View Album
Sun Jan 07 2024
Tapestry
Carole King
I really liked this album. Lots of really catchy songs with great piano riffs and some really good vocal performances. A great album to have on in the background while doing other things. It did feel a bit same-y at times, but on the whole it was a really chill enjoyable album that I likely never would have discovered otherwise.
4
View Album
Mon Jan 08 2024
Sea Change
Beck
I have absolutely fallen in love with this album. It's so dreamy and easy to get lost in all the diverse sounds, as well as the incredible mellow vocal performances from Beck himself. Definitely one I will be keeping in consistent rotation from now on.
5
View Album
Tue Jan 09 2024
The Village Green Preservation Society
The Kinks
A decent album, but very of its time. The primitive production and tinny sounding instruments date this album a lot, and sonically has not aged as well as some other 60s albums.
That being said, there is very little to actively dislike on this album, it still has some fun grooves that were rather enjoyable to hear.
3
View Album
Wed Jan 10 2024
The Genius Of Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Really solid stuff. This is the exact kind of thing that comes to mind when I want to listen to jazz. I love how energetic the first half is, and how it mellows towards the second half, keeping you on your toes while listening to it and offering a great diverse selection of sounds
4
View Album
Thu Jan 11 2024
The Man Machine
Kraftwerk
I don't really have much to say about this one, just a fun, groovy album with lots of cool electronic and robotic themes. And it's always cool to listen to things in German since I am currently learning the language
4
View Album
Fri Jan 12 2024
Tusk
Fleetwood Mac
This album is very front loaded. I loved the first half, banger after banger, timeless classic after timeless classic. However, this album fails to keep my attention for much longer than half of it, with the second half being very bloated and full of songs that are either boring, or even a few that I found annoying to hear. There were a handful of standout tracks in the second half, most notably beautiful child, and the titles track. But on the whole this album burns itself out very quickly
2
View Album
Sat Jan 13 2024
James Brown Live At The Apollo
James Brown
Not usually one to listen to live albums, but I did really like this one. It was fun, dynamic, and energetic. The crowd screaming was a bit annoying at times, but some moments where he interacts with the crowd are pretty cool
4
View Album
Sun Jan 14 2024
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
David Bowie
Wow, what a masterpiece. An obvious pick for a classic sure, but absolutely with good reason. Start to finish every song on this album is perfect, giving some of the most passionate vocal performances of the decade. The opening track "Five Years" is without a doubt one of the greatest opening tracks of all time, and this album continues to blown me away even after setting the bar so high with the first song.
5
View Album
Mon Jan 15 2024
Henry's Dream
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
This album had a very epic grand type feel to it, which I did like but sometimes it felt like it was trying too hard to be theatrical. Still pretty good though, it definitely does succeed in feeling very epic at moments, particularly in the first half. Although it definitely takes a dip in quality towards the end of the album, and I start to lose interest a bit. But the closing track is really good so at least it ends on a high
3
View Album
Tue Jan 16 2024
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
Hip hop is not normally my thing, but wow, I loved this album. Really great politically charged lyrics, amazing flow, and amazing production. It uses the occasional hip hop cliche that makes it a less favourable genre for me, but other than that, I have nothing bad to say about this album.
4
View Album
Wed Jan 17 2024
Live At The Witch Trials
The Fall
I am so happy I now never have to hear this album again. The vocals are so annoying, instrumentals are such low quality and I have no idea what they were thinking putting that constant synth tone in the background.
Not to mention how goddamn long this album is, it just goes on and on and on and feels like it's never going to end.
All this album is to me is a worse version on Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division, which is an album I love dearly. This album is honestly an insult to masterpieces like that.
I truly have nothing positive to say about this one.
1
View Album
Thu Jan 18 2024
Talking With the Taxman About Poetry
Billy Bragg
Just a nice standard 80s singer songwriter pop album, nothing really that special, but it's good at what it does and is perfectly enjoyable
3
View Album
Fri Jan 19 2024
The Libertines
The Libertines
Pretty standard indie rock album, very of it's time. It's pretty good, although it is very rough around the edges at moments. Still a fun listen, definitely one I can see growing on me
3
View Album
Sat Jan 20 2024
A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Coldplay
Absolutely phenomenal, one of if not Coldplay's best. Chris Martin's voice is so angelic and emotive on every song, sometimes even almost enough to bring you to tears.
The pianos on every song are absolutely gorgeous, particularly the songs "The Scientist" and "Clocks" with having such iconic opening piano riffs.
Honestly, fuck the Coldplay haters. This band is truly something special and if you can still convince yourself you don't like them, I urge you to listen to this album with an open mind. If you're in the right mood it will blow you away
5
View Album
Sun Jan 21 2024
You Are The Quarry
Morrissey
Separating the art from the artist is normally something I'm pretty good at, particularly with things like Harry Potter. But not with this album. When this scumbag brings his politics and his opinions into his music, it immediately makes it less enjoyable for me.
And it's not even like the album is saved by having good music. On top of his self righteous, narcissistic, borderline bigoted lyrics, the actual music is very generic, so I can't even really enjoy the album on that level.
1
View Album
Mon Jan 22 2024
A Hard Day's Night
Beatles
Pretty solid, the music itself was nothing that special, they definitely got better on their later albums. Lyrics were pretty generic too, but there is nothing to actively dislike on this album, still enjoyed it overall. Just a fun early 60s album that makes for some easy listening.
I'm glad this is only the first Beatles album I've got so far, I know it's all uphill from here.
3
View Album
Tue Jan 23 2024
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
Wow this album has a lot of energy. Really punchy, catchy, and love the politically charged lyrics. But I have to say, listening to this album make me physically tired. And I like to listen to punk and metal all day sometimes, but wow this album manages to beat that.
Anyway, I'm now going to listen to Beach House and The xx for the rest of the week....
4
View Album
Wed Jan 24 2024
Want Two
Rufus Wainwright
Definitely not my thing at all. I found this album really boring, just dragging on and on. Not to mention how whiny his voice can be at times. And also what's with so many albums ending on a song that's so long? Just when you think you're nearly done, you now have to listen through a 9 minute album closer.
Though I will say, I liked a lot of the lyrics on this album. Dude definitely has a lot to say about the world.
2
View Album
Thu Jan 25 2024
Shaft
Isaac Hayes
Listening to a soundtrack from a film you've never seen definitely takes away about 90% of the experience. Does that mean I'm going to go and watch the film just to make a less biased review? Absolutely not. I'm doing this challenge to listen to music, not to watch films. That's the fault of the list's creator for putting an album on the list that requires more than just the music to fully experience. Every review from everyone here is biased to a degree so I'm going to review this album, as an album, as someone who has never seen this film.
