My favourite sad and beautiful album to go to.

Probably the most Work Of Art album I've been assigned so far. Absolutely incredible, never boring, fuckin' cool.

I've liked this before but never loved it this much. I think my brain needed this kind of peace today.

So much funnn

Damn, I was so enjoying being snooty and saying how boring I found her. Great! Fun! I didn't realise how many songs I already knew through osmosis.

Ah man I was really hoping to get more into this. Great but not super exciting, not pulling me in. I'm going to revisit and maybe rerate but not in a hurry, sorry chef

Great American music! The only standout tracks were the ones I already knew but I guess that's how brains work? I will definitely listen to this more on Audrey's jukebox.

Huge start! Five stars! Then dot dot dot big finish! I can't tell you what happened in the middle there.

Hell yes. Never a chance to get bored.

Not bad, but not much that was particularly memorable on the first listen.

Wild I'm stuck between giving this three and four stars and my favourite part of the record is the "three, four!" Really makes you think.

I was so excited for this to come up then I was so excited the whole time i was listening to it.

Hell yeah

I didn't know much about my dad as a person but I knew he was a k.d. Lang fan and he loved Santana. He hated Wayne Newton and the songs 'Born in the USA' by Bruce Springsteen and 'Captain Anarchy' by Anti-Flag. This is a beautiful album and it gave me little glimmers of nostalgia.

Oasis was forbidden music when I was growing up. My older brother had a sticker on his guitar that said "Oasis are shit", so this is what I believed. Definitely Maybe is the energy of my feelings about this album. It's fine. Not shit. I know I'll like the other one.

This was wildly assigned to me the day after I saw a CCR tribute band. I think it helped the appreciation of the album having just seen a bunch of middle aged men try their best to impersonate something 50 years after it had been invented here (not the style of music, god no, just these specific songs).

Fun but I don't know how often I'll revisit it. Hanging out for third wave representation on the list

I have a small brain and so I'm a sucker for big songs, and so here I am bringing shame on my family (specifically my older brother). This is how I found out Liam is short for William but I'm not going let that affect my rating. Liam's voice loses it a star, nostalgia gives it a star.

First artist I've been assigned that I have no experience with! Liked not loved! I might revisit one day but nothing particularly grabbed me, and some actively pushed me away.

One day I'll figure out what's preventing me from REALLY getting into Radiohead. I don't not like them! It's fine! They're good! It just hasn't clicked yet. Will this be the countdown that clicks me?? Not yet! I'll keep at it!

This feels like the hottest take of the summer but this was mostly just fine.

Five big stars! Good for relaxing, good for happy, good for sad, good for cool.

Going by the reviews it looks like I have a lot of Elvis Costello albums to go, so I'm going to try to hang on to this one as a benchmark. I guess I haven't heard much of him outside of his hits, so I wasn't sure what the expect. I dug the good mix of ballad, jazzy, dense, lush, womp womp, all spaced so there weren't any points I felt it sagging. Happily I bought into his voice early on so didn't have the awful grating experience a lot of others seem to have had. If Wheatus ever pops up on this list there's going to be trouble.

Never heard of this! At all! Really dug it! Love the little tastes of the Hustle and Do You Know the Way to San Jose. Good boss battle music.

Good god, I could listen to this every day. I went to see what the 1 star reviews could possibly be saying but couldn't find any.

The only thing I know about this guy is that he's not Bryan Adams, he covered 1989 and I think he's since been cancelled? I don't know. Let's find out together. Hmm the album was mostly boring, a couple of fun points but then I deducted a star for him being trash. Sorry my countdown my rules!

Not my favourite, not my least, hanging around in the middle and I might never listen to it in full again

The only album you'll ever need.

Not one of my 90s bands and this is why I'm not as cool now as I could've been.

Ah man, I was bored so much more than I was expecting to be.

This is fine. I'm realising that if the album doesn't like up with my current mood then it's not gonna work out well for it. But you know what, it's the album's job to wow me and win me over. I will give this another shot when I'm feeling more mellow though.

Never heard of Big Black! That was pretty rad though. Big big sound

I would like to alter my brain so this is playing in there all day.

I think this was the first time I listened to this all the way through, and even then I put it off for a couple of days because who has the time. BUT I love it. Hit me just right. Excited to be a peaceful long-haired Hare Krishna.

My favourite sad and beautiful album to go to.

Of course

Prettyyyy sick. Glad I only know four adjectives, it makes reviewing things so fun and sick.

