for me. This project, if nothing else, has helped me identify what I DON'T like about particular albums, but this one leaves me a bit stumped. 3.5* rounding up to 4, though. Maybe I'll enjoy it more if I come back and listen a few more times.
The Charlatans
3/5
Strong Stone Roses vibes. Not bad, but not oustanding, either. I liked their two instrumentals the best.
John Grant
3/5
Good singer, but MAN, some of the lyrics are just atrocious. Seems like stream of conscoiusness lyrics and sometimes they land and others just crash and explode. Some truly horrible songs and some decent ones, too, but nothing all that interesting. Music is likewise unremarkable.
Dolly Parton
4/5
Lovely voices all, but I think Dolly dominates more than I'd like. Very well produced, but almost a bit too polished. 3.5* rounded up.
Elvis Presley
4/5
It's fun. I imagine for the day it was pretty revolutionary. Given the legacy, I'll round up.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
After a first, casual listen, I enjoyed this just like all the Elvis C. I've listened to on this project.
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
Some decent songs, some rather annoying songs.
Pixies
3/5
I know a lot of people like the Pixies, but I just don't get it. Great album cover, though.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
Not a fan. Don't like the mumble-whispering lyrics and the music's pretty much all the same, from song to song. 2.5 rounded up, mostly cause it's not really irritating, just unappealing.
Marvin Gaye
5/5
If you like amazing male vocals, soul, and (this is key) sexy, sexy lyrics, this album is for you! Luckily, I like all of those things.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Not a fan. Seems like she's got a lovely voice, but I don't like her singing style. All the songs seem very similar to each other. I know she's highly regarded, but I don't get it.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
I'm always conflicted with Lou Reed. He's got some good songwriting and a knack for great lyrics. But I mostly don't like listening to his singing. But DAMN does it work for Heroin. Great song and it keeps me from rating this album lower. I don't love the music on most of this album, either. Sorta cacophonous and the musicians don't seem all that talented. Nico might have benefited from a few singing lessons, too. She might have a good voice with a bit more coaching. But yeah, not particularly evident on this album. 3.5* rounded up based on the strength of Heroin and their clear influence on music down the line.
The Gun Club
3/5
This is good punk. But I still don't love punk enough to rate it very high. 3.5*
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
It seems like good dance music.
Funkadelic
4/5
Good stuff! I've seen this album listed on a LOT of artist's "influential albums" lists. I think this is the first time I've gotten around to listening to it, though. The variety is the standout for me. Not one of those albums where all the songs sound similar. Title track is some pretty damn amazing guitar, too. Could see this one getting ranked higher with additional listenings.
The Kinks
3/5
I like some of the Kinks output quite a bit. This one's fine, but none of the songs really grabbed me. 3.5*
Deep Purple
4/5
Good stuff. Along with Thin LIzzy, this project has introduced me to some excellent hard rock that I might not have been likely to discover at an album level. Makes it worthwhile listening to the Sex Packets and Duck Stabs. But what a price to pay. . .
SZA
3/5
Nothing exceptional about this at all. The Kendrick Lamar track is complete trash. Most songs sound the same Prom was OK. 2.5 and I'm torn which way to round it. . . Grudgingly rounding up.
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
A fun listen. A bit too much organ at times, but overall enjoyable. 3.5*, rounding up.
Bad Brains
3/5
I can see their influence on future bands. Mike Patton seems to have picked up a few tricks from the singer, too. Not bad, but too punkish-for my liking. Just doesn't hook me.
John Lee Hooker
4/5
Good stuff.
Talking Heads
3/5
Pretty decent overall. I enjoyed the distinct bass lines throughout, in particular. Psycho Killer has always bugged me, though. 3.5*
Steely Dan
4/5
I'm not sure what's happened to me, but I think I enjoyed a Steely Dan album. I'm typically indifferent. 3.5* rounding up? I guess?
Taylor Swift
3/5
Competent, inoffensive, polished, corporate pop. It's fine.
Jurassic 5
3/5
Not bad. A bit uneven for my tastes; enjoyed some, disliked others. 3.5*
3/5
I didn't enjoy this. I don't care for her singing. Can't say any of the music really grabbed me either. 2.5* rounded up.
John Martyn
4/5
Although it was hard to tell if the lyrics were English at times, I enjoyed this album. Quite groovy, baby.
Small Faces
3/5
Aggressively British album. It was OK.
Songhoy Blues
4/5
Enjoyable! 3.5*, rounding up.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Still a great album and one you really need headphones to appreciate properly. Sad and beautiful, it's yet another great Pink Floyd album.
Bono sounded really bored singing this. I agree.
Missy Elliott
3/5
Work It is fun. Some variety in the songs. I didn't hate it.
Sex Pistols
3/5
I can see why people like punk, in general, and the Sex Pistols specifically. It's got a lot of aggressive energy. But I think I prefer at least a little more refinement. Plus, Johnny Rotten's voice is grating after a couple songs. 2.5*, rounding up to 3* for cultural impact.
Britney Spears
3/5
Title track's the catchiest. The rest is competent, bubblegum pop.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Better than I was expecting. 3.5*
The Notorious B.I.G.
2/5
This album seemed to never end. Not my thing.
The Sugarcubes
2/5
I do not like Bjork. That is all.
Ice T
3/5
I liked this one way more than I thought I would. 3.5*, but not rounding up as I doubt I'd come back and listen to it again. But it's much more enjoyable than the Notorious B.I.G. album I listened to earlier this week. Know what I'm sayin'?
David Bowie
3/5
I feel a little guilty for this, since it's Bowie. But "Meh."
R.E.M.
3/5
It was OK. Most of the songs sounded pretty similar. Radio Free Europe's good. Same way I seem to feel about most REM. I like a few songs, but mostly Michael Stipe's just a bit too earnest. Or something.
The The
3/5
Don't care for his singing style or lyrics. Music wasn't anything special. The name of the band is sort of irritating, too.
The Jam
3/5
Not bad.
The Go-Betweens
3/5
Pretty unremarkable. I did like Was There Anything I Could Do?