This album really drags on, it never feels like it really goes anywhere and just keeps doing the same thing all the way through. The fact that almost all the songs are instrumental definitely doesn't help, it just makes it so much more boring than it already is. It has its moments, it can be enjoyable at times. It's the kind of thing you need to listen to while doing something else, I couldn't even imagine how tedious it would be to get through this entire album if you just sat down and listened to it.
Overall, definitely not the worst thing I have ever heard, but I really have no desire to come back and listen to this album likely ever again.
2
View Album
Fri Jan 26 2024
Phrenology
The Roots
Really really liked this one. I'm actually really starting to warm up to hip hop as a genre, and this album has helped that happen even more. Lots of really great lyrics about important issues of racism, and great flow and vocals. It does drag on just a bit, I don't think the album needs to be over an hour, but at least it's good all the way through so at least I'm not stuck listening to over an hour of garbage.
4
View Album
Sat Jan 27 2024
In Rainbows
Radiohead
So I've been a big Radiohead fan for about 2 years now, and I swear this album gets just a little bit better every single time I listen to it. This alvum perfectly represents what a typical Radiohead album sounds like, and I love everything about that. The 2 opening tracks "15 Step" and "Bodysnatchers" have such a sense of urgency, before "Nude" comes on and changes the pace completely.
I love the way they seemlessly blend pianos woth guitars, making for that signature Radiohead sound. I get that some people might find Thom's voice a bit whiny, but for some reason I love it. He has such a versatile voice that can sound annoying when he wants it to, but can also be used to deliver such emotive performances.
5
View Album
Sun Jan 28 2024
Paul's Boutique
Beastie Boys
Only 2 albums ago, I received "Phrenology" by The Roots. That was an album that made me fall even more in love with rap and hip hop. That is the complete opposite of what this album has done. Like, what the fuck is this? These guys sound like they're 13 all the while they are shouting at me in their whiny voices. And while all of this is going on, the ear grating instruments are doing whatever the fuck they are doing in the background. This is by far one of the most annoying albums I have ever listened to. Never again.
1
View Album
Mon Jan 29 2024
Closer
Joy Division
Where to even begin with this masterpiece. This is one of the most emotional albums I have ever heard in my life, which is only amplified by the fact that I recently watched the film "Control" which tells the story of Ian Curtis and Joy Division. Knowing the story in that much detail makes you listen to this band in a whole new light, and you realise how tragic Ian Curtis' life truly was. I forget exactly who said it, but I have always loved the saying "a tortured artist makes better art", which as sad as that is, it's so true and this album is clear evidence of that.
Start to finish this album is perfect. Every instrument does what it does amazingly, and of course Ian's voice is amazing. The way synths are used in very subtle way adds so much to this album, especially considering how well they were used for the time period. Songs like "Isolation" and "Heart and Soul" show this off especially well. "Decades" features what might be Ian's best vocals of his career, in terms of just how well he performs that song and how he sings with enough emotion to bring me to tears sometimes.
This is truly one of the greatest albums of all time, and without a doubt my favourite album of the 1980s. I feel like a 5/5 is almost meaningless because this album deserves so much more, but unfortunately that's the most I can give it.
5
View Album
Tue Jan 30 2024
Vol. 4
Black Sabbath
A bit of a stretch to call this metal in my opinion. While it's really good, I just don't think this sound really holds up to the standards of how metal is defined as a genre in its modern form.
Anyway, side rant over. This is a really good album. Catchy riffs, great vocals, and lots of diversity in the sounds which makes for a very dynamic album.
And while I would call this rock, I of course have to at least appreciate how Black Sabbath are the pioneering band of metal as a genre, and this along with a lot of their other earlier work was extremely influential for other later metal bands.
4
View Album
Wed Jan 31 2024
More Specials
The Specials
A lot of this album is mostly the same all the way through, but it's definitely still worth it for the small moments when it does feel very unique. Ska isn't a genre I am really that familiar with at all, so this was a nice gentle way in. Definitely nothing mind blowing, a lot of it is very safe. But a fun listen.
3
View Album
Thu Feb 01 2024
Coles Corner
Richard Hawley
Oh my God this is one of the most fucking boring albums I have ever listened to. I listened to this while quite hungover so as soon as I pressed play on the first song I thought "perfect, exactly what I need right now". But little did I know that's all this album would be, all the way through. There are plenty of amazing chill albums to listen to while hungover, but what they all have in common is that while still remaining super calm, they keep the music interesting. This album fails so hard at remaining interesting that it's almost funny.
Normally, albums that are boring but inoffensive would receive a 2/5, but this album stretches the meaning of the word "boring" to realms I thought were never possible. And for that it gets a 1/5 from me.
1
View Album
Fri Feb 02 2024
The Only Ones
The Only Ones
Really big fan of this. I love how this is one of those albums that's really hard to pin down in terms of genre, there is something here for pretty much everyone. The way that pop, rock, and even punk are seemlessly blended is great. So much diversity, so much light and shade, just all around a really fun and unique album, especially considering how old it is at this point.
The production could do with a bit more work, it does date the album a fair bit. But other than that there is nothing not to love about this album.
4
View Album
Sat Feb 03 2024
In The Court Of The Crimson King
King Crimson
While I can't help but love Pink Floyd's material in the next few years after the release of this album, there I definitely a certain level of appreciation I can't help but have for the first ever prog rock album. The guitars are absolutely phenominal with how loud yet simultaneously dreamy they are, and the incredible vocals also can't be overlooked. There were definitely a few moments that dragged on a bit and didn't really feel like they added anything, but on the whole this is an amazing album to create a new genre with.
4
View Album
Sun Feb 04 2024
Tommy
The Who
I'm not sure what I expected going into this album, but it certainly wasn't this. And I love it. Amazing riffs, vocals, everything really. Even the longer instumental moments managed to keep my attention and remain interesting. I love the concept too, albums that tell the story of someone's life are always my thing, and this being one of if not the earliest rock operas is really cool. I get that the interludes are important to the story, but they definitely felt like they interrupted the album sometimes, just as I was getting into the flow of it. But those aside, loved this album.
4
View Album
Mon Feb 05 2024
Brilliant Corners
Thelonious Monk
I didn't hate this, but I can't help but see this as nothing more than boring restaurant jazz. All the songs being instrumental definitely doesn't help, especially with how repetitive some parts can be. I liked the last song though, it's a shame the rest of the album couldn't have been more like that since I actually found that one to be really dynamic and interesting.