Didn't give me a chance to get bored and was so fun and silly and dorky and teetered on the edge of not working for me a few times but ultimately yes absolutely worked for me.

Yikes

I immediately put this on again as soon as it had finished, then went on to more Rush. Good thing lyrics bounce off my brain because that philosophy sure isn't mine.

I zoned out towards the end but goddamn I had more fun than I expected. More than once my brain expected what I was listening to to break into what I then realised is an Aerosmith song. I guess I don't know the difference, sorry boys. It would have been fun but gross to be in this band.

Okay! Probably won't revisit anytime soon but the boys sounded like they were having fun.

Medium!

There's a time and a place

Stuck in my brain zero percent!

New go-to album to RELAX but ~concentrate~. Beautiful.

Not necessarily one I'm going to reach for again anytime soon.

I missed this the first time around so now I get fresh ears and no sense of it being overplayed! Nice! Huge! Powerful! Adele.

Ahh maybe I'm not a huge Wilco fan? I think if words didn't just bounce off my brain then it would've been more than just background music for me, but they did and so there it was.

Wow yeah, not my jam at all. I think this needed the hook of nostalgia, because I struggled through it and I'm just so so glad it's over now.

I'd never heard this man before but I dig! I don't know what it is that I like about this that wasn't there for me in Wilco. Just a vibration thing I guess.

Not *bad*, but didn't really do anything for me

I don't know how to review this objectively.

This was greattt. I haven't listened to more than a handful of Pretenders songs, but I'm keen to put this on more so I can once and for all learn that this is Chrissie Hynde not Amphlett, and the band is the Pretenders and not the Proclaimers.

Delightful

I think if I were more of a Stones historian this would've done more for me but there were just so many points where I forgot I was listening to anything at all.

Goddamn

Punchy!

First one I've tapped out of. Life is short. Didn't even have the decency to fade into the background.

Almost tears of joy when this popped up after that last one. It had almost made me give up on music forever. Huge.

I want to sound and look like this record.

Damn this just got harder to listen to as it went on, losing stars all along the way. I swear I was so into this in the beginning but by the end I was waiting for it or me to die. STRUGGLIN INDEED.

I'm happy that it makes people happy but I'm 24 years late for this train.

Extremely cool.

Grew on me as I got more into it. Very silly. A bunch of silly billies singing songs.

Another one I started off thinking would bore me but grew on me as I went along. Solid but I think not enough high points to bring me back.

I'm sure I'll finally get (like REALLY get) Radiohead one day, and I'm sure it'll be with the help of this list, but it's definitely not with the help of this album. Maybe better headphones? A dark room? The right assistant?

HOO BOY WHAT A COMPLICATED ONE. Going objective and stripping away nostalgia and also monstrousness, some good songs some bad had to listen in a private session for shame and guilt reasons okay bye.

I'm so excited for my goth phase. I'm going to be so good at it. I'm thinking I'll have it when I'm in my 60s so I'll really know my stuff.

Oh my god you're killing me. One upside of this list leading me through these albums again is that I'm able to say cool, there's actually a lot of garbage here and my life is just as rich without these. Scandal noted.

Smoking a joint with my dad and listening to Santana is what I would've wanted the most but unfortunately the least likely thing to ever have happened ever.

I don't know what activity and mood fits this album. I know it's out there and on that day it'll get an extra star but this was not Meditation, Focus, Study, Calm 10 Hours like I think I needed.

Yikes I didn't realise she was such a huge piece of trash (as a person). I'm going to stop trying so hard to like her then.

Room temperature water.

Loved! I always think I should listen to more Rufus and look at me! I'm doing it! Everything is big and grand and beautiful.

I'm going to go with 'mostly annoying' on this one.

I've listened to so much U2 and supporting media and I think this is the most they're ever going to get from me. Don't dislike. Appreciate. Just very rarely reach for.

This is the voice I most closely associate with my mum. Except probably her own voice, and her mum's and okay excluding people from our immediate lives.

I would like to play loud messy music now please.

Ahh that was really nice! Yeah I see why people like them! I was going to go four stars but only because it wasn't immediately familiar I think? (What even is my rating system?) But I want it to be, so I'm going five and I'm excited to get to know it more.

It was fine then it just wouldn't end. I want to not listen to Elvis Costello any more but now I'm trapped.

Still cool and well 'ard, etc., but sags in the middle more than I remember.

I was a little late to this when it came out and I wish my brain had latched onto it in the way that makes you lock yourself in your room with a guitar an amp and headphones but I guess I went the Sims and IMDb path instead.