The Associates
3/5
This album 80's so hard.
Dwight Yoakam
3/5
Klaxons
3/5
I don't love the falsetto, auto-tuned (or whatever) vocals, but I don't hate them either. The music's interesting. I like it more than I would have thought from something in the "new-rave" genre. 3.5*
Tortoise
3/5
This was reasonably good background music. Some parts were interesting and they outweighed the mildly irritating parts.
Radiohead
2/5
Kinda liked Electioneering. Did not like the rest of it. Thom's vocals are just too whiny, droning and unintelligible for me.
Louis Prima
4/5
Lots of fun. 3.5* rounding up to 4.
Mylo
3/5
Up in the clurb, we all fam.
The Saints
3/5
I liked it more than most of the punk I've heard on this project. If a punk band keeps getting better, musically, do they veer off into another genre? Isn't one of the characteristics of "punk rock" that they just aren't all that talented? 3.5*
Bob Dylan
3/5
This sure is a Bob Dylan album. I know it's a classic and I liked 3 or 4 songs well enough. But it also seems to be Peak Dylan-Sings-Like-Dylan. Which is irritating to me after a song or two. Some of his rhymes are silly, as well. I dunno. I sorta get why he's so well-regarded, but I also don't. 3.5* just for his legacy/influence.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Adult contemporary Beach Boys! Yay!
It's pretty OK. I can see why it's well-regarded, but it doesn't do much for me. Largely forgettable.
Lauryn Hill
3/5
I can see why people like it. Some decent stuff on the album, but not my jam. 3.5*
Alice Cooper
3/5
It's not bad. I've never been a huge fan of Alice's music. He seems like a cool guy, though. Blue Turk isn't a bad song. The Finale was relatively Grand. 3.5*?
Joe Ely
3/5
Not bad. I'm not a huge country fan, but this guy's pretty good. 3.5*
Sister Sledge
3/5
The ladies seem like pretty good singers. The lyrics are pretty repetitive, though. Music's pretty OK. Solid "Meh," from me.
Steve Earle
3/5
This one's tough to rate for me, but with familiar reasons why. Some good lyrics and some good songwriting. I think Steve can sing well, but I don't like his singing style. Probably why I don't like most country, in fact. Even though I liked some of the individual songs, by the time I was halfway through the album, I was ready to not listen to his singing anymore. So I guess it all averages out, in the end.
Mudhoney
3/5
Brian Eno
3/5
It seems like the soundtrack to a movie. The instrumentals were more agreeable than the songs with lyrics.
Pretty good. 3.5*
Ray Price
3/5
Unlike most country music, I don't mind listening to this. Ray's a great singer, without the twang. Music all sounded pretty similar, but was agreeable enough.
5/5
4.5* rounding up.
Jane Weaver
3/5
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Some good songs. I seem to have liked it more back in the 90's though. I think Billy's voice grates on me more now than it did 30 years ago, for whatever reason. 3.5* rounding up for nostalgia.
Gil Scott-Heron
3/5
H2O Gate Blues is good, but not something I want to listen to repeatedly. The rest of it's a bit too free-form/jazzy for me. Can see the talent, but it's not my bag, baby.
David Bowie
3/5
The more Bowie I listen to on this project, the more I realize I mostly enjoy his radio hits. It's not a bad album, but nothing really grabbed me. 3.5*
The Offspring
4/5
I enjoyed the hell out of this album when it came out, back when I was 20. I haven't listened to it in its entirety for quite a while, so I was a bit apprehensive that it wouldn't hold up. But I still enjoy it. The just-refined-enough punk energy, the alternating serious and humorous lyrics combine to make a fun, entertaining album.
The The
3/5
Slade
3/5
Some decent songs, some less so. Probably an influential group, given the timing of this album.
CHIC
3/5
Fun bass lines on some songs. Others were dreadfully repetitive, both musically and lyrically. Can't say that's necessarily bad, given that it's dance music, though.
Malcolm McLaren
4/5
Enjoyed the variety on this album, even if it was a bit uneven in quality. Did not enjoy all the "filler" tracks, though. They make me less apt to go back and listen to it again. 3.5* rounding up.
Lou Reed
4/5
Well. What to say about THIS one. Though-provoking and lyrically deep, it's not a lot of fun to listen to. Not that everything has to be fun, of course. Lou's singing also makes this one hard for me to rate. Not something I'll likely listen to a lot, but I could see myself coming back to it.
Hot Chip
3/5
It's pretty OK.
Gary Numan
3/5
This sure is a 1979 synthesizer album by Gary Numan. It's just as exciting as you'd think it would be by someone named Gary Numan.
Kate Bush
2/5
Reminds me of Tori Amos. I like some of Tori's stuff, but most of it is rather grating to me. Same w/Kate. They both clearly have talent, but it's a bit too. . . out there? artsy? for me. But at the same time, I can respect them for doing their own thing. Just prefer it's not in earshot of me. 2.5* rounded down. Started at 3 and kept gradually losing stars for me.
The Stranglers
3/5
As previously noted, I'm not a big punk guy. But this is pretty decent. 3.5*, but can't bring myself to round up.
OutKast
4/5
Tough one to rate for me. If I could make it about an hour or so, it's easily a 4* album. But there's a lot of filler and some less good songs. 3.5* and I think I'm rounding up because of Hey Ya! It's just fun and I always enjoy listening to it.
Serge Gainsbourg
3/5
Mostly, this made me realize how much French I've forgotten. Or never really learned. Aside from that, I like it musically. Sassy little album cover, too. Would probably rate it differently if I understood more than a dozen words or so.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Good stuff. Gimme Shelter is probably my favorite Stones song, so that kicks it up a full level, I'd wager.
Keith Jarrett
3/5
Do you like lots of excellent piano with occasional Woots? Then this is the album for you. Excellent background music.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
I think I'm happy the my mind is seemingly windmill-less. She's got a great voice. Son of a Preacher Man is a great song. Really highlights the sexiness aspect of her singing. The music on the rest of the songs is competent and mostly forgettable. 3.5, rounded down. Tempted to round up just based on SoaPM, but I'm just not likely to come back to the album as a whole.