2
View Album
Tue Feb 06 2024
We Are Family
Sister Sledge
No disrespect to this album specifically, I just really don't like disco, especially from the 70s/80s era. I can appreciate that as far as disco goes, this is actually a really good album but it just isn't to my taste at all.
2
View Album
Wed Feb 07 2024
Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
I mean, what can I say about this album that hasn't already been said 1000 times. It's literally perfect. This album is pretty much the absolute pinnacle of psychedelic rock, and I don't even think this is Pink Floyd's best album (my favourite is The Wall if you're curious). This album features some of the best guitars I have ever heard, they are so majestic and airy, yet also so heavy at the same time, truly and amazing sound I have never heard from any other band. Not to mention the absolutely fucking insane vocals, again with so much passion where it's almost aggressive, yet simultaneously dreamy.
Until today it's been a while since I have heard this album, so I would love to be able to review it in more detail, but unfortunately I don't want to listen to it too many times in a day. The bottom line is, I fucking love this album.
5
View Album
Thu Feb 08 2024
Movies
Holger Czukay
So this is the lowest rated album I have received so far, and you know what? I fucking love it. I had never heard of this guy until today, and I love how much he just doesn't care and makes the music he wants, because he's damn good at it. The opening track is a great way in, it's fun, it's goofy, there's honestly everything to love about it. I think the song "Persian Love" drags on a bit more than it needs to, it does feel very repetitive at times. But everything else is to love. This is a lot like Pink Floyd but just weirder, and I'm definitely here for it.
4
View Album
Fri Feb 09 2024
Buffalo Springfield Again
Buffalo Springfield
I liked the first track, and Hung Upside Down, and while the rest of the album wasn't awful, I did find it quite boring.
3
View Album
Sat Feb 10 2024
KIWANUKA
Michael Kiwanuka
How have I never heard of this guy before? This is genuinely one of the best albums I have ever listened to in my life. It's so calm and soothing, yet the lyrics have just enough politically charged anger to get me excited. Not to mention the diversity in this album. Defining its genre is pretty much impossible because of all the influences it takes and the wide range of instruments used.
5
View Album
Sun Feb 11 2024
Vanishing Point
Primal Scream
This is one of those albums where you listen to the first 2 or 3 songs, and you think to yourself "it's certainly not the best thing I've ever heard, but it's decent. Probably gonna give it 3 stars", but by the time you reach the end you get so fed up with how annoying and repetitive it is that you just decide "fuck it, 1 star".
What makes this album particularly frustrating is that most of the songs start really promising, whether it's a cool guitar riff, or whatever other interesting sounds. But then it just becomes extremely repetitive and other layers get added throughout the song that are absolutely insufferable. And not to mention the fucking length, I feel like that's been a recurring theme among almost all the albums I've rated 1 or 2 stars, is that they are just so long and that length is only made to feel longer but how much I hated listening to the album.
1
View Album
Mon Feb 12 2024
British Steel
Judas Priest
I normally am not a huge fan of classic metal, but this album surprised me. I usually associate that scene with bands like Motley Crüe and Aerosmith, which to be honest I can't stand. But this album definitely felt ahead of its time for the early 80s. The riffs are really good, and the vocals especially were the part I was pleasantly surprised with the most.
4
View Album
Tue Feb 13 2024
The Suburbs
Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire are one of those bands that I've been meaning to get into for ages, but just never got round to them. And wow am I glad that I have finally had a reason to listen to them, because this album really goes hard. The vocals are just emotive enought to make me emotional, but not so much that they feel cringey. I love the diversity in instruments here too. Nothing ever feels like it's too much, and all sorts of instruments are used in ways that feel so natural and blend seemlessly into the album.
I really want to give this album a 5/5, but looking through the other albums I have rated a 5, I just feel like it doesn't quite fit. I can't find any specific things to criticize, but I know that there are maybe just a few corners to polish off for this album to be a 5 for me.
4
View Album
Wed Feb 14 2024
Exile In Guyville
Liz Phair
I must say, this album really underwhelmed me. It honestly just feels like the same song 18 times. I genuinely have nothing to say about this album, it was so forgettable to the point where I feel like I can't even review it because I can't remember a single thing about it. There was nothing overtly bad about this album, but it was just so generic. While there's nothing to actively dislike here, there is nothing this album does that any other album does in a more interesting way.
2
View Album
Thu Feb 15 2024
Rock 'N Soul
Solomon Burke
I'm in 2 minds about this album, on the one hand:
Fun 60s album, good chill background music that represents the sound of the early years of the decade very well. Has sweet lyrics about love that most people will be able to relate to in some way.
But on the other hand:
Can be boring at times, and sounds mostly the same all the way through. Very generic and annoying lyrics about an overdone topic, there are plenty of other 60s albums that do everything that this album does just better.
Overall I'll give this album the benefit of the doubt as I did find myself enjoying more than I wasn't, and in the context of it being the early 60s the lyrics are very typical of that era.
3
View Album
Fri Feb 16 2024
1977
Ash
This album is like if an AI were to analyse my music taste and create an album that is a textbook example of what I would listen to. And I must say, I don't like it. Like I said it is very typical of the sound I usually go out of my way to listen to, but it's just a very generic watered down version of that. There is very little that makes this album even remotely interesting. Just generic 90s rock that sounds good in the moment due to it being very typical of that sound, but when you analyse the music in this album to even the smallest level of depth, you start to realise how uninteresting it actually is.
2
View Album
Sat Feb 17 2024
Highway 61 Revisited
Bob Dylan
Before listening to this, Bob Dylan was an artist I had just never got around to listening to before, so this was my first time listening to an album of his. And maybe I'm missing something, but I must say I'm not a fan. I am obviously aware of how famous and influential Bob Dylan is, so I really wanted to like this, but I just don't. I have always known that he was notorious for being a bad singer, and people say he makes up for it by having really good instrumentals and great politically charged lyrics. But not only did I not find myself being entertained by the music itself, but while listening to the lyrics I didn't manage to find any captivating political themes. Do I just need to listen to the lyrics more carefully and do a better job at decoding them or something? The only song I feel I truly enjoyed on this album was Ballad of a Thin Man, that had some interesting things happening on it. And I suppose Desolation Row had a few cool things to offer too, but I definitely don'y think it needs to be 11 minutes long. Not to mention the use of harmonicas in that song, and also Queen Jane Approximately are so ear grating and annoying.
I'm going to keep this album in consistent rotation over the next few weeks because like I said, I do really want to like this, so I'm hoping that it can grow on me, and I might check out more of Bob Dylan's stuff too in the hopes that it's only this album that I don't like. But going purely off first impressions, I really did not like this.