That Guttermouth song about The Doors auditioning new singers is how I learnt to do the Fred Schneider voice.

I want to get into country to the point where I know what the Bakersfield sound is. Doot doot dooo

Slightly carbonated water.

I wish it hadn't taken until Fetch the Bolt Cutters for me to listen to Fiona Apple but now I'm just so glad to be on the inside. I hadn't listened to this one yet but LOVED IT. She's always been this good?? Wild!

Maybe I OD'd on this genre back in the day but this didn't really excite me today.

Ahhh I absolutely was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. So silly and High School Boy but so fun and I would've felt so damn Cool if I was still in high school, but instead I'm just going to be the grown man saying "you know who are underrated? The Fun Lovin' Criminals".

Well really

Probably the most Work Of Art album I've been assigned so far. Absolutely incredible, never boring, fuckin' cool.

Real pleasant but not awe-inspiring. Is that really so much to ask for

This can go on every day! Background, foreground, wherever you like

I've always suspected I'm not super into The Band and now here we are. Fine. Medium. 2.5

Hmm nah! If it was all as good as Cry Me A River then sure but this was mostly falling way below.

Yikes that was ahhh not a good time. Sshhhh shh shh shhh

I think I'm missing out because I haven't tried to make a song and because I've missed most of the context by hearing everything that came after this. Huge influence on all Songs To Study And Relax To playlists. Still, we're getting there!

That was real nice! I didn't think it was my mood and it'd be a write-off but it eventually brought me in.

Hell yes. This has set the mood for the whole day and I'm so excited for it. Prog for focus and relaxation and profit.

Truly a land of contrasts

I started this yesterday, got halfway through, picked it back up today thinking "hm I don't even remember what this sounded like, but I don't remember it being bad so it's probably going to be a three star affair?" but immediately got into the groove! Fun! +Ky! Listening back it was the ballady business that lost me a bit but excited to get to know this more.

Oh you boys

Not wall to wall but high highs

Deeelight. For this one the dad wish is cocktails at a beach bar.

I think I'm missing a lot having never seen the movie. My bad!

This one is it

Okay yes they are all the same song but it's nice.

I started my day listening to this and somebody at work who is named Paddy messaged me and opened with 'top of the morning'. I wish I could attach screenshots to these reviews, this is the kind of stuff that makes god fall back into grace with me.

This isn't one that I can't imagine my dad enjoying in my fantasy listening to these albums with my dad scenario

I love this and always will and I understand how much of it is extremely annoying so I will never recommend it to anybody.

Great. Pow.

I've liked this before but never loved it this much. I think my brain needed this kind of peace today.

Five stars for the power this recording of Amsterdam has over me alone.

Mmm

This is specifically what I didn't like or understand about electronic music when I was growing up and taking cues from my older brother about what I was allowed to like and listen to.

Ahh still not really, thanks though!

I'd like to do a new thing where I take comments from negative reviews and agree with them but it's because I guess the person and I don't feel the same way about all things. Yes this absolutely sounds like a coma patient waking up, I love it so much. Imagine feeling that kind of peace and falling in love with the world at first sight.

Fun but probably not my favourite album of all time sorry.

I'm glad my mindset is always that I haven't listened to enough Pavement.

When I started listening to this I got the same feeling I get when I start watching the Karate Kid. Goddamn I am just so excited about what's ahead of me. Same brain space.

Ahh okay, I thought I detested Dire Straits but that might've been absorbed from somebody else. If I expect mellow then I have a fine time.

I loved a couple of parts but mostly forgot I was listening to this.

I wish I'd leaned into the Cure so much more when I was in high school. I always feel like my goth phase is still to come.

Riiight into the regular rotation. Also a reminder to always read the Wikipedia. Interesting that he had 21 kids and then one of his grandkids went on to write music for the soundtrack of the movie 21. Well not interesting, but two things.

I'm going through this list with an open mind and open heart and this was pretty flavourless for me but not bad. It sure did happen.

Ah boyyy, look I had high hopes and it was close to a 3 but too much of it gave me too much second hand embarrassment. I guess that's my problem but these are my stars to give.

Did everyone just have to spend all their money on records in the '60s? Was it exhausting trying to keep up with everything that was coming out? Cinnamon Girl was one of the first songs I loved and advocated for that I found on my own and wasn't approved by my older brother or punk friends (though it turned out they did also love it).

That was some blues rock music

Fine but also I didn't care enough to finish it. New strategy with this list! Who cares!

My kids are going to think I'm so cool