Les Rythmes Digitales
3/5
Seems like decent dance music. Not lots of fun to just listen to, though.
The Mars Volta
2/5
They seem talented, but I didn't enjoy this album. Too frantic and seemingly disjointed, even though I know it's all precisely planned.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
I know it's blasphemous, but I don't care for her chirpy, choppy vocals. There. I said it.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
This is highly-polished, dance-oriented pop music. It's pleasant enough to listen to, but it doesn't grab me in any way.
Chicago
4/5
I was looking forward to listening to this one and I'm not disappointed. Fun music overall. Love the horns being front and center. 3.5* rounding up to 4.
The Who
5/5
I've always been a Greatest Hits-level fan of the Who. Not sure that I've ever listened to this album in its entirety. 5* for Baba, Blue Eyes and Fooled Again alone. Rest of the album is solid, as well. Lyrics to Won't Get Fooled Again are damn near perfect, but I sure do wish they didn't apply so well to the present, 54 years later.
Manu Chao
3/5
Nice change of pace, but I can't say I loved it.
Elbow
3/5
Started off interesting. They've clearly got some talent. But the vast majority of songs felt pretty similar. Might be worthwhile checking out their other albums to see if they have any that are a bit more dynamic. 3.5*
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
This was an enjoyable listen. I'll likely come back and give it another listen.
Brian Eno
3/5
It was pretty OK. Reminded me of Talking Heads a bit. I like the music more than the lyrics and singing. Which is something, given how prevalent the synths are here. I guess? Yeah. Pretty OK.
Lorde
3/5
I kinda like Lorde. Seems like a cross between Taylor Swift and Fiona Apple. Without the polish of Swift or the same level of talent as Apple. Better than most pop, these days. Not on this album, but I love Royals. <3
3.5*
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
Always enjoyed Suite: Judy Blue Eyes in particular. Even the Spanish gibberish at the end. The singing's excellent on the entire album.
Madonna
3/5
Like so many albums on this list: she's talented, but it's just not my thing.
The Cure
3/5
I liked this more than I expected. The music, anyway. Not Robert Smith's singing so much. But that might grow on me. Maybe. This is the rare non-4*+ album that I just might come back and listen to again.
3.5*
Brian Eno
3/5
Two Enos in one week is a lot of Enos. Really hoping there are no more Enos on this list. I don't hate it, but I've had enough.
Jerry Lee Lewis
4/5
Fun. 3.5*, rounding up.
Richard Hawley
3/5
Another album where the artist is clearly talented and good at what they do, but I don't love what they do. This one's just rather bland to me. An intense beige, if you will. Lovely voice, nice arrangements, blah blah blah, but I just don't really care. Maybe that says more about me?
Common
2/5
So a lot of these tracks seem to have the lyrics completely disassociated from the underlying samples. It's a somewhat unpleasant and tediously long album. 2.5* and I can't round up.
LTJ Bukem
3/5
Wow. 2 hours of the same song. It's fine for background or dance music, but not so much for actually listening.
Marilyn Manson
3/5
I didn't dislike it as much as I expected. The screamy lyrics and industrial noises are definitely not my thing, but overall, it wasn't horrible.
Kings of Leon
3/5
Uneven album for me. I liked some of them, disliked others. Mostly due to the singing, which I believe he addresses in the lyrics of one of the songs, oddly enough. I think they'll just be one of those band where I say, "I like some of their stuff." 3.5*, not rounding up.
Miles Davis
3/5
This is probably some high-grade jazz, daddio. Mostly wasted on me, but I mildly enjoyed it. Inoffensive, at least, which is saying something. Jazz never "moves me," per se, though. Ever.
Lupe Fiasco
3/5
Nothing special. Couple decent songs allowed me to round up from 2.5*.
M.I.A.
4/5
Fun with some variety. Paper Planes is a banger. 3.5* and I'm generously rounding up, as I like it more than most dance music.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Lkec it much more than Blue. No chirpy choppy vocals and you can really hear how lovely her voice is on this one. Still, not really my thing overall. 3.5* rounding down.
TLC
4/5
I liked this album quite a bit. If I'm in the mood for something a little frisky and Marvin's not tickling my fancy for some reason, Crazysexycool might be just the ticket.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Not quite a perfect album, but it's a 5* regardless. A bit glum, though, so I don't come back to it as often as I should.
MC Solaar
3/5
Meh. I liked some of the music and the French rippity-rap wasn't as irritating as some other hip-hop I've heard in my native English. Some decent stuff, though.
Alice In Chains
5/5
What can I say? As a devout grunge fan, this is essentially a perfect album. Top 5 90's/grunge album for me, no doubt. Equivalent to Jar of Flies for me, but just depends on my mood which I'll enjoy on any given listen.
Mekons
2/5
Kinda sucks. It's like they're sorta talented, but are a little too drunk to sound as good as they might. 2.5*, rounding down.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
It's a nice change of pace. No idea what the words are, but it's pleasant enough to listen to. Good, energetic background music for me. 3.5*
Pere Ubu
2/5
2nd album of this guy/band. Similar stuff. Irritating mostly. Some moments of interest.
Miriam Makeba
3/5
Pleasant enough. Lovely voice. 3.5*
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3/5
I guess if you love keyboard/synthesizer, you'll love the hell out of this album? Meh.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
This is pretty OK. I can see their influence on subsequent bands. Talented enough, but there's nothing that grabs me here. 3.5* just for competence and influence.
Jethro Tull
5/5
I can't, in good conscience, only give this 4*. 4.5* would be perfect, but I'm rounding up to 5*. I think what I love about Tull is they hit just the right balance of complexity for me. Not too simple to ever sound dull and not overly complicated musically such that I'm confused and uninterested. Some prog rock and jazz just leaves me feeling like I just don't get it. I'm sure some of Tull goes over my head, but I feel like I get it enough.
Gram Parsons
3/5
Not bad. I liked it better than the Flying Burrito Brothers album from a a little earlier. I like Emmylou's accompaniment. Maybe 3.5*?
