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?
Shleep is kinda shlitty.
2.5*
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.
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.
Pretty good.
Love it! Fiona's awesome and this is an amazing debut album, especially given her age at the time.
Classic. Some of his best, most popular work.
Meh. Not my cup of synthesizer tea. I think they're good if you like this sort of music, though.
Great background music. Upbeat. I enjoyed it.
This is an amazing album. That's enough of a review, I think. You should definitely listen to it.
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.
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?
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.
Fun. Quite different than music I normally listen to.
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.
If you like Aretha, you'll like this one. Solid album. No complaints.
It was good. He's got a good voice. Overall, enjoyable listen.
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.
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.
Decent rock album. Enjoyed more than just Song #2.
No real standouts aside from the radio releases. It's not bad, overall.
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.
Fun music.
Meh. I can see how it was influential, given the times, etc. But I just don't dig it much.
Thinking about other music from this era, this was a markedly different sound. Love the sax!
Strong performance by one of the all-time greats.
A good friend said it best, that this album was “fiercely okay. An intense beige.”
Started off rather ordinary before veering towards amusing, interesting, and entertaining.
Good singer, too much early 80's synthesizer. Overall, it's pretty OK.
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.
It's OK.
It sure is a jazz album.
Yay. A jazz album.
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.
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.
If you like guitar rock, this album is for you. Great lyrics, singing, instrumentation, arrangement. Very clean sounding guitars. Love the whole album.
Not bad. Don't love the singer. If I liked him more, I,d give it another star.
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.
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?
Better than I thought it would be.
Outstanding! Probably the best grunge album every produced.
I liked this album quite a bit. This is another one where 3.5 stars would be perfect.
Not bad. Some standouts, but a fair amount of ho-hum songs.
Classic.
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.
Solid album. Enjoyed it.
Meh. Not bad. Liked it better than most rap/hip-hop I've heard.
Possibly the wimpiest album I've ever heard.
Pretty good. Another candidate for 3.5*.
Lots of 80's synth. Annie Lennox is a great singer. Sweet Dreams is the clear standout for me.
This was pretty OK.
It was OK. Felt a little dated, but inoffensive. Decent background music.
Seems like a good representative of its genre. Sexy time music!
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.
Excellent album by an excellent band.
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.
Solid, classic, rock album.
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.
Don't really dig Leonard's jam. Seems talented, but it's just not my flavor.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I mean, it's good if you like Morrissey's singing. I can only handle so much of it.
Rough. I know a lot of people like him, but MAN, those vocals. Couple songs I sorta liked. But the arglebargle is nearly unlistenable.
Not bad, but all the songs sound pretty much the same.
Better than I was expecting.
It's long, French, repetitive and has a wide variety of beeps and boops.
Pretty meh. Can't quite give it a 2. Good candidate for 2.5, though.
It's fine.
Pleasant voice. All the songs sound sorta similar, though.
This was an enjoyable listen. She's got a great voice and the music's varied, well produced and played.
Excellent rock album. Love the heavy 70's organ sound.
It was pretty OK.
It's not bad. I bet it's a fun live show, though.
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.
Didn't really care for it. Dumb band name, too.
I like the Talking Heads more the older I get. But this one was not my favorite. Still good, but didn't love it.
Very meh. This band sounded like they were actively doing drugs while recording the album.
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.
It was fine.
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.
I liked it. 3.5 stars.
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
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.
2.5*
It's good. But all the tracks are pretty similar sounding. Prefer Graceland, I've got to say.
Seems like a movie soundtrack more than a music album. I didn't mind it.
Felt very "meh" for a Bowie album.
Shleep is kinda shlitty.
I know it's revolutionary for the time. But in the present...meh.
It's competent rock music. I neither love nor hate it.
Top-tier beeps and boops. I think it's excellent dance music. Is it brilliant from a song-writing or musicianship perspective? Nope.
I did not enjoy this album.
Clearly talented. I'd give it 2.5 if I could.
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.
Comically bad album.
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.
Not my bag, really. Where my fucking dominos at
A fine album. 3.5, if it were an option.
It's something. That's for sure.
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.
Solid album. Not my favorite. Much like the other Oasis album.
3.5* and I might have gone 4 if I'd listened to it more.
Been a long time since I've listened to the entire album. It's still great.
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.
Nope
I do enjoy the ska.