2
View Album
Sun Feb 18 2024
Mask
Bauhaus
Wow, who knew that the post punk era had such a weird experimental side to it, I never knew this existed but I am so glad I discovered it. With a bit more polish and production this could easily have been a 5/5 for me. I always associate the post punk era of the late 70s and early 80s with bands like Joy Division who are notorious for their sad music, and while this album is absolutely not super happy-clappy, it manages to sound so fresh and sad in a way I feel like I've never heard before. I honestly have no idea why this has such a low average rating, other than the rough production (which even that has its charm at times), there really is everything to love about this. And if nothing else I know how to make fish cakes now too.
4
View Album
Mon Feb 19 2024
Bubble And Scrape
Sebadoh
I get that this isn't a masterpiece, but why such a low rating? This album is still pretty solid. It has great energy, is very diverse, and had decent enough performances from every instrument. It's certainly nothing that special, but there is nothing to actively dislike here.
3
View Album
Tue Feb 20 2024
Mothership Connection
Parliament
Did you know this is a funk album? Just thought I'd mention that just in case you didn't pick up on it from the lyrics where it feels like every other work is "funk", seriously can they talk about fucking anything else other than goddamn funk? Oh yes, they can. The last song is just a bunch of grown men constantly repeating "gagagooga". Who knew babies could have such deep voices.
Anyway, insufferable lyrics aside, let's talk about the actual music. This is where I am very conflicted. I know that it's not *bad*, it's just that I've never been a fan of this genre, so an entire album of pure funk with very little diversity is not something I at all enjoyed listening to.
Outside of a disco in the 70s, I really don't see myself enjoying this album in any other context, which just makes me so glad that this type of music died decades ago.
1
View Album
Wed Feb 21 2024
Histoire De Melody Nelson
Serge Gainsbourg
Going into this album after reading a few reviews, I really didn't expect to like it that much. But I was pleasantly surprised. The music was very calming, along with a lovely soft voice, and of course we all know how elegant French can sound when spoken in that way. Being fluent in French and understanding everything was definitely a bonus too, since I knew what was being said I was able to follow along with the story pretty well, as weird as it was at times.
I think the main thing that this album lacks is diversity, as calm and soothing as it is, it is a bit repetitive, and the spoken word as opposed to singing definitely doesn't help with that. A bit more actual singing and something to keep the music a bit more interesting would have done this album wonders, all it really needs is to be more diverse and dynamic.
3
View Album
Thu Feb 22 2024
Sister
Sonic Youth
This album really had potential, and oh boy they didn't use it well. The vocals are really good, and the songwriting is really good. That's honestly all I can say. Everything else was awful. Each song is so messy and incoherent, and the production and mixing is next to none. These are clearly talented artists who know what they are doing, but this album just isn't it.
2
View Album
Fri Feb 23 2024
Here Are the Sonics
The Sonics
I think you would have to be insane to believe this album has aged well. The production is extremely primitive which dates it a lot, along with very little diversity. And not to mention the constant screaming "WOOOWWWW", after about 3 of those I was already getting sick of them.
But despite all this, this album has undeniable charm, and I can't help but like it. It still has amazing 60s energy all the way through, and even the production, as low quality as it is, can sound good at times. And I absolutely loved the last 2 songs, there was something about them that really felt different compared to the rest of the album that was really good. It's almost like they made a 10 song album and thought "damn, this album sounds pretty much exactly the same all the way through. Let's record 2 more songs, but use a piano this time too and just stick those on the end of the album". I get that they were trying to be more diverse, but those songs needed to be actually *in* the album, not just shoved on the end.
At the end of the day, I can't bring myself to give this album any higher than a 3 because of how poorly it's aged. But there is definitely something great about this album, and overall is still absolutely worth a listen in my opinion.
3
View Album
Sat Feb 24 2024
Blue
Joni Mitchell
I'm so glad I discovered this, absolutely gutted that it's not on Spotify. I love how simple and stripped back the instruments are, it leaves so much room to really appreciate Joni's angelic voice on every song. Even with such simple music, it still feels like there is so much going on, especially on the latter half of the album where more instruments outside of a piano or an acoustic guitar are introduced.
As much as I did love her voice, and as much as you get to hear it on this album, it does almost feel a bit monotonous at times, I think a bit more showing off her vocal range could have improved this album a lot, but as it is it's still amazing, only a very minor complaint.
4
View Album
Sun Feb 25 2024
Pacific Ocean Blue
Dennis Wilson
I really could have died without listening to this album and been fine. It's really boring. Mostly the same all the way through and never goes anywhere or does anything remotely interesting. Country is already one of if not my least favourite genre, so this album was already on thin ice the second I saw it. I still went in with as much of an open mind as I could, but I was immensely underwhelmed.
2
View Album
Mon Feb 26 2024
Murder Ballads
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
There is no way this album needs to be almost an hour long, I had had enough after about 1 song. All the way through it's just Nick's annoying, monotonous, overly dramatic voice never doing anything remotely interesting, all the while everything about this album is just so repetitive. The song "O'Malley's Bar" was absolutely insufferable, 14 minutes of pointless annoying music that I just couldn't wait to be over.
This is the second Nick Cave album I have received, the first one I got was actually pretty decent, but I have no idea what happened in the 4 years between these two albums, because the drop in quality is shocking.
1
View Album
Tue Feb 27 2024
In A Silent Way
Miles Davis
Going into this album preemptively knowing everything I did about Miles Davis, this album was pretty much exactly what I expected. There was only 1 thing about this that subverted my expectations; I loved it. The idea of listening to two 20 minute long instrumental experimental jazz songs was daunting, but wow it was great. Somehow it manages to remain interesting all the way through and keep my attention without being annoying or repetitive.
I also love how immersive this album feels, there are very few albums out there where I can just sit down and listen to them, I almost always have to be doing something, even if it's small. But with this, the music is so immersive that I can literally just sit down and listen to it and not feel the need to distract myself with anything. Which is especially impressive considering that this is also in instrumental album.
5
View Album
Wed Feb 28 2024
Beautiful Freak
Eels
Well would you look at that, another generic sounding nothing special album from the 90s. The sad thing is, is that this is actually one of the best albums I've got so far from this decade. Which is really annoying because it reinforces this idea that my dad and people of his generation have that the 90s is the decade that music stopped being good, and after the year 1989 it was all downhill. Which I know is obviously not the case, but the selection of 90s albums I have received so far isn't helping me prove that point.