Frank Sinatra
3/5
I generally like bossa nova and Frank's a fine singer, from what I'm told. But this just seems like Frank singing like Frank over some bossa nova. Sinatra probably only sang like Sinatra, I suppose? 3.5*
Talking Heads
4/5
This is an anomalous album for me. I liked it more than I expected, but I don't think I'll come back to it very often. It's interesting once in a while, but I don't see myself, "craving it," again any time soon. Mostly, a 4* from me will almost definitely get revisited. I'm not sure about this one, though.
Skunk Anansie
3/5
Yet another one where I think they're good at what they do, but I just don't love what they're doing.
The Icarus Line
3/5
Yet another one where I think they're good at what they do, but I just don't love what they're doing. Wait, didn't I just say that for the last album?
The Fall
2/5
3* music with 2* lyrics and singing. 2.5* rounding down.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Damn, Chef really has some talent! Enjoyable listen once I got past waiting for him to say, "Children!" Good stuff. The older I get, the more I like Soul.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
This is an excellent album. I've enjoyed Stevie's big radio hits, Sir Duke, in particular. Just some of the best horn riffs ever. This is well-crafted, upbeat, funky and just enjoyable all-around. 4*, but could easily get kicked up a notch with repeated listens. I think I'll have to explore more of his catalog, too.
The xx
3/5
This is pretty good, but it's not something I'm likely to seek out in the future. Lovely female vocalist, in particular. 3.5*
Basement Jaxx
3/5
Meh. It's dance music.
Billy Bragg
3/5
This sure is a English album. I'd probably enjoy Mr. Bragg's songs more on a tribute album of covers of his greatest works. Seems to be a decent song-writer, but his singin's middlin'.
Peter Frampton
4/5
This is a solid, live album and I think it deserves the accolades it receives.
New Order
3/5
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
3.5* rounding up. There's definitely some filler in here, but overall, it's an enjoyable listen. Couple bangers definitely don't allow me to round down.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Pretty good stuff. Will probably enjoy it more on future listens.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Solid reggae. Enjoyable.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
Yeah, this kinda sucks. Not a Sex Pistols fan and, if this is any indication, I'm not a fan of the whole post-punk genre.
Aerosmith
4/5
This is pretty solid rock, with some classics that deserve the title. I'm not a huge Aerosmith fan, but I think this still merits a 4*.
Randy Newman
4/5
I think I like Randy Newman.
Madonna
3/5
Well produced pop music and she's a good singer. Not my thing, though.
Cowboy Junkies
5/5
It's a 5* album just based on Margo's voice alone.
Wire
3/5
Meh. I didn't hate it, but I still don't like most punk all that much.
The Black Crowes
5/5
Wow. It's been quite a while since I've listened to this album in its entirety. Still holds up well, particularly for a debut album. 4.5* rounding up.
Frank Zappa
4/5
I love Peaches En Regalia, and the next couple were good. But the last 2 or 3 seem suspiciously like jazz. And that didn't sit right with me. 3.5* rounding up for Peaches.
Fugees
3/5
A few good songs, a lot of crap.
Japan
3/5
Proto-Duran Duran. Not bad, but doesn't catch me, either.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I like SHB and Maggie's Farm quite a bit, but his singing just doesn't work well his songs most of the time for me. 3.5*
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
This is an overall enjoyable album.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Mildly to moderately annoying vocals. The rest of it was fine, but nothing stood out for me. 2.5*, rounding down.
3/5
OK, there's a couple songs on here that I liked. And I like Wes' guitar work quite a bit. This project has given me ample comparison for Fred's lyrical abilities, too. He's pretty OK, when compared to a lot of the hip-hoppers and such. His lyrics are sophomoric, but no more so than a lot of others I've heard on this odyssey.
Dizzee Rascal
2/5
This mostly sucks. Lots of annoying noises. There was one song that wasn't horrible, though, so I'm generously giving Dizzee 2*.
808 State
3/5
Decent background music. Probably fun to dance to, as well.
The Byrds
3/5
It's pretty OK. I can see how they were influential and all that, but none of it really grabs me. This feels more like a prototype than a finished product.
Suede
2/5
This singer is just so annoying. Maybe if he sang differently, I'd enjoy him? But he doesn't and I don't. 2.5* because the rest of the band is fine, but still rounding down.
Black Sabbath
5/5
It's not my favorite Sabbath album, but it's excellent. For birthing a massive genre and for it's raw originality, though, it's a 5* album.
Leftfield
3/5
Solid dance music album. If I were rating dance music albums only in comparison to others of its ilk, I'd likely rate this higher. But I rarely listen to dance music for fun (ever?) and I'm comparing to seemingly 1001 other genres. So 3.5* rounded down.
Megadeth
3/5
Something about Megadeth just doesn't do it for me. I think it's primarily a couple factors: Dave's voice doesn't resonate with me and the songwriting it not at the same level as Metallica. There's a certain sameness to most of their catalog that just blends together for me. It's solid, but rarely do my ears perk up and make me wonder, "What's the name of THIS song?"
Eric Clapton
4/5
I'm coming around to some other folks' way of thinking about Clapton. He's very good, but overrated. Couple standouts and the rest of the album is solid, but not a lot of hidden gems of his I've encountered with this project. I like his Cream era work the best, which speaks to the talent of his bandmates, more than any other factor. The line "Love is lovely" from Let it Grow always struck me as just comical. Really? THAT'S the best line you could come up with? Nobody told him, "Oi! Eric! That's a bad lyric, mate."?
Violent Femmes
4/5
As one of my wife's college friends said about the Femmes, "I can respect their lack of talent." On paper, they don't line up with what I should like particularly. And I sure didn't like them much in jr. high/high school. But they've grown on me, for whatever reason. And there are some standouts that I always enjoy on this album. So they get 4*. I can't explain it, but that's the way it is with me.
Dire Straits
4/5
Still quite a good album, I must say. Only complaint is some of the music's a bit "adult contemporary" for my taste.
New York Dolls
3/5
Proto-punk that's decent enough for the genre. Still not my bag, though, baby.