Solid 80's pop rock. Rio and Hungry were definitely the right singles to pick from the album.
Winter is an excellent song. I like her singing on this better than some of her subsequent work. 3.5*
Meh.
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.
Kinda dull. 2.5*
Yay drugs?
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.
Competent dance music.
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.
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?
Tempted to give it 4*, just for Take It Easy, but I'm going to go with 3.5*.
OK, then started to get mildly irritating to keep listening to the whole album. 2.5* is about right.
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?
I didn't hate it.
Good, but not as good as Bridge.
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.
I liked this, particularly Culture Wars. I can't quite bring myself to give it 4*. 3.5*.
Weak 3*. It felt like a very long album.
This is pretty good. Enjoyed it more than I expected.
It's weird, but I don't hate it.
I was familiar with several of the tracks, but I enjoyed the rest of them, too.
Some of my favorites on one of their best albums. 4.5*, but I have to round up for this one.
Definitely liked some of the songs. I bet this sort of jazz is really fun live.
Good stuff.
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.
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.
The music is actually fine. The lyrics are just trash. So glad I'll never have to listen to it again.
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.
It's decent; couple good ones. I like the bass line in the beginning of Picasso's Last Words. 3.5*
It was fine. Not my thing.
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.
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.
I don't love the lyrics or her singing. Some of it's pretty repetitive, too. Music's fine, though.
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.
Classic. One of my favorite Zep albums.
It was OK. Sort of a cross b/w the Cure and U2, but not as good as either.
Good stuff for the most part. Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) may be the coolest song ever recorded.
It was fine.
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.
Meh.
I'd give it 3.5 if it were an option.
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.
For the most part, not a huge fan of her singing, in spite of her clear talent. I did enjoy a couple songs, though.
The more I listen to Elvis and the older I get, the more I like him.
3.5*. Pleasant voice enjoyed some of the music. A bit too jammy for me, though.
Wow. Almost entirely hits. I don't think I've ever heard the whole album before.
I liked it better than most punk I've heard. But that's not much of an endorsement from me.
3.5*
2.5* and didn't get rounded up.
It was OK.
4.5* and I can't quite bring myself to round up to 5. Good stuff, great Grapevine cover.
Not quite sure what to make of Randy. He's got some good lyrics. Easy enough to listen to his music.
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*.
Not my thing.
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.
Very hit or miss for me. A few I liked, most I didn't.
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.
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.
Meh.
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.
Layla's undeniably a great song. Rest of the album is pretty good, if a bit "jammy" for my taste.
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.
Rounding up to a 4, but it's pretty close anyway.
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.
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*
Didn't care for it. Really struggling to decide if it's 2 or 3 stars. 2.5 is my real rating.
Peak 90's alternative Meh.
Yeah, this is a 5* album. Especially impressive given that it's her debut.
I enjoyed it.
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.
Holy shit this is a good album.
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!
It's fine.
It was fine. I'd probably rate it a 2.5, but it's not irritating enough to get just 2.
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.
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*.
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.
It was fine. Probably good for its time. Simple rhymes and lots of 'em.
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.
It was fine.
It's fun, inoffensive music. Great background music for dancin' your way around the house doing some light housework. 3.5*
Can't say I enjoyed it, particularly. But he seems to be good at what he's doing.
I like Bob. I'm thinking 3.5*, which I will round to 4.
It was interesting. Not irritating.
One of the best metal albums ever.
Maybe 3.5*? I mostly liked it.
It was fine.
Not bad, musically sounded a bit like early U2.
Good stuff. Fell in Love with a Girl and We are Going to be Friends are both excellent little tunes.
This was OK. I bet if you like Indian music, this is pretty revolutionary.
It's fine. Probably very good for the time.
3.5* Much like their 2nd album, couple standouts and the rest is pretty decent. They have a cool groove, I overall.
It was kinda fun.
It's good dance music. Album's too long, though.
All the songs sounded pretty much the same. Very meh.
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.
Good dance music, I suppose.
I seem to like about 10% of Zappa's work.
Very fun.
Probably my favorite Metallica album. It's just got that extra level of thrash.
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.
Clearly, Nick had some talent, both as a performer and song-writer. But it's just so bland to me.
Songwriting's fine. Music and musicianship is pretty good. Lyrics and singing are boring to me. Overall result is fiercely bland.