I definitely can't point to anything specific to call bad in this album, but it is very generic. As far as 90s indie pop rock goes, this is actually a decent album, and even though I accuse it of being generic, it still has a charm to it that makes me like it more than I feel like I should. I can't give this album more than a 3 because it's so generic, but it's a generic 90s album in the same way that In Rainbows is a generic Radiohead album. Very typical of that sound and style, but it's a good sound and style to begin with, so generic is still pretty good.
3
View Album
Thu Feb 29 2024
This Is Hardcore
Pulp
Definitely not Pulp's best album, but there is still a lot to love here. It still has a lot of the same energy as Different Class, but definitely in a slightly more watered down way. The vocals are as good as they always are, and the majority of the songs are classic sounding Pulp. A handful of moments definitely drag on, but nothing that is too detrimental to the album as a whole.
4
View Album
Fri Mar 01 2024
A Night At The Opera
Queen
I have always considered myself to be a very casual Queen fan. I am very familiar with and really like most of their most famous singles. However, until today I have actually never listening to a full album of theirs from start to finish. And oh my God why didn't I listen to this sooner.
This band is more diverse than I have always given them credit for. Based on the singles I already knew, I just assumed that they were just a one trick pony that were really good at glam rock and nothing else. But there is so much interesting usage of intruments and genre blending here that they are also amazing at. All of this really gives this album an amazing dynamic feel to it, and even though it's definitely still a glam rock album, there is so much other stuff going on that makes it such an interesting listen.
5
View Album
Sat Mar 02 2024
You've Come a Long Way Baby
Fatboy Slim
This is one of the most annoying, repetitive albums I have ever heard. It's so bloated, with so many songs easily exceeding 5 or 6 minutes, that only makes their repetitive nature even more insufferable. Not to mention those weird radio interlude things that are just there for Fatboy Slim to go on about how great his music is within his own album. This entire thing just feels like a shitty remix of an already awful album, that was then just made even worse.
1
View Album
Sun Mar 03 2024
Le Tigre
Le Tigre
Wow, this is absolute peak 90s indie rock. Very clearly inspired by bands like Sleater Kinney, whom I absolutely love. This album thrives off its simplicity, it's very gritty and underproduced, and they make that sound the whole point of the album, and it sounds great. And of course the strong feminism in the lyrics is always something great to hear.
5
View Album
Mon Mar 04 2024
Close To You
Carpenters
I feel like this album is THE perfect example of "nothing special but innofensive". Like, I really have absolutely nothing interesting to say about this album, positive or negative. It was perfectly fine, easy to listen to. But nothing really grabbed me or stood out to me as being particularly good. Music doesn't get more average than this.
3
View Album
Tue Mar 05 2024
Maggot Brain
Funkadelic
I have never really liked funk. But for some reason, I always had a gut feeling that I would like this album. And I was wrong. I absolutely LOVED this album. This is just the right amount of funk without being annoying, but enough to still be funky as hell. The opening track was a huge surprise, I never expected a 10 minute long Pink Floyd type song on an album I always thought was pure funk. The rest of the album is dynamic, diverse, and remains interesting and keeps my attention all the way through. Absolutely phenomenal stuff, I'm so glad I finally got round to discovering this.
5
View Album
Wed Mar 06 2024
I Should Coco
Supergrass
Do you ever get those albums where you're half way through your first listen, absolutely loving it, and really hoping it will hold up until the end so you can give it a 5? Well this is one of those albums, and it only *barely* fell short at the end.
I REALLY wanted to give this album a 5, I even listened to it twice to see whether it would be better on a second listen. And don't get me wrong, I still love this album, obviously. I am a big fan of britpop, and this is a band I had actually never listened to before. I was already familiar with the song "Alright", but other than that, I heard the whole album with fresh ears. There is such an amazing energy this album has, as is the case with most britpop. Vocals are great, lyrics are really fun, and the guitar riffs are incredible. What deducts a point for me with this, is that the songs "Time" and "Sofa (Of My Lethargy)", while perfectly inoffensive, do drag on a bit. Other than those 2 songs (which are still pretty decent), I loved absolutely everything about this album.
4
View Album
Thu Mar 07 2024
Fear and Whiskey
Mekons
Post punk is a weird genre. On the more underground, low production side of this era there are two types of bands; sloppy production, but has charm and owns the sound and they are actually really good, or experiment in ways that nobody asked for and end up making something really weird, and not in a good way.
This album is definitely the latter. It's annoying, and the low production quality has absolutely zero charm to it. It almost sounds like they weren't even self aware that it sounds awful, and they took this album too seriously. The idea is definitely there, but I don't think the violins sound good at all, they just make this album sound even more messy and chaotic than it already is.
2
View Album
Fri Mar 08 2024
The Coral
The Coral
This album is messy, chaotic, and forgettable. The vocals are really not great and there is next to no coherence between songs. It definitely isn't unlistenable, but I really did not enjoy this.
2
View Album
Sat Mar 09 2024
There's No Place Like America Today
Curtis Mayfield
Oh my God that was so boring. Literally every song sounds exactly the same and never does anything remotely interesting. Just using the same cliche funk sounds over and over again and never trying to do anything different. And I can't be the only one that really doesn't like his voice, he sounds almost whiny but in a way I can't quite describe.
1
View Album
Sun Mar 10 2024
Bryter Layter
Nick Drake
Nick Drake is without a doubt one of the greatest tragedies in music history, seconded only by Ian Curtis in my opinion. The fact that he had an abolutely legendary 3 album run from 1969 to 1972, and almost nobody had heard of him until after his death in 1974.
I want to call this my favourite album of his, but honestly he was so damn consistent that my favourite is just whichever I most recently listened to. I love how upbeat this is compared to his debut, but still keeping his iconic folk sound. And the lyrics are still very much about his own mental health struggles, but he presents them in a way that is so much more accessible than a lot of other artists by not making it too depressing.
There are very few albums out there that use strings as tastefully as this one does. Blended perfectly with Nick's acoustic guitar, the use of other instruments like violins are absolutely beautiful, adding so many layers and so much depth to the actual music itself. And I feel like it should be a crime to write a review of a Nick Drake album without mentioning his gorgeous soothing voice. That was the main thing that I have always loved about his music, even before I really got into it properly.
Nick Drake is an artist I grew up listening to just because my mum really liked his music and had him playing a lot. At the time I was too young to really care about music that much, but I definitely always had a soft spot for this, even only at age 6 or 7. To come back and familiarise myself with his full discography now at age 20 is an amazing combination of nostalgia, but also learning more about him and his music on a deeper level, and realising why he stuck out to me when I was just a child.