Morrissey
3/5
This sure is another Morrissey album.
Radiohead
4/5
Maybe it's because part of me wants to like Radiohead, but this album seems better and less mumbley than prior ones I've listened to on this project. I could see myself listening to it again. In the case of other RH albums, there's typically a few standout songs that I enjoy, but a lot of others that irritate me, mostly because of Thom's mumble-singing. 3.5* rounded up.
Q-Tip
4/5
This is fun hip hop. Didn't pay that much attention to the lyrics, but there were a couple songs that had much better than average content. I'd only heard him in a Beastie Boys song. Now I know what he's on the mic for!
Milton Nascimento
3/5
It's kinda fun music. No complaints, in particular.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Pleasant enough. Always liked Sloop John B. Nice harmonies. 3.5* and rounding up because of the influence and wide-ranging, timeless appeal.
AC/DC
4/5
Great, classic album. Giving it 4.5*, but can't quite round up. Brian Johnson's vocals are grating to me for a whole album, even though he's great at singing that way. Also, similar comment for the rest of the album musically: if you like it, you'll get plenty of it, but it's all fairly similar. Still, lots of classics that really do deserve to be called classic.
Motörhead
4/5
Having just listened to Back in Black, this feels very similar, just in a different subgenre of rock. If you like Ace of Spades, you won't hate the rest, even if you're craving more variety. Luckily for me, I love Ace of Spades and I'm glad I saw Lemmy before he died.
Green Day
4/5
I liked this a lot more than expected. I'd never heard the whole album before. Relatively impressed.
George Jones
3/5
This sure is an old school, cryin' in your beer style country album. Must be foundational or something. Good singer, but didn't care for what he was singing, in general. 2.5* rounding up, as it wasn't particularly irritating.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
When the singer's not intentionally trying to be weird, I kinda liked this. The cacophonous quality of the music was at about the edge of what I can normally enjoy, so that was fine. If I could trim a couple songs off of this, I might have been able to get up to 4*s, given the pioneering nature of this weirdo.
Stan Getz
4/5
This was fun. Clearly talented musicians/songwriters and it's great if you're in an upbeat, chill mood. Wonderful background music. Maybe I'm starting to like Jazz, Dave? Or maybe there's certain corners of the Jazz Room that I enjoy.
The Fall
2/5
This one's pretty bad. Irritating singer, repetitive music, no clear talent anywhere that I could see, far too long an album. Why do I have to listen to it before I die?
Femi Kuti
4/5
Fun music. 3.5*, rounding up.
Tito Puente
4/5
Good stuff. Fun music
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Didn't hate it. Didn't love it.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Love some of these, less so others. When the Man Comes Around is awesome. And I may like the version on Legend of Johnny Cash better. But this one is badass, too.
Syd Barrett
3/5
Whether it was schizophrenia, too much LSD or some combination thereof, this is not great. Ranges from semi-enjoyable to rather irritating. Not my kind of psychedelia. Also, probably for the best that Syd and the rest of Floyd went their separate ways. 2.5*; rounding up
The Kinks
3/5
For 1966, I bet this was both super and duper. For 2025, it's fine, but I don't love it.
Beck
3/5
Pretty decent. Lost Cause is an excellent song. Didn't realize Beck was this good a singer. Can't quite give it 4*, as I don't see myself coming back to the album, but 3.5* for sure.
The Blue Nile
3/5
It's like Peter Gabriel and Ambien had a baby.
Red Snapper
4/5
I like this enough to give it 4*. I'd like to explore their catalog further and I liked quite a few tracks on this one. Only real qualm was some of the vocal samples were to repetitive.
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
Liked it more than expected, but a bit too long. Singer gets annoying after a fashion.
Daft Punk
2/5
Seems like good dance music, but to just sit and listen is irritating at times. Lots of repetitive vocal samples. 2.5*, rounding down.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Good reggae, mon.
Public Enemy
4/5
Liked this one much more than Nation of Millions. Good lyrics, energetic music. A few small quibbles, but enjoyable overall.
Elvis Costello
4/5
Pretty good. 3.5*, rounding up
Gotan Project
4/5
This is fun music. I could totally see myself playing this in the background at a party or listening while at work.
John Lennon
3/5
I mean, Imagine's a good song. But it's not my bag, baby. Rest of the album's fine, but still not my bag. Feels like heresy, but 3* is all I'm giving it. Sorry, Dave.
Roxy Music
3/5
3.5*? Maybe?
The Birthday Party
2/5
2.5*, but it's kinda hard to decide which way to round. Some of the elements were good, but the singing mostly wears on me. In the end, I was glad the album was over, so rounding down.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
It's fun. 3.5*
Genesis
3/5
Not quite sure what to make of this. Seems like I should like it. Nothing really grabs me, though. Maybe I need to listen to it again. 3.5*?
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
Good stuff, particularly for a debut album. Worth 4* for American Girl alone.
Beach House
3/5
Not bad. Kinda boring.
Gillian Welch
3/5
Lovely voice, but the songs are rather boring.
Willie Nelson
4/5
Enjoyable country. 3.5*, rounding up to 4, but I don't think I'll come back to it often.
The Young Gods
3/5
Didn't particularly enjoy it and glad when it ended. Didn't hate it, though. 2.5*
Bill Callahan
3/5
I'm not against talk-singing, but this just doesn't work for me. Music is decent.
Elvis Presley
3/5
It's kind of fun, but I didn't want to listen to more when it was over.
The Louvin Brothers
3/5
It's not my favorite singing style. Hard to take for a whole album. 2.5* rounded up.
The Waterboys
3/5
Not a bad singer, but I still got sick of him about half way through. Sounds better on some songs than others. Music's interesting. 3.5*
Van Halen
5/5
Saved this one for Friday. One of the all time great rock albums. Especially for a debut.
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
They seem like they're good at what they do, but I'm not really into what they do.
Kraftwerk
3/5
Meh.
Iggy Pop
4/5
Liked this more than expected. Always enjoyed the title track.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Classic metal.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Good singer, but the music seems formulaic.