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*
4.5* Mostly bangers, but not quite enough to push it to a full 5*'s, unfortunately. So much talent in this band.
Not bad. Lovely voice. Would be interesting to hear her sing real words.
It was fine.
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.
It was fine.
Again, I wish Neil would get someone else to sing his songs for him. Probably go up a full star with a decent singer.
It was fine. Probably good for punk, if it's your thing. It's not my thing.
Surprised to see how highly regarded Love is by critics. I found it very meh.
Going with 4*, but I don't see myself going back to listen to it, oddly. Still, undeniably good stuff.
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.
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.
This is good hip hop. Good beats and lyrics. Enjoyable.
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.
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.
This album was rather indistinguishable from a lot of other rock from. . . those other bands.
Solid, but the only standouts for me were the radio releases.
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*
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.
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.
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*.
Jazz! It's still not my thing. More fun than some, though. I suppose.
Another artist I can tell is talented, but I just don't like her work much.
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*
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.
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.
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 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.
Not a fan. The noise in noise-rock is too noisy for me.
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.
The Joy Division brought me very little joy. The music was alright, but I did not like the singer.
It's fine. Another older album that I probably would have enjoyed more if I were of the same era.
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 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.
Screechy vocals are hard to take on most of her songs. 2.5 rounded up to 3*.
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.
Seems to be pretty good dance music.
Now THIS is what I'm talking about. 5*. Amazing singer, great songs, timeless lyrics.
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.
This is mostly pretty irritating to me. I'll be sure to never listen to this again.
It's fine. Not really my thing.
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.
It was fine, I guess.
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.
I kinda like the Talking Heads more the older I get. But David Byrne's singing style is not my favorite.
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*
Don't care for the vocals. Songs are pretty similar for the most part.
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*
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.
It was OK.
Not my thing at all. I'm sure their mothers think they are very talented. Perfect candidate for a 2.5*.
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.
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.
It's fine. Sounds like a movie soundtrack. Good background music, I suppose?
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.
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.
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.
I guess if I were to get into EDM, I'd probably like this?
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.
Yo, son. I did not like this album. Know what I'm sayin'?
This is pretty OK. Music's sort interesting, but I don't care for the singing.
A few I liked, but mostly a lot I did not like.
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*
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.
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.
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.
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*
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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*
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.
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.
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.
It was OK. Very indy sounding.
Not bad. Kind of a fun energy to it. There seemed to be no low end to the music, though. Strange mixing issue, maybe?
It's fine. Not my sort of music. All the songs sound pretty similar.
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.
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.
It was OK. Must have been influential in its day or something, but I neither loved nor hated it.
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.
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.
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*.
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?
It's good. Can't quite bring myself to go to 4*, though. 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*.
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.
Like a lot of jazz, this is pleasant enough. Good background music. Still not my thing, though, daddio.
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*.
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.
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.
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.
Not bad. The only real standout for me was You're My Girl.
I found Joanna's singing to be disagreeable. Not a fan.
Unremarkable and inoffensive.
Not a fan. Maybe if his lyrics weren't like a 13 year old trying to be provocative?
Boy, that sure was something.
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*
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*.
Seems very British. Not bad. Dear God is the standout for me and it seems to not match the rest of the album.
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.
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.
Essentially, a perfect album. So much talent in both musicianship and songwriting.
Pretty good overall. 3.5* rounding up based purely on how much I love B.O.B.
This has got to be some of the wimpiest music ever recorded.
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.
I like Van, but typically can only handle so much at a time. This was pretty good, though. 3.5* rounded up.
My opinion of Tears for Fears remains unchanged. They're pretty OK.
I was as bored listening to this album as the band members seem to have been playing/singing for it.
Meh.
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.
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.
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.
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.
It seems like a good pop album. Not my thing, though.
I didn't hate it, but I was glad when it was over.
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.
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.
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*
I love the Doors, but this is probably my least favorite of their albums. Still, I do enjoy most of it.
What can I say? I love Johnny.
Corrigan's voice is tough to take for a whole album, let alone two. Some good song-writing, but overshadowed by his screechy voice.
Peak U2. All killer, no filler.
Another album that's not for me. Don't care for the singing.
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.
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.
Strong Stone Roses vibes. Not bad, but not oustanding, either. I liked their two instrumentals the best.
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.