5
View Album
Mon Mar 11 2024
All Hope Is Gone
Slipknot
I do understand why this album has such a low average rating, this definitely isn't the most accessible music in the world. I am unapologetically a huge Slipknot fan. You can't deny that everyone has demons and struggles they suffer with, and this kind of music is cathartic. It's tiring to always be angry at all the awful shit in the world, so listening to music like this feels like I'm having Corey Taylor be angry on my behalf when I don't have the energy.
4
View Album
Tue Mar 12 2024
Hot Rats
Frank Zappa
To be honest I'm not sure what I expected this album to be, but it certainly wasn't that. It's so chaotic, but in a way that I can't decide whether I like it or not. Some moments definitely feel a bit too experimental for my liking, most notably "The Gumbo Variations". On the whole though, this album is funky, dynamic, and really, REALLY weird. And if in the right mood, I can see myself quite enjoying it.
3
View Album
Wed Mar 13 2024
Raising Hell
Run-D.M.C.
You know, I enjoyed this album more than I thought I would. Not that the bar was set very high, I have never liked this type of old school rap. And I still don't, I just expected this to be insufferable garbage, and while I still really don't like it, it's listenable without making me want to vomit.
2
View Album
Thu Mar 14 2024
Rock Bottom
Robert Wyatt
What in the ever living fuck is this. This might just be the worst I album I have been given yet. Every song is completely incoherent, it feels like each instrument was recorded for a different song, and they just took a random one of each and just overlayed them onto a song. And that fucking synthesiser in the back ground, constantly just there playing an annoying riff and never going away. Also this guy cannot sing.
I really don't like his voice, it's so unsettling in a way that I can't quite describe. I get that this is experimental, but there is a fine line between being innovative, and being insufferable and annoying. There is not even a moment on this album that I have anything positive to say about. This album truly is music at its rock bottom.
1
View Album
Fri Mar 15 2024
Time (The Revelator)
Gillian Welch
Painfully boring and forgettable. She's lucky she has such a lovely voice, I *really* want to give this album a 1 and that's the only thing stopping me.
2
View Album
Sat Mar 16 2024
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
The Kinks
Really really like this, solid 60s energy that has aged amazingly and still sounds great today. It's diverse, dynamic, and interesting all the way through. I found the song "Australia" to drag on a bit, nothing too major but the second half of that song does feel a bit unnecessary. Other than that, there is absolutely everything to love about this album.
4
View Album
Sun Mar 17 2024
Illinois
Sufjan Stevens
Honestly the only criticism I have of this is the length. He has a lovely voice, good lyricist, and great music. The flow between tracks is great, I love how hard it is to tell one song from another at times, definitely makes this feel like a more coherent immersive concept album. But seriously, this album could benefit a lot from being about half its current length. I have never listened to an album that drags on like this one does.
3
View Album
Mon Mar 18 2024
Out Of The Blue
Electric Light Orchestra
This album is so happy that it makes it annoying and oversaturated, and it never changes the pace for its runtime of over an hour. Also if I ever hear Mr Blue Sky again I am going to rip my ears off. Seriously, how is the world not sick to death of that song already.
1
View Album
Tue Mar 19 2024
At Fillmore East
The Allman Brothers Band
This album is nothing more than an hour and a quarter long guitar solo. What is the point of it being on this list? The list is literally called albums you need to listen to *before you die*. This is one of the most pointless, empty albums I have ever heard. Boring.
2
View Album
Wed Mar 20 2024
Raw Power
The Stooges
My review is going to beat around the bush about as much as this album does. It's punchy, energetic, and I really like it.
4
View Album
Thu Mar 21 2024
American IV: The Man Comes Around
Johnny Cash
Oh wow, this is amazing. His vocals are so passionate, nothing like anything I have ever heard from Johnny Cash before. Even with such stripped back instruments, this album is still so dark and emotive, I never thought country music could be so emotional. And this album is only made even more haunting by the fact that he died less than a year later. Also that cover of Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode is fucking awesome.
5
View Album
Fri Mar 22 2024
Jagged Little Pill
Alanis Morissette
A bit rough around the edges, but this is still a solid listen. Very passionate vocals and great lyrics, a lot of the sounds are quite underproduced, but it still can have its charm. As much as I did enjoy her as a vocalist, there are a few moments where she is a bit too whiny for my liking, but it's never *that* bad. It reminds me a lot of Fionna Apple, although I think that Fionna's music is far superior to this.
3
View Album
Sat Mar 23 2024
The ArchAndroid
Janelle Monáe
There is the odd song here and there that feels like it didn't need to be here, but when this album goes hard, it goes fucking HARD. The production is fantastic, and this album blends genres that really shouldn't work on paper, but it still sounds incredible. Pile that on top of passionate and diverse vocals, and you have a truly amazing album.
4
View Album
Sun Mar 24 2024
Odelay
Beck
You know, Beck is more diverse than I initially gave him credit for. Sea Change was the second album I ever recieved from this list, and the first I rated a 5/5. It's super chill and dreamy, and since it was the only Beck album I was familiar with until today, I thought that's all he did. But wow, this really changes the pace and I love it. There are some moments that are bordering on metal and hip hop, and even blended with the overall folk rock sound of this album, it still sounds amazing.
4
View Album
Mon Mar 25 2024
GREY Area
Little Simz
This album does not start well. The first 2 songs are not enjoyable, screechy vocals, weird sound effects, I thought I would be in for a rough ride. But you know what, it really picks up after that. The latter 8 songs are all great, they are melodic, have amazing flow, and the lyrics touch on a lot of important issues. I really want to give this a 4, but unfortunately those first 2 songs really do drag it down to a 3 for me.
3
View Album
Tue Mar 26 2024
The Gershwin Songbook
Ella Fitzgerald
After the first few songs, I was ready to give this album a 5 if it kept up the pace all the way through. And while you *could* say that it did, towards the second half of the album all the songs start to blend together, and there is very litte that makes each song unique. That's not to say that any of the songs are bad though, Ella's voice in undeniably one of the greatest of all time, and she really showcases that on every song. The strings sound great, and every instrument feels like it makes a worthy contribution. And I have to add, some of the lyrics on "Embraceable You" certainly are questionable, at least by today's standards. I wasn't alive in 1959 so maybe back then that was completely normal, I don't know.
4
View Album
Wed Mar 27 2024
The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem
You know, I've managed to go the last 7 days without rating a single album less than a 3/5. But unfortunately, that streak ends with this album. I found very little, if anything to like about this album. I can appreciate that Eminem is a talented rapper, but his delivery, on top of his awful lyrics, just make me cringe. Seriously, let's talk about the lyrics on this album. Well over half the songs are violently misogynistic and homophobic. The average 14 year old Eminem superfan is going to hear shit like that, calling women "sluts" and portraying gay people as gross, and then of course follow his lead on forming opinions on oppressed groups like that.