Pentangle
3/5
They're good at what they do. It's not bad, but doesn't hook me.
The Isley Brothers
3/5
Some fun stuff.3.5*
Barry Adamson
3/5
I would have this guy write my soundtrack any day of the week. Some fun stuff. 3.5*
R.E.M.
3/5
I generally find REM tedious. But for whatever reason, this listen wasn't bad. Right mood for it, maybe? 3.5*
Stereo MC's
3/5
Cool music. If I was rating this in terms of dance music, it'd probably be a 4*. But as a generic music rating, 3.5*.
Dagmar Krause
3/5
Good singer. Probably good music, but I can't say that I enjoy it, particularly.
Simply Red
3/5
Meh.
The Coral
3/5
3.5*? I think I need to give this one another listen with headphones, instead of in the car. It sounded interesting, I think.
The Police
5/5
4.5* rounded up, simply because of Mother. I know it's supposed to be annoying and, boy, does it succeed. Rest of the album is top-shelf. Synchronicity I and I are two of my favorite Police songs, which is saying something.
Goldie
3/5
It's OK, I guess?
Minor Threat
2/5
It's the sort of punk I don't care for. All the songs sound the same.
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
3.5* and I can't round up. It's solid pop. Well written, good singer, but it doesn't hook me. Just not my thang.
Ryan Adams
3/5
Meh.
Traffic
4/5
Pretty good. 3.5* rounding up.
The Doors
4/5
Quite a range on this. From not bad to excellent. I love L.A. Woman, Texas Radio, Love Her Madly, but there's also some filler-ish tracks.
The Black Keys
5/5
Such a cool album. Great stuff.
The Byrds
3/5
Pretty meh, overall.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Couple of songs push this to 4* for me. Most of it's a bit too mellow/bland for me to love it, though.
Queen
3/5
It's OK. No real standouts for me. Competent, but nothing grabbed me.
3/5
It's alright. Sounds very British, guvna.
Black Sabbath
5/5
FX into Supernaut is one of my favorite chunks of music on any album, ever. Pure rock fury, before Clutch coined the term. RIP Ozzie.
Rest of the album is pretty damn good, too.
Eels
3/5
It's not bad. Definitely has its moments, musically and lyrically. Always like the line, "Jesus and his lawyer are coming back." 3.5* and it seems like a very mood dependent album for me. Not likely to come back to it, though.
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
Undeniably good singer, but I don't love the screechy singing she does sometimes. Some fun stuff. Just found out She Bop is about masturbation. Hadn't ever thought about it before, but that's fun. 3.5* Very nostalgic, which probably colors my review a bit.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
If I took all the songs on this double album and cut half of them out, it might be a 4* album. If I'm being generous. But that's not the task at hand. His singing works for some of the song, but irritates me in others. The music's good in some, but meh in others. 3*
Stephen Stills
4/5
Good stuff. Turns out, he's my favorite singer in CSNY. Who could tell with all that harmonizing? 3.5* rounding up to 4*.
Steely Dan
4/5
For whatever reason, I'm enjoying Steely Dan more than I used to since starting this project.
Bee Gees
3/5
Very Beatles-esque. Nothing stood out for me, though. Give me Saturday Night Fever on repeat, though. One of the best bass lines ever.
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
I didn't hate it. Some clever rhymes.
The Damned
3/5
I like it better than most punk. Probably would have been a fun band to watch live, but I'm not likely to come back and listen again.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Classic, especially if you like Johnny. And really, why wouldn't you?
The Pogues
4/5
Usually, I can only handle one or two songs of Shane McGowan vocals. But this album is probably the high point of the Pogues, at least for me. Several of the songs really have some heart to 'em. And the singing isn't as argle-bargle as most McGowan stuff. 3.5* and rounding up, partially out of surprise.
Calexico
4/5
Close Behind, Attack El Robot! Attack!, Guero Canelo were fun. And whatever other instrumentals I missed. Most of the rest of it is kinda wimpy, indie and boring. I like 'em when they don't sing, apparently. So that makes it tough to rate. 3.5*, rounding up to 4*, in the hopes that I come back to them and maybe find an instrumental only playlist somewhere.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Been a while since I've listened to this one. Unsurprisingly, it's still amazing. I don't find Jimi to be the best singer, but it works with the music. Noel and Mitch are both excellent, too.
3/5
It's not bad. A little Who, a little Tull, a little CSN. Nothing grabbed me, though.
Pearl Jam
5/5
A bit sick of Jeremy and Alive, but they're still great songs. Most of my favorites aren't radio releases. Great album. Eddie's unique vocals are the highlight.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Still not doing it for me. Hoping this is the last Arcade Fire album. Lead singer's quavering voice grates on me.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
Not bad! I like Arctic Monkeys, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. 3.5*, but I don't think I can round up.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Iconic voice and the music's not bad. Big band sorta sound? Maybe medium band? But most of the songs sound pretty similar.
Spiritualized
3/5
I liked one of the songs, but the rest were meh or mildly annoying.
Venom
3/5
Meh. I can see how it was probably influential, but I don't love the music it influenced, as a rule. The guitars sound sort of "muddy", which is probably more due to the era it was recorded. Lyrics are rather silly and juvenile. I didn't hate it, but I was glad when I finished the album. 2.5* rounding up.
Laibach
3/5
The musical wing of a Yugoslavian art collective? In the
Martial industrial/neoclassical dark wave genre? What's not to like!?! Well, several things as it turns out. I didn't hate it all, though. 2.5* and I am really torn on how to round. Up, I guess?
Deee-Lite
4/5
Maybe it's nostalgia talking, but this is good dance music.
CHIC
3/5
First song's a classic. Rest of it is perfectly respectable dance music. No complaints. 3.5*
John Martyn
3/5
I liked the first song. But I didn't care for the vocals for most of the album. Music's good, though, for many of the songs.
David Ackles
3/5
Good singer, but I don't always like the way he sings. Lyrics are too... Sincere? Not sure exactly, but it doesn't make me want to listen to more of his work.
Hookworms
4/5
Fun stuff. Liked it more than I would have expected. 3.5* rounding up.
The Cure
4/5
I like this way more than I thought I would. Mr. Smith isn't too whiney and the songs are pretty good overall.
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
I like the opening track. The rest is definitely jazz. Not bad. Good background music.
2/5
Dear Lord, this is a lot of Dylan in one sitting. I like disc 2 better, as it distracts from his singing a bit. Even songs I normally like suck on this album. So glad it's over. 1.5* rounding up because I know he has talent. It's just not in the vocal arena.
JAY Z
2/5
Blech.
N.W.A.
4/5
Apparently, I'm more of an "old school" rap appreciator. Good, fun beats. Some tongue-in-cheek lyrics, some serious. And they actually rhyme! 3.5*, rounding up.
Dirty Projectors
3/5
Meh.
Antony and the Johnsons
2/5
Don't like the singing. WAY too much vibrato for my liking. Also, it all seems overly sincere or melodramatic. Not for me. Clearly some talent, but I don't dig it.
James Taylor
4/5
Great voice, but his music's always been too "adult contemporary" for me. I do love Fire and Rain, though, so this one gets 4* from that alone.
Massive Attack
4/5
I went in with no expectations. I've heard of Massive Attack before, but really didn't know anything about them. It's good stuff. Trip-hop may be my new favorite genre. 4*, but that could easily increase with repeated listening.
Django Django
4/5
This is fun! Like a They Might Be Giants, Floyd and Guster mashup. 3.75* rounding up.
Iron Butterfly
3/5
Title track is definitely a classic and fun to listen to once in a while. The rest of the album is kinda bland psychedelia. 3.5*
Killing Joke
3/5
Yet another album that is fine, but uninspiring to me.
Ravi Shankar
3/5
Meh.
The Zutons
4/5
Fun!
3/5
Likes it much more than most punk. Fun and a bit more talented than your average punk band. 3.5*
The Electric Prunes
3/5
Rather uneven album. Couple decent songs, couple bad ones, most are meh.
Ryan Adams
3/5
Quite competent and clearly talented singer/songwriter. He's just kinda bland for me. A good comparison would be most of Bonnie Rait's work for me.
Tom Waits
3/5
I didn't hate it. I wasn't super excited when it was over. If Tom could just tune the gravelly angle-bargle down about 40%, I might be able to listen hard enough to decipher some more of the lyrics. He's got some good ones, which I'm able to make out from time to time.
Fever Ray
4/5
Worth 4* just for If I Had a Heart. The rest is pretty good, too, but I'll need to listen to it again. Evocative of a particular mood, which is pretty cool in and of itself.
The United States Of America
4/5
Definitely seemed to be ahead of its time. I kinda like it. Interesting that there aren't any guitars on the album, as there were times I could have sworn I heard some. 3.5* and it's an odd round-up, as I don't see myself coming back to it again.
Grizzly Bear
3/5
It's interesting stuff, but doesn't hook me on the first listen. Seems like they're good at what they do, though. 3.5*, maybe?
The Thrills
3/5
Their retro thing doesn't tickle my fancy. The singer's competent, but I still find him annoying. 2.5* rounding up.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
It's kinda enjoyable. The vocals are just so wimpy, though...
David Bowie
4/5
Digging the 70's vibe on this album. Enjoyable.
The Stooges
4/5
Favorite Stooges/Iggy album so far. And I'm not quite sure why. Might need to compare with an earlier album.
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
Wasn't expecting much, but I really enjoyed this album. I've always loved Fire On High (different album) and thought the other ELO radio releases were decent enough. But with headphones on, this album proved to be damn good. Complex arrangements, deep sound and excellent vocals all came together very well. Could see myself increasing the rating on this after repeat listens. Also, interested to see what other ELO I've been missing.
Thelonious Monk
3/5
This is a jazz album. My overall view of jazz remains unchanged. He does have a very cool name, though.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
3/5
It's OK. Seems like it should be more up my alley, with the horn section and all. Lyrics are uninspiring, but the singer's good. Not sure what it is, but I'm pretty ambivalent about this album.
Björk
2/5
Pretty much exactly what I was expecting. I don't enjoy her singing. Even if she's got a three octave range and likes to experiment, I'm not sure that it follows that she should record and disseminate it all. Another performer that seems to be talented, but I don't dig what they're planting. If you will. 2.5 and I really wish no rounding was necessary.
3/5
It was fine.
5/5
Love this album. They've got their own sound, but there's enough variety to keep it interesting. Full sound, the synthesizers add to the music, rather than dominating or distracting. Great vocals. Love the subject matter in the songs. Great drumming. 5* for sure. And I've never gotten sick of it, despite innumerable listens.
Beatles
3/5
Early Beatles is always "meh" for me. For the time, sure, I can believe they were different. But the bubblegum lyrics on a lot of it is just not my bag, baby. Some of the bluesier stuff was pretty good though. Also didn't know they did covers. 3.5*. Didn't hate it, for sure and enjoyed some of it. Unlikely to ever seek it out again, though.
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
I like this quite a bit, even though I have no idea what the lyrics mean. Great background music. 3.5* rounding up because I would like to come back to it
Yes
4/5
Good stuff. 4.5*. There's a lot of Yes stuff I like a lot, but they've never been in my top 10 bands/artists. I have a Best Of collection that keeps me pretty happy with their offerings. Musically, amazingly talented. Not sure what keeps me from rating them 5* for this album, but I can't quite get there. Maybe it's that some of lyrics seem to be gibberish?
Elliott Smith
3/5
If I ever listened to this album too many times in a row, I'm relatively certain I would drift off into a pleasant coma. I'll need to keep that in mind, should the need arise.
Os Mutantes
3/5
Very late 60's sounding stuff. It's sorta fun. I think I enjoyed it more because it wasn't in English.
Sepultura
4/5
This is a tough one for me. I liked about 1/3 of the songs, mostly the tribal-type stuff. I didn't like the screamy, Cookie-monster singing on most of the album, though. The music on those songs was pretty good, though. So yeah, I'm torn. 3.5*, but how to round?