After having listened through the majority of this ungodly long album, I was then treated with an interlude containing a blowjob in excruciating audible detail, and then a song where Eminem attempts (and fails miserably) at playing the role of a women being verbally abused. I really don't understand how any sane person can belive that this album has any merit what so ever.
1
View Album
Thu Mar 28 2024
She's So Unusual
Cyndi Lauper
Wow, this goes harder than I expected. For 80s pop this is really ahead of its time, it's nowhere near as cheesy and annoying as a lot of the other pop music from this era. Her lyrics are inventive, break gender stereotypes, and all sorts of less conventional instruments make really tasteful appearences at some points. Some moments are still a bit too bubblegum pop for my liking, but they are few and far between, and barely take away from the listening experience.
4
View Album
Fri Mar 29 2024
The Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd
You know what's funny, I just listened to this album yesterday. I keep it in rotation anyway because it's fucking phenomenal. But hey, any excuse to listen to it again and I'm there!
There is a reason this is the third highest rated album on the list, and the most iconic and instantly recognisable album cover of all time. I'm 83 albums deep into this list and I'm already running out of interesting things to say about each album, but for this one I don't need to. We all know this is one of the greatest albums of all time, I don't need to write another review explaining that, God knows there are enough of those already. If you disagree, you're just wrong. What more can I say?
5
View Album
Sat Mar 30 2024
Young Americans
David Bowie
Oh man what a winning streak, yesterday I get The Dark Side Of The Moon, and today I get Bowie. There's very little that makes this album stand out from this era of his music, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. This album is just classic Bowie, through and through.
4
View Album
Sun Mar 31 2024
Kilimanjaro
The Teardrop Explodes
I feel like if I received this album earlier in the list, I would have given it a higher score. But at this point I've had to sit through so many generic early 80s post punk albums that I'm starting to get a bit sick of them. This is by no means awful, but there is nothing even remotely interesting about compared to 90% of the other post punk albums I have listened to. "Thief Of Baghdad" was a cool song, but everything else was so generic and indistinguishable.
2
View Album
Mon Apr 01 2024
Being There
Wilco
I've had a few albums that suffer from the same this as this one does. The musicianship is great, I love the vocalist, and the songwriting is amazing. But it's just so long. If it were about half the length I could see myself giving this a 4, maybe even a 5. But it simply overstays its welcome far too much for a score that high.
3
View Album
Tue Apr 02 2024
Definitely Maybe
Oasis
I love britpop, and I have always wanted to love Oasis because of that. But I have always been a Blur gal all the way. I have always thought that Oasis are inferior to Blur in every way imaginable. Their music just feels so safe and watered down, like they never try anything interesting or or experimental in their music, and the gain on the guitars sounds so weird like some weird uncanny valley between acoustic and electric. Liam's voice is just whiny and annoying, and each song just drags on for so long which only makes the whiny nature of his voice all the more promenant. At the end of the day, britpop is one of the reasons the 90s is my favourite decade for music, and I get that Oasis are the main band of that scene. But I can't help but feel that they are one of the most overrated bands of all time.
2
View Album
Wed Apr 03 2024
Let Love Rule
Lenny Kravitz
Man, this guy really loves love. One could argue maybe even a bit too much. In fact, he loves love so much that it's all he can ever talk about in his lyrics to the point that it's annoying, and it's not even like he presents it in an interesting or original way. Every song here is boring and generic, and offers nothing unique or different. And as mentioned, the lyrics are painfully repetitive.
2
View Album
Thu Apr 04 2024
Triangle
The Beau Brummels
If every song were like "The Wolf Of Velvet Fortune", this would be a fantastic album. Unfortunately though, that was the only song I enjoyed. The rest was boring forgettable filler.
2
View Album
Fri Apr 05 2024
Space Ritual
Hawkwind
Fucking hell this is even longer and even more pointless than that Allman Brothers live album I got a few weeks ago. I would give it 2 stars because some moments remind me of Queens Of The Stone Age which is cool, but that doesn't make up for the 2 hours of my life I wasted listening to this that I'll never get back.
1
View Album
Sat Apr 06 2024
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John
This does drag on a bit, but there is no denying that on the whole, this is a fantastic album. Elton John is undeniably one of the greatest songwriters of all time, and oh boy does that man know how to play the piano. The vocals are amazing, such passionate delivery, and the music in just about every song is so perfectly crafted.
While Elton John (in my opinion at least) wasn't as groundbreaking or ahead of his time as some of his contemporaries (*cough* Bowie *cough*), he is still amazing at what he does, and has made some incredible albums.
4
View Album
Sun Apr 07 2024
Screamadelica
Primal Scream
Second (and hopefully last) album by this band, and it's exactly the same as the first one I got. The first song is pleasant, but by no means amazing. After that, the first few seconds of every single song try to entice you with a nice guitar riff or something, and slowly devolves into annoying, repetitive, meaningless shit.
1
View Album
Mon Apr 08 2024
Hotel California
Eagles
This album is very safe, and takes hardly any risks. While there is nothing inherently wrong with that, it can feel a bit boring. It's pleasant, and makes for good background music, but nothing here is mind blowing.
3
View Album
Tue Apr 09 2024
Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
I have absolutely no idea what this is, and I love it. Whenever I see an album from the late 90s pop up that I've never heard of before, I can't help for my initial reaction to be dread. I have received so much shit from that era from really underground bands and artists to the point where I just assume that I've discovered all the good music from the late 90s, and everything else sucks. But this album has proved me wrong. Every song rewards you for listening to the whole thing, and slowly builds until it reaches an epic climax. Even though I don't speak a word of Icelandic, the intensely passionate delivery of the vocals makes me love them.
I initially found it daunting that this album was 10 songs and 71 minutes long, that means that each song averages at about 7 minutes. But you know what, if anything that's the best part of it. Being able to really explore every sound in every song to such depth, and slowly add layers that build perfectly throughout the songs.
I never would have thought that I would have fallen in love with this album as much as I have, but I do love occasionally getting a reminder that there is still music out there that I have never heard of that is still this amazing. It's so easy to get caught up in always listening to the same things and not realising how much music there actually is in the world that's still really good. But hey, I suppose that's the reason we are all doing this album list at the end of the day.
5
View Album
Wed Apr 10 2024
On The Beach
Neil Young
Well that was perfect timing, Neil Young's discography was only put back on Spotify within the last few weeks, and today I get my first album of his. This is just a soft, pleasant, enjoyable album. I don't really have much to say about it, since I didn't find it to be that special at all. But it's a solid listen.