KISS
3/5
Couple good ones. Pretty simplistic songs, though, as a whole. Can definitely see their influence on the 80's, for better or worse.
Michael Jackson
3/5
It's fine pop music from the 80's. Nothing really stands out for me as "amazing", though. Eee-hee and shamone.
Silver Jews
3/5
So very indie sounding. 2.5*
Astrud Gilberto
4/5
It's lovely and relaxing. Not something I'll seek out very often, but it's very nice.
Burning Spear
4/5
Solid reggae. 3.5*
Joan Baez
3/5
This one's tough. She's got a great voice, but I just don't enjoy the trilling. And boy, does she trill. 3.5*
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
It's Nasty reminded me of Flight of the Conchords. Which was probably intentional and added to the appeal of it, at least for me. Some of the lyrics are comical, seemingly unintentionally. Otherwise, it's kinda fun, retro-dance music. Also, proves that doing Soul well ain't easy. Amirite, Ladies?
Billy Bragg
4/5
This is pretty good. Much of it is country without the affectation of a drawl. Feels more heartfelt and a lot less formulaic. 3.5* rounding up.
Nas
2/5
Nothing to distinguish it from 90% of the other hip hop albums on this list. 2.5*
Faust
3/5
Isaac Hayes
4/5
It's pretty good. 3.5*
Metallica
4/5
I still enjoy it, though not as much as 30+ years ago. 4.5*
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
Fun! I love Take Me Out, not sure why I didn't check out the rest of the album.
Giant Sand
3/5
If Lou Reed was an insufferable hipster, he'd love Giant Sand. 2.5*
Grateful Dead
4/5
I'm one of those outliers that likes studio Dead better than the live stuff. I can see the appeal of their live stuff, but the jams just go on too long, for my taste. Probably enjoyed more with an altered state of consciousness. 3.5* rounding up, I guess.
David Bowie
4/5
Good stuff! I'd only heard Golden Years prior.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
So much talent, especially on a debut album. All killer stuff.
Shack
3/5
Kinda sorta like Guster, but less good.
Ray Charles
3/5
Ray sounds great, the songs are pleasant. But I don't see myself coming back to an album like this. But I also wouldn't turn of the stereo if any of these songs popped up. 3.5*
Bob Dylan
3/5
I think I liked this one more than any other Dylan album to date. Sadly, he did all the singing. It works alright sometimes, but sounds comically bad others. 3.5*. Is there a tribute album where talented singers sing his exceptional lyrics?
PJ Harvey
3/5
Kind of a weird one. Seems like Iggy Pop's distant cousin, both looks-wise and musically. Some good lyrics and some good music. Don't love her singing, but I could see it growing on me. Might have even been doing so by the end of the album. 3.5*
Coldcut
3/5
Not bad dance music. Wicked sampley.
Miles Davis
3/5
It's alright, Daddio.
Dire Straits
4/5
The radio releases are great and the rest are pretty good.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Happy, when it's over. Sad, cause it's another Tim Buckley album. 2.5*
ABBA
4/5
3.5*, rounding up, as they're just lovely singers. The music's competent, even if it doesn't have the hooks of some of their big hits.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Meh.
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
I thought I'd like this more. It was OK.
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
Fun, happy music. Maybe it's not, but I don't speak Spanish. 3.5* rounding up.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
A decent enough album, but I don't see myself coming back to it. 3.5*
Spiritualized
3/5
This is probably my favorite (?) shoegaze album I've yet to hear. Faint praise, but still. It's something. Two biggest complaints, though. 1. It makes me want to slip into a coma, which is rarely a feeling I'm interested in pursuing. 2. There's several songs where it seems like it's building up to something else, more dynamic. And then, suddenly, it doesn't.
Def Leppard
3/5
The good: by far the best one-armed drumming performance I've ever listened to. I always felt he should have a prosthetic arm with a permanently twirling drum stick. I kinda like Love Bites.
The bad: a lot of the lyrics are aggressively bad. It makes me remember how very much EVERYWHERE this album was for years when I was in high school. It seemed to linger far, far too long for the quality of the music.
The rest: Mediocre arena rock, but it's broadly bland enough to appeal to lots of folks who don't like to think about their music all that much. Or listen too closely. Now that I think of it, perhaps this set the template for modern Country! Pyromania is a MUCH better DL album.
Queen
4/5
Come for the pomp, stay for the circumstance! I don't think I've every listened to the whole album before. Radio/Best Of releases are great. Rest of the album is solid. Could see my rating increasing w/repeated listenings.
Elton John
4/5
First off, I love Hold Me Closer Tony Danza, but Levon typifies the vast bulk of Elton's work for me. It's sort of stream of consciousness gibberish and opaque lyrics. That's probably what most folks like about his stuff, but it doesn't blow up my skirt. Great voice and I enjoyed the orchestral arrangements on this album, though. So 3.5* rounded up for Tony.
a-ha
3/5
This sure is an a-ha album with more songs than Take On Me! The other appealing aspect is the triceps on the singer guy on the album cover. He doesn't skip chest and tris day! 3.5* only because TOM is a great song. Oh, and the triceps.
The Cure
3/5
It was OK.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
4, maybe eve 4.5* on this one! I'm know, I'm surprised, too. I like Neil's songwriting, in general, but his vocals are hit or miss with me. He's got it dialed in to my tastes on this one, though. Maybe it's the harmonies in the choruses? Just jammy enoungh without getting monotonous, too. Well done, Mr. Young. I'll probably come back to this one.
Love
3/5
I didn't hate it. Decent enough, particularly given the time it was recorded. Seems to be a predecessor to the Doors. I probably would have liked it more, had a been a cool cat living in the swingin' 60's, daddio. 3.5*
Kraftwerk
3/5
This makes the old SNL Sprockets skits make WAY more sense. 2.5* rounded. . . up? I guess? Yeah, let's go with up. It can be playing in the background and I can happily ignore it. Mostly.
George Michael
3/5
Excellent singer, decent songs, good arrangements. Not my style, but definitely a quality example of its genre.
Orbital
2/5
Always repetitive, often annoying. 2.5* rounded down.