3
View Album
Thu Apr 11 2024
A Seat at the Table
Solange
Wow this is boring. Just the same all the way through, never does anything interesting, or takes any risks. Her voice is so monotonous, which is a shame because I think it had potential. Every song sounds exactly the same, and there is nothing that makes each one unique. And this album has an absolutely ungodly number of interludes. As if it weren't already boring and pointless enough, I now have all of those to sit through too.
1
View Album
Fri Apr 12 2024
Tarkus
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
I honestly have no idea what I can say about this album. It's just....weird. Like really weird. But also somehow manages to sound kinda normal? But the fact that it sounds so weird and normal at the same time makes it even weirder. Either way, I know that I didn't like it that much. And that's all that really matters for deciding how many stars I'll give it.
2
View Album
Sat Apr 13 2024
Urban Hymns
The Verve
This is definitely one of the most ambitious britpop albums, and as much of an unpopular opinion as this may be, I think they kinda pulled it off. It's long, it's grand, it's epic, but it rarely feels boring or annoying. Admittedly, there were a few moments that were very repetitive, so much so to the point where I had to check to make sure my phone wasn't glitching out and just playing the same 2 seconds of the song over and over, but those moments are few and far between so hardly take away from the experience of listening to this album.
4
View Album
Sun Apr 14 2024
Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Oh wow, I didn't think I would love this as much as I do. Her voice is absolutely gorgeous, and the simplistic instruments are not only beautiful and atmospheric, but give her voice so much more of a presence. And her storytelling is just amazing, the lyrics are so captivating and really make me want to keep listening.
5
View Album
Mon Apr 15 2024
Psychocandy
The Jesus And Mary Chain
I love to imagine what was happening in the studio during the making of this album.
"Guys, I have a great idea. What if we make an album, with super airy vocals that are completely incoherent, and a bunch of really tinny empty sounding guitars."
"You're definitely on to something, but I feel like there's just something missing from it."
"I've got it! What if there's just constant white noise in the background, that way the airyness and tinnyness of the album is exaggerated even more!"
"How did we not think of that? You're a musical genius man!"
This album is truly hot garbage. If you think that there is anything even remotely worth admiring about this, I will never be able to take any of your music opinions seriously. This makes My Bloody Valentine's debut sound like the greatest album of all time.
1
View Album
Tue Apr 16 2024
Rio
Duran Duran
80s synth pop is an era of music that I have never got on with at all, but this album is an exception. It's not cheesy, or overpruduced, or oversaturated, it's just great music all the way through.
4
View Album
Wed Apr 17 2024
Will The Circle Be Unbroken
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
This list has helped me be more open to genres I have been very closed to in the past, country is most definitely one of those genres. I have had a few country albums I found tolerable, even one or two that I enjoyed. This is not one of those albums. This is exactly an example of why I hated country for so many years. And for some fucking reason it's two whole hours long. If you are ever torturing me for information, play this album and I'll talk pretty damn quickly.
1
View Album
Thu Apr 18 2024
Aja
Steely Dan
I get that this isn't going to be exactly everyone's thing, but how can you hate this? It's just so....pleasant. Nothing about this blew me away, but I really like it.
4
View Album
Fri Apr 19 2024
Copper Blue
Sugar
Just more generic, non-distinct 90s rock. This album isn't bad, but there is absolutely nothing even remotely interesting about it, which one could argue is even worse than being bad, because at least most bad albums are still interesting, even if it's in a bad way. This is just like an AI generated 90s album to make the most typical album of that decade as possible.
2
View Album
Sat Apr 20 2024
Thriller
Michael Jackson
Beat It is quite possibly the greatest guitar riff ever written, that song makes this album a 5 by default. But the rest of the album still slaps on top of that, so it's like a super ultra mega 5.
5
View Album
Sun Apr 21 2024
Locust Abortion Technician
Butthole Surfers
For the love of god DO NOT look up all the band names these guys almost went with before they settled on Butthole Surfers, I can assure you that you will regret it.
1
View Album
Mon Apr 22 2024
american dream
LCD Soundsystem
I bit long, but it continues to evolve and remain interesting all the way through. Vocals are good, instruments are really great and definitely some of the most diverse I have had so far. Nothing absolutely mind blowing, but I'm definitely very glad that I discovered this.
4
View Album
Tue Apr 23 2024
War
U2
This is not at all what I expected, but I really like it. I'm not sure where I got this impression from, but for some reason I always thought that U2 were like the Coldplay of the 80s (not that there's anything wrong with that, I love Coldplay!). But this is definitely a lot more punchy and politically charged than I was expecting, and I am absolutely here for it.
4
View Album
Wed Apr 24 2024
Are You Experienced
Jimi Hendrix
This was absolutely an amazing album, but I must admit it didn't blow me away as much as I was expecting. Of course, it can't be understated how influential and groundbreaking this album was, but it just didn't impress me as much as an almost 21 year old in 2024 as it did to people in 1967. But that's not to say I didn't like it, the guitar riffs were absolutely amazing, and I have always underestimated how great of a vocalist Jimi is. But it is very long, and while these moments are few and far between, it does at times drag on just a little bit. But on the whole, still a fantastic album, and an all time classic that I am glad to have finally heard.
4
View Album
Thu Apr 25 2024
Can't Buy A Thrill
Steely Dan
Oh my god I absolutely love this. It just makes me want to get up and dance my ass off. It's so energetic and funky in the best way possible, and I adore the hint of Latin influences in some of the songs, absolutely incredible stuff.
5
View Album
Fri Apr 26 2024
Birth Of The Cool
Miles Davis
This feels like some dinner jazz I should find really boring, but you know what? It's actually really good. It still remains interesting and doesn't drag on or do the same thing all the way through constantly.
4
View Album
Sat Apr 27 2024
Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
Holy shit this album goes fucking HARD. Maybe I was too harsh on the rap metal genre fusion, it's hard to pull off, but boy when it works, it really works. Limp Bizkit and Kid Rock can piss off, THIS is the rap metal I want to be hearing.
5
View Album
Sun Apr 28 2024
Joan Armatrading
Joan Armatrading
Man, this album sure is inconsistent. Some moments are amazing, they are original, captivating, and she really shows the power and versatility that her voice has. But there are equally as many songs that feel boring, repetitive, and generic. On the whole, it's a solid listen. But definitely not one that blew me away. I really wish I could give this a higher rating for the moments that are genuinely great, but unfortunately it's just too inconsistent. I would give it a 3.5 if I could